Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part V — Page 147
CHAPTER TWO FULFILMENT OF PROPHECIES 147 contains a prophecy regarding me which is metaphorical in nature and can only be understood by the wise. It is evident that Dhul-Qarnain has to be a person who witnesses two centuries. And, it is a marvellous matter about me that when you look at all the calendars in use, you will find that I have lived in two centuries according to the calendars of all people. I am about 67 years old now, and just as I have lived in two cen- turies of the Islamic calendar, I have also lived in two centuries of the Christian calendar, as well as the Hindi calendar whose year begins with Bikaramājīt. I have, as far as was possible for me, studied all the ancient calendars of the East and West, and I have not found a single nation of whose calendar I have not seen two centuries. It is recorded in some ahādīth that the Messiah to come would be known by the fact that he will be Dhul-Qarnain. So I am Dhul-Qarnain by virtue of the Word of God. I will now set out the meanings of the verses of the Holy Quran in Sūrah al-Kahf which relate the story of Dhul-Qarnain and the prophecy they contain about me, of which I have been informed by God Almighty. I do not deny the meaning of these verses which relate to the past, but that was in the past and this is in the future. The Holy Quran is not like a story teller. There is an inherent prophecy in every story narrated by it, and the story of Dhul-Qarnain contains the prophecy about the time of the Promised Messiah. The text of the Holy Quran is: ☆ وَ يَسْتَلُونَكَ عَنْ ذِي الْقَرْنَيْنِ قُلْ سَاتْلُوا عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْهُ ذِكْرًا 1 Meaning that these people enquire from you about Dhul-Qarnain; tell 1. This points to the fact that the episode of Dhul-Qarnain does not merely belong to the past, and that a Dhul-Qarnain will appear in the future as well. The mention of the past Dhul-Qarnain is just a small matter [Sūrah al-Kahf, 18:84]. (Author)