Conclusion
In this conclusion we wish to confront Moslems with this conception of Islam in its scientific stage, so that they may appreciate the essence of their religion, and apply themselves to it with a new understanding in this age of tremendous scientific achievements. In this age of material science, religion, too, must reveal its hidden quality as a spiritual science, so that we may have a union of material science and spiritual science after a long alleged antagonism caused by peoples’ ignorance of the true nature of both sciences.
It was to this scientific level of Islam that the Prophet Mohamed referred when he said, “Islam is the religion of the essence,” paraphrasing the Koran, “Apply your face to religion in earnest, to the essence of Allah in accordance with which he had deemed all people. There is no changing of the creation of Allah. That is the proper Religion, but most people do not know” 9sura 30, Aiya 30). The Prophet also said to the same effect, “Every child is born with his true essence, then his parents convert him into Judaism, Christianity or Magianism,” meaning that all human beings, as a species, differ from others animals, and share their common essence, which is the mind and the ability to think. “Every child is born with this true essence,” means that he is born with wholesome heart and clear mind. But this primitive essence is not significant, as it is not based on actual experience.
As the child begins to live in society, he starts with his own family, so he adopts the religion of his parents. As he gains experience in the larger society, and undertakes the daily struggle to gratify his needs, motivated by fear and greed, his essence begins to be tarnished with various defects of behavior. As the Koran put it, “their hearts are tarnished with what they have gained” (Sura 83, Aiya 14).
As the heart loses its wholesomeness, so the mind loses its clarity, in the same proportion, and is thus unable to think properly. It becomes distorted with desires and whims Hence the problem of inner peace within the individual human being, which is the cause and source of the problem of international peace.
The function of Islam, as the religion of the essence of man, is to restore all people to the wholesomeness of the heart and the clarity of the mind – “When neither sons nor property is of any use, except those who come to Allah with a wholesome heart,” (Sura 26, Aiya 89). He who achieves peace within himself has thereby achieved peace with the environment in which he lives. This is what we mean by the reconciliation of the individual with the environment.
Islam, at this level, is really the psychology of liberating the self from all traces of fear and ignorance which have distorted its essence. Thus, it is the cure for the international phenomena of anxiety, confusion and psychological disorder which are increasingly affecting all modern societies, as reflected in psychological and psychiatric statistics throughout the world.
At this scientific level, Islam is the psychology directing humanity towards its fundamental goal. In seeking to explore outer space, deep seas and the earth, through the means of modern science and technology, humanity is unconsciously seeking the human self. It is by such knowledge of the self that the Koranic promise is fulfilled, “We shall show them our signs in the universe, and in themselves, until they realize that it is the truth. Is your Lord not a sufficient witness?” (Sura 41, Aiya 53). Islam, in this sense, is addressed to the essence of the human nature as such, regardless of distinction on the grounds of faith, sex, race, color, language or national origin. At this level, it is capable of uniting all religions and philosophies, as humanity finds no answer to its individual and social problems except through this conception of Islam.
Religion at this level is the subject of the Second Message of Islam, namely the full achievement of the ultimate goal of Religion, while the First Message was merely a stage in this achievement.
Mohamed came in the Mecca era with his Ahmadia prophecy and Ahmadia Message to the people at large, and he preached Islam at its scientific level, but it was rejected because of the infancy of society at that time. So Mohamed was instructed to migrate to Medina, hence the Medina era, where the Ahmadia Message was repealed or abrogated, and the Mohammedia Message implemented. Thus Mohamed became the Prophet of the Ahmadia Prophecy, as implemented by him personally, and Messenger of the Mohammedia Message, in which he preached Islam as a faith, and it was accepted and implemented by that nation.
The final Messiah shall com with the Ahmadia Prophecy, which is the personal example of Ahmed, the final Prophet, and the Ahmadia Message, whereupon he shall preach Islam at its scientific level, in the same way the Prophet first preached it in the Mecca era, but this time it shall be accepted and implemented, because of the maturity of society today, with its tremendous intellectual and material capabilities.
This is the difference between Ahmadia and Mohammedia, to which Jesus Christ, the first Messiah, refers, as reported by the Koran, “When Jesus, the son of Mary, said, “Oh, sons of Israel, I am the messenger of Allah to you, confirming the Torah, which precede me, and prophesying the coming of a Messenger following me called Ahmed. But when he came forth with the proof, they said, this is pure magic,” (Sura 61 Aiya 6).
This prophecy is really about the coming of the Ahmadia Message which the Mohammedan Messiah shall apply on people at large, after Mohamed had applied the Mohammedia Message on the people of his time. This is so because the Mohammedia Message is a simplification of the Ahmadia Message dictated by the age. Now, we can clearly see that humanity is ready to receive the Ahmadia Message which the Messiah shall bring forth as a Messenger.
Mohamed is the final Prophet, but he is not the final Messenger, in the sense that both the first Message (the Mohammedia Message) and the Second Message (the Ahmadia Message) were revealed to him in the Koran. But he personally lived according to the Second Message, i.e. according to the Ahmadia Prophecy, as the inadequacy of that society to receive the Ahmadia Message became apparent. He had to migrate to Medina after thirteen years of preaching the Ahmadia Message, i.e. the Second Message of Islam. The Mohammedan Messiah shall now come to implement the Second Message, i.e. the Ahmadia Message, today.
Thus, prophecy has been concluded, but the message is yet to be concluded. The incompletion of the Message is proved by the preaching by the Prophet Mohamed himself of the coming of the Messiah to apply the law of the Second Message, and organize human life accordingly, thereby concluding the message.
We are not presenting religion today except at this scientific level which addresses the mind and seeks to convince it with facts drawn from human realities, aspirations and the course of the development of human life. We are neither dependent on texts, not provoking narrow religious allegiance, nor expecting mere blind faith. We perceive, however, the necessity and inevitability of the coming of the Messiah, and necessity and inevitability of the solution to which contemporary humanity aspires, as the answer to all its individual and social problems. We also perceive the necessity and inevitability of the coming of the Perfect Man, the Messiah, who has always been the subject of the dreams of philosophers, writers and artists since ancient times, as he has also been the subject of the prophecies of the prophets, saints and mystics of all religions. The notion of the Super Man, which contemporary man finds extremely interesting and artistically inspiring, deeply illustrates this longing for the coming of the ultimately able man whose coming is dictated by immediate living necessities. Groups preaching the coming of the Messiah under a variety of names and titles all over Europe, America and Asia also reflect this longing derived from the necessity and inevitability of his coming.
Moslems today could realize these fundamental facts dormant in their religion, but now appearing along with the need and capability for their implementation. Moslems should, therefore, prepare for and expect the fantastic and imminent change with open-mindedness and tolerance. Since they hold the key to the treasure in their hands, they ought to discover it and share it with all humanity, or else face the threat, “If you fail, you will be replaced by another people who shall not be like you” (Sura 43, Aiya 38).
