Ahmadiya Movement

Ahmadiyas of Qadian

It arose in the Punjab in the eighties as reaction mission works (arguments), , onslaught of Dayananda and against Aligar reforms.

  Often Christians exposed the weakness of Islam

Qadian was a place in the Gurdaspur District of Punjab.

The founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was born and taught between 1879 and 1908.

His was ancient Muhammadan family attached to mysticism of Islam (Sufism).

 He claimed that he was the Christian Messiah, Muhammadan Mahadi, final avatara of Hindus. i.e. he came for the regeneration of the three nations- Hindu, Muslim and Christian.

Wanted to show that in him Christianity and Islam  unite and culminate.

This is difficult to accept because the Mahadi is a man of blood and Christ is entirely different.

He claimed that he was not Jesus Christ returned but came in the spirit and power of Jesus Christ.

His main argument was that Jesus did not die on the cross. He did not rise from the dead and did not ascend to heaven. Jesus died a natural death.

But the gospels were deliberately corrupted by the Christians.

The swoon theory: Jesus was not dead on the cross but was in the state of swoon. He died in Cashmere.

He was on the cross only for a few hours. His legs were not broken. Jesus himself said ‘why seek ye the living among the dead’.

Jesus appeared to his disciples as living man not as disembodied  spirit. Jesus himself used Jonah’s example.

Mirza quotes the so-called Gospel of Barnabas , a mediaeval Muhammadan forgery- Jesus did not die on the cross.

Ointment of Jesus: it was called Marham-I –Isa. It was a powerful medicine that heals and removes the scars. Jesus recovered from the tomb after three days. The cool atmosphere in the tomb was favourable to Jesus. Thus after three days Jesus recovered from his swoon. The disciples applied the wonderful ointment.  Jesus was entirely healed and ready for foreign travel.

In 1889 a Russian, Nicolas Notovitch traveled through Kashmire to Leh in Ladak. He spent time with Buddhist Lamas of the monastery of Himis. Seven years he published a book. It was mentioned there that the abbot of the monastery read him an ancient MS. According to it in the interval between Jesus’ visit to the temple of Jerusalem at the age of twelve  and his baptism by John travelled from Palestine to India ans studied under the Jains, Buddhists and Hindus of those days. Thus he traveled to India after the crucifixion.

The meaning of the Ascension:

Jesus was separated from his disciples in order to preach in Afghanistan and cashmere to the ten lost tribes.

In Khan Yar Street, Srinagar, Cashmere there was a tomb of Yus Asaf. Yus is a corruption of Yasu i.e. Jesus.

Asaf from Hebrew . Asaf meaning ‘gatherer i.e. of the ten lost tribes of Israel.

According to him Christianity is spirituality dead that is why Jesus did not return.

Arguments in support of his Messiahship

Second coming of Elijah was fulfilled in John the Baptist, who was not Elijah.

 Likewise the second coming of Christ will be fulfilled not by a personal return of Jesus, but by the appearance of one coming in the spirit and power of Jesus.

Mirza claimed that the prophecy in John 16:7 refers to him. i.e. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate^[a] will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

Millennium calculation of his own

For him the first millennium is the millennium of the devil’s imprisonment. Muhammad appeared.

Second is the millennium of devil’s freedom. This was the time Islam declined and there was growth of evil.

The third millennium is the millennium of the Kingdom of God. That is why he himself has come.

Miracles: miracles are only symbolic language

He predicted the death of no less than one hundred and twenty one persons. He also predicted the birth of many. As most of his prediction were incorrect, on the 24^th February 1899, the Government of Punjab issued an order, ordering him to cease making such prophecies.

 He rejected virgin birth.

Questioned the divinity and superiority of Jesus to Muhammed.

Jesus was a sinner because: he took baptism. He underwent temptation. Jesus himself told why call me good?

They are not accepts in Pakistan  as Muslims

Their main work is the conversion through arguments.

He claimed to be the second Adam

Claimed to be greater than Christ- because was associated with drunkenness and less philanthropy.

He condemned tomb worship.  Opposed Jihad, religious fanatics, bloody Mahdi

He opposed Christianity. He founded a high school. Edited two papers- Al Hakam and Review of religions

He also published tracts.

In Mirza parallel to Persian Bahaism is striking.

He died 1908

His successor was Hakim-ud-Din.

After the death the Mirza there were two groups. One accepted him as a prophet. The others did not.