“All of my prophecies have been fulfilled, or in the case of those prophecies which consist of two parts, at least one part has come true so far. Even if a person were to strive all his life in the hope of finding a prophecy that was uttered from my mouth, about which one could assert that it has remained unfulfilled, he will not be able to find a single one.” (Noah’s Ark, p. 10)
After citing this extract, the opponents of the Jamaat deduce of their own accord that even if a person were to strive their entire life in the hope of finding a single true prophecy of the Promised Messiahas, they would not be able to find a single one that they could concretely prove.
In addressing this challenge of opponents, a few classic examples of prophecies and their fulfilment shall be mentioned.
Example 1
In the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty states addressing Abrahamas:
وَ اَذِّنْ فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَاْتُوْكَ رِجَالًا وَ عَليٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَاْتِيْنَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيْقٍ
“And proclaim unto mankind the Pilgrimage. They will come to thee on foot, and on every lean camel, coming by every distant track.” (Surah al-Hajj, Ch.22: V.28)
In accordance with this verse, every single individual after Abrahamas who travelled to perform Umrah and Hajj till this day and who will do as such till the Day of Judgement bear witness to the fact that the tidings which God had informed Abrahamas of came to pass and the Holy Quran, which had foretold this tiding, proved true.
Similarly, addressing the Promised Messiahas, Allah the Almighty informed him:
اَلَا اِنَّ نَصْرَ اللّٰهِ قَرِيْبٌ۔ يَاْتِيْكَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيْقٍ يَاْتُوْنَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيْقٍ
“Hearken, the help of Allah is near. His help will come to you from every distant track. People will come to help you from every distant track.” (Tadhkirah [UK, 2009] p. 57)
This was divinely revealed to him in 1882 in which it was foretold that inanimate objects, for instance gifts, money, clothes etc. would come to him and intellectual people would also flock to him.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas used to reside in a village to which proper roads would not even lead. In that age, no buses or trains used to head in that direction. The closest railway station was at a distance of 12 miles. In that village, there was no trade and industry. There were no markets. Yet, in such a scenario, God Almighty informed him that people and financial gifts would come to him.
After these tidings, each individual who visited Qadian and all varieties of gifts sent to him are testament to the truthfulness of this divine revelation.
If God Almighty had not informed him of these tidings through His revelation, mentioning these tidings and attributing them to God would have been an affront to the self-honour of God. It would have resulted in no person ever coming to him, nor any gift.
Example 2
Addressing the Promised Messiahas, Allah the Almighty stated:
فَحَانَ اَنْ تُعَانَ وَ تُعْرَفَ بَيْنَ النَّاس
“The time has come that you should be helped and be made well known among people.” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya – Part IV, p. 366)
That is, he would be made renowned in the world. We ask our readers to reflect, with hand on heart, whether the promise which God had made to him has been fulfilled or not? Has God not made him renowned? Or is it the contrary? Has this prophecy proven true or not?
Example 3
Allah the Almighty gave him the tidings:
سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَاليٰ زَادَ مَجْدَكَ۔ يَنْقَطِعُ آبَاءُكَ وَ يُبْدَءُ مِنْكَ
“All kinds of Holiness belong to Allah, who possesses all blessings, and is the Highest Being. He has raised your status. The name and remembrance of your forefathers will be cut off – that is, they will not be remembered in their independent capacities – and God will initiate respect and honour with you.” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya – Part IV, p. 367)
When God had disclosed this future occurrence, the total number of men in his family were around 70. In such a backdrop, Allah informed him that the progeny of his forefathers would thereon be brought to an end and the inception of his family would occur through his person.
What an immense claim made in this divine revelation! The progeny of all people alive in his family at the time was declared to come to an end and it was promised that the progeny of his family only would spread through his person.
It may be the case that a few people are coincidentally omitted from families, who are incapable of producing children, but in this instance, it was foretold that all the progenies of all people alive in the family would cease. How magnificent is the promise of continuing the family lineage through him!
No human can even foretell whether they will remain alive or whether their progeny will endure or otherwise. Thus, the progenies of all people in his family came to an end and only the progeny of those endured who, taking the oath of initiation, became Ahmadi.
Today, on this earth, there is not a single human who can refute the truthfulness of this divine revelation. No one can say that they are not of the progeny of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas but are contrarily of the progeny of the disbelieving faction of his family. If God Almighty had not vouchsafed this tiding to him, he would have otherwise been challenging the self-honour of God by making such an extraordinary claim.
Example 4
Allah the Almighty exalted the Holy Prophetsa to the station of prophethood as a result of which members of his family, inhabitants of his city, the outskirts of the city, all tribes of the nation, Arabian idolaters, Jews, Christians, the Roman Empire and the Persian Empire turned against him. Allah promised him:
وَ اللّٰهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ
“And Allah will protect thee from men.” (Surah al-Maidah, Ch.5: V.68)
Nobody was able to kill him. Allah safeguarded him and he passed away naturally.
It was this very promise that Allah had made to the Promised Messiahas. Allah stated:
وَ اِنْ لَّمْ يَعْصِمُكَ النَّاسُ فَيَعْصِمُكَ اللّٰهُ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ ۔ يَعْصِمُكَ اللّٰهُ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ وَ اِنْ لَّمْ يَعْصِمُكَ النَّاسُ
“And if all people refrain from safeguarding you, God will safeguard you. And God will certainly safeguard you with His help even if all the people refrain from it.” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya – Part IV, pp. 389-390)
After the descent of this divine revelation, Hazrat Ahmad’sas family became his antagonists. Inhabitants of Qadian, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and all Muslim sects bore enmity to him. Edicts calling of his disbelief were pronounced. Fatwas for his death were proclaimed. He was legally tried for murder, but as of the case of the Holy Prophetsa, Allah frustrated the murder schemes of all his opponents, safeguarded him throughout his entire life and he passed away by natural means.
Example 5
Addressing an opponent, Maulvi Sa‘dullah Ludhianvi, the Promised Messiahas wrote:
“By God, this very moment on 29 September 1894, I have received a revelation concerning you:
اِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْاَبْتَر
‘Surely it is thy enemy who is without issue.’” (Anwar-ul-Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 9, p. 86)
At the time of this revelation, a son of Maulvi Sa‘dullah Ludhianvi was alive while he himself [Maulvi Sa‘dullah] was still in his youth. However, after this revelation, neither of them had offspring.
There is not a single person today who can claim that this prophecy was not fulfilled on account of belonging to the lineage of Maulvi Sa‘dullah Ludhianvi.
Example 6
The Promised Messiahas carried out a mubahilla [prayer duel] with one abusive opponent, Abdul Haq Ghaznavi. Afterwards, addressing him on 16 January 1897, subsequent to mentioning the shower of blessings as an outcome of the mubahilla, the Promised Messiahas said:
“He has continuously sent down revelations regarding a fourth son and we now assure Abdul Haq that he will not die until the fulfilment of this revelation comes to his knowledge. Thus, if he has it within him, he should avert this prophecy through prayer.” (Anjam-e-Atham, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 11, p. 342)
Exactly two and a half years after this prophecy, Allah granted him a son on 14 June 1899, who was named Mubarak Ahmad.
It is worth considering whether God’s revelation was fulfilled or otherwise. Who can claim that a son would be born in his home; that he would be born in the life of a certain person and that the opponent would remain alive till his birth? On the contrary, nobody can even claim themselves that they will stay alive!
Example 7
Allah the Almighty sent down a revelation to the Promised Messiahas in which He said:
“Your progeny will not be cut off and will flourish till the end of days. God will maintain your name with honour till the day when the world comes to an end and will convey your message to the ends of the earth. I shall exalt you and shall call you to Myself but your name will never be erased from the face of the earth. It will so happen that all those who seek to humiliate you, and are determined to cause you to fail and wish to ruin you will themselves be frustrated and will die in failure and frustration. But God will grant you complete success.” (Tadhkirah [UK, 2009] pp. 180-181)
Nobody can claim that children will be born in their home and remain alive; that their progeny will be unending and that their message will reach the corners of the earth.
Bearing God as our Witness, we should ask ourselves, has God not conveyed Hazrat Ahmad’sas message to the corners of the earth through newspapers, magazines, radio stations, television channels, MTA, social media and the internet? Major sects of major religions, prominent scholars, religious leaders and governments have attempted to halt and supress the propagation of his message, but has God endowed them success or frustrated them? Have they succeeded in preventing his message from reaching the corners of the Earth? We leave this for you to answer.
(Research by a panel of scholars at the Research Cell, Rabwah. Translated by Fateh Alam, UK)