The allegation raised against Ahmadas is that he slowly increased his claim. It is important to note that Allah States:
مَا يُقَالُ لَكَ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ قِيلَ لِلرُّسُلِ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو مَغْفِرَةٍ وَذُو عِقَابٍ أَلِيمٍ{44}
Nothing is said to thee but what was said to the Messengers before thee. Thy Lord is indeed the Master of forgiveness; and also the Master of painful chastisement.(Chapter 41, Verse 44)
The non Ahmadi Muslims claim that since the claim increased, it means that it was from his heart rather than Allah. They say that he claimed to be a prophet, and even the Promised Guru and the one whom all religions await and try to state that its all from his heart. Now when we look at the Christians, they raise the same allegations against the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw. They ask that why did the holy Prophetsaw first call the people of his house and his relatives and then slowly changed his claimed to being a prophet for all of mankind. They suggest that this means his claim is from his heart rather than Allah.
Allah Tells the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw in regards to his claim:
وَأَنْذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الْأَقْرَبِينَ {215}
And warn thy nearest kinsmen (Chapter 26, Verse 215)
Allah did not tell the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw the first time that “you are a prophet for the entire mankind” rather started off by telling him that only warn your nearest kinsmen. .Then after that, Muhammadsaw was made a prophet for the people around Mecca and the nearing people including some Mushriks of the area. After that, the Holy Prophetsaw was told that he was the Prophet mentioned in the Old and New Testament and was for the People of the Book. After this Allah revealed to him:
قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ ۖ فَآمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ النَّبِيِّ الْأُمِّيِّ الَّذِي يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَكَلِمَاتِهِ وَاتَّبِعُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ {159}
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)
In this verse Allah told the Holy Prophetsaw that he is a prophet for the entire mankind. Allah slowly told the Holy Prophetsaw 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. However, such an allegation has no truth behind it.
If osmeone 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 but they never remove their claim and this proves their truthfulness. When the Holy Prophetsaw made his first claim of prophethood, a lot became his enemies. He did not take his claim back; rather Alalh revealed to him slowly and after he was told by Allah that he is a Prophet for all of mankind, which causes an increase in the enemies.
The same exact occurred with the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas. When he claimed to be the Mahdi, death threats began agianst him. When Allah told him that Isaas had died, and he claimed this, people started to set fires in India. When Ahmadas claimed Guru Nanak was a Muslim, and the prophecy of the Promised Guru was about him, the Sikhs even turned against him. When Ahmadas said Krishnaas preached the message of one God, and that he is the latter day Krishna, the Hindus also became enemies. This is a sign of his truthfulness. The Prophets claims only grow rather than decrease. The Holy Prophetsaw was slowly told that he was a prophet for the entire mankind and as time went by, his claim grew. If the claims grow slowly, and the opponents grow on each claim, it is obvious that liars would not grow their claims and would rather retrieve them. The Prophet always follows the revelation of Allah and they do not make claims on their own. Allah revealed to the Holy Prophetsaw :
فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ ۗ وَلَا تَعْجَلْ بِالْقُرْآنِ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يُقْضَىٰ إِلَيْكَ وَحْيُهُ ۖ وَقُلْ رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا {115}
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 Prophetsaw, if he already knew everything? This prayer would have no meaning and it is clear that he was taught more and more slowly. The Qur’an itself took 23 years to be completely revealed.
At first the Holy Prophetsaw did not claim to be the seal of the prophets or the best of 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, Hadith #2369 a)
At first, the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw denied being the best of creation. He did not let his companion say this about him. However later on, Allah revealed to him:
مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَٰكِنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا {41}
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)
Hesaw also 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 .
” 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” (Jami’at Tirmidhi, Volume 5, Book 44, Hadith #3148)
The news of the Holy Prophetsaw being the seal of all Prophets was around 18 years after his claim of Prophethood. There is nothing wrong with a claim being gradual, rather this is the way Allah reveals to his prophets.