Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 63
Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih 11 ra ------------------------ Syed Sajid Ahmad Collected verbatim from THE RENAISSANCE OF ISLAM, Muhammad Zafrullah Khan, 1978, pp. 35-336. [Notes in brackets are added by the summarizer, Syed Sajid Ahmad. ] Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as received a revelation in 1881 in Arabic: 'We give thee glad tidings of a handsome son. '. . . . . . Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as had had in mind that he should go into retreat at some solitary place for 40 days and devote himself entirely in solitude to Divine Worship and supplication. In 1884 he decided to go to Sujanpur, in the district of Gurdaspur, for the purpose of this retreat; but he received a revelation (Urdu): 'Your purpose will be achieved in Hoshiarpur. ' Eventually in January 1886 he went to Hoshiarpur. . . . . . he published an announcement on 20 February 1886, from Hoshiarpur, to say that during his retreat he had been honoured by God Almighty with the disclosure of many matters with regard to the unknown. . . Out of them he mentioned in the announcement one particular prophecy:. . . Rejoice, therefore, that a handsome and pure boy will be bestowed on thee. Thou wilt receive an intelligent youth who will be of thy seed and will be of thy progeny. . . . He will come into the world and will heal many of their ills through his Messianic qualities and through the blessings of the Holy Spirit. . . . He will grow rapidly in stature and will be the means of procuring the release of those held in bondage. His fame will spread to the ends of the earth and people will be blessed through him. On Saturday, January 12 , 1889, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as was blessed with a son whom he named Mahmud. . . Later, at different times, he declared in his books definitely that Mahmud was the promised son whose birth had been predicted in the announcement of 20 February 1886. At the time of his election as Khalifatul Masih II, Hadhrat Sahibzada Mirza Bashirud Din Mahmud Ahmad ra was 25 years of age. . . While he was still at school he received the revelation: 'I shall place those who follow thee above those who reject thee, unto the Day of judgment. ' This was a clear indication that he would one day be called to a position of spiritual authority in which he would be supported by many and would be rejected by others, and that those who accept him would be always upheld above those who reject him. . . Within a few weeks of his election as Khalifa, more than 95 per cent of the community swore allegiance to him. . . In the spiritual sphere he was bestowed deep and profound knowledge of the Holy Qur'an which was manifested continuously in his speeches and writings and more particularly in his two commentaries on the Holy Qur'an, Tafseer - e-Sagheer and Tafseer-e- Kabeer. He was also greatly favored by God Almighty through the acceptance of his prayers, which helped considerably to strengthen his relationship of affection and devotion with the members of the Community and contributed greatly to the spread of the Movement and the expansion of its influence. Numerous prophecies of his relating to national and international events helped to impress the minds of large numbers of people in positions of authority and influence, by their striking fulfillment. By Divine grace the period of the second Khilafat extended over more than half a century. . . Some idea of the progress made by the Movement under the fostering care and wise leadership and guidance of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih li ra might be formed on the basis of the attendance in the Annual Conferences of the Movement. In the last conference under Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih I ra in 1913 , the attendance was approximately three thousand. In the convention of 1964, the last one during the second Khilafat, the attendance was over seventy-five thousand.