Fifth Khalifa and the Age of Ignorance

“He who dies without [recognizing] the Imam dies the death of ignorance”.

This is one of the authentic Hadiths recorded and reported by several distinguished Hadith scholars, including Musnad Ahmad, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn-e-Khuzaimah and Ibn-e- Habban.

According to the Promised Massih (as):  “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”. [Darurat-ul-Imam, p. 2, Qadian: Nazarat Nashro Isha’at, (2007)]

In the same book, the Promised Massih (as) clearly identified the distinguishing qualities of the Imam and pointed out that Prophets, Messengers, Muhaddithin and Mujaddidin- all of whom invariably enjoyed divine converse-  are the Imam of the Age in their times (p.39).   By way of more clarity, the Promised Massih (as) further added: “But those who are not appointed by God to educate and guide God’s creatures, nor have they been vouchsafed such excellences, regardless of their being saints or seers, cannot be called the Imam of the Age” (p. 39). This is the express guidance left behind by the Promised Massih (as) through his eloquent commentary on the importance of accepting the Imam of the Age.

Yet, today Ahmadis have fallen into ignorant ways.  None other than the Fifth Khalifa Mirza Masroor Ahmad Sahib presides over this Age of Ignorance in the annals of Ahmadiyya Islam. Misguided ideas have come to be their theological doctrines and they virtually follow their fancies, instead of the teachings of the Promised Massih (as)

Look at this example. Today, Ahmadis offer an interesting excuse to reject an authentic Hadith of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) and the guidance of the Promised Massih (as) regarding the raising of an Imam in every Age. In his blinkered spin, the Khalifa himself is suggesting that he is the Mujaddid of the Age without ever claiming that he is a recipient of divine revelations or that Allah has appointed him to this position. He also feels that every righteous person helping the work of the “Jamaat” is a “Mujaddid” in his own right!

The Argument of Last Mujaddid

The coming of Prophets and other Elects of Allah for the guidance of mankind is a perennial theme in spiritual history. The Holy Qur’an says that such servants of Allah have always been raised among all communities and every people have had their own divinely-guided souls. “And for every people there is a Messenger” (10:48, 13:08; 16:37). A well known tradition from the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa) indicates that hundreds of thousands of Messengers have passed away before his own advent.   

As the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) was himself a chain in the grand Divine scheme of guided souls leading common people in the path of Allah, he gave the glad tiding of the continuity of divine revelations and the coming of other Elects of Allah in future. That is why the Promised Messiah (as) wrote in his book Izala Auham that the door of coming of Messiahs will remain open and never close. He further said:

“I am the claimer of Promised Messiah, and this is not the only claim of mine, that only I am the one and the last Promised Messiah. Hence, according to me it is possible that after my age (time period) ten thousands (10,000) Promised Messiahs shall come. But for this age (time period) I am the Promised Messiah.”

He then, writes:

 “It is also evident that this view is not mine alone. The ‘mirror images’ of the Massih could be several persons’- This is also not just a personal opinion of mine. This is actually the essence of the great prophetic traditions in this regard. There could be around 30 Dajjals till the Day of Judgement. Thus 30 Dajjals might appear in the world. Based on the prophecy “Li Kulli Dajjalin Isa”, atleast 30 Massihs should come. Due to these descriptions, the other Massihs will make an appearance at some other time. All this is perfectly possible”.   (Izala Auham, pg.197)

Today, Ahmadis have completely moved away from the real spiritual path of Islam which anticipates the coming of Elects of Allah in every age. Forget about 10,000 Massihs or even the comparatively smaller figure 30 Massihs, mentioned by the Promised Massih Hadhrat Ahmad (as), his own so-said Jamaat has discarded his teachings by the way side. They do not even expect a single Massih to come in their midst now as they feel they have an elected Khilafat system which is designed to last till the Day of Judgement in the fashion of the Christian Khilafat. Already, they have declared the Promised Massih (as) as the Last Mujaddid before the Day of Judgement. Such thinking is in line with the mentality of other peoples of the past who also thought that after their Prophet, no one will come in future!

Ahmadis: From 'Khalifa' To 'Khalifatullah'

Most Ahmadis today believe that their system of Ahmadiyya Khilafat is the embodiment of Divinely- appointed spiritual leadership, as prophesied for and among the Muslims of the Later Days.  

This 'doctrinal' understanding and inherited belief is essentially based on what they have been taught by their leaders and scholars from the early days of the Khilafat system, invented by the Community. As is mostly typical within the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Qadian, instead of individual Ahmadis thinking for themselves on religious matters, they are content with endorsing what they have inherited from their fathers. Almost every other Qadiani Ahmadi, unfortunately today, belong to this unthinking category of people, like the Qur'an speaks off: ‘We found our fathers following a certain course, and we are guided by their footsteps’ (43:23). So, the spiritual doctrines- their meaning, interpretations, nuances and implications- remain largely un-examined within the Community.

With the appearance of a new Reformer among the Ahmadis, with the grand mandate of being the Messenger of Allah of our times, in the person of Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius, the spiritual and intellectual landscape of Ahmadiyya theology is increasingly being redrawn.

Ahmadi youth have begun to question their inherited religious notions and hitherto un-examined understandings and common convictions in the light of the Divine Manifestation and the spiritual light that emanates from his teachings. It is in this backdrop that we should view the recent series of articles/ extracts from the speeches of the previous Khulafa etc. that are being published in the AL HAQ, the monthly organ of the Ahmadiyya youth wing Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya, Kerala. In recent months, the journal is on a campaign mode among Ahmadi youth. The campaign objective is to instill the Ahmadiyya concept of Khilafat among the youth.

Mujaddid of the Last Millennium-II

As argued in the First Part, the idea that Hadhrat Ahmad (as) is the Last Mujaddid and that there can be no Mujaddid after him is a view that has no evidentiary basis in the perspective and belief of the Promised Massih (as) himself. Then, the question is: 

Why do Ahmadis hold such a view?As the Holy Qur'an asks: "Do their intellect and reason enjoin this upon them or are they a rebellious people?" [52: 33].

The only plausible answer is that they merely follow certain statements issued and opinions expressed by the Ahmadiyya Khulafa in the past. Out of deference for, and veneration of, the Khulafa, they simply endorse what they are told without thinking about their spiritual validity or examining their doctrinal content.  In short, they are just pursuing the path of the previous generations who preferred conjectures, instead of the certain knowledge encompassed in the Divine message of the day.

It is interesting to note that Ahmadis are making the same mistakes against which the Promised Massih (as) used to warn the Muslim leadership of the day: clinging to the apparent meaning of certain prophetic traditions that metaphorically prevented the raising of Prophets after the Holy Prophet (sa). Indeed even today, clinging to such literal phrases and spiritual metaphors, the Muslim world opposes the coming of Prophets after the Holy Prophet of Islam.Indeed, “the Promised Massih (as) said that at the time of arrival of Prophets, people generally adopt two types of attitudes in spiritual matters: They apply metaphors to spiritual Reality and interpret Reality as Metaphor” (Urdu- Malfuzat, Volume 1, Page 586).

The Promised Massih (as) repeatedly cited the Holy Qur’an to bulldoze all such resistance- including by way of Prophetic traditions- to the coming of Elects of Allah in the Ummah Muhammadiyya. Even the authentic statements of the Holy Prophet (sa) have to be interpreted in the light of the Holy Qur’an and they cannot be used as a pretext to oppose a Messenger of Allah. The Promised Massih (as) asked: "Why don’t they leave aside their false viewpoints? Do they have any contract with Allah that ‘He will do only what they desire’? Allah is Most Holy, the Exalted! "He cannot be questioned as to what He does, but they will be questioned". (HQ, 21:24)

Mujaddid of the Last Millennium

Ahmadis today believe that Mujaddidiyat or the advent of Divine Reformers appointed directly by Allah the Most High has come to an end with the departure of the Promised Massih (as). They think that there is no scope for any Mujaddid to come in the new century of Islam as Hadhrat Ahmad (as) has claimed to be the Mujaddid of the Last Millennium.

Out of the 91 Books that the Promised Massih (as) is reported to have written in his entire life, his claim of being the Mujaddid of the Last Millennium is mentioned only once, in a lecture delivered on November 02, 1904 at Sialkot. [Left: Title Page of the First Edition]. In Lecture Sialkot, the Promised Massih (as) postulated that the current millennium is the last and final one before the Day of Judgement. He then wrote:

“Since it is the last millennium, it was inevitable that the Imam of the latter days should be born at the turn of this millennium. After him, there is no Imam and no Messiah except the one who comes in his image, for in this millennium the world comes to an end as all the Prophets have testified. This Imam, whom God has designated as the Promised Massih, is the Mujaddid of this century as well as that of the last millennium”     [p. 9, Qadian: Nazarat Nashro Ishaat (2007)] 

Based on this sole statement, Ahmadis today conclude that no Mujaddid will come in the entire Millennium. Those who take a second look at the statement will find:  there is no Imam and no Messiah except the one who comes in his image”.

It means that others can come so long as they are “in his image”. The door for spiritual elevation in subsequent ages is closed only in the case of those who reject the Elect of Allah of the day- the Promised Massih (as) in his era. In other words, Allah will raise the spiritual progeny of the Promised Massih (as) to all the spiritual blessings that are promised in the Holy Qur’an (4:70).  The Promised Massih thus did not come to cancel the great Prophetic tradition about the coming of Mujaddidin in every century. Those who come after him will only confirm his truthfulness, they do not replace him. So while he remains the Mujaddid of the Last Millennium, others will come after him. This is how the Promised Massih (as) himself understood his claim, for he never claimed that Mujaddidin will not come after him.

What to Do and Avoid in Ramadan

In his Friday Sermon of August 12, 2011 Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius spoke about the larger message of Ramadan for the collectivity of believers or the Muslim Ummah.  The signature tune of the speech was an impassioned plea for unity and brotherhood and harmony in intra-community relations. Fasting in this month of Ramadan being one of the pillars of the Islamic edifice, the Khalifatullah points out the extraordinary opportunity it represents to all denominational groups within the fold of Islam to rise above their differences and celebrate the spirit of Islam as One Community.

The Khalifatullah said: 

“Brothers and sisters in Islam, let us live in harmony; harmony is not a slogan but a mission. Harmony does not fall from the sky like rain! This is a personal work that everyone should do; it requires an individual commitment; that is to put aside one’s own ego and not to promote our interests, but to promote the religion of Allah. Then uproot weeds in the garden of our heart – Hatred, resentment, jealousy, lust for power, the feeling of superiority towards our brothers and sisters in Islam, the belief that we alone are on the right track and the others are in the wrong – but what should be cultivated instead is tolerance, compassion, kindness, patience and forgiveness, forgiving others constantly.

Has not Allah, Exalted is He, taught us, “Let them forgive and overlook (any mistake from their part). Would you not love that Allah should forgive you?” (24: 23)

So we need to analyse ourselves during the month of fasting and ask, “What is my role in preserving harmony?” And each of us has a role and duty – to help this precious Ummah; “Verily this community of yours is a single community” (21: 93) – to regain its honour and strength by cultivating harmony. Similarly, we should reflect on our own character and actions and ask: “Are we helping the process of harmony, or are we a barrier to it?” In His Book (the Quran), Almighty Allah gives us the best way to cultivate harmony: “And hold fast all of you to the ‘Habl’ (rope) of Allah and be not divided.” (3: 104)

Ahmadi View on "Why & When a Reformer"

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community today rejects the coming of Divine Reformers in Islam. 

However, in the official website of the Community -Al Islam-, under the aforesaid title, the following EIGHT cogent reasons have been published to convince the world of Islam that Divine Reformers [or Mujaddidin and other Elects of Allah] will continue to arise till the Day of Judgement among Muslims.

Read the text :

“Some people think that since the Muslims have got the perfect book - the Holy Quran - to guide them no reformer is needed by them; they can get guidance from the Holy Quran by themselves.

The idea is very erroneous and the facts of history do not lend support to it.

1. In the first place, we observe that despite the fact that they have the Holy Quran with them they are deteriorating day by day. Discussions among them resulting in vast differences of opinion even about the interpretation of the Holy Quran are on the increase. No doubt they are conscious of the fact that they are going down, they do not find enough of strength to rise up and stand on their feet. This is exactly what we find in the history of previous religions; whenever their followers have deteriorated they have not risen by themselves.

2. In the second place, the practice of God repudiates this idea, whenever darkness has enveloped the spiritual realm, God has been raising a Reformer for the guidance of the people. Look at the followers of Moses; they had a perfect book (according to the need of their time) which contained guidance for them. But whenever darkness enveloped them, they were given another guide in the form of a Reformer who reformed the followers of Moses. So much so that the Holy Quran says: We sent Messengers when he had passed away.

3. In the third place what is actually meant by the perfection of a teaching is that God has mentioned all the ways of spiritual achievement in that specific book and all the needs (religious and spiritual) have been laid down with the ways they can be fulfilled. But if the human mind distorts it with its self-suiting interpretations, the book would lose its meaning for them and they would not be reformed by it unless the truth is unveiled by removing the curtain of self-styled interpretations. The perfect teaching is no doubt like a sharp cutting sword which cuts the sin asunder but there must be somebody who knows how to wield it.

4. In the fourth place, however perfect and effective a teaching might be, unless an example of its implementation is shown to the people they cannot benefit from it. It is through the people of various spiritual ranks that God gives the people models for them to look at and follow them to their personal advantage.