Argument from Hadith

Truth About the Split

Muhammad Ali has adduced in support of his case a saying of the Holy Prophet (sa) to the effect that the Muslims will once follow the ways of the Jews and the Christians. Maulawi Muhammad Ali argues from this that while the general body of Muslims have played the part of the Jews by their denial of the Promised Messiah (as), it was necessary for the fulfilment of the prophecy that another section should play the part of Christians by following their ways, and it accordingly happened that after the death of the Promised Messiah (as) one large party of his followers began unduly to exalt his rank. This argument does contain some truth in so far as by reason of the Promised Messiah (as) being the countre-type of the first Messiah, it was natural that some of the followers of the former should actually play the role of the followers of the latter. But that is by no means the main sense of the saying referred to. As has been explained by the Promised Messiah (as) himself, to be turned into Jews refers to the denial of the Promised Messiah (as), and to be turned into 'Dal' means to be actually converted to Christianity. The saying of the Holy Prophet (sa) referred to by Maulawi Muhammad Ali is in fact not a separate prophecy but simply an elucidation of one of the prophecies contained in the

Holy Qur’an. In the opening chapter of the Holy Qur’an, God has taught the believers to pray:

"O God! lead us to the right path, the path of those on whom thou hast showered Thy favours, excepting those who have been the objects of (Thy) wrath and the misguided." This prayer contains prediction of three events which were to occur in the later history of Islam. The first was that among Muslims there were to arise men who would be recipients of the greatest of Divine favours—including the attaining to the rank of Prophets (as). There was also to arise among them a party which was to be "the object of Divine wrath", and there was to be another section of them who were to be the Dal or the misguided. The parties referred to in the Maghdubi ‘Alaihim (objects of wrath) and the Dal (the misguided) were described by the Holy Prophet (as) himself. According to him, the first referred to the Jews and the second to the Christians. This may be seen in Tirmidhi’s collection of Hadith, where it has been narrated on the authority of Adi Ibni Hatim that the Holy Prophet (sa) said that the Jews were the Maghdubi ‘Alaihim and the Christians the Dal. This interpretation by the Holy Prophet (sa) himself therefore leaves no doubt that the prayer contained in the opening chapter of the Holy Qur’an is a prayer for security from being turned into Jews and Christians. The prediction of the Holy Prophet (sa) that Muslims will follow the ways of those who had gone before them, and his answer—''Of whom else?"—to the question of his Companions whether he meant that they would follow the ways of the Jews and the Christians do not therefore make a separate prophecy, but are simply an elucidation of the prophecy already contained in the opening chapter of the Holy Qur’an. I shall now proceed to a discussion of the meaning of the prophecy and shall in the first place consider the interpretation given to the prophecy by the Promised Messiah (as), because the person whose advent formed the subject matter of the prophecy was certainly the most competent authority to furnish a correct interpretation of the same. After that I shall go on to consider the meaning of the Holy Prophet’s saying from the point of view of mere common sense.

The Promised Messiah (as) writes on page 63 of the Tuhfa’-e-Golarhwiyyah: "Only two dangers have been mentioned. The one is internal viz. acting like the Jews and persecuting the Promised Messiah (as), and the second external, viz. conversion to Christianity. You ought to know and remember well that in the opening chapter of the Holy Qur’an, the dangers against which

Muslims have been taught to pray for protection are only two in number, viz. (1) to deem him an infidel who was to arise as the Messiah (as) in Islam—to bring him into contempt, to seek to cast aspersions upon his character, to pronounce the fatwa of death against him. These are the dangers referred to in the verse "Ghairil Maghdubi ‘Alaihim". (2) The second danger against which the Muslims have been taught to seek protection in the chapter, is the danger of Christianity and the fact that the chapter closes with the mention of this danger indicates that the danger of Christianity will be like a mighty flood and will surpass every other danger."

This interpretation by the Promised Messiah (as)—that by being turned into Jews what was signified was antagonism to the Promised Messiah (as), and that by being turned into Christians was meant actual conversion to Christianity of many of the Muslims of his time and not that his own followers would act the role of the Christians—ought to have been conclusive for every Ahmadi. Nevertheless, Maulawi Muhammad Ali chose to put a new interpretation on the prophecy and on the verse in the Holy Qur’an. Such an attitude on his part will hardly come as a surprise to those who during the last four years have observed his gradual lapse from loyalty to his Master, but it cannot fail to strike those before whom the Maulawi Sahib has appeared for the first time in his new role.

Next, when we consider the prophecy in the light of actual events, we may notice that even from the point of view of common sense, the interpretation given by the Promised Messiah (as) is the only one which can be deemed valid and correct. The Holy Prophet (sa) had prophesied that Muslims would come to resemble Jews and Christians. We may notice that in religious matters the only likeness to the Jews which Muslims have acquired is that, like Jews, Muslims at large have denied the Messiah who appeared among them. They have not indeed adopted any of the peculiarities which distinguish Judaism from other faiths; nor has any considerable party of them actually joined the rank of the Jews who, it maybe noted, are as a rule reluctant to admit strangers into their community. Therefore, to be the like of Jews clearly signified, in the case of Muslims, denial of their Messiah and antagonism to him. But, on the other hand, "following the ways of the Christians" can justly be interpreted as actual conversion to Christianity; for, as a matter of fact we find that at the present time all the Muslim sects with the solitary exception of the Ahmadiyya Community are unanimous in unduly magnifying the dignity of Jesus (as)

and in according to him a rank superior to that of the Holy Prophet (sa) . For it is a patent fact that the Muslims have been so deeply imbued with the doctrines of Christianity that while they admit that their own Prophet is dead and lies buried in an earthly grave, they believe that Jesus is still alive residing in the heavens. They thus corroborate the divinity of Jesus (as) by attributing to him a kind of living and eternal existence. Further, they entertain the belief that Jesus like the Almighty God was a quickener of the dead. Such opinions do in fact make the Muslims the counter-types of Christians, because in strange contrast with such beliefs regarding Jesus, we may note that Muslim theologians do not admit regarding their own Prophet that he infused life even into a single bird. Thus these Muslims do in a way surpass the Christians in attributing to Jesus the power of creation. They also believe that Jesus possessed knowledge of the unseen, so much so, that knowledge of the last day, universally regarded as a special prerogative of God was, according to them, another of the peculiarities possessed by Jesus (as). In view of such a similarity of beliefs, there is little room for doubt that present-day Muslims have become virtually like Christians. The latter represent one of the most actively proselytizing peoples of the world, and have by this time already converted several millions of Muslims to their faith. All these facts are clear and palpable as the day; but still to close one’s eyes to them and—contrary to the views of the Promised Messiah (as)—to seek to discover the like of Christians among his own followers is, to say the least, highly unfair and improper on the part of one who still professes to be ones of his disciples.