Conclusion

It occurred to me that I should write something about my life and that of my forefathers in this treatise in order to acquaint people with my circumstances. Hopefully, Allah would benefit them, increase them in strength to remove misguidance, enable them to reflect upon the truth of the matter, and incline them towards equity and justice.

Know—may God have mercy upon you all—that I am named Ghulam Ahmad son of Mirza Ghulam Murtada. Mirza Ghulam Murtada was the son of Mirza ‘Ata Muhammad; Mirza ‘Ata Muhammad of Mirza Gul Muhammad; Mirza Gul Muhammad of Mirza Faid Muhammad; Mirza Faid Muhammad of Mirza Muhammad Qa’im; Mirza Muhammad Qa’im of Mirza Muhammad Aslam; Mirza Muhammad Aslam of Mirza Dilawar Baig; Mirza Dilawar Baig of Mirza Allah Din; Mirza Allah Din of Mirza Ja‘far Baig; Mirza Ja‘far Baig of Mirza Muhammad Baig; Mirza Muhammad Baig of Mirza Muhammad ‘Abdul-Baqi; Mirza Muhammad ‘Abdul-Baqi of Mirza Muhammad Sultan and Mirza Muhammad Sultan was the son of Mirza Hadi Baig.

Thereafter, know that my place of residence is a village called Islampur, which is known today as Qadian. It is situated in the Punjab [Province] between the rivers Ravi and Beas and northeast of Lahore, the capital of the Government and the center of the towns of the Punjab. I have read in the biographies of my forefathers as well as heard from my father that they descend from the Mughals; however, God Almighty has revealed to me that they are the children of the Persians and not the Turkic peoples. Also, He revealed to me that some of my grandmothers descended from Fatimah(ra), [the daughter of the Holy Prophet(sa)], and from certain other members of the Family of the Holy Prophet(sa). Allah has combined in them the progeny of Ishaq [Isaac] and Isma‘il [Ishmael] in the utmost wisdom and appropriateness.

I have heard from my father and read in some of my ancestors’ biographies that they initially lived in Samarqand, before they migrated to India. They were among the chiefs and ruling elite of that land and were great supporters and patriots of the Faith.

Thereafter, their resolve for travelling drew them to faraway lands and the journey expanded to them its tributaries until they traversed the land of this town that is named Qadian. They found it to be a blessed place surrounded by fertile and productive land. They liked its climate, its water, its trees, and its lush green fields, and thus halted their journey there. They were a people who preferred villages rather than cities. God bestowed on them plenty of land and property. They became the lords of the towns and cities around them. Later, when a considerable period of time elapsed in this condition, and God’s decree descended upon the Mughal Empire, He raised my forefathers to become the chiefs of this land. They became self-governing rulers of this part of the world and exercised full control over this territory. God Almighty, in His grace and mercy, fulfilled all their desires. Later, after having lived in bounty, prosperity, and honour for a long time, God Almighty, in His deep wisdom and profound discernment, imposed on them a people known as Khalsah [Sikhs], who were cruel-hearted. They did not respect the nobility nor show compassion to the poor. Whichever town they entered, they destroyed it and humiliated its nobles. Because of their oppression, the full moons of Islam were reduced to crescents. They were among the opponents of Islam and the bitterest enemies of the religion of the Best of Mankind [i.e. the Holy Prophet(sa)]. Therefore, during the rule of those mean people, my forefathers were inflicted with great tribulations to the extent that they were forced to abandon the seat of their government. The disbelieving lot snatched away their properties from them. They cast them away and forced them to abandon the vast shade of prosperity. They were exiled from their homeland for several years. The cruel enemy persecuted them in the worst possible manner. Nobody, except God the Most Merciful, took pity on them. Then Allah returned some villages to my father during the British rule, so that he came upon a drop, or even less, from the ocean of lost properties.

Therefore, in sum, my ancestors died in the bitterness of discomfiture and regrets, after being like a tree laden with lush fruits and after days that were like ornate and embellished virgins. Their life history left for me a lesson the mere thought of which fills my eyes with tears. When I imagine their situation, sadness overtakes me and I weep and cry, so much so that I tell myself that this life has been faithful to none. It is doomed to end in frustration and ruin. The narrowness of this worldly life pained me deeply. It was then that it was inspired into my heart that I should not give way to the outward shine of this world. God Almighty, by this, saved me from falling in love with this worldly life and from longing to stare at its apparent beauty or inclining towards its ephemeral trees and fruits. I came to prefer seclusion and lack of renown and tried to keep away from gatherings and occasions of conceit and pretence. Yet, God Almighty brought me out of my seclusion and made me well known among the people, despite the fact that I never wanted to be famous. He raised me to be the Khalifah [vicegerent] of the Latter Days and the Imam of the time.

He vouchsafed to me so many of His verbal revelations, of which I hereby mention a few. I believe in them as I believe in the Books of God Almighty, the Creator of the universe. These revelations are given below.1