Al-Wasiyyat: The Will
All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds!
And peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad,
and his Progeny, and his Companions, all!
As God, of Power and Glory, has informed me by repeated
revelations that the time of my death is near, and His revelation
in this connection has been so frequent as to shake my being to
the very core and to make this life quite indifferent to me, I
have, therefore, thought it proper to write some words of advice
for my friends and for all those people who wish to benefit
from my teachings. I first publish the holy revelation which, by
giving me the news of my death, has prompted me to do this.
It is as follows in the Arabic language. The revelation which
came in Urdu will be written later.
Translation:
“Your destined end is nigh, and We shall not leave a
trace of anything the mention of which would bring
disgrace on you. Little remains of the time appointed for
10 AL-WASIYYAT: THE WILL
you by God, and We shall remove and clear away all
such allegations, letting nothing remain of them, which
are intended to bring disgrace on you. And We have the
power to show you the fulfilment of some of Our prophecies
about the opponents, or to cause you to die. You
will die in the state in which I will be pleased with you.
Your time has come, and We shall keep in existence for
ever clear signs to show your truth. The Promise has
drawn nigh. Proclaim to people the favour of your Lord
upon you. He who walks in righteousness and is patient,
God does not cause the reward of such doers of good to
be wasted.”
It should be remembered here that the statement of God the
Most High, that He will not leave behind any mention of me
which should be a source of disgrace and dishonour for me, has
two connotations. Firstly, that He shall clear away all those
allegations which are published with the intention of bringing
disgrace upon me, and no trace shall remain of such allegations.
Secondly, that those objectors who do not desist from their
mischief and evil talk, He shall remove them from the world
and obliterate them out of existence. Then, by their destruction,
their senseless allegations will also be destroyed. After this, God
the Most High addressed me in the Urdu language with the
following words about my death:
“Very few days remain. That day, sorrow will overtake
all. This shall happen; this shall happen; this shall
happen. After this, your event shall take place. We shall
show all the catastrophes and wonders of nature. After
that shall come your incident.”
As regards catastrophes, the knowledge I have been given
about them is that death will bring havoc all over the world; and
there shall come earthquakes so severe as to give a glimpse of
Doomsday, turning the earth over and making life hard for
many. Then those who repent and give up sinful ways, on them
God shall have mercy. As every prophet gave the news of these
CALAMATIES TO BEFALL 11
* If the eyes of the people of the world were open they would see that I
arose at the beginning of the [Islamic] century, and almost a quarter of the
14th century has now passed. And in accordance with the Hadith reports,
there was an eclipse both of the moon and of the sun during the month of
Ramadan, exactly at the time of my claim. Plague also made its
appearance in the land, and earthquakes came and more will come. But
woe to those who loved the world, and did not accept me.
times, all that must happen. But those who rectify their hearts,
and walk in ways which God likes, they shall have no fear or
grief. Addressing me, God said:
“You are a warner from Me. I have sent you so that the
guilty may be distinguished from the good.”
And He said:
“A warner came into the world, but the world accepted
him not. God will accept him and show his truth by very
powerful attacks.* I shall give you so much blessing that
kings will seek blessings from your clothing.”
God informed me regarding the coming earthquake, which
shall be very severe, and said:
“Spring time comes again; the word of God is fulfilled
again.”
So a severe earthquake must come, but the righteous are safe
from it. Be righteous then, and guard against evil, so that you
may be saved. Fear God now, so that you may be safe from the
fear of that day. It must happen that the heaven show
something, and the earth too manifest a sign, but those who fear
God shall be saved. The word of God says to me that many
calamities shall appear and many disasters descend on the earth.
Some of them will happen during my life, and some afterwards.
And God will give this Movement complete progress, some at
my own hand and some after me.
It is a law of God the Most High, one which He has constantly
shown in operation ever since He created man on earth,
that He helps His prophets and messengers, and makes them
12 AL-WASIYYAT: THE WILL
* Translation: “God has written down that He and His Prophets shall
triumph” [The Holy Quran, 58:21].
triumphant, as He says: Kataba Alla¯hu la-aghlabanna, ana wa
rusulı¯.* Triumph means that, just as it is the purpose of
messengers and prophets that God’s argument be fully proved
on earth, so that none can stand up against it, likewise does God
the Most High manifest their truth by powerful signs. Through
their hands He sows the seeds of righteousness which they wish
to spread in the world. However, He does not bring about its
completion at their hands; but rather, by causing them to die at
a time when there is apparently fear of failure, He gives the
opponents an opportunity to laugh, ridicule, taunt and mock. But
after they have laughed and ridiculed, He unveils another hand
of His power and brings into existence the means by which
those aims are fully achieved which had been left somewhat
incomplete. In short, He shows two kinds of power: firstly, at
the hands of the prophets1 themselves He displays the hand of
His power; secondly, at the time when, after the death of the
prophet, difficulties are faced, and the enemies rise up in
strength and believe that things will now go wrong and feel sure
that the community will be destroyed, and even the followers
start wavering and lose heart, and many unfortunate ones
become renegades, then does God the Most High show His
mighty power a second time, and take hold of the tottering
community. So he who perseveres to the last, sees this miracle
of God. So it happened in the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq,
when the death of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace and
the blessings of Allah be upon him, was thought to be untimely,
and many ignorant Bedouins turned apostate, while the
companions too lost their reason, as it were, with grief. Then
God the Most High, by raising up Abu Bakr, showed His power
a second time, and rescued Islam from the brink of destruction,
and fulfilled the promise He had given in the words: wa liyumakkinanna
la-hum dı¯na-hum-ul-ladhı¯ irtada¯ la-hum wa liyubaddilanna-
hum min ba‘di khaufi-him amna, i.e., after a state
of fear We shall again make firm their feet [The Quran, 24:55].
SECOND POWER TO COME AFTER MY DEATH 13
This was also what happened in the case of Moses, when he
died between Egypt and Canaan before he could take the
Israelites to the desired goal, in accordance with the promise.
His death caused tumultuous grief among them, as it is stated
in the Torah that the Israelites wept for forty days on account
of the shock from this untimely death and the sudden departure
of Moses. Similar was the case with Jesus. At the time of the
crucifixion, all the disciples scattered, and one of them even
became a renegade.2
Therefore, dear friends, as it is the Divine law of old that
God the Most High shows two kinds of power, in order to ruin
the two occasions of the false rejoicing of the opponents, it is
not possible that He should now abandon His ancient way. So,
be not saddened at what I have explained to you, and let not
your hearts be anxious, for it is necessary for you to see the
second power as well. And its coming is better for you because
it shall be perpetual — it shall not be intercepted till the Day
of Judgment. That second power cannot come until I go, but
when I go, then will God the Most High send the second power
for you; and it shall be with you for ever, as God has given the
promise in Barahin-i-Ahmadiyya. That promise is not about
myself, but it is about you, as God says:
“I will make this community, who are your followers,
prevail over those who deny you, till the Day of
Judgment.” 3
It is necessary, therefore, that you see the day of my departure,
so that after it may come the day of the eternal promise. Our
God is true to His promises, and is a faithful, truthful God. He
will show you all that He has promised. Although these are the
last days of the world, and the time for many tribulations to
come, yet it is necessary that the world continue to exist until
all those prophecies have been fulfilled whose news has been
given by God. I have come from God as a manifestation of
power, and I am the embodiment of a power from God; and
after me there will be some other individuals who will be
14 AL-WASIYYAT: THE WILL
* Such persons shall be chosen by mutual agreement among the faithful. So
any person in respect of whom forty faithful agree that he is fit to take
from people the bai‘at in my name, he shall be entitled to take the bai‘at.
And he ought to make himself an example for others. God has informed
me that He will raise for my Jama‘at a man from my offspring, and grant
him the distinction of His nearness and revelation. Through him the cause
of truth shall prosper, and many people shall accept the truth. So wait for
those days, and remember that everyone is recognised at the proper time.
It is possible that before that time he may appear to be an ordinary man,
or there may be objections to him because of some false impressions, just
as one who is to become a fully-grown man is only a small lump in the
womb before that time.
manifestations of the second power.4 So, in wait for the second
power of God, you should gather together and pray. Every party
of the righteous in each country should come together and pray
constantly, so that the other power may descend from heaven
and show you that your God is such a powerful God. Think of
your death as at hand; for you know not when that hour may
come.
After me, the righteous ones in the Jama‘at, possessing pure
souls, should take the bai‘at from people in my name.* God the
Most High wishes to draw towards His Oneness (tauhid) all
those souls living in various parts of the world, be it Europe or
Asia, all who are good in their nature, and to unite His servants
in one faith. This is God’s purpose for which I have been sent
to the world. You must therefore pursue this object, but with
gentleness, display of high morals and much recourse to prayer.
And until such time as someone arises having received the holy
spirit from God, you must all work together after me.5
It is essential that you, too, should obtain a share of the holy
spirit by showing sympathy to fellow-beings and by cleansing
your hearts, for without the holy spirit true righteousness cannot
be attained. Totally forsaking all lower urges, walk for the
pleasure of God in that path which is the narrowest of all paths.
Be not enamoured with worldly pleasures, for they cut you off
from God. For the sake of God, choose the hard life. That pain
which earns the pleasure of God is better than the enjoyment
which leads to His anger. That defeat which earns the pleasure
ACQUIRE TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS 15
of God is better than the victory which brings His wrath.
Forsake that love which brings you nearer the wrath of God. If
you come to Him with a pure heart, He will help you in every
path, and no enemy will be able to harm you. You can never
attain the pleasure of God until, forsaking your own pleasure,
your enjoyments, your honour, your property and your life, you
bear that hardship in His path which brings you face to face
with death. But if you do undertake that hardship, you will be
taken up into the lap of God like a beloved child. You will
become heirs to the righteous who have passed before you, and
the doors of every blessing shall be opened to you. But few are
such! God has said, addressing me, that righteousness is the tree
which must be planted in the heart. The water which nourishes
righteousness, waters the whole garden. Righteousness is the
root without which all else is worthless, but if it is there then
everything is there. What does man gain from the useless
behaviour of claiming with his tongue that he seeks God, but
not taking a step in the path of truth? Look, I say to you truly
that the man will perish who has any trace of worldly motives
mixed in his faith, and that soul is very close to hell whose aims
are not all for God, but some are for God and some for the
world. If, therefore, you have even a speck of worldliness in
your intentions, all your services to God are in vain. In that
case, you do not follow God, but follow the devil. Never expect
that God will help you in that condition, for you are a worm of
the earth and in a few days you will be crushed like worms are
crushed. God will not be in you; but rather, He will be pleased
by destroying you. But if you truly die in terms of your desires,
then you will appear in God, and God will be with you; that
house will be blessed in which you live; those walls will be
showered with the mercy of God which are the walls of your
house; and that town will be blessed where such a person lives.
If your life and your death, and your every movement, and your
showing of gentleness or harshness, are all only for God, and
at the time of any hardship and distress you do not put God to
the test, nor break with Him, but advance forward, then I say
16 AL-WASIYYAT: THE WILL
truly that you will be the chosen people of God. You are human
beings, as I am, and the same God Who is my God is also your
God. Therefore, waste not your powers of good. If you incline
wholly to God, then look, I tell you according to the will of
God that you will become a chosen people of God. Put the majesty
of God in your hearts, and proclaim His unity not only with
the tongue but by actions as well, so that God too may open His
grace and favour to you by action. Shun malice and show true
sympathy to your fellow beings. Walk in every path of virtue,
for it is not known from which path you will be accepted.
Receive the good news that the field of attaining nearness to
God is empty. Every nation is loving the material world, none
caring for the things which lead to the pleasure of God. For
those people who aspire to enter this gate with all their strength,
this is the opportunity for them to show their merit and find
special favour in the sight of God. Think not that God will let
you go to waste. You are a seed which the hand of God has
planted in the earth. God says that this seed will grow and
blossom, its branches will extend from all sides, and it will
become a gigantic tree. So, blessed is he who has faith in the
promise of God, and fears not the intervening trials, for trials
must also come so that God may try you as to who is true to his
bai‘at and who is false. He who stumbles at a trial will not
harm God in the least — his misfortune will take him to hell;
it would have been better for him had he not been born. But all
those who persevere till the end — though the earthquakes of
misfortunes and the hurricanes of catastrophes come upon them,
nations of the earth ridicule and mock them, and the world treat
them with great abhorrence — they shall be triumphant in the
end, and the doors of blessings will be opened for them. God
has said, addressing me, that I should inform my Jama‘at that
those who believe, and have faith without trace of worldliness,
a faith not tainted by hypocrisy or weakness of heart, and a faith
which does not fall short of any level of obedience, such are the
people liked by God; and these are they whose step is the step
of sincerity, says God.
TEACHING ABOUT GOD 17
Listen, all those who will listen, what it is that God desires
of you? It is just that you become entirely His, and take no one
to be a partner with Him, neither in heaven nor on earth. Our
God is that God Who is alive even now as He was alive before,
Who speaks even now as He spoke before, and Who hears even
now as He used to hear before. It is a baseless notion that He
hears in this age but does not speak. Nay, He hears and He also
speaks. All His attributes are eternal; none has ceased, nor shall
any ever cease. He is the One, without any partner, Who has no
son nor wife. He is the unique Who has no equal, like Whom
there is none having unique attributes. There is no one of equal
rank with Him, and no one sharing the same attributes. There
is no power which He lacks. He is near despite being far, and
He is far despite being near. He can show Himself to persons
of spiritual vision as a likeness, but He has neither body nor
form. He is above all, but we cannot say that anything else is
below Him. He is on the Divine Throne, but we cannot say that
He is not on earth. He combines in Himself all the perfect
attributes, and displays all that is truly praiseworthy. He is the
source of all virtues, the possessor of all the powers, the origin
of all grace, the One to Whom all things return, the King of all
realms, Who has every perfection and is free from every defect
and weakness. Only to Him is due the worship of those on earth
and those in heaven. Nothing is impossible for Him; all the
souls and their powers, and all the particles of matter and their
powers, are but His creation, and nothing can come into
existence without Him.
He shows Himself by means of His power and might and
signs; only through these can we find Him. He is ever
manifesting Himself to the righteous, and shows them the
wonders of His power. It is from this that He is recognised, and
the path approved of by Him is known. He sees, but without
eyes; He hears, but without ears; and He speaks, but without a
tongue. Likewise, to create something out of nothing is also His
work. Just as you see that in a scene in a dream He creates a
whole world without any matter, and shows non-existent things
18 AL-WASIYYAT: THE WILL
* Nevertheless, it must be firmly borne in mind that the door of prophethood
with a shari‘ah is completely closed after the Holy Prophet Muhammad.
After the Holy Quran, there can be no book which should give new
teachings, or abrogate any teaching of the Holy Quran, or cancel the
obligation to follow it. On the contrary, the Holy Quran will remain in
force till the Day of Judgment.
to be existent. Thus such are all the wonders of His power.
Unwise is the one who denies His power, and blind is the one
who is ignorant of His subtle might. He does, and can do,
anything except that which is against His dignity or contrary to
His promises. He is the only One in His person, in His
attributes, in His works, and in His power.
To reach Him, all doors are closed but the door which the
Holy Quran has opened. There remains no need to follow
separately all the prophethoods and all the books which have
gone before, because the prophethood of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad includes and encompasses them all, and other than
it all paths are closed. All truths which lead to God are
contained within it. Neither shall any new truth come after it,
nor was there any previous truth which is not to be found in it.
Therefore, with this prophethood have all prophethoods ended,
and so it ought to have been, because whatever has a beginning
has also an end. Nevertheless, the prophethood of the Holy
Prophet Muhammad is not devoid of granting its own grace; in
fact, it has more grace in it than all other prophethoods.
Rendering obedience to this prophethood leads to God by a very
easy path, and by following it the blessing of God’s love and
of His revelation can be attained in greater measure than used
to be received in previous times. But its perfect follower cannot
be simply called ‘prophet’ because this would be derogatory to
the completely perfect prophethood of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad. However, the two words ‘follower’ and ‘prophet’
may together be applied to him, because that would not be
derogatory to the completely perfect prophethood of the Holy
Prophet Muhammad; on the contrary, this benefit makes the
brilliance of that prophethood shine all the more.* And when
that Divine revelation, in terms of its nature and abundance,
GOD’S SPEAKING CONTINUES 19
reaches the degree of perfection, so that there is no impurity or
defect in it, and it clearly contains knowledge of matters unseen,
this in other words is called prophethood, as agreed upon by all
prophets. It was not possible that a people of whom it was said:
“You are the best nation raised up for mankind” [the
Holy Quran, 3:110]
and who had been taught to pray:
“Guide us on the right path, the path of those whom You
have favoured” [the Holy Quran, 1:6]
that all of its individuals should have remained deprived of this
exalted status, and not even one person attain this rank. In that
case, there was not only the flaw that the Umma of the Holy
Prophet Muhammad would remain spiritually defective and
imperfect, all of them being blind, as it were, but a further
drawback was that a blot would be put on the Holy Prophet’s
power of giving grace, and his purifying power would be shown
to be defective. And besides, it would be in vain to teach the
prayer which is required to be said in the five daily prayers. On
the other hand, there was the difficulty that if a member of the
Muslim Umma could attain this accomplishment directly,
without following the light of the prophethood of the Holy
Prophet Muhammad, the finality of prophethood would be
falsified.
So to avoid both these pitfalls, God the Most High bestowed
the honour of fully perfect, pure and holy revelation upon some
persons who had reached the highest degree of annihilation in
the Holy Prophet, where no veil remained between them. The
significance and meaning of being a follower, and of obedience,
reached the most complete and perfect stage in them, so that
their very being did not remain their own selves, but rather, the
person of the Holy Prophet Muhammad was reflected in the
mirror of their state of engrossment. On the other hand, they
received Divine revelation in the most complete and perfect
sense like prophets.
20 AL-WASIYYAT: THE WILL
So in this way, some individuals, despite being followers,
gained the title ‘prophet’, for prophethood in this sense is not
separate from the prophethood of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.
In fact, looking at it closely, it is nothing but the prophethood
of the Holy Prophet Muhammad itself which has appeared in a
new garb. This is precisely the meaning of the words used by
the Holy Prophet Muhammad to describe the Promised Messiah,
that is, nabiyy-ullah and imamu-kum min-kum, meaning that he
is a prophet and is also a follower. Otherwise, no outsider can
step into this place. Blessed is he who understands this point,
so that he is saved from destruction. God made Jesus die, as is
testified by His clear and plain revelation: fa-lamma¯ tawaffaitanı
¯ kunta anta ar-raqı¯ba ‘alai-him [the Holy Quran, 5:117]. This,
along with the verses in its context, means that God will ask
Jesus on the Day of Judgment if he had taught his followers to
take him and his mother as gods, and he shall reply: as long as
I was among them I was a witness of their condition and a
watcher over them, but then when You caused me to die, what
could I know about the errors into which they fell after me.
Now if someone wishes, he can take the words fa-lamma¯
tawaffaita-nı¯ to mean “when You caused me to die”, and if he
so wishes he can stubbornly stick to the untruth and take the
meaning as being: “when You raised me with my body to
heaven”. In any case, this verse proves that Jesus will not return
to the world, for if he were to return to the world before the
Day of Judgment and break the cross, it would be impossible
that, being a prophet of God, he could tell God the Most High
the plain lie on the day of Judgment that he was not aware at
all that, after him, his followers had coined the false belief of
taking him and his mother as gods. Can a man who returns to
the world, and lives in it for forty years fighting the Christians,
tell such a detestable lie, while being a prophet of God, that he
was not aware? So, as this verse prevents Jesus from coming
back, for otherwise he would be proved a liar, then if he is in
heaven with his physical body and, as made clear in this verse,
he will not descend to earth till the Day of Judgment, will he
EARTHQUAKES PROPHESIED 21
* I do not know if by spring is meant the spring to come at the end of this
winter, or if the fulfilment of this prophecy is left to another time when it
is spring. In any case, the word of God the Most High shows that it shall
be in spring time, whichever spring it might be, but God shall come like
one who comes secretly at night. This is what God has told me.
die in heaven and will his grave also be there? But to die in
heaven is contrary to the verse: “in it [i.e. the earth] shall you
die” [the Holy Quran, 7:25]. Therefore, this proves that he did
not ascend to heaven in bodily form, but rather, he went there
after his death. And as the Book of God has given this verdict
in the clearest manner, then to oppose it, is nothing but sin.
If I had not come, then this would have remained merely an
error of interpretation, which is pardonable. But as I have come
from God, and the plain and true meanings of the Holy Quran
have been made clear, to refuse even then to abandon the error
is not the way of integrity. Signs of God appeared in my
support, in heaven as well as on earth. Almost a quarter of the
century has elapsed, thousands of signs have been shown, and
the seventh millennium of the age of the world has begun. Not
to accept the truth even now — what sort of hard-heartedness
is this? Look, I proclaim loudly that the signs of God have not
yet come to an end. After the sign of the first earthquake of 4
April 1905, which had been foretold long before, God has again
informed me that in spring time there is another severe
earthquake to come. It shall be in the days of spring, but it is
not known whether it would be at the beginning of spring, when
leaves start to appear on trees, or in the middle or at the end of
the season, for the words of the Divine revelation are: “Spring
time comes again; the word of God is fulfilled again”. As the
first earthquake was also in the days of spring, so God has said
that the second earthquake too shall be in the spring.* And as
some trees start coming into bud at the end of January, the days
of fear shall commence with that month and probably continue
till the end of May.
And God said: zalzilatu-s-sa¯‘a, meaning that that earthquake
would be like a scene from the Hour of Judgment. And again,
22 AL-WASIYYAT: THE WILL
* Another revelation of God in this connection is the following: “For you
My name shone forth”.
He said: la-ka nurı¯ a¯ya¯t-in wa nahdimu ma¯ ya‘muru¯n,*
meaning: “For you We shall show signs, and We shall demolish
the buildings which they build”. Again, He said: “An earthquake
came, and it was so severe that it turned the earth upside down”,
meaning that a severe earthquake shall come and devastate
certain parts of the world, as happened in the time of Lot. And
again, He said: inı¯ ma‘a-l-afwa¯ji a¯tı¯-ka baghta-tan, meaning, “I
shall come with my armies secretly”. None shall know of that
day, just as before the town of Lot was destroyed no one knew
about it. They were eating and drinking and making merry
when, out of the blue, the earth was turned upside down. So
God the Most High says that the same shall come to pass here
because sin has exceeded all bounds, people are loving the
material world excessively, and the way to God is looked upon
with contempt. Again, He said: “End of lives”, and then
addressing me He said: qa¯la rabbu-ka inna-hu¯ na¯zil-un mina-ssama
¯’i ma¯ yurdı¯-ka, rahmat-an minna wa-ka¯na amr-an
maqdiyy-an, meaning, “Your Lord says that an affair shall descend
from heaven which shall please you — a mercy from Us,
a matter decided, which was destined from the beginning”. It is
necessary that heaven withhold that affair from descending until
this prophecy has been published among the nations. Who it is
that will believe in these things, except one who is fortunate?
It must be remembered that this announcement is not being
made to spread alarm, but to combat future anxiety so that no
one perishes in ignorance. Behind everything there is an
intention, and our intention is not to cause distress but to save
people from distress. Those who repent shall be saved from the
punishment of God. Unfortunate is he who does not repent, and
leaves not the company of those who ridicule, and refrains not
from evil and sin. The days of his destruction are nigh, for his
insolence is punishable in the sight of God.
Here another point must be mentioned. As I have already
said, God has informed me of my death, and addressing me He
HEAVENLY GRAVEYARD 23
said of my life: “Very few days remain”; and He said: “After
all the catastrophes and wonders of nature have been shown,
your incident shall take place”. This indicates that before my
death it is necessary that some catastrophes should befall the
world and some wonders of nature appear, in order to prepare
the world for revolution, and after that revolution should come
my death. And I was shown a place as being the place of my
grave. I saw an angel measuring the ground. Reaching a place,
he said to me that it was the spot for my grave. Then at one
place I was shown a grave which was more brightly radiant than
silver, and all its earth was silver. I was told that it was my
grave. And I was shown a place which was called ‘the
graveyard of the heavenly’ (Bahishti Maqbara), and it was made
known that those were the graves of the righteous people of this
Jama‘at who are heavenly. Since then I have been anxious for
the purchase of land to serve as a cemetery for the Jama‘at.
However, as suitably located land was very expensive, this
object remained in abeyance for a long time. Now that after the
death of our friend Maulvi Abdul Karim when there has been
repeated revelation about my death as well, I thought it right to
make arrangements for the cemetery. Therefore, I have chosen
for this purpose a piece of land belonging to me, situated near
my garden, the value of which is not less than a thousand
rupees. I pray that God bless it and make it into the ‘graveyard
of the heavenly’, and that it may be the last resting place of
those pure-hearted people of this Jama‘at who in reality had
given precedence to faith over worldly interests, forsaken love
of the material world and devoted themselves entirely to God,
created a change for the pure within themselves and showed an
example of fidelity and sincerity like the Companions of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad. Amen, O Lord of the worlds!
Again I pray: O Almighty God! make in this land the graves
of those of my pure-hearted followers who become Yours in
actual reality, and whose works are not tainted with worldly
motives. Amen, O Lord of the worlds!
24 AL-WASIYYAT: THE WILL
* Suspicion is a terrible curse which burns faith as rapidly as fire consumes
straw. As to him who imputes evil to the messengers of God, God Himself
becomes his adversary and stands up for battle against him. For His chosen
ones, He has such a strong sensibility that its like is not found in anyone
else. When attacks of all kinds were made upon me, it was this sensibility
of God which was aroused for my sake. As He says [in revelation to me]:
“I am with My messenger, standing by him. I put the blame on those who
blame him. I shall give you that which lasts forever. For you is a rank in
heaven and among those who see. For you We shall show signs and
demolish what they build. And they said: Will you make in the earth one
who will cause mischief in it? He said: I know what you know not. I will
disgrace him who intends to disgrace you. Fear not, surely the messengers
fear not when I am with them. The command of Allah has come, so hasten
it not, a glad tiding which came to the prophets. O My Ahmad, you are
My aim and are with Me. You are from Me like My Oneness and
Singleness, and you are from Me at a point which none of the people
know. You are honoured in My presence, I have chosen you for Myself.
When you are angry I am angry, and whatever you love I love. Allah has
preferred you over all things. All praise be to Allah Who made you the
Messiah, son of Mary. He (Allah) is not questioned about what He does,
but they will be questioned, and it is a promise ever fulfilled. Allah shall
protect you from the enemies, He will attack all those who attack. This is
because they disobeyed and transgressed. Is not Allah sufficient for His
servant? O mountains, repeat praises (of Allah) with him, and so also
birds. Allah has written down: ‘I shall certainly triumph, I and My
messengers’. And they, after being overcome, shall be triumphant. Allah
is with those who are righteous and who do good to others. Those who
believe, for them is advancement in truth with their Lord. A word from the
Merciful Lord. And this day, you become distinct, O guilty ones!”
I pray a third time: O my Gracious, Powerful Lord! O my
Forgiving, Merciful God! Let only those people have graves in
this place who have true faith in this Your messenger, who
entertain no hypocrisy, personal ends or suspicion* within their
hearts, who show faith and obedience as these ought to be
shown, who have, in their hearts, sacrificed their life for You
and Your path, with whom You are pleased, and whom You
know to be utterly lost in Your love and to have with Your
messenger a relationship of fidelity, complete respect, love along
with open-hearted faith and devotion. Amen, O Lord of the
worlds!
As I have received very great glad tidings for this graveyard,
and God has not only said that it is the graveyard of the
CONDITIONS FOR BURIAL 25
heavenly, but has also said unzila fı¯-ha¯ kullu rahmat-in, i.e.
every kind of blessing has been sent down to this graveyard,
and there is no blessing of which its residents do not have a
share, therefore, God has inspired into my heart the idea that
suitable conditions must be imposed in respect of this graveyard
so that only those are admitted to it who, due to their sincerity
and perfect righteousness, abide by those conditions. There are
three such conditions, and all of them must be fulfilled.
1. The present land for the cemetery is given by me as a
donation from myself. But to complete the enclosure, some
more land is required which shall have to be purchased,6 the
cost of which is estimated as Rs. 1000. To embellish it, some
trees shall be planted, and a well shall be sunk. To the north of
this graveyard, much water collects where there is an access
path; so a bridge shall be constructed there. For these various
items of expenditure, Rs. 2000 will be required, making a total
of Rs. 3000 to be spent to complete all this work.
The first condition is, therefore, that every person who
wishes to be buried in this graveyard must contribute towards
these expenses according to his means. These contributions are
required only from such persons, and not from others. At
present these contributions should be sent to the respected
Maulvi Nur-ud-Din sahib. But if God the Most High wills, this
system will continue after the death of us all. For this purpose,
there should be an Anjuman entrusted to spend, as it determines
fit, the funds thus collected from time to time, on proclaiming
the teachings of Islam and spreading the message of the oneness
of God.7
2. The second condition is that only such a person from the
Jama‘at shall be buried in this graveyard who makes a will that
after his death one-tenth of all he leaves shall be spent on the
propagation of Islam and the preaching of the teachings of the
Quran, according to the directions of this Movement. Every
righteous one of perfect faith shall be entitled to specify more
than this in his will, but not less than this. This income shall be
in the charge of an Anjuman composed of men of integrity and
26 AL-WASIYYAT: THE WILL
learning; and they shall spend it, by mutual agreement, on the
advancement of Islam, the propagation of the Quran and other
religious literature, and the preachers of this Movement, in
accordance with the directions given above. God the Most High
has promised that He shall make this Movement progress, and
therefore it is hoped that the funds gathered for the propagation
of Islam will be large as well. Every form of activity that is
included in the propagation of Islam, which it is premature to
explain in detail at present, shall be carried out by means of
these funds. And when one party responsible for this work have
died, the people who are their successors shall also have the
duty of carrying out all these functions in accordance with the
rules of the Ahmadiyya Movement.8 In these funds, there shall
also be a provision for orphans, the needy, and converts to
Islam who do not have sufficient means and belong to this
Movement. It shall be permissible to expand these funds through
commercial investment.
Think not that all this is unlikely; it is, in fact, the will of
Him Who is the Master of heaven and earth. I am not anxious
about how these funds can be raised, and how a Jama‘at can be
created which will do this gallant work out of zeal of faith. My
worry is that those people who are entrusted with this fund9
after our time may not stumble due to the abundance of this
wealth, and love the material world. Therefore I pray that this
Movement may always find trust-worthy people in it who work
only for the sake of God. It would, however, be lawful that
those who have no means may be given financial assistance
from these funds.10
3. The third condition is that the person who is buried in this
graveyard should be righteous, abstaining from all that is
prohibited, and refraining from every act of polytheism (shirk)
or innovation. He must be a true and sincere Muslim.
4. Any righteous person who has no property and is unable
to make any financial donation may be buried in this graveyard,
provided it is shown that he had devoted his life for the faith
and was a good person.
SOME DIRECTIONS 27
* Let no unwise person consider this graveyard and this plan to be an
innovation introduced into Islam (bid‘ah); for this system is based on
Divine revelation, without any interference by man. Nor should anyone
think as to how a person can enter heaven by merely being buried in this
graveyard. It is not meant that the earth here will make a person deservant
of entering heaven; rather, the revelation of God the Most High means that
only those who deserve entry into heaven are to be buried here.
Directions
1. Every person who wishes to make a will according to the
conditions stipulated above, even though the will only takes
effect after his death, is required to put it in writing and entrust
it to the officer appointed for this purpose in the Movement, and
also to publish it in print. For, it is very often difficult to make
a will near the time of death. As the days of heavenly signs and
troubles are near, the person who makes his will at a time when
there is still peace and security holds a very high rank in the
eyes of God the Most High. In the will, any assets donated by
a person which yield a permanent income will bring for him
everlasting Divine blessings, and be considered in the category
of charity in perpetuity.
2. If a person lives in a place away from Qadian, in another
part of the country, and he fulfils the conditions stipulated
above, then after his death his heirs should bring his body,
enclosed in a coffin, to Qadian. If a person who ought to be
buried in this graveyard, according to the specified conditions,
dies before the graveyard is complete, i.e. before the construction
of the bridge etc., he should be buried temporarily where
he dies in a coffin. Then after the completion of all the
necessaries of the graveyard, it should be brought to Qadian.
But it would not be proper to remove a body from its grave
which had not been buried in a box.*
Let it be clear that God the Most High has willed that all
those of a perfect faith should be buried in one place so that
future generations, by seeing them in one place, should refresh
their faith, and their achievements, meaning the services they
28 AL-WASIYYAT: THE WILL
rendered to religion for the sake of God, are always apparent to
the community.
In conclusion, we pray that God the Most High may assist
every sincere one in this work, and create a fervour for faith in
them, and let their end be good — Amen!
Every member of our Jama‘at who receives this writing
should circulate it among his friends, publicise it so far as
possible, preserve it for his next generation, inform the
opponents about it in a courteous manner, bear patiently the foul
talk of every abuser, and engage in prayer constantly.
In the end, we proclaim that all praise be to Allah, the Lord
of the worlds!
The author, humbly,
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad,
20th December 1905.
29
Supplement to Al-Wasiyyat
There are some important instructions regarding the pamphlet
Al-Wasiyyat required to be published. These are given below:
1. Until such time as the Anjuman in charge of the affairs
of the graveyard11 has announced that the graveyard is complete
in every respect as regards its essential requisites, it shall not be
permissible to bring the body of any deceased for burial in it
who has fulfilled the conditions stipulated in Al-Wasiyyat. The
essential requirements, such as the bridge, must be completed
first, and till that time a body shall be buried temporarily, in a
coffin, in some other graveyard.
2. Every person affirming that he will comply with the terms
of Al-Wasiyyat must make such an affirmation while being
sound of mind, being supported by the reliable testimony of at
least two witnesses, and submit it to the Anjuman. They must
write plainly that one-tenth of all their property, comprising both
moveable and fixed assets, is bequeathed for the propagation of
the objectives of the Ahmadiyya Movement. This must be
published in at least two newspapers.
3. It shall be the duty of the Anjuman, having satisfied itself
as to the legal and religious validity of the will, to issue a
certificate bearing its signature and stamp to the testator. And
when a body is brought to the graveyard in accordance with the
rules stated above, the certificate must be produced before the
Anjuman. The body shall be buried, according to the direction
of the Anjuman, at a spot as determined by the Anjuman.
4. Except in special cases as determined by the Anjuman,
under-age children shall not be buried in this graveyard, for they
30 AL-WASIYYAT: THE WILL
are heavenly in any case. Nor shall a relative of a person buried
here be buried in this graveyard unless he fulfils all the
conditions stipulated in Al-Wasiyyat in his own right.
5. In case of any deceased who did not die within the limits
of Qadian, it shall not be allowed to bring the body to Qadian
without being carried in a coffin; and it shall also be imperative
to give prior notice of at least one month, in order that the
Anjuman may be able to resolve any temporary problems
regarding the graveyard it may be facing, and grant
permission.12
6. If a person who has fulfilled all the conditions of Al-
Wasiyyat dies of the plague, it is strictly instructed that he
should be buried temporarily in an isolated place for two years.
After two years, he should be brought here at a time when there
is no plague either where he died or in Qadian.
7. It must be remembered that it shall not suffice just to
bequeath one-tenth of the fixed and moveable property. It is
essential that the testator shall be one who, so far as he is able,
adheres to the teachings of Islam, strives to attain righteousness
and purity, is a Muslim believing God to be one and having true
faith in His Messenger, and does not violate the rights of
fellow-beings.
8. If a person bequeaths one-tenth of his property and then
he happens to meet death by drowning in a river, for instance,
or he dies in a foreign land, from where it is difficult to bring
back his body, his will shall still stand valid, and with God the
Most High it shall be as though he were buried in this
graveyard. It shall be allowed to erect an inscribed stone in his
memory in the graveyard, with these circumstances recorded
upon it.
9. The Anjuman, which is to hold these funds, shall not be
authorised to spend the monies for any purpose except the
objectives of the Ahmadiyya Movement,13 and among these
objectives the propagation of Islam shall have the highest
SUPPLEMENTARY RULES 31
priority. It shall be allowed that the Anjuman, by consensus of
opinion, expand these funds through commercial investment.
10. All members of the Anjuman must belong to the
Ahmadiyya Movement, and must be virtuous and honest. And
if, in future, it is felt that someone is not virtuous, or that he is
not honest, or that he is cunning and tainted with worldly
motives, it shall be the duty of the Anjuman to expel him from
its ranks forthwith and to appoint another in his place.14
11. Should any dispute arise over bequeathed property, all
the expenses incurred in pursuing the dispute shall be met out
of the funds derived from the wills.
12. If a person makes a will, but later on, through some
weakness of faith, renounces it or deserts this Movement, then
even though the Anjuman may have legally taken possession of
his property, it will not be right for it to keep the property. All
of it must be returned, for God does not need anyone’s money.
Such property, in the sight of God, is abominable and to be
rejected.
13. As the Anjuman is the successor to the Khalifa appointed
by God,15 this Anjuman must remain absolutely free of any taint
of worldliness. All its affairs must be completely above board,
and based on fairness.
14. It is allowed that, for the help and support of this
Anjuman, there should be other Anjumans in distant countries,
subordinate to its directions.16 It is also allowed that if these are
in countries from where it is difficult to send the body, they
may bury the body there. To receive Divine reward, such a
person must make a will before his death regarding one-tenth
of his property, and it shall be the duty of the Anjuman which
is in that country to take possession of the bequeathed property.
It would be better to spend that money for the religious needs
of that country, but it shall be allowed, if a need is felt, for
those funds to be made over to the Anjuman having its
headquarters and centre in Qadian.
32 AL-WASIYYAT: THE WILL
15. It is essential that the seat of this Anjuman must always
be in Qadian, for God has blessed this place.17 It is allowed to
build sufficient accommodation to meet future needs to carry on
this work.
16. There must be at least two members of the Anjuman
who are thoroughly familiar with the knowledge of the Quran
and Hadith, have knowledge of Arabic, and are well-versed in
the literature of the Ahmadiyya Movement.
17. If, God forbid, a person making a will according to Al-
Wasiyyat has leprosy, and his bodily condition is not such that
he could be brought to this graveyard, then for obvious reasons
it is not appropriate for his body to be brought here. If,
however, he adhered to his will, then he shall receive the same
rank as one buried here.
18. If a person has no property whatever, moveable or fixed,
and it is shown that he is righteous, saintly, God-fearing and a
true believer, not having within him any element of hypocrisy,
worship of the material world, or default of obedience to God,
then he too can be buried in this graveyard with my permission,
or, after me, with the consensus of opinion of the Anjuman.18
19. If a person is rejected by a specific revelation from God
the Most High, he shall not be buried in this graveyard, even
though he offers to bequeath his property.
20. As regards myself and members of my family, God has
made an exception. Everyone else, man or woman, must fulfil
these conditions, and one who complains is an hypocrite.
These are the essential conditions, which are written above.
In future, only those who fulfil these conditions shall be buried
in this heavenly graveyard. It is possible that some people, who
have an overwhelming tendency to think ill of others, may make
me a target of criticism on account of this plan, believing this
scheme to arise out of selfish motives, or calling it an innovation
(bid‘ah). But it should be remembered that these are the
works of God the Most High. He does what He pleases. It is
SUPPLEMENTARY RULES 33
doubtless His purpose to separate the hypocrite from the
believer by means of this plan. I myself feel that those people
who, on being informed of this Divine plan, are at once anxious
to give a tenth of all their property in the way of God, and are
showing even greater zeal, they set the seal on their faith. Allah
the Most High says:
“A hasiba-n-na¯su an yutraku¯ an yaqu¯lu¯ a¯manna¯ wa hum
la¯ yuftanu¯n.” [The Holy Quran, 29:1]
meaning, Do people think that I shall be pleased by their merely
saying, We believe, and they will not be tested further?
This trial is absolutely insignificant. The Companions of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad were tried by being required to
sacrifice their lives, and they gave their heads in the way of
God. So the doubt as to why there should not be a general
permission to bury anyone in this cemetery is far from the truth.
If this doubt is right, then why did God the Most High create
a test in every age? It has been His purpose in every age to
make manifest the distinction between the good and the wicked.
So He has done the same now. In the time of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad, God the Most High had instituted some minor tests
as well. For instance, it was the practice that no one could have
a consultation with the Holy Prophet without first tendering a
small offering. Thus, there was a test for the hypocrites in this
as well. I myself feel that, by means of the test of this time too,
those who are sincere to a high degree, who have in reality
given priority to the faith over worldly interests, shall be distinguished
from other people, and it shall become clear that they
lived up to their profession of the bai‘at, and demonstrated their
sincerity. This plan shall undoubtedly weigh very heavily upon
the hypocrites, and it shall cause them to be exposed. And after
death, they shall never be buried in this graveyard, men or
women: “In their hearts is a disease, so Allah increased their
disease” [Holy Quran, 2:10]. But those who are foremost in
doing this work shall be counted among the righteous, and the
blessings of God the Most High shall be upon them till eternity.