Claims of the Promised Messiah (as)

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A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat— A Grave Threat to Islam Replies to Some Allegations (11) Claims of the Promised Messiah as M i r z a T a h i r A h m a d

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A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat— A Grave Threat to Islam Replies to Some Allegations (11) Claims of the Promised Messiah as & the testimonies of Well-Renowned Muslim Scholars of the Past in favour of the Promised Messiah’s claim An English translation of the Friday sermon delivered by Hadrat Mirz a Ta hir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IV rta on April 05, 1985 at the Fa d l Mosque, London

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(11) Claims of the Promised Messiah as and the testimonies of Well-Renowned Muslim scholars of the past in favour of the Promised Messiah’s claim An English translation of the Friday sermon delivered in Urdu by Hadrat Mirz a Ta hir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IV ( ra h matull a h ‘alaih ), on April 5, 1985, at the Fa d l Mosque, London.Translated by: Dr.Nasim Rehmatullah Revised by: Pir Waheed Ahmad, Arshad Ansari and Mubasher Ahmad First Published in Urdu in the UK in 1985 as: Hadrat Mas ih -e-Ma‘ u d Mahd i -e- A khir-uz-Zam a n kei D‘ a w i Aur Buzurg a n-e-Salf-e- Sa l ihi n kei Qaul i Shah a datei n © Islam International Publications Ltd.Present English translation published in UK in 2007 Published by: Islam International Publications Ltd.“Islamabad” Sheephatch Lane Tilford, Surrey GU10 2AQ UK Printed in the UK at: Raqeem Press Tilford, Surrey GU10 2AQ No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the Publisher.For further information you may visit www.alislam.org ISBN: 1 85372 813 6

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Table of Contents  Preface................................................................................vii About the Author..............................................................xiii Claims of the Promised Messiah as...........................................1 A Few Objections Raised in the So-called White Paper.......................................................................1 No Distinction Between Prophets in Matters of Revelation......................................................................3 Men of God who Received Revelation...............................4 Philosophy of Promised Messiah’s as Claim of Superiority Over Jesus as Son of Mary...............................6 Claims of Being Superior to Other Prophets.....................7 Claims of Promised Messiah in the Light of the Writings of Various Imams........................................8 Perfect Reflection of the Holy Prophet sa..........................10 The Essence of Spiritual Re-advent..................................11 A Simple Choice................................................................12 Other Objections...............................................................13 Abuses Hurled by the Christian Writers..........................14 Illnesses of Some Prophets................................................16 Defending the Honour of the Holy Prophet sa.................18

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Claims of the Promised Messiah as [ vi ] Divine Message in the H ad i th of the Holy Prophet sa......19 The Importance of Jalsah Salanah in the United Kingdom.......................................................20 Instructions for those Hosting the Jalsah Salanah...........21 Glossary of Important Terms..............................................23

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In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful Preface  A perfect example of the cr uel treat ment of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at by the government of Pakistan is the White Paper.This document, published by t h e g o v e r n m e n t o f Pa k i s t a n u n d e r t h e t i t l e Qadiyaniyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam , was written in support of the Federal ordinance dated April 26, 1984.By publishing the White Paper, this ‘Islamic Republic’ has set aside all Islamic values and has done away with many basic human rights including religious social freedoms of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at.Using the White Paper as a crutch, the government of Pakistan claims that the beliefs of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at compel it to impose restrictions upon the Ahmad i Muslims.As far as the allegations and accusations made in the White Paper are concerned, they are a repetition of the same baseless allegations and accusations that the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at has responded to in the past on the basis of the Holy Qur’an and the A ha d i th.

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[ viii ] Since much of our literature is currently being confis- cated by the government of Pakistan, sincere seekers of truth may have difficulty finding the answers.This series of Friday sermons present the response laid out by Hadrat Mirz a Ta hir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IV rta , the then Imam of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at, to these allegations.This response to the White Paper was first published in Urdu in 1985, and the English translation is now being published for the first time.This sermon was delivered on April 5, 1985 at the Fa d l Mosque, London, and deals with the common objections made against the holy Founder of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at.The translation of this Friday sermon was done by Dr.Nas i m Rehmatull a h and revised by Pir Waheed Ahmad, Arshad Ansari and Mubasher Ahmad.The translation team headed by Munawar Ahmed Saeed, under the direction of Vak a lat-e-Ta s n i f London, finalized this series of Friday ser- mons for publication.Important contributions were made by Abdul-Wahab Mirza, Luqman Tahir Mahmood and sev- eral other team members.M ay Allah bless them all.A m i n.This book uses the system of transliteration adopted by the Royal Asiatic Society.at the beginning of a word, pronounced as a , i , u pre- ceded by a very slight aspiration, like h in the English word honour.

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A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam [ ix ] th , pronounced like th in the English word thing.h , a guttural aspirate, stronger than h.kh , pronounced like the Scotch ch in loch.dh , pronounced like the English th in that.s , strongly articulated s.d , similar to the English th in this.t, strongly articulated palatal t.z , strongly articulated z.‘, a strong guttural sound, the pronunciation of which must be learnt by the ear.gh , a sound approached very nearly by r in the French grasseye and also the German r.It requires the muscles of the throat to be in the gargling position whilst pro- nouncing it.q , a deep guttural k sound.’ , a sort of catch in the voice.Short vowels are represented by a for (like u in bud ); i for (like i in bid ); u for (like oo in wood ); the long vowels by a for or (like a in father ); i for or (like ee in deep ); ai for (like i in site ); u for (like oo in root ): au for, (resembling ou in sound ).

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[ x ] Please note that in transliterated words the letter e is to be pronounced as in prey which rhymes with day ; however the pronunciation is flat without the element of English diph- thong.If in Urdu and Persian, the letter e is lengthened a bit more, it is transliterated as ei to be pronounced as ei in feign without the element of diphthong; thus is transliterated as Kei.For the nasal sound of n, we have used the symbol n.Thus the Urdu word would be transliterated as mei n.The consonants not included in the above list have the same phonetic value as in the principal languages of Europe.The following abbreviations have been used.Readers are urged to recite the full salutations when reading the book: sa s al-lAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam , meaning ‘may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him’ is written after the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa.as ‘alaihis sal a m , meaning ‘may peace be upon him’ is written after the name of Prophets other than the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa.ra ra d i-All a ho ‘anhu/‘anh a /‘anhum, meaning ‘may Allah be pleased with him/her/them’ is written after the names of the Companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa or of the Promised Messiah as.

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A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam [ xi ] rta ra h matull a h ‘alaih, meaning ‘may Allah shower His mercy upon him’ is written after the names of deceased pious Muslims who are not Compani ons of the Ho ly Prophet Muhammad sa or of the Promised Messiah as.Please note that in referencing the Holy Qur’an, we have counted ‘In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful’ as the first verse of the Chapter in which it appears.We pray to God that this message would reach all people who have a genuine desire to study these issues.May Allah make this a source of guidance for them.A m i n.Munir-ud-D i n Shams Additional Vak i l-ut-Ta s n i f London, UK, July 2007

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About the Author  H A D RAT MIRZ A TA HIR A H MAD r t a was born in Qadian, India, in 1928 to Hadrat Mirz a Bashir-ud-Din Ma h m u d Ahmad ra and Hadrat Maryam Begum ra.He received his early schooling in Qadian.After graduating from the Ahmadiyyah Missionary College, Rabwah with distinction, he obtained an honours degree in Arabic from Punjab University.In 1955, he visited England for the first time with his father, who suggested that he remain behind to improve his knowledge of the English language and European social habits.He secured admission at the School of Ori- ental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, where he remained for two and a half years.By the end of 1957, Hadrat Mirz a Ta hir Ahmad rta had seen most of Western Europe.He traveled extensively in England, Ire- land, Scotland, and Wales.The experience that he gained during these years would play a crucial role later in his life, when administer- ing his great responsibilities as Khalifatul Masih IV, the fourth Head of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at.He was

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[ xiv ] elected to this office in 1982, one day after the demise of his predecessor, Hadrat Mirz a N as ir Ahmad rta.The anti-Ahmadiyyah ordinance of April 1984, promul- gated by General Zia-ul- H aq, compelled Hadrat Mirz a Ta hir Ahmad rta to leave Pakistan.He decided to migrate to England where he established his transitory base in exile.Within a few years, he trained and organised thousands of volunteers to help him discharge his global responsibilities.Of all his achievements in England, MTA (Muslim Televi- sion Ahmadiyyah) international is one of the greatest.Through MTA international, numerous training programs are televised twenty-four hours a day.His activities since departure from Pakistan helped proliferate and spread the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at to over 150 countries of the world.Apart from being a religious leader, he was also a homeopathic physician, a prolific writer, a gifted poet, and a sportsman.Hadrat Mirz a Ta hir Ahmad rta passed away on April 19, 2003 at the age of 74.He is succeeded by Hadrat Mirz a Masroor Ahmad [may Allah be his help], the present Head of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at.

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A fter reciting tashahhud , ta‘awwudh, and s u rah al-F a ti h ah, H u du r rta recited the following verses of the Holy Qur’an: 1 H u du r rta said: A Few Objections Raised in the So-called White Paper In these series of Friday sermons, I have been responding to the allegations made in the so-called White Paper 1.And they say: ‘Our hearts are under covers and are protected against that to which thou callest us, and in our ears there is a deafness, and between us and you there is a veil.So carry on your work; we too are working.’ Say, ‘I am only a man like you.It is revealed to me that your God is One God; so go ye straight to Him without devi- ating ; and ask forgiveness of Him.’ And woe to the idolaters.( Ha M i m al-Sajdah , 41:6–7)

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[ 2 ] published by the government of Pakistan.For today’s sermon as well, I have chosen to respond to a few more allegations.The government of Pakistan alleges: Mirz a Sahib makes a strange claim saying his spiritual status is higher than the previous Prophets.In sup- port of this, we [the government of Pakistan] present the following from Mirz a Sahib ’s writings: The Promised Messiah who God has sent in this ummah is far superior to the Messiah of the past.I swear in the Name of the Being in Whose Hands is my life that if the Messiah (Jesus, Son of Mary) would have come in this age, he would not be able to do the work that I can, nor would he be able to show the signs that are appearing through me.( H aq i qat-ul- Wa hyi , p.153) I have been given the names of all past Proph- ets.As stated in Br a h i n-e-Ahmadiyyah , God has called me Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ishmael, Moses, David, Jesus son of Mary, and Muhammad peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, meaning that I have come in their spirit.For me, it is stated: that is, the ‘Champion of God, in the mantle of Prophets’.So, it was necessar y that attributes of all the Prophets be found in me.( Tatimmah H aq i qat-ul-Wa hyi , p.84)

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A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam [ 3 ] No Distinction Between Prophets in Matters of Revelation Their objection is that the Promised Messiah as claimed he received revelation similar to that of other past Prophets.This objection is part of the same issue, questioning whether or not the Promised Messiah as is a Prophet.To answer this objection, we must examine the following two types of verses in the Holy Qur’an regarding the Prophets.At one point it states: 2 …all of them believe in Allah, and in His angels, and in His Books, and in His Messengers saying , ‘We m a k e n o d i s t i n c t i o n b e t w e e n a ny o f H i s Messengers;’… The Holy Qur’an also states: 3 These Messengers have We exalted, some of them above others: If the Promised Messiah as is a Prophet then the above verses should provide a full response to any objections.As far as the quality, grandeur, authenticity, and truth- fulness of the revelation is concerned, it is the same for all 2.( al-Baqarah , 2:286) 3.( al-Baqarah , 2:254).........

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[ 4 ] Prophets.Revelation comes from the One God.However, the status of a Prophet is God’s choosing.The holy words of God are all magnificent, pure, and wholly true; in this respect, no distinction can be made between them.Though, God still, in His wisdom, exalts some [Prophets] over the others.The question is then how, keeping in view the claims made by the Promised Messiah as , is it appropri- ate for him to claim superiority over some of the past Prophets? Men of God who Received Revelation The Promised Messiah as claims to be the Messiah and the Mahd i.A review of the writings of the pious men of God and reformers in Islam indicate that they emphatically state that the status of the Promised Messiah and Mahd i would be far above the ordinary men in the ummah.Some have stated very clearly that he [the Promised Messiah as ] would have a higher status than some of the previous Prophets.Indeed, some holy men in Islam, who neither claimed to be the Mahd i nor the Messiah, have made similar—or even greater—claims with regards to their own revelations and exalted stations.Regarding revelation and of superiority [in spiritual station] over others, there are several claims in Islamic history.Let me present two references regarding revelation.

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A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam [ 5 ] Hadrat Mu h ayyudd i n Ibn-e-‘Arab i , in addition to claiming that he received revelation, also claimed that he experienced spiritual exaltation ( mi‘r a j ) during which the following verse [ s u rah al-Baqarah , 2:137] was revealed to him: Say ye: ‘We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob and his children and what was given to Moses, Jesus, and what was given to all other Prophets from their Lord.We make no difference between any of them, and to Him we submit ourselves’.( al-Fut u h a t al-Makkiyyah , vol.3, p.350) He then states: Thus, God has bestowed upon me all the signs men- tioned in this verse, has elevated my spiritual station, and has provided me with the key to all forms of knowledge.From this I understand that I am a blended compound of all the Prophets mentioned in the verse.( Ibid.)

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[ 6 ] Hadrat Khw a j a M i r Dard Dehlav i , in his book ‘Ilm-ul- Kit a b [Knowledge of the Book] under the heading ‘Grati- tude for the Divine Favours’ records the revelations that he has received, which are comparable to the revelations of previous Prophets.His revelations take the form of Qur’anic verses.One revelation reads: Do not follow their desires and be steadfast as you are commanded.Another reads: Do they seek the judgement of the days of ignorance at a time when Allah has ordained to show His signs as He wills.Yet another reads: If You punish them, they are Your servants; and if You forgive them, You surely are the Mighty, the Wise.Philosophy of Promised Messiah’s as Claim of Superiority Over Jesus as Son of Mary As for the claim of the Promised Messiah as that his status is higher than that of Jesus as son of Mary, he himself has explained the rationale behind this claim.Any rational

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A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam [ 7 ] person, who believes in Islam and in the exalted station of the Holy Prophet sa , cannot object to this claim without losing his faith.The Promised Messiah as says: It must be remembered that I have been appointed for the reformation of the whole world, because my lord and master the Holy Prophet sa was sent for the whole world.Therefore, I have been granted the qualities and strength needed to bear this burden.We are the inheritors of the Holy Qur’an whose teachings are comprehensive of all excellences, and are universal.Jesus as son of Mary was the inheritor of only the Torah, which contained an imperfect teaching for a specific people.That is why, in the Bible, he had to elaborate those teachings that were hidden and unclear in the Torah.On the other hand, we cannot add anything to the teachings of the Holy Q u r ’ a n b e c a u s e i t s t e a c h i n g s a r e t h e m o s t comprehensive and complete.Unlike Torah, it is not in need of any Gospel.( H aq i qat-ul-Wa hyi , p.155) Claims of Being Superior to Other Prophets Regarding the claims of other holy men, I will mention Hadrat ‘Al i ra who said: I am the dot of the Ba 4 in Bismillah.I am that aspect of God about which you have been heedless.I am the 4.Ba is the second letter in the Arabic alphabet.It is writ- ten with a dot under it.

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[ 8 ] pen.I am the divine tablet.I am the throne.I am the seat of the Divine.I am the Seven Heavens.I am all the World.( Fa s u s -ul- H akam , Muqadma 32 Fa s al 8, by Ashshaikh Da’ u d Bin Ma h m u d al-Qai s ar i ) Hadrat Imam Ja‘far Sad i q ra , the sixth imam of the Sh‘ i ah sect, a revered holy man in the ummah , and a teacher of Imam Ab u H an i fah is reported to have said that the Mahd i will pronounce: O people, listen to me.If you want to see Abraham and Ishmael, then know that I am Abraham and Ish- mael.If you want to see Moses and Joshua, then know that I am Moses and Joshua.If you want to see Jesus and Simon, then know that I am Jesus and Simon.If you want to see Muhammad (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and Am i r-ul- Mo’min i n [Ha d rat Al i ], then know that I am Muhammad (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and Am i r-ul-Mo’min i n.If you want to see H assan and H usain, then know that I am H assan and H usain.If you want to see the imams from the prog- eny of H usain, then know that I am all of them.( Ba ha r-ul-Anw a r , vol.13, p.202) Claims of Promised Messiah in the Light of the Writings of Various Imams The government of Pakistan has in a way supported the [Ahmadiyyah Muslim] Jam a ‘at by quoting these excerpts

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A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam [ 9 ] of the writings of the Promised Messiah as for it has not established any new criticisms.The holy men previously quoted already have prophesied that the Promised Messiah as would make these claims.If the Messiah did not make similar claims, he would have to be considered an imposter.The holy men who had made these prophecies would then also have to be considered imposters.You will have to accept the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah as in accordance with the prophecy made by Imam Ja‘far S ad i q.Denying the Promised Messiah as because of these c l a i m s w o u l d b e t h e e q u i v a l e n t o f d e ny i n g t h e truthfulness and status of Imam Ja‘far S ad i q.The claims do not end there.Imam Khomeini, whom the Sh i‘ ahs have given a high status, next only in stature to their great imams , says in reference to the status of the Sh i ‘ah imams : Surely, in our religion we have a firm belief that none of the exalted angels, nor any Prophet or Messenger can attain the status of the imams.(as quoted in Khomeini As Seen Through His Writings by Dr.‘Abdull a h Mo h ammad Al ‘Ar i b) Hadrat Sheikh ‘Abdul Q a dir J i l a n i rta neither claimed to be the Messiah nor Mahd i , but the ignorant maulav i of today cannot grasp the exalted status of holy men in the ummah of the Holy Prophet sa.In a book by al-Shaikh N u rud i n

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[ 10 ] Ab u l H assan ‘Al i Bin Y u suf on p.21, it is said by Sheikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jil a n i rta that: There are leaders of men, leaders of Jinn, and leaders of angels; and I am the chief of all of the leaders.Do not compare me with them and do not compare them with me.Naw a b S idd i q H assan Kh a n Sahib quoting Imam Ibn S i r i n in his book H ijaj ul Kar a mah , p.386 says: In this ummah there will be a khal i fah with a higher status than Ab u Bakr and ‘Umar.He was asked, ‘Would he have a higher status than both of them?’ He said, ‘Yes, and in fact this khal i fah may possibly be of a higher status than some Prophets.’ Another source has the words: ‘Ab u Bakr and ‘Umar would not be of a higher status than this khal i fah.’ Imam Say uti has testified to the authenticity of this saying.Perfect Reflection of the Holy Prophet sa The na me of Hadrat Sh a h Wal i ull a h Muh a d i th Dehlav i ’s rta is respectfully noted in the booklet [ Qadian i yyat—A Grave Threat to Islam ], which is published against our Jam a ‘at.He has been accepted as an authority on Islam and about issues facing the ummah by the publishers of this booklet.Regarding the status of the coming Imam and Promised Messiah, he has said:

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A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam [ 11 ] The reality [is that] the Promised Messiah is to have the light and image of the Holy Prophet sa in him.Many people think that the Promised Messiah will be an ordinary person from the ummah.This is not true.He will be the true embodiment of the name of Holy Prophet sa and his true copy.How can he be compared with an ordinary Muslim.( al-Khair ul Kath i r , p.236– 237) Hadrat Imam ‘Abdul Razzak Qash a n i writes: The Mahd i of the latter days would be subservient to the laws of Mu h ammed sa.However, in reality, in reli- gious knowledge, Prophets and other holy men would be subordinate to him [the Mahd i ], because intrinsically this Mahd i is the representation of Mu h ammed sa.The Essence of Spiritual Re-advent Hadrat Sh a h Wal i ull a h Mu h addith Dehlav i rta says: One form of the real spiritual re-advent is that some- times the progeny or the followers are included within the same status of a principal person in the same way as the image of the Holy Prophet sa will appear in the advent of the Mahd i.( Tafh i m a t-e-Il a- hiyya , vol.2, p.198)

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[ 12 ] A Simple Choice Having referenced the literature of holy men who possess extraordinary spiritual status—including some who were the reformers of their respective age—there are two ways to decide upon this issue.Either you should issue verdicts of apostasy against these holy men similar to those you issue against the Promised Messiah as and his followers, or you should agree that these holy men had truly estimated and stated the status of the Promised Messiah as as the real Messiah.If you [government of Pakistan] possess any justice and righteousness, you should not only withdraw your objections against the Promised Messiah as , but should sincerely accept him.On the face of it, it seems impossible that you [govern- ment of Pakistan] will have the courage to do so, because you are issuing verdicts of death upon those who have accepted the Promised Messiah as.You have ordained that the houses of the Ahmad i s be looted, their properties burnt and that all of them; including the women, children, and elderly; should be killed.If this is your belief about the fol- lowers of the Promised Messiah as , then similar treatment should be administered to the followers of these holy men and imams.Since you lack courage and do not fear God, you are not capable of doing anything except hurling verbal abuse and inciting people to violence.

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A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam [ 13 ] The fact of the matter is that the Promised Messiah as has claimed everything that these holy men and imams said that the Messiah would claim.So this is one way of recognizing his truth, for if he had not made these claims, you should have then been questioning his validity and truthfulness.Other Objections Another objection made in the White Paper against the Promised Messiah as is: As was previously stated, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad did not immediately declare his intent of making the claim of Prophethood openly.He started by distort- ing the meaning of khatm-e-nub uw wat , then speedily he advanced towards his real objective.After several confusing and contradictory statements he claimed to be a Prophet.Another objection is: In his youth, Mirz a Sahib had episodes of epilepsy and nervous disorders.Sometimes he had hysteria, and he was a diabetic too.It is interesting to note that later on, he claimed that the epilepsy and diabetes were divine signs in his favour.He writes: The Holy Prophet sa prophesied about my illness, which manifested itself in these forms.The Holy Prophet sa stated that when the

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[ 14 ] Messiah descends from heaven, he would be clad in two yellow robes.( Tash’ hi dh-ul- Adh’h a n , June 1906) These allegations should appear striking to people who are familiar with religious history and the writings of the orientalist of Europe, because similar allegations have always been made in the past.Just where did they learn to make such allegations? Here is the real story: In the March 24, 1911 issue of the newspaper Ahl-e- H ad i th, p.2, col.2, Maulav i Than a ‘ull a h Amritsar i challenged Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra in these words: Do we, or do we not, have the right to question his (the Promised Messiah’s) mission and Prophethood in the same way as the Christians and Arya s question the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet sa ? It is easy to put these attacks in perspective when we find that these people learned their tactics from the Arya s and Christians who make filthy allegations about the Holy Prophet sa and Islam! Abuses Hurled by the Christian Writers A famous Christian writer, William Muir, in his book Life of Mahomet , p.46–47, criticizes the Holy Prophet sa with regards to his developing claim of Prophethood.He says:

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A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam [ 15 ] Thus we may suppose was Mahomet by degrees led on to believe that God had called him to preach refor- mation to his countrymen.… The commission per- vaded throughout the future course of Mahomet, and mingled with every action.He was now the servant, the prophet, the vicegerent of God; and however much the resulting sphere of action might expand in ever widening circles, the principle on which the commission rested was from the commencement absolute and complete.( Life of Mahomet , p.46–47) If we substitute the name of William Muir with the names of the authors of the White Paper, and then change nothing else in the above paragraph, the theme is the identical.William Muir argues that the absence of a controlling authority, and internal strifes between people in Mecca enabled Muhammad sa to claim to be a Prophet.He then goes on to allege that: Two to three months after his arrival in Medîna, Mahomet saw the Jews keeping the great Fast of the Atonement; and he readily adopted it for his own people.Prior to this, fasting does not appear to have been a prescribed ordinance of Islam.It was estab- lished at a period when the great object of Mahomet was to bring his religion into harmony with the Jew- ish rites and ceremonies.( Life of Mahomet , p.200) As for diseases, the same allegations of epilepsy and hysteria were made against the exalted being for whom the

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[ 16 ] heavens and the earth was created.The same person who is the chief of all of humanity, higher in status than all Prophets, was abused.This is that person whom God has stated that he could have illuminated the whole world even if he had not receive any revelation.About this person, William Muir makes accusations of mental confusion and fear of darkness.May the curse of Allah be upon the willful liars.I cannot read the whole passage.I refer people who have the capac- ity to read such allegations to Reverend C.G.Pfander’s book M i z a n Ul H aq , p.459–463, wherein he makes very distasteful remarks about the supposed illnesses of the Holy Prophet sa.He bases these allegations on a h adith and asserts that this is what is written by Muslim holy men and jurists.He repeats reference after reference of baseless stories, or draws misleading conclusions from events which he fails to understand.Of course, there is no reality to these claims.I cannot stand to read such writing.Perhaps our opponents may wish to read this, since they seem to have learned their style of allegations by reading such writings.Illnesses of Some Prophets An interesting point to note is that these people discount the claim of Prophethood made by the Promised Messiah as by stating that he was a frail person and had several ill- nesses.On the other hand, they make slanderous remarks

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A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam [ 17 ] regarding fictitious illnesses of the Prophets in whom they do believe.For example, in al-Itq a n , vol.2, p.138, it is writ- ten about Hadrat Idr i s as that: One of his eyes was bigger than the other.About Hadrat Sho‘aib as , it is said that: He became blind in the later years of his life.( al- Itq a n , vol.2, p.139) These accusations are minor when compared to what they say about Hadrat Ay u b as.This is [what they believe] despite Allah saying that He breathes His own spirit into Prophets and thereby they gain a new life.About Hadrat Ay u b as , it is written: Satan blew into his nose, and his body erupted with big carbuncles, which produced violent itching that he continued to scratch with fingernails, hard objects, and stones without relief.His body became infected and foul smelling, and he was ousted from the village on a cart with a covering, and everyone boycotted him with the exception of his wife, Re h mat Bint Ifr a’i m.( al-Jal a la i n-lil-allamah Ahmad al- S ad i , al- Malik i , vol.3, p.73, footnote) It is not surprising that people who have such opinions about the earlier Prophets of God hurl such allegations at the Promised Messiah as.

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[ 18 ] Defending the Honour of the Holy Prophet sa The fact of the matter is that there is a message of gratifica- tion and comfort for Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at in all of this.Until the advent of the Promised Messiah as , the world was hurling all kinds of abuse at the Holy Prophet sa.The Promised Messiah as defended the honour of the Holy Prophet sa in such a way that the abuses are now deflected away from him.Having silenced the enemies of the Holy Prophet sa , he took the burden of the abuses upon himself.This is the greatness of the sacrifices made by the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at.This is the grandeur of the truthfulness in the.In these attacks, we see the mercy and blessings of God descending upon the Promised Messiah as.There is no doubt that the darkness that had accumu- lated over centuries in the form of attacks upon our Holy Prophet sa —the arrows that aimed at our Lord and Master and hurled filthy abuse at him—were converted by Almighty Allah into fragrant messages of peace and bless- ings for the Holy Prophet sa ! Congratulations to you, O’ fol- lowers of the Promised Messiah as , who are deflecting all of the abuses and accusations thrown at the Holy Prophet sa and aiming them toward yourselves without caring in the least for the consequences!

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A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam [ 19 ] Divine Message in the H ad i th of the Holy Prophet sa The H ad i th that states that the Messiah will be clad in two yellow robes when he descends from Heaven can be taken either literally or it can be interpreted as a vision.The lit- eral meaning is not logical.If you look for a divine message then you note that holy men from the ummah in the past have interpreted this to mean: If you have a dream or a vision that someone is wear- ing yellow clothes, it means illness.( Ta‘ ti r-ul-An‘ a m , vol.1, p.96) There is no other meaning to this.If people insist that the Messiah will be dressed in yellow like a yogi’s, then they must become aware of what the Holy Prophet sa said.Hadrat ‘Abdull a h Bin ‘Umar Bin A s narrates that: The Holy Prophet sa saw a person clad in yellow, and he admonished him not to wear such clothes as it was the dress of the disbelievers.(Muslim) We do not accept a Messiah from the disbelievers.Our souls only accept a Messiah from the ummah of the Holy Prophet sa ! The Holy Prophet sa had admonished his ummah not to wear yellow, as it was the dress of disbelievers.So, if you wish for a Messiah from this ummah , you will have to reassess your concept of who is the Messiah.And then, if you still insist on your concept of the Messiah, your Messiah is for you and our Messiah is for us.Our Messiah as

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[ 20 ] is the one who is subservient to the commandments of the Holy Prophet sa , the one who follows the Islamic shar i ah [law] to the letter, and the one who was obedient to the Holy Prophet sa at all times.Today, for this sermon, keeping in mind the Jalsah Salanah [Annual Convention], I had chosen to respond briefly to these two allegations.Insh a ’All a h, I will continue this in the future.For the final address [on April 7, 1985] I have chosen the topic of Kh a tam-al-Nab i yy i n.The White Paper raises issues about this as well, and I feel that I should respond to this in my final address as everything cannot be covered in the brief period of time given during a single Friday sermon.May Allah, out of His grace, give me the ability to cover these issues and respond in the allotted time.The Importance of Jalsah Salanah in the United Kingdom In the end, I would like to say it is God’s grace that has enabled us to participate in this historic Jalsah Salanah which is about to begin.We do not call this a central Convention.The central Convention will be held in Rabwah insh a ’Allah.It is our basic right to hold our religious gatherings and functions at our centre.The government of Pakistan has permitted us to hold our sh u ra in Rabwah this year.This is God’s favour and grace.Even

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A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam [ 21 ] though we do not call this our central Convention, people the devotees of Ahmadiyyat have travelled from far and wide to attend by spending lot of money and facing lot of hardship and difficulties.This is a unique moment in the history of the UK which will not be repeated.The faces you see today, you may not see them again.I hope that insh a ’All a h you will come to the next Jalsah Salanah in Rabwah, as you did before.Do enjoy these new faces and company moments, but do not forget your brethren in Pakistan.Pray for them from the bottom of your heart.They are in great pain, sorrow, and difficulties.These days of separation have turned into long nights, and it is difficult for them to bear this.Instructions for those Hosting the Jalsah Salanah At this Jalsah Salanah people have come from far and wide, experiencing considerable expense and difficulties.Some poor people who had never left their villages before are here as well.Although the UK Jam a ‘at is aware of its responsibilities and duties, it is my responsibility to remind them to be kind and friendly to their guests, to attend to their needs and comfort as best as they can, and to always do this for the sake of God.These people are here today as a sign of the truth of Ahmadiyyat.You must all pray that they remain safe and sound here and go back home safely carry- ing countless blessings with them.

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[ 22 ] These days of Jalsah are very blessed.Spend these days singing the praise of your Lord, praying, and reciting dur u d [sending blessings on the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa ].Remember Allah much during this Friday during Jalsah Salanah.He has always helped you and protected you in your trials and tribulations.He has never forsaken you, and you should never be disloyal to Him.I conclude now with the prayers that Allah protect and help you all.

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Glossary of Important Terms  Allah —Allah is the personal name of God in Islam.To show proper reverence to Him, Muslims often add Ta‘ a l a , ‘the Most High’, when saying His Holy name.Ahmad i Muslim or Ahmad i — A m e m b e r o f t h e Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at.Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at —(Also Ahmadiyyah) The Community of Muslims who accept the claims of Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as of Qadian as the Promised Messiah and Mahd i.The Jam a ‘at was estab- lished by Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as , and is now lead by his fifth Khalifah , Hadrat Mirz a Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his help).H ad i th —A saying of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa.The plural is a ha d i th.Hadrat —A term of respect used for a person of estab- lished righteousness and piety.Holy Prophet sa —A term used exclusively for Hadrat Muhammad sa , the Prophet of Islam.

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[ 24 ] Holy Qur’an —The Book sent by Allah for the guidance of mankind.It was revealed to the Holy Prophet sa over a period of twenty-three years.H u du r —Your Holiness; His Holiness.Imam —The Arabic word for a leader.The head of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at is also referred to as the Imam.Insh a ’Allah —An Arabic term meaning ‘God willing’.Jalsah S ala nah —Annual Convention; Annual Gathering.Jam a ‘at — Jam a ‘at means community.Although the word Jam a ‘at itself may refer to any community, in this book, Jam a ‘at specifically refers to the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at.Khalifatul Masih II — Hadrat Khalifatul Masih II, Mirz a Bashir-ud-Din Ma h m u d Ahmad ra.He is also called Mu s le h -e-Mau‘ u d (the Promised Reformer) because he was born in accordance with the prophecy made by the Promised Messiah as in 1886 regarding the birth of a righ- teous son who would be endowed with special abilities, attributes, and powers.Khalifatul Masih IV — Hadrat Khalifatul Masih IV, Mirz a Ta hir Ahmad rta (1928–2003) was the fourth successor of the Promised Messiah as.He was a grandson of the Founder of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at, Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah as.

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A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam [ 25 ] Mahd i —‘The guided one’.This is the title given by the Holy Prophet sa to the awaited Reformer of Latter Days.Maula vi and Mullah— A Muslim religious cleric.Promised Messiah— The Founder of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at, Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as of Qadian, India, who made his claim in fulfilment of the prophecies of the Holy Prophet sa regarding the coming of a Mahd i and Messiah from among the Muslims.Sahib —A term of respect, similar to the diversity of English terms like mister or sir.S u rah —Arabic word for designating the chapters of the Holy Qur’an.

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