Delete the word ‘Prophet’
from my writings
and replace it with ‘Saint’
On 3 February 1892 Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad issued a written
public declaration in Lahore at the end of a debate with Maulvi
Abdul Hakim, one of the Muslim Ulama. This writing was signed by
eight witnesses, and it brought to an end the debate with Maulvi
Abdul Hakim. This statement is translated below.
“Be it known to all the Muslims that all such words
as occur in my writings Fath Islam, Tauzih Maram and Izala
Auham, to the effect that a muhaddas is in one sense
a prophet, or that being a muhaddas is partial prophethood
or imperfect prophethood, are not to be taken
in their real sense, but have been used according to their root
meaning in a straight-forward way; otherwise, I lay no claim whatever
to actual prophethood. On the other hand, as I have written
in my book Izala Auham, page 137, my belief is that our leader
and master Muhammad mustafa --- may peace and the blessings
of God be upon him --- is the last of the Prophets.
So I wish to make it clear to all Muslim brothers that, if they
are displeased with these words and if these words give injury
to their feelings, they may regard all such words as amended,
and instead consider me to have used the word muhaddas.
For I do not like to create dissension and discord among the Muslims.
From the beginning, as God knows best, my
intention has never been to use this word nabi as meaning
actually a prophet, but only as signifying muhaddas,
which the Holy Prophet has explained as meaning 'one who is
spoken to by God.' Of muhaddas it is stated in a saying
of the Holy Prophet: 'Among the Israelites who were before you,
there used to be men who were spoken to by God, though they were
not prophets, and if there is one among my followers, it is Umar.'
Therefore, I have not the least hesitation in stating my meaning
in another form for the conciliation of my Muslim brethren, and
that other form is that in every place instead
of the word nabi the word muhaddas should be understood,
and the word nabi should be regarded as having been deleted.”
The Urdu text is given below from volume 1, pages 312 to 314, of the
edition of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's Collected Public Notices, entitled
Majmu`a Ishtiharat, reprinted by the Qadianis in April 1986:
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