On 20th February 1886, Allah revealed to Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), a glad tiding pertaining to the arrival of a righteous progeny who will prove to be the light of Allah in the fullness of time.
“I confer upon thee a Sign of My mercy according to thy supplications. I have heard thy entreaties and have honoured thy prayers with My acceptance through My mercy and have blessed this thy journey.
A sign of power, mercy, nearness to Me is bestowed on thee. A Sign of grace and beneficence is awarded to thee and thou art granted the key of success and victory. Peace on thee, O victorious one. Thus does God speak so that those who desire life may be rescued from the grip of death and those who are buried in the graves may emerge therefrom and so that the superiority of Islam and the dignity of God's word may become manifest unto the people and so that the truth may arrive with all its blessings and falsehood may depart with all its ills, and so that people may understand that I am the Lord of Power, I do whatever I will, and so that they may believe that I am with thee, and so that those who do not believe in God and deny and reject His religion and His Book and His Holy Messenger Muhammad, the chosen one (on whom be peace) may be confronted with a clear sign and the way of the guilty ones may become manifest.
“Rejoice, therefore, that a handsome and pure boy will be bestowed on thee. Thou wilt receive a bright youth (Zaki Ghulam) who will be of thy seed and will be of thy progeny. A handsome and pure boy will come as your guest. His name is Emmanuel and Bashir. He has been invested with a holy spirit and he will be free from all impurity. He is the light of Allah. Blessed is he who comes from heaven.
“Rejoice, therefore, that a handsome and pure boy will be bestowed on thee. Thou wilt receive a bright youth (Zaki Ghulam) who will be of thy seed and will be of thy progeny. A handsome and pure boy will come as your guest. His name is Emmanuel and Bashir. He has been invested with a holy spirit and he will be free from all impurity. He is the light of Allah. Blessed is he who comes from heaven.
He shall be accompanied by grace (Fazl) which shall arrive with him. He will be characterized with grandeur, greatness and wealth. He will come into the world and will heal many of their disorder through his Messianic qualities and through the blessings of the Holy Spirit. He is the Word of Allah for Allah's mercy and honour have equipped him with the Word of Majesty. He will be extremely intelligent and understanding and will be meek of heart and will be filled with secular and spiritual knowledge. He will convert three into four (of this the meaning is not clear).
It is Monday, a blessed Monday. Son, delight of heart, high ranking, noble; a manifestation of the First and the Last, a manifestation of the True and the High; as if Allah has descended from heaven. His advent will be greatly blessed and will be a source of manifestation of Divine Majesty. Behold! a light cometh, a light anointed by God with the perfume of His pleasure. We shall pour our spirit into him and he will be sheltered under the shadow of God. He will grow rapidly in stature and will be the means of procuring the release of those held in bondage. His fame will spread to the ends of the earth and peoples will be blessed through him. He will then be raised to his spiritual station in heaven. This is a matter decreed”. (Compilation of the revelations of the Promised Messiah – Tadhkirah by Sir Zafrullah Khan.
Hadhrat Ahmad (as), in the light of divine revelation, later stated that this son would be born in the space of nine years and if there remains only one day left, that prophecy would be realised.
Mainstream Ahmadis believe that this prophecy is fulfilled in the person of Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad (1889-1965). The man and his record truly testify that the prophecy was indeed fulfilled in his person. He was born not only within the stipulated period mentioned in the revelation, but also went on to preside over the mainstream Ahmadiyya community for over a period of 52 years. He wrote an exceptionally outstanding commentary on the Holy Qur’an that was completely in accordance with the requirements of the time.
Though he was elected by the community to head it as the Khalifatul Massih, Allah elevated his status and made him the physical and literal fulfillment of the prophecy Musleh Mauod (Promised Reformer) on the basis of the revelations vouchsafed to the Promised Massih Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as). In a meeting at Hoshiarpur on the 20th February 1944, Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad (r.a) officially announced that he was indeed the fulfillment of the prophecy, while clarifying that other spiritual manifestations of the Grand Prophecy in the form of Divine personages shall emerge in the Ummat-e-Muhammadiyya in future.