Messiah To Come In The 14th Century

According to the Qur’an and the ahadith, it is clear that the latter day Messiah was to appear in the fourteenth century of the Islamic Calendar. Allah States:

اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ ۖ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلَا شَفِيعٍ ۚ أَفَلَا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ {5} يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ مِمَّا تَعُدُّونَ {6}

Allah it is Who created the heavens and the earth, and that which is between them, in six periods; then He settled on the Throne. You have no helper or intercessor beside Him. Will you not then reflect? He will plan the Divine Ordinance from the heaven unto the earth, then shall it go up to Him in a day the duration of which is a thousand years according to what you reckon. (Chapter 32 verses 5-6)

According to our interpretation, the divine ordinance in this verse refers to Islam. The question arises of when this would occur. The Ahadith of the Holy Prophet^saw clearly tell us when the people would begin going astray and when this would occur. He states:

حَدَّثَنَا سَعْدُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَبِيدَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ سُئِلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَىُّ النَّاسِ خَيْرٌ قَالَ ‏ “‏ قَرْنِي، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ، ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ قَوْمٌ تَسْبِقُ شَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ يَمِينَهُ، وَيَمِينُهُ شَهَادَتَهُ ‏”‏‏.‏ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ وَكَانَ أَصْحَابُنَا يَنْهَوْنَا وَنَحْنُ غِلْمَانٌ أَنْ نَحْلِفَ بِالشَّهَادَةِ وَالْعَهْدِ‏.‏

Narrated `Abdullah:The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked, “Who are the best people?” He replied: The people of my generation, and then those who will follow (come after) them, and then those who will come after the later; after that there will come some people whose witness will precede their oaths and their oaths will go ahead of their witness.” Ibrahim (a sub-narrator) said, “When we were young, our elder friends used to prohibit us from taking oaths by saying, ‘I bear witness swearing by Allah, or by Allah’s Covenant.”‘(Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 78, Hadith #652)

According to the Holy Prophet^saw, this would occur after 300 years of Islam being at its rise. After that there would be people whose witness will precede their oaths and ther oaths will go ahead of their witness. Other narrations state ” There will come after you, people who will bear witness without being asked to do so, and will be treacherous and untrustworthy, and they will vow and never fulfill their vows, and fatness will appear among them” (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 57, Hadith #2)

Now the question which comes to mind, is whether Allah would leave Islam in such a horrible condition. The Holy Prophet^saw beautifully explained what would exactly occur. He prophesied:

حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ بِلاَلٍ، عَنْ ثَوْرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْغَيْثِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، رضى الله عنه قَالَ كُنَّا جُلُوسًا عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأُنْزِلَتْ عَلَيْهِ سُورَةُ الْجُمُعَةِ ‏{‏وَآخَرِينَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ‏}‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ مَنْ هُمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَلَمْ يُرَاجِعْهُ حَتَّى سَأَلَ ثَلاَثًا، وَفِينَا سَلْمَانُ الْفَارِسِيُّ، وَضَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَدَهُ عَلَى سَلْمَانَ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏”‏ لَوْ كَانَ الإِيمَانُ عِنْدَ الثُّرَيَّا لَنَالَهُ رِجَالٌ ـ أَوْ رَجُلٌ ـ مِنْ هَؤُلاَءِ ‏”‏‏.‏

“Narrated Abu Huraira: While we were sitting with the Prophet (ﷺ) Surat Al-Jumu’a was revealed to him, and when the Verse, “And He (Allah) has sent him (Muhammad) also to other (Muslims)…..’ (62.3) was recited by the Prophet, I said, “Who are they, O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)?” The Prophet (ﷺ) did not reply till I repeated my question thrice. At that time, Salman Al-Farisi was with us. So Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) put his hand on Salman, saying, “If Faith were at (the place of) Ath-Thuraiya (pleiades, the highest star), even then a man from these people (i.e. Salman’s folk) would attain it.” (Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Hadith #4897)

This is who we believe has come in the name of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^as. This is the same man who the Prophet Muhammad^saw prophesied, would bring Islam back to its original teachings once it loses everything. It is also interesting to notice that the non Ahmadi Muslims have still not found a mujadid for the fourteenth century. Some of their scholars lost hope in the Mahdi coming because his time had passed. The reason Mujadids have not come since the fourteenth century is because Ahmad^as was that Messiah who Allah re-established Khilafat through. When a khalifa is present, he is the mujadid. The Holy Prophet^saw made it clear that a reformer would be raised for each century:

‏ “‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْعَثُ لِهَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ عَلَى رَأْسِ كُلِّ مِائَةِ سَنَةٍ مَنْ يُجَدِّدُ لَهَا دِينَهَا ‏”‏ ‏.‏

Narrated Abu Hurayrah:The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Allah will raise for this community at the end of every hundred years the one who will renovate its religion for it(Sunan Abi Dawud 4291)

This hadith is clear and shows us that the system of Mujadidiyat includes the khulafa. In reality, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra was the first mujadid after the Holy Prophetsaw and the current mujadid is Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad^atba.

It has been over 100 years and the non Ahmadi Muslims have not accepted the Messiah and Mahdi. If they reject Ahmad^as, they are also denying these clear prophecies of the Qur’an and the Ahadith. It is upsetting to see the state of their ummah which now includes scholars who have stated:

We admit that Mahdi will not appear. What harm is there if he does not appear? (Hadith-al-Ghashiyya, p. 343)

We admit that Mahdi may not come. This does not contradict any important belief of the people of Islam. (Iqtarabus Sa’ah, p. 147)

See the descent of God on the minaret of your heart; now even discard the awaiting for Mahdi and Isa. (Dr. Allama Iqbal)

As far as the belief for the Promised Mahdi is concerned, it is the invention of the helpless and indolent. (Shorash Kashmiri, Editor, Chitan, Lahore, May 28, 1962)

There are many more who in todays age have sadly discarded this belief, since the time of the Messiah and Mahdi had passed. Moving forrwrd, there is also a hadith which shows that the Messiah and Mahdi would come in the fourteenth century. A hadith of Ibn Maja states:

حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْخَلاَّلُ، حَدَّثَنَا عَوْنُ بْنُ عُمَارَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى بْنِ ثُمَامَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ ‏ “‏ الآيَاتُ بَعْدَ الْمِائَتَيْنِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that Abu Qatadah said:“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The signs (will come) after two hundred (years).’(Sunan Ibn Maja hadith #4057)

Now we need to see what these 200 years in reality refer to. they are after a specific time of 1000 years since the word in the hadith uses “Mi’atain” which means 200, along with the definite article of “al”. This is not only an Ahmadi belief, rather Hazrat Mullah Ali Qari stated:

” “Perhaps the definite article Al in the word al-mi’atain refers to that period of 200 years as well following 1000 years (meaning 1200) and this is the time of the advent of the Mahdi as well” (Mishkat Mujtaba’i, Page 471 Footnote and Ibni Majah Volum 2, Page 21 footnote by Allamah Sindhi)

The past scholrs agree that the 200 years refer to the 200 years after 1000 years which bring us too 1200 years. This shows us that the Mahdi would indeed be sent by Allah in the fourteenth century. One may ask why this cannot refer to the first 200 years. The answer to this is quite clear that no grand sign was showin in the first 200 years nor were any unique signs shown. Majority of the signs of the latter day messiah were fulfilled in our age. Another question is why can this not refer to normal signs? The answer to this is quite simple as Allah Has always shown us normal signs, but this hadith states that He would Manifest after 200 years, showing us that this has not occurred.

In regards to this hadith, Ahmad^as states:

“This humble one came in an era which is the era in which the Promised Messiah should have appeared, because the Hadith Al Ayatu Ba’dal Mi’atain which means that grand signs would take place in the 13^th century, clearly and categorically substantiates that the appearance or birth of the Promised Messiah take place in the 13^th century. The fact is that smaller signs had begun to manifest themselves even from the blessed time of the Holy Prophet^saw. Hence, undoubtedly, al-ayat refers to grand signs, which could not have in any way manifested themselves within 200 years. As such, the scholars have come to an agreement that Ba’dal Mi’atain refers to the 13^th century and Al-Ayat refers to grand signs which are the advent of the promised Messiah, Dajjal, Gog and Magog, etc. And every individual can understand that in this age, which is the era of the advent of the promised Messiah, no one has made the claim that I am the Promised Messiah, except this humble one. As a matter of fact, in this period of 1300 years there has never been a claim from any Muslim that I am the Promised Messiah” (Izala-e-Auham, Part 2, Ruhani Khazain, Volume 3, Pages 468-469)

There are yet more signs in the Qur’an in regrds to the time of the Messiah^as. Allah States in Surah al Fajr:

وَالْفَجْرِ {2} وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ {3}

” By the Dawn, and The Ten Nights” (Chapter 89 Verses 2-3)

These verses are beautifully explained by the Promised Son, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad^ra. He states:

“The Dawn” may mean the Holy Prophet’s emigration to Medina with which ended the ten dark nights or ten years of persecution of the Holy Prophet^sawand his righteous and noble Companions at Mecca. “The Dawn” may also signify the advent of the Promised Messiah^as who brought a message of hope and of a bright future for Islam after ten dark centuries of its decline and decadence. The word layl meaning a night may signify one year after the Hijra in the case of the Holy Prophet^saw and one century in the case of the Promised Messiah^as. Thus “The Ten Nights” represent the ten dark years of severe persecution to which Muslims were subjected at Mecca before the Holy Prophet^saw‘s Emigration to Medina which has been likened to the break of the dawn in the preceding verse. Or “the Ten Nights” may refer to the ten centuries of the decline and decadence of Islam before the advent of the Promised Messiah^as, which which ended a dark period of degradation and which ushered in the dawn of a glorious future for Islam. An implied reference to these “Ten Nights” of the decline of Islam is also to be found in the Qur’anic verse :”He will plan the Divine Ordinance from the Heavens unto the earth, then shall it go up to him in a day the duration of which is thousands years according to what you reckon” (Chapter 32 verse 6). These ten centuries (or a thousand years) of the moral decadence of Muslims came after the first three centuries of the heyday of their glory and grandeur which have been called the best the centuries of Islam by the Holy Prophet^saw (Bukhari). The decline of Islam began towards the end of the third century A.H when on the one hand an Ummayyad Caliph of Spain signed a pact of Mutual assistance with the Pope against the Abbaside Empire of Baghdad and on the other the Caliph of Baghdad entered into a treaty of friendship with the Caesar of Rome against the Umayyad Caliph of Spain” (Five Volume Commentary of The Holy Qur’an, page 2817)

Another part of the Qur’an further beautifully shows us the time of the Messiah. Allah States:

وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الْبُرُوجِ {2} وَالْيَوْمِ الْمَوْعُودِ {3} وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ {4}

By the heaven having mansions of stars, And by the Promised Day,  And by the Witness and that about whom witness has been borne (Chapter 85 Verses 2-4)

These verses have been beautifully explained by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad^ra He states in regards to the first ayah, Chapter 85 verse 2:

“The verse purports to say that just as there are twelve mansions of stars in the physical heaven, similarly there will be twelve Divine Reformers or Mujadids or twelve mansions in the spiritual firmament of Islam who will keep its light burning after the sun had set i.e, after the first three best centuries of Islam will have passed resulting in spread of spiritual darkness over the whole world. These reformers will bear witness to the truth of Islam, of the Qur’an and to that of the Holy Prophet^saw”

In regards to the next ayah he states:

“The Promised Day” here signifies the day when the Promised Messiah will be raised to bring about the renaissance of Islam. There have been many such days in the history of Islam which could be called the “Promised Day” namely the day of the Battle of Badr, the day when the Battle of Dutch came to a glorious end, and the day of the fall of Mecca. But the Promised Day “par excellence was the time of the Second coming of the Holy Prophet in the person of the Promised Messiah in the 14th century A.H when Islam was to receive a new life and to prevail over all religions. The verse may also signify the day when the righteous will enjoy the ecstasy of meeting with their Lord”

In regards to the fourth ayah, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad^rastates:

“Every Prophet or Divine Reformer is a bearer of witness because he is a living witness to the existence of God and he is also Mashood (about whom witness is borne) because God bears witness to his truth by showing signs and miracles at his hands and by creating conditions and circumstances which establish the truth of his Message and mission. But here, as the text shows the bearer of Witness is the Promised Messiah and the one about whom witness is borne is the Holy Prophet^saw and the verse signifies that the Promised Messiah^as will bear witness to the truth of the Holy Prophet^saw by his speeches, discourses and writings and by the Signs that God will show at his hands. The Promised Messiah^as will also bear witness to the truth of the Holy Prophet^saw in the sense that in his person the prophecy of the Holy Prophet^saw about the appearance of the Messiah and Mahdi in the 14th century A.H will be fulfilled. The Promised Messiah^as will also be mashood in the sense that the hadith of the Holy Prophet^saw will bear witness to his truth. Thus the Holy Prophet^sawand the Promised Messiah^as will both be Bearer of witness and about whom witness is borne” (Five Volume Commentary of the Holy Qur’an pages 2798-2799)

There are also scholars with a similar view in regards to the coming of the Mahdi. Hazrat Hudhaifa Bin Yaman^ra stated: “Allah will send the Mahdi after 1240 A.H”  (An Najmul Saqih, Volume 2, Page 209)

Hazrat Shah Ni’matullah Wali mentioned 1288 A.H for the arrival of the Mahdi in Tarikh Balochistan.

Hazrat Shah Waliullah Muhaddath Dehlvi said “My Lord the Glorious has taught me that the resurrection day has come near and Mahdi has prepared to come” (Tafheemat-e-Illahiya page 133 Published in 1936 Medina Barqi Press)

Maulavi Nawab Siddique Hasan Khan Sahib also wrote in Hujaj-ul-Kiramah that he believed on the basis of strong evidence the the Promised Mahdi would appear at the turn of the fourteenth century.This is also quoted by Ahmad^as in Tohfah Golarviyyah, Ruhani Khazain, Volume 17, Pages 128-133)

Many other scholars gave this very same time

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^as states:

“Brethren in faith and followers of the Seal of the Prophets (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him!) Although I have already addressed many writings to the clerics and sufis, and have conveyed my message to them fully, it has occurred to me that I should make a general announcement to convey my message clearly to you so that I may discharge my responsibility fully in this respect. Brethren, I wish to convey to you that I indeed am the Promised Reformer, whose advent was to take place at the beginning of the fourteenth century and about whom a large number of righteous people, who were recipients of Divine revelations, had foretold that he would be the Promised Messiah…” (Majmu’ah Ishtiharat, Volume 1, Pages 436-438)