An Introduction to the Hidden Treasures of Islam — Page 88
88 Background At a time the Promised Messiah as was engaged in meeting the challenges of the Mull a hs, he came to know of two books written by Sir Syed Ahmad Kh a n. The titles of the two books were Ad-Du‘ a’ Wal-Istij a bah and Ta h r i r F i U su lit-Tafs i r. The Promised Messiah as had read his other publications earlier. Sir Syed Ahmad Kh a n declared that prayers were just a form of worship resorted to by devotees at times of need by natural impulse. Prayer, according to him, did not actually help in the attainment of what was desired because God did not interfere in the laws of Nature and everything seemed to be pre-ordained. Sir Syed Ahmad Kh a n stated that he did not believe in the efficacy of prayers or in the existence of the angels. The Book As these ideas were against the teachings of Islam were being spread, the Promised Messiah as wrote a booklet, Barak a tud-Du‘ a’ in 1893, in which he reviewed the two books of Sir Syed Ahmad Kh a n, and pointed out his mistakes and explained that prayers were indeed accepted by God and that they did help in the attainment of the desired end. Prayer, he said, was like a medicine. If everything was ordained, why should disease be treated at all? If prayer were useless, the science of medicine must also be meaningless. The Promised Messiah as further explained the philosophy of prayer show that pre-ordination or predestination did not preclude the exercise of power and control by the Almighty, Who could not be dethroned. Then, he discussed the principles of interpreting the Holy Quran. He also refuted the idea that revelation was only a subjective state of mind and not an actual and objective communion with God. The Promised Messiah as further declared: “God has sent me as the reformer of this age, because such wrong notions as these could not be removed without special Divine assistance from the ideas of the Muslims, and that the non-believers could be offered the proof of the