After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^(aba) stated:

20 February is specially commemorated in the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community with regard to the Prophecy of Musleh-e-Maud [the Promised Reformer]. The Jamaats also hold jalsas [gatherings] in commemoration of Musleh-e-Maud Day.

Although I have previously explained this particular matter on several occasions, but I will clarify it again for those who have newly joined and for children, that we do not celebrate the birth of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^(ra), the Promised Reformer on Musleh-e-Maud Day, rather it is commemorated in regards to the fulfilment of a prophecy. This prophecy was made by the Promised Messiah^(as) as per divine revelation to prove the superiority and truthfulness of Islam. It was made three years prior to the birth of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) and contained a glad-tiding regarding the Promised Son, who was to be a great servant of Islam. This prophecy was also to serve as a sign for the opponents.

Yesterday was 20 February and hence, 134 years have passed since this prophecy was announced. This has been serving as a brilliant sign for more than a hundred years. In any case, as I mentioned, Jamaats also hold Jalsas in this regard. Various aspects of the prophecy and the various attributes of the Promised Reformer that are mentioned in the prophecy are elaborated in these jalsas to some extent. However, it is not possible to elaborate upon all the various aspects, its true significance and how magnificently this prophecy was fulfilled within one to two hours.

Therefore, if an entire jalsa cannot encompass all these aspects, then it is certainly even more difficult to elaborate all the various aspects in one just one sermon. Hence, I decided that I should present some quotes regarding those aspects, the details of which have been elaborated by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) himself.

To read and listen to what Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) has written in his own words gives its particular delight and unique feeling to the listener. In any case, even through these brief quotes one can gauge how immense this prophecy is and with what brilliance it was fulfilled in the person of the Promised Son of the Promised Messiah^(as).

However, I will first present the words of the prophecy as mentioned by the Promised Messiah^(as). Whilst informing his opponents of his prophecies, the Promised Messiah^(as) states in regard to the prophecy of the Promised Son:

“The first prophecy which God, the Merciful and Noble, the Magnificent and High, Who has power to do all that He wills (glory be to Him and exalted be His name) addressed me in a revelation and said ‘I confer upon you a Sign of My mercy according to what you begged of me. So I have heard your entreaties and have honoured your prayers with My acceptance through My mercy and made your journey (i.e. the journey to Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana) a source of blessings for you. Therefore, a Sign of power, mercy, nearness is bestowed on you, a Sign of grace and beneficence is awarded to you and you are granted the key of success and victory. Peace on you, O victorious one. Thus did 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 come out of them and so that the superiority of Islam and the dignity of God’s Word may become manifest unto the people and so that truth may arrive with all its blessings and falsehood may flee 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 you, and so that those who do not believe in God and deny and reject His religion and His Book and His Holy Messenger Muhammad^(sa), the Chosen One 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 you; you will receive an unblemished youth who will be of your seed and will be of your progeny. A handsome and pure boy is coming as your guest. His name is Emmanuel and also Bashir. He has been invested with a spirit of holiness, and he is free from all impurity. He is the light of Allah. Blessed is he who comes from heaven. He will be accompanied by grace which shall arrive with him. He will be characterised with grandeur, greatness and wealth. He will come into the world and will heal many of their disorders through his Messianic qualities and through the blessings of the spirit of holiness. 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 perceptive 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. فرزند دلبند گرامی ارجمند [Son, delight of the heart, high ranking, noble.]مَظْھَرُ الْاَوَّلِ وَ الْاٰخِرِ ۔ مَظْھَرُ الْحَقِّ وَ الْعَلَآءِ کَاَنَّ اللہَ نَزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ [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 comes, 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. وَکَانَ اَمْرًا مَّقْضِیًّا [This is a matter decreed.]” (Aina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 5, p. 647)

These are the words of the prophecy, which mention its different aspects and of the attributes of the Promised Son. The Promised Messiah^(as) performed a chillah [i.e. forty days of intense prayers in seclusion], and subsequently, he received a revelation from Allah the Almighty, the wording of which I have just presented. While describing the location of where this chillah took place, and the revelation that [the Promised Messiah^(as)] received after the supplications he had offered, on the basis of which he made the Prophecy of the Promised Reformer, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) states:

“Exactly 58 years ago from today the prophecy was made; (when this address was delivered, 58 years had passed since the prophecy) and it is now entering its 59^th year. On the 20 February 1886, in this very city of Hoshiarpur (Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) at the time was delivering this sermon from Hoshiarpur), in a house in front of me (pointing at it with his finger from where he was standing), there is a house which at that time was known as an outbuilding, which is a temporary place to stay and not an actual dwelling. In fact, it was an additional building of a chief, similar to annexes built occasionally so that guests may stay there who arrive unexpectedly, or which is used as a store or where, if need be, animals could also be kept.”

In other words, it was an additional room. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) further states:

“An unknown individual from Qadian, who even the people of Qadian were not fully acquainted with, came here upon witnessing the enmity people harbored towards Islam and the Founder^(sa) of Islam. He came in order to worship his Lord in seclusion and seek a sign of His help and succor. He spent 40 days in seclusion from others and supplicated before his Lord. After 40 days of supplications, God gave him a sign that ‘I will not only fulfil the promises I made to you of spreading your name to the corners of the earth, but in order to fulfil this in an even more splendid manner, I will bless you with a son, who will possess certain qualities. He will spread Islam to the corners of the earth, explain to the people the verities of the Holy Quran, he will be a sign of mercy and grace and he will be endowed with the religious and secular knowledge that is essential for the propagation of Islam.’ Moreover, Allah the Almighty will grant him a long life, so much so that his fame will spread to the corners of the earth.” (Da‘wa Musle-e-Maud Ke Mutallaq Pur Shaukat Elan, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 17, pp. 146-147)

Today, in whichever country of the world the Ahmadiyya Jamaat is established, this in itself serves as a means of propagating this prophecy and the grandeur of this great son. When this announcement was published, the opponents started raising objections that what kind of a prophecy is this? Anyone can announce that a son will be born to them. This allegation has also been answered by the Promised Messiah^(as) and referring to it, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) states:

“When this announcement was published, the opponents started raising a series of objections in relation to this. Subsequently, the Promised Messiah^(as) published another announcement on 22 March 1886. The opponents raised the objection that how can such a prophecy be deemed reliable which states that a son will be born to him? Do other people not have sons? In fact, there might be the exceptional case where a person is not granted a son or who is only granted daughters. Otherwise, it is common for one to have a son and never is their birth declared to be a particular sign. Hence, even if a son was born to him, why would it prove that a particular sign of God Almighty had been manifested in the world through this means? Replying to this objection of the people, the Promised Messiah^(as) wrote in the announcement of 22 March that ‘this is not merely a prophecy, but a magnificent heavenly sign, which God the Benevolent and most Sublime has manifested in order to establish the truth and grandeur of our benevolent, kind and merciful Prophet, Muhammad the Chosen One^(sa).’

“In the same announcement, the Promised Messiah^(as) wrote:

‘By the grace and blessings of God and owing to the blessings of the Seal of the Prophet^(sa), God Almighty accepted this humble one’s supplication and promised to send such a blessed spirit whose external and internal blessings will be spread in the entire world.’”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra)further  states,

“If the Promised Messiah^(as) had simply proclaimed to have a son, even then it would have been considered a prophecy in its own right because there are people in the world, even though they may be very few, who do not have any children at all. Secondly, the Promised Messiah^(as) was over 50 years of age when he made this announcement. There are thousands of people in the world who cannot have children after the age of 50. Also, there are some who only have girls. Then there are some who may have a son, but the child passes away shortly after its birth. All these conditions also applied to the Promised Messiah^(as) as well. Thus, firstly, no individual has the power to predict the birth of a son. Even if this objection is accepted, the Promised Messiah^(as) stated, ‘Even if one were to accept the fact that predicting the birth of a son cannot be deemed as a prophecy, however the question arises that when did I share the news of only a son being born? I did not simply claim that a boy will be born to me. Rather, I stated that God Almighty had accepted my supplications, and He has promised me to send a blessed spirit whose internal and external blessings will spread throughout the entire world.’” (Al-Maud, Anwar-ul-Aloom, Vol. 17, pp. 529-530)

As mentioned earlier that the whole world is a witness that this Promised Son^(ra) attained fame across the earth and every one of the foreign missions outside of India and Qadian are evidence of his truthfulness. Numerous missions were established during the time of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra), and this is continuing till today. Some people raised the objection that the birth of the Promised Son was to take place much later on, after one or two or three hundred years. Elaborating on the fact that why the Promised Messiah^(as) prayed for this sign and why the fulfilment of this prophecy during his lifetime was significant, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) states:

“Some people claim that the birth of the Promised Son will take place in the future progeny of the Promised Messiah^(as), perhaps three or four hundred years later – (but even here it states that from his progeny i.e. that the Promised Son shall appear from his progeny) and His advent cannot take place in this day and age. Such people should fear God and focus on the words of the prophecy and ponder over it. The Promised Messiah^(as) has written that at that time, allegations were being levelled against Islam that it did not possess any power to show any signs. Hence, Pandit Lekh Ram was claiming that if Islam was a true faith, then a sign should be shown. Indirman Muradabadi was raising the same objection that if Islam was a true faith then demonstrate a sign. Thus, the Promised Messiah^(as) prostrated before Allah the Almighty and supplicated: ‘O my Lord! Demonstrate a sign that convinces these people of Islam who seek a sign. Show such a sign which would convince people like Indirman Muradabadi about Islam.’ But despite this, those who object to the prophecy [and say that it was to be fulfilled 3-4 hundred years later], claim that when the Promised Messiah^(as) offered this prayer, God Almighty responded with the glad tiding that He would grant him a son whose birth would take place three hundred years later as a sign of the truthfulness of Islam. Is there anyone in the world who can consider this to be of any logic? This is, indeed, very irrational. This is equivalent to the example of a thirsty person who knocks on someone’s door for help and says, ‘Brother, I am extremely thirsty. Please grant me some water for the sake of God’ and the person in the house responds, ‘Sir, worry not. I have sent a letter to someone in America and he will send the essence of a sweet drink of high quality by the end of the year, and I will prepare that drink and grant it to you next year.’ Even the most insane person would not attribute such a statement to God and His Messenger^(sa).

“Pandit Lekh Ram, Munshi Indarman Muradabadi and the Hindus of Qadian were saying that to claim that the God of Islam has the power to show the world a sign is false and baseless. If there was any truth to this claim, a sign should be shown to them. Hence, the Promised Messiah^(as) submitted before God Almighty supplicating, ‘O God, I pray to You that You manifest to me a sign of Your mercy. Grant me a sign of Your might and nearness.’ Hence, this sign must surely have been manifested in the very near future whilst those people who demanded it were still alive. Thus, this is what came to pass. When I was born in 1889, in accordance with the divine prophecy, those who had asked for a sign of the Promised Messiah^(as) were still alive. Hence, as I grew older, more and more signs of God Almighty continued to be manifested.” (Mein Hi Musleh-e-Maud Ki Peshgoy Ka Misdaq Houn, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Vol. 17, pp. 222-223)

Therefore, it was necessary for this sign to be manifested in the lifetime of the Promised Messiah^(as) and in the lifetime of those who raised allegations against Islam and who asked for the sign, and indeed this sign was ultimately fulfilled.

It is also very important for us to understand the purposes of this prophecy and why it was necessary for them to be fulfilled during the lifetime of the Promised Messiah^(as). I have just briefly mentioned this and it is also important to know why it was necessary for this sign to be fulfilled in the physical progeny and bloodline of the Promised Messiah^(as) and through the son whose biological father was the Promised Messiah^(as). Whilst describing the purposes of this prophecy, Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) states,

“The Promised Messiah^(as) wrote in one of his announcements of 20 February 1886:

‘God Almighty has disclosed to me that this sign, which was shown to the world, has a number of objectives. Firstly, this sign has been manifested so that those who desire life shall be saved from [the claws] of death and those who are buried in their graves shall emerge once more, i.e. life shall be given to those who have become spiritually dead.’”

He further explains, “If it is assumed that this prophecy is to be fulfilled after 400 years, it shall therefore mean that ‘I have made this prophecy so that those who desire life today should remain in their state of death and only be granted life after 400 years.’ However, this notion is clearly incorrect. The Promised Messiah^(as) further stated, ‘This chilla [praying in seclusion for 40 days] has been performed in order for a living sign of God Almighty to be shown to those who reject Islam and so that those who reject the miracle of the Holy Prophet^(sa) be given a new and marvellous proof of the fact that God Almighty manifests signs in support of Islam and the Holy Prophet^(sa) even now. The revealed words which shed light upon the purpose of this prophecy are as follows:

“God has spoken so that those who seek life may be saved from the claws of death and that those who are buried in graves may come out of them.”’”

If we were to accept the notion of these people to be true, i.e. that the Musleh-e-Maud is to come after 300-400 years, then this sentence would mean that this prophecy was only made so that those who desire life today should remain dead, and after 400 years, some from among their progeny shall be given life. How can anyone then accept such an interpretation to be true?

“The second purpose of this prophecy is that the excellence of the religion of Islam and the dignity of the Word of God be made apparent to the world. It is clearly evident that the meaning of this sentence is that in this time, people are not fully aware of the excellence of Islam, nor is the dignity of the Word of God clear to them. However, according to some individuals [who claim that this prophecy was to be fulfilled much later] it would mean that God Almighty made this prophecy so that the excellence of the religion of Islam and the dignity of the Word of God would be manifested 300 to 400 years later, when these people will have died, and their children will have died, and their progeny will also have died. The excellence of the religion of Islam and the dignity of the Word of God will only be manifested unto the people when there will no longer be Pandit Lekhram, or Munshi Indarman Muradabadi, nor their children or even their progenies after them. Thus, tell me then, can anyone accept such an interpretation to be correct? Do these people not possess any understanding?

“The Promised Messiah^(as) states, ‘The third purpose of this prophecy is so that truth may come with all its blessings and falsehood may disperse with all its ills.’ The meaning of this is clear that in this time truth is in a weak state and falsehood is prevailing. God Almighty desires for such a sign to be shown that the enemies of Islam be silenced through irrefutable logical and rational arguments so that they be left with no choice but to accept that Islam is the truth and that all other religions that stand in opposition to it are all false.

“The fourth purpose of this prophecy is that people may know that God is Mighty and does what He wills. Now it is worthy to note that how could people understand God to be Mighty if it is assumed that this sign will be manifested 300-400 years later, through which they will be compelled to accept that the God of Islam is Mighty? How can Pandit Lekhram give this prophecy any importance? Furthermore, how could the conclusive argument be made to those who were criticising Islam in that time, deeming the signs of the Holy Prophet^(sa) to be false and claiming that Islam as a religion is dead, if only after 400 years they were to understand that God Almighty is All-Powerful? How could the fulfilment of this prophecy after 400 years convince them that God is Mighty? They would say that they cannot accept the verbal claims that this shall come to pass after 400 years. In fact, anyone can make such a claim, but the true significance of this is when a sign is actually shown at the time and it is proven that the God of Islam is indeed Mighty and Powerful.”

This is why the sign was meant to be fulfilled in that time.

“The fifth purpose of the prophecy is that ‘people may be convinced that God is with me’, (i.e. that God Almighty is with the Promised Messiah^(as)). If this prophecy was to be fulfilled after 400 years, how then could the people in that era be convinced that God Almighty was with the Promised Messiah^(as)?

The sixth purpose of this prophecy is that ‘those who do not believe in God and reject His religion and His Book and His Holy Messenger Muhammad^(sa) may witness a manifest sign for themselves’. Again, this would mean that those who reject Islam in this era (in other words during the time the Promised Messiah^(as) was making the prophecy) that they shall receive a clear sign in support of the truthfulness of Islam, but they shall only witness this after 400 years, when the people in this era, rather their children and their grandchildren too shall have passed away.’ (So this too defies logic).

The seventh purpose that the Promised Messiah^(as) has stated is that ‘this prophecy has been made so that the way of the evil ones may become manifest and that it be made known that they are liars.’ How therefore can anyone after 400 years discern if they were lying?” (Al-Maud, Anwar-ul-Aloom, Vol. 17, pp. 542-544)

Thus, this prophecy referred to the Promised Son being from among the Promised Messiah’s^(as) children, just as the prophecy states: “He would be of your seed and will be of your progeny.” This does not mean that he would be from among the later progeny of the Promised Messiah^(as), rather it referred to a son of the Promised Messiah^(as), and this was magnificently fulfilled. The 52-year span of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s^(ra) Khilafat was like a bright star illuminating the world, and even those outside the Jamaat acknowledge Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s^(ra) knowledge and insight. Details of this can be found in the literature of the Jamaat and if I begin to speak on this now, it would require a lot of time.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^(ra) has stated in his own words that he was the Musleh-e-Maud [Promised Reformer]. Some people raised an allegation that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^(ra) did not announce that he was the Musleh-e-Maud – however he in fact made the announcement in 1944 and during this announcement, he said:

“I say this after taking an oath in the name of Allah the Almighty that I am the Musleh-e-Maud referred to in the prophecy and God Almighty has made me the embodiment of the prophecy foretold by the Promised Messiah^(as). Whosoever thinks that I have fabricated this claim or have lied or uttered a falsehood in anyway, they ought to enter a mubahalla [prayer duel] with me, or he ought to swear by God – in a manner whereby speaking a lie would incur divine punishment – that he had been informed by God Almighty that I had lied. In such a case, God Almighty would send down a heavenly decree Himself as to who is lying and who is speaking the truth.”

No one from among the opponents of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) came forward [to accept the challenge], and neither those members of the Jamaat who later separated themselves.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) further says, “If they assert that the dream had come true as Misri Sahib had stated (there were certain people who turned away in apostasy), then they ought to write an essay outlining its truthfulness. I will in turn also write an essay and I am convinced that if they accept this challenge, they will suffer such a humiliating defeat that they will remember it for decades to come. Thus, through His Grace and Mercy, God Almighty has informed me by way of Divine revelation that the prophecy for which people were eagerly anticipating has been fulfilled through this humble one. God Almighty has now sent down conclusive evidence for the enemies of Islam to plainly see that Islam is the true religion of God, Muhammad^(sa) is the true messenger of God and that the Promised Messiah^(as) is also the true appointed one of God Almighty. Those who assert that Islam is a false religion are themselves lying. Those who claim that the Holy Prophet Muhammad^(sa) was a liar are the ones who utter falsehood. Through the fulfilment of this grand and magnificent prophecy, God Almighty has demonstrated a living proof of the truthfulness of Islam and the Holy Prophet^(sa).”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) continues:

“Who had the might and strength to prophecy in 1886 – exactly 58 years ago – that they would be blessed with a boy within a period of nine years and that boy would grow rapidly in stature; his fame will spread to the ends of the earth; he would propagate the message of Islam and the Holy Prophet^(sa) far and wide; he would be filled with secular and spiritual knowledge, the honour and dignity of God would be manifested through him and that he would be a living sign of the Power and Mercy of God Almighty as well as proof of His nearness. No human could have foretold this from his own accord; rather it was God Almighty Who foretold this news and it was God Himself Who ensured its fulfilment through that person…”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) is referring to himself and says, “God ensured the fulfilment of this prophecy through an individual regarding whom the doctors were concerned whether he would even survive or that he would not live a long life.” i.e. with regard to Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s^(ra) health in his early years, doctors were concerned whether he would even survive. Nevertheless, with regard to himself, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) says, “In my childhood years, my health was so frail that at one stage Dr Mirza Yaqub Baig Sahib mentioned to the Promised Messiah^(as) that I had developed tuberculosis, and thus I ought to be sent to a mountainous area. Subsequently, the Promised Messiah^(as) sent me to Shimla. However, when I went there, I felt homesick and returned after a brief stay. There was not a single day in which I did not suffer from one ailment or another, yet despite this, God Almighty granted me health and He kept me alive in order to manifest the fulfilment of this prophecy through me and provide the people with proof of the truthfulness of Islam and Ahmadiyyat. Furthermore, this humble one was such that I did not attain any secular knowledge, yet God Almighty sent down His angels in order to bestow that knowledge to me and He instilled such knowledge of the Holy Quran within me that no human could have ever perceived. The knowledge that God Almighty granted to me and the spiritual fountain that flowed within me was not as a result of my own thoughts or ideas, rather it is so comprehensive and sound that I issue a challenge to the entire world that if there is anyone on the face of the earth, who claims that God Almighty taught him the knowledge of the Holy Quran, then I am ever ready to challenge such an individual.”

This was the challenge issued by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra). He further states, “However I am aware that God Almighty has not bestowed knowledge of the Holy Quran to anyone on this earth other than myself. God Almighty granted me knowledge of the Holy Quran, and in order to teach the Holy Quran in this era, He has appointed me as the teacher of the entire world. God Almighty has appointed me so that I may propagate the message of the Holy Prophet^(sa) and the Holy Qur’an to the ends of the earth and ensure that Islam prevails once and for all over every false religion of the world. The entire world can gather all their strength and might, whether they are Christian kings or if Christian governments join them, even if Europe and America join forces or if the most powerful and wealthiest nations unite together in an attempt to stop me achieving my goal, I swear by God Almighty that all their efforts will be in vain and they will be defeated. God Almighty will accept my prayers and efforts and destroy all of their schemes and deceptive ploys. In order to prove the truthfulness of this prophecy, God Almighty will establish the honour of the Holy Prophet^(sa) and Islam through me or my followers, and will not forsake Islam until its full grandeur and glory is restored throughout the world and until the time the Holy Prophet^(sa) is accepted as a true and living prophet.”

This was not an ordinary announcement and as mentioned earlier, each day of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s 52 year khilafat is proof of the glory of this prophecy. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) then says, “O my friends! I require no honour for myself, nor do I expect to live for many more years, except what God Almighty reveals to me (i.e. he does not say that he wishes to continue living for a particular amount of time), indeed if I am in need of something then that is the grace of God Almighty. I have full conviction that in order to restore the honour and glory of Islam once again and my former or future endeavours shall play a part – God Willing – in defeating Christianity and my steps will be counted amongst those who crush the heads of Satan, as it were, and bring an end to Christianity.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) says, “God willing, I shall manifest the truth for the entire world to see. This sound you hear is the voice of God Almighty, Lord of the heavens and the earth. This is the Will of God, and this truth can never be averted, never be averted, never be averted. God Willing, Islam will inevitably prevail over the world and Christianity will be conquered. No support can save Christianity from my onslaughts and God Almighty will defeat them through my hands. Either in my lifetime it will be crushed in a manner that it will not have the power to recover or then through the seed that I plant, those trees will flourish that will reduce Christianity to nothing more than a dried up shrub and the flag of Islam and Ahmadiyyat will wave aloft in all four corners of the world.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) then says, “At this point in time, where I give you glad tidings that God Almighty has fulfilled the prophecy of the Promised Messiah^(as) regarding the Musleh-e-Maud, at the same time I would urge you all to be mindful of your responsibilities.” The same responsibilities fall upon us as well. “The primary responsibility lies on all of you who have attested to my announcement regarding Musleh-e-Maud, that you ought to reform yourselves and be ready to offer every ounce of blood for the victory of Islam and Ahmadiyyat. Indeed, you are free to rejoice at the fact that God Almighty has fulfilled this prophecy, in fact, I would say that you must certainly express your joy, because the Promised Messiah^(as) has written himself that you all are fortunate.” Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) states, “You may jump for joy owing to the fulfilment of this prophecy as this will now be followed by [spiritual] light.” Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) further says, “I am not stopping you from rejoicing nor do I stop you from jumping for joy. Indeed, you are free to rejoice and celebrate, yet in this state of euphoria I urge not to forget your responsibilities. I was shown in a vision that I was racing ahead, and the world beneath my feet was shrinking at each step, in the same manner, God Almighty prophesied regarding me that I would grow rapidly in stature. Thus, it has been decreed for me to move swiftly ahead in all matters of progress. At the same time, it is incumbent upon you all to move ahead swiftly and to abandon all forms of negligence and tardiness. Blessed will be the one who moves forward alongside me and continues to advance in the field of progress. May God have mercy on the one who does not stride forwards owing to their negligence and tardiness and instead, just like the hypocrites, they move away.” Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) says, “If you wish to make progress and want to understand your responsibilities in the correct manner, then advance forward alongside me at every step and at every occasion, so that we may embed the flag of the Holy Prophet^(sa) in the heartland from where disbelief has taken root and eradicate falsehood from the face of the earth. God willing, this shall transpire accordingly. The heavens and the earth may move from their positions, however the Words of God Almighty will always be fulfilled.” (Al-Maud, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 17, pp. 645-649)

May Allah the Almighty enable us to practically strive and spread the message of Islam to the corners of the earth and not simply just commemorate the Jalsa Musleh-e-Maud. We should not simply be content by taking part in the Jalsas, rather we should help further this mission. Moreover, we should strive in furthering those tasks for which God Almighty sent the Promised Messiah^(as), who announced countless prophecies, among which is the prophecy of Musleh Maud [the Promised Reformer].

I will briefly like to mention something in relation to the achievements of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra). It is mentioned in the prophecy that he “will be filled with secular and spiritual knowledge.” I will briefly present a glimpse in relation to this. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s^(ra) books, lectures, speeches are all being published as a multi-volume set known as Anwar-ul-Ulum.

Many volumes have already been published and those who can read Urdu should read them. Also, some of the books are being translated into English as well. Currently, 26 volumes of Anwar-ul-Ulum have been published, which include a total of 670 books, lectures and speeches. Similarly, 39 volumes of Khutabat-e-Mahmud have been published, which include all the sermons up to 1959 and there are a total of 2367 sermons. There are 1,071 pages of Tafsir-e-Saghir and there are 10 volumes of Tafsir-e-Kabir which contain the commentary of 59 chapters of the Holy Quran. The total number of pages of the ten volumes of Tafsir-e-Kabir amounts to 5907 pages. The Dars-ul-Quran [lectures] of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) which have not been published yet have now been composed by the Research Cell and submitted to the Fazl-e-Umar Foundation, which consist of 3,094 pages.

I have now instructed the Research Cell to collate the additional commentary of the Holy Quran from the writings and discourses of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra), which they have now started working on. Up till now, they have been able to compile 9,000 pages of commentary and the project is still on-going. This was just a very brief overview of some of the works of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra).

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III^(rh) also gave an overview of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s^(ra) works during his Khilafat in one of his sermons. I will also present the extract of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III^(rh) in relation this. Huzoor^(rh) states:

“In relation to Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra), God Almighty had declared that he will be filled with secular and spiritual knowledge. In regard to this, I had collected many details, however I can only give an overview of the information I prepared, which is as follows:

“One of the commentaries of the Holy Quran by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) is the Tafsir-e-Kabir. This commentary is of such a remarkable standard that if one were to even reflect on one aspect of that commentary, they will have no choice but to accept that if a righteous person was to simply present only that particular part of the Holy Quran with those explanatory notes, then in the eyes of the world, this achievement alone of his would be sufficient enough for him to be considered as one of the most pious and righteous individuals. However, it is not limited to this alone, in fact Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) wrote many other books on the Holy Quran. In my estimation, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) has written 8-10 thousand pages on the commentary of the Holy Quran alone, which includes the 11 volumes of Tafsir-e-Kabir.

“On the subject of Kalam, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) has written 10 books and treatises; 31 books and treatises written on the subject of spirituality and Islamic morals and doctrines; 13 books and treatise written on the life and character of the Holy Prophet^(sa); four books and treatises on the subject of history; three books and treatise on Fiqah [Islamic jurisprudence]; 25 books and treatise in relation to politics prior to the independence of Pakistan and India and nine books and treatise after the independence. 15 books and treatise in relation to the political issues of Kashmir. 99 books and treatise on particular aspects relating to Ahmadiyyat and its various initiatives. The sum total of these books and treatise is 225.”

At the time, Hazrat Khalifatul Maish III^(rh) may not have been provided with all the information, but now this detailed information has been made available which I have just mentioned. In any case, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III^(rh) states:

“As mentioned that the words of the divine revelation states that he will be filled with secular and spiritual knowledge. When one glances at this aspect of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra), they will find that he possessed both secular and spiritual knowledge. Moreover, whichever book or treatise Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) wrote, everyone stated that no one would be able to produce anything better in comparison. When Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) took lead in political matters or gave advice to the leadership in political issues, even the staunchest opponents were left with no choice but to acknowledge his peerless competence. In short, there is a great depth of detail in relation to Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) being filled with secular and spiritual knowledge and I (i.e. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III^(rh)) cannot even go into even one small aspect of it. In fact, I have just presented a very brief summary before you and will end at this.” (Mahana Ansarullah, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud Number, May-June-July 2009, pp. 64-65)

May Allah the Almighty send thousands of blessings upon Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) and may He continue to elevate his station. Just like this son of the Promised Messiah^(as), may we also instil the passion within our hearts for the spread of Islam and may we be ever ready to serve Islam. May we be counted amongst those who truly serve their faith and not among those regarding whom Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) stated that “Let it not be the case that the community is defamed in your time.” (Kalam-e-Mahmud, p.97)

May it not be the case that the future generations become those who dishonour the community, in fact may they continue to excel in serving their faith. After the Friday prayer, I shall lead two funeral prayers in absentia.

The first is of respected Mariam Elizabeth Sahiba. She was the second wife of respected Malik Umar Ali Khokhar Sahib, Raees Multan and who also served as the former Amir of Multan. She passed away at the age of 86 owing to an accident:

اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّا اِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْن

“Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return”

The deceased and her daughter were in a lift which had a malfunction. The mother was not able to survive as a result of the incident and her daughter also sustained injuries and is currently in hospital. She was born in 1934 and was a German native and lived in Hamburg. She accepted Ahmadiyyat and did Bai‘at in 1952 and was married to Malik Umar Ali Khokhar Sahib. She later moved to Pakistan and after the demise of her husband, she returned to Germany and then again moved to Pakistan. She was a part of the blessed Nizam of Al-Wasiyyat and was very regular in offering her Salat and in the observance of fasting.

She was extremely punctual in her prayers and would pay particular attention to the timings of sunset and sunrise. She would regularly recite the Holy Quran and observe the fasts.

Her children have related that she would tell them that she married their father in 1952. The missionary serving at the time in Germany, respected Abdul Latif Sahib, did her Bai‘at and also lead her nikah. After her marriage, she moved to Pakistan. Her children relate that [after moving to Pakistan] she lived together with Malik Umar Ali Sahib’s first wife, Syeda Begum Sahiba, who was the daughter of Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ishaq Sahib^(ra) and would always show great respect to her. After moving to Pakistan, she began to learn how to offer Salat and the recite the Holy Quran and a teacher was arranged for this.

The very first book she read of the Promised Messiah^(as) was The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam. Since she was living in Pakistan, she was able to speak a little bit of Urdu and Saraiki and also understand it.

The deceased had two children; a son and a daughter. When the time came for her children’s marriage, she left the decision with Malik Sahib’s first wife, Syeda Begum Sahiba, who was older than her and stated that she should choose whatever marriage proposal she felt was best. Her son is Tariq Ali and daughter is Tahira.

May Allah the Almighty grant her His forgiveness and mercy and elevate her station.

The next funeral is of Jahid Faris, who passed away at the age of 12:

اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّا اِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْن

“Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”

He was the son of Tariq Noori and Attiatul Aziz Khadijah. The maternal grandfather of Jahid was Farooq Ahmad Khan, who is the eldest paternal grandchild of Hazrat Nawab Amatul Hafeez Begum Sahiba^(ra). He, and along with many other friends of the deceased, have written that he possessed many qualities. He was extremely well mannered and had great love for Khilafat. He would always regularly write to me, whether it was for his exams or any other matter. He was very proud to be an Ahmadi and to announce one is Ahmadi in schools in Pakistan is indeed a significant matter.

He would regularly listen to the sermons. He was a Waqf-e-Nau and would attend the [Waqf-e-Nau] classes and had also memorised the Waqf-e-Nau syllabus for his age. He was currently learning the qaseedah of the Promised Messiah^(as). He would regularly take part in contributing towards Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid. He would regularly go to the Namaz centre to offer his prayers. He particularly paid attention towards the congregational prayers and would regularly recite the Holy Quran after Fajr. Many of his friends have also written that he had a very melodious voice.

He was a seventh year student and due to a fire caused by the generator in the house, he sustained burns from the fire. The doctors had said that his condition was improving and the wounds were improving, however he contracted an infection, or perhaps due to some other factors, his organs began to be affected owing to the infection and he passed away in hospital.

He was a young child and indeed children of this age are innocent and enter paradise; may Allah the Almighty grant him a station in the nearness of his loved ones.

He was brought up by his mother on her own and his father separated from them and had kept no contact with them whatsoever throughout his life. He was brought up by his mother and his maternal grandparents. May Allah the Almighty also grant them patience and steadfastness to bear this great tragedy.

The child’s maternal grandmother was Tahira Begum Sahiba, who was the daughter of Mariam Begum Sahiba, who, as I just mentioned, sustained injuries due to an accident in the lift and is currently in hospital. May Allah the Almighty grant her healthy and prosperous life and enable her to witness the happiness and prosperity of her progeny.

Tariq Ali Khokhar is the cousin of Jahid’s mother and his son writes, “One of his notable qualities was that during his illness, while in hospital, he would sometimes lose consciousness or become very drowsy and therefore, would always ask me whether he had offered his Salat. If I told him that he had not offered his Salat, he would immediately begin to offer his Salat whilst laying down.”

As I have mentioned, may Allah the Almighty elevate his station and also grant patience, steadfastness and strength to his mother and maternal grandparents.

(Original Urdu published in Al Fazl International, 13 March 2020, pp. 5-9. Translated by The Review of Religions)