Front matter
Introduction
The Glad Tidings of Ahmed, the Comforter – Chapter 1 · Adil Alsaeedi
Introduction
Regarding the glad tidings about the Savior who is sent in the End Times:
The question is whether the prophets announced that the Savior (Comforter) mentioned in the Quranic text and the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Book would arrive in the end times and whether he is a human messenger or a pure spirit (the Holy Spirit).
Before delving into the nature of the Comforter, it is important to focus on an essential issue:
Is there a standard practice and a method established by the Creator similar to the man-made constitutions that operate in all countries? I am not talking about religious laws and rules that govern the actions of worshipers, for they change, and new ones [are introduced] at every time and place, though some matters have not and will not change regardless of the time or place. I am referring to a standard method for appointing a leader who leads the nation justly, fairly, and with mercy; a leader who reveals those rules to us. If it is acceptable for people to establish a methodology, constitution, and law for how to appoint such a leader or ruler, and, according to them, neglecting to do so would be foolish and unwise, it is more appropriate to search for God's established approach (to appointing a leader). Man-made constitutions allow kings, presidents, and rulers to be appointed and people to participate in elections to choose a ruler. However, these constitutions clearly demonstrate poor judgment and choices, considering that tyrants, murderers, oppressors, and thieves have quickly ascended to power.
Hence, we must search for the methodology and constitution, which, if adhered to, will never lead us astray. It is evident in the Torah, the Bible, and the Quran. It is the law of recognizing the proofs and vicegerents of God on His earth; those entrusted to take the helm of rulership, which is their right, even if tyrants take it from them. God entrusted Adam and his righteous descendants with the vicegerency. Abel was the righteous one whom Cain challenged and killed, but God assigned it to the lineage of Adam's second son. Similarly, God entrusted Enoch, Noah, and then Abraham, the father of the prophets and messengers. God decreed that the covenant would be between Him and the descendants of Abraham forever. We read in the Book of Genesis: “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after
thee.”2 The covenant was then delivered to Isaac and Jacob until it reached MosesP, who took the Children of Israel across the sea and was a true ruler over them. He ruled with a clear and decisive divine constitution (covenant).
Then, the covenant was passed to Joshua, son of Nun, who used the sword against his enemies to promote monotheism and spread justice and equity throughout the world. This covenant continued to be passed from one vicegerent to the next until it reached David and Solomon. The prophecies state that the Savior will sit on the throne of David.
When JesusP came, he continued this approach and spoke truthfully and sincerely: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”3
His statement is a definitive testament that the people have overlooked. The people felt the need to justify JesusP not sitting on the throne of David with a second coming. We certainly do not deny the second coming of Jesus; however, as a continuation of the covenant, there should be a leader in this nation after Jesus’sP ascension until his second coming. Peter was the successor of this nation after Jesus’sP ascension, and he is clearly described as the shepherd of this nation. We read in the Gospel of Matthew: “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”4
Jesus also said to Peter, “Feed my sheep”: “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”5
Also, Jesus said: “He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”6
Simon was the shepherd and successor of this nation after Jesus. The successorship continued to Prophet Muhammad, the Messenger of God. The divine methodology
continued after him with twelve Imams, and after them, the twelve Mahdis. The first of the Mahdis is the Comforter Ahmed, whom Jesus had prophesied and referred to as the Savior and Comforter during the Day of the Lord or the Day of the Minor Resurrection. He is also known as the Spirit of Truth.
Since the divine methodology of appointing the vicegerent is consistent and unchanging, our Christian brothers needed an intermediary between God, the people, and the one appointed by Him, so they introduced the Holy Spirit into this complicated equation to fill the void. The Holy Spirit replaced the true leader and ruler that the people required until the second coming of the Messiah.
This ruler appointed by God must be infallible so that he does not take people out of guidance or lead them into misguidance, and God’s Proofs (representatives) are infallible.7
God Almighty is the Creator; He legislated the constitution and laws (religious law and code) that regulate all worldly and otherworldly matters. Only an unreasonable person who disbelieves in Almighty God could reject this fact. God Almighty does not apply His rules directly Himself. Rather, He applies these rules through His vicegerent on the earth. Hence, His vicegerent must be a clear mirror that reflects nothing but the truth and what is correct. If one assumes that God's vicegerent on Earth is not inherently pure and infallible, it implies that Almighty God instructs people to obey someone prone to error and misguidance, effectively commanding them to make mistakes and go astray. At the very least, those who deny the infallibility of God's vicegerent must assume that God does not hold people accountable for falling into misguidance, an assumption no believer in God would profess.
I encourage readers to think about this introduction with fairness and wisdom to learn the truth and understand the reason behind our claim that the Comforter is a human being and not merely a spirit. In fact, the intermediary between God and people is continuously necessary, as confirmed by Paul the Apostle when he said in the First Epistle to Timothy: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”8 This definitive text does not mention the Holy Spirit, indicating the need to read it fairly.
God’s prophets and messengers are the intermediaries between God and the people. Whoever denies them and does not seek guidance from them is destined to go astray.
However, people nowadays claim they can do without this guidance. Their condition is as described by Dr. Abderazzak al-Dirawi: “Their state is like that of a person who refuses to follow a guide in the desert and gets lost but impertinently claims: ‘I have managed without the guide and do not need him.’”
This predicament of yours speaks volumes.9 In reality, your position contradicts what you are saying. Perhaps you should think twice before claiming that you do not need a guide.
For every era, there must be an intermediary [between God and the people] who distinguishes truth from falsehood, and people should follow him. In Jesus's time, he was the only one that people should follow. After his ascension and departure, someone else-a successor or another comforter-must assume his position: “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;”10 Filling this position with the Holy Spirit (a pure spirit) is unwise and a violation of God's constitution and methodology. The Holy Spirit has a function, which is inspiration and guidance. Prophets and messengers were anointed with it, as was Christ.P
Indeed, for every era, there must be an intermediary [between God and the people] who distinguishes truth from falsehood, and people should follow him. In Jesus's time, he was the only one that people should have followed. After his ascension and departure, someone else, a successor or another comforter, had to assume his position: “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;”11 To fill this position with the Holy Spirit (a pure spirit) is unwise. By doing so, you are violating God's constitution and methodology. The Holy Spirit has a function, which is inspiration and guidance. Prophets and messengers were anointed with it, as was ChristP.
We wish to inform you that we are in the end times, and the Day of the Lord is near. The world currently needs someone who will pave the way for the second coming-and he is a human messenger.
Father Antonios Fikri, an interpreter of the Holy Book (the Bible), says that someone will come who paves the way for JesusP before his second coming.
He states,
Notice that the commentators had surface-level knowledge of the Book but lacked a deeper understanding of its true meaning. John came as a forerunner with the spirit of Elijah in his asceticism, abstinence, and bearing witness to the truth in front of kings. However, they did not recognize him because their hearts were blinded. Elijah had indeed come but not in the literal sense. Instead, preparation was made through John the Baptist for the people, so they offered repentance in preparation for the first coming of Christ.
Elijah will indeed come before the second coming to prepare the people, turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias [Elijah] truly shall first come, and restore all things."12
We say that the Elijah who is to come, as the Day of the Lord is near, is Ahmed AlhasanP. He is the forerunner before the coming of ChristP and he is his messenger:
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:"13
Would you say that the messenger Elijah, who will come before the second coming of JesusP, is also the Holy Spirit?
Ahmed AlhasanP, the Comforter, says:
The Holy Spirit is the pure and infallible spirit. If a servant of God devotes his deeds to pleasing God Almighty and performs them for God’s sake, God will love him and entrust an angel to him that urges him to do all that is good, removes all that is evil from him, and paves the way for him to have noble manners. This way, the Holy Spirit is the channel through which knowledge is transmitted to the human being it is entrusted with.14
This is exactly what is written in Acts: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost [Spirit] and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."15
God Almighty says in the Quran:
“[Mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, ‘O Children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of God to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing glad tidings of a messenger to come after me whose name is Ahmed.’ But when he came to them with clear evidence, they said, ‘This is obvious magic!’”16
JesusP said:
If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."17
The Christians argue that the above text clearly identifies the Comforter as the Holy Spirit, as it states that the world cannot see him.
Our reply is that perhaps Jesus meant something different from your interpretation, as was the case in the verse: “And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?”18
JesusP said to search the Scriptures: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”19
Let us follow the words of JesusP and act accordingly. In the Gospel of Matthew, the seventh Chapter, JesusP teaches us how to study the Scriptures:
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.20
ChristP did not say, “Search the words and commentaries of the scholars,” since commentaries are not revelation and could be right or wrong. We are not saying to ignore them if they carry the truth and are supported by evidence and proofs that establish their credibility. However, JesusP provided the best solution to distinguish truth from falsehood and honesty from lies when he said: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” Thus, you can discover the truth within the pages of the texts. These texts lead you to the truth with almost no effort. JesusP did not allow us to go astray as he said: “Search the scriptures...” So we must ask the question: Where are these scriptures?
JesusP points to something very important in the Gospel of Matthew: “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”21
Thus, the solution is to follow the words of JesusP and not those of the commentators, lest they mislead us from the straight path.
JesusP said that they worship him in vain:
Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias [Elijah] prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.22
JesusP also said: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”23
The Jewish scholars distorted their commentaries to omit and conceal the facts and glad tidings of JesusP, even though the books of the Old Testament mention them and prophecies of the Awaited Messiah, who the Christians believe is JesusP. Similarly, the Christian scholars distorted their commentaries to hide the facts and glad tidings of the awaited Comforter or Messiah, AhmedP. The Jewish scholars not only hid the truth, but even worse, they changed the tidings and prophecies completely and brought the gravest and most repugnant charges against JesusP, accusing him and his virgin mother of things they did not do.
Despite the actions of these Jewish scholars, you Christians turned a blind eye to their statements. You even joined forces with them so you could slander Prophet MuhammadP, who praised and lauded JesusP and his pure mother.
The Christians say: “You must adopt our interpretations because we are the people of the Holy Book. You cannot interpret it from an Islamic perspective.”
The Holy Book you believe in is divided into two parts: the Old and New Testaments. Your claim that its interpretation must be exclusively from your perspective is unsubstantiated. If that were the case, we would need to defer to the original source that you rely on for prophecies about the Messiah--the Old Testament. The Jewish people, as the custodians of the Old Testament, reject the interpretations of your scholars. By your logic, we would then be obligated to accept their understanding, as they could also argue that their knowledge of the Old Testament surpasses that of anyone else.
The argument of the Christians is thus rebutted and reversed. Recognizing the truth to identify its proponents rather than vice versa is crucial. The texts serve as the arbiter between us and you, not the interpretations. Jesus'P sayings hold this authoritative position, and his words are unequivocal and embody the truth. We must adhere to his teachings and heed his instructions, not anyone else's. He imparted this guidance to us. Should we follow it or imitate others blindly without understanding or scrutiny?
Ahmed, the ComforterP says:
Dear people, do not be deceived by the clerics of misguidance and their supporters. Read, research, explore, and learn for yourselves, and seek the truth independently. Do not rely on anyone to determine your hereafter, lest you face regret tomorrow-when regret will be of no use: “They say: ‘Our Lord, verily we obeyed our chieftains and great men, and they misled us from the Way.’”24
Our goal is to search and verify until we reach a conclusion based on the Scriptures so that we have clear textual evidence regarding the truth of the Comforter.
We appeal to all rational Christians to read the Holy Book with impartiality and reason. We urge you to set aside any preconceived biases, convictions, or stereotypes and carefully consider and try to understand the texts we cite. By doing so, you will discern that these texts unequivocally refer to Ahmed, the ComforterP.