Ahmadiyyah Belief About the Mahdi — Essence of Islam Vol. 3

14 Sep, 2026 Essence of Islam 0

Essence of Islam Book Cover by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS)

Introduction

In this discourse from Essence of Islam (Volume 3), Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS), the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, expounds upon Ahmadiyyah Belief About the Mahdi, presenting profound spiritual insights and scriptural verities.

Book Series: Essence of Islam (Volume 3)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (AS)
Section: Part 6: The Messiah and His Second Coming
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The Messiah and his Second Coming 171 fill the earth with human blood and will cause bloodshed unparalleled in the annals of the world. They will start killing as soon as they appear, without any admonition and without manifesting any sign. They allege that Jesusas will be a counsellor or minister of Imam Muhammad Mahdi who will be the ruler, but Jesus will constantly incite the Mahdi to bloodshed as if to make up for his previous teachings: ‘Resist not evil, and, being smitten on one cheek, turn the other cheek as well.’ [Masih Hindustan Meiń, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 15, pp. 5-7]. My belief and the belief of the members of my Community is that the bulk of the Ahadith concerning the advent of the Mahdi and the Promised Messiah are utterly untrustworthy. These fall into three categories: 1) The Ahadith which are false and fabricated. They are reported on the authority of people who were considered dishonest and given to falsehood. No sincere Muslim can place any trust in them. 2) The Ahadith which are considered weak and which are untrustworthy on account of mutual contradictions. They are either not mentioned by the great Imams of Hadith or have been mentioned as doubtful, and the truth and honesty of their narrators is not certified. 3) The Ahadith which are true, and are confirmed as such, but have either been already fulfilled or they make no reference to any physical warfare and only predict the coming of the Mahdi who will have no worldly kingdom or Khilafat and will neither fight nor cause bloodshed. He will have no army but will establish faith in the hearts of the people through his spirituality and inner attention. For instance, there is the Hadith: 143

This is mentioned in the collection of Ibn-e-Majah, which is known by this very name, and is also comprised in Hakim’s Mustadrak, on the authority of Anas bin Malik. This Hadith has been narrated by Muhammad bin Khalid Jundi on the authority of Aban bin Saleh who related it on the authority of Hasan Basri who related it on the authority of Anas bin Malik who heard it from the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.) This Hadith means that there will be no Mahdi except the person who will appear in the spirit of Jesusas, and whose teachings will be like those of Jesusas, because he will not physically resist evil nor fight; he will spread the truth through his holy example and through heavenly signs, and will be both the Promised Messiah and the Mahdi. This Hadith is supported by another Hadith comprised in the collection of Sahih Bukhari, which says: This means that the Mahdi, whose other name will be the Promised Messiah, will put an end to all religious wars and will direct that there should be no fighting in the cause of religion and that religion should be propagated through the light of the faith, moral miracles and the signs of nearness to God. I, therefore, affirm that he who fights in this age for the sake of religion, or lends support to any such fighter, or—openly or secretly—counsels fighting, or entertains any such designs, is guilty of disobedience to God and the Holy Prophetsa and transgresses the limits, obligations and admonitions which are prescribed by them.

The Messiah and his Second Coming 173 …I am the Promised Messiah who is Divinely guided, and who follows the morals of the Messiah (peace be on him.) Everyone should judge me with reference to these morals and should purge his heart of all ill will concerning me. A careful consideration of the teaching that I have set forth during the last twenty years, from Brahine-Ahmadiyyah to Raz-e-Haqiqat, should testify to my inner purity. I can prove that I have spread these books as far as Arabia, Turkey, Syria and Kabul. I utterly repudiate the doctrine that Jesus will descend from heaven to fight the battles of Islam, or that anyone who calls himself Mahdi, and appears from among the descendants of Hadrat Fatima, will be the monarch of the time, and that the two of them will start a reign of bloodshed. God has revealed to me that all these speculations are false. Jesus (peace be on him) died long ago and lies buried in Mohalla Khanyar in Srinagar, Kashmir. Thus as the descent of the Messiah from heaven is disproved, the appearance of any warrior Mahdi is also falsified. Let him who thirsts for truth accept this.
[Haqiqat-ul-Mahdi, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 14, pp. 429-433]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 171]

My statement concerning the Promised Messiah, whose descent from heaven and second advent into the world is awaited, which God Almighty has disclosed to me by His grace and mercy, is that there is no mention in the Holy Qur’an of the second advent of Jesus. According to the Holy Qur’an, Jesus has departed from this world forever. Some Ahadith, which are replete with metaphors, predict the second advent of Jesus. Their context indicates that they do not predict the second coming of Jesus, son of Mary, but comprise metaphorical statements which mean that in an age that would resemble the age of Jesus, son of Mary, a person will resemble Jesus, son of Mary, in his temperament, power and function. As Jesus, son of Mary, had revived the religion of Mosesas and had set forth afresh the true teaching of the Torah, which the Jews had forgotten, in the same way this second Messiah would revive the faith of the Prophet who was like Mosesas and was the Seal of the Prophets (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.) This Messiah of the Prophet who was the like of Mosesas will completely resemble the Messiah of Mosesas in the events of his life and in all other consequences that his people will experience on account of their obedience to him or their denial of him. God Almighty has revealed to me that I am that Promised Messiah.
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 173]

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Introduction