Ahmadiyyat or The True Islam — Page 16
16 so it came to pass, i. e. , before Ahmad as announced himself, several persons claimed to be Messiahs, the claims of some of whom well-nigh deceived the wise. Then there were, as had been foretold, wars and pesti- lences and famines, and in the end was fulfilled that mighty sign which is described in general words in the Bible and in the Jamaspi, the book of the Zoroastrians, as the darkening of the sun and the moon, but which is described in more detail in Islamic books. It had been specified in these books that at the time of the advent of the Mahdi, the sun shall be eclipsed on the second day of the days of its eclipse, and the moon shall be eclipsed on the first of the nights of its eclipse during the month of Ramadan. It had been particularly stated that this sign had not been appointed for any other claimant. This prophecy has also been fulfilled, and its fulfilment has set the seal of truth on Ahmad’s as claim to be the Mahdi and the Messiah. These eclipses occurred in 1894 in the month of Ramadan on the dates which had already been foretold, and although many persons had claimed to be the Mahdi or the Messiah before him, this conjunction did not occur during the time of any one of them. In his time was also witnessed that most extraor- dinary phenomenon which had been foretold in earlier scriptures, but which had never been experienced be- fore. It had been said that in the time of the promised one, there would be peace, that children would play with snakes and lambs with wolves, but that there would also be wars; in other words, that peace and war would exist side by side. We find that this startling spectacle is presented by the world on every side today. Patriotism,