[i.]"Most Christian missionaries of this age have mistakenly raised against Islam the objection that Islam has been spread by force and the sword. Unfortunately, such critics have not pondered over those teachings of the Quran which say…`There is no compulsion in religion'; and `argue with the Christians with wisdom and goodly exhortations', not with harshness; and `the believers are those who restrain their anger', they forgive the attacks of the unjust people, and do not answer in a foul manner. Could such a God teach that you should kill the deniers of your religion, seize their property, and lay desolate their homes?…

"This is the view of ignorant Maulavis and foolish padres, and has no foundation. Therefore, God, the upholder of the right way, Who does not let a truth go to waste, by sending this humble servant in this age, intends to remove the allegation of jihad from Islam, and show people that Islam does not depend on force and the sword for its progress, but affects the hearts with its spiritual power…Hence it is sheer injustice to ascribe jihad and coercion to it."

(Majmu`a Ishtiharat, vol. ii, pp. 125--127, footnote)

[ii.]"It should be strongly impressed upon the government that the Muslims of India are loyal subjects, because some uninformed Englishmen, especially Dr. Hunter, President of the Education Commission, in his famous book, have insisted that Muslims are not true well-wishers of the British government, and consider it obligatory to fight jihad against it."

(Barahin Ahmadiyya, Part III, p. 68)

2. As the ideas about jihad spread among the people by the Maulavis were contradictory to the Holy Quran, it was essential to explain the correct significance:

[i.]"It should be remembered that the concept in the minds of the present-day Ulama, and the manner in which they explain this issue to the people, is certainly not correct, and the result is nothing but that they should produce beast-like characteristics in the people by their zealous speeches, and deprive them of all the good virtues of humanity. Thus did it happen. And I know with certainty that the sin of all unjust murders committed by these foolish and impassioned persons, who are unaware of why Islam had to fight battles in the early days, is upon the necks of these Maulavis who secretly teach such things which lead to terrible bloodshed."

(Government Angrezi aur Jihad, p. 7)

[ii.] Commenting on the murder of two Englishmen by a fanatic Muslim, he said:

"This murder of two Englishmen --- is this jihad? Such useless people have given Islam a bad name. What he should have done was to deal with them in such an excellent way that they would become Muslims by seeing his good morals… Whenever I hear about such people, I am deeply saddened at the fact that they have departed so far from the Holy Quran, and believe the murder of innocent persons to be a good deed."

(Malfuzat, Part II, pp. 49--50)

[iii.]"Here we also have to say with regret that, just as on the one side ignorant Maulavis have concealed the true meaning of jihad, and have taught people murder and looting, terming it jihad, on the other side the Christian padres have done precisely the same. They have published thousands of copies of books in Urdu, Pashto, etc., and propagated throughout India, the Punjab, and the Frontier that Islam has spread by the sword, and to wield the sword is Islam. The result is that the people, finding two corroborating testimonies, i.e., that of the Maulavis and that of the padres, have developed in their primitive passions."

(Government Angrezi aur Jihad, p. 9)

 

3. The Maulavis believed that the Mahdi would appear in the latter days to kill the unbelievers. As Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad claimed to be Mahdi, he had to shed light on the issue of jihad in his time, and show that they were wrong in their concept:

[i.]"Ponder over the hadith in Bukhari where, regarding the Promised Messiah, it is written: yazi'ul-harb, i.e., when the Messiah comes he shall end religious wars."

(Government Angrezi aur Jihad, p. 15)

[ii.]"It is necessary that I tell the British government as to the belief, regarding the Mahdi, held by the Wahabi sect, known as Ahl-i Hadith, Maulavi Muhammad Husain Batalvi considering himself to be its leader, and the belief in this regard held by me and my followers. The root of all this dissension and mutual enmity is that I do not believe in such a Mahdi, and so these people think of me as a kafir, and I look upon them as mistaken. So I give below these people's belief about the Mahdi in comparison with mine."

(Haqiqat al-Mahdi, p. 3)

[iii.]"As to my beliefs, just as they are correct, they are blessed, and clean of mischief. Every sensible person can realise that our beliefs --- that no such Mahdi or Messiah is to come as shall make the earth red with blood, whose great achievement would be to force people to become Muslims --- are fine and good beliefs which are wholly based on the principles of peace and gentleness. From these beliefs, no opponent can accuse Islam of coercion, nor does one have to needlessly behave towards human beings in a brute-like manner, nor does it stain one's morals, nor do people holding this belief live a hypocritical life under a government of a different religion."

(ibid., pp. 10--11)

[iv.]"These people are so adamant upon their belief about jihad, which is totally wrong and opposed to the Quran and Hadith, that the person who does not accept it, and is against it, is branded dajjal [anti-Christ] by them, and they declare him deservant of being murdered. I too have been under this sentence for a long time."

(Government Angrezi aur Jihad, p. 7)