ASMANI FAISALAH BY HADHRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD OF QADIAN

Ahmadiyya Mosque, Canada

This site is currently hosting a series of book reviews and discussions in which we choronilogically examine the writing of The Promised Messiah, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, with the intention of looking into what he said and wrote and also of gaining an understanding of his biography, through his writings. In this edition of the series, we look at Asmani Faisalah, or The Heavenly Decree:

The Author of Asmani Faisalah

Having recently announced his claim of being the Promised Messiah, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad now had a small community of followers who had entered into a religious oath of allegiance to him. Following the publication of books such as Izala-e-Auham and his wonderful presentations at debates in Ludhiana etc. it had become clear that the hate-filled Muslim divines of India could not compete with the beautiful arguments of The Promised Messiah. Instead, they resorted to a strategy that they believed would offer them more success. They simply began to publicly abuse The Promised Messiah in the foulest terms and to spread false rumours about him. 

Two of the leaders in this practice were Maulvi Muhammad Nadhir Hussain and Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi. Nadhir Hussain was considered as the leading orthodox authority on Islam in the whole of India and presented himself as the most learned Muslim perhaps in the whole world. Meanwhile, Batalvi was a leader of the influential Ahle-Hadith sect and had recently been routed in the Ludhiana Debate by The Promised Messiah. These two began abusing The Promised Messiah in the foulest terms and whipped up a frenzy of hatred for him in Delhi, so much so that armed mobs would attack his house. The Promised Messiah responded by requesting a debate to clear up certain issues in public so all could learn the truth. Instead, Nadhir issued statements that as The Promised Messiah was a kafir, he would be unable to meet him in debate until he clearified that he was not a kafir and believed in angels and miracles as other Muslims did etc. To this incredibly illogical and false statement, The Promised Messiah responded with patience and signed a statement clearifying that he was indeed a Muslim and believed in miracles and angels as the other Muslims did. 

However, instead of meeting The Promised Messiah in organised debates, these clerics continued to incite armed mobs to such degrees of hatred that they would attack The Promised Messiah, his family and his followers with the apparent intention of ending his life. In the meantime, The Promised Messiah's father-in-law fell ill and so he left Delhi. On this, the same religious clerics who had so carefully avoided meeting him in debate now published claims that he had left out of fear of their knowledge and argumentative powers!

The Contents of Asmani Faisalah

An allegation raised against the writings of The Promised Messiah is that he occasionally used harsh language against the opponents of the truth. Another allegation raised against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is that we conspire to hide these writings by not translating them into English. This is false. The truth is that some of his most strongly worded writings are contained within Asmani Faisalah, which was written in response to the awful behaviour of the Muslim leaders of India, as detailed above. This book has been translated into English and is available free for all to read online at alislam.org. 

The second aspect to this question is why did The Promised Messiah sometimes use strongly worded language against opponents? The first thing to remember is that there are numerous examples documented in The Bible of the first messiah, Jesus, using the same kinds of language against the badly behaved people of his time. So it is natural that as the prophecies of the second messiah by The Holy Prophet s.a.w. also contain prophecies that he will be like Jesus and the Muslims will be like the Jews of the time of Jesus, that he should have to adopt some of the same tactics used by Jesus against the clerics of his time. 

The second thing to remember is that both during the lifetime of The Holy Prophet s.a.w. and even to this day opponents of his complained and continue to complain that The Holy Qu'ran uses extremely strongly worded language against disbelievers and idolaters etc. right through it's text. The reason for all this is that it is not the jobs of prophets of Gods to spend their lives stroking the egos of badly behaved people. Part of their job is also to try and shock the badly behaved people out of their bad behaviour.

So it is in Asmani Faisalah that he tries to highlight the awful consequences of the cleric's actions to them by presenting to them how they are demeaning themselves and reminding them of the hereafter. He goes on to address the aforementioned Nadhir Sahib from Delhiand challenge him to a contest which would decide the Heavenly Decree in favour of one part or the other. A neutral board would be set up to judge the contest and the contest would be divided into three parts. 

Firstly, over a period of time The Promised Messiah would send his revealed prophecies to the board and then would send proof of how and when they had been fulfilled. Meanwhile, Nadhir Sahib and the combined might of all the clerics who supported him were free to do the same. In this way it could be judged who Allah the Almighty was truly speaking to, by comparing which of the two parties were revealed more true prophecies. 

Secondly, the board would collect numerous cases of people from across the world who were suffering and divide them into two equally weighted lists. Such people could include any kind of suffering, such as those diagnosed with horrible diseases or those suffering from infertility etc. Then, The Promised Messiah and his opponents would draw lots and be given one of the lists each. Each party would pray for the people on their lists and the board would record the results of the prayers and which group had had their suffering alleviated to the greatest extent. This would establish which of the two parties were being favoured by Allah with the acceptance of their prayers. 

Finally, the contest would end with a debate in which both parties would read their commentaries on certain verses of The Holy Qu'ran. Whichever party offered the most insightful analysis would be accepted by the public witnesses of the debate as having been endowed with special insights into the divine text by Allah the All Knowing. 

The book ended by announcing that The Promised Messiah wished for members of his community to spend at least some time with him. Therefore, in approximately one years time, in December 1892, the first annual three day convention of the Ahmadi Muslims would take place. It is also worth noting that in this book The Promised Messiah makes it clear that he doesn't believe himself to be a prophet of God, as this status had not yet been revealed to him.

Impact of Asmani Faisalah

Not a single cleric in the entire world had the courage to meet The Promised Messiah in this contest. 

Discussion of Selected Passages from Asmani Faisalah

Though Miyan Nadhir Husain is himself not immune to fatwas of heresy—and has been declared first among the heretics of India, he shows as much zeal in declaring other Muslims to be kafirs as is shown by pious people in converting others into Islam. He has a deep desire for unduly labelling Muslims as kafirs, even if there exists not a single reason for doing so. His faithful acolyte, Muhammad Husain Batalawi, who styles himself a Shaikh, follows in his footsteps. In fact, the Shaikh excels his mentor in his passion for declarations of kufr. (Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Asmani Faisalah)

We just included the above passage in the discussion because, frankly, we reckon it's the most iconic and amusing opening paragraph to a book since, 'It is a truth universally acknowledged...'

It is simply outrageous that while the Gracious and Mighty Allah says that the Messiah, son of Mary, is dead, Miyan Nadhir Husain says, 'No, not at all. He was taken to heaven alive in his physical body.' Bravo, O Nadhir Husain! Well and truly have you followed the Quran! (Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Asmani Faisalah)

Found the imagery above amusing too. 

I regret that an unworthy opponent has compelled me to use harsh words, while I am by nature averse to using such language. I never wanted to say such things, but it was Batalawi and his master who compelled me to respond in kind. There is still time for the Batalawi to change his attitude and to restrain his tongue, or he will rue these days. (Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Asmani Faisalah)

It should be remembered that when someone devotes their time and energies to constantly verbally abusing a prophet of God, they show that the sort of language they understand is only the harsh kind. As such, prophets of God sometimes- against their own desires- have to resort to using the same language to 'respond in kind' in the hope that the miscreants may be able to understand in this way. 

I do not wish to trade abuses, nor do I wish to say aught; there is One only Who will speak. Alas! how these people have complicated a simple matter and did not consider God Almighty powerful enough to do what He pleases, and to send whosoever He likes as the appointed one. Can man fight God? Or has the progeny of Adam the right to question what He does and what He does not? The Promised Messiah makes very clear his disdain for any harsh language. (Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Asmani Faisalah)

The Promised Messiah again highlighting his aversion to the foul language of his opponents. 

Although Batalawi may be pleased because of some of my renegade companions, he should remember that the drying of a twig does not mean the ruin of the garden. It is Allah Who dries up the branch that He chooses, and prunes it off and produces in its place other branches laden with fruits and flowers. Bat alawi Sahib must remember that if one person leaves this Jama‘at, God will bring twenty in his stead. (Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Asmani Faisalah)

The Promised Messiah had already prophecised in Fathe Islam (1890) that some of the 40 men who had initially entered into his oath of allegiance would leave and be cut off from the community. This had already been fulfilled by this point and The Promised Messiah highlighted how such occurrences would never damage the community. 

I do not harbour doubts as to the greatness, the perfect power and signs of my Lord in contrast to the half-baked ideas of the naturalists, and that I do not reject miracles due to their improbability in the eyes of reason. (Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Asmani Faisalah)

The opponents of Ahmadiyya constantly- and without any referenced evidence- accuse The Promised Messiah of rejecting miracles. We have not yet found a single instance of this and in so many of his books we are finding quite the opposite. 

On the contrary, Allah mentions exalting the Messiah to Himself after causing him to die. Just as all the pious persons who pass away are addressed with: 'return to thy Lord.' (The Holy Quran, 89:29). The same elevation and exaltation towards Allah—for which death is a precondition—was granted to the Messiah. (Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Asmani Faisalah)

The Promised Messiah has here explained the true meaning of the ascent of Jesus. 

Readers! consider for yourselves, is it written anywhere that the awaited Jesus would be the self-same Israelite, Nazarene, Bible-bearing Prophet? On the contrary, Bukhari—known as the most authentic book after the Holy Quran—describes him as: Imam Kum Min Kum, meaning 'Your Imam, from among you'. (Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Asmani Faisalah)

Here The Promised Messiah a.s. has offered another argument in support of his own claims, from an authentic and prophetic hadith of The Holy Prophet s.a.w.

Next Edition of the Series: Nishan-e-Asmani
On the final weekend of Ramadan, over Saturday and Sunday, we will be publishing articles on two books. Firstly, Nishan-e-Asmani AKA The Heavenly Sign and then Eik Esai Kay Teen Sawal aur Un Kay Jawabat or Three Questions by a Christian and their Answers. Both books have their full English translations available to read online for free. They are both less than 100 pages of large writing and so are relatively short. The links to these translations are listed on This Link Page.