Questions and Answers
The Light (Pakistan), 16th July 1922 Issue (Vol. 1, No. 15, pp. 3–4)
Question:
Is another new soul created just after the death of a person in order to fill up the blank space? — Mohd. [Muhammad] Abdul Jabbar
Answer:
No, it is not essential.
I do not think that a soul fills up a space.
Question:
How will the final judgement be possible in case of an embryo who has no connection whatever with any kind of action, good or bad? — Mohd. Abdul Jabbar
Answer:
Judgement is always based upon actions. One who has got no actions cannot be subject to any judgement.
Question:
Would not the very limitedness of human life and work become unbearable and despondent, the world being thus overflowed by horrible pessimism?
Answer:
Sorry, I cannot exactly understand what you mean. Do you mean that the human life, short as it is, creates pessimism? If so, I will beg leave to differ, because the world has not as yet grown pessimistic.
Question:
Whether a Muslim patient, who is dangerously ill and is advised by doctors to use “brandy” simply to save his life, use it or not. — Abdul Aziz
Answer:
Yes; wine is permissible as a medicine.
Question:
Why don’t you undertake reform of Indian Muslims and Muslims of Eastern countries first?
Instead of those sums of money which you spend in England, if you do spend only half of that sum in Java or China, you would achieve a great success. — Yousif Husain
Answer:
We have taken this work also in hand. But the Western countries too command our serious attention, as it is there that Islam is most grossly misrepresented.
Question:
Which of the two is better in the eyes of God: improving the lot of the downtrodden Muslims in our own country, or going to the place quite out of the way, as England, etc.? — Yousif Husain
Answer:
Both of them are commendable in the eyes of God. Comparisons are said to be odious.
Question:
What is the difference between your party and the Qadian party? — Yousif Husain
Answer:
We hold that the late Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian was the Mujaddid [Reformer] of this century and the Promised Messiah; that is, the prophecy of the Holy Prophet [pbuh] with regard to the Second Advent of Jesus was fulfilled in his person.
The Qadian party believes that he was a Prophet in the strict sense of the term, and hence all Muslims except his followers are outside the pale of Islam, while we believe that he was not a Prophet but a Mujaddid.
Question:
If the time for everybody’s death is fixed by God, then please explain the inconsistency in these two verses:
“And if We please, We can drown them, then there shall be no successor for them, nor shall they be rescued” [The Holy Quran, 36:43];
“But by mercy from Us; and for enjoyment till a time.” [The Holy Quran, 36:44]
— Mohammad Abdulla
Answer:
There appears no inconsistency here. The first verse speaks of the punishment; and the latter of the ordinary divine law.
Question:
What is the good of Baiyat [taking a pledge]? — Mr Aslam
Answer:
It is a sort of a pledge, and with some dispositions it serves the purpose of a stimulant to do good, and of a setback to shun evil, because men are naturally anxious to keep their pledges.
Question:
Are we not able to guide ourselves in the true path without the help of a Pir Sahib [priest]? — Mr Aslam
Answer:
Yes, we are able to guide ourselves; and Islam has no priesthood. The case of an inspired personality is, however, different.
Question:
What will be the future of those who have not taken any Pir? Will they go to hell? — Mr Aslam
Answer:
No; they will not go to hell on this account.
Question:
What is the difference between baiyat [a pledge] and tauba [repentance]? — Mr Aslam
Answer:
Tauba (repentance) is an individual act without the association of anybody else. Baiyat is associated with some other holy man to whom you make allegiance as your spiritual guide.