✒ Written by: Muhammad Yaseen Shaad, Abdul Rahman, Islamic Library Gulshan Faiz, Multan
In April 1984, President General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, through Section 298-B, legally prohibited the Lahori group of Qadianis from:
Violating this law could result in three years imprisonment and a monetary fine. The same penalty applies to anyone who:
According to this law, those who deny the Finality of Prophethood cannot use Islamic terminology. The 1984 Presidential Ordinance continues to hold full constitutional protection under the Eighth Amendment.
The process of declaring Qadianis as non-Muslims formally began with a court case in Bahawalpur in 1934. The brief account of this landmark judgment, which ruled against the Qadianis, was originally presented in the special edition of "Monthly Dawat Ahl-e-Hadith" Hyderabad, Sindh, and documented in several sources, including:
The Majlis Tahaffuz Khatm-e-Nubuwwat published a 20-volume series titled "Ihtisab Qadianiyat", which includes reprints of classic works defending the Finality of Prophethood by renowned scholars from the Indian subcontinent.
Despite their efforts, Ahl-e-Hadith scholars were often labeled "non-muqallid" by some of the Deobandi scholars who led these publications. The remaining scholars of Ludhiana, based near Khalsa College in Faisalabad, have denied the contributions of Ahl-e-Hadith scholars in this regard in their own publications.
For more information on these contributions, refer to:
القرآن:
"(O People) Muhammad (ﷺ) is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. And Allah has full knowledge of everything."
(Surah Al-Ahzab: 40)
This verse establishes that Prophethood has ended with the Holy Prophet ﷺ, and it was incumbent upon him to clearly declare permissible what people had mistakenly deemed forbidden—as there would be no Prophet after him.
(Source: Al-Kitab, arranged by Dr. Muhammad Usman and Maulana Zia-ur-Rahman Umarkpuri, Published: 2005, Lahore, pp. 101–1099)
(عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ – صلى الله عليه وسلم – إِنَّ الرِّسَالَةَ وَالنُّبوة قدالنقطعَتْ فَلا رسُولَ بَعْدِی ولانبي)
(Hadith 2272, Jami' Tirmidhi, Tuhfat al-Ahwazi, Kitab al-Ru’ya, Musnad Ahmad vol. 3, p. 267)
Narrated by Sayyiduna Anas رضي الله عنه, the Prophet ﷺ said:
"The chain of Messengership and Prophethood has ended. There will be no Messenger after me, and no Prophet."
He had married his young daughter, Ghulam Ayesha, to a relative Abdul Razzaq, who later secretly converted to Qadianism. Upon learning this, Maulana refused the marriage, stating that due to apostasy, the Nikah was nullified.
He filed a petition for annulment of marriage, which was rejected at several judicial levels due to loopholes in the prevailing laws. Eventually, he wrote a heartfelt application to Nawab Muhammad Sadiq Abbasi, ruler of Bahawalpur.
In his appeal, Maulana requested:
“I am a Muslim scholar who unknowingly married my daughter to someone who later turned Qadiani. Since belief in Finality of Prophethood is essential, this person is akin to Musaylimah the liar. The courts have ignored my plea; I now turn to you to protect my daughter from this disbeliever.”
The Nawab accepted the application, ordered the case be heard in the Shari‘ah Court, and strictly instructed that no court should deviate from Islamic principles.
Supporting Maulana Ilahi Bakhsh:
Supporting the Qadiani side:
Key literature from Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's writings was cited, including:
Despite British pressure on the Nawab to dismiss the case, he stood firm. As advised by Sir Umar Hayat Tiwana, he remained steadfast, declaring that he would not compromise his faith.
On 7 February 1935, District Judge Muhammad Akbar Khan ruled:
"Qadianis (Ahmadis) are apostates and outside the fold of Islam. Mirza is a false claimant to Prophethood. Therefore, a Muslim woman’s marriage to a Qadiani is invalid and forbidden. The Nikah of the plaintiff was annulled from the date of Abdul Razzaq's apostasy."
(Surah Hud: 88)
“And my success is only by Allah. Upon Him I rely, and to Him I turn.”
❖ Declaration of Qadianis as Non-Muslims by Pakistan's National Assembly (1974)
In 1974, the National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan declared, through majority consensus, that Qadianis—comprising the Lahori group and those who consider themselves Ahmadis—are a non-Muslim minority.In April 1984, President General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, through Section 298-B, legally prohibited the Lahori group of Qadianis from:
- Referring to the successors of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as Ameer al-Mu'mineen or Sahabah
- Referring to their women as Ummahat al-Mu’mineen
- Using terms like Ahl al-Bayt for their members
- Naming their worship places as mosques
- Calling the Adhan in those places
Violating this law could result in three years imprisonment and a monetary fine. The same penalty applies to anyone who:
- Directly or indirectly portrays themselves as Muslims
- Propagates their religion under the label of Islam
- Invites others to accept their faith
- Hurts the religious sentiments of Muslims
According to this law, those who deny the Finality of Prophethood cannot use Islamic terminology. The 1984 Presidential Ordinance continues to hold full constitutional protection under the Eighth Amendment.
❖ Historical Background: Judicial Ruling in Bahawalpur (1934)
The process of declaring Qadianis as non-Muslims formally began with a court case in Bahawalpur in 1934. The brief account of this landmark judgment, which ruled against the Qadianis, was originally presented in the special edition of "Monthly Dawat Ahl-e-Hadith" Hyderabad, Sindh, and documented in several sources, including:
- Bayanaat Rabbani Bar Irtidad Firqah Qadiani by Hafiz Khalid Latif Haqqani Bahawalpuri
- Tuhfa Qadianiyat by Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Ludhianvi
- Maqadmah Mirzaiyah Bahawalpur (3 volumes)
- Hayat al-Shaykh Muhaddith Jalalpuri
The Majlis Tahaffuz Khatm-e-Nubuwwat published a 20-volume series titled "Ihtisab Qadianiyat", which includes reprints of classic works defending the Finality of Prophethood by renowned scholars from the Indian subcontinent.
Despite their efforts, Ahl-e-Hadith scholars were often labeled "non-muqallid" by some of the Deobandi scholars who led these publications. The remaining scholars of Ludhiana, based near Khalsa College in Faisalabad, have denied the contributions of Ahl-e-Hadith scholars in this regard in their own publications.
For more information on these contributions, refer to:
- Tehreek Khatm-e-Nubuwwat, compiled by Dr. Bahauddin, published by Maktaba Qudsiya Lahore and Markazi Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith India (6 volumes)
❖ Evidence from the Qur'an
القرآن:"(O People) Muhammad (ﷺ) is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. And Allah has full knowledge of everything."
(Surah Al-Ahzab: 40)
This verse establishes that Prophethood has ended with the Holy Prophet ﷺ, and it was incumbent upon him to clearly declare permissible what people had mistakenly deemed forbidden—as there would be no Prophet after him.
(Source: Al-Kitab, arranged by Dr. Muhammad Usman and Maulana Zia-ur-Rahman Umarkpuri, Published: 2005, Lahore, pp. 101–1099)
❖ Saying of the Messenger ﷺ
فرمان رسول ﷺ:(عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ – صلى الله عليه وسلم – إِنَّ الرِّسَالَةَ وَالنُّبوة قدالنقطعَتْ فَلا رسُولَ بَعْدِی ولانبي)
(Hadith 2272, Jami' Tirmidhi, Tuhfat al-Ahwazi, Kitab al-Ru’ya, Musnad Ahmad vol. 3, p. 267)
Narrated by Sayyiduna Anas رضي الله عنه, the Prophet ﷺ said:
"The chain of Messengership and Prophethood has ended. There will be no Messenger after me, and no Prophet."
❖ Summary of the Bahawalpur Case
Maulana Ilahi Bakhsh (Graduate of Darul Uloom Deoband), residing in Kotla Mughlan, Tehsil Jampur, began teaching at Madrasa Arabia Basti Mehand, Channi Goth, within Bahawalpur State.He had married his young daughter, Ghulam Ayesha, to a relative Abdul Razzaq, who later secretly converted to Qadianism. Upon learning this, Maulana refused the marriage, stating that due to apostasy, the Nikah was nullified.
He filed a petition for annulment of marriage, which was rejected at several judicial levels due to loopholes in the prevailing laws. Eventually, he wrote a heartfelt application to Nawab Muhammad Sadiq Abbasi, ruler of Bahawalpur.
In his appeal, Maulana requested:
“I am a Muslim scholar who unknowingly married my daughter to someone who later turned Qadiani. Since belief in Finality of Prophethood is essential, this person is akin to Musaylimah the liar. The courts have ignored my plea; I now turn to you to protect my daughter from this disbeliever.”
The Nawab accepted the application, ordered the case be heard in the Shari‘ah Court, and strictly instructed that no court should deviate from Islamic principles.
❖ Proceedings and Final Verdict
From 1926 to 1935, this monumental trial continued. Scholars appeared for both parties.Supporting Maulana Ilahi Bakhsh:
- Allama Ghulam Muhammad Ghotvi (Sheikh al-Hadith, Jamia Abbasia)
- Allama Muhammad Hussain Loko Tararvi
- Mufti Muhammad Shafi‘ Deobandi (Karachi)
- Maulana Murtaza Hasan Chandpuri
- Maulana Anwar Shah Kashmiri
- Maulana Najmuddin (Professor, Islamia College Lahore)
Supporting the Qadiani side:
- Jalaluddin Shams
- Barrister Chaudhry Nasrullah Khan Qadiani
- Sir Zafarullah Khan (former Foreign Minister of Pakistan)
Key literature from Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's writings was cited, including:
- Anjam Atham, Haqiqat al-Wahy, Tuhfa Golraviya, Baraheen-e-Ahmadiyya, etc.
Despite British pressure on the Nawab to dismiss the case, he stood firm. As advised by Sir Umar Hayat Tiwana, he remained steadfast, declaring that he would not compromise his faith.
On 7 February 1935, District Judge Muhammad Akbar Khan ruled:
"Qadianis (Ahmadis) are apostates and outside the fold of Islam. Mirza is a false claimant to Prophethood. Therefore, a Muslim woman’s marriage to a Qadiani is invalid and forbidden. The Nikah of the plaintiff was annulled from the date of Abdul Razzaq's apostasy."
❖ Aftermath
Following this historic verdict, Maulana Ilahi Bakhsh married his daughter to Maulana Sultan Mahmood Muhaddith Jalalpuri, upon consultation with Maulana Abdul Haq Hashmi. The Nikah was performed by Maulana Abdul Haq Hashmi Muhaddith Multani, student of Mian Nazir Hussain Dehlvi رحمه الله.❖ Bibliography of the Article
- Ruidad Muqadmah Mirzaiyah Bahawalpur (3 vols.), Islamic Foundation (Regd.), Lahore
- Hayat, Khidmaat, Aasar Maulana Sultan Mahmood Muhaddith Jalalpuri by Ustadh Maulana Muhammad Rafiq Athari
- Ihtisab Qadianiyat, Vol. 4, Aalmi Majlis Tahaffuz Khatm-e-Nubuwwat, Multan
- Monthly Naqeeb Khatm-e-Nubuwwat, Multan, February 2009 edition
- Quarterly Al-Zubair, Bahawalpur (1994), Urdu Academy Bahawalpur
- Mashahir Bahawalpur by Shahab Dehlvi, Urdu Academy Bahawalpur
- Qadiani wa Lahori, Mirzai Dairah Islam Se Kyon Kharij Hain?, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rahman bin Muhammad Sahib, Anjuman Ahl-e-Hadith, Lahore
- Qadiani Kafir Kyon? by Maulana Irshad-ul-Haq Athari, Idarah Athariyyah, Faisalabad
- Tahdith-e-Ni‘mat (Autobiography) by Muhammad Zafarullah Khan Qadiani
(Surah Hud: 88)
“And my success is only by Allah. Upon Him I rely, and to Him I turn.”
