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Friday 17 March 2023 | AL HAKAM
Promised Messiah’s message spreads to corners of earth and continues through Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya Ata-ul-Haye Nasir Al Hakam
The need for the Imam Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian was appointed by Allah Almighty as the Promised Messiah to revive Islam and unite mankind under the flag of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. In an era when materialism was on the rise, Islam was facing challenges from all sides, and the Muslims had also deviated from the true teachings of Islam, Hazrat Ahmadas entered the spiritual battlefield as the true defender of Islam. He emphasised the need for humanity to adhere to the true Islamic teachings of upholding the rights of God Almighty and His creation. Prophet Ahmadas said: “In this age, the world is brimming with disagreements. The Jews say one thing, whereas the Christians profess another and aside from this, the ummah of Muhammadsa is mired in internal conflicts. Meanwhile, the idolaters present their opinions against all of the others. So many new religions and beliefs have arisen that everyone seems to be practising their own unique brand of religion. Therefore, in conformity with the established practice of Allah, it was essential that a hakam [arbiter] should have come to settle all of these disputes. Hence, that very hakam was bestowed the titles ‘the Promised Messiah’ and ‘the Blessed Mahdi’, meaning that he was deemed to be the Messiah on account of resolving external disputes and he was proclaimed the destined Mahdi on account of settling the internal conflicts.” (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation [Haqiqatul Wahi], p. 57)
A divine vision Narrating a divine vision, the Promised Messiahas stated: “I saw that I was standing on a pulpit in the city of London and was setting forth the truth of Islam in the English language, in a very well-reasoned address. Thereafter, I caught several birds who were sitting upon small trees and were of white colour and their bodies resembled the bodies of partridges. I interpreted this to mean that though I would not [be able to travel to that country], my writings will reach those people and many righteous English people will be attracted to the truth.” (Izala-eAuham, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 3, p. 377) During his lifetime, the Promised Messiah’sas writings, claims and prophecies had reached far and wide through various periodicals, including those of the Community.
Ahmadiyya periodicals serving the Promised Messiah’sas mission Mentioning the claims and teachings of the Promised Messiahas under the title “A New Prophet in Islam”, The Madras Weekly Mail wrote: “Ghulam Ahmad[as] keeps up a printing press and a book depot. He publishes two rather wide-awake papers, Al Hakam in Urdu, and The Review of Religions, in English.” (The Madras Weekly Mail, 22 October 1903, p. 18) Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra states that the Promised Messiahas used to say: “These newspapers, Al Hakam and Badr, are my two ‘arms’. They immediately publish the revelations to [other] countries and become witnesses.” (Zikr-e-Habib, p. 151)
Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya was the first book written by the Promised Messiahas – the first volume of which was published in 1880 – in which he established the truth of Islam and also narrated several prophecies after receiving glad tidings from Allah the Almighty. In regards to Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, The Times of India wrote: It is “a striking sign of the times that a Mahomedan (Mirza Gulam Ahmed, Chief of Kadian, District Gurdaspur, Punjab,) should throw down the gauntlet to prove to the world that the ‘only true and only revealed religion by means of which one might know God to be free from blemish, and obtain a strong conviction as to the perfection of His attributes is the religion of Islam’ [...]. His arguments are contained in a compilation euphoniously entitled ‘Burahin-i-Ahmadia,’ which, if anyone will undertake to refute, the author offers to give him a reward of Rs. 10,000. The Mirza claims to be inspired, and modestly asserts that his virtues bear a very close similarity and strict analogy to those of Jesus Christ. He further goes on to say in his manifesto, that all those who [...] will not become earnest enquirers after the truth, with himself as the medium of course, shall be answerable to God, and he finishes up with the following prayer, which I produce here in extenso: “‘Oh gracious God! guide the pliable hearts of all the nations, so that they may have faith on Thy chosen Prophet [Best of the Messengers] Muhammad [Mustafa, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] and on Thy [Perfect and] Holy AlQuran, and that they may follow the commandments contained therein, so that they may thus be benefited by the peace and true happiness which are specially enjoyed
by the true Moslems in both the worlds, month would be paid as compensation to and may obtain absolution and eternal life, such an individual. (Majmu‘ah-e-Ishtiharat which is not only procurable in the next [1989], Vol. 1, pp. 20-22) world, but is also enjoyed by the truthful Propagation be upon him) of the Promised Messiah’sas and honest people even in(peace this world, especially the English nation, who have not message through various periodicals as yet availed themselves of the sunshine of The Toronto Daily Mail reported under the truth [...]. O God! guide them and help them heading “To Convert Bradlaugh”: with Thy grace, and instil in their minds the “Mr Charles Bradlaugh, the famous love for Thy religion, and attract them with infidel, who is always elected as a member Thy power, so that they may have faith in of Parliament for Northampton, and Thy book and prophet, and embrace Thy always rejected by the House, has now religion in groups. Amen! [summa] amen!’ an opportunity of getting converted, and [Majmu‘ah-e-Ishtiharat [1989], Vol. 1, p. of making handsome wages during the 25]” (The Times of India, 3 March 1885, p. 5) process. The offer comes from Prince Mirza Gholam Ahmed, C.I.E., an Indian potentate Invitation to witness the truth of fabulous wealth, and a Mohammedan of Hazrat Ahmadas propagated his claims great proselytising zeal. The Prince has read through books, letters, and pamphlets. Mr Bradlaugh’s works sympathetically, and Moreover, in 1885, he sent 8,000 copies of believes that with a proper course of teaching registered letters in English to the religious by Moslem sages, he would become a bright leaders, rulers, scholars, and thinkers of and shining light of Islamism. The Prince Asia, Europe, and America, informing them proposes, therefore, that Mr Bradlaugh of his claim, and inviting them to come and shall come to the former’s domains in witness the truthfulness of Islam at Qadian. the Punjab, and shall put himself under He stated that if a sign was not witnessed tuition with a view to his conversion. The within a year, a sum of 200 rupees per Prince agrees to furnish the neophyte with a