Abdul Haleem, UK
Imagine, for a moment, the range of emotions you would experience if one day you were told that your time on earth is limited and that you’ll soon have to bid farewell to everyone you love.
This was the case for Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, as Allah the Almighty informed him that his passing was imminent, with only a limited time left in his life.
In his book, The Will, (published in 1905), he wrote:
“Since God Almighty has informed me, through recurrent revelations, that the time of my demise is near, and since these revelations have been of such force as to shake me to the very core of my being— turning my heart cold to this life—I have deemed it appropriate to write a few words of admonition and advice for my friends and other such persons as may wish to derive benefit from my words”. (The Will, p. 1)
The Promised Messiahas also published the following revelation regarding his demise:
“The appointed time of your death has come close”. (Ibid. p. 2)
And:
“Very little is left of the term which God has ordained with respect to you”. (Ibid. p. 2)
Revelations, visions and divine indications received by the Promised Messiahas showed Allah’s foretelling of his approaching demise and the number of years left in his life.
The Promised Messiahas states:
“A few days ago, I saw in my dream that someone had given me some water in a new earthen vessel. Only two or three mouthfuls of water remained in it, but the water was very clear and pure. This was accompanied by the revelation:
آب زندگى
“[“Water of life”]” (Tadhkirah, p. 786, [The Review of Religions, Vol. 4, December 1905, p. 480])
It is clear, as I will discuss further, that the two or three mouthfuls of water symbolise the number of years he had left to live, which proved to be accurate as he passed away two and a half years later, in 1908, further adding to the countless proofs of his truthfulness.
Belief in the Promised Messiah’sas truthfulness is reinforced as one learns that Allah not only revealed the number of years left in his life to him, but also the exact date of his passing and returning to his Creator.
On 15 October 1906, the Promised Messiahas saw in a dream, “that I was writing something and in the course of the writing, I saw the following writing:
علم الدرمان۲۲۳
“[‘Ilmu d-Darman 223]”. (Tadhkirah [English], p. 922)
In light of this, the Promised Messiahas said:
“‘Ilm is an Arabic word and Darman is Persian. What follows is the number 223. I do not know what this might mean.” (Tadhkirah [English], p. 923, [Badr, 18 October 1906, p. 3], [Al Hakam, 17 October 1906, p. 1])
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has provided an explanation for the words that the Promised Messiahas saw in his dream. He states:
“‘Ilm is an Arabic word meaning ‘knowledge’ and darman is a Persian word meaning ‘treatment’. The import is that the knowledge of the treatment would be known after 223 days.
“Now we need to see what is the 223rd day after October 15—it is 25 May 1907. The Promised Messiahas passed away on May 26 in accordance with this revelation”. (Tadhkirah [English], p. 923, [Tash-heez-ul-Azhan, June–July 1908, p. 216])
After reading this, some may have questions about the fact that the revelation was received in 1906 and Hazrat Ahmadas passed away in 1908, a period of one year and 223 days, rather than just 223 days.
Answering this, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states:
“Bear in mind that there are two reasons for it. One is that there is another revelation which follows closely: إن المنايا لا تطيش سهامها [The Arrows of death do not miss], which also proves that the revelation containing 223 is about death. Then, another revelation was received: إنّا نُرِىَنَّكَ بَعۡضَ الَّذِىۡ نَعِدُہُمۡ نَزِىۡدُ عُمُرَك (See [The] Review of Religions, November 20, 1906, page 2) meaning that your death was destined in 1907 but We have increased your appointed life and thus the calculation started after one year.” (Ibid.)
The second reason given by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra is:
“[…] the date appointed for his death was May 26. If he had died in 1907, some of his opponents would have raised the clamour that he died within the period given in their prophecies. Moreover, in that case his death would have been on the 27th. Therefore, it was necessary that he should pass away in a leap year (which would have 29 days in February) so that he would pass away exactly after 223 days on May 26. Thus, his death would definitely be in 1908 which is a leap year, not in 1907 which has 28 days in February and the 223 days are completed not on 26 May, but on 27 May.” (Ibid)
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s explanation clears up any confusion and confirms that the Promised Messiahas was indeed informed by Allah of the specific date of his passing.
This also refutes the claims of those who opposed the Promised Messiahas, such as Dr Abdul Hakeem Khan, who had announced that the Promised Messiahas would pass away on 4 August 1908. Arrogantly, he claimed: “Mirza will fall prey to a fatal illness and shall die on 21 Sawan 1965 [i.e. 4 August 1908].” (The Daily Paisa Akhbar, 15 May 1908 and Akhbar Ahl-e-Hadith, 15 May 1908)
However, compared with the specific date of passing given to the Promised Messiahas, it’s apparent whom Allah supported and who He did not, as the Promised Messiahas passed away on 26 May 1908 – not on 4 August 1908. Once again, even in the final moments of his life, Allah demonstrated the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas and he emerged victorious, fulfilling the words of God:
كَتَبَ اللّٰہُ لَاَغۡلِبَنَّ اَنَا وَرُسُلِىۡ
“Allah has decreed: ‘Most surely, I will prevail, I and My Messengers”. (Surah al-Mujadalah, Ch.58: V.22)