Praise of British Governemnt

In third and fourth volumes of Barahin-i-Ahmadiya, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad openly praised the British government and enumerated at length its act of benevolence towards Muslims in the sections entitled, ‘An Important Appeal to Islamic Associations: The Precarious Condition of Muslims and the English Government.’ In this appeal he urged all Islamic Associations to prepare a joint memorandum and send it to the government with signatures from all prominent Muslims. Mirza Qadiani also reiterated the services rendered by his family to the British and stressed the impermissibility of jihad.[1] Thus we find that even the first work of the Mirza was not free from panegyrics to the British government or from political admonitions to the Muslims to remain loyal to the British.

Barahin-i-Ahmadiya

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani worked on this book from 1880 to 1884. After the publication of the fourth volume there came a long period of gap and the fifth and the last volume appeared in 1905, that is, full twenty-five years after the commencement of the work.[2] In the fifth volume the author mentioned that the publication of the last volume has remained in suspension for twenty-three years.[3] During this period a large number of people who had paid in advance for all the five volumes but had received only four volumes had passed away, Several other people who had paid in advance had expressed their disapproval and resentment at not receiving the promised volume for which the Mirza apologized in the fifth volume. In this volume he has also mentioned that previously he had in mind to bring forward 300 arguments to prove the truth of Islam, but later he gave up the idea. In the same way, instead of fifty, he would bring out only five volumes. The reason for this change of mind was that the difference between the two figures was merely that of a zero. In his own words:

“Earlier I had thought of writing 50 volumes, but now I have confined myself to writing five since the difference between the figures fifty and five is just that of one dot (that is zero). Thus the promise has been fulfilled by the publication of five volumes. “[4]

Mirza Bashir Ahmad Statement about Barahin-i-Ahmadiya

In Sirat al-Mahdi, Mirza Bashir Ahmad writes:

“Now that four volumes of Barahin-i-Ahmadiy have come out in print, its preface and notes all relate to the time of publication and it contains very little of the original work, that is, not more than a few pages. This can be gauged from the fact that out of the 300 arguments which he had written the Barahin-i-Ahmadiya contains only one argument and that too not in a complete form.”[5]

Critical Analysis of Barahin-i-Ahmadiya

Anyone who studies Barahin-i-Ahmadiya is bound to be impressed by Mirza’s prolificacy, perseverance and diligence. These virtues, at best, could stand him in good stead as a successful debater and an able writer on religious polemics with Christians and Arya Samajis. In this huge work, however one does not find any worthwhile research. Nor does one find the familiarity with the sources of Christianity; its ancient literature, its doctrines and history, and that grasp of its fundamental concepts as one finds, for example, in the works of Maulana Rahmatullah Kayranawi, the author of Izhar al-Haq and Izalat al-Awham. Nor does one find that sweetness and elegance of expression, and that originally and brilliance of argument that one finds in works such as those of Maulana Muhammad Qasim Nanawatwi, Taqrir Dilpizir and Hujjat al-Islam.

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[1] Barahin-i-Ahmadiyah, Vol. III, p. 139., Roohani Khazain, Vol I, p. 139 n.

[2] Sirat-al-Mahdi, vol II, p.154 n, Riwayat 467 n.

[3]Preface of Barahin-i-Ahmadiyah Vol. V, p. 2., Roohani Khazain, vol. XXI, p. 3.

[4] Preface of Barahin-i-Ahmadiyah Vol. V, p. 7., Roohani Khazain, Vol. XXI, p. 9 n.

[5]Sirat al-Mahdi. Vol. I, p. 111-112. Riwayat 133 n.