The Heavenly Sign
One of the biggest signs for the true Messiah and Mahdi is mentioned in the following verses:
يَسْأَلُ أَيَّانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ {7} فَإِذَا بَرِقَ الْبَصَرُ {8}
وَخَسَفَ الْقَمَرُ {9}وَجُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ {10} يَقُولُ الْإِنْسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَيْنَ الْمَفَرُّ {11}
He asks: When will be the day of Resurrection? When the eye is dazzled, And the moon is eclipsed, And the sun and the moon are brought together, On that day man will say, whither to escape? (Chapter 75 Verses 7-11)
Hadhrat Ahmadas stated:
“The signs set out in the Qur’an and the ahadith which indicate the approach of the Day of Judgement, and which have been clearly fulfilled. As, for instance, the eclipse of the sun and the moon in the month of Ramadan which is indicated in the verse:
وَجُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَر
And the sun and the moon are brought together (Chapter 75 Verse 10)
Heas also stated:
“The fact also should be borne in mind that the Holy Qur’an makes mention of this sign of the double eclipse as an indication of the near approach of the last day, as you may read in the verse “And when the eye is dazzled, and the moon is eclipsed, and the sun and the moon are brought together”. Nor must it be supposed that the sign indicated here is one among the events of the Judgement-day; because the eclipses referred to in the verse depend for their occurrence upon the existence of this earth.” (Najm al-Huda)
Another verse of the Qur’an also speaks of this sign for the advent of the Mahdi. Allah States:
إِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ
“And when the sun is wrapped up” (Chapter 81 Verse 2)
Hadhrat Ahmadas has also stated:
إِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ
“And when the sun is wrapped up” (Chapter 81 Verse 2) (Tohfah-e-Golarhviyyah, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 17, pp. 241-244)
This heavenly sign is also explained in the ahadith of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw. It is narrated:
حدثنا أبو سعيد الإصطخري ، ثنا محمد بن عبد الله بن نوفل ، ثنا عبيد بن يعيش ، ثنا يونس بن بكير عن عمرو بن شمر عن جابر عن محمد بن علي قال : إن لمهدينا آيتين لم تكونا منذ خلق السماوات والأرض ينكسف القمر لأول ليلة من رمضان وتنكسف الشمس في النصف منه ولم تكونا منذ خلق الله السموات والأرض
“For Our Mahdi, there are two Signs which have never appeared before since the creation of the heavens and the earth, namely, the moon will be eclipsed on the first night of Ramadhan (i.e, on the first of the nights on which a lunar eclipse can occur) and the sun will be eclipsed on the middle day (i.e on the middle one of the days on which a solar eclipse can occur), and these signs have not appeared since God Created the heavens and the earth.” (Sunan Darul Qutni)
These signs are mentioned in both the books of Sunni and Shia sects. Many Muslim scholars have quoted this sign for the advent of the Mahdi for many years. The books include Fatawa Hadisiya by Allama Sheikh Ahmad Shahabuddin Ibn Hajr al-Haithami, Ikmal-ud-Din, Biharul-Anwar, Hijajul Kiramah by Nawab Siddiq Hassan Khan, Maktoobat-e-Imam Rabani Mujadid Alf Thani, Qiyamat Nama Farsi by Hadhrat Shah Rafeeuddin Muhaddith of Delhi, Aqaedul Islam by Maulana Abdul Haqq Muhaddith of Delhi, Iqtirabus Sa’h by Nawab Siddiq Hassan Khan, and Ahwalul Akhirat by Hafiz Muhammad of Lakhoke.
Here are some references from the Sunni Books:
Ibn Hajar al-Haithami stated:
“There are two signs for the Mahdi… The first one is the lunar eclipse on the first night of Ramadan, and the second is the solar eclipse in the middle of this month.” (Ibn Hajar al-Haithami’s book Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 47)
Muhammad al-Barzanji stated:
“Lunar eclipse will occur in the first night of the Ramadan. In the middle of the Ramadan, solar eclipse will occur.” (Muhammad Al-Barzanji, Al-Isha’ah li Ashrat AsSa’ah, p. 199)
Mujadid Alf Thani stated:
“During his reign, on the 14th of the Ramadan, solar eclipse will occur. On the 1st of that month, moon will darken…” (Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, 380; Letters of Rabbani, 2-1163)
Hadhrat Naim Bin Hammad in his book Kitab ul Fitan recorded the following hadith:
قَالَ: وَحُدِّثْتُ عَنْ شَرِيكٍ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «بَلَغَنِي أَنَّهُ قَبْلَ خُرُوجِ الْمَهْدِيِّ تَنْكَسِفُ الشَّمْسُ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ مَرَّتَيْنِ»
“There will be two solar eclipses in Ramadan before the Mahdi’s advent.” (Kitab ul Fitan Volume 1, Page 229)
Imam Qurtubi stated:
أخرج نعيم (642) عن شريك أنه قال:(( بلغني أنه قبل خروج المهدي تنكسف الشمس في شهر رمضان مرتين ))
“There will be two solar eclipses in Ramadan before the Mahdi’s advent.” (Imam Qurtubi’s book Mukhtasar Tazkirah , p. 440)
This sign is not only mentioned in the Qur’an, the ahadith, and the books of the scholars, rather it is a sign which is even mentioned in the bible and the Hindu Scriptures as well. In the New Testament, Hadhrat Isaas, stated in regards to his second coming:
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light.” (Matthew 24:29)
Furthermore, Mahatma Surasji has mentioned the prophecy as well. He stated:
“Both the moon and the sun will be eclipsed and there will be much violence and death.”
In the Holy Book of the Sikhs, Sri Guru Granth Sahib, it is stated:
“When Maharaj will come as Nahklank, the sun and moon will be his helpers”
Background Information
Hadhrat Ahmadas made his claim of the Messiah and Mahdi in the year of 1891. He presented many miracles and signs of God, but the maulvis continued to oppose him, in the same way other Prophets were opposed. All of these maulvis were demanding the sign of the eclipses, and stated that if Hadhrat Ahmadas was indeed true, then the eclipses would have occurred for him. They always said “You claim to be the Mahdi of the latter days, why then do we not see the solar and lunar eclipses which were to occur in the month of Ramadhan if you are indeed truthful?”
Hadhrat Ahmadas stated:
“O Allah! ……. Am I not sent by You? At this time curse and [edicts of] disbelief have become abundant ……. Decide therefore between us and our people with truth and You are the best of those who decide. O God, send down divine succor from the heavens for me ……. And at this trying time come for the support of Your servant. I have become like the weak and humiliated and the people have rejected me, and have made me a target of reproach. Thus grant me such divine succor as you granted to the Holy Prophetsaw on the day of Badr. Protect us O You Who are the Best of Protectors. Verily, You are the Merciful Lord; You have taken it upon Yourself to show Mercy, therefore grant us a portion thereof. Show divine succor and have mercy upon us and turn to us and You are the most Merciful of those who show Mercy.” (Nurul Haqq, Ruhani Khazain, Volume 8, Page 184)
Around a month after this prayer, this heavenly prophecy of the lunar and solar eclipses the Prophet Muhammadsaw made about the Mahdi were fulfilled. The lunar eclipse occurred on the 21st of March 1894 (13th of Ramadhan 1311 A.H) and the solar eclipse occurred on the 6th of April 1894 (28th Ramadhan 1311 A.H). The eclipses once again occurred in the year of 1895 for the Western Hemisphere.
In reply to the excuses of the maulvis after the sign had appeared, Hadhrat Ahmadas stated:
“Do you have no fear that you reject a Hadith of the Holy Prophetsaw although its truthfulness has manifested itself like the radiant sun. Can you present a sign like this in any age in the past? Do you read in any book the name of any man who claimed to be from Allah the Exalted and then in his time the lunar and solar eclipses occurred in the month of Ramadan as you see now? If you are aware of any such example then state it O Ma’sharal Munkirin and you shall receive a reward of 1000 Rupees from me. Hence, present proof and receive your reward. And I call Allah to witness over my promise and you should be a witness, for Allah is the best of those who bear witness.” (Nurul Haqq, (Part II), Ruhani Khazain, Volume 8, Page 212)
Lunar and Solar Eclipses in the Light of the Laws of Nature
The non Ahmadi Muslims raise the allegation that the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw mentioned the first and middle days, and therefore it should literally be the first day and the middle day of the month. However, this is against Allah’s Laws and the words of the Prophet Muhammadsaw himself.
The lunar and solar eclipses are a phenomena which have their assigned dates from Allah, and are always in accordance to the laws of nature. The changes in the distances and the velocities of the bodies have their effects on the dates of the eclipses and when they can occur. In the Hijri calendar the dates for the lunar eclipses are 13,14 and 15 and the dates on which a solar eclipse can occur are the 27, 28 and 29. Therefore, according to the prophecy, the lunar eclipse would occur on the first night and the solar eclipse would occur on the middle day. This would mean the lunar eclipse would occur on the 13th of ramadhan and the solar eclipse would occur on the 28th of ramadhan.
The Holy Prophetsaw used the word qamar, and according to the Arabic language, the moon is not referred to as qamar on the first day of its birth. Rather it is known as hilal. It is stated in Lisanul Arab:
يسمى القمر لليلتين من اول الشهر هلالا قال الجوهرى القمر بعد ثلاث إلى آخر الشهر قال ابن السيدة و القمر يكون قي اليلة الثالثة من الشهر
Meaning, “For the first two days of the month, the moon is called a Hilal. Al- Jauhari states that : A Qamar refers to the moon after the second night until the end of the month. Similarly, Ibn Sayyidah states: “On the third night of the month, the moon becomes a Qamar”
In Aqrabul Mawarid and Munjid it is stated:
وهو قمر بعد ثلاث ليال إلى آخر الشهر و اما قبل ذالك فهو هلال
Meaning, “A Qamar refers to the moon after the third night until the end of the month and prior to this period, the moon is referred to as a Hilal”
One of the most popular scholars of Islam, Hadhrat Ibn Taymiyyarh stated:
اللَّهُ الْعَادَةَ أَنَّ الشَّمْسَ لَا تَكْسِفُ إلَّا وَقْتَ الِاسْتِسْرَارِ وَأَنَّ الْقَمَرَ لَا يَخْسِفُ إلَّا وَقْتَ الْإِبْدَارِ وَوَقْتُ إبْدَارِهِ هِيَ اللَّيَالِي الْبِيضُ الَّتِي يُسْتَحَبُّ صِيَامُ أَيَّامِهَا: لَيْلَةُ الثَّالِثَ عَشَرَ وَالرَّابِعَ عَشَرَ وَالْخَامِسَ عَشَرَ. فَالْقَمَرُ لَا يَخْسِفُ إلَّا فِي هَذِهِ اللَّيَالِي
“Thus Allah has decreed that the sun is eclipsed only in dark nights, and the moon is eclipsed only in moonlight nights. These are the nights when the moon is full, and during which days the keeping of optional fasts is preferable. These nights are the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth. Hence, the moon is eclipsed only on these nights. (Fatawa Sheikh Ul Islam, Ibn Tamiyya, Majmua al Fatawa)
Nawwab Siddiq Hassan Khan wrote in Hijajul Kirama:
“According to astronomers a lunar eclipse does not take place on any date other than 13, 14, and 15; and in the same way a solar eclipse does not take place on any date other than 27. 28, and 29” (Hijajul Karamah, Page 344)
Professor F. Richard Stephenson, who wrote the book “Historical Eclipses and the Earth’s Rotation” published through the Cambridge University Press, 1997 stated:
“In the Islamic Calendar, lunar eclipses consistently take place on about the 14th day of the month and the solar eclipses around the 28th day” (Historical Eclipses and the Earth’s Rotation, Page 436)
Hadhrat Ahmadas stated:
“So the right interpretation and the true meaning of the expression ‘lunar eclipse will occur in the first night of Ramadhan’ are that it will occur in the first of the three full-moon nights and you know the expression white nights. In addition to this there is also a hint that when the lunar eclipse occurs in the first full-moon night, it will occur in the beginning of the night and not after a lapse of time as will be clear to an enlightened person. And the lunar eclipse did occur accordingly and many had seen it in this country” (Noorul Haqq Part II)
And:
“The saying that the sun will be eclipsed in the middle, implies that the solar eclipse will manifest itself in such a way that it will divide the days of the eclipse into two halves. It will occur in the second day of the eclipse and its time will not exceed the first half of the day because that is the limit of the half. So just as Almighty God ordained that the lunar eclipse should occur in the first night, so also He ordained that the solar eclipse should occur in the eclipse days in the time specified by half. So it happened as predicted. And Almighty God does not reveal His secrets to anyone except to those whom He chooses for the reformation of the world. Hence there is no doubt that this Hadith is from the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who is the best of all messengers. (Noorul Haqq Part II)
These eclipses were visible from Qadian, and were seen by him and his companions. Hadhrat Ahmadas stated:
“O servants of God, ponder and think. Do you consider it permissible that the Mahdi should be born in the countries of Arabia and Syria and his Sign should be manifested in our country; and you know that the wisdom of God does not separate the Sign from the person for whom the Sign is meant. Then how could it be possible that the Mahdi should be in the East but his sign should be in the West. And this should be sufficient for you if you are really seekers after truth.” (Noorul Haqq Part II)
After the fulfillment of this beautiful prophecy, Hadhrat Ahmadas wrote a poem in Arabic. Some of the couplets in English are:
Glad tidings to you O community brothers.
Congratulations to you O community friends.The brilliance of God’s bounty has become manifest.
And the way is opened for the person who can see.
And a prophecy of glad tidings of the Chief Prophet of Allah.
Have been fulfilled in such a pure way that there is no blemish in it.
Today every enlightened person is weeping.
In remembrance of the bounties of Almighty Allah.
And in acknowledgment of the fulfillment of the prophecy of our prophet.
And are reflecting upon the Greatness of Allah, the real Benefactor.
Today every person who has pledged allegiance
Has increased so much in faith as though he has acquired a new faith.
Some Allegations
Why Did the Eclipses Happen Twice?
The non Ahmadis raise an allegation that Hadhrat Ahmadas claimed that the eclipses would happen twice, and that such a hadith does not exist. This is purely out of their ignorance.
Hadhrat Naim Bin Hammad in his book Kitab ul Fitan recorded the following hadith:
قَالَ: وَحُدِّثْتُ عَنْ شَرِيكٍ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «بَلَغَنِي أَنَّهُ قَبْلَ خُرُوجِ الْمَهْدِيِّ تَنْكَسِفُ الشَّمْسُ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ مَرَّتَيْنِ»
“There will be two solar eclipses in Ramadan before the Mahdi’s advent.” (Kitab ul Fitan Volume 1, Page 229)
Imam Qurtubi stated:
أخرج نعيم (642) عن شريك أنه قال:(( بلغني أنه قبل خروج المهدي تنكسف الشمس في شهر رمضان مرتين ))
“There will be two solar eclipses in Ramadan before the Mahdi’s advent.” (Imam Qurtubi’s book Mukhtasar Tazkirah , p. 440)
Furthermore, Hadhrat Imam Suyutirh stated the same:
Lunar and Solar Eclipses have Occurred many times in Ramadhan
Hadhrat Ahmadas has beautifully answered the allegation that of the solar and lunar eclipses have already occurred in the past:
“We are not concerned with how often solar and lunar eclipses have occurred in the month of Ramadhan from the beginning of the world till today. Our aim is only to mention that from the time man has appeared in this world, solar and lunar eclipses have occurred as Signs only in my age for me. Prior to me, no one had this circumstances that on one hand he claimed to be Mahdi Mauood (Promised Reformer) and on the other, in the month of Ramazan, on the appointed dates, lunar and solar eclipses occurred and he declared the eclipses as signs in his favour. The Hadees of Darqutni does not say at all that solar and lunar eclipses did not occur ever before, but it does clearly say that such eclipses never occurred earlier as Signs, because the word ‘lum takuna’ is used which denotes feminine gender; this implies that such a Sign was never manifested before. If it was meant that such eclipses never occurred before ‘lum yakuna’ which denotes masculine gender was needed and not ‘lum takuna’ which denoted feminine gender. It is clear from this that the reference is to the two signs because signs are of feminine gender. Hence if anybody thinks that many times lunar and solar eclipse have occurred, it is his responsibility to show the claimant to Mahdi who declared the solar and lunar eclipses as his sign and this proof should be certain and conclusive and this can only happen if a book of the claimant is produced who claimed to be Mahdi Ma’hood and had written that the lunar and solar eclipses which occurred in Ramadhan on the dates specified in Darqutni are the Signs of my truth. In short we are not concerned with the mere occurrence of solar and lunar eclipses even if they had been thousands of times. As a Sign this has happened at the time of a claimant only once and the Hadith has proved its authenticity and truth through its fulfillment at the time of the claimant to Mahdi.” (Chashma-e-Marifat, Page 315)
Heas also stated:
“As a matter of fact, since Adam to the present time, nobody ever made a prophecy like this. The prophecy has four aspects: (1) the occurrence of the lunar eclipse on the first of the eclipse nights. (2) the occurrence of the solar eclipse on the middle of the eclipse days, (3) the occurrence in the month of Ramadhan and (4) the presence of the claimant who has been rejected. Hence if the greatness of this prophecy is denied, then show a parallel to it in the world, and until a parallel cannot be found, this prophecy ranks foremost among all those prophecies to which the verse ‘fla yuzhar ala ghaibehi ahada’ can be applied, because it is stated here that from the time of Adam to the end, it has no parallel.” (Tohfa-e-Golarviya, p. 29)
Allegation on Authenticity
The non Ahmadi Muslims firstly raise allegations on the authenticity of this narration. Firstly, I have already proven that this hadith was accepted by the Sunni and Shia scholars for many years. It is also supported by the Qur’an and therefore cannot be rejected.
Hadhrat Ahmadas stated:
“That Hadith is quite correct and is recorded not only in Dar Qutani but also in other books of Hadith of both Shia and Sunni sects. Furthermore, this principle has been accepted by the scholars of Hadith that if a prophecy of any Hadith has been fulfilled, then even if, for the sake of argument, that Hadith was earlier considered as false, the Hadith will be regarded as true after the prophecy has been fulfilled because God has borne witness to its truth since except God nobody has power over the unknown. The Holy Quran says: i.e. only the Messengers of Allah can narrate the unseen in a perfect way; others cannot be of this rank. Here Messengers include Rasool Nabi, Muhaddath and Mujaddid. (Aiyamus Sulh, Roohani Khazain Vol.14 p. 419).
Furthermore, Allah States:
عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا {27}
إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ مِنْ رَسُولٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَسْلُكُ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ رَصَدًا {28}
He (Allah) is the Knower of the unseen, and He reveals not His secrets to anyone, except to whom He chooses, namely a Messenger of His. (Chapter 72 Verses 27-28)
This prophecy and its fulfillment further prove the truthfulness of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw and therefore should be accepted. When the prophecy is fulfilled, why should we look for errors in the chain of narrations?
Hadhrat Ahmadas has explained in Anjam-e-Atham that why should we focus on the narrators if the prophecy was fulfilled? This itself is a sign that it is a true hadith and no one should have any doubts about it.
Furthermore, Hadhrat Ali Ibn Umar Al Baghdadi Ad Darul-Qutni was a very respected scholar of ahadith. Hadhrat Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith of Delhi, stated about him in Nukhbatul Fikr Page 56:
قال الدار قطنى يا اهل بغداد لا تظنوا ان احدا يقدر ان يكذب على رسول الله و انا حى
“Imam Dar Qutni once said: “O residents of Baghdad! Do not think anyone possesses the power to attribute a fabrication to the Prophet of Allah while I live”
Another doubt of the anti Ahmadis is whether the narrator of the hadith if Hadhrat Imam Baqar. Nawab Siddiq Hassan Khan has agreed that it is indeed Imam Baqar in his book Iqtirabus Sa’ah. Allama Shaikh Ibn Hajar al Haithami has also stated:
“Muhammad bin Ali, an elite among the Ahle Bai’at, narrates that there will be two signs for the Imam Mahdi which have never been shown to mankind since the creation of the heavens and the earth. one of these is the eclipse of the moon on the first of its nights in the month of Ramadhan, and the eclipse of the sun on the middle of the days” (Kitabul Fatawa al Hadithiya, Page 31, Egypt)
Some raise the allegation that this is not a hadith, rather a saying of Hadhrat Imam Baqar. This is also an allegation raised out of ignorance. Many are aware that the Imams of Ahlul Bai’at often narrated ahadith without quoting the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw. In Haqiqatul Wahi pages 202-205, Hadhrat Ahmadas has explained that the Ahlul Bai’at imams did not think it was important to narrate every hadith they say back to the Holy Prophetsaw, and this was their way of narrating. This is proven further by the following narration of Bihar ul Anwar:
Arabic Text:
قلت لأبي جعفر عليه السلام: إذا حدثتني بحديث فأسنده لي، فقال: حدثني أبي، عن جده، عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله، عن جبرئيل عليه السلام، عن الله عز وجل. وكل ما أحدثك بهذا الإسناد
Translation: “It is narrated from Hadhrat Jabir that I said to Abu Jafar that whenever you give me a hadith, give me its sanad as well. He stated that I narrate from my father, my grandfather, and from the Prophet Muhammadsaw and from Hadhrat Jibrael, and from Allah. Whatever I mention to you, is from this sanad.”
The Eclipses did Not Occur on the 13th and 28th
The next allegation of the anti Ahmadis is that the eclipses occurred on the 14th and 29th of Ramadhan and therefore our interpretation is wrong. This is not correct at all. The date of Ramadhan would depend upon when the lunar crescent is first sighted. This cannot be decided by the astronomical calculations alone in many cases, as it depends on the meteorological conditions as well. Physical sighting is necessary as well. The following is a screenshot from the official NASA Website:
The lunar eclipse was seen from Qadian after sunset on the 21st of March. It was the 13th of Ramadhan. The solar eclipse occurred in the morning of 6th of April, which was the 28th of Ramadhan. Even the opponents of the true Islam, like Muhammad Abdullah Memar, have testified to this.
Lunar and Solar Eclipses have Occurred for Claimants
The allegation of the anti Ahmadis is that the eclipses have occurred on the 13th and 28th of Ramadhan at the time of other claimants. The important fact is that the claimant should also declare that these signs were for him. Hadhrat Ahmadas has stated:
“The Hadith does not imply that before the advent of the Mahdi there would be eclipses of the moon and the sun in the month of the Ramadhan, because in that case it was possible that after seeing the lunar eclipse and the solar eclipse in the month of Ramadhan, any impostor could claim to be the Promised Mahdi and the matter would become ambiguous since it is easy to claim afterwards. If after the eclipses there are many claimants it is clear that the eclipses cannot testify anyone” (Anwarul Islam, Roohani Khazain, Vol.9, p.48).
And:
From ancient time, this has been the way of God that a Sign is manifested when the Messengers of God are treated as liars and are regarded as impostors (Tohfae Golarviya, Roohani Khazain, Vol.17, p.142).
Secondly, the eclipses have occurred in Ramadhan for 25 other claimants to Mahdi. However when we look at this in detail, there is no clear proof that after their claim, a lunar eclipse occurred on the 13th and a solar eclipse on the 28th in Ramadhan, visible in their location.
The anti Ahmadis usually bring up the names Saleh Bin Tarif, Mirza Ali Muhammad Bab, Hussain Ali Bahaullah, Mahdi Sudani, and Dr. Alexander Dowie. There is no proof ever given from their writings in regards to this miracle.
The following should also be considered:
Saleh Bin Tarif had claimed to be the Imam Mahdi in 125 AH and ruled until 174 AH. The eclipses had occurred in Ramadhan in 126 AH, 127 AH, 170 AH, and 171 AH. None of these were visible in Morocco, and therefore cannot be a sign for this false claimant.
Mirza Ali Muhammad Bab claimed to be the Mahdi in 1264 AH and was killed on 28 Shaban 1266. There was neither a lunar eclipse nor a solar eclipse in any part of the world during this time.
Hussain Ali Bahaullah did not even claim to be the Mahdi, rather he claimed to be God. He died in May 1892. During the period of 1867-1892, there is no year where both lunar and solar eclipses occurred in Ramadhan, being visible in Iran.
Muhammad Ahmad of Sudan claimed to be the Mahdi in 1298 AH and died on the 9th of Ramadhan in 1302 AH. During the period of 1881-1885 neither a lunar or solar eclipse occurred in Ramadhan in any part of the world.
Alexander Dowie did not even claim to be the Mahdi, nor did he claim to be Muslim. He hated Islam, yet the anti Ahmadis are trying to prove him truthful. He claimed to be the Messiah in 1903 and died in 1907. During the period of 1903-1907, there was no eclipse in Ramadhan in any part of the world.
Why Did the Eclipses not Occur During his Birth?
Some ignorant ones ask why the eclipses did not happen in 1835, during the birth of Hadhrat Ahmadas. The answer is quite simple. Hadhrat Muhammadsaw stated:
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرٌو، أَنَّ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ الْقَاسِمِ، حَدَّثَهُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُخْبِرُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ إِنَّ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ لاَ يَخْسِفَانِ لِمَوْتِ أَحَدٍ وَلاَ لِحَيَاتِهِ، وَلَكِنَّهُمَا آيَتَانِ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ، فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمُوهُمَا فَصَلُّوا ”.
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of someone’s death or life (i.e. birth), but they are two signs amongst the Signs of Allah. So, if you see them (i.e. eclipse) offer the (eclipse) prayer. (Sahih Al Bukhari, Hadith #3201)
The Challenge of Hadhrat Ahmadas
Hadhrat Ahmadas gave a challenge with a reward of 1000 rupees, to anyone who could show that such a sign had occurred earlier. He stated:
“Are you not afraid to deny the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, even though its truth has become as manifest as the bright sun? Can you present a Sign like this in any age in the past. Do you read in any book that some person claimed to be from Almighty God and then in his time in Ramadhan, the lunar and solar eclipses occurred as you have now seen? If you are aware then relate it and you will get one thousand rupees as a reward if you can show. So prove it and take this reward and I make Almighty God a witness. And if you cannot prove, and you will never be able to prove, then guard against the Fire which is prepared for those who create disorder.” (Noorul Haqq Part II)
Declaration on Oath
Hadhrat Ahmadas also stated:
“In my age only in the month of Ramazan, eclipses of the sun and the moon occurred; in my age in accordance with the authentic sayings of the Holy Prophet and the Holy Quran and earlier Books, there was plague all over the country, and in my age only new mode of transport, namely railways came into existence and in my age only, as per my prophecies, terrible earthquakes came. Does not then righteousness demand that one should not be bold in denying my. Look! I swear by Almighty God and say that thousands of signs for establishing my truth have been manifested, are being manifested and will be manifested. If this were a man’s plan, never he would have enjoyed such a support and help.” [Haqiqatul Wahi p. 45]
“And I also swear by Almighty God that I am the Promised Messiah and I am the same person who was promised by the prophets. There is news about me and my age in the Torah and the Gospel and the Holy Quran, it is stated that there will be eclipses in the sky and severe plague on the earth.” [Dafiul Balaa p. 18]
“I swear by God in Whose Hand is my life that He has manifested this Sign in the sky to testify my truthfulness, and He manifested it at a time when the Maulvis (theologians) named me Dajjal (Anti-Christ), biggest liar, infidel and even biggest infidel. This is the same Sign regarding which twenty years ago I was promised in ‘Braheen- e-Ahmadiyya’, namely. ‘Tell them I have with me testimony from Allah, will you believe it or not? Tell them I have with me testimony from Allah, will you accept it or not?’ It should be remembered that although there are many proofs from Almighty God for vindicating my truthfulness and more than a hundred prophecies that have been fulfilled to which hundreds of thousands of people are witnesses, but in this revelation, this prophecy has been mentioned specifically. I have been given such a sign which was not given to anybody else from the time of Adam to the present time. In short I can stand in the sacred precincts of the Ka’aba and swear that this sign is for testifying my truth.” [Tohfa-e-Golarbiyya p. 53]
In a poem heas stated:
o imagine that a Mahdi will come who will cause bloodshed
And make religion prosper by killing the disbelievers.O ignorant people, these ideas are completely wrong.
They are calumnious and baseless, and they will not flourish,
O my dears, the man who was to come, has already come.
Even the sun the moon have disclosed this secret to you.