Prophets and saints are raised so that people should follow them in all their moral qualities and that all seekers after truth should tread the path along which God has made them steadfast. It is obvious that high moral qualities are proved by their exercise on the proper occasion and it is only then that they are most effective. For instance, forgiveness is praiseworthy when the wronged one has the power to take revenge, and piety is trustworthy when it is exercised at a time when means of selfindulgence are at hand. God's design with regard to Prophets and saints is that every type of high moral quality should be manifested by them and should be clearly established.
To fulfil this design God Almighty divides their lives into two parts. One part is passed in hardships and under calamities, in which they are tormented and persecuted so that those of their high moral qualities might be manifested which can only be manifested during great hardship. If they are not subjected to great hardship, it cannot be affirmed that they were faithful to their Lord in the face of all calamities and pressed further forward in the face of hardships. They are grateful to God Almighty that He chose them for His favours and considered them worthy that they should be persecuted in His cause. God Almighty afflicts them with misfortunes so that their endurance and steadfastness and fidelity might be manifested and they might illustrate the proverb that:
‘Steadfastness is higher than a miracle.’
Perfect steadfastness is not manifested in the absence of great hardships, and is appreciated when a person is greatly shaken. These calamities are spiritual bounties in the case of Prophets and saints, through which their high qualities, in which they are matchless and peerless, are manifested and their ranks are promoted in the hereafter. If they were not subjected to severe trials, they would not be awarded these bounties, nor would their sterling qualities be demonstrated to the common people. Their high resolve, fidelity and bravery would not be universally acknowledged. They became matchless, peerless, unique, unreachable, and so perfect and brave as if each of them were a thousand lions in one body and a thousand leopards in one frame. Thus, their power and strength held high in everyone's estimation and they arrived at high ranks of nearness to God.
The second part of the lives of Prophets and saints is perfected in victory, prestige and riches, so that such of their high qualities might be demonstrated for which it is necessary to be victorious, to possess prestige, riches, authority and power. To forgive one's tormentors, and to forbear from one's persecutors, and to love one's enemies, and to wish well to one's ill-wishers, not to love riches nor to be proud of them, and not to be miserly and to open wide the gates of beneficence and generosity, and not to make riches the means of self-indulgence, and not to make power an instrument of tyranny and transgression, are all qualities for the demonstration of which it is necessary to possess riches and power. These qualities are demonstrated when a person possesses both wealth and authority.
As without passing through a time of trial and misfortune, and also a time of prosperity and authority, these two types of high qualities cannot be manifested, the Perfect Wisdom of the Divine demanded that Prophets and saints should be provided with both these types of opportunities which comprise thousands of bounties. But the sequence of both these conditions is not the same for everyone. Divine Wisdom ordains in the case of some that the period of peace and comfort should precede the time of troubles, and in the case of others, troubles precede Divine help. In some these conditions are not apparent and in others they are manifested to a perfect degree. In this respect the foremost was the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] for both these conditions were imposed upon him in their perfection in such order that his high qualities were illumined like the sun and thus was fulfilled the verse:
‘Thou dost surely possess high moral excellences.’—al-Qalam, 68:5
The Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] having been proved to be perfect in both types of high qualities, thus proved the high qualities of all the Prophets, inasmuch as he confirmed their Prophethood and their Books and manifested their being the favourites of God. This repels the objection that the moral qualities of Jesus [peace be on him] in respect of both these types were not established to a perfect degree, and indeed they were not established even with regard to one type. It is true that Jesus showed steadfastness under distress, but the perfection of this quality would only have been demonstrated had Jesus obtained authority and superiority over his persecutors, had forgiven them from the bottom of his heart as the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] having obtained complete victory over the Meccans and others and having them at his mercy, forgave them, with the exception of a few who had been condemned by God to undergo punishment for their specific crimes. Having achieved victory, he announced to them:
‘No blame shall lie on you this day.’
On account of this forgiveness which had appeared impossible in the estimation of his opponents, who considering their own misdeeds deemed themselves already condemned to death, thousands of people accepted Islam within an hour. The steadfastness of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] which he had demonstrated for a long period under their severe persecution became illumined in their eyes like the sun. It is part of man's nature that the greatness of a person's steadfastness is illustrated perfectly when he forgives his persecutors after obtaining power over them. That is why the high qualities of Jesus in the matter of steadfastness and meekness and endurance were not fully demonstrated and it did not become clear whether his steadfastness was by his choice or was under compulsion. Jesus did not acquire power and authority over his persecutors so that it cannot be determined whether he forgave his enemies, or would have avenged himself upon them.
As a contrast, the high qualities of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] were demonstrated on hundreds of occasions and their reality shone forth like the sun. The qualities of generosity, beneficence, sacrifice, bravery, piety, contentment and withdrawal from the world were demonstrated more clearly and brilliantly in the case of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] than in the case of any other Prophet. God Almighty bestowed great treasuries upon the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] and he spent them all in the cause of God and did not spend a penny on self-indulgence. He raised no structures and built no mansions, but spent the whole of his life in a mud hut, which was no different from the dwelling of the poorest person. He behaved benevolently towards those who had persecuted him and helped them in their distress out of his own resources. He lived in a small adobe hut and slept on the ground and ate of barley bread or went without food. He was granted abundant wealth of the world, but he did not soil his holy hands with it and always preferred poverty to wealth and meekness to power. From the day of his advent to the day when he returned to his Companion on High, he attached no importance to anything except to his Lord. He gave proof of his bravery, fidelity and steadfastness in battle against thousands of enemies, solely for the sake of God, when death appeared a certainty.
In short, God Almighty manifested such high qualities as benevolence, piety, contentment, bravery and all that pertained to the love of the Divine in the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) the like of which had not appeared in the world before him, nor will appear after him. In the case of Jesus, these high qualities were not clearly established for they can only be proved in a period of power and riches and these were not granted to Jesus. Thus in his case, both types of qualities remained hidden as conditions for their demonstration were not present, but this objection which can be raised against the deficiency in the case of Jesus has been repelled by the perfect example of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] inasmuch as his beneficent example perfects and completes the case of every Prophet, and through him whatever had remained hidden or doubtful in the case of Jesus and other Prophets shone forth brightly. Revelation and Prophethood came to an end in that holy person in the sense that all excellences reached their climax in him. This is the grace of Allah. He bestows it upon whom He wills.
[Brahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 1 pp. 276-292, footnote 11]
God Almighty divided the life of our Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] into two parts, one of pain and troubles and suffering and the other of victory, so that during the period of suffering those qualities might be manifested which belong to the period of suffering, and in the period of victory and power, those qualities might be demonstrated that cannot be established without power. Thus, both types of qualities were clearly established in his case by his passing through both these periods. By reading the history of his period of distress, which extended over thirteen years in Mecca, it becomes clear that he demonstrated those qualities which the perfectly righteous demonstrate in the period of distress, that is to say, trusting in God and abstaining from complaining and not slackening in his work and not standing in awe of anyone, in such manner that the disbelievers believed on witnessing such steadfastness and bore witness that unless a person had full trust in God, he could not endure suffering with such steadfastness.
When the stage of victory, power and prosperity arrived the high qualities of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him]—his forgiveness, generosity, bravery—were demonstrated so perfectly that a large number of disbelievers observing those qualities believed in him. He forgave his persecutors and gave security to those who had expelled him from Mecca and enriched their needy ones. Having obtained authority over his principal enemies, he forgave them. Many people, observing his high qualities, testified that unless a person came from God and was truly righteous, he could not possess such qualities. That is why the old rancour of his enemies was immediately removed. The Holy Qur’an testifies to his exemplary morals in this verse:
This means that: Tell them that my worship and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for God alone, that is my whole life is devoted to manifesting the glory of God and providing comfort for His creatures so that with my death they might regain spiritual life.
al-An‘am, 6:163
[Islami Usul ki Philosophy, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 10, pp. 447-448]
Greater than all honours is the honour of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] which has affected the whole Islamic world. His honour revived the world. In Arabia, adultery, drinking and fighting were rife. Human rights were completely disregarded. There was no sympathy for mankind. Even the rights of God were repudiated altogether. Stones and plants and stars were invested with Divine attributes. Diverse types of shirk were widespread. Not only man but even human genitals were worshipped. If a person possessing a sane nature were to observe those conditions even for a short while he would behold a terrible scene of darkness, wrongdoing and tyranny. Paralysis strikes on one side, but this was a paralysis which had struck both sides. The world had been completely corrupted. There was security neither on water nor on land.
The Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] appeared in this age of darkness and destruction, and reformed perfectly both sides of the balance and reestablished the rights of God and the rights of man on their true centre. The moral power of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] can be estimated by considering the condition of the age. The persecutions to which he and his followers were subjected and the treatment that he accorded to his enemies, when he obtained power over them, demonstrate the height of his rank.
There was no torment that Abu Jahl and his companions did not inflict upon the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] and his devoted companions. Poor Muslim women were tied to the feet of camels which were then driven in opposite directions and their bodies were thus torn asunder; their only offence being that they believed:
There is none worthy of worship except Allah
He endured everything with steadfastness and when Mecca fell, he forgave his enemies, reassuring them: No blame shall lie on you this day. This was the perfection of high moral qualities which is not found in any other Prophet. Send down Thy blessings O Allah on Muhammad and his people.
[Malfuzat, Vol. II, pp. 79-80]
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