The Light 2018 08 August

ِ 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 

August 

The only Islamic organisation which is 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 

The USA 

- Shahid Aziz & - Mustaq Ali 

- Zainab Ahmad 

Contents 

The Call of the Messiah 2 

My Journey to Islam by P A Delaforce 4 

Quran's View of the Torah and the Gospel 

By Dr Ejaz Naqvi 4 

A Believer becomes Mary and Bears Jesus. 6 

The UK Parliament by Dr Zahid Aziz 7 

islamandeducation by Humaira Ahmad 9 

Muslim Heroes of WWI by D Crossland 10 

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 

‣ mixlr.com Radio Virtual Mosque 

Interesting external links 

‣ Evolution – A Rethink. 

‣ Secondhand Smoking causes as much harm as 

Smoking. 

‣ Johnson has Nothing but Contempt for Muslim 

Women. 

‣ Morrocco - A Model of Moderate Islam. 

‣ Love in the Holy Quran. 

‣ Establishment Helped a Bishop Evade Justice. 

‣ Impact of Islamic Philosophers on Western 

Philosophy. 

‣ Islam and the Environment by the UN. 

‣ Egypt Fights Extremism. 

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.

August 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 1904 in Lahore, 

now in Pakistan, taken from the Lahore Ahmadiyya 

publication ‘Essence of Islam’, p. 49–56) 

My Claim to Promised Messiahship 

changes and revolutions in the spiritual world 

and periods of light and darkness follow each 

other successively like day and night. At certain 

stages of the history of the world, men are 

stripped of spiritual attainments and the perfection 

of manhood like trees in the autumn, 

while at others a wind blows from heaven 

which breathes life afresh into their hearts. 

This, our time, is also the beginning of spring. 

The deadness of autumn was witnessed in the 

Punjab during the days when this country was 

under the Sikh sway. Knowledge had then quite 

disappeared, and ignorance had become prevalent. 

Religious books had become so rare that 

they could not be found except in some high 

family which remained intact from Sikh oppression. 

Gentlemen, I would now say something 

about my claims which I have published in this 

country. Reason and history bear witness to this 

fact that upon the darkness of sin overshadowing 

the earth, and every transgression 

prevailing in the world and evil becoming 

supreme, the spiritual sensibilities dying, the 

earth growing impure 

with immoral 

practices and the love 

of God freezing in the 

hearts of humans, a 

poisonous wind 

blowing. Then the 

mercy of God ordains 

that life should be 

breathed into dead 

hearts and the earth 

should be quickened 

afresh. As there are 

changes of seasons in the physical world, so 

there are revolutions in the spiritual world. The 

autumn trees lose their verdure and freshness, 

and are stripped of their leaves and branches, 

and look like a man who is in the last stage of 

consumption loses all his flesh and blood, or 

like a leper whose face is disfigured by the effects 

of leprosy and whose limbs have dropped 

down. But they are not left in this state, another 

period comes, and autumn is followed by spring 

when a new life is given to the dead plants, and 

they sprout forth into fresh leaves. Similar to 

these changes in the physical world, there are 

A VERY HAPPY 

• EID UL Ahda to all are 

Muslim brothers and sisters. 

And 

• Independence Day to all 

our readers in Pakistan aNd 

India. 

I Shall Love All Mankind. 

The night of the Sikh rule has been followed 

by the day of the British dominion which has 

brought us the invaluable blessings of peace. 

The truth is that if regard is had to the general 

peace and security prevailing in the country and 

the comforts which we can and do enjoy, it is unjust 

to compare the days of the Sikh rule with 

even the nights of 

English Government. 

The time in which we 

live is a time of physical 

as well as spiritual 

blessings, and what 

has already appeared 

is a sign of the richness 

of the harvest 

that we may yet reap. 

It is true, however, 

that as it is the commencement 

of a new 

age, this period displays different looks. Some 

appearances are hideous because they go 

against righteousness and the true knowledge 

of God, while others present attractive features 

and there is a lustre of righteousness in them. 

There is no doubt, however, that the English 

Government has taken great pains to spread 

learning in the country and to advance the 

cause of science and knowledge. Printing 

presses have multiplied copies of books to an 

extent unknown in any previous age and placed 

them within the reach of all. This vast spread of 

knowledge has brought to light many hidden libraries 

and cast the light of publication upon



many rare manuscripts, 

and thus it has changed the 

whole appearance of society 

within a few years. 

Side by side with the 

growth of learning and 

spread of knowledge spoken of here, there has 

been a continual falling off from the standard of 

purity in practice, and the plant of atheism has 

struck a deep root in most hearts. There is no 

doubt about the benefit and blessings which the 

English Rule has brought to us, nor can anyone 

question the unparalleled peace and liberty 

which it has established in this country, but 

most people have not made a right use of this 

liberty and peace. Instead of being thankful to 

God for His great benevolence in placing us under 

the benign rule of such a peaceful and kind 

Government, most people have become utterly 

neglectful of and stolidly indifferent to God and 

have wholly given themselves up to the pursuits 

and cares of this world. So wholly indeed as if 

this world were their permanent abode and 

they were not under the control of any Higher 

power or under any obligation to Him. As 

generally happens, with peace transgression 

has become more flagrant, and on account of 

daily increasing hard-heartedness and indifference, 

the country is now in a very dangerous 

condition. Ignorant people commit the most 

brutal and heinous deeds like savages, and 

every grade of society is more or less involved 

in some sort of evil. Drinking establishments 

are visited more than other shops, and professions 

involving open immorality are daily increasing, 

while places of worship are only used 

for the performance of ceremonials devoid of 

life and inner worth. In short, a violent outburst 

of evil and iniquity has taken place, and as a 

flood destroys all embankments and sweeps 

away whole villages before it in a single night, 

so the flood of passions is sweeping away all 

barriers to sin before it. Cimmerian darkness 

has spread over the world, and it has reached 

the point at which it must either be regenerated 

and receive light from heaven or be utterly destroyed 

and brought to naught. 

But the prophetical utterings give us to understand 

that the end is yet a thousand years 

off. Moreover, the new physical order of this 

He sheds His light upon 

humanity through one of 

their own so that there is 

unity among them. 


world, which has been 

brought about by the numerous 

discoveries and inventions 

of the last and the 

present century, is indicative 

of a similar change for 

the better in the spiritual 

system of the world. Spiritual reform is urgently 

needed, for spiritually the world stands on the 

brink of destruction and is so depraved that the 

wrath of heaven must be kindled against it. The 

force of passions is growing too strong while the 

spiritual tendencies have been utterly 

weakened and the light of faith has been 

extinguished. A light must, therefore, be kindled 

from heaven to shatter the clouds of darkness 

which overhang this world, for, as we see daily, 

the gloom of night is not dispelled until the 

heavenly light makes its appearance. As there is 

a heavenly light which illuminates the corners 

of the earth, so there is also a heavenly light 

which illuminates the corners of the heart, and 

the truth of both these laws is manifest. 

Since God created man, it has been His unchangeable 

law that He sheds His light upon 

humanity through one of their own so that there 

is unity among them. The person who is thus 

chosen receives the light of perfect Divine 

knowledge from God, and drinks deep at the 

fountain of His perfect love. He is spoken to by 

Him, made to walk in the path of His perfect 

pleasure and granted a deep-seated zeal to 

draw others to the light, the knowledge and the 

love which have been granted to him. Thus, 

drawn by him and sharing in his knowledge 

because of their close connection with him, 

other people are also kept back from sins and 

guided to the path of piety and righteousness. In 

accordance with this time-honoured law, 

Almighty God prophesied by the mouth of His 

prophets that after nearly six thousand years 

from the time of Adam when great darkness 

would prevail upon earth and an irresistible 

flood of passions would make the love of God 

wane and iniquity predominate, God would 

breathe into a man the soul of truth and love 

and knowledge spiritually after the likeness of 

Adam, and he would be called the Messiah, 

because God would Himself anoint his soul with 

the ointment of His love. This Messiah who, on 

account of the promise of God concerning his 

appearance, is called the Promised Messiah in



sacred books, would, it is foretold, be made to 

stand against Satan, and between him and the 

evil one, there would be a mighty struggle, the 

final struggle between good and evil. For this 

spiritual fight, Satan would bring all his hosts 

into the field and gather together all his power 

and make use of all his resources. Never shall a 

fight like this have occurred between good and 

evil before. For, on that day, the tricks of Satan 

and the means by which he can mislead people, 

would all be exhausted. After a mighty struggle, 

the Messiah of God would drive back the powers 

of darkness. The glory, majesty, unity and 

holiness of God would be proclaimed upon 

earth and would continue to be so declared for 

a thousand years — the seventh day of the Holy 

Books of God. Then will be the end. I am that 

Messiah — let him who wills, accept me. 

My journey 

to Islam 

My journey to 

the Truth 

(Return to contents) 

By Paul Anthony Delaforce 

I was born in 1983 into a Roman Catholic 

(RC) family. My Mother was RC and my father 

was Church of England (Anglican). I have 2 Sisters 

and 3 Brothers (I'm the youngest of 6). I 

regularly attended a RC Church, every Sunday 

and every Holy Day of Obligation and attended 

a RC Primary School, Secondary School and 

Sixth Form Centre. I was baptised, completed 

First Holy Communion and Confirmation. 

The Church was my life from birth until I 

stopped attending Church in approximately 

1999, at the age of 16/17 years. I have always 

had a strong faith in God, regularly prayed and 

over the past four years and been relooking into 

Religion and finding the Truth. 

From a Roman Catholic background, I had 

an understanding about the Bible, God, Jesus, 

Mary and the Prophets — Adam, Abraham, Moses, 

Noah, Joseph. Previously, when I asked 

questions to a Priest or a Christian about Jesus 


being God’s Son, the Trinity, the Bible being 

written by several men over thousands of years, 

different versions of the Bible, the Crucifixion of 

Jesus, the dominance of The Roman Catholic 

Church, I was always told: “it’s a mystery”. I was 

told “don’t question because it’s in the Bible”, 

“that’s Christianity”. 

Islam seemed to have the answer to these 

questions and many more, which I had been 

asking for several years. Over the past 4 years I 

have been researching Islam – online, websites, 

and I read several Islamic books and recently I 

read The Holy Qur’an (in English translation). 

Before my 35th Birthday in March 2018, I 

recited the Shahadah (Sunni) at The Nottingham 

Islam Information Point (NIIP). 

Over the past 5 – 6 months, I discovered Lahore 

Ahmadiyya U.K and my Islamic journey 

continues — learning to pray, learning Arabic, 

growing Islamic history, knowledge and understanding. 

There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad 

is the Messenger of Allah. 


Quran’s View of Torah and 

Gospel 

By Ejaz Naqvi, MD 

Click here for link to article. 

(Note: This is an adaptation from my book, The 

Three Abrahamic Testaments: How the Torah, 

Gospel and the Qur’an Hold the Keys to Healing 

Our Fears) 

Contrary to the popular belief, the Quran holds 

the Torah and Gospel in high esteem. Muslims 

are well aware that the Quran calls itself ‘guidance’ 

and ‘light’ (Nur) and Al-Furqan (the criterion 

between right and wrong). But did you 

know the Quran refers to Torah and Gospel in 

the same way? It should really not be surprising 

because the same God sent down all of them.



The Quran has a clear view of the prior 

Abrahamic Scriptures: The Scriptures, as set 

down to Moses and Jesus and other prophets, 

are sacred and to be respected. Muslims are 

commanded to “believe” in all Scriptures. The 

Quran is considered a continuation of the revelations 

from the same God. 

“This Book, there is no doubt in it, is a guide 

to those who are God-conscious. Those who 

believe in the unseen and keep up prayer 

and spend out of what We have given them. 

And who believe in that which has been revealed 

to you [meaning Muhammad] and 

that which was revealed before you and they 

are sure of the hereafter.” 2:2–4 

“This Qur’an is not such as can be produced 

by other than God; on the contrary it is a confirmation 

of (revelations) that went before 

it, and a fuller explanation of the Book— 

wherein there is no doubt—from the Lord of 

the worlds." 10:37 

So, if you thought the references to ‘what 

was sent before’ was vague, the Quran leaves no 

doubt by mentioning Torah and Gospel (Injil) 

repeatedly. In the following set of verses, the 

Quran confirms the divine source of the Torah, 

the Gospel, and “the Book” (meaning the 

Quran). The Quran declares that the Torah and 

the Gospel were “guidance and light.” The following 

is a small sample. 

The Quran on the Torah 

“It was We who revealed the law [Torah] (to 

Moses): therein was guidance and light. By 

its standard have been judged the Jews, by 

the prophets who bowed (as in Islam) to 

God’s will, by the Rabbis and the Doctors of 

law; for to them was entrusted the protection 

of God’s book, and they were witnesses 

thereto: therefore fear not men, but fear me, 

and sell not my signs for a miserable price. If 

any do fail to judge by (the light of) what God 

has revealed, they are (no better than) Unbelievers. 

We ordained therein for them: ‘Life 

for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, 

tooth for tooth, and wounds equal for equal.’ 

But if anyone remits the retaliation by way of 


charity, it is an act of atonement for himself.” 

5:44–45 

Other Passages on the Torah: A Criterion, 

Light, and Mercy 

“And remember We gave Moses the Scripture 

and the [Furqan] Criterion (Between 

right and wrong): There was a chance for 

you to be guided aright.” 2:53 

“In the past We granted to Moses and Aaron 

the Furqan and a Light and a Message for 

those who would guard against evil.” 

21:48 

Not only Furqan is used for Torah, as it has 

for itself, Torah is described as a guide for the 

“Muttaqeen” (bolded above), another word often 

used for believing, pious Muslims, meaning 

those who guard against evil. 

“And certainly, We gave the Book to Musa, so 

be not in doubt concerning the receiving of 

it, and We made it a guide for the children of 

Israel.” 32:23 

“And We gave Musa the Book and made it a 

guidance to the children of Israel, saying: Do 

not take a protector besides Me.” 17:2 

“And before this, was the Book of Moses as a 

guide and a mercy: And this Book [meaning 

the Quran] confirms (it) in the Arabic 

tongue; to admonish the unjust, and as Glad 

Tidings to the righteous.” 46:12 

The following verses do indeed refer to the 

Torah being a more detailed description of the 

laws: 

“Moreover, We gave Moses the Book, completing 

(Our favour) to those who would do 

right, and explaining all things in detail, and 

a guide and a mercy, that they might believe 

in the meeting with their Lord.” 6:154 

“And We ordained for him [referring to Moses] 

in the tablets admonition of every kind 

and clear explanation of all things; so take 

hold of them with firmness and enjoin your



A Man Gives Birth to Jesus 

Our body is like Mary. 

Each of us has a Jesus inside. 

If a pain and yearning shows up inside 

us, 

the Jesus of our soul is born. 

people to take hold of what is best thereof; I 

will show you the abode of the transgressors.” 

7:145 

Quran on Gospel (Injil): Guidance and 

Light 

In the verses preceding the one quoted below, 

the Quran makes references to the Torah 

and the prophets that followed Moses and the 

rabbis who protected the Torah, followed by Jesus 

being given the Injil and that it was a guidance 

for the Muttaqeen (God conscious, or in 

awe of God). 

“And We sent after them in their footsteps 

Jesus, son of Mary, verifying what was before 

him of the Torah and We gave him the Gospel 

in which was guidance and light, and verifying 

what was before it of the Torah and a 

guidance and an admonition for Muttaqeen. 

And the followers of the Gospel should have 

judged by what God revealed in it; and whoever 

did not judge by what God revealed, 

those are they that are the transgressors.” 

5:46–47 

Other Passages on the Gospel 

In the first verse quoted below, the Quran 

addresses Mary in reference to Jesus Christ and 

says that he was born with the knowledge of the 

prior Scriptures, including the Torah: 

“And He [God] will teach him [Jesus] the 

Scripture and wisdom, and the Torah and 

the Gospel.” 3:48 

“When Allah will say: O Jesus son of Mary! 

Remember My favour on you and on your 

mother, when I strengthened you with the 

Holy Spirit, you spoke to the people in the 

cradle and when of old age, and when I 

taught you the Book and the wisdom and the 

Torah and the Gospel.” 5:110 

“It is He Who sent down to you (step by 

step), in truth, the Book [meaning the 

Quran], confirming what went before it; and 

He sent down the Law (of Moses) [Torah] 

and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this, as a 

guide to mankind, and He sent down the criterion 

(of judgment between right and 

wrong).” 3:3 

Not only was Injil (Gospel) mercy and guidance, 

the Qur’an proclaims that God endowed 

those who followed him with kindness and 

mercy. 

“Then We made Our messengers to follow in 

their footsteps, and We sent Jesus son of 

Mary afterwards, and We gave him the Gospel 

and We put in the hearts of those who followed 

him kindness and mercy.” 57:27 

It is also of note that the Quran proclaims 

the Scriptures we see now are in an altered state 

without indicating how ‘original’ they are. However, 

this does not distract from their sacred 

sources or the commandments to believe in 

them as referenced in numerous verses, some of 

which are quoted above. 


A Believer becomes Mary and 

Gives Birth to Jesus 

From: Click here for full article. 

. . . Rumi says: 

Our body is like Mary. 

Each of us has a Jesus inside. 

If a pain and yearning shows up inside us, 

the Jesus of our soul is born. 

If there is no pain, no yearning, 

the Jesus of our soul will return to its origin 

from the same secret passageway he came 

from… 

If there is no pain, no yearning, 

we will remain deprived 

not benefiting from that Jesus of the soul. 

(Translated by Omid Safi, in Radical Love: 

Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition) 

(Return_to content) 




The UK 

Parliament 

Debate on the 

persecution of Ahmadis, 24 May 2018 

and our comments 

by Zahid Aziz 

A fairly lengthy debate was held in the 

House of Commons of the UK Parliament on this 

subject on 24 May 2018. The transcript of this 

debate is available on the website of the UK Parliament 

(link to debate transcript). 

Shortly afterwards, I composed and sent a 

letter along with a statement, on behalf of the 

Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement, to every Member 

of Parliament who spoke in the debate. 

Their names are as follows: Siobhain McDonagh 

(Labour), Seema Malhotra (Labour), Tanmanjeet 

Singh Dhesi (Labour), Tom Brake (Liberal 

Democrat), John Spellar (Labour), Sir Edward 

Davey (Liberal Democrat), Justine Greening 

(Conservative), Stephen Hammond (Conservative), 

Paul Scully (Conservative), Zac Goldsmith 

(Conservative), Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist), 

Patrick Grady (Scottish Nationalist), Liz 

McInnes (Labour), and Mark Field (Conservative) 

who is the Minister for Asia and the Pacific 

responding to the debate on behalf of the government. 

Members of Parliament are not obliged to 

reply to anyone who is not one of their constituents. 

So it was not surprising that no reply was 

received, except for a formal one from the Minister. 

My covering letter is as below. (For the 

group which we usually refer to as the Qadiani 

or the Rabwah Jamaat, I have used the term 

“Morden-based” Ahmadiyya community, as the 

Morden area of London is the location of their 

headquarters.) 

The Letter: 

I am writing to you because you spoke in the 

Parliamentary debate on 24 May 2018 on the 


persecution of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. 

I belong to a community of Ahmadis, known 

as the Lahore Ahmadiyya, which has been in existence 

since 1914. It differs in certain beliefs 

from the community based at Morden, the 

group which was mentioned in your debate. 

We are also declared as non-Muslims by the 

1974 amendment in the Constitution of Pakistan, 

and are mentioned by our separate name 

in that amendment. We are subject to the same 

level of persecution and intolerance in Pakistan 

and elsewhere as the Ahmadiyya followers of 

the Morden-based community. 

I was involved, as translator, in a civil court 

case in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1985, in 

which our community of Ahmadis successfully 

obtained the judgment that Ahmadis are Muslims, 

and have all the rights pertaining to Muslims, 

and to call them "unbelievers" is defamatory. 

(See www.ahmadiyya.org/sa-case/intro.htm 

for full details.) 

I am attaching herewith a more detailed 

statement explaining how the opposition to the 

Ahmadiyya Movement can be effectively tackled 

by establishing better relations with the general 

Muslim community. 

I would end by pointing out that our Lahore 

Ahmadiyya community for more than fifty 

years, from 1913 to 1968, ran the Muslim Mission 

at the Woking Mosque in Surrey. During 

that time, this Mission was the national centre 

of Islam in Britain, it represented the general 

UK Muslim community of all persuasions, and it 

advised the government on matters relating to 

Islam. We also published in 1917 in the UK the 

first English translation of the Quran, with explanatory 

notes, by a Muslim, Maulana Muhammad 

Ali, to be available in the West. 

Thank you for reading the attached statement. 

With best regards, 

Zahid Aziz, Dr.



The following is the Statement which accompanied 

my letter: 

Statement 

Date: 30 May 2018 

Author: Dr Zahid Aziz 

Debate in Parliament, 24th May 2018, on 

persecution of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community 

Our standpoint is that if the teachings of the 

Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement, Hazrat 

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, are correctly presented 

then this will substantially reduce the opposition 

that the Movement faces from the general 

body of Muslims, and strengthen the hands of 

governments of Muslim countries in rejecting 

the demands of the anti-Ahmadiyya religious 

parties to deprive Ahmadis of their rights. 

Let me explain. It was stated at the outset in 

this Parliamentary debate, in the opening 

speech by Siobhain McDonagh, that “an Ahmadi 

identifies as a Muslim, but does not believe that 

Mohammed was the final prophet sent to guide 

mankind”. 

It is universally known that the basic creed 

of Islam is expressed as: “There is no god but 

Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of 

Allah”. It is by declaring this that a person becomes 

a Muslim and is so defined. Belief in a 

prophet after the Prophet Muhammad means 

that this new prophet must be added into this 

creed, explicitly or implicitly. Believers in this 

modified creed and believers in the original 

creed, both regarding themselves as Muslim, 

have to regard the other party as non-Muslim. 

It is because of this that the Ahmadiyya 

community which is now based in Morden has 

always, for more than a century, been declaring 

that all those Muslims who do not accept Hazrat 

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as a prophet are not Muslims. 

These were the very points raised in the 

Pakistan National Assembly in 1974 by the anti- 

Ahmadiyya groups when that constitutional 

amendment was under discussion. Their argument 

was: Ahmadis regard us as non-Muslims 


but they want us to regard them as Muslims. 

We, the Lahore Ahmadiyya, hold strongly, 

and have produced extensive literature on it for 

105 years, that Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad 

never claimed to be a prophet and never regarded 

as non-Muslims those Muslims who did 

not accept him. His claim was that he was a Mujaddid 

in Islam, meaning a reformer or renewer 

of the faith. His published statements in relation 

to these points are far too numerous. For example, 

he writes: 

“Do not level false allegations against me 

that I have claimed to be a prophet in the real 

sense. … I believe and acknowledge that, according 

to the real meaning of prophethood, no 

prophet can come after the Holy Prophet Muhammad, 

whether a new one or a former one. 

… But in a metaphorical sense God can call any 

inspired saint as prophet or messenger.” (Book 

Siraj Munir, published 1897, pages 2–3) 

“I have never, at any time, made a claim of 

being a prophet or messenger in the real sense. 

To use a word in a non-real sense, and to employ 

it in speech according to its broad, root meaning, 

does not imply heresy. However, I do not 

like even this much, for there is the possibility 

that ordinary Muslims may misunderstand it.” 

(Book Anjam Atham, published 1897, page 27) 

At a public meeting in Lahore, he issued a 

signed and witnessed declaration on 3rd February 

1892 about his metaphorical use of the 

word ‘prophet’, and wrote: 

“I wish to make it clear to all Muslim brothers 

that, if they are displeased with these words 

and if these words give injury to their feelings, 

they may regard all such words as amended, 

and instead consider me to have used the word 

‘muhaddas’ (which means inspired saint). … My 

intention has never been to use this word 

‘prophet’ as meaning actually a prophet, but 

only as signifying an inspired saint.” 

He went on to add that “for the conciliation 

of my Muslim brethren” he advises that they



should regard the word ‘prophet’ about himself 

“as having been deleted”. 

Therefore, we suggest that the Mordenbased 

Ahmadiyya community follow the advice 

and example of their own Founder and make a 

clear announcement that Hazrat Mirza Ghulam 

Ahmad did not claim to be a prophet but was an 

‘inspired saint’ (muhaddas) and reformer (mujaddid), 

like the saints and reformers that have 

been arising in Islamic history who have been 

accepted by large groups of Muslims. They need 

to further announce that they withdraw and retract 

every previous statement in their literature 

which declares Muslims to be unbelievers, 

non-Muslims and outside the fold of Islam for 

not accepting Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. 

Yours sincerely: Zahid Aziz, Dr. 


Islam and 

Education 

By Ms Humaira Ahmad 

Whilst studying at university, 

the importance of education has only 

been further cemented. Meeting people from all 

of the world, different backgrounds and cultures 

has showed me the vitality of education, 

in bettering ourselves as humans. 

The field of education, covering ethics, religion, 

skills and general knowledge, is a very 

broad and very vital one. The importance of 

learning in enabling the individual to put his potential 

to optimal use is self-evident. Without 

education, the training of the human mind is incomplete. 

No individual is a human being in the 

proper sense until he has been educated. 

Education makes man a right thinker and a 

correct decision-maker. It achieves this by 

bringing him knowledge from the external 

world, teaching him to reason, and acquainting 

him with past history, so that he may be a better 

judge of the present. Without education, man, 

as it were, is shut up in a windowless room. 

With education, he finds himself in a room with 

all its windows open to the outside world. 


The very great importance attached 

to learning in Islam is illustrated by 

the life of the Prophet. 

This is why Islam attaches such great importance 

to knowledge and education. The 

Quran, it should be noted repeatedly asks us to 

observe the earth and heavens. This instils in 

man the desire to learn natural science. When 

the Quran began to be revealed, the first word 

of its first verse was ‘Iqra!’ that is, ‘Read.’ Education 

is thus the starting point of every successful 

human activity. 

All the books of hadith have a chapter on 

knowledge (ilm). In Sahih Bukhari, there is a 

chapter entitled, “The virtue of one who acquires 

ilm (learning) and imparts it to others.” 

In the hadith, the scholar is accorded great respect. 

According to one tradition, the ink of a 

scholar’s pen is more precious than the blood of 

a martyr, the reason being that while a martyr 

is engaged in the task of defence, an alim (scholar) 

builds individuals and nations along positive 

lines. In this way, he bestows upon the 

world a real-life treasure. 

The very great importance attached to 

learning in Islam is illustrated by an event in the 

life of the Prophet. At the battle of Badr, in which 

the Prophet was victorious, seventy of his enemies 

were taken prisoner. Now these captives 

were all literate people. So, in order to benefit 

from their intellect the Prophet declared that if 

each prisoner taught ten Medinan children how 

to read and write, that would serve as his ransom 

and he would be set free. This was the first 

school in the history of Islam, established by the 

Prophet himself. It was of no matter to him that 

all its teachers were non-Muslims, all were prisoners 

of war, and all were likely to create problems 

again for Islam and Muslims once they 

were released. This Sunnah of the Prophet 

showed that whatever the risk involved, education 

was paramount. 

Islam not only stresses the importance of 

learning but demonstrates how all the factors 

necessary to progress in learning have been 

provided by God. A vital factor is the freedom to



Engraved with Islamic inscriptions, 

the headstones of 576 Muslim soldiers 

stand in ranks facing Mecca at 

Notre Dame de Lorette, the biggest 

of France’s many war cemeteries. 

Each one is also inscribed with 

the words “Mort Pour La France” 

– died for France 

conduct research. Such freedom was encouraged 

right from the beginning, as is illustrated 

by an incident which took place after the 

Prophet had migrated from Makkah to Madinah. 

There he saw some people atop the date 

palms pollinating them. Since dates were not 

grown in Makkah the Prophet had to ask what 

these people were doing to the trees. He thereupon 

forbade them to do this, and the following 

year date crop was very poor as compared to 

previous year. When the Prophet asked the reason, 

he was told that the yield depended on pollination. 

He then told the date-growers to resume 

this practice, admitting that they knew 

more about “worldly matters” than he did. 

In this way, the Prophet separated practical 

matters from religion, thus paving the way for 

the free conduct of research throughout the 

world of nature and the adoption of conclusions 

based thereon. This great emphasis placed on 

exact knowledge resulted in the awakening of a 

great desire for learning among the Muslims of 

the first phase. This process began in Makkah, 

then reached Madinah and Damascus, later centring 

on Baghdad. Ultimately it entered Spain. 

Spain flourished, with extraordinary progress 

made in various academic and scientific disciplines. 

This flood of scientific progress then entered 

Europe, ultimately ushering in the modern, 

scientific age. 

The golden age of science, also known as the 

golden age of Islam, from the 9 th century up until 

the 14 th century, was dominated by fantastic 

Islamic scholars who discovered and first applied 

the principles of mathematics to science. 

A famous scholar being Muhammad Al- 

Khwarizmi, who was the pioneer of algebra, 


made it possible for us to achieve great scientific 

advancements like travelling to space. 

Without his work we may not have been able to 

fly to the moon or send satellites to space which 

now control everything we do. 

So, not only should we seek knowledge, but 

when we learn it, it becomes obligatory on us to 

practice it. We should apply the knowledge that 

we have discovered and been exposed to our 

day-to-day tasks and see how such knowledge 

can prevent us from making future mistakes or 

in turn help us through difficult times. 

In not only the month of Ramadan should 

we further our education spiritually and 

worldly but throughout our life which will allow 

us to grow our minds to the full potential Allah 

intended for us. 


The forgotten Muslim heroes 

of WWI 

How Muslim soldiers helped save the 

allies from defeat in the First World 

From: The National 

War 

By David Crossland 

Engraved with Islamic inscriptions, the 

headstones of 576 Muslim soldiers stand in 

ranks facing Mecca at Notre Dame de Lorette, 

the biggest of France’s many war cemeteries. 

Each one is also inscribed with the words 

“Mort Pour La France” – died for France – like 

the massed crosses of their Christian comrades 

in this 62-acre memorial containing the remains 

of over 40,000 soldiers. Today it is a 

lonely place of birdsong and rustling trees overlooking 

the slag heaps of the Artois mining region 

but it was once one of the bloodiest battlefields 

of the First World War. 

The Muslim graves have lain mostly forgotten 

for almost a century, save on three occasions 

in the last decades when their graves were desecrated 

with anti-Muslim graffiti. The sacrifices



made by these soldiers and their 2.5 million fellow 

Muslims who fought for France, the British 

empire and Russia has been largely ignored, especially 

in comparison with the exhaustive accounts 

of Western troops in poems, diaries and 

histories. 

Muslim headstones from the First World 

War in Notre Dame de Lorette French national 

cemetery. In the background are Christian 

headstones. David Crossland / The National 

Muslim headstones from the First World 

War in Notre Dame de Lorette French national 

cemetery. In the background are Christian 

headstones. David Crossland / The National 

Luc Ferrier, the Belgian founder and chairman 

of the Forgotten Heroes 14-19 Foundation, 

is battling to change that. 

He is convinced that without Muslim troops 

and labourers, the Allies would have lost the 

war. Raising public awareness of their contribution 

could help counter anti-Islamic sentiment 

in Europe, and give immigrant communities a 

stronger sense of belonging, he told The National. 

“This project is contradicting the myth that 

Muslims have not played a positive role in Europe 

or in modern history,” he said. 

“By adding a wealth of authentic documented 

evidence portraying Muslims positively, 

we can counter Islamophobia, as well as the divisive 

‘clash of civilisations’ narrative which 

both the far-right and ‘religious’ extremists rely 

on to further their narrow aims.” 

The last four years have seen intense commemoration 

of the war’s centenary, which will 

culminate in ceremonies marking the armistice 

on November 11. 

the wake of the Second World War to bring lasting 

peace to the ravaged continent. 

Mr Ferrier, a 55-year-old former executive 

in the aeronautical industry who is not Muslim, 

set up the foundation in 2012 after discovering 

the diaries of his great-grandfather, a soldier in 

the First World War. “I was impressed by the 

enormous respect he had for his Muslim brothers 

in arms from all these continents, while he 

himself was a very devout Christian,” he said. 

When he tried to learn more, he found there 

was a dearth of literature on Muslim troops. The 

foundation has encouraged broader research 

into the topic. He has addressed conferences 

and secured the support of researchers worldwide 

who helped unearth and translate historical 

documents. His book, The Unknown Fallen, 

contains stories and photos that convey the 

global Muslim contribution in the war. 

Researchers have unearthed accounts of 

comradeship that saw priests, imams and rabbis 

learn each other’s burial ceremonies and 

prayers so that they could lay the dead of all 

faiths to rest on the battlefield. Stories have surfaced 

of North African Muslims saving the lives 

of European soldiers using herbal medicines 

when field medical supplies ran out. 

After German troops marched into France 

in August 1914 and got close enough to Paris to 

see the Eiffel Tower, the French hastily summoned 

soldiers from French North Africa — Algeria, 

Morocco and Tunisia — while the British 

called troops from across its empire including 

India. 

They cut dashing figures arriving in Marseille 

in their fezzes, turbans and brightly coloured 

uniforms, and crowds welcomed them as 

saviours. They were quickly dispatched to the 

front. 

Paradoxically, the remembrance has coincided 

with a rise in the kind of nationalism that 

spawned the “war to end all wars.” Right-wing 

populists across Europe are targeting immigrants 

but also the European Union, set up in 


Troops from the British Indian Army, consisting 

of Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus with Muslims 

making up around a third, were in the thick 

of the fighting almost from the start. Arriving 

before troops from Canada, Australia and New 

Zealand, they reinforced exhausted British



troops just in time to stop the German army 

breaking through to ports on the English channel 

in the First Battle of Ypres in 1914. 

They were volunteers, trained and experienced 

soldiers, but like Western troops they 

were unprepared for the inferno of shells, machine 

guns, poison gas and rat-infested trenches 

they were thrown into. 

“Just like a turnip is cut to pieces, so a man 

is blown to bits by the explosion of a shell,” 

wrote a Pathan soldier from northern India. “All 

those who came with me have ceased to exist … 

In taking a hundred yards of trench it is like the 

destruction of the world.” 

But they didn’t buckle in the face of gas, 

freezing weather and the best-equipped army 

in the world, and quickly gained the admiration 

of European officers and men. 

“It was known that the Muslim troops attacked 

fiercely,” said Mr Ferrier. “Western 

troops had an ambiguous feeling when they 

showed up; they were happy to have them on 

their side but it was also a sign that an attack 

was on the way.” 

In this merciless war, they saw their comrades 

gassed and bayoneted to death. Yet the 

British and French were struck by how humanely 

Muslim troops treated prisoners of war. 

Asked why, they referred to Islamic teaching 

that prisoners must be fed in a dignified manner. 

They won medals for their courage, and the 

British, masters of propaganda, ensured that 

photos of King George V, Emperor of India, pinning 

medals on their chests were circulated 

around India to encourage more men to volunteer. 

Recipients included Sepoy Khudadad Khan 

of the 129th Baluchis, who won Britain’s highest 

military award, the Victoria Cross, at the Belgian 

village of Hollebeke near Ypres on October 

31, 1914 for preventing a German breakthrough 

by continuing to fire his machine gun 

after all his comrades had been killed and he 

had been wounded. 

He was the first South Asian to win the VC, 

and Indian forces won around a dozen more 

during the war. Some 1.5 million men from what 

is now India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar 

fought on the Western front, in Africa, the 

Middle East and Gallipoli. 

Officers made efforts to provide troops with 

halal food and there was a high death rate 

among Indian cooks who advanced dangerously 

close to German shells to serve the men chapatis 

and hot curry. 

The cold was as bitter an enemy as the Germans 

and the incessant, freezing rain in the autumn 

of 1914 brought wistful memories of the 

monsoon that gave relief from the summer heat 

back home, so far away. There was no home 

leave. Going back all the way to India was too 

expensive, the troops were told. 

“They suffered from frostbite and exposure, 

causing them to lose fingers," said Mr Ferrier. 

"The trenches did little to provide shelter or 

warmth from the extreme low temperatures, 

especially at night, when even clothes and blankets 

froze solid.” 

His foundation approached Britain’s Anglia 

Tours, which has experience in running guided 

visits to First World War sites, to help organise 

bespoke visits to the battlefields and memorial 

sites where Muslims fought. 

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

The Light 2018 08 August

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?