Maulawi Muhammad Ali’s Tract: Kufr-o- Islam

Truth About the Split

A few days after the Annual Jalsa Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) was taken ill. His illness gradually increased, but he continued to teach as usual. Maulawi Muhammad Ali used to consult him with regard to the interpretation of difficult passages of the Holy Qur’an, and Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) used to dictate explanatory notes on those passages. At the same time he used to teach some other persons. One day, while he was discoursing on Musnadi Ahmad, he observed that that work was a most reliable repository of Hadith equalling in authenticity the work of Bukhari. It was, however, a pity, he said, that some unauthentic traditions had found a place in the book through one of the disciples and a son of Imam Ahmad. "I had a great mind", he said "to separate the original work from its spurious portions, but I am sorry this has not been done in my time. It may probably be done in the time of Miyań Sahib (meaning the present writer)." At this time, Maulawi Sayyid Sarwar Shah Sahib made his appearance. Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) repeated the wish in his presence, saying that the work could not be done in his time and that Maulawi Sayyid Sarwar Shah Sahib might undertake the work in the time of the present writer. These words were uttered by Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) only two months before his death. They serve to prove at least so much that he who uttered the words wished that the succession of Khilafat should continue after him, and besides, that he had a premonition that after him God would make the present writer occupy the office of Khalifa.

The question of Kufr and Islam was a constant subject of debate in the Community. But hitherto, Maulawi Muhammad Ali had never written anything publicly on the subject. His attitude with reference to this question was apparently one of complete unconcern. Accordingly, it happened that one day while Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) was dictating to Maulawi Muhammad Ali notes on certain passages of the Holy Qur’an, he made remarks with regard to some verses that they served to throw light on the question of Kufr and Islam, although the general belief was that they were mutually conflicting. In illustration, Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) cited the two verses:

In the same way, Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) continued, there were men who said of him that he sometimes called non-Ahmadis Muslims and at other times kuffar. He had it in his mind, he said, to write an exposition on the subject explaining the true meaning of the passages in the Holy Qur’an on the one hand, and reconciling the seeming inconsistency between his own statements on the other. Since, however, Maulawi Muhammad Ali was at the time engaged in taking down notes on the Holy Qur’an, Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) wished that he should write an article on the subject which should be shown to him. The article should reconcile the apparent conflict between the verses in the Holy Qur’an on the subject. All this was said in my presence.

Likewise, on another occasion, when I happened again to be present, Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) reverted to the subject and said, "Regarding myself, people are wont to remark that I sometimes call non-Ahmadis Muslims and at other times kuffar. The fact is that people have not been able to understand me at all. It is a difficult matter and even our Miyań (meaning the present writer) has not understood it".

Though Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) had considered Maulawi Muhammad Ali to be unconcerned with this question, yet Maulawi Sahib was full of envy and prejudice. The opportunity was to him a godsend, and while Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) had told him to write one thing, he wrote quite another. Instead of writing upon the verses in the Holy Qur’an on the subject and reconciling those which seemed to some to be inconsistent, he wrote an article on the question of Kufr and Islam of non-Ahmadis. Meanwhile, a report was published in the Paigham-e-Sulh that Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) had said that the Miyań (the present writer) had not understood the question of Kufr and Islam. The report however, as I have already said, was quite wrong. (See this book pp. 160, 162)

When Maulawi Muhammad Ali had finished writing the article, he took immense pains—what he was afraid of is not known—so as to be able to read it privately to Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) . Accordingly, one evening having placed some men to guard the door, Maulawi Mohammad Ali prepared to read out the article. But Dr. Khalifa Rashiduddin happened just then to arrive on the scene, and this led Maulawi Muhammad Ali to postpone the reading. On another occasion he absented himself from the Friday congregation and prayers in order to read out his article to Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) .