One of the most important beliefs among the Muslims is the appearance
of Al Imam Al Mahdi in the
Latter Days. The grand prophecies of the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa) regarding
the appearance of his substitute in the Latter Days also point to the sign of
solar and lunar eclipses. The appearance of the Divinely-ordained soul took
place at the appointed time and the signs of celestial events also fulfilled as
foretold in the holy traditions. Allah the Most High kept his side of the
bargain. Yet, the world in general and the contemporary theologians in
particular, rejected him.
In his Friday Sermon of 22 March 2013, Hadhrat
Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius reflects on the
personal background of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian who was raised to
the august spiritual office of Al Imam
Al Mahdi by Allah the Most High, against the backdrop of the decline of
the fortunes of Muslims in India and their capacity to articulate Islam’s spiritual
appeal in general. In his speech, the Khalifatullah (atba) bears witness to the
sublime truth of Hadhrat Ahmad (as) and further, confirms that his own Divine
Mission in this era is inextricably intertwined with the Divine Mission of the
Promised Massih (as) in the previous era.
Read the Extracts
from the Friday Sermon:
The year 1835 holds a proud place in the human calendar. During that year a child was born in Qadian, an obscure village in northern India. For generations his ancestors had ruled with distinction over the region around Qadian. Prior to his arrival even Islam fell in decline and lost much of its glory. The child who was born was not ordinary. He was intended to bring about a great revolution not only in the realm of the spirit, but also well into the realm of matter. He was born on 13 February 1835 and was named Ghulam Ahmad by his parents and later became famous under the name of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani. He was appointed by God as the Messiah and Mahdi.
The time of his coming was a time of ignorance, a dark age in the history of Islam. Muslims knew not how to defend the pure religion of Islam against attacks from opponents. In addition, there were not many people in this part of India who loved to be given instruction/education. There was barely a few who could read and write. Very often, with the lack of a person who could read, a letter was left without reading. From his childhood, the teachers who were employed to teach him were not highly educated. They taught him to read the Quran. But they were not competent enough to give a rudimentary education of the meaning and the spiritual depths of the Holy Book. He was also given a basic education in Arabic and Persian. He learned to read both languages but without much progress. He studied some books on indigenous medicine under the supervision of his father who was a renowned physicist. That was all concerning his formal education.
It is true that he loved books, and he was always reading in the library of his father. But as knowledge and learning were not popular at that time, his father wanted to get his help to manage his worldly affairs and be interested to gain popularity and social esteem. As a result, his father tried to dissuade him from his studies and told him not to become a bookworm. It is obvious that such an elementary education, he could not put into execution the tremendous work that Allah had given him.
So Allah Himself became his Guide and Teacher, and taught him the meaning of the Holy Quran, and the secrets of the soul and life. He illumine his mind with His own light, blessed him with the mastery of pen and expression. He helped him write several books of a higher brightness and speeches that are rich deposits of knowledge and spiritual knowledge.
The Prophecy on Heavenly Signs
In their statements and writings, the ancient prophets had predicted the time of his birth. I mention here the prophecy of the chief of all the prophets, Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) who said for the Mahdi, there shall be two great heavenly signs.
These signs shall
be the solar and lunar eclipses that are to take place in the same month of
Ramadan. The lunar eclipse will occur in the first of these possible nights for
such eclipses. The solar eclipse will occur in the second possible days of such
eclipses. To set the month of Ramadan of every month of the year and again to
set the dates of eclipses was a really important feat and prophecy. To
predict such a major event was one needed to really have knowledge beyond the
ordinary limits of human knowledge.
In fact, when the
time came when the claimer’s advent was rendered clear and he claimed himself
to be the Mahdi, his claim was verily followed by the two celestial signs, the
two eclipses as predicted with precision and accuracy. There is no doubt that such a declaration and prophecy of the Holy
Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him), as the events which happened 1400
years later justified was really divinely inspired and was of superhuman
origin. The prophecy was fulfilled in this way.
The child who was
born in 1835 stated in 1891 that he was the Promised Messiah and Mahdi. To support his claim he put forth many arguments
and cited a greater number of heavenly signs. It also presented before the
world a number of prophecies, some of which were fulfilled during his life, and
the fulfilment of the others took place later and continues to this day. Contemporary theologians rejected his claim.
One of the reasons for this rejection they say, was that the prophecy of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the one relating to the solar and
lunar eclipses which were scheduled to take place in a specific month and
specific dates and which should be a sign of the truthfulness of such claimant,
had not yet been completed. So, according to them, he (Hazrat Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad) could not be the Mahdi.
But Allah the Almighty and the Omnipotent always keeps His promises and treats His sincere servants with love and constancy. In accordance with His promise and the prophecy of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the lunar and solar eclipses took place in the exact month and the exact dates in 1894, and showed the world that the God of Muhammad (peace be upon him) is Almighty and Supreme. He showed this sign twice, because it was repeated the following year in the Western Hemisphere. The two eclipses occurred in specific months and dates, so that the peoples of the East and West, new and old world, could testify to the supreme glory of God and the truth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his spiritual son, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (upon him be peace).
Great is the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) who made this prophecy on the basis of divine
knowledge, and great is his spiritual son in the person of whom it was
fulfilled. From Hazrat Muhammad
(peace be upon him) to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (upon him be peace) over 1300
years ago, very few people claimed to be Mahdis, but the sun and the moon and
reflects did not witness to the veracity of such claimants except in the case
of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (upon him be peace), and now in this era, for this
humble self.
That alone would be
enough to make you think, without passion and with eagerness about the claim of
that claimant (Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad) whose message is to prove the truthfulness
of the advent of Promised Messiah and Mahdi and whose signs are two eclipses
which occurred in specific months and accurate dates and the sun and the moon
stand witness to his truth. All this happened in accordance with the will of
God as revealed to the Promised Messiah. May Allah grant us the strength and
the opportunity to accept this truth and to benefit from it. Insha-Allah,
Ameen.
Tomorrow,
Insha-Allah, the 23rd there shall be a special programme after Esha
prayers on Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as). May Allah illuminate your heart so
that you ponder over the truth of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as). A true Muslim
believes in all prophets of Allah. May Allah guide all people who have not yet
joined Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), the Messiah of the last era.
You cannot be a Sahih al
Islam without believing and accepting Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), and also
the Musleh Maoud (ra). You cannot be a Muslim without accepting Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh) who brought the final Book (the Holy Quran). Muslims have to believe in
all prophets of Allah, including Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), and this
humble self in this era, the Khalifatullah. In the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, there is nobody who can form part of the
Jamaat without him/her accepting the Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
(as). Those who enter the fold of the Jamaat
Ul Sahih Al Islam and refuse to acknowledge the veracity of the Messiah of
the last era (that is, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as)), then Allah shall make
them go away by themselves. I put this clear before one and all that all those
who say that they believe in this humble self, the Khalifatullah of this era
must necessarily believe also in Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as). He cannot not but
believe in Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as).
Bear well in mind that before
Allah raised this humble self as the Khalifatullah of this era, I used to
perform Dawa with the people in the
towns and villages and other countries, to expose the veracity of Islam and the
Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), as a true and firm believer,
back then and now more than ever. Therefore it becomes impossible for someone
to believe in this humble self as the Khalifatullah and yet not believe in the
Promised Messiah of the last (past) era. If it is the case (him not believing in
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as)), then before the eyes of Allah, his faith is
zeroed, nullified.
Alhamdulillah, our members
are making their best to translate the books of the Promised Messiah Hazrat
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as). In our Study-Circles, our members are teaching and
learning the Tafsir-e-Quran, the life
of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and that of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) also.
We see in
Christianity, there must be election for another Pope—even they cannot carry
out their mission till their last breath. When Amir’s Presidents and
man-elected caliphs do not accomplish their mission as per Allah’s
commandments, definitely Allah shall
send His Chosen Man—A Khalifatullah,
and whenever the situation deteriorates, Allah shall do so—send His Chosen
One—till the Day of Judgement.
The Ahmadis today are
doing the same things that the Sunnis used to do and say concerning the Ahmadis
back in the beginning of the Jamaat Ahmadiyya (in the times of the Promised
Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as)). The Sunnis (till today say that the
Holy Quran of Ahmadis is the Haqiqatul Wahy, and the say that our
Hajj is in Qadian (God Forbid), thus inventing all sorts of falsehoods. They
(both the Sunnis and now the Ahmadis – vis-à-vis the Divine Manifestation)
believe that they have got the license of faith from Allah.
I (the Khalifatullah
Hazrat Munir Ahmad Azim) will never tolerate anybody to draw caricature or
falsehood on Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) as long as I live in this world. So
before you leave this world, pray to Allah that He gives you Hidaayat to believe and accept Hazrat
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), and this humble self the Khalifatullah of this era.
Pray fervently to Allah. Surely Allah will guide you, Insha-Allah. Ameen.