Khatm-e-Nabuwwat ﷺ and Qadiyaniat

Protagonist of British Imperialism

But contrary to the illustrious teaching of the Holy Quran and the spirit of Islam and in violation of the noble example of the Prophets, their companions and their followers, Mirza Ghulam Ahmed, who claimed to be a God-sent messenger, is full of praise for the greatest force of evil of his age – the British Government. He never tires of praising that very government which had been the usurper of Islamic dominions, the greatest rival to the temporal power of Islam, and a great standard-bearer of atheism and moral degeneration. He praises the British with a vehemence which casts doubt on the motives of any conscientious man, not to say of a prophet. From the very beginning he was so greatly concerned with praising the British that there is hardly any work of his which has remained immune from flattery. We have already noted that in his first book, Barahin-i-Ahmadiyah (Vol. I), he had lavishly praised the British, had recounted their benevolent achievements and services, had assured them of Muslim loyalty, and had expressed his view against the doctrine of jihad.  These trends persisted in his writings right up to the end of his life. He almost produced a whole library of books on the subject. In these books he returned again and again to assuring the British of his unswerving loyalty and recounted the services of his family to the British along with his own support. At a time when the feeling of Islamic self-respect was in need of being aroused and the nation needed the impulse to resist its oppressors, he again and again repeated that jihad had become out-of-date. Below are a few excerpts from the Mirza’s own writings to illustrate his trend of thought:

“The greater part of my life has been spent supporting and defending the British Government. And I have written so many books regarding the prohibition of jihad and obedience to the British that were they to be gathered together, they would fill fifty book-cases. Such books have been disseminated over all the countries: Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Kabul and Rome. I have always endeavored that Muslims became true well-wishers of this Government and their hearts were purged of baseless traditions about the bloody Mahdi and the bloody Messiah and those fanatical teachings which corrupt the hearts of the stupid”²

2. Tiryaq-ul-Qulub, P. 15

At another place, he propounds allegiance to the British as one of the two pillars of faith:

“My religion, which I have been explaining again and again, is that there are two parts of Islam: one, to obey the exalted Allah, and, second, to obey the government which has established peace, and has provided its shadow of protection as against oppression. Such a government is the British Government”³

In a request to the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab on 24^th February 1898, he wrote:

“The other thing worth mentioning is that from my early age till now when I am about sixty years of age, I have been engaged, with my pen and tongue, in an important task to turn the hearts of Muslims towards the true love and good-will and sympathy for the British Government, and to obliterate the idea of jihad from the hearts of the less wise among them, since it stands in the way of cordiality and a sincere mutual relationship. And I notice that my writings have had a tremendous influence on the hearts of Muslims and hundreds of thousands of people have changed”⁴

At another place he observes:

“I have written scores of books in Arabic, Persian and Urdu with the view that jihad against the benevolent government was in no way justified; rather, wholehearted obedience to it was a religious duty. I had these books published at great cost and then had them distributed in Islamic countries. And I know that these books had a great influence even in this country. The people who owe allegiance to me are growing into a party whose hearts are filled to the brim with sincere fidelity to the Government whose moral condition is excellent; I think they will be a boon to this country for they are wholeheartedly ready to sacrifice themselves for the government”⁵

3. “Government ki Tawajjuh ke Laiq” in Shahadat el Quran p.3
4. Tabligh-i-Risalat, Vol. VII, p.10
5. ‘Arizah Baali-i-Khidmat Government ‘Aliyah Angrezi min janib Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani Sahib, cited in Mir Qasim ‘Ali Qadiani’s Tabligh-i-Risalat, Vol. VI p.65

At yet another place he wrote:

“The service which has been rendered for the sake of British Government was that I published and distributed in this country and other Islamic countries about fifty thousand books, treatises and leaflets, stating that the British Government is the benefactor of Muslims and therefore it should be the duty of every Muslim to obey it sincerely and heartily feel grateful to it and to pray for it. And, I had these books published in different languages, that is, Urdu, Persian and Arabic, and then distributed them in all the countries of Islam, so much so that I had them distributed even in the two holy cities of Islam, Mecca and Medina, and, as far as possible, also, in the capital of Rum-Constantinople, and Syria, Egypt and Kabul and many other cities of Afghanistan. The result was that hundred of thousands of people gave up their filthy ideas about jihad which had permeated their hearts due to the teachings of ignorant mullas. I am proud of this service which I have been able to render, and no Muslim of British India can boast of a parallel record”⁶

Abrogation of Jihad

The Mirza’s main concern was jihad which, indeed, had caused the greatest worry to the British not only in India but in all Muslim countries (quite a number of which had already been occupied by the British). The Mirza’s proclaimed jihad to have been abrogated forever and put forward this as the sign of his being the Promised Messiah. He proclaimed:

“Thirdly, the clock which will be installed in some part of the wall of this minaret, would signify that the people should realize that the time for the opening of the doors of the heavens has arrived. From now on there shall be no terrestrial jihad and wars shall cease. It has been mentioned earlier in the Traditions that when the Messiah would come, wars for the sake of religion would be prohibited. From now on whosoever shall raise the sword for the sake of religion and slay the infidels by proclaiming himself to be a ghazi, he will be disobedient rebel of God and His Prophet. Open Sahih al-Bukhari and read the hadith about the promised Messiah, that is, the one in which there occurs the expression which means that when the Messiah will come jihad would cease.

6. 6. Sitara-i-kaiswiah3

Now the Messiah has come and it is he who is speaking to you.⁷

He regards this abrogation of jihad as the greatest object of his advent:

To cite his own words:

“In short, I have not come in order to stimulate war and strife. I have appeared in order to open, in the manner of first Messiah, the doors of peace. If the foundation of peace is not amidst us, then our whole religious order is useless, and it is also meaningless to believe in it”⁸

At another place, he becomes even more explicit:

“I believe that as my followers increase, the believers in the doctrine of jihad will decrease. For, accepting me to be the Messiah and Mahdi itself means the rejection of the doctrine of jihad.⁹

Citadel of the British Government

In his Arabic treatise Nurul-Haq he went as far as to say that he was the citadel and amulet for protecting the British Government:

“I am entitled to assert that I am unique in respect of these services. And I am entitled to say that I am an amulet and a citadel to protect it from afflictions. My Lord has given me glad tidings and has said that He will not chastise them as long as I am among them. So, the Government has no parallel and equal to me in supporting and assisting it and the Government shall know this if it is capable of knowing people”¹⁰

Seedling of the British

In an application submitted to the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab on 24^th February 1898, he wrote:

7. Khutba-i-Ilhamiyah, Appendix entitled Ishtihar Chandah Minaratal Masih
8. Tiryaqul-Qutab p. 335
9. Tabligh-i-Risalat, Vol Vii, p. 17
10. Nurul Haq, p. 34

“I have to submit that in regard to a family which has proven itself to be loyal; had ever been prepared to make sacrifices for the Government during the last fifty year; of which the

respectable officials of the exalted Government have borne weighty testimonies in their official letters about its being all long a well-wisher and servant of the British Government, which is the self-implanted seedling (of loyalty), the Government should exercise utmost caution and make all possible efforts to know about it and pay attention to it. The Government should also instruct its lower officials that they should look towards me and my group with the eyes of kindness and benevolence in view of the established loyalty and sincerity of this family”.¹¹

In another application he refers to himself and his group as ‘those who had been brought up as tried and true friends of the British: those who had earned a good name with the Government and had enjoyed its merciful kindness’.

11. Tabligh-i-Risalat, Vol. VII p. 19

Shah Wali Ullah on Finality of Prophethood

“        In Musawwa, an Arabic commentary on Muwatta, Imamul Hind, Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlavi writes:

            “It may be explained that a person who is opposed to the true Faith and does not believe in Islam, nor does he acknowledge the religion of Islam, either outwardly or inwardly, is called a Kafir. If he believes in the Faith only verbally, but offers such interpretations of some fundamentals of the Faith as contradict the views of the Sahabah, the Tabi‘een and the consensus of the Ummah, then such a person is called a Zindeeq.”

By way of explaining the difference between a correct interpretation and a wrong interpretation, Shah Waliullah further writes:

“Moreover, there are two kinds of interpretations: One that does not contravene a decision that stands finally established under the authority of the Qur’an and the Sunnah; the other one is that interpretation which contravenes a decision that stands proved under a finally established evidence (based on the Qur’an and/or the Sunnah). Such an interpretation is Zandaqah.”

Citing examples of interpretations that involve Zandaqah, Shah Waliullah further writes:

 “… or some person says that although the noble Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) is undoubtedly the last of the Prophets, yet this only means that after him none will be given the name of a Prophet, but the concept of prophethood — viz., the sending down by Allah of some person who must be obeyed as a matter of obligation and who has been protected from persevering in sins and faults — continues in the Ummah even after the noble Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) then such a person is a Zindeeq.”                                                      (Musawwa, Vol. 2, p. 130)

Fatawa on Khatm-e-Nabuwwat ﷺ

FATWA 1: Fatawai-Alamgiri (Who is not a Muslim)

“If a person does not have the belief that the holy prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the last prophets then he is not a Muslim. If he says, “I am a prophet of Allah” or says in Persian language, “I am a Paighambar”, thereby meaning, “I convey Allah’s message”, then he also becomes an infidel (Kafir)”

(Fatawa Hindiya, Vol. 2 p. 363 printed Bolaq, Egypt)

FATWA 5: Fiqah Shafa’I Mughni ul Muhtaj Sharah Minhaj (Ten types of Kafirs)

In this book, which contains standard ‘fatawa’ of Fiqah Shafai, is written:

“A person will become a Kafir, if (1) he rejects the Prophets and (2) says Allah, the Exalted, did not send them, or (3) negates the prophethood of some specific prophet, or (4) claims prophethood for himself after our Holy Prophet (PBUH) or (5) affirms such a claimant’s prophethood, or (6) says that our Prophet (PBUH) was (Allah forbid) dark-colored, beardless and not a Qureshi, or (7) says that prophethood can be acquired or that status can be achieved through piety and purity of heart, or (8) says Allah’s Revelation (Wahi) comes to him without laying any claim to prophethood, or (9) calls any prophet a liar and reviles him or scorns him, and (10) despises the name of Allah, the Exalted”.

(Mughni ul Muhtaj, Vol.4, p.135)

FATWA 6: Fiqah Hambali: Mughni Ibn Qudamah (Follower of Claimant of prophethood is also an apostate)

From Mughni Ibn Qudamah which is standard ‘Fatawa’ of Fiqah Hambali: “A person becomes a ‘murtad’ or an apostate (i.e renouncer of the Faith) if he claims prophethood for himself or testifies to a claimant’s prophethood. Therefore, the supporters of Musailma were adjudged apostates because they testified to Musailma’s claim of prophethood. The same if true of Tulaiha Asadi and his followers. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) declared that Resurrection will not take place until thirty liars have not come forward each one of whom will claim that he is Allah’s prophet”.

“Anybody who, (Allah forbid), abuses Him is a kahir even if he forgets at that moment what he is doing, or says so in a joke or in reality. That person is also kafir who makes fun of Allah the Exalted or ridicules His Ayaat or His prophets or His Books. Allah, the Exalted, says in the Holy Quran “And if you ask them, they will say ‘We were just amusing (ourselves) and jesting’. You ask them ‘Were you jesting with Allah, His Ayaat and His Prophet? Don’t make excuses. You have become kafir after accepting the (true) faith”.

“Therefore, a person who commits an act of derision should not be left to his (lip profession of) Islam only but should be punished and given a lesson and taught some wisdom as a deterrent lest he should relapse into this mischief. When penitence alone is not deemed adequate (exoneration) for saying indecent words against the Holy Prophet (PBUH) then the one who says arrogant words against Allah the Most High deserves punishment pre-eminently”.

(Mughni Ibne Qudamah, Vol. 10, p. 112)

FATWA 7: Al Sharah al Kabir Sharah ul Muqney which is a standard ‘Fatawa’ of Hambali jurisprudence also contains the same passage word for word as quoted above from Mughni Ibne Qudamah.

(Sharah Kabir on Hahiah Mughni, Vol. 10, p. 111)

Death of Mirza Qadiyani

When in 1891, the Mirza declared that he was the Promised Massiah³¹ and later on in 1910, that he was a prophet of God³², the Muslim ulama began to refute and oppose him. Among those prominent in opposing him was Maulana Sana Ullah Amritsari, the editor of Ahl-i-Hadith. On April 5, 1907, Mirza Ghulam Ahmed issued an announcement in which, while addressing the said Maulana, he wrote:

“ If I am such a big liar and impostor as you portray me in each issue of your magazine, then I will die in your life-time, for I know that the life-period of a mischief-maker and liar is not very long and ultimately he dies an unsuccessful man, during the life of his greatest enemies and in a state of humiliation and grief. And if I am not a liar and impostor and have been honored by God’s communication and address to me, and if I am the promised Massiah, then I hope that with the grace of God and in accordance with God’s practice you will not escape the punishment of the rejectors (of Truth). Thus, if that punishment which is not in man’s but in God’s hand, that is, fatal disease like plague and cholera, do not afflict you during my lifetime,³³ then I am not from God.³⁴”

27. Haqiqat al-Wahy, p. 211
28. Ibid, p. 211.a.
29. Sirat al-Mehdi, Vol. II, p.150
30. Sirat al-Mehdi, Vol. II, p.151

One year after the publication of this announcement, on May 25, 1908 the Mirza fell ill, being afflicted with diarrhoea at Lahore. Along with loose motions, he also had vomiting. He was put under treatment at once, but weakness increased, and his condition became critical. The next day, on May 26, he breathed his last in the forenoon. About his death his father-in-law Mir Nasir Nawab has stated:

“The night on which Hazrat Mirza Sahib fell ill, I was asleep at my place. When he felt very uncomfortable, I was awakened. When I went to Hazrat Sahib he addressed me and said, ‘Mir Sahib I am ill with cholera’. After this, in my opinion, he did not speak a clear word till he died the next day after ten o’clock”.

The dear body was carried to Qadian. On May 27, 1908 the burial took place and Hakim Nurrudin became his successor, the first Khalifah of the Qadiani movement.

31. Refer Part II, Chapter 2
32. Refer Part II, Chapter 3
33. It would be interesting to note that Maulana Amritsari died at the age of eighty on March 18, 1948 some forty years after death of the Mirza.
34. Tabligh-i-Risalat, Vol. X, p. 120
35. Hayat-i-Nasir, ed. Shaykh Yaqub Ali Irfani