Denial amounts to disobedience of the Holy Prophet (sa) — Essence of Islam Vol. 4

14 Sep, 2026 Essence of Islam 0

Essence of Islam Book Cover by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS)

Introduction

In this discourse from Essence of Islam (Volume 4), Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS), the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, expounds upon Denial amounts to disobedience of the Holy Prophet (sa), presenting profound spiritual insights and scriptural verities.

Book Series: Essence of Islam (Volume 4)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (AS)
Section: Part 3: Status of the Promised Messiah (as)
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Status of the Promised Messiahas which thousands of objections have been raised against Islam from all sides, a Reformer was needed to prove the truth of Islam. This Reformer has been named Messiah, Son of Mary, because he has come to break the cross. God desires that as in the ancient days He delivered the Messiahas from the cross of the Jews, He should now deliver him from the cross of the Christians as well. As the Christians have been guilty of great imposture in deifying a human being, the honour of God demanded that one bearing the name of Messiah should be appointed to demolish this imposture. This is God’s doing though it appears strange to the eyes of these people.
[Anjam-e-Atham, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 11, pp. 320-321]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 45]

As I am the Promised Messiah and God has openly manifested heavenly signs in my support, everyone who in, the estimation of God, has been sufficiently warned regarding my advent as the Promised Messiah and has become aware of my claim will be accountable to God, for no one can turn away with impunity from those who have been sent by Him. This sin is not against me but against the Holy Prophetsa for whose support I have been sent. He who does not accept me, disobeys not me but himsa who had prophesied my coming. I hold the same belief with regard to believing in the Holy Prophetsa as well. He who has heard the call of the Holy Prophetsa and has been made aware of his advent and who, in the estimation of God, has been sufficiently apprised of his Prophethood, if such a one dies a disbeliever he would be condemned to eternal perdition.
[Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol.22, pp. 184-185]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 45]

In Brahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, God Almighty has named me ‘Isa, and has told me that He and His Messengersa had prophesied my advent. But as a body of Muslims was firmly of the faith—and I too believed—that Jesusas would descend from heaven, I was not inclined to construe God’s revelation literally but interpreted it differently and continued in the belief which I shared with the common Muslims and even set it forth in Brahin-e-Ahmadiyyah. Thereafter, Divine revelations descended upon me like torrential rain, affirming that I am the Promised Messiah who was to come. At the same time hundreds of signs appeared, and both heaven and earth rose to affirm my truthfulness. The bright signs of God compelled me to believe that I am the Messiah that was to come in the latter days. This was despite the fact that my earlier belief was that which I had set down in Brahin-e-Ahmadiyyah. Not relying entirely upon the revelation that was vouchsafed to me, I sought adjudication from the Holy Qur’an and I was convinced by several conclusive verses that Jesus son of Maryas had indeed died, and that the last Khalifah would appear from among the Muslims under the title of the Promised Messiah. As there is no darkness left after the dawn of day, in the same way, Status of the Promised Messiahas hundreds of signs, heavenly testimonies, several conclusive verses of the Holy Qur’an, and a number of clear and categorical Ahadith compelled me to believe that I am the Promised Messiah. I had no desire for such a thing and it was enough for me that God should be pleased with me. I led a life of seclusion and no one was aware of my existence, nor did I desire that people should recognize me, but it was God Who pulled me out of my solitude. I had wished to live and die in seclusion, but He decreed that He would make me known with honour throughout the world. If you want to know, then ask God why He did so. I have no say in the matter. Similarly, in the beginning I believed that I bore no resemblance to the Messiah, Son of Maryas. He was a Prophet and one of the distinguished men of God. Therefore, whenever something in my revelation appeared to exalt me above him, I interpreted it as partial exaltation. But in due course, Divine revelation, which descended upon me like plentiful rain, did not permit me to continue in this belief and the title of ‘Prophet’ was clearly bestowed upon me, albeit with the proviso that I was a Prophet in one aspect, and follower of a Prophet in another. The instances of Divine revelation that I have cited in this book also reveal what God Almighty says concerning me vis-à-vis Jesus son of Maryas. How can I reject the continuous revelations that I have received in the course of twenty-three years? I believe in those holy revelations as I believe in all the Divine Revelations that have preceded me. I also understand that Jesus son of Maryas was the last Khalifah of Mosesas and I am the last Khalifah of the Prophetsa, who is the Best of Messengers. Therefore, God willed that, compared to Jesusas, I should not be deficient in any respect. I do realize that these words of mine will not be welcome to those whose love for Jesus borders on worship. However, I pay no heed to them. How can I reject the Divine command and revert to darkness from the light that has been granted to me. In short, I am not guilty of any contradiction. I only follow that which is revealed to me by Almighty God. Until I was enlightened by Him, I continued to assert what I had said in the beginning. But when God bestowed knowledge upon me, I said to the contrary. I am a human being and do not claim to know that which is hidden. This is the fact, whether anyone accepts it or not. I do not know why God did so, but I know this much that God’s jealousy is deeply aroused in heaven against the Christians. They have reviled the Holy Prophetsa in a manner which would well-nigh rend the heavens asunder. In this manner, God reveals that the lowly servants of that Messengersa are more exalted than the Israelite Messiah son of Mary. He who is provoked and angered by these words may die in his anger but God has done as He willed and He always does what He wills. What power does a man have to object as to why God did so?
[Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, pp. 153-155]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 46]

Status of the Promised Messiahas I swear by Him in Whose hand is my life that if Jesus son of Maryas had been present in my time he could never have done that which I can do, and never could he have shown greater signs than those shown by me, and he would have found me a greater recipient of Divine grace than himself. Now, when this is my status, just think what would be the status of the Holy Messengersa whose servant I am! 25
[Kashti-e-Nuh, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 19, p. 60]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 48]

The secret of my appearance in the name of Jesusas is as follows. At the time of such mischief by the Christians, God Almighty informed Jesusas in heaven of the outrage which his people and his followers had created in the world. The soul of Jesusas was greatly perturbed on finding the beliefs of his followers utterly corrupted, and he desired that someone should descend to earth as a fulfilment of his objectives. Then God Almighty, in accordance with His promise, caused the spirit and eagerness of the Messiah to be manifested in a suitable individual, and it is in this manner that the Messiah descended from heaven, just as Prophet Eliasas had descended in the form of John the Baptistas.
[A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, pp. 268-269, footnote]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 49]

As that Prince Prophetas came into the world helpless and meek, and set an example of humility and gen-

25 That is Allah’s grace; He bestows it upon whomsoever He pleases.—Al-Ma’idah, 5:55 [Publisher] tleness, so God desired in this age to raise me—who also descended from a family of rulers and chiefs, and whose circumstances resemble those of the Prince Prophetas—among the people who have wandered far away from pure morals. God desired that like Jesusas I too should pass my time in the world in humility and meekness. The Word of God had long prophesied that such a one should appear in the world and, for this reason, God named me the Promised Messiah, that is to say, one who resembles Jesus the Messiahas in his moral qualities.
[Kashf-ul-Ghita, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 14, p. 192]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 49]

Blessed is he who has recognized me. Of all the paths that lead to God I am the last, and of all His lights I am the last. Unfortunate is one who departs from me, for without me all is darkness.
[Kashti-e-Nuh, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 19, p. 61]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 50]

I have been informed that—on account of my helplessness, humility, trust in God, sincerity, signs and heavenly light—my life is similar to that of the first life of the Messiahas. My nature and the nature of the Messiahas resemble greatly as if they were two parts of the same jewel or two fruits of the same tree. There is such a complete unity between us that the spiritual eye would have little to distinguish between us. Moreover, there is also an overt resemblance between us and that is that Jesusas was the follower and a servant of the faith of a perfect and great Prophet, i.e., Mosesas, and his Gospel is a branch of the Torah, and this humble one is one of the lowly servants Status of the Promised Messiahas of the great Prophetsa, who was the Chief of Messengers and the Crown of all Prophets. If the other Messengers are Hamid 26, he is Ahmad 27, and if they are Mahmud 28 he is Muhammad sa. 29
[Brahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 593-594, sub-footnote 3]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 50]

Christians were proclaiming aloud that Jesus, on account of his nearness to God and on account of his high status, has no equal. Now God has proclaimed that He has created his parallel who is even better than him and is Ghulam Ahmad, i.e., the servant of Ahmad [the Holy Prophetsa]. Life-giving is the cup of Ahmadsa; What a dear name is the name Ahmadsa.
There are hundreds of thousands of Prophetsas;
But, by God, the highest status is that of Ahmadsa.
I have tasted of the fruit of the orchard of Ahmadsa;
My garden is the word of Ahmadsa.
Talk no more of the son of Maryas!
Better than him is the servant of Ahmadsa. These are no idle or poetic thoughts, but are facts. If your experience tells you that I do not enjoy greater Divine support than the Messiah son of Maryas, then you can count me a liar. God has decreed so, not for my own sake, but for the sake of His Prophetsa, who has been greatly wronged.
[Dafe‘-ul-Bala, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, pp. 240-241]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 51]

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Introduction