Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani wrote:
” . . . I brought the attention of my Jama’at that all people should pray from the bottom of their hearts for their magnanimous government that Allah the Exalted should give it a Great Victory in the war that is going on in the Transvaal . . . so wherever the members of my Jama’at are, they should give “chanda” according to their means for the injured (soldiers) of the British Government who have sustained injury in the Transvaal War . . . this “chanda” should be collected and the lists sent to Mirza Khuda Baksh in Qadian (who has been appointed for this duty) by 1 March 1900 . . . my Jama’at should consider this work important and carry it out urgently.”
(Feb 10, 1900 Advertisement, Majmooa Ishtiharat vol.3, p.219)
The above announcement was made near the beginning of the British offensive in the second Boer War, from January 1900 to September 1900.
The British had set up “concentration camps” to contain the refugees, mostly farmers who had lost their land during the fighting. The emotive term did not originally have the negative connotations that the Nazis brought to it. Nonetheless, conditions were inhumane and once the full extent of the suffering was revealed, there was uproar and outrage expressed in Britain. Estimates after the war revealed that as much as a quarter of the inmates, of which the vast majority were children under 16, died due to the inhumane conditions. Dysentery, typhoid and measles had been endemic and starvation claimed many. It is fair to conclude that this was a humanitarian disaster.
Mirza Sahib said:
“From my early age till now when I am 65 years of age, I have been engaged, with my pen and tongue, in an important task to turn the hearts of muslims towards the true love & goodwill & sympathy for the British Government and to obliterate the idea of jehad from the hearts of stupid (muslims).”
(Kitab-ul-Bariyah, Roohani Khazain vol 13 p.350)
There’s nothing wrong with being loyal to your government. In fact, I believe it’s the duty of Muslims to be model citizens, as long as they have the freedom to worship. A self-claimed prophet though, must have higher standards. He must say what needs to be said. Even if it hurts. He must speak the truth, and against oppression. Most notably, prophets hate oppression.
It’s clear that the Boer inmates were oppressed. A prophet with a hotline to God would know this and would have boldly declared the goings-on inhumane and worthy of condemnation. This didn’t happen. It behoves a decent person, never mind a claimant of prophethood, to vocally condemn such inhumanity. This is not to be mistaken for disloyalty. As a British citizen, I love Britain and respect its laws. However, I don’t have to like what we’re doing in Iraq and I am permitted to speak up against it. Mirza Sahib didn’t have 24-hour news or the Internet, but he claimed to have constant revelation from God. He should have known and he should have spoken up.
Asking for contributions to help your country’s war effort without understanding the ins and outs of the morality of the conflict seems shortsighted. A seer is not meant to be shortsighted. Let’s just say he was naive. Mirza Sahib could have dropped the requests for “chanda” (how much of it got to the intended recipients anyway?) and merely asked his community to pray for all victims of the war, whilst speaking up about the need for fair treatment of all parties. If he had a clue about what was really going on, then his unilateral support without outright condemnation of the humanitarian disaster perpetrated by the British negligence at the time was hypocritical.
If he didn’t have a clue, well, the conclusion is straightforward. Mirza Sahib did not receive knowledge of the Unseen. He was not a prophet.
Salam brother Shahid, congrats for producing such a blog. It is simple for all muslims to understand if ahmadi are righteous or wrong. Just read the translation of the first Qalma, can’t be that hard for any muslim to understand INSHALLAH. Well only non-muslims won’t understand it. Well every sect of muslims, including Sunni’s, Wahabi’s and Shiya’s have called them non-muslims. JAZAKALLAH.
Today, new generation of Ahmedis are fooled into believing that Jihad is “killing innocent” and Mirza sahib was againt innocent killing. NO… He was againt JIHAD ; NOT againt innocent killing. He declared a quaranic command haram just to please English Sarkar of the time and he supported British troops in BOAR war with mataerial resources, completely exposing his true face.
http://www.alislam.org/urdu/rk/rk-15-49.pdf
Translation :
” The service that was carried out by me for the English Sarkar is that I arranged to print about 50,000 books, pamphlets and advertisements in this country and other Muslim countries with advice that English Government is benefactor of us Muslims therefore it is the duty of each Muslim to truly obey this Government and to remain sincerely thankful and well wisher to it.
I wrote those books in different languages i.e. Urdu, Persian and Arabic and spread them in all Islamic countries, so much so that I had them printed in Islam’s two holy cities Makah and Medina. And had them printed in Rome, Turkey, Syrian countries, Egypt and Kabul and Afghanistan’s different cities wherever possible. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people gave up those wrong concepts of Jihad which ignorant mullahs preached them.
I am so proud of this service that no other Muslim in British India can show a similar example. I am doing this service for the last 22 years, I am not doing any favors for my benefactor because I admit that with the advent of this blissful Government, we and our elders got rid of (a life like in) a burning steel oven. Therefore, I with my all family members raise our both hand to pray for the long life of Queen Victoria. ”
Here, look at these words of Mirtza sahib taken from Roohani Khazine, vol. 13, Kitab al bariyya pages 4 to 9 or pdf 6/368 to 11/368.
“I hail from a family that is a firm well wisher of this Government. My father Mirza Ghulam Murtaza was viewed by government as a loyal and well wisher and was awarded a chair in the court of Governor and who is mentioned in Mr. Griffon’s ( book) History of Lords ( Raees) of Punjab. And in 1857 [pl. see foot note] he helped the government beyond his means that is he provided them with 50 horses and fighters right during the time of rebellion. Because of those services he received many letters of appreciation from authorities. I feel sorry that many of them have been lost but three letters that have been published are reproduced here in the footnote.”
“After the death of my father and my brother, I was living my life quietly. However, I have been using the power of my pen in aide and support of English Sarkar.”
“Whatever books I wrote during that period; all contained motivation for obedience and sympathy for English Sarkar and I wrote very effective speeches AGAINST JIHAD. And as a suitable strategy, in order to propagate this instruction of abrogation of Jihad, I authored books in Arabic and Farsi and spent thousands of rupees on their printing.”
“All those books were published in Arabia, Syrian countries, Rome (its Muslim Turkish Empire of the time), Egypt and Baghdad and Afghanistan. I am certain that these books will show their impact sometime. Do you expect such a huge work from someone who has rebellious thoughts? Then I ask whatever have I done for the protection and favor of English Sarkar and for seventeen years I zealously and firmly worked to stop JIHADI ideologies; can you show me an example of this work, this special service for such a long period from amongst those Muslims who are against me? If I did not publish those books as a true well wisher of English Sarkar, then what reward was I expecting by publishing those books in Syrian countries, Rome and other Islamic countries? This is not work of few days; rather its work of seventeen years. Here are all those books and booklets that contain those writings (against Jihad) with page number where well wishes and obedience of English Sarkar is mentioned.”
THE REAL OBJECTIVE WAS TO PLEASE ENGLISH SARKAR, AND IN DOING SO HE DECLARED JIGHAD ABROGATED ALTOGETHER… A QUARANIC COMMAND WHICH CANNOT BE CHANGED OR CANCELED.
FOLLOWERS OR MIRZA SAHIB, DO YOU READ HIS BOOKS? CAN YOU SEE HIS TEACJ=HINGS ARE AGAINST QURAN….. DO YOU SEE HIS HYPOCRACY WHEN HE SENDS MONEY FOR BRITISH TROOPS FIGHTING BOARS WAR?
Dear Brother,
The copy of Kitab-ul-Bariyah, Roohani Khazain vol 13 that is available on alislam.org gives the mentioned quotation on p.339 instead of p.350. Please take a note.
Moreover, I would like to give a beautiful quote from Miraz Sb writings:
Some stupid fools ask if it is OK to wage Jihad against this government. So you should remember this question is very foolish as it is religious obligation and duty to thank British Government so how can there be Jihad against it. I say very truly that anyone who thinks bad about the moshin is a bastard and an adulterer. (Shahadat-ul-Quran 84 rk 380)
What does “moshin” mean brother?
Sorry - that is MOHSIN. Mirza Sb thought British Government did an ihsaan on Muslim Ummah by overpowering the Mughal Empire and killing Muslims like Tipu Sultan, etc.