Originally Published in The Middletown Press on February 6th, 2018
As an Ahmadiyya Muslim, I joined Muslims the world over recently in observing a special prayer called Khusoof as a rare phenomenon occurred in the heavens. A lunar eclipse took place. It was also a super blue blood moon, which is when the moon is closest to the Earth, the brightest, the second full moon of the month, and when it takes on a reddish tint.
So, why is this so significant for Muslims? In the words and practice of the holy founder of Islam, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), “the sun and the moon are two special signs among the signs of almighty Allah, they don’t eclipse because of the birth or death of someone, so when either eclipses, invoke Allah, observe prayer, and give alms.”
They would also be powerful signs signaling the coming of the Messiah. According to Prophet Muhammad and Jesus’ prophecies, in those days the moon and sun would both eclipse within the same month of Ramadan. This is exactly what happened in 1894 and again in 1895 during the lifetime of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad corroborating his claim to being the true latter-day Imam Mahdi or divine guide and Messiah.
Let’s promote “love for all, hatred for none” by understanding each other and our practices.
— Zahir Muhammad Mannan, director of outreach, holy Quran education and devotion, Ahmadiyya Muslim community, Baitul Aman House of Peace Mosque, Meriden; Middletown resident
