Mujaddid Alif Thani (a.r.) and Khatme Nabuwwat

بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم

On the website, Let me Turn the Tables, a number of articles are being published in an attempt to respond to various references given in support of the claims of Promised Messiah (as). Most of these articles are focused on solitary references and the author makes every effort to ignore the context in which those excerpts of Ahadith and writings from various scholars were provided.

Mujaddid Alif Thani (a.r.) and the verse Khaataman Nabiyyeen:

 In Ahmadiyya literature concerning the issue of finality of prophethood, you will find a wealth of strong opinions from various saints and scholars which support the claims of Promised Messiah علیہ السلام to be a subordinate prophet in accordance with the prophecies of Quran and Hadith.

The author from “Turn the tables” quotes a reference presented in Ahmadiyya literature by Hadhrat Ahmad Sirhindi, Mujaddid Alif Thani (r.a.)

“'The rising of prophets after the Khatamar Rasul Hazrat Muhammad, the Chosen One, peace and blessings be upon him, from among his own followers and as a heritage, does not in any way run counter to his status as the Khatamar rasul. Therefore, O reader, do not be among those who doubt.' Maktubat Imam Rabbani, Hazrat Mujaddid Alf Thani “

 The same text has been translated by “turn-table” as

“So for the followers to attain the wonders of prophethood (kamalat nubuwwat) by way of following and inheritance after the coming of the Last Prophet –on him and his followers and all the prophets be the peace and salutations- is not in contradiction to his finality. So be not of those who doubt.”

According to the author, the words “the rising of prophets” should be translated as “for the followers to attain the wonders of prophethood”. Thus proving that Mujaddid Alif Thani (ar) was only alluding to minor blessings which come to those who follow the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم.

So according to him, “kamaalat e nabuwwat” do not include being a subordinate prophet. The author himself quotes the passages from the same letter which mention the second coming of Jesus علیہ السلام and includes this event to be relevant to the subject being discussed. This letter is addressing the qualities of prophethood which include revelation, true dreams and visions as continuous phenomenon in the Muslim ummah since the time of Sahaba and the generations following them. Hadhrat Ahmad Sirhindi also sates “And the last of the times have been made akin to the earliest days.” i.e., the same qualities could be observed at the time of writing his letter.

Hadhrat Ahmad Sirhindi, also known as Imam Rabbani and Mujaddid Alif Thani lived during and after the time of Emperor Akbar. He was a great scholar who lived the life of a true saint. Receiving revelations and visions from Allah (swt), which he recorded in his writings extensively. He rejected the innovations being introduced into Islam by so-called Sufis and Mullahs of his day. His influence was so great that he spoke to King Akbar personally to explain the correct Islamic creed to him. He was also Jailed during Jehangir’s reign but the released and honored by the same king. Throughout his life, Imam Rabbani (a.r.) wrote letters to his friends, family and followers, explaining his world view and personal spiritual experiences. As a true saint, his experience of Divine Revelations seems to be the most striking topic in his Maktoobat. And this issue of prophecy, renovation of faith and appearance of Imam Mahdi recur in these writings.

Now, we know that is a fact that none of the recipients of “kamaalat e nabuwwat” claimed to be a subordinate prophet, (including Ibn Arabir and Mujaddi Alif Thani) but it is very common observation that both of them have discussed the second coming of Jesus علیہ السلام as an exception where a subordinate prophet will exist among Muslims. This is no coincidence that any discussion on finality of Prophethood can not be completed without mentioning the appearance of Eisa Ibn Maryam علیہ السلام. All great scholars have discussed this and all of them agree that Eisa ibn Maryam علیہ السلام will be a prophet, following the Shariah of Holy Prophet (saw). That is another argument that Ahmadiyyat has already won by proving that Jesus (as) passed away. (we can have another debate if you like..)

The Ahmadiyya stance on this matter is that Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم prophecised the coming of an Ummati Nabi in his Ummah. He called him Eisa Ibne-Maryam علیہ السلام and also Imam Mahdi. This person was to attain the highest spiritual rank in the Ummah by being immersed in the love of his master, the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم;a phenomenon not unknown to great saints like Ibne-Arabi and Imam Rabbani (a.r.). The only difference is that the title of Prophet is given to only one person.

Imam Rabbani, Mujaddid Alif Thani (a.r.) writes.. “Perfect followers of prophets (peace be upon them), due to their complete obedience and because of their immersion in their love, they (the followers) become colored with their (master’s) colors so much so that there is no difference between the follower and the one who is followed. i.e., between the Nabi and Ummati: Apart from being Asl and Tabe’ and beign awwal and aakhir”. (Maktoobat No. 248, Part 4, Vol 1, page 49, Published Mujaddadi press, Amritsar).

Mujaddid Alif Thani (a.r.) has left a wealth of knowledge for the right minded Muslims to accept the Promised Messiah علیہ السلام.One of the recurrent themes in his writings is his understanding of the concept of “Mujaddidyyat” and his own claim to be the Mujaddid of the 2nd millennium. He learnt this wisdom from Ibne Arabi (a.r.) and you can find in his writings a profound influence of Ibne Arabi’s thought.

On the subject of Imam Mahdi, Hadhrat Imam Rabbabi (a.r.) repeatedly mentions the fact that he will have the “ulema” of his time as his enemies. He is also acutely aware of the great spiritual status of Imam Mahdi. According to Ibne Arabi, Imam Mahdi will receive the Shariah of the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم through revelation. (Imam Shu’rani explains this in his Al-Yawaqeetu wal Jawahir, Vol 2, while explaining Ibne Arabi’s thought)

Promised Messiah علیہ السلام writes: (Haqiatul Wahi, page 406)

"And another unwise thing they say to inflame the ignorant people that this man his claimed to be a prophet but this is an utter fabrication. I have not claimed to prophethood which has been known to be forbidden in Quran, the claim only is that in one respect I am an ummati and from one respect due to the prophetic blessing of Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ), I am a prophet. And from prophet it is only meant that I receive frequent honor of revelation and words from Allah. Truth is as Mujaddid sahib of Sirhind has written in his maktoobat that even though some people from this ummat are destined to receive revelations and words from Allah and will remain so until the day of judgement, but the person who will receive the most frequent revelation and will be given news of the unseen in abundance is called a prophet. Let it be clear that the prophecy in Ahadith of Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) have fortold that in the ummat of Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) a person will be born who will be called Eisa and Son of Mary. And he will be given the name of Nabi, that is, he will be given Divine revelation in abundance and matters of the Unseen will be reveated to him frequently which cannot be given to a non-prophet as Allah has said that Allah does not grant full knowledge and understanding of His Unseen (matters) with frequency and clarity unless to a person who is His honored prophet(Surah Al-Jin verse 27-28)”

Dear readers, it is clear that the critics of Ahmadiyyat have always tried their best to ignore the blatantly obvious hole in their own beliefs regarding the second coming of the Messiah علیہ السلام.They cannot hide behind vague statements and fairy-tales anymore. I invite them to ponder over the writings of great scholars like Ibne Arabi, Mujaddid Alif Thani and Shah Waliullah (peace be upon them all), and understand the true significance of the coming of Imam Mahdi علیہ السلام.

Wassalam,

In response to "Some Terminology Changes" by Farhan

بسم اللہ الرحمٰن ارحیم

Farhan, from the cultist group has posted an interesting entry. Half –baked as usual, this article on the use of terminology in Jamaa’t Ahmadiyya is a good specimen of anti-ahmadiyya bigotry. Some of his points are utter fallacies, and some are the “mullah twist” well known to all Ahmadis.

Term 1: Ahmad- According to Farhan, the name Ahmad refers to the Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم), yet Ahmadis use this name only to identify, Hazrat Promised Messiah (علیہ السلام.)…

According to Quran, Ahmad is the “Jamali” name of Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم). Promised Messiah (علیہ السلام), in his commentary of verse 7 of Surah al-Saff writes;

“Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) is also given the name “Ahmad”, so Jesus (علیہ السلام) prophecised about him with this name. (He said) That after me another Prophet will come whose advent I prophecise, and his name will be Ahmad. This was a hint that he will Praise Allah very intensly”. (Al-Hakam, vol 5, No. 2, 17 Jan 1901, Page 4)

Because Promised Messiah علیہ السلام is also referred to as Hadhrat Ahmad, Sayyidna Ahmad علیہ السلام, does not mean that the name Ahmad is now not valid for all previous people known as Ahmad. We know that Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi, Syed Ahmad of Bareli, All the Ahmads of Usmani (Ottomon) empire and many million others are still known by their given name, i.e., Ahmad.

It was God’s Will to name his Messiah and Mahdi with the same name as the Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم). So, he caused the name of Promised Messiah علیہ السلام to be Ghulam Ahmad, a humble servant of the greatest Prophet of God. Promised Messiah علیہ السلام named his community as Jamaa’t Ahmadiyya, because in his person, Allah manifested the qualities of the name Ahmad to the world again. But to all Ahmadis, the name Ahmad is the name of Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم). Our Imam Mahdi علیہ السلام was only a servant of Ahmad (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم.).

According to an oft-repeated hadith by mullahs, Mahdi will be called Muhammad ibn Abdullah. So when this fabled Mahdi appears, will our cultist friends stop referring to the Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) as Muhammad?

Term 2: Sahaba- According to Farhan, Sahaba are “Those followers of Muhammad (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) who met him while they were Muslims and died upon that state”
So the assumption is that the term “Sahaba” can only be used for the companions of Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم).

The word “Sahabi” means companion and friend. Shah Waliullah of Delhi, a person respected by both Deoband and Barelvi sects used the words “Ashaabuna” for his own companions.

Similarly, the Sahaba of Promised Messiah (علیہ السلام) are his companions.
Yes, we use the same prayer of reverence for them as we do for the Sahaba of Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم), i.e., Radhi Allahu Anhu”. This is because it is the Sunnah of Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) that he prayed for the companions of his Messiah and Mahdi in the same words. It’s the same Hadith where he called Promised Messiah علیہ السلام as Nabiullah. (Sahih Muslim, Book 41, Number 7015)

Who can take back the honour bestowed upon the companions of Promised Messiah (علیہ السلام) by his Master, Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم)?

Term 3: First Five Khalifahs: Here he is assuming that Ahmadis have substituted the first four caliphs of Islam (r.a.) with their own caliphs.
It’s a manufactured term. If he meant rightly guided Caliphs then its only the first four we count as the Khulafa-e-Rashideen.Why count first 5? Why not all of them until 1919? There were umayyid and Fatimid and Ottoman Caliphs. Did these subsequent worldly caliphs erase the memory of the first four caliphs?

The khulafa of Promised Messiah (علیہ السلام) are called Khalifatul Masih. We believe this to be the continuation of same khilafat which ceased among the Muslim ummah after Hadhrat Ali (r.a). According to Allah’s Promise in Surah Al-Nur, the same khilafat was re-established among Muslims after the advent of Promised Messiah (علیہ السلام.


Term 4: The two Holy Cities: Another manufactured allegation. He is clutching at straws here.

Many Ahmadis perform Hajj and Umrah every year and they go and visit the two Holy cities considered Holy by all Muslims. Qadian and Rabwah also hold a special place in our hearts because Allah chose these towns to send His Messiah and establish His khilafat here. I also honor a small English village called Islamabad, where one of our beloved khulafa is buried. These towns are signs of God, and forever witness to the truth of Promised Messiah علیہ السلام, but we follow Promised Messiah (a.s) and he wrote;

“And Doctor sahib knows that Harmain sharifain (May Allah increase their honour, blessings and status) are the seat of authority for many learned scholars of this age. And in Islam these very Arab cities, especially Makkah and Madinah are considered the home of faith. And learned sons and esteemed scholars of these cities have also started to join this humble one”. (Volume: 6, Page: 75, Book: Suchhai-ka-Izhar)

He also referred to the Sulaha-e-Arab and Divines of Makkah to be better equipped to accept his claims, because unlike the India maulvis, these people were born and raised in the land of knowledge and freedom. (Nur-ul-Haq page 19). He also prophecised that people of Makkah will join Ahmadiyyat in their droves (Nur-ul-Haq page 197). In Minnanur Rahman, Promised Messiah (as) goes to great lengths to prove that Arabic is the mother of all tongues and he also mentions Makkah as the first built town/city of the world.

So, in Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam, Makkah and Madinah are our Holy Cities. Promised Messiah (علیہ السلام) gave great value to these cities when it came to acceptance of his claims. We turn to Makkah to pray and we bury our deceased facing it. We love Madinah Munawwara because it is where our Master, our beloved Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) is buried.

Term 5: Messiah- That Messiah is a term only reserved for Jesus son of Mary علیہ السلام, and Ahmadis have “hijacked” it.

Messiah is a title, which means “the anointed one”. So, all prophets were Messiahs. Jesus (علیہ السلام) is called the “Messiah” because Jews were specifically waiting for a Messiah. It has been mentioned in old testament more than 30 times.
And besides all famous physicians were entitled Messiahs by their admirers. What about them?

Term 6: Holy Graveyard- Ahmadis believe that Bahishti Maqbara in Qadian is Holy (or Holier) than Jannatul Baqi.

Jannatul Baqi is a special place where many companions of Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) are buried. These lucky souls were given the good news of Jannah during their life-times. To be in the company of Khaataman Nabiyyeen (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم), to have heard and seen him and to have experienced God’s Mercy in those blessed day is paradise in this life.

Bahishti Maqbarah requires the person to strive to follow the footsteps of Sahaba. There is no comparison.


I think this blog post was just meant to keep the website active. I thank Farhan and other culties for giving me the opportunity to read some more portions of Quran, Hadith and writings of Promised Messiah (a.s.). Please carry on..

Morden man fears for brother named on Ahmadiyya Muslim murder list in Pakistan

By Omar Oakes

The brother of a Pakistani man whose name was published on a religious murder list by Muslim fanatics has said he is distraught with worry.

Chaudhary Nawaz, from Hillcross Avenue in Morden, said his brother Dr Muhammad Nawaz, a technology college academic in Pakistan, had gone into hiding for fear of being murdered for being an Ahmadi Muslim.

Ahmadi Muslims are not considered Islamic in Pakistan under the Government’s strict blasphemy laws and this list of prominent Ahmadis is being widely distributed in Faisalabad, a textile hub in the Punjab province.

The list is published on a pamphlet given out widely in shopping areas and claims: “To shoot such people is an act of jihad [struggle of faith] and to kill such people is an act of sawab [reward].”

Mr Nawaz, 48, said: “I can’t tell you how worried I am. Sometimes I try not to think about it because I am so frightened about what could happen.

“My brother is a good man, an educator. He doesn’t deserve to be targeted like this.

"I feel helpless because he is thousands of miles away and I can’t help him.”

Mr Nawaz, a senior member of the Morden district of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, said his brother cannot leave Faisalabad because he has to care for their mother, an 82-year-old Alzheimer’s sufferer.

A similar list of Ahmadis was published two years ago in Faisalabad. Three people on that list were murdered by militants in a crowded market bazaar in April 2010.

Nearly two months later, 94 Ahmadis were murdered in mosques in Lahore.

Last October, the Wimbledon Guardian revealed how religious hatred by hardline Muslims towards Ahmadis was being demonstrated on a much smaller scale in south London, which is home to their UK headquarters, the massive Bait-ul-Futuh mosque in London Road, Morden.

Our investigation revealed Sheikh Suliman Gani, imam at the Tooting Islamic Centre (TIC), had told worshippers to boycott Ahmadi businesses, leading to financial hardship for shop owners and the sacking of a worker who would not renounce his religion.

The Khatme Nabuwwat Academy, an East London-based religious group affiliated to the Pakistan-based Khatme Nabuwwat, was invited to talk at the TIC last year.

The Khatme Nabuwwat's Pakistani-based website describes Ahmadis as “nothing but a gang of traitors, apostates and infidels”.

Do you have a story to tell? Call 020 8722 6333 or email: newsdesk@wimbledonguardian.co.uk.

From Wimbledon Guardian Website http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/9180679.Man_fears_for_brother_named_on_murder_list/

Hate Campaign against Ahmadiyya Muslims in Britain

Peace Conference

Peace conference organised by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Watford, to be held in Abbots Langley

From Watford Observer
12:03pm Tuesday 23rd November 2010

By Amie Mulderrig »

A peace conference organised by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Watford, is to be held in Abbots Langley this weekend.

Visitors are invited to the Henderson Hall, in the High Street, on Sunday, November 28.

The keynote speech will centre on “Respect to all holy scriptures – an Islamic perspective”, and will be delivered by Faiz Ahmad Zahid, Hertfordshire Imam of the community.

Muhammad Rafiuddin, president of the association, said: “This will be second such event held in Abbots Langley in recent years.

“We had very good turn out last time. The local community responded really well to our invitation and showed keen interest in learning about Islam’s peaceful message.”

There will be an opportunity to ask questions about Islam and refreshments will also be served.

Anyone interested in attending the event should email watford.ama@gmail.com or call Mr Rafiuddin on: 07725 722 726 for an invitation.

On Iqbal day, 2010

Growing up in Pakistani educational system in the eighties, I was made aware of Allama Iqbal from the first day when I heard "lab pe aati hay dua" being recited in the school. The poem is prayer by a child that God may make his life a guiding light for others. Iqbal teaches the child that he must stand by the poor and help those in need. To be honset, children at school assembley just followed the tune. We had no idea what it meant. This was a generation which will grow up to live the democracy of post-Zia era and post-democracy Musharraf times. And now post-Musharraf democracy. We learnt that our collective lives were not a glowing beacon for people to follow, neither were we a generation to help our nation's poor and downtrodden. Iqbal's first dream is being broken every single day in Pakistan.We have seen enough carnage of racial, sectarian violence, a war in Kashmir, an insurgency in Baluchistan, a mutiny in tribal areas and the rise and further rise of terrorism. We have suffered natural calamaties of Biblical proprotions. Iqbal's prayer, recited by millions of Pakistani children remains unanswered.
During my middle school years, I was told that Iqbal was the person who saw the vision of Pakistan and Quaid e Azam fulfilled his dream. I imagined Iqbal, the wise sage, waking up from his dream in his candle-lit quarters, looking for a piece of paper to write down the description of this Divinely inspired vision. It turned out that this "dream" was a well thought out speech in a political conference, and later explained in a letter to the Daily Times, London. In these days, I became fond of Iqbal and borrowed his poetry books from the library and tried to memorize many of his poems. His Shaheen Momin was my hero, my ideal. His rhetoric of superiority of a praciticing Muslim and his message of revolution was very appeasing to me. At that time, I was also a keen reader of Naseem Hijazi, Barbara Cartland of urdu literature. Except for he was a man, and wrote novels around the glorious Muslim conquests in Middle-East and Europe. The comparison with Barbara Cartland is due to his fixation with just one era and with one aspect of history.
Iqbal's portrait appears in many offices across Pakistan. In many of his protraits, he appears in a contemplative pose with an eagle soaring in the background. The eagle or falcon represents a true Muslim. A soldier of Islam who is proud of his Islamic heritage and superior understanding of the world around him. To us, Iqbal was one of these super-Muslims. How bravely did he stand up to the British and Hindus to guide the Muslims to find their pride and recover their prestige. And Muslims of India did just that by creating Pakistan. I read about Captain Sarwar, Major Aziz Bhatti etc. and thought of them as personifications of Iqbal’s Shaheen. In the 80s, Gen. Zia’s american Jihad was taught in school books. India was always evil, Israel a mortal enemy and Russian was the official language in Hell. Iqbal’s selective poetry in school books, and many religious sunni teachers, no wonder Pakistanis have such a one-sided view of Iqbal.
Then I found Ghalib and Meer. Iqbal’s poetry did not seem as brilliant when I compared them. I discovered in college, that to consider Ghalib better than Iqbal was to confess that you preferred wine and women over your faith. But Ghalib’s poetry agreed with my thoughts more than Iqbal. Ghalib’s honesty and humour had much more to offer than Iqbal’s dry slogans. But when it came to politics, I was still in agreement with Iqbal. Muslims needed the strength of character, the military advantage to win their place in the world. Ghalib was always busy ruing his bad luck and failures. Meer was crying himself to sleep. But Iqbal was challenging the accursed satan himself. He even went as far as questioning God's Wisdom on why Muslims were in decline.
But then I found Faiz. Ghalib had a match. Iqbal was No. 3 in the list. Faiz teaches us to be stubborn in the face of adversity, but he also keeps one foot in the dreamland. He trusts God's Wisdom and accepts that pain and persecution is all a part of our collective experience. He may have been a communist, but his metaphors are more closely connected to the Holy Scriptures than Iqbal's.
What was my reason to demote Iqbal from my list of literary heroes? (He still is on the list.. but somewhere at number 25 or below). I read a comment once that Ghalib resorted to writing Qaseedahs for the British Monarch. I also found a lament Iqbal wrote at the death of Queen Victoria, where he equated the day of her death to Muharram. I have no problems with people writing praises for the Kings and Queens. Both did what they though was right. But Iqbal’s deep study of Greek and modern European philosophy had an impact on his own thinking. He was a student of history, but was not such a great revolutionary as portrayed in the books. He himself denied in a letter that he never wanted a separate homeland for muslims, but was only throwing options to ensure peace in India. I think muslims in India made Iqbal into a celebrity too soon. As soon as he returned after his overseas education, he was treated like a leader. His poetry was lauded as the best in the whole country. But was his phiolsophy as sound as his linguisitic abilities? I find that today, everyone claims Iqbal to be one of them. Secularists love him because he condemned the mullah. Mullah quotes him as he was a Jihadist. Scholars like Ghulam Ahmad Pervez (of Tolu-e-Islam) claim that Iqbal was a rationalist like Sir Syed. Indians revere him, Pakistanis claim the ownership over Iqbal. What was Iqbal? I think, he was a poet, who could never make up his mind.
A freethinker like he was, Iqbal dismissed orthodoxy for most of his life, until he required guidance (or was pushed to seek it) by the Ahrar. In 1935, just three years before his death, Dr. Iqbal felt the urge to oppose the Ahmadiyya Sect, despite his four decades long active relationship with them. His close relatives were Ahmadis. His eldest son, Aftab Iqbal was sent to Qadian to study in the Ahmadiyya boarding school. These last three years of his life, gave Iqbal the popularity among the ultra-orthodox Ahrar, and later Jamaat e Islami and other deobad and even salafi-wahabi movements.
I would like to believe that Iqbal’s vision was a federation of fucntioning muslim provinces who followed rationalist Islamic ideology like his. But who can tell? Our Jihadis find the ailing, angry and vindictive Iqbal more agreeable.

Pakistani Mullah and the tragedy of 28th of May, 2010

Courtesty, BBC URDU