Titles of ‘Prophet’ and ‘Messenger’ — 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 Titles of ‘Prophet’ and ‘Messenger’, presenting profound spiritual insights and scriptural verities.

Book Series: Essence of Islam (Volume 4)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (AS)
Section: Part 3: Status of the Promised Messiah (as)
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: Proof of Truthfulness | Next: Triumph of Islam »

Status of the Promised Messiahas As I have come from God Almighty with truth and righteousness, you will find the signs of my truthfulness all around you. The time is not far—indeed it is very near—when you will observe angels descending from heaven in large numbers on the hearts of the people of Asia, Europe and America. You have learnt from the Holy Qur’an that, with the advent of the vicegerent of God, the descent of angels is incumbent so that they should turn people’s hearts towards the truth. So wait for this sign. If angels do not descend and you do not perceive the clear effect of their descent in the world and you do not find the hearts inclined in an extraordinary manner to move towards the truth, then you may reasonably conclude that no one has descended from heaven. But if all this happens, then do not persist in denial, lest you be judged by God Almighty as a disobedient people.
[Fat-he-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, pp. 13-14, footnote]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 67]

Having already seen with my own eyes the clear fulfilment of a hundred and fifty or so prophecies that I received from God, how can I deny for myself the title of Prophet or Messenger? When God Almighty Himself has so named me, how can I reject these titles, and how can I fear anyone but Him? I swear by God—Who has sent me, and to attribute imposture to Whom is to be accursed—that He has sent me as the Promised Messiah. As I believe in the verses of the Holy Qur’an, so do I believe, without the difference of a particle, in that clear Divine revelation which has been vouchsafed to me, and the truth of which has been established by His successive signs. I can stand in the Baitullah and swear that the holy revelation which descends upon me is the word of the same God, Who sent His Word to Mosesas, to Jesusas and to Muhammad the Chosen Onesa. The earth bore witness in my support and so did the heaven. In this way, the heaven and the earth have affirmed that I am the Vicegerent of Allah. But in keeping with the prophecies, it was inescapable that I too should be denied. Therefore, those whose hearts are in veils do not accept me. I know well that God will surely support me as He has always supported His Messengers. None can ever succeed against me.
[Eik Ghalati Ka Izalah, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 210]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 67]

Since I am a follower of the Prophetsa who was invested with all human excellences and whose law was most perfect and complete in all its aspects and was designed to reform the whole world, therefore, I have been invested with all the capacities that are needed for the reform of the whole of mankind. There can be no doubt that Jesusas was not invested with the natural capacity with which I have been invested, for he was sent only to one particular people. Had he been in my place, he could not, on account of his limited natural capacity, have done the work that God’s bounty has enabled me to do. Status of the Promised Messiahas 37 It is obvious that if Mosesas had appeared in the place of our Holy Prophetsa he could not have achieved that which the Holy Prophetsa did, and that if the Torah had been revealed in place of the Holy Qur’an, it could never have accomplished that which the Holy Qur’an did. The spiritual status of men lies behind the veil of the unknown. To become frustrated and annoyed with all this is of no avail. Is it beyond God, Who has created Jesusas, to create another like him or even better than him? Show me if there is any verse in the Holy Qur’an which stands in the way of this, and cursed be the person who denies a verse of the Holy Qur’an. How can I say anything that is against the facts and is in contravention of the holy revelations which, for twenty-three years, have been comforting me and comprise thousands of Divine testimonies and extraordinary signs! Whatever God Almighty does is in accord with wisdom and is appropriate. He saw that a mere human being had been unreasonably deified and was being worshipped by four hundred million people; so He sent me at a time when this doctrine had been exaggerated to the extreme; and He named me after all the Prophets but singled out for me the name of the Messiah son of Maryas, and thus bestowed upon me the mercy and favour which was not bestowed upon 37 This is a proclamation of blessing of Allah and not a matter of pride. [Publisher] him, so that people should realize that grace rests with God; He bestows it upon whomsoever He wills. If I say all this on my own then I am a liar, but if God bears witness to my truth with His signs, then denying me would be contrary to righteousness.
[Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, pp. 157-158]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 68]

I proclaim on the basis of Divine revelation that I am the one who was to come. Whoever wishes, can demand from me proof of my truthfulness according to the manner in which God Almighty has always proved the truthfulness of the Prophetsas.
[Malfuzat, vol. 4, p. 39]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 70]

I swear by Him in Whose hand is my life, that my God has honoured me with certain and absolute converse, and this is a daily occurrence. I find that the God Who was adjured by Jesus the Messiahas in the words: “Why hast Thou forsaken me?” has not forsaken me. Like the Messiahas, I too have been attacked many times, but my enemies have always been frustrated. A conspiracy was hatched to have me hanged but my God delivered me at the time of every trial, and I was not put on the cross like the Messiahas. He has shown many great miracles in my support and has exhibited His mighty power to the same purpose. Through thousands of signs, He has proved to me that He is the same God Who revealed the Qur’an and sent the Holy Prophetsa. I do not see how Jesus, the Messiahas, is to be preferred to me in any way. As God’s word descended upon him, so it has descended upon me, and I do find myself blessed Status of the Promised Messiahas with the same miracles as are attributed to him and even more so. All this honour has been bestowed upon me by following the Prophetsa of whose rank and standing the world is unaware, that is, our lord and master Muhammad, the Chosen Onesa. It is simply absurd the way ignorant and witless people say that Jesusas is alive in heaven, whereas it is only in the Holy Prophetsa that I find the signs of being alive. It is through him that we have seen the God Whom the world knows not, and the door of revelation that was shut upon all other peoples has been opened for us by the blessings of this Prophetsa alone. We have seen through this Prophetsa miracles which other people relate like myths and stories. We have found that the rank of this Prophetsa cannot be exceeded. And we can only wonder why the world should be unaware of his status.
I have been asked why I claim to be the Promised Messiah. Let me tell you, in all truth, that through perfect obedience to this Prophetsa, a person can be exalted above Jesusas. The blind ones call this infidelity. I retort: How do you know what infidelity is when you yourselves are without faith! Infidelity is within you. You would not have been guilty of uttering such heresy had you known the meaning of the verse: 38 38 Guide us along the straight path, the path of those upon whom Thou has bestowed Thy favours.—Al-Fatihah, 1:6-7 [Publisher] God promises that through perfect obedience to the Holy Prophetsa you can acquire all the various excellences of the Prophetsas, and you think that to acquire the excellences of just one Prophet is heresy!
[Chashma-e-Masihi, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 20, pp. 353-355]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 70]

I swear in the name of God that as He spoke to Abrahamas and to Isaacas and to Ishmaelas and to Jacobas and to Josephas and to Mosesas and to Jesus son of Maryas and, last of all, to our Holy Prophetsa in such manner that He vouchsafed to him the most luminous and holy revelation, in the same way He has also honoured me with His converse. This honour has been bestowed upon me only on account of my obedience to the Holy Prophetsa. Had I not been one of his followers and had I not obeyed him, I would never have been honoured with such Divine converse even if my good deeds had piled up as high as the mountains. All Prophethood has now come to an end except the Prophethood of Muhammadsa. No law-bearing Prophet can now come, but a non-lawbearing Prophet can come, provided he is a follower of the Holy Prophetsa. In this way I am both a follower and a Prophet. My Prophethood—i.e., converse with God—is a reflection of the Prophethood of the Holy Prophetsa and nothing more. It is the same Prophethood of Muhammadsa that has manifested itself in me.
[Tajalliyat-e-Ilahiyah, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 20, pp. 411-412]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 72]

I have repeatedly affirmed that the revelation which I put forth is certainly and absolutely the word of Status of the Promised Messiahas God, as the Holy Qur’an and the Torah are the word of God, and I am a Prophet of God by way of reflection. Every Muslim is bound to obey me in religious matters, and is bound to accept me as the Promised Messiah. Everyone whom my call has reached and does not accept me as Hakam39 and does not believe in me as the Promised Messiah and does not esteem the revelation that is vouchsafed to me as coming from God, is accountable in heaven—even if he is a Muslim—for he has rejected that which he had to accept at its time. I do not say merely that had I been an impostor I would have been destroyed, but I also affirm that I am true in my claim like Mosesas, Jesusas, Davidas and the Holy Prophetsa. God has exhibited more than ten thousand signs in my support. The Holy Qur’an bears witness for me and so does the Holy Prophetsa.
[Tohfat-un-Nadwah, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 19, pp. 95-96]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 4, p. 72]

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Introduction