8 March 1885: The Promised Messiahas made a historic and long-anticipated announcement regarding his divine mission, saying that he had been divinely commissioned and chosen for the reformation of mankind.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas forwarded this important announcement to various renowned religious leaders across the world along with an invitation in English offering the recipients free accommodation in Qadian with two hundred rupees per month for personal use for an entire year.
This was sent through a registered courier to almost all famous Christian clergymen and Hindu religious hierarchy. At that time, the cost of each registered letter in the Indian subcontinent was 4 annas (a unit of currency formerly used in India and Pakistan, equal to 1/16 of a rupee).
8 March 1903: The Promised Messiah’sas Urdu book Sanatan Dharam (The Sanatan Faith) was released from Zia-ul-Islam Press, Qadian. The Promised Messiahas had just finished writing his book Nasim-e-Dawat, when the need arose for writing another book, so he penned this work. In it, Hazrat Ahmadas fully exposed the vulgar teaching of niyog (ancient Hindu tradition in which a woman requests and appoints a man to help her conceive a child) and how the Arya Samaj practiced it.
Hazrat Ahmadas then praised the followers of Sanatan Dharam for their courage in rejecting such a vulgar teaching. With the exception of a few drawbacks, Huzooras said, the followers of Sanatan Dharam were a thousand times better than the Arya Samaj. The Promised Messiahas specially complimented them for not raising absurd and meaningless objections against Islam. Some of them were humble people and they were not as cunning as the Arya Samaj.
These books created a great stir among Arya Samajists and an interest among the followers of Sanatan Dharam. After a few months, both books were translated into English and copies of the English version were distributed free of cost.
9 March 1897: A two-page announcement was published from Zia-ul-Islam Press in which the Promised Messiahas stated that the 25th year of receiving divine revelations had dawned upon him. This phrase indicates that revelations started descending upon him from around 1872.
9 March 1907: Dr John Alexander Dowie was an American who proclaimed that God had sent him in the “spirit and power of Elijah”. He set out to spread Christianity, whilst also stating that he intended to wipe out Islam. He made insulting remarks about the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, and hurled invective at Hazrat Ahmadas. When Hazrat Ahmadas came to know of this, he challenged him to a prayer duel.
“The best way to determine whether Dowie’s God is true or ours, is that Mr Dowie should stop making prophecies about the destruction of all Muslims. Instead, he should keep me alone in his mind and pray that if one of us is fabricating a lie, he should die before the other.”
Huzooras further observed:
“If Dowie runs away from this challenge, be sure that a great catastrophe is about to befall on Zion”.
When Dr Dowie was told of this challenge, he arrogantly remarked:
“Can you imagine me answering to these gnats, and flies. If I were to put my foot on them, I could crush them to death.” (Leaves of Healing, 27 December 1903)
In short, on this day, after suffering from paralysis and poor mental health, Dowie died a miserable death, with his friends distanced from him and his fortune dwindled.
10 March 1895: A lunar eclipse occurred in America and other Western countries. This incident happened in the month of Ramadan and the year 1312 AH.
10 March 1907: The paternal grandson of the Promised Messiahas, Hazrat Mirza Aziz Ahmadra, son of Hazrat Mirza Sultan Ahmad, while studying at Aligarh University, took part in a strike against the teachers. The Promised Messiahas was extremely displeased when he heard of it, but eventually forgave his mistake.
10 March 1954: An attempt was made on the life of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra in Masjid Mubarak, Rabwah.
11 March 1886: The Promised Messiahas was residing in Hoshiarpur when he had a religious debate with Master Murli Dhar which lasted until 14 March. This debate was later published in the form of a book, Surma Chashm-e-Arya.
13 March 1903: The foundation stones of Minarat-ul-Masih and Bait-ul-Dua were laid on this day. The Promised Messiahas sent a brick after saying a prayer on it and directed to place it on the western side of the Minaret at the time of laying the foundation.
On the same day, Hazrat Ahmadas expressed the desire to build a small private room for praying in. Thus began the construction of a small room, right beside the small entrance on the western side of Bait-ul-Fikr.
14 March 1914: On this day, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra was elected as Khalifatul Masih II. He was 25 years old at the time. During his Khilafat (1914-1965), the Ahmadiyya Jamaat went from strength to strength, overcoming all obstacles thrown in its path by the opponents.
