The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 79
THE PROMISED MESSIAH AND MAHDI. The Promised Messiah considered this sign of the eclipses to be very significant and said that with this sign, the foundation of the victory of Islam had been laid. He also said that mosques will be built. and people will join Islam in hordes. The Promised Messiah has written about this sign in many of his books. He writes: "And I also swear by God Almighty that I am the Promised. Messiah, and I am the same person who was promised by the. Prophets. There is news about me and my age in the Torah, the. Gospels, and the Holy Quran. It is stated that there will be eclipses in the sky and severe plague on the earth. " (Dafiul Balaa pg. 18). "In my age only in the month of Ramadhan the eclipses of the. Sun and the Moon occurred; in my age only in accordance with the authentic sayings of the Holy Prophet, the Holy Quran, and the earlier books, there was a plague all over the country; and in my age only new modes of transport, namely, the railways came into existence. And in my age only, as per my prophecies terrible earthquakes came. Does not, then, righteousness demand that one should not be bold in denying me? I swear by Almighty God and say that thousands of signs for establishing my truth have been manifested, are being manifested, and will be manifested. If this were a man's plan, never I would have enjoyed such support and help. " (Haqiqatul Wahi pg. 45). The present supreme head of the Ahmadiyya community. (Khalifatul Masih IV), Mirza Tahir Ahmad, considers the years 1994 and 1995 very significant, like the years of 1894 and 1895 when the eclipses occurred. On seeing this sign in 1894, a large number of. Muslims joined the fold of the Promised Messiah. But other opponents, whose hearts were sealed, made excuses and persisted in their blind rejection. As the Promised Messiah has stated thousands of his opponents fell victim to the plague. We quote below a few selected verses from Arabic, Persian, and Urdu poems by the. Promised Messiah about the sign of the eclipses: "Glad tidings to you, O' Community of brothers;. Congratulations to you, O' Community of friends. " 79