As a Muslim with a sense of honour and self-respect, was it not the duty of Hazrat Mirza, in replying to a foul-mouthed man who had deliberately hurled such abuse to hurt him, that he should not only refute the allegations but retaliate against the slanderer's own beliefs to stop him writing such falsehood and filth in the future. Even in this retaliation, Hazrat Mirza took great care to explain that he was not criticising that prophet Jesus who had been mentioned in the Quran, but was directing his criticism at that Jesus whom Christians call God and the son of God, not the real Jesus but the one who existed only in their imagination. Thus he wrote:

[1.]"What I have written is a retaliatory reply based on the Gospels. Otherwise, I respect Jesus and believe him to be a righteous, honourable prophet."

(Faryad-i Dard, footnote, p. 79)

[2.]"Whatever has come from my pen about Jesus which appears to go against his dignity is by way of a retaliatory reply. In fact, we have quoted the words of the Jews. If the Christian preachers behave in a civilised, God-fearing manner, and not hurl abuse at our Holy Prophet, the Muslims for their part would be twenty times more respectful than they."

(Chashma Masihi, footnote, p. 2)

[3.]"Everywhere in our writings [of this sort] the imaginary Messiah of the Christians is meant. The humble servant of God, Jesus son of Mary, who is mentioned in the Quran, is not meant. And this technique we adopted after listening to abuse from Christian preachers over a period of full forty years…It should be remembered that in future those reverends who give up the technique of hurling abuse, and speak with good manners, we too will deal with them respectfully…We were tired of listening to their abuse. If someone swears at a person's father, does not that wronged person have the right to return in kind against his father."

(Nur al-Quran, Part II, p. 2)

[4.]"I give you notice by this letter that if you again use such foul language and utter filthy slander in the honour of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, I will retaliate against your imaginary and fake god. O fool! Do you accuse the Holy Prophet of adultery in your letter, and call him evil and wicked, and hurt our heart. We do not turn to any court, nor will we do so, but warn you for the future to refrain from such filth. Fear God, and do not abuse the Messiah, for certainly what you will say about the Holy Prophet Muhammad will be applied to your imaginary Messiah. However, we believe the true Messiah to be holy, venerable and pure. He claimed neither to be God nor the son of God, and gave the news of the advent of the Holy Prophet Muhammad and believed in him."

(Nur al-Quran, Part II, p. 13)

[5.]"I have not said anything disrespectful about Jesus. This is all a fabrication of the opponents. However, as there has not been a Messiah in reality who claimed to be God, called the coming Last of the Prophets a liar, and branded Moses as a thief, I did say about him hypothetically that a Messiah who were to say such things could not be righteous. But our Messiah, the son of Mary, who called himself a servant and messenger of God, and testified to the Holy Prophet, we believe in him."

(Tiryaq al-Qulub, footnote, p. 77)

[6.]"If the Christian preachers change their policy even now, and resolve not to hurl abuse at our Holy Prophet in future, we too will resolve to use mild language in our replies. Otherwise, whatever they say, they will hear the answer to that."

(Anjam Atham, footnote on footnote, Supplement, p. 8)

[7.]"Our contention is with that Jesus who claims to be God, not with that chosen Prophet of God mentioned along with the details concerning him in the Holy Quran."

(Majmu`a Ishtiharat, vol. iii, p. 332)

[8.]"It should be remembered that this view of ours is about that Jesus who claimed to be God, and called the former prophets as thieves, and said nothing about the Last of the Prophets except that only false prophets would come after him [i.e. Jesus]. Such a Jesus is not mentioned anywhere in the Quran."

(Anjam Atham, p. 13)

[9.]"The readers should note that we had to speak in the same manner about the Christian religion as that which they use towards us. Christians in reality do not believe in our `Isa} [Jesus], peace be upon him, who called himself only a servant and a prophet, believed the former prophets to be righteous, believed in the Prophet to come, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, and had prophesied about him. They believe in a man called Yasu who is not mentioned in the Holy Quran, who, they believe, claimed to be God and used to refer to the former prophets as thieves. They also say that this man belied our Holy Prophet Muhammad, and prophesied that all claimants coming after him would be liars…The readers should remember not to take our strong words as applying to `Isa [Muslim name for Jesus], but they have been written with regard to Yasu, not a trace of whom is to be found in the Quran or Hadith."

(Arya Dharm, Title page, last, under caption For the attention of the Readers)

 

[10.]"Since Rev. Fathi Masih has sent us an extremely filthy letter, in which he has accused our Holy Prophet Muhammad of adultery, and besides this, has used many words by way of abuse and vituperation, it was, therefore, advisable to publish a reply to his letter; hence this booklet has been written. It is to be hoped that Christian preachers will read it carefully and not be pained by its words, because it is all a consequence of the harsh language and exceedingly filthy abuse by Mr Fathi Masih. Nonetheless, we take account of the holy dignity of the Messiah, peace be upon him, and, in return for Fathi Masih's strong words, an imaginary Messiah has been mentioned. Even this is out of dire necessity because this fool has heaped a great deal of abuse upon the Holy Prophet Muhammad, and has hurt our feelings."

(Nur al-Quran, Part II, p. 3)

 

[11.]"If God were to grant you good manners, we would explain things to you with kindness and mercy, as one does to children, and satisfy you on all scores with love and courtesy. But you are falling upon us like wild beasts, and are using harsh words, not out of anger or emotion, but to cause hurt. If you are prepared to employ good morals and to abandon this brute-like behaviour, we too are ready to show love, courtesy and respect."

(Maktubat Ahmadiyya, Vol. iii, p. 33)

 

[12.]"There remains the matter of using strong words occasionally in reply to Christians. It is very simple: when our sentiments are very badly hurt by the undeserved attacks of all kinds upon the Holy Prophet Muhammad, then as a warning only, retaliatory replies are given based on their acknowledged scriptures. These people should see if they can show any point we have made about Jesus by way of retaliation which is not from the Gospels. We certainly cannot remain silent on hearing insults heaped upon the Holy Prophet Muhammad. This type of reply is to be found in the Holy Quran itself, as for instance, `Are the males for you, and for Him the females' [53:21], and `Now ask them whether thy Lord has daughters and they have sons' [37:149]. Those people used to call the angels daughters of God. God says, Do you have sons and I have daughters? In short, giving retaliatory replies is a technique of debate. Otherwise, we believe Jesus to be a messenger of God and a chosen, venerable human being."

(Ruhani Khaza'in, No. 2, vol. ix, pp. 479--480)

 

[13.]"Sometimes retaliatory replies have to be given, as the occasion may demand. When feelings are badly hurt, then in order to warn Christians that if this is what constitutes criticism, we too can give like replies,these points are presented out of their own scriptures. This type of reply is also to be found frequently in the Holy Quran. Our replies are only intended to warn the Christian preachers, otherwise we believe Jesus to be a messenger and chosen one of God."

(ibid., pp. 470--471)

 

[14.]"I am accused of having insulted Jesus, peace be upon him, and Imam Husain, whereas I believe them to be righteous and holy. It is objected that I speak disrespectfully of Jesus and abuse him, whereas I believe him to be a great prophet and righteous servant of God."

(ibid., p. 442)

 

[15.]"If it had been true that Jesus was indeed the son of God, or God, I would have been the first to worship him. I would have preached his divinity throughout the land, and even though I had to bear persecution orface death and be cut to pieces in his cause, I would not have refrained from calling people to him. But, O dear ones, may God have mercy on you and open your eyes, Jesus is not God, but only a prophet, not a whit more. And, by God, I have such true love for him as you do not have. I see him with the light with which you cannot. There is no doubt that he was a beloved, chosen prophet of God, and of those who receive His special grace, and who are purified by Him. But he was neither God nor the son of God."

(Majmu`a Ishtiharat, vol. iii, p. 574)

 

[16.]"I inform you that actually, in the case of Jesus, the Christians and the Jews went to two opposite extremes. The Christians exaggerated his position so much that a helpless human being, who was born of a woman likeordinary mortals, was considered to be God. Then they brought him down so low as to make him accursed and enter hell [for three days]. The Jews denigrated him so much as to dub him --- God forbid --- as illegitimate, which some English authors have accepted, and put the entire blame on Mary. But the Holy Quran came to correct both these peoples. It told the Christians that Jesus was a prophet of God, not God, and he was not accursed but exalted spiritually. It told the Jews that he was not illegitimate, but rather that Mary was a righteous woman who became pregnant through `guarding her chastity'. This going to opposite extremes has also happened in this age and God has sent me to restore his honour. Muslims, through ignorance, make the mistake of giving him higher than human attributes, and are unaware of the fact of his death. Christians regard him as crucified, and therefore accursed. The time has now arrived to remove all these allegations regarding Jesus, which were removed once before by the Holy Prophet Muhammad. I hope you will give full consideration to these points."

(Ruhani Khaza'in, No. 2, vol. iii, pp. 110--111)

The references given above show the great honour in which Hazrat Mirza held Jesus, believing him to be a prophet and messenger of God. As to the writings to which objections are raised, they were retaliatory replies toChristian vituperation against the Holy Prophet Muhammad. Hazrat Mirza made it plain that, for the purpose of these rejoinders, the Jesus mentioned in the Holy Quran and the Jesus of the Christian conception were different. Not to distinguish between the actual and the imaginary Messiah, when Hazrat Mirza has clearly differentiated between the two, is contrary to honesty and fairness.

It is this fact, due to not understanding which, it is alleged in order to incense the masses that Hazrat Mirza insulted Jesus and used offensive words about him. This technique of giving retaliatory replies was not invented by Hazrat Mirza, but, in fact, before him as well as after him many Muslim theologians and writers of the Ahl as-Sunna and Ahl al-Hadith adopted the same method against Christian abusive literature.