One of the many objections raised against Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas is that if the advent of the Messiah was to take place due to Gog and Magog, then he should have appeared two centuries before them i.e. in the 15th century CE. Referring to Gog and Magog, in the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty states:
وَ تَرَکۡنَا بَعۡضَہُمۡ یَوۡمَئِذٍ یَّمُوۡجُ فِیۡ بَعۡضٍ
“And on that day We shall leave some of them to surge against others.” (Surah al-Kahf, Ch.18: V.100)
The verse indicates that at the time of Gog and Magog, all nations of the world will indulge in religious fights against each other. Nations will wage war against other nations, like waves hit each other and kingdoms will attack other kingdoms.
A similar description is found at another place in the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty states:
حَتّٰۤی اِذَا فُتِحَتۡ یَاۡجُوۡجُ وَ مَاۡجُوۡجُ وَ ہُمۡ مِّنۡ کُلِّ حَدَبٍ یَّنۡسِلُوۡنَ
“It shall be so even when Gog and Magog are let loose and they shall hasten forth from every height and from the top of every wave.” (Surah al-Anbiya, Ch.21: V.97)
The Promised Messiahas states:
“Christians will be dominant in the last age. Conflicts of different kinds will spread through their hands and waves of tribulation will rise from all sides. They will plunge down from every height, i.e. they will show their power, eminence and superiority in every way. They will hold distinction in material strength and dominion as well. Governments and states will become helpless before them. They will also achieve prominence in arts and sciences, so much so that they will invent various types of disciplines and technologies and develop unique and extraordinary industries. They will possess an upper hand in systematic organisation and devising schemes and plans as well. They will show great resoluteness in worldly endeavours and achieving their goals. They will predominate and surpass all others in the efforts and struggles for the propagation of religion and also in civic planning, commerce and agricultural advancements. Hence, they will overpower and rise above every nation in every field. This is the meaning of:
مِّنۡ کُلِّ حَدَبٍ یَّنۡسِلُوۡنَ
“Hadab means high ground and nasal means to run ahead and excel. It implies that they will outclass every nation in every aspect of excellence and superiority. This precisely is the most significant sign of that nation of the latter days which is known as Gog and Magog. It is also the sign of that mischievous group of Christian clergymen who are called the Promised Dajjal. As hadab means elevated ground, it is indicated here that they would achieve all worldly heights, but be deprived of heavenly exaltation. It is evident from this that in fact, this very nation has been named Gog and Magog owing to their national dominance. Among this nation are the people who have made every effort to spread misguidance and therefore, they were known as the great Dajjal.” (Shahadatul Quran, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 6, pp. 361-362)
Earlier scriptures revealed to the Israelite prophets clearly show and in fact, it is specifically mentioned that Gog and Magog refers to the Christian nations of Europe. This statement exists in such books with such clarity that it cannot be denied in any way.
For instance, the rulers of Russia are named Gog in the Bible. Prophet Ezekielas states:
“The word of the Lord came to me, ‘Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshek and Tubal; prophesy against him and say, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshek and Tubal.’” (Ezekiel, 38: 1-3)
Let it be clear that Rosh means Russia, and Meshak [Moscow] and Tubal [Tobolsk] are different regions of Russia as well. The city of Moscow is situated on the banks of the Moskva River and so the city is named Moscow.
Similarly, the city of Tobolsk was named Tobolsk because it is located on the banks of the Tobol River.
Likewise, Prophet Ezekielas says that God said to him:
“I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in safety in the coastlands, and they will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel, 39: 6).
Here, Magog points towards those nations that are settled in European countries as opposed to Russia.
A hadith of Sahih Muslim relates that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon, said:
أَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَى عِيسَى إِنِّي قَدْ أَخْرَجْتُ عِبَادًا لِي لاَ يَدَانِ لأَحَدٍ بِقِتَالِهِمْ فَحَرِّزْ عِبَادِي إِلَى الطُّورِ ۔ وَيَبْعَثُ اللَّهُ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ وَهُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ حَدَبٍ يَنْسِلُونَ۔۔۔
“Allah would send a revelation to [the Promised] Jesusas that, ‘I have brought forth such people, against whom no one has the power to fight; so you take my people safely to the mount Tur. Then Allah would send Gog and Magog and they would hasten forth from every height.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Fitan)
This hadith signifies that no one will have the power to make an outward contest with Gog and Magog. The Promised Messiah will then be instructed to take refuge at mount Tur with his Jamaat, i.e. worship and prayers will be brought to attention, and it is through prayer and heavenly signs that the Jamaat of the Promised Messiah will ideologically conquer these powerful nations and spread its message. On another occasion, the Holy Prophetsa said:
“Gog and Magog will throw their arrows towards the sky.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab alFitan)
This hadith makes it clear that Gog and Magog nations will make great progress in knowledge and space research by working with fire and they will reach different planets by inventing new types of spacecrafts and rockets etc. It is clear from the above mentioned description that Gog and Magog refer to the advanced Western nations of today, particularly Russia and the United States of America. Those who have established their dominance over the whole world by successfully utilising the power of fire and even inventing atom bombs.
Moreover, these ancient names are still used by Western nations and the statues of Gog and Magog fixed at the Guildhall, London, are quite a testimony to this. In 1951, on the occasion of their restoration, the British Prime Minister, Churchill declared Gog as the symbol for Russia and Magog as the symbol for the United States and its allies. (London Times, 10 November 1951)
Apart from them, no other nation in the world has declared itself as Gog and Magog, and we have no other testimony of theirs which contradicts this claim. Hence, the words of the Holy Quran regarding Gog and Magog and the signs that the Holy Prophetsa mentioned fourteen hundred years ago, have been fulfilled in the present age, to the letter. The fulfilment of these prophecies is certainly a great sign of the truth of our Prophet Muhammadsa but this should also draw our attention to search for the Promised Mahdi and the Messiah, whose advent has been prophesied in these descriptions.
We should contemplate as to why it is so that all the signs have come to pass but the promised one has still not appeared? Surely, the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas has appeared in accordance with the earlier prophecies. Below are some of the writings of the Promised Messiahas which explain the nature and the time of the emergence of Gog and Magog.
The Promised Messiahas states:
“Yajuj [Gog] and Majuj [Magog] are two peoples who have been mentioned in earlier scriptures. The reason why they are called thus is that they make extensive use of ajij [fire] and reign supreme on earth and dominate every height. At the same time, a great change will be ordained from heaven and will usher in days of peace and amity.” (Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 305, [Lecture Sialkot, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 20, p. 211])
At another place, the Promised Messiahas states:
“I have also proved that it is essential for the Promised Messiah to appear at the time of Gog and Magog. Since ajij, from which the words Gog and Magog are derived, means ‘fire’, God Almighty has disclosed to me that Gog and Magog are a people who are greater experts in the use of fire than any other people. Their very names indicate that their ships, trains and machines will be run by fire. They will fight their battles with fire. They will excel all other people in harnessing fire to their service. This is why they will be called Gog and Magog. These are the people of the West, as they are unique in their expertise in the use of fire.
“In Jewish scriptures too it was the people of Europe who were described as Gog and Magog. Even the name of Moscow, which is the ancient capital of Russia, is mentioned. Thus it was preordained that the Promised Messiah would appear in the time of Gog and Magog.” (Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 305, [Ayamus-Sulh, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 14, pp. 424-425])
In his book, Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, the Promised Messiahas states:
“On the one hand, it is proved from the Bible that the Christians of Europe are Gog and Magog, and on the other, the Holy Quran has mentioned specific signs concerning Gog and Magog, which can only be applied to European powers, as, for instance, it is written that they will scale every height, i.e. they will overcome all other powers and be supreme in all worldly matters. Similarly, it is also mentioned in the ahadith that no country will be able to stand up to them. Thus it is conclusively established that these powers are Gog and Magog. To deny this is sheer obstinacy and opposition to God’s word. Who can deny that in accordance with the word of God Almighty and the explanation of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, these are the people who, in their worldly power, are superior to every other people. They have no equal in the art of war and statecraft. Their inventions and machines have established new patterns, both in war and in worldly comforts and luxuries. They have brought about an amazing revolution in the culture of mankind and have displayed such mastery in statecraft and in providing equipment for war and peace, as has no parallel since the creation of the world.
“Thus, centuries after the prophecy of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, the rise of European powers is the event in accordance with the sign specified in his prophecy. As God has disclosed the meaning of Gog and Magog and events have proven that a certain people fit the signs that have been mentioned, refusal to acknowledge this would be denial of an established verity. No one can stop a person from persisting in his denial, but every just minded one who is a seeker after truth would, on being informed of all these particulars, testify with full confidence that these people are Gog and Magog.” (Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, pp. 308-310, [Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruhani Khazain, vol. 23, pp. 87- 89])
The Promised Messiahas further states:
“There would seem to be a contradiction in the ahadith, for on the one hand, it is stated that at the time of the advent of the Promised Messiah, Gog and Magog would have spread all over the world, and, on the other, it is stated that the Christians would prevail in the world; for instance, it is said that the Promised Messiah would break the cross, which means that the Christians will be dominant at that time. Another hadith also indicates that the Romans, i.e. the Christians, would be in power. At the time of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, the Roman Empire was Christian, as Allah says in the Holy Quran:
غُلِبَتِ الرُّوۡمُ۔ فِیۡۤ اَدۡنَی الۡاَرۡضِ وَ ہُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ غَلَبِہِمۡ سَیَغۡلِبُوۡنَ
[The Romans have been defeated, in the land nearby, and they, after their defeat, will be victorious (Surah al-Rum, Ch.30: V.3-4)].
Here the word Romans refers to Christians. Some ahadith also indicate that at the time of the appearance of the Promised Messiah, Dajjal would be supreme all over the world, with the exception of Mecca.
“Now, will any Maulvi Sahib tell us how this contradiction can be reconciled? If Dajjal prevails over the earth, where will the dominion of the Christians lie, and where will Gog and Magog go, whose world empire is foretold by the Holy Quran? These are the errors from which those who reject me and call me a disbeliever suffer. Events bear out that the characteristics of both Gog and Magog and of the Dajjal are to be found in the European powers. As described by the ahadith concerning Gog and Magog, no power will be able to withstand them in battle and the Promised Messiah too will only have recourse to prayer against them. These characteristics are unquestionably found in the European powers. The Holy Quran too confirms this, as it says:
وَ ہُمۡ مِّنۡ کُلِّ حَدَبٍ یَّنۡسِلُوۡنَ
[“They shall hasten forth from every height and from the top of every wave” (Surah al-Anbiya, Ch.21: V.97)].
“About Dajjal, it is stated in ahadith that he would use deception and create religious mischief and turmoil. According to the Holy Quran, this particular characteristic belongs to the Christian clerics. For instance it says:
یُحَرِّفُوۡنَ الۡکَلِمَ عَنۡ مَّوَاضِعِہٖ
[They pervert the words from their proper places (Surah al-Nisa, Ch.4: V.47)].
“All this shows is that these three groups are actually one. That is why Surah al-Fatihah teaches definitively that we should seek security against the mischief of Christians. We have not been taught to pray for security against Dajjal. Had there been another Dajjal, whose mischief was to be greater than that of the Christian clergy, the word of God would never have ignored the greater mischief and taught us to pray for security against the mischief of the Christians, nor would we have been warned that the Christian mischief was such that it might rend heaven apart and shatter the mountains into pieces. Instead, we would have been warned that the evil of the Dajjal is such that it might well cause heaven and earth to rend asunder. To ignore a greater mischief and warn against a smaller one would have been totally unreasonable.” (Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, pp. 307-308, [Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 23, pp. 85-87])
Today, it is evident that Gog and Magog have manifested themselves with all their might according to the prophecy of God Almighty. From the 15th to 17th century, Gog and Magog had just started to set the stage for their advancement and they had not achieved the power which is described in the Holy Quran and ahadith.
There were no railways, modern ships, rockets, missiles, atom bombs etc. that are purely fire and fuel related. In the 19th and 20th century, they emerged as a power in almost every field with incredible and remarkable inventions and discoveries. So their peak age is clear to all and everyone knows that these are the nations with whom no one dares to fight.
Hence, the Promised Messiahas appeared at a time when Gog and Magog i.e. Russians and European nations were in a head to head race of progress and development. He stood up against them with his prayers and irrefutable arguments. He left a Jamaat of ardent followers who, under the guidance of their worldwide head, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah be his Helper, is peacefully fighting every enemy of God and Islam with prayers and dialogue.