Other Similarities Between the Islamic and Mosaic Dispensations — 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 Other Similarities Between the Islamic and Mosaic Dispensations, presenting profound spiritual insights and scriptural verities.

Book Series: Essence of Islam (Volume 4)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (AS)
Section: Part 5: Propagation, Establishment of a Holy Jama’at, and Instructions
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: Promised Messiah From Among the Muslims | Next: Time of the Promised Messiah »

It is worth remembering that in the verse: 100 the same kama has been used which is employed in the verse: 101
[Tohfah-e-Golarhviyyah, Ruhani Khaza’in vol. 17, pp. 120-127]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 184]

102 And concerning the Muslims it says:

ثُمَّ جَعَلۡنَٰكُمۡ خَلَـٰٓئِفَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ لِنَنظُرَ كَيۡفَ تَعۡمَلُونَ

“Then, We made you their successors in the earth after them, that We might see how you would act.” (Surah That We might see how you would act.—Yunus, 10:15)

The meaning of both verses is that God will bestow succession and kingdom upon you and will then see whether you remain established on righteousness or not. The same words have been employed both for the Jews and the Muslims. Both are therefore covered by the same verse. Can there be clearer evidence than these two verses in which God has described some 100 As He made Successors from among those who were before them.—Al-Nur, 24:56 [Publisher] 101 As We sent a Messenger to Pharaoh.—Al-Muzzammil, 73:16 [Publisher]

Propagation, Establishment of a Holy Jama‘at, and Instructions Muslims as Jews and has indicated that the vices committed by Jewish divines will also be committed by Muslim divines! The same is indicated in the verse:

صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ غَيۡرِ ٱلۡمَغۡضُوبِ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ

“The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings, those who have not incurred Thy displeasure, and those who have not gone astray.” (Surah Those who have not incurred Thy displeasure.—Al-Fatihah, 1:7)

All commentators are agreed that the words ‘those who incurred Thy wrath’, refer to the Jews who incurred divine wrath by denying Prophet Jesusas. The true Ahadith confirm this and the Holy Qur’an bears witness that the Jews were cursed by Jesusas and thus earned God’s wrath in this very world. Thus it is established firmly that ‘those who incurred Thy wrath’ means the Jews who had designed to crucify Jesusas. The fact that God Almighty has taught the prayer, ‘Lord, do Thou safeguard us against becoming such Jews who had designed to crucify Jesusas’ is a clear indication that there would appear an ‘Isa among the Muslims also. Otherwise there was no need for this prayer. Besides, when it is established that at some time Muslim divines will completely resemble Jewish divines and will thus become Jews, it would be unreasonable to assert that the Israeli Jesusas would descend from heaven for the reform of such Jews. In the first place, the coming of a Prophet from outside the Muslims would break the Seal of Prophethood, and the Holy Qur’an clearly announces that the Holy Prophetsa was the Seal of the Prophets. Secondly, Muslim 104 Those who have not incurred Thy displeasure.—Al-Fatihah, 1:7 [Publisher] people have been called the ‘best of people’ in the Holy Qur’an, and it would be the height of disgrace for them that part of them should become Jews and that ‘Isa should come from outside Islam. If it is true that the majority of the Muslim divines will at some time become Jews, that is to say, will take on the characteristics of Jews, then this also is true that for the reform of such Jews, ‘Isa will not come from outside, but just as some individuals have been named Jews, in contrast to them, one individual will be called ‘Isa. It cannot be denied that both the Qur’an and Hadith have named some people from among the Muslims as Jews, as is indicated by the verse:

صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ غَيۡرِ ٱلۡمَغۡضُوبِ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ

“The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings, those who have not incurred Thy displeasure, and those who have not gone astray.” (Surah Those who have not incurred Thy displeasure.—Al-Fatihah, 1:7)

If it were not destined that some Muslims would take on the characteristics of the Jews, we would not have been taught this prayer. Ever since God has sent down revealed books, it is the Divine practice that if He forbids a people doing certain things as, for instance: do not commit adultery; do not commit theft; or do not become Jews; such commands have latent in them the prophecy that some of them would be guilty of those sins. No one can produce a single instance where God forbade a people from committing an offence and all of them refrained from committing it. Some of them necessarily become guilty of commit- 105 Those who have not incurred Thy displeasure.—Al-Fatihah, 1:7 [Publisher] Propagation, Establishment of a Holy Jama‘at, and Instructions ting it. For instance, God Almighty commanded the Jews not to corrupt the Torah; the consequence was that some Jews became guilty of that offence. On the contrary, nowhere in the Holy Qur’an has God commanded the Muslims not to corrupt the Holy Qur’an, rather it says:

إِنَّا نَحۡنُ نَزَّلۡنَا ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُۥ لَحَٰفِظُونَ

“Verily, We Ourself have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely We will be its Guardian.” (Surah Al–Hijr 15:10, 15:10)

i.e., We have revealed the Holy Qur’an and We shall safeguard it.
For this reason the Holy Qur’an has been safeguarded against corruption. In short, this is the definite and established way of God that when He forbids a people from committing a vice or commands them to conform to good conduct, it means that it is within His knowledge that some of them will contravene that command. Thus, the fact that God Almighty taught the Muslims the prayer in the Surah Al-Fatihah that they should not become the Jews who had designed to crucify Jesusas, and on account of which they incurred the wrath of God in this very life, this clearly indicates that it was decreed in God’s knowledge that some of the Muslim divines will, on account of their vices and their rejection of the Messiah of the age, take on the character of the Jews. There was otherwise no need for teaching such a prayer. It is obvious that Muslim divines cannot become Jews in the sense that they should become members of the tribes of Israel and contrive to crucify Jesus son of Maryas, who

passed away from this world long long ago, for neither those Jews nor Jesusas is present on earth in this age. Instead it is a future event that is indicated in this verse, i.e., in the latter days a person would be raised among the Muslims in the spirit of ‘Isa the Messiah and the Muslim divines of his age will persecute him and revile him as the Jewish divines persecuted and reviled Jesusas. The true Ahadith show that becoming Jews in this context means that Muslim divines will develop vices and bad habits of the Jews and that, though they will be called Muslims, their hearts will be perverted and become like the hearts of the Jews who had earned Divine wrath by persecuting Jesusas. Since the resemblance to the Jews will be taken by those who call themselves Muslims, is it not an insult for the Muslims that some of them should become Jews but the Messiah to reform them should come from outside?… He who will study the Holy Qur’an in the spirit of faith, righteousness, and justice and reflect upon it, it will become to him clear as day that the Almighty and Powerful God has put the Islamic dispensation in a position parallel to the Mosaic dispensation. He has bestowed upon them good and bad in comparison with the good and bad he bestowed on the Jews. Among the Muslims there are some who resemble the Prophets of Israel and there are others who resemble the Jews who earned Divine wrath. This might be illustrated by a splendid mansion which comprises well-furnished chambers where cultured and civilized Propagation, Establishment of a Holy Jama‘at, and Instructions people sit and lounge, but the same mansion also contains toilets and lavatories. Now, if the owner of the mansion desires to construct another mansion exactly like the first one, it too would contain all the provisions that existed in the first mansion. This second mansion is the Mansion of Islam, and the first one was the Mansion of the Mosaic dispensation. The second is not in any way dependent upon the first. The Holy Qur’an does not need the Torah, and the Muslims do not need any Israeli Prophet. Every perfect one who appears among the Muslims is nurtured in the spiritual grace of the Holy Prophetsa and his revelation is a reflection of the revelation of the Holy Prophetsa. This is the very point that needs to be understood. It is a pity that our opponents, who want to bring Jesusas himself back to earth, do not realize that the Divine intent is to grant Islam the pride of resemblance, and not to humiliate it by sending an Israeli Prophet to reform it.
[Tadhkirat-ush-Shahadatain, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 20, pp. 13-17]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 184]

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Introduction