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4th & 5th Q – THE CRITERIA OF A TRUE PROPHET
After proving continuation of prophet-hood, need of prophet-hood in this age and the news of advent of a prophet mentioned in the holy Quran, now we resort to the answer of fourth question which is regarding the standard and criteria of a true prophet. We need to know the distinctive features of a true and false prophet.
By the grace of Allah, the holy Quran guides us and informs us regarding the distinction between a true and a false prophet. Mullah is trying to make the people believe that it is unislamic to even investigate about the truthfulness of the claimant of prophet-hood. The holy Quran negates this notion as under:
“Say, ‘I only exhort you to do one thing: that you stand up before Allah in twos and singly and then reflect. You will then know that there is no insanity in your companion; he is only a warner to you for an impending severe punishment.’ [34:47]
Likewise, we request our Muslim brothers to reflect upon the claim and life of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and join his community.
LIFE BEFORE CLAIM
Say, 'If Allah had so willed, I should not have recited it to you, nor would I have made it known to you. I have indeed lived a whole lifetime before this. Will you not then understand?'
Who violates justice more blatantly than the one who forges a lie against Allah or who treats His Signs as lies? Surely, the guilty shall never prosper. [10:17, 18]
In these verses two standards of the truthfulness of a claimant of the prophet-hood are mentioned. In one verse, the human intellect has been challenged and in the other Allah’s custom and history has been presented as testimony. The life of the claimant of prophet-hood before his claim has been presented as a logical witness. Allah exhorts people to use their common-sense and intellect by saying that why you don’t ponder upon this fact that how it is possible that a person who has never told a lie, now suddenly turns into a liar. One day the holy Prophet (peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) ascended to a height and called every one of the tribes of Quraish by its name. When they had collected together, he addressed them as follows: ‘were I to tell you that a large host has collected together on the other side of this height and is preparing to attack you, would you believe me?’ They responded: ‘Surely, we would believe you as we have always found you truthful.’
The life of the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) before claim of prophet-hood also depicts the same standard as we see in the life of the holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). His opponents testify that he had pure character in his youth and had no parallel in the service of Islam amongst his contemporaries.
A staunch opponent of Ahmadiyyat, Molvi Sana-Ullah Amratsari wrote in his book, “Tareekh-e-Mirza” that he had such a great respect and honor for him that he used to visit him in Qadian on foot. Not a single opponent has ever dared to point out a single flaw in his character. The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) rightly claimed:
“You cannot attribute any charge of forgery, lie or deceit to my earlier life lest you say that this is another lie from a habitual liar. None of you can criticize my life. It is, therefore, a blessing of God that He kept me on righteousness since the day one and it is an evidence for those who ponder.” (Tazkaratu-shahadatain, P-64, R.K. vol-20)
Second criteria mentioned in the above quoted verses is that whosoever forges a lie upon God is severely punished and doomed. This success of the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) against his opponents and the perpetual success of his community is stark evidence of his being a true prophet of Allah.
REVELATION OF UNSEEN
“He is the knower of the unseen, and He does not grant anyone ascendancy over His domain of the unseen. Except him whom He chooses as His Messenger. And in front of him and at the back of him march angels as sentinels.” [72:27, 28]
It is a sign of true prophets that they receive knowledge of unseen future events from Allah and communicate it to people and then these prophecies are fulfilled to the hilt. The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) also prophesied many events which fulfilled magnificently testifying his truthfulness.
PUNISHMENT OF FORGERY
Do they say, 'He has forged it?' Say, 'If I have forged it, on be my guilt and I am clear of all the crimes you commit.' [11:36]
Do they say, 'He has forged a lie against Allah?' If Allah had so willed, He could seal thy heart. But Allah blots out falsehood through thee and establishes the truth by His words. Surely, He knows quite well what is in the breasts. [42:25]
And a believing man from among the people of Pharaoh, who kept hidden his faith, said, 'Will you slay a man because he says, 'My Lord is Allah,' while he has also brought you clear proofs from your Lord? And if he be a liar, on him will be the sin of his lie; but if he is truthful, then some of that which he threatens you with will, surely, befall you. Certainly, Allah guides not one who exceeds the bounds and is a great liar;' [40:29]
And if he had forged and attributed any sayings to Us,
We would, surely, have seized him by the right hand,
And then, surely, We would have cut his life-vein,
And not one of you could have held Our punishment off from him.
And verily, it is a reminder for the righteous, [69:45-49]
BE DEVOTEES OF LORD – NOT MINE
It does not befit a truthful man that Allah should give him the Book and Wisdom and Prophet hood, and then he should say to men, 'Be my worshippers instead of Allah; but he would say, 'Be solely devoted to the Lord because you teach the book and because you study it. [3:80]
In the awe-inspiring and pure character of the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) we can see the manifestation of this characteristic of a truthful prophet. During the last days of his life, he visited Lahore and one day he asked his hosts to go for a ride in a horse-carriage and the hosts readily complied. When the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) came out the house, he amazingly noticed that some young men have fastened themselves at the horse’s place to pull that carriage. He asked what this is. The young men intoxicated in his love replied that Huzoor, we’ll pull your carriage for your ride. The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) became angry and admonishing them to not to do that remarked, “I have come to make you humans, not animals.”
On the other hand, we witness an incident in the history that a great leader of Muslim league went to Aligarh to visit the great Muslim University. From Aligarh railway station to the university, he traveled in a carriage pulled by the students of Aligarh University. WHAT A DISTINCTION!
CENTRE OF HOPES
They said, 'O Salih, thou wast among us one whom we placed our hopes. Dost thou forbid us to worship what our fathers worshipped? And we are surely in disquieting doubt concerning that to which thou callest us.' [11:63]
We know that history repeats itself, especially in the cases of the Prophets. As evidenced in the above mentioned verse, the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) received the same fate of his predecessors. In the beginning, when he started debate with the Christian and Hindu scholars and rebutted their attacks on Islam and foiled all of their attempts to annihilate Islam and the Muslims from India and the rest of the world, the Muslims of India started pinning their hopes to him. The clergy and laity unanimously declared that this is the person who shall bring victory to Islam and shall defeat all those who are fiercely attacking Islam. Ironically, later these clergy rejected the claims of the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) and termed him Dajjal.
REACTION OF NON-BELIEVERS
SIMILAR ATTITUDE
And those who have no knowledge say, 'Why does Allah not speak to us, or a Sign come to us direct?' Likewise said those before them what was similar to their saying. Their hearts are all alike. We have certainly made the Signs plain for a people who firmly believe. [2:119]
Nothing is said in opposition to thee but what was said to the Messengers before thee. Thy Lord is, indeed, the Master of great forgiveness; and also the master of painful chastisement. [41:44]
Even so there came no Messenger to those before them, but they said, 'A sorcerer or a madman.’Have they bequeathed this attitude to one another? Nay, they are all a rebellious people. [51:53, 54]
SHOULD WE FOLLOW A POET?
One of the reasons of rejection of the claim of the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) is that he is a poet and we cannot follow a poet. Allah has mentioned in the following verse that earlier prophets were rejected on the same pretext.
And said, 'Shall we give up our gods for a mad poet?' [37:37]
REJECTION OF EVERY NEW MESSAGE
Allah has mentioned that there has been not a single incidence where people have not rejected and ridiculed the new divine message sent to them.
There comes not to them any new admonition from their Lord, but they listen to it while they make sport of it. [21:3]
And there comes not to them a new reminder from the Gracious God, but they turn away from it. [26:6]
Our opponents argue that in the following verse Allah has ordained us to believe in the revelation on the holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) and revelation before him and that there is no mention of any revelation after him. The only incidence that has to happen after the revelation on the holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) is “AAKHIRA” i.e., doomsday.
And who believe in that which has been revealed to thee and that which was revealed before thee and they have firm faith in the hereafter. [2:5]
This stance has been mentioned in the following verse where Allah states that it is custom and nature of non-believers that they argue that we believe whatever was revealed upon us and reject all that comes after that.
And when it is said to them, 'Believe in what Allah has sent down,' they say, 'We believe in what has been sent down to us;' and they disbelieve in what has been sent down after that, yet it is the Truth, fulfilling that which is with them. Say, 'Why, then, did you seek to slay the Prophets of Allah before this, if you were believers. [2:92]
DEMANDING SIGNS OF EARLIER PROPHETS
When the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) claimed to be the “MESSIAH”, the reaction he had to face was similar as described in the following verse of the holy Quran. His opponents demanded him to show such miracles as, they believe, Jesus Christ used to show. They forgot that, notwithstanding all these miracles, his people rejected him.
And when there comes to them a Sign, they say, 'We will not believe until we are given the like of that which Allah's Messengers have been given.' Allah knows best where to place His Message. Surely, humiliation before Allah and a severe punishment shall afflict the offenders because of their plotting. [6:125]
AMAZEMENT OVER RAISING A PROPHET AMONGST THEM
It is an every day experience for an Ahmadi preacher to come across such argument that how an Indian Punjabi can become a prophet. It is the progeny of Abraham, they say, wherein the prophet-hood has been restricted. They feel themselves so utterly low that it is hard for them to think of a prophet raised amongst them.
'Do you wonder that an exhortation has come to you from your Lord through a man from among yourselves, that he may warn you and that you may become righteous and that you may be shown mercy?' [7:64]
It is a matter of wonder for men that We have sent down revelation to a man from among them, saying, 'Warn mankind and give glad tidings to those who believe that they have a true rank of honor with their Lord?' The disbelievers say, 'Surely, this is a manifest sorcerer.' [10:3]
TRYING TO EXTINGUISH THE DIVINE LIGHT
The following verse has very important place in the Ahmadiyya movement. In this verse a reaction of the opponents has been mentioned that they strive hard to eliminate the divine system by hook or by crook but all their efforts remain futile. The opponents of the holy Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) tried to eliminate his mission by torture, persecution and by sword. They were so helpless in rebutting or producing a parallel of the eloquence of the holy Quran, notwithstanding having great standards in prose and poetry, that they resorted to eliminate Islam by the means of physical persecution and war. So this verse cannot be applied to them.
It is the opponents of modern times who are using propaganda machinery, media, newspapers and books against the Ahmadiyya Movement. Their endeavors can rightly be described as using their mouths to extinguish the light of God
They desire to extinguish the light of Allah with the breath of their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, however much the disbelievers may dislike it. [61:9]
LEAVE THE COUNTRY OR LEAVE THE FAITH
“And those who disbelieved said to their Messengers, ‘We will surely, expel you from our land unless you return to our religion.’ Then their Lord sent unto them the revelation: ‘We will, surely, destroy the wrongdoers.’ [Ibraheem-14:14]
In this verse a reaction of disbelievers has been mentioned. They demand the prophet and his followers to forsake their faith in order to live in their country. Otherwise, they shall be forced to leave their native land. Following the same pattern of earlier creed of disbelievers, the present day mullah is on record to intimidate Ahmadies to either forsake their Ahmadiyya belief or leave the country.
BRITISH AGENT
An important sign of true prophets mentioned in the holy Quran is that they are accused of being agents of foreign nations. The opponents of divine mission argue that had the foreign nation not helping you, we would have defeated you. The standard response of the prophets is that is God weaker (God forbid) than the nation helping me so that He cannot overcome me and my mentor.
The opponents of the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) consider these parables of Quran as outdated stories not applicable in the present age, as no new Prophet has to come ever again. But, as a matter of fact, these parables are mentioned in the holy Quran for us to pay heed to them lest we follow the opponents of earlier prophets. However, the divine tradition has to be fulfilled and there have always been two groups, the believers and those who denounce the divine message.
They replied, 'O Shu'aib, we do not understand much of what thou sayest, and surely we see that thou art weak among us. And were it not for thy tribe, we would surely stone thee. And thou holdest no strong position among us.' He replied, 'O my people, is my tribe mightier with you than Allah? And you have cast Him behind your backs as a thing neglected. Surely, my Lord encompasses all that you do; [11:92, 93]
And those who disbelieve say, 'It is naught but a lie which he has forged, and other people have helped him with it.' Indeed, they have perpetrated a great injustice and a great falsehood. And they say, 'These are fables of the ancient; and he has got them written down and they are read out to him morning and evening.' [25:5, 6]
In our age, the denouncers of Ahmadiyya Movement alleged that the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) was a British stooge and was trained to spread these teachings amongst the Muslims. They say that had he not been raised in the British Raj, we would have wiped him and his mission out. Following the traditions of earlier prophets and their followers, our response is the same that is God weaker than the British that He couldn’t punish Ahmadiyya community for its forgery. This is our last and final response that All the Praise belongs to Allah Who is the Lord of the entire Universe and our responsibility is just to convey the message. May Allah grant the Muslims opportunity to turn towards this holy Book and get guidance from it. Amen.
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