Malfuzat – Volume I — Page 49
Malfuzat - Volume I A Universal Sign in Support of the Promised Messiah 49 Another sign in support of the awaited one is that in his era, during the month of Ramadan, the solar and lunar eclipses will occur. Those who ridicule divine signs in fact mock God Himself. For the solar and lunar eclipse to take place after the claim of the awaited one is something that no one could possibly forge or fabricate. Before this, no such solar or lunar eclipse has taken place. This was a sign by which Allah the Exalted was to proclaim the arrival of the awaited one throughout the entire world. And so upon witnessing this sign, the Arabs have also proclaimed its truth, as is their nature. Wherever our announcements could not reach to serve as public pronouncements, this solar and lunar eclipse announced the coming of the era of the awaited one. This was a sign of God completely free from human machination. No matter how strictly philosophical a person may be, they ought to reflect and contemplate that when the appointed sign has been fulfilled, it necessarily follows that the one in whose favour the sign was manifested, must also be present. This was not a matter that could have been predetermined, because it was stated that the sign would be manifested after a person who claimed to be the Mahdi had appeared. The Noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, also said that no such incident would have occurred from the time of Adamas to this Mahdi. If anyone can historically show otherwise, I shall accept. Another sign of the era was that the star Dhus-Sinin would emerge, i. e. the star of years gone by. In other words, the star which emerged in the time (or years) of the Messiah of Nazarethas. Now, even that star has appeared, which gave heavenly news of the coming of the Jewish Messiah. Similarly, we find in the Quran: وَإِذَا الْعِشَارُ عُصِلَتْ وَإِذَا الْوُحُوشُ حُشِرَتْ وَإِذَا الْبِحَارُ سُجِّرَتْ وَإِذَا النُّفُوسُ زُوجَتْ وَإِذَا الْمَوْادَةُ سُبِلَتْ بِأَيِّ ذَنْبٍ قُتِلَتْ وَإِذَا الصُّحُفُ نُشِرَتْ And when the she-camels, ten-month pregnant, are abandoned, And when the beasts are gathered together, And when the seas are made to flow forth one into the other, And when people are brought together, And when the girl-child buried alive is questioned about, For what crime was she killed?' And when books are spread abroad. Meaning, in that era, she-camels, which previously were the best means of trans- 1 at-Takwir, 81:5-11