We see in the world that, whenever warners came, there were the people who believed in them and then there were those who rejected them. Due to this, Allah the Almighty sent many calamities to differentiate between believers and non-believers. The Qur’an tells us that a severe flood befell Prophet Noah’s asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" people, earthquakes destroyed the people of Lot and Thamud, and a huge cyclone destroyed the people of Ad, the Qur’an mentions nine signs shown to Pharaoh’s people in the time of Prophet Moses asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" which included droughts, floods and plagues. Likewise, huge calamities befell the people who rejected them whenever a prophet came to the world. Similarly, in the last age, Allah the Almighty sent the Promised Messiah asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" to guide mankind to the right path.
Not only were punishments to come on the people who rejected him, because he was a prophet, but also because he says in a couplet:
“I am at times Adam, at times Moses, at times Jacob, And at times I am Abraham; my progeny is countless.”
Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part 5, Ruhani Khazain Vol. 21, p. 97
The importance placed by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" on the content of his prophecies cannot be understated. He viewed them as part of the historic fabric of religious truths and averred that only through the insights which are revealed by God from ‘behind the veil of the unseen’ can the truth of anyone claiming to be a divine prophet or messenger be recognised.
The origins of the prophecy regarding calamities and natural epidemics can be traced back to one of the Promised Messiah’s asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" earliest and most well-known revelations. Whilst writing his first book, Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, he asserted that God had divinely disclosed to him the words:
“A Warner came to the world, but the world did not accept him. But God will accept him and manifest his truth through powerful assaults.”
Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part 4, Ruhani Khazain Vol. 1, p. 665
This was revealed before the Promised Messiah asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" had made any claim to be the Messiah or a prophet of God. As the passage of time would show, this revelation formed the basis of all of Huzoor’s prophecies. I will be mentioning in particular, Huzoor’s prophecies regarding natural epidemics and whether they were in fact natural, or a sign of God’s displeasure. The Promised Messiah asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" writes regarding these calamities:
“Those days are near, indeed they are at the door when the world shall witness the spectacle of a doomsday. Not only earthquakes, but other terrible calamities will also appear, some from heaven and some from the earth. This will occur because mankind has abandoned the worship of their God, and has fallen upon materialism with all their heart, all their resolve, and all their thoughts. Had I not come, these calamities might have been delayed a little, but with my coming the hidden designs of God’s wrath that had remained hidden for a long time, have been manifested as God said:
وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًاWe never punish the disbelievers until We have sent a Messenger.
The Holy Quran (17:16)
And those who repent shall find security and those who fear before the calamity overtakes them will be shown mercy. Do you reckon that you will be safe from these earthquakes, or that you can save yourselves by your own machinations? Absolutely not. All human works will come to an end that day.” (Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, pp. 268-269)
The Plague
One of the main epidemics which occurred in the time of the Promised Messiah asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" was the plague. On one occasion the Promised Messiah asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" narrated a dream of his. Regarding the plague, Huzoor writes:
“Today, February 6th 1898, I saw in a dream that angels of God were planting black seedlings in different parts of the Punjab. Th e seedlings are ugly, dangerous looking, black and stunted. I asked some of the angels about them. I was told that they were the seedlings of a plague which was about to spread in the country. I am reminded also of a revelation of mine about the plague. It said, ‘Verily Allah does not change the lot of a people unless they fi rst change their hearts.’ It seems that the plague will not disappear unless extreme sin and transgression disappear first.”
Ayyamus-Sulah, p. 121, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 4, p. 361
In regards as to why the plague came, the Promised Messiah asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" states:
“Firstly, this plague has come to the world not only because the Promised Messiah of God asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" has been denied, but also because he was made to suffer, conspiracies were hatched to kill him, and he was labelled a kafir (disbeliever) and a dajjal (antichrist)… The fact of the matter is that the rejection of a Messenger alone does not, in itself, constitute the reason for a calamity to befall the world. In fact, if people reject God’s Messenger with respect and civility, and take no part in violence and abusive language, then punishment is decreed (for such people) in the Hereafter.”
Dafi’-ul-Bala’, Ruhani Khazain Vol. 18, p. 229
In regards to his own community, Huzoor asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" gives the glad tidings that:
“I shall safeguard all those who dwell in your house from dying of plague except those who think highly of themselves out of arrogance; and I shall safeguard you particulary. Peace be on you from the Merciful Lord.”
Nuzulul-Masih, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 401
Commenting on this revelation Huzoor asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" writes:
“Addressing me, (Allah) said: ‘You and those who dwell within the four walls of your house; those who unconditionally follow you and are obedient to you, and who on account of true righteousness have become devoted to you, shall all be safeguarded against the plague. This will be a sign of God in the Latter Days so that He might demonstrate a distinction between people. But those who do not follow you completely are not of you. Be not anxious on their account.’ This is a divine directive, on account of which I, myself and all those who dwell within the four walls of my house have no need to be inoculated.”
Kashti Nuh, p. 2, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 19, p. 2
Advising the Jama’at about the plague, the Promised Messiah asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" writes in his book, Noah’s Ark:
“Gratitude is due to the eminent British government who, showing kindness to its subjects, has once again advised inoculation against the plague, and has undertaken the expenditure of hundreds of thousands of rupees for the welfare of the servants of God. In truth, it is the duty of wise subjects to welcome this undertaking with gratefulness. Anyone who views the inoculation with mistrust is immensely foolish and is his own enemy.”
Kashti Nuh, p. 2, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 19, p. 2
There is an added point of interest in the prophecy, namely that this pestilence is mentioned in the prophecies of the Holy Prophet (sa) who foretold that these deadly diseases and natural disasters would appear in the time of the Promised Messiah alluding that it would be one of the signs of his truthfulness Allah the Almighty states in the Holy Quran:
وَإِذَا وَقَعَ الْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَخْرَجْنَا لَهُمْ دَابَّةً مِنَ الْأَرْضِ تُكَلِّمُهُمْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ كَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا لَا يُوقِنُونَAnd when the sentence is passed against them, we shall bring forth for them a germ out of the earth, which shall wound them because people did not believe in Our Signs.
The Holy Quran (27:83)
In the Holy Qur’an, there is reference to a ‘Dābbatul-Ard’. This verse has long been considered by Muslim scholars as referring to the time of the Promised Messiah asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" and the latter days. Allamah Isma’il Haqqi al-Buruswi wrote that the ‘Dābbatul-Ard’. would precede the coming of the Mahdi, the Dajjal and the Messiah.
The Shi’ite scholar, Fath-Ullah Kashani, also sought to connect this verse with the emergence of the “Divine Authority who is the Mahdi of the Muslim Ummah.” Elsewhere, the prominent jurist, scholar and historian, Ibn Kathir, inferred from the verse that a great beast, who would talk to human beings, would appear at the appointed hour. The ‘Dābbatul-Ard’, also features prominently in the hadith and is mentioned on a number of occasions as one of the signs of the latter days and the time of the Promised Messiah asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him". While agreeing with past scholars that the ‘Dābbatul-Ard’. was a sign of the time of the advent of the Promised Messiah; Hazrat Masih Maud asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" interpreted the word as actually meaning ‘insect’ and associated it with the plague.
It appears from these prophecies that the Promised Messiah asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" prophesied a general calamity. The description of this he himself elaborated into a pestilence. Then, when the plague first made its appearance in India, he issued a special warning to the Punjab against the impending destruction. He described the threatened calamity as the calamity of Doomsday and said that there was to be no escape from it unless there was a change of heart. What happened subsequently is terrible beyond words. So deadly and so widespread was the plague that the deathrate rose to thirty thousand per week; several hundreds of thousands died in a year.
These pestilences did not just end there, but in every Khilafat a major epidemic occurred, testifying the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him". The Manchurian Plague in China occurred in 1910, the Spanish flu in 1918, the 1970’s worldwide outbreak of Smallpox, the plague of India in 1994 and the ever-increasing outbreaks of SARS, cholera, dengue fever, malaria and Ebola in the 21st century. Now the Coronavirus, which is affecting everyone in the world today.
An article of the New York Times by the name of ‘What the Plague Can Teach Us About the Coronavirus’ reported that the social consequences of these outbreaks of Coronavirus resonate in alarmingly similar ways to a plague. Our beloved Imam Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V abaabbreviation for "May Allah be his helper" said in a Friday Sermon dated 6th March 2020 that:
“Allah the Almighty knows best how widespread this virus will become. It has been seen that in this era since the advent of the Promised Messiah asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" there has been an exponential increase in pandemics, earthquakes, storms and natural disasters. If this virus is a sign of the displeasure of God, then there is a great need to turn towards God in order to safeguard oneself from the effects of the virus.”
During the plague in the time of the Promised Messiah asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him", Allah the Almighty informed Huzoor to keep reciting the following names:
يا حفيظ۔ يا عزيز۔ يا رفيق۔Meaning “O Protector! O Mighty One! O friend!”
Natural Disasters
One of the signs was an increase in earthquakes and other natural disasters resulting from the fact that mankind had forgotten its Creator and because of the widespread disorder and strife in the world. The Promised Messiah asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" states:
“Bear in mind that God has informed me about the coming of earthquakes in general. So know it with certainty that just as, in keeping with the prophecy, there have been earthquakes in America and also in Europe, so will they occur in different parts of Asia, and some of them will be like the Doomsday. Th ere will be death on such a large scale that streams of blood will flow. Even birds and grazing animals will not escape this death. Such destruction will overtake the earth as has not happened since man was created. Most places will be turned upside down as if they had never been inhabited. There will also be other terrible afflictions, both in heaven and earth to the extent that every sensible person will realize that they are not ordinary phenomena, and no trace of them will be found in books of physics or philosophy. Th en people will be seized by anxiety and they will wonder what is going to happen? Many will be delivered, and many will perish.”
Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, pp. 268-269
A review of history shows that natural disasters occurring in this period were far greater in number than natural disasters occurring in the previous 1,200 years and even more in the previous 150 years. These included floods and earthquakes in Indonesia, a huge earthquake in the Solomon Islands, floods in Pakistan, and the UK too had extensive flooding just a few years ago. In Australia, wildfires caused havoc across the country. An unprecedented tropical cyclone occurred in the Arabian Sea, just to name a few.
Whilst our beloved Imam, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V abaabbreviation for "May Allah be his helper" was in Holland, he said that most of Holland are below sea level. He also mentioned that following a massive flood in 1953, the government launched a vast construction designed against the threat of flood. It is known as Delta Works. Huzoor abaabbreviation for "May Allah be his helper" visited Delta Works where the engineer told him that they have protected their country against floods to which Huzoor abaabbreviation for "May Allah be his helper" responded that indeed they had but only made the best attempt to protect against flooding and that complete protection is only with God. Huzoor abaabbreviation for "May Allah be his helper" said he agreed and all his subsequent talk referred to Delta Works as an ‘attempt’ and he thus affirmed the existence of God four or five times. Huzoor abaabbreviation for "May Allah be his helper" said his remarks in the visitor’s book were that the Delta Works is indeed a good human endeavour and a tremendous plan, however, it should always be borne in mind that the real planning is God’s and in order to be really protected remembrance of God is required. (Friday Sermon 24th August 2007 at Baitul Noor, Holland)
Conclusion
The Promised Messiah asabbreviation for "Peace be upon him" states:
“Do not imagine that America etc. were hit hard by severe earthquakes while your country remains safe from them. Rather, I see that perhaps you will encounter greater adversity than them. O Europe! You are not safe! And O Asia! Neither are you secure! And O the dwellers of Islands! No artificial ‘god’ will come to your aid. I see cities falling and habitations in ruin. That One and Unique God remained silent for a long time. Abominations were committed before His eyes and still He remained silent. But now He shall reveal His countenance in an awe-striking manner. Let him who has ears hear that the Hour is not far. I strived to bring everyone under the protection of God, but the ordained decrees had to be fulfilled. I say it truly that this country’s turn is also drawing near. The age of Nuh (Noah) shall appear before your eyes, and you will witness with your own eyes the incident of the land of Lut (Lot). But God is slow to wrath. Repent so that you are shown mercy. He who abandons God is a worm, not a man; and he who does not fear Him is dead, not alive.”
Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, pp. 268-269
