Letter: Ahmadiyah ban in South Sumatra

Fri, 09/12/2008 10:48 AM  |  Reader's Forum

I refer to comments on a recent decree issued by the South Sumatra administration, outlawing Ahmadiyah, (thejakartapost.com, Sept. 1).

All those defending Ahmadiyah should know that the Ahmadis, especially those of the Qadiani branch (including those in Indonesia) have declared that those who do not acknowledge Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's prophethood are non-Muslims. Have the Ahmadi defenders considered this fact?

Another branch, the Lahore branch in Indonesia, claimed that Ahmadis do not consider Mirza as prophet, but a mere mujaddid or reformer. Therefore, they do not claim other Muslims as non-Muslims. This is just fine, as many sects or groups in Islam also have their own revered teachers or wali or saints or whatever.

But never do these groups claim another person is a prophet as Prophet Muhammad is the seal of prophets (Khatamul nabiyyin). So there is no reason to ban Shiah Muslims because they consider Prophet Muhammad as the last prophet, although Shiah also highly revere the imams of the Ali lines.

No problem for Sunnis. Anyone who is trying to pit Sunni against Shiah is really trying to break the rank of Islam with neo-colonialism and neo-imperialism mindsets. While granted there is enmity between Sunnis and Shias, this is the product of Western colonialism.

Ahmadiyah is a truly different case. If Ahmadis are willing to form a new religion, it would be most welcomed and there will be no resistance. Just like Christians broke away from Judaism with a touch of Paganism here and there.

Both Christians and Jews share the Taurat aka Old Testament while Christians also have their own book -- the Injil aka the New Testatement.

Otherwise, drop the claim that Mirza is another prophet. Islam has its own teachings and doctrines which may not be similar to those of other religions. Islam is never involved in any other religions' dogmatic battle. So non-Muslims should stay away.

And for those Muslims defending Ahmadiyah, you should reconsider your faith. I may not be an exemplary Muslim, but I cannot tolerate any efforts to taint Islam.

PROCRASTINATOR
Jakarta

It is not a matter of defending Ahmadiyah, rather it is is a matter of restraining others from committing atrocities an injustices.

The so-called mainstream have adopted or are behaving themselves in exactly the same way as people in past times -- that is to say they believe in using force to oppress the truth.

Please ponder again what is stated in the Koran on how the earlier prophets were treated.

How did these people behave?

What did these people tell the earlier prophets?

They told them (including prophets Lot, Shuaib, Salleh, Noah etc) that if they didn't stop preaching, that they would be stoned to death!

This is the pattern of non-believers -- they always use force and violence, so what else can the Ahmadiyah say about them when they behave in such a pattern. Are they believers? or Muslim?

The Lahore Ahmadiyah group changed their stance. Previously they accepted Hazrat Ahmad's claim to prophethood in his capacity as the promised Imam Mahdi and Messiah.

Nonetheless they could have succumbed to pressure and declared that Hazrat Ahmad was not a prophet but merely a mujjadid -- and yet now they are being rejected and not accepted as Muslims by hard-liners and the so-called mainstream. They are being decreed non-believers (kafir) as well, along with the Qadian branch.

It seems the so-called mainstream Muslims no longer believe in the hadith about the coming of a mujjadid every turn of the century. In future, anyone claiming to be a mujjadid will be rejected and named a kafir.

Yes! the Sunnis and Shia are both believe in Khattam Nabiyyin, and yet, the fact is they are fighting and killing each other over the differences in their beliefs with regard to the issue of Khulaffa Rashyidah (four Muslim leaders after Prophet Muhammad).

SYED SULAIMAN ADNAN
Jakarta

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