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A Warner came unto the world, but the world accepted him not; yet God shall manifest His favour and demonstrate his truth with powerful assaults.2

Signs of Divine Wrath

The day before yesterday that is on Wednesday, I received several critical and derisive tracts about the prophecy of the Promised Messiah(as) regarding the Tsar [of Russia].

As I read them, my heart was filled with sorrow at the sorry state of today’s Muslims. Instead of rejoicing at the victory of Islam they are agonised by it; instead of enriching their faith they have chosen to move towards disbelief; and instead of recognising the chosen one of God they take pride in leading others astray.

Therefore, from the depths of my heart, I called on God to respond to the contentions of these naive souls that they may be able to discern between what is good for them and what leads them to peril.

I am further astounded by the dishonesty of the author of these tracts who has made [every effort] to show that the severe calamity foretold by the Promised Messiah(as) referred to an earthquake and an earthquake alone. For this he cites the following reference from Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part V:

Consider for yourself how this prophecy may be considered ambiguous when it clearly mentions an earthquake and says that a part of the country will be destroyed and also mentions that this will happen in my lifetime. (Page 90, line 9).3

In truth, the excerpt which he has quoted, does not refer to a future prophecy, rather it is a response to an individual who questioned how the earthquake of 4 April could be seen as a fulfilment of an earlier prophecy of the Promised Messiah(as). Indeed, the second part of the question raised before the Promised Messiah(as) shows that the above passage was written in relation to this previous prophecy [and not the prophecy regarding the Tsar].

The questioner writes to the Promised Messiah(as):

His holiness, Mirza Sahib has prophesied a second earthquake, but on this occasion he has also clarified that it has not been made known to him whether the impending calamity will come in the form of an earthquake or another severe catastrophe and nor has the time of its occurrence been made manifest. (Page. 91)

This clearly shows that the initial inquiry of the questioner was with regards to a previous earthquake which had already occurred [in accordance with the prophecy that foretold it], and the latter statement referred to a prophecy meant for the future. It is also clear that at the time of the second prophecy, the Promised Messiah(as) said it could signify a great calamity other than an earthquake. The answer given by the Promised Messiah(as) to the questioner also reveals this second prophecy did not necessarily foretell the coming of an earthquake, but could refer to another harrowing event. Further, the references cited by the author of the tract also indicate the Promised Messiah(as) himself suggested that the word zalzala could mean another catastrophe.

The following is one such reference from Barahin- e-Ahmadiyya:

When and in which instance did I interpret the words of my prophecies to mean something other than an earthquake. Rather, I have always asserted that the primary and most common and predominant meaning of the word zalzala is an earthquake.

This shows the Promised Messiah(as) was open to the possibility that the word zalzala could signify another type of calamity. I will now present some further references in support of this claim.

On page 96 of the addendum of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya the Promised Messiah(as) writes:

I am quite amazed for I have said over and over again that in the first reckoning the word zalzala which appears in my prophecies refers to earthquakes. And if not, then it could denote another extraordinary catastrophe which bears close resemblance to an earthquake and possesses within it all of its characteristics. And yet despite this clarification such critics will not be satisfied.

Similarly, on page 120 of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part V he says:

It is possible that it may not be a common earthquake but some other dire calamity, which would be an example of the Judgment Day, the like of which has not been witnessed before, and which would bring about great destruction of life and property. 4

After consulting these passages, any reasonable person can see the Promised Messiah(as) did not say for certain the prophesied calamity was a literal earthquake. Rather he always stipulated that it could be another ruinous misfortune which would devastate lives and property.

Now consider for a moment what type of calamity other than an earthquake itself would cause the destruction of both life and property while bearing similarity to this disaster. Is not the answer to this a war?

In the Holy Qur’an too, war has been likened to an earthquake. When Solomon(as) was set to attack Queen Sheba the Holy Qur’an quotes her as saying:

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That is, the obvious consequence of a war is that when a king enters another country as a victor, he turns the highest of its ranks into the lowest.

And this is how the Holy Qur’an describes the severity of earthquakes. With reference to the people of Lot it says:

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That is, the highest ranks were turned into the lowest. Hence war has a profound resemblance with earthquakes both in terms of its impact and the effect it has on different ranks of people. This is particularly true of modern warfare by which entire tunnels are blown away and the convulsions they cause resemble those of earthquakes.

His other objection that the Promised Messiah(as) said the earthquake would strike in India and in his lifetime, stems from a lack of thought and reflection. With regards to the first contention, it ought to be clear the Promised Messiah(as) never said the earthquake would not strike in another country. Rather he affirmed that this calamity would also occur in other places. He wrote:

O’ Europe, you are not secure; and O’ Asia, you are not protected. O’ ye that dwell in the islands, no artificial god will help you. I see cities falling and find the habitations in ruin.7

Similarly, the verses which contain the prophecy of the present war, clearly speak of a cataclysm of global proportions, as in the verse:

Men high and low will be convulsed with fear and the Tsar himself will, at that hour, be in sad case.8

Thus when the Promised Messiah(as) himself identifies the people of the world in general and the Tsar of Russia who lives over 7000 miles from India in particular as victims of this promised calamity, then to assert that the prophecy is undermined if the catastrophe occurs anywhere outside of India is the height of ignorance. Such a contention would have carried some weight if India had been unaffected by the horrifying effects of this disaster. However, the thousands of native Indians who have been buried throughout the world in distant lands are testimony of the fact that India too bears the scars of this catastrophic war. If the author of this tract still harbours any doubt, he is free to visit the Punjab where every town and dwelling mourns the death of its loved ones who were slain by the bullets of the enemies of peace, and who spilled their blood like flowing water for their benevolent king and country. Indeed, he ought to speak to those distressed mothers, widows, orphaned children and elderly fathers who have had the apple of their eyes snatched away from them, who have lost the shade which sheltered them and the strength which supported them in their old age. He might then realise that now is the time for grief not ridicule and come to see how forcefully the word of God is fulfilled.

All that remains is to deal with the question of why the Promised Messiah(as) wrote that this calamity would appear in his lifetime. While this is certainly true, the perfect wisdom of God desired a different outcome and wanted for this disaster to strike not during the life of the Promised Messiah(as) but in the time of another promised individual. Therefore, Allah the Exalted taught him the following prayer through divine revelation:

O’ my God! Postpone the time of this earthquake which seems imminent.9

God Himself then gave the following answer for it:

That is, Allah the Exalted has postponed it until the appointed time.10 This last revelation foretold that this particular earthquake would not occur during his life. However, it also revealed that it would strike within the limits of the appointed time, for Allah the Exalted said the calamity had been postponed and put back [not terminated indefinitely]. We can see the Promised Messiah(as) mentioned two things regarding the timing of the earthquake. First, it would occur in his lifetime and secondly it would strike within a period of 16 years.

Thus when divine revelation had revealed that though the disaster would not happen in the lifetime of the Promised Messiah(as), it would still occur within the stipulated time period, it was made clear that while the Promised Messiah(as) would not see it, it would still take place within 16 years. And this is exactly what happened. Ten years after the prophecy was made, it was fulfilled in the eleventh year.

It could be argued the fact that after receiving the revelations about an earthquake, the Promised Messiah(as) left his home and lived for some time in a tent shows he understood the word zalzala to mean an earthquake in a literal sense. However, such a contention would not be justified. Taking a precautionary measure in light of the presence of the word zalzala does not diminish the grandeur of the prophecy. It is often the practice of prophets to try and fulfil a prophecy in its literal sense and in the life of the Holy Prophet(sa), the incident of Hudaibiya is an example of this.

Also with regards to these revelations, it ought to be kept in mind the Promised Messiah(as) received numerous revelations about earthquakes; some of these revelations hinted at being fulfilled in his lifetime while others seemed to pertain to his homeland or to the rest of the world. In truth, it was not one earthquake that was prophesied but many.

God said to the Promised Messiah(as): . ‘I shall show you the flash of this Sign five times.’11 This revelation confirms that a wrathful sign would be forcefully manifested five times. Though other revelations spoke of the occurrence of various minor earthquakes, [in the revelation above] at least five were clearly mentioned. Consequently, two such earthquakes struck in the lifetime of the Promised Messiah(as) after this revelation; one in America and the other in Chile claiming the lives of 1500 and 2500 people respectively. The number of injured was even higher. Accordingly, many a person who sought the truth and was aware of these prophecies was guided by these events. Thus some of these earthquakes struck in his lifetime and steered people to the right path.

Another calamity, which was similar to an earthquake struck after the demise of Promised Messiah(as) in accordance with the revelation, and as the prophecy foretold, it affected the whole world, both the ruling classes and the general public. This grievous torment had particular impact on Europe and the Tsar of Russia. Again, these signs gave guidance to many people, but those who are eternally blind cannot hope to see the light of the sun of spirituality. They are [as the Persian proverb suggests] like dogs that bark at those who spread light. Such people ought to bear in mind that it is not beyond the might of God to cause earthquakes to happen. I received a pamphlet today which ridiculed this prophecy and my heart grieved as I read it. A violent tremor hit that very night and though many of the details are still unclear, reports suggest a large earthquake caused this. According to some, the shocks were more horrifying than the ones from the previous earthquake which struck [Kangra] on April 4, 1905. A resident of Dharamsala wrote:

Tonight at 3:17am, a powerful earthquake struck the earth. The ground shook violently for almost half a minute and caused most of the shops and houses to collapse. In Tika Chola all of the houses were ruined and in Bagicha Toa, one man was killed as his home collapsed on him while a number of others sustained injuries.

He further writes:

This earthquake was more severe than the one which struck [Kangra] on April 4, 1905.

As of now the circumstances are still unclear and we will only know the exact picture once the full details have emerged. However, what we know so far ought to be sufficient to open the eyes of the ignorant. There are two signs in this. First, through the fulfilment of the prophecy of the Promised Messiah(as) frequent earthquakes were to occur. Secondly, God fulfilled this prophecy immediately as a rebuke to certain foulmouthed enemies and effectively said to them:

Foolish people, I can cause earthquakes as well. If the people of this country will cease in their brazenness only after being jolted by earthquakes then I am ready for this.

Do not think earthquakes are just a natural occurrence. Such an approach is dangerous and has caused the ruin of many nations. Allah says:

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And never did We send a Prophet to any town but We seized the people thereof with adversity and suffering, that they might become humble. Then We changed their evil condition into good until they grew in affluence and number and said, ‘Suffering and happiness betided our fathers also.’ Then We seized them suddenly, while they perceived not.

Hence, such a way of thought is fatal and is entertained by those who stray away from certainty. In truth, calamities only strike when God has raised a messenger. Allah the Exalted says:

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We never punish until We have sent a Messenger.

Do not consider the punishment of God a small or trivial thing. Instead it serves as a sign that a prophet of God has been raised in this time. Let those who have eyes see and let those who have ears listen that the current series of earthquakes is not usual or ordinary. Instead, they are unmatched by the earthquakes of the past, both in number and severity. The Promised Messiah(as) writes in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya:

A Warner came unto the world, but the world accepted him not; yet God shall manifest His favour and demonstrate his truth with powerful assaults.

There is a trail here, then be steadfast as were the Prophets of high resolve. When the Lord will manifest Himself on the mountain of difficulties, He will crush them into bits. It is the power of the Gracious God, which He, the Independent and Besought of all, will demonstrate for His servant.14

Even if we ignore other natural disasters, the sheer number of recent earthquakes is sufficient evidence [of the fulfilment of this prophecy] for those who would perceive. Encyclopaedic records account for the deadliest earthquakes in the world over the past three centuries, along with the number of casualties. From this it can be seen that these disasters paled into insignificance when compared to the ones under present discussion. Here I have divided them into two periods, that is the time before the publication of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya and the time after. This is sufficient to show that over this short period of time, earthquakes have increased exponentially and caused grave losses. They, therefore, provide a stark contrast with what passed before. The following table is a list of earthquakes that occurred before the publication of Barahin:

[Here is a list of earthquakes] after Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya was published:

According to these figures, in the first recorded 290 years the death toll from 11 earthquakes stood at 313,000 lives. However, in the 10 earthquakes that have occurred over the past 26 years, the number of fatalities is documented at 403,000 an increase of almost 100,000 indicating that earthquakes have become deadlier. Two further earthquakes which struck in Italy and Turkey in 1914 increase the number of earthquakes and add another 100,000 to the death toll. It is important to note that the number of people who have died from earthquakes since the revelation of the Promised Messiah(as) is more than the last 300 years combined and multiple earthquakes have occurred over a short period of time. It is also worth noting that after the revelation of the Promised Messiah(as) foretelling the impending onset of earthquakes, such disasters occurred for four years straight, in 1905, ’06, ’07 and ’08. The number of deaths in these four years is also in excess of the previous 300 years in which 313,000 people lost their lives. In contrast, over these four years, 7000 additional deaths occurred after the Promised Messiah(as) had prophesied this calamity. Take heed, o’ you who would understand.

Finally, I call on all those who seek the truth to have mercy on their lives and wealth. Refrain from abusing the messenger of God. Remember well, the jealous regard Allah shows [for His loved ones]. There is no one who can compete with Him. He has shown hundreds of thousands of signs in support of the Promised Messiah(as) which were acknowledged by both his enemies and the liberal minds of Europe. Why do you bring misfortune on yourself and deprive yourself of those divine blessings which people from far flung places have accepted? I call on those who identify themselves as Muslims and who assert love for the Holy Prophet(sa), to fear God and refrain from challenging the khalifa and representative of the Holy Prophet(sa) and ask them whether they will come face to face with the Holy Prophet(sa) on the Day of Judgment? Do they not wish to see the triumph and glory of Islam? If so, why do you seethe at the time of Islam’s victory just because it establishes the truth of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as)? He has not done you any such wrong that you should allow yourself to tolerate the abuse of both Islam and the Holy Prophet(sa) out of enmity to him. Know that God is true to His promise. The sun has risen. Darkness will now dwell in derelict buildings, tight hollows and caves. Think not that the efforts of anyone can destroy or bring harm to this community. Its truthfulness will most certainly spread and be broadcast throughout all the countries of the world. Recognise this moment and have mercy on Islam. Rather, have mercy on your souls, and hasten to accept the truth which promises to raise your honour and to deliver victory to Islam over the other religions of the world through irrefutable proofs and arguments.

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With Humility,
Mirza Mahmud Ahmad
Khalifatul-Masih II
Qadian Darul-Aman, District Gurdaspur
12 May 1917