Jazib Mehmood, Student Jamia Ahmadiyya Ghana
The love that the Promised Messiahas had for the Holy Prophetsa is well known and evident through his writings and actions. His continuous defence for the honour of the Holy Prophetsa proves as such.
However, Huzooras received affirmation and acceptance of this love in the heavens as well. Allah the Almighty showed Huzooras such dreams and visions that one’s heart wonders at the degree of love exhibited by this servant of Allah for His Seal of all the Prophets. These dreams and visions give a new perspective to this love.
This article intends to put to the readers some of the dreams and visions of the Promised Messiahas that Huzooras described to his Jamaat. Of course, it must be understood that when friends converse, not all their conversations are made public.
Huzooras presented some accounts of his divine visits as a source of constant spiritual uplift for his followers, to inspire them to follow his example and create the love of the Holy Prophetsa in their hearts as well.
All references from the English rendering of Tadhkirah, the compilation of the divine revelations, dreams and visions vouchsafed to the Promised Messiahas, are taken from the 2019 edition published in the UK.
It is remarkable that the first time Huzooras was visited by the Holy Prophetsa, Huzooras was barely 30 years old. This shows how far back this love and obedience went.
Huzooras describes his dream in his own words. He says:
“In 1864 or 1865, when this humble one was in his early youth and still pursuing studies, I saw Hazrat Khatamul-Anbiya, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
“At that time, I had in my hand a religious book that I felt was of my own authorship. Upon seeing the book, the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, enquired from me in Arabic, ‘What have you named this book?’ I submitted, ‘I have named it Qutbi’.
“The interpretation of this name has now come to my mind on the publication of this well-publicised book [i.e., Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya] – that it is a book which, in its reasoning and arguments, is firm and unshakeable, like the polar star. Presenting the firmness of the contents of this book, I have issued a challenge and announced the award of a prize of 10,000 rupees [for anyone who might be able to refute it].
“In short, the Holy Prophetsa took that book from me. The moment the blessed hands of the Holy Prophetsa touched the book, it became an attractive and lovely fruit resembling a guava, but as large as a watermelon. When the Holy Prophetsa started cutting it into pieces to distribute, it yielded so much honey that his blessed hand and forearm began to drip with it. Then a dead body that was lying outside the door came to life, as a miracle of the Holy Prophetsa and came and stood behind me. My humble self was standing before the Holy Prophetsa as a supplicant stands before a ruler. The Holy Prophetsa was occupying his chair in great glory and majesty, and with a display of authority, as if he was a great champion.
“To summarise, the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, handed over to me a piece of the fruit so that I might give it to the newly revived person, and he bestowed upon me all the remaining pieces. I gave that one piece to the revived person, which he ate immediately.
“When he finished eating it, I noticed that the blessed chair of the Holy Prophetsa had risen much higher and the countenance of the Holy Prophetsa began to shine forth like the rays of the sun, which was an indication of the revival and progress of Islam. While watching this display of light, I woke up.” (Tadhkirah p. 5-6; Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part III [English translation, 2018 edition], pp. 217-218)
In 1876, Huzooras saw this vision:
“After the Maghrib prayer, while I was fully awake, I was overtaken by a slight numbing of my faculties […] and had a wonderful experience. First, there was a sound of some people walking fast […] and then five very dignified, holy and handsome personages came into my vision. They were the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, Hazrat Ali, Hasan, Husain and Fatimah al-Zahra, may Allah be pleased with all of them.
“[…] I saw that Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, showed me a book and said, ‘This is a commentary on the Quran which I have compiled and which God has commanded I should give to you.’ I stretched forth my hand and took the book.
“The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was looking at me and heard what Alira had said but did not himself speak as if he was saddened on account of some of my sorrows. When I saw him in my vision, his countenance was the same as I had seen previously. The whole building was lit up with his light. Holy is Allah Who is the Creator of light and of illumined personages!” (Tadhkirah pp. 26-27; Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah Part IV, pp. 379-380; Aina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 5, p. 550)
Again, in 1882, Huzooras saw this dream:
“I was occupied in writing something one night and then went to sleep and [in my dream] I saw the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and his face was bright like the full moon. He came close to me and I felt as if he wished to embrace me. So he embraced me and I saw that rays of light proceeded from his countenance and entered into me. I felt these rays were like palpable light and I believed that I was seeing them not only through my spiritual sight, but also with my physical eyes.” (Tadhkirah, pp. 55-56; Aina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 5, p. 550)
In 1892, Huzooras recounted a dream he had while writing Aina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam (The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam). After describing the first part of the dream, Huzooras described his encounter with the Holy Prophetsa. It is a stark example of the closeness between the Promised Messiahas and the Holy Prophetsa. Huzooras says:
“[…] I looked up and saw the Holy Prophet, on whom be the peace and blessings of Allah, standing on a large terrace near our gathering as if he had been strolling there […] I had not noticed him before but on looking closely now I saw that he was holding the book Aina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam in his hand. At the place that I have mentioned, which appears to have been printed already, he had placed one of his blessed fingers at the spot where his praise was mentioned and his pure, effective and high teachings were set out, and another finger at the place where the qualities and the truth and loyalty of his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, were set out. He was smiling and said:
هٰذَا لِيْ وَهٰذَا لِأَصْحَابِیْ
“That is, ‘This is in my praise and this is in praise of my Companions.’” (Tadhkirah, pp. 270-271, Aina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam,Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 5, pp. 215-217)
The Promised Messiahas once stated:
“I saw in my dream once that two well-fed horses were tied in front of our outer house. They appeared to be Arabian horses. Then [I saw that] the Holy Prophet, on whom be the peace and blessings of Allah, was riding one of the horses and I was riding the other. We moved on fast like cavaliers and there was no slackness in our speed. Then I woke up.” (Tadhkirah, p. 1110)
When the Promised Messiahas was in Sialkot, he used to teach Lala Bhim Sin, who was a Hindu. One day, when the Promised Messiahas got up in the morning, he narrated this dream to Lala Bhim Sin:
“Last night in my dream, I saw the Holy Prophet, on whom be the peace and blessings of Allah. He took me to the Divine Presence where I was bestowed something and was directed to distribute it to the whole world.” (Tadhkirah, p. 1121; Sirat-e-Ahmad by Maulvi Qudratullah, p. 151, narration no. 66)
There are at least seven other such meetings narrated by the Promised Messiahas, but their mention would prolong this article. (For further reading, please see Tadhkirah, pp. 273-274, 290-291, 520-521, 521-522, 834, 1052, 1092-1093)
It is worthy of note that the followers of the Promised Messiahas also found the love of the Holy Prophetsa by following the guidance of the Promised Messiahas.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira states that before taking the bai‘at (pledge of allegiance) at the hands of the Promised Messiahas, he only used to see the Holy Prophetsa in dreams. However, after accepting the Promised Messiahas, he now saw the Holy Prophetsa in a state wakefulness. (Hayat-e-Nur, p. 194)
This is a great testimony to the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas, as well as his claim of being a follower of the Holy Prophetas. The following revelation of the Promised Messiahas proves this. Allah the Almighty addressed Huzooras and said:
كُلُّ بَرَكَةٍ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَتَبَارَكَ مَنْ عَلَّمَ وَتَعَلَّمَ
That is, “Every blessing is from Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. So blessed is he who has taught and he who has been taught.” (Tadhkirah, p. 59)