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Addendum to letter and response

Our original article was: Mirza Masroor Ahmad’s khutba on the “everlasting” Qadiani khilafat.

In reaction to this article, a letter was received from Dr Tahir Ijaz, U.S.A. See the letter and the response from Dr Zahid Aziz.

Later an addendum to his letter was sent by Dr Tahir Ijaz. This is given below, followed by a reply by Dr Zahid Aziz.

Addendum to letter

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If you don't mind, I would like to ask a question as well. Consider it a "P.S" (addendum) to my original letter.

I would like to know when you are expecting the next mujaddid at the latest (give me a range). The Promised Messiah died in 1908 and we are approaching 100 years now. The 15th century A.H started in 1980. From my calculations, the mujaddids of the past have been departing from this world every 90 years or so, range being 55-138 years. The latter number was the difference in time between the death of Mujaddid Alif Sani (Sirhindi) in 1624 (11th century mujaddid) and Hazrat Shah Waliullah Dehlavi's death in 1762 (12th century mujaddid ).

Again, I would appreciate the specific time frame for arrival of the next mujaddid. thanks.

Sorry, one more thing. The Promised Messiah wrote this is "Lecture Lahore" in 1904:

"Moreover, our Lord, Prophet Muhammad, has also said that at the turn of every century of the lunar calendar a reformer will come who would renovate the faith. Now, out of the fourteenth century of Hijrah [Islamic Era], twenty years have elapsed and the twenty-second year is passing. Hence, is this not the sign that the promised reformer has already come?" (From aaiil.org).

The 15th century of Islam, in the solar calendar, started 25 years ago, more than the time frame mentioned above by the Promised Messiah. So keeping the above quotation in mind, I ask when should the next mujaddid be expected.

Dr Tahir Ijaz
California, USA

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Response by Zahid Aziz

Our belief that mujaddids will continue to come is based on the well-know hadith which has been mentioned by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad many times and he has emphasized the importance and the continuity of the coming of mujaddids, as shown below.

1. In Shahadat-ul-Quran itself (the book under discussion in my article), Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad wrote regarding the sending of mujaddids by God that: “God will continue to do this forever, as long as He pleases that the signs of righteousness and reform remain in the world.” (Ruhani Khaza’in, v. 6, p. 342)

2. In a talk on 14th May 1900 he said that the Quran has referred to: “the permanent institution of mujaddids and the sent ones, which will continue till the Day of Judgment”. (Malfuzat, v. 2, p. 63)

3. In a talk on 31st August 1901, he referred to the coming of mujaddids as “a most important and magnificent affair, not something of my own devising, but what God Almighty has established” and said that: “The arrangement for sending mujaddids is in accordance with that promise of God which He revealed in the words: Surely We have revealed the Reminder and We are ever its Guardian.” (Malfuzat, v. 4, p. 2)

4. Answering a visitor’s questions on 14th February 1903 he said regarding the hadith about mujaddids: “I believe this hadith to be true, and to be true on the basis of the Holy Quran … God has told me that this hadith is true and the Holy Quran confirms it.” (Malfizat, v. 5, p. 102)

5. On 29 September 1905 Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was asked directly: “Will a mujaddid come after you?” He replied:

“What is wrong with a mujaddid coming after me? The prophethood of Moses had come to an end, and that is why his chain of successors ended with Jesus. However, the dispensation of the Holy Prophet Muhammad will last till the Day of Judgment. Therefore, mujaddids will arise in it till Judgment Day.” (Malfuzat, v. 8, p.119)

In reference (4) above, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad also answers the objection that “if a mujaddid comes in every century then tell us the names of the mujaddids of the previous centuries”. He writes:

“My answer is that, firstly, it is not my work to give the names of those mujaddids. Put this question to the Holy Prophet Muhammad who said that a mujaddid comes in every century. This hadith has been accepted by all the great figures of this Umma … It is in the books of Hadith that are in existence. No one ever removed it or said that it should be excluded. So why is a list [of names of mujaddids] demanded from me?” (Malfuzat, v. 5, p. 100-101).

We may give a similar response when we are asked: when is the next mujaddid going to come? It is the Holy Prophet Muhammad who has taught the coming of mujaddids, and the Promised Messiah has strongly upheld that teaching, repeatedly saying that mujaddids will come till the Day of Judgment. Why is it then solely our responsibility to answer when the next mujaddid will come? Surely all those accept the Promised Messiah have the responsibility to say where they stand on the above quotations.

It is Allah Who appoints mujaddids and He will send one at the time of His choosing. We as humans can only make conjectures as to when and how such a man will appear.

The following points may be relevant. Firstly, the two mujaddids preceding Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (Shah Waliullah and Sayyid Ahmad Barelvi) were born during the century of which they were mujaddids. The same may apply to this 15th century. Secondly, after the demise of the greatest mujaddid there may be a longer lapse of time before another mujaddid appears. Thirdly, the Promised Messiah has called himself Dhul Qarnain, or the man of two centuries, and perhaps the 14th and 15th centuries might be those two centuries, and exceptionally he may be mujaddid for these two centuries. This third point was put forward by the late Hazrat Ameer Professor Dr. Asghar Hameed (d. 2002), the last Head of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement.

Regarding the quotation from Lecture Lahore (“… twenty years have elapsed … is this not the sign that the promised reformer has already come”), the context shows that this is one of the conditions of the truth of his claim which he has fulfilled. He has certainly not written that merely because twenty years have elapsed of the hijra century therefore his claim must be true. The first condition which he says he fulfils is “my coming in time of need” when it was required “to patch-up Muslim inter-sectarian disputes and defend Islam against external attacks and re-establish and bring back the lost spiritual consciousness in the world”. The teachings and presentation of Islam he gave in order to meet those needs are still just as relevant as then, possibly even more relevant. (For example, reading his book The British Government and Jihad containing his analysis of violence in the name of Islam by extremists and his solutions, it seems as if he is talking about today’s circumstances.) While his work still needs to be carried forward in the world by us, it is not time for another nujaddid to be sent.

And Allah knows best.