Status of the Promised Messiah(as)

The Promised Messiah^as wrote over 80 books in Arabic, Urdu, and Persian. Excerpts of his collected works have been translated into English and organised by topic. The Review of Religions is pleased to present these excerpts as part of a monthly feature. Here, the Promised Messiah^as elaborates on the status of the Promised Messiah^as
Extracts from The Essence of Islam, Vol.IV, pp. 29 – 33.

The Status of the Promised Messiah^as

Today my people do not recognise my status; the day will come when they will recall my blessed time with tears.

—lzala-e-Auham, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 184

Bounties and Titles

I have, by the sheer grace of God, and not on account of any merit of my own, been accorded a full measure of the bounty, which was bestowed before me on the prophets and Messengers^as and the chosen ones of God. It would not have been possible for me to be granted this bounty had I not followed the ways of my lord and master, the pride of the prophets, the best of mankind, Muhammad^sa. Whatever I have been given, I have been given due to this adherence and I know through my true and perfect knowledge that no man can reach God except through following the Holy Prophet^sa nor can anyone arrive at a full understanding of God except through him.

—Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, pp. 59-65

Some ignorant people wrongly imagine that I claim to be a recipient of revelation by way of imposture. In truth, this is the act of the Powerful God, Who created the heavens and earth and the universe. Whenever faith in God declines, someone like me is raised; God speaks to him and manifests His wonders through him until people understand that God exists. I announce openly that if a person, whether Asian or European, comes to stay in my company, he will soon discover the truth of my statements.

—Kitab-ul-Bariyyah, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 13, p.18

Reformer of the Fourteenth Century

When the thirteenth century drew to a close and the beginning of the fourteenth century approached, I was informed by God Almighty through revelation that I am the reformer of the fourteenth century. I received the revelation:

That is, God has taught you the Qur’an and has expounded its true meanings to you so that you should warn these people – who through generations of neglect and not having been warned have fallen into error – of their evil end, so that the way of those offenders may be made manifest who do not desire to follow the right path after it has been openly declared. Tell them: I have been commissioned by God and am the foremost of believers.

—Kitab-ul-Bariyyah, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 13, pp. 201-202, footnote

According to His unchanging law that whenever darkness prevails, God Almighty attends to the support of the Muslims and appoints some special servant of His, who is chosen for the purpose of the revival of Islam and for the good of the people, this humble one has been raised at the turn of the century having been awarded the title of Mujaddid [Reformer of the Age] by God Almighty. I have been granted such knowledge and resources for stamping out the evils that were spreading in the world as cannot become available to anyone unless these are bestowed by the special favour of God.

—Karamat-us-Sadiqin, Ruhani Khaza’in vol. 7, p. 45

When God Almighty, observing the condition of the world and finding the earth filled with every type of disobedience, sin and misguidance, appointed me for the propagation of the truth and the reform of people and the time was…the end of the thirteenth and the beginning of the fourteenth century, then I – in obedience to this command – sent forth the call through written announcements and speeches, that I am that person who was to come from God at the turn of the century for the revival of the faith. The purpose was that I should re-establish the faith which had disappeared from the earth, and pull mankind towards reform and righteousness and truthfulness through the power and strength that God had bestowed upon me and through the magnetic power of His hand. I was also destined to correct their doctrinal errors and to reform their conduct.

Messiah and Mahdi

A few years thereafter, it was made quite clear to me through divine revelation that the Messiah, whose advent among the Muslims had been promised from the beginning, and the last Mahdi whose advent had been divinely decreed to take place at the time of the decline of Islam and the spread of error, and who was to be guided directly by God, and who was to invite people to partake of the heavenly banquet, and whose advent had been foretold by the Holy Prophet^sa thirteen hundred years in advance, was none other than myself. Divine revelation was vouchsafed to me so clearly and so continuously that it left no room for doubt. Every word of such revelations found its firm place in my heart like an iron nail. These revelations were replete with grand prophecies which were most clearly fulfilled. Their regularity, number and miraculous power compelled me to affirm that they were the words of the One God Who is without associate and Who revealed the Holy Qur’an. I do not mention the Torah and the Gospels in this context because the Torah and the Gospels have been so corrupted at the hands of their followers that they can no longer be described as the Word of God. In short, the revelation of God that descended upon me is so certain and absolute that through it I found my God. That revelation not only carried with it full certainty through heavenly signs contained therein but every portion of it – when put before the Word of God Almighty contained in the Holy Qur’an – proved to be in full accord with it. Heavenly signs came down like rain to confirm its truth.

—Tadhkirat-us-Shahadatain, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 20, pp. 3-4