Open Invitation to All Who Seek a Sign — 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 Open Invitation to All Who Seek a Sign, presenting profound spiritual insights and scriptural verities.

Book Series: Essence of Islam (Volume 3)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (AS)
Section: Part 13: Repeated Challenges
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: Divine Permission for Mubahalah Against Maulavis | Next: [Persian Poem] »

out of a total of one or two thousand—I shall consider myself to be false and I shall repent at their hands. If I die within one year, the world will be restored to peace and security by the death of an evil one.
But one of my conditions is that at least ten of those whose names are mentioned below should be present at the time of the Mubahalah. If more of them can be present, so much the better, inasmuch as the affliction of a large number with Divine torment is such a clear sign as no one can doubt. Bear witness, O earth and O heaven, that the curse of God lies on him who, having received this book, neither comes to Mubahalah nor desists from denouncing me as a disbeliever and defaming me, nor keeps away from the company of those who mock at me. O Ye believers, say Amin to this in the name of God. I have to record that up till now these wicked Maulavis have not paid any heed to this straightforward manner of Judgement, so that if I am a liar, as they imagine, I may be chastised by God Almighty Who is the Judge of judges.
[Anjam-e-Atham, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 11, pp. 64-67]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 442]

After issuing several invitations to Mubahalah, I have for my part given up making any further attempts in that connection, but everyone who considers me a liar, hypocrite, or an impostor, and rejects my claim of being the Promised Messiah, and regards the revelation vouchsafed to me by God Almighty as my invention, whether he is a Muslim, Hindu, Arya or follower of any other religion, he is at liberty to come forward and publish a written statement of Mubahalah against me. He should announce in some newspapers, taking oath in the name of God AlRepeated Challenges 443 mighty, that he is fully convinced that I, who claim to be Promised Messiah, am an impostor and liar and dajjal, and my supposed revelations, some of which are entered in this book, are not the words of God but are all of my own making. This statement should conclude with the supplication: O God Almighty, if in Your estimation this person is true and not a liar, impostor, disbeliever and faithless, then may You on account of my rejecting him and slandering him, send down some severe punishment upon me, otherwise may You chastise him, Amin. This method of seeking a sign is open to everyone. If, after the publication of this prayer in at least three wellknown newspapers, such a person should still escape heavenly punishment, everyone will be free to conclude that I am not from God. No period will be fixed for the manifestation of such a sign. The only requirement will be that something should occur which can be appreciated by everyone.
[Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, pp. 71-72]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 442]

Ever since God has named me the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, those who call themselves Muslims and call me as a disbeliever, have been greatly agitated against me. I have proved my claim clearly on the basis of the Holy Qur’an and Ahadith, but they deliberately ignored what I said. Then God manifested many heavenly signs in my support but they derived no benefit from these either. Thereafter many of them came forward for Mubahalah and some of them, who claimed to be recipients of revelation, predicted that I shall be destroyed within a specific period during their very lives, but they were themselves destroyed while I lived. Alas, even then the Muslims did not reflect that if all my claims had been of my own making, my opponents would not have been defeated in each and every case. They have been condemned as false by the Holy Qur’an. The Ahadith describing the spiritual ascension of the Holy Prophetsa and the Hadith which predicts that the Promised Messiah would be one of the Muslims, proves that they are liars. The results of the Mubahalahs proclaim their falsehood. Then by what authority do they so daringly oppose and reject me, who has been sent by God, and has continued to call them to the truth for nearly twenty-six years? Have they not experienced the warning conveyed in the verse: 260

Where is Ghulam Dastgir who supplicated for my destruction in his book Faid-e-Rahmani, and prayed for the death of whichever of us was false? Where is Maulavi Charagh Din of Jammu who stood up for Mubahalah against me and predicted my death on the basis of a revelation he was supposed to have received? Where is Faqir Mirza who had a large following and who predicted my death with great enthusiasm. He even announced that God had informed him from His throne that I was an impostor and would die during his own lifetime in the following month of Ramadan. But when Ramadan came, it was he himself who died of the plague. Where is Sa‘d-ullah of Ludhiana who stood up for Mubahalah against me and predicted my death? He died of the plague in my lifetime. Where is Maulavi Mohy-ud-Din of Lakhoke who called me the Pharaoh and predicted my death in his lifetime and pub- 260 ‘Some of that which he threatens you with will surely befall you.’— Al-Mu’min, 40:29 [Publisher] Repeated Challenges 445 lished several of his supposed revelations concerning me? He too passed away in my lifetime. Where is the accountant Babu Ilahi Bakhsh of Lahore, the author of ‘Asa-eMusa, who described himself as Moses and called me Pharaoh and predicted my death by the plague in his own lifetime, and published several other prophecies about my ruin? He too died of plague within my lifetime, thus bearing witness that his book ‘Asa-e-Musa was false and a bundle of impostures. All these people had hoped that I would become an illustration of the verse: 261

But they themselves illustrated this verse by their ruin. By destroying them God also made me an illustration of the second part of the same verse: 262

Have not all these events fully established the design of God Almighty? Yet it was necessary for my opponents to have rejected me because of the Divine prediction published 26 years ago in Brahin-e-Ahmadiyyah: A Warner came to the world and the world did not accept him, but God will accept him and will establish his truth with powerful assaults. I am certain that God will not stop His signs till my truth is made manifest to the world. Today, 15th May 1908, it has occurred to me that there is 261 ‘If he be a liar, on him will be the sin of his lie.’—Al-Mu’min, 40:29 [Publisher] 262 ‘But if he is truthful, then some of that which he threatens you with will surely befall you.’—Al-Mu’min, 40:29 [Publisher] another method by which a God fearing person may perchance emerge from the dangerous whirlpool of denial. It is as follows: Someone out of my opponents who deems me a disbeliever and a liar should obtain the attention of at least ten reputed clerics, or of at least ten well known leading personalities, and should come out against me in order to carry out a test of our truth or falsehood. We should select two persons who are critically ill and each of them should, by the drawing of lots, be allocated to each of us for prayer. Thereafter, the one whose patient recovers completely or lives longer than the other patient, will be considered true. All this is in the hand of Allah Almighty, and, relying on His promise, I predict that God will either bestow full health on the patient allocated to me or will grant him longer life than the other patient; and this will be the testimony of my truth. If this does not happen, it may be concluded that I am not from God. But it will be necessary that the person who stands up against me, and the ten Maulavis or leading personalities who support him, must announce in three leading papers that, in the case of my triumph, they will accept me and join my Jama‘at. I shall also be bound by similar conditions…. One benefit resulting from such a contest would be that God Almighty would bestow new life upon someone dangerously ill, who has lost all hope of life, and would thus manifest a sign of reviving the dead. Secondly, the contention between us will be judged peacefully and easily. Peace be on him who follows the right path. Announced by: Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani, The Promised Messiah. 15 May, 1908.
[Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 23, pp. 2-4]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 443]

I have steadfastly endured vilification at the hands of Repeated Challenges 447 Maulavi Nadhir Hussain Sahib of Delhi and his disciples. Now, in my capacity as a commissioned one of God, I invite him and his followers to God’s Judgement in the confidence that He Himself will decide between us. He is aware of what goes on in the hearts and what transpires in the minds, and does not approve of any hurtful activity or needless bewailing. Truly virtuous is he who fears Him. I am not demeaned by anyone calling me a dog or a disbeliever or dajjal. Man possesses no honour on his own. Honour is bestowed only by the reflection of God’s light. If He is not pleased with me and I am evil in His estimation, then I am worse than a thousand dogs.
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 446]

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