1. Special Interview with
Shareef Odeh from the
Holy Land
34
Listen to the Voice from
the Heavens!
26
The Miracle of the
Revealed Sermon
20
Khilafat Day - a 2nd
Message to the Arab
World
58
VOL. 109 - ISSUE FIVEMAY 2014 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
AMESSAGE
tothe
ARAB WORLD
3. 8 The Spiritual Revival of
the Arabs
HAZRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMADAS
,
THE PROMISED MESSIAH AND IMAM MAHDI
14 From the Archives:
The Promised Reformer
of Islam
Personal experiences of being
in the august company of
the Promised Messiah.
SIR CHAUDHRY MUHAMMAD ZAFRULLA KHANRA
20 The Miracle of the
‘Revealed Sermon’
SARAH WASEEM, UK
26 Listen to the Voice from
the Heavens
3 day live programme broadcast
from the tiny hamlet of Qadian.
TARIQ H. MALIK, OHIO, USA
34 Laying the Foundations
for a Spiritual Revolution
Among the Arabs
An Interview with Muhammad
Shareef Odeh from the Holy Land.
42 A Message to the Arab World
In his first ever message in Arabic,
His Holiness delivers a rallying call.
HAZRAT MIRZA MASROOR AHMADABA
, HEAD OF THE
WORLDWIDE AHMADIYYA MUSLIM COMMUNITY,
KHALIFATUL MASIH V
52 Reaction from the Arab
World to the Message
Arabs around the world respond
58 Message to Arab world
on ‘Khilafat Day’
His Holiness delivers a 2nd
historic message regarding the
foretold institution of Khilafat.
3426
42
CONTENTS
MAY 2014 VOL.109 ISSUE FIVE
5. H
ave you any notion what was the
strange event that occurred in
the wasteland of Arabia when
hundreds of thousands of the dead were
revived within a few days,and those who
had been misguided through generations
exhibited Divine complexion, and those
who were blind began to see, and those
who had been dumb began to utter words
of Divine wisdom,and the world under-
went a revolution which no eye had seen
before and no ear had heard of. Do you
know how all this came about? It was
the supplications during dark nights of
one who had lost himself in God which
caused a revolution in the world, and
showed such wonders as could never have
been expected from that Unlettered and
Helpless one [the Holy Prophetsa
].Send
down Thy blessings and peace, O Allah,
on him and his people according to the
amount of pain and anguish he felt for
his Ummah, and pour down upon him
the light of Thy mercy forever.[1]
I always wonder how high was the status
of this Arabian Prophet,whose name was
Muhammad,(thousands of blessings and
peace be upon him). One cannot reach
the limit of his high status and it is not
given to man to estimate correctly his
spiritual effectiveness.It is a pity that his
rank has not been recognized,as it should
have been. He was the champion who
restored to the world the Unity of God,
which had disappeared from the world;
he loved God in the extreme and his soul
melted out of sympathy for mankind.
Therefore, God, Who knew the secret
of his heart, exalted him above all the
Prophets and all the first ones and the
last ones and bestowed upon him in his
lifetime all that he desired.
He is the fountainhead of every grace
and a person who claims any superior-
ity without acknowledging his grace is
not a man but is the spawn of Satan,
because the Holy Prophetsa
has been
bestowed the key to every exaltation
The Spiritual
Revival of the Arabs
hazrat mirza ghulam ahmadas
,
the promised messiah and imam mahdi
Do you know how all this
came about? It was the
supplications during dark
nights of one who had lost
himself in God which caused
a revolution in the world, and
showed such wonders as could
never have been expected from
that Unlettered and Helpless
one [the Holy Prophetsa
].
We present extracts from the writings of
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and
Imam Mahdias
, on the Holy Prophetsa
and the Arab World.
MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 9
6. ّﻧا َو ﷲ ﺎّﻧاا ﺎْﱄاﺟرُﻌَنﻮ
اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﻦ اﷲ ﻋﺒﺎد و ﺎمّاﻟﺸ اﺑﺪال ﻟﻚ ﻳﺪﻋﻮن
�ں�آ
اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﺼﺎﱀ۔اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﺴﲑ
�اد�
� ّدر
ُاﷲوْاﻋُﻠﻢﱠﺼﺑﺎﻟابﻮ
اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﺴﲑ
[Urdu] ‘Volcano.’
Again a paper was shown,on which was
written:
ّﻧا َو ﷲ ﺎّﻧاِا ﺎْﱄِاﺟرُﻌَنﻮ
اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﻦ اﷲ ﻋﺒﺎد و ﺎمّاﻟﺸ اﺑﺪال ﻟﻚ ﻳﺪﻋﻮن
�ں�آ
اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﺼﺎﱀ۔اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﺴﲑ
�اد�
� ّدر
ُاﷲوْاﻋُﻠﻢﱠﺼﺑﺎﻟابﻮ
اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﺴﲑ
[Arabic] ‘Setting right the affairs of the
Arabs. Journey among the Arabs.’
Then a paper was shown on which was
written:
ّﻧا َو ﷲ ﺎّﻧاِا ﺎْﱄِاﺟرُﻌَنﻮ
اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﻦ اﷲ ﻋﺒﺎد و ﺎمّاﻟﺸ اﺑﺪال ﻟﻚ ﻳﺪﻋﻮن
�ں�آ
اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﺼﺎﱀ۔اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﺴﲑ
�اد�
� ّدر
ُاﷲوْاﻋُﻠﻢﱠﺼﺑﺎﻟابﻮ
اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﺴﲑ
[Urdu] ‘Successful.’
Then a paper was shown on which was
written:
ّﻧا َو ﷲ ﺎّﻧاِا ﺎْﱄِاﺟرُﻌَنﻮ
اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﻦ اﷲ ﻋﺒﺎد و ﺎمّاﻟﺸ اﺑﺪال ﻟﻚ ﻳﺪﻋﻮن
�ں�آ
اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﺼﺎﱀ۔اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﺴﲑ
�اد�
� ّدر
ُاﷲوْاﻋُﻠﻢﱠﺼﺑﺎﻟابﻮ
اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﺴﲑ
[Urdu] Averting an affliction.
Mention was being made of the phrase
ّﻧا َو ﷲ ﺎّﻧاِا ﺎْﱄِاﺟرُﻌَنﻮ
اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﻦ اﷲ ﻋﺒﺎد و ﺎمّاﻟﺸ اﺑﺪال ﻟﻚ ﻳﺪﻋﻮن
�ں�آ
اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﺼﺎﱀ۔اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﺴﲑ
�اد�
� ّدر
ُاﷲوْاﻋُﻠﻢﱠﺼﺑﺎﻟابﻮ
اﻟﻌﺮب ﻣﺴﲑ
in today’s revelation. The Promised
Messiahas
said:
“This canmean:Travelling amongthe Arabs.
This might be an indication that I might
visit Arab Countries.Twenty five or twenty
six years ago I saw in a dream that someone
was writing my name. He wrote half of it
in Arabic and half in English. Migration is
also a characteristic of Prophets but some of
the dreams of a Prophet are fulfilled through
him in his own time,and others are fulfilled
through a descendant or a follower of his.For
instance, the Holy Prophet, on whom be the
peace and blessings of Allah, was given the
keys of the treasuries of Cesar and Chosroes
and these countries were conquered in the
time of Hazrat Umarra
.”[4]
endnotes
1. Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
, Blessings of
Prayer (Surrey: Islam International Publications
Ltd., 2007), 17.
2. Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
, Haqiqat-ul-
Wahi, Roohani Khaza’in, Vol. 22, 118-119.
3. Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 86,
Letter dated April 6, 1885 (Eng. Translation in
Tadhkirah, p. 160).
4. Badar, Vol. 1, 23, September 7, 1905, p. 2 and
Al-Hakam, vol. 9, no. 32, September 10, 1905, p.
3 (Eng.Translation in Tadhkirah, pp. 743-744).
and he has been given the treasury of
every understanding. He who does not
receive through him is deprived forever.I
am nothing and possess nothing.I would
be most ungrateful if I were not to con-
fess that I have learnt of the true Unity of
God through this Prophet.The recogni-
tion of the Living God we have achieved
through this perfect Prophet and through
his light. The honour of converse with
God, through which we behold His
countenance, has been bestowed upon
me through this great Prophet. The ray
of this sun of guidance falls like sunshine
upon me and I continue illumined only
so long as I am adjusted towards it.[2]
April 6, 1885
Just now I have seen in a dream that I am
confronted with some difficulty and say:
‘To Allah we belong and to Him shall
we return.’
I said to the person who was interrogating
me on behalf of the government: ‘Will
they imprison me or put me to death?’
His reply was somewhat to the effect that
arrangements to be humiliated have been
made. I said: ‘I am under the control of
my God Almighty,the Glorious.I will sit
where He will direct me to sit and I will
stand where He directs me to stand’and
then the revelation came to me:

That is [Arabic] ‘The abdal [devotees]
of Syria and the servants of Allah from
among the Arabs
are supplicating on your behalf.’
Allah alone knows what the import is
and when or how it might come to pass.
[Allah knows best].[3]
September 7, 1905
A paper was shown (to me in a vision)
like a money order form and fifteen rupees
were laid close to it.(Within a short time
after this vision,a money order for fifteen
rupees was received.)
A paper was shown (in a vision) on which
was written:
the spiritual revival
of the arabs
This might be an
indication that I might
visit Arab Countries...
10 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MAY 2014 MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 11
7. THE
PHILOSOPHY
OF THE
TEACHINGS
OF
ISLAM
MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD
THE PROMISED MESSIAH & MAHDIAS
The Review of Religions
serialised the famous treatise
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conference was asked to present
to the audience the beauties
of their own religion based
upon its scripture, proving that
it was the true religion, based
on the following topics:
• The Physical, Moral,
and Spiritual States of Man;
• What is the State of
Man after Death?
• The Object of Man’s Life and
the Means of its Attainment;
• The Operation of the Practical
Ordinances of the Law in
This Life and the Next;
• Sources of Divine Knowledge
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8. “The greatest event in the whole long and
fascinating course of the history of the
evolution of man, physical, moral, intel-
lectual and spiritual, was the advent of
Muhammadsa
; the Prophet of Islam, the
Messenger of Allah, par excellence, the
Perfect Man.The tremendous revolution
initiated through him has helped shape
the destiny of man through the ages.The
impact of this revolution was miracu-
lously reinforced and reinvigorated, just
short of a century ago, through his sec-
ond advent, spiritual in character, in the
person of his perfect reflection, Hazrat
Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
of Qadian, the
Promised Messiah and Mahdi (1835-
1908). He laid the foundation of the
Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam in 1889.
He was to establish the superiority of
Islam over all other faiths,which he did.
The reason why I have been bestowed
the honour of being graciously directed
by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh
, Head
of the Ahmadiyya Movement,to address
this august assembly this morning,is that
I am one of the still surviving members
The Reformer
of Islam
by sir muhammad zafrulla khanra
Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khanra
.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
The Promised Reformer
FROM THE
Archives
Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khanra
(1893-1985) was a found-
ing father of Pakistan; a politician, diplomat and international
jurist, known particularly as Pakistan’s first ever Foreign Minister.
He was the first Muslim and Pakistani President for the United
Nations General Assembly and the International Court of Justice
in the Hague. He was also an eminent and most esteemed scholar of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community who had the honour of being
a companion of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
, the Promised
Messiah and Imam Mahdi. He penned several books and translated
the Holy Qur’an into English. The following speech was delivered
by Sir Zafrulla Khanra
at the inauguration of the Pedrobad Mosque
in Spain on the 10th
of September 1982. It was the first mosque
built in Spain for over 500 years, since the expulsion of Islam from
Spain. In this speech, the author covers the need for a Reformer of
Islam and his personal experiences and feelings in having met the
Promised Messiahas
.
MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 15
9. seeker after truth, they yield little profit
in the case of a person who has recourse
to them only for the sake of opposition.
The history of the Ahmadiyya Movement,
though still short of a century, is stud-
ded with divine proofs of the truth of its
Holy Founder,and of Allah’s continuous
support of it. That is evidence which no
reasoning can refute or dispel.
The basic claim of the Holy Founder
of the Movement was that he was the
constant recipient of Divine verbal reve-
lation.That claim was either true or false.
If it was true, then whatever that Divine
revelation proclaimed as his status and
mission must be accepted. If that claim
was false,he was (God forbid) an impos-
tor,and no further attention need be paid
to him. How can this issue be conclu-
sively determined? The Holy Qur’an sets
forth a decisive criterion that an impostor
is most surely destroyed by God.[1]
How
did God deal with this claimant? This is
not a matter of argument; it is a ques-
tion of fact. He who yearns may read.
It is a long and continuous spectacle of
Divine favours and bounties; a series of
triumphs.
A tree is known by the fruits thereof.
Carry out an honest and unprejudiced
comparison of the fruits of the trees of
Ahmadiyyat and of the trees of its oppo-
nents, and abide by the result.
The Holy Qur’an recites a series of
blessings which characterise the faith-
ful; so does the Holy Prophetsa
.I venture
to draw attention to one out of each
category.
(a) The Holy Qur’an says:
“Allah has promised those among you who
believe and act righteously that He will
surely make them Successors in the earth as
He made Successors from among those who
were before them; and that He will surely
establish for them their religion which He
has chosen for them; and that after their
state of fear He will grant them peace and
security.They will worship Me and will not
associate anything with Me.Those who dis-
believe thereafter, they will be the rebellious
ones.”[2]
The Holy Prophetsa
explained that
he would be followed by Spiritual
Successors, and that after a time their
place would be taken by a system of
monarchy, and that in the latter days
Spiritual Succession would be restored.
That is what has happened.The Promised
Messiahas
has been followed by Spiritual
of the company who had, by the Grace
and Mercy of Allah, the good fortune
of being enabled to make the covenant
of allegiance at the blessed hands of the
Promised Messiahas
himself. I am fully
conscious of my unworthiness,and realise
that I am the least of the company among
whom I have the honour to be included,
and am most deeply grateful to Hazrat
Khalifatul Masihrh
, one of whose hum-
blest servants I am,for the honour he has
so benignly bestowed on me.
September 3, 1904, was a red-letter day
in my life. On that day I was, by Divine
Grace, granted the inestimable privilege
of beholding for the first time,the blessed
countenance of the Promised Messiahas
and Mahdi, while his speech was being
read out by one of his principal disciples,
Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim Sahibra
, to
a public audience in Lahore. From the
moment my gaze rested on that glorious
vision,it remained riveted to it through-
out the reading of the lecture,which took
more than an hour. I was deeply stirred
and my soul poured forth its homage to
him. I felt myself deeply and completely
committed.There has never since been a
shadow of a doubt,nor a moment of hes-
itation. I have, through the sheer Grace
and Mercy of Allah, been throughout
firmly based on the unshakeable and
immoveable rock of certainty of faith.
Alhamdulillah. I was then only eleven
years of age. Soon after completing my
fourteenth year,I swore formal allegiance
to the Promised Messiahas
and Mahdi,at
his own blessed hands,on September 16,
1907, in Qadian.
That Roll of Honour was closed,less than
a year later, by his demise at Lahore, on
May 26, 1908. For my own satisfaction
I have never felt the need of any rea-
son or argument. The torch that was by
Allah’s Grace and Mercy lit within my
soul seventy eight years ago, has shined
ever more brightly with the passage of
time, reinforced by my observation and
experience and by the witness of Allah.
I have always had a feeling that though
reason and argument are useful and help-
ful in the case of an earnest and sincere
From the moment my gaze
rested on that glorious vision,
it remained riveted to it
throughout the reading of
the lecture, which took more
than an hour. I was deeply
stirred and my soul poured
forth its homage to him.
the reformer of islam
16 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MAY 2014 MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 17
10. Successors, one after the other since his
death, and today, almost three quarters
of a Century later, you find his fourth
successor present here among you.Thus,
has Allah the Exalted,once more fulfilled
His promise set out in the Holy Qur’an.
(b) A Hadith says:
Abu Hurairahra
has related:
‘Among that which I learnt from the
Holy Prophetsa
was that he said: “Allah
will raise for this people,in the beginning
of every century, one who will revive its
faith.”’[3]
This prediction of the Holy Prophetsa
has
been fulfilled throughout. In the early
part of the fourteenth century of the
Islamic era, Allah raised Hazrat Mirza
Ghulam Ahmadas
for the revival of Islam.
No one else made that claim.
The fifteenth century of the Islamic era
has only just begun.
Why is it that outside the Ahmadiyya
Movement,the rest of the Islamic world
has been bereft of two of the principal
bounties promised by Allah to those who
are faithful and righteous? Reflect,O ye,
who are gifted with insight.
Is it not perchance because Allah is the
Patron of the faithful,and those who lack
true faith have no patron.[4]
Our last word is: All Praise belongs
to Allah, Lord and Sustainer of the
Universe.
endnotes
1. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Haqqah, Verse 45-48.
2. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Nur, Verse 56.
3. Abu Daud, Kitabal Malahan, p. 589.
4. Holy Qur’an, Surah Muhammad, Verse 11.
Why is it that outside the
Ahmadiyya Movement, the
rest of the Islamic world
has been bereft of two of the
principal bounties promised by
Allah to those who are faithful
and righteous? Reflect, O ye,
who are gifted with insight.
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18 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MAY 2014
12. to read out the Urdu translation to the
audience.
It is reported that as Hazrat Maulana
Abdul Karimra
was reading out the trans-
lation, the Promised Messiahra
fell into
prostration in a fervent expression of
gratitude to God and the whole audience
also fell into prostration with him.Rising
from the prostration, the Promised
Messiahas
said: “‘I have just seen [in a
vision] in red letters the word ‘Mubarak’
(felicitation). This means that the address
has found acceptance.”
The Promised Messiahas
writes:
“On the morning of the day of ‘Idul-Adha,
I received the revelation ‘Say something
in Arabic’. This was communicated to sev-
eral friends. I had never made a speech in
Arabic before. When on that day I stood up
to deliver the ‘Id sermon in Arabic, God
Almighty made a clear and eloquent Arabic
address flow from my tongue which was
pregnant with meaning and which is set
out in the book entitled Khutbah Ilhamiyyah
[Revealed Sermon]. The address extends
over several juzw[1]
and was made spon-
taneously in one continuous delivery. God
has called it a sign in His revelation, for
the address was delivered entirely under the
influence of Divine power. I do not believe
that any Arabic orator, scholar or literary
figure, can deliver such a speech extempore.
Approximately one hundred and fifty indi-
viduals were witness to this speech.”[2]
He further tells us:
“It seemed as if a fountain had begun to flow
from the unseen, and I knew not whether
it was I who was speaking or whether it
was an angel speaking through my tongue.
I knew only that I had no part in this
address. Sentence after sentence issued from
my mouth and each one was for me a sign.
These sentences have been published by the
name of ‘The Revealed Sermon’. Read this
book and you will realize how impossible it
is for someone to stand up and extemporar-
ily deliver such a long speech in Arabic.This
is a miracle of a literary nature that God
has shown, and no one can present anything
like it.”[3]
and mastery over the Arabic language.
Ijazul Masih, was his first book in Arabic
on the excellences of the Holy Qur’an.
Confident of Divine support, he chal-
lenged Muslim scholars of the Arab
and non-Arab world to produce a work
of similar magnitude. However, none
responded to his challenge.
An even greater sign of the truth of the
Promised Messiah’sas
claim was to come
on the occasion of Eid–ul-Adha, the
Muslim festival of sacrifice, April 11th
1900,the day when he delivered Khutbah
Ilhamiyyah (the Revealed Sermon); the
first time that he had delivered a sermon
in Arabic. Until that time he had never
made any speeches in Arabic. Indeed, it
was not customary among the Indian
Muslim scholars to address gatherings
in Arabic.
The day before, the Promised Messiahas
informed Hazrat Maulana Hakeem
Nooruddinra
,his closest companion,that
he would be spending the day and part of
the night in prayers for himself and his
friends. The next day, Hazrat Maulana
Abdul Karimra
,another companion,asked
the Promised Messiahas
about making an
address to which the Promised Messiahas
replied,‘God has commanded and it was
revealed to me last night to address the
audience in some Arabic phrases. I had
thought it was about some other audi-
ence but it may be this audience.’
Before he began the Sermon, the
Promised Messiahas
speaking in Urdu
said that this sermon was a sign for the
fulfilment of the prayers he had made the
previous day and part of the night, and
that if the sermon was delivered extem-
pore in Arabic, all the prayers would be
accepted.
When the Promised Messiahas
rose to
deliver the Sermon,he instructed Hazrat
Maulana Hakeem Nooruddinra
and
Hazrat Maulana Abdul Karimra
to sit
close by, to transcribe the Sermon. He
repeated each word three times as the
two men transcribed. After the Sermon
was completed, the Promised Messiahas
asked Hazrat Maulana Abdul Karimra
Confident of Divine
support, he challenged
Muslim scholars of the Arab
and non-Arab world to
produce a work of similar
magnitude. However, none
responded to his challenge.
Rising from the prostration,
the Promised Messiahas
said:“‘I have just seen [in
a vision] in red letters the
word ‘Mubarak’ (felicitation).
This means that the address
has found acceptance.”
the miracle of the
‘revealed sermon’
22 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MAY 2014 MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 23
13. the Messenger’s words are not his own
but those of Allah,The Almighty.
Speaking in our time about Khutbah
Ilhamiyyah,His Holiness Mirza Masroor
Ahmadaba
, Fifth Successor (Khalifah) of
the Promised Messiahas
,said in his Friday
sermon of 11th
April of this year:
“These are the magnificent words of the
invitation that the Promised Messiah (on
whom be peace) gave with the command
of Allah the Exalted on 11 April 1900.
This sign continues to demonstrate its
glory to this day and to this day no expert
linguistic or great scholar or author even
if he is from Arabia can match it. How
could this ever be matched,for these were
the words of God which were uttered
from the tongue of the Promised Messiah
(on whom be peace). May God give the
world in general and the Arab Muslims
in particular, the understanding and the
courage to recognise the message of the
one sent by God and may they become
helpers of the true devotee of the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
on him) in making the Muslim Ummah
a united Ummah. May God also enable
us to fulfil our responsibilities!”
endnotes
1. 16 pages of a bound book.
2. Nazulul Masih,Ruhani Khaza’in,Vol.18,p.588
(Eng.Translation,Tadhkirah,p.455,2009 edition).
3. Haqiqat-ul-Wahi,Ruhani Khaza’in,Vol.22,pp.
375-376 (Eng. Translation, Essence of Islam, Vol.
5, pp. 159-160).
4. Khutbah Ilhamiyyah, pp. 61-62, Ruhani
Khaza’in, Vol. 16.
5. Khutbah Ilhamiyyah, pp. 69-71, Ruhani
Khaza’in, Vol. 16.
The Sermon was published in August
1901. The Promised Messiahas
arranged
for a scribe to write it and translated it
in Urdu and Persian himself. The actual
Sermon concludes on page 38 of the
book and forms the first chapter. The
Promised Messiahas
wrote the remain-
der of the book at a later time.The entire
book was named The Revealed Sermon.
Syed Abdul Hai, an Arab scholar from
Arabia, has commented:
“After reading the eloquent writings of the
Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) I was
convinced that no one could write like that
without Divine support. I stayed in Qadian
in order to find out for myself an episode of
such Divine support. When the time of the
Revealed Sermon came I saw with my own
eyes the revelatory and miraculous Sermon
being revealed and heard with my own
ears how the individual spoke extremely
eloquently as clear as the day without
any help. Therefore, after listening to the
Revealed Sermon I took Bai’at with com-
plete conviction.”
Below are two extracts from this sermon.
“O People! I am the Messiah of the
Muhammadan dispensation. I am Ahmad,
the Mahdi and my Lord truly is with me
from my childhood till I reach my grave. I
have been granted the fire that is all-con-
suming and the water that is sweet!”[4]
“I am the one to conclude Wilayat (friend-
ship with God), just as our Holy Prophetsa
concluded Prophethood. He is the seal of all
the Prophets and I am the seal of all Auliya
there will be no Wali after me but he who
will be from me and will take my pledge. I
have been sent by my God with all power,
blessing and honour and my foot is on a
minaret which is the loftiest of all. Fear God,
O young men and recognise me and do not
live disobediently and do not die disobedient.
The era is nearby and the time is close when
each soul will be held accountable for what
it did and will be recompensed.”[5]
Indeed,the truth of a Messenger of Allah
can be determined by the content and
quality of message that he brings and the
manner in which it is presented,because
the miracle of the
‘revealed sermon’
The Sermon was published in
August 1901.The Promised
Messiahas
arranged for a scribe
to write it and translated it
in Urdu and Persian himself.
May God give the world
in general and the Arab
Muslims in particular, the
understanding and the
courage to recognise the
message of the one sent by
God and may they become
helpers of the true devotee
of the Holy Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be on
him) in making the Muslim
Ummah a united Ummah.
24 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MAY 2014 MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 25
14. ‘Listen to the Voice
of the Heavens,
“The Messiah has come,
The Messiah has come!”’*
The Tiny Hamlet of Qadian in India hosts
Historic Live Programme!
by tariq h. malik, ohio, usa
A
three-day programme called ‘Listen to the voice of
the heavens, “The Messiah has come,The Messiah has
come!”’ was broadcasted live from Qadian, India, from 21
March to 23 March 2014, to celebrate the ‘Promised Messiahas
day.’ Arab members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
hosted the programme in Arabic – addressing the Arab world
in particular.
MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 27
15. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
Kababir, from the Holy Land, played an
integral role in publicising this event to
the Arab world. As a result, more than 2
million people witnessed this occasion,
which was also advertised heavily on
social media websites.The following dis-
tinguished members of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community were part of the
panel of this programme:
• Mr. Muhammad Shareef Odeh
President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community Kababir, the Holy Land.
• Mr. Falahuddin Odeh
Kababir, the Holy Land.
• Mr. Amen Maliki
Kababir, the Holy Land.
• Mr. Maulana Muhammad
Hameed Kausar
Qadian, India.
The programme covered the religious
and economic circumstances during the
time of the Promised Messiahas
.Various
incidents from his birth, childhood, the
early period of his life, and his relation-
ship with Allah were also discussed.
Views relating to the life of the Promised
Messiahas
were exchanged, for example;
his services for Islam, his achievements
as an author, and his miraculous signs
including the great sign of his knowledge
of the Arabic language.
Various short documentaries were played
throughout this three-day programme.
The purpose of these documentaries was
to introduce a selection of revered sites,
both inside and outside of Qadian,to the
audience.These documentaries included
the following places:
Baitul Al-Riyadhat: The place where
the Promised Messiahas
fasted for
almost 9 months during his early years
before the demise of his father.
Masjid Mubarak: Masjid (Mosque) Mubarak was built by the
Promised Messiahas
in 1883 AC under divine instruction.
Masjid Mubarak: Masjid (Mosque) Mubarak was built by the
Promised Messiahas
in 1883 AC under divine instruction.
‘listen to the voice
of the heavens...’
28 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MAY 2014
16. The room where the Promised Messiahas
penned Haqiqatul Wahi and Chashma-e-
Ma’rifat. He also spent his last days in
this room.
Fazl-e-Umar printing press.This historic
printing press was also covered in this
program.’
The room where the Promised Messiahas
was born.
Baitul Al-Riyadhat: The place where the
Promised Messiahas
fasted for almost 9
months during his early years before the
demise of his father.
Al-Daar: House of the Promised
Messiahas
about which he also received
a revelation,‘I will protect all those who
are within the periphery of your house.’
(Kashtee Nooh,page 4,5 October 1902).
Khutba Ilhamiyyah (The Revealed
Sermon):The Promised Messiahas
deliv-
ered this famous Eid Sermon on 11 April
1900, in Masjid Aqsa. This sermon was
eloquently delivered in Arabic with the
utmost fluency and was a great mira-
cle of the truthfulness of the Promised
Messiahas
.
Hoshiarpur: The Promised Messiahas
travelled to Hoshiarpur and prayed in
seclusion for 40 days in response to a
challenge posed by his opponents. As a
result, while he was still in Hoshiarpur,
God the Almighty gave him glad tid-
ings of a boy from his own progeny with
many superior qualities and distinctive
attributes.
Bait Al-Du’a: This room was built by
the Promised Messiahas
on 13 March
1903, so that he could pray there
most intensively and devotedly.
Minartul Masih: In accordance with divine
instructions and in order to fulfil a prophecy
of the Holy Prophetsa
, the Promised
Messiahas
laid the foundation stone of
this minaret on Friday 13 March 1903.
Masjid Aqsa: This mosque was built by Mirza
Ghulam Murtaza, father of the Promised
Messiahas
, who was determined to construct
a mosque there and paid an enormous
amount of money to purchase this land.
30 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MAY 2014 MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 31
17. ‘When the Promised Messiahas
completed
writing this poem, his face lit up with
joy and he said: “Allah has told me that
this poem has found acceptance by Allah.
He will bestow His love and the love of
the Prophetsa
and will grant His nearness
to anyone who commits this poem to
memory and recites it constantly.”’
Hazrat Dr.Khalifa Rashiduddinra
narrates
that: ‘The Promised Messiahas
used
to advise regarding the Qaseedah that
whosoever memorised this Qaseedah,his
memory would be blessed (enhanced) by
Allah.’
On 23 March 2014, the final day of
this programme, a pre-recorded special
message in Arabic, by Hazrat Mirza
Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih
Vaba
, was broadcasted from Qadian.This
address was indeed, very faith inspiring
and replete with enlightenment.This was
a very blessed moment in the history of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
as it was the first time that Khalifatul
Masih Vaba
addressed Arab members
of the Community in Arabic via MTA
(Muslim Television Ahmadiyya).
* This article is based on reports provided by
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community India.
Darul Ba’it Ludhiana: On 23 March
1889, the Promised Messiahas
laid the
foundation of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community. A total of 40 companions
took the oath of allegiance at the hand of
the Promised Messiahas
that day.This was
done in the house of Hazrat Sufi Ahmad
Jaanra
in the city of Ludhiana,also known
as Darul Ba’it.
Throughout this three-day programme,
a recorded version of Qaseedah, which
was recited very beautifully, was played
during intermissions. This Arabic poem
was first published by its’ author, the
Promised Messiahas
, in his book ‘A’ina
Kamalat-e-Islam in 1893. Hazrat Pir
Sirajul Haqra
narrates that:
The Round Room: After the construction
of Masjid Mubarak, this was the second
room that was built in 1893. This
room was used as a guest room.
Darul Ziafat (Guest House): This service was
initiated from the house of the Promised
Messiahas
. The Promised Messiahas
laid
its foundation and, in the beginning,
served guests with his own blessed hands.
Sometimes, if there was a shortage of food,
the Promised Messiahas
sent his own food
for guests. This service continues to this day
for the guests of the Promised Messiahas
.
Bahishti Maqbrah: The Promised Messiahas
established this cemetery under Divine
commandment, for the burial of the virtuous
people of the community. The conditions
for the burial in this special area required
a person to offer at least one tenth of his
income annually, one tenth of his fixed
assets and prepare to offer great sacrifices
for the cause and service of Islam.
32 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MAY 2014 MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 33
18. The 23rd
of March 2014, marked
the 125th
anniversary of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
In 1889, 125 years earlier, Hazrat Mirza
Ghulam Ahmadas
of Qadian, who
claimed to be the Promised Messiah
and Imam Mahdi,laid the foundation for
the most dynamic Muslim Community
in the world. However, the 23rd
March
2014, was also an event of huge sig-
nificance for all Arabs. Hazrat Mirza
Masroor Ahmadaba
, the Fifth Successor
to the Promised Messiah and Mahdias
,
delivered an address to the Arab world
the translation of which is being pre-
sented in this edition. Hazrat Khalifatul
Masih Vaba
(Fifth Spiritual Successor of
the Promised Messiahas
) had always pre-
viously spoken in either Urdu or English.
This was the first time ever that he had
addressed the world in Arabic.
How the Khalifah of the Promised
Messiahaba
is Elected
To truly understand the significance
of this event, some context would not
go amiss. For Ahmadi Muslims the
Khalifah is a man of God, elected by
people, but in reality chosen by God
Himself. In the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community, the Khalifah is chosen by
an Electoral Committee consisting of
various Umara (National Heads of the
Ahmadiyya Community); elders, schol-
ars, missionaries and others. I had the
blessed fortune of being a member of the
Electoral College during the election of
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
as the
Fifth Khalifah.I feel it is completely rel-
evant and indeed essential, to relate my
experience.
At the time I did not envisage any person
to nominate,and nor was I even aware of
Mirza Masroor Ahmad.When I reached
the Fazl Mosque in London (a small
mosque which was host to the Khilafat
election and residence of the Khalifatul
Masih since 1984 when Hazrat Mirza
Tahir Ahmad, Khalifah IVrh
, was forced
to migrate from Pakistan), I brought up
Laying the Foundations for a
Spiritual Revolution
Introduction to
“A Message to the Arab World”
An Interview with
Muhammad Shareef Odeh
from Kababir in the Holy Land
I had the blessed fortune
of being a member of the
Electoral College during
the election of Hazrat
Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
as the Fifth Khalifah. I feel
it is completely relevant
and indeed essential, to
relate my experience.
MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 35
19. been completed; an astonishing achieve-
ment given that the Promised Messiahas
wrote over 88 books in his lifetime.
Whilst work in other languages contin-
ues,Arabic is the only language in which
all the books of the Promised Messiahas
have been translated.
The importance of the delivery of the
message of the Promised Messiahas
in
Arabic to the Arabs, cannot be overes-
timated. Because the Holy Qur’an was
revealed in Arabic, Arabs find it very
difficult to digest matters of spiritual
relevance unless they are in Arabic. The
Promised Messiahas
wrote in Hamamtul
Bushra in Arabic of his deep love for the
Arab people and his longing to visit them.
He received the revelation that he would
be particularly successful towards Arabs
in his mission. We appear to be wit-
nessing the fulfilment of this under the
leadership of this Khalifat.There appears
to be a link with another revelation that
was revealed over 100 years ago by God
to the Promised Messiahas
– ‘Inne Ma’ka
ya Masroor’ (I am with you O Masroor’).
The fact that this revelation was in Arabic
seems to connect with the huge success of
the mission for the Promised Messiahas
particularly with Arabs in this era, the
era of the 5th
Khilafat of Hazrat Mirza
Masroor Ahmadaba
.
In short, the point that I wish to high-
light is that God does as He Wills. He
appointed Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
as
the Khalifah.And it seems God so willed
that the progress of Ahmadiyyat, the
revival of the true Islam,amongst Arabs,
was destined to take off in this era.Other
circumstances support this notion that
the beginnings of a spiritual revolution
amongst Arabs through Ahmadiyyat was
set to commence.
Launch of a Ground-breaking TV
Channel for the Arab World
One day during an informal discussion
in his office, His Holiness suggested the
idea to launch a TV channel in Arabic
on Muslim Television Ahmadiyya
International (MTA) – the official sat-
ellite TV station of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community which already hosts
MTA 1 and 2 in English,Urdu and other
languages. Our immediate response was
to recommend that we should not pro-
ceed with such a huge venture, as we
in my mind the image and name of the
person who I thought I should vote for.
The electoral committee members had
lined up outside and I took my position
in the line,ready to enter the mosque for
the election process.To my disbelief the
person I had envisaged to nominate was
stood directly behind me.Considering it
disrespectful to be stood in front of him,I
removed myself from the line and headed
all the way to the back of the queue.
Right then someone passed by just in
front of me and joined the line directly
behind where I had repositioned myself.
To this day I cannot fully explain what I
felt in my heart at that moment. When
my eyes set sight on him, I inexplicably
and instantly knew that this was the per-
son I should vote for.It was as if a bolt of
lightning had struck my inner core.There
was a powerful feeling and commanding
sensation that sprung from within my
heart.I felt that God was telling me that
this was the person I should vote for.And
that person I would come to know, was
Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
.
Thus,when I initially arrived for the elec-
tion I had already made up my mind who
to vote for. However, Allah completely
changed my way of thinking and inspired
me to vote for someone else.He inspired
me to vote for Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
.
Other members of the electoral commit-
tee would later relate that they were also
inspired through dreams and visions to
vote for Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
. And
this is how the Khalifah of the Promised
Messiahaba
is indeed chosen by God.
Preparing the Arabs
Under the Khilafat of Hazrat Mirza
Masroor Ahmadaba
, the Arab people
have been especially blessed. This era
has witnessed a sharp rise in people from
the Arab world accepting the Promised
Messiah and Imam Mahdias
and entering
Ahmadiyyat - the True Islam.Under this
Khilafat, work to translate all the books
of the Promised Messiahas
(compiled in
the collection called Ruhani Khazaain,
or ‘Spiritual Treasures’) into Arabic has
To this day I cannot fully
explain what I felt in my
heart at that moment. When
my eyes set sight on him, I
inexplicably and instantly
knew that this was the
person I should vote for. It
was as if a bolt of lightning
had struck my inner core.
laying the foundations for a
spiritual revolution
36 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MAY 2014 MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 37
20. the Arab world, by presenting the true,
rational and peaceful image of Islam,yet
other Muslims decided to restrain our
voice. Regardless, at the time we were
extremely worried, and when I went to
meet with His Holiness in London, he
mentioned the verse of the Holy Qur’an:
‘… so their Lord destroyed them com-
pletely because of their sin, and made it
(destruction) overtake all of them alike.’[1]
A few days later, news media promi-
nently reported that two fibre links deep
in the Red Sea were inexplicably bro-
ken off, effecting millions of people in
Egypt. This was surely a sign of God’s
Support.They may have tried to shut us
down,but God continued with His plan.
After we re-launched, we gained more
success than ever before. Alhamdullilah
(All Praise belongs to Allah).
AWarning Regarding the‘Arab Spring’
Ignored
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V’saba
love
for the Arab people was further dem-
onstrated when many years ago, at the
very beginning of the unrest in the Arab
world,he warned in an hour long Friday
Sermon of the dangers of the Arab upris-
ing,later termed by the West as the ‘Arab
Spring’. While the world celebrated the
masses rising up against their tyrannical
leaders,His Holiness warned them of the
consequences of these uprisings in his
Friday sermon of April 1st
2011.
His Holiness warned at the beginning of
the Arab Spring that it would only lead
to a cycle of violence and cruelty.The new
leaders would continue their oppression
and Muslims ultimately would suffer the
most.His Holiness said the Holy Qur’an
states: ‘Allah…forbids indecency, and
manifest evil, and transgression.’[2]
This
verse refers to one who usurps the rights
due to others or exceeds in rightful dues.
If rulers or the public transgress in this
respect they would break the boundaries
set by God. His Holiness explained that
the Promised Messiahas
said:
“O Muslims! If you encounter mutual disa-
greement of any kind, entrust the matter
to God and His Prophet for judgement. If
you believe in the Day of Judgement then
take this course, for this is the most excellent
interpretation.”
His Holiness explained that the judge-
ment of God and His Prophet is not to
rebel, no matter what sort of worldly
situation is faced.
The world has tragically witnessed the
consequences of disobeying this warning
felt that it was seemingly impossible to
do so. There are only a small number of
Arab Ahmadis – how could we possi-
bly run a 24-hour TV Station in Arabic?
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
, the
Khalifah of the Promised Messiahas
,
however decided that it would go ahead.
In August 2005, MTA International
launched the first ever satellite channel in
Arabic that opened regular interfaith dia-
logue between Muslims and Christians
– MTA 3 Al-Arabiyya.
One of the flagship programmes on the
channel is Al-Hiwar al Mubashir, which
literally means ‘Direct Dialogue without
any Barriers’and targeted Arabic speak-
ers in the Middle East. Later on the
programme was extended to include dia-
logue with Muslims as well. Al Hiwar’s
aim was to present the true teachings of
Islam in an unbiased way through free
speech,discussion and dialogue.The pop-
ularity of the programme with Middle
Eastern viewers was unexpected and
unprecedented and reports were received
from even those opposed to Ahmadiyyat
that the programmes were provoking dis-
cussion among ordinary non-Ahmadis
going about their everyday duties, on
buses, on trains and in cafes. Part of the
reason for this was that the Al Hiwar
al Mubashir discussed topics previously
considered taboo among Muslims and
generated a huge response from Arabs
across the Middle East. As in the time
of the Promised Messiahas
,Muslims who
had previously converted to Christianity
began returning to Islam,once they heard
the truth about its beautiful teachings.
However, the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community is abhorred by many
mainstream Muslims. Persecution and
suppression has always been a tac-
tic used against Divine Communities
since time immemorial. Nile Set, based
in Egypt, undoubtedly due to external
high-level pressures, shut down MTA 3
Al-Arabiyya in an attempt to block our
voice.This was a huge and unprecedented
incident that attracted international
interest. How ironic that the Ahmadis
were playing the most prominent role
in curbing the tide of Christianity in
In August 2005, MTA
International launched the
first ever satellite channel in
Arabic that opened regular
interfaith dialogue between
Muslims and Christians
– MTA 3 Al-Arabiyya.
laying the foundations for a
spiritual revolution
38 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MAY 2014 MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 39
21. by His Holiness. The initial happiness
caused by the fact that the cruel dicta-
tors were removed; quickly turned sour as
people realised that the new governments
and leaders were no different to the pre-
vious leaders; in fact, some were even
crueller than the people they replaced.
Arab rulers and their subjects have pitted
themselves against one another and the
Middle East is now in complete disar-
ray. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims
have been killed in Syria, Egypt and
other countries.Muslims continue to kill
other Muslims.The masses do not fulfil
the rights of the rulers and the new rul-
ers commit injustices against their own
citizens.Meanwhile,external and foreign
forces continue to interfere due to their
vested interests.
Listen to the Voice from the Heavens
The Prophet Muhammadsa
had proph-
esied the appearance of the Promised
Messiah and Imam Mahdi,whose advent
would occur in the latter days when
the Muslims would find themselves in
complete turmoil and would be only
paying lip service to the faith. Hazrat
Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
claimed to be
that very Chosen One sent by God and
he established the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community in 1889 under Divine
Guidance to connect mankind with
God and to inculcate all peoples to dis-
play love and compassion to one another.
To celebrate the 125th
anniversary of the
establishment of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Jama’at,I had the blessed opportunity to
be asked to present three programmes
in Arabic from the birthplace of the
Promised Messiahas
in Qadian, India,
which described the life of the Promised
Messiahas
and where he lived and prayed.
The climax of this three-day programme
was a special message in Arabic read out
by His Holiness,Hazrat Mirza Masroor
Ahmadaba
.I truly believe the foundations
for a spiritual revolution in the Arab
world has been laid. A direct invita-
tion has been issued in the language of
the Arabs. It is now up to the Arabs to
respond to this call.To conclude I quote
the title of this live programme:
‘Listen to the Voice from the Heavens!
The Messiah has Come, The Messiah
Has Come!’
Interview by Amer Safir
endnotes
1. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Shams, Verse 15.
2. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Nahl, Verse 91.
laying the foundations for a
spiritual revolution
The world is passing through turbulent times.The global economic crisis
continues to manifest new and grave dangers at every juncture.The
similarities of the current circumstances to the build-up of the Second World
War are stark. Events appear to be moving us rapidly towards aThird World
War.The consequences of a nuclear war are beyond our imagination. In
this book, the historic addresses of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
, Fifth
Khalifah of the Promised Messiah and Supreme Head of the worldwide
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, to prominent dignitaries at Capitol Hill, the
House of Commons, the European Parliament and other notable locations
around the world have been collated.The book also includes the momentous
letters sent by His Holiness to the numerous world leaders. Over and over
again, His Holiness has reminded all that the only means of averting a global
catastrophe is for nations to establish justice as an absolute requirement of
their dealings with others. Even if mutual enmity exists, impartiality must
be observed at all times, because history has taught us that this alone is
the way to eliminate all traces of hatreds and to build everlasting peace.
Read online at: www.alislam.org
Purchase the book here:
http://store.alislam.org/
40 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MAY 2014
22. Translated from the Arabic*
“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious,
the Ever Merciful; We praise Him and
invoke our blessings on His noble Messenger
and on His servant the Promised Messiah;
With Allah’s Grace and Mercy – Surely,
Allah alone is our Helper;
My Dear Arab brothers and sisters;
May the peace and blessings of Allah be
upon you.
Today I had wished to address you briefly
in Urdu and to have my message trans-
lated simultaneously into Arabic.Due to
the persuasion of Mr Muḥammad Sharīf
Odeh and other Arab brothers I decided
to read the Arabic translation of this
message instead. This is solely because
the importance of this day inspired me
to attain a share of the munificence and
blessings of the language of my Master
and Guide Muḥammadsa
, and the final
and complete Book of Allah.Hence con-
sidering today’s significance I would like
to personally address you in this blessed
language.
Indeed this is a great day which takes my
mind fourteen centuries back to behold
my Master and Guide Muhammadsa
,
sitting with his faithful Companions,
may Allah be pleased with all of them,
in the Prophet’s Mosque in Sacred
Madinah. He shares knowledge, per-
ception and spiritual fruits with them.
Their hearts were certainly full of abso-
lute belief of the predominance of Islam
and its prosperity,magnificence and vic-
tory and the fulfilment of the Final Law
as an incontestable Divine destiny.It was
in this state that the following glad tiding
was revealed to increase the conviction of
their hearts with certainty of faith:
‘And among others from among them who
have not yet joined them. He is the Mighty,
the Wise.’1
A Message to the
Arab World
In his first ever message in Arabic, broadcast on Muslim Television
Ahmadiyya International on 23rd March, His Holiness called on all
Arabs to accept the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi
hazrat mirza masroor ahmadaba
khalifatul masih v
head of the worldwide ahmadiyya muslim community
Indeed this is a great day
which takes my mind
fourteen centuries back to
behold my Master and Guide
Muhammadsa
, sitting with
his faithful Companions,
may Allah be pleased with
all of them, in the Prophet’s
Mosque in Sacred Madinah.
MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 43
23. With the Grace of Allah the Almighty
we have witnessed the fulfilment of this
grand prophecy; after a passage of the
era of decline and darkness, we saw the
revival of Islam initiated for a second time
in a clear and manifest way with the ful-
filment of all the signs exactly according
to the prophecy of the Best of Mankindsa
on the 23rd
of March 1889. It testified
to the truthfulness of the truly Truthful
and Trustworthy Prophet Muhammadsa
and to the fact that he is the Seal of the
Prophets in the Last Era also. All signs
and prophecies have been fulfilled in
this age and among them the fulfilment
of a Great Prophecy which appeared
in the heavens, which is the Lunar and
Solar eclipses in the month of Ramaḍān
exactly according to the determined dates
prophesied by the Holy Prophetsa
. This
phenomena never occurred as a Sign for
anyone else.
This prophecy, which confirmed the
Truth of the Holy Prophetsa
and the
Truthfulness of the One who has been
raised [as the promised Messiah and
Imam Mahdias
] appeared to be a great
testimony for this truthful servant and
sincere lover of the eternal Prophet. It
appeared once in the Eastern hemisphere
and another time in the Western hemi-
sphere bearing testimony to my Master
and Guide, the Most Noble among
mankind and the Seal of the Prophets
in fulfilment of the words of Allah the
Almighty in His preserved Book which
states:
‘And We have not sent thee but as a bearer of
glad tidings and a Warner, for all mankind,
but most men know not.’4
Although this sign appeared as an evi-
dence to confirm the Truth of claim of
the Promised Messiahas
, it is in reality a
proof ordained by Allah the Almighty to
establish the Sovereignty and the Law of
the Holy Prophetsa
in the East,West and
in every part of the world.It was in order
to inform [the world] that now the only
Living Religion that exists on the face
of the Earth is Islam and the only living
Prophet is Muḥammad, the Messenger
of Allah, upon him the most beneficent
blessings and the purest form of Peace.
O,my dear brothers,certainly,this is the
significance of this Day, on which Allah
the Almighty honoured Hazrat Mirza
Ghulām Aḥmad of Qadianas
to be the
Promised Messiah and the Imam Mahdi
for the supreme Devotion, Loyalty and
Love he showed for his Master and
Guidesa
. God instructed Hazrat Mirza
Ghulam Ahmadas
of Qadian to establish
One of the companions asks my Master
and Guide several times and repeatedly
who in reality the “others” were? The
remaining companions were listening
attentively and hoping to be informed by
the one,on whom the peace and blessings
of Allah descended, about those fortu-
nate ones who will have the honour to
join the noble Companions stated in the
verse:
‘And among others from among them who
have not yet joined them. He is the Mighty,
the Wise.’2
The Holy Prophetsa
remained silent for
a while and then places his honourable
hand with immense tender-heartedness
on the shoulder of Salman, the Persian
who lived among those truly purified
Arabs, and says:
‘’Even if faith ascended to the Pleiades [com-
pletely disappeared from the earth] there
would be a man from his people who would
restore faith back to earth.’’
Through the grandeur of this prophecy by
my Master and Guide, the Companions
clearly perceived and comprehended
the nature of these words, that it was
determined by Allah, the Most High
that this religion [of Islam] will after
its predominance, victory and triumph
encounter a period of decline and dec-
adence when nothing will remain of
Islam and Faith except their name and
the Muslims in those days will be among
those whose actions do not corroborate
their words.
But Allah the Almighty revealed this
Perfect and Final Law in order to last
forever until the Day of Resurrection
and did not reveal it to remain lost in
the Pleiades; on the contrary the Holy
Prophetsa
gave the glad tiding of a non-
Arab man who would be of Persian
origin who would restore faith for a sec-
ond time. He would establish a Divine
Community who will give credence to
words by its deeds, who will give prece-
dence to their faith over worldly matters,
who will completely submit to the Law
of the Holy Qur’an and be ever ready to
provide all sacrifices for this purpose in
the same way as the Companions.
By mentioning these two periods the
Holy Prophetsa
has guided us to the true
meaning and significance of the verse:
‘And among others from among them who
have not yet joined them’3
and made us
aware of the majesty, splendour and
greatness, which the religion of Islam
will obtain in the Last Era.
a message to the
arab world
44 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MAY 2014 MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 45
24. heartfelt pain for your nation by tell-
ing them: Let’s raise, all united and all
together the banner of the Holy Prophetsa
aloft all over the world and cause country
after country,nation after nation and per-
son after person to be transformed into
submissive and obedient servants of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him.
Hence, I am going to present to you as a
blessing and as a reminder that Message,
which the Imam of the age, who is
the Promised Messiah and the Imam
Mahdias
, had directed to the Arabs. The
Promised Messiahas
stated:
‘Peace be upon you, O ye who are the
pious and the chosen ones among the
pure-hearted Arabs. Peace be upon you,
O people of the land of Prophethood,
adjacent to the magnificent House of
Allah. You are the best nation among
the nations in Islam and the best and
most exalted party of Allah. No people
would be able to obtain your glory and
status as you acquired more honour,glory
and standing.Most sufficient is the pride
which Allah bestowed on you by com-
mencing His revelation with Adamas
and
completing it with that Prophetsa
, who
is from among you and from your land
which was his abode, his shelter and his
place of birth.And how should you know
who was that Prophet! It is Muḥammadsa
,
the Elected One, the Pride of the
Prophets,the Seal of the Messengers and
Imam of all Mankind. His Benevolence
is an irrefutable evidence on every person.
His revelation encompasses all past met-
aphors and allegories, deeper meanings
and most important issues that reached
every transient being. His Religion
revived the dead by means of spiritual
knowledge of the truth and by different
ways of guidance. O Allah, send Your
Blessing, Peace and Prosperity on him
and bless him with the sum of all what is
in the earth consisting of drops of water,
particles and the living and the dead and
all what is in the heavens and the sum of
all that is visible and hidden. Convey to
him our Salutation of Peace, which fills
the entire heavens. Blessed are the peo-
ple who carry the yoke of Muḥammad
– peace and blessings be upon him - and
blessed is the heart which ultimately
reaches him by accompanying him and
losing itself in his love.
O, ye, inhabitants of the land on which
the Chosen One placed his blessed foot-
steps. May Allah have Mercy on you.
May He be pleased with you and may
you be pleased with Him. O Servants of
Allah,I think greatly of you and my soul
a Community of “later ones’’among the
Pure,Sincere and Righteous [servants of
Allah] to join the earlier people by tak-
ing from them the Bai‘at [covenant of
allegiance] in order to fearlessly sacrifice
their lives,wealth and time for the sake of
the renaissance of Islam and on the other
hand to raise aloft the banner of the Holy
Prophetsa
in all corners of the world.
Surely We bear witness that our Master
Muhammadsa
is the Messenger of Allah
and Seal of the Prophets and proclaim
to the world the perfection of his excel-
lences and have firm faith in our mission
to make people recognise the finality of
his Prophethood and for every individual
become a true servant of his.Hence,this
is no easy task which has been entrusted
on the believers in the Promised Messiah
and the Imam Mahdias
. That is why
we are celebrating this Day to analyse
and review ourselves by assessing our
practical state in order to perform our
utmost efforts to become a part of those
“others’’of the last days about whom the
Holy Prophetsa
gave the glad tidings in
that gathering of his Companions when
he foretold the fact that they will join the
earlier ones.Because of this [great proph-
ecy which has been fulfilled] we should
not relax unless we gather the whole
world to submit in complete devotion
to the Holy Prophetsa
.Certainly,the task
that Allah the Almighty has entrusted on
us is not ordinary after having believed
in the Promised Messiah and the Imam
Mahdias
.
O, ye among the Arabs who are for-
tunate and who believed in the most
sincere servant of the Holy Prophetsa
;
you took the pledge to help fulfil this
great mission! Hence, go forth and
preach with wisdom to all the Muslims
especially those who speak the language
of this Final Prophet, who is the dearest
to Allah Almighty; those who can read,
speak and understand the complete and
perfect book and the Final Law. Inform
them that their safety and prosperous
life and success is determined in being
united, all together, at the hands of the
Promised Messiahas
and becoming one
Community.Be Helpers of the Promised
Messiahas
by conveying his anguish and
O, ye among the Arabs who
are fortunate and who
believed in the most sincere
servant of the Holy Prophetsa
;
you took the pledge to help
fulfil this great mission!
a message to the
arab world
46 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MAY 2014 MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 47
25. successful in this objective,God Willing.
O, dearest ones, the Lord, the Almighty
has manifested Himself to me in an
extraordinary way in support of Islam
and its revival; He favoured me with all
types of bounties and foretold about the
age of darkness in Islam and the most
pitiful state of the people of the Best of
Mankindsa
,while giving me the glad tid-
ing of immense forms of grace, spiritual
victories and Divine Succour.
O Arab nations and people, I longed to
share these blessings with you; and I was
eagerly waiting for this Day; so do you
have the desire to join me for the sake of
Allah, the Lord the worlds?’6
And so this is a small part of his message
that I have presented before you, which
contains words full of love,affection and
sympathy.If today all the Muslims in the
world and Arabs in particular accept the
heartfelt message of wisdom of this sin-
cere servant of the Holy Prophet, peace
and blessings of Allah upon him, and
respond to his call, then certainly the
state of the Islamic countries, which is
causing distress and restlessness, will be
transformed into a condition of the fulfil-
ment of glad tidings and the obtainment
of all forms of mercy and happiness.
May Allah the Almighty enable all
Muslims and the Arabs in particular to
respond to this call so that the lumines-
cence of Islam can illuminate the world
for a second time; and so all mankind
can come to recognise the One and only
God.
O,Allah,grant us victory,and help us to
perform our duties and allow us to see
in our lives the triumph of Islam over
all other religions.Ameen,O Lord of the
Worlds!”
*Translated by Ibrahim Ikhlaf
endnotes
1. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Jumu’ah, Verse 4.
2. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Jumu’ah, Verse 4. .
3. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Jumu’ah, Verse
4. Holy Qur’an, Sūrah Al-Sabā’, Verse 29.
5. At-Tabīgh, al-Khazā’in ar-Rūhāniyyah, Part
5, pp. 419-422.
6. Hamāmatul-Bushra, p. 22.
is yearning to meet you. I have the deep
wish to see your land and your blessed
towns in order to visit the place of the
Best of Mankindsa
and brighten my eyes
with its dust and observe the righteous-
ness and to visit the righteous people, to
see Makkah, its holy sites and its reli-
gious scholars in order to be granted
the delight of my eyes by witnessing the
Friends of Allah and the great landmarks
of the Holy abode. I beseech Allah to
provide me by His immense Grace the
sight of your land and to grant me the
joy of seeing you in person.
O my brothers,I have immense love and
affection towards you, your country, the
sand and pebbles along the pathways and
roads and I give preference to you over
everything else in the world.
O dearest Arabs, Allah had especially
favoured you with His extraordinary
blessings and special qualities and with
His immeasurable Mercy. Among you
is the House of Allah, which endowed
the Mother of all towns with Blessings
and among you is the tomb of the
Blessed Prophetsa
, who spread the unity
of Allah in all the corners of the world
and clearly manifested the Majesty and
Glory of Allah. From among you there
were people who supported Allah and
His Messenger with all their heart and
all their soul and mind. They sacrificed
their wealth and their lives to propagate
the religion of Allah and His most pure
Book. You are unquestionably the ones
who have been bestowed these special
blessings and certainly the one who does
not honour you is committing injustice
and transgresses.
O, brothers, I am writing to you my
message with a broken heart and with
a stream of tears flowing from my eyes;
therefore listen to my words; May Allah
grant you the best rewards.’5
‘I am with you with my heart and soul,
O Arabs of noble descent! My Lord has
surely given me glad tidings about Arabs
and has revealed to me that I should help
them, that I may safeguard their trust,
and show them the right path, and set
their affairs right. And you will find me
O Arab nations and people, I
longed to share these blessings
with you; and I was eagerly
waiting for this Day; so do
you have the desire to join
me for the sake of Allah,
the Lord the worlds?’
a message to the
arab world
48 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MAY 2014 MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 49
27. Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at. Please
pray that God enables me to become
one of the helpers of the Promised
Messiahas
and His Khalifahaba
.”
Marwi Ahmad Shabuti Sahiba
“My joy and happiness knows no
bounds. I cannot possibly express my
emotions at this time. Every single
word emanating from His Holiness
struck a chord in my heart and filled
it with immense passion and alacrity.
I wish to become the sand and stones
of the streets where His Holiness
will set his blessed foot to visit the
Arab countries, God Willing!”
Dr. Wasaam Al-Baraki Sahib
“Allah has blessed His Holiness with
a special strength.The message was
a beautiful symmetry of captivating
writing, speech and delivery. His
Holiness gave his address in such an
alluring and beautiful manner that
even non-Arabs who have spent their
entire lives learning Arabic, would not
have had the strength to do the same.”
Tamim Abu Daka Sahib
“The Beloved Khalifah’saba
address
was a compilation of countless great
blessings and it was reflective of His
Holiness’s great personality, faith and
sincerity. By delivering this address
in Arabic, His Holiness honored the
Arabic language and the Arab people.
As I heard His Holiness’s address,
my heart was overcome with joy and
it felt as if I had entered into heaven.
Every single word of His Holiness’s
address was testament to the fact that
they poured forth from the heart of an
ambassador of peace and security who
desires spiritual tranquility and peace
for every human being in the world.”
Mahir Al-Madini Sahib
“Gratitude to God for He guided
and granted us the ability to follow
the Imam of the Age, Hazrat Mirza
Ghulam Ahmadas
. We can never
thank God enough for this blessing.
Listening to His Holiness speak in
Arabic sparked emotions of happiness
and joy. God the Almighty has
blessed us with being able to witness
the day when Khalifatul Masih
Vaba
relayed his message to Arabs
in their very own language! ‘Verily,
I am with you, O Masroor!’ May
Allah support you and help you.”
Kareem Sabri Sahib
“It was a very powerful and effective
address and was particularly persuasive
because Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaba
was addressing the Arabs directly in
Arabic.The influence of this address
will be extraordinary. May Allah
support you and help you. God
willing a mighty victory is nigh. Your
Holiness! Please pray for the entire
Ummah (Muslim People) and the Arab
Muslims that Allah the Almighty
enables them to accept His Appointed
One, the Promised Messiahas
.This
address will have such a positive effect
on the Arab world that we will witness
millions of Ahmadis entering into the
Reaction from the
Arab World to the Message
by the Khalifah
52 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MAY 2014 MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 53
28. they are able to openly propagate the
message of Ahmadiyyat everywhere.”
Mazin Khabaz Sahib
“I am unable to express my feelings
adequately. His Holiness’s Arabic
address brought coolness to our
hearts. We are as happy as if we
were celebrating Eid today. We
pray to Allah that He blesses His
Holiness’s life and provides him
with assistance and support from
the heavens and the earth.”
Sha’ar Kalbuna Sahiba
“I was anxiously waiting for His
Holiness’s address. When His Holiness
began his address, I experienced an
unusual awe and fear through my body.
My heart was beating like a bird which
had just learned to fly and it felt like
sitting on His Holiness’s shoulder to
embrace him.This rendition filled my
eyes with tears and a strange condition
of delight and humility overcame me.
Beloved Huzuraba
, you speaking Arabic
in this manner was an extraordinary
surprise for us. You placing the
correct vowel at the last alphabet of
every word was truly a proof of your
prowess of the Arabic language.”
Nshwaan ‘Abdullah Mu’jib Sahib
“I learned Urdu so that I wouldn’t be
deprived of listening to His Holiness’s
voice directly, and would be able to
understand his words myself. I cherish
being able to listen to His Holiness’s
Friday Sermons in Urdu. However,
when all of a sudden I heard my
Khalifahaba
address me in my own
language, I did not focus on the words
of the message rather felt euphoric
hearing his heavenly Arabic voice. As
a child it had been my ardent desire
to sit next to the Holy Prophetsa
and speak with him. After hearing
your address it felt as if I was sitting
at the Holy Prophet’
ssa
holy court.
I am lost for words to express my
thanks to you. Your love and affection
towards us Arabs is more than the
love shown to us by our parents.”
Bashri ‘Emarati Sahiba
“This address has brought about
a massive tremor. O God, guide
innumerable number of people
towards Ahmadiyyat – The True Islam.
The greatness of this address by His
Holiness will leave a profound effect
on my heart for the rest of my life.
While I was listening to His Holiness’s
address, my heart was pounding with
intense emotion and it felt as if His
Holiness was delivering his address
whilst standing right in front of me
and tears were flowing from the eyes.”
Rafiq Sharifa Sahiba
“Your Holiness, you have made us
extremely happy. You caused us to
forget the trial and tribulations of
emigrating from our homeland. It
felt as if my heart left my body due to
immense joy and happiness and with
you it traveled back fourteen hundred
years to attend a gathering with the
Holy Prophetsa
, when he placed his
blessed hand on the shoulder of Hazrat
Salman the Persianra
with complete
affection and grace. Huzuraba
I have
noted this date, this day marks two Eid
festivals for the Arab people. I have
firm faith that this is a great turning
point for the Arab people and they
will accept the Imam of the age in vast
numbers. Huzuraba
we have received
your message, and with all our hearts
and souls we say, ‘Yes, O Leader of
the believers, we hear and we obey.’
May Allah the Almighty grant the
Arab people wisdom and insight so
that they understand this message
and accept the true servant of the
Holy Prophetsa
. May Allah change
the conditions of Ahmadis so that
reaction from the arab world to
the message by the khalifah
54 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MAY 2014 MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 55
29. “His Holiness’s address to the Arabs
in their language; Arabic, was a
priceless gift. My eyes are full of tears
at the condition of the Arabs. After
receiving much respect and honour,
currently the Arab nation has sunk
deeply into the abyss of debasement.
Now, His Holiness’s address has,
once again, revived hope within this
nation to attain that honour. Now the
Arab nation should wake up from its’
slumber and hearken to this message.
After His Holiness’s address I am, once
again, beginning to take pride in my
Arab ethnicity. O Beloved Imam, please
pray that each one of us is enumerated
amongst those who were first to say
‘Labaik’ at His Holiness’s call. Ameen!”
Asmaa Kamaal Sahiba
“His Holiness, when we heard the
great news that His Holiness will
address us in Arabic, it felt as if Eid
is about to happen again. Hence, I
cleaned my home to prepare for Eid
and awaited my Beloved Huzur’s
Arabic address. On the eve of the
23rd
, you graciously fulfilled this glad
tiding and we witnessed His Holiness’s
words descend on hearts.These
blessed words caused my heart to sway
and increased love and devotion of
God the Almighty. I am requesting
prayers for this love to be eternal and
steadfastness and spiritual success.”
Bisinah Mansoor ‘Audeh Sahiba
“His Holiness, after listening to
your honourable address, the verse
ﺑﺮ ﮐﻞﺗﻌﻠﻢ و ﻋﻠﻢ ﻣﻦ کﺗﺒﺎر و ﳏﻤﺪ ﻣﻦﻛﺔ
came to mind. Blessings of the Holy
Prophetsa
and his true lover, the
Promised Messiahas
, can be witnessed
behind the preparation of this address.
ﺑﺮ ﮐﻞﺗﻌﻠﻢ و ﻋﻠﻢ ﻣﻦ کﺗﺒﺎر و ﳏﻤﺪ ﻣﻦﻛﺔ
-
”
Syed Abdul ‘Aziz Sahib
Alhamdulillah (all praise belongs to
Allah) for His Holiness addressing
us in the Arabic language! I stood up
due to intense emotions and could
not sit down throughout the entire
address. It is impossible to describe the
feelings and emotions of the heart.”
Fuwaad ‘Audeh Sahib
reaction from the arab world to
the message by the khalifah
56 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MAY 2014
30. The Worldwide Head of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community,
His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza
Masroor Ahmadaba
, the Fifth
Khalifah delivered a special mes-
sage to the worldwide Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community during a
live Arabic television programme
broadcast on Muslim Television
Ahmadiyya International (MTA)
on 27th
May 2014.
The programme, hosted by Mr.
Muhammad Sharif Odeh, President of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
Kababir, the Holy Land, celebrated
the 106th
anniversary of the Institution
of Khilafat. Following his special mes-
sage, Arab-speaking Ahmadi Muslims
in different countries called into the
programme and conveyed their greet-
ings of peace to the Khalifah who in
turn reciprocated. The callers were all
overcome with emotion as they had
the opportunity to converse with the
Khalifah – who Ahmadi Muslims believe
to be divinely appointed. The special
programme came just over two months
after His Holiness delivered his first ever
Arabic address which was televised on
the occasion of the 125th
Anniversary
of the establishment of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community, featured earlier in
this Edition.
Translated from the Urdu.
“In the name of Allah, The Gracious, The
Merciful. We praise Him and invoke our
blessings on His noble Messenger and on His
servant the Promised Messiah.
I would first of all like to congratulate
everyone upon the blessed completion
of 106 years of the institution of Khilafat
being established.It is a sign of the truth-
fulness of the Promised Messiahas
in the
way each year we continue to witness
Divine help and support manifesting
through Khilafat.The past 106 years are
testament to this.
In his book Al-Wassiyat (The Will) the
Promised Messiahas
mentions the mani-
festation of two powers of Divine Grace.
The first is of Nabuwwat (Prophethood)
and the second is of Khilafat. Within
the book The Will itself the Promised
Messiahas
clarifies the nature of this
Second Manifestation of Allah the
Almighty’s Might.Citing the example of
Hazrat Abu Bakrra
he says that after the
demise of the Holy Prophetsa
, there was
Message to the
Arab World on
‘Khilafat Day’
hazrat mirza masroor ahmadaba
khalifatul masih v
head of the worldwide ahmadiyya muslim community
MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 59
31. referring to the Second Manifestation
being perpetual and everlasting, the
Promised Messiahas
is giving us the glad
tiding of the system and institution of
Khilafat that would remain established
forever after him. He is not referring to
any Mujaddid2
who would appear imme-
diately after his demise to rejuvenate the
faith, but rather the Promised Messiahas
is referring to a Khilafah who would
represent him and of whom the people
would take the Bai’at (the covenant of
allegiance).
The Promised Messiahas
said that “After
me, he will take the Bai’at from you in
my name.”Thus the Promised Messiahas
has not given authority for the Bai’at to
be taken of an Anjamun3
. In this con-
nection I would like to relate to you a
true and amusing account. A person
from the progeny of someone from the
Lahori Community, who at the outset
of the Second Khilafat did not perform
the Bai’at, visited Rabwah during the
era of the Third Khilafat. He observed
the great progress and organisation of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
and admitted that indeed he would not
find the same in his community. After
the migration of the Fourth Khalifah
from Rabwah the same person coinci-
dently visited Rabwah. It was that same
organised system, Anjamun and people
who were working there. However he
now said that “I have realised that this
same Anjamun is not running anywhere
near as effectively as the Anjamun being
run directly under Khilafat.” And so
undeniably for the Khalifah of the time
to be directly present anywhere has an
altogether distinct impact, which even
non-Ahmadis come to realise.
I have explained that the Promised
Messiah’sas
statements and writings cat-
egorically rebut the notion that only a
Mujaddid was to appear after him and
he also said in manifest terms that he is
the Mujaddid of the last era. Therefore
it is Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya in servitude
to the Promised Messiahas
that with the
Grace of the Almighty furthers the mis-
sion of reviving the faith.In truth history
testifies that when Mujaddid’s appeared
before the Promised Messiahas
more than
one Mujadddid appeared at any one time.
The scope of the Mujaddid’s was limited
to their respective time periods and thus
after the Mujadidds departed from this
world, corruption once again beset their
followers.Their task and efforts of refor-
mation and reviving the faith were further
limited to their local areas or regions and
was restricted to removing only the spe-
cific vices and evils that were prevalent in
a state of great commotion, apprehen-
sion and concern. In such circumstances
Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqra
was made to
arise by Allah the Almighty who once
again transformed the state of fear
into peace and security. The Promised
Messiahas
then explains with reference
to Aayat-e-Istakhlaf1
that Khilafat is
the guarantor for security and peace.
Furthermore the Promised Messiahas
gives the reassurance that: “Let it be
clear that after my demise you will see
the second manifestation of Allah the
Almighty’s might. It will be perpetual
and will last until the end of time.”
What can we comprehend and deduct
from all of this? It is absolutely clear
that by referring to Hazrat Abu Bakrra
,
by referring to Aayat-e-Istakhlaf and by
It is absolutely clear that
by referring to Hazrat
Abu Bakrra
, by referring
to Aayat-e-Istakhlaf and
by referring to the Second
Manifestation being
perpetual and everlasting,
the Promised Messiahas
is
giving us the glad tiding of
the system and institution of
Khilafat that would remain
established forever after him.
60 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MAY 2014 MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 61
32. Khilafat after him that will remain until
the end of time,which will endeavour to
further his mission all over the world.This
glad tiding was in fact based on a Hadith
of the Holy Prophetsa
. In the Hadith
the Holy Prophetsa
said a rightly guided
Khilafat would be established after his
demise; a period of despotic monar-
chy would then commence after which
there would ensue a period of darkness;
then finally Khilafat on the precepts of
Prophethood would be established until
the Day of Judgement. And so the glad
tiding of an everlasting Khilafat was not
only given by the Promised Messiahas
;
indeed the Holy Prophetsa
imparted this
glad tiding to us through his Sayings.
Today Allah’s practical testimony con-
firms the incontestable reality that after
the Promised Messiahas
the institu-
tion of Khilafat was certainly Divinely
established and receives Allah’s Help
and Support. Our work in the world to
translate the Holy Qur’an, preach Islam
to all mankind, bring hundreds of thou-
sands of people under the banner of true
Islam and for millions to unite as one
body in complete submission after taking
the Bai’at who are prepared to sacrifice
everything – could all of this have been
possible through human efforts alone?
At this moment in time, all of you are
watching MTA4
on TV simultaneously
all around the world and people every-
where in the world listen to the Friday
Sermons of the Khalifah of the time and
also watch various MTA programmes;
if we consider all of this in view of the
resources of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community then no one in the word
could ever imagine this to be possible.Is
this evidence alone not sufficient to prove
Allah’s practical testimony?
From a worldly perspective many people
of the world do not have any connection
with religion, yet at times for guidance
still turn towards the Khalifah of the
Ahmadiyya Community. Whenever
I have the opportunity to present the
beautiful teachings of Islam in different
countries of the world, I say to people
that if you desire your sustenance and
prosperity in life then you should follow
certain principles. You should establish
justice and remove double standards
in your policies and only then can you
establish peace and cater for your lives
in this world and the next.
I mentioned MTA earlier. I should
inform you that with the Grace of
Almighty Allah MTA—which formed
through the blessing of Khilafat and
the Muslims of that place. Indeed many
a Mujaddid carried out work to reform
people and revive the faith, but they did
not consider themselves as Mujaddids.
It was others who understood they were
Mujaddids, declared them as such and
conveyed to others that such and such
person was a Mujaddid.
The advent of the Promised Messiahas
and Imam Mahdias
was a great favour
and blessing of Allah upon us. By per-
fectly following ours and his master and
guide, the Holy Prophetsa
, the Seal of
the Prophetssa
, the Promised Messiahas
was sent as the Khatamul Khulafah,
Khatamul Auliya and Mujjaddid-e- Alf-
e-Aakhir. Just as the Holy Prophetsa
was sent for all mankind, all eras and all
nations to remove all evil and corrup-
tion in the world similarly,the Promised
Messiahas
was sent by Allah in this era in
perfect following of the Holy Prophetsa
to remove the ills and evils found in all
of mankind today, until the end of the
time.It is therefore completely wrong to
place the Promised Messiahas
in the cat-
egory of an ordinary Mujaddid. The era
of the Promised Messiahas
, the scope of
his mission and his task of reviving the
faith encompasses all eras,all nations and
removing all vices and innovations from
all mankind.
As mentioned the Promised Messiahas
gave the glad tidings of an institution of
Our work in the world to
translate the Holy Qur’an,
preach Islam to all mankind,
bring hundreds of thousands
of people under the banner of
true Islam and for millions to
unite as one body in complete
submission after taking the
Bai’at who are prepared to
sacrifice everything – could
all of this have been possible
through human efforts alone?
62 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MAY 2014 MAY 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 63
33. placed the responsibility in the following
revelation:
“Unite all Muslims on the face of the
earth on the one faith (Islam).”
And so, to accumulate the blessings of
Allah the Almighty, just as the Arabs
played their role in accepting Islam in
its first period, the Arabs should now
similarly play their role in this second
era of the revival of Islam! May Allah
the Almighty enable you to achieve this.
And so all Arab Ahmadis spread all
over the world should understand their
responsibility; that you must strive to ful-
fil this to a greater degree than before.
With the Grace of Almighty Allah there
is no doubt, and I bear witness, that
Arabs who have accepted the Promised
Messiahas
show immense loyalty,sincerity
and obedience to Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya.
So therefore continue to enhance this
dedication and devotion to Khilafat so
we can rapidly gather the world under
the banner of the Holy Prophetsa
!
Jazakamullah5
.”
endnotes
1. Aayat-e-Istikhlaf refers to Chapter 24,
Verse 56 of the Holy Qur’an which speaks of
“Successors”(Khalifas) who will appear among
the believers as a reward and blessing.The verse
reads: “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; and that He will surely establish
for them their religion which He has chosen
for them; and that He will surely give them in
exchange security and peace after their fear: They
will worship Me, and they will not associate
anything with Me.Then whoso is ungrateful
after that, they will be the rebellious.
2. Reformer.
3. Executive Body.
4. Muslim Television International (MTA)
is the official satellite TV station of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (www.mta.tv).
5. May Allah reward you.
broadcasts all over the world in every
country: in Asia,Europe,Africa,America
and even in the islands—has transformed
the manner of thinking of people entirely.
And thus Ahmadis have been united and
advance together in one direction and
this unity of the Ahmadis has become
a unique identity. Although Allah the
Almighty bestowed MTA as a means
[for unity], it is in fact through obedi-
ence and love and understanding of the
true blessings of Khilafat that this spirit
has been developed among the Ahmadis
all over the world.Can a greater example
be presented of the rejuvenation of the
faith and of unity then how Ahmadis
all over world at the slightest signal
(of the Khalifah) act immediately and
spontaneously?
May Allah the Almighty enable us to
play our roles for this message and prac-
tical testimony to be understood after
coming under the Bai’at of the Promised
Messiahas
, and to help raise the banner
of the Holy Prophetsa
and establish the
governance and authority of Allah in the
world.May we understand this and may
the Muslim Ummah all over the world
also.
It is a special responsibility of the Arab
world that they should understand the
final message of the Holy Prophetsa
in
which he completely eliminated any dif-
ferences between Arabs and non-Arabs,
blacks and whites.
Thus, now servitude to the servant of
the Holy Prophetsa
and obedience to
Khilafat are the only means of attract-
ing the blessings of Allah the Almighty
and there is now no other path to attract
God’s blessings.May Allah the Almighty
enable all Ahmadis to understand this
and to comprehend its significance and
be enabled to spread this message within
their own circles of influence. We can
thus fulfil the mission of the Promised
Messiahas
on whom Allah the Almighty
And so, to accumulate
the blessings of Allah the
Almighty, just as the Arabs
played their role in accepting
Islam in its first period, the
Arabs should now similarly
play their role in this second
era of the revival of Islam!
May Allah the Almighty
enable you to achieve this.
message to the arab world
on ‘khilafat day’
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