Lecture Lahore — Page 58
58 believe that it is sheer impertinence to lay down such conditions. If it was indeed essential to produce specific prophecies from Divine scriptures, it would be impossible to prove the Prophethood of any Prophet. The true criteria for judging the claim of a Prophet is to see whether he has come at the time of need, whether he has made his appearance at the time foretold by the Prophets, whether he has been accompanied by Divine help, and whether he has satisfactorily answered the objections raised against him by his opponents. Only he who meets all these criteria can be considered truthful in his claim. As far as the need of the time is concerned, this age is practically crying out for a heavenly reformer who will save Islam from inner dissension and external challenges, re-establish the long lost spirituality, strengthen the faith by granting certainty, save people from sin and transgres- sion, and draw hearts towards piety and virtue. This shows that I have come at the time of need, and only the most prejudiced will deny this. The second condition, that the claimant should appear at the time foretold by the Prophets, has also been fulfilled with my coming. The Prophets had prophesied that the Promised Messiah would appear at the end of the sixth millennium after Adam. The sixth millennium, if we go by the lunar calendar, has already passed; and if we go by the solar one, it is almost coming to its end. Moreover, there is the saying of the Holy Prophet sa that there would appear a Reformer— Mujaddid —at the turn of every cen-