The present age, which is referred to as the ‘Latter Days’, is the age about which many religions contain the prophecy that a world Reformer would appear for the ultimate unification of mankind.
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By Attiya Ghani | August 22, 2017
A world Reformer would appear for the ultimate unification of mankind
Lunar and solar eclipses are natural phenomena. In the Holy Qur’an lunar and solar eclipses are mentioned as important signs of the approach of Resurrection (The Day of Judgment) as it says, “He (man) enquires, ‘When will be the Day of Resurrection? When the eye is dazzled, And the moon is eclipsed, And the sun and the moon are brought together, on that day man will say, ‘Whither to flee?’ Not at all; there is no refuge! With thy Lord alone will the place of rest that day. On that day will man be informed of that which he has sent forward and of that which he has left behind” (75: 7-14). So, the eclipses are not only signs of the approach of Resurrection, but also refer to the time of advent of the Reformer in the “Latter Days.”
The prophecy regarding eclipses is given in the following Hadith (saying of the Holy Prophet Muhammad): “ For our Mahdi (Reformer) there are two Signs which have never occurred before since the creation of the heavens and the earth, namely, the moon will be eclipsed on the first night in Ramadan (i.e., on the first of the nights on which a lunar eclipse can occur) and the Sun will be eclipsed on the middle day of Ramadan and these Signs have not happened since the creation of the heavens and the earth” (Dare Qutani, Vol.1, p.188).
The present age, which is referred to as the ‘Latter Days’, is the age about which many religions contain the prophecy that a world Reformer would appear for the ultimate unification of mankind. Hindus, for instance, refer to him as the reappearance of Krishna and the Jews are expecting a Messiah who has yet to come.
This does not mean that all the prophesied Reformers would come simultaneously or only one prophecy would be fulfilled and the rest false. This cannot be so because if it happens and every Reformer appears for different religions and with a different name then it would certainly cause religious conflict in the name of God.
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community received his first revelation regarding his appointment as the Reformer in 1882. In 1891, he declared that he is the Messiah and Mahdi whose advent was foretold by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Ahmad is, therefore, the Reformer awaited by all religions.
The prophesied eclipses then occurred over Qadian (India) on the specified dates of Ramadan (lunar eclipse on March 21st, 1894 and solar eclipse on April 6th, 1894). In 1895, the eclipses again occurred in the month of Ramadan in the West.
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, wrote, “As stated in Hadith, this eclipse occurred twice in Ramadan first in this country and then in America, and on both occasions, it occurred on the same date. Since at the time of the eclipse there was no claimant on earth of Mahdi (Reformer) and since nobody else declared this eclipse as his sign and published hundreds of pamphlets and books in Urdu, Persian and Arabic, this heavenly sign is for me” (Haqiqatul Wahi p. 195).
Ahmadi Muslims believe that all the divine signs in the favor of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad have been fulfilled including the eclipses of the sun and moon. He passed away in 1908 but his remarkable mission of calling mankind to God Almighty is being continued by his devoted successors and followers.
Attiya Ghani, a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community's Atlanta chapter, is a freelance writer and columnist.
-- Perspective: Celestial Signs And The Latter Days | Attiya Ghani
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