English translation of Aainai Kamalat-i-Islam (Mirror of the Excellence of Islam)
The book Aainai Kamalat-i-Islam has two parts, one in Urdu and the other in Arabic. The Urdu part was published in 1892 while the Arabic part was published in the early days of 1893.
The book has another title also and that is Dafi-ul-wasawis – i.e. ‘the remover of the suspicions’ (or doubts). The Arabic part of the book has a sub-title and that is Al-Tabligh (conveyance of the message).
To start with, Hazrat Ahmad(as) says that his books Fat-hi-Islam, Tauzihi-Maram and Izalai Auham should have made the Muslims grateful to God that at such a critical time He had enabled one of them to defend Islam and answer satisfactorily the questions of the non-Muslims, but having come across his claim to be the like of Messiah, they got furious and in their rage that was quite out of proportion, they hurled abuses at him and dubbed him a kafir and called him all sorts of names. Maulvi Mohammad Hussain led the way and prepared a Fatwa (religious decree) to declare him a kafir and got his teacher, Mian Nazir Hussain, to sign it as the first signatory. Hazrat Ahmad(as) says that he does not see anything strange in it because that is what has always been done to the godly people. It is only after some time has passed that their true position is recognised.
Hazrat Ahmad(as) says that he does not mind the fatwas of Kufr that are being issued against him, what he is after is that God may make him serve His religion and he may be able to establish the excellence of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and that of the Holy Qur’an.
As for the reasons why he has written this book, he says that on the one hand the Christians are undermining Islam and on the other the Muslims who are overawed by the European philosophy are talking of religion in such a way that Islam is harmed by being misunderstood by the non-Muslims. As an example, he quotes Sir Sayed Ahmad who had very different views about revelations, angels, prophethood, etc. His views gave support to those who, in their own way, wanted to attack Islam.
Hazrat Ahmad(as), therefore, decided to write this book to expound the true theory of Islam and to explain to his readers what Islam really means and what was the significance of all that it teaches its followers. He wanted to show the beautiful face of Islam to the world.
In this book he deals with the excellences of Islam, the prophetic revelations, the angels and their functions. He also answers those who are engrossed in modern philosophy and raises their eyebrows on the teachings of Islam. He proves with full length arguments that the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, was far superior to Jesus Christ(as) – as he was to other prophets also. He had to do so because it was being preached that Jesus(as) was superior to the Holy Prophet(sa).
Having given details of what really Islam is, he goes on to tell his readers how to become good Muslims and what could a man do to attain to that position. Having proved that Islam is a living religion, he assures the Muslims that the days of the victory of Islam are at hand.
He admires the British Government for religious freedom, peace, maintenance of law and order and prays for the Queen that she may accept Islam and become the recipient of the blessings of God. He addresses the Queen and explains to her the excellences of Islam and the Holy Qur’an.
A Christian newspaper Noor Afshan published an article in its issue for 13th October 1892 in which the writer said that since man had existed on this planet, there had never been a person who claimed to be the resurrection and life and who said that he who would believe in his words would live even though he might have died or in other words would become free from sin, disobedience to God, negligence and the death of disbelief and would attain to the spiritual life and perfect obedience to God.
The writer of the article said that the only person who did claim all that was Jesus Christ(as) who also proved that what he had claimed was true – if somebody else had put up his claim he would have failed in it and he could not have done any of these things.
Hazrat Ahmad(as) answers this article with full length discussion. He says that if Jesus Christ(as) had actually claimed to be resurrection and life, he being a true prophet of God, his claim would have been proved true and spiritual life would have become abundant in the world in his own life-time as well as after he had passed away. But it is quite clear that the truth and the ideology of the oneness of God did not spread much through him and it can be said that the success in spreading these things was so small that perhaps every other prophet was able to do more than he did.
Hazrat Ahmad(as) also refutes the idea of Jesus Christ(as) having performed the miracles which are ascribed to him, i. e. giving life to the dead. He says that if Jesus(as) had actually performed these miracles, the end of some of his disciples would not have been so bad as it really was – one of them took a small amount of money and got him arrested and another expressed his ignorance of who Jesus(as) was.
Hazrat Ahmad(as) compares the Companions of the Holy Prophet(sa) with the disciples of Jesus Christ(as) and shows the marked difference and proves thereby that truly speaking it was the Holy Prophet(sa) who was life giving and not Jesus Christ(as).
Hazrat Ahmad(as) announces that he has been commissioned by God to call upon all the Maulvis and Muftis who call him a kafir, because of their partial difference or because they have not been able to understand his claim, for a prayer duel to show who is on the right and who is not. He also calls upon the Christian missionaries, Hindus, Aryas, Brahmans, Sikhs, Atheists and Naturalists to come forward and get the issues decided. After these challenges and invitations, he assures those who had believed in him or who would believe in him in future that their end would be a blessed one and they would not be the losers at all.
The second part of this book which is in Arabic and is entitled Al-Tabligh was written at the instance of Maulvi Abdul Karim, one of his close companions, Maulvi Abdul Karim suggested that a detailed letter be written to the Muslim religious leaders who are known as Faqirs and Pirzadas. Hazrat Ahmad(as) liked this suggestion very much and wanted to write the letter to be a part of his book, in Urdu. But he had some indications from God that he should write this letter in Arabic. That is why it was written in Arabic. This was the first writing of Hazrat Ahmad(as) in Arabic.
At the very outset he addresses the Faqirs, the Zahids and the respectable people of Arabia, India and other countries and tells them that he has been raised to uproot the evils that crept into the world and to remind them of all that the religious Islamic law says. He also calls upon them not to look down upon him.
He proves to his readers that Jesus(as) had died and he adds that it is simply not possible that the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, should be lying buried under the ground while Jesus Christ(as) should be alive and that too in the heavens. He also quotes the Holy Qur’an and the Hadith to prove the death of Jesus Christ(as). As for the second coming of Christ of the latter days he was to be born in those very days; he had not to come from the skies. In this Arabic section also he calls upon the Queen to accept Islam for this is the only religion now acceptable to God. He tells her to repent and to listen to him.
He gives some details of his lineage and also the biographical notes about some of his ‘Brothers in religion’.
Pages 778
