Essence of Islam Vol 1 - Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

543 Pages·2007·2.27 MB·English

THE ESSENCE OF

VOLUME I

Extracts from the Writings, Speeches,
Announcements and Discourses of the
Promised Messiah
Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
of Qadian
[May peace be upon him]

Published under the auspices of
Hadrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad
Fifth Successor to the Promised Messiah
[May Allah be his help]
The Essence of Islam Volume I
A rendering into English of Extracts from the writings,
speeches, announcements and discourses of Hadrat Mirza
Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, the Promised Messiah, and
Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama‘at.

Translated into English by:
Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrullah Khan
First Edition (1979):
The London Mosque

Revised by:
Munawar Ahmad Saeed
Second Edition (2004):
Islam International Publications Limited

Third Edition (2007):
Islam International Publications Limited

Published by:
Islam International Publications Ltd.
‘Islamabad’ Sheephatch Lane,
Tilford, Surrey GU10 2AQ
United Kingdom

Printed and bound in Great Britain by:

© Islam International Publications Ltd.

ISBN: 1 85372 765 2
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS, VOL. I, II , III, IV & V

VOLUME I
INTRODUCTION
1. ISLAM, THE TRUE AND LIVING FAITH
2. ALLAH THE EXALTED
3. THE HOLY PROPHETsa
4. THE HOLY QUR’AN
VOLUME II
1. ARABIC, THE MOTHER OF TONGUES
2. REVELATION, INSPIRATION, VISION AND DREAM
3. HADITH AND SUNNAH OF THE HOLY PROPHETsa
4. ANGELS
5. PRAYER
6. REPENTANCE AND SEEKING FORGIVENESS
7. SALVATION
8. THE PILLARS OF ISLAM
9. FIGHTING IN THE CAUSE OF ALLAH
10. DIVINE DECREES AND DETERMINATION
11. RIGHTEOUSNESS
12. ARROGANCE
13. THINKING ILL OF OTHERS
14. PUNISHMENT IN THIS WORLD
15. THE SOUL
16. RESURRECTION
17. HEAVEN AND HELL
18. THE PURPOSE OF CREATION
VOLUME III
1. THE NATURAL, MORAL AND SPIRITUAL STATES
OF MAN
2. FAITH, CERTAINTY AND INSIGHT
3. EFFORT AND NATURAL APTITUDE
4. THE NEED OF PROPHETS
5. PROPHETHOOD IN ISLAM
6. JESUSas AND THE ADVENT OF THE MESSIAH
7. DAJJAL OR THE ANTICHRIST
8. DHULQARNAIN
9. GOG AND MAGOG
10. WOMAN
11. THE VEIL
12. PROPER UPBRINGING OF CHILDREN
13. REPEATED CHALLENGES
VOLUME IV
1. FAMILY AND PERSONAL BACKGROUND
2. STATUS OF THE PROMISED MESSIAHas
3. THE PURPOSE OF THE PROMISED MESSIAH’S
4. ADVENT
5. PROPAGATION, ESTABLISHMENT OF A HOLY
JAMA‘AT, AND INSTRUCTIONS
VOLUME V
1. MIRACLES, SIGNS AND PROPHECIES
2. MARRIAGE AND RIGHTEOUS PROGENY
3. THE CONFERENCE OF GREAT RELIGIONS
4. ‘ABDULLAH ATHAM
5. LEKH RAM
6. THE PLAGUE
7. THE GREAT VICTORY
8. EXTRAORDINARY RENOWN AND DIVINE 9.
SUCCOUR
10. EARTHQUAKES AND WARS
11. KING OF THE PEN
12. THE REVEALED SERMON
13. MISCELLANEOUS SIGNS
Contents – Volume I v
CONTENTS VOLUME I
PUBLISHERS’ NOTE TO THE SECOND EDITION..............XI
PUBLISHERS’ NOTE TO THE THIRD EDITION...............XIX
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................XXI
ISLAM................................................................................................3
THE PURPOSE OF RELIGION.............................................................3
RECOGNIZING A TRUE FAITH...........................................................5
ISLAM – THE TRUE RELIGION..........................................................7
PROGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT BY FOLLOWING ISLAM...................12
THE NEED FOR ISLAM....................................................................12
PERFECT REALITY OF ISLAM.........................................................18
BLESSINGS OF ISLAM.....................................................................23
CONTINUED BENEFICENCE OF ISLAM.............................................27
ENDURING SIGNS OF THE TRUTH OF ISLAM...................................29
ALLAH THE EXALTED...............................................................37
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH GOD...............................................37
THE GRACE OF GOD COVERS EVERYTHING...................................38
GOD OF ISLAM VISIBLE IN NATURE AND PERCEIVED BY HUMAN
HEARTS.........................................................................................39
BELIEF IN THE UNITY OF GOD ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE
HOLY PROPHETSA..........................................................................41
GOD'S BEAUTY, BENEFICENCE AND UNITY TAUGHT BY THE
HOLY QUR’AN...............................................................................43
Two Kinds of Divine Mercy......................................................44
Allah is Free from All Defects..................................................44
All Praise belongs to Allah......................................................49
DEFECTIVE CONCEPTS OF GOD IN OTHER RELIGIONS....................50
Concepts of Hindus and Arya Samajists..................................50
The Concept of Christians........................................................51
ATTRIBUTES OF GOD.....................................................................53
Thank for Allah’s Beneficence (Urdu Poem)...........................54
Two Types of Divine Attributes – Immanent and
Transcendental.........................................................................55
Throne of Allah-His Station of Singleness
and Transcendence.................................................................57
Nothing approximates to the Attributes of Allah......................59
Permanence of Allah’s Attributes............................................60
General Attributes Mentioned in the Holy Qur’an...................61
Four Principal Attributes of Allah...........................................66
God's Beauty and Beneficence.................................................90
Almighty Allah’s Attributes of Beneficence..............................93
The Will and Power of God......................................................97
Limitless Manifestation of God's Attributes...........................101
CREATION AND THE WORDS OF GOD...........................................108
Creation and Differences in Rank..........................................118
REFUTATION OF THE MISGUIDED NOTIONS OF THE ARYAS.........123
REFUTATION OF THE MISGUIDED NOTIONS OF CHRISTIANS.........130
KNOWLEDGE OF GOD..................................................................131
Revelation Needed for Attaining Absolute Certainty.............138
Need for Purification.............................................................145
Kingdom of God Encompasses Heaven and Earth.................151
CONCEPT OF ‘ARSH IN ISLAM.......................................................163
Refutation of the Christians’ Faith in the Unity of God.........170
Evils of Associating Partners with God.................................172
POEMS IN GLORIFICATION AND REMEMBRANCE OF ALLAH........181
Praise of the Lord of All the Worlds (Urdu Poem)................181
Devotion (Urdu Poem)...........................................................183
Holy is He Who Watches over me (Urdu Poem)....................183
Epitaph of Mirza Mubarak Ahmad (Urdu Poem)..................185
Seek Him Alone O Friends (Urdu Poem)...............................185
Holy is He Who has humbled my opponents (Urdu Poem)....186
Praise and Thanks be to the All-Powerful God
(Persian poem)..................................................................187
A Prayer to the Creator of Heaven and Earth (Persian
Couplets)................................................................................189
O God, the Relief of my Troubles! (Persian Poem)................189
Love (Persian Poem)..............................................................191
My love (Persian Poem).........................................................191
Devotion (Persian couplets)...................................................192
Fighting for the Honour of the Beloved (Persian couplets)...192
THE HOLY PROPHETSA............................................................197
EXALTED STATUS OF THE HOLY PROPHETSA................................197
Contents – Volume I vii
Knowledge of Allah’s Attributes granted to the Holy
Prophet...................................................................................202
Excellence of Obeying the Holy Prophetsa.............................204
Revival of the Faith in Unity through the Holy Prophetsa......208
Bounties of Allah upon the Followers of the
Holy Prophetsa.......................................................................211
ADVENT OF HOLY PROPHETSA IS LIKE THE COMING OF GOD
ALMIGHTY...................................................................................223
HOLY PROPHETSA’S STATION OF INTERCESSION...........................226
HOLY PROPHETSA’S NEARNESS TO GOD ALMIGHTY....................235
SPIRITUAL ASCENT OF THE HOLY PROPHETSA..............................253
MEANING AND HIGH STATION OF THE SEAL OF
PROPHETHOOD............................................................................254
ISTIGHFAR OF THE HOLY PROPHETSA............................................258
MAJESTY AND HUMILITY OF THE HOLY PROPHETSA.....................260
HOLY PROPHETSA—THE GRAND REFORMER.................................263
Holy Prophetsa Brought Morals to Perfection........................263
Holy Prophetsa’s Superiority over All the Prophets...............264
Miracles of the Holy Prophetsa...............................................271
Holy Prophetsa Alone is the Living Prophet...........................282
Holy Prophetsa and the Holy Word of God.............................286
Grand Revolution brought by the Holy Prophetsa..................288
Steadfastness of the Holy Prophetsa.......................................304
Divine Support for the Holy Prophetsa...................................307
Perfect Morals of the Holy Prophetsa in Adversity
and Victory............................................................................309
True Victory of the Holy Prophetsa.........................................317
DEVOTION TO THE HOLY PROPHETSA...........................................319
POEMS IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE HOLY PROPHETSA...................321
al-Qasidah—An Ode in Praise of the Holy Prophetsa
(Arabic Poem).......................................................................321
Qualities of the Holy Prophetsa (Arabic Poem).....................324
The Faith of Muhammadsa (Urdu Poem):..............................325
The Perfect Prophetsa (Urdu Couplets)..................................326
Grandeur of Ahmadsa (Urdu Couplet)....................................327
Our Leadersa (Urdu Poem).....................................................327
Fire of Devotion to the Beauty of Muhammadsa (Persian
Poem).....................................................................................328
Manifestation of the Eternal God (Persian Poem).................329
The Status of Ahmadsa (Persian Poem)...................................330
Leader of the Lovers of God (Persian Poem).........................335
Praise and Appreciation of the Holy Prophetsa
(Persian Poem).....................................................................336
Muhammadsa is the Proof of Himself (Persian Poem)...........344
Muhammadsa is our Leader and Guide (Persian Poem):.........346
THE HOLY QUR’AN...................................................................349
PURPOSE OF SCRIPTURES.............................................................349
SUPREMACY OF THE HOLY QUR’AN............................................352
Holy Qur’an Fulfils the Purpose of the Scriptures................352
Beauty and Perfection of the Holy Qur’an.............................356
Matchlessness of the Holy Qur’an.........................................359
The Holy Qur’an’s Lofty Station—Acknowledged by the Holy
Qur’an itself...........................................................................362
Knowledge of Holy Qur’an and Promised Messiah...............366
Verities of the Holy Qur’an in This Age.................................368
COMPREHENSIVENESS OF THE HOLY QUR’AN.............................375
HOLY QUR’AN ACCORDS WITH HUMAN NATURE........................378
EVIDENCES OF TRUTH AND SUPERIORITY OF THE
HOLY QUR’AN............................................................................379
MIRACLES OF THE HOLY QUR’AN...............................................381
DOORS TO DIVINE UNDERSTANDING OPENED BY THE HOLY
QUR’AN.......................................................................................390
Guidance for the Righteous....................................................395
Bounties received by followers of Holy Qur’an.....................404
MATCHLESSNESS OF THE HOLY QUR’AN ILLUSTRATED WITH
SURAH FATIHAH...........................................................................420
Rose: a Wonder of Allah’s Creation......................................421
Qualities of Surah Fatihah compared with the Rose..............423
Internal and External Qualities of Surah Fatihah.................427
Spiritual Characteristics of Surah Fatihah............................448
Invitation to All Seekers after Truth.......................................449
Surah Fatihah Comprehends the Purposes of the
Holy Qur’an..........................................................................450
PERFECTION IN CONDUCT BY FOLLOWING THE HOLY QUR’AN...454
PROPHECIES IN THE NARRATED STORIES IN THE HOLY QUR’AN..455
UNIQUENESS OF THE HOLY QUR’AN IN ALL ITS QUALITIES........456
STANDARDS FOR A TRUE COMMENTARY OF THE HOLY QUR’AN.459
TEN SYSTEMS OF ROOTS IN THE HOLY QUR’AN..........................462
NO VERITY LEFT OUT OF THE HOLY QUR’AN..............................464
Contents – Volume I ix
HOLY QUR’AN POSSESSES ALL TRUE SIGNS OF DIVINE BOOKS..467
Unity of God in the Holy Qur’an vs. the Torah......................468
The Holy Qur’an vs. the Gospels (Urdu Poem).....................471
Holy Qur’an brings full accord between Science
and Religion..........................................................................472
HOLY QUR’AN – THE UNIVERSAL BOOK.....................................473
Safeguarding of the Holy Qur’an...........................................476
Critique of Brahmu Samaj Answered.....................................479
Perfect System of guidance of the Holy Qur’an.....................482
IN PRAISE OF THE HOLY QUR’AN................................................485
Beauty of the Holy Qur’an (Urdu Poem)...............................485
To: Light of the Furqan (Urdu Poem)....................................487
Source of Verities and the Sun of Truthfulness
(Persian Poem).....................................................................488
Revelation from God (Persian Poem)....................................489
INDEX OF REFERENCES TO THE HOLY QUR’AN............493
SUBJECT INDEX.........................................................................497
INDEX OF TERMS.......................................................................507