'Tabligh' among Ahmadis: A Kerala Incident

Freedom of religion in any civilized society includes the fundamental human rights to profess, practice and preach one's spiritual convictions, regardless of whether the State or other persons in society approve of those beliefs and practices. There can be no compulsion in matters of religion. Just as no one can be forced against their will to listen to a discourse, no one has the liberty to obstruct the peaceful preaching of a message to others, either. And the preaching of Islam is an appeal to the spiritual conscience of men and women. As the Holy Qur'an says, 'the truth has come from your Lord: let those who wish to believe in it do so, and let those who wish to reject it do so' (18: 30). Divine Messengers in the past had repeatedly been asked to convey the situation as it is: "People, the Truth has come to you from your Lord. Whoever follows the right path follows it for his own good, and whoever strays does so to his own loss: I am not your Guardian" (10:109).

For a century or so, the mainstream Ahmadis had relied on these sublime Islamic principles of freedom of human conscience and the liberty of individual choices in their extraordinary efforts in spreading the message of Islam-Ahmadiyyat among hostile opponents and other adversarial elements everywhere. Yet, today they are increasingly intolerant. This is starkly visible in Kerala these days, even as the message of Allah, being conveyed through the Divine Reformer of our times, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius, has recently reached the corners of India. 

When the disciples of the Khalifatullah (atba) recently sought to convey the Divine message in the town of Karunagappally, the Ahmadi youths in Kerala (India) got enraged and wanted to extinguish the possibility of the message reaching the common Ahmadis. In his Friday Sermon of July 18, 2014, in the course of his expositions on the Holy Month of Ramadan, the Khalifatullah (atba) took note of the Tabligh Incident.

Truth about the Whispering Campaign

In the Qur’an, Allah (swa) testifies through innumerable verses that He admits into His mercy whoever He will and place His message wherever He wish. Against this clear verdict and declaration of Allah (twa), the ruling elites invariably act with arrogance, contempt and ridicule at the advent of humble servants of Allah. When one reads the Holy Quran with attention and read the history of ancient prophets, one is drawn to conclude that there has always been an opposition against the men of God. They have been insulted, oppressed, persecuted and slandered. Their enemies hatched many plots to humiliate them and to stop their activities. But all the enemies' plans fail in the end, with the prophets being able to establish the Divine Message against all odds.   This is a formal promise from Allah: “Allah has decreed: Most Surely I will prevail I and My Messengers. Verily Allah is Powerful and Mighty.” (58: 22)

The Qur’an has preserved this recurring theme of history as a template of warning for Muslims against the arrogance of rejection of Divine Reformers. Yet, as it is mostly the case, like the Qur’an says, the true significance of the message being descended on the Divine servant among them eludes most people and they end up being among the group known for hatching plots and whispering calumnies against the Divine servant. They do their worst to extinguish the Light of Allah, through their mouths and by injecting hatred for the Divine servant, on the minds of common people.

Consider the experience of the present Divine Manifestation in Mauritius. Had it not been for the fact that he is a recipient of Divine revelations and has been Divinely-entrusted with a mission of preaching Islam to one and all, the life and experiences of the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius would have been the like of his fellow countrymen, the joys and sorrows of a life lived in the present. But, time and history has other plans for him. Hence, in the last decade and beyond, ever since the advent of revelations, one could see that slanderous insults had been and continues to be, leveled against Hadhrat Sahib (atba). The storm of opposition that had broken out against the Divine Manifestation in Mauritius is truly astounding. At another level, as this Divine servant once noted, “If I had not been insulted, if there were no opposition against me, you could have doubted my claims because Allah says in the Holy Qur’an: “Alas for My servants! There comes not a Messenger to them; but they mock at him” (36:31).

A Warning to an Ahmadi Amir in Kerala

As the 2013 Jalsa Salana of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, Kerala was taking place at the Noor’ul Islam Masjid in Mathra on December 22-23, members of the Jamaat from outside the place were also present there. Some of them had a Tabligh encounter with Mr. Abdul Saleem, President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in Mathra, Kerala. 

Mr. Saleem had so much confidence in his own theological positions that he invited our brothers to his house for a discussion on the Divine Manifestation in Mauritius. Once the discussion started and he realized that his blind faith in the Ahmadiyya Khilafat cannot withstand the critical scrutiny of Qur’anic guidance, he lost his original plot of “guiding the brothers”. As his nefarious plan to deviate the brothers collapsed like a pack of cards, the host came under satanic impulses and sobriety and civility vanished into thin air. He fumed with rage, started a virulent, verbal attack on the guests, abusing and vilifying the Divine Manifestation, the Divine Messenger and his humble disciples. Starkly reflecting the path travelled by one Muhammad Hussein of Batala, who infamously predicted the end of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya with the death of the Promised Massih Hadhrat Ahmad (as) in the previous era, the fatally unfortunate Mr. Saleem expressed the same curses on the new Divine Manifestation of our times.

In his Friday Sermon of December 27, 2013 the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius took serious note of this development and warned this Amir and those like him who wishes to see a bad end for the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam in very profound words of advice:

New Bai’ats in Kerala: A Report

On Sunday, September 22, 2013 Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, Kerala (India) organized a special Tarbiyat & New Bai’at Programme at the historic Noor’ul Islam Masjid, Mathra.

The Programme began with the First Session at 10.45 a.m. (IST). On Chair was the respected Amir of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, Kerala, Janab R. Jamal-ud-Din Sahib. Zulfiqar Ali Sahib, Kaliyikkavila offered Tilawat-Ul-Qur’an. 

Welcome Address was delivered by Janab Saleem Sahib, Alappuzha (Treasurer, JUSAI, Kerala).

In his inaugural address, the Amir Sahib explained at length, the Special Message/Address of the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius. Three brothers from Kaliyikkavila-  Zulfiqar Ali Sahib, Sadiq Ali Sahib and Azim Ahmad Sahib-who joined and integrated with the Jamaat in August 2013, shared their spiritual journey and the Bai’at Experience, including the trials and challenges they have endured from their Ahmadi  relatives and the community in general.

Ahmadis: From 'Khalifa' To 'Khalifatullah'

Most Ahmadis today believe that their system of Ahmadiyya Khilafat is the embodiment of Divinely- appointed spiritual leadership, as prophesied for and among the Muslims of the Later Days.  

This 'doctrinal' understanding and inherited belief is essentially based on what they have been taught by their leaders and scholars from the early days of the Khilafat system, invented by the Community. As is mostly typical within the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Qadian, instead of individual Ahmadis thinking for themselves on religious matters, they are content with endorsing what they have inherited from their fathers. Almost every other Qadiani Ahmadi, unfortunately today, belong to this unthinking category of people, like the Qur'an speaks off: ‘We found our fathers following a certain course, and we are guided by their footsteps’ (43:23). So, the spiritual doctrines- their meaning, interpretations, nuances and implications- remain largely un-examined within the Community.

With the appearance of a new Reformer among the Ahmadis, with the grand mandate of being the Messenger of Allah of our times, in the person of Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius, the spiritual and intellectual landscape of Ahmadiyya theology is increasingly being redrawn.

Ahmadi youth have begun to question their inherited religious notions and hitherto un-examined understandings and common convictions in the light of the Divine Manifestation and the spiritual light that emanates from his teachings. It is in this backdrop that we should view the recent series of articles/ extracts from the speeches of the previous Khulafa etc. that are being published in the AL HAQ, the monthly organ of the Ahmadiyya youth wing Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya, Kerala. In recent months, the journal is on a campaign mode among Ahmadi youth. The campaign objective is to instill the Ahmadiyya concept of Khilafat among the youth.

JUSAI, Kerala: Three Day Camp at Mathra-I

Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, Kerala conducted a Three-Day Camp on the occasion of the historic inauguration of the Noor’ul Islam Mosque at Mathra, July 22-24, 2011. Members of the small Sahih Al Islam Community in Kerala participated with much enthusiasm and spiritual fervour and spent time together discussing many issues and learning about spiritual verities. It was almost like a family get together of the Sahih Al Islam members in Kerala, with women members of the Jamaat (Siraj Makin) also being present.  [The first part of a Report is being uploaded here.]

With the arrival of delegates from different parts of the State on the morning of Friday, July 22, 2011, at the home of Jamaluddin Sahib, the Amir/Jamaat at Mathra, the Member Registration Process began at 11 a.m.  The Amir Sahib and his family informally welcomed everyone and interacted with all those who were present. By the time of Jum’ah prayers at 1.00 p.m., 17 persons were registered at the Counter, including a few non-Members.

For the Jum’ah sermon, the Amir Sahib selected an important sermon of the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) that explained the coming of a Khalifatullah in the light of Qur’anic verses and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) and the explanations thereof by the previous Mujaddid, Hadhrat Ahmad (as). In brief remarks at the end of the sermon, the Amir Sahib formally declared the Three-Day Camp open.

Noor'ul Islam Masjid- Mathra, Kerala

Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, Kerala announced the historic inauguration of the Noor’ul Islam Mosque at Mathra in the south-Indian state of Kerala on Friday, July 22, 2011. The inauguration of the Mosque represents a giant step forward for the nascent Sahih Al Islam Community in Kerala, which came into existence only after October 2010. The Mosque is a 400 sq. feet building, situated on a modest 20 cents of land (1/5 of an acre of land in Kerala) gifted to the Kerala Jamaat by the Amir Jamaluddin Sahib and his respected wife Shareefa Beevi Sahiba. 

Interestingly, the Mosque building itself has a rich history that is inextricably intertwined with all that is good and bad in the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. If we observe, all the present members of the Kerala Jamaat originally belonged to the Ahmadiyya Jamaat before recognizing and accepting the Divine Manifestation in the person of Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius. Likewise, the present Mosque at Mathra was originally constructed by the Ahmadis of Kerala in 1990 and it used to be the local Ahmadiyya Centre for years. 

Whither Kerala Ahmadis?

The news is spreading like wildfire in Kerala. That Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius is a recipient of divine revelations and that his teachings and instructions are well within the guidance of the Promised Massih Hadhrat Ahmad (as). In spite of the Jamaat establishment doing all that it could to nip this message in the bud, Allah has elevated him as a Messenger of His in this age and his mission is thriving and progressing by leaps and bounds.The institutionalization of Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam in Kerala has sent shockwaves down the spine of the Kerala Ahmadiyya establishment. For the Ahmadiyya establishment is wary of  and worried about the powerful sway of truth and its ability to swing the general Ahmadi opinion on the matter. 

To tackle the new ‘threat’, the establishment is adopting a comprehensive strategy: misguide people through all methods possible! Thus, the Maulanas are continuously writing in their official magazines that Allah shall never send an Elect of His in future and that the Ahmadiyya Khilafat is the permanent divine institution for all time to come.

Secondly, the Maulanas are spreading false information about the new Massih and his disciples in Kerala. In spite of claiming to belong to the Jamaat of the Promised Massih (as), they have no qualms about indulging in such cheap tactics. After the Kerala disciples of Hadhrat Sahib organized their first public meeting recently to explain their mission, and the programme became a huge success with all sorts of groups showing interest on the message, the Ahmadi Maulvis went to town telling common Ahmadis that the disciples of the new  Massih were working in collaboration with the worst enemies of the Jamaat!

Water versus Tayyamum

“When we have water, why look for Tayyamum?”

An Ahmadi Maulvi raised this question when a member of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, Kerala recently met him with the message of Allah in this age. He was obviously alluding to the current Ahmadiyya Khilafat as “water” and the coming of the Elect of Allah as “Tayyamum”. The larger question is this, what kind of “water” are you using now?

In a recent speech, Hadhrat Khalifatullah explicitly observed:

Do you realize that the “water” you are taking to do your “Wuzu” has become as filthy as the water from the toilets? Will you then prefer to do Tayyamum, which is made with pure soil or sand and which has been commanded by Allah (and mentioned in the Holy Quran), or would you prefer to do “Wuzu” with water which has become filthy, or sewage water or even water (though clear) but which is found in toilet pits? 

Today, the Khalifa is ready to expel good people while all fraudulent and dirty people are found in the Jamaat. The Khalifa has become just like the Christian priest who assures the adepts of his church that after confessing to their sins, then he also will throw a little “blessed water” on them and Lo! their sins would be forgiven! The Ahmadis have become blind to all the corruptions and frauds which have entered into the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. That is why some still think that “When they have water, why is there the need for Tayyamum?”

Intolerance among Kerala Ahmadis

[This is the fourth article in the series on "Kerala Ahmadis and the New Mujaddid", critically examining the responses of Kerala Ahmadi leadership towards the new Mujaddid Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius and his disciples in India, from among the Kerala Ahmadis who joined the Divine Manifestation]. 

In a recent opinion piece published in a major newspaper, Ifthikar Ahmed Sahib, an Ahmadi Professor in Kerala, underscored the need for giving space to dissenting ideas and alternative perspectives. He states: “The core aspect for all the material and spiritual ideologies is to look at dissenting perspectives with due respect and to deal with differences of opinions by engaging in productive dialogue. And the mental broadness to assimilate diverging opinions is precisely the corner stone of any democratic polity”. The Professor, then, went on to illustrate his point with reference to the decline of liberal values in Kerala society.

Is the Ahmadiyya Community an exception to this rule? Does their practice match up to what they preach? Do they show tolerance and a desire to engage with a diverging perspective from theirs? Or do they betray anger and hatred instead?

Kerala Ahmadis and the new Mujaddid-I

Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, which was established in March 2008 by the Mujaddid of the new Century Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius, crossed the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea and reached the shores of Kerala, India in September –October 2010. 

Supporting and endorsing an Elect of Allah is the binding duty and responsibility of believers who live in the time of a Divine Reformer. Thus Jamaluddin Sahib of Mathra was the first person in India to have the honour of accepting and becoming a disciple of the new Massih of Allah. Strangely, however, the Ahmadi Maulanas are standing up against the great Divine favour on the Community.

When the Massih of Allah elevated his first disciple in Kerala to the position of Amir Jamaat after the formation of the Jamaat in the State, the Maulanas gave went to their anger at the Divine favour by trying to assassinate the character and honour of the disciples of the new Massih. They seek to extinguish the Light of Allah through all foul means possible. At this juncture, it is important to remind them of what they don’t want to remember or hear: 

That till recently Jamaluddin Sahib of Mathra was an honourable man in the Jamaat. More than 50 people took Bai’at and were initiated into the Jamaat through him. He was instrumental in the formation of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in two places in South Kerala: Mathra and Trivandrum, the capital city of the State. And some of the Ahmadis who took Bai’at through him later went on to form another branch of the Jamaat in the neighbouring State of Tamil Nadu as well. These are uncommon achievements by the record and practice of the Kerala Ahmadiyya Jamaat today. It would not have been possible but for the combination of special blessings of Allah and sincere  efforts of the people concerned. Caught up in the cauldron of jealousy and  hubris, can the leadership be expected to have the humility to acknowledge contributions or care about higher notions of gratefulness?   

Mubahala Challenge to Maulvi Ismail

Maulvi Muhammad Ismail HA, one of the leading Ulema of the Ahmadiyya Community in Kerala, has been spreading canards against the new Messenger of Allah and his disciples in Kerala, India for some time now.  In order to retain the loyalty and blind faith of ordinary Ahmadis in the system itself, he converted the sacred precincts of Mosques into theaters of cheap wit and abused his position to raise spurious charges against the Khalifa of Allah. [Inset: the Pazhayangadi Mosque and the Maulvi Sahib] In his Friday Sermon of March 11, 2011, Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius thus publicly challenged this Maulana for a Mubahila Duel "so that the world, the Ahmadi people and his caliph may know who really the liar is”.  

We are presenting below the relevant extracts from the Sermon:

"I have gotten the needed information about the one who spread the false rumour of financial corruption on this humble person. He is none other than the Molvi Muhammad Ismail H.A (the senior Muballigh of the Ahmadi in Kerala). He is the foremost person to have spread this false rumour and verily soon he shall taste of the evil consequences of his actions.  He not only spread such lies on this humble self but he also is playing God as to say that the death of someone is due to his father’s disobedience to the Ahmadiyya Caliphate and his acceptance of the New Messenger of this era. God forbid, according to this so-called Maulana, the father commits sin whereas the son pays for it? Now, he is spreading the words that beware of forthcoming deaths of the sons of the disciples of this humble Messenger.