Injustices in the Ahmadiyya Community

According to the Holy Qur'an, the prevalence of injustice within a system will inexorably lead it astray from the way of Allah (38:27).

The Fifth Khalifa Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad Sahib certainly believes that a wrong decision can be taken by a Khalifa on the basis of “a miscalculation or misunderstanding on the part of a Khalifa”.  Hadhrat Musleh Maoud (ra) believed that ‘sometimes their advisors can give them wrong advice’. [Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Conditions of Bai’at and the Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, pp.202-203, (Islamabad, UK: 2006)].  He also warned the community that ‘if ever Khilafath comes under a shadow, it shall be because of the people around the Khalifa’. 

When Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius claimed that he is a recipient of revelations, the then National Amir of the Jamaat in Mauritius wrote a false report saying that the former does not believe in the Khilafat system. The only crime he committed was that he said he is a recipient of divine revelations. The Fourth Khalifa Hadhrat Mirza Thahir Ahmad Sahib, in a moment of unbelievable hubris, arbitrarily ordered him out of the Jamaat, basing himself on the report of his Amir, without asking any explanation or even looking at the revelations. Was that not an unfair and unjust decision?

Reflecting on the consequences of injustice, Hadhrat Khalifathullah Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib stated:

“Everything declines when reaching its climax. When the sun rises, then after some time it sets. Do not think that this means Qayamat, the Last day; but the greatest Qayamat is when a Chief of a Jamaat establishes injustice among the members. He will speak out arrogantly and show his superiority, his power of control, he will humiliate people and make them afraid of him and make them to suffer, threatening them of blowing them out of the Jamaat. This shows the decline of a Jamaat, the Qayamat. At this particular time, their true faces will be unveiled. They will torture the true believers’.

‘Refer to the Holy Qur’an, where Allah ordained Hadhrat Da’oud (as): ‘O David, We have made you a Khalifa in the earth; so judge between men with justice, and follow not vain desire, lest it should lead you astray from the way of Allah. Surely those who go astray from the way of Allah will have a severe punishment, because they forgot the day of reckoning”.  (38:27).

 ‘This means: Do not stain the mirror of your heart with rust, passions. Otherwise you will deprive yourself from receiving the light of guidance. Allah will never manifest Himself in this kind of heart’. (Friday Sermon of May 30, 2008).

Mistaken Beliefs of Ahmadi Muslims

The mainstream Ahmadi Muslims today do not consider that their Khalifa can be wrong on any matter because they believe he is divinely appointed.  This is in spite of the clear statement of ‘if I do wrong, set me right’ by none other than Hazrath Abu Baker Siddique (ra), whose example was recommended by Hadhrat Ahmad (as) himself as the model for the Community to emulate.

Knowingly or unknowingly, the Ahmadi Muslims have elevated a human being way beyond his official title and responsibilities and almost consider him to be the shadow of Allah on Earth, even though he has never claimed in the last many years of his office that he is even a recipient of divine revelations. In other words, the rank and file of the community is now virtually deifying their Khalifa. They are following an unexamined doctrine that is bound to corrupt their faith in Allah and His religion.

Further, Ahmadis today generally find it difficult to accept the argument in favour of the emergence of a divinely appointed person in the presence of a Khalifa of the Promised Massih (as). They feel that they could accept the claim of a divinely appointed person only if their Khalifa agrees to the emergence of this divine manifestation. In short, they consider that any new Messenger of Allah could be recognized by them to be of such status only when their Khalifa agrees thereto. This is in spite of the fact that the Holy Qur’an reserves the honor of Khalifa of Allah only to Prophets and Messengers who are the Elects of Allah, and not to humanly elected Khalifas.

The Holy Qur’an asks: “Can a blind man and one who sees be alike? Will you not then reflect?”(6:51). When the Khalifa himself is not a recipient of divine revelations, how will he be able to guide the community on the matter? And more importantly, can someone ever claim immunity from divine punishment for the denial of a Messenger of Allah on the basis of the opinion of their leaders and scholars?

Even though people may not generally realize this, is it anything less than Shirk?  What else is the meaning of Allah warning the people “fear not men but fear Me and barter not My Signs for a paltry price” when the series of “godly people and those learned in the Law” preside over them (5:45)? It is pertinent to note that Allah’s curse fell on other peoples because: “They have taken their godly people and those learned in the Law for lords besides Allah” (9: 31).

The Deafening Silence of the Khalifa

The Jamaat of the Promised Massih (as) is at crossroads of spiritual history. Allah has sent a Mujaddid in the new Century as per the glad tidings foretold to the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa) and to the Promised Massih (as) himself. Will the Apostle of the Promised Massih recognize and accept and help the new Messenger of Allah as is required to, of every believer in the time of a Messenger of Allah? 

The new Messenger of Allah has been inviting the Ahmadiyya Khalifa to consider the facts in the light of the Divine scheme, right from the very beginning. And he is refraining from predictions on Ahmadiyya Khalifa precisely because Ahmadiyya Khalifa is on a self-imposed silence on the matter. Even when he visited Mauritius in 2005, the fifth Khalifa did not utter a single word on the issue. Now, can someone really think that he is unaware of the developments? And that the kind of persecution the Massih and his disciples are facing in Mauritius is not known to the Khalifa? Because of the opaque nature of the system, we will never come to know the real facts unless the Khalifa himself speaks about it.

The Holy Qur’an clearly instructs: “And believe in what I have sent down which fulfils that which is with you, and be not the first to disbelieve therein, and barter not My signs for a paltry price, and take protection in Me alone. And mix not up truth with falsehood, nor hide the truth while you know”. (2:42-43)

Contrary to these instructions of the Holy Book and the teachings of Hadhrat Ahmad (as), the Ahmadi Maulanas are spreading the belief that their Khalifa is above the rank of a Mujaddid and that the Khalifa has replaced Mujaddidin forever and there is no need for a Mujaddid anymore.

It is very surprising that a “divinely appointed” Khalifa is shying away from displaying the special Divine support he is said to be enjoying. I cannot even begin to imagine that a divinely appointed Khalifa will keep his wisdom to himself on an issue of such profound significance. After all, is it not the duty of the Khalifa of the Promised Massih (as) to “preserve the Book of Allah” (5:45) and to clarify what it entails? 

Abu Baker Siddique: First Sermon as Khalifa

The Islamic Khilafat of the past began with Hadhrat Abu Baker Siddique (ra) and continued during the time of the other rightly guided Khulafa, Hadhrat Omar Ibn Khattab (ra), Hadhrat Usman (ra) and Hadhrat Ali (ra). These devout companions of the Holy Prophet (sa) were intensely conscious about their material and spiritual mandates as the head of the Muslim community when they were thrust with the mantle of leadership. And also the inherent limitations attached to their specific situation as leaders because of the lack of divine revelations in guiding the community at a time when an Elect of Allah was not among them.

Devout Ahmadis consider that the Ahmadiyya Khilafat is established in the best tradition of the Islamic Khilafat of the early days. Yet, the Ahmadis today are guilty of blurring the subtle and profound distinction that separates the true spiritual and material condition between a Divine servant in communion with Allah (swa), and the actual leaders they elect as Khulafa. For instance, most Ahmadis assume and believe without any shred of evidence that the present Khalifatul Massih Mirza Masroor Ahmad Sahib is a recipient of Divine revelations and that there can never arise anyone with Divine revelations so long as they have the Khulafa elected by the community of people.

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.