Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

HYDERABAD: The Majlis Tahaffuze Khatme Nabuwat (MTKN), a body of prominent religious scholars, on Tuesday slammed the Centre for treating the Ahmadiyyas, also known as Qadiyanis, as a part of the Muslim community in the Census 2011.

The MTKN contends that the Ahmediya community cannot be considered a part of mainstream Islam and maintained that it follows a different religion.

According to a press release issued by the organisation, there is consensus among Islamic scholars from all major sects across the world that the Ahmediyyas are not a part of Islam. It also claimed that it was in 1974 that the Muslim World League in its international conference in Mecca had declared that the group is not a be a part of Islam.

According to Maulana Ansarullah Qasmi from the MTKN, the Ahmediyya community believes that its founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was the second manifestation of Prophet Muhammad. This, he said, is against the fundamental beliefs of Islam. This concept is against the basic beliefs of Islam that Prophet Muhammad is the last of all prophets. Further it is also wrong to say that there are avatars of prophets,” he said.

Maulana Qasmi said that the MTKN had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 “informing” him of the issue, that the Ahmediyya community should not be considered a part of Islam.

The Muslim panel of scholars which includes All India Muslim Personal Law Board member Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani and Mufti Mohammed Abdul Mughni, among others, demanded that the Centre treat the Ahmadiyya community as a separate religious group. “We demand that action be taken at the earliest,” Maulana Qasmi said.

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi too expressed his displeasure at the Centre treating the community as Muslim. In a series of tweets, Owaisi denounced the move. “Prophethood terminated with Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him whereas Qadianis say the opposite (sic),” he tweeted. In another tweet he said, “This inclusion was done during Cong /BJP Question t both party Muslims members what is yr opinion about Prophethood (sic).”