Three in One — Page 227
However, he insisted that Islam 'commanded us that we should make the same kind of preparation to face the unbelievers as they do to confront us or, that we treat them as they treat us, and as long as they do not raise the sword against us, we do not raise it against them till then. 123 He argued that in the present 'age, the pen had been raised against Islam and it was through it that Muslims had been caused so much pain and suffering. . Therefore, the pen should be the weapon of the Muslims. 124 He also 'believed it the duty of every Muslim to join this battle" but he did not disregard the injunction of undertaking Jihad by the sword nor abrogate it. On the contrary, he was of the opinion that Islam does permit 'the taking of the sword in opposition to people who take it up against Islam first and who embark upon slaughter first. 126 In his long exposition of the. Islamic Jihad, he was quite insistent that under the prevailing conditions: 'The Jihad of this age is to propagate Islam and refute the allegation of the critics; to spread the beauty of the true religion, Islam, in the world, and to manifest the truth of the. Holy Prophetsa to the world. " 127 +25. But this did not mean that Jihad by the sword now stood abrogated. On the contrary, Hadhrat Ahmad as stated quite clearly that under the present conditions: 'This is Jihad, until God produces different circumstances in the world. . These statements should therefore establish that Hadhrat. Ahmadas did not discount the prospects of Muslims resorting to the use of the sword to conduct Jihad if conditions demanded. . However, until then, he considered it against the essence of 23. Ahmad, [Hadhrat] Mirza Ghulam. Haqeeqatul Mahdi, p. 28; Ruhani Khazain, vol. 14, p. 454 24. Ahmad, [Hadhrat] Mirza Ghulam. Malfoozat, vol. 1, p. 44 25. Ibid. , 219 26. Ahmad, [Hadhrat] Mirza Ghulam. Anjam Atham; Ruhani Khazain, vol. 11, p. 37 27. Ibid. , Letter to Mir Nasir Nawab quoted in Ruhani Khazain 227 28. Ibid.