After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^(aba) recited verses 3 and 4 of Surah al-Jumuah:

ہُوَ الَّذِیْ بَعَثَ فِی الْاُمِّیّٖنَ رَسُوْلًا مِّنْہُمْ یَتْلُوْا عَلَیْہِمْ اٰیٰتِہٖ وَ یُزَکِّیْہِمْ وَ یُعَلِّمُہُمُ الْکِتٰبَ وَ الْحِکْمَۃَ وَ اِنْ کَانُوْا مِنْ قَبْلُ لَفِیْ ضَلٰلٍ مُّبِیْنٍ۔ وَّ اٰخَرِیْنَ مِنْہُمْ لَمَّا یَلْحَقُوْا بِہِمْ وَ ہُوَ الْعَزِیْزُ الْحَکِیْمُ

The translation of these verses is as follows:

“He it is Who has raised among the Unlettered [people] a Messenger from among themselves who recites unto them His Signs, and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and wisdom, although they were before, in manifest misguidance. And [among] others from among them who have not yet joined them. He is the Mighty, the Wise.” (Suraj al-Jumuah, Ch.62: V.3-4)

Yesterday was 23 March, which is known within the Ahmadiyya Community as “The Promised Messiah Day”. We are fortunate that Allah the Almighty, in accordance with His Promise and the prophecies of the Holy Prophet^(sa), has blessed us with the opportunity to accept the Imam of this age, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi^(as).

On 23rd of March 1889, the Promised Messiah^(as) took the first pledge of allegiance in Ludhiana, and with that, a community of sincere devotees was established. In the verses of the Holy Quran that I recited, which were from Surah al-Jumuah, glad tidings were given of a pious servant of the Holy Prophet^(sa) and, through him, the establishment of a community.

Besides this, there are other verses in the Holy Quran as well about the advent of the Promised Messiah. Moreover, there are various prophecies about the coming of the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi in the ahadith.

At present, I shall narrate, in the words of the Promised Messiah^(as), the explanation of these verses of Surah al-Jumuah, after which I will briefly present, the different signs and events foretold about this era, and the different prophecies, as well as what the claim of the Promised Messiah^(as) was, based on his own writings.

In the commentary of the aforementioned verse, the Promised Messiah^(as) states:

“The essence of this verse is that God Almighty is He, Who sent the Messenger^(sa) in an era when the people were completely bereft of knowledge and wisdom. Furthermore, the prospect of any religious sciences, through which perfection of the soul could be accomplished and mankind’s knowledge and deeds could reach their pinnacle, had completely vanished. (All the various teachings to reform the soul had been completely lost.) Furthermore, people had gone astray, meaning that they had become distant from God and His right path. Then at such a time, God Almighty sent His Messenger^(sa), the immaculate one, who purified their souls and filled them with the knowledge of the Book, and wisdom, by way of signs and miracles and led them to perfect certainty, and through the light of the recognition of God, illumined their hearts. Thereafter, He stated that there was another group of people, who would appear in the Latter Days. They would also, at first, be in darkness and misguidance, and bereft of knowledge, wisdom and certainty. Then, God would also make them like the companions; meaning that whatever the companions witnessed, they would also be made to witness, to the extent that their sincerity and level of conviction would resemble the sincerity and conviction of the companions. Moreover, it has been narrated in an authentic tradition that, whilst explaining this verse, the Holy Prophet^(sa) placed his hand on the shoulder of Salman^(ra) the Persian and said:

لَوْکَانَ الْاِیْمَانُ مُعَلَّقًا بِالثُّرَیَّا لَنَالَہٗ رَجُلٌ مِّنْ فَارِسَ

It means, ‘Even if faith goes up to the Pleiades’, meaning up into the stars, ‘a man of Persian descent will bring it back.’ This indicates the fact that in the Latter Days, a man would be born of Persian descent, in a time regarding which it is written that the Quran would ascend to the skies. This very time is that of the Promised Messiah.”

By “faith” and the “Quran being lifted to the heavens” means that people will no longer act upon it; and this was the time for the advent of the Promised Messiah^(as).

“Moreover, the man of Persian descent is non-other than the Promised Messiah because the onslaught of false Christian doctrine, for which the Promised Messiah was meant to come and break, is an attack on faith. All these signs have been mentioned regarding the time of the onslaught of false Christian doctrine and it is written that this assault would have a very negative effect on people’s faith. In other words, these very attacks are called the onslaught of the Dajjal [Antichrist]. The traditions say that during the assault of the Dajjal, many naive people would leave God – the One Who has no partner – and the zeal of their faith would diminish. Moreover, the most significant task of the Promised Messiah would be to rejuvenate faith because the attack is against faith and the following tradition:

لَوْکَانَ الْاِیْمَانُ

[‘Even if faith ascends to the Pleiades’]

This is regarding a man of Persian descent and proves that he would come to establish faith once again. Thus, just as the time of the Promised Messiah and that of the man of Persian descent were the same, so too were their duties, namely, to re-establish faith. This is why it has certainly been established that the Promised Messiah himself was the man of Persian descent and it was regarding his community that the following verse refers to:

وَّاٰخَرِیۡنَ مِنۡہُمۡ لَمَّا یَلۡحَقُوۡا بِہِمۡ

[‘And (among) others from among them who have not yet joined them’]

The meaning of this verse is that after a period of complete misguidance; there are only two groups that attain guidance and wisdom, and witness the miracles and blessings of the Holy Prophet^(sa). Firstly, the companions of the Holy Prophet^(sa), who, before his advent, were in total darkness, witnessed the age of prophethood with the grace of God, saw miracles with their own eyes and witnessed the fulfilment of prophecies. Furthermore, their level of conviction created such a change within them that they became as if they were a single soul.

The second group are the followers of the Promised Messiah, who, according to the aforementioned verse, are like the companions, because this group, like the companions, would also witness miracles of the Holy Prophet^(sa), and would become recipients of guidance after darkness and misguidance.

In the verse اٰخَرِیۡنَ مِنۡہُمۡ [And ‘among’ others from among them], this group has been referred to in the words  مِنۡہُمۡ [from among them], which signifies that this latter group would be granted a measure of the blessings of being likened to the companions, and also witness the fulfilment of miracles. However, [those of] the middle age will not fully partake of this blessing.

This is exactly what has come to pass today. After thirteen hundred years, the door of the miracles of the Holy Prophet^(sa) has been opened and people have witnessed with their own eyes that the solar and lunar eclipses of Ramadan have been manifested, according to the hadith of “Al-Daraqutni” and “Fatawa Ibn-Hajr” that is, the moon and the sun were eclipsed in Ramadan. Moreover, as described by the contents of the hadith, the lunar eclipse took place on the first night from among the nights the eclipse could occur, and the sun was eclipsed on the middle day from among the days it could occur; and this was at a time when a claimant to being a Mahdi was also present. This condition has not come to pass since the creation of the earth and heaven because no one has been able to present an example of it from history. (No one can prove from history that such an occurrence ever took place as a sign.) This was a miracle of the Holy Prophet^(sa), which people saw with their own eyes. Moreover, thousands of people saw the appearance of the star, Dhu al-Sinin [The Great Comet of 1882], which was said to appear at the time of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi. Similarly, millions of people witnessed the fire of Java. Likewise, everyone observed, with their own eyes, the spread of the plague, and the prohibition of Hajj. The railways being manufactured in the country as well as the abandonment of camels are all prophecies of the Holy Prophet^(sa), similar to those witnessed by the companions. This is why; speaking of this final community, God, the Exalted used the word مِنۡہُمۡ [from among them] to indicate that they are also similar to the companions with regards to witnessing miracles.

Just consider whether, during the last 1,300 years, anyone had experienced a time that was so similar to the time of the Holy Prophet^(sa). Our Jamaat, which has been established in this age, resembles, in many respects, the companions of the Holy Prophet^(sa). Our people witness miracles and signs such as those the companions witnessed and gain light and certainty from fresh heavenly signs and support, as the companions did. They endure, in the cause of Allah, the mockery, derision and reproaches of people, and bear persecution and boycotts, just as the companions did. They lead pure lives, helped by clear heavenly signs, Divine support and wise teachings, as did the companions. (There are countless examples of this.)

There are many among them who weep during their prayers as the companions wept – so profusely that their places of prostration were dampened. Many of them see true dreams and are honoured with Divine revelations, as was the case with the companions. Many of them spend their hard-earned money promoting the activities of the Jamaat, purely for the sake of winning the pleasure of God Almighty, as did the companions. Many among them keep death in mind and they are gentle of heart and tread the path of true righteousness, as was the practice of the companions.

They are the party of God, who are supported by God Himself and whose hearts He is purifying daily and whose bosoms He is filling with the wisdom of faith and whom He is drawing towards Himself through heavenly signs, as He did with the companions. In short, this Jamaat exhibits all those signs which are implied in the words:

 اٰخَرِیۡنَ مِنۡہُمۡ [‘Among others from among them’].The Word of God Almighty was bound to be fulfilled.”

The Promised Messiah^(as) further states:

“The verse:  اٰخَرِیۡنَ مِنۡہُمۡ [‘Among others from among them’] also indicates that just as this community of the Promised Messiah resembles the community of the companions, in the same manner, the Imam of this community also resembles the Holy Prophet^(sa) as his Zill [Spiritual Reflection]. The Holy Prophet^(sa) himself described the promised Mahdi as being similar to him and that he will carry within him two similarities; one, will be in relation to Jesus, the Messiah^(as), which is why he will [also] be called the Messiah. The second similarity will be in relation to the Holy Prophet^(sa), for which he will be called the Mahdi. Alluding to this very intricacy, it is written that a part of his body will be Israelite in appearance and colour. The other will be Arabian in appearance and colour. Jesus^(as) came at a time when the nation of Moses^(as) was in a deplorable state due to the onslaughts of Greek philosophers. The teachings within the Torah; its prophecies and its miracles were fiercely attacked; moreover, God’s Being was understood as someone Who, according to Greek philosophy, is intermingled with the creation and is not a Wilful and Conscious Planner (in other words, He was considered to be just like a normal creation, Who did not possess all powers to do what He willed.)

Furthermore, the system of prophethood was also ridiculed. Therefore, by commissioning Jesus^(as), who came fourteen hundred years after Moses^(as), God intended to establish a testimony for the authenticity of the Mosaic prophethood as well as the truthfulness of that dispensation, and to repair the Mosaic edifice once again. Likewise, the Promised Messiah was also sent, for this [Muslim] Ummah, at the beginning of the fourteenth century. The objective behind his advent was to refute and falsify the various attacks made by European philosophy and deceit, as well as their rejection of the Holy Prophet’s^(sa) prophethood, prophecies and miracles, their allegations against the teachings of the Quran, and their contempt towards the blessings and lustre of Islam. Moreover, to make the exalted status of the Holy Prophet^(sa)’s prophethood -may thousands of blessings be upon him – shine before the seekers of truth with fresh testimony and support. This is the very intricate matter regarding which a revelation was revealed, which has been recorded in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya. […] This divine revelation has been published before hundreds of thousands of people and is as follows:

بخرام کہ وقتِ تو نزدیک رسید و پائے محمدیاں برمَناربلند تر محکم افتاد

The Promised Messiah^(as) has explained its meaning and translated it as follows:

“‘Now come forward and go forth, as your time is near. The time is now coming that the people of Muhammad^(sa) will be lifted from the pit (i.e. the Muslims) and their steps will be planted firmly on a strong tower.’”

The Promised Messiah^(as) then further states:

“‘Muhammad^(sa), the Holy, the Chosen one, Chief of the Prophets. God will set all your affairs aright and will bestow upon you all that you desire. The Lord of hosts will turn His attention towards this. The purpose of this Sign is [to show] that the Holy Quran is the Book of God and is the words of My mouth.’ And deeply consider what objective was given for my signs. (Allah the Almighty is mentioning this in the form of a revelation.)

“I have just mentioned that it was for this very reason that Jesus^(as) came; so that he may authenticate the Torah with new signs at a time of disbelief and rejection. And it is for this very reason that God has sent me, so that with new signs, the truthfulness of the Holy Quran may be demonstrated to those who are unaware. The following words in the revelation indicate towards this very fact:

پائے محمدیاں برمَناربلند تر محکم افتاد

“[‘The time is now coming that the people of Muhammad^(sa) will be lifted from the pit and their steps will be planted firmly on a strong tower’].

“This is also alluded to in another revelation recorded in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya:

اَلرَّحْمٰنُ عَلَّمَ الْقُرْاٰنَ۔ لِتُنْذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّآ اُنْذِرَ اٰبَآ ؤُ ھُمْ۔ وَلِتَسْتَبِیْنَ سَبِیْلُ الْمُجْرِمِیْنَ۔ قُلْ اِنِّیْ اُمِرْتُ وَاَنَا اَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ

“It means that, it is God, the Gracious, Who has taught the Quran. That thou mayest warn a people whose fathers were not warned, that the way of the sinners may become manifest (the ways of sinners becoming manifest means that the words of God have been conveyed to them.)  Say, ‘I have been commanded to be the first of those who believe.’”

The Promised Messiah^(as) further states:

“If someone says: ‘Jesus^(as) came to attest to the truth of the Torah as a prophet. Therefore, what value does your testimony hold in comparison to his?’ (Jesus^(as) was sent as a Prophet of Allah and came to testify to the truthfulness of the Torah, but in what capacity have you come in order to testify to the truthfulness of the Holy Quran? People would then say that) in this instance, a prophet was needed for a new testimony (i.e., this is a question that people could pose.) The answer to this is that in Islam, the door is closed for a prophethood that establishes its own authority (that is Prophethood that brings its own sharia.) God Almighty states: وَ لٰکِنْ رَّسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ وَ خَاتَمَ النَّبِیّٖنَ‎ [‘but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets’] and it is stated in a hadith that: لَا نَبِیَّ بَعْدِیْ [‘there is no prophet after me’].

“And along with this, the death of Jesus^(as) has been proven from clear verses of the Holy Quran; therefore, to hold out hope for his return to this world is futile. (This is all mentioned in the Quran and the Hadith and it also mentions that Jesus^(as) has passed away, therefore it is wrong to believe that he will appear again)

“If any prophet, new or old, were to come, then how would our Prophet^(sa) remain as the Seal of Prophets? (In other words, he would appear from outside of his Seal.) Indeed, the door of saintly revelation and divine converse is not closed; which means that the true religion is testified to and attested to with fresh signs. Therefore, the signs of God, whether they are exhibited through a prophet or a saint, are all equal, because the one who bestows [them] is the same. It is complete ignorance and foolishness to think that it is more powerful and magnificent when God Almighty grants divine support by means of a prophet, and that if it is given through a saint, then it is not as powerful and magnificent. On the contrary, some signs for the support of Islam were manifested at a time when there was neither a prophet nor a saint. For example, the sign that was manifested in the form of the destruction of the Ashab-ul-fil [People of the Elephant].”

This is a response to those who say that if there is no prophet [after the Holy Prophet^(sa) then such signs cannot manifest; in fact, even if there is no prophet, such signs can still be made manifest through a saintly person. Thus, one ought to accept at least this fact and even if no saintly person is present, Allah the Almighty can still manifest such signs, just as we see in the example of the Ashab-ul-fil [People of the Elephant].

The Promised Messiah^(as) further states:

“It is an accepted fact that the excellence of a saint is in fact the miracle of the prophet he follows. Therefore, if the excellence [in itself] is a miracle of the prophet, then it does not behove the faithful to differentiate between miracles. Moreover, it is proven from authentic traditions that a muhaddath, like prophets and messengers, is amongst those who are sent by God. (This is another argument in that the Muhaddath is counted amongst the prophets and messengers.)

“Carefully read the tradition in Bukhari:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ رَسُوْلٍ وَلَا نَبِیٍّ وَلَا مُحَدَّثٍ‎

“[‘We have not sent any prophet, neither any messenger nor a Muhaddath’].

“Also, in another tradition, it is written:

عُلَمَاءُ أُمَّتِیْ کَأَنْبِیَاءِ بَنِیْ اِسْرَائِیْلَ‎

“[‘The scholars of my Ummah are like the Prophets of the Children of Israel’].

“Sufis have verified this tradition from the Holy Prophet^(sa) himself through their visions. (In other words, they received attestation to this from the Holy Prophet^(sa).) It should also be kept in mind that the word ‘Prophet’ has been used metaphorically for the Promised Messiah in [Sahih] Muslim.

(They claim that the Promised Messiah^(as) cannot be a prophet, however, they should bear in mind that the Promised Messiah^(as) has presented the argument of being a saint and then also the fact that the Promised Messiah has been referred to as a Prophet in the Hadith.)

“Hence, such words from God Almighty have been used in my favour, which have been written in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya. It is mentioned in the revelation as follows:

هُوَ الَّذِيْٓ اَرْسَلَ رَسُوْلَهٗ بِالْهُدٰى‎

“Here, the word ‘messenger’ is referring to this humble one (i.e. the Promised Messiah^(as).) Then look at the revelation in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya in which the following revelation is written:

جَرِیُّ اللّٰہِ فِیْ حُلَلِ الْاَنْبِیَآءِ

“Which means, ‘The Champion of God in the mantle of prophets.’

(They claim that the Promised Messiah^(as) is not a prophet but [the word prophet] is being mentioned in the ahadith, and Allah the Almighty is also informing him as well through revelation that he indeed is a prophet.)

“In this revelation, I have been named a Messenger [Rasul] and a Prophet [Nabi]. Therefore, to consider someone – who is named by God himself – to be amongst the general public is a high level of insolence. The testimonies of the signs of God cannot be weak in any way, shape or form, be they [given] by means of a prophet or a Muhaddath. In actuality, the prophethood and spiritual grace of our Prophet^(sa) produces a manifestation which provides his own testimony, whilst the saint simply attains this status. (The signs which are being manifested are in essence the truthfulness of the Holy Prophet^(sa) and the saint, or whoever else it may be, through whom the signs are manifested, are simply mentioned as a result of it.) So in truth, a saint who is a witness to the truthfulness of a prophet attains his beauty from the Holy Prophet^(sa) and it is not the other way around.” (Ayyam-us-Sulh, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 14, pp. 304-310)

Regarding his claim, the Promised Messiah^(as) states:

“When God saw the world sunk into an abject state and the earth full of wickedness, tyrannies and iniquity, He sent me with the mission of propagating truth and reforming the world. And the time was such that people had witnessed the end of the thirteenth century and had entered into the fourteenth century. Then, under Divine command, I raised my voice through printed announcements and public speeches, proclaiming to everyone that I am the one who was destined to be raised by God at the beginning of this century to rejuvenate religion, claiming that I have been sent with the mission to re-establish the faith that has disappeared from the face of the earth and to draw the whole of mankind back to piety and righteousness with the aid of God’s own hand and to reform them and to remove errors of belief and conduct.

“It was disclosed to me through Divine revelation a few years later that the Messiah that had been promised from the earliest time to this nation and that the last Mahdi (Reformer) who was destined to appear after the deterioration of Islam and who was to be granted direct guidance from God and who was to provide once again the spiritual nourishment, as had been preordained and about whom glad tidings had also been given by the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, himself 1,300 years ago, is none other than me. Divine revelations from God the Gracious, in this regard, came to me so clearly and persistently that no room for even the slightest doubt was left in this matter. Every revelation that came in this respect was firmly fixed in my mind like a steel nail and all these revelations contained profound predictions that were fulfilled later with the clarity of daylight.” (Tadhkirat-ush-Shahadatain, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 20, pp. 3-4)

Then, the Promised Messiah^(as) states:

“In a time and era when the light of recognising God gradually diminishes to the point that it becomes hidden in the depths of thousands of darkened souls, and owing to it people begin to adopt atheism, and the earth is filled with sin, ignorance, and shamelessness; the honour, grandeur and glory of God Almighty dictates that He should manifest Himself to the people once again. Hence, as has been His practice since time immemorial, after witnessing these conditions and signs in our time, God Almighty has sent me at the head of the fourteenth century to revive the faith and cognisance of God. Along with His help and grace, heavenly signs are manifested at my hand, and in accordance with His desire and plan, my prayers are accepted and I am informed of matters pertaining to the unseen; the verities and knowledge of the Holy Quran have been revealed to me; complex and difficult matters pertaining to the sharia have been elucidated. I swear by that Benevolent and Noble God, Who is the enemy of falsehood and Who destroys the liars, that I have been sent by Him; I have been sent at the most appropriate time and have been appointed by His command. He is with me at every step and He will not let me go to waste, nor will He cause my community to perish, until all that which He has intended comes to fruition. He commissioned me at the turn of the fourteenth century for the completion of His light and He caused the lunar and solar eclipses to occur in the month of Ramadan and exhibited manifest signs in the earth which are sufficient for a seeker of truth and thus did He complete His proofs.” (Arbaeen No. 2, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 17, pp. 347-348)

Then, the Promised Messiah^(as) states, with regard to allegations raised by others, that it is their right to question why they should accept this claim of the Promised Messiah. What proofs are there on the basis of which they can accept that he is indeed the Promised Messiah? It can be accepted that the era calls for it and the conditions and signs are all present, but how can it be ascertained that he indeed is the Promised Messiah?

The Promised Messiah^(as) states:

“The answer is that all the indications mentioned in the Holy Quran and the ahadith with regard to the Promised Messiah have been combined in me in my era and in my country; as, for instance, the age, the country and the town in which the Promised Messiah was to appear and the circumstances that called especially for his advent, and the earthly and heavenly calamities that had been specified as indications of his advent, and the knowledge and learning that were to be his characteristics, have all been combined in me. (There are calamities and illnesses, earthquakes and heavenly signs that are being fulfilled in the midst of his claim. Allah the Almighty has also been manifesting signs at his hands. How then can one say that he is not [the Promised Messiah]? These are the very proofs)

“Allah the Almighty has gathered all these things within me, in my era, and in my country and then for further assurance, He has manifested heavenly signs in my favour.” (Kitab-ul-Bariyyah, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 13, pp. 254-25 [footnote])

The Promised Messiah^(as) explained that the heavenly signs include the great comet, the solar and lunar eclipses, the spread of the plague, earthquakes and many other signs. Whilst mentioning the success of this Community being foretold, along with the signs and help that manifested, the Promised Messiah^(as) mentioned various aspects. He wrote many books on this topic, as I mentioned earlier. I will present a few examples of this. The Promised Messiah^(as) states:

“A grand sign is that 23 years ago, a revelation was presented in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, stating that people would try to eliminate this movement (in fact, people are still trying to do so today, 132 years later.) They will make every plot; however, (Allah the Almighty says that) ‘I will see to this movement’s progress and that it reaches its completion. The community will become that army that will prevail until the Day of Judgement, and I will make you known in the corners of the world. Large numbers of people will come from distant places and financial aid will come from every direction. Expand your homes, for the same preparations are being made in the heavens.’ Now observe the time in which this prophecy was made, which is now being fulfilled today. These are the signs of God, which can be seen by those who possess foresight, however, according to those who are [spiritually] blind, a sign is yet to appear.” (Nuzul-ul-Masih, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 18, pp. 384-385)

As I mentioned, this goes into great detail. I will present a few more signs. With regards to intellectual signs and divine succour, the Promised Messiah^(as) states:

“Once a Hindu gentleman whose name I do not recall came to see me in Qadian. (The Promised Messiah^(as) then stated that he later recalled his name; his name was Swami Shugan Chandar.) He said he wanted to convene a religious conference – the name advertised for this conference was ‘Dharam Mahotso Jalsa-e-Azam Mazahib’ [Conference of Great Religions] and he requested that I write an article about the beauties of my religion to be read out at the conference. At first, I demurred, but he insisted that I must write. I know that I cannot do anything of my own strength—indeed, I do not have any strength at all. I cannot speak unless God makes me speak, nor can I see anything unless He makes me see. I, therefore, prayed to God that He may reveal to me a discourse that may triumph over all the speeches of that conference. After this supplication, I found that a strength had been breathed into me. I felt in me a stirring of this heavenly power. My friends who were present at the time know that I did not write any preliminary draft of this discourse. Whatever I wrote, I wrote extempore. And I was writing with such speed and haste that the copyist found it hard to keep pace with me. When I finished writing the discourse, I received this revelation from God Almighty:

مضمون بالا رہا

[‘The paper has been declared supreme’]

“Thus, when that dissertation was read out at that conference, the audience was in a state of ecstasy while it was being read out and applause was heard from every direction, so much so that the Hindu gentleman who presided over the conference could not help exclaiming ‘This paper has been declared supreme over all others!’

“An English newspaper, The Civil and Military Gazette, which is published from Lahore, also published its testimony that the paper transcended all others. About twenty Urdu newspapers also gave the same testimony. With the exception of a few prejudiced individuals, it was on every tongue in that conference that this paper had triumphed. To this day, there are hundreds of people who continue to give the same testimony. (In fact, even today people are accepting Ahmadiyyat after reading it, i.e., ‘The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam’) Thus, with the testimony of every sect, as well as of the English newspapers, my prophecy, ‘The paper transcended all others’, was fulfilled. This challenge was like the one that Prophet Moses^(as) had to take up against the sorcerers, for in this conference exponents of different schools of thought delivered speeches about their respective faiths. Some of them were Christians, some were Hindus of Sanatan Dharam or Arya Samaj, some were Brahmus, some were Sikhs, and some were Muslims who oppose us. All of them had turned their staffs into imaginary snakes, but when God unleashed the rod of Islam’s truth against them in the form of a pure and profound discourse, it turned into a python and devoured all of them. To this day, people are all praise for the discourse that had issued from my mouth:

فَالْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ عَلٰی ذَالِکَ‎

“[So Allah be praised for all this].” (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation [Haqiqatul Wahi], pp. 354-355)

Furthermore, whilst mentioning another prophecy, the Promised Messiah^(as) states:

“The following is a Divine sign that has been recorded in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya:

یَااَحْمَدُ فَاضَتِ الرَّحْمَۃُ عَلٰی شَفَتَیْکَ

“‘O Ahmad, springs of eloquence and perspicuity have been made to flow from your lips.’

“This has been fulfilled continuously for many years now. Countless books have been written in eloquent and articulate Arabic and presented to Muslim and Christian scholars [as a challenge] with rewards worth thousands of rupees, but not a single person stood up to the challenge them. Is this not a sign from God or is it merely an absurd claim of man?” (Zamima Risala Anjam-e-Atham, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 11, pp. 290-291)

People made all sorts of claims and do so even today, however, in his time, no one accepted the challenge.

The Promised Messiah^(as) recounts an incident of the acceptance of a prayer as a sign in his favour. Though there are innumerable accounts, I will mention one. The Promised Messiah^(as) states:

“The sign that was manifested in these days was one of the acceptance of prayer, which, in fact, was tantamount to raising the dead. The details of this episode are as follows: ‘Abdul Karim, son of Abdur Rahman, who is from Hyderabad, Deccan, is a student in our school. He was bitten by a rabid dog and we sent him to Kasauli [a town in Himachal Pradesh], where he underwent treatment for a few days and then returned to Qadian. But a few days later, he began to show signs of madness that are peculiar to being bitten by a rabid dog. He became hydrophobic and his condition deteriorated rapidly. I was deeply moved out of sympathy for this poor boy, who was so far away from his home, and I felt a special urge to supplicate for him. Everyone thought that the poor boy would die within a matter of hours. Inevitably, he had to be moved out of the boarding house and placed in a room away from other people. He was given great care and a telegram was sent to the British doctors at Kasauli, inquiring if there was any remedy available for his condition. The reply came by telegram that there was no remedy for him. This added to my feeling of sympathy for him and I was deeply concerned about this poor boy away from his homeland. My friends also insisted that I should pray for him, for his pitiable condition aroused great compassion. I was also afraid that if he died under these dire circumstances, his death would provide the enemies with an occasion to rejoice. (The opponents would cause commotion and say that he claimed the Promised Messiah’s^(as) prayers were accepted.) This further added to my feeling of sympathy for him and I was moved in an extraordinary manner. Such a feeling cannot be generated by one’s own volition, it can only be caused by God Almighty Himself. Once such a condition comes about, it is so effective that—by God’s permission—it can well-nigh bring the dead back to life. (This is the efficacy of prayer.)

“In short, the condition of absolute reliance on Allah was vouchsafed to me, and when my concern for him reached its ultimate limit and anguish took hold of my heart, (these were the conditions in which the prayer was offered and he was overcome with anguish), the patient—who had been as good as dead—began to show signs of recovery. He, who had been so afraid of water and light, at once took a turn for the better and said that he was not afraid of water anymore. He was given water, which he drank without any fear. He then performed ablution with it, offered his Prayer, and slept through the night. His frightful and wild condition disappeared and he recovered completely within a few days.”

The Promised Messiah^(as) continues:

“I was suddenly made to feel that the madness had not come to him as a presage of death; rather, it was meant as a Sign from God. Knowledgeable people affirm that it has never happened that a person bitten by a rabid dog, exhibiting the typical symptoms of rabies, has then survived. Can there be a stronger proof than [the fact] that the Physician Specialists officially appointed by the government at Kasauli, had, in reply to our telegram, categorically certified to the effect that nothing could be done now [for ‘Abdul-Karim?].” (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation [Haqiqatul Wahi], pp. 597-598)

Moreover, whilst mentioning the sign in relation to [Dr John Alexander] Dowie, the Promised Messiah^(as) states:

“Through my prayers, the same Dr Dowie, who was hailed as a king in America and Europe on account of his pomp and splendour, was brought to ruin by God through this prayer duel. Thus, God caused a world to bow before me. This incident has gained international acclaim in all of the world’s prominent newspapers, becoming a matter of discussion for the common folk and the elite alike.” (Haqiqatul Wahi, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 22, p. 553)

The Promised Messiah^(as) mentions another sign shown to him and states:

“Maulawi Ghulam Dastagir Qasuri entered into a prayer duel with me on his own accord and wrote a prayer in his book that God should bring death upon whoever is a liar.” It was a one-sided prayer duel; after a few days of supplicating this prayer, the same Maulawi [Cleric] perished. Alas, what a grand sign this was for our opposing clerics, if only they had any understanding.” (Haqiqatul Wahi, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 22, p. 239)

Whilst recounting another sign, the Promised Messiah^(as) mentions how Allah the Almighty supported him. He states:

“It would be enough for a fair-minded person to read what Maulawi Ghulam Dastagir Qasuri wrote in his book; how he entered into a prayer duel with me in his own way and announced it in his treatise Faid-e-Rahmani (this is the same aforementioned cleric); and how he met his end only a few days later. There is also the case of Charagh Din of Jammu who entered into a prayer duel with me in his own way and prayed that may God bring death upon whoever of us was a liar. He died of plague only a few days later along with both of his sons.” (Haqiqatul Wahi, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 22, p. 71, [footonote])

This was another Cleric from Jammu.

The Promised Messiah^(as) further states:

“I care not the least about the various objections my people raise against me, and it would be utter infidelity on my part if I should abandon the path of truth for fear of them. They should think for themselves that God has endowed a man with intellectual insight from Himself, has shown him the way, has blessed him with His converse and discourse and has manifested thousands of Signs to prove his truthfulness; how could he possibly turn his face away from that Sun of Truth, considering the dissenting opinion of an adversary to be something of any importance?”

One cannot fall under the influence of the words of another and abandon the truth. The Promised Messiah^(as) further states:

“Moreover, I am not perturbed by the fact that my opponents, both internal and external, are wholly dedicated to slandering me; for this, too, proves a miraculous Sign in my favour. (If people are slandering him, this too serves as a miraculous sign in his favour. What is the reason for this?) The reason being that if I possess within me every kind of evil (the many evils they claim) and I am, as they allege, a defaulter, a liar, The Antichrist, an impostor, a deceiver and corrupt; if I have created a schism between the people; if I am a mischief monger, a transgressor and immoral; if I have imputed falsehood to God for almost thirty years, and used abusive language against good and righteous people; if in my soul there is nothing else but mischief, evil, malefaction, and selfishness; if I have set up a business for simply deceiving the world; if, according to them, God forbid, I do not even believe in God; if there is no evil that is not to be found in me and I possess all the sins of the world, and my soul is replete with every kind of wrongdoing; if I have usurped the wealth of many (as people claim) and abused many who were as pure as angels; and if I have surpassed all in every evil and fraud; then what is the mystery behind this that—albeit I was the one who was evil, wicked, perfidious, and a liar—whenever a so-called ‘saintly’ person arose to confront me, he himself was destroyed; whosoever initiated a prayer duel against me, he himself was ruined; whosoever cursed me, himself fell prey to his own curse; and whosoever filed a case against me in court, was himself defeated?”

All the evils are supposedly found within him, yet whoever stands against him is himself brought to death and he is granted victory. How strange are these allegations against him. The Promised Messiah^(as) further states:

“You will witness the proofs of these occurrences, by way of illustration, in this very book.”

The book he is referring to is “Haqiqatul-Wahi” [The Philosophy of Divine Revelation], which contains many examples of these signs presented by the Promised Messiah^(as). If one reads this book, one will find countless signs. The Promised Messiah^(as) further states:

“It should have thus happened at the time of such confrontations that I myself should have perished or been struck by lightning. (The principle is that the Promised Messiah^(as) should have been smitten if he was found to possess all such evils.) Moreover, there would have been no need for anyone to stand up against me, for God Himself is the enemy of a criminal. (If the Promised Messiah^(as) was such a wrongdoer, then God would take him as an enemy. God does not desire to spread chaos in the world.) Hence—for God’s sake!—think why the contrary has occurred. Why did the (so-called) ‘pious’ perish when opposing me, and why did God save me in every single confrontation? Does this not prove to be a miracle in my favour? (The allegations such people level against the Promised Messiah^(as) produce miracles in his favour and thus prove his truthfulness.) Therefore, I am grateful that even the evils which are [falsely] ascribed to me prove my own miraculous Sign.” (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation [Haqiqatul Wahi], pp. 2-3)

Nevertheless, I have briefly presented a few examples before you from the extracts of the Promised Messiah^(as). Alas, if only the opponents would read the books of the Promised Messiah^(as) and witness God Almighty’s help and signs in his support. As I have mentioned, these signs cannot be summarised in [a few] pages, but require many books. [The opponents] should realise the need of the time. In fact, given the circumstances of our current time, the scholars who raise allegations, admit themselves that this era necessitates a reformer and a guide. However, they not only reject the one who was sent by God Almighty, but continue to misguide the Muslim population.

The heavenly signs were fulfilled and the prophecies of the Holy Prophet^(sa) were fulfilled, yet despite all this, it is their misfortune that they fail to reflect upon this. If the Muslims today realise this truth, that the Messiah and Imam Mahdi whose advent was to take place has indeed appeared and that He is the true lover and servant of the Holy Prophet^(sa) and to enter his bai‘at is imperative owing to the instruction of the Holy Prophet^(sa) and if the Muslims enter his bai‘at with utmost loyalty, then they will be able to establish their superiority in the world. If they accept the Promised Messiah^(as) they will be able to become the recipients of Allah the Almighty’s blessings, otherwise, their condition will remain dire as it is. May Allah the Almighty grant them wisdom and understanding.

In the month of Ramadan, whilst praying for themselves, Ahmadis should also pray for the Jamaat to be safeguarded from every kind of disorder and also pray for the Muslim Ummah that may Allah the Almighty open their eyes and take them out of the darkness and may they realise that the one who truly understands the status of the Holy Prophet^(sa) as being the "Seal of the Prophets" is in fact Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^(as) of Qadian, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi as well as his community. The Ahmadis residing in Pakistan need to particularly pray for the general circumstances of their country and also pray for the Ahmadis in Pakistan. May Allah the Almighty protect the country from its selfish leaders, who seek only to spread evil and mischief. Also, pray for the Ahmadis in Burkina Faso; may Allah the Almighty protect them from every kind of evil. Particularly remember the Ahmadis in Bangladesh; every Friday they are always faced with some kind of danger. Pray for the Ahmadis all around the world; may Allah the Almighty protect every Ahmadi from every kind of disorder and evil. May Allah the Almighty grant every Ahmadi steadfastness and increase their faith and conviction. Also, pray for the world to be saved from destruction. The current circumstances of the world are such that they are standing at the pit of fire. They are not only heading towards wars that would wreak havoc but also, due to their moral ills, which have reached their extreme and also due to abandoning Allah the Almighty, this could also incur the wrath of God Almighty, as a result of which He will send down His punishment upon them. May Allah the Almighty protect the Ahmadis from every kind of evil and disorder and may He enable the Ahmadis to fulfil their duties and responsibilities and may He grant them His refuge and protection by safeguarding them from all kinds of calamities.

I would also like to announce that as of yesterday, 23 March, the weekly, rather twice-weekly Al Fazl International has become a daily paper. Thus, those who know Urdu should read this as much as possible and subscribe to it. May Allah the Almighty enable all to benefit from it and enable those who contribute to Al Fazl to write outstanding articles.