The following is an article written by the Promised Messiah(as) himself and taken from the September 1904 issue of the Review of Religions (Vol.3, No.9).
Gentlemen, I would now say something about my own claims, which I have published in this country. Reason and history bear witness to the fact that when the darkness of sin overshadows the earth, when all sorts of transgressions prevail in the world and evil is supreme, when the spiritual sensibilities are deadened, when the earth is growing impure with immoral practices and the love of God being numbed in the hearts of men, a poisonous wind begins to blow, the mercy of God then ordains that life should again be breathed into dead hearts and the earth should be quickened afresh. As there are changes of seasons in the physical world, so there are revolutions in the spiritual world. In autumn the trees lose their verdure and freshness, and are stripped of their leaves and branches, and look like a man who being in the last stage of consumption loses all his flesh and blood, or like a leper whose face is disfigured by the effects of leprosy and whose limbs have dropped down. But they are not left in this state. Another period comes, and autumn is followed by spring when a new life is given to the dead plants and they sprout forth into fresh leaves. Similar to these changes in the physical world, there are changes and revolutions in the spiritual world and periods of light and darkness follow each other successively like day and night. At certain stages of the history of the world, men are stripped of spiritual excellences and the perfection of manhood like trees in the autumn, while at others a wind blows from heaven which breathes life afresh into their hearts.
Thus our time is also the beginning of a spring. The deadness of autumn was witnessed in the Punjab during the days when this country was under the Sikh sway. Knowledge had then quite disappeared and ignorance had become prevalent. Religious books had become so rare that they could not be found except in some high family which remained intact from Sikh oppression. The night of the Sikh rule has been followed by the day of British dominion which has brought us the invaluable blessing of peace. The truth is that if regard is had to the general peace and security prevailing in the country and to the comforts which we can and do enjoy, it is unjust to compare the days of Sikh rule with even the nights of British Government. The time in which we live is a time of physical as well as spiritual blessings, and what has already appeared is a sign of the richness of the harvest that we may yet reap.
It is true, however, that being the commencement of a new age, this period presents varying faces. Some faces are hideous because they go against righteousness and the true knowledge of God, while others present attractive features and there is a lustre of righteousness in them. There is no doubt, however, that the British Government has taken great pains to spread learning in the country and to advance the cause of science and knowledge. Printing presses have multiplied copies of books to an extent unknown in any previous age and placed them within the reach of all. This vast spread of knowledge has brought to light many hidden libraries and cast the light of publication upon many rare manuscripts, and thus it has changed the whole appearance of society within a few years.
Side-by-side with the growth of learning and spread of knowledge spoken of here, there has been a continual falling off from the standard of purity in practice, and the plant of atheism has struck a deep root in most hearts. There is no doubt about the benefits and blessings which the British rule has brought to us, nor can anyone question the unparalleled peace and liberty which it has established in this country, but most people have not made a right use of this liberty and peace. Instead of being thankful to God for His great obligation in placing us under the benign rule of such a peaceful and kind Government, most people have become utterly neglectful of and stolidly indifferent to God and have wholly given themselves up to the pursuits and cares of this world, so wholly indeed as if this world were their permanent abode and they were not under the control of any Higher power or under any obligation to Him. As happens generally, with peace transgression has become more flagrant, and on account of daily increasing hard-heartedness and indifference, the country is now in a very dangerous condition. Ignorant people commit the most brutal and heinous deeds like savages, and every grade of society is more or less involved in some sort of evil. Public houses are much more frequented than other shops, and professions involving open immorality are daily increasing, while places of worship are only used for the performance of ceremonials devoid of life and inner worth. In short a violent outburst of evil and iniquity has taken place, and as a flood destroys all embankments and sweeps away whole villages before it in a single night, so the flood of passions is sweeping away all barriers to sin before it. Cimmerian darkness has spread over the world, and it has reached the point at which it must either be regenerated and receive a light from heaven or be utterly destroyed and brought to naught. But the prophetical utterings give us to understand that the end is yet a thousand years off. Moreover, the new physical order of this world which has been brought about by the numerous discoveries and inventions of the last and the present century, is clearly indicative of a similar change for the better in the spiritual system of the world. There is pressing necessity for such spiritual reform, for spiritually the world stands on the brink of destruction and is so depraved that the wrath of heaven must be kindled against it. The force of passions is growing too strong while the spiritual tendencies have been utterly weakened and the light of faith has been extinguished. A light must, therefore, be kindled from heaven to shatter the clouds of darkness which over-hang this world, for, as we see daily, the gloom, of night is not dispelled until the heavenly light makes its appearance. As there is a heavenly light which lightens the corners of the earth, so there is also a heavenly light which illuminates the corners of the heart, and the truth of both these laws is manifest.
Since God created man, it has been His unchangeable law that He sheds His light upon mankind through one of their own number, so that there may be a unity and oneness among them. The person who is thus chosen, receives the light of perfect Divine knowledge from God, drinks deep at the fountain of His perfect love, is spoken to by Him, made to walk in the path of His perfect pleasure and granted a deep-seated zeal to draw others to the light, the knowledge and the love which have been granted him. Thus drawn by him and sharing in his knowledge because of their close connection with him, other people are also kept back from sins and guided to the path of piety and righteousness.
In accordance with this time-honoured law, Almighty God prophesied by the mouth of His prophets that after nearly six thousand years from the time of Adam(as) when great darkness would prevail upon earth and an irresistible flood of passions would make the love of God wane and iniquity predominate, God would breathe into a man the soul of truth and love and knowledge spiritually after the likeness of Adam(as), and he would be called the Messiah, because God would Himself anoint his soul with the ointment of His love. This Messiah who on account of the promise of God concerning his appearance is called the Promised Messiah in sacred books, would, it is foretold, be made to stand against Satan, and between him and the evil one there would be a mighty struggle, the final struggle between good and evil. For this spiritual fight Satan would bring all his hosts into the field and gather together all his power and make use of all his resources. Never shall a fight like this have occurred between good and evil before, for on that day the tricks of Satan, and the means by which he can mislead people, would all be exhausted. After a heavy fight, the Messiah of God would drive back the powers of darkness, and the glory, majesty, unity and holiness of God would be proclaimed upon earth and would continue to be declared for a thousand years, the seventh day of the Holy Books of God. Then will be the end. I am that Messiah: let him who will, accept me.
Doubts would, perhaps, be entertained here by some as to the existence of Satan and they would wonder at the mention of Satan and his hosts. Let them bear in mind that every man’s heart has two attractions with it, the attraction of good and the attraction of evil. The first of these is attributed in Islamic law to the angel or the spirit of goodness, and the second to Satan or the spirit of evil. Man is inclined sometimes to evil and sometimes to goodness, and this is what is meant by the struggle between good and evil. I think there are many men in this gathering who will, simply on hearing my claim to Promised Messiahship and Divine revelation, call me a liar and look down upon my claim, but I do not condemn them, for so it has been from the beginning. Every messenger of God had to hear words of abuse and contempt from his people in the early stages of his mission, and it may be said truly that a prophet is not without honour but in the beginning of his career as a prophet.
That Holy Prophet(saw) and Messenger of God to whom the Holy Qur’an was revealed, and who gave us a law which is the culmination of all laws, of being called whose followers we are all proud, was also received in the same manner by his people. For thirteen years he suffered persecution and tortures at the hands of his enemies alone and helpless, and received their scoffing, insults, affronts and outrages with the greatest patience and forbearance – all these cruelties of his enemies reaching their climax in that unkindest cut of all, his expulsion from Makkah. Who knew at that time that that helpless and forlorn man was destined to become the guide and leader of millions of human beings? Such is the Divine law that the ones sent by God are laughed at and despised at first. There are very few who recognise them in the beginning and hence they must suffer at the hands of the ignorant and bear all sorts of scurrilities, abuses and taunts until the time comes when God should open the hearts of men for their acceptance.
Such is my claim. But the work for which Almighty God has appointed me, my function as the Promised Messiah, is that I should remove the estrangement which has taken place between God and man, and re-establish man’s connection of purity and love with his Divine master. I have been raised that I should put a stop to religious wars and lay the basis of peace, concord and fellow-feeling between men, that I should bring to light the religious truths which have long been hidden from the mortal eye, that I may show true spirituality by dispelling the darkness of passions from before its face, that I may manifest the working of Divine powers within man by prayer or by concentration of attention, and most important of all that I should re-establish the pure and glorious unity of God which is free from every mixture of shirk, and which has disappeared from the face of earth. All this will be effected not by my power, but by the mighty power of Him who rules in heaven and earth. I see that on the one hand Almighty God having trained me in His deep knowledge and having made me the recipient of His revelation, has granted me a zeal for bringing about these reforms, and on the other He has Himself prepared hearts which are ready to accept my words.
I see that a mighty revolution has taken place in the world since I was appointed by Almighty God to this heavenly office. While in Europe and America the doctrine of the Divinity of Jesus is being rejected by all sensible thinkers, in India idol-worship is fast losing ground. Though these people are yet ignorant of true spirituality and are content with a few words in which is contained a formal expression of their beliefs, yet they have broken asunder many ties which held them to unbelief, and they are now as it were standing on the threshold of unity. I hope that in the near future the grace of God would take many of them by the hand and place them within the stronghold of unity where there is all peace and safety, and where a man is granted perfect love and perfect fear and perfect knowledge. This is not a mere wish but Almighty God has given me the glad tidings which make me entertain this hope. The manifestation of this heavenly ordinance has been brought about in this country so that different people may soon be seen gathering into one flock, and that the night of discord and enmity may soon be changed into the bright morning of peace and concord.
That the different people will be ultimately made one nation, is the universal hope of all religious sects. The Christians think that the time is coming when all the nations of the earth will accept the doctrine of the Divinity of Jesus(as). The Jews entertain the fond hope that their Messiah will soon appear and make them the inheritors of the whole earth and bring the gentiles into the Jewish faith. The Islamic prophecies also give the hope of the advent of a Messiah who would make Islam the predominant and universal religion of the world, and the promised time of advent goes no further than the commencement of the 14th century of Hegira. And at this very moment the Pundits of the Sanatan Dharm are anxiously waiting for the advent of an avatar who would spread the true faith in the whole world. The Aryas, though they do not believe in any prophecy, share in these universal views and are trying their best to spread the Arya religion in the East as well as in the West. Nor has the Buddhist religion remained behind in this movement, for it is also showing signs of activity and reform. But what is most wonderful of all, and may perhaps excite laughter, is that in this competition of religions for superiority, even the sweeper community is not quite indifferent, but it also is awake to the serious necessity of protecting itself from hostile religions. In short, the competition of religions has grown hot and every sect is inspired with the zeal to make acquisitions from other faiths. There is a commotion in the religious world more violent than the commotion which is caused in the sea by a storm, and as the billows roll down upon one another, so do at present the different religions.
The various movements described above lead one at least to this conclusion that the time has come at which Al