بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم الحمد لله وحده و الصلاة و السلام على من لا نبي بعده و على آله و أصحابه أجمعين

Lately I found an Ahmadi site insinuating that Mujaddid Alf Thani, Imam Rabbani Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi (d. 1034 A.H.) believed in continuity of prophethood for the followers of the Holy Prophet, may Allah bless him.

They misuse a couple of lines from one of his Maktubat (letters).

The text in question:

In his letter # 301 addressed to his son, Maulana Amanullah he says:

پس حصول کمالات نبوّت مر تابعان را بطریق تبیعت و وراثت بعد از بعثت ختم الرسل علیه وعلی آلہ وعلی جمیع الانبیاء والرسل الصلوات والتحیات منافی خاتمیت او نیست علیه و علی آلہ الصلوۃ وسلام فلا تکن من الممترین

“So for the followers to attain the wonders of prophethood (kamalat nubuwwat) by way of following and inheritance after the coming of the Last Prophet –on him and his followers and all the prophets be the peace and salutations- is not in contradiction to his finality. So be not of those who doubt.”

The trick:

Ahmadi leaders resort to the age old deceit of isolating the text from the context and abusing it in translation. As given above it actually reads حصول کمالات نبوّت which means “to attain wonders of prophethood” and they make it “The rising of prophets.” Anyone with elementary knowledge of Persian and even Urdu will catch this trick.

Putting text into the context:

Here I give the translation of what the learned Shaykh said before coming to the text in question.

“Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim. After the praises (due to Allah) and the salutations (due to the Holy Prophet). My son, Amanullah ought to know, Prophethood (nubuwwah) is about closeness to Allah which does not have even a remote connection to the idea of “zill”. It ascends to Almighty Allah and descends towards the creation. This closeness in essence belongs to the Prophets –on them be the peace and blessings- and this rank (mansab) is exclusive to those godly men –may the peace and blessings be upon them. And the Leader of Mankind (i.e. the Holy Prophet) –on him be the peace and salutations- is the final seal of this rank. After his descent ‘Eisa will follow the shar’iah of Khatam al-Rusul –on them both be the peace and salutations. The point here is that followers also have their share. And by the way of inheritance the followers also find their share from the wisdom, gnosis and wonders of this station (‘uloom o ma’arif wa kamalaat aan maqam).

So for the followers to attain the wonders of prophethood (kamalat nubuwwat) by way of following and inheritance after the coming of the Last Prophet –on him and his followers and all the prophets be the peace and salutations- is not in contradiction to his finality. So be not of those who doubt.”

After this Imam Rabbani discusses how one may find his share from this blessed inheritance. And towards the end of the letter he writes;

“One must know that attaining to this blessing is direct for the prophets –on them be the peace and blessings. And for the companions (sahaba) of the prophets who attain this wealth though inheritance and following it is through the prophets –on them be the peace and blessings. Those who received this wealth after the prophets and their companions are rare although it is possible that someone else may also be blessed with this wealth through inheritance or by having followed.

I think this wealth was available to the earliest tabi’in, and was given to the senior taba’ tabi’in too. Thereafter this wealth became extinct till it came to the second millennium after the Holy Prophet –on him and his followers be the peace and blessings. Even now this wealth has become visible through following and succession. And the last of the times have been made akin to the earliest days.”

(See Maktubat Imam Rabbani, Hakikat Ketabevi, Istanbul, 1977 Maktub # 301 pp. 636-639)

Important points from the above:

Now the text put into context shows us;

1- The rank (mansab) of Prophethood is exclusive to prophets and it was sealed by the Holy Prophet –may Allah bless him.

2- Some of the followers of the prophets do however find share from the wonders, wisdom and gnosis of prophethood.

3- The wonders, wisdom and gnosis of prophethood were attained by the companions of the prophets too and we know none of the companion is considered a prophet by anyone including Ahmadis.

4- Earliest tabi’in and even the senior taba’ tabi’in did also receive this wealth and certainly none of them was a prophet.

5- To Imam Rabbani even in his time i.e. beginning of the second millennium, some people were blessed with this wealth.

Conclusion:

Clearly it implies a manifest difference between “rank” (mansab) of prophethood and the “share from the wonders, wisdom and gnosis” of prophethood. Tying to achieve its ignoble end the Ahmadiyya religious elite deliberately confuses the two to fool common-place Ahmadis and deceive the Muslims.

If it is taken to mean prophethood then it would imply that companions, tabi’in, taba’ tabi’in and even later people were also prophets. The absurdity of which is too evident to require any elucidation. And certainly it was never the intent of the learned Imam who was only showing that even though after the Holy Prophet –may Allah bless him- one cannot rise to the rank of prophets he can achieve certain blessings of the status by following and by the way of spiritual inheritance.

I believe it’s the time the common Ahmadis must exercise their right to question Murabbis and Jamaat leaders about such intellectual foul play and lies. And also ponder as to what cost they pay by following these people? Think

Indeed Allah knows the best!