Masih – Imam from among Muslims (Imamakum Minkum)
Introduction
These are two famous ahadith that are quoted by Ahmadi Muslims because they show despite the Nazul of the Masih, the Masih will be from amongst the Ummah i.e. born on Earth
Hadith # 1
Hadith # 2
You might notice that the translation we have presented slightly differs from what is shown on Sunnah.com, we will get to that bit later on in the article. Sunnah.com was forced to translate how we translate in another hadith and explanatory commentary but that will be covered later in the article
What does وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ refer to?
What lay-man Non Ahmadis say
The lay man non ahmadis only observing the way that Sunnah.com English for these two ahadith make the same assumption that the Bahais did. They believe that Isa(AS) is the one to descend and the imam among you refers to the Mahdi. Before we move on a few points need to be addressed about this belief.
- From an Arabic Grammar standpoint, this view is wrong. Even if we put Arabic Grammar aside later on the article you will see how Sunnah.com refutes what the lay non-Ahmadis say and give precedence to what the Ahmadis.
- There is no mention of Mahdi or Imam Mahdi in the hadith. If someone wishes to be pure literalists,then they have to keep consistency. Inserting Mahdi here is like how shia enter their Imams in all verses they quote. Besides if we are going off of pure literalism you will see a hadith that uses the phrasing “imaman mahdiyan” for Isa(AS)
- The Scholars/ Muhaditheen of the past did not view إِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ to refer to the Imam Mahdi. In fact in quite the opposition fashion they viewed إِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ as referring to the Masih (AS) as Ahmadis do.
The main stem of this is a lay man non Arabic shaky on the minute justification in response to what Ahmadis say.
What Ahmadis say
The saying Imamukum-Minkum refers to the forth Coming Masih(AS), the Imam from amongst us would be the Masih. Hazrat Maulana Jalaludeen Shams(RA) wrote an entire book on this specific topic refuting a Bahai. The book was called Tanqeed-e-Sahih. Since Bahais believed that the Imam Mahdi and Masih were separate unlike how Ahmadis believe that the Imam Mahdi and Masih are one. One of the first objections made to Ahmadis from the Bahai side is that وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ in Bukhari proves their claim. We will present what Maulana Jalaludin Shams(RA) said and then go into depth on certain points.
Maulana Jalaludeen Shams(RA)’s Five Points on وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ
Maulana Jalaludeen Shams(RA), Maulvi Fadhl Degree responds with five points:
To take Bukhari’s وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ hadith and to extrapolate from it that Masih and Mahdi are two seperate figures is falsehood(baatil). The reasons for this are listed below:
- In this Hadith there is no mention of Mahdi, only Imam is present
- Imam Bukhari(RH) has brought this hadith in his Sahih under the chapter(Baab) Nuzul Isa ibn Maryam. And if وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ reffered to anyone besides the Masih such as an Imam Mahdi or someone else then he would have someone place in his Saheeh mentioned the Mahdi in the Baab(Chaapter). However he did not. Which is a reason to believe that Imam Bukhari(RH) believed وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ did refer to the Masih and no one else.
- وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ the وَ is Waw Tafseeriyah. Namely (yani) the Masih who will descend will not come from some outside place but rather be your Imam. Namely (yani) he will be from Ummat-e-Muhamadiyyah. And if it is taken to be Waw Haaliyah (Waw al Haal or Waaw of condition) just like you have taken it then even still our meaning will be correct. Because the condition or doer of the action(فاعل) will be mentioned or the thing that it is acted upon(مفعول). There is no mention of the thing that is acted upon(مفعول). There is only the mention of doer of the action(فاعل) who is Ibn Maryam so the meaning of this would be that Ibn Maryam will descend among you in this haal(condition) that he will be your imam from among you.
Extrapolation and Deeper Explanation of the points Maulana Jalaludeen Shams(RA) covered
This section will go deeper and explain more of each point and reference that Maulana Jalaludeen Shams(RA) has presented.
Point #1 Sahih Muslim 155f shows how Sunnah.com agrees with the Ahmadi View
Pay attention to what words are being used in this section:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ” كَيْفَ أَنْتُمْ إِذَا نَزَلَ فِيكُمُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ فَأَمَّكُمْ مِنْكُمْ
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed: What would you do when the son of Mary would descend amongst you and would lead you as one amongst you?
. فَقُلْتُ لاِبْنِ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ إِنَّ الأَوْزَاعِيَّ حَدَّثَنَا عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ” وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ ”
Ibn Abi Dhi’b said: Do you know what the words:” He would lead as one amongst you” mean? I said: Explain these to me
. قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ تَدْرِي مَا أَمَّكُمْ مِنْكُمْ قُلْتُ تُخْبِرُنِي . قَالَ فَأَمَّكُمْ بِكِتَابِ رَبِّكُمْ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى وَسُنَّةِ نَبِيِّكُمْ صلى الله عليه وسلم .
He said: He would lead you according to the Book of your: Lord (hallowed be He and most exalted) and the Sunnah of your Apostle (ﷺ).
Sahih Muslim 155f, Highlighted Image
1) Sunnah.Com’s Correct Translation in this explanatory statement vindicates what Ahmadis have been saying
Point # 1: Notice how Sunnah.com translates وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ as “He would lead as one amongst you” in Sahih Muslim 155f but in Sahih Muslim 155d they translate وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ almost in an amibiguous fashion: “and there will be an Imam amongst you“, such that the average layman will think that the imam referred to in Muslim 155d is not the Masih. In Sahih Muslim 3349 وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ is also translated in an ambiguous fashion:“and your imam is among you.”.This amibuguity is where the layman opinion can form that 3349 Bukhari and 155d Muslim do not definativiely prove the Masih is the imam being reffered to however in Muslim 155f due to the nature of the explanation Sunnah.com had no choice but to translate correct and after reading Sahih Muslim 155f it becomes clear that the Imam being reffered to in Muslim 155d and Bukhari 3349 is none other than the Masih.
2) Ibn Abi Dhi’b’s explanation of وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ makes it clear it is refers to the Masih and not some other imam
Point #2: The first point was on translation of وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ . Unfortuantely, these days will take everything Sunnah.com as the holy grail even when they have biases or when they mistranslate/make mistakes. However a different point is that putting aside Sunnah.com’s translation Ibn Abi Dhi’b explanation of وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ to mean that Mash (AS) would lead you according to the Book of your: Lord (hallowed be He and most exalted) and the Sunnah of your Apostle (ﷺ). It does two things 1) It makes it abduandately clear that وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ . refers to Hazrat Masih(AS) and 2) it gives a deeper meaning to what Imamukum Minkum means as not only will he lead the prayers but he will lead/make judgement in accordance with the Qur’an and the Sunnah.
Point # 2 The Non-Ahmadi Ulema knew that وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ refers to the Masih(AS) and not anyone else
It is not like the Non-Ahmadi Ulema didn’t know that the meaning of وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ, they definitely knew it meant referring to Isa(AS). Some such as Nawab Sideeq Hasan Khan Bhopali were contemporaries of the Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(AS) and rejected them yet they never suddenly forgot how Arabic Grammar works and said that وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ refers to someone other Jesus(AS).
Co-Founder of Ahle Hadith Sector Nawab Sideeq Hasan Khan Bhopali makes it clear that وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ refers to Masih(AS)
بلفظ وامامکم منکم و ظاهرست
که مراد در بینجا امامت نماز نیست بلکه مراد اشتبات
اتباع معیسی ست برای شریعت محمدیه
Hijaj ul Kiramah page 386
You can see the clear influence of Ibn Abi Dhi’b on Nawab Sideeq Hasan Khan Bhopali.
Mullah Ali Qari, top tier Muhaddith and scholar of the Hanafis, quotes al-Taybi proving that وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ refers to Masih (AS)
وقال الطيبي فالضمير فى امكم لعيسى و منكم حال
Mirqatul Miftah Sharh Mishkatul Masabeeh page 164
Point # 3 وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ doesn’t mention Mahdi at all
One of the first points that Maulana Jalaludeen Shams(RA) made was that this hadith of وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ doesn’t even mention Mahdi in the first place. However, two additional valid points are needed to be made so that the reader gets a full grasp of things.
Point # 1 In Islam Every Prophet is an Imam Mahdi
Referring to Ibrahim(AS)’s progeny of Prophets:
وَجَعَلۡنٰہُمۡ اَئِمَّۃً یَّہۡدُوۡنَ بِاَمۡرِنَا وَاَوۡحَیۡنَاۤ اِلَیۡہِمۡ فِعۡلَ الۡخَیۡرٰتِ وَاِقَامَ الصَّلٰوۃِ وَاِیۡتَآءَ الزَّکٰوۃِ ۚ وَکَانُوۡا لَنَا عٰبِدِیۡنَ ﴿ۚۙ۷۴﴾
And We made them leaders(Aii’mah) who guided(Yahduna) people by Our command, and We sent revelation to them enjoining the doing of good works, and the observing of Prayer, and the giving of alms. And they were worshippers of Us alone.
Quran 21:74
جَعَلۡنَا مِنۡہُمۡ اَئِمَّۃً یَّہۡدُوۡنَ بِاَمۡرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُوۡا ۟ؕ وَکَانُوۡا بِاٰیٰتِنَا یُوۡقِنُوۡنَ ﴿۲۵﴾
Quran 32:25
And We made from among them leaders(Aii’mah), who guided(Yahduna) the people by Our command, whilst they themselves were steadfast and had firm faith in Our Signs.
The word Imam Mahdi is comprised of two parts, Imam(leader) and Mahdi(Guided one). Mahdi is the guided one by definition a guided one would guide. The word Hadi (Guide), Hidayah(Guidance), Yahduna(to guided), Mahdi(Guided one) have the same root. Therefore it is safe to say that all the prophets were Imam Mahdis as they were Aiimah who guided the people!
Point # 2 There are many Mahdis in Islam
Now that we have covered that every prophet is an Imam Mahdi due to virtue of them being Aii’mah (imams) who guide (yahudna bi amrina) by Allah’s Command, it is interesting to see the clear word of Mahdi (guided one) being used for people who were not the al-Mahdi.
بِمَا عَرَفْتُمْ مِنْ سُنَّتِي وَسُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ الْمَهْدِيِّينَ
Whoever among you lives will see great conflict. I urge you to adhere to what you know of my Sunnah and the path of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs(Khulafa Rashideen Mahyideen), and cling stubbornly to it
Sunan Ibn Majah 43
اللهم اغفر لأبي سلمه، وارفع درجته في المهديين،واخلفه في عقبه في الغابرين، واغفر لنا وله يا رب العالمين، وافسح له في قبره، ونور له فيه
“O Allah! Forgive Abu Salamah, raise his rank among those who are rightly-guided and grant him a successor from his descendants who remain behind.
Riyad as-Salihin 919
إِلَى لِقَائِكَ فِي غَيْرِ ضَرَّاءَ مُضِرَّةٍ وَلَا فِتْنَةٍ مُضِلَّةٍ اللَّهُمَّ زِيِّنَا بِزِينَةِ الْإِيمَانِ وَاجْعَلْنَا هُدَاةً مَهْدِيِّينَ
O God, beautify us with the adornment of faith, and make us guides who are rightly guided.”
Mishkat al-Masabih 2497
اللَّهُمَّ ثَبِّتْهُ وَاجْعَلْهُ هَادِيًا مَهْدِيًّا ”.
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) did not screen himself from me since my embracing Islam, and whenever he saw me he would receive me with a smile. Once I told him that I could not sit firm on horses. He stroke me on the chest with his hand and said, “O Allah! Make him firm and make him a guiding and a rightly guided man.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3035, 3036
اللهُـمِّ اغْفِـرْ لِـفلان (باسـمه) وَارْفَعْ دَرَجَتَـهُ في المَهْـدِييـن
، وَاخْـلُفْـهُ في عَقِـبِهِ في الغابِـرين،
وَاغْفِـرْ لَنـا وَلَـهُ يا رَبَّ العـالَمـين
، وَافْسَـحْ لَهُ في قَبْـرِهِ وَنَـوِّرْ لَهُ فيه
Allāhumma’ghfir li (name of the person) warfa` darajatahu fi ‘l-mahdiyyīn, wakhlufhu fī `aqibihi fi ‘l-ghābirīn, wagh’fir-lanā wa lahu yā Rabba ‘l-`ālamīn, wafsaḥ lahu fī qabrihi wa nawwir lahu fīh.
O Allah, forgive [name of the person] and elevate his station among those who are guided. Send him along the path of those who came before, and forgive us and him, O Lord of the worlds. Enlarge for him his grave, and shed light upon him in it.
Hisn al-Muslim 155
“ اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ هَادِيًا مَهْدِيًّا وَاهْدِ بِ
Narrated ‘Abdur-Rahman bin Abu ‘Umairah – and he was one of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ):
from the Prophet (ﷺ), that he said to Mu’awiyah: “O Allah, make him a guiding one, and guide (others) by him.”
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3842
حَدَّثَنَا أَسْوَدُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ، حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الْحَمِيدِ بْنُ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ يَعْنِي الْفَرَّاءَ، عَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ يُثَيْعٍ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَنْ يُؤَمَّرُ بَعْدَكَ قَالَ إِنْ تُؤَمِّرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ تَجِدُوهُ أَمِينًا زَاهِدًا فِي الدُّنْيَا رَاغِبًا فِي الْآخِرَةِ وَإِنْ تُؤَمِّرُوا عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ تَجِدُوهُ قَوِيًّا أَمِينًا لَا يَخَافُ فِي اللَّهِ لَوْمَةَ لَائِمٍ وَإِنْ تُؤَمِّرُوا عَلِيًّا رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَلَا أُرَاكُمْ فَاعِلِينَ تَجِدُوهُ هَادِيًا مَهْدِيًّا يَأْخُذُ بِكُمْ الطَّرِيقَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ.
It was said: O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), who should be appointed in charge after you are gone? He said: “If you appoint Abu Bakr, you will find him trustworthy and uninterested in worldly gains, seeking the Hereafter. If you appoint ‘Umar, you will find him strong and trustworthy and not fearing the blame of anyone for the sake of Allah. If you appoint Ali Which I do not think you will do you will find him a guide and guided, he will take you on the straight path.”
Musnad Ahmad 859
Point # 3 The words Imaman Mahdiyan have been used for Isa(AS)
حدثنا محمد بن جعفر قال حدثنا هشام بن حسان عن محمد عن أبي هريرة عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال يوشك من عاش منكم أن يلقى عيسى ابن مريم إماما مهديا وحكما عدلا فيكسر الصليب ويقتل الخنزير ويضع الجزية وتضع الحرب أوزارها
“It is near that one who lives from amongst you shall meet ‘Eisa bin Maryam. He will be the rightly guided leader , a leader and a just ruler..”
Musnad Ahmad 9068 – Sahih