Qadianism - A critical study
This is a well-written book that discusses the Qadiani movement founded in the late 19th century by Mirza
Ghulam Ahmed in Qadian, India.
For such a small book, the author highlights many aspects of the movement:
- the situation in India at the time of the birth of Qadianism, which in fact, reflected the situation of many
parts of the ummah at the time
- the early life, behaviour & reputation of Ghulam Ahmed before he made his claim of Prophethood
- the founding of the religion and factors influencing its growth
- the influence on the movement by Ghulam Ahmed's right-hand man, Hakim Nuruddin Bharawi
- the characteristics & lifestyle of Ghulam Ahmed & his closest followers vis-a-vis that of the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam and the sahaba
- the relationship between Ghulam Ahmed and the British authorities
- a discussion of the Prophecies of Ghulam Ahmed
- a fantastic summary of the movement's contribution to the Muslim World one century after its
appearance.
The beauty of this book lies in the style of its delivery. The author instead of relying on passionate rhetoric
to enflame the emotions of the reader against the movement simply uses its well-known books to
demonstrate its errors. Ali Nadwi takes statements from Ghulam Ahmed's books of Prophecies, from the
writings of his son Mirza Bashir Ahmed, and from the publications of the organisation, and weighs these
against the teachings of the Qur'an & Sunnah to give a completely unbiased analysis of the movement.
I've read few books which have been translated as well as this one has, even though the first print of the
book came out close to 50 years ago.
This would be a valuable book in any du'aat's collection especially for those who may have a Qadiani
community in their city.
I give this book 4 stars.
Reviewed by Kashif
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