Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part V — Page 537
REPLY TO THE DOUBTS RAISED BY RASHID AHMAD GANGOHI 537 the Holy Prophetsas, and why he was not referred to here by 'the like of 'Isa' in the same vein as 'the like of Mūsā. The answer is that God was pleased to make the last Khalifah of this Ummah share that great incident which took place with the Israelite 'Isa-and he could share this incident if he was given the name 'Isā. Since God desired to demonstrate the congruity of the two dispensa- tions, He named the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 'the like of Mūsā. For, the similarity between the inci- dent [i. e. the exodus] that Hadrat Mūsā experienced with Pharaoh and [the Hijrah of] the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, could become conspicuous only if he was proclaimed 'the like of Mūsā. But the incident that was experienced by Hadrat 'Isā could stand true for the last Khalifah of this Ummah only if he was named 'Isā. The reason being, Hadrat 'Isā, may peace be upon him, was not accepted by the Jews only because it had been recorded in the book of the Prophet Malachi that 'Isā would not appear until Prophet Ilyas [Elijah] returned to this world. But Prophet Ilyās did not return, and Hadrat Yahyā [John] was declared to be Ilyās. For this reason, the Jews did not accept Hadrat 'Isaas. Hence it was decided in the decree of God that in order to complete the likeness, in the Latter Days some people of this Ummah would become like the Jews who had rejected the Prophethood and veracity of Hadrat 'Īsā by failing to understand the real import of the 'return of Ilyās. For such 'Jews' it was essential that there should have been some prophecy mentioning the return of a previous Prophet-as was the case in the prophecy regarding Ilyās- and it had been decided in the decree of God that such Jews' would definitely be born in this Ummah as well. This is why I was named 'Isā, just as Hadrat Yahyā was named 'Ilyās. This is what is indicated by the verse: غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ 1. Those who have not incurred displeasure (Sūrah al-Fatihah, 1:7). [Publisher]