Introduction
Have you ever awakened from a dream that left you agitated, questioning its connotation and consequences? Some dreams suggest hope, some inculcate distress, while others seem like meager fabrications of our imaginings. But what if someone asserts that every dream they experience is a heavenly revelation from God? Would you admit it without question?
This question becomes critical when examining the dreams of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani—the initiator of the Ahmadiyya movement—who not only blatantly professed himself a prophet and the Promised Messiah but also falsely presented his every dream, thought, and visualization as a divine message. However, a closer look at these dreams discloses an entirely different depiction.
From executing a cat by hanging to running away from an elephant to being embraced by a woman in a red dress, Mirza Qadiani’s dreams seem more like incoherent fragments of imagining than the intense visualizations of a divinely guided prophet.
To comprehend the certainty, let us first reflect on the dreams of the true prophets—the dream of Prophet Ibrahim (A.S), commanding him to sacrifice his son; the dream of Prophet Yusuf (A.S), foretelling his future greatness; and the dreams of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), which were always filled with wisdom and divine insight. Their dreams carried divine messages, guided their followers, and were later proven true.
Now, let us analytically observe the dreams of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani. Do they hold the same profundity and insight? Or are they simply the invention of an active imagination or perhaps even psychological distress?
The Strange and Questionable Dreams of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani
The Woman in the Red Dress
Reference: Tadhkirah, Fourth Edition, p. 159
Mirza Qadiani narrates a dream of finding himself in a large mansion with his wife and another woman. He fills a white musk container with water and pours it into a clay pitcher. Suddenly, a woman dressed in red appears, and he recognizes her as the woman he advertised for in a matrimonial notice. However, her face resembles his wife’s, and then she embraces him, after which he wakes up.
Analysis
This dream raises several questions:
- Why does a so-called prophet advertise for a woman and then dream of her?
- Why does the woman resemble his wife?
- What spiritual lesson does this dream offer?
True prophetic dreams contain divine guidance and wisdom. But here, the dream seems personal, confusing, and devoid of spiritual significance.
Hanging a Cat – An Act of Violence
Reference: Tadhkirah, p. 402-403
In this dream, Mirza Qadiani sees a cat attacking his pigeon. He tries to push it away, but the cat keeps attacking. Frustratedly, he cuts off the cat’s nose, yet it continues its assault. Finally, he drags the cat and decides to hang it.
Analysis:
- The severity of the act is concerning. Why does a supposed prophet dream of brutally punishing a cat?
- Prophetic dreams typically contain moral lessons, yet this portrays aggression and cruelty.
This dream lacks divine guidance and appears to stem from a subconscious struggle rather than a revelation from God.
The Elephant and the “Impotent” Pens
Reference: Tadhkirah, p. 421
In this dream, Mirza Qadiani encounters an elephant and runs away in fear. Later, he asks people about the elephant’s whereabouts, and they tell him it has moved elsewhere. The dream then shifts to his home, where he sees pens from a foreign land. He sharpens their tips but realizes, “These, too, are impotent.” After this, an Arabic revelation occurs:
“Indeed, Allah is Almighty and takes revenge.”
Analysis:
- The elephant traditionally symbolizes strength and wisdom—why does a prophet run from it?
- The pens turning out to be impotent—what divine message does this convey?
- The disjointed elements make it difficult to extract any coherent spiritual lesson.
In contrast, Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) dreams were clear, logical, and later manifested in real life. This dream, however, resembles a confused sequence of unrelated events rather than divine revelation.
The Talking Chicken – Divine Revelation?
Reference: Tadhkirah, p. 492
In another peculiar dream, Mirza Qadiani sees a chicken sitting on a wall, speaking in a language he doesn’t fully understand. However, he remembers one phrase:
“If you are truly Muslims.”
Later, he claims that Allah sent him a revelation:
“Spend in the way of Allah if you are truly Muslims.”
Analysis:
- Can divine revelation be delivered through a chicken?
- The Quran and Hadith provide clear criteria for divine communication.
- Why is the prophet of the time receiving revelation from poultry?
This dream does not align with any prophetic tradition and appears more like a surreal hallucination than a message from God.
Miscellaneous Dreams – A Collection of Bizarre Imaginations
A Pile of Jujube (Ber) on a Cot
Reference: Tadhkirah, p. 430
- A vision of a heap of jujube fruit placed on a cot.
Three Razors and a Perfume Bottle
Reference: Tadhkirah, p. 659
- Three razors and a bottle of perfume are shown in a dream.
The “Fireman” Slogan
Reference: Tadhkirah, p. 403
- Mirza Qadiani wakes up shouting, “Fireman!”
Hiding Vomit with a Cloth
Reference: Tadhkirah, p. 334
- Someone vomits and tries to cover it with a cloth.
Analysis:
These dreams lack spiritual depth and appear completely random. They do not convey divine wisdom or prophetic insight, raising doubts about their authenticity as revelations.
Conclusion: Are These Divine Dreams or Delusions?
After examining the dreams of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani, one thing becomes abundantly clear: They lack the depth, wisdom, and divine nature that characterize the dreams of true prophets.
The dreams of Prophet Ibrahim (A.S), Prophet Yusuf (A.S), and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) contained:
- Divine guidance
- Prophecies that later came true
- Lessons of morality, faith, and perseverance
In contrast, Mirza Qadiani’s dreams appear:
- Confusing and illogical
- Lacking moral or prophetic wisdom
- Strikingly similar to ordinary subconscious imaginations
These dreams do not meet the standards of divine revelation but instead, appear as the thoughts of an imaginative mind.
Now, the question is for you to answer:
Can these dreams genuinely belong to a divinely chosen prophet? Or are they merely the fabrications of a troubled mind?
What is your verdict? Do these dreams reflect divine truth or mere human imagination?
