The Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian (1835-1908)
Raziullah Noman, Canada
فكيدوا جميعَ الكيْد يا أيّها العِدا
فيعْصِمُني ربّي وهذا مُقدَّرُ
‘O enemies! Hatch against me all kinds of plans;
God my Lord will protect me. And, this is what has been decreed.’ [1]
One of the most important signs for the truthfulness of a Prophet is that Allah the Almighty continues to support him and grants him success of the disbelievers. This is mentioned throughout the Holy Qur’an. Allah the Almighty makes it clear that the Prophets are successful, while his opponents are always in the loss.
Regarding the opponents of Allah and His Prophets, He states:
أَلَا إِنَّ حِزْبَ الشَّيْطَانِ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ
‘Now surely it is Satan’s party that are the losers’ [2]
وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنِ افْتَرَىٰ
‘And surely, he who forges a lie shall perish’ [3]
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللهِ الْكَذِبَ لَا يُفْلِحُونَ
‘Surely, those who forge a lie against Allah do not prosper‘ [4]
فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا قَوْلًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَنْزَلْنَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا رِجْزًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ
‘The transgressors changed it for a word other than that which was said to them. So We Sent down upon the transgressors a punishment from heaven’ [5]
إِنَّا لَنَنْصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْأَشْهَادُ
‘Most surely We help Our Messengers and those who believe, both in the present life and on the day when the witnesses will stand forth’ [6]
We see the success of the Prophets and Messengers through the success of their community. They continue to progress while the opponents continue to fail in their plans. Their efforts in trying to oppose the community of the Prophets have no effect on the gradual success of the community. Regarding this, Allah states:
فَإِنَّ حِزْبَ اللهِ هُمُ الْغَالِبُونَ
‘It is the party of Allah that must triumph.’ [7]
Regarding the success of the Messengers sent by Allah, He states:
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا نَأْتِي الْأَرْضَ نَنْقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَا
‘Do they not see that We are visiting the land, reducing it from its outlying borders?’ [8]
Regarding this, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) writes:
‘To sum up, the divine practice is operative such that whenever someone comes from God and he is rejected, a variety of calamities descends from the heavens, and mostly those are seized who have nothing to do with this rejection. Then gradually the leaders of the disbelievers are apprehended. The turn of big mischief-mongers comes in the end. It is this point at which the Holy Quran indicates in the verse:
أَنَّا نَأْتِي الْأَرْضَ نَنْقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَا
Meaning that, slowly but surely, We continue to come closer to the earth.’ [9]
We see many examples of this verse being fulfilled in the life of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as). One example is regarding the plague which broke out in India. Regarding this sign, Allah the Almighty told the Promised Messiah (as) in a prophecy:
إني أحافظ كلّ من في الدار
‘I shall safeguard all those who dwell within the four walls of your house [from the plague]’. [10]
Regarding the plague, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) states:
‘O people! Will you not, for once, display a sense of shame before God? Can you produce any such precedent from the life of an impostor? Had this been a human enterprise, there was no need at all for you to oppose and take so much trouble to kill me; God alone was sufficient to destroy me. When the plague broke out in the country, many people claimed that this man [i.e. me] would be killed by the plague. But awe-striking is the providence of God that all those people—one and all—themselves died of the plague; whereas, addressing me, God said: ‘I shall protect you, and the plague shall not come close to you.’ Indeed, He also told me to tell people: ‘Do not threaten us with fire (i.e. the plague). Fire is our servant; nay rather, it is the servant of our servants.’ He also said to me: ‘I shall stand guard over this house of yours; and everyone who is within these four walls, shall remain immune from the plague.’
This is exactly what happened. In this vicinity, everyone knows that entire villages were wiped out by the ravages of the plague and all around us it was like Doomsday, but God kept us safe.’ [11]
Allah further states in the Qur’an regarding the success of His Messengers:
كَتَبَ اللهُ لَأَغْلِبَنَّ أَنَا وَرُسُلِي ۚ إِنَّ اللهَ قَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ
‘Allah has decreed: ‘Most surely I will prevail, I and My Messengers.’ Verily, Allah is Powerful, Mighty.’ [12]
Regarding this verse, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) states:
‘And God helped me in every way and it is clearly written in the Holy Quran that:
كَتَبَ اللهُ لَأَغْلِبَنَّ أَنَا وَرُسُلِي
Meaning that, it is a categorical promise of God that those people who come from God triumph over those who oppose them.’ [13]
According to these verses of the Holy Qur’an, Allah Makes it clear that the true claimants to Prophethood progress, but slowly. Their success and victory do not take place overnight. The reason for this is that if the person succeeded overnight, the opponents could raise the objection that it was only by chance that they had succeeded and that they had no chance to raise opposition. If there is sudden success, it would be unclear whether it was by chance or with the support of Allah. Allah the Almighty gives the opponents a chance to oppose the Prophets so that the people can see that it was the Messengers who had the Support of Allah.
Regarding this verse, Ibn Kathir, one of the most popular exegetes of the Holy Qur’an writes:
‘Allah and His Messenger shall prevail Allah the Exalted asserts that the rebellious and stubborn disbelievers who defy Him and His Messenger, those who do not embrace the religion and stay away from Truth, are in one area, while the guidance is in another area,
أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ فِى ٱلۡأَذَلِّينَ
(They will be among those most humiliated.) they are among the miserable, the cast out, banished from goodness; they are the humiliated ones in this life and the Hereafter. Allah said,
ڪَتَبَ ٱللهُ لَأَغۡلِبَنَّ أَنَا۟ وَرُسُلِىٓۚ
(Allah has decreed: ‘Verily, I and My Messengers shall be the victorious’) meaning, He has decreed, written in the First Book, and decided in the decree that He has willed — which can never be resisted, changed or prevented — that final victory is for Him, His Book, His Messengers and the faithful believers, in this life and the Hereafter.’ [14]
When we look at the life of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), we see that he had a manifest victory over his opponents, in the same way the other Prophets did.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) states:
‘Purely by way of advice, and for the sake of Allah, I tell the opposing clerics and their soul mates, that abuse and vilification is not the way of decency. If this be your disposition, then so be it. But if you consider me false in my claim, you also have the option to come together in your mosques and pray to God for my ruin, or you can do the same individually. If I am false in my claim, your prayers are bound to be heard. Indeed, you have been praying against me already. But remember, even if you continue to pray thus until your tongues are bruised, and you go on bewailing in your prostrations until your noses are rubbed out, and your tears wipe out your eyelashes, and the weeping reduces your vision, and your brains are so affected that you begin to suffer from epilepsy or melancholia, still your prayers will not be heard; for I have come from God, and anyone who curses me will himself be afflicted with such a curse, though he may not be aware of it.’ [15]
When Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) was alone, Allah the Almighty revealed to him:
يأتيك من كلّ فجّ عميق. يأتون من كل فجّ عميق.
‘The help will come to you by every distant track. People will come to you so that the track will become deep due to excessive travel.’ [16]
Regarding this revelation, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) states:
‘Twenty-five years have now passed since this prophecy was published in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya. This prophecy dates back to the time when I was hidden in obscurity and none of these people, who are now with me, knew me. And I was not one of those who are renowned for any authority. In short, there was nothing and I was just one in a crowd, utterly unknown. With the exception of a few people who already knew my family, there was not a single person who had any bond with me. This is such an event that none of the inhabitants of Qadian can testify against. Thereafter, in order to fulfil this prophecy, God Almighty caused His servants to turn towards me and people came to Qadian in droves and continue to do so; they have given to me—and continue to give—cash and goods and gifts of every variety with such profusion that I simply cannot count.
The maulawis did create obstacles, and tried their utmost to stop people from turning to me, so much so that religious edicts were obtained even from Makkah, and nearly 200 maulawis issued edicts of apostasy against me. Even edicts that I deserved to be killed were published. But they were frustrated in all their efforts and the result was that my Jama‘at spread throughout all the towns and villages of the Punjab, and took root in many places throughout India. In fact, even some Europeans and Americans embraced Islam and joined this Jama‘at. So many people flocked to Qadian that the road to Qadian became rutted at several places by the sheer number of horse-driven carriages. One must reflect very carefully upon this prophecy, and deliberate over it with careful consideration: Had this prophecy not been from God, this storm of opposition that had arisen, causing the population throughout the entire Punjab and India to turn against me to the point they wanted to crush me under their feet, would certainly have succeeded in its arduous efforts and would have destroyed me. But they failed one and all.
And I know that all their uproar and all their efforts to destroy me, and the raging storm in my opposition, was not because God had intended to destroy me; rather, this occurred so that the Signs of God might appear and that the Lord of Power, who cannot be subdued by anyone, may demonstrate His might and power against those people, and manifest the Sign of His power. And thus He did. Who was aware and who had the knowledge that I—who had been sown as a tiny seed, and was trampled thereafter under the feet of thousands, while tempests blew and storms raged, and the clamour of rebellion swept like a flood over the insignificant seed that I was—would yet have survived all these calamities? This seed, by the grace of God, was not to be wasted. On the contrary, it sprouted and grew and flourished and stands today as a giant tree under whose shade rest as many as 300,000 people. Such are the Works of God that transcend human comprehension. God cannot be defeated by anyone.’ [17]
The Promised Messiah (as) also states:
‘Recall the time when I came here fourteen years ago. Whoever wished me to have even a single follower? The Muslim clerics and sufis, the venerable and the affluent, all wished death to me and obliteration to this movement; they just couldn’t stand it to flourish, but God, Who always helps His chosen people and brings victory to the righteous, also helped me. The result, therefore, has been exactly the opposite of what my enemies had schemed and planned. He has blessed me with success and drawn the attention of people to me. They have come and are coming to me in large numbers, breaking the barriers of opposition and overriding the obstacles that bar their way. Surely, this is a point to ponder. Can it be the result of human design and effort that people of influence, who are bent upon the destruction of a person, hatch all kinds of plots and use all possible means to ignite a dangerous fire around him, he still emerges completely unscathed? Of course not; for this indeed is the work of Almighty God who has always shown such miracles.’ [18]
Allah the Almighty also revealed to the Promised Messiah (as):
مَیں تیری تبلیغ کو زمین کے کناروں تک پہنچاؤں گا
‘I shall cause thy message to reach the corners of the earth’ [19]
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) states:
‘My Lord had revealed to me and promised me that He will help me till my message reaches the Easts and Wests of the earth. The oceans of truth will be stirred till the people look with wonder on the bubbles riding upon its waves.’ [20]
We see this prophecy fulfilled as Ahmadiyyat is shining throughout the corners of the earth today. This prophecy is also being fulfilled through Muslim Television MTA. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba) stated:
‘This is all in accordance with the great promise of Allah vouchsafed to the Promised Messiah (as) that: ‘I shall cause thy message to reach the corners of the earth’.
In reality, the human effort involved in the progress of MTA is minimal and is far exceeded by the blessings and favours of Allah the Almighty. Where MTA started 25 years ago as a very humble channel, in which only the Friday sermon was broadcast, its scope soon began to increase under the guidance of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya.
Thus, after some time, it began to broadcast daily service that lasted a few hours and ultimately it became the global 24-hour channel that we know today.
With the Grace of Allah, it has progressed leaps and bounds and through various satellites is spreading a message of truth to the corners of the world. As a Jama’at, our financial resources are very limited, and so in worldly terms, it is virtually impossible for us to run a dedicated global television channel like MTA, as the costs are so prohibitive. For example, merely the cost of broadcasting via satellite runs to several millions of pounds each year. Yet, Allah the Almighty has immensely blessed our resources so that we are not only able to bear this huge cost, but have also been able to establish high-quality MTA studios in many different countries where very good programmes are being produced.’ [21]
Islam Ahmadiyya continues to spread daily. The opponents have tried everything but the support of Allah continues to assist this Jama’at and the Khalifa, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba).
ENDNOTES
[1] The Miracle of Ahmad, English, Page 139
[2] The Holy Qur’an 58:20
[3] The Holy Qur’an 20:62
[4] The Holy Qur’an 16:117
[5] The Holy Qur’an 2:60
[6] The Holy Qur’an 40:52
[7] The Holy Qur’an 5:57
[8] The Holy Qur’an 13:42
[9] Haqiqatul Wahi, Page 200
[10] Al-Hakam, Vol. 6, no.16, April 30, 1902, Page 7
[11] Haqiqatul Wahi, Page 321
[12] The Holy Qur’an 58:22
[13] Haqiqatul Wahi, Page 704
[14] Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Under Chapter 58 Verses 20-21
[15] Arba’in, No.4, Ruhani Khazain, Volume 17, Page 471-472
[16] Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part 3, Page 211
[17] Haqiqatul Wahi, Pages 319-322
[18] Lecture Ludhiana, Page 4
[19] Al-Hakam, 27 March and 6 April 1898, Volume 2, Number 5-6, Page 13)
[20] Lujjatun-Nur, p. 67, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 16, p. 408
[21] Celebrating 25 Years of Muslim Television Ahmadiyya International, May 15, 2017
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