2006, IV - The Muslim Sunrise

Prophet Muhammad force anyone toaccept Islam irrationally and condonesomething that the Qur’an rejected?People are drawn toward the truth of Islambecause of its inherent beauty and reasonand rationality. In fact, not a single incidentcan be cited from the prophet’s life ofcondoning force for conversion.When the prophet married Khadija, sheoffered him all her slaves and assets.Prophet Muhammad freed all of them anddistributed her assets among the poor. Oneyoung slave named Zaid refused to leavethe prophet’s company, even when hisparents came to fetch him, because he wasso impressed with his conduct andcompassionate love for him. Zaid said, “Ilove the prophet more than my parents.”Hearing this, the prophet adopted him ashis son.Once, when a funeral procession wentby, the Prophet Muhammad stood up as amark of respect. He was told that it wasthe funeral of a Jewish man. The prophetreplied, “Was he not a human being?” Thisis how Prophet Muhammad establishedreligious tolerance and mutual respectamong various faiths and created anatmosphere of love and peace, unliketoday’s fanatics.Instead of having a violent reaction tothese false allegations, Muslims need tofirst regain pride in their true history, whichhas been summed up accurately byreligious scholar Thomas Arnold’sobservation that, “Islam has gained itsgreatest and most lasting missionarytriumphs in times and places in which itspolitical power has been weakest.” Theareas of largest Muslim population, i.e.Malaysia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh,never had a Muslim conqueror. Theincrease in their Muslim population wasbecause of peaceful conversion bytraveling mystics, roving missionaries, andthe imams of the village mosques.It is true that “if the balance betweenreason and faith is not solidly established,then our world will fall into the hands ofpolitical and religious fanatics.” There is nofaith that invokes reason more than Islam.There are about 750 verses of the Quran thaturge the believers to ponder over the natureof things and use reason and rationality toattain truth. Islam clearly asserts that thereis no contradiction between the word of Godand the work or act of God (nature andscience): “And He pressed into service foryou the night and the day and the sun andthe moon; and the stars too have beenpressed into service by His command.Surely, in that are Signs for a people whomake use of their reason.” (16:13).Members of the worldwide Ahmadiyya MuslimCommunity have no qualms about acceptingthe pope’s “invitation to frank and sinceredialogue, with great mutual respect,” hisprofessed intention, since they have engaged insuch dialogue for more than 100 years and wonhearts and minds with love and soundintellectual arguments according to their motto,“Love for all, hatred for none.” It has enabledthem to deliver the message in 24:55, “And ifyou obey him (Prophet Mohammad, peace beupon him), you will be rightly guided. And theMessenger is only responsible for the plaindelivery of the Message.” His Holiness MirzaTahir Ahmad, the fourth successor of thefounder of Ahmadiyyat noted, “Swords can winterritories, but not hearts. Force can bendheads, but not minds.”The pope’s statement that the wise donot need force, power or weapons wasobserved by His Holiness Mirza GhulamAhmad, the founder of the AhmadiyyaMuslim Community, more than a 100 yearsago. He said, “The religion that can easilyestablish its truth and superiority by soundintellectual arguments, heavenly signs orother reliable testimony, does not need thesword to threaten men and force aconfession of its truth from them.”Members of the worldwide AhmadiyyaMuslim Community have no qualms aboutaccepting the pope’s “invitation to frankand sincere dialogue, with great mutualrespect,” his professed intention, since theyhave engaged in such dialogue for morethan 100 years and won hearts and mindswith love and sound intellectual argumentsaccording to their motto, “Love for all,hatred for none.” It has enabled them todeliver the message in 24:55, “And if youobey him (Prophet Mohammad, peace beupon him), you will be rightly guided. Andthe Messenger is only responsible for theplain delivery of the Message.” HisHoliness Mirza Tahir Ahmad, the fourthsuccessor of the founder of Ahmadiyyatnoted, “Swords can win territories, but nothearts. Force can bend heads, but notminds.”Anyone who believes in this myth thatIslam spread through force isrecommended to read Life of Muhammadby His Holiness Mirza Bashir-ud-dinMahmud Ahmad or Murder in the Nameof Allah and Revelation, Rationality,Knowledge and Truth by His HolinessMirza Tahir Ahmad. These books can beread or purchased at www.alislam.org/books/.Ayesha Mangla is a resident ofPortage and Shazia Sohail isresident of Hillsborough, Calif.34 MuslimSunrise