12-18 March

In this, the third year of Al Hakam, we will present a selection of incidents from the blessed life of the Promised Messiah^as with some more details

12 March 1897: On this date, the Promised Messiah^as published an announcement about Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, which can be found in Majmua-e-Ishtiharat (Vol. 2, p. 225).

With regard to this announcement, the Promised Messiah^as wrote in his book, Nuzul-ul-Masih:

“Having been informed by God, the All-Knowing and All-Aware, I had disclosed in my announcement of 12 March 1897 that the death of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan KCSI was approaching. I had expressed my regret that I had not had the opportunity of meeting him even once and invited his attention to the announcement saying that this was the substitute for a meeting. One year after the announcement, Syed [Ahmad Khan] died.” (Nuzul-ul-Masih, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 18, pp. 569-570)

12 March 1908: On this date, the Promised Messiah^as saw a dream. He said:

“I saw Imam Hussain twice. On one occasion, I saw a person coming along in the distance and I said, ‘Abu Abdullah Hussain and then I saw him another time.” (Tadhkirah [English], p. 1027)

13 March 1903: The foundation stone of Bait-ul-Dua was laid on this day. Hazrat Ahmad^as expressed the desire to build a small, private room for praying in. Thus began the construction of a small room, right beside the entrance on the western side of Bait-ul-Fikr. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, p. 301) 

Also, on 13 March, the Promised Messiah^as laid the foundation stone for Minarat-ul-Masih. 

On one occasion, the Promised Messiah^as drew a sketch of the minaret on a piece of paper with his own blessed hand, proclaiming that Allah the Almighty had commanded him to build this type of minaret.

On this date, before laying of the foundation of the minaret, the Promised Messiah^as held a brick in his hand and prayed for a significantly long period. He then instructed to place the brick on the western side of the foundation. Hazrat Mir Nasir Nawab^ra was the supervisor of the construction work. 

14 March 1906: On this date, the Promised Messiah^as saw a dream in which the Holy Prophet^sa said to him:

اَنتَ‭ ‬سَلمَانُ‭ ‬وَمِنِّى ‬يَا‭ ‬ذَاالبَرَكَاتِ

“You are Salman and from me, O blessed one.”

The Promised Messiah^as said: 

“This was said by the Holy Prophet, on whom be the peace and blessings of Allah, on one occasion when he put his hand on the shoulder of one of his companions, whose name was Salman and who was a Persian.” (Tadhkirah [English], p. 833) 

15 March 1889: The Promised Messiah^as was in Hoshiarpur on this day. Huzoor^as blessed the marriage ceremony of Sheikh Mehar Ali Sahib’s son with his presence.

Sheikh Mehar Ali Sahib requested the Promised Messiah^as to attend his son’s wedding ceremony. For this, Huzoor^as visited Hoshiarpur as well. This was prior to the first bai‘at.

On this journey, Huzoor^as was accompanied by Hazrat Munshi Abdullah Sanauri^ra, Mir Abbas Ali Sahib of Ludhiana and Hazrat Hafiz Hamid Ali^ra.

In those days, a lecture of Maulvi Mahmud Shah Sahib was to be held. Huzoor^as sent him the bai‘at announcement through Hazrat Munshi Abdullah Sanauri^ra and ask him [Maulvi Mahmud Shah] to read the announcement to all those present, at an appropriate time, during his lecture. Huzoor^as also told him that he would also be in attendance. Upon this, Maulvi Mahmud Shah Sahib promised that he would read out his announcement. 

Hazrat Ahmad^as attended his lecture; however, Maulvi Mahmud Shah Sahib did no fulfil his promise and did not read the announcement. When he saw that people were dispersing, he began to read the announcement. However, by then, many had already gone. Huzoor^as felt grief on this and said that he had come to his lecture considering his promise. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 1, pp. 338-339) 

15 March 1891: The Promised Messiah^as sent a personal letter to Hazrat Mian Muhammad Sanauri^ra while he was in Ludhiana, saying:

“Correspondence work is piling up due to my chronic health condition. If you could come here and assist me for the next two months, it would be very helpful. I am staying at the same residence in Iqbal Ganj of Ludhiana.” 

In those days, Huzoor^as was engaged in a written debate with Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi about his claims and mission. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 3, p. 211)

15 March 1907: The Promised Messiah^as issued an announcement for Muslim clerics and invited them to read his book, Haqiqatul Wahi with deep consideration. (Haqiqatul Wahi, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 22, p. 611)

16 March 1903: Pandit Nand Kishor visited Qadian on this day and had the opportunity to seek blessings from the company of the Promised Messiah^as before Isha prayer. He was a renowned scholar of Sanatan Dharma and a great orator of his age. (Malfuzat, Vol. 3, p. 168)

17 March 1896: Hazrat Ahmad^as wrote a letter to Hazrat Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan^ra in which he mentioned the publishing of his book on linguistics, Minan-ur-Rahman (The Blessings of the Gracious God). Huzoor^as informed him that the press had stopped printing after initial copies. This book – a monument of methodical research about Arabic as the mother of all languages – was published in 1922. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, p. 212)

17 March 1897: The Promised Messiah’s^as Arabic book, Hujjatullah (God’s Final Argument) was printed on this day at Zia-ul-Islam Press, Qadian. In this book, Hazrat Ahmad^as highlighted various signs God had shown in his favour. He also pointed out the error of his Shia opponents. In an eloquent manner, Huzoor^as explained that the Shia beliefs were not right because the Khulafa – Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra, Hazrat Umar^ra and Hazrat Uthman^ra – were also the rightful Khulafa and Hazrat Ali^ra had acknowledged this also.

17 March 1901: The Promised Messiah^as wrote a two-page announcement for the general public warning them about the pandemic of the plague that was claiming lives. This message was to caution the local populace to take precautionary measures to protect themselves. (Majmua-e-Ishtiharat, Vol. 2, p. 182) 

18 March 1891: On this date, the Promised Messiah^as wrote a letter addressed to Sheikh Fateh Muhammad Sahib. In the letter, Huzoor^as stated:

“Perhaps a week ago, I saw you in my dream as if you had enquired of me what you should do and I said to you:

خدا سے ڈر۔ پھر جو چاھے کر

“‘Fear God and then do whatever you wish.’” (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 3, p. 280)