The Only Way to True Unity and Peace in India — Acceptance of Truthfulness of All Prophets
by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian
The Young Islam, 15th September 1934 Issue (Vol. 1, No. 8, pp. 1, 4)
Consider how beautiful this teaching of the Holy Quran is, for it lays down the basis of peace and union in the world. It requires all the different peoples to become one people, for it demands of all that they should revere the sacred religious leaders of the others.
It must be admitted by all that the root of the strong hatred and enmity between various people is the contempt and hatred of the prophets and messengers of God who are accepted and revered by millions of the people of every country. The person who speaks abusively or contemptuously of the prophet of a people or befriends an abuser and then desires that that people should be in harmony with him is a fool and his folly and ignorance are unequalled. Can a son live in peace and friendship with the abuser of his father? That cannot be. Those who cry most for peace and union with their tongues should first conform their conduct to a peaceful attitude.
My dear countrymen! Do not throw away these words of mine but give them your deepest reflection. We live in one country and are one another’s neighbours. Let us then live in such peace and friendship that we may be as part of one body. But bear in mind that hypocritical love will not avail in the least. Nay, such peace is a poisonous seed which will give a fatal fruit in the end. Peace is no doubt an excellent thing, the one thing that can be desired, but remember that peace and abuse cannot live in the same heart. Are you then prepared, my friends, to take this step to lay the basis of the long-desired union by accepting this principle of peace, viz., that as we regard those rishis and avatars of yours, who are accepted and highly revered by millions of your people, as truthful and righteous servants of God, you may also in like manner believe with a sincere heart in the prophethood of our Holy Prophet Muhammad [pbuh] and unite with us in reciting the holy words which are so dear to every Muslim’s heart,
لَآاِلٰہَ اِلَّااللّٰھُ مُحَمَّدٌرَّسُوْلُ اللّٰھِ
Lailaha illallaho Muhammad-ur-Rasul Ullah;
that is,
“There is no deity but Allah and Muhammad is the Apostle of God.”
My countrymen! I entreat you to join with us in advancing towards that goal of peace and union for which we have already started, and thus deal a deathblow to the hatred and ill-feeling which is eating away our country. We do not require you to do anything which we have not ourselves done first and our requisition relates only to a condition which we have already satisfied. To uproot all enmities and to establish a true and sincere union it is sufficient that as we look upon your rishis and avatars as true prophets of God, you should also express a belief in the truth of our Holy Prophet and make this declaration public. We cannot, of course, act in accordance with all your current beliefs, for Almighty God has informed us that the scriptures which are in your hands have had alterations and changes made in them by human hands. Moreover, your own religious differences are so great that the beliefs of one sect contradict those of another, and it is useless to enter into these discussions, for the final commandment of God as contained in the Holy Quran has freed us from all other obligations. Therefore, all we desire of you is that you should believe in the truth of our scriptures and prophets in the same manner as we believe in the truth of your scriptures and prophets.
In short, we have come to you with this principle of peace in our hands so that you may bear witness that we accept your great and revered leaders as prophets of God, and we hope that if you love peace and desire to promote union between various people you will have no hesitation to accept our Holy Prophet as a true Prophet and righteous Messenger of God. The argument to which we have drawn your attention is a very clear and cogent argument. But if peace and union are not brought about by this method, bear in mind that they will not be effected in any other way and mutual hatred and enmity will daily be on the increase.
(The Promised Messiah)