Monday, September 16, 2024

Questions for Ahmadi Maulvis

 

To protect people of the Faith from doctrinal confusion and Satanic deviations and to preserve and guide them in the subtle and abstruse path of pure spirituality, Islam offers the prospects of perpetual Divine guidance through the advent of Divinely- imbued souls as servants of Faith in every era of Islam. In spiritual terminology, the Divinely-raised Reviver of the Faith is a true son, spiritual heir and successor to the Holy Prophet (sa), and he renews the true teachings of the Faith as it were in the days of the Prophet (sa) in a new century of Islam. Indeed, an appointed one of God when he is commissioned by the Lord Almighty with a spiritual mission of renewal and reform of the Ummah is known as a ‘Muhyiuddin’, ‘Mujaddid’, ‘Khalifatullah’, ‘Waliullah’, ‘Ma’mur-min-Allah’, ‘Ummati- Nabi’, ‘Imam Mahdi’, etc.    

 

 

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, established by the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi of the previous era, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian, way back in 1889, is deeply rooted in the Islamic spiritual tradition of perpetual divine guidance. Like the Mujaddidin of Islam who appeared in all parts of the Islamic world over the millennium and more of Islamic history, Hazrat Mirza Saheb claimed to be a recipient of Divine communion and special messages with a view to reforming the Ummah of all its doctrinal confusions and divisions so as to renew the days of the Holy Prophet (sa) as a living, thriving religion in the Later Days. Furthermore, as for the future, the Promised Messiah (as) clarified in no uncertain terms that Allah (swt) will continue to raise Mujaddidin in every century as a favour of Divine Grace and Mercy and Favour upon the Muslim Ummah till the Day of Judgement.  



And today, Hijri 1446 AH, we are in the 15th century of Islamic Calendar. The pertinent question relevant in this era is also the same: who is the Divinely-raised and guided Imam of the Age of this era? For more than two decades now, Ahmadi Muslims are aware of the Divine revelations and spiritual claims of Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius, the Divinely-appointed and guided Imam [Mahdi/ Muhyiuddin/ Mujaddid] of this era. Yet they summarily reject the spiritual claims of a servant of God among them without any Scriptural authority, nor any rational justification, nor on the basis of any alternative Divine revelations brought out by their own assembly-elected Caliph. In their arrogance and vanity, these people only reject the Reformer because he calls attention to inconvenient facts that they fear would threaten their power and pelf in the community.         

 


There is little doubt that most Ahmadis today are negligent of spiritual teachings of the Promised Massih (as). Without a comprehensive perspective on the rich doctrinal and spiritual roots of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya within the Islamic tradition, the common folks in the Jamaat blindly follow the elites in the Ahmadiyya establishment [Nizam-e-Jamaat-e Ahmadiyya] that rejects the advent of a Divinely-inspired and elected Reformer of the Faith [Mujaddid] in our times- the 15th century of the Islamic era.


 

Almost 24 years ago, Hazrat Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius, a pious Ahmadi missionary at whose hands hundreds of persons became Muslims in the Indian Ocean islands' region in the 1990’s, was expelled from the the Nizam-e-Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya precisely for the “crime of Fitna”--- for claiming to be a recipient of Divine revelations and messages for the reformation of the Ahmadis in this era. Despite this apparent humiliating treatment at the hands of the mundane Ahmadiyya establishment, Allah (swt) protected Hazrat Munir (aba) and his divine mission, the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International, continues to do its vital Dawah work around the world, Subhaan-Allah,  Alhamdulillah, Allah-u-Akbar!   

 


Against the backdrop of the expulsion of the Divinely-raised Reformer Hazrat Munir Saheb from the Nizam-e-Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, and the overall decadence and neglect of religious doctrines and teachings among the Ahmadis today; recently, our esteemed brother Hazrat Mukarram Khwajah Muhyiuddin Saleem Saheb of Tamil Nadu sent out a list of questions to the attention of the leaders and Maulvis of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya [Qadian]. These questions and subtle points of spiritual wisdom are essentially based on the spiritual doctrines and common beliefs of the Ahmadi Muslims themselves; thoughtful Ahmadis when they reflect on these points will become aware of the neglected aspects of their understanding of the Faith as explained in their own Books. The insightful points and prescient comments present therein is of wider interest in this new era of Islam, the fifteenth century of the Hijri Calendar wherein the advent of a new Divine Manifestation in the form and person of a spiritual Reformer to renew the days of the Holy Prophet (sa) is of vital spiritual importance. We reproduce below an edited summation of the points discussed by this distinguished disciple of the Ma’mur-min-Allah of this era Hazrat Imam Khalifatullah Al Mahdi Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius, for the attention of all Truth-seekers everywhere:    


On True ‘Divine Favours’

 

In Surah Al Fatiha, Allah (swt) says: “O God, guide us to the path of steadfastness which is the path of those on whom You have bestowed Your favours” (Qur'an, 1:7). Hazrat Massih Maoud (as) has clearly explained that the term "favours" mentioned by Allah refers to ‘heavenly knowledge by way of revelation and visions that are bestowed directly upon man’ (The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, page 190).


 

Since the passing away of Hazrat Musleh Maoud Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad (ra) (1889-1965), there has been no announcement of any Ilham by any of the man-elected caliphs in the Nizam-e-Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya for over the last several decades. Why is it now being promoted that "favours" refers only to mundane benefits: a large number of people joining the Jamaat, building mosques, constructing schools, and establishing clinics, rather than receiving divine guidance? Is it possible that none of you- including the assembly-elected Khalifatul Massih V Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad- has received any spiritual favours in the form of Mubashiraat ?


 

In the absence of Divine messages in the form of explicitly clear Revelations, how can the Nizam-e-Jamaat speak about and claim with any certainty about special “Divine favours”? Is it not contrary to the teachings of the Qur'an to reduce Divine favours into mere mundane provisions and earthly advantages?

 


2.   In Surah Yasin (36: 38-40), Allah refers to the "Night" or “Darkness” as a time when no New Revelation descends from the heavens (Five Volume Commentary on the Holy Qur'an, vol. 4, pp. 2196-2197). Given this clear indication, are you all in a state of darkness now: having not received any New Revelation? If so, how can you bring spiritual light, that is, "Day-light," to the world?


 

3.  In Surah An-Nahl (16:3), Allah (swt) explicitly states that Revelation intended for the guidance of mankind must be widely disseminated. Suppressing or failing to announce such divine guidance is considered a sin. In light of this, is the Ahmadiyya establishment committing a sin by not announcing revelations intended for mankind? Or, has no such revelatory guidance been received?!


 

4.  According to your statements, the Fifth Khalifatul Massih apparently refrains from disclosing revelation out of a sense of modesty. Why did the revered Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) convey the divine guidance bestowed upon him? Does not your statement diminish both the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and his humble successor, Hazrat Massih Maoud (as) who also shared the Divine revelations received? What is the rationale behind propagating such claims among unsuspecting individuals? Is it conceivable that no revelation has been received at all by the present Caliph? Or is the sense of modesty of the Fifth Khalifa considerably greater than that of the prophets who openly proclaimed divine revelations? (God forbid)

            

 

5. In the Qur'an, specifically in Surah Al-Kawthar, it is clearly stated that the spiritual community associated with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is characterized by his spiritual sons who receive guidance through Divine Revelation to guide mankind. Given this, how can the current Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, which does not engage in such discourse, claim to receive the blessing of Kawthar?


 

6.  In Surah Al-Baqarah (2:29), it is stated that a spiritual life is not possible without Divine Revelation. According to the interpretation of this Verse, the blessing mentioned in Surah Al-Jumu'ah is promised to the "Aakhareen" (those who come in the Later Days) (Five Volume English Commentary (2018), pp.86-87)]. Given this, why have you, who accepted Hazrat Massih Maoud (as), not made this blessing known to the world after him? Does this imply that the spiritual life referred to in this Verse is absent from your community?  



7.  Hazrat Massih Maoud (as) explicitly stated in his book "The Need of the Imam" that the Imam of the Age would be a recipient of continuous stream of Divine Revelation, Ilham (inspiration), and Kashf (spiritual insight), with a degree and clarity of revelation unmatched by any other individual of that time. Given this clear and unique distinction of abundant Divine communications and special messages on the Imam of the Age, where does the present Khalifatul Massih and his ‘hidden’ revelations, if any, stand? If this unique Divine Grace and Favour is evidently absent, why mislead ordinary Ahmadis through false propaganda that the ‘Fifth Khalifatul Massih is the Imam of the Age’!

 


8.  According to Surah Hud (11:25), the door of Divine Revelation in Islam remains perpetually open, and those who cannot perceive the Divine voice, i.e., Revelation, are described as “deaf” (Five Volume English Commentary on the Holy Quran (2018) - 11:25, fn 1406] p. 1332). Therefore, it is imperative for someone to announce Divine Revelations if he is indeed a spiritual receiver of messages from the Unseen for the guidance of humankind. If not, how can someone with revelatory deafness guide others in spiritual matters?


 

9.  In Surah Al-Anbiya (21:32), it is stated that just as the physical world would perish without rain, true piety and true believers would also cease to exist without the arrival of New Divine Revelations (Source: Five Volume English Commentary on the Holy Quran (2018) - page 2085). Given this, if no new divine revelations have been announced, how can the current state of your movement, which exists merely nominally, be justified?

 


10. According to the prophecy of Hazrat Massih Maoud (as), Hazrat Mirza Mahmood Ahmad (ra) asserted, based on divine revelation, that he is indeed the “Muslih Maoud.” Given this, and considering the revelation received by Hazrat Massih Maoud (ra) stating, "Inni ma'ak ya Masroor" ("I am with you, O one who brings joy"), how can you claim that this revelation refers to the present Caliph if he does not base his claim on Divine Revelation? Is this claim motivated by “personal desire”- rather than the principles of Islam, which are grounded in Divine Revelation? 



These questions are posed here for the spiritual attention of thoughtful and devout Ahmadis- in the context of Islam’s reliance on only Divine guidance; indeed, true guidance is the guidance of God. More than any other community, Ahmadis today have the duty to accept a Mujaddid/Muhyiuddin. Khalifatullah/ Imam Mahdi in this era, someone who comes from the Divine waters, testifying to the truthfulness and veracity of the Divine mission of the promised Massih Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian. 'Do not deliberately mix truth with falsehood, nor hide the truth when you know it' (Qur'an 2:43).

   

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