The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 233
THE PROMISED MESSIAH AND MAHDI. THE CENTENARY MESSAGE. We end this part of the book by quoting an article which was the centenary message delivered by Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad,. Khalifatul Masih IV, on March 23, 1989. This was the first centenary of the Ahmadiyya Movement: "One hundred years ago, an amazing event took place in an obscure and tiny hamlet (Qadian), in the Province of the Punjab,. India. It was an event which was destined to change the course of history. . There appeared a religious leader specifically commissioned by God to lead mankind as the Promised Reformer of the latter days. . His name was Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908), the Founder of the world-wide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community He laid the basis for the unification of mankind in a unique manner. He resolved the conflicts. and paradoxes prevailing in the religious world regarding the advent of a global Reformer. . The followers of all great religions Jews, Christians. . Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists. Zoroastrians, and Confucians anxiously awaited the advent of a promised Reformer, as predicted in their holy scriptures. . The Jews expected the Messiah to rejuvenate Judaism, the. Christians claimed that the second advent of Jesus would bring nigh the Kingdom of Heaven; the Muslims believed that the Messiah and. Mahdi would join forces to bring about the final renaissance of Islam, the Hindus awaited the coming of God himself in the form of. Krishna; and, the Buddhists were hopefully waiting for the incarnation of Buddha. . How could God send different Messengers simultaneously each calling to the same God in his own diverse way, inviting mankind unto divergent paths and conflicting ideologies? That was the perplexing question addressed by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of. Qadian under Divine guidance and revelation. 233