Prophecy About Atham and Its Fulfilment — Essence of Islam Vol. 3
Introduction
In this discourse from Essence of Islam (Volume 3), Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS), the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, expounds upon Prophecy About Atham and Its Fulfilment, presenting profound spiritual insights and scriptural verities.
Book Series: Essence of Islam (Volume 3)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (AS)
Section: Part 13: Repeated Challenges
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Repeated Challenges 419 publicly acknowledges that he and his people are unable to manifest any sign, as heavenly signs are a characteristic of Islam alone and Christianity is bereft of such blessings.
[Hujjat-ul-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 6, pp. 49-50]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 419]
The prophecy which was made at Amritsar on 5th June 1893, at the conclusion of the debate with the Christians, was supposed to be fulfilled by 5th September, 1894, at the latest. And it has, according to the design and command of God Almighty, been fulfilled so clearly before the expiry of that date, that a just-minded and sane person cannot help but acknowledge it…. If the Christians rely upon their cunning devices to dispute this, or anyone else has any doubts about it, I am prepared to enter into a Mubahalah to determine whether the Muslims have been victorious, as is the case, or if the victory goes to the Christians, as they unjustly imagine. If they do not desist from falsehood and trickery, the Mubahalah will take place in the following manner. On a day to be agreed upon, both parties will present themselves at the appointed place, and Mr. ‘Abdullah Atham shall make the following affirmation three times: During the period of the prophecy I have not for a single moment stood in awe of Islam, and have throughout considered Islam and the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to be in the wrong and still so consider. The idea of their being true has never crossed my mind. I have always believed and still believe that Jesus is the son of God and is God Himself, as is the belief of Protestant Christians. If my affirmation is not true and I have concealed the truth, then, O Mighty Lord, may You afflict me with death within one year.” We shall say Amin to this supplication. If the supplication is not fulfilled within one year, and Mr. ‘Abdullah Atham is not afflicted within that period in the manner in which the false ones are afflicted, I shall pay him one thousand rupees as penalty.
[Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 2, pp. 23-30]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 419]
I do not wish to trouble Mr. ‘Abdullah Atham to come to my place of residence in Amritsar. On his invitation, I shall go to his residence with one thousand rupees…. He will have to take no trouble whatever. I will also not require him to make his affirmation standing up or sitting down. He may keep lying on his bed and simply make his required announcement three times.
[Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 2, p. 52]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 420]
If some bigoted and senseless people should still entertain doubts, I hereby make this second announcement, offering an award of two thousand rupees. If Mr. Atham affirms on oath three times, in a public meeting, that his heart has not in the least been affected by the greatness of Islam during the period of the prophecy, and he has throughout remained an enemy of Islam, having a firm faith in the sonship and divinity of Jesus and in the doctrine of atonement, I shall immediately pay him two thousand rupees, according to the conditions laid down in my announcement of 9th September, 1894…. If Mr. Atham should still refuse to take the proposed oath, everyone should then note that he has concealed the truth out of his fear of the Christians and that Islam is supreme and victorious…. Our opponents should keep in mind that Mr. Atham will never make the affirmation on oath. Why would he not Repeated Challenges 421 do it? Because he is a liar. To those who say that he might be afraid that dying within a year is a possibility, we reply: Who will cause him to die? His god Jesus or someone else? This is a contest between two gods; the True God Who is our God, and the false god set up by the Christians. If Mr. Atham believes in the divinity and power of Jesus, and has personal experience of it, he should pray to Jesus to keep him alive during this period. Man is mortal; Mr. Atham is now sixty-four and I am about sixty. We are equally subject to the law of nature. If I were called upon to make an affirmation on oath in order to test the truth, I would affirm not just that I will survive for one year but even ten years; this is because of my certainty that God Almighty will help me in a contest about religion….This is a contest between two gods. Only He, who is the True God, will now be victorious. I affirm that the Might of our God will surely be manifested in this manner, and I shall not die within the appointed period of one year; but if Mr. Atham makes a false affirmation on oath, he will certainly die within that period. The question is: what will befall Mr. Atham’s god, if that god is not able to save him. Will he resign from his function as the redeemer? There is no way of escape for Mr. Atham. He should either stop calling Jesus, ‘God Almighty’ or should make the required affirmation on oath. What is more, if he acknowledges publicly that his Messiah, the son of God, does not have the power to keep him alive for a year but does have the power to keep him alive for four months or even three days, I shall, after his confession to this effect, agree to a period of four months or even three days.
[Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 2, pp. 57-63]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 420]
From the servant of the One God, Ahmad, may Allah grant him forgiveness and success, to Mr. ‘Abdullah Atham. I have read your letter, which is on page 10 of the 21 September 1894 issue of Nur Afshan. I regret to say that you have done your best to conceal the truth in this letter. Through revelation, I have obtained from God Almighty certain and definite knowledge, which is as clear as the rising sun, that you were deeply affected by the greatness and truth of Islam during the period appointed in the prophecy, and that is why you were terrified of its fulfilment. I affirm on oath, in the name of Allah the Glorious, that what I am saying is true; this is what I have been told by God Almighty, Who is aware of the perceptions of a human heart and has the knowledge of a man’s most secret thoughts. If this statement of mine is not true, may God cause me to die in your life. This is why I wanted you to make an affirmation on oath, in a public meeting, in the words and manner that I have suggested, so that the matter may be decided between us, and the world may not remain in the dark anymore. If you so desire, I can make an affirmation on oath for a period extending, in my case, to one, two, or even three years, because I know that a truthful person is not destroyed, but only the person whom falsehood has already ruined will be destroyed. If I am called upon to make an affirmation on oath concerning the truth of my revelation, or the truth of Islam, I will not require a penny from you, but if you make the required affirmation on oath, you will be handed bags containing three thousand rupees in advance.
[Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 2, pp. 86-87]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 421]
It is incumbent upon Mr. Atham…to satisfy us by the simple and easy means of a statement on oath that he did not stand in awe of my prophecy, rather he was only Repeated Challenges 423 afraid because he considered me to be a blood thirsty person and imagined that he would become a victim of my sword. He is required to do no more than to make the statement mentioned in my announcements of 9th and 20th September 1894, at which point he will be paid four thousand rupees. It is idle for him to pretend that Christians are forbidden to take an oath. Were Peter and Paul and many righteous Christians of earlier ages unaware of this prohibition, or were they not Christians?…
[Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 2, pp. 103-106]
If Mr. Atham makes the required statement on oath, he will inevitably die within one year, and there are no conditions whatsoever. Even if he fails to make the required statement on oath, God Almighty will not leave unpunished an offender who is trying to deceive the world by concealing the truth.
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 422]
About redemption, Allah Almighty has said in the Holy Qur’an:
وَقَالُواْ لَن يَدۡخُلَ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ إِلَّا مَن كَانَ هُودًا أَوۡ نَصَٰرَىٰ ۗ تِلۡكَ أَمَانِيُّهُمۡ ۗ قُلۡ هَاتُواْ بُرۡهَٰنَكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ بَلَىٰ ۚ مَنۡ أَسۡلَمَ وَجۡهَهُۥ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحۡسِنٞ فَلَهُۥٓ أَجۡرُهُۥ عِندَ رَبِّهِۦ وَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ
“And they say, ‘None shall ever enter Heaven unless he be a Jew or a Christian.’ These are their vain desires. Say, ‘Produce your proof, if you are truthful.’ Nay, whoever submits himself completely to Allah, and is the doer of good, shall have his reward with his Lord. No fear shall come upon such, neither shall they grieve.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:112-113)
‘ And they said: No one but Jews and Christians will enter heaven, i.e., achieve salvation. These are only their vain desires. Tell them: Set forth your proof if you are truthful; i.e., show us what kind of salvation you have achieved. Indeed, the truly redeemed is he who hands himself over to Allah, that is, who has devoted his life in the way of Almighty God and spent it in His way and, after devotion, continuously performs good deeds and all
kinds of good actions. Such a person will receive his reward from his Lord. These people will have no fear nor shall they grieve, i.e., they will be fully redeemed.’ In these verses, Allah the Glorious has said that the claim of the Jews and Christians that they are redeemed is only a vain desire, and they do not possess the true spirit of life. Real salvation is something which can be experienced in this very life. Such a person is able to devote himself wholly to God Almighty, so that his life and his death and all his actions are entirely for the sake of God. He is wholly lost to his own ego, and God’s will becomes his will. This is not just the desire of his heart; rather, all his faculties, reasoning, and thinking are dedicated to God. It is only then that he truly deserves to be called a Muhsin, i.e., one who carries service and obedience as far as is possible for him. Such a person is truly redeemed, as is said at another place:
قُلۡ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحۡيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُۥ ۖ وَبِذَٰلِكَ أُمِرۡتُ وَأَنَا۠ أَوَّلُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ
“Say, ‘My Prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. ‘He has no partner. And so am I commanded, and I am the first of those who submit.’” (Surah Al-An‘am, 6:163-164)
(Part 8, Surah An‘am, Ruku‘ 20) ‘Proclaim: My prayer and my sacrifices, my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds, Who has no associate. I have been commanded to work to attain that status and I am the foremost of those who submit wholly to Allah.’ Allah the Glorious mentions further signs of such redemption in His Noble Book. Although what has already been mentioned clearly distinguishes those who are truly redeemed, God has, nevertheless, set out the signs of the
Repeated Challenges 425 redeemed. This is because the worldly minded are unable to perceive this inner redemption and closeness to God and the distinction between the redeemed and the unredeemed remains in doubt. The followers of every religion claim to be redeemed. God Almighty has, therefore, appointed signs for the true believers who attain salvation in this very life, whereby they can be distinguished, and no doubt remains. Some of these signs are:
أَلَآ إِنَّ أَوۡلِيَآءَ ٱللَّهِ لَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَكَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ لَهُمُ ٱلۡبُشۡرَىٰ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ ۚ لَا تَبۡدِيلَ لِكَلِمَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ
“Behold! the friends of Allah shall certainly have no fear, nor shall they grieve — Those who believed and kept to righteousness — For them are glad tidings in the present life and also in the Hereafter — there is no changing the words of Allah; that indeed is the supreme triumph.” (Surah Yunus, 10:63-65)
(Part 11, Ruku‘ 12, Surah Yunus) This means that: ‘Hearken, the friends of Allah shall certainly have no fear, nor shall they grieve. They are the ones who truly believe, i.e., they became subservient to Allah and His Messenger and then became pious. For them are glad tidings from God Almighty in this world and in the hereafter, i.e., God will continue to give them glad tidings through dreams, visions, and Divine discourse. There is no changing the words of God. This is the great triumph which is destined for them, i.e., through such success they will be distinguished from the disbelievers, who are not truly redeemed and who will not be able to stand against them.’ At another place it is said:
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُواْ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَقَٰمُواْ تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُواْ وَلَا تَحۡزَنُواْ وَأَبۡشِرُواْ بِٱلۡجَنَّةِ ٱلَّتِي كُنتُمۡ تُوعَدُونَ نَحۡنُ أَوۡلِيَآؤُكُمۡ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ ۖ وَلَكُمۡ فِيهَا مَا تَشۡتَهِيٓ أَنفُسُكُمۡ وَلَكُمۡ فِيهَا مَا تَدَّعُونَ نُزُلٗا مِّنۡ غَفُورٖ رَّحِيمٖ
“As for those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah,’ and then remain steadfast, the angels descend on them, saying: ‘Fear ye not, nor grieve; and rejoice in the Garden that you were promised. ‘We are your friends in this life and in the Hereafter. Therein you will have all that your souls will desire, and therein you will have all that you will ask for — ‘An entertainment from the Most Forgiving, the Merciful.’” (Surah Ha Mim Al-Sajdah, 41:31-33)
(Part 24, Ruku‘ 18) That is: ‘The sign of those who say ‘Our Lord is Allah’ and then remain steadfast, is that angels descend upon them, and reassure them: ‘Fear not nor grieve, and rejoice in the Garden that you were promised. We are your friends and caretakers in this life and in the hereafter. Therein you will have all that you desire, and therein you will have all that you ask for. This is an entertainment from the Most Forgiving, the Ever-Merciful.’ Please note that the signs of the redeemed which are set out in these verses include converse with God, acceptance by Him, His guardianship and providence, the enjoyment of heavenly life in this world and God’s help and His support. The following verse which I recited yesterday, gives the indication that a truly redeemed one always brings forth good fruit and is bestowed heavenly blessings.
تُؤۡتِيٓ أُكُلَهَا كُلَّ حِينِۭ بِإِذۡنِ رَبِّهَا ۗ وَيَضۡرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡأَمۡثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ
“It brings forth its fruit at all times by the command of its Lord. And Allah sets forth similitudes for men that they may reflect.” (Surah It brings forth its fruit at all times, 14:26)
At another place it is said:
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعۡوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلۡيَسۡتَجِيبُواْ لِي وَلۡيُؤۡمِنُواْ بِي لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡشُدُونَ
“And when My servants ask thee about Me, say: ‘I am near. I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me. So they should hearken to Me and believe in Me, that they may follow the right way.’” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:187)
(Part 2, Ruku‘ 7) ‘O Prophet, when My servants inquire from thee concerning Me, tell them I am near.’ This means that when the Muslims enquire what are the bounties in respect of
Repeated Challenges 427 which we are distinguished from others, they should be told that the distinction is that they are close to God and the others are far from Him. ‘I respond to the call of the supplicant when he calls on Me. So they should respond to Me and have firm faith in Me, that they may be rightly guided.’ That is, God responds to those of them who pray to Him and talks to them and accepts their supplications. ‘They should, therefore, carry out His commands and have firm faith in Him so that they may attain righteousness.’
The signs of the redeemed are set at various other places, but it would take too long to rehearse them all. One of them is:يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِن تَتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ يَجۡعَل لَّكُمۡ فُرۡقَانٗا وَيُكَفِّرۡ عَنكُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمۡ وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلۡفَضۡلِ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ
“O ye who believe! if you fear Allah, He will grant you a distinction and will remove your evils from you and will forgive you; and Allah is Lord of great bounty.” (Surah Al-Anfal, 8:30)
(Part 9, Ruku‘ 18, Surah Anfal) ‘O Ye who believe, if you fear God, He will bestow a mark of distinction between you and the others.’ Now I respectfully ask Mr. ‘Abdullah Atham: If the Christian faith prescribes any path to salvation which you consider to be right and true, and by following which you believe salvation can be achieved, then the signs of such salvation and the signs of those who are delivered from the darkness of this world through such salvation, must surely be recorded in the Gospels. Please tell me briefly whether those signs can be found in your own person, or in those whom you consider holy among you, or your leaders, or those among you whom you consider to be of a higher order? If these signs are found in them, kindly furnish proof thereof; and if such signs are not found in
them, then please consider the following: If there is no discoverable sign of the truth and correctness of something, is it possible to have confidence and certainty about it? For instance, if a medicine fails to produce the effects which it is supposed to produce, can it be considered genuine and effective? When we look at the path to salvation which you gentlemen have presented and compare it with that of the Holy Qur’an, your path clearly seems to be artificial and unnatural; and it has also been established that no true way of salvation has been taught in your religion. The path which Allah the Glorious has set out in the Holy Qur’an is that when a person dedicates himself and his whole life to the cause of God Almighty, he makes a true sacrifice of his self and becomes worthy of being bestowed new life in return for the death which he has accepted.
[Jang-e-Muqaddas, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 6, pp. 143-149]
If you consider that this way of salvation which is set out in the Holy Qur’an is not true, then you should produce, in the words of Jesus, a well reasoned way of salvation as an alternative; and you should also set out its signs in the blessed words of Jesus so that those present in this meeting may be able to decide upon the issue immediately.… No verity can be proved without its signs. One of the criteria of distinguishing verities is to test them by their signs. We on our side have set out the signs of the way of salvation taught by Islam, supported by my claim that those signs are found in me. Now you are under obligation to do the same on your side. If you fail to prove the truth and perfection of the way of salvation attributed to Jesus, your claim cannot be accepted. On the other hand, whatever the Holy Qur’an has set out, is true and correct; it is not a mere claim, but is supported by proof, which I have set forth. You should not stop at making a mere Repeated Challenges 429 claim of salvation without any proof. One of you gentlemen should stand up and announce that he has attained salvation according to the teaching of Jesus, and that the signs of salvation and perfect righteousness appointed by Jesus are to be found in him. We would be ready to examine such a claim, for our only purpose is to seek the truth. No one is prepared to accept mere words. I have already submitted to you that I have experience of the salvation that the Holy Qur’an promises, and I am prepared to affirm once more on oath, in the name of Allah Almighty, that I am ready to prove my claim. What I require is to know whether true salvation can be achieved together with its signs in your religion or not. If it can be achieved, then demonstrate it and compare it with the proof that I am ready to offer. If such salvation, together with its signs, is not to be found in your religion, you have only to say so and I will furnish proof of my claim unilaterally.
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 423]
Mr. Atham will never make the required affirmation on oath. Even if the Christian clerics should continue to urge him to the extreme limit, he will never make the affirmation against me because he knows in his heart that my prophecy concerning him has been fulfilled. It is enough proof of my truth that Mr. Atham will never make the required affirmation on oath in opposition to me, however much the Christians might urge him to do so. If he does make the affirmation, the second aspect of the prophecy will doubtlessly be fulfilled. The word of God can never be averted.
[Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 2, p. 204]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 429]
Book Series: Essence of Islam (Volume 3)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (AS)
Section: Part 13: Repeated Challenges
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: Invitation to Christians for Mubahalah | Next: An Easy Mubahalah for the Christians »