Status of the Promised Messiah (as)

“Today my people do not recognize my status;
The day will come when they will recall my blessed time with tears.”

All Bounties Earned Through the Holy Prophet (sas) And the Holy Qur’an

Through the blessing of obedience and love for the Holy Prophet (sas), and by virtue of following God’s Holy Word, the Gracious One has bestowed the singular favour of His converse upon this humble one. He has graced me with spiritual knowledge, and has revealed many hidden secrets to me. He has filled the bosom of this humble one with countless verities and points of wisdom. He has informed me repeatedly that all these gifts and favours, and all this grace and beneficence, and all this kindness and attention, and all these bounties and support, and all this converse and discourse are entirely due to my obedience and love for the Seal of Prophets (sas).

Divine Source of the Revelations

I believe in all the revelations which are being bestowed upon me from God Almighty as I believe in the Torah, the Gospels, and the Holy Qur’an. I have knowledge and cognizance of God … Therefore, I fully partake of His pure revelation as far as a human being can partake of it when in perfect nearness to Him. When a man is put into the blazing fire of Divine love—as all Prophets (as) have been—then the revelations which he receives are not accompanied by confused dreams. Rather, just as dry fodder is burned in an oven, so are all his apprehensions and self-induced thoughts put to fire, and there remains only the pure revelation from God. And such revelation is bestowed only upon those who, in this very world, take the colour of the Prophets (as) with complete purification, love and devotion, as on page 504, line 18 of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya,15 the following revelation is mentioned with regard to myself:

That is, ‘An appointed one of God, in the mantle of Prophets.’ Therefore, I have not been sent with doubtful and conjectural revelation. Rather, I have been sent with definite and certain revelation….

I declare in the name of God, Who controls my life, that I have been informed with categorical arguments—and I am informed continuously—that whatever is conveyed to me and is vouchsafed upon me as revelation is from God and not from Satan. I believe in it as I believe in the existence of the sun and the moon, or as I believe that two and two make four. It is true, however, that when I give my opinion with regard to the religious law or when I interpret a revelation on my own, it is possible that I might make a mistake, but in such a case I am not permitted to persist in error and Divine mercy soon points out for me the way to its true interpretation. Indeed, my soul is nurtured in the lap of angels.

And my Lord has drawn me towards Himself and has appointed a good place for me and has perfected His favours unto me and, having rescued me from involvement with worldly affairs and undesirable indulgences, has conducted me to His holy place and has bestowed upon me that which He has bestowed and has made me among the recipients of revelation and the Muhaddathin. I did not possess any worldly provision nor did I own horses or command cavalry, but I have been bestowed steeds of the pen and have been provided with the jewellery of letters and have been favoured with the light which saves me from stumbling and guides me aright. This divine and heavenly wealth has enriched me, has removed my poverty, has illumined me, and has lit up my night and has admitted me to the rank of those who have been favoured with bounties.

I cannot say what I have done that has made me the recipient of this divine favour, but I feel my heart involuntarily drawn towards God Almighty with such deep loyalty that it cannot be restrained by any other consideration. So all this is pure Divine bounty. I have never submitted myself to rigorous physical discipline, nor have I subjected myself to hard exercises like some contemporary Sufis, nor did I undertake retreat in complete mystic solitude. Nor, indeed, have I done anything by of asceticism which is contrary to the practice of the Holy Prophet (sas), or which may be objectionable according to the Word of God Almighty. Indeed, I have always felt abhorred by the fakirs and those who introduce all sorts of innovations in faith. However, during the lifetime of my father, when his death was approaching, it so happened that I saw in a dream a holy man who was elderly and had a pure countenance, and he pointed out to me that it is the tradition of the family of the Holy Prophet (sas) to observe some days of fasting in] order to attract the heavenly lights; thus pointing out that I too should observe this tradition. Hence, I thought it appropriate to observe fasts for some time. But, at the same time, I felt that it would be better not to disclose this to anyone. So I would have my meals delivered to me in the men’s quarters of the house and gave them away to some orphans with whom I had arranged that they should come at specified times. Thus I would spend all day fasting. No one, except God, knew about these fasts. After a few weeks, I surmised that it was no difficult matter for me to fast when I was still having one full meal everyday. I, therefore, decided to start cutting down on my food intake. I started reducing my food gradually, until I would subsist on one chapatti in the entire day and night. I continued reducing my food in the same manner until I reduced my food intake to a few ounces in 24 hours. This I continued for approximately eight or nine months. Although I was taking so little food as could not suffice even for an infant two or three months old, God Almighty protected me from all ill-effect and illness.

Wonders Experienced Through Fasting

Among the wonders of this kind of fasting that I experienced are the fine visions which were bestowed upon me during that time. I met some past Prophets (as) and some of the exalted Muslim Auliya’4. Once—in a state of complete wakefulness—I met the Holy Prophet (sas) along with Hassan (ra), Hussain (ra), ‘Ali (ra) and Fatimah (ra). This was not a dream, but something that I experienced in a state of wakefulness. I met many holy people in this manner, but it would take long to describe all those meetings. Moreover, I was granted views of spiritual lights that were represented in columns of red and green, the beauty of which cannot possibly be described in words. These columns of light, some of them shining white and others green and red, rose straight towards heaven and their sight filled my heart with delight. Nothing can be compared to the joy that my heart and soul experienced in beholding these columns. I believe that these columns were a representation of the love between God and man. It was a light that proceeded from the heart upwards and there was another light that descended from above and the two together took on the shape of a column. These are spiritual matters which are beyond the ken of the world. The world cannot recognize them as they are far removed from its eyes, but there are some in the world who are made aware of them. In short, due to this prolonged fasting, wonders were revealed to me in the form of visions of various kinds and forms.

Physical Discipline and Hardship

In addition, one benefit that I derived from this prolonged practice of fasting was that after having subjected myself to this discipline, I found myself capable of enduring hunger and thirst over long periods, if the need should ever arise. I have often thought that if a corpulent person, who is also a wrestler, had to starve along with me, he would die before I could feel any acute need for food. This experience taught me that one can progress stage by stage in starving oneself and that until one's body becomes accustomed to such privations a comfort-loving person is not fit to accomplish stages of spiritual progress. But I would not advise everyone to embark upon such a discipline, nor did I do so of my own accord. I have known many ignorant dervishes who adopted a course of hard physical discipline and in the end lost their sanity and spent the rest of their lives in madness or became afflicted with various diseases such as tuberculosis, etc.

Not all humans possess similar mental faculties. Those whose faculties are naturally weak cannot bear any physical discipline. Very soon, they are afflicted with some dangerous disease. It is better that one should not subject oneself to a rigorous physical discipline on one’s own. Rather one should adopt the faith of simple people. Of course, if one receives a revelation from God and it is not opposed to the magnificent Shariah of Islam, it must be carried out. However, the foolish fakirs of today teach disciplines which do not result in any good. One should stay away from them.

Keep in mind that it was on the basis of a clear vision from God Almighty that I carried out rigorous physical discipline for eight or nine months and tasted hunger and thirst. Then I stopped its continuous practice, but did revert to it occasionally.

Spiritual Discipline

All of this happened, but there still remained the spiritual discipline. I have also come to partake of this in these days when I have to endure the Maulavis with their foul tongue, loose talk, declaration of apostasy, and insults and other ignorant ones with their curses and foul language. In my opinion, during the thirteen hundred years since the time of the Holy Prophet (sas), no one else could have partaken of such treatment.

Being declared an apostate, I was considered worse than the infidels, Christians and atheists. The fools of the nation, through announcements and newspapers, gave me such bad names as are not to be found in the case of anyone else. I am, therefore, grateful to Allah that I was tested with both kinds of hardship.

God Almighty knows—and He is the best witness over everything—that the first thing that has been granted to me in His way is a pure heart—that is, a heart that had no real attachment with anyone except God, the Lord of honour and glory.

There was a time when I was young and now I am old, but at no time in my life have I had any real attachment to anything except God, the Mighty, and the Glorious... Because of this love of mine, I have never been reconciled to any religion, the doctrines of which were in conflict with the Greatness and Unity of God, or involved any dishonour to Him.

That is why I did not approve of the Christian faith, for at every step it dishonours God, the Mighty, and the Glorious... In the same way the Hindu faith, one branch of which is the Arya sect, falls far short of the truth. According to them, every particle in this world is self-existing and has no Creator. Thus, the Hindus do not believe in God, without Whom nothing comes into existence and without Whose support nothing can continue to exist … I have reflected deeply and I have found both these religions opposed to the truth. It is not possible for me to recount here all the inhibitions and despair that are encountered in these faiths in one's search for God Almighty. It is enough to state in brief that these two religions afford no guidance to God Who is sought by pure souls and by finding Whom man achieves salvation in this very life and the gates of divine light are opened for him and perfect love can be generated through His perfect recognition. On the contrary, these religions push their followers into the pits of ruin. There are other similar religions in the world, but they all fail to lead a votary to the One God, Who has no associate. They leave the seeker in darkness.

These are all the religions in the study of which I spent a great portion of my life. I reflected over their principles with honesty and diligence, but I found them all divorced and estranged from truth. The blessed religion, the name of which is Islam, is the only faith that leads to God Almighty and is the only faith, which fulfils all the pure demands of human nature... The God of Islam does not shut the door of His grace upon anyone. He calls everyone to come to Him and the door is opened for those who eagerly run towards Him.

Bounties and Titles

I have, by the sheer grace of God, and not on account of any merit of my own, been accorded a full measure of the bounty, which was bestowed before me on the Prophets and Messengers (as) and the Chosen ones of God. It would not have been possible for me to be granted this bounty had I not followed the ways of my lord and master, the Pride of the Prophets, the Best of Mankind, Muhammad (sas). Whatever I have been given, I have been given due to this adherence and I know through my true and perfect knowledge that no man can reach God except through following the Holy Prophet (sas) nor can anyone arrive at a full understanding of God except through him.

Some ignorant people wrongly imagine that I claim to be a recipient of revelation by way of imposture. In truth, this is the act of the Powerful God, Who created the heavens and earth and the universe. Whenever faith in God declines, someone like me is raised; God speaks to him and manifests His wonders through him until people understand that God exists. I announce openly that if a person, whether Asian or European, comes to stay in my company, he will soon discover the truth of my statements.

Reformer of the Fourteenth Century

When the thirteenth century drew to a close and the beginning of the fourteenth century approached, I was informed by God Almighty, through revelation that I am the Reformer of the fourteenth century. I received the revelation:

That is, God has taught you the Qur’an and has expounded its true meanings to you so that you should warn these people—who through generations of neglect and not having been warned have fallen into error—of their evil end, so that the way of those offenders may be made manifest who do not desire to follow the right path after it has been openly declared. Tell them: I have been commissioned by God and am the foremost of believers.

According to His unchanging law that whenever darkness prevails, God Almighty attends to the support of the Muslims and appoints some special servant of His, who is chosen for the purpose of the revival of Islam and for the good of the people, this humble one has been raised at the turn of the century having been awarded the title of Mujaddid [Reformer of the age] by God Almighty. I have been granted such knowledge and resources for stamping out the evils that were spreading in the world as cannot become available to anyone unless these are bestowed by the special favour of God.

When God Almighty, observing the condition of the world and finding the earth filled with every type of disobedience, sin and misguidance, appointed me for the propagation of the truth and the reform of people and the time was … the end of the thirteenth and the beginning of the fourteenth century, then I—in obedience to this command—sent forth the call through written announcements and speeches, that I am that person, who was to come from God at the turn of the century for revival of the faith. The purpose was that I should re-establish the faith which had disappeared from the earth, and pull mankind towards reform and righteousness and truthfulness through the power and strength that God had bestowed upon me and through the magnetic power of His hand. I was also destined to correct their doctrinal errors and to reform their conduct.

Messiah and Mahdi

A few years thereafter, it was made quite clear to me through Divine revelation that the Messiah, whose advent among the Muslims had been promised from the beginning, and the last Mahdi whose advent had been Divinely decreed to take place at the time of the decline of Islam and the spread of error, and who was to be guided directly by God, and who was to invite people to partake of the heavenly banquet, and whose advent had been foretold by the Holy Prophet (sas) thirteen hundred years in advance, was none other than myself. Divine revelation was vouchsafed to me so clearly and so continuously that it left no room for doubt. Every word of such revelations found its firm place in my heart like an iron nail. These revelations were replete with grand prophecies which were most clearly fulfilled. Their regularity, number and miraculous power compelled me to affirm that they were the words of the One God Who is without associate and Who revealed the Holy Qur’an. I do not mention the Torah and the Gospels in this context because the Torah and the Gospels have been so corrupted at the hands of their followers that they can no longer be described as the Word of God. In short, the revelation of God that descended upon me is so certain and absolute that through it I found my God. That revelation not only carried with it full certainty through heavenly signs contained therein but every portion of it—when put before the Word of God Almighty contained in the Holy Qur’an—proved to be in full accord with it. Heavenly signs came down like rain to confirm its truth.

To Chiefs, Leaders, Wealthy Individuals and Officers of the Government

O worthy ones of Islam, may God Almighty inspire your hearts with greater good intentions than all other faiths, and may He, in this time of crisis, make you true servants of His dear faith. In order to win His pleasure, I hereby inform you of the important fact that God Almighty has, at the turn of this fourteenth century, appointed me from Himself for the revival and support of the true faith of Islam, so that in this tumultuous age I would proclaim the excellences of the Holy Qur’an and the greatness of the Holy Prophet (sas) and—with the help of the light, blessings, miracles and divine knowledge that have been bestowed upon me—respond to all the enemies who are attacking Islam.

Resemblance to Jesus, Son of Mary (as)

I have been informed that I am the Mujaddid of the age and that my spiritual excellences bear a resemblance to the spiritual excellences of Jesus son of Mary (as) and that the two closely resemble each other. In accordance with the characteristics of Prophets and Messengers and through the blessings of obedience to the Best of Mankind and the most exalted of Messengers (sas), I have been exalted above the great many saints who have passed before me. To follow in my footsteps is the way to salvation and happiness and blessings and to go against me is to turn away from God and to be the victim of despair.

On one occasion, I received the revelation which indicated that there was a vigorous discussion in the High Assembly in Heaven, from which I understood that God desired the revival of the faith, but that the High Assembly had not yet been apprised of the identity of the person who would revive the faith, and this was the cause of vigorous debate. It was at this time that in a dream I saw people searching for a Reformer. A man appeared and, gesturing towards me, said:

This meant that the principal qualification for this mission was the love of the Holy Prophet and that this quality was to be found in me.

Fulfilment of the Need of the Time

In this age of ours, every kind of abuse by the opponents has reached its climax. Vituperation, faultfinding and imposture have arrived at a limit which cannot be exceeded. At the same time, the condition of the Muslims has deteriorated to the extreme. Hundreds of innovations and all types of pagan practices and rejection of faith are observed on all sides. Therefore, most certainly this is the age in which a great Reformer should appear according to the prophecy:

I exhort every Muslim to arise for the sake of Islam, for Islam is faced with great difficulties. Help it now, for it is poor. I have come for this purpose and God Almighty has bestowed the knowledge of the Qur’an on me and has disclosed to me the verities and realities of His Book and has given me miraculous signs, so come to me and partake of these bounties. I swear by Him in Whose hand is my life that I have been sent by God Almighty. Was it not necessary that at the turn of this century, characterized by great disturbances and all-too-obvious catastrophes, a Reformer should appear putting forth his claim clearly? You will soon recognize me through my works. The path of everyone who came from God Almighty was obstructed by the lack of understanding exhibited by the scholars of his time. In the end, he was only recognized through his works, for a bitter tree does not bring forth sweet fruit and God does not bestow upon everyone the blessings that are reserved for the elect. O ye people, Islam has become very weak and is surrounded on all sides by enemies. More than three thousand objections have been raised against it. At such a time, exhibit your faith through active sympathy and be counted among the men of God. Peace be on him who follows the guidance.

Mission of the Promised Messiah (as)

The reason for calling the Reformer of this age by the name of the Promised Messiah appears to be that his great task would be to put an end to the supremacy of Christianity and to repel the attacks of the Christians and to demolish their philosophy—which is opposed to the Holy Qur’an—with strong arguments and to convey to them fully the truth of Islam. The greatest calamity for Islam in this age consists of the philosophical attacks and religious criticism by the Christians, which cannot be repelled without Divine support. It was necessary that someone should come from God Almighty to combat them.

Both Muslims and Christians, with some variations, believe that Jesus son of Mary (as) was raised to heaven in his physical body and would descend from heaven sometime in the latter days. I have expounded the error of this belief in this booklet and have also explained that the descent of Jesus son of Mary (as) does not mean his bodily descent, but the advent of one who is spiritually and metaphorically like Jesus and this humble one fulfils that prophecy, both according to the pronounced criteria and according to the Divine revelation.

I believe in all that which is contained in the Holy Qur’an and in true Ahadith. I do not claim that I am Jesus son of Mary (as) nor do I believe in the transmigration of souls. I only claim that I have been sent in the likeness of Jesus. As Muhaddathiyyat resembles Prophethood, in the same way my spiritual condition very closely resembles the spiritual condition of Jesus son of Mary (as), and I am truly a Muslim.

In short, I am a Muhaddath from God and have been commissioned by Him. And at the same time I am a Muslim who has come in the fourteenth century as a Reformer of the faith from the Lord of the heavens and earth in the character and spirit of Jesus son of Mary (as). I am not an impostor.

God Almighty looked at the world and found it in darkness and singularized His humble servant for the reform of His creatures. Do you then wonder that according to the Divine promise a Reformer has been sent at the turn of the century? God created him in the image of whichever Prophet He chose. Was it not necessary that the prophecy of the Holy Prophet (sas) should be fulfilled?

Reform, Not Innovation

Brethren, I am a Reformer, not an innovator and, God forbid, I have not come to spread any innovation. I have come to proclaim the truth. I consider everything that finds no place in the Qur’an or Hadith, and is opposed to them, as heresy and negation of faith. But there are few who can reach the true meaning of the Divine Word and can comprehend its subtle mysteries. I have not added anything to, nor subtracted anything from the faith. Brethren, my faith is the same as yours. I follow the same Noble Messenger (sas) whom you follow. The same Holy Qur’an is my guide, my beloved and my scripture, believing in which is incumbent upon you also. It is quite true that I believe that Jesus son of Mary (as) died and joined the company of the dead. I also believe with complete certainty that the prophecy of the coming of the Messiah has been fulfilled in me. O brethren, this belief of mine is not the product of my own imagination. Rather God Almighty has informed me, through His revelation, that I am the one who was to come in the name of Jesus son of Mary (as).

God has disclosed to me all the conclusive arguments which are contained in the Holy Qur’an and the true Ahadith, which establish the death of Jesus son of Mary (as), Messenger of God, as a certainty. The Almighty God has told me repeatedly though His revelations that I have been sent in the spirit and perfection of Jesus son of Mary (as), to repel the Yahudiyyat9 of the latter days. I am thus metaphorically the promised son of Mary, whose advent was promised at the time of Yahudiyyat and the supremacy of Christianity. I have appeared in humility with spiritual power and spiritual weapons.

Once you have proved that Jesus has joined the dead and have impressed this fact upon the hearts of the Christians, then do believe that that will be the day of the departure of the Christian faith from the world. Bear firmly in mind that so long as their god does not die, their religion will also not die, and it is futile to indulge in any other argument with them. Their doctrine stands on just one pillar, which is the belief that Jesus son of Mary (as) is alive in heaven. Demolish this pillar and you will not find the Christian faith anywhere in the world. As God Almighty desires to crush this pillar and to establish His Unity in Europe and Asia, He has sent me and disclosed to me through His own revelation that Jesus son of Mary (as) has died. His revelation is:

In this book, I have established the death of Jesus (as) and his having joined the dead with very strong arguments. I have established it as a clear fact that Jesus (as) was never resurrected, nor taken up to heaven in his physical body, but died just as all other Prophets (as) have died. He has left this world forever. He who worships Jesus (as) should realize that he has died and has joined the company of the dead for all times to come. You should take advantage of this book for the support of the truth and should stand firm against the Christian clergy. This question should always be the subject of your attention and you should have full trust that Jesus son of Mary (as) has certainly joined the company of the dead.

Our exalted Prophet (sas) is forever alive. To keep him alive forever, God Almighty has ordained that his spiritual and law-giving blessings should be extended to the Day of Judgement. Finally, as a continuation of his spiritual blessings, God has sent into the world the Promised Messiah—whose advent was essential for the completion of the edifice of Islam. It was necessary that the world should not come to an end until the dispensation of Muhammad (sas) had been provided with a spiritual Messiah as had been provided for the Mosaic dispensation. This is indicated in the verse:

Moses (as) was provided with bounties which the earlier generations had lost, and Muhammad (sas) was provided with such bounties which the Mosaic dispensation had lost. Now the dispensation of Muhammad (sas) has replaced the Mosaic dispensation, but it is thousands of times higher in status. The ‘Like of Moses’ (sas) is more exalted than Moses (as) and the ‘Like of the Son of Mary’ is more exalted than the Son of Mary (as). Not only did the Promised Messiah appear in the fourteenth century after the Holy Prophet (sas) as Jesus son of Mary (as) had appeared in the fourteenth century after Moses (as), but he appeared at a time when the condition of the Muslims was similar to the condition of the Jews at the time of the advent of Jesus son of Mary (as). I am that person. God does what He wills. Foolish is the person who fights Him and ignorant is the one who asserts in opposition to Him that He should have done thus and thus and not so and so. He has sent me with bright signs which are in excess of ten thousand.

If it is asked, what is the characteristic and spiritual power in which Jesus son of Mary (as) and I resemble each other, the answer is that it is an overall characteristic with which our spiritual capacities have been specially invested, one aspect of which proceeds downwards and the other climbs upwards. The characteristic proceeding downward means the deep and burning sympathy for God’s creatures which, having established a strong relationship between a caller towards God and his eager disciples, spreads the illuminating power inherent in the holy being of the caller towards God, throughout his living branches. By the upward proceeding characteristic is meant that higher quality of love that is compounded with firm faith and which, taking its birth by Divine design in the heart of the servant, draws the love of God Almighty towards itself. By the combination of these two loves—which are, in a sense, related to each other like male and female—a strong relationship is established between the Creator and His creatures, and the bright fire of Divine love captures the fuel-like love of the creature, giving rise to a the third characteristic—the Holy Spirit.

There is no God beside the One God, but there is another Messiah, who is now speaking to you. God's jealousy brooks no second, but man's second is there. God has sent me so that I should bestow sight upon the blind who have been sightless, not just for a few years, but for over nineteen hundred years!

Fighting the Satanic Forces of the Age

In this age, the Holy Prophet (sas) and Islam have been reviled in abusive writings to a degree which has no parallel among any other Prophet in any age. In this age, Satan, along with all his followers, is trying his utmost to destroy Islam. Without a doubt, this is the final battle between truth and falsehood. Thus, this age deserves the advent of a Divinely commissioned one for its reformation. And he is the Promised Messiah, who is present among you. This age required that, at this delicate moment in time, God should provide a conclusive argument with heavenly signs. These heavenly signs are now being exhibited. Heaven is eager to exhibit so many signs as would blow the trumpet of the victory of Islam in every country and every part of world. O Mighty Lord, hasten Thou the day which Thou hast willed to be made manifest. Let Thy glory shine forth in the world and let the victory of Thy faith and Thy Messenger be proclaimed. Amin.

I have been commanded to nurture the moral qualities of people. Since all this endeavour possesses a Messianic character, God Almighty has named me the Promised Messiah. Having proclaimed this, I realize that the Christians would also oppose me. But how can I be afraid of opposition when I have been commissioned by God! If I had forged this claim, even slight opposition would have vanquished me. But I have not put forward this claim on my own. I am ready to explain my claim to any right-minded person and to use all lawful and recognized means to satisfy him. I speak the truth that this is the age in which Muslims, according to their belief, and Christians, according to their ideology, were waiting for someone to come. This is the promised time. He who had to come has come, whether anyone accepts him or not. God Almighty always manifests mighty signs in support of those whom He sends to the world. He inclines the hearts so that they should accept him. Whatever had been Divinely determined in respect of the Promised Messiah has come to pass. Whether anyone believes or not, the Promised Messiah has arrived, and I am he.

I have no wish to be worshipped as an idol. I desire only the Glory of God, Who has commissioned me. He who looks upon me with disrespect dishonours God Who has appointed me. He who accepts me, accepts God Who has sent me. Nothing can be better for a person than to tread the path of righteousness, and not to hasten to deny him who claims to have been appointed by God for the revival of the faith at the turn of the century. A righteous person can understand that at the turn of the fourteenth century, in which thousands of objections have been raised against Islam from all sides, a Reformer was needed to prove the truth of Islam. This Reformer has been named Messiah, Son of Mary, because he has come to break the cross. God desires that as in the ancient days He delivered the Messiah (as) from the cross of the Jews, He should now deliver him from the cross of the Christians as well. As the Christians have been guilty of great imposture in deifying a human being, the honour of God demanded that one bearing the name of Messiah should be appointed to demolish this imposture. This is God’s doing though it appears strange to the eyes of these people.

Denial Amounts to Disobedience of the Holy Prophet (sas)

As I am the Promised Messiah and God has openly manifested heavenly signs in my support, everyone who in, the estimation of God, has been sufficiently warned regarding my advent as the Promised Messiah and has become aware of my claim will be accountable to God, for no one can turn away with impunity from those who have been sent by Him. This sin is not against me but against the Holy Prophet (sas) for whose support I have been sent. He who does not accept me, disobeys not me but him (sas) who had prophesied my coming.

I hold the same belief with regard to believing in the Holy Prophet (sas) as well. He who has heard the call of the Holy Prophet (sas) and has been made aware of his advent and who, in the estimation of God, has been sufficiently apprised of his Prophethood, if such a one dies a disbeliever he would be condemned to eternal perdition.

In Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, God Almighty has named me ‘Isa, and has told me that He and His Messenger (sas) had prophesied my advent. But as a body of Muslims was firmly of the faith—and I too believed—that Jesus (as) would descend from heaven, I was not inclined to construe God's revelation literally but interpreted it differently and continued in the belief which I shared with the common Muslims and even set it forth in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya. Thereafter, Divine revelations descended upon me like torrential rain, affirming that I am the Promised Messiah who was to come. At the same time hundreds of signs appeared, and both heaven and earth rose to affirm my truthfulness. The bright signs of God compelled me to believe that I am the Messiah that was to come in the latter days. This was despite the fact that my earlier belief was that which I had set down in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya. Not relying entirely upon the revelation that was vouchsafed to me, I sought adjudication from the Holy Qur’an and I was convinced by several conclusive verses that Jesus son of Mary (as) had indeed died, and that the last Khalifah would appear from among the Muslims under the title of the Promised Messiah. As there is no darkness left after the dawn of day, in the same way, hundreds of signs, heavenly testimonies, several conclusive verses of the Holy Qur’an, and a number of clear and categorical Ahadith compelled me to believe that I am the Promised Messiah. I had no desire for such a thing and it was enough for me that God should be pleased with me. I led a life of seclusion and no one was aware of my existence, nor did I desire that people should recognize me, but it was God Who pulled me out of my solitude. I had wished to live and die in seclusion, but He decreed that He would make me known with honour throughout the world. If you want to know, then ask God why He did so. I have no say in the matter.

Similarly, in the beginning I believed that I bore no resemblance to the Messiah, Son of Mary (as). He was a Prophet and one of the distinguished men of God. Therefore, whenever something in my revelation appeared to exalt me above him, I interpreted it as partial exaltation. But in due course, Divine revelation, which descended upon me like plentiful rain, did not permit me to continue in this belief and the title of ‘Prophet’ was clearly bestowed upon me, albeit with the proviso that I was a Prophet in one aspect, and follower of a Prophet in another. The instances of Divine revelation that I have cited in this book also reveal what God Almighty says concerning me vis-à-vis Jesus son of Mary (as). How can I reject the continuous revelations that I have received in the course of twenty-three years? I believe in those holy revelations as I believe in all the Divine Revelations that have preceded me. I also understand that Jesus son of Mary (as) was the last Khalifah of Moses (as) and I am the last Khalifah of the Prophet (sas), who is the Best of Messengers. Therefore, God willed that, compared to Jesus (as), I should not be deficient in any respect. I do realize that these words of mine will not be welcome to those whose love for Jesus borders on worship. However, I pay no heed to them. How can I reject the Divine command and revert to darkness from the light that has been granted to me. In short, I am not guilty of any contradiction. I only follow that which is revealed to me by Almighty God. Until I was enlightened by Him, I continued to assert what I had said in the beginning. But when God bestowed knowledge upon me, I said to the contrary. I am a human being and do not claim to know that which is hidden. This is the fact, whether anyone accepts it or not. I do not know why God did so, but I know this much that God’s jealousy is deeply aroused in heaven against the Christians. They have reviled the Holy Prophet (sas) in a manner which would well-nigh rend the heavens asunder. In this manner, God reveals that the lowly servants of that Messenger (sas) are more exalted than the Israelite Messiah son of Mary. He who is provoked and angered by these words may die in his anger but God has done as He willed and He always does what He wills. What power does a man have to object as to why God did so?

I swear by Him in Whose hand is my life that if Jesus son of Mary (as) had been present in my time he could never have done that which I can do, and never could he have shown greater signs than those shown by me, and he would have found me a greater recipient of Divine grace than himself. Now, when this is my status, just think what would be the status of the Holy Messenger (sas) whose servant I am!

The secret of my appearance in the name of Jesus (as) is as follows. At the time of such mischief by the Christians, God Almighty informed Jesus (as) in heaven of the outrage which his people and his followers had created in the world. The soul of Jesus (as) was greatly perturbed on finding the beliefs of his followers utterly corrupted, and he desired that someone should descend to earth as a fulfilment of his objectives. Then God Almighty, in accordance with His promise, caused the spirit and eagerness of the Messiah to be manifested in a suitable individual, and it is in this manner that the Messiah descended from heaven, just as Prophet Elias (as) had descended in the form of John the Baptist (as).

[A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 5, pp. 268-269, footnote]

As that Prince Prophet (as) came into the world helpless and meek, and set an example of humility and gentleness, so God desired in this age to raise me—who also descended from a family of rulers and chiefs, and whose circumstances resemble those of the Prince Prophet (as)—among the people who have wandered far away from pure morals. God desired that like Jesus (as) I too should pass my time in the world in humility and meekness. The Word of God had long prophesied that such a one should appear in the world and, for this reason, God named me the Promised Messiah, that is to say, one who resembles Jesus the Messiah (as) in his moral qualities.

Blessed is he who has recognized me. Of all the paths that lead to God I am the last, and of all His lights I am the last. Unfortunate is one who departs from me, for without me all is darkness.

I have been informed that—on account of my helplessness, humility, trust in God, sincerity, signs and heavenly light—my life is similar to that of the first life of the Messiah (as). My nature and the nature of the Messiah (as) resemble greatly as if they were two parts of the same jewel or two fruits of the same tree. There is such a complete unity between us that the spiritual eye would have little to distinguish between us. Moreover, there is also an overt resemblance between us and that is that Jesus (as) was the follower and a servant of the faith of a perfect and great Prophet, i.e., Moses (as), and his Gospel is a branch of the Torah, and this humble one is one of the lowly servants of the great Prophet (sas), who was the Chief of Messengers and the Crown of all Prophets. If the other Messengers are Hamid13, he is Ahmad14, and if they are Mahmud15 he is Muhammad (sas)16.

[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 1, pp. 593-594, sub-footnote 3]

Christians were proclaiming aloud that Jesus, on account of his nearness to God and on account of his high status, has no equal. Now God has proclaimed that He has created his parallel who is even better than him and is Ghulam Ahmad, i.e., the servant of Ahmad [the Holy Prophet (sas)].

Life-giving is the cup of Ahmad (sas); What a dear name is the name Ahmad (sas).

There are hundreds of thousands of Prophets (as); But, by God, the highest status is that of Ahmad (sas). I have tasted of the fruit of the orchard of Ahmad (sas); My garden is the word of Ahmad (sas).

These are no idle or poetic thoughts, but are facts. If your experience tells you that I do not enjoy greater Divine support than the Messiah son of Mary (as), then you can count me a liar. God has decreed so, not for my own sake, but for the sake of His Prophet (sas), who has been greatly wronged.

Significance of the Title ‘Mahdi’

The one who was to come was named Mahdi, to indicate that he would acquire the knowledge of the faith from God Himself, and would not acquire the knowledge of the Qur’an or Hadith from a teacher. I can state on oath that such is my case. No one can prove that I have had a single lesson of the Holy Qur’an or Hadith or Tafsir from any human being or have been the pupil of any commentator of the Holy Qur’an or scholar of Hadith. This indeed is the status of Mahdi, which has been bestowed upon me on the pattern of the Prophethood of Muhammad (sas). I have been taught the mysteries of the faith directly, without any intermediary.

Comparison with the Miracles of Jesus (as)

Question: The Messiah son of Mary (as) proved through many miracles that he had been sent by God, what [miracles] have you got? Have you put forward any such proof? Have you brought any dead person to life or restored sight to one congenitally blind? Even if we were to suppose that you are the like of the Messiah (as), what benefit do we derive from your advent?

Answer: It is apparent from a study of the Gospels that, throughout his life, the Messiah (as) himself remained the target of this same objection that he had shown no miracle. How could he be the Messiah when he did not bring back to life anyone who could have related the conditions of the life after death and could have warned his heirs that he had come back from hell and that they should forthwith believe. Had the Messiah (as) brought back the ancestors of the Jews to this life to bear witness to his truth, no one would have dared deny him. Prophets have certainly shown signs but the faithless ones could not perceive them. In the same way, this humble one has not come empty-handed. God Almighty has bestowed a great quantity of life-giving water to me for the purpose of reviving the dead. He who drinks of it will come to life. I proclaim that if the dead are not revived, and the blind do not begin to see, and the leprous are not cleansed through my words, then I have not come from God Almighty, Who in His Holy Word has said concerning me:

Be sure that the seed of spiritual life has been sown like a mustard seed and it will soon, very soon, appear in the form of a great tree. A person who thinks along material lines cherishes material things and sees great value in them, but he who has been given a share of spirituality seeks the spiritual life. The righteous servants of God Almighty do not come into the world to make an exhibition for the amusement of people. Their true purpose is to draw people towards God and they are ultimately recognized through this very spiritual power. The light that endows them with the power to attract others may not be perceived by those who would try to test it and it may even lead them to stumble; still, that light by itself draws such people as are worthy of being drawn and thus reveals its miraculous effect.

These are the characteristics of the Friends of the Gracious One. Each of these, when manifested at its due time, appears like a great miracle but its manifestation is entirely in the hand of God Almighty.

I do not see any harm in declaring that the Merciful God has, through His grace and bounty, bestowed all these characteristics on me in abundance. He has not sent me empty-handed, nor has He appointed me without any accompanying signs. He has bestowed all these signs upon me which are being manifested and will continue to be manifested. God Almighty will go on manifesting these signs until the truth is clearly established.

In answer to the question, ‘What benefit can we derive from your advent?’, I say that when a person who has been chosen appears from heaven, his advent benefits all and sundry according to their capacities. His advent is, in fact, the rising of a spiritual sun, the light of which spreads far and wide. As the sun casts its effects differently on animals, plants minerals and other objects, though few people know enough about it, in the same way, the advent of an appointed one affects all dispositions and every part and region of the universe. From the moment his merciful appearance is determined upon in heaven, angels begin to descend therefrom, like the rays of the sun, unto the far corners of the world to strengthen those who have the capacity to advance towards the truth. Thereby, people of pious natures are by themselves inclined towards accepting the truth. All these are the signs of the truth of the Man of God at the time of whose advent heavenly abilities are sharpened. God has given this alone as a sign of true revelation that when it descends, angels too descend along with it and, day by day, the world begins to turn towards the truth. In addition to the particular signs that I have described above, this is a general sign of an appointed one who comes from God Almighty.

If my claim of being the Promised Messiah had involved elements which would have adversely affected the teaching and commandments of the Shariah, it would have been a terrible thing indeed. The question is, which of the Islamic realities have I changed by virtue of this claim? Which of the Islamic commandments have I in the least added to or subtracted from? It is true that I have interpreted a prophecy in the sense which God Almighty conveyed to me at its own time. The Holy Qur’an affirms the correctness of this interpretation and the true Ahadith also bear witness to it. I wonder what all this agitation is all about?

Proof of Truthfulness

Here, a seeker after truth can validly raise a question, namely, what evidence is there to support the claim of my being the Promised Messiah—for every claim requires some evidence, especially in these times when cunning, deceit and dishonesty have become widespread and false claims are being actively promoted.

In answer to this question, it would be enough for me to state that the following matters are sufficient as signs and evidence for a seeker after truth:

I see that those who wish to be the followers of nature and the law of nature have been offered a good opportunity by God Almighty of accepting my claim, inasmuch as they are not confronted by the difficulties in which our other opponents are involved. They know well that Jesus (as) has died and at the same time they have to confess that the prophecy contained in the Ahadith about the appearance of the Promised Messiah is among the long-established verities that cannot be denied by any reasonable person. Thus they are left with no other option but to accept that the Promised Messiah will be one of the Muslims. They are, however, entitled to inquire as to why they should believe in me as the Promised Messiah, and on what grounds do I base this claim? The answer is that all the indications mentioned in the Holy Qur’an and the Ahadith with regard to the Promised Messiah have been combined in me and in my age and in my country; as, for instance, the age and the country and the town in which the Promised Messiah was to appear and the circumstances which called specially for his advent, and the earthly and heavenly occurrences which had been specified as indications of his advent, and the knowledge and learning that were to be his characteristic, have all been combined in me. In addition to these, and to provide further satisfaction, I have been strengthened by Heavenly support.

To illustrate: The indication given in the text of the Holy Qur’an proves that he Holy Prophet (sas) appeared in the likeness of Moses (as), and that the chain of Khilafat after the Holy Prophet (sas) would be very similar to the chain of Khilafat established after Moses (as). Just as Prophet Moses (as) was promised that in the latter days—i.e., when the Prophethood of Bani Isra’il would reach its limit and Bani Isra’il would be divided into many sects, each contradicting the other, so much so that some would declare others to be infidels—God Almighty would raise a successor, i.e., Prophet Jesus (as), to support the faith of Moses (as); he would gather the scattered sheep of Israel, and bring sheep and wolves together at one place, and he would be an Arbiter for all the sects of Bani Isra’il, and he would iron out their differences and remove all rancour and ill-will; likewise, a similar promise was made by the Holy Qur’an in the verse:

Many details of this are set out in the Ahadith. For instance, it is mentioned that Muslims would become divided into as many sects as the Jews; they would contradict each other and brand each other as infidels; and would increase in hatred and enmity towards each other, till the time when the Promised Messiah would appear as an Arbiter. He would remove all rancour and hostility. During his time, the wolf and the sheep will be brought together. All historians are aware that, at the time of the advent of Jesus (as), the Israelite sects were ridden with dissension and labelled each other as heretics and infidels. I have also appeared at a time when inner dissension has multiplied and each sect has started calling others Kafir. At such a time of dissension, the Muslims were in need of an Arbiter. God has, therefore, sent me as one.

My status is not that of an ordinary Maulavi, but my status is that of Prophets. Accept me as one who has come from heaven, and all the altercations and dissensions which have divided the Muslims will at once be resolved. Whatever meanings are attributed to the Holy Qur’an by him—who has come as an Arbiter and as a commissioned one of God—will be its true meaning and whichever Hadith he affirms as true will be a true Hadith.

It is set out in an authentic Hadith that he who fails to recognize the Imam of his age will die the death of ignorance....This direction of the Holy Prophet (sas) entails that every seeker after truth should continue to seek the true Imam.... The question arises: Who can be called the Imam of the age, and what are his characteristics, and in what respect is he to be preferred to other recipients of revelation and dreams and visions? The answer is that the Imam of the age is the person whose spiritual training is undertaken by God Almighty Himself Who invests his nature with such guiding light as enables him to overcome all philosophers and logicians of the world in every kind of debate. He refutes the subtlest criticism of every description so well by his God-given power, that one is compelled to admit that he has come into the world equipped with all the resources needed for its reform and thus he was not to face humiliation before any opponent He is the spiritual Commander-in-chief of the Muslim forces and God Almighty designs once again to make the faith victorious at his hand. All those who seek shelter under his banner are also equipped with the highest capacities. He is bestowed all that is needed for reform and is endowed with all knowledge that is required for repelling objections and setting forth Islamic excellences.

It must be borne in mind that the expression ‘Imam of the age’ comprises the titles of Prophet, Messenger, Muhaddath and Mujaddid. Those who are not Divinely appointed for the reform and guidance of mankind and are not invested with the requisite excellences cannot be described as Imams of the age even if they are saints or Abdal23.

The question remains as to who is the Imam of this age who must, under Divine command, be obeyed by Muslims in general, the pious, the seers and the recipients of revelation. I have no hesitation in affirming that, by the grace of God, I am this Imam of the age. God Almighty has combined all the signs and conditions of the Imam in my person and has raised me at the turn of the century.

As I have come from God Almighty with truth and righteousness, you will find the signs of my truthfulness all around you. The time is not far—indeed it is very near—when you will observe angels descending from heaven in large numbers on the hearts of the people of Asia, Europe and America. You have learnt from the Holy Qur’an that, with the advent of the vicegerent of God, the descent of angels is incumbent so that they should turn people’s hearts towards the truth. So wait for this sign. If angels do not descend and you do not perceive the clear effect of their descent in the world and you do not find the hearts inclined in an extraordinary manner to move towards the truth, then you may reasonably conclude that no one has descended from heaven. But if all this happens, then do not persist in denial, lest you be judged by God Almighty as a disobedient people.

Titles of ‘Prophet’ and ‘Messenger’

Having already seen with my own eyes the clear fulfilment of a hundred and fifty or so prophecies that I received from God, how can I deny for myself the title of Prophet or Messenger? When God Almighty Himself has so named me, how can I reject these titles, and how can I fear anyone but Him? I swear by God—Who has sent me, and to attribute imposture to Whom is to be accursed—that He has sent me as the Promised Messiah. As I believe in the verses of the Holy Qur’an, so do I believe, without the difference of a particle, in that clear Divine revelation which has been vouchsafed to me, and the truth of which has been established by His successive signs. I can stand in the Baitullah and swear that the holy revelation which descends upon me is the word of the same God, Who sent His Word to Moses (as), to Jesus (as) and to Muhammad the Chosen One (sas). The earth bore witness in my support and so did the heaven. In this way, the heaven and the earth have affirmed that I am the Vicegerent of Allah. But in keeping with the prophecies, it was inescapable that I too should be denied. Therefore, those whose hearts are in veils do not accept me. I know well that God will surely support me as He has always supported His Messengers. None can ever succeed against me.

Since I am a follower of the Prophet (sas) who was invested with all human excellences and whose law was most perfect and complete in all its aspects and was designed to reform the whole world, therefore, I have been invested with all the capacities that are needed for the reform of the whole of mankind. There can be no doubt that Jesus (as) was not invested with the natural capacity with which I have been invested, for he was sent only to one particular people. Had he been in my place, he could not, on account of his limited natural capacity, have done the work that God's bounty has enabled me to do.

It is obvious that if Moses (as) had appeared in the place of our Holy Prophet (sas) he could not have achieved that which the Holy Prophet (sas) did, and that if the Torah had been revealed in place of the Holy Qur’an, it could never have accomplished that which the Holy Qur’an did. The spiritual status of men lies behind the veil of the unknown. To become frustrated and annoyed with all this is of no avail. Is it beyond God, Who has created Jesus (as), to create another like him or even better than him? Show me if there is any verse in the Holy Qur’an which stands in the way of this, and cursed be the person who denies a verse of the Holy Qur’an. How can I say anything that is against the facts and is in contravention of the holy revelations which, for twenty-three years, have been comforting me and comprise thousands of Divine testimonies and extraordinary signs! Whatever God Almighty does is in accord with wisdom and is appropriate. He saw that a mere human being had been unreasonably deified and was being worshipped by four hundred million people; so He sent me at a time when this doctrine had been exaggerated to the extreme; and He named me after all the Prophets but singled out for me the name of the Messiah son of Mary (as), and thus bestowed upon me the mercy and favour which was not bestowed upon him, so that people should realize that grace rests with God; He bestows it upon whomsoever He wills. If I say all this on my own then I am a liar, but if God bears witness to my truth with His signs, then denying me would be contrary to righteousness.

I proclaim on the basis of Divine revelation that I am the one who was to come. Whoever wishes, can demand from me proof of my truthfulness according to the manner in which God Almighty has always proved the truthfulness of the Prophets (as).

I swear by Him in Whose hand is my life, that my God has honoured me with certain and absolute converse, and this is a daily occurrence. I find that the God Who was adjured by Jesus the Messiah (as) in the words: “Why hast Thou forsaken me?” has not forsaken me. Like the Messiah (as), I too have been attacked many times, but my enemies have always been frustrated. A conspiracy was hatched to have me hanged but my God delivered me at the time of every trial, and I was not put on the cross like the Messiah (as). He has shown many great miracles in my support and has exhibited His mighty power to the same purpose. Through thousands of signs, He has proved to me that He is the same God Who revealed the Qur’an and sent the Holy Prophet (sas). I do not see how Jesus, the Messiah (as), is to be preferred to me in any way. As God's word descended upon him, so it has descended upon me, and I do find myself blessed with the same miracles as are attributed to him and even more so. All this honour has been bestowed upon me by following the Prophet (sas) of whose rank and standing the world is unaware, that is, our lord and master Muhammad, the Chosen One (sas).

It is simply absurd the way ignorant and witless people say that Jesus (as) is alive in heaven, whereas it is only in the Holy Prophet (sas) that I find the signs of being alive. It is through him that we have seen the God Whom the world knows not, and the door of revelation that was shut upon all other peoples has been opened for us by the blessings of this Prophet (sas) alone. We have seen through this Prophet (sas) miracles which other people relate like myths and stories. We have found that the rank of this Prophet (sas) cannot be exceeded. And we can only wonder why the world should be unaware of his status.

I have been asked why I claim to be the Promised Messiah. Let me tell you, in all truth, that through perfect obedience to this Prophet (sas), a person can be exalted above Jesus (as). The blind ones call this infidelity. I retort: How do you know what infidelity is when you yourselves are without faith! Infidelity is within you. You would not have been guilty of uttering such heresy had you known the meaning of the verse:

God promises that through perfect obedience to the Holy Prophet (sas) you can acquire all the various excellences of the Prophets (as), and you think that to acquire the excellences of just one Prophet is heresy!

I swear in the name of God that as He spoke to Abraham (as) and to Isaac (as) and to Ishmael (as) and to Jacob (as) and to Joseph (as) and to Moses (as) and to Jesus son of Mary (as) and, last of all, to our Holy Prophet (sas) in such manner that He vouchsafed to him the most luminous and holy revelation, in the same way He has also honoured me with His converse. This honour has been bestowed upon me only on account of my obedience to the Holy Prophet (sas). Had I not been one of his followers and had I not obeyed him, I would never have been honoured with such Divine converse even if my good deeds had piled up as high as the mountains. All Prophethood has now come to an end except the Prophethood of Muhammad (sas). No law-bearing Prophet can now come, but a non-lawbearing Prophet can come, provided he is a follower of the Holy Prophet (sas). In this way I am both a follower and a Prophet. My Prophethood—i.e., converse with God—is a reflection of the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet (sas) and nothing more. It is the same Prophethood of Muhammad (sas) that has manifested itself in me.

I have repeatedly affirmed that the revelation which I put forth is certainly and absolutely the word of God, as the Holy Qur’an and the Torah are the word of God, and I am a Prophet of God by way of reflection. Every Muslim is bound to obey me in religious matters, and is bound to accept me as the Promised Messiah. Everyone whom my call has reached and does not accept me as Hakam26 and does not believe in me as the Promised Messiah and does not esteem the revelation that is vouchsafed to me as coming from God, is accountable in heaven—even if he is a Muslim—for he has rejected that which he had to accept at its time. I do not say merely that had I been an impostor I would have been destroyed, but I also affirm that I am true in my claim like Moses (as), Jesus (as), David (as) and the Holy Prophet (sas). God has exhibited more than ten thousand signs in my support. The Holy Qur’an bears witness for me and so does the Holy Prophet (sas).

Triumph of Islam

Since the period of the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet (sas) extends to the Day of Judgement and he is Khatam-ul-Ańbiya’27, God did not so design that mankind should be united in one faith during his lifetime, for this would have marked the end of his era, and one could be led to think that since the task that had been assigned to the Holy Prophet (sas) had been completed, his Prophethood had also come to an end. God, therefore, left the unification of mankind and their acceptance of one faith for the latter part of the Prophethood of Muhammad (sas), which will also be the time of the approach of the Day of Judgement. For this purpose God appointed a deputy from among this very Ummah, who was named the Promised Messiah and also Khatam-ul-Khulafa’. Thus the Holy Prophet (sas) stands at the beginning of his Prophethood, and the Promised Messiah stands towards the end of it.

It was necessary that this world should not come to an end until after the appearance of the Deputy of the Prophet, as the unification of mankind was destined to take place in his time. This is set out in the verse:

This means: He it is Who has sent His Messenger (sas) with perfect guidance and the True Religion so that He may bring about its triumph over all the religions of the world … All scholars who have preceded me are agreed that this universal triumph would be achieved in the time of the Promised Messiah.

I swear by God, in Whose hands is my life, that it is He Who has sent me, and named me a Prophet, and called me the Promised Messiah, and manifested great signs in my support, the number of which extends to three hundred thousand.

A Follower as Well as a Prophet

God Almighty has repeatedly described me in His revelations both as a follower and as a Prophet. My heart is gratified with both these titles and I am most grateful that I have been honoured with this compound name.

I have been bestowed two titles by God Almighty. One of these is the title of a follower, as indicated by my name Ghulam Ahmad. The second title given to me, by way of reflection, is that of Prophet, since God Almighty has named me Ahmad in the earlier parts of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya and addressed me repeatedly by that name. This was an indication that I am a Prophet by way of reflection. Thus, I am an Ummati [follower of the Holy Prophet (sas)] and also, by way of reflection, a Prophet. This is also indicated in the revelation set out in the earlier parts of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya:

That is, every blessing is from the Holy Prophet (sas), and blessed is he who taught—the Holy Prophet (sas)— and, thereafter, blessed is he who was taught— myself. Therefore, through perfect obedience, I was named a follower and having acquired the full reflection of Prophethood, I was named Prophet. Thus I acquired two titles.

Wherever I have denied being a Prophet or a Messenger, it has only meant that I have not brought a permanent and independent Shariah, nor am I a Prophet in my own right. But I am a Messenger and a Prophet without a new Shariah in the sense that— because of the inner grace that has been bestowed upon me on account of my obedience to the Holy Prophet (sas), and because I have received his name— God reveals the unseen to me. I have never denied being a Prophet in this sense, and it is only in this sense that God has called me Prophet and Messenger. Thus, even now I do not deny being a Prophet and a Messenger in this sense. When I say:

I only mean that I am not the bearer of a new Shariah. It must, however, be remembered and never forgotten that, despite my having been called Prophet and Messenger, I have been informed by God that all this grace is not bestowed directly upon me but there is a holy one in heaven, i.e., Muhammad, the Chosen One (sas), whose spiritual grace accompanies me. Because of this intermediary link and having been named Muhammad and Ahmad, I am both a Messenger and a Prophet—one who is sent by God and one to whom God discloses news of the unseen. In this manner, the Seal of Prophethood has been fully safeguarded, for I have only been given this name by way of reflection through the mirror of love. If a person is chagrined over this revelation in which God Almighty has called me Prophet and Messenger, it is foolish on his part, for my being Prophet and Messenger does not break the Divine seal.

Twenty-six years ago, I was named Muhammad and Ahmad in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya and designated a spiritual reflection of the Holy Prophet (sas). This is why in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya people were told:

refers to me, and why it might not have reference to someone else from among the Muslims, the answer is that, in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Divine revelation has repeatedly pronounced me as the person referred to in this Hadith, and I call God Almighty to witness that this is the word of God Almighty that descended upon me.

No one else from among the Muslims has ever made this claim that God Almighty has so named him and that he alone is entitled to make this claim on the basis of Divine revelation. To charge me with having claimed to be a Prophet on my own is the height of folly and ignorance and is utterly opposed to the truth. O’ ignorant people, my claim to Prophethood does not mean that, God forbid, I claim to be a Prophet as against the Holy Prophet (sas), or that I claim to have brought a new Shariah. My Prophethood means the frequent experience of Divine converse and address that has been granted to me on account of my obedience to the Holy Prophet (sas). You people also admit the possibility of Divine converse, so our difference is only over the interpretation of terms. What you regard as the Divine converse, I, in obedience to the God’s commandment, denote its frequency as Prophethood.

I am the one whose advent had been promised by God. Yes, I am the one whose advent had been foretold by all the Prophets (as).

Names of Other Prophets

God Almighty has not only named me ‘Isa, but has bestowed upon me the names of all the Prophets (as), from the beginning to the end. Hence, in earlier parts of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, God named me Adam, as He said:

… In the same way, in the earlier parts of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, He also called me Noah (as) and said with regard to me:

… In the same way, in earlier parts of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, I was named Abraham, as it was said:

meaning, peace be on thee, O Abraham. God Almighty had greatly blessed Abraham (as) and he was always safeguarded against the onslaughts of the enemy. By naming me Abraham, God Almighty indicates that this Abraham will similarly be blessed and his opponents will not be able to harm him … In the same way, in earlier parts of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, I was named Joseph … Similarly, in earlier parts of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya I was named Moses, as God Almighty said:

In the same way, in earlier parts of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, God named me David and Solomon, upon which I will later elaborate. In the earlier parts of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, God also named me Ahmad and Muhammad, which is an indication that as the Holy Prophet (sas) is the Seal of Prophethood, in the same way, this humble one is the Seal of Wilayat. And finally God described me in the earlier parts of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya as,

which means, ‘The Messenger of God in the mantle of all the past Prophets (as).’

This revelation means that I have been bestowed a portion of the particular circumstances or attributes of all the Prophets from Adam onwards—may peace be on them—who have come into the world from God Almighty, whether they are from among the Israelites or otherwise. There has not been a single Prophet of whose characteristics or circumstances I have not partaken to a degree. My nature bears the imprint of the nature of every Prophet. This is what God has told me….

In this age, God willed to illustrate in one person the examples of all the holy and righteous Prophets (as) who have passed, and I am that person….

God Almighty has also named me Dhul-Qarnain, for in His holy revelation He has called me:

which means, ‘The Messenger of God in the mantles of all the Prophets (as).’ This requires that I should also have the characteristics of Dhul-Qarnain as Surah Al-Kahf shows that he too was a recipient of revelation.

God, Who accomplishes everything gradually, first of all designated me as Jesus son of Mary (as) for this age, for it was necessary that in my early days I should be persecuted like the Son of Mary (as) and should be called kafir and accursed and Dajjal and that I should be dragged into courts. Thus to be the son of Mary was my first stage. But in the records of God, I am not named only Jesus son of Mary (as) but I also have other names which God Almighty made me write twenty-six years ago in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya. There has been no Prophet in the world whose name has not been bestowed upon me. As God said in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, I am Ahmad (as), I am Noah (as), I am Abraham (as), I am Isaac (as), I am Jacob (as), I am Ishmael (as), I am Moses (as), I am David (as), I am Jesus son of Mary (as), and I am Muhammad (sas) by way of reflection. Since God bestowed in that book all these names on me and called me:

i.e., the Messenger of God in the mantles of all the Prophets (as), it, therefore, follows that I should manifest the grandeur of each Prophet and some attributes of each Prophet should be exhibited in me.

But God desired that first of all He should exhibit the attributes of the Son of Mary (as) through me. Thus, I experienced all the persecution from my own people and from others, just as the Son of Mary (as) had experienced it at the hands of the Jews. In spite of all this, God was pleased to retain for me the title of the Messiah (as) for the purpose of breaking the cross; so that the cross which had broken and wounded the Messiah should at one time be broken by the Messiah—with heavenly signs, not with human hands—for the Prophets of God cannot be left in a state of subjugation. Thus, in the twentieth century of the Christian era, God designed that the cross should be vanquished at the hands of the Messiah. But as I have just stated, I have been given other names also, and the name of every Prophet has been bestowed upon me. I have also been given the name of Krishna, who appeared as a Prophet in India, and who is also called Ruddar Gaupal [the annihilator and the nourisher]. Thus, I am the Krishna whose advent the Aryas are awaiting in this age. I do not make this claim on my own, but God Almighty has repeatedly disclosed to me that I am the Krishna—King of the Aryas—who was to appear in the latter days … The recognized pundits of the Arya faith have also declared that this is the time of the advent of Krishna the Avatar and they are waiting for him to appear in this age. They do not yet recognize me, but the time is approaching and is near, when they will recognize me, for God's hand will demonstrate to them that I am the one who was to come.

On several occasions, God Almighty has informed me through visions that Krishna, who appeared among the Aryas was a chosen one of God, and was one of the Prophets of his age. Indeed, the word Avatar, current among the Hindus, is in fact synonymous with the word Prophet. There is a prophecy in the Hindu scriptures that an Avatar will appear in the latter days who will possess the qualities of Krishna and will be his Buruz [re-advent by way of reflection]. It has been disclosed to me that I am that person. Krishna has two qualities: First, he is Ruddar, the slayer of wild beasts and swine—with reason and heavenly signs; Secondly, he is Gaupal, or nourisher of cows, that is to say, a helper of the pious with his spiritual breath. Both these are characteristics of the Promised Messiah and both these have been bestowed upon me by God Almighty.

Just as I have come in the guise of Jesus son of Mary (as), for the cleansing of the sins with which the earth is replete, so have I also come in the guise of Raja Krishna who was one of the great Avatars of Hindu faith. I am indeed the very same, spiritually speaking. I do not say this out of my own imagination, rather it is the God of heaven and earth Who has disclosed to me, not once, but many times, that for the Hindus I am Krishna and for Muslims and Christians I am the Promised Messiah.

God, the All-Wise and All-Knowing, has divided the world into different and recurring periods, so ordained that some people resemble others; the good resemble the good and the bad resemble the bad, though this might remain hidden to some degree and may not be too obvious. But God has appointed for the latter days a resemblance to former times so that the Muslims should not lag behind other peoples in any respect. Thus he created me and made me resemble every past Prophet, so much so that I was named after all of them.

In Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, I have been given all these names: Ahmad (as), Abraham (as), Noah (as), Moses (as), David (as), Solomon (as), Joseph (as), John (as), ‘Isa (as), etc. In this manner, all past Prophets (as) have, as it were, been raised again among the Muslims, and the Messiah has been raised last of and my opponents have been named Christians, Jews and polytheists, as indicated in this verse of the Holy Qur’an:

To deny me is not only my denial but is the denial of Allah and His Messenger (sas) for he who holds me to be a liar, first considers God to have lied—God forbid. Such a person will eventually have to reject the whole of the Qur’an from first to last. Reflect then how serious a thing it is to deny me. I do not say it on my own, but swear in the name of God that he who rejects me and denies me may not reject the Qur’an by word of mouth but he does so in effect and cuts himself off from God and the Holy Qur’an.

The Holy Prophet’s (sas) Testimony Through Visions

In contrast to the impure souls who persist in calling me Kafir, there are many more who have had visions in which they beheld the Holy Prophet (sas) and asked him regarding me. The Holy Prophet (sas) told them that I am truly from God and am truthful in my claim. We have with us the statements of many such people, which we can make available to anyone who is eager to follow this line of investigation.

Knowledge of the Holy Qur’an

I call God to witness, in Whose hand is my life, that I have been given excellence over every other individual in the matter of understanding the deeper and subtler meanings of the Holy Qur’an. Had the opponent Maulavis come forward to compete with me in this, as I had repeatedly invited them to do, they would have been humiliated by God. The understanding of the Qur’an that has been bestowed upon me is a sign of Allah, the Glorious, and I, by the grace of Allah, believe that the world will soon recognize the truth of my claim.

It is God's design that whoever out of the Muslims remains away from me will be cut off, be he a ruler or a subject.

Acceptance Obligatory

God Almighty has disclosed to me that whoever has been apprised of my advent and does not accept me is not a Muslim and is accountable to God.

[Letters to Dr. ‘Abdul Hakim quoted in Al-Fadl, Vol. 22, no. 85, 15 March 1935, p. 8]

I am the garden of the Holy One. Whoever tries to cut me down shall himself be cut down. The face of my opponent shall be blackened and he who denies me shall be humiliated.

I announce it plainly that it is not a trivial matter to denounce me. He who calls me a kafir will have to become a kafir first. He who describes me as faithless and misguided will have to confess his own error and humiliation. He who charges me with departing from the Qur’an and Hadith will have first departed from them himself, for I affirm the truthfulness of the Qur’an and Hadith and am in turn affirmed by them. I am not misguided but am the Mahdi [Guided One].

I am not a kafir but

43 God has revealed to me that whatever I say is the truth. Whoever has faith in God and believes in the truth of the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Prophet (sas), it should be enough for him to listen to me in silence. But what remedy is there for him who is impertinent and disrespectful! God Himself will admonish him. I, therefore, desire that for the sake of God you should reflect upon this matter and should advise your friends not to hasten to deny me but reflect honestly and impartially.

Divine Manifestations upon the Promised Messiah (as)

On one occasion I saw in a vision that I created a new heaven and a new earth and then I said: ‘Let us now create man’. Thereupon the stupid Maulavis raised a clamour that I had claimed to be God; whereas the meaning of this vision was that through me, God would bring about such a change as if heaven and earth have been renewed and true men have been created.

The manner in which God Almighty is making Himself manifest by drawing near and is disclosing hundreds of the matters of the unseen to this humble one, it is hard to find its example in past ages. People will soon observe that God will manifest His countenance as if He was descending from heaven. He kept Himself hidden for a long time. He was denied and remained silent, but now He will not remain hidden and the world will witness instances of His power which their ancestors had never witnessed. This will come to pass because the earth has been corrupted and people have lost faith in the Creator of the heavens and the earth. People pay lip-service to Him, but their hearts are estranged from Him. That is why God has said He will create a new heaven and a new earth. This means that the earth is dead, that is to say, the hearts of the people of the earth have become so hardened as if they are dead, for the face of God has become hidden from them and all heavenly signs that had been shown in the past have become like myths. So God has designed to create a new heaven and a new earth.

What is the new heaven? And what is the new earth? The new earth consists of the pure hearts that God is preparing with His own hand, which will be manifested by God and through whom God will be made manifest. The new heaven consists of the signs which are being manifested by His command at the hand of His servant. It is a pity that the world has become hostile to this new manifestation of God. They have nothing with them except ancient tales and their own fancies have become their god. Their hearts are benumbed, their resolves are weary, and their eyes are veiled.

Favours of God Upon the Promised Messiah (as)

I can recount from my personal experience that Surah Al-Fatihah is in fact a manifestation of Divine light. So many wonders are experienced in the recitation of this Surah that they demonstrate the high status of the Holy Word of God. Through the blessings of this blessed Surah and its continuous recitation, there took place such a disclosure of the unseen that I was apprised of a number of hidden matters before their occurrence; and its recitation at the time of any difficulty resulted in a wonderful lifting of the veil. I can recall having experienced approximately three thousand true visions and dreams that have so been fulfilled as clearly as the break of dawn. On more than two hundred occasions, I have experienced the acceptance of prayer at such critical moments that there appeared no way out of them. In the same way, through this Surah, I have experienced so many other wonders that if a Christian priest or a Hindu pundit were to experience even a slight reflection of them, he would at once cast off all his love of the world and would be ready to lay down his life to accept Islam. Similarly, some prophecies that have been disclosed to me through true revelations have been fulfilled within the knowledge of my opponents and others are in the course of being fulfilled. There are so many such prophecies that their account would fill two volumes of the Gospels.

God Almighty has given me so much self-control and has made my self so subservient [to Him] that if a person were to abuse me vilely face to face for a whole year, he himself would be ashamed in the end and would have to confess that he failed to shake my resolve.

I assure you that God has bestowed understanding of the Qur’an upon me. Whenever He, glorified be His name, so wills He discloses certain Qur’anic verities to me and makes manifest to me the true connotation of some verses together with the reasoning in its support and causes it to be established firmly in the heart like an iron nail. How then can I reject this Divine favour and how can I deny the grace that descends upon me like rain.

That is, on account of incontrovertible arguments, his bright hand flashes like a sword. Then I see him with the Dhulfiqar47.

This means that there was a time when the Dhulfiqar was in the hand of ‘Ali (ra), but God Almighty shall bestow it into the hand of this Imam in such a way that his shining hand will accomplish that which the Dhulfiqar accomplished in the early days. Thus his hand will be as the Dhulfiqar of ‘Ali (ra) that has been made manifest once again. This is an indication that the said Imam will be Sultan-ul-Qalam48 and his pen will do the work of Dhulfiqar. This prophecy is the exact rendering of the revelation vouchsafed to me, which was published in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya ten years ago. It reads:

i.e., ‘The book of this saint is the Dhulfiqar of ‘Ali (ra).’ The reference here is to myself and, on this account, I have been called Ghazi49 in many visions.

If I had made a claim on my own, you would be free to reject me, but if God’s Holy Prophet (sas) bears witness for me in his prophecies and my God Himself manifests His signs in my support, then do not wrong yourselves [by rejecting me]. Do not say that since you are Muslims you do not need to believe in any Messiah. I tell you truly that he who accepts me accepts him who prophesied about me thirteen hundred years ago and pointed out the time and age and the hallmarks of my mission. He who rejects me, rejects him who commanded that I be accepted.

Promised One of Latter Days

Read the Ahadith and you will learn that the one who is to appear in the latter days—when the Quraish will have lost their sovereignty and the Muslims will be divided and distraught—will be a cultivator. God Almighty has informed me that I am that person. The Ahadith clearly state that in the latter days a supporter of the faith and of the Muslims will appear and that he will be a cultivator. The Holy Prophet (sas) has directed that every Muslim should accept him and should help him.

Blessings of Accepting the Promised Messiah (as)

He who accepts me accepts afresh all the Prophets (as) and their miracles, and he who does not accept me will lose his earlier faith also, for he possesses only tales and no personal experience. I reflect the image of God. He who comes to me and accepts me will see afresh the God concerning Whom other people have only tales to tell. I believe in the God Whom those who deny me do not recognize. I state truly that what they believe in are the idols of their imagination and not God. That is why those idols cannot help them, cannot give them any strength, cannot bring about a pure transformation in them, and cannot show them any supporting signs.

I am the light for this age of darkness. He who follows me will be saved from those pits and ditches which Satan has prepared for those who walk in darkness. God has sent me so that I should guide the world affably and peacefully towards the true God and that I should re-establish the moral conditions among the Muslims. For the satisfaction of the seekers after truth, He has bestowed heavenly signs upon me and has shown wonderful works in my support and has disclosed to me hidden matters and secrets of the future, which, according to the holy books of God Almighty, are the true test of a parson's truthfulness, and God has bestowed holy knowledge and spiritual insight upon me. Consequently, the souls which do not cherish the truth and are content with darkness are hostile to me, but I desire to serve mankind with sympathy as far as it may be possible for me.

There are two types of people in the world. The first type are those who desire to claim for themselves virtue and laudable attributes without any justification whatsoever, as if they covet the very mantle of the Divine Majesty. They desire to wear the mantle of the Majesty of God Almighty. Such people are accursed.

The second type are those who disdain any kind of eulogy or praise. If they are left to themselves they would prefer to pass their lives in anonymity, but God Almighty, for His own designs and on account of His wisdom, praises and glorifies them. That is as it should be, for the rationale behind the appointment of those whom He commissions is to proclaim His own praise and glory in the world. Were He to say that so and so whom He has raised is useless, cowardly, without merit, mean, ignoble and devoid of all good qualities, then would any Divine attribute be manifested through such a person? God’s setting forth of their glory, their high status and their good qualities is for the purpose of proclaiming His own glory and greatness. Such people are totally free of their egos and unmindful of praise or blame. That is why many years ago, when I had no opponent, nor were there so many people with me, nor was I known in the world, God Almighty spoke about me in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, in the following terms:

In my own heart, I feel certain that all Prophets (as) were by their nature averse to being praised, except what God Almighty Himself might pronounce in their favour. I call God Almighty to witness that what I have set out above are His words and not mine. This is because the honour and glory of God Almighty and the honour and greatness and glory of Muhammad (sas), the Messenger of Allah, have been rubbed into dust, and [the status of] Jesus (as) and Hussain (ra) has been so exaggerated and magnified that the Throne of God is atremble [with rage].

Now when billions of people have gone astray through their praise and glorification of Jesus (as), and countless have been ruined due to exaggerated praise of Hussain (ra), God's wisdom and honour now demands that they should be deprived of all those robes of honour in which they had been improperly clad and that these should be restored to God Almighty and to Muhammad (sas), the Messenger of Allah.

The use of these phrases with regard to me is for the purpose of manifesting the honour of God Almighty Himself, as well as the greatness of the Holy Prophet (sas).

I state on oath that my heart is inspired by real and true eagerness that all praise and glorification and all excellent qualities should be attributed to the Holy Prophet (sas). All my joy and the true purpose of my advent is that the Unity of God Almighty and the honour of the Holy Prophet (sas) should be firmly established in the world. I fully realize that all terms of praise and glorification that God Almighty has employed for me are in fact meant for the Holy Prophet (sas) because I am his servant and all my light is acquired from his torch of Prophethood and I have nothing that is solely my own. For this reason I believe firmly that if after the Holy Prophet (sas) someone claims to be an appointed one in his own right and to have a direct relationship with God Almighty without the benefit of the grace of the Holy Prophet (sas), such a person is rejected by God and in disgrace. God Almighty has proclaimed once and for all that no one can enter through the door that leads to God except by following the Holy Prophet (sas).

I, the claimant of both these dignities, have been among you for twenty-five years. Who then are you waiting for beside me? All these signs refer to the one who is present at the time of their manifestation, and not to someone of whom there is no trace in the world. It is a case of strange hard-heartedness. I simply fail to understand why people still await someone else when my claim has been affirmed by all the relevant signs and all opposition against me has been frustrated! It is true that I have not descended physically from heaven, nor have I come into the world to fight and cause bloodshed, but I have come for peace and am from God. I prophesy that after me and till the end of days, no Mahdi will ever appear from God who will create disturbance in the world through war and bloodshed, nor will there be any Messiah who will descend physically from heaven. You had better bid farewell to both these notions. These are vain desires which the people of this generation will carry with them to the grave. No Messiah will descend and no blood-thirsty Mahdi will appear. He who was to come has come, and I am that one fulfilling God's promise. He who does not accept me, fights God for having sent me.

Why do you wonder if I have come as the Messiah; the breeze of the spring carry the fragrance of the Messiah.

There is great eagerness in heaven in support of the call of truth; Angels are descending upon the well disposed.

The independent thinkers of Europe are turning in this direction; the pulse of the spiritually dead has begun to beat suddenly.

The wise are saying goodbye to the Trinity; they are devoting themselves to the Fountain of Tauhid.

An elegant flower has blossomed in the garden of the Ummah; An intoxicating fragrance is flowing from the garden.

I perceive the fragrance of my Joseph; and, though you might call me mad, for him I wait.

Listen to the voice of heaven, which proclaims: The Messiah has come, the Messiah, has come;

The heaven is showing signs and the earth says, This is the time; These two witnesses are desperately crying out for me.

It is now only in this garden that you will find rest and comfort; Hurry up, O’ you roaming in the wilderness, for there is time still!

This cool breeze has started blowing after a long interval; only God knows when these days and this spring will return.

People know nothing of the relationship that I have with my Beloved; He has become mine my life is all His.

At times I am Ahmad (as), at times I am Moses (as) and at times Jacob (as). Also I am Abraham (as); and my progeny is countless.

I am a tree that bears David-like fruits; as I am David (as), so is Goliath my quarry.

Like Jesus (as), I would have been drawn upon the cross; had it not been for the name of Ahmad (sas) upon which I rely wholly.

I desire no domain, my domain is apart from all others; what have I to do with crowns, my crown is the pleasure of my Beloved.

I dwell in the sky, what concern have I with the earth; the dwellers of heaven have nothing to do with the earth.

The garden of Adam which was still unfinished is laden with fruit and leaves with my coming.

The treasures which had remained buried through centuries are now being distributed by me to those who seek them.

Why do you hesitate to accept this Messiah, whose resemblance to the earlier Messiah has been vouched by God.

You bestow this title upon expert physicians and even call beauteous ones by this name.

It is Thy sheer grace and beneficence that Thou hast chosen me; Otherwise, there was no lack of servants in Thy entourage.

Those who claimed to be my friends have all become my enemies but Thou hast not abandoned me, O Thou Who fulfills all my needs.

O my Unique Friend, O Refuge of my soul, Thou art sufficient for me; I need no other beside Thee.

Had it not been for Thy grace, I would have died in frustration; Only God knows where my dust would have been thrown.

O God, may my body and my soul and my heart be spent in Thy cause; for I find no one else who loves as Thou dost love.

From the beginning, my time was passed under Thy care; I was nurtured in Thy lap like a suckling baby.

I have not seen in mankind the fidelity that Thou hast; there is no comforter like unto Thee.

People say that one without merit finds no acceptance, and yet I have been accepted though I am without merit.

I have been the recipient of Thy numberless favours and bounties which it would be difficult for me to count till the Day of Judgement.

What is my fault that I have received Thy command; who am I to reject the command of the Omnipotent Sovereign?

My duty now is to carry out the command that I have received; though in myself I am weak and feeble and sorrowful.

1 The beauty of my companion has made its imprint upon me; Otherwise, I am the same dust that I have always been. [Publisher]

2 This reference appears on page 501 of the London Edition of Ruhani Khaza’in. [Publisher]

3 I am the water that has descended from heaven at its due time; I am the Divine light, which has illumined the day. [Translator]

4 Men of God or Saints. [Publisher]

5 In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. We praise Him and call down His blessings on His Noble Messenger (sas). [Publisher]

6 … will clear thee from the charges of those who disbelieve …—Aal-e-‘Imran, 3:56 [Publisher]

7 O ye Muslims, I am one of you and am your Imam from among you by Allah's command. [Publisher]

8 And surely, he who forges a lie shall perish—Ta Ha, 20:62 [Publisher]

9 Jewishness. [Publisher]

10 Jesus son of Mary (as), Messenger of Allah, has died and you have come in this place and his spirit according to God's promise, which was bound to be fulfilled. You are with Me and you have your stand upon truth and you are the helper and supporter of the truth. [Publisher]

11 Guide us in the right path–The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings.—Al-Fatihah, 1:6-7 [Publisher]

12 That is Allah's grace; He bestows it upon whomsoever He pleases.—Al-Ma’idah, 5:55 [Publisher]

13 He who praises Allah. [Publisher]

14 He who praises Allah to the ultimate point. [Publisher]

15 One deserving praise. [Publisher]

16 One deserving the ultimate praise. [Publisher]

17 If he is viewed in contrast to the Prophet of Nazareth, it will be realized that he is carrying out a great cleansing of the creatures of God, considerably more than they were ever healed of physical ailments. [Publisher]

18 There is peace for them from Allah and His angels and all the righteous. [Publisher]

19 Which none shall touch except those who are purified.—Al-Waqi‘ah, 56:80 [Publisher]

20 And proclaim the bounty of thy Lord.—Al-Duha, 93:12 [Publisher]

21 As I was invested with authority for the Christians, I was, therefore, named the Son of Mary. Heaven is showing signs and the earth proclaims that this is the time. These two witnesses stand firm in my support. [Publisher]

22 Others from among them who have not yet joined them.—Al-Jumu‘ah, 62:4 [Publisher]

23 Literally, “Those who have brought about a holy change.” A term used by the Sufis for the higher grade of saints. [Publisher]

24 This is a proclamation of blessing of Allah and not a matter of pride. [Publisher]

25 Guide us along the straight path, the path of those upon whom Thou has bestowed Thy favours.—Al-Fatihah, 1:6-7 [Publisher]

26 The Arbiter [Translator]

27 Seal of Prophets [Publisher]

28 Al-Saff, 61:10 [Publisher]

29 I am not a Messenger and have not brought a book. [Publisher]

30 If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you. [Publisher]

31 Every blessing is from Muhammad (sas), and thus blessed is he who taught and he who was taught. [Publisher]

32 Had faith ascended to the Pleiades, a man from among the Persians would have brought it down. [Publisher]

33 He who denies this should be ready to come forth for Mubahalah and may the curse of Allah overtake him who denies the truth or manufactures a lie against the Lord of Honour. [Publisher]

34 ‘Everyone is entitled to adopt an expression.’ [Translator]

35 I am at the ultimate point in sainthood as my lord and master, the Chosen One (sas), is at the ultimate point in Prophethood. He is the Seal of the Prophets (sas) and I am the Seal of the Auliya’. There will be no Wali after me except one who is from me and is committed to me. I have been sent by my Lord with every power and blessing and honour and my foot is planted upon a tower where all exaltations come to perfection. [Translator]

36 I desired to appoint a vicegerent; therefore, I created Adam. [Publisher]

37 And address me not concerning those who have gone astray; they shall be drowned. [Publisher]

38 Build the ark according to Our instructions and before Our eyes; those who enter into a covenant with thee, enter into a covenant with Allah. His hand is above their hands. [Publisher]

39 Be kind and gentle towards the people and have mercy on them. You are among them in the position of Moses (as), and be steadfast against that which they allege. [Publisher]

40 My Lord has informed me that I am like the Ark of Noah for the people. He who comes to me and enters into the covenant with me will be delivered from ruin. [Publisher]

41 I am Khidar in some of my qualities; my mysteries cannot be comprehended. [Publisher]

42 Guide us in the straight path—the path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings, those who have not incurred Thy displeasure, and those who have not gone astray.—Al-Fatihah, 1:6-7 [Publisher]

43 I am the foremost of believers. [Publisher]

44 A manifestation of the True and the High. [Translator]

45 These are the ten perfect signs. [Publisher]

46 Verily I am the annihilator of falsehood and a citadel for the terror-stricken. And I am the instrument of my Lord, the Gracious, and the Argument of God, the Great Rewarder. I am the day and the sun and the way. In me the words have been fulfilled and lies have been laid bare. I praise, and have been praised in return. I am the symbol of Divine Might made manifest; I have come in the footsteps of the Holy Prophet (sas) and through me the dead shall be raised and all darkness shall be dispelled. [Publisher]

47 The sword of Hazrat ‘Ali (ra). [Publisher]

48 The King of the Pen. [Publisher]

49 A steadfast participant in an Islamic war. [Publisher]

50 “Allah praises thee from His Throne. We praise thee and call down blessings on thee. You are the best people who have been created for the service of mankind and as a matter of pride for the believers. O Ahmad, mercy flows from thy lips. You are under Our care. God will raise thy name and will perfect His bounty unto thee in this world and in the hereafter. O My Ahmad, you are My purpose and are with Me. I have planted your honour with My own hand. O Ahmad, your name will come to an end, but My name will not come to an end. You have been blessed O Ahmad, and the blessing that God has bestowed on thee was deserved by thee. You have a wonderful status and your reward is near. I shall make thee Imam of the people. You are honoured in My presence. I have chosen you for Myself. The earth and the heaven are with you as they are with Me and your secret is My secret. You are to Me like My Unity and My Uniqueness. Holy is Allah, Blessed and High, Who has augmented your honour. Peace be on you. You have been blessed. I have exalted you over all the people of your time. We have honoured the progeny of Ahmad (as) and have exalted some of them above others. He approached near to Us and then descended towards mankind and it became, as it were, a case of two bows with one string. My mercy covers thee in this world and the next. I have poured My love upon you, so that you are nurtured under My care. Allah praises you and walks towards you. He created Ahmad (as) and honoured him. The Champion of Allah in the mantles of the Prophets (as). You are with Me and I am with you. For you I have created the night and the day. Do as you wish, I have forgiven you. You have a standing with me of which people have no knowledge. Allah will protect you, even if people should not protect you. You are the Messiah whose time will not be wasted. A pearl like you is never wasted. You are the honoured Messiah and I am with you and with your helpers. You are My high name and you are to Me like My Unity and My Uniqueness and you are to Me like those whom I love. On you are blessings and peace. Peace is the word from the Merciful Lord. You are the manifestation of the Ever-Living. You are from me like a new beginning. He does not speak out of his own desire, it is a revelation vouchsafed to him.” [Translator]