Nubuwwat & Khilafat Prophethood & its Successorship

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Viewpoints of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at and the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam on Nubuwwat & Khilafat ( Prophethood & its Successorship )
Four Speeches Delivered on June 10, 1966 Under the Chairmanship of Hadrat Mirz a N as ir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih III (may Allah shower His mercy upon him) at Masjid Mub a rak Rabwah, Pakistan

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Viewpoints of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at and the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam on Nubuwwat and Khilafat ( Originally published in Urdu as Nubuwwat-o-Khilafat ) A rendering into English of four speeches made by scholars of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at on June 10, 1966 in a meeting presided over by Hadrat Mirz a N as ir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih III.(May Allah shower His mercy upon him.) Translated into English by: Munawar A h med Sa‘eed © Islam International Publications Ltd.Present English translation published in the United Kingdom in 2006 Published by: Islam International Publications Ltd.“Islamabad” Sheephatch Lane, Tilford, Surrey, GU10 2AQ Printed in UK at: Raqeem Press Tilford, Surrey, GU10 2AQ ISBN: 1 85372 748 2

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Contents System of Transliteration.............................................v Abbreviations.............................................................vii Glossary of Important Terms......................................ix Foreword...................................................................xv 1 Nubuwwat of the Promised Messiah as..........................3 by Maul a n a Abul ‘A ta J a llundhari About the Author.............................................................5 Nubuwwat of the Promised Messiah as..............................7 A Few Quotations from the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam........................10 Excerpts from Paigh a m-e- S ul h........................................19 2 Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyyah and the Pledge of Allegiance to Khilafat..................................................23 by Maul a n a Sheikh Mub a rak Ahmad About the Author...........................................................25 Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyyah and the Pledge of Allegiance to Khilafat........................27 Sayings of the Promised Messiah as..................................28 Sayings of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra...........................36 Sayings—up to the Second Khilafat— of Those Who Did Not Take the Pledge of Khilafat.....41

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT iv 3 Positions Taken by the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e- Ish a ‘at-e-Islam After March 13, 1914 on Nubuwwat and Khilafat in the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at..............................47 by Sayyed M i r Ma h m u d Ahmad N as ir About the Author...........................................................49 First Position Taken by the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam..................51 Second Position Taken by the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam..................54 Third Position Taken by the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam..................56 4 Belief of the Promised Messiah as and His Successors About the Nubuwwat of the Promised Messiah as.........................................................61 by Maul a n a Jal a l-ud-D i n Shams About the Author...........................................................63 Prophecies of the Holy Prophet sa....................................65 Fulfilment of the Prophecies...........................................66 Belief of the Promised Messiah as.....................................67 Misunderstanding Removed by the Promised Messiah as.......................................................72 Guidance Given by the Promised Messiah as on How to Present His Claim.......................................78 Views of the First and Second Khalifah..........................82 An Easy Way to Settle This Controversy........................83 References of the Holy Qur’ a n..................................87 Index.........................................................................89

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System of Transliteration
This book uses the system of transliteration adopted by the Royal Asiatic Society.The same system has been adopted in the Five Volume Commentary and the Short Commentary of the Holy Qur’ a n published by the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at.at the beginning of a word, pronounced as a , i , u preceded by a very slight aspiration, like h in the English word “honour.” 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, the pronunciation of which must be learnt by the ear.gh , a sound approached very nearly in the r “ grasseye ” in French, and in the German r.It requires the muscles of the throat to be in the gargling position whilst pronouncing it.

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT vi 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”).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 diphthong.If in Urdu and Persian words e is lengthened a bit more it is transliterated as ei to be pronounced as ei in “feign” without the element of diph- thong thus is transliterated as “Kei”.For the nasal sound of n we have used the symbol ñ.Thus Urdu word would be transliter- ated as “ mei ñ ”.1 The consonants not included in the above list have the same phonetic value as in the principal languages of Europe.1.* These transliterations are not included in the system of transliteration by Royal Asiatic Society.

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Abbreviations
The following abbreviations have been used in this book; readers are requested to recite the full salutations when reading the book: sa s allall a hu ‘alaihi wa sallam , meaning “may 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 Compan- ions of the Holy Prophet sa and of the Promised Messiah as.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 Companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa and of the Promised Messiah as.

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Glossary of Important Terms
For the benefit of our readers, some important Islamic terms are explained below.Allah : Allah is the personal name of God in Islam.To show proper reverence to Him, the Muslims often add “ Ta‘ a la ,” “the Most High,” when saying His holy name.Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at : The Community of Muslims who have accepted all the claims of Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as of Qadian as the Promised Messiah and Ma h d i.The Community was established by the Promised Messiah as , and is now under the leadership of his fifth khal i fah , Hadrat Mirz a Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his help).The Commu- nity is also known as Jam a ‘at-e-Ahmadiyyah.Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam : A group of Ahmad i Muslims who, during the time of the Promised Messiah as accepted all the claims of the Promised Messiah as including that of being an Ummat i Nab i —a Prophet subordinate to the Holy Prophet sa and within his ummah.They also took a pledge of allegiance at the hand of the first khal i fah of the Promised Messiah as , Hadrat Al ha j Maulav i N u r-ud-D i n ra , but did not accept the khulaf a’ who followed him.Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam is also known as

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT x Lahore Group of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Community, and Ahl-e-Paigh a m.Am i r : Leader.Bai‘at : Pledge of allegiance.Dajj a l: The noun form of Dajj a liyyat.Dajj a liyyat : Antichrist.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 established righ- teousness and piety.Holy Prophet sa : A term used exclusively for Hadrat Mu h ammad, the Founder of Islam (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).Holy Qur’ a n : The Book sent by Allah for the guidance of humanity.It was revealed to the Holy Prophet sa , over a period of twenty-three years.Im a m: The Arabic word “ Im a m ” means a leader.Isti‘ a ra : Acquisition of a spiritual status by way of symbolism.Jam a ‘at : The Arabic word “ jam a ‘at ” means a community.In this book the word “ jam a ‘ at” specifically refers to the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at.Kalimah : Creed of Islamic faith, l a il a ha illallaho Mu h am- madur ras u lull a h , meaning: “There is none worthy of worship except Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”

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Glossary of Important Terms xi Khalifah : Caliph is derived from the Arabic word “ khal i fah, ” which means successor.In Islamic terminology, the word righ- teous “ khal i fah ” is applied to one of the four khulaf a’ who continued the mission of Hadrat Muhammad sa , the Holy Prophet of Islam.Ahmad i Muslims refer to a successor of the Promised Messiah as as Khalifatul Masih.Khulaf a ’ is the plural of khal i fah.Khalifatul Masih I : Hadrat Maul a n a N u r-ud-D i n ra , the first successor to the Promised Messiah as.Khalifatul Masih II : Hadrat Mirz a Bashir-ud-Din Ma h m u d Ahmad ra.He is also called Musle h -e-Mau‘ u d (the Promised Reformer) because he was born in 1886 in accordance with the prophecy of the Promised Messiah as regarding the birth of a righteous son who would be endowed with special abili- ties, attributes, and powers.His entire life is a testimony to the fulfilment of the prophecy.Kh a taman-Nabiyy i n : Seal of the Prophets, a title bestowed upon the Holy Prophet sa in the Holy Qur’ a n.The noun form of the concept is called Khatm-e-Nubuwwat.Khilafat : The institution of successorship in Islam.Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyyah : K hil a fat established in the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at after the demise of the Promised Messiah as.Kufr : Disbelief.Maj a z : Acquisition of a spiritual status by way of reflection.

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT xii Mahd i : The literal translation of this word is “the guided one.” This is the title given by the Holy Prophet sa to the awaited Reformer of Latter Days.Mu h addath : A recipient of frequent converse with Allah.Mujaddid : Reformer.Mulham : Recipient of Allah’s revelation.Nab i : Nab i means a Prophet.See also Ummat i Nab i and Z ill i N ab i.Nubuwwat : Prophethood.Promised Messiah : The Founder of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at , Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as of Qadian.He claimed that he had been sent by Allah in accordance with the prophecies of the Holy Prophet sa about the coming of a Mahd i and Messiah from among the Muslims.Qiblah : The House of God in Mecca towards which Muslims face while offering Prayers.Ras u l : Messenger [of God].The noun form is Ris al at , indi- cating Messengership.S adr Anjuman Ahmadiyyah : An institution established by the Promised Messiah as to run administrative matters of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at.Shar i ‘ah(‘at) : Religious law.Ummah : Followers.Ummat i Nab i : Ummat i means one who follows the Holy Prophet sa.The term Ummat i Nab i means a follower

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Glossary of Important Terms xiii Prophet, within the dispensation of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa and subservient to him in every way.Z ill i Nab i : Z ill means a reflection.The title of Z ill i Nab i , given to the Promised Messiah as , means that he reflected the prophethood of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa and had no independent status.

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In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful We praise Him and invoke His blessings upon His Noble Messenger Foreword
Believers in the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah, Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian ( ‘alaihis sal a m ), include a community of people, variously known as the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e- Islam , the Lahore Group of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Community, and Ahl-e-Paigh a m.During the life of Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad ( ‘alaihis sal a m ), leaders of the Lahore Group accepted all the claims of the Promised Messiah as including that of his being an Ummat i Nab i —a Prophet subordi- nate to the Holy Prophet ( s allall a hu ‘alaihi wa sallam ) and within his ummah (followers).They also took a pledge of allegiance at the hand of the first khal i fah (caliph) of the Promised Messiah as , Hadrat Al ha j Maulav i N u r-ud-D i n ( ra d i-All a ho ‘anhu ), but did not accept the khulaf a’ who followed him.Although the group is a very tiny fraction among the believers of the truthfulness of Hadrat Ahmad as —being much less than one percent of the total number of Ahmad i s—they present themselves as the mainstream of his followers and misquote the writings of the Promised Messiah as on Internet and in their publications.They may be under the impression that by this tactic, they will appease the non-Ahmad i Muslims—especially in Pakistan.They

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT xvi should remember that this tactic has failed them during the last ninety years.During the agitations incited by the opponents of Ahmadiyyat, as well as in the legal and constitutional debates, they have always been grouped with the followers of Khilafat-e- Ahmadiyyah (caliphate institution of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at).The recent election of Hadrat Mirz a Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his help) as the fifth khal i fah of the Promised Messiah as and the exemplary faith and devotion shown by the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at in pledging allegiance to him is one more powerful example of the second manifestation of the Power of Almighty Allah as was prophesied by the Promised Messiah as in Al-Wa s iyyat.We sincerely advise all members of this group to faithfully accept the Promised Messiah as as he claimed to be on the basis of Divine revelation an Ummat i Nab i —a Prophet subordinate to the Holy Prophet sa and within his ummah.The four speeches in this book present the details of the claims of the Promised Messiah as in their pristine purity.This will help those who have accepted the Promised Messiah as according to the prophesies of the Holy Prophet sa ; it will also remove the misun- derstandings caused by the misrepresentation of his claims.We are grateful to Mr.Munawar Ahmad Sa‘eed for completing the translation of the booklet, under the direction of Vak a lat-e- Ta sni f, London.Valuable assistance was provided by ‘Abdul- Wah a b Mirza, Fouzan P a l, Luqm a n Ma h mood, Salm a n Muhammad S a jid and Usm a n N as ir Chaudhary.May Allah bless them all.A m i n.Mun i r-ud-D i n Shams Additional Vak i l-ut-Ta s n i f London, February 2006

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First Speech Nubuwwat of the Promised Messiah as
Maul a n a Abul ‘A ta J a llundhar i

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About the Author Maul a n a Abul ‘A ta J a llundhar i (1904–1977)
Maul a n a Abul ‘A ta J a llundhar i was born in district J a llundhar in 1904.At the age of eleven his father brought him to Qadian for studies, where he completed his Honours in Arabic with distinction.For five years he served as the Missionary In-charge for Palestine, and acquired great proficiency in Arabic.He started al-Bushr a magazine in 1933 and also started the magazine al- Furq a n.He was a prolific writer and wrote numerous books in Urdu and Arabic.He held many public debates on various topics, including one with Maulav i Thana’ull a h Amritsar i.He served as the Principal of J a mi‘ah Ahmadiyyah and J a mi‘atul- Mubashshir i n from 1944 to 1958.He was also one of the members of the delegations of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at in 1953 and 1974 to the Government of Pakistan.He also served as a member of the Ift a’ [Jurisprudence] Committee for many years until his death.He is one of the three members of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at who have been given the title, “ Kh a lid-e-Ahmadiyyat” by Hadrat Mu s le h -e-Mau‘ u d ra.

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Nubuwwat of the Promised Messiah as References up to 1914 from those who did not take the pledge of allegiance with the Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyyah after the demise of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra
The Messiah of the age has now appeared on the earth; Allah has fulfilled that which He had promised on that day.Blessed is he who believes now, And ranks with the Companions of the Holy Prophet sa by accepting me.The same elixir has been offered to them by the Hospitable God.Glory is to Him who puts my enemies to shame.(Urdu couplets of the Promised Messiah as ) During the blessed life of the Promised Messiah ( ‘alaihis sal a m ), all Ahmad i s hovered around his spiritual light like moths.They fully recognised his status.All followers firmly believed that by being a servant of the Holy Prophet ( s allallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam ), and deriving spiritual grace from him, the Promised Messiah as became an Ummat i Nab i.They all offered, with utmost zeal and loving devotion, all kinds of sacrifices for the propagation of Islam.

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 8 The editor of Badr declared this belief as following: Listen! Every Ahmad i is firmly established on the belief that the holy, noble, and righteous personage, whom people call Mirz a Qadian i , is a Nab i chosen by God.( Badr , June 18, 1908, p.11) According to the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at , no law-bearing Nab i can now come; indeed, anyone who makes such a claim is a disbeliever and liar.The only type of Nab i who can come is one within the ummah of the Holy Prophet sa , and that is provided he does does not bring any new law.The Founder of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at himself writes: Now all nubuwwats are closed except the nubuwwat of Muhammad sa.No Nab i with a new shar i ‘ah can come.A Nab i without new shar i ‘ah can appear, but only if he is within the ummah.On this basis, I am an Ummat i as well as a Nab i.( Tajalliy a t-e-Il a hiyah , Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.20, p.411–412) In March of 1914, during the establishment of the second khil a fat , some people refused to take the pledge of allegiance, and turned themselves outside the pale of khil a fat.Up until March of 1914, these people had adhered to the non-law- bearing nubuwwat of the Promised Messiah as.I will confine myself to quoting their references in their own words.These clear statements do not require any further comments or explanations.The first and the second reference deal with fundamental principles, and with the true meanings of Kh a taman-Nabiyy i n 2 and l a nabiyya ba‘d i 3.In addition to these two, there are twenty references in which the old and the young 2.Seal of the Prophets, a title bestowed upon the Holy Prophet sa in the Holy Qur’ a n—al-Ahz a b, 33:41 3.Words of a Saying of the Holy Prophet sa literally meaning: There is no Prophet after me.

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Nubuwwat of the Promised Messiah 9 of Group have declared acceptance of the nubuwwat and ris a lat of the Promised Messiah as.The references follow: True Meaning of Khatm-e-Nubuwwat Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i , who, from March 15, 1914 to October 13, 1951, was the am i r of the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman- e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam [the people who denied prophethood after the first Khalifah ] writes: This Community believes that the Holy Prophet sa is Kh a taman-Nabiyy i n in the truest sense.We believe that any Nab i , whether old or new, cannot come by acquiring the status of nubuwwat without the intermediation of the Holy Prophet sa.After the Holy Prophet sa , Almighty Allah has closed all doors of nubuwwat and ris a lat , but the door has not been closed for the perfect followers of the Holy Prophet sa who follow him completely and acquire the Light of God by fully adopting the colour of his perfect morals, because they are a reflection of the same holy and exalted personage.Other Muslims believe that Prophet ‘ I s a as who passed away six hundred years before him, will return—this belief definitely breaks the Khatm-e-Nubuwwat.( Review of Religions , Urdu, May 1908, p.186) True Significance of L a Nabiyya Ba‘d i Maulav i ‘Umar D i n of Simla said: Our opponents have raised great clamour in interpreting l a nabiyya ba‘d i [there is no Nab i after me].In their speeches, they repeatedly refer to this and thereby declare that the claims of the Promised Messiah as amounted to kufr and dajj a liyyat [appearance of Antichrist].The truth is that the condition of these people is like the leaders of the Jews.The meaning of there being no Nab i after the Holy Prophet sa is that there cannot be a Ras u l who brings a new nubuwwat or shar i ‘ah.

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 10 There can be a Nab i who is a servant of the Holy Prophet sa.A scholar of h ad i th, Mullah ‘Al i Q a r i , has made this meaning very clear in elaborating the meanings of the h ad i th , “If Ibr a h i m had lived he would have been a Nab i.” ( Paigh a m-e- S ul h , 4 September 16, 1913) A Few Quotations from the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i Chosen and Exalted Ras u l 1) Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i , during his speech in the Ahmadiyyah Building Lahore, said: Whatever meanings the opponents may adopt, we are firmly established on the belief that God can raise A ñ biy a’.He can grant to people the status of the s idd i q [truthful], the shah i d [martyrs], and the sa le h [righ- teous].But there needs to be one who asks.The one at whose hand we pledged allegiance was true, he was a chosen and exalted Ras u l , and the spirit of purification had reached its zenith in him.(Speech of Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i , Ahmadiyyah Buildings, quoted in al- H akam , July 18, 1908, p.6) Claimant of Ris a lat 2) In commenting upon the attitude of the critics of the Promised Messiah as and comparing this situation with Char a gh D i n of Jammu, Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i writes: 4.Official organ of the Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam.

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Nubuwwat of the Promised Messiah 11 Is it not surprising that a man 5 ; who is a supporter of Islam and makes a claim of ris a lat , and is establishing the truthfulness of Islam all over the world and is refuting all false doctrines; is being so bombarded with edicts of apostasy as to make his life totally constrained, but when another person 6 makes a claim of ris a lat in support of Christianity but outwardly claims to be a Muslim, nobody writes a line in opposition of him.( Review of Religions , Urdu, May 1906, p.166) Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian is Such a Nab i 3) Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i writes: Such a Nab i has been raised by Almighty Allah at this time.But people deny his truthfulness, just as they had denied the truthfulness of the earlier ones.Alas! These people should reflect.Have they not been shown the signs that no human can show? Is he not saving them from sin as the earlier A ñ biy a’ did? Does he not create in them the belief in an All-Knowing and All-Powerful Being, which was inculcated in the earlier nations? Such a Nab i is Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian.( Review of Religions, vol.3, July 7, 1904, p.248) Pious Prophets of India 4) Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i writes: We believe that the promise of an avatar, which was given to them, was from God.Almighty Allah fulfilled that promise in the person of the righteous Nab i of 5.i.e., the Promised Messiah as.6.i.e., Char a gh D i n of Jammu.

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 12 India, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as of Qadian.(Review of Religions, November 1904, p.411) Promised Mursal 7 of Latter Days 5) Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i writes: To recognise God and to be certain that He really exists is something unique.It can be attained only by observing the miraculous signs of the power and knowl- edge of God.Such signs are shown only by the Prophets and Messengers of God.It has been the way of God since the beginning that when faith is totally wiped out of the hearts of people, He shows His extraordinary powers by showing miraculous signs through the Prophets.Thus, He creates certainty about His existence in the hearts of people, which creates a pious change in them.Such is the need of this time, because the signs shown by the previous Prophets have become old stories.Nowadays people do not attain such a living and strong faith in their hearts as can burn the inclination towards sin.This is the reason that moral conditions have deteri- orated and people have become negligent of spiritual development.Therefore, at this time Almighty Allah sent a Mursal and it is the same Nab i that had been, from the beginning, prophesied to appear in the latter days.Because He who had made the promise knew that someone sent by Him would be needed in the latter days.Therefore, in accordance with this promise, He sent the one appointed by Him to revive faith and reli- gion, so that he should create the certainty of faith in Him in the hearts of people and should demonstrate such powerful signs of God as were witnessed by people 7.One who has been sent by God.

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Nubuwwat of the Promised Messiah 13 during the times of the earlier Prophets.Man cannot safeguard himself from the bondage of sin as long as living faith is not created.Without faith man cannot be saved from sin and it is impossible to acquire certainty without observing the fresh manifestations of the power of God.Fresh signs cannot be demonstrated without the coming of one who has been appointed by God.Such a one, a Mursal who can create certainty of faith, is the Founder of the Ahmadiyyah Community.( Review of Religions , Urdu, May 1906, p.182–183) A Nab i in Accordance with the Way of God 6) In his review of the magazine Tash’ hi dh-ul-Adhh a n , Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i writes: The Tash’ hi dh-ul-Adh a n , a quarterly journal, has started publication from Qadian and its first number has just become available.It is an example of the high resolve of the young men of this Movement.May God bless it.Its annual subscription is 12 annas (5 English pence).The editor of this journal is Mirz a Bashir-ud-Din Ma h m u d Ahmad, son of the Promised Messiah as.This issue of the journal carries an Introduction from his pen covering 14 pages.It will in any case be read and appreciated by the members of the Community, but I wish to draw the attention of the opponents of the Movement to it as a clear proof of the truth of the Movement ….The summary of the essay is that when the world is corrupted and, leaving the way appointed by God, people indulge in all kinds of sins, covet material desires as vultures devour carrion, and are totally oblivious to the Hereafter; it is the way of Allah that He appoints a Nab i at such times.He spreads the true teaching and brings people to the right path.The people, blinded by

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 14 sin, and intoxicated by worldly desires, laugh at the Nab i or persecute him.They also persecute his companions and try to put an end to his community.However, since that is a community established by God, it cannot be destroyed by human will.Rather, the Nab i informs his followers that the opponents will be defeated in the end, and God will annihilate some of them to bring the others to the right path; and this is the way it happens.This is the way of Allah since eternity and this is what has happened now.( Review of Religions , Urdu, March 1906, p.117–118) M i r Ha mid Sh a h of Sialkot 7) M i r Ha mid Sh a h of Sialkot writes: Understand this point, my dears! Understand it well, We should never forget the teachings of the Messiah.The Nab i , Mulham , the Mujaddid —he is all of these.We should continue to make that proclamation.(Urdu couplets, Paigh a m-e- S ul h , December 28, 1913, p.8) Dr.Sayyed Muhammad H usain Sh a h 8) Dr.Sayyed Muhammad H usain Sh a h of Lahore writes: We thank Allah the Most High hundreds upon thou- sands of times that the revelation from God 8 has been fulfilled today.It proves to the world that these are the words of God and the one who brought it is a true Mursal.Allah has conclusively proved the point.( Supplement to Paigh a m-e- S ul h , July 27, 1913) 8.The reference is to the revelation to the Promised Messiah as in Arabic: The Romans have been defeated.

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Nubuwwat of the Promised Messiah 15 Dr.Bash a rat Ahmad 9) Dr.Bash a rat Ahmad writes: In summary, they will be Prophets and Messengers, but at the same time they will also be Ummat i —within the dispensation of the Holy Prophet sa ; because, in this way their ris a lat or nubuwwat will not be contrary to Khatm- e-Nubuwwat.( Paigh a m-e- S ul h , February 24, 1914) Dr.Mirz a Ya‘q u b Baig 10) In reference to the Promised Messiah as , Dr.Mirz a Ya‘q u b Baig writes: It is a grace of God that for dotards like us He has raised A ñ biy a’ , auliy a’ , and s ula ha’ in every age.( Supplement to Paigh a m-e- S ul h , March 5, 1914) Maulav i Muhammad A h san of Amroha 11) Maulav i Muhammad A h san of Amroha writes: In the progeny of Hadrat Ibrah i m as , the Promised Messiah as was born among the children of Isaac as so that the prophecy:...and thus do We reward those who do good.(al-An‘ a m, 6:85) may be fulfilled from both sons.From the children of Ishmael as , such perfect and complete leaders of the Messengers (may peace and blessings of Allah upon him) be born that his followers be declared as: You are the best people...( al- e-‘Imr a n, 3:111)......

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 16 And from the children of Isaac as such a Nab i , the Promised Messiah as be born who is a servant of Ahmad sa , but along with it, he is also a Nab i.Thus the promise,...We placed nubuwwat among his descendants...(al- ‘ A nk a bu t , 29:28) be fulfilled.( Supplement to Badr, January 26, 1911, p.2) 12) Maulav i Muhammad A h san of Amroha also writes: The holy personage “Mirz a Sahib” has attained that secondary nubuwwat which had been promised for those who follow Allah and the Holy Prophet sa.As Allah the Most High says: And whoso obeys Allah and this Messenger of His shall be among those on whom Allah has bestowed His bless- ings, namely, the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs, and the Righteous.(al-Nis a’ , 4:70) According to this verse, those who are the embodiment of this promise can be s idd i q , s hah i d , or sa li hi n.And so also they can also be A ñ biy a’ , for this reason the Promised Messiah as has been called Nab i ullah at many places in authentic a ha d i th.(Footnote, Ris a lah Attiby a n f i Istehl a li ss iby a n, July 1908) 13) As Secretary to the Bahisht i Maqbarah 9 , Maulav i Muhammad A h san of Amroha writes: 9.Cemetery established by the Promised Messiah as in Qadian in accordance with a vision..........

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Nubuwwat of the Promised Messiah 17 The Promised Messiah and the Mahd i as came for the fulfilment of the promise: They are informed of their ranks in Paradise.And this cemetery was shown to the Promised Messiah as in a vision about two years before his demise in accordance with the h ad i th that: No Nab i passes away until he is shown by Allah his place of rest in Paradise.Therefore, although he breathed his last in Lahore, he was buried in this Bahisht i Maqbarah in accordance with the h ad i th : The death of travelers is martyrdom.(Signed July 27, 1908, Register office Bahisht i Maqbarah) Statements Under Oath of Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i in the Court 14) a.In the presence of Promised Messiah as , Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i appeared as a witness on May 13, 1904.On being questioned by Khw a j a Kam a l-ud-D i n he said: Anyone who denies the truthfulness of a Prophet is a great liar.Mirz a Sahib has claimed to be a Nab i.His followers believe him to be true in this claim and his opponents consider him false.The Holy Prophet sa is true according to Muslims and false according to the Christians.b.On June 16, 1904, in the presence of the Promised Messiah as , in response to the critique made by Maulav i Karam D i n, Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i said: Mirz a Sahib makes a claim of nubuwwat in his writings.The purport of his claim is that, “I am a Nab i but I have brought no new shar i ‘ah.” According to the Holy Qur’ a n

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 18 anyone who treats such a true claimant as a liar is a great liar.(Court Proceedings, p.362) Speech of Khw a j a Kam a l-ud-D i n 15) Al- H akam dated May 14, 1911 reports: The Bat a lv i , in his essay in Paisa Newspaper says that Khw a j a Sahib has repudiated that the Promised Messiah as is a Nab i or a Ras u l.But the Bat a lv i will be mortified to learn that within his home Bat a la, Khw a j a Sahib stated clearly in his lecture that, “In your neigh- bourhood has appeared a Nab i and Ras u l.It is up to you to believe in him or not.” 16) In the case of Maulav i Karam D i n of Bhai ñ [District Jehlum], acting as attorneys, Khw a j a Kam a l-ud-D i n and Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i , submitted the following statement under the signature of the Promised Messiah as : There is another view of the matter according to Mo h amedan theology.One who belies a person claiming to be a Prophet is a kadhdh a b [great liar] and this has been admitted by prosecution evidence.Now the complainant knew perfectly well that the first accused claimed that position and, notwithstanding that, he belied the accused.Consequently in religious terminology the complainant was a kadhdh a b.(Proceedings Gurdaspur Court, p.194)

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Nubuwwat of the Promised Messiah 19 Excerpts from Paigh a m-e- S u lh A Ras u l of God 17) On December 18, 1913, Paigh a m-e- S ul h writes: These calamities tell that a Messenger and vicegerent of the Holy Prophet sa should appear in the world to prepare a community possessing the characteristics of true believers in accordance with the promise that:...and We never punish until We have sent a Messenger...(Ban i Isr a ’ i l, 17:16) But he who does not accept will be awakened by powerful assaults.That is how it happened.Calamities are Appearing Due to Denial of a Ras u l 18) On January 25, 1914, Paigh a m-e- S ul h writes: How good would it be if the Muslims ponder over:...and We never punish until We have sent a Messenger.(Ban i Isr a ’ i l, 17:16) Thereby they should try to search for the Ras u l because of whose denial these calamities are appearing so frequently.Combined Statement 19) Paigh a m-e- S ul h writes on September 7, 1913 that: It is our faith that we are among the first devotees of the Promised Messiah as.It was in our presence that his pious personage left the world.It is our faith that the Promised......

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 20 Messiah as and the awaited Mahd i as was a true Ras u l.He appeared to guide mankind in this age.By following him alone the world can find salvation.We declare these matters everywhere and by the grace of Allah, we cannot forsake these beliefs for the sake of anybody.Combined Testimony of All Ahl-e-Paigh a m 10 20) Combined testimony of all Ahl-e-Paigh a m: All we Ahmad i s who are associated one way or another with the newspaper Paigh a m-e- S ul h , declare openly taking God—Who knows the secrets of the hearts—as our witness that it is falsehood to spread such misunder- standings about us.We believe that the Promised Messiah and the awaited Mahd i as was a Nab i , Ras u l , and saviour of this age.It is our faith that the salvation of the world depends upon accepting the Holy Prophet sa and his servant the Promised Messiah as.We also believe his true khal i fah our lord and leader Maul a n a Hadrat Maulav i N u r-ud-D i n ra to be a righteous leader.If after this announcement anybody spreads misunderstandings about us, then we entrust our affair to Allah....And I entrust my cause to Allah.Verily, Allah sees all His servants.(al-Mu’min, 40:45) ( Paigh a m-e- S ul h , October 16, 1913) 10.Ahl-e-Paigh a m refers to the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e- Islam because their organ is Paigh a m-e- S ul h....

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Nubuwwat of the Promised Messiah 21 In the end, we present one reference which amply and conclusively states the agreed doctrine of all Ahmad i s.Agreed Doctrine of all Ahmad i s 1) Sheikh ‘Abdur Ra h m a n Mi sri has written: I am an Ahmad i belonging to the period of the Promised Messiah as.I took the pledge of allegiance in 1905.I believe the Promised Messiah as to be a Nab i , in the same way as I believe in all the other Prophets and Messen- gers.I made no distinctions in the significance of nubu- wwat at that time, nor do I make it now.I was not acquainted with terms like isti‘ a ra and maj a z 2.Later, the sense in which I saw these words used in the books of the Promised Messiah as does not go against my belief.In this sense, I still consider his holiness (may peace be upon him) to be a Nab i by way of reflection—i.e., without a new shar i ‘ah , and a Nab i who acquires that status by full obedience to the Holy Prophet sa and loses himself in the obedience of the Holy Prophet sa.My faith is based on the speeches and writings of the Promised Messiah as and the agreed doctrine of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at.(Signed: ‘Abdur Ra h m a n, Headmaster Madrassa Ahmadiyyah , August 24, 1935) 3 To sum up, the belief of the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e- Islam about the prophethood of the Promised Messiah as is exactly the same as that held by the mainstream Ahmad i s, 2.Terms in Sufi ’ism referring to the acquisition of a spiritual sta- tus by way of symbolism or reflection.3.This signed statement of Mi sri Sahib is available in the records of the Jam a ‘at.It has been published repeatedly in al-Fa d l and al-Furq a n.

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 22 because they have never repudiated the statements quoted above.The Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at also believes that the Promised Messiah as was a reflection and servant of the Holy Prophet sa and was a non-law-bearing Prophet within the ummah of the Holy Prophet sa.And Allah is a witness over what we say.

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Second Speech Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyyah and the Pledge of Allegiance to Khilafat
Maul a n a Sheikh Mub a rak Ahmad

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About the Author Maul a n a Sheikh Mub a rak Ahmad (1910–2001)
Born in rural Multan, India (now Pakistan) on October 10, 1910, Maul a n a Sheikh Mub a rak Ahmad devoted his life in the service of Ahmadiyyat and Islam at the age of twenty-one.He was one of the pioneering missionaries in East Africa, where he worked from 1934 to 1962.From 1962 to 1979, he held several important positions at the headquarters of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at.From 1979 to 1983, he served as the Im a m of the London Mosque.In 1983, he came to the United States and served as the National Am i r.Maul a n a Sheikh Mub a rak Ahmad retired in 1990, but remained active in the service of Islam in various official and personal capacities.He also translated the Holy Qur’ a n and a book of H ad i th ( Riya d u s- sa li hi n ) into the Swaheli language.Maul a n a Sheikh Mub a rak Ahmad has the honour of serving Islam and Ahmadiyyat as a devotee in four continents—Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America.He was an eloquent speaker, a prolific writer and an astute administrator.

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Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyyah and the Pledge of Allegiance to Khilafat • Sayings of the Promised Messiah as • Sayings of Ha d rat Khalifatul Masih I ra • Sayings, up to the establishment of the second khil a fat , of those outside the pledge of khil a fat Those who have not pledged allegiance to the Khilafat-e- Ahmadiyyah have adopted the position that there will not be khil a fat of an individual after the Promised Messiah as ; rather, he has appointed the Anjuman 11 as his khal i fah and has thereby put an end to the khil a fat by person.On the contrary, those who have pledged allegiance to the Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyyah are established on the belief that the system of khil a fat , which was established after the Holy Prophet ( s allall a hu ‘alaihi wa sallam ) has been re-established after the Promised Messiah ( ‘alaihis sal a m ).Which of these beliefs is correct and which Community is on the right path? To find the answer, it is necessary that we turn to the writings of the Promised Messiah as.Moreover, we should seek guidance from the sayings of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra because those now outside the pledge of khil a fat accepted him to be the first khalif a h of the Promised Messiah as.They declared 11.Anjuman here refers to the S adr Anjuman Ahmadiyyah.

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 28 that his sayings would be as sacred as those of the Promised Messiah as.Finally, the statements, up to the establishment of the second khil a fat, of those who did not take the pledge also point towards the right path.Sayings of the Promised Messiah as In this respect, I will present two types of sayings from the Promised Messiah as : (I) sayings of a general nature in which there are promises of the establishment of khil a fat among the Muslims on a permanent basis after the Holy Prophet sa and (II) specific sayings in which it is pointed out clearly that there would be khil a fat after the Promised Messiah as.Sayings of a General Nature 1) In his book Shah a dat-ul-Qur’ a n , the Promised Messiah as writes: Some people deny the general application to all Muslims of the verse: Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He shall surely make them Succes- sors in the earth, as He made Successors from among those who were before them...(al-N u r, 24:56) They contend that “those among you” here means only the Companions ( ra d i-Allaho ‘anhum ) and that khil a fat came to an end with them; that it would not re-appear among the Muslims up to the Day of Judgment.In other words, the khil a fat appeared only as a dream or fancy for a brief period of thirty years; after that period...

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Khilafat-i-Ahmadiyyah and the Pledge of Allegiance to Khilafat 29 Islam entered upon an everlasting period of doom.( Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.6, p.330) 2) He further states in the same book: How can I say that anyone who studies these verses care- fully would not understand that Allah the Most High has made a promise of everlasting khil a fat for the ummah ? If khil a fat was not permanent, then what was the significance of drawing a parallel with the khulaf a’ of the Mosaic dispensation? If the righteous khil a fat was to be limited to thirty years and thereafter its period was to be closed forever, then it follows that Allah the Most High had not ordained that the doors of good fortune remain open for the followers of the Holy Prophet sa.( Ibid., p.353) In these writings, the Promised Messiah as is correcting the point of view of those who believed that the khil a fat was confined to the Companions ra and it closed thereafter.In these writings he made it very clear that the promise contained in the quoted verse is the promise of an everlasting bliss.3) The basic reason for the establishment of khil a fat also requires that we believe in the general application of the quoted verse.In the same book, Shah a dat-ul-Qur’ a n , the Promised Messiah as writes: Since no one can live forever, Allah the Exalted ordained that the A ñ biy a’ , who are the most honour- able and the best people of the earth, continue their existence upon the earth by way of reflection.For this purpose, God instituted khil a fat so that the world should at no time be deprived of the blessings of the nubuwwat.He who limits it to thirty years, foolishly overlooks the true purpose of a khal i fah, and does not

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 30 realise that God did not design that the blessings of khil a fat to be limited to thirty years after the death of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and that, thereafter the world may go to ruin.… ( Ibid., p.353–354) Specific Sayings After these statements of general applicability, I will now offer statements which prove beyond a shadow of doubt that the chain of khil a fat was destined to remain unbroken after the Promised Messiah as and that this khil a fat would be personal and would be patterned after the righteous khulaf a’ who followed the Holy Prophet sa.1) In H am a mat-ul-Bushr a , the Promised Messiah as has narrated a h ad i th of the Holy Prophet sa and has written: Then the Promised Messiah or one of his khulaf a’ would travel towards Damascus.( R uhani Khaz a ’in , vol.7, p.225) By writing this, the Promised Messiah as has made two very clear statements in favour of khil a fat : One, that the Holy Prophet sa has promised that the Promised Messiah as would be followed by khulaf a’ , one of whom would travel to Damascus; second, he accepted the applicability of this h ad i th to himself and thus— fifteen years before his demise—he declared that he would be followed by several khulaf a’ , one of whom would travel to Damascus.2) Shortly before his demise, the Promised Messiah as wrote al-Wa s iyyat.In it he writes: He lets them sow the seed of it [the truth], but He does not let it come to full fruition at their hands.Rather He causes them to die at such time as apparently forebodes a

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Khilafat-i-Ahmadiyyah and the Pledge of Allegiance to Khilafat 31 kind of failure and thereby provides an opportunity for the opponents to laugh at, ridicule, taunt, and reproach the Prophets as.And after they have had their fill of ridi- cule and reproach, He reveals yea another dimension of his Might and creates such means by which the objec- tives which had to some extent remained incomplete are fully realized.Thus He manifests two kinds of Powers.(1) First He shows the Hand of His Power at the hands of His Proph- ets as themselves.(2) Second when with the death of a Prophet, difficulties and problems arise and the enemy feels stronger and thinks that things are in disarray and is convinced that now this Jam a ‘at will become extinct and even members of the Jam a ‘at, too, are in quandary and their backs are broken, and some of the unfortunate ones choose paths that lead to apostasy, then it is that God for the second time shows His Mighty Power and supports and takes care of the shaken Jam a ‘at.Thus one who remains steadfast till the end witnesses this miracle of God.This is what happened at the time of Hadrat Ab u Bakr S idd i q ra , when the demise of the Holy Prophet sa was considered untimely and many an igno- rant Bedouins turned apostate.The companions ra of the Holy Prophet sa , too, stricken with grief, became like those who lose their senses.Then Allah raised Ab u Bakr S idd i q ra and showed for the second time the manifesta- tion of His Power and saved Islam, just when it was about to fall, and fulfilled the promise which was spelled out in the verse:......

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 32 that is, after the fear we shall firmly re-establish them 12 … ( al-Wa s iyyat, Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.20, p.304–305) Then the Promised Messiah as continues: So dear friends! since it is the Sunnatull a h [way of God], from times immemorial, that God Almighty shows two Manifestations so that two false joys of the opponents be put to an end, it is not possible now that God should relinquish His Sunnah of old.So do not grieve over what I have said to you; and nor your hearts should be distressed.For it is essential for you to witness the second Manifestation also, and its Coming is better for you because it is everlasting the continuity of which will not end till the Day of Judgement.And that second Manifestation cannot come unless I depart.But when I depart, God will send that second Manifestation for you which shall always stay with you as promised by God in Br a h i n-e-Ahmadiyyah 13.( Ibid.) Many conclusions flow from this writing of the Promised Messiah as.First.The second manifestation refers to the khulaf a’ , because the Promised Messiah as writes, “Then Almighty Allah raised Hadrat Ab u Bakr ra to show His second manifestation.” By giving the example of Hadrat Ab u Bakr ra , the Promised Messiah as makes it clear that the second manifestation means khil a fat.12.The full meanings of the verse are: ‘…and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them; and that He will surely give them in exchange security and peace after their fear…’ (al-N u r, 24:56) 13.The first book of the Promised Messiah as , published in four parts in 1880, 1882 and 1884.

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Khilafat-i-Ahmadiyyah and the Pledge of Allegiance to Khilafat 33 Second.The Promised Messiah as does not limit the application of A yat-e-Istikhl a f 14 in the Holy Qur’ a n to those appointed directly by God; rather he gives it a general application and regards it as the type of khil a fat which was bestowed upon Hadrat Ab u Bakr ra.Thus, the chain of khulaf a’ —which started with Hadrat Ab u Bakr ra —is a manifestation of the promise made by Allah the Most High in that verse.Third.It can also be concluded that it is destined that the believers will face trials and tribulations after the demise of the Prophets.These trials have been warded off through the khulaf a’.This ancient tradition must also be fulfilled in the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at.As the Promised Messiah as writes, “It is not possible that Allah the Most High should change His eternal way.” That is: the Jam a ‘at was destined to face a severe tribulation after the demise of the Promised Messiah as.A condition of fear would arise, but it would be turned into a peaceful situation in accordance with the eternal way of God.The fact is that the Jam a ‘at faced many a trial and Allah the Most High protected the Jam a ‘at through the khulaf a’.Thus, the eternal way of God was fulfilled.Fourth.These writings also show that the second manifestation would be granted continuation.Up to the Day of Judgment, khulaf a’ will continue to appear in the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at.The organisation of the Jam a ‘at will continue to gain strength upon strength and it will become so firmly established that the khil a fat will 14.al-N u r, 24:56.

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 34 continue up to the Day of Judgment as the Promised Messiah as writes, “It is eternal and its chain will not be broken up to the Day of Judgment.” Fifth.The second manifestation would appear after the demise of the Promised Messiah as.The second manifestation would come after he is gone, as he writes, “That second manifestation cannot come until I go.” The Anjuman 15 had been established during the lifetime of the Promised Messiah as , but the Promised Messiah as writes about the second manifestation that it “cannot come until I go.” As I have stated earlier, the second manifestation refers to khil a fat.The question of successors does not arise as long as the prin- cipal is present and therefore the Promised Messiah as writes that, “The second manifestation cannot come until I go.” In other words, the system of khil a fat would be established after his demise as it was established after the Holy Prophet sa.All these conclusions, which flow from the writings in al- Wa s iyyat , show that the system of khil a fat would be established forever after the Promised Messiah as and it would always be khil a fat in the form of a person.3) In Sabz Ishtih a r [ Green Pamphlet ] the Promised Messiah as writes: The second way of sending mercy is to send Messengers and Prophets, divinely inspired scholars, auliy a’ , and khulaf a’ , so that people may be guided to the right path through their leadership and guidance and should attain salvation by following their way.So, Allah the Most High decreed that the progeny of this humble one may 15.Anjuman here refers to the S adr Anjuman Ahmadiyyah.

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Khilafat-i-Ahmadiyyah and the Pledge of Allegiance to Khilafat 35 manifest both these forms.(Footnote, Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.2, p.462) This writing also shows that the system of khil a fat would be established in the Community of the Promised Messiah as and some of the khulaf a’ would be from his progeny.4) One and a half months before his demise, the Promised Messiah as made a speech in Lahore in which he said: The Sufi s have said that the person who is to be the khal i fah after a sheikh or a Ras u l or a Nab i is the first one who is inspired by God to accept the truth.The death of a Ras u l is a severe earthquake and is a time of great danger.But Almighty Allah provides reassurance through a khal i fah , and that khal i fah revives and strengthens afresh the purpose of the advent of the deceased.Why did the Holy Prophet sa not appoint his khal i fah to succeed him? It was because he knew very well that Almighty Allah would Himself appoint a khal i fah.The Promised Messiah as continued: In one revelation Allah the Most High has addressed me as sheikh , “You are the sheikh , the Messiah, whose time will not be wasted.” ( al- H akm, April 14, 1905) This also proves that there would be khulaf a’ after the Promised Messiah as.5) In Paigh a m-e- S ul h the Promised Messiah as writes: Those who are outside my Community are all disunited in their ways and thoughts.They do not follow a leader whose obedience is incumbent upon them.( Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.23, p.455)

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 36 It is obvious that the leader whose obedience is incumbent upon everyone after the Nab i, is a khal i fah.It was therefore essential that the system of khil a fat be established in the Jam a ‘at so that it may not revert to a scattered condition in nature and thoughts.6) Similarly, in Paigh a m-e- S ul h 16 the Promised Messiah as wrote inviting the Hindus to a pledge of peace and in relation to the breach of that pledge: They would pay a substantial penalty, not less than 300,000 rupees, to the leader of the Ahmadiyyah Jam a ‘at.( Ibid.) This also shows that it is essential that a leader and an Im a m, whose obedience is incumbent upon all members, must always be present in the Jam a ‘at; otherwise the pledge would be mean- ingless.These sayings of the Promised Messiah as clearly prove that the system of khil a fat is destined to continue after the Promised Messiah as and it would be the righteous khil a fat in the form of individuals.Parliaments or societies have never been established as khulaf a’ nor would they be in future.Sayings of H a dr at Khalifatul Masih I ra Hadrat Maul a n a H ak i m N u r-ud-D i n ra was appointed to the office of khil a fat on May 27, 1908.From then upto the time of his demise, he explained the importance of khil a fat , and adher- ence to it, in several of his speeches and sermons.16.The last book written by the Promised Messiah as.

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Khilafat-i-Ahmadiyyah and the Pledge of Allegiance to Khilafat 37 On the demise of the Promised Messiah as , he was approached by many leaders of the Jam a ‘at to take the leadership and accept the pledge of allegiance.These included Khw a j a Kam a l-ud- D i n, Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i and many of their friends.The response which he gave them is worthy of note: 1) If you insist upon making the covenant with me then bear in mind that bai‘at means to be sold.On one occasion Hadrat Sahib [the Promised Messiah as ] indicated to me that I should put the thought of my home out of my mind.Thereafter my entire honour and all thinking became attached to him and I have never thought of my home.Thus, bai‘at is a difficult matter.A person who makes a bai‘at gives up all his freedom and high flights… Concluding the speech he said, “Remember all goodness proceeds from unity.A Jam a ‘at which has no leader is dead.” ( Badr, June 2, 1908) 2) After assuming the office of khil a fat he said: Now I am your khal i fah.If anyone should say that the name N u r-ud-D i n is not mentioned in al-Wa s iyyat by Hadrat Sahib [The Promised Messiah as ], I would counter: Nor are the names of Adam as and Ab u Bakr ra mentioned in earlier prophecies.The whole Jam a ‘at has accepted me as khal i fah by consensus.Anyone who goes against that consensus puts himself in opposition to God.Then listen with attention that if you act contrary to your covenant, your hearts will be filled with hypoc- risy.( Badr, June 2,1908) 3) Then again, he said: I remind you again that the Holy Qur’ a n sets forth clearly that it is Allah Who appoints khulaf a’.

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 38 Remember Adam as was made khal i fah by God, Who said:...I am about to appoint a vicegerent [ khal i fah ] on earth...(al-Baqarah, 2:31) What good did the angels achieve by raising an objec- tion to it? You can find it from the Holy Qur’ a n and see that they had to prostrate on account of Adam as.If someone objects to my khil a fat , even if he be an angel, I would respond: It is better for you to submit to the khil a fat of Adam as.If he becomes Ibl i s [Satan] by acting with disobedience and pride, he should ponder: what benefit did Ibl i s derive from his opposition? I repeat: if anyone objects to my khil a fat , and such an objector is an angel, he will be brought by his right nature to submit to Adam as.( Badr, July 4, 1912) 4) Continuing the same speech, he said: Khilafat is no light affair.You can derive no benefit by agitating this question.No one will make any of you khal i fah , nor can there be one in my lifetime.When I die it will be only that one concerning whom God so wills who will become khal i fah ….You have made a covenant with me.You should not raise the question of khal i fah.God has made me khal i fah and now I cannot be set aside by any of you, nor has anyone the power to set me aside.If some of you persist in your attitude then remember that I have with me those who like “Kh a lid bin Wal i d” will chastise you as rebels.( Badr, July 4, 1912)......

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Khilafat-i-Ahmadiyyah and the Pledge of Allegiance to Khilafat 39 5) At another occasion, he said: I declare in the name of Allah that Allah has appointed me as khal i fah , just as He appointed Adam as , Ab u Bakr ra and ‘Umar ra as khulaf a’.( Ibid.) 6) Another of his admonitions is: If I have been made khal i fah , this is God’s doing in accordance with His design.It is true that He has made me khal i fah for your good.No power can set aside a khal i fah appointed by God.No one of you has the power or strength to set me aside.If God Almighty wills to set me aside He will cause me to die.You must commit this matter to God….The person who says that he has made me khal i fah utters a falsehood.( al- H akm, January 21, 1914) 7) Again, he has said: If anyone say that the Anjuman has made me khal i fah , he utters a falsehood.Such thinking is destructive and should be eschewed.Listen once more that no man or Anjuman has made me khal i fah , nor do I consider any Anjuman capable of appointing a khal i fah.Thus no Anjuman has made me khal i fah , nor do I attach any value to the action of any Anjuman in that context.Should the Anjuman leave me I would not pay any attention to its action.No one has the power to deprive me of the robe of the khil a fat.( Badr, July 4, 1912) 8) There is another significant statement of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra in explaining the pledge of allegiance to khil a fat and remaining faithful to khil a fat.A person wrote to Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra : Is it obligatory to take a pledge with you? He said: Whatever is commanded for the original pledge, does apply equally to the branch.The Companions ra of the Holy

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 40 Prophet sa deemed it obligatory to take the pledge at the hand of the khal i fah before burying the body of the Holy Prophet sa.( Badr , March 3, 1911, p.9) This makes it clear that taking the pledge with every khal i fah is obligatory.The previous statements make it clear that Allah appoints whomsoever He wills as khal i fah.After the Promised Messiah as , Allah will appoint whom He wills.The obedience to all the khulaf a’ will be obligatory just as the obedience of the righteous khulaf a’ was obligatory after the demise of the Holy Prophet sa.Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra considered himself to be the righteous khal i fah just like Hadrat Ab u Bakr ra , Hadrat ‘Umar ra and other khulaf a’.9) Another one of his statements is worthy of note: A point I wish to make is worth remembering.Despite deliberate attempts, I cannot resist saying so.I have noticed that Hadrat Khw a j a Suleim a n (mercy of Allah be upon him) was utterly devoted to the Holy Qur’ a n.I love him dearly.He served as khal i fah for seventy-eight years and he was appointed when he was twenty-two.Remember this matter; I have stated it for a special reason and purely for your benefit.( Badr, July 27, 1910) 10) In 1911 when he fell ill, he wrote a testament and handed it over to one of his pupils.He wrote: Khalifah: Ma h m u d Upon recovery he tore this paper up, which had been sealed.11) On March 4, 1914, Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra felt very weak.He asked for a pen and ink and wrote the following testament for his successor:

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Khilafat-i-Ahmadiyyah and the Pledge of Allegiance to Khilafat 41 My successor should be righteous, popular, learned and of good conduct.He should exercise forbearance towards the old and new friends of the Promised Messiah as.I have been the well-wisher of all of them so should he be.The public teachings of the Holy Qur’ a n and h ad i th should be continued.Greetings of peace.( al- H akm , March 7, 1914, p.5) He wrote this testament in his last illness and asked Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i to read it three times and asked him to confirm it.The will that he left behind relating to his successor also clearly demonstrates that Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra believed in khil a fat by an individual and believed that this is the only way that the traditions set by the righteous khulaf a’ can be preserved; he admonished that the same be adopted after his demise.Sayings—up to the Second Khilafat— of Those Who Did Not Take the Pledge of Khilafat 1) It is narrated by Hadrat Maulav i Sayyed Sarwar Sh a h (may Allah be pleased with him) that: On May 27th, 1908, on the demise of the Promised Messiah as , Khw a j a Kam a l-ud-D i n, Mirz a Ya‘q u b Baig, and Dr.Sayyed Muhammad Husain Sh a h arrived from Lahore to Qadian.Khw a j a Kam a l-ud-D i n made a very touching speech to the effect that: A Caller came from Allah, who called people towards God.We responded to his call and gathered around him.Now he has returned to his God and has left us behind.The question is: What should we do now?

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 42 Sheikh Ra h matull a h stood and said words to the effect: On my way to Qadian, I said again and again, and I repeat what I said earlier: Give leadership to the old man [i.e., Hadrat Maulav i N u r-ud-D i n ra ].Without that, this Jam a ‘at cannot stay united.Everybody agreed with him and no one objected.2) A petition was submitted to Hadrat Maul a n a N u r-ud- D i n ra bearing signatures of several members of the Jam a ‘at including Sheikh Ra h matull a h, Dr.Sayyed Muhammad H usain Sh a h, Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i , Khw a j a Kam a l- ud-D i n, and Dr.Mirz a Ya‘q u b Baig.It stated: In accordance with the instructions of the Promised Messiah as as recorded in al-Wa s iyyat , we the Ahmad i s whose signatures are subscribed below, are fully satisfied with a truthful heart, that the first among the immi- grants, Hadrat Maulav i N u r-ud-D i n ra , who is more knowledgeable and more righteous than all of us, and is the most sincere and oldest friend of our holy leader and whom he has determined to be a model for all of us, as in his couplet: How fortunate would it be if everyone of the Community were N u r-ud-D i n, So would it be if everyone were filled with the light of faith.It is therefore incumbent that, in the name of Ahmad as , all Ahmad i s who are Ahmad i s now and those who join later, take a pledge.The sayings of Hadrat Maulav i Sahib ra should bear the same value as the sayings of the Promised Messiah as.( Badr , June 2, 1908)

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Khilafat-i-Ahmadiyyah and the Pledge of Allegiance to Khilafat 43 3) After the demise of the Promised Messiah as , the whole Jam a ‘at accepted Hadrat Maul a n a N u r-ud-D i n ra as the khal i fah and took the pledge of allegiance.Khw a j a Kam a l- ud-D i n, in his capacity as the Secretary of S adr Anjuman Ahmadiyyah, made the following announcement on behalf of all members of the Anjuman: Before the funeral prayers of the Promised Messiah as were offered, in accordance with al-Wa s iyyat of the Promised Messiah as and in consultation with the leaders of the S adr Anjuman Ahmadiyyah, relatives of the Promised Messiah as and with the permission of the Mother of the Faithful, the entire Jam a ‘at numbering about 1200, took a pledge at the hand of the most honoured, Pilgrim of the Holy Places, the respected H ak i m N u r-ud-D i n ra.The following respected person- ages were among those present at the occasion: Hadrat Maul a n a Sayyed Muhammad A h san, Sahibz a dah Mirz a Bashir-ud-Din Ma h m u d Ahmad, Naw a b Muhammad ‘Al i , Sheikh Ra h matull a h, Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i , Dr.Mirz a Ya‘q u b Baig, Dr.Sayyed Muhammad H usain Sh a h, Khalifah Rash i d-ud- D i n, and the most humble Khw a j a Kam a l-ud-D i n.Continuing this statement Khw a j a Sahib said: All those present, whose number is mentioned above accepted him as Khalifatul Masih with unanimity.This letter is for the information of all members of the Jam a ‘at.On receiving this message, all members of the Jam a ‘at should personally or through letter, take a pledge of allegiance to Hadrat H ak i mul-Ummat khal i fah of the Mas ih and Mahd i.( al- H akm , and Badr , June 2, 1908)

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 44 4) At the end of 1913, the following announcement was made under the signature of Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i , Maulav i S adr D i n and Sayyed Muhammad H usain Sh a h: The whole Jam a ‘at is his follower (i.e., of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra ) and all members of the Executive Committee [of S adr Anjuman Ahmadiyyah] are under a pledge of allegiance to him and are most obedient to him.( Paigh a m-e- S ul h , December 4, 1913) 5) It was also stated by these leaders that: Pledge of allegiance was in no way contradictory to al- Wa s iyyat; indeed, it was exactly in accordance with it.( Paigh a m-e- S ul h , April 19, 1914) 6) A few days after the demise of the Promised Messiah as , on June 21 st , 1908, Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i made a speech in Lahore in which he said: When in the authentic books of these people, Hadrat Ab u Bakr ra is regarded as the successor to the Holy Prophet sa and it is clearly admitted that the killing of Musailmah in the presence of Hadrat Ab u Bakr ra amounted to his being killed in the presence of the Holy Prophet sa , and also that the attainment of the treasures of Roman and Persian emperors by Hadrat ‘Umar ra amounted to the victory of the Holy Prophet sa over these empires, then why do they not wait that some of the prophecies of the Promised Messiah as be fulfilled by his successors, sincere devotees, or progeny.(al-Hakm, July 18, 1908, vol.12, p.42)

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Khilafat-i-Ahmadiyyah and the Pledge of Allegiance to Khilafat 45 7) In December 1914, Khw a j a Kam a l-ud-D i n made a speech on “The Reasons for the Internal Controversy in Ahmadiyyah Community,” in which he said: When I performed the pledge, I stated that I would obey him and would also obey the future khulaf a ’.( Reasons for the Internal Controversy in Ahmadiyyah Community , p.70) From all these statements of those who did not pledge alle- giance to the khil a fat during the second khil a fat , it is clear that: • They agreed that the Jam a ‘at could not be established on firm grounds without khil a fat.• They understood from the writings of the Promised Messiah as in al-Wa s iyyat that there must be a khal i fah.• The election of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra was exactly in accordance with al-Wa s iyyat.• Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra was a righteous Im a m whose obedience was obligatory and his sayings amounted to the sayings of the Promised Messiah as.They believed in the coming of future khulaf a’ after Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra.• They believed that many prophecies would be fulfilled at the hands of future khulaf a’.• All the leaders admonished all members of the Jam a ‘at— old and new—to take the pledge of allegiance.

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Third Speech Positions Taken by the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam After March 13, 1914 on Nubuwwat and Khilafat in the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at
Sayyed M i r Ma h m u d Ahmad N as ir

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About the Author Sayyed M i r Ma h m u d Ahmad N as ir (1929–)
Sayyed M i r Ma h m u d Ahmad N as ir was born in 1929 at Qadian into a devoted and noble family.His father was Hadrat M i r Muhammad Is h aq ra , the younger brother of Hadrat Amm a n Jan ra.He devoted his life for the service of Islam- Ahmadiyyat and was educated at J a mi‘ah Ahmadiyyah.Sayyed M i r Ma h m u d Ahmad N as ir served as the Missionary In-charge in the United States.He represented the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at at the United Nations Conference of World Religions where his thesis on Qur’ a n’s invitation to come to the common denominator of worshipping One God was received with great appreciation.He also served as the Missionary In- charge for Spain from 1982 to 1983, and then returned to the international headquarters of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at to serve as Vak i l-ut-Ta sni f.He is currently serving as the Principal of J a mi‘ah Ahmadiyyah Rabwah, Pakistan.

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Positions Taken by the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam After March 13, 1914 on Nubuwwat and Khilafat in the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at
I First Position Taken by the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam 17 After the demise of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ( ra d i-Allaho ‘anhu ) on March 13, 1914, the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e- Ish a ‘at-e-Islam tried to bring about a change in the beliefs and doctrines of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at in an effort to discontinue the institution of khil a fat in the Jam a ‘at.To block the election of a khal i fah to whom everyone would pledge alle- giance, the idea was put forward that even if an am i r or a khal i fah is elected, taking bai’at at his hand would not be oblig- atory; only new Ahmad i s who join the Jam a ‘at would have to take the pledge.On March 15, 1914 an essay written by 17.It may be noted that the revered speaker used the term “Ahl-e- Paigh a m,” which has been adopted here as “Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam” for the convenience of the readers.

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 52 Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i was printed under the caption, An Important Announcement.He wrote: The second matter to which I would like to draw the attention of the friends is that there is no injunction or testament issued by the Promised Messiah [ ‘alaihis sal a m ] which would require that those who have joined the Jam a ‘at by taking pledge at the hand of Promised Messiah as should take a pledge at the hand of someone else.This statement of Maulav i Sahib was in contradiction to his own professed belief.At the demise of the Promised Messiah as , all of the Jam a ‘at considered it incumbent to take a pledge at the hand of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra.Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i gave a new interpretation to the following decision: I have firm faith in Allah, that this holy personage, Maulav i N u r-ud-D i n ra who has been bestowed the title of “Khalifatul Masih ,” and who alone is worthy of that title in a true sense, has been granted to us by Allah for fulfiling our spiritual needs.This is the holy, unselfish, personage with full trust in Allah that has no match in today’s world.There is no one in our Jam a ‘at of his spiritual status, knowledge and under- standing.If Allah so wills, He can create thousands of such people, but I speak only of what exists now.His knowledge and cognizance is so high, that we all would bow our heads to him even if we had not taken the pledge of allegiance.But, for the strength of the Jam a ‘at, the will of Allah inspired all of us to develop a spiritual bond with this holy and unselfish personage present among us at the demise of the Promised Messiah as.His election was not decided just by forty; rather the heads of the entire Jam a ‘at bowed to him.About fifteen- hundred members took a pledge at the same time—not a single one, male or female, remained outside the pledge.( Paigh a m-e- S ul h , March 15, 1914)

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Nubuwwat and Khilafat in the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama'at 53 It is obvious that this interpretation actually contradicted the position adopted by the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e- Islam rather than supporting it, since it pointed out that the first point of complete agreement was on the appointment of one person as a khal i fah to whom submission would be due from everyone.This was exactly according to the will of Allah.After about one month, the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e- Islam came out with a new version of their interpretation.In a long essay entitled: “Open Letter to Maulav i Sher ‘Al i ,” Paigh a m-e- S ul h writes: For the sake of God, avoid blind following.If we say that Hadrat Maul a n a N u r-ud-D i n ra did not follow al-Wa s iyyat or that the Jam a ‘at made a mistake, it does not take anything away from their holiness.Human beings do commit such mistakes.The Jam a ‘at or respected Maul a n a Sahib did not do it on purpose.( Paigh a m-e- S ul h , April 22, 1914) The two interpretations show that when one forsakes the truth, he slips and cannot find firm footing.On March 15, it was stated that the election of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra was in accordance with Divine will and that his personage was the same as the personage of the Promised Messiah as.But on April 22, he did not hesitate to state—in support of his modified doctrine—that the complete agreement reached by all Ahmad i s and endorsed by the S adr Anjuman Ahmadiyyah after the demise of Promised Messiah as and in the presence of his holy body, was contrary to the testament of the Promised Messiah as and that Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra was a party to this violation.

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 54 II Second Position Taken by the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam The second doctrine which the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e- Ish a ‘at-e-Islam adopted about khil a fat after the demise of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra was that if a khal i fah or an am i r is elected, the S adr Anjuman Ahmadiyyah would not be answer- able to him; rather, the Anjuman would be independent in its decisions, and its decisions would be final.Its interpretations would be binding and no one would have the right to instruct it or to reject its decisions.On March 22, 1914, the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam expressed their disagreement with Hadrat Khalifatul Masih II ra on this point in the following words: As regards the S adr Anjuman Ahmadiyyah, he [Khalifatul Masih II ra ] wants to keep complete control with himself.We disagree with that because the Promised Messiah as has regarded the Anjuman as the vicegerent of the khal i fah appointed by God and has regarded its decisions as final unless a Ma’m u r [appointed by God] cancels them on the basis of a revelation from God.On the one hand, the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam regarded the Anjuman as completely independent and free, and regarded its decisions as final and binding.But on the other hand, when they found its decisions to be at variance with their own doctrines, they made fun of it.On March 22, 1914, Paigh a m-e- S ul h published the report on the first meeting of the Anjuman after the demise of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra in the following words:

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Nubuwwat and Khilafat in the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama'at 55 Today, a meeting of the S adr Anjuman Ahmadiyyah was held.The following were present: Sahibz a dah Mirz a Bashir-ud-Din Ma h m u d Ahmad, M i an Bash i r Ahmad, Naw a b Muhammad ‘Al i , Dr.M i r Muhammad Ism a‘ il, Dr.Khalifah Rash i d-ud- D i n, Hadrat Maulav i Muhammad A h san, Maulav i Sher ‘Al i , …Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i , Sheikh Ra h matull a h, Sayyed Muhammad H usain Sh a h, Dr.Mirz a Ya‘q u b Baig, and Maulav i S adr D i n.Moreover, the written opinions from M i r H amed Sh a h and Maulav i Ghul a m H usain were presented.This was the first session which took place after the demise of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra … In short, it included five members who have not taken the pledge of allegiance to the second khil a fat , and seven who have taken the pledge or are close relatives 18.They did what they wanted.Even matters not included in the agenda were approved in a dictatorial manner.Some members objected and wanted to have their disagree- ment noted.But it was not noted.These events foretell what is about to happen to the S adr Anjuman Ahmadiyyah which is the successor to the khal i fah of God [the Promised Messiah as ].The report further stated that: Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra had directed Maulav i Sher ‘Al i ra to go to London and repeatedly admonished him to go to England to help Khw a j a Sahib.But alas! This directive of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra was buried along with his body ….Despite the disagreement expressed by seven members, the members of the Anjuman, which comprised mostly of the rela- tives of Sahibz a da Sahib 19 and totaled eight including the vote 18.It may be noted that this statement constitutes an admission that the majority of the members of the S adr Anjuman Ahmadiyyah took a pledge of allegiance to the second khal i fah.19.Reference is to Hadrat Mirz a Bashir-ud-Din Ma h m u d Ahmad ra.

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 56 of the presiding officer, made this undesirable decision.Thus, Maulav i Sher ‘Al i ra was deprived of this good deed and the injunction of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra was disobeyed and dishonoured.Inna lill a hi wa inna ilaihi raji’un 20.The following members could not tolerate the insult done to the directive of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra.Thinking that they might be considered responsible for this violation, the following members walked out: …Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i , Sheikh Ra h matull a h, Mirz a Ya‘q u b Baig, Dr.Sayyed Muhammad A h san ( Paigh a m-e- S ul h , April 12, 1914) The above statements of Paigh a m-e- S ul h show an intriguing contradiction.On the one hand they regard the Anjuman to be above the pledge of allegiance to the khal i fah and regard its decisions as final.But on the other hand, when they find the decisions of the Anjuman unacceptable they criticise it and walk out of its meeting.III Third Position Taken by the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam When someone denies a truth, he has to deny many other truths.This is what happened to the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e- Ish a ‘at-e-Islam.• After the demise of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra , they rejected the truthful Islamic khil a fat in the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at.20.Meaning: To Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.

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Nubuwwat and Khilafat in the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama'at 57 • When they were reminded by those who had taken the pledge of khil a fat that: a.a ha d i th give the title of Nab i to the Promised Messiah as , and b.Promised Messiah as has been repeatedly addressed by the word Nab i in his revelations, and c.khil a fat is a topic which comes within the subject of nubuwwat , and as declared by Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra , whatever applies to the original directive would apply to its subordinate matters; they started rejecting the nubuwwat of the Promised Messiah as.In the beginning, they did not dare to do so openly.Rather they continued to use the term Nab i in mentioning the Promised Messiah as.For example on March 22, 1914 Paigh a m-e- S ul h writes: We belong to the followers of a Nab i.Then on April 12, 1914, addressing Maulav i Sher ‘Al i , it writes: You are making an ordinary statement in contradiction to the clear statement of a Mursal [the one sent by God] and Ma’m u r.However, gradually, under the pretext of zill i [reflective] and bur u z i [spiritual re-appearance], they started rejecting the nubu- wwat of the Promised Messiah as.On April 12, Paigh a m-e- S ul h gave the following rationale for this rejection: Al-Fa d l says that: “According to Curzon Gazette Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was not a Nab i ; therefore his son should be his successor.This is its mistake.Mirz a Sahib was a Nab i and his successorship should be settled in the same manner as it was settled for previous A ñ biy a’.” We wanted to write about this issue in detail, but will confine ourselves to a short note for the sake of brevity.The surprise is that al-Fa d l in its earlier issue had accepted that Mirz a Sahib is a zilli Nabi but now it regards him to be a Prophet like earlier Prophets.Were all earlier A ñ biy a’ of the

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 58 same nature as Mirz a Sahib; were they all Prophets by way of reflection? The terms zill i and bur u z i are terms of the orders of Sufi ’ism, not of the order of the A ñ biy a’.Has there been any Nab i who called himself a zill i or bur u z i N ab i ? Did any Nab i add such qualifications to his nubuwwat ? Did any Nab i draw a distinction between A ñ biy a’ on the basis of concepts like permanent, non-permanent, partial, dependent, law-bearing, non-law-bearing, defective or perfect prophethood? The terms zill i and bur u z i , are terms of Sufi ’ism.The distinction between law-bearing A ñ biy a’ has also been only made by these people.There is no mention of it in Qur’ a n, h ad i th , or in previous scriptures.In brief, the denial of khil a fat on the part of the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam ended up in their denial of nubu- wwat.The words zill i and bur u z i , which the Promised Messiah as had used to describe the high status granted to him, were used by the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam to deny his nubuwwat.As a matter of fact, by using these terms, the Promised Messiah as does not deny his claim of nubuwwat.Rather they indicate its high status, because the real nubuwwat is that of the Holy Prophet sa ; all other prophethoods and spiri- tual stages are a reflection of the light of Muhammad sa.The ultimate cause of the creation of the universe is the holy personage of the Holy Prophet sa.According to the h ad i th , “The first thing that was created was my light,” the light of Mu h am- mad sa was the first to be created.All other prophethoods and spiritual stages of perfection were created afterwards.However, until the time that the Holy Prophet sa himself appeared and the complete and perfect teaching was revealed in the Holy Qur’ a n, no Nab i could become a complete and perfect reflection of the

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Nubuwwat and Khilafat in the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama'at 59 Holy Prophet sa.Therefore, no Nab i was called a zilli Nabi.But when the Holy Prophet sa himself appeared and the complete and perfect teaching was revealed in the Holy Qur’ a n, then the being who completely lost his own identity in submission to the Holy Prophet sa was declared to be complete reflection of the Holy Prophet sa and was deemed fit for the title of zilli Nabi.The earlier A ñ biy a’ , since they were only partial reflection of the Holy Prophet sa did not deserve that title.Allahumm a s alli al a Mu h ammadin wa al a a li Mu h ammadin wa b a rik wa sallim innaka h am i dun maj i d.[Bless O Allah, Muhammad and his progeny and prosper him and grant him peace.Thou art Praiseworthy and Glorious] 

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Fourth Speech Belief of the Promised Messiah as and His Successors About the Nubuwwat of the Promised Messiah as
Maul a n a Jal a l-ud-D i n Shams

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About the Author Maul a n a Jal a l-ud-D i n Shams (1901–1966)
Born in 1901, Maul a n a Jal a l-ud-D i n Shams was educated at J a mi‘ah Ahmadiyyah, the Missionary Training Centre of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at at Qadian.After completing his Honours in Arabic from the University of Punjab, he served the Jam a ‘at in various capacities.In 1925 he was appointed in- charge of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Missions, Middle East countries, where he served for seven years.Subsequently in 1936 he was sent to England where he served as the Im a m of the London Mosque up to the end of the Second World War.In 1946 he returned to the headquarters of the Movement.He was appointed Nazir-e-Isl a ho-Irsh a d (in-charge of the missionary work in Pakistan) a post which he held until his death on October 13, 1966.He is one of the three members of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jam a ‘at who have been given the title, “ Kh a lid-e-Ahmadiyyat” by Hadrat Mu s le h -e-Mau‘ u d ra.He has written over forty books in Urdu, Arabic and English.

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Belief of the Promised Messiah as and His Successors about the Nubuwwat of the Promised Messiah as References Before and After 1914
I Prophecies of the Holy Prophet sa Fourteen hundred years ago, Hadrat Kh a taman-Nabiyy i n , the Holy Prophet ( s allall a hu ‘alaihi wa sallam ), gave the glad tiding to his followers of a leader, the Promised Messiah ( ‘alaihis sal a m ) and Awaited Reformer, who would judge between them with equity and would lead them on the right path.The Holy Prophet sa used the word Nab i four times for this Promised One ( S ahih Muslim 21 ).The Holy Prophet sa asked his followers to convey his sal a m 22 to this great and holy personage.The Holy Prophet sa also said referring to this unique personality: 21.Book of traditions of the Holy Prophet sa.22.Greetings of peace.

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 66 There is no Prophet between me and him.” ( Sunan Abi Daud 23 ) That is: I am a Nab i , and he will be a Nab i.The Holy Prophet sa further said in describing the honour and stature of this grand personality that, “Ab u Bakr is the most honoured within my ummah , except if a Nab i should appear.” II Fulfilment of the Prophecies Then the blessed moment arrived when the holy personage, whose advent had been awaited by thousands of pious Muslims, was raised in the holy town of Qadian.He was granted the status of a Nab i and a Ras u l in the sacred converse revealed to him by Almighty Allah.Br a h i n-e-Ahmadiyyah , published in 1882–1885, includes the revelation: He it is Who sent His Ras u l with guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it prevail over every other religion.( Br a h i n-e-Ahmadiyyah, Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.1, p.498) Another revelation from Allah follows in the same book, “Champion of God, in the mantle of A ñ biy a’.” ( Ibid., p.504) In the same book, very close to the above, is the revelation from Allah, “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.And those who are with him are hard against the disbelievers and tender among themselves.” ( Ibid., p.508) The Promised Messiah as writes that, “In this Divine revela- tion I have been named Muhammad and also a Ras u l.” ( Eik 23.Book of traditions of the Holy Prophet sa.

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Belief of the Promised Messiah 67 Ghalat i k a Iz a lah, R uhani Khaz a ’in , vol.18, p.207).Similarly Almighty Allah revealed to him the following, as a saying of the earth, “O Nab i of God, I had not recognised you.” ( H aq i qat-ul- Wa hi , R uhani Khaz a ’in , vol.22, p.100).Similarly Allah addressed him as a Nab i in the revelation, “O Nab i of God, feed the wayfarer and the hungry.” Similarly he was called a Nab i in the revelation, “A Nab i came to the world, but the world accepted him not.” In brief, over a period of twenty-three years, Allah the Most High addressed him as Nab i , Ras u l and Mursal.During the last ten years of his life these words appeared with greater frequency.III Belief of the Promised Messiah as When the Promised Messiah as received the honour of converse with God, and was repeatedly addressed as a Nab i , a Ras u l and a Mursal , he was inclined to interpret these terms in light of the prevailing belief and terminology which had gained common acceptance among the Muslims over the period of one thousand years.He regarded the words Nab i , Ras u l and Mursal , which had been revealed to him, as equivalents of Mu h addath , because the Muslims at that time commonly defined a Nab i is one who: 1) brings a complete new shar i ‘ah , or abrogates a previous shar i ‘ah ; 2) is not the follower of a previous Nab i , but acquires an independent status on his own merit.

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 68 The Promised Messiah as writes: Since according to the definition, Nab i and Ras u l in Islam means one who brings a complete new shar i ‘ah , or abrogates some of the ordinances in the previous shar i ‘ah , and since the A ñ biy a’ are not known as the followers of a previous Nab i and instead attain relationship with God without the inter- mediation of any other Nab i , therefore, let everyone be aware lest the same meaning is applied here also.I have no book other than the Holy Qur’ a n and have no Ras u l other than the Holy Prophet sa.And I believe that our Holy Prophet sa is Kh a tam-ul-A ñ biy a’ [Seal of the Prophets] and the Holy Qur’ a n is Kh a tam-ul-Kutub [final religious Book].(Letter of the Promised Messiah as , dated August 17, 1899, in al- H akm , vol.3, p.29) Because of the definition of nubuwwat prevailing among the Muslims, the Promised Messiah as could not possibly call himself a Nab i or a Ras u l.To avoid misunderstanding, he used these words with regard to himself very sparingly.When he was addressed as Nab i in the revelations from God, he inter- preted the word to mean mu h addathiyyat on the basis of the common belief that there could be no Nab i after the Holy Prophet sa.This does not mean that he did not understand the nature of his claim.Hadrat Khalifatul Masih II ( ra d i-Allaho ‘anhu ) writes: There was no time when the Promised Messiah as did not understand the stature of his claim.At all times from begin- ning to the end he fully understood the position upon which Almighty Allah had established him.However, he used great care in giving it a name—whether it should be called nubu- wwat or mu h addathiyyat.( Haq i qat-ul-Amr , p.10)

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Belief of the Promised Messiah 69 After mentioning that Almighty Allah has raised him as a Mu h addath , the Promised Messiah as continues: And Mu h addath is also a Nab i in a sense, because he is honoured with converse with Almighty God, secrets of the unseen are revealed to him, and like the Prophets and Messen- gers, revelations granted to him are safeguarded from the touch of Satan.True secrets of the shar i ‘ah are opened to him, and he is appointed by God in exactly the same manner as A ñ biy a’.Just like the A ñ biy a’ , it is his duty to proclaim himself loudly; the one who refuses to respond to him is liable, up to a point, to be punished by God.Nubuwwat does not mean anything except that the above matters be found in him.( Tau dihi h-e- Mar a m, Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.3, p.60) In other words, he interpreted the word Nab i in the sense of Mu h addath.However, since the Promised Messiah as was a Nab i in the sight of God, and He was repeatedly addressing the Promised Messiah as in the words of Nab i and Ras u l , the Promised Messiah as , could not continue that belief.He writes: Afterwards the revelation of Allah which descended upon me like a pouring rain, forced me to change my previous beliefs 24 and He granted me the title of “ Nab i ” in very clear words but in a manner of calling me “ Nab i ” from one aspect and “ Ummat i ” from another aspect.Afterwards he announced publicly that he was superior to Jesus Christ (may peace be on him) in every way.In short when the Promised Messiah as clearly recognised that the 24.Explanatory note: “That I am nothing in comparison with Messiah, son of Mary; he is a Prophet and is among the honoured ones in the sight of Allah, and if my superiority was manifested in some respect I regard it as a partial superiority.” [Editor]

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 70 prevailing definition of nubuwwat was not a comprehensive definition, and that it is not necessary for a Nab i to bring new shar i ‘ah , nor that he should abrogate the previous shar i ‘ah or forsake the obedience of the previous Nab i , then the Promised Messiah as announced the concept of nubuwwat and ris a lat in very clear words.Nubuwwat Defined by God The Promised Messiah as says: 1) In His revelations, Almighty Allah has used the term nubuwwat and ris a lat with reference to me hundreds of times.But it refers to the converse with God, which is frequent and contains knowledge of the unseen, nothing more.Everyone has a right to adopt an idiom, and this is the definition adopted by God that He has given the title of nubuwwat to the frequent converse with Him.( Chashma-e-Ma‘arifat, R uhani Khaz a ’in , vol.23, p.341) 2) By nubuwwat I only mean frequency of converse with God, which is granted as a consequence of following the Holy Prophet sa.You also believe in converse with God; so the disagreement is on the terminology only.What you call converse with God, I call its frequency as nubuwwat in accordance with the commandment of God.( H aq i qat-ul- Wa hi , R uhani Khaz a ’in , vol.22, p.503) According to His own View 3) In my view, a Nab i is one upon whom the words of God descend in a manner that is unambiguous, definite, in abundance, and contains knowledge of the unseen.That is why God has granted me the title of Nab i.( Tajalliy a t-e- Il a hiyah, R uhani Khaz a ’in , vol.20, 412)

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Belief of the Promised Messiah 71 Real Definition 4) He who manifests the knowledge of the unseen from God will, by definition, be truly called a Nab i in accordance with the following verse: …He does not grant anyone ascendency over his domain of the unseen….[except him whom He chooses as His Messenger.] (al-Jinn, 72:27) ( Eik Ghalat i k a Iz a lah, Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.18, p.208) Islamic Terminology 5) In Islamic terminology, a Nab i is one who receives converse from God which contains knowledge of the unseen, mighty prophecies, and conveys them to Allah’s creatures.(Speech of the Promised Messiah as , al- H akm , May 6, 1908) 6) If one who is bestowed knowledge of the unseen by God Almighty cannot bear the title of Nab i then how should he be designated? If you should say that such a one should be called Mu h addath , I would counter that no lexicon attributes to ta h d i th [appointment by God of someone as Mu h addath ] the connotation of disclosure of the unseen, but nubuwwat has this connotation.( Eik Ghalat i k a Iz a lah, R uhani Khaz a ’in , vol.18, p.207) Linguistic Term 7) I am called a Nab i because both in Arabic and in Hebrew Nab i means one who receives revelations from God and makes prophecies in abundance.(Letter to Akhb a r-e-‘ A m , May 23, 1908)...

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 72 Definition of the Prophets 8) When this communion and converse reaches the highest stage of perfection from the point of view of both quality and quantity and is free from all impurities and deficiencies, and when it openly and explicitly reveals matters pertaining to the unknown, then such a Revelation is in other terms designated as Prophethood.All the Prophets as are in agreement concerning this.( al-Wa s iyyat , R uhani Khaz a ’in , vol.20, p.311) IV Misunderstanding Removed by the Promised Messiah as After this revolutionary correction in the prevailing definition of nubuwwat from about 1901 up to his demise, the Promised Messiah as applied the terms Nab i , Ras u l , and Mursal to himself openly, repeatedly, and with firm conviction.But the Promised Messiah as was always mindful that the common people may misunderstand this.Therefore, whenever he used the term Nab i or Ras u l , he explained that by nubuwwat he did not mean the type which requires a new shar i ‘ah , or a permanent independent claim.He always explained that he is an Ummat i of the Holy Prophet sa and whatever he has gained, is through the blessings of the Holy Prophet sa.He further pointed out that his nubu- wwat does not in any way contravene the status of the Holy Prophet sa as Kh a taman-Nabiyy i n ; title of Nab i for an Ummat i does not imply any such problem.He writes: I am not a Ras u l or Nab i by virtue of a new law, a new claim and a new name; but I am a Ras u l and a Nab i by virtue of perfect reflection.I am the mirror in which the form and the

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Belief of the Promised Messiah 73 nubuwwat of Muhammad sa are perfectly reflected.( Nuz u l-ul- Mas ih , Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.18, p.381) He also writes: Wherever I have denied being a Nab i or a Ras u l , it is a denial in the sense that I have not brought any permanent law, nor am I an independent Nab i.I am a Ras u l and a Nab i in the sense that I have received spiritual grace from my leader Ras u l , and by acquiring his name for myself and through his interme- diation, I have received knowledge of the unseen from God, but without a new law.I have never disowned this kind of nubuwwat.Indeed, God has addressed me as Nab i and Ras u l in this sense; so even now I do not deny being a Nab i or Ras u l in this sense.( Eik Ghalat i k a Iz a lah, Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.18, p.210–211) Then he writes: However, it must be borne in mind and should never be forgotten, that despite being addressed as a Nab i and Ras u l , I have been informed by God that these favours have not descended upon me directly.There is a holy being in heaven whose spiritual grace is with me, that is, Muhammad the Chosen sa.It is through relationship with him, and by merging myself in him, and by receiving his names—Muhammad and Ahmad—that I am a Ras u l as well as Nab i.( Ibid., p.213) In March 1908, he explained the point in the following words: I claim to be a Ras u l and a Nab i.The controversy relates to the definition.Whoever is a recipient of converse with God in a manner that exceeds others in quantity and quality, and the converse includes prophecies, would be called a Nab i.This definition applies to me; therefore I am a Nab i.However, it is not a nubuwwat which brings a new law, nor does it abrogate the Book of God.( Badr , March 5, 1908)

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 74 In H aq i qat-ul-Wa hi , he writes: Remember that some people are mistaken by my claim to be a Nab i.They imagine that I have claimed the type of nubuwwat which was granted to earlier A ñ biy a’ on their own.They are wrong in this notion.I have made no such claim.Rather, the will and Divine Wisdom of Almighty Allah decreed to honuor me with this status in order to prove the perfection of the spir- itual grace of the Holy Prophet sa.The blessings of spiritual grace have led me to the status of nubuwwat.Therefore, I cannot be just called a Nab i ; rather, a Nab i from one aspect and an Ummat i from another aspect.( H aq i qat-ul-Wa hi , Ruhani Khaz a ’ in , vol.22, p.154) Given below are some references, illustrating the above clarifica- tions.In these references the Promised Messiah as clearly emerges as a claimant of nubuwwat and ris a lat : 1901 Since I have myself witnessed the clear fulfilment of about 150 prophecies, how can I deny the title of Nab i or Ras u l about me? Since Allah the Most High has Himself bestowed these titles upon me, why should I forsake them or fear anyone except Him? I declare in the name of God Who has sent me— and cursed are those who fabricate lies about Him—that He has sent me as the Promised Messiah.( Eik Ghalat i k a Iz a lah, Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.18, p.210) 1902 Similarly, Almighty Allah and His Holy Prophet sa have given to the Promised Messiah as the titles of Nab i and Ras u l.( Naz u l- ul-Mas ih , Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.18, p.426)

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Belief of the Promised Messiah 75 1905 In his second advent, ‘ I s a , despite being an Ummat i , will be addressed as a Nab i too.( Br a h i n-e-Ahmadiyyah, Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.19, p.182) 1906 a.Then what is the reason that on the one hand, the plague is devouring the country and on the other, the earthquakes are not leaving you alone.Look around, O heedless ones! Perhaps a Nab i has been raised among you, whom you are treating as a liar.( Tajalliy a t-e-Il a hiyah, Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.20, p.401) b.In this ummah , thousands of saints appeared through the blessing of following the Holy Prophet sa ; and also one appeared who is both an Ummat i and a Nab i.( H aq i qat-ul- Wa hi , Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.22, p.30) c.The Promised Messiah as writes referring to the verse 17:16: …We never punish unless We have sent a Messenger.(Ban i Isr a ’ i l, 17:16) “This verse too, points to the appearance of a Ras u l in the Latter Days.He is the same as the Promised Messiah.” ( Tatimma H aq i qat-ul-Wa hi , Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.22, p.500) d.Due to widespread sin and evil deeds, people had become worthy of chastisement in this world.In accordance with His eternal way, Almighty Allah postponed that chastisement, until He had sent a Nab i.When that Nab i had appeared, and this nation was invited through thousands of announcements and booklets, then the time came that they should be punished for their crimes.( Ibid., p.486)...

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 76 e.I declare in the name of God Who controls my life that He has sent me and He has granted me the title Nab i.He has called me the Promised Messiah, and He has shown signs for my truthfulness which number about three hundred thousand.( Ibid., p.503) f.The Promised Messiah as writes in commenting upon the verse: And among others from among them who have not yet joined them....(al-Jumu‘ah, 62:4) This means that there is one group of the Companions of the Holy Prophet sa which had not yet appeared.Obviously, the Companions are those who appear during the lifetime of the Nab i and partake of his companionship in the state of being true believers, and benefit from his teaching and training.This proves that there will be a Nab i in the future generations, who would represent the reappearance of the Holy Prophet sa by way of reflection.Therefore, his Companions will be the Compan- ions of the Holy Prophet sa.They will render services in the way of Allah for their faith just like the Companions.In any event, this verse is a prophecy about the appearance of a Nab i in the Latter Days.Otherwise, there was no reason for calling the people who were to be born after the Holy Prophet sa as the Companions of the Prophet.( Ibid., p.502) g.Moreover, the Promised Messiah as writes: In short I alone have been honoured with so great a share of Divine revelation and of knowledge of the unseen as has not been bestowed on any of the auliy a’ , abd a l, and aqt a b among the Muslims before me.For this reason I alone have been bestowed the title of Nab i and no one else has deserved it because it imports frequency of revelation and large disclosure...

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Belief of the Promised Messiah 77 of the unseen, a condition which is not fulfilled by any of them.(Ibid., p.406–407) 1907 In explaining the verse 25 , “ … and the trumpet will be blown … ” the Promised Messiah as writes: a.The trumpet here means the Promised Messiah, because the A ñ biy a’ of God are trumpets.( Chashma-e-Ma‘arifat, Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.23, p.85) b.For giving that verdict God will blow His voice into the Qarn a [trumpet].What is that Qarn a ? His Nab i.( Ibid., 334) 1908 When asked by a State Chief whether Mirz a Sahib claims to be a Ras u l , an Ahmad i recited a Persian couplet of the Promised Messiah as : I am not a Ras u l and I have brought no new Book.The Promised Messiah as told him: You should have explained this couplet.I only deny being a Nab i who brings a new Book.Listen! You should never be fearful in stating matters which have been decreed in Heaven.To have any kind of fear is not the way of those who belong to the truthful Jam a ‘at.Then the Promised Messiah as cited the way of the Compan- ions ra of the Holy Prophet sa that they were always forthright in expressing their belief, and continued: I claim to be a Ras u l and a Nab i.Actually this is a controversy on the terminology.Whoever receives converse from God 25.The reference is to S u rah al-Kahf , 18:100 in the Holy Qur’ a n.

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 78 which far exceeds the others, and also makes prophecies in abundance, is called a Nab i.This definition truly applies to me; therefore I am a Nab i.( Badr, March 5, 1908) So, I am a Nab i in accordance with the commandment of God.If I deny that claim, I would commit a sin.Since God has named me Nab i , how can I deny it? (Letter written by the Promised Messiah as , Akhb a r-e-‘ A m , May 26, 1908) V Guidance Given by the Promised Messiah as on How to Present His Claim After proving claims of nubuwwat and ris a lat from books and letters of the Promised Messiah as , the question remains that in view of the references in the writings of the Promised Messiah as in which he has denied being a Nab i or Ras u l according to the prevailing definitions of those terms, what should our response be when an inquirer asks us whether the Promised Messiah as was a Nab i and Ras u l ? Should we say that he was not a Nab i or should we say something else? The Promised Messiah as has himself settled that matter.He gave this issue so much importance that he prepared a booklet for this purpose.It was called Eik Ghalat i k a Iz a lah , meaning, A Misunderstanding Removed.As the name implies, the booklet was written to correct a misunderstanding.This is what happened as stated by the Promised Messiah as himself: Some members of my Jam a ‘at, who only have a very limited information about my claim and its supporting arguments, who have neither had an opportunity to study my books care- fully, nor were they able to acquire all the necessary knowledge by staying in my company for a reasonably long period, some- times respond to the criticism of the opponents in a manner contrary to the facts.The result is that despite belonging to the

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Belief of the Promised Messiah 79 truthful Jam a ‘at, they are put to shame.( Eik Ghalat i k a Iz a lah, Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.18, p.206) The Promised Messiah as continues: Only a few days ago a friend was confronted with an objection from an opponent that he had pledged allegiance to the one who claims to be Nab i and Ras u l.The objection was answered by a simple denial.As a matter of fact, such a response is not correct.The truth is that the sacred revelation from Allah the Most High which has descended upon me contains words like Ras u l , Mursal , and Nab i —not once but hundreds of times.Then how can it be correct to answer that such words do not exist? ( Ibid.) This reference should be studied with great reverence.The being who was given the exalted titles of H akam [the Judge] and ‘ Adl [the Just] by the Holy Prophet sa has said that a simple negation of his status of nubuwwat is not correct.How true are his words: The result is that despite belonging to the truthful Jam a ‘at, they are put to shame.The history of the two Groups of the Ahmad i Muslims bears testimony that those among the followers of the Promised Messiah as who denied the Promised Messiah’s as claim of nubu- wwat and ris a lat were always put to shame.In every field they have been defeated by the Jam a ‘at which presents the Promised Messiah as with utmost sincerity and faith, as an ummat i , zilli Nabi , Ras u l , and Mursal.On May 17, 1908 the Promised Messiah as made a speech on the occasion of a reception.A news was printed in Akhb a r-e- ‘ A m stating that the Promised Messiah as has denied his claim of nubuwwat in that reception.On the same day, the Promised

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 80 Messiah as wrote a letter to the editor of the paper, refuting this news.The letter starts by saying: To the Editor, Akhb a r-e-‘ A m , In Akhb a r-e-‘ A m dated May 23 rd , 1908, column 1, line 2, a news has been printed about me that I have denied my claim of being a Nab i.In response I would like to make it clear that in my address I proclaimed, and do so again, that the charge preferred against me as if I claim to be a of Nab i who is not bound by the Holy Qur’ a n, and that I have instituted a new kalimah and have appointed a new qiblah , and that I claim to have abrogated the shar i ‘ah of Islam, and that I do not follow and obey the Holy Prophet, may peace be on him, is entirely false.I consider a claim of such nubuwwat as amounting to be kufr and I have set forth throughout, in all my books, that I do not claim any such nubuwwat , and that it is a calumny to attribute such a claim to me.The basis on which I call myself a Nab i is that I am honoured with the converse of God Almighty, that He speaks to me frequently, and responds to me, and discloses many hidden things to me, and informs me about future events, in a manner that He adopts only towards one who enjoys special nearness to Him, and that on account of the multiplicity of these matters he has designated me a Nab i.Thus, I am a Nab i in accordance with divine command- ment and it would be a sin on my part to deny it, and I shall continue to be firmly established on it till I pass away from the world.I am not a Nab i in the sense of separating myself from Islam, or abrogating any commandment of Islam.I bear the yoke of the Holy Qur’ a n and no one dare abrogate a single word or vowel point of the Holy Qur’ a n.I affirm, not out of a desire for self-praise, but on the basis of God’s grace and His promise, that if the whole world were on one side and I were alone on the other side and a matter were put forward as a criterion for determining the truth of a servant of God, I would be granted supremacy by God in such a contest.God

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Belief of the Promised Messiah 81 would be with me in every aspect of the contest and would grant me victory in every field.It is on this basis that God has designated me Nab i …In short I am called a Nab i because in Arabic and Hebrew Nab i means one who receives revelations from God and makes prophecies in abundance.Without the abundance these meanings cannot be truly applicable.(Letter written by the Promised Messiah as published in Akhb a r-e-‘ A m , May 26, 1908) This letter was written by the Promised Messiah as on May 23rd, 1908 and it was published in Akhb a r-e-‘ A m on May 26th, 1908, the day of his demise.This was his last letter.If it were true that he had made no claim of nubuwwat , why then would he repudiate the news published in Akhb a r-e-‘ A m on May 23rd, 1908 that he had denied the claim of nubuwwat.Why, then, would he have said: I am a Prophet in accordance with the commandment of God.If I deny that claim, I would commit a sin.Since God has named me a Nab i , how can I deny it? I will hold to that belief until I die.Twice it happened that Ahmad i s stated to the opponents that the Promised Messiah as was not a Nab i or Ras u l.Both times he repudiated that statement—the first time by publishing A Misunderstanding Removed and then in March 1908, as Badr has published it under his diary.The third time when a news item appeared in Akhb a r-e-‘ A m that he has denied the claim of nubuwwat , he immediately repudiated that news.These few references make the views of the Promised Messiah as about his being a Nab i very clear and obvious.Anyone who says that he had made no claim of nubuwwat and that he was only a Mujaddid or Mu h addath , just like others who

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 82 had passed before him in the Muslim ummah , is a plain denier of truth.VI Views of the First and Second Khalifah Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra The Editor of Badr narrates the following: It was mentioned that Maulav i Muhammad H usain has written that if the Ahmad i s stop calling Mirz a Sahib as Nab i he would retract his edict of “ kufr.” Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I ra said: We are not concerned about their edicts; and what is their worth? Ever since Maulav i Muhammad H usain has issued his edict, he can see himself how deep his honour has sunk, and how much honour has been bestowed upon Mirz a Sahib.( Badr , April 13, 1911, p.2) Hadrat Khalifatul Masih II ra On the occasion of Jalsah Sal a n a h [Annual Convention], Hadrat Khalifatul Masih II ra addressed the audience as following: 1) Tell the whole world clearly that this Nab i appeared in Qadian and his name was Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.Following the Holy Qur’ a n and in humble service to the Holy Prophet sa , he was honoured with the title of “Ahmad,” and he was the recipient of revelations from God.( Badr , January 19, 1911, p.4)

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Belief of the Promised Messiah 83 He also said: 2) The surprising thing is that these people did not consider that since we accept the Promised Messiah as as a Nab i , then how can we reject his verdict.(A Muslim is one who accepts all the ones appointed by God.) ( al- H akm , May 14, 1911) VII An Easy Way to Settle This Controversy There is scope for controversies and verbal hair-splitting in matters of debates and rhetoric.But Hadrat Khalifatul Masih II ra offered to the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam a method of settlement which can quickly lead to the right deci- sion.In 1915, he took an oath that Allah’s chastisement be upon the liar and then stated the following: I speak in the name of God, Who controls my life, Who can render chastisement, Who is going to cause me to die, Who is Living, All-Powerful, Who rewards and punishes as He wills, and Who raised the Holy Prophet sa for the guidance of the world.I declare on oath, taking God as my witness, that when Hadrat Mirz a Sahib was alive, I considered him to be a Nab i in the same sense in which I believe him to be now.I also declare on oath that Almighty Allah has told me face to face in a vision that the Promised Messiah as is a Nab i.I do not say that all of those who have not taken the pledge of allegiance [to the Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyyah ] have bad character and all in our Jam a ‘at have good character.But I do declare on oath that the beliefs that we hold are true.( al-Fa d l, September 23, 1915) But neither Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i nor any other member of the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam has ever been able to declare their belief under oath with such conviction and sincerity.

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 84 Then in 1926, Hadrat Khalifatul Masih II ra presented another way to resolve the matter: If all the statements written by Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i , prior to the split, pertaining to the subject of nubuwwat, are collected together, I will sign them and will state that to be my belief.( al-Fa d l, October 9, 1928) This offer was a very powerful strike upon the changed doctrines of Maulav i Sahib.Up to his death he could not respond to it.Then in 1944, in a conclusive argument for the Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e-Ish a ‘at-e-Islam, Hadrat Khalifatul Masih II ra chal- lenged Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i to a prayer duel and also added that Maulav i Sahib would never accept that challenge.( Furq a n , Qadian, June 1944) The statement on oath given by Hadrat Khalifatul Masih II ra and both the methods of settlement offered by him are a clear and conclusive proof that he held the same belief about the nubuwwat of the Promised Messiah as before and after the split, and it did not undergo any change.Rather, those outside the pledge to khil a fat , changed their doctrines after the split.What they wrote before the split shows the exact same belief that those Ahmad i s hold who have pledged allegiance to khil a fat.But after the split, the leader of the group who did not adhere to the Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyyah , Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i , writes: He was a Nab i in the same sense in which the other Mujad- did i n of the ummah can be called A ñ biy a’.( Tract, Meirei ‘Aq a id , p.6)

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Belief of the Promised Messiah 85 He also writes: The kind of nubuwwat which can be attained in this ummah was certainly granted to Hadrat ‘Al i ra.( An-Nubuwwat fil Islam , p.115) This belief, which he announced after the split, is clearly at vari- ance with the clear and forthright statements of the Promised Messiah as : In short, I alone have been honoured with so great a share of Divine revelation and of knowledge of the unseen, as has not been bestowed on any of the auliy a’ , abd a l, and aqt a b among the Muslims before me.For this reason I alone have been bestowed the title of Nab i and no one else has deserved it because it imports frequency of revelation and large disclosure of the unseen, a condition which is not fulfilled by any of them.( H aq i qat-ul-Wa hi , Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.22, p.406–407) Similarly, he writes: There have been hundreds of saints by obedience to the Holy Prophet sa and there is also one who is both an Ummat i and a Nab i.( H aq i qat-ul-Wa hi , Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.22, p.30) Moreover, the Promised Messiah as has written: So many are the signs granted to me that even if they are distributed among one thousand A ñ biy a’ , they would suffice to prove their truthfulness.( Chashma-e-Ma‘arifat, Ruhani Khaz a ’in , vol.23, p.323) The signs are so many that they suffice to prove the nubuwwat of more than a thousand A ñ biy a’ ; but it is strange indeed that according to those outside the pledge to khil a fat , they did not even prove his own nubuwwat.

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 86 Now all thoughtful and intelligent people can decide for themselves whether the change in doctrines—in complete variance with the writings of the Promised Messiah as — was made after the split, by Hadrat Mirz a Bashir-ud-Din Ma h m u d Ahmad ra and his followers, or whether it was made by those who went outside the pledge of khil a fat and especially their leader Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i.

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References of the Holy Qur’ a n Al-An‘ a m..............................6:85.................................15 A l-e-‘Imr a n............................3:111..............................15 Al-‘Ankab u t..........................29:28...............................16 Al-Nis a’.................................4:70................................16 Ban i Isr a’ i l.............................17:16........................19, 75 Al-Mu’min.............................40:45..............................20 Al-N u r...................................24:56........................28, 32 Al-Baqarah.............................2:31................................38 Al-Jinn...................................72:27..............................71 Al-Jumu‘ah.............................62:4................................76

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Index Ahmad i (s) belief about the Promised Messiah as ,...............................7 taking the pledge,........27, 36–39 Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e- Ish a ‘at-e-Islam combined testimony of,...........20 contradiction in beliefs about the first and second khal i fah,.......................................51–54 defined,....................................ix disagreement with their own beliefs,..................................52 positions taken by,............51–56 Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e- Ish a ‘at-e-Islam, belief about a chosen and exalted Ras u l ,......10 a claimant to ris a lat ,..........10, 17 a Nab i in accordance with the way of God,.................................13 an Ummat i Nab i,....................15 the claim of the Promised Messiah as ,.......................17–21 the Promised Messiah as as a pious Prophet of India,..................11 the Promised Messiah as as a servant of the Holy Prophet sa ,.............................................16 the promised mursal of latter days,...............................................12 the truthfulness of Promised Messiah as ,.............................11 Ahmadiyyah Muslim Community defined,....................................ix Allah addressed the Promised Messiah as as a Nab i in a revelation,.......67 provides reassurance through a khal i fah,...............................35 the Promised Messiah as received the honour of converse with,.............................................67 two manifestations of His Powers.............................................31 H ad i th about nubuwwat,....................58 about Promised Messiah as and his khulaf a’ ,...............................30 defined,.....................................x Hadrat defined,.....................................x Hadrat Mirz a Masroor Ahmad aba recent election of,...................xvi

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N UBUWWAT AND K HIL A FAT 90 (The) Holy Prophet sa conveying his sal a m to the Promised Messiah as ,..............66 defined,.....................................x glad tidings to his ummah of a leader,...................................65 prophecies about the Promised Messiah as ,.......................65, 74 Holy Qur’ a n on khil a fat,.............................31 on the appointment of khal i fah,.........................................28, 38 on the Promised Messiah as ,................................................75–77 Khalifah a caller from Allah,.................41 appointed by Allah,..........................................35–38, 44,51–56 consequences of disobedience of,....................37 defined,...................................xi election of fifth,.....................xvi Khalifatul Masih defined,....................................xi Khalifatul Masih I ra defined,....................................xi on stressing the importance of khil a fat ,..........................36–38 Khalifatul Masih II ra defined,....................................xi on the claims of the Promised Messiah as ,.............................69 proposes an easy way to settle the controversy,....................83 views of,.................................82 Kh a taman-Nabiyy i n defined,....................................xi Khilafat after the Promised Messiah as ,..30 Allah’s promise on making successors in the earth,..........28 ever-lasting,.............................34 need of,...................................29 obligatory pledge to,.........36–39 Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyyah pledge of allegiance to khil a fat,.............................................27 Maulav i Muhammad ‘Al i contradiction in his own statements,...........................52 on a chosen and exalted Ras u l ,.................................................10 on prophecies of khil a fat,.......44 on true meaning of khatm-e- nubuwwat ,..............................9 Mu h addath defined,...................................xii Mujaddid defined,...................................xii Nab i an Ummat i , defined,...............xii defined in Arabic and Hebrew,............................................71 Nubuwwat as a reflection of the Holy Prophet’s sa light,...................58 defined by God,......................70 of the Promised Messiah as ,...................................................8, 65

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Index 91 Paigh a m-e- S ul h combined testimony of,...........20 excerpts of,..............................19 on calamities due to the denial of a Ras u l ,.................................19 references to the Promised Messiah as as a Ras u l of God,.............................................19 (The) Promised Messiah as a follower Prophet of the Holy Prophet sa ,..............................72 advising his Jam a ‘at on how to present his claims,.................78 applying the terms Nab i and Ras u l to,................................72 as an Ummat i Nab i ,................72 as a Mu h addath,......................69 as a sheikh,...............................35 belief about being a Nab i , a Ras u l and a Mursal ,........................67 converse with God,...........70–73 defined,...................................xii in Holy Qur’ a n,................28, 75 named as Mu h ammad,......67, 73 nubuwwat of,............................3 on coming of a Nab i ,................8 on coming of the Messiah,........7 on definition of a Nab i ,...........71 on Divine revelations,.............85 on his claim,................69, 73–80 on khil a fat ,........................30, 34 on the character of Khalifatul Masih I ra ,..............................42 on prophecies about himself,..............................................74–76 on second manifestation as khil a fat ,................................34 received sal a m from the Holy Prophet sa ,.............................65 (The) Promised Messiah’s as , Writings about appearance of a Nab i,..............77 being a Nab i and a Ras u l ,.............................................70–77, 85 being the Messiah,..................35 his truthfulness,.......................85 Nab i in accordance with the commandment of God,........81 obedience to khil a fat,..............35 prophecy in the Holy Qur’ a n about him,............................28 Seal of Prophets,.....................68

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