AHMADIYYA & PALESTINE

Ahmadiyya Mosque, Israel

In this 'spin off' series of articles, in response to the question of whether mankind still needs divine guidance, we have presenting just a few examples of the divinely inspired guidance Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and his successors offered the world. This is the fourth :

Israel was an ancient nation. The people of this nation were Isreali or Jewish and practiced the Jewish faith. However, they had become dispersed around the world and for many centuries the nation of Israel had ceased to exist. Instead, that country had come into the possession of the Muslims and Muslims, Christians and Jews lived their peacefully, side by side, with full rights granted to each party. However, following World War II (1939-1945) in which millions of Jews are said to have been tragically and horrifically massacred in a holocaust conducted by Nazi Germany, the great powers decided that the Jews deserved to have their homeland restored and so on the 14th of May 1948 Isreal was given to the Jews and recreated as a nation. However, long before even the end of the second world war, as early as May 1945 Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih II was warning the Muslim world about the events unfolding in Palestine:

That day which The Holy Qu'ran and the ahadith warned about centuries before, that day about which The Old and The New Testament warned about, that day which was described to be a particularly painful and dreadful for the Muslims, it seems has finally arrived; the Jews are again being settled in Palestine. The United States and Russia, who are preparing to wipe each other out, seem to strange bedfellows on this issue and the strange thing is that they are also united over the issue of Kashmir. They were both in favour of the Indian Union and now they are both in favour of the Jews, over the Palestine issue. 

Why is there unity over these issues? Why do these two enemies become united against the Muslims? There can be many reasons for this, however one reason may be more apt, which is also in our favour; they may both visualise their plan being ruined by the progress of Islam. This is akin to the reaction of dogs that gather together when they smell the presence of a lion. Maybe this is the way they gather together. Maybe, both of them with their foresight, sense the signs of the progress of Islam. Maybe the lion of Islam, which appears sleeping to our eyes is moving towards wakefulness. Maybe a light shiver in it's mane, invisible to it's friends is very apparent to the enemy. 

If this is the case, then the dangerous situation is pointing towards the progress in the future. However, side by side the huge responsibility on the shoulders of the Muslims is also being presented to them. Does this issue only effect the Arabs? It is patently clear that the Arabs do not possess the power to deal with this issue and neither does it solely effect the Arabs. This is not the issue of Palestine, it is the issue of Medina. This is not the issue of Jerusalem, it is the issue of Mecca itself. This is not the issue of Tom, Dick or Harry. It is the issue of the dignity of Hadhrat Muhammad s.a.w. 

The enemies, despite their disagreements, have gathered together in their opposition against Islam. Will the Muslims, depsite a myriad reasons for unity, not come together on this occasion? The wealth of America and the schemes and trickery of Russia are both gathered against the poor Arabs. How can Arab tribes oppose those powers that could not be checked by the might of Germany? The time has come for us to decide whether we should die one by one or work together dilligently for victory. I think the time has come when Muslims must decide to either be defeated during this effort or completely wipe out the mischeif mongers opposed to Islam. The airforce of Egypt, Syria and Iraq is no more than a hundred planes. However, the Jews can build up a fleet ten times larger than this with great ease. 

Today our objectives cannot be achieved through resolutions, but only through sacrifice. If the Muslims in Pakistan really want to do something, then they ought to hand over at least 1% of their property to their government. WIth just this 1%, Pakistan can raise at least 1 billion rupees for this cause and this 1% much can be done to alleviate many of the present difficulties of Islam. Once Pakistan takes this step, the other Muslim countries will also follow her example and the 50-60 billion rupees will definitely be collected, with which, despite European opposition, tools and implements can be bought for Palestine. We will be able to buy goods if we are willing to pay more than the market price. The integrity of the Europeans has a price, though it may be dear. (Goods for Palestine) can definitely be bought, though it may be at inflated prices. 

Hence, I'm alerting the Muslims to be aware of these tense times and remember that the words 'the disbelievers have become one nation' is being fulfilled word for word. The Jews, the Christians and the athiests have stood up to finish the power and might of Islam. In the past, the European countries attacked the Muslims one by one, but now the world powers have attacked as a unified group. Let us all join together to oppose them, because we have no contention over this issue. Hence, we must reduce the period of this prophecy as much as we can, through our beliefs, our sacrifices, our prayers and our humility and once again bring closer the establishment of the government of Hadhrat Muhammad s.a.w in Palestine. 

I think if we can do this we can turn the ever growing tide of opposition to Islam in favour of Islam. Christianity will move towards decline and decay and Muslims will once more step towards greatness and glory. This sacrifice may cleanse the hearts of the Muslims and their hearts may incline towards belief then may they become indifferent to the world. May they incline towards the respect and veneration of God and His Messenger s.a.w. and His faith and their lack of faith may change into faithfulness, their infidelity into fidelity, their lethargy into alertness and their misdeeds may be dislodged one after another. (Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Al Fazl, 20th May 1945 pg 3-4)

In a previous edition of this series, a commentator on this site objected to our claim that Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya's advice to the world is based on Qu'ranic teachings and divinely inspired guidance. To make it clear that Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad did explicitly base his advice on the Palestine issue on divinely guided interpretation of The Holy Qu'ran etc. we humbly direct our readers attention to the following extract from a 1945 article by Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad: 

And these now wait only for a single blast, and there shall be no delaying it. They say, 'O Lord, hasten to us our portion of the punishment before the Day of Reckoning.' Bear patiently what they say, and remember Our servant David, the man of might; surely he was always turning to Allah. We subjected to him the mountains -- they celebrated Allah's praises with him at nightfall and sunrise. And We subjected to him the birds gathered together; all constantly turned to him. and We strengthened his kingdom, and gave him wisdom and decisive judgment. And has the story of the disputants reached thee when they climbed over the wall of his private chamber? -When they entered in upon David, and he was afraid of them. They said, 'Fear not. We are two disputants; one of us has transgressed against the other; so judge between us with justice, and deviate not from the right course and guide us to the right way.' Now this my brother has ninety-nine ewes, and I have only one ewe. Yet he says, 'Give it to me,' and he has been overbearing to me in his address.' David said, 'Surely, he has wronged thee in asking for thy ewe to add to his own ewes. And certainly many partners transgress against one another, except those who believe in Allah and act righteously; and these are but few.' (The Holy Qu'ran, 38:15-27)

These verses were revealed to me while I was offering my prayers yesterday and I was told that they contain a prophecy about the present age. In reality, the kingdom of the Jews was established through prophet David a.s. This is why allegorical terms such as 'The Throne of David' and 'The Kingdom of David' are in fashion. Then it is also mentioned that Jesus a.s. will sit on the throne of David a.s. The Holy Qu'ran mentions a prophecy in these verses about the latter days which is allegorical as well a vision. Here, God Almighty, revealed that the descendants of David or the followers of David (who include the Jews and the Christians) would control over 99% of the world while only 1% will remain in the hands of the followers of The Holy Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. However, these people will still create mischief to try and gain possession of the remaining 1%. Europeans use the term 'mandate' to describe all those countries which they acquired after the last war. 'Mandate' means security, gaurantee or responsibility and today this term is used for Palestine. Hence, these verses state that the Jews and Christians will demand the land of Palestine from the Muslims. Therefore, President Truman is sending telegrams that Jews should be given a homeland in Palestine. He controls a country that is 5.1 million square miles in area, but he will not allow Jews to settle in his homeland. The area of Palestine is 24 to 25 thousand square miles or even if one assumes it is 50,000 square miles then the ratio is still 99 to 1. And it is in this 1% where they are pushing to settle the Jews. They feel no shame in making these demands and noone in the world is asking them why when America owns 99% more land or when Australia owns 99% or when the British who own 99% more land in their colonies, none of them are ready to house the Jews and they are asking those who control a tiny 1% to settle the Jews in their homeland. (Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Al Fazl, 31st October, 1945 pg 2)

Testimony of an non-Ahmadi Muslim Arab Journalist, regarding the advice of the Ahmadiyya Khalifa

These foreign governments are always trying to generate hatred by creating slogans among Muslims that  create division. Certain sects rise to declare Ahmadis  infidels and to slate them. I have full knowledge that in reality, all such activity is being perpetrated by the  Colonial powers, because during the last Palestinian war in 1948, the Colonial powers approached me to see if I could be an instrument in this matter.  

In those days, I was the editor of a satirical journal that was critical of the government. At the time, a responsible representative of some foreign government residing in Baghdad invited me to a meeting. To flatter me, he praised my satirical style and suggested that I target the Qadiani Community in a hurtful nature, because this Community was outside the pale of Islam. This was in 1948 when part of the Holy Land was cut off and handed over to the Zionist government, and the state of Israel was created. 

I believe that the measure the diplomat took was in response to the two tracts published by the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at during the year of the partition of Palestine. One of the tracts was entitled The United Nations and the Decision to Divide Palestine, in which the conspiracies of the western Colonial powers and the Zionists, regarding their plans to hand over the Palestinian ports to the Jews, were disclosed. The second tract published was entitled Al-Kufro Millatuñ Wahidah (All Disbelievers Are in One Group), and it called upon the Muslims to maintain complete unity and accord. 

This is an incident that I personally experienced. I am fully convinced that as long as Ahmadis continue to promote unity amongst the Muslim community—to facilitate the end of the Israeli state created by Colonial powers—the Colonial powers will leave no stone unturned in persuading certain people and sects to continue spreading this kind of hatred and condemnation of Ahmadis to prevent the Muslims from being united. (Ali al-Khayyat Afandi writing in al-Añ ba’, Baghdad, September 21, 1954)

We could go on presenting the detailed analysis and guidance of the Ahmadi Khulafa with regards to Palestine and Israel from this time right through to the present. However, as the article would become very long we will leave it at that for now. 

Conclusion

Before even the end of the second world war and years before Palestine would be snatched from the Muslims and handed to Europeans of the Jewish faith and ethnic groups, Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad was already warning the Muslims of the dangers they faced in Palestine and of the solution. He noted, with alarm, how the union of the non-Muslim powers was not solely for the sake of gaining Palestine, but was part of a concerted and long term effort against Islam itself. He also highlighted how the non-Muslim nations now controlled 99% of the world's lands. The Christian nations lived in Europe, North and South America and the Australian continent. Moreover, the European empires had already conquered much, if not most, of Africa and Asia. In their sheer greed they were creating a home for the Israelis not in one of their lands but in one of the Muslim lands.

However, Hadhur did not just present a problem, he offered a two fold strategy which could be used to overcome these efforts to shatter the Muslim world; firstly, the Muslim nations should unite and make sacrifices to build the infrastructure within Palestine and to give them the strength to prevent losses there. Secondly, the Muslims should pray and turn towards Allah for His Help. Sadly, the Muslim nations largely ignored the advice. They remain disunited and their strategies in the cause of Palestine have proven futile. We hope and pray that the problems of the Palestinians will satisfactorily resolved in the near future.