Voice of British Muslim Women

In his Friday sermon delivered on 18 February 2011 His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the fifth Caliph/Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community said that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) had prophesied that God will grant him a son who will be the Promised Reformer and will have many qualities. However, this prophecy was preceded by the prophecy of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) 1400 years ago. His Holiness explained that although the details of this prophecy, which is associated with the second phase of Islam, came through the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) it is based on what the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said 1400 years ago and this prophecy is not meant to highlight the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace), rather, it is a sign of glory of his master, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and is to promote and raise the banner of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). The supportive signs for the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) are in fact meant to heighten the splendour of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) that there is a Living God of Islam and a living Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).

So, it was 138 years ago today, on 20 February 1886, three years before the Promised Messiah (peace be on him) was to establish the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and take his first bai’at, he had the following published:

“God, the Merciful and Noble, the Magnificent and High, Who has power to do all that He wills (glory be to Him and exalted be His name) addressed me in a revelation and said:

[Urdu] I confer upon you a Sign of My mercy according to what you begged of Me. So I have heard your entreaties and have honoured your prayers with My acceptance through My mercy and made your journey (i.e. the journey to Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana) a source of blessings for you. Therefore, a Sign of power, mercy, nearness is bestowed on you, a sign of grace and beneficence is awarded to you and you are granted the key of success and victory. Peace on you, O victorious one. Thus did God speak so that those who desire life may be rescued from the grip of death and those who are buried in the graves may come out of them and so that the superiority of Islam and the dignity of God’s Word may become manifest unto the people and so that truth may arrive with all its blessings and falsehood may flee with all its ills, so that people may understand that I am the Lord of Power, I do whatever I will, and so that they may believe that I am with you, and so that those who do not believe in God and deny and reject His religion and His book and His Holy Messenger Muhammad, the chosen one^sa may be confronted with a clear Sign and the way of the guilty ones may become manifest.

Rejoice, therefore, that a handsome and pure boy will be bestowed on you; you will receive an unblemished youth who will be of your seed and will be of your progeny.

A handsome and pure boy is coming as your guest. His name is Emmanuel and also Bashir. He has been invested with a spirit of holiness, and he is 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 characterised with grandeur, greatness and wealth. He will come into the world and will heal many of their disorders through his Messianic qualities and through the blessings of the Spirit of Holiness. He is the Word of Allah for Allah’s mercy and honour have equipped him with the Word of Majesty. He will be extremely intelligent and perceptive and will be meek of heart and will be filled with secular and spiritual knowledge. He will convert three into four (of this the meaning is not clear). It is Monday a blessed Monday [Persian]ارجمند فرزند دلبند گرامی [Son, delight of the heart, high ranking, noble.] [Arabic] [A manifestation of the First and the Last, a manifestation of the True and the High; as if Allah has descended from heaven.] [Urdu] His advent will be greatly blessed and will be a source of manifestation of Divine Majesty. Behold a light comes, 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 peoples will be blessed through him. He will then be raised to his spiritual station in heaven. [Arabic] [This is a matter decreed.]

(Tadhkirah, pp. 175 – 179)