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6 Friday 23 October 2020 | AL HAKAM Where stars descend

Chapter 8 (Blessed time)

Part II

Asif M Basit

One afternoon, I sent some documents to Huzooraa which were rather extensive. The papers were sent to Huzooraa in the daily correspondence that gets presented every afternoon.

After a very short period, I received a phone call from the private secretariat that Huzooraa had been through the file and that I should come and collect it.

When I went to collect the file, which was more of a bundle of papers, I found that Huzooraa had been through it thoroughly and then added a lengthy note at the end for guidance. At various places in the file, Huzooraa had made corrections.

Thus, one day, when another such file had to be presented to Huzooraa for guidance, I endeavoured to not leave a single typo lest I cause him any discomfort. I went through the document many times over and asked others to do the same so as to ensure that there was no such error. I sent the file in the morning and received it that very evening.

On top of the file, Huzooraa had written a long comment. He had been through the entire document and had not corrected anything.

I thanked God for enabling me to send the document without any errors and thus, not causing Huzooraa any discomfort. To relive the joy, I went through the file once more. But this time, I found that towards the end, تھےhad been corrected to تھی and this had somehow been missed. Huzooraa graciously corrected this mistake. As Huzooraa had corrected it with a pencil, therefore I was unable to spot the correction initially. This, however, suggested the meticulousness with which Huzooraa had read each word.

Returning to the subject of Friday Sermons and how and when Huzooraa finds time to prepare it, I was fortunate to once witness a spectacle of how Allah has blessed Huzoor’s time.

Everything in Huzoor’s office is placed in a certain order so that Huzooraa can easily and quickly access them. I have seen Huzooraa refer to the electronic dictionary to his right many times, to either find the definition of a word or to enquire about the correct pronunciation of a word. For instance, Huzooraa once said: لیاو نےہو نا� م خطبہ کہ ںہو کہتا م ںور�تقر پنیا کثرا م ؟ہے پتہ لفظ لئے کے سا م ی�نگرا ۔�ر تےکر لیجگا کی ںتوبا

“I often urge everyone in my speeches to revise [jugali] everything that is said in my Friday Sermons. Do you know what this word [jugali] is in English?”

I replied that I did not.

Huzooraa explained that jugali in English is “cud”. Huzooraa then searched the dictionary for this word, played its correct

pronunciation and read out its definition. Huzooraa added, “Look, the second definition given for this word is exactly what I said. Even in English, it means ‘to think or talk reflectively.’”

Although there are many other dictionaries in Huzoor’s office, I have personally seen Huzooraa refer to this one.

I have also witnessed many a time now how Huzoor’s pen will be writing continuously without any breaks, but then at times Huzoor’s pen has dried out and without a pause, Huzooraa will either pick up another pen to keep up the momentum or swiftly open his drawer, pick out a new cartridge and replace the old cartridge with the new one. Huzooraa will all the while carefully listen to what I have to say and provide guidance too. I have observed those cartridges being picked out from the same drawer, in the same place. Never is even a second wasted in such moments due to everything being placed in a specific location.

Allah the Almighty vouchsafed to the Promised Messiahas that his time would not be wasted. His responsibilities have been handed down to his Khulafa and thus, their time has also been blessed in this manner.

A few years ago, upon receiving approval for an official audience with Huzooraa, I woke up on the day of the mulaqat with a terrible cough. I was apprehensive to attend the mulaqat and see Huzooraa in this state. However, my mulaqat had been approved and I could not miss it of my own accord. Therefore, I turned up at the private secretary’s office and requested the private secretary to inform Huzooraa that although I was present, I was suffering from a severe cough and was apprehensive to see Huzooraa in such a condition.

The private secretary conveyed my message to Huzooraa and as he exited Huzoor’s office, he gestured for me to enter.

As I entered, Huzooraa said, “Work doesn’t stop.” With that, Huzooraa turned around, opened a cabinet and graciously handed me a packet of lozenges. Very lovingly, he said, “Take this. It will kill some germs at least.” The cough that had made it difficult for me to complete a sentence had now somehow been suppressed and thereafter, was quickly cured.

A few years ago, when, due to a change in climate, Huzooraa had been suffering from a severe cough, Huzooraa turned around and got himself a lozenge out from the same cabinet. Huzooraa graciously gave me a lozenge too. Thus, everything has been placed in such a manner that it does not waste a single second of Huzoor’s time.

There are many interesting anecdotes related to the television placed opposite Huzoor’s desk and how it saves Huzoor’s time. In previous chapters, I have narrated incidents to do with this television and the DVD player linked to it, in light of how some MTA programmes have been checked on this television, as and when Huzooraa so wishes.

When I was once instructed to play an MTA programme on Huzoor’s television for the first time, I had not a clue what to do; how the television switched on, how the DVD player functioned and how the DVD tray opened were all unknown to me. There were neither any remote controls nearby to operate them, nor could I find any buttons to help me in that predicament (even if there were, in those moments, I probably still would not have been able to operate them). I turned around and noticed that Huzooraa had opened two drawers to his right to search for the remote controls. Huzooraa then instructed, “Switch it on”, to which I assumed that Huzooraa wanted me to play the programme with the remote control. Huzooraa extended his hand, but immediately said, “No, I will operate it myself from here. I have set it according to my preferences. I don’t want you changing the settings, otherwise my time gets wasted.”

Every time after that, when I have played an MTA programme for Huzooraa , I have noticed that he picks out the same remote controls from the same drawer. The DVD player is always open by the time I reach the television. As the programmes are being played on the screen, Huzooraa remains occupied in his work while he reads and signs letters. Whenever there is something that needs editing, Huzooraa provides guidance on it. When Huzooraa wants to hear something again, he rewinds the programme to the relevant part. Then, when he has provided guidance, I return to the DVD player to find it open and I thereby replace the DVD with what was originally in the player. Sometimes, Huzooraa ensures that I have replaced the DVD with the originally inserted DVD.

As stated earlier, Huzooraa writes the entire text of the Friday Sermon himself. May Allah bless our beloved Imamaa with a long, healthy life and may He assist him with the Holy Spirit.

This is just Friday Sermons; the rest of Huzoor’saa addresses are prepared in a similar fashion. I have encountered such blessed moments in which Huzooraa has recounted Allah’s favours upon him, for which I will always remain grateful.

Once, while talking about Jalsa Salana Germany, Huzooraa said, “Whilst preparing for my address to Lajna, I had written something, but it remained incomplete and I left it there. I was unable to carry on and so, I left it there. Only after a few moments, my brother, Dr Mirza Maghfoor Ahmad, came and mentioned something the mayor of a German city had said. From what he said, I was able to find a good point to carry on with the speech and thus, the point I wished to make was conveyed.”

I once sought guidance regarding a function at the opening of a mosque. After Huzooraa had provided guidance, I commented, “Huzoor, by Allah’s grace, mosques are being inaugurated all the time”, and then asked, “How do you find time to prepare an address before every such event? On some tours, I have seen that one function will immediately follow another.”

Huzooraa replied by saying, “When the external guests give their talks, they usually address the conditions and state of affairs of the area. These change from region to region. Have you not noticed that as they deliver their speeches, I will be writing

things down? I make a note of the aspects they describe and address those very issues in my speech too.”

Huzoor’s addresses to every graduating class of Jamia Ahmadiyya are unique in their own right; they resemble a father’s advice to his child before sending him off on a noble mission. This father, however, is the general of this army and has in his hand the artillery necessary for combat. The advice Huzooraa gives to the students and the manner in which he delivers it is a special, spiritual spectacle.

Once, whilst in the company of Huzooraa , a day after Huzooraa had addressed Jamia students at their convocation, I was able to express my sentiments openly regarding the ceremony.

After hearing what I had to say, Huzooraa replied, “I did not know what I would say on the way to Jamia. I had jotted a couple of things down on a piece of paper, but then, when I saw the students, whatever came to mind, I said it.”

And what a speech that was! They indeed had spiritual wisdoms enveloped in it.

Many a time, it has so happened that I have expressed my sentiments about a speech and Huzooraa has replied, “I am not an orator. I never took part in any debates in college and very rarely did I ever deliver speeches.”

I never had the courage to say so, but every time, I would think, “Huzoor, what is left in being an orator? The effect Huzooraa has on his audience is very rarely seen in the crowds of other orators.” Such expressions can be thought of in one’s imagination but are very difficult to express.

Huzooraa spoke beautifully about his dear mother in the Friday Sermon following her demise. Towards the end of the Sermon, Huzooraa said that after Khilafat, her conduct towards him transformed completely. Huzooraa said that before every tour, she would express that she was praying for Huzooraa. Huzooraa continued by saying, “She knew me very well – no one knows

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa prior to Khilafat, as nazir-e-ala and amir-e-muqami

more about a person than their mother. She was aware of my nature also, that I talk briefly and prefer to speak less. She would always say, ‘May Allah bless your speech and your addresses.’ She would especially say that she was offering nawafil [voluntary prayers] for me and that she would pray for me in her sajdas [prostrations].’”

Those who were able to witness the time in Rabwah when Huzooraa was nazir-e-ala and amir-e-muqami, are all aware of how much experience Huzooraa had in public speaking. In Rabwah, Huzooraa always assigned the responsibility of delivering the Friday Sermon in the central mosque to someone else. For leading the daily prayers in Masjid Mubarak, Huzooraa had appointed others as the imams. He would perhaps lead nikahs and funeral prayers only when it was under the instruction of Khalifatul Masih, whose every instruction he followed to the letter.

Generally in Pakistan and especially in Rabwah, various functions would be held throughout the year and to invite Huzooraa was considered a great honour. Huzooraa would thus attend; however, he would never deliver a lengthy speech.

Whilst inaugurating a wing of Fazle Umar Hospital in Rabwah as the special guest, one of the workers delivered a speech and conveyed the specifics of the new wing to the audience. Thereafter, Hazrat Sahibzada Sahib (may Allah strengthen his hand) took to the podium and the crux of what he said is, “You have just heard a speech. Now join me in dua [silent prayer].” Other such functions were very similar to this. If ever his talks were longer, then they too would only contain a few more sentences.

Those who had the good fortune to converse with Huzooraa before Khilafat, all bear witness to the fact that Huzoor’s speech would be fluent, beautiful, captivating and inspiring, all of which are attributes of a good speaker, although Huzooraa rarely spoke publicly.

With regard to a Friday Sermon, Huzooraa narrated an incident. Huzooraa said that during the first Jalsa Salana of the third Khilafat, Huzooraa was 15 years old and was assigned duties at the Langar Khana (kitchen). He continued doing this duty for many years.

During one of the early Jalsas of the third Khilafat, Huzooraa , having finished his duty, proceeded towards the Jalsa site to listen to the inaugural address. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh said that until the previous night, he did not have a topic in mind to speak on. Then he prayed to God and said, “O Allah, I have not assumed this responsibility of my own accord. You bestowed this duty on me. Therefore, please help me understand, otherwise I will recite Surah al-Fatihah and say that Allah did not give me a subject to speak on.” Then, Huzoorrh said that Allah the Almighty revealed in his heart a topic which he then spoke on.

This incident was new to me and very inspiring. I assumed that this was the entire incident, but Huzooraa continued, “Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh was a lecturer of a college. He then became the principal. He would have to speak publicly on a daily basis. He was also sadr Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya. He would address shuras. As sadr Ansarullah, he would have to tour different places and address gatherings. Yet still, at the time of his first address, this was his state.”

This incident had now inspired my faith even more. I had not seen the incident with the view Huzooraa had described. Huzooraa then said another sentence, which is a magnificent proof of the existence of God: ہو نہ ہی بہتجر ئیکو کا ر�تقر جسے لو چسو کا سا با

“Now think about the person who has no experience in public speaking.”

To those who are reading these lines, come, let us reflect about that man who never had any experience of public speaking before being bestowed the mantle of Khilafat; who never had the experience of being an orator, nor did he declare so.

This is a man who has been divinely selected to disseminate the message of Islam to the corners of the earth. Did God not know that His chosen person was of a quiet disposition? Was there a lack of orators in our Jamaat? But God Almighty told us what He was in search of – the one who is most respectable in the sight of God is the one who sets the highest standards of taqwa. And through Huzoor’s election, Allah showed us who has set the highest standards of taqwa in this age.

Allah has breathed his spirit into this noble person and blessed his speech in such a manner that it has a tremendous impact on listeners. His soft tone and polite style of talking is more appealing to listeners than powerful and foreceful speeches. Through this individual has the message of Islam reached the corners of the earth.

Not just thousands, but millions have seen the truth and reality of Islam through him. Many people who were originally opposed to Islam, having met him, proclaimed that if what he said was the truth, then their views on Islam were wrong because what he has said could not be wrong.

The whole world has heard this individual’s message being conveyed at the British parliament and many other parliaments of the world. This individual has conveyed to American politicians the message of truth and has said that if they wish to accept his plea, then they may do so, otherwise they should await the outcome of their actions as only then would they understand. Where seemingly influential scholars and leaders of Islam have submitted to Western influence and compromised their teachings, Huzooraa has looked those very leaders in their eyes and unequivocally said that the Islamic teachings of purdah and modesty are appropriate, necessary and crucial, otherwise the moral fabric of society would be shattered.

This very individual has directly addressed heads of states through letters and urged them to return to the right path. Many leading journalists and media outlets request him for interviews and meetings.

Have influential leaders, politicians and intellectuals not given this individual standing ovations in grand and majestic events? The same people have praised him in many different ways and many of them have acknowledged his wisdom in merely one sentence uttered by him.

But what weight does our reflection hold? This age has spoken for itself!

Once, during Rah-e-Huda, a caller expressed his desire to formally enter the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. When he was asked as to what made this decision easier for him, he responded by saying:

“I had heard a lot of speeches of maulvis and would watch a lot of Islamic channels on TV. A lot of commanding and forceful speeches would be relayed. Once, I switched MTA on and found your Imam speaking moderately on the teachings of the Holy Prophetsa; he was calm and collected. His manner of speaking swayed my heart and I have now decided to become an Ahmadi Muslim.”

سخن کم ننساا م ی�د تھا لگتا گ چھا پہ نہماز ،ا�آ پہ لنےبو جب “He who appeared quiet and silent, grasped the world upon taking to the stage.”

11 ways to purify the soul As explained by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud

Frasat Ahmad Missionary, USA

What is the secret to success?

According to Allah the Almighty, it is to purify your soul. یکزت نم حلفا دق

‘Verily, he [truly] prospers who purifies himself.’ (Surah al-A‘la, Ch.87: V.15)

Clearly, this is much more easily said than done.

In a world muddled with immorality, it may seem well-nigh impossible to purify one’s soul. We may perhaps feel that our souls will forever remain polluted by the poison of our impurity, that our sins are so egregious that they can never be washed away, and that the path to purity is now obscure.

Fortunately, Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra has provided practical steps to purify our souls and to attain lasting prosperity.

In his own words, here are Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra 11 ways to purify the soul (taken from his speech, titled Irfan-eIlahi, delivered on 16 March 1919 at Jalsa Salana Qadian):

1. Remove all impure thoughts from your heart

“The first requirement to purifying the soul is that one continues to remove all evil and impure thoughts from the heart. (Irfan-eIlahi, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 4, p. 371)

2. Know what Allah likes and dislikes

“One cannot purify his soul until he abstains from all evils and performs virtuous deeds. Thus, it is necessary that one gain complete knowledge of all those deeds that God dislikes and likes. The Promised Messiahas had made an index of all the enjoinments and prohibitions mentioned in the Holy Quran, on the Holy Quran which he used to recite. From this, it is evident how much he [the Promised Messiahas] cared for the execution of God Almighty’s enjoinments and prohibitions.

“Thus, it is of utmost important to know these matters for the purification of the self; and when these points are known, the matter becomes quite easy, for man departs from the darkness of ignorance and enters into the light of knowledge. If enjoinments and prohibitions are known, then one should strive to act upon them, for striving to act according to the correct means after knowing them is the sole formula for success. Even if one stumbles in acting upon these means, and one does not fully do so, he should still not abandon his efforts; rather, he should continue striving, for this shall serve to be the cause for his future progress. Indeed, it must be remembered that one should not abandon those deeds without which faith cannot be complete; one should act upon all of them.” (Ibid, pp. 371-372)

3. Make good deeds a habit

“One should embed in their heart and continue to remember those deeds that cause one to attain purification and vice versa, for those deeds that are constantly remembered are fixed and implanted into the heart. I shall explain with the following example:

“Let us assume there is an individual who is extremely short tempered. He should, at the opportune time, reflect, ‘I get angry very quickly. This is an evil deed. It is an obstruction to my spiritual progress. Hence, I shall never ever commit this deed.’ He should constantly remind his heart of this enjoinment to the extent that it embeds itself in his heart and he saves himself from this malady …

“Success becomes possible through progressing gradually and making it a daily practice. Hence, compel yourself to perform a good deed just one time and then do so again at another juncture. In this manner, perform this deed many a time which shall eventually become a habit.

“In reality, a man’s nafs [ego] is like a child. Hence, it should be dealt with as a child, and those same means that are used in schools to teach children should be utilised to teach spirituality. First, children are taught small lessons and gradually the workload is increased.” (Ibid, pp. 372-373)

4. Consistency

“You must be consistent in performing good deeds. Allah the Almighty declares: نیقیلا کیتای یتح کبر دبعا و

“Meaning, ‘And continue worshipping thy Lord, till death comes to thee.’ (Surah alHijr, Ch.15: V.100)

“Those people are extreme liars, who claim they have beheld or are at one with God and, ‘Thus there is no need to continue searching for Him by means of this [figurative] boat. Prayer, fasting, Hajj, and Zakat are all the name of this boat that causes one to reach God Almighty. When man reaches God, it is ignorance to remain in this boat’ …

“The Entity that we desire to reach is not limited and we are traveling through such a river that is endless. Thus, our example is similar to a person who is traveling on a river for the purpose of reaching the source of that river, unlike someone who travels from one bank of a river to another. Hence, as God is not limited, our deeds must also not be limited in order to reach him. If He were indeed limited, then our Prayers, fasts, Zakat and Hajj would also be limited. But because our God is not limited, then how can our deeds be limited? ...

“There must be consistency in worship. It should not be that one performs their worship for a period of time and then ceases. In doing so, whatever was attained previously, would not render any benefit, as Allah has declared: اثاکنا ۃوق دعب نم اہلزغ تضقن یتلاک اونوکت ال و “Meaning, ‘And be not like unto her who, after having made it strong, breaks her yarn into pieces.’” (Surah al-Nahl, Ch.16: V.93) (Irfan-e-Ilahi, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 4, pp. 374-375)

5. Keep righteous company

“There are so many matters that one cannot understand without a teacher and it is thus necessary that he have a teacher to help him understand these matters. God Almighty declares: نیقدصلا عم اونوک و ہللا اوقتا اونما نیذلا اہیای

“Meaning, ‘O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and be with the truthful.’ (Surah al-Taubah, Ch.9: V.119)

“You should remain in their company so that you become strong. Hence, it is immensely important that one benefits from a perfect teacher. The chains of reformers, saints and perfect believers continues in every era. When they cease to exist, then God raises a prophet; one should thus benefit from them. As a student cannot study from books himself and needs a teacher to learn, similarly, one cannot attain spiritual ranks by himself and needs a teacher to learn …

“Man can learn that knowledge in minutes from a teacher, which would have taken him years to learn without a teacher. Even if students, at the very beginning of their education, begin to use the dictionary to learn, they cannot learn on their own in years what a teacher could teach them in days.” (Ibid, pp. 375-376)

6. Hold yourself accountable

“God Almighty states: ہللا و ؕ ہوسن و ہللا ہصحا ؕ اولمع امب مہئبنیف اعیمج ہللا مہثعبی موی دیہش ءیش لک یلع

“Meaning, ‘On that day when Allah will raise them all together, He will inform them of what they did. Allah has kept account of it, while they forgot. And Allah is Witness over all things.’ (Surah al-Mujadalah, Ch.58: V.7) …

“Also, there exists quite a famous saying of Hazrat Umarra, which many mistake as a hadith: اوبساحت نا لبق مکسفنا اوبساح

‘Take account of your souls, lest an account is taken from you.’” (Tirmidhi) (Irfan-e-Ilahi, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 4, pp. 376-377)

7. Reflect upon Quranic injunctions to do good

“After understanding the Quranic enjoinment and prohibitions, one must inculcate a habit of reflecting upon them … For example, one should reflect upon the blessings and benefits of prayer, fasting and other righteous deeds. In the same manner, one should reflect upon the realities and results of lie, dishonesty, treason and vice etc., for the manifestation of the reality of something gives rise to love or hatred for that thing in man’s heart. In regard to this, the Holy Quran states: ال ناذا مہل و ۫ اہب نورصبی ال نیعا مہل و ۫ اہب نوہقفی ال بولق مہل اہب نوعمسی

“Meaning that, ‘They have hearts but they understand not therewith, and they have eyes but they see not therewith, and they have ears but they hear not therewith.’ (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.180) This connotes that one cannot attain success until he utilises the eyes and ears of his heart.” (Irfane-Ilahi, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 4, p. 383)

8. Be willing to accept your mistakes “One should have the characteristic of acceptance. It should not be such that he hears a matter and does not even attempt to act upon that matter; rather, when a matter is told to him, he should direct his attention towards it and strive to act upon it. The aforementioned verse (Ch.7: V.180) also indicates this. It is impossible to attain

27 October 1889: The Promised Messiahas was in Ludhiana, in the house of Hazrat Mir Nasir Nawabra. On this date, Huzooras wrote to Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira that he was in Hazrat Mir Sahib’s house, due to the poor health of Hazrat Mir Sahib’s wife, who was the mother-in-law of the Promised Messiahas . 27 October 1894: The Promised Messiahas wrote his announcement regarding Abdullah Atham on this date. 4,000 copies of this leafl et were printed at the Riyaz-e-Hind press, Amritsar. In those days, the mullahs were already siding with the Christians in the case of Atham. They were anxious to oppose Hazrat Ahmadas at any cost. To confuse and deceive the public, the mullahs resorted to say anything they wished. 28 October 1887: The Promised Messiahas acknowledged the receipt of fi ve kilograms of ghee, while replying to Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira . Huzooras wrote that in a time when other people of his country were excelling in enmity, Hazrat Munshi Sahibra was a person who was excelling in providing services towards him and his cause, which refl ected his purity of heart and mind. Hence, Huzooras said, Allah would reward him in abundance. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, p. 525) 28 October 1887: The Promised Messiahas wrote to Hazrat Mian Abdullah Sanaurira expressing his sorrow on the demise of his grandmother and on other hardships Mian Abdullah Sahibra was facing in those days. Huzooras also phrased his resoluteness with reference to his opponents and wrote that he worshipped God alone, not the people of this world. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 3, p. 202) 28 October 1890: The Promised Messiahas wrote to Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra saying that the female patient, for whom he had asked his help, had passed away the previous day, on Monday, 12 Rabi‘-ul-Awwal. Aside from this, Huzooras spoke about a job for Mir Abbas Ali Sahib’s son. He wrote that the boy had been educated up to the middle grades and had a basic idea of writing in English and had a little knoweldge in maths etc. Huzooras described that Mir Abbas Ali Sahib had repeatedly requested that if Huzooras wrote to Hakim Nuruddin Sahibra, then Hakim Sahibra could get him a job in the state of Kashmir. Mir Abbas Ali Sahib was an old acquaintance

of Huzooras and desired for his son to be posted in the postal department in Kashmir, where Munshi Sirajuddin Sahib was the head of this

Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra

department. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, p. 95) 28 October 1897: The Promised Messiahas shared with Hazrat Haji Seith Allah Rakha Abdur Rahmanra that he had to go to Multan to record his statement in a court there, where someone, out of mischief, cited his name as a witness. Huzooras wrote that he would consecutively pray for the next 40 days for Seith Sahibra as his untiring and selfl ess services for the cause of Islam Ahmadiyyat prompted Huzooras to pray for his protection and success. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, p. 353) 28 October 1902: The Promised Messiah’sas book, Tiryaq-ul-Qulub, was released. The actual year of this book’s writing and printing has been a topic of discussion in debates with opponents of the Jamaat; hence, while looking into this matter, it appears that when the period fi xed for Ilahi Bakhsh to publish his revelations fi nished, Hazrat Ahmadas began to write a book which was entitled Tiryaq-ul-Qulub. This was a large sized book. By 1 August 1899, 23 pages had been written and its preparation was announced in Al Hakam on 31 July 1899. In these pages, Hazrat Ahmadas pointed out that a true revelation from God must be supported and distinguished with heavenly signs. He invited sufi s and mystics who opposed him to arrange a meeting, wherein a prayer should be made to God so that the true claimant of divine revelation might be distinguished with potent heavenly signs within a period of 12 months. For this purpose, the opposing candidate must publish an ishtihar (announcement) that should reach Hazrat Ahmadas 10 days before the date of the proposed meeting. Many other clues can settle the debate around the year this book was written. Five supplements were later added to this book in which around 76 signs and prophecies were explained as having been fulfi lled. This book was written by 15 February 1900 (on 5 December 1899, 137 pages were completed) save perhaps a few pages, which must have been soon completed by Huzooras. Hazrat Pir Manzur Muhammadra composed almost all the pages and it was all printed in early 1900. This book could not be properly completed and published at that time because of the proposed expedition to Nusaybin and other reasons. At last, however, Hazrat Hakim Fazal Dinra drew Huzoor’sas attention to this book in October 1902 and he fi nished it off by adding a few lines to the manuscript on 25 October 1902. Karam Ali Katib Sahib says that only two pages (159 and 160) of this book were then composed by him along with the title. So this book was thus fi nally published on 28 October 1902. 29 October 1905: On this date, the Promised Messiahas, during his stay in Delhi, visited the shrine of the sufi Muslim saint, Hazrat Muhammad Nizamuddin Auliyarh and that of Amir Khusrow Dehlvi, a sufi musician, poet and scholar. Khawaja Hasan Nizami also had an audience with Huzooras on this date. 29 October 1905: One exemplary incident of the high standards of obedience shown by Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra is reported in books of history, when he acted without delaying a single moment. It is reported that he was busy examining his patients in his clinic in Qadian, when a telegram from Hazrat Ahmadas reached him asking him to reach Delhi without any delay. He left everything on the spot and began his journey, literally dragging his shoes half worn and tying his turban as he left. He did not even check whether he had money in his pocket for travel expenses. On this day, he reached Delhi.

<< Continued from previous page

success for those people who hear a matter and then neglect it, or they see a thing, but ignore it.” (Irfan-e-Ilahi, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 4, pp. 383)

9. Bear admonition with patience and tolerance

“One must bear with patience when they are admonished for a mistake. Many people are unable to reform themselves precisely because they get off ended when their error is pointed out and they do not fi x this error. Yet, they should not act like this; they should tolerate when they are reprimanded for an error they commit. God Almighty declares: داہملا ﺲئبل و ؕ منہج ہبسحف مثالاب ۃزعلا ہتذخا ہللا ﻖتا ہل لیق اذا و [Meaning, ‘And when it is said to him, ‘Fear Allah,’ pride incites him to further sin. So Hell shall be his suffi cient reward; and surely, it is an evil place of rest.’ (Surah alBaqarah, Ch.2: V.207)]

“In other words, there are some people who, if told to fear Allah, become indignant at this advice and become insane at the thought of being degraded and instead of heeding this advice, they begin to oppose and contest the advisor. Th e abode of such people is Hell, for instead of being appreciative and grateful to the individual who pointed out the mistake, they quarrel with him.

“People should not understand from this that when they see a fl aw or defi ciency in someone, they have the right to openly reprimand and admonish him [publicly] in the marketplace. One should always advise or admonish in private, and the well-wisher should also keep in mind his own capacity and status as to whether he holds the right to admonish the person, lest the result is not reverse or becomes perverse. Hence, just as it is necessary for one who commits a mistake to hold the strength to tolerate and listen to the admonisher’s words with a cool heart, it is also necessary for the admonisher to proceed with great caution. It should not be that he humiliates whomsoever he desires in front other people.” (Irfan-e-Ilahi, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 4, pp. 383-384)

10. Don’t lose hope

“One should never become hopeless; rather, he should have trust in Allah. Th ere are some people who work tirelessly but become hopeless at such a point when they are soon to see the fruit of their hard work …

“So, a believer should never become disappointed. He should continue to advance forward and never forsake his progress at the sight of failure. Indeed, he should refl ect upon the reasons for his failure and should attempt to remove them, if he is able to fi nd them. But one should never despair of God Almighty’s grace.

“Some people say that they never see the fruit of their actions and thus forsake them. I say that you should continue to proceed forward in your matters, even if you do not see any result. Inevitably, you will certainly be successful …

“In the same manner, as it is immoral to be suspicious about others, it is immoral to be suspicious about oneself; rather, it is a sin. One’s heart should, while placing trust in Allah the Almighty, understand and think, ‘We shall not allow Satan to overpower and prevail over us.” (Ibid, pp. 384-387)

11. Consider every sin as major

“Some people declare some sins as very severe sins and declare some sins as very minor; consequently, they do not take caution in abstaining from those sins [which they consider to be minor]. Th e Holy Quran demonstrates that sin cannot be categorised as serious or minuscule. According to the Holy Quran, miniscule sin is that which arises in man’s mind but he does not act upon it, and serious sin is that which he acts upon … Hence, one should not consider any sin to be miniscule, for man cares not for those sins he considers miniscule …

“Th e ahadith record that the Holy Prophetsa was traveling somewhere and passed by a cemetery. Th ere, he stated, ‘Th e inhabitants of these two graves are being punished for what they considered to be a miniscule matter, but in reality it was a serious matter. Th ey were miniscule matters in a sense that they could have easily abstained from them, but serious in a sense that they caused them to enter into Hell. One inhabitant did not take caution in protecting himself from splashing droplets of urine on himself and the other would backbite.’ (Tirmidhi)

“Hence, no matter is miniscule; rather, the idea of a matter being miniscule or grave is relative. One may fi nd an act or matter that he does or can do quite easy or miniscule, although it might be quite diffi cult or grave. Another may fi nd an act or matter that he does not do or cannot do quite diffi cult or grave, although it is quite ordinary and miniscule.” (Irfan-e-Ilahi, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 4, pp. 387-388)