Raziullah Noman, Canada
When we study the Quran, ahadith and Sunni literature, it becomes evident that the Latter-Day Messiah and Imam Mahdi would be opposed and declared a disbeliever by the people of his time – especially the religious class. The pious saints have also made such clear prophecies regarding this.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah has written:
لیكن ضرور تھا كہ قرآن شریف اور احادیث كى وہ پیشگوئیاں پورى ہوتیں جن میں لكھا تھا كہ مسیح موعود جب ظاہر ہوگا تو اسلامى علماء كے ہاتھ سے دُكھ اُٹھائے گا وہ اُس كو كافر قرار دیں گے اور اُس كے قتل كے لئے فتوے دیئے جائیں گے اور اس كى سخت توہین كى جائے گى اور اس كو دائرہ اسلام سے خارج اور دیں كا تباہ كرنے والا خیال كیا جائے گا۔ سو ان دنوں میں وہ پیشگوئى انہى مولویوں نے اپنے ہاتھوں سے پورى كى
“But it was essential that those prophecies of the Holy Quran and ahadith be fulfilled, in which it was written that when the Promised Messiah would appear, he would face grief at the hands of the Muslim scholars. They would declare him to be a disbeliever and issue verdicts for his assassination and he would be severely disrespected and would be taken outside the pale of Islam and deemed to be the one who destroyed religion. So, in these days, these prophecies are fulfilled at the hands of these very maulvis [Muslim clerics]” (Tohfa-e-Golarhviyya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 17, p. 53)
The Muslim scholars agree that the Latter-Day Messiah would be a prophet of Allah since this is clearly mentioned in the ahadith. The famous scholar of the Ahl-ul-Sunnah, Hazrat Imam al-Suyutirh writes:
فإن تخيل في نفسه أن عيسى قد ذهب وصف النبوة عنه و انسلخ منه فهذا قول يقارب الكفر لأن النبي لا يذهب عنه وصف النبوة أبدا و لا بعد موته
“If one thinks to himself that Isaas [Jesus] would lose his prophethood and it would be stripped from him, then such a statement is that which is near to disbelief because the station of Prophethood is never taken away, not even after his death.” (Al Hawi lil-Fatawi, Vol. 2, p. 156)
Important note: Understanding meanings from texts
According to Muslim scholars, there are different ways to present arguments and the argument presented is not always mentioned word-for-word in the text. This is also seen in the ahadith. It is narrated:
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، قَالَ لَعَنَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ الْوَاشِمَاتِ، وَالْمُتَنَمِّصَاتِ، وَالْمُتَفَلِّجَاتِ لِلْحُسْنِ، الْمُغَيِّرَاتِ خَلْقَ اللّٰهِ. فَقَالَتْ أُمُّ يَعْقُوبَ مَا هَذَا قَالَ عَبْدُ اللّٰهِ وَمَا لِيَ لاَ أَلْعَنُ مَنْ لَعَنَ رَسُولُ اللّٰهِ، وَفِي كِتَابِ اللّٰهِ قَالَتْ وَاللّٰهِ لَقَدْ قَرَأْتُ مَا بَيْنَ اللَّوْحَيْنِ فَمَا وَجَدْتُهُ قَالَ وَاللّٰهِ لَئِنْ قَرَأْتِيهِ لَقَدْ وَجَدْتِيهِ {وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا}.
Narrated by Alqama: “Abdullah cursed those women who practised tattooing and those who removed hair from their faces and those who created spaces between their teeth artificially to look beautiful, such ladies as changed what Allah has created. Um Yaqub said, ‘What is that?’ Abdullah said, ‘Why should I not curse those who were cursed by Allah’s Messengersa and are referred to in Allah’s Book?’ She said to him, ‘By Allah, I have read the whole Quran but I have not found such a thing. Abdullah said, ‘By Allah if you had read it (carefully) you would have found it. [that Allah says:] ‘And what the Apostle gives you take it and what he forbids you, abstain [from it].’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book on Dress)
Now every Muslim is aware that tattooing is not directly mentioned in the Quran. However, Hazrat Hazrat Abdullahra bin Mas‘ud still said that it is mentioned in the Quran and deduced it from a verse of the Quran. If the present-day clerics lived during his time, they would have probably called him a liar.
The statement of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas – that the Messiah would be opposed – is also hinting at the meaning of the verses of the Quran. He has never said that such words for the opposition of the Messiah are present word for word.
Verdict of Allah: All prophets are treated the same
مَا يُقَالُ لَكَ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ قِيلَ لِلرُّسُلِ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُوْ مَغْفِرَةٍ وَذُوْ عِقَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
“Nothing is said to thee but what was said to the Messengers before thee. Thy Lord is indeed the Master of forgiveness; and [also]the Master of painful chastisement.” (Surah Ha Mim al-Sajdah, Ch.41: V.44)
In the above verse, Allah makes it explicitly clear that every single [prophet is treated in the same way. They are rejected and persecuted.
The Quran: Prophets are opposed
Prophets are declared disbelievers and plans are made for their assassination. They are declared to be those who are enemies of the faith. Allah states:
يَا حَسْرَةً عَلَى الْعِبَادِ ۚ مَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ
“Alas for [My]servants! there comes not a Messenger to them but they mock at him. (Surah Ya Sin, Ch.36: V.30)
وَأَقْسَمُوا بِاللّٰهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ لَئِنْ جَاءَهُمْ نَذِيرٌ لَيَكُونُنَّ أَهْدَىٰ مِنْ إِحْدَى الْأُمَمِ ۖ فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ نَذِيرٌ مَا زَادَهُمْ إِلَّا نُفُورًا
اسْتِكْبَارًا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَكْرَ السَّيِّئِ ۚ وَلَا يَحِيقُ الْمَكْرُ السَّيِّئُ إِلَّا بِأَهْلِهِ ۚ فَهَلْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَّا سُنَّتَ الْأَوَّلِينَ ۚ فَلَنْ تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ اللّٰهِ تَبْدِيلًا ۖ وَلَنْ تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ اللَّهِ تَحْوِيلًا
“And they swore by Allah their strongest oaths, that if a Warner came to them, they would follow guidance better than any other people. But when a Warner did come to them, it only increased them in aversion, Out of arrogance in the earth and evil plotting. But the evil plot encompasses none but the authors thereof. Do they then look for anything but [God’s]way of [dealing with]the peoples of old? But thou wilt never find any change in the way of Allah; nor wilt thou ever find any alteration in the way of Allah.” (Surah Fatir, Ch.35: V.43-44)
According to the Holy Quran, the law of Allah will never change. If the Messiah was to come as a prophet, he had to be opposed:
وَلَنْ تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ اللّٰهِ تَحْوِيلًا
“Nor wilt thou ever find any alteration in the way of Allah.” (Surah Fatir, Ch.35: V.44)
Then Allah States:
وَكَذٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ عَدُوًّا مِنَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ هَادِيًا وَنَصِيرًا
“Thus did We make for every Prophet an enemy from among the sinners; and sufficient is thy Lord as a Guide and a Helper.” (Surah Furqan, Ch.25: V.32)
Allah continuously mentions that the great people of the towns become the opponents of the prophets:
وَكَذٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا فِي كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ أَكَابِرَ مُجْرِمِيهَا لِيَمْكُرُوا فِيهَا ۖ وَمَا يَمْكُرُونَ إِلَّا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ
“And thus have We made in every town the great ones from among its sinners [such as are in utter darkness]with the result that they plot therein; and they plot not except against their own souls; but they perceive not.” (Surah al-An‘am, Ch.6: V.124)
Prophets are labelled disbelievers
The Quran also makes it clear that the prophets are called disbelievers. It is mentioned that Pharaoh declared Prophet Mosesas to be a kafir. Pharaoh said:
وَفَعَلْتَ فَعْلَتَكَ الَّتِي فَعَلْتَ وَأَنْتَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ
“‘And thou didst do thy deed which thou didst, and thou art of the ungrateful.’” (Surah al-Shu‘ara, Ch.26: V.20)
Such occurs with all of the prophets. Allah states:
كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَالْأَحْزَابُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ ۖ وَهَمَّتْ كُلُّ أُمَّةٍ بِرَسُولِهِمْ لِيَأْخُذُوهُ ۖ وَجَادَلُوا بِالْبَاطِلِ لِيُدْحِضُوا بِهِ الْحَقَّ فَأَخَذْتُهُمْ ۖ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عِقَابِ
“The people of Noah and [other] groups after them denied [Our Signs] before these [people], and every nation strove to seize their Messenger, and disputed by means of false [arguments] that they might rebut the truth thereby. Then I seized them, and how[terrible]was My retribution!” (Surah al-Mu’min, Ch.40: V.6)
Opponents aim to kill the prophets
In the Holy Quran, Allah also says the opponents of the prophets plan to kill them. It is obvious that before such persecution, they first gave verdicts and planned the attacks. Whenever prophets came to Bani Israel, they rejected some and killed others. Allah states:
كُلَّمَا جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ بِمَا لَا تَهْوَىٰ أَنْفُسُهُمْ فَرِيقًا كَذَّبُوا وَفَرِيقًا يَقْتُلُونَ
“But every time there came to them a Messenger with what their hearts desired not, they treated some as liars, and some they sought to kill.” (Surah al-Ma’idah, Ch.5: V.71)
The people of Prophet Noahas were addressed with the words:
فَقَالَ الۡمَلَاُ الَّذِىۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا مِنۡ قَوۡمِہٖ مَا نَرٰكَ اِلَّا بَشَرًا مِّثۡلَنَا وَمَا نَرٰكَ اتَّبَعَكَ اِلَّا الَّذِىۡنَ ہُمۡ اَرَاذِلُنَا بَادِىَ الرَّاۡىِ
“The chiefs of his people, who disbelieved, replied, ‘We see in thee nothing but a man like ourselves, and we see that none have followed thee but those who, to all outward appearance, are the meanest of us.” (Surah Hud, Ch.11: V.28)
The people of Mosesas were addressed with such words as well. The opponents would say:
إِنَّ هٰؤُلَاءِ لَشِرْذِمَةٌ قَلِيْلُوْن
“These are a small party.” (Surah al-Shu‘ara, Ch.26: V.55)
Opponents allege the prophet is destroying their faith
Then the opponents say that the prophets are the ones who are destroying faith altogether. Allah states:
قَالُوا أَجِئْتَنَا لِتَلْفِتَنَا عَمَّا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا
“‘Hast thou come to us that thou mayest turn us away from what we found our fathers following.’” (Surah Yunus, Ch.10: V.79)
Verdict of Allah in the Quran: The Messiah would be persecuted
It is quite unfortunate that after all of these clear verses of the Holy Quran, some Muslims raise allegations against the statement of Hazrat Ahmadas regarding the persecution of the Latter-Day Messiah.
The Quran also states that the Muslims would become like the Jews and the Christians and would oppose the Messiah sent to them. Allah states:
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ
“The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed [Thy] blessings, those who have not incurred [Thy] displeasure, and those who have not gone astray.” (Surah al-Fatihah, Ch.1: V.7)
Prophet Muhammadsa gave a commentary on this verse:
الْيَهُودُ مَغْضُوبٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَالنَّصَارَى ضُلَّالٌ
“The Jews are those who incurred the displeasure of Allah, and the Christians are those who have gone astray.” (Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, Book of Tafsir, Chapter regarding surah al-Baqarah)
This supplication of Surah al-Fatihah is made in every single prayer so that we may not follow those among the Jews and Christians who rejected and persecuted their prophets and deviated from the right path. In the Quran, the prayers to be safeguarded from something are only made regarding that which Muslims would fall into. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas states:
“There has been no instance that God had warned a people against a certain transgression and the entire people meticulously abstained from that transgression. Some of them always commit the sin that is forbidden. Take, for example, the fact that Allah had commanded the Jews not to pervert the Torah. But they did become guilty of perversion of the Book. As opposed to this, Allah has nowhere in the Holy Quran forbidden the Muslims the perversion of their Holy Book. On the contrary, He gave His promise: ‘Verily, We have Ourselves sent down this Exhortation, and most surely We will be its Guardian’ (Ch.15: V.10). That is the reason why the Holy Quran has ever remained free from all types of interpolations and perversions.” (Narrative of Two Martyrdoms, www.alislam.org/book/narrative-two-martyrdoms/narrative-martyrdoms/)
While giving commentary on Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas wrote:
“Only two dangers have been mentioned. The one is internal viz. acting like the Jews and persecuting the Promised Messiahas, and the second external, viz. conversion to Christianity. You ought to know and remember well that in the opening chapter of the Holy Quran, the dangers against which Muslims have been taught to pray for protection are only two in number, viz. (1) to deem him an infidel who was to arise as the Messiahas in Islam – to bring him into contempt, to seek to cast aspersions upon his character, to pronounce the fatwa of death against him. These are the dangers referred to in the verse “Ghairil maghdubi alayhim”. (2) The second danger against which the Muslims have been taught to seek protection in the chapter, is the danger of Christianity and the fact that the chapter closes with the mention of this danger indicates that the danger of Christianity will be like a mighty flood and will surpass every other danger.” (Tufha-e-Golarhviyya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 17, p. 212-213. Translation from The Truth About the Split, pp. 49-50)
The Messiah of the Muslim ummah would face what the Messiah of Bani Israel endured
According to the Holy Quran, the Messiah of this ummah was to face exactly what the Messiah sent to Bani Israel faced. Allah states:
إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولًا شَاهِدًا عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُوْلًا
“Verily, We have sent to you a Messenger, who is a witness over you, even as We sent a Messenger to Pharaoh.” (Surah al-Muzzammil, Ch.73: V.16)
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas writes:
“Meaning that, We sent this Messenger like the one who was sent to Pharaoh. Likewise, it was necessary that at the end of this dispensation its Khatamul-Khulafa’ should be the like of Isa and appear fourteen centuries after ‘the like of Musa’, in the same way as Isa, who was the last Khalifa of the Mosaic dispensation, appeared fourteen centuries after Musa. And then there were the Jews of the Israelite dispensation who did not accept Isa, and so God promised in His Word that in this ummah too people of such ‘Jewish’ character would also be born in the Latter Days when the Promised Messiah would appear.
“Now, when it is obvious that the ‘like of Musa’ is not Musa himself, and the ‘Jewish-natured’ people of the Latter Days are not the actual Jews, so what then is the reason that the Isa who was to come is the very same who had passed away before? To think in this way is contrary to the Book of Allah, for God Almighty has decided in Surah al-Fatihah that some people of this ummah will walk in the footsteps of the Israelite Prophets, and some will walk in the footsteps of the Jews who did not accept Hadrat Isa, sought to crucify him, and were declared as مَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ [maghdubi alaihim – those who have incurred displeasure].” (Haqiqatul Wahi, pp. 398-399)
The Khulafa of this ummah and the Khulafa of Bani Israel
Regarding the Khulafa of this ummah, Allah states:
وَعَدَ اللّٰهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضَىٰ لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا ۚ يَعْبُدُونَنِي لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئًا ۚ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ فَأُولٰٓئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ
“Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will surely make them Successors in the earth, as He made Successors [from among] those who were before them; 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: They will worship Me, [and]they will not associate anything with Me. Then whoso is ungrateful after that, they will be the rebellious.” (Surah an-Nur, Ch.24: V.56)
The Arabic word كَمَا – “as” – show that both of the Messiahs would face similar opposition. In this verse, Allah uses the words وَمَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ – “Then whoso is ungrateful after that” – which further shows that there would be many who disbelieve in the Latter-Day Messiah, who would be a Khalifa of the ummah according to the authentic ahadith.
A double prophecy of Surah al-Saff
There is also a double prophecy mentioned in Surah al-Saff. Allah States:
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللّٰهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُوَ يُدْعَىٰ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ ۚ وَاللّٰهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ
“But who could do greater wrong than one who forges the lie against Allah while he is called to Islam? Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.” (Surah al-Saff, Ch.61: V.8)
In this verse, Allah states that the worst person is he who would forge a lie against Allah while he is called to Islam. The Muslim commentators agree that these verses refer to the Latter-Day Messiah. This verse shows us that the Messiah would be called to Islam, meaning the Muslim scholars of that time would deem him to be a disbeliever.
All the Muslim commentators agree that these verses and prophecies of Surah al-Saff refer to the Latter-Day Messiah. In Tafsir al-Tabari, it is written under the commentary of Chapter 61 verse 9 in which Allah States:
هُوَ الَّذِيْ أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ
“He it is Who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and the Religion of Truth, that He may cause it to prevail over all religions, even if those who associate partners [with God] hate [it].” (Surah al-Saff, Ch.61: V.10)
لِيُظْهِرَهُ على الدّينِ كُلِّه يقول ليظهر دينه الحقّ الذي أرسل به رسوله على كلّ دين سواه، وذلك عند نزول عيسى ابن مريم
“[That He may cause it to prevail over all religions] He said, to prevail his religion of truth which he sent his Messenger with, over all other religions and that is during the time of the descent of Isa Ibn Maryam.” (Tafsir al-Tabari, Ch.61: V.9)
Prophecy of Surah al-Zukhruf
The Promised Messiahas was told about the advent of the Messiah being indicated in the Quran metaphorically. He writes:
“God Almighty has disclosed to me in a clear vision that the [second] advent of Ibn-e-Maryamas, [the son of Mary] is indicated metaphorically in the Holy Quran” (Izala-e-Auham, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 3, p. 460)
The verse being referred to is from Surah al-Zukhruf. Allah states:
وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلًا إِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّوْنَ
“And when the son of Mary is mentioned as an instance, lo! Thy people raise a clamor threat.” (Surah al-Zukhruf, Ch.43: V.58)
The people mentioned here are mainly Muslims and the ulema (Muslim scholars) in particular.
Prophecy of Surah al-Furqan
There is yet another prophecy of the Quran which shows that the Muslims would reject the Messiah. The verse hints at their condition and how they would totally discard the Holy Quran. Allah states:
وَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ يَا رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي اتَّخَذُوْا هٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ مَهْجُورًا
“And the Messenger will say, ‘O my Lord, my people indeed treated this Quran as [a] discarded [thing].’” (Surah al-Furqan, Ch.25: V.31)
It was for this reason that Hazrat Ahmadas wrote:
“An essential teaching for you is that you should not abandon the Holy Quran like a thing forsaken, for therein lies your life.” (Noah’s Ark: An Invitation to Faith, p. 22)