The Advent Of The Promised Messiah

At a time when injustice, immorality and sin ran rampant, the religion of Islam dawned to revive the bond between humanity and its Creator, and to establish peace in the world. It was at the hand of the Prophet of Islam that an unparalleled moral and spiritual transformation took place. But the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, prophesied that a time would come when the true teachings of Islam would be forgotten and at this time a divinely appointed reformer would appear to rejuvenate Islam. In fulfilment of this prophecy, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, peace be upon him, appeared in Qadian, India, and claimed to be the divinely appointed reformer awaited by all the world religions. This book comprises an address delivered by the Promised Messiah, in which he speaks about the purpose of his advent and what it means to be an Ahmadi.

Ever since God Almighty has instituted the system of prophet-hood for the guidance of mankind, the opponents of these holy prophets, peace be on them, have always charged them with falsehood and untruth. They were called sorcerers and madmen and were described as disorderly and rebellious. Every prophet and God’s elect was treated in that manner. The same was the case with the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, peace be on him. when he put forth his claim of being the Reformer of the age and the Promised Mehdi, not only Muslim divines, but the leaders of other religions also, rose up against him and assailed him with false charges and insupportable objections. Muslim divines proclaimed that his teaching was opposed to Islam and the practice of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and showered false charges upon him.

The writings elucidate many of Islamic teachings. This book contains excerpts of his writings with topics ranging from Allah to life after death. The original text has been provided alongside the English translation.

The Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Victoria was celebrated with great pomp and show in June 1897 throughout British India. Since the purpose of the advent of the Promised Messiah(as) was to propagate the Unity of God and His message, he found a way to serve those objectives at that occasion. He published the booklet Tohfa-e-Qaisariyyah on May 25, 1897. In addition to felicitating Her Majesty, the Promised Messiah(as) made the following points with great subtlety and wisdom: 1. Truthfulness of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa). 2. Truthfulness of Islam and its teachings that can bring about international peace. 3. A proposal for Her Majesty to organise a conference of great religions. 4. A strong plea for Her Majesty to clear Hazrat Isa(as) (Jesus) of the accusation of having been cursed. 5. An undertaking to show a sign of his own truthfulness, provided that Her Majesty would agree to accept his message in case of fulfilment – adding that he would accept death penalty if he is unable to show a convincing sign.

In Testimony of the Holy Quran, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as) of Qadian enumerates the Signs of Latter Days as described by the Holy Quran and demonstrates how the prophecies regarding the advent of the Promised Messiah are fulfilled in his person. He also explains the vital position of the Hadith in Islam and shows that these, too, inform us of the appearance of a reformer in this very age, making it incumbent upon today’s Muslims to recognize their Imam. In short, the topics covered in this book comprise the foundational arguments for one of the core tenets of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community; namely, that the ahadith prophesying the advent of the Latter Day Messiah are indeed reliable and are supported by Quranic testimony.

The book was written by the Promised Messiah(as) on 20th August 1899 and published on 24th August 1899. In this brief exposition, the Promised Messiah(as) has presented, in a new light, the same views expressed in his book Tohfa-e-Qaisariyyah [A Gift for the Queen], which was written on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty, Queen Victoria. In this book, the Promised Messiah(as) has once again commended the British government for granting peace, security and religious freedom to all its subjects. He has then refuted the false doctrine of the advent of a militant Messiah and Mahdi, who according to some, would presumably, coerce the world into accepting Islam. Furthermore, he has also beautifully removed misconceptions surrounding the concept of Jihad and clearly expounds that Islam was never spread by the sword, nor is religious compulsion permitted in Islam. The Promised Messiah(as) then goes on to beautifully explain that the Christian concept of atonement, which logically results in Jesus(as) bearing the burden of curse, is a dishonour to the pure and holy person of Jesus(as). Finally, the Promised Messiah(as) has presented his claim as being the Promised Messiah and Mahdi of the latter days, awaited by all world religions.

Every human being seeks salvation in some form or another. The concept of salvation holds pivotal importance in matters of religion. A faith unable to deliver its followers from sin is worthless, yet the progress and benefit of society depends on this very salvation. So where should one turn to attain it? In this work, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, explains that since human nature is weak, salvation can only be attained through a mediator who, owing to their perfect relationship with God and deep sympathy for humanity, can serve as a link between God and man. In every era, God has conferred salvation upon humanity through His prophets, but none can match the unparalleled status held by the Prophet of Islam in this respect, who was the paragon of perfection. In the present age, it is this pure and blessed prophet who is the only intercessor that can grant humanity a living relationship with God and free mankind from the shackles of sin. The author presents an exquisite exposition on the philosophy of divine intercession, sinlessness, forgiveness, human frailty and his advent as the Promised Messiah.