Agreeing to No More Prophecies?

Agreeing to Hide Prophecies?

The anti-Ahmadis raise an allegation that Hadrat Ahmad (as) wrote that he would not make any death prophecies out of fear of the government.

This is another lie of the anti-Ahmadis. They refer to the 24^th of February 1889 announcement of Majmua-e-Ishtiharat in which it is written that during the court case, of 24 February, 1889 the decision was made that in the future no party will publish any prophecy regarding the death of anyone.

The truth is that Hadrat Ahmad (as) in 1886, which was 13 years before this agreement, asked Lekhram and Anderman if he (as) with their approval, can publish whatever knowledge Allah has given him regarding them. Lekhram gave permission which is when Hadrat Ahmad (as) published the prophecy which was beautifully fulfilled. Anderman did not respond which is why Hadrat Ahmad (as) never made any prophecy regarding him.

Thirteen years prior to this on 20^th February 1886 Hadrat Ahmad (as) published:

In this publication, Hadrat Ahmad (as) said that if these prophecies cannot be heard by someone, he can inform him with a signed letter two weeks from the first of March 1886 or any date in which this is published for the first time so that there is no prophecy regarding them publishe which they would fear.

Then in Taryaqul Qaloob, Hadrat Ahmad (as) writes:

Here Hadrat Ahmad (as) explains that this will not harm his mission in any way. He (as) says that he published an announcement in the end of Najam-e-Atham that he would not even address these people unless they address me first. Some mocked Hadrat Ahmad (as) and said that revelations have ended to which Hadrat Ahmad (as) said that Tiryaqul Quloob is full of revelations.

Then on February 24, 1899 Hadrat Ahmad (as) said that from the beginning, I have never published a prophecy of death except with the permission of the person (Majmua-e-Ishtiharat, vol. 2, p. 286)

So this was already the way of Hadrat Ahmad (as) that he would always take consent of the person first. This is the reason Hadrat Ahmad (as) accepted this without hesitation.

We now turn to some ahadith. In Sahih al-Bukhari, it is narrated:

حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الأَحْوَصِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَشْعَثُ، عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ سَأَلْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الْجَدْرِ أَمِنَ الْبَيْتِ هُوَ قَالَ ‏”‏ نَعَمْ ‏”‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ فَمَا لَهُمْ لَمْ يُدْخِلُوهُ فِي الْبَيْتِ قَالَ ‏”‏ إِنَّ قَوْمَكِ قَصَّرَتْ بِهِمُ النَّفَقَةُ ‏”‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ فَمَا شَأْنُ بَابِهِ مُرْتَفِعًا قَالَ ‏”‏ فَعَلَ ذَلِكِ قَوْمُكِ لِيُدْخِلُوا مَنْ شَاءُوا وَيَمْنَعُوا مَنْ شَاءُوا، وَلَوْلاَ أَنَّ قَوْمَكِ حَدِيثٌ عَهْدُهُمْ بِالْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَأَخَافُ أَنْ تُنْكِرَ قُلُوبُهُمْ أَنْ أُدْخِلَ الْجَدْرَ فِي الْبَيْتِ وَأَنْ أُلْصِقَ بَابَهُ بِالأَرْضِ ‏”‏‏.‏

Narrated `Aisha:I asked the Prophet (ﷺ) whether the round wall (near Ka`ba) was part of the Ka`ba. The Prophet (ﷺ) replied in the affirmative. I further said, “What is wrong with them, why have they not included it in the building of the Ka`ba?” He said, “Don’t you see that your people (Quraish) ran short of money (so they could not include it inside the building of Ka`ba)?” I asked, “What about its gate? Why is it so high?” He replied, “Your people did this so as to admit into it whomever they liked and prevent whomever they liked. Were your people not close to the Pre-Islamic Period of ignorance (i.e. they have recently embraced Islam) and were I not afraid that they would dislike it, surely I would have included the (area of the) wall inside the building of the Ka`ba and I would have lowered its gate to the level of the ground.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, #1584)

Then when we turn to the incident of Sulh Hudaibiyyah, the Prophet Muhammad (sa) had the words ‘In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, Ever Merciful and the Messenger of Allah’ erased.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُرَيْحُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ بْنِ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي الْبَرَاءُ ـ رضى الله عنه أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَعْتَمِرَ أَرْسَلَ إِلَى أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ يَسْتَأْذِنُهُمْ لِيَدْخُلَ مَكَّةَ، فَاشْتَرَطُوا عَلَيْهِ أَنْ لاَ يُقِيمَ بِهَا إِلاَّ ثَلاَثَ لَيَالٍ، وَلاَ يَدْخُلَهَا إِلاَّ بِجُلُبَّانِ السِّلاَحِ، وَلاَ يَدْعُوَ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا، قَالَ فَأَخَذَ يَكْتُبُ الشَّرْطَ بَيْنَهُمْ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، فَكَتَبَ هَذَا مَا قَاضَى عَلَيْهِ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ‏.‏ فَقَالُوا لَوْ عَلِمْنَا أَنَّكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ لَمْ نَمْنَعْكَ وَلَبَايَعْنَاكَ، وَلَكِنِ اكْتُبْ هَذَا مَا قَاضَى عَلَيْهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏”‏ أَنَا وَاللَّهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَنَا وَاللَّهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ‏”‏‏.‏ قَالَ وَكَانَ لاَ يَكْتُبُ قَالَ فَقَالَ لِعَلِيٍّ ‏”‏ امْحُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَمْحَاهُ أَبَدًا‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ فَأَرِنِيهِ ‏”‏‏.‏ قَالَ فَأَرَاهُ إِيَّاهُ، فَمَحَاهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِيَدِهِ، فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ وَمَضَى الأَيَّامُ أَتَوْا عَلِيًّا فَقَالُوا مُرْ صَاحِبَكَ فَلْيَرْتَحِلْ‏.‏ فَذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ‏”‏ نَعَمْ ‏”‏ ثُمَّ ارْتَحَلَ‏.‏

When the Prophet (ﷺ) intended to perform the `Umra he sent a person to the people of Mecca asking their permission to enter Mecca. They stipulated that he would not stay for more than three days and would not enter it except with sheathed arms and would not preach (Islam) to any of them. So `Ali bin Abi- Talib started writing the treaty between them. He wrote, “This is what Muhammad, Apostle of Allah has agreed to.” The (Meccans) said, “If we knew that you (Muhammad) are the Messenger of Allah, then we would not have prevented you and would have followed you. But write, ‘This is what Muhammad bin `Abdullah has agreed to..’ ” On that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “By Allah, I am Muhammad bin `Abdullah, and, by Allah, I am Apostle of ‘Allah.” Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) used not to write; so he asked `Ali to erase the expression of Apostle of Allah. On that `Ali said, “By Allah I will never erase it.” Allah’s Apostle said (to `Ali), “Let me see the paper.” When `Ali showed him the paper, the Prophet (ﷺ) erased the expression with his own hand. When Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) had entered Mecca and three days had elapsed, the Meccans came to `Ali and said, “Let your friend (i.e. the Prophet) quit Mecca.” `Ali informed Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) about it and Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Yes,” and then he departed. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith #3184)

Furthermore, in the conditions of the treaty, the Prophet Muhammad (sa) reconciled that if a non-Muslim was to come to them and become a Muslim, they would still return him to the disbelievers and if a Muslim went to the disbelievers, he would not be returned. Not only this, they would not do tawaaf of the Kabah that year either. The Prophet (sa) returned home with this agreement and some Muslims even doubted the dream of the Prophet.

Nothing Hadrat Ahmad (as) did in this regards was out of fear but the Qur’an mentions that Prophets did at times fear. For example, Allah States:

فَأَوْجَسَ فِي نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُوسَىٰ

And Moses conceived a fear in his mind (Chapter 20 verse 68)

Then when Musa (as) was going to the council of Pharoah, he (as) was afraid. Allah States:

قَالَا رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا نَخَافُ أَنْ يَفْرُطَ عَلَيْنَا أَوْ أَنْ يَطْغَىٰ

They replied, ‘Our Lord, we fear lest he commit some excess against us, or exceed all bounds in transgression’ (Chapter 20 Verse 45)

Imam Fakhruddin al-Razi has written that this was the fear Hadrat Musa (as) had for the army of Pharoah:

Furthermore, Hadrat Ahmad (as) published prophecies against many opponents in Haqiqatul Wahi and they all died after this.