When we preach to them, they give practical examples that Jesus came to us and we saw him and I talked with him, then they say, if this is not true, then why Jesus as a Lord comes to us and why we see him, and would you kindly explain that, well he asked as well that, what is your own personal experience, I was reluctant but afterwards I told him few and he was surprised and now I have… So did he accept you? Sorry? Did he accept your faith because of that?
So he became interested in Islam afterwards. I think I have spoken on this subject earlier as well, the point is that, I think at some length this was made a point of discussion between me and some non-Ahmadi who was visiting here a few months ago. I pointed out to him that personal experiences, spiritual experiences cannot be quoted as evidence to anyone else unless they have an objective nature. For instance, if you see somebody, some saint who comes to you and declares something to you and holds you dear and this and that, then what? What is it to me or to anybody else? Why should I start believing in you and in your faith?
But if that saint tells you of something which can be studied objectively by the outside world and which can be put to the touchstone of reason and observation, in that case that becomes an objective study. So only those dreams and visions can be relied upon in this regard if they have an objective nature which can be put as an evidence before others to whose truth the others can also testify, they have means to testify them. This is a scientific approach. So the other approach that I had some experience, that is not scientific at all and moreover people deny in prophets their claims, who are known to be the most truthful people of their time, why should we start believing in any Tom, Dick and Harry while he belongs to a liar society?
So if claim is to be expected, first of all you should expect the claim of a much higher personality who was known to be the most truthful person on this earth or the known people, among the known people at least, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa sallallahu alaihi wasallam. If in principle one’s visions and one’s view, one’s experiences, spiritual experiences are in any way binding upon others, then let’s go back to Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa sallallahu alaihi wasallam’s times and also treat him like this.
Start believing in him what he said. What would be his attitude if you invite him to this? He said no I don’t believe in him. He said why you should tell him that, why should I believe in you? You have no comparison with that person who was so highly respected in his time who was not called a liar in so many words or even remotely through hint by any living man of his time. So his testimony should be the most reliable testimony. But in principle you do not agree with this approach at all. Everybody has a right to say that I do not believe in that person and it ends up.
But the evidence which is objective evidence, to that evidence you cannot take that plea. The revelation of Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa sallallahu alaihi wasallam has in many instances seed about things which belong to the objective class, objective category where people, any person in earth and from anywhere can have means and access to testify the truth of that prophecy, that claim. So if such claims are forwarded by these Christians which have an objective nature, which we can put to test, then we’ll begin, we agree with them, of course.
If not, then these things are just meaningless, personal experiences, maybe illusions, maybe some madness, anything, maybe truth, but we don’t know, we have no means to just to find out. So always stick to principles. For instance, I quote the example of Sheikh Mubarak Ahmad Sahib when he was in Kenya. Billy Graham visited Kenya and he’s supposed to be a great advocate of Christianity and a large, has influence over large masses. So Sheikh Sahib threw a challenge to him and said, look here, instead of making long speeches against you and wasting your time and my time, I just invite you to accept this challenge from Islam.
If there is a God, and we both believe there is a God, and if that God has a son, as you believe, then put to test this concept, we’ll go to a hospital and divide, 100 patients divide 50 each, and of those 50, of the same class of diseases, you take the worse, better ones and hopeful ones, and I take the worst ones. And then you pray to the so-called son of God for assistance. And because I disagree with you and I pray in only one God, I’ll pray to him. And then this will be put to test. If there is a real son of God, he would respond to your beggings and prayers, and he would give cure, grant cure to those patients of yours. If there is no such thing, then the normal phenomena of nature would take course.
And if there is a God and he knows that I am in the right, and I know also that he has listened to my prayers, he would listen to my prayers and show a distinctive miracle of healing with regards to those patients which are allotted to me. Now when he presented this, against this approach, no logical objection could be made, because it’s not a personal experience, it’s an objective experience, in which other people could share, and which could be observed by so many eyes. So he ran away. He had no choice. And that helped create a very good image for Ahmadiyyat and Islam in those regions.
And many, not many, but some papers did publish this fact, that by this, according to them, this trick, Sheikh Mubarak Ahmed made the Christian scholar run away, flee from Africa. But Hazrat Masih Maud A.S. has, this is what he taught us, in fact, he in the first place adopted this tactics against the Christians. Otherwise they would come and go to many Muslim houses and say, look here, we experienced the coming of Christ, we witnessed him, and people would be influenced and start believing in them. So he said, no, not like this, declare what Allah has told you about things in the world, about what is happening to others, and also come to trial with me.
I pray to Allah for a certain thing, and you pray to Allah against me, and then we’ll see. And not only like that, but I’ll tell you before time, that Allah has foretold me that he has listened to my prayer, accepted it, and this is going to be the result. So if that sort of contest is to be held, we are ready. But not just imaginations or hallucinations or personal emotional experiences, they do not mean anything to the world.
