Basics of Religious Education — Page 256
256 256 256 256 256 B ASICS OF R ELIGIOUS E DUCATION - F IFTH E DITION On the occasion of population census of 1901, the Promised Messiah as registered his community under the name Musalman Firqah Ahmadiyya or the Muslim Ahmadiyya Sect and explained through a public statement the reason for choosing this name. This is the first written statement issued by the Promised Messiah as about the status of his Prophethood. Before 1900, the Promised Messiah as used to refer to himself as a Muhaddis , instead of a Prophet, because he be- lieved in the commonly accepted definition of a Prophet at that time. In the year 1901, however, it had become quite obvious to the Promised Messiah as , that the popular definition of Prophethood, that was common among the Muslims of that age, was wrong and contrary to Islam. So, it was to reform the existing beliefs regarding Prophethood and to make a clarifi- cation of his own stand in this regard, that the Promised Messiah published this statement. After its publication, he always referred to himself as ‘ Nabi ’ or ‘ Rasool ’ meaning a Prophet. However, he qualified that his Prophethood was not independent of the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet Mohammad saw , nor did he attach himself with any holy book other than the Holy Qur’an. We have noticed earlier that the Promised Messiah as had prophecized the spread of plague, on 6th February 1898. When people started dying of plague in the country, then the Promised Messiah invited people on March 17, 1901, to turn to God. However, his opponents increased in their ridicule and laughing at this prophesy. Then God revealed His displeasure and in 1902, plague had become such an epidemic that people were dying in the streets like dogs. The Promised Messiah as wrote a book on 5th October 1902, while the plague was raging. This book was entitled Kashtee Nooh or ‘Noah’s Ark. ’ The Promised Messiah declared in this book that, according to revelation from God, it is not necessary for a true Ahmadi to get himself innoculated, as a preventive measure against the plague. The divine revelation said: I will protect all those who are within your house Naming the ‘Muslim Ahmadiyya Sect’ (1901) The Statement and Title ‘Clarification of an Error’ (Nov. 5, 1901) P P P P P ROMISED ROMISED ROMISED ROMISED ROMISED M M M M M ESSIAH ESSIAH ESSIAH ESSIAH ESSIAH AS AS AS AS AS A N D A N D A N D A N D A N D S S S S S UCCESSORS UCCESSORS UCCESSORS UCCESSORS UCCESSORS — P — P — P — P — P ROMISED ROMISED ROMISED ROMISED ROMISED M M M M M ESSIAH ESSIAH ESSIAH ESSIAH ESSIAH AS AS AS AS AS 7. 1 7. 1 7. 1 7. 1 7. 1 Sign of Plague and Remarkable Progress of the Jama`at (1901-1902)