Saturday, October 18, 2008

QADIYANISM: A BRIEF SURVEY

QADIYANISM: A BRIEF SURVEY

(So called, "Ahmadiya Movement in Islam")
The Institute of Islamic Information & Education
Brochure No. 27
Beginning: Begun in India, inspired and actively supported by the British colonial power. In the mid nineteenth century the British thought that Islam as the Deen of Allah was dead, but the War of Independence of 1857 and the leading role of Muslims through the spirit of Jihad, scared the British. They actively sought an alternative to real Islam. Among the many things they did, one was the foundation of a new religion in the name of Islam by the hands of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiyani. The British gave Mirza full support and an outline; and he filled in the details.

Mirza Ghulam Qadiyani: He said that his name was Ghulam Ahmad, son of Ghulam Murtaza, belonging to the caste of Mughal Barlas who came to India from Samarqand. Later, he changed his origins and claimed to be a Persian. He again had a change of mind and claimed to belong to the progeny of Fatima bint Muhammad(S). He was born in 1839-40 in Qadiyan, District of Gordaspur, Punjab, India in a family who were subservient to the British and played a heroic role in defending the British in the War of 1857. Ghulam remained proud of his and his family's services to the British crown and advised his followers to remain loyal to the British Government and the West. Qadiyanis, the followers of Ghulam Ahmad, established good liaison with the State of Israel immediately after its establishment and Israel gave them full protection.

Steps to the Prophethood: The 1870s was a period of debates between Hindus against Muslims and Christians against Muslims. Muslims did not start those debates but Muslim scholars were winning all of them and winning the hearts of the Muslim masses. Ghulam saw an opening to gain popularity and taught himself the art of debating against Hindus and became popular by 1877. In 1880, he published his first book Baraheen-i-Ahmadiyyah and established himself as a writer. By 1884, he added three more volumes to the same book and in 1885 he claimed himself to be a Mujaddid, a revivalist of Islam. In 1891, he claimed himself to be the Promised Mehdi and a Promised Messiah. During this period he insisted that he was not a prophet declaring that such a claim would make him a kaafir and a liar. Well! In 1901 Ghulam declared, "by Allah in Whose grip is my soul it is He Who commissioned me and named me a prophet" and he declared that Allah gave him "three hundred thousand [miracles]". Note that Allah's true messengers and prophets received their assignment suddenly not step-wise like Ghulam. By Ghulam's own declarations, now he became a Kaafir and a liar.
(Abstract from QADIYANIAT, AN ANALYTICAL SURVEY, by Ehsan Ilahi Zaheer.)

Qadiyaniat in the Contemporary World: Pakistan, the home of the Qadiyani movement, declared the religion of Ghulam Ahmad to be kufr, non-Islam, and other governments followed suit. Saudi Arabia stopped giving visas to Qadianis as Muslims. Recently, a South African court has ruled them to be non-Muslims. However, anti-Islam governments give Qadianis protection and provide facilities for their propagation, among them, the U.S. and the British are major protectors. It is interesting to note that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto helped declare Qadianism as non-Islam but his daughter Benazir Bhutto and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) are actively embracing all enemies of Islam including Qadianis.

Beware of deceptively Islamic looking functions and gatherings like Seeratun-Nabi, Interfaith Dialogues, serve as bait for simplistic and un-informed Muslims. Attending Qadiani functions under any pretext is helping and promoting their kufr.

Hypocrisy of Pacifism: Mirza Ghulam Ahmad declared that "Jihad", as an instrument of war (defensive or offensive), was forbidden by him. His followers, Qadiyanis, continue to present themselves to the West as pacifists, anti-war "Muslims". As recently as Summer, 1996 in their annual convention in Washington, D.C. area, they presented themselves as peaceful "Muslims" who did not believe in war. The national media in the U.S. took note of it and presented "Ahmadiya Muslims" as pacifists. The truth is that Qadiyanis entered the armed forces of Pakistan from the time of the formation of the country and rose to the highest ranks of officers corp in all branches, namely, army, air force and navy . With the blessings of their "Khalifah" they participated in wars against India. When the "Khalifah" was questioned he defended his position and reiterated that his father, Ghulam Qadiyani, the founder of the cult, was not a pacifist.

Beliefs of Ahmadiya Cult (Qadiyanis): Mirza Ghulam Qadiyani disrespects Allah and His messenger Muhammad(S): Read the following quotes from the writings of the founder of, so called, "Ahmadiyah Movement in Islam" which Muslims address them as Qadiyanis or Mirzais because his full name was Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Baig Qadiyani. All references are from his Urdu writings; some of the quotes were taken from Qadiyani magazines or newspapers published after the death of Mirza.

"I saw in my dream that I am Allah and I believed, no doubt I am the one who created the heaven."; Aina-e-Kamalat, p.564.

"I have been given the attribute of destruction and giving life; this has been given to me from Allah."; Khutba Ilhamiyah #6.

"Every one can rise to the highest status, he can even surpass the status of Muhammad(S), the Messenger of Allah."; Al-Fadl Qadiyan, 17th July 1922.

"Hadrat Muhammad(S) used to eat cheese made by the Christians even though it was well known that lard (pig fat) was mixed in it."; Al-Fadl Qadiyan, 22nd February, 1924.

"It is evident like daylight that the door of prophethood is open after that Hadrat (Muhammad(S))."; Haqiqat an-Nubuwwah, p.329.

"I swear by that God who owns my life that He has sent me, He named me a prophet and He called me the Promised Messiah."; Closing of Haqiqat Al-Wahy, p. 68.

"Allah Ta'ala gave names, Muhammad and Ahmad and established me as the persona of Muhammad."; Ek Ghalati ka Izalah, p.10.

"True God is the One Who sent His messenger in Qadiyan."; Dafeh Al-Bala', p.11.

"So, is there any doubt that Hadrat Promised Messiah is a prophet according to the Quranic meaning as well as literal meaning."; Haqiqat An-Nubuwah, p.116.

The Character of Qadiani: Mirza received his early education from his father and other teachers of the village. Mirza took a humble job in the office of the Deputy Commissioner. During his employment he took exams for legal positions but failed them. After his failures he returned home to take care of the family land.

There are three parts of Mirza's life:

Period as a Muslim,

period of various claims, and

the period of his claim of prophethood.

During the early period Mirza was an ordinary Muslim; he had the aqeedah of Muslims and believed in the finality of the Prophet Muhammad(S). During the period of 1882 to 1890, in sequence, he claimed to be a mujaddid (a revivalist), musleh (a reformer), mehdi (a divinely guided one) and masih maw'oud (the Promised Messiah). In the year 1900, he declared that Jihad had become unlawful and in 1901 he claimed prophethood for himself. And in 1904, he claimed to be Krishna.

In short Mirza spent his life involved in insulting the Prophets and Messengers of Allah, treason against Muslims, loyalty to the British colonial power, lying, cheating, deceiving simple people, declaring false prophecies, trying to turn Muslims into British slaves, spying on Muslims for the British and trying to obtain the most severe punishments for the Muslims. He tried his best to serve the British most by discouraging and eliminating the concept of Jihad from Islam.

Mirza wrote in his books, "I am God, in my vision I am a women, Allah showed his manly power with me and metaphorically I became pregnant." Mirza died on May 26, 1908 in his own hated disease of cholera while vomiting and discharging feces from both ends of his gastro-intestinal system.

The Corruption of Ghulam Ahmad Qadiyani's Writings: Since the death of Ghulam Qadiyani in 1908, his followers have been editing out some of the material written by him but criticized by the opponents and had become sources of embarrasment. If Ghulam was a true prophet, his followers have no authority to delete anything from the writings of the "prophet". Qadiyanis use more recent but edited publications of Ghulam Qadiyani's writings to deceive people that he never wrote any such things as quoted by his opponents. English translations are even worse and they have been edited very heavily. However, Muslim scholars have collected and keep original publications of Ghulam Qadiyani in their libraries and use them as sources in their writings and to reveal the truth to the world.

The Significance of Khatme-Nabuwwat

The Significance of Khatme-Nabuwwat

Islam enjoins upon the faithful a solid belief in the divine decree of Khatme-Nabuwwat (Finality of Prophethood) in last of the Messengers and the mercy to the Universe, hazrat Muhammad(SAW). This tenant of Islam is so essential that the slightest doubt in its validity may bring one’s faith to ruin. Those who guard their belief in this basic doctrine are surely protecting their faith in the religion of Allah(SWT).
Individuals who believe in the possibility of new Prophets after hazrat Muhammad(SAW) are, in effect, advancing the notion that the religion of Allah(SWT) is not perfect and are attempting to open the door for the possible alteration, corruption, or rejection of the message of Islam. Mirza Ghulam Qadiani of India, for instance, abrogated Jihad, introduced his own novel interpretation of Quranic verses (in defiance to authentic Hadith), and gave birth to a new faith he called ‘Ahmadiyyat’. Hussain Ali (Bahaullah) of Iran modified the entire doctrine of Islam, replaced the Holy Quran with his own book, changed the direction of Qibla from Makkah al Mukarrama to Namka in Israel, and named this new faith ‘Bahaism’.

It should be evident how the mere rejection of the doctrine of Khatme-Nabuwwat enabled misguided or opportunist individuals to challenge the believers from within and divert unsuspecting public from the religion of Allah(SWT).

The Holy Quran has made it abundantly clear, in more than one hundred of its verses, that no new Prophet or prophetic revelation will be sent. Over two hundred hadith (sayings of the holy Prophet(SAW)) further support this injunction of the Quranic Message. The Holy Quran, hadith and Tafseer have been consistent on this point since the advent of Islam. In addition, close companions of the holy Prophet, great scholars, and the entire Ummah have agreed on this basic tenant and consider it Kufr to entertain the possibility of Allah(SWT) commissioning any other Prophet.

The great Imam and founder of the Hanifa School of thought, Imam Abu Hanifa(RA), was so certain of this view that he decreed the very act of questioning a claimant (demanding proof or miracles) to be an act of disbelief in itself. Naturally, this fatwa was issued to stress the importance of an absolute belief in the Finality of Prophethood and to encourage all Muslims to defend this doctrine from corruption for all times.

Any Muslim would shrink from asking a claimant to divinity for proof; that claim very clearly contradicts the teachings of Islam. The very same level of confidence and belief is also required when we are faced with impostor prophets and Messiahs:

There can not be another god besides Allah(SWT) and there can not be another prophet after Muhammad(SAW).
Our duty to defend this basic tenant becomes evident when we review some of the brightest moments in Islamic history. The first rightly guided Caliph, Hazrat Abu Bakr(RA), fought against the army of the impostor prophet Musailma, the Liar, despite the fact that, not only Musailma had recognized the Prophethood of Muhammad(SAW), but also the Muslim state was still in its infancy and without the needed resources. As the result of this war, 22000 soldiers of Musailma were eliminated; however, approximately 1200 precious Muslim lives -- including almost 600 Huffaz, Qaris, distinguished soldiers of Badr, and close Companions of the Holy Prophet(SAW) -- were also lost.

To appreciate these figures and understand the determination of early Muslims to protect the religion of Allah(SWT) from possible corruption, we will need to remember that, during the entire life of Rasool Allah(SAW), only 259 Muslim lives were lost in all the battles against the Kuffar. The non-believers had themselves suffered only 759 casualties. In short, our first Caliph, in unison with all the Companions (Sahaba), decreed that the impostor Prophet and his followers should not be allowed to spread their evil. Indeed, none of the companions rested until the complete elimination of the self proclaimed prophet and his followers. This decision of Hazrat Abu Bakr(RA) was so highly regarded, endorsed and accepted by the companions, that Hazrat Umar(RA) proposed an exchange with Hazrat Abu Bakr(RA). He said:

"I will exchange all good deeds of my life time for your acts of one night and one day. One night from those three nights you spent with Rasool Allah(SAW) in the Cave of Thaur and one day from the days of battles against impostor prophets to guard the Finality of Muhammad(SAW).”
Obviously, defending the Finality of Rasool Allah(SAW) should be of utmost importance for us: we should not even entertain the claims of false Messiahs and prophets who will appear from time to time.

It is a sad turn of events that some of our Muslim brothers, who claim to be liberal and broad minded, trivialize the significance and importance of the Islamic principal of Khatme-Nabuwwat and do not appreciate our duty to protect the Deen of Allah(SWT) from all enemies. We hope that this brief message has helped them realize the true message of Allah(SWT).

With Allah is Success and Peace of Allah be upon his Messenger Muhammad and his Followers and Companions.

Maulana Manzoor Ahmad Chinioti,
President Khatme Nabuwwat University, Chiniot Pakistan,
General Secretary, International Khatme Nabuwwat Movement, and
Member of Punjab Assembly