A series looking into the allegations raised against Hazrat Ahmad’sas personality, writings, revelations, and prophecies, along with the answers he has provided
Awwab Saad Hayat, Al Hakam
With regard to the advent of the Promised Messiah, the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa mentioned that Allah the Almighty will send Jesus, son of Mary, who will be clothed in two yellow garments. Similarly, there are some other narrations that describe the appearance of the promised one, stating:
“When you see him, recognise him: a man of medium height, reddish fair, wearing two light yellow garments.” (Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-malahim, Hadith 4324)
Many in the ummah, for a long time, interpreted the signs of the Promised Messiah in a literal and physical sense. However, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah, explained the true nature of these signs to the people.
Hazrat Ahmadas stated that the yellow garments mentioned in the hadith about the Promised Messiah symbolise illness rather than literal clothing. He explained that these garments represent the physical ailments he experienced, with one affecting the upper body and the other the lower body. This interpretation aligns with traditional dream symbolism, where yellow often signifies illness.
The Promised Messiahas explained:
“And, despite all the ailments and afflictions that have attended me like two yellow sheets—one in the upper part of my body and the other in the lower part of my body, as were mentioned in authentic hadith as a sign of the Promised Messiah—God has blessed my life, by His grace, just as He had promised, and I recovered from many grave life-threatening ailments.” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part V [English], p. 101)
Concerning the advent of the Messiah, scholars and interpreters have long debated the metaphors and symbolic descriptions found in the ahadith concerning the descent of the Promised Messiah, with particular attention to the references to illness and the attire in which he will descend.
Hazrat Ahmadas clearly explains all this in his writings. He said:
“It is established from ahadith [pl. hadith] that the ‘Isa to come will descend clad in two saffron-coloured sheets, and all interpreters of dreams agree that a saffron-coloured sheet denotes illness.
“I have declared many times that I have been ordained by God as the Promised Messiah. These two characteristics are also mentioned among my physical characteristics as recorded in ahadith. Just as a saffron-coloured sheet denotes an illness, and as two saffron-coloured sheets have been mentioned in ahadith with regard to the Promised Messiah, so do I suffer from two illnesses. One illness is in the upper part of my body—and this is the ‘upper sheet’—which is the vertigo from which I suffer; sometimes, I fall to the ground due to its severity and the flow of blood to my heart is reduced, creating a frightening situation. The second illness is in the lower part of the body, and that is polyuria, which is also known as diabetes. I have to pass urine frequently on a daily basis; at times it reaches up to 15 or 20 times, but on occasion, it can be a hundred times during the span of a full day and night, and this, too, causes much weakness. So these are the two saffron-coloured sheets that have become my lot. Even those who do not accept me must admit that Hadrat ‘Isa will bring with him this ‘gift’ from heaven at the time of his descent; i.e., he will suffer from two illnesses, one shall be in the upper part of his body, and the other in the lower part of his body.” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part V [English], pp. 499-500)
The Promised Messiahas further states that the two saffron-coloured sheets mentioned in Hadith regarding the Promised Messiah should be interpreted symbolically, following the tradition of the Holy Prophet’ssa dream interpretations, to represent two illnesses rather than literal clothing. He said:
“Now, if someone were to say that these ‘sheets’ signify real sheets, then it would mean that Hadrat ‘Isa, may peace be upon him, at the time of his advent, will be clad in two saffron-coloured sheets in the manner of Hindu yogis. But these meanings go against the interpretation that the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has made concerning his visions. For example, the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had seen [in a dream] two bangles on his hands, and he interpreted them to mean two false prophets; and he had seen cows being slaughtered, and interpreted it to mean the martyrdom of his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. He had seen a large cloak for Hadrat ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, and interpreted it to signify his taqwa [righteousness]. So why, in the case of this hadith, should we not interpret the two saffron sheets in the way it has been done—in accordance with the tradition of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him—unanimously by all the eminent interpreters of dreams in Islam? There Is not a single one opposed to this interpretation. And the interpretation is that the two saffron sheets symbolise two illnesses. I can swear by God that this is also my own experience. Countless times I have seen a saffron sheet on the body of a person in a dream—either with reference to myself or someone else—and it has always materialised as an illness.” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part V [English], pp. 500-501)
The Promised Messiahas, in his writings, with regards to the yellow garments, explained that in his heart, it was instilled by Allah that this is also a sign for the Promised Messiah. It is written that he will descend wearing two yellow garments, and these are the same two yellow garments: one on the upper part of the body and one on the lower part. All interpreters agree that in the realm of visions or dreams, if yellow garments are seen, they signify illness. (Nasim-e-Da‘wat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 19, p. 436)
As such, Muhammad Ibn Sirin, in his famous work, writes:
“Wearing a yellow garment in a dream means sickness.” (Ibn Seerïn’s Dictionary of Dreams According to Islãmic Inner Traditions, Pearl Publishing House Pennsylvania, USA, p. 50)