Claims of the Promised Messiah (as)

After reciting tashahhud, ta‘awwudh, and surah al-Fatihah, Huzoor (rta) recited the following verses of the Holy Quran:

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Huzoor (rta) said:

A Few Objections Raised in the So-Called White Paper

In these series of Friday sermons, I have been responding to the allegations made in the so-called White Paper published by the government of Pakistan. For today’s sermon as well, I have chosen to respond to a few more allegations. The government of Pakistan alleges:

Mirza Sahib makes a strange claim saying his spiritual status is higher than the previous Prophets. In support of this, we [the government of Pakistan] present the following from Mirza Sahib’s writings:

The Promised Messiah who God has sent in this ummah is far superior to the Messiah of the past. I swear in the Name of the Being in Whose Hands is my life that if the Messiah (Jesus, Son of Mary) would have come in this age, he would not be able to do the work that I can, nor would he be able to show the signs that are appearing through me.2

I have been given the names of all past Prophets. As stated in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, God has called me Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ishmael, Moses, David, Jesus son of Mary, and Muhammad peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, meaning that I have come in their spirit. For me, it is stated:

That is, the ‘Champion of God, in the mantle of Prophets’. So, it was necessary that attributes of all the Prophets be found in me.3

No Distinction Between Prophets in Matters of Revelation

Their objection is that the Promised Messiah (as) claimed he received revelation similar to that of other past Prophets. This objection is part of the same issue, questioning whether or not the Promised Messiah (as) is a Prophet. To answer this objection, we must examine the following two types of verses in the Holy Quran regarding the Prophets. At one point it states:

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… all of them believe in Allah, and in His angels, and in His Books, and in His Messengers saying, ‘We make no distinction between any of His Messengers;’ …

The Holy Quran also states:

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These Messengers have We exalted, some of them above others.

If the Promised Messiah (as) is a Prophet then the above verses should provide a full response to any objections.

As far as the quality, grandeur, authenticity, and truthfulness of the revelation is concerned, it is the same for all Prophets. Revelation comes from the One God. However, the status of a Prophet is God’s choosing. The holy words of God are all magnificent, pure, and wholly true; in this respect, no distinction can be made between them. Though, God still, in His wisdom, exalts some [Prophets] over the others. The question is then how, keeping in view the claims made by the Promised Messiah (as), is it appropriate for him to claim superiority over some of the past Prophets?

Men of God Who Received Revelation

The Promised Messiah (as) claims to be the Messiah and the Mahdi. A review of the writings of the pious men of God and reformers in Islam indicate that they emphatically state that the status of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi would be far above the ordinary men in the ummah. Some have stated very clearly that he [the Promised Messiah (as)] would have a higher status than some of the previous Prophets. Indeed, some holy men in Islam, who neither claimed to be the Mahdi nor the Messiah, have made similar—or even greater—claims with regards to their own revelations and exalted stations. Regarding revelation and of superiority [in spiritual station] over others, there are several claims in Islamic history. Let me present two references regarding revelation.

Hazrat Muhayyuddin Ibn-e-‘Arabi, in addition to claiming that he received revelation, also claimed that he experienced spiritual exaltation (mi‘raj) during which the following verse [surah al-Baqarah, 2:137] was revealed to him:

Say ye: ‘We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob and his children and what was given to Moses, Jesus, and what was given to all other Prophets from their Lord. We make no difference between any of them, and to Him we submit ourselves’.6

He then states:

Thus, God has bestowed upon me all the signs mentioned in this verse, has elevated my spiritual station, and has provided me with the key to all forms of knowledge. From this I understand that I am a blended compound of all the Prophets mentioned in the verse.7

Hazrat Khwaja Mir Dard Dehlavi, in his book ‘Ilm-ul-Kitab [Knowledge of the Book] under the heading ‘Gratitude for the Divine Favours’ records the revelations that he has received, which are comparable to the revelations of previous Prophets. His revelations take the form of Quranic verses. One revelation reads:

Do not follow their desires and be steadfast as you are commanded.

Another reads:

Do they seek the judgement of the days of ignorance at a time when Allah has ordained to show His signs as He wills.

Yet another reads:

If You punish them, they are Your servants; and if You forgive them, You surely are the Mighty, the Wise.

Philosophy of Promised Messiah’s (as) Claim of Superiority Over Jesus (as) Son of Mary

As for the claim of the Promised Messiah (as) that his status is higher than that of Jesus (as) son of Mary, he himself has explained the rationale behind this claim. Any rational person, who believes in Islam and in the exalted station of the Holy Prophet (sas), cannot object to this claim without losing his faith. The Promised Messiah (as) says:

It must be remembered that I have been appointed for the reformation of the whole world, because my lord and master the Holy Prophet (sas) was sent for the whole world. Therefore, I have been granted the qualities and strength needed to bear this burden. We are the inheritors of the Holy Quran whose teachings are comprehensive of all excellences, and are universal. Jesus (as) son of Mary was the inheritor of only the Torah, which contained an imperfect teaching for a specific people. That is why, in the Bible, he had to elaborate those teachings that were hidden and unclear in the Torah. On the other hand, we cannot add anything to the teachings of the Holy Quran because its teachings are the most comprehensive and complete. Unlike Torah, it is not in need of any Gospel.8

Claims of Being Superior to Other Prophets

Regarding the claims of other holy men, I will mention Hazrat ‘Ali (ra) who said:

I am the dot of the Ba9 in Bismillah. I am that aspect of God about which you have been heedless. I am the pen. I am the divine tablet. I am the throne. I am the seat of the Divine. I am the Seven Heavens. I am all the World.10

Hazrat Imam Ja‘far Sadiq (ra), the sixth imam of the Sh‘iah sect, a revered holy man in the ummah, and a teacher of Imam Abu Hanifah is reported to have said that the Mahdi will pronounce:

O people, listen to me. If you want to see Abraham and Ishmael, then know that I am Abraham and Ishmael. If you want to see Moses and Joshua, then know that I am Moses and Joshua. If you want to see Jesus and Simon, then know that I am Jesus and Simon. If you want to see Muhammad (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and Amir-ul-Mo’minin [Hazrat Ali], then know that I am Muhammad (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and Amir-ul-Mo’minin. If you want to see Hassan and Husain, then know that I am Hassan and Husain. If you want to see the imams from the progeny of Husain, then know that I am all of them.11

Claims of the Promised Messiah in the Light of the Writings of Various Imams

The government of Pakistan has in a way supported the [Ahmadiyya Muslim] Jama‘at by quoting these excerpts of the writings of the Promised Messiah (as) for it has not established any new criticisms. The holy men previously quoted already have prophesied that the Promised Messiah (as) would make these claims. If the Messiah did not make similar claims, he would have to be considered an imposter. The holy men who had made these prophecies would then also have to be considered imposters. You will have to accept the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (as) in accordance with the prophecy made by Imam Ja‘far Sadiq. Denying the Promised Messiah (as) because of these claims would be the equivalent of denying the truthfulness and status of Imam Ja‘far Sadiq.

The claims do not end there. Imam Khomeini, whom the Shi‘ahs have given a high status, next only in stature to their great imams, says in reference to the status of the Shi‘ah imams:

Surely, in our religion we have a firm belief that none of the exalted angels, nor any Prophet or Messenger can attain the status of the imams.12

Hazrat Sheikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani (rta) neither claimed to be the Messiah nor Mahdi, but the ignorant maulavi of today cannot grasp the exalted status of holy men in the ummah of the Holy Prophet (sas). In a book by al-Shaikh Nurudin Abul Hassan ‘Ali Bin Yusuf on p. 21, it is said by Sheikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani (rta) that:

There are leaders of men, leaders of Jinn, and leaders of angels; and I am the chief of all of the leaders. Do not compare me with them and do not compare them with me.

Nawab Siddiq Hassan Khan Sahib quoting Imam Ibn Sirin in his book Hijaj ul Karamah, p. 386 says:

In this ummah there will be a khalifah with a higher status than Abu Bakr and ‘Umar. He was asked, ‘Would he have a higher status than both of them?’ He said, ‘Yes, and in fact this khalifah may possibly be of a higher status than some Prophets.’ Another source has the words: ‘Abu Bakr and ‘Umar would not be of a higher status than this khalifah.’

Imam Sayuti has testified to the authenticity of this saying.

Perfect Reflection of the Holy Prophet (sas)

The name of Hazrat Shah Waliullah Muhadith Dehlavi’s (rta) is respectfully noted in the booklet Qadianiyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam, which is published against our Jama‘at. He has been accepted as an authority on Islam and about issues facing the ummah by the publishers of this booklet. Regarding the status of the coming Imam and Promised Messiah, he has said:

The reality [is that] the Promised Messiah is to have the light and image of the Holy Prophet (sas) in him. Many people think that the Promised Messiah will be an ordinary person from the ummah. This is not true. He will be the true embodiment of the name of Holy Prophet (sas) and his true copy. How can he be compared with an ordinary Muslim.13

Hazrat Imam ‘Abdul Razzak Qashani writes:

The Mahdi of the latter days would be subservient to the laws of Muhammed (sas). However, in reality, in religious knowledge, Prophets and other holy men would be subordinate to him [the Mahdi], because intrinsically this Mahdi is the representation of Muhammed (sas).

The Essence of Spiritual Re-Advent

Hazrat Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlavi (rta) says:

One form of the real spiritual re-advent is that sometimes the progeny or the followers are included within the same status of a principal person in the same way as the image of the Holy Prophet (sas) will appear in the advent of the Mahdi.14

A Simple Choice

Having referenced the literature of holy men who possess extraordinary spiritual status—including some who were the reformers of their respective age—there are two ways to decide upon this issue. Either you should issue verdicts of apostasy against these holy men similar to those you issue against the Promised Messiah (as) and his followers, or you should agree that these holy men had truly estimated and stated the status of the Promised Messiah (as) as the real Messiah. If you [government of Pakistan] possess any justice and righteousness, you should not only withdraw your objections against the Promised Messiah (as), but should sincerely accept him.

On the face of it, it seems impossible that you [government of Pakistan] will have the courage to do so, because you are issuing verdicts of death upon those who have accepted the Promised Messiah (as). You have ordained that the houses of the Ahmadis be looted, their properties burnt and that all of them; including the women, children, and elderly; should be killed. If this is your belief about the followers of the Promised Messiah (as), then similar treatment should be administered to the followers of these holy men and imams. Since you lack courage and do not fear God, you are not capable of doing anything except hurling verbal abuse and inciting people to violence.

The fact of the matter is that the Promised Messiah (as) has claimed everything that these holy men and imams said that the Messiah would claim. So this is one way of recognizing his truth, for if he had not made these claims, you should have then been questioning his validity and truthfulness.

Other Objections

Another objection made in the White Paper against the Promised Messiah (as) is:

As was previously stated, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad did not immediately declare his intent of making the claim of Prophethood openly. He started by distorting the meaning of khatm-e-nubuwwat, then speedily he advanced towards his real objective. After several confusing and contradictory statements he claimed to be a Prophet.

Another objection is:

In his youth, Mirza Sahib had episodes of epilepsy and nervous disorders. Sometimes he had hysteria, and he was a diabetic too. It is interesting to note that later on, he claimed that the epilepsy and diabetes were divine signs in his favour. He writes:

The Holy Prophet (sas) prophesied about my illness, which manifested itself in these forms. The Holy Prophet (sas) stated that when the Messiah descends from heaven, he would be clad in two yellow robes.15

These allegations should appear striking to people who are familiar with religious history and the writings of the orientalist of Europe, because similar allegations have always been made in the past. Just where did they learn to make such allegations? Here is the real story: In the March 24, 1911 issue of the newspaper Ahl-e-Hadith, p. 2, col. 2, Maulavi Thana‘ullah Amritsari challenged Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih I (ra) in these words:

Do we, or do we not, have the right to question his (the Promised Messiah’s) mission and Prophethood in the same way as the Christians and Aryas question the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet (sas)?

It is easy to put these attacks in perspective when we find that these people learned their tactics from the Aryas and Christians who make filthy allegations about the Holy Prophet (sas) and Islam!

Abuses Hurled by the Christian Writers

A famous Christian writer, William Muir, in his book Life of Mahomet, pp. 46–47, criticizes the Holy Prophet (sas) with regards to his developing claim of Prophethood. He says:

Thus we may suppose was Mahomet by degrees led on to believe that God had called him to preach reformation to his countrymen … The commission pervaded throughout the future course of Mahomet, and mingled with every action. He was now the servant, the prophet, the vicegerent of God; and however much the resulting sphere of action might expand in ever widening circles, the principle on which the commission rested was from the commencement absolute and complete.16

If we substitute the name of William Muir with the names of the authors of the White Paper, and then change nothing else in the above paragraph, the theme is the identical.

William Muir argues that the absence of a controlling authority, and internal strifes between people in Mecca enabled Muhammad (sas) to claim to be a Prophet.

He then goes on to allege that:

Two to three months after his arrival in Medîna, Mahomet saw the Jews keeping the great Fast of the Atonement; and he readily adopted it for his own people. Prior to this, fasting does not appear to have been a prescribed ordinance of Islam. It was established at a period when the great object of Mahomet was to bring his religion into harmony with the Jewish rites and ceremonies.17

As for diseases, the same allegations of epilepsy and hysteria were made against the exalted being for whom the heavens and the earth was created. The same person who is the chief of all of humanity, higher in status than all Prophets, was abused. This is that person whom God has stated that he could have illuminated the whole world even if he had not receive any revelation. About this person, William Muir makes accusations of mental confusion and fear of darkness.

May the curse of Allah be upon the willful liars. I cannot read the whole passage. I refer people who have the capacity to read such allegations to Reverend C.G. Pfander’s book Mizan Ul Haq, pp. 459–463, wherein he makes very distasteful remarks about the supposed illnesses of the Holy Prophet (sas). He bases these allegations on ahadith and asserts that this is what is written by Muslim holy men and jurists. He repeats reference after reference of baseless stories, or draws misleading conclusions from events which he fails to understand. Of course, there is no reality to these claims. I cannot stand to read such writing. Perhaps our opponents may wish to read this, since they seem to have learned their style of allegations by reading such writings.

Illnesses of Some Prophets

An interesting point to note is that these people discount the claim of Prophethood made by the Promised Messiah (as) by stating that he was a frail person and had several illnesses. On the other hand, they make slanderous remarks regarding fictitious illnesses of the Prophets in whom they do believe. For example, in al-Itqan, Vol. 2, p. 138, it is written about Hazrat Idris (as) that:

One of his eyes was bigger than the other.

About Hazrat Sho‘aib (as), it is said that:

He became blind in the later years of his life.18

These accusations are minor when compared to what they say about Hazrat Ayub (as). This is [what they believe] despite Allah saying that He breathes His own spirit into Prophets and thereby they gain a new life. About Hazrat Ayub (as), it is written:

Satan blew into his nose, and his body erupted with big carbuncles, which produced violent itching that he continued to scratch with fingernails, hard objects, and stones without relief. His body became infected and foul smelling, and he was ousted from the village on a cart with a covering, and everyone boycotted him with the exception of his wife, Rehmat Bint Ifra’im.19

It is not surprising that people who have such opinions about the earlier Prophets of God hurl such allegations at the Promised Messiah (as).

Defending the Honour of the Holy Prophet (sas)

The fact of the matter is that there is a message of gratification and comfort for Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama‘at in all of this. Until the advent of the Promised Messiah (as), the world was hurling all kinds of abuse at the Holy Prophet (sas). The Promised Messiah (as) defended the honour of the Holy Prophet (sas) in such a way that the abuses are now deflected away from him. Having silenced the enemies of the Holy Prophet (sas), he took the burden of the abuses upon himself. This is the greatness of the sacrifices made by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama‘at. This is the grandeur of the truthfulness in the claims of the Promised Messiah (as). In these attacks, we see the mercy and blessings of God descending upon the Promised Messiah (as).

There is no doubt that the darkness that had accumulated over centuries in the form of attacks upon our Holy Prophet (sas)—the arrows that aimed at our Lord and Master and hurled filthy abuse at him—were converted by Almighty Allah into fragrant messages of peace and blessings for the Holy Prophet (sas)! Congratulations to you, O’ followers of the Promised Messiah (as), who are deflecting all of the abuses and accusations thrown at the Holy Prophet (sas) and aiming them toward yourselves without caring in the least for the consequences!

Divine Message in the Hadith of the Holy Prophet (sas)

The Hadith that states that the Messiah will be clad in two yellow robes when he descends from Heaven can be taken either literally or it can be interpreted as a vision. The literal meaning is not logical. If you look for a divine message then you note that holy men from the ummah in the past have interpreted this to mean:

If you have a dream or a vision that someone is wearing yellow clothes, it means illness.20

There is no other meaning to this. If people insist that the Messiah will be dressed in yellow like a yogi’s, then they must become aware of what the Holy Prophet (sas) said. Hazrat ‘Abdullah Bin ‘Umar Bin As narrates that:

The Holy Prophet (sas) saw a person clad in yellow, and he admonished him not to wear such clothes as it was the dress of the disbelievers.21

We do not accept a Messiah from the disbelievers. Our souls only accept a Messiah from the ummah of the Holy Prophet (sas)! The Holy Prophet (sas) had admonished his ummah not to wear yellow, as it was the dress of disbelievers. So, if you wish for a Messiah from this ummah, you will have to reassess your concept of who is the Messiah. And then, if you still insist on your concept of the Messiah, your Messiah is for you and our Messiah is for us. Our Messiah (as) is the one who is subservient to the commandments of the Holy Prophet (sas), the one who follows the Islamic shariah [law] to the letter, and the one who was obedient to the Holy Prophet (sas) at all times.

Today, for this sermon, keeping in mind the Jalsa Salana [Annual Convention], I had chosen to respond briefly to these two allegations. Insha’Allah, I will continue this in the future. For the final address [on April 7, 1985] I have chosen the topic of Khatam-al-Nabiyyin. The White Paper raises issues about this as well, and I feel that I should respond to this in my final address as everything cannot be covered in the brief period of time given during a single Friday sermon. May Allah, out of His grace, give me the ability to cover these issues and respond in the allotted time.

The Importance of Jalsa Salana in the United Kingdom

In the end, I would like to say it is God’s grace that has enabled us to participate in this historic Jalsa Salana which is about to begin. We do not call this a central Convention. The central Convention will be held in Rabwah insha’Allah. It is our basic right to hold our religious gatherings and functions at our centre. The government of Pakistan has permitted us to hold our shura in Rabwah this year. This is God’s favour and grace. Even though we do not call this our central Convention, people the devotees of Ahmadiyyat have travelled from far and wide to attend by spending lot of money and facing lot of hardship and difficulties. This is a unique moment in the history of the UK which will not be repeated. The faces you see today, you may not see them again. I hope that insha’Allah you will come to the next Jalsa Salana in Rabwah, as you did before. Do enjoy these new faces and company moments, but do not forget your brethren in Pakistan. Pray for them from the bottom of your heart. They are in great pain, sorrow, and difficulties. These days of separation have turned into long nights, and it is difficult for them to bear this.

Instructions for Those Hosting the Jalsa Salana

At this Jalsa Salana people have come from far and wide, experiencing considerable expense and difficulties. Some poor people who had never left their villages before are here as well. Although the UK Jama‘at is aware of its responsibilities and duties, it is my responsibility to remind them to be kind and friendly to their guests, to attend to their needs and comfort as best as they can, and to always do this for the sake of God. These people are here today as a sign of the truth of Ahmadiyyat. You must all pray that they remain safe and sound here and go back home safely carrying countless blessings with them.

These days of Jalsah are very blessed. Spend these days singing the praise of your Lord, praying, and reciting durud [sending blessings on the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas)].

Remember Allah much during this Friday during Jalsa Salana. He has always helped you and protected you in your trials and tribulations. He has never forsaken you, and you should never be disloyal to Him. I conclude now with the prayers that Allah protect and help you all.