Give Heed to the Voice of Heavens! The Messiah Has Come

Reem Shraiky, Life devotee of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, UK

I was twelve or thirteen years old when I learned in religious education lessons at school in Syria that the Imam Mahdi (The Guided One) would come at the end of time; I learnt his signs and the tasks that he would be assigned with.

When I came home that day, I blamed my mother, saying to her: “how have you taught us that the Holy Prophet^sawas the last prophet when the Mahdi is yet to come?!” She said: “yes, but he won’t be a prophet.” I replied with a childish instinct: “How will he not be a prophet! Allah will speak to him and reveal to him that he is the Mahdi and will commission tasks to him! Sorry mother, I am unconvinced that he will not be a prophet.”

Since then, I dreamed of his coming. I was praying for his adventin my lifetime, especially that he will fill the earth with equity and justice seeing as it has been filled with oppression and injustice.

I loved him so much and waited eagerly for the day of his arrival, whereupon I would swear allegiance to him and convey to him the “salaam” [peace] of my Beloved Prophet^saas per his commandment.

At home, my parents had also taught us that Jesus^aswould come at the end of time too, as he had not died yet. But since my childhood, I used to argue especially with my father about the aspects of our religion that I found to be illogical; the life of Jesus^aswas one of them. I used to ask: “how could this be? Why was his body not torn apart in space? And why is he still alive? Why was someone who looked like him put in his place and crucified instead? How is this justified? Why did Allah then tell him that He would cause him to die?” etc.

I never received satisfactory answers, so I was never interested in the coming of the Messiah. However, it was my hope and, in my prayers, that the Mahdi would come soon, especially when I was reciting verses of the Holy Quran such as: “… and there is no people to whom a Warner has not been sent.”^[i]and “…And there is a Guide for every people.”^[ii]

I was talking to Allah and saying, “O my Lord, where is the Guide for me and my people? I know that you sent the Holy Prophet^safor all people until the end of time, but he came hundreds of years ago; we did not see him, nor did we see his immediate followers, so when, Lord, will you send the Mahdi, especially now that the earth is already filled with injustice?”

On the other hand, when I read that the Mahdi will be from Makkah, I was again pouring my heart out to Allah, my Ultimate Best Friend, I used to ask Him: “O Allah, if Islam is for all mankind why will the Mahdi be an Arab? I feel that this will give the impression that Islam is a religion for Arabs only, but You are the All-Knowing!”

This is how days and years passed while I held all these questions and wishes in my heart and mind, until the happy day came, when my brother accepted the truth of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^as; the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, and started preaching to us day and night with tears in his eyes and the full resolution to share with us the treasures he had found.

Thus, every riddle I had for years was beginning to be solved; Jesus^ashad passed away, and the Mahdi and the Promised Messiah are in accordance with the testimony of the authentic Ahadith are one and the same person.

By understanding the Promised Messiah’s claim, I understood all the related hadiths, prophecies and even Qur’anic verses.

Here is the non-Arab Mahdi and Messiah who filled, and still fills through his Caliphs, the earth with justice, and has enabled Islam to prevail over every religion as was promised in his main mission.

Therefore, Give Heed to the Voice of Heavens! The Messiah Has Come.

I would like to end my article with two couplets of one of the Arabic poems written by the Promised Messiah and Mahdi^as:

وأُعطِيتُ أسرارا فلا يعرفونها … وللناس آراءٌ بقدْرِ التبصُّر

And I have been taught secrets which were unknown, but people have hastened to judge as if they had the power of sight.

وما أنا إلا مسلمٌ تابعُ الهدى … فيا صاحِ لا تَعجَلْ هوًى وتَدَبَّر

And I am only a Muslim and a follower of guidance. So, my friend, do not rush headlong out of passion, and reflect!

ولكنْ علومي قد بدا لُبُّ لُبِّها … لِما رَدِفَتْها ظُفْرُ كَشْفٍ مقَشِّر

The greatness of my knowledge had become clear, especiallywhen my visions and prophecies were fulfilled. 

لقد ضلّ سعْيًا مَن أتاني مخالفًا … وربي معي واللهُ حِبِّي ومُوثِري

Whosoever comes opposing me, his labour is all lost. My Lord is with me, He is my beloved and preferred above everything else.

^[i]The Holy Qur’an,35:25.

^[ii]The Holy Qur’an, 13:18.