The Holy Quran makes an unqualified assertion and tells the Prophet(sa) to:
قُلۡ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ تُحِبُّوۡنَ اللّٰہَ فَاتَّبِعُوۡنِیۡ یُحۡبِبۡکُمُ اللّٰہُ وَ یَغۡفِرۡ لَکُمۡ ذُنُوۡبَکُمۡ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ ﴿۳۲﴾
“Say, ‘If you love Allah, follow me: then will Allah love you and forgive you your faults. And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful’” (3:32). This verse emphatically declares that the goal to attain Divine love is now only possible by subservience to and following the Prophet(sa). This verse also implies that the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi(as) would therefore be a follower of the Prophet(sa). It further implies that the second coming of all those prophets that other religions expect would also be fulfilled in the person of the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi(as). We know for a fact that, to date, no one who has passed away, gone up to heaven, or disappeared, has returned to earth. It is against the law of God. Any second coming or re-advent would be in likeness and spirit only. The Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani(as), precisely made this claim. Any man who claims he is from God and makes prophecies and shows divine signs must be looked at seriously and honestly. The Holy Quran reminds us of this as it states:
وَ قَالَ رَجُلٌ مُّؤۡمِنٌ ٭ۖ مِّنۡ اٰلِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ یَکۡتُمُ اِیۡمَانَہٗۤ اَتَقۡتُلُوۡنَ رَجُلًا اَنۡ یَّقُوۡلَ رَبِّیَ اللّٰہُ وَ قَدۡ جَآءَکُمۡ بِالۡبَیِّنٰتِ مِنۡ رَّبِّکُمۡ ؕ وَ اِنۡ یَّکُ کَاذِبًا فَعَلَیۡہِ کَذِبُہٗ ۚ وَ اِنۡ یَّکُ صَادِقًا یُّصِبۡکُمۡ بَعۡضُ الَّذِیۡ یَعِدُکُمۡ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَا یَہۡدِیۡ مَنۡ ہُوَ مُسۡرِفٌ کَذَّابٌ ﴿۲۹﴾
That is, “And a believing man of Pharaoh’s family, who hid his faith said, ‘Would you kill a man because he says, My Lord is God, and he (Moses) has come to you with clear signs (proofs) from your Lord? And if he is a liar, upon him will be (the sin of) his lie; but if he is telling the truth, then some of that calamity wherewith he threatens you will befall on you’”. (40:29)
Let us review the Holy Quran and see what it says about the coming of a prophet from the Ummah (followers) of The Prophet(sa).[i]
Verse #1
فَقَدۡ لَبِثۡتُ فِیۡکُمۡ عُمُرًا مِّنۡ قَبۡلِہٖ ؕ اَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُوۡنَ
Translation: I have indeed lived among you a whole lifetime before this. Will you not then understand? [10:17]
Proof: The Holy Prophet(sa) was told by God to tell the people that his life before prophethood is proof for the truthfulness of his claims. The same is the case with the Promised Messiah(as). When his life before his claims is assessed, it becomes as clear as daylight that he was a very truthful person. He himself received the revelation, “I have spent a whole lifetime among you before this, then do you not understand?” (Tadhkirah, p. 111). He also writes, “You cannot find any fault, imposture, lies, or fraud in my life (prior to my claim) such that you may think that a person who is accustomed to lying and defrauding others has lied again (about his claims). Who among you can allege such a fault in my life? Hence, it is the grace of God that He has kept me righteous from the beginning and this is an argument for those who ponder” (Tadhkiratush Shahadatain, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 20, p. 64).
Verse #2
وَ مَنۡ اَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنِ افۡتَرٰی عَلَی اللّٰہِ کَذِبًا اَوۡ کَذَّبَ بِاٰیٰتِہٖ ؕ اِنَّہٗ لَا یُفۡلِحُ الظّٰلِمُوۡنَ ﴿۲۲﴾
Translation: And who is more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah or gives the lie to His Signs? Surely, the unjust shall not prosper. [6:22]
Proof: In this verse, the enemies of the Holy Prophet(sa) are told that those who forge lies against Allah are never successful. The Holy Prophet(sa) is successful and this means that he has come from God. The same is the case with the Promised Messiah(as) who challenged his opponents and none of them proved successful against him.
Verse #3
کَتَبَ اللّٰہُ لَاَغۡلِبَنَّ اَنَا وَ رُسُلِیۡ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ قَوِیٌّ عَزِیۡزٌ ﴿۲۲﴾
Translation: Allah has decreed: ‘Most surely I will prevail, I and My Messengers.’ Verily, Allah is Powerful, Mighty. [58:22]
Proof: It is stated clearly in this verse that the community established by God through His Messengers always prevails over their opponents. The enemies of the Promised Messiah(as) have also made numerous attempts in the last 130 years to destroy it but they have never succeeded. The Jama’at has instead always prevailed over them.
Verse #4
فَاَنۡجَیۡنٰہُ وَ اَصۡحٰبَ السَّفِیۡنَۃِ وَ جَعَلۡنٰہَاۤ اٰیَۃً لِّلۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ ﴿۱۶﴾
Translation: But We saved him and those who were with him in the Ark; and We made it a Sign for all peoples. [29:16]
Proof: During the time of Noah(as), a flood came which destroyed the opponents of Noah(as). Only Noah(as) and his followers survived in the Ark. In the same way, at the time of the Promised Messiah(as), a great epidemic of plague spread in accordance with the prophecies. A large number of people died including many opponents of the Promised Messiah(as). It was in the midst of this epidemic that the Promised Messiah(as) was given the revelation, “I shall protect everyone who is within the four walls of your home”. Explaining this revelation, he writes, “This should not be taken to mean only such people who dwell in my house made of brick and mortar; rather, this also refers to all those who follow me completely and dwell in my spiritual home” (Noah’s Ark, p. 19). And this is precisely how it happened. History attests to the fact that everyone within the house of the Promised Messiah(as) literally remained safe from the plague, and those who were his sincere followers also remained safe.
Verse #5
وَ لَوۡ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَیۡنَا بَعۡضَ الۡاَقَاوِیۡلِ ﴿ۙ۴۵﴾ لَاَخَذۡنَا مِنۡہُ بِالۡیَمِیۡنِ ﴿ۙ۴۶﴾ ثُمَّ لَقَطَعۡنَا مِنۡہُ الۡوَتِیۡنَ ﴿۫۴۷﴾
Translation: And if he had forged and attributed any sayings to Us, We would surely have seized him by the right hand, And then surely We would have severed his life-artery. [69:45-47]
Proof: This verse shows that the Holy Prophet(sa) is a true Prophet because he was granted a long life after presenting to the world that he receives revelations from God. We know that the Holy Prophet(sa) lived for 23 years after receiving his first revelation. Hence, a false prophet cannot come who claims to have received revelations from God for a period of longer than 23 years. When this criterion is applied to the Promised Messiah(as), it is learned that his first revelations were received by him in the late 1860’s and he continued to receive revelations from God for more than 45 years. This in turn proves that his claim is true as God would not have granted such a long period of time to a false claimant of revelation. Non-Ahmadi Muslims, on the other hand, claim that the Promised Messiah(as) was false despite having received revelations for a period longer than 23 years. If that is true, our question to them is as follows: If a false claimant can continue to claim false revelations for a period of 23 years, how do we conclude from the above verse that the Holy Prophet(sa) was indeed a true claimant as he only received revelations for a period of 23 years? In other words, the non-Ahmadi position invalidates the main argument presented in the above verse.
Verse #6
عٰلِمُ الۡغَیۡبِ فَلَا یُظۡہِرُ عَلٰی غَیۡبِہٖۤ اَحَدًا ﴿ۙ۲۷﴾ اِلَّا مَنِ ارۡتَضٰی مِنۡ رَّسُوۡلٍ
Translation: He is the Knower of the unseen; and He reveals not His secrets to any one, except to him whom He chooses, namely a Messenger of His. [72:27-28]
Proof: A true prophet of God is granted an abundance of knowledge of the unseen. The Promised Messiah(as) received this knowledge as well which makes him a true messenger of God. For a detailed study of the prophecies of the Promised Messiah(as), a great book to study is Haqiqatul Wahi where he has listed many of his fulfilled prophecies. Another book to study for a shorter list is Invitation to Ahmadiyyat.
Verse #7
وَّ اٰخَرِیۡنَ مِنۡہُمۡ لَمَّا یَلۡحَقُوۡا بِہِمۡ ؕ وَ ہُوَ الۡعَزِیۡزُ الۡحَکِیۡمُ ﴿۴﴾
Translation: And among others from among them who have not yet joined them. He is the Mighty, the Wise. [62:4]
Proof: Seeing this verse in context shows that it is speaking of the coming of the Holy Prophet(sa) to “others from among them who have not yet joined them”. This refers to the Second Advent of the Holy Prophet(sa) fulfilled metaphorically in the Promised Messiah(as). It is narrated in Sahih Bukhari that Abu Hurairah(ra) states: “One Day we were sitting with the Holy Prophet when Surah Jumu‘ah was revealed. I asked the Holy Prophet, “Who are the people to whom the words And among others from among them who have not yet joined them, refer. Salman the Persian was sitting among us. Upon my repeatedly asking him the same question, the Prophet put his hand on Salman and said, “If Faith were to go up to the Pleiades, a man from these would surely find it” (Bukhari).
Verse #8
اِنَّاۤ اَرۡسَلۡنَاۤ اِلَیۡکُمۡ رَسُوۡلًا ۬ۙ شَاہِدًا عَلَیۡکُمۡ کَمَاۤ اَرۡسَلۡنَاۤ اِلٰی فِرۡعَوۡنَ رَسُوۡلًا ﴿ؕ۱۶﴾
Translation: Verily, We have sent to you a Messenger, who is a witness over you, even as We sent a Messenger to Pharaoh. [73:16]
Proof: In this verse, the Holy Prophet(sa) is likened to Prophet Moses(as). Both are law-bearning prophets and have many similarities. One of the similarities is that their nations were to also be similar to one another. Just as loved ones of God continued to be born in the community of Moses (i.e. the Israelites), loved ones of God continued to be born also in the community of Muhammad(sa). Hence, the Muhammad dispensation is similar to the Mosaic dispensation. And in order for the similarities to be complete and perfectly aligned, it was also necessary that just as a Messiah appeared in the 14th century after Prophet Moses(as), a Messiah had to appear in the 14th century after Prophet Muhammad(sa). That Messiah is Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as).
Verse #9
اَفَمَنۡ کَانَ عَلٰی بَیِّنَۃٍ مِّنۡ رَّبِّہٖ وَ یَتۡلُوۡہُ شَاہِدٌ مِّنۡہُ وَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِہٖ کِتٰبُ مُوۡسٰۤی اِمَامًا وَّ رَحۡمَۃً ؕ اُولٰٓئِکَ یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِہٖ ؕ
Translation: Can he, then, who possesses a clear proof from his Lord, and to testify to whose truth a witness from Him shall follow him, and who was preceded by the Book of Moses, a guide and a mercy, be an impostor? Those who consider these matters believe therein… [11:18]
Proof: Three arguments have been given in this verse in support of the Holy Prophet in the words: (a) ‘Who stands upon a clear proof from his Lord’, (b) ‘to testify to whose truth a witness from Him shall follow him’, and (c) ‘who was preceded by the Book of Moses’. ‘The clear proof from his Lord’ was the great moral revolution which the Holy Prophet had brought about in the life of his corrupt and decadent people, and “a witness from Him shall follow him” means that there will be many divine teachers that will follow the Prophet(sa) and testify to his truth , the witness par excellence was the Promised Messiah and Mahdi(as) and the words ‘was preceded by the Book of Moses’ point to the prophecies that are found in the Bible about the Holy Prophet(sa).
Verse #10
وَعَدَ اللّٰہُ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مِنۡکُمۡ وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ لَیَسۡتَخۡلِفَنَّہُمۡ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ کَمَا اسۡتَخۡلَفَ الَّذِیۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِہِمۡ ۪
Translation: Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will surely make them Successors in the earth, as He made Successors from among those who were before them. [24:56]
Proof: This verse also speaks of the similarity between the dispensation of Prophet Muhammad(sa) and the dispensation of Prophet Moses(as). They were both law-bearing prophets and were followed by special successors of God Almighty. One important successor that came after Moses(as) was Jesus Christ(as), the Messiah, who came at the end of the Mosaic dispensation, i.e. 1400 years after Moses(as). In the same way, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as), the Messiah, came 1400 years after Prophet Muhammad(sa). Furthermore, according to one Hadith in Sahih Bukhari (Book of Prophets), the Messiah is referred as Imamukum minkum (your Imam from among you). The word minkum is also used in the above verse of the Quran to refer to the fact that he will not be someone from outside the Muslim community. Instead, he will born within the community and commissioned by God to lead.
Verse #11
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِمَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ اِلَیۡکَ وَ مَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِکَ ۚ وَ بِالۡاٰخِرَۃِ ہُمۡ یُوۡقِنُوۡنَ ؕ﴿۵﴾
Translation: And who believe in that which has been revealed to thee, and that which was revealed before thee, and they have firm faith in what is yet to come. [2:5]
Proof: This verse speaks of revelation of God Almighty. The righteous are to believe in three kinds of revelations:
- The revelation of the Holy Quran (that which has been revealed to thee)
- Those revelations that came before the Holy Quran (that which has been revealed before thee)
- Those revelations that are to come after the Holy Quran (what is yet to come)
Among those revelations are the revelations to the Promised Messiah(as).
Verse #12
اَللّٰہُ یَصۡطَفِیۡ مِنَ الۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃِ رُسُلًا وَّ مِنَ النَّاسِ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ سَمِیۡعٌۢ بَصِیۡرٌ ﴿ۚ۷۶﴾
Translation: Allah chooses His Messengers from among angels, and from among men. Surely, Allah is All- Hearing, All-Seeing. [22:76]
Proof: It Is the practise of God Almighty to send His Messengers and this practise has not stopped. The word yastafee used in this verse is the present and future tense of the Arabic called fail mudhari’. Hence, even in the future, if Allah chooses to send Messengers to reform people and guide them to the right path, He will do so. Prophecies regarding the time of the Promised Messiah(as) speak of such a time when a need will arise for his coming as people would have left the right path at that time.
Verse #13
وَ جَآءَ مِنۡ اَقۡصَا الۡمَدِیۡنَۃِ رَجُلٌ یَّسۡعٰی قَالَ یٰقَوۡمِ اتَّبِعُوا الۡمُرۡسَلِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۲۱﴾ اتَّبِعُوۡا مَنۡ لَّا یَسۡـَٔلُکُمۡ اَجۡرًا وَّ ہُمۡ مُّہۡتَدُوۡنَ ﴿۲۲﴾ وَ مَا لِیَ لَاۤ اَعۡبُدُ الَّذِیۡ فَطَرَنِیۡ وَ اِلَیۡہِ تُرۡجَعُوۡنَ ﴿۲۳﴾ ءَاَتَّخِذُ مِنۡ دُوۡنِہٖۤ اٰلِہَۃً اِنۡ یُّرِدۡنِ الرَّحۡمٰنُ بِضُرٍّ لَّا تُغۡنِ عَنِّیۡ شَفَاعَتُہُمۡ شَیۡئًا وَّ لَا یُنۡقِذُوۡنِ﴿ۚ۲۴﴾ اِنِّیۡۤ اِذًا لَّفِیۡ ضَلٰلٍ مُّبِیۡنٍ ﴿۲۵﴾ اِنِّیۡۤ اٰمَنۡتُ بِرَبِّکُمۡ فَاسۡمَعُوۡنِ ﴿ؕ۲۶﴾ قِیۡلَ ادۡخُلِ الۡجَنَّۃَ ؕ قَالَ یٰلَیۡتَ قَوۡمِیۡ یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۲۷﴾ بِمَا غَفَرَ لِیۡ رَبِّیۡ وَ جَعَلَنِیۡ مِنَ الۡمُکۡرَمِیۡنَ ﴿۲۸﴾ وَ مَاۤ اَنۡزَلۡنَا عَلٰی قَوۡمِہٖ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِہٖ مِنۡ جُنۡدٍ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ وَ مَا کُنَّا مُنۡزِلِیۡنَ ﴿۲۹﴾ اِنۡ کَانَتۡ اِلَّا صَیۡحَۃً وَّاحِدَۃً فَاِذَا ہُمۡ خٰمِدُوۡنَ ﴿۳۰﴾ یٰحَسۡرَۃً عَلَی الۡعِبَادِ ۚؑ مَا یَاۡتِیۡہِمۡ مِّنۡ رَّسُوۡلٍ اِلَّا کَانُوۡا بِہٖ یَسۡتَہۡزِءُوۡنَ ﴿۳۱﴾
Translation: And from the farthest part of the town there came a man running. He said, ‘O my people, follow the Messengers, ‘Follow those who ask of you no reward, and who are rightly guided. ‘And what reason have I that I should not worship Him Who has created me, and unto Whom you will be brought back? ‘Shall I take others beside Him as gods? If the Gracious God should intend me any harm, their intercession will avail me naught, nor can they rescue me. ‘In that case I should indeed be in manifest error. ‘I believe in your Lord; so listen to me.’ It was said to him, ‘Enter Paradise.’ He said, ‘O, would that my people knew, ‘How graciously my Lord has granted me forgiveness and has made me of the honoured ones!’ And We sent not down against his people, after him, any host from heaven, nor did We need to send down any. It was but a single blast and lo! they were extinct. Alas for My servants! there comes not a Messenger to them but they mock at him. [36:21-31]
Proof: This passage in the Quran speaks of a man or rajul, and the implied reference is to the Promised Messiah. The Promised Messiah(as) has been called rajul by the Holy Prophet(sa) as discussed in verse #7 above. The five volume commentary of the Quran notes the following points from this passage that point to the Promised Messiah(as):
- The town possibly refers to the Holy Prophet(sa) as indicated in 36:14.
- The words “farther part” indicate that the Messiah would appear far away from Mecca.
- The word yas’aa means effort or striving and this indicates that the Messiah would make enormous efforts for the renaissance of Islam
- The Promised Messiah(as) invited the world to accept the truth of all the Prophets as stated in 36:21
- It is stated in 36:23 that he is devoted to God Almighty which implies the special pledge taken by every Ahmadi when following the Promised Messiah(as): I shall give precedence to my faith over all worldly affairs
- 36:24 indicates that at the time of the Promised Messiah(as), people would be worshipping other gods
- 36:26 points out that the Promised Messiah(as) will invite people to God, and not lay the foundation for a new religion
- 36:27 makes a special mention of paradise which refers to the fact that under Divine guidance, the Promised Messiah(as) established bahishti maqbarah (the heavenly graveyard) where righteous people are buried. They are those who make a special commitment to follow the Shariah and spend 1/10th of their income in the way of God.
- 36:30 refers to the atomic and nuclear weapons, and other kinds of powerful bombs that would be invented at the time of the Promised Messiah(as) and cause people to die instantaneously
Verse #14
صِرَاطَ الَّذِیۡنَ اَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَیۡہِمۡ ۬ۙ غَیۡرِ الۡمَغۡضُوۡبِ عَلَیۡہِمۡ وَ لَا الضَّآلِّیۡنَ ٪﴿۷﴾
Translation: The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings, those who have not incurred Thy displeasure, and those who have not gone astray. [1:7]
Proof: Muslims seek Allah’s blessings every single day. One of those blessings is prophethood. Just as past nations were granted this blessing, Muslims would also be granted this blessing. This was especially evident for the time of the Promised Messiah(as) when Muslims would have deviated from the right path and a Prophet would be needed to bring them back to the right path.
Verse #15
وَ مَنۡ یُّطِعِ اللّٰہَ وَ الرَّسُوۡلَ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ مَعَ الَّذِیۡنَ اَنۡعَمَ اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِمۡ مِّنَ النَّبِیّٖنَ وَ الصِّدِّیۡقِیۡنَ وَ الشُّہَدَآءِ وَ الصّٰلِحِیۡنَ ۚ وَ حَسُنَ اُولٰٓئِکَ رَفِیۡقًا ﴿ؕ۷۰﴾
Translation: And whoso obeys Allah and this Messenger of His shall be among those on whom Allah has bestowed His blessings, namely, the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs, and the Righteous. And excellent companions are these. [4:70]
Proof: There are four spiritual stations mention in this verse: (1) The Righteous; (2) The Martyrs; (3) The Truthful; and (4) The Prophets. The verse clearly mentions that those who obey Allah and the Holy Prophet(sa) will be granted one of these stations. In another verse of the Quran, it is stated, “And those who believe in Allah and His Messengers, they are the Truthful and the Martyrs in the presence of their Lord” (57:20). As such, those who are followers of the Holy Prophet(sa) are granted all the stages, including the stage of Prophet. The only important point to remember that these stages are granted to those who are obedient to Prophet Muhammad(sa). The prophethood of the Promised Messiah(as) is not a new prophethood. Instead, it is subordinate to the prophethood of the Prophet Muhammad(sa). It is drawn from the beneficence of the Prophethood of the Prophet Muhammad(sa).
Verse #16
اِنَّا نَحۡنُ نَزَّلۡنَا الذِّکۡرَ وَ اِنَّا لَہٗ لَحٰفِظُوۡنَ ﴿۱۰﴾
Translation: Verily, We Ourself have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely We will be its Guardian. [15:10]
Proof: It is the promise of Allah to safeguard the Holy Quran, both in its physical form and words, as well as its spiritual essence. It is not possible that Muslims deviate from the right path and are not brought back to the true teachings by God. That is why the coming of Khulafa’ and Mujaddadeen had been promised. Their coming is meant to safeguard the spiritual essence and teachings of the Holy Quran. For the 14th century, the coming of the Promised Messiah(as) was prophesied as it was to become a time when various forms of discord would spread.
Verse #17
وَ وَہَبۡنَا لَہٗۤ اِسۡحٰقَ وَ یَعۡقُوۡبَ وَ جَعَلۡنَا فِیۡ ذُرِّیَّتِہِ النُّبُوَّۃَ وَ الۡکِتٰبَ وَ اٰتَیۡنٰہُ اَجۡرَہٗ فِی الدُّنۡیَا ۚ وَ اِنَّہٗ فِی الۡاٰخِرَۃِ لَمِنَ الصّٰلِحِیۡنَ ﴿۲۸﴾
Translation: And We bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob, and We placed the gift of prophethood and the Book among his descendants, and We gave him his reward in this life, and in the Hereafter he will surely be among the righteous. [29:28]
Proof: Muslims recite the Darood Shareef in every Salat and they are also encouraged to recite it at other times of the day. The words of the Darood Shareef are as follows: Bless, O Allah, Muhammad and his people as Thou didst bless Abraham and his people. Thou art indeed Praiseworthy, the Exalted. Prosper, O Allah, Muhammad and his people as Thou didst prosper Abraham and his people. Thou art indeed Praiseworthy, the Exalted. We are clearly asking Allah to send down blessings and prosperity to Prophet Muhammad(sa) and his followers. In the above verse, it is stated that the followers of Abraham(as) were granted nubuwwah (Prophethood) as one of the blessings of God Almighty. This blessing is also granted to the followers of Prophet Muhammad(sa), and according to the prophecies, the Promised Messiah(as) is sent as a Prophet of Allah.
Verse #18
اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ قَالُوۡا رَبُّنَا اللّٰہُ ثُمَّ اسۡتَقَامُوۡا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَیۡہِمُ الۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃُ اَلَّا تَخَافُوۡا وَ لَا تَحۡزَنُوۡا وَ اَبۡشِرُوۡا بِالۡجَنَّۃِ الَّتِیۡ کُنۡتُمۡ تُوۡعَدُوۡنَ ﴿۳۱﴾
Translation: As for those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah,’ and then remain steadfast, the angels descend on them, saying: ‘Fear ye not, nor grieve; and rejoice in the Garden that you were promised. [41:31]
Proof: This verse clearly states that angels descend on believers in this life and such people are comforted through revelation. In light of this verse, how can we assume that God does not speak to His chosen servants?
Verse #19
وَ السَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ الرَّجۡعِ ﴿ۙ۱۲﴾ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ ذَاتِ الصَّدۡعِ ﴿ۙ۱۳﴾
Translation: By the cloud which gives rain after rain, And by the earth which opens out with herbage. [86:12-13]
Proof: It is a natural law of God that the earth dries up when it has not received rain for a certain period of time. The same applies to the spiritual realm. If humans do not receive revelations from God for a long time, they would lose their way and become misguided. Doubts would arise and they would start thinking of revelation as part of a long lost history. Hence, it is the way of God that just as rain falls every so often on the earth, revelation comes from heaven every so often to keep people on the right path.
Verse #20
وَ اِذۡ قَالَ عِیۡسَی ابۡنُ مَرۡیَمَ یٰبَنِیۡۤ اِسۡرَآءِیۡلَ اِنِّیۡ رَسُوۡلُ اللّٰہِ اِلَیۡکُمۡ مُّصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَیۡنَ یَدَیَّ مِنَ التَّوۡرٰٮۃِ وَ مُبَشِّرًۢا بِرَسُوۡلٍ یَّاۡتِیۡ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِی اسۡمُہٗۤ اَحۡمَدُ ؕ فَلَمَّا جَآءَہُمۡ بِالۡبَیِّنٰتِ قَالُوۡا ہٰذَا سِحۡرٌ مُّبِیۡنٌ ﴿۷﴾
Translation: And remember when Jesus, son of Mary, said, ‘O children of Israel, surely I am Allah’s Messenger unto you, fulfilling that which is before me of the Torah, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger who will come after me. His name will be Ahmad.’ And when he came to them with clear proofs, they said, ‘This is clear enchantment.’ [61:7]
The prophecy in this verse applies to the Holy Prophet, but as a corollary it also applies to the Promised Messiah and Mahdi(as) because his given name was Ahmad and he was called “Ahmad” in Divine revelations (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya), and in his person the Second Manifestation or Second Advent of the Holy Prophet took place (as discussed above, 62:3-4).
Conclusion
I close with the prayer that Allah grant us all the wisdom to decipher truth from falsity (Ameen). Allah cautions us in the Holy Quran:
یٰبَنِیۡۤ اٰدَمَ اِمَّا یَاۡتِیَنَّکُمۡ رُسُلٌ مِّنۡکُمۡ یَقُصُّوۡنَ عَلَیۡکُمۡ اٰیٰتِیۡ ۙ فَمَنِ اتَّقٰی وَ اَصۡلَحَ فَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَیۡہِمۡ وَ لَا ہُمۡ یَحۡزَنُوۡنَ ﴿۳۶﴾
“O children of Adam! if Messengers come to you from among yourselves, rehearsing My Signs unto you, then whoso shall fear God and do good deeds, on them shall come no fear nor shall they grieve” (7:36). Similarly, He says:
قَالَ اہۡبِطَا مِنۡہَا جَمِیۡعًۢا بَعۡضُکُمۡ لِبَعۡضٍ عَدُوٌّ ۚ فَاِمَّا یَاۡتِیَنَّکُمۡ مِّنِّیۡ ہُدًی ۬ۙ فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ ہُدَایَ فَلَا یَضِلُّ وَ لَا یَشۡقٰی ﴿۱۲۴﴾
“He said, ‘Go forth, both of you, from here, some of you being enemies of others. And if there comes to you guidance from Me, then whoso will follow My guidance, he will not go astray, nor will he come to grief” (20:124).
There is much more in The Holy Quran. The hidden treasures of knowledge in The Holy Quran are for us to find. May Allah enable us to do so. Aameen.
Allahu ‘A’lam [Allah knows best].
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[i] Many of the arguments presented in this article are paraphrased from the Ahmadiyya Taleemi Pocket Book written by Qazi Muhammad Nazeer sahib, Tablighi Pocket Book written by Malik Abdur Rahman sahib Khadim, Tafseer-e-Sagheer, Short Commentary of the Holy Quran and Five Volume Commentary of the Holy Quran.