Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 137
THE RENAISSANCE OF ISLAM 137 Whenever I have denied being a Prophet or a Messenger, it means that I am not a law-bearer, nor am I a Prophet in my own right. But I am a Messenger and a Prophet without a new law in the sense that God reveals to me that which is hidden, and because of the inner grace that has been bestowed upon me on account of my obedience to the Holy Prophet, and because of having received his name. I have never denied being a Prophet in this sense. It is in this sense that God has called me a Prophet and a Messenger. My having said, I am not a Messenger an~ have not brought a book; means that I am not the bearer of a new law. It must, however, be remembered and should never be (qrgotten, that despite my having been called Prophet and Messenger, I have been informed by God that all this grace is not bestowed directly upon me but that there is one in heaven, that is to say, Muhammad, the chosen one, peace be on him, whose spiritual grace accompanies me. In this way the Seal of Prophet hood has been fully safeguarded, for I have been given these names by way of reflection through the mirror of love. If a person is chagrined over the revelation that has been vouchsafed to me in which, God Almighty has called me a Prophet and a Messenger, it is foolish on his part, for my being Prophet and Messenger, as I have explained, does not contravene the Divine Seal [Ek Ghalati Ka Izalah, pp. 8-9]. It is God's design that whoever out of the Muslims remains away from me will be cut off, whether he is a ruler or a subject [Tazkirah, p. 307]. God Almighty has disclosed to me that whoever has been apprised of my advent and does not accept me is not a Muslim and is accountable to God [Tazkirah, p. 600]. I am the Garden of God, the Holy; whoever designs to cut me down would himself be cut down [Nishan Asmani, p. 37]. I announce it plainly that it is not easy to denounce me. He who calls me a kafir would have himself to become a kafir first. He who describes me as faithless and astray would have to confess his own error and humiliation. He who charges me with departing from the Quran and the Hadith would have himself first departed from them. I am an affirmant of the Quran and the Hadith and am in turn affirmed by them. I am not astray but am the Mahdi. I am not a kafir but am the foremost of the believers. God has assured me that whatever I say is the truth. He who believes in God and accepts the Quran and ,the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, as true, should