The verse from the Holy Quran, “And when the stars are obscured” (81:3), carries both a literal and a deeper spiritual meaning. Literally, it refers to a time when stars fall in large numbers. Spiritually, it signifies an era when religious leaders become corrupt and cease to exercise moral and spiritual influence. The Quranic language allows for both dimensions to coexist. This verse is particularly relevant to the time of the second coming of the Messiah, when extraordinary heavenly phenomena were foretold to occur as divine testimony in support of a divinely appointed reformer [1].

Remarkably, this prophecy was fulfilled during the late nineteenth century, precisely when His Holiness Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, may peace be upon him, had already announced his claim to be the Promised Messiah and Mahdi. Between the years 1882 and 1886, the world witnessed an unprecedented series of celestial events: extraordinary comets visible even in daylight, followed by meteor showers of exceptional magnitude. These events occurred at a time when astronomical science was still in its infancy and when predicting such phenomena with precision was virtually impossible.

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad received Divine permission to announce his mission in March 1882. The Holy Quran had been revealed fourteen centuries earlier, long before any scientific framework existed to anticipate such celestial occurrences. A fundamental principle of divine signs is that they appear after a claimant has openly declared his mission, not before. In perfect accordance with this principle, one of the most extraordinary comets in recorded history appeared during the very year of his announcement.

This comet was so luminous and prominent that it became the most widely observed and recorded comet of its era. Prior to this event, photographs of comets were virtually nonexistent; yet this particular comet was photographed extensively and preserved in scientific archives around the world. Its brilliance captured the attention of astronomers, scientists, and the general public alike.

In September 1882, an even more remarkable phenomenon appeared: the double-tailed comet known in Islamic tradition as Dhus-Sineen (‘the star with two teeth/beards/tails’). This comet, later identified as the Great Comet of 1882 (C/1882 R1), far surpassed all comets seen during the previous four centuries in brightness and visibility [2]. Islamic tradition had foretold that a tailed comet named Dhus-Sineen would be among the first signs of the advent of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi. A narration attributed to the Holy Prophet states: “Ten signs are for the advent of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, the first is a tailed comet, namely Dhus-Sineen” [3]. Thousands of people witnessed this comet, fulfilling the prophecy in an unmistakable manner [4].

This celestial sign holds a unique status because it was the very first heavenly sign manifested in support of the Promised Messiah. The comet was discovered on 1 September 1882 from the Cape of Good Hope and the Gulf of Guinea, and within days reports of its sighting poured in from across the Southern Hemisphere. Its brightness increased steadily, and by 14 September 1882 it became so luminous that it rivaled the combined brightness of a thousand full moons. On 17 September, it passed within approximately 264,000 miles of the Sun. Observers in Cordoba, Spain, referred to it as the “Blazing Star.”

By early October, its nucleus transformed from a round shape into an elongated form. On 3 October 1882, it split into two distinct parts, becoming the prophesied double-tailed comet. In subsequent days, it fragmented further into five visible sections. Traces of its tail remained visible until February 1883, and astronomers continued observing its remnants until June of that year. Modern astronomy remembers it as a “Super Comet,” one of the brightest in at least a thousand years [5][6].

After this sign, God Almighty manifested another extraordinary phenomenon. On the night of 28 November 1885, a meteor shower of unparalleled intensity occurred. Describing this event, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad writes in The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam that thousands of brilliant meteors streaked across the sky in every direction, creating a spectacle he had never witnessed before in his life. During this event, he received repeated divine revelation: “Whatever you did let loose, it was not you but it was Allah who let it loose” [7].

This meteor display was so extraordinary that it was reported in newspapers across Europe, America, and Asia. While many observers may have regarded it as a natural curiosity, the Promised Messiah understood it as a divinely ordained sign manifested specifically in his support. He later wrote that Europeans were also shown the same type of comet that had appeared during the time of Jesus, and that this sign was placed within his heart as confirmation of his truthfulness [7].

In 1894, two additional heavenly signs appeared: solar and lunar eclipses occurring in a specific sequence foretold in Islamic tradition. The Holy Quran states: “And the moon is eclipsed. And the sun and the moon are brought together” (75:9–10) [8]. These eclipses had never before appeared as a sign for any claimant and became enduring identifiers of the truth of the Mahdi.

The Quran repeatedly draws attention to falling stars as markers of divine intervention. In Surah An-Najam, God swears: “By the star when it falls” (53:2) [9]. Classical commentary links this verse to a well-known prophetic saying that when faith ascends to the heavens during a time of spiritual darkness, a man of Persian descent will restore it to the earth [10]. The fate of the 1882 comet, which eventually plunged into the Sun and lost its physical existence, unfolded in striking harmony with this verse.

Similarly, Surah Al-Jinn states: “And we sought to reach heaven, but we found it filled with strong guards and shooting stars” (72:9) [11]. This verse indicates that unusual celestial activity accompanies the advent of a divine reformer [12]. Surah Al-Waqi’ah further emphasizes this divine law: “Nay, I swear by the shooting of the stars” (56:76) [13], a phenomenon historically associated with the appearance of great prophets, including Jesus, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, and in this era, the Promised Messiah [14].

The Promised Messiah repeatedly referred to these signs in his writings. In Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, he writes that the appearance of the destined comet was widely discussed in Christian newspapers as signaling the advent of the Messiah [15]. In Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, he cites earlier scholars who had written that Dhus-Sineen would appear in the time of the Mahdi and affirms that it appeared precisely in 1882, accompanied by unparalleled meteor showers in 1885 [16]. In Tadhkirat Al-Shahadatain, he notes that Christian sources also anticipated the Messiah at the end of the sixth millennium from Adam, preceded by the appearance of a double-tailed star [17]. He reiterates this fulfillment in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part V [18].

Two couplets from Haqiqat-ul-Wahi capture the spiritual weight of these signs:

Having witnessed the Sign, how long will you go on denying?
Remember, upon the liars another Doomsday is bound to appear.
God will manifest a Sign, awe-striking and stunning

And from this Sign, firm faith within hearts is bound to appear
[19].

While skeptics may argue that comets are periodic natural phenomena, such explanations fail to account for the precise prophetic foretelling of an extraordinary comet fourteen centuries in advance, appearing exactly at the time of a claimant who had already announced his divine mission [20].

After completing his mission and establishing a devoted community, the Promised Messiah passed away in 1908. God Almighty then established Khilafat as the second manifestation of divine power. Today, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community continues to spread globally, distinguished by its devotion to the Quran and the Holy Prophet Muhammad, commitment to peace, and service to humanity, History repeatedly bears witness to the fate of those who have opposed this divinely established community.

I conclude with the saying of the Holy Prophet recorded in Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal: “If a person dies without recognizing the Imam of his time, he dies the death of ignorance.” My prayer is that the world may reflect upon these heavenly signs and recognize the truth manifested in favor of the Promised Messiah. Ameen.

References:

[1] The Holy Quran with English Translation and Commentary, vol. 5, Islam International
Publications Limited, 2019, pp. 3320–3321
[2] Wikipedia, Great Comet of 1882
[3] Mullah Muhammad Baakir Majlisi, Bihaar-ul-Anwaar, vol. 13, Dar Al-Ihya Al-Turas, p. 268
[4] Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Ayyam-us-Sulh, Ruhani Khazain, vol. 14, 2009, p. 306
[5] Wikipedia, Great Comet of 1882 observational history
[6] Linda T. Elkins-Tanton, Asteroids, Meteorites, and Comets, Facts on File, 2006, p. 127
[7] Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam, Islam International Publications Limited, 2025, pp. 184–185
[8] The Holy Quran, 75:9–10
[9] The Holy Quran, 53:2
[10] The Holy Quran with Commentary, vol. 5, 2019, pp. 3320–3321
[11] The Holy Quran, 72:9
[12] The Holy Quran with Commentary, vol. 5, 2019, p. 3238
[13] The Holy Quran, 56:76
[14] The Holy Quran with Commentary, vol. 5, 2019, p. 3084
[15] Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Islam International Publications Limited, 2023, p.248
[16] Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruhani Khazain, vol. 23, pp. 329–330
[17] Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Tadhkirat Al-Shahadatain, Ruhani Khazain, vol. 20, p. 24
[18] Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part V, 2018, p. 374
[19] Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, 2023, p. 746
[20] Syed Tahir Ahmad, “The Savior of the Latter Days: Signs of the Messiah,” The Review of Religions, vol. 114, Issue 3, March 2019