Perspective on Ahmadiyya Khilafat

In a recent mail, an Ahmadi critic wrote: “…on one side the community that you belong to, keeps a view that this present Ahmadiyya Khilafath is not supported by Holy Quran, meanwhile on the other, it accepts this khilafath as divinely ordained, partially. That stand is too bizarre to be understood even…”

For the understanding of seekers after truth, we are providing below an extract from an Interview Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius granted to Mubashar Dar Sahib of Ahmadiyya News in 2006 wherein as the Mujaddid of the new Century of Islamic Hijri, he explained his position on Ahmadiyya Khilafat.  

Ahmadiyya News: What is your opinion towards the Khulafa of the Jama'at Ahmadiyya. Their ability and approach towards achieving the ultimate victory of Islam and Ahmadiyyat as prophesied by the Promised Messiah a.s.?

Munir Ahmad Azim:

I believe in the Khalifas of Jamaat Ahmadiyya like I said above: Hazrat Moulvi Hakim Nooruddin, Hazrat Mousleh Ma'oud Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad, Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad, and also Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad. Although they were not directly divinely appointed by God Almighty, Allah was their help as long as they were on the right path and preaching the true teachings of Islam. Allah gave them true dreams and revelations to help them in their task, because they were righteous in their devotion to help the cause of Allah Ta'ala and Allah blessed them with great knowledge and Insight.

Expulsion by the Nizam-e-Jamaat: True Facts

What ails Ahmadiyyat today? Who can explain what is wrong with the Jamaat better than the one who comes in the mantle of a Prophet from Allah, the Most High? What better way is there to explain what is wrong in the Community than by narrating the personal experiences which a man of God has had to undergo at the hands of the Pharaohs of the day?

Hadhrat Khalifathullah Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius has now written profoundly on the circumstances surrounding his expulsion from the Jamaat of the Promised Massih (as) in a new booklet entitled: “A Background Story of the Predominance of Truth over Falsehood”.

Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib was expelled from the mainstream Ahmadiyya Jamaat in December 2000. The expulsion order was issued by the Fourth Khalifa Mirza Tahir Ahmad Sahib who simply relied on a report of Mr. Amine Jowahir, the unfortunate Amir of Mauritius.  The order (reproduced in page no.43 of the Book) is evidently an absolute act of unbelievable hubris on the part of those who issued it.

Mr. Amine Jowahir, the man whose report was relied upon by the fourth Khalifa, was recently dismissed from his position by the fifth Khalifa Mirza Masroor Ahmad Sahib on charges of corruption, nepotism and moral irresponsibility after a lengthy enquiry by his special representative who visited Mauritius for the purpose of investigating the glaring charges against him.

Think about it. A report filed by a man of questionable integrity was used by the then Khalifa to expel some one who claimed he received revelations from Allah the Most High. Now that his true colours have been revealed, will the Jamaat show the decency to respect principles of natural justice? Even secular courts show minimum respect for evidence and notions of justice by reinvestigating cases where new evidence or suppressed facts are unearthed and become available even if it happens after decades. For instance, in Kerala recently, a criminal case was reinvestigated after 43 years and justice served. Will the Jamaat which swear by spiritual notions of absolute justice, reinvestigate the case and give a fair hearing to the cause of the Khalifathullah?  

Fourth Khalifa on Mujaddidiyat-II

In the first part of the essay, published here on May 05, 2011, we have noted an important statement of the Fourth Khalifa Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad Sahib on the question of the coming of Mujaddidin in the new century, just as it used to be in all the centuries before in Islam. In our analysis, we have clearly shown how mistaken the Khalifa was in thinking that the Promised Massih Hadhrat Ahmad (as) shared his perspective. The emphatic statement of the Fourth Khalifa clearly shows that knowingly or unknowingly, there has come to be a radical disconnect between the original teachings of Islam as well as the explanatory commentary of the same by the Promised Massih (as) on the one hand and the current beliefs in the Ahmadiyya Community on the other. For the essay, click here.

It is remarkable to note that the statement of the Fourth Khalifa came in 1993, exactly 84 years after the death of the Promised Massih (as). What is the significance of 84 years in Islamic spirituality? A thousand months constitute 84 years and stand for a century in the spiritual realm. Thus, the Holy Qur’an states:

“The Night of Destiny (Decree) is better than a thousand months. Therein descend angels and the Spirit with their Lord’s decree concerning everything”. (97:4-5)

Both the Promised Massih (as) and Hadhrat Musleh Maoud (ra) have written that the period referred to in the Holy Qur’an is linked to the advent of a Mujaddid.

Fourth Khalifa on Khilafat and Mujaddidiyat

One of the most unfortunate statements ever made by the Fourth Khalifa Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad Sahib was in the course of a Friday Sermon of August 27, 1993. He stated:

"Since the imamat [i.e. Ahmadiyya Khilafat] is in existence, there is no need for the coming of a Mujaddid. The supporting testimony of God has crushed this evil [fitna] for all time. The imamat shall not end till the Day of Judgment, so there is no need for a Mujaddid till the Day of Judgment. . . . Only those can deny this fact whose hearts are devoid of the fear of God. . . . As God has indeed spoken the truth, and the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement has indeed spoken the truth, so those people are false who believe that imamat will now come to an end and now that the new century [Hijra] has started they must wait for a Mujaddid. Thirteen years have already passed since the beginning of the fifteenth century and in this period no Mujaddid has arisen outside the imamat of the Ahmadiyya Movement. This has exposed this false propaganda. Even if God makes them live for a hundred years they will not see another Mujaddid." - Al-Fazl, 30 September 1993.

Why the Statement is unfortunate?

1. Because it was made by a man elected by people and was given the position of Khalifa of the Promised Massih (as) to lead them in the path of Sahih Al Islam

2. Because he thought that by saying what he did, he was following in the footsteps of the Promised Massih (as) and defending the larger cause of the Jamaat and Islam for the future.

3. Because the best of intentions may not be sufficient at times- People can be wrong even when they fervently believe something to be true and correct.