Haqiqatul-Wahi (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation) — Page 183
POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (1) 183 that it is the same kind of contradiction as I had written in Barahin- e-Aḥmadiyya that Masīḥ Ibn-e-Maryam would descend from heaven; and later, I wrote that I myself am the Messiah who was to come. The reason for this contradiction was the same: God Almighty had named me ‘Īsā in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya, and also informed me that God and His Messenger had prophesied my advent. But as a body of Muslims was firm in the belief—and I, too, held that same belief-that Hadrat 'Isa would descend from heaven, I did not wish to take God's revelation for its literal meaning, but interpreted this revelation and maintained my belief in consonance with that of the Muslims at large and pub- lished the same in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya. But afterwards, divine revela- tions regarding this descended like rain, affirming that I am, indeed, the Promised Messiah who was to come. Along with them [i. e. the divine revelations] appeared hundreds of Signs, and both the heaven and the earth arose to testify to my truthfulness. The bright Signs of God com- pelled me to realize that, indeed, I am the Messiah who was to come in the Latter Days. Otherwise, my belief was what I had set forth in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya. Moreover, not relying entirely upon it, I sought adjudication for my revelation from the Holy Quran. It was established by conclusive verses that ‘Īsā Ibn-e-Maryam had indeed died, and the last Khalifah [vicegerent] would appear from among this very ummah under the title of the Promised Messiah. As no darkness remains after the dawn of day, in the same way, hundreds of Signs, heavenly testimo- nies, conclusive verses of the Holy Quran, and definitive and explicit aḥadīth compelled me to accept that I am the Promised Messiah. It was enough for me that God should be pleased with me, and I had absolutely no desire for such a thing. I led a life of seclusion and no one was aware of my existence, nor did I desire that anyone should rec- ognize me. He forced me out of my solitude. I had wished to live and die in obscurity, but He decreed that He would make me renowned with honour throughout the world. Therefore, ask God why He did so. What is my fault in this? Similarly, I initially believed that I could not possibly be compared