The Will (1905 book)


The Will
The Will is a work of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who claimed to be the promised Messiah and Mahdi in Islam, the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The Will was published on 24 December 1905.

Contents

The author Mirza Ghulam Ahmad claimed that he had been receiving continuously, revelations to the effect, that his death was very near.

Message

The book reiterates some of his claims and admonishes his audience. He foretells of "Death and destruction" all over the World. He gives glad tidings to his followers, about future successes and claims, God revealed to him:

Two Manifestations

Ahmad proclaimed that there were two Manifestations of God's Might. One is Prophethood and then there is a Second Manifestation when a Prophet has died, the Qudrat-e-Thaniyya. He writes:

Second Manifestation is ''خلافة'' or Khilāfa

The author Mirza Ghulam Ahmad has described in clear words what he meant by the Second Manifestation or Qudrat-e-Thaniyya. He gave three examples, Muhammad being followed by Abu Bakr, Moses followed by Joshua son of Nun and Jesus son of Mary followed by Peter, all three holding the communities of their Messengers from going into dispersion after the death of the head of the community, and at the critical time of great distress. Ahmad writes:

Ever-lasting Promise

Ahmad has conveyed to his community that this Sunnatullah would not change even after his departure from this world. The Second Manifestation will appear and will stay with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community till the day of Judgement. He wrote:
The Ahmadis believes that the prophecy has fulfilled in the form of Ahmadiyya Khilafa. The current Head of the Community Mirza Masroor Ahmad is the Fifth successor to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.

A New Financial System

Besides the administrative and spiritual continuity of the structure of the Community, Ghulam Ahmad gave a permanent financial system to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the form Al-Wassiyyat. He claimed God revealed to him a place, which was the abode of the heavenly souls. A Bahishti Maqbara. He wrote:

Conditions of burial

Ghulam Ahmad laid down certain conditions for those who wish to be buried at this Graveyard. He proposed that for anyone to be buried in Bahishti Maqbara, the following three requirements be fulfilled:
The Ahmadiyya believe this New Financial System of Al-Wassiyyat is the Foundation of a New World Order.

Uses and Growth of Funds

Ahmad believed that with the increase in the strength of the Community, huge monetary funds shall be collected. He devised a system of Board of Trustees called The Anjuman. All such funds will be in the custody of the Anjuman.