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Mirza Ghulam Ahmad from the Qur’an
Question asked by Saadia.
Posted on: Sunday, April 24, 2005 - Hits: 2058

Question:
Consider the following Qur’anic verse in validation of Ghulam Ahmad:

He it is Who raised among the unlettered ones a Messenger from among themselves, he recites upon them His Signs, and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and Wisdom, and before that they were in clear error; And others from them who have not yet joined them. And He is the Mighty, the Wise. [62:2-3]

This indicates that the process of purification will be repeated with others who have not yet joined the Arabs. Since, during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad, the message of Islam only extended meaningfully to the lands of Arabia, it seems that someone else would conduct the process of purifying the non-Arabs after Muhammad 's death.

Because the Qur’an does not explicitly name or identify anybody, we may refer to the Sahih Bukhari for explanation. Abu Hurairah asked the Prophet, about who Qur’an 62:3 referred to, and Muhammad answered that if faith leaves the Earth, then a Persian man or the Persian people would bring faith back to Earth. Ghulam Ahmad was of Persian descent. Comments?

Answer:
Had there been any other Prophet destined to come, the Prophet would not have failed to ask his people to support and help him spread the word of God. On the contrary the Prophet Muhammad is found negating such an idea and the Qur’an itself has categorically mentioned that He was the last Messenger of God.

Consider the explanation accorded by Amin Ahsan Islahi:

And also among those of them who have not yet joined them

The above portion of the verse is connected with the ‘Ummiyyeen’ (the unlettered ones) that were mentioned in the previous verse. The implication is that there are some among the Unlettered Ishmaelites who have not joined the Muslim group at the time of the revelation of the Surah.

Though the word ‘Ummiyyeen’ in the previous verse is used in a general sense yet the word is applied to only those among the Ishmaelites who had accepted Islam. This is evident from the last part of the verse: though they had been in manifest error before (for this pertains to only those Muslims who have been ignorant before but now they are not, having accepted Islam).

Now this verse very cogently invites the Ishmaelites who had not yet embraced Islam to embrace faith. The word ‘Minhum’ (from among them) indicates to this fact. This is a very subtle point, a very delicate expression of call and exhortation. What is being communicated is that it would be strange enough that those who are the intended recipients of the greatest favour of God are not paying heed to the favour.

The words ‘lamma yalhaqoo bihim’ (they have not yet joined them) also connote glad tidings that they would join them. A similar kind of glad tiding has been given in Surah ‘Mumtahinah’ 60: 7. (Islahi, Tadabbur al Qur’an, vol. 8, page 377)

This does not leave room to interpret the verse in any other way.

Regards,

Tariq Mahmood Hashmi
Research Assistant, Studying Islam

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