Companions of the Promised Messiah and their love for the Holy Prophet: In light of their dreams and visions

Jazib Mehmood, Student, Jamia Ahmadiyya Ghana

As pious pioneer Ahmadi Muslims, the companions of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^as were true to their pledge of allegiance to the Holy Prophet^sa and the Promised Messiah^as, and are therefore shining examples of the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah^as and a source of great inspiration.

A tree is recognised by its fruit. If the Promised Messiah^as was not truthful in his claim, these pious personalities – some of whom even had many disciples themselves before bai‘at to Hazrat Ahmad^as – did not need to accept him, let alone lay down their lives for him.

Through the Promised Messiah^as the love of these pioneering Ahmadis for the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa grew immensely. It is therefore not surprising that Allah Almighty accepted this love and granted them the honour of spending time in the presence of the Holy Prophet^sa in their dreams and visions.

It should also be clear that not all conversations and meetings are made public to the world. But as a way of showing gratitude to Allah Almighty for His blessings, and to inspire a similar change in the generations that followed, these companions related some instances of their meetings.

Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddin^ra – Khalifatul Masih I

He was the closest companion of the Promised Messiah^as, and as such often met and conversed with the Holy Prophet^sa. He stated that before he accepted the Promised Messiah^as he would often see the Holy Prophet^sa in his dreams. However, after accepting him, he began to meet the Holy Prophet^sa even whilst awake. This was only due to accepting the Imam of the Age. (Hayat-e-Nur, p. 194)

He states a dream he had in these words:

“I saw the Holy Prophet^sa in a dream. He had carried me on his back like one carries a water skin. He then whispered in my ear that, ‘You are our beloved.’” (Hayat-e-Nur, pp. 519–520)

Another dream he recalled was:

“I once dreamed that in front of this temple there was a shop selling flour, salt, oil and so on. There, on a wooden stool, sat the Holy Prophet^sa. When I passed by, he said, ‘Take flour from us.’ So, he weighed the flour on a wooden scale that was apparently enough to feed a man. I took it in my lap. When he had put the flour in my lap, he struck the scales hard on the pole so that all the remaining flour would also fall on my lap.

“When I had taken the flour in my lap, I asked the Holy Prophet^sa if he had told Hazrat Abu Hurairah^[ra] something that made him remember his ahadith. He replied, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘Tell me too so that I may remember your ahadith.’ He said, ‘We can whisper it in your ear.’

“I leaned forward and he had just put his mouth to my ear when [in the dream], Khalifa Nuruddin^[ra] [a companion of the Promised Messiah^as] pressed my foot very strongly and said that it was time for prayer. I came to understand that obeying the ahadith was the only way to memorise the ahadith.” (Miraqatul Yaqeen Fi Hayat-e-Nuruddin, p. 173)

Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad^ra – Khalifatul Masih II

His love for the Holy Prophet^sa knew no bounds. He once stated that “I have seen the Holy Prophet^sa and the Promised Messiah^as dozens of times. They often relate the reality of a matter to me and that is exactly how it transpires.” (Al Fazl, 26 September 1933, p. 7; Roya-o-Kushoof Syenda Mahmud, p. 108)

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra relates another dream:

“It was only a few days ago that the Holy Prophet^sa appeared to me in a dream and stated, ‘We see your difficulties and can remove them. However, [you will have to] forbear patiently for one or two (or [Huzoor^sa] said two or three) years.’” (Paigham-e-Sulh Kay Chand Ilzamat Ki Tardeed, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Vol. 3, p. 398; Roya-o-Kushoof Syenda Mahmud, pp. 44–45)

Relating another dream, he writes:

“I saw in my vision that a chair had been laid in this field and someone said that the Holy Prophet^sa was coming. Just then, I saw the Holy Prophet^sa emerging from one side. When I looked to the other side, I saw the Promised Messiah^as also coming and both were facing the chair.

“In my dream, I was terrified that such a terrible mistake had been made; the Holy Prophet^sa was coming and the Promised Messiah^as was also coming, but there was only one chair. I would have got up and ran to get another chair, and no one else came up with the idea. At that moment, my heart began pounding with fear and as they got closer, my anxiety increased until both came close to the chair.

“At that time it occurred to me that now the Promised Messiah^as may retreat, but the Promised Messiah^as did not retreat and the Holy Prophet^sa also moved forward. At that moment I knew that my heart would stop beating [with trepidation] but after a while, I saw that both of them tried to sit on the chair with their bodies slightly crooked. Then their torsos began to fuse with each other, and when they sat down on the chair, not two but one being appeared.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 8, pp. 527–528, Roya-o-Kushoof Syenda Mahmud, pp. 216–217)

Hazrat Maulana Ghulam Rasool Rajeki^ra

He was a very spiritual man and his memoir, Hayat-e-Qudsi, relates his spiritual experiences throughout his life. Even before accepting the Promised Messiah^as he had met the Holy Prophet^sa at least three times. In Hayat-e-Qudsi he writes of at least eight instances where he met the Holy Prophet^sa. 

He writes:

“I was in Qadian in those days when I saw a dream. Someone was saying that the Holy Prophet^sa had come to Qadian. I asked him, ‘Where then is our Imam, the Promised Messiah^[as]?’ He replied that he had gone to Arabia.

“I then inquired from the person, ‘Where is the Holy Prophet^sa?’ The person, who was in fact an angel, took me with him to the clinic of Hazrat Maulvi Nuruddin Sahib Khalifatul Masih I^ra, where I looked in and found the Holy Prophet^sa seated on a mat. He resembled Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I, Maulana Nuruddin Sahib^ra. At the time a companion of the Holy Prophet^sa was seated near him who resembled Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib^ra.

“When this humble one saw the Holy Prophet^sa, he raised the slogan, ‘Ya Rasulullah! Ya Rasulullah! [O Prophet of Allah! O Prophet of Allah!],’ out of great emotional love and sat near Huzoor^ra. At the command of the Holy Prophet^sa, his companion wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to me. When I took the paper and read it, I saw that it was from the Holy Prophet^sa and it read, ‘You should recite durood [salutations on the Holy Prophet^sa].’ After this, I woke up.” (Hayat-e-Qudsi, Part II, p. 12)

He relates another dream in the following words:

“Once I saw in a dream the Holy Prophet^sa, the Promised Messiah^as and this humble one standing [together]. At that time, the Holy Prophet^sa was facing East and the Promised Messiah^as was facing West. And this humble one stood facing the North from the two holy figures facing the South and felt great pride at his good fortune and said, with great happiness, ‘How lucky and fortunate are we that we have found the Holy Prophet^sa and the Promised Messiah^as!’

“After [stating] this, the moment I turned to these holy personages, I found that the Holy Prophet’s^sa visage was aflame like the sun and the Promised Messiah’s^as visage was shining like the moon and the Promised Messiah’s^as countenance was glowing from reflecting the light of the Holy Prophet’s^sa countenance. (Hayat-e-Qudsi, Part 4, pp. 184–185)

Hazrat Saeeda Begum^ra

She was a companion of the Promised Messiah^as, the spouse of Hazrat Syed Abdul Sattar Shah^ra who was also a devote companion of the Promised Messiah^as. She was also the maternal grandmother of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV^rh. A dream of hers was related by her husband, Hazrat Syed Abdul-Sattar Shah^ra.

“One day my wife related to me that she had a dream in which she saw the Holy Prophet^sa. He raised his middle and index finger and stated, ‘The Messiah and I are one.’” (Hazrat Dr Syed Abdul-Sattar Shah Sahib^ra, p. 29)

Her son, Hazrat Syed Waliullah Shah Sahib^ra also relates another dream she had in which she saw the Holy Prophet^sa, the Promised Messiah^as and Hazrat Amma Jan^ra [the blessed wife of the Promised Messiah^as]. The Holy Prophet^sa pointed to Hazrat Amma Jan^ra and said, “This is the wife of the Promised Messiah^as. Give her the gold necklace around your neck.” Per this divine instruction, she sent her necklace to Hazrat Amma Jan^as the next day. (Hazrat Syed Waliullah Shah Sahib^ra, p. 99)

Hazrat Syed Waliullah Shah^ra

His father was Hazrat Syed Abdul Sattar Shah Sahib^ra. He also wrote a detailed commentary of Sahih al-Bukhari. He was merely seven or eight years old when he had this dream:

“I saw in a dream that someone came to the house and informed [us] that the Holy Prophet^sa is coming. Therefore, we rushed outside to receive him. I saw that at the eastern wall of the clinic, the Holy Prophet^sa was seated on a bull cart.

“As far as I can remember, he was wearing a green turban and he had a grand face. His colour was also light brown. His beard was also white, and the sun was out. He said to me, ‘I have come to teach you the Holy Quran.’” (Hazrat Dr Syed Abdul-Sattar Shah Sahib^ra, p. 8)

Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Hussain^ra

He was one of the last companions of the Promised Messiah^as still alive during the time of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV^rh. He narrates his dream in his memoir in these words:

“I was standing in a field and a rider was coming on a huge horse that was stunningly beautiful and red. The Promised Messiah^as and Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra were following this horse on foot. The horse came and stood in front of me.

“The Holy Prophet^sa was riding on this horse. I do not think there is a horse as big and beautiful like that one in this world. The Holy Prophet^sa had a gold and silver crown on his head and was wearing a very striking garment. The horse was so powerful that the Holy Prophet^sa held it tightly with both hands and reined the horse.

“I was so excited to see this scene that I exclaimed, ‘O Noble Master^[sa], this crown must get hot when the sun shines on it. If you attach wings to me, I will fly and come between the sun and the moon, and with my wings, I will bring air to the Holy Prophet^sa and provide shade.’

“I had barely said this that my arms became big wings and I made a slight gesture with my feet and flew into the air exactly where I wished. When the wind from my wings reached him, he raised his head and looked at me. I was also looking at his countenance.

“His face was very handsome and he was looking at me and smiling as if expressing happiness. At that time, I was determined that wherever this horse will go, I will fly over it with them and I will keep my shadow on them and I will deliver cool air besides providing shade from the wings. My heart was so happy after doing this service that my eyes opened at the same time.” (Meri Yadain, p. 239)

Hazrat Syed Ahmad Noor Kabuli^ra

Originally from Kabul, Afghanistan, he had the honour of staying in close quarters to the Promised Messiah^as for an extended period and of being a student of Hazrat Sahibzada Abdul Latif^ra Shaheed as well. He relates many accounts of meeting the Holy Prophet^sa in his dreams. He writes:

“Once I saw that I was in a room and the Holy Prophet^sa and the Promised Messiah^as were waiting in it for salat. After a short while, I arrived. I asked them, ‘Is it time for prayer?’ They both replied, ‘We were just waiting for you; call the Azan [call for prayer].’ So I became their muezzin [caller to prayer] and called the Azan. Then, I awoke.” (The Martyr, p. 64)

He also relates another dream he had:

“I saw that I was tightly hugging the Holy Prophet^sa. Sometimes I would see that I am embracing the Holy Prophet^sa and other times I felt it was the Promised Messiah^as.

“A few bottles of honey were brought to the Holy Prophet^sa and he started to open them. I offered to open them for him but the Holy Prophet^sa said that he would open them. So, the Holy Prophet^sa opened them and drank some honey, and I drank some of it as well. My eyes then opened after tasting its sweetness.” (Ibid.)

Dreams specifically testifying to the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah^as

As one might observe from the various dreams presented above, there are many instances in these dreams where one sees the close relationship of the Promised Messiah^as and the Holy Prophet^sa.

While this points to the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah^as, there are also specific dreams on the companions in which the Holy Prophet^sa told them of the truthful claim of the Promised Messiah^as. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^aa has previously presented many examples of such dreams. Some examples are presented below. 

Hazrat Mian Abdul Rasheed^ra narrates, “I saw the Holy Prophet^sa in a dream that Huzoor^[sa] was lying on a bed and was very ill. The Promised Messiah^as was standing beside him like one who visits a sick person. The Holy Prophet^sa, leaning on his shoulder, got up from the bed.

“After this, the Holy Prophet^sa – in his condition – started giving a lecture about the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah^as. Thereafter, I saw in the dream that the Holy Prophet^sa has recovered completely and his countenance is glowing. From this, I deduced that now Islam will be revived through Hazrat Sahib (i.e. the Promised Messiah^as).” (Register Rawayat Sahaba Hazrat Masih-e-Maud^as, Register No. 11, p. 28; Khutbat-e-Masroor Vol. 10, p. 797)

Hazrat Hafiz Ibrahim^ra narrates that he once saw the Holy Prophet^sa coming to him in a dream. He asked the Holy Prophet^sa, “Huzoor! Mirza Sahib^[as] has claimed to be the Messiah and Mahdi of this time – is he true in his claim?” The Holy Prophet^sa replied, “Yes, he is true.” I said, “Huzoor! Please, swear it.” He said, “I do not need to swear. I am the Amin [trustee] in the heavens and the earth.” (Register Rawayat Sahaba Hazrat Masih-e-Maud^as, Register No. 11, p. 28; Khutbat-e-Masroor Vol. 9, p. 169)

Before swearing allegiance to the Promised Messiah^as, Hazrat Sardar Karam Dad Khan^ra saw in a vision that the Holy Prophet^sa and Promised Messiah^as were walking together and Hazrat Karam Dad Khan^ra was arriving in front of them. The Holy Prophet^sa addressed him and pointing with his finger [towards the Promised Messiah^as] said, ‘He is from Allah; he is from Allah.’ The Holy Prophet^sa said this three times. (Register Rawayat Sahaba Hazrat Masih-e-Maud^as, Register No. 11, p. 28; Khutbat-e-Masroor Vol. 10, p. 748)

These incidents may have occurred during the time of the Promised Messiah^as but this does not mean such incidents do not occur now. Allah Almighty still guides people to the Jamaat of the Promised Messiah^as through visions and dreams. (For further details on this subject, see Jamaat Ahmadiyya Main Qiyam-e-Khilafat Kay Baray Main Ilhamat, Kushoof-o-Roya, Aur Ilahi Isharay)

A method to see the Holy Prophet^sa in dreams

To conclude, I would like to present an incident that might interest curious readers. After all, when reading about the accounts of such pious individuals, one is instinctively inspired to follow their ways. The question of how to see the Holy Prophet^sa in dreams was once answered by the Promised Messiah^as.

Hazrat Mian Sohnay Khan^ra wrote to the Promised Messiah^as, asking him which Quranic prayer or durood one should recite if one wished to see the Holy Prophet^sa in dreams.

The Promised Messiah^as replied that the condition for seeing the Holy Prophet^sa was to establish his love in your heart and forsake the love of all other ties when you recite durood.

Hazrat Sohnay Sahib^ra accordingly began to recite durood earnestly. A few days later, he had a dream in which he saw the Promised Messiah^as take him by the hand to the court of the Holy Prophet^sa.The Holy Prophet^sa was seated on a throne and people were standing by in queues.

Addressing the Holy Prophet^sa, the Promised Messiah^as stated that he had made good arrangements for Sohnay Sahib^ra to which the Holy Prophet^sa responded that he had accepted them. Then, the Promised Messiah^as sought permission and left. Sohnay Sahib^ra states that he also saw some departed holy persons in the dream, all of whom had acknowledged the Mahdi and said they had taken his bai‘at. (Register Rawayat Sahaba, Vol. 12, pp. 195–199; Khutbat-e-Masroor, Vol. 11, pp. 19–21)