Promised Massih (as) and the new Mubahala

The Promised Massih Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian has had to confront his enemies all through his life. Sometimes, he invited them even to the decisive challenge of Mubahala. 

In his book  “Sachchai ka Izhar” (The Truth Revealed), the Promised Massih (as) made important statements of principles that are directly relevant to the current Mubahala Challenge issued by the new Massih of Allah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius in the wake of the false allegations against him by the Ahmadi Maulvi Muhammad Ismail Sahib of Kerala. 

1. On the significance of Mubahala:

“O Ye who reject me, come unto that which God and His Messenger (sa) have prescribed for the silencing of disbelievers. But if you should turn away, know that the curse of God befalls the disbelievers whose fear and retreat is testimony to their falsehood”. (p.22)

 2.    On Sending the Announcement of Mubahala through Registered Post

A mubahala is not a trivial business  which can be entered into lightly. This matter should be decided once and for all. Thus, whosoever demurs after reading this advertisement and eschews this challenge will have no right in the future to issue a mubahala and may shamelessly call me what he wills from the shadows. Thus, to precipitate the denouement of this affair, numerous copies of this announcement will be sent by registered post so that my opponents will have no cause for excuse.”  (pp.20--21)

3. Consequence of rejection of Mubahala:

“However, if any of them should baulk at taking part in the mubahala, upon reading the announcement that has been sent to them through registered post, their demurral will suffice to show that they are false and unjust in their edicts of disbelief”. (p.20).

In the present case,  the Khalifatullah openly challenged the Maulvi to accept the Mubahala duel  on March 11, 2011. When the General Secretary of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, Kerala sent him the official letter containing the Friday Sermon and the Mubahala Challenge, the Maulvi even feared to accept it and it returned back to the sender with the reason “refused”! By refusing to accept the Registered Post containing the Mubahala Challenge,  sent on behalf of the Massih of Allah,  Maulvi Muhammad Ismail Sahib shows that he has no cause for excuse. 

To put it mildly, according to the criteria given by the Promised Massih (as), the Maulvi’s reluctance is suffice to show that he is “false and unjust” in his behaviour which prompted the Mubahala Challenge. Now, is it a mere coincidence that the book of the Promised Massih (as) is titled “The Truth Revealed”? After all, if Ahmadi Ulema were true and just, why would Allah send an Elect of His in this age?

Divine Claims and the Prayer Methods

Allah the Most High has provided means for the assurance and conviction of people who are never satisfied with mere hearsay, however conclusive may be the evidence in support of it. The Promised Massih Hadhrat Ahmad (as) thus prescribed prayer as a sure method to test and verify the claims of an Elect of Allah. The Promised Massih (as) advised the people:

A person should for forty consecutive days offer the following prayer with an unbiased mind, the last thing at night beseeching God in the following words:-

“Lord, if this man who claims that God has sent him to establish the Divine faith of Islam in the world, by presenting it in its true form and thus inducing men to believe in it, has in truth been sent by Thee, then I, who owing to my ignorance of real facts, am unable to arrive at a correct decision concerning the Truth, pray Thee, O Truth, that are the Fountain Head of all Truths, and O Guide, that are the Source of all guidance, and O Merciful One, that loves not to see Thy creatures troubled, make his Truth manifest unto me”. 

Khalifa Sani on the Advent of Mujaddidin

The advent of a Mujaddid or a Divine reformer in the new century of Islam after the Promised Massih Hadhrat Ahmad (as) points to a serious spiritual obligation on the part of all Muslims, including the devout Ahmadis. For, the spiritual doctrine pertaining to the renewal of faith in every century of Islam approaches the issue as one of Divine Blessings for acceptance and also, a Divine Trial for rejection. It is incumbent upon all Ahmadis to recognize and accept and help such a Divine Reformer or a Mujaddid, whenever such servants of God make an appearance in the community of believers. 

In the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, with the appearance of Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius as the Divinely-raised Muhyi-ud-Din Khalifatullah- Renewer of Faith and the Khalifa of Allah- , Ahmadi Muslims are increasingly examining the books and other literary works left behind by the spiritual successors of the Promised Massih (as) in the past, to understand the real interpretation and true conception of the spiritual doctrine. Common Ahmadis often wonder about the true status of the institution of Khilafat as it exists in the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya. 

Many Ahmadis think that Qudrat-e-Saniya or the doctrine of second manifestation of Divine Power means the present Khilafat system in the Jamaat, whereby whenever there is a vacancy on the position of leadership, the community will come together and elect as the head a very sincere member of the Jamaat. By working together under his leadership, the Community can gain progress in all the works that the Jamaat is meant to do. This conception leaves no room for the acceptance of a Divinely raised soul outside of the electoral assembly devised for the purpose of selecting the Khalifa. While one can value and support the instition of man-made Khilafat so long as it retains its purity and limits of doctrinal framework, every one has the duty to be part of the arrangement.

But the moment Allah (twa) raises His Messenger in His Infinite Wisdom, it is the duty of all believers to humbly accept and recognize such a Divine servant. Every episode of the claim of beinga recipient of Divine revelations will necessarily involve a trial for the believers and as such, it shall be the duty of the leadership to show humility and careful deliberation to understand the Divine wisdom its complex setting, rather than seeking to ridicule the Divine Message being poured down through a humble servant of God. Viewed in this way, Ahmadis will be able to accommodate their system of elected leadership within the Divine framework   (Sunnat Allah) of sending His Elects among the people till the Day of Judgement.   

Hadhrat Khalifa Awwal on 'Khudrat-e- Saniyah'

Hadhrat Maulvi Hakim Nuruddin (ra) (1841-1914) was the foremost companion and disciple of the Promised Massih Hadhrat Ahmad (as).  He was a man of wide learning in a range of subjects. And he displayed an abiding interest in understanding the spiritual universe all though his life. Hadhrat Ahmad (as) held him up as an excellent example of devotion and piety, as he said:

 How good would it be if every member of the community were a Nur-ud-Din;

 So would it be if every heart were filled with the light of the certainty of faith.     

It is no accident, then, that after the death of the Promised Massih (as), the Ahmadiyya Community elected him as Hadhrat Khalifatul Massih Awwal. During his life time as the Khalifa Awwal, Hadhrat Hakim Nuruddin (ra) contributed his measure to lead the Community in the straight path of Sahih al Islam.

The mainstream Ahmadiyya Community has now, however, clearly moved away from the path of Sahih al Islam. It is most evident in their concept and understanding of Khudrat-e- Saniyah. They agree that ‘Islamic Khilafat’ is the Khudrat-e- Saniyah. However, in the mainstream understanding, Khilafat or Khudrat-e- Saniyah has only one form till the Day of Judgement: an assembly of faithful electing their chief as Khalifa. It cannot include, in their view, a divinely raised Mujaddid any longer (God Forbid). Thus, they have reduced the meaning of Khudrat-e-Saniyah from the spiritually appealing and historically accurate way in which the Promised Massih (as) understood it and Hadhrat Khalifa Awwal explained it to the community.