Claims and Teachings - Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 434
Our leader's appeal to the Iradtein Mussulmans. i , - *. . (An Extract from the Non-co-operation and Islam, by Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud- Din Mahmu d A hm ad, Second Successor : of the Promised Messiah and Head of 'the Ahmadiyy a Community. ) MY DEAR GOOTTRYMEN,. - -. -. :. ; : :. . . . . . . . . -No form of non -co- > operation is perm rssiblemnder the present ci rcu m stances an d- n Q t onl y i t is not. obi i gaiory agai n s t the Bri tish Government, it is the height of injustice to declare it to be even lawful according to the precepts of Islam. If any person should calmly -think over the; matter, he would be driven to the conclu- sion both i>y the force of aKguments' an'd the evidence of facts that- the present agitation is rnerefy " the outcome of selfish motives. . For he would see at a glance that all this excitement which is ascribed to a jealous love for Islam has occurred only when material interests are threatened and that when the very spirit and essence of Islam are to -be- protected against the attacks of the enemy/there is no display of any enthusiasm and no mani- festation of indignation. Nay, the majority of those who are participating in the. non-co-operation movement are men who are utterly indifferent to the real commandments of Islam and do not have for them even as much regard as they have for the words^of a mere acquaintance, alt-hough the real thing is Islam and the temporal power or authority is only a subservient thing. When the Muslims wielded no temporal power, there was nothing lacking in the glory of Islam and- when they attained that power, it added nothing to its beauty. Islam is itself beautiful and a Muslim is blessed in -his own person. "Neither Islam stands in