An Open Academic Insight: The Mahdī, The Messiah and Mirzā Ghulām Aḥmad

by Shaykh Omar Subedar

Towards the end of time many major events are to occur as the Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم has foretold. Conditions will become extremely intense and humanity will gradually degenerate. Minor signs of the Final Hour will initially appear followed by a sequence of major signs. The Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم stated,

“The signs [of the final hour] are [like] beads put together with a string. When the string will break the beads will [fall] one after the other.” [Hākim: 8639]

Among the many signs of doomsday which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has informed us of is the advent of the Mahdī (the Guided One) and the return of ʿĪsā ibn Maryam عليه السلام. The Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said,

“There will certainly be the Mahdī in my nation who will emerge…” [Tirmidhī: 2232]

In another narration he declared,

“I swear by He in whose hands my soul is, Ibn Maryam عليه السلام shall descend among you with justice and honesty.” [Tirmidhī: 2232]

While Muslims continue to await the emergence of these two great figures, a certain faction of the community has laid claim that this prophecy has already been fulfilled over 100 years ago and that today we are living in a post Mahdī and ʿĪsā ibn Maryam عليه السلام era. This segment of society is known today as the Aḥmadiyya Muslim Community which was founded in 1889 by Mirzā Ghulām Aḥmad, a person who claimed to be the awaited Mahdī and the promised Messiah himself. The foundations of this group were laid on March 23 1889 when forty people had pledged their allegiance to him and has since spread to various areas of the world.

Mirzā’s claims were never received well by the general Muslims and have been a cause of great contention throughout the past, particularly in the Indian sub-continent. Today in Canada the group has become quite established in the community and has begun a series of outreach programs to Muslims and non Muslims alike. Because the masses are unaware of the details the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has provided pertaining to the advent of the Mahdī and the second coming of ʿĪsā ibn Maryam عليه السلام they become somewhat confused or even influenced by a member of the Aḥmadiyya community when being confronted by them and having certain questions and assertions thrown at them. Hence it is our duty to educate ourselves regarding our creed and beliefs in order to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Thus we would like to take this opportunity to explore the claims of Mirzā from his own writings and see how consistent they are with the prophecies of our beloved Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم so that we may be able to determine whether he spoke the truth or not.

The Claims of Mirzā Ghulām Aḥmad

It was after 1891 that Mirzā began a series of claims that raised eyebrows throughout the Muslim world. The first of them being that he was told through divine revelation that he was the awaited Mahdī and the promised Messiah. He writes in ‘The Narrative of the Two Martyrdoms’ (Tazkirat-ush-Shahadatain):

“It was disclosed to me through Divine revelation a few years later that the Messiah that had been promised from the earliest time to this nation and that the last Mahdī who was destined to appear after the deterioration of Islam and who was to be granted direct guidance from God and who was to provide once again the spiritual nourishment, as had been preordained and about whom glad tidings had also been given by the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him, himself 1300 years ago, is none other than me. Divine revelations, in this regard, came to me so clearly and persistently that no room for even the least doubt was left in this matter.”

He then shares the revelation he allegedly received, which is considerably lengthy. In it ‘God’ revealed to him:

• Praise is due to Allāh Who has made thee “Jesus son of Mary” and taught thee things which thou did not know before. People say, “Whence and how did you acquire this position?” Tell them: Very Unique is my God and no one can hinder His grace. He cannot be questioned for what He does, but people shall be required to answer for their deeds.
• God is He Who has sent His Messenger (i.e. this humble person) with guidance and the religion that is true so that He may cause it to succeed and prevail over all other religions.
• Address no plea to Me concerning the wrong-doers for they are surely going to be drowned and they will make a plan and Allāh will also plan, and Allāh is the best of planners.
• And build thou the ark under Our Eyes with the help of Our revelation.

When Mirzā realized that his claim of being Jesus son of Mary was at odds with the notions held by the general Muslim and Christians alike, he modified his assertion and wrote in the ‘Elucidation of Objectives’ (Taudih-e-Maram),

“Muslims and Christians both believe, albeit with some difference, that the Messiah son of Mary was physically raised to the heavens and that he will descend from the skies at some later time. I have already disproved this notion in the first part of this book. I have also pointed out that the ‘Descent’ or the ‘Coming’ does not mean the coming of the Messiah son of Mary; that actually it is a figure of speech signifying the coming of someone resembling the son of Mary; and that, in accordance with Divine intimation and revelation, it is the present writer—my own humble self—to whom it applies.”

He further claimed in his book ‘Jesus in India’ that Jesus survived the crucifixion and later migrated to Kashmir, India in order to preach to the ‘Lost Children of Israel’. He later passed away there due to old age and is currently buried in a shrine called Roza Bal, located in the Khanyar district of Srinagar, Kashmir.

In conclusion, according to these excerpts, Mirzā has declared:

1. He is the Awaited Mahdī
2. He is the replica of Jesus son of Mary
3. He is Allāh’s Messenger
4. He has been ordered to construct an ark
5. A flood will come that will drown all the wrong doers.

In order to verify these claims it is imperative that we analyze the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم traditions regarding these matters before reaching any type of conclusion.

The Mahdī

There are several traditions in which Allāh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم has described the Mahdī (the Guided One). In these traditions the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم has said;

• If there was only a day left of this world, Allāh would extend it until He would send a man who is from me; or from my family. His name will be the same as my name and his father’s name will be the same as my father’s name (i.e. Muḥammad ibn Abdullāh). He will fill the world with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with tyranny and injustice. [Sunan Abū Dāwūd: 4282]
• This world will not end until the Arabs are ruled by a man from my family. His name will be the same as my name. [Sunan Abū Dāwūd: 4282]
• The Mahdī is from my progeny; from the descendants of Fāṭima. [Sunan Abū Dāwūd: 4284]
• The Mahdī is from me. He will have a high forehead and a curved nose. He will fill the world with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with tyranny and injustice and he will rule for seven years. [Sunan Abū Dāwūd: 4285]

In one narration the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has provided details on the Mahdī’s advent. He explained,

“There will be a dispute following the death of a ruler (khalīfa). A man from the residents of Madīna will emerge and run to Makka. [Once in Makka] some Makkans will approach him and bring him out against his will. They will then pledge their allegiance to him between the [Black Stone] corner and the Maqām [of Ibrāhīm عليه السلام]. An army will be sent against him from Shām (a region that comprised of Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian territories and Syria in those days), which will be swallowed up [by the earth] in Al Baidā, [a place] between Makka and Madīna. When people will witness this [sign] the saints of Shām and the best people of Iraq will come to him and pledge their allegiance to him. Thereafter a man from the Quraish will arise, whose maternal uncles will be from [the tribe of] Kalb. He will send an army against them (i.e. the Mahdī and those who have pledged their allegiance to him) [to destroy them] however [the Mahdī and his followers] will prevail against them. That [defeated army] will be the forces of Kalb. The true loss will be for he who will fail to witness the spoils of Kalb. The Mahdī will distribute the wealth [acquired from the battle] and will govern the people in accordance to the practice (Sunna) of their Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Islam will become established on the earth and the Mahdī will remain for seven years. He will then die and the Muslims will offer his funeral prayer.” [Sunan Abū Dāwūd: 4286]

Upon analysing these narrations it becomes extremely difficult to believe that Mirzā Ghulām Aḥmad was the promised Mahdī for a number of reasons;

1. Contrary to the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم words: His name will be the same as my name and his father’s name will be the same as my father’s name (i.e. Muḥammad ibn ‘Abdullāh), Mirzā’s full name was Mirzā Ghulām Aḥmad son of Mirzā Ghulām Murtaza.
2. He was neither from the descendants of Faṭima رضى الله عنها nor among the progeny of Allāh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم, rather he was of Iranian descent, whose forefathers were from the tribe of Barlas; a tribe that lived and ruled in Kish, Sogdiana for 200 years.
3. He did not bear the physical features that were described by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, such as having a curved nose etc. nor did he have any authority over the Arabs at any stage of his life. Instead shortly after his claim 34 scholars from Makka and Madīna unanimously labelled him an apostate upon being informed by Shaykh Aḥmad Rizha Khan about his assertions.
4. He was never a resident of Madīna nor did he ever run off to Makka. In fact he never even travelled to the holy cities in his life. Hence there was no pledge of allegiance that was given to him between the [Black Stone] corner and the Maqām [of Ibrāhīm عليه السلام] nor was there any army that was sent up against him from Shām, which was swallowed up by the earth at Al Baidā.
5. According to the narration above the Mahdī will be forced against his will to take the pledge of allegiance from people, particularly the Makkans. Mirzā on the other hand was never compelled in anyway by anyone to take the oath of allegiance from any community, rather he first published an announcement on December 1, 1888 that God revealed to him that whomsoever seeks true faith and piety, should pledge their allegiance to Mirzā so that God may shower His mercy and beneficence on them.

Later, on January 12th, 1889 he published another pamphlet in which he laid down ten conditions of the pledge, which were;

1. Till the last day of the devotee’s life, the devotee shall abstain from associating any partners with Allāh.
2. He shall keep away from falsehood, cruelty, adultery, dishonesty, disorder, rebellion and every kind of evil.
3. He shall offer prayers (Ṣalāh) five times daily.
4. He shall not inflict injury on any of Allāh’s creatures.
5. He shall bear every hardship for the sake of Allāh.
6. He shall not follow vulgar customs and shall guard himself against evil inclinations.
7. He shall discard pride and haughtiness and shall live in humility & meekness
8. He shall deem his faith, dignity, and the welfare of Islam to be dearer to him than his own life, wealth and children.
9. He shall have sympathy for all of God’s creatures, and devote his talents to their welfare.
10. He shall establish brotherhood with Mirzā, obey him in all good things, and firmly adhere to these rules until the last breath of his life.

On March 23, 1889 he began taking the oath of allegiance at the house of Sufi Aḥmad Jan, in the city of Ludhiana. There he laid the foundation of the Aḥmadiyya Movement. On the first day forty people pledged the oath of allegiance to him. Among them were:

• Maulvi Abdullah Sanori
• Chaudhry Rustam Ali
• Munshi Zafar Aḥmad
• Munshi Aroray Khan
• Munshi Habib ar-Rahman
• Qazi Zia al-din
• Mir Inayat Ali

Not a single one of these people were from Makka or of Arabian descent.

6. Contrary to the narrations, Mirzā did not pass away 7 years after taking the initial pledge. He rather lived on for another 19 years and passed away in Lahore on May 26, 1908.

In light of all these contradictions, among many more which we have not bothered discussing, one can safely conclude that Mirzā Ghulām Aḥmad was NOT the Mahdī the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had foretold us about.

The Messiah, ʿĪsā ibn Maryam عليه السلام

In respect to what really happened to ʿĪsā عليه السلام Allāh explains in the Qur’ān,

“And [We cursed the People of the Scriptures for] their saying, “Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allāh.” And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain. Rather, Allāh raised him to Himself. And ever is Allāh Exalted in Might and Wise.” [4:157-158]

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbās رضى الله عنهما elaborated on the ascension incident by relating, “When Allāh intended to uplift ʿĪsā عليه السلام to the sky, ʿĪsā عليه السلام came out to his companions and [at that time] there were 12 companions that were present in the house; He came out to them, not exiting the house while his head was dripping of water and said, “Among you there is a person who will disbelieve in me 12 times before he places his faith in me.” He then proposed, “Which one of you is prepared to bear my [physical] resemblance, be killed in my place and [end up] with me in my rank [in Paradise]?” A young man, who was the youngest among them stood [and offered himself] however ʿĪsā عليه السلام ordered him, “Be seated,” and repeated the proposal [to his companions]. [Again] the young man stood up but ʿĪsā عليه السلام instructed him to sit down and then once again repeated his offer. The young man stood up once more and said, “I [am ready].”ʿĪsā عليه السلام then said, “[In that case] you have been selected.” The young man was then given the [physical] resemblance of ʿĪsā عليه السلام [by Allāh] while ʿĪsā عليه السلام ascended from the window of the house to the sky. Later the Jewish pursuers came and seized the [young man] who looked like ʿĪsā عليه السلام and killed him.” [Al Durr al Manthur]

Mirzā’s claim of ʿĪsā عليه السلام escaping the crucifixion and migrating to Kashmir, where he later passed away is absolutely inconsistent with the aforementioned texts and hence clearly inaccurate and false. Regarding the return of ʿĪsā عليه السلام, the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم once explained to his Companions while describing Dajjāl (the Anti- Christ), “The Dajjāl is a young man with curly hair. [One] eye of his is blind. I can liken him to ‘Abdul ‘Uzzā ibn Qatān. Whoever comes across him from amongst you, he should recite the opening verses of Sūrah al Kahf upon him. He will emerge from a place between Shām and Iraq and will spread mischief right and left. O Slaves of Allāh! Remain firm [against him].”

The companions inquired, “O Allāh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم, How long will he stay on earth?”

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم replied, “40 days; a day like a year, a day like a month, a day like a week and the remaining days will be like your [normal] days.”

The companions asked, “O Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم, [on] that day that will be like a year; will the prayers of one day be sufficient for us?”

He answered, “No, [rather] at that time make calculations [for the timings of the prayers]”

The Companions then asked, “How quick will be his pace on earth?”

He replied, “Like rain that is driven by wind. He will approach a community and invite them [to accept his divinity] and they will believe in him and respond to his call. He will then order the sky [to rain] and consequently it will rain. He will give an order to the earth and subsequently it will bring forth produce. Their herds will return to them in the evening with their humps as high as ever, their udders full and their flanks stretched.

He will then go to [another] community and invite them however they will reject his claim [to divinity]. He will then leave them and they will [end up] being afflicted with drought. All of their wealth will be gone from their hands.

He will pass by a [land in] ruins and say to it, “Bring forth your treasures.” As a result its treasures will [come out and] follow him like a swarm of bees. Then he will call a man brimming with youth and strike him with a sword. He will cut him in two pieces and place [each piece] as far [from each other] as a target from an archer. He will then summon him and he will come forth with his face gleaming and laughing.

While he will be engaged in all of this, Allāh will send the Messiah, the son of Mary عليه السلام. He will descend by the white minaret in the east side of Damascus, wearing two garments dyed in saffron placing his hands on the wings of two angels. When he will lower his head [water] will drip [from it] and when he will raise it, drops like pearls will scatter from it. Every disbeliever who will come in contact with his breath will die and his breath will reach as far as he can see.

He will then pursue the Dajjāl until he catches him at the gate of Lod [a city located on the Sharon Plain 15 kilometers southeast of Tel Aviv in the Center District of Israel] and will then kill him. Thereafter some people, whom Allāh had protected from the Dajjāl, will come to ʿĪsā ibn Maryam. He will wipe their faces and inform them of their ranks in Paradise. While he will be busy doing this Allāh will suddenly reveal to him, “I have released some slaves of mine, whom no one has the power to fight with. Quickly take my slaves to At-Tur [an Arab neighborhood on the Mount of Olives approximately 1 km east of the Old City of Jerusalem].”

Allāh will then send [the two communities of] Ya’jūj and Ma’jūj (i.e. Gog and Magog) who will descend from every slope. The first of them will pass by the Sea of Tiberius [located in the Jordan Great Rift Valley] and drink all its water. [When] the last of them will pass [by it] they will say, “There was once water here.”

Allāh’s Prophet, ʿĪsā عليه السلام and his companions will be put under siege to the extent that a bull’s head to one of them will be better than one hundred dinārs to you today. Allāh’s Prophet, ʿĪsā عليه السلام and his companions will then beseech Allāh. Consequently Allāh will send worms in the necks [of Ya’juj and Ma’juj] and as a result they will be killed all at the same time. The Prophet of Allāh, ʿĪsā عليه السلام and his companions will then descend to the ground and will not find even the space of a hand span that will not be filled with their decayed [bodies] and stench. Allāh’s Prophet, ʿĪsā عليه السلام and his companions will then beseech Allāh and Allāh will send birds that will resemble the necks of Bactrian Camels. The birds will carry [their bodies] away and throw them wherever Allāh wills. Thereafter Allāh will send such rain that no mud house or hut will be sheltered from it. It will cleanse the earth until it leaves it like a mirror. The earth will then be told, “Bring forth your fruits and restore your blessings.”

On that day a group of people will eat a portion of a pomegranate and [then] sit in its skins shadow. Milk will be blessed to the extent that [the milk of a] milch camel will suffice a [large] crowd of people, [the milk of a] milch cow will suffice a tribe of people, [the milk of a] milch sheep will suffice a family of people. [Muslim: 7373]

In another narration the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “ʿĪsā ibn Maryam عليه السلام will surely descend as a just judge and a fair leader. He will travel through the mountain passes [of Arabia] as a pilgrim for hajj or `umra and will definitely come to my grave and greet me [with salām] and I shall respond to him.” [Hākim: 4162]

Ibn Al Jawzī has written in his book Al Wafā: ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr reported, “Allāh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم mentioned, “ʿĪsā ibn Maryam عليه السلام will descend to the earth. He will get married and have children. He will remain in the world for 45 years. Thereafter he will pass away and will be buried with me in my grave.”

Upon studying all these narrations and comparing them to the life of Mirzā Ghulām Aḥmad it once again becomes extremely difficult to acknowledge his assertions for the following reasons:

1. In all of these narrations there is absolutely no indication whatsoever that a replica of ʿĪsā عليه السلام will appear. Rather the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has reiterated the name of ʿĪsā ibn Maryam عليه السلام several times in the narrations making it very clear that ʿĪsā عليه السلام will be returning in person, not someone like him.
2. The Dajjāl which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم described in the aforementioned narration never emerged during Mirzā’s life. Therefore Mirzā never had the opportunity to kill him thus fulfilling one of the prime objectives of ʿĪsā’s عليه السلام Likewise the two communities of Ya’jūj and Ma’jūj never appeared and drank the entire Sea of Tiberias rather the sea is still in existence and intact till today.
3. Mirzā did not descend from the sky with the aid of two angels by the white minaret in the east side of Damascus, as highlighted in the aforementioned narration. Although he did attempt to provide an explanation for some of the points discussed in this narration in his book; Removal of Suspicions (Izala i Awham) he unfortunately failed to address many key issues found within the ĥadëth. For example he wrote regarding Damascus;

• Damascus has been used merely in a metaphorical way.
• Then He (God) told me that these people were of Yazid’s nature and this town (Qadian) is similar to Damascus. So the Exalted Allāh sent this humble one down to this Damascus for a big purpose.

In respect to the two garments dyed in saffron which ʿĪsā’s عليه السلام will wear during his return Mirzā writes, “I am a permanently sick man and the two yellow sheets which have been mentioned in the traditions as those to be worn by Messiah when he would come down, these two sheets are with me. These according to the science of interpretation of dreams are two ailments. Hence one of these sheets is on my upper part so that headache, giddiness, insomnia and palpitation of the heart come to me in the shape of fits. The other sheet which is the lower part of my body is diabetes which has afflicted me for a long time, so that often I have a hundred urinations during the night and day and due to this frequency of urination I am afflicted with all those ailments of debility caused by such a disease.”

Apart from these whimsical interpretations, Mirzā never made any mention of;

• The Gate of Lod.
• The death of the disbelievers upon coming in contact with ʿĪsā’s عليه السلام
• The siege ʿĪsā عليه السلام and his companions will be put under at At-Tur.
• The infestation of Ya’juj and Ma’juj’s bodies in the land following their death and the cleansing process that will take place thereafter.
• The immense blessings of the earth that the people will experience after all this drama.

Mirzā did nonetheless decide to build a white minaret in his home town of Qadian and even laid it’s foundation on March 13, 1903however due to a lack of funds its construction was halted. The minaret was continued by Mirzā Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Aḥmad on November 27, 1914 and was completed in 1916, eight years after Mirzā’s demise. Hence even this action of his was inconsistent with the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم words, as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم informed us that ʿĪsā عليه السلام would descend by the white minaret in the east side of Damascus, not have it constructed.

4. Mirzā did not live for 45 years after proclaiming to be the replica of ʿĪsā عليه السلام in 1891, rather he only lived for 17 years.
5. As mentioned before Mirzā never visited the holy lands of Makka and Madīna and hence never performed a hajj or an ‘umra in his life nor did he ever have the opportunity to visit the grave of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and greet him by his graveside in person.
6. Mirzā did not end up getting buried in the same grave as our beloved Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم but rather in his home town of Qadian.

In conclusion, upon witnessing the tremendous amount of contradictions between Mirzā’s life and the Prophets صلى الله عليه وسلم words, one can safely conclude that Mirzā’s claim of being the replica of ʿĪsā ibn Maryam عليه السلام is spurious in every shape and form.

The Messenger of Allāh

Of all the claims Mirzā made during his life, the claim to prophet hood was undoubtedly the most shocking to the Muslim community. He wrote in The Reality of Revelation (Haqëqatul Wahë), “So of all the people of this nation (ummah), I am the only one who has received this big portion of divine revelation and knowledge about the unseen. All the saints of this nation (ummah) who have preceded me, they were not given such a big share of this bounty. For this reason I alone was chosen to be designated a prophet and none else deserved this title.”

This claim particularly stunned the Muslim community because it is in absolute contrast with the verse; Muḥammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allāh and the seal of the prophets. (33:40). This verse makes it crystal clear that no prophet is to come after our beloved Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم however the Aḥmadiyya Muslim Community of today claims that the implication of the ‘seal of prophets’ in aforementioned verse is; Muḥammad صلى الله عليه وسلم brought prophet hood to perfection and was the last law-bearing prophet and the apex of man’s spiritual evolution. New prophets can come but they must be subordinate to Muḥammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and cannot exceed him in excellence nor alter his teaching or bring any new law or religion.

For the general Muslims this interpretation becomes quite difficult to digest, especially when the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has thoroughly explained the meaning of the ‘seal of the prophets’ in the following traditions:

• My example and the example of the Prophets before me are like the example of a man who built a house and made it nice and beautiful except for the place of one brick in a corner. People begin to go around it, marvel it and say, “Why has this brick not been put in its place?” I am that brick and I am the seal / last of the prophets. (Bukhari:3535)
• …and they say, “Will you not put a brick here due to which your structure will be completed?” Muḥammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “ I am the brick” (Muslim:5960)
• …I have come and finished the (chain of) Prophets (Muslim:5963)
• Indeed the message and prophet hood has come to an end; hence there will be no messenger or prophet after me. (Tirmidhi:2272)

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did further clarify on one occasion, “Had there been a prophet after me it would have been Umar ibn al Khattab.” (Tirmidhī: 3686). Every Muslim acknowledges that Umar ibn al Khattab was never a prophet hence it becomes quite evident that prophet hood has now come to a complete halt. Thus the claim made by the Aḥmadiyya Muslim Community of today that new prophets can come but they must be subordinate to Muḥammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is merely a fabricated notion and absolutely contradictive to the authentic teachings of Islam.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم however did warn us:

• In my nation there will be 27 liars and impostors (Dajjāls). Among them will be 4 women. I am definitely the last of the prophets. There will be no prophet after me. (Musnad Aḥmad: 23251)
• The [final] hour will not be established until approximately 30 liars and imposters (Dajjāls) will be sent. Each one of them will claim to be the Messenger of Allāh. (Bukhāri: 7121)

Consequently it wouldn’t be farfetched to believe that Mirzā Ghulām Ahmed was definitely one of those 27.

The Ark and the Flood

There is a striking resemblance between the ‘revelation’ Mirzā received i.e.

• Address no plea to Me concerning the wrong-doers for they are surely going to be drowned and they will make a plan and Allāh will also plan, and Allāh is the best of planners.
• And build thou the ark under Our Eyes with the help of Our revelation.

And the following verses of the Qur’an:

• And it was revealed to Noah that, “No one will believe from your people except those who have already believed, so do not be distressed by what they have been doing.
• And construct the ship under Our observation and Our inspiration and do not address Me concerning those who have wronged; indeed, they are [to be] drowned.”[11:36-37]

Nōĥ عليه السلام constructed the ark as instructed and upon the appointed time Allāh drowned all the wrongdoers, who were none other than the disbelievers. According to the Aḥmadiyya Muslim Community all non Aḥmadees are also disbelievers. Mirzā Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Aḥmad, the second caliph of the Aḥmadiyya Muslim Community and the eldest son of Mirzā Ghulām Aḥmad from his second wife declared in his book ‘The Truth about the Split’, “…the belief that all those so-called Muslims who have not entered into his [i.e. Mirzā Ghulām Aḥmad’s] bai’at formally, wherever they may be, are Kāfirs and outside the pale of Islam, even though they may not have heard the name of the Promised Messiah. That these beliefs have my full concurrence, I readily admit.”

Hence this implies that every Muslim who did not pledge their allegiance to Mirzā was a wrongdoer and thus up for Allāh’s punishment of being drowned. Ironically there are absolutely no records of Mirzā Ghulām Aḥmad even attempting to execute this ‘divine’ directive and 100 years after his demise we the ‘wrongdoers’ are still waiting to be drowned.

In conclusion the claims of Mirzā Ghulām Aḥmad have no connection with the truth whatsoever and it is our duty that we warn our community about his deviant teachings in order to safeguard them from being misled and falling astray.

May Allāh protect us all. Ameen