English organ of the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam of Lahore. Presenting the Islam taught by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s) as a rational, peaceful, inclusive and loving religion.
ِ ی م م الرَّح
ن
ِ
سب ا ہللِ الرَّْحم ٰ
ْ م ِ
The Light
International Organ of the Centre for the Worldwide
Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam
2018
April
2016
January
Germany
Guyana
India
Sweden
Suriname
The only Islamic organisation upholding the finality of prophethood.
Webcasting on the world’s first real-time Islamic service at
Editors
- Amir Aziz
- Abd ul Muqtadir Gordon
- Gowsia Saleem & - Prof. Shahab
Shabbir
- Kaleem Ahmed
- Robbert Bipat M.D, Phd
South Africa-Ebrahim Mohamed
UK
USA
- Shahid Aziz & - Mustaq Ali
- Zainib Ahmad
Contents
The Call of the Messiah 2
Science_is_Not_Going_to_Destroy_ 3
Religion
by Peter Harrison
Extremism_and_the_Holy_Quran 6
By Ebrahim Mohamed
Broadcasts (UK time)
1. Skype Urdu lecture: Sunday 09:00
2. Live on www.virtualmosque.co.uk
‣ Friday Sermon 13:00
‣ First Sunday of month lecture 15:00.
3. Radio Virtual Mosque
Websites
1. International HQ
2. Research and History
3. The Woking Mosque and Mission
4. The Berlin Mosque and Mission
5. Quran search
6. Blog
www.virtualmosque.co.uk
Interesting external links
‣ Indian and Arab Sunnis Handed over
Jerusalem to Christian armies
‣ Blame the British for the Pakistani Blasphemy
Law!!!!!.
‣ Women translate the Holy Quran into English
- at last.
‣ Is there such a thing as a secular Muslim?
‣ .Teach Children About Islam - says Church of
England
‣ Trying to Modernise Arguments for the Punishment
of Apostacy
‣ Jesus was Married.
‣ Ancient temple mentioned in the Old Testament
found
External Links
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or the site's owners (or their products/services).
Some links may have research, which disagrees
with our beliefs. It is for us to consider
such material and provide a rebuttal. Ignoring it
will not make it go away.
We welcome all scholarly contributions to
The Light.
I Shall Love All Mankind.
January 2018 The
Light 2
The Call of the
Messiah
by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad
The Promised Messiah and Mahdi
(Translator’s note: Although given in
quotation marks, the Quranic references
are explanations rather than literal translation
of the verse quoted.)
Treatment Of others
As for faith, I will now consider the course
pointed out by the Holy Quran for observance in
practice. This verse summarises its teachings
regarding our treatment with others:
Almighty God commands you to be just and
fair to others. That is to say that you do to them
as they do to you. And (if you wish to attain to a
higher stage of perfection) then do good to
those who have not done any good to you. And,
(to rise higher still) do good to
others not to lay an obligation
upon them or to receive
thanks in return, but with the
natural inclination of a
mother for her child. And He
forbids you to do any violence,
or remind others that you
have placed them under any obligation or do
any evil to the one who has done you good or
shown sympathy. (16:90)
As an explanation of this verse, the Holy
Quran says on another occasion: ‘And they (the
righteous) feed the poor and the orphans and
the prisoners, simply for the sake of, and out of
their love for, God, and do not wish from you
any reward or thanks in return for this service.'
(76:8-9) Again, concerning the requital of evil,
the Holy Qur'an says this. "The recompence for
an evil is punishment like it. But if a person
forgives and his forgiveness encourages good
and does not lead to further evil, under these
circumstances forgiveness is better than
requital. And the person so forgiving shall find
his reward from God (for instance, the evil-doer
is likely to reform his conduct and refrain from
evil in the future),' (42:40)
I Shall Love All Mankind.
Thus, the Holy Quran does not teach us to
turn the other cheek always, whether in place or
out of place, for this is against true wisdom.
Good done to an evil-doer is sometimes equivalent
to the doing of harm to a good man. The
Holy Quran further teaches us as follows. 'If
anyone does good to you, return his good deed
with a greater good, and the result would be
that even if there is an enmity between you, it
will turn into sincere friendship and he would
be to you as a friend and near relative.' (41:34)
Other verses containing teachings on this
point are: 'One of you should not backbite another,
does one of you like that he should eat the
flesh of his brother who is dead? Nor should one
class of people laugh at another that it belongs
to a higher class and the other to a lower; it may
be that those laughed at, might be better than
the others. Verily, to God, the more honoured is
he who is greater in virtue and righteousness.
To Him, the distinction of nationality means
nothing. Do not call others with scornful names
which they regard
as offensive or insulting.
Otherwise,
you will be counted
wicked near God.
(49:11-13) Keep
away from idols and
falsehood, for they are both impurities. And
when you speak, speak with reason and wisdom
and refrain from irrational talk. (25:72) And
you should all in one body and with all your faculties
and powers devote yourselves to the obedience
of God.' (3:103)
do good to others not to lay
an obligation upon them or to
receive thanks in return, but
with the natural inclination
of a mother for her child
'The many occupations of the world divert
your mind from God, and you remain negligent
from Him until you visit the graves. This is an
error, and you will soon know it. I tell you again
that this is an error which you will soon discover.
Had you the knowledge of certainty, you
would have soon seen by its application your
hell, and would have known that this your life in
sin is a hellish life. If your certainty increases,
you would see with the eye of certainty that
your life of sin and disobedience to God is a life
in hell. A time will then come when you will be
cast into hell. And, there, you will be questioned
about your excesses in the delicacies that were
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given to you, (i.e., being made to suffer the punishment
you will realise that certainty)." (Ch.
102) These verses show that certainty is of
three kinds. First, that obtained through
reasoning and deduction. An example is that the
existence of fire in a place is inferred from the
presence of smoke only. Secondly, the certainty
gained when the thing itself is seen like the fire
in the above example. Thirdly, the highest
degree of certainty is attained when the
existence of a thing is fully realised as that of fire
by casting one's hand into it. These are the three
degrees of certainty which are termed
respectively Haq-ul-yaqeen, ain-ul-yaqeen and
alim-ul-yaqeen.
In these verses Almighty God has taught
man that his true happiness lies in the nearness
and love of God, and in breaking connection
with Him a man leads a hellish life which ultimately
becomes clear to him, though it be at the
time when he is about to depart from this world
and leave all his property behind him.
Referring to man's heavenly life, the Holy
Qur'an says this. Whoever, out of respect for the
honour and majesty of his Lord, and fearing that
he shall have to stand one day in His presence,
forsake sin, shall be granted two paradises; that
is, a paradise in this world and a paradise in the
next. (55: 46) The paradise in this world means
a heavenly life which begins with a pure transformation
in this life when Almighty God becomes
the sole administrator of one's affairs,
and the paradise in the next means the eternal
bliss and enjoyments of after-life which shall be
granted to the righteous. Elsewhere the Holy
Quran says: "Verily We have prepared chains
and collars and that which burns the heart for
those who do not believe in God, and hence do
not entertain love for God and are bent low
upon earth. (Their feet are enchained with the
love of this world and in their necks are collars
of estrangement from God which keep their
heads bent down upon the world and do not allow
them to raise them up towards heaven, and
their hearts burn with the unsatisfied desires of
this world). But the righteous are made to drink
in this very world of a cup which is mixed with
camphor which cools the love of this world and
quenches the thirst of seeking the world. It is a
spring of camphor which is granted them, and
they divide it into running streams and thus
place its refrigerant waters within reach of the
thirsty near and far. (When the standing water
of the spring is made to run into a stream, and
the power of faith is strengthened) they are
then made to drink of another cup with which
is mixed ginger. (For when the camphorated cup
has benumbed the love of this world, another
syrup is needed which should generate in the
heart the warmth of Divine love. This is what is
meant by the syrup mixed with ginger because
the quality of ginger is hot, and it is, therefore, a
symbolic expression for the warmth of love). It
is a spring which is called salsabeel, (lit., ask the
way from God) meaning that when the wayfarer
has reached the spiritual eminence indicated in
the preceding verse, he is entirely in the hands
of God and asks his way from no other than
God" (76:4)
Again, the Holy Qur'an says: Verily he who
has purified his soul is released from the constraint
of sensual passions and is granted a
heavenly life, but whoever remains bent down
upon earth and does not turn to heaven, shall
end his days in grief and despair. (91:8-10)
(Return to contents)
Why religion is not going
away and science will not destroy
it
by Peter Harrison
Note: This article was originally published at
https://aeon.co and has been republished here under
Creative Commons. See: https://aeon.co/ideas/why-religion-is-not-going-away-and-science-will-not-destroy-it
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Peter Harrison is an Australian Laureate Fellow and director
of the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Hu-
I Shall Love All Mankind.
January 2018 The
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manities at the University of Queensland. His most recent
book is The Territories of Science and Religion
(2015), and his edited collection Narratives of Secularization
(2017) will be published later this year.
thesis.
Scientists, intellectuals and social scientists
In 1966, just over 50 years ago, the distinguished
Canadian-born anthropologist Anthony
Wallace confidently predicted the global
demise of religion at the hands of an advancing
science: ‘belief in supernatural powers is
doomed to die out, all over the world, as a result
of the increasing adequacy and diffusion of
scientific knowledge’. Wallace’s vision was not
exceptional. On the contrary, the modern social
sciences, which took shape in 19th-century
western Europe, took their own recent historical
experience of secularisation as a universal
model. An assumption lay at the core of the social
sciences, either presuming or sometimes
predicting that all cultures would eventually
converge on something roughly approximating
secular, Western, liberal democracy. Then
something closer to the opposite happened.
Not only has secularism failed to continue
its steady global march but countries as varied
as Iran, India, Israel, Algeria and Turkey have either
had their secular governments replaced by
religious ones, or have seen the rise of influential
religious nationalist movements. Secularisation,
as predicted by the social sciences, has
failed.
To be sure, this failure is not unqualified.
Many Western countries continue to witness
decline in religious belief and practice. The
most recent census data released in Australia,
for example, shows that 30 per cent of the population
identify as having ‘no religion’, and that
this percentage is increasing. International surveys
confirm comparatively low levels of religious
commitment in western Europe and Australasia.
Even the United States, a long-time
source of embarrassment for the secularisation
thesis, has seen a rise in unbelief. The percentage
of atheists in the US now sits at an all-time
high (if ‘high’ is the right word) of around 3 per
cent. Yet, for all that, globally, the total number
of people who consider themselves to be religious
remains high, and demographic trends
suggest that the overall pattern for the immediate
future will be one of religious growth. But
this isn’t the only failure of the secularisation
I Shall Love All Mankind.
the association of science with a
secularising agenda has backfired,
with science becoming a collateral
casualty of resistance to
secularism
expected that the spread of modern science
would drive secularisation – that science would
be a secularising force. But that simply hasn’t
been the case. If we look at those societies
where religion remains vibrant, their key common
features are less to do with science, and
more to do with feelings of existential security
and protection from some of the basic uncertainties
of life in the form of public goods. A social
safety net might be correlated with scientific
advances but only loosely, and again the
case of the US is instructive. The US is arguably
the most scientifically and technologically advanced
society in the world, and yet at the same
time the most religious of Western societies. As
the British sociologist David Martin concluded
in The Future of Christianity (2011): ‘There is
no consistent relation between the degree of
scientific advance and a reduced profile of religious
influence, belief and practice.’
The story of science and secularisation becomes
even more intriguing when we consider
those societies that have witnessed significant
reactions against secularist agendas. India’s
first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru championed
secular and scientific ideals, and enlisted
scientific education in the project of modernisation.
Nehru was confident that Hindu visions of
a Vedic past and Muslim dreams of an Islamic
theocracy would both succumb to the inexorable
historical march of secularisation. ‘There is
only one-way traffic in Time,’ he declared. But
as the subsequent rise of Hindu and Islamic fundamentalism
adequately attests, Nehru was
wrong. Moreover, the association of science
with a secularising agenda has backfired, with
science becoming a collateral casualty of resistance
to secularism.
January 2018 The
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Turkey provides an even more revealing
case. Like most pioneering nationalists, Mustafa
Kemal Atatu rk, the founder of the Turkish republic,
was a committed secularist. Atatu rk believed
that science was destined to displace religion.
In order to make sure that Turkey was on
the right side of history, he gave science, in particular
evolutionary biology, a central place in
the state education system of the fledgling Turkish
republic. As a result, evolution came to be
associated with Atatu rk’s entire political programme,
including secularism. Islamist parties
in Turkey, seeking to counter the secularist ideals
of the nation’s founders, have also attacked
the teaching of evolution. For them, evolution is
associated with secular materialism. This sentiment
culminated in the decision this June to remove
the teaching of evolution from the highschool
classroom. Again, science has become a
victim of guilt by association.
The US represents a different cultural context,
where it might seem that the key issue is a
conflict between literal readings of Genesis and
key features of evolutionary history. But in fact,
much of the creationist discourse centres on
moral values. In the US case too, we see antievolutionism
motivated at least in part by the
assumption that evolutionary theory is a stalking
horse for secular materialism and its attendant
moral commitments. As in India and
Turkey, secularism is actually hurting science.
In brief, global secularisation is not inevitable
and, when it does happen, it is not caused by
science. Further, when the attempt is made to
use science to advance
secularism,
the results can damage
science. The
thesis that ‘science
causes secularisation’ simply fails the empirical
test, and enlisting science as an instrument of
secularisation turns out to be poor strategy. The
science and secularism pairing is so awkward
that it raises the question: why did anyone think
otherwise?
Historically, two related sources advanced
the idea that science would displace religion.
First, 19th-century progressivist conceptions of
history, particularly associated with the French
I Shall Love All Mankind.
philosopher Auguste Comte, held to a theory of
history in which societies pass through three
stages – religious, metaphysical and scientific
(or ‘positive’). Comte coined the term ‘sociology’
and he wanted to diminish the social influence
of religion and replace it with a new science
of society. Comte’s influence extended to
the ‘young Turks’ and Atatu rk.
The 19th century also witnessed the inception
of the ‘conflict model’ of science and religion.
This was the view that history can be understood
in terms of a ‘conflict between two
epochs in the evolution of human thought – the
theological and the scientific’. This description
comes from Andrew Dickson White’s influential
A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology
in Christendom (1896), the title of which nicely
encapsulates its author’s general theory.
White’s work, as well as John William Draper’s
earlier History of the Conflict Between Religion
and Science (1874), firmly established the conflict
thesis as the default way of thinking about
the historical relations between science and religion.
Both works were translated into multiple
languages. Draper’s History went through more
than 50 printings in the US alone, was translated
into 20 languages and, notably, became a
bestseller in the late Ottoman empire, where it
informed Atatu rk’s understanding that progress
meant science superseding religion.
Today, people are less confident that history
moves through a series of set stages toward a
single destination. Nor, despite its popular persistence,
do most historians of science support
the idea of an enduring
conflict
between science
and religion. Renowned
collisions,
such as the Galileo affair, turned on politics
and personalities, not just science and religion.
Darwin had significant religious supporters
and scientific detractors, as well as vice
versa. Many other alleged instances of sciencereligion
conflict have now been exposed as pure
inventions. In fact, contrary to conflict, the historical
norm has more often been one of mutual
support between science and religion. In its
January 2018 The
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formative years in the 17th century, modern science
relied on religious legitimation. During the
18th and 19th centuries, natural theology
helped to popularise science.
The conflict model of science and religion
offered a mistaken view of the past and, when
combined with expectations of secularisation,
led to a flawed vision of the future. Secularisation
theory failed at both description and prediction.
The real question is why we continue to
encounter proponents of science-religion conflict.
Many are prominent scientists. It would be
superfluous to rehearse Richard Dawkins’s
musings on this topic, but he is by no means a
solitary voice. Stephen Hawking thinks that ‘science
will win because it works’; Sam Harris has
declared that ‘science must destroy religion’;
Stephen Weinberg thinks that science has
weakened religious certitude; Colin Blakemore
predicts that science will eventually make religion
unnecessary. Historical evidence simply
does not support such contentions. Indeed, it
suggests that they are misguided.
So why do they persist? The answers are political.
Leaving aside any lingering fondness for
quaint 19th-century understandings of history,
we must look to the fear of Islamic fundamentalism,
exasperation with creationism, an aversion
to alliances between the religious Right
and climate-change denial, and worries about
the erosion of scientific authority. While we
might be sympathetic to these concerns, there
is no disguising the fact that they arise out of an
unhelpful intrusion of normative commitments
into the discussion. Wishful thinking – hoping
that science will vanquish religion – is no substitute
for a sober assessment of present realities.
Continuing with this advocacy is likely to
have an effect opposite to that intended.
an enemy out of religion, or insisting that the
only path to a secure future lies in a marriage of
science and secularism.
(Return_to content)
A Critical Look at Extremist
Ideology Through the
Microscope of the Holy Quran
By Ebrahim Mohamed
The current generation of Muslims has been
plagued by incessant waves of extremism over
the last decades, which have caused much mayhem
and confusion in its ranks. The endearing
landscape of Islam, a religion of peace based entirely
on absolute Monotheism and the unity of
humankind, has been invaded by the weeds of
sectarian division spawned by archaic, debilitating
ideologies opposed to the spirit and letter
of the Holy Quran and the example of the Holy
Prophet Muhammad (s) 1 .
In the late 19th, early 20th century the
Founder of the revivalist Ahmadiyya Movement
in Islam, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad addressing the
situation, called Muslims: ‘Back to the Quran!’
In an environment where the general practice of
Muslims is to give precedence to the exegeses of
legists (fiqh) 2 and Hadith 3 over the Holy Quran,
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’s call: ‘Back to the Quran!’
was indeed timely and well founded. These ideologies,
when viewed through the lens of the
Holy Quran, an unsightly picture of extremism
emerges. The Holy Book, we will see, indeed refutes
the ideologies of misguided extremists
such as ISIS we have been exposed to so much
recently and still today albeit on the decline.
The following Quranic teachings are there-
Religion is not going away any time soon,
and science will not destroy it. If anything, it is
science that is subject to increasing threats to
its authority and social legitimacy. Given this,
science needs all the friends it can get. Its advocates
would be well advised to stop fabricating
1
Sallallahu alayhi wassalaam –peace and the blessings of God be
upon him
2
Reference to law-makers
3
Reports of the Prophet (s)
I Shall Love All Mankind.
January 2018 The
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fore indispensable for all ‘Peace Lovers’ especially
all Muslims trapped in the middle of the
ideological torrent of extremism and the flotsam
of fanaticism, bigotry, prejudices, intolerances
etc. that go with it.
1. Freedom of Religion
One often hears the tedious rhetoric of delusional
fanatics about the merits of forced conversions
as if such deplorable behaviour is Godordained.
On
the contrary, it
is universally
known that the
Holy Quran
teaches absolute
freedom of
religion with
such force and clarity as not to be found in any
other religious scripture of the world. Tolerance
and respect for other faiths are teachings that
permeate the Holy Quran. To illustrate, these
are but some references from the Holy Quran
which are self-explanatory: (please note that all
highlights for emphasis are that of the author).
And if thy Lord had pleased, all
those who are in the earth would
have believed, all of them. Will you
then force people till they are believers?
-10:99
2. “There is no compulsion in religion.”
- 2:256
This verse serves as a Magna Carta for universal
religious freedom that ought to be intrinsic
to the constitutions of every country across
the world. This is especially so for those Muslim-ruled
countries such as Pakistan for example
with its deplorable human rights record.
Here is a Muslim nation that finds pride in oppressive
blasphemy laws much abused by the
majority — with the blessing of the authorities
who choose to turn a blind eye to the frequent
injustices and worst kind of religious persecution
that is inflicted on minority groups, in the
name of the ‘law of the land.’ This is the only
country of note in the world where you will still
come across situations where the perpetrators
of the worst kind of human rights abuses are
applauded as heroes in a frenzy of vulgar patriotism.
Here, the rare voices of justice are often
summarily silenced by the assassin’s bullet to
the sinister glee of fanatical clerics who hold
sway over millions of blind, sheep-like followers,
who in turn, through their sheer numbers,
I Shall Love All Mankind.
force politicians to comply to their whims and
fancies. Often these fanatical extremists are under
a delusion that it is their pious duty to bring
the whole world to a state of ‘belief’.
We will show that this self-imposed authority
has no basis in the Holy Quran. In fact, the
Holy Quran is full of statements showing that
belief in this or that religion is a person’s
concern and that he is given the free choice of
adopting one way or another.
If he accepts the
truth, it is for his good; if
he sticks to error, it is to
his detriment. The following
statements are self-explanatory:
“And if thy Lord had pleased, all those who
are in the earth would have believed, all of them.
Will you then force people till they are believers?”
-10:99
“The Truth is from your Lord; so let him
who please believe and let him who please disbelieve.”
– 18:29
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (s), the divinely
appointed Messenger of God, was made
clear by Almighty God what his role was, and indeed
coercion, compulsion, force etc. were not
part of it; so how can it be assumed that such
behaviour is fine for his weak followers? The
Holy Quran is clear on the limited role of the
Holy Prophet (s): “Your duty (O Prophet) is only
the delivery of the message, and Ours (God’s) is
to call (people) to account.” -13:40
“And you (O Prophet) are not one to compel
them. So remind by means of the Quran him
who fears My warning.” – 50:45
“And obey Allah and obey the Messenger;
but if you turn away, the duty of Our Messenger
is only to deliver the message.” – 64:12; see also
5:92
It is quite clear from these statements that
God alone comes between a man and his conscience,
and He alone stands in judgment of
man. Even the great prophet of Islam was limited
to deliver the message only and to lead by
example and not by force.
January 2018 The
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3. Islam recognises all religions:
Addressing the whole of humankind, the
Holy Quran states: “…For every one of you We
appointed a law and a way. And if Allah had
pleased He would have made you one religious
community, but He wishes to try you in what He
has given you. So vie with one another in virtuous
deeds. To Allah you will all return, and He
will then tell you about your differences.” – 5:48
It is taught here that all religions preach the
doing of good according to their revealed laws,
and their followers should, therefore, try to
outdo each other in virtuous deeds. Differences
in doctrine will always be there as long as we
are on this earth; the consequences of our beliefs
and actions, whether good or bad, will be
manifested in the after-life. There is, therefore,
no need for
religious disputes;
the
only things
that Muslims are taught to say to people of other
faiths, are: “Allah is our Lord and your Lord. For
us are our deeds and for you, your deeds. There
is no contention between us and you. Allah will
gather us together, and to Him is the eventual
coming.” – 42:15
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (s) lived by
the word of the Holy Quran and illustrated by
way of personal example how to implement and
practice religious tolerance and not merely pay
lip-service to it.
4. Christians pray in the Holy
Prophet’s mosque:
There is a well-known event that took place
a year or so before the death of the Holy Prophet
(s), that illustrates his strong commitment to
the freedom of religion. A large contingent of
Christians from Najran, near Yemen, headed by
their religious leaders, came to meet him and
discussed with him the doctrinal differences between
Islam and Christianity, especially
whether Jesus was mortal or divine.
Upon their arrival, the Holy Prophet lodged
them in rooms connected with his mosque. Before
the discussion began, the time came for the
I Shall Love All Mankind.
Christians to hold their prayer and they enquired
from him where they could pray. The
Prophet invited them to say their prayers inside
his mosque. This incident is recorded in the biographies
of the Prophet and serves as an example
to all generations of Muslims on the high
level of hospitality expected of a Muslim host.
5. Invite to Islam peacefully
“There is no compulsion in religion.” -
The Holy Quran 2:256
“Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom
and goodly exhortation and argue with them in
the best manner. Surely your Lord knows best
him who strays from His path, and He knows
best those who go aright.” – 16:125
‘Wisdom’ here means to appeal to reason
and knowledge, and not to exploit people’s prejudices
and ignorance. ‘Goodly exhortation’ is to
give good advice and to
inspire goodness in others.
If differences do
arise, Muslims are cautioned
and advised to argue in the ‘best manner’.
This means you are to present the truth
backed by solid evidence and facts in a manner
that is becoming and polite, with due consideration
for the sensitivities of others.
6. Tolerance towards ‘idol worship’
Every Muslim is called upon to exercise tolerance
and respect even for the idols of others
to avoid unnecessary conflict:
“And if Allah had pleased, they would not
have worshipped others (besides God). But We
have not appointed you (O Prophet) as a keeper
over them, and you are not placed in charge of
them. And abuse not those whom they call
upon besides Allah, lest, exceeding the limits,
they abuse Allah through ignorance. Thus, to
every people have We made their deeds fairseeming;
then to their Lord is their return so He
“We have not appointed
you (O Prophet) as a
keeper over them, and
you are not placed in
charge of them”
will inform them of what they did.” - 6:107-108
January 2018 The
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The Holy Prophet (s) is clearly told that he
has not been appointed to be the ‘keeper’ over
such idolatrous communities and that he has
not been placed ‘in charge’ of them. This applies
equally to all Muslims, especially those fanatical
self-appointed ‘defenders of the faith.’ Again,
God alone is the judge and eventually it is He
Who will ‘inform them of what they did.’
5. All places of worship should be
protected
The shameless violation by Muslim ‘extremists’
of the Quranic injunction to protect all
places of worship, is a disgrace to the proud legacy
of justice, fairness and religious tolerance of
Muslim governance throughout history. By desecrating
churches and mosques, extremists
have placed themselves in the position of the
much-loathed ‘perpetrators’ that the Holy
Quran warns against and calls on all rightminded
people to repel:
“And if Allah did not repel some people by
others, cloisters, and churches, and synagogues,
and mosques in which Allah’s name is much remembered,
would have been pulled down. And
surely Allah will help him who helps Him. Surely
Allah is Strong, Mighty.” - 22:40
This verse is unique in the realm of religious
scriptures. Not only is it incumbent on all Muslims
to show tolerance and respect for all other
faiths, but they should be in the forefront to protect
all places of worship when it comes under
attack by irreligious forces. Here the places of
worship of all Abrahamic faiths are mentioned
by name which goes to show Islam makes no
distinction when it comes to the preservation of
all places of worship. A similar injunction is not
to be found in the Torah or the Gospels. So Muslims
are expected to lead by example when it
comes to religious tolerance because that is
what the Holy Quran demands of them.
7. Unprovoked, aggressive wars and
murder prohibited
Unprovoked, aggressive wars and murder
are prohibited and a clear warning is sounded
for all terrorists who commit atrocities in the
name of Islam. There is no ambiguity about
these very clear commandments of the Holy
Quran and Muslim educators would do a great
service to Islam if they prioritised these teachings
in their syllabuses:
“And fight in the way of Allah against those
who fight against you but be not aggressive.
Surely Allah loves not the aggressors.” 2:190
“And if they incline to peace, incline thou
also to it, and trust in Allah. Surely He is the
Hearer, the Knower.” - 8:61
“And help one another in righteousness and
piety and help not one another in sin and aggression,
and keep your duty to Allah. Surely Allah
is Severe in requiting (evil).” - 5:2
“O you who believe, devour not your property
among yourselves by illegal methods except
that it be through trading by your mutual
consent. And kill not your people. Surely Allah
is ever Merciful to you.” - 4:29
“And who so does this aggressively and unjustly,
We shall soon cast him into fire. And this
is ever easy for Allah.” - 4:30
Whilst defensive wars are permitted for
good reasons, all forms of aggression, killings
and murder are prohibited. If the enemy stops
hostilities and raises the flag of peace, Muslims
are told to stop all fighting and resort to peaceful
means of resolving disputes even if the enemy
might be insincere.
8. ‘Rebellion’, ‘tyranny’, and ‘acts of
terror’ are expressly prohibited
Islam prohibits all acts of ‘rebellion’, ‘tyrannical
rule’, and all acts of ‘terror’ that cause upheavals
and undue disruption in society. The Arabic
word used in the Holy Quran to describe
these acts is baghyi 4 :
“Say: My Lord forbids only indecencies,
such of them as are apparent and such as are
concealed, and sin and unjust rebellion
4
Root word meanings- Acting wrongfully, injuriously or tyrannically,
corruptly, unjustly, insolent, disobedient, exceeding limits.
I Shall Love All Mankind.
January 2018 The
Light 10
(baghyi).” - 7:33
“Surely Allah enjoins justice and the doing
of good (to others) and the giving to the kindred,
and He forbids indecency and evil and rebellion.
He admonishes you that you may be
mindful.” - 16:90
Hundreds of thousands of innocent men,
women and children have died and became misplaced
as a result of the ‘uncalled-for’ rebellion
that took place in Libya and Syria and the mayhem
created in Iraq by ISIS supported by foreign
nations with their own selfish agendas. The
Libyans and Syrians, prior to the wars, had a
fairly safe and high standard of living, enjoyed
many social benefits that Westerners merely
dream of. Christians and Yazidis were living in
peace with Muslims. So what was the reason to
rebel? Rebels emerged from factional extremist
groups with military and financial support from
the Saudis and the West using them for their
proxy wars to gain power in the region. The rebellion
was the work of minority mischief-makers
of which the majority of peaceful ‘law-abiding’
citizens were not part of. These Muslim factions
who brazenly disobeyed the command of
Almighty Allah NOT TO REBEL (baghyi) – must
now take most of the blame for the ruin and suffering
that followed. The Holy Quran is replete
with narratives highlighting the woeful end of
those who chose to defy the will and guidance
of the All-Wise, Lord of the worlds in pursuit of
their own misguided, selfish ends. If regime
change was indeed a pressing need, shura – i.e.
bilateral consultations is prescribed in Islam as
the primary mode of action and not ‘aping’
western style aggression and unbridled violence
that lead to a state of anarchy. This applies
to both the ‘ruler’ and ‘ruled’: “And their rule is
by counsel among themselves” -42:38
“Pardon them and ask protection for them,
and take counsel with them in affairs of state.” –
3:159
When faced with a tyrant, non-violent protestation
or some form of passive resistance is
allowed. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (s) is reported
to have said: The most excellent jihad is
the uttering of truth in the presence of an unjust
ruler. – (Tirmidhi, Mishkat)
I Shall Love All Mankind.
If the desired change is beyond reach, then
as a last resort it is recommended to migrate
and seek refuge in another country: “Have We
not made the earth an expanse” -78:6
The taking up of arms and resorting to violent
rebellion is prohibited in Islam and should
be avoided at all costs especially so in a country
where you are free to worship and do not face
religious oppression and persecution. ‘Rebellion’
is classed with acts that are regarded as
‘evil and indecent’ in the Holy Quran to show
the severity of its disapproval in the sight of
God. And we can see why. The Holy Prophet (s)
said: He who dislikes an order of his Amir
(Ruler) should withhold himself from opposition,
for he who rebels against the king by a
span dies the death of ignorance – (Bukhari
93:2)
Have we not witnessed the meaningless
horrors sufficiently that such upheavals create
in the world? In the end, it is always the innocent
women and children that suffer while
greedy ‘warmongers’ with their thriving arms
industries laugh all the way to the bank.
Syrians, interviewed by a journalist, Mona
Mahmood, of the Guardian in March 2015, expressed
mixed reactions that consisted of much
confusion and bewilderment about the rebellion.
Although there were those, who supported
the rebellion (not knowing why?) many were
against it. Um Naji, 45, a mother of three was
one of many. She gave a good insight of what
was happening on the ground: The truth is that
[before the uprising] we all had a good life, even
middle-class families. They could go on holiday,
eat well and buy medicine. Those who were
demonstrating were bribed; people were paid
to buy weapons and kill their brothers. Other
protesters were disillusioned and were given
promises they would be leaders in a new government.
Those who protested and claimed that
they wanted freedom had personal interests,
not a national goal. They were the first people
to send their families abroad and then they
joined them. The government provided people
with coupons for basic food items, which the
FSA (rebels) confiscated for themselves. Their
commanders became rich from hijacking trucks
loaded with goods heading to Damascus.
January 2018 The
Light 11
Today, large parts of Libya and Syria are lying
in ruins. Syria will have to go through many,
many years of healing. With Assad still in control,
we ask with utter despondency, so what
has this misplaced rebellion achieved? – Except
untold misery and destruction? Did it bring
about stability and a higher standard of living or
more freedom? After the death of approximately
500,000 people, Syrians, nay all Muslims,
should ask themselves, would it not have
been better to have rather obeyed Allah’s command
NOT to engage in rebellion which He has
strictly forbidden? After all, Muslims are reminded
of this Divine decree every Friday from
the pulpits of every mosque around the world.
Let this be a lesson to all Muslims not to ignore
the commandments of Almighty God.
9. All kinds of ‘suicidal acts’ are prohibited
The lowest form of indoctrination that evilminded
extremists with malevolent political
agendas often resort to is to persuade vulnerable
youths to commit atrocities with the false
belief that they will enter heaven as martyrs.
The Holy Quran prohibits all forms of suicidal
acts and destruction of human life. The verse
below clearly warns against such ‘suicidal acts’
and immediately follows up with a command to
do ‘good to others’ instead. This is NOT what suicide
bombers are doing
when large numbers of innocent
people are killed in
open public places even in
the sanctity of places of
worship.
The Holy Quran
commands clearly: “And
do not cast yourself to destruction with your
own hands and do good (to others). Surely Allah
loves the doers of good.” - 2:195
“And help one another in righteousness and
piety and help not one another in sin and aggression,
and keep your duty to Allah. Surely Allah
is Severe in requiting (evil).” - 5:2
“Whoever kills a person, unless it is for murder
or mischief in the land, it is as though he had
killed all men. And whoever saves a life, it is as
“And help one another in righteousness
and piety and help
not one another in sin and aggression,
and keep your duty
to Allah. Surely Allah is Severe
in requiting (evil)” - 5:2
I Shall Love All Mankind.
though he had saved the lives of all men.” – 5:32
These verses underscore the importance
placed on the sanctity of human life in Islam.
Any form of unjust killing is a grave sin the severity
of which is equal to killing ‘all men’. In
fact, the clear commandments of the Holy
Quran which blinded extremists conveniently
ignore are to engage in the ‘doing of good’ and
to partake in acts of ‘righteousness and piety.’
This means we have to go out of our way to save
human lives and preserve the environment;
fight diseases and illiteracy; work for the uplifting
of the living standards of humanity; take
care of the needy and disadvantaged, etc. Selfdestruction
and the mass destruction of human
lives, therefore, have no place in Islam.
10. It is unlawful to keep ‘sex slaves’.
Unfair, ‘blinkered’ critics of Islam like to
portray Islam as a religion that advocates female
gender abuse. Unfortunately, the behaviour
of Muslim subscribers of the ideologies of
the likes of ISIS and other extremists, do not
help much to eradicate this misconception.
These warped ideologies, it has been adequately
proven, has absolutely no basis in the
Holy Quran, the ultimate primary source of obedience
of a Muslim. Anything that contradicts
the Holy Quran including spurious reports attributed
to the
Prophet Muhammad
(s) should be
summarily rejected.
Nothing can supersede
the ‘Word of
God.’
If we now turn our
attention to the Holy Quran, we will find that it
is unlawful for a Muslim to force women into
marriage: “O you who believe it is not lawful to
take women as heritage against (their) will.” -
4:19
Moreover, taking women as ‘sex slaves’, was
expressly prohibited. This was ground-breaking
reform brought about by Islam at a time
when slavery was still very much entrenched in
the Arabian society. We, therefore, find that although
Islam abolished slavery completely, it
January 2018 The
Light 12
could unfortunately not ‘wish it away’ overnight
much like the remnants of ‘racism’ here and
everywhere else in the world, cannot be wished
away. Thus, Islam made provision for the rights
of slaves as we see here in the Holy Quran: “And
marry those among you who are single, and
those who are fit among your male slaves and
your female slaves” - 24:32
The Holy Quran states: “In their histories, there
is certainly a lesson for men of understanding”
-12:111
“Do they not travel in the land and see what
the end of those before them was? They were
more numerous than these and greater in
strength and fortifications in the land” - 40:82
“So, marry them with the permission of
their masters and give them their dowries
justly, they being chaste not fornicating nor take
them as paramours. (i.e. mistresses, concubines,
sex slaves etc.)” - 4:25
Thus we
find that only
‘legal marriages’
entered
into
‘without
force’, and
with due consequential rights and obligations
for both spouses, are allowed in Islam. The Holy
Quran prohibits taking women as ‘mistresses’
or ‘concubines’ for sex purposes only, a practice
more common in the ‘free sex’ culture of Western
societies now on the increase with the introduction
of the internet.
11. There are lessons in ancient history
and relics
Another tragic act of idiocy and cowardice
of extremists such as ISIS is the wanton destruction
of ancient artefacts. This is typical Wahabistyle
‘cleansing’ rituals - a form of extremism
which has seen even much-prized relics of our
Holy Prophet (s), his family, and companions,
destroyed. The Holy Quran nowhere advocates
the destruction of ancient relics and the eradication
of the historical records of past generations.
On the contrary, it views it as a source of
knowledge for future generations to build on.
I Shall Love All Mankind.
There are indeed intellectual and moral lessons
in archaeological findings that adorn our
museums and libraries. The Greeks, we know,
contributed much to modern civilisation, but
their knowledge was buried and lost to the
world for centuries until Muslim scholars unearthed
much
of it, translated
it into Arabic
and made it accessible
to the
world. The maniacs
who now
deem it fit to run around destroying these treasures
of knowledge belong in an institution for
the mentally sick.
The Holy Quran nowhere advocates the destruction
of ancient relics and the eradication
of the historical records of past generations.
On the contrary, it views it as a source of
knowledge for future generations to build on.
Conclusion:
Ideologies that lead to religious intolerance;
that stir up rebellion; the carrying out of mass
destruction of innocent, men, women and
children; the engagement in forced
conversions; the desecration and destruction of
places of worship regardless of whose religion
it belongs to; the ill-treatment of women, and
the suppression of knowledge, have no home in
the HOLY QURAN, which is the only ‘True Guide’
for all MUSLIMS – THE GENERATION NOW and
NEXT!
We strongly condemn all acts of aggression
and terror including all violations of basic human
rights specifically those carried out in the
name of Religion or State! (Return_to content)
Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha‘at Islam Lahore (UK)
Founders of the first Islamic Mission in the UK, established 1913 as the Woking Muslim Mission.
Dar-us-Salaam, 15 Stanley Avenue, Wembley, UK, HA0 4JQ
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