Sabz Ishtihar (The Green Announcement)

Sabz Ishtihar (The Green Announcement) In obedience to Divine Command, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) went to Hushiarpur and there he spent forty days in prayer, just like Moses (as) who went to the Mount Sinai for forty nights. Hazrat Ahmad (as) spent this time in what is commonly known as a chillah . At the end of the chillah, he issued a special leaflet announcing the wonderful sign and prophecy of a Promised Son given to him by Allah. This leaflet was issued on February 20, 1886. In Sabz Ishtihar Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) pointed out that he had never declared that Bashir I - who was born after the prophecy and later died - was the son for whose birth the period of nine years was fixed. Bashir I was born in fulfilment of a separate prophecy contained in the leaflet which was published on April 18, 1886. There was certainly no revelation that declared that Bashir I was the Promised Reformer. Even if Hazrat Ahmad (as) had looked upon him as such, it could detract nothing from the value of the prophecy. His own conjecture could not be faultless. A prophet's own interpretation sometimes may not be correct. It has always been the case with the prophets of God, but the Word of God cannot err. In this case, however, Hazrat Ahmad (as) had never put any definite interpretation on the prophecy, so there could be no mistake about it. As a matter of fact, the death of Bashir I was also in fulfilment of a portion of the original prophecy made on February 20, 1886, which runs as follows: I shall multiply thee exceedingly and shall bless thy children. But some of them will die in their infancy. Bashir I died in infancy and thus this part of the prophecy was fulfilled. Hazrat Ahmad (as) reiterates in the Green Announcement that the Promised Reformer called Bashir II would surely be born within the period fixed for his birth and said that his name would be Mahmud; and on the basis of his revelation, he also called him Fadl and Fadl-e-‘Umar. On Saturday, January 12, 1889 (9 Jamadi Awal, 1306 A.H.), the Promised Son was born, who was given the name of Mahmud, and his birth was made known the same day by means of a leaflet. It was also written therein that he had not yet been informed as to whether this boy was the one who was to be the Promised Reformer. Later on, however, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) definitely declared in his book that he was the Promised Son. Under Divine instructions, the son himself later claimed that he was the “Promised One.” (Taken from An Introduction to the hidden Treasures of Islam)