Invitation to Ahmadiyyat — Page 129
129 remains qamar up to the end of the month. On the first three nights, the moon is called hil a l. Since the Hadith uses the word qamar and the law of nature states that the lunar eclipse can only occur on the 13th, 14th or 15th night of the lunar month, it becomes clear that the first night of Ramadan mentioned in the prophecy means the first of the three nights on which the lunar eclipse is possible, i. e. , the 13th. To insist otherwise is to be illogical and unfair, and the purpose can only be to falsify the word of Allah and His Prophet lest people believe in the one who has been sent by God. In short, the Holy Prophet s as laid down a large number of signs for the identification of the time of the Promised Messiah as. Some of these signs are significant and important even taken singly, but the Holy Prophet s as intended them to be taken collectively as they present a complete picture of the time of the Promised Messiah as. When so many signs appear together, they must constitute a time of great importance. With the help of such a comprehensive pic - ture, nobody can have any difficulty in identifying the appointed time when it comes. There is no doubt that plagues and pestilences have occurred in the past, as have earthquakes. There have been periods of exces - sive gambling and degradation of people’s moral condition. Even in the past, there have been times when Christian nations have enjoyed dominion over the greater part of the world. The question, however, is whether these signs have ever appeared together at the same time. The answer is no. Let us imagine a person who does not know of the condition of the world today. Let us narrate to such a person the signs of the time of the Promised Messiah as as