Editor’s Note:
The following article was originally published shortly after the demise of Hazrat Musleh-e-Mau’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) in Akhbar-e-Ahmadiyya, London. It was later republished in the May–July 2009 special Musleh-e-Mau’ud edition of the Monthly Ansarullah.
Presented here is an abridged English translation of that original Urdu article. It sheds light on Hazrat Musleh-e-Mau’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) as the like and counterpart of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), highlighting his compassion, his deep love for the Jama’at, and the profound longing his devotees felt for him. The article also offers a rare and touching glimpse into the personal feelings of its distinguished author at the time of Hazrat Musleh-e-Mau’ud’s demise.
اے فخرِ رُسُل قربِ تو معلومم شد
دىر آمدۂ زِ راہِ دور آمدۂٖ
O Pride of Messengers, I have realized the degree of your nearness to God.
Your coming has been delayed, and you have come from a long distance
He who was “the Manifestation of the First and the Last, the Manifestation of Truth and Glory” did indeed come late, but departed so swiftly that the heart’s longings remained locked within the heart.
حىف در چشم زدن صحبت ىار آخر شد
روئے گل سىر ندىدم و بہار آخر شد
Alas! In the blink of an eye, the company of the beloved came to an end;
I could not yet behold the full splendour of his rose-like face, but spring came to an end.
What is my worth, and what power does my pen possess that I should dare attempt to enumerate the qualities of that springtime of beauty and benevolence?
He was a radiant star of the spiritual heavens, while I am but a dark blemish upon the face of the earth. He was a luminous pillar of purity, righteousness, and holiness; I am entangled in desires, error, and sin. He was an ocean of both outward and inward knowledge; I am a captive in the darkness of ignorance and obliviousness. What relationship can dust have with the realm of the pure?
Yet it was only through the boundless grace of Allah the Almighty and His infinite kindness that, from my very childhood, a spark of love for that embodiment of light remained kindled in my heart.
Perhaps his insightful and perceptive gaze had sensed it; or perhaps, because of the sincerity and loyalty of my father, he extended the same favourable estimation to me; or perhaps it was through the spiritual insight of my mother that, from the vast ocean of affection and mercy that resided in his heart, even I received a single drop in my share.
As a result, such a door of divine grace was opened to me that only grew wider over time. Despite my countless sins, shortcomings, and failures, it never narrowed at any point. May Allah reward him abundantly in this world and the hereafter.
Now he is among those of whom it may be said, “He was from the heavens and returned to the heavens.” In the words “as though Allah had descended from the heavens” lay the secret that whoever comes from the heavens must indeed return to the heavens. Thus, he swiftly returned to his true origin and veiled his face from the earth.
Now it is I who remain—encircled by overwhelming regret;
I, who had once been the recipient of limitless grace.
He was the Counterpart of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) just as he said:
“In being the counterpart of the Promised Messiah and being his Khalifah, in one sense, I too am the Promised Messiah, because whoever becomes the counterpart of another and adopts his moral qualities fully becomes deserving, in one sense, of bearing his name.”
His era was, in reality, included within the very era of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) as he himself stated:
“Thus, in reality, the era of the Promised Messiah is extended until my era. So long as I exist, that period is in fact the era of the Promised Messiah.”
This is also confirmed by a vision of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). He saw that he was standing beside the grave of an elder, and the elder came to life and sat up in the grave. The Promised Messiah said to that elder: “I shall keep praying, and you keep saying Ameen.” When he prayed that his age be 95 years, the elder refused to say Ameen. He insisted, but the elder did not agree. He persisted with intensity, and eventually the elder said, “Ameen,” adding, “When we say Ameen, our responsibility greatly increases.”
It is a remarkable manifestation of divine wisdom that the series of divine converse and revelation with the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) began in 1290 Hijri.
Thus, the beginning of his era may be reckoned from 1290 Hijri. The passing of the Counterpart of the Promised Messiah (may the highest Paradise be his abode) took place in 1385 Hijri. In this manner, this era spans exactly 95 years.
In being the Counterpart of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), he was his like in beauty and benevolence. And the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) stated in Khutbah Ilhamiyyah (The Revealed Sermon):
“He who creates a distinction between me and my master, Muhammad Mustafa (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has not recognized my true rank.” [Khutbah Ilhamiyyah, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 16, p. 259]
This statement accords with the saying of the Seal of the Messengers (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):
“He will be buried with me in my grave.”
[Mishkat al-Masabih, 5508]
That is to say, there exists perfect unity between the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
In summary, the Counterpart of the Promised Messiah was coloured in the very hue of his master, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), as expressed in the following verses:
محمدؐ مىرے تن مىں مثلِ جاں ہے
ىہ ہے مشہور جاں ہے تو جہاں ہے
Muhammad is within my being like the soul;
This is well known—where the soul is, there is the world.
And then:
محمدؐ پر ہمارى جاں فدا ہے
كہ وہ كوئے صنم كا رہنما ہے
My life is sacrificed upon Muhammad,
For he is the guide to the path of true love.
مرا دل اس نے روشن كر دىا ہے
اندھىرے گھر كا مىرے وہ دىا ہے
He illuminated my heart,
He is the lamp of my darkened home.
مرا ہر ذرہ ہو قربانِ احمدؐ
مرے دل كا ىہى اك مدعا ہے
Every particle of mine be sacrificed for Ahmad;
This alone is the desire of my heart.
اسى كے عشق مىں نكلے مرى جاں
كہ ىادِ ىار مىں بھى اك مزا ہے
In his love my very soul shall depart,
For even remembrance of the Beloved holds its own special joy
مجھے اس بات پر ہے فخرِ محمودؔ
مرا معشوق محبوبِ خدا ہے
Mahmood, it is my pride to proclaim this,
That my beloved is the beloved of God.
His moral character was the reflection and shadow of the moral excellence of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). This was so because the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was the best exemplar for all mankind, and also because, as the Counterpart of the Promised Messiah, he possessed a complete resemblance with the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
Certain aspects of the moral character of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) are described in the Holy Qur’an as follows:
عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
That is, ‘It is grievously heavy on this Messenger of Ours that you should fall into any trouble. He is ardently desirous of your welfare and your betterment and constantly strives for it, and his treatment of the believers is full of compassion and mercy.’ (9:128)
We witnessed an abundant manifestation of this moral quality in the Counterpart of the Promised Messiah and became firsthand recipients of it.
Huzoor (may Allah be pleased with him) was more compassionate than even one’s own parents. This fountain of compassion flowed constantly and for everyone. Those who saw his restlessness and anguish during the Partition of the country, and later during the disturbances of 1953, and who observed his sympathy and heartfelt concern, can gauge the depth and intensity of this fountain.
No aspect relating to the betterment of individuals, or the strengthening and progress of the Jama‘at, ever escaped his attention. All these matters remained, day and night, the constant focus of his concern.
There was no shore to the ocean of his compassion and mercy. On one hand, there was its continuous practical manifestation; and on the other, there was endless supplication and entreaty before God Almighty. If a major part of the day was spent in formulating plans and strategies for service, development, and welfare, then a large part of the night was devoted to prayer.
When Huzoorra passed away, I was across several seas, and there was no possibility of a final viewing. On the other hand, the sincere Jama‘ats of that region were in utmost need of consolation and comfort. My heart was agitated, but the mind kept saying:
You were indeed a cherished disciple. When separation from your father occurred, you found comfort and reassurance in the conviction that you were not an orphan—your most compassionate father was still present.
And immediately, the manifestation of that compassion took this form: a telegram arrived from Dalhousie from Huzoor, saying: “Wait for me; I shall myself lead the funeral prayer of my Nazir-e-Ala.”
It was early September. Due to monsoons, mountainous routes were becoming blocked. Travel by car in the surroundings of Qadian was difficult. Yet, passing through mud and waters in the darkness of the early morning, that embodiment of compassion arrived to offer the prayer for forgiveness for his servant.
Then, further showing his kindness, with his blessed pen, he wrote the inscription for the epitaph, recording that the memory of the deceased’s sincerity and love still warms the heart.
When separation from your mother occurred, you again found comfort in the belief that your master is even more compassionate than a mother. In the condolence letter, Huzoorra wrote that a few days earlier, he had seen in a vision that Zafrulla Khan, Abdullah Khan, and Asadullah Khan were lying before him in their childhood, like children of the household, and that he felt they were his sons. He was speaking to them as parents speak to their children at home. He said that this vision signified the passing of their mother—that when Allah the Almighty removes one form of fatherhood or motherhood, He provides another in its place.
Then he also wrote—with his own blessed hand—the inscription for that sincere maidservant, stating that she experienced visions and divine revelations, and that she had performed the Bai’at of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) based on a vision, even before her husband. And later, during the Second Khilafat, again on the basis of a vision, she performed Bai’at before her husband. He further wrote that she was endowed with the quality of caring for the poor and was fearless in conveying the word of truth.
Now today, you have indeed become an orphan—deprived of a father’s compassion, a mother’s tenderness, and the prayers of both parents. However much your heart trembles is understandable. But turn towards your Lord and make Him your comfort and your consoler. You are not the only one who has become an orphan today—an entire world has become orphaned. Suppress your own grief and console the orphans around you, for in their eyes you are an elder brother from whom they expect comfort and reassurance.
For three days, I remained in the Fiji Islands, struggling to restrain my heart. Then I spent two weeks in such countries where there was no one with whom I could share my innermost feelings. During that time, my heart and mind arrived at a mutual understanding of sorts.
Yet even then, an apprehension still clung to me that upon returning to the homeland, it would not be easy to control my emotions. In truth, it was because of this very apprehension that I did not shorten my journey abroad.
Four days were spent in Karachi. For the first two days, I deliberately avoided even inquiring into the details. I confined myself to whatever could be learned from the issues of Al-Fazl. I then reached Lahore and remained in the same condition there as well. Gradually, some courage began to develop, and I felt I could now present myself in Rabwah.
I arrived at the blessed tomb and offered a prayer. At this stage, I commended my heart for its restraint.
My address at the Jalsa was scheduled for the very first day—this too was a moment of trial. In addition to this, I was instructed to launch a scheme regarding a memorial for Huzoor. This stage, too, passed with considerable self-control. Now a sense of confidence developed within me that during the remaining days of the Jalsa as well, the mind would be able to control my heart.
On the final day, I was designated the president of the morning session.
After the recitation of the Holy Qur’an, a student, with complete simplicity, recited Huzoor’s poem. It was a portrait of that compassion which Huzoor had for his servants, and of that pain which Huzoor carried in his heart for them, and which he had expressed in prayerful words:
مل جائے تم كو دىن كى دولت خدا كرے
چمكے فلك پہ تارۂ قسمت خدا كرے
May you be granted the wealth of faith—may God make it so;
May the star of your fortune shine in the heavens—may God make it so. …
ہر گام پر فرشتوں كا لشكر ہو ساتھ ساتھ
ہر ملك مىں تمہارى حفاظت خدا كرے
At every step, may an army of angels be with you;
In every land, may God be your Protector. …
قائم ہو پھر سے حكمِ محمدؐ جہان پر
ضائع نہ ہو تمہارى ىہ محنت خدا كرے
May the command of Muhammad be established in the world once again;
May your labours not be wasted—may God make it so. …
Up to this point, seated on the presidential chair, with tearful eyes and a subdued voice, I kept repeating ‘Ameen’. But when he recited this couplet:
تم ہو خدا كے ساتھ خدا ہو تمہارے ساتھ
ہوں تم سے اىسے وقت مىں رُخصت خدا كرے
May you be with God, and God be with you —
May I depart from you at such a time.
Then my heart surged, and finding my mind momentarily off guard, it began to race wildly. And upon hearing the final couplet:
اك وقت آئے گا كہ كہىں گے تمام لوگ
ملت كے اس فدائى پہ رحمت خدا كرے
A time will come when all people shall say:
May God’s mercy descend upon this devoted servant of the community.
I lost all control. In agitation, I placed my head upon the table and bade farewell to restraint. After all, it is but a heart, not a stone or a brick! …
The establishment of the Third Khilafat is also a luminous Sign of Allah the Almighty. Many temperaments were deeply anxious as to what would occur. Allah the Almighty, by His perfect grace and mercy, and by His special power, inclined all hearts in one direction and filled every heart with peace and tranquillity. He washed away all doubts and misgivings from the hearts, and waves of sincerity and love began to flow in every direction.
Once again, the Supreme Judge displayed a manifest splendour of His power—that I am present and I am Powerful; I do whatever I will. All necks bowed in obedience, and the Jama‘at grasped the rope of Allah the Almighty firmly and strengthened ever more its attachment to His garment.
So all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds—He is the Best Protector and the Best Helper!
