Author name: min_ad

By Al-Hafiz Yunus Omotayo It’s always exciting reminiscing the day of my graduation from Jamia Ahmadiyya (Theological Institute established by the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community for the training of Missionaries) at Ilaro, Ogun State, Nigeria, which took place 15 years ago, precisely on 16th July, 2006. Indeed, it forever remains an historic, significant, inspiring and catalytic event in my life. Historic, because the graduation symbolized my departure from a student life to my formal induction, along with my colleagues, into the Missionary profession as life-devotees in the service of the religion of Islam. Significant, because it hallmarked the beginning of a professional career which champions the mission of divine prophethood, sparking the challenge to imitate the exemplary prophetic moral and spiritual life to be able to win the hearts of humanity. Inspiring and catalytic, because it transported me to the plateau of self-realization and consciousness that to strive for distinction and excellence in one’s study, in one’s work and in one’s career is not only rewarding in the final analysis, but also what actually defines the true meaning of meaning when it comes to actualising life’s goals and destiny. My reflection goes back to 2003 AD, the year that my academic adventure began in the Jamia. Over twenty students, drawn from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, have been admitted to undergo the rigorous missionary training. However, three years later, on the day of the graduation, only six of us have got the fortune and the grace of Allah to make it to the end of the course. We were: Adam Garba, Adeleke Ismaīl, Ajibola Abdullah, Aliyy Ishaq, Yunus Omotayo and Yunus Fayomi. The rest have had to drop out, for one reason or the other. Although I was born an Ahmadi Muslim, but I didn’t have the opportunity to learn about Islam during my childhood, because I found myself in a Christian-dominated society where my socialization at the peer and age group levels, as well as, both my primary and secondary educational adventure saw me learning Christian Religious Knowledge (this has, however, turned out to be a blessing in disguise, anyway). My study of Islam only began from the level of self-study towards the end of my secondary school and continued in my post-secondary years well to the year of my admission to the Jamia Ahmadiyya. Hence, in the spirit of the Qur’ānic imperative: “And the bounty of thy Lord, proclaim;” I’m ever humbled with deep sense of gratitude to Allāh to reminisce and relate the grace of Allāh Who enabled me to emerge successfully from the Jamia. Thus, the 2006 Jamia Convocation saw my worthless self receiving the prize for the best graduating student. This unassuming boy also bagged a certificate of Tahfizul Qur’an (Memorization of the Qur’ān), and a prize for being the first student to become a Hafizul Qur’ān (honorific title for a memorizer of the Qur’ān) in the history of Jamia Ahmadiyya Nigeria. And according to the then Missionary In-Charge of Nigeria, Maulana Abdul-Khalique Nayyar Sahib, it was second to the trail-blazing feat achieved by respected Ahmadiyya’s Mufti Silsila, Maulana Kahloon Sahib, in the world history of Jamia Ahmadiyya International. More so, the event also cheered my humble self with a number of prizes from the sport fiesta of the year: 1st position in 100 meters race; 1st position in 200 meters race; and 1st position in table tennis (single), among other prizes. I could still recollect that I represented the final-year level in the Extemporary Speech Competition organized for the year. I was the Ra’ees (the Students’ President) of the 2006 set. The pressure to win the competition was indeed challenging to me: how would one relate the story that a student representing a lower level defeated the Ra’ees who was representing the final year level? The day arrived and the event commenced. My turn came and I was called forward to pick my topic. I did. To my surprise, however, I read the question that asked me to speak on “My Favourite Teacher.” I was shocked. All my lecturers were seated. The thought of who should I choose among them dominated my mind. They, too, were staring at me; perhaps, thinking who will Yunus speak on as his favourite teacher. For a few seconds, I remained mute, confused and indecisive. I felt if I should choose one, how would the others feel about it and me? I knew I have had to take a decision not just inevitably, but also wisely as well; so as to, at best, please them all, or, at worst, play safely. Then the thought flashed my mind: why not speak on the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) as my favourite teacher! Now, I felt I’ve gotten the best option in the best prophet who is the ultimate favourite teacher of the people of all time and clime. It worked excellently. I made it and added another 1st position prize for Extemporary Speech Competition! Jamia Ahmadiyya, through its broad curriculum and esteemed and erudite lecturers, taught us Islam: its theology, jurisprudence, law, history and the Scholastic Dialectics. It took us on an academic voyage to extensive comparative religious studies. It engaged us in philosophical and psychological studies. We were taught world languages: Arabic, English and Urdu! We were trained in Islamic morality and spirituality and in the principles of dedication to the service of the faith. We were taught that a Missionary must be a dictionary, and should learn something about everything. We were taught to see ourselves as both leaders and servants of the faith and of the faithful. More so, we were made to undergo rigorous physical training and dignity of labour. We were instructed to serve as builders of personalities, to see ourselves as social workers and, above all, as callers to the oneness of Allāh and the prophethood of Muhammad (saw) – the Seal of the Prophets. However, at the end of the course, just when we were about to begin to breath a sigh

By Al-Hafiz Yunus Omotayo Recently, one of the followers of my Facebook Page sent a question to me, via Messenger App, seeking clarification on an issue of faith and jurisprudence. Her question and the answer given by my humble self are published below for the benefit of the wider readership. Questioner: I was told that an Ahmadi can’t pray at the back of a non-Ahmadi. Why please? Al-Hafiz Yunus Omotayo: Respected sister, the fact of the matter is that, such kind of people would only tell you Ahmadi Muslims can’t pray behind non-Ahmadi Muslims, but they would not tell you that they themselves can’t pray behind Ahmadi Muslims! Perhaps you may need to ask them that can they pray behind Ahmadi Muslims whom they had declared Kafirs (disbelievers)? Anyhow, let me answer your question and be as straightforward and unambiguous as possible. To approach your enquiry, I feel it would be helpful to first interrogate the historical background of the matter and, then, move on to the underpinning theological and jurisprudential factors and issues. It would interest you to note that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamā’at was founded in 1889 by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) as a revivalist movement within Islam; with a mission to revive the faith and reform and unite the Muslim faithful. More relevantly, you may equally find it impressing to note that, as members of a Jamā’at that seeks to end the challenge of religious separatism within the Muslim-body polity, Ahmadi Muslims of the earliest period, as available evidences suggest, used to enter the mosques of the non-Ahmadi Muslims in their various towns, and even prayed behind them. In fact, in his book, Victory of Islam, which he wrote in 1890 and published in 1891, Hazrat Ahmad (as) himself recollected how, while in the city of Aligarh, India, he offered his Friday Prayer behind a non-Ahmadi Muslim scholar, Maulvi Muhammad Ismail. This was because they consider non-Ahmadis as their fellow Muslims behind whom Salat can be offered congregationally. This historical fact should prove Ahmadi Muslims’ commitment to fostering Islamic brotherhood and unity and their aversion to separatism. However, as copious evidences show, during that early period (and later, too) many among Muslim scholars and leaders who were opposed to the revivalist teachings of Hazrat Ahmad (as) began to declare that Ahmadis are disbelievers (kuffar) and therefore, not Muslims. In fact, as history tells us, nearly 200 scholars converged on Ludhiana, India, where they appended their signatures to one of such takfiri edicts. Many other prominent scholars later followed suit. For brevity, let me quote just one of such obnoxious fatawa (edicts). In 1892, Maulvi Abdus-Samī’ Bedayuni issued this fatwa: “Observance of daily-prayer behind any Mirza’i (sic. Pejorative term they used for an Ahmadi Muslim) is definitely illegitimate. Praying behind Mirza’is is no different from praying behind the Hindus, the Jews or the Christians. The members of Ahlu Sunnah wa al-Jamā’ah denomination and other persons of Islamic faith must never let Mirza’is to enter our mosques for either offering daily prayers or for any other religious observances.” (Sā’iqa-e- Rabbāni ber Gitna-e- Qadiani, published in 1892 A.D., p. 9) Many a times, they would persecute Ahmadi Muslims whenever the latter entered their mosques. During those days, those Ahmadis would run to Hazrat Ahmad (as) and complained of their bitter experiences and requested him to permit them to build their own mosques in their various towns and pray there, so as to be safe from such persecution. Initially, he would reply them that they should be patient and that he would reach out to those Muslim scholars and leaders to strike mutual understanding, reconciliation and peace. In fact, during this period, he wrote a conciliatory note which he titled, Sulh Khair (Reconciliation is the Best), where he made appeal to his religious fellows to desist from their Takfiri edicts and the ensuing hostility and persecution. But, instead of compromising, those scholars would even increase in their opposition and persecution, inciting the Muslim public against Ahmadi Muslims. The evidence below, written by an opponent of Ahmadiyya, Maulvi AbdulWahid Janpuri, should attest to this historical fact: “Let it not be concealed that the reason for this conciliatory note is that after the Mirza’i group in Amritsar was subjected to disgrace; expelled from Friday and congregational prayers; humiliatingly thrown out of the mosques in which they used to pray and barred from the parks where they held their Friday prayers, they asked Mirza Qadiani to build a new mosque. Mirza told them that they should wait while he tried to make peace with the people, for in that case there would be no need to build a mosque. They had to bear much humiliation. Their social relations with the Muslims were stopped, their wives were taken away from them, their dead were thrown into pits without garments or funeral rites etc. It was then that the Qadiani liar issued this conciliatory note.” (Wahid, Maulvi Abdul, Ishtihar Mukadat Musailimah Qaadiani, p. 2) It was at such a juncture that, Hazrat Ahmad (as), based on divine inspiration, instructed the Ahmadi Muslims to build their own mosques and appoint their Imams among themselves and stop praying behind the other Muslims who see them as non-Muslims and who would not desist in their enmity and persecution. He further issued the instruction thus: “Remember that God has informed me that it is forbidden to you and forbidden altogether that you pray behind any Mukaffir (one who attributes Kufr [disbelief] to another), Mukazzib (a denier) or Mutaraddid (a doubter). Your Imam should be one who is one of yourselves.” (Appendix,Tuhfa’-e-Golarhwiyyah, page18) Please note the word used by Hazrat Ahmad (as) in this instruction. He has interestingly used the one “Mukaffir”. While the other Muslim scholars have referred to Ahmadis as Kafirs and ordered Muslims not to pray behind them, Hazrat Ahmad (as) has rather referred to them as Mukaffir (one who declares other Muslims as Kafir) and forbids Ahmadi Muslims from praying behind them. This shows that