Friday Sermon of
Hazrat Amirul Momeneen
Zafrullah Domun

08 AUGUST 2008

› Interesting faith inspiring events in the life of Hazrat Hakim Molvi Nuruddin (ra) II

After reading the Tashahhud, the Ta'uz and the first chapter of the Holy Quran Hazrat Amirul Mo'menine Zafrullah Domun said:

I will continue to speak to you about the great personality of Hazrat Hakim Molvi Nuruddin (ra). From the incidents that I am going to relate, you will understand how he received Allah's help; how at times he was compelled to do something which would have an eventual purpose of which he was unaware when he was dealing with it. In addition we will also talk about how he met Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) and what was his state of mind before he met him. So I advise you not to listen or read these incidents in his life as something of little importance. No! he was an example and we would be well advised to do as he did as far as we can.

Once, Hazrat Molvi Nuruddin (ra) felt the need to read a book known as “Tabaqatul Anwaar”. It was a rare book. It was a commentary on a hadith of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (saw) where he said: “He who has me as his friend, should have ‘Al i as his friend;" The book contained about seven hundred pages, and it was written by M i r Ha mid H usain. Molvi Nuruddin heard that M i r Nawab of Lucknow, a Shia, who was also a physician in Jammu, possessed a copy. He asked him to lend it to him. The loan was made on condition that the book could be taken away at 10 p.m. and must be returned six hours later at 4 a.m. Hakim Nur-ud-Din (ra) studied the tome during the night, made notes and sent it back by the stipulated hour. He later studied the notes and reflected over them; though he had no notion why he had undertaken all that laborious research at that time.

But the purpose became clear a few days later when he was told by Shaikh Fatih Muhammad that they were to dine that evening with Miyan Ilahi Bakhsh, a leading citizen. When they were proceeding to the residence of the host Shaikh Fatih Muhammad disclosed to him that their host of the evening was a zealous Shia who had invited a Mujtahid to debate Shia doctrines with him, on condition that if he was not able to refute the Mujtahid, all the Sunnis present would subscribe to Shia doctrines. Hakim Nur-ud-Din (ra) had not been forewarned, as it was considered that an extemporaneous performance would be of much greater interest. He rebuked Shaikh Fatih Muhammad over the frivolous condition that had been agreed to, but the latter made light of his protest.

On arrival at the house of Miyan Ilahi Bakhsh, Shaikh Fatih Muhammad, in his usual forthright manner, demanded that the Shia contestant should come forward. Instead a book was handed to Hakim Nur-ud-Din (ra), who was agreeably surprised to discover that it was T abaqa tul Anwar. He leafed through it quickly and then placed it before Miyan Ilahi Bakhsh and enquired what was proposed. He was told he should make a thorough study of the book. He said he had studied it, and if they wished he could set forth its purport briefly and also refute it. Several Shia divines were present and they all desired to hear his exposition, on listening to which they went apart and agreed among themselves that they would be no match for him in a debate. M i y an Il a h i Bakhsh directed his servants to serve dinner, but Shaikh Fati h Muhammad kept shouting: "We do not want dinner; we want to hear the debate; produce your Mujtahid.” But no one came forward and no debate took place.

I have quoted this incident almost verbatim from the book of Sir Zafrullah Khan “Molvi Nuruddin”on page 66-67. Here we see how Allah prepared him for a purpose without his knowing why he was doing what he was doing. It is not easy for someone to read a book of 700 pages in six hours let alone making notes and then debating the book with those who are well aware of its contents since long.

Now I will tell you how Molvi Nuruddin came to meet Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (ra). Once he was discussing with a western educated Muslim about the subject of prophethood, in which the latter did not believe. But by the end of the day the educated Muslim announced that he was convinced that the Holy Prophet Mohammad(saw)was really the Kh a tamun Nab i yy i n (Seal of the Prophets) and that he did not wish to prolong the discussion. Molvi Nur-ud-Din (ra) felt that his opponent could not be sincere in this declaration and asked him about his sudden change of opinion. The Muslim replied: "The Holy Prophet (saw) was very wise and far-sighted. He had realized that human intellect was developing rapidly and that henceforth the concept of Prophethood and revelation would no longer be subscribed to; he, therefore, announced that he was Khatamun Nabiyyin."

Molvi Nur-ud-Din (ra) was shocked and disgusted with such crass stupidity and egregious folly. A short time thereafter, the Prime Minister of the State gave him an announcement of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian, which contained an effective refutation of the false notions of the high official which had distressed him deeply. He went with it immediately to him and said to him: "Here is an instance of a person who claims to be a recipient of revelation and affirms that God speaks to him;" to which the only rejoinder was: "It remains to be seen." Molvi Nur-ud-Din (ra) was so deeply stirred by the announcement of Hazrat Mirza Sahib(as) that he set out forthwith for Qadian to meet him and judge for himself.

All through the journey he occupied himself with earnest supplications for guidance. He has described his instant reaction on seeing him in the following words: "As soon as I beheld him my heart testified that this was the Mirza (as) and I would lay down my life for him." It was the end of his search. He had found that which he was seeking. He was then forty-three years old. The year was 1884. He offered to pledge his spiritual allegiance to Hazrat Mirz a Sahib, whose response was: "I am not authorized to accept such allegiance. I can take no step without divine direction."

"Then, could I be assured that when you have such direction, I would be the first one to be called upon to make the pledge?"

"You may be sure."

"Is there any special effort that I should put forth to win the love of God?"

"Write a book in refutation of Christian criticism of Islam."

He made up his mind to comply with the direction, though he did not know much about Christianity and he was so busy with his work as a physician that it was difficult for him to find the time to do this job. But he was a sincere friend of Allah and Allah opens ways and means for His Friends.

On his way back from Qadian he paid a visit to his hometown Bhera. There he found that the Imam of the mosque, a friend of his who was a hafiz, and started a discussion with him about predestination and freewill in a very bold way. When other people left and he found himself alone with the Imam, he said to him:

"Hafiz Sahib, I perceive you have been influenced by Christianity;" to which he replied: "What harm is there in Christianity?" He suggested that the Imam and he should call on the Christian missionary with whom the Imam was in contact and have a talk with him. The Imam agreed and took him to the European missionary in Pind D a dan Kh a n, who received them courteously and hospitably but could not be persuaded to enter into a discussion. In the end he said he would send them his criticism of Islam in writing. Molvi Nur-ud-Din (ra) said to the Imam:

" Hafiz Sahib, would you wait till you have read the criticism and its refutation before taking baptism?" The Imam signified that was only fair, and the reverend gentleman concurred. Molvi Nur-ud-Din (ra), on leaving the missionary, enquired from the Imam: "Do you know of anyone else who is in the same situation in which you are?" He was told that the station master was of the same mind. So they made their way to the station master who affirmed that no religion could stand up against Christianity. He was, however, surprised to learn that the missionary had declined an oral discussion, and he also agreed to wait till after a study of the missionary's objections and their refutation.

The objections turned out to be varied and voluminous and it was recognized that it would take a year to prepare a reply and have it printed. Now observe how Allah will create the opportunity for Molvi Nuruddin to comply with what Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad had asked him to do. It so happened that by that time there had been a succession of earthquakes in the hill country that year and the terror inspired by them afflicted the son of the Rajah of P u nch with insanity. The Rajah requested the Maharaja of Jammu to make the services of some highly qualified physician available for treatment of the prince. The Maharaja recommended H akim Nur-ud-Din (ra), who went over to Punch. He was given a comfortable residence outside the town. He had only just the one patient to take care of, and had plenty of time to make an intensive comparative study of the Bible and the Holy Quran and to make notes for preparing the reply to the objections of the missionary. Having made a thorough preparation he wrote out a four volume refutation which he called Faslul Khitab. By the time the manuscript was completed the prince had made a full recovery. The Rajah of P u nch presented a pouch of several thousand rupees to the physician as a token of his gratitude.

When he returned to Jammu the Maharaja asked him how much the Rajah had paid him, whereupon he placed the pouch before him. The Maharaja was indignant that he had been paid too little, and directed that he should, in addition, be paid a year's salary and allowances from the Jammu treasury. He sent the money and two volumes of his book to a printer in Delhi. When the printed book became available he dispatched copies to, among others, the station master and the Imam in Bhera, who wrote back that a careful study of the book had removed all their doubts, they now believed sincerely in Islam and nothing further was needed.

Prior to meeting Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Molvi Nuruddin used to pray to Allah to help him to meet such a person. I will read to you some extracts from his own writings. He said:

“……This weak and indigent servant of the Mighty and Trustworthy God, Nur-ud-Din (May God safeguard him against all afflictions and include him among His servants whom He has granted security and make him truly the light of the faith, as is the connotation of his name) submits as follows. Ever since I have become aware of the evils in which my contemporaries are involved, and have observed the changes that have occurred in religion and among religious people, I have been eager, and have been praying, that God, the Exalted, may lead me to a person who should revive the faith of Islam and should subject its enemies and the wicked to spiritual bombardment. I was firmly hopeful of the fulfillment of this earnest desire of mine, because Allah, the Exalted, Who is the Most Truthful of all speakers, had given the glad tidings to the believers in His Open Book: Allah has promised those among you who believe and act righteously that He will surely make them Successors in the earth, as He made Successors those who were before them: and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them: and that after their state of fear He will grant them peace and security. They will worship Me and will not associate anything with Me."

“He also said concerning the Holy Prophet (saw): He does not speak out of his own desire; it is but revelation from God (53:4-5). The Holy Prophet ( saw) was most truthful and most trustworthy. He said that Allah would raise among his people at the beginning of every century one who would revive the faith. Thus I was among those who awaited this mercy of His; and for this purpose I traveled to the place of the manifestation of the lights of truth and certainty, the Sacred House of Allah. I went through forests and crossed deserts looking for him among the godly.

"In blessed Mecca, I encountered the most pious and God-fearing Sayyid H usain, and met the revered Shaikh Muhammad Khazraj i. In Medina I had the honour of being in the company of my master the great Shaikh ‘Abdul Ghani Mujaddadi. I esteemed all of them as righteous and virtuous personages. May Allah reward them for their kindness to me. Amen. They ranked high as learned and pious divines, but they did not stand up to the enemies of Islam, nor did they strive to repel and remove their doubts. They remained engaged in worship in their retreats, and supplicated their Lord in solitude.

"I did not find any of the divines occupied with expounding the true message of Islam to Christians, A ryas, Brahmus, atheists, philosophers, agnostics and other opponents of Islam. On the other hand, I discovered that in India more than a million Muslim students had abandoned the study of religious subjects, and had taken up with Western subjects and languages, and preferred the company of non- Muslims to that of Muslims.

"More than sixty million pamphlets, journals and books have been published in opposition to Islam, yet we hear contemporary Shaikhs and their followers affirm that it is contrary to the practice of eminent men of the faith to invite people to the acceptance of Islam and to hold debates with the opponents of Islam. Most of our divines are not even aware of the true state of affairs. The utmost reach of our research scholars is that the whole of their time is taken up in discussing such futile and almost blasphemous questions as the possibility or impossibility of God affirming a falsehood, so that they have no time left to silence the opponents of Islam and to frustrate their designs.

"We must, however, acknowledge with gratitude the work done in this field by the great Shaikh Rahmatullah, Dr. Wazir Khan, Imam ‘Abul Mansur of Delhi, Sayyid Muhammad ‘Ali of Cawnpore, the author of Tanzihul Qur'an, and others like them. May Allah bless their efforts, and He is the best Appreciator. But all their effort has been directed against only one section of the opponents of Islam, and it has not been fortified with heavenly signs and divine predictions. I was most eager to meet the perfect man who should be unique among his contemporaries, and should step out well equipped into the field in support of the faith to silence its opponents. When I returned home from the Hijaz, I was most perplexed. I went about eagerly in my search, awaiting the call of the righteous.

"In this situation I received intimation of the advent of the most exalted personage, the great learned divine, the Reformer as of the century, the Mahdi and Messiah as of the age, author of Brahin-e-Ahmadiyya. I hastened to him to see for myself, and I realised at once that he was the Promised Arbiter( as), and it was he who had been appointed by Allah, the Exalted, for the revival of the faith. I immediately responded to the call of Allah, and fell into prostration in gratitude for this great bounty. 'Praise be to Thee, Most Merciful, and humble thanks for Thy beneficence.' I devoted myself to the Mahdi( as) of the age, and pledged my allegiance to him with the utmost sincerity. His kindness and beneficence enveloped me completely and I loved him with the full devotion of my heart. I held him dearer than all my belongings, and my wife and children and parents and all my kindred and my very life itself. His knowledge, erudition and spiritual perception won the homage of my heart. I am most grateful to God that He led me to him. It is my good fortune that I preferred him to everything and devoted myself to his service like a faithful servant who is not found wanting in any respect. All thanks to Allah, the Most Beneficent, Who bestowed His beneficence upon me."

May Allah enable each one of us to strive to follow in the steps of this great soldier of Islam and Ahmadiyyat.

As I said previously the source of materials for this sermon has been taken from the book “Hazrat Molvi Nuruddin by Sir Zafrullah Khan”. Some paragraphs have been freely quoted verbatim.