Ahmadis: Boycotting Family

 

The Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya (Qadian) today faces a deep crisis of faith. There is a yawning gap between their preaching of Islam and the practices within. Even as they seek to ‘institutionalize’ a separate and distinct community identity under the exalted office of a Khalifatul Massih, the Nizam-e-Jamaat misrepresents and compromises Islamic teachings on a number of searing issues, including on the sanctity of family relations. While the Nizam-e-Jamaat preaches ‘Love for All’ as its ‘brand’ logo, yet it virtually practices hatred against fellow Ahmadis: it applies social boycott against the brothers in faith whose only ‘crime’ is that they believe in Divine revelations being vouchsafed through a pious Ahmadi among them- Hazrat Imam Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim of Mauritius!  

To protect their assembly-elected or institutional ‘Khalifa’ as against the Divinely-raised and inspired Khalifatullah, the Nizam-e-Jamaat feels the need to extinguish the Light of Allah among them, God Forbid! What an irony of faith!! The Holy Qur’an says: ‘O Children of Adam! Whenever there come to you Messengers from amongst yourselves relating to you My Messages, then whosoever (by accepting them) becomes secure against evil and amends, there shall remain no fear on them nor shall they grieve’ (7:36). Instead of helping and assisting an Elect of God who is sent among them to reform and purify them and to remove the filth of institutional excesses and doctrinal exaggerations from among them, today’s Ahmadi chiefs are following the worst enemies of the prophets and the saints in history! They seek to isolate and boycott the Messenger and his humble disciples and devoted followers!

 

Indeed, the Nizam-e-Jamaat follows a policy of socially boycotting the Elect of Allah and his disciples in Mauritius, India and elsewhere. Indeed, stupidity has no limits, apparently, within the Nizam-e-Jamaat when it comes to boycott policies. Consider, for instance, the following: to satisfy the prejudice and arrogance of the Jamaat chiefs and the priests, these small men go to the extent of separating and preventing a mother from being with her daughter on the occasion and place of her Nikaah. With such men at the helms of leadership in the Nizam-e-Jamaat, it is only natural that Allah (swt) in His infinite wisdom raised someone among the people- someone who speaks with the Holy Spirit; someone who explains Divine teachings among Ahmadis who are under the spell of Jahaalat in these turbulent times.  

'Nizam-e-Jamaat': Questioning Injustice

In his Friday Sermon of 28 June 2019 ~24 Shawwal 1440 AH, Hadhrat Imam Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius spoke comprehensively on the human responsibility to respect and abide by Divine commandments at all times, especially in the times of a Divinely-raised messenger among them. Dereliction of duty in responding to the Divine Will and wisdom behind the lofty Message, particularly our arrogance and hubris in ridiculing the Messenger to the extend of 'shooting'/expelling him from our midst would bring in Divine punishment in unexpected ways. Revolting against the Divine Gift of a Prophet/ Messenger/ Reformer/ Inviter to the sublime path of Renewal in the name of blind veneration of one's own priests and chiefs will inexorably and inevitably corrupt an entire community's spiritual future.  

Drawing on his own searing personal experiences of going through blatantly  unfair treatment, social boycott, loss of livelihood and much injustice at the hands of the leadership ('Nizam-e-Jamaat') of the 'mainstream' Ahmadiyya community (the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya)- that he served with dignity and distinction for a decade and more, Imam Muhyi-ud-Din (atba) speaks to remind the truth to the 'powers' that be, by asking fundamental questions on their very spiritual identity and their institutional malpractices: the nature and character of their 'faith'; sense of fairness and justice; respect for Islamic laws on employment-related obligations; non-compliance with the rule of law in the country; failure to settle termination benefits under labour law; their empty rhetoric on 'love for all, hatred for none', etc. 

Despite their ego-massaging lofty capital-city building projects in England these days, deep- down, the Nizam-e-Jamaat knows that their empire of caliph worshipping/ unquestioned authority of the leadership over the common Ahmadis is facing tumultuous times, especially with Allah (swt) raising a 'Saviour'/ Liberator/ 'Messiah'/ 'Mujaddid' for the enslaved Ahmadis in our times. With the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam making sure progress in India and elsewhere, the Nizam-e-Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya is indulging in a PR-exercise of 'addressing' long-standing grievances against the high-handedness of officials amongst Mauritius Ahmadis. Speaking against that backdrop, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) also unveils for the first time a very important document that throws much light on the unIslamic ways and unjust practices of the Nizam-e-Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya in our times.      

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 

The Divine Law v/s the Law of Man

Today people are giving their idols way much importance than the Divine Law. It is man-made laws that are destroying life on earth and destroying the divine teachings. And man has established his laws so forcefully that the one who does not show any obedience to them [i.e. the man-made laws and instructions], therefore, such people go to the extent of taking sanctions against those who do not follow their laws.

When divine laws are being replaced by man-made laws, the world is paying the consequences of this waywardness. Today when man has drifted away from divine laws and is giving much more importance to the laws of man, look what is happening in the world, in a country, in a society, in a Jamaat, in a family, in your environment.

Those who take themselves as scholars/ savants/ intelligent people, they are putting their own ideas and opinions forward and they have pushed aside the divine laws, and unfortunately the people who are following them are going towards their own lost, and their fear of God has disappeared. Instead fear for their Guru (Chief/ Leader) has gripped their hearts, and this is verily what has annihilated faith for the Almighty in the hearts of these people.

They start fearing man more than the Creator. All that they do, they do it only to reap the pleasure of their Guru, in their deeds and works, and there is nothing that they do to reap the pleasure of Allah. That is why, wherever you look, there is no peace, and evil has surfaced on earth. It is then that Allah (swt) manifests His wrath to wake up the consciousness of man (i.e. to make man realise his mistakes/ misdeeds) and make him understand that there is only one God.

Thus, only the Law of Allah (swt) can ever stop this deterioration in our daily life. Divine Law has proved itself more than 1400 years ago and is still proving itself right with the advent of an Envoy of God with the Holy Spirit (Ruh’il Quddus) to bring back all people to the unicity of God, on the right path and to revive the true teachings of God.

Social Boycott in the Ahmadiyya Community

The Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International has just published a new book in Malayalam, entitled ‘Boycott? Or, No Boycott?’. Originally written by Hadhrat Imam Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius, the present Malayalam translation is by Mukarram Amir Jamaluddin Raother Saheb of Mathra. Written almost five years ago, the Book remains as relevant and topical as ever, discussing the official policy of of the Nizam-e-Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya vis-a-vis the Divine Manifestation in Mauritius, especially the arrogant institutional decision by the Nizam-e-Jamaat leadership to socially boycott all those who believe or support Hadhrat Munir Saheb (atba) -a Muslim believer who claims he is a recipient of Divine messages in our times.

The Boycott Policy calls for profound spiritual reflections on the part of common Ahmadis as it touches upon, and has grave implications for, their foundational beliefs and personal convictions. Do they plan to behave unjustly and arrogantly in the times of a Divine Elect among them? As the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya is premised on the continuity of Divine revelations within the Muslim Ummah in every era, it is astonishingly ironical to see how the Nizamis seek to dispute God’s messages in this era, with no authority to do so. How can they be so deluded when they can still read the Qur’an?

Indeed, the Holy Qur’an advices humility, openness, caution and wisdom- rather than expulsion and boycott induced by power and hubris- to people who encounter God’s servants in their midst, by referring to the sojourn of Moses (as) among the Pharoah’s people:

“How can you expel a man just for saying, ‘My Lord is Allah,’? He has brought you clear signs from your Lord- if he is a liar, on his own head be it- and if he is truthful, then at least some of what he has threatened will happen to you. Allah does not guide any rebellious, outrageous liar. 

My people, as masters in the land you have the power today, but who will help us from the punishment of Allah if it comes upon us?” (40: 29-30)

Reproduced below is the text of the Introduction to the Malayalam Translation:

The present book entitled ‘Boycott? Or, No Boycott?’, written by Hadhrat Imam Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius in 2014, makes an important contribution to the debates around the anti-Islamic policy of “social boycott” being aggressively implemented by the Nizam-e-Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya in recent times. The profound forensic examination and clinical arguments of Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba), unravelling the roots and branches of this anti-human policy of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, is compulsory reading for all Ahmadi Muslims who care about their foundational beliefs and the ‘directions’ of their Jamaat in recent times.

Pride and Prejudice in the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya

O my Lord! Grant unto us wives and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and give us (the grace) to lead the righteous. (Al-Furqan 25: 75).

Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us, but grant us mercy from Thine own Presence; for Thou art the Grantor of bounties without measure. (Al-Imran 3: 9).

Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error. (Al-Baqara 2: 287).

Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins, and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector; Help us against those who stand against faith. (Al-Baqara 2: 287).

 'Practice' versus 'preaching' in the Nizam-e-Jamaat

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community headed by a man-elected caliph deceives the world with his beautiful speeches about peace and the need to have Love for All and Hatred for None.

As Caliph and Messenger of Allah, it is my duty to put before the world, especially in front of all Ahmadi Muslims around the world, the true face of their present caliph, who certainly does not practice what he preaches.

The Break-up of Ahmadi Families in Mauritius

To hide his face, he tells people who ask him questions about the current situation in Mauritius, a situation that for more than seventeen years has turned sour in the Ahmadiyya Community of Mauritius, [that everything is fine]. With the instructions, directives that come directly from the current caliph, the chiefs of the Jamaat Ahmadiyya in Mauritius are doing whatever they like by implementing what they call, the caliph’s instructions, such instructions that they absolutely must implement, despite the fact that these same instructions are against the vital teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and even the teachings of the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as).

In view of the world, the caliph preaches peace, he is a peaceful man, a man of peace. He insists that there is no problem in Mauritius, that everything is fine in the best of all worlds! But in truth, the more he masks the break-up and massacres in the Jamaat Ahmadiyya in Mauritius and elsewhere in the world within the Ahmadi families, the more the truth turns into a powerful wave to reverse his Machiavellian plans. He takes himself as a gatherer, but in truth he is only a man who wants to divide families and break the Muslim unity and family union.

Islam: Dark Clouds, Silver Lining

The situation in the world is extremely worrying for all Muslims (and all my disciples in Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam) and I am again reminding you all to pray earnestly that Allah (swt) may remove the dangers which face Islam which is being encircled by dark clouds which only God can remove whenever He pleases.

There is nowhere in the world where Muslims are not in danger directly or indirectly and we do not see any intelligent Islamic response. There is only one despicable response which they know: persecuting their own Muslim brethrens and finishing Islam by their own hands. In addition to the civil wars and the religious strife which they wage between themselves but when it concerns the Divine Manifestation and the belief in the Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) and in this era this humble self the Khalifatullah, all the Muslim sects don't hesitate to group together to counter-attack what they term as heretics. It is on this basis that they seem to agree and help each other to crush the divine truth. Since the advents of non law-bearing prophets/ messengers after Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), they seem to have lost their bearings when they denied and calumniated the men of God.

Asad Shah Murder and the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya

The Murder of Asad Shah Sahib 

Before ending my sermon today (Khutba Jumu’ah), I would like to say few words on Syead Asadul Islam Shah Sahib who was murdered March 24 last. He was born in Rabwah on 31 January 1976 (he just reached his 40 years) and he was the son of Syead Naeem Shah who was a Pakistani. Asad Shah Sahib did his FSc at the Nusrat Jahan Academy in Rabwah and his family went to establish in Glasgow, Scotland in 1998. He had a business which he ran and was regular in his financial contribution in the Jamaat (Ahmadiyya), and I have even learnt that he was in Wassiyat and that according to the Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, he was regular in Ijtema and Jummah.

Motive Behind the Murder

That imbecile who stabbed and killed him 30 times with a kitchen knife was 32 years old Tanveer Ahmad, an extremist who worked as Taxi driver. (Inset on the right: first pictures of the accused Tanveer, who made a public statement on his responsibility for the murder). He confessed to killing Asad Shah Sahib not because he wished the Christians Happy Easter, but he confessed during his private hearing that he killed Asad Shah Sahib because he proclaimed to be a prophet and thus did not show any respect to prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

The newspapers (the media in general) have seized this opportunity to state that it was because of his wishing his fellow Christian citizens that a Muslim of another sect came to kill him. For the moment, Tanveer Ahmad has appeared twice in the High Court, the first at the end of March and the second time on 05 April 2016 wherein he confessed to killing Asad Shah Sahib. He moreover instructed his lawyer, John Rafferty to make an official statement on 06 April 2016 to clarify his real reasons behind the murder, the main cause being he declared himself to be a prophet. There are other details which have been mentioned in that statement to justify his crime.

Murder for 'Blasphemy' in Islam?

In other words, he targeted the Jamaat Ahmadiyya whereby according to his line of thoughts, as well as those of the other fanatical Mullahs of the group ‘Khatme Nabuwwat’ and the others from the Anti-Ahmadiyya circles, prophets cannot come after the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). And thus these people have published declarations that Asad Shah Sahib was a false prophet and they even posted videos online in November 2014 to denounce that he was a false prophet. And their websites also are filled with hatred against Islam Ahmadiyyat. For them, we Ahmadis are out of the pale of Islam.

God Forbid! Is that the teaching of Islam? Is that what Allah (swt) and His Messenger (pbuh) have taught you? If he has declared himself to be a prophet and if he is false (in his claim), then he is accountable for that claim/ proclamation to Allah alone. Is that the way of a good Muslim (to kill)? When have they receive the patent to judge the faith of others. Do you give the guarantee that you are yourselves on the right path and that your faith is firm, that your belief in the teachings of Islam is as solid as concrete? Is that barbarous deed committed truly Islamic?

Through their barbaric actions, they are depicting a very wrong image of the teachings of Islam. It is those kinds of extremists who are committing anti-Islam deeds, and are attacking and killing innocent people in various countries. Is that the teaching of Islam? 

Are you taking yourselves as greater judge than Allah (swt)? Allah (swt) have put it clear in the Quran that it is He alone who knows the hearts of His creatures, His servants, and that the domain of faith and to judge faith belongs only to Him, not to others who are declaring and judging people as non-Muslims. Verily, through their twisted and wicked minds, they are trampling all the more the true teachings of Islam.

Forbidding Access to the Mosques

And who are more unjust than those who forbid the approach to the mosques of Allah lest His name should be mentioned therein, and strive toward their destruction? (2: 115)

No Muslim can be denied the right to enter a mosque and offer prayers, and even to attend a function therein. This is a basic human right which Allah gave to His servants, and nobody has the right to hinder other people from invoking Allah, and to show Him their devotion in those places of worship. 

Moreover, it is to be specified that the verse refers to the fact that nobody can be hindered from entering the Mosques of Allah for any act of worship. A mosque is Allah’s and thus it is not the property of any person, though its management is done by people who are supposed to be Muttaqun – God-fearing! When people cease to be Muttaqun, and defy the laws of Allah, they bring upon themselves a sure damnation, and Allah has promised that in the Hereafter, their punishment will be great.

The subject matter of this verse is very true in the case of the persecutions faced by the believers of the Divine Manifestation in this era. All prophets in one way or the other passed through the same situations, suffering from being forbidden access to the Houses of Allah.

DURING THE GOLDEN ERA OF ISLAM

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) suffered a lot in the hands of the Quraish who persecuted and boycotted him and his followers so much so that access to the Ka’aba was quasi-impossible, especially for the grand pilgrimage, the Hajj. And if ever they were spotted near the Sacred Mosque, then the people of Mecca, in occurrence the Quraish would inflict much hardships on the innocent servants of Allah and believers in the Divine Manifestation of their age. Even the Holy Prophet of Islam was not spared!  

In March 628 AD, the Meccan troops stopped Muhammad (pbuh), the best of mankind and prophets and forbid him from entering the Sacred Mosque along with his companions for the lesser pilgrimage, i.e. Umrah. They tried to humiliate him, but the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) trusted Allah and the promise He extended for the grand victory of Islam. And today by the grace of Allah, this victory is palpable in every way in the form of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam which Allah has secured for the preservation of the glory of Islam in its entirety.

Shocks of Trial after the Loss of Faith

Mir Abbas Ali Ludhiyanwi was among the very first disciple(s) of the Promised Massih Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as) of Qadian- by joining him in 1882, when the Promised Massih (as) was beginning to appear on the religious horizon, on the very early days of the Divine Manifestation in the then British India. His sincerity and spiritual services over a period of a decade was of such quality that the Promised Massih (as) wrote about him, mentioning even Divine revelations he said he received: "Mir Sahib is a person with great spiritual condition and has a spiritual connection with this humble self. And to prove his level of sincerity, it is enough that once this humble self received an inspiration in his favour: 'aslohoo sabitun wa farohoo fis samaa' (his roots are firmly fixed and his branches are in the sky)." (Izala-e-Auham, Roohani Khazain vol.3 p.528). Yet, unfortunately for him, Mir Abbas Ali failed in the trials of patience and steadfastness in course of time, the Divine revelations regarding his lofty destiny notwithstanding.

This episode of trials of faith is a grim reminder for all believers in every age. With the appearance of the Divine Manifestation in Mauritius-with the advent of the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) in the new century of Islam- such incidents have come alive, within the ebb and flow of the life and experiences of the people who once embraced the blessings of Allah (swt), only to let go of their Imaan, to be tried with the very words and sentiments they expressed once. In an Open Letter written in December 2014, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) profoundly reminded the concerned persons and their chieftains about the evil consequences of their bad choices and evil deeds of rejecting the Signs of Allah amidst them. The document provides interesting insights on the early days of the Divine Manifestation in Mauritius when Allah raised His Elect and even blessed the people who attached themselves with him, with inspirations and Divine revelations so as to enable them to understand and comprehend the profound reality, like the Qur'an states:

"And when I inspired the disciples of Jesus to believe in Me and in My Messenger, they said, ‘We believe and bear Thou witness that we have submitted.’ [5:112]

Read the Extracts below:  

The very beginning of the Divine Manifestation in Mauritius was overflowed with Divine Grace and Mercy, so much so that with the manifestation of His Messenger, Reviver of Faith on earth, Allah sent down His blessings in multitudinous forms upon all those who have attached themselves, their own identity to that of the Messenger of Allah of their times.

'Treat Your Parents Well'

The Khalifatullah (atba) is back home from London

Before getting to the heart of the subject of today’s Friday Sermon, Alhamdulillah, I thank Allah for the immense favour He pours down upon me and our Jamaat, which is making great progress day by day. Recently, like I informed you, I had to go to London, in the United Kingdom and Alhamdulillah, Allah has manifested many signs and has opened the door of Dawa all the more, so that people in general, and the Ahmadis in particular receive the message of peace which comes from Allah and His Khalifatullah of this era. 

The Dawa was great whereby many people – Christians, Hindus and Muslims (Afghans and Arabs etc.) received the message of the unity of Allah and of the advent of a Muhyi-ud-Din (Reviver of Faith) and Khalifatullah (Caliph of Allah) who has come to unite them together under the banner of “Laa-Ilaaha Illallah Muhammadur Rasullullah” (There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah). Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, as I was journeying to London, I made it a duty to try to contact the Khalifatul-Massih V, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad. Even before my departure, I sent his officers an email to inform him about my visit to London, and in London itself, I sent him a letter, a Message of Peace, which Insha-Allah, shall be official (along with the other materials) on the website very soon.

What is pleasantly astonishing is that the Ahmadis in London has not put any boycott on me. On the contrary, they received me with lots of love and teary eyes, in the mosque itself. And there was some talks and explanations on the divine manifestation which were very cordial and they even offered me a place to stay (with all provisions) but by the grace of Allah, Allah already made my provision in this regard, and I must appreciate this also. All in all, they are completely different from the Ahmadis in Mauritius with their boycott policy!

OBEISSANCE TO PARENTS

“And your Lord has commanded that you shall not worship (any) but Him, and good treatment to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, do not say to them (so much as) “Ugh” nor chide them, but address them in terms of honour.” (17: 24).

These days, pupils are preparing themselves to take the way back to school. Children also have duties/homework which are not only academic in nature; indeed they also have to accomplish duties with due respect to Allah and His Messenger Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). I have to tell you all children to keep in mind this motto: Water your mind with academic knowledge/education and water your soul with spiritual knowledge/education which is verily essential in the life of a believer, be him a small child or an adult. And this applies also for all children, even the adults who still are children of their old parents and who have the duty to take care of them.

Khalifa Sani and the limits of Social Boycott

In a previous article in the Blog we have noted some of the outstanding allegations against Hadhrat Khalifa Sani (ra) (click here) from his critics– including the imposition of social boycott against rebels in Qadian and even a murder case involving  an Ahmadi alleged to have been “ordered” by the second Khalifa. From our examination of some of the public records and court judgements, what is apparent is that there was a religious, social and political context in which the unfortunate events have occurred in the 1930’s in Qadian under Hadhrat Khalifa Sani (ra).

As we have shown in the article, while the towering Majlis-i-Ahrar leader Maulana Ataullah Shah Bukhari was prosecuted and punished by the Lahore High Court for his hate speech and incitement to violence against the Ahmadis in a single public sermon in Qadian, the same High Court in the same period absolved the second Khalifa of the allegation of incitement to murder his “Muslim” enemies/ Ahmadi rebels, even after examining several of his speeches printed and published in the Ahmadi Press, including the “AL FAZL” of the 1930’s. The Hon’ble High Court had before it those very sermons and it reached its conclusions after forensically analysing the contents thereof and that too in the context of a murder case which took place in Qadian itself.

Flawed Perception of a Complex Legacy

Let truth be told. It is not just the Lahori-fellow travellers who are guilty of a flawed perception of a complex legacy of the past. Put differently, members of both the mainstream Jamaats- Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Qadian and the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement are wrong in their ‘blames’ and ‘accusations’ against Hadhrat Khalifa Sani (ra). If there is visceral hatred on the part of the enemies of Hadhrat Khalifa Sani (ra) to implicate and consider that he “ordered” murders and violence against his opponents, the people who claim they are his followers in the “mainstream” Jamaat are equally guilty of the sin of deification, unexamined adulation and uncritical implementation of his policies even for a new age.

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.

Nikah-related Sanctions in the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya

Ahmadis are among the finest and ardent advocates of freedom of conscience. Yet, the Jamaat today is   practicing thought control through intimidatory strategies of expulsion and boycott. If an Ahmadi today wholeheartedly believes in the continuity of Divine guidance as explained in the tenets of the Promised Massih (as) and acts upon that belief by recognizing and accepting the new Divine Manifestation, he or she could and would be expelled by the Jamaat system. Such a person is further liable to be socially boycotted by the community of his own people. Individual Ahmadis, including close relatives, are obliged by the system to break the ties of kinship with those who accept the new Mujaddid. 

A central offence is deemed to be committed by, or attributed to, a member when he or she invites such a relative to the family functions, including Nikah. The punishment for such independence of thought may range from loss of office functions to even the expulsion from Nizam and the common workers are deprived of their  basic rights and even their very livelihoods. The scales of justice are blatantly uneven and tilted invariably in favour of the elites and their cronies who can and will manipulate the unscrupulous in the system to get out of difficult situations. The situation in Maurititus is illustrative of the wider malaise of thought control, lack of empathy and dreadful intolerance, systemic injustice and mindless nepotism plaguing  the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya today. 

Ahmadi Elites and the Politics of Boycott

‘Will a Mujaddid come after You?’

A man asked this pertinent question to the Promised Massih Hadhrat Ahmad (as) on 29 September 1905, before noon. And he [the Promised Messiah] replied: 

“What is wrong with a Mujaddid coming after me? The prophethood of Moses (as) had come to an end, and that is why his chain of successors ended with Jesus (as). However, the dispensation of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) will last till the Day of Judgment through the Mujaddidin who will arise in it till the Day of Judgment. As long as the Day of Judgment withholds its destruction, there is no doubt that someone else could come. We most certainly do not deny that good and righteous people will continue to come, and then all of a sudden the Day of Judgment will come.” ( Ruhani Khaza’in, p. 16180 , Malfoozat. volume 4, page 452; (2008 edn.)       

  

Despite the existence and vital presence of this important instruction from the Promised Massih (as) in his writings, endorsed by the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya through its own series of publications, the Ahmadi scholars today challenge common sense. They assault the intellects of Ahmadis and their spiritual expectations. The Ulema and the chiefs declare with their own mouths that no Mujaddid will ever come, even in a new century of Islam. They, thus, foreclose the possibility of any discussion on spiritual blessings possible in this age. The hedonistic elites of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya in Mauritius enforce the policy of intimidation and social stigma on those who wish to know about the new Divine Manifestation.  

I ask these arrogant people who are taking themselves as great scholars in the Jamaat Ahmadiyya : Where have they seen that they must establish boycott? Is there a Quranic verse which stipulates to boycott someone who receives divine revelations and those who have believed in the revelations which he is receiving from Allah, and to expel them from the Jamaat Ahmadiyya and boycott them?

Prove this to me, or even show me a Hadith on this subject. Prove if you can, and prove also if even their family members had to break ties (of kinship) with them and not to greet them Salam and not to invite them. What law have they applied? The Quranic law? The rulings of Hazrat Muhammad ^(saw) and Hazrat Massih Ma’ud ^(as)? The law of the country?

Rule by Family Elites in the Mauritius Jamaat

Or have they invented their own laws to make people fear them, because the Jamaat Ahmadiyya of Mauritius is governed by only a handful of families:  Taujoo, Jowahir, Sookia etc.? As if there exist no other people in this Jamaat who can take care of the Jamaat Ahmadiyya in Mauritius.

Years go by, new years come, the same people are found at the head of the Jamaat! In the several programmes also, they are the ones to come forward to get honour, as if there are no other wise people, even better than them, who can come and address them on the question of religion! This is a Jamaat which is managed only by a handful of families, family feelings!

Social Boycott in the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya

The Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya has a standing official policy of socially boycotting all those who have accepted the Divine servant, Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius. Ever since the official expulsion of this recipient of Divine Revelations in the year 2001, the leadership has been hell-bent on dissuading the common folks from taking spiritual benefit and solace from recognizing the Messenger of Allah. 

The policy means that members of the Qadian Jamaat are encouraged to break up the ties of blood and of family and kinship with their close relatives and family friends, only because the latter chose to follow and thereby, exercise their freedom of conscience, personal conviction, and individual choice on a question of profound spiritual import for all Muslims- the Islamic duty and spiritual obligation to recognize and accept and work with the Divine Elect of their times.

Yet, the Jamaat seeks to defend the indefensible. They mix and blur the legitimate and the prohibited- to make it look like the good and the bad are indistinguishable. For that, they even drag in the name of the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa) himself, to argue that social boycott was practiced even in early Islam. To delude themselves that the Holy Prophet (sa) is on their side in this.

The duplicity and stupidity of the social boycott agenda is self-evident in its contradictory strands and ironic implications. The same Ahmadis who boycott their fathers and brothers and sisters for accepting the  Divine Manifestation  have no qualms about joining atheists, Hindus, Christians, other Muslims and even pagans in all that they do. They take themselves as lords beside Allah. Yet, the present Khalifa is not a Messenger of Allah, with a divinely commissioned role and it is a mere boasting of vain desires that he has a religious mandate to boycott a servant of Allah. Despite the grand-standing, the chiefs in the Jamaat betray the grip of a fear psychosis in their tantrums: that the common folks may eventually see through the gaping holes, break the ranks and join the Mujaddid and by way of abundant ‘caution’, they have instituted the boycott programme.