Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 132
132 AHMADIYY AT as I believe that two and two make four [Tableegh Risalat, Vol. VIII, pp. 64-5]. . I am the water that has descended from heaven at its due time. I am the Divine light that has illumined the day [Braheen Ahmadiyya, Pt V, p. I IS]. I have, by the sheer grace of God, and not on account of any merit of my own, been accorded a full measure of the bounty that was bestowed before me on the Prophets and Messengers and the chosen ones of God. It would not have been possible for me to be granted this bounty had I not followed the ways of my lord and master, the pride of the Prophets, the best of mankind, Muham- mad, the chosen one, peace be on him. Whatever I have been given I have been given by following him and I know through true and perfect knowledge that no man can reach God except by following the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, nor can anyone arrive at a full understanding of God except through him [Haqeeqatul Wahi, p. 68]. When the 13th century of the Hegira drew to a close and the beginning of the 14th century approached, I was informed by God Almighty, through revelation, that I was the Reformer for the 14th century. I received the revelation [Arabic]: 'The Gracious One has taught thee the Quran and has expounded its true mean- ing to thee, so that thou may est warn people of their evil end, those who through generations of neglect and through not having been warned have fallen into error, so that the way of those offenders may be made manifest who do not desire to follow the guidance after it has been openly declared. Tell them: I have been commis- sioned by God and am the foremost of believers' [Kitabul Bariyya, p. 201, footnote]. When God Almighty, observing the condition of the world and finding the earth filled with every type of disobedience, sin and misguidance, appointed me for the propagation of the truth and the reform of the people, then I, in obedience to this Divine command, sent forth the call through written and oral announce- ments that I was the person who was to arrive at the beginning of the century for revival of the faith. My purpose was to re-establish the faith which had disappeared from the earth and to pull man- kind towards reform and righteousness and truthfulness through the power and strength that God had bestowed upon me, and through the magnetic power of His hand. It was also my purpose