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 A published newspaper letter by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad 

Never declared any Muslim as kafir for not believing in him

The following letter written by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad to one of his prominent followers was published at that time in the Ahmadiyya community newspaper Badr, 23 August 1906, page 13. As indicated in Badr at the head of the letter, it was reproduced from the Paisa newspaper, a well-known general Muslim newspaper of the time. Thus, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’s position as explained in this letter had been announced to a general Muslim readership. It shows that he never regarded or declared any Muslims to be kafir for not believing in him. On the contrary, it was the Muslim religious leaders who declared him as kafir and further announced that if he is a Muslim then they themselves are kafir.

Given below is the translation of his letter, headed by the title it carried in Badr. It is followed by an image of the original publication from Badr.

How our opponents gave the verdict of kufr against themselves

A recent letter of the Promised Messiah

(Reproduced from the Daily Paisa newspaper)

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
We praise Him and send blessings upon His Noble Prophet

Dear brother Dr Sayyid Muhammad Husain
assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu

I have listened to the letter which came addressed to Maulvi Muhammad Ali. I am surprised why the opponents make false accusations against us. Regarding the issue of takfir the fact is that in the beginning I used to consider all these people as professing the Kalima and it never occurred to me that I should declare them as kafir. Then it so happened that Maulvi Muhammad Husain Batalvi prepared a petition about me which he presented to Maulvi Nazir Husain of Delhi, and he gave the verdict that I and my followers are kafir and when we die it is forbidden to bury us in the graveyards of Muslims. After that, the seals of approval of takfir by almost two hundred Maulvis were set upon that verdict. Thus, Maulvis throughout the Punjab and the rest of India gave their seals of approval to that verdict that I am in fact a kafir, whose extent of unbelief exceeds that of Jews and Christians, and also that if we [Ahmadis] are Muslims then they are kafir because authentic hadith reports say that if someone calls a Muslim as kafir then this accusation rebounds on the caller himself. Therefore it was on this basis that we were compelled to consider these people as kafir. We certainly did not take the initiative in calling them kafir. It was they who took the initiative. The verdict of kufr was issued first by them. We did not issue any declaration calling them kafir. Now if someone dislikes being called kafir then there is an easy solution for him, that he should publish a declaration that he does not regard Ahmadis as kafir, but rather that those who call Ahmadis as kafir are kafir. It is admitted by those who call us kafir, such as Maulvi Muhammad Husain, that according to the principles of Islam the one who calls a Muslim as kafir becomes kafir himself. So, considering that Maulvis throughout Punjab and the rest of India declared me and my followers as kafir, and made submissions to courts that we are kafir and excluded from the religion of Islam, then why are we blamable for this? They can be questioned and will be found to admit that the one who calls a Muslim as kafir becomes kafir himself. And if it was the case that we declared them kafir before their verdict of kufr against us, then they should present that declaration. So if a man regards Maulvi Muhammad Husain, Nazir Husain and others as Muslim despite their verdict against us, how can he regard us as Muslim? And if he regards us as Muslim, how can he consider them to be Muslim? So this is the fact of the matter, that we are compelled to call these people as kafir.

Wassalam,

Signed:

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

Image of publication of letter in Badr, 23 August 1906, p. 13