Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 135
THE RENAISSANCE OF ISLAM 135 It must be borne in mind that the expression 'the Imam of the age' comprises prophets, messengers, muhaddaseen and reformers, all of them. Those who are not Divinely appointed for the reform and guidance of mankind and are not invested with the requisite excellences, cannot be described as Imam of the age even if they are saints and abdal [Zurooratul Imam, p. 24]. As I am the follower of a Prophet who was invested with all human excellences and whose law is perfect and is designed for the reform of the whole world, l have been invested with all the capacities that are needed for the reform of the whole world. There can be no doubt thatJesus was not invested with the capacities with which I have been invested, for he was sent to one particlar people only [Haqeeqatul Wahi, p. 153]. I can call God to witness that as He spoke to Abraham and Isaac and Ishmael and to Jacob and to Joseph and to Moses and to Jesus, son of Mary, and last of all spoke to our Holy Prophet, peace be on him, in such manner that He vouchsafed to him the most brilliant and excellent revelation, so has He honoured me with His con:- verse. This honour has bee:n bestowed upon me only on account of my obedience to the Holy Prophet, peace be on him. Had I not been one of his followers and had I not obeyed him, I would never have been honoured with God's word even if my good deeds had been piled up as high as the mountains. All Prophethood has now come to an end except the Prophethood of Muhammad. No law-bearing Prophet can now arise, but a non-law-bearing pro- phet can arise provided he is a follower of the Holy Prophet. In this way I am both a follower and a Prophet, and my Prophethood is a reflection of the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet. Apart from that it is nothing. It is the same Prophethood as that of Muhammad which has manifested itself in me [Tajalliat Ilahiyyah, p. 24]. I have repeatedly affirmed that the revelation that I put forth is certainly and absolutely the word of God, as the Holy Quran and the Torah are the word 0. £God, and I am a Prophet of God by way of reflection. Every Muslim is bound to obey" me in religious matters, and is bound to accept me as the Promised Messiah. Everyone whom my call has reached, though he is a Muslim, and he does not accept me as arbiter and does not believe in me as the Promised Messiah, and does not esteem the revelation that is vouchsafed to me as coming from God, is accountable before heaven, for he ,rejects that which he was under obligation to accept