A question that frequently comes up when introducing His Holiness Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah (as), to non-Ahmadi Muslims is:

“What need do Muslims have for a prophet when we already have Islam?”

The existence of this question shows that many Muslims have become numb to the present state of disgrace Muslims are in. On one hand, Allah Almighty promised that He and His prophet will prevail, but on the other, the state of Muslims today is that they have unfortunately become accustomed to being prevailed upon and disgraced. The Holy Qur’an says:

“Allah has decreed: ‘Most surely I will prevail, I and My Messengers.’ Verily, Allah is Powerful, Mighty” (1).

In the Holy Prophet (sa) era, Allah Almighty fulfilled this promise through powerful signs of victory against almost impossible odds. Then, throughout the era of the Rashidun (rightly guided) Khilafat, these blessings continued, and Muslims prevailed against armies that vastly outnumbered them in engagements regarded as among the most decisive battles in military history. This support of Allah Almighty was also vividly apparent throughout the first three Islamic centuries of light. Even during the millennia of darkness that came after these three centuries, Allah Almighty continued to show this sign of divine support through His reformers (Mujaddideen) as they continued to prevail against their enemies.

Although the Promised Messiah (as) was born into an India that had largely been colonized by the British just a century and a half before, the glory of Muslims was such that Aurangzeb, a Mujaddid (reformer), ruled an India that had a higher GDP than the entirety of western Europe. When he faced English aggression during his rule, it resulted in the Anglo-Mughal war, which ended with the governor of the English East India Company, Sir Josiah Child, prostrating himself before the Aurangzeb and pleading for pardon, after which he paid a large indemnity and promised better behavior in the future. Such was the awe of Muslim rulers. When British pirates were able to perpetrate one of the most lucrative raids in history against Mughal ships, Aurangzeb nearly ended the English East India Trading Company. They only saved themselves by capitulating and reimbursing the entire amount the pirates had taken. This was the same East India Trading Company that, within a century after Aurangzeb passed away, would go on to colonize much of the Indian subcontinent (2). Even in the dark ages of Islam, Almighty Allah showed signs of the same divine support he had shown to His Prophet (sa) and Khulafa and granted awe to Muslims.

At the time of the Promised Messiah (as), the state of Muslims had fallen to such an extent that, far from prevailing against others, they had begun to be defeated and colonized everywhere. The era of needing to defend religion with the sword had ended, and with it, the signs of divine support for it had left it as well. Now was the era when divine support would no longer be shown through the sword, but it would be shown only through the superior teachings of Islam. It was during this era that the Promised Messiah (as) admonished:

“Perish the thought, O friends, of striving with the sword,
War and killing is now forbidden in religion.
The Messiah has come now, who is the leader in Faith,
It is now the end of all fighting for religion.
Now the light of God descends from the heavens,
The religious decree for fighting is now absurd.”

The Promised Messiah (as) then prophesied:

“If someone goes to war even after this command, He shall be severely routed by the disbelievers” (3).

Each war that Muslims have taken part in since has given painful testimony to the truth of this prophecy. When Muslims had divine support, they would fight armies ten times their numbers and inflict ten times the damage on their enemies. Now, in every part of the world, the opposite holds true. For each Israeli that Hamas kills, Israel has killed ten more Palestinians. For each American killed by the Taliban or by ISIS, the US has killed ten more Muslims.

In this dire situation, how can Muslims ask,

“What need do Muslims have for a prophet when we already have Islam?”

They can only ask this question if they have completely forgotten the promise of Allah:

“Allah has decreed: ‘Most surely I will prevail, I and My Messengers’”(4).

However, even if many Muslims have, Allah has not forgotten this promise. He has now sent a messenger in these latter days through whom He will again fulfill this promise. The Promised Messiah (as) wrote:

“The word of God has never remained, nor will it ever remain, unfulfilled. He says: “Allah has decreed: ‘Most surely I will prevail, I and My Messengers.’” It means that God has ordained from the beginning and has declared it to be His law and His practice that He and His Messengers shall always prevail. Since I am His Messenger, who has been sent by Him, though without any new shariah or any new claim or any new name, rather I have come in the name of the Noble Prophet (sa)—the Seal of Prophets—and through him, and as his manifestation, I therefore proclaim that, just as this verse has been proven true from the time of Adam to the time of the Holy Prophet (sa), so will it prove to be true in my case” (5).

The life of the Promised Messiah (as) bears witness to the fact that every attempt at opposition against him met with signs of divine support. He (as) writes:

“You can see that despite your fierce opposition and your prayers against me, God has not forsaken me, and has defended me in every field. He protected me with His own hand from every stone that was hurled at me. Every arrow that was shot at me was returned by Him to the enemy.

I was helpless, He gave me shelter. I was alone, He took me into His bosom. I was a mere nothing, He brought me renown and honor and caused hundreds of thousands to become devoted to me” (6).

This promise of divine support has powerfully manifested itself throughout the century of Khilafat that has come after him (as). Whenever enemies tried to destroy Khilafat and the community of the Promised Messiah (as), the community prevailed, and its opponents became weaker every time.

Today, many Western countries attack and disgrace Muslims with impunity. Although they seem invincible in the eyes of the world, if they ever dared to attack Khilafat and the community of the Promised Messiah (as), they would face defeat and witness firsthand the continued fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Quran that opponents of Khilafat before them have seen. The present head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community said:

“Even today, the same God is standing for the protection of the Ahmadiyya Community. Even today, He hears the prayers of His servant and the community of His Messiah. Even today, you will see that those enemies who are encircled by these prayers will be scattered in the air. If governments stand against the Jama’at, they will disintegrate. If organizations stand, they will be destroyed” (7).

Allah Almighty supports His Messengers with His mighty help; with that support, they always prevail. One purpose of the coming of the Promised Messiah (as) is to revive this living promise and reestablish that tradition of continuous victories that was witnessed in the era of the Holy Prophet (sa) and the Rashidun (rightly guided) Khilafat.

References:

1. Holy Qur’an 58:22

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurangzeb

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_India_Company

3. Ahmad, Mirza Ghulam, Precious Pearls English translation of Durr-e-Sameen, p. 58

4. Holy Qur’an 58:22

5. Ahmad, Mirza Ghulam, Essence of Islam, vol. 5. p. 126

6. Ahmad, Mirza Ghulam, Essence of Islam, vol. 5. p. 136

7. Ahmad, Mirza Masroor, Friday Sermon, October 27, 2006