Adapted and translated from an article by Abdul Samee Khan, Mississauga, Canada
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Introduction
The world is in unprecedented conflict.
Indeed, we are currently going through a period of time – the signs of which were foretold over 1,400 years ago in the Holy Qur’an. In three consecutive chapters – Surah Bani Isra’il, Surah al-Kahf and Surah Maryam – prophecies are outlined that predict the nature of a global conflict in the latter days. By studying these chapters of the Holy Qur’an, we can not only understand how the prophecies are being fulfilled in the context of modern-day politics, but also how they prove the truthfulness of the Holy Qur’an.
History Repeating Itself
Before diving into the prophecies of these three chapters, it is important to know the similarities between the groups discussed in this article, namely the Jews, Christians and Muslims. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), the Promised Messiah of the latter days, has described how the dispensation of the Prophet Muhammad (sa) resembles that of the Prophet Moses (as). These similarities include:
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) was the spiritual counterpart to Moses (as).
His successors resembled the successors of Moses (as), including the coming of a Messiah-like figure. (Jesus (as) is considered a spiritual successor of Moses (as), and for the purposes of this discussion, is part of the Mosaic dispensation.)
His companions resemble the companions of Moses (as).
His opponents reflect those who rejected and harmed Jesus (as).
While there were some righteous rulers among both the Jews and the Muslims, the majority of the rulers of both groups were corrupt, and steeped in social ills, bloodshed and cruelty.
Foreign powers that overtook Muslim lands mirror those that conquered the Jews.[1]
Three Connected Chapters
Chapters Bani Isra’il, al-Kahf and Maryam all cover different aspects of the same subject. In the first of these chapters, it is mentioned that the Jewish people would experience two calamities and then rise from them. But because of the similarities of the Holy Prophet’s (sa) dispensation with that of Moses (as), this is also true for Muslims – they would also experience two calamities or disasters and then rise again.
Thus, after Solomon (as) ruled over a period of great prosperity, Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, destroyed Jerusalem in 587 BCE and killed or enslaved hundreds of thousands of Jews. This was the first of the disasters that the Jews experienced. Similarly, the Muslims experienced their first disaster when Baghdad was destroyed by the Mongols in the 1200s, ending the rule of the Abbasid caliphate and also leading to the death of hundreds of thousands of people. Both Jews and Muslims also eventually recovered from these events, with Jews returning to Jerusalem 150 years later with the help of Cyrus the Great, and with the descendants of the Mongols who destroyed Baghdad eventually themselves converting to Islam.
However, the second disaster to befall the Jews happened around 70 CE, when Titus of Rome expelled them from Palestine. Similarly, for Muslims, the second disaster happened when Western nations began to colonise Muslim countries, and the influence of Muslim empires and governments disappeared completely. Again, the Romans are also analogous to the Western nations of today and they, too, resemble each other.
Both of these second disasters, however, are also marked by the appearance of the Messiah, through which Jews and Muslims would make progress. For the Jews, the Messiah to come was Jesus (as), and the progress was marked through the spread of Christianity (again, Jesus (as) is considered to fall under the Mosaic dispensation), while for the Muslims, the awaited Messiah would bring about the progress and prosperity of Muslims. And while many Muslims are still awaiting the Messiah, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community believes that he has already come in the person of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as).
Yet another similarity also comes from the story of Cyrus the Great, mentioned above. While Cyrus helped restore the Jews back to Jerusalem, the similarities in dispensations mean that the Muslims will also have a Cyrus-like figure who will protect and provide. Again, in that respect, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) as the Promised Messiah, fulfils the role of Cyrus as well, providing and sustaining Muslims’ connection with God in a time when they had no spiritual values left intact. Secondly, the word Qarn connotes a century. Thus, Dhu al-Qarnain refers to the one who possesses two centuries, indicating that his birth and advent will span two centuries. This clearly applies to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), for he lived in two centuries according to all the main calendars in use.[2]
Thus, by laying out this history of the Jews in these three chapters, the Holy Qur’an is not merely relaying history. Rather, it is also telling Muslims of that time what they will also experience. And, as shown above, the Muslims did suffer a first defeat and then rose again and met a second defeat, in very similar circumstances to the Jews. Thus, some of the prophecies in these chapters have already been fulfilled.
Surah Bani Isra’il – Why Will There Be a Conflict?
Out of these three chapters, the first to appear in the Holy Qur’an is Surah Bani Isra’il, and it goes into detail about the calamities that were to befall Jews and Muslims:
‘And We revealed to the children of Israel in the Book, saying, “You will surely do mischief in the land twice, and you will surely become excessively overbearing.”’ So when the time for the first of the two warnings came, We sent against you some servants of Ours possessed of great might in war, and they penetrated the innermost parts of your houses, and it was a warning that was bound to be carried out. Then We gave you back the power against them, and aided you with wealth and children, and made you larger in numbers. Now, if you do well, you will do well for your own souls; and if you do evil, it will only go against them. So when the time for the latter warning came, We raised a people against you to cover your faces with grief, and to enter the Mosque as they entered it the first time, and to destroy all that they conquered with utter destruction. It may be that your Lord will now have mercy on you; but if you return to your previous state, We too will return, and We have made Hell a prison for the disbelievers.’[3]
In this prophecy, both Jews and Muslims are being addressed and both are warned that they will be punished twice.
This chapter also contains another prophecy. In verse 105 of Surah Bani Isra’il, the Holy Qur’an states:
‘We said to the children of Israel, “Dwell ye in the land; and when the time of the promise of the latter days comes, We shall bring you together out of various peoples.”’[4]
According to the Second Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra), this prophecy relates to the second punishment given to the Muslims, which would be in the ‘latter days’. In that time, Jews from all over the world would be brought back to Palestine.[5] And, in fact, this prophecy was fulfilled in 1947-1948, with the creation of the state of Israel and Jews from many lands gathering together in Palestine. Indeed, Israel maintains a ‘right of return’ policy even today, allowing those with at least one Jewish grandparent to attain citizenship. Thus, this is yet another prophecy – made thousands of years before – that has been completely fulfilled.
Additionally, it is stated in Surah Bani Isra’il that ‘It may be that your Lord will now have mercy on you; but if you return to your previous state, We too will return, and We have made Hell a prison for the disbelievers.[6] This contains a warning for both Jews and Muslims that if either commits evil acts, they will not be able to escape divine punishment.
Surah al-Kahf – Who Will Be Responsible for the Conflict?
Moving on to the next chapter, Surah al-Kahf discusses several relevant topics, including the Companions of the Cave. These were early Christians who were persecuted in the Roman Empire, and, as the Holy Qur’an details, went underground and hid from persecution. The chapter then goes on to discuss that the descendants of these people would become those about whom the Holy Qur’an says:
‘And We shall cause them to turn over to the right and to the left, their dog stretching out his forelegs on the threshold. If thou hadst had a look at them, thou wouldst surely have turned away from them in fright, and wouldst surely have been filled with awe of them.’[8]
This is yet another prediction of the success and prosperity of Christian nations, which colonised much of the world, and dominated even after giving up their colonies, financially and in terms of science and technology. According to Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra), ‘It constitutes a proof positive of the divine source of the Qur’an that it foretold this fact hundreds of years ago when Christian nations were yet sunk in a deep sleep of centuries and the wildest stretch of imagination could not have foreseen the power and glory to which they subsequently rose.’[8]
In verse 48 of Surah al-Kahf, it is stated, ‘And bethink of the day when We shall remove the mountains, and thou wilt see the nations of the earth march forth against one another and We shall gather them together and shall not leave any one of them behind.’The ‘mountains’ refer to world leaders, specifically when ‘great rulers and leaders of nations begin to fight among themselves.’[9] Thus, this verse predicts the idea of global wars that will happen in the latter days, and this prophecy has also been fulfilled twice with World Wars I and II. The current state of the world could also lead to yet another world war. Thus, this prophecy, too, made thousands of years before, has been amply fulfilled.
The role of Cyrus has been mentioned above in securing Jerusalem for the Jews. Surah al-Kahf explains his story in greater detail and also narrates his battle with Gog and Magog (Ya’juj and Ma’juj). This story, again, is not just history; rather, the story is mentioned in the Qur’an to indicate what will happen to the Muslims.
In this chapter, Cyrus is asked by a people to be protected from Gog and Magog, and he succeeds in doing so. But the import of this, as mentioned above, is that the Promised Messiah (as) will also be a Cyrus for the Muslims. As Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), the Promised Messiah, writes: ‘I have also proved that it is essential for the Promised Messiah to appear at the time of Gog and Magog. Since Ajij, from which the words Gog and Magog are derived, means ‘fire’, God Almighty has disclosed to me that Gog and Magog are a people who are greater experts in the use of fire than any other people. Their very names indicate that their ships, trains and machines will be run by fire. They will fight their battles with fire. They will excel all other people in harnessing fire to their service. This is why they will be called Gog and Magog. These are the people of the West, as they are unique in their expertise in the use of fire. In Jewish scriptures too it was the people of Europe who were described as Gog and Magog. Even the name of Moscow, which is the ancient capital of Russia, is mentioned. Thus it was preordained that the Promised Messiah would appear in the time of Gog and Magog.’[10]
Thus, as Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra), Second Successor to the Promised Messiah (as) points out, the Promised Messiah (as) fulfils the role of Cyrus, or Dhu al-Qarnain, as he is called in the Holy Qur’an, because he will be both the Mahdi of the dispensation of Muhammad and the Messiah of the Mosaic dispensation. In other words, he will have knowledge of the Prophet Muhammad (sa) and the qualities of Jesus (as).
Surah Maryam – How Will the Conflict Be Fought?
In Surah Maryam, we learn the account of Jesus (as), the Messiah of the Jews, who strengthened the Jewish nation through a revived teaching. In the same way, Islam will also be revived through the second coming of the Messiah. Thus, the history of Christianity and how it spread is an example for the Muslims, and a lesson that Muslims can only be saved by following the Messiah. Thus, this chapter is the third link in the other chapters.
Surah Maryam relates the account of Jesus (as), the prophet and Messiah who came to reform the Jews. According to Surah Maryam, Jesus (as) said, ‘I am a servant of Allah. He has given me the Book, and made me a Prophet.’ Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra) explains, ‘“The Book” refers to the Torah and the verse signifies that God had given Jesus a special knowledge of the Torah which was denied to the elders and learned men of the Jews. [11] In the same way, the Promised Messiah (as) was also given special knowledge of the Holy Qur’an and insights that had been denied to other Muslim scholars.
This chapter again refers to Gog and Magog, or the current Western powers, who have ‘scaled all the heights of political power’. [12] As mentioned previously, the Promised Messiah (as) explains that Gog and Magog or Ya’juj and Ma’juj are named thusly because ‘they will make extensive use of Ajij, i.e., fire.’[13] Again, these nations have perfected the art of warfare through their manipulation of the element of ‘fire’ – guns, rifles, bombs, and even atomic bombs are related to fire, and thus this prophecy too has been fulfilled, as mentioned above.
This inextricable link between Western powers, Gog and Magog, and fire is key to understanding the prophecies in Surah Maryam. For example, the Holy Qur’an states: ‘Then shall We certainly pick out, from every group, those of them who were most stubborn in rebellion against the Gracious God. And surely, We know best those most deserving to be burned therein.’[14] In these verses, God Almighty specifically mentions ‘those most deserving to be burned’. This implies that some action of these people would lead them to be deserving of being punished by fire in particular. This is further emphasised by the fact that Satan is also made from fire, and has an affinity to those who make great use of it. According to Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra), this is in reference to the Western powers who ‘made free use of firearms such as guns, tanks, atom bombs, etc.,…so shall they be punished with fire.’[15]
Furthermore, it is narrated by Hazrat Nawas bin Sam’an (ra) that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) said, ‘After the advent of the Messiah, Gog and Magog will throw arrows towards the sky.’[16] This could be a reference to the airstrikes and nuclear missiles that characterised the nature of warfare from the 20th to the 21st century. Thus, as fire is their preferred form of exerting power, divine punishment by fire is the most apt consequence for these actions (as opposed to plague, flood, etc.), and Muslims must learn from Christianity’s history to avoid destruction themselves.
Conclusion
In conclusion, these three chapters contain multiple prophecies that have already been fulfilled, and some that are awaiting fulfilment. But those which have been fulfilled are a testament to the truth of the Holy Qur’an and should make us look more carefully at the prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled. In each of these chapters, Muslims are implicitly warned alongside Jews and Christians against committing any atrocities that would incite divine wrath. However, by analysing these three consecutive chapters of the Holy Qur’an, we can align these prophecies with current global conflicts. Not only does this prove the truth of the Holy Qur’an, but given the severity of the warnings given by God the Almighty in these chapters, humanity must do its utmost to strive for peace by recognising the rights owed to God and to God’s creation. Through the Holy Qur’an, we were warned that war was coming. However, it is only through God’s grace and mercy that we will be able to avoid global catastrophe.
About the Author: Abdul Samee Khan graduated from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Institute of Theology in Pakistan in 1982. He has served as a professor of the Ahmadiyya Institute of Theology in Pakistan, Ghana, and Canada (where he currently serves) for over 20 years. Additionally, he served as the Editor of the Al-Fazl magazine from 1998 to 2017.
ENDNOTES
1. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Tuhfa-e-Golarhviyya, Ruhani Khaza’in, Volume 17, p. 306-307.
2. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Lecture Lahore (Islam International Publications Ltd., 2008), 65.
3. The Holy Qur’an, 17:5-9.
4. The Holy Qur’an, 17:105.
5. Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra), The Holy Qur’an with Five Volume Commentary, Vol. 4 (Islam International Publications Ltd., 2018), 2033.
6. The Holy Qur’an, 17:9.
7. The Holy Qur’an, 18:19.
8. Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra), The Holy Qur’an with Five Volume Commentary, Vol. 3 (Islam International Publications Ltd., 2018), 1854-1855.
9. Ibid, 2088.
10. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), The Essence of Islam – Vol. III (Islam International Publications Ltd., 2005), 305.
11. Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra), Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 4, p. 493.
12. Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, The Holy Qur’an with Five Volume Commentary, Vol. 4 (Tilford, Surrey: Islam International Publications Ltd., 2018), 2423.
13. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Lecture Sialkot (Tilford, Surrey: Islam International Publications Ltd., 2007), 14.
14. The Holy Qur’an, 19:70-71.
15. Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, The Holy Qur’an with Five Volume Commentary, Vol. 4 (Tilford, Surrey: Islam International Publications Ltd., 2018), 2211.
16. Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2397.
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