Is Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS) a British Agent? An Ultimate Refutation

Introduction

A common lie spread by the anti-Ahmadis is that Ahmadiyya Islam was created by the British Empire, who supposedly appointed Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani (AS) as their agent. In this article, we will show how absurd and illogical this claim truly is.

Everyone is a British Agent

Before we respond to this allegation, it is crucial to mention that this allegation isn’t exclusively spammed against Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS). Rather, it is the habit of the non-Ahmadi Muslims that they label everyone they disagree with as a British Agent.

Ahmad Raza Khan, the founder of Barelvi sect is labelled a British agent and it’s all a mere google search away.

Similarly, Ashraf Ali Thanvi, the founder of Deobandi sect has the same allegations about him.

The Salafi (Ahl-e-Hadith / Wahhabi) sect is also called a “Brainchild of British Intelligence agency”.¹Archived Article

Ahmad (AS) is an Anti-British Rebel

Modern-day critics claim that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was a British agent sent to divide Muslims. Ironically, his contemporaries said the exact opposite. They accused him of secretly planning a rebellion against Christians and British rule. Sunni Muslims, Salafis, and Christian clergy of that era made formal complaints about Ahmad (AS), warning the British government of his “danger.”

Muhammad Hussain Batalvi (Salafi/Sunni Scholar)

Batalvi, the leader of the Ahl-e-Hadith sect and a vocal opponent of the Promised Messiah (AS), collaborated with Christians and other groups to spread lies about him. Consider these two examples:

“His deception is proved by the fact that in his heart he considers it lawful to put an end to the authority of a non-Muslim government and to plunder its belongings Therefore, it would not be proper on the part of the Government to rely on him and it would be necessary to be aware of him, otherwise such harm might be suffered at the hands of this Mahdi of Qadian as was experienced at the hands of the Sudanese Mahdi.”

[Ishaat-us-Sunnah, vol. 16, pg. 168]

Similarly, in an English & Christian magazine, he writes:

What is really dangerous is the course chalked out, for instance, by the Mirza for him- self. He claims to be both, Masin aud Mabdi, and this he does without possessing any heavenly signs. The dangerous character of such a claim will become app rent when the number of the Mirza’s followers will in- crease to an unmanageable extent. Their present number, under the existing conditions and disabilities, can hardly prove danger us but that is no proof against the strong presumption that they are likely to bee me a source of trouble in the future. The doings of the Mahdi of the Soudan and the amount of trouble he gave to the world are not forgotten yet. The movement set on foot by th Mirza in India does not in its essence much difer to my mind from that of the Mahdi of the Soudan.

What I should like to add in that connection is that the Mirza on page 601 of his book the Dafi-ul Uaswas writes:- “When a man disobeys God, the Real Master (God) confiscates his property and takes away his life if be chooses to punish him for his dis- obedience and this he does either through a prophet or direct.” When such are the preachings of the Mirza and when he considers the British Government guilty of disobeying God, also when he openly invites the Government to follow his religion under the threat of heavenly vengeance, who can shut bis eyes against the conclusion? In th light of the above fact the meaning and the worth of the Mirza’s “exhortations” about the unlawfulness of Jehad against the Government cannot for a moineut remain concealed. In fact such “exhortations” cannot deceive the Government and cannot credit the Mirza with good faith unless, of course, the Mirza openly declares that he relinquishes all claims to Masihism and Mahdism and he forsakes the views he has been holding on the subject. It is really strange that such a large number of Muhammadans should become disloyal by simply believing in the coming, in the future, of Masih and Mahdi, while a handful of the followers of the Mirza should remain loyal even after believing the Mirza to be the promised

Masih and Mahdi

[The Civil and Military Gazette, Friday, July 19, 1907]

Padri Imaddudin (Christian Missionary)

He was a Christian missionary who was also a staunch enemy of the Promised Messiah (AS). In a book that he writes against Ahmad (AS), Imaddudin lies:

“And the Messiah is claiming that he wants a large group of Muslims to become his followers, and he is looking for an opportunity to disrupt the peace in India and ruin many homes.

Don’t you think that the imaginary Imam Mahdi is present in Sudan, now the imaginary Messiah should arise from India and the two should unite to punish the infidels.”

[Tauzin ul-Aqwal, pg. 5]

Qazi Fazal Ahmad (Sunni Scholar)

A Muslim scholar writes

مگر افسوس منظور نہ ہوئی ورنہ ضرور تھا غدر کر کے پادریوں کو قتل کرتے اور صلیب کو توڑتے اور اپنے دعوے کی تصدیق میں مسلمانوں پر بھی زور ڈالتے۔

یوں تو مرزا صاحب کہتے ہیں کہ ہم گورنمنٹ کے بڑے خیر خواہ ہیں۔ ہمارے باپ نے گھوڑے دیئے آدمی دیئے ، مگر جب پادری لوگ جو گورنمنٹ حال کے ہم مذہب پیر و مرشد اور بزرگ عیسائی ہیں۔ ان کو دجال مقڑ کیا گیا ہے۔ اور ان کو قتل کیلئے آپ مسیح موجود بنتے ہیں تو پھر گورنمنٹ کی خیر خواہی کیسی ؟ کیا گورنمنٹ کے پیر ومرشد کا دشمن گورنمنٹ کا دوست ہوگا۔ ہر گز نہیں کیا گورنمنٹ کے بزرگ فرقہ کا دشمن اور قاتل گورنمنٹ کا دشمن اور قاتل نہیں ؟ ضرور ہے۔ ضرور ہے۔ مگر افسوس تو اتنا ہے کہ مرزا صاحب کے پاس ایک لاکھ فوج نہیں۔ ورنہ مرزا صاحب کے ہاتھ دیکھتے اور یہ بھی یادر ہے کہ جس وقت مرزا صاحب کے پاس پانچ ہزار سپاہی بھی ہو گئے۔ اسی روز انہوں نے اپنے الہام کم من فئتہ الخ کے مطابق ضرور جنگ کرتا ہے۔ اور فتح کی خوشی کے ارادہ پر اپنے الہام کے پورے اور سچا ہونے پر زور دیتا ہے خواہ کسی موت سے مرین۔ مگر مجھے یہ امید موہوم ہی معلوم ہوتی ہے۔ اب تو میرے خیال میں چیونٹی کو پر لگ گئے ہیں۔ اوور وقت قریب آگیا ہے۔ فقط

But unfortunately it was not successful, otherwise he(Mirza Ghulam Ahmad) would have certainly rebelled and killed the missionaries, destroyed the cross, and forced the Muslims too to accept their claim.

Mirza Sahib says that I am a well-wisher of the government. My father gave horses and men. But the Christian missionaries, who are co-religionists, spiritual leader and elders of the current government…he labels them Dajjal. And to have them murdered, he calls himself the Messiah, then how can he claim to be the well-wisher of the government? Can an enemy of the government’s spiritual leader and elders be a friend of the government? Never! Is not an enemy and murderer of the senior members of the government also an enemy and murderer of the government itself? Of course! Of course! But the regret is that Mirza Sahib does not have an army of one hundred thousand. Otherwise, you would see Mirza Sahib take action. And remember, when Mirza Sahib has even five thousand troops, that very day in accordance with his revelation “کم من فئتہ الخ” he would fight and would be so confident of victory that he would insist on the truth of his revelation even if it meant dying. But this hope seems unfounded to me.

[Kalma Fazal-e-Rahmani, pg. 274-276]

Within this same page, he writes in the footnote that when Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS) claims that his father gave 50 horses to the government during the rebellion of 1857, that was a lie. Why? Fazal Ahmad claims that if his father did give, then why does he not do it himself? Why does he not help the government now?

The Civil Military Gazette, Lahore (Christian)

This Christian magazine wrote an article lying that the Promised Messiah (AS) is a rebel in secrecy. Once he has enough followers, he will indeed prove to be a danger to the government. Ahmad (AS) replied to these lies and explained the Islamic stance on rebellion.

In the reply to the clarifications of Ahmad (AS), the Gazette continues to lie even more but with a new logic:

“…ignores the real point at issue: which is, that he has attacked, and is attacking, not the British Government, and its officials, but Christianity and its missionaries, and in such a manner as is likely to cause very bitter and dangerous feelings in the minds of his followers against the religion of their rulers and its exponents. In the very pamphlet, which he issues as an apology for himself he repeats the epithet for Christian missionaries that The Muhammadan protested against-Dajjal (an Arabic word signifying sorcerer or perverter of the truth). The Maulvi on to say goes that the Christianity of the present day is, “ridiculous,” and “is the outcome of human wickedness.” The pamphlet contains an admission to the effect that the Maulvi had declared in some of his books that he was the promised Messiah (Christ). It will be seen, therefore, that it is scarcely an exaggeration to call the man, even from his own description of himself, “dangerous.””

[Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) – 19 February 1895]

The opposing claims from different eras demonstrate that Ahmad’s (AS) critics have no consistent truth, only contradictions.

Sunni funding from British & non Muslims

Why did these scholars report Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS) to the British? Simple: to gain favor. They were receiving grants and financial aid from the British government.

Muhammad Hussain Batalvi (Salafi/Sunni Scholar)

Batalvi mentions the financial benefits he got from the British government. Let’s take a look at his own words:

The agricultural land that Allah Almighty has granted me through the government is 4 Murabba (100 acres) in size.

[Ishaatus Sunnah, vol. 19, no. 1, 1902]

Similarly, Nadwatul Ulema and Darul Uloom Deoband were financially helped by the British government. This is the reason, all Sunni scholars of British India were in favor of the British government and deemed Jihad against them as Haram.

Moreover, ‘Sunni’ mosques still receive huge amounts of funding from Kafir government like UK, USA and Canada. Green Lane Masjid in UK received 2.2 million pounds of funding from the government.²iirc.org article

Is Jihad abrogated?

When anti-Ahmadis realize their own scholars never called Mirza Sahib a British agent, they switch tactics and claim he “abrogated Jihad”—a supposed act of Kufr.

Firstly, it is the belief of the ‘Sunnis’ that multiple Quranic commandments are abrogated! As per them, anywhere between 5-500 verses are abrogated. This means that the verses exist in Quran but they are actually useless. They cannot be quoted as proof in Aqeedah (Beliefs) nor Fiqh (Jurisprudence).³Wikipedia article: Naskh Mansuk (Abrogation)

Secondly, it is also the belief of the ‘Sunnis’ that more verses of the Holy Quran will be abrogated by Isa (AS) on his 2nd coming. Rather than following Quran and Hadith, he will abrogate multiple other commandments like Jizyah, and other verses pertaining to religious freedom. They believe that Isa (AS) will give only 2 options to non Muslim (women, old etc) – convert to Islam or die by the sword.⁴Isa (AS) – The Bloody Messiah | Islam or the Sword It is ironic that these people would dare raise allegations on Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS).

Lastly, it is the belief of Ahmadis that NO verse in the Quran is abrogated. Not even a dot in the Quran can be abrogated. It is the final word of God. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS) mentioned the same throughout his life.

“We believe that whosoever subtracts the smallest particle from the law of Islam, or adds to it, or lays the foundation of neglecting obligations and indifference towards them, is without faith and is turned away from Islam.”

[Ruhani Khazain, vol. 14, pg. 323]

He even answers the allegation of people lying that he has abrogated Jihad.

Muslims criticize me and allege that the one fault in my mission is that I have abrogated Jihad. Alas, these ignoramuses are simply unaware of the true significance of Jihad. […] Indeed, the hallmark of the arrival of the Promised Messiah was that ‘He would Abolish religious war.’ The proof of the authenticity of the Promised Messiah is that he would not wage religious wars. The reason is because today the opponents too have stopped waging religious wars.

‘Permission to fight is given to those against whom war is made, because they have been wronged.’ [22:40] .

[Lecture Ludhiana pg. 33/36]

For more such references, visit this article.

Agent because claimed rebelling against British is Haram?

When the “abrogated Jihad” claim fails, the next lie is that Mirza Sahib was a British agent because he called rebellion Haram. By that logic, all Sunni scholars were British agents too—because they unanimously declared rebellion Haram!

Firstly, If that is the criteria for being a British Agent, then all the ‘Sunni’ scholars are also British agent. ‘Sunni’ scholars from all different sects (Hanafi, Barelvi, Deobandi, Salafi etc) deemed it Haram to rebel against the British government because they provided full religious freedom to the Indian Muslims.

Sunni Scholars: Jihad against British Haram

Muhammad Hussain Batalvi (Salafi/Sunni Scholar)

In our Ahle-Hadith Madhab, the ruler under which we live under in peace, doing jihad is haram.

[Isha’at-as-Sunnah, vol. 10, no. 25, pg. 36]

The Muslims who took part in the 1857 rebellion were serious sinners, and according to the Quran and Hadith they were rebels, mischief makers and wicked.

[Al-Iqtisad fi masa’il al-Jihad, pg. 49]

To fight against this government [i.e. British rule of India] or to aid those who fight against it, even though they be one’s Muslim brothers, is clear treachery and haram.

[Al-Iqtisad fi masa’il al-jihad, p. 49]

Syed Nazeer Husain Dehlawi (Salafi/Sunni Scholar)

پس جب کہ شرط جہاد کی اس دیار میں معدوم ہوئی، تو جہاد کرنا یہاں سبب ہلاکت اور معصیت کا ہوگا۔

Since the criterion of Jihad is absent from this land, to conduct Jihad here would be a means of destruction and a sin.” [Fatawa Naziriya, v. 3, p. 275]

Maulvi Nawab Sideeq Hasan Khan Bhopali (Salafi/Sunni Scholar)

Be concerned about those people who are ignorant of their religious teachings, in that they wish to efface the British government, and to end the current peace and tranquility by disorder under the name of jihad. This is sheer stupidity and foolishness.

[Tarjuman-i Wahhabiyyat, p. 10]

For a list of all references from Muslim scholars prohibiting Jihad against the British government, please visit this article.

Lastly, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS) only mentioned the what Islam says regarding rebellion. Islam does not allow Muslims to rebel against a government after giving their oaths of loyalty, especially when the government is protecting and ensuring the religious freedom of the Muslims. Under the rule of the British government, Muslims had complete religious freedom to pray, fast, do dawah (tabligh) and even refute Christianity, the religion of the British officials.

This is why Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS) declared that the Jihad of today is to respond to the attacks of non-Muslims in a way they attack. Since non-Muslims were attacking Islam intellectually, the response should be similar. Until of course, Allah brings about other conditions in the world.

The Jihad of this age is to strive in upholding the word of Islam, to refute the objections of the opponents, to propagate the excellences of the Islamic faith, and to proclaim the truth of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, throughout the world. This is Jihad till God Almighty brings about other conditions in the world.

[Al-Badr 14th August 1903]]

Praised the British Government = Agent?

When all else fails, anti-Ahmadis claim Ahmad (AS) was an agent because he praised the British. But praising someone does not make one their agent—unless you’re intellectually dishonest.

But we understand that there are such people around us that posses such weak intellectual capabilities. So for them, we will only show references of their own Ulema who not only declared Jihad against the British Haram but also said statements like:

• Rebels against the British are not Muslims but Mushrikun (polytheists)
• British government is “God’s Mercy” upon us
• British government is a pride for us, more than the Ottoman Khilafat.
• British India is better than all the Muslim countries like Ottoman Khilafat, Iran, Sudan etc

Read about these in this article.

Why praise the British government?

This last section is for the honest researchers who have nothing to do with the lies exposed above. Some people ask why did Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS) praise the British so much? It makes sense that he highlighted the good aspects of the government once or twice but there are many more such references of him praising. These are the reasons:

1) Heartfelt gratitude

Ahmad (AS) praised the government to fulfill the commandment mentioned in the ahadith.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He who does not thank the people is not thankful to Allah.

[Sunan Abi Dawud 4811]

British government saved the Muslims in India, specifically Punjab and western provinces, from the extreme persecution of the Sikhs. Sikhs had banned Azan (Muslim call to prayer), prayers and destroyed many mosques. Muslims had absolutely no religious freedom during their rule. Thus, it is the duty of every Muslim extend their gratitude to those who have helped them.

This is why the Promised Messiah (AS) states:

Many who lived under Sikh rule are still with us today. They should come forward and tell others about the circumstances of Islam and the Muslims at that time. The adhan [Call for Prayer], which is a mandatory tenet of Islam, was considered a crime. No one who called the adhan could survive the hatchets and spears of the Sikhs. Did God err in freeing the Muslims from the Sikhs’ transgressions and in delivering them to the sanctuary of British rule? As soon as this government took power, the Muslims of Punjab were, for all practical purposes, granted their faith anew.

[British Government and Jihad, pg. 15]

2) Mission of Messiah

Another reason for mentioning the religious freedom of the British government was to correct the beliefs of the Muslims, which is the job of the Messiah. He had to remind the Muslims to leave the idea of rebellion and Jihad against a government that provides them religious freedom and who saved them from the persecution of the Sikhs. He had to consistently remind Muslims that it is unislamic and against the Quran and Hadith to rebel against one’s government.

This government protects the lives and property of Muslims and safeguards them from the attacks of every oppressor. I did not do this work out of fear of the government, nor in the hope of any reward from it, but solely in accordance with the command of Allah and the Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

[Ruhani Khazain, vol. 8, pg. 40-41, Nurul Haqq, Part 1]

3) Response to the Rebel Mahdi Allegation

One more reason that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS) mentioned his belief about being loyal to the government was because all his enemies, non-Muslims, Hindus, Christians and even Sunni Muslims, were reporting him to the government and writing false agenda pieces in media by labelling him an Anti-British rebel.

Alot of the statements in the books of the Promised Messiah (AS) are merely a response to such allegations. It was his duty to dispel any false information about him in newspapers, books and government reports. We have already mentioned these allegations in detail in the section above.

Often the enemies and self-interested people who harbor enmity and opposition towards every new sect, convey false reports to the government and trouble the government with mischievous and fruitless activities. Since the government is not omniscient, it is possible that the government authorities may develop some suspicion or lean towards suspicion due to the frequency of such false informers.

Therefore, I am writing down a few necessary points for the information of the high government authorities:

[Ruhani Khazain, vol. 13, pg. 337, Ishtahar, 24 Feburary 1894]

…he continued to convey to the Government his unfounded views that I was secretly a rebel and was more dangerous than even the Sudanese Mahdi.

[The True Nature of the Mahdi, pg. 17]

Wanted the favor of the Government?

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS) never got any favors from the government, nor does the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community get any till this day. Our community is run solely on the contributions of the Ahmadi Muslims alone. No government, nor an outside entity donates to us, nor do we seek their donations.

In this section, we will put a final nail in the coffin for this allegation. If Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS) wanted any favor from the British government or if he wanted to appease them, he would not have used such harsh facts in regards to them and their spiritual fathers (the Christian clergy). These statements are way harsher than the statements of any of the scholars who were living in British India. These so-called hypocrite scholars were known to butter the government with sweet words.

Christian Clergy is Dajjal

If the Promised Messiah (AS) wanted to appease the government, he wouldn’t label the missionaries and spiritual fathers of the same government and their people as Dajjal. Dajjal is the name of Satan himself, and the biggest fitna (trial) that would unfold in the latter days.

Dajjal in fact is none other than the people known as Christian missionaries and European philosophers. They act like the two jaws of the Promised Dajjal with which he devours people’s faith like a python. 

[Kitab-ul-Bariyyah, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 13, pp. 252-253, footnote]

British Government is Gog Magog

He also called the government to be Gog and Magog, another fitna of the latter days.

The first sign of the Latter Days will be the dominance of Gog and Magog, i.e. the influence of Russia and the British.

[Testimony of the Holy Quran, pg. 38]

فإن يأجوج ومأجوج هم النصارى من الروس والأقوام البرطانية

کیونکہ یا جوج ماجوج سے مراد وہ نصاریٰ ہیں جو روس اور برطانیہ قوموں سے ہیں

Because Gog and Magog refer to those Christians who are from the nations of Russia and Britain.

[Ruhani Khazain, vol. 7, pg. 210]
[Hamamatul Bushra, Urdu Translation, pg. 74]

Christian Missionaries worship Satan

In response to the Shirk of Christians and the fitna of the Dajjal (Christian missionaries), Promised Messiah (AS) mentioned how they don’t worship God but Satan because the Christians are doing the opposite of what God has commanded.

The Christian clergies, however, have thrown the truth behind their backs, and whatever they have compiled is mere fabrication. All their efforts are focused on destroying Islam and erasing the signs of the greatest of human beings, our master, Hadrat Muhammad Mustafasas. Having set traps of idolatry, they invite people towards the blazing fire and abyss, claiming that the Messiah has combined in himself the mysteries of [both] Godhead and mortality. They only worship Satan. Those from the Muslims of this country who have accepted their religion and apostatised from the religion of our Master, the Best of Mankind, may peace and blessings of God be upon him, number around eighty-thousand.

[The Ocean of Light, pg. 12-13]

Queen is in Darkness of Man-worship

Promised Messiah (AS) also wrote to the Queen of British Empire and invited her to Islam. In the same book, he mentions the severity of the sin she is indulged in and claims that she is in the ‘darkness of man-worship’.

If Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS) wanted the favor from the government, why would he say such bitter truths? He should have acted the same way as the scholars of the time, who would use sweet words to gain favor of the government.

Jesus, the Messiah, is truly one of the very beloved and pious servants of God and is one of those who are the chosen people of God whom God purifies with His own Hand and keeps them under the shadow of His light. He is not God as has been conjectured, but has close relations with God and is among the perfect ones of which there are only a few.

Almighty God! As Thy Wisdom and Providence has been pleased to put us under the rule of our blessed Empress enabling us to lead lives of peace and prosperity, we pray to Thee that our ruler may in return be saved from all evils and dangers as Thine is the kingdom, glory and power. Believing in Thy unlimited powers we earnestly ask Thee, All-Powerful Lord, to grant us one more prayer that our benefactress the Empress, before leaving this world, may probe her way out of the darkness of man-worship with the light of la-ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah. [There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet]. Do Almighty God as we desire, and grant us this humble prayer of ours as Thy will alone governs all minds. Amen!

[A Gift for the Queen, pg. 19 & 49]

Praised Kufr of British Government?

Lastly, some may ask that if Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS) only wanted to praise the specific actions of the British government, he should have called them out on the Kufr they did as well?

That is correct. The Promised Messiah (AS) actually did that. He called their clergy Dajjal, their government Gog Magog and labelled them the biggest fitna since the creation Adam (AS). If that does not convince anyone, here is the direct quote of Ahmad (AS):

As for your repeated mention of the British government, it is absolutely true that we are grateful to the British government and are its well-wishers and will remain so as long as we live. However, we do not consider this government immune from error, nor do we consider its laws to be based on scholarly research.

[The Light of the Holy Quran, pg. 76]

There are many such instances but for brevity, we will leave it as is.

Conclusion

This allegation has been comprehensively refuted from all angles. Anti-Ahmadis rely on personal attacks—not evidence from Quran or Hadith. Just like non-Muslims attacked the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), they now attack Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS).

1. Such allegations are made regarding many Muslim scholars
2. Contemporary enemies of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS) didn’t call him British agent but an anti-British rebel.
   • Anti-Ahmadis aren’t even consistent with their allegations.
3. He (AS) didn’t abrogate Jihad.
4. He (AS) only praised the religious freedom provided by the British government, not their atrocities or short comings.
5. He (AS) never got any favors from the British government but the ‘Sunni’ scholars did.