Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 133
THE RENAISSANCE OF ISLAM 133 to correct their doctrinal errors and to reform their conduct. A few years thereafter, it was made quite clear to me through Divine revelation that the Messiah, whose advent among the Muslims had been promised from the beginning, and the Mahdi whose advent had been Divinely decreed at the time of the decline of Islam and the spread of error, and who was to be guided directly by God, and who was to invite people to partake of the heavenly banquet, and whose coming had been foretold by the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, thirteen hundred years in advance, was myself. Divine revela- tion to this effect was vouchsafed to me so clearly and so con- tinuously that it left no room for doubt. It was replete with grand prophecies that were fulfilled clearly as bright day. Its frequency and number and miraculous power compelled me to affirm that it comprehended the words of the One God, without an associate, Whose Word is the Holy Quran [Tazkaratush Shahadatain, pp. 1-2]. In order to win the pleasure of Allah, I hereby inform you all of the important fact that Almighty God has, at the beginning of this 14th century, appointed me from Himself for the revival and support of the true faith otIslam. It is my function in this disturbed age to proclaim the excellences of the Holy Quran and the great- ness of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him. It is also my function to repel all enemies of Islarn who are attacking it, by means of the light and blessings and the miracles and inner knowledge that have been bestowed upon me [Barakatud Dua, p. 24]. The author has been informed that he is the Reformer of the age and that his spiritual excellences bear a resemblance to the spiritual excellences of Jesus, son of Mary, and that the two are closely related to each other and resemble each other [Ayena Kamalat Islam, p. 657]. In this age the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, has been reviled in abusive writings to a degree to which no other prophet has been reviled in any age. In truth in this age Satan, with the help of all his progeny, is trying his utmost to destroy Islam. As doubtless this is the last battle between truth and falsehood, the age demanded the advent of a Divinely commissioned one for its reform. That one is the Promised Messiah, who is present among you. [Chashmah MaariJat, p. 86]. . As I am the Promised Messiah and God has manifested heavenly signs in my support, everyone who in the estimation of God has