This is part one of a longer article titled “The Truthfulness of the English Revelations of the Promised Messiah (as)”.
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Azhar Goraya, Puerto Rico
Executive Summary
Revelation is one of the greatest miracles that has been granted to the Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad (sa) declared that the Messiah would receive revelation from God. In keeping with these promises, The Promised Messiah (as) received thousands of revelations. Amongst them were at least 28 which were in English, received over a period of 28 years. The lengthy amount of time over which he claimed to have received revelation is evidence that his revelations were true according to the Islamic principle that Allah the Almighty strikes down those who utter falsehoods in His name and He does not let them live long and prosperous lives. The revelations of the Promised Messiah (as) consisted of both visions and verbal inspirations, ranging from single words to short phrases. Some of them were to comfort him in times of distress, while others revealed aspects of the unseen relating to both the present and the future.
The purpose of receiving revelations in the English language was to demonstrate the power of God and as a sign to the English-speaking population of the world. English would become the undisputed lingua franca of the whole world and during his life was also the language of the British Raj. Moreover, it was the chief medium for the propagation of Christian doctrine, which he had been sent to nullify. There is evidence that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) also received revelations containing words in foreign tongues like Persian and Abyssinian, and there is also evidence that the Holy Qur’an includes words of a foreign origin that were later Arabised, making the English revelations of the Promised Messiah (as) part of this Sunnah.
The Promised Messiah (as) did not know English. Moreover, the nature of revelation is that at times it descends rapidly, which is indicated through the very word for revelation in Arabic, wahi. He stated that at times, when the revelation would descend upon him in this way, it was possible that there could be a slight departure in his memory from the actual words that were received. This was only in a very small number of cases, and his general memory of the English revelations was very good. Allah took various measures to preserve the revelations in English. At times, they would be repeated until the Promised Messiah (as) could memorize them, or be accompanied by translations, or he would be powerfully inspired with the meaning behind them. The revelations which seem to run counter to current conventions in English grammar can always be brought into harmony with them upon closer inspection.
That there is no issue with partially or wholly forgetting revelation is supported by the Qur’an and demonstrated by the Sunnah. The only revelation that Allah guaranteed would be protected and guarded in full was the Holy Qur’an. Therefore, we find instances of forgetfulness regarding other revelations received by the Prophet Muhammad (sa). The Qur’an teaches that every word and action of the Prophet Muhammad (sa) were part of God’s revelation. Nevertheless, the Holy Prophet (sa) forgot the exact night of Qadr that had been shown to him. He would at times also temporarily forget certain verses of the Qur’an, or how many raka’at he had offered in prayer, or sometimes general day-to-day activities.
Non-Ahmadi Muslims go further in attributing forgetfulness to the Prophet Muhammad (sa) by believing that he received and forgot satanic revelation, and in their acceptance of the theory of naskh and nisyaan (abrogation and forgetfulness of the revelation).
The slight forgetfulness of the Promised Messiah (as) regarding a few of his English revelations was therefore necessary and facilitated by Allah to maintain the superiority of the revelation of the Qur’an. Moreover, it was in exact accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (sa).
The Promised Messiah (as) would consult those who knew the English language in order to understand the meanings of the words which had been revealed to him. At times and whenever appropriate, he would also inquire about the wording of the revelations if they had been revealed quickly and there existed the possibility of a slight difference in his memory from the actual revelation. He did this not because he doubted the validity of his revelations, but rather in accordance with the Qur’anic injunction to investigate fully and consult others concerning matters of faith whenever doing so offered some benefit. The Prophet Muhammad (sa), in line with this very teaching, extensively consulted his companions, even though his every word and action were inspired by Allah. It is also for this reason that the Prophet (sa) visited a Christian monk after he began to receive revelation.
The Promised Messiah (as) also stated that it was possible that there were no mistakes on his part in remembering the revelations, rather that the revelations were based on older forms of the English language. In line with this explanation, all the revelations of the Promised Messiah (as) that seem to be incorrect according to current English grammar conventions can be demonstrated to follow older forms of the language. The same is seen in the text of the Qur’an, where some verses don’t follow the common conventions of Arabic grammar. There is also precedence for this in the Sunnah, as the Prophet Muhammad (sa) would at times use obscure or archaic forms of Arabic.
Muslims are generally accustomed to linguistic mysteries and intricacies in the revelation from Allah and don’t view such matters as an obstacle in accepting their validity. For example, some words of the Holy Qur’an were unknown to the companions, but they still accepted them as true revelation from Allah. Many have deemed the Muqatta’at (disjointed letters at the start of several chapters of the Qur’an) as a mystery of God, yet still accept them. In the same way, if it is supposed that someone is unable to make sense of the revelations of the Promised Messiah (as) due to their limited knowledge, that would still not justify their rejection of them. The Promised Messiah (as) demonstrated through thousands of signs and miracles that his revelations were true and that he had been sent by Allah.
Introduction
The Promised Messiah (as) received revelations in many different languages. The vast majority were in Arabic, Urdu, and Persian, but there were also some in Hebrew, Punjabi, Sanskrit and English.
With the introduction of the writings and revelations of the Promised Messiah (as) to the West and a predominantly English-speaking population, the English revelations of the Promised Messiah (as) have come under greater scrutiny than before. Some opponents allege that the English revelations he received are incorrect according to the current usage of the language. They reason that God could not make such mistakes in His speech, and therefore conclude that such revelations are false. A full list of his English revelations can be found in the compilation known as Tadhkirah [1], which in many cases also provides explanations for those revelations which over the years have been the target of objections.
This treatise will disprove the above allegation and demonstrate that the English revelations of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) bore all the hallmarks of true revelation from God.
Panoramic View of the Revelations of the Promised Messiah
A study the revelations of the Promised Messiah (as), compiled from his various publications in a work known as Tadhkirah, reveals that he received hundreds of distinct revelations during his life. Some of these revelations were repeated often, elevating the overall number of revelatory experiences to the thousands.
Communication between Allah and man is known as Kalam-e-Ilahi according to 42:52 of Holy Qur’an. This kalam takes the form of revelation (wahi or direct verbal revelation), visions (referred to as kalam from behind a veil and abounding in symbolism), and through a messenger (the verbal revelation is transmitted via an angel in a vision). Another form of Kalam-e-Ilahi which is not verbal is ilham, which can be defined as inner inspiration or direction, which Allah refers to in 91:9 of the Holy Qur’an.
There are levels to each of these forms of communication according to the capacity of the recipient and the need of the hour. The purest form of Kalam-e-Ilahi is experienced by the prophets of God, who are sent to establish the existence of God amongst their people. Being men of the highest spiritual calibre and appearing at times of great need, their revelation abounds in signs that serve as evidence of their claim. Most notably, Allah states in 72:28-29 of the Qur’an that these signs are principally that of prophecy which reveal the ghaib (unknown matters), which are beyond the reach of men.
Revelation also serves as a means of support and glad tidings for the recipient, especially during moments of difficulty (Holy Qur’an, 41:31), as well as elevating belief in God to the highest levels of certainty (Holy Qur’an, 29:70).
To protect the sanctity of the office of prophethood, a check was put in place against imposters – a false claimant of revelation from God would soon be destroyed. Specifically, God would “seize him with His might and cut asunder his jugular vein” (Holy Qur’an, 69:45-47). The continuance of revelation amongst the Muslims after the Prophet Muhammad (sa) is confirmed in these verses. Moreover, the Prophet Muhammad (sa) made special mention of how the Messiah would receive revelation from God [2].
The different revelations of the Promised Messiah (as) fit into all these categories. His earliest published revelations date from at least 1862 [3], with the mass publishing of his revelations beginning from 1882 with the printing of his work Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya part 3. This means that he lived for 46 years after publishing his revelations, or at the very least 26 years after their mass publication. He stated on multiple occasions that such a lease on life after publishing false revelations would put the very institution of Prophethood in question, not to mention that it was in clear contradiction of the Qur’an, which promises death to a false claimant of revelation [4]. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) lived for 23 years after the first revelation of the Qur’an, and it is therefore inconceivable that a false claimant could outlive him.
The English Language
English is the lingua franca of the world today. Part of the Indo-European family of languages, English as is popularly spoken today originated in England. It is the official language in 67 countries. Globally, it is estimated that English is spoken by over 1.35 billion people, although the majority are not native speakers. This accounts for roughly 17% of the world population, or about one in every five people.
Linguists date the origins of the English language to the fifth century, when a group of Germanic tribes invaded Britain. These groups influenced each other’s languages, giving rise to Old English. After 1066 CE, Normans (from present-day France) invaded England. This led to many French and Latin words being added to the language, changing the language to such a degree that it became known as Middle English. Modern English was solidified after the 16th century, with the introduction of the printing press and the imposition of the English language on newly conquered colonies by the UK and then the United States. English was notably an official language of the British Raj where there Promised Messiah (as) lived and was used at the central level in government.
An Overview of the English Revelations of the Promised Messiah (as)
Of the thousands of revelations that the Promised Messiah (as) received, there were 28 which were in English, at least some of which were often repeated [5]. These specific revelations cover the breadth of the different types and purposes of revelations mentioned in the previous section. It’s possible that the Promised Messiah (as) did not include all the details surrounding the revelations. Nevertheless, what he did include demonstrates as clearly as the shining sun that his revelations were truly from God.
The revelations vary from single words, such as “Association”, “Life”, and “Word”, to short phrases comprised of two to four words, like “Fair man”, “I love you” and “I am with you”. There are also a few longer phrases, such as “I shall give you a large party of Islam”, and “The days shall come when God shall help you”.
Some of these were received singularly, such as “I am by Isa”. Others were received as part of longer revelations that at times included words and phrases in other languages. For example, the revelation “The days shall come when God shall help you” was received immediately before a subsequent revelation in Urdu, “The gate of Lord God’s bounties is open, and His holy mercies are directed towards this.”
Some of the revelations would be accompanied by translations in other languages. These were shown to him in written form or revealed to him verbally. For example, he was once shown in a vision the phrase “Yes, I am happy”, under which the same sentence was written in Urdu.
Some of the revelations were received as wahi, meaning direct verbal revelation. Amongst these are “A word and two girls”, “Assistant Surgeon”, and “Fair man”. Others were shown to him in written form as part of visions, such as “Association”, “I am quarreller”, and “I am by Isa”.
The first English revelation he received was “This is my enemy”. This revelation occurred in about 1878 and was published in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya part 4 (published 1884) [6]. The final English revelation he received was “Life of Pain”, published in 1907 [7]. The time between his first published English revelation and death was approximately 24 years, confirming their truth via the standard of the long life of the claimant.
Purpose of the Revelations
While documenting these revelations, the Promised Messiah (as) has at times provided their specific contexts which shed further light on their miraculous nature and purpose.
In some places, we find that in accordance with 41:31 of the Qur’an, the purpose of the revelation was to express solidarity with or provide comfort to the Promised Messiah (as) during a time of difficulty. For example, the revelation, “Life of pain” was received when the Promised Messiah (as) was expecting some painful news [8].
Others, according to 72:28-29 of the Qur’an, were to convey to the Promised Messiah (as) knowledge of the unseen. This knowledge of the unseen was manifested in both specific and general situations and across varying timelines, displaying the absolute nature of God’s Knowledge.
On one occasion, the Promised Messiah (as) received the revelation “this is my enemy” about an individual whom he was meeting. This revelation was fulfilled in quick order when the person soon demonstrated that he was involved in many types of sins. [9]
In another case, the revelation “Assistant surgeon” was received by the Promised Messiah (as) about his brother-in-law, Mir Muhammad Ismail (ra), when his whereabouts were unknown after a major earthquake in 1905. This meant not only that he was alive, but that he would occupy this role at some point in the future. True to the prophecy, Mir Muhammad Ismail (ra) survived the earthquake and soon contacted his family. Moreover, he was appointed as an assistant surgeon after graduating from Medical College Lahore and was thereafter appointed as a full civil surgeon in 1928 [10].
In another instance, the Promised Messiah (as) once had a great need for money. He supplicated and was shown the words on a letter “I am quarreler”, which he understood to mean that he would receive a letter in the mail about a dispute. He was also made to understand that he would receive the necessary amount of money in 10 days. He received the English revelation, “Then will you go to Amritsar”. It so happened that no money was received for 10 days, and then on the 10th day he received the necessary amount, which also happened to be the day he received a letter informing him that he had to appear in Amritsar for a court case [11].
Other prophecies were more general and far-ranging in scope. In this category we find revelations like “Though all men should be angry but God is with you”, and “I shall give you a large party of Islam”. The success of the community and his message despite astounding odds and opposition needs no elaboration. Suffice it to say that these prophecies were clearly fulfilled during his lifetime and afterwards as well.
Why Did he Receive Revelations in English?
The Promised Messiah (as) was sent as the humble servant of the Prophet Muhammad (sa) as a world reformer. His message was meant for people of all ethnicities and languages. Therefore, besides receiving revelation in the language of his immediate people in the Indian subcontinent (Principally Urdu and Punjabi, but also Sanskrit), he also received revelation in the most important religious languages in the world. Principally, these were Arabic, Urdu and Persian, the languages of Islam. Hebrew was included, linking his mission to the Judeo-Christian world, and Sanskrit demonstrated that his mission was also to the Hindus.
English was the lingua franca of the world. This was destined to occur, as the Prophet Muhammad (sa) stated that in the latter days, the sun would rise from the West, the cradle of the English language [12]. Receiving revelation in this language was another way of demonstrating that his message was for the entire world. Moreover, English at the time had become the vehicle for the transmission of the Christian faith, which the Messiah was destined to forever lay low. The spiritual sun of Islam thus rose over the people of the West who had for thousands of years been bereft of its light. It is due to the great mercy of God that He showed them His attention by speaking to His Messiah in their language.
Receiving revelation in foreign tongues is moreover a great miracle. These revelations thus further solidified the fact that the Promised Messiah (as) was not inventing his revelation, rather it was being received from on-high. The Promised Messiah (as) discusses the miraculous nature of his English revelations in his work Haqiqatul Wahi.
“I do not know English at all, yet God Almighty has, by way of granting me His bounty, revealed to me certain prophecies in English. For instance, the following were recorded as far back as twenty-five years ago in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya…”
I love you. I am with you. Yes, I am happy. Life of pain. I shall help you. I can, what I will do. We can, what We will do. God is coming by His army. He is with you to kill enemy. The days shall come when God shall help you. Glory be to this Lord God, Maker of earth and heaven.
This is the prophecy that the One God, who has no partner, made in English despite the fact that I am not an English-speaking person and am totally unaware of this language. But it was the will of God to publish His promises about the future in all the renowned languages of this country. Thus, in this prophecy, God reveals [to me saying] that: ‘I shall efface your present condition of pain and suffering and I shall help you; and I shall come to you with an army and destroy the enemy.’
A large part of this prophecy has already been fulfilled and God Almighty has opened the door to every kind of bounty upon me and thousands of human beings have entered into bai‘at with me, heart and soul. Who knew at the time of this prophecy as to when so much [divine] help would arrive? As such it is a marvellous prophecy indeed. Its very diction is a Sign in its own right; namely, the English language, and its meaning is a Sign too, for they foretell the future.”
The Promised Messiah (as) moreover in his book Nur-ul-Haq makes the subtle point that the inclusion of a foreign word in an otherwise exquisite phrase at times increases its appeal [13]. His English revelations received side-by-side with revelations in Urdu and Arabic served to beautify the sum of the revelation.
Allah grants his prophets various spiritual experiences to increase their understanding of spiritual matters. The receipt of English revelations by the Promised Messiah (as) served this purpose as well. He writes in his book Nuzul-al-Masih:
“There can be no greater shamelessness than if I say that this is not God’s revelation. I know it to be God’s revelation as I know for certain that I speak by way of tongue and hear by ear. How can I deny this? This revelation has shown me God, and like a sweet spring has made me drink the water of divine insight, and like a cool breeze has in every time of humidity proven a source of ease. He was manifested to me in languages that I didn’t understand, such as English, Sanskrit, and Hebrew. He has proven with great prophecies and mighty signs that this is the word of God, and He has opened upon me a treasure-trove of truths and verities from which I and the sum of my people were unaware. He at times revealed Himself to me in subtle and unknown words of English and Arabic of which I was unaware. So, in the face of all these clear evidences, can there be any place for doubt? Are these matters only worthy of being tossed out? Such a discourse, which has shown the power of miraculousness, and proven its strength of attraction, and has not been miserly in disclosing the unseen but has manifested thousands of its matter? Moreover, which has cast a net over the hearts of the noble people of the world and has brought them towards me, and has granted them eyes by which they began to see, and ears by which they began to hear, and granted them truth and perseverance by which they present themselves to be sacrificed in this path – hearken, is this entire affair Satanic or of the whisperings of the mind?”[14]
Foreign Language Revelation of the Prophet Muhammad (sa)
The Prophet Muhammad (sa) also received certain foreign words and phrases by way of wahi (direct revelation) and ilham (internal inspiration).
The Promised Messiah (as) writes in Chashma-e-Ma’rifat:
“[the Holy Prophet (sa)] was asked if Almighty God had ever spoken in the Persian language. He replied in the affirmative, saying that indeed the Word of God had also descended in the Persian language, as he states in that language:
این مشت خاک را گرنه بخشم چه کنم [15]
The translation of the Persian script is:
“What shall I do with this handful of dust (i.e., man) if I do not forgive him.”
Mulla Ali Qari acknowledges this hadith with a similar wording in his work Al-Asrar al-Marfu’ah fi al-Akhbar al-Mawdu’ah and states that some of our foreign scholars present this as a revelation from God in the Persian language. In his opinion it’s a fabricated hadith [16], although his reasoning for declaring it as such is not sound [17].
Imam Bukhari has presented some ahadith where the Holy Prophet (sa) is reported to have spoken using words from foreign languages. One of these is سُؤْرًا, a Persian word meaning ‘bread’. Another was سَنَهْ, meaning ‘good’ in the Sudanese language, and another was كَخٍ, meaning ‘miserable’, or something similar to that.
Imam Bukhari has brought these ahadith under the chapter “Speaking in Persian and other foreign languages” [18] and the following verse of the Qur’an:
“And We have not sent any Messenger except with the language of his people in order that he might make things clear to them…” (14:5)
This categorization by the Imam demonstrates that he believed the Prophet (sa) had been sent to all nations, not just the Arabs, and therefore God had inspired him to speak in their tongues as well.
Muhammad Aini in his commentary of Bukhari states that this demonstrates that Imam Bukhari believed that the Prophet Muhammad (sa) knew multiple languages [19].
Even if he didn’t know the languages fully, as others like Zamakhshari and Ibn-e-Hajar have expressed, this would still mean that the foreign words and phrases he did know were part of the revelation from God. This is because Allah states in 53:4-5 of the Qur’an that every word and action of the Prophet Muhammad (sa) were part of the revelation from Allah:
“Nor does he speak out of his own desire. It is nothing but pure revelation that has been revealed by God.”
There is also evidence that the revelation of the Qur’an received by the Prophet Muhammad (sa) contained certain words that were at some point part of foreign languages. Some scholars, such as Imam Suyuti, Al-Subki and Ibn-e-Hajar, believed that the Qur’an had a small number of words that are foreign in origin but were later Arabized, known as ta’rib.
As-Suyuti recorded in his work Al-Itqan fi Ulumil Qur’an the opinions of scholars such as Abu Maysarah, Saeed bin Jubair, and Wahb bin Munnabih, who stated that the Qur’an contains words from every language [20].
The orientalist and philologist Arthur Jeffery, in his work The Foreign Vocabulary of the Qur’an, provides an index in which he traces a number of words in the Qur’an to at least six different languages: Ethiopic, Persian, Greek, Syriac, Hebrew and Aramaic [21].
The justification for this position is that the Holy Prophet (sa) was sent as a messenger to all people[22], and therefore the revelation that he received should reflect this universality.
The logical conclusion that follows from the points above is that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) received a small amount of revelation in foreign tongues, both directly through wahi, and indirectly through ilham and the Arabized terms of the Holy Qur’an. It therefore follows that the Promised Messiah (as) also rightly received revelations in foreign languages as part of this Sunnah and due to his being a subordinate prophet to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa).
Even if we were to assume that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) didn’t receive revelation in a foreign tongue, it still wouldn’t pose a problem. The time of the Promised Messiah (as) was not separate from that of the Prophet Muhammad (sa), rather a continuation of his era due to him being his Burooz (spiritual second advent). Moreover, the completion of the propagation of Islam in the world across all nations and in all the major languages was destined for this second advent. This was because it would be an age where technology would permit such transmission. The Promised Messiah (as) explains in his work Tuhfa Golarwiyya:
“Since the second incumbent obligation of the Holy Prophet (sa), which was the completion of conveying guidance, was impossible during his time due to the lack of means of propagation, therefore, the promise of the second coming of the Holy Prophet (sa) has been given in the verse of the Holy Quran:
وَآخَرِينَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
[“And [he will raise the Prophet Muhammad] among others from among them who have not yet joined them.” (62:4)]
…So, the Holy Prophet (sa) fulfilled this obligation through his second coming, which took place at a time when means had been created to spread Islam to all the nations of the earth.” [23]
In the same work, the Promised Messiah (as) also delves into the deep spiritual truth of how the sixth millennium of man, the destined time for the second advent, was inherently tuned towards the completion of the propagation of God’s revelation. The explanation spans pgs. 245 – 267 of the work, but he states in one place in summary:
“Remember this division well: Allah Almighty establishes two positions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in the noble Quran:
- The one who presents a complete book, as He states:
يَتْلُو صُحُفًا مُّطَهَّرَةً فِيهَا كُتُبٌ قَيِّمَةٌ
[A Messenger from Allah, reciting unto them the pure Scriptures, wherein are lasting commandments] (98:3-4)
- Second, the one who propagates that book throughout the whole world, as stated:
لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ
[So that he may cause it to prevail over all religions] (61:10)
For the completion of guidance, Allah chose the sixth day. Therefore, this first action of Allah teaches us that the day of completion of the dissemination of guidance is also the sixth day, which is the sixth millennium. The noble scholars and all the great elders of the Muslim community have accepted that the completion of the propagation will take place through the Promised Messiah.” [24]
Revelation is sent according to the need of the recipient and the age. The Promised Messiah (as) receiving some revelation in foreign tongues would then simply be because in the knowledge of Allah, his era requires it, while in the time of Muhammad (sa) it was not necessary.
The Promised Messiah’s Knowledge of the English Language
The English language revelations of the Promised Messiah (as) are doubly miraculous because he himself had next to no knowledge of the language. His formal education of English was entirely basic. During his employment in Sialkot while he was a youth, it is recorded that he was taught one or two books about the English language. These books would have probably consisted of recognizing the letters of the alphabet and how they were joined together into words [25]. He explains in his work Nuzul-al-Masih that he had almost no knowledge of the English language:
“The most astonishing thing is that some revelations come to me in languages with which I have no familiarity, such as English, Sanskrit, Hebrew, and so on, some of which I have narrated in [my work] Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya. I swear by that God in Whose hand is my life, this is a habit from Allah with me, and it is one of the signs, among the signs of Allah, that are constantly manifested in my favor. And my God cares not that a word revealed to me should occur in any Arabic or English or Sanskrit book because, for me, it is part of the unseen.” [26]
He reiterates this in his work Haqiqatul Wahi where he states,
“I am not an English-speaking person and am totally unaware of this language.” [27]
Objections to the English Revelations of the Promised Messiah (as)
It is the height of ignorance to object to revelations either in form or content once they are shown to be in line with the prophetic model of Muhammad (sa). Nevertheless, where the Sunnah of Allah is fulfilled with his prophets, so too is it regarding the disbelievers. The saying الکفر ملة واحدة “Disbelief is a single nation” rings true. Their hearts being united in disbelief, in every age the opponents of the prophets of God make recourse to the same lifeless arguments against the shining divine light that accompanies them.
Disbelievers have always looked with disdain at revelation from God. Their loathing blinds them to its truthfulness and the weakness of their arguments against it. Allah mentions in 11:92 of the Holy Qur’an that the disbelievers would object to the revelation received by Prophet Shuaib (as), complaining that they could “not understand” the majority of what he was conveying. The disbelieving Arabs attempted to degrade the pristine revelation of the Qur’an by stating that “if we wished, we could say words like these [as well]” (Qur’an, 8:32). The Qur’an’s response is as simple as it is profound: “it is not their eyes that are unseeing, but the hearts in their chests that are blind” (22:47). It is due to this eternal misfortune that they have repeatedly mocked the prophets of God (Qur’an, 36:31), subjecting every aspect of their lives and message to their diseased understandings and objections.
In the case of the Promised Messiah (as), we find the same unfortunate habits amongst his opponents. Far from looking at his revelations as a whole and judging their truthfulness according to the standard of the Qur’an and Sunnah, they cherry-pick certain revelations and subject them to a selective and superficial reading, judging them thereafter according to their own concocted standards. Doing so reveals not only their bias and incompetence, but their similarity to the opponents of the Prophet Muhammad (sa). The following verses contain an ample reply to the opponents of the Promised Messiah (as):
“He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book; in it there are verses that are decisive in meaning — they are the basis of the Book — and there are others that are susceptible of different interpretations. But those in whose hearts is perversity pursue such thereof as are susceptible of different interpretations, seeking discord and seeking wrong interpretation of it. And none knows its right interpretation except Allah and those who are firmly grounded in knowledge; they say, ‘We believe in it; the whole is from our Lord.’ — And none heed except those gifted with understanding.” (Qur’an, 3:8)
“Nay, but they have rejected that the knowledge of which they did not encompass nor has the true significance thereof yet come to them. In like manner did those before them reject the truth. But see what was the end of those who did wrong!” (10:40)
Supposed Grammatical Mistakes in the English Revelations of the Promised Messiah
There are several English revelations of the Promised Messiah (as) which are objected to because of their lack of alignment with modern English grammar. These are:
I am quarreller. [28]
I can what I will do.
We can what We will do. [29]
God is coming by His army. He is with you to kill enemy. [30]
Though all men should be angry, but God is with you. He shall help you. Words of God not can exchange. [31]
You have to go Amritsar;
He halts in the zilla Peshawar. [32]
Firstly, it is important to understand that these objections are not something that have recently come up. Rather, the Promised Messiah (as) was well-informed about these types of objections and offered detailed explanations. Specifically, he addressed the objections to the grammar in his English revelations in two different ways. One, he accepted that due to the speed of the revelation, it was possible that he may in certain places have made a slight mistake in recalling and noting down its exact wording, which may have resulted in errors in the grammar.
Two, he also explained that the rules of grammar change with the passage of time, and God, being the originator of all languages and Sovereign King, is not bound to adhere to the current conventions of grammar or language as expressed by the limited knowledge of modern grammarians. Rather, the revelation can be according to previous grammatical paradigms, or not follow the common conventions at all.
The Promised Messiah (as) explains in his work Haqiqatul Wahi:
“As these revelations are in a foreign tongue and revelation comes fast, it is possible that there may be a slight departure from the pronunciation. It has also been observed that sometimes the divine word does not follow human idiom or follows an archaic idiom and sometime does not even follow the rules of grammar. There are several such instances in the e.g. ان ھذان لساحران (Qur’an, 20:64) where in the verse the prevailing usage by men calls for “ان ھذین” instead [33].
He further elaborated in his work Nuzul-al-Masih:
“This is a strange matter that some sentences of revelation from God do not apparently follow the man-made rules of syntax and morphology, but with slight concentration it can be brought into conformity. It is for this reason that some ignorant people have made criticisms on the Holy Qur’an based on their fictitious grammar, but all such criticisms are outrageous. Knowledge of language is known to God the All-Knowing; not anyone else. And language which changes according to place likewise changes according to time. If today’s Arabic expressions in Egypt, Mecca, Medina, Persia and others are analyzed, then these expressions are apparently uprooting all the rules of Arabic syntax and morphology. It is possible that such expressions have been used in the past as well. So there is no obstacle in Gods revelation that some of its sentences must be in line with past or present expressions.” [34]
Although these explanations are sufficient for the sincere, a detailed analysis of these three explanations and their validity within the Islamic paradigm will be presented below.
About the Author: Azhar Goraya is a graduate from the Ahmadiyya Institute of Languages and Theology in Canada. He is currently serving as an Imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Puerto Rico. He is also the Central American Coordinator for The Review of Religions en Español.
Endnotes:
[1] See Tadhkirah, Eng. Trans., 2009 edition, Index of English Revelations, pg. 1101.
ثُمَّ يَأْتِي عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ قَوْمٌ قَدْ عَصَمَهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ فَيَمْسَحُ عَنْ وُجُوهِهِمْ وَيُحَدِّثُهُمْ بِدَرَجَاتِهِمْ فِي الْجَنَّةِ فَبَيْنَمَا هُوَ كَذَلِكَ إِذْ أَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَى عِيسَى إِنِّي قَدْ أَخْرَجْتُ عِبَادًا لِي لاَ يَدَانِ لأَحَدٍ بِقِتَالِهِمْ فَحَرِّزْ عِبَادِي إِلَى الطُّورِ (صحیح مسلم، کتاب الفتن، 2937)
…Then a people whom Allah had protected would come to Jesus, son of Mary, and he would wipe their faces and would inform them of their ranks in Paradise and it would be under such conditions that Allah would reveal to Jesus these words: I have brought forth from amongst My servants such people against whom none would be able to fight; you take these people safely to Tur…(Sahih Muslim, The Book of Trials and Portents of the Last Hour, 2937)
[3] Tadhkirah, pg. 7-8
[4] See Tafseer Hazrat Masih-e-Maud, under 69:48
[5] Tadhkirah, pg. 79
[6] Tadhkirah, pg. 39
[7] Tadhkirah, pg. 972
[8] Tadhkirah, pg. 80
[9] Tadhkirah, pg. 39
[10] Tadhkirah, pg. 699
[11] See Tadhkirah, pgs. 66-67 and 67-69
لاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا (صحیح بخاری، کتاب التفسیر، 4636)
“The hour will not be established till the sun rises from the West…” (Sahih Bukhari, The Book of Prophetic Commentary, 4636)
[13] Nur-ul-Haq part 1. Ruhani Khazain, vol. 8, pg. 150.
[14] Nuzul-al-Masih, Ruhani Khazain, vol. 18, pg. 466.
[15] Chashma-e-Ma’rifat, Ruhani Khazain vol. 23, pg. 382
وَكَذَا مَوْضُوعٌ مَا ذَكَرَهُ بَعْضُ مَشَايِخِنَا مِنَ الْعَجَمِ أَنَّهُ وَرَدَ فِي الْكَلَامِ الْقُدْسِيِّ بِاللِّسَانِ الْفَارِسِيِّ جه كنم باين كناه كاران كه نيا مرزم
“And similarly, there is a fabricated narration that some of our non-Arab scholars have mentioned, that holy revelation descended in the Persian language: ” What should I do with these sinners if I do not forgive them?” (Al-Asrar al-Marfu’ah fi al-Akhbar al-Mawdu’a, Vol. 1, pg. 278, Hadith #359)
[17] Mulla Ali Qari’s main basis for declaring this tradition as fabricated is that it contradicts what he states is the authentic hadith, “Love the Arabs for three reasons: because I am an Arab, the word of Allah is in Arabic, and the language of the people of paradise is Arabic.” Nevertheless, this hadith has been declared as fabricated by other scholars (See Albani, Al-Silsilatul Da’ifiyya, Vol. 1, pg. 293, Hadith# 160). Moreover, there is no absolute prohibition in this hadith that the word of Allah can never descend in any other language. Rather, the context of the statement can be understood as stating that most of the revelation has descended in Arabic, which is a sufficient enough reason to love the Arabs.
[18] See Sahih Bukhari, the Book of Jihad, Chapter 188, Ahadith 3070-3072. Aini in his commentary Umdatul Qari relates the opinion that the term الرطانة refers to any foreign language (vol 15, pg. 4)
وَكَانَ البُخَارِيّ أَشَارَ إِلَى أَن النَّبِي صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم كَانَ يعرف الْأَلْسِنَة لِأَنَّهُ أرسل إِلَى الْأُمَم كلهَا على اخْتِلَاف ألسنتهم (عمدة القاری شرح صحیح بخار، بابُ مَنْ تَكَلَّمَ بالْفَارِسِيَّةِ والرَّطَانَةِ، ۸۸۱)
Umdatul Qari, Sharah Sahih Bukhari, under chapter “whoever spoke in Persian and other foreign languages”, 881
[20] Jalal-ud-Deen Suyuti, Al-Itqan fi Ulumil Qur’an. Vol. 2, pg. 126. Under chapter 38 “what is seen in it of languages other than Arabic”.
[21] Arthur Jeffrey, The Foreign Vocabulary of the Qur’an. Indices, pgs. 298-311
[22] See Qur’an, 34:29 “And We have not sent thee but as a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner, for all mankind, but most men know not.” And 21:108 “And We have sent thee not but as a mercy for all peoples.”
[23] Tuhfa Golarwiyya, Ruhani Khazain vol. 17, pg. 263 footnote
[24] Tuhfa Golarwiyya, Ruhani Khazain vol. 17, pg. 261 footnote
[25] Sheikh Abdul Qadir Sodagarmal, Hayat-e-Tayyaba, Pg. 22, Under “The First Account of the stay of the Promised Messiah (as) in Sialkot as per Maulana Syed Mir Hassan Sahib.”
[26] Nuzul-al-Masih, Ruhani Khazain, vol. 18, pg. 435
[27] Haqiqatul Wahi, Eng. Trans. Pg. 384
[28] Tadhkirah, pg. 68
[29] Tadhkirah, pg. 79
[30] Tadhkirah, pg. 81
[31] Tadhkirah, pg. 123
[32] Tadhkirah, pg. 144-145
[33] Haqiqatul-Wahi, Eng. Trans. p. 384 footnote #2.
[34] Nuzul-al-Masih, Ruhani Khazain, vol. 18, pg. 436.
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