Rouba Alzaid, Teacher, Ahmadiyya Elementary School, Canada
The Arabic language is one of the world’s oldest, richest, and most expressive languages. Recognised for its profound impact on culture, literature, and spirituality, Arabic unites diverse communities across the globe.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, highlighted the miraculous nature of the Arabic language through his divinely inspired writings. He demonstrated its unmatched eloquence, flexibility, and capacity to express deep spiritual truths. His works testify to Arabic’s divine origins and role as a medium for conveying universal messages. His miraculous knowledge of the Arabic language serves as a timeless legacy and of great significance.
Growing up as a native Arabic speaker, I always had a deep love and admiration for the language. From an early age, I studied its rich sections – grammar, poetry, prose and classical literature. Writing and reading in Arabic became my passion, and over time, I earned some awards at school for my skills. Arabic, for me, was not just a language but also a reflection of beauty, rhythm, and eloquence.
When I first began reading the Arabic works of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, I was profoundly amazed. He authored over 80 books in various languages, including around 20 in Arabic, displaying not only his unparalleled mastery of the language but also his deep understanding of spiritual and religious truths. His writings touched my heart in ways I had never experienced before. The smooth flow of his words, their inherent rhyme, and the beauty of his sentences transported me to another world – one filled with light, wisdom, and purpose.
Through his works, I found answers to the deepest questions about life and its meaning. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’sas words had a magical quality, reviving my soul and allowing me to fall in love with life itself. He painted a beautiful and loving picture of God – a Merciful, Compassionate, and Gentle Creator. This was very different from what I had learnt about God in my early years. We learnt Quranic verses and Hadith by heart back then, and we often heard terrible descriptions of God, inducing images of punishment, torture in hell, and terrifying consequences. There was little allusion to the kindness and love of God Almighty.
However, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’sas writings opened my eyes to a new reality – a paradise of understanding. I began to comprehend why so many believers were willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of God Almighty.
His illustration of Islam as a compassionate and peaceful faith inspired me to openly embrace all people, regardless of their background or religious beliefs. This ability to genuinely love others is not easily awakened in the heart, but Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’sas words ignited this light within me.
Through his works, I realized the power of reviving souls, a divine task beautifully mentioned in the Holy Quran:
وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا ۚ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ
“…and whoso gave life to one, it shall be as if he had given life to all mankind. And Our Messengers came to them with clear Signs…” (Surah al-Ma’idah, Ch. 5, V.33)
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’sas writings revived my soul, connected me deeply with God, and showed me that peace, love, and unity are at the heart of Islam.
Through his books, he challenges all the great minds and geniuses of the Arabic language combined. This ability is a blessing and empowerment from God that no human can replicate.
One of the most remarkable books I have read is his book titled Al-Khutbah al-Ilhamiyyah (The Revealed Sermon), which could only have been inspired by God Almighty, His tongue flowed with a divine stream of holy words, leaving no doubt in our hearts about their truth.
Allah does not leave people confused or at a crossroads about such a vital matter. He guides us to this level of faith, saying: Use your intellectual abilities and see what you find! (Surah Sad, Ch.38, V.29)
Allah takes your hand and leads you along a one-way path directly to Him. Meanwhile, the evil one is the only force trying to lead you astray from this straight path.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, asserted that Arabic is the mother of all languages, a claim supported by the Holy Quran. He argued that Arabic possesses the most comprehensive root system and linguistic structure, making it the foundation of other languages. Its depth, flexibility, and richness enable it to convey the most profound truths and divine messages.
I had to reread his books repeatedly to grasp their meanings, despite my extensive knowledge and reading of Arab and foreign writers, newspapers, magazines and poetry, including the seven Mu’allaqat – a compilation of seven long pre-Islamic Arabic poems. The name means “The Suspended Odes” or “The Hanging Poems”; they were named so because these poems were hung in the Ka‘bah in Mecca, The Mu’allaqat are considered the primary source for early written Arabic poetry to many scholars they represent the most sophisticated poetic production in the history of Arabic letters. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiahas, wrote even more beautiful poems than the Muʻallaqat.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’sas use of the poetic seas
The term “16 seas” in Arabic poetry refers to the 16 “Bihar” (plural of Bahr – sea), which are the metrical patterns or rhythms used in classical Arabic poetry. Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad Al-Farahidi, a renowned Arab philologist and grammarian, codified these in the 8th century. Each Bahr (sea) is characterised by a specific combination of long and short syllables, providing a rhythmic structure to poetry. For example, here I mentioned four Seas in Arabic Poetry:
1. Al-Tawil: The long sea
2. Al-Bassit: The simple sea
3. Al-Kamil: The complete sea
4. Al-Wafir: The rich sea
The Promised Messiahas composed many Arabic poems following these classical metrical patterns, showing his mastery of the Arabic language and poetic rhythm. He adhered strictly to the metrical rules of the “16 seas”, ensuring that his poetry conformed to this adherence was significant because Arabic poetry was not a common practice in the Indian subcontinent, especially for non-native speakers.
His poetry reflects the old Arabic beauty and linguistic clarity. His poems, such as al-Qasidah, display both proficiency in technique and profound knowledge, and they are full of spiritual topics and deep reflections on Divine wisdom.
One of the many proofs of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas being the Promised Messiah, which personally impacted me and led me to recognise his truthfulness, is the fulfillment of the hadith regarding him. The Holy Prophetsa said:
“Mahdi is one of us, the people of the Household. Allah will rectify him in a single night.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 4085)
An example of how God helped Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas in Arabic: Once, while the Promised Messiahas was writing an Arabic book, he sought a specific word to express the silence caused by anxiety or sadness. Deep in thought, he pondered over the perfect expression. Suddenly, as if divinely inspired, the Arabic word الوجوم (al-Wujoom) appeared before him on the paper. It was exactly the word he needed, perfectly capturing the intended meaning. In English, الوجوم translates to “gloomy”, reflecting a state of silence or sorrow. This remarkable incident gives us an example of how God Almighty supported him with his Arabic language. (Nuzul-ul-Masih, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 18, p. 435)
In Addition, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas perfectly and beautifully used rhetoric. In the Arabic language, rhetoric, known as البلاغة (al-Balaaghah), is the art of conveying messages in a manner that is both persuasive and impactful. It combines eloquence, clarity, and beauty to evoke emotions, inspire action, and communicate profound ideas effectively.
One of Arabic’s most refined rhetorical devices is Saj‘ (سجع), a form of rhymed prose. Saj‘ is characterized by its rhythmic cadence, end rhyme, and accent-based meter, making it highly musical and captivating to the listener.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas effectively used Saj‘. His writings are filled with great words that combine the melody of language with deep spiritual truths. He created beautifully flowing lines with rhymes and well-balanced structures using Saj‘. He demonstrated how Arabic rhetoric could unite beauty and depth to guide hearts toward truth and faith.
In conclusion, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas used this beautiful Arabic grammar magnificently in all his works. How could someone doubt his amazing Arabic language?
Every day, I discover countless profound truths in his writings. In fact, I do not need external evidence to believe in him – the love of understanding him, peace be upon him, is what drives me. My inner voice declares he cannot be an ordinary person – no! He must be the divine messenger humanity has been waiting for. He remains “alive” among us through his spiritual successors, may God be pleased with them and bless them. His fifth Khalifa, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, is a shining example of this legacy.