Guidance regarding basic Islamic issues that Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa has given at various occasions in his written correspondence and during various MTA programmes is being officially published below for everyone’s benefit
Zaheer Ahmad Khan, Records Department, Private Secretariat, London
Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya and political rule
Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya USA prepared a set of questions related to tarbiyat matters. One of the questions was as to how the political structure of the world would look like in case of the victory of Ahmadiyyat.
Huzooraa provided guidance regarding this and in his letter dated 26 May 2018, he gave the following reply:
“In Surah al-Hujurat, Allah the Exalted speaks of two governments of the believers who fight against each other, while the rest have been commanded to make peace between them. There is also a prophecy therein that even when Islam will rule the world, there will not be a single global government, but rather various governments.
“Thus, when Ahmadiyyat will prevail in the world by the grace of Allah the Exalted, in terms of political structure, there will be independent governments whose national laws will not clash with Islamic laws, but at that time, matters of politics and faith will be dealt with separately.
“Although there will only be one true Islamic Caliphate on earth and all nations will seek intellectual and spiritual guidance from the Khalifa of that time, but he will not interfere in their political affairs, nor will the Khalifa attack any nation with an army.”
Tashahud and shirk
Someone wrote to Huzooraa asking whether reciting tashahud during Salat and saying:
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَیْکَ أَیُّھَا النَّبِیُّ
“Peace be on you, O Prophet!”, was committing shirk because the words are addressed to a living being.
Huzooraa, in his letter dated 6 June 2018, gave the following reply:
“It is proven by authentic ahadith that this prayer, which is recited in tashahud, was taught to the Companionsra by the Holy Prophetsa himself and he said that when one offers this prayer, this supplication will reach every righteous servant of Allah in the Heavens and the Earth. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Azan)
“In other words, the Holy Prophetsa has himself clarified that this prayer of ours reaches the living, and those who have passed away also receive the blessings of this prayer.
“Therefore, one should not develop any kind of superstition, assuming that the second person pronoun or the vocative particle etc. used in such prayers may be considered shirk because the recipient of those prayers has passed away.
“There is no shirk in this because just as Allah the Exalted has made the air a means of conveying the voice of one person to another in this world, similarly He has made angels the means of conveying our prayers to the deceased in the spiritual world. Therefore, when we go to cemeteries, the supplication that we recite there also begins with:
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَیْکُمْ یَا أَھْلَ الْقُبُورِ
“‘Peace be upon you, O dwellers of the graves!’, which does not mean at all that we are seeing these people or that they are physically present before us.
“Regarding this matter, the Promised Messiahas was asked whether the deceased hear the call of:
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَیْکُمْ یَا أَھْلَ الْقُبُورِ
Upon this, the Promised Messiahas said:
‘Look! It is not as if they respond to the salutation with “Wa alaikumus-salam” [And peace be on you too]; rather, Allah the Exalted conveys the salutation (which is a supplication) to them. Air is a means by which we hear a voice, but it is not the means by which you communicate with the deceased; rather, Allah the Exalted makes the angels the means of conveying “Assalamo alaikum”. The case with Durood Sharif is the same. Angels convey those salutations to the Holy Prophetsa.’ (Al Badr, 16 March 1904)
“Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira explains this matter as follows:
‘In times when feelings of immense love or immense grief occur, one calls those who are not physically present. This does not mean that they are physically present, rather it is an expression of love.’ (Al Hakam, 10 February 1904)”
Women at funeral processions
Huzooraa was asked about women visiting graveyards for funerals and standing behind men or sitting in their cars during the burial. Huzooraa explained this in his letter dated 9 June 2018 as follows:
“From various ahadith, we learn that the Holy Prophetsa had generally advised women against visiting graveyards along with funeral processions, but this was not strictly forbidden. If, for some specific reason, a woman was seen at a funeral, the Holy Prophetsa would ignore it.
“In the pre-Islamic era, excessive mourning over the deceased was a common practice and it was mostly done by women. Islam forbade excessive lamentation and at the same time, women were generally forbidden to go to the graveyard with the deceased so that they may not engage in the [aforementioned] excessive lamentation upon being overwhelmed by emotions at the time of burial.
“Salafi scholars and Islamic jurists have also declared it undesirable for women to visit graveyards along with a funeral procession.
“During the blessed time of the Promised Messiahas and the time of his Khulafa after him, it has generally been the practice that women are allowed to join the funeral prayers with a separate arrangement from the men, but at the time of burial, women are not allowed to come along.
“Therefore, except for special circumstances, women should not go to cemeteries for funerals. If for any reason women have to go to the cemetery during the funeral – as you have written in your letter – they should remain seated in their cars. After the completion of the burial and the funeral, when the men have left, they may pray at the grave.”
Authenticity of Hadith al-Thaqalain
Huzooraa was requested to shed some light on the authenticity of Hadith al-Thaqalain – a narration from the ahadith in which the Holy Prophetsa advised his Ummah to adhere to two “weighty”, or important, means of guidance.
Huzooraa, in his letter dated 29 June 2018, gave the following reply:
“There are two variations [of this hadith] in the books of ahadith. In one, the words:
کِتَابَ اللہِ وَ سُنَّۃَ نَبِیِّہِ
[the book of Allah and the sunnah of His Prophetsa] are used, while in the other, the following words are used:
کِتَابَ اللہِ وَعِتْرَتِی أَھْلَ بَیْتِی
[the book of Allah and my descendants from among my household].
“The narrations which use the words, کِتَابَ اللہِ وَ سُنَّۃَ نَبِیِّہِ are trustworthy and authentic.
“The Holy Quran is in fact the Word of God Almighty, while the sunnah of the Holy Prophetsa is the practical interpretation of that Word. Both are inseparable, complementary and free of any kind of speculation. Those who hold onto both of these i.e. live by their commandments, will never go astray.
“Although the narrations regarding, وَعِتْرَتِی أَھْلَ بَیْتِی have been included in some of the six authentic hadith books [Al-Sihah al-Sittah], Imam Bukharirh did not record them in his Sahih.
“Scholars of hadith have debated much about these narrations, in view of their riwayah as well as dirayah. Moreover, books of Asma al-Rijal – the biographies of hadith narrators – have also taken much exception to the narrators of these narrations and have proven that there must have been someone in the chain of their narrators who was sympathetic towards the Shia point of view.
“The statement of one of the narrators – namely Hazrat Zaidra ibn Arqam – is worthy of consideration. He states, ‘I am old and I have forgotten a lot of what I heard from the Holy Prophetsa.’
“Another narrator is Hazrat Jabirra bin Abdullah. Although the short narration from him, which is recorded in Sahih Muslim and Sunan Tirmidhi, contains the words, کِتَابَ اللہِ وَعِتْرَتِی أَھْلَ بَیْتِی, but, when the same narration by Hazrat Jabirra bin Abdullah was narrated in detail in Sahih Muslim and Sunan Ibn Majah, nowhere did it mention the words, وَعِتْرَتِی أَھْلَ بَیْتِی. Instead, it only mentions the words کِتَابَ اللہِ i.e. ‘the book of Allah’.
“Therefore, only those narrations of Muwatta Imam Malik, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Daud and Sunan Ibn Majah etc. are reliable and acceptable in terms of riwayah and dirayah, which instruct to hold fast to the Book of Allah or to follow the sunnah of the Holy Prophetsa.
“All other narrations – in which the words أَھْلَ بَیْتِی or وَعِتْرَتِی أَھْلَ بَیْتِی are included with the word ‘Book of Allah’, as stated by the scholars of hadith and experts on the biographies of the narrators of ahadith – are not worthy of acceptance.”
Funeral prayers for non-Ahmadis
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa was presented the following hadith:
الصَّلَاۃُ الْمَکْتُوبَۃُ واجِبَۃٌ خَلْفَ کُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ بَرًّا کَانَ أَوْفَاجِرًا وَاِنْ عَمِلَ الْکَبَائِرَ
[The obligatory prayer is essential behind every Muslim, pious or impious, even if he has committed grievous sins.] (Sunan Abi Daud, Kitab as-Salat)
Huzooraa was then asked as to why it was not permissible for an Ahmadi to pray behind a non-Ahmadi. Huzooraa, in his letter dated 5 October 2018, gave the following reply:
“The complete narration, as mentioned in Sunan Abi Daud, Kitab al-Jihad is as follows:
عَنْ أَبِی ھُرَیْرَۃَ قَالَ، قَالَ رَسُولُ اﷲِ صَلَّی اﷲُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ الْجِھَادُ وَاجِبٌ عَلَیْکُمْ مَعَ کُلِّ أَمِیْرٍ بَرًّا کَانَ أَوْ فَاجِرًا وَالصَّلَاۃُ وَاجِبَۃٌ عَلَیْکُمْ خَلْفَ کُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ بَرًّا کَانَ أَوْفَاجِرًا وَاِنْ عَمِلَ الْکَبَائِرَ وَالصَّلَاۃُ وَاجِبَۃٌ عَلٰی کُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ بَرًّا کَانَ اَوْفَاجِرً وَاِنْ عَمِلَ الْکَبَائِرَ
“In other words, the Holy Prophetsa did not only give instructions in regard to offering prayers in this narration, but he also instructed to participate in jihad under the leadership of every amir [leader] and to offer the funeral prayers of every Muslim. However, the Holy Prophetsa himself did not offer the funeral prayers of the debtor, the traitor and the one who committed suicide.
“Due to this, the scholars of hadith have debated much about the soundness of this hadith and have raised many objections regarding the authenticity of the narration.
“Moreover, the Holy Prophetsa said:
لَا یَؤُمَّنکُمْ ذُوجُرْأَۃ فِی دِینہ
meaning that a person who has become shameless concerning his religion or does not care about the religious injunctions should never lead you in prayers as an imam.
“With regard to being an imam (who leads the prayers) the hadith which is above all is one where the Holy Prophetsa says about the Promised Messiah, وَ اِمَامُکُمْ مِنْکُمْ i.e. ‘At that time, your imam will be from amongst you’. This hadith is recorded in the most authentic hadith books, namely Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
“The Holy Prophetsa said in the hadith under discussion that whilst you may offer prayers behind a sinner or an immoral person, it does not mean that you can also pray behind someone who brands the Promised Messiahas as a disbeliever or a liar. So, even if this hadith is considered as authentic, it would only mean that the Holy Prophetsa was actually drawing our attention to an administrative matter that when one of your people is chosen as an imam, do not be curious about his actions in order to find his shortcomings, but rather pray behind him with complete obedience and leave the matter of the acceptance of your prayers to God Almighty.”
The three rings of the Promised Messiahas
Switzerland’s National Majlis-e-Amila had a virtual mulaqat with Huzooraa on 7 November 2020. One of the members asked Huzooraa the following question:
“The Promised Messiahas had three rings made. It has been observed that Huzoor-e-Anwaraa wears two of the rings on his blessed hand. Who possesses the third ring Huzoor?” Huzooraa replied:
“Hazrat Amma Janra [the noble wife of the Promised Messiahas] gave the ring with the inscription of أَلَیْسَ اللہُ بِکَافٍ عَبْدَہُ [Is Allah not sufficient for His servant?] to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra. She gave the ring with the inscription of the revelation of غَرَسْتُ لَکَ بِیَدِیْ رَحْمَتِیْ وَقُدْرَتِیْ [I have planted for you My Mercy and My Power with My own hand] to Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra and she gave the ring with the inscription of مولیٰ بَس [The Lord (is) enough] to Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra.
“As far as the أَلَیْسَ اللہُ ring, which was given to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, is concerned, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra made a will that this ring should be given to whoever is elected as the next Khalifa and it should be passed down in the chain of successorship of Khilafat instead of remaining as his personal ring. Both brothers (Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra and Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra) kept the other two rings given to them.
“The ring given to Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra was later handed down to my father [Hazrat Mirza Mansoor Ahmad, son of Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra] after his demise. After the demise of my father, my mother handed down that ring to me. Then when Allah the Exalted entrusted me with the mantle of Khilafat, I started wearing that ring.
“The third ring which Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra had, was handed down to Hazrat Mirza Muzaffar Ahmad upon his demise. Mirza Muzaffar Ahmad Sahib did not have any children, so he adopted a child – the son of Amatul Jameel Sahiba (daughter of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra) and Nasir Ahmad Sial Sahib (son of Hazrat Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sial Sahibra). He grew up in his home and so, that ring was handed down to him. He currently resides in America.”
Ahmadis during World War III
In the same mulaqat held on 7 November 2020, another national amila member asked Huzooraa:
“Dear Huzoor! You spoke about a potential Third World War in your Friday Sermon yesterday. If World War III does occur, will the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat also be affected by it?”
Huzooraa gave the following answer:
“There is a saying [in Punjabi], ‘The weevil is also inevitably ground when wheat is ground’. We are not weevil as such, but when such circumstances befall the world, they will affect the world at large.
“In the time of the Holy Prophetsa, wars were fought. Allah the Exalted promised that the Muslims would be victorious in battles and they did win battles, but were the Companionsra not martyred in the process?
“When we witness various signs, such as outbreaks, earthquakes and storms etc., during such times, some Ahmadis may also be affected by them. However, the number of Ahmadis affected would be comparatively very little. If we continue to maintain a true relationship with Allah the Exalted, then as the Promised Messiahas has said:
آگ ہے پر آگ سے وہ سب بچائے جائیں گے
جو کہ رکھتے ہیں خدائے ذوالعجائب سے پیار
‘There is a fire, but all those shall be saved from this fire who possess love for the God of Great Wonders.’
“If our relationship with Allah the Exalted is true, if we fulfil our due obligations to Him and His creation, then Allah the Exalted will reduce the level of any harm or damage that may come our way to a great degree and He will protect us with His grace. Then the world will learn their lesson.
“However, before that, if we are fulfilling our due obligations, then it is incumbent upon us to inform the world that the reason for these calamities and wars is their becoming distant from God Almighty and not fulfilling the due obligations to the creation of Allah the Exalted. Therefore, they ought to mend their ways.
“When such a world war ends, people will know that there indeed was a group of people, a nation, a Muslim sect and a Jamaat that used to draw our attention towards this. That is when they will turn to God Almighty and will come towards you.
“Thus, if we are fulfilling our obligations, then we will witness the signs of the progress of the Jamaat after the World War. And if we are not fulfilling our obligations; if our state resembles the state of worldly people; if we are immersed in worldly pursuits; if we shun the five daily prayers; if we forget to fulfil our due rights to Allah the Exalted and to mankind, then we too will experience the effects of such a war.
“Allah the Almighty has not guaranteed our protection for merely having performed the Bai‘at. There are conditions to our Bai‘at. If you meet those conditions, then you will be protected. That is why the Promised Messiahas has said that a person will be protected from the fire when the relevant conditions are met and when your expression of love for Allah the Exalted will not only be verbal, but when it will be demonstrated through your deeds. That is when you will be protected.”
Migration from rural to urban areas
During the virtual mulaqat of the missionaries of Bangladesh with Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa, on 8 November 2020, a missionary sought guidance from Huzooraa regarding the fact that young Ahmadi Muslims living in villages or rural areas of Bangladesh tended to migrate to bigger cities in search of better economic or educational opportunities. He said this meant that the number of Ahmadi Muslim youth serving the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in the rural areas or villages was reduced.
In response, Huzooraa said:
“This is the general practice of the world. This is something that happens all over the world that people migrate from rural areas or from villages to urban areas or cities. This is something natural in countries that wish to progress. Small areas, towns and villages have populations that increase exponentially.
“If the whole population remains there and does not go to the cities to attain education, then they cannot progress. This clearly shows that there are more opportunities of progressing in cities, through which the nation can excel further, or there are more opportunities to attain an education and to excel.
“Indeed, there was an economist in Bangladesh who initiated a cottage industry system whereby a cottage industry can be provided to people in small villages and towns so that they may work there and find opportunities to make investments there instead of having to go out into the city for this purpose. If these sorts of opportunities are available, then this is wonderful. Members of the Jamaat should also benefit from this and people should stay there and work there. However, those who are very well educated and who have greater opportunities to attain higher education and progress further in the city, will of course go into the city.
“So, the only solution for those who remain behind is that they should try their utmost to fulfill their duties and try to get as many Bai‘ats as possible; they should try to do as much tabligh and preaching as possible; they should try to introduce the Jamaat to more and more people; they should try to instil a sense of fulfilling one’s obligations in the younger generation which is growing up – those who are joining Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya from Atfal so that they may serve the Jamaat as much as possible.
“They have to go out in order to attain their livelihood. So, you should try to get as many new converts as possible in those areas. Secondly, educate the young generation in a manner that they are capable of looking after the Jamaat.”
(Translated by Aqeel Ahmad Kang, London)