The Theology of Ahmadiyya ‘Khilafat’

Today, the "mainstream" Nizam-e-Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya is guilty of gross exaggeration of their assembly-selected leadership known as the office of "Khalifatul Massih". The 'deification' of 'Khilafat' in general and that of the reigning 'Khalifa' of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya is of stunning proportions. So much so that anyone who is familiar with the community would be astonished with the perceptional transformation on spiritual questions achieved by the 'Ahmadi' leaders and scholars for themselves. 

The theological engineering done by Ahmadi Ulema to exaggerate the importance of the office of "Khalifatul Massih" is apparent for discerning observers. Consider the Arabic term “Khalifa”. It is generally translated as ‘vicegerent’ or ‘deputy’. The basic meaning of 'khalifa' is ‘successor’. In the Holy Qur’an, one can see several verses that speak about generations and individuals who are successors to each other. For instance: [6:166], [7:130]. According to the Qur’an, ‘Khalifa’ can also be a ‘trustee’ to whom a responsibility is temporarily given. Holy Qur'an tells us that Haroon (as) was the ‘Khalifa’ of Musa (as) when the latter journeyed to His Lord for a period of Forty Nights under special Divine instructions. 

The Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya and its Ulema today only speak about the assembly-selected "Khalifa", ignoring the Qur'an's larger message and subtle nuances. This is the "permanent arrangement"of spiritual leadership they foresee and envision for  themselves till the end of times/ Day of Judgement. In his Friday sermon of May 29, 2015 Khalifatul Massih Mirza Masroor Ahmad Sahib spoke about the question of Ahmadiyya Khilafat in the same lines and looked upon all the material riches on the community as the 'Divine favour' on promise in the Later Days. Despite the acknowledgement of moral decadence among Ahmadis, they do not expect any Divine Elect to rise up and correct them on their mistakes. 

True spiritual vision of the Qur'an and Sunnat Allah is lost out in the mundane calculations and fallible imaginations of the Nizamis: Allah does what He Will, He raises up whoever He wishes, wherever He will, especially when such ideas gain credence among people to destroy the edifice of Tawhid. 

In a recently published book entitled "Towards the Understanding of Prophethood & the Fallacy of Hypocrites", written by the Divine Elect of our times, Imam Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius, the issue of Ahmadiyya Khilafat has been put into perspective. 

In the ebb and flow of human life and the fortune of communities all through history, trajectories of Divine favour can take different shapes and forms, but all human institutions fail and there is no alternative to 'Divine guidance as true guidance'. Truth seekers cannot avoid or evade the issue anymore: the perspective on "Khilafat" presented by the Khalifatullah (atba) is very persuasive and will appeal to the intelligence and heart of every fair-minded person, the arguments being theologically and rationally sound; Qur'anically based, historically-informed and sociologically- accurate. 

  

Read the Extracts from the Book: 

Hadith on 'Khilafat' among Muslims

At the beginning of his Friday Sermon of 29 May 2015, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad recited a famous hadith of our beloved prophet (pbuh). It’s a long hadith in which it is stated that Allah (swt) will continue to send Khulafa following the path of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and that these well-guided Khulafa will not appease their personal desires and will not be beneficiary kings.

Allah (swt) gives the status of Khalifa to those who follow the path of our beloved prophet (pbuh); they are well-guided Khulafa spiritually and they will be sincere believers (Muttaquun), they will be Imaams of Muttaquun. 

They will not be dynastical Khulafa, successors. Even our beloved prophet (pbuh), was not followed by dynastical successors after his death. Allah had not let any of his sons alive. Even our beloved prophet (pbuh) had pronounced these words:“Had my son, Ibrahim lived, he would have been a prophet”.

This a proof that our prophet (pbuh) predicted, so that his Ummah can understand that he was not the last prophet and apart from this, he recited names of some other prophets and words to make people understand that he is not the last prophet. when we say “LAST PROPHET”, we are NOT really honouring our master (pbuh).

‘Khilafat' as Dynastic succession

So, let me come back to the sermon, about dynastical successors, which had proved that the universe has acknowledged this great prophet of Allah, His beloved Rassul (pbuh), whom Allah called him by various honourable titles – Rahmatul Aalameen and Khataman Nabiyyin – and moreover Allah had not let any of his descendants a “dynastic sovereign”. Alhamdolillah. 

This Hadith has been realised and accomplished word by word in all ways. “Dynastical sovereign” also has been realised after the death of Hazrat Musleh Ma’ud (ra) when dynasty over dynasty took over to rule for years, and look what happened in this new era! Allah has to change this dynasty system so as to establish His (Allah’s) very own system of Khilafat.

This dynastical system has reached to such a degree that the Khilafat system after Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (ra) as well as their teachings (i.e. the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) as well as the writings of the Promised Messiah (as)) have been trampled to dust. The Ahmadis are now giving much more priorities to the words of the Khalifat-ul-Massih than the Holy Quran and that of the teachings of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh).

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continues to say that Allah shall manifest His grace and will establish a new the Khilafat which will follow the path of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). He quoted this saying without understanding its reality. 

Allah (swt) shall definitely manifest His divine grace when He sees the Muslims going off the track, when dynasty over dynasty is taking place through man’s election. Allah can do what He pleases and what He wants.

Allah (swt) teaches us this prayer in the Holy Quran:

“O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honour whom You will and You abase whom You will. In Your hand is (all) good. Indeed, You are over all things competent.” (3: 27)

This verse is sufficient to make people understand the power of Allah. Man has done his work, creating dynasty over dynasty to rule over the Jamaat of Hazrat Massih Ma’ud Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as). Allah is All-Seeing and All-Knowing. When such situation comes whereby the every Ahmadi has set firmly this idol in his heart, hence He manifests His power over whosoever He wills. Allah says that He is the One who possesses all power and might and He gives sovereignty and honour to whomsoever He pleases.

Hence, Allah manifests His grace and establishes a new Khalifa, His Khalifatullah on earth, i.e. a Khalifa chosen by Allah who will follow the divine instructions and who shall make people follow only the path of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) so that to enable the Sahih Al Islam (True Islam) to reach its zenith in the very presence of a Khalifat-ul-Massih (the actual one), a dynastical caliph devoid of any divine guidance.

Allah says in the Holy Quran:

So if they argue with you, say, “I have submitted myself to Allah, and (so have) those who follow me.” And say to those who were given the Scripture and (to) the unlearned, “Have you submitted yourselves?” And if they submit, they are rightly guided; but if they turn away - then upon you is only the (duty of) notification. And Allah is Seeing of (His) servants. 

Those who disbelieve in the signs of Allah and kill the prophets without right and kill those who order justice from among the people - give them tidings of a painful punishment. They are the ones whose deeds have become worthless in this world and the Hereafter, and for them there will be no helpers. Do you not consider those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They are invited to the Scripture of Allah that it should arbitrate between them; then a party of them turns away, and they are refusing. (3: 21-24)