The Muslim Council of UK has recently declared that a person who believes in any kind of prophet after the Holy Prophet Muhammad is not a Muslim and therefore Ahmadis can not be called Muslims. Ahmadis believe that Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian is a subordinate prophet who has been appointed by Allah to revive the true teachings of Islam. He has not been given a new law or new religion.

The question arises who is entitled to be called a Muslim. At the outset, anyone who testifies to the Oneness of God and to the prophet-hood of Muhammad is a Muslim. These two simple and basic beliefs make the foundation of a Muslim. How this foundation evolves in to various types of doctrinal building at the top does not nullify the status of the Muslim identity.

Having said that, let us try to define a Muslim from the Holy Quran and the saying and model of the Prophet Muhammad.

Belief in Oneness of God

Various verses of the Holy Quran lay down basic beliefs which entitle anyone to be a Muslim. The first and the foremost is the belief in Oneness of God:  ‘He has no partner. And so am I commanded, and I am the first of those who submit.’ (6:164).

And

“Say, ‘O People of the Book! come to a word equal between us and you — that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partner with Him, and that some of us take not others for Lords beside Allah.’ But if they turn away, then say, ‘Bear witness that we have submitted to God.’ “(3:65)

Belief in Prophet Muhammad

Belief in the prophet hood of Muhammad is second to the belief in the Unity of God.  If anyone wishes to become a Muslim, he must profess these two basic beliefs. These are summated in Kalima Tayyeba which is the foundational proclamation of a Muslim.

After the proclamation and entitlement, begins the self-reformation! The Holy Quran warned the Arabs who converted to Islam that the journey has just begun. It says:

“The Arabs of the desert say, ‘We believe.’ Say, “You have not believed yet; but rather say, ‘We have accepted Islam,’ for the true belief has not yet entered into your hearts.” But if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not detract anything from your deeds Surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.” (49:15)

The sayings of the Prophet Muhammad

Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad and his practical model prove that anyone who believes in these two foundational creeds becomes legitimately entitled to be called a Muslim. The title cannot be taken away; howsoever varied further beliefs or level of reformation or spirituality of a Muslim may be!

It isnarrated that Hazrat Umar declared his conversion to Islam by crying out: “I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.”  Hazat Abu Bakr who was the first Caliph of Islam explained that he became a Muslim by saying “I praise the true God, besides whom there is none to be worshiped. I declare that Allah is One, without partner, and Muhammad is His servant and messenger. We affirm the message of Allah which he brought to us. He, who denies it, is a kafir.” (Tarikh Tabari, Urdu translation, vol. I, part IV, p. 38)

After entitlement to be called a Muslim come the reformation and various other things are included in the set of beliefs. One of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad quoted him saying that Islam is based on five things — testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, maintaining the prayer, giving in charity (Zakaat), the Pilgrimage (Hajj), and fasting in the month of Ramadan. (Bukhari, Book of Faith; Book 2, Ch. 1)

Scholars Views

Imam Ghazali was one of the greatest philosophers of Islam. According to him “the principle of Islam is only two sentences: There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. However, in explaining the details of these, differences arose and many sects sprang up.” (Al-Ghazali by Shibli, p. 102)

Imam Abu Mansur has the view “He who wishes to be from among the community of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, must say with his tongue, There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, and affirm its meaning in his heart. He is then a Muslim, even though he may not know about the duties and prohibitions.” (p. 34 of the edition published by Da’irat al-Mu‘arif of Egypt)

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was a Muslim theologian, scholar and an author of high repute in India. In his well-known Urdu commentary of the Quran, he writes: “What Islam has made as the basic expression of its teaching is known to everyone — Ashhadu an la Ilaha ill Allah, wa Ashhadu Anna Muhammadan Abduhu wa Rasulu-hu. That is, I confess that there is none to be worshiped besides God and I confess that Muhammad is the servant of God and His messenger.”  (Tarjuman al-Quran, Delhi, 1931, vol. I, p. 119)

A Question

In light of these view, where the Muslim Council of UK stands? Islam is a religion of simplicity and not complications. The Muslim world is already divided and divisions weaken the self cohesiveness and strengthen the foreign rule. That should not be the agenda for Muslims today!