In Talmud, there is a passage which indicates that on the death of the Messiah his spiritual Kingdom will pass to his son and grandson. Again, in Haqiqatul Wahi, the Promised Messiah thanks God for the grant of four sons and the birth of a grandson at a future date. The much awaited prophecy was fulfilled when Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad was granted a son on 16th November, 1909. He was named Nasir Ahmad. The grandson spoken of in the prophecy is none other than Hazrat Hafiz Mirza Nasir Ahmad, Hazrat Ummul Momineen (wife of the Promised Messiah) used to call Nasir Ahmad “my Mubarak and my Yahya”. In one of her dreams, she saw that Mubarak had come back and clung to her saying: “Mother, I shall not go away now.” Hazrat Nawab Mubaraka Begum also had a dream to this effect.
Further, on 26th September, 1909, before the birth of Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad, the second Caliph, wrote to a friend that God had informed him that He would give him a son who would strengthen the fabric of Islam. The prophecy about the grandson speaks of Yahya. Basing his conclusion on the word “Yahya”, the Promised Messiah thought rightly that the child would be given a long life unlike Mubarak Ahmad son of the Promised Messiah who died at a tender age. From the Holy Quran, we learn that Yahya was taught the word of God at a young age. Similarly, Hazrat Hafiz Mirza Nasir Ahmad committed the Quran to memory in his younger years.
Hazrat Hafiz Mirza Nasir Ahmad succeeded as the third Caliph in the year 1965. Since then he tremendously expanded the Missionary activities of this Community.
He said in 1967,
“I would like to inform Ahmadis all over the world that the next 25 years will be very crucial, for a spiritual revolution shall shake the world to its very foundations. I cannot say which nations will be fortunate enough to accept the message of Ahmadiyyat enbloc or in great force and whether those nations will be African, British or otherwise. But I do tell you that the day is not far off when certain countries or parts there-of will accept Ahmadiyyat and their governments will be run Ahmadis. The prophecies and visions of the Promised Messiah are quite clear on this point… It is not know through what furnace you will have to pass in order to bring about that electrifying change in the world throughout, but you shall be put on trial in a variety of ways before that day of fulfilment. So, you must be prepared for that momentous occasion heralding the advent of God’s kingdom on earth, in the manner foretold by the Holy Prophet and his accredited representative, the Promised Messiah.”
During his historic tour to Europe in 1967, Khalifatul Masih III warned Europe:
“The Promised Messiah also prophesied that a third world war of even bigger dimensions would follow the second. The two opposing Camps will clash with such suddenness that everyone will be caught unaware. Death and destruction will rain from the sky and fierce flames shall engulf the earth. The colossus of modern civilisation will tumble to the ground. Both the communist and the opposing blocks will perish in the process. Russia and its satellites on the one hand and the U.S and its allies on the other, shall be destroyed, their might broken, their civilisation ruined and their system shattered. The survivors shall stand aghast and amazed at the tragedy… The end of the third world war will be the beginning of the triumph of Islam. People will accept its truth in large numbers and will realise that Islam alone is the true religion and that the emancipation of Man is to be won through the message of Muhammad alone (on whom be peace).. But gentlemen, let us not forget that this prophecy, like all prophecies, is a warning and its fulfilment can be delayed or even averted provided man turns to his Lord, repents and mends his ways. He can yet avert divine wrath if he stops worshipping the false deities of wealth, power and prestige, establishes a genuine relationship with his Lord, refrains from all transgression, does his duty to God and man, and learn to work for the true human welfare.”
In his historic visit to the six West African countries in 1970 Khalifatul Masih III declared:
“All men are equal, there is no difference between one man and another man. If the world realises this, there will be far less trouble.”
On 3rd July, 1970, in a sermon at Abbotabad, he declared:
“On the soil of Africa shall be fought the last spiritual battle between Islam and Christianity.”
“Looking at the world from the religious point of view, we find that a major portion of humanity is in the grip of atheism or agnosticism. Take the example of Soviet Russia. Communist China is one of those countries which have officially banished God. In certain European countries, the condition is much the same, ideologically, though no official declaration has been made to this effect.. We can say, broadly speaking that the whole of Europe is Christian by faith. In everyday talk, England is spoken of as a Christian country. This also holds good for Australia, New Zealand, Canada, The United States, North America and some parts of Africa. You will be surprised to know that I saw “For Sale” posters attached to certain churches in London. These countries are Christian in name only. The citizens do not even know what Christianity is… Well, according to the world map as it stands to-day, we find that some countries have openly adopted atheism or agnosticism. On top of it, there stands the battlefield of Africa where the forces of Islam and Christianity are locked in deadly struggle for superiority… If we win Africa, it will be difficult for Christian missionaries to regroups their forces in Spain or South America for a counter-attack (Spiritual one). They shall have no prospect of success. The material marshalled by the Promised Messiah against Christian dogma is so massive and impressive that one is simply astonished at the immensity of the task, with meticulous care and precision he has demolished the fabric thoroughly and completely.”
“The Fazle Omar Foundation”, “The Nusrat Jehan Leap Forward Programme”, “The Jubilee Fund”, only to name a few, are the highlights of the achievements of the third Caliph. But his golden achievement is the guidance he offered to the Community when Pakistan declared this God- fearing Community a Non-Muslim minority. That the Community in its totality has not suffered from disintegration, establishes the fact that the Caliph is no paper-tiger and that he can stand trials and tribulations. Equally historic is his sermon that we are Muslims.
“We have passed through painful times and now we are receiving reports that where-ever the number of Ahmadis is small and they are weak they are being boycotted. They cannot obtain food or drink. Shopkeepers are told not to sell even the indispensable necessities of life to them, and water carriers have been told not to supply water to them. We are not worried that we are being afflicted with hunger, as we have been warned of it in the Holy Quran:
“We will surely try you with somewhat of fear and hunger, loss of wealth and lives and the fruits of your labour.” (2:156)
Reports that are coming in indicate that just now the emphasis is on depriving the Ahmadis of food and drink. On receipt of such reports I call to mind and remind those who are in touch with me that our beloved master, the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad Mustafa (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was during the Meccan period besieged along with all the Muslims in the narrow valley of Abu Taib for a period of 2 and half to 3 years. They were all sorely tried and were denied the necessities of life. Allah so ordained that they were able to obtain just enough to maintain life with difficulty.”
Under the guidance of Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad (may mercy of Allah be upon him) the Ahmadiyya Community progressed at a remarkable speed in the propagation of Islam throughout the world building and running schools, colleges, hospitals, preaching centres, mosques, translating and publishing of Holy Quran.
In one of his Friday sermons after his tour to West Africa, he described his impressions as under:
“I left for West Africa carrying Islam’s message of love, amity and fraternity for the people of that country. I have returned on the conclusion of my tour, extending to a month or so, to tell you, how God manifested His kindness to me at every stage of my journey. I can not attire in words what I saw, observed and experienced. For my part, I conveyed to them and through them, to other nations of the world, the great message of love which Islam has promulgated for the benefit of entire humanity. I talked to them with feelings of affection, sympathy and brotherhood and communicated to them the Gospel of Islamic equality. I went a step further and demonstrated to them by action, referring to the life of the Holy Prophet that as Homo sapiens, there is not distinction between one human being and another. I caressed thousands of children and shook hands with numerous persons. Sometimes I did this when the heat was at its highest and I felt as if I would faint.”
In another sermon he predicted that the last spiritual battle between Christianity and Islam would be fought on the soil of Africa. He exhorted Ahmadis to redouble their efforts, so that the day of victory might come nearer than expected.
In one of his address, Huzur said,
“Whenever God commissions someone to reform the world, He Himself helps him and creates a congenial atmosphere for the success of the person sent by Him, He sends down His blessings. Every change that has taken place since the advent of Hazrat Masih Maoud, whether it was big or small, has been favourable to the Movement. Take the example of the Russian revolution in 1917, it wiped out Christianity from a large part of the world. Christianity had presented a human being as a “God”, this idol was broken to pieces, but not with the sticks; it was broken with cogent arguments, historical proofs and scientific evidence. The Promised Messiah, may peace be on him, had said that he would break the cross, which is said to have wounded the body of Jesus Christ (peace be on him). Indeed he proved with irrefutable proofs that Jesus had not died on the cross. The International Conference on the Deliverance of Jesus from the Cross has shaken the Christian world. The Christian Missionaries have not been able to accept the invitation that was extended to them for a dialogue on the subject. They are the people who, before the advent of Promised Messiah, may peace be on him, were of the opinion that they would wipe out Islam from India, Mecca and Medina. They asserted that Africa was in their lap. But what to talk of India, Mecca and Medina! Africa where they had bought the people with milk tins, sugar and clothes and scholarships, there the Ahmadiyya Missionaries with the Grace of God have turned the tables.”
A paper, Calgary Herald so reports on September 6th, 1980:
Islam Leader Here“Hafiz Mirza Nasir Ahmad, head of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam, will begin a four day visit to Calgary on Sunday, known to his followers as Khalifatul Masih III, the grandson of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and believed third successor of the Promised Messiah, he holds an M.A in Economics from Oxford University. The Ahmadiyya Movement is a Missionary branch of Islam, with a world- wide membership of more than 10 million and has translated and published the Holy Quran and other Islamic literature in more than 100 languages.”
Huzur toured America, Canada, Norway, West Germany, Holland, Sweden and England in 1976 and inaugurated the “Nasir Mosque” in Sweden. Again Huzur visited Switzerland, Holland, Sweden, Denmark and West Germany, attended the London Conference in 1978 and later Huzur laid the foundation stone of “Basharat Mosque” in Pedroabad, Spain. After over sixteen years of Khilafat, having unqualified success in stepping stones to further triumphs of Islam, Huzur expired on 9th of June, 1982. (may his soul rest in peace)