Malfuzat - Volume IV — Page 166
166 Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad clear, for nineteen years have passed since the start of the century. 1 So, the wise ought to reflect that inner and external forms of corruption have crossed all bounds. With that, there is a promise of Allah the Exalted that He will raise a reformer at the head of every century. Moreover, God has also promised that He will safeguard the Holy Quran and the religion of Islam. Then, after the Holy Prophet sas , even the prevailing circumstances of the time are strikingly similar to the era in which the Messiah as appeared. The signs that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had foretold about the advent of the Promised One have been fulfilled. Now after all this, has no reformer come from the heavens? He has come. Indeed, he has come, and come he has at the very hour that was promised. However, in order to recognise him, one requires the eye of faith. 2 The Purpose of the Establishment of the Community So what hesitation can there be for a sensible person to accept, when they col - lectively observe all the signs that have just been mentioned? Now, my objective and intent in this entire exposition is to express that when God Almighty has established this dispensation, and when He has manifested hundreds of signs in its support, this is because God Almighty desires to transform my community so that they become the companions of the Holy Prophet sas , and so that the best of centuries may return once more. Since those who join my community join a community that is described as ْ ُم ُ ِه ِْنْ َم َ ُن ْ ُي ِ َر ٰاَخَ (others from among them), therefore, they should discard the cloak of vain pursuit in which they are covered and they should turn all of their attention towards God Almighty, and stand as staunch opponents against the crooked host ( fayj-e-a’waj). There have been three eras of Islam. In the beginning, there were the first three centuries, then there was the era of the fayj-e-a’waj about whom the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, states: ْ ُم ُِمِْنُْھ ُ َت ْ ُّس َِْیْ َوََل � ْن ِمِ َا ُْوْ ُّس َلَْیْ Meaning, neither are they from me, nor am I from them. The third era is the time of the Promised Messiah, which is joined to the era of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. In reality, it is the era of the Messenger 1 In fact, now even the twentieth year has begun. (Editor Al-Hakam ) 2 Al-Hakam , vol. 6, no. 28, dated 10 August 1902, pp. 5-6 ْ ُم ِِهِ َب ُْْو ْق َ ْح ْ ُل َ ُي َ َم َ ْل ْ ُم ُ ِه ِْنْ َم َ ُن ْ ُي ِ َر َوَٰاَخَ ٍْعٍ َر َ ِز َکَ