Qadianis object to the following hadith and argue that since the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said 30 liars would claim prophethood after him—and since, according to them, this number has been fulfilled—now “true prophets” can come. This claim is completely baseless, misleading, and contrary to the teachings of Islam.
▶ First, let’s look at the hadith and its translation:
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ يَعْنِي ابْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ الْعَلَاءِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: لَا تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ ثَلَاثُونَ دَجَّالُونَ كُلُّهُمْ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ .
Narrated Abu Hurairah: The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: The Last Hour will not come before there come forth thirty Dajjals (fraudulents), everyone presuming himself that he is an Messenger of Allah.
(Sunan Abu Dawood: Hadith 4333, Jami’ al-Tirmidhi: Hadith 2218)
▶ Scholarly Refutation of the Qadiani Argument
Response 1: Admission by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani Himself
“The Holy Prophet ﷺ said that near the end of the world, about thirty Dajjals will arise.”
(Ruhani Khazain, Volume 3, Page 197)
Here, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani himself admits that these liars will appear until the end of the world. This clearly shows that the number 30 is not limited to a specific era, and more false claimants of prophethood can still appear.
So, the Qadiani claim that “since 30 have already come, now true prophets will follow” contradicts even their founder’s own writings.
Response 2: The Hadith Refers to Major False Claimants (Dajjals)
The hadith refers to major Dajjals whose trials and deception will last for some time. Those false claimants whose impact was short-lived are not included in this count.
Renowned scholar Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan wrote:
“The prophecy of 30 Dajjals in this ummah, as foretold by the Prophet ﷺ, has been nearly fulfilled, with 27 already having appeared.”
(Hujjat al-Karamah)
Now, if Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is also counted among them, the number becomes 28 — meaning the list is still not complete.
Summary:
This hadith does not prove that true prophets will come after Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Rather, it confirms that many false claimants of prophethood will appear after him.
And the Prophet ﷺ clearly stated:
“Allah has ended both prophethood and messengership with me; there is no prophet after me.”
Therefore, the Qadiani interpretation is not only out of context, but also goes against the Qur’an, authentic Sunnah, and consensus (ijma’) of the Muslim Ummah.
Mian Zaid