أَشْھَدُ أَنْ لَّا إِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللّٰہُ وَحْدَہٗ لَا شَرِیکَ لَہٗ وَأَشْھَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُہٗ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ

أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَأَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰہِ مِنَ الشَّیْطٰنِ الرَّجِیْمِ- بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِیْنَ۔ اَلرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ۔ مٰلِکِ یَوْمِ الدِّیْنِ۔ اِیَّا کَ نَعْبُدُ وَ اِیَّاکَ نَسْتَعِیْنُ۔

اِھْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِیْمَ۔ صِرَاطَ الَّذِیْنَ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَیْھِمْ غَیْرِالْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَیْھِمْ وَلَاالضَّآلِّیْنَ۔

Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Quran: یٰٓاَیُّھَا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا اجْتَنِبُوْا کَثِیْرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ اِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ اِثْمٌ (Al-Hujurat: 13) "O ye who believe! avoid most of suspicions; for suspicion in some cases is a sin." The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) said at one place regarding this: "Corruption begins when a person starts acting upon corrupt suspicions and doubts. If one thinks well of others, then the ability to give is granted. When one errs at the very first stage, reaching the desired destination becomes difficult." He said: "Suspicion is a very bad thing. It deprives a person of many virtues, and then, as it grows, it reaches the point where a person begins to harbor suspicion against God." (Malfuzat, Volume 1, Page 375, Edition 2003, Published Rabwah)

Then at another place, he said:

"We cannot have access to another person's inner self" (that is, we cannot reach anyone's heart) "and to attempt such access is a sin. A person harbors ill thoughts about another and then himself becomes worse than that person. ... Hastening to think ill of others is not good." (Hastening to harbor suspicion is not good.) "Having access to the inner states of people is a delicate matter." (That is, to think that we have access to people's hearts is a very sensitive and delicate matter.) Why is it delicate and sensitive? He said: "Because it has destroyed many nations who harbored suspicions against prophets and their families." (Malfuzat, Volume 2, Pages 568-569, Edition 2003, Published Rabwah)

And then, as he said earlier, suspicion against God Almighty also begins.

While mentioning such people who harbor suspicion, Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) says at one place—he is relating some incidents of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). As the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) said, people harbored suspicions against prophets and their families. Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) had to face this the most in his time. Thus, at one place he says: "Allah the Almighty has made me Khalifa, and He has always kept His support and help with me. And there is no one except a blind person and one born blind who can deny that God has always sent angels from heaven to help me." Addressing those who raise objections, he says: "So now make your objections and see what the result of these objections will be. Objections of this kind were also raised against the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). Once, when someone made such an objection (regarding giving chanda), he said: 'It is forbidden for you to send even a single grain henceforth for the Movement. Then see what harm can come to the Movement of God.'" He said: "I also say to these people in the same manner that it is forbidden for you to give even a single penny henceforth for the help of the Movement." (Those who object that money is spent wrongly and the Khalifa of the time spends it improperly)—he told them: "Although it is not my habit to use harsh words, I say that if there is even an iota of decency left in you, then after this do not give even a farthing for the Movement and then see whether the work of the Movement continues or not. Allah the Almighty will create means for my help from the unseen and will inspire from the unseen such people who will be sincere and who will consider it a matter of pride to sacrifice their wealth for the Movement." He said: "Do you not know that the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), pointing to our very status, said" (that is, about his children, the five children of the Promised Messiah) "that regarding burial in the graveyard, God Almighty has made an exception for my family" (Hazrat Umm al-Mu'minin and his five children) "and they will enter the Bahishti Maqbara without the Wasiyyat (bequest), and whoever objects to this will be a hypocrite." He says: "If we were people who devoured the money of others, why would He establish a distinguishing mark and why would He allow us to enter the Bahishti Maqbara without the Wasiyyat? So whoever attacks us attacks the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), and whoever attacks the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) attacks God. I remember well that once the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) went to the garden and said, 'I have been shown graves made of silver here, and an angel says to me that these are the graves of you and your family.' And for this reason, that plot was designated for his family. Although this dream is not published in this form." Hazrat Musleh Maud says that this dream is not published in this form, "but I remember that you mentioned it in this way. So God showed our graves as being made of silver and told people that you say they devour people's money during their lifetime, but We will continue to bestow blessings upon people through them even after their death." That is, God Almighty says He will bestow blessings. "So Allah the Almighty is turning even our dust into silver, while you, through your objections, are turning even your silver into dust."

He says: "Since a hypocrite is usually in the habit of speaking in secret, I have openly shed light on these matters; otherwise, I feel extremely ashamed to give some chanda for the sake of God Almighty and then go around saying that I have given such and such amount of chanda." But since a question was raised in his time—as I mentioned, he had to face opponents and hypocrites the most. Although a few still raise questions occasionally, in that era there was great intensity. He said: "Since a question was raised, I was compelled to say that if the chanda of my entire family is added up, we have given five times more in chanda than the amount about which it is said that I have consumed. And the amount that has entered the treasury from my family alone is also more than that. And I think no sensible person will accept that we spent five times more money in order to consume one-fifth of it. So those who raise this objection should fear God Almighty and turn their attention to their own reformation before the time comes when their faith flies away and they die as atheists and apostates." (Derived from Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 18, Pages 188-189)

In any case, as I said, such people exist in every era, but he had to face them the most.

This objection was also raised against the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) during his time. Regarding this, Hazrat Musleh Maud says: "Those people who separated from us had the habit of harboring suspicion against their brothers. The result was that they went so far as to say about Hazrat Sahib (that is, the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him) that you spend the Jamaat's money on your personal expenses. Hazrat Sahib came to know of this matter in the last days." The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) came to know of this in the last days of his life, "and he told me (that is, Hazrat Musleh Maud) that these people think that the money that comes for the Langar (community kitchen), I spend on my personal expenses. But they do not know that from the money people bring as offerings for me (that is, money intended for his personal use), I also spend on the Langar." Thus, Hazrat Musleh Maud says: "I used to bring his money orders, and I know well that very little money used to come for the Langar—so little that the expenses could not be met from it. Hazrat Sahib had told me that if I hand over the management of the Langar to these people (that is, those who object or consider themselves leaders of the Anjuman), they would never be able to cover its expenses. And so it happened, and the consequences of this suspicion continued to be borne—the Langar fund always remained in debt." (Derived from Al-Hakam, Jubilee Number, December 28, 1939, Page 13, Volume 42, Numbers 31-40)

For a long time, those people who thought they could run an excellent administration continued to suffer the consequences of this suspicion, and the Anjuman also remained in debt. But because the prayers of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) were also with the Jamaat, the prosperity the Jamaat now enjoys is also a result of the prayers of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and the promises of Allah the Almighty. This is not anyone's personal effort. Today, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, the Langar of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) is also operating in every country of the world.

Then there is an incident related to spirituality. I will also narrate what pertains to the life of prophets and the life after them, the condition of the Jamaat during the time of prophets and the condition of the Jamaat after them. Allah the Almighty sends His prophets into the world so that they may reform the spiritual decline that has begun in the world. Prophets come to reform the spiritual deterioration that has occurred among people and lead them to spiritual progress. Although when the number of followers of prophets begins to increase, their followers receive material progress along with spiritual progress, the standards of material and worldly progress increase greatly after the lifetime of the prophet. This is what we see, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, both during the lifetime of prophets and in the Jamaat of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). However, the status that the era of a prophet holds in terms of spiritual progress cannot be held by the era that comes afterward. Spiritual progress is at its peak during the time of the prophet, and material progress is very little. Later, worldly progress is attained according to the promises of Allah the Almighty, but spirituality decreases.

Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) has explained this at one place and narrated an incident of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). He says: "Immediately after the death of a prophet, the night begins from a spiritual perspective, but from a physical perspective, the death of a prophet indicates the dawn, and immediately afterward, the sunrise—that is, the spectacle of apparent successes—begins to appear. The same happened in the time of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The same happened in the time of the Messiah of Nazareth and Moses, and the same has now happened in the time of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). In the last Jalsa held during his time, seven hundred people had gathered." (And what the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, said at that time is worth hearing.) Hazrat Musleh Maud says: "I remember that when you went out for a walk, at Reti Chhalla where there is a banyan tree, seeing the multitude of people and their gathering, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) said: 'It seems that our work is complete because now signs of victory and success have appeared.' Then you repeatedly mentioned the progress of Ahmadiyyat and said how much Allah the Almighty has blessed Ahmadiyyat with progress. Now seven hundred people have come to attend our Jalsa." (That is, at that time he said that so many people have come; it seems my work is now complete.) "This is such a great success that I think the work for which Allah the Almighty sent me has been completed. Now no one can obliterate Ahmadiyyat." (Derived from Tafsir Kabir, Volume 9, Page 340)

The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) said this. Hazrat Musleh Maud says this was his trust and certainty in Allah the Almighty. When seven hundred people came to the Jalsa, he declared that now the number has become such that no one can obliterate Ahmadiyyat. Now, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, Ahmadiyyat has reached the world. Hazrat Musleh Maud says: "I remember that when the expenses of the Langar increased and guests began coming to Qadian in large numbers, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) became particularly worried about how these expenses would be met. But now the situation is that, by the grace of God Almighty, a single Ahmadi can bear all the expenses of the Langar." (Now this was in the time of Hazrat Musleh Maud, and now, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, further expansion has occurred.)

He says: "When the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) published his prophecies regarding the earthquake, many Ahmadi friends came to Qadian in large numbers. The Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also went to the garden along with the friends and began residing in tents there. Since in those days guests had begun coming to Qadian in greater numbers, one day he said to our mother that now there seems to be no means for money." (The expenses had increased greatly.) "I think we should borrow from someone." (The Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, said this.) "Because now there is no money left for expenses." A short while later, he went for the Zuhr prayer. When he returned, he was smiling. After returning, he first went to the room and then came out after a short while and said to his wife that despite seeing continuous signs of God Almighty, a person sometimes acts with suspicion. "I had thought that there was no money for the Langar; now a loan will have to be taken from somewhere. But when I went for prayer, a person wearing dirty clothes came forward and placed a bundle in my hand. Seeing his condition, I thought there must be some coins in it." (It was heavy due to coins, so there was weight in it, and there would be a few coins.) "But when I came home and opened it, several hundred rupees came out of it." Now see, what significance did that money have compared to today's donations? Today, if someone were told that you are being granted one day from the time of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) provided you bear one day's expense of the Langar, he would say: "Do not take just one day's expense from me; take the whole year's expense, but for God's sake let me see one day of the time of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him)." But today, how can anyone attain what was attained by those who made sacrifices in the time of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him)? (Derived from Tafsir Kabir, Volume 9, Page 341)

Indeed, sacrifices have increased, but that era had its own status. Hazrat Musleh Maud says: "I wrote a small note on my Quran which clearly expresses the states of heart found in those who witnessed the time of a prophet. I wrote a note on سَلَامٌ—that is, that night is all peace. In the commentary of Surah al-Qadr, he says: 'Alas! The time of the Promised Messiah. At that time there were few." (This note was written.) "Alas! The time of the Promised Messiah. At that time there were few, but there was peace. Afterward, Allah the Almighty has granted us great progress, but these advancements cannot compare to that era which was the era of the Promised Messiah." (Derived from Tafsir Kabir, Volume 9, Page 340)

Indeed, today from a worldly perspective, more people listen to us. We have access to more people. We convey our message even to great politicians and governments. Financially too, the Jamaat is stronger compared to the time of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). Today, the chanda that a single person gives—in the time of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), that much chanda would not come even in one year or even two years. But despite this, no one can say that this era is better than that era. However, despite this, we can become heirs to the prayers of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Although we cannot see that era, if this passion and fervor is created within us that we must work with the same sincerity and loyalty in completing his mission, the spirit he wished to breathe into us, and we must strive to advance in that spirituality which he created among his Companions.

There are some other references of Hazrat Musleh Maud that shed light on different aspects of the life of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and are related to his era; I present them. Describing the love that the Companions of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) had, Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) says: "We saw the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The love that those who saw him had for him cannot be estimated by those who came later or those whose age was young during the time of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)." (They were in his time, but their age was young; they did not have that much awareness.) He said: "But God Almighty gave me such a heart that from childhood I was attentive to these matters. I have estimated the love of those people for the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who remained in his company. For years I observed them that due to separation from the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), they found no pleasure in their lives and (after the demise of the Promised Messiah) they saw no charm in the world." He said: "Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I, whose courage those who know him know was so strong and firm, would not let his sorrows and worries appear. But several times when he was alone and no one was around, he said to me: 'Mian! Since Hazrat Sahib passed away, my body feels empty and the world appears empty. I walk among people and do work, but still it seems as if nothing remains in the world.' Besides him, I have seen several other people who remained in the company of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Their love and devotion had increased so much that nothing gave them pleasure, and they wished that their lives would also end so they could join the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)." (Derived from Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 1, Pages 144-145)

Then at one place, advising Jamaat workers, especially in countries where there is great inflation and poverty, he said they should ask from God instead of looking toward the Anjuman. And in this regard, Hazrat Musleh Maud gave the example of a small incident of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He says: "The Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also used to feel very cold, so he would eat musk." (This is a prescription of traditional physicians. Eating musk removes the cold.) "He would keep a bottle full of it in his pocket and use it when needed, and he used to say that one bottle" (a small bottle that fits in the pocket lasts for two years). But when the thought comes that the musk has become little and I look at the bottle, it finishes. (As long as it is not looked at, one keeps using it and blessings continue to be placed in it. He said that when I look at it, it finishes after some time.) Hazrat Musleh Maud said: "So Allah the Almighty sends sustenance to His servants from the unseen, and His ways of sending sustenance are unique. So ask from that Being whose treasury never becomes empty. Why do you ask from the Anjuman, which does not have enough money to increase your allowances? So become worshippers of God." (Worship God Almighty) "God Almighty will send you sustenance from the unseen." (Ask Him.) "Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya does not have enough money to give you more allowance. After all, the money that comes to it comes only from the donations of the Jamaat, and that is not so much." (Derived from Al-Fazl, February 18, 1956, Page 5, Volume 45/10, Number 42)

As I said, in those countries there is more inflation. Sometimes some people have such circumstances that they say their livelihood is difficult, and some write to me in letters as well. I know, as I said, that in Pakistan, India, etc., there is great inflation, and the allowances of workers barely cover their needs. But whatever facility can be provided according to the maximum capacity is provided. Such people should also look at those who are caught in extreme poverty, who do not even have the means to treat their children or themselves in case of illness. So one should be grateful to Allah the Almighty, and there is a greater need to trust in Him and turn to Him for one's needs instead of looking here and there.

Mentioning the prophecies of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) says while mentioning one prophecy: "There are hundreds of prophecies that were fulfilled after the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and became clear proof of the truth of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). For example, regarding me, there was this prophecy of yours that he will be of grandeur, majesty, and wealth. Now you people can see how much property the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had during his own lifetime. While issuing a challenge of reward to opponents, he wrote that I would present my property, which is worth ten thousand rupees. So at that time, your property was only ten thousand rupees, but now it has become worth hundreds of thousands of rupees. Where has this wealth come from? This is all the grace of God Almighty. Otherwise, I remember that after the demise of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), when Nana Jan (Hazrat Mir Nasir Nawab Sahib) returned the papers related to our lands" (earlier, during the time of the Promised Messiah, the management was entrusted to him; he returned the papers to Hazrat Musleh Maud after the demise of the Promised Messiah) "I felt so helpless that I was bewildered as to what to do. By chance, Sheikh Noor Ahmad Sahib came to me and said, 'I have learned that you need an employee. Please hire me.'" (A manager was needed to manage the land.) "I said, 'Where will I get the salary from? I have neither any money to pay a salary nor is there any expectation of income from the property.' He said, 'Give me whatever small salary you wish to give.' And then he himself said, 'Just give me ten rupees a month.' So I hired him as an employee and thought that at least this much income would come. But later, Allah the Almighty bestowed such grace that as the town progressed, the value of that property also kept increasing. When the question arose of publishing the first translation of the Holy Quran" (some people also object about where the money was spent or where it came from, so the answer is also found in this) he says: "When the question arose of publishing the first translation of the Holy Quran, I wanted our family alone to bear all the expenses of publishing this translation." (That is, him and his brothers and sisters.) "At that time I called Sheikh Noor Ahmad Sahib and told him that I need two thousand rupees now. Can this much money be arranged? He said that if you permit the sale of some portion of land for houses, then as much money as you want can come. So I permitted the sale of some land. This land was about fifty ‘kanals’ (6.25 acres) and was located where later the Dar-ul-Fazl neighborhood was settled. After a short while, Sheikh Sahib came and had a bag of rupees in his hand. He said, 'This is two thousand rupees, and if you need ten thousand, that can also be arranged.' I said, 'I needed only this much money at this time'" (because money was needed for the publication of the Holy Quran) “I do not need more.” So regarding the Dar-ul-Fazl neighborhood of Qadian, he is saying that in this way the foundation of that neighborhood was laid and that money was given for the publication of the Quran." (Derived from Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 3, Pages 681-682)

While mentioning the love of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for Qadian, Hazrat Musleh Maud says how the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) loved it and how he used to observe it. He says that the places with which God Almighty has a connection are made blessed forever. Qadian is also such a place. Here a chosen one of God Almighty was raised, and he spent his entire life here and had love for this place. Thus, on this occasion when the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) had gone to Lahore (when the Promised Messiah went to Lahore in the days of his final illness or his last days, and he passed away there), and his demise occurred, one day he called me into a room and said, "Mahmud, see how yellowish this sunlight appears." Hazrat Musleh Maud says it appeared to me the same as I saw every day, so I said, "No, it is the same as it is every day." The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) said, "No, the sunlight here is somewhat yellow and dim. The sunlight of Qadian is very clear and excellent." Since he was to be buried in Qadian, he made such a statement from which his love and affection for Qadian became apparent. (Derived from Anwar-e-Khilafat, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Volume 3, Page 175)

Then he narrates a personal incident related to horse riding, or how the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) compared cycling and horse riding. He says: "I remember that the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) bought a mare for me some time before his demise. In fact, it was not purchased but was sent as a gift. The detail is that when I saw boys riding bicycles, a desire for cycling arose in my heart too. I mentioned this to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). He said, 'I do not like cycling; I consider horse riding to be manly riding.' I said, 'Then please get me a horse.' He said, 'Then I would like a horse that is strong and powerful.' By this, his intention was probably that I should become a good rider. So he wrote to Abdul Majid Khan Sahib of Kapurthala to buy and send a good horse. He wrote to Khan Sahib because his father was in charge of the state's stable and their family was well acquainted with horses. He bought a mare and sent it as a gift and did not take the price. When the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) passed away, since his demise was bound to affect our expenses, I decided to sell this mare." (In the first part, it was mentioned that the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, preferred horse riding. Then Hazrat Musleh Maud also mentioned his circumstances, and I will now narrate the complete incident: that this mare should be sold) "so that the burden of its expenses does not fall on mother" (because after that the sources of income were reduced, and the burden fell on Hazrat Amma Jan, Umm al-Mu'minin). He said: "A friend of mine who came to know of my intention and who is still alive sent word to me that this mare is a gift from the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him); you should not sell it at all. At that time, my age was nineteen years. I still remember the place where this was said. At that time, I was standing at the edge of the pond, southeast of the Tashheez-ul-Azhan office. When I was told that this mare is a gift from the Promised Messiah, so it should not be sold, the words that immediately came out of my mouth without thinking were: 'Indeed, this is a gift from the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), but a greater gift than this is Umm al-Mu'minin. I do not want to cause trouble to Hazrat Umm al-Mu'minin for the sake of a mare.' So I sold the mare." (Derived from Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 29, Pages 31-32)

From this, as I said, the warrior-like inclination of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) also becomes apparent—that he preferred horse riding over other things—and the feelings and sentiments that Hazrat Musleh Maud had for Hazrat Umm al-Mu'minin also become apparent.

Then, mentioning the demise of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and his own condition, he says at one place: "When the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) passed away, it was thought that he died suddenly. But I had come to know beforehand of some things from which it appeared that a great revolution was coming. For example, I saw in a vision that I am coming from the Bahishti Maqbara on a boat. On the way, the water was so turbulent that a severe whirlpool began, and the boat was in danger, which frightened all the people sitting in the boat. When their condition reached despair, a hand emerged from the water in which there was a writing stating that here is the grave of a Pir Sahib; make a request to him and the boat will be saved. I said, 'This is shirk; even if our lives are lost, we will not do this.' Meanwhile, the danger increased further, and some of those with me said, 'What harm is there? Let it be done.' And without my knowledge, they wrote a petition to the Pir Sahib and threw it into the water." (He is seeing this scene in the dream.) "When I came to know, I jumped and took out that petition." (He immediately jumped into the water and retrieved that letter.) "And as soon as I did so, the boat began to move, and there was no danger. All danger vanished." He says: "When Hazrat Sahib passed away, at that time God Almighty made my heart extremely firm, and immediately my mind turned to the thought that now a great responsibility has fallen upon us. And at that very moment, I made a pledge: 'O God! I, standing at the corpse of Your Promised Messiah, declare that even if not a single person remains in the world to do this work, I will continue to do it.' At that time, such strength came into me that I cannot describe it." (Derived from Address at Jalsa Salana, December 27, 1919, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Volume 4, Pages 523-524)

Then, elaborating on this at one place and advising the Jamaat, he says that one should not be dismayed by difficulties and hardships. He said: "When the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) passed away, I heard voices from people saying that his death was untimely. Those who said this did not say—God forbid—that he was false, but they said that his death occurred at a time when he had not properly conveyed the message of God Almighty and some of his prophecies had also not been fulfilled. My age at that time (as mentioned earlier) was nineteen years. When I heard such statements, I went and stood at the head of his body. Addressing God Almighty, I prayed: 'O God! This was Your beloved. As long as he was alive, he made countless sacrifices for the establishment of Your religion. Now that You have called him to Yourself, people are saying that his death was untimely. It is possible that such statements may cause the speakers or their remaining companions to stumble, and the Jamaat may fall apart. Therefore, O God! I make this pledge to You that even if the entire Jamaat turns away from Your religion, I will lay down my life for it.' At that time, I understood that this work is mine to do. And this was the one thing that, at the age of nineteen, filled my heart with such a fire that I devoted my entire life to the service of religion and, leaving aside all other purposes, kept only this one purpose before me: that the work for which the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had come, I must now do. The determination that arose in my heart at that time, I still find within me to this day with ever-new vigor. And the pledge that I made at that time standing at the head of his body has become a guiding light leading me along. It was that very pledge of mine that has kept me so firmly established on my resolve to this day that hundreds of storms of opposition rose against me, but they dashed their heads against the rock on which God Almighty had placed me. And every effort, every scheme, and every mischief that the opponents made against me came before them, and God Almighty, with His special grace, showed me success at every turn—so much so that those very people who at the time of the demise of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say that his death was untimely are now seen biting their fingers in amazement at the successes of his mission. So the person who makes this pledge and understands that this work is mine to accomplish—even if thousands of difficulties arise in his path, thousands of obstacles occur, thousands of barriers stand in his way—he crosses all of them and reaches that field where success stands to welcome him." Now there is advice for the members of the Jamaat to hear. "So every person of our Jamaat should make this pledge that the work of religion is mine to do. After this pledge, an awakening will be created within them, every difficulty will become easy for them, and every hardship will turn into ease for them." (Every distress will become comfort for them.) "They will indeed have to face some pains, hardships, and sufferings, but they will feel sheer comfort in them. In the Quran, Allah the Almighty says to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that for the completion of religion, only you are My addressee. Whether your Companions participate in this work or not, I have to take work from you in any case. This was the reason that you remained engaged in this work day and night, and your every movement and every rest and your every word and every action was dedicated to establishing the religion of God Almighty in the world. And you understood that this is essentially my work, no one else's." (Derived from "Two Important Principles of National Progress," Anwar-ul-Ulum, Volume 19, Pages 74-75)

And this is the Sunnah that we will have to adopt.

Then, regarding the favors of Allah the Almighty, the progress of the Jamaat, and our duties, he said in this way: "It is the grace of Allah the Almighty that He granted me, purely through His favor, the ability to fulfill this pledge" (which has been mentioned) "and I dedicated my entire life to conveying the message of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) to the corners of the world. The result of this is seen today by everyone—that our missions have been established in most countries of the world. Thousands of people who were previously engulfed in shirk or had fallen prey to Christianity have begun sending salutations and blessings upon Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). But despite all these results, we should never forget this reality that the world's population at this time is about seven billion, and it is the duty of Jamaat Ahmadiyya to convey the message of the One God to all of them and include them among the devotees of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). So there is a very great task before us, and a very heavy burden has been placed on our weak shoulders. In such an important task, there can be no way to our success except through the miraculous support and help of Allah the Almighty. We are His humble and insignificant servants, and no work of ours can be fruitful without His grace." (Derived from Al-Fazl, January 2, 1963, Page 1, Volume 52/17, Number 2)

So we should try our utmost to attract His favors. Referring to the pledge that he made standing at the head of the Promised Messiah, which should be the pledge of all of us—because through this, progress is to occur, and through this, we can become an active part of the Jamaat, because this is the work of God Almighty and essentially belongs to God Almighty—Hazrat Musleh Maud said at one place: "When we can make such a declaration to a human being" (as he made standing at the head of the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him) "then why can we not make such a declaration to Allah the Almighty: 'O Allah! Even if the entire world abandons You, we will never abandon You.'" (Derived from Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 12, Page 151, Friday Sermon, July 19, 1929)

So this is the pledge that each one of us needs to make. Today, when atheism is on the rise in the world, we need to make this pledge anew and fulfill it with passion, and we need to mold our actions according to the teaching of God Almighty. Every one of us should pledge that we will stay away from shirk and will also make a full effort for the completion of the mission of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and we will also fulfill the pledge we have made with God Almighty in this age to raise the flag of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), InshaAllah.

May Allah the Almighty grant us the ability to do so.