Mirza Ghulam Ahmad has insulted Muslims and said only his followers are believers!

Argument:

Mirza Ghulam Qadiani proclaimed all humanity, except those who follow his cult, non-believers, off-springs of prostitutes, and bound for hell! Can an intelligent person be intimidated by such words?

Rebuttal:

As a general rule, all Muslims understand that it is one of the articles of faith to believe in all the Prophets of Allah and anyone who disbelieves in a prophet of Allah, disbelieves in Allah.  We believe that Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad may peace be upon him was a Prophet of Allah, sent by Allah, therefore if anyone rejects his claim, then Allah will judge that person’s rejection according to that person’s understanding of the claim and why he rejected it.  If the person has no foundation to his rejection, then it means he has rejected a Prophet of Allah and thereby in doing so, has also rejected Allah.

Now there is no reference given in this particular argument, but normally they take a quote from Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’s book A’inah-e-Kamalat-e-Islam which they say is:-

Every Muslim accepts me and affirms the truth of my claim (as being the Promised Messiah and Mahdi) except those who are the children of adulterers.
A’inah-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, p. 547-548 Roohani Khazain Vol 5, pg 547-548

Now with this quote there are two things, a) it has been taken out of context and b) it has been wrongly translated.

First of all this quote is taken from the Arabic writing of the Promised Messiah from his book A’inah-e-Kamalat-e-Islam.  This book has two parts, the first part was written in Urdu in 1892 and the second part in Arabic in 1893.  In the passage under discussion, the Promised Messiah may peace be upon him has spoken about his love for Islam and the Holy Prophet may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. He has mentioned his burning desire in his heart to serve Islam and defend it from the onslaughts of the Hindus and Christians even from a very young age.  He writes just before the disputed passage:-

Ever since I attained the age of twenty it has been my ardent desire that I should serve the faith (i.e., Islam); and that I should argue with the Barahamans and Christians. And I have written many books and compiled beneficent works. Among them is my book ‘Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya’……….

Our opponents object to the next part from the above quotation:

This translation of the word ‘Dhurriyyatul-Baghaya’ – being ‘children of adulterers’ is not correct because it does not at all fit with the context of the paragraph which precedes it and it completely contradicts the subject matter which is being discussed on page 547 of A’inah-e-Kamalat-e-Islam.“Every Muslim accepts me and affirms the truth of my claim (as being the Promised Messiah and Mahdi) except those who are the children of adulterers.”

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There are two aspects which need to be addressed in this regard. Firstly, the Muslims are not being addressed here and secondly, the translation of Dhurriyyatul-Baghaya as done by our opponents is also incorrect.

Concerning the first aspect of this response, if we read the entire paragraph then it is very clear that the Promised Messiah may peace be upon him is not at all hinting towards his claim to being the ‘Promised Messiah and Mahdi’. Rather, he is merely speaking of his desire to ‘serve the religion of Islam’ and alluding to the services which he has already rendered in this noble cause.

On page 547 of A’inah-e-Kamalat-e- Islam (the complete reference of which has been provided above), the Promised Messiah may peace be upon him states that even from a young age he has always possessed the desire to defend Islam and fight a war of argumentation and debate against the Hindus and Christians. In order to support his claim the Promised Messiah may peace be upon him gives the example of books such as Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Surmah Chashme Araya, Taudih-e-Maram, Izalah-e-Auham, Fath-e-Islam and Dafi‘ul-Wasawis, which he wrote in order to establish the superiority of Islam over other religions.

After mentioning all these books, the Promised Messiah may peace be upon him states:

It is these books to which every Muslim sheds a glance of love and affection and they (i.e., the Muslims) benefit from the deep wisdoms hidden within these books. Everyone accepts and testifies to the truth of my invitation (i.e., my invitation to Islam), except those who are Dhurriyyatul-Baghaya; those upon whose hearts Allah has set a seal.

It is quite obvious that even from the very reference itself, the Promised Messiah may peace be upon him could not have possibly been addressing the Muslims as ‘Dhurriyyatul-Baghaya‘ in this instance. The reason being is that in this paragraph, the Promised Messiah may peace be upon him is speaking of his efforts and debates against the Christians and Hindus. Why would the Promised Messiah may peace be upon him state that ‘ever since I was young I desired to strive against the Christian and Hindu faith, and for this purpose I have written numerous books’, and then all of a sudden change his subject of discussion and assert that ‘all those Muslims who do not accept him are the children of adulterers’?

There is no relation whatsoever between these two dissimilar statements. Indeed, such a statement is contradictory to logic and rationality. However, it does make sense if the translation is taken as such:

Ever since I was young I desired to strive against the Christian and Hindu faith, and for this purpose I have written numerous books in order to establish the superiority of Islam over Christianity and Hinduism. Therefore, as a result of these works which I have written against Christianity and Hinduism in favour of Islam, everyone accepts my invitation to Islam, except for those who are Dhurriyyatul-Baghaya.

Therefore, the translation which our opponents erroneously attribute to this Arabic passage does not convey the true intent of the honourable writer. In fact, the Muslims are not being referred to as Dhurriyatul-Baghaya in this passage, rather, those followers of other faiths are being addressed to whom the Promised Messiah may peace be upon him has extended an invitation to the religion of Islam in his many books.

Secondly, the issue is not about being the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, these claims are not mentioned.  Instead it is clearly referring to when he was young and discussing Islam and what is the result if someone did not accept ‘his invitation to Islam’.

Earlier in the same book, he has written:-

By God! Allah knows well that I am a lover of Islam and I am a sacrifice for the Holy Prophet may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him the Best of Creation, and I am a servant of Ahmad may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him the Chosen One, ever since I attained the age of maturity and I was enabled to write a book, it was my heartfelt desire to invite the opponents to Islam to the radiant religion of Allah. So I dispatched a letter to every opponent and invited the young and old to Islam.
A’inah-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, p. 388-389, Roohani Khazain Vol 5, pg 388-389

The second aspect of this allegation concerns the word – ‘Dhurriyyatul-Baghaya’, which has been translated ‘children of Adulterers’.  This, as we have mentioned, is not an Urdu phrase but an Arabic phrase and each word in Arabic has many meanings.  Yes this can be translated to mean ‘children of Adulterers’, but that is one translation but other translations can also be used.  ‘Baghy’ is a word used quite often in the Holy Qur’an and can mean ‘transgression’, ‘turned away from the truth’ or ‘disobeyed or revolted against a lawful authority’.   

Therefore, this term can also be used in the Arabic idiom to mean ‘someone who is far from guidance and rejects the truth’. The term ‘Dhurriyyatul-Baghaya’ would better translate into ‘children of misguidance,’ as it were. It is not taken literally to imply a person’s illegitimate birth. Such idioms are found in all languages.

This statement of ours that the term ‘Dhurriyyatul-Baghaya’ means such people who are far from guidance and refuse to accept the truth is further reinforced by the words which appear directly after the term ‘Dhurriyyatul-Baghaya’ on page 548 of A’inah-e-Kamalat-e-Islam. Our opponents when they raise their allegation on this quotation of the Promised Messiah may peace be upon him they only give part of the quote, however, our opponents do not quote the rest of this sentence. The complete quotation is as follows:

Everyone accepts me and testifies to the truth of my invitation to Islam, except for those who are far from guidance; those upon whose hearts Allah has set a seal and they accept me not.

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When this entire piece of text is read together it becomes evidently clear that the Promised Messiah may peace be upon him has elaborated and expounded that, ‘Dhurriyyatul-Baghaya’ are those people ‘upon whose hearts Allah has set a seal.’ If the term ‘Dhurriyyatul-Baghaya’ literally meant ‘the children of adulterers’ then such a phrase would not make sense here in the context of this sentence. What relation does illegitimate birth have with a seal upon one’s heart?  It is obvious that guidance and misguidance relates to a person’s heart.

Therefore, when the Promised Messiah may peace be upon him states that ‘Dhurriyyatul-Baghaya’ are ‘those people upon whose hearts there is a seal’, he has himself explained the context in which this word has been used.

As such, the people who have been referred to in this verse are:-

  • Such people who are wandering in misguidance.
  • They are such people whose hearts are stained with the blemish of misguidance and they reject the clear signs of Allah the Almighty.
  • They are such people who do not accept the light of Islam.

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