M Adam Ahmad, Al Hakam
Another allegation raised by Christians against the founder of Ahmadiyya Jamaat and Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, peace be upon him, is that it was said that a large number of people across the globe would instantaneously accept the Messiah of the Latter Days when he would descend from the Heavens. However, this description of rapid following and acceptance of the second Messiah goes against the narrative of the Bible as Jesus had clearly predicted quite the opposite. Jesus said:
“I tell you [disciples] that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognise him, but have done to him whatever they wished. In the same way, the son of man [Messiah] will suffer at their hands.’” (Mathew, 17:11-12)
The above verse of the Bible shows that the Latter-Day Messiah would also suffer at first because the people would not accept him as they did not accept John the Baptist who came as an embodiment of Elijah. They would present the same excuse which they presented in the time of Jesus and persecute him.
If someone objects that this verse is specifically referring to the suffering of Jesus, then it is indeed true. We, the followers of the Promised Messiahas, believe that he was an embodiment of Jesus, so the same was destined to happen with him as well.
The Promised Messiahas said:
“Verily, remember that the promises of God are true. In accordance with His promise, He has sent a warner to the world, and while the world has not accepted him, God Almighty will surely accept him and demonstrate his truthfulness with immensely powerful onslaughts.
“I tell you truthfully that in accordance with the promise of God Almighty, I have appeared as the Promised Messiah; accept if you will, or reject me if you so please. But remember, your denial will amount to nothing. Whatsoever God has willed shall indeed come to pass, because God Almighty has already revealed to me, as recorded in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya:
صَدَقَ اللهُ وَ رَسُوْلَهٗ وَ كَانَ وَعْدًا مَفْعُوْلًا
“‘The prophecy of Allah and His Messenger has been fulfilled at its duly appointed time and whatever God had willed was bound to happen.’” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 1, pp. 213-14)
Though the Promised Messiahas faced great opposition in his life and his community is bearing the hardships of persecution even today, his divine mission continues to spread like the followers of Jesus.
The present head of the global Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah be his Helper, said:
“When the beloveds of God are made to face hardships in His name, the transgressions of such evil-doers continue to increase. When the Holy Prophetsa faced opposition, Allah the Almighty said to him as well that such opposition was the work of evil-doers. Opponents of faith always strive their hardest to oppose the message of a prophet, create hurdles in his work, afflict his followers with hardships; but these oppositions, these hardships, these attacks never enable opponents to be successful. In the end, it is the prophets who prevail and the opponents become the target of God’s wrath.” (Friday Sermon, 21 May 2010)
The Bible also gives a very different view of the manner in which the Messiah will appear in the Latter Days. Rather than descending from the Heavens with great pomp, it is stated in the Bible that the Messiah would appear like a thief in the dead of the night. It says:
“Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your lord will come. But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. For this reason, you also must be ready, because the son of man [Messiah] will come at an hour you do not expect.” (Mathew 24:42-44)
In another book, it is stated:
“For you are fully aware that the day of the lord will come like a thief in the night.” (I Thessalonians 5:2)
The Bible further states:
“The lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the lord will come like a thief.” (II Peter 3:9-10)
The above verses clearly indicate that the second Messiah will appear like a thief cloaked in the spirit of Jesus and the people will at first deny him because he did not appear according to their wishes and expectations.
Moreover, regarding the condition of the people at the time of the second coming of the Messiah, the Bible says:
“But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!” (II Timothy 3:1-5)
The above verses are self-explanatory that the people before the appearance of the second Messiah would be indulged in worldly luxuries and selfish endeavours. Thus, it is impossible to justify through any means of logic or reason that in such circumstances, people would flock to accept the Messiah of the Latter Days right after his appearance.
The Promised Messiahas said:
“When God saw the world sunk into an abject state and the earth full of wickedness, tyrannies and iniquity, He sent me with the mission of propagating truth and reforming the world. The point of time was also appropriate, for the fourteenth century was approaching fast. Then, under Divine command, I raised my voice through printed announcements and public speeches proclaiming to everyone that I am the one who was destined to be raised by God at the beginning of this century to renovate religion, claiming that I have been sent with the mission to re-establish the faith that has disappeared from the face of the earth and to draw the whole of mankind back to piety and righteousness with the aid of God’s own hand and to reform them and to remove errors of belief and conduct.
“It was disclosed to me through divine revelation a few years later that the Messiah that had been promised from the earliest time to this nation and that the last Mahdi [Reformer] who was destined to appear after the deterioration of Islam and who was to be granted direct guidance from God and who was to provide once again the spiritual nourishment, as had been preordained and about whom glad tidings had also been given by the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, himself 1,300 years ago, is none other than me.” (Tadhkiratush-Shahadatain, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 20, pp. 3-4)
The Bible also sheds light on the condition of faith before the advent of the Latter-Day Messiah. Jesus says:
“I tell you, he will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the son of man [Messiah] comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8)
This is certainly a rhetorical question and thus, Jesus left it unanswered. The current state of the people of the world shows that they have lost all faith in God and it is decreasing to the point of extinction by the day. This fact signifies that if at all a chosen one of God was to come, this was his time to appear.
The Promised Messiahas said:
“Some ignorant people wrongly imagine that I claim to be a recipient of revelation by way of imposture. In truth, this is the act of the Powerful God, Who created the Heavens and earth and the universe. Whenever faith in God declines, someone like me is raised; God speaks to him and manifests His wonders through him until people understand that God exists. I announce openly that if a person, whether Asian or European, comes to stay in my company, he will soon discover the truth of my statements.” (Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, pp. 29-30; Kitab-ul-Bariyyah, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 13, p.18]
In one of his Urdu couplets, the Promised Messiahas states:
وقت تها وقتِ مسيحا نہ كسى اَور كا وقت
ميں نہ آتا تو كوئى اَور ہى آيا ہوتا
“This was indeed the appointed time for none other than the Messiah; had I not been appointed, someone else would surely have appeared!” (Durr-e-Sameen, p. 160)
Hence, the world had certainly lost true faith before the return of the Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas. He came and restored faith in God and laid the foundation of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat which is carrying out his mission.
The current successor of the Promised Messiahas, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, continues to remind the people of the world that to find true faith on earth in these faithless times, one must accept the Messiahof the Latter Days.