Did Sanaullah win the Mubahila against the Promised Messiah (AS)?

Introduction

The non-Ahmadis allege that Promised Messiah (AS) lost the prayer duel to Sanuallah as he died before him. This is not only a lie but a claim that showcases their ignorance of history. In short, he not only deflected the challenge to Mubahila, he actively published announcement after announcement where he kept mentioning that he won’t accept Mubahila.

Who was Sanaullah?

He was an unknown maulvi who supported Islamophobes who blasphemed against the honor of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and Islam. His sole purpose of existence was the enmity of the Promised Messiah (AS) and he used extremely disrespectful language against him.

Event by event

1896 – Sanaullah runs away 1st time

Scholars of the time kept instigating Muslims against the Promised Messiah (AS) and were publishing writings that were filthy, lies, and had other obscenities. After some time, he (AS) invited all his enemies to come forward for a Mubahalah (Prayer duel) in the book, Anjam-e-Atham. He claimed that if he is a liar then God should destroy him, otherwise, any of his enemies who accept the Mubahalah must be punished.

کیونکہ میں نہیں چاہتا کہ میرے سبب سے تیرے بندے فتنہ اور ضلالت میں پڑیں۔ اور ایسے مفتری کا مرنا ہی بہتر ہے۔ لیکن اے خدائے علیم وخبیر اگر تو جانتا ہے کہ یہ تمام الہامات جو میرے ہاتھ میں ہیں تیرے ہی الہام ہیں۔ اور تیرے منہ کی باتیں ہیں۔ تو ان مخالفوں کو جو اس وقت حاضر ہیں ایک سال کے عرصہ تک نہایت سخت دکھ کی مار میں مبتلا کر کسی کو اندھا کر دے اور کسی کو مجذوم اورکسی کو مفلوج اور کس کو مجنون اور کسی کو مصروع اور کسی کو سانپ یا سگ دیوانہ کا شکار بنا۔ اور کسی کے مال پر آفت نازل کر اور کسی کی جان پر اور کسی کی عزت پر۔ اور جب میں یہ دعا کر چکوں تو دونوں فریق کہیں کہ آمین ۔ ایسا ہی فریق ثانی کی جماعت میں سے ہر ایک شخص جو مباہلہ کیلئے حاضر ہو جناب الہی میں یہ دعا کرے کہ اے خدائے علیم و خبیر ہم اس شخص کو جس کا نام غلام احمد ہے در حقیقت کذاب اور مفتری اور کافر جانتے ہیں ۔ پس اگر یہ شخص در حقیقت کذاب اور مفتری اور کافر اور بے دین ہے اور اس کے یہ الہام تیری طرف سے نہیں بلکہ اپنا ہی افترا ہے۔ تو اس امت مرحومہ پر یہ احسان کر کہ اس مفتری کو ایک سال کے اندر ہلاک کر دے تا لوگ اس کے فتنہ سے امن میں آجائیں۔

Because I do not want your servants to fall into temptation and confusion because of me. And it is better for such a liar to die. But O God, All-Knowing and All-Knowing, if You know that all these inspirations that are in my hands are Your inspirations and the words of Your mouth, then make those opponents who are present at this time suffer severe afflication within a period of one year. Make someone blind, or afflict with leprosy or paralysis. Or make madman…

And when I finish making this dua, both sides should say Amen. In the same way, every person from the party of the second party, who is present for the marriage, should pray to Allah that, O God, All-Knowing and All-Knowing, we know the person whose name is Ghulam Ahmad to be a liar, a liar, and an infidel. So, if this person is in fact a liar, a slanderer, a disbeliever, and an irreligious person, and this inspiration of his is not from You, but it is his own slander. Do this kidness on this ummah by taking the life of this liar within a year so that there can be peace from this fitnah.

[Anjam-e-Atham, pg 66]

He lists 58 Ulema of Islam and 52 Ulema of the Sufi Spiritual Orders (Gaddi Nasheen). Sanaullah is the 11th on the list.

میں یہ شرط کرتا ہوں کہ میری دعا کا اثر اس صورت میں سمجھا جائے کہ جب تمام وہ لوگ جو مباہلہ کے میدان میں بالمقابل آویں ایک سال تک ان بلاؤں میں سے کسی بلا میں مبتلا ہو جائیں اگر ایک بھی باقی رہا میں اپنے تئیں کاذب سمجھوں گا اگرچہ وہ ہزار ہوں یا دو ہزار اور پھر ان ہاتھ پر تو بہ کروں گا

It is my condition that the result of my prayers can only be considered when all these people come forward for the challenge of Mubahalah and they get afflicted with the punishments [from the ones I listed].

Even if 1 is saved, I will consider myself a liar, even though they are a 1000 or 2000. Then I will repent on their hands.

[Anjam-e-Atham, pg 67]

Some people might claim that the divine punishment of 1 or 2 isn’t decisive enough as it might be a coincidence that they are going through a trial by Allah. So he cleared it up and claimed that from these 100, at least 10 should come forward so that no uncertainty can be left.

میرے مباہلہ میں یہ شرط ہے کہ اشخاص مندرجہ ذیل میں سے کم از کم دس آدمی حاضر ہوں اس سے کم نہ ہوں اور جس قدر ہوں میری خوشی اور مراد ہے۔ کیونکہ بہتوں پر عذاب الہی کا محیط ہو جانا ایک ایسا کھلا کھلا نشان ہے جو کسی پر مشتبہ نہیں رہ سکتا

It is a condition in my Mubahalah that in the listed individuals, atleast 10 men must come forward. It should NOT be less than that. If it is more than that then it will be pleasure and wish. Because the punishment of God on many is such a manifest sign that there is no suspicion left.

[Ibid]

Not even 10 from this list of 100+ people came forward. Neither did Sanaullah.

1902 – Sanaullah challenges Ahmad (AS)

Years later, after pressure from others, Sanaullah comes forward and challenges Ahmad (AS) for a Mubahalah . This was accepted by Promised Messiah (AS) and also published in his book.

I have heard, rather, I have seen, the document signed by Maulawi Sanaullah of Amritsar in which he has stated that he wishes sincerely to see the matter decided in such a manner whereby both parties, i.e. he and I, should pray to God that out of the two of us, the one who is a liar shall die in the lifetime of the one who is truthful. He has also expressed his desire to write a book comparable to I‘jazul-Masih in terms of eloquence and fluency and fulfilling the same objectives. Therefore, nothing can be better, if Maulawi Sanaullah has expressed this desire sincerely and not as a show of hypocrisy. Hence, by becoming the valiant soldier who decides between truth and falsehood in both these ways, he will be doing a great service to this ummah in this age of discord. He has indeed put forward an excellent proposal. But it will be productive only if he remains committed to it.

[Ijaz-e-Ahmadi, pg 24]

1902 – Runs away for the 2nd time

Sanaullah became terrified and replied:

چونکہ یہ خاکسار ند واقع میں اور نہ آپ کی طرح نبی یا رسول ، ابن اللہ یا الہامی ہے اس لیے ایسے مقابلہ کی جرات نہیں کر سکتا ۔ ۔۔۔۔۔۔ میں افسوس کرتا ہوں کہ مجھے ان باتوں پر جرات

I neither am nor do I claim like you that I am a prophet, or a messenger, or a son of God, or a recipient of revelation. I cannot therefore, dare enter into such a contest. Your purpose is that if I should die before you, you will proclaim that as a proof of your righteousness and if you pass on before me; a good riddance, then who will go to your grave and hold you to account? That is why you put forward such a stupid proposal. I regret however, that I dare not enter into such a controversy and this lack of courage is a source of honour and not humilation for me.

[Ilhamat E Mirza, pg 85]

This is just an excerpt from the extremely long section of his book where he continues to explain how he does not want to enter into the Mubahalah against the Promised Messiah (AS). This is after he himself sent the challenge. A bit embarrassing if you think about it.

June 22nd, 1906 – Sanaullah sends another challenge

Anyways, over the next few years, Jama’at-e-Ahmadiyya continued to grow exponentially due to the outbreak of the Plague. Sanaullahbecame restless and others began to pressurize him again. He gave in to those people and published another Mubahalah challenge in the newspaper where he was an editor:

البته آیتِ ثانیه فَقُلْ تَعَالَمُ امَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَ ابْنَاءَ كُمُ ثم نَبْتَهِلْ… سورة آل عمران : (۶۲) پر عمل کرنے کے لئے تہ تیار ہیں۔ میں اب بھی ایسے مباہلہ کے لئے تیار ہوں جو آیت بر قوعہ سے ثابت ہوتا ہے جسے مرزا صاحب نے خود تسلیم کیا ہے؟

I am ready to act upon this [Quran 3:61]. I am ready for the same Mubahalah which is proven from this verse and as accepted by Mirza sahib himself.

[Ahl-e-Hadith, 22 June 1906, pg 4]

The verse he quotes is the verse that describes what a Mubahila is. Non-Ahmadi and Ahmadi Muslims both agree on this.

February 28th, 1907 – Ahmad (AS) accepts

Early this year¹We know it is 28th Feb since the Promised Messiah (AS) mentions it on pg 578 of the book: “Today on the morning of Thursday, 28 February 1907 I received this revelation“, Promised Messiah (AS) was already writing his book Haqiqatul Wahi where he expressed his desire that Sanaullah sends this challenge to him since he claimed to be ready. But he wanted the book to be finished so he can have him read it before he accepts.

Even then, if Maulawi Thana’ullah, who nowadays exceeds the other clerics in deriding, ridiculing, and abusing me, does not stop this foul behaviour, I would happily accept an offer to enter into a mubahalah with him.

[Haqiqatul Wahi, pg 576]

Note, Promised Messiah (AS) on the same page also invites him to come to Qadian for the Mubahalah, and that he would be paid all the expenses for it. He even provides him a personal guarantee of his safety in Qadian, which Sanaullah could not provide to the Promised Messiah (AS) in Amritsar as he was attacked by a mob last time. How easy can it get for Sanaullah? One would think he would accept. Let’s see…

March 29th, 1907 – Sanaullah challenges again

Turns out that while Haqiqatul Wahi was being written, Sanaullah sends out an invitation of Mubahalah. He writes:

مرزائیو! بچے ہو تو آؤ اور اپنے گرو کو ساتھ لاؤ انہیں ہمارے سامنے لاؤ… جس نے ہمیں رسالہ انجام آتھم میں دعوت مباہلہ دی ہوئی ہے۔

O Mirzais! Bring him who has challenged us to a prayer duel (Mubahila) in his book Anjam Atham and confront him with me, for so long as there is no final decision with the prophet, nothing can bind all his followers.

[Ahl-e-Hadith, 29 March 1907, pg 10]

Pretty promising right? Not really! He runs again as you can see below.

April 4th, 1907 – Ahmad (AS) accepts

As soon as Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS) read this announcement of Sanaullah, he directed the Editor of Al-Badr to announce:

میں مولوی ثناء اللہ صاحب کو بشارت دیتا ہوں کہ حضرت مرزا صاحب نے ان کے اس چیلنج کو منظور کر لیا ہے۔ وہ بے شک قسم کھا کر بیان کریں کہ یہ شخص اپنے دعوئی میں جھوٹا ہے۔ اور بے شک یہ بات کہیں کہ اگر میں اس بات میں جھوٹا ہوں تو لَعْنَتُ اللهِ عَلَى الْكَذِبین ۔ اور اس کے علاوہ ان کو اختیار ہے کہ اپنے جھوٹے ہونے کی صورت میں ہلاکت وغیرہ کے جو عذاب اپنے لئے چاہیں خدا سے مانگیں. اگر آپ اس بات پر ہی راضی ہیں کہ بالمقابل کھڑے ہو کر زبانی مباہلہ ہو تو پھر آپ قادیان آسکتے ہیں اور اپنے ہمراہ دس تک آدمی لاسکتے ہیں اور ہم آپ کا زاد راہ آپ کے یہاں آنے اور مباہلہ کرنے کے بعد پچاس روپیہ تک دے سکتے ہیں۔ لیکن یہ امر ہر حالت میں ضروری ہوگا ۔ کہ مباہلہ ہونے سے پہلے فریقین میں شرائط تحریر ہو جاویں گے اور الفاظ مباہلہ تحریر ہو کر اس تحریر پر فریقین اور ان کے ساتھ گواہوں کے دستخط ہو جاویں گئے۔

In reply to his challenge, wish to convey to Maulvi Sanaullah Sahib, the good news that Hazrat Mirza Sahib has accepted his challenge. He must take an oath and say that this person [Mirza Ghulam Ahmad] is lying about his claims. And he must openly state that if he is lying then لَعْنَتُ اللهِ عَلَى الْكَذِبین. And other than this, he has freedom to pray for any punishment like death for himself.

If he is ready to do this in person, then he can come to Qadian and bring with him upto 10 people. We will give you 50 rupees after the Mubahila for the travel expenses. But it is necessary that before the Mubahila, both sides agree on written conditions and it is signed by the both sides and their witnesses.

[Badr, 4 April 1907, pg 4]

April 12th, 1907 – Sanaullah runs for the 3rd time

The moment Sanaullah reads the condition of saying لَعْنَتُ اللهِ عَلَى الْكَذِبین (May the curse of Allah be on the liars), he ran away for the 3rd time. Instead, he claimed that he will take an oath that one takes in the courts, but won’t say the above dua. He knew that the moment he says the dua, the Mubahila starts. He was ready to lie on a normal oath but knew the consequences of doing it in a Mubahila.

میں نے آپ کو مباہلہ کے لئے نہیں بلایا۔ میں نے تو قسم کھانے پر آمادگی کی ہے ۔ مگر آپ اس کو مباہلہ کہتے ہیں۔ حالانکہ مباہلہ اس کو کہتے ہیں کہ فریقین مقابلہ پر قسمیں کھا ئیں ۔ میں نے حلف اُٹھانا کہا ہے مباہلہ نہیں کہا قسم اور ہے ۔ اور مباہلہ اور

I have not challenged you to a mubahilah. I have only declared my willingness to take an oath but you call it a mubahilah, whereas a mubahila involves the parties taking an oath in a contest against each other. I have declared my readiness to take an oath and have not issued a challenge to a mubahilah. Taking a unilateral oath is one thing and mubahilah is quite another.

It is not that I am afraid of doing a Mubahila against you, God forbid, when I consider you mufsid and dajjal. Not recently but since years. So why would I be afraid to do Mubahila?

[Ahl-e-Hadith, 19 April 1907, pg 10]
Note: This paper was published on the 12th so that Sanaullah could reply to the Promised Messiah (AS). Check main page.

Is this the hero Anti-Ahmadis have? Someone who can’t stick to his own words that are published for everyone to see? How embarrassing can it get? If Sanaullah actually believed that the Promised Messiah (AS) was a false prophet, then the challenge was very easy. Alas! He was afraid.

But this is not it. In the same article, he calls his challenge a Mubahila and not a challenge to take an oath:

بے شک الفاظ مباہلہ مقرر ہو چکے ہیں جن پر ہم نے تمہارے ہی منقولہ مضمون میں خط دیدیا ہے جن کو تم نے بھی منظور کر لیا ہے

Indeed, the words of Mubahila have been established in which I have sent you an invitation which even you have accepted.

[Ibid]

Why is Sanaullah switching his argument within the same article? He denies sending a Mubahila challenge and then says the complete opposite. Isn’t it a complete fraud and hypocrisy?

April 15th, 1907 – Final announcement

The above reply was published on the 12th so the Promised Messiah (AS) must have received it on the 13th or the 14th. When he saw Sanaullah run for the 3rd time, it must have been frustrating since it not only wasted a lot of his time but also hindered a sign of Allah that would have been shown on his acceptance of Mubahila.

Since he knew that Sanaullah was afraid, Ahmad (AS) wrote a final Mubahila announcement to Sanuallah with the title of “Akhri Faisla”. The purpose was to leave the matter up to Allah and establish a final hujjat on him. In this, he prayed to Allah to decide the matter by killing the liar within the life of the truthful. Another purpose was so that his running away from the Mubahila is clear for everyone to see.

At the end of the announcement, he also wrote:

بالآخر مولوی صاحب سے التماس ہے کہ وہ میرے اس تمام مضمون کو اپنے پر چہ میں چھاپ دیں اور جو چاہیں اسکے نیچے لکھ دیں۔ اب فیصلہ خدا کے ہاتھ میں ہے۔

“In the end, we request Maulvi Sahib to publish this statement in his newspaper and write whatever he so wishes below it. Now the verdict is in Allah’s hand

[Majmua-e-Ishtaharat, vol. 3, pg 446-448]

April 26th, 1907 – Sanaullah runs for the 4th time

The above announcement reached Sanaullah and he immediately announces that he does not accept the challenge. He even understands it to be the continuation of the same Mubahila announcement that was published before.

کرشن جی نے خاکسار کو مباہلہ کے لیے بلایا جس کا جواب اہلحدیث وار اپریل شاہ میں مفصل دیا گیا جس کا خلاصہ یہ تھا کہ میں حسب اقرار خود تمہارے کذب پر حلف اٹھانے کو تیار ہوں بشر طیکہ تم یہ بتا دو کہ اس حلف کا نتیجہ کیا ہو گا

Krishan gee has called this humble self for a Mubahila whose detailed answer is given in Ahl-e-Hadith, 19th April 1907. The summary of it is that I am ready to take an oath on you being a liar only if you tell me what will be the outcome of this oath.

[Ahl-e-Hadith, 26 April 1907, pg 3]
Note: Krishan gee is used as a term to disrespect Ahmad (AS).

As seen from this, Sanaullah is only ready to take an oath that one takes every day where it is easier to get away with a lie. But he wasn’t ready to do the same oath with the dua of لَعْنَتُ اللهِ عَلَى الْكَذِبین (May the curse of Allah be on the liars). He immediately exclaims:

My permission was not taken regarding this prayer, and it was published without my permission.

This is not acceptable to me, nor would any sensible person agree to such a challenge.

[Ahl-e-Hadith, 26 April 1907, pg 5]

He is so scared that he also claims:

My contest is with you. If I were to die, then how would that be a proof for the public? According to you Maulvi Ghulam Dastagir Qasoori (Deceased) , Maulvi Isma’eel Alighari(Deceased), and Dr. Dowie the Amreican died in this way. So have people accepted you as true? Good, if this happens again what will be the effect?

[Ibid]

Not only did he run, but he also made an excuse to prove that false prophets are granted long life. This was to prove that in case he dies, Promised Messiah (AS) is a false prophet.

خدا تعالیٰ جھوٹے ، دغا باز ، مفسد اور نافرمان لوگوں کو لمبی عمریں دیا کرتا ہے۔ تا کہ وہ اس مہات میں اور بھی برے کام کر لیں۔ پھر تم کیسےمن گھڑت اصول بتلاتے ہو کہ ایسے لوگوں کو بہت عمر نہیں ملتی۔

God Almighty grants respite and bestows long life on liars, deceivers, disturbers of peace and the disobedient ones, so that during that period of respite they should add to their evil deeds.

[Ahl-e-Hadith, 26 April 1907]

To prove his above statement, he compares Ahmad (AS) with Musaylimah and himself with the Prophet Muhammad (SAW):

The Holy Prophet, in spite of being a true prophet, died before Musaylima Kazzab.

[Muraqqa Qadiani, April 1907]

Summary

The purpose of the above section was to detail a timeline of what happened between the Promised Messiah (AS) and Sanaullah. This proves:

• Promised Messiah (AS) calls 100+ ulema for a Mubahila. All refuse.
• Sanaullah ran away from the challenge of Promised Messiah (AS) 4 times!
• Not only did he run, but he also gave excuses that even if he died, it still proves his own truthfulness.
• By the same year, Promised Messiah (AS) has published countless revelations about his near.
• These revelations were mentioned by Sanaullah to hint at his near death.²See Muraqqa Qadiani, August 1907, pg 5
• He (AS) is almost double the age of Sanaullah. (39 vs 74)

Thus, the challenge was not only extremely simple but Sanaullah had all the advantages and more reasons to accept it. He was half the age, and claimed to be a follower of the Khataman Nabiyyin (SAW) but could not take a simple oath with the Mubahila prayer to end the “fitnah” of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS).

He could have at least sacrificed his life for the sake of other Muslims by doing the Mubahila. Because as per him, even if he died, it would not have been binding on anyone to accept the Promised Messiah (AS). So why not just attempt it? There was a 50% chance of him ending the “fitnah” of Ahmadiyyat forever!

Resources

Some Urdu refutations

• Book
  • Ishtehar Maulvi Sanaullah Amritsari sahib ke sath Aakhri Faisla per Tehqeeqi Muqalma (Recommended)
• Articles
  • Ahmadiyya Pocketbook, pg 479
  • Ahmadiyya Taleemi Pocketbook, pg 484
  • AskAhmadiyyat.org Article
  • Maulvi Sanaullah Ke sath Akhri Faisla

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