Sarmad Naveed, Canada
Now, more than ever, whilst on the precipice of globally destructive nuclear warfare, the world must stand united.
In his Friday Sermon on 11th March 2022, the Fifth Caliph and Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba) delivered a clear message with regards to the current turmoil in the world.
His Holiness’ message was that everyone – particularly Muslims who continue to allow deep divides among them to prevail – must become united as one and stop feeding the fire of discord.
His Holiness (aba) said, ‘This [unity] can only be achieved when they accept the Imam of the Age.‘
Some may wonder what the Imam of the Age, or the Latter Day Messiah foretold by the major religions of the world has to do with the current state of the world.
The answer – ‘History repeats itself’.
One of the greatest miracles of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) was that he… ‘converted the wild ones into men and then turned them into men possessing true moral qualities, then dyed them in the Divine colour of those who establish their relationship with God.’[1]
A glance at the situation in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and so many other places in the world, and the sheer barbarism with which human lives are disregarded shows that not only are people and governments forsaking basic human rights, they’re forsaking God.
Hence, His Holiness (aba) said, ‘Especially pray that may the people of the world recognise their true Creator. This is the only way to save the world from destruction.’
So in this day and age, how can the ‘wild ones’ wreaking such havoc in the world be taken to the stage of recognising their true Creator as was done 1400 years ago?
The Holy Qur’an explains that the message of the Holy Prophet (sa) was not only for his time, but would remain for all people until the end of time. The Holy Qur’an states,
‘And among others from among them who have not yet joined them’ (62:4)
When this verse was revealed, the Companions asked the Holy Prophet (sa) who this referred to. It was then that the Holy Prophet (sa) informed them of the Latter Day Messiah who would be of Persian decent, and revive the faith.
Thus, the Messiah was to come and revive the very same message which was brought to the world by the Holy Prophet (sa); the same message which enabled the ‘wild ones’ to reform and recognise God. This Messiah manifested in the person of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), who explains the above verse when he says,
‘The second group are the followers of the Promised Messiah, which according to the aforementioned verse are like the companions. Because this group, like the companions, would also witness miracles of the Holy Prophet (sa), and would become recipients of guidance after darkness and misguidance.’[2]
How do we know he was the Promised Messiah? It’s through the fulfillment of countless signs foretold to manifest at the time of his advent; the solar and lunar eclipses in the same month of Ramadan, the Great Comet of 1882, the spread of the plague, the prohibition of Hajj, the establishment of railways and so many more.
As Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) states:
‘I call Him as a witness who is the Master of my life that so far more than 200,000 Signs have been manifested in my favour and, more or less, 10,000 souls have seen the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, in dreams who gave testimony in my favour. Moreover, sages of great renown and spiritually exalted persons who have very large numbers of followers numbering up to 300,000 to 400,000 have been directed in their visions that I have truly come from God.’[3]
And what determined that this was the time for the Promised Messiah (as) to be commissioned?
‘When God saw the world sunk into an abject state and the earth full of wickedness, tyrannies and iniquity, He sent me with the mission of propagating truth and reforming the world.’
Thus, the mission was clear; following the example set by the Holy Prophet (sa), the Promised Messiah (as) was commissioned… ‘to re-establish the faith that has disappeared from the face of the earth and to draw the whole of mankind back to piety and righteousness with the aid of God’s own hand and to reform them and to remove errors of belief and conduct.’[4]
The blueprint for completing this mission had already been sketched, as the Promised Messiah (as) was sent only to revive that which was taught in the Holy Qur’an and continue that which had been established by the Holy Prophet (sa), as he explains,
‘Listen carefully as to the ultimate purpose of my advent, which is to renew and reaffirm Islam. This should not be construed to mean that I bring a new law or Shari’ah or new commandments or a new book will be revealed – not at all. If somebody so thinks, he is highly misled and devoid of faith. Let it be clear that prophethood and the Shari’ah have found their total and absolute expression in the person of the Holy Prophet (sa). There can be no new divine law. The Holy Qur’an is the last and perfect book; it does not admit of any change, not even of a dot or a mark. Nevertheless, it is also true that the blessings and bounties of the Holy Prophet (sa) and the rewards of the Holy Qur’an’s teaching and guidance are unending. They are to be seen in every age, ever fresh in their pristine purity. It is for the demonstration of these rewards and blessings that God Almighty has appointed me.’[5]
So, according to the law taught by the Holy Qur’an and established by the Holy Prophet (sa), the manner in which the Promised Messiah (as) was to reform the ‘wild ones’ of the world was clear; ‘First and foremost, I have been sent to re-establish forever the lost belief in the Unity of God – tawhid’[6]
This was the same realisation which the Holy Prophet (sa) brought to the people of the world when they were causing ruin by their own hands 1400 years ago. Thus, as foretold in the Holy Qur’an, it was the same message of God’s Unity which was to reform the people of the latter days. In order to help the world come to this realisation once again, God commissioned the Promised Messiah (as).
Doing so was a manifestation of God’s infinite grace and mercy, as the Promised Messiah (as) states,
‘When people forsake the path of God and renounce tawhid [Unity of God] and worship of God, He raises someone whom He grants perfect vision and honours him with His word and revelation, in order to guide mankind and bring about a reformation of the evil that has occurred.
The truth is that God is the Sustainer on whom depends the existence and continuity of the universe. He does not deprive His creatures of His benevolent attributes, nor does He suspend them. Rather, they instantly come into play when they are required.’[7]
As the Fifth Caliph (aba) stated, the world must collectively recognise its Creator and honour the rights owed to Him in order to be saved from the destruction which is currently rampant. Doing so will naturally lead to recognising the rights owed to fellow humankind, which in turn will lead to the cessation of barbarism and cruelty we have become far too accustomed to seeing.
The Promised Messiah (as) states,
‘Allah the Exalted is more merciful than a compassionate mother. He does not wish for His creation to be wasted. He reveals to you the paths of guidance and light.’[8]
It was due to this mercy that God sent the Promised Messiah (as) to show the modern world that God lives even today – as He always has and always will. God is not merely a tale or a fable, rather God is the answer in a world scrambling to find meaning.
Thus, if the cure to the world’s turmoil is in recognising God, we cannot go without accepting the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), whose very purpose was to re-establish humankind’s relationship with God.
About the Author: Sarmad Naveed is an Imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community who graduated from the Ahmadiyya Institute for Languages and Theology in Canada. He serves on the Editorial Board of The Review of Religions and coordinates the Facts from Fiction section. He has also appeared as a panelist and host of programmes on Muslim Television Ahmadiyya (MTA) such as ‘Ahmadiyyat: Roots to Branches.’
ENDNOTES
[1]Majmu’ah Ishtiharat Vol. 2 p. 305
[2]Ayyam-ul-Sulh, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 14, pp. 304-307
[3]Tadhkiratul Shahadatain, Ruhnai Khazain, Vol. 20, pp. 35-37
[4]Tadhkiratul Shahadatain, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 20, pp. 3-4
[5]Lecture Ludhiana pp. 43-45
[6]Lecture Lahore, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 20, pp. 180-181
[7]Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part II, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 1, pp. 113-114, footnote no. 10
[8]Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 72
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