Some anti-Ahmadis claim that the Promised Messiah (AS) did not believe Khilafat will be established after him or that he was clueless about it, or that he did not hint at all about it. They also claim that we Ahmadi Muslims are following innovations and contradicting the command of the Promised Messiah (AS) by having a Khalifa.

Refutation

This allegation just showcases the ignorance of the person that raises it. In the book, The Will, Promised Messiah (AS) clearly calls Khilafat a second Manifestation of the Power of Allah. He cannot be more clear than that. To be precise, he even mentioned the Khilafat of Abu Bakr (RA).

Thus He manifests two kinds of Power. (1) First He shows the Hand of His Power at the hands of His Prophets as themselves. (2) Second, when with the death of a Prophet as, difficulties and problems arise and the enemy feels stronger and thinks that things are in disarray and is convinced that now this Jama‘at will become extinct and even members of the Jama‘at, too, are in a quandary and their backs are broken, and some of the unfortunate ones choose paths that lead to apostasy, then it is that God for the second time shows His Mighty Power and supports and takes care of the shaken Jama‘at. Thus one who remains steadfast till the end witnesses this miracle of God.

This is what happened at the time of Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddiq ra, when the demise of the Holy Prophet sa was considered untimely and many an ignorant Bedouin turned apostate. The companions ra of the Holy Prophetsa, too, stricken with grief, became like those who lose their senses. Then Allah raised Abu Bakr Siddiqra and showed for the second time the manifestation of His Power and saved Islam*, just when it was about to fall, and fulfilled the promise which was spelled out in the verse:

وَلَیُمَکِّنَنَّ لَہُمۡ دِیۡنَہُمُ الَّذِی ارۡتَضٰی لَہُمۡ وَلَیُبَدِّلَنَّہُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ خَوۡفِہِمۡ اَمۡنًا

“And that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them; and that He will surely give them in exchange security and peace after their fear” 24:56

[The Will, pg 5-6]

Moreover, he quotes the famous Ayat-e-Istikhlaf to prove that the Khilafat of Abu Bakr RA is the fulfillment of the promise of Allah in Quran 24:56. Therefore, just as it was a proof of the Khilafat-e-Rashida, it will be a proof of Khilafat-e-Masih-e-Maud (Khilafat after the Promised Messiah).

Anti-Ahmadis allege that because four out of the five khulafa are related to the Promised Messiah and Khalifatul Masih !! then because of that, they claim that Khilafat is a Gaddi Nasheen which refers to how certain Sufi Orders have their leaders be continuously in the same family

The Khulafa-Rashideen were all of the Quraysh

Abu Bakr (RA), Umar(RA), Uthman(RA), and Ali(RA) were all from the tribe of the Quraysh and all either were related to Muhammad SAW or were matrimonially linked. So a Non-Ahmadi Muslim making this allegation fire back on them

The First Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Movement was not from the Family of Promised Messiah(AS)

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Awwal(RA) was not from the family of the Promised Messiah(AS), who was a Mirza. Maulvi Noor-ud-deen(RA) was an Awan from his mother side, and from his father side he was a direct descendant of Hazrat Umar al Farooq(RA)

Hazrat Maulana Nur-ud-Din RA sttates:

:“Even though there exist not one but four sons of Hazrat Mirza Sahib and a grandson, there exists Mirza Sahib’s son-in-law who combines the names Muhammad and Ali [Nawab Muhammad Ali of Malerkotla] and is able and worthy, and there exists Mirza Sahib’s father-in-law who is like a father, yet the entire community took the pledge at the hand of an outsider.”

(The Review of Religions, Urdu edition, June-July 1908, p. 260.)

Hazrat Musleh Maud RA’s goal was not to make a gaddi Nasheen

Anti-Ahmadis lie and act as if Hazrat Musleh Maud(RA( goal was to establish a family khilafat. when in fact he denied the intention of giving khilafat to his son and the first quote shows this.

In December 1914, at the first annual Jalsa of the Qadiani Jama‛at since he became khalifa, Hadhrat Mirza Bashirudeen Mahmud Ahmad RA delivered a speech entitled Barakat-i Khilafat. In it, under the subheading: “Has the khilafat become an inherited seat?”, he declares:

“As to the foolish one who says that a hereditary seat has been established, I swear to him: I do not even consider it allowable that the son should succeed the father as khalifa. Of course, if God makes him His appointed one, then that is a different matter. But like Hazrat Umar, I also believe that the son should not be khalifa after the father.”

Anwar-ul-‛Ulum, v. 2, book number 7, p. 171.

Now some ignorants use the above quote and the following to say “look Mirza Nasir Ahmad RH and Mirza Tahir Ahmad RH ended up being the khulafa after all” but Musleh Maud(RA) states “Of course, if God makes him His appointed one, then that is a different matter.”. The Majlis e Shura (the conduit through which Allah chooses) was not obligated to choose Hadhrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad RH or Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad RH due to a rule or an inheritance but they chose them due to their best judgment as the man who would be most capable to lead the jamaat at that time.

In his book Ahmadiyyat or The True Islam, first published in 1924, Mirza Mahmud Ahmad stated near the beginning

“It is not necessary that the head of the Community should be, in any way, related to the holy founder of the Movement, as, for instance, his first successor was not related to him either by blood or by marriage, nor, on the other hand, is it necessary, that the Head of the Community should not be related to the holy founder of the Movement, as, for instance, I have the honour to be his son.

Ahmadiyyat or the True Islam, ch. ‘History of the Movement’, p. 6. The Urdu version of this book is in Anwar-ul-‛Ulum, v. 8, book number 5; see p. 115.

At the 1956 annual gathering of his Jama‛at, Hazrat Mirza Bashirudeen Mahmud Ahmad RA made a speech under the title Khilafat Haqqah Islamiyya (‘The True Islamic Khilafat’). In it he said about some of his critics:

“These people say that I want to make my sons khalifa. At present the spiritual descendants of the Promised Messiah are one million, while of his physical descendants there are only three persons alive, and if a son-in-law is included they become four. For such a large group I am saying that any one of them can be khalifa. … I consider the four physical descendants of the Promised Messiah and his spiritual descendants who now number one million to have the right to khilafat. The man who says that you may chose as khalifa anyone from among these believers in the khilafat, to allege about him that he wants to make a son of his as khalifa is a most foolish claim.”

Anwar-ul-‛Ulum, v. 26, p. 34–35

Khalifatul Maseeh V ABA: It is actions, not lineage

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^aa, speaking on the martyrdom of Syed Taalay Ahmed Shaheed, said in his Friday Sermon of 3 September 2021:

“The honour of the family [of the Promised Messiah^as] or being physically related to them does not give a person status. If anyone respects them […] it is due to them being servants of the faith and giving precedence to their religion over worldly matters.

“To be the son or daughter of a revered person is not a source of pride if your actions do not make you worthy of that honour.

“[Taalay] was a diamond that has now departed from us. May Allah the Almighty continue to grant the Jamaat such people who are loyal, have a sincere and dedicated relationship with Khilafat, and give precedence to their faith over worldly matters.”

Coronavirus

Human nature

Khalifa IV (RH)

Khalifa V (RH)

Introduction

The meaning of infallible is a person who is unable to make mistakes. The belief of Infallible Imams is that of the Shia, as per the ahadith of Ahlus Sunnah, even Prophets are not infallible however they are masoom(incapable of sin). The belief of the Khulafa about themselves has been that they are not infallible.

Hazrat Musleh Maud(RA) explains that Khulafa are not Infallible

Reference # 1

A question was asked to Hazrat Musleh Maud(RA) whether can a person disagree with a Khalifa on a Fiqhi Issue. Musleh Maud(RA) responded:

مسائل فقہ میں خلیفہ سے اختلاف ہوسکتا ہے

سوال: کیا ایک شخص مسائل میں اختلاف رکھ کر خلیفہ سے بیعت کر سکتا ہے؟

جواب: مسائل فقہیہ میں سوائے نبی کے ہر ایک شخص سے اختلاف ہو سکتا

ہے۔ حضرت ابوبکرؓ، حضرت عمر، حضرت عثمان ، حضرت علی سب سے اپنے اپنے صحابہ بعض باتوں میں اختلاف رکھتے تھے۔ ہمیں کئی مسائل میں حضرت خلیفہ اول سے اختلاف تھا مثلا حضرت خلیفہ اول کا یہ اعتقاد تھا کہ نبی قتل نہیں ہوسکتا مگر ہمارا یہ اعتقاد ہے کہ نبی قتل ہوسکتا ہے اور خود حضرت مسیح موعود علیہ السلام نے بھی لکھا ہے کہ حضرت بھی قتل کئے گئے۔ گو یہ بات کہی جاتی ہے کہ وہ الزامی طور پر لکھا ہے مگر یہاں الزام کی کوئی بات نہیں۔ پس اصولی بات میں اختلاف نہیں ہوسکتا۔ یہ نبی ہی ہوتا ہے جو کہتا ہے یہ بات یوں ہے پھر خواہ وہ سمجھ میں نہ آئے مانی پڑتی

ہے۔

الفضل ۵ فروری ۱۹۲۴ء جلدا انمبر ۶۱)

There can be a difference of opinion in Fiqhi Masial with the Khalifa

Question: Can one person in Masial have a difference in an opinion from a Khalifa he has done Bayah to?

Response by Musleh Maud: In Masial Fiqhiyah, except for a Prophet, you can have a difference of opinion with every person. Hazrat Abu Bakr(RA), Hazrat Umar(RA), Hazrat Usman(RA), Hazrat Ali(RA) with all of them their own sahaba had iktilaaf(difference of opinion) with some topics. I myself in many masial have differences with Hazrat Khalifa Awwal(RA), for example Hazrat Khalifa Awwal(RA) had the belief that Prophets can not be killed however my belief is that Prophets can be killed and Hazrat Masih Maud(AS) himself wrote that Yahya(AS) was killed. Some people say that Masih Maud(AS) said this in an Ilzaami Jawaab fashion however here there is no talk of ilzaam. Thus, in usooli topics there can not be a difference of opinion. It is only a prophet who says that this thing is like this and then even if you don’t understand you have to follow it.

[Fatawa Musleh Maud Hisa Awwal page 12-13]

The Example of Yahya(AS) being killed or not is an example of such Furui iktilaaf. Hazrat Maulvi Noor-ud-Deen(RA) and Khalifa Rabay(RH) believed that Prophets can not be killed, while Hazrat Musleh Maud(RA) and Hazrat Maseeh Maud(RA).believed that Yahya(RA) was killed. While both opinions are valid and grounded in Quranic principles, an Ahmadi Muslim would follow the Khalifa of the time. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad(ABA) has stated that his belief is same as Hazrat Maseeh Maud(AS) and Hazrat Musleh Maud(RA)

Death of Hazrat Yahya^as and Hazrat Zachariah^as

Someone wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih V^aa and asked, “Were Hazrat Yahya^as and Hazrat Zachariah^as murdered, or does ‘murder’ denote the destruction of their message?” 

Huzoor^aa, in a letter dated 11 August 2020, gave the following guidance:

“Just as there is a difference of opinion found in the books of history and sirah and among the views of the classical scholars regarding the murder of Hazrat Yahya and Hazrat Zachariah, peace be upon them, so is there also a difference of opinion in the Jamaat on this among the Khulafa-e-Ahmadiyyat in light of their reasoning from the verses of the Holy Quran and their interpretation of ahadith. 

“My view in this regard concurs with the opinion of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra. In light of the Holy Quran, the ahadith of the Holy Prophet^sa and the guidance given by the Promised Messiah^as, I hold the position that the first and last prophet of any dispensation or a prophet about whom Allah has promised that He would safeguard him from the reach of the people, cannot be killed. Apart from them, being killed is not a bad thing per se for the rest of the prophets and it does not tarnish the honour of a prophet because being killed is also one way of being martyred. However, being killed in a state of failure does not behove prophets. Hence, when a prophet has completed his work, then there is nothing wrong with him dying naturally or being martyred by someone else because no one is astounded at someone’s death in a state of success and neither does the enemy rejoice in such a death. 

“Thus, Hazrat Yahya^as and Hazrat Zachariah^as were not the first or the last prophets of any dispensation, nor is there any promise of God Almighty mentioned somewhere about them that He would certainly safeguard them from the hands of the enemy. Moreover, we believe that when these prophets were martyred, they certainly must have fulfilled their responsibilities which, Allah had entrusted to them, in the best possible manner.”

[AlHakam 31st December 2021 Answers to Everyday Issues – Part XXVI: Usul al-fiqh, praying for non-Muslims, Eid al-Adha, death of Hazrat Yahya & Hazrat Zachariah, and nikah & talaq]

Reference # 2 and #3

Hazrat Musleh Maud(RA) states:

There is no one on earth who does not make mistakes. Hazrat Muhammad(saw) says I am a human and sometimes I can make a wrong decision. Then who can be greater than Muhammad (saw)? Only Allah does not make mistakes.

[Taluq Billah Time stamp 27:08 – Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Sani(ra)]

Hazrat Musleh Maud(RA) said this because: Muhammad (SAW) said that he can err on non-revelation matters

 قَالَ مَرَرْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِقَوْمٍ عَلَى رُءُوسِ النَّخْلِ فَقَالَ ‏”‏ مَا يَصْنَعُ هَؤُلاَءِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالُوا يُلَقِّحُونَهُ يَجْعَلُونَ الذَّكَرَ فِي الأُنْثَى فَيَلْقَحُ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ مَا أَظُنُّ يُغْنِي ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَأُخْبِرُوا بِذَلِكَ فَتَرَكُوهُ فَأُخْبِرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِذَلِكَ فَقَالَ ‏”‏ إِنْ كَانَ يَنْفَعُهُمْ ذَلِكَ فَلْيَصْنَعُوهُ فَإِنِّي إِنَّمَا ظَنَنْتُ ظَنًّا فَلاَ تُؤَاخِذُونِي بِالظَّنِّ وَلَكِنْ إِذَا حَدَّثْتُكُمْ عَنِ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا فَخُذُوا بِهِ فَإِنِّي لَنْ أَكْذِبَ عَلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

I and Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) happened to pass by people near the date-palm trees. He (the Holy Prophet) said: What are these people doing? They said: They are grafting, i. e. they combine the male with the female (tree) and thus they yield more fruit. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: I do not find it to be of any use. The people were informed about it and they abandoned this practice. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) (was later) on informed (that the yield had dwindled), whereupon he said: If there is any use of it, then they should do it, for it was just a personal opinion of mine, and do not go after my personal opinion; but when I say to you anything on behalf of Allah, then do accept it, for I do not attribute lie to Allah, the Exalted and Glorious.

[Sahih Muslim 2361]

When Prophets (AS) can make mistakes on things that haven’t told to them by direct revelation (remember prophets can sometimes misinterpret revelations such as the dream of doing Hajj in Makkah but led to the Treaty of Hudabiyah), then Khulafa who are of a lesser rank than Prophets can make mistakes on things that haven’t be told to them by direct revelation.

Promised Messiah (AS) explains the importance of obeying the Khalifa

We conclude the article by reflecting on the words of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS), the Divinely appointed Hakam and ‘Adl of this age, who beautifully explains the true essence of obedience to Khilafat:

“Obedience to a divinely appointed person [ma’mur] should be such that if an order is given, regardless of the allurements or temptations the enemy may offer, or whatever humility, self-abasement, or flattery they may employ, preference should never be given to these things over his command, and one should never turn their attention to them. […] You will not find a single incident in the lives of the Companions of the Holy Prophet^sa where, even once a hint was given by him, they would pay heed to anything else other than that indication or hint, even if the most powerful person was exerting pressure on them. Complete obedience leads to complete guidance. The members of our Community should listen well and seek strength from God, [praying] that they may not indulge in [rebellious] behaviour.“

_{[Malfuzat, Vol. 5, 2016, p. 100]}

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