Question # 4: The Founders of the Two Faiths being the Light for their Followers:

Question: Christ said, "Come to me, you who are tired and weary, I will give you comfort," and, "I am the light, I am the way, the life and the truth." Did the Founder of Islam also make these or similar statements about himself?

Prophet Muhammad is the Light and the Way to Allah:

"Say: If you love Allah, follow me: Allah will love you, and grant you protection from your sins." (3:30)

This promise, that Allah will make those who follow the Prophet His beloved, is a far superior statement than the preceding statements of Jesus because there is no better station in life then that of being the beloved of Allah. Who has a better right to call himself the Light then the one whom God certifies as the guide to His love? Consequently, Allah, Glory be to Him, has named the Prophet 'Light' in the Quran when He says: "Indeed there has come to you from Allah, a Light" (5:15).

The statement, "Come to me, you who are tired and weary, I will give you comfort," is absurd. If by comfort is meant worldly comfort and freedom from restrictions, then this statement is certainly correct because, being a Muslim, requires the discipline of praying five times a day. A Muslim has to get up before sunrise for the morning prayer and perform ablution even when the water is freezing during the winter months. Five times during the day, he has to repair to the mosque for prayers, and spend part of the night, after getting up from sweet sleep, in the tahajjud prayer. He has to refrain from alcohols, intoxicants and looking at women outside the prohibited degree. Every year, he has to carry out God's command to fast for one month. In short, he has to strive with his wealth, body and life in the way of Allah.

When an unfortunate person, who was first a Muslim, converts to Christianity, he rids himself of this burden. Sleeping, eating, drinking wine, and bodily comfort become the objects of his life, and he is relieved of his former difficult obligations. He begins to live an animal existence where eating, drinking and unchaste bodily pleasures are his only pursuits.

If this is what is meant by giving comfort in the above statement of Jesus, then I admit that the Christians, by virtue of their unbridled existence, have much comfort in this temporary, inferior life. In fact, there is no parallel to it. Like a fly, they can alight on anything and like a swine, they can eat anything. The Hindus refrain from eating beef and the Muslims from eating pork, but the Christians can eat both without any restraint. How true is the saying, "Be a Christian and do whatever you like." The Torah has not only issued repeated injunctions against eating pork, but has prohibited even touching it, and has made it clear that this prohibition is for all times to come. But Christianity did not even forbid the eating of pig -- an animal that was abhorred by all Prophets. I accept that the Bible portrays Jesus as drinking wine, but does it show anywhere that he ate pork? In fact, Jesus uses the analogy, "Do not cast your pearls before the swine". If pearls stand for the holy words then swine stands for defiled persons. This analogy bears clear testimony that Jesus considered the swine to be unclean because a relationship between the objects compared is a condition of the analogy.

Arise, Christians! If you have the strength, come and debate with me, and if I am a liar, kill me. Otherwise, know that you are guilty in the eyes of God, and treading the path to hell fire.

Peace be on him who follows true guidance.

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad,
Qadian, District Gurdaspur.
June 22, 1897.