The allegation against the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as) is that why was he first the mujadid and slowly after that his claim increased. The anti Ahmadis try to state that because his claim was increasing, this means he was lying, God forbid. The non Ahmadis try to state that Ahmad(as)’s claim increased which means it was from his heart and to a point where he called himself a subordinate prophet. Not only that but even the Promised Guru, and that I am the one who all religions are waiting for.
Now when we look at the Christians, they have the same allegations against the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw). They state that why did the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) first call the people of his house and his relatives and slowly become the prophet for all of mankind. They also suggest that this means he made the claims out of his heart, rather from Allah.
Allah Tells The Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) in regards to his claim :
And warn thy nearest kinsmen (Chapter 26, Verse 215)
Allah did not tell the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) the first time that you are a prophet for the entire mankind, rather to warn your nearest kinsmen. Then after that, Muhammad(saw) was a Prophet for the people around Mecca and the nearing people including the Mushriks of that area. After that the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) was told that he is the prophet for the People of the Book. After this Allah revealed to him:
Say, ‘O mankind! truly I am a Messenger to you all from Allah to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. There is no God but He. He gives life, and He causes death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Prophet, the Immaculate one, who believes in Allah and His words; and follow him that you may be rightly guided.’(Chapter 7, Verse 159)
Here Allah told the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) that he is a prophet for the entire mankind. Allah slowly told the Prophet Muhammad(saw) this, rather than revealing it the very first day. They try to state that this increase means that the Prophet was god forbid a liar, and the non Ahmadi Muslims say the same against the Promised Messiah(as). This is totally baseless.
If someone makes a claim and people reply to him in a harsh way and start to throw rocks at him, would a liar make a greater claim or something smaller? Common sense tells us that if he was a liar, he would, obviously, claim something smaller. A sign of the Prophets is that the Prophets are treated harshly and treated in a horrible manner and this proves there truthfulness. When the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) made his first claim of prophethood, a lot became his enemies. He did not take his claim back, rather Allah revealed to him slowly and after he was told by Allah that he is a prophet for all of mankind, the enemies increased.
The same happened with the Promised Messiah(as), Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as). When he claimed to be the mahdi, death threats began against him. When Allah told him that Isa(as) has died, and he claimed this, people started to set fires in India. When Ahmad(as) claimed Guru Nanak was a Muslim, and the prophecy of a wali which he made was about me, the Sikhs also became opponents. When Ahmad(as) said Krishna(as) preached the message of one God, and I am that latter day reformer he prophesied. This is a sign of his truthfulness, just as the claims of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) prove his truthfulness. The Prophets claims only grow rather than decrease. The Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) was slowly told that he was a prophet for the entire mankind. As time went by, his claim grew, and this was what Allah revealed to him.
If the claims grow slowly, and the opponents grow on each claim, this only proves the truthfulness of the Prophet. Liars would not grow their claims, rather would retrieve them.
The Prophet always follows the revelation of Allah, and they do not make claims on their own. Allah revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw):
Exalted then is Allah, the True King! And be not impatient for the Qur’an ere its revelation is completed unto thee, but only say, ‘O my Lord, increase me in knowledge.’(Chapter 20 Verse 115)
Why would Allah need to teach this prayer to the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw), if he already knew everything? There would be no meaning of this prayer if Muhammad(saw) was taught everything at once.
At first the Prophet Muhammad(saw) did not right away claim to be the Seal of All the Prophets. A hadith states:
Now when we look at the Christians, they have the same allegations against the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw). They state that why did the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) first call the people of his house and his relatives and slowly become the prophet for all of mankind. They also suggest that this means he made the claims out of his heart, rather from Allah.
Allah Tells The Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) in regards to his claim :
And warn thy nearest kinsmen (Chapter 26, Verse 215)
Allah did not tell the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) the first time that you are a prophet for the entire mankind, rather to warn your nearest kinsmen. Then after that, Muhammad(saw) was a Prophet for the people around Mecca and the nearing people including the Mushriks of that area. After that the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) was told that he is the prophet for the People of the Book. After this Allah revealed to him:
Say, ‘O mankind! truly I am a Messenger to you all from Allah to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. There is no God but He. He gives life, and He causes death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Prophet, the Immaculate one, who believes in Allah and His words; and follow him that you may be rightly guided.’(Chapter 7, Verse 159)
Here Allah told the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) that he is a prophet for the entire mankind. Allah slowly told the Prophet Muhammad(saw) this, rather than revealing it the very first day. They try to state that this increase means that the Prophet was god forbid a liar, and the non Ahmadi Muslims say the same against the Promised Messiah(as). This is totally baseless.
If someone makes a claim and people reply to him in a harsh way and start to throw rocks at him, would a liar make a greater claim or something smaller? Common sense tells us that if he was a liar, he would, obviously, claim something smaller. A sign of the Prophets is that the Prophets are treated harshly and treated in a horrible manner and this proves there truthfulness. When the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) made his first claim of prophethood, a lot became his enemies. He did not take his claim back, rather Allah revealed to him slowly and after he was told by Allah that he is a prophet for all of mankind, the enemies increased.
The same happened with the Promised Messiah(as), Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as). When he claimed to be the mahdi, death threats began against him. When Allah told him that Isa(as) has died, and he claimed this, people started to set fires in India. When Ahmad(as) claimed Guru Nanak was a Muslim, and the prophecy of a wali which he made was about me, the Sikhs also became opponents. When Ahmad(as) said Krishna(as) preached the message of one God, and I am that latter day reformer he prophesied. This is a sign of his truthfulness, just as the claims of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) prove his truthfulness. The Prophets claims only grow rather than decrease. The Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) was slowly told that he was a prophet for the entire mankind. As time went by, his claim grew, and this was what Allah revealed to him.
If the claims grow slowly, and the opponents grow on each claim, this only proves the truthfulness of the Prophet. Liars would not grow their claims, rather would retrieve them.
The Prophet always follows the revelation of Allah, and they do not make claims on their own. Allah revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw):
Exalted then is Allah, the True King! And be not impatient for the Qur’an ere its revelation is completed unto thee, but only say, ‘O my Lord, increase me in knowledge.’(Chapter 20 Verse 115)
Why would Allah need to teach this prayer to the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw), if he already knew everything? There would be no meaning of this prayer if Muhammad(saw) was taught everything at once.
At first the Prophet Muhammad(saw) did not right away claim to be the Seal of All the Prophets. A hadith states:
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُسْهِرٍ، وَابْنُ، فُضَيْلٍ عَنِ الْمُخْتَارِ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ السَّعْدِيُّ، – وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ – حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُسْهِرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا الْمُخْتَارُ، بْنُ فُلْفُلٍ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا خَيْرَ الْبَرِيَّةِ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ ذَاكَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ” .
Anas b. Malik reported that a person came to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and said:
O, the best of creation; thereupon Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: He is Ibrahim (peace be upon him).(Sahih Muslim, Book 30, Hadith #5841)
At first, the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) denied being the best of creation. He did not let his companion say this about him. However later on, Allah revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) :
Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets; and Allah has full knowledge of all things.(Chapter 33, Verse 41)
And The Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) stated:
And The Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) stated:
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ زَيْدِ بْنِ جُدْعَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” أَنَا سَيِّدُ وَلَدِ آدَمَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلاَ فَخْرَ وَبِيَدِي لِوَاءُ الْحَمْدِ وَلاَ فَخْرَ وَمَا مِنْ نَبِيٍّ يَوْمَئِذٍ آدَمُ فَمَنْ سِوَاهُ إِلاَّ تَحْتَ لِوَائِي وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ مَنْ تَنْشَقُّ عَنْهُ الأَرْضُ وَلاَ فَخْرَ قَالَ فَيَفْزَعُ النَّاسُ ثَلاَثَ فَزَعَاتٍ فَيَأْتُونَ آدَمَ فَيَقُولُونَ أَنْتَ أَبُونَا آدَمُ فَاشْفَعْ لَنَا إِلَى رَبِّكَ . فَيَقُولُ إِنِّي أَذْنَبْتُ ذَنْبًا أُهْبِطْتُ مِنْهُ إِلَى الأَرْضِ وَلَكِنِ ائْتُوا نُوحًا . فَيَأْتُونَ نُوحًا فَيَقُولُ إِنِّي دَعَوْتُ عَلَى أَهْلِ الأَرْضِ دَعْوَةً فَأُهْلِكُوا وَلَكِنِ اذْهَبُوا إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ . فَيَأْتُونَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فَيَقُولُ إِنِّي كَذَبْتُ ثَلاَثَ كَذَبَاتٍ ” . ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” مَا مِنْهَا كَذْبَةٌ إِلاَّ مَاحَلَ بِهَا عَنْ دِينِ اللَّهِ وَلَكِنِ ائْتُوا مُوسَى . فَيَأْتُونَ مُوسَى فَيَقُولُ إِنِّي قَدْ قَتَلْتُ نَفْسًا وَلَكِنِ ائْتُوا عِيسَى . فَيَأْتُونَ عِيسَى فَيَقُولُ إِنِّي عُبِدْتُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَكِنِ ائْتُوا مُحَمَّدًا قَالَ فَيَأْتُونَنِي فَأَنْطَلِقُ مَعَهُمْ ” . قَالَ ابْنُ جُدْعَانَ قَالَ أَنَسٌ فَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ” فَآخُذُ بِحَلْقَةِ بَابِ الْجَنَّةِ فَأُقَعْقِعُهَا فَيُقَالُ مَنْ هَذَا فَيُقَالُ مُحَمَّدٌ . فَيَفْتَحُونَ لِي وَيُرَحِّبُونَ فَيَقُولُونَ مَرْحَبًا فَأَخِرُّ سَاجِدًا فَيُلْهِمُنِي اللَّهُ مِنَ الثَّنَاءِ وَالْحَمْدِ فَيُقَالُ لِي ارْفَعْ رَأْسَكَ سَلْ تُعْطَ وَاشْفَعْ تُشَفَّعْ وَقُلْ يُسْمَعْ لِقَوْلِكَ وَهُوَ الْمَقَامُ الْمَحْمُودُ الَّذِي قَالَ اللَّهُ : ( عَسَى أَنْ يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا ) ” . قَالَ سُفْيَانُ لَيْسَ عَنْ أَنَسٍ إِلاَّ هَذِهِ الْكَلِمَةُ ” فَآخُذُ بِحَلْقَةِ بَابِ الْجَنَّةِ فَأُقَعْقِعُهَا ” . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ . وَقَدْ رَوَى بَعْضُهُمْ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ الْحَدِيثَ بِطُولِهِ .
Narrated Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri:
that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “I am the chief of the children of Adam on the Day of Judgement and I am not boasting, and in my hand is the banner of praise and I am not boasting, and there has been no Prophet since Adam or other than him, except that he is under my banner. And I am the first for whom the earth will split open, and I am not boasting.” He said: “The people will be frightened by three frights. So they will come to Adam saying: ‘You are our father Adam, so intercede for us with your Lord.’ So he says: ‘I committed a sin for which I was expelled to the earth, so go to Nuh.’ So they will come to Nuh and he will say: ‘I supplicated against the people of the earth, so they were destroyed. So go to Ibrahim.’ So they will go to Ibrahim, and he says: ‘I lied three times.'” Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “He did not lie except defending Allah’s religion.” “So go to Musa.’ So they will come to Musa, and he will say: ‘I took a life. So go to ‘Eisa. So they go to ‘Eisa and he says: ‘I was worshiped besides Allah. So go to Muhammad (ﷺ).'” He said: “So they will come to me, and I will go to them.” (One of the narrators) Ibn Ju’dan said: “Anas said: ‘It is as if I am looking at the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he is saying: “So I will take hold of a ring of a gate of Paradise to rattle it, and it will be said: ‘Who is there?’ It will be said: ‘Muhammad.’ They will open it for me, and welcome me saying, ‘Welcome.’ I will fall prostrate and Allah will inspire me with statements of gratitude and praise and it will be said to me: ‘Raise your head, ask and you shall be given, intercede, and your intercession shall be accepted, speak, and your saying shall be heard.’ And that is Al-Maqam Al-Mahmud about which Allah said: It may be that your Lord will raise you to Maqaman-Mahmud (17:79).” Sufyan said: “None of it is from Anas except this sentence: ‘I will take hold of a ring of a gate of Paradise to rattle it.'”(Jami’at Tirmidhi, Volume 5, Book 44, Hadith #3148)
The news of The Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) being the seal of the prophets was around 18 years after the claim of Prophethood. There is nothing wrong with a claim being gradual, rather Allah reveals in this way. The Promised Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as) was called Isa and a prophet since Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, however the Muslims at that time did not understand what a prophet was, and believed all prophets brought a law. Because of this, Ahmad(as) did not consider himself a real prophet, rather made an interpretation of it, of being like a prophet. After Allah made it clear to Ahmad(as) that you are a prophet and it was being revealed, as the rain pours, he then claimed prophethood in a subordinate sense. The gradual claim is normal for a prophet and this is the law of Allah.