Fifteenth Argument: Considered himself a follower & a prophet and explained it to mean a Muhaddas
[ BACK ] | If Hazrat
Mirza had indeed claimed to be a prophet, he would not
have called himself `a follower and a prophet' or `a
follower from one aspect and a prophet from another',
because these two aspects are combined only in a muhaddas
(Muslim saint), a prophet only having the aspect of
prophethood. He wrote: (i) ``So the fact that he [the Messiah to come] has been called a follower [of the Holy Prophet Muhammad] as well as a prophet indicates that the qualities of both discipleship and prophethood will be found in him, as it is essential for both of these to be found in a muhaddas. The possessor of full prophethood, however, has only the quality of prophethood. To conclude, sainthood (muhaddasiyyat) is coloured with both colours. For this reason, in [the Divine revelations published in] Barahin Ahmadiyya too, God named this humble one as follower and as prophet.'' (Izala Auham, p. 533) (ii) ``I cannot be called only `prophet', but a prophet from one aspect and a follower from another.'' (Haqiqat al-Wahy, footnote, p.150) (iii) ``There is no need now to follow each prophet or Book separately that came before the Holy Quran because the Prophethood of Muhammad comprises and comprehends them all. All truths that take man to God are to be found in it, no new truth shall come after it, nor is there any previous truth which is not in it. Hence, upon this Prophethood [of Muhammad] end all prophethoods. Rendering obedience to this Prophethood takes one to God very easily, and one receives the gift of God's love and His revelation in a much greater measure than people used to before [the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad]. However, its perfect follower cannot be just called `prophet' because it would be derogatory to the perfect and complete prophethood of Holy Prophet Muhammad. But both the words ummati [follower of the Holy Prophet] and nabi [prophet] can jointly be applied to him, because that would not be derogatory to the prophethood of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.'' (Al-Wasiyyat, pp. 27--8) (iv) ``Islam is the only religion in the world having the virtue that, provided the truest and fullest obedience is rendered to our Leader and Master the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and the blessings of God be upon him, one can have the privilege of Divine revelation. For this reason it is recorded in Hadith: Ulama ummati ka-anbiya Bani Israil, that is, `the spiritual savants from among my followers are like the prophets of Israel'. In this Saying too, the godly savants are on the one hand called followers, and on the other hand they are called the likes of prophets.'' (Supplement
to Barahin Ahmadiyya Part V, pp. 182--184) (Note: Extracts i and iv above make it explicitly clear that the words ``a follower from one aspect and a prophet from another'' are exactly equivalent to muhaddas or spiritual savant of the Muslim community, and do not mean a prophet.) |