English organ of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement (Ahmadiyya Association for the Propagation of Islam) presenting the Islam taught by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s) - peaceful, inclusive, loving, rational.
ِ ی م الرَّحم
ن
ِ
سب اہللِ الرَّْحم ٰ
ْ م ِ
The Light
International Organ of the Centre for the Worldwide
Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam
2018
April
2016
May
The only Islamic organisation upholding the finality of prophethood.
Webcasting on the world’s first real-time Islamic service at
www.virtualmosque.co.uk
Germany
Guyana
India
Sweden
Suriname
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
- Zainab Ahmad
Contents
The Call of the Messiah 2
Fasting by Dr Reza Ghafoerkhan 3
Holy_Prophet_MuhammadGrants_Human_Rights
by Mr Salman Tufail 4
Claim_of_Hazrat_Mirza_Ghulam_
Ahmad by Mr Ebrahim Mohamed 9
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
Our 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
Broadcasts from and about us
‣ www.virtualmosque.co.uk
‣ Audio of the Holy Quran
‣ Charity a social obligation by Mr
Nasir Ahmad
‣ Man - The Best of Creatures by
Talha Adnan.
Interesting external links
‣ The Future Evolution of Political Islam.
‣ Stemming Extremism by the Saudis.
‣ Is the queen a descendant of the Holy Prophet
(s)?
‣ Muslims and Christians celebrate Mary!
External Links
The Light is not responsible for the content
of external sites. The inclusion of a link to an external
website should not be understood to be
an endorsement of that website, the views it expresses
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.
May 2018 The
Light 2
The Call of the
Messiah
by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad
The Promised Messiah and Mahdi
(Editor’s note: Any quotations from the Quran
are translated from the author’s explanations
and are not literal translations of the verse
quoted. This extract is from the English translation
of a lecture he delivered in the city of Sialkot,
now in Pakistan, taken from the Lahore Ahmadiyya
publication ‘Essence of Islam’.)
Arya Samajist view of Salvation Analysed
We will next take the Arya Samaj and consider
the means which it proposes for release
from the bondage of sin. Here again, as in the
case of Christianity, we meet with a plain denial
of Divine revelation and heavenly signs, a denial
based on the authority of Hindu sacred books,
the Vedas. It is vain, therefore, to look in this direction
for the complete satisfaction which the
heart of man finds in the sweet Words of God,
the acceptance of his prayers and the manifestation
of heavenly signs which reveal to him the
face of the living God.
But if all these sources of certainty cannot
be accessed, then a man shall have to depend
upon reason only according to the Vedic doctrine.
But reason, as shown above, is not a
source of perfect certainty. It cannot make a
man attain the perfect Divine knowledge which
is equivalent to seeing God. This is the
knowledge which, by generating true love and
fear of God, burns the chaff of sin, mortifies the
sensual passions and working a holy transformation
in the life of man, cures all defects and
washes away all the impurities of sin. But as
most men do not care for the perfect purity of
life which frees a man from every stain of sin, so
they do not even aspire after a holy life. Their
hearts are so dead to it that they do not ever feel
its need. On the other hand, they are ready to
fight when the truth is told because of their excessive
bias towards a particular set of dogmas.
The position of the Arya Samaj is extremely
deplorable. It denies revelation, heavenly signs
I Shall Love All Mankind.
and acceptance of prayers, the only means to a
perfect knowledge of God, and bases the whole
superstructure of its beliefs on the slender bases
of reason. But its principles do not hold even
when judged from the standpoint of reason. For,
as shown above, the only argument for the existence
of God that can be derived from the
source of reason, is that this universe could not
have come into existence of itself and that it
must have a creator. But the Arya Samaj teaches
the doctrine that matter and soul are self-existent
and eternal and that God has created nothing.
Hence the only argument that reason could
give for the existence of God fails given the principles
inculcated by the Arya Samaj.
This vital objection against the teachings of
the Samajists is sometimes sought to be removed
by the assertion that though matter and
soul are self-existent, the combination of the
particles of matter and the soul could not be
effected without the power of God. But the
absurdity of this idea is clear on the face of it.
For, when it is assumed that the particles of
matter and the soul have in them the inherent
quality which has made them self-existing and
self-supporting from eternity, it is nothing but a
total mistake to assert that some external
power is needed for their union and
combination; to assert, first that every particle
of matter existing in the universe is with all its
qualities a self-existing thing, and that,
similarly, every soul with all its attributes and
power is self-existent, and to deny then that the
power of combination in the particles of matter
and the power of the union in matter and soul
belongs to them is contradictory. No sensible
person can hold this position for a single
minute. The holder of such a belief is easy prey
for atheism, and it needs very little effort on the
part of an atheist to win over an Arya Samajist
to his side. It grieves me much to see that the
Arya Samaj has, in formulating its doctrines,
committed serious errors in both branches of
Law. About God, the Aryas hold the belief that
He is not the Author of the universe and the
source from which all blessings flow, but that
matter and soul with all their properties and attributes
are self-existent and not in any way under
obligation to God. If this is true, it is meaningless
to acknowledge the existence of God,
and even if His existence is assumed, it does not
May 2018 The
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appear why He deserves to be worshipped, on
what grounds He is to be taken as the All-powerful
Being, and how and by what methods He
is to be recognised. Can anyone answer these
questions? If only there were a heart capable of
receiving this message of sympathy! If only
someone sat in the corner of solitude and
pondered over these words! Almighty God!
Have mercy on these people who are our neighbours
of old. Turn the hearts of most of them to
the truth so that they should know it and accept
it, for to You belongs all power. Ameen. (Return
to contents)
Fasting in Summer and
Winter
A Spiritual Approach
by Reza Ghafoerkhan
The month of Ramadan is approaching, and
especially in areas with very early sunrise and
late sunset, the fasting hours may be very long.
Hence, some Muslims will be unwilling or
physically unable to fast such long hours. In this
Note, we will try to express an alternative view
on fasting in summer, which may enable these
brothers and sisters to fast in Ramadan as well.
First, we would like to quote a part of Maulana
Muhammad Ali's comment on verse 2:187
of the Quran:
"An important question arises here regarding
countries in which the days are sometimes
very long, where it would be beyond the power
of ordinary men to abstain from food from the
breaking of the dawn to sunset. There is a report
according to which the companions of the
Prophet are related to have asked him about
their prayers in a day which extended to a year
or a month, and the Prophet is related to have
answered that they should measure according
to the measure of their days (AD 36:13). From
this it would follow that in countries where the
days are too long the time of fasting may be
measured by the length of an ordinary day, or
where practicable postpone the fasts to shorter
days of about normal length."
Based on this view of the Maulana, we
would like to provide the reader with some
I Shall Love All Mankind.
more arguments to fast shorter hours in the
case of very long days.
The first point is the spiritual meaning behind
the rituals we perform. Quran 2:183 tells
us that fasting should lead us to greater taqwa
(to guard ourselves against evil). The goal of
prayer, as well, is to strengthen our taqwa.
Quran 29:45 states: “Prayer keeps one away
from indecency and evil.” Also, in the case of
sacrifice, as 22:37 states, it is not the flesh or
blood (the physical part) that is most important,
but the observance of duty. And several
hadith (traditions from the Prophet Muhammad)
on fasting show us that our fast is not
complete if we find ourselves in false talk and
illicit conduct during fasting (Bukhari, Muslim).
So, it is not the outer acts of fasting that are
more important, but the inner part.
The second point is that fasting and prayer
keep us away from indecency and evil. Indecency
and evil to whom? Most likely not to ourselves,
but to others. Therefore, if we should desist
from doing evil to others, our fasting should
cover at least that period in which we are in
contact with other people.
There is a hadith which tells us that the
Prophet disliked having conversations after
Isha prayer (late night prayer) (Maulana Muhammad
Ali, Manual of Hadith, chapter 9, hadith
10). This is probably because the Prophet
wanted Isha to be the last action of the day. The
advice to his followers is not to have conversations
(after Isha) to avoid the risk of getting involved
in unnecessary talk. Isha enables us to
make up for the mistakes of the day just before
going to sleep. So it is our last action after having
social contact with others, and Fajr is our
first action before our social interacting. Between
Fajr and Isha are our social activities,
with emphasis on the time just after Fajr and
just before Maghrib at ‘normal’ sunrise and sunset
times (the working hours).
Thus, if fasting should keep us away from
committing evil against others, then there will
be no need to start fasting at 3:00 a.m. (for example),
as we will have little or no social contacts
until a few hours later.
In winter, the situation can be reversed.
May 2018 The
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Some are not willing to fast the long hours of
summer but take the opportunity to fast the
very short hours in winter. We are of the opinion
that in winter the fast should also cover at
least the period in which we are involved in social
activities, which is most likely between 6:00
a.m. and 7:00 p.m. (at least). For example, in
December in Holland, one would fast less than
10 hours if calculated from dawn till sunset.
iftaar (breaking of fast) would be around 4:30
p.m., while the time for social activities will not
yet have passed (in Europe, social activities,
even work, go on till 6:00 p.m. in many cases).
Therefore, in this case, fasting should be extended
until at least after 6:00 p.m.
We should also note that Islam is not a religion
of either extreme, but of remaining moderate
and in the middle. In high latitude countries
(higher than 50 degrees), fasts in the summer
are at one extreme where they become difficult
for many to undertake, and fasts in the winter
are at the other extreme where a fast does not
feel like a fast. In the UK in the summer the fast
can be as long as 19 hours, and in the winter as
short as 9 hours. It is a basic teaching of Islam
to avoid going to opposite extremes in religious
observances (and other matters). See Quran
20:81, among others.
Furthermore, 2:187 of the Quran permits to
enter one's wife in the nights of Ramadan. This
permission will not be valid if we keep fast in
the mid of summer between dawn and sunset.
Allah desires ease and not a hardship for us. If
we take fasting between dusk and dawn literally
in summer, we put a hardship on ourselves
against Allah's will (Quran 2:185).
For salaat times as well, it would be an option
to fix these around the period in which we
are involved in social activities (in case of nonstandard
times of sunrise and sunset). There is,
for example, no need to perform Fajr at 3:00
a.m. and go to sleep again. Even if sunrise is at
3:00 a.m., people may consider performing Fajr
between 5:00 and 6:00, just before starting
their social activities.
The same goes for Isha. It can be performed
before going to bed, even if the sky is not yet
dark.
For example, in June, sunset will be after
I Shall Love All Mankind.
10:00 p.m. in Holland and the end of twilight
will be after midnight. According to a hadith, the
Prophet disliked sleeping before Isha (Manual
of Hadith, chapter 9, hadith 10). In our opinion,
there is no point in staying awake till after midnight
to perform Isha and then get up only four
hours later for Fajr. Furthermore, this short
period does not leave much space for those who
would like to perform the voluntary night
prayers, Tahajjud salaat. (In particular, these
people might not find spiritual fulfilment in the
short summer nights when seeking for the
Lailat al-Qadr, the blessed night in which the
revelation of the Quran started). In fact, going to
sleep after Maghrib and getting up for Isha after
midnight will give the Isha salaat the characteristics
of Tahajjud prayer. Remember that the
main goal of praying is not to keep certain
hours, but to stay away from indecency and evil
(Quran 29:45).
These are our opinions, in case of nonstandard
times of sunrise and sunset. To keep
fast at least during the period covering our
social activities, with a maximum of 15 hours
and a minimum of 13 hours approximately (15
hours is about the longest fasting time in
Makkah), and to keep the prayer times around
these times as well. Of course, this is only our
opinion, based on Quran and Hadith, and if one
chooses to match his or her fasting or prayer
times according to sunrise and sunset, one may
do so according to the literal interpretation of
the verses. This Note is meant for those in the
first place, who planned not to fast due to the
long hours in summer, to get them an opportunity
to fulfil their duties more easily. (Return_to
content)
THE HOLY PROPHET’S (S)
DIALOGUE
with the Christian Delegation from
Najran
The first Muslim State granted Religious
Freedom and Basic Human
Rights to non-Muslims.
by Mr Salman Tufail
It was in 1983 that I first heard about the
Christian Delegation from Najran having a
May 2018 The
Light 5
dialogue with the Holy Prophet Muhammad in
Madina when he was virtually head of the Arabian
Peninsula in the closing speech of the
Ninth Convention of the Lahore Ahmadiyya
Anjuman, Trinidad by the late Maulana Sheikh
Muhammad Tufail.
The speech marked the end of a Convention
that will always be remembered for the bombing
and attempted murder of all of the participants
who were there on the opening day of
12th August 1983. The events of 12th August
1983 can be viewed as a precursor of what was
to come. If the ideology at the heart of the attack
was not rebutted, but, as can be seen, this
ideology has taken hold of extremist elements
among the Muslims, and the brutal attacks in
Europe and other parts of the Muslim world are
a testament to this.
Moreover, this false narrative about Islam is
not only being disseminated by extremists but
also by politicians who have used it to further
their political agenda and views. The results of
this have led to 57.5% of all voters in
Switzerland (2010 poll) supporting a constitutional
amendment banning the construction of
any new minarets (on Mosques). And the anti-
Islam Freedom Party of MP Geert Wilders has
publicly demanded that the Quran be outlawed
and that Muslim women who wear headscarves
are taxed.
The passionate speech of Maulana Tufail
was important for many reasons. Firstly, unknown
to all of us, it was the last speech he
made; and it was fitting, as it was in his muchloved
Caribbean Island of Trinidad. Secondly,
what he was indicating and pleading for Muslims
to do, was to reject the extremist views of
the radical Muslims. It mattered not that he was
speaking at an Ahmadiyya Convention since his
message was for all to push back against the
corrupt interpretation of Islam being
propagated. It was significant that he
mentioned the meeting of the Holy Prophet
with the Christian delegation from Najran as an
example of the true nature and message of
Islam. Thus discrediting the extremist concepts
and views.
Though the contents of the speech are very
I Shall Love All Mankind.
important to me, personally, the mention of the
Christian Delegation from Najran is particularly
important, especially in this age when persons
of different faiths are being killed in the name of
Islam. The encounter of the Holy Prophet with
the Christian Delegation from Najran totally dispels
any doubts that those Muslims are absolutely
wrong who believe it is acceptable to
kill people of other faiths because their beliefs
are different to Islam.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad said that
differences of opinion are a blessing for society.
The Christian Delegation from Najran
in 631 AD
The territory of Najran was located south of
Bani Khatham near Yemen, about 450 miles
south of Medina. In this area of the Arabian
Peninsula, numerous Christian tribes lived, and
it appears that the Yemeni Christians followed
the Melchite Orthodox rite - Byzantine rite -
whose centre was Constantinople. Najran Christians
had a highly organised religious system,
and it is not surprising that initially, few Christians
embraced Islam. In reaction to this ‘failed
attempt’ at conversion, Prophet Muhammad
sent another representative to Najran, Mughira
ibn Shu‘ba, who was meant to elaborate on this
new religion called Islam. Intrigued by Ibn
Shu‘ba’s message, the Najran Christians sent a
delegation of sixty people to visit the Holy
Prophet in Medina. The delegation consisted of
about forty-five scholars and fifteen assistants
Significance of the Dialogue.
The date of the visit of the Christian Delegation
from Narjan to the city of Medina is not precisely
known but it is thought that it was 631AD,
and some sources, such as Ibn Hisham, the earliest
historian, seem to think it was before the
Battle of Badr. But the exact date matters little,
as what is important is the message that emanated
from the encounter.
The meeting with the Najran Christians is
perhaps the most important interfaith meeting
between Christians and the Holy Prophet Muhammad.
The religious leaders from Najran
(Yemen) arrived in Medina to question the Holy
May 2018 The
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Prophet about the new religion of Islam and the
status of Jesus.
During the dialogue with the delegation
from Najran, the Holy Prophet answered their
questions and indicated that Islam was a continuation
of the prophetic message of Jesus but
rejected the doctrine of Trinity and invited
them to worship One God and accept Islam in
the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful.
The Quran mentions the similarities and the
difference between the religions, and at the beginning
of the third surah ‘’Al-i ‘Imran’’ (The
Family of Imran)
‘’I, Allah, am the best knower. Allah, there is
no god, but He, the Ever-Living, the Self-subsisting,
by Whom all subsist. He has revealed to you
the Book with truth, verifying that which is before
it, and He revealed the Torah and the Gospel
aforetime, as guidance for humanity; and He sent
the Discrimination [the Quran]” (3:1-4).
This revelation confirms that the Books did
indeed come down to Mankind through both
Moses and Jesus and, importantly, that it is in
the same monotheistic tradition as the Quran.
Further on there are details of the terms of the
invitation made to the Christians;
“Say: O People of the Book, come to an equitable
word between you and us, that we shall
serve none but Allah; and that we shall not associate
aught with Him, and that some of us shall
not take others for lords besides Allah. But if they
turn away, then say: ‘’Bear witness, we are Muslims.”
(3:64).
The above affirms God’s oneness but rejects
Trinity and rejects the status of priests in Christianity.
However, to me, the most important aspect
of this meeting at which the Muslims and
Christians debated with each other, is that the
Christians refused to accept the message of
Islam and there was no repercussion, and
the Christians were free to leave without suffering
any harm. There is no hint of any
forced conversion or threat.
The Holy Prophet’s example was that Islam
demands that Muslims should learn to listen,
respect and tolerate other persons’ views. It is,
I Shall Love All Mankind.
however, argued by scholars that the word ‘tolerance’
is inadequate to describe the relationship
that the Holy Prophet’s action represented,
and the real message is that of an egalitarian relationship
of mutual respect. Moreover, the Holy
Prophet, realising that the Christians, did not
have a place to worship, allowed them to
pray in the Mosque itself. Some
commentators are of the view that some people
were even given refuge in the same Mosque.
Religious Pluralism in Islam
Some scholars described this historical
event as a classic example of religious pluralism
in Islam. They suggest that religious pluralism
embodies: 1) energetic engagement with diversity;
2) understanding across religious traditions;
3) encounter of commitments; 4) interfaith
dialogue. Each characteristic was on display
during the meeting between the Christian
delegation from Najran and the Prophet of Islam.
The Holy Prophet engaged with those Christians
in a theological conversation about the
status of Jesus in the light of the teachings of Islam.
Both groups sought to understand the perspectives
and narratives of the other side. The
Holy Prophet Muhammad opened the doors of
his mosque to give Christians a safe space to
pray, an unprecedented example of engagement
with religious diversity. And when they left Medina,
they left in peace.
The meeting was a perfect example of the
Quranic command, “There is No compulsion
in religion’’ (The Quran 2:256).
The Qur’an further says: “You will find the
nearest in friendship to believers [Muslims] to be
those who say, We are Christians. That is because
there are priests and monks among them and because
they are not proud” (5:82).
What is happening in Yemen, Syria, Libya
and Iraq is anti-Islamic and against the teachings
of the Quran and the Holy Prophet. The
West also carries immense responsibility in
causing this disaster with their intervention in
Iraq, Libya and Syria and has, in my view, given
the extremists the oxygen and space to carry
out these most heinous acts.
May 2018 The
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Religious freedom is a well-known Islamic
principle. So, it is clear that each person should
be allowed to find his path in life. People of
other religions are free to practise their faith, as
Islam does not force anyone to embrace it.
Our Islamic heritage advanced the concept
of religious freedom over 1,000 years before
America was founded, and the famous political
writings of the early American scholars John
Locke and Jean-Jacque Rousseau strongly resonate
with this concept of freedom of worship.
Not only does Islam demand freedom to
practise religion, but also to be treated justly
and kindly as any other fellow human being.
Quran 60:8. Here is what the Qur’an says in this
regard: “Allah does not forbid, about those who
do not fight you for religion, nor drive you forth
from your homes, that you show them kindness
and deal with them justly. Surely Allah loves the
doers of justice” (60:8).
Regarding the protection of churches, Allah
says: “And if Allah did not repel some people by
others, surely 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” (22:40).
The text of the Covenants made with
the Christian Delegation from Najran
“In the Name of Allah, the most Gracious,
the most Merciful.
This is a security document from Allah and
His Messenger. It is written to those who have
been given the Book from among the Christians,
those who follow the creed of Najran and
whoever follows the beliefs of Christianity
authenticated by Muhammad son of Abdullah,
the Messenger of Allah to all people, a covenant
to them from Allah and His Messenger.
It is a covenant which is entrusted to the
Muslims after him (after the Prophet’s demise)
and which they must comprehend, recognise
and safeguard for them. Neither a ruler nor any
man who is strengthened by the authority of a
ruler has the right to revoke it, nor to replace it
with something else, nor to over-burden the believers
(Muslims) with anything other than the
terms stated in this document. Anyone who
safeguards it, observes it and fulfils its contents
is surely on the straightforward covenant and is
loyal to his commitment to the Messenger of Allah.
And anyone who reneges on it or changes it
to something else or substitutes it with
something else shall bear the burden of his sin.
And he is one who betrays the trust of Allah,
who reneges on his pledge, who disobeys Him
and disobeys His Messenger, and Allah counts
him among the liars:
First: That I protect the Christians. I defend
them, their churches, places of worship, places
of their prayers, places of the monks, the
(sacred) areas which they tour wherever they
may be, in a mountain or a valley or a cave or a
city or a plain or a sandy track.
Second: That I guard their religion and
their faith wherever they may be, on dry land or
sea, east or west, with whatever I guard myself
and whatever belongs to the followers of Islam
and me from my creed.
Third: That I include them in my trust, in
my covenant, in my security against any harm
or anything shunned or any burden or any
responsibility. And that I shall be behind them,
to protect them from any enemy that intends to
harm them and do so with my self, with my
supporters, with my followers, with the people
who follow my creed.
Fourth: That I keep away from them any
harm of burdens which people who perform jihad
bear, from any assault or khiraj (land tax)
other than what they pay willingly without being
forced or coerced into doing any such thing.
Fifth: That I do not remove a bishop from
his bishopric, nor a monk from his monastery,
nor a pilgrim from his pilgrimage, nor demolish
any of their churches, nor let any construction
of a mosque infringe on their buildings, nor
should any house of the Muslims do so. Anyone
who does any of these things reneges from his
covenant with Allah, disobeys His Messenger
and swerves from the covenant of Allah.
I Shall Love All Mankind.
May 2018 The
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Sixth: Neither a monk nor a bishop, nor any
of them who worships or wears woollen clothes
or seeks solitude in the mountains or in areas
that are isolated from cities should ever be required
to pay jizya (protection tax) or khiraj
Seventh: Whoever follows the Christian
faith must not be forced into becoming a Muslim.
Mercy must be shown for them, and anything
harmful must be kept away from them
wherever they may be in the land.
Eighth: If any Christian commits a crime or
a serious offence, the Muslims must help him.
Prevent harm from reaching him, protect him
and not let him bear the brunt of what he
commits. Preferably, you must find a settlement
between him and his victim. Either pardon him
or pay ransom on his behalf.
Ninth: They (Christians) must not be rejected,
betrayed or neglected because I have
given them Allah’s covenant that they should
have what the Muslims have and be obligated to
the Muslims’ obligations.
Tenth: Muslims must carry out their obligations
towards the pact which the covenant obligates;
they should protect sanctities, and they
should keep away every harm from them
(Christians), so they may become partners with
the Muslims: They have what the Muslims have
and are obligated to what the Muslims are obligated.
Eleventh: They may if they need repairs to
their churches and places of worship or
anything related to their interests and creed, get
assistance from the Muslims to make such
repairs. They must be assisted, and this must
not be regarded as a debt against them but as
support in the interest of their religion and as
the fulfilment of the covenant of the Messenger
of Allah, as a gift to them and a boon from Allah
and His Messenger to them.”
The Ahmadiyya Perspective
We in the Ahmadiyya Movement have
always subscribed to and upheld this concept
and have embraced diversity even within Islam.
This was seen when, during an Eid
congregation at the Shah Jehan Mosque
Woking, Surrey, England, a Shia Muslim was
asked to lead the prayer, thereby setting a
precedent which, if it could only be followed
I Shall Love All Mankind.
by Muslims, would bring so much harmony.
But, sadly the events of the Middle East are the
exact opposite, and different Muslim groups are
locked in war with each other, and the other
faiths have been caught in this most brutal conflict.
It is significant that the theme of the 9th Ahmadiyya
Convention 1983 in Trinidad was the
promotion of interfaith dialogue and harmony,
very much in line with the Holy Prophet’s practice.
It consisted of many interfaith meetings,
which included representatives of all the major
faiths and delegations from throughout the Caribbean,
Kashmir in India, the United Kingdom
and the USA. The multi-faith dignitaries were to
contribute to the session, in their invaluable
way, to the ideal and precedence envisaged by
the covenant entered into by the Holy Prophet
with the Christian Delegation from Najran in
631 AD.
Historically, these covenants were written
after the Holy Prophet had a serious discussion
about the teachings of Islam and the status of
Jesus. In spite of the fact that Christian representatives
had no answer to the questions put
forth by the Holy Prophet Muhammad, the Holy
Prophet, on the instructions of Allah, invited
them to a Mubahala to which they did not agree,
and then this Covenant was drafted. (Details of
the Discussion are given elsewhere in this issue.)
I, for one, do not recognise the Islam that is
being portrayed by the extremists or the media
reporting of Islam, and we collectively must do
as much as possible to push back on the corrupt
narratives about Islam. (Return_to content)
The claim of the Mujaddid of
the 14 th Islamic century
(Divinely ordained Reviver of
the Faith) and his Movement
established from the Holy
Quran
A Friday sermon
by Ebrahim Mohamed, South Africa
‘He it is Who sent His Messenger with the
guidance and the Religion of Truth (Deen ul
May 2018 The
Light 9
Haqq) that He may make it prevail over all religions.
And Allah is enough for a witness.’ – (Holy
Quran chapter 48, Surat ul Fatḥ, The Victory,
verse 28).
For three hundred years after the demise of
the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s), the Religion
of Islam here referred to as Deenul Haqq, the Religion
of Truth, was dominant in Arabia, a small
part of Europe and Africa. Then a decline of
1000 years set in. The Holy Quran makes mention
of this as follows:
“He orders the Affair (i.e. Islam) from the
heaven to the earth; then it will ascend to Him
in a day the measure of which is a thousand
years as you count.” – (The Adoration, 32:5)
The mathematics is simple, 1000 plus 300 =
1300 that takes us to the 14 th Century Hejira
which spans parts of the 19 th and 20 th centuries
A.D. This is the age which, according to the
above calculation, will introduce the dawning of
a ‘spiritual enlightenment’ in the world. But let
us see if the Holy Quran supports this assertion.
Indeed, we find in surah Al Takwil, the Folding
Up, chapter 81 verses 17-18 the following:
“And the night when it departs
And the morning (subuh) when it
brightens.”
Commenting on these verses, Maulana Muhammad
Ali, in his famous English translation
of the Holy Quran, explains: “The departing of
the night and the rise of the bright morning is
the disappearance of the darkness of ignorance,
giving place to the bright light of the sun of Islam.”
These might seem to the casual observer
as common statements often made in the Holy
Quran. But if we look at the context in which
these verses appear, we find that they are
preceded by several prophecies that point very
accurately to the 14 th century Hejira (i.e. years
1300 -1400 Hejira coinciding with the years
1878 – 1978 A.D., i.e. the 19 th – 20 th centuries
A.D.)
In the light of this phenomenon, let us examine
some of these prophecies:
And when the camels are abandoned – 81:4
In AD 1886 (1304 Hejira) the first petrol or
gasoline powered auto-mobile the Benz Patent-
Motorwagen was invented by Karl Benz * This
steadily led to the replacement of camels with
petrol-driven vehicles and steam-driven locomotives
for the purpose of transportation.
And when the cities are made to swell – 81:6
Sociologist Kingsley Davis in his famous
book, The Origin and Growth of Urbanization in
the World, writes: “Urbanized societies, in
which a high proportion of the population lives
in cities, developed only in the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries.”
And when men are united – 81:7
The League of Nations was formed in 1920
replaced by the United Nations in 1945, both
within the 14 th century Hejira. Graham Bell invented
the telephone in 1876 which
revolutionised communications bringing diverse
communities into contact as never before.
In 1895, a young Italian named Guglielmo Marconi
invented what he called “the wireless telegraph”
which led to the invention of the radio
further enhancing communication across national
boundaries and uniting them as never before,
thus introducing the birth of a ‘global community.’
The advanced technology such as the
‘internet’ of today came about as a result of the
technological inventions of the 19 th /20 th century.
And when the books are spread – 81: 10
Improved printing presses increased the
production and spread of books all over the
world. Although the printing press was
invented around 1440, it was only around 1864
that the Hoe’s 6-cylinder rotary press was
created which led to improved printing processes.
Together with the inventions of improved
land and air conveyance during this period
the spread of books dramatically increased.
*
Wikipedia
I Shall Love All Mankind.
May 2018 The
Light 10
And when the heaven has its covering removed
– 81:11
The creation of advanced telescopes and
technology unveiled new knowledge of space
and introduced space travel. The knowledge of
the universe grew rapidly in the late 19 th century
with the invention of advanced telescopes.
Although the telescope comes from way back in
the 1600’s, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (USA) acknowledges:
“In 1879 George Ellery Hale revolutionised
the study of heavenly bodies when he was
responsible for the Yerkes Bay refracting
telescope -- with its 40" lens, still the biggest
ever -- and a series of mirror telescopes atop Mt.
Wilson and (later) Mt. Palomar in southern
California, with a 100" on Mt. Wilson (Edwin
Hubble's telescope) and the 200" Mt. Palomar
telescope which Hale did not live to see
completed.”
The new knowledge of the hidden secrets of
the heaven that came with the invention of
these advanced telescopes in the 19 th century is
what is meant by the prophecy “when the
heaven has its coverings removed.”
As stated, the fact that these prophecies are
followed by the statement: “And the night when
it departs. And the morning (subuh) when it
brightens” (81:17,18), indicate that we are at
the stage of the “dawning” of the revival and ascendance
of Deenul Haqq, the Religion of Truth
which will steadily triumph over all the forces
of falsehood and corruption. This begs the question
who then is the one that started this charge
of the triumph of Truth over Falsehood in the
14 th century Hejira as alluded to in the Holy
Quran? And who are the ones continuing to do
so? All expectations are that it had to be one
“rightly guided” by the Divine Hand (this is the
meaning of Mahdi); one possessed of deep
knowledge and inspiration, armed with the
true, uncorrupted teachings of Islam. This tells
us it had to be the work of a divinely ordained
Mujjaddid (Reviver of the Faith) whose advents
were prophesied by the Holy Prophet Muhammad
(s) and not the work of just any scholar.
Most scholars and clerics for generations, especially
during the 14th century Hejira, have been
I Shall Love All Mankind.
postulating un-Quranic teachings or such based
on erroneous interpretations of Islamic scripture;
teachings which are now proving to be an
embarrassment for all right-minded Muslims
and are undermining and not uplifting the image
of Islam in any way. For example, we often
hear them teach that:
• Jesus (regarded by Christians as the son of
God) is alive in heaven and will come to save
the Muslims in the latter days after killing all
unbelievers.
• Verses of the Holy Quran have and can be
abrogated.
• Hadith (sayings of the Prophet) and opinions
of jurists (fatwas) have precedence over the
Holy Quran.
• Jihad means war with infidels and justifies
forced conversions.
• Female gender discrimination and keeping
sex slaves are justified.
• The non-prophetic revelation has stopped
• Death sentences should be applied to apostates
and adulterers, despite Quranic teachings
to the contrary.
• A Muslim who professes his faith in the Holy
Kalima can be deemed a kafir (unbeliever)
based on differences of opinions. - (takfir)
So the ulema (religious scholars) who teach
these things cannot be the ones who will make
Islam prevail over all other religions. On the
contrary, their beliefs are busy destroying the
beautiful image of Islam as contained in the
Holy Quran and taught by the Holy Prophet Muhammad
(s) to the joy of Christian evangelists
and Jewish fundamentalists. So Alhamdulillah,
(praise be to Allah) Almighty Allah raised a
Mujaddid. He removed all these errors that
steadily crept into Islam over the 1000 years of
decline and corruption and restored once again
the true, pure and beautiful teachings of Islam;
teachings that will bring about the prevalence
of the Religion of Truth over all other religions
as clearly stated in the Holy Quran – 48:28
The Mujaddid of the 14 th Century Hejira
In the year 1885 A.D., coinciding with the
year 1302 Hejira (i.e. the 14th Century Hejira),
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (b. 1835 – d.
1908), announced that Almighty Allah had
raised him as the Mujaddid (Reviver of the
May 2018 The
Light 11
Faith) for the Muslims. Up till today no one else
has come forth with such a claim or produced
work that would support such a claim.
In 1891 A.D. (1308 Hejira) he announced
that he had come to fulfil the prophecies of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad (s) regarding the
Promised Messiah and Mahdi. The man who will
be raised from amongst the Muslim community
to break down using arguments and scriptural
proofs the pagan-inspired doctrines of the
religion of the ‘Cross’ (referred to in authentic
Hadith as ‘breaking of the cross’) and establish
the real Truth (Deenul Haqq) in the world.
However, to do this enormous task effectively,
like the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s) did
at Hudaibiyah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad called on
people to pledge their commitment by joining
him in this noble service of the defence and
propagation of Islam. For the first time in the
history of Islam, an organisation was established
to do this work in an ‘organised’ manner
under the auspices of the Mujaddid himself.
Thus in 1888 A.D. (1305 Hejira), Hazrat
Mirza Saheb formed the Ahmadiyya Movement
to assist him in this work. This work entailed
leading an exemplary life of righteousness;
obtaining full knowledge of Islam and all other
faiths; defending Islam with one’s life, by
conducting debates, lectures, preaching and
above all the production of written works,
which encompasses the translation of the Holy
Quran into English and all other languages; the
publication of well researched literature on
Islam and other faiths and spreading it
throughout the world. The name ‘Ahmadiyya’
was taken from the Holy Prophet’s name Ahmad
meaning ‘he who praises Allah much.’ This
dedicated group, led by the Mujaddid, was like
no other at the time. The poet Iqbal once declared
in a lecture that if you wanted to see true
Islam in practice, you have to go to Qadian (this
is where Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and his
close companions stayed). Dedicated devotees
who later joined the cause such as Khwaja
Kamal ud Din, Maulana Muhammad Ali, Dr Basharat
Ahmad and many others also described
the atmosphere at Qadian as that of solemn, sincere
prayerfulness. They would witness Hazrat
Mirza Saheb regularly performing tahajjud (a
I Shall Love All Mankind.
voluntary mid-night prayer) and often he could
be heard crying for Divine help for Islam even
during bitterly cold winter nights. There were
always people in the mosque and their lodges
making tahajjud. This was very much the life of
the Holy Prophet (s) and his companions in the
early days of Islam too.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad wrote several
books in defence of Islam. He ably rebutted all
attacks of the Christian missionaries and the
virile Hindu Arya Samaj that were constantly
lambasting Islam and the noble character of the
Prophet Muhammad (s). He, for once and all,
settled the age-long mystery regarding Jesus by
declaring, with solid proofs from the Holy
Quran, that he (Jesus) had completed his mission
to the Israelites and died a natural death
and is buried on earth together with his mother
Mary (Mariam). This drove a nail in the coffin of
active Christian proselytisers in the region and
saved thousands of Muslims adopting pagan
inspired Christianity as their preferred faith.
So, it is not a coincidence that the Holy
Quran, by way of prophecies, points to the 14 th
century Hejira as the timing of the start of the
disappearance of the ‘night’ of unbelief, ignorance,
and corruption and the ushering in of the
morning (subuh) of the ‘bright light’ of the
Religion of Truth (Deen ul Haqq). The importance
of the 14 th -century Mujaddid, based on
these prophecies, is therefore far greater in
scope than all other previous Mujaddids because
through his teachings and ‘enlightened’
interpretations the true message of Islam has
been revived and steadily on its way to gain predominance
in the world.
The Ahmadiyya Movement
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad founded the
Ahmadiyya Movement for the sole purpose of
the peaceful propagation of Islam. It aimed to
invite the West to Islam using good literature on
Islam, of which the Holy Quran was at the top of
the list. This required the hard work of a team
of dedicated men and women. This work was
ground-breaking and pioneering at the time
and much so today as none of this level of propagation
was ever undertaken in the history of
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Light 12
Islam before. The Movement under the guidance
of the inspired Mujaddid produced several
unique scholars and researchers who were bold
enough to challenge the outdated mindsets and
exegeses of conservative mainstream clerics
and scholars. For the first time, organised missions
were established on British and European
soil and large amounts of literature shipped to
those regions. Today, more than a century later,
it is not uncommon to hear the desperate call of
enlightened Muslim academics for such brave
scholars produced by the Ahmadiyya School. It
thus comes as no surprise that such significant
work and those dedicated to it - much like the
timing of these events are alluded to in the Holy
Quran as pointed out above - are also hinted at
in the Holy Quran. Thus, we find in the following
descriptions in The Scatters (of Truth), 51:1 - 4
“By those scattering broadcast!
And those bearing the load!
And those running (or sailing or travelling)
easily (yusran)!
And those distributing the Affair!”
“Bearing the load” (which by the way also
means becoming pregnant with knowledge)
and “scattering” and “broadcasting” and “by
those distributing the Affair” — Isha’at Islam
(propagation of Islam) — are prominent features
of the Ahmadiyya Movement founded by
the Mujaddid of the 14 th century Hejira. The
ease (yusran) of travelling referred to above no
doubt points to an age of advanced modes of
travelling that made transportation easy. This
was made possible by inventions made during
the 14 th century Hejira and referred to in the
Holy Quran (81: 4) as pointed out above and not
a feature of 7 th century Arabia.
Like all revivalist and reformist personalities
and movements throughout the history of
humankind, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and
the Ahmadiyya Movement were subjected to all
kinds of false allegations and persecuted for
their beliefs by their co-religionists who were
unable to give up erroneous, archaic interpretations
and beliefs as pointed out above. The Holy
Quran addresses these opponents in the same
surah:
“Cursed be the liars! …
Taste your persecution! (fitna) This is what
you hasten on” – (51:10, 14)
The Quranic narrative continues with a description
that is reminiscent and comparable
with life at Qadian (referred to above) during
the time of Hazrat Mirza Saheb and his devoted
followers:
“Surely the dutiful are amidst Gardens and
fountains …
They used to sleep but little at night –
And in the morning they asked (Divine)
protection” (51:15, 17, 18)
This section of the surah, fittingly, concludes
using an oath:
“And by the Lord of the heavens and the
earth! It is surely the truth, just as you speak.” –
(51:23)
Since we are still at the dawn of a global
‘Spiritual Revival’ initiated by the Mujaddid of
the 14th century Hejira, whose advent, as
shown, has been testified to in the Holy Quran,
our duty as Muslims is to carry on with his work
of making the ‘Religion of Truth’ predominant
in the world in a manner that is peaceful and
inspirational with a sense of respect and dignity
for all.
May Almighty Allah guide us all with His
Light! Ameen.
All humanity is one nation and the only superiority
people have over each is in goodness.
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
Centre: 020 8903 2689 ∙ President: 01793 740670 ∙ Secretary: 07737 240777 ∙ Treasurer: 01932 348283
E-mail: info@aaiil.uk
Websites: www.aaiil.org/uk | www.ahmadiyya.org | www.virtualmosque.co.uk
Donations: https://www.cafonline.org/charityprofile/aaiiluk
I Shall Love All Mankind.
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