Man wanders lost in the darkness,
Moving hither and thither, swaying and stumbling,
Intoxicated by a world, that ignites and excites,
Then burdens with disappointment and despair,
For man is nothing, without a guide to care,
Without a goal, without a meaning to his existence,
Without a purpose, his life hangs threadbare,
A purpose to enthuse his being, inspire greatness, and gratify his soul.
In this, the darkest of hours, he seeks light,
He searches for that glimmer of hope on the horizon to end his plight,
A glimmer which heralds that heavenly lamp once more,
That torch of divine providence, from beyond the shore,
Of such magnificence and glory that always bore,
Spiritual radiance, that from prophet to prophet has passed before,
Carrying the divine flame like a blazing star that shines bright,
Glistening like a jewel on the canvas of the night.
As the forces of history and prophecy entwine,
This wanton era of earthquakes and wars beckons the Divine,
To intervene, to fulfil His promise so grand,
Destined since time immemorial, for each and every land,
And what an intervention it is! Whose likeness
Has never been witnessed hitherto, nor since,
For eclipsed between heaven and earth is a sign so sublime,
That it dazzles the eye, awakens the soul and invigorates the mind.
A light flashes forth from the east, behold!
A celestial bolt, piercing the darkness, luminous like gold,
Signalling a new dawn, a new life, fulfilling scriptures of old,
Heralding a holy man, a prophet of God foretold,
An embodiment of divine messengers is the Mahdi, the Messiah,
Descending from heaven itself, to inspire,
To stake his claim to this era, this pitiless world,
To guide to peace, and rescue all from the clutches of fire.
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Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, of Qadian,
A man unknown, from a land unknown,
And by his hand was the seed of victory sown,
His knowledge unmatched, his faith unyielding,
His submission to his Master, Muhammad (sa), unwavering,
And through a Jihad of the pen he made his call,
Not a call to arms but a call to almsgiving,
To end revenge, and to be humble and forgiving.
Standing forth alone, a majestic divine warrior,
With God as his shield and the Quran as his sword,
With anguish-laden tears shed before his Lord,
Each time he faced the world, his victory lay assured.
For those who stood against him, stood forlorn and in vain
For his every triumph was blessed with heavenly rain,
And each success bore witness to a timeless message oft-repeated,
That while truth can be eroded, it can never be deleted.
Arise friends, for destiny is restless in this moment, in this day,
The awaited one has played his hand, now yours you must play,
And honour the pledge you have so fervently taken,
That your bond with the Creator will never be forsaken,
And your zeal for peace will never ever be shaken,
For therein lies your salvation, and the salvation of this perilous land,
That festers in self-delusion that beguiles and corrodes,
In this alluring globe, wherein are but temporary abodes.
Hearken the message of this Messiah, a message so pure!
Hailing from the east of Damascus, carrying to the remotest shore,
Gushing forth from Islam’s oasis that lies arid no more.
Rejoice, in the arrival of the Imam of the Age,
Whose Ark provides shelter from every storm and every rage,
His prayers turned the dark and foreboding winter tide,
And shattered the foundations of falsehood and pride,
And he gifted us Khilafat – an everlasting guide.
Such was his Grandeur,
Such was his Greatness,
Such was Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian,
The Promised Messiah,
The Imam Mahdi,
Prince of Peace,
Leader of the Faithful,
Prophet of God.
About the author: Fareed Ahmad is the National Foreign Affairs Secretary for the UK’s Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
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