The Phonograph was a device that recorded and reproduced sounds. This machine quickly gained fame, and when it arrived in India, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) was highly enthusiastic about this invention, remarking:

“Up until now, this phonograph has only been used for fun, but in actuality, God has kept this invention for us, and great tasks will be carried out through it.” (Al Hakam, 10 November 1901, p. 4).

On 15 November 1901, Hazrat Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan   (ra) reached Qadian with a phonograph. It was the latest technology available to save sound recordings. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) spared his time after Asr to examine this device. Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim Sialkoti (ra) recorded his melodious voice. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, p. 193).

In one of his poems, on hearing the first phonograph, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) states:

“This voice is coming from the phonograph; Seek God from the heart; not through boasting and pomposity.”

In this couplet, he gave us great advice that there would be new inventions in support of Islam, but their rightful use was to seek God and not for vain pursuits – most importantly, “not through boasting and bragging”.