Responding to QERN: Intellectual Dishonesty in Referencing Muslim Scholars on Khatam Nabiyeen?

Introduction

Anti-Ahmadis have had a long time to strawman the Ahmadi Position. The allegations that QERN brings are such:

Types of Intellectual Dishonesty

Below are some quotes that the Ahmadiyya use to justify their theological reasoning. Most of them are out of context or outright misleading. The intellectual dishonesty is one of these types:

1. Sufi Slide: Mis-translating a discussion of the characteristics of a prophet with being a prophet – as Sufis believe that some of these characteristics are attainable – such as receiving messages from God – but no Sufi says that one can earn their way to being a prophet or announce as such to people. Any announcement is akin to appointment as a prophet, which is not allowed according to Sufis.
2. No-Context: This technique also does not providing the clear and consistent view of the theologian who is being quoted.
3. Hearsay: Passing off the commentary on a theologian’s book as the book itself.
4. Lost in Translation: for example, Arabic ‘tashree`’ means to ordain from which the word Sharia is derived. This also includes taking literal meaning of specialist reserved words.

Qern – Intellectual Dishonesty in Referencing Muslim Scholars

Lal Hussain Akhtar did the same allegation on Qazi Nazir, On which Qazi Nazir Husayn Alim Fadhl wrote a book proving that we are not misquoting the scholars. This article will mostly be an abridged summarized translation with creative adjustments by our team of this book because Qazi Nazeer’s book masterfully answered these allegations

Introduction to Qazi Nazeer Huzayn Maulvi Fazil’s book

بزرگان اُمت کے نزدیک ختم نبوت کی حقیقت اور مولوی لال حسین اختر کی تنقید کا جواب

قاضی محمد نذیر فاضل

مقام ختم نبوت کی حقیقت عامۃ المسلمین پر ظاہر کرنے کے لئے جماعت احمدیہ نے ہر دور میں از حد کوشش کی ہےاور اسی نہج پر غیر احمدی مخالفین کی پھیلائی ہوئی غلط فہمیوں کا ازالہ کرنے کی کوششیں بھی ساتھ ساتھ جاری رکھیں مثلاً جب مولوی مودودی نے سیاسی مقاصد کی خاطر رسالہ بنام ’’ختم نبوت‘‘ لکھا تو اس پر جماعت کی طرف سے 2 علمی جواب مرتب کئے گئے: اول ’’القول المبین فی تفسیر خاتم النبیین‘‘ اور دوسری کتاب کا نام تھا ’’رسالہ ختم نبوت پر علمی تبصرہ‘‘۔ اس پر بعض احمدی دوستوں نے مذکورہ بالا دونوں تحقیقی کتب سے بزرگان امت کے اقوال جمع کرکے ایک پمفلٹ مرتب کیا تا خودہی موازنہ ہوجائے کہ ختم نبوت پر کس گروہ کا موقف سلف صالحین سے انحراف ہے۔اس خالص علمی کاوش پر مودودی صاحب نے تو اپنے بلند بانگ دعاوی کے باوجود چپ سادھ لی البتہ مولوی لال حسین اختر نے ’’مرزائی تحریفات کا تجزیہ۔ ختم نبوت اور بزرگان امت‘‘ کے نام سے ایک 32 صفحات کا رسالہ شائع کرادیا۔ جیسا کہ نام سے ظاہر ہے مولوی صاحب نے جماعت احمدیہ پر تحریف کا الزام لگایا اور مذکورہ بالا جماعتی پمفلٹ کو کذب ،افتراء اور دجل آمیزی کا پلندہ قرار دیا۔ جماعت کے پیش کردہ حوالہ جات کو اکابرین امت پر بہتانات قرار دیا ۔ الغرض پورا رسالہ ہی سخت کلامی اور درشتی کا نمونہ تھا۔

The Ahmadiyya community has made extreme efforts in every era to present the truth of the finality of Prophethood to the general Muslim population, and they continue to make efforts to remove the misconceptions spread by non-Ahmadi opponents on the same path. For example, when Maulana Maududi wrote a political pamphlet called “The Finality of Prophethood,” the community responded with two scientific answers: “Al-Qaul Al-Mubeen Fi Tafseer Khatam Al-Nabiyeen” and “A Scientific Commentary on the Finality of Prophethood.” Some Ahmadi friends compiled a pamphlet by collecting the statements of the elders of the community from the aforementioned research books, so that a comparison could be made as to which group’s stance on the finality of Prophethood deviates from the righteous predecessors.

Despite his lofty claims, Maududi Sahib was silenced in the face of this pure scientific endeavor. However, Molvi Lal Hussain Akhtar published a 32-page pamphlet called “Analysis of Mirzai distortions. Finality of Prophethood and the Elders of the Community.” As the name suggests, Molvi Sahib accused the Ahmadiyya community of distortion and declared the aforementioned community pamphlet as a bundle of lies, fabrications, and deception. He also labeled the references presented by the community as slander against the elders of the ummah. The entire purpose of the pamphlet was a harsh and crude example of verbal abuse.

بزرگان اُمت کے نزدیک ختم نبوت کی حقیقت اور مولوی لال حسین اختر کی تنقید کا جواب

1st Example

لَوْ عَاشَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ لَعَانَ صِدِّيقًا نَبِيا 1

2 – ام المومنین حضرت عائشہ صدیقہ ان کا قول

3 – حضرت محی الدین ابن عربی کا قول

4 – حضرت مولانا جلال الدین رومی علامہ کا قول

5 – حضرت امام عبد الوهاب الشعرانی کا قول

6- عارو بانی حضرت عبدالکریم جیلانی عبدالحمید کا قول

7- Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Hayy Lakhnawi

8- Maulvi Qasim Nanotwi

Ahmadis commonly quote three statements from Tahzir un Nas –

سو عوام کے خیال میں تو رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کا خاتم ہونا بایں معنی ہے کہ آپ کا زمانہ انبیاء سابق کے زمانے کے بعد اور آپ سب میں آخری نبی ہیں مگر اہل فہم پر روشن ہوگا کہ تقدم و تاخر زمانی میں بالذات کچھ فضیلت نہیں۔ پھر مقام مدح میں وَلكِن رَّسُولَ اللهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ فرمانا اس صورت میں کیوں کر صحیح ہو سکتا ہے۔

According to the layman, the Prophet (SAW), being the KHATAM (seal) means that he must have appeared after all the previous prophets and that he is the last prophet. But men of understanding and the wise know it very well that being the first or the last, chronologically, does not carry any weight. How could, therefore, the words of the Holy Qura’n: ”But he is the Messenger of Allah and the seal of the Prophets” (33:41) glorify him? But I know very well that none from among the Muslims would be prepared to agree with the common men.

[Tahzir un Nas, 14]

اگر بالفرض بعد زمانہ نبوی ﷺ بھی کوئی نبی پیدا ہو تو پھر بھی خاتمیت محمدیؐ میں کچھ فرق نہ آئے گا

Rather, if, hypothetically, after the time of the Prophet (SAW) another Prophet is born, even then it will make no difference to the Khaatamiyyat-e-Muhammadi (Seal of Prophethood of Muhammad) – similarly if another Prophet is his contemporary in another Earth, or even on this Earth another Prophet is made.

[Tahzir un Nas, 63]

The Deobandis usually have two responses two this. The first response is this is talking about other planets since both Abdul Hayy Lucknowi and Qasim Nanotwi defended this controversial Athar of Ibn Abbas:

سَبْعَ أَرْضِينَ ، فِي كُلِّ أَرْضٍ نَبِيٌّ كَنَبِيِّكُمْ ، وَآدَمُ كَآدَمَ ، وَنُوحٌ كَنُوحٍ ، وَإِبْرَاهِيمُ كَإِبْرَاهِيمَ ، وَعِيسَى كَعِيسَى

“There are Seven Earths, in each Earth there is a Prophet like your Prophet (Muhammad), an Adam like Adam, a Noah like Noah, an Abraham like Abraham, and a Jesus like Jesus.”

However from both the writings and Qasim Nanotwi and Abdul Hayy Lucknowi it becomes clear that they included our planet in this categorization.

The second response giving by the Deobandis is that Qasim Nanotwi affirmed Khatme Nabuwaat Dhatiyyah(Honor) and Khatme Nabuwaat Zamaaniya (Finality). The proof they give is:

Tahzir un Naas page 30

In this reference, basically what is shown is that Qasim Nanotwi quoted the hadith you are like me as Harun was to Musa, except there is no Prophet after me and then a second reference that the deniers of Khatm-e-Nabuwaat Zamaani are kafir. Firstly, merely quoting the hadith about ‘La Nabi Abadi’ does not mean he has the same beliefs as modern Deobandis as not only do Ahmadis affirm these ahadith but also the ulema have clarified that “La Nabi Abadee” means such a prophet won’t come who abrogates the shariah.

Secondly, Qasim Nanotwi in Munazariah Ajibah literally clarifies what Khatme Nabuwaat Zamaani is, and his view is exactly the view of the Ahmadi Muslims.

In Short Khaatamiyyat Zamaani is that the Religion of Muhammad(SAW) will not be abrogated, the ulum of nabuwaat has reached its peak, now the need for any prophet’s religion or knowledge is not needed by bani adaam. Thus it is apparent that there is the probability of that when the prophets are able to be born after the time of Religion of Muhammad(SAW) in this Eart still exist…However not only you, but others know that there is no superiority in being just the last.

Munazarah-Ajibah-page-57

9 – Mullah Ali Qari