In this third year of Al Hakam, we will present a selection of incidents from the blessed life of the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, this time, with some more details
11 December 1894: On this day, the Promised Messiahas wrote in his notebook of revelations:
“I have seen a dream just now that Hamid Ali enters my room and in his hands are two shanks of a goat that have been skinned.
“So we entrust our affair with Allah and seek from Him goodness and welfare. O Allah, forgive our sins and safeguard us from every calamity and safeguard us from the humiliation of this world and the Hereafter.” (Tadhkirah [English translation], p. 345)
12 December 1883: On this day, the Promised Messiahas wrote a letter to Mir Abbas Ali Sahib of Ludhiana in which he mentioned revelations he recently received in the English and Hebrew languages. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 1, p. 583)
12 December 1887: The Promised Messiahas wrote to Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira that as per his reminder, he had prayed for Sundar Das and further stated that the acceptance of prayers rests in God’s hands alone. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, p. 528)
12 December 1898: The Promised Messiahas replied to a letter he received from Hazrat Haji Seith Allah Rakha Abdur Rahmanra. In the letter, Huzooras informed him that he was fervently praying for him. Huzooras stated that the manner in which he was praying for him resembled the manner in which a beggar, upon knocking at someone’s door, says to himself, “Until I do not receive anything, I shall remain here and not leave.” (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, p. 382)
13 December 1900: On this day, the Promised Messiahas wrote that he received the following revelation:
لاہور میں ہمارے پاک ممبر موجود ہیں ان کو اطلاع دی جاوے۔ نظیف مٹی کے ہیں۔ وسوسہ نہیں رہے گا مگر مٹی رہے گی ۔۔۔۔۔ اَنا اللہ ذوالمنن، انی مع الرسول اقوم۔
“There are our pure members in Lahore. They should be informed. They are made of fine clay. Doubt will be removed but the clay will remain … I am Allah the Bountiful. I shall certainly stand with My Messenger.” (Al Hakam, Vol. 4, no. 45, 17 December 1900, p. 2)
13 December 1900: On this day, before the Asr prayer, a Hindu trader met with the Promised Messiahas and paid his respects to him. He stated that he was a trader in Amritsar and the clothes prepared from his shop were sold and distributed in this area. He added that he had come to collect money from some buyers. He further said that his brother instructed him to meet with Hazrat Ahmadas. (Malfuzat, Vol. 2, p. 574)
14 December 1884: The Promised Messiahas wrote a letter to Hazrat Mian Abdullah Sanaurira in which he stated that he was still feeling unwell and expressed that even writing a reply to a letter proved to be difficult. Huzooras instructed Hazrat Mian Abdullah Sanaurira to convey his salam to Hafiz Rahmat Sahib. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 3, p. 195)
14 December 1885: On this day, the Promised Messiahas replied to a letter he received from Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira. In the letter, Huzooras commented upon Munshi Sahib’s dream and mentioned that it is written in a hadith that a dream which pleases one’s heart is from Rahman (the Gracious God) and a dream which saddens and causes grief to settle in the heart is from Satan. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, p. 466)
14 December 1887: On this day, the Promised Messiahas replied to a letter he received from Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira in which he expressed his concern for Sundar Das’ health. Huzooras then prayed for him. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, p. 529)
14 December 1890: The Promised Messiahas wrote a letter to Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra in which he stated that he had recently come to learn that a very pious, pure hearted and truthful person was under a huge debt and had no one to seek help from. Huzooras, referring to Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra, stated that he should offer him help as he possessed great passion for serving in the way of Allah. Huzooras stated that if he wished to collect money with the help of others, including himself, then he could do so. Huzooras stated that if others came to help, then the burden would not be heavy and someone’s problem would be solved.
Huzooras, towards the end, wrote:
“I have heard that the Freemasons are extremely compassionate for its members when it comes to paying off someone’s debt. So should this pious group of Muslims [Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya] be less compassionate than the Freemasons, who are a group of heretics and atheists?” (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol.2, p. 95)
14 December 1895: The Promised Messiahas replied to a letter he received from Hazrat Nawab Muhammad Ali Khanra. In the letter, Huzooras said, “May Allah enable you to progress in attaining His love and draw you towards His eternal wealth which never ceases to exist … I have a warm place for you in my heart and I desire to see your spiritual progress with my very own eyes.” (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, p. 211)
14 December 1902: On this day, the Promised Messiahas was in Qadian and it is reported that there were some guests in town, some from Lahore and some who had travelled all the way from Burma, to seek blessings from the company of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas. (Malfuzat [Urdu], Vol. 2, p. 574)
15 December 1893: The Promised Messiahas informed Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira through a letter that he had recently arrived back home following a month’s travel. Huzooras added that he should inform him of his wellbeing. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, p. 597)
15 December 1900: The Promised Messiahas wrote and published a lengthy announcement in which he invited Pir Mehar Ali Shah to write a commentary of Surah al-Fatihah. (Majmua-e-Ishtiharat, Vol. 3, p. 147)
15 December 1900: The Promised Messiahas published an ishtihar (announcement) for hypocritical individuals. In this detailed announcement, the Promised Messiahas provided people the option for a full refund of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya and responded to an allegation raised against him that he was hoarding and accumulating peoples’ wealth. (Majmua-e-Ishtiharat, Vol. 3, p. 152)
15 December 1900: The Promised Messiahas published an announcement titled Islam’s Dire Need For a Spiritual Defence. In this heartfelt announcement, Huzooras addressed the Muslims and drew their attention towards the internal and external threats Islam was facing. (Majmua-e-Ishtiharat, Vol. 3, p. 162)
16 December 1887: On this day, the Promised Messiahas wrote a letter to Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira in which he stated that his son, Bashir Awal (the first), was in a critical condition. Huzooras requested him to send two annas’ worth of betel leaves as they were used to form and prepare a type of medicine. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, p. 529)
16 December 1892: On this day, the Promised Messiahas composed a letter to Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira in which he expressed is condolences on the loss of his nephew. Huzooras further stated that Jalsa Salana 1892 was drawing closer and expressed that his attendance was necessary. Huzooras informed him to make arrangements for a few carpets and have them sent well before in time. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, p. 590)
16 December 1893: The Promised Messiahas notified Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira via a letter that his wife, the mother of Bashirra and Mahmudra, travelled to Firozpur to visit her respected father. Whilst there, Bashirra fell ill. Huzooras states that upon this, he also went and remained there for almost 25 days.
Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira, who compiled Maktubat-e-Ahmad, noted at the bottom of this letter that Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra, under the instructions of the Promised Messiahas, wrote this letter as he was managing the letters at that time. He said that this was the first time the name “Mirza” was used at the end of a letter. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, p. 597)
16 December 1902: Abu Saeed Sahib was a famous Arab merchant and traveller of his time. He spent a considerable amount of time in the Indian subcontinent and its adjacent states and countries like Myanmar. On this day, Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim Sialkotira introduced him to the Promised Messiahas as he travelled all the way to Qadian to meet the Messiah. This person was very impressed after reading the book of the Promised Messiahas, Aina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam (Reflecting the Excellences of Islam), which removed his core misconceptions. He shared his interesting and faith-inspiring personal experiences.
On one occasion, he presented Huzoor’sas photo to a Chinese gentleman. Upon seeing the photo, the gentlemen stared at the photo for quite a while and stated that this man was not a liar. He then showed him a few more photos of kings and sovereigns; however, he expressed no words of praise for them and looking at the Promised Messiah’sas photo, repeatedly said that this man was not a liar. (Malfuzat [Urdu], Vol. 2, p. 578)
17 December 1892: Alluding to an edict issued by Maulvi Rahim Bakhsh of Lahore, the Promised Messiahas published an ishtihar (announcement), titled, A Sign of the Day of Resurrection. In this announcement, the Promised Messiahas responded to allegations raised by maulvis who said that the Jalsa Salana was an innovation. (Majmua-e-Ishtiharat, Vol. 1, p. 372)
17 December 1899: On the fulfilment of a grand prophecy, the Promised Messiahas published an ishtihar. Along with other important matters, the Promised Messiahas mentioned that some opponents, such as Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi, raised objections against a revelation he received in Arabic that the usage of the “lam” in the revelation:
اتعجب لامری
“Do you wonder at My command?” was wrong and therefore concluded that the revelation was not from God.
In the announcement, the Promised Messiahas explained and provided many examples from Arabic literature and the ahadith in which “lam” was used in a similar way and thus exposed their flawed knowledge on the matter. (Majmua-e-Ishtiharat, Vol. 2, p. 579)