September 7, 1974, is a memorable and historic day for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as, on this day, the National Assembly, through a constitutional amendment, unanimously declared all the followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani as non-Muslim minority. Later in 1984, through an ordinance Qadianis were prohibited from using Islamic terms, and a ban was imposed on all their un-Islamic activities.

‘Finality of Prophethood’ has always been the fundamental and joint belief of Islam and is an integral part of our faith. It has been the unanimous decision of the Ummah that anyone claiming to be a prophet after the Holy Prophet (SAW) is excommunicated from Islam. Since Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani had claimed prophethood, and being the incarnation of the Holy Prophet (SAW), therefore the Muslim scholars the world over had issued an ordain (fatwa) declaring him and his followers to be non-Muslims. On the contrary, the Qadianis consider more than 1.5 billion Muslims throughout the world as outside the pale of (their) Islam. Qadianis do not offer prayers behind the Muslims and they have severed all religious contacts with them declaring them as illegitimate (haram). So much so that even if a small child of a Muslim dies, a Qadiani would never offer his funeral prayer. Pakistan’s first Foreign Minister Chaudhry Zafarullah Khan did not offer the funeral prayer of Father of the Nation Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

It was the philosopher of Pakistan Allama Muhammad Iqbal who had for the first time demanded of the rulers to declare Qadianis as non-Muslim minority. (reference: Haraf-e-Iqbal).

Qadianis and Muslims are two separate entities. Their religions are different and they have different identities. If we have a look at the world history, it is proved beyond a shadow of doubt that whenever someone claims to be a prophet, those present would be divided into two classes – believers and non-believers, irrespective of the fact that the man is right or wrong. These two groups can never belong to the same religion.

The followers of Moses (Jews), the followers of Christ (Christians) and the followers of the Holy Prophet (SAW) (Muslims) who rejected the teachings of any new claimant of prophethood from amongst them and remained true to their religions. But how can those, who believed in the new prophet, be called Muslims? Justice demands that they should have established their separate identity like the Bahais. They believe in all prophets including the Holy Prophet (SAW). However they have their own prophet – Bahaullah.

The real dispute between Muslims and Qadianis is that of identity. The same principle applies to mundane affairs. If a company has been functioning for the past one hundred years with a specific name, trade mark and a logo, and if some persons of this company leave it and launch a new company, will his new company be justified in using the name of the previous firm? Can they use the trade mark and logo of the old company they deserted? Can someone other than a policeman use police uniform or badges?

Can someone other than an army man use the uniform or badges of someone belonging to the army? What would law do to an ordinary man who flaunts as a policeman wearing police uniform? Similarly if Qadianis have made a new prophet, in order to remove any misunderstanding, they should dissociate from Islam and work under a new name. If Qadinais establish their separate identity under this principle, there will be no dispute between Muslims and Qadianis.

However the followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani were declared non-Muslim minority on Sept 7, 1974, but the Qadiani community is not only continuously refusing to accept this constitutional amendment, but it is denigrating Pakistan by lobbying against it at international fora.

Their propaganda is that they were declared non-Muslims at the behest of Shah Faisal, the King of Saudi Arabia and further that the decision against them is in violation of fundamental human rights. They dub the decision as out and out cruelty and so and so forth.

The first thing to be remembered in this connection is that the assembly that declared Qadianis as non-Muslims in 1974 was an elected National Assembly and all the members were elected representatives of the people of Pakistan. None of the members disagreed with the amendment, which means that it was a democratic decision. The West as well as human rights organisations recognise democratic system as genuine. It beats the imagination to see people criticising this political decision.

Secondly, prior to this decision not only a full Qadiani team led by its head Mirza Nasir but the head of the Lahori sect led by its chief were invited to the National Assembly and allowed full 13 days to verbally argue and record their comprehensive statements. The National Assembly took a decision only after that. When both the factions of Qadianis came to the National Assembly, it means that they recognised the status of the National Assembly.

Moreover, the Qadiani Jamaat itself had challenged the Qadiani Ordinance 1984 in the Federal Shariat Court (FSC), and after hearing the arguments the FSC had upheld the Qadiani Ordinance 1984.

It is unjust to term the ordinance cruel or controversial after the decision of the National Assembly and the judgment of the FSC. As far as pressure from Shah Faisal is concerned, there is a Quranic injunction that no non-Muslim should be allowed to enter the precincts of Haram Sharif. As the Custodian of Harmain-al-Sharifain, it is the right of the Saudi monarch to stop Qadianis from entering Harm Sharif.

The attitude and behaviour of Qadianis is also responsible for their being declared non-Muslims. The anti-Qadiani movement was launched in 1953.

Qadiani conspiracies; use of aggressive and fiery language by Chaudhry Zafrullah Khan at Jehangir Park Karachi while occupying the most important post of Foreign Minister of Pakistan; subjecting Muslim students to violence on May 29, 1974 at Rabwah (now Chenab Nagar) were the incidents that snowballed into sharp reaction.

These actions gave birth to Tehreek-e-Khatme Nabuwwat in 1974 and resultantly Qadianis were declared non-Muslim minority. Qadianis should brood over their behaviour with a cool mind and bring about a change in their attitude. They should respect the law and the Constitution of Pakistan.

Source: The News International