Parwez’s Distortion of Classical Tafsir
Ghulam Ahmad Parwez not only twisted Qur’anic meanings but also falsely attributed his self-made interpretations to classical scholars to make his ideology appear credible. Below are three major instances where he deliberately misrepresented the works of famous mufassireen.
① Lying About Imam al-Tabari’s Tafsir
Parwez’s Claim:
Parwez asserted that Imam al-Tabari interpreted “Allah and His Messenger” to mean the central Islamic government in the verse:
﴿يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الأَنفَالِ قُلِ الأَنفَالُ لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ﴾
He cited al-Tabari’s statement on anfal to “prove” his own meaning.
Reality:
Imam al-Tabari’s actual commentary focused only on explaining anfal as “the extra spoils given by the leader to parts or all of the army.”
He never redefined “Allah and His Messenger” as “the central government.”
The “imam” mentioned in al-Tabari’s tafsir refers to the leader of the army in context, not to Allah or the Messenger ﷺ.
② Misusing Imam al-Razi’s Commentary
Parwez’s Claim:
While discussing ﴿إِنَّمَا جَزَاءُ الَّذِينَ يُحَارِبُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ﴾, Parwez claimed that Imam al-Razi supported his idea that “Allah” means “the leader of the time.”
Reality:
Imam al-Razi explicitly stated:
- The word Allah is exclusively for the Creator.
- If someone replaces “Allah” in the shahadah with another divine name, such as “al-Rahman” or “al-Malik,” they do not enter Islam.
This completely contradicts Parwez’s claim and shows that Imam al-Razi would never agree to his interpretation.
③ Twisting Imam al-Suyuti’s Words
Parwez’s Claim:
Quoting al-Durr al-Manthur, Parwez argued that when early scholars said “the imam has the right to punish the rebel as he wishes,” it proves that “Allah and His Messenger” means “the leader.”
Reality:
In context, the “imam” here means the Amir al-Mu’minin (Muslim ruler) with judicial authority to punish criminals against Allah and His Messenger’s commands—not that the ruler is Allah or the Messenger.
Parwez’s interpretation turns a legal principle into a theological distortion.
Why These Distortions Are Dangerous
By twisting these tafsir sources:
- Parwez fabricated scholarly support for his belief that “Allah and His Messenger” refers to a political authority.
- He misled readers into thinking his views were backed by classical mufassireen.
- In reality, none of these scholars endorsed his reinterpretation.
