Lahore
December 28, 1961
Dear Ghulam Ahmed:
As-salaam aleikhum. The Arabs use this saying and they mean peace. The word “salaam” means “peace” and the Arab word “Muslim” means peaceful one. A man who is peaceful is called a “Muslim” in Arabic. I don’t know about other languages and I meet people in all parts of the world who call themselves “Muslims” who are not peaceful at all. That is why the Arabs do not always accept some interpretations on the word “Muslim” or rather “Musselman” and there may be a vast, vast difference between a “Muslim” in the Arab sense and a “Musselman” in any sense. Therefor I do not call myself a “Muslim” (excepting in Arab lands), but call myself an Inshallah-ist. I do nothing, nothing without asking for the blessing and permission of Allah.
I do not associate anything with Allah. I never pray: “We do not associate anything with Thee” and then start a stream of associations which are utterly confusing. In India there are at least six persons calling themselves “God” or God-incarnations. But outside of India I find so many people identifying spiritually with their own private wills, private opinions, private portions. So be it. To you be your religion and if your religion is concerned with your affairs and not with the sufferings, difficulties and trials of other people, that is your religion. It is not my religion. An Inshallahist does not pray for himself, he prays for others. An Inshallahist never compels, never insists, never demands. He patiently awaits the approval of Allah. An Inshallahist never skips the “Bismillah er-rahman er-rahim.” This has a wonderful meaning in Arabic. But when I see people break cues and push each other aside and are rude, I know they do not know the meaning of this “Bismillah er-rahman er-rahim” which is so wonderful in Arabic, or, if translated from the Arabic.
Mohammed, on whom be peace—and from whom be peace—insisted on the Bismillah. An Inshallahist without Bismillah cannot be.
Again the Inshallahist believes “Allaho Akbar” as these words are meant in Arabic. he does not see power and might in personalities. An Inshallahist will never associate with King Ibn Saud but many “Muslims” proclaim him as leader. To an Inshallahist, “Allaho Akbar” is truth and there is no real power or might in kings and potentates but I won’t argue the point.
Without the permission from Allah nothing can be done, agreements or non-agreements, statements or non-statements. The great Revealer said there should be no compulsion in religion but who cares about that! We want “Islam” and “we” are going to have “Islam” only a lot of people elsewhere won’t have this “Islam” and you cannot force your way into colleges and universities. In America Islamic teachings are mainly in the hands of Europeans and Zionists. This was told you before, but you don’t like it so you pay no attention. Indeed only one single university in all America wants to learn the true Islam; the rest accept these teachers.
Bowing to God and to Him alone and not to anybody or anything else I was lead to the city of Washington and there met Imam Hosny who is to me a true Imam. I am not a rich man, I am a poor man, but every dollar I have is in God’s service—not in your service, not in my service but in God’s service. Imam Hosny introduced me to his superior Imam Hoballah and the latter sent me on a long and complicated errand. I did this because Islam means surrender. The word “Islam” is an Arabic word and has no more to do with Allah than any other word. There are far more important Sifar used in
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