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Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is widely acknowledged to have devoted his life to furthering the cause of his movement and countering allegations of heresy against his person and alleged controversial personal life till his death in [[Lahore]] in [[1908]].
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is widely acknowledged to have devoted his life to furthering the cause of his movement and countering allegations of heresy against his person and alleged controversial personal life till his death in [[Lahore]] in [[1908]].


===Controversial Death===
[[Image:Mirza Death.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Depiction of the last moments by his critics<ref>Dr.. Rashid, [http://alhafeez.org/rashid/death.html Death of a Liar He asked for it!!], ''alhafeez.org''</ref>]]


Mirza Ghulam Ahmad died as a result of complications arising from [[diarrhea]]. Orthodox Muslims claim that his death was ''accursed'' and his terminal disease a sign of ''wrath of God'',<ref>[http://www.irshad.org/brochures/mirror.php Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in the Mirror of his own Writings], irshad.org</ref><ref>[http://www.qadiani.org/death.html Death of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani?], qadiani.org</ref> which he mentioned in his own writings as a punishment for a liar:


'''''"......punishment which is not by human hands but only at the hands of God, such as Plague and Cholera etc. deadly diseases...."''''' ''(from Majmooa-e-Ishteharaat)''<ref>[http://alhafeez.org/rashid/death.html Prayer of Mirza Ghulam, against his erstwhile opponent, Molvi Sanaullah Amratsari seeking judgment from Allah], ''Majmooa-e-Ishteharaat, Collection of Advertisement of Mirza Ghulam, vol.3 p.578-579. Published by Jamaat Ahmadiyya Headquarter London''</ref>


Ahmadi Muslims do not subscribe to this view.<ref name="Sahib">Maulana Hafiz Sher Muhammad Sahib, [http://aaiil.org/text/acus/mga/death.shtml True Facts about the Ahmadiyya Movement. In Reply to S.P. Tayo's Facts about the Ahmadiyya Movement], pp. 47-50</ref> Orthodox Muslims claim that the diarrhea was a result of [[Cholera]]<ref>[http://alhafeez.org/rashid/hayatenasir.html Scanned Image of Hayat-e-Nasir], ''alhafeez.org''. For translation see [http://alhafeez.org/rashid/death.html]</ref> while Ahmadi Muslims claim that the lack of precautions taken by attending doctors against infectious diseases during the postmortem handling of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's body was not consistent with a death from [[Cholera]].<ref name="Sahib" />


== Why the name Ahmadiyya was given ==
== Why the name Ahmadiyya was given ==
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==Criticism==
Due to the nature of his claims he has been subject of criticism throughout his life.

;'''''Regarding Prophecies'''''
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad wrote in his books: ''To Judge my truthfulness or lies, there is no better test than my prophecies''.<ref>[http://www.irshad.org/exposed/false.php Mirza Ghulam Qadiani's False Predictions], ''from Roohany Khazaen, Vol. 19, P. 288''</ref> His critics mention many instances on which the [[prophecies]] were not fulfilled as he claimed.<ref>[http://www.irshad.org/exposed/false.php The False Prophecies of a False Prophet], ''irsahd.org''</ref>

*'''''Prophecies and Mubahala Concerning Mr. Abdullah Khan Atham''''', he repeatedly prophesied regarding a miserable death for [[Abdullah Khan Atham]], a [[Christian]], in a [[debate]], and it did not come to pass.<ref>[http://www.irshad.org/qadianism/prophecb.php Mirza Ghulam Qadiani's predictions on Abdullah Khan Atham], ''irshad.org'' </ref>
*'''''Prophecies Regarding Marriage to Mohammadi Begum''''', his repeated assertions that his marriage to [[Mohammadi Begum]] was ordained by God never came to pass.

{{cquote|''"As a token of the Almighty’s favor to this humble person, Allah has ordained that, should Mirza Ahmad Baig refuse to wed his elder daughter to me, he will be considered Allah’s enemy and a disbeliever (Kafir). Additionally, as a punishment for his disbelief, Mirza Baig will die within three years of this refusal and any other man who marries Muhammadi Begum will die within two and half years of the date of his wedding. Muhammadi Begum is destined -- by the almighty Allah -- to ultimately become my wife."''<ref>[http://www.irshad.org/qadianism/propheca.php Mirza Ghulam Qadiani's predictions on Muhammadi Begum], ''irshad.org. Tableeg-e-Resalat, Vol. 1 , P. 61 -- Collection of Posters-102, Vol. 1 -- Hashia; Feb. 20,1886. Excerpts from Mirza Ghulams's writings about this affair in Urdu [http://www.khatm-e-nubuwwat.org/bookpdf/pdf/dijast.pdf#page=85&zoom=100 Qaumi Digest - Qadiani number], khatm-e-nubuwwat.org''</ref>''}}

:Moreover, he said:

{{cquote|''I am making not one, but six predictions: (1) I will be alive at the time of the wedding of Muhammadi Begum (2) Mirza Baig will also be alive at the time of the wedding of his daughter (3) Mirza Baig will die within three years of the date of the wedding (4) The Groom will also die within two and half years of the date of the wedding (5) Muhammadi Begum will remain alive until she becomes my wife (6) Despite disagreement of all her relatives, she will finally marry me."''<ref>[http://www.irshad.org/qadianism/propheca.php Mirza Ghulam Qadiani's predictions on Muhammadi Begum], ''irshad.org. Aaina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam Dar Roohani Khazain, P. 325/57''</ref>''}}

:However, Muhammadi Begum married an orthodox Muslim, [[Mirza Sultan Ahmad]]. They lived together for forty years after Ghulam Ahmad's death in [[1908]]. Mirza Sultan Ahmad finally died in [[1948]] and Muhammadi Begum passed away in [[1966]], decades after Ghulam Ahmad's prophecies.

:Followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad however claim that the prophecy regarding Mohammadi Begum was "conditional" and did not require absolute fulfillment.<ref>[http://aaiil.org/text/acus/mga/prophecymuhammadibegum.shtml The Prophecy about Muhammadi Begum: Compiled by Dr. Zahid Aziz]</ref>
*'''''Prophecies Regarding the birth of Sons to his wife''''', he made multiple prophecies regarding birth of sons to his wife. These didn’t come.<ref>[http://www.irshad.org/qadianism/prophecc.php Mirza Ghulam Qadiani's predictions on Multiple Sons], ''irshad.org''</ref> In contrast, The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement believe that the prophecies related to the "promised son" are allegorical in nature,<ref>[http://aaiil.org/text/qadi/art/musleh.shtml The Truth of Hazrat Mirza Sahib's Prophecy Concerning the Appearance of the Musleh Mauood]</ref> while the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community believe that the prophecy was fulfilled in the person of Mian Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad.
*'''''Prophecies Concerning the Plague and Qadian''''', he predicted that the [[plague]] that became rampant in [[Punjab (British India)|Punjab]] will not enter [[Qadian]], the dwelling place of God's prophet (himself)! However, not only did the plague spread to Qadian, it also took the life of several people in his own house. He said:

{{cquote|''"Plague has now spared even our own house. The elderly Ghausan (an elderly woman) was afflicted by it. We expelled her from the house. Ustad Muhammad Din was also struck with plague. We turned him out too. Today, another woman who was visiting us and had come from Delhi was also struck with plague. I also fell seriously ill and I felt that between me and death were only a few seconds."<ref>[http://www.irshad.org/qadianism/prophece.php Mirza Ghulam Qadiani's predictions on Plague], ''irshad.org. Quote from Maktubat-i-Ahmadiyya, Vol 5, P. 115)
''</ref>''}}
:Followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad do not however agree with this view. They maintain that only the true believers in Mirza Ghulam Ahmad were promised protection according to the prophecy, which they say was the case.<ref>[http://aaiil.org/text/books/mga/mirzaghulamahmadbookssummary/kishtinooh.shtml Summary of Kishti-i-Nooh (Noah's Ark)]</ref>


;'''''Conspiring with British'''''
Critics say that he and his associates went on publishing in favor of [[United Kingdom|British]] control and even tried to convince Muslims in other Muslim countries that a British government would be in their favor. They give refference to one of his letter to [[Queen Victoria]] in which he said:


{{cquote|''...For the sake of the British government, I have published fifty thousand books, magazines and posters and distributed them in this and other Islamic countries ... It is as the result of my endeavors that thousands of people have given up thoughts of Jihad which had been propounded by ill-witted mullahs and embedded in the minds of the people. I can rightly feel proud of this that no other Muslim in British India can equal me in this respect...''<ref>[http://www.irshad.org/exposed/service.php#Loyalty Mirza Ghulam Qadianis's Service to his True Masters], ''Sitara-e-Qaisaria, Roohany Khazaen, Vol. 15, P. 114, Sitara-e-Qaisaria, P. 3-4 Letter to Queen Victoria, Khutba-Ilhamia, Appendix. For urdu tranlation see [http://www.irshad.org/img/rk15s114.gif]''</ref>}}


==Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's Legacy==
==Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's Legacy==

Revision as of 14:25, 10 January 2007

File:Mirza ghulam ahmad.jpg
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (مرزا غلام احمد) (February 13, 1835; May 26, 1908), a religious figure from Qadian, India, was the founder of the Ahmadiyya religious movement. He claimed to be the “Second Coming of Christ”, the promised Messiah, the Mahdi, as well as the being the Mujaddid of the 14th Islamic century.[1] However, his claims were not accepted by the majority of Muslims who considered him to be a false prophet and an impostor.

Biography

Early life

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was born in Qadian, Punjab in India on February 13, 1835 the surviving child of twins born to an affluent family. He is reported to have spent a lot of time in the mosque and with the study of the Qur'an and his religion, Islam. This did not lead him to fulfill his father's wishes of his son becoming a lawyer or civil servant. In his course of studying religious topics, he would often interact with many Muslims, non-Muslims, and with Christian missionaries whom he would engage in debates.

Prior to His Claim

When Ahmad was forty years old his father died. At this time Ahmad claimed that God had begun communicating with him, often through direct revelation. Initially, Ahmad's writings from this time were intended to counter what he perceived to be anti-Islamic writings originating from various Christian missionary groups. He also focused on countering the effects of various groups such as the Brahmo Samaj. During this period of his life he was well received by the Islamic clerics of the time.

Post Claim

As time passed, his writings began to exhibit his claims of being the Mujaddid or reformer of his era. These writings were compiled in one of his most well-known works: Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, a work consisting of a number of volumes. In later volumes, he would essentially claim to be the Messiah of Islam. This proved and continues to be very controversial, as traditional Islamic thought holds that Jesus is the Messiah, who himself will return in the flesh at the end of times. Ahmad countered this by claiming that Jesus was dead, and had in fact escaped crucifixion and died in India. According to Ahmad, the promised Mahdi was a spiritual, not military leader as is believed by many Muslims. With this proclamation, he also began to step away from the traditional idea of militant Jihad, and argued that the conditions for such Jihad are not present. In addition to these controversial claims, he would later claim that Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru, was in fact a Muslim.

These writings began to turn the general Muslims ulema (religious clerics) against him, and he was often branded as a heretic. His opponents accused him of working against the British Government as his claims of being the Mahdi were made around the same time as Mahdi of Sudan. Many years after his demise, some accused Ahmad of working for the British to curb the Jihadi ideology of muslims.

Ahmad founded the Ahmadiyya movement 1889. He claimed that the Ahmadiyya Movement stood in the same relation to Islam, as Christianity stood to Judaism at the time of Jesus. The mission of the movement according to Ahmad was the propagation of what he considered to be Islam in its pristine form. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's teachings which differed from other Muslims of the time can be summarized as following:

  • The Qur'an has no contradictions (or abrogations),[2] and has precedence over the Hadith or traditions; i.e., that one verse of the Qur'an does not cancel another and that no Hadith can contradict a verse of the Qur'an. Hadith that appear to contradict the Qu'ran are not accepted by Ahmadi Muslims.[3]
  • Jesus (called Yuz Asaf) was crucified and survived the 4 hours on the cross, then was revived from a swoon in the tomb.[4] He died in Kashmir of old age whilst seeking the "Lost Tribes of Israel".[5]
  • That Jihad can only be used to protect against extreme religious persecution, not as a political weapon or an excuse for rulers to invade neighbouring territories. [6]
  • That the "Messiah" and "Imam Mahdi" are the same person, and that Islam will defeat the Anti-Christ or Dajjal in a period similar to the period of time it took for nascent Christianity to rise (300 years). Mainstream Muslims believe that Jesus was not crucified, but made to look as though he had been, and that he ascended to heaven from where he will return personally in the flesh to revive Islam. [7]

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is widely acknowledged to have devoted his life to furthering the cause of his movement and countering allegations of heresy against his person and alleged controversial personal life till his death in Lahore in 1908.


Why the name Ahmadiyya was given

The Ahmadiyya movement was founded in 1889, but the name Ahmadiyya was not adopted until about a decade later. In a manifesto dated November 4, 1900, the founder explained that the name referred to Ahmad, the alternative name of the prophet Mohammed. According to him, ‘Mohammed’, which means ‘the praised one’, refers to the glorious destiny of the prophet who adopted the name from about the time of the Hegira; but ‘Ahmad’ stands for the beauty of his sermons, and for the peace that he was destined to establish in the world through his teachings. According to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, these names thus refer to two aspects of Islam, and in later times it was the latter aspect that commanded greater attention. In keeping with this, he believed, his object was to establish peace in the world through the spiritual teachings of Islam. He believed that his message had special relevance for the Western world which according to him had descended into materialism.



Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's Legacy

One of the main source of dispute during his lifetime and continuing since then, is Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's use of the terms “Nabi” (prophet) and “Rasool” (messenger) when referring to himself. Muslims consider the prophet Muhammad to be the last of the prophets[8] and believe that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's use of these terms is a violation of the concept of “finality of prophet hood”.[9] His followers fall into two camps in this regards, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community who believe in a literal interpretation of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's prophet hood (with some qualifications),[10] and the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement who believe in an allegorical interpretation of these two terms.[11] This among other reasons caused a split in the movement soon after Ahmad's death.

Followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad are considered non-Muslims in many of the largest Muslim countries and have faced relentless persecution of various types over the years.[12] In 1974, the Pakistani parliament amended the Pakistani constitution to declare Ahmadis as non-Muslims for purposes of the constitution of the Islamic Republic.[13] In 1984, a series of changes in the Pakistan Penal Code sections relating to blasphemy that, in essence, made it illegal for Ahmadis to preach their religion openly as Islam, leading to arrests and prosecutions. However, no one has been executed yet, even though it is allowed under the law.

Sources and references

  1. ^ "The Fourteenth-Century's Reformer / Mujaddid", from the "Call of Islam", by Maulana Muhammad Ali
  2. ^ "The Advent of the Messiah and Mahdi", by Maulana A. U. Kaleem, Part II: Islam—Synopsis of Religious Preaching
  3. ^ "The Matter of Abrogation", by Maulana Muhammad Ali, December 20, 1914
  4. ^ "Jesus Did not Die on the Cross", The Promised Messiah and Mahdi by Dr. Aziz Ahmad Chaudhry, Islam International Publications Limited
  5. ^ "Death of Jesus", by Shahid Aziz, Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam Lahore (UK), Bulletin October 2001
  6. ^ Concept of Jihad
    "True Meaning of Jihad", compiled by Imam Kalamazad Mohammad, Muslim Literary Trust, Trinidad
  7. ^ Return of Jesus, by Dr. Ahmad Shafaat, Islamic Perspectives, May 2003
    Article on Islam, MSN Encarta online
  8. ^ "Five Pillars of Islam", Islam 101
  9. ^ "Further Similarities and Differences: (between esoteric, exoteric & Sunni/Shia) and (between Islam/Christianity/Judaism)", Exploring World Religions, 2001, Oxford University Press Canada
  10. ^ "The Question of Finality of Prophethood", The Promised Messiha and Mahdi, by Dr. Aziz Ahmad Chaudhry, Islam International Publications Limited
  11. ^ "Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib of Qadian never Claimed Prophethood (in the light of his own writings)", Accusations Answered, The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement
  12. ^ "Pakistan: Killing of Ahmadis continues amid impunity", Amnesty International, Public Statement, AI Index: ASA 33/028/2005 (Public), News Service No: 271, 11 October 2005
  13. ^ "An Act to amend the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan", Gazette of Pakistan, Extraordinary, Part I", 21st September, 1974

See also

Biographies
Books

Urdu links regadring Mohammadi Begam

Comprehensive sites with works

Resources on other sites

Articles

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