Knowledge of Allah’s Attributes Granted to the Holy Prophet — Essence of Islam Vol. 1

Introduction

In this discourse from Essence of Islam (Volume 1), Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS), the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, expounds upon Knowledge of Allah’s Attributes Granted to the Holy Prophet, presenting profound spiritual insights and scriptural verities.

Book Series: Essence of Islam (Volume 1)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (AS)
Section: Part 3: The Holy Prophet (sa)
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: Exalted Status of the Holy Prophet (sa) | Next: Excellence of Obeying the Holy Prophet (sa) »

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This means: O my Lord! Grant me perfect knowledge of Your greatness, Your ways and Your attributes. At another place it is said:

فَتَعَٰلَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمَلِكُ ٱلۡحَقُّ ۗ وَلَا تَعۡجَلۡ بِٱلۡقُرۡءَانِ مِن قَبۡلِ أَن يُقۡضَىٰٓ إِلَيۡكَ وَحۡيُهُۥ ۖ وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدۡنِي عِلۡمٗا

“Exalted then is Allah, the True King! And be not impatient for the Qur’an ere its revelation is completed unto thee, but only say, ‘O my Lord, increase me in knowledge.’” (Surah Ta Ha, 20:115)

Reading these two verses together, we find that the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] became the foremost of the Muslims because he was the most learned in the knowledge of Divine understanding. For this reason, his Islam is the highest of all and he is the foremost of the Muslims. Another verse also indicates the vastness of his knowledge as is said:

وَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكَ وَرَحۡمَتُهُۥ لَهَمَّت طَّآئِفَةٞ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُضِلُّوكَ وَمَا يُضِلُّونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمۡ ۖ وَمَا يَضُرُّونَكَ مِن شَيۡءٖ ۚ وَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡكَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمۡ تَكُن تَعۡلَمُ ۚ وَكَانَ فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكَ عَظِيمٗا

“And but for the grace of Allah upon thee and His mercy, a party of them had resolved to bring about thy ruin. And they ruin none but themselves and they cannot harm thee at all. Allah has sent down to thee the Book and Wisdom and has taught thee what thou knewest not, and great is Allah’s grace on thee.” (Surah al-Nisa’, 4:114)

(Part Number: 5) This means that: God Almighty has taught you what you could not have learnt by yourself, and by His grace you are blessed more than anyone else. That is to say, the Holy Prophet surpassed everyone in his knowledge and understanding of the divine and God Almighty perfumed him with the fragrance of divine understanding more than anyone else. Thus, God has appointed knowledge and understanding as the principal means of obtaining a true concept of Islam.
Though there are other means for obtaining such knowledge, like fasting, Prayer, supplication and carrying out all the Divine commandments, the number of which exceeds six hundred, yet the knowledge of the Greatness of God and of His Unity and of His attributes of Glory and Beauty is basic for everything. He who has a heedless heart and has no understanding of the Divine, cannot obtain the strength to observe the fast, perform Prayer, make supplication, or occupy himself with doing good. All righteous action is incited by understanding of the

119 ‘So am I commanded, and I am the first of those who submit.’— al-An‘am, 6:164 [Publisher]

Divine and all the other means proceed from it and are its issue.
The beginning of this understanding is the reflection of God’s Rahmaniyyat and is not the result of any action or any prayer, but is a gift of pure grace. He guides whom He wills and He lets go astray whom He wills.
This understanding is then fostered by righteous action and good faith, till it assumes the form of revelation and descending in the word of God, illumines the whole expanse of the bosom with the light which is called Islam.

Excellence of Obeying the Holy Prophetsa At the stage of perfect understanding, Islam does not remain a mere phrase, but all its reality that we have described is achieved and the human soul prostrates itself humbly before Divine Unity. Thereupon, from both sides it is announced: Whatever is mine is thine. That is to say, the human soul cries out and confesses: Lord whatever is mine is Thine; and God also speaks and conveys the good news: O My servant, the heaven and earth etc. that are with Me are with thee also. This stage is indicated in the verse:

۞قُلۡ يَٰعِبَادِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسۡرَفُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُواْ مِن رَّحۡمَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغۡفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ

“Say, “O My servants who have committed excesses against their own souls! despair not of the mercy of Allah, surely Allah forgives all sins. Verily He is Most Forgiving, Merciful.” (Surah al-Zumar, 39:54)

(Part Number: 24) Say: O my servants who have committed excesses against your own selves despair not of the mercy of Allah, surely Allah will forgive all sins.
In this verse instead of: O servants of Allah; the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] was

[Essence of Islam, Vol. 1]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 1, p. 202]

Book Series: Essence of Islam (Volume 1)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (AS)
Section: Part 3: The Holy Prophet (sa)
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: Exalted Status of the Holy Prophet (sa) | Next: Excellence of Obeying the Holy Prophet (sa) »