بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

In the 1,433 years since the blessed Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم and his noble Companions radhiallāhu ‘anhum made Hijra, the ummah has been blessed with esteemed personalities whom were strengthened by God to rejuvenate Islam beginning with the century after the Companions radhiallāhu ‘anhum. This belief is sound and found in the following hadith narrated by Abū Hurayrah radhiallāhu ‘anhu:

“Surely, Allah will send for this ummah at the advent of every one hundred years a person (or persons) who will tajdīd [renew, revive, restore] for it its deen [religion].” (Sunan Abū Dawūd, Book 37: Kitab al-Malahim [Battles], #4278)

The great Imam Jalāluddin al-Suyūtī in his Mirqāt al-Saud in the marginal notes of Sunan Abū Dawūd records, “It is ‘ijmā [consensus] of the muhaddithīn (hadith masters) that this hadith is sāhīh.” The word “tajdīd” means the restoration of the original beliefs and practices after their being changed, distorted or forgotten. The person who carries out this exemplary and praiseworthy task is referred to as a mujaddid [reformer]. The definition of mujaddid is given as:

“Mujaddid: Renewer. Person who initiates tajdid (renewal). According to hadith, a mujaddid is to come at the beginning of each century to renew the faith and correct the practice of Muslims… back to the Islam of the early community as they interpret it, rejecting as innovations any later added practices or customs.” (The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, John L. Esposito, p.213)

There is broad agreement that the function of the mujaddid is the restoration of Islam to its pristine purity. The Ahmadiyya adhere to this belief as Mirza Ghulam Ahmad himself laid claim to the status of the mujaddid of the 14th Islamic century, stating that each mujaddid is sent by God. In his claim we find that he accepts this report of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم as he uses it as proof of his own standing as the 14th century mujaddid:

“Among the arguments in decisive Hadith reports which confirm the authenticity and truth of the claim of this writer is also the report regarding the appearance of mujaddids which finds a place in Abu Da’ud and Mustadrik, i.e. for this Umma a mujaddid would appear at the head of every century, and would reform the faith according to the needs of the Muslims. The words “he will reform for them” (yujaddidu la-ha¯) in this report show clearly that at the head of every century a mujaddid will come who will reform the prevailing evils.” (A Brief Sketch of My Life, Kitab al-Barriya, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, p.72) “Dear brethren! It is indispensably necessary for heavenly light to descend when darkness prevails. Thus, the Most High God says in the Holy Qur’an, chapter Al-Qadr, giving glad tidings to the believers, that His Word and His Prophet descended from heaven during the Night of Majesty, the Lailat-ul-Qadr, and so does every Mujaddid or reformer who comes from God.” (Predominance of Islam, Fatah-e-Islam, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, p.37)

The term mushrikun mujaddid is an oxymoron. It is impossible to find one who you believe is a mujaddid [refomer] who is also a mushrik [among those who commit shirk] as the two terms are mutually exclusive. You can not revive a monotheistic religion when you hold beliefs of polytheism.

“Mushrik: A person who commits shirk.” (Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Religion, Volume 2, Ramesh Chopra, p.524)

Before providing a list of mujaddids from the perspective of the Ahmadiyya, the point of this article is that the foundational core tenet of the Ahmadiyya religion is that the belief of ʾAhlu-s-Sunnati wal-Jamāʿah [people of the tradition of Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم and the consensus of the Ummah] is not only incorrect but tantamount to shirk [polytheism], specifically the belief that ‘Isa ibn Maryam عليه السلام ascended without māwt [death] and will nuzūl [descend] in the literal sense. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad states:

“…It is rude to say that Jesus didn’t die, it is indeed shirk al-akbar [major polytheism].” (Roohani Khazain, Volume 22, Haqiqat-Ul-Wahi, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, p.660)

In Alhaj Ata Ullah Kaleem a small booklet consisting of twenty-four pages found on the official Ahmadiyya website, it is said that the hadith of the the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم has been fulfilled in terms of the past thirteen centuries. The booklet then produces a list to the effect of listing great Islamic personalities for each century who are declared mujaddids:

“Ummat-e-Muslema has been promised that God will appoint for it in the beginning of every century, one who will restore its faith for it. Consequently, this promise had been fulfilled in the past 13 centuries with the advent of Mujaddideen–regenerators, who were distinguished exemplars of Islam, and played a very important part in spreading and establishing Islam: 1st century Umar Bin Abdul Aziz

2nd century Imam Shafi’i; Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal

3rd century Abu Sharh & Abul Hasan al-Ash’ari

4th century Abu Ubaidullah of Neshapur & Qazi Abu Bakr Baqilani

5th century Imam Al-Ghazali

6th century Al-Sayyid Abdul Qadir Jeelani

7th century Imam Ibn Taimiyyah & Khwaja Mueen-ud Din Chishti

8th century Ibn Hajar Asqalani & Saleh Bin Umar

9th century Imam Suyuti

10th century Muhammad Tahir Gujrati

11th century Al-Sheikh Ahmad of Sirhand, Mujaddid Alf Thani

12th century Shah Wali Allah Muhaddath Dehlavi

13th century Syed Ahmad Barelvi” (Fazl-i-Umar Press, http://www.alislam.org/library/links/00000087.html)

Ahmadiyya believe that each one of these mujaddid came to restore Islam to its pristine purity. Hence for them to carry this task out, there is no doubt about their sound aqeeda [creed] from the perspective of the Ahmadiyya, for if they did not have sound core beliefs then how could they possibly attain the status of mujaddid of their respective century when Mirza Ghulam Ahmad himself claims that light provided by God descends through the mujaddid. Though it is possible for them to make mistakes it is impossible for all or even the majority of these personalities to err unanimously as a body on fundamental beliefs and hold a creed with consensus among them which allegedly comprises shirk and thus group them as mushrikun [polytheists]. But this is always the problem with man-made religion:

“And say: “Truth has (now) arrived, and Falsehood perished: for Falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish.”” (The Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Isra (17), Ayah 81, Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali)

It has thus far been established that the Ahmadiyya religion believe in the concept of the system of mujaddids and Mirza Ghulam Ahmad declares their light as the light of God. In addition to this, Ahmadiyya as a belief system states that all those who adhere to the credence of the descent of ‘Isa ibn Maryam عليه السلام in the classical sense are polytheists. In keeping this in mind, in conjunction with the above list, observe the following works/quotes of some of these remarkable personalities of Islam whom Ahmadiyya have themselves listed as mujaddids:

2nd Century: Imam Abū ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi’ī (767/150 – 820/204 CE/AH)

“In the same way that the Prophet ‘Isa عليه السلام ascended to the heavens at Allah’s command, he will also return to Earth at Allah’s command and will enforce Islamic justice. People whose faith is weak may not regard this as possible. But it is an easy matter after recognizing the might of Allah.” (The Great Book of Scholarship of Shafi’i, Halil Günenç, expanded 2nd edition, p. 23)

3rd Century: Abū al-Hasan ‘Alī ibn Ismā’īl al-Ash’arī (874/260 – 936/324 CE/AH)

“There is a consensus among the community of the faithful [ijma’ ummat] that Jesus عليه السلام was raised alive to the heavens.” (Al-Ash’ari, Al-Ash’ari’s al-Ibana ‘an Usul al-Diyana, (Cairo: 1986), 2:115)

4th Century: Abū ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah al-Hakīm al-Nishāburī (933/321 – 1012/403 CE/AH)

[He is the author of the ahadith collection Al-Mustadrak in which he states that] “…Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه said about the verse of the Holy Qur’an (4:159): “This verse is proof that Jesus عليه السلام, son of Mary, will appear… All of the People of the Book will believe in him before his death.”” (Al-Hakim, Al-Mustadrak, 2:309)

5th Century: Abū Hāmid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazālī (1058 CE – 1111/505 CE/AH)

“…then the Qur’an would be erased from hearts and not a word of it would be remembered; and the people would return to the poetry, songs, and tales of the pre-Islamic period; then the Anti-Christ would go forth and ‘Isa, the blessings and peace of God upon him, would descend to kill him. The hour when all this occurs would be like the pregnant woman in travail, waiting for the moment of her delivery.” (The Secrets of Pilgrimage, p.17) “Out of the Prophets, Jesus Christ عليه السلام did not marry but he will marry after his second advent.” (The Revival of the Religious Sciences, Ihya Ulum Uddin, Secret of Marriages, p.21)

6th Century: Sayyid ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī (1077 – 1166 CE)

“Jesus عليه السلام did not marry; he never took a wife. At the end of time, Allah (Exalted is He) will send him back down to the earth, and He will then marry him to a young woman of Quraish, who will bear him a son.” (Utterances of Shaikh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (Malfuzat): Collected Sayings from the Crown of Saints, translated by Muthar Holland, p.62)

7th Century: Taqī ad-Dīn Ahmad Ibn Taymiyyah (1263 – 1328 CE)

“The verse [4:158] “He raised him to His Presence” … explains that Jesus عليه السلام was raised in both body and soul.” (Imam Ibn Taymiyya, Majmu’ Fatawa, trans. by Abdurrahman ibn Muhammad ibn Qasim al-Asimi an-Najdi, 4:323)

8th Century: Ibn Hajar al-Asqalānī (1372/773 – 1448/852 CE/AH)

“The Mahdi is of this Ummah, and that Jesus عليه السلام will come down and pray behind him.” (Fath al-Baari, v.5, p.362) “…there was no Prophet between Jesus عليه السلام and our Prophet [Muhammad], on whom peace and blessings of Allah and Jesus عليه السلام has no grave.” (Fath al-Baari 2/160, Kitabul Salaah)

9th Century: Jalāluddīn al-Suyūtī (1445/849 – 1505/911 CE/AH)

“As-Suyuti says Jerusalem is specially honored by Moslems… It was at Jerusalem that the prophets sacrificed; that Jesus was born and spoke in the his cradle; and it was from Jerusalem that Jesus ascended to heaven; and it will be there that he will again descend.” (A Moslem Seeker After God, Samuel M. Zwemer, p.115) In his commentary, al-Suyuti said, based on reliable hadith, that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) did not die, and then continued: “In that case, Jesus عليه السلام was raised to the skies and will return before the Day of Judgment.” (Durr al-Manthur, 2:225-27) “This word [kahlaan] expresses the fact that he (Jesus عليه السلام) will descend from the heavens before the Day of Judgment, because he was raised to the skies before attaining old age.” (Tafsīr al-Jalālayn; Surah al-Ma’ida (5):110, 1:447)

11th Century: Rabbānī Shaykh Ahmad al-Farūqī al-Sirhindī Mujaddid Alf Thānī (1564 – 1624 CE)

“Jesus عليه السلام will descend from the sky and will be a member of Prophet Muhammad’s (may God bless him and grant him peace) community. In other words, he will be one of his people and will abide by the Divine law.” (Letters of Rabbānī (Istanbul: 1977), 1:436, 545, 722, 820, 846)

12th Century: Shah Walīullah Dehlwī (1703 – 1762 CE)

“None of the People of the Book will remain without believing in him before he dies and Jesus will remain a witness unto them” [exegetical note] “The Jews present at the time of the descent of Jesus Christ will definitely believe in him.” (Fath ur Rahmān Fee Tarjumatul Qur’ān, 4:159)

Each one of these personalities, among them some of the most distinguished exemplars in Islam declared their belief in the ascension or descent of ‘Isa ibn Maryam عليه السلام. It is outside the scope of this article to list their extensive knowledge of the deen. The fact that they are listed as mujaddids should suffice in elucidating their grand status of scholarship in view of the Ahmadiyya. Their statements above however are in clear contradiction to the core foundation of the Ahmadiyya religion as the founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad writes:

“It would, therefore, be a daring invention to say that the bodily ascent of Jesus (as) to heaven and his expected descent has been a matter of consensus.” (Kitab-ul-Bariyyah, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 13, pp. 221 footnote) “We have established fully that the belief that Jesus had ascended bodily to heaven is not supported by the Holy Qur’an and true Ahadith. It seems to be based upon senseless and contradictory speculation… If these meaningless speculations were to be presented to the illiterate Bedouins of Arabia, or the inhabitants of the deserts of Africa, or the wild dwellers of the far off islands in the oceans, they might gain some acceptance; but we cannot hope to propagate among educated people such doctrines as are utterly opposed to reason, experience, laws of nature and philosophy.” (Izala-e-Auham, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, pp. 235-236) “…Read the Holy Qur’an carefully and you will find the death of Jesus mentioned so clearly and definitely that it is not possible to interpret it otherwise.” (Izala-e-Auham, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, p.224) “…How misguided, therefore, are those who are waiting to see Jesus descend from heaven in the company of angels.” (Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 3, p.327) “…It is rude to say that Jesus didn’t die, it is indeed shirk al-akbar [major polytheism].” (Roohani Khazain, Volume 22, Haqiqat-Ul-Wahi, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, p.660)

This therefore establishes that in Ahmadiyya the above personalities are mushriks [polytheists] and yet they are declared mujaddids [reformers] hence making them mushrikun mujaddid [polytheist reformers] an oxymoron in as much Ahmadiyya Islam is an oxymoron. They are declared misguided by a man who couldn’t compare to their great status, a man who didn’t even take the time to memorise the Book of Allah (Seeratul Mahdi, Volume 3, Narration #553, p.44) but rather spent a life boasting of his greatness (Kashti-e-Nuh, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 19, p.60).

The belief with regard to Isa ibn Maryam عليه السلام and his return is firmly established in Islam through the Holy Qur’an and many sayings of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم and his Companions radhiallahu ‘anhum as well the tabi’un (the generation born after the passing of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم but lived as contemporaries of the Companions radhiallahu ‘anhum) and the tabi’ tabi’un (the generation after the tabi’un) in addition to the mujaddids of the past and many great scholars of Islam. There is no such thing as mushrikun mujaddids yet they exist in Ahmadiyya. The fact of the matter is that they do not have any mujaddids because they have to label the same names as mushriks for their beliefs as they oppose the core tenets of Ahmadiyya. The reason this fallacy is apparent is because Ahmadiyya has no connection with the glorious past of the mujaddids of Islam including the aforementioned list and those not mentioned on the list who were sent in the ummah of the beloved master, Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم. Ahmadiyya is a novel religion posing under the guise of Islam in the form of a parasite.

May Allah سبحانه و تعالى‎ protect us and grant us knowledge in His deen and keep us on the right path, the path of the righteous, the path of His beloved Prophet, Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم on whom I would request everyone to recite salutations, may Allah grant him eternal peace and immense blessings.