January 2024 – Gems of the Promised Messiah & Imam Mahdi (as) – An Incident Highlighting the Truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (as)
I remember that once I sent an article to Amritsar along with a letter, which was related to the Wakil-i-Hind newspaper owned by Ralia Ram. This letter was deemed to be in contravention of the postal laws and so a lawsuit was filed against me. Even my lawyers advised that there was no hope of acquittal unless the letter was denied, that is to say, there was no way of escape except through untruth. However, I did not approve of this in the least and said that if I am punished for speaking the truth, then so be it, I shall not lie. The lawsuit was finally heard in court and the superintendent of post offices appeared as the plaintiff. When I was questioned about this, I honestly replied that the letter was mine but that I had placed it along with the article, considering it to be a part thereof. Allah Almighty granted insight to the magistrate and so he understood this point. The superintendent of post offices exerted his best efforts, but the magistrate paid no heed and acquitted me.
How can I say that one cannot do without lying? Such notions are sheer absurdity. The reality is that one cannot do without truth. Even today when I recall this incident, it gives me pleasure. I followed the command of God Almighty and He favoured me in such a manner as to become a sign.
مَن يَتَوَكَّلۡ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسۡبُهُ [1]
Remember well that nothing is more unblessed than falsehood. Generally, worldly people say that those who speak the truth are arrested, but how can I agree? Seven lawsuits have been filed against me and by the grace of God Almighty I have not had to give a single false statement in any one of them. Can anyone point out a single case in which God Almighty caused me to suffer defeat? Allah Almighty Himself defends and supports the truth. Is it possible that He should punish a righteous person? Were it so, no one on earth would dare speak the truth, belief in God Almighty would die out and the virtuous would die a living death.
ENDNOTES
[1] ‘He who puts his trust in Allah – He is sufficient for him.’ – The Holy Qur’an, 65:4.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), The Advent of the Promised Messiah (Tilford, Surrey: Islam International Publications Ltd., 2016), 29-32.