The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had given the tidings of the advent of a spiritual, pious and Promised son of Mahdi at a time when Islam would be at a stage of decline and depression. He had prophesied he would come with a mission to revive and strengthen the Islamic theology and, through him, Islam, would resurge on the surface of the Earth. The Holy Prophet (sa) called this Holy Spiritual son as the Musleh (Reformer), and the Promised one, and said about him:
"Yata-zavvajo-wa-yooladu-lahu" i.e The Promised Messiah shall marry and will have children.
This was an indication that this marriage would be of a special nature and, through this, Allah shall grant him such children as would be assisting and cooperating in carrying on his mission. In the context of this prophecy of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), some of his eminent followers had also prophesied that, on completion of the Promised Messiah’s tenure, one of his sons would be bestowed with unique splendour and glory and shall ascend the throne of Khilafat. Hazrat Nematullah Shah Wali, a prominent Muslim saint, prophesied in his famous poem that the coming one shall be the Promised Mahdi and also the Promised Messiah. He also mentioned that this Promised One’s name shall be Ahmad and that when his tenure would end, one son of his, shall be his true spiritual inheritor and would carry out his mission. In Talmud, the authentic book of Jewish diction – the advent of two Messiahs is mentioned and that the latter one shall be greater than the former and, after him, his son and grandson shall be his successors. And thus, when came the time of the Promised Messiah and the advent of the Promised son, Allah revealed, to the Promised Messiah further details of this prophecy with happy tidings of his ascendance, advancement and achievements.
Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra) received his education in the District Board Primary School and, later in 1898, in Taleemul Islam High School when it was started. Nevertheless, in his student life, he was never interested in routine book knowledge, and could not succeed in the Government Entrance Examination. This was the end of his formal education, which was not merely incidental, but a great miracle of the Divine Destiny. Incidents later proved that the Lord Almighty Himself wanted to be his teacher. Thus the world witnessed that he not only had intrinsic and spiritual knowledge but his insight and wisdom was so vast and deep that, however, learned a scholar, armed with whatever worldly knowledge attacked Islam he would prove to be a mere academic novice. Thus the fulfilment of the following divine revelation became manifest.
“[He] would abound in the Wisdom of the Explicit and the Intrinsic”.
During the lifetime of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) he had developed a strong desire for religious services, hence when Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), during the last days of his life, appealed to the youth to come forward to serve Islam, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra) offered himself and soon formed Anjuman Tashheezul Azhaan and under its supervision, started a magazine by the same name, through which the work of religious preaching was carried out. At the time of the Promised Messiah’s demise, he was only 19 years of age, even at that time, highly convincing and silencing replies to the criticism on Islam flowed from his august pen. On 26th May 1908, the Promised Messiah (peace be on him) passed away at Lahore. At that moment this promised son stood by the bed of the Promised Messiah and vowed:
“Even if all the people leave you and I am left alone I would stand by you and would face all opposition to and onslaughts on your Mission.”
He very well kept up his covenant, and, all through his life, never cared for anyone’s enmity or opposition and always actively endeavoured towards the progress of Islam and Ahmadiyya. Early in 1911, with the permission of Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddin, Khalifatul Masih I (ra), founded the Anjuman Ansarullah, whose members were required to donate some of their time for religious service, propagation of Islam and Ahmadiyyat and to promote mutual amity, love and universal fraternity. This proved to be a great success in generating great zeal and interest in missionary and reformatory work. In September 1912, he travelled to Egypt, thence to Mecca and performed the Hajj and remained active in preaching Islam and Ahmadiyyat during his sojourn. In June 1913, he started, “Al Fazl” a newspaper for the Jamaat in which, apart from the national news, educative, informative, historical, preaching and reformatory articles were published. In a very short time, this paper gained popularity not only among our own people but amongst others as well. After the demise of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra), this very newspaper became the central organ of Jamaat. On 27 May 1908, on the demise of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), when Hakim Hakim Maulvi Nuruddin (ra) was elected as the Jamaat’s first Khalifa, the first man to take the oath of allegiance was Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra). Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra) was very happy with him and used to look upon him with love and respect. During his illness, he always used to appoint him as Imam-ul-Salat (to lead the prayers) and, often, in his public speeches and sermons, used to praise the spirit of his obedience, religious service and his intellectual ability.
On 13 March 1914, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra) passed away. And on 14 of March, 1914, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra) was elected as Khalifatul Masih II.
He passed away on 7-8 November 1965.
