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 Tadhkirah
English rendering of
the divine revelations,
dreams and visions vouchsafed to

Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian,

The Promised Messiah and Mahdi,
on whom be peace

Published under the auspices of

Hadrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad
Imam and the Head of
The Worldwide Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at,
Fifth Successor to the Promised Messiahas
[May Allah the Almighty be his help]
Tadhkirah
An English rendering of the revelations, dreams and visions of
Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, The Promised Messiah and
Mahdi, on whom be peace.

Published under the auspices of Hadrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba,

Fifth Successor to the Promised Messiahas.

Translated by: Hadrat Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrullah Khanra

Revised by: Munawar Ahmed Saeed
First English translation Published in UK in 1976
Reprinted in UK in 2004
Present Edition Published in UK in 2009

© Islam International Publications Ltd.

Published by:
Islam International Publications Ltd.
“Islamabad” Sheephatch Lane
Tilford, Surrey GU10 2AQ UK

Printed in the UK at:

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any

form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval
system, without prior written permission from the Publisher.

For further information you may visit [Link]

ISBN: 978-1-84880-051-9
 Table of Contents
Table of Contents _________________________________ iii
Introduction _______________________________________ v
Foreword to the First English Edition __________________vii
Foreword to the Second English Edition ________________ xiii
Publishers’ Note _________________________________xvii
Early Years – 1881 _________________________________ 3
1882____________________________________________ 55
1883____________________________________________ 73
1884___________________________________________ 147
1885___________________________________________ 159
1886___________________________________________ 171
1887___________________________________________ 189
1888___________________________________________ 195
1889___________________________________________ 217
1890___________________________________________ 221
1891___________________________________________ 225
1892___________________________________________ 255
1893___________________________________________ 283
1894___________________________________________ 319
1895___________________________________________ 349
1896___________________________________________ 353
1897___________________________________________ 375
1898___________________________________________ 405
1899___________________________________________ 427
1900___________________________________________ 449
1901___________________________________________ 517
1902___________________________________________ 533
1903___________________________________________ 579
1904___________________________________________ 653
1905___________________________________________ 685
1906___________________________________________ 781
1907___________________________________________ 911
1908___________________________________________ 991
Appendix Tadhkirah _____________________________ 1005
Glossary ______________________________________ 1093
Indexes _______________________________________ 1099
TADHKIRAH

VI
 Foreword to the First English Edition
This volume presents an English rendering of the dreams,
visions and verbal revelations vouchsafed to Hazrat Mirza
Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, over a
period of more than 30 years. The original was compiled
from various publications (books, journals and newspapers)
in which the material was contemporaneously publicised.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was born in February 1835
at Qadian, India and died at Lahore on May 26th 1908. He
was a scion of a noble family which had been settled in
Qadian for 400 years. From his childhood he had been
devoted to spiritual values and had an innate antipathy
towards worldly concerns.
In compliance with his father’s wishes he took up a
minor administrative appointment in his younger days but
soon abandoned it and returned to his life of religious study
and devotion. Off and on, under his father’s directions, he
would proceed upon an errand of a temporal character but
derived no satisfaction from it. His father perceiving his
strong bent towards matters spiritual gave up the attempt to
persuade him to interest himself in a worldly career.
A deep study of the Holy Quran, a passionate devotion to
the Holy Prophet of Islam (peace be on him) and a constant
pre-occupation with divine worship and prayer became the
pattern of his life. He was much distressed at observing the
indifference of the Muslims towards the moral and spiritual
values inculcated by the Holy Quran and was deeply pained
by the attacks of non-Muslim propagandists against the
doctrines and teachings of Islam.
He found that the Christian missionaries of the time put
themselves in the vanguard of those elements which were
 TADHKIRAH

hostile to Islam. After deep and prolonged reflection over

this painful situation he was moved to undertake a
vindication of Islam from every point of view. This took
the shape of his epoch-making production entitled the
Braheen Ahmadiyya, the publication of the very first part
of which endeared him to the hearts of all sincere Muslims
as an outstanding champion of Islam.
By that time he had become a recipient of revelation. The
successive parts of Braheen Ahmadiyya set forth many of
his dreams and visions and the verbal revelations received
by him. It became obvious to the readers of Braheen
Ahmadiyya that he was destined to be a great force in
Islam.
In 1889 he laid the foundations of the Ahmadiyyah
Movement and sent forth a call for the righteous to enter
into a covenant of spiritual allegiance to him as a Reformer
within the body spiritual of Islam. His call was responded
to by several people who covenanted to be his helpers and
to obey him in all matters of moral and spiritual import. His
call also aroused a certain degree of opposition among the
Muslims which in the course of time took on the character
of bitter hostility in which certain sections of the non-
Muslims also joined.
Under divine direction Mirza Ghulam Ahmad claimed to
be the Messiah and the Mahdi whose advent had been
foretold by the Holy Prophet of Islam (peace be on him).
The gravamen of the charge made against him by the
Muslim divines was that he claimed to be a prophet
contrary to the directive contained in the Holy Quran to the
effect: Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but
he is the Messenger of Allah and Seal of the Prophets
(Khatam-an-Nabiyyeen). Allah has full knowledge of all
things (33:41).

VIII
 FOREWORD TO THE FIRST ENGLISH EDITION

In answer to this Mirza Ghulam Ahmad explained that he

most sincerely and whole-heartedly believed that the Holy
Prophet, peace be on him, was Khatam-an-Nabiyyeen in
the fullest and most exalted connotation of the expression.
He believed that the Holy Prophet was most richly
endowed by Allah with all the excellences of prophethood
at the highest level. He affirmed that by the advent of the
Holy Prophet the prophethood of all previous prophets
which was current and binding upon their respective
peoples had come to an end and that thereafter the only
prophethood that was to be current was the prophethood of
the Holy Prophetsa and no other prophethood. The spiritual
status of Prophet would thereafter be conferred only upon
one who would be the most sincere and most faithful
follower of the Holy Prophetsa and whose light would be a
reflection of the light of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him,
and would be wholly derived from him. Such a person
would be spiritually at one with the Holy Prophetsa and
would have no separate independent spiritual identity of his
own. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad claimed to be a prophet only in
that sense and he claimed that in his advent were fulfilled
the prophecies concerning the advent of the Messiah and
the Mahdi. He rejected as false and derogatory of the
dignity of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, as Khatam-
an-Nabiyyeen, the notion that Jesus, a prophet in Israel,
would come back from heaven to carry out the revival of
Islam.
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad affirmed that the Holy Quran
comprehends the totality of divine guidance needed for the
whole of mankind for all time, and that it cannot be added
to or subtracted from in the least degree. He rejected as
unfounded the false notion entertained by the bulk of his
Muslim opponents that a number of verses of the Holy

IX
 TADHKIRAH

Quran had been abrogated. He taught that every directive

set out in the Holy Quran was binding for all time
according to its true import.
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad affirmed that his claim to
prophethood, as explained by him, was in accord with the
Holy Quran and the true Hadith. He set forth in support of
his claim: Children of Adam, if Messengers come to you
from among yourselves, rehearsing My commandments,
unto you, then whoso is mindful of his duty to Allah and
acts righteously, on such shall come no fear nor shall they
grieve. But those who reject Our Signs and turn away from
them in disdain, these shall be the inmates of the Fire;
therein shall they abide. (7:36-37)
He also pointed out that the Holy Prophet, on whom be
peace, speaking of the advent of the Messiah had described
him as a prophet of Allah, and on the death of his son
Ibrahim he had said that had he lived he would have been a
true prophet. Concerning Abu Bakr he had said: Abu Bakr
is the most exalted person among my people except one
who might be a Prophet. He also drew attention to an
admonition of Ayesha, wife of the Holy Prophetsa, to the
effect: Call him Khatam-an-Nabiyyeen but do not say that
there will be no Prophet after him.
Attention might in this context be drawn to a criterion
laid down in the Holy Quran wherein it is affirmed: If he
had fabricated any saying and attributed it to Us, We would
surely have seized him by the right hand, and then surely
We would have severed his large artery, and not one of you
could have kept Us from it. (69:45-48)
Divines and commentators are agreed that these verses
furnish an irrefutable test of the truth of a claimant of the
receipt of divine revelation. If such a claimant persists in
his claim and survives for a period of twenty three years,

X
 FOREWORD TO THE FIRST ENGLISH EDITION

his claim must be accepted as true. The principle deduced

from these verses is that God will not permit one who
falsely claims to be a recipient of divine revelation to
flourish at all and such a claimant would not survive for a
period equal to that of the Prophethood of the Holy
Prophet, peace be on him. It is a well known fact fully
publicised that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad maintained his claim
of being a recipient of divine revelation for more than 30
years right till the time of his death.
The whole life of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was exemplary
in every sense and there can be no doubt that since his early
childhood he was being prepared to be a vehicle of the
divine will. We read in the Quran concerning Moses: I
surrounded thee with My love, so that thou mightest be
reared under My care ... We proved thee in various ways...
then thou camest up to the standard, Moses, and I chose
thee for Myself. (20:40-42) As with Moses so with every
Prophet.
The grant of revelation is a pure bounty of God. It is not
the choice of a recipient however righteous and exalted he
might be. There is a widespread notion in the west that
revelation is an upsurge of the mind of a righteous human
being. The Quran rejects that notion. For instance, it says of
the Holy Prophet: He does not speak out of his own desire;
the Quran is pure revelation sent down to him. (53:4-5).
At another place it is said: His are the most exalted
attributes. He is the Lord of the throne. He causes His
Word to descend on whomsoever of His servants He
pleases that He may warn people of the Day of Meeting.
(40:16)
In its wider connotation revelation might comprise
dreams, visions and verbal revelation. The distinction
between dreams and visions for this purpose is that a vision

XI
 TADHKIRAH

is experienced in a state of wakefulness in which the

recipient's faculties are withdrawn from any other
experience and are concentrated on the subject matter of
the vision.
True dreams are a common experience and that a person
may have a true dream or dreams is not an indication of his
righteousness or sanctity. Such an experience is merely
proof that all human beings possess the faculty of
experiencing a true dream and that, therefore, one should not
reject the notion of higher forms of revelation out of hand.
In this volume will be discovered a variety of
experiences of all forms of revelation. Some of the verbal
revelations are a repetition of verses of the Holy Quran.
Their purpose is to emphasise some aspects of the
connotation of the verses and their applicability to a
particular set of circumstances. The revelation of a Quranic
verse does not import any addition to the Holy Quran.
Some of the revelations were repeated many times. This
was not at the choice of the recipient. Each time the
revelation was vouchsafed afresh.
This collection of revelations is replete with prophecies
many of which have been fulfilled, some of them
repeatedly and some await fulfilment.
It is hoped that a rendering into English of all this
material would be found most helpful by seekers after truth
in this age and in succeeding ages who may not have, for
lack of knowledge of the original, access to the actual
words in which the revelation is expressed.

London Zafrullah Khan

November 1976

XII
Foreword to the Second English Edition
Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, the Promised
Messiahas was sent as the Promised rejuvenator and
reformer by Allah the Almighty in accordance with His
promises. Allah the Almighty graced him with His word in
abundance and guided him throughout his life.
The Promised Messiahas passed away on May 26, 1908.
After his demise, the institution of Khilafat was established
in the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at [Community] in
accordance with the prophecies. By the grace of God the
Community is now headed by his fifth successor—Hadrat
Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaba.
Tadhkirah is a collection of the revelations, visions and
dreams of the Promised Messiahas. The first edition was
compiled by a committee, headed by Hadrat Mirza Bashir
Ahmadra, appointed by Hadrat Khalifatul Masih IIra and
was published in 1935. The second edition was prepared
under the leadership of Hadrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din
Shamsra and was published in 1956. The third edition was
prepared by Maulana Abdul Latif Bahawalpuri and was
published in 1969. The fourth edition was prepared under
the leadership of Syed Abdul Hayee and was published in
2004.
The first English translation of Tadhkirah was prepared
by Hadrat Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrullah Khanra and was
published by the London Mosque in 1976. The second
English edition is now being published by the Additional
Vakalat-e-Tasnif. This translation is revised by the English
Translation Section (based in USA) of Additional Vakalat-
e-Tasnif. It is prepared under the guidance of Hadrat
 TADHKIRAH

Khalifatul Masih Vaba, who gave his time liberally for this
project. My humble self had the good fortune of sitting in
Hudur’s blessed audience and working closely on this
project.

Special Characteristics of this Edition:

Some of the special characteristics of this edition are as
follows:
• The direct verbal revelations are given in the
original words;
• Wherever the Promised Messiahas has himself
translated and/or explained a revelation in Urdu,
our English translation/explanation is based on it
and is given in the text, because the
understanding bestowed upon the recipient of the
revelation is its best explanation.
• Revelations not translated by the Promised
Messiahas are, in general, translated in the
footnotes. Where exceptions were deemed
necessary the translation by the publishers have
been italicized and given in brackets [].
• Translation of revelations containing the words of
the Holy Qur’an—if they have not been translated
by the Promised Messiahas himself—has been
done in consultation with the translation of the
Holy Qur’an by Hadrat Khalifatul Masih IVrht or
by Hadrat Maulavi Sher Alira.
• Notes that are not a part of the original citations
have been given in footnotes. Publishers’ notes
from various editions of Tadhkirah have also
been translated and improved where possible with
the permission of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih Vaba.

XIV
 FOREWORD TO THE SECOND ENGLISH EDITION

The responsibility for such footnotes rests with

the publishers. We have tried to identify the
writers of the footnotes as far as possible.
All entries in Tadhkirah that are based on personal
narrations are subject to the process of verification. In this
English translation, we have followed the Fourth Edition of
original Tadhkirah. Any changes that were considered
necessary during the process of verification were made
with the approval of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih Vaba. It may
also be noted that Khutbah Ilhamiyyah is a revealed
sermon. It was published by the Promised Messiahas
himself in a book form, and is not included in Tadhkirah.
This English edition is revised by Additional Vakalat-e-
Tasnif in the English Translation section (based in USA)
headed by Munawar Ahmed Saeed.
The following members of my team had the honour of
helping us in preparing this revised English edition:

Team Leaders: Abdul Wahab Mirza, Fouzan Pal, and

Usman Nasir Choudhary

Document preparation and review: Khurram Matin

Khan, Tariq Amjad, Naeem Mahmood Tahir, Luqman
Mehmood, Syed Saadat Ahmed, Haris Raja, Muhammad
Dawood Khokhar, Asaf Mirza, and Saddaf Ahmad.

OCR for Scanning the Original book: Junayd Latif,

Ishmail Hashim and some others.

Editors: Rashida Rana, and Maryam Saeed Shams

Layout design and graphics: Salman Muhammad Sajid

XV
 TADHKIRAH

May Allah reward all of them and their families for their
sacrifices and bless them abundantly in this world and the
hereafter.
I also appreciate the assistance of many helpers from
Rabwah, Pakistan for research [when and if needed] headed
by Syed Abdul Hayee, Nazir Isha’at and the Arabic Desk in
London for their support in translating some Arabic texts. I
am also thankful to Mubashar Ahmad and Anwer
Mahmood Khan for making selective reviews of the final
manuscript, at a very short notice, for the use of the legal
and medical terms respectively. There are several others,
including Rizwan Khan, Ayyaz Mahmood Khan and Alia
Sajid, who provided us valuable help to finalize this
edition.
May Allah the Almighty abundantly reward all those
who assisted us in any way for the preparation of this
edition. (Amin)

London Munir-ud-Din Shams

June 2009 Additional Vakilut-Tasnif

XVI
 Publishers’ Note
Terminology
Please note that we have used the following terminology in
citing the original references: Ishtihar has been translated as
‘Announment’, Damimah1 as ‘Appendix’, and Maktub as
‘Letter of.’

Citation of References from the Holy Qur’an

According to our system of counting Qura’nic verses, the
verse Bismillah- irrahman- irrahim (In the name of Allah,
the Most Gracious, Ever Merciful) is counted as the first
verse of the surah that it precedes.

Salutations
The name of Muhammadsa, the Holy Prophet of Islam, has
been followed by the symbol sa, which is an abbreviation
for the salutation
‫  ا ہ و‬Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam
(may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The
names of other prophets and messengers are followed by
the symbol as, an abbreviation for ‫‘ ہ ام‬Alaihissalam
(on whom be peace). The actual salutations have not
generally been set out in full, but they should nevertheless,
be understood as being repeated in full in each case. The
symbol ra is used with the name of the companions of the
Holy Prophetsa and those of the Promised Messiahas. It
stands for
‫ﮩ‬/‫ﮩ‬/‫ ر ا ہ‬Radi Allahu

An exception is Damimah Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 5, which is a

1

book in itself and its title has been given in its original words.
 TADHKIRAH

‘anhu/‘anha/‘anhum (May Allah be pleased with

him/her/them). The abbreviation rht stands for ٰ
 ‫ر
ہ ا‬
Rahimahullahu Ta‘ala (may Allah grant him peace) and aba
stands for ٰ
 ‫ اﮦ ا‬Ayyadahullahu Ta‘ala binasrihil ‘Aziz
(May Allah the Almighty help him with his powerful
support).

Transliteration
In transliterating Arabic words we have followed the
following system adopted by the Royal Asiatic Society.
‫ا‬ at the beginning of a word, pronounced as a, i, u
preceded by a very slight aspiration, like h in the
English word ‘honour’.
‫ث‬ th, pronounced like th in the English word ‘thing’.
‫ح‬ h, a guttural aspirate, stronger than h.
‫خ‬ kh, pronounced like the Scotch ch in ‘loch’.
‫ذ‬ dh, pronounced like the English th in ‘that’.
‫ص‬ s, strongly articulated s.
‫ض‬ d, similar to the English th in ‘this’.
‫ط‬ t, strongly articulated palatal t.
‫ظ‬ z, strongly articulated z.
‫ع‬ ‘, a strong guttural, the pronunciation of which
must be learnt by the ear.
‫غ‬ gh, a sound approached very nearly in the r
‘grasseye’ in French, and in the German r. It
requires the muscles of the throat to be in the
‘gargling’ position whilst pronouncing it.

XVIII
 PUBLISHERS’ NOTE

‫ق‬ q, a deep guttural k sound.

‫ئ‬

ِ َ
’, a sort of catch in the voice.

‘wood’); the long vowels by a for —ٰ— or
(like a in

ُ
Short vowels are represented by a for —— (like u in

ِ
‘bud’); i for —— (like i in ‘bid’); u for —— (like oo in

ٰ
َ
‘father’); i for
—— or —— (like ee in ‘deep’); ai for

ُ
َ
—— (like i in ‘site’)♦; u for ‫( —— و‬like oo in ‘root’); au
for ‫( —— و‬resembling ou in ‘sound’).
Please note that in transliterated words the letter ‘e’ is
to be pronounced as in ‘prey’ which rhymes with ‘day’;
however the pronunciation is flat without the element of
English diphthong. If in Urdu and Persian words 'e' is
lengthened a bit more it is transliterated as 'ei' to be
pronounced as 'ei' in 'feign' without the element of
diphthong thus '‫ 'ﮯ‬is transliterated as 'Kei'. For the nasal
sound of 'n' we have used the symbol 'ń'. Thus Urdu word
'‫ 'ﮟ‬would be transliterated as 'mein'.*
The consonants not included in the above list have the
same phonetic value as in the principal languages of
Europe.

London Munir-ud-Din Shams

June 2009 Additional Vakilut-Tasnif

In Arabic words like  (Shaikh) there is an element of diphthong

♦

which is missing when the word is pronounced in Urdu.

*
These transliterations are not included in the system of transliteration
by Royal Asiatic Society.

XIX
 2

Tadhkirah
The divine revelations,
dreams and visions vouchsafed to
the Promised Messiah, on whom be peace and blessings.

2
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. [Publishers]
3
All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds. May blessings and
peace be upon His Messenger, Muhammad, and all of his progeny and
Companions. [Publishers]
 Early Years – 1881

Student Life
(A) In my early youth I saw [in a dream] that I was in a
magnificent building, which was very clean and neat where
people were talking about the Holy Prophet, may peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him. I enquired from the people
where the Holy Prophetsa was and they pointed to a room in
which I entered along with other persons. When I presented
myself to Holy Prophetsa, he was much pleased, and
returned my greeting with a better greeting. I can still recall
and can never forget his charm and beauty and the kind and
affectionate look that he directed towards me. He won my
heart with his love and the beauty and glory of his
countenance. He asked me: ‘O Ahmad, what are you
holding in your right hand?’ When I looked towards my
right hand, I found that I had a book in my hand and I felt
that I had written it myself. I answered him: ‘O
Messengersa of Allah, this is something I have written.’ He
enquired: ‘What is the name of your book?’ I was surprised
and looked at the book a second time and felt that it
resembled a book in my library, which was called Qutbi, so
I answered him: ‘O Messengersa of Allah, this book is
called Qutbi.’ He said: ‘Show me your book Qutbi.’ When
the Holy Prophetsa took it, it turned into a delicate and
attractive fruit as soon as his blessed hand touched it. When
the Holy Prophetsa cut it as fruit is cut, pure honey began to
flow out of it like pouring water. I perceived the wetness of
honey on the right arm of the Holy Prophet, may peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him, from his fingers to his
 TADHKIRAH

elbow, which were dripping with honey. I also felt that the
Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him, was showing me all this in order to make me wonder.
Then it was conveyed to my heart that there was the dead
body of a person lying outside the door who had been
destined by Allah the Almighty to be brought to life by that
fruit and that the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him, was to bestow life upon him. When this
thought passed through my mind I saw that the dead person
had suddenly come to life and had come up to me running
and stood behind me, but that he was in a weak condition
as if he was hungry. Then the Holy Prophet, may peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him, looked at me smiling and
cut the fruit into several pieces and ate one of them himself
and gave all the rest to me, while they were dripping with
honey and said to me: ‘O Ahmad, give one of the pieces to
this person so that he might draw strength from it.’ I gave
him a piece and, like a greedy person, he started eating it
immediately.
I then saw that the chair in which the Holy Prophet, may
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was sitting
began to rise till it reached up to the ceiling and I noticed
that the face of the Holy Prophetsa began to shine as if
reflecting rays of the sun and moon. I was watching his
blessed countenance and my tears were flowing because of
delight and ecstasy. Then I woke up and I was still weeping
profusely.
Allah the Almighty then put it in my mind that the dead
person in my dream was Islam and that Allah the Almighty
would revive it at my hands through the spiritual power of
the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him.

4
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

You do not know that this time may well be near; so wait
eagerly for it. In this dream the Holy Prophet, may peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him, nurtured me with his
blessed hands, through his holy words and his light and the
gift of fruit [from his blessed garden]4.
[A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, pp. 548–549, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, pp. 548–549]
(B) My humble self saw Hadrat Khatamul-Anbiya’, may
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in a dream in
1864 or 18655 in my early youth, when I was still pursuing
my studies. In my dream I had in my hand a religious book
which I felt was of my own authorship. Upon seeing the
book, the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him, enquired from me in Arabic: ‘How have you
named this book?’ I submitted: ‘I have named it Qutbi.’
The interpretation of this name has now come to my mind
on the publication of this well-publicised book [Barahin-e-
Ahmadiyyah]—that it is a book, which in its reasoning and
arguments is firm and unshakeable like the polar star.
Presenting the firmness of the contents of this book, I have
issued a challenge and announced the award of a prize of
10,000 rupees [for anyone who might be able to refute it].

4
This dream is also narrated in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah,
[See section (B) below] though that narration does not give the details
of the first and the last part. [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]
5
The time quoted here seems to be a rough estimate. This dream
belongs to the early youth of the Promised Messiahas when he was
pursuing his studies, after which he stayed in Sialkot for some time.
Tiryaqul-Qulub, page 57 [which is quoted below under year 1862],
shows that the death of Raja Teja Singh, which occurred in 1862 as
shown in Tadhkira-e-Ru’asa’-e-Punjab, happened when the Promised
Messiahas was in Sialkot. Thus, the dream was seen much earlier than
1864. Allah knows best. [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]

5
 TADHKIRAH

In short, the Holy Prophetsa took that book from me. The
moment the blessed hands of the Holy Prophetsa touched it,
it became an attractive and lovely fruit resembling a guava,
but as large as a watermelon. When the Holy Prophetsa
started cutting it into pieces to distribute it, it yielded so
much honey that his blessed hand and forearm began to
drip with it.
Then a dead body that was lying outside the door came to
life as a miracle of the Holy Prophetsa and came and stood
behind me. My humble self was standing before the Holy
Prophetsa as a supplicant stands before a ruler. The Holy
Prophetsa was occupying his chair in great glory and
majesty, and with display of authority, as if he was a great
champion.
To summarise, the Holy Prophetsa handed over to me a
piece of the fruit so that I might give it to the newly revived
person and he bestowed upon me all the remaining pieces. I
gave that one piece to the revived person, which he ate
immediately. When he finished eating it, I noticed that the
blessed chair of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him, had risen much higher and the
countenance of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him, began to shine forth like the rays of
the sun, which was an indication of the revival and progress
of Islam. While watching this display of light I woke up.
[Allah be praised for all this.]
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 3, pp. 248–249 sub-footnote 1,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 274–276 sub-footnote 1]

Period of Youth
In early youth, when one’s natural bent is towards play and
sport, I saw in my dream that I entered a house in which
there were several people who were my servants and

6
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

attendants. I said to them: ‘Set up my house and clean up

my bed, because my time has come.’ Then I woke up in
fear of my life, as the impression on my mind was that I
was about to die.6
[A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, p. 548, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, p. 548]

About 1861
I remember that about thirty-four or so years ago, I saw in
my dream that the ugly and dark figure of Satan was
standing somewhere. First, he turned to me and I slapped
him on the face and said: ‘Avaunt Satan, you have no part
in me.’ Then he turned to someone else and took him
along. I knew that person. Then I woke up.
On the same day, or shortly thereafter, the person whom
I had seen in my dream that Satan had taken away, had an
attack of epilepsy and became one of its victims. This led
me to conclude that the interpretation of the companionship
of Satan was epilepsy.
[Mi‘yarul-Madhahib, p. 25 footnote, attached to Nurul-Qur’an,
printed in April 1896, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 9, p. 483 footnote]

1862
On one occasion, having been apprised in my dream that
Raja Teja Singh, who had been awarded several villages in

6
From the words: ‘my time has come,’ the Promised Messiahas
understood that he was about to die. However, as subsequent events
showed, it meant that the time of his being commissioned as reformer
was imminent. This interpretation is also supported by another of his
revelations:

[Persian] Tread joyfully that your time has arrived.

Allah knows best. [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]

7
 TADHKIRAH

the Batala Tahsil in lieu of his jagir7 in the Sialkot district,

had died, I related this to Lalah Bhim Sein who was a
lawyer in Sialkot, and he was much surprised. On the same
day at about 2 p.m. Mr. Prinsep, Commissioner Amritsar,
arrived in Sialkot without prior notice and immediately
directed Mr. McNabb, the Deputy Commissioner of
Sialkot, to draw up an inventory of the gardens and other
property of Raja Teja Singh in the Sialkot District as the
Raja had died the previous day in Batala. On learning this,
Lalah Bhim Sein wondered greatly how it was that I had
received intimation of the Raja’s death before the news had
arrived in Sialkot. This Sign was mentioned in my book
Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, more than twenty years ago. See
page 256.8
[Tiryaqul-Qulub, p. 57, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 15, pp. 256–257]

About 1865
Thirty years ago, I was given knowledge of his9
circumstances in very clear visions…. In a state of vision,
in those days I met him or had other experiences
resembling a meeting. Since a long time has passed, the
vision experienced originally has escaped my memory.
[Satt Bachan, first edition, 1875, p. 29 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 10, p. 141 footnote]

About 1865
As Allah the Almighty knew that my opponents would
wish for my early demise so that they might be able to

7
Land or villages awarded by government for services rendered.
[Publishers]
8
The reference appears on page 284 in the London Edition of Ruhani
Khaza’in, volume 1, part 3. [Publishers]
9
Bava Nanak, may Allah’s Mercy be upon him. [Publishers]

8
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

proclaim that I had died early because I was false in my

claims, He revealed to me aforetime:

That is [Arabic] Your age will be eighty

years—a few years less or some years more;
and you will live long enough to witness your
distant progeny.
Thirty-five years or so have passed since this revelation
was vouchsafed.
[Arba‘in, no. 3, first edition, pp. 29–30, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 17, pp. 418–419 and
Appendix Tohfah Golarhviyyah, p. 19, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 17, p. 66]

1868
Concerning a pending case instituted by my father against
one of his tenants relating to some tenancy rights in
dispute, it was revealed to me in a dream that the suit
would be decreed. I communicated this dream to an Arya10
who still lives in Qadian.
Then it so happened that on the last date of the hearing
only the defendant appeared with his witnesses and no one
appeared on behalf of my father. The defendant and his
witnesses, upon their return to the town in the evening,
spread the news that the suit had been dismissed.
Learning this, the said Arya mocked me and scoffed at
me. It is difficult for me to put into words the pain and
torment that I suffered at that time, for it was hard to
imagine that all these people, which included some who
were impartial, should have invented a false tale. In this
condition of grief and sorrow the following revelation came

10
Lalah Sharampat (Tiryaqul-Qulub, page 37, Ruhani Khaza’in,
volume 15, page 206). [Publishers]

9
 TADHKIRAH

to me in great majesty and was entrenched into my heart

like an iron nail:

[Urdu] The suit has been decreed; are you a

Muslim!
It meant: ‘Don’t you believe and, despite being a Muslim,
entertain even the slightest amount of doubt!’
On further investigation it transpired that the suit had in
fact been decreed and that the opposite party had
misunderstood the verdict when they heard it.11
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, first edition, pp. 551–552 sub-footnote 4,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 658–659 sub-footnote 4]

1868
When he12 appeared in the law examination from the
district [Sialkot], I told him based on a dream that: ‘It has
been decreed that all candidates who have appeared in the
law or attorneyship examination from that district would
fail, but you alone will succeed in the law examination.’ I
also communicated this to about thirty other people.

The name of the Revenue Officer who was trying the suit was Hafiz
11

Hidayat ‘Ali. He dismissed the suit on the statement of the defendant

that according to a decision of the Commissioner he was entitled to cut
down the tree in dispute. When he announced the dismissal of the suit
the defendant and his witnesses went out of the court room. They
returned to the village and announced that the suit has been dismissed.
Thereafter, the Reader of the Court, who left the court room for a little
while, returned and pointed out to the Revenue Officer that the order of
the Commissioner which the defendant had relied upon had been set
aside by the Financial Commissioner. The Reader put up the file to the
Revenue Officer. Thereupon, Hidayat ‘Ali made a complete turnabout,
tore up his first order, and decreed the suit.
[Nuzulul-Masih, pp. 143–144, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, pp. 521–522]
12
Lalah Bhim Sein, Lawyer, Sialkot [Publishers]

10
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

So it came to pass that with the exception of Lalah Bhim

Sein all candidates who sat for the law or attorneyship
examinations were declared unsuccessful…. This Sign is
mentioned in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah published twenty
years earlier. See page 256.13
[Tiryaqul-Qulub, p. 57, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 15, p. 256]

About 1868
Once I saw in a dream that my brother Ghulam Qadir was
seriously ill. This dream was communicated to several
people. Accordingly, my brother became seriously ill
thereafter.
Thereupon, I began to pray for him. I saw another dream
that he was being called by an elder deceased member of
the family. The usual interpretation of such a dream is
death. His illness became more serious and he was reduced
to a skeleton. This caused me great anxiety and I turned to
Allah the Almighty, praying for his recovery…. I started
praying and a few days later I saw in my dream that my
brother was walking about in the house in full health
without any support. He was accordingly restored to health
by Allah the Almighty and lived for fifteen years
thereafter14.
[Nuzulul-Masih, p. 217, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 595]

About 1868
A person of the name of Sehaj Ram was a Reader in the
Court of the Commissioner at Amritsar. Prior to that, he

13
The reference appears on page 284 in the London Edition of Ruhani
Khaza’in, volume 1. [Publishers]
14
Mirza Ghulam Qadir died in 1883 (Tadhkira-e-Ru’asa-e-Punjab)
[Publishers]

11
 TADHKIRAH

had been Reader to the Deputy Commissioner at Sialkot

and in those days he was often engaged in religious
discussions with me. He was by nature hostile towards
Islam. It so happened that my elder brother, who had
appeared in the competitive examination for the post of
tahsildar15 and had been successful, was staying in Qadian
at his home awaiting his assignment to a post. One day, at
the time of ‘Asr, I was occupied with reading the Holy
Qur’an in the upper chambers of the house. At the end of
one page, as I was about to turn over to the next, I suddenly
experienced a state of vision. I saw Sehaj Ram dressed in
black and standing before me in the attitude of great
humility and supplication as if trying to persuade me to
intercede for him that he might be shown mercy. I said to
him: ‘There is no time left for mercy;’ and simultaneously I
was made to understand by Allah the Almighty that Sehaj
Ram had expired at that moment. But no information had
yet been conveyed about it. Thereafter, I descended from
my room and found that my brother was sitting in the
company of six or seven people and that their conversation
related to the matter of my brother’s assignment to a post. I
said: ‘Should Pandit Sehaj Ram die, his post would also be
suitable.’ Those present laughed at me for having suddenly
announced the death of a person who was hale and hearty.
On the second or third day, the news arrived that Sehaj
Ram had died suddenly at that very hour.
[Haqiqatul-Wahi, p. 296, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, p. 309]

1868 or 1869
(A) A wonderful revelation was vouchsafed to me in Urdu
in 1868 or 1869….It happened in this way: Maulavi Abu

15
A sub-collector of revenues. [Publishers]

12
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

Sa‘id Muhammad Husain of Batala, who had at one time

been my fellow student, came back to Batala after
completing his divinity studies. The people of Batala
looked askance at him on account of some of his notions
and ideas. One person was very insistent that I should
debate a point in dispute with Maulavi Muhammad Husain.
Yielding to his insistence, I accompanied this man in the
evening to the home of Maulavi Muhammad Husain and
found him in the company of his father in the Mosque.
To summarise, upon hearing the explanation of Maulavi
Muhammad Husain, I concluded that there was nothing
objectionable in his statement; and consequently, for the
sake and pleasure of Allah, I declined to enter into a debate
with him. The same night the revelation came to me from
Allah the Noble, with reference to my declining to enter
into the debate:

[Urdu] Your God is well pleased with what you

have done. He will bless you greatly, so much so
that Kings will seek blessings from your
garments.
Thereafter in a vision, I was shown those kings; they were
riding upon horses.
Since my attitude of humility and lowliness was adopted
purely for the sake of God and His Messengersa, Allah, the
Perfect Benevolent, did not desire to leave it unrewarded.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 520–521 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 621–622 sub-footnote 3]
(B) Allah, the Lord of Glory, has also given me the glad
tidings that some of the nobility and some of the kings will
also join our group. He vouchsafed to me the revelation:

13
 TADHKIRAH

[Urdu] I shall grant you blessing upon blessing,

so much so that kings16 will seek blessings from
your garments.
17
[Barakatud-Du‘a’, p. 30, first edition, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 6, p. 35]
(C) Those who seek blessings in this manner will enter into
the bai‘at [pledge of allegiance]. Because of their entering
into the bai‘at, their governments will also practically
belong to this Community.
Then I was shown those kings in a vision. They were
riding upon horses and were not less than six or seven.
[al-Hakam, vol. 6, no. 38, October 24, 1902, p. 10, col. 2, no. 2–3]
(D) I saw in a blessed dream a group of sincere believers
and just and righteous kings, some of whom belonged to
this country [India], some to Arabia, some to Iran, some to
Syria, some to Turkey, and some to other regions of which
I am not aware. Thereafter, I was told by Allah the
Almighty:

18

16
In a state of vision I was shown those kings, who were riding upon
horses, and I was told: These are the ones who will carry the yoke of
your obedience on their necks and God will bless them.
[Tajalliyyat-e-Ilahiyyah, first edition, p. 21 footnote,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 20, p. 409 footnote]
17
See also Tajalliyyat-e-Ilahiyyah, page 21, first edition, Ruhani
Khaza’in, volume 20, page 409 And Qadian kei Arya aur Hamm,
page 3, Ruhani Khaza’in, volume 20, page 420.
18
[Arabic] These people will affirm your righteousness and will
believe in you and will call down blessings upon you and will pray
for you. I shall bestow great blessings upon you, so much so that

14
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

This is the dream that I saw and this is the revelation that
was vouchsafed to me by God the All-Knowing.
[Lujjatun-Nur, pp. 3–4, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 16, pp. 339–340]

1870
(A) About twelve years ago a near relation [Lalah
Bishambar Das] of a Hindu Arya Samajist of Qadian
[Lalah Sharampat], who is alive and who denied the
miracles and the prophecies of Hadrat Khatamur-Rusul,
may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him…, was sent
to prison because of some allegation against him. Another
Hindu [Khush Hal Chand] was also sent to prison along
with him. Their case was taken up to the Chief Court on
appeal. In that period of uncertainty and anxiety the Arya
gentleman said to me: ‘It would be a true prophecy if
someone can tell us the result of our appeal.’… This
created an intense desire in my mind that he should be
confounded in connection with this very matter and I
supplicated: ‘O Lord of Majesty, this man denies the
honour and greatness of Your Noble Prophetsa and denies
the Signs and prophecies that You have shown and
promulgated through Your Messengersa, and the revelation
of the result of this case can confound him. You have
power over everything. You do ordain all according to
Your will and pleasure, and there is nothing hidden and
beyond Your comprehensive knowledge.’
Thereupon God—Who upholds His true faith, Islam, and
desires the honour and greatness of His Messengersa—
revealed the whole matter to me in a dream at night. He
disclosed to me that the divine will was that the case would
be remitted by the Chief Court back to the lower court and

kings will seek blessings from your garments and I will join them
amongst your sincere followers. [Publishers]

15
 TADHKIRAH

in that court the sentence [of Bishambar Das] would be

reduced by one half but he would not be acquitted; and that
his companion would serve out the whole of his sentence
and he would also not be acquitted.
I thanked my Noble Lord when I woke up that He had
safeguarded me against being embarrassed before an
opponent of Islam and I related this dream to a large number
of people and also informed that Hindu [Lalah Sharampat]
of it.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 3, pp. 250–251 sub-footnote 1,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 277–279 sub-footnote 1]
(B) Bishambar Das had been imprisoned for a year and his
brother Sharampat, an active Arya, had requested that I
pray for him and had also enquired what the result of the
case would be. I made my supplication and saw in a vision
that I had gone to the office where the record of the case
was kept and, opening the file, I had crossed out the words
‘one year’ and had written in their place the words ‘six
months’.
Then it was conveyed to me in a divine revelation that
the case would be remitted by the Chief Court to the lower
court and [that the sentence of Bishambar Das] would be
reduced from one year to six months, but that he would not
be acquitted. I communicated the entire vision very clearly
to Sharampat, the Arya, who is still alive.
When everything happened as I had foretold, he wrote to
me: ‘You are a righteous servant of God and that is why He
has revealed these hidden matters to you.’
[Siraj-e-Munir, first edition, p. 35, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 12, p. 37]

About 1870
(A) In this truthful dream of mine, which was like a clear
vision, it was conveyed to me that one Bishambar Das, a

16
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

khatri19 Hindu, who is alive and present in Qadian, will not

be acquitted, but that his sentence will be reduced by one
half. It was also revealed to me that his fellow prisoner
named Khush Hal, who is also alive and present in Qadian,
will serve out the whole of his sentence. A trial was
encountered about this aspect of the vision. It so happened
that when the Chief Court remitted the case to the lower
court, the relatives of the two accused persons considered
this remittal as an acquittal and announced the news in the
town that both of them had been acquitted of the crime. I
recall that this news spread in town during the evening. I
was ready to offer the ‘Isha’ Prayer while I was in the
Mosque, when one of my fellow worshippers stated that
this news had been spread in town and that the accused
persons had returned to town. As I had publicly announced
that they would certainly not be acquitted, I became a prey
to indescribable grief and sorrow. Then God, Who always
lends support to this humble servant of His, comforted me
at the beginning or during the course of the prayers with
this revelation:
20

Accordingly, the next morning it became clear that the

news about the acquittal was totally false and that the result
was exactly as I had foretold and of which Sharampat, the
Arya, and several others people had been apprised in
advance.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 550–551 sub-footnote 4,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 657–658 sub-footnote 4]

19
Belonging to the military caste. [Publishers]
20
[Arabic] Fear not, surely you will be on top. [Publishers]

17
 TADHKIRAH

(B) After an appeal had been preferred in the Chief Court

in the case of Bishambar Das, ‘Ali Muhammad, a mullah of
Qadian, who is still alive and is opposed to my Movement,
came to me in our larger Mosque21 at the time of ‘Isha’
Prayers and told me that the appeal was accepted and
Bishambar Das had been acquitted. He added that there was
great rejoicing over it in the bazaar. On this I became a
prey to such grief and sorrow as Allah alone knows. In that
condition of grief, my senses were completely numb.22 The
prayers began while I was in this condition. While I was in
prostration during the prayers, the revelation was
vouchsafed to me:

That is [Arabic] Grieve not, indeed you are on

top.
I informed Sharampat of this and eventually it was known
that Bishambar Das had not been acquitted though his
appeal was accepted.
[Qadian kei Arya aur Hamm, pp. 28–29, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 20, p. 436]

About 1871
More than thirty years ago, I fell seriously ill with fever.
The fever was so high that I felt as if burning brands had
been placed on my body. While I was in this condition, I
received the revelation:
23

[al-Hakam, vol. 6, no. 28, August 10, 1902, p. 11, column 2]

21
Aqsa Mosque [Publishers]
22
The literal translation is: I could not tell whether I was alive or dead.
[Publishers]
23
[Arabic] The person who benefits people continues to exist in the
earth for a long time. [Publishers]

18
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

About 1872
The Promised Messiah[as] said, about thirty years ago, in a
dream I saw great flashes of lightning at the place where
the school now stands.
The interpretation of seeing flashes of lightning in a
dream is that the spot would be populated.
[al-Badr, vol. 1, no. 8, December 19, 1902, p. 58, column 3]

About 1872
About ten years ago, I saw Hadrat Masih [Messiah], may
peace be upon him, in a dream. The Masihas and I ate
together from the same dish. During the meal we were very
intimate and affectionate with each other like two brothers
or two companions and friends of long standing.
Afterwards, in the same place where I am now writing, the
Masihas, I, and a perfectly righteous descendant of the Holy
Prophetsa happily stayed together in the courtyard for some
time. The descendant of the Holy Prophetsa held a piece of
paper in his hand in which the names of some eminent
personalities from among the followers of the Holy
Prophetsa were entered and it also included words of praise
which had been bestowed upon them by Allah the
Almighty. He started reading this paper which seemingly
indicated that he wanted to inform the Masihas of the ranks,
which are decreed by Allah, for the chosen ones from
among the Muslims. All praise entered in that paper was on
behalf of God the Almighty. When the reading of the paper
was approaching its end and only a small portion of it was
left, the name of this humble one was mentioned and the
following appreciation was entered in it in the Arabic
language as proceeding from God the Almighty:

19
 TADHKIRAH

That is [Arabic] He is to Me like My Unity and

My Uniqueness. Therefore, he will soon be
made well-known among people.
The last portion:

[Arabic] Therefore, he will soon be made well-

known among people
was also conveyed to me by verbal revelation.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 3, pp. 252–253 sub-footnote 1,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 280–281 sub-footnote 1]

About 1872
(A) On one occasion I saw Bava Nanak in a dream in
which he declared himself a Muslim24. I also saw a Hindu
drinking from his fountain and I said to the Hindu: The
water of this fountain is not clear, drink from our
fountain. This was thirty years ago and I related my dream
to several Hindus and I was certain that confirmation of this
would become available in due course. Accordingly, after
some years, this dream was fulfilled very clearly. Three
hundred years after the death of Bava Nanak, we found
access to his robe which proves clearly that he was a
Muslim. This robe, which is a kind of outer covering, is
preserved with great reverence as a relic at Dera Baba

24
The declaration by Bava Nanak in my dream that he was a Muslim
meant that sometime his being a Muslim will become public. It is for
this purpose that I wrote my book ‘Satt Bachan’. My saying to the
Hindu: ‘The water of this fountain is not clear, drink from our
fountain’; meant that a time will come when the truth of Islam will
become manifest to the Hindus and the Sikhs and the fountain of Bava,
which the Sikhs have foolishly rendered muddy, will be cleared up
through me.
[Nuzulul-Masih, pp. 205, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 583]

20
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

Nanak [District Gurdaspur] in the custody of his

descendants.
[Nuzulul-Masih, pp. 203–204, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, pp. 581–582]
(B) It should be remembered that I have seen Bava Nanak
in my visions twice and that he confessed that he had
obtained illumination from the same light [of Islam]. I
consider uttering of nonsense and falsehood like devouring
carrion; I affirm only that which I have seen. That is why I
hold Bava Nanak in honour for I know that he drank from
the same fountain from which we drink; and God knows
that I talk out of the knowledge that He has bestowed upon
me.
[Announcement of April 18, 1897, Majmu‘a Ishtiharat, vol. 2, pp. 396–397]

About 1872
About twenty-five years before the case brought against me
by Martyn Clark I had seen in a dream that I was present in
a court before a magistrate and the time of the prayers had
approached. I requested permission from the magistrate to
go and join the prayers and he cheerfully gave me
permission.
Accordingly, in the middle of the hearing of that case,
when I requested Captain Douglas to permit me to join the
prayers, he gladly gave me permission.
[Nuzulul-Masih, p. 210, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 588]

About 1872
Once I saw in a dream that I was sitting on a black rug in a
house in Batala and that my dress was also similar to the
rug as if I had withdrawn from the world. Then a tall man
came in and asked me: ‘Where is Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
son of Mirza Ghulam Murtada?’ I answered: ‘I am the
one.’ He said to me: ‘I have heard great praise of you that

21
 TADHKIRAH

you are well acquainted with spiritual matters, verities and

points of wisdom, and that is why I have come to see you.’
I do not recall what answer I gave to him but he then raised
his face to the sky while his eyes were running and tears
were coursing down his cheeks and he was repeating in a
sad tone:
25

From this I understood that one does not attain to high

spiritual status until one submits himself to a kind of
slaughter and death.
(When the Promised Messiahas mentioned this, [Abu Sa‘id]
Arab recited a verse of the Promised Messiahas which
26
includes this phrase: ).
[al-Badr, vol. 2, no. 3, February 6, 1903, p. 19, column 3 and
al-Hakam, vol. 7, no. 3]

About 1873
In the time of Mirza [Ghulam Murtada] (my father) I had
appeared in the court of the Commissioner in Amritsar in
connection with a case with our tenants. On the day before
he delivered judgment he showed great sympathy with the
tenants and, overlooking all their mischief, he said during
the court proceedings: ‘These are poor people, and you
treat them harshly.’ That night I saw in my dream that the
Commissioner was standing near me as a small child and I
was patting his head affectionately.

25
[Persian] Those who have discarded all comfort and luxury.
[Publishers]
26
[Persian] My Beloved likes those who discard the life of comfort
and luxury. [Publishers]

22
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

When we appeared in his court the next morning his

attitude was so different as if he was not the same man. He
admonished the tenants severely and decided the case in
our favour making them responsible for our costs.
[al-Hakam, vol. 5, no. 22, June 17, 1901, p. 3]

About 1874
In a dream I saw an angel seated on an elevated platform in
the guise of a boy. In his hand he was holding a pure loaf of
bread, which was very bright.27 He gave it to me and said:

[Urdu] This is for you and for the dervishes

who are with you.
I saw this dream at a time when I was not at all known nor
had I put forth any claim nor was there any group of
dervishes with me. But now I have a large Jama‘at of
people who have voluntarily chosen to put their faith above
the world and have thus reduced themselves to the position
of dervishes. Having migrated from their homes and having
separated themselves from their relatives and friends, they
have taken up permanent abode near me.
I had interpreted the loaf of bread as meaning that God
Himself will provide for me and for my followers and that
we will not be rendered anxious on account of lack of
provision.
This has been the case over a long number of years.
[Nuzulul-Masih, pp. 206–207,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 8, pp. 584–585]

27
And was very big, equal to about four normal loafs.
[Haqiqatul-Wahi, p. 277, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, p. 290]

23
 TADHKIRAH

About 1874
In a dream, I was shown a long ditch running for miles, on
the edge of which thousands of sheep were laid out with
their heads hanging over the edge of the ditch, so that when
they were slaughtered their blood would flow into the ditch.
The rest of their bodies were outside the ditch. The ditch
ran east to west and the sheep had been laid on the edge of
the ditch from the south. Each sheep was attended by a
butcher and every butcher had a knife in his hand, which
was placed at the neck of the sheep. The butchers were
looking towards the sky as if awaiting the divine command.
I found myself walking in the plain to the north and felt that
the butchers were angels who were ready to slaughter the
sheep as soon as they received the command from above. I
approached them and recited the following verse of the
Holy Qur’an:

That is [Arabic] Say to them: What would my

Lord care for you, were you not to worship
Him and were you not to abide by His
commandments.
The moment I said this, the angels understood that they had
been granted permission, as if the words of my mouth were
a divine command28. Thereupon the angels ran their knives
through the necks of the sheep and the sheep began to
flutter in a painful manner. The angels severed all the

28
The Promised Messiahas says: It seems that since a vicegerent of God
is appointed from heaven, my reciting of the verse was understood by
the angels as a divine command, that is to say, the command that they
were waiting for was uttered through my mouth.
[al-Badr, vol. 1, no. 12, January 16, 1903 p. 90]

24
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

arteries of the necks of the sheep saying: What are you:

nothing but refuse-eating sheep.
I interpreted this dream to mean that there would be a
severe epidemic and many will die of it on account of their
misdeeds. I related this dream to a large number of people
of whom many are still alive and can affirm it on oath.
The events transpired accordingly. A cholera epidemic
broke out in the Punjab and other parts of India. In
Amritsar and Lahore especially, the epidemic was so severe
that hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives. The
loss of life was so widespread that corpses were carried on
carts and it became difficult for the Muslims to arrange for
funeral prayers.
[Tiryaqul-Qulub, p. 60, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 15, p. 263–264]

About 1875
The nature of some people has a spiritual affinity with
others. In this way my soul has a natural affinity with the
soul of Sayyed ‘Abdul-Qadir Jilani and I have been made
aware of it through clear spiritual visions.29 About thirty
years ago, God informed me one night that He had
chosen me for His own. By a strange coincidence an old
woman who was about eighty years of age saw a dream the
same night and related it to me the next morning. She said
that she had seen Sayyed ‘Abdul-Qadir Jilani, may Allah be
pleased with him, in her dream. He was accompanied by
another eminent personage and both were wearing green
dresses. The time was late at night. The second person was
somewhat younger than him. First they offered prayer in

29
The details of these visions have not been narrated here by the
Promised Messiahas. He only makes a reference to them. [Publishers]

25
 TADHKIRAH

our Jami‘ Mosque and then they emerged into the courtyard
of the mosque. The woman stood near them. At that
moment, a bright star appeared in the East. Sayyed ‘Abdul-
Qadir was very happy at its appearance and greeted it with:
assalamo ‘alaikum [may peace be on you]. His companion
also said: assalamo ‘alaikum. That star was myself. [As has
been said]: [A believer sees visions
himself and visions about him are vouchsafed to others.]
[Damimah Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 5, p. 65 footnote,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 21, p. 224 footnote]

About 1875
At this point I recall a very clear vision which was as
follows:30 After Maghrib prayer, while I was fully awake, I
was overtaken by a slight numbing of my faculties…and
had a wonderful experience. First there was a sound of
some people walking fast…and then five very dignified,
holy, and handsome personages came into my vision. They
were the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him, Hadrat ‘Ali, Hasan, Husain and Fatimah al-
Zahra’, may Allah be pleased with all of them. One of
them, and I think it was Hadrat Fatimah, may Allah be
pleased with her, out of great affection and kindness like a
loving mother, placed this humble one’s head upon her
thigh.

30
According to Kitabul-Bariyyah, First Edition, page 166, footnote,
Ruhani Khaza’in, volume 13, page 198 footnote, this vision belongs to
the time somewhat before the demise of the revered father (may Allah
shower His mercy upon him) of the Promised Messiah (may peace be
upon him). [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]

26
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

Then I was given a book concerning which I was told: ‘It

is a commentary on the Holy Qur’an, which has been
compiled by ‘Ali and now ‘Ali bestows it upon you.’
[Allah be praised for all this].
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, p. 503 sub-footnote 3, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1,
31
pp. 598-599 sub-footnote, See also Tohfa-e-Golarhviyyah, p. 31 sub-footnote 3]

31
Publishers’ Note: Some details of this vision mentioned elsewhere
by the Promised Messiahas are given below:
(A) I saw that ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, showed
me a book and said: ‘This is a commentary on the Qur’an
which I have compiled and which God has commanded I
should give to you.’ I stretched forth my hand and took the
book. The Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him, was looking at me and heard what ‘Alira had
said but did not himself speak as if he was saddened on
account of some of my sorrows. When I saw him in my
vision his countenance was the same as I had seen
previously. The whole building was lit up with his light.
Holy is Allah Who is the Creator of light and of illumined
personages.
[A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, p. 550, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, p. 550]
(B) He [Hadrat ‘Alira] gave me the commentary of the Book
of Allah, the All-Knowing, and said: ‘This is my
commentary and now you are most deserving of it;
felicitations on that which has been bestowed upon you.’ So
I stretched forth my hand and took the book and thanked
Allah, the Bestower, the Most Powerful. I found him [Hadrat
‘Alira] of good presence, possessing good qualities,
courteous, humble, and having a bright shining face. I affirm
on oath that he met me with great affection and kindness. It
was conveyed to me that he knew me and was aware that my
doctrine and my stand were opposed to those of the Shi‘as,
but he did not seem to resent it. Indeed, he met me like a
sincere friend and showed great affection for me. He was
accompanied by Hasanra and Husainra and by the Best of
Messengers Hadrat Khatamun-Nabiyyinsa and by a
handsome young woman—righteous and of high status;
good natured and dignified—whose face was lit up with
spiritual light. I found her filled with sorrow, which she was
trying to suppress. It was conveyed to me that she was the

27
 TADHKIRAH

About 1876
During the lifetime of my father, when his death was
approaching, I saw in a dream an old holy personage with a
blessed countenance, who conveyed to me that it was
customary in the family of the Holy Prophetsa to fast for a
period by way of preparation for the reception of heavenly
light. I took this as an indication that I should follow this
tradition.
I, therefore, deemed it proper to adhere to fasting over a
lengthy period….The wonders that I experienced as a result
of such fasting include a variety of subtle visions that were
manifested to me. I met some of the past Prophets and
some of the highly placed saints among the Muslims….
Moreover, I was vouchsafed visions of spiritual light in the
shape of bright columns of green and red so beautiful and
enchanting that their description cannot be conveyed in
words. These columns extended up to heaven. Some of
them were bright white, some green and some red. Their
sight filled my heart with great joy. There is no delight in

Lady Fatimah al-Zahra’. I was lying down. She approached

me and sat down next to me and placed my head upon her
thigh and was most kind to me. I noticed that she was
sorrowful and anxious on account of my troubles, as mothers
are anxious on account of the tribulations of their children. It
was then conveyed to me that my relationship [with her] was
like that of a spiritual son and it passed through my mind
that her sorrow was an indication of the persecution that I
was to undergo at the hands of my people, countrymen and
enemies. Then Hasanra and Husainra approached me and
showed me fraternal affection and met me like kind well-
wishers.
This vision was one of those that I experienced while I
was awake and it happened many years ago.
[Sirrul-Khilafah, pp. 34–35, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 8, pp. 358–359]

28
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

life which could be compared with the delight that the heart
and soul experienced through beholding them.
I am given to understand that these columns were a
representation of the interaction of the love between God
and His servant. That is to say, it was a light that proceeded
upwards from the heart and there was a second light that
descended from above. The meeting of the two took the
shape of a column. These are spiritual experiences which
the world cannot understand because they are far above the
reach of the world’s eyes. But there are some in this world
who are made aware of these phenomena.
In short, the wonders that were vouchsafed to me on
account of this long period of fasting consist of these
various kinds of visions….But I would not advise all and
sundry to undertake such an exercise, nor did I do so of my
own accord…. It should be remembered that I adopted this
hard physical discipline for nine to ten months in
compliance with a divine command conveyed to me in a
clear vision and I endured the extremes of hunger and
thirst. Then I gave it up as a continuous discipline but had
recourse to it from time to time.
[Kitabul-Bariyyah, pp. 164–167 footnote,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 13, pp. 197–200 footnote]

1876
I once beheld angels in the guise of humans. I cannot recall
whether there were two or three of them. They were
conversing amongst themselves and said to me: ‘Why do
you endure so much hardship? It is apprehended that you

29
 TADHKIRAH

might make yourself ill.’ I thought that the reference was to

my continuous fasting over six months.32
[al-Badr, vol. 1, no. 12, January 16, 1903, p. 90 and
al-Hakam, vol. 7, no. 2, January 17, 1903, p. 5]

June 187633
When my revered father died I was informed in a dream
that the time of his death was near. I was in Lahore when I
saw the dream, so I hastened back to Qadian. I found him
ill with dysentery but I did not expect that he would die the
very next day, for his illness had taken a turn for the better
and he showed great steadfastness. The next day we were
all with him during mid-day. The day being very hot, he
very kindly suggested that I should rest a little. It was the
month of June and the temperature was very high. I retired
into an upper room and lay down while a servant gently
massaged my feet.
In this condition, which resembled a light slumber, I
received the revelation:

That is [Arabic] We call to witness the heaven

where all decrees originate and We call to
witness the event which will happen after the
setting of the sun.

32
The Promised Messiahas on one occasion narrated his experience of
devotion and six-month fasting… and said: I kept this matter secret
because disclosure of such matters sometimes involves a loss of
blessings.
[al-Badr, vol. 1, no. 12, January 16, 1903, p. 90]

See also Dhikr-e-Habib, by Hadrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra, page

33

224. [Publishers]

30
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

I was made to understand that this revelation was by way of

condolence on the part of Allah the Almighty, and that the
occurrence to which it related was that my father would die
after sunset.… My father died the same day after sunset34.
[Kitabul-Bariyyah, pp. 159–162 footnote,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 13, pp. 192–195 footnote]

June 1876
When I received the revelation from Allah the Glorious
concerning the death of my revered father, which I have
just mentioned, I was naturally troubled by the thought that
some sources of income which were available only during
my father’s lifetime would now cease and we might be
faced with adversity. Thereupon, I received the second
revelation:

That is [Arabic] Is not Allah sufficient for His

servant?
This revelation afforded me complete comfort and
satisfaction and it impressed itself upon my heart like a
steel nail. I call to witness Allah, the Lord of Honour and
Glory, in Whose hands is my life that He has demonstrated
the truth of this revelation of glad tiding in a manner that I
could not have conceived of. He has provided for me as no
father could have done for a child.
[Kitabul-Bariyyah, pp. 161–162 footnote,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 13, pp. 194–195 footnote]

1876
Sometimes, in a dream or a vision, spiritual matters assume
physical shape and are seen as human beings. I recall that

Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Murtada died on June 3, 1876. [Publishers]

34

31
 TADHKIRAH

when my revered father, may Allah grant him

forgiveness—who was a respected notable and was known
with honour in the neighbourhood—died, two or three days
after his death I saw in my dream a very beautiful woman
whose features are still in my memory. She said to me: ‘My
name is Rani35’. She conveyed it to me by gestures that she
was the honour and dignity of this household and that she
was about to depart, but would stay on for my sake.
36
[Izala-e-Auham, p. 213, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, pp. 205–206]
In a dream a woman personifies status, success and divine
support.
[Badr, vol. 2, no. 24, June 14, 1906, p. 2, column 3]

1876
In those very days, I saw a very handsome man and I said
to him: ‘You are wonderfully handsome.’ He conveyed to
me through a gesture: ‘I personify your good fortune.’
In response to my comment that ‘you are a wonderfully
handsome man’ he answered: ‘Yes, I am worthy of being
looked at.’
37
[Izala-e-Auham, pp. 213–214, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 206]

1877
Mirza A‘zam Beig, who was a retired Extra Assistant
Commissioner, instituted a suit against us to recover the
share from our property of some of our absentee co-sharers.
My brother Mirza Ghulam Qadir, believing firmly in the

35
Rani means ‘Queen’ in Urdu. [Publishers]
36
See also al-Hakam, volume 8, number 22, July 10, 1904, page 12.
[Publishers]
37
See also: al-Badr, volume 3, number 27, July 16, 1904, page 4; al-
Hakam, volume 8, number 22, July 10, 1904, page 12 [Publishers]

32
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

strength of our case, entered upon its defence. When I

supplicated with reference to this matter, I was vouchsafed
the revelation:
38

Thereupon, I collected all our relatives and told them very

clearly that they would not succeed in that suit and should
not proceed with its defence; but, relying upon the apparent
strength of their case, they paid no heed to my warning and
continued the defence. In the court of first instance, the
decision went in favour of my brother. But how could the
matter be concluded contrary to the revelation from Allah
the All-Knowing! Finally, in the Chief Court, my brother
lost the case. In this way the truth of the revelation became
manifest for everyone.
[Nuzulul-Masih, pp. 212–213, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 590–591]

1877

[Urdu] I shall accept all your prayers but not in

the matter of your collaterals.
[Haqiqatul-Wahi, p. 243, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, p. 254]
39
The same revelation was vouchsafed to me also in Urdu.
It is clear that God has honoured His humble servant

38
[Arabic] I shall accept all your supplications except in the matter
of your collaterals. [Publishers]
Publishers’ Note: In Anjam-e-Atham, page 181, Ruhani Khaza’in,
volume. 11, page 181, this revelation is recorded as following:

[Arabic] O Ahmad, I shall accept all your supplications

except in the matter of your collaterals.

33
 TADHKIRAH

greatly in the words of this revelation. Such words are used

only as proof of affection for particular persons. They are
not used for everyone.
[Haqiqatul-Wahi, p. 243 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, p. 254 footnote]

1877
Approximately fifteen or sixteen years ago, or perhaps a
little earlier, I dispatched an article in support of Islam
against the Aryas for printing in a press owned by a
Christian by the name of Rallia Ram, who was also a
lawyer and lived in Amritsar. He was also the owner and
editor of a newspaper. The article was sent in a postal packet
open on both sides and I also placed a letter in the packet
along with the article. This letter contained statements in
support of Islam and refutation of other faiths and requested
that the article might be printed in his paper. The Christian
[editor] was upset on account of religious differences. He
took advantage of the law that the placing of such a letter in
a postal packet was an offence punishable with a fine up to
500 rupees or with imprisonment up to six months40, of
which I was utterly unaware. He reported the matter to the
postal authorities and filed a case against me.
Before I received intimation of this case Allah the
Almighty showed me in a dream that Rallia Ram, the
lawyer, had sent a serpent to me so that I might be bitten by

39
By the same revelations, the Promised Messiahas means the Urdu
translation of which he himself has written in the
main text of Haqiqatul-Wahi, page 243 and has been quoted here.
[Mirza Bashir Ahmad]
40
Presently, such are not the laws of the postal service, but were the
laws at that time. See Act 4 of 1866, clauses 12, 56, and Government of
India Notification 2424, dated December 7, 1877, clause 43. [Abdul
Latif Bahawalpuri]

34
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

it but I fried the serpent as one fries a fish and sent it back
to him.
I realise that this was an indication that the decision in
that case might become a ruling helpful to lawyers in such
cases.
In short, I was summoned to Gurdaspur (the headquarters
of the district) to answer this charge. All the lawyers with
whom I consulted advised that the only way of deliverance
open to me was to plead that I had not put the letter in the
packet and that Rallia Ram himself might have put the
letter in the packet after having received both of them
separately. The lawyers assured me that in such case I
would be acquitted as there would be no evidence against
me except the statement of Rallia Ram. They also advised
that two or three false witnesses might be produced in
support of such statement. They felt that without recourse
to this device there was no hope of my deliverance and that
conviction was certain. I told them categorically that I
would not swerve an inch from the truth whatever the
consequence might be. I appeared in the court of an English
magistrate and a European superintendent of post offices
appeared as complainant on behalf of the government. The
magistrate proceeded to record my statement and asked me:
‘Did you put this letter in the packet and were the letter and
the packet dispatched by you?’ I answered without any
hesitation: ‘This is my letter and this is the packet that I
dispatched. I myself placed the letter in the packet when I
sent it, but I did not put the letter in the packet with any
dishonest intention to cause loss of revenue to the
government. I did not consider the letter as being distinct
and separate from the article enclosed in the packet, nor did
the letter contain any personal matter.’ Allah the Almighty
inclined the heart of the magistrate in my favour. The

35
 TADHKIRAH

superintendent of post offices created an uproar and made

long speeches in English, which I could not follow except
that each time the superintendent made a point, the
magistrate would reject it saying: ‘No, no.’ When the
superintendent concluded his submission and finished
venting his anger the magistrate wrote his order in a couple
of lines and said to me: ‘You may leave.’ I came out of the
court room deeply grateful to my Real Benevolent Who
had upheld me in opposition to a European officer. I realise
fully that God Almighty delivered me from that misfortune
on account of my adhering to the truth.
Before this case, I had seen a dream that a man had
stretched forth his hand to take away my cap, whereupon I
said: ‘What are you up to?’ On this he left the cap on my
head and said: ‘That is all right, that is all right.’
[A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, pp. 297–299, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, pp. 297–299]

About 1877
The Promised Messiahas received the following revelation
about thirty years ago, which he had mentioned often and
related again today:

[Arabic] [They returned, retracing their steps

and Paradise was bestowed upon him.]
[Urdu] Thereupon, the power above drew him
up. Judas Iscariot.
[Badr, vol. 4, no. 4, January 24, 1907, p. 3 and
al-Hakam, vol. 11, no. 3, January 24, 1907, p. 1 footnote]

36
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

About 1877
41

From this, I understand that the Arya religion would fail by

God’s decree and that they [Arya Samajists] will run away
from their religion, shall turn their backs upon it, and will
come to naught. This revelation came to me a long time
ago—a matter of nearly thirty years—and I communicated
it to a local Arya, namely, Lalah Sharampat.
[Tatimma Haqiqatul-Wahi, p. 167, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, p. 607]

About 1878
About twenty-five years ago, I saw a dream in Gurdaspur
that I was sitting on a char-pa’i [cot] and that Maulavi
‘Abdullah Ghaznavi (deceased) was sitting on my left on
the same cot. Meanwhile, it passed through my mind that I
should push Maulavi [‘Abdullah Ghaznavi] off the char-
pa’i. I began to move slowly towards him until he got off
the cot and sat down on the ground. Thereupon, three
angels appeared from heaven, one of whom bore the name:
Khaira’iti. They also sat down on the ground as Maulavi
‘Abdullah was sitting and I remained seated on the char-
pa’i. Then I said to all of them: ‘I will now pray and you
say Amin.’ Thereafter, I supplicated:
42

On this, the three angels and Maulavi ‘Abdullah all said:

‘Amin’. Thereafter, the three angels and Maulavi ‘Abdullah
flew up to the sky and I woke up.

41
[Arabic] The host shall soon be routed, and they will turn their
backs in flight. [Publishers]
42
[Arabic] Lord, remove all uncleanliness from me and purify me
completely. [Publishers]

37
 TADHKIRAH

As soon as I woke up I felt sure that Maulavi ‘Abdullah

would soon die43 and that a special grace had been decreed
for me in the heavens. Thereafter, I felt all the time that a
heavenly power was working inside me until I began to
receive revelation in continuous succession. In that one
night, Allah the Almighty perfected in me a change of the
kind which cannot be brought about by the hand of man or
by man’s volition.44
It seems to me that Maulavi ‘Abdullah Ghaznavi had
been drawn to the Punjab to bear witness to the light which
was to be vouchsafed to me and he bore such witness. His
testimony was affirmed by Hafiz Muhammad Yusuf and
his brother Muhammad Ya‘qub but later they were
overcome by the love of the world.
I declare on oath in the name of God—whose false oath
is the act of curse—that Maulavi ‘Abdullah made an
affirmation of my claim in my dream. I pray that if this
statement of mine, which I have made on oath, is false, then
Allah the Almighty might be pleased to bring about my
death in great torment within the lifetime of the progeny of
Maulavi ‘Abdullah and his followers and disciples; and if I
have told the truth, then God might be pleased to make me
prevail and to confound them, or to guide them aright.
Maulavi ‘Abdullah’s own words were: ‘You have been
given the sword of heavenly Signs and other reasoning.
When I was in the world I was hoping that God would
raise such a person in the world.’ This is the dream that I

43
Maulavi ‘Abdullah Ghaznavi passed away on Tuesday, Rabi‘ul
Awwal 15, February 15, 1881. See Isha‘atus-Sunnah, volume 4,
number 1. [Publishers]
44
This dream is also mentioned in Tiryaqul-Qulub, pages 94–95,
Ruhani Khaza’in, volume 15, pages 351–352. [Publishers]

38
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

saw. [Do You O Lord curse him

who lies and do You succour him who tells the truth.]
[Nuzulul-Masih, pp. 236–238, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, pp. 614–616]

About 1878
In those very days,45 the night before or the night after, I
saw in a vision a person who appeared to me to be an angel,
but I felt in my dream that his name was Sher ‘Ali. He
made me lie down and took out my eyeballs and cleaned
them and removed every smear and speck from them and
wiped away all matter that might be the cause of a disorder
or of short-sightedness. He converted a clear light, which
was already there but had been covered up by some opaque
matter, into the likeness of a bright star. Having done this,
that person disappeared and I reverted from that state of
vision to complete wakefulness.
[Tiryaqul-Qulub, p. 95, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 15, p. 352]

1878
On one occasion a student who knew English came to see
me and in his presence was vouchsafed to me the
revelation:
[English] This is My enemy.
I had perceived that this revelation related to him, but I
asked him its meaning. He turned out to be of the same ilk
and his mind was found to be a prey to many kinds of ills.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, p. 481 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 572–573 sub-footnote 3]

45
That is, at the same time when the dream mentioned immediately
above was seen. [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]

39
 TADHKIRAH

1879
About three years ago I prayed that people might be
inclined to help towards the publication of this book.46
Thereupon …I received a revelation… in emphatic terms:

[Urdu] Not just now.

…In accordance with this…the book did not draw much
attention from people for some time.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 3, p. 225 sub-footnote 1,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 249–250 sub-footnote 1]

1880
Once I fell seriously ill, so much so that on three separate
occasions my relatives, perceiving that my last moment had
arrived, recited surah Ya Sin to me as is customary among
Muslims. On the third occasion, while the surah was being
recited, I saw that some of my relatives—who have since
passed away—were sobbing out of control behind the
walls. I was suffering from a species of severe colic and
was purging blood every few minutes. I continued in this
condition for sixteen days. Another person who was
suffering from a similar disorder died on the eighth day,
though he had not suffered as severely as I was suffering.
When the sixteenth day arrived everybody despaired of my
life and surah Ya Sin was recited to me the third time. All
my relatives believed that I would be in my grave before
sunset. Then it so happened that as God had in the past
taught His Prophets prayers for deliverance from
misfortunes He also taught me through revelation a prayer
as follows:

46
Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah [Publishers]

40
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

47

Allah the Almighty revealed upon my heart to put my hand

in river water which should have some sand with it and to
recite this prayer and to wipe my chest and my back, hands,
and face with the water and that in this manner I would be
healed. Accordingly, river water with sand was sent for
hastily and I started doing as I had been directed. The
whole of my body had seemed to be on fire which was so
painful that I felt death would be preferable to that
condition and would be a deliverance from torment, but
when I started doing as I had been directed, I call God—in
Whose hand is my life—to witness that every time I recited
these blessed words and wiped my body with the river
water I felt the fire departing from my body and coolness
and comfort taking its place. The water in the vessel had
not yet been exhausted when I felt that my illness had
departed from me completely and after sixteen days, I slept
in health and comfort. Next morning, I received the
revelation:

That is [Arabic] If you are in doubt concerning

the Sign, which We have shown you through
this restoration of health, then cite a cure like
this one.
[Tiryaqul-Qulub, pp. 36–37,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 15, pp. 208–209]

47
[Arabic] Holy is Allah and worthy of all Praise; Holy is Allah,
the Great. Allah, bestow Your blessings on Muhammad and the
people of Muhammad. [Publishers]

41
 TADHKIRAH

About 1880
Twenty-five or twenty-six years ago I saw in a dream that
someone was writing my name. He wrote half of my name
in Arabic and half in English.
[al-Hakam, vol. 9, no. 32, September 10, 1905, p. 3]

About 1880
(A) Sardar Hayat Khan (Judge)48 was suspended in a case,
and my elder brother, Mirza Ghulam Qadir, asked me to
pray for him. I supplicated for him and I was shown that he
was sitting in the judicial chair and carrying on as judge. I
said: ‘But he has been suspended.’ Someone said to me:
‘He has not been suspended in the other world.’ Then I felt
that he would be restored. He was informed of this and was
restored shortly thereafter.
[al-Hakam, vol. 4, no. 32, September 10, 1902, p. 6]
(B) Sardar Muhammad Hayat Khan…remained under
suspension for a long time. Eighteen months or perhaps a
little longer passed in which he suffered all kinds of
misfortunes, difficulties and hardships during the period of
his suspension and it appeared that the government was
also against him. At that time, I was told in a dream that he
would be cleared and I said to him in my dream: ‘Fear not.
God has power over all things and He will deliver you.’
At that time, I related this dream to scores of Hindus,
Aryas, and Muslims. Everyone who heard it considered it
improbable and some even thought it was impossible. I

Sardar Muhammad Hayat Khan was a Judge who was charged with
48

several counts of wrongdoing. He was suspended and was being tried.

Mirza Ghulam Qadir asked the Promised Messiahas to pray for him.
When he supplicated for him he was given this glad tiding through a
vision. [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]

42
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

have been told that someone also communicated my dream

to Sardar Muhammad Hayat Khan, who was in Lahore.
[Allah be praised and thanked] that this glad
tiding came to pass as I had seen it.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 3, p. 252 sub-footnote 1,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 279–280 sub-footnote 1]

1880

That is [Arabic] I shall humiliate him who

designs to humiliate you.
This is a grand revelation and prophecy which has been
fulfilled in various ways and in respect of diverse nations.
Whoever attempted to bring my Movement into contempt
was himself humiliated and frustrated.
[Nuzulul-Masih, p. 189, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 567]

About 1880
On one occasion I saw in a vision forty-four or forty rupees
and the revelation came:

[Urdu] The son of Majhe Khan and Shams-ud-

Din Patwari49 of District Lahore are the
remitters.
Thereafter, I received a postcard which said that forty
rupees had been remitted by the son of Majhe Khan and
four or six rupees by Shams-ud-Din Patwari. Thereafter,
the money was received accordingly.
[Nuzulul-Masih, p. 202, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 580]

49
Village land-registrar [Publishers]

43
 TADHKIRAH

1881
An eminent personage...whose name was Maulavi
‘Abdullah Ghaznavi... I saw this eminent and righteous
person in my dream after his death50 that he was
standing fully armed in a military way with great
dignity and majesty51. I mentioned some of my
revelations to him and asked him to interpret one of my
dreams. I told him that I had seen in a dream that I was
holding a sword,52 the hilt of which was in my hand and

50
Maulavi ‘Abdullah Ghaznavi died on Tuesday, Rabi‘ul-Awwal 15,
1298 AH, February 15, 1881 CE. See Isha‘atus-Sunnah, volume 4,
number 1, 2. [Publishers]
51
In Nuzulul-Masih, the Promised Messiahas writes:
I saw that I was standing in the street of a large town and
with me was Maulavi ‘Abdullah Ghaznavi and both of us
entered a mosque where he had his companions in large
numbers and who were strong men, all armed and wearing
military uniforms. Maulavi ‘Abdullah also appeared as a
young man, very strong, in military uniform, and armed with
his sword hanging by his side. I felt that all these people
were awaiting some grand command and all of them, except
Maulavi ‘Abdullah, were angels equipped and ready for
some desperate venture.
[Nuzulul-Masih p. 238, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, pp. 616–617]

Note by Hadrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shamsra: In describing this

52

sword, the Promised Messiahas writes in A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam:

That sword that I had in my hand was very bright and sent
forth light in the form of dripping drops.
[A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, vol. 5, p. 576,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, p. 576]

In Nuzulul-Masih, he writes:
That sword sent forth shining rays like the rays of the sun. I
wielded it to the right and to the left, each time killing
thousands of people. On account of its extraordinary length
it reached the ends of the earth and worked like lightning
traversing thousands of miles in a second. I perceived that
the hand that wielded it was mine but the power came from

44
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

its point reached up to the sky. When I turned it to the

right thousands of my opponents were killed and when I
turned it to the left thousands of my enemies were
killed.
Hadrat ‘Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him,
was very pleased to hear this dream of mine. With his
face beaming with cheerfulness, happiness, and clear
conviction, he said: ‘The interpretation of your dream is
that God will employ you for high purposes. Wielding
the sword on the right and killing opponents means that
the task will be accomplished through spiritual light
and the manifestations of spiritual Signs; while wielding
it to the left and slaughtering thousands of enemies
means that Allah will employ you to confound them
with reason and argument and thus in both ways Allah
will establish the truth.’ He added: ‘When I was in the
world I was hoping that God will surely raise such a
person.’ Then he took me to a large building in which a
number of righteous and godly people were sitting, all
of them armed in military fashion and sitting upright as
if waiting for some command immediately expected for
the performance of some military task….
This blessed dream, which is really a type of vision,
points to the same Signs of the Messiah that I have
mentioned above. That the slaughter of swine and killing of
infidels by the Messiah has the same import: he will convey
the divine arguments convincingly and will frustrate them
through the sword of argument. [Allah knows
best.]
[Izala-e-Auham, pp. 83–92 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, pp. 143–147 footnote]

heaven. Each time I wielded it to the right or the left large

numbers of people were cut and fell down.
[Nuzulul-Masih, pp. 238–239, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, pp. 616–617]

45
 TADHKIRAH

About 1881
(A) In His revelation God has also called me the Baitullah
[House of Allah], which indicates that the more my
opponents strive to demolish this House, the more treasures
of divine knowledge and heavenly Signs will emerge from
it. Accordingly, my experience is that with every
persecution a new treasure is disclosed. One of the
revelations in this context is:
53

[Arba‘in, no. 4, p. 15 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 17, pp. 444–445 footnote]
(B) A revelation that came to me about twenty-five years
ago was:
54

[al-Hakam, vol. 10, no. 37, October 24, 1906, p. 1]

About 1881
About eighteen years ago, I informed some people from
among Hindus and Muslims that: ‘God has addressed me
and has said:

That is [Arabic] We give you good tidings that

We will grant you a handsome son.’

53
[Persian] Someone kissed my foot and I told him: ‘I am the
Black Stone.’ [Publishers]
54
[Persian] A person kissed my foot and I told him: ‘I am the
Black Stone.’ [Publishers]
Publishers’ Note: The Promised Messiahas says in al-Istifta’, page 41:
Interpreters of dreams have said that the interpretations of
the Black Stone in a dream are: the man of learning, the
jurist and the wise.

46
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

I communicated this revelation to one Hafiz Nur Ahmad of

Amritsar, who is alive and is one of my opponents in
respect of my claim of being the Promised Messiah. I also
communicated it to Sheikh Hamid ‘Ali who used to stay
with me and to two Hindus of Qadian, Sharampat and
Malawamal, who used to visit me. Everyone wondered at
this revelation since my wife had passed the age of child-
bearing twenty years earlier, and I did not have another
wife. But Hafiz Nur Ahmad said: ‘No wonder if God,
through His power, should bestow a son.’ About three
years thereafter, I married into a noble family of Delhi and
God bestowed upon me that son and three others.
[Tiryaqul-Qulub, p. 34, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 15, pp. 200–201]

About 1881
Revelation [Arabic]

[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, p. 558 sub-footnote 4,

Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 666 sub-footnote 4]

Translation: [Arabic] Be grateful to Me that

you have found My Khadijah.
This was the good news, several years in advance, of my
marriage into a noble family of Sayyeds of Delhi.… [In the
revelation] my wife was named Khadijah as she is the
mother to a blessed progeny, and a blessed progeny has
also been promised to me. It was also an indication that she
would be of a Sayyed family.
[Nuzulul-Masih, pp. 146–147,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, pp. 524–525]

47
 TADHKIRAH

About 1881
One prophecy, dating about eighteen years back, is the
following:

Translation: [Arabic] God, Who has bestowed

upon you a marital arrangement with a noble
family who are Sayyed, is the True God. Also,
He has made your own descent from a noble
family55 which is compounded mix of Persians
and Sayyeds.
[Tiryaqul-Qulub, p. 64, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 15, pp. 272–273]

About 1881
On one occasion, I received the following revelation in the
mosque about the time of ‘Asr:

[Urdu] I have determined to arrange another

wedding for you. I will make all the
arrangements Myself and you will not be put to
any trouble.
This was accompanied by a Persian couplet:

55
In this revelation the family of my wife and my family are both
described together as having been provided by God and both have been
treated as praiseworthy to about the same extent. This is a clear
indication that as my in-laws are descendants of Hadrat Fatimah, in the
same way there is a mix of descent from Hadrat Fatimah in my
genealogy through some of my grandmothers. The precedence given to
my wife’s family in the revelation over my family is to stress the fact
that she is a direct descendant of Hadrat Fatimah and I have partly
inherited her blood.
[Tohfah Golarhviyyah, p. 19, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 17, p. 117]

48
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

56

Some revelations indicated that the family into which I

would marry would be high and noble. One revelation said
that ‘God has provided you with a noble descent and has
arranged your marriage in a noble family.’ All this was
communicated to Lalah Sharampat long before the event.
He well knows that, without any effort on my part, God
arranged this relationship in a high and noble family… of
Sayyeds and made provision for all connected matters and
expense in such a manner that I did not undergo any trouble
in that regard. To this day, He continues to fulfil this
promise.
[Shahna-e-Haqq, pp. 43–44, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, pp. 57–58]

About 1881
The details of this prophecy were supplied in other
revelations, so much so that even the name of the town
Delhi was mentioned and this was communicated to several
people…and all came about as had been foretold. Without

56
[Persian] I shall make all arrangements for your new wedding
and shall provide all that you might need. [Publishers]
Publishers’ Note: In Haqiqatul-Wahi, the Promised Messiahas writes:
I prayed to Allah the Almighty that I cannot bear the
expenses of this marriage. Thereupon, I received the
revelation:

That is [Persian] I shall provide whatever you need

for the marriage, and I shall grant you whatever
you need from time to time.
And this is how it happened.
[Haqiqatul-Wahi, pp. 235–236 Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, p. 247]

49
 TADHKIRAH

any previous relationship or connection, my marriage was

arranged in a well known noble Sayyed family of Delhi….
God had promised that through my progeny He will lay a
great foundation for the support of Islam and among them
He will cause to appear one who will be blessed with the
heavenly spirit. Therefore, He determined that I should
marry into such a family and should be granted progeny
from this marriage, which would spread the light of
guidance which has been planted at my hand far and wide
in the world. It is a curious coincidence that just as the
grandmother of the Sayyeds was named Shehr Bano, in the
same way my wife who will be the mother of my progeny
is named Nusrat Jahan Begum [Lady Help of the World].
This seems to be an indication that God has laid the
foundation of my progeny to help the whole world. It is the
way of God that prophecies are sometimes indicated
through names.
[Tiryaqul-Qulub, pp. 64–65, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 15, pp. 273–274]

About 1881
About eighteen years ago, I had an opportunity to visit
Maulavi Muhammad Husain Batalavi, Editor of Isha‘atus-
Sunnah at his house. He asked me whether I had received
any revelation lately and I mentioned to him the revelation,
which I had already mentioned several times to my friends:
57

I interpreted this to him and to all others to mean that: God

has intended to bring two women to me in marriage—the
first time a virgin and the second time a widow. The first
part of the revelation, relating to a virgin, has been fulfilled.

57
[Arabic] A virgin and a widow. [Publishers]

50
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

By Allah’s grace, I have four sons from that wife. I await

fulfilment of the part about the widow.58
[Tiryaqul-Qulub, p. 34, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 15, p. 201]

1881
(A) A Hindu Arya…had been suffering for sometime from
tuberculosis. Gradually, his disease worsened and he began
to despair for his life. He came to me one day and wept
bitterly in despair. I was deeply affected by his distress and
supplicated to God, the One, on his behalf. As God had
decreed his health, I received the following revelation as
soon as I prayed:

That is [Arabic] We commanded the fire of

fever to become cool and safe.
I immediately informed him and several other Hindus—
who are still present and residing in this town—of this
revelation. Trusting fully in God, I expressed the assurance
that he would be restored to health and would certainly not
die of that disease. Within a week thereafter, he recovered
fully from his life-threatening illness. [All
praise is due to Allah for this.]
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 3, pp. 227–228 sub-footnote 1,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 252 sub-footnote 1]
(B) Malawamal was afflicted with tuberculosis and when
his condition became dangerous I supplicated on his behalf
and received the revelation:

58
In my humble opinion both aspects of the revelation were fulfilled in
the person of Hadrat Amman Jan, who came as a virgin and remained
behind as a widow. Allah knows best. [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]

51
 TADHKIRAH

That is [Arabic] O fire of fever, cool down.

Then I saw in a dream that I had pulled him out of the
grave. He was informed both of the revelations and of the
dream before the events occurred.
[Shahna-e-Haqq, p. 43 Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, p. 381]

1881
When some time had passed after the first
revelation59…and I was confronted with several
complications on account of people’s lack of interest and I
was also facing exceeding difficulties, one day Allah the
Noble revealed to me at about the time of Maghrib:
60

59
Revelation of the year 1879: [Urdu] Not just now.
[Publishers]
60
This revelation was vouchsafed to Mary at the time of the birth of
her son ‘Isa [Jesus], may peace be upon him. She was feeling weak and
exhausted. In the same book Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, God the Almighty
named me Mary also and commanded me:

[Arabic] [Be of the righteous and the truthful.]

See page 242 of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah [Ruhani Khaza’in, volume 1,
page 267]. Therefore, the revelation granted to me indicates that
my spiritual condition of being Mary had now given spiritual birth to a
child who was named ‘Isa [Jesus]. So long as my spiritual condition of
being Jesus was in its elementary stages the spiritual qualities that I
possessed as Mary continued to nurture him and when he came into his
full powers he was informed:

[Arabic] [O ‘Isa I shall cause you to die and shall

raise you towards Me.]

52
 EARLY YEARS – 1881

That is [Arabic] Take hold of the branch of the

date-palm tree and shake it, it will shed fresh
ripe dates upon you.61
I understood therefrom that it was an indication that I
should make an effort to draw attention to the book and it is
promised that thereby the cost of the publication of that part
of the book would be provided….After this revelation I
made some effort in that way in accordance with the divine
command…and help came from whatever quarters God
willed for the portion that was being printed.
[Allah be praised for all this.]
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 3, pp. 225–226 sub-footnote 1,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 250–251 sub-footnote 1]

1881
One day in a light slumber the following words flowed
from my tongue at the morning time:

[Urdu] ‘Abdullah Khan, Dera Ismail Khan

Some Hindus who were with me at the time—and still live
here—were informed of this and it so happened that the

See page 556 of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah [Ruhani Khaza’in, volume 1,

page 664]. It was the same promise which was set out in surah al-
Tahrim [last verse of Chapter 66 of the Holy Qur’an]. In accordance
with this promise, it was incumbent that someone from among the
Muslims should be named Mary and through the spiritual process ‘Isa
[Jesus] should be born and should be called Son of Mary. I am that
person. Mary was commanded: and so was I, the only
difference being that Mary was then suffering from physical exhaustion
and I was suffering from lack of financial means.
[Nuzulul-Masih, p. 163, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 541]
61
This translation is from Nuzulul-Masih, page 161, Ruhani Khaza’in,
volume 18, page 539. [Publishers]

53
 TADHKIRAH

same afternoon one of them62 went by chance to the post

office and brought me a letter from one ‘Abdullah Khan,63
who had also sent me some money.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 3, pp. 226–227 sub-footnote 1,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 251–252 sub-footnote 1]

November 1881
On the first or second of Muharram, 1299 AH64 I saw in a
dream that someone had sent me fifty rupees towards the
cost of my book. An Arya65 also saw a dream that someone
had sent me a thousand rupees for the same purpose. He
related his dream to me and I immediately told him of my
dream and said to him: ‘Nineteen twentieth of your dream
is false; this is a consequence of your being a Hindu and
outside the pale of Islam.’ He might have taken it ill, but it
was the truth and this was confirmed on the fifth or sixth of
Muharram when the sum of fifty rupee, which had been
remitted by Sheikh Muhammad Baha’-ud-Din, Chief
Minister of Junagadh State, was received as assistance
towards the cost of the book in the presence of several
people one of whom was an Arya. [Allah be
praised for all this.]
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 3, pp. 255–256 sub-footnote 1,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 283–284 sub-footnote 1]

62
Bishandas Brahman [Publishers]
63
Extra Assistant Commissioner at Dera Ismail Khan [Publishers]
64
November 23–24, 1881 [Publishers]
65
Lalah Sharampat [Publishers]

54
 1882
1882
On one occasion I received a revelation which indicated
that there was a difference among the higher angels. The
indication was that the will of God was prepared to bring
about a renaissance of Islam, but the angels had not yet
been informed of the identity of the rejuvenator. Hence
that was being debated.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 502–503 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 598 sub-footnote 3]

1882
At the same time I saw in a dream that a search was being
made for one who should revive the faith. A person
appeared before me and pointing to me said:

That is [Arabic] This is the man who loves the

Messengersa of Allah.
His meaning was that the principal condition of this
assignment was the love of the Holy Prophetsa and that I
fulfilled that condition.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, p. 503 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 598 sub-footnote 3]

1882
I was occupied in writing something one night and then
went to sleep and [in my dream] I saw the Holy Prophet,
may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and his face
was bright like the full moon. He came close to me and I
felt as if he wished to embrace me. So he embraced me and
I saw that rays of light proceeded from his countenance and
 TADHKIRAH

entered into me. I felt these rays were like palpable light
and I believed that I was seeing them not only through my
spiritual sight but also with my physical eyes. Thereafter, I
did not perceive that he had separated himself from me nor
did I perceive that he had left me. Thereafter, the doors of
revelation were opened to me and God addressed me and
said:
66

[A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, p. 550, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, p. 550]

March 1882

66
[Arabic] Allah has placed blessing in you, O Ahmad.…
[Publishers]

56
 1882

57
 TADHKIRAH

Translation:67
[Arabic] Allah has placed blessing in you, O
Ahmad. Whatever you did let loose, it was not
you but it was Allah Who let it loose. Allah has
taught you the Qur’an so that you should warn
the people whose ancestors have not been
warned, and that the way of the guilty ones
might become manifest. Say: I have been
commissioned and I am the first of the
believers68. Say: The truth has come and

Note by Hadrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shamsra: The translation in the

67

text has been extracted from different books of the Promised Messiahas.
Wherever the translation is given from the Publishers, it is written in
italics and placed in brackets [...].
68
Publishers’ Note: In Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 3, page 239,
Ruhani Khaza’in, volume 1, page 265, the Promised Messiahas explains
about the revelation ‘I am the first of the believers’:
It means: I am the first to turn towards Allah under His
command in this age or the first to believe in this
commandment. Allah knows best.
(A) I recall that when I was first commissioned I received the
revelation which is entered on page 238 of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah.
Blessings on you O Ahmad… I am the first of believers.
[A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 15, p. 109 footnote]

58
 1882

falsehood has vanished away; and falsehood

was bound to vanish. Every blessing is from
Muhammad, may peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him; so highly blessed is he who taught
and he who has been taught. Say: If I have
invented it of myself, the sin thereof is on me.
Allah is the God Who has sent His Messenger
and His Appointed One with guidance and the
true faith so that He should make this faith
prevail over all diverse faiths.69 No one can

(B) Suddenly I had this experience through divine favour that in the
evening…having been overcome by a light slumber I received this
revelation.
[Nusratul-Haqq, p. 51, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 21, p. 66]
th th
(C) When the 13 century of the Hegira came to an end and the 14
century was about to begin, Allah the Almighty, informed me through
revelation that I was the Reformer of this century and I received the
revelation:

[Arabic] [The Most Gracious One has taught you the

Qur’an… I am the first of the believers.]
[Kitabul-Bariyyah, p. 168, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 13, p. 201]

(D) By virtue of this revelation Allah bestowed upon me Qur’anic

knowledge and called me the first of believers and filled me like an
ocean with divine philosophy and truth and has assured me repeatedly
through revelation that in this age no one’s knowledge or love of the
Divine comes up to my knowledge and my love.
[Daruratul-Imam, p. 31, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 13, p. 502]
69
The meaning of the revelation [making Islam prevail over all other
faiths] is that: God will help the wronged believers by illumining
their faith and perfecting its appeal by incontrovertible arguments
and shining reasoning and thus making it prevail over other faiths.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 3, p. 239, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 265]

Publishers’ Note: This divine revelation is explained in Arba‘in,

volume 2, pages 10–11 and 13, Ruhani Khaza’in, volume 17 pages
356–360. Details of how it was fulfilled are given in Tiryaqul-Qulub,
pages 47, 54, Ruhani Khaza’in, volume 15, pages 230, 248.

59
 TADHKIRAH

avert the words of Allah. They have been

wronged and Allah will help them. He is All-
Powerful and does as He pleases. We shall
suffice against those who mock you. People will
say: ‘Whence have you received this status;
whence have you received this status? What is
presented as revelation is only the word of a
man and has been made with the help of other
people; do you knowingly accept that which is a
delusion? How can that happen which he
promises you, especially the promise of one who
is lowly and mean [and cannot even express
himself properly]. He is ignorant or demented.’
Say: Put forward your reasons if you are
truthful, that is, come out for a competition.
This status has been granted as a mercy from
your Lord. He will perfect His bounty unto you
so that it should be a Sign for the people. You
have appeared with clear Sign from your Lord
so give glad tidings and by the grace of your
Lord you are not demented. Say: If you love
Allah, then follow me, so that Allah should love
you. We shall suffice against those who scoff at
you. [Proclaim]: Shall I inform you on whom
the satans descend? They descend upon every
lying sinner. Say: I have with me proof from
Allah, then will you believe or not? Say: I have
with me proof from Allah, then will you accept
it or not70? My Lord is with me, He will soon
open for me the way. Lord, show me how You
bring the dead to life. Lord, forgive and send
mercy from heaven. Lord, do not leave me
alone and You are the Best of Heirs. Lord,
reform the people of Muhammad. Our Lord,

70
This revelation which has been repeated twice… signifies that one
proof is the eclipse of the sun and the other the eclipse of the moon.
[Arba‘in, no 3, p. 27, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 17, pp. 415–416]

60
 1882

judge between us and our people with truth;

You are the Best of Judges. Say: Carry on, on
your side to plan for your success and I shall
also carry on and soon you will see whose
actions are blessed with acceptance. [Do not say
with regard to anything: I shall certainly do it
tomorrow.] They attempt to frighten you of
others than Allah. You are in Our sight [under
Our watchful care]. I have named you
Mutawakkil [the one trusting in God]. Allah
praises you from His Throne. We praise you
and call down blessings on you. People wish to
put out Allah’s light with the breath of their
mouths and Allah will not leave this light
without perfection even though the disbelievers
might resent it. We shall soon cause fear to
enter their hearts. When the help of Allah
comes and victory and the hosts turn to us, it
will be asked: Was not this true? [This is the
interpretation of my dream of before which my
Lord has caused to come true.] They will say:
‘This is only a delusion.’ Say: God has revealed
these words; and then leave them occupied with
their sport and play. Say: If I have invented it,
the sin thereof is on me; and who is more
unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah?
The Christian priests and the Muslims
possessing the characteristics of Jews will not
be pleased with you. They have fashioned sons
and daughters for God [without any
knowledge]. Say: God is He, Who is Single, and
is Self-Existing and Besought of all. He has no
son, nor is He anyone’s son, and there is none
like unto Him. These people will devise their
plans and Allah will devise His plan [and Allah

61
 TADHKIRAH

is the Best of Planners].71 There will soon be

mischief, then be steadfast as the prophets of
high resolve were steadfast. Beg Allah for the
manifestation of your truthfulness.72 We have
the power to show them before your death a
manifestation of Our divine decree that We
have promised, or cause you to die. Allah is not
such as to chastise those among whom you
dwell73. I am with you; so be with Me wherever
you might be. [Be with Allah wherever you are.
In whatever direction you turn there will be
countenance of Allah.] You are the best people
who have been raised for the benefit of
mankind and as a pride for the believers.
Despair not of the mercy of Allah. Hearken,
indeed the mercy of Allah is near. Hearken, the
help of Allah is near. The help will come to you
by every distant track. People will come to you
so that the track will become deep due to

71
Publishers’ Note: In Dafi‘ul-Bala’, Promised Messiahas says about
this:
The Christian people will make plans and Allah will also
make His plans and those will be days of tribulations and say
‘O God, grant me a space in a holy land.’
[Dafi‘ul-Bala’, p. 21, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 241]
72
‘Make my entry a righteous entry’ is the literal translation of the
Arabic words but since the Promised Messiahas has given the
explanatory translation, it has been translated accordingly in the text
because the recipient of the revelation can explain the exact meaning of
the revelations vouchsafed to him by Allah the Almighty. [Munawar
Ahmed Saeed]
73
The Promised Messiahas says about it:

[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 3, p. 241, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 267]

Which means that ‘Allah will not wipe them out with chastisement
while you are among them.’ [Publishers]

62
 1882

excessive travel. So many people will come to

you that the track on which they travel will
become deep. Allah will help you from Himself.
Such people will help you whom We shall
inspire from Ourself. No one can change the
words of Allah. We will bestow upon you a
manifest victory. The victory of the friend of
Allah is the true victory and We have bestowed
upon him such intimate nearness that he
becomes Our confidant. He is the bravest of
people. Had faith ascended to the Pleiades he
would have reached there and brought it down.
Allah will illumine his arguments. Mercy flows
from your lips, O Ahmad. You are in Our sight
[under Our watchful care]. Allah will exalt your
name and perfect His bounty upon you in this
world and the hereafter. [He found you seeking
His guidance and guided you.] We looked at you
and commanded the fire, which is the fire of
mischief from the people: Be cool and safe for
this Ibrahim [Abraham]. [Treasures of the
mercy of your Lord shall be granted to you. O
you the one wrapped up, stand up and warn
(people against the coming calamities) and
proclaim the greatness of your Lord.] Your
name will come to an end O Ahmad, but My
name will not come to an end.74 [Be in the world

74
The meaning of the revelation: [Your name will come to an end
but My name will not come to an end] is:
(A) You are mortal and your praise is limited, but Allah’s
praise is unlimited for it is without count and without end.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 3, p. 242,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 267]
(B) When he has illumined mankind with the light of his
Lord and has carried the propagation of the faith to a
sufficient limit his name is completed and his Lord calls him
and his soul is raised to its station in heaven.
[Khutbah Ilhamiyyah, p. 10, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 16, p. 41]

63
 TADHKIRAH

like a stranger or a traveller and be of the

righteous and the faithful and call to goodness
and forbid evil and call down blessings on
Muhammadsa and the people of Muhammadsa
Calling down blessings is the true training. I
shall raise you towards Me and bestow My
nearness upon you.] And I have conferred My
own love upon you. He is the God Who is truly
worthy of worship; there is none worthy of
worship except Him. [Then write and let it be
printed and published in the world.] Hold fast to
Unity, hold fast to Unity, O sons of Persia. Give
glad tidings to those who have believed that
they have the station of righteousness before
your Lord. Recite to them the revelation that
has been sent to you from your Lord.
Remember that a time is coming that people
will come to you in large numbers. It is
incumbent upon you not to be arrogant
towards them and you must not get tired of
receiving them in large numbers. There will be
people who will migrate from their homes to
dwell in your quarters. They are the Company
of the Lounge in the eyes of Allah. Do you
realise how magnificent in status the Company
of the Lounge75 will be. They will be very
strong of faith. You will see their eyes shedding

75
Allah the Almighty has blessed the Company of the Lounge
mentioned in the revelation with His approval. He who does not
abandon everything and come and dwell here, or at least does not
entertain that desire, makes me apprehensive lest he should be lacking
in the purifying relationships. This is a grand prophecy and proclaims
the greatness of those who were, in divine knowledge, destined to leave
their homes, countries and properties and to take up their residence in
Qadian to be near me.
[Tiryaqul-Qulub, p. 60, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 15, pp. 262–263]

64
 1882

tears; they will call down blessings on you.76

They will supplicate: Our Lord we have heard
a Caller, calling people to the faith [and a
Summoner to Allah] and a lamp refulgent. So
we have believed. Write down all these
prophecies for they will be fulfilled at their due
time.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 3, pp. 238–242 subfootnote 1,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 265–268 subfootnote 1]

1882
On page 242 of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah77 the revelation is
78
mentioned … …
This was followed by the revelation:

That is [Arabic] And enlarge your house.

This prophecy says clearly that the day is coming when the
number of visitors will multiply so much that it would be
difficult for me to meet everyone. I was admonished not to
express any annoyance or to feel tired of meeting the
people. Holy is Allah, how grand is this prophecy which

76
It is part of human nature that a believer on experiencing some
special divine manifestation calls down blessings. Thus the
revelation: They will call down blessings on you, indicates that
those who will be close to me all the time shall witness many Signs and
will be so affected by them that often their eyes will start running and,
in the height of emotion, they will call down blessings on me
involuntarily. This is happening and this prophecy is fulfilled over and
over again.
[Arba‘in, no. 2, p. 5 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 17, p. 350 footnote]
77
The reference appears on page 268 of the London Edition, Ruhani
Khaza’in Vol. 1, page 268. [Publishers]
78
[Arabic] Be not arrogant towards Allah’s creatures and be not
tired of receiving visitors. [Publishers]

65
 TADHKIRAH

was conveyed to me seventeen years ago when only two or

three people came to visit me, and that also infrequently.
What a wonderful proof this is of God’s knowledge of that
which is hidden.
[Siraj-e-Munir, pp. 63–64, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 12, p. 73]

1882 (or earlier)

On one occasion this humble one saw, in a state of vision,
surah al-Fatihah written on a piece of paper which was in
my hand and the writing was so beautiful and attractive as
if the paper on which it was written was loaded with soft
red rose petals beyond count. As I recited the verses of the
surah many of these rose petals flew upwards producing a
sweet musical sound. The flowers were very delicate, large,
beautiful, fresh, and full of fragrance. As they ascended,
my heart and mind were perfumed with their fragrance and
I felt so intoxicated that the delight that I experienced
turned my heart completely away from the world and all
that is in it.
This vision indicates that the rose has a special spiritual
affinity with surah al-Fatihah.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 3, p. 332 footnote 11,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 395 footnote 11]

1882
Some time ago I was in great need of money and the local
Aryas who used to come and visit me knew this well.
…Quite involuntarily the thought welled up in my mind
that I should supplicate God, the One, for resolving my
difficulty so that, through acceptance of my prayer, I
should not only overcome my difficulty but also furnish a
proof of divine support to my opponents—a Sign of which
they should become witnesses. So I supplicated the same

66
 1882

day and begged that, as a sign, I might be informed of the

coming of help. Thereupon, I received the revelation:

Then will you go to Amritsar.

[Urdu] After ten days I shall demonstrate my
[surging] Sign. [Arabic] [Hearken! The help of
Allah is near like a pregnant she-camel in
labour.] [English] Then will you go to Amritsar.
i.e., money would arrive after ten days and that God’s
succour is as close as the end of the labour of a she-camel
when she is about to give birth to her foal. Then He said in
English that: After ten days when the money will arrive
then will you go to Amritsar.
All this was fulfilled in the presence of the Aryas exactly
as had been foretold. Nothing at all was received during the
first ten days and then on the eleventh day 110 rupees were
received from Muhammad Afdal Khan, Superintendent,
Settlement, Rawalpindi, and twenty rupees were received
from another source and thereafter money began to arrive
unexpectedly. On the same day when the money was
received from Muhammad Afdal Khan and others I had to
go to Amritsar as I received summons from the Small
Causes Court, Amritsar, to appear as a witness.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 469–470 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 559–561 sub-footnote 3]

1882
Some time back … a gentleman named Nur Ahmad, who is
both a hafiz and a haji and perhaps also knows some Arabic
and preaches from the Holy Qur’an and lives in Amritsar,
came to Qadian in the course of his wanderings…. Since he

67
 TADHKIRAH

was staying with me, and had expressed to me in very

strong words the opinion79 about revelation which he
entertained, I felt much aggrieved by it. I tried in every
possible manner to convince him of his misconception but
my reasoning had no effect upon him. Then I turned to
Allah the Almighty and told Hafiz [Nur Ahmad] that I
would supplicate to Allah the Noble, and would not be
surprised if some prophecy might be made of which he
might himself see the fulfilment.
Accordingly, I made my supplication that night and
towards the morning I saw in my vision a letter which had
arrived by post on which there was a superscription in
English:
I am quarreller.
And another in Arabic:
80

And I also received these words by way of revelation as if

they had been addressed to me by the writer of the letter.
Then the vision ended.
Since I do not have any knowledge of the English
language, I informed Miyań Nur Ahmad of this vision and
revelation and enquired from someone who was
conversant with English what the meaning of the English
superscription was. He explained that it meant that the
writer was a disputant. From this brief sentence I
understood clearly that I was about to receive a letter
relating to some dispute. I conceived that the Arabic
superscription which was the next sentence

Hafiz Nur Ahmad believed that revelation was another name for a
79

person’s own imagination. [Publishers]

80
[Arabic] This is a shattering witness. [Publishers]

68
 1882

written by the scribe meant that the writer of the letter had
written it in connection with some evidence relating to a
dispute.
It so happened that Hafiz Nur Ahmad was not able to
leave for Amritsar that day on account of heavy rain. His
inability to leave because of a heavenly cause was in fact
an intimation of the acceptance of my prayer so that, as I
had supplicated, he himself might witness the fulfillment of
the prophecy. In short, the entire prophecy was narrated to
him.
In the afternoon, in his presence, I received a registered
letter from the Reverend Rajab ‘Ali, owner and manager of
the Safir Hind Press, Amritsar, reporting that he had
instituted a suit against his scribe, who is also the scribe of
this book, in the Small Causes Court and had given my
name as a witness. At the same time I received summons
from the court. The interpretation of the Arabic
superscription —which means that ‘this
witness is shattering’—then became patent inasmuch as the
proprietor of the Safir Hind Press was absolutely certain
that my testimony, which he was sure would be in accord
with the facts, would prove destructive for the defendant on
account of its weight, truth, and reliability. That is why the
proprietor of the Press had me summoned as a witness.
It so happened that the day on which this prophecy was
fulfilled was also the day on which the other prophecy
mentioned above was also fulfilled. Thus, Miyań Nur
Ahmad witnessed the fulfillment of that prophecy also. That
is to say, money was received on that day after the expiry of
the period of ten days and I was summoned and had to go to
Amritsar. [Allah be praised for all this.]
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 471–474 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 562–565 sub-footnote 3]

69
 TADHKIRAH

1882
One day I received a revelation at the time of Fajr:

[Urdu] Today some money will arrive from a

relative of Haji Arbab Muhammad Lashkar
Khan.
As usual, this prophecy was communicated to some Aryas
and it was agreed that one of them should go to the post
office at the time of the delivery of the mail. Accordingly,
one Arya named Malawamal went to the post office and
brought the news that a money order in the value of ten
rupees had arrived from Hoti Mardan. He also brought a
letter which stated that this money had been sent by Arbab
Sarwar Khan. As the word Arbab was a common courtesy
title [in both names], I pointed out to the Aryas that this
mutual connection was sufficient to establish the truth of
the prophecy. However, some of them objected that a
common courtesy title did not necessarily prove that they
were related, and persisted in their objection. I was
compelled to write a letter to make the requisite enquiry.
After several days, the response came from a friend Munshi
Ilahi Bakhsh who was an accountant at Hoti Mardan saying
that Arbab Sarwar Khan was the son of Arbab Muhammad
Lashkar Khan. This confounded all my opponents.
[Allah be praised for all this.]
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 474–475 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 565–566 sub-footnote 3]

70
 1882

December 30, 1882

(A) I was thinking of your81 town82 in connection with a
wonderful vision that I saw on Saturday, December 30,
1882 whereby God the Almighty disclosed to me the
sincere good wishes of a person of Ludhiana of whose
name I was not aware83. In the vision I was told his name
and address but it has escaped my memory. I can recall
only that he is a resident of Ludhiana and concerning him I
saw the writing:

81
Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali of Ludhiana [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]
82
Ludhiana [Publishers]
83
There was a gentleman in Ludhiana of the name of Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali,
who had entered into the covenant of bai‘at with me. He made such
good progress within a few years that his then condition was disclosed
to me in a revelation:

[Arabic] [Its roots are firm and its branches spread

into heaven.]
This meant that at that time he was a sincere believer and all the
indications supported this. He was constantly occupied with talking
about me and copied out in his own hand every letter that I wrote to
him and invited other people to have similar faith in me. If he
discovered a dry piece of bread as my leftover he would eat it as
something full of blessings. He was the first one from Ludhiana to
come to me in Qadian. At one time it was disclosed to me in a vision
that ‘Abbas ‘Ali would stumble and draw away from me. Even that
letter of mine he copied into his collection of my letters. Thereafter,
when he met me he expressed surprise over my vision saying: How can
that be, for I am ready to lay down my life for you? When the time
came that I put forward my claim of being the Promised Messiah he
took it ill and for some time did not disclose his uneasiness. Thereafter,
during the debate with Maulavi Muhammad Husain in Ludhiana
concerning my claim, he had the opportunity of associating with my
opponents and then the divine decree became manifest and he turned
against me openly.
[Haqiqatul-Wahi, p. 294, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, p. 307]

71
 TADHKIRAH

[Urdu] A sincere well wisher; [Arabic] His

intents are so strong and perfect that they are
neither shaking nor deficient.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 4, Letter no. 4, p. 5,
addressed to Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali]
(B) Towards the morning I saw in a vision that a paper was
presented to me which bore the words:

[Urdu] There is a well wisher in Ludhiana.

His name and address were also disclosed to me, but have
escaped my memory and his faith and sincerity were
further attested as following on the same paper:
84

I do not know who this person is but I conceive that Allah

might create that condition in your85 mind or in someone
else’s mind. [Allah knows best.]
[Letter dated January 18, 1883, addressed to Navvab ‘Ali Muhammad Khan
of Jhajjar, published in al-Fadl, vol. 2, no. 90, January 12, 1915, p. 8]

84
[Arabic] Whose root is firm and whose branches reach into
heaven. [Publishers]
85
The reference is to Navvab ‘Ali Muhammad Khan of Jhajjar. [Jalal-
ud-Din Shams]

72
 1883
1883
The perusal of your letters discloses several elements of
your sincerity and nobility. On one occasion something was
also disclosed to me in a vision. It may be that sometimes
in the future God Almighty might disclose something
further.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 6, Letter no. 5,
addressed to Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali, February 17, 1883]

1883
The day your86 letter reached me some parts of it with
slight variations were disclosed to me in a vision. More of
the same type might be in your heart. This is a relationship
established by God Almighty.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 6, Letter no. 6, dated March 3, 1883]

188387
During your88 meeting with me, in the course of our
conversation, I saw in a vision that your mind was not well
disposed89 towards me and that some of your thoughts

86
Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali of Ludhiana [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]
From the book Hayat-e-Ahmad, volume 2, number 2, page 66, it
87

appears that this vision belongs to early 1883. Allah knows best. [Jalal-
ud-Din Shams]
88
Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali of Ludhiana [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]
Note by Hadrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shamsra: As prophesied in this
89

vision, Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali later denied his belief in the claim of the
Promised Messiahas to be the Messiah and Mahdi, and died in that
condition. In addition to this letter, on September 22, 1883 the
 TADHKIRAH

about certain people were not acceptable in divine

estimation, whereupon I received the revelation:
90

… I did not deem it proper to disclose this to you at that

time but have tried hard that Allah the Noble may clear the
condition of your mind. I would not be surprised that you
might be affected again with similar constraints. When a
person enters a new dwelling it is natural that he is pleased
with some of its features and is not pleased with others. It
would therefore be appropriate that you should supplicate
that God might confirm your affection for me. You should
not let yourself be influenced by any new development so
that your affection for me might reach its climax. This
humble one occupies a position in the estimation of Allah
which is very far from worldly relationships and so far my
soul responds to every companion with
91
.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 15, Letter no. 9,
addressed to Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali of Ludhiana]

Promised Messiahas warned him about the coming trials. The words of
the letter are:
May Allah support you and safeguard you against
everything disagreeable. The establishing of a relationship
with me is subject to a degree of trial which you cannot
escape.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 65, Letter no. 34,
addressed to Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali]
90
[Arabic] Tell them: Put forward your arguments if you are
truthful. [Publishers]
91
You cannot keep company with me in patience. And how can
you be patient about things the knowledge of which you
comprehend not? (al-Kahf, 18:68–69) [Publishers]

74
 1883

1883
Pandit Shiv Narayan, a distinguished Brahmo Samaj
scholar, wrote to me from Lahore that he intended to write
a refutation of Part 3.92 The letter had not yet reached me
when God Almighty disclosed its purport to me in a vision.
I related this to several Hindus and, at the time of the
delivery of the mail, a Hindu Arya was sent to the post
office so that he might serve as a witness. He brought the
letter from the post office. I wrote to Pandit Shiv Narayan
in reply: ‘You desire to refute the possibility of revelation,
yet God Almighty informed me through revelation of your
letter and its content. If you doubt this you can come to
Qadian and verify it, for your Hindu brethren are its
witnesses. Your writing a refutation would cause you much
inconvenience. The method [that I have suggested] would
settle the matter very quickly.’
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, pp. 6–7, Letter no. 6, dated March 3, 1883]

April 1883
One morning in April 1883, I was informed in a state of
wakefulness that some money would arrive from
Jhelum….I had received no letter from Jhelum about the
dispatch of any money.…Within less than five days, I
received forty-five rupees by money order from Jhelum. On
checking this, it was confirmed that the money order had
been dispatched on the day on which God, the Knower of
the unseen, had informed me about it.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 475–476 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 567–568 sub-footnote 3]

92
The reference is to Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 3. [Mirza Bashir
Ahmad]

75
 TADHKIRAH

1883
On one occasion this humble one saw, in a dream, a tent set
up for a great ruler or king where people’s affairs were
being determined. I felt that I was holding the office of
Superintendent and was in charge of case records, many of
which were lying about. Another person was acting as
Assistant Superintendent under me. Suddenly an orderly
came running in and said that the case of the Muslims has
been called, be quick and produce the record.
This vision indicates that divine favour is directed
towards the reform and progress of the Muslims. I feel
certain that God Almighty will restore to the Muslims the
strong faith, sincerity and trust which they have forgotten
and will enrich many with His special blessings, for all
blessings, manifest and hidden, are in His hand.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, pp. 19–20, Letter no. 14]

1883
A few days ago God Almighty vouchsafed to me the
following revelation:

93

The verse:
94

93
[Arabic] Say: If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will then
love you. I shall cause you to die and shall raise you towards Me
and shall place those who follow you above those who reject you till
the Day of Judgment. People will say: ‘Whence have you obtained
this?’ Say: Allah is Wonderful. He chooses whom He wills from
among His servants. We revolve these days among people.
[Publishers]

76
 1883

has been revealed to me repeatedly—so many times that

God alone knows the count—and with such emphasis that
it has penetrated my heart like a steel nail. This indicates
that God Almighty will greatly bless all those friends who
follow my way and will grant them victory over those who
follow other ways and this superiority shall be maintained
till the Day of Judgment. No one will come after my
humble self who will be opposed to my way. God
Almighty will destroy any one who opposes my way and
his way will not endure. This is a promise by God, the
contrary of which will never happen.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 24, Letter no. 16, dated June 12, 1883]

June 12, 1883

Before the writing of this letter I received the revelation:

95

These revelations indicate that some evil-minded person96

94
[Arabic] I shall place those who follow you above those who
reject you till the Day of Judgment. [Publishers]
95
[Arabic] A wretched one has perpetrated a lie against you. A
swine has perpetrated a lie against you. Allah’s favour safeguards
you. I am with you, hearing and seeing. Is not Allah Sufficient for
His servant? So Allah cleared him of that which they alleged and
he has a high standing with Allah. [Publishers]
Note by Hadrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shamsra: The reference is to
96

the suit that Martyn Clark brought against the Promised Messiahas in
August 1897. The Promised Messiahas writes:
Through this prosecution, at the instance of Henry Martyn
Clark, in which I was charged with conspiracy to murder,
was fulfilled the prophecy which was mentioned in Barahin-
e-Ahmadiyyah twenty years before the prosecution was
launched. That revelation was:

77
 TADHKIRAH

will charge me falsely, or might have charged me falsely,

but that Allah’s favour is safeguarding me.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 23, Letter no. 16,
addressed to Mar ‘Abbas ‘Ali, dated June 12, 1883]

1883 or earlier
Several times this humble one has received the following
revelation in very clear words:

[Urdu] Vedas are filled with misguidance.

[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 28, Letter no. 19]

1883 or earlier
Some time ago I saw in a dream that I had received a letter
from Hyderabad written by Navvab Iqbal-ud-Daulah,
which contained an intimation of the dispatch of some
money…. A few days later the letter arrived from
Hyderabad and the said Navvab sent one hundred rupees.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, p. 477 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 568–569 sub-footnote 3]

i.e. [Arabic] Allah will clear him of that which they

alleged because he has a high standing with Allah.
This is a tremendous Sign that despite the fact that all these
people—Maulavi Muhammad Husain on behalf of the
Muslims, Lalah Ram Bhaj Dutt on behalf of the Hindus and
Dr. Henry Martyn Clark on behalf of the Christians—had
combined against me to humiliate me and, together with
their supporters, mounted an assault against me, as it
happened at the time of Jang-e-Ahzab [the Battle of the
Moat], Allah humiliated all of them and established my
innocence. …so that the revelation might be fulfilled:

[Arabic] [Allah cleared him of that which they

alleged.]
[Nuzulul-Masih, pp. 200–201, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, pp. 578–579]

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 1883

1883 or earlier
I recall that on one occasion I first received the revelation
in English:
I love you.
Then came the revelation:
[English] I am with you.
Then came the revelation:
[English] I shall help you.
Then came the revelation:
[English] I can what I will do.
Then, with such emphasis that my body trembled at it,
came the revelation:
[English] We can what We will do.
I felt at the time from the tone and pronunciation that an
Englishman was standing over me and was uttering these
phrases. Despite the awe-striking tone, my soul derived a
pleasure from these revelations, which was comforting and
satisfying even before the meanings had been ascertained.
Such revelations in English have often been repeated.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 480–481 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 571–572 sub-footnote 3]

1883 or earlier
On one occasion in the morning, I saw in my vision a few
printed pages, which had come through the post office, at
the end of which were the words:
[English] I am by ‘Isa.
After ascertaining the meaning of the phrase from someone
who knew English, I informed two Hindu Aryas of it and
told them that my understanding was that some Christian,
or someone who thought like a Christian, would send me

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printed matter criticising Islam. At the time of the mail

delivery an Arya was sent to the post office. He brought
some printed pages in which some unintelligent person had
raised some objections in the manner of Christians.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 481–482 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 573–574 sub-footnote 3]

1883 or earlier
On one occasion, when I was seeking guidance in
connection with a certain matter, I saw in a dream that I
was given a silver coin of almond colour which had two
lines embossed on it. The first line had this sentence in
English:
Yes, I am happy.
The second phrase, which was written below a line that had
been drawn, was the translation of the first phrase:

[Urdu] Yes, I am happy.

[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 482–483 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 574–575 sub-footnote 3]

1883 or earlier
On one occasion, when some grief and sorrow was in the
offing, I saw in a vision a paper on which the following
English phrase was written:
Life of pain.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, p. 483 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 575 sub-footnote 3]

1883 or earlier
On one occasion I received a revelation in English
concerning some opponents who had, out of pure rancour,
desecrated the Holy Qur’an and, out of irremediable

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 1883

enmity, had made some irrelevant and stupid criticisms

against the mighty and strong faith of Islam. The two
sentences revealed in English were:
God is coming by97 His army. He is with you to
kill enemy.
That is, God is coming with a host of reasoning and
arguments. He is with you to overpower and destroy the
opponents.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 483–484 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 576–577 sub-footnote 3]

1883

[Arabic] You have been blessed, O Ahmad, and

the Lord has bestowed His blessing upon you
with truth.

[Arabic] Your status is wonderful and your

reward is near.

[Arabic] I am pleased with you. I shall raise

you towards Me. The heaven and the earth are
with you as they are with Me.
In this revelation has been used in singular form
because it denotes [whatever is in the
heavens and the earth]. The purport of the whole revelation
is the expression of divine bounties and blessings which are

97 The word ‘by’ is also used in the English language to denote

‘together with’ or ‘in company with’. (See Dialect Dictionary by
Joseph Wright, page 470) [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]

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 TADHKIRAH

bestowed upon a perfect believer by virtue of his obedience

to Hadrat Khairur-Rusulsa [the Best of Messengers]. The
Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him, is the true and the primary object of these divine
favours. They [blessings] are bestowed upon others merely
on account of their relationship to him.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 486–488 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 579–580 sub-footnote 3]

1883
Then the revelation came:

[Arabic] You have a high station in My

presence. I have chosen you for Myself.

[Arabic] You are to Me like My Unity and

Uniqueness98. The time has arrived when you

98 The Promised Messiahas said:

I understand this to mean that when someone is appointed to
uphold the Unity of God and appears at a time when people
are looking down upon and disrespecting the Unity of God,
the appointed person develops such a zeal for Unity of God
that he disregards all his aims and objectives and devotes
himself exclusively to this task, thus becoming Unity
personified. All his movements and words are charged with
the spirit of Unity. People in the world have turned their
lowly objects into idols. Until Allah the Almighty Himself
charges someone with this zeal, it cannot be acquired. Just as
some people are so restless about their children and other
objectives that they sometimes commit suicide; in the same
way, the appointed one is restless to establish Unity. He
desires that the will of God, and His Unity, Greatness and
Grandeur should prevail. The following phrase is used on
such an occasion:

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 1883

will be helped and made well-known among

people.

[Arabic] Has not man i.e., you, passed through

a period of time when nobody in the world
knew you or talked about you? That is, nobody
knew you as to who you are and you had no
status. That is, you amounted to nothing.
This is a reference to the favours and bounties already
bestowed as an indication of the further bounties of the
Benevolent One.

[Arabic] All kinds of Holiness belong to Allah,

Who possesses all Blessings, and is the Highest.
He has raised your status. The name and
respect for your forefathers will be cut off—
that is, they will not be known and honoured in
their personal capacities—and God will start
the respect and honour with you.

[Arabic] You have been helped with prestige

and have been brought to life with truth, O
truthful one. You have been helped and your
opponents said: ‘No way of escape is left.’
This indicates that divine help will reach such a stage that
the opponents will be broken-hearted and they will be filled
with despair and truth will be made manifest.

[Arabic] [You are to Me like My Unity and

Uniqueness.]
[al-Badr, vol. 2, no. 12, dated April 10, 1903, p. 91, column 2]

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 TADHKIRAH

[Arabic] Allah would not leave you till He

distinguishes clearly between the foul and the
pure.

[Arabic] Allah is supreme over His decree but

most people know it not.

[Arabic] When the help and the victory comes

from Allah and the words of your Lord are
fulfilled the disbelievers would deserve to be
addressed as: This is what you desired to be
hastened.

That is [Arabic] I decided to appoint a Khalifah

[vicegerent] from Myself so I created Adam. I
will establish in the earth.
This is an abbreviated sentence i.e., ‘I am going to establish
him’. The word khalifah in this revelation means a person
who would be the means of conveying the message and
guidance between Allah and His creatures. Here it does not
signify kingdom or government....Instead, it connotes only
a spiritual office and spiritual vicegerency. Also, in this
revelation, Adam does not refer to the Adam, the father of
mankind. It means a person through whom a movement of
conveying the message and guidance should be established
for the spiritual revival of mankind. He will thus be in the
position of a spiritual father for the seekers of truth.
This is a grand prophecy predicting the establishment of
a spiritual movement at a time when none of its insignia are
visible.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 489–493 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 581–586 sub-footnote 3]

84
 1883

1883
Then the revelation defined the spiritual status of that
spiritual Adam:
99

When this noble verse100, which is a verse of the Holy

Qur’an, was revealed to me, I pondered over its meaning
and significance. In this condition, I was overcome by a
light slumber and therein the meaning was made clear to
me, which may be described as following. Danuww
[ascent] here means nearness to God… Tadalla [descent]
means that having equipped oneself with the likeness of
divine attributes, one should descend towards God’s
creatures with mercy and compassion, as does the Most
Gracious, Ever Merciful One. As the degree of danuww
and tadalla are adjusted to each other and are mutually
conditioned, the degree of tadalla will correspond to the
degree of danuww. The perfection of danuww is that there
should be a perfect reflection of divine attributes in the
heart of the seeker and that God should manifest Himself in
the heart and spirit of the seeker to a perfect degree. This is
the essence of vicegerency and of the breathing of the Spirit
of God into a person and equipping oneself with divine
attributes.
As the descent is dependent upon equipment with the
likeness of divine attributes, the perfection of this
equipment demands that such an individual should strive in
compassion for God’s creatures and in seeking their

99 [Arabic] Then he drew nearer to God; then he came down to

mankind, So that he became, as it were, one chord to two bows or
closer still. [Publishers]
100
(al-Najm, 53:9–10) [Publishers]

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 TADHKIRAH

welfare to the utmost degree which cannot be exceeded.

Such a person in this manner combines within himself two
opposites. He is turned completely towards God and is also
completely turned towards God’s creatures. In this way, he
becomes a chord between two bows—that of Divinity and
that of humanity—having a perfect relationship with
both…. Anyone who arrives at this station is turned
towards and is pulled in two directions at the same time;
one towards God Who is Eternal and the other towards
God’s creatures who have been brought into being by Him.
The Eternal and the created thus make a circle, the upper
side of which is the Absolute and the lower half of which is
the possible. In the middle of that circle, the perfect man
through his ascent and descent establishes a strong union
like a single chord between two bows. That is to say, he
becomes a conductor between the Creator and His
creatures. First he is invested with the special mantle of
ascent, that is, nearness to God and he ascends to the
highest pinnacle of that nearness. Then he is brought
towards God’s creatures. His ascent and descent are
represented in the shape of two bows and the spirit of the
perfect man who connects those two becomes the chord
between the two bows. The word ‘qab’ is used in the
Arabic idiom for the string of a bow.
Thus the literal meaning of the verse would be that he
approached God and then descended towards mankind and
through this ascent and descent became a single chord
between two bows. As his facing towards mankind results
from [immersing himself in] the holy fountain of divine
attributes, his attention towards mankind is the obverse of
his facing towards God. In other words, as the Divine
Master out of His compassion leans so much towards His
creatures, it is as if He is quite close to them. It follows that

86
 1883

when a seeker after God arrives at the end of his search he

reverts to where God is. The perfection of his ascent or
approach to God becomes the cause of his descent towards
man.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 493–496 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 586–590 sub-footnote 3]

1883

[Arabic] He will revive the faith and will

establish the Law.

[Arabic] O Adam, O Maryam [Mary],101 O

Ahmad dwell you and your companion in the
jannat—that is, into attaining the means of true
salvation. I have breathed into you the spirit of
righteousness from Myself.

101
In explaining these revelations, the Promised Messiahas says:
Mary here does nor refer to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, nor
does Adam refer to the Adam, the progenitor, nor does
Ahmad refer to the Hadrat Khatamul-Anbiya’ [Seal of the
Prophets], may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Similarly, in these revelations the names Musa [Moses], ‘Isa
[Jesus], and Dawud [David] have been mentioned, but these
names do not refer to those Prophets. Rather, my humble
self is indicated in all these instances. Since Mary here does
not connote a feminine but a masculine, the use of the
masculine gender is appropriate; hence, the phrase
should be used… The word zauj refers to the
companions and the close associates, not the zauj [in the
sense of spouse]. In the lexicon, the word is applied in both
situations. The word jannat is sometimes used in my

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 TADHKIRAH

In this revelation the naming of the spiritual Adam has been

explained. That is to say, as Adamas was created without
the intervention of means, in the same way the spirit is
breathed into a spiritual Adam without the intervention of
any visible means.
This breathing of the spirit in its true reality is confined
to the Prophetsas and this bounty is bestowed upon
particular individuals from among the Muslims on account
of their complete submission to the Holy Prophetsa and by
way of inheritance from him.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 496–497, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 590–591]

1883
(A)
102

[Kashti-e-Nuh, p. 47, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 19, p. 51]

(B) One of the difficulties I encountered in my propagation
was my claim of being a Prophet, recipient of divine
revelation, and also my being a Promised Messiah. In this
connection, portraying my agony about this matter, I
103
received the revelation :

revelations about the Paradise in the hereafter, and

sometimes it refers to the joy, victory, tranquillity and solace
in this world.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, pp. 82–83,
Letter dated February 21, 1884 to Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali Shah]
102
[Arabic] The pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a
date-palm tree and she said: ‘O! Would that I had died before this
and had become a thing quite forgotten.’ [Publishers]
103
In Kashti-e-Nuh, which was published in 1902, the Promised
Messiahas writes:
Here I mention another revelation. I do not remember
whether or not I have published it in any of my books or
announcements, but keep in mind that I have narrated it to
hundreds of people and it is noted in the diary of my

88
 1883

Makhad [the pains of childbirth] denotes those matters

which produce dangerous consequences and by jiz‘in-
nakhlah [the trunk of the date-palm tree] refers to those
people who are the progeny of Muslims but are Muslims
only in name.
In this context, the meaning of the revelation would be:
[Arabic] This heartfelt invitation which was
bound to draw the inveterate enmity of the
people brought this commissioned one towards
the people who are like a dry branch or root of
the date-palm tree. Then, being frightened of
the prospect, he said: Would that I had died
before this and had been quite forgotten.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 5, p. 53 footnote,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 21, pp. 68–69 footnote]

revelations. It relates to a period when Allah the Almighty

first bestowed the title of Mary upon me and then revealed to
me about Nafkh-e-Ruh [the breathing of the soul]. This was
followed by the revelation:

That is, [Arabic] then Mary, which refers to this

humble one, was brought to the trunk of the date-
palm tree by the pangs of childbirth.
That is, I had to deal with ignorant masses and
unenlightened scholars, who did not possess the fruit of
faith. They rejected and insulted me and abused me and they
raised a storm of opposition. Then Mary said: ‘I wish that I
had died before this, and were totally forgotten.’
This refers to the clamour that was, in the beginning, started
by the Maulavis [clerics] as a group. They could not tolerate
my claim and tried to annihilate me in every way possible.
In this revelation, Allah the Almighty has depicted the
condition of my heart at the torment and agony that I
endured at that time in view of the noise and condemnation
of the ignorant.
[Kashti-e-Nuh, pp. 47–48, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 19, p. 51]

89
 TADHKIRAH

1883
There were other revelations in the same context. For
instance:

[Arabic] …and People said: ‘O Maryam

[Mary]! What an abominable and despicable
thing—far removed from righteousness—have
you perpetrated. Your father104 and your
mother were not such people.’
[Kashti-e-Nuh, p. 48, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 19, p. 51]

1883
Thereafter105 the revelation came:

[Arabic] You have been helped and they said:

‘There is no way of escape left.’

104
I recall that there was a Sayyed in Batala of the name of Fadl Shah
or Mehr Shah who was very fond of my father and had great regard for
him. When someone told him of my claim that I was the Promised
Messiahas he wept a lot and said: ‘His father was a very good man;’
meaning: Who has he taken after for his father was a good man—a
simple and straight Muslim and far from any kind of imposture?
Likewise, many people said: ‘You have defamed your family by
making such a claim.’
[Kashti-e-Nuh, p. 48 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 19, pp. 51–52 footnote]

Note by Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra: i.e. After the revelation:

105

[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, p. 496, footnote 3,

Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 591, footnote 3]

90
 1883

[Arabic] A man of Persian descent has

published the refutation of those who have
disbelieved and have obstructed people from
the path of Allah. Allah appreciates his effort.

[Arabic] The book of the wali [the friend of

Allah] is Dhulfaqar-e-‘Ali [the sword of ‘Ali].106
This means that this book confounds and

106
(A) At one time Dhulfaqar [the sword] was in the hands of ‘Ali
[May Allah honour his face] but God will bestow Dhulfaqar
upon this Imam also in such a manner that his shining hand will
perform that which Dhulfaqar performed in the time of ‘Ali. That hand
will be as if it was the Dhulfaqar of ‘Ali [May Allah honour
his face] which has appeared a second time.
This is an indication that the Imam will be Sultanul-Qalam [the
champion of the pen] and that his pen will perform what Dhulfaqar
used to perform. The prophecy** (of Ni‘matullah Wali) is the exact
translation of the revelation vouchsafed to this humble one printed ten
years ago in the Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, which is:

It means that the book of this Wali is the Dhulfaqar of ‘Ali. Here the
reference is to this humble one. For this reason, this humble one has in
many visions been called Ghazi. There is a reference to this in several
other places in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah.
[Nishan-e-Asmani, p. 15, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 4, p. 375]

** [Persian] I see his shining hand

again armed with Dhulfaqar [Publishers]

(B) This country is Darul-Harb [zone of war] as against the Christian

missionaries. We should therefore not sit idle. But remember that our
war is of the same kind as theirs. We should go forth with the kind of
weapons with which they have come forth. That weapon is the pen.
That is why God the Exalted has named this humble one Champion of
the Pen and has named my pen the Dhulfaqar of ‘Ali.
[al-Hakam, vol. 5, no. 22, June 17, 1901, p. 2, column 2]

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 TADHKIRAH

destroys opposition. As the sword of ‘Ali

performed wonders in dangerous fighting, so
will this book.
It is a prophecy which has reference to the great
effectiveness and the widespread blessings of the book.107
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, p. 497 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 591–592 sub-footnote 3]

1883
Then the revelation came:

[Arabic] Had faith been hanging with the

Pleiades—that is, had departed from the world
altogether—the above-mentioned man would
have found it.

[Arabic] Its oil might well-nigh glow forth on

its own even if the fire has not even touched it.

[Arabic] Do they say: ‘We are a strongly

supported host that is fully capable of giving a
response?’ This entire host will soon be routed
and they will run away turning their backs.
When such people see a Sign they [turn away
and] say: ‘This is an ordinary and time-worn
magic,’ even though their hearts are convinced
of those Signs. In their hearts they are
convinced that there is now no way of escape. It

107
Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah [Publishers]

92
 1883

is by the mercy of Allah that you are gentle

with them. If you had been harsh and hard-
hearted they would have scattered away from
around you, even if they were to witness
Qur’anic miracles by which the mountains
would have moved.
These revelations were vouchsafed with reference to the
people who behaved in that way and it may be that there
might be others who talk in the same way and, even after
being fully convinced, would continue to deny.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 497–498 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 592–593 sub-footnote 3]

1883
Thereafter the revelation came:

That is [Arabic] We have caused these Signs

and wonders and this revelation filled with
points of wisdom and verity, to descend near
Qadian.108 We have sent it down to satisfy a
real need and it has descended to satisfy the

108
Deep reflection on this revelation shows that the reference to
Qadian in the revelation indicates that my appearance in Qadian had
been foretold in previous scriptures. Now that this new revelation has
shown that in Allah’s estimation Qadian resembles Damascus, the
meanings of the earlier revelation has been clarified.… The
interpretation is:

[Arabic] [We have sent it down close to Damascus on

eastern side near the White Minaret.]
It is to be noted that my place of residence is on the eastern edge of
Qadian.
[Izala-e-Auham, pp. 73–75 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 138–139]

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 TADHKIRAH

real need. The prophecy of Allah and His

Messenger has been fulfilled at its duly
appointed time. Allah’s command109 was bound
to be carried out.
The last portion of the revelation indicates that the Holy
Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
had mentioned the appearance of this person in his
hadith…and that God Almighty has also made reference to
this in His Holy Word. The indication [by the Holy
Prophetsa] has been mentioned among the revelations set
out in part 3 and the indication in the Holy Qur’an is in the
following verse .110
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, p. 498 sub-footnote,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 593 sub-footnote]

1883
On the day, when the revelation just mentioned—referring
to Qadian—was received, I saw my brother Mirza Ghulam
Qadir111 in a vision reciting the Holy Qur’an aloud. In the
course of recitation he recited:

109
Publishers’ Note: In Izala-e-Auham, page 73, Ruhani Khaza’in,
volume 3, page 138, this sentence reads as:

i.e.: [Arabic] [Allah’s promise was bound to be carried

out.]
110
He it is Who sent His Messenger with guidance and the Religion
of Truth, that He might make it prevail over every other religion.
(al-Taubah, 9:33; al-Fath, 48:29; al-Saff, 61:10)
111
This [seeing my brother in my vision] indicates that his name has a
connection with the interpretation of my vision. The word Qadir
[Powerful] which is part of his name indicated that all this is the decree
of Qadir-e-Mutlaq [the Most Powerful] and is not to be wondered at.
This is how the wonders of His power have always been manifested

94
 1883

112

I expressed my surprise that the name of Qadian should be

mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, on which he said: ‘Here it
is, you can see.’ I looked and saw that this revelation was
set out about the middle of the right page of the Holy
Qur’an. Then I said to myself: ‘It is true that the name of
Qadian is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an’ and I also said:
‘Three names are mentioned with honour in the Holy
Qur’an: Mecca, and Medina, and Qadian.’
[Izala-e-Auham, pp. 76–77 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 140 footnote]

1883
The Revelation after it113 is:

[Arabic] Call down blessings on Muhammad

and the progeny of Muhammad, who is Sayyed-
e-Wuld-e-Adam [the Chief of mankind] and
Khatamun-Nabiyyin [the Seal of the Prophets],
may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
This indicates that all these bounties and exaltations are on
account of the Holy Prophetsa and a reward for loving
him…. In the same way, the direction to call down
blessings on the progeny of the Holy Prophetsa means that
in acquiring divine light, love for the members of the
household of the Holy Prophetsa plays a great part. A
person who attains nearness to God does so by virtue of

that He exalts the humble and the lowly and reduces the great and
highly placed to the dust.
[Izala-e-Auham, pp. 77–79 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 141 footnote]
112
We have sent it down close to Qadian. [Publishers]
113
i.e. After the revelation mentioned above.
[Publishers]

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spiritual inheritance from those righteous and holy ones and

becomes their heir in respect of all his knowledge and
spiritual insight.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 502–503 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 597–598 sub-footnote 3]

1883
It has been revealed to this humble one that on account of
meekness, humility, trust in God, sincerity and the Signs
and heavenly light, my humble self resembles the Masih
[Messiah] in his earthly life and that the nature of this
humble one and the nature of the Masih resemble greatly as
if they are two pieces of the same jewel or two fruits of the
same tree. There is such a complete unity between us that
the spiritual eye would have little to distinguish between us.
There also exists an overt resemblance which is that the
Masih [Messiah] was the follower and servant of the faith
of a perfect and high-standing Prophet, i.e., Musaas [Moses]
and his gospel is a branch of the Torah, and this humble
one is one of the lowly servants of that majestic Prophet
who is the Sayyedur-Rusul [the chief of all Prophetsas] and
crown of all the Prophetsas. If they are Hamid,114 he is
Ahmad115 and if they are Mahmud,116 he is Muhammad117—
may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, p. 449, sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 593–594 sub-footnote 3]

114
One who praises Allah. [Publishers]
115
One who praises Allah to the utmost. [Publishers]
116
One who is praised. [Publishers]
117
One who is praised to the utmost. [Publishers]

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1883
Of these revelations there is one in which my Lord
addressed me and said:
118

[Hamamatul-Bushra, p. 42, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 7, p. 192]

1883
(A) I recall that one night I was so occupied with calling
down blessings on the Holy Prophet that my heart and soul
became fragrant therewith. The same night I saw in my
dream that people were carrying into my house water-skins
filled with divine light in the form of water and one of them
said: These are the blessings which you had sent to
Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and
his family.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 4, p. 502 sub-footnote,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 598 sub-footnote]
(B) On one occasion it so happened that for a long time I
remained occupied with calling down blessings on the Holy
Prophetsa, for I believe that the ways leading to God are
subtle and cannot be discovered except through the Holy
Prophetsa, as Allah directs: .119
After a time I saw in a vision that two water-carriers
came into my house, one by the outer entrance and the

118
[Arabic] I created you from the same essence as ‘Isa [Jesus];
and ‘Isa and you are of one essence; and are like the same thing.
[Publishers]
Note by Jalal-ud-Din Shamsra: This revelation is recorded here because
in Hamamatul-Bushra the Promised Messiahas has written that it was
revealed before the publication of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah.
119
And seek the way of approach unto Him. (al-Ma’idah, 5:36)
[Publishers]

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other by the inner entrance carrying suspended from their

shoulders water-skins full of divine light and they said:
120

[Haqiqatul-Wahi, p. 128 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, p. 131 footnote]

1883
Thereafter,121 I received the revelation:

[Arabic] You are on the right path. Proclaim

widely that which you are commanded and
turn away from the ignorant ones.

[Arabic] They will say: ‘why has it not

descended upon a great scholar from the
other122 cities.’ They will also ask: ‘whence
have you obtained this status; this is a
stratagem that you have devised together in the
town.’ They look towards you but do not see
you, that is, they are unable to see you.

[Arabic] We [Allah] call Ourself to witness that

We have raised many auliya’ [perfect friends of
Allah] among the followers of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad, may peace and blessings of Allah

120
[Arabic] This is because of what you called down upon
Muhammadsa. [Publishers]
121
After the revelation ... [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]
122
The translation here follows the exact wording used in the Urdu
translation by the Promised Messiahas. The literal translation is ‘two’
instead of ‘other’. [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]

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 1883

be upon him, but Satan corrupted the path of

their followers, that is, many innovations were
mixed into faith and the straight path taught by
the Holy Qur’an was not preserved amongst
them.

[Arabic] Say to them: If you love Allah, then

follow me, that is, be sincere followers of the
chosen Prophetsa so that Allah may also love
you. And know well that Allah revives the earth
after its death. He who becomes Allah’s, Allah
becomes his. Say to them: If I have invented it
on my own, the heavy sin thereof is on me.

[Arabic] Today you are a man of established

position and trust with Us, and My mercy is
upon you in worldly matters and in matters of
faith and you have been provided help.

[Arabic] Allah praises you and is coming to

you.

[Arabic] Hearken; the help of Allah is near.

[Arabic] Holy is He who took His servant along

in a journey during the night. That is, in the
age of darkness and misguidance, which
resembles the night, God has, of His own,
guided [me] to the heights of insight and
certainty.

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 TADHKIRAH

[Arabic] He created Adam and thus honoured

him.

[Arabic] The Champion of Allah in the mantle

of the Prophets.
This revelation means that a person who receives divine
guidance and training, and becomes a recipient of
revelation, wears a mantle which properly belongs to
Prophets and is loaned to a non-prophet. This mantle of the
Prophets is bestowed upon some individuals from among
the Muslims so that they might lead the weak and the
defective to perfection. This is the meaning of the saying of
the Holy Prophetsa: 123
. Though such
people are not prophets, they are entrusted with the
functions of prophethood.

[Arabic] You were on the brink of a pit and He

rescued you therefrom. That is, He created the
means for your rescue.

124

[Arabic] The will of Allah is turning towards

bestowing mercy upon you and if you revert to

123
The divines among my followers will be like the Prophets of Bani
Isra’il. [Publishers]
124
The Promised Messiahas has quoted this revelation in Arba‘in,
number 2, page 5, Ruhani Khaza’in, volume 17, page 352 and at
several other places referring to Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, and the words
used therein are . This shows that is a scribe’s error. [Mirza
Bashir Ahmad]

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 1883

sin and disobedience, We shall also revert to

punishment and chastisement. We have made
hell a place of confinement for disbelievers….

[Arabic] Repent and stay away from

wickedness, transgression, disbelief, and sin.
Reform yourselves and turn to Allah and trust
in Him and beseech His help through
steadfastness and Prayer because sins are
averted through good deeds.

[Arabic] Good news for you, O My Ahmad.

You are My purpose and are with Me. I have
planted your honour with My own hand.125

[Arabic] Direct the believers to restrain their

looks from na mahram [those outside the

Note by Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra: In his letter of September

125

13, 1883, addressed to Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali of Ludhiana, the Promised

Messiahas mentioned this last revelation:

and then wrote the following sentence in Persian, which appears to be

the meaning of this revelation:

Meaning [Persian] Be glad, O My Ahmad, you are My

purpose and are with Me. I have planted the tree of your
honour with My own hand.
Before this revelation, he wrote:
As I have permission to announce it, it would be entered in
the fourth part of my book.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, pp. 55–56]

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prohibited category] and to guard their private

parts and ears from unworthy acts. That is
required and essential for their attainment of
purification.
This means that it is incumbent upon every believer to
refrain from all that is prohibited and to safeguard all his
limbs against misuse. His purification depends entirely on
this….

[Arabic] When My servants ask you concerning

Me, I am close. I respond to the call of the
supplicant when he calls on Me. I have sent you
so that I may provide the means of attaining
mercy for all people.

[Arabic] Those who disbelieve from among the

People of the Book and the idolaters—that is,
have firmly persisted in disbelief—would not
desist from their disbelief until clear proof was
shown to them. Their stratagem was mighty.
This indicates that the heavenly Signs and reasoned
arguments that Allah the Almighty has set forth at the hand
of this humble one were utterly needed to complete the
admonition. The dark-minded people of this age, who are
infected with the worm of ignorance and vice, were not
likely to give up their mischief without clear Signs and
conclusive reasoning. They were instead occupied with
devising plans for the utter destruction of the garden of
Islam from the face of the earth.

102
 1883

[Urdu] Had God not done this the world would

have been enveloped in darkness.
This revelation points to the fact that the world was in great
need of these clear Signs and that the worldly people whom
their disbelief and viciousness had converted into spiritual
lepers could not have come back to health without this
heavenly medicine which is like the water of life for the
seekers of truth.

[Arabic] When it is said to them: Create not

disorder in the land and do not spread
disbelief, idolatry, and evil doctrines, they
retort: ‘Ours is the right way; we are not
trouble-makers. Rather we are peace-makers
and reformers.’ Hearken; they are the
disorderly ones who are creating disorder on
the earth. Proclaim: I seek the protection of the
Lord of creation from the mischief of every
wicked creation and against the mischief of the
dark night.
This means that this age, on account of its great corruption,
is like a dark night and that divine power and strength are
needed for its illumination. This task is beyond human
power.

[Arabic] I will be your Helper, I shall protect

you. I shall make you a leader of men. Do the
people wonder? Say that Allah is Wonderful,
He always does wonderful things. He chooses

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 TADHKIRAH

whom He likes from among His servants. He is

not questioned about that which He does as to
why He did so, but the people are questioned.
And such days We cause to alternate among
men.
This [last part of the revelation] means that everything
happens by turn and that divine favours continue to be
bestowed upon individuals from among the Muslims turn
by turn.

[Arabic] They will ask: ‘Whence have you

obtained this? This is all imposture.’ When
Allah the Almighty helps a believer He makes
many in the earth jealous of him. The Fire is
the ultimate resort for those who persist in
jealousy and do not reform themselves. Tell
them: ‘All these works belong to God;’ and
then leave them being beguiled by their sport.

[Arabic] Deal kindly with people and be

compassionate towards them. You are to them
like Musa [Moses] and be steadfast with regard
to whatever they might say.
Hadrat Musa [Moses] exercised more forbearance and
gentleness towards the Bani Isra’il [the Israelites] than any
of their other Prophets. Neither Masih [Messiah] nor any
other Prophet in Israel approached the high status of Hadrat
Musa. The Torah says that Hadrat Musaas was better and
higher than all Prophets in Israel in kindness, gentleness,
and high moral qualities. For instance, the Torah says: The

104
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man Moses was very meek, above all the men who were
upon the face of the earth (Numbers, 12:3). Thus, God has
praised the meekness of Musaas [Moses] in the Torah using
words which He has not employed with reference to any
other Prophet in Israel. It is true, however, that the high
moral qualities of the Seal of the Prophets, may peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him, which are mentioned in the
Holy Qur’an, are thousands of times higher than those of
Hadrat Musaas inasmuch as God has announced concerning
the Seal of the Prophets, may peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him, that he comprehends in his own person all
high moral qualities that are found spread out among all the
Prophets. Moreover, He has said with regard to the Holy
Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:
[You do most surely possess the highest
moral excellences]126 …As the Muslim divines are like the
Prophets of Israel, therefore, in this revelation this humble
one has been likened to Hadrat Musaas. This is all a part of
the blessings of the Chief of the Prophets that God, the
Noble, honours individual ones among his humble
followers with such noble messages out of His great bounty
and benevolence. [O Allah, send
down Your blessings upon Muhammad and upon the
progeny of Muhammad.]
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 503–509 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 599–607 sub-footnote 3]

1883
After that come the following revealed sentences:

126
al-Qalam, 68:5 [Publishers]

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TADHKIRAH

[Arabic] When it is said to them: Believe as

other people have believed, they say: ‘Shall we
believe as the foolish have believed?’ Beware! it
is surely they that are foolish, but they do not
know. They love that you should make
compromises. Say: O ye disbelievers, I worship
not that which you worship. You were told to
revert to Allah but you do not come back. You
were admonished to overpower your sinful
inclinations but you do not overpower them. Do
you ask for any recompense for which they feel
encumbered and imagine that acceptance of
truth is a heavy burden? Nay! They have been
given the truth without anything in return, and
still they hate the truth. Holy is Allah and far
above the faults that they attribute to Him. Do
these people think that by merely making a
verbal profession of faith they would be left
alone without a trial? They long for praise for
what they have not done. There is nothing that
is hidden from Allah. As long as Allah does not
reform something, no reform can take place.
Whosoever is repelled by Allah, none can draw
him back.

106
 1883

[Arabic] Will you grieve yourself to death

because they believe not. Follow not that of
which you have no knowledge. Do not
supplicate Me in the matter of the wrongdoers;
they will be drowned. O Ibrahim [Abraham],
stay away from him; he127 is not a good person.
You are only a Warner and are not a keeper
over them.
These few verses, which have been revealed as revelation,
are about some specific people.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 509–510 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 607–608 sub-footnote 3]

1883
This is followed by the revelation:

[Arabic] Beseech help with steadfastness and

Prayer, and take the station of Ibrahim128
[Abraham] as a place for Prayer.
In this revelation the place of Ibrahim [Abraham] means
high moral qualities and a strong relationship with Allah by
way of love of Allah, devotion to Him, seeking His
pleasure and complete faithfulness. This is the real station
of Ibrahim which is awarded to the Muslims through
obedience and by way of inheritance. He who is created
with the spirit of Ibrahim must tread along that path.

127
Another wording of this revelation (quoted in Barahin-e-
Ahmadiyyah, part 5, Ruhani Khaza’in, volume 21, page 115)
is: [Arabic] [His deeds are evil.] [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]
128
Here it [the station of Ibrahim] means that you should perform your
worship and put your doctrines in accord with those of this Ibrahim
[Abraham] who has been sent and model yourselves upon him in all
things.
[Appendix Tohfah Golarhviyyah, pp. 20–21, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 17, pp. 67–68]

107
 TADHKIRAH

[Arabic] Allah the Almighty will spread the

shade of His mercy over you and will redress
your grievances and will have mercy on you;
and if all men refrain from safeguarding you,
Allah Himself will safeguard you. And Allah
will certainly safeguard you with His help even
if all the people refrain from it.
This means that God will Himself help me, and will
safeguard my effort from going to waste and His many
supports will be ever available to me.

[Arabic] Call to mind when he who

disbelieved129 you, out of an evil design, said to
his colleague: ‘Prepare a fire of some mischief
or tribulation, so that I might learn about the
God of Musa [Moses] (that is, of this man) and

129
(A) The word used here may be read as kaffara [he
declared you to be a disbeliever] or kafara [he disbelieved].
Obviously, he who denies would also be a disbeliever. And obviously
he who denies this claim [of mine] would also declare [me] to be a
disbeliever. The word Haman, points towards the characteristic of
haiman which denotes someone who wanders lonely in a valley.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 5, p. 64 footnote,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 21, p. 82 footnote]

(B) This revelation may be read with kafara or kaffara. The

first wording of the revelation has reference to someone who would at
one time have confidence in me and would think well of me and would
later turn away and deny me. This description applies very well to
Maulvi Muhammad Husain of Batala who declared such confidence in
me in his review of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah that he was ready to
sacrifice his parents for my sake.
[Haqiqatul-Wahi, p. 354 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, p. 368 footnote]

108
 1883

find out how He helps him, and whether He is

with him or not, because I consider this man to
be a liar.’
This, though in terms of the past, gives intimation of
something that will happen in the future.

[Arabic] Both hands of Abu Lahab [the father

of flames] perished and so did he perish
himself. It did not behove him to enter into this
affair with such daring without fear and
humility. And as far that which afflicts you, it is
from God alone.
In this there is an indication of evil from some individual
that will proceed from him whether in writing or in some
other manner. [Allah knows best].130

130
This revelation was published in the Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah twelve
years before I was declared a non-believer. [This was the time] when
Maulavi Muhammad Husain wrote out his declaration of apostasy and
asked Miyań Nadhir Husain of Delhi to be the first to place his stamp
of approval on it and thus declare me a non-believer and to publish it
among all Muslims. Twelve years before this declaration and the stamp
of approval from the above-mentioned Miyań [Nadhir Husain], this
book [Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah] had been published throughout the
Punjab and India. Maulavi Muhammad Husain, who turned out to be
the first to propound this declaration, after twelve years, was the one
who laid the foundation of declaration of apostasy. Miyań Nadhir
Husain of Delhi was the one to spread this fire throughout the country
on account of his reputation. Here is a proof of God’s knowledge of the
Unseen, inasmuch as this prophecy was made at a time when there was
no cause or occasion for this declaration and Maulavi Muhammad
Husain considered himself to be in my service. At that time God the
Almighty revealed this prophecy. Anyone endowed with even minimal
reason and intelligence should reflect whether it is within human power
of mine or of anyone else to know, on the basis of intellectual
conjectures, twelve years in advance, a storm, the fierceness of which
would carry away a person like Maulavi Muhammad Husain—who
professed such sincerity towards me—into such great error and along

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[Arabic] This is where the mischief is. Then be

steadfast as those of high resolve were
steadfast. Hearken, this tribulation is from God
so that He might love you with perfect love; the
love of God, the Mighty, the Lord of honour, a
bounty without end.

[Arabic] Two goats131 will be slaughtered and

there is no one on the earth who can avoid
death. That is, everyone has to submit to divine
decrees and no one can escape death…

[Arabic] And slacken not, and be not grieved.

Is not Allah sufficient for His servant? Know
you not that Allah has power over all things?
God shall call you as a witness against these
people.

[Arabic] God will bestow your reward in full

and will be pleased with you and will perfect

with him a person like Miyań Nadhir Husain who had said that no book
like the Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah had been published in the history of
Islam. Indeed this is purely God’s knowledge [of the Unseen] which is
termed a miracle.
[Tohfah Golarhviyyah, p. 75, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 17, pp. 215–216]
131
This prophecy was fulfilled with the martyrdom of Maulana Sayyed
‘Abdul-Latif of Kabul and Maulavi ‘Abdur-Rahman of Kabul (May
Allah be pleased with them both). For details see Tadhkiratush-
Shahadatain. [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]

110
 1883

your name. And it may be that you might

befriend something, but in reality it may be
harmful for you and it may be that you might
dislike something, but in reality it may be
beneficial for you. Allah the Almighty knows
the end results of things and you do not know.

[Arabic] I was a hidden treasure132 and I liked

to be recognised. The heavens and the earth

Note by Hadrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shamsra: Pir Sirajul-Haqq

132

Nu‘manira has related: One day I enquired from the Promised

Messiahas: The mystics and other scholars have strived hard in
interpreting. Can you please tell us what this sentence means?
The Promised Messiahas said: Its simple meaning is that when error,
misguidance, disbelief, paganism and all kinds of heresies spread in the
world, the recognition of God and ways of approaching Him become
obscure, hearts become hardened and are emptied of the fear of Allah.
At such times and age, Allah becomes like a hidden treasure. Then He
determines that He should again be known to mankind and be recogn-
ised by people. For this purpose, He chooses one of His servants and
bestows upon him the mantle of Khilafat and is recognised through
him. That favoured and chosen servant fills empty hearts afresh with
the love of God and discloses the mysteries of His cognition to people.
This has been the way of Allah in every age since eternity. The same
came to pass in our age that people lost the cognition of Allah and
introduced perverted ideas into His attributes. They neglected the
attributes of Allah and abandoned His books and scriptures. They
fashioned His equals and associates. Thus God became like a hidden
treasure. Thereupon God has raised me, bestowing His love and cogni-
tion upon me, so that the world may be drawn back to the straight path.
That is why I am occupied in this endeavour day and night by writing,
speaking, attending to people, supplicating, providing my own example
and by means of awe-striking prophecies, disclosure of the knowledge
of hidden matters that Allah has bestowed upon me, and conveying the
insight, truth and deeper meanings which are contained in the Qur’an.

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 TADHKIRAH

were both a closed mass and We cleft them

both. They will mock you and will say
mockingly: ‘Is this the one whom Allah has
raised for the reformation of mankind.’ That is,
do not expect the reformation of those whose
nature is steeped in evil.
The revelation continues:
Say: I am133 but a human being like you. God
sends me revelation that you have none worthy
of worship except Allah. He alone is worthy of
worship and none should be associated with
Him. All good and welfare is comprehended in
the Qur’an; it cannot be found anywhere else.
It is only those whom Allah has cleansed and
purified with His own hand who penetrate to
the verities of the Qur’an. I have spent a whole
lifetime among you before this, then do you not
understand134?...

God has taken control of everything—my limbs, hands, tongue, every

movement and even stillness of mine—and He directs me as He wills
and I act accordingly without any volition of my own.
[al-Hakam, vol. 6, no. 23, June 24, 1902, p. 11]
133 as
In Arba‘in, number 2, page 8, the Promised Messiah has quoted
this revelation with reference to Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah as following:
. This shows that in the above Arabic citation the
word before was omitted through scribe’s error. See Arba‘in,
number 2, page 8, Ruhani Khaza’in, volume 17, page 354. The English
meaning given above includes the meaning of . [Mirza Bashir
Ahmad]
134
It was about 1884 that God vouchsafed to me the revelation:

[Arabic] [I have lived a whole lifetime among you before

this, then do you not understand?]
This was an indication on behalf of God the All-Knowing, that no
opponent of mine would be able to point to any default in my life.
Accordingly, up till now, when I am about sixty-five years of age, no

112
 1883

[Arabic] Say: The [real] guidance is only the

guidance from Allah. My Lord is with me, He
will soon open the way for me. O my Lord,
have mercy from heaven and forgive; I am
overcome so do You combat [the enemy] on my
behalf. O my Lord, O my Lord, why have you
forsaken me? Eli aus.
The last portion of this revelation, i.e., Eli aus, has
remained unclear on account of the speed of the revelation,
nor were its meaning disclosed to me. [Allah
knows best]…

[Arabic] O ‘Abdul-Qadir I am with you,

hearing and seeing. For you, I have planted
mercy and omnipotence with My own hand and
have delivered you from sorrow and have
purified you. And you will receive My help.
Hearken! it is the army of Allah which always
prevails. Allah is not such as to chastise them
while you are among them or while they seek
forgiveness.

one, whether living close to me or far from me, can point to any stain in
my past life. Indeed God Himself has made my opponents bear witness
to the purity of my past life. For instance, Maulavi Muhammad Husain
has, on many occasions, praised me and the members of my family in
his journal Isha’atus-Sunnah and has claimed that no one is better
acquainted with me and my family than him. Then, to the extent that he
understood, he praised me. In this way an opponent, who became the
originator of my condemnation as a non-believer, has confirmed the
truth of this prophecy [I have lived among you…].
[Nuzulul-Masih, p. 212, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 590]

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 TADHKIRAH

[Arabic] I am your inevitable support. I am the

One Who brings you to life. I have breathed
into you the spirit of righteousness and have
poured love upon you from Myself so that you
might be treated well in My presence. So you
are like a seed that sends forth its sprout then it
grows stronger until it stands firmly on its
stem.
In these revelations, God has indicated such support and
bounty and pointed to such rise in dignity and honour and
greatness as would gradually reach its perfection.

[Arabic] We have granted you, that is, will

grant, a clear victory. Some intervening
disagreeable events and hardships will be
encountered so that Allah the Almighty may
forgive your shortcomings, past and future.
This revelation means that God—being All-Powerful—
could have, if He willed, caused the purpose in view to be
accomplished without any type of tribulation and to cause a
great victory to be achieved quite easily. But the
tribulations are for the purposes of raising rank and of
forgiveness of defaults….

[Arabic] Is not Allah sufficient for His servant?

So Allah cleared him of the charges that were
made against him and he has a high standing in

114
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the estimation of God.135 Is not Allah sufficient

for His servant? When his Lord manifested
Himself on the mountain, He broke it into bits;
that is, the mountains of difficulties were made
easy to surmount. Allah will frustrate the
design of the disbelievers and will manifest
their defeat and humiliation. There is ease after
hardship. Allah’s is the supreme authority
before and after. Is not Allah sufficient for His
servant? We will make him a source of mercy
for the people and this matter had already been
determined. This is the word of truth which
you doubt.

[Arabic] Muhammad, may peace and blessings

of Allah be upon him, is the Messenger of Allah
and those who are with him are firm against
the disbelievers, that is, the disbelievers are
speechless and powerless before them and the
awe of their truthfulness permeates the hearts
of the disbelievers. They are compassionate
among themselves. They are men whom
commerce does not stop nor does trade hinder
them from the remembrance of Allah. That is,
their love for Allah has reached such perfection

135
This prophecy was fulfilled as following: At the time of Captain
Douglas, I was charged with murder; Allah cleared me of that charge.
Then I was charged at the time of Deputy Commissioner Douie, and
Allah cleared me of that charge. I was also charged with being ignorant
and the opposing maulavis were themselves proven to be ignorant.
Then Mehr ‘Ali charged me with being a plagiarist and he was proven
to be so himself.
[Nuzulul-Masih, p. 131, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 509]

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that worldly engagements, no matter how

unrelenting, do not interfere in their condition
[of devotion]. Allah will make the Muslims
benefit from their blessings. So their
appearance indicates signs of the mercy of
Allah. Then observe those Signs. If you possess
anyone like them, that is, if there are people
among your companions and coreligionists who
possess such support from Allah, then cite the
example of such others if you are truthful. He
who wishes for and seeks a religion other than
the faith of Islam, such religion will never be
accepted of him and in the hereafter he will be
of the losers.

[Arabic] O Ahmad, mercy flows from your lips.

We have bestowed upon you abundant points
of wisdom136. Therefore observe prayer and
offer sacrifice in gratitude to Your Lord and
establish prayer for My remembrance. You are
with Me and I am with you. Your secret is My
secret. We have relieved you of the burden
which had well-nigh broken your back, and
have exalted your name. You are on the
straight path, of high standing in this world
and the hereafter and of those who are close to
Allah.

136
Publishers’ Note: The Promised Messiahas has translated this phrase
in Nuzulul-Masih as following:
We shall bestow upon you many well wishers and a large
Jama‘at will be granted to you.
[Nuzulul-Masih, p. 131, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 509]

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 1883

[Arabic] Allah will support you, Allah will help

you. Allah will raise the argument of Islam. It is
the beauty of Allah that has purified you in
every situation. The mysteries that God
Almighty has granted to His auliya’ [friends of
Allah] cannot be encompassed; someone is
drawn towards Him by one way, and someone
else by another….
This is an indication that there are two divine attributes
which operate for the moral and spiritual development of
God’s servants. One operates by way of tenderness,
bountifulness and benevolence. It is called Jamal [Beauty].
The other operates by way of power and harshness. It is
called Jalal [Majesty]. It is thus the way of Allah that those
who are summoned to His presence are nurtured sometimes
through His attribute of Beauty and sometimes through His
attribute of Majesty. In matters where the grace of the One
God is directed in a magnificent manner, the attribute of
Beauty is always manifested in abundance, but on some
occasions Allah wills to discipline or nurture His favoured
servant through the attributes of Majesty. Even with regard
to the Prophets it has been the way of God Almighty that
they are nurtured normally through the operation of the
attributes of Beauty but sometimes the attributes of Majesty
also come into operation to demonstrate their steadfastness
and their high moral qualities. They are afflicted with all
types of tribulations at the hands of evil people so that their
high moral qualities, which cannot be demonstrated without
the pressure of great suffering, may be demonstrated and
people of the world may know that they are not weaklings
but are truly faithful.

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[Arabic] They will ask: Whence have you

obtained this? This is but selected magic. We
shall not believe till we behold Allah manifestly.
A stupid one does not confirm anything except
the sword of destruction. [He] is my enemy and
your enemy. Say: The decree of Allah is
imminent; do not try to hasten it. When the
help of Allah arrives it will be asked: Am I not
your Lord? They will answer: Why not.

[Arabic] I shall give you full reward137 and

shall raise you towards Me. I shall raise those

137
The Promised Messiahas says: In the Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah I had
mistakenly interpreted tawaffa as meaning ‘full reward’, which some of
the maulavis cite as a criticism against me. They are not justified in this
as I confess that I was mistaken in this. But there is no mistake in the
revelation. I am a human being and am subject to human frailties such
as mistake and forgetfulness like other human beings, though I know
that God does not leave me under the influence of a mistake. I do not,
however, claim that I cannot be mistaken in an interpretation.

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who follow you, that is, enter into the fold of

true followers of Allah and His Messenger,
above those who deny you till the Day of
Judgment. That is, they will prevail over their
opponents in reasoning and arguments and the
radiant lights of truthfulness and sincerity will
always accompany them. Do not slacken and be
not grieved; Allah is exceedingly
Compassionate towards you. Hearken, truly
there is no fear on the friends of Allah, nor do
they grieve. You will die in a condition that
Allah will be pleased with you. Then enter into
Paradise, God willing, in peace. Peace be on
you, you have been cleansed of idolatry, so
enter the Garden in peace. Peace be on you,
you have been blessed. Allah has heard your
supplication; He hears the supplications. You
are blessed in the world and in the hereafter.
The maladies of people and the blessings of
God.
This means that my being blessed will help to cure people
of their spiritual ills and that those whose spirits are
fortunate138 will be directed and guided by my teachings,

Divine revelation is free from mistake but man’s words are not free
from the possibility of mistake, because forgetfulness and mistake are
essential human characteristics.
[Ayyamus-Sulah, p. 41, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 14, pp. 271–272
See also Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, p. 73 footnote,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 21, p. 93 footnote]
138
Note by Maulana Abdul Latif Bahawalpuri: The phrase
is explained by the Promised Messiahas as following:
Epidemics will spread among the people and simultaneously
God’s blessings will be promulgated. That will be so
because He will safeguard some from this calamity as a Sign
and secondly, these ailments will become a source of
spiritual blessings and there would be many who will
partake of spiritual blessings in these awe-striking days and

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 TADHKIRAH

and will be healed and cured of physical ills except the ills
for which an unchangeable decree of Allah has been
determined.
Then the revelation continued:
[Arabic] Your Lord is All-Powerful and does
whatever He determines.
Then He said:
Keep in mind the bounty of God. I have
exalted you above all the scholars of your time.
It should be remembered that this exaltation is partial and is
derived; that is to say, whoever follows Hadrat Khatamul-
Anbiya’, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
[the Seal of the Prophets] perfectly, ranks in the estimation
of Allah above his contemporaries. All true and perfect
exaltation has been bestowed by the One [Allah the
Almighty] on the Seal of the Prophets. All others are
rewarded according to their degree of love and obedience
139
to him. .
The meaning of the remaining part of the revelation
quoted above is:
O soul at rest upon truthfulness, return to your
Lord, you well pleased with Him, and He well
pleased with you. So enter among My chosen
servants and enter My Paradise. Your Lord has
been benevolent towards you and has been
bountiful towards your friends and has taught
you that which you could not know. If you try

will join the truthful movement. That is what actually

happened; and many who were bigoted against the
Movement joined it by witnessing the awe-striking event of
the plague.
[Nuzulul-Masih, p. 20, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 398]
139
Observe then how high is the degree of his perfection. Allah, send
down Thy blessings on him and his people. [Publishers]

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 1883

to count the favours of God, it will not be

possible for you to do so.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 510–521 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 608–623 sub-footnote 3]

1883
Before this140 God the Almighty caused the following
prayer to flow several times from this humble one by way
of revelation:

That is [Arabic] O my Lord, make me so

blessed that wherever I may live, blessing may
abide with me.
Then of His grace and benevolence God accepted the
supplication which He had Himself taught. This is one of
the wonderful ways of Providence that He Himself teaches
a supplication by way of revelation and then responds that:
‘Your supplication has been granted.’
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, p. 520 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 621 sub-footnote 3]

1883
After these revelations, I received a few revelations in
Persian, Urdu, and one in English… They are:

140
That is, before the revelation [‘You have been made
blessed’] quoted above was received. [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]

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The days shall come when God shall help

you. Glory be to this Lord God, Maker
of earth and heaven.

[Translation of Revelations above]

[Persian] Now come forward and go forth, as
your time is near. The time is now coming that
the people of Muhammad will be lifted from
the pit and their steps will be planted firmly on
a strong tower.141 [Urdu] The holy
Muhammad the Chosen one, Chief of the
Prophets. God will set all your affairs right and
will bestow upon you all that you desire. The
Lord of hosts will turn His attention towards
this. The purpose of this Sign is that the Holy
Qur’an is the Book of God and is the word of
My mouth142. The gate of Lord God’s bounties
is open and His holy mercies are directed
towards this. [English] The days shall come
when God shall help you. Glory be to this Lord
God, Maker of earth and heaven. [Urdu] The
days shall come when God shall help you.

141
This translation is based on the Urdu rendering of the revelation
given by the Promised Messiahas in Nuzulul-Masih, page 133, Ruhani
Khaza’in, volume 18, page 511. [Publishers]
142
The Promised Messiahas was asked who is the subject indicated by
the word [My] in the revelation: [The
Holy Qu’ran is the Book of God and is the word of My mouth] i.e.,
whose mouth is referred to. He said It means the words of Allah’s
mouth. Allah the Almighty has said: ‘The words of My mouth.’ There
are instances in the Holy Qur’an where different pronouns are used for
the same subjects.
[Badr, vol. 6, no. 28, July 11, 1907, p. 6]

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[Persian] God of Glory, Maker of earth and

heaven.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 521–522 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 623 sub-footnote 3]

1883
Only a few days ago I was suddenly confronted with
certain situations in which I faced three types of anxiety. I
could think of no means of resolving it and there appeared
no way out of suffering loss and damage. The same
evening I went out for a walk in the woods, according to
my practice. I was accompanied by an Arya by the name of
Malawamal at that time. During my return, when I
approached the gate of the village, I received the revelation:
143

This was followed by another revelation:

That is [Arabic] We shall deliver you from this

anxiety. Will certainly deliver you. Know you
not that Allah has power to do all things?
I informed the Arya immediately on the spot of this
revelation. Then God removed all three aspects of the
anxiety. [Allah be praised for all this.]
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 553–554 sub-footnote 4,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 659–660 sub-footnote 4]

1883
Revelation:
[English] Though all men should be angry but
God is with you. He shall help you. Words of
God can not exchange.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, p. 554 sub-footnote 4,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 660–661 sub-footnote 4]

143
[Arabic] We shall deliver you from anxiety. [Publishers]

123
 TADHKIRAH

1883

That is [Arabic] All good is in the Qur’an,

which is the Book of Allah the Almighty. The
same Allah Who is the Most Gracious. Towards
that Gracious One ascend all holy words.

[Arabic] Allah is the Noble One who causes the

rain to descend after people have despaired of
it and spreads His mercy over the world.
This means that God turns His attention towards the revival
of the faith when need arises.

[Arabic] He chooses whomsoever He wills from

among His servants.

[Arabic] In this way We bestowed Our bounty

on Yusuf [Joseph] so as to guard him against
evil and indecency; so that you should warn a
people whose ancestors have not been warned
by anybody, and therefore, they are neglectful.
In this revelation the name Yusuf [Joseph] has reference to
this humble one on account of some spiritual affinity
[Allah knows best].
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 554–555 sub-footnote 4,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 661–662 sub-footnote 4]

1883
Then the revelation came:

124
 1883

[Arabic] Say: I have with me proof from Allah,

then will you not believe?
This refers to the support and help of God, His revelation
comprising matters of the unseen and prophecies with
regard to the future, acceptance of prayer, revelation in
various languages, and revelation of points of wisdom and
divine truths. All this is divine testimony, which it is the
duty of everyone who possesses faith to accept.
The [translation] of the remaining revelations is:
[Arabic] Indeed my Lord is with me. He will
show me the way. O my Lord! forgive my sins
and show mercy from heaven. Our Lord is
[‘Aji ] (The meaning of this has not been
disclosed as yet). O my Lord, prison is more
attractive to me than that the unworthy things
towards which they invite me. O my Lord
deliver me from my anxiety. [Hebrew] O my
Lord! O my Lord! Why have You forsaken
me? [Persian] Your bounties have made us
daring.
All these are mysteries which apply to their proper times,
which are in the knowledge of the All-Knowing.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 555–556 sub-footnote 4,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 662–664 sub-footnote 4]
Then the revelation came:

[Howa Sha‘na, Na‘sa]

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 TADHKIRAH

These two phrases are probably Hebrew of which the

meaning has not as yet been disclosed to this humble
one.144
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, p. 556 sub-footnote 4,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 664 sub-footnote 4]
Thereafter, two English phrases were revealed of the
correct wording of which I am still not sure on account of
the speed of the revelation. They are:
I love you. I shall give you a large party of Islam.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, p. 556 sub-footnote 4,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 664 sub-footnote 4
See also Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 5, p. 80, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 21, p. 105]

1883
After this is the revelation:
145

Note by Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra: The Promised Messiahas

144

says in explanation of this revelation in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 5:

O God, I pray to You to deliver me and release me

from difficulties; We have delivered.
Both these phrases are in Hebrew. This is a prophecy which
has been set forth in the form of a supplication followed by
an assurance of its acceptance. In summary, it means that the
then difficulties of being alone, poor and helpless, were
destined to be resolved at some future time. This prophecy
was fulfilled twenty-five years later when no trace was left
of all those difficulties.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 5, p. 80 Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 21, p. 105]
Note by Maulana Abdul Latif Bahawalpuri: ‘Hosanna’ also appears in
Mathews 21/9. It is translated in the Psalms 118/25 as: ‘Save now, I
beseech thee, O Lord…’. Na‘sa in Hebrew means: Was accepted.
(Arabic/Hebrew Dictionary)
145
The revelation has been repeated so many times that
Allah alone knows the count. Sometimes I received it continuously
from mid-night till the Fajr time.

126
 1883

146

[Arabic] O ‘Isa [Jesus] I shall give you full

reward147 or cause you to die and shall raise
you towards Me, meaning that I shall raise
your status or will raise you from the life on
earth, and shall clear you of all the accusations
and calumnies of the disbelievers and shall
raise your followers above those who disbelieve,
till the Day of Judgment. This means that: ‘I
shall give victory to your followers and
companions over others in arguments,
reasoning, and blessings.’ There is a group
from among the first ones and a group from
among the last ones.148
In this revelation this humble one is meant by the word
‘Isa.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 556–557 sub-footnote 4,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 664–665 sub-footnote 4]

[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 67, Letter no. 35,

dated November 20 to Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali Shah]
146
The sentence was inadvertently missed in
Barahin (See Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, volume 5, page 73, Ruhani
Khaza’in, volume 21, pages 94–95). [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]
147
See footnote 137 on p. 117 above for an explanation. [Publishers]
148
This means that two types of people would join my Community.
One, Muslims who have been called the first ones and about 300,000 of
whom have already joined the Community; and two, people who will
join the Muslims from among the Hindus, Sikhs and Christians from
Europe and America. A group of these has also joined the Community
and this is continuing.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 5, p. 82, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 21, p. 108]

127
 TADHKIRAH

1883
(A) Then Allah revealed to me in Urdu:

[Urdu] I shall demonstrate My light149 and

shall raise you with a demonstration of My
power. A Warner came unto the world, but the
world accepted him not; yet God shall manifest
His favour and demonstrate his truth with
powerful assaults.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, p. 557 sub-footnote 4,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 665 sub-footnote 4]
(B)

[Urdu] A Warner came unto the world.

Another version of that is:

[Urdu] A Prophet came unto the world.

[Eik Ghalati ka Izalah, p. 1, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 207]
(C)

[Urdu] A Prophet came unto the world but the

world accepted him not.
Note: Another version of this is: [A Warner came
unto the world] and this is the version entered in the

149
The light [mentioned in the revelation] is similar to the light that lit
up Mount Sinai and it signifies the Signs of power of the kind that were
manifested to the Bani Isra’il on Mount Sinai...
[Appendix Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 23, p. 398]

128
 1883

Barahin. This other version was not entered there to avoid

any kind of misconception.
[al-Hakam, vol. 3, no. 29 August 17, 1889, p. 6, Letter of August 7, 1889]

1883

[Arabic] There is a trial here, then be steadfast

as were the Prophets of high resolve.

[Arabic] When the Lord will manifest Himself

on the mountain of difficulties, He will crush
them into bits.

[Arabic] It is the power of the Gracious God,

which He, the Independent and Besought of all,
will demonstrate for His servant.

That is [Arabic] To be the ‘servant of Allah, the

Independent and Besought of All’ is a position
that is a special bounty. It cannot be achieved
through efforts alone.

You must do what I told you.

[Arabic] O Dawud [David], behave towards

people gently and benevolently and return the
greetings of peace with a better greeting. And
proclaim the bounties of your Lord to the

129
 TADHKIRAH

people. [English] You must do what I told you.

[Arabic] Be grateful for My favour that you
have found it ahead of time. Today you have a
great share of good, you are a Muhaddath150 of
Allah. You have the essence of Faruq.

[Arabic] Peace on you O Ibrahim [Abraham].

Today you have an established position of high
rank, trustworthiness, and strong reason with
Us. You are loved of Allah, special friend of
Allah, and lion of Allah. Call down blessings on
Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him.
That is, all these bounties are in consequences of obedience
to the same Noble Prophetsa.
The translation of the remainder is:
[Arabic] Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor
is He displeased with you. Have We not opened
up your bosom? Have We not made everything
easy for you by granting you Baitul-Fikr [the
Place of Contemplation] and Baitudh-Dhikr
[the Place of Prayer]. He who enters Baitudh-
Dhikr sincerely for the sake of worship, with
purity of intention and good faith, will be
secure against an evil end.
By Baitul-Fikr is meant the upper room in which this
humble one has remained, and still remains, occupied with
the compilation of this book and by Baitudh-Dhikr is
meant the mosque established next to it.

150
Recipient of divine discourse [Publishers]

130
 1883

The last part of the revelation quoted above refers to the

beneficence of the same mosque.151 Its wording, which is

151
(A) I have received revelations concerning this blessed mosque five
times. One of them is the following magnificent revelation …

[Arabic] [There are in it blessings for people and whoever

enters it will be secure.]
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 55]

(B) On one occasion when I desired to discover through revelation the

phrase which would express the date of the consecration of this
mosque…, I received the revelation:

[Arabic] [This mosque is a source of blessings, and is

blessed itself. In it will be performed every blessed deed.]
[Izala-e-Auham, part 1, p. 186, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 190]

(C) There are three types of Signs in this revelation. (1) First that this
revelation comprises the date of the consecration of this mosque. (2)
Second that in it is a prophecy stating that the affairs of a great
Community will be settled in this mosque. Accordingly, thousands of
people have made their covenant of repentance in this mosque.
Hundreds of points relating to the mysteries of the faith are expounded
in this mosque. Designs for new publications are settled in this mosque
and a large number of Muslims offer the five daily prayers in this
mosque and hear sermons and make their sincere heartfelt supplica-
tions. No sign of any of these things existed at the time of its consecra-
tion. (3) Third, this revelation indicates that there will be some calamity
in future. Whoever will enter this mosque with complete sincerity will
be secure against that calamity. Other references in the Barahin-e-
Ahmadiyyah prove conclusively that plague is that calamity. Thus, this
is a prophecy that whoever enters this mosque with complete devotion
and sincerity, such as is acceptable to God, will be secure against the
plague, that is, against death by plague.
[Nuzulul-Masih, pp. 147–148, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, pp. 525–526]

131
 TADHKIRAH

given below also indicates the date152 of the foundation of

this mosque:

That is [Arabic] This mosque is a source of

blessings, and is blessed itself. In it will be
performed every blessed deed.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 557–559, sub-footnote 4,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 665–667 sub-footnote 4]

1883
Then I received a revelation about my own humble self:

[Arabic] You have been elevated and made

blessed.

That is [Arabic] Those who will believe in the

blessings and lights which has been bestowed
upon you by Allah the Almighty, and whose
faith is sincere and filled with loyalty, will be
granted security from the paths of error. They
alone are truly guided in the sight of Allah.

152
In Arabic abjad system each letter represents a numerical value.
The date of the founding of the mosque, year 1300 of Hijrah calendar,
is equal to the total of the numerical values of all the letters in the
sentence. [Munawar Ahmed Saeed]

132
 1883

[Arabic] The opponents will try to put out the

light of Allah. Say: Allah Himself is the
Guardian of that light. Allah’s favour guards
you. We have sent it153 down and We are the
Guardian. Allah is the Best of guardians and
He is the Most Merciful. They will try to
frighten you of diverse things; they are the
leaders of disbelief. Fear not, you will be on top.
That is, you shall prevail in terms of clear
proofs, arguments, acceptance and blessings.
Allah will help you in many fields, that is, you
will be on top in debates and religious
discussions.
Then the revelation continued:
[Arabic] My day will distinguish clearly
between truth and falsehood. Allah has
decreed: I and My messengers shall certainly
prevail. No one can change the words of God.
These acts of God are powerful arguments in
support of the truthfulness of the faith. I shall
help you from Myself. I Myself shall deliver
you from distress. Your Lord is Powerful. You
are with Me and I am with you. I have created
the night and the day for you. Act as you would
like, I have forgiven you; you have a standing
with Me of which people have no knowledge.
The last sentence does not mean that the prohibitions of the
law do not bind me. Its meaning is that whatever has been
prohibited has become hateful to me and that love of
righteousness has become my nature. In other words, God’s
will has become completely the will of His servant and
everything relating to faith has been made dear to him as

153
The word for ‘it’ [ ] was inadvertently omitted by the scribe in
the original Urdu translation. [Abdul Latif Bahawalpuri]

133
 TADHKIRAH

his natural desire. [This is Allah’s

grace which He bestows upon whomsoever He wills.]

154

[Arabic] And they will say: ‘This is (nothing

but) a falsehood that he has invented. We have
not heard of it from our forefathers, that is,
from the past elders in faith’. The fact is that
all children of Adam have not been made
equal; God has exalted some of them above
others and has chosen some of them from
among others. This indeed is the truth. So it is
that it might be a Sign for the believers. Do you
imagine that Our wonders were confined to
Ashab-e-Kahf [the People of the Cave]? No.
Allah possesses wonders since eternity and His
wonders will never come to an end. Every day
He is in a new magnificent state. We have
instructed Sulaiman [Solomon], meaning this
humble one, in those Signs. People have denied
them wrongfully and arrogantly, although their
hearts have believed in them. So, We shall soon

154
The word , (which has been inserted in brackets in the Arabic text
above) had been inadvertently omitted by the scribe in the first sentence
as
of this revelation. The Promised Messiah has quoted the same
revelation in Arba‘in, number 2, 1st edition, page 7, Ruhani Khaza’in,
volume 17, page 353, with reference to Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah and the
word is included there. The translation given below includes the
translation of this word in brackets. [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]

134
 1883

put fear in their hearts. Say: There has come to

you a light from Allah, so do not reject it if you
are believers. Peace be on Ibrahim [Abraham].
We have purified him and delivered him from
distress. We alone have done this; therefore
follow in the footsteps of Ibrahim.
That is, follow the true path of the Holy Prophet which is
no longer clearly recognized by many people—some of
them have become slaves of the letter like the Jews and
some others have been involved in the worship of creatures.
They should enquire about this way from this humble
servant of God the Almighty and should tread upon it.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 559–562 sub-footnote,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 667–671 sub-footnote]

August 1883
(A) The news of his [Pandit Dayanand’s] passing away,
which happened on October 30, 1883, was indicated to me
by God Almighty about three months in advance and this
was communicated by me to some Aryas.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, p. 535 footnote 11,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 640 footnote 11]
(B) Concerning Pandit Dayanand, Lalah Sharampat was
informed two months before his demise that his end was
very near. Actually, in my vision I had seen him dead.
[Shahna-e-Haqq, p. 43, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, p. 382]
(C) Pandit Dayanand, the founder of the Arya faith,
propagated his views in the Punjab and incited mean minded
Hindus to insult the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him, and likewise other Prophets. He [Pandit
Dayanand] himself, from the moment he began to compile
his books, started to attack the honour of all holy and chosen
Prophets of God in his satanic books, and more particularly
filled his book Satyarath Prakash with much filth of lies, and

135
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uttered filthy abuses about great Prophets. Thereupon, I

received the revelation concerning him:

[Urdu] God the Almighty will very soon

remove such an evil one from the earth.
[Tatimma Haqiqatul-Wahi, p. 167, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, p. 607]

August 28, 1883

Probably day before yesterday, i.e., on Tuesday, I looked at
the mosque and immediately another revelation was
received from God Almighty:

That is [Arabic] In it are blessings for

mankind.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 45, Letter no. 25, dated August 30, 1883]

September 6, 1883
On Thursday, September 6, 1883, God Almighty informed
me through His blessed revelation in order to set my mind
at rest at a time of need:

[Urdu] Twenty and one rupees are coming.

This glad tiding had a special feature that the exact amount
was mentioned. To give intimation of a specific amount is
special to the All-Knowing; no one else can do so. The
second, even more wonderful, feature was that this amount
was of an unusual nature, because it had no relationship to
the price that had been fixed for this book. Because of these
special features this revelation was communicated to some
Aryas ahead of time.
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, p. 522 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 624 sub-footnote 3]

136
 1883

September 10, 1883

Then a revelation was received definitely and emphatically
for the third time on September 10, 1883:

[Urdu] Twenty and one rupees have arrived.

This was understood to mean that the prophecy would be
fulfilled the same day. Within approximately three minutes
of the receipt of this revelation, a man of the name of Wazir
Singh, who was ill, arrived and immediately presented a
rupee to me. I do not practice as a physician, but if by
chance a person who is suffering arrives and I am able to
think of a suitable medicine I give it away for the sake of
Allah and to earn His blessings. However, I accepted this
rupee from him for it passed through my mind that this
rupee might be connected with the prophecy. Then, I sent a
trusted messenger to the post office expecting that the rest
of the prophecy would be fulfilled through the post office.
The postal clerk, a Hindu, sent word that he had received a
money order of the value of five rupees to which a card was
attached—which had arrived from Dera Ghazi Khan—but
that he did not have any money with him and would remit
this money as soon as he would receive it. I was so
surprised and perturbed upon receiving this information as
cannot be described in words. While I had bowed down my
head, thinking that five and one would make only six; how
will they turn into twenty-one, I begged Allah what the
matter was. During this contemplation, I suddenly received
the revelation:

[Urdu] Twenty and one have arrived, there is

no doubt in this.

137
 TADHKIRAH

A short while after, an Arya who had heard the message of

the postal clerk happened to go to the post office and in the
course of conversation the postal clerk told him that the
money order was of the value of twenty rupees, but that
unthinkingly he had mentioned the amount of five rupees.
The same Arya brought twenty rupees and a post card from
Munshi Ilahi Bakhsh, Accountant, and it was discovered
that the post card had not been attached to the money order
and it was also discovered from the writing of Munshi Ilahi
Bakhsh that the money order had arrived at Qadian on
September 6, 1883, that is to say, on the day on which the
first revelation had been received. Thus, the whole
statement of the postal clerk was proved wrong and the
revelation of the All-Knowing was proved correct. In
memory of this blessed day one rupee’s worth of sweets
were distributed among others to some Aryas also.
[Allah be praised for all His
favours and His bounties, manifest and hidden.]
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 522–524 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, pp. 624–626 sub-footnote 3]

October 9, 1883
What a wonderful dream I had last night—that some
persons whom I did not recognise were inscribing some
verses over the door of the mosque155 with green ink. I
conceived that they were angels, who were carrying green
ink with them, and were writing some verses in calligraphy
that was involved and continuous. This humble one started
reading these verses but only one of them has remained in
my memory and that was:

155
Refers to Mubarak mosque. [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]

138
 1883

156

which is a self evident truth for who can repel God’s

bounty? No one can demolish a structure that He desires to
raise and no one can humiliate the one whom He desires to
exalt.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 61, addressed to Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali of Ludhiana,
dated October 9, 1883]

October 22, 1883

Today while my humble self was correcting proofs I was
handed a few sheets of paper in a vision. They bore the
inscription:

[Urdu] Let the drums of victory beat.

Then a person showed me a picture on the other side of the
sheets and said:

[Urdu] Take a look. What does your picture

say?
When I looked, it was indeed the picture of my humble
self, in green attire. The picture was very majestic like that
of a victorious commander laced with armaments. On the
right and left of the picture were inscribed the words:

[Arabic] The instrument of Allah the All-

Powerful and [Persian] Vicegerent—with royal
authority—of Ahmad the Chosen [Prophet of
God].

156
[Arabic] No one can repel His bounty. [Publishers]

139
 TADHKIRAH

This is Monday, Dhul-Hajj 19, 1300 AH, October 22, 1883

CE, Katak 6, 1940 [Bikrami].
[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, pp. 515–516 sub-footnote 3,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 615 sub-footnote 3]

Before October 24, 1883

On one occasion, my humble self received the revelation
from God Almighty:

[Urdu] If all people should turn away, I can

help from below the earth or from above the
heaven.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 63, Letter no. 31, dated October 24, 1883]

Before October 29, 1883

On several occasions, my humble self has received such
sentences in the converse from God, the One, as indicated
that the whole world is under complete control and
subjugation of the powerful grip of the One, and divine
control is exercised all through the heaven and the earth.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 63, Letter no. 32, dated October 29 1883]

Before October 29, 1883

A few days ago, I received the revelation:

157

[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 63, Letter dated October 29, 1883]

157
[Arabic] If He should afflict you with harm, no one, other than
Him can remove it and if He should desire to bestow good upon
you no one can repel His bounty. Know you not that Allah has
complete power to do all that He wills? The promise of Allah is
bound to be fulfilled. [Publishers]
Note by Maulana Abdul Latif Bahawalpuri: The word
[yamsaska] is written as [tamsaska] in the reference quoted
above; this appears to be a scribe’s error.

140
 1883

November 19-20, 1883

Last night I received another strange revelation:
158

This revelation was also repeated several times. It has only

two meanings. The first meaning is: Tell your beneficiary
or your brother that: ‘I shall complete My favour upon
you.’ The second meaning is: ‘I shall cause (you) to die.’
I do not know who this might relate to. There are several
people who stand in such relationship to me. I often receive
such revelations or see such visions in which news is
conveyed with regard to ease or hardship or accidents or
age concerning myself or some of my friends.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, pp. 67–68, Letter no. 35,
dated November 20, 1883]

1883
Fifteen159 years later when my brother [Mirza Ghulam
Qadir]’s time of death drew near, I was in Amritsar. It was
disclosed to me in a dream that the cup of his life was now

In Hayat-e-Ahmad volume 2, number 2, page 72 (by Sheikh Ya‘qub

158

‘Ali ‘Irfani), this revelation is written clearly with the words .

But in Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, volume 1, page 67, Letter number 35,
addressed to Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali Shah dated November 20, 1883, the word
is not written very legibly. It can be read as also. The translation
by the Promised Messiahas maurad-e-faid [your beneficiary]
strengthens that possibility, although daif [the guest] can also be
understood as maurad-e-faid [the beneficiary]. [Allah knows
best.] It may be noted the brother of the Promised Messiahas passed
away in those days. [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]
159
In 1868 the brother of the Promised Messiahas, Mirza Ghulam Qadir
fell ill, and was reduced to a bare skeleton. The Promised Messiahas
prayed for his recovery. He was shown in a dream that he was walking
in the house without any support. The Promised Messiahas has written
that he lived for fifteen years after that dream. For details see page 11
under About 1868. [Publishers]

141
 TADHKIRAH

definitely full and he would soon die. I related this dream to

Hakim Muhammad Sharif, who is a physician in Amritsar
and then wrote to my brother that he should prepare for the
hereafter as I had been shown that he had only a short while
to live. He informed the other members of the family of this
and a few weeks later he passed away.
[Tiryaqul-Qulub, p. 39, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 15, pp. 211–212]

1883
The sixty-first Sign is the death of my brother, Mirza
Ghulam Qadir, concerning which I received the revelation
as if a son of mine had said:
160

This was also communicated to the Arya Sharampat ahead

of time. The revelation indicated that my brother would die
an untimely and sudden death which would cause much
grief… and it was disclosed to me thereafter that this
revelation was an indication of my brother’s death. My
brother died suddenly two or three days after and that son
of mine was deeply grieved.
[Haqiqatul-Wahi, p. 223, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, pp. 233–234]

1883
One day before the death of my brother Mirza Ghulam
Qadir, I received the revelation:

[Urdu] Funeral.

160
[Persian] O uncle you played away your life and left me deeply
sorrowful. [Publishers]

142
 1883

I informed several people of this revelation. Next day my

brother died.161
[Nuzulul-Masih, p. 225, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 603]

December 1883
In the course of this week some phrases in English and
other languages have been revealed to me...which are:

[Pression, ‘Umar, Bratos or Platos]

The speed of revelation left some of these words indistinct.
It is not clear whether it [the last word] is Bratos or Platos.
‘Umar is an Arabic word. We need to enquire into the
linguistic origin and meanings of Bratos and Pression.
These were followed by two other words:
162

Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad asked Hadrat Ummul Mo’minin in

161

which year Mirza Ghulam Qadir died. She said: ‘He had already passed
away one year before my marriage’ (which took place in 1884). Chiefs
of Punjab also mentions 1883 as the year of his death. [Publishers]
162
(A) This is a Hebrew word meaning: Deliver us. This resembles the
revelation I received:

[al-Badr, vol. 2, no. 16, May 8, 1903, p. 122]

[Arabic] O Messiah who has been sent for human

welfare, help us to avert the plague.
[Ayyamus-Sulah, p. 156, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 14, p. 403]

(B) As these revelations are in a foreign tongue and revelation comes

fast, it is possible that there may be a slight departure from the
pronunciation. It has also been observed that sometimes the divine
word does not follow human idiom or follows an archaic idiom and
sometime does not even follow the rules of grammar. There are several
such instances in the Holy Qur’an e.g. (Ta Ha, 20:64) where in the
verse the prevailing usage by men calls for .
[Haqiqatul-Wahi, p. 304 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, p. 317 footnote]

143
 TADHKIRAH

It is not known to which language these two belong.

These were followed by a revelation. The first sentence
is Arabic, then English:

You must do what I told you.

[Arabic] O Dawud [David], behave towards

people with kindness and benevolence.
[English] You must do what I told you.
[Urdu] You must do what I told you.
The Urdu sentence is also a revealed one. After that there
was a revelation in English, but its translation is not
revealed….It should be remembered that I am not sure of
the sequence; and sometimes revelations are received in
different order. The revelations are:
[English] Though all men should be angry but
God is with you. He shall help you. Words of
God not can163 exchange.
After that there were a few more revelations in English of
which the following are remembered:
[English] I shall help you;
This was followed by:
[English] You have to go Amritsar;

163
This seems to be a scribe’s error. The same revelation has been
quoted before (See page 123) and contains the words can not. [Syed
Abdul Hayee]

144
 1883

and then followed a sentence of which I do not know the

meaning:
[English] He halts in the zilla Peshawar.164
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, pp. 68–69, Letter dated December 12, 1883,
addressed to Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali]

164
The word ‘zilla’ is used in English. See Public Service Inquiries Act
Section 8 and the Punjab Courts Act, (published by Shamir Chand)
Article 23. See also Oxford Dictionary under ‘zilla’. [Jalal-ud-Din
Shams]

145
 1884
January 1884
Originally, at the beginning of the compilation of this book,
its situation was different. Thereafter, a sudden
manifestation of divine power made me aware, like Musa
[Moses], of a universe of which I had no notion before.
That is to say, this humble one, like Hadrat Ibn-e-‘Imran
[Prophet Mosesas], was also proceeding in the dark night of
his own concepts, when suddenly from behind the curtain
of the unseen came a voice:
165

Such mysteries were then revealed as were beyond the

reach of reason and imagination. Therefore, the Lord of all
the worlds is now the Guardian and Manager of this book,
both manifest and hidden.
[Hamm Aur Hamari Kitab, back title page Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 673]

1884
The Promised Messiahas said: One of the old revelations
received by me is:
166

165
[Arabic] Verily, I am your Lord. [Publishers]
166
[Arabic] Do these people not reflect on your affair? Had this
matter not been from Allah, they would have found much
contradiction in it. [Publishers]
Note by Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra: Since al-Badr states that this
revelation was received during the time of the writing of the Barahin-e-
Ahmadiyyah, it has been placed immediately after the revelations
recorded in Barahin.
 TADHKIRAH

[al-Badr, vol. I, no. 5, November 28, 1902 p. 37]

January 1884
A few days ago my humble self saw a strange dream. [It is
that] there is a company of ascetics and worshippers and
each one of them stands up to describe his way of life and
while doing so recites an appropriate verse the last word of
which is like qu‘ud or sujud or shuhud as in this verse
.167 Some of them recite such couplets
describing their experiences. At the end, I was about to
recite a verse when my dream ended and the verse that I
had intended to recite found utterance in a revelation as
following:

168

[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 71, Letter dated January 7, 1884,

addressed to Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali]

January 3, 1884
(A) The fifty rupees sent by you arrived exactly at a time of
need. Some people had made an untimely demand and I
was in great need of fifty rupees. I supplicated and received
the revelation:
169

167
I spend the whole night in standing and prostrating [in worship].
[Publishers]
168
[Persian] O ascetic, I know not the formalities of asceticism and
devotional ceremonies.
My Lord has Himself led my steps to the way of Dawud [David].
[Publishers]
169
[Persian] Observe My good acceptance of thy supplication and
see how quickly I respond to it. [Publishers]

148
 1884

This revelation was received on January 3, 1884 and on the

6th the money you sent was received. [Allah
be praised for all this]
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p.72, Letter dated January 7, 1884,
addressed to Mir ‘Abbas Ali]
(B) Once I was in great need of fifty rupees and, as
sometimes happens in the case of people who voluntarily
adopt poverty and put their trust in God, I had nothing with
me at the time. When I went out for a walk in the morning,
the thought of the need prompted me to make a
supplication in the jungle. I withdrew to an isolated place
on the bank of the canal at a distance of three miles from
Qadian towards Batala and made my supplication there. As
soon as I had finished I received a revelation the rendering
of which [in Urdu] is:

[Urdu] Observe how soon I accept your

supplications.
I returned joyfully to Qadian and went to the post office to
find out whether any money had arrived. I received a letter
in which it was stated that a person from Ludhiana had
dispatched fifty rupees and the amount reached me
probably that day or the following day.
[Nuzulul-Masih, p. 234, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 612]

January 1884
One night I saw in a dream that my humble self was in a
house which I do not recall and many people whom I had
not previously known had come to see me. You [Mir
‘Abbas ‘Ali] were also one of them, but it seemed that it
was not your house. Those people observed something
about me which they did not like and I lost their goodwill.
On this you said to me: ‘You had better make a change of

149
 TADHKIRAH

your appearance.’ I replied to you: ‘No, that would be an

innovation.’ On this those people were affronted and
withdrew to a neighbouring house and perhaps you were
also with them. Then I went to that house so that I might
lead them in Prayer. They again said with dismay: ‘We
have already performed the Prayer.’ Then I decided to
withdraw from them and to leave them alone, and stepped
out. I felt that one of them was following me. When I
looked, I found that it was you. Now, though details in a
dream are not always definite and reliable and, if He so
wills, God can even change His conditional decrees, I am
apprehensive lest, God forbid, it should be your town. You
should not pay much heed to the eagerness and devotion of
people. True devotion, such as should withstand all trials
and stumbling, is to be found only in one out of hundreds
of thousand....It would be better if you do not insist too
much on helping this humble one, as this might lead to
many risky situations. I do not follow the way of the
common ascetics and devotees, nor do I spend my time
according to their custom and habit. Indeed, I am
170
unfamiliar and far away from their mode. .
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, pp. 72–73, Letter dated January 18, 1884,
addressed to Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali]

About February 1884

I remember that about three months ago my son171 wrote to
me that he had appeared in the competitive examination for
the post of tahsildar and he asked me to pray that he might
be successful and emphasized his request with great

170
Allah will bring about that which He wills. [Publishers]
171
Refers to Khan Bahadur Mirza Sultan Ahmad [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]

150
 1884

humility and earnestness. Rather than being sympathetic, I

reacted angrily upon reading the letter because of his great
concern and anxiety about a worldly matter. Immediately
after reading it, I destroyed the letter with great dislike and
aversion, being reluctant to make a supplication in respect
of a worldly affair to my Lord. As soon as I destroyed the
letter, I received the revelation:172

[Urdu] Will be successful.

This wonderful revelation was also communicated to
several people and in fact he succeeded in the examination.
[Allah be praised for this].
[Letter dated May 11, 1884, addressed to Navvab ‘Ali Muhammad Khan of Jhajjar and
al-Hakam, vol. 3, no. 34 dated September 23, 1899, pp. 1, 2]

1884
On one occasion Navvab ‘Ali Muhammad Khan173
(deceased), Chief of Ludhiana, wrote a letter to me that
some of the sources of his income had been blocked and he
asked me to supplicate that they might be restored. When I
supplicated, I received the revelation:

[Urdu] Will be restored.

172
al-Hakam version cites: meaning: ‘May he pass’ which
seems to be a scribe’s error. [Abdul Latif Bahawalpuri]
173
Please note that Navvab ‘Ali Muhammad Khan was the Chief of
Jhajjar, but lived in Ludhiana. He was very devoted to the Promised
Messiahas and wrote to him often for prayers for the relief of his
troubles. The order and the dates of the Signs mentioned about him are
not known precisely, except one or two. The best estimate is that they
belong to 1884 or thereabout. [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]

151
 TADHKIRAH

I communicated this to him by letter and two to four days

later, those sources were restored and his confidence in me
became firm.
[Haqiqatul-Wahi, p. 246 Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, p.257]

1884
He [Navvab ‘Ali Muhammad Khan of Jhajjar] wrote to me
again in connection with some174 matters that he had not
disclosed to anyone. The moment he mailed his letter I
received a revelation that a letter of the type was expected
from him. Thereupon I wrote to him immediately that he
was sending me a letter the purport of which was such and
such. The next day I received his letter. When he received
my letter he was wonder-struck how I had become aware of
that hidden matter because he had not disclosed it to
anyone. This increased his confidence in me so much that
he became totally immersed in my love and devotion. He
entered both these Signs in a small pocket book which he
always kept with him.
[Haqiqatul-Wahi, p. 246, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, pp. 257–258]

About 1884
In my vision I received his [Navvab ‘Ali Muhammad Khan
of Jhajjar’s] second letter in which he had described his

174
‘Ali Muhammad Khan, Navvab of Jhajjar, had started a grain
market in Ludhiana. Through the mischief of someone, this market was
deserted and he began to incur great loss. Then he turned to me with a
request for prayers. But before I received any letter from Navvab [‘Ali
Muhammad Khan] for prayer specifically in this matter, I was informed
by Allah the Almighty that a letter on the subject would be received by
me.
[Nuzulul-Masih, p. 218, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 596]

152
 1884

great anxiety, thereupon I …prayed for him and I received

the revelation

[Urdu] This obstruction will be removed for a

time and he will be relieved of this distress.
I had mentioned this revelation in the letter that I wrote to
him which made him wonder still more. This revelation
was fulfilled very speedily and within a few days his
market flourished in a very good way and the obstruction
was removed.
[Nuzulul-Masih, p. 219, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 597]

February 12, 1884

Perhaps two days ago I again received the revelation:
175

This last part has been revealed to me previously also.

[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 74, Letter dated February 15, 1884,
addressed to Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali]

February 15, 1884

Today I received the revelation from Allah the Noble:
176

[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 74, Letter dated February 15, 1884,

addressed to Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali]

175
[Arabic] O Yahya [John] hold fast to this Book. Hold fast to it
and be not afraid. We shall restore to it its original qualities.
[Publishers]
176
[Arabic] O Servant of the God Who exalts! I shall raise you
towards Me. I shall bestow honour and victory upon you. None can
stop that which I bestow. [Publishers]

153
 TADHKIRAH

March 28, 1884

After I had written this letter the following couplet of some
eminent personage came to me as a revelation:

177

[Letter dated March 28, 1884, addressed to Munshi Ahmad Jan, published in al-Hakam,
vol. 37, no. 7 dated February 28, 1934, p. 10]

May 9, 1884
One of the indications of your [Navvab ‘Ali Muhammad
Khan of Jhajjar’s] acceptance by God, the Noble, is that
sometimes He informs me in advance of your attention
towards me. I had a wonderful experience day before
yesterday as well. I had not yet received your money order
or your letter. I was shown in a vision a money order of
yellow colour as coming from you and was then informed
by revelation of your letter and was made aware of the state
of your mind and the contents of the letter. The letter
included a revealed sentence by way of a statement from
you: ‘I believe this is the result of your attention.’ The
contents of the letter and the purport of what was on your
mind were communicated to three Hindus and several
Muslims. Thereafter, your money order and letter were
received.
[Letter dated May 11, 1884, addressed to Navvab ‘Ali Muhammad Khan of Jhajjar,
published in al-Hakam, vol. 3, no. 34 September 23, 1899, p. 1]

May 1884
Once I saw in a dream that the condition of Navvab [‘Ali
Muhammad Khan of Jhajjar] had moved from anxiety to

177
[Persian] Never dies the one whose heart has come alive with
love. Our permanence is inscribed on the pages of the universe.
[Publishers]

154
 1884

joy and that he was prosperous and grateful. The dream

was very lucid and clear; it was a form of vision. Next
morning I informed Navvab [‘Ali Muhammad Khan] of
this dream.
[Letter dated May 26, 1884 to Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali Shah, published in al-Hakam,
vol. 3, no. 13, April 12, 1899 p. 8]

May 1884
Then it so happened that one Munshi Ilahi Bakhsh,
Accountant, who is one of those who are assisting me in the
publication of this book [Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah], wrote to
me for prayers in connection with one of his problems and
sent me fifty rupees as a present. He had also requested
prayers a few days earlier, but I was occupied with
supplication for Navvab [‘Ali Muhammad Khan of Jhajjar]
and postponed praying for him to some other time. On the
day I received the glad tidings concerning the matter of
Navvab [‘Ali Muhammad], I thought that I should pray
with full attention for Munshi Ilahi Bakhsh. So when I
found an opportunity after the ‘Asr prayers to pray without
distraction and intended to perform my prayer, it occurred
to me that I should still include Navvab [‘Ali Muhammad
Khan] in my prayer. Accordingly, I supplicated on behalf
of both Navvab [‘Ali Muhammad] and Munshi Ilahi
Bakhsh. After supplication I received the following
revelation at the same spot:

That is [Arabic] We shall relieve both of them

of their distress…

155
 TADHKIRAH

A few days later I received a letter from Navvab [‘Ali

Muhammad Khan] that the sara’i [lodging house] had
started operating again.
[Letter dated May 26, 1884, addressed to Mir ‘Abbas ‘Ali Shah,
published in al-Hakam, vol. 3, no. 13, April 12, 1899 p. 8 and
al-Hakam vol. 3, no. 14, April 19, 1899 p. 6]

November 1884
One of the problems that I encountered at the time of my
marriage178 was that, as my heart and brain suffered from
weakness and I had suffered many illnesses…, my sexual
power was almost nonexistent and my life was like that of
an old man. Therefore, some of my friends expressed
concern at this marriage… that I was not fit for it because
of such a weak condition… In short, I supplicated the
Almighty regarding this problem and He revealed to me a
prescription to treat the ailment. I saw in a vision that an
angel was feeding me the medicines. I prepared that
prescription and God blessed it so much that I was
convinced that I had been given the vigour and strength
which can be attained by a man of perfect health.
Thereafter, four sons were bestowed upon me.
[Tiryaqul-Qulub, pp. 35–36, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol.15, pp.203–204]

178
Which took place in Delhi on November 17, 1884 [Mirza Bashir
Ahmad]

156
 1884

1884
Allah gave me glad tidings time after time in the matter of
my sons till He took the number to three. I was informed of
their birth in advance by revelation.179
[Anjam-e-Atham, p. 182, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 11, p.182]

December 30, 1884

180

[Letter dated December 30, 1884, al-Hakam, vol. 19, no. 3, January. 21, 1915, p. 3]

Note by Hadrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shamsra: Hadrat Ummul-

179
as
Mo’mininra (wife of the Promised Messiah ) has stated:
After my marriage when I returned to Delhi after staying for
a month at Qadian, the Promised Messiahas wrote me a letter
saying: ‘I have seen in a dream three sons of yours grown
up.’
[Siratul-Mahdi, part 1, p. 73]
180
[Arabic] I have exalted you above all peoples. Proclaim: I have
been sent to all of you. [Publishers]

157
 1885
Early March 1885
The author has also been informed that he is the Reformer
of the age and that his spiritual qualities have a
resemblance to the qualities of Masih [Messiah], son of
Mary—each bearing a strong affinity and likeness with the
other. And [I have also been told] that, due entirely to the
blessing of perfect obedience to the Best of Mankind and
the Most Exalted of All the Messengers, on whom be the
peace and blessings of Allah, this humble one has been
granted exaltation above many of the great saints who have
passed away before me, just as the Prophets and
Messengers were granted earlier. Following my way is the
road to salvation, good fortune and blessings; and to go
against it is a cause for deprivation and despondency.
[Announcement Appendix Surmah Chashm-e-Aryah,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, p. 319]

March 8, 1885
This humble one, compiler of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, has
been commissioned by God, the All Powerful, may He be
glorified, to strive for the reformation of mankind, in the
manner of the Israeli Prophet from Nazareth (Masih)
[Messiah], with perfect humility, meekness, lowliness,
…and courtesy…. It has therefore been decided that to bring
the argument to a conclusive end, this letter…together with
an announcement in English181… be published and a copy
thereof should be sent to the reverend missionaries… and to

181
i.e., Announcement attached as Appendix to Surmah Chashm-e-
Aryah which was published both in Urdu and English. [Jalal-ud-Din
Shams]
 TADHKIRAH

respected representatives of Brahamos, Aryas, followers of

nature, and the Muslim divines….
This plan has not been adopted of my own thinking and
initiative. Rather, I have been permitted by the Almighty
Master to do so and I have been assured through revelation,
as a prophecy, that the addressees of this letter (who do not
respond to the truth upon receiving the letter) will be held
guilty and will be confounded and rendered helpless.
[Letter printed on March 8, 1885, Majmu‘a Ishtiharat, vol. 1, p. 20]

April 6, 1885
Just now I have seen in a dream that I am confronted with
some difficulty and say: [To Allah we
belong and to Him shall we return].
I said to the person who was interrogating me on behalf of
the government: ‘Will they imprison me or put me to death?’
His reply was somewhat to the effect that arrangements to be
humiliated have been made. I said: ‘I am under the control of
my God Almighty, the Glorious. I will sit where He will
direct me to sit and I will stand where He directs me to
stand’ and then the revelation came to me:

That is [Arabic] The abdal [devotees] of Syria

and the servants of Allah from among the
Arabs are supplicating on your behalf.
Allah alone knows what the import is and when or how it
might come to pass.182 [Allah knows best].
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 86, Letter dated April 6, 1885]

182
The lands of Syria and Arabia bear testimony to the truth of this
revelation. Many Jama‘ats have been established there and are
supporting the mission of the Promised Messiahas and invoking
blessings upon him. [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]

160
 1885

July 10, 1885

I remember that on one occasion I saw183 in a state of

Note by Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra: Maulavi ‘Abdullah of

183

Sannourra had the following statement published in al-Fadl, volume 4,

number 24, September 26, 1916 by way of attestation of this event:
th
It was the month of Ramadan on the 27 day of which was
Friday. I had the honour of being in attendance upon the
blessed presence. After offering the Fajr Prayer, the
Promised Messiah[as], as was his wont, retired into the
chamber (i.e., the small room to the east of Masjid Mubarak)
and lay down on a cot. Sitting near him, my humble self
started massaging his feet as usual. This continued till the
sun came out and the chamber was lit up.
The Promised Messiahas was lying on his side and his
forearm covered his face. I was thinking with great joy how
fortunate I was and what a blessed opportunity had been
afforded to me by Allah, the Holy and High, that it was the
th
blessed month of Ramadan and it was the blessed 27 day,
the blessed period of the last ten days [of Ramadan], a
blessed Friday and I was in the company of the blessed
personage. I thought to myself how many blessings
combined for me that day; it would not be strange if God
Almighty were to show me some Sign of the Promised
Messiahas. I was deep in these delightful thoughts as I was
massaging his foot near the ankle when suddenly I perceived
a slight trembling of his body, whereupon he removed his
forearm from his face and looked at me. His eyes were wet
and were possibly running with tears. He covered up his face
again and continued in that posture. When I looked at his
ankle I noticed a red drop which was round and had not
spread out. I put the tip of my forefinger on the drop and it
spread out and it coloured my finger also. I was surprised
and the verse passed through my mind:
[Arabic] [The colouring of Allah
and who is better than Allah in the matter of colouring.
(al-Baqarah, 2:139)]
Then I thought that if this was Allah’s colouring may be it
had a fragrance. I smelt my finger but there was no
fragrance. Then I started massaging his back and observed a
few wet red stains on his shirt which made me wonder, and I

161
 TADHKIRAH

vision that I had written certain divine decrees with my

own hand setting out events in the future and then

got up and examined the whole chamber but did not find any
red stain anywhere else. I was very puzzled, and resumed
massaging his feet. The Promised Messiahas continued lying
down with his face covered with his forearm. In a short
while he sat up and then went to the mosque and sat there.
My humble self continued massaging his back.
It was then that I asked him: ‘Hudur, where did these red
drops fall from?’ At first, he put me off; but on my persisting
he related the whole incident as he has set out in detail in his
books. Before describing the incident, he expounded to me
in detail the matter of beholding God Almighty and the
external materialization of elements observed in a vision. He
drew upon the experiences of Hadrat Mohy-ud-din Ibn-e-
‘Arabi to make me fully comprehend how perfect
individuals are vouchsafed the experience of the
personification of divine attributes of Beauty and Majesty.
Then the Promised Messiahas asked me: ‘Did any drop fall
on your clothes?’ I looked at my clothes and answered:
‘There is no drop on me.’ He asked me to look at my cap
(which was of white muslin.) I took off my cap and looked
at it and saw that there was a drop on it also. I felt very
happy that a drop of the divine ink had fallen on me too. I
begged the Promised Messiahas persistently to bestow upon
me the shirt on which the red drops had fallen.. He agreed on
the condition that I should give a direction in my will that on
my death it should be buried along with me. His hesitation in
bestowing it upon me was due to his apprehension that after
the death of both of us, people might convert it into an object
of worship; and he gave it to me after a good deal of
discussion between us. It is still with me and bears the red
stains exactly as they were then.
This is my true eye-witness testimony! Suffice to say
that if I have lied, may I be subject to the warning of:
[Curse of Allah be upon the liars.]
Taking Allah as Ever-Present, All-Seeing, I declare on
oath in the name of Allah that whatever I have stated is the
truth in its entirety. If I have forged a lie I call down upon
myself the curse! curse!! curse!!! and wrath! wrath!!
wrath!!! of Allah. Humbly, ‘Abdullah of Sannour.

162
 1885

presented the paper to Allah the All-Powerful, Gloried be

His name, for His signature. (It should be remembered that
it often happens in visions and divinely inspired dreams
that some divines attribute of Beauty or Majesty are beheld
by the recipient of the vision in the form of a human being
and the person seeing the vision thinks, by way of
symbolism, that he is actually beholding God, the
Absolutely All-Powerful. Among those with experience of
spiritual visions, this matter is well-recorded, known, and
accepted as an established fact. It cannot be denied by
anyone with experience of visions.) To the same Peerless
and Self-Sufficient Being—Who manifested His attribute
of Beauty to my mind in the state of vision and appeared to
be God, the All-Powerful—I presented the document
containing divine decrees for attestation. And He, Who was
manifesting Himself in the form of a Ruler, dipped His pen
in red ink and first flicked it in my direction and with the
rest of the red ink which remained at the point of the pen
He put His signature184 to the document. Thereupon, the
state of vision came to an end and when I opened my eyes
to look at the material world around me, I witnessed several
red drops falling on my clothes. Two or three of the drops
also fell on the cap of one ‘Abdullah of Sannour (Patiala
State) who was at the time sitting close to me. Thus, the red
ink which was part of the vision materialized externally and
became visible. Many other such manifestations have been
witnessed which it would take too long to relate.
[Surmah Chashm-e-Aryah, pp. 131–132 footnote,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, pp. 179–180 footnote]

As this Sign was shown in view of the opposition of Aryas, I

184

consider that it presaged the assassination of Pandit Lekhram and it also

had reference to the plague.
[Nasim-e-Da‘wat, p. 62 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 19, p. 427]

163
 TADHKIRAH

1885
I saw [in a dream] that I was present in the court of Allah
the Almighty and was awaiting the hearing of my case.
Then I heard the response:
185

On another occasion, I saw that I had gone to court and

Allah the Almighty was presiding over the court like a
Judge. A Reader was holding a file in his hand which he
presented to the Judge. On looking into the file the Judge
enquired: ‘Is Mirza present?’ I took a closer look and
observed an empty chair close to Allah the Almighty. He
indicated to me that I should sit down in it. Then I woke up.
[al-Hakam, vol. 7, no. 5, February 7, 1903, p. 14 and
al-Badr, vol. 2, no. 6, February 27, 1903, p. 42]

August 5, 1885
I received a revelation concerning Mirza Imam-ud-Din and
Nizam-ud-Din, that: Within thirty-one months they
would encounter a great misfortune.
I understood this to mean that a man or a woman from
among their close relatives would die which would cause
great sorrow and division among them. This would happen
within thirty-one months from today which is Sawan 23,
1942 [Bikrami], August 5, 1885186. Written on August 5,
1885.
[Announcement of March 20, 1888, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, p. 144]

185
[Arabic] Wait a while, O Mirza, I shall soon be free. [Publishers]
186
Accordingly, in the middle of the 31st month, the daughter of Mirza
Nizam-ud-Dan, niece of Mirza Imam-ud-Din, aged twenty-five years,
died leaving behind a small child.
[Announcement of March 20, 1888, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, p. 144]

164
 1885

1885
(A) About fourteen years ago I saw in a dream that my
wife187 had given birth to a fourth son and three were
already present. I also saw in the dream that the ‘aqiqah188
of this fourth son was performed on Monday. When I saw
this dream I had no son—not a single one—[from this wife]
and yet I saw in my dream that I had four sons from this
wife who were present before me and that the ‘aqiqah of
the youngest was performed on Monday.
When this son, Mubarak Ahmad, was born this dream
had escaped my memory and Sunday was fixed for his
‘aqiqah. But by God’s design it rained so much that the
‘aqiqah could not be performed that day and was per force
postponed to Monday. Then I recalled that fourteen years
earlier I had seen a dream that a fourth son would be born
to me and his ‘aqiqah would be performed on Monday. All
the anxiety was then turned into joy observing how God
Almighty had fulfilled His own word. We were working
very hard to perform the ‘aqiqah on Sunday but could not
do any thing and the ‘aqiqah was performed on Monday.
This was a grand prophecy that four sons would be born
during the period of fourteen years and the ‘aqiqah of the
fourth would be performed on Monday. A person would
not know that he would have four sons, all of which would
remain alive. These are the doings of God. It is a pity that
our people see these Signs and shut their eyes to them.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, part 1, pp. 26–27, Letter dated June 27, 1899, addressed
to Seth ‘AbdurRahman of Madras]

Hadrat Ummul-Mo’mininra [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]

187

188
Thanksgiving celebration and sacrifice at the birth of a child.
[Munawar Ahmed Saeed]

165
 TADHKIRAH

(B) Fourteen years ago I had seen in a dream that I would

have four sons and that the ‘aqiqah of the fourth would be
performed on a Monday.
[Letter dated June 26, 1899 addressed to Dr. Khalifah Rashid-ud-Din]

1885
Miyań ‘Abdullah of Sannour, who is a patwari [A village
registrar of land] in Patiala State, was pursuing a matter
very diligently and had hope of achieving it. He requested
me to supplicate for him in that behalf. When I prayed, I
instantly received the revelation:
189

I told him that the object he was pursuing would never be

achieved and informed him of the words of the revelation.
It so happened that certain difficulties arose and the object,
though within reach, could not be achieved.
[Nuzulul-Masih, p. 234, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 612]

November 28, 1885

On the night of the November 28, 1885, that is the night
before November 28, there was such a display of meteors
in the sky the like of which I had not witnessed in my
whole life before and so many thousands of flames were
traversing the atmosphere in the skies that there is no other
spectacle in the world which I can cite to describe it. I
recall that at that time the following revelation was
vouchsafed to me repeatedly:

[Arabic] It was not you who let loose but it was

190
Allah Who let loose.

189
[Persian] How many a desire terminates in dust. [Publishers]

166
 1885

This pelting had great affinity to the pelting of the stars in

the sky.
This exhibition of the pelting of stars that occurred on the
night of November 28, 1885 was so vast that it was visible
all over and was described in great wonder in the papers of
Europe, America and Asia. People might have thought that
it was purposeless, yet God, the Noble, knows that I was
the one who watched this spectacle with the greatest
attention and derived the greatest delight from it. My eyes
continued to be regaled by this spectacle for a long time.
This display of the pelting of the stars started early in the
evening. Because of divine glad-tidings, I derived great
pleasure from it, for it was revealed upon my heart that it
had appeared as a Sign in my support.
Thereafter, the people of Europe saw the comet which
had been observed in the time of Hadrat Masihas [Messiah]
and it was conveyed to me that this comet was another Sign
in support of my truth.
[A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, pp. 110–111 footnote,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, pp.110–111 footnote]

November 1885
(A) Some frightening indications have been conveyed to
me by Allah with regard to myself, some of my collateral
relatives, some of my friends, some of my national brethren
with philosophic bent of mind who are eminent as if they
were Najmul-Hind [the stars of India]191, and about a native

190
The translation is taken from Haqiqatul Wahi, p. 70, Ruhani
Khaza’in vol. 22, p. 73. [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]
Note by Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra:
191

(A) In an announcement of March 12, 1897, addressing Sir Sayyed

Ahmad Khan the Promised Messiahas said:

167
 TADHKIRAH

new-comer192 of Punjabi origin. For some, they indicate

trials, for others they indicate death of close relatives, and
for some others they indicate the death of the person
himself. If Allah the All-Powerful so wills, they will be
published after due consideration.
[Announcement of February 20, 1886, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, pp. 99–100]

That prophecy of mine was also fulfilled in an awe-striking

way. On one occasion he suddenly lost one hundred and fifty
thousand rupees through the dishonesty of a mischievous
person, and was so affected… that for three days he did not
eat anything… Once, he even became unconscious.
(B) ‘Towards the end of his life, Sir Sayyed had to bear the heavy
bereavement of the death of a grown up son.’
[Nuzulul-Masih, p. 191, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 569]
192
(A) I had told several Hindus and Muslims of several towns that by
the person of Punjabi origin was meant Dalip Singh concerning whom
it had been given out that he would arrive in the Punjab but I foretold
that he would be disappointed in this hope and that he would encounter
difficulties in this journey threatening his comfort, honour, or life… In
the end, in accordance with this prophecy, he suffered much
inconvenience, trouble, suffering and humiliation and failed in his
purpose.
[Appendix Surmah Chashm-e-Aryah, p. 4, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, p. 318 and
Majmu‘a Ishtiharat, vol. 1, p. 131]

(B) Dalip Singh was sent back from Aden and his honour and comfort
were put in jeopardy as I had foretold to a large number of people.
[Nuzulul-Masih, p. 226, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 604]

Note by Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra: The newspaper Riyad-e-Hind

dated May 3, 1886 published the news about Maharaja Dalip Singh’s
being stopped at Aden on page 214, column 1.]
(C) The person mentioned in the announcement of February 20, 1886
as a nobleman of Punjabi origin was Dalip Singh. This was conveyed
to more than five hundred Hindus and Muslims in various towns before
the event and the announcement of February 20, 1886 was distributed
in distant lands. Then all that was announced about Dalip Singh in
advance was fulfilled.
[Surmah Chashm-e-Aryah, p. 188, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, p. 236]

168
 1885

(B) He [Lalah Sharampat] was told about Dalip Singh

before the event that it had been disclosed193 to me that he
was not destined to arrive in the Punjab. He would either
die or be humiliated but would not achieve his purpose
[Shahna-e-Haqq, p. 43, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, p. 382]

Note by Hadrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shamsra: It is narrated by

193

Maulavi Jamal-ud-Din of Sekhwan, District Gurdaspur that this vision

was seen in November 1885. He writes: My humble self went to meet
the Promised Messiahas in November 1885. The same day Allah the
Almighty revealed the news about Dalip Singh to him. He related it to
me and several other people who were present. He said: ‘These people
are expressing great joy on the expected arrival of Dalip Singh; they
will be deprived of that joy. I have been informed by God Almighty
that when he travels to come, he would face great hardship and
tribulation.’ The Promised Messiahas went as far as saying that: ‘I have
been shown his dead body in a coffin.’
[Register Riwayat-e-Sahabah, vol. 4, p. 155]

169
 1886
1886
(A) God, the Noble, may His Name be glorified, has
disclosed to me the name of the town where I should stay
for a period in seclusion; and it is Hoshiarpur.194
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, no. 3, p. 10, Letter no. 20,
addressed to Chaudhary Rustam ‘Alira]
(B) Badr reports that:
A revelation of the Promised Messiah, peace be on him, has
been well known in the following words or in words
meaning that:

[Urdu] One of the affairs will be resolved in

Hoshiarpur.
[Badr, vol. 6, no. 36, September 5, 1907, p. 10]

January 1886
Be it known that Ahmad Baig’s wife and her family were
related to me but would not follow my way in matters of
faith. On the contrary, they were very daring in committing
sins and indulging in all types of innovations. They had
exceeded the limits in this respect. It was conveyed to me
by the Most Gracious One by revelation that He would

Note by Hadrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shamsra: Miyań ‘Abdullahra

194

of Sannour relates that the Promised Messiahas was intending to go to

Sujanpur, District Gurdaspur, for a forty day period of seclusion. But,
afterwards he received a revelation [Urdu] Your
purpose will be resolved in Hoshiarpur. (See Siratul-Mahdi, part 1,
page 69)
 TADHKIRAH

chastise them if they did not repent. My Lord said to me

that:

195

To complete the admonition I counselled them and said:

‘Seek forgiveness from the Lord Who forgives;’ but they
paid no heed to my words and advanced further in their
hostility towards me. Then it occurred to me that I should
make a public announcement about it so that they might
take to the ways of righteousness and return to the path of
goodness and be among those who ask forgiveness of God
the Almighty.
Therefore, I made the announcement while I was in
Hoshiarpur, but they irresponsibly cast it behind their
backs.
[Anjam-e-Atham, pp. 211–213, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 11, pp. 211–213]

1886
(A) When they did not change their ways, even after this
announcement, and did not give up the path that leads to
ruin, Allah disclosed to me certain matters about this family
while I was between sleep and waking. This vision
recounted some details of the revelation I had received

195
[Arabic] If they do not repent and do not turn back from their
misconduct, We shall pour upon them chastisement from heaven
and shall give them death with humiliation without leaving any
offspring behind; and We shall fill their homes with widows and
divorcees. But if they repent and reform, We shall turn to them
with mercy and shall give up the design of their punishment. Thus,
they will experience whatever they choose on their own accord.
[Publishers]

172
 1886

concerning them and it happened in this wise. When I was

about to go to sleep, Ahmad Baig’s mother-in-law was
personified before me and her condition caused me distress
and I trembled. In the meeting, she appeared to me to be in
great distress and I saw [in the vision] that her eyes were
shedding tears. I said to her:

[Arabic] O Woman, repent, repent for

misfortune is about to befall your progeny.
That is, your daughter and maternal granddaughter will be
involved in distress.
Then I came out of this condition and My Lord granted
me the understanding that the vision I had seen was an
interpretation granted by Allah the All-Knowing of the
revelation I had previously received.
I was given the understanding by God, the Requiter, that
the word ‘aqibi means her daughter and her maternal
granddaughter and not anyone else from among her
children. It was conveyed to me that misfortune meant two
afflictions, one upon her daughter and the other upon her
maternal granddaughter. By the command of Allah
Ahkamul-Hakimin [the Arbiter above all arbiters] the two
would resemble each other.
[Anjam-e-Atham, pp. 213–214, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 11, pp. 213–214]
(B) In January 1886, I received another revelation in
Hoshiarpur about Mirza Ahmad Baig196 which was
announced to a group of people among whom were Babu

196
The reference is to Mirza Ahmad Baig of Hoshiarpur, who was
married to a cousin of the Promised Messiahas, to whom Muhammadi
Begum was born. [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]

173
 TADHKIRAH

Ilahi Bakhsh, Accountant, and Maulavi Burhan-ud-Din of

Jhelum. It runs as follows:

197

[Announcement of July 15, 1888 a sequel to the Announcement of July 10, 1888,
Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, p. 162]

February 20, 1886

God, the Merciful and Noble, the Magnificent and High,
Who has power to do all that He wills (glory be to Him and
exalted be His name) addressed me in a revelation and said:

197
[Arabic] I saw this woman [the mother-in-law of Ahmad Baig of
Hoshiarpur, who was the grandmother of Muhammadi Begum and
mother of Mirza Imam-ud-Din] and noticed the marks of weeping
on her face and said to her: ‘O Woman repent, repent, for
misfortune is pursuing your progeny and affliction is about to
descend upon you. He [Mirza Ahmad Baig] will die and will be
survived by several dogs. [Publishers]

174
 1886

[Urdu] I confer upon you a Sign of My mercy

according to what you begged of me. So I have
heard your entreaties and have honoured your
prayers with My acceptance through My mercy
and made your journey (i.e. the journey to
Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana) a source of
blessings for you. Therefore, a Sign of power,
mercy, nearness is bestowed on you, a Sign of
grace and beneficence is awarded to you and
you are granted the key of success and victory.
Peace on you, O victorious one. Thus did God
speak so that those who desire life may be
rescued from the grip of death and those who
are buried in the graves may come out of them
and so that the superiority of Islam and the
dignity of God’s Word may become manifest
unto the people and so that truth may arrive

175
 TADHKIRAH

with all its blessings and falsehood may flee

with all its ills, and so that people may
understand that I am the Lord of Power, I do
whatever I will, and so that they may believe
that I am with you, and so that those who do
not believe in God and deny and reject His
religion and His Book and His Holy Messenger
Muhammad, the Chosen Onesa may be
confronted with a clear Sign and the way of the
guilty ones may become manifest.
Rejoice, therefore, that a handsome and pure
boy will be bestowed on you; you will receive
an unblemished youth who will be of your seed
and will be of your progeny.
A handsome and pure boy198 is coming as
your guest. His name is Emmanuel and also
Bashir. He has been invested with a spirit of
holiness, and he is free from all impurity. He is
the light of Allah. Blessed is he who comes from
heaven.
He will be accompanied by grace199 which
shall arrive with him.200 He will be

198
‘A handsome and pure boy is coming as your guest…who comes
from heaven.’ These sentences…indicate a short life, because a guest is
he who comes and leaves within a few days and departs very soon. The
sentence that follows points to the Promised Reformer and that
continues up to the end…. The prophecy of February 20…consisted of
two prophecies, which were mistaken as one. Thereafter…this mistake
was corrected by the subsequent revelation.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, pp. 43–44, dated December 4, 1888,
addressed to Hadrat Khalifatul Masih Ira]
199
The revelation has made it clear that…the prophecy about the
Promised Reformer starts with the words: ‘He be accompanied by
grace which shall arrive with him.’ Therefore, the revealed name of the
Promised Reformer is Fadl [Grace].
[Haqqani-Taqrir bar Waqi‘ah Wafat-e-Bashir, December 1, 1888,
Sabz Ishtihar, p. 21 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, p. 467 footnote]

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 1886

characterised with grandeur, greatness and

wealth. He will come into the world and will
heal many of their disorders through his
Messianic qualities and through the blessings of

Note by Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra: In accordance with this

revelation, a son was born to the Promised Messiahas on August 7, 1887
before the birth of Musleh-e-Ma‘ud [the Promised Reformer]. He had a
short life and passed away in November 1888. Thereafter, in
accordance with the revelation ‘He will be accompanied by grace
which will come with him’, a son was born who was named Fadl in the
prophecy and who is also called Mahmud and Bashir II and who has
also been called Fadl-e-‘Umar. He was born on January 12, 1889 and
was bestowed the office of Khilafat on March 14, 1914.
[Allah be praised for all this.]
200
Note by Maulana Abdul Latif Bahawalpuri: In the pamphlet At-
Tabligh, attached to A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, the Promised Messiahas
gives a further description of the qualities of the Promised Reformer as
following:

[Arabic] [Grace will arrive with his coming. He is light

and is blessed and holy and is of the righteous. He will
spread blessings and will nurture people on pure food and
will be a helper of the faith.... He will be one of My Signs
and will be the banner of My supports so that those who
deny you should know that I am with you through My open
grace…. He will be perceptive, intelligent and handsome.
His heart will be filled with knowledge, his interior will be
gentle and his breast will be filled with security. He will be
bestowed the Messianic spirit and will be blessed with the
spirit of security. Monday! O blessed Monday, blessed
spirits will arrive on that day.]
[A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, (At-Tabligh), pp. 577–578,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, pp. 577–578]

177
 TADHKIRAH

the spirit of holiness. He is the Word of Allah

for Allah’s mercy and honour have equipped
him with the Word of Majesty. He will be
extremely intelligent and perceptive and will be
meek of heart and will be filled with secular
and spiritual knowledge. He will convert three
into four (of this the meaning is not clear). It is
Monday a blessed Monday. [Persian]
[Son, delight of the heart, high
ranking, noble.] [Arabic] [A manifestation of the
First and the Last, a manifestation of the True
and the High; as if Allah has descended from
heaven.] [Urdu] His advent will be greatly
blessed and will be a source of manifestation of
Divine Majesty. Behold a light comes, anointed
by God with the perfume of His pleasure. We
shall pour Our Spirit into him and he will be
sheltered under the shadow of God. 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 peoples201 will be blessed through

201
This is not just a prophecy. Indeed, it is a grand heavenly Sign
which Almighty God has shown for demonstrating the truth and
greatness of the noble, compassionate and merciful Prophet,
Muhammad, the Chosen One, peace and blessings of Allah be on him
and his people. This Sign is hundreds of times greater and better and
more perfect and more exalted and more complete than bringing a dead
person back to life. To bring a dead one to life merely means to bring a
spirit back to life by supplication to God…the possibility of which
many critics question…. In this instance, God the Almighty has,
through His great grace and benevolence and through the blessings of
Hadrat Khatamul-Anbiya’ [the Seal of the Prophets], peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him and his people, by accepting the
supplications of this humble one, promised to send such a blessed spirit
whose manifest and hidden blessings will spread throughout the
earth. It might on the surface appear like bringing to life a dead person
but this Sign is hundreds of times better than reviving a dead. Only the
soul of the dead is revived through supplication and here, too, a soul

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him. He will then be raised to his spiritual

station in heaven. [Arabic] [This is a matter
decreed.]

1886
God Almighty then gave me the good news saying:

has been sought through supplication. But what a tremendous

difference there is between those souls and this soul.
[Announcement of Monday, March 22, 1886, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, pp. 114–115]

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 TADHKIRAH

[Urdu] Your house will be filled with blessings

and I shall perfect My favours unto you and
you will have a large progeny from blessed
women, some of whom you will find hereafter,
and I will cause a great increase in your
progeny and will bless it; but some of them will
die in early age and your progeny will spread
greatly in different lands. Every branch of your
collaterals will be cut off and will come to an
end soon through childlessness.202 If they do not
repent, God will send chastisement after
chastisement upon them, until they are
completely wiped out. Their houses will be
filled with widows and God’s wrath will
descend upon their walls. But if they turn to
God, He will turn to them in mercy. God will
spread your blessings about and will revive a
ruined house through you and will fill a fearful
house with blessings. Your progeny will not be
cut off and will flourish till the end of days.

202
When the Promised Messiahas made his claim, there were about
seventy men in his [collateral] family. But now the progeny of none of
the seventy—except those who are physical or spiritual progeny of the
Promised Messiahas—is alive.
[Hadrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, al-Hakam, nos. 19–22,
dated May 21–28 and June 7–12, 1943, p. 10]

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 1886

God will maintain your name with honour till

the day when the world comes to an end and
will convey your message to the ends of the
earth. I shall exalt you and shall call you to
Myself but your name will never be erased
from the face of the earth. It will so happen
that all those who seek to humiliate you, and
are determined to cause you to fail and wish to
ruin you will themselves be frustrated and will
die in failure and frustration. But God will
grant you complete success and will grant you
all that you desire. I will cause an increase of
your true and sincere friends and shall bless
their lives and their properties and they will
grow in number and they will prevail over the
other Muslims—who are jealous of you and are
hostile to you—till the Day of Judgment. God
will not forget your supporters and will not lose
sight of them and they will have their reward
according to the degree of their devotion. You
are to me as the prophets of Bani Isra’il
[Israelites] (that is: You resemble them as a
reflection). You are to Me as My Unity. You
are of Me and I am of you. The time is
approaching, indeed it is near, when God will
put your love in the hearts of kings and nobles
till they will seek blessings from your garments.
O you who deny and who oppose the truth, if
you are in doubt concerning My servant, if you
deny the grace and bounty that I have bestowed
upon My servant, then produce some true Sign
concerning yourselves like this Sign of mercy, if
you are truthful. If you are unable to produce
it, and be sure you will never be able to
produce it, then be mindful of the Fire which
has been prepared for the disobedient, the liars
and the transgressors. (The end)
[Announcement of February 20, 1886, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, pp. 102–103]

181
 TADHKIRAH

1886
About four months ago it was conveyed to this humble one
that a son Qawiyyut-Taqatain [physically and spiritually
strong], Kamiluz-Zahiri wal Batin [perfect in his manifest
and hidden powers], will be bestowed upon me whose
name will be Bashir. Up to now my own impression was
that possibly that blessed son will be born of my present
wife. Now I am receiving frequent revelations to the effect
that I will soon have to marry again and that it has been
divinely determined that a pious and good-natured wife will
be bestowed upon me who will bear children. What is
surprising is that when this revelation was received I was
bestowed in a vision four fruits, three of them mangoes but
one of them very large of green colour which did not
resemble any of the fruits of this world. I conceive, though
this is not yet confirmed by revelation, that the fruit which
is not of the fruits of this world is the promised blessed son
for there is no doubt that the interpretation of fruit is
children. As there has been good news of a pious wife and
simultaneously four fruits have been bestowed in a vision,
one of which is of a special kind, my mind is inclined to
this interpretation. [But Allah knows best.]
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 5–6, Letter dated June 8, 1886, addressed to
Hadrat Khalifatul Masih Ira]

1886
It so happens that in these days two people made
suggestions about a new marriage, but when I supplicated
by way of istikharah,203 I was informed about one woman
that her portion is humiliation, privation and disgrace and
that she is not worthy of being my wife and with regard to

203
A special Prayer made to seek guidance from Allah before making
an important decision. [Munawar Ahmed Saeed]

182
 1886

the second the indication was that she is not good-looking.

This seems to indicate that the handsome son of noble
character, whose birth has been prophesied, can on the face
of it be expected from a pious, good-looking wife.
[But Allah knows best.]
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, no. 2 p. 6, Letter dated June 8, 1886,
addressed to Hadrat Khalifatul Masih Ira]

March 1886
In the Announcement of February 20, 1886 made by this
humble one…there is a prophecy of the birth of a righteous
son possessing the qualities mentioned in the
announcement.…Such a son, according to the divine
promise, will surely be born within nine years204, soon or
late, but certainly within this period.
[Announcement of March 22, 1886, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, p. 113]

204
(A) The grandeur of the prophecy relating to the birth of a son
whose various high qualities have been set out is not reduced by any
long period that might be specified for its fulfilment even though it
might be the double of nine years. The heart of every just person will
bear clear witness that the fulfilment of such a high prophecy which
comprises the birth of such an outstanding and special personality is
beyond human power. The revelation of such good news in
consequence of the acceptance of prayer is not only a prophecy but is a
grand heavenly Sign.
[Announcement of April 8, 1886, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, pp. 116–117]

(B) According to the divine promise he…will certainly be born within

the term announced. Heaven and earth can move away but it is not
possible that His promise may not be fulfilled.
[Haqqani-Taqrir bar Waqi‘ah Wafat-e-Bashir, December 1, 1888,
Sabz Ishtihar, p. 7 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, p. 453 footnote]

(C) I know, and know it with complete certainty, that God Almighty
will deal with me according to His promise. If the time of the birth of
the Promised Son is not yet, he will appear later. If there is left only one
day of the term announced, then God, the Lord of Honour and Glory,
will not let that day end till He has fulfilled His promise.
[Announcement of January 12, 1889, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, p. 191]

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 TADHKIRAH

April 8, 1886
(A) After205 the announcement mentioned above, I
supplicated again for further disclosure concerning this
matter and it was disclosed to me today, April 8, 1886, by
God Almighty that a son will be born very soon. Such
period cannot exceed the interval of one pregnancy. Thus,
it is obvious, that a son will probably be born soon, or
certainly in the next pregnancy, but it has not been
disclosed whether the one who will be born soon is the
same Promised Son or whether he will be born at some
other time within the term of nine years.
[Announcement of April 8, 1886, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, p. 117]
(B) There are two phrases in the Arabic revelation:

and

These indicate descent or a near descent.

[Announcement of April 8, 1886 footnote, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, p. 117]
(C) Thereafter the following revelation was also received:

[Urdu] They said: Is this the one who was to

come or shall we wait for another?
[Announcement of April 8, 1886, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, p. 117]

205
After the Announcement of March 22, 1886 [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]

184
 1886

1886
When206 a daughter was born and people created an uproar
to cause misunderstanding that the prophecy had been
proved false, I received the following revelation:

Meaning that the opponents are shouting that the prophecy

has been proved false but intelligent people will soon
realise207 the truth and the ignorant ones will be put to
shame.
[al-Hakam, vol. 6, no. 16, p. 7, dated April 30, 1902]

April 26, 1886

I had seen a fearsome dream concerning Sheikh Mehr ‘Ali
in Qadian on April 26, 1886, the interpretation of which
was that he would be afflicted with a great misfortune. He
was informed of this about the same time. The dream was
that the carpet had caught fire and there was great hue and
cry. A terrible flame of fire mounted up and there was no

206
A daughter, was born to the Promised Messiahas on April 15, 1886
who was named ‘Ismat. On the birth of this daughter, his opponents
raised an uproar that the prophecy about the birth of the son was proved
false because the current pregnancy had ended in the birth of a daughter
and not that of a son. However, this allegation was baseless because the
Promised Messiahas had nowhere stated that the then pregnancy would
end in the birth of a son. Indeed, he had explained with reference to the
revelation of April 8, 1886 that a son would be born soon, either at the
end of the then current pregnancy or at the end of the succeeding one.
Accordingly, Bashir 1st was born in the pregnancy following the birth
of ‘Ismat. [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]
207
In accordance with this prophecy, after the birth of ‘Ismat, on
August 7, 1887 a son was born who was named Bashir Ahmad and in
whose birth was fulfilled the prophecy of February 20, 1886, namely:
‘A handsome and pure boy will come as your guest’, and was also
fulfilled the prophecy in the Announcement of April 8, 1886 that: ‘A
son will be born very soon.’ [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]

185
 TADHKIRAH

one to put it out. At last I poured water over it repeatedly

and put it out208. The fire was no longer visible but there
still was some smoke. I could not see how much the fire
had destroyed but I conceived that there was no great
damage. This was the dream mentioned in my letter209 to
Sheikh Mehr ‘Ali and the letter was found in his house by
his son after his arrest. Thereafter, I had one or two dreams
the greater part of which was frightening and a part was
reassuring. I interpret this to mean that possibly there are
intervening difficulties, but the end is good. However, the

208
When I saw this dream God conveyed its interpretation to me
clearly that Sheikh [Mehr ‘Ali] would be afflicted with a great
misfortune which will affect his honour and my putting out the fire by
pouring water on to it meant that the misfortune would be repelled
through my prayer and not through any other means….After about six
months it happened accordingly. I was in Ambala Cantonment when a
person of the name of Muhammad Bakhsh came to me on behalf of Jan
Muhammad, son of Sheikh [Mehr ‘Ali], and told me that Sheikh [Mehr
‘Ali] had been arrested in connection with such and such a case. I
enquired from him about the letter that I had written six months earlier
warning Sheikh [Mehr ‘Ali] of such a misfortune, but Muhammad
Bakhsh confessed lack of knowledge of such a letter. However, Sheikh
[Mehr ‘Ali] himself—after his release—often stated that the letter had
been found in one of his boxes. While Sheikh [Mehr ‘Ali] was in
custody I received several letters from his son Jan Muhammad,
possibly written by Muhammad Bakhsh, who was a connection of
theirs, requesting me for prayers. Allah knows that I prayed for him
diligently through several nights. At first the situation appeared very
involved and threatening but at last God accepted my supplications and
conveyed to me the good news of his deliverance. This was conveyed
briefly to his son…
I prayed for him for long. At the end, reassurance of divine grace
and deliverance was conveyed to me in a few words which were quite
definite.
[Appendix A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, p. 6, Announcement of February 25, 1893
along with footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, pp. 653–654]
209
The reference is to the letter that the Promised Messiahas wrote to
Sheikh Mehr ‘Ali, Chief of Hoshiarpur. [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]

186
 1886

end has not yet been clearly disclosed to me so that I cannot

say anything with certainty. [Allah knows best.]
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, p. 22, Letter to Chaudhary Rustam ‘Ali]

1886
Navvab Siddiq Hasan Khan210… threatened non-Muslims
with the sword of the Mahdi and was at last seized. His title
of Navvab was revoked and he wrote very humbly to me
requesting me to pray for him. Considering his situation
pitiable, I supplicated for him and God the Almighty
addressed me and said:

210
The Promised Messiahas had sent some of the early parts of
Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah to Navvab Siddiq Hasan Khan and had
suggested that he should contribute towards the publication of this
book. Navvab [Siddiq Hasan Khan] wrote back that the purchase of
books setting forth religious discussions or helping in their publication
was contrary to the policy of the British Government and therefore, no
expectation should be entertained for help from his State. Referring to
this reply the Promised Messiahas wrote in the announcement included
in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, part 4, entitled Musalmanoń ki Nazuk Halat
aur Angreizi Government:
We too place no hope in the Navvab [Siddiq Hasan Khan],
our only hope is in God Almighty and He is Sufficient for
us. (May the British Government be ever pleased with him).
Thereafter, the British Government was displeased with Navvab
[Siddiq Hasan Khan] over something and revoked his title of Navvab.
The Promised Messiahas has recorded:
This misfortune encountered by Navvab Siddiq Hasan Khan
was the result of a prophecy of mine which is mentioned in
Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah. He had torn up my book Barahin-e-
Ahmadiyyah and sent it back to me in that condition. I had
then prayed that his honour might be torn up and that is what
came to pass.
[Tatimma Haqiqatul-Wahi, p. 37 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22,
p. 470 footnote]

When Navvab [Siddiq Hasan Khan] realised his mistake, he wrote to

Promised Messiahas for prayers. [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]

187
 TADHKIRAH

[Urdu] His honour has been saved from being

shattered.
…Finally, after some time he received orders of the
Government to the effect that Siddiq Hasan Khan’s title of
Navvab should be restored.
[Tatimma Haqiqatul-Wahi, p. 37, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, p. 470]

1886
Mirza Imam-ud-Din and Nizam-ud-Din, as well as all the
Arya living here and Lekhram Peshawari and hundreds of
other people know it well that I had made a prophecy about
him [Mirza Ahmad Baig of Hoshiarpur] in general terms,
namely that someone named Ahmad Baig from among our
relatives is about to die.211
[Announcement July 10, 1888, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, pp. 159–160]

August 3, 1886
It has been disclosed to me by Allah today also, which is
August 3, 1886, that if he212 does not repent he will soon
face the consequences of his misdoings. Should it be a
sorrow or grief which is normally encountered, that should
not be considered the fulfilment of this prophecy, but if he
suffers some affliction which is entirely unexpected then it
would be right to conclude that this is in accord with the
prophecy. Should he, however, repent, his end will be
good; or after a warning he would be granted comfort.
[Surmah Chashm-e-Aryah, pp. 190–191, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, pp. 238–239]

211
According to this prophecy Mirza Ahmad Baig died in Hoshiarpur
on September 30, 1892. [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]
212
Refers to Mirza Imam-ud-Din. [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]

188
 1887
February 13, 1887
Today, at the time of Fajr the following was put into my
mind by way of revelation:

[Arabic] ‘Abdul-Basit
I did not understand who was meant. In your letter received
today I saw ‘Abdul-Basit. It is possible that the words may
have reference to you.213 [Allah knows best.]
[Letter dated February 13, 1887, addressed to Hadrat Khalifatul Masih Ira, Majmu‘ah
Ishtiharat, vol. 5, no. 2, p. 20]

April 1887
A few days ago, being anxious about the repayment of this
debt, I saw in a dream that I was standing in a low pit and
was trying to climb out of it, but my hand did not reach the
top. Meanwhile, a man of God came and extended his hand
down to me from above. I caught hold of it and climbed up
and got out of the pit and said to him: ‘May Allah reward
you for this service.’
Today, on reading your letter, I was convinced that you
are the person who had extended his hand which removed
my anxiety, for as I had in my dream prayed for the person
who had extended his hand to me, in the same way, prayer
burst forth from my mouth for you in the deep emotion of

Note by Maulana Abdul Latif Bahawalpuri: Hadrat Ya‘qub ‘Ali

213

‘Irfanira states: Hadrat Hakimul-Ummat [Khalifatul Masih Ira] has said

several times that his revealed name is ‘Abdul-Basit (Maktubat, volume
5, number 2, page 20).
 TADHKIRAH

my heart. [It will be accepted if Allah so

wills.]
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, no. 2, p. 27, Letter dated May 2, 1887,
addressed to Hadrat Khalifatul Masih Ira]

1887
Once an English speaking friend of Maulavi Muhammad
Husain named Najaf ‘Ali (who went to Kabul and probably
is still there) came to see me. With him was my friend
Mirza Khuda Bakhsh.214 When we—the three of us—went
out for a walk, I saw in a vision that Najaf ‘Ali has made
some statements indicating some feelings of opposition and
hypocrisy towards me. When I told him about the vision, he
admitted that it was so.
[Nuzulul-Masih, p. 206, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 584]

1887
On one occasion I was travelling by train in the direction of
Ludhiana when I received the revelation:
215

214
The statement of Mirza Khuda Bakhsh published in Paigham-e-
Sulh, volume 23, number 77, page 4, shows that when he and Maulavi
Najaf ‘Ali came to Qadian, the Promised Messiahas was holding
correspondence with an American citizen Mr. Alexander Russel Webb.
The Promised Messiahas narrated this vision during the walk and
Maulavi Najaf ‘Ali admitted that he had turned bitterly against the
Promised Messiahas after listening to Maulavi Muhammad Husain
Batalavi and had made up his mind not to agree to anything the
Promised Messiahas said.
Shahna-e-Haqq, shows that this incident took place in 1887, because
the correspondence with Alexander Russel Webb is recorded therein.
[Jalal-ud-Din Shams]
215
[Persian] Half to you and half to your collaterals. [Publishers]

190
 1887

I was given to understand that Imam Bibi216—who was the

widow of one of our collaterals—would die and half her
land would revert to us and the remaining half would revert
to our collaterals.
I communicated this revelation to those of my friends
who were with me at that time. And so it happened that the
woman died and her land was divided half and half
between our collaterals and us.
[Nuzulul-Masih, pp. 213–214, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, pp. 591–592]

1887 (About)
Once I had occasion to go to the village Kunjran in the
Gurdaspur District. Sheikh Hamid ‘Ali of Thaih Ghulam
Nabi was with me. When I decided in the morning to set
out on this journey, I received the revelation:

[Urdu] You and your companion will suffer

from some loss in the course of this journey.
Accordingly, during the course of the journey Hamid ‘Ali
lost his cloak and I lost a handkerchief. Hamid ‘Ali had
only that cloak at that time.
[Nuzulul-Masih, pp. 229–230, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, pp. 607–608]

1887
Baijnath Brahman son of Bhagt Ram was informed, on the
basis of a vision, that in the space of a year he would be
afflicted with some misfortune and there would also be an
occasion for joy. I obtained his signature to this prophecy,
which I still have with me. Thereafter, within one year his

216
Imam Bibi was the sister of Mirza Ahmad Baig and the widow of a
cousin of the Promised Messiahas who had disappeared. [Jalal-ud-Din
Shams]

191
 TADHKIRAH

father died at an early age. On the same day there was a

happy occasion, that is, someone’s wedding was being
celebrated.
[Shahna-e-Haqq, pp. 44–45, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, p. 384]

July 11, 1887

I saw in my dream today that Hadrat ‘Isa [Jesus], on whom
be peace, had come to our house. I thought to myself: What
shall we offer him for refreshment, for the mangoes have
spoiled; but then suddenly other mangoes became available
from the unseen. Allah knows best what its interpretation
is.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, no. 3, p. 42, Letter dated July 11, 1887,
addressed to Chaudhary Rustam ‘Ali]

August 7, 1887

That is [Arabic] We have sent this child as a

witness, affirming good tidings, and as a
Warner. He is like heavy rain in which there
are diverse kinds of darknesses as well as
thunder and lightning. All of these things are
under his two feet.217 [i.e., will follow after he
departs.]
[Haqqani-Taqrir bar Waqi‘ah Wafat-e-Bashir, December 1, 1888,
Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, p. 178 and Sabz Ishtihar, p. 16,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, p. 462]

217
The revelation indicated that there would first be darkness and then
thunder and light. As the arrangement of the words shows, it was
destined that before the death of the deceased son, there would first be
darkness, then thunder and lightening. Fulfilment of the prophecy
began in the same sequence. With the death of Bashir 1st there ensued
the darkness of doubt in which people were involved. Thunder and

192
 1887

lightening will be manifested thereafter. As the darkness has already

been demonstrated it should be realised that the promised thunder and
light will also be surely demonstrated. When the light comes it will
wipe out the darkness completely from the hearts and minds which
were afflicted with it and whatever objections have issued from the
mouths of those whose hearts are neglectful and dead and all the
objections and criticisms raised by the ignorant ones will be completely
met and effaced….Then, O ye who have observed the darkness, do not
be surprised but rejoice and jump with joy that after it the light will
now follow.
[Haqqani-Taqrir bar Waqi‘ah Wafat-e-Bashir, December 1, 1888, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat,
vol. 1, pp. 179-180 and Sabz Ishtihar, p. 16-17, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, pp. 462-463]

193
 1888
1888
(A) After the birth of that son, his218 inner purity and
upright qualities were referred to in the revelation. He was
called Pak [Pure], Nurullah [Allah’s light], Yadullah
[Allah’s hand], Muqaddas [holy], Bashir [bearer of glad
tidings], and Khuda ba Mast [God is with us]…. God gave
the deceased son many names in His revelation, some of
them being Bashir [bearer of glad tidings], Emmanuel,
Khuda ba Mast [God is with us], Rahmat-e-Haqq [Mercy
of the True God], and Yadullahi Bijalalin wa Jamalin [the
hand of Allah in beauty and majesty].
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, no. 5, pp. 41, 50, Letter dated December 4, 1888,
addressed to Hadrat Khalifatul Masih Ira]

(B) God had revealed to me that this boy,219 who had died,
was at the highest point in his personal faculties and that
his nature was completely shorn of worldly emotions and
that he was filled with the light of faith, had a bright nature,
a high destiny, and a righteous soul. He was called, among
others, by the names of the Baran-e-Rahmat [rain of
mercy], Mubashshir [giver of glad tidings] and Bashir
[bearer of glad tidings] and Yadullahi Bijalalin wa Jamalin
[the hand of Allah in beauty and majesty]. Whatever God

218
Bashir 1st who was born on August 7, 1887 and died on November
4, 1888. [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]
219
Bashir 1st [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]
 TADHKIRAH

revealed of his upright qualities was personal to him, the

external manifestation of which was not necessary.
[Haqqani-Taqrir bar Waqi‘ah Wafat-e-Bashir, December 1, 1888, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat,
vol. 1, p. 169 and Sabz Ishtihar, pp. 7-8, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, pp. 453-454]

1888
One of the revelations in appreciation [of Bashir 1st] was:
220

indicating that: ‘He is superior to you in his personal

faculties’.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, no. 5, p. 50, Letter dated December 4, 1888, addressed to
Hadrat Khalifatul Masih Ira]

January 5, 1888
A few days ago, while looking into some of my old papers,
I found a paper in which I had made a memorandum for
myself in my own handwriting. It recorded January 5, 1888
as the date of writing it. Its subject matter was that I had
seen in a dream that Maulavi Muhammad Husain had
opposed me in a certain matter and had published a
statement and given it the heading ‘Mean’ referring to
myself. I did not comprehend the import of it but having
read it I said to you: ‘I had told you not to do such a thing,
then why did you publish this statement?’
[This is what I saw in my dream and
Allah knows best its interpretation.]
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 4, p. 4, Letter addressed to Maulavi Muhammad Husain
Batalavi]

220
[Arabic] Light has come to you and he is superior to you [in
personal capacities]. [Publishers]

196
 1888

February 14, 1888

On the night between February 13 and 14, I saw two
frightening dreams about you, which portended a great
grief and sorrow. I was much worried and uncertain as to
the import of the dreams and a revelation came in a light
slumber which has totally escaped my memory. Then,
yesterday your letter arrived containing the grievous news
of the death of Sunderdas. [To Allah we
belong and to Him shall we return.] It seems that this was
the sorrow to which the dream was related.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 72–73, Letter dated February 15, 1888,
addressed to Chaudhary Rustam ‘Ali]

About 1888
On one occasion I travelled from Ludhiana to Patiala.
Before I set out I received the revelation:

[Urdu] Some loss will be incurred in the course

of this journey and some worry and suffering
will be encountered.
I informed my companions of this. Before we set out from
Patiala for the return journey, it was time for ‘Asr Prayer
and in order to make my ablutions I took off my cloak and
handed it to a servant of Sayyed Muhammad Hasan Khan,
a minister of the State of Patiala. Thereafter, when the time
came to purchase our tickets, I put my hand in my pocket
and discovered that the handkerchief in which the money
had been folded had fallen out of my pocket. Then I
remembered the revelation that this loss had to be suffered.
After we boarded the train and arrived at the [railway]
station of Doraha, a European traveller deliberately
misinformed one of my companions that the train had

197
 TADHKIRAH

arrived at Ludhiana and we all got out of the train. After

the train left we discovered that it was a different station.
Having detrained at a deserted place we were all put to
much trouble. In this way the second part of the revelation
was also fulfilled.
[Nuzulul-Masih, pp. 231–232, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, pp. 609–610]

May 1888
A Christian of the name of Fateh Masih once claimed that
he was the recipient of revelation. I asked him to make a
prophecy and he was much confused. He proposed that a
written note should be enclosed inside an envelope and that
I should then spell out what was written therein. God the
Almighty directed me that:

[Urdu] You [should] accept it.

When I accepted that challenge also, Reverend Whitebrecht
announced, in the presence of several hundred people, that
Fateh Masih was a liar.
[al-Hakam, vol. 6, no. 5, February 7, 1906 p. 4, column 3]

May 1888
(A) Allah observed that my cousins and near relatives were
committed to ruinous courses...and that they denied the
existence of God and were wicked people…. Allah saw that
they incited people to vice and forbade good…and did not
refrain from speaking ill of the Holy Prophet, peace and the
blessings of Allah be upon him, but persisted in it…. While
they were in this condition Allah chose me for the revival
of His faith…and provided me handsomely with inspiration
and verbal revelation and communications and visions…
whereupon they rebelled and mockingly demanded Signs

198
 1888

and said: ‘We have no knowledge of any God Who speaks

to anyone…so let him produce a Sign if he is truthful…’ In
this way they advanced daily in their error and their
arrogance till they decided to propagate their evil thoughts
and to mislead the ignorant ones with their delusions. They
have published a document in which they have abused the
Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and have abused the Word of Allah and have denied the
existence of God, hallowed be His name. Along with this
they have demanded Signs in support of my truthfulness
and have demanded proof of the existence of God
Almighty. They have published this document widely in all
quarters and have thus helped all the non-Muslims of India
against Islam and have transgressed greatly, the equal of
which has not been heard of even about the Pharaohs….
When this document of theirs, which was prepared by the
biggest of them in evil as well as in age, reached me…I
found it full of phrases whereby the heavens might be rent
asunder…. Thereupon, I bolted my doors and supplicated
my Lord, the Bountiful, prostrating myself before Him
and…saying: My Lord, my Lord, help Your servant and
humiliate Your enemies. Respond to me O Lord, respond to
me. How long will they mock You and Your Messenger,
how long will they call Your Book false and will abuse
Your Messenger? I beseech You of Your mercy, O Hayy
[the Ever-Living], Qayyum [the Self Subsisting], Mo‘in
[the Helper].
Then Allah had mercy on me in consequence of my
weeping, my sighing, and my tears and He called me and
said:

199
 TADHKIRAH

221

This is the substance of what my Lord has revealed to me.

So I conveyed the messages of my Lord to them, but they
felt no fear and did not affirm the truth. Instead, they
increased in their rebellion and denial, and went on
mocking like the enemies of the faith. Then my Lord
addressed me and said:

222

221
[Arabic] I have observed their disobedience and their
transgression, I shall soon afflict them with various types of
misfortunes and shall wipe them out from under the heavens. You
will soon see how I shall deal with them and I have power to do all
that I might will. I shall make their women widows, and their
children orphans, and their houses ruins, so that they might taste
that which they have said and they have earned. But I shall not
destroy them suddenly at one swoop, but stage by stage, so that
they might have a chance of turning back and repenting. My curse
will descend upon them and upon their homes and upon their little
ones and their big ones and their women and their men and their
guests who will enter their doors. All of them will be accursed
except those who believe and act righteously and cut off their
relations with them and keep off from their gatherings. Those will
be the recipients of My mercy. [Publishers]
222
[Arabic] We shall show them Signs which will cause them to
weep and shall send down upon them strange afflictions and

200
 1888

Thus did Allah the Almighty deal with them, breaking their
backs with the weight of sorrows and debts and privations
and sent down upon them all kinds of trials and tribulations
and opened for them the doors of death and destruction so
that they might turn back and should give up their
indifference, but their hearts were hardened and they did
not understand nor did they wake up nor did they fear.
When the time of the display of the Sign drew near, it so
happened in those days that one of their near relations of
the name of Ahmad Baig desired to take possession of the
land of his sister whose husband had disappeared many
years before.
[A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, pp. 566–570, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, pp. 566–570]
(B) This man’s [Mirza Ahmad Baig Hoshiarpuri’s] sister
had been married to a cousin of mine whose name was
Ghulam Husain. He disappeared twenty-five years ago and
has not been heard of since. His land was recorded in the
government records in the name of this man’s sister, the
reversion of which belongs to us. In the recent settlement of
land, which is in District Gurdaspur, the said Mirza Ahmad
Baig desired—with the consent of his sister—to have the
land, which was valued at four or five thousand rupees,
recorded in the name of his son Muhammad Baig as a gift
from Ahmad Baig’s sister and a deed of gift was executed
by the sister. As this deed could not be effective without
our consent, the said Ahmad Baig turned to us with great
humility and meekness and begged us to attest the deed of
gift. I was inclined to make this attestation and then the
thought passed through my mind that, as it had been my

extraordinary diseases and shall make their lives a misery and shall
pile up afflictions upon them and no one will be able to help them.
[Publishers]

201
 TADHKIRAH

custom to supplicate by way of istikharah on all important

matters, I should do the same on this occasion. This was the
reply I returned to Mirza Ahmad Baig. Thereafter, on
account of his continued persistence I supplicated in the
form of istikharah. What an istikharah it was! It seemed
that the time of begging Allah for a heavenly Sign had
come, which God Almighty had displayed in this way.
The All-Powerful, the All-Wise God directed me to ask
for the hand of the elder daughter of Ahmad Baig in
marriage223 and to tell them that all kindness and courtesy
to be extended to them would be conditional upon this
marriage and that this marriage would be a source of

223
I have been informed of matters which had never entered my mind
nor did I know anything about them. At such a time God directed me
through revelation that I should seek the hand of his elder daughter in
marriage and should tell him that he should first establish this
relationship with me and should thereby seek light from my light. I was
also directed to tell him that I had been commanded to let him have the
land which he had asked for and even some more and to show
benevolence towards him in many ways, provided he would agree to
the marriage of his elder daughter to me. This would be a covenant
between us and if he agreed to it he would find me a good party to it;
but if he did not agree to it I was to warn him that I had been informed
by God that her marriage to anyone else would not prove blessed for
the person she marries nor for her father. If he did not comply with my
request he would be afflicted with misfortunes culminating in his death.
He would die within three years of the marriage [of his daughter].
Indeed, his death might occur earlier at a time when he is unaware. So
also the husband of that girl would die within two and a half years of
the marriage. This is a divine decree and you can act as you might
choose, I have warned you….Then, I wrote to him under divine
direction and as indicated by my Gracious God…‘I am writing this
letter to you under divine direction and not of my own accord, so make
this letter secure in your box for this is from one true and faithful and
God knows that I am entirely truthful in this matter and the promise I
have made has been made by God’s direction and not on my own. It is
Allah Who has made me speak under His revelation.’
[A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, pp. 572–574]

202
 1888

blessing and a Sign of mercy for them and that thereby they
would become participants in all the blessings and mercies
set out in the Announcement of February 20, 1886, but if
they declined this offer, the girl would suffer great distress.
In such case, the person whom she marries would die
within two and a half years of the date of the marriage and
her father would die within three years of that date. The
death is decreed within three years of the marriage. It is
not, however, necessary that he would not suffer some
misfortune before the expiry of that term. Some of the
visions indeed indicated earlier224 afflictions, [And
Allah knows best]. And [I was also told that] the family
would be afflicted with differences and privations and
misfortunes and that this daughter would encounter many
disgraceful and sorrowful events during the intervening
period.
In those days, when I repeatedly sought detail and
particularization, I was told that God had determined that
after removing every obstacle He would in the end bring
about the marriage of the elder daughter of Ahmad Baig
with me and would thereby bring the faithless back to faith
and the erring back to guidance. The Arabic revelation in
this context is:

Meaning that [Arabic] They have rejected Our

Signs and they had already been mocking. To
frustrate the activities of all those who are

224
Mirza Ahmed Baig died on September 30, 1892 in Hoshiarpur in
accordance with this prophecy. [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]

203
 TADHKIRAH

interfering in this matter, Allah will be your

Helper. God will ultimately bring her back to
you. There is none who can change the words of
Allah. Your Lord is the Powerful One, and
whatever He determines to do, takes place. You
are with Me and I am with you. Soon you will
be granted a praiseworthy station, meaning
that though the foolish and ignorant ones will
say all sorts of disagreeable things out of their
evil and suspicious minds, and will utter
worthless words, but in the end, observing the
support of God, they will feel ashamed. And
when the truth is established everyone will give
expression to praise.
[Announcement of July 10, 1888, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, pp. 157–159]
(C) Of these Signs is one which my Lord has promised in
respect of my near relations. They rejected and mocked the
Signs of Allah and denied God and His Messenger and
said: ‘We have no need of Allah or of His Book or of His
Messenger, the Seal of the Prophets.’ They also said: ‘We
shall not accept any Sign unless we are shown a Sign in our
own lives. We do not believe in the Qur’an and we do not
know what Prophethood is and what faith is and we deny
all that.’ Then I called on my Lord in humility and in
earnestness and stretched out my hands to Him in
supplication and He vouchsafed to me the revelation:
225

And God informed me and said:

226

225
[Arabic] I shall show them a Sign from their own selves.
[Publishers]
226
[Arabic] I shall make one of their daughters a Sign for them.
[Publishers]

204
 1888

And He specified her and said:

227

And He said:
228

[Karamatus-Sadiqin, Back Title Page, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 7, p. 162]

1888
Await the prophecy contained in the Announcement of July
10, 1887229 along with which is the revelation:

[Arabic] They ask you: ‘Is this true?’ Say: Yes,

by my Lord, it is true and you cannot prevent it
from happening. We have married230 her to

227
[Arabic] She would be made a widow and her husband and her
father would die within three years of her marriage. We shall then
return her to you after their deaths and neither of them would
escape. [Publishers]
Note by Hadrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shamsra: The word should be
; the word seems to be a scribe’s error. [Allah knows
best.]
228
[Arabic] We shall bring her back to you, there is no changing
the words of Allah. Surely, Your Lord does bring about what He
pleases. [Publishers]
229
1887 is scribe’s error. Should be July 1888 [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]
230
It is true that the revelation said that her marriage with me had been
celebrated in heaven. But, as I have stated, one of the conditions for the
manifestation of the marriage celebrated in heaven was also announced
at the same time and that was:

205
 TADHKIRAH

you. No one can change My words. When they

see a Sign they will turn away and will not
accept them and will say: ‘This is a strong
deception or magic.’
[Announcement of December 27, 1891, Attached to Asmani Faisalah, Ruhani Khaza’in,
vol. 4, p. 350 and Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, p. 301]

July 1888
On further consideration the following meaning has been
231
brought to my mind about the revelation .
God will send down His Signs of wrath upon all those
members of our collaterals and brotherhood who, on
account of their faithlessness and support of innovations,
would seek to obstruct the fulfilment of the prophecy. God
will fight them and will afflict them with diverse types of
chastisement and will send down misfortunes upon them of
which they have no concept at present and there will not be
one of them who will escape such chastisement for their
opposition proceeds from their faithlessness and not from
any other source.
[Announcement of July 15, 1888, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, pp. 160–161]

[Arabic] [O Woman, repent, repent, for misfortune is

pursuing you.]
Hence, when this condition was fulfilled the marriage was dissolved or
delayed.
[Tatimma Haqiqatul-Wahi, pp. 132–133, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, p. 570]
231
[Arabic]…Allah will suffice you… [Publishers]
Note by Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra: Mentioned in the
Announcement dated July 10, 1888. (See May 1888, page 203.)

206
 1888

1888
I stood in no need of seeking this232 match. Allah the
Almighty had provided for all my needs. He had bestowed
children upon me, among them a son who will be the lamp
of the faith.233 He has also promised another son within a
short time whose name will be Mahmud Ahmad and who
will prove a person of high resolve in his undertakings.
[Announcement of July 15, 1888, Tatimma Ishtiharat, July 10, 1888,
Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, pp. 161–162]

August 1888
Allah the Glorious has revealed to me:

234

[Letter of August 1888, al-Hakam, vol. 5, no. 32, August 31, 1901, p. 6, column 2]

1888
On many occasions I have seen in my visions ‘ghauth’
[eminent saints] and ‘qutb-e-waqt’ [high-ranking saints of

232
With Muhammadi Begum daughter of Mirza Ahmad Baig [Mirza
Bashir Ahmad]
233
Bashir 1st who was born on August 7, 1888 and died on November
4, 1888. The Promised Messiahas has used the words ‘light of faith’ for
him. The use of the words ‘light of faith’ for Bashir 1st is due to his
personal faculties, as the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him, has said about his son Ibrahim, ‘If he had lived long, he
would have been a righteous Prophet.’ The Promised Messiahas has
explained the revelation of February 20, 1886 in the Sabz Ishtihar of
December 1, 1888, which will be mentioned later. [Jalal-ud-Din
Shams]
[Arabic] The sulaha’ [righteous ones] of Arabia and the abdal
234

[devotees] of Syria call down blessings on you and the earth and
heaven call down blessings on you and Allah praises you from His
Throne. [Publishers]

207
 TADHKIRAH

their time] who have believed in, and will believe, in my

high rank.
[Letter of August 1888, al-Hakam, vol. 5, no. 32, August 31, 1901, p. 6, column 2]

1888
[Allah the Almighty] has given me the glad tidings that:

[Urdu] Whoever opposes you and bears enmity

towards you, after having recognised you, is
condemned to hell.
[Letter of August 1888, al-Hakam, vol. 5, no. 32, August 31, 1901, p. 6]

1888
Divine revelation has made it abundantly clear that the
coming of Bashir, who has died, was not without purpose.
His death will be the source of life for all those who
grieved over it purely for the sake of Allah and who bore
steadfastly the trial that his death involved.
[Haqqani-Taqrir bar Waqi‘ah Wafat-e-Bashir, December 1, 1888, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat,
vol. 1, p. 179 footnote and Sabz Ishtihar, pp. 16-17 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, pp.
462-463 footnote]

1888
On the occasion of this235 death, I received this revelation
concerning some Muslims:

236

235
That is, the death of Bashir 1st. [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]
236
[Arabic] Do people imagine that they might be left to say: ‘We
have believed’ and they should not be tried? They said: ‘By Allah,
it seems you will not stop worrying about Yusuf [Joseph], till you

208
 1888

In this revelation God has set forth clearly that Bashir’s

death was a necessary trial for people. Those who were
weak lost hope of the appearance of the Promised Reformer
and they said: ‘You will continue to talk about this Joseph
till you make yourself seriously ill, or expire.’ So God
directed me to turn away from such till the promised time
arrives and promised a limitless reward for those who were
steadfast at the time of Bashir’s death. These are God’s
doings and are surprising in the eyes of the shortsighted.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, no. 5, pp. 49–50, Letter dated December 4, 1888,
addressed to Hadrat Khalifatul Masih Ira]

1888
I had a young son named Bashir whom Allah caused to die
while he was still a suckling babe. Those who are righteous
and cultivate the fear of Allah, look only to Allah as being
the Best and Eternal. At that time I received a revelation
from my Lord:
237

[Sirrul-Khilafah, p. 53, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 8, p. 381]

1888
(A) God the Almighty revealed to this humble one that:

make yourself ill or you expire’. Turn away from such till the time
arrives. For those who were steadfast there is a reward without
end. [Publishers]
237
[Arabic] We shall return him to you out of Our grace. [Jalal-ud-
Din Shams]
Note by Hadrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shamsra: Meaning that another
son will be granted instead of him; accordingly, the second son was
born.

209
 TADHKIRAH

[Urdu] A second Bashir will be bestowed upon

you whose name is also Mahmud. He will be a
person of high resolve in his projects. [Arabic]
[Allah creates what He wills.]
[Haqqani-Taqrir bar Waqi‘ah Wafat-e-Bashir, December 1, 1888,
Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, p. 179 footnote and Sabz Ishtihar, p. 17 footnote,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, p. 463 footnote]
(B) In a revelation this second son was called Bashir too.
God said:

[Urdu] A second Bashir will be bestowed upon

you.
This is the same Bashir whose other name is Mahmud
concerning whom it was said that:

[Urdu] He will be of high resolve and will be

like you in beauty and benevolence. [Arabic]
[He creates what He wills.]
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, no. 5, p. 50, Letter dated December 4, 1888, addressed to
Hadrat Khalifatul Masih Ira]
(C) God, the Lord of Honour and Glory…had—out of His
grace and beneficence—promised that after the death of
Bashir 1st, a second Bashir would be bestowed whose name
will also be Mahmud and addressing me said that:

[Urdu] He will be of high resolve and will be

like you in beauty and benevolence. He is All-
Powerful and creates as He wills.
[Ishtihar Takmil-e-Tabligh, January 12, 1889, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, p. 191]

210
 1888

1888
My eldest son who is alive, whose name is Mahmud, was
not yet born when I was given intimation through a vision
of his birth and I saw his name written on the wall of the
mosque as:

Mahmud.
Thereupon, I printed an announcement on green sheets of
paper for publication of this prophecy. The date of its
publication is December 1, 1888.
[Tiryaqul-Qulub, p. 40, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 15, p. 214]

1888
The following couplet concerning the Promised Reformer
found utterance on my tongue in a dream:
238

[Ishtihar Takmil-e-Tabligh, January 12, 1889,

Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, pp. 191–192 footnote]

1888
(A) God Almighty also disclosed to me that the prophecy
of February 20, 1886 prophesied the birth of two blessed
boys. Up to the words: [Urdu] [Blessed
is he who comes from heaven]; the prophecy related to
Bashir 1st who became the spiritual cause of the descent of
divine mercy, and the rest of it related to the second Bashir.
[Haqqani-Taqrir bar Waqi‘ah Wafat-e-Bashir, December 1, 1888, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat,
vol. 1, p. 179 footnote and Sabz Ishtihar, p. 17 footnote,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, p. 463 footnote]

238
[Persian] O Pride of Messengers, I have realised the degree of
your nearness to God. Your coming has been delayed [and] you
have come from a long distance. [Publishers]

211
 TADHKIRAH

(B) No one should be misled that the prophecy just

mentioned related to the Promised Reformer. It has been
clearly expounded by revelation that all these phrases
related to the son who died. The prophecy with regard to
the Promised Reformer begins with the words:
[Urdu] [He will be
accompanied with grace which shall arrive with him].
Thus, the Promised Reformer has been named Fadl in the
revelation. His second name is Mahmud and his third name
is Bashir Thani [Bashir the Second]. In one revelation he
has been named Fadl-e-‘Umar. It was inevitable that his
coming should have been postponed till the Bashir, who
has died, had been born and called back, for all these
matters were placed by divine wisdom to take place after
his death. The first Bashir was a forerunner of the second
and therefore both were mentioned in the same
Prophecy.239

Note by Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra: On January 12, 1889, when

239

Hadrat Khalifatul Masih IIaba was born, the Promised Messiahas

published the news of his birth in an Announcement called Takmil-e-
Tabligh. He said:
God the Glorious, had of His Grace and Benevolence
promised—as was set out in the Announcement of July 10,
1888 and the Announcement of December 1, 1888—that
after the death of Bashir 1st, a second Bashir will be
bestowed whose name will also be Mahmud. And addressing
my humble self, Allah the Almighty said: He would be a
person of high resolve and will be like you in beauty and
benevolence. God is Almighty and creates whatever He
wills. Accordingly, today, Saturday January 12, 1889 CE,
Jamadi’ul-Awwal 9, 1306 AH, Sunday, a son has been born
to this humble one who has for the moment been named
Bashir and Mahmud, only by way of good omen. An
announcement will be made after full disclosure as I have
not yet been given to understand whether this son will grow
up and be the Promised Reformer or whether there is some

212
 1888

other one. I know, however, and know it for a certainty that

God Almighty will deal with me according to His promise
and that if the time of the birth of the Promised Son is not
yet, then He will appear at some other time. If there should
remain only one day out of the term specified, God the
Glorious, will not let that day come to an end till His
promise is fulfilled. In a dream I had uttered this verse
concerning the Promised Reformer:

[Persian] [O Pride of Messengers, I have realised the

degree of your nearness to God. Your coming has been
delayed and you have come from a long distance.]
Thus—if according to the divine will—by delay was meant
only the period which has elapsed before the birth of this
son who has been named Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud by way
of good omen, then it would be no wonder if he should
prove to be the Promised Son. Otherwise, he will arrive at
some other time.
[Ishtihar Takmil-e-Tabligh, January 12, 1889, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat,
vol. 1, pp. 191–192]

Note by Hadrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shamsra: In this Ishtihar

[announcement], the Promised Messiahas has regarded Hadrat Amirul-
Mo’minin Khalifatul Masih IIaba as the fulfilment of the prophecy about
Musleh-e-Ma‘ud and also named him Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad
by way of good omen. But he promised further information after
complete disclosure. This promise was fulfilled in different books as
following:
(A) The birth of Mahmud, my elder son, was prophesied
clearly in the Sabz Ishtihar together with the name Mahmud.
That announcement was published with reference to the
death of the first boy and comprised several pages like a
pamphlet.
[Appendix Anjam-e-Atham, printed 1897, p. 15,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 11, p. 299]
(B) The fifth prophecy was concerning the birth of my son
Mahmud that he would be the next to be born and would be
named Mahmud. This prophecy was published in the Sabz
Ishtihar which was distributed in thousands and is still
available. That son was born within the term of the prophecy
and is in his ninth year.
[Siraj-e-Munir, p. 31, printed 1897, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 12, p. 36]

213
 TADHKIRAH

[Haqqani-Taqrir bar Waqi‘ah Wafat-e-Bashir, December 1, 1888,

Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, pp. 183-184 footnote and Sabz Ishtihar, p. 21 footnote,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, p. 467 footnote]

1888
(A) I have been commanded that the seekers after truth
should enter into the covenant of bai‘at240 with me for the

(C) The birth of my elder son Mahmud was prophesied in

the Announcement of July 10, 1888 and the Announcement
of December 1, 1888, which was printed on green
paper….The Sabz Ishtihar also stated that the son about to
be born would be named Mahmud…. Then after this
prophecy had been publicised fully through the
announcements...then by the grace and mercy of Allah,
Mahmud was born on Saturday January 12, 1889 CE,
Jamadi’ul-Awwal 9, 1306 AH, Sunday.
[Tiryaqul-Qulub, p. 42, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 15, p. 219]

Note by Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra: The prophecy of the

Promised Messiahas about the Promised Reformer, as the Promised
Messiahas had himself considered in the footnote of his Announcement
Takmil-e-Tabligh of January 12, 1889, and had also hinted at several
other places, was fulfilled in the person of Hadrat Amirul-Mo’minin
Khalifatul Masih IIaba, may Allah be pleased with him, as is clearly
evidenced by the events. Hadrat Amirul-Mo’minin Khalifatul Masih
IIaba has himself applied it to himself.
Note by Hadrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shamsra: On January 28,
1944, in the Friday sermon, Hadrat Amirul-Mo’minin Khalifatul Masih
IIaba announced his claim to be the Promised Reformer on the basis of
divine intimation. He said:
(A) Allah the Almighty has finally made His will manifest
and has granted me the knowledge personally also that the
prophecies about the Promised Reformer are about me.
(B) I read all those prophecies together for the first time, and
after reading them I can assert with great confidence and
certainty that Allah the Almighty has fulfilled the prophecy
in me.
[al-Fadl, February 1, 1944, p. 6]
240
The first bai‘at took place in Ludhiana on Rajab 20, 1306 AH,
March 23, 1889 CE. [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]

214
 1888

purpose of learning the way of true faith, true purity of faith

and the love of the Lord and of discarding an evil, slothful
and disloyal life. Therefore, those who perceive some of
such strength in themselves should come forward to me. I
shall be the sharer of their sorrows and shall try to lighten
their burdens. God will bless them through my prayers and
my attention towards them, provided they are
wholeheartedly ready to comply with the conditions of the
covenant which are divinely determined. This is a divine
command that I have conveyed today. The revelation in
Arabic in this context is:

241

[Haqqani-Taqrir bar Waqi‘ah Wafat-e-Bashir, December 1, 1888, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat,

vol. 1, p. 188 and Sabz Ishtihar, p. 24, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, p. 470]
(B) God told me at the time of the foundation of this
Community that:

[Urdu] The earth is covered with the flood of

error. You should prepare this ark in this time
of flood so that whoever boards this ark would
be delivered from being drowned and whoever
will persist in denial will face death.
God also said that:

241
[Arabic] When you have made up your mind put your trust in
Allah; and construct the ark under Our supervision and Our
revelation. Those who make the covenant with you enter into a
covenant with Allah. The hand of Allah is above their hands.
[Publishers]

215
TADHKIRAH

[Urdu] He who puts his hand in your hand will

have put his hand in the hand of God.
[Fat-he Islam, pp. 42–43, first edition, printed December and January 1890–1891,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, pp. 24–25]

216
 1889
1889
God the Almighty addressed me and said that...

[Urdu] Present yourself before God the

Almighty with all your faculties and do not
leave your Noble Lord alone. He who leaves
Him alone will be left alone.
[Ishtihar Takmil Tabligh, January 12, 1889, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, pp. 191–192]

March 1889
I have been told that some of the benefits and advantages of
the covenant of bai‘at—that are appointed for all of you—
depend upon the arrangement that the blessed names of all
of you should be entered in a register together with the
names of your fathers and your permanent and present
residences, along with a brief description (if possible).
[The Announcement of an Important Matter, March 4, 1889,
included in Izala-e-Auham, part 2, pp. 845–846, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 558 and
Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, p. 193]

1889
God, the Lord of Glory and Honour, is greatly pleased with
this arrangement, whereby a large group of the righteous—
strung together on the same string—will make its
magnificent appearance to other people in the form of a
collective unity, and will display the rays of its
righteousness—drawn from various sources—in one
continuous line.
[The Announcement of an Important Matter, March 4, 1889,
included in Izala-e-Auham, part 2, p. 847, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 559 and
Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, p. 194]
 TADHKIRAH

1889
God the Almighty has determined out of His pure grace and
special benignity to make the supplications of my humble
self and the attention of my modest being a means of the
appearance and emergence of their242 pure faculties. His
Holy Majesty has filled me with eagerness to occupy
myself with strengthening the inner discipline of these
seekers.
[The Announcement of an Important Matter, March 4, 1889,
Izala-e-Auham, part 2, p. 850, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 562 and
Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, p. 197]

March 1889
Of the Signs that have been shown by way of prophecy, is
the prophecy that I made concerning our brother Qadi
Dia’ud-Din of Qazi Kot, District Gujranwala…which is
that:… Qadi [Dia’ud-Din], you would be confronted with a
severe trial243.
[Tiryaqul-Qulub, p. 153, Sign no.74, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 15, p. 472]

1889
Once I had the occasion to travel to Aligarh at a time when
my mind was tired. I had also suffered from this weakness
some time earlier in Qadian and I was not in a fit condition
to carry on long conversations or to undertake any
intellectual effort…. In Aligarh, while I was in this
condition, a Maulavi of the name of Muhammad Isma‘il

242
People who have entered into the covenant. [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]
243
The Promised Messiahas made this prophecy when Qadi [Dia-ud-
Din] took the pledge of bai‘at at Ludhiana. After that he faced a
tribulation and the prophecy was fulfilled. This is narrated in a letter
which he wrote to the Promised Messiahas. This letter is also included
in Tiryaqul-Qulub. [Abdul Latif Bahawalpuri]

218
 1889

came to see me and humbly requested me to deliver a

sermon…. I accepted his request with pleasure and had in
mind to speak in regular public about the essence of
Islam…But thereafter God the Almighty dissuaded me
from this effort.
I am sure that as I was not in good health, God the
Almighty did not desire that I should suffer some ill
consequence from making an intellectual effort and that is
why He stopped me from delivering the sermon.
On a previous occasion, I had a similar experience.
While I was physically in a weak condition, I saw one of
the past Prophets in a vision and he said to me with
sympathy and goodwill, ‘Why do you do such hard mental
work; if you continue, you will fall ill.’
[Fat-he Islam, pp. 27–28 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, pp. 17–18]

219
 1890
December 1890

[Urdu] What doubts make you hesitate in

accepting this Messiah;
Whose resemblance [to the first Messiah] has
been affirmed by God.
You call expert physicians by the same title;
Indeed, you also bestow it upon handsome
people.
[Fat-he Islam, Title page, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 1]

1890
Our lord and master the Holy Prophet, may peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny, had
declared as a prophecy that a time would come when the
Muslims would acquire a strong resemblance to the
Jews…. Then a man of Persian origin would be raised to
teach them the faith. Had faith ascended to the Pleiades,
that man would have brought it down from that height. This
is a prophecy of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him. Divine revelation has expounded the
purport of this prophecy to my humble self and God the
Almighty has made it clear to me by revelation that Hadrat
Masih Ibn-e-Maryam [Jesus, son of Mary] was also a
teacher of faith who appeared fourteen centuries after
 TADHKIRAH

Hadrat Musaas [Moses]. Now, it so happened that when

about 1400 years had passed after the advent of the Holy
Prophet, on whom be the peace and blessings of Allah, the
Muslims largely developed the same evil characteristics
which the Jews had developed. Thus, it was necessary to
fulfill the prophecy made about them. In consequence, God
the Almighty, of His perfect power, has sent for them the
like of the Messiah as a teacher of faith.
[Fat-he Islam, pp. 13–15 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, pp. 9–10 footnote]

1890
To me also, God Almighty has given the good news:

[Urdu] I shall again bestow life on you after

your death.
And said that:

[Urdu] Those who are close to God the

Almighty, come to life again after their death.
And said that:

[Urdu] I shall display My flash and shall exalt

you through a demonstration of My power.
This [promise of] my second life indicates rejuvenation of
my objectives.
[Fat-he Islam, p. 26 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 16 footnote]

1890
The Wise and Powerful One, having raised this humble one
for the reform of mankind…has divided the affair of the
support of truth and propagation of Islam for the purpose of

222
 1890

drawing the world towards truth and righteousness into

many branches244…. This system consisting of five
branches which God the Almighty has established with His
own hand…in the estimation of God the Almighty they are
all indispensable. The reform that He desires cannot be
achieved without recourse to all of these five means.
[Fat-he Islam, pp. 17–18 and 43, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, pp. 11–12, 25–26]

1890
I recall that my humble self was once having a conversation
with a very irreligious Hindu. He exceeded the limits in
using contemptuous terms for the mighty faith of Islam. In
the spirit of jealous safeguarding of faith, I acted upon the
245
injunction: to a certain extent. However, since
my harshness was directed towards a particular individual
the revelation came:

[Urdu] Your statement was very severe.

Gentleness is needed, gentleness.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 4, p. 6, Letter to Maulavi Muhammad Husain]

244
This consists of five branches which have been elaborated in the
same book by the Promised Messiahas. The First branch is Publications,
second is Announcements, third is Guest House and hospitality towards
the guests, fourth is Letters, and the fifth branch is the System of bai‘at.
(For details see Fat-he Islam, pages 18–41, Ruhani Khaza’in, volume
3, pages 12–25). [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]
245
Be strict against them. (al-Tahrim, 66:10) [Publishers]

223
 1891
January 1891

[Persian] [Elucidation of Objectives]246

[Taudih-e-Maram, title page, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 49]

1891
I already have a good opinion of Fadl-ur-Rahman.247 Once,
I received a revelation concerning him248:
249

[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, no. 2, p. 97¸Letter dated March 9, 1891,

addressed to Hadrat Maulavi Nur-ud-Dinra]

1891
I have claimed to be the like of the Messiah in the light of
revelation from Allah the Glorious and it has also been
disclosed to me that there are references to me in the Holy
Qur’an and in the ahadith of the Holy Prophetsa and a
promise has been made concerning my advent.
[Letter dated February 11, 1891, addressed to Maulavi ‘Abdul-Jabbar,

246
The name of this treatise Taudih-e-Maram is revealed. [Abdul Latif
Bahawalpuri]
Mufti Fadl-ur-Rahmanra, son in law of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih Ira.
247

[Mirza Bashir Ahmad]

Note by Maulana Abdul Latif Bahawalpuri: Hadrat Ya‘qub ‘Ali
248

‘Irfanira states:
Hadrat Maulavi [Nur-ud-Din] asked the advice of Promised
Messiahas about the match with Mufti Fadl-ur-Rahman…. The
Promised Messiahas advised in favour and divine revelation
affirmed his opinion. [Maktubat, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 98–99]
249
[Arabic] He will certainly be rightly guided. [Publishers]
 TADHKIRAH

Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, p. 207]

1891
Yesterday, I saw in a vision that I was writing the following
words on my arm:

[Urdu] I am alone and God is with me;

and immediately thereafter the revelation came:
250

Therefore, I know that God the Almighty will manifest

some convincing proof from Himself.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 4, p. 3, Letter addressed to Maulavi Muhammad Husain
Batalavi]

March 11, 1891

Perhaps a week ago, I saw you251 in my dream as if you had
enquired from me what you should do and I said to you:

[Urdu] Fear God and then do whatever you

wish.
[al-Fadl, vol. 31, no. 9, May 8, 1943, p. 3, Letter dated March 18, 1891,
addressed to Sheikh Fateh Muhammad]

1891
I had a daughter named ‘Ismat Bibi. Concerning her252 I
received a revelation:

250
[Arabic] My Lord is with me; He will direct me aright
[Publishers]
251
Refers to Sheikh Fateh Muhammad [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]
As recorded in Siratul-Mahdi, part 2, page 151, Sahibzadi ‘Ismat
252

Bibi died in 1891. This revelation was before her death. [Publishers]

226
 1891

253

from which I understood that she would not live and so it

happened.
[Nuzulul-Masih, p. 215, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 593]

1891
Once it so happened that I was reading the poem of
N‘imatullah Wali in which he has prophesied about my
advent, has even mentioned my name, and has foretold that
the Promised Messiah would appear at the end of the
thirteenth century of the Hijrah. Moreover, he has
written a couplet concerning me [in Persian]:
. It means that the one who is
destined to come will be both the Mahdi and ‘Isa; both
names will apply to him and he will make both these
claims.
While I was reciting this verse, I received the revelation:
254

This meant: [Persian] I see Maulavi Sayyed

Muhammad Ahsan of Amroha has given up his
post in Bhopal State so as to pass his time near
the Promised Messiah appointed by God and to
strive in support of his claim.
This was a prophecy that was very clearly fulfilled
afterwards.
[Haqiqatul-Wahi, p. 333, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, p. 346]

253
[Arabic] A vine of paradise, a large tree of paradise [Publishers]
254
This revelation is also mentioned in the paper Qadian dated
September 1, 1902, but the first line has instead of .
Unless the narrator made a mistake, it seems that this revelation has
two renderings. Allah knows best. [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]

227
 TADHKIRAH

1891
When the verses [of the Holy Qur’an] were revealed
condemning the pagans as an abomination, polluted, and
the worst of creation, and as stupid and the progeny of
Satan, and that their idols will be the fuel of fire and will be
castigated into Hell, Abu Talib sent for the Holy Prophet,
may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and said to
him: ‘Son of my brother, the people are much provoked by
your abuses and are bent on killing you and me too. You
have dubbed their wise men as fools and have called their
ancestors the worst of creation, and have named their
revered gods the firewood of hell and fuel for fire and have
generally described all of them as an abomination, progeny
of Satan, and polluted. I advise you, as your well-wisher, to
control your tongue and stop all this abuse; otherwise, I
would have no power to protect you against the wrath of
the people.’
The Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him, answered: Uncle, I have uttered no abuse. All
that I have said is a fact and is entirely relevant to the
situation. This is what I have been sent for. If this should
involve my death I would gladly welcome such death for
myself. My life is dedicated to this purpose and I cannot
refrain from expressing the truth for fear of death.
Uncle, if you are apprehensive on account of your own
weakness and on the score of the trouble in which you
might be involved, you might withdraw your protection
from me. God knows that I am in no need of you. I shall
never refrain from conveying the Divine message. I hold
the commandments of my Lord as dearer than my life.
Should I be killed in this cause, I would wish to be restored
to life so that each time I should die in the cause of Allah. I

228
 1891

am not affected by fear. Rather, I consider it most

delightful to suffer in this cause.
While the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him, was speaking his face shone with the
light of truth. When he concluded, Abu Talib, perceiving
the light in his face, was overcome by emotion and said: I
was not aware of this exalted condition of yours. You exist
in a different world and in a different condition. Go and
continue as you wish. So long as I am alive, I shall support
you to the limits of my capacity.
[Izala-e-Auham, pp. 16–18, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, pp. 110–111]
All of this subject dealing with the events related to Abu
Talib is set out in well-known books, but the whole of the
subject has been revealed upon the heart of my humble self
by Allah the Almighty, except that an occasional phrase has
been added by my humble self by way of explanation.
[Izala-e-Auham, pp. 18–19 foonote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, pp. 111–112 footnote]

1891
The Sahih Muslim relates that the Messiah would descend
near the white Minaret in the east of Damascus…. It has
been disclosed to me by Allah that the interpretation of
Damascus in this context is a town the dwellers of which
have the temper of Yazid and the habits and thoughts of the
wretched Yazid… It has been conveyed to me that by
Damascus, therefore, is meant the place which possesses
this well known characteristic of Damascus. By
specifying Damascus as the place of the appearance of the
Messiah, Allah the Almighty has indicated that by the
[word] Messiah is not meant the first Messiah to whom the
Gospel was revealed, but it refers to someone from among
the Muslims who, in his spiritual aspect, would resemble
the Messiah [Jesus] and also Imam Husain, for Damascus is

229
 TADHKIRAH

the capital of Yazid and is the centre of the Yazidis from

which proceeded thousands of tyrannical commands.... God
Almighty, therefore, mentioned Damascus specifically for
the purpose of indicating that whereas Damascus was the
source of such tyrannical commands and was the city of
such hard-hearted and black-minded people, now a city like
Damascus will become the headquarters for spreading
justice and faith, for most Prophets have appeared in towns
whose people were wrongdoers and yet God has been
converting the accursed places into homes of blessings.
[Izala-e-Auham, pp. 63–70 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, pp. 134–136 footnote]

1891
I received a revelation concerning Qadian as following:

That is [Arabic] There have been created in it

people who possess the qualities of Yazid.
[Izala-e-Auham, p. 72 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 138 foonote]

1891
(A) It has been revealed to me in a clear and explicit vision
that the hadith in Abu Dawud that a person of the name of
Harith [cultivator], that is, the promised Harrath255 [big
landlord] will appear is correct. This prophecy and the
prophecy of the advent of the Messiah are identical in
purpose. The same person is the object of both and that
person is this humble one.
[Izala-e-Auham, p. 65 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 135 footnote]
(B) Concerning the prophecy in the Sahih of Abu Dawud
that a man of the name of Harith i.e, Harrath [indicating a

255
Harith means a cultivator and Harrath means a big landlord. These
characteristics are found in Promised Messiahas. [Jalal-ud-Din Shams]

230
 1891

big landlord], would appear in Transoxania, that is to say,

in the direction of Samarkand, would support the family of
the Messenger, and would himself be supported by every
believer as an obligation, it has been revealed to me that
this prophecy and the prophecy of the advent of the
Messiah who will be the Imam of the Muslims, and will be
from among the Muslims himself, have the same purpose
and that my humble self is the fulfilment of both.
[Izala-e-Auham, p. 79 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 141 footnote]

1891
Then, that Mansur256 was shown to me in a vision and it
was said concerning him:

[Urdu] He is prosperous, he is prosperous.

But due to some wise design of God the Almighty, I was
not able to identify him. I hope, however, that he will be
shown to me on some other occasion.
[Izala-e-Auham, pp. 98–99 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 149 footnote]

1891
I had written so far when I received the revelation:

Who is mentioned in the hadith of Abu Dawud concerning ‘Harith’

256

[Mirza Bashir Ahmad]

Note by Hadrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shamsra: This means that the
commander of his advance guard would be named ‘Mansur’. In this
vision Mansur probably refers to Hadrat Khalifatul Masih IIaba, Allah
knows best.

231
 TADHKIRAH

257

This was followed by a revelation:

[Urdu] These ulema have changed My house

about. They have set up their fireplaces in My
temple and their cups and thuthiań fill My
place of worship. Like rats, they are nibbling at
the ahadith of My Prophet.
(thuthiań are small cups which are called sakoriań in Hindi.
By place of worship are meant the hearts of most of the
maulavis of this age which are filled with worldly desires.)
[Izala-e-Auham, pp. 75–76 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, pp. 139–140 footnote]

1891
This humble one saw in a state of vision that two
individuals, who looked like men, were sitting in a house,
one on the ground and the other near the roof. Addressing

257
[Arabic] Say: Had this matter been from someone other than
Allah, you would have found in it much contradiction. Say: If Allah
had followed your desires, the heavens and the earth and all that is
in them would have been corrupted and the wise design of Allah
would have been frustrated. Allah is Mighty Wise. Say, if the ocean
became ink for transcribing the words of my Lord, surely the
ocean would be exhausted before the words of my Lord came to an
end, even though We had augmented it with the like thereof. Tell
them: If you love Allah, follow me, Allah will then love you. Allah is
Most Forgiving, Ever Merciful. [Publishers]

232
 1891

the one who was sitting on the ground, I said: I need an

army of one hundred thousand, but he kept quiet and
returned no answer. Then, I turned to the one who was near
the roof towards the sky and addressed him. I said: I need
an army of one hundred thousand, He replied: a
hundred thousand will not be bestowed, but five
thousand soldiers will be given. Thereupon, I said to
myself that although five thousand is a small number, but if
God Almighty so wills, a few can prevail over many and I
recited the verse:
258

[Izala-e-Auham, pp. 97–98 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 149 footnote]

1891
It has been disclosed to me that whatever is rejected in
consequence of my supplications will not be acceded
through any other means and a door that is opened through
me cannot be closed through any other means.
[Izala-e-Auham, p. 118 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 158 footnote]

1891
259

[Izala-e-Auham, pp. 123–124, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 165]

258
‘How many a small party has triumphed over a large party by
Allah’s command! And Allah is with the steadfast.’ (al-Baqarah,
2:250) [Publishers]
259
[Arabic] You have the closest relationship to ‘Isa Ibn-e-
Maryamas [Jesus, son of Mary] and you are the nearest of all
people to him in your qualities, your appearance, and the age in
which you have been raised. [Publishers]

233
 TADHKIRAH

1891
God Almighty has conveyed to me through a sure and
certain prophecy that out of my progeny there will be one
who will resemble Jesus in many respects. He will descend
from heaven and will straighten out the way of the dwellers
upon earth. He will set free those who are held in bondage
and deliver those who are imprisoned in the chains of
doubt.
260

[Izala-e-Auham, pp. 155–156, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 180]

1891
A few days ago I was meditating whether a certain hadith:
261
means that the Promised Messiah would appear
towards the end of the thirteenth century of the Hijrah and
whether this humble one is included within the meaning of
that hadith. Then my attention was, in a vision, directed to
the value of the letters of the name set out below as
indicating that the Messiah would appear at the close of the
thirteenth century. and this had been determined in advance
by divine decree. The name is:

[Urdu] Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani.

The value of the letters comprised in this name is exactly
1300. In this village of Qadian there is no other person
bearing the name Ghulam Ahmad. Indeed, it has been

260
[Persian] Son, delight of the heart, high ranking, noble.
[Arabic] A manifestation of the True and the High as if Allah had
descended from heaven. [Publishers]
261
The Signs will appear after two centuries. [Publishers]

234
 1891

conveyed to me that there is no one else in the whole world

who bears the name Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani. It has been
the way of Allah with me that He, hallowed be His name,
conveys some mysteries to me which are comprised in the
value of the alphabet.
[Izala-e-Auham, p. 185, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, pp. 189–190]

1891
(A) On one occasion, I was thinking of the time of the
creation of Adam and my attention was directed towards
the value of the letters of surah al-‘Asr as comprising the
date.
[Izala-e-Auham, p. 186, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 190]
(B) God Almighty has disclosed to me through a vision that
on the basis of the value of the letters comprised in surah
al-‘Asr, the time from the birth of Adam to the blessed
period of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him—that is, including all 23 years of his
prophethood—amounts to a total period of 4739 lunar
years262, that is to say from the beginning of human
civilization [Adam] to the death of the Holy Prophet, may
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
[Tohfah Golarhviyyah, pp. 93–95, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 17, pp. 251–252]

1891
With regard to the death of a certain person, God the
Almighty revealed to me through the value of the letters of
the alphabet, namely:

By the solar count, the period from Adam to the Holy Prophet, may
262

peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, comes to 4598 years as

disclosed by God Almighty to me.
[Tohfah Golarhviyyah, p. 92, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 17, p. 247]

235
 TADHKIRAH

That is [Arabic] He is a dog and he will die

according to the value of the letters in the word
kalb [dog], which amounts to fifty-two.
This means that his age will not exceed fifty-two years and
that he will die within the course of his fifty second year.
[Izala-e-Auham, pp. 186–187, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 190]

1891
A few days ago, I saw in a vision a person who was
approaching death through tuberculosis. He disclosed to me
that his name was Din Muhammad and it was conveyed to
me that this man was a personification of Din-e-
Muhammadi [the faith of Muhammadsa]. I comforted him
that he would be healed through me.
[Izala-e-Auham, p. 214, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 206]

1891
I have named mesmerism as ‘Amalut-Tirb263 which Hadrat
Masihas [the Messiah] also practised to some degree. This

Note by Hadrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shamsra: According to

263

lexicons tirb means: of the same age or similar, but the word may also
be related to turab, meaning ‘clay’. The Promised Messiahas says:
The word ‘turab’ is derived from tirb and
tarbush-shai according to Arabs means ‘that thing which is
created with it’. Tha‘lab has said: tirb to something is that
which resembles it. Therefore, the clay has been called
‘turab’ because it shares certain qualities of time or
characteristics with heavens. In the beginning, the earth was
created together with the heavens and both resemble each
other as forms of the creation of God.
[Anjam-e-Atham, pp. 262–263, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 11, pp. 262–263]

According to this, the revelation indicates that this knowledge is earthly

and not heavenly. Only those who have a small share of spirituality
employ it. The Promised Messiahas also says:

236
 1891

name was revealed to me and concerning its wonders I

received the revelation

That is [Arabic] This is the ‘Amalut-Tirb of the

mystery of which people of the present time
have no knowledge.
[Izala-e-Auham, p. 312 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 259]

1891
[After giving a detailed commentary of verses of surah al-
Nisa’ 4:158–160, the Promised Messiahas added:]264
I swear by Him in Whose hand is my life that just at this
moment the truth stated above has been disclosed to me in
a state of vision. Whatever I have just written is based
entirely on the instruction of the True Teacher.
[Allah be praised for all this.]
[Izala-e-Auham, p. 376, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 293]

1891
I was once severely stricken so much so that I arrived at the
door of death and perceiving this condition I made my will.
At that time I recalled the prophecy [relating to Mirza
Ahmad Baig]265 and, feeling that I was at my last breath
and my funeral might be offered tomorrow, I thought to
myself perhaps the prophecy had a meaning which I had

The history of the saints and the seekers after truth and their
biographies show that those of high degree among them
avoided having any recourse to such practices, but some
people were led into them out of a desire to impress others
with their saintliness or with another motive.
[Izala-e-Auham, p. 308(c) footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 287 footnote]

Note by Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra

264

Note by Hadrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shamsra

265

237
 TADHKIRAH

not comprehended. In that near-death condition the

revelation came to me:

That is [Arabic] The truth is from your Lord,

so why do you have any doubt about it?
[Izala-e-Auham, p. 398, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 306]

1891
Pointing to me God Almighty said in His Holy words:

[Urdu] Comparing him to the Prophet of

Nazareth it will be appreciated that he is
healing God’s creatures a great deal more than
they were ever cured of physical ailments.
[Izala-e-Auham, p. 442, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 335]

1891
A long time ago266 I saw in a dream that I was standing
near the blessed grave of the Holy Prophet, may peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him, and there were many
corpses of those who had died or had been killed and
people wanted to bury them. Then a man came out of the
chamber holding a long reed with which he pointed to a
spot on the earth and told everyone where his place of
burial was. In the course of doing this he approached me.
Standing in front of me and touching a spot close to the
blessed tomb with his long reed, he said to me: You will be
buried here. Then I woke up.

266
Since it has not been possible to determine the period, this dream is
being placed under 1891 when it was recorded. [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]

238
 1891

My interpretation was that this indicated the degree of

closeness in the hereafter inasmuch as if a person on his
death becomes spiritually close to a holy one that would
mean that his burial place is close to the burial place of that
holy one. [But Allah knows best and
His knowledge is decisive.]
[Izala-e-Auham, pp. 470–471, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 352]

1891
We believe in the rising of the sun from the West but it has
been disclosed to me in a vision that the meaning of the
rising of the sun from the West is that the Western
countries, which, from ancient times, have been enveloped
in the darkness of disbelief and error, will be illumined by
the sun of truth and will partake of Islam.
[Izala-e-Auham, p. 515, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, pp. 376–377]

1891
I saw [in a vision] that I was standing on a pulpit in the city
of London and was setting forth the truth of Islam in the
English language, in a very well reasoned address.
Thereafter, I caught several birds who were sitting upon
small trees and were of white colour and their bodies
resembled the bodies of partridges.
I interpreted this vision as meaning that though I would
not be able to travel to that country, my writings will be
published among them and many righteous English people
will be attracted by the truth.
[Izala-e-Auham, pp. 515–516, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 377]

239
 TADHKIRAH

1891
God has sent me and has disclosed to me through His
special revelation that Masih Ibn-e-Maryam [Messiah, son
of Mary] had died. The revelation in this regards is:

[Urdu] Masih Ibn-e-Maryam [Messiah, son of

Mary], Messenger of Allah, has died and you
have come in his spirit according to promise.
[Arabic] [Allah’s promise will certainly be
fulfilled. You are with Me and you are
established on patent truth. You are on the right
path and are a helper of truth.]
[Izala-e-Auham, pp. 561–562, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 402]

1891
Allah the Almighty addressed me and said:

240
 1891

[Urdu] Being overcome—that is, being

apparently belittled as someone who has been
overcome—you will finally be victorious and
the final outcome will be in your favour. We
shall relieve you of all the burdens which have
well-nigh broken your back. God has
determined to spread about your uniqueness,
your greatness and your perfection. God will
manifest your countenance and lengthen your
shade. A Warner came unto the world, and the
world did not accept him, but God will accept
him and will demonstrate his truth with
powerful assaults. Soon a great kingdom will be
bestowed upon him (meaning that, he will be
granted acceptance and the hearts of a large
number will be inclined towards him...) and
treasures will be opened to him.
(This refers to the treasures of wisdom and verities, because
the heavenly treasures that are bestowed upon the special
servants of God Almighty, which they distribute to the
world, are not the worldly riches, but consist entirely of
wisdom and verities, as Allah the Almighty says:

241
 TADHKIRAH

267

Khair means wealth and in fact pure wealth is the wisdom

that has been referred to in the hadith .
268

This is the wealth which is a Sign among the Signs of the

Promised Messiah.)
This is God’s grace and it appears strange in
your eyes. We shall soon show you Our Signs in
your own selves and also around you. Proof will
be established and the victory will be clear. Do
they say: ‘We are a large party?’ All of them
will be routed and shall turn their backs. Even
if people desert you I shall not desert you; if
people do not safeguard you, I shall safeguard
you. I shall exhibit My flash and shall exalt you
as a demonstration of My Power. Peace on you,
O Ibrahim [Abraham], We have chosen you
with sincere friendship. God will set all your
affairs right and will bestow upon you all that
you might desire. You are to Me like My Unity
and My Uniqueness. Allah is not the one to
leave you till He has separated the impure from
the pure. He will raise your status and will
increase your progeny and thereafter you alone
will be considered the progenitor of your
family. I shall make you famous with honour to
the ends of the earth and shall exalt your name
and shall put your love in the hearts of the
people. [Arabic] We have made you Masih Ibn-
e-Maryam [Messiah, son of Mary]. [Urdu] Tell
them: I have come in the footsteps of Jesus.

267
He grants wisdom to whom He pleases, and whoever is granted
wisdom has indeed been granted abundant good. (al-Baqarah,
2:270) [Publishers]
268
I am but a distributor and Allah is really the one Who grants.
[Publishers]

242
 1891

They will say: ‘We have not heard any such

thing from our ancestors’ Respond to them
that: Your knowledge is limited; God knows
best. You are content with the letter and
obscurity. The true reality has not been
disclosed to you. He who realises that the
foundation of the Ka‘aba was a design of divine
wisdom is very wise, for he has partaken of the
mysteries of the universe. One of high resolve
will be born. He will be like you in beauty and
benevolence. He will be of your progeny.
[Persian] [Son, delight of the heart, high
ranking, noble;] [Arabic] [A manifestation of the
True and the High, as if Allah had descended
from heaven. You will pass through different
periods with different companions and will
behold distant progeny. We shall bestow upon
you a good life; eighty years or thereabouts.]269
[Izala-e-Auham, pp. 632–635, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, pp. 441–443]

1891
[After referring to the prophecies about the time of coming
of the Promised Messiah mentioned in the ahadith, the
Promised Messiahas writes:]
It has been revealed to my humble self in a vision that the
high tide of this time period would begin in the year of the
Hijrah, the number of which is deducible from the value of
270
the letters of the verse: which adds up
to 1274.
[Izala-e-Auham, p. 657, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 455]

269
Italicized part is translation by the Publishers. [Publishers]
270
And surely it is We Who determine its taking away. (al-
Mu’minun, 23:19) [Publishers]

243
 TADHKIRAH

1891
God Almighty has disclosed to me in a clear vision that the
[second] advent of Ibn-e-Maryamas, [the son of Mary] is
indicated metaphorically in the Holy Qur’an271.
[Izala-e-Auham, p. 667, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 460]

1891
He of His sheer grace, without the means of an earthly
father, bestowed upon that Ibn-e-Maryam [son of Mary] a
spiritual birth and a spiritual life, as He Himself conveyed
to him in the revelation:

That is [Arabic] Then We brought you to life

after we had destroyed the previous
generations and made you the Masih Ibn-e-
Maryam [Messiah, son of Mary]; that is to say,
after the leaders and the divines had generally
suffered a spiritual death.
[Izala-e-Auham, p. 674, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 464]

1891
272

[Arabic] All praise belongs to Allah, Who has

removed my grief and has bestowed upon me

271
See verse meaning: And when the son
of Mary is mentioned as a parable, lo! Your People raise a clamour
thereat; (al-Zukhruf, 43:58). [Publishers]
272
The last part is written in Anjam-e-Atham, page 77, Ruhani
Khaza’in, volume 11, page 77, as following:
[Publishers]

244
 1891

that which He has not bestowed upon any other

out of all the peoples.273
In this context all the peoples means the peoples of this
generation or of the future. [Allah knows best.]
[Izala-e-Auham, p. 703, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, p. 479]

1891
The following revelations were vouchsafed when people
were confronted with a serious trial over [my] claim of
being the Promised Messiah:

That is [Arabic] Those who will repent and will

reform their ways, to them I shall then turn
and I am Oft-turning with Mercy, and Ever-
Merciful. There are people for whom We have
made the guidance easy and there are people
for whom punishment has been decreed. They
plan and Allah also plans. Allah is the Best of

This translation is based on Haqiqatul-Wahi, page 107, Ruhani

273

Khaza’in, volume 22, page 110. [Publishers]

245
 TADHKIRAH

Planners; and the plan of Allah is exceedingly

great. They put you off with mockery [and
say]: ‘Is this the one whom Allah has raised?’
Tell them: O ye disbelievers I am of the
truthful ones; and you will see my Signs after a
while. We shall show them Our Signs all
around them as well as in their own lives. Proof
will be established and victory will be clear.
Allah will decide between you. Allah does not
guide a liar who exceeds all bounds. They
desire to put out Allah’s light but Allah is
determined to perfect His light though the
disbelievers might resent it. We intend to send
down upon you certain mysteries from heaven
and to crush your enemies altogether and to
show Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts that
which they apprehend. We have set dogs in
authority over you and We have caused wild
beasts to be incensed at your words and have
tried you greatly. So be not grieved at that
which they say. Your Lord is on the watch.
Allah the Most Gracious issues this
commandment about His vicegerent, the
Sultan: He shall be bestowed a great kingdom,
treasures of knowledge and wisdom shall be
opened at his hand and the earth shall be lit up
with the light of its Lord. This is Allah’s grace
and it is strange in your eyes.
[Izala-e-Auham, pp. 855–856, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, pp. 565–566]

1891
When Maulavi Muhammad Husain issued his edict against
me declaring me a disbeliever and incited people by saying
that I was not a Muslim, and that funeral prayers should not
be said over any of us and that none of us should be
permitted to be buried in Muslim graveyards, it created a
great rancour and hostility against me and I was left almost

246
 1891

alone. At that time I saw in a state of vision a person in the

form of my deceased elder brother Mirza Ghulam Qadir.
However, I was immediately made to understand that he
was an angel. I asked him: Where have you come from? He
answered:

[Arabic] I have come from the Presence of

[God] the One.
I asked him: Why? He answered: Many people have drawn
away from you and their hostility towards you is
increasing. This is the message I have brought you. I
desired to have a word with him in private. When he
withdrew I said to him: People have withdrawn from me,
but have you also drawn away? He answered: No, we are
with you. On this my state of vision came to an end.
[al-Hakam, vol. 7, no. 2, January 17, 1903, p. 6 and al-Badr, vol. 1, no. 12, January 16,
1903, p. 97 See also Anwarul-Islam, p. 52, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 9, p. 54]

1891
...On my addressing myself to God I have received the
revelation:
274

and I have been assured that if abandoning the path of

virtue you275 will commit these impertinences276 and will
overlook the command contained in the verse:

274
[Arabic] Pray to Me; I will accept your prayers. [Publishers]
Maulavi Sayyed Nadhir Husain Dehlvi [Publishers]
275

276
That is, after hearing all the arguments about the death of Jesus in a
public gathering, would declare on oath in the name of Allah the
Glorious, that these arguments are not valid and that in truth Jesus has
ascended to heavens with physical body.
[The Announcement of October 17, 1891, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, pp. 248–249]

247
 TADHKIRAH

277
then within one year you will be so
afflicted on account of this daring that it will become a
Sign for others.
[The Announcement of October 17, 1891, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, p. 249]

November 1891
[Publishers’ Note: Following is the explanatory translation
given in Urdu by the Promised Messiahas, of Arabic text
from A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam. We have translated it
accordingly into English as he is the one who really knows
the exact meaning of the revelations vouchsafed to him by
Allah the Almighty.]
In a vision I saw that I myself was God278 and believed
myself to be such. I felt that I had no will or thought or
action of my own left, and that I had become like a vessel
with holes, or something which was being completely
overpowered by something else that had absorbed it wholly
so that its own being had completely disappeared.
At that time, I saw that the spirit of Allah the Almighty
had enveloped my soul and, covering my body, hid me
completely in itself so that not a particle of me remained. I
beheld my physical self as if all my limbs had become His,
my eyes had become His eyes, my ears had become His
ears and my tongue had become His tongue. My Lord
seized me with such great force that I disappeared in Him
and I felt that His power and strength was surging in me
and His divinity was coursing through me. The camps of
the Lord of honour were set up all around my heart and the

277
Follow not that of which you have no knowledge (surah Bani
Isra’il, 17:37) [Publishers]
278
If someone sees in a dream that he has become God, the
interpretation is that he has been guided to the right path. (Ta‘tirul-
Anam fi Ta‘biril-Manam, by Ibn-e-Sirin of Egypt, page 9) [Jalal-ud-
Din Shams]

248
 1891

Lord of power ground down my ego so that there was no

more of me nor any desire of mine left. My whole structure
was demolished and only the structure of the Lord of the
universe remained visible.
Divinity overcame me with such force that I was drawn
to Him from the hair of my head to the nails of my toes.
Then I became all kernel, which had no shell and became
an oil which had no dregs. I was separated completely from
my ego and I became like something which was not visible;
or like a drop, which had become merged in the river so
that the river comprehended it in its vastness. I no longer
knew what I had been before or what my being was.
Divinity coursed through my veins and muscles. I was
completely lost to myself and God Almighty employed all
my limbs for His purpose and took possession of me with
such force that nothing could exceed it. Being so seized by
Allah, I became non-existent. I believed that my limbs had
become God’s limbs and I imagined that I had discarded
my own being and had departed from my own existence
and that no associate or claimant had remained as an
obstruction. God Almighty entered wholly into my being
and my anger and my gentleness, my bitterness and my
sweetness and my movement and my inertness all became
His. In this condition I said: We desire a new universe, a
new heaven and a new earth. I then created the heaven
and the earth in a mass without order or distinction and
then, according to the divine will, I arranged and classified
this mass. I felt that I had the power to create it. Then I
created the lower heaven and said:
279

Then I said: We shall now create man from the essence

of clay. 280 Then my condition moved from vision

279
We have decorated the lower heaven with lamps. [Publishers]

249
 TADHKIRAH

towards the reception of revelation and my tongue

uttered:
281

[Kitabul-Bariyyah, pp. 78–79,

Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 13, p. 103–105]
[It was conveyed to me that when God Almighty
determines to create a man He creates the heavens and the
earth and all that is necessary in six days and creates Adam
towards the end of the sixth day. This is His settled way. It
was also conveyed to me that the creation of a new heaven
and new earth, which I saw in my vision, indicated
heavenly and earthly support and provision of appropriate
means for the achievement of the true purpose and the
bringing into being of people with natures fitted to make
them righteous and pure.
It was also conveyed to me that Allah the Almighty
commands from heaven everyone with the appropriate
nature to become ready to help His servant and to run
towards him.
I had seen this vision in Rabi‘uth-Thani, 1309 AH,
Allah be praised for this. This did not mean pantheism or

280
Publishers’ Note: The Promised Messiahas has given a description
in Urdu of this in Chashma-e-Masihi as follows:
In a state of vision I saw that I had created a new earth and a
new heaven and then I said: Now let us create man. At this
the ignorant maulavis raised a cry: Watch now, this man
claims to be God. Actually, the meaning of the vision was
that God will bring about through me such a change as if the
heaven and the earth had been renewed and true men will
come into being.
[Chashma-e-Masihi, p. 58 footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 20, pp. 375–
376 footnote]

I determined to make a vicegerent so I created Adam. Then We

281

created man in the best mould. [Publishers]

250
 1891

incarnation of God, but was illustration of the hadith

mentioned in Sahih Bukhari which describes how
through voluntary prayer the virtuous draw near to
God.]282
[A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, pp. 564–566,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, p. 564–566]

1891
I have written in a previous letter that I have been
commissioned for a heavenly determination283 and to set up
its overt arrangements, I have proposed a gathering for
December 27, 1891 which will be attended by many sincere
people from different places.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, no. 4, p. 9,
Letter dated December 22, 1891,
addressed to Navvab Muhammad ‘Ali Khan of Malerkotla]

1891
In the course of supplication I once saw in a vision that you
[Navvab Muhammad ‘Ali Khan] were with me and that
suddenly you had raised your neck. Just as a person raises
his neck out of joy at the time of some accession to his rank
or honour, a similar condition was created.
I wonder what kind of honour it was related to and when
would be the time for it. But I can say definitely that some
dignity,284 success or increase in honour is destined for you

282
The section in brackets [ ] is a translation of the Arabic text
rendered by the Publishers.
283
The import of ‘heavenly determination’ is that the Promised
Messiahas claims that the blessings of Islam are continuing in this age
and he has been commissioned to demonstrate them. [Jalal-ud-Din
Shams]
284
This glad tiding was fulfilled in 1908 when Navvab Muhammad
‘Ali Khanra was honoured to be the son-in-law of the Promised

251
 TADHKIRAH

by Allah the Glorious, whether soon or at some later time.

Though I had been saddened by the anxiety with which you
are faced, now I am happy, for through this vision a good
end has been revealed.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 8–9,
Letter addressed to Navvab Muhammad ‘Ali Khanra]

1891

Translation: [Arabic] This is a book to which

We have put Our own seal.
[Asmani Faisalah, third edition, p. 13, November 1901,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 4, p. 321]

1891
God Almighty has addressed me and has said in clear
words:

That is [Arabic] I am the Bestower of victory

and shall give you victory. You will witness the
spectacle of wonderful help and your
opponents—those few who are destined to be
guided—will fall down in prostration
supplicating: Lord, forgive us, we were in
error.
These are the attires of truth which shall be
manifested. Then be steadfast as you have been
commanded. Miracles are shown at the

Messiahas and the elder daughter of the Promised Messiahas was

married to him. What greater honour, good luck, progress and respect
could there be. [Mirza Bashir Ahmad]

252
 1891

extreme end of steadfastness. Be wholly for

Allah and be wholly with Allah. Allah will soon
raise you to a praiseworthy station.
[Asmani Faisalah, p. 37, third edition, November 1901,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 4, p. 342]

1891
A revelation with slight verbal variations has been received
repeatedly:

[Urdu] I shall bestow honour upon you and

shall foster you. I shall bless all your affairs so
much so that kings will seek blessings from
your garments.
[Asmani Faisalah, third edition, p. 37, November 1901,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 4, p. 342]

December 27, 1891

Await the prophecy contained in the Announcement of July
10, 1887285 along with which is the revelation:

[Arabic] They ask you: ‘Is this true?’ Say:

Yes, by my Lord, it is true and you cannot
prevent it from happening. We have married
her to you. No one can change My words.
When they see a Sign they will turn away and
will not accept them and will say: ‘This is a
strong deception or magic.’

285
1887 is scribe’s error. Should be July 10, 1888. [Publishers]

253
 TADHKIRAH

286

[Peace be on him who fathoms

our mysteries and follows the guidance.]
The benevolent well-wisher,
Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian
December 27, 1891
[Announcement of December 27, 1891, Attached to Asmani Faisalah,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 4, p. 350]

286
Publishers’ Note: For the benefit of the English reader we have
given the numbers in English script below. The knowledge of
numerical values is used in Arabic and Urdu, but not in English.
28–27–14–2–27–2–26–2–28–1–23–15–11-
1–2–27–14–10–1–28–27–47–16–11–34–14–11
7–1–5–34–23–34–11–14–7–23–14–10–1
14–5–28–7–34–1–7–34–11–16–1–14–7–2–1–7–5–1–14–1-
14–2–28–1–7-

Note by Hadrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shamsra: These

numbers and the symbol accompanying them are all a part of the
revelation. Allah the Almighty alone knows their import, which
will, insha’Allah be manifested at its appropriate time.

254
 1892
1892
My experience is that whenever I am seriously ill, Allah the
Noble bestows healing upon me from Himself. On one
occasion I suffered severely from bleeding dysentery… but
in that critical condition God Almighty bestowed healing
upon me from Himself in a wonderful manner.… In the
same way, in this other illness also when I was at the door
of death, I received the revelation from God Almighty:
287

Therefore, I am certain that God the Noble will bestow

healing upon me from this illness.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, no. 2, p. 119, Letter dated April 7, 1892,
addressed to Hadrat Maulavi Nur-ud-Dinra]

1892
In many visions, my humble self has been called a
Ghazi.288
[Nishan-e-Asmani, p. 15, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 4, p. 375]

1892
My humble self cannot adequately thank God Almighty for
His bounties. In this time of condemnation when, from all
sides, I hear the scholars of the time calling out:
[You are not a believer]; the call from Allah the Glorious
is:

287
[Arabic] Release. [Publishers]
288 One who participates steadfastly in a religious cause. [Munawar
Ahmed Saeed]
 TADHKIRAH

289

On their side the maulavis are calling for my eradication by

every means and on the other side the revelation comes:
290

On their side they are trying to humiliate and disgrace me

and on the other side God promises:
291

On their side the maulavis are issuing declaration upon

declaration that anyone who agrees with my doctrine and
follows me becomes a disbeliever and on His side God
Almighty continuously emphasises this revelation of His:
292

In short, all these maulavis are fighting God. Now we will

see who comes out victorious.
[Nishan-e-Asmani, pp. 38–39, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 4, pp. 398–399]

July 25, 1892

July 25, 1892 CE, Dhul-Hajj 20, 1309 AH, Monday.

289
[Arabic] Say: I have been commissioned and I am the first of
believers. [Publishers]
290
[Arabic] They are awaiting your being afflicted with
misfortune. On them will be the evil affliction. [Publishers]
291
[Arabic] I shall humiliate him who designs to humiliate you.
God is your reward. God will bestow upon you your glory.
[Publishers]
Note by Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra: The revelation
was also received by the Promised Messiahas in 1892 at Lahore
regarding Sheikh Muhammah Husain Batalavi. (See al-Hakam, vol. 1,
no. 6, November 30, 1897, p.2)
292
[Arabic] Announce: If you love Allah, then follow me. Allah will
then love you. [Publishers]

256
 1892

This morning before dawn at 4:30 a.m. I saw a large house

where my wife (Mahmud’s mother) and another woman
were sitting. I filled a white water-skin with water and
carried it into the house and poured the water into an
earthen vessel of mine. When I had finished pouring the
water, the other woman suddenly came over to me wearing
a beautiful red dress. I saw that she was a young woman
and was clad in red from top to toe. Perhaps it was netting
material. I thought to myself that this was the woman about
whom I had published the announcement, but she appeared
to me to have the features of my wife. It seemed that she
said or thought: ‘I have arrived.’ I responded: ‘O Allah,
may she come.’ Then she embraced me and thereupon I
woke up. [Allah be praised for all this.]
Two to four days before I had seen in a dream that [a
woman of the name] Raushan Bibi [Lady of light] had
come and was standing outside the door of my verandah
and I was sitting inside. I said to her: ‘Come, Raushan Bibi,
do come in.’
[Register of Miscellaneous Memoranda by the Promised Messiahas, p. 33]

August 1892
Three or four days ago I had seen a frightening293 dream
the interpretation of which was that an enemy had attacked

Note by Hadrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shamsra: This frightening

293

dream was concerning Hadrat Khalifatul Masih Ira and the reference to
a friend is also about him. In the same letter the Promised Messiahas
writes:
Upon receiving your loving letter in yesterday’s mail, being human, I
was overcome by concern. But soon my mind was cleared. This is a
trial from Allah, the All-Wise and Noble. If Allah the All-Powerful so
wills, there is no need to be fearful…. I do not know what provocation
has led to such a flagrant directive. How unfortunate is the state from

257
 TADHKIRAH

a friend of mine and had caused him some injury but it was
found that the enemy also suffered mortally.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, no. 2, p. 122, Letter dated August. 26, 1892,
addressed to Hadrat Maulavi Nur-ud-Dinra]

August 1892
God the Noble knows well how much and with what a
painful heart I supplicated for your honoured self last
night…. In the course of the supplication, God caused the
following words to flow from my tongue:
294

These words were a converse from God Almighty and

proceeded from Him alone.
[Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, no. 2, p. 122, Letter addressed to Hadrat Maulavi Nur-
ud-Dinra, August 26, 1892]

which such blessed, well-disposed and true well-wishers are expelled. I

do not know what else is in the offing.
[Letter quoted above, Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyyah, vol. 5, no, 2, pp. 121–123]

Note by Maulana Abdul Latif Bahawalpuri: Hadrat Maulana Ya‘qub

‘Ali ‘Irfanira, in explaining the background of this flagrant order, says:
‘Opponents of Hadrat Hakimul-Ummatra and Maulavi Muharram ‘Ali
Chishti charged them with a political conspiracy. Raja Amar Singh
loved Hadrat Hakimul-Ummatra and he was very deeply in love with
the quality of his daily life and truthfulness. He was a young man of
astute sense and keen judgment. The group that knew Maharaja Partap
Singh and controlled him suspected that Maharaja Partap Singh would
be deposed and Maharaja Amar Singh would replace him. This was a
political move and struggle for power. But it was given a religious
colour and it was alleged that when Maharaja Amar Singh assumes
power, Maulavi [Nur-ud-Din] would convert him to Islam. With this
kind of plot, Maulavi [Nur-ud-Din] and Maulavi Muharram ‘Ali were
ordered to leave Jammu. He informed the Promised Messiahas. The
Promised Messiah’sas letter… was in response.<