A Great Victory for Ahmadiyyat

A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat—

A Grave Threat to Islam

Replies to Some Allegations

(17)

A Great Victory for Ahmadiyyat

Islam International Publications Ltd.

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A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat—

A Grave Threat to Islam

Replies to Some Allegations

(17)


as Evidenced by the Un-Islamic Decision—Based on Numerical

Majority—on the Distinction Between Truth and Falsehood

An English translation ofthe Friday sermon delivered by

Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad Khalifatul Masih IVrta

on May 17, 1985at the Fadl Mosque, London

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(17)A Great Victory for Ahmadiyyatas Evidenced by the Un-Islamic Decision—Based on Numerical Majority—on the Distinction Between Truth and Falsehood

An English translation of the Friday sermon delivered in Urdu by Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IV (rahmatullah ‘alaih), on May 17, 1985,at the Fadl Mosque, London.

Translated by: Dr. Nasim RehmatullahRevised by: Tasnif Team—Jama‘at-e-Ahmadiyyah USA

First Published in Urdu in the UK in 1985 as:Haqq-o-Batil Mein Tamiz Kei Mas’alah Par ‘Adadi Akthariyyat Ka Ghair Shar‘i Faislah Aur Ahmadiyyat Ki ‘Azimush-shan Fatah

Present English translation published in UK in 2008

© Islam International Publications Ltd.

Published by:Islam International Publications Ltd.“Islamabad” Sheephatch LaneTilford, Surrey GU10 2AQ UK

Printed in the UK at:Raqeem PressTilford, Surrey GU10 2AQ

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the Publisher.

For further information you may visit www.alislam.org

ISBN: 1 85372 8284

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Table of Contents

�Preface ................................................................................viiAbout the Author.............................................................. xiii

A Great Victory for AhmadiyyatBaseless Propaganda About the Numerical Majority........2

A Majority in Numbers and the ‘Great Multitude’ ...........3

Decision of the Assembly Does Not Bear the

Stamp of Shari‘ah ..............................................................4

Acts Contrary to Decency and Dignity ..............................5

The ‘Pious’ Deeds of the So-Called Majority.....................7

Conduct of the Opposition Party.....................................10

Chip Off the Old Block .....................................................12

An Example from the Lovers of the Holy Prophetsa .......13

Height of Shamelessness and Immorality........................14

The Validity of the So-Called Majority in the Eyes

of the Ulema ....................................................................15

Prophecy About the Righteous Sect .................................17

Definition of a Muslim According to Imam of

the Wahhabis ...................................................................19

Prophecy About a Prophecy .............................................20

The Righteous Sect in the Eyes of Shi‘ah Muslims..........21

The Heaven-Bound Sect will be in the Minority.............22

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The Calamity that Hit Pakistan ........................................23

Spite and Malice of the Opponents of Ahmadiyyat ........24

God Has His Own Ways of Dealing with Such People ...25

The Beginning of a Great Victory.....................................27

Glossary of Important Terms..............................................29

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In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Preface

�A perfect example of the cruel treatment of theAhmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at by the government ofPakistan is the White Paper. This document, published bythe government of Pakistan under the title Qadiya-niyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam, was written in support ofthe federal ordinance dated April 26, 1984.

By publishing the White Paper, this ‘Islamic Republic’has set aside all Islamic values and has done away withmany basic human rights including religious socialfreedoms of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at. Using theWhite Paper as a crutch, the government of Pakistanclaims the beliefs of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘atcompel it to impose restrictions upon the AhmadiMuslims.

As far as the allegations and accusations made in theWhite Paper are concerned, they are a repetition of thesame baseless allegations and accusations that theAhmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at has responded to in the paston the basis of the Holy Qur’an and the Ahadith.

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Since much of our literature is currently being confis-cated by the government of Pakistan, sincere seekers oftruth may have difficulty finding the answers. This series ofFriday sermons present the response to these allegations byHadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IVrta, thethen Imam of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at, to theseallegations.

This response to the White Paper was first published inUrdu in 1985 and the English translation is being publishednow. This sermon was delivered on May 17, 1985 at theFadl Mosque, London; it deals with the status of the deci-sion by a numerical majority under Islamic law.

The translation of this Friday sermon was done by Dr.Nasim Rehmatullah. The translation team headed by—Munawar Ahmed Saeed, under the direction of AdditionalVakalat-e-Tasnif London—finalized this series of Fridaysermons for publication. Important contributions weremade by Fouzia Shah, Karimullah Zirv i , LuqmanMahmood and several other team members. May Allahbless them all. Amin.

This book uses the following system of transliteration adopted by the Royal Asiatic Society.

at the beginning of a word, pronounced as a, i, u pre-ceded by a very slight aspiration, like h in the English word honour.

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A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”:Qadiyaniyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam

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th, pronounced like th in the English word thing.

h, a guttural aspirate, stronger than h.

kh, pronounced like the Scotch ch in loch.

dh, pronounced like the English th in that.

s, strongly articulated s.

d, similar to the English th in this.

t, strongly articulated palatal t.

z, strongly articulated z.

‘, a strong guttural sound, the pronunciation of which must be learnt by the ear.

gh, a sound approached very nearly by r in the French grasseye and also the German r. It requires the muscles of the throat to be in the gargling position whilst pro-nouncing it.

q, a deep guttural k sound.

’ , a sort of catch in the voice.

Short vowels are represented by a for (like u in bud); ifor (like i in bid); u for (like oo in wood); the longvowels by a for or (like a in father); i for or (like ee in deep); ai for (like i in site); u for (likeoo in root): au for, (resembling ou in sound).

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[ xii ]

Please note that in transliterated words the letter e is to bepronounced as in prey which rhymes with day; however thepronunciation is flat without the element of English diph-thong. If in Urdu and Persian, the letter e is lengthened a bitmore, it is transliterated as ei to be pronounced as ei in feignwithout the element of diphthong; thus is transliteratedas Kei. For the nasal sound of n, we have used the symbol n.Thus the Urdu word would be transliterated as mein.

The consonants not included in the above list have thesame phonetic value as in the principal languages of Europe.

The following abbreviations have been used. Readers are urged to recite the full salutations when reading the book:

sa sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, meaning ‘may thepeace and blessings of Allah be upon him’ iswritten after the name of the Holy ProphetMuhammadsa.

as ‘alaihis salam, meaning ‘may peace be uponhim’ is written after the name of Prophetsother than the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa.

ra radi-Allaho ‘anhu/‘anha/‘anhum, meaning‘may Allah be pleased with him/her/them’ iswritten after the names of the Companions ofthe Holy Prophet Muhammadsa or of thePromised Messiahas.

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[ xiii ]

rta rahmatullah ‘alaih, meaning ‘may Allahshower His mercy upon him’ is written afterthe names of deceased pious Muslims who arenot Companions of the Holy ProphetMuhammadsa or of the Promised Messiahas.

Please note that in referencing the Holy Qur’an, we havecounted ‘In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful’as the first verse of the chapter in which it appears. We prayto God that this message may reach all people who have agenuine desire to study these issues. May Allah make this asource of guidance for them. Amin.

Munir-ud-Din ShamsAdditional Vakil-ut-Tasnif

London, UK, April 2008

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About the Author

�HADRAT MIRZA TAHIR AHMADrta was born inQadian, India, in 1928 to Hadrat Mirza Bashir-ud-DinMahmud Ahmadra and Hadrat Maryam Begumra. Hereceived his early schooling in Qadian. After graduatingfrom the Ahmadiyyah Missionary College, Rabwah withdistinction, he obtained an honours degree in Arabic fromPunjab University.

In 1955, he visited England for the first time with hisfather, who suggested that he remain behind to improvehis knowledge of the English language and Europeansocial habits. He secured admission at the School ofOriental and African Studies (SOAS), University ofLondon, where he remained for two and a half years. Bythe end of 1957, Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrta had seenmost of Western Europe. He traveled extensively inEngland, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

The experience that he gained during these yearswould play a crucial role later in his life, when administer-ing his great responsibilities as Khalifatul Masih IV, thefourth Head of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at. He was

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elected to this office in 1982, one day after the demise of hispredecessor, Hadrat Mirza Nasir Ahmadrta.

The anti-Ahmadiyyah ordinance of April 1984, promul-gated by General Zia-ul-Haq, compelled Hadrat MirzaTahir Ahmadrta to leave Pakistan. He decided to migrate toEngland where he established his transitory base in exile.Within a few years, he trained and organised thousands ofvolunteers to help him discharge his global responsibilities.Of all his achievements in England, MTA (Muslim Televi-sion Ahmadiyyah) international is one of the greatest.Through MTA international, numerous training programsare televised twenty-four hours a day. His activities sincedeparture from Pakistan helped proliferate and spread theAhmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at to over 150 countries of theworld.

Apart from being a religious leader, he was also ahomeopathic physician, a prolific writer, a gifted poet, anda sportsman.

Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrta passed away on April 19,2003 at the age of 74. He is succeeded by Hadrat MirzaMasroor Ahmad [may Allah be his help], the present Headof the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at.

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After reciting tashahhud, ta‘awwudh, and surah al-Fatihah, Hudurrta recited the following verses of the Holy Qur’an:1

Hudurrta said: These verses mean that [The Holy Prophetsa is com-

manded to say]: ‘Can I turn to anyone besides Allah as theJudge? That is, can I seek someone other than God to

1. (al-An‘am, 6:115–118)

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[ 2 ]

decide, when it is He Who has revealed to you the Book,clearly explained?’ And those to whom We gave the Bookknow that it has been sent down from your Lord (i.e. theLord of Muhammadsa) with truth; so, O ye people, be notof those who doubt. And the Word of your Lord hasreached its perfection in truth and justice. Nobody has thepower to change these words and therefore, these wordswill never be changed. And God is All-Seeing and All-Knowing.

Concerning the majority, Allah says:

And if you obey the majority of those on earth, they willlead thee astray from Allah’s way.

[God says] they follow nothing but conjecture, and they donothing but make excuses and follow superstition. OProphetsa, your Lord knows best those who have goneastray from His way, and He knows best those who arerighteous.

Baseless Propaganda About the Numerical Majority

These and many other verses of the Holy Qur’an state veryclearly that when distinguishing right from wrong or truthfrom falsehood, the majority decision is meaningless. Moreoften than not, the majority is wrong; therefore, most ofthe time when following the majority one is led astray. To



[ 3 ]

believe something just because it is what the majoritybelieves is a grave mistake, for there are other ways to dis-tinguish between right and wrong.

However, at the end of the White Paper published by thegovernment of Pakistan, it proudly claimed and publicisedto the world that: ‘We have a majority in numbers againstAhmadiyyah Jama‘at—a majority of the general public,and a majority in the National Assembly. In fact, the con-sensus to declare Ahmadis non-Muslims has thus resolveda hundred year old issue once and for all. The fact that weall agree proves that Ahmadis are wrong and so we need noother proof.’

A Majority in Numbers and the ‘Great Multitude’

The fact is that agreement on a matter by both the peopleand the ulema [religious scholars] does not make it the‘Great Multitude’ which had been mentioned by the HolyProphet Muhammadsa.

Renowned ulema and past Islamic elders from Hadrat‘Alira to the present time have openly expressed the viewthat, as far as the sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa

on the subject of ‘Great Multitude’ are concerned, it isincorrect to say that ‘Great Multitude’ means the opinionof a majority of the ulema and general population. It iswrong to think that this point of view concerning themajority is necessarily correct. On the contrary, Hadrat



[ 4 ]

‘Alira said, ‘if you are alone but righteous then you are theonly one worthy of being followed.’ [In this case] the rest ofthe majority should be ignored. Hadrat Imam Razi, HadratIbn-e-Taymiyyah, Hadrat Imam Ibn-e-Qayyim and manyother godly scholars have raised this issue one afteranother, and have asserted that a numerical majority playsno role in discerning truth. They declare without hesitationthat if an individual is alone but is on the right path, thenhe alone is worthy of being considered the ‘Great Multi-tude’ and there can be no other ‘Great Multitude.’ Despitethis, the opponents of Ahmadiyyat claim that due to theirmajority in numbers and the fact that the AhmadiyyahMuslim Jama‘at is a mere minority, a grand consensus hasbeen reached which has been stamped by the seal ofapproval of Islam. This is absolutely wrong.

Decision of the Assembly Does Not Bear the Stamp of Shari‘ah

…I want to now draw your attention to the fact thatanother White Paper has also been published by the cur-rent government, but against the same National Assemblyof whose majority decision they are proud of! What doesthe current government think about the members of theNational Assembly whose united decision is being pre-sented as bearing the seal of shari‘ah? To read the storiesabout them in the White Paper is amazing. It has been



[ 5 ]

divided into three parts according to different subjects. Thefirst part is about Mr. Zulfiqar ‘Ali Bhutto and his favouriteministers. In it, it speaks of the character, Islamic standings,as well as morality and actions of each of them and dis-cusses them name by name. It is a horrifying story. I cannotpresent the details of the way the administration (the sameadministration that has published the White Paper againstus) has elaborately presented allegations regarding theIslamic status of the people who are credited with this greataccomplishment against Ahmadiyyat. They are veryembarrassing to read, but because of necessity, I will haveto present you a few examples.

Acts Contrary to Decency and Dignity

I do not want to delve into the allegations where names arementioned because most of the named people are still alive.If I give out these allegations along with the names then Iwould myself become a part of the mischief. I fundamen-tally disagree with this approach. I do not approve of anygovernment in the world to involve itself in the characterassassination of its own citizens. If these people—the cur-rent administration—had any decency and regard forhuman values, they would have brought those peoplebefore fair and unbiased courts. There should have beenindictments against the accused and then the decisions ofthe courts should have been presented to the world. It is



[ 6 ]

true that in some instances, courts’ decisions becomeinfluenced by outside pressure and lose their significance.However, this is a procedure which does find some credi-bility in the civilised world.

I am completely opposed to the practice of the presentgovernment of starting a character assassination campaignand fabricating heinous crimes against its citizens. There-fore, I will not read the details of the accusations. However,I would like to mention that in this part of the White Paper,along with Bhutto, Maulavi Kauthar Niazi (former Minis-ter of Hajj, Welfare Fund, Charitable Fund, and ReligiousAffairs) is on top of the list. Mumtaz Bhutto—Bhutto’scousin from his paternal uncle’s side—who is still alive, ison the list as well. Ghulam Mustafa Khar, who is also alive,appears prominently on this list. The name of Sadiq Hus-sain Qureshi is also presented with special significance.Then there are Nasrullah Khan Khatak, ‘Abdul Wahid Kat-par, and Jam Sadiq ‘Ali. These are the people who havebeen named and they are accused of atrocious and horrificcrimes. When one gains control of the government, it isone’s duty to take any accusations of criminal behaviour tothe courts, bring indictments and then act according to thedecisions of the court. Allegations and accusations are thetraits of the weak who find themselves helpless becausethey have no control of the government. They are the oneswho take out their frustrations and anger by way of accusa-tions and sarcasm. It is not how governments should act.



[ 7 ]

Therefore, the current administration should have, withdignity, gone to the courts with indictments and thenshould have acted upon the decisions of the courts. Yet, asfar as the current government is concerned, they firmlybelieve that the 1974 National Assembly comprised of indi-viduals with atrocious and horrific character who shouldhave no right to be the representatives of Islam.

The ‘Pious’ Deeds of the So-Called Majority

As far as the Peoples Party is concerned, they were in themajority in the National Assembly. The pictures that havebeen painted of its federal ministers, provincial ministers,members of national and provincial assemblies—withoutnaming any names—is hard to believe. Since no individualis being named here, I do not feel hesitant to describe someof these allegations to you. The nature of the allegations issuch that according to Islamic shari‘ah, the perpetrator andadvertisers of these allegations should receive a minimumsentence of eighty lashes. If the current government is pro-claiming to support the Islamic shari‘ah, it needs to imposethe shari‘ah upon itself before imposing it on others. If anindividual is accused of the crimes mentioned in theirWhite Paper, then, unless four witnesses testify to the accu-racy of the accusations and the accusations are duly con-firmed, as an Islamic government it is under obligation toimpose a sentence of eighty lashes on the accusers. In the



[ 8 ]

eyes of the current government, the religious status of themembers of the Peoples Party is described as follows:

They are addicted to alcohol and adultery and,according to some sources, are involved in the damn-ing habits of (an obscene word omitted). On a returnflight with the delegation he asked the air hostess fortwo bottles of whisky and when the air hostess pro-vided him with the bottles he attempted to have hisway with her. However, the air hostess rejected hisadvances. (White Paper, Bhutto ka Daur-e-Hukumat,vol. 3, p. 182)

Such are the ways of the prominent leaders of the NationalAssembly who declared Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at to benon-Muslim and this is the same declaration that the cur-rent government is proudly presenting to the world.

About another individual... it is stated:

He accumulated wealth through illegal means afterthe 1970 elections and his special confidant is a dan-gerous smuggler. (White Paper, Bhutto ka Daur-e-Hukumat, vol. 3, p. 183)

About a different individual... it is stated:

Since his youth, open sexual relationships have beenthe hallmark of his character. He is rapidly movingtowards sexual perversion. He marries women withgreat shamelessness and then divorces them to adornthe houses of ill fame.



[ 9 ]

Just imagine, the White Paper issued by this governmenthas shamelessly embarked on an audacious and immoralact of character assassination against its own citizens. Thestatement about divorced women and how they were left toadorn the houses of ill fame is a disgusting and horrificaccusation. Under a truly Islamic government the accuserswould deserve a punishment of eighty lashes each. Irre-spective of the facts, they [the government of Pakistan]would not have published these things unless they believedthem to be true, we have no qualms about what theybelieve to be true or the many things that have beenbrought to their attention. We only want to tell them thatthis is the opinion that you yourselves hold about theIslamic status of the members of the National Assemblywhich declared the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at as non-Muslim—a declaration which you hail as the resolution ofthe hundred year old issue.

That is not all. It is further stated that these people weremurderers and supporters of murderers. It is stated thatone individual not only assisted murderers but was alsoinvolved in getting the cases against them dismissed. Addi-tionally, it is stated about him that he was involved inobtaining illegal licenses for handguns and other firearms.It is written that he also stole from the poor, widows, andorphans by exerting his influence in private courts. He issaid to have also extorted huge sums of money from con-tractors and industrialists, and then disrupted their work



[ 10 ]

by putting roadblocks in their way. He is also written aboutas being a drunkard, criminal, extortionist and pirate.

The people whose accounts I am presenting belong tothe majority People’s Party. Such is the picture that hasbeen painted about them in the White Paper.

Conduct of the Opposition Party

As far as the members of the Opposition are concerned,one may assume that they might have been spared suchaccusations. But, in the opinion of the current government,the members of the Opposition were just as rotten as themembers of the People’s Party. In the same White Paperthat is being mentioned above, the characters of somemembers of the Opposition are also presented. It is statedabout one of them:

Addicted to bragging and boasting, he considers him-self to be the only one equivalent in leadership to thePrime Minister. He is without any principles andconscience. Unfortunately, due to a lack of well edu-cated people in our nation, he has attained a moreimportant position at the national level than his realworth. (Bhutto ka Daur-e-Hukumat, vol. 3, p. 184)

That is to say that the condition of the Majority andMinority are the same. There is such a shortage of qualifiedpeople that, though the Majority Party is corrupt, there areno qualified people left in the Minority Party either. This,



[ 11 ]

in turn, has led to a rise on the national stage of these delin-quent characters.

About another member of the Opposition, it is written:

His rebellious and his covert activities are wellknown. Nobody dare say anything without facingreprisals. He is involved in all kinds of illegal andillicit activities.

About still another member of the Opposition, it is written:

Financially weak, greedy, boastful and covetous ofcheap publicity, he has established illegitimate sexualrelations with… [the ellipsis is given to suggest thatthe name of a specific person is being omitted.](Bhutto ka Daur-e-Hukumat, vol. 3, p. 185)

One is amazed at the language used by these people. Nor-mally, one would expect such words to be used by maulavis.For a government to use such language in a White Paperbearing the stamp of an official document is mind-bog-gling. It shows what their own character is, the criteria theyuse in judging others, the respect they give to the shari‘ah,and how they play dirty games in the name of the shari‘ah.

It is amazing that the authors of the White Paper con-sider these Assembly members to be of such depraved andevil character, that they are advertising their ill deeds sowidely; and yet, they feel so proud that God Almightygranted them the ability to solve a hundred year old prob-lem, as if they are saying that ‘they achieved a grand success



[ 12 ]

in making a decision, under shari‘ah, which the most emi-nent scholars could not achieve.’

About another member of the Opposition it is writtenthat he has committed murders for trivial reasons. Otheraccusations [made against the members of the Oppositionparty] are that they are: holders of illegitimate permits andagencies, smugglers, abusers of custom officers [no actionhas been taken by the custom officers involved], and abusersof women.

The accusations abound. The Assembly is a representa-tive of the people. If the character of the members of theAssembly are so depraved, one wonders what they believeto be the character of the nation?

How deplorable is the character of the government! It ispresenting to the world a decision by its Assembly—whileforgetting that it had published another White Paper aboutthe same Assembly.

Chip Off the Old Block

That is not all. Some members of the Assembly aredescribed as agents of foreign powers, being involved innefarious activities and schemes against the country,opportunists, and drunkards. The government describesthese people as the lowest of the low, yet very proudlyclaims that they have declared Ahmadis to be non-



[ 13 ]

Muslims and that their decision is in accordance with theshari‘ah because they constitute a ‘Great Multitude’.

‘Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ileihi Raji‘un.’

Irrespective of whether their accusations are right orwrong, when they themselves have brought up such accu-sations, how can they still call the decision a valid consen-sus? They should have been ashamed of calling thesecriminals as representing the faith of the Holy Prophetsa.They should have learnt a lesson from Imam Bukharirta.

An Example from the Lovers of the Holy Prophetsa

It is written about Hadrat Imam Bukharirta that he was on ajourney in a boat with a large sum of gold coins in a bag.Another person on the boat, who was watching him closely,had obtained information about how much the bag con-tained. When the journey began, this person shouted thathis bag of gold coins was missing and stolen, and it con-tained so many gold coins. The captain of the boat ordereda search. No bag of gold coins was found. Later, that manapproached Hadrat Imam Bukharirta and confessed that hehad tried to acquire his bag of gold coins illegally but wascurious as to what happened to the bag. Hadrat ImamBukharirta said that he threw it in the river. He said that hecollected and safeguarded the sayings of the Holy Prophet



[ 14 ]

Muhammadsa and he did not feel that even a false allega-tion should be made against him, as it would underminehis legitimacy. A custodian of the sayings of the HolyProphet Muhammadsa should be entirely blameless. Whatis the worth of gold coins?

Such were the people who truly loved the Holy ProphetMuhammadsa. He [Hadrat Imam Bukharirta] did not hesi-tate for a minute to sink into the river his entire belongingswhich he had accumulated over his lifetime, as he couldnot permit that any question be raised about the validity ofthe sayings of the Holy Prophetsa or the character of a ser-vant of the Holy Prophetsa.

Height of Shamelessness and Immorality

The present government of Pakistan feels no shame inexposing the members of the National Assembly by writ-ing such gory details about them. In other countries evenif 1/100th of such accusations are made, they wouldresign from their seats. In the USA, when the Watergateepisode was exposed, there was great hue and cry. Peoplewere jailed and the President had to resign. This was notan Islamic state but these people showed some element ofhonour and decency. But, look at the character of a gov-ernment which calls itself Islamic. After having exposedthese people, this government calls them, God forbid,



[ 15 ]

true servants of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa fordeclaring Ahmadis as non-Muslim!

The government could have found some excuse for pre-senting their decision if it had said that: ‘We are evil-minded and have brought about false allegations’. But, evenif they were pious and holy, their decision to call Ahmadisas non-Muslim would be invalid under the shari‘ah,because matters dealing with faith are not decided in thismanner.

The Validity of the So-Called Majority in the Eyes of the Ulema

What the National Assembly did in 1974 is a shining proofof the truth of Ahmadiyyat. It is rare to find such a glorioussign as I will discuss later. Let me first put forth what theulema of these people have said about the so-calledmajority.

Syed ‘Ata’ullah Shah Bukhari said:

We will not subjugate ourselves to the so-calledmajority as we know them to be wrong. (SwanehHayat-e-Bukhari, p. 11, Akhbar Zamzam, Lahore,April 30, 1939).

The leader of Deobandi sect Maulavi Ashraf ‘Ali Thanwi says:

In our times democracy is being touted as superior topersonal leadership. What the majority says goes.



[ 16 ]

One of my friends made a very fine point.... (Monthlyal-Balagh, Karachi, July 1976. p. 59)

Indeed the point he made is very fine, but it would be a sur-prise if any maulavi comprehended it. Nevertheless, theMaulavi Sahib being quoted had the nobility of hearing avalid point and passing it on. The fine point mentioned byhis friend is as follows.

He said that even if we understand the meaning ofGreat Multitude to mean a simple majority, it is stillnot applicable to all times and ages. It refers to thetime of the Holy Prophetsa and the three centuriesthat passed after him. (Ibid.)

That is to say, the ‘Great Multitude’ mentioned by the HolyProphetsa refers to the majority of the Muslims during thetime which, according to the Holy Prophetsa, was theperiod of righteousness, truthfulness, and light. The HolyProphetsa himself declared it to be the best of times. That isto say, his time and the time of the next two generations ofMuslims. These three are the periods of light. After thatdarkness was destined to prevail.

The quotation continues:

In those times a simple majority was the Great Multi-tude. In other times:

‘then falsehood would spread’



[ 17 ]

indicates a simple majority would not be the GreatMultitude because most people in these times wouldbe involved in mischief. (Ibid.)

In other words the best of times does not refer to the periodin which, according to the Holy Prophetsa himself,falsehood would spread. This is a very valid and cogentpoint, which cannot be questioned. The Holy Prophetsa didtalk about the ‘Great Multitude’, but at the same time, healso pointed out that the best of times is limited to threeperiods or generations. After that, falsehood and spiritualdarkness would start spreading. To draw a valid conclusionfrom the opinions of the masses during this period is abaseless attempt.

The quotation continues:

This was an important and valid point expressed bymy friend and I concur with it. (Ibid.)

Prophecy About the Righteous Sect

This point [about the time of the ‘Great Multitude’ beinglimited to the time of the Holy Prophetsa and the three gen-erations after him] is indeed valid and useful. But, it is use-ful for us and not for our opponents. The majority ofpeople that were to live during the time that the Holy



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Prophet Muhammadsa called the time of lying and deceitare described as the following:

It is related by ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr that the HolyProphetsa said that my ummah [followers] will gothrough the same stages as Bani-Isra’il [people ofIsrael—followers of Mosesas] did. The similarities willbe very striking, like one shoe of a pair has to theother. So much so that if a person from among theBani-Isra’il committed an offence against his mother,a similar unfortunate one would also be found in myummah. Bani-Isra’il split up into seventy-two sects.My people will split up into seventy-three sects. Withthe exception of one sect, all others will be bound forHell. The Companionsra asked as to who these righ-teous people or sect would be. The Holy Prophetsa

replied that these would be the people who wouldtruly follow him [Holy Prophetsa]and his Compan-ions (Tirmadhi, Abwab-ul-Iman babo Iftiraq-e-hadhihil Ummate, vol. 2, p. 88–89)

So the demeanour and beliefs of the righteous group wouldbe similar to the Holy Prophetsa and his Companionsra.



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Definition of a Muslim According to Imam of the Wahhabis

The hadith narrated above is significant because thepresent regime in Pakistan belongs to Wahhabi [also calledAhl-e-Hadith] Group. The Imam of this group who is alsoconsidered a reformer of the 12th century, Hadrat ImamMuhammad Bin ‘Abdul Wahhab, was a renowned holyman. He wrote, referring to the previously quoted hadith,as follows:

That my Ummah will be divided into seventy threesects, all of them will be in fire, except one.

Then he says:

This point is one of the most significant points.Then he continues:

People of understanding should know that the mean-ing of this statement is that the one sect that is boundfor Heaven is the one that is cal led Muslim.(Mukhtasar Sirat Rasulullah Sallallaho ‘Alaihi Wa Sal-lam p. 18, by Imam Muhammad bin ‘Abdul-Wahhab,published in Cairo).

In other words, the matter of seventy-two out of seventy-three sects being hell-bound and only one deserving Para-dise is so important that he who understands it is a true



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scholar. Only one who acts upon this admonition alone is aMuslim, for Imam ‘Abdul Wahhab has raised this matter tothe definition of a Muslim.

According to him the issue that the Holy Prophetsa hasraised in this hadith is so critical that a Muslim is only hewho believes the prophecy which states that when theummah is divided into seventy-three sects, seventy-two willbe hell-bound and only one will achieve salvation.

Prophecy About a Prophecy

Hadrat Imam Mulla ‘Ali Qari, who has written a commen-tary on Mishkat [a book of Ahadith] and who is a recogn-ised authority in the Hanafi Sect, writes with reference tothis hadith:

These seventy-two sects, all of them will be in the fire.The righteous ones will be those who truly follow theHoly Prophetsa and are firmly established on the pureAhmadiyyah doctrine. (Mirqatul-Mafatih’-SharahMishkat, vol. 1, p. 248)

Look at the understanding of this imam. How clearly heexplains this hadith and emphasises that the sect ofMuhammad (Muhammadiah Sect) would be theAhmadiyyah sect and none other.



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The Righteous Sect in the Eyes of Shi‘ ah Muslims

All Muslim sects accept this hadith, but declare themselvesto be the seventy-third sect. A Shi‘ah leader referring to thishadith writes:

Shi‘ah consider that the leader of the righteous, Lionof Allah, Hadrat ‘Alira son of Abu Talib to be the truekhalifah after the Holy Prophetsa. We also believe thatfrom his progeny, one after another, there were eleventrue imams and khulafa’ (successors to the HolyProphetsa) till the coming of Imam Mahdi in the Lat-ter Days. But, the other seventy-two sects believe ‘AbuBakr to be the first khalifah, then ‘Umar, followed by‘Uthman, followed by ‘Ali (on them be peace).

After mentioning other differences he goes on to say:

To sum up: in all matters—whether of a fundamentalnature or relating to details—the Shi‘ah sect stands outas different from others. It cannot be joined with themin any way, because of the significant differences on fun-damental matters as well as in details. For this reason, allIslamic sects oppose Shi‘ahs. But, according to theabove-mentioned hadith, this sect is righteous andbound for Heaven. (Fatawa Ha’iri, vol. 2, Az Ifadat-e-‘Aliyah Hujjatil-Islam Wal-Muslimin Sadril MufassirinSultanil-Muhadditin Muhyil Millati Wad-Din Ra’isish-Shari‘ati Madarish-Shari‘te Nabade Dahr Hakimil-Ummatin-Najiyyah Sarkare Shari‘at Madar Shamsil-‘Ulama’ ‘Allamah Sayyed al-Ha’iri Sahib Qiblah Mujta-hidul ‘Asri Wazzaman, edition. 3, part. 2, pp. 5–6)



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The Heaven-Bound Sect will be in the Minority

Till yesterday, these people believed this hadith to be true.Their only contention was who amongst them was the righ-teous sect or the seventy-third sect as mentioned in the hadith.

A well-known organ of Jama‘at-e-Islami, Tarjaman-ul-Qur’an, accepts this hadith and goes on to say:

In Islam it is not considered that if a majority agreeson something it makes it right and valid. This major-ity is not a Great Multitude. For a crowd of people ora group of maulavis to come together on an issuedoes not make it right… this meaning is amplifiedand supported by the hadith narrated by Hadrat‘Abdullah Bin ‘Umarra: ‘Bani-Isra’il was split up intoseventy-two sects. My people will split up into sev-enty-three sects. All of them will be Hell-boundexcept one. People asked him who these peoplewould be. The Holy Prophetsa said that ‘they wouldfollow my way and the way of my Companions.’

Further it is written in Tarjaman-ul-Qur’an:

This sect will not be in a majority nor will it claimthat majority is a proof of validity or of being on theright. It would be one of the seventy-three sects, andin this world they would be like outsiders and differ-ent. As it was said:

‘Islam started in poverty and will once again revert topoverty. So glad tidings to the poor’.



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It is our sect which is different and we are the outsiders.Allah be praised that He has caused our enemies to saythings in our favour. Allah the Almighty caused those whocurse us to use phrases which really entitle us to the mercyof Allah. They had to admit and confirm for us the honourdestined for us. As the Holy Prophetsa had stated, Islamstarted with the poor and will be poor again:

Therefore, it is a good news for the poor, i.e., those whohad to leave their homes and migrate for the sake of Islamand would therefore be called poor.

Further in this article in Tarjaman-ul-Qur’an it is written:

In this hadith there is no support for the contention ofthose people who consider themselves the righteoussect under the protection of Allah... because they are inmajority. The hadith mentions two characteristics ofthis Jama‘at. One, they would be in their ways similarto the Holy Prophetsa and his Companions. Second,they would be a very small minority. (Tarjaman-ulQur’an September, October. 1945, vol. 27, no. 3–4, pp.175–176 compiled by Syed Abul A‘la Maududi)

The Calamity that Hit Pakistan

You must remember this wel l . The Holy ProphetMuhammadsa prophesised that his ummah will split up intoseventy-two sects and there will appear a seventy-thirdJama‘at which will be on the right path. This means the other



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seventy-two will be bound for the fire in Hell. There is onlyone group that will be righteous and that would be a Jama‘at.

Until recently, all our foes believed in this hadith. Therewas no exception. On September 7, 1974, the calamity thathit Pakistan was that our enemies, in their maliciousattempt to malign and disgrace Ahmadiyyah MuslimJama‘at, also maligned, God forbid, the Holy ProphetMuhammadsa. By their words and actions, they claimedthat this hadith was not true and whatever our holy menhad said in the past about this hadith was also untrue.According to them, the reverse is true. Seventy-two sectsare right and one is wrong. They put forth this opinionvery proudly and the present government also emphasizesit in the White Paper. They go against the words of the HolyProphet Muhammadsa with great impunity despite repeatedwarnings by the Imam of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘atto refrain from this and not to invite the wrath of Allah bygoing against the words of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa.They have in essence revolted against the Holy ProphetMuhammadsa and are therefore non-Muslim themselves.By dint of their ill-formed majority, they continue todemand increasing punitive measures against the Ahmadis.

Spite and Malice of the Opponents of Ahmadiyyat

The opponents of Ahmadiyyat cannot vilify Ahmadisunless they defy this hadith. One would note that earlier in



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history they said the same thing. Maulavi Akhtar ‘Ali Khan,son of Maulavi Zafar ‘Ali Khan, said the following veryproudly in 1952:

Our action has resulted in a consensus of opinion forthe second time in the last thirteen hundred years.Today, the seventy-two sects are united against Mirza ofQadian. Hanafi, Wahhabi, Deobandi, Brailavi, Shi‘ah,Sunni, Ahl-e-Hadith and all their ulema and scholarshave united in demanding that Mirzais are non-Muslim and should be called a non-Muslim minority.(Newspaper Zamindar, Nov. 5, 1952 p. 2, col. 6)

God Has His Own Ways of Dealing with Such People

In 1974, when the National Assembly of Pakistan carriedout this heinous act of declaring the Ahmadis non-Muslim,they proudly presented the fact of the unity of the seventy-two sects in reaching this decision, not realizing that theirown statements would go against them. God has His ownways. As the Holy Qur’an says:2

They would deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceivenone but themselves…

The statement in the newspaper Nawa-e-Waqt, on Oct. 6,1974, p. 4, bears this out. We read:

2. (al-Baqarah, 2:10)

. . .



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In the entire history of Islam, we have never seen suchunity among the Muslims. In this unity we have allthe ulema, scholars, political leaders and the ‘holymen’ of the various groups who have given theirstamp of approval of this decision. With the exceptionof the Qadiani sect, all the seventy-two sects generallyknown amongst the Muslims have willingly united inthis decision. (Nawa-e-Waqt, Oct. 6, 1974, p. 4)

The decree of Allah is such that by citing the concept ofseventy-two sects on one side, and Ahmadiyyat as the onlyone on the other side, they have, in essence, condemnedthemselves according to the hadith cited earlier. By God, ifthey are seventy-two and we are one, then the proclama-tion of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa will hold true nomatter what they do. There is no one who can over-ride theproclamation of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa.

Remember that Sept. 7, 1974 will go down in history asa day of infamy for our opponents. For Ahmadiyyat, it wasthe day that new life was breathed into it. Having united inthis decision, our opponents fulfilled the hadith and theprophecy of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa.

By joining in this decision, you [the Government ofPakistan] have determined with your own hands that theprophecy of the Holy Prophetsa has been fulfilled. Since youbelied the decision of the Holy Prophetsa, the prophecy wasfulfilled with greater glory. Your behaviour proves that you



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are liars, because you reached a conclusion which is totallyat odds with the decision of the Holy Prophetsa.

The Beginning of a Great Victory

In summary, this is your majority and the status of yourmajority. We do not care at all for that majority which theHoly Prophet Muhammadsa did not care for. You have triedto break our ties with the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, butthrough your actions, our ties have become permanentlycemented to the Holy Prophetsa. If, God forbid, you areright and the Holy Prophetsa is wrong, we would muchrather side with the Holy Prophetsa than you. You may callus liars, but we are tied to the Holy Prophetsa. If you willcall us truthful, then of course that is what we are. Yourown actions have put you in a quagmire and you have noway out. The day that all of you, without exception, unitedto declare Ahmadis non-Muslim—defying the writings ofyour elders—was the day that God began the process forthe great victory of Ahmadiyyat. We are pleased with that.

Allah humma salle ‘ala Muhammadin wa ale Muhamma-din wa barik wa sallim innaka Hamidum Majid.3

3. Bless, O Allah Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammadand grant them prosperity and security. Your are indeed thePraiseworthy, the Glorious.



Glossary of Important Terms

�Allah—Allah is the personal name of God in Islam. To

show proper reverence to Him, Muslims often addTa‘ala, ‘the Most High’, when saying His Holy name.

Ahmadi Muslim or Ahmadi— A m e m b e r o f t h eAhmadiyyah Muslim Community.

Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at—(Also Ahmadiyyah)The Community of Muslims who accept the claims ofHadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian as thePromised Messiah and Mahdi. The Jama‘at establishedby Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, now lead by his fifthKhalifah, Hadrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad [may Allah behis help].

Hadith—A saying of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa.The plural is ahadith.

Hadrat—A term of respect used for a person of estab-lished righteousness and piety.

Holy Prophetsa—A term used exclusively for HadratMuhammadsa, the Prophet of Islam.



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Holy Qur’an—The Book sent by Allah for the guidance ofmankind. It was revealed to the Holy Prophetsa over aperiod of 23 years.

Hudur—Your Holiness; His Holiness.

Imam—The Arabic word for a leader. The head of theAhmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at is also referred to as theImam.

Jama‘at—Jama‘at means community. Although the wordJama‘at itself may refer to any community, in this book,Jama‘at specifically refers to the Ahmadiyyah MuslimJama‘at.

Khalifatul Masih II—Hadrat Khalifatul Masih II (1889–1965), Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra. He isalso called Musleh-e-Mau‘ud (the Promised Reformer)because he was born in accordance with the prophecymade by the Promised Messiahas in 1886 regarding thebirth of a righteous son who would be endowed withspecial abilities, attributes, and powers.

Khalifatul Masih IV—Hadrat Khalifatul Masih IV, MirzaTahir Ahmadrta (1928–2003) was the fourth successorand a grandson of the Promised Messiahas, the Founderof the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at, Hadrat MirzaGhulam Ahmad.

Mahdi— ‘The Guided One’. This is the title given by theHoly Prophetsa to the awaited Reformer of Latter Days.



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Maulavi, Mulla or Maulana—A Muslim religious cleric.

Promised Messiah—The Founder of the AhmadiyyahMuslim Jama‘at, Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas ofQadian, India, who made his claim in fulfilment of theprophecies of the Holy Prophetsa regarding the coming ofa Mahdi and Messiah from among the Muslims.

Sahib—A term of respect, similar to the diversity ofEnglish terms like mister or sir.

Sunnah—Traditions/Practices of the Holy ProphetMuhammadsa.

Surah—Arabic word for designating the chapters of theHoly Qur’an.

Ulema—A class of Muslim scholars.

Ummah—The larger community of Muslims.



A Great Victory for Ahmadiyyat

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