Resemblances Between Jesus (as) And the Promised Messiah (as) — Essence of Islam Vol. 4

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 4), Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS), the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, expounds upon Resemblances Between Jesus (as) And the Promised Messiah (as), presenting profound spiritual insights and scriptural verities.

Book Series: Essence of Islam (Volume 4)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (AS)
Section: Part 5: Propagation, Establishment of a Holy Jama’at, and Instructions
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: Personal Signs of the Promised Messiah (as) | Next: Blessings Upon Those Who Accept the Promised Messiah (as) »

Propagation, Establishment of a Holy Jama‘at, and Instructions i.e., the time when number of the Messengers will be determined. This means that with the appearance of the last Khalifah, the number of Messengers which had been determined by Divine decree and had been hidden, shall become manifest. This verse also clearly shows that the Promised Messiah will be from among the Muslims.
[Tohfah-e-Golarhviyyah, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 17, pp. 241-244]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 197]

Resemblances between Jesusas and the Promised Messiahas In the Mosaic dispensation, there were sixteen distinctions assigned to Prophet Jesusas. When God Almighty brought the Mosaic dispensation to an end and established the dispensation of Muhammadsa, the All-Wise and All-Knowing designed a perfect resemblance between the beginning and the end of both these dispensations, as had been promised in the scriptures of the Prophetsas. First, He raised the Holy Prophetsa and described him as the like of Mosesas, as is evident from the verse:

إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَيۡكُمۡ رَسُولٗا شَٰهِدًا عَلَيۡكُمۡ كَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ رَسُولٗا

“Verily, We have sent to you a Messenger, who is a witness over you, even as We sent a Messenger to Pharaoh.” (Surah Al-Muzzammil, 73:16)

…But it was necessary that the last Khalifah of the dispensation of Muhammadsa should also resemble the last Khalifah of the Mosaic dispensation, so that

the saying of God Almighty that the dispensation of Muhammadsa—with regard to both its Founder and its successors—would have a close resemblance with the Mosaic dispensation, may be fulfilled. Resemblance is always sought between the beginning and the end, for the middle period is a long one and cannot be analysed in detail. But similarity between the beginnings and the ends shows that there must also be similarity in the intervening periods, though the eye of reason may not fully comprehend it.
As I have already said, Jesusas possessed sixteen religious qualities which must also be found in the last Khalifah of Islam, so that a perfect resemblance may be established between the two. The first similarity between the two is that that they are both promised. There have been thousands of saints and men of God in Islam, but the advent of not even one of them was promised. It was only the advent of the one who was to come with the name of the Messiah that was promised. In the same way, before Jesusas there was no Prophet in Israel whose advent was promised, only the Messiah’s advent had been promised. The second similarity is the loss of kingdom. There is no doubt that a short while before the advent of Jesus son of Maryas, the Israelite kingdom had been lost. In the same way, before the birth of the last Messiah, the Islamic kingdom in India had disappeared from this Propagation, Establishment of a Holy Jama‘at, and Instructions country due to all sorts of misconduct, and the British kingdom had been established in its place. The third similarity is that in the time of the first Messiahas the Jews had become divided into many sects and were in need of an Arbiter who would decide between them. Likewise, at the time of this last Messiah, the Muslims have become divided into many sects. The fourth similarity is that just as the first Messiahas was not commissioned to fight with the sword, the last Messiah has also not be commissioned to fight with the sword. In fact there can be no question of such a thing when the age has shown that no heart can be convinced with the sword and no civilized person now takes up the sword for the sake of religion…. Fifth: In the time of the first Messiahas, the character of the Jews had become thoroughly corrupt. Their divines in particular were deceitful, worshippers of the world, and greedy for worldly gain and honour. The same is the case with common Muslims and the majority of the Muslim divines in the time of the last Messiah. This needs no detailed exposition. Sixth: The first Messiahas was raised under the Roman Caesar. This distinction is shared by the last Messiah, in that I too have been raised under Caesar—only this Caesar is better than the Caesar who ruled in the time of the Messiahas …. Seventh: The Christian faith ultimately penetrated into the people of Caesar. I too partake of this inasmuch as I perceive that both in Europe and America great interest is taken in my claim and arguments. Hundreds of journals and newspapers have published my claim and the reasons in support thereof. Some of them have said things in my support which it is difficult for a Christian to say, so much so that they have clearly said concerning me that to them I appear to be true… Eighth: A comet had appeared in the time of Messiahas and the same comet has appeared again in my time. Some European newspapers have referred to this as evidence that the time of the advent of the Messiah is near. Ninth: When Jesus the Messiahas was put upon the cross, the sun suffered an eclipse. Likewise, when I was denied, not only did the sun, but the moon also suffered an eclipse in the month of Ramadan, and not once but—in accordance with the Hadith—twice. These eclipses were mentioned in the Gospels, the Holy Qur’an, as well as Ahadith (e.g. in Dar Qutni). Tenth: After the persecution of Jesusas by the Jews, there was a severe outbreak of the plague among them. Likewise, there has been a severe outbreak of the plague in my time. Eleventh: The Jewish divines tried to condemn Jesusas as a rebel. He was persecuted and the Jews sought to have him sentenced to death. The Divine decree has Propagation, Establishment of a Holy Jama‘at, and Instructions associated me with him in this regard as well. I too was charged with conspiracy to murder and attempts were made to show that I was a rebel. This was the case in which Maulavi Abu Sa‘id Muhammad Hussain of Batala appeared as a witness against me.
Twelfth: When Jesusas was put upon the cross, a thief was also put upon the cross at the same time. I have been associated with him in this incident as well. On the day that I was discharged from the case of conspiracy to murder, in accordance with a categorical prophecy that I had published widely in advance, a Christian thief had also been produced in the same court. This thief was a member of the Christian Salvation Army who had stolen some money. He was sentenced to a three months’ imprisonment, and not to death, like the companion of the first Messiahas. Thirteenth: When Jesusas was produced before Pilate and it was demanded that he should be sentenced to death, Pilate declared that he had not found any sin in Jesusas which should make him deserving of death. In the same way, Captain Douglas, the District Magistrate, in answer to one of my questions told me that he did not charge me with any offence. It appears that Captain Douglas was more steadfast and had greater regard for justice than Pilate, inasmuch as in the end Pilate exhibited cowardice and became afraid of the vicious divines of the Jews, but Captain Douglas showed no such fear…. My Jama‘at and I will always remember these good qualities of Captain Douglas and his name will always be mentioned with honour till the end of time. Fourteenth: Jesusas, having been born without a father, was not an Israelite and yet he was the last Prophet in the Mosaic dispensation who appeared in the fourteenth century after Mosesas. I too am not one of the Quraish and have been raised in the fourteenth century after the Holy Prophetsa and have appeared at the end. Fifteenth: The world in the time of Jesusas had taken on a new aspect. Roads had been built, the mailing system had been regulated, the military structure had been improved, facilities had been created for travellers, and the system of justice had been made much more transparent. Similarly, in my time, life has become much more comfortable. Railways have also been built, an indication of which is given in the Holy Qur’an. I leave the rest to the reader to understand. Sixteenth: Jesusas resembled Adamas as he was born without a father. I also resemble Adamas as I was born a twin. Muhy-ud-Din Ibn-e-‘Arabi has recorded that the last Khalifah in Islam would be of Persian origin (i.e., would be a Mughal) and would be born a twin. A girl would be born first and then he would be born. That is how I was born, on a Friday morning. A girl was first and I was born after her. I am not aware of the source upon which this prophecy of Ibn-e-‘Arabi, which has been fulfilled, is based, but it is to be found in his books to this day. Propagation, Establishment of a Holy Jama‘at, and Instructions These are the sixteen resemblances between me and the Messiahas. It is obvious that had my claim been the product of my own imagination, there would not have been so many resemblances between the Messiah son of Maryas and myself. Denial of truth has, from ancient times, been the characteristic of those who have not been blessed with good fortune, but my denial by the Maulavis of this age is simply beyond comprehension. I am the one who has appeared right on time and for whom the sun and the moon were eclipsed in the month of Ramadan in accordance with the prophecies of the Qur’an, the Hadith, the Bible and other Prophetsas. I am the one in whose time, according to the prophecies of all the Prophetsas and of the Holy Qur’an, the plague broke out in this country in an extraordinary manner. I am the one in whose time the pilgrimage was stopped in accordance with true Ahadith. I am the one in whose time the comet appeared which has appeared in the time of the Messiah son of Maryas. I am the one in whose time the advent of the railway caused camels to be discarded as a means of transportation. The time is approaching, indeed it is very near, when the railway will run between Mecca and Medina and all those camels will be discarded which have performed this blessed journey for thirteen hundred years. Then will be fulfilled this Hadith of Sahih Muslim: which means that in the time of the Messiah camels will be discarded and no one will travel by them. I am the one at whose hands hundreds of signs have been shown. Is there anyone alive who can compete with me in the exhibition of signs and defeat me? I call to witness God, in Whose hand is my life, that more than two hundred thousand signs have been exhibited at my hands. Approximately ten thousand people or perhaps even more have seen the Holy Prophetsa in their dreams and he confirmed the truth of my claim. Some well-known persons in this country who had experience of visions and the number of each of whose followers exceeded three hundred thousand, were informed in their dreams that I had been sent by God…. Despite all this testimony and miracles and extraordinary signs, the Maulavis call me false and it was necessary that they should do so, so that the prophecy implied in the verse:

صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ غَيۡرِ ٱلۡمَغۡضُوبِ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ

“The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings, those who have not incurred Thy displeasure, and those who have not gone astray.” (Surah Those who have not incurred Thy displeasure.— Al-Fatihah, 1:7)

may be fulfilled. At the root of all this opposition is the stupid desire of the Maulavis that all the signs of the Promised Messiah, which they find set out in their books and which are a mixed bundle of truth and falsehood, should be fulfilled; and that no one claiming to be the Messiah or Mahdi should ever be accepted if he is not borne out by each of the many Ahadith they possess, although such a proposition has always remained an impossibility. The signs which 123 Those who have not incurred Thy displeasure.— Al-Fatihah, 1:7 [Publisher] Propagation, Establishment of a Holy Jama‘at, and Instructions the Jews had announced and formulated in their books concerning the advent of Jesusas were not fulfilled. Then the same wretched people formulated a number of signs for the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, and only a few of them were fulfilled. For instance, they had imagined that this last Prophet would be from among the Israelites…but the Holy Prophetsa appeared from among the Ishmaelites. Had God Almighty so willed, He could have recorded in the Torah that the name of that Prophet would be Muhammad and that the name of his father would be ‘Abdullah and that the name of his grandfather would be ‘Abdul Muttalib and that he would be born in Mecca and would migrate to Medina. But God did not record all this, because such prophecies have to be the test of faith. It has been specified for the Promised Messiah in advance that he would be an Arbiter between the different sects of Islam. Now, when each sect has a collection of its own Ahadith and how can it be possible for him to conform to the ideas of everyone? If he confirms the Ahl-e-Hadith, the Hanafis would be disgruntled, and if he confirms the Hanafis, the Shafi‘is would be annoyed, and the Shi‘as would insist that he should have appeared in accordance with their doctrine. How could he please everyone? The very word ‘Arbiter’ indicates that he would arrive at a time when all sects would have departed from the truth to some degree. In these circumstances, it would be a great folly for each sect to test him on the touchstone of its own Ahadith. The right course would be to take advantage of those signs and conditions which are fulfilled in his time and to reject the others as false and human fabrications. This is the course that was followed by the righteous Jews who became Muslims. They accepted those traditions of the Jews which confirmed the truth of the Holy Prophetsa and rejected the rest as false. Had not this been done, neither the Prophethood of Jesusas nor that of the Holy Prophetsa could have been established satisfactorily for the Jews. Those of them who became Muslims had to reject hundreds of false Jewish traditions. When they found that some of the conditions laid down had been fulfilled and that there was an ocean of Divine support for the Holy Prophetsa, they took advantage of those traditions which had been fulfilled. Otherwise, not one of them would have become a Muslim… Now comes the question of my claim. This is supported by so many reasons that unless a person is altogether without shame, he has no way open to him other than to accept my claim in the same way as he has accepted the advent of the Holy Prophetsa. Are these arguments not enough proof of my claim that the Holy Qur’an has given so many signs and indications concerning me that it has virtually specified my name, and the Ahadith mention Kad‘ah as the name of my village. The Ahadith also show that the Promised Messiah would be born in the thirteenth century and would appear in the fourteenth. Sahih Bukhari gives my full description. With regard to the first Propagation, Establishment of a Holy Jama‘at, and Instructions Messiahas, his great centre is described as in the East, i.e., India. It is also related in the Ahadith that the Promised Messiah will appear East of Damascus; and Qadian is to the East of Damascus. The following signs and conditions should be enough for a Godfearing person to accept my claim: The eclipse of the sun and the moon occurred in the month of Ramadan after the announcement of my claim, but people rejected this sign; the plague spread over the country; the railway was started in accordance with the prophecies in the Ahadith and the Qur’an; camels were discarded; the Pilgrimage was stopped; the time came for the spread of the doctrine of the cross; hundreds of signs were shown at my hands; the time of my appearance was appointed by the Prophetsas; I was raised at the beginning of the century; thousands of pious people saw dreams confirming my claim; the Holy Prophetsa and the Holy Qur’an announced that the Promised Messiah would appear from among the Muslims; I have been accorded the support of God Almighty; approximately two hundred thousand people have made covenant of Bai‘at with me and have become righteous and purehearted; the Christian faith has been shaken in my time so much so that the magic of the Trinity is melting like snow; Muslims have gone into decline having been divided into many sects; the world has undergone a revolutionary change in which innovation, idolatry, drunkenness, illicit sex, dishonesty, and lying have become rife; in every aspect this world has undergone a tremendous change; according to the testimony of every wise person the world needs a reformer; my victory against everyone through miraculous writings and heavenly signs and the fulfilment of hundreds of thousands of Divine prophecies in my support.
[Tadhkirat-ush-Shahadatain, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 20, pp. 30-41]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 197]

If I am in error in claiming to be the Promised Messiah, then why don’t you try to make the Promised Messiah you have in mind descend from heaven in these very days, for I am here and he for whom you are waiting is nowhere to be seen. My claim can only be effectively refuted if he descends from heaven and I am proved to be false. If you are indeed truthful, you should supplicate all together that the Messiah son of Maryas should soon be seen descending from heaven. If you are indeed in the right, your prayer will be heard, for the prayers of the righteous are accepted in contrast to the prayers of the false. But you may be certain that this prayer of yours will not be accepted as you are in error. The Messiah has come but you have failed to recognize him. Your vain hope will never be fulfilled; this age will pass and no one from among you will see the Messiah descending from heaven.
[Izala-e-Auham, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p. 179]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 208]

Do remember that the person who was to descend has come at his proper time and all prophecies have been fulfilled. The books of all the Prophetsas indicate this Propagation, Establishment of a Holy Jama‘at, and Instructions age…After all these signs, he who rejects me rejects all Prophetsas and not me alone, and fights God Almighty. It would have been better for him that he had not been born.
[Tadhkirat-ush-Shahadatain, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 20, pp. 24-25]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 208]

124 A Plea in the name of Allah, the Glorious and the Lord of Honour, to Religious Leaders, Divines, and Righteous People of Punjab and India. O leaders of the faith and Allah’s righteous servants, in order to do away with all mischief and disorder, it is incumbent on you to pay attention to a request that I am submitting to you in the name of Allah the Glorious, for you possess understanding and insight and you look at things not by conjecture but with the help of Divine light. Although a matter of such importance, which involves the welfare of all Muslims and would eradicate a great dissension would not seem to require an oath, but there are some people who prefer to remain silent on account of some personal consideration, or because they think that to testify to the truth will displease the people, while it is also sinful to lie. What they do not understand is that concealing a testimony is also a sin. Therefore, in order to attract 124 In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. We praise Him and call down His blessings on His Noble Messengersa. [Publisher] the attention of such people, it has become necessary to call for their testimony on oath. O leaders of the faith, the task which I urge you to perform in the name of Allah, glorified be His name, is that at a time of error and disorder and at the beginning of the fourteenth century, God Almighty has sent this humble one as a Reformer for the reformation of the people. As the great evil of this century, which has done great harm to Islam, was the mischief of the Christian ministers, God Almighty has named this humble one the Promised Messiah… I was sent at the beginning of the fourteenth century and God has furnished me with a heavenly weapon whereby I should break the religion of the cross, but it is a pity that the short-sighted divines of this country have not accepted me and have put forward silly excuses, which have been repelled from every point of view…Allah, the Glorious has shown many signs in testament of my claim. He has caused the eclipses of the sun and the moon in the month of Ramadan to testify to the truth of my claim, and has given me victory against my opponents in a miraculous manner in every field of contest. He has also shown many other signs which are set out in detail in Siraj-e-Munir and other books. Despite the testimony of the Qur’an and the Ahadith and the testimony of reason and heavenly signs, my cruel opponents did not refrain from their hostility and still continue to deny me with the help of all kinds of imposture. Therefore, for the sake of carrying the matter to a definitive conclusion, I have Propagation, Establishment of a Holy Jama‘at, and Instructions thought of another plan, hoping that God Almighty will bless it, and this dissension which has created fierce hostility between thousands of Muslims might be set at rest. The plan is that all Masha’ikh125, mendicants, divines and righteous ones in Punjab and India be entreated in the name of Allah, glorified be His name, that they should supplicate before Him with regard to me and my claim and seek guidance from Him. Then, if the majority of their revelations and visions and true dreams, which shall be published on oath should bear out that this humble one is a liar and an impostor, then everyone should hold me as a rejected one, a humiliated one, an accursed one, an impostor and a liar; and they may curse me as much as they like and no sin shall be upon them. In such case it would be incumbent upon every believer to keep away from me. By this means my Jama‘at and I would be easily destroyed. But if the majority of the revelations and visions and true dreams should indicate that I am from God and my claim is true, then it would be incumbent upon every God-fearing person to follow me and to refrain from calling me a Kafir and a liar. Everyone has to die one day. Thus even if one encounters worldly humiliation in accepting the truth, it is much better than facing humiliation in the hereafter. Therefore, I approach all the leaders of the faith and the righteous ones of Punjab and India and put them on

oath in the name of Allah, the Glorious, for Whose name’s sake every faithful one should be ready to offer any sacrifice, that they should supplicate the Divine concerning me for at least twenty-one days, unless something is disclosed to them sooner than that, and they should seek to learn from God the truth with regard to me whether I am a liar or am from Him. Again and again I ask the leaders of the faith, in the name of Allah, that they should, for the sake of removing this dissension, supplicate for twenty-one days unless the truth is disclosed to them earlier. I know for certain that it is not the way of the righteous to not pay attention to a request made in the name of God Almighty, and I appreciate that every purehearted one and everyone who is fearful of the glory of God, upon hearing the oath will certainly pay attention to my plea. When this testimony has been classified, that which is supported by preponderance will be considered as being from Allah. If in truth I am a liar and a Dajjal, it is a great misfortune for the Muslims that in this age when there is a deluge of disorder and religious innovations and tribulations, a Dajjal should have appeared at the turn of the fourteenth century instead of a Reformer and a Mujaddid. It should be remembered that every person, whom a group of Muslims possessing insight considers to be righteous and pure-hearted, has been addressed by me in this announcement. Those who have not a great reputation in this respect and are considered of lower rank are not so regarded by me, for it is possible that Propagation, Establishment of a Holy Jama‘at, and Instructions in the sight of God Almighty they might be better than those who are better known. In the same way, I do not consider righteous women inferior in comparison with men. It is possible that some of them may be more righteous than some well-known righteous men. It will be necessary that every person who puts down a revelation or a vision or a dream concerning me, should send me a written statement on oath, so that all such testimonies can be collected in one place and published for the benefit of seekers after truth. This scheme will, God willing, be of great benefit for the servants of God and the hearts of the Muslims shall be comforted and delivered from trial by the volume of testimony. It appears from the Ahadith that the Mahdi of the latter days will first be rejected as Kafir and people will turn against him and will revile him, but in the end the righteous servants of God Almighty will be informed of his truth through dreams and revelations and other heavenly signs will also appear. Then the divines and clerics of the time will accept him willy-nilly. O dear and respected ones, for the sake of God, turn to the Knower of the Unseen; I call you in the name of Allah, glorified be His name, to accede to my request and not to reject it, as I have put you on oath in the name of the Mighty and the Lord of Majesty. 126 127 Plea made by the humble servant of God Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, District Gurdaspur, Punjab, July 15, 1897.
[Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 2, pp. 443-451]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 209]

Blessings upon Those who Accept the Promised Messiahas Obviously, it is very clear that those who have accepted this humble one as the Promised Messiah are secure against every danger and will be accounted as deserving several kinds of merit and reward together with the strengthening of their faith. This is because, first of all they thought well of a brother and did not declare him an impostor or a liar and did not admit into their hearts any evil doubt con-
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 214]

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