Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ismail (ra) — Page 62
62 These were Di vinely revealed words, addressed to the world, through the Mahdī. The Promised Messiah as and Mahdī 's name was "Ghulam Ahmad", which means "Servant of Ahmad", but he was known by the name of Ahmad. Thus, came true the words of the Holy Prophet s as , "He is th e Mahdī , whose name shall be Ahmad". While on one hand, a magnificent prophecy of the Holy Prophet s as was fulfilled w ith the appearance of the Mahdī , on the other, the Muslim Ummah was faced with a serious trial - the trial of accepting freshly sent Divin e guidance. The Holy Prophet s as had enjoined his followers to accept the Mahdī , in the following words: When you discover him, reach him and show allegiance to him, even if it mea ns crawling over snow to do so. For , he ind eed, is God's vice gere nt - the Ma hdī. 39 In 1889, the Mahdī appeared and along with him came into being the foretold party of believers who were destined to defend Islam. Ḥaḍrat Mir Muhammad Ismail ra was a member of this blessed party. In fact, Ḥaḍrat Mir Sahib ra had the privilege of bein g among the foremost people who swore allegiance to Ahmad the Mahdī. In a poem of his, Ḥaḍrat Mir Muhammad Ismail ra defines an "Ahmadi" as follows: S ervant of Allah, F ollower of Muhammad sa