For our Mahdi there are appointed two signs which have never been manifested for any other claimant since the creation of the Heavens and the earth. They are that at his advent there shall occur an eclipse of the moon on the first of (Its appointed nights), and an eclipse of the sun on the middle one of (Its appointed days) and both will occur in the same month of Ramadan. (Sunan Dar Qutini vol 2, p. 65, Bab Safatus – Salatulkhusuf)In this Hadith four conditions have been stated, which if fulfilled will become a sign of the truth of the Imam Mahdi.
The eclipses of the moon and the sun occur according to the set laws of nature as related to astronomy. According to these laws, if Hijrah Calendar is used, the dates on which a lunar eclipse can occur are the 13th, 14th or 15th nights of the lunar month. And the dates on which a solar eclipse can occur are the 27th, 28th or 29th of the lunar month. The sign mentioned by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), therefore, was that the moon would be eclipsed on the 13th night of the lunar month, and the eclipse of the sun would take place on the 28th of the same month, which will be the month of Ramadan. The sign was to appear after and not before the advent of the Mahdi.
Some have objected that the lunar eclipse should have occurred on the first night of Ramadan. They ignore the laws of astronomy and the established movements of celestial bodies. Furthermore, the Arabic word for moon used in the above stated Hadith is Qamar, which is used for the moon on the fourth lunar night and onward; whereas, the moon of the first three nights is called Hilal in Arabic.
The above stated Hadith does not mean to say that the lunar and solar eclipses have never occurred in the month of Ramadan before. In fact, according to astronomers they have occurred many times in the month of Ramadan since the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The crucial point is that there would be a claimant of being Mahdi at that time and he will proclaim this occurrence to be a sign for him. This is exactly what happened.
Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad founded the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam in 1889, and announced his claim of being the Reformer of the age. Later on, in 1891, under Divine guidance he claimed to be the Promised Messiah mentioned in the prophecies of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and Jesus in Bible. The sign of eclipses of the moon and the sun in the month of Ramadan was shown in 1894. An eclipse of the moon occurred on Thursday night, the 13 of Ramadan Hijrah, 1311 (21 March, 1894), and the eclipse of the sun occurred on the 28th Ramadan of the same month of Ramadan (6 April, 1894), in exact accord with the prophecy of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad proclaimed the eclipses in Ramadan of 1894 to be a great sign in his favor. There have been many claimants of being Mahdi in Islamic history, but this sign was never shown for any one of them. This sign about the Mahdi is found in the books of Hadith collected by both Shi‘ah and Sunni sects. A great many of Islamic religious books mention this prophecy about the expected Mahdi. (The Promised Messiah and Mahdi, Dr. Aziz Ahmad Chaudhry, pp 77-78)
These eclipses were visible over a large part of Asia including India. The same phenomenon was repeated in the United States of America in 1895. (The Story of Eclipses, George F. Chambers, p 33, London, 1902)
The sign of the eclipses was beyond the power of any person to show. The Promised Messiah and Mahdi considered this sign of the eclipses to be very significant and said that with this sign, the foundation of the victory of Islam had been laid. He also said that mosques will be built and people will join Islam in hordes. The Promised Messiah and Mahdi has written about this sign in many of his books. He writes:
"And I also swear by God Almighty that I am the Promised Messiah and I am the same person who was promised by the Prophets. There is news about me and my age in the Torah, the Gospels, and the Holy Qur’an. It is stated that there will be eclipses in the sky and severe plague on the earth." (Da'fiul Bala’, p 18)
"These signs are not unknown and obscure, they have been witnessed by hundreds of thousands of people and I can confidently say that probably hundreds of such witnesses are present in this very meeting (i.e. November 2nd 1904). Signs appeared for me from the heaven and so they did from the earth. The signs which were the conditions precedent to my advent, and which the prophets, including the Holy Prophet(saw), had foretold, appeared in my support. One of them was the eclipse of the sun and the moon which must have been witnessed by everyone. Indeed this was the prophecy recorded in the authentic tradition according to which both the sun and the moon were to be eclipsed during the month of Ramadan, testifying to the coming of the Mahdi and Messiah. Now come and tell me whether this prophecy has been fulfilled or not? Who can deny having witnessed this sign?" (Lecture Ludhiana p. 61; delivered before a large gathering on Nov. 2 1904).The Truth About Eclipses
The Prophet Muhammad(saw) clearly indicated the eclipses as the time of the advent of the Mahdi. He foretold that such a phenomena would take place as it did in the 19th century supporting Mirza Ghulam Ahmad claimed that the prophecy of the eclipses fulfilled in his support, that he is the Promised Messiah and Mahdi. Yet, several allegations of falsehood and objections have been made against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at regarding the eclipses relating to the prophecy of the advent of the Mahdi. Read answers to some the objections here: The Truth About Eclipses.
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