Khilafat-e-Rashidah — Page 179
KHILAFAT-E-R A SHIDAH 179 Reply to the Question that the Promise is Made with the Muslim ummah, and not with Some Individuals Now I will respond to the following questions. The first question is that the promise made in this verse is with the Muslim ummah, and not with only some individuals. My answer is: No doubt, the promise is made with the nation but it does not mean that it is not to be fulfilled through some individuals. Some promises are made with a nation but they are fulfilled through certain persons, and it is said that the promise made with a nation is fulfilled. The incidents of it are available in every language, e. g. in our language it is said that English are the kings. Does it mean that every Englishman is a king? Every Englishman is neither a king nor can be a king. Even then it is said that the English are the kings. Similarly, it is said that a certain nation is the ruler, whereas the whole nation cannot possibly be the ruler, a few people are in charge of the government and the rest of them are their subordinates. Sometimes it is said that such a nation is very rich but it does not mean that every one person of that nation is rich. It is usually said that the British people are very rich but there are also very poor people amongst them. Our elder brother Mirza Sultan Ahmad (deceased) once told me that when he was in London, the house maid threw out the waste of the house. Suddenly an English boy rushed to it, picked up a piece of bread and ate it.