The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 156
THE PROMISED MESSIAH AND MAHDI government alone. In his capacity as a righteous Muslim, no more than that, in his capacity as a Deputy and a Representative of the Holy. Prophet Muhammad, in his position as the Reformer of this age, it was his basic belief that, irrespective of caste or creed, it was the duty of every true Muslim that he should remain loyal to the government of his country. This is the same principle which the Holy Prophet. Muhammad (peace be on him) scrupulously observed during the. Meccan period of his life; which Moses observed while the Israelites. were living under the Pharoah, before the exodus from Egypt; and which Jesus Christ observed under the Roman rule over Palestine in his day. In fact, this is the very teaching which the Holy Quran imparts, in principle, in the clearest words, (Sura Nisa, verse 60), where we read: "O ye Believers, give obedience to Allah, and to the. Apostle of Allah, and to those established in authority over you. ". In the light of this clear teaching, the Ahmadiyya Movement, which, by the grace of God, is now a universal Movement, having spread in most of the Asiatic countries, in most of the West and East. African countries, in Australia, in many countries of Europe and the two Americas, firmly believes that irrespective of the religion to which the governments of their native lands might ascribe themselves, its members should remain scrupulously loyal to them, wishing them well from the bottom of their hearts. Therefore, whosoever looks upon us, the Ahmadis, with suspicion, he is either labouring under a serious misapprehension, or he is willfully taking up an attitude which is patently false. And on this point, in the sincerity of our hearts, we call upon Allah as a witness; and God's curse on him who tells a lie. " (Durr-i-Maknun, pp. 39-47). During the life time of the Promised Messiah, his opponents. never charged or raised the objection that he was loyal to the British. Government. All his well known opponents and contemporaries were just as loyal to the Government as he was. This list includes eminent persons like Maulvi Muhammad Hussein Batalvi, Pir Mehr Ali Shah. Golarvi, Maulvi Sana Ullah Amritsari and Sir Sayyed Ahmad Khan. . On the other hand many prominent Christian priests and Muslim opponents like Maulvi Muhammad Hussein Batalvi continuously 156