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A PROPHET TO UNITE MANKIND IN THE LATTER DAYS
All religions contain prophecies that foretell the advent of a special individual, who will come as a reformer in the latter days. In Islam, Muslims await a Promised Mahdi and Messiah, whose advent was prophesied by the Holy Prophetsa.
The Holy Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, claimed to be that Promised Messiah and Mahdi, whose coming was long awaited by Muslims. His was a special life, one of immense success in the face of extreme hardship, leaving a legacy that resonates more and more strongly in every region of the world.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas was born on February 13, 1835, in Qadian, a small village in India. He belonged to a noble family. Right from his childhood, he had a living relationship with God. ………….
Hazrat Ahmad’s father wanted his son to pursue government service, which would allow him a handsome means to support his family financially. However, Hazrat Ahmadas felt his time pursuing worldly occupation like a ‘prison sentence’ as he was deeply attached to spirituality and was engaged in serving humanity. Hence, he always spent his time studying the Holy Quran and helping those in need.
He was an ardent follower of Islam and the Holy Prophetsa and had complete faith in the truthfulness of Islamic teachings. Hence, he used to engage in conversations and debates with missionaries of Christian as well as other faiths, who used to attack Islam and its Holy Founder, proving to them the truthfulness and supremacy of Islamic ideologies.
He began to receive revelations from God, as well as visions and true dreams at an early age. In 1868 or 1869 he received the revelation:
Your God is well pleased with what you have done. He will bless you greatly, so much so that Kings will seek blessings from your garments.
Tadhkirah p. 13
History bears witness that this revelation became reality, as the legacy of Hazrat Ahmadas as the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi unfolded and reached people from all over the world.
On 2 June 1876, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas was faced with the tragedy of his father’s death. Earlier, on the same day, Hazrat Ahmadas had received a revelation that his father would pass away after sunset, which came about. Hazrat Ahmadas was quite saddened and, owing to mortal feelings and shortcomings, was also worried about the troubles that his family would now face with limited financial means. According to his own account, this thought had just struck his mind that God’s words descended upon him offering solace and reassurance saying:
Is Allah not sufficient for His servant?
Holy Quran 39: 37
These words filled Hazrat Ahmad’s heart with the contentment that Allah would always be his Protector and Guardian. The flow of revelations and visions continued, until in 1882, he received the revelation which made it clear that he was the one commissioned by God for the revival of Islam.
In the early 1880s, he wrote and published his first and epoch-making book, Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya. This magnum opus work was written at a time when the Indian subcontinent had become a virtual battleground for the major religions of the world and Islam was on the defensive against the onslaughts of Christians and Hindus, who spared no ploy to defame the faith and its Foundersa.
In Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, which was a compendium of arguments for the truth of the Holy Quran, Prophet Muhammadsa and Islam, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas announced a reward of 10,000 rupees – the sum total of his considerable wealth at the time – for anyone who could counter even a fraction of these arguments or produce similar arguments from their own scriptures – a challenge that remains uncontested to this day.
These words filled Hazrat Ahmad’s heart with the contentment that Allah would always be his Protector and Guardian. The flow of revelations and visions continued, until in 1882, he received the revelation which made it clear that he was the one commissioned by God for the revival of Islam.
In the early 1880s, he wrote and published his first and epoch-making book, Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya. This magnum opus work was written at a time when the Indian subcontinent had become a virtual battleground for the major religions of the world and Islam was on the defensive against the onslaughts of Christians and Hindus, who spared no ploy to defame the faith and its Foundersa.
In Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, which was a compendium of arguments for the truth of the Holy Quran, Prophet Muhammadsa and Islam, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas announced a reward of 10,000 rupees – the sum total of his considerable wealth at the time – for anyone who could counter even a fraction of these arguments or produce similar arguments from their own scriptures – a challenge that remains uncontested to this day.
“I have been ordained to announce that those who are seekers after truth should swear allegiance to me so that they may be enabled to find a way to the true faith, true purity and the love of God.’”
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
“I have been ordained to announce that those who are seekers after truth should swear allegiance to me so that they may be enabled to find a way to the true faith, true purity and the love of God.’”
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
“I have been ordained to announce that those who are seekers after truth should swear allegiance to me so that they may be enabled to find a way to the true faith, true purity and the love of God.’”
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
In 1889, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas received the revelation:
When thou hast determined, put thy trust in Allah. And build the Ark under Our eyes, as commanded by Our revelation. Verily, those who swear allegiance to thee indeed swear allegiance to Allah. The hand of Allah is over their hand.
Holy Quran 3: 160, 11: 38, 48: 11
After this revelation Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas published a public announcement, that read:
I have been ordained to announce that those who are seekers after truth should swear allegiance to me so that they may be enabled to find a way to the true faith, true purity and the love of God.
The call for initiation or Bai’at was answered immediately by many pious souls who truly desired to witness the revival of Islam. The first initiation ceremony took place in Ludhiana on 23 March 1889, laying the foundation for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
Hazrat Maulvi Nooruddinra – who later became the first Khalifa or successor to the Promised Messiah – was the first person to be initiated at his hand.
Towards the end of 1890, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas received repeated revelations that Jesusas of Nazareth, in whose second advent both the Muslims and Christians believed, had died a natural death and that what was meant by his second advent was that a person should appear in the spirit of Jesus and that he himself was that person, i.e. the Promised Messiahas.
After writing over 80 books and tens of thousands of letters, delivering hundreds of lectures, and engaging in scores of public debates, the Promised Messiahas passed away on May 26, 1908.
All prophets of God were granted Divine signs in their favour. Similarly, God manifested His grand signs at the hands of the Promised Messiahas proving true his claims. Of those signs were many prophecies contained in the Divine revelations granted to him, which were fulfilled according to their tenor at their due time. Some of them that related to future events were fulfilled from time to time until his death and some continue to be fulfilled after his demise. His prophecies included tidings regarding the great progress and milestones his community was to accomplish in the times to come as well as his victory over his enemies in the face of severe opposition and heavy odds.
Of his signs were also countless instances of acceptance of prayers for his friends and others in most unexpected circumstances. Among them were incidents where many sick people, who were declared untreatable by doctors, recovered as a result of his prayers. As a challenge, he even published his readiness to prove the efficacy of prayer by supplicating for such patients whose chances of recovery were completely ruled out by medical science and announced that he be considered an imposter and liar, should he fail to prove the same.
The Promised Messiahas declared that all of his signs were the result of the blessings of the Holy Prophetsa and were continuing miracles of the truthfulness of Muhammadsa himself. He claimed that he was just the servant of the Holy Prophetsa whose mission was to show to the world the true and beautiful image of the Prophetsa and safeguard his honour in the age where his person is unjustly vilified.
The Promised Messiahas used to publish his signs and prophecies prior to their fulfilment and hence established the existence of Living God in an age where materialism and atheism had attained much influence over people’s hearts.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas claimed that he was appointed by God in this era as the Reformer of the Age. This claim of the Promised Messiahas is, in fact, a fulfilment of many past prophecies.
The scriptures of various religions contain prophecies regarding the advent of a spiritual reformer who was to appear in the latter days for the unification of mankind. While Hindus refer to him as the reappearance of Krishna, Jews are expecting the advent of their Messiah. Christians await the second coming of Jesus, while Muslims, in the light of the prophecies of the Holy Prophetsa, are looking forward to the advent of the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi.
The question that arises here is whether all these prophecies are to be fulfilled separately in different persons or if they all point towards a single reformer. A careful study of these prophecies shows that they all indicate the advent of one person and that the difference in titles implies the various attributes ascribed to that person. If all reformers were to appear under different names, it would surely give rise to religious conflict in the name of God. Hence, instead of different Reformers appearing separately and calling mankind to various paths, only one person would appear, who would represent all other reformers.
In light of this fact, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas claimed to be that Promised Reformer who came in fulfilment of all past prophecies. He said that he was appointed to connect man to his Creator and to show signs of Living God in this age of materialism. He said:
The actual mission for which God has appointed me is to remove the estrangement that has come between man and his Creator and re-establish a relationship of love and sincerity between him and his Lord. He has also appointed me to put a stop to religious wars by proclaiming the truth, to create religious harmony, to reveal the religious truths that have long remained hidden from mortal eyes, and to display the true spirituality that lies submerged under the darkness of selfish passions. I have also been sent to demonstrate practically, and not just in words, how Divine powers enter man and how they are manifested through prayer and concentration. But, first and foremost, I have been sent to re-establish forever the lost belief in the Unity of God – Tauhid – which is pure and luminous and unadulterated by any form of idolatry – Shirk. All this will not come about by my power, but by the Mighty hand of the Lord of heaven and earth.
While God has taken upon Himself the task of my spiritual training and has inspired me, through His revelation, with a zeal to bring about this reformation, He has also prepared hearts that are ready to accept my words.
Lecture Lahore pp. 42-43
As the Promised Messiah was to clear Islam of all innovations, Hazrat Ahmadas presented the true teachings of Islam that were deeply buried under a heap of false doctrines and erroneous ideologies that had crept into Islam and earned its name.
He rejected the violent notion of Jihad and proclaimed that such an understanding of the term is alien to Islam and was never practised by the Holy Prophetsa. He asserted that the Jihad of Prophet Muhammadsa was that of peace, love and brotherhood. The wars waged by the Holy Prophetsa were required by the circumstances of that era where the opponents tried to annihilate Islam and Muslims by force. Hence, that Jihad which was to defend one’s life and honour does in no way constitute the baseless notion of Jihad of sword generally understood by the world and accepted by some Muslims today.
He also added that since the conditions for the wars fought by the Holy Prophetsa are absent today and that Islam, in this era, is attacked with pen, a Muslim should engage in the Jihad of the Pen to defend the honour of Islam.
This true and pristine image of Islam which is presented by the Promised Messiahas in this age is attracting thousands every year. By now, the legacy of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas has reached over 200 countries around the world and is continuing to grow.
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