Another assertion put forward by the ‘White Paper’ is:

Anyone claiming to be a Prophet after the Holy Prophet(sa) was invariably considered a liar and apostate. It was not considered necessary to have discussions with or engage such a person in debate. This is proof that Mirza Sahib was an impostor [God forbid]. (Qadiyaniyyat—Islam kei liye eik Sangin Khatrah [Qadiyaniyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam,] p. 24–25)

Continuing further, they write:

During the last fourteen hundred years Khataman-Nabiyyin has universally been interpreted by Muslims to mean that the Holy Prophet(sa) was the last Prophet and that there would be no Prophet after him. It was because of this unshakable faith that the Muslim ummah vigorously opposed anyone who made a claim to prophethood and never forgave him. (Ibid.)

According to them, because claimants to prophethood have been opposed, no Prophet can come and that the Promised Messiah(as) (God forbid) was an impostor. They put forth arguments based on strange logic and based on a short period of history. A review of the entire history would change their assertion: from the time of Adam(as) to the time of the Holy Prophet [Muhammad](sa) and even after him, all claimants to prophethood have been opposed, persecuted and laughed at; in particular, all true Prophets have been opposed and persecuted.

Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:

Alas for My servants! … (Surah Ya Sin, 36:31)

To reject and mock a Messenger is an old custom. Bearing witness to this, will you reject the truth of each and every Prophet simply because he was faced with hostility and antagonism? How would you justify your inference based on the above verse of the Holy Qur’an? I also quoted verses from the Holy Qur’an earlier indicating opposition of all Prophets following Moses(as). It is true that some impostors also faced opposition but they were negligible. Most impostors were not opposed; they died their own miserable death. The arguments you have used to prove that the Promised Messiah(as) was an impostor, in fact, are a telling proof of his truthfulness.

Liar, on Him Will be the Sin of His Lie

I now draw your attention to the directive in the Holy Qur’an about the attitude we should adopt towards a person who claims to be from God and therefore a Prophet. Citing an incident from the time of Hazrat Musa(as), the Holy Qur’an tells us that when Hazrat Musa(as) made his claim to prophethood, the government of his time and the people opposed him and planned to put an end to his life.

Thereupon, a believing man from among the people of Pharaoh, who had kept his faith hidden, sought to dissuade them. He pleaded:1

That is to say that if Hazrat Musa(as) is an impostor, he would be punished for his falsehood. The people need not worry about it. God alone knows the truth and He knows best how to punish the liar. However, if he (Hazrat Musa(as)) is speaking the truth and you oppose him, then you are bound to be afflicted with some of the chastisements described by him. This is the attitude one should adopt towards a claimant to prophethood.

The Holy Qur’an has honoured the statement of a common man and has preserved it as a reminder for all times to come. The Holy Qur’an affirms the correctness of the position which he took against those who opposed Prophet Musa(as). He was a weak man, who was keeping his faith secret. Yet he said something really lovely. Unfortunately, the attitude of the Government and the maulavis of Pakistan is just the opposite.

In making the above assertion, the Government of Pakistan has inadvertently made a statement which provides a strong support to the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah(as). In their naivety, they have not realised the natural conclusion of their statement. They say that the ummah has totally ignored all false claimants and have not entered into any debate with him. But they themselves have launched a campaign of opposition against the Promised Messiah(as) and have treated him as the true claimants have always been treated by their false opponents. They did not treat the Promised Messiah(as) according to their confessed method of treating the liars—to totally ignore them. The Promised Messiah was confronted in debates, prayer duels and everything else that a true Prophet faces. The voice whereby the opponents of true Prophets told them that their mutual debates have reached their climax was heard loud and clear.2

To reiterate: the treatment that is given to all true Prophets was given to the Promised Messiah(as). But your treatment has no value; because Allah the Almighty is also granting the same favours as He has always conferred upon the true Prophets.