Rashad Khalifa, the American Covenant Messenger

 Translated by Mohamed Dandan

Posted in Arabic in June, 11 , 2015

 First

1-      Rashad Khalifa claimed in 1988, that he was the messenger of the Covenant, evidenced by Almighty's saying (When Allah made (His) covenant with the prophets, (He said): Behold that which I have given you of the Scripture and wisdom. And afterward there will come unto you a messenger, confirming that which ye possess. Ye shall believe in him and ye shall help him. He said: Do ye agree, and will ye take up My burden (which I lay upon you) in this (matter)? They answered: We agree. He said: Then bear ye witness. I will be a witness with you. (3: 81)   . Rashad was the one who issued a decree that his "Excellency" was meant by this verse. Rashad Khalifa did not shy away from this extremism in lying and extremism in disbelief, as he declares himself a messenger from God Almighty, and that the previous verse concerning him personally, predicts his message, that God Almighty took the Covenant and the Charter of the Prophets to believe in him (i.e., Mr. / Rashad) and to aid and support him (i.e. Mr. / Rashad too), and that the Lord of Glory, after making a covenant with all of them, and their acknowledgment of all testimony, the Almighty said, he is also a witness to their covenant with Him. All of this for Mr. Rashad.

2-     2- Some innocent questions evolve here: Why did not the verse specifies (Rashad Khalifa) by name, description, time and place as long as it he such great importance? What is the fate of those who died before knowing Mr. Rashad Khalifa from the first century AH and until the appearance of Mr. Rashad Khalifa's in Tucson Arizona? Those Millions of people, are they believers? if they were believers, is their faith complete or less complete? Will their incomplete faith bring them into paradise? As long as the verse is talking about all the Prophets from Noah and all those who followed him, then it is a serious matter, it includes all human beings living and dead. Accordingly, humans therefore are divided into only two parts: the juggernaut, the vast majority who have not heard of brother Rashad, and those who believed in and followed brother Rashad in Tucson, Arizona. Even if we assume that all residents of Arizona (6 million) unanimously agreed on the faith in his Excellency Rashad Khalifa, this does not change anything. It remains (something wrong) in it, the basis of this (something wrong) of believing Rashad and his followers is that they raise Rashad above the prophets, not being satisfied by claiming he is the messenger of God.  If  you were to re-read the verse and imagined it  to mean this creature, Rashad Khalifa, it will confirm to you that they actually raise this creature above the Prophets.

3-     3 -Rashad exploited his discovery of the peculiarity of number 19 in the Quran, to turn it into (Business), he even rigged some results in his favor. This discovery does not mean that he who came upon it, is of true faith, because the Exalted Allah's ability to preserve the Quran exploits and causes human beings in conservation and preservation, no matter how far their disbelief reach. And Mohammedans, followers of man-made faiths, did and they are still doing the preservation of the Holy Quran, written in the "Othmani" style against any distortion, and if anyone of them were told to omit any written and numbered verse in the Koran he would be filled with rage and anger. At the same time, he believes in the abrogation the Quran, in the sense of cancellation of Qur'anic legislation, and believes in the Prophet's intercession negated by 150 Qur'anic verses .

 Second

 1-Rashad Khalifa's followers do not know that Rashad Khalifa himself was the first rejecter of his claims. I was with him in his group when he announced he was the messenger of Allah. I rejected this, he felt threatened by my split with him, and he postponed the subject, and claimed it was only just a joke. He then returned to the same theme and I ran away from his mosque, and disappear away from the eyes of his ardent followers, and I kept in my hideaway in the city of Tucson until he held  his conference, which was prepared for the inauguration of his apostleship, I declared  my expiation of him, and wrote a letter in English uncovering and exposing him, and refuted his claim that who dies before forty enters Paradise whatever he  might have done, and that was his Omen to his followers, and where it is alleged that Almighty God gave him. His conference failed because those who came to attend were eager to see me, the Azharite Sheikh, who was imprisoned in Egypt because of his denial of the Sunna, who Rashad Khalifa recruited and saved from the jaws of the Elders of delusion in Al-Azhar. Rashad has stepped up his propaganda around me and my profound knowledge of Islam, and sent messagesin my name, far and beyond,  in the expiation of Al-Azhar and cursing its elders to circumvent my  return to Egypt and to be at his command in his project, which I did not know anything about, his same messenger's allegations. His propaganda about me made me famous among his followers in America and Canada, I saw its manifestations when I visited, accompanied by him, San Francisco and the city of Vancouver in Canada. He had many followers in America and abroad in that time.

Rashad Khalifa fell into a state of (confusion) when I confronted him in his mosque, rejecting his claim of being messenger of Allah. At that time, he was in possession of my papers, my passport and all of my writings in his office. The discussion between us was conducted in Arabic, his American secretary did not understand any of it, he went out to the (gym) to end our discussion, I took the opportunity and asked her to let me enter the office to take my belongings, which I did, and with the help of one of the pioneers of the mosque, escaped in a taxi, who found me an apartment in a remote location, concealing my address from Rashad. Rashad had to hold the conference on schedule, and was faced by everyone's question about the absent Azharite Sheikh, who was supposed to reinforce his claim to be the messenger of the Covenant. He was in real deep severe trouble, he could not attack me after all the praises he heaped on me, and as long as he claimed to them that he was receiving revelation, why didn't  he know that this Azharite Sheikh would oppose and turn on him. As they say :( Trickery caught up with its perpetrator,  and the bad cunning engulfed its originator). The deterioration and failure of Rashad Khalifa's conference made it clear  to most of his followers  that he was deceitful and a liar, especially with my messages to some of them  who I knew. His condition of deterioration remained unchanged until he was murdered in his mosque, after more than a year of my return to Egypt.

2- According to my observation at that time, I see in him that his real idol was in prestige, wealth and fame. Rashad wanted fame, money and prestige via the American style and culture which allows fame , prestige and wealth of any televised religious advocate like Swaggart, who used to echo in his theater in front of thousands of followers that God told him so and so and inspired him such and such, and found thousands to believe him and cry out in sympathy with him and support him, especially among elderly women who wasted their lives and their youth in promiscuity, then entered at a later stage of their lives in (religious shamelessness) or (religious madness) or a( preachers' mania), and found those preachers in wait to swallow their savings with the sweet promise of salvation in the company of Christ and the heaven of Jesus. Rashad was an admirer of preacher Swaggart, longed for some of his fame, and asked to debate him more than once after the famous debate between Swaggart and Deedat. Swaggart  did not respond to  Rashad's request and ignored him. Rashad's eyes were on the elderly wealthy American women, and in the end his wealth and what he earns will not avail him.

3 -Rashad Khalifa was  a Sufi, he believed in saints' blessings, God Almighty knows, and enough that the Almighty is all-Knower, he spoke with some of his companions, in front of me, telling them about aspects and features, about me to prove that I'm  one of the righteous  saints.! .. And he forgot that I am an ardent  opponent of Sufism and one of the biggest who exposed the myths of special attributes of saints and the paranormal. But they were attempts to corrupt me to be like him and support him in the allegation that he was the messenger of the Covenant. I remember once during one of our discussion, he said to me that my name (Ahmed) is mentioned in the Quran, which indicates a personal reference to me being a messenger. That was a hilarious funny allegation, for there were millions with the name (Ahmed), and (Ahmad) mentioned in Surat A-ssef is the seal of messengers of the Lord of Glory.

I do not slander (Rashad Khalifa) after his death, because I believe that God Almighty will hold me accountable on every word I say or write. I write a testimony I will be responsible for in front of the Lord of Glory, I and my opponent will come in front of the Almighty one to judge between us. (Rashad Khalifa)  conned and deceived me, taking advantage of my painful situation and my need for someone to help me, in my plight after I came out of prison in 1987, after my besieged life in Egypt, not being able to make a living or depart from that unjust country . He took advantage of my plight in a scheme in order to use me I knew nothing about. Despite all "carrot and stick approach”, I stood against him, and ended my relationship with him.

 My story has living witnesses: noble people who assisted me in that time.  They are Mahmoud Pirouz and his wife Dr. Mehri pirouz, the now Quranists' leaders in California, Mohamed Ahmed and his wife , and Dr. Ali Izadi in Canada.  When I departed ways with Rashad Khalifa because of his false claim of prphecy, and disappeared out of fear for my life from him in the city of Tucson. Mehri and Mahmoud stood by my during in my ordeal. I had never met them before this.  I was penniless, living in hiding. One day an urgent message from my  bank came to inform me that my account was overdraft,  then I received a phone call from Canada, Mr. Mohamed Ahmed, May God Almighty endow him with heath, went overboard in trying to locate me, and sent me much needed funds. He, along with the Pirouz family (Mahmoud &Mehri) ,also Dr. Ali Aizady, May God Almighty bless them all, stood by my side .They asked me to travel to San Francisco to be with Mahmoud  & Mehri Pirouz . I requested that I stay until Rashad Khalifa is inaugurated as a messenger, to respond to him. After the failure of the conference, I traveled to San Francisco, and I lived there for several months under the auspices of the Pirouz family, then out of fear for my children, returned to Egypt, to be welcomed at the airport ,and sent directly straight to the state security prison for two nights of the harshest that I have lived in my life. My connection with the Pirouz family remained close, I was honored by their visit to me in Cairo, Dr. Mehri gave a lecture at Ibn Khaldun Center weekly forum , a think tank run by me in 1990,s. Those noble people used to be sympathizers with Rashad Khalifa , then they discovered the truth, and abandoned him,  and when they learned of my split with him, they kept looking for me, to extend a helping hand in my plight

Finally:

We come to reflect upon Almighty's saying: (When Allah made (His) covenant with the prophets, (He said): Behold that which I have given you of the Scripture and wisdom. And afterward there will come unto you a messenger, confirming that which ye possess. Ye shall believe in him and ye shall help him. He said: Do ye agree, and will ye take up My burden (which I lay upon you) in this (matter)? They answered: We agree. He said: Then bear ye witness. I will be a witness with you. ( 81) Al-Imran).

 Through the context of the verse in the same Sura:

 we read what came before it and what came after it :

3: 79. It is not for a human [prophet] that Allah should give him the Scripture and authority and prophethood and then he would say to the people, "Be servants to me rather than Allah ," but [instead, he would say], "Be pious scholars of the Lord because of what you have taught of the Scripture and because of what you have studied."

Meaning of verse 79:  it is not valid and cannot be imagined that any prophet will violate his message, that God Almighty  will send him it to call others to believe that (there is no god but Allah) then contradict it by  calling people to idolize him instead. The intention is clear and signals a futuristic prediction, rebutting in advance Mohammedans who idolize Muhammad, sent by God Almighty to preach it (there is no god but Allah) and said to him (Say I am only a mortal like you, revealed to me that your God is one God ,So whoever hopes to meet his Lord,  let him do a good work, and let him not involve anyone else in the worship of his Lord (110-The Cave). Mohammedans created a god, they called him Muhammad, put him in control of this life and the afterlife at the expense of the Almighty Lord of glory, Who does not involve anyone in his Reign.

 3: 80.  Nor could he order you to take the angels and prophets as lords. Would he order you to disbelief after you had been Muslims (submitters to Allah)?

Meaning of verse 80: The Lord of Glory decrees the disbelief of those who sanctify  human beings and angels, and who take other creatures as lords besides God Almighty. This is a guidance for us in reforming those who are warned not to do so, citing this verse as a( charge) of this act of blasphemy, hoping for them to repent before death.

 3: 81.  When Allah made (His) covenant with the prophets, (He said): Behold that which I have given you of the Scripture and wisdom. And afterward there will come unto you a messenger, confirming that which ye possess. Ye shall believe in him and ye shall help him. He said: Do ye agree, and will ye take up My burden (which I lay upon you) in this (matter)? They answered: We agree. He said: Then bear ye witness. I will be a witness with you.

Meaning of verse   81: The assertion that God Almighty took the Covenant and the Pledge on all prophets and messengers (while still in the world of the "Interstice"-Berzekh)- before they are in this life as human beings, with human bodies like the rest of human beings- the content of the Covenant was: every messenger will acknowledge the previous one, because all messages  are Heavenly, no matter how the tongues of the apostles and their people differ, emphasizing that there is no god but God: (21: 25  And We sent no messenger before thee but We inspired him, (saying): There is no Allah save Me (Allah), so worship Me.)-- (41: 43 .  Naught is said unto thee (Muhammad) save what was said unto the messengers before thee. Lo! thy Lord is owner of forgiveness, and owner (also) of dire punishment.)-- (39: 65  And verily it hath been revealed unto thee as unto those before thee (saying): If thou ascribe a partner to Allah thy work will fail and thou indeed wilt be among the losers.)-- (4: 163  Lo! We inspire thee as We inspired Noah and the prophets after him, as We inspired Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants, and Jesus and Job and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and as We imparted unto David the Psalms)---( 4: 164  And messengers We have mentioned unto thee before and messengers We have not mentioned unto thee; and Allah spoke directly unto Moses;)-- (4: 165  Messengers of good cheer and of warning, in order that mankind might have no argument against Allah after the messengers. Allah was ever Mighty, Wise.)-- So the Quran confirms what has preceded it of books (3: 2.  Allah! There is no god save Him, the Alive, the Eternal.-- 3: 3  He hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture with truth, confirming that which was (revealed) before it, even as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel.). With this God Almighty witnessed that the religion of Islam is in all the tongues of the Apostles: (3: 18  Allah (Himself) is Witness that there is no Allah save Him. And the angels and the men of learning (too are witness). Maintaining His creation in justice, there is no Allah save Him the Almighty, the Wise.)---( 3: 19  Lo! religion with Allah (is) the ( Islam ) Surrender (to His Will and Guidance)

3: 82.  Then whosoever after this shall turn away: they will be the defiantly disobedient.

Meaning of verse 82: who refuses (There is no god but Allah) is a lecherousinfidel .

3: 83 . So is it other than the religion of Allah they desire, while to Him have submitted [all] those within the heavens and earth, willingly or by compulsion, and to Him they will be returned?

Meaning of verse 83 : .None of religions are true except Islam, the religion of God. This means the submission of your heart, your obedience and  your worship is dedicated to the Creator Almighty, to  whom (Aslama-submitted) everyone and everything in the heavens and in earth, willingly or unwillingly.

 3: 84 . Say (O Muhammad): We believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants, and that which was vouchsafed unto Moses and Jesus and the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and unto Him we have surrendered.

Meaning of  verse 84: Because God's religion (Islam) is a universal religion for all human beings, the heavenly messages revealed it in the tongues of the apostles and their people, the faith is not the person of the prophet or  the apostle, but faith is in God Almighty and what  He has revealed to all of His apostles, this does not differentiate among the Apostles as long as faith is concentrated on the heavenly messages that acknowledge each other, thereby Islam becomes submission to the of the Almighty Creator, and Islam's testimony becomes one and only testimony that (there is no god but Allah).He who adds the name of the prophet or messenger to (there is no god but Allah) as does the Mohammedans, is committing an act  of  disbelief, The disbelievers in reality are those who are make Islam's testimony bilateral, A partnership between Allah Almighty  the Creator and Mohammed  the created, raising Muhammad the created to the status of the Creator, thereby elevating Mohammad's status above the level of Apostles and differentiate between God and His messengers (150 women: 151).

3: 85 . And whoever desires other than Islam as religion - never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.

Meaning of  verse 85 :  This is Islam in all tongues, and whosoever rejects it and seeks different Islam , will be  of the losers on the Day of Resurrection. This applies to all those who die professing a religion that has reverence for humans like, Mohammedans, Christians and Buddhists. We say and preaching this just to reform them.

This is the local context (meaning belonging or restricted to this Sura only)  of the verse 81 of Surah Al-Imran.  Where  is  Rashad Khalifa of all this?

   The Objective context in all of the Holy Quran is about the Covenant and the Pledge with God Almighty

 1: There is the Covenant  and the Pledge which Allah took upon all souls before they existed in this world: (7: 172  And (remember) when thy Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their reins, their seed, and made them testify of themselves, (saying): Am I not your Lord? They said: Yea, verily. We testify. (That was) lest ye should say at the Day of Resurrection: Lo! of this we were unaware;)--( 7: 173  Or lest ye should say: (It is) only (that) our fathers ascribed partners to Allah of old and we were (their) seed after them. Wilt Thou destroy us on account of that which those who follow falsehood did?).

 It is the Trust, which Man assumed its responsibility but did not carry out its obligation: (33: 72  Lo! We offered the trust unto the heavens and the earth and the hills, but they shrank from bearing it and were afraid of it. And man assumed it. Lo! he hath proved a tyrant and a fool.).

 On the Day of Resurrection, Allah the Exalted will remind sons of Adam with this covenant, which they betrayed and followed Satan to lead them astray: (36: 60.   Did I not charge you, O ye sons of Adam, that ye worship not the devil - Lo! he is your open foe!) ---( 36: 61  But that ye worship Me? That was the right path.)---( 36: 62  Yet he hath led astray of you a great multitude. Had ye then no sense?)--( 36: 63  This is hell which ye were promised (if ye followed him)--- (36: 64  Burn therein this day for that ye disbelieved.) .

2/2: Then there is the Covenant and pledge private to all the Apostles, where Allah the Exalted took the covenant and the Pledge from them in the world of the ("Interstice"-Berzekh)-). Exalted Allah says about the Covenant for all the prophets :( 33: 7 .  And when We exacted a covenant from the prophets, and from thee (O Muhammad) and from Noah and Abraham and Moses and Jesus son of Mary. We took from them a solemn covenant)

The details of this Covenant is in what Almighty revealed in : (3: 81 :  When Allah made (His) covenant with the prophets, (He said): Behold that which I have given you of the Scripture and wisdom . And afterward there will come unto you a messenger, confirming that which ye possess. Ye shall believe in him and ye shall help him. He said: Do ye agree, and will ye take up My burden (which I lay upon you) in this (matter)? They answered: We agree. He said: Then bear ye witness. I will be a witness with you.

And as always: the truth is told by the Exalted God.