Truth about the Allegations on Khalifa Sani

In the 125-year old history of the Jamaat-e- Ahmadiyya, Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad (ra) (1889-1965) holds a very special place. If the idea of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya was invented after the death and departure of the Promised Massih Hadhrat Ahmad (as) (1835-1908) and took its initial contours during the time of the Khilafat of Maulvi Hakkim Nuruddin Sahib (ra) (1908-1914), it was during the time of Hadhrat Khalifa Sani (ra) that the institution, in many ways, got consolidated, as the period of his Khilafat extended over half a century. If today, for devout Ahmadis, the institution of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya holds much significance in their lives and the obedience to the Khalifatul Massih is perceived by the members as a foundational act of religious sincerity, it has occurred through the specific interpretations of the teachings of the Promised Massih (as) and the conscious policy choices adopted especially during the second Khilafat.

2014 marks the one hundred years of the beginning of the second Khilafat in the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya. As tragic irony goes,  the year also marks one hundred years of the Great Split among the Ahmadis. It was with the death of the first Khalifa Hakkim Nuruddin Sahib (ra) in March 1914 that the differences of opinion among the companions on ideological directions of the Jamaat came to the foreground. The refusal of some of the influential companions of the Promised Massih (as) to agree upon the leadership of the eldest son of the Promised Massih (as) led to the Split in the Jamaat and also the formation of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement (LAM) and the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Qadian (JAQ) as two separate fractions.

Ideological Implications of the Split

The formation of the LAM under the leadership of Maulana Muhammad Ali Sahib witnessed the intellectuals and the opinion makers within the Jamaat moving along with him, out of Qadian, in the aftermath of the Split. On the contrary, the substantial mass of common believers took allegiance to Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad Sahib, who became the second Khalifa of the JAQ at a relatively young age of 25. Both fractions committed themselves to the propagation of Islam as “originally” taught by the Promised Massih (as), even as they bitterly differed among themselves on the ‘true’ conception of those teachings. The great scholars in both the fractions produced volumes of literature in support of their sectarian identity, chosen lexicological interpretations of abstract concepts with nebulous meanings and advanced their respective terminological preferences such as ‘Nabi’,‘Mujaddid’, ‘Ummati Nabi’, ‘Ummati wa Nabi’, ‘Khalifa’, ‘Amir’ etc.

To the uninitiated and the ill-informed, the diverging philosophical positions might appear like highly abstract matters. Yet, the fact is that the fractional war within the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya has had its consequences, desired as well as unintended fall-outs, both internally and externally. Most crucially, it was the sectarian divisions within that played into and provided the fuel to the fire of hatred and jealousy nurtured by the Mullah and the enemy class (often feeding one another) to undermine and possibly attempt to destroy the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya altogether by declaring it out of the pale of Islam in the murky politics of Pakistan, in the subsequent decades.

Personal Dimensions of the Split

Internally, the hardening of doctrinal positions and ill- thinking of fellow brothers on both sides of the divide led to intolerance of differences within the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya. Some Ahmadis suspected fellow Ahmadis of ideological drift and personal ambitions. These tensions in ideological positions and the personal equations produced, in their wake, a number of allegations by people who were once closer to one another than their own families and clans and tribes, based on the affinity of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya. Some of the bitter critics and vocal opponents of the second Khalifa alleged about practices of social boycott and criminal intimidation in Qadian. Even allegations of incitement to murder had been made against the Khalifa. The police records and the court documents of the times speak about these controversies. In their refusal to recognize the claim of the second Khalifa as to the fulfilment of the prophecy Musleh Maoud, part of the reason or justification publically given by his critics in the LAM includes the controversies and cases surrounding his administration of the Jamaat in Qadian.

An Admonition to Rashid Jahangiri

Mr. Rashid Jahangiri of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement made the following comments on 28 June 2011 at their official Blog:

“I am famous (at least in Mauritius — BTW anyone can point me on the map where is this promised land?)

Munir Azim in my posts I said that Mujaddid of 15th century can not come among Qadianis and especially among Qadiani Murrabis who all their lives have been bending over their backs to kiss the “blessed” hands of Qadiani Khalifa 2 and his successor Khalifas and looking for opportunities to eat and drink their leftovers; and holding beliefs that Qadiani Khalifa 2 Mirza Mahmud Ahmad was Musleh Mahud, despite when dozens of people (including his children, close relatives, staunch followers, friends and newspapers editors) accused him of acts of extreme forms of immorality; which he never dared to challenge and exonerate himself from these charges in a public inquiry by inquiry commission members appointed by himself.

Munir ji, you’re NOT my particular addressee. I meant ALL Qadiani Murrabis including the current 4 claimants of Mujaddiyat (including Zafarulla, Jamba, and Nasir). By the way do you know how many dozens of Qadiani Murrabis before you have claimed their “divine” appointment to office of Mujaddid? Someone years ago someone published a list of such Qadiani claimants. It would be nice if someone can update that list and add at least the current 4 claimants to that list.

I loved it: “Therefore, it is people like Dr. Rashid Jahangiri who are hell-bent in deviating people from the true teachings of Islam (from the right path), distorting it to suit their needs….”

Munir ji, you have already started acting like the “majestic” Qadiani Khulifa.

Dude, where is the beef?

Dude, if you want to convince me that you’re Mujaddid then at least produce some literature and show some service to Islam. I am not asking you to show more scholarly works and extreme service to Islam like Maulana Muhammad Ali, and Khawaja Kamal ud Din and other elders of Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement. If I ask that, then it will be too much work for you. Just show me some scholarly works more than my father in-law Professor Chaudhry Ghulam Rasool and service to Islam more than my late father Qazi Abdul Rashid Esq!

Munir ji, please prove your credentials before expecting me to answer your diatribe.”

In a speech on June 30, 2011 Hadhrat Khalifatullah responded to the comments. Extracts from the Speech:

Mujaddidiyat: A Lahori Perspective

The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement considers that the belief in Mujaddidiyat is in accordance with the well-established “Islamic practice as recognised by the Ahl as-Sunna”.

Read the following Article in the official website:

“The Holy Quran promises that God will raise, among the Muslims, Khalifas (deputies or successors) to the Holy Prophet Muhammad:


"Allah has promised to those of you who believe, and do good, that He will surely make them khalifas in the earth as He made those before them to be khalifas " (24:55)

By "those before them" are meant the Israelites. The Holy Prophet Muhammad said in explanation: "The Israelites used to be led by prophets; whenever a prophet died, another came after him. After me there is no prophet, but there will be khalifas and there will be many." (Bukhari, book 60, ch. 50)