IN MEMORY OF JALAL-UD-DIN AKBAR IBN-I ABDULLAH, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

MOTTO ISLAM: I SHALL LOVE ALL MANKIND

Vol. No. 39, Issue Nos. 12December 2020 Editor: Nasir Ahmad B.A. LL.B.

Hazrat Ameer, Dr. Abdul Karim Saeed, Head of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement,

addressing the world-wide community through on-line transmission during the Salana

Du'aiyya December 2020 from Lahore, Pakistan.

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MUSLIM LIVES MATTER!Iain Dixon 2

A TRIBUTE TO MAULANA HAFIZ SHER MUHAMMAD 3By Ebrahim Mohamed

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CLAIM OF PROPHETHOOD ATTRIBUTED TO HAZRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD, FOUNDER OF THE AHMADIYYA MOVEMENT IN ISLAM — III 9Fazeel S. Khan, LL.B. (Canada), LL.M. (USA)

ACTIVITIES AT THE BERLIN MOSQUE 16Imam Amir Aziz

Views of a Christian Friend

MUSLIM LIVES MATTER!Iain Dixon

We live in fearful times, and yet we are not to be fearful. We live in discouraging times, and yet we are not to be discouraged. We live in hateful times, yet we are not to become hateful ourselves.

After the recent horrific and violent acts witnessed in France and Austria, perpetrated in the name of ‘Islam’, I knew there would be the predictable backlash and negative feelings thrown towards the worldwide Muslim community. Like a first responder am-bulance, I shot quickly into action, and wrote letters to imams and mosque leaders locally (and further afield) expressing solidarity with my Muslim brothers and sisters — with a message of peace and friendship, and reassurance.

Going against the grainAs a follower of Jesus, I explained that rather than being hurtful and hateful to Muslims, I instead choose to live my life differently — to surround the Muslim community with love and kindness. I also offered to meet up and pray with the imams. This goes against the grain of many people reacting to Muslims in a negative way. The response has been tremendous. I have already had one face-to-face meeting with an imam, and several others have commended me for my actions and want to meet up with me in

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the new year. In my thoughtful reading of the Quran, I have noticed a truly beautiful verse, which I included in my letter. It reads:

“And Allah invites us to the home of peace” (10:25).

Like an onion has many layers of skin, so I think too that Quran verses can have differ-ent layers of meaning. I think this verse is talking not only about our destination, but our conduct on the journey too — that paradise is the abode of peace, and anyone who desires to be a citizen of paradise must also cultivate and display peace-mak-ing qualities.

Discussion with Muslim imamsThe imams have invited me for food, and for discussion. In my scriptures we read:

“Seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14).

And Jesus himself (peace be upon him) said:

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).

More than me merely sharing food, I desire that my newly-found imam friends discov-er that the whole world is not against Islam or Muslims. There are people who care. There are people who pray blessings upon the Muslim community. Will you make dua for me that my actions in some small way can build a better society? Muslim lives matter!

“The Lord bless you, and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).

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A TRIBUTE TO MAULANA HAFIZ SHER MUHAMMAD

(ON THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF “THE AHMADIYYA CASE” IN SOUTH AFRICA WHEREIN HE PLAYED A LEADING ROLE AS THE EXPERT WITNESS.)

By Ebrahim MohamedPresident, Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha‘at Islam Lahore (South Africa)

On the 20th November 1985, exactly 35 years ago, the judgement in the Ahmadiyya Case that played out in South Africa was issued. With the grace of Almighty Allah and the selfless efforts of Maulana Hafiz Sher Muhammad, the judgment was given in favour of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement, South Africa represented by Ismael Peck who was confirmed to be a Muslim. The voluminous evidence produced by Hafiz Sahib restored the truth, honour and dignity of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. This evidence is now a permanent court record and has been preserved in the book The Ahmadiyya Case compiled by Dr Zahid Aziz and thus accessible to all for many gener-ations to come.

Maulana Hafiz Sher Muhammad of blessed memory came to South Africa in 1983 to represent the Lahore Ahmadiyya Anjuman as an expert witness in the Ahmadiyya

Mr. Ismail Peck (left) and Maulana Hafiz Sher Muhammad

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Case. Because several High Court judges and government officials and clerics from Pakistan were listed as being seconded to come to South Africa to assist the local cler-ics who had by then already garnered the support of all the local ulema bodies in the country, the Ahmadiyya Case hit the headlines in South Africa and other parts of the world. The name Maulana Hafiz Sher Muhammad, brave and valiant defender of the dignity and honour of the Mujaddid of the Age, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, soon became the buzz amongst religious scholars, academics, and the media here in South Africa and abroad. We could not help sensing a Divine Hand at play that pointed to a mission far greater than the court case itself. It was indeed Providence that restored the Maulana’s health that gave him the strength and made it possible for him to travel to distant South Africa to carry out his mission to the best of his ability, a feat we now all know he achieved par excellence.

In fact, when we look back at the career of this noble soldier of Islam we see such providential intervention steering the young Sher Muhammad in a very specific di-rection towards the Mujaddid of the Age. Maulana Hafiz Sher Muhammad hails from the little town of Khushab, situated at the foothills of a mountainous range in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. His ancestors were seriously engaged in imparting re-ligious instructions to the Muslims residing in that area. They were from the Ahle Hadith, Deoband School. They built their own mosque and were highly respected in the area for their learning and piety. Sher Muhammad started memorizing the Holy Quran from the early age of four years. He was schooled in religious matters by his fa-ther and grandparents in their mosque. When he used to visit the local shop as a child he always used to see the shopkeeper reading books. Out of sheer youthful curiosity he enquired from the shopkeeper what he was reading. The shopkeeper, an Ahmadi Muslim of the Qadian Jama‘at, told him it was from the writings of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi. When he was about twelve years old, he asked the shopkeeper to lend him some of the books to read. The shopkeeper refused, but offered him a space at the back of the shop where he could read the books. On reading these books, Sher Muhammad became convinced that the traditional belief that the prophet Jesus was alive in the heavens and will return to earth was not true according to arguments presented by the Promised Messiah from the Holy Quran. It is said he convinced his grandfather and his father of this. At the age of fifteen, Sher Muhammad passed the Maulvi Fazal examination in Arabic and literature at the Punjab University. He then went to study at the Dar al Uloom in Lahore where he completed the Darsi Nizami course. At the time this was considered the highest course to study in religion and re-ligious philosophy that qualifies a person to teach post graduate students. Now, well-schooled in Islamic studies of the highest available rank, he kept studying the works of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and was soon convinced of his claims as Mujaddid of the fourteenth century Hijra, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi; but was still uncertain about ‘prophethood’ as expounded by his Qadiani friends. He once attended their

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Jalsa in Qadian. Not satisfied by their explanations of prophethood, Hafiz Sahib told his friend, the shopkeeper, that he will not join their Jama‘at till someone gives him a satisfactory explanation for the word nabi and the doctrine of nubuwwat as followed by them.

On his way back from Qadian, Hafiz Sahib was waiting for a connecting train at the Lahore railway station where it just so happened that he met a Lahori Ahmadi from his village whom he knew who was also waiting for the same train with his family. On his enquiry as to what he was doing there, Hafiz Sahib told him the story of his visit to Qadian. That gentleman advised him to go and seek an explanation of his queries from Maulana Muhammad Ali. Both postponed their homeward journeys and went to see Maulana Muhammad Ali at Muslim Town, Lahore. On Hafiz Sahib’s enquiry, Maulana Muhammad Ali explained in detail the concept around nubuwwat, the final-ity of prophethood and the context in which Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad used the word in relation to himself. In a few minutes the whole matter became crystal clear to him. With this clarity of mind, he retired to the guest house for the evening. During the night he lay awake thinking about the logic and rationale of Maulana Muhammad Ali’s explanation and by the next morning he had made up his mind what to do. That day, without anyone making any suggestions to him, he took the pledge at the hands of Maulana Muhammad Ali and joined the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha‘at Islam Lahore. He returned to Khushab and announced it to his family members and friends.

Hafiz Sahib served under Maulana Muhammad Ali and held many roles in the Central Anjuman in Lahore as editor and author of several booklets and articles. He served as a missionary in Fiji for several years. In the end he served as the vice-president of the Central Anjuman before returning to his Maker. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon!

Maulana Hafiz Sher Muhammad arrived in South Africa in 1983. Despite huge logis-tical problems, he managed to bring with him a large amount of books and journals needed for the compilation of the monumental theological evidence. As soon as peo-ple came to hear of his presence in Cape Town, he received many visitors. Despite the enormity of the task that lay ahead he never turned a visitor away and would welcome them with a pleasant smile accompanied by warm, jovial comments. Our greatest disappointment was the language divide. None of us knew any Urdu and could not communicate freely with him and we had so many questions to ask him. A good friend of the Jama‘at that knew a bit of Urdu came to our rescue in the initial stages. It was much better when later Dr Zahid Aziz arrived as the official interpreter. Everywhere Hafiz Sahib went he was a veritable beacon of light and knowledge. He removed many misconceptions and doubts people had about Islam, the Ahmadiyya Movement, and its Founder. He exuded an excellent blend of knowledge, confidence, humility and sainthood, and everyone that met him simply loved his company and talks.

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However, preparing for the trial was an arduous task that involved many late nights and often working throughout the night. Hafiz Sher Muhammad had a unique yet a very effective style that he adopted in his defence of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. His approach was to directly explain the writings of Mirza Sahib according to Mirza’s own interpretations and not rely on some self-styled third party interpretations taken out of context that caused so much misunderstanding and confusion. This gave him the advantage over his learned opponents in the South Africa Case, none of whom it later emerged had studied all, if any, of the actual original works of Mirza Sahib. Hafiz Sahib’s extensive knowledge even transcended what was contained in the standard works of the Anjuman. He proved that the writings of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad encompassed all branches of Islamic theology, philosophy and metaphysics. Thus the challenges presented by the South Africa Case no doubt brought out the best in Hafez Sahib that most probably would have been lost to the world. His prized evidence has been captured in an encyclopaedic book entitled The Ahmadiyya Case compiled by Dr Zahid Aziz for all to see; especially invaluable for religious and legal scholars.

Due to the tireless efforts of Hafiz Sahib the world now has clarity at their fingertips of contentious issues with regard to specific Islamic doctrines that have come into in-ternational spotlight with the rise of an extremist culture in the form of terror groups such as ISIS and others we are all too familiar with. At last we have a clear, unambig-uous definition of who is a Muslim and the true meaning of Jihad — that it does not mean aggressive, unprovoked violence with the aim to convert or punish!

After months preparing for the trial the clerics on the morning when the trial started decided to throw in the towel, and they walked away in a state of self-inflicted, abject humiliation on the grounds of a belated fatwa (legal opinion) that a secular court cannot determine who is a Muslim. A few years later they dismissed the validity of their own fatwa in a second case, as we will see. However, although now not required by the Court to do so, Hafiz Sahib nevertheless decided to deliver his full evidence, for the record, in the Supreme Court of Cape Town, South Africa that now also served as an ideal open public forum for anyone to come and listen to his explanations of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’s writings — that he did not lay claim to actual prophet-hood, period.

In the end, the Court ruled against the clerical body and others. Justice J. Williamson had the following to say about Maulana Hafiz Sher Muhammad:

‘In my estimation the witness is a man of great learning and integrity. He gave evidence before me for some six days and created an extremely favourable impression. I accept his evidence without hesitation’ (Judgement, 20th November 1985, Case 10058/82, in favour of the Ahmadiyya Movement).

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In a second Case, a local Sunni Sheikh, Muhammad Jassiem, brought a charge of def-amation against the same clerical body and its president, Sheikh Nazim Mohamed. Sheikh Jassiem was defamed because he refused to debar Ahmadis from attending his mosque. This time the defendants, contrary to their own fatwa produced in the first Case, approached a secular Court to determine whether Jassiem, who refused to call Ahmadis kafir, was a Muslim. This time they brought an expert witness, name-ly Professor Ghazi from Pakistan, to testify on their behalf against the teachings of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Professor Ghazi was from the International University of Islamabad, Pakistan. And was later appointed as judge of the Shariat Appellate Court and still later became Federal Minister of Religious Affairs of Pakistan.

Maulana Hafiz Sher Muhammad was again approached to defend the beliefs of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad though no Ahmadi was a direct party to the case nor was the Court required to determine whether Ahmadis were Muslims or not. He was pitted against the best the opposition could present. On this occasion he gave extensive evidence from July to September 1987 under hostile cross-examination. In the end the Judge determined that it was not necessary to rule whether Jassiem was a Muslim or not as it was a clear-cut case of defamation that he was subjected to by the head of the clerical body and for which he was awarded damages. However, in summing up the two expert witnesses the Judge had the following to say:

‘As a witness Professor Ghazi has the disadvantage that he correctly concedes that where the government of the day supports an idea — that idea flourish-es ... Of possible interpretations put on Mirza’s words and actions, he always chose the worst ... his evidence was often illogical inferences, unjustified.’‘Sher Muhammad, who had to break down prejudice, perhaps not any identifiable opponent, impressed as more reasonable and tolerant (being interested in the spiritual advancement of Islam rather than Ahmadism as such) than Ghazi, whose interests lie in politics rather than spirituality...’ (p. 94 of Trial Court Judgement Case 1438/86).

We now compare the respected Judge’s assessment of Maulana Hafiz Sher Muhammad’s testimony with the following words of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who said:

‘Our religion is the same Islam. It is not new. These are the same prayers, the same fasts, the same pilgrimage, and the same zakaat. But there is this difference: that these duties had by now assumed outward forms only, with-out any true spirit in them; we want to infuse in them the spirit of sincerity’ (Ruhani Khaza’in, no. 2, vol. ix, p. 312).

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Great moral victory Maulana Hafiz Sher Muhammad achievedThus we say, Maulana Hafiz Sher Muhammad, dear Sir, you have been an Excellent Ambassador of the true spirit of Islam as revived by the Mujaddid of the Age, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, in such a way that you deservedly attracted the admiration of an unbiased judge and will continue to draw the admiration of all honest, fair-minded people around the world. We applaud you, Hafiz Sahib. You deserve a posthumous standing ovation.

May Almighty Allah, the Best of Judges, reward you abundantly! May your life’s work be an everlasting charity and nourishment for your soul. Ameen!

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AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CLAIM OF PROPHETHOOD ATTRIBUTED TO HAZRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD,

FOUNDER OF THE AHMADIYYA MOVEMENT IN ISLAM — III

Fazeel S. Khan, LL.B. (Canada), LL.M. (USA)

(THIRD INSTALMENT OF THE PAPER READ ON OCTOBER 24-25, 2019 AT THE ACADEMIC CONFERENCE OF THE FACULTY OF COMPARATIVE

STUDY OF RELIGION AND HUMANISM IN ANTWERP, BELGIUM, ENTITLED “AHMADIYYA, IN SCHOLARLY PERSPECTIVE.” — EDITOR)

Muhaddath — Spiritual Significance and Metaphorical ImplicationIn order to understand the terminology used by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, it is essential to appreciate the context in which certain words appear in his writings. Like classical Muslim theologians, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad routinely focuses his writ-ings on the intricacies of spiritual development and the means to attain closeness to the Divine.1 The concept of fana fir rasul (meaning, annihilating one’s being into the prophet’s existence), a common feature in lessons from the Sufi tradition, is particu-larly emphasized in his works. By explaining such spiritual concepts, especially in the

1 In his paper Islami Usool ki Falasafi, for example, he provides a masterful exposition on the nature of the soul being the spirit of God breathed into each human, how this necessarily implies that each person possesses the Divine attributes within them, and that by exercising these attributes in daily life one becomes closer to God, which is the essence of true salvation. The English translation, under the tile The Teachings of Islam, is published by the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam, Lahore (USA), (2012 edition).

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various detailed responses to objections from his critics, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad offers insight into the meaning of particular words he employs in his writings.

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad explained the concept of fana fir rasul by expounding on how prophets personify the display of Divine attributes on earth, and how, by follow-ing a prophet’s example perfectly, one may attain this level of nearness to the Divine. This form of discipleship entails losing one’s own identity to the extent of merging with the personality of the prophet. He explains this concept by contextualizing it as being at the heart of Sufi teachings on attaining union with the Divine:

“Of all the leaders of Sufism that there have been till the present day, not even one has disagreed with the point that in this religion the path to be-come the likes of prophets is open, as the Holy Prophet Muhammad has given the glad tidings for spiritual and godly learned persons that: ‘The ula-ma of my ummah are like the Israelite prophets.’ The words of Abu Yazid Bustami … are on this basis, as he says: ‘I am Adam, I am Seth, I am Noah, I am Abraham, I am Moses, I am Jesus, I am Muhammad, peace be upon him and upon all these brothers of his.’ ... Similarly, Sayyid Abdul Qadir Jilani, in his book Futuh-ul-Ghaib, refers to this point – that is, that man, by leaving his ego and annihilating himself in God, becomes the like, rather the very form, of the prophets.”2

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad further clarifies that by becoming one with a prophet in a spiritual sense, the term “prophet” can be used to describe such a person, by way of metaphor, as a title for the spiritual status attained:

“God bestowed the honor of His full, perfect, pure and holy, communication and revelation to some such persons who reached the stage of fana fir rasul to the highest degree, so that there remained no separation. The concept of ummati (being a follower) and the meaning of following was found in them to completion and perfection, so that their very being did not remain their own selves, but rather, the person of the Holy Prophet Muhammad was reflected in the mirror of their state of engrossment. On the other hand, they received Divine communication and revelation in the fullest and most perfect sense like prophets. So, in this sense, some persons, despite being ummati (followers), received the title of nabi (prophet).”3

Key to appreciating this notion is recognizing that attainment of the high spiritual state of becoming the “like of the prophets” doesn’t actually make one a prophet.

2 Izala Auham, pp. 258-9 (RK, v. 3, p. 230-231).3 Al-Wasiyyat, pp. 29-30 (RK, vol. 20, pp. 311-12).

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Being “like” something necessarily means one is not actually it, but only appears to be so. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad explains that this “likeness” to Prophet Muhammad, achieved by giving up one’s own ego and following Prophet Muhammad’s example perfectly, is the state attained by a muhaddath:

“The fact that our Holy Prophet is the khatam an nabiyyin prohibits the coming of any other prophet. However, a prophet who obtains light from the lamp of the prophethood of Muhammad, who in other words is also called a muhaddath, is exempt from this restriction because, due to his obe-dience to the Holy Prophet and due to his being fana fir rasul, he is included within the person of the Last of the Messengers, just as a part is included in the whole.”4

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad also describes the concept of fana fir rasul as necessarily applying to saints and not prophets because the status of a prophet is antithetical to the concept of being a follower (ummati).5 He refines the understanding of the concept of fana fir rasul by contrasting its key element of “following” with the inde-pendent nature of real and actual prophethood:

“The possessor of full prophethood can never be a follower (ummati), and it is absolutely prohibited by the Quran and the Hadith that the man who is called messenger (rasul) of God in the fullest sense could be a complete sub-ordinate and disciple of another prophet. Almighty God says: ‘We did not send any messenger but that he should be obeyed by God’s permission.’ That is, every messenger is sent to be a master and leader, not to be a disci-ple and sub-ordinate of someone else.”6

Hence, in addition to differentiating prophethood and sainthood in terms of the form and content of the revelation received (i.e., only prophetic revelation is transmitted via Angel Gabriel and only prophetic revelation comprises laws), Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad provides another distinguishing criterion: prophets attain their status inde-pendently through a direct connection with God7, whereas saints acquire their status through dependence on following a prophet.8

4 Izala Auham, p. 575 (RK, vol. 3, pp. 410-411).5 For instance, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad explains: “The meanings of rasul (messenger) and ummati (follower) are opposite to each other”

(Izala Auham, p. 575; RK, vol. 3, p. 410); “These two concepts (discipleship and prophethood) are opposite to each other” (Review Mubahasa, p. 8; RK, vol. 19, p. 216).

6 Izala Auham, p. 569 (RK, vol. 3, p. 407).7 Mirza Ghulam Ahmad also writes: “However, in the terminology of Islam nabi (prophet) and rasul (messenger) mean … those who

are not called followers of a previous prophet and have a direct connection with God without the benefit from a prophet. Therefore, one should be vigilant to see that the same meaning is not taken here” (Al-Hakam, August 17, 1899, p. 6).

8 Mirza Ghulam Ahmad also writes: “A muhaddath, who is a ‘sent one,’ is a follower and also, in an imperfect sense, a prophet. He is a follower because he fully follows the shariah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad and receives benefit from the light of his [Prophet Muhammad’s] prophethood. And he is a prophet because God makes his affairs like those of prophets. God has made the position of muhaddath as an intermediate one between prophets and followers. Although he is a follower in the fullest sense, he is also a

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As a result, in the context of demonstrating the concept of fana fir rasul, the conjoined term “follower and prophet” (ummati wa nabi) that is found in Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’s writings is a description of a muhaddath. It does not denote some type of actual prophethood but rather, due to the qualifying word “follower,” is a negation of real prophethood. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad makes this point clear:

“Rendering obedience to this Prophethood (of Muhammad) takes one to God very easily, and one receives the gift of God’s love and His revelation in a much greater measure than people used to before. A perfect follower, though, cannot be just called ‘nabi’ (prophet) because it would be derogatory to the perfect and complete prophethood of the Holy Prophet Muhammad. However, both the words ummati (follower) and nabi (prophet) can jointly be applied to him, because that would not be derogatory to the propheth-ood of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.”9

Consistent with his various other declarations of being a muhaddath and not a proph-et, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad affirms the same even in his last major publication before his death, Haqiqat al-Wahy, by writing, “I cannot be called only ‘prophet,’ but a prophet from one aspect and a follower from another.”10

Understanding the concept of fana fir rasul allows for the contextualization of other misunderstood terms used by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in his writings, such as zill (reflection or shadow), and baruz (manifestation).11 For example, regarding the notion of zilli nabuwwah (reflection or shadow of prophethood), Mirza Ghulam Ahmad ex-pounds on the principles of fana fir rasul by writing:

“When some persons of the Muslim nation turn to the obedience of the Holy Prophet Muhammad with perfect humility, and totally lose themselves in their humbleness, God, finding them like a clear mirror, manifests the blessings of the Holy Prophet through their being. And whatever praise they

prophet in one sense. And a muhaddath must be the like of some prophet, and receive from God the very name which is the name of that prophet” (Izala Auham, p. 569 [RK, vol. 3, p. 407]).

9 Al-Wasiyyat, pp. 27-8 (RK, vol. 20, pp. 311-13).10 p. 150 (RK, vol. 22, p. 154). In this book, he also affirms: “And I have been called prophet (nabi) by Allah by way of metaphor, not by

way of reality (haqiqat)” (Haqiqat al-Wahy, Supplement, p. 64; RK, vol. 22, p. 154).11 One may question whether the dispute between the Lahore and Qadian sections of the Ahmadiyya Movement is simply a matter

of semantics, in which one group uses the word muhaddath concerning the status of the Founder of the Movement and the other uses terms like baruzi-nabi or zilli-nabi. The real point of contention, rather, lay in the implications of the Qadian Section’s belief: that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was a prophet in the sense that it required all Muslims to believe in him in order to remain within the fold of Islam. The Lahore section categorically rejected this notion. See Maulana Muhammad Ali’s The Split in the Ahmadiyya Movement (Columbus: Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam, Lahore (USA), 1994 edition) and Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad’s confirmation of the takfiri position in his responsive book The Truth about the Split (UK: Islam International Publications, 2007 edition). Relatedly, the issue of whether belief in a person is required in order to be included in a faith tradition was identified by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as another distinguishing characteristic between a prophet (nabi) and a saint (muhaddath): “The point is worth remembering that to call the denier of one’s claim a kafir is only the privilege of those prophets who bring a shariah and new commandments from God. Apart from the possessors of shariah, all the others who are muhaddathun, no matter how high a rank they may have with God and how exalted they may be with the robe of Divine revelation, no one becomes a kafir by denying them” (Tiryaq al-Qulub, p. 130 [RK, vol. 15, p. 432]).

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receive from God, or whatever blessings and signs are displayed by them, all these praises are for the Holy Prophet, and he is the source of all these blessings. But because the perfect follower of the Holy Prophet is a zill, the Divine light of that Holy Person can be seen in his zill as well. It is not a secret that the shadow has the form of its original. However, the shadow has no existence of its own, and no real attribute; all that it has is an image of its original.”12

Similarly, regarding the notion of baruzi nabuwwah (manifestation of a prophet), Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad also refers to the principle of fana fir rasul:

“All the Sufis and the elders of the Muslim nation hold this belief. In fact, they even say that no one can be a perfect follower until he acquires the accomplishments of the Holy Prophet Muhammad in the sense of baruz ... When a person shows such perfect obedience to the Holy Prophet that he is, as it were, absorbed and effaced to the extent of being lost in that obedience, his condition at that time is like a mirror showing the image fully and perfectly.”13

Leaving no room for doubt, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad verifies the notions of a zilli-nabi or a baruzi-nabi as being descriptions of the station of sainthood and not of prophethood14:

“Sainthood (wilayah) is the perfect zill of prophethood.”15

“The whole Muslim nation is agreed that a non-prophet takes the place of a prophet as a baruz. This is the meaning of the hadith: Ulama-o ummati ka-anbiya-i Bani Israil (‘The godly learned ones of my community are like the prophets of Israel’).”16

Appreciating these subtleties inherent in the concept of fana fir rasul allows one to also realize the spiritual significance to the otherwise ostensibly blasphemous state-ments made by past saintly Muslim personalities that people have trouble reconcil-ing.17 For instance, among the controversial claims and statements made by saintly Muslim personalities of the past, several have had their disciples replace the name “Muhammad” with their own name in the kalima (declaration of faith: “There is no

12 Barahin Ahmadiyya, Part III, Section 1, p. 243 (RK, vol. 1, pp. 268-269).13 Malfuzat, vol. 4 (of 5-volume edition), pp. 405-406. (Talk delivered on September 24, 1905.)14 For examples of respected Muslim theologians describing the terms zill and baruz and attributing the terms to saints, see The

Ahmadiyya Case, Part III “The Evidence,” Section 9.15 Hujjat-Ullah, p. 24 (RK, vol. 12, p. 162).16 Ayyam as-Sulh, p. 163 (RK, vol. 14, p. 411).17 A compilation of such statements made by eminent saintly Muslim personalities is provided in The Ahmadiyya Case, Part III “The

Evidence,” Section 7.

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God but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah”). Abu Bakr Shibli had peo-ple testify: “There is no God but Allah, and Shibli is His messenger.”18 Muin-ud-Din Chisti had a person recite: “There is no God but Allah, and Chisti is the Messenger of Allah.”19 Khawaja Habib-ullah Attar similarly told people to consider him to be “the messenger of Allah” when reciting the kalima.20 These respected spiritual luminaries were not claiming to be prophets, let alone replacements for Holy Prophet Prophet Muhammad. Rather, they were speaking in terms of fana fir rasul, whereby one at-tains the spiritual status of union with Prophet Muhammad by becoming his perfect reflection (zill) and manifestation (baruz). By way of metaphor, in the spiritual realm, it is as though they become Prophet Muhammad.21 Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, using Abu Yazid al-Bistami as an example, writes:

“Remember well that the fruits of perfect obedience [to the Holy Prophet] are never wasted. This is a teaching of Sufism (Tasawwuf). If the rank of zill (reflection) had not existed, the saints of the ummah would have died. It was exactly this perfect obedience, and the rank of baruz (manifestation) and zill (reflection), due to which Abu Yazid was called ‘Muhammad.’ Upon his so saying, the verdict of heresy was pronounced against him seventy times over, and he was exiled from the city. In brief, the people who oppose us are unaware of these facts.”22

According to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, through fana fir rasul, “There have been hundreds of persons in whom the ‘reality of Muhammad’ was established, and with God they had the names ‘Muhammad’ and ‘Ahmad’ by way of reflection (zill).”23

The Claim of Messiahship – A Distinction within a ClassAlthough classifying himself among the hundreds of auliya and muhaddathun, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad does make a distinction for himself. He claimed to be the Mujaddid (Reformer) of the fourteenth century of the Islamic calendar. He further stated that the mujaddid of this century was given the titles Promised Messiah and Mahdi due to the multifold mission entrusted to him.24 The claims of being Mujaddid and Mahdi were not used by his opponents to attribute a claim of prophethood to him, as there was a longstanding tradition of saintly persons claiming to be mujaddids, and

18 Saif a-Rabbani, p. 100; Al-Insan al-Kamil, vol. ii, p. 46; Tazkira Ghausiyya, p. 315; Mif-tah al-Ashiqeen, p. 16.19 Fawa’id as-Salikeen, p. 1820 Manawi Bahr al-Irfan, vol. I, p. 17921 Relatedly, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad writes: “At this point, most laypersons stumble, and thousands of saints, holy men and prophets are

mistakenly raised by them to the divine pedestal. The fact is that when spiritual and heavenly concepts are made public people have difficulty comprehending them. Eventually, they distort them somewhat and take metaphor to be reality, thus resulting in serious error and misguidance” (Government Angrezi aur Jihad, p. 26 [RK, vol. 17, pp. 26-27]).

22 Malfuzat, vol. 4 (of 5-volume edition), p. 406 [talk delivered on September 24, 1905]).23 Ainah Kamalat Islam, p. 346 (RK, vol. 5, p. 346).24 Noteworthy is that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad only used the word “claim” (dawa) when proclaiming being the Mujaddid of the era,

the Promised Messiah, and the awaited Mahdi. Whenever he used the word “prophet” in reference to himself it was always in a descriptive manner, never by way of announcing some type of “claim.”

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the Mahdi was always expected to be a person from among the ummah. But many interpreted Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’s claim of being the Promised Messiah as a de facto claim of prophethood.25 Since Jesus the Messiah was a prophet according to the Quran, it was argued that claiming to be the return of Jesus must necessarily entail a claim of a similar status, especially since the hadith report that mentions the second coming of Jesus refers to the coming Messiah as a prophet (nabi).

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, though, argued the exact opposite. He explained that the reference in hadith reports that the Promised Messiah is a prophet is not to be taken literally. He reasoned that the term nabi is used in a metaphorical sense for a muhaddath, just as it is be applied metaphorically to the “like of a prophet” by way of fana fir rasul. He further pointed out that in hadith reports prophesying the coming Messiah, both the descriptions of prophet and follower are used, which, as already shown, is a description of a muhaddath:

“Now it is obvious from all these references that he (the coming Messiah) shall not possess the attribute of complete prophethood in the actual and real manner. However, imperfect prophethood will be found in him, which in other words is called muhaddathiyya, and has within it one of the quali-ties of complete prophethood. So, the fact that he has been called follower and also prophet shows that the qualities of both being a follower and of prophethood will be found in him, just as it is necessary for both these qual-ities to be found in a muhaddath.”26

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad also presented various arguments in support of the po-sition that Jesus, the Israelite prophet, could not return to earth and, therefore, could not literally be the subject of this prophecy. The most popular of his arguments in this regard was that Jesus, according to the Quran, died a natural death after escaping an attempt of crucifixion on the cross.27 But another argument advanced in support of the belief that Jesus could not return to earth, and as a result the prophecy must refer to one who would be Jesus’ spiritual likeness, is that the Israelite prophet Jesus returning to earth violates the finality of prophethood in Prophet Muhammad:

“The title ‘prophet of God’ for the Promised Messiah found in Sahih Muslim, etc., from the blessed tongue of the Holy Prophet is meant in the same

25 For instance, Khan writes: “The messianic claim in particular was used to imply that his spiritual status had arrived at some level of prophethood, inferior in his rank to the prophethood of Muhammad, but nonetheless commissioned by God Himself for the benefit of humanity” (Khan, p. 6).

26 Izala Auham, pp. 532-533 (RK, vol. 3, p. 385). Mirza Ghulam Ahmad also explained: “And this must be remembered: that the claim of being the Promised Messiah is not in any way greater than the claim of being a recipient of divine communication (mulham min allah) or a mujaddid from God. It is evident that anybody who enjoys this status of divine communication, all his names from Allah, such as the Messiah or the like of Moses, are justified for him” (A’inah Kamalat Islam, p. 340 [RK, vol. 5, p. 341]).

27 See Jesus in India, English translation of Maseeh Hindustan Mein (London: Islam International Publications, 1995).

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metaphorical sense as it occurs in Sufi literature as an accepted and com-mon term for a recipient of Divine communication. Otherwise, how can there be a prophet after the khatam-ul-anbiya?”28

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’s claim of being the Promised Messiah, therefore, does not equate to a claim of prophethood nor does it challenge his established claim of being a muhaddath. Quite contrarily, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad explained a muhaddath being the Promised Messiah was necessary to safeguard the doctrine of finality of prophethood in Prophet Muhammad.29

* * *

28 Anjam Atham, footnote, pages 27-28 (RK, vol. 11, p. 28). Mirza Ghulam Ahmad also writes: “If the same Messiah, the Messenger of Allah and the possessor of a Book (sahib-i-kitab), on whom Gabriel used to descend, would reappear, then he would never be a student of anyone for learning the laws of the shariah of Muhammad (pbuh) but, as is the practice of God, divine revelation would descend on him through Gabriel and all the laws and commandments of the shariah of Muhammad (pbuh) would be revealed to him afresh in a new way, new shape and new language and, as compared with this new book which would be revealed from Heaven, the Quran would be abrogated” (Izala Auham, p. 585; RK, vol. 3, p. 416).

29 The following quote is often advanced by the Qadian section of the Ahmadiyya Movement to argue Mirza Ghulam Ahmad considered himself to be a prophet due to his status being beyond all other saints: “In short, I alone have been honored with so great a share of divine revelation and knowledge of the unseen as has not been bestowed on any of the auliya, abdal and aqtab among the Muslims before me. For this reason, I alone have been given the title ‘nabi,’ and no one else deserves it, because it implies frequency of rev-elation and abundance of disclosure of the unseen, a condition which is not satisfied by any of them” (Haqiqat al-Wahy, p. 391 [RK, vol. 22, pages 406-7]). Here, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad distinguishes himself from previous saintly personalities by pointing to the fact that he is the Messiah foretold in hadith reports about whom the term nabi was used to describe him being a recipient of abundance of divine revelation. Clearly, he is arguing a particular distinction within the class of saints in the Muslim community. Accordingly, this quotation actually undermines the allegation that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad claimed a status beyond that of the saintly class.

ACTIVITIES AT THE BERLIN MOSQUEREPORT FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2020

Imam Amir Aziz

Final phase of interior renovation of the Berlin MosqueWith the blessings of Allah, the final phase of renovation of the Mosque’s interior began in October. In this phase the whole interior of the Mosque will be completely renovated. Prayers are being held in the tent outside and it is a blessing of Allah that despite the cold weather the Friday prayer is well attended. Your prayers are needed for the completion of the renovation.

Prayer for protection from COVID-1923 October. Special prayers for world peace and protection from COVID-19 were or-ganized by HWPL. Imam Amir Aziz represented Islam and was asked to conduct the

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prayers on behalf of the Muslim community. After recitation of Surah Fatihah, the Opening Chapter of the Holy Qur’an, the following prayers were recited:

“O Lord of the worlds, O Lord of the people, remove from us all difficulties. O Lord of the worlds, heal our wounds as You are the best of healers. There is no healer other than You.

O Lord, the present wave of disease is Thy test, so grant us patience and forgive our sins and remove this pandemic from the world. O Lord, protect the whole world from the scourge of the Coronavirus. Our Lord, we are weak and powerless. Provide us with power and strength to fight this dangerous virus which has wreaked havoc in the world.

O Lord, we committed injustice and transgression and forgot Your presence, so forgive us and help us to mend our ways, remove our weaknesses and be merciful to us.

Our Lord, the world has become selfish and careless in remembering You. We beg for Your mercy and favour so that we can fight and defeat this Coronavirus. O Lord, pro-vide intelligence, knowledge, perseverance and wisdom to the doctors, scientists and medical companies to be able to find vaccines to save us from this pandemic virus.

Our Lord, we are Your humble servants and we bow down to You in extreme humility. O our Lord, accept our repentance and remove from us the hovering danger of the Coronavirus. Our Lord, we seek for a pure and pollution-free atmosphere, and help us in making this earth save and enjoyable.

Participation in the European Urdu Writers FestivalA two-day European Urdu conference was organized by Radio Awaz Adab Berlin. Imam Amir Aziz was invited to read his short story (Afsana) on October 18. It was a an interesting programme in which famous literary personalities from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Canada, the UK, and many other European countries participated. The short story was very much appreciated. It was a very well-organized programme which helped to promote Urdu literature in Europe.

Visit of Nasrullah family from Rotterdam, HollandNaeem Nasrullah Sahib with his daughters, Sister Nasma and Bano Nasrullah, and his granddaughter visited the Berlin Mosque. They attended the Friday prayer at the Mosque and stayed for a few days. It is always a pleasure to have Jama‘at members from other countries and specially those who take a keen interest in the activities of the Berlin Mosque.

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Participation in an interfaith meetingOctober 14. The Mayor of our district organized a meeting of the representatives of all religions in the District Office. Matters of mutual interest were discussed. Reports of activities were presented by all the representatives.

Meeting with Dr. Gerdien JonkerIn the first week of October, Dr. Gerdien Jonker visited the Mission House. She has been working on the Archives of the Berlin Mission for the last several years and now the entire material is with the National Archives of Germany in Berlin. She discussed the progress of the Mosque archives, which is a bit slow because of COVID-19. Our hope is that the Mosque archives will be ready soon for others to have access to it.

FRIDAY CONGREGATION OUTSIDE IN THE LAWN OF THE MISSION HOUSE

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RENOVATION OF THE INTERIOR OF THE DOME OF THE BERLIN MOSQUE

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blessings of Allah be on him). LOVE also generates peace and happiness in the society. Follow the commandments of ALLAH and His Messenger, the Holy Prophet MUHAMMAD and earn an ever-lasting life here in this world and in the Hereafter. May Allah bless you all.

Ahmad Nawaz, Hayward, California I have just finished reading the February 2013 issue of the HOPE Bulletin dedicated to the memory of the late Br. Akbar Abdullah. I must say that your team has worked very hard to collect facts about the life and contributions made by our late Br. Akbar. The formatting of the Bulletin and photographs have made it very impressive and visual. Br. Akbar deserved such a beautiful dedication. I wish to congratulate you for making the Bulletin more than just a news bulletin. The brief life history of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas) by our new sister in the fold of Islam, Christiane Backer, is very impressive and shows how his Perfect Example has inspired her thoughts and behaviour. I am sure her book “From MTV to Mecca” must be worth reading. Thanks for introducing the autobiography of a highly popular figure in the Western media, who, by her own study, has adopted Islam, and is facing challenges with firm faith and conviction.

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Some distinguished politicians and church dignitaries in the tent outside holding discussion with the Imam

Mr. Naeem Nasrullah and his family from Rotterdam, Holland in the lawn outside the Mission House.