Ahmadiyyat or Qadianism! Islam or Apostasy? — Page 187
THE WHITE MINARET IN DAMASCUS. The opponents of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian contend. that he cannot be the anticipated Promised Messiah of the Ummah since according to the Traditions of our beloved Prophet, the descent of the. Promised Messiah is expected to take place: 'on a white minaret situated in the Eastern part of Damascus. ' '. Whether this is a delibrate misrepresentation of the Holy Prophet's. Tradition or whether it is an ignorant translation by the critics of Hazrat. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, is a matter to be determined by the antagonists themselves. However, the fact remains that according to a better recognised collection of the Holy Prophet's Tradition, that of. Muslim whose collection is considered to be as authentic as Bukhari's or else second to it. 2. the Messiah was not to descend on a minaret in the eastern part of Damascus' but 'close to one in the east of Damascus. . This version of the Holy Prophet's Tradition is reported by the collection of Muslim, which on the authority of Hazrat Nawas bin Saman reports that the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him declared: 'Allah the Exalted will raise the Messiah ibn Mariam, who will arrive close to a white minaret in the east of Damascus. ' ³. This version of the Holy Prophet's Tradition has been accepted as authentic by many reputed scholars of Islam, including the Shafi scholar. Hazrat Imam Muhuyud Din Abu Zakariyya Yahya 4 whose collection of Traditions has been published many times by the publishing houses of both Mecca and Cairo. . Infact, some anti Ahmadiyya authors have themselves inadvertently admitted that according to the Traditions of the Holy Prophet, the. Promised Messiah is expected to descend 'near' a white minaret 3 and 1. Hasan, S: The Truth About Ahmadiyyat: pg 6 2. Hasan, S: The Study of Al Quran: Lessons 1 & 2 4. Riyadh as Salihini. S 3. Sahih Muslim 5. Maududi, A. A: Finailty of Prophethood: pg 54 188