The prophecy had it that the Muslim Ummah would gradually drift away from the true teachings of Islam. The Unity of Allah, the status of Hazrat Muhammad (as), the meaning and interpretation of the Holy Quran would all be misunderstood. The true essence of Islam would be abandoned and only rituals would prevail. The unity of the Ummah, which was once its pride, would become a thing of the past and sect after sect would emerge, each declaring the rest out of the pale of Islam. Islam, which meant and stood for peace, would become synonymous with violence and bloodshed.

The prophecy goes on to tell that it would be in that dire state that a man would appear. He would be from among the Muslims but appointed by Allah the Almighty directly. He would dedicate every moment of his life to rejuvenate the lost glory of Islam. He would be the promised Messiah and the awaited Mahdi, embodied in one. He would create a community – “Al Jamaat” – which would be the last nation to assemble in the name of Allah the Almighty.

This prophecy was made by none other than the Holy Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and was destined to be fulfilled to the letter; and so it did.  It took fourteen long centuries for the Ummah to reach that fragile point when Allah the Almighty commissioned the Promised Saviour of the Muslim Ummah.

This saviour was none else than Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian. He took the first Bai’at on 23 March 1889, thus founding “Al Jamaat”— the last Jamaat to be established by Allah the Almighty. It is the fulfilment of a grand prophecy of the Holy Prophet (sa) of Islam that is celebrated on 23 March, as the Promised Messiah Day.