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English translations of books by Hazrat Mirza

Testimony of the Holy Quran

Contents:
Translator's Foreword
Introductory Note by the Translator

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Introduction
Ch. 1: Reliability of Hadith
Ch. 2: Promised Messiah in the Holy Quran
(a): Signs of the Last Days
(b): Islamic Khilafat on lines of Israelite Prophethood
(c): Saints -- Living Examples of Spiritual Experience
(d): Summary of Arguments
Ch. 3: Proof of being Promised Messiah

End of Contents

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To understand the subject matter of this book, the following preliminary knowledge is necessary. At the time when Hazrat Mirza arose, most Muslims held the belief that according to the Quran Jesus did not die but was raised up to heaven where he was still alive to this day; and on the basis of certain prophecies contained in Hadith, they also held the belief that Jesus would descend among the Muslims at the time of their worst downfall and lead them to victory over their formidable foes. As regards the first belief, Hazrat Mirza proved that, in fact, according to the Quran Jesus had died in his own time, as is the law of God and of nature for all human beings. This implies that the belief in his return could not be correct. However, Hazrat Mirza showed that the Hadith prophecies in question could be interpreted, in the light of well-known religious principles and historical precedents, as referring to the coming of a Muslim saint in the likeness of Jesus. Hazrat Mirza applied these prophecies to himself and thus claimed to be the Messiah who had been promised to appear among the Muslims -- the Promised Messiah.

At that time, a tiny number of Muslims already believed, on rational rather than purely Quranic grounds, that Jesus was dead and not alive in heaven. When Hazrat Mirza raised this issue forcefully, there was much uproar and fury at first, but gradually an increasing number of Muslims, apart from those who became his followers, came to accept his incontrovertible case based on the Quran; and now hardly an educated Muslim can be found who holds that Jesus has not died. This ever-growing group has, however, to decide what to make of the Hadith prophecies speaking of the return of Jesus. The tendency, particularly among modernists, is to deny the authenticity of the Hadith reports containing the prophecies. Where, they ask, does the Quran speak of the future coming of a Messiah?

It was in response to a question from a critic holding such views that Hazrat Mirza wrote this book. As the critic also belonged to a school which altogether rejects the system of Hadith as valid religious authority in Islam, Hazrat Mirza first discusses the general issue of the authenticity of Hadith. Then the bulk of the book, as indicated by the title, cites evidence from the Quran itself about the coming of a Messiah among the Muslims, and shows that the Hadith prophecies are based on certain fundamental teachings of the Quran.