INTRODUCTION

British Government’s Vaccination Plan

Nothing will afflict us save that which Allah has ordained for us. He is our Patron; and on Allah let the believers rely (Al-Bara’at, Ch:9, Verse:51).

This is an occasion to pause and gratefully reflect on the compassion that the noble British Government of India has shown to the subjects of its realm. With a view to their welfare, the Government devised the vaccination plan, and has borne the expense of hundreds of thousands of rupees.

So it behooves the wise people to gratefully welcome this work. His own worst enemy is that foolish man who harbors suspicion about the Government’s vaccination plan. After all, it isn’t the prudent Government’s intent to make people undergo any harmful treatment. Rather, it is only after conducting many thorough medical experiments that it is presenting this effective vaccination plan.

It should also be borne in mind that the Government is spending hundreds of thousands of rupees, just as it has done in the past, for the sincere welfare of its citizenry. So, besides being unworthy, it’s contrary to civility and politeness to entertain the notion that the Government—by going to the trouble of incurring this huge expenditure—has some ulterior motives. Unfortunate are those who sink abysmally by being skeptical in this way.

The Government’s vaccination plan is undoubtedly excellent and superior to other plans. Nobody can contest this fact. Thus, common sense should compel every subject of the realm to respond to the Government’s efforts in a befitting manner; each citizen should get himself vaccinated. Nevertheless, with all due respect to the Government, I need to say that, had there not been a heavenly restraint tying my hands, I myself would have taken the lead by becoming the first man to get himself vaccinated. And that restraint stems from the fact that God wished to show a heavenly sign of mercy for the people of this era.

Who Will be Saved from the Plague?

Thus, God addressed me and said that those who take sanctuary within the walls of my house and devote themselves to me with complete obedience and true piety will be saved from the plague. This will be a sign from God in this the last era whereby He will reveal the distinction between the nations. But the person who doesn’t obey me completely is not of me.

And God also said I should not be saddened by the fate of such a person. This directive is from Him; I, as well as those who live within the walls of my house, don’t need to get vaccinated. And, as I have outlined previously, God—Who is the God of the heavens and the earth, and whose knowledge and power encompasses everything—informed me a long time ago through a revelation that He will save from the plague those who are within the walls of my house, provided they eschew their defiant waywardness; that they take the religious pledge sincerely and meekly; that, in light of God’s commandments and in obedience to this man who has been appointed by God, they are not in any way vain, rebellious, arrogant, slothful, wayward, or complacent; and that their actions are in harmony with my teachings.

God also informed me that, in general, the plague will not wreak havoc in Qadian; that it won’t produce distress, panic, and massive death-toll in Qadian; that, in general, the members of my religious organization—however many they may be—will remain safe from the plague in comparison with the adversaries; and that this immunity would not apply to those who don’t adhere firmly to their religious pledges, or to those regarding whom knowledge resides only with God. Such persons can be affected by the plague. Eventually, though, people will acknowledge with amazement that God is assisting my religious organization, and that, in comparative terms, His special mercy has saved this community in a remarkable and peerless manner.

Simple-minded individuals will be startled by this phenomenon. And some will laugh scornfully. Others will call me a madman. And yet others will wonder with amazement if there is a God Who can show His special mercy without any mediation whatsoever.

The answer to all these reactions is that there undoubtedly exists an Omnipotent God. If this were not so, all those who live their lives in devotion to Him would die even as they lived. Know that God is All-Powerful, and His powers transcend human imagination.

On the one hand, God makes His devoted servants subservient to fiendish enemies; on the other hand, He directs the angels to serve His servants. Similarly, when God’s wrath is leveled at the world, and His anger is provoked by tyrants, His special mercy nevertheless protects His special servants. If this were not so, the very enterprise of righteous people would have wholly perished long ago without so much as leaving a trace.

God’s powers are infinite, and they are made known to man in proportion to man’s degree of faith.

God demonstrates His extraordinary powers only for those who believe in Him, who love Him, who have been blessed with devotion to Him, and who have vanquished their lower desires. And remember that God does as He wishes.

But He chooses to display His extraordinary powers only for those who try hard to vanquish their lower selves. In this era, few indeed are those who know God and who truly believe in His amazing powers. In contrast, many are those who don’t believe at all in the All-Powerful God to Whom everything is subservient and for Whom everything is possible.

In this context, keep in mind that it isn’t wrong to seek treatment for this plague, or, for that matter, for any sickness. In fact, there is a recorded saying of Prophet Muhammad—a Hadith report—which informs us that God has created a remedy for every ailment.

However, I do consider it sinful to obscure the heavenly sign of mercy by personally resorting to the vaccination plan. After all, this is the divine sign whereby God wishes to demonstrate my righteousness. And I do not want to show disrespect to God’s true sign and promise by taking recourse to the vaccination plan. If I were to do so, I’d be blameworthy, because my taking recourse to the vaccination plan would suggest that I did not believe in God’s promise. Moreover, if I were saved by the vaccination plan, then I would be bound to express my gratitude to those who have devised this plan, and not to God Who has promised immunity from the plague to those who take sanctuary within the walls of my house.

My spiritual insight compels me to tell you that the promises of the Omnipotent God are true. I see the coming days as if they were actually upon us. And I know, too, that the real objective of our gracious Government is to somehow save the people from this plague. Hence, if the Government finds another plan that is more effective than the present vaccination plan, it will gladly adopt that plan.

Given the circumstances, it is evident that my course of action, which God has directed me to follow, is not contrary to the aims of the noble Government. Information about the plague—this monstrous calamity—is recorded in my book Baraheen-e-Ahmadiyya (literally translates as Proofs of the Truth of Islam), which was published 20 years ago.

God’s special blessings toward my religious organization.

The aforesaid book also contains the divine promise of God’s special blessings toward my religious organization. I refer you to Baraheen-e-Ahmadiyya (pp. 518-519). Present therein, too, is the powerful divine prophecy that God will save from the plague those who take sanctuary within the walls of my house, and those who are completely obedient to God and to this man whom God has appointed.

Hence, in comparison with others, my followers will be especially blessed by God. Barring those to whom the following exceptions apply, merely a handful of my followers might be afflicted by the plague: those whose faith is weak, those who have committed misdeeds, those whose death is predestined, and those regarding whom knowledge lies only with God.

Do keep in mind, though, that the occurrence of a mere handful of cases should be considered negligible—during times of analysis, one looks at the comparative majority or preponderance, just as the Government itself concluded on the basis of its medical experimentation that, relative to those who don’t get vaccinated, the frequency of mortality is exceedingly small for those who do get vaccinated. So, just as a few mortalities cannot diminish the value of the vaccination plan, the occurrence of a relatively few plague cases and subsequent mortalities among my followers won’t diminish the significance of God’s heavenly sign of mercy; the sign that He wishes to demonstrate for the people of this era.

Moreover, I have publicized the preceding prophecy—regarding God’s heavenly sign—in accordance with God’s Holy words. It doesn’t befit the intelligent man to prematurely ridicule heavenly affairs; these are the words of God, not those of a fortune-teller. These words emanate from the radiant visage of light; they are not conjectures sunk in the gloom of darkness. They are the words of God Who has brought about this plague and Who alone can remove it.

Our Government will undoubtedly realize the value of this prophecy upon witnessing the amazing spectacle that, in comparison with those who get themselves vaccinated, my true followers will remain in safety and good health.

I tell you verily that if this prophecy of mine—which has, in fact, been publicized for the previous 20 or 22 years—is not borne true by future events, then I should be regarded as one who hasn’t been sent by God. So the divine sign of my truthfulness will be that my pious followers who take shelter within the walls of my house will be saved from plague-induced death. Also, in comparison with others, my followers will be saved from the onslaught of this virulent plague, barring a few incidents of plague-induced sickness; in contrast to other regions that will be devastated by the plague, the remarkable well-being of my followers in the town of Qadian will be unrivaled and conspicuous.

If only the hearts and minds of people were not crooked, and if they feared God, they would unquestionably be saved; afflictions such as this plague do not smite the world because of religious differences—Judgment Day has been designated for penalizing such faults and violations—but rather when the world becomes polluted by wickedness, arrogance, and misdeeds.

Bear in mind too that it’s mentioned in the Holy Quran, and in fact in certain revealed books of the Torah (the Jewish scripture) that a plague will take place during the era of the Promised Messiah. In addition, Jesus has given the same prophecy in the New Testament, and it is impossible for the prophecy of a prophet to be untrue1.

In connection with the aforementioned divine promise, I should add that it’s incumbent upon us to refrain from applying our ingenuity and planning in such matters and thereby not give adversaries the pretext opportunity to raise objections. But if God Himself provides us with some divine strategy, or perhaps an antidote to the plague, then it would be perfectly appropriate for us to act according to that divine strategy and to pursue that antidote. Doing so would not violate the validity of the divine sign in any way; they are from the same God Who is manifesting the sign in the first place.

Nobody should harbor the unjustified doubt that the occurrence of a few plague cases and subsequent mortalities among my followers will in any way diminish the significance of the heavenly sign. After all, during earlier eras—such as the times of Moses, Joshua, and ultimately during the time of Prophet Muhammad—the prophets were divinely instructed to punish with the sword those barbaric enemies who had wielded the sword and mercilessly slaughtered hundreds of innocent people; this was a sign each for these respective prophets, proving to be the herald of ensuing momentous victories.

Indeed, in standing up to the brutal adversaries, a small number of individuals from among the group of righteous people were also felled by their swords. But such a loss did not diminish the legitimacy of the respective divine signs of those prophets. Similarly, the occurrence of a mere handful of plague cases won’t, in any way, devalue the validity of this sign. Isn’t it a magnificent sign that I assert repeatedly that God will manifest this sign in such a way as to leave no doubt in the truth-seeker’s mind? In particular, the truth-seeker will realize that God is dealing miraculously with my religious organization.

Moreover, so as to demonstrate yet another divine sign, part of the plague’s aftermath will be that my religious organization will grow notably and progress extraordinarily. Others will view this progress with amazement.

As for my opponents, they have suffered defeat at every juncture. I’ve stated in my book Nazool-al-Maseeh (literally translates as Alighting of the Messiah) that if God doesn’t demonstrate any distinction between other religious organizations and mine—through this prophecy—it will be their right to falsify me. But keep in mind that my opponents have been disgraced whenever they sought to falsify me.

For example, in the episode involving Priest Abdullah Aatham, they had objected and shouted repeatedly and stridently that Aatham’s death did not occur within 15 months.

What they were handily overlooking were the plain words in my prophecy that Aatham would breathe his last if he didn’t repent within 15 months. Thus, during a gathering, and in the presence of 70 distinguished persons, he repented from his transgression of calling Prophet Muhammad a dajjal (Anti-Christ). Besides, by discreetly maintaining his silence and state of contrite dread for 15 months, Aatham proved that he had indeed repented. And the basis of that prophecy had been that Aatham had labeled Prophet Muhammad as a dajjal. The only benefit that Aatham derived from his act of repentance was that he lived beyond those 15 months. He met his death thereafter, though, because it was mentioned in the prophecy that, among him and me, the one who was untrue in his beliefs would die first. Accordingly, Aatham died during my life.

Fulfillment of Divine Prophecies

Likewise, God has informed me of many affairs of the unseen—such accounts number no less than 10, 000!—and all those affairs have taken place at their prophesied times. As an example, I’ve furnished only 150 such accounts in my book Nazool-al-Maseeh, accompanied by supporting proofs and witnesses. And all my prophecies have been fulfilled, either partially or in their entirety. So even if someone chooses to devote himself to hunting madly for any prophecy of mine that hasn’t been fulfilled, he will surely perish without success.

Impelled by remorselessness or ignorance, he might even falsely declare his hunt successful. But I proclaim with certainty that thousands of my prophecies have been fulfilled unmistakably, and hundreds of thousands of individuals have witnessed their fulfillment. Moreover, if someone undertakes the research to determine if any prophet’s life contains a comparative magnificence in terms of the fulfillment of prophecies, then the exalted name of Prophet Muhammad alone would turn up in that research.

If only my opponents were to have judged my truthfulness in this way, they would have realized the facts of the matter. I was also willing to award my opponents a prize, in the form of a large sum of money, had they succeeded in finding an example of any person in the world—with the exception, of course, of Prophet Muhammad’s life—whose life demonstrates analogous splendor in terms of the fulfillment of prophecies.

But if they superficially examine one of my prophecies and, based on their waywardness and ineptitude, allege frivolously that it was never fulfilled, then we’ll have to deem their vain assertion as being rooted in distrust and depravity! If they were to investigate this matter in a public discussion with us, they would either feel compelled to retract their unmerited allegation or be branded as shameless. I add that the flawless fulfillment of thousands of my prophecies, with thousands of living witnesses to corroborate their fulfillment, is not a trivial matter. After all, this phenomenon has served to reveal the Glorious God. With the exception of the era of Prophet Muhammad, has there ever been an era during which people have witnessed thousands of prophecies being made and then being fulfilled plainly, with thousands of witnesses?

I know verily that an example of the way in which God’s glory is being manifested in this current era can scarcely be found in prior times, with the exception of the era of Prophet Muhammad. People of this era will presently witness God’s visage, almost as if He had alighted from the heavens!

For a long time, God remained hidden from the world; people rejected his existence, but He remained silent. However, He will not remain hidden any longer; the people of the world will behold such glorious examples of His powers as have never been seen by earlier generations. Indeed, God will now manifest Himself resplendently, because the ways of the world have gone awry, and because the world has relinquished its faith in God; people pay mere lip-service, while their hearts are wayward.

So God said that He will create a new heaven and a new world. Call to mind the observation that the world had quite perished; that is, the people of the world had grown increasingly hardhearted. And heaven had receded; that is, the heavenly signs of previous eras had been relegated to mere fables. So God decided that He would create a new heaven and a new world. What is the new heaven? And what is the new world? The new world consists of the pious souls that God is readying with His own hands. These souls will be manifested by God, and they in turn will manifest God. And the new heaven consists of those divine signs being manifested by God, through His permission, at the hands of His servant.

Alas, the world opposed this brilliant new manifestation by God. In the hands of such opponents, however, is nothing but mere tales; the god they worship is the collection of their own fanciful ideas. Their souls are crooked, their outlook enfeebled, and their spiritual vision benighted.

Opponents and Islam’s Beleaguered Condition

Other nations have lost sight of the True God. So mulling over their situation is futile; they have elevated human offspring to be their god. But other nations aside, look at Muslims themselves.

See how far they have strayed from God’s way—they are inveterate foes of the truth and sworn enemies of the path of rectitude. For example, consider the organization called Nudwaat-ul-Ulema that claimed to be supporters of Islam, or the organization known as Anjuman Himaayat-e-Islam that solicits funds from Muslims in the name of Islam. Are these people and these organizations truly motivated by the welfare of Islam? Are they really the exponents of the righteous path? Are they truly mindful of the troubles that beleaguer the religion of Islam these days? Do they realize how Islam has been trampled upon, and do they remember God’s tradition regarding the renewal and reinvigoration of Islam?

Had I not been appointed by God, their claims of being the supporters of Islam would’ve carried a certain degree of credence.

But I tell you verily that these people who claim to be the defenders of Islam have now displeased God by taking the lead in spurning the star that appeared in the spiritual firmament. What answer will they give to the God Who appointed me at the needed hour? But they simply don’t care.

Thus, the sun is blazing in the afternoon sky, yet they adamantly insist that the gloom of night is upon them; God’s stream of wisdom has gushed forth, yet they squat on the parched land, wailing distraughtly; the river of God’s spiritual knowledge and learning runs forcefully, yet these people are unaware of it; and God’s signs are presently dawning, yet they remain ignorant of these divine signs. Not only do they remain mired in ignorance, they profess enmity to my religious organization which has been established according to God’s directions. In particular, the support and propagation of Islam as well as the dissemination of Islamic teachings is being accomplished by the members of my religious organization.

But will my adversaries succeed in thwarting God’s intention through their efforts, even though all prophets since the beginning have testified to God’s intention? No, those adversaries will fail; in fact, the following divine prophecy will soon be borne true:

Allah has written down: I shall certainly prevail, I and My messengers. (Al-Mujadilah, Ch:58, Verse:21)

God brought about the phenomena of the lunar and solar eclipses ten years ago, during the same Ramadan (month of fasting), to attest to my truthfulness. He created the spectacle of a bright day and a bright night so as to serve as two signs attesting to my truthfulness. Similarly, in accordance with the prophecy of prophets, God effected two signs in the world. First is the sign that’s mentioned in the Holy Quran:

And when the camels are abandoned. (Al-Takwir, Ch:81, Verse:4)

Then consider the following Hadith report: “The camels will be abandoned; they will cease to be used as a means of transportation.” And this sign is being manifested in the land of Hijaz—railway tracks are being laid along the cities of Medina and Mecca. Second is the sign regarding the plague. God has said in this regard:

And there is not a town but We will destroy it before the day of Resurrection…. (Bani-Isra’il, Ch:17, Verse:58)

To sum up, God has caused the initiation of railways in the land, and He also originated the plague such that both the heavens and the earth should be witnesses. So do not fight with God. Opposing God is sheer folly. Earlier, when God had made known His intention to appoint Adam as His representative (khalifa), the angels had tried to stop God. But God did not stop because of the angels’ plea. God has likened me to Adam, and He has revealed the following in connection with His creation of the second Adam: “I have decided to appoint My representative (khalifa). Therefore, I created Adam.”

Tell me, can you now stop God from carrying out His intention? You know fully that you cannot. So why do you offer the trash of your conjectures, instead of walking on the path of faith? Do not place yourself in a trial.

Remember that nobody can impede God in carrying out His intention. Opposition such as this is tantamount to deviating from the ways of piety. But if you are still beset by doubts in this matter, the following can serve as a solution: After I received the divine revelation, I gave the good news about a group of people—individuals who adhere to my teaching—that they will be saved from the plague, and I published the same.

Likewise, if the welfare of your respective nations is dear to you, you too should aspire to receive from God the glad tidings of safety from the plague. Then you ought to publish the same, just as I’ve done, that people may learn if God is indeed with you.

An Opportunity for Christians

This is a momentous opportunity for the Christians who untiringly assert that deliverance can be achieved only through Jesus.

So, in these days of distress, it is incumbent upon the Christians to receive protection from the plague. Finally, among all these religions, the one that is acceptable in God’s eyes will be that whose prayers in this matter of the plague are answered by God. God has given everyone alike in the world the opportunity to shun needless debates; the Christians should step forward and demonstrate the acceptance of their prayers so they may thereby be saved from the plague.

And their truthfulness—or lack thereof—will be divulged in this way. In particular, I address the Christian priests who have declared Jesus as the savior in this world and the next. If they truly regard Jesus as the master of this world and the Hereafter, it is their duty to demonstrate—in accordance with their doctrine of Atonement—an example of deliverance.

Indeed, the noble British government of India will surely appreciate it in this way: The adherents of the various religions in the realm, who all rely on the truthfulness of their respective religions, should seek deliverance for themselves. Thus, to attain safety from the plague, they should beseech their respective god or deity to grant them deliverance from the plague’s distress. In this way, having obtained a firm promise from their god, they should publicize the same, just as I’ve publicized in this matter of the plague.

Besides, everything is to be gained in this way, and nothing lost—the populace will benefit, and the proof of their religion’s truthfulness will be furnished. And the Government will benefit too; after all, it eagerly seeks to save the people of its land from the claws of this fearsome plague. Finally, through this written work, I assert that I do not in any way seek to dissuade my followers, spread as they are throughout India, from getting themselves vaccinated. Those individuals in my religious organization who have received an absolute order from the Government in this matter should certainly get themselves vaccinated; they should comply with the Government’s orders. As for those disciples of mine who have been allowed to choose vaccination voluntarily, and who do not adhere firmly to my teaching, they too would do well to get themselves vaccinated lest they stumble because of their deficient moral state and thereby mislead people in this matter of God’s promised sign.

The question may arise: What are the teachings to which one should adhere to be saved from the plague’s onslaught? To answer this question, I summarize those teachings in the following sections.