Social Boycott by Ahmadis in Kerala

As Hadhrat Ahmad (as) famously noted:

“See, a Mujaddid comes at the turn of every century. This is also a form of trial from Allah, the Most High. Now also a trial for Muslims is taking place. Allah, the Most High has sent a divinely raised one.”

- (Malfuzat, vol.10, p.250). 

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Kerala and elsewhere has come a long way from the days of persecution and struggle of the distant past. More than a century of existence has resulted in creeping materialism and decline of spiritual values within the Community. This is in spite of the presence of an elected spiritual leadership in the form of a Khalifa of the deceased Massih. No wonder, Allah has now revealed His time-testified Divine scheme by sending a new Mujaddid of the century in the person of Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius.

Persecution in the time of Elects of Allah

When a Khalifa in the person of Hadhrat Adam (as) was sent by Allah, the angels showed their obedience and only Satan, the accursed “refused and acted with arrogance” (2:31-35). Likewise, whenever a Messenger of Allah appears in the world, only a few lucky souls will display their angelic nature and enlist themselves to follow the new Messenger and help the cause of Allah. On the other hand, inebriated with devilish instincts, most people of the time will usually reject the Message of Allah.

When Hadhrat Ahmad (as) appeared at the turn of the 14^th century as the Khalifa of Allah and Mujaddid of the Era, he was vehemently opposed by the people. Reflecting on this phenomenon of opposition, he observed: “Whenever a Servant of God appeared at the turn of every century as a Reformer, the ignorant people vehemently opposed him and strongly detested any attempt to correct the errors which had become a part of their habit and custom”. (Lecture Sialkot, p.10). People thus become habituated to their old ways and refuse to consider the claims of the new Messenger in the light of spiritual requirements of the age. They accuse the Messenger and his disciples of drifting away, and deviating from, the old path and creating a new faith.

The members of the Jamaat of the Promised Massih (as) witnessed all these kinds of persecutions in their own life when they initially joined the Jamaat. They were accused of not having real faith in the spiritual message of Islam and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) and of creating new divisions within the wider Muslim community and of forming a new religion. In every day life of ordinary believers, the trials took different forms and manifestations. Husbands were forcibly separated from their wives and children because they joined the new Jamaat, following the call of their heart and spiritual conscience. Even the judicial institutions of the country witnessed and testified to the struggles mounted by the new disciples in the pursuit of their human dignity and basic rights in the face of such deprivation of conjugal rights by the ignorant masses and their brain-less leaders.

The Holy Qur’an records many such incidents in the ebb and flow of history and from the life of Prophets, including the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa). The arrogant lot who contemptuously reject the Message will invariably seek to harm and hurt and persecute the followers of the new Messenger. Inevitably, the disciples of Prophets have to endure great hardships and life-altering trials at the hands of their senseless opponents. Allah’s eventual treatment of such arrogance and hubris is also a well known lesson in history: the arrogant shall bite the dust and the Messenger and his disciples shall prevail over the world with help and succor of Allah. 

'Khalifa': Different Types and Ranks

According to the Holy Qur’an, only a person appointed by Allah Himself and enjoys His converse on a sustained basis and receiving revelations from the Holy Throne can be considered a Khalifatullah or the Caliph of Allah. With regard to Hadhrat Adam (as), the Holy Book states: “I am going to place My Khalifah in the earth”. [2:31]. 

Like wise, with regard to Hadhrat David (as), the Holy Book states: ‘O David, We have made you a Khalifah in the earth’ [38:27]. And in both cases, it is patently obvious that the servants of God being addressed invariably enjoyed Divine converse and were appointed by Allah Himself as His Messengers or Khulafa.

Apart from the two Messengers of Allah who were described as the Khalifah of Allah, the Holy Qur’an also speaks about another type of Khalifas. It refers to the subordinate Prophets who are Khalifas of another and a greater prophet such as the Israelite Prophets who all were the Khalifas of Moses. 

The Holy Qur’an states: “Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will, surely, make them SUCCESSORS in the earth, as He made Successors from among those who were before them; and that He will, surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them; and exchange security and peace after their fear; They will worship Me, and they will not associate anything with Me. Then whoso disbelieves after that, they will be the rebellious”. (24:56).

According to Hadhrat Ahmad (as), the phrase ‘as He made Successors from among those who were before them’ is a clear reference to the Khalifas of Moses who were all Prophets.

‘Let no believer ever suffer the fate of Balaam’

The Holy Qur’an reminds every believer: “Do men think that they will be left alone because they say, ‘We believe,’ and that they will not be put to trial?” (29:3). The biggest test of faith is the recognition of Allah’s Messengers and of the Imam of the Age whenever they come. The first paragraph of Hadhrat Ahmad’s (as) book, The Need for the Imam reads: “Now, then, let it be clear that an authentic Hadith testifies that he who does not recognize the Imam of his time, dies the death of ignorance. This Hadith is enough to make the heart of a righteous man seek after the Imam of the Age, for to die in ignorance is such a great misfortune that no evil or ill luck lies outside its scope. Therefore, in keeping with this testament of the Holy Prophet (sa), it becomes incumbent upon every seeker after truth to persist in his quest for the true Imam”.  [The Need for the Imam, pp.1-2]  

When a Khalifa in the person of Hadhrat Adam (as) was sent by Allah, even the angels showed their obedience and only Satan, the accursed “refused and acted with arrogance” (2:31-35). Likewise, as Hadhrat Ahmad (as) noted: “Whenever a Servant of God appeared at the turn of every century as a Reformer, the ignorant people vehemently opposed him and strongly detested any attempt to correct the errors which had become a part of their habit and custom”. (Lecture Sialkot, p.10) Hadhrat Ahmad (as) further stated: “See, a Mujaddid comes at the turn of every century. This is also a form of trial from Allah, the Most High. Now also a trial for Muslims is taking place. Allah, the Most High has sent a divinely raised one.” (Malfuzat, vol.10, p.250). Hence, Ahmadis today face a great test of faith: the choice is to accept the Messenger of Allah and be blessed or to reject him and go astray from the way of Allah.

The Holy Prophet of Islam (sa) is on record, saying that ‘if a few among the rabbis (Jewish scholars of his time) believed in me, the entire race would have believed in me’. Like the present Ahmadiyya Khalifa, the rabbis were also “godly people and those learned in the Law” (5:45). It is a great irony of religious history and spiritual philosophy that the great scholars of the Jews did not accept the Messenger of Allah when he came. As Hadhrat Ahmad (as) noted: “But when the Promised Prophet (sa) did appear, self conceit and prejudice doomed most of these rabbis, and their hearts turned black. Some fortunate ones, however, became Muslims and their Islam was indeed praiseworthy. This should lead us to fear God and to be very careful and be cautious. Pray God, let no believer ever suffer the fate of Balaam. My Lord! Please save this Umma from all mischief, and safeguard it against the evil of Jews. Amen, repeats Amen” [The Need for the Imam, p.9]  

The Ahmadiyya Khalifa has the historic opportunity to examine the issue anew and rectify a mistake committed by his predecessor in office by relying on an advice rendered by his Amir. In light of the Divine Plan that Allah has revealed by sending a Messenger of His in our times and in the larger interest of Islamic spirituality, there is a critical need to reexamine the statements of various Khulafa regarding the meaning of Second Manifestation of Divine Power and the coming of Mujaddidin in future.

It may be noted that the current Ahmadiyya doctrine on the question of Mujaddidin was fashioned in the 1970’s, during the time of the Third Khalifa Hadhrat Mirza Nazir Ahmad Sahib when the issue was merely theoretical. Given the prophecy of the Holy Prophet (sa) and the writings of Hadhrat Ahmad (as) which authenticated the veracity and validity of the prophecy, there was great excitement in the Jamaat about the possibility of the coming of a new Mujaddid in the near future, though no one had made any such claim at that point of time. Already, the Jamaat had witnessed the experience of Hadhrat Mirza Basheeruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra), an elected Khalifa being raised by Allah to be the position of Musleh Maoud, a  spiritual status which was bestowed upon him based on the revelations vouchsafed to Hadhrat Ahmad (as) by Allah, the Most High. This is the background of the current doctrine: If ever divine guidance comes, Allah’s choice is restricted to the Khalifas elected by people being elevated with true revelation.

 It is possible to look at what the Khalifas have told the Jamaat at various occasions in the past as serving the purpose of the Jamaat and its unity at a time when the issue was merely hypothetical and the time of a new Messenger of Allah was still in the womb of future. But now that a new Messenger of Allah has come and believers have started recognizing him, it is only fair to point out that the Ahmadiyya Khalifa needs to utilize the opportunity and reexamine the prevailing doctrine in the light of the present age and adjust it in accordance with the requirements of the new circumstances as well.