Pathoes.com: This article comes on Day 23 of our special Altmuslim/Patheos Muslim Ramadan #30Days30Writers blog project, in which we are showcasing the voices of 30 Muslim leaders, activists, scholars, writers, youth and more (one on each day of Ramadan) as part of our commitment to own our own narratives and show how we are one Ummah, many voices. To demonstrate how our Ramadan experiences are shared yet unique to each of us.

By Qasim Rashid

Despite the divisions and sectarianism in the Muslim world today, certain beliefs are still universal. For example, all Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad is Khaatam un Nabiyyin. All Muslims believe the Quran is the perfect and final book, revealed by Allah to Prophet Muhammad. And all Muslims believe that the Quran was first revealed in the blessed month of Ramadan. (You might say that the Quran was Prophet Muhammad’s Laylatul Qadr).

And all Muslims agree that Prophet Muhammad was truthful in everything he said. Muslims believe that his prophecies were truthful as God Himself revealed to him matters of the future. And it is because of the prophecies of Prophet Muhammad that Ahmadi Muslims believe Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is the awaited Messiah and Mahdi.

For Ahmadi Muslims, Ramadan provides an additional proof of Prophet Muhammad’s truthfulness. Interestingly enough, this is a proof the rest of the Ummah either ignores, is unaware of, or consciously rejects.

This powerful proof I speak of is Prophet Muhammad’s prophecy of the eclipses. Both Sunni and Shi’a ahadith sources attest to this prophecy. Among Sunni sources, Dar Qutni records this well-known hadith, which advises Muslims of one of the irrefutable signs of the coming of Messiah and Mahdi.

حدثنا أبو سعيد الإصطخري ، ثنا محمد بن عبد الله بن نوفل ، ثنا عبيد بن يعيش، ثنا يونس بن بكير عن عمرو بن شمر عنجابر عن محمد بن عليقال : إن لمهدينا آيتين لم تكونا منذ خلق السماوات والأرض ينكسف القمر لأول ليلة من رمضان وتنكسف الشمس في النصف منه ولم تكونا منذخلق الله السموات والأرض.

The Prophet Muhammad (sa) said:

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