One of the signs of the Promised Messiah(as) was that his arrival would spark a spiritual revolution of a nature and magnitude that had not been witnessed since the dawn of Islam itself. The wise scholars who had studied the holy scriptures knew that just as Islam had emerged from the dismal state that Arabia was in at that time, its revival too was to emerge similar out of the depths of despair in a similarly spectacular fashion. They must have longed to be in the company of the Messiah who was to be the chosen one of God and the promised one of the Holy Prophet(saw), the one whose arrival would reflect the piercing glory of divine light that was to shatter the spiritual darkness that had enveloped the world. It would herald a moment when those fortunate parched souls who were destined to accompany the Messiah, the ones who had been tested by time and fate but remained steadfast and ever-steeped in prayer, would be rewarded with such a burst of spiritual nourishment that they would be humbled by the power of the Divine. Their status would be blessed so much that generations would bear witness to their eminence born out of humility and faith in God.
The Promised Messiah(as), through his lucid arguments and reasoning, had thrown open the vast treasures of spiritual knowledge for seekers of the truth the world over, and after him, his Khulafa, the second manifestation of Divine Glory, were to prove matchless in being blessed with this bounty.
The second Khalifa, Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad(ra) was one such person and what a dazzling reflection of this divine bounty he was. His birth was blessed by nothing less than revelation that promised a pure soul of such immense knowledge and spiritual glory, that heaven and earth would witness his wisdom and grandeur. When one examines his life, one is left at awe of the magnificent fulfilment of that great prophecy.
Born in 1889 and elected to high office in 1914 at the young age of 25 he shouldered the responsibility of guarding and nurturing a world revolution at one of its most tender moments. With the demise of the Messiah(as) and his closest companion only a few years before, Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II(ra) stood fearlessly to carry out his divine mission, a mission that spanned almost 52 years and the success was of such nature that to this day it is remembered as a golden chapter in the history of Islam and Ahmadiyyat.
His knowledge was derived from the Qur’an and blessed by Divine sustenance. His sense of justice and honour was so acute that he was repeatedly called upon to help his country and his fellow Muslims. He wrote over 200 books including his astounding Five Volume Commentary on the Holy Qur’an. He also established the administrative structure of the Community that managed its imminent growth and expansion. He initiated inspirational schemes that served to spread the blessings of Islam to all corners of the world – schemes such as the Tahrik Jadid that may have seemed so ambitious when launched, but have grown so dramatically that they are now an indispensable part of serving humanity globally. His tenure also saw the Community through the greatest human mass migration in history during the creation of Pakistan. Yet his foresight and intelligence and his unwavering trust in God guided the Community safely in both India and Pakistan.
His achievements and blessings are truly innumerable to the extent that volumes can be written about him – and indeed they have been – yet they are unable to do justice to these achievements. The era of the Promised Messiah(as) was destined to be one in which there would be such an awakening in the spiritual world that the physical world would witness it. In this respect a study of the life and achievements of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II(ra) alone is sufficient to affirm the truth of that phenomenon. Fortunate are those who were blessed by his company, for what a righteous, invigorating and holy company it must have been.
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