Writings of Hadhrat Musleh Mau’ood [ra

The Fazle Umar Foundation realising the need and importance of these spiritual and scholarly treasures and respecting the desires and persistence of the members of the Community, issued the books of Hadhrat Musleh Mau’ood [ra] under the name of “Anwarul Uloom” and his sermons under the name of “Khutbaate Mahmud”.

Some of these books are already in the possession of our readers. It is important to confess that the task of summarising and introducing the books and writings of Hadhrat Musleh Mau’ood [ra] is no easy task. His writings are such a collection of spiritual and scholarly treasures that it is only possible to appreciate their worth after studying them. This spiritual legacy, which is an exposition and commentary of the Holy Qur’an, demonstrates the most elevated status of the Holy Qur’an as Khatamul Qutb, the Seal of the Books. It clarifies the unparalleled pre-eminent position of the raison d’etre of creation, Hadhrat Muhammad Mustafa [saw]. Only after studying his writings can one become conscious that one can only truly benefit from them by studying them constantly. As he states:

“After taking the seat of Khilafat, Allah Almighty revealed the secrets of the

Holy Qur’an to me in such abundance that that the Muslim Ummah will be compelled to study my books and benefit from them.”

When considering his huge contribution as a writer it is important to bear in mind that Hadhrat Musleh Mau’ood [ra] was not leading the life of a retired gentleman who spent all his time engrossed in studying and researching his subject matter. On the contrary he was the head of a worldwide, dynamic and growing Community who had to keep in touch with hundreds of thousands of its members and provide them with guidance even in their very personal affairs. Every member of the Community

because of their devotion and affection thought themselves very fortunate that they knew Hadhrat Musleh Mau’ood [ra] personally. It was because of this love that Ahmadi parents requested the Khalifa to name their newborn children. They requested him for prayers even before the birth and from then on they involved Huzur in every good news as well as bad. Seeking Huzur’s attention and prayers in all matters bestowed peace and tranquillity on the members.

The protection and guidance of the Community during opposition and persecution, making programmes for the benefit and progress of the Community, successfully implementing these programmes and keeping watch over them was an ongoing and permanent responsibility.

The scattered members of the international Community believed that requesting Huzur for prayers was an efficacious means to alleviate their difficulties. Even those who did not belong to the Community thought it beneficial to seek his prayers. In this way he received hundreds of letters daily. He read and replied to every letter and even offered advice if required. He thought it imperative to try and provide for the needs detailed in any correspondence to the best of his ability.

The mere fact of leading the five daily prayers took up a lot of time. It was also his practice to rise in the early hours of the night to offer prayers with deep humility. Day and night the work was unending. In times of peace as well as times of crisis, these tasks never went away. From a young age his health had never been good and he was always ensnared by some illness or malady.

In such a situation, his faith inspiring scholarly books, sermons and articles are nothing short of a miracle. It is evident that just this single contribution was according to God’s Grace, decree and will. It was through the blessings of his anointed soul that the honour of Islam and the true rank of the Word of God were demonstrated.

jALSA SALAnA SPEECHES

It was the practice of Hadhrat Musleh Mau’ood [ra] to give the inaugural address on the occasion of the Jalsa Salana, the annual gathering. In this address he usually outlined the importance of the gathering as well as the means to attain maximum benefit from the blessed occasion. His speech on the second day of the Jalsa Salana highlighted the blessings and favours that God Almighty had bestowed on the Community over the past year.

On the final day he typically spoke on some intellectual subject. Since 1924, he began to address the ladies separately about matters relating to training in high morals. Huzur’s speeches were the heart and soul of the Jalsa Salana. All year members of the Community eagerly awaited the Jalsa Salana and along with the countless other blessings of the Jalsa, these speeches were most eagerly anticipated.

The most salient feature of Huzur’s speeches was his ability to explain the most difficult and intricate matters in the most simple and easy language. For this reason the audience was captivated throughout his speeches that often lasted many hours.

The concept of God, how to develop a relationship with God, angels and divine decree, the essence of dreams and visions, the economic system of Islam and the New World Order are the titles of the speeches which themselves clearly betray their own importance and significance.

“ExCELLEnCES OF THE HOLy QUR’An” And “THE SPIRITUAL TOUR”

Every speech of the Jalsa Salana has its own merits. However, the series of lectures under the heading of “Excellences of the Holy Qur’an” and “The Spiritual Tour” possess an incomparable lustre and sparkle. The Excellences of the Holy Qur’an consists of several lectures. The first was delivered in the Jalsa Salana of 1928 and the final one in

the Jalsa Salana of 1936. For every student of the Holy Qur’an, they contain priceless gems of beauty necessary to learn about the mysteries and secrets of the Holy Qur’an.

The series of lectures called “The Spiritual Tour” (Sair-e-Ruhani) began in 1938 and the final (twelfth) lecture was delivered in the Jalsa Salana of 1958. These spiritually exhilarating speeches are a sign of God’s help and support for Hadhrat Musleh Mau’ood [ra]. They are an unprecedented collection of his powers of speech, reflecting his intuitive and spiritual condition, insight and power of observation and the variety and diversity of the knowledge of the seen and the unseen. Commenting upon these speeches he says:

“Tomorrow is my literary lecture …if after listening to it someone claims that these are things that appear before us everyday then although he would be correct, however, if he looked at the arrangement then he will see that this subject has not been thought by anyone before. He will feel that the Holy Qur’an contains this excellence whereby it throws up new insights. I am someone who deeply ponders over the Holy Qur’an. However, looking at the arrangement of this subject, even I am baffled that such subjects can arise from those very verses which we come across daily.”

These are some of the speeches on the diverse subjects which comparing physical and spiritual matters against each other presented the splendour of the spiritual universe.

1. Archaeological finds 2. Magic and Charms 3. Mosques 4. The fort of the Holy Qur’an 5. Tombs, sepulchres and mausoleums 6. Meena Bazaar

7. Minarets 8. Public Hall of Audience 9. The Cabinet, Privy Councils 10. Offices and Departments 11. Canals

12. Gardens

13. Free Public Kitchens

14. Libraries and Bookshops

THE nEw wORLd ORdER OF ISLAM

This book is a translation of an address delivered by Hadhrat Musleh Mau’ood [ra] to an Annual Gathering on 28 December 1942. In the preface, Mr M. Aslam summarises the subject matter of the book in the following words:

“The Address answers the question—how does Ahmadiyyat, the True Islam, propose to deal with the problem of social inequality in the world? The Ahmadiyya solution is the solution of Islam shaped under Divine guidance for present day needs by the Promised Messiah [as]. It builds on Islamic teaching and emphasises the progressive nature of that teaching.

“The social teaching of Islam was expounded—by Hadhrat Musleh Mau’ood [ra] himself — in 1924 in his ‘Ahmadiyyat, the True Islam’, and has since become well known. It consists of the statutory prohibition of interest, the tax of Zakat and the division of inheritances. It also includes general instructions regarding voluntary contributions by individuals which leaders of Islam from the earliest times have organised in different ways and devoted to the service of society.

“The Promised Messiah [as] has instituted among his followers a system of

voluntary consecration of properties by individual Ahmadis to the needs of Islam in the widest sense of the term. The institution was promulgated by him in his book, ‘Al-Wasiyyat’ (The Will) in 1905, and since then willing away portions of properties and income to the Ahmadiyya organisation has become a common practice with Ahmadis. “Hadhrat Musleh Mau’ood [ra] has announced in his address that the social order of Islam built on the pillars of its economic teaching will continue to grow. It will grow through the Wasiyyat, the institution of willing away properties and incomes inaugurated by the Founder of Ahmadiyyat in 1905. The institution of Wasiyyat, therefore, answers the question which many Muslims and NonMuslims seem to be asking today: Is Islam progressive? It also answers the wider question: Is religion progressive? “The Ahmadiyya solution of the problem of inequality, it is as well to say, will spread in the world at the rate at which Ahmadiyyat spreads. The pace cannot be forced, as Ahmadiyyat is obliged under Islamic teaching to use only one method for its propagation—the method of argument and honest conviction. Those who accept the general principle of this solution but think its establishment throughout the world will take too long can assist in the solution by applying its principles in their own way. “Until however, the scheme of Wasiyyat becomes reasonably effective, another scheme known to Ahmadis as the Tehrike Jadeed (The New Scheme) will take its place. This scheme was announced by Hadhrat Musleh Mau’ood [ra] in a series of Friday sermons in 1934. Its nineteen clauses may be summarised as an organised effort for the promotion of discipline, simplicity and voluntary sacrifice by Ahmadis for the conservation of a Central Fund, devoted ultimately to strengthening and promoting the work which Ahmadiyyat is doing for the

spread of Islam and its institutions.

“The Tehrike Jadid, therefore, is a forerunner of the New World Order of Islam and is intimately connected with it. This is why the address begins and ends by references to it.”

Hadhrat Musleh Mau’ood [ra] explained that the Tehrike Jadeed had a universal aspect. It would grow to fulfil a great Islamic purpose and serve to strengthen the foundations of human society. He then proceeded to explain the setting of the Tehrike Jadeed so that its significance could be properly understood. Again through his unique ability to explain difficult concepts he introduced the thought of the time in the simplest terms. He examined the changes going on at the time and how they were likely to affect the future. He began by discussing the increasing gap between the rich and the poor and the attempts to alleviate poverty. He discussed secular movements such as democracy, Socialism, Marx, Lenin and Martov, Bolsheviks and Mensheviks, Principles of Bolshevism and the reactions to it of Nazism, Fascism and Falangists, dangers of Socialism, Communism and its defects. He then moved onto schemes put forward by the religions of Judaism, Christianity and Hinduism to solve the problem of social inequality. The rest of the book is dedicated to the principles laid down by Islam to promote social and economic equality.

THE ECOnOMIC SySTEM OF ISLAM

On February 21, 1945, Huzur delivered a historical lecture on the topic of “The Economic System of Islam”, under the auspices of Ahmadiyya Intercollegiate Association, Lahore. This lecture created a great stir in the literary world. This lecture has since been translated into many different languages of the world including English, French and German. An influential organ of the Spanish Ministry of Industry and Commerce, “Information Commercial Industrial” wrote about it in its October, 1946, issue:

“Notwithstanding the sentimental aspect, a brilliant comparison of Islamic economic system with Communism is presented in this book. It is established with overwhelming proofs that Communism is not only against the political principles and movements but also threatens the religious values. This book is a source of excellent information. The Head of the Ahmadiyya Community deserves to be congratulated on this lecture.” (Al–Mubbasshirat)