Category Archives: Theology

What’s the Difference Between a Rasul and Nabi, and Is the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) the Last of Both?

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بسم الله الحمد لله و صلاة و سلام على سيدنا محمد و على آله و سلم تسليما

Seekers Guidance is an internet Islamic educational institution that teaches belief, law, spirituality, and other related topics. All for free.

They recently answered the following question on the difference between a Rasul and Nabi and whether Saydina Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم is the last prophet or last messenger. Note that it was not answered in an argumentative manor or in the spirit of debate, but just as a response to a general inquiry.

The original link is here. Re-posted below:

Answered by Sidi Wasim Shiliwala

Question: 1. What is the difference between a rasul and a nabi?
2. Is the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) the last of both?
3. What about in our times when people receive messages from Allah?

Answer: Walaikum As-salaam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,

Firstly, may Allah reward you for your concern on such an important subject! Knowledge of revelation and prophecy is a crucial element of our creed (aqida), as it helps us understand the unique and special characteristics of the various Prophets (upon them be peace).

The Difference between a Prophet (nabi) and a Messenger (rasul)

In his commentary on the famous text of Sunni creed Jawhara al-Tawhid, Imam al-Bajuri provides useful definitions of the terms you asked about in your first question.

He defines a prophet (nabi) as a human being who is “free from all repulsive qualities, [and] given a revealed law that he enacts, even if he was not commanded to spread it.”

In contrast, Imam al-Bajuri defines a messenger (rasul) as someone who has the qualities of a prophet “but with the additional stipulation [of him being] commanded to spread [his message].”

In other words, the main difference between a prophet and a messenger pertains to spreading the revealed message (tabligh): messengers only include those commanded to spread the revelation they receive, while prophets include both those who received that command and those who didn’t. This means, as Imam al-Bajuri explains, that “every messenger is a prophet, but not vice-versa.” [Bajuri, Tuhfat al-Murid `ala Jawharat at-Tawhid]

The Final Prophet and Messenger (peace be upon him)

In the 40th verse of Surah Al-Ahzab, Allah calls Muhammad (peace be upon him) the “messenger of Allah and the seal of the prophets” (khatam al-nabi’in). Given that the definition of a prophet is broader than that of a messenger, this verse indicates that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last of the prophets as well as the last of the messengers.

Indeed, this one line teaches us two important facts about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Firstly, he (peace be upon him) was a messenger of Allah, meaning that he received revelation and was also commanded by Allah to spread that message. Secondly, he (peace be upon him) is the final prophet, meaning that no one after him will receive revelation. Indeed, even ‘Isa/Jesus (peace be upon him) will rule by the laws of Islam upon his return to earth.

The finality of this message is even further emphasized by Allah in one of the last verses He revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him): “Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and approved Islam for you as a religion” (5:3). [For a more complete discussion of 33:40, see the relevant commentary from Mufti Muhammad Shafi's Ma'ariful Qur'an]

Between Prophecy and Sainthood

Before discussing the differences between Prophets and Saints, it is first important to understand who a wali (saint) is. Imam al-Bajuri defines a wali as “a knower of God the Exalted and His attributes as much as is possible, one who is diligent to obedience [of God, and] an avoider of sins – meaning that he does not commit a sin without repenting [for it].” What’s important to note here is that the awliya (plural of wali) achieve their nearness to Allah only through following the Prophet (peace be upon him).

According to Sunni creed, it is possible for miracles (karamaat) to be manifested at the hands of the awliya. For example, the Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) miraculously warned faraway Muslim troops of an oncoming enemy. Similarly, while revelation (wahy) is specifically given to prophets, Allah also might speak to His righteous servants in dreams (ilham) or give them deep spiritual insights (kashf). It is related, for example, that Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal spoke with Allah in a dream, wherein Allah told him that reciting the Qur’an is a means of achieving closeness to Him. [Bajuri, Tuhfat]

However, such miraculous events differ from Prophetic miracles (mu’jizaat) and revelation (wahy) in that they are not accompanied by any claim to Prophecy or revelation. Rather, they are personal gifts and blessings bestowed by Allah to his righteous servants. As such, they are not and cannot be used to alter the perfected guidance brought by the Prophet (peace be upon him). Furthermore, they are in reality miracles of the Prophet (peace be upon him), as such miracles occur only to those who wholeheartedly strive to follow his sunnah, both in terms of his inner character and outer actions. Such miracles confirm the exalted status of the Prophetic way. [Sabuni, Al-Bidaya fi Usul al-Din]

Conclusion – the Best Guidance is that of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

The above paragraphs convey the following crucial points about prophecy:

1. Muhammad (peace be upon him), as a prophet and messenger, was given revelation and commanded to spread it;
2. Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the final prophet and messenger; and
3. Awliya may receive miracles and divine inspiration, but they cannot in any way alter the already complete message of Islam. To the contrary, such miracles only confirm the soundness and blessing of the Prophetic way, and are therefore miracles of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

With all of this in mind, we should come to the conclusion that all true religious guidance comes from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and that we only accept that knowledge which is connected to him through the Qur’an, Sunnah, and sound Muslim scholarship. Anyone who calls to other than this, or claims to have religious knowledge that contradicts this, must be avoided.

Allah knows best, and He is the best of Guiders.

Jazakum Allahu Khairan,

-Wasim

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani

Ahmadi Translation

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Usually Ahmadis do not accept non-Ahmadi translations for many Quranic verses, Hadeeths and writings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani (MGAQ). Well, I don’t claim that non-Ahmadi translations are always accurate, however I sincerely urge Ahmadis who do not read Urdu or Arabic to seek advice from a 3rd party about the correct translation of those texts.

I know it’s difficult to convince Ahmadis to doubt Ahmadi translations; however I still hope that the following two simple examples from MGAQ’s own writings would encourage them to check how valid the current official Ahmadi translations are.

For example, Urdu-speaking Ahamdis had been told by their leaders that the word آخر“Akhir” does mean “Last” in both Arabic and Urdu languages, however they also claim that the word ”Khatam” خاتم can never mean “Last” if it is followed by a plural.

This claim is of course baseless and wrong, however if Ahmadis are not willing to consult a 3rd party, they may refer to MGAQ’s own translation for the word “Akhir” آخر.

 MGAQ wrote: [Arabic] ((This time is the time of the آخر Akhir/Last of Khalifas)) – RK, Vol 16, Khutba Ilhamiyya,p122.

 

 

 

You can see from the scanned page that the translation by MGAQ and his follower for the wordآخر “Last” is “Khatam” خاتم.

Similarly Arab Ahmadis had been told by their leaders that the Anti-Ahmadiyya translations from Urdu to Arabic are misleading. For example, Arab Ahmadis accept that MGAQ did actually say غبي “Ghabi” about the great companion Abu Hurairah (ra), however these Ahmadis claim that the word غبي (Ghabi) in Urdu is totally different from the Arabic word غبي (Ghabhi) which means “Stupid”.

Now let us read the original sentence by MGAQ:

 MGAQ wrote: [Urdu] ((Abu Hurairah was غبي “Ghabi”)) – RK, Vol 19, Ijaz Ahmadi, p127.

 

 

 

Arab Ahmadis do not accept that the Urdu wordغبي “Ghabi” is identical to the Arabic word غبي “Ghabi” which literally means “Stupid” in Arabic. However I hope they will change their mind after reading the following Arabic page written by MGAQ:

 MGAQ wrote: [Arabic] ((In their eyes [our opponents] the knowledgeable person is an ignorant and a “Ghabi” غبي)) – RK, Vol 8, Nur ul Haq, p3.

 

 

 

You can see from the scanned page that MGAQ’s own Arabic-Urdu translation for the word “stupid” is “Ghabi” غبي.

How do we treat our women?

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Cult Girl Confessions released a scathing recent personal testimony of how women are really treated in the UK Ahmadiyya community. You can read it here: http://cultgirlconfessions.blogspot.com/2012/02/this-is-cult-he-used-to-be-my-leader.html

You can also read Maryam Amir-Ebrahimi’s excellent article titled Wifehood and Motherhood are Not the only ways to Paradise, on Shaykh Suhaib Webb’s blog. It talks about modern cultural problems, solutions and historical models of success. Sisters, this is your legacy!

Jinn, Al-Dajjal and the Messiah

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 بسم الله الحمد لله و صلاة و سلام على سيدنا محمد و على آله و بسم

Have you ever been to a gathering and as the night progresses, the conversations depart from the substantive to eery Jinn stories? They’re spooky and fun. And there are always these vague second-hand stories told by someone’s uncle’s-brother’s-friend’s-nephew in Pakistan. Why are they always from Pakistan? Does the Pakistani government make citizenship easy for them? Must not be a condition on their passports…

But in all seriousness, we know that there is another species of sentient beings on this Earth who are generally outside of our domain of perception called Jinn. Some of the are evil, and some of them are Muslims. From their evil ones are those who use their ability of suggestion (waswasa) to cause people to go astray. The father of this species is Iblis. Generally speaking, this is where our level of concern with them should end.

For centuries, Muslims knew that the Jinn existed, but did not concern themselves with them much beyond that point. If they were interested in the presence of any being, it was the Angels, for their righteous company. Discussions were about stories with Angels, and the righteous actions associated with them. In other words, they were most interested in goodness. A proof of this is the statement of the Sahabi Hudhayfah bin al Yaman رحمه الله, who said “The people used to ask about the good, and I would ask about the evil fearing that it will overtake me.” He was the exception.

But as time passed, conversations strayed from Allah, the Prophet and his Angels to Jinn. In the Subcontinent, there’s an obsession with Jinn, Al-Dajjal, who are his followers, when is the Hour and such. This is the very culture that Ahmadiyya was born into and it is reflected in its beliefs.

Islam certainly has an eschatological tradition, which speaks about the End of Times, the Major Trials and Tribulations, the anti-Christ (Al-Maseeh Al-Dajjal), the wars, and so on. But in general, Muslims did not and should not concern themselves with these things on a day to day basis. We do not dwell on things we cannot control or affect other than to make the necessary du’as. Instead, Muslims concerned themselves with what Shaykh Hamza Yusuf termed as “Sacred Monotony” – the daily acts of worship that truly define the faith and the simple peace it derives.

Regarding the end of times, the signs are interesting to hear and mubashiraat (glad news) to those who live to experience them, as it strengthens one’s faith and serves as a “roadmap” during difficult times. But just like anything that we cannot change, there is no point in dwelling on them other than as points of reflection. When they come, they will come. It is not for us to force them to come about. This is why there are but a handful of ahadith about these events, compared to literally thousands of ahadith about accepting Allah’s decree (al-Qadr).

But when you compare this to Ahmadiyya, we see a different picture. We see a faith that is obsessed with the end of times, obsessed with who is Dajjal, who is Imam Mahdi, who is the Messiah, etc. The faith is defined by “Who is the Messiah”, even before Tawheed. They make say otherwise, but consider the following picture:

The above picture is emblematic of this absurdity. The Ahmadiyya faith is calling to a Mahdi-figure before calling to the Oneness of God, before ‘La ilaha il Allah’, before saying ‘God has a plan for you’, or ‘God wants good for you’, etc. Straight to the Messiah. “Well gee, I know that you’re dealing with a messy divorce, a gang-infested neighborhood and doubting God’s wisdom in your life, but the Messiah came 100 years ago.”

Islam is based on the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم, not merely in lip-service or some poem, but in what is actually discussed and taught. Islam is not a post-Messiah phenomena, nor will it be even when the one and only Messiah, ‘Esa bin Maryam عليه السلام (Jesus) does appear. But in the Ahmadiyya, it is exclusively based around the Messiah, the Messiah, the Messiah. Not Allah, Allah, Allah.

One closing point…some might try to defend their position by arguing that we are in the “latter days”. Many Muslims, including yours truly, believe that we approaching the end of time, when there will be great periods of deception, confusion, extreme human suffering, famine, so much so that a person will wake up a firm believer and go to sleep a disbeliever. But the way to defend oneself in these times is not through arguing and debate, but through cultivating a connection to Allah that comes about through worships and knowledge of the faith. This lesson is not something unique to today time, even if we lived 1000 years ago, the same lesson would apply. Because our deaths are closer to us than the coming of the Messiah and his enemy.

May Allah guide us to the right path: Islam, not Ahmadiyya

و صلى الله على سيدنا محمد و على آله و سلم

What Problem Did Ahmadiyya Solve?

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بسم الله المحد لله و صلاة و سلام على سيدنا محمد و على آله و سلم تسيما


Each break-away group is usually based on a single perceived problem that they attempt to solve. An exampe is the now defunct group al-Batiniyya. Al-Batiniyya was a 10th century Ismaili movement, who were the dominant Shi’a group for centuries. While they had many arguments, the central problem the Batiniyya wanted to solve was that the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم was no longer with us, and as such, we cannot receive direct guidance from him. Therefore, they believed a living Imam was necessary, who would communicate with Allah and the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم and report back immediate guidance. For the Batiniyya, this was the famous “Hidden Imam”.

One of the qualities of the sectarian mind Imam al-Ghazali detested was that it never followed its arguments to their full logical conclusions. Instead it would always stop at a certain point and refused to analyze any further. Al-Ghazali argued that the very problem the Batiniyya was attempting to solve was only made worse by their solution.

He responded, if the Prophet صلى الله عليه عليه و سلم is dead and therefore not reachable, the Imam is Hidden and also not reachable. Thus, their “Hidden Imam” did not solve the problem. The Batiniyya leaders responded that the scholars know the Hidden Imam’s recorded statements and use them as guidance in their time. This was no different than citing the recorded ahadith of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم, while the Prophet himself was absent. The solution the Batiniyya presented seemed to make sense, but upon closer inspection, it did not solve their invented problem.

Compare this to Ahmadiyya. Lets put aside specific doctrinal differences for the moment and look at the model Ahmadiyya presents: Islam became corrupt, therefore, Allah sent a new prophet to refresh the religion and guide the Muslims. At firs glance this sems to make sense.

Everyone who is alive today never met Mirza Ghulam, never saw him, never even heard his voice, etc. How then does this alleged prophet help us if he is not even around in our time? What difference is there between the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم and this man, if we never met either? It is as if they are saying the immediate guidance of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم does not apply to us because we are divorced from him by time and place, therefore, we need someone who we are also divorced from by time and place.

His followers would likely posit that the “khalifahs” are the inheritors of Mirza Ghulam. Therefore, if we follow the their “khalifahs”, we will be guided. This is the solution for the problem in their initial solution (Confusing, eh?). But if we are to follow religious leaders who take from Mirza Ghulam, how is that model different than the Muslim spiritual guides who already inherent from the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم? One group inherits from the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم and the other inherits from someone who claims to inherit from the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم. All that does is add an extraneous layer of complexity.

Do you see the parallel between the Batiniyya and Ahmadiyya? The solution the Batiniyya and Ahmadiyya present do not solve their problem. They both merely create clever arguments for why their specific doctrines are the solutions to non-existent problems.

For our Ahmadi readers, if you are told that Mirza Ghulam came to perform a certain task, follow that statement to its fullest conclusion. Check if he really solved a problem, or just created a clever rhetorical device. This applies to his “divine jama’at” he started, the volumes of unread books he composed, him being the Imam Mahdi, etc. And ask yourself, are these “problems” Ahmadiyya tries to solve really problems that torment the average Muslim, or merely questions they themselves create, for which they conveniently provide the solution?

These are the intellectual tools you need to help deconstruct Ahmadiyya’s alleged purposes. And when you are done, you will be left with a faith that offers no solutions, no purpose and no guidance.

May Allah guide us all to believe in the only Messiah, ‘Esa bin Maryam عليه السلام

و صلى الله على سيدنا محمد و على آله و سلم

Sign of a Break-Away Sect

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 بسم الله المحد لله و صلاة و سلام على سيدنا نحمد و على آله و سلم تسليما

What constitutes a break-away sect? What are its signs and characteristics? There are many, but here I will quickly focus on one.

One of the major characteristics of a break-away sect is that they tend to focus on a particular aspect of a religion (ie details, secondary aspects) and as if it is a major, over-arching theme that defines the entire religion.

Case and Point: All Muslims believe in the Messiah, ‘Esa bin Maryam عليه السلام, and that another person named Imam Mahdi, will be his contemporary and both will come towards the very end of the time. However, this is an eschatological detail, not the central theme of the religion. But in the Ahmadiyya faith, this aspect is the single, central defining theme of the faith, such that even its website cites that they are:

In other words, in their declaration of being Muslims, they felt the need to simultaneously declare that particularity that separates them from the traditional, orthodox Muslim community.

Of course, all break-away sects also focus on the major aspects of their respective faiths. But, their insistence on a particular interpretation of a particular detail as the over-arching theme that is invariably divergent from the mainstream is a strong indication that they are a break-away sect.

Finally, such sects follow a common pattern. For the first few generations they are able to place special emphasis on their particular interpretation of the detail. After two or three generations the interpretation is retained, but adherents focus more on the major elements of the faith. After a few more generations the particular interpretation is completely de-emphasized except for cultural or social reasons, and shortly afterwards adherents are resorbed back into the original group.

May Allah guide us all to what is True

و صلى الله سيدنا محمد و على آله و سلم

Shaykh Habib ‘Ali Jifri gives the Hadith of Love

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بسم الله الحمد لله و صلاة و سلام على رسول الله و على آله و سلم

I was blessed to attend the 2011 Reviving the Islamic Spirit conference in Toronto this past December. I usually dislike conferences as being shallow, mostly image and lacking substance, but this was an exception. I would recommend everyone attend, and I intend to go next year, in sha Allah.

The following is a cell-phone clip from a talk by Shaykh Habib ‘Ali al-Jifri presenting the famous and beautiful Hadith Musalsal of Love.

For those who cannot watch the video, Shaykh Habib ‘Ali narrates that one day the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم met Mu’adh ibn Jabal رحمه الله and said, “Indeed I love you. So when you finish your prayers, do not forget to say ‘Oh Allah, I seek your help in remembering you, and thanking you and perfecting my worship of you.’”. When Mu’adh told the next person, he began by saying “Indeed, I love you”, thus spreading the love of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم, and continued with the rest of the narration.

This tradition continued from one to the next to begin by telling the recipient, “Indeed, I love you”, until it came to Shaykh Habib ‘Ali from his Shaykhs. So Shaykh Habib ‘Ali said to the crowd of around ~20,000, “Indeed, I love you all, So whenever you finish your prayers, do not forget to say ‘Oh Allah, I seek your help in remembering you, and thanking you and perfecting my worship of you.’”

The Love of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم traveled through time and place through an unbroken chain and reached us.  This type of hadith, where you say it to the next person, is called a Hadith Musalsal. I put this video to help dispel the “Jahil mullah molvie terrorist” stereotype that is presented by some within the Ahmadiyya community.

One final point. When someone watches a video like this, his or her natural reaction is to want to do Durood Shareef (Salawat). The most proper way of doing so is to send ask Allah to send prayers upon the Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family. A simple form would be Allahumma salli ‘ala saydina Muhammad wa ‘ala aali saydina Muhammad.

May Allah guide us all.

و صلى الله على سيدنا محمد و على آله و سلم تسليما

Ahmadiyya and the Era of Sectarianism

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 بسم الله الحمد لله و صلاة و سلام على رسول الله و على آله و سلم

One of the most amazing aspects of Islamic history are the stages that the Muslim community passed through. It seems that in every generation a new issue arose that needed to be dealt with, and through Allah’s Lutf (subtle care) different personages and figures came to help stabilize the Ummah.

Such stages of Fitnah include:

  • The shock and instability after the death of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم;
  • The four false prophets who arose in Arabia and subsequent wars with Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه;
  • The crusaders versus the numerous Muslims generals;
  • The Tatar invasion of Ghengis Khan when ‘Izz al-Din ibn ‘Abd al-Salam unified the Muslims;
  • You see this pattern repeated…

But what about the fitnah of Sectarianism?

If you read ahadith about the 73-sects, you might get this impression that you need to ask yourself which of the 73-sects you are upon? Which is true? Which am I? How do I know which is correct? Lets have a debate and find out! But then ask yourself, is sectarianism really the main problem in our times?

Sectarianism is a fitnah that the Muslim world primarily experienced 100-300 years after the departure of the noble Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم. During this period is when the Muslims divided into literally hundreds of small theological, political and social groups, each claiming to be the “True Islam”. Compounding the problem, many of those new ideologies held extremely compelling arguments in their favor – don’t think they were flimsy!

It was during that time that the masses were engaged in debate over the technicalities and subtleties of the Deen. Confusion was wide-spread, father and son, student and teacher, governor and subject, even two highly ranked scholars all would vehemently argue. Many were influenced by outside ideologies without even realizing it. Others embraced invented ideas wholeheartedly. Some new groups gained prominence, one even took control of the Khilafah!

But as Allah says in the Qur’an, “Travel through the land; then observe how was the end of the deniers.” If we reflect on this ayah, Allah is not calling on us to see how a splinter-sect thrived during its glory days, but how it ended. The vast majority of those sects and groups are no longer in existence today. Some burned out, most fell into obscurity with only a few thousand scattered followers nowadays. Alhumdu lillah, our generation was largely saved from that Fitnah.

At this moment, the vast majority of the Muslims follow “regular Islam”, version 1.0, and are at little risk of joining the remnants of a break-away group. What does this tell us? This is not the era of sectarianism or schisms. ‘Aqidah problems are rarely the immediate issue with contemporary Muslims. The debates are over, that fitnah has come and gone. And just as we do not need to excessively concern ourselves with past issues, we do not need to re-engage ourselves in questions of dogmatic belief that have already been answered. Islam does not need to be re-invented. Newly created arguments are exactly how break-away sects are formed in the first place! Instead we stand on the shoulders of giants to face the current issues that that plague our modern community.

But the Ahmadiyya religion seeks to re-open questions that, not only were answered centuries ago, are not subjects of contemporary debate and have no relevance to our modern times. They went as far as to publish this ludicrous lists of the “72 sects”, many of whom have not even existed in hundreds of years, but somehow allegedly came back into existence, managed to unify, all condemn Ahmadiyya, and then went back into non-existence. Convenient.

You tell me:

  • What is telling a woman who was raped by Qadaffi’s forces that, “by the way, the Mahdi came about 100 years ago, looks like everyone missed him”, going to do for her shattered self-esteem and self-respect?
  • What is a Somali man who watched all of his children die from starvation in the droughts going to do if you tell him, “Jesus is dead”.
  • What is a Chechen mother whose son “disappeared” going to do with your attempts to convince her that half of the Qur’an is a bunch of confusing metaphors whose correct understanding no one understood for 1300 years?

Clearly ‘Aqidah is not the primary issue of our times. But the “problems” Ahmadiyya attempts to solve are not on the minds of Muslims, nor are they even our concerns. No one is looking at a calendar thinking, “Man, so when is ‘Esa bin Maryam عليه السلام going to return?” My friends, you are dwelling on non-issues to a people who have more immediate concerns on their minds.

Just like every other break-away group that preceded it, Ahmadiyya has come, will run its course, and will eventually fade away.I am glad that our pious predecessors protected the religion from corruption during the era of sectarianism, and I pray for the forgiveness of those who were sincere but slipped into misguidance. May Allah guide us all to the Truth and keep us firm upon it.

و صلى الله على سيدنا محمد و على آله و سلم

Who is the Messiah?

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بسم الله الحمد لله و صلاة و سلام على سيدنا محمد و على آله و سلم

The Messiah is ‘Esa bin Maryam عليه السلام.

Per the Qur’an, no one else is the Messiah other than ‘Esa bin Maryam عليه السلام.

We are Muslims who believe in the Messiah, ‘Esa bin Maryam عليه السلام.

We invite Ahmadis to accept the Messiah.

May Allah guide us all

The difference between Ahmadis and Bahais

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I have noticed that many people in our Arabic media cannot differentiate between Ahmadis and Bahais. Well, I don’t really blame them as there are many similarities between Ahmadis and Bahais. The followings are just few things that both Ahmadis and Bahais do actually share:

1-     Their Mahdi was born in the 19th Century, and died on a Tuesday.

2-     Their Mahdi claimed that he is from Persian origins.

3-     Their Mahdi claimed that he is also a descendant of Fatimah (ra) and Ahlulbait.

4-     Their Mahdi wrote many Arabic books, one of these books was Tafseer of Surat-ul-Fatiha.

5-     Their Mahdi plagiarized parts of some verses and Maqamat in his Arabic writings.

6-     A double eclipse happened in Ramadhan during the lifetime of their Mahdi.

7-     Their Mahdi was brought to a local court for trial.

8-     Their Mahdi used Hisab Al-Jummal (numerical values of the words / Arabic alphanumeric coding) to prove that he is the true Mahdi.

9-     Their Promised One was a Mirza who claimed that the signs mentioned by all Hadeeths and holy books about the Promised Messiah have been fulfilled by him.

10-  Their Promised One, the Mirza, was born in the 13th Hijri century and died in the 14th Hijri century during the last week of May.

11-  Their Promised One, the Mirza, sent a letter to Queen Victoria asking her to accept him and to follow his teachings.

12-  Their Promised One claimed that he did not study Arabic language, however he could write dozens of Arabic and Persian books. His followers consider this as a great sign that proves his truthfulness.

13-  They consider the prophecies of their Promised One as another sign that proves his truthfulness.

14-  Their Promised One said that Jihad is not allowed anymore.

15-  Their Promised One praised Mohammad (SAAW) many time in his writings.

16-  Their Promised One was considered – by his own followers only – to be the greatest writer ever (“Sultan Al-Qalam” or “Faris Al-Maani”)

17-  Their Promised One used Hisab Al-Jummal (numerical values of the words) to prove that Islam had died for 1000 years until the 19th century.

18-  Their Promised One claimed that he himself is the manifestation/appearance of God. However the official position of his followers today is that manifestation of God does not mean that he himself is a God.

19-  Their Promised One challenged all scholars to write a book that is equivalent to his book.

20-  Their Promised One claimed that he is an Avatar, i.e. the “reincarnation of Krishna”.

21-  Their Promised One claimed that he was sent by Allah (SWT) to the people of the world.

22-  Their Mujaddid claimed that upon the death of a human being, his soul will immediately be given a special body that has had special nature.

23-  Their Promised One claimed that sometimes the divine revelations do not follow human idiom and sometime does not even follow the rules of grammar.

24-  Their Promised One claimed that he had been given the qualities of many prophets: e.g. Mohammad (SAAW), Isa (as), Musa (as), etc.

25-  Their Promised One claimed that Yawm Al-Qiyamah will come after around 1000 years.

26-  Their Mujaddid believed that the Heaven and the Hell are spiritual places and not physical places.

27-  Their Promised One claimed that he had been receiving secret revelations for 10 years confirming that he is the promised one, however he waited 10 years before revealing this secret.

28-  Their Promised One had invented new names of God.

29-  They consider Quran as a Holy Book, however they also consider the Arabic Wahi of their Promised One as holy, divine and sacred.

30-  Their holy Arabic revelation said that their Promised One does not speak out of his own desire, it is all Wahi vouchsafed to him

31-  Their holy Arabic revelation instructed them not to worship any god but Allah.

32-  Many of their Promised One’s Arabic revelations are just meaningless distortion of some Quranic verses.

33-  Their promised Reformer was also a Mirza like his father, the Promised One

34-  Their promised Reformer died in the month of November at an age of around 77 years.

35-  Their promised Reformer introduced some interpretations that are different from the original teachings of the Promised One.  

36-  One of their Mirzas introduced a new special solar calendar. The months of the new calendar have had new Arabic names.

37-  Their message to the world is that ‘Glory not in love for your country, but in love for all mankind’.

38-  It is obligatory for them to pay to their leadership a specific amount of money that had been decided by their Promised One.

39-  They believe that the antichrist is not a specific evil individual or entity.

40-  Their leader claimed that the most important role for his followers is to show the true good image of Islam and the true Islamic teachings to the western people and the whole world.

41-  Their Mujaddid believed that the promised one should not descend from heaven but he would appear in the body of another person.

42-  They interpret many of the words “Jinn” mentioned in Quran to mean “human beings who are fiery natured”.

43-  Their Mujaddid did not believe that the moon was split up literally into two parts during the lifetime of Mohammad (SAAW).

44-  They teach that everyone must be loyal to the government that rules his country, whatever that government is.

45-  They believe that divine revelations have not been stopped and will always continue to descend.

46-  Their main center in the Middle East is located near to the city of Haifa, Palestine.

47-  The followers of their Promised One in Palestine receive very special treatment from the Israeli government. However, they face a sort of persecution in some Muslim countries.

48-  They are not allowed by the Saudi government to enter Mecca or Madinah.

49-  They believe that Mohammad (SAAW) is “Khatam-un-Nabiyyean”, however they claim that it does not mean “the last prophet”.

50-  Their women are not allowed to marry Muslims who do not believe in their Promised One.

51-  They use the Quranic verses 69:45/46 ((And if he had fabricated against Us some of the sayings * We would certainly have seized him by the right hand)) to prove that their Promised One was truthful as he was not killed.

52-  They claim that some kings/presidents had accepted the teachings of their Promised One.

53-  They consider most of the miracles – which were shown by the prophets in Quran and the holy books – as sort of metaphor.

54-  They believe that the body of Isa (as) was put on the cross.

55-  They believe that Isa (as) had died.

56-  They believe that Miraaj did not happen to the body of Rasulullah (saaw) but to his soul only.

57-  They believe that Surat At-Takweer mentions the signs of their Promised One, and not the signs of Yawm Al-Qiyamah.

58-  They translated some of the books of their Mahdi to some languages; however they still did not translate many of his Arabic books to any other language. Apparently they could not understand many of his odd, irrelevant and meaningless Arabic sentences

59-  They claim that they have millions of followers in more than 200 countries. However, my own estimation about their total number worldwide is less than 2 millions.

60-  Their promised Reformer caused the movement to split into two sects. Each sect says that the other sect is not on the right path.

 

However I would summarize the main differences between Ahmadis and Bahais as follows:

1-     The Mujaddid according to Ahmadis was Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani. The Mujaddid according to Bahais was Shaykh Ahmad bin Zayn-ud-Deen al-Ahsaai.

2-     The Mahdi according to Ahmadis was Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani. The Mahdi according to Bahais was Ali Mohammad Shirazi.

3-     The Promised One according to Ahmadis was Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani. The Promised One according to Bahais was Mirza Hussain Ali Nuri.

4-     The Promised Reformer according to Ahmadis was Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood.  The Promised Reformer according to Bahais was Mirza Abbas Effendi “Abdul-Baha”.

5-     The Ahmadi solar calendar was invented by Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood. The Bahai solar calendar was invented by Ali Mohammad Shirazi.

 

Can you find any other difference?