Islam and Qadiyanism (” Ahmadiyya Movement “) Compared

The Institute of Islamic Information & Education
Brochure No. 28

So called, Ahmadiya Movement in Islam, commonly known among the Muslims as Qadiyaniyat (or Qadiyanism) or Mirzaiyat was started in the 1880s by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadiyan in the Punjab province of India, then a British colony. The British supported such a schism among Muslims because it fitted their method of divide and rule. Since this early period, the Western powers, in general, British, American and the Israelis, in particular, have been very supportive of Qadiyanism. However, the West is coming to realize that Qadiyanism is not popular among Muslims, since Pakistan declared them to be non-Muslims. Even the Pakistani Supreme Court entered into the act at the initiation of Qadiyanis (the followers of Qadiyanism) and rendered its verdict in favor of the government, after a long process of litigation. In early 1996, the government of South Africa followed the suit and declared Qadiyanism not to be labelled as Islam.

Some of the differences between Qadiyanism and Islam are given below.

1. Finality of the Prophethood: In the light of the Qur’an and many sayings of the Prophet Muhammad(S) and a fourteen century old consensus among all Islamic scholars of repute, Muslims believe that Muhammad(S) Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdulmuttalib who lived fourteen centuries ago was the last prophet and messenger chosen by Allah, the Only True God.

However, Ahmadis (Qadiyanis) reject this truth and claim that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was also a Prophet. There is a group among Qadiyanis who call themselves “Ahmadis of Lahore” who claim that Ghulam Ahmad was not a prophet but “the Promised Messiah or Al-Masih Al-Maw’oud” but this is using a back door and deception as shown below, item No. 2.

2. Interpretation of the Qur’an: Muslims believe that the Qur’an is the Book of Allah, His Word, and Hadith is its interpretation and implementation in practice by the Prophet Muhammad(S). Qur’an can be understood only in the light of Hadith and further explained by Prophet Muhammad’s companions and their followers. Any contradiction with their understanding is misguidance and heresy and makes one an apostate (murtad).

Qadiyanis reject the main body of interpretation and understanding of the Qur’an and Hadith and accept the authority of Ghulam Ahmad because they believe that he is a chosen prophet of Allah. Ahmadis of Lahore say that Ghulam Ahmad was not a prophet but the Promised Messiah and take Mirza as the sole authority to explain and interpret the Qur’an and Hadith which gives him authority to abrogate certain laws of Islam and invent new laws. According to the Muslims the position of both, Qadiyanis (believers in the prophethood of Ghulam Ahmad) and Ahmadis of Lahore, are identical and both are heretics and blaspheme the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad(S).

3. Appointment of Prophets: In the light of the teachings of the Qur’an, Muslims believe that Allah appoints his chosen human beings to the position of prophethood suddenly without any gradual ascendancy. It has been the understanding of all Islamic scholars that all messengers were also prophets but all prophets were not messengers; a prophet has a lower position than a messenger. If someone was not a prophet, he was certainly not a messenger. Moses(A.S.) and Muhammad(S) were not prophets one day and were told the next day of their appointment. They did not rise through the positions of a reformer to a prophet.

Ghulam Ahmad Qadiyani became a debater and a writer in the early 1880s. Then, he claimed to be a reformer (musleh) and a revivalist (mujaddid). His next claim in ascendancy was to be the Mehdi (a divinely guided one who was supposed to come at the turn of each centuy) and Al-Masih al-Maw’oud (the Promised Messiah). Next, he claimed that he was a shadow prophet within the shadow of the Prophet Muhammad(S). Finally, in 1901 he claimed himself to be a full-fledged prophet of God.

4. Revelations (wahy) from Allah: The implicit belief in a prophet is that he receives revelations (wahy) from Alah. The end of prophethood means the end of divine revelations. Ghulam Ahmad Qadiyani claimed that he received many revelations in Urdu, Arabic and English languages. Even he saw in his dream or vision God as a white British man. Muslims believe that wahy comes only to prophets but Qadiyanis believe that any righteous person may receive wahy.

5. The nature of prophecies: Prophet Muhammad(S) made several prophecies in addition to those in the Qur’an. Many of his prophecies have proven true and many more are yet to be proven true. On the other hand, it was the nature of Ghulam Ahmad to claim that he made a prophecy after an event had occurred and show to the world that his prophecy had come true. Some of the time, he made prophecies of general type, such as, rain will fall, earthquake will come, plague will spread, death will meet someone, etc., without setting the time and place of such occurrences. In such crooked ways he and his followers claim that hundreds of his prophecies had come true. When Muslims examined his prophecies closely they found that he was proven wrong every time, for example, his marriage to his beloved lady, Muhammadi Begum, birth of boys and the death of his critics. A close scrutiny of his precisely identifiable prophecies show that Allah had determined to prove that Ghulam Ahmad was an imposter, liar and was running his mission against the Muslim Ummah and Allah Himself.

6. Position of jihad: Jihad or striving utmost in the way of Allah is a teaching given in the Qur’an for all time to come. No one has any authority but Allah to abrogate His orders. Ghulam Ahmad declared that jihad was abolished for all time to come. However, his own successors reestablished jihad, yet they continue to fool the West that they are pacifists. They play the game on both sides; when facing Muslims they present the teachings of his son that jihad is alive, and, when facing the Western governments and the media, they present the teachings of Ghulam Ahmad that jihad was and is abrogated. The fact is that Pakistani armed forces are full of Qadiyani soldiers and officers from lowest ranks to generals. How is it possible for pacifists to be in an army? Are they truly soldiers fighting for their country or are they in the army for sabotage? Who are they fooling?

7. The position of Jesus(S)According to the Qur’an Jesus was a great prophet and a messenger of Allah, performed many miracles and was raised to heavens by the Will of Allah. Ghulam Ahmad accepts Jesus as a prophet, however, he denies all major miracles of Jesus mentioned in the Qur’an and his ascension to the heavens. Ghulam Qadiyani claims that Jesus escaped from Palestine, got married, had children, died at the age of 120 years and was buried in Kashmir, a Muslim majority state under Indian occupation. This is heresy in Islam.

8. Corruption of the meaning of the Qur’an: Muslims take the understanding of the Qur’an from the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad(S), consensus of his companions and commentary of their followers. Ghulam Ahmad and his followers corrupted the meaning of the Qur’an at many places. For example, the last verse of Surah Al-Fatiha has the wording, ghayril maghdoobi ‘alayhim waladdalleen which means not from those who deserved Allah’s wrath nor those who went astray. Qadiyani interpretation is that not from those who denied the prophethood of Ghulam Ahmad, criticized him and called him names. Another example is verse 4 of Surah Al-Baqarah where the word Aakhirat comes. The Islamic interpretation of Aakhirat is the life hereafter; however, Qadiyani interpretation is future revelations, particularly those supposedly received by Ghulam Ahmad, totally out of context and in violation of all the rules of the Arabic language. Another example is that of Dhul Qarnayn in the last part of Surah Al-Kahf. He claims that he is the Dhul Qarnayn because he lived during the change of centuries in Hijrah, Christian and Hindu calendars. However, he does not explain why every one who lives at the time of change of centuries cannot be called Dhul -Qarnayn. There are numerous such corrupt interpretations of the Qur’an in his and his followers’ writings.

9. Mehdi and Messiah: According to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad(S), Mehdi, the divinely guided Muslim leader and Messiah are two different personalities. However, Ghulam Ahmad claims to be the Mehdi and the Promised Messiah. There are Ahadith (plural of Hadith) which teach the Muslims that Jesus is the Promised Messiah who will end Christianity and Judaism in the world, kill Dajjal, the great Deceiver, rule according to the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad(S) (also known as Sunnah), establish one world government, bring peace and justice before his death. Ghulam Ahmad, claimed to be the Mehdi and the Promised Messiah yet died without fulfilling any of the prophesies of the Prophet Muhammad.

10. Prophet’s position among his followers: Prophet Muhammad(S) received divine revelations which needed no edit, ring, reviewing or rewriting. He always led Salat, the prescribed prayers and pronounced his decisions in the matters of Shari’ah, no one was needed for consultation.

Ghulam Ahmad frequently prayed behind one or the other of his followers; ask them in the matters of shari’ah (Islamic law) and depend upon their advice. Some of his closest followers were Hakim Nuruddin, Khaja Kamaluddin, Muhammad Ali, Sher Ali, Muhammad Ahsan Amrohi, Yar Muhammad, Abdullah Timapuri, Muhammad Sadiq and his son Mahmud Ahmad. He gave his writings to one or the other of his followers for review and edit. He considered that some of them had more knowledge than himself and addressed them as “my respected master”.

11. Money management: Prophet Muhammad(S) was the most charitable person of his time. During his last few years he had an abundant amount of wealth at his disposal which he used for Allah’s cause, not keeping anything for himself. Despite all the wealth, his wife Ayesha(R) said that for weeks to months no cooking fire was lit in his house because there was nothing requiring cooking; they lived on milk and dates when it became available. Prophet Muhammad was reasonably a rich man at the beginning of his prophethood but after the death of his wife Khadija(R) he lived and died in poverty. In Islam people’s money raised through Zakat and donations is a test of sincerity of a Muslim leader and a reformer. True Muslim leaders do not touch the money raised through Zakat and donations except for bare survival and, if they have to, they will never take enough to build an estate.

Ghulam Ahmad had a very humble beginning with a job which paid him for bare survival but he died very rich leaving behind a large estate for his family and children. Some of his followers accused Ghulam Ahmad of embezzlement and unjustifiably devouring people’s money. The study of Ghulam Ahmad’s relationship with some of his closest associates reveals that he was head of a gang in the business of fooling people to acquire wealth and share among themselves. When one of them did not get his share, he would accuse the leader of unfair devouring of others share.

12. The handling of Zakat and Sadaqah: Prophet Muhammad(S) would not use Zakat and Sadaqah nor would he allow his family and progeny to use it. He would accept only gifts given to him personally. Ghulam Ahmad, despite his claims that he was from the progeny of the Prophet(S) through his grand mothers, consumed Zakat and Sadaqah and these sources contributed to his large estate.

13. Rule under disbelievers: Once Prophet Muhammad(S) established the Islamic rule in Madinah, he defended hard and persistently against all invasions and would not allow the establishment of their beach heads anywhere near his seat of government. He did not stop at that but he continued to remove the rule of disbelievers from the entire Arabian Peninsula. His followers followed his way and established the rule of Allah as far away as it was possible for them.

Ghulam Ahmad and his family fought against Muslims, hand-in-hand with the disbeliever British ruler in the War of Independence of 1857 in India and were proud of their disgraceful acts. In support of the British, Ghulam Ahmad declared war for the removal of the British rule from India as illegal and against the teachings of his Islam. Qadiyanis and Ahmadis, in following the footsteps of the founder of their pseudo-Islamic cult, work hand-in-hand with the governments of the West and their allies including Israel.

14. Islam’s establishment: Islam was established despite the opposition of disbelievers, mushrikoon (those who associate gods with Allah) and munafiqoon (those who give lip service to Islam) continues to grow under similar situation which exists in our times.

Qadiyanism and Ahmadism took birth under the protection of the British rule, a disbeliever anti-Islam government and continues to grow marginally under the protection and tutelage of the West.

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The above information was collected for this brochure from the following sources:

  1. QADIYANIAT, AN ANALYTICAL SURVEY by Ehsan Elahi Zaheer, Idara Tarjuman Al-Islam, Shish Mahal Road, Lahore, Pakistan. (Major source)

  2. MALFOOZAT, MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD QADIYANI (Urdu), published by Mubarak A. Saqi, Additional Nazim Isha’at, 16 Gressenhall Road, London SW18 6QL, U.K.

  3. RUHANI KHAZA’EN, WRITINGS OF MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD QADIYANI (Urdu), published by the same as No. 2.

  4. TAFSEER KABIR (Urdu) by Basheeruddin Mahmud Ahmad, published by the same as No. 2.

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The Institute of Islamic Information & Education
P.O. Box 41129,
Chicago, IL 60641-0129

Tel. (773) 777-7443 * Fax. (773) 777-7199

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