A Critical Review of the Pamphlet, 'Fateh-e-Qadian' — Page 102
102 A critical Review of the Pamphlet—‘f a te h -e-Qadian’ ل ا رة 1 ء ا 2 د 34 The Promised Messiah will descend near a white minaret in the east of Demascus. 54 The hadith does not say that he will come down from the minaret but the words are that he will descend near a minaret. We know that Qadian, Province Punjab, India, which is the homeland of Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah as , is exactly in the east of Syria, on the same latitude. Thus, there is no ambiguity as far as the words ‘east of Demascus’ are concerned. Let us now turn to the word ‘minaret’. It could mean that the Promised Messiah will descend at a time when, because of improved means of travel and communications (for instance, railways, ships, aeroplanes, postal services, telegraph and printing press etc. ), the work of propagation and preaching will be much facilitated as though a man is standing on a minaret and his call was reaching far and wide. His light will spread quickly far and wide in the world, as is the quality of a minaret. As to what is meant about the advent of the Promised Messiah by a white minaret, it could be a portent that the best means for the propagation of Islam will be available to him. In this sense, the word ‘east’ also indicates that the sun of the Promised Messiah will rise in the best possible surroundings, of its eastern horizon, and its rays will spread rapidly throughout the world. The word ‘minaret’ also means that as something on a height is easily visible and people living at a distance can also see it, similarly the stand of the Promised Messiah will be on a minaret and he will appear with such illumined and evident signs that, 54 Mishk a t , Bab u l ‘A lama t B aina Y adi s Sa ‘ ati W a Zakarad - Daj jal