Death of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

The death of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad occurred in 1908. He was an Indian who claimed to be a prophet, a messiah and a spiritual reappearance of Jesus. His death, and its precise cause and circumstances, sparked controversy surrounding the validity of his claims and prophecies. His opponents allege that he died an "accursed death" and that some of his predictions and prophecies had turned out to be untrue. The manner and timing of his death was said to have invalidated his rank and status, and proved his claims to be false. His followers claim he died from dysentery and that both the manner and timing of his death were in accordance with all of his relevant predictions, and hence reaffirm his truthfulness and claims.

Circumstances of his death

The cause of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's death was unknown at the time.

Opponents' reactions

When the news of his death spread in Lahore, a crowd of opponents gathered outside the house. It is reported that there was great jubilation and a mock funeral was arranged for the entertainment of the crowd. Some Muslim opponents of Ahmadiyya claim that his death, which they allege was caused by cholera, was accursed and that his terminal disease a sign of the wrath of God, which Mirza had himself written would be the punishment for a liar: "...punishment which is not by human hands but only at the hands of God, such as Plague and Cholera etc. deadly diseases...".

Response from Ahmadis

Ahmadis do not subscribe to the view that the death was due to cholera. They contend that the attending physicians at the time of his death declared the cause of death as diarrhoea and not cholera, and it was so recorded in newspapers. They also claim that the lack of precautions taken by attending doctors and his followers against infectious diseases during the postmortem handling of Ahmad's body was not consistent with a death from cholera.

Prophesies in question

Main article: Prophecies of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

His critics say that his death proved some of his prophecies false:

• He prophesied that he would live to be 80 or so years old, but his opponents assert he lived 73 years. His followers disagree with this contention and point out that the said prophecy (made in 1865 or about 43 years before his actual death) was for “..eighty years or a few years less or more….” (Tadhkira, page 6, emphasis by editor), and that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was 73 years old at the time of his death (b: 1835 – d: 1908). Ahmadis assert that, according to the lunar calendar, he lived 75 years, which accords with the prophecy (80 or so).
• He prophesied that he would marry Muhammadi Begum before his death, but his opponents point out that he never did. Followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, however, claim that the prophecy regarding Mohammadi Begum was multi-faceted, not confined to marriage with Muhammadi Begum onlyand "conditional", i.e., did not require absolute fulfillment. They point out that because part of the prophecy (the death of Muhammadi Begum’s father) was fulfilled, after which conditions changed, the remaining prophecy did not come to pass.
• His opponents assert that he made a prayer that Moulvi Sanaullah of Amritsar, his arch opponent, who had openly called him a liar and an impostor, should die before him. His opponents point out that Mirza died first. His followers however contend that the issue was not single-faceted, and was part of a Mubahila (Prayer-Duel) or challenge, which was conditional upon the acceptance of the same by Maulvi Sanaullah. As Maulvi Sanaullah publicly refused to accept the challenge posed by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, his prior death did not occur. Hence the question of who died first became immaterial and inconsequential.
• His opponents assert that a doctor, Abdul Hakim, prophesied that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad would die within a certain time period and that he did die within that time. However, Ahmadis assert that not only was he plagiarizing Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's prophecy of his demise, but that he repeatedly kept changing it until it became a specific date, which was then wrong by many months from Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's actual date of death.
• His opponents assert that Mirza prophesied that Abdullah Atham, a Christian, who had debated with Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, would die before him, within a limited time frame. However, some of his opponents assert that he died first, but especially that Atham died after the fifteen months prophesied period had passed.

Ahmadiyya Muslims see this episode as reminiscent of the prophecy of the Biblical Prophet Jonah to the city of Nineveh. They answer the critics by claiming that the original prophecy, which was published in the book Jang e Muqaddas, was conditional upon Atham not inclining towards 'truth', as was stated: provided he does not incline towards truth. They argue that Atham was in constant fear and backed out of his Anti-Islamic stance for the 15 months of the prophecy. Ahmadiyya Muslims say that, after much jubilation was shown by the opponents of Ahmad, upon Atham being alive once the time limit of the original prophecy expired, Ghulam Ahmad invited him to swear on oath that he did not entertain the least thought of the truth of Islam and the falsehood of Christianity. His refusal to do so is sufficient proof of his inclining towards truth. They point out that Abdullah Atham eventually died on July 27, 1896, within the lifetime of Ghluam Ahmad, after he had made the prophecy of his death on September 30, 1895,

• He declared that Allah would bestow upon him a great son, but his opponents assert that he didn't have another son. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community believe that the prophecy was fulfilled, in the person of Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, who was born in the time of the Prophecy, while the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement believe that the prophecies related to the "promised son" are allegorical in nature.
• He prophesied that he would die in Mecca or in Medina but he died in Lahore and never saw either city. His followers state that the prophecy was not about where he would die, but about predicted great victories, like those Muhammad had over Mecca and Medina. They often quote what he himself wrote about the revelation that stated that he would die in Mecca or Medina:

“

This sentence ‘I shall die in Mecca or in Medina’ means that before my death I shall be bestowed a victory like that of Mecca. That is to say as the Holy Prophet(pbuh) had vanquished his enemies through the manifestation of the majestic Signs of Allah, so will it happen now. The second meaning is that, before my death, I shall be bestowed a victory like that of Medina which means that people’s hearts will of their own be inclined towards me.

”

External links

Ahmadiyya links

Official Ahmadiyya Sites:

• Some Basic Issues Resolved
• Official Website of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
• Biography of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

Books:

• Islamic Books Library @ Alislam.org - Alislam.org