Muhammad Iqbal on the Question of Ahmadi Exclusion and Ismaili Inclusion
Book Chapter in "Sunni Chauvinism and the Roots of Muslim Modernism"
“The chapter begins with an analysis of tawhid in Iqbal’s Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam, followed by an extensive reading of his piece Islam and Ahmadism, in which he formulates a sustained case against the Ahmadis as heretics. Although he makes an argument that is purportedly theological—namely, that Ahmadis violate the Muslim fundamental belief in the finality of prophecy—I argue that his main target was Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, whose charismatic leadership threatened Iqbal’s authority as representative of Muslim unity, defined by values of freedom, equality, and progress. In his view, Ahmadi belief in the prophecy of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad kept the community in a “backward” state and contravened Iqbal’s understanding of what it meant to be modern. This chapter explores the contours of Iqbal’s accusations against Ahmadi heresy through theories of the “heretic” outlined by sociologists such as Zimmel, Zito, and Bourdieu. Finally, this analysis of Iqbal’s punitive stance against the Ahmadis concludes with the unexpected contrast Iqbal draws to the Ismailis, in which he claims the Ismailis adopted and adhered to progressive beliefs aligned with the modern Muslim community in ways the Ahmadis refused to do” (Teena Purohit)
Author: Dr. Teena Purohit
Link to Book: Sunni Chauvinism and the Roots of Muslim Modernism