Malfuzat – Volume I — Page 48
48 Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad The last successor of the Israelite dispensation who appeared in the fourteenth century after Moses, on whom be peace, was the Messiah of Nazarethas. In parallel to this, it was necessary for the Messiah of this ummah to also appear at the head of the fourteenth century. Additionally, those blessed with visions have declared this century to be the one in which the Messiah would appear. Shah Waliyullah th and others have from among the Ahl-e-Hadith all agree that all the minor signs (alamaat-e-sughra) and to some extent the major signs (alamaat-e-kubra) have been fulfilled. However, they have erred somewhat in this respect. All of the signs have been fulfilled. The major sign or hallmark of the one who is to appear can be found in Bukhari as follows: يَكْسِرُ الصَّلِيْبَ وَيَقْتُلُ الْخِنْزِيرَ. . . الخ He will break the cross and kill the swine. In other words, the era in which the Messiah shall descend is marked by the dominance of Christianity and prevalent worship of the cross. Is this not such a time? Has there been such a time from the era of Adamas until now when such harm was ever inflicted upon Islam by the Christian priests? Division has plagued every country. There is no Muslim family who has not lost a member or so to their hands. Hence, the era of he who was to come is one in which worship of the cross would be dominant. What could be more dominating than what we see now? Vicious attacks like those of ravenous beasts have been made against Islam. Is there a single group that has not made the most savage of remarks against the Noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and hurled abuse at him? If now is not the time for the advent of the awaited one, the earliest that he can appear now is after a hundred years. For a divinely appointed Reformer (Mujaddid) must always appears at the head of the century. Now does Islam possess enough strength to combat the ever-increasing dominance of the Christian priests for another century? This ascendancy has reached its pinnacle and the one who was to appear has come. Now, he shall destroy the Anti-Christ with clinching argumentation. For it is recorded in the Hadith that nations will be overturned, not people themselves or the individuals that comprise these nations. And so has it occurred. Bukhari, Kitabu Ahadithil-Anbiya, Babu Nuzuli Isa Alayhis-Salam