اَللّٰہُ لَاۤ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا ہُوَۚ اَلْحَیُّ الْقَیُّوۡمُ ۬ۚ لَا تَاۡخُذُہٗ سِنَۃٌ وَّلَا نَوْمٌ ؕ لَہٗ مَا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَمَا فِی الۡاَرْضِ
“Allah – there is no God but he, the Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining. Slumber seizes Him not, nor sleep. To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth.” (2:256)
‘Our God, a Living God’. Four words which in actual fact contain a treasure of knowledge within. This subject consists of a message of true salvation for today’s world, a world in which people have lost themselves to materialism and are beginning to deny the very existence of God Almighty more and more. In this era, God Almighty sent the Promised Messiah(Peace be on him) to refute Atheism and for the universal victory of Islam. He came in true subordination to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May peace and blessings of God be upon him) and through his blessings; he attained the rank of Muh’yee (the giver of life). He gave the glad tidings of everlasting salvation and of a spiritual life to all of mankind who were in manifest misguidance and in utter darkness and said:
“Come, I’ll tell you about where the Living God is and which nation He is with; He is with Islam. Right now, Islam is like the Tur of Moses (Mountain of Moses) where God Almighty is speaking. That God who used to speak to prophets and then became silent; today He speaks in the hearts of Muslims.” (Anjaam’e Atham – Ruhani Khazain Vol 11 Pg. 346)
He further went on to say:
“A living faith is that through which we can find the Living God. The Living God is He Who can make us a direct recipient of revelation, or could at least bring us in contact with one who has been a direct recipient of revelation. I convey this good news to the whole world that the God of Islam is such a Living God.” (Majmua Ishtaharaat Vol 2 Pg. 311)
God Almighty has mentioned the Islamic concept of a living God in the Holy Quran in many places. The verse which was quoted in the beginning, the keyword of that verse is Al-Haiye the meaning of which in the words of the Promised Messiah(as) is that; God is a living God in every respect, He creates life spiritually and physically, He grants others life, He is everlasting and the source of all life. He is the source of sustenance for every form of life.
The Self-Subsisting attribute of God Almighty in terms of its application is eternal, as are His other supreme attributes and its manifestation can be seen far beyond the limits of time and space. If we take a look at the history of the prophets, we will find faith inspiring incidents of this. This is not the time to go into great detail but a few examples are as follows.
- The enemies of Noah(as) became a victim to the storm of Noah however, he himself and his followers remained protected.
- God Almighty saved Hazrat Ibrahim(as) from the fire of Namrud and extinguished the intensifying flames of the fire.
- The Living God saved Hazrat Yusuf(as) from an apparently certain death and miraculously gave him respect, honour and power
- God Almighty made Moses(as) victorious against his enemies in different battles and manifested His divine decree by drowning Pharaoh in the sea right before his eyes.
- God Almighty miraculously kept Jonah(as) alive in the belly of a whale
- The enemies of Jesus(as) wanted to kill him on the cross but the living God saved him from being killed on the cross through His divine power.
Then the blessed era of our beloved master the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa) came in which he faced great trials and tribulations and the living God manifested His majestic powers and in doing so, made the enemies unsuccessful in all their attempts to cause any harm whatsoever. At the time of migrating from Medina, at the time of seeking refuge in the cave of Thaur, during the pursuit of Suraqa Bin Malik, in every battlefield, at the time of the futile effort to poison the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa) and then, in the words of the Promised Messiah(as):
“When the Persian emperor sent his soldiers to arrest the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa), the Omnipotent God told him to inform them that ‘tonight my God has killed your God’.” (Chashmae Masih – Ruhani Khazain Vol 20 Pg. 353)
The fact of the matter is that the entire life of our beloved master the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa) is full of majestic and glorious manifestations of the Omnipotent God and this history is truly marvellous and unparalleled in every regard.
The entire life of the Promised Messiah(as) who was a true devotee and lover of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa) is also full of majestic manifestations of God Almighty through the blessings of his beloved master. Every single day of this blessed era presents a reflection of کل یومٍ ھو فی شأن. Presenting only two incidents as per examples. There was a lawsuit between the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at in Kapurthela and the local non-Ahmadis residing there with regards to a mosque which dragged on for quite some time. The judge in the court was a non-Ahmadi and was an opponent of the Jama’at. The Ahmadi members of the Jama’at in Kapurthela were very worried about the situation they were in. They would request the Promised Messiah(as) for prayers again and again. At one occasion the Promised Messiah(as) very boldly said:
“Do not worry. I am truthful, you will get this mosque no matter what.” (Ashab-e-Ahmad, Volume 4)
The judge maintained his opposing stance and made a decision against the Ahmadis. Now look at the majestic manifestation of the living God that the day he was to read out his verdict after signing it, he was sitting in the porch of his mansion that very day before he was about to leave for the court. His servant had just put his shoes on his feet and was tying his laces for him when he suddenly had a heart attack and passed away within a few moments. So the other judge who came to replace him was a Hindu. He looked at the case and facts again and passed a verdict in favour of the Ahmadis. So what the Promised Messiah(as) said came true and the Ahmadis got the mosque.
A young adult named Abdul Karim came to Qadian from Haiderabad Dakan. A mad dog happens to bite him. Locally all possible forms of treatment were used to try and cure him but to no avail. At last he was sent to the famous hospital of Kasuli. Upon his return when the signs of his illness began to grow again, a doctor was informed by a telegraph and advice was sought. The response received by him was:
“Sorry, nothing can be done for Abdul Karim”
Upon this, the Promised Messiah(as) very emphatically said:
“They do not have a cure; however God Almighty has a cure.”
Thus, the Promised Messiah(as) sincerely prayed for that young adult, look at the power of God Almighty that the young adult about whom the doctors of the world had declared to be incurable became healthy and lived a long life.
(Haqiqatul Wahi Pg. 48)
Various other incidents also show the manifestation of God Almighty in different ways. Presenting some of those incidents:
Divine help at just the right time
The Living God of Islam helps His people in divine ways at just the right time. Sufi Atta Muhammad Sahib has said with regards to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I(ra) that: “Once Maulwi Sahib distributed clothes amongst the poor on the morning of Eid; he even gave the clothes that he would normally wear. His family members asked him how he would offer Eid prayers (now that he has given all of his clothes away). He responded and said that God Almighty will provide for me. There was about 5 to 7 minutes left in leaving for Eid prayers. At that very moment a person came with a bag of clothes for him. Hudhur took the clothes and said:
“Look, our God sent clothes in just the nick of time” (Hayat-e-Noor, Page 641-642)
A majestic manifestation of the living God
God Almighty revealed to the Promised Messiah(as) – انی مھین من اراد اھانتک that I will humiliate he who will try to humiliate you. Here is an example of a majestic manifestation of the living God in this regard.
There is an incident of a staunch enemy of Ahmadiyyat named Hafiz Sultan that when the Promised Messiah(as) came to Sialkot the third time, Hafiz Sultan who was a teacher at a school gave ashes to some boys and got them to stand on a roof and said to them that when Mirza Sahib passes by from here, throw the ashes at his head. So they did just that.
Now as a result of this humiliation, what happened to Hafiz Sultan? It will send shivers down your spine. The events that transpired are somewhat like this; after that incident, there was a severe plague in Sialkot and the first person to die from that plague was Hafiz Sultan and then after that, one after another, the 29 members of his family who were alive at that time all died from the plague. The wrath of God Almighty was such that whoever would come to help cure them also died and whoever bathed the ones who died also died. (Seerat Al Mahdi Part 3 Pgs 596-625)
Miraculous incidents of protection
God Almighty is the Creator and Master of the land and the sea. Everything is in His power. I would like to present 2 miraculous and extraordinarily faith inspiring incidents which are related to sea storms.
Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib(ra) was travelling to England from India during the First World War. When the ship reached the Mediterranean Sea, the captain gathered all the passengers together and said that this sea is full of German submarines and we do not know when our ship may be hit and sink as a result. If we are hit, then a whistle will be blown before the ship sinks. As soon as the whistle blows, all passengers should sit in the boats located on the sides of the ships. Then where ever the boats take you will be your fate, we cannot do anything more than that.
After listening to the captain’s speech, Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib(ra) went to his room and started to pray. Whilst he was praying, he saw in a vision that an angel said to him:
“Sadiq! Have firm faith! This ship will reach its destination safe and sound.” (Lataif Saadiq Pg. 130-131 – Saadiq beti martaba mashtaaq Akhgar (Lacknawi) Pgs. 21-22)
And that’s exactly what happened; many ships that were ahead and behind, left and right all sank, shattered pieces of other ships could be seen floating in the sea, but the Self-Subsisting and Self-Sustaining God made their ship reach its destination safely.
Another aspect of the exceptional help and support of the living God is that in extraordinary circumstances when death looks a person straight in the eye, all of a sudden His divine decree comes into play and God Almighty protects His beloved people as He averts their death and in doing so shows a manifestation of His divine power.
Hazrat Maulwi Muhammad Hussein Sahib(ra) was sent to Basra in 1918 to look for a job. He would do Tabligh and his own personal work as well. He says that one day we were working in a plane and we received an instruction that this plane will fly to Baghdad and all workers will go as well. There was a serious war going on and it was very dangerous to travel. My colleagues starting crying and I started praying. Two minutes before departure another instruction from the general was received that the plane shall not depart until and unless it has been inspected. At last, the approval for departure was given. Then all of a sudden a colleague and I were instructed to get off the plane and then the plane departed. Look at the divine power and divine help of God that at about 2 o’clock at night they received the news that the enemies targeted and hit the very plane that they were taken off of and not a single person survived.
(Al Fazl Rabwah – 1st June 2003, Dareshan Ahmadiyyat Vol 3 Pg. 388)
These examples of majestic manifestations of the living God are not just mere stories of the past rather, they are manifested in every age in every corner of the world.
The following incident took place ten years ago. It was Thursday, the 4th of May 2006. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (may Allah strengthen his hand) was in Nandi Fiji during his tour of the Far East. After half of the night had passed, the following news was received that a serious sea storm has struck a close by Island called Tonga. The intensity of this storm was greater than the tsunami in Indonesia in which hundreds of thousands of people died and which brought destruction to various countries. According to the most recent news on TV at that time, this tsunami was continually growing in its intensity and power and there was a fear that Fiji, nearby islands, Australia and some parts of New Zealand would be flooded in water. This was a very frightening and worrying situation.
When Hudhur-e-Anwar (may Allah strengthen his hand) arrived for Fajr prayers, he was informed of the whole situation. Hudhur then lead the Fajr prayers and remained in prostration for very long. He prayed so fervently before his Mighty Lord that after the Fajr prayer, he addressed the members of the Jama’at and gave the good news that:
“There is nothing to fear, God Almighty will surely help. Nothing will happen.”
The faith inspiring manifestation of the master of the land and the sea and of the living God was shown in this way that after about 2 and a half hours later they received the news that the intensity of the devastating tsunami has come to a halt. And then this news was received that the tsunami that was about to cause utter destruction in the entire area has been stopped dead in its tracks. The newspapers in Fiji wrote that it was a miracle that this tsunami stopped.
(Al Fazl International – 21 November 2014 Pg. 15)
Miraculous protection from the Living God
God Almighty has said with regards to His mighty power that, ان اللہ عالیٰ کل شئ قدیر that He has power over everything. Now in situations where worldly means of protection no longer remain available and death seems inevitable, it is at such times that the God of Islam miraculously protects His beloved people and shows clear proof of His existence.
Hazrat Qazi Muhamad Yusuf Sahib(ra) was the Amir of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’t in Suba-e-Sarhad for a very long time and was very righteous and would call people to the path of God Almighty. He says that on the 9th of June 1935 in the Kissa Khuani market in Peshawar at about 11 o’clock in the afternoon a member of the Ahrari movement tried to attack and kill him. He was totally unaware that he would be attacked. The attacker fired his pistol which contained 5 bullets. There was no one to protect him in the entire market except for the living God; He was his protector and He made the events transpire in such a way that his bullet got stuck in the barrel of his pistol and so therefore, the pistol didn’t work. Hazrat Qazi Sahib has written something very beautiful:
“Who did this? Only our Living God did this. Alhumdulillah” (Zuhur Ahmad Maud, Page 115-116)
My father Hazrat Maulana Abul Ata Sahib Jalandri(ra) used to tell us that once I was walking back to Kababir at night with an Ahmadi friend after a Tablighi programme had finished and as we walked through the jungle, we felt as if we saw something moving in the bushes but we didn’t pay much attention to it. After a little while when we passed the bushes, we heard two gun shots from behind us one after the other but we considered that to be a coincidence as well and did not pay much attention to it.
After quite some time, we found out about what really happened that night. There were some enemies of Ahmadiyyat who had been trying to kill me for some time. That night, there were two people who were armed with two new guns and were hiding and waiting for me to pass by. My friend and I were talking with each other as we passed them and as we passed them, one of them tried to fire a bullet at me but it didn’t work, then the other person tried to fire a bullet but his gun didn’t shoot the bullet either. We were completely unaware of their attempt to try and kill us but through the divine help and protection of God Almighty, we passed unharmed. After we passed from there, when those two young adults tried firing their new guns again, they operated perfectly fine. There was absolutely nothing wrong with their guns. The fact of the matter was that when those guns were facing two Mujahidin of Islam, it was the divine decree of the Living God that stopped the bullets from being fired.
(Medan Tabligh main tai’d Ilahi ke Emaan’o faroz waqiaat Pg. 43)
Examples of extraordinarily divine help and protection of God Almighty
The Promised Messiah(as) states:
“If you become God Almighty’s, God Almighty will become yours. You would be asleep and God Almighty will be awake for you, you would be oblivious of your enemy but God Almighty will see him and will make his harmful attempts futile.” (Kashti-e-Nuh, Ruhani Khazain Volume 19, Page 22)
Hazrat Raja Atta Muhammad Khan Sahib Jaagirdaar(ra) who was from Kashmir was among one of the first few companions of the Promised Messiah(as). There is a faith inspiring incident which took place in his life which is somewhat like this that once as he was returning back to Qadian he reached Gari Habibullah and along with his two friends, he stayed with the leader of the village named Muhammad Hussein Khan. In those days, the opposition against Ahmadiyyat had fuelled quite a bit and the local Maulwis had declared that Ahmadis were liable to be killed. The Maulwis said to Muhammad Hussein that you will receive a great reward for killing this Ahmadi. Muhammad Hussein Khan came under their influence and he appointed some of his people to kill all three Ahmadi guests during the night. Raja Atta Muhammad Sahib had no clue about this plan so he went to sleep as usual. It is written that a little while into the night, he saw the Promised Messiah(as) in a dream who said to him that Raja Sahib, plans have been made for your murder. You should leave right now. Thus, he got up, woke up his other friends and quietly left from there during the night. During their journey, they offered their prayers and then saw that the minister of the mayor was running behind them on his horse and that he had brought some food with him. He congratulated Raja Sahib for saving his life and also informed him of the mischief that the Maulwis tried to pull off. He surprisingly asked Raja Sahib as to how he found out about this plan and how did he decide to leave from there? Raja Sahib then relayed the dream that he saw to him.
(Tareekh Ahmadiyyat Jamun’o Kashmir by Muhammad Asadullah Kashmiri Pages 27-29)
Guidance for an illness from the living God
Hazrat Munshi Zafar Ahmad Sahib(ra) of Kapurthaila states that the elder son of Munshi Mukhtar Ahmad Sahib was my class fellow. He had an illness or some form of epilepsy. He used to faint whilst sitting in class. It would create a panic in the class and this happened many times. After some time, Munshi Sahib decided to take him out of school. He tried every possible treatment he could think of. But he could not get a proper diagnosis nor could he cure the illness. Munshi Sahib says that I decided to get his treatment done by an ordinary Hindu doctor. Upon hearing his state, the doctor said that I do not know as to what can be done. I will look into it and tell you tomorrow. The next day the doctor said that last night I saw a book in a dream in which it said that the cure for this illness is only tamarind and nothing else. Munshi Sahib considered this to be a heavenly sign and advised his son to eat and drink tamarind. Look at the power of the All-Knowing God that within a week no signs of the illness remained at all. His son finished his education, attained great degrees and started running his own business after working for quite some time. After all, who showed this dream; our living God.
(Ashaab Ahmad Vol 4 Pages 25-26)
Miraculous recovery becomes the means of guidance
The living God of Islam creates physical and spiritual life.. The following incident is related to Algeria. There was a new Ahmadi convert named Nadia Kazmi Sahiba who met Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (may Allah strengthen his hands) and requested for prayers for her mother. Her mother was suffering from cancer and her illness had gotten pretty worse. Hudhur not only prayed for her recovery but also gave her this glad tiding in light of divine guidance that:
“God Almighty will grant her good health and will bless her”.
Furthermore, Hudhur also sent an الیس اللہ (Is Allah not sufficient) ring for her mother which she wore straight away.
Now listen to how the magnificent power of the Living God was manifested. After some time, her mother had a check up; the doctors said that now her health is even better than it was before she had cancer and that she was no longer in need of any further treatment. Upon witnessing the sign of this miraculous recovery, her family which consisted of 36 other people all accepted Ahmadiyyat and attained the wealth of a spiritual life. (Al Fazl International 21 November 2014)
The Living God of Islam – The one who cures the ill people
In the Holy Quran, an attribute of the Living God has been mentioned. And that is:
یُّجِیۡبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ اِذَا دَعَاہُ (27:63)
That he listens and answers to the call and prayer of a distressed person. When worldly means of help and aid cease to exist then the living God comes to the aid of His beloved people. The Promised Messiah(as) has very beautifully said:
“Surely our Lord is recognised only through prayers” (Malfoozat Vol 3 Pg. 201 – 1984 Edition London)
In this regard, the illness and miraculous recovery of the wife of Hazrat Mufti Fazl-ur-Rahman Sahib(ra) holds extraordinary splendour. He relates that his wife became seriously ill after the birth of their child. The Promised Messiah(as) became very worried upon hearing the condition of her illness. With prayers, Hudhur advised some medicine straight away. The severity of the illness grew more and more. She was given different medicines but her condition worsened more than before and to the extent that it felt as if she had reached her last stage; as if she was taking her last few breaths and will depart from this world and move on to the next world, death seemed inevitable. Upon this Mufti Sahib went to the Promised Messiah(as) again in a state of distress. Hudhur said:
“We tried every worldly remedy we could possibly think of. Now there is only one weapon left to use and that is the weapon of prayer. You go, I will only stop praying once she gets better.”
Upon hearing these words from the Promised Messiah(as), Hazrat Mufti Sahib said to himself that now what do you have to worry about? Now the prophet of God has taken it upon himself. He returned home and left his ill wife in her state and went to sleep in another room.
Look at the majestic power of the living God and the wonders of the Promised Messiah’s(as) acceptance of prayers that the next morning Mufti Sahib woke up from the sound of some dishes and what did he see? He saw that his wife was setting some dishes in order. When asked about her health, she said that you were sleeping and God Almighty blessed me with another life. (Seerat Ahmad by Hazrat Maulavi Qudratullah Sanuri(ra) Pages 170-172)
A similar faith inspiring incident took place in western Africa in Benin a few years ago. The wife of a king in Benin became seriously ill. There was no lack of financial resources, every form of possible treatment was used but her condition kept getting worse every moment. At that time the situation was such that she was breathing her last few breaths and at any moment, she could have stopped breathing. In a state of helplessness and anxiety he sat next to his wife’s bed in deep sorrow and all of sudden he happened to look at a frame in which there was a piece of a garment of the Promised Messiah(as) and that reminded him of a revelation of the Promised Messiah(as) that “Kings will seek blessing from thy garments”. The Ahmadi king had firm belief in that heavenly prophecy and took that frame and placed it on the chest of his wife. Then he himself placed a prayer mat in front of him and prostrated before his Mighty Lord. The living God listened to the prayer of the distressed and after the king completed his prayer and looked up, his wife said that by the grace and blessings of God Almighty I am perfectly fine. This is the example of the living God and His manifestations which are presented by Islam.
The Living God – the Provider of all needs
One attribute of God Almighty which has been mentioned in the Holy Quran is:
وھو معکم اینما کنتم (57:5)
“He is with you where ever you may be.” The companionship of God Almighty is not the only thing mentioned here rather the following meanings are also included which are that He is the provider of the needs of His people, He is the one who knows what’s in His people’s hearts and He is the one who fulfils even those desires which are hidden in one’s heart. This is the Living God who is always with His beloved people and it’s as if they spend their lives in the lap of God Almighty.
In this regard, there is a narration of Hazrat Maulwi Fazl Deen Sahib(ra) which is very faith inspiring and is something which can turn one’s conception of a living God into firm belief. He states: “One day Hazrat Maulana Ghulam Rasul Sahib Rajaiki(ra) took me to a store that sold fruits and started buying various fruits. I wanted him to buy some grapes as well. He bought various kinds of fruits but did not buy any grapes and started walking back home. He walked a bit and then all of sudden he turned back to go to the same fruit shop and bought some grapes. After that they started to walk towards their home and he said to me along the way:
“If you wanted grapes, you should have told me. Why did you make God tell me?” (Al Fazl Rabwah Januray 1995)
The river began flowing in the opposite direction
The mercy and power of the living God are immeasurable. They are manifested in every walk of life. Maulana Muhammad Siddiq Sahib Amritsari has mentioned a very interesting and faith inspiring incident with regards to preaching.
He writes that in Sierra Leone in the state of Wandoka there was a section chief Qasim Kamanda who was extremely biased and an opponent of the Jama’at. He was so firm in his doctrines of Christianity and such a staunch enemy of Ahmadiyyat that once when they did Tabligh to him, he blatantly said that look, this river which is in front of my village and flows from top to bottom; it may be possible for this river change its direction and start flowing from the bottom to the top but it is not possible for me to become Ahmadi at all.
On one hand, there was this stance of chief Kamanda and on the other hand we can see a manifestation of the immeasurable power and mercy of the Living God that after a few days it just so happened that an ordinary local Mu’allim named ‘Pasuri Baah’ who was not a highly intellectual scholar met him. He did some Tabligh to him for a few days. After that the chief wrote to Maulana Muhammad Siddiq Sahib Amritsari that although I said that the river in front of the village can flow in the opposite direction but I cannot and will not become an Ahmadi; but I would like to give you the glad tiding that there is no doubt that Ahmadiyyat is true; and you can come and see this for yourself, this river has started to flow in the opposite direction and by the grace and blessings of Allah, I have now become an Ahmadi.
(Ruh paroor yaadein by Maulavi Muhammad Saddiq Amritsari Sb Pg. 420)
The living God shook the entire country
The wonders of the living God are innumerable. The omnipotent God manifests such astonishing incidents that he proves His existence and His greatness.
The incident of Hazrat Maulana Nazir Ahmad Sahib Mubasher is also worthy to be mentioned. The days in which he was preaching in Ghana, a young adult from Mecca came back and started spreading this propaganda that Ahmadis make false statements; the Imam Mahdi has not yet appeared.
In order to meet this young adult, Maulana Nazir Sahib went to a village called Saraha where he resided but he was not willing to talk face to face. Maulana Nazir Sahib conducted a marvellous Jalsa in that village and delivered a comprehensive speech about the signs of the advent of the Promised Messiah(as). He conducted the Jalsa and returned but the opposition started having riots in various towns and as per their tradition, they wore white pieces of cloth on their heads and held white flags in their hands chanting the words that ‘we have been victorious, the Mahdi has not come because earthquakes have not taken place. If the Mahdi had come then surely, an earthquake would have taken place.
This demand from the opponents was such that no man had the power to fulfil it. However, the Lord who is the creator and master of the heavens and the earth has the power to do anything and everything.
The omnipotent God then showed this miracle in favour and in support of His true Imam Mahdi(as) that within a few days an earthquake of great magnitude struck the whole of Ghana and the very people who used to say that the Mahdi has not yet come because earthquakes have not taken place, they started to openly announce that the Mahdi of the Muslims has come.
Allah! Allah! What magnificent glory this was, that the Living God truly shook the people of Ghana to prove the truthfulness of his messenger and in this way He manifested a magnificent sign of His omnipotence which proved to be a means of guidance for many people.
(Ruh paroor yaadein by Maulavi Muhammad Saddiq Amritsari Sb Pages 77-79)
The living God brought the ship back
The late Dr. Sardar Nazir Ahmad Sahib was amazing at calling people to the path of God Almighty. He had immense passion for preaching. He says that once he was on a ship full of Hajis and was working as a doctor. On the way back when the ship reached Aden, he went out into the city to do Tabligh and the ship happened to leave without him. Various kinds of difficulties were faced. If a passenger had died God forbid, then legal action could have been taken. He says that I prayed and fell asleep in this state. I saw in a dream that the ship has returned. The people to whom I was doing Tabligh to till the evening were already laughing at me that his ship has departed and now he’s going to go through some difficulties. When I announced in the morning that God Almighty has informed me that my ship will return, they started laughing even more. They said look at how he has become a mad man; has a ship ever returned in this manner?
Dr Nazir Sahib says that at dawn, people witnessed a very strange and unbelievable sight before their eyes. They saw that the ship had in actual fact returned to its port. I was thankful to God Almighty and boarded the ship.
The actual reason for the return of the ship was the will of God. The apparent reason was that to travel without the flag of peace during the days of war was not safe. The ship had to come back to get this flag and in this way, people witnessed a manifestation of the living God. (Narrated by Sardar Hameed Ahmad Sb son of Dr Nazir Ahmad Sb)
A magnificent manifestation of the Mighty Lord
God Almighty is the creator of means and/or cause and effect. Everything in the world is in His power. Sometimes a manifestation of His existence may be shown in this way that through means of the unseen, He creates such circumstances which apparently seem impossible yet they emerge in extraordinary ways and become a testimony to the existence of the Living God.
The incident involving the late Maulana Abdul Malik Khan Sahib is a tremendous example of this. He was in Lahore when he received the instruction of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II(ra) that:
“The foreign government have written a letter to the Pakistani government. Obtain a copy of that letter and send it to me immediately.”
That was apparently a very difficult task. He went to Karachi straight away; there was a school board close to a bus stop which taught Arabic. There was a mistake in the Arabic text upon which he spontaneously smiled. The principal of the school was standing right there and asked him why he smiled. Abdul Malik Sahib told him his reason for smiling and so the principal invited him to come to his school. Abdul Malik Sahib went to the school the next day and he gave him an Arabic letter and kindly requested him to translate it. He took a copy of the letter from him and when he read it, he discovered that this is the same letter for which he came to Karachi in search of. He translated the letter for the school and sent a copy of the letter to Hazrat Musleh Maud(ra). (MTA Interview Abdul Rabbul Anwar Sb)
The Living God and the Bestowal of male children
Whilst mentioning the true essence of the Living God, the Promised Messiah(as) has said that the Living God of Islam is the God who is Self-Subsisting and Self-Sustaining. He accepts prayers and informs us of their acceptance. He who is the true God is our God.
Sometimes the eternal God shows His manifestation in this way that He listens to prayers and answers them through His divine word. These are not just mere claims rather; these examples can be seen in the lives of true believers. Such incidents are innumerable. I would like to present three examples which relate to couples being blessed with male children.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III(ra) once said at an occasion:
“A woman wrote to me from western Africa that I have been married for 37 years but we remain deprived of the blessing of children… She further wrote that apparently, I have reached the age where it seems that it is impossible to have a child. Hudhur says that I started praying for her, God Almighty accepted my prayers and blessed her with a child after 40 years.” (Al Fazl 27 July 1971 Page 3 – Rasala Misbah June – July 2008 Pg.190)
Fateh Muhammad Sahib accepted Ahmadiyyat in 1921 or 1922. He writes that four other people accepted Ahmadiyyat along with me. Coincidentally all five of us new converts only had daughters. Not a single one of us had a son. Opponents started to say that because these people have become Mirzai that is why they will only have daughters. Fateh Muhammad Sahib says that I was very much grieved upon hearing this. I went to Hazrat Musleh Maud(ra) straight away and requested for him to pray that may all of us new converts have a son. Hudhur prayed right then and there and immediately replied:
“God Almighty will bless all of you with a son”
Look at the splendour and glory of words of the beloved of God. Hudhur gave the glad tidings of a son to all five families and the omnipotent God showed His manifestation in this way that after some time, God Almighty blessed all five of them with a son and shut the mouths of the opponents. (Al Fazl International 25th September 2015 Pg. 15)
Respected Abdul Hameed Khurshid Afandi Sahib has the honour of being the first Egyptian Ahmadi to go to Qadian. The late Mustafa Sabit Sahib says that Afandi Sahib once said to him that in 1936 when I went to Qadian, I said to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II(ra) that I have been married for 15 years but am still deprived of the blessing of children. He sincerely requested Hudhur for prayers and so Hudhur promised to pray for him.
Before his departure from Qadian, they met each other to bid farewell and Hudhur said to him that I have prayed for you and God Almighty has accepted my prayer. He will bless you with Jalaluddin, Shamsuddin and Aisha. Upon hearing this glad tiding, the joy and happiness of Afandi Sahib was unexplainable. A few months after he returned and his wife became pregnant, he started telling people with firm faith that we are going to have a son named Jalaluddin. Some people even said to him that it is not appropriate to spread this as the gender is unknown but he had such firm faith in the glad tiding given by Hudhur; he was sure that this prophecy would be fulfilled in the order that it was given; and that is exactly what happened. First he had a son named Jalaluddin, then he had a son named Shamsuddin and then he had a daughter named Aisha.
This is a manifestation of the living God who not only listens to prayers but answers them as well and fulfils them.
Whatever I say I will do
That will always happen and that is the omnipotence of God
The living God who helps in trials and tribulations
Divine communities always go through times of difficulties however, the Living and Omnipotent God always helps the true believers and not only does he give them salvation from their opponents but he also takes them to great heights of excellence, progress and advancement. The 127 years of the Ahmdiyya Muslim Community’s history is a living testimony of this. One example of this is that in 1953 there was a scheme which lead intense and harsh opposition and in such circumstances, Ahmadis sacrificed their lives and proved the strength of their faith and sincerity. As this scheme carried out its activities, on one occasion, the Imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at was sent an order to generally keep his mouth shut. This order came as a notice on a particular instruction from the government of Panjab on the 19th of March 1953. Hudhur took the notice but also said to the messenger who brought the notice in a very bold manner that “My neck or life may be in the hands of your governor but the neck or life of your governor is in the hands of my Lord. Your governor has done whatever he wanted to do. Now my Lord will show His hand.”
(Tareekh Ahmadiyyat Vol 15 Pg.242)
An overview of the way in which the omnipotent and living God helped and aided the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at in this great time of difficulty is that the central government of Pakistan sent an order for Mr. I. I. Chandrigar to be suspended from his office who at that time was the governor of Punjab and because of whom the initial notice was sent. So he was suspended and then Mian Aminuddin Sahib was elected as the governor of Punjab who withdrew this heinous notice on the 1st of May 1953. Allahu Akbar Wallahul Hamd.
This is the living God of Islam who helps His people in trials and tribulations and becomes their last means of hope and support.
A radiant sign of the omnipotence of the Living God
The year 1984 is a milestone in the history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at. Due to the blasphemy law, when it was declared to be a crime for the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at to profess the religion of Islam as their faith, to act upon Islamic teachings and to propagate Islam, at that time through divine guidance from God Almighty and through the advice of the revered elders, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV(ra) decided to migrate to England from Pakistan. This was a very difficult stage. Rabwah had been surrounded by undercover agencies and spies from every corner. In these circumstances there were enormous difficulties lying ahead of their journey at every step of the way. Under the divine help and protection of the living God, Hudhur travelled to Karachi from Rabwah in a car. The journey he was to take from Karachi was even more dangerous where security was very tight. Hudhur said that I will travel in my normal clothing and if at any stage the government puts any restrictions on me to leave the country then I will abide by that.
The heavenly decree of the Living God was also in work. Hudhur reached the airport. His name as ‘Imam Jama’at Ahmadiyya’ was clearly written on his passport but the decree of God Almighty was such that the letter or order which the unjust dictator signed and sent forward to authorities had the name Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad. It was very difficult for the security officers to make a decision. It was midnight. Every attempt to contact the dictator turned out to be futile and at last, that man of God was permitted to fly and Hudhur reached London safe and sound. The safe arrival of Hudhur was a great miracle which reminds us of the migration of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa) from Mecca to Medina. If he had been stopped at any stage, history could have been completely different but who can come in the way of the heavenly decree?
The plan and decree of the Living God was fulfilled. Ahmadiyyat proved to be victorious. Ahmadiyyat prevailed and the enemy failed and remained unsuccessful as always. This incident was a manifestation of the omnipotent and living God and this was a truly faith inspiring sign from God Almighty.
Phenomenal manifestations of the Living God
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at is the heavenly scheme which was established by the Will of God for the rejuvenation of Islam. This is the Shajra-e-Tayyiba (i.e. the pure tree) which has been sown by the true master. Ever since its inception till this very day, the enemies of Ahmadiyyat have tried to cut this tree and obliterate Ahmadiyyat with all their might and power but their attempts to do so have always remained futile. People who tried to destroy Ahmadiyyat departed from this world in their futile attempts and day by day Ahmadiyyat has flourished and has spread and will keep spreading to all the corners of the world.
Who does not know about one of the apparently popular governors of Pakistan, once very confidently and boastfully states that my position will never be taken. He even claimed that he would make the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at so destitute that it would soon perish. The world saw that this very governor became a sign of admonition with great humility and disgrace and departed from this world. He and his friends kept begging for forgiveness and for their lives but to no avail and the divine decree of the Living God was fulfilled magnificently and this enemy of Ahmadiyyat met his fatal end.
Then after that another unjust and tyrannical governor started to tread the same path. He tried to make the blasphemy law established by his predecessor even stricter. That dictator said heinous things to make his followers happy. He even went to the extent to say that Ahmadiyyat is a cancer God forbid and that my government will destroy it from its very roots. A Mubahila (i.e. a prayer duel) was presented but he did not have the courage to accept it. He remained firm in his opposition and kept blazing the fire of persecution against the Jama’at. At last, the wrath of the omnipotent God befell upon him. He was on his plane which was highly protected but despite all of the protection, he could not save himself from the sins he had committed and within a few seconds, he burned to death in the blaze of fire along with his 33 army chiefs. Not a single person survived. It was such a dreadful death that a single part of his body did not remain intact. His ashes were gathered and were used to make his grave to show the world.
These are only a mere glimpse of the global manifestations of the Living God of Islam. This is a subject which can never be fully encompassed.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V(aba) states:
“In following the Imam of the age, a true and ardent devotee of the Holy Prophet(sa). May God enable us to spread the message of the Living God to the world and may we make them realize that there is a Living God who exists; He still listens and shows signs; return to Him; come to Him; may we also develop a living relationship with God and act upon His teachings and worship Him as is His due right. May we become the recipients of His blessings and may we and our generations always remain protected from associating partners with God Almighty in every regard.” (Friday Sermon 18th April 2014)
The Promised Messiah(as) states:
“How unfortunate is the man who does not know that he has a God Who has power to do all that He wills. Our paradise lies in our God. Our highest delight is in our God for we have seen Him and have found every beauty in Him. This wealth is worth procuring though one might have to lay down one’s life to procure it. This ruby is worth purchasing though one may have to lose oneself to acquire it. O ye, who are bereft! run to this fountain and it will satisfy you. It is the fountain of life that will save you. What shall I do, and how shall I impress the hearts with this good news, and by beating what drum shall I make the announcement that this is our God, so that people might hear? What remedy shall I apply to the ears of the people so that they should listen?” (Kashti-e-Nuh, Ruhani Khazain, Volume 19, Page 21-22)