|
|
|
The Evidence
Section 2:
Beliefs of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and his followers
|
|
Translator’s Note:
This Section gives detailed extracts from
the writings of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, in which he strongly
professed to be a Muslim, clearly stated that he believed in all
the doctrines and practices of Islam as recognised by the Ahl
as-Sunna, and urged his followers to adhere to the religion
of Islam to the best of their ability.
|
- “The gist and essence of our religion is: There is no god
but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
(Izala Auham, p. 137)
- “Our Kalima is: There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad
is the Messenger of Allah. I believe in Allah, the angels, the
apostles, the revealed Books, paradise and hell and the Day of Resurrection.
I accept the Holy Quran as the Book of Allah, and Muhammad (on whom
be peace and blessings of Allah) as the true Prophet. I lay no claim
to prophethood. And I do not allege (God forbid) that there is any
addition or subtraction to the Holy Quran as given to us by the Holy
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). And I bear
witness that he is the last of the Prophets and the greatest of all
the prophets, and an intercessor for the sinners.”
(Anwar al-Islam, p. 34)
- “However much our adversary ulama create hatred against us
among the people and declare us kafir and devoid of faith,
and try to make the Muslims believe that I, along with my entire following,
have deviated from the Islamic beliefs and foundations of faith, these
are all fabrications of those jealous Maulavis. No one with even a
grain of fear of God in his heart can dare to be guilty of such things.
All the five fundamentals of Islam are our faith too. We hold fast
to the Book of Allah to which one is commanded to hold fast. We believe
that none is to be worshipped except Allah and that our leader Hazrat
Muhammad Mustafa (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah)
is His Messenger and the last of the prophets and we believe that
angels, raising of the dead, the Day of Resurrection, heaven and hell,
are all truths. We believe that whatever Allah the Exalted has said
in the Holy Quran, and whatever our Prophet (on whom be peace and
blessings of Allah) has stated, are all true as stated above. We believe
that whoever takes away from or adds to the Islamic Shari‘ah
even to the extent of an atom, or discards what is obligatory and
permits what is forbidden, is without belief, and has deviated from
Islam. I admonish my followers that they should believe in the holy
Kalima from the bottom of their hearts, namely, that there
is no god except Allah and Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger, even
till they die, that they believe in all the prophets and all the revealed
books whose authenticity is established from the Holy Quran, and that
they accept as obligatory fasting, prayer, poor-rate (zakat)
and pilgrimage and all that has been prescribed as obligatory by the
exalted Allah and His Messenger, and that they accept as forbidden
all that has been forbidden and thus follow Islam in the true sense.
“To sum up, it is obligatory to believe in all those matters
on which there was consensus in belief and practice of the pious
ones of the olden days of Islam, and which are considered to be
Islam by the consensus of Ahl-i Sunna. I call the heaven
and the earth to witness that this is my faith, and whoever attributes
to me anything against this religion, he, forsaking fear of God
and honesty, is committing slander against me; and on the Day of
Judgment I shall have my claim against him as to when he cut open
my bosom and saw that instead of my above profession I am actually
at heart opposed to these statements. Beware, indeed the curse of
Allah is on the liars and fabricators.”
(Ayyam as-Sulh, pp. 86-87)
- “And brothers, you know that the pronouncements of disbelief
[against me] were not based on proper investigation and did not contain
even an inkling of truth. Rather all those declarations were sheer
fabrication based on deceit, injustice and falsehood, out of personal
jealousy. These people know very well that I am a believer and they
have seen with their own eyes that I am a Muslim, that I believe in
the One God with Whom there is no associate, that I profess the Kalima:
There is no god except Allah, that I accept the Book of Allah,
the Quran, and His Messenger Muhammad (on whom be peace and blessings
of Allah) as the last of the Prophets, and I believe in angels, the
Day of Resurrection, heaven and hell, that I offer prayers and keep
fasts, that I belong to the Ahl-i Qibla [those who face the
Muslim direction of prayer], that I consider unlawful all that the
Holy Prophet had declared unlawful and lawful all that he had declared
lawful, that I have neither added, nor taken away anything from the
Shari‘ah, not even to the extent of an atom, and that
I accept all that has reached us from the Messenger of Allah (on whom
be peace and blessings of Allah), whether I understand its secret
or not, and that by Allah’s grace, I am a believer and a unitarian.”
(Nur al-Haq, vol. i, p. 5)
- “Efforts were made in all manner to destroy and obliterate
me. Different sorts of documents of kufr [disbelief] were prepared
against us. We were considered worse than even the Christians and
the Jews, although we believe, with our body and soul, in the Kalima
Tayyiba: There is no god except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger
of Allah. We consider the Holy Quran as God’s true and perfect
book, and accept it with all sincerity of heart to be the last of
the Books, and with all sincerity of heart we believe the Holy Prophet
(on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) to be the last of the prophets.
We say the same prayers, face towards the same Qibla, fast
in the month of Ramadaan in the same manner. There is no difference
in our Hajj and Zakaat. It is not understood, then,
what were the reasons for which we were declared worse than even the
Jews and the Christians. Abusing us day and night was considered to
bring heavenly reward. After all, there is some such thing as nobility
of character. Our villifiers’ path is followed only by those
whose faith has been snatched away and whose hearts have turned black.”
(Commentary of Sura Fatiha, pp. 297-298)
- “Who does not know that it is a very delicate matter to declare
as kafir someone who is a unitarian Muslim and Ahl-i Qibla,
especially when that Muslim declares repeatedly by his writings and
lectures that he is a Muslim, and that he believes in Allah and His
Messenger and in the angels and books and apostles of Allah, the Exalted,
and in life after death as has been made manifest by the Exalted Allah
and His Messenger (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) in their
teachings; and in addition he is bound by all the commandments pertaining
to fasting and prayer as explained by Allah and His Messenger, on
whom be peace and blessings of Allah. To declare such a Muslim as
kafir, nay a big kafir and the Anti-Christ, is the work
of those people who do not guard against evil and do not fear God,
and who are not in the habit of taking a charitable view of others.”
(Ainah Kamalat Islam, p. 33)
- “These people deceive the masses and lead them into mistakes
of thinking that we have invented a new Kalima or a new prayer.
What reply can I give to such fabrications? By similar fabrications
they placed a humble human being in Trinity. Look, we are Muslims
and belong to the Ummah [followers] of Muhammad. With us, fabricating
a new form of prayer or turning away from the Qibla are acts
of kufr [disbelief]. We accept all commandments of the
Holy Prophet and believe that disregard of even a minor commandment
amounts to mischief. My claim is subordinate to the Word of Allah
and the word of the Holy Prophet. We have not introduced a new Kalima,
a new form of prayer, a new Hajj or a separate mosque of our own in
disregard to the obedience of the Holy Prophet. Our mission is the
service of this religion [Islam], making it overcome all other religions,
and following the Holy Quran and the traditions which are proved to
have emanated from the Prophet of God. We consider it necessary to
follow even a weak Hadith if it is not against the Holy Quran. We
consider Bukhari and Muslim [the two compilations of
Hadith] as the most reliable books after the Book of Allah [the Holy
Quran].”
(Ruhani Khaza’in No. 2, compilation of talks and discourses
of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, vol. vii, p. 138)
- “Our religion is the same Islam. It is not new. There are the
same prayers, the same fasts, the same pilgrimage, and the same Zakaat.
But there is this difference that these duties had [by now] assumed
outward forms only, without any true spirit in them; we want to infuse
in them the spirit of sincerity. We want that these duties be performed
in a manner that they produce results which are missing at the moment.”
(Ruhani Khaza’in No. 2, vol. ix, p. 312)
- “You, who have taken the pledge on my hand, should understand
that you have pledged to give preference to religion over the worldly
life. So remember that this pledge of yours is with Allah. As far
as possible be firm on this pledge, stick to prayer, fasting, Hajj,
the poor-rate (Zakaat), the commandments of Shari‘ah,
and avoid every evil and semblance of sin. Our Jama‘at should
be a pure model for others. Lip professions are meaningless if not
accompanied by appropriate deeds.”
(Ruhani Khaza’in No. 2, vol. v, p. 453)
- “Prophets come with the purpose of changing the religion, changing
the qibla [direction in which people pray], cancelling some
of the [existing] commandments and introducing some new commandments.
But in my case there is no claim of such a revolution. There is the
same Islam as before, the same prayers as before, the same Chosen
Prophet as before, and the same Holy Book as before. One does not
have to omit any such thing from the original faith as to cause so
much bewilderment. The claim to be the Promised Messiah would have
been dangerous, and worthy of being treated with caution, if, along
with this claim, there was some alteration — God forbid —
in the commandments of the faith, so that our practices would have
been somewhat different from those of other Muslims. When there is
none of this, and the only issue in dispute is the life or death of
Jesus, the claim to be the Promised Messiah being only an off-shoot
of this issue, and this claim does not mean a change in the practices
of the faith, nor does it adversely affect the tenets of Islam, then
is there any need for a great miracle or sign to be shown in order
for this claim to be accepted, the demand for which is the old custom
of people in case of a claim to prophethood? Is it difficult for a
fair-minded and God-fearing person to accept a Muslim whom God has
sent in support of Islam and whose objects are that he make manifest
to the people the beauties of Islam, and prove that Islam is free
from the objections of modern philosophy, and make the Muslims lean
towards the love of Allah and the Messenger?
“If the claim of being the Promised Messiah entailed any
imperatives which adversely affect the commandments and beliefs
of the Shari‘ah, that indeed would have been horrible.
What ought to be looked into is what Islamic truth have I transformed
by my claim, and which are the commandments of Islam in which I
have made an increase or decrease of even a dot? True, I have interpreted
a prophecy in a manner revealed to me by the Almighty Allah in this
age. The Holy Quran is witness to the truth of this interpretation,
and so are the reliable traditions of the Holy Prophet. Why is there
then so much hue and cry?”
(Ainah Kamalat Islam, p. 339)
- “It is preposterous to imagine that in accepting my claim there
is any fear of damage to the faith. I fail to understand what could
cause that damage? There would have been damage only if this humble
one had compelled people to follow new teachings, opposed to the teaching
of Islam, e.g. if I had declared a lawful thing to be forbidden or
vice-versa, or had introduced any changes in those beliefs of the
Faith which are essential for salvation, or had introduced any increase
or decrease in matters of fasting, prayer, pilgrimage, poor-rate (Zakaat),
etc. which are duties prescribed by the Shari‘ah. For
instance, if I had prescribed ten or two prayers in place of the five
daily prayers, or prescribed two months of fasting in place of one
month, or fasting for less than a month, then there should have been
total spiritual loss, rather disbelief and destruction. But when the
situation is that this humble one repeatedly says only this, O
brother, I have not brought any new religion nor any new teaching,
but I am one of you, and a Muslim like you, and for us Muslims there
is no other book to follow except the Holy Quran, nor is there any
other revealed book to which we invite others to follow, and when
I affirm that except for the Arabian Ahmad, the last of the Prophets
(on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) there is none to guide us
and none to be followed by us, and none whom we would like others
to follow, then where lies the risk for a religious Muslim to accept
my claim which is based on revelation from Allah?”
(Izala Auham, pp. 181-182)
- “It is a sheer fabrication of Muhammad Husain that he attributes
to me that I deny the miracles of the prophets, on whom be peace,
or that I myself lay claim to prophethood, or that, Allah forbid,
I do not consider Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa, on whom be
peace and blessings of Allah, as the last of the prophets, or that
I do not believe in the angels or in the basic beliefs of Islam like
resurrection, etc. or that I belittle the foundations of Islam such
as fasting and prayer or consider them unnecessary. No, the Mighty
Allah is witness that I believe in all these, and consider someone
who disbelieves in these tenets and practices as accursed and loser
in this world and the Hereafter.”
(Anjam Atham, p. 45)
- “It ought to be understood why a Muslim is called Muslim?
A Muslim is one who says that Islam is true, Hazrat Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allah be on him) is the Prophet, and the Quran
is the heavenly Book. It is implied that he accepts that he will forsake
this creed neither in belief, nor in worship, nor in deeds, and that
all his sayings and deeds shall be confined within it.”
(Ruhani Khaza’in No. 2, vol. v, p. 163)
- “Everything whose trace and sign are not found in the Holy
Quran and Hadith, rather it is contrary to these, is in my opinion
transgression and disbelief. But only a few get to the bottom of the
Holy Word and understand the subtle secrets of Divine prophecies.
I have neither added to, nor taken away anything from, the religion
[of Islam]. Brothers, my religion is the same as yours, the same noble
Prophet is my leader as is yours, and the same Holy Quran is my Guide,
my beloved and my testament, belief in which is incumbent on you too.”
(Majmu‘a Ishtiharat, vol. i, p. 232)
- “Remember that our path is exactly the same as that of the
Holy Prophet (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) and of his
venerable companions.”
(Ruhani Khaza’in No. 2, vol. x, p. 107)
- “By distorting and changing the meanings of my books, like
the Jews, and by introducing a lot of extraneous matter, hundreds
of objections have been raised against me, as if I lay claim to real
prophethood, as if I abandon the Holy Quran, as if I abuse the prophets
of God and insult them, and as if I deny the miracles. So I lay my
entire case before the Exalted Allah and I know for certain that by
His Grace, He will decide in my favour because I am the wronged one.”
(Chashma-i Ma‘rifat, p. 319)
- “People did not understand my saying and said that this man
claims prophethood. But God knows that this saying of theirs is clear
falsehood. There is not a grain of truth in it, nor any basis for
it. They have concocted this calumny to incite people to declare me
kafir, to abuse me, to curse me and to show hostility towards
me, and to create dissension among the believers. By Allah, I believe
in Allah and His Messenger, and I believe that he is the last of the
Prophets.”
(Hamamat al-Bushra, p. 81; new edition p. 289)
- “If all the Books of the Exalted Allah are looked into carefully,
it will be found that all the prophets have been teaching this: ‘Believe
in the Exalted God to be One, without partner, and also believe in
our apostleship’. That is why the entire Ummah was taught
the gist of Islamic teaching in these two sentences: There is no God
except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
(Haqiqat al-Wahy, p. 111)
- “A man from the North West Frontier Province asked the question:
‘What shortcoming had remained in the religion [of Islam]
which you came to remedy?’ Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad replied:
‘There is no shortcoming in the commandments. Our prayer,
fasting, pilgrimage, Qibla, Zakaat, and Kalima are
the same. After the lapse of some time, lassitude creeps into the
fulfilling of these commandments. Many people become oblivious of
the perfect Unity of Allah. So He raises a servant who makes the
people adhere to the Shari‘ah anew. Listlessness sets in after
a hundred years. About a hundred thousand Muslims have already turned
apostate, and you think no one [i.e. a Reformer] is needed yet?
People are forsaking the Holy Quran. They have nothing to do with
the Sunna of the Prophet. They consider their customs to
be their religion. Still you think, nobody is needed’.”
(Ruhani Khaza’in No. 2, vol. x, page 451)
This incident took place in Lahore on 25 May 1908, one day before
Hazrat Mirza’s death.
- “In the end, I again declare before the general public that
I swear by Almighty Allah that I am not a kafir. My belief
is: There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
And regarding the Holy Prophet, I believe [the verse of the Quran]:
He is the Messenger of Allah and the Khatam an-nabiyyin. I
swear to the truth of this statement of mine as many times as there
are holy names of God, and as many times as there are letters in the
Holy Quran, and as many times as there are virtues of the Holy Prophet
in the sight of God. None of my beliefs is contrary to the commandments
of Allah and the Holy Prophet. Whoever thinks otherwise is himself
under a misunderstanding. Whoever considers me a kafir even
now and does not desist from takfir [calling a Muslim a kafir],
let him remember for certain that he shall be questioned after death.
I swear by the Exalted Allah that I have such faith in Allah and the
Holy Prophet that if all the beliefs of this age were placed in the
balance against my belief, then by the grace of the Exalted One, my
belief will be the heavier.”
(Karamat as-Sadiqeen, p. 25)
|
|
|
Top