Voice of British Muslim Women

On 20^th February 1886, after the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) had spent forty days in intense prayer in seclusion he published a leaflet with a prophecy that Allah had revealed to him while he was engaged in prayer during the forty days. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community commemorates the fulfilment of this grand prophecy on 20^th February each year. It is called the prophecy of the ‘Promised Reformer’ (Musleh Maud). This prophecy was disclosed to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) at a time when he supplicated to Allah the Exalted for signs to defend the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). In it Allah promised the Promised Messiah (peace be on him) that he will be granted an exceptional offspring. The indication of the ‘promised son’ in the prophecy begins with the words ‘He will be accompanied by grace which shall arrive with him.’ Below are a few extracts of the prophecy:

‘I confer upon thee a Sign of My mercy according to your supplication. I have heard thy entreaties and have honoured thy prayers with my acceptance through My mercy and have blessed this thy journey. A Sign of power, mercy nearness to Me is bestowed upon thee, a Sign of grace and beneficence is awarded to thee and thou art granted the key of success and victory…

Rejoice, therefore, that a handsome and pure boy will be bestowed on thee. Thou wilt receive an intelligent youth who will be of thy seed and will be of thy progeny. A handsome and pure boy will come as your guest. His name is Emmanuel and Bashir. He has been invested with a holy spirit, and he will be free from all impurity. He is the light of Allah. Blessed is he who comes from heaven. He will be accompanied by grace, which shall arrive with him. He will be characterized with grandeur, greatness and wealth. He will come into the world and will heal many of their ills through his messianic qualities and through the blessings of the Holy Spirit. He is the Word of Allah for Allah’s mercy and honour has equipped him with the Word of Majesty. He will be extremely intelligent and understanding and will be meek of heart and will be filled with secular and spiritual knowledge…

Behold a light cometh, a light anointed by God with the perfume of His pleasure. We shall pour Our spirit into Him and he will be sheltered under the shadow of God. He will grow rapidly in stature and will be the means of procuring the release of those held in bondage. His fame will spread to the ends of the earth and people will be blessed through him. He will then be raised to his spiritual station in heaven. This is a matter decreed…’

This ‘promised son’ was born on 12^th January 1889 and was named Mirza Bashir ud din Mahmood Ahmad.  Indeed, the prophecy was fulfilled in this great son magnificently. The era of his Khilafat spanned fifty two years during which the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community spread further than the shores of India and was established in several countries of the world. It is impossible to encompass the achievements of the era of Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him), who did not announce that he indeed was the ‘Musleh Maud’ until God informed him. He made the announcement in 1944, thirty years after he undertook the blessed office of Khalifatul Masih II.