Age of the Promised Messiah – A Failed Prophecy?

Introduction:

An allegation that has been raised against the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (as), is that he stated that he would live to an age around 80 years but the age at which he passed away was far off this. However. this is far from the truth.

Chronology of Revelations:

From this we can see that the prophecy stated that the Promised Messiah (as) as living eight years, a few years more or a few years less. However, the actual words specified it to be between 74-86. In another prophecy in Haqiqatul Wahi, the very words of the prophecy specify it being four or five years less or four or five years more. This leads us to between 75-85 years. Now it is to be understood that while two of the references could be construed to mean that the Promised Messiah (as) thought he would live for more than 80 years, this is implausible as the prophecies which they refer to states around 80 and interpretations given before those writings and after those writings state that this could be a few years less or a few years more. In addition, in Barahin e Ahmadiyya he specifies that it is not necessary that he lives to 80 years. Therefore, the rational conclusion is that the Promised Messiah (as) was summarising the prophecy as he demonstrated in Barahin e Ahmadiyya what the actual words of the Prophecy entail. 

Estimations Are Uncertain:

It is argued that the Promised Messiah (as) was born in 1839 instead of the traditionally accepted 1835. However, it must be understood that references from the Promised Messiah (as) can be used to support many dates. However, this is due to the fact that people during his time would estimate their age and so their estimations wouldn’t necessarily be a correct depiction what was the case but would precisely be what they are; estimations and nothing more and nothing less. This can be confirmed from the Promised Messiah (as) where he states that nobody knows his true age except Allah (swt):

“Only Allah Knows my real age, but according to my knowledge, my age is near 70 years in this year of 1323 and Allah Knows Best”

[Ruhani Khazain Volume 21, Barahin-e- Ahmadiyya Volume 5, Page 325]

Evidence that is used to prove that Hazrat Ahmad (as) was born past 1835:

1836:

“I spent almost 40 years of my life under the protection of my father.”

[Ruhani Khazain, vol. 13, pg. 195]

Hazrat Ahmad (as) states that he spent almost 40 years with his father. His father passed away in 1876 so this would take us to 1836. However, since it is an estimation it is not precise.

1839/1840:

“I was born in 1839 or 1840, in the twilight of the Sikh rule, and was in my sixteenth or seventeenth year in 1857…”

[Kitab al-Bariyya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 13, p. 177]

However, this is clearly an estimate as he states 1839 OR 1840. In addition, he states he was in his sixteenth or seventeenth year in 1857 but according to the two years quoted (1839 or 1840) he would have been seventeen or eighteen. This demonstrates that these were the estimations of the Promised Messiah (as). Furthermore, it states the birth was in the twilight of the Sikh rule while in the same book it states that his father had suffered huge hardships before his birth but when he was born these had ended. This could not have been the case in 1839 as that is when Ranjit Singh had died and the hardships ending referred to the return of land (more on this in the coming section).

1841:

“God Almighty is witness that I will tell the truth – my age is around sixty years”

[Malfuzat Volume II pg. 187]

This was taken in 1901 which suggests that he may have been born in 1841. However, this is also an estimate as it says around sixty years (which could include 65).

1844:

“By this calculation, my birth took place when out of the six thousand years, eleven years remained”

[Footnote Tohfa-e-Golharviyya pg.135]

Hazrat Ahmad was informed through Kashf that there were 4739 years between Adam (as) and the death of the Prophet Muhammad (saw)). He calculated from his own that he was born 11 years before 6000 (5889) which would be 1260AH and consequently the year 1844.

Firstly, as we can see this is a calculation that Hazrat Ahmad (as) made and not part of the revelation. Secondly, even the opponents couldn’t accept this as it would contradict their 1839 date and be vastly inconsistent with the evidence. The issue with the calculation was that 1250 Hijri years were added to the 4739 years, resulting in a total of 5889. However, this is a common error as 1250 should have been added to 4728/4729 instead since 4739 is when the Prophet (saw) passed away and is not (as commonly misunderstood) the beginning of the Hijri calendar. Under this new calculation we would get a total of 5878/5879.

Evidence that is used to prove that Hazrat Ahmad (as) was born before 1835:

1833:

“I published an announcement in English on 23 August 1903, opposing Mr. Dowie. It says; ‘I am about seventy years in age and Mr. Dowie, as he states, is a young man of fifty but I do not care for my age because this mubahalah will not be decided by our ages but God who is the Most Supreme Authority will decide it.”

[Haqiqatul Wahi, 639]

1834:

“If Atham is sixty-four years of age, this humble self is around sixty…”

[Majmu’a Ishtiharat, vol. 2, pg 62]

Evidence that is used to prove that Hazrat Ahmad (as) was born in 1835:

“Then when I reached the age of forty, God honoured me with his revelation and word.”

[Tiryaqul Quloob, pg.283]

“It is amazing—and I consider this to be a Sign of God—that I was blessed with converse and discourse with God Almighty exactly in the year 1290 Hijrah – seven years thereafter, Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya—in which my claim is recorded-was compiled and published.”

[Haqiqatul Wahi, Ruhani Khazain, vol. 22, p. 208]

This demonstrates that the Promised Messiah (as) was forty years old when he received revelation and that was in the year 1290 Hijrah. That would mean he was born in 1250AH which corresponds to 1835. This is further confirmed by the fact that it says Barahin e Ahmadiyya was published around 7 years after he was blessed with converse. This would give us around 1874-1875. This is further confirmed by Barahin e Ahmadiyya part 5 in 1905, in which it states that he had been chosen around 30 years ago (1874-1875). This would make the Promised Messiah (as) 40 at the time of the appointment and 73 when he passed away (75 lunar years).

Methodology to Determine True Age:

As we can see due to the variety of estimations there needs to be a way in which one can objectively determine the age of the Promised Messiah (as). This can be done as we know three facts:

1. He was born on a Friday.
2. He was born on the 14th of a lunar month.
3. He was born in the Hindu calendar month of Phagun

The first two are mentioned by himself:

“This humble one was born on a Friday, on the 14th night of the moon”

[Tohfa-e-Golarhviyya pg. 281]

The last one was mentioned by his companion, Mufti Muhammad Sadiq (rh):

“His Holiness the Promised Messiah (as) at one time mentioned that the month in which he was born was the month of Phagun”

[Zikre Habib pg.189]

When we put these facts together, two prominent dates emerge:

Now in order to determine which one is the better candidate, we turn to the works of Hazrat Ahmad (as). There is indeed another criteria:

“And I heard my mother repeatedly say to me: ‘our days have been changed since the day you were born, and we were before in hardships and misfortunes and in all kinds of anguish and tribulations, so all good things have come to us with your coming and you are among the blessed ones. My father was ascending from one rank to another, and from one high to the next, until he ascended to the ascents of progress and god bestowed on him a garment of honour and reverence and nothing befell him and he became of the wealthy”

[Aine Kamalat e Islam, 1893 p. 544]

From this we find that before Hazrat Ahmad (as) was born, his family was in difficulty but after his birth, their prosperity began and his father began ascending from rank to rank. Now what was the nature of this ascendance?

Lepel Griffin, a British administrator and diplomat, who had been appointed Chief Secretary of the Punjab from 1880, penned a famous work called ‘The Panjab Chiefs’.

In his book, he mentions that the family of the Promised Messiah (as) were poor until Mirza Ghulam Murtaza (his father) received a ‘large portion of his ancestral estates’. Griffin goes on to write “He (Mirza Ghulam Murtaza) then entered the army of the Maharaja and performed efficient service on the Kashmir frontier and at other places.” This shows that after he received his land and his fortunes returned, he fought for Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Now we can analyse which battles Maharaja Ranjit Singh had commanded:

This shows that the last battle was in 1837. This consequently eliminates the 1839 date, allowing us to definitively conclude with the fact that the Promised Messiah (as) was born on Friday 13th February 1835.

Fulfilment:

To reach an age above 50 was considered extremely rare. It was even more unlikely to live past 60:

“It is a pity that such people are not mindful of death. Is death a far off thing? A person who has reached the age of fifty will live perhaps for a few more years, or ten years at most; ultimately, he must die.”

[Malfuzat – Volume III pg.76-77]

The life expectancy in British India at the time was around 25 years, making it extremely remarkable to live into one’s 70s.

The Promised Messiah (as) was born on Friday 13th February 1835, living a life of 73 solar years and 75 lunar years, consequently fulfilling the prophecy he had made decades before. This was remarkable that a man in an area where life expectancy was low and the percentage of individuals who exceeded 60 years old were minimal, prophesied that he would live to at least 74/75 years and God kept him alive to fulfil the prophecy. He would have multiple illnesses, partake in prayer duels, be the victim of assassination attempts, yet none of this could prevent the fulfilment of his prophecy. After all, how could anyone stop what God has willed to occur. As his famous opponent, Sanaullah Amritsari testifies:

“Mirza Sahib has said that his demise would be near 80 years of age and perhaps he has fulfilled all those conditions”

[Ahl-e-hadith 3rd May 1907 page 3 Column 2]

Conclusion:

During the time of the Promised Messiah, people would estimate their ages. Having stated that only God knows his true age, he had several estimations. From those estimations two years emerged as viable: 1835 and 1839. Given objective historical information from the Chief of the Punjab, the latter was ruled out. As the words of the Prophecy meant that the Promised Messiah (as) would live between 74/75-85/86, he lived an age of 75 years, consequently fulfilling an extremely improbable prophecy given his circumstances. This ended up not falsifying his truthfulness but rather vindicating it.