An objective, but critical study of the Mirza's writings gives one the impression that his claims proceeded along a gradually ascending scale. All this seems to have been planned very carefully and the Mirza appears to have exercised great patience and precaution in moving from one stage to the other. In the beginning be expressed the opinion that inspiration, intuitive experience and categorical knowledge were an essential concomitant of completely following the Prophet-a natural stage at which one arrives as a result of losing oneself am obedience to the Prophet. He does not explicitly claim himself to be a prophet, but talks about prophetic attributes and characteristics and tries to prove that these attributes and characteristics are bestowed upon the followers of the Prophet particularly upon the more perfect ones, by virtue of their following the Prophet. This logic and its premises were bound to lead the Mirza, sooner or later, to proclaim himself to be a prophet. It appears that throughout these years, he remained busy paving the way and trying to create the proper atmosphere for such a proclamation. He seems to have been trying to assess whether the devotion of his followers had reached the stage where they would not mind accepting even this claim, as they had accepted the rest of his claims.
Proclamation of Prophethood
At last that event did take place. In the year l900, Maulavi 'Aabdul Karlim, the preacher of the Friday sermon, gave a sermon in which he, used the words Nabi (Prophet) and Rasul (Messenger) for the Mirza. This caused great irritation to Maulavi Sayyid Muhammad Ahsan Amrohawi. When Maulavi 'Abdul Karim came to know of this, he gave another Friday sermon in which be addressed the Mirza, requesting him to contradict his belief, if he was wrong in considering him to be a prophet and Messenger of God. After the Friday prayers were over, Maulavi 'Abdul Karim caught hold of the skirt of the Mirza's apparel and requested him to correct him in his beliefs if they were erroneous. The Mirza turned around and said that he, too, held the same belief. Meanwhile, Maulavi Muhammad Ahsan had been greatly agitated by the sermon and in anger was pacing the floor of the mosque. On Maulavi 'Abdul Karim's return, he began to quarrel with him. When their voices rose very high, the Mirza came out of his house and recited the Qur'anic verse: "O ye who believe! Don't raise your Voice above the voice of the Prophet." (This event is based on the report of a speech of Sayyid Sarwar Shah Qadiani at an annual conference held in Qadian, and published in al- Fadhl, Vol. X, No. 51, dated january.4,1923.. See also Haqiqat al- Nubuwat, p 124.) (XLIX.2)
Thus the sermon of Maulavi 'Abdul Karim inaugurated a new phase in the career of the Mirza. This sermon provided him with the much needed assurance that his followers had such an unquestiong faith in him that they would accept whatever claims he might make. The Mirza's own, son, Bashiruddin Mahmood has very ably described this development by pointing out that the Mirza used to claim his self to be invested with the attributes which could be found in none except a prophet and yet he used to deny his being a prophet. When he became conscious of this inconsistency and became aware that these attributes were untenable with his, denial of prophethood, he proclaimed himself to be a prophet. -He writes:
"In short, since in the beginning the Promised Messiah thought that the definition of Nabi is the one who brings a new Shari'ah, or abrogates some injunctions, or is a prophet directly (appointed by God): so, even though all the attributes and qualities required of a prophet were found in him, he used to decline from designating himself a prophet. When, later on, lie became aware that the nature of his claims is that of a prophet and not of a Muhaddath, he proclaimed himself, to be a prophet." (Haqiqat al-Nubuwat, Vol. 1, p. 124.)
However, whether the Mirza refrained from proclaiming himself to be a prophet till his misunderstanding was removed and he was commissioned by God. to proclaim his prophethood, or he had been waiting all this while for an opportune moment to make this declaration, there is no doubt that he was ultimately led to making the proclamation of his prophethood which was the logical result of his earlier claims.
Elucidation and Challenge
As stated by Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood, the question was finally decided in 1901 and the Mirza began to write about it explicitly in his writings. The collection of articles called Arba'in (The Mirza-had promised to write forty treatises on the. subject but he concluded the series only after the fourth one. See Arba'in, Vol. IV, P. 14.) is full of declarations and explanations about this new mission. This frankness increased steadily. In 1902 be wrote a treatise entitled' Tuhfat al-Nadwah, which was addressed to the 'ulama who were taking part in the deliberations of the Nadwah Conference held at Amritsar in 1902. In this treatise he wrote:
"Thus, as I have repeatedly said, what I recite unto you is categorically and certainly the word of Allah, in the same way as Qur'an and Torah are the words of Allah, and that I am a Zilli (Reception of the revelation through the grace of Muhammad (peace be on him) has been called "Zilli nubuwah" by the Mirza. See Haqfqat al-Wahy p. 28.) and Buruzi (This kind of prophet, according to the Mirza does not receive it prophet of God, and every Muslim is obliged to obey me in religious matters. And every one who has received information about me, even though he be a Muslim, but does not consider me arbiter in his affairs, nor recognizes me as the Promised Messiah, nor considers my revelations as coming from God, he is liable to punishment in the heavens for he has rejected what he bad to accept at its proper time. I do not merely say that I would have courted (the disaster of) death had I been a liar; I also say that I am true even as Moses and Jesus and Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on them) were true, and that God has shown more than ten thousand signs to uphold my claim. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) has testified and the earlier prophets had indicated the time of my advent, which is the present time. The Qur'an has also indicated the time of my debut during the present times. Both the heavens and the earth have borne testimony in my support; nor is there a prophet who has not testified in my favour. (Tuhfat al-Nadwah, p. 4.)In the same vein is what he wrote in Haqiqat al-Wahy:
"So, of all the people of this ummah, I am the only one who has received this large portion of Divine revelation and knowledge about the Unseen. None of the saints of this ummah, who have preceded me, was given such a big share of this bounty. (This is merely a claim, and it is based on lack of religious knowledge and is. against historical facts. In the ummah of Mohammad (peace be on him) there have- been so many saints who have been graced by divine inspiration, but none ever claimed it to be a revelation, nor claimed prophethood on that basis.) For this reason I alone was chosen to prophethood) for his own self, but for the majesty of his prophet. It is for this reason he claims, that his name in the heavens is Muhammad and Ahinad. This means that the Prophet Muhammad's nubiwah was received ultimately by (another,) Muhammad. although ina bumzi way, and not by any body else". Ek Ohattr ka Itilah, p. 5. het and none else deserved the title-"' be appointed a prop Is
All the later writings of the Mirza are full of similar categorical elucidations of his claim to prophethood. These are too many to be mentioned in this book. All those interested in a more detailed study of it should study his haqiqat al -Wahy, and Bashiruddin Mahmood's Haqiqat al-Nubuwat.
Independent Prophethood
The works of the Mirza also prove that he believed himself to be an independent prophet and bearer of a Shari'ah. In Arb4aa-SIl he defined the Shari,' ah-bearing prophet as one whose revelation contains positive commandments and prohibitions and who makes some regulations even though these commandments and prohibitions might have been embodied in the scripture of some former prophet. According to him a Shari'ah-bearing prophet need not bring an altogether new set of laws. Then he goes on to declare himself to be such an independent Sitari'ah-bearing prophet. To cite his own words.
"Apart from this, you should know what is Shari'ah. Whosoever laid down some commandments and prohibitions through his revelation and framed some regulations for ummah becomes the bearer of a Shari'ah. So, even according to this definition, our opponents are blameworthy, for my revelations contain commandments as well as prohibitions. For instance, take the inspiration:
'Say to the believers to lower down their eyes and guard their hidden places -This is purer for them.' (xxvi.30)
"All this is found in Barhin-i-Ahmadiyah. It contains commandments as well as prohibitions and the same is the case with my revelations till today - they contain both commandments and prohibitions. And if you say that by Shari'ah is meant that which contains new regulations then this is wrong. The Exalted Allah says: 'And this is in the Books of the earlier Revelations; the Books of Abraham and
NIOSES;' (LXXXVII, 18-19) which means that the Quranic teachings are also embodied in Torah. Arba'in, appendix 4, p. 7.
The fact that the Mirza abrogated a number of those important and categorical injunctions of the Shari'ah which have been'continuously supported by Muslims also shows that he consi- dered himself to be the bearer of an independent Shari'ah and regarded himself as one entitled to determine what was religiously obligatory or prohibited. One of the examples is the attitude he tciak in respect of the question of jihad. Even though jihad is a textual Quranic injunction supported by the unbroken belief and practice of the ummah throughout the fourteen centuries of our history and is supported by the Prophetic Tradition: 'jihad will continue till the Day of Resurrection,' but the Mirza prohibited it. In connection with the abrogation of jihad, just one excerpt from 'his writings on the subject will suffice:
Jihad-that is the harshness of religious wars-has gradually been lightened by God. During -the time of Moses there was such harshness that even, acceptance of belief could not save a man from being killed, and even suckling babies were put to death. Then during the time of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) the killing of the children, the old and women-folk was prohibited. Then, for certain nations, instead of accepting the faith, payment of jizyah was accepted as the means of saving them from punishment. Then, in the time of the Promised Messiah, the injunction of jihad has been absolutely repealed. Arba'in, Vol. 4, p. 15n. For more detailed statements of the Mirza on the subject see Section 2 of Chapter III of the book.
Excommunication of the Deniers of Mirza's Prophethood:
The natural and logical consequence of the claim to be a prophet was that all those who declined to believe in the. new prophethood should be declared unbelievers (kafirs). The Mirza himself recognized that only a Shari'ah-bearing prophet was entitled to declare all those who did not believe in him to be kafirs. He writes:
"This point is worth remembering that to call those who reject one's claim as afiis is worthy only of those prophets who bring from God a Shari'ah and new injunctions. But all others besides the Shai'ah-abearing (prophets), that is, mulham (Divinely-inspired) and muhaddath (recipients of Divine Communication), no matter how high their station is in the sight of God and no matter how highly honoured they-are by God, rejection of their claim does not render anyone an unbeliever." Tiryaq al- qulub, p. 130n.
Nevertheless, all the subsequent works of the Mirza are replete with denunciations of those who denied his Prophethood as kafirs. A few examples will suffice : -
"During these days, the foundation of a new sect will be laid in the heavens and in order to support this sect, God will blow (His trumpet) "Be" and by the sound of this "Be", every fortunate one will be drawn towards it except those who are eternally doomed and have been created to fill up the Hell. Barahin-i-Ahmadayah, Vol. V, pp. 82-83.
In his inspiration which the Mirza published on May 25, 1900, he said :
"I have received inspiration that whosoever will not follow thee and. will not enter into thy oath of fealty then such a disobeyer of God and the Prophet will dwell in Hell. Mi'yar al-Akhar, p. 8 (cited from Qadiani Mazhab).
Take another instance: "God had revealed to me that every one who has received my call and has not accepted it is not a Muslim." Zikr al-Hakim, No. 2, p. 24, compiled by Dr. Abdul Hakim, quoted from al-Fadhl January 15,1935.
At another place, the matter has been dealt with in greater detail:
"Kufr denotes two categories (of disbelief): first, that a person denies Islam itself and does not recognize the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to be the messenger of God. The second (category of) disbelief is, for instance, that he does not believe in the Promised Messiah and considers him false in spite of the matter having been made clear and even though God and the Prophet had emphatically urged that he be recognized as true, and there had been similar emphatic instruction in the books of the earlier prophets. Thus, since he is the denier of the command of God and His Prophet, he is a kafir. And if one were to look at the matter closely, both these categories of kafir are basically the same; for, the person who does not accept the command of God and His Prophet despite his having recognized it to be so, he does not believe in God and the Prophet according, to the explicit texts of. the Qur'an and the Hadith. Haqiqat al-Wahy, pp. 179-80.
This constitutes an article of the Qadiani creed. Its former head, Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood writes:
"All those Muslims who have not been integrated in the oath of fidelity to the Promised Messiah, regardless of whether they had heard his name or not, they are kafirs and outside the, fold of Islam. Aina'-i-Sadaqat, p. 35 (cited from Qaddiani Mazhab).
It is because of this belief that all non-Ahmadis are kafirs, the Islamic legal ordinances in respect of kafirs have been considered by the Qadiani group to be applicable to those who are outside the fold of their religion. The Qadiani have, there- fore, been prohibited from having matrimonial relations with Muslims. In one of his speeches, Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood observed - "One of the ordinances of the Promised Messiah, and an important one too is that no Ahmadi may give his daughter in marriage to a non-Ahmadi. This ordinance is mandatory for every Ahmadi. (Barkat-i-Khilifat, Collection of speeches of Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood, p. 15, (aited from Qadiani Magzhab). In Anwar-i-Khilafat he remarks: "A person asked him (i.e. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani) again and again and put forward several pressing diffirulties. Nevertheless, he instructed him to keep his daugther at home for all her life, but not to give her in marriage to a non-Ahmadi. When after the Mirza's death the said person married his daughter to a non-Ahmadi, the first Khalifah, Hakim Nuruddin not only forbade hire from acting as an Imam of the Ahmadis but also excommunicated him from the Ahmadi group, and did not accept his repentance during the six years of his Khilafat despite his repeated apologies and repentance. (pp. 93-94. )
Elaborating on the same theme at another place, he goes on to say:
"The position of non-Ahmadis in relation to us is the same as that fixed for the ahl-al-kitab(A follower of one of the revealed religions that is, a Jew or a Christian.) in relation to a belie- ver by the Wise Qur'an, which instructs that a believing man may marry an ahl-al-kitab woman, but may not give a believing woman in marriage to an ahl-al-kitab. Likewise, an Ahmadi may bring a non-Ahmadi woman into the fold of his Marriage; but an Ah'madi woman, according to the Islamic Shari'at, may not be given in marriage to a non-Ahmadi male. Huzur (the Mirza) says: There is no harm in accepting a non-Ahmadi woman in marriage, for marriage with ahl-al-kitab women is permitted. Rather, such a marriage is useful, because thus one more person receives true guidance, (but) one should not marry one's daughter to any non-Ahmadi. If you can have (a non-Ahmadi woman), take her. But to giveaway (an Ahmadi woman in marriage to a non- Ahmadi) is sinful. (al-Hakam, April It, 1908 (cited in Qadiani Mazhab).
In the same way, to pray behind a non-Ahmadi is not permissible. The Mirza himself wrote:
"This Divine Message shows that those who declare (the Mirza to be) kafir and adopt the path of falsification (of the Mirza) are a doomed people. Hence, they do not deserve that any one of my jama'al (group) pray behind them. Can anybody offer prayers behind someone who is dead? So, keep in mind that, as God has informed me, it is prohibited for you, it is absolutely prohibited for you to pray behind anyone who declares (me to be) kafir or falsifies (me), or is hesitant (to follow me). (Arba'in, Vol. 111, p. 34n)
Pursuing this logic, participation in the funeral prayers of the Muslims too has been prohibited for the Qadianis. According to the Qadiani mouthpiece al-Fadhl. The Mirza did not offer prayer at the funeral of his son (late Fadhl Ahmad) because he was a non-Ahmadi. (Al-Fadhl, dated 15th December, 1921.). Mian Bashiruddin Ahmad in a letter published in al-Fadhl even goes so far as to say: "I believe that it is not permissible to offer prayers at the funeral of those who pray behind non-Ahmadis, for, such a person, in my view, is not an Ahmadi. (Al-Fadhl, dated 13th April, 1926 ). He also expressed the view that it is not permitted to offer prayers at the funeral of even a non-Ahmadi infant. The argument was that just as prayers could not be offered at the funeral of a Christian child, even though he was innocent, one could not offer prayers at the funeral of a non-Ahmadi child. (Al-Fadhl, Vol. 9, No. 72 and Vol. X, No. 32,)
It was in compliance with this injunction, that even though Chowdhry Sir Zafrullah Khan, then Pakistan's Minister for External Affairs, was present at the funeral ceremony of Mr. Jinnah, he did not participate in the funeral prayers,
One of the corollaries of accepting this belief is that whatever religious duties one had performed prior to entering into the fold of Qadianism, would be deemed to be all null and void. In reply to a query raised by a Qadiani, he was informed: "Whosoever performed his obligatory pilgrimage at the time when his (i. e. the Mirza's) claim had become well- known and the proof of its validity had been made evident to the people of the country in general, and the Mirza had interdicted praying behind a non-Ahmadi lmam, then that person's Hajj will not be reckoned as having been performed by him. (al-Hakam, (Qadian) of May 7, 1934.).
Incarnation and transmigration of soul
Some of the writings of the Mirza indicate that he also believed in the doctrines of incarnation and transmigration of souls and that the souls and essence of the prophets (upon all of them be the peace of Allah) were embodied in the person of the prophets one after another. In Tiryaqal-Qulub he writes:
"Thus, as has been accepted by the Sufis, the levels' of existence are cyclical. In this, way, Abraham (upon him be peace) was re-born in respect of nature, temperament and familiarity of, heart, two thousand and five hundred years after his death in the house of "Abdullah, the son of 'Abd al-Muttalib and was called by the name of Mubammad. (Tiryiq al-Qulub, p. 155 n.)
He also writes:
"At this place this point needs to be remembered that during the periods of the internal degeneration of Islam, the spirituality of our Prophet (upon him be the peace and benediction of Allah) manifests itself and this incarnation of the essence of Muhammad shows itself in the form of some perfect follower. As for what has been reported in the Traditions that al-Mahdi would be born and that 'his name would be my name and his mode of conduct be (like) my mode of conduct-if these Traditions are correct, then the reference is to the descent of his spirit as I have mentioned above. (Aina' i-Kamalat-i-lslam, P. 346.)
In another, of his works he wrote:
"It has been made known to me through kashf that when Jesus was informed about this, sacriligiousness which has spread from the Christian people to the whole world, his soul moved for spiritual descent. Thereafter, God, according to His promise, granted him his replica, and in it was infused the Messiah's courage and character and spirituality, and- the two-that is, the Messiah and his replica, were firmly integrated as if they were two parts of the same matter. Thus, in this sense, his being became the being of the Messiah, and the yearnings of the Messiah descended into him-and it is the descent of these which, in inspirational terminology, has been described as the descent of the Messiah. (Ibid., pp. 254-55.)
Two advents of the Prophet
The Mirza also declared that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) has had two advents. He said :
"And know that our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), in the same way as he was sent in the fifth millenium, was also sent towards the end of-the sixth millenium, in the form of the Promised Messiah.
He even felt that this second advent was stronger, more perfect, and brighter than the first one
"Rather the truth is that his spirituality (upon him be peace) at the end of the sixth millenium, that is, in these days, is more vigorous and stronger and 'm' ore perfect than in those years ; rather, it is like the full moon. (Ibid., p. 181)
Mirza's boastfulness
The boastfulness of the Mirza in respect to his prophethood and his attainments is a noteworthy feature of his life. This reflects a particular kind of psychological complex, and we need not try to analyse it. However, his urge to express his greatness was so pressing that he proclaimed himself to be of the same status as all other prophets. To quote one of his couplets :
He who gave the cup to every prophet,
Gave it to me filled to the brim!
Later, he proclaimed himself to be possessed of the virtues of all prophets. To quote him again:
Although prophets there have been many,
In Divine inspiration I am not less than any. (Khutba-i-Ilhamiya, p. 99)
He, further, went on to claim:
Every prophet became alive when I was raised;
Every Apostle lies hidden beneath my garment. (Ibid., p. 100. )
Not only this; he proclaimed that it was he who had brought about the perfection of the human race; that without him, this garden of humanity was incomplete:
The garden of Adam which, had been incomplete far,
Has now burst into bloom, complete with leaves and fruits. (Barahin-i-Ahmadiya, Vol. V, p. 113.)
He also seems to, believe that the attainments of prophet- hood and spirituality evolve with the passage of time so that these attainments had found their most perfect form in his own personality. He wrote:
"In the same way, the spirituality of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) appeared in the fifth millenium-and that time was no t the apex of its advancement-but the first. step towards the highest point of its perfection. Then that spirituality radiated itself towards the end of the sixth millenium, that is, during the present time, in the game way as, Adam was created towards the end of the sixth day by the command of Allah, the Best Creator. And the spirituality of our Prophet, the best of the prophets, made its manifestation in a member of his ummah so that this spirituality might reach the 'perfection of its manifestation and predominance of its light, as God had promised in, his Radiant Book. So, I am that promised manifestation; I am the promised Light. (Khutba-i-ilhamiya, pp. 177-78.)
In Ajaz-i-Ahmadi he even tries to place his miracles and signs above those of the Holy Prophet. He says: For him the moon was cleaved, but for me both the sun and the moon were eclipsed So, will they still deny ? (Ajaz-i-Ahmadi, p. 71.)
These boastful claims of the Mirza provided sufficient ground for his staunch followers and successors to build further on that foundation, as has always happened in the history of sects and religions. It is no surprise, therefore, that many of big followers explicitly declare him to be superior to most of the prophets. Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood, the son and second successor of the Mirza, wrote the following:
"Many prophets have passed in the world, but their disciples did not go beyond the stage a of muhaddath, except for our Prophet (i. e. Muhammad), whose benediction became so effluent that besides many muhaddath, one achieved even the status of prophethood. And it is not only that he became a prophet but having attained perfection by way of reflection of the one whom he followed, went even ahead of some of the great prophets. (Haqiqat al-Nubuwat, p. 257.)
The enthusiastic followers of Mirza Bashiruddin, however, did not stop even at that. The mouthpiece of the movement, al-Fadhl, wrote:
"The Promised Messiah was a prophet. His position by virtue of his status, was that of the disciple and the reflection of the Noble Messenger (upon him be peace and blessings of Allah). As for other prophets (upon them be peace), he excelled many of them; may be, he excelled them all. (al-Fadhl, Vol. XIV, No. 85, dated April 29, 1927 (cited in Qadiani Mazhab).)
TUBA TUBA TUBA ,,,
SO LANAT ON MIRZA LAIR ,,,,
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