The Demise of the Holy Prophet (sa) and the Consensus (The Promised Messiah's (as) Narration)

Whilst explaining this in relation to Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), the Promised Messiah (as) says:

“Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra) has done such a great favour to this Ummah that it cannot be adequately thanked. Had he not gathered all the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, in the Prophet’s (sa) Mosque and recited this verse to them that all the previous Prophets had died, the Ummah would have perished. For, in that case, today’s mischievous ulema would have contended that the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, too believed that Hazrat ‘Isa is alive. But now, due to Siddique the Great presenting this aforementioned verse, an ijma‘ has formed among all the Companions that all past Prophets had died—even couplets were composed reflecting this consensus. May God shower thousands of blessings upon Abu Bakr’s soul. He saved all souls from perdition. All the Companions were included in this ijma‘, not even a single one of them was out of it. It was the first ijma‘ of the Companions and was an act deserving of the utmost gratitude. There is a mutual similarity between Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, and the Promised Messiah, namely, the promise of God, in the Holy Qur’an, regarding both of them was that they would appear at a time when a state of fear will prevail upon Islam and a chain of apostasy will start. So, that is exactly what happened in the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr, and in the time of the Promised Messiah. That is, in the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr hundreds of ignorant Arabs had turned apostate after the demise of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and there remained only two mosques where prayers were held. Hazrat Abu Bakr re-established them on Islam. Similarly, in the time of the Promised Messiah hundreds of thousands of people renounced Islam and became Christians. Both these circumstances are mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, that is, they are mentioned by way of a prophecy.”

(Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part 5, pp. 379-380 footnote, [English edition])