Ahmadiyya Khilafat and the new Mujaddid

Origins of Ahmadiyya Khilafat

After the death and departure of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) in May 1908, the Ahmadiyya Community invented and established the institution of Khilafat to continue the goodwork and divine mission of the Promised Massih. It is interesting to note that the Promised Massih (as) himself established the Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya for this purpose in 1906 and made it very clear that after his departure, the Anjuman shall be final decision-making body for the Jamaat. Yet, after the death of the Founder, all members of the Community including the highest governing body, agreed upon the institution of the office of Khalifatul Massih and elected Hadhrat Al-Haj Maulvi Hakkim Nur-ud-Din Sahib (ra) of Bhervi as the first Khalifa of the Community.

During the time of Khalifatul Massih Awwal, all Ahmadis worked together, as per the wish and Al Wassiyat of the Promised Massih (as). This was a period when devout disciples of the Promised Massih (as) known for their spiritual wisdom and religious knowledge and personal commitment for preferring faith above the worldly considerations were still around.

Contrary to the mistaken notion of most Ahmadis today, the Khalifa is not appointed by Allah (swa). He is appointed by an electoral college of prominent members within- the Majlis Shura. The system worked smoothly according to the commandments of Allah, the teachings of Hazrat Muhammad ^(sa) and Hazrat Massih Ma’ud ^(as).

One Hundred Years of the Split

Khilafat as an instition generally worked for the welfare of the members, especially in the early days. The Khalifa is guided by his chosen advisors and the Maulvis within. During the first Khilafat, all his administrative decisions were recorded as taken in the dual capacity of the President of the Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya. However, after the death of Maulvi Hakkim Nur-ud-Din Sahib (ra) in March 1914, the community split into two: the fraction led by Maulvi Muhammad Ali Sahib, a companion of the Promised Massih (as) refused to accept the leadership of the eldest son of the Promised Massih, Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad on perceived grounds of deviation from the teachings of the Promised Massih (as).

Ahmadis: Mundane Wealth as Divine Favour

AN AMIR ON "DIVINE" FAVOUR

It is sad that we (people) are nowadays more materialistic and running after mundane favours and have let go of spiritual favours. If today we find ourselves in the Jamaat of Hazrat Massih Ma’ud ^(as), where there is a representative of the caliph (Amir) who is talking of mundane favours in a Jalsa Salana, and wherein he said that Allah ^(swt) has bestowed a lot of favours upon us the Ahmadis, such favours which we did not have long ago.

He stated that long ago there were only one or two cars in the yard of Daras Salaam (Mosque), and now there is not enough place in the yard of the Mosque to park the cars. He went on to say that today we have received more favours whereby we have now (in our households) washing machines, rice cookers etc. This Amir takes such types of favours as great favours, but let me tell him that these kind of favours, even the unbelievers/infidels have these, even more, the other Jamaats (in Islam) who do not believe in Hazrat Massih Ma’ud ^(as) also have received those kinds of favours, even more (than the Ahmadis).

When you see that an Amir of the Jamaat of Hazrat Massih Ma’ud ^(as) is making such speeches, this is an indication how much the teachings of Islam, and especially Ahmadiyyat, which was supposed to represent the true Islam, has been trampled under the feet/crushed in the hands of these so-called chiefs of the Jamaat. The Amir of Favour speaks on mundane favours, but what do Allah, His Rasul ^(saw) and the religion of Islam in general mean by ‘favour’?

Islam and World Affairs

Contemporary Politics of Global Dominance

In light of the persecution against Muslims around the world, the ambition for world domination was largely the cause of the present evils. It divided the world into two major blocks with their satellites, satellites which change camps according to their advantage. There is a race for armaments. Science has evilly leagued itself in the manufacture of new weapons, more and more lethal. The world is now in a constant fear of a third world war, a war which, if broke, will certainly destroy the beautiful land of Allah with the super civilization that its inhabitants have produced over the centuries of hard work.


The adoption of a global system of Islamic government alone can relieve this high voltage. With such a system, all states have an equal opportunity to move freely and independently, each according to its own traditions, customs and temperament. No state or group of states no extension cannot feed and maintain, according to this system, aggressive designs against another state or group of states. A unified world government can be created if all states/countries are grouped in a Commonwealth and works.

Peace and the Collective Security of Nations

Of course this is an ideal condition, an end (for one and all) to ardently wish for. Islam envisages a more united organization where one can submit disputes between states/countries or state groups. The Refractory member who refuses to submit to the decision of the organization must be led by military intervention to comply with the discipline practiced by other member states. And if two parties of believers fall prey to fighting, then just as the Quran teaches us: “make peace between them. If one of them rebels against the other, fight the one that transgresses until it complies with the command of Allah. If it complies, then make peace between them with justice and be fair: for Allah loves the just.” (49: 10)

Attacks on Khalifa Sani and on the First Mujaddid

Islam does not subscribe to the infallibility of any man. Even the Messengers and Reformers are not the sons of Allah, nor are they partners in the Divine kingdom. They do not control life, not death; nor resurrection, nor are they immune from the trials and persecutions at the hands of the rebels and transgressors of their times. Weak as human beings are, it is Allah (twa) who chooses and raises His servants from among them and they serve their mandate according to the Divine Will and they move on to the home in the Hereafter when their assigned time is up in this world. In the true conception of the Islamic tradition, a Divine servant being attacked and/or killed at the hands of the enemies- rather than meeting with a natural death- does not cast aspersions on his lofty spiritual mission.

Yet today, a section of the Ahmadi Muslims- the proclaimed followers of the Promised Massih Hadhrat Ahmad (as); the Lahoris and their fellow-travellers and also the new Mujaddid claimants- Abdul Ghaffar Janbah Sahib of Pakistan/Germany and Dr. Nasir Ahmad Sultani Sahib of Pakistan/Sri Lanka - hold the belief that Divinely-appointed Reformers are absolutely immune from life-threatening attacks and/or being killed within a period of 23 years of their spiritual claims. They have tailored their spiritual doctrines to please their nafs’ desire of calumniating Hadhrat Khalifa Sani (ra) of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya¸ who met with such an attack on the fortieth (40^th) year of his Khilafat.

The Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam has always responded to the unfortunate insinuations that malign the just reputation of Hadhrat Khalifa Sani (ra).  Several articles in the Blog explain and show how the critics are wrong on several grounds of reasoning- Qur’anic insights, sacred prophetic traditions, viewpoint of the Promised Massih (as). These posts can be seen and read here: [ 1; 2; 3;4; 5; 6).

In this article, after noting the murderous attack on Hadhrat Khalifa Sani (ra) and the view of his critics, we discuss the life and times of the universally acknowledged, first Mujaddid of Islam Hadhrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz (ra). It provides an insightful episode from the Islamic spiritual tradition for those who wish to reflect more profoundly on these matters and correct themselves of the doctrinal mistakes that they commit.

The Attack on Hadhrat Khalifa Sani (ra)

It was on March 10, 1954- exactly, sixty years to this day- that Hadhrat Khalifa Sani (ra) was physically attacked, in a murderous attempt on his life. In the words of Zafrullah Khan (ra), one can read an account of the events: 

‘O Muhyi-ud-Din, Arise and Create a New World !’

March 7 is an important day in the history of the new Divine Manifestation in Mauritius. It was on this in the year 2000- exactly 14 years ago- that Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius first spoke to a friend about the glad tidings of a spiritually-edifying dream, foretelling the advent and inaugural of the Divine Manifestation. In terms of the new Mission and its mandate of reformative intervention, the Divine Revelations from the very early days clearly pointed to the appalling decline of spiritual quality among the contemporary Ahmadi Muslims. At a time when Ahmadis have ‘embraced’ and elevated the institution of khilafat over Tauhid, Allah (swa) revealed to His Chosen Reformer for the new century extraordinary dreams and Divine messages filled with spiritually-uplifting prayers at the dawn of the new century, in the year 2000.

In the revealing testimonial of Mukarram Zafrullah Domun Sahib, one could read one such revelation: “O Muhyi-ud-Din, arise and create a new world! The teachings of the Promised Messiah have been trampled to dust…. They give khilafat more importance than My divine words (Holy Quran), the sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad  (sa) and the teachings of the second Issa (the Promised Messiah).

'Bigotry has no place in Islam'

Islam and Human Dignity

From the very beginning, Islam has strongly condemned racial discrimination and has done everything possible to remove the artificial barriers between tribes and between nations. For the first time in the history of humanity, a new standard for judging the qualities of man was stated in the Holy Quran in these solemn words:

“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” (49: 14)

This statement sounded the death knell for all kinds of aristocracies, whether of birth, caste or wealth. The black people found themselves on the same level as the white people. Suddenly and forever, the colour of such abominable prejudice was rejected.

Even today, with the passage of time, incidents such as those of Little Rock are hardly heard in the Islamic countries and the problems of discrimination law as before what is happening in South Africa have neither arisen in the Middle East nor the Far East.

“An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab and a non-Arab has no superiority to an Arab, you are all the children of Adam, and Adam was created from clay.”

Those are the memorable words of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) in the valley of Mina during the Farewell Pilgrimage (his first and last one). What was the result?

At these solemn words, the social pride of the Arabs was driven away. The difference between Arabs and non-Arabs, similar to that which existed between Jews and pagans, Greeks and barbarians, patricians and plebeians was brutally stripped of the halo of old antiquity. The weak and the oppressed ceased to receive alms according to the whims of the wealthy. Religion had now given them legitimate rights to the property of the rich as well as in politics. The woman, who suffered because of the weakness of her physical stature and who was simply considered as mere commodity, was put on the same footing as man.

Surah Ar-Rahman: A Commentary

Recently, a Muslim brother from India put forward a request to Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) for exposition concerning the gardens as mentioned in Chapter 55 of the Holy Quran. In connection with the issue, the Khalifatullah (atba) turned in prayer to Allah, and the following explanations in English ensued. The explanations include a short commentary of Surah Ar-Rahman, the Jinns and the gardens which form the subject matter of the Surah.

For the spiritual enlightenment of one and all, we reproduced below the inspired commentary provided by the Muhyi-ud-Din (atba) on certain aspects of the subtle and profound verities of Divine wisdom encompassed in Surah Ar Rahman:

The Jinns and the Humans

Surah Ar-Rahman deals with the absolute power of Allah in spreading His mercy and benevolence to not only mankind but to the realm of the Jinns also who cohabit in the world of humans, invisible to the naked eyes – yet there is an invisible veil which separates the two and thus the two creations co-exist and both types of creatures of Allah are mortal.

The mortality of human is revealed when his soul leaves the body of clay and water whereas the Jinns get access to a body of felicity after inhabiting a body made of fire. Therefore, the Almighty has granted knowledge to both species so that they may accede to God.