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

Every year, we hold gatherings on the 20^th of February to commemorate “Musleh-e-Maud Day”. This prophecy of the Promised Messiah^(as) was about the birth of a son, which he foretold after receiving Divine revelation. This was a response to the allegations of the opponents of Islam whereby they said that Islam could not demonstrate any signs [of its truthfulness]. The Promised Messiah^(as) responded by saying that he had been informed by God Almighty and announced that a magnificent sign of the truthfulness of Islam would be manifested through him; it would be through the birth of his son, who would enjoy a long life and serve Islam.

The Promised Messiah^(as) also said that he would be gifted with such and such qualities and he enumerated approximately 52 or 53 qualities. This was no ordinary prophecy. Moreover, he specified a timeframe [for the fulfilment of this prophecy] that this son would be born within this period, who would enjoy a long life and would go on to serve Islam in an extraordinary manner.

Nevertheless, various aspects of this prophecy are highlighted during the gatherings organised by the Jamaat. God-willing, this year too, various Jamaats will hold their gatherings. Similarly, MTA broadcast various programmes from where one can learn further details.

At present, I will mention various extracts in Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s^(ra) own words in relation to how his early years were, about the condition of his health and his relationship with Allah the Almighty.

The prophecy was about a child, who would enjoy a long life. You can understand the state of the health of this child – who was prophesied to live a long life – from the following extract in which Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) states:

“My health was rather poor during my childhood. At first, I suffered from whooping cough and then, my health declined to such an extent that until the age of eleven or twelve, my condition would hover between life and death, and it was generally considered that I would not live for very long. During the same period, my eyes developed a condition whereby they would ache continuously; to the extent that I lost almost all vision in one eye. Even now my vision is impaired in that eye [i.e. at the time he was delivering this address]. I can hardly see in one eye. Then, when I grew older, I had a continuous fever for six or seven months and I was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Due to this, I was unable to study on a regular basis and I did not attend school. Master Faqeerullah Sahib of Lahore [Huzoor was delivering this lecture in Lahore] owned a house in Muslim Town. He was a mathematics teacher in our school. Once, Master Faqeerullah Sahib complained about me to the Promised Messiah^(as), saying, ‘He remains absent from school and only comes occasionally.’”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) further says:

“I became scared that the Promised Messiah^(as) might become upset. However, the Promised Messiah^(as) replied, ‘Master Sahib! His health is poor. We are thankful that he attends school occasionally and learns some things here and there. Do not push him too much.’”

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

“As a matter of fact, I also remember that the Promised Messiah^(as) said, ‘What will we achieve by teaching him mathematics. Are we going to make him open a shop?’”

Hence, this was the state of his health and his attendance at school during his childhood. Given the circumstances, who could guarantee that he would live a long life and not just a long life, it was also prophesied that he would be filled with spiritual and secular knowledge. Who could have said that he would acquire this knowledge under such circumstances?

Nevertheless, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) says:

“The Promised Messiah^(as) said: ‘It will suffice if he just studies the Quran and hadith.’ Hence, my health was so poor that I was not at all in a state to acquire secular knowledge and my vision was also impaired. I failed my primary, middle and entrance exams. I did not pass any exam, but God had declared in relation to me that I would be filled with secular and spiritual knowledge. Hence, despite not having acquired any secular education, Allah the Almighty has penned such magnificent books through my hands that their study has left the world in amazement and they are compelled to acknowledge that nothing more profound could have been penned in relation to Islamic matters.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) further says:

“I have recently written a portion of the commentary of the Holy Quran by the name, ‘Tafsir-e-Kabir’. Having read this, even staunch opponents have admitted that no such commentary has been written until this day. Furthermore, I frequently visit Lahore and those who live here know that college professors, students, doctors and prominent leaders and lawyers come to meet me. However, to this day, there has never been an occasion where a prominent scholar has raised an allegation against Islam or the Holy Quran before me, and I have failed to leave him speechless by presenting the teachings of Islam and the Holy Quran and compelled him to admit that in reality, no valid allegation can be levelled against the teachings of Islam. It is merely the favour of Allah the Almighty that I am blessed with, otherwise I have not acquired any secular education. However, I cannot deny the fact that God has granted me knowledge from Himself and has blessed me with every form of secular and spiritual knowledge.”

Then, in relation to how Allah the Almighty filled him with secular and spiritual knowledge, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) says:

“During my youth, I saw in a dream that a bell had been sounded and it produced a clanging sound. This increased to the extent that it took the shape of a picture-frame. I then observed that a picture appeared on this frame. A short while later, this picture began to move and all of a sudden, a figure jumped out of the frame and appeared before me. He said, ‘I am an angel of God and I have come to teach you the commentary of the Holy Quran.’ I replied, ‘Please do teach me.’ Following this, he started teaching me the commentary of Surah al-Fatihah. He began to teach and continued until he reached:

اِیَّاکَ نَعۡبُدُ وَاِیَّاکَ نَسۡتَعِیۡنُ ؕ

“‘Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help’] and said, ‘All previous commentators had covered only up to this point in their commentaries. However, I will teach you the commentary beyond this point as well.’ Hence, he taught me the commentary of the entire Surah al-Fatihah. The true meaning of this dream was that I was imbued with the gift of understanding the Holy Quran. This gift is so apparent within me that I openly declare that if I were stood in any gathering, I would be ready to proclaim that I can expound upon all the aspects of the Islamic teachings through Surah al-Fatihah.”

This was a speech delivered in an open gathering; he was telling the whole world and putting forth this challenge, but no one ever took up this challenge.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) further says:

“I was fairly young and was in school when our school football team went to play against the Khalsa College team in Amritsar. The two teams played against each other and our team won. Although our Jamaat faces opposition from other Muslims, this victory uplifted Muslim morale, and so a Muslim nobleman in Amritsar invited our team for tea. When we arrived, I was told to give a speech. I did not prepare at all for this speech. When I was made to stand and speak, I remembered my dream in which the angel had taught me the commentary of Surah al-Fatihah. First and foremost, I prayed about this to God Almighty that ‘O Allah, your angel had taught me the commentary of Surah al-Fatihah in a dream. Today, I want to test and evaluate whether this dream was indeed from You or a creation of my mind. If this dream was indeed from You, then tell me of a point in Surah al-Fatihah that has never been elucidated upon by any other commentator.’ Immediately after this prayer, God Almighty revealed a particular aspect in my heart and I said, ‘Look in the Holy Quran and you will find that Allah the Almighty has taught this prayer:

غَیْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَیْہِمْ وَ لَا الضَّآلِّیْنَ

“‘O Muslims, pray in your five daily prayers and in every rakat [unit] of your prayer for you not to become among the ‘Maghdub’ and ‘Dall’. The meaning of ‘Maghdub’ has been explained by the Holy Prophet^(sa) in a hadith [sayings and traditions]. The Holy Prophet^(sa) explained that ‘Maghdub’ refers to the Jews, and ‘Dall’ refers to the Christians.

“Thus,

غَیْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ

“means ‘O God, save us from becoming like the Jews’, and,

وَ لَا الضَّآلِّیْنَ

“means ‘O God, save us from becoming like the Christians.’ This matter is further elucidated by the following statement of the Holy Prophet^(sa), when he said, ‘A messiah would come to this ummah, and those who would reject him would be likened to the Jews.’ On the other hand, the Holy Prophet^(sa) also stated, ‘A time would come when the strife spread by Christianity would become prevalent. The people would convert to Christianity for the sake of acquiring sustenance, livelihood and respect in society. Or they would fall prey to deception and accept Christianity as a result of not understanding the teachings of their faith.” It is strange, however, that Surah al-Fatihah was revealed in Mecca at a time when neither the Jews predominantly opposed Islam, nor the Christians. During that time, Islam predominantly faced opposition from the Idolaters, however, the prayer ‘O God, save us from becoming like the idolaters’ was not the prayer that was taught. Instead, we were taught to pray, ‘O God, let us not become like the Jews and Christians.’ This clearly demonstrates that through this chapter, Allah the Almighty foretold that the idolaters of Mecca would be eradicated forever and not so much as a trace would remain. It was not required that a prayer regarding them should be taught to the Muslims.

“On the other hand, Judaism and Christianity would both continue on and it is imperative that you always pray to be safeguarded from their evil.’ After the conclusion of my speech, many nobles approached me and said, ‘You have studied the Quran in great depth. This is the first time in all our lives that we have heard the point you have expounded upon.’ And in reality, this is absolutely true; look at all the commentaries written on the Holy Quran and you will not find a single commentator who has mentioned this aspect until today. I was 20 years old when Allah the Almighty revealed this point to me.

“Thus, Allah the Almighty granted me knowledge of the Holy Quran through His angel and developed such a proficiency within me that can be likened to a key for a treasure chest; in the same manner, I had found the key to unlocking the knowledge of the Holy Quran. There is no scholar in the world who can stand before me and I would fail to prove the superiority of the Holy Quran. This is the city of Lahore and there is a university here [He was delivering this speech in Lahore]. Many colleges are also established here, and scholars of vast fields of knowledge can be found here. I address all of them and say that a scholar of any field of knowledge can challenge me, or any professor from anywhere in the world, or a scientist can try and raise an allegation against the Holy Quran in light of their knowledge. By the grace of Allah, the Almighty, I would be able to give them such an answer that the world would be forced to admit that the allegation has been refuted. And I proclaim openly that I would answer this allegation solely with the words of God and form the rebuttal of that allegation using the verses of the Holy Quran.” (Mein Hi Musleh Maud Ki Peshgoy Ka Misdaq Houn, Anwar-ul-Aloom, Vol. 17, pp. 213-217)

This incident, as he mentioned himself, took place when he was 20 years old, and at that time he had attained perfect conviction about God. In regard to what age he attained this perfect conviction, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) writes this himself, and from this, we learn that Allah the Almighty had made him the fulfilment of [the prophecy of Musleh-e-Maud] from his childhood. Nonetheless, he states:

“The year 1900 became the year that drew my heart towards the commandments of Islam. I was 11 years old at the time. Someone had brought a robe for the Promised Messiah^(as) made of a printed fabric. I asked if I could have it; not for any particular reason, but only because I liked its colour and print. I could not wear it because the garment would dangle below my feet. When I reached the age of 11 and when the year 1900 had begun [i.e. 1900 CE], I started to think about why I believed in God and what evidence was there of His existence. I pondered over this matter late into the night. Finally, at 10 or 11 o’clock, my heart was comforted and I was reassured that there indeed is a God. That was a moment of immense joy, an hour of great happiness. Just as a child is delighted to find its mother, I was overjoyed to discover my Creator [this was his thinking at the age of 11]. My faith, which was based only on things that I had heard, transformed to faith that was understood.”

In other words, faith that was acquired from hearing turned into faith acquired from understanding. Nonetheless, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) states:

“I could not contain myself. At that time, I prayed to Allah the Almighty and continued to do so for some time, that ‘O God, never allow for me to fall into doubt about Your existence.’ I was 11 years old at the time, and now I am 35, but even today, I regard that prayer very highly. Even today, I offer the same prayer, ‘O God, never allow me to fall into any doubt about Your existence.’ Indeed, I was a child at that time, but now I have more experience. Now, in addition, I say ‘O God, grant me perfect conviction in regards to Your existence.’”

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

“One thing led to another. I was writing with regards to the robe I had asked from the Promised Messiah^(as) when all of a sudden I was overcome by a surge of the thoughts that I have just mentioned above. Nonetheless, one day, I performed ablution at the time of Dhuhaor Ishraq [forenoon or morning time]. I wore the robe, not because I found it to be beautiful, but because it belonged to the Promised Messiah^(as) and was blessed. This was the first instance when I realised the sacredness of something that belongs to a chosen one of God Almighty.” He further states, “At that moment, I closed my door and wept profusely as I offered voluntary prayers.” (Yaad-e-Ayaam, Anwar-ul-Aloom, Vol. 8, pp. 365-366)

The details of this incident and how he recognised God Almighty at the age of 11 has been mentioned in another place as well. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) states:

“I was 11 years old when Allah the Almighty, through His grace, enabled me to transform my belief into conviction. It was the time after Maghrib prayers and I was standing in my home. Suddenly, a thought occurred to me and I began to ponder as to whether I was an Ahmadi simply because my father was the founder of the Ahmadiyya community, or because I found Ahmadiyyat to be true and that it had been established by God Almighty. After this thought occurred to me, I decided that I would think hard about it and not leave my place until I reached a conclusion. If I realised that Ahmadiyyat was false, then instead of going to my room, I would depart from the courtyard.”

This was the mind-set of an 11-year-old. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) continues:

“Nonetheless, after making this decision, I started to contemplate, and naturally, certain proofs occurred to me that I began to analyse. I would formulate an argument and then refute it, and then formulate a second argument, and refute it, and then formulate a third argument, and refute it as well. This continued to the extent that I began to ponder over whether the Holy Prophet^(sa) was a true prophet of God and whether I believed him to be true because my parents believe in him, or because I believed that he was a righteous prophet through evidence. When this question posed itself to me, I decided that I would reach a conclusion in this matter as well. After this, a thought naturally occurred to me about God Almighty which needed to be resolved, and I questioned in my heart as to whether I simply held the belief in God Almighty, or had I truly uncovered the truth that this world has a God.

“Then, I began to contemplate over this question about Allah the Almighty. My heart said that if there is a God, then the Holy Prophet^(sa) must also be true, and if the Holy Prophet^(sa) is a true prophet, then the Promised Messiah^(as) must also be true, and if the Promised Messiah^(as)is true, then Ahmadiyyat must surely be true as well. However, if this world has no God, then no one among them is true.”

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

“I had decided that today I would find a solution to this question, and if my heart reached the conclusion that there is no God, then I would no longer remain in my home. In fact, I would leave at once.”

He further says:

“After making this decision, I began to deliberate on the matter and continued to do so. As I was very young, I could not find an acceptable answer. Even so, I continued to ponder until my mind became weary. At that moment, I looked to the sky. There were no clouds that day.”

This was the way in which Allah the Almighty wanted to teach him. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra)says:

“The sky was crystal clear. The stars were beautifully glistening in the sky; no other sight could have been more uplifting for a tired mind. I was tired and began to gaze at the stars and enjoyed the scenery. I continued to look at them for so long that I lost track of time. After a while, when my mind was refreshed, I thought to myself that these stars are so beautiful, but is there something beyond them? My mind proposed the answer that there would be more stars beyond them. Then I thought, what is beyond that? Again, my heart proposed the answer that there are even more stars beyond that. Then, I questioned as to what would be further beyond that. My mind proposed the very same answer, that there would be even more stars beyond that. Then again, I asked myself what is even further beyond that, and again, my heart and mind proposed that there would be more stars. Finally, my heart said that it cannot be that beyond the first star, there would be a second, and after the second, there would be a third, and after the third, there would be a fourth. Will the stars not eventually end? If they did, then what would come after them?

“After all, it is this very question that perplexes people who wonder what it means when we say that God is limitless and has always existed, as they say, there must be some sort of limit.

“This same curiosity developed within me regarding the stars, and I wondered whether they ever end or not. If they do end, then what will come after them? And if the stars never end, then what is the system whereby they last forever? When my thoughts reached this stage, I realised that it is vain to conjecture about God being limited or limitless. Even if one does not accept God, what can you say about the stars which are before your eyes? If we accept that something is limited, then it can only have a limit if something else begins after it ceases to exist. Thus, the real question is that if they are limited, then what lies beyond them? Or, if it is said that they are limitless, then if man can accept stars to be without limit, why can man not accept God Almighty to be without limit? At that moment, my heart accepted the fact that God does indeed exist, because, within the law of nature, God has brought about the same allegations which are raised against His Own existence. He says, ‘If you raise these same questions about Me, Who cannot be seen, then what is your response regarding those things which can be seen, because you raise the same questions about them, as you do about Me. You have no answer, yet you quite simply say that you cannot understand how God can be limitless.’”

At another instance Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) said, “When this argument proved to me that God does exist, then this also proved to me the truthfulness of the Holy Prophet^(sa) and the Promised Messiah^(as).” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 19, pp. 689-692)

Hence, this is yet another proof of God Almighty filling him with secular and spiritual knowledge. Allah brought about such questions in the mind of a child who had little education and then guided him as well.

What were the sentiments of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra) towards Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra)? From what Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra) has expressed, it is clear that he understood this child would become the manifestation of the prophecy of the “Promised Reformer” [Musleh-e-Maud]. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) relates an incident; he says,:

“It was quite some time ago that I along with some of my friends, initiated the ‘Tashiz-ul-Azhan’ magazine. In order to garner attention for this magazine, I wrote an article which outlined its aims and objectives. When it was published, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra)expressed his special appreciation for it to the Promised Messiah^(as) and said that it would be worthwhile for the Promised Messiah^(as) to read it. Thus, the Promised Messiah^(as) asked to see the magazine whilst he was in Masjid Mubarak and had Maulvi Muhammad Ali Sahib read the article out to him, upon which he commended it. Later when I met Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra), although he had praised the article before the Promised Messiah^(as), when he met me he said, ‘Mian, your article was quite good, however I am not satisfied. He [i.e. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra)] said ‘There is a saying which is common in our country, “The camel is worth 40, and its calf is worth 42” meaning the price of a camel is less, while the price of its calf is two rupees more. You have not fulfilled this metaphor.”

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

“I could not speak Punjabi and did not understand what this meant. Upon seeing the confusion on my face, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra) said, ‘Perhaps you have not understood the meaning. This is a metaphor used in our area, that a person was selling a camel along with its calf, which in that area was called ‘toda’. Someone asked him the price, and he replied that the camel’s price was 40 rupees while the toda’s price was 42 rupees. He was surprised to hear this, upon which the earlier person said that a toda is both a camel and a young calf. In the same way, you had the Promised Messiah’s^(as) book Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya at your disposal. When this was written [i.e. Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya], there was no other Islamic literature like it at the disposal of the Promised Messiah^(as), however you had this with you, and it was expected that you would present something even greater by benefiting from it.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) says: “How can one present greater knowledge than those commissioned by God? But this was not the question at hand – except that one ought to have brought the hidden gems presented [by the Promised Messiah^(as)].”

What Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra) meant was that it was the responsibility of later generations to build upon the foundations which have previously been established. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra) was aware about the condition of his health and also knew the level of his knowledge, but despite that, this was how highly he thought of him. This certainly indicated that he knew this boy had the potential to write articles of the highest standard.

Nevertheless, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) states:

“If future generations were to keep this point in mind, not only would they reap blessings and bounties for themselves, but they would become a means of attaining blessings and bounties for the entire nation. However, one should only try to exceed their forefathers in virtuous deeds; it should not be that the child of a thief strives to become an even greater thief than his father. Instead, this means that the progeny of a person who is regular in prayer should try to become even more established upon prayer.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 3, pp. 484-485)

The condition of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s^(ra) health has already been mentioned in an incident earlier. There is another incident that shows the state of his health and knowledge. In fact, this incident also shows the degree of love and care that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra) and the Promised Messiah^(as) had for him and proves that they were certain this child was the “Promised Reformer”.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) states regarding this incident:

“In relation to my education, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra) conferred the greatest favour upon me. Since he was a physician and also aware of the fact that owing to my poor health, I was unable to look at a book for too long, therefore, his method of teaching was that he would seat me beside him and say, ‘Mian! I will read and you continue to listen.’”

Then whilst explaining his health condition, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) says:

“The reason for this was that in my childhood, a severe form of trachoma formed in my eyes [his ailment of the eyes has been mentioned earlier as well] and I suffered from pain in my eyes for a consecutive period of three to four years. Due to the effects of trachomatous concretions, I had such severe pain in my eyes, the doctor said that I would eventually lose my eyesight. Upon this, the Promised Messiah^(as) started to pray specifically for my health and also began to observe fasts.”

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

“I do not recall how many fasts he observed. In any case, he observed three or seven fasts. When he was about to break his last fast and was about to place something in his mouth in order to break the fast, I suddenly opened my eyes and exclaimed that I am able to see.” [Just as the Promised Messiah^(as) was about to break his fast, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) says that he opened his eyes and said that he could see.] However, the result of this illness and its repeated outbreaks was that the sight in one of my eyes weakened significantly.”

He further explains:

“Hence, I am unable to see properly through my left eye. I am able to see ahead of me, but I am unable to read a book. If a person whom I know is sitting two or four feet away, I am able to recognise him – however, if someone unfamiliar sits there I am unable to make out his face. Only my right eye is fully functional. However, trachomatous concretions formed in this eye as well and its severity was such that I would spend many nights awake due to it.”

This was the state of his health, yet just see the scholarly work he produced and how he was bestowed the succour of God Almighty.

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

“The Promised Messiah^(as) told my teachers that I was to be educated according to my wishes. I should study as much as I could and I should not be forced to study because my health did not permit me to bear the burden of education. The Promised Messiah^(as) would constantly advise me to simply study the translation of the Holy Quran and Sahih al-Bukhari from Hazrat Maulvi Sahib [that is, from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra)]. In addition to this, the Promised Messiah^(as) also said that I should study some aspects of medicine, as this was an expertise practised by our forefathers.”

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

“Hence, I was educated in this manner, but at the same time I had some constraints. Apart from suffering from the ailments of the eyes, I also had complications with my liver – I was enduring various illnesses – and for this I had to drink water extracted from mung beans [a form of lentils] or saag [green leafy vegetable] for six months at a time. On top of this, I had an enlarged spleen and red iodide of mercury was used to massage it. This was used for massaging my neck also as I suffered from Scrofula [ulcers in the neck due to TB]. Hence, I had trachomatous concretions, problems with my liver and an enlarged spleen. In addition to this, I used to develop a fever which would last for six months. My elders would advise against putting too much pressure on me to study and permitted me to study as much as I wanted. One can ascertain my educational competence based on all of these factors.”

“Once my maternal grandfather, Hazrat Mir Nasir Nawab Sahib^(ra) tested my level of Urdu. My handwriting is untidy even now, but in those days, it was so bad that one could not even read what I had written. Mir Sahib attempted to decipher what I had written, but he was not able to do so. Mir Sahib was quick-tempered, and went to the Promised Messiah^(as) fuming. I also happened to be at home. We were already afraid of his temper [Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra)says this regarding his maternal grandfather]. When he went to the Promised Messiah^(as) I became even more worried as to what would happen next. Mir Sahib came and said to the Promised Messiah^(as), ‘You do not pay any attention towards Mahmud’s education. I tested him on his Urdu. Please have a look at his paper. His handwriting is so bad that no one can read it.’ He continued in this impassioned state and said to the Promised Messiah^(as), ‘You do not address this matter at all and this boy is wasting his time.’ Observing Mir Sahib’s fervency on the matter, the Promised Messiah^(as) stated, ‘Call Maulvi Sahib.’ Whenever facing a difficult situation, the Promised Messiah^(as) would summon Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra). Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra) had immense love for me. He came and, as was his habit, he stood to one side with his head lowered in respect. The Promised Messiah^(as) stated, ‘Maulvi Sahib, I have called you here because Mir Sahib says that it is impossible to read Mahmud’s handwriting. I would like a test to be prepared for him.’ After saying this, the Promised Messiah^(as) picked up his pen and wrote a few sentences. He gave me the sheet of paper and instructed me to copy it.

“This was the simple test conducted by the Promised Messiah^(as). I copied this writing very carefully with full concertation. First of all, the sentences were not long, and secondly, I only had to copy it, which was very straightforward because the original was in front of me. I copied it slowly and very meticulously wrote down the Urdu alphabets ‘Alif’ and ‘Baa’. When the Promised Messiah^(as) saw this, he stated, ‘I was perturbed by Mir Sahib’s comments, but his handwriting resembles mine.’ Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra) was already in my favour and stated, ‘Huzoor! Mir Sahib became impassioned for no reason. His handwriting is very neat.’ So this was my situation. Given these circumstances, one can see how could I attain any formal education.”

Then with regards to the level of his education, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) says:

“Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra) would always tell me: ‘Mian! Your health is not well enough that you can study yourself. Visit me and I will teach you in a way that you only need to listen.’ Hence, he laid great stress on this and taught me the Holy Quran first and then Sahih al-Bukhari. He did not teach me the Quran at a slow pace; rather, he used to recite the Holy Quran followed by its translation and would elaborate on anything that he felt was necessary to further explain. Otherwise, he would teach at a quick pace. He taught me the entire Quran in three months after which there was a gap in the lessons. After the demise of the Promised Messiah^(as), Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra) said to me, ‘Mian! Let me finish teaching Bukhari to you.’ This is because I had previously informed him what the Promised Messiah^(as) had stated during his lifetime which was to learn the Holy Quran and Bukhari from Maulvi Sahib. Therefore, I had started learning the Quran and Bukhari from Hazrat Maulvi Sahib^(ra) during the lifetime of the Promised Messiah^(as), although there were some gaps in between. Similarly, under the instructions of the Promised Messiah^(as), I began learning medicine from him.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) further says:

“In short, I learned medicine and commentary of the Holy Quran from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra). He finished teaching me the commentary of the Holy Quran in two months. He would make me sit with him and would sometimes teach me half a part or one full part of the Quran with translation. He would explain the commentary of certain verses as well. Similarly, he finished teaching me Sahih Bukhari in two or three months. During one Ramadan, he delivered lectures covering the entire Holy Quran throughout the month, which I was able to attend as well. I also had the opportunity to study a few Arabic magazines from him. This was the condition of my education.” (Al-Maud, Anwar-ul-Aloom, Vol. 17, pp. 532-537)

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) has written about his first speech and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I’s^(ra)appreciation. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) writes:

“About one of my teachers, I noticed that whenever I would deliver a lecture, he would always sit down and listen to it. Conversely, there was another teacher of mine, whenever he would deliver a lecture, the first teacher would come in and upon seeing that he was delivering a lecture, he would exclaim, ‘what is the use of listening to him, I have heard all of these things before.’ However, whenever I would deliver a lecture, despite the fact that I was his student, my teacher thought so highly of me that he would always sit down to listen. He would say, ‘I listen to his [i.e. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra)’s] lectures because I learn new meanings of the Holy Quran from him.’ To reveal these insights, the likes of which other people could never conceive, and to bestow them upon a person so young is only due to the grace of Allah the Almighty.”

The fact of the matter is that Allah the Almighty intended to fulfil the prophecy of the Promised Reformer through Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^(ra), and that is why Allah the Almighty Himself filled him with knowledge. Nonetheless, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) further writes:

“It was in this very mosque [I believe he is referring to Masjid Aqsa] in 1907 when I delivered my first public address. It was on the occasion of Jalsa and there were many people in attendance. [This was one year prior to the demise of the Promised Messiah^(as)]. Many people were attending the Jalsa and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra) was also present. I recited the second Ruku [subsection within a chapter of the Holy Quran] of Surah Luqman and then explained its commentary. My condition at the time was such that because I had never delivered a public address before then and I was only 18 years old at the time – furthermore, the likes of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra) and members of the [Sadr] Anjuman as well as many other people were present – when I stood up, I felt faint and I had no idea who was sitting in front of me. The speech lasted between 30 to 45 minutes. When I finished my speech and sat down, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra) stood up and said, ‘Mian! I congratulate you for your outstanding speech. I am not saying this to make you feel better, I can assure you, it really was an excellent speech.’” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 22, pp. 472-473)

Thus, Allah the Almighty had filled him with such profound knowledge that his 52-year era [as Caliph] is a witness to it. Whether it was to do with a religious topic or a secular topic, whenever Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) was asked to write or speak on a particular topic, an ocean of verities and insights would spring forth. On countless occasions, even externals have lauded his speeches and these are all on record, and they praised him openly in front of the public. Even newspapers published articles regarding them. All of this proves that the prophecy of the Promised Messiah^(as) was fulfilled with all its grandeur.

Nonetheless, the literature and sermons of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra), which spans thousands of pages, or perhaps even a hundred thousand, are a priceless treasure. It is being translated into English and other languages as well. It is our responsibility to derive benefit from it.

Declaring himself to be the fulfilment of the prophecy about the “Promised Reformer” [Musleh-e-Maud], Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) said:

“Out of the sheer grace and mercy of Allah the Almighty, the prophecy – about which people have been waiting to be fulfilled for a long time – Allah the Almighty has disclosed to me by way of Divine revelation that it has been fulfilled through my person. Now, Allah the Almighty has perfected His argument against the enemies of Islam; and He has made manifest that Islam is the true religion from God, and that Muhammad^(sa) is the true Messenger of God and the Promised Messiah^(as) is a true prophet sent by God. All those who declare Islam to be false are liars; those who declare Muhammad^(sa), the Messenger of Allah, to be a liar, are themselves liars. Through this extraordinary prophecy, God has demonstrated a living proof of the truthfulness of Islam and the Holy Prophet^(sa) before the people. Which mortal being had the power to make such a prophecy in 1886, exactly 58 years ago (when Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) was mentioning this, 58 years had passed [since the prophecy]) and state that within a period of nine years he would be blessed with a boy; and that he would grow rapidly in stature; his fame would spread to the ends of the earth; he would spread the name of Islam and the Holy Prophet^(sa) throughout the world; he would be filled with secular and spiritual knowledge; he will be a source of manifestation of Divine Majesty; he will be a living sign of the Power, Nearness, and Mercy of God? No human on this earth could have foretold this from their own accord, it was God Who revealed this and it was the same God Who ensured its fulfilment. 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.”

Then regarding his health, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) stated:

“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.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) further says:

“Thus this prophecy was fulfilled through a person for whom there was not a single day in which his health was good, 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. [Yet nobody accepted this challenge]

“However, I am aware that today there is no one on the face of the earth whom God Almighty has bestowed knowledge of the Holy Quran 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 Muhammad^(sa), the Messenger of God, and the Holy Quran to the ends of the earth and ensure that Islam prevails once and for all over every false religion of the world.”

And indeed, Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) carried out this task, countless translations of the Holy Quran were published in his time – rather, it was not countless, but published in a large number, and this work is continuing to expand to this very day. In the lifetime of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra), the Holy Quran had been translated into 17 or 18 languages. Similarly, the message of Islam reached the corners of the world during his era.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) further says:

“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.” (Al-Maud, Anwar-ul-Aloom, vol. 17, pp. 613-614)

Thus, this prophecy was fulfilled and Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) lived through his era, however, the words of the prophecy are applicable even today, and God-Willing, these words will remain in effect until the Promised Messiah’s^(as) mission is completed and until the flag of Islam is raised aloft throughout the entire world. Thus, during our conventions [Musleh-e-Maud Day] we ought to remember this prophecy as well, and remembering this prophecy will only prove to be beneficial when we keep our objective in view in that we must uphold the honour and dignity of the Holy Prophet^(sa), and by demonstrating the truthfulness of Islam to the world, we must bring everyone under the flag of the Holy Prophet^(sa).

Today, there is no one aside from the followers of the Promised Messiah^(as) who can raise aloft the flag of Islam once again, and through whom the message of Islam can spread in the world. May Allah the Almighty enable us to fulfil this task.

Official Urdu transcript published in Al Fazl International, 11 March 2022, pp. 5-9.  Translated by The Review of Religions.