Ahmadiyya Sect Rejected by Orthodox Islam – Understanding Other Cultures - My Telegraph
Ahmadiyya Sect Rejected by Orthodox Islam
By amuhd
ISLAMIC COUNTRIES THAT HAVE REJECTED THE AHMADIYYA SECT
There are many Muslim countries that have also rejected Ahmadis as Muslims.
(1)
Mauritius was the first country to declare them non-Muslims in 1930’s
(
2a) South Africa, followed in 1974,
(2b) Saudi Arabia simply deports Ahmadis. [3] [3a]
(2c) I
ndonesia: Government Orders Ahmadiyya Sect to Cease Practice- Manis Lor June 9, 2008.
Indonesia: Government Orders Ahmadiyya Sect to Cease Practice-Manis Lor-
On Monday the President of Indonesia signed a decree ordering the Muslim ahmadiyya sect to cease the practice of their form of Islam, the International Herald Tribune reported on June 9. The hard-line Muslim organization ‘United for Islam’ has attacked the Ahmadiyya sect for not following mainstream Islamic practices. Five thousand members of the ‘United for Islam’ recently protested outside the Presidential palace. The Ahmadiyya represent only a small minority of Muslim followers in Indonesia and their sect has 242 branches. [4] [4a]
(2d) Bangladesh:
“In Bangladesh, where Ahmadis number 100,000 the government has not officially declared them as non-Muslims. But in recent years, there have been several attacks in Dhaka and other cities on the community by Muslim extremist organizations, such as Khatme Nabuwat and Jaishe-Mistafa. In a development reflecting the hardliners’ growing influence, the government last year banned the publication and sale of all books on Islam published by the community, saying they might hurt the sentiments of the country’s majority Muslim population. [5]
(3) Pakistan 1974:
Islamic Republic of Pakistan became the first Muslim country to pass a law and legally declared Qadianis/Ahmadis/Lahoris a non-Muslim minority, giving them all the rights of a minority that are guaranteed in its constitution. [6]
In Islamic Pakistan, the original home of the Ahmadis, the following law applies:
” Specific government policies that discriminate against religious minorities include the use of the “anti-Ahmadi laws”, the blasphemy laws, and the Hudood Ordinances. In 1984, the Government added Section 298(c), commonly referred to as the “anti-Ahmadi laws”, to the penal code.
(1) The section PROHIBITS AHMADIS FROM CALLING THEMSELVES MUSLIMS OR
(2) POSING AS MUSLIMS, OR
(3) FROM REFERRING TO THEIR FAITH AS ISLAM, OR
(4) FROM PREACHING OR PROPAGATING THEIR FAITH, or
(5) From inviting others to accept the Ahmadi faith, AND
(6) FROM INSULTING THE RELIGIOUS FEELINGS OF MUSLIMS.
(7) THE BLASPHEMY LAWS PROVIDE THE DEATH PENALTY FOR DEFILING ISLAM OR ITS PROPHETS; life imprisonment for defiling, damaging, or desecrating the Qur’an; and ten years’ imprisonment for insulting the religious feelings of any citizen. These laws are often used to intimidate reform-minded Muslims, sectarian opponents, and religious minorities, or to settle personal scores. The Hudood Ordinances impose elements of Qur’anic law on both Muslims and non-Muslims and different legal standards for men and women. “(Caps are my modifications to highlight the essentials.)
(8) FROM REFERRING TO THEIR PLACE OF WORSHIP AS A MOSQUE.
(9) AHMADIS CANNOT ISSUE THE CALL TO PRAYER AS OTHER ORTHODOX MUSLIMS DO.
The blasphemy laws provide the death penalty for defiling Islam or its prophets; life imprisonment for defiling, damaging, or desecrating the Qur’an; and ten years’ imprisonment for insulting the religious feelings of any citizen. These laws are often used to intimidate reform-minded Muslims, sectarian opponents, and religious minorities, or to settle personal scores. The Hudood Ordinances impose elements of Qur’anic law on both Muslims and non-Muslims and different legal standards for men and women. ” [6]
(4) “1974 Declaration by the World Muslim League
(Rabita al-Alam al-Islami)
by
Mohammad Bashir
In the same year, An International Convention of Islamic Scholars was held in Makkah AlMukarramah under the auspeces of Rabita AlAlam AlIslami. Scholars from 124 countries unanimously declared Qadianis/Ahmadis as non-Muslim, disbelievers and out of the fold of Islam. This sealed the fate of this creed for ever in the Arab World and other Muslim Nations. This is what ‘The World Muslim League-An International Convention of Islamic Scholars” had stated:
World Muslim League held its annual conference at Makkah Al-Mukaramma Saudi Arabia from 14th to 18th of Rabiul Awwal 1394 H (April 1974) in which 140 delegations of Muslim countries and organizations from all over the world participated. I (Mohammad Bashir) too was there in this Conference alongwith the other journalists from all over the world. The Conference unanimously adopted the following Resolution regarding Qadianism.
Qadianism or Ahmadiyyat: It is a subversive movement against Islam and the Muslim world, which falsely and decietfully claims to be an Islamic sect; who under the guise of Islam and for the sake of mundane interests contrives and plans to damage the very foundations of Islam. Its eminent deviations from the basic Islamic principles are as follows:
Its founder claimed that he was a Prophet.
They deliberately distort the meanings of the verses of the Holy Quran.
They declared that Jehad has been abolished.
Qadianism was originally fostered by the British imperialism. Hence it has been flourishing under her flag. This movement has completely been disloyal to and dishonest in affairs of the Muslim Ummah. Rather, it has been loyal to Imperialism and Zionism. It has deep associations and cooperation with the anti Islamic forces and teachings especially through the following nefarious methods:
Construction of mosques with the assistance of the anti Islamic forces wherin the misleading Qadiani thoughts are imparted to the people.
Opening of schools institutions and orphanages wherein the people are taught and trained as to how they can be more anti Islamic in their activities. They also published the corrupted versions of the Holy Quran in different local and international languages.
In order to combat these dangers, the Conference recommends the following measures:
All the Muslim organization in the world must keep a vigilant eye on all the activities of Qadianisin their respective countries; to confine them all strictly to their schools, institutions and orphanages only. Moreover he Muslims of the world be shown the true picture of Qadianism and be briefed of their various tactics so that the Muslims of the world be saved from their designs.
They must be declared non Muslims and ousted form the fold of Islam. And be barred to enter the Holy lands.
There must be no dealings with the Qadianis. They must be boycotted socially , economically and culturally Nor they be married with or to Nor they be allowed to be buried in the Muslims graveyards. And they be treated like other non Muslims.
All the Muslim countries must impose restrictions on the activities of the claimant of Prophethood Mirza Ghulam Ahmed Qadiani’s followers; must declare them a non Muslim minority must not etrust them them with any post of responsibility in any Muslim country.
The alterations effected by them in the Holy Quran must be made public and the people be briefed of them and all these be prohibited for further publication.
All such groups as are deviators from islam must be treated at par with the Qadianis.”
Despite these religious edicts, Ahmadiyya Movement and its followers (ahmadis) continue to pretend to be Muslim and the Champions of Islam, who are admired by the Westerners for their moderate views. The reason for their obstinacy is quite obvious. They are the fifth columnists amongst the Muslims and their so-called islamic identity provide a cover for their clandestine activities while they continue to serve the interests of their masters.” [7]
Views of Prominent British Muslims about the Ahmadi sect.
“Iqbal Sacranie, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, has a different take. “Whilst we fully accept the right of Ahmadiyas to their own religion, it is clearly misleading to describe them as Muslims. They are outside the fold of Islam.”
His views are endorsed by Lord Nazir Ahmed of Rotherham, who said, “Ahmadiyyas are not Muslims. Therefore calling the religious complex in Morden a mosque hurts the sentiments of those who believe in Mohammed, the last prophet of Islam, peace be upon him.”
Born in ***************** Kashmir, Lord Ahmed is well known among Kashmiri immigrants and Pakistanis.”
A Perspective of the Ahmadiyya sect
The following information is intended to give a perspective of the Ahmadiyya sect in relation to orthodox Muslims, Christianity, and the rest of the world at large.
Views of mainstream Muslims
Orthodox Muslims (Sunnis and Shias) consider the Ahmadi sects to be heretics for a number of reasons, chief among them being the question of finality of the prophethood, since Ahmadis believe members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community do not regard the Islamic prophet Muhammad to be the last prophet ( however, the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement does not subscribe to this belief). Ahmadis claim that this is a result of misinterpreting Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’s statements referring to his coming “in the spirit of Muhammed”, (similar to John the Baptist coming in the spirit and power of Elijah).The Ahmadi sect believes that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad to be the Mahdi and promised Messiah, while mainstream Muslims refute/reject this claim, they do not believe that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad fulfilled the prophecies about the Promised Messiah and Mahdi and see him as a false prophet. Both Ahmadi groups are considered non-Muslims by the Pakistan government, and have this fact recorded on their travel documents. In contrast Ahmadi citizens from Western countries and other moderate Muslim nations perform Hajj and Umra as the Saudi government is not made aware they are Ahmadis when applying for the visa. A court decision has also upheld the right of Ahmadiyyas to identify themselves as Muslims in India.
As the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement’s view regarding Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’s status as a Prophet is closer to traditional Islamic thought, the Literature published by the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement has found greater acceptability among the Muslim Intelligentsia.
Some mainstream Muslims group both Ahmadi sects together and refer to them as “Qadianis”, and their beliefs as “Qadianism” (after the small town of Qadian in the Gurdaspur District of Punjab in India, where the movement’s founder was born). However most, if not all, Ahmadis of both sects dislike this term as it has acquired derogatory connotations over the years and furthermore they prefer to differentiate their two separate movements. Furthermore, mainstream Muslims will not use the term “Muslim” when referring to Ahmadis, even though both sects refer to themselves as such citing the fatwas given by the Islamic scholars. However, as members of Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement deny the prophethood of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, some orthodox Islamic Scholars consider the Lahore Ahmadiyya as Muslims. In earlier times in Pakistan and India, there was widespread persecution of Ahmadis by certain Muslim groups. Sporadic violence as well as persecution of a more subtle nature against Ahmadis continues even today. This forced the Pakistani Government to declare Qadianis non-Muslims.
AHMADIYYA’s DECLARE Orthodox Muslims (Sunnis and Shias etc) As NON-MUSLIMS
Ahmadis are also at odds with several fundamental orthodox Islamic beliefs.
The following quote clearly states that Ahmadiyya members reject traditional (orthordox) Muslims as “non-Muslims.” Ahmadiyya represent less than 2% of the world Muslims, but this is a reaction to the rejection of the Ahmadiyya sect.
“In the same book, Mirza Mahmud Ahmad summarises an earlier article of his, published in April 1911, which had sparked off the doctrinal differences that led to the Split. He explains:
“Regarding the main subject of my article, I wrote that as we believed the Promised Messiah to be one of the prophets of God, we could not possibly regard his deniers as Muslims.” (pp.137.138)
And he writes that he had drawn the following conclusion in the article:
“. . . not only are those deemed to be Kafirs who openly style the Promised Messiah as Kafir, and those who, although they do not style him thus, decline still to accept his claim, but even those who, in their hearts, believe the Promised Messiah to be true, and do not even deny him with their tongues, but hesitate to enter into his Bai`at, have here been adjudged to be Kafirs.” (pp. 139, 140)
In his book Anwar-i Khilafat, published in 1916, Mirza Mahmud Ahmad wrote:
“It is our duty that we must not consider non-Ahmadis as Muslims, and we must not pray following them, because we believe that they are denying a prophet of Almighty God.”
The two doctrines stated above clearly is the demarkation of the irreconcilable split of doctrines between the Ahmadiyya sect and that of Orthodox Islam. No orthodox Islamic sect could compromise on this issue because Ahmadi doctrines do not conform to the interpretation of the orthodox Qur’an.
Relationship with Christians
Christian missionaries during the life of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad were actively engaged in debates, prayer duels and written arguments with the Ahmadiyya Movement. The Ahmadiyya Movement considers Christian nations (particularly of the developed world) to be the prophesied Dajjal and Gog and Magog, thus making the relationship very hostile. The Ahmadiyya view of death of Jesus has also been a source of ongoing friction with the Christian Church.
Abbot Freeland, observed in his book, Islam and Pakistan,
The primary significance of the Ahmadiyya Movement lay in its missionary emphasis. Every Muslim believed that Islam was the only religion free from error. The Ahmadiyyas made it part of their principles to show the errors of other religions to their adherents and to proselytize energetically for Islam. In a sense, the Ahmadiyyas represent the Muslims emerging, religiously speaking, from the withdrawal that had begun with the arrival of the British, just as the Muslim League represents the political emergence from that same withdrawal. ……………………………. It is somewhat ironic that the sect most attacked by Muslims in India and Pakistan has also been that, which has worked hardest, in both its branches, to defend and extend Islam against the competition offered by other faiths.
Ghulam Ahmad was constantly engaged in controversies with the British missionaries. Western historians have recorded this effort as one of the features of Ghulam Ahmad’s legacy. Francis Robinson states;
At their most extreme religious strategies for dealing with the Christian presence might involve attacking Christian revelation at its heart, as did the Punjabi Muslim, Ghulam Ahmad (d.1908), who founded the Ahmadiyya missionary sect.
