From: gt7242a@prism.gatech.edu (KHAN,RAHEEL)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: The Seal of Prophets: (in response of Mirza Gulam Ahmed...)
Date: 8 Nov 92 15:55:38 GMT
Article-I.D.: lear.721238137
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology



               In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Beneficent

                 MUHAMMAD(SAAWS):  THE SEAL OF PROPHETS
                 -------------------------------------

Assalamu'alaikum:

In his article Zeeshan Hassan writes:

>Question:  Does the Doctrine of Muhammad as the last prophet originate in the
>Qur'an, or does it come from the Hadith sources?

In his repsonse to a Qadiyani's post, Keith Fuller writes:

>Is this like something mystical or something?
>I was under the impression that muslims do not go for that sort of 
>mystical stuff.

I must say that the evil effects of the Ahmadi campaign are manifesting 
themselves.  Both Muslims and non-Muslims are being confused by their 
propoganda.  

In a nutshell, the answer to Mr. Hassan's answer, yes, in fact, the 
fact of the finality of Muhammad's(SAAWS) prophethood is mentioned in the
Qur'an in rather unequivocal terms. (See below for the verse)

In response to Mr. Fuller's question, I can only say that Ahmadis are not
Muslim.  They are considered to be non-Muslims by the consensus of the
scholars because of their refutation of the finality of Muhammad's(SAAWS)
prophethood. So, you are right, Muslims don't go for this kind of stuff!

I thing that the issue is so important that it merits a more detailed explanation.
The same issue has been discussed at length in soc.culture.pakistan, where I posted 
an article in response to some questions that were being raised about Ahmadiyya and 
Islam.  I am including some commonly asked questions and parts of the article that I 
posted on SCP in the hope that it clarifies the issue.

QUESTIONS:

1)  Are Ahmadis Muslims?

2)  Why not? Who has the right to declare them non-Muslims?

3)  Is it not true that Islam does not force peopele into beign Muslims?
    If this is the case than isn't this unfair to declare that the Ahmadis
    are non Muslim?

4)  Don't the Ahmadis forward their claims based upon interpretation of 
    Qur'anic verses?  Don`t they have a right to interpret the Qur'an 
    however they please?  

You cannot discuss any issue without first ascertaining some basic premises.  
Therefore, we must first lay down some general foundations and then proceed to 
discuss the issue at hand.

To avoid confusion, I propose the following assumptions that I think all 
Mulsims should be able to agree on:

      1)  To Allah belongs the sovereignty and the supreme Knowledge.

      2)  Muhammad (SAAWS) was a messenger of Allah and his slave

      3)  The reliable traditions of the Prophet (SAAWS) are the reference
          with which to interpret the Qur'an   

          "And if ye have a dispute concerning any matter, refer it to 
           Allah and his Messenger."      An-Nisa, Quran(4:59)


  In addition to these basic assumptions I would like to also list some of the
basic principles of Islam as a background for this discussion:

     1)  Innovation into religion is tantamount to Apostacy.
         This principle is based on several reliable traditions which are
         accepted by all researchers of Hadith.  The companions of the 
         Prophet(SAW) realized the importance of this principle and the 
         Muslim Khilafat even fought wars against "innovators" (Apostates)

     2)  Muslims must follow that which has been clearly ruled upon by the 
         Prophet (SAW) without introducing innovations in it.

     3)  Issues which arise with the passage of time, or issues which have 
         not been clearly ruled upon by the Prophet (SAW) must be decieded 
         through Consensus (amongst knowlegeable believers), a practice 
         referred to as Ijtehad in Islam. Ijtehad, or Consensus, is also 
         based upon sound, unanimously upheld traditions of the 
         Prophet(SAAWS) and was practiced by the earliest companions of the 
         Prophet(SAAWS) as in the "Apostacy Wars" in the time of Abu Bark 
         (RAA).
 
     4)  Principles that have been established through Consensus 
         are binding upon the Community and may not be changed except in the
         light of irrefutable new evidence which proves that 
         these principle are contrary to Islam.  In other words, to use 
         Western terminology for the purposes of clarity, a strong sense of
         Stare Decisis must be maintained in Jurisprudence.  Once again this
         principle is based on a unanimously agreed upon Tradition of the
         prophet where he warns that the newly introduced in the religion 
         (Deen) is the most unreliable!

         Hadrat Ayesha (RAA) relates that the Holy Prophet(SAAWS) said:
         "If somebody tries to introduce into this faith of ours something
          which is not a part of it, is to be rejected (and that person is
          condemned)"   Transmitted by Muslim and Bukhari

With this background in mind let us examine the issue of declaring Ahmadis
as unbeleivers (Kafirun).  The principle of the finality of the prophethood
of Muhammad (SAAWS) is as old as Islam itself.  Immediately following the 
death of the beloved Prophet (SAAWS), the fledgling Muslim Community faced 
as new threat:  Musaylama, a powerful tribal leader who had declared that he
was a prophet, was dreaming of becoming a successor to Muhammad (SAAWS).  
The Muslim community acted instananeously, preparing for war against the 
imposter.  The Muslims agreed that whosoever denied the finality of 
prophethood of Muhammad (SAAWS), as was declared in the Qur'an was not a Muslim:

           "Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is
            the messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets (Khatamun-
            Nabiyyeen); and Allah is Aware of all things."
                                                  Al-Ahzab, Qur'an(33:40)

There was no disagreement about the interpretation of the verses, nor was 
there any dissent about declaring all those non-Muslims who denied the
finality of his(SAAWS) prophethood!
        This was not the only time war was raged for Apostacy in the early
history of the Khilafa(t).  A tribe of Muslims refused to pay Zakat, declaring
that they would do everything that Islam required except pay Zakat!  Abu 
Bakr, who was the Khalifa, wanted to settle matters peacefully but all of 
the Companions (RAA) adviced him to wage war against these people, since Zakat
is as obligitory on Muslims as is Salat!  Abu Bakr (RAA) took the advice 
of the Companions and waged war against that tribe.
         The point is that the requirements of Faith have been established 
in the Qur'an, and through the Traditions of the Prophet(SAAWS) and through 
the Consensus of the Companions(RAA), and through the consensus of the
Scholars through the ages . They may not be revised at the whim of 
every Tom, Dick or Harry who thinks that they are too stringent.  This is
tantamount to introducing Innovations into the religion which is equated with
apostacy.  
         In addition I would like to point out that Interpretation of the 
Qur'an is not like the interpretation of Homer's "Illiad" or Milton's 
"Paradise Lost", that not  everyone can claim to have the "right" to 
Interpret it "their way"! Is interprting the Qur'an according to one's whim 
not tantamount to introducing Innovations in the religion???  If not than 
what is?  
       The Qur`an cannot be interpretted independently of the Traditions 
of the Prophet(SAAWS) and without giving due regard to the interpretation of 
the long chain of accepted Scholars (Ulema) who understood the Qur'an better 
than most of us are even capable of The Qur'an is a dynamic book, one that 
is a testimony of the veracity of the Prophet`s claim;  It is his Miracle, 
a sign from the Creator of the Heaven's and the Earth.  It's understanding 
is no small task, as it transcends the confines of human comprehension.  

No body can claim to fully understand all the dimensions of the Qur'an, even 
though everyone can understand its literal meaning.  The Qur`an explains 
that there are two types of verses in it:  One type are the verses that are 
clear and the other type are "allegorical"; the believers accept the ones that 
are clear while the "ones who create doubts" argue about the meaning of the 
"allegorical" ones:
       
         "He it is Who hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture
          wherein are clear revelations--They are the substance of the 
          Book--and others (which are allegorical).  But those in whose
          hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical
          seeking (to cause) dissension by seeking to explain it.  None
          knoweth its explanations save Allah. And those who are of sound
          instruction say:  We believe therein; the whole is from our
          Lord; but only men of understanding really heed."
                                             Aal-e-'Imran, Qur'an(3:7)
  
          There are verses in the Qur`an which cannot be understood without
taking the historical facts into account.  There are others which can be 
better appreciated with hind-sight, like the verses about the formation of
the fetus inside the womb.  At no time will we be able to understand all of
the Qur`an perfectly:  if we have hindsight, we lack the historical 
savvy or the belief of the Companions(RAA) who saw the miracle as it unfolded!

In summary let me reiterate some major points:

     1)  The understanding of the Qur`an and its proper interpetation may
         not be carried out without a taking into account the Traditons of
         the Prophet(SAAWS) and the Interpretation of Scholars through the 
         ages as this amounts to introducing innovations (Bida')

     2)  The Qur'an states that Muhammad (SAAWS) is the final Prophet and
         there is no disagreement among Companions of Prophet (RAA) or 
         amongst Scholars  on this issue

     3)  Anyone who violates the basic premises of Faith, as established
         by the Qur'an, and in the Traditions of the prophet and through 
         Consensus of the Companions and Scholars through the ages is not 
         a Muslim.


Having demonstated that interpretation of the Qur'an may not be done according
to the whims of the people and that refutation of the finality of the Prophet-
hood is equivalent to Apsotacy in Islam (by consensus), it seems clear that
Ahmadis are not Muslims.   Let me quote a passager from Mirza Ghulam 
Ahmad's book Tazkiratul Shahadatain that I read on the net:
 
          

      "Hear ye people that God Almighty the Creator of the heavens and earth 
       has foretold me that He will spread the Ahmadiyya Movement for the 
       propagation of Islam in all parts of the world and make Islam 
       triumphant over all other religions through reasons and argument. 
       Remember no one will descend from heaven. And the third century 
       from today will not have completed that all those waiting for Jesus, 
       son of Mary, both Muslims and Christians, will despair of his coming 
       and shall give up that belief the days are approaching, rather at hand,
       that Islam will be the only religion held in esteem by all. Then there
       shall be only one Guide, the Holy Prophet of Islam. I was raised only 
       to sow the seed of the renovation of Islam and I have done it. It shall 
       now grow and flourish nad no one will be able to chech the growth of 
       Islam."

          
          
         After reading this passage the argument that no-one has a right to 
declare that Ahmadis are non-Muslim, an argument that is raised too often by 
sympathizers of the Ahmadi cult, seems at least illogical.  As I have demonstarated
in the above passages there is no doubt about the finality of Muhammad's (SAAWS) 
commission.  Furthermore, It is the right and the duty of a Muslim Community to 
safeguard their religion from "innovations" even to the extent of waging wars.  In 
the situation that Muslims  are in today, where we don't have a Kilafat (state), the 
only thing we can do, on a personal and a collective level is to distance ourselves 
from people who claim to be Muslims but refuse to believe in the most Fundamental 
of the tennents of Islamic Faith.  It is not only in our right but our duty to set 
the record straight and say that  we, Muslims, believe that Muhammad(SAAWS) was 
the final messenger of Allah and whoever claims prophethood after him is a liar and 
his followers are in gross error;  we (Muslims) want no part of their burden on the 
day of Judgement! 

       Hadrat Abu Sa'id Khurdi(RAA) relates that he heard the Holy Prophet
       (SAAWS) saying:  'Anybody amongst you notices something evil, 
       should correct it with his own hands, and if he is unable to do so
       he should prohibit the same with his tongue; if he is unable to even
       do this, he should at least consider it as bad in his heart; this is
       the lowest degree of faith'
                                                transmitted by Muslim

 
	Even in secular countries like America, the rights of the individual
and the rights of the community are balanced.  The freedom of speech does
not include the freedom to Malign.  The freedom of conscience does not 
encompass the freedom to slaughter humans at the alters of gods.  Every 
society must balance rights of the State, the community and the individual 
through laws to function properly.  Our Laws come from the word of Allah,
the Traditions of the Prophet (SAAWS), and the Consensus of Scholars, all
of which is collectively referred to as Shariah.  
        Lets think for a minute, if a terrorist group, calling itself ,Sons and 
Daughters of the American Revolution, started blowing up building in Beirut,
the United States will not distance itself from it?  Of course it will. It would be
illogical, and impracticle to not do so!  Muslim must make all efforts to check the 
spread of misinformation about Islam and thus we all have a resposibilityto put 
Ahmadiyya at its proper place, which is seperate and different from Islam.



All praise is due to Allah, the Sustainer of the Worlds.  If I have said
something that is wrong please, correct me.  If I have said something 
worthwhile, then all prasie be to Allah, who guides.  We are indeed 
in manifest error without his guidance and his help.
 
Raheel Ahmed Khan
 


-- 
KHAN,RAHEEL
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
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