the essence of volume iii

487 Pages·2005·2.01 MB·English

by  Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

THE ESSENCE OF

VOLUME III

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 III
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 Ahmadiyyah Muslim Community.
First Edition (2005):
Islam International Publications Limited
Translated into English by:
Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrullah Khan
Revised by:
Munawar Ahmed Sa‘eed
© Islam International Publications Ltd.
Published by:
Islam International Publications Ltd.
‘Islamabad’ Sheephatch Lane,
Tilford, Surrey GU10 2AQ
United Kingdom

Printed in UK at:
Clays Ltd, St Ives plc

ISBN: 1 85372 756 3
SUMMERY OF CONTENTS, VOL. I, II , & III

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
iv Essence of Islam—III
7. DAJJAL OR THE ANTICHRIST
8. DHULQARNAIN
9. GOG AND MAGOG
10. WOMAN
11. THE VEIL
12. PROPER UPBRINGING OF CHILDREN
13. REPEATED CHALLENGES
CONTENTS VOLUME III
PUBLISHER’S NOTE...................................................................XI
NATURAL, MORAL AND SPIRITUAL STATES OF MAN......1
THE THREE HUMAN STATES............................................................1
THE FIRST SOURCE—THE SELF THAT INCITES TO EVIL....................1
THE SECOND SOURCE: THE SELF-REPROACHING SELF...................2
THE THIRD SOURCE: THE SOUL AT REST........................................3
NATURAL AND MORAL STATES OF MAN.........................................5
THREE METHODS OF REFORM.........................................................8
KHALQ [CREATION] AND KHULQ [MORALS]....................................8
NATURAL STATES BECOME MORAL BY PROPER REGULATION......10
TRUE MORALS...............................................................................11
MORAL STATE OF MAN.................................................................13
MORAL QUALITIES RELATED TO DISCARDING EVIL......................13
MORAL QUALITIES RELATED TO DOING GOOD.............................20
TRUE COURAGE.............................................................................28
PATIENCE......................................................................................30
TRUTHFULNESS.............................................................................33
CHANGE IN MORAL QUALITIES.....................................................35
THE REALITY OF LOVE..................................................................36
FAITH, CERTAINTY AND INSIGHT.........................................43
FAITH IN THE UNSEEN TAUGHT BY PROPHETS...............................43
FAITH AND CERTAINTY.................................................................46
SALVATION DEPENDS ON FAITH....................................................50
PROGRESSIVE STAGES OF FAITH....................................................52
BLESSINGS OF DIVINE RECOGNITION.............................................54
THREE CATEGORIES OF THE FAITHFUL..........................................55
THE SOUL AT REST........................................................................68
A LOVELY PRAYER.......................................................................72
STEADFASTNESS IN FAITH.............................................................73
PERSONAL MERIT AND RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.........................75
STAGES OF SPIRITUAL FULFILMENT..............................................78
EXCELLENCES OF THE MEN OF GOD..............................................93
COMPREHENSION OF THE DIVINE...................................................94
EFFORT AND NATURAL APTITUDE.....................................107
THE NEED FOR PROPHETS.....................................................111
vi Essence of Islam—III
PROPHETS ARE A MANIFESTATION OF DIVINE UNITY..................111
PROPHETS DEMONSTRATE GOD’S EXISTENCE.............................114
BLESSINGS OF OBEDIENCE TO THE HOLY PROPHETSA..................116
BELIEF IN GOD CANNOT BE PERFECT WITHOUT BELIEF IN
PROPHETS....................................................................................116
WHY DO PROPHETS HAVE NEEDS LIKE OTHER PEOPLE?..............122
PROPHETHOOD IN ISLAM......................................................125
MEANINGS AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SEAL OF PROPHETHOOD.125
EXCELLENCE OF THE HOLY PROPHETSA.......................................127
THE SEAL OF PROPHETHOOD AS THE PERFECT MAN...................129
PROPHETHOOD BY WAY OF REFLECTION.....................................130
FREQUENT CONVERSE WITH GOD—THE ONLY CLAIM OF THE
PROMISED MESSIAH....................................................................146
NEED FOR REFORMERS AFTER THE PERFECTION OF FAITH..........154
NEED OF THE COMPANY OF THE RIGHTEOUS...............................158
NEED FOR TEACHERS AND FRESH EXPOSITION OF THE HOLY
QUR’AN.......................................................................................160
FULFILLING THE NEED OF SAFEGUARDING THE HOLY QUR’AN...162
DIVINE PROMISE OF KHILAFAT....................................................165
THE MESSIAH AND HIS SECOND COMING.............................169
POPULAR BELIEFS ABOUT THE ASCENSION..................................169
AHMADIYYAH BELIEF ABOUT THE MAHDI..................................171
CONTRADICTIONS IN THE POPULAR BELIEFS...............................174
TRUE MEANING OF THE ASCENSION AND SECOND COMING OF
JESUS...........................................................................................179
MISGUIDANCE ABOUT JESUS CAUSED BY THE ANTICHRIST..........184
CORRECT MEANINGS OF NUZUL..................................................185
EVIDENCE REGARDING THE DEATH OF JESUS..............................193
TRUE STATUS OF JESUS...............................................................210
OBJECTIONS AGAINST JESUS........................................................213
MIRACLES OF JESUS....................................................................218
THE TRUE CLAIM OF JESUS.........................................................228
REVIEW OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH...............................................229
JESUS DID NOT CLAIM TO BE GOD...............................................231
CONFESSION OF HUMAN WEAKNESSES BY JESUS........................234
TRUE MEANING OF ‘SON OF GOD’...............................................236
CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE ABOUT THE SON OF MARY.......................237
Contents Volume III vii
JESUS AS A PROPHET....................................................................242
ABSURDITY OF THE DOCTRINE OF TRINITY.................................243
JESUS NOT ACCURSED.................................................................246
OINTMENT OF JESUS....................................................................261
JESUS IN SEARCH OF THE LOST SHEEP.........................................263
JESUS IN KASHMIR.......................................................................263
EVIDENCE FROM BUDDHIST SCRIPTURES.....................................267
BREAKING OF THE CROSS BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH...............272
DIVINE MYSTERY OF JESUS’ SECOND COMING...........................273
DAJJAL OR THE ANTICHRIST...............................................279
DAJJAL AND SATAN.....................................................................279
THE WORD DAJJAL SIGNIFIES A GROUP......................................280
CHRISTIAN PRIESTS AS DAJJAL....................................................281
DAJJAL AND THE MISGUIDED MAULAVIS....................................284
THE MEANING OF DAJJAL CIRCUITING THE KA‘BAH...................287
DHULQARNAIN...........................................................................295
PROPHECY ABOUT THE PROMISED MESSIAH IN SURAH AL-KAHF295
TIME OF THE PROMISED MESSIAH...............................................301
GOG AND MAGOG.....................................................................305
RELIGIOUS DISPUTES AT THE TIME OF GOG AND MAGOG...........306
EUROPEAN POWERS ARE GOG AND MAGOG................................307
WOMEN.........................................................................................311
EXTREME ATTITUDES ABOUT WOMEN........................................311
KIND TREATMENT OF WOMEN....................................................311
A MAN’S RIGHT TO DIVORCE......................................................314
A WOMAN’S RIGHT TO DIVORCE................................................316
PROPAGATION OF THE HUMAN RACE THROUGH MARRIAGE........317
POLYGAMY..................................................................................318
EQUAL TREATMENT OF WIVES....................................................320
ISLAM AND THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN............................................322
IMPORTANCE OF INCULCATING PIETY IN AHMADI WOMEN.........323
NOBLE EXAMPLE OF THE WIVES OF THE HOLY PROPHETSA.........325
THE VEIL......................................................................................327
WISDOM BEHIND THE SYSTEM OF VEIL.......................................327
REMEDIES FOR UNCHASTITY.......................................................330
viii Essence of Islam—III
EXTREME ATTITUDES ABOUT THE VEIL.......................................332
PROPER UPBRINGING OF CHILDREN.................................335
PRAY FOR CHILDREN INSTEAD OF PUNISHING THEM...................335
REPEATED CHALLENGES.......................................................337
MY OPPONENTS ARE DOOMED TO FAIL.......................................337
DIVINE SUPPORT FOR THE RIGHTEOUS........................................338
INVITING ALL TO COME AND WITNESS THE SIGNS......................341
APPEAL TO GIVE UP VILIFICATION AND ABUSE...........................346
BESEECHING ALLAH FOR A HEAVENLY SIGN AND DECREE.........348
EVIDENCE IN THE FORM OF DIVINE BLESSINGS...........................353
O YE WHO DOUBT! COME TO THE HEAVENLY VERDICT!............354
AN INVITATION TO PIR MEHR ‘ALI SHAH OF GOLRAH................358
KNOWLEDGE OF ARABIC AND THE HOLY QUR’AN AS SIGNS OF
DIVINE SUPPORT..........................................................................360
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE GLORIOUS, A PLEA TO MAULAVI
SAYYED NADHIR HUSSAIN, FOR A DEBATE ON THE LIFE OR DEATH
OF JESUS SON OF MARY...............................................................371
A MISGUIDED ASSERTION OF HAFIZ MUHAMMAD YUSUF
CHALLENGED..............................................................................377
SUBMITTING THE MATTER TO THE JUDGE OF JUDGES..................378
CHALLENGE TO REACH A CONCLUSIVE SETTLEMENT.................381
A SINCERE APPEAL TO ALL MUSLIMS OF INDIA..........................382
CHALLENGE TO THOSE WHO CLAIM DIVINE REVELATION...........387
HOLY QUR’AN — A SIGN OF THE LIVING GOD...........................387
FOR FOLLOWERS OF REVEALED BOOKS WHO DENY THE TRUTH OF
THE HOLY QUR’AN......................................................................391
EVIDENCE IN THE FORM OF COUNTLESS SIGNS............................393
MANIFESTATION OF THE POWER OF THE LIVING GOD, HONOUR OF
THE HOLY PROPHETSA, AND TRUTH OF THE HOLY QUR’AN........395
REFUTATION OF THE ARYAS’ FALSE DOCTRINES........................397
ANNOUNCEMENT FOR A FORTY DAY PRAYER VIGIL...................399
FOR THE CAREFUL ATTENTION OF SARDAR RAJ INDAR SINGH...401
ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE DEATH OF LEKH RAM.........................403
REAL TEST BETWEEN ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY........................404
AN INVITATION TO ALL GOOD PEOPLE.......................................407
A PROPOSAL TO SEEK DIVINE SETTLEMENT...............................409
CONCLUSIVE ARGUMENTS FOR REVEREND WHITEBRECHT.........410
LACK OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AMONG CHRISTIANS..........................413
Contents Volume III ix
OPEN CHALLENGE TO ALL CHRISTIANS......................................415
INVITATION TO CHRISTIANS FOR MUBAHALAH.............................416
PROPHECY ABOUT ATHAM AND ITS FULFILMENT........................419
AN EASY MUBAHALAH FOR THE CHRISTIANS...............................430
INVITATION TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND............431
A TEST FOR DISCLOSING THE UNSEEN........................................431
DIVINE PERMISSION FOR MUBAHALAH AGAINST MAULAVIS........435
OPEN INVITATION TO ALL WHO SEEK A SIGN..............................442
PEACE IS BEST.............................................................................450
SIX SIGNS OF DIVINE SUPPORT....................................................451
PRAYER FOR A DIVINE DECREE...................................................453
INDEX OF REFERENCES OF THE HOLY QUR’AN.............457
SUBJECT INDEX.........................................................................459
INDEX OF TERMS.......................................................................471