Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq,
Jan. 1, 2025 By AimanAbir18plus –
Own work, CC BY 4.0, Wikipedia
Mutashabihat Q107–121: The Blueprint Behind a Developing Religious Authority System
Introduction
The significance of Mutashabihat Questions 107–121 is not merely that they contain unusual theological interpretations.
The significance is that they reveal a developing framework that gradually shifts authority away from traditional Islamic scholarship and toward a divinely appointed claimant.
When examined together, these teachings reveal recurring themes that later became central to the movement surrounding Ahmad al-Hassan and eventually influenced the development of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL).
1. The Claim That Only His Followers Are the “Specially Created Ones”
One of the most striking passages appears in Question 107.
Ahmad al-Hassan cites traditions claiming that certain followers were:
- Created from the same light as Muhammad.
- Created from a special clay.
- Chosen before others.
- Different from ordinary believers.
He then identifies the companions of the Qa’im as belonging to this special class.
He cites traditions describing them as:
“The finest of everyone in Earth.”
And:
“The Earth becomes proud when they are walking on it.”
This creates an elite spiritual identity.
The message is no longer simply:
“We are believers.”
Instead it becomes:
“We are the specially chosen believers.”
This is a powerful mechanism frequently seen within sectarian and high-control movements. It creates a strong distinction between insiders and outsiders and reinforces loyalty to the group.
2. Scholars Become Donkeys
Question 113 is particularly revealing.
Ahmad al-Hassan interprets Qur’anic references concerning donkeys and applies them to scholars who oppose the divinely appointed representative.
He writes:
“The voice of the corrupt scholars is evil and it is the harshest of voices.”
This is significant because disagreement is transformed into evidence of corruption.
Instead of:
“Scholars disagree with me.”
The narrative becomes:
“Scholars reject me because they are spiritually blind and corrupt.”
This is an extremely effective rhetorical strategy because it allows criticism to be dismissed before it is even examined.
The same theme later appears repeatedly within AROPL literature and media where Sunni scholars, Shia scholars, Christian leaders, and other critics are often portrayed as part of a corrupt religious establishment opposing divine truth.
3. Exclusive Access to Divine Knowledge
Question 120 contains one of the most important doctrines in the entire collection.
Ahmad al-Hassan cites the narration that knowledge consists of twenty-seven letters.
He argues that previous prophets revealed only two letters while the Qa’im will reveal the remaining twenty-five.
He writes:
“The entire amount that the Messengers came with was 2 letters.”
And:
“If our Qaim rises the 25 letters will come out.”
The implications are profound.
If accepted, this means:
- Existing Islam is incomplete.
- Existing scholarship is incomplete.
- Existing understanding is incomplete.
The inevitable conclusion becomes:
“You need the new divinely guided teacher.”
This doctrine lays the groundwork for introducing new teachings while claiming continuity with previous revelation.
It also becomes one of the foundational ideas that later enabled the development of AROPL theology.
4. Reinterpreting “Ayatollah”
Question 121 attacks the title “Ayatollah.”
Ahmad al-Hassan argues:
“Ayatullah” belongs only to the Imams.
And:
“Grand Ayatullah is specifically for the Prince of the Believers Ali ibn Abi Talib.”
He further argues that modern scholars are wrong to use these titles.
At first glance this may appear to be a criticism of religious pride.
However the practical effect is much larger.
Traditional religious authority is undermined.
The credibility of recognised scholars is weakened.
Their titles are delegitimised.
Once the traditional authority structure has been dismantled, a vacuum emerges.
The obvious question becomes:
Who possesses the authority that scholars supposedly lost?
The answer increasingly points back to the claimant himself.
5. Muhammad as the Manifestation of Allah
Questions 111 and 112 contain language that later became extremely significant.
Ahmad al-Hassan writes that Muhammad is:
“The Face of Allah.”
“The Hand of Allah.”
And even:
“Allah within the creation.”
Traditional Shi’a theology does contain symbolic language regarding God’s “Face” and “Hand.”
However Ahmad al-Hassan consistently pushes this language toward a far more mystical interpretation.
This becomes important because later AROPL theology develops increasingly expansive concepts concerning divine manifestations, representatives, and the relationship between God and His chosen figures.
The seeds of those later developments can already be seen in these early writings.
6. Allegiance to the Qa’im Equals Salvation
Question 116 contains another important shift.
Ahmad al-Hassan interprets safety and salvation in terms of entering under the authority of the Qa’im and pledging allegiance to him.
He cites traditions describing safety as:
“Whoever pledges allegiance to him and enters with him … then he will be safe.”
Notice how the emphasis changes.
Rather than focusing primarily upon faith in God and obedience to Him, practical security becomes closely linked to recognition of and allegiance to the divinely appointed representative.
This theme later becomes increasingly central within the movement.
7. The Hidden Claim About Himself
One of the most effective aspects of Ahmad al-Hassan’s writings is that he rarely makes direct self-exalting statements.
He does not constantly say:
“I am special.”
Instead he repeatedly teaches that:
- The scholars are corrupt.
- The Qa’im possesses unique knowledge.
- The Qa’im is God’s proof.
- The Qa’im must be obeyed.
- The Qa’im reveals hidden truths.
- The Qa’im possesses divine authority.
The reader is then encouraged to draw the conclusion for himself:
Ahmad al-Hassan is that figure.
Indirect persuasion is often more powerful than direct assertion because followers feel they have reached the conclusion independently.
8. The Foundation for Abdullah Hashem
Looking back with hindsight, these teachings reveal much of the architecture that later allowed the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light to emerge.
The pattern is remarkably consistent:
Step 1
Traditional scholars are corrupt.
Step 2
Traditional religious authority cannot be trusted.
Step 3
A divinely appointed guide possesses hidden knowledge.
Step 4
Salvation requires recognising that guide.
Step 5
Opposition proves the guide is genuine.
Step 6
The guide reveals truths unknown to previous generations.
Once those foundations are accepted, further claims become much easier to introduce.
The transition from Ahmad al-Hassan’s movement to later AROPL teachings becomes understandable because the underlying framework was already established.
Conclusion
Mutashabihat Questions 107–121 are not merely a collection of theological questions and answers.
They reveal a developing religious framework in which:
- Scholars are systematically discredited.
- Authority becomes increasingly centralised.
- Hidden knowledge becomes essential.
- Special followers are elevated above ordinary believers.
- Allegiance becomes increasingly important.
- Opposition becomes evidence of legitimacy.
The most important observation is that Ahmad al-Hassan did not begin by openly creating a new religion.
Rather, he reinterpreted existing Shi’a concepts in ways that steadily transferred authority away from recognised scholarship and toward a divinely appointed claimant.
That process can already be seen clearly in these writings.
Understanding this progression is essential for understanding how later movements, including the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, were able to build upon these foundations and develop even more expansive claims of religious authority.
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