8-14 May

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

8 May 1891: The Promised Messiah^as wrote a letter to Hazrat Pir Siraj-ul-Haq Numani^ra mentioning that his book Izala-e-Auham was being published and that he would stay in Ludhiana for the next couple of months.

8 May 1893: The Promised Messiah^as wrote a thorough notification detailing the background of events which led to the decisive debate with the Christian camp under the title of Jang-e-Muqaddas. This announcement for the general public probably carried for the first time the name of the community as “Firqa-e-Ahmadiyya”.

8 May 1893: Riaz-e-Hind Press Amritsar published an Urdu book of the Promised Messiah^as, Hujjat-ul-Islam (Proof of Islam). In it, the whole correspondence that passed between the Promised Messiah^as and Dr Clark is published. In this book, the Promised Messiah^as also narrated one of his visions about Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi, that the Maulvi would withdraw from his writ of blasphemy issued against him. This prophecy came true when the Maulvi did come forward to join in mubahala (prayer duel) against the Promised Messiah^as, to which all Muslim scholars were invited. The second time it came true was when, in the era of the first Khilafat, in a sworn statement in a Gujranwala Court, Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddin^ra said that Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi acknowledged that the followers of the Promised Messiah^as belonged to a sect of Islam.

8 May 1898: The Promised Messiah^as informed his zealous companion Hazrat Haji Seith Allah Rakha Abdur Rahman^ra, through a short letter that he had received 100 rupees.

9 May 1891: The Promised Messiah^as sent a letter to Maulvi Muhammad Hussain of Batala about a proposed debate. Hazrat Ahmad^as highlighted the fact that Huzoor’s claim of being the Messiah was directly linked to the death of the Jesus Christ. If Maulvi Sahib had proven the life of Jesus Christ through concrete arguments from the Holy Quran, then, he stipulated, Huzoor’s entitlement of Messiah would become idle at once.

9 May 1904: The Promised Messiah^as was in Gurdaspur, where two Hindu chiefs, hailing from Dinanagar, called on him. Hazrat Ahmad^as was sitting under the shadow of some trees when these noble guests approached him and showed their respect and reverence for Huzoor^as. They shared their increasing fears and high concerns about the ongoing scale of the plague with Huzoor^as, aside from asking various question.

10 May 1885: The Promised Messiah^as wrote an answer to a question of Mr Ram Charan, who happened to be a member of the Arya Samaj chapter of Akbarabad. This insightful and astute piece was published through a Akhbar Aam’s issue of this date. Hazrat Ahmad^as briefed this person about the philosophy of the creation of Satan and widespread sins in the world.

10 May 1888: The Promised Messiah^as wrote a letter to Mirza Ahmad Baig about a certain matter of his private life, but Mirza Nizamuddin got it published in a newspaper, Nur Afshaan, a staunch representative of Christians in those times. Hence the matter took another shape.

10 May 1897: Mr Husain Kami, Vice-Consul of Turkey, came to Qadian on this date and met the Promised Messiah^as. He had a private interview with Huzoor^as and requested him to make a particular supplication for the Sultan of Turkey and also desired to know what was destined for him in future in the heavenly decree. Hazrat Ahmad^as told him in very clear words, “The government of the Sultan is not in a good position and through my vision, I do not find his advisors to be in a good position either.” Huzoor^as added that in his belief, the consequences would not be good.

11 May 1887: The Promised Messiah^as wrote a letter to Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddin^ra. Aside from mentioning the local weather of Qadian and other matters of common interest in the letter e.g. the propagation of Islam, Hazrat Ahmad^as shared his knowledge about the local fruits of Kashmir, as Hazrat Maulvi Sahib^ra was residing in Kashmir in those months.

11 May 1887: The Promised Messiah^as wrote a touching letter to his devout companion, Hazrat Munshi Rustam Ali^ra sharing his adamant and humble efforts about the installation of a printing facility in Qadian to smoothly publish the treasure troves without unnecessary delays. Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfani^ra, compiler of these letters, added a brief history of the printing press installed in Qadian.

11 May 1888: The Promised Messiah^as went to Batala for medical treatment of his ailing son, Bashir Awal [the first]. It was 28 Shaban of the Islamic calendar, and so Hazrat Ahmad^as indicated in his letter that he might have to spend the coming month of Ramadan in the residence of Nabi Bakhsh Zeldar situated near the entrance of Batala.

11 May 1889: The Promised Messiah^as wrote a detailed letter to Hazrat Munshi Zafar Ahmad^ra, an ardent follower and admirer from Kapurthala. In it, Hazrat Ahmad^as guided him about the realm of spirituality and worshipping. Huzoor^as showed him diverse avenues to gain the personal love and bounties of Allah. This companion mentioned that he was shown Hazrat Umar^ra, the second Khalifa of the Prophet Muhammad^sa, in a dream. Faith inspiringly, this dream’s interpretation was manifested twice. Firstly, when he accepted and joined the Promised Messiah^as because God informed Huzoor^as in a revelation, “You have the essence of Faruq”, and secondly, when Hazrat Munshi Sahib^ra witnessed the blessed era of the second caliph of the Promised Messiah^as, Musleh-e-Maud, who was also called Fazl-e-Umar in revelation.

11 May 1897: The Promised Messiah^as wrote a letter to Hazrat Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan^ra updating him about the construction of a portion of his house in Qadian.

11 May 1897: The Promised Messiah^as wrote a letter to Hazrat Mian Abdullah Sanauri^ra. In it, Hazrat Ahmad^as directed him to pray fervently for the ease in a situation he was facing and perform istikhara, asking divine help and guidance for the matters of importance.

12 May 1888: The Promised Messiah^as sent another letter to Hazrat Munshi Rustam Ali^ra from Batala, updating him about the health of his ailing son Bashir. In this letter, Hazrat Ahmad^as also graciously praised the poetic sense of Hazrat Munshi Sahib as he had sent some of his poetic compositions to his master.

12 May 1896: The Promised Messiah^as wrote a caring letter to Hazrat Mian Abdullah Sanauri^ra about the treatment of his ailing maternal cousin Mian Abdur Rahman Sahib. Hazrat Ahmad^as showed great concern for this sickened ailing gentleman and indicated to utilise the prescriptions of his late father, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Murtaza, who happened to be an accomplished and skilled physician of his time.

12 May 1898: The Promised Messiah^as wrote a letter to Hazrat Munshi Rustam Ali^ra. In it, Hazrat Ahmad^as expressed his surprise that one of his own hand-written postcards could not reach its destination. Moreover, Huzoor^as encouraged him to increase his faith regarding the acceptance of prayers, indicating a recent event experienced by the Munshi Sahib.

12 May 1905: The Promised Messiah^as wrote a letter to Hazrat Haji Seith Allah Rakha Abdur Rahman^ra. In it, Hazrat Ahmad^as shared that he intended to remain in a temporary settlement arranged in a nearby garden for the coming few weeks, owing to the pandemic of plague and the earthquake.

14 May 1887: The Promised Messiah^as wrote a letter to Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim^ra of Sialkot. Hazrat Ahmad^as addressed him in the letter with his previous name of Mian Karim Bakhsh, which was later changed by the Promised Messiah^as as Abdul Karim.