Blind Watchmaker' who is also Deaf and Dumb – IV

Special contributors:Amatul-Hadi AhmadFarina Qureshi

Proof-reader:Shaukia Mir

Design and layout:Tanveer Khokhar

Publisher:Al Shirkatul Islamiyyah

Distribution:Muhammad Hanif

Mansoor Ahmed Shah

Basit Ahmad

Bockarie Tommy Kallon.

Daud Mahmood Khan

Fareed Ahmad

Fazal Ahmad

Fauzia Bajwa

Mansoor Saqi

Mahmood Hanif

Mansoora Hyder-Muneeb

Navida Shahid

Sarah Waseem

Saleem Ahmad Malik

Tanveer Khokhar

Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the opinions of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

All correspondence shouldbe forwarded directly to:

The EditorReview of Religions

The London Mosque16 Gressenhall RoadLondon, SW18 5QL

United Kingdom

© Islamic Publications, 2002ISSN No: 0034-6721

Editorial - By Bockarie Tommy Kallon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Notes and Comment: Moving On – Rashid Ahmad Cheedoo – UK . . . . . . . . . 4

The ‘Blind Watchmaker’ who is also Deaf and Dumb – IVHow could the wonders of the honeybee have evolved without a conscious designer? Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Decree and Destiny The relationship between prayer and Divine determinationHadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Concept of Jihad Understanding the true interpretation of Jihad from the Holy Qur’an, traditions of the Holy Prophet(sa) and writings of the Promised Messiah (as)

Bilal Atkinson – UK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

The Blessings of Khilafat A brief look at the some of the major achievements of the Successors to the Holy Prophet(sa)

and the Promised Messiah(as) – Bockarie Tommy Kallon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Islam and Human Rights Keynote address drawing a parallel between Islamic teachings and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – By Rafiq Ahmad Hayat, Amir UK . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Ramadan – Part 1 An exposition on the philosophy and importance of fasting in the month of Ramahan Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Contents September 2002, Vol.97, No.9

1

Chief Editor and Manager Chairman of the Management BoardNaseer Ahmad Qamar

Allah Alone is the Knower ofthe hidden and the manifest.As He wills, He reveals Hisknowledge and wisdom to Hischosen servants. Howevermuch he may meditate ordeliberate, man cannotdiscover the deep secretswhich are beyond the scopeof his mind and his senses.However wise he may be, hecannot uncover hiddensecrets which are beyond thescope of his reason. Just asthe light of the sun comesfrom heaven and not insidethe eye of man, similarly thelight of revelation comesdown from Allah Alone.

Much is known of thewonderful organisation of thehoneybee, about the nutri-tional goodness of honey andits multiple healing pro-perties. The work ethics ofthe honeybee impress even acasual observer and are

discernible by the naked eye.The manner in which itcollects material and buildsits honeycomb, the way itmaintains the temperature ofthe honeycomb, the honey-b e e ’s choice of diet, howeach drop of honey is createdfrom floral nectar and howhoneybees and honeycombsare hygienically maintainedin sharp contrast to otherinsects notorious for carryinggerms and viruses, are but afew examples of the fantasticbehavioural wonders of thehoneybee. Yet the naturalistswho specialise in this subjectfail to see that such an insectcould not have evolved with-out a designer and with aspecific purpose in mind.

It was the Holy Qur’an thatuncovered the mystery of thehoneybee with this decla-ration:

And the Lord has inspiredthe bee saying, ‘Makethou houses in the hillsand in the trees and in the

2 Review of Religions – September 2002

Editorial

trellises which they build.Then eat of every kind offruit and then pursuesubmissively the pathsprescribed by your Lord.’There comes forth fromtheir bellies a drink ofvarying hues. Therein iscure for men. Surely, inthat is a Sign for a peoplewho reflect. (Ch. 16: v.69-70)

Why the Holy Qur’an singledout the honeybee fromamongst the innumerablespecies of insects and animalsin the world is the theme ofthis month’s feature. Itprovides a categorical rebut-tal to the naturalists whodeny a Conscious Designer inthe evolution of life.

This enlightening articlechallenges the naturalists toexplain how the internalmechanisms of the honeybeecould have slowly unfoldedinto existence by themselves.There has to be more to itthan meets the eye, thearticle maintains. This extra-

ordinary organisational skilland wonderful aptitude andthe fact that the honeybeecannot improve on itdemonstrates that someother Being is the fountain-head of its natural instinct.That Being has imparted thisintelligence and intuitiveknowledge to it and it simplyfunctions as a slave to Hiscommand.

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Editorial

Review of Religions – September 2002

In this edition, for the conve-nience of non-Muslim Englishreaders, (sa) or sa after the wordthe Holy Prophet or the nameMuhammad, are used. They standfor salallahualaihiwasallam andabbreviated as ‘sa’, meaningpeace and blessings of Allah beupon him. Likewise, the letters‘(as)’ or as after the name of allother Prophets is an abbreviation(meaning, peace be upon himderived from alaih salato-wasalam) for the respect aMuslim readers utters.

September 11, Moving On

There are few events that areso monumental that theybecome ingrained in ourmemory and remain with usforever. These are events thatare so striking that peopledistinctly remember wherethey were when they heardabout them. In years gone bypeople have often talked ofthe start or end of world wars,of assassinations of worldleaders, of atomic bombs, ofnew modes of transport and ofman reaching out to the stars.Such memories evoke a wholehost of feelings. Where wehave progressed and overcomehurdles we are filled withpride, hope, aspiration,excitement and a real sense ofpurpose. But where we arefaced with threats to ourindividual or collective secu-r i t y, we are shocked, hurt,saddened and mixed feelingsof grief, anger and possiblyhelplessness overcome us.

Such historic moments are rareindeed but it is only when onecan experience this for oneselfdoes one realise the power ofsuch occasions – they areengraved so deeply into ourmemory that even decadeslater the memories andthoughts of such events revivethe very same feelings that weexperienced as if it onlyhappened yesterday. Thehorrific events of September11th 2001 were such amoment.

The people who carried outthe attacks will be heldaccountable by God for theiractions. It was without anyquestion an act of murder thatresulted in just under threethousand deaths. The saddestfact is that many have claimedthat this was carried out in thename of God, and in the sameway that some people in, say,Northern Ireland use God astheir excuse to justify theiractions, many have hinted that


Notes and Comment

this too was a religious act. Soit appears that it was not onlythe planes that were hijackedon September 11th, butreligion too was once againhijacked for the sake ofpropaganda. Islam, it was saidwas the motive behind suchactions. But nothing could befarther from the truth.

As a Muslim it is my duty toprotect the dignity of religionand to safeguard the teachingsof not just Pr o p h e tM u h a m m a d( s a ), but all prophets.As a Muslim it is my duty tospeak up and defend the truthof all prophets and their realmessage of peace. It is anarticle of my faith to believe inall prophets and so as a Muslimthose who follow Moses ( a s ),Jesus( a s ), Krishna( a s ) and in factany prophet of God I consideras my brothers and it is myduty to give them everysupport that will allow them topractise their religion freelyand in peace. As a Muslim it ismy belief that life is sacredand that killing people isagainst the teachings of Islam,as is suicide. As a Muslim it is

my belief that God stands asthe final judge and that thosewho believe in God - be theyMuslims or not - and do gooddeeds will have their share ofreward. It is my belief that noreligion teaches violence, thatno religion teaches hatred,that no religion teachesinjustice. It is my belief thatthere is only One God and allprophets that came broughtthe same message of love andpeace and of belief in God. Itis my belief that all humanswill be held accountable fortheir deeds in the Hereafterand that the greatest strugglethat we all face – day in andday out – is the struggle toovercome any inclinations thattake us away from the path toGod. This is the foundation ofpeace and it is the greateststruggle of all – one that ispractised by us all in our livesand this is what is described inthe Qur’an – the Holy Book ofIslam – as Jihad.

When I look back onSeptember 11th, I remember itas a day when many people ofdifferent religions died and a

5

Notes and Comment


time when many people ofdifferent religions were alsobrought together to help eachother and to rebuild theircommunity. But if anything isto be really learned from suchtimes it is this, that there aremany places in the world thatface horrible situations: wherepeople are killed indiscrim-inately, where starvation andpoverty are commonplace andwhere nobody seems to evercome to their aid. We mustremember them also as weremember those who lost theirlives in New York.

We and the people of New Yorkshould engage in Jihad (inother words, the struggle forself-improvement) and resistbeing overcome by revenge oranger for that too takes manaway from God. We mustengage in Jihad andstrengthen our belief in Goddeveloping a greater under-standing of His message. Wemust engage in Jihad andbecome better people so thatwe are deemed fit to be calledhuman beings that share acompassion for people every-

where and move forwards withjustice and equality. There isno quick solution to worldpeace but if each one of usfights our inner demons andimproves our life then peacewill be the natural outcome –it is a great struggle, a greatjihad, but one that is worthevery inch of it for the sake ofpeace. This is what Islamteaches us all and it is what wemust all strive for unerringlyand without fail.

For the sake of peace, theworld should strive to makeSeptember 11th, despite all itsh o r r o r, a turning point forpeace, not war.

Rashid Ahmad Cheedoo, UK

Our guest ediitor is a RegionalAmir in the UK. He is a retired

teacher and resides in Cornwall.


Enough of computer games! Now we take up the case of thehoney-bee. How by the application of Darwinian principles couldthe internal mechanism of the honey-bee have been conceivedwithout a designer with any specific purpose in mind? How genescould have fashioned and created the honey-bee with all itsfantastic behavioural wonders is equally incomprehensible. Canany scientist explain how this internal mechanism graduallyevolved with all its functional abilities? The way it sees, the wayits eyes and vision are modelled in perfect unison with its outerworld of flowers and fruits is, in itself, a grave challenge to thenaturalists who deny design. What forces, if any, shape them andhow could they have, slowly unfolded into existence bythemselves? That is not all there is to it. The manner it builds itshoneycomb and collects material for it also requires a lot ofexplaining on the part of the naturalists. Just to find material iscommon to all living animals but to create that material to suita precise purpose is rare. This is exactly what the honey-beedoes.

‘Flakes of wax are removed by the enlarged first tarsal jointof the hind leg from four paired glands on the underside ofthe abdomen and passed forward for constructionmanipulations by the front legs and mandibles ... The wax

7Review of Religions – September 2002

The ‘Blind Watchmaker’Who is also Deaf andDumb - part IV

This is an extract taken from the bookRevelation, Rationality, Knowledge and Tr u t h,written by Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad.

is mixed with saliva and kneaded to the proper consistencyand degree of plasticity at which it can best be molded.’1

Why should an insect with a mind which cannot conceive thescientific intricacies of the material world suddenly begin toemploy them to its own advantage? Thus a slow, gradual buildingof the honey-bee’s mind as well as its intuitive knowledge of howit should build its dwelling and what material has to beemployed, must have been ciphered into it by someone whoknew. But there is far more to this than meets the eye. The cellsof which the honeycomb is constructed are all hexagonal withwalls which meet at exactly 120 degrees.

‘The comb itself is one of the marvels of animalarchitecture. It consists of a regular back-to-back array ofhexagonal cells, arranged in parallel series, each comb aprecise distance from its neighbor.’2

Bees display fantastic engineering skills and their building givesthe impression that they have been equipped with mostsophisticated measuring instruments:

‘The precision and strength of the newly built comb isremarkable. For example, cell wall thickness is 0.073±0.002 min, the angle between adjacent cell walls is anexact 120% and each comb is generally constructed 0.95 cmfrom its neighbor.’3

Born out of similar eggs, the offspring are divided into threedifferent professional groups; the queens, the workers and thedrones. The queen is capable of laying thousands of eggs in a day.

‘The aptly named queen reigns over the nest, surroundedby attendants and fed the rich food she requires to perform

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The ‘Blind Watchmaker’ who is also Deaf and Dumb – Part IV


her few but crucial tasks in the colony. Her slim lines hidethe huge ovaries which make her an extraordinary egg-laying machine, capable of laying thousands of eggs a day,and her calm behaviour masks her powerful pheromones,chemical signals to recipient workers which control many oftheir behaviours and provide part of the social glue whichholds honey bee life together.’4

The drones who are also specially fed by the worker bees havestrong masculine bodies. They only perform one function -mating with the queen, after which they die.

The main body of the colony consists of worker bees who collectpollen and make honey. They also array themselves around therim, always watchful, always ready to defend the colony. Theirfunctional ability to fly at an instant’s notice depends howeveron their body temperature which must be maintained at 35ºC.Temperature is no problem in the centre of the honeycomb whichis protected from all sides but at the rim their temperaturebegins to fall because of the effects of the open air. They counterthis problem by fanning their wings from time to time to buildfrictional energy.

The bees’ nest, when built in the hollows of trees or in narrowcaves, has a single entrance so air cannot ventilate it and thelevel of carbon dioxide and other gases in the air cannot beautomatically maintained. Carbon dioxide tends to increase inproportion threatening the survival of the bees. To offset thisdanger, worker honey-bees keep moving, group by group, to theexit and sit there in a position with tails directed outwards. Inthat position they rapidly fan their wings so that fresh air waftsthe stale air out. They do this for 10 seconds and are replaced byanother batch of workers if needs be. They repeat the same featwhen the temperature rises higher than 35ºC. The well-

9



maintained fanning at such times largely succeeds in controllingthe temperature. They begin fanning simultaneously and stopsimultaneously. In addition to fanning, they haul water instead ofnectar into the honeycomb and deposit it around the cells whichcontain larvae sensitive to heat.

The honey-bees’ choice of diet, the way each drop of honey iscreated from floral nectar, how the saliva must be mixed with itto provide it the viscosity it requires to become honey, is a marvelin itself. With every tiny spot of this mixture on their tongue, theyhave to stick it out repeatedly to finally mature it. For each dropof honey thus created, they have to make repeated sorties to thefield in search of nectar. This goes on day in and day out until theyfill the section of the honeycomb which is specifically reservedfor this purpose. Somehow they know how to differentiatebetween ordinary honey and royal jelly which they manufactureentirely for the queen to be fed upon. Royal jelly has that specialquality which provides the queen the reproductive energy for therapid laying of eggs. Each day the queen can lay eggs equal to herbody weight which is much more than the body weight of ordinaryhoney-bees. Again, royal jelly has the uncanny quality ofincreasing the age of the queen a hundred times longer than thatof ordinary bees. The entire colony of some eighty thousandindividuals are the queen’s subjects. No better discipline can everbe displayed by human monarchies.

Apart from the tasks mentioned above there has to be asurveillance system, with competent workers, to find suitablenew sites for the next colony to be built when the old colony isto be abandoned. The surveyor honey-bees who perform this taskand the manner in which they do so are to be counted among thegreatest wonders of life’s behaviour. They span out in search ofsuitable well-protected sites which should also be close to somerich fields of nectar. Such sites may be situated at different

10



distances from the floral fields and may be comparatively less orbetter suited for the new colony to be built. Comparing andanalyzing all the information brought in by different surveyorbees has somehow to be done by the queen to judge thecomparative merits of the site of her next colony. Thisinformation is conveyed to the queen by the surveyor bees in amanner which completely defeats comprehension. In fact thewhole exercise is unique in the entire animal kingdom. It shouldhave baffled the minds of the most advanced natural scientistsas to how this strange communicative system could have comeinto existence without a designer and an executor. But do theyever ponder over these things, one wonders! Each surveyor whenit returns to the colony performs a fantastic dance. Aligningitself in a precise direction it begins to dance and conveys allthese messages through that dance and its directional posture tothe queen. The information the dance communicates could notbe conveyed better or more precisely in human language. It tellsthe queen what it has seen, where it has seen it, how far it issituated and how far from that site is an adequate floral field. Itconveys the distance involved from the colony to the new siteand from the new site to the floral field. It also describes the siteitself in perfect detail, how well it is protected from naturalinterference, whether it is a hollow of a tree, a crevice in a rockor a spot on the stem of a tree well-surrounded by protectivebranches. Each surveyor takes its turn and the queen waits till allhave finished. Only then does she decide what to do and takesflight in the exact direction of the site she has chosen. How thetransfer is finalized and a new colony is finally built is anotherfantastic story.

At the end we must mention how honey-bees and honeycombsare hygienically maintained in a manner which puts to shamemodern hospitals and clinics. In sharp contrast to the mosquito,the notorious carrier of viruses and germs, the honey-bee was

11



discovered by researchers to carry no viruses or germs on itsbody. Having been utterly surprised they launched a newresearch programme to discover why this was so. This revealedan amazing story of how the bees manufacture their owndisinfectant material by collecting it from certain resins ofplants, now known as propolis. This material has the amazingquality of destroying all bacteria and viruses. The honey-beeshaving built their combs, paste this material on the rim of theentire comb. Each bee when it returns to the comb, steps firston that rim so that all viruses and bacteria which may haveadhered to its tiny feet are destroyed by the propolis before itenters the colony.

We have discussed the honey-bee in some detail here while inthe reference to the eight fantastic animals mentioned earlierwe did not enter into an elaborate discussion. We have done somainly because the Holy Qur’an specifically mentions the honey-bee in a manner which should resolve the riddle of life fornaturalists. We have selected the case of the honey-bee for themto ponder and search far and wide to identify the creative forceswhich modelled them. Of course, the naturalists who specialisein this subject know far more than we do about the honey-beeand its complex world. To be quite honest, we doubt if theycould lightly dismiss the case of the honey-bee and the wondersrelated to it merely to chance.

12



OF ALL THE INSECTS WHICH PERVADE THE WORLD, GOD HAS PICKED

JUST THIS ONE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WHEN HE COMMUNICATES

WITH AN ANIMAL BELONGING TO AN ORDINARY SPECIES, HOW ITS

STATUS IS LIFTED BEYOND COMPARISON TO THAT OF THE OTHER

MEMBERS OF THE SAME SPECIES. WHAT IS A HONEYBEE AFTER ALL,BUT A FLY. YET WHAT A FLY!

Let them lay down their arms and admit that there has to be aCreator. In the Holy Qur’an it is that Creator Who speaks andresolves the mysteries of life once and for all. With reference tothe honey-bee the following is the Qur’anic statement:

And thy Lord has inspired the bee, saying, ‘Make thouhouses in the hills and in the trees and in the trelliseswhich they build.‘Then eat of every kind of fruit, and follow the ways ofthy Lord that have been made easy for thee.’ There comesforth from their bellies a drink of varying hues. Therein iscure for men. Surely, in that is a Sign for a people whoreflect.5

(Ch.16: v.69-70)

Of all the insects which pervade the world, God has picked justthis one to demonstrate that when He communicates with ananimal belonging to an ordinary species, how its status is liftedbeyond comparison to that of the other members of the samespecies. What is a honeybee after all, but a fly. Yet what a fly! Itis only after the message is delivered to the honey-bee at theearliest stage of its creation and is imprinted in an intuitivelanguage upon its genes that it begins to function as it does. Itdoes not have to perform its functions consciously with aconscious control of its mind. The genes that teach it what to dohave no mind of their own. But He who has created them has amind and the genes simply function as slaves to His command. Hehas spoken Himself to demonstrate to the world that when He

13



specifically chooses even an insignificant insect, it becomessupreme in the entire world of insects. It becomes a source ofhealing and cure, unlike other insects which carry and spreaddisease. They are poles apart in their function of life.

As far as the curative properties of honey are concerned, this isan ongoing research and the researchers who have alreadydiscovered some wonderful things about it are expecting farmore yet to be revealed. Whatever medical science hasidentified so far is summed up in the following:

‘Currently, honey treatment is used for gastrointestinal,some cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, skin, and neuraldiseases of the oral cavity, ear, throat, nose inflammatoryaffection of female genitals, and of the cervix of theuterus.’6

One healing quality of honey which British scientists havediscovered to their amazement is its ability to cure such eyesores as were otherwise considered incurable. Many a patient hasbeen saved from total blindness by its application.

‘ Patients with ulcerous blepharitis andblepharoconjunctivitis, under the influence of honeyexperienced that the itch and a sensation of sand in the eyedisappeared; reddening of conjunctivas reduced ordisappeared, ulcers of eye-lids edges, epithelisation oferosions and ulcers reduced in the duration of the treatment.With patients suffering from ray dystrophic processes, as aresult of honey treatment, comeal epithelisation improved,photophobia disappeared and sight improved.’7

Is there not a message in this for the naturalists to reflect upon?How we wonder, hoping against hope!

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To conclude our discussion, we reaffirm that the naturalists’denial of purpose in the design of the living is only because itwould invariably lead to God. They would much rather prefer adeaf, dumb and blind agent to have created everything. They arepurposefully deceitful because the blind principles of Darwinismare not creators. These principles only begin to operate whenthe creation is performed by other hands. They are powerfulprinciples like the laws of physics. Yet all the laws of physics,chemistry and dynamics put together could not have createdeven a single poor man’s shack complete with plumbing, a smallkitchen and a toilet. Of course these laws are employed for suchconstruction, but the employer has to be a conscious person witha brain. The brain is the master which employs the laws ofnature.

REFERENCES

1. WINSTON, M.L., (1991) The Biology of the Honey Bee. Harvard University Press,London, p.83.




5. Translation of 16:69-70 by Maulawi Sher Ali.

6. MOMERENKOV, VY, SHUBINA, L.F. (1982) Use of Honey In Treating Eye Diseases- Translation of Russian Article: Feldsher Akush.

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[Translator’s Note: All referencesto the verses of the Holy Qur’anare given in Arabic as they occurin the text. The Englishtranslation, presented in italics,is taken from the translation ofthe Holy Qur’an by HadhratMaulvi Sher Ali Sahib(ra). Wherethe Promised Messiah( a s ) h a shimself stated a certain inter-pretation of the Arabic verse, thisis incorporated in the main bodyof the text].

Allah has not revealed thesecrets of the system of Hisdecree and determination ofdestiny but there are to befound within it [through itsmanifestation] numerouspoints of wisdom. It is myexperience that no one canattain to a high spiritualstation merely through one’sown striving. It is thetribulation from Allah that one


Decree and DestinyPresented below is a compilation, in translation, of excerpts taken fromMalfoozat relating to the topic of decree and destiny. Malfoozat is the titleof the ten volumes that contain the collection of discourses, speeches andaddresses of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, the PromisedMessiah and Mahdi (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). (Translated by Amatul Hadi Ahmad)

The founder of the AhmadiyyaMuslim Community was Hadhrat

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as)

In 1891, Hadhrat Mirza Ahmadclaimed, on the basis of Divinerevelation, that he was thePromised Messiah and Mahdiwhose advent had been foretoldby the Holy Prophet of Islam(peace be upon him) and by thescriptures of other faiths.

His claim constitutes the basis ofthe beliefs of the AhmadiyyaMuslim Community.

has to bear which brings onecloser to God. Who can strikeoneself harshly with a rod?Allah is Most Gracious and EverMerciful [therefore thetribulation that comes fromHim is not without duerewards]. I have discoveredthis myself that after makingone undergo a little pain, Allahendows great rewards andblessings. The next world iseternal - those who haveparted from us cannot returnbut we will be with them veryshortly. The wall of this world[separating it from the next] isnot a solid one and even that isever crumbling. The point toponder over is this that thereis nothing in this world thatcan be taken with us to thenext and, moreover, one doesnot know when it is that onemay have to go. Whenever aperson goes, the timing will bethought not to be right and hewill go empty-handed - it isonly the good deeds that willgo with a person. However, itis not uncommon to find thatsome people at their death-bed still wish to be remindedof exactly how much they

possess - even at such a timetheir concern is with materialthings.

There are many even in ourCommunity who behave in thismanner and their worship ofAllah has conditions attached.There are others who write tome for prayers and state thatif they acquire so much moneyor that some other wish oftheirs is granted to them, theywould become members of theC o m m u n i t y. Such foolishpeople do not consider whatpossible need would Allah havefor their initiation into theCommunity! Our Communityshould have the faith of theCompanions of the HolyProphet of Islam who offeredtheir own heads in the path ofGod. [Volume 9, pp. 381-383]

[During a general conversationwhen some people raised thepoint that an impending doommay be averted by giving almsand making charitabled o n a t i o n s], the Pr o m i s e dM e s s i a h( a s ) stated: This iscorrect. However, somepeople raise objections as to

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Decree and Destiny


why are there two parts ofwhat is termed divine decree.The answer to this is that ourexperience is witness to thefact that sometimes extremelythreatening situations ariseand a person loses all hope butwhen the means of prayer,alms and charity areemployed, such a threateningsituation is at last averted.Hence, it has to be believedthat the divine decree that isknown as Mo’allaq, that is, the‘suspended decree’ does exist.If it were the case that thistype of decree does not existand only the ‘inexorabledecree’, the decree Mubram,existed and that prayer andthe giving of alms had noeffect, why is it thatextremely dangerous situa-tions are averted [throughprayer and the giving of alms]?

It is the case that some divineintentions are only for thepurpose of creating fear [ofGod] and to remind people ofthe efficacy of prayer. Throughprayer and the giving of almsand charitable deeds, manyfears and dangers are averted.Efficacy of prayer is like therelationship between male andfemale where, only if at theappropriate time the relevantconditions are fulfilled andthere is no interveningdeficiency, [the desired resultbe would achieved] and [theundesirable outcome] of thematter averted. However,when the divine decree is ofthe inexorable and inevitabletype, that is it is decreeMubram, then it so happensthat the relevant andappropriate means of prayerare not achieved. One wishes

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Decree and Destiny


IT IS THE CASE THAT SOME DIVINE INTENTIONS ARE ONLY FOR

THE PURPOSE OF CREATING FEAR [OF GOD] AND TO REMIND

PEOPLE OF THE EFFICACY OF PRAYER. THROUGH PRAYER AND

THE GIVING OF ALMS AND CHARITABLE DEEDS, MANY FEARS

AND DANGERS ARE AVERTED.

to pray but full concentrationis lacking and the heart doesnot develop the necessaryemotions of pain and sorrow.There is lack of concentrationupon the appropriate prayeralso in prostration during theperformance of Salat. All suchthings point to the fact thatthe ultimate result of thesituation being faced will notbe good and this is the decreethat is known as Mubram, thatis, the inexorable divinedecree.

[Here a person added hiscomment that when NawabMuhammad Ali Khan Sahib’sson was very seriously ill,Huzur (that is, the PromisedMessiah) received a revelationthat it was a Decree Mubramand that death has beendecreed. However, withH u z u r’s intercession thatdecree was averted]. ThePromised Messiah stated:

Sayyed Abdul Qadir Jeelani( r a )

has written that some times itso happens that the decreethat is M u b r a m has beenaverted through his prayers.

Regarding this, a renownedreligious scholar, Sheikh AbdulHaque Muhaddith Dehli, raisedthe issue that the decree thatis Mubram cannot be avertedso what does it mean? Heeventually answered the pointhimself that the decreeMubram is also of two types:one is truly Mubram and theother appears to be likeMubram but in fact is not.

The truly M u b r a m d e c r e ecannot be averted under anycircumstance as for instance isthe fact that a human beingwill eventually face death.This decree cannot be avertedeven if a person wishes to stayalive to the end of time. Theother type of decree that isnot in fact Mubram [ b u tappears as if it may be] iswhen a dangerous situationbecomes very grave and itappears that the danger willnot be averted. Such asituation is referred to asbeing ‘like Mubram’ – [but itis, in fact, Mo’allaq and can beaverted through prayer andgiving of alms]. The trulyMubram decree is such that

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Decree and Destiny


even if all the Pr o p h e t stogether prayed for it to beaverted, it cannot be averted.[Volume 7, pp. 87-88]

The Holy Qur’an has set outcertain matters for theestablishment of the grandprinciple that Allah Almighty isOne and is the source and goalof everything from which somefoolish critics have deducedthe doctrine of compulsion.Allah is the ultimate cause ofeverything and is the Providerof all means. This is the reasonwhy Allah Almighty has, insome cases, described Himselfas the cause of all causes inthe Holy Qur’an, withoutmention of intervening means.However, a study of the HolyQur’an would reveal that otherintervening means have alsobeen clearly specified so that

man should pay heed to them.M o r e o v e r, the Holy Qur’ a nspecifies punishment of eviland lays down penalties. Ifthere were to be an unal-terable system of Divinedecree and determination andman was to be under absolutecompulsion, what justificationwas there for these punish-ments and penalties?

It should be remembered thatthe Holy Qur’an does notconfine everything within thesystem of physical causes butseeks to lead mankind tobelief in the pure Unity ofGod. Most people do notrealise the true nature ofprayer nor do they com-prehend the relationshipbetween prayer and Divinedetermination. Allah Almightyopens the way for those who

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Decree and Destiny


MOST PEOPLE DO NOT REALISE THE TRUE NATURE OF PRAYER NOR

DO THEY COMPREHEND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRAYER AND

DIVINE DETERMINATION. ALLAH ALMIGHTY OPENS THE WAY FOR

THOSE WHO HAVE RECOURSE TO PRAYER AND DOES NOT REJECT

THEIR SUPPLICATION. THERE IS PRAYER AND THERE IS DIVINE DECREE

AND DETERMINATION - ALLAH HAS APPOINTED APPROPRIATE TIMES

FOR BOTH.

have recourse to prayer anddoes not reject theirsupplication. There is prayerand there is Divine decree anddetermination - Allah hasappointed appropriate timesfor both. [Through prayer] anaspect of the attribute ofProvidence has been grantedby Allah to those who worshipHim, as Allah states in the HolyQur’an:

Pray unto Me; I will answeryour prayer… (Ch.40: v.61)

That is why I have alwaysstated that the God of theMuslims responds to theirsupplication but the god whohas not created a singleparticle or who died from illtreatment at the hands of theJews, how can he respond?

It is not wise to attemptreconciliation between choiceand compulsion on the basis oflogic and reasoning. It is a vainattempt to comprehend the

mysteries of Divinity. It is alsodisrespectful. [As stated in asaying of the Holy Pr o p h e tMuhammad(sa): ‘The way of theseeker is all respect’].

Divine decrees anddetermination have a veryclose relationship with prayer.Prayer averts the operation ofa suspended decree, that is,decree M o ’ a l l a q. Prayer ismost certainly an effectivemeans of averting dangers anddifficulties. Those who denythe efficacy of prayer areunder a misconception. TheHoly Qur’an sets out twoaspects of prayer. In oneaspect Allah Almighty enforcesHis Own Will and in the otheraspect He responds to theprayer of a servant. In theverse:

And We will try you withsomething of fear andhunger… (Ch.2: v.156)

Allah Almighty requires

21

Decree and Destiny


obedience to His will. Themeaning is that man’sresponse to an absolute Divinedecree must be:

Surely, to Allah we belongand to Him shall wereturn… (Ch.2: v.157)

The time of the upsurge of thewaves of the grace and mercyof Allah Almighty is indicatedin the Holy Qur’an: Pray untoMe; I will answer your prayer.(Ch.40: v.61)

A believer should haveknowledge of both theseaspects. The Sufis say that aperson’s absolute dependenceupon Allah does not becomeperfect without his being ableto distinguish the proper placeand occasion for supplication.It has been said that a Sufidoes not pray till he recognisesthe appropriate time forsupplication. Sayyed AbdulQadir Jeelani( r a ) has stated thatprayer can turn a callousperson into a truly good

person. He goes so far as to saythat through prayer extremedangers that appear as if theymay be operating under theabsolute decree are averted.

In short, it should always beremembered in connectionwith prayer that sometimesAllah Almighty requiresobedience to His Will and atother times He grants thesupplication of a servant ofHis. In other words, he dealswith His servant like a friend.The prayers of the HolyProphet( s a ) were accepted on agrand scale and correspondingto this he holds the highestposition in bowing to the Willof Allah and in accepting itcheerfully. [Malfoozat, Volume3, pp.224-226]

22

Decree and Destiny


And as for those who strivein Our path - We will surelyguide them in Our ways.And verily Allah is withthose who do good. (Ch.29: v.70)

The Arabic word Jihad appearsin this verse of the Holy Qur’ a nand the word ‘strive’ has beenused in its translation intoEnglish. The word Jihad is arelatively short word but it hashuge implications withinIslamic society as a whole andespecially for the daily life ofthe individual Muslim.

Jihad, as ordained by Islam,does not consist of killing andbeing killed but in striving hardto win the pleasure of Allah.Individually and collectively,Jihad is essential for theadvancement of our souls.

It does not, for one moment,mean that we are ever readyto pick a fight or wage wars.

Nothing could be further fromthe truth and reality. The wordIslam means peace and all ourefforts and energies should bespent in creating peace andharmony amongst ourselves,our communities and societyat large.

According to the O x f o r dEnglish Reference Dictionary(1995), the meaning of theword Jihad is given as ‘HolyWar’. It incorrectly states that‘a Jihad may be undertaken todefend Islam against externalthreats or to spread religionamong non believers.’

Holy and war are wordsdefinitely not synonymous witheach other. In fact they are atodds with each other, for thereis nothing holy about theeffects and horrors of warfare.

It is very unfortunate in thisday and age that the word‘Jihad’ has been so misint e r -


The Islamic Concept of JihadBy Bilal Atkinson – UK

preted by the Western nationsand in particular their media. Ina way, this misinterpretation isexplainable because un-fortunately throughout the lastm i l l e n - n i u m, some extremeMuslim groups and theirleaders have interpreted theword ‘Jihad’ as Holy War andapplied the word to all theirwars whether they have beenfought for political, economicor expansionist motives. As aresult of this misnomer, thereligion of Islam has beenwrongly accused of procuringconverts to the faith byforceful or belligerent means.The word Jihad has been usedin two senses in the HolyQur’an:

Jihad-fi-Sabeelillah - Strivinghard in the way of Allah Jihad-Fiallah - Striving hard inAllah.

The first meaning refers to thewaging of a defensive waragainst the enemies of truthwhen they seek to annihilatereligion while the secondmeans to strive hard to win thepleasure and nearness of Allah.

The latter meaning seems topossess a higher spiritualsignificance than the first.

Jihad is of three kinds:

1. Striving against one’s baserself, that is, against one’sown evil desires andpropensities.

2. Striving by way of writing,speaking and spending one’swealth to propagate thetruth of Islam and exposingits beauties to the non-believers.

3. Striving against the enemiesof truth which includesfighting in self-defence.

The Holy Pr o p h e t( s a ) h a stermed the first two kinds ofJihad as the Jihad Akbar(greater Jihad) and the thirdas the Jihad Asghar (lesserJihad). Once when he wasreturning from fighting he isreported to have said:

You have returned from thesmaller Jihad (fightingagainst the enemies of

24

The Islamic Concept of Jihad


Islam) to the greater Jihad(waging war against one’sbaser self). (Khatib)

We will initially explain thelesser Jihad or Asghar Jihadbefore the greater Jihad orAkbar Jihad.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa)

was forty years old when theDivine call came to him. Hisfirst revelation and instructionfrom the Holy Qur’an was:

Recite in the name of yourLord Who created; Createdman from an adhesive clot.Recite! And your Lord is theNoblest. Who taught by thepen. Taught man what heknew not. (Ch.96: vs.2-6)

This first instruction makes itquite clear that the HolyProphet(sa) was commanded byAllah to spread the message ofIslam by both oral and writtenmeans and not by force of anykind, neither by the sword orother aggressive measures.The very first word means toconvey the message, to

proclaim to the whole worldthe revelation and teaching ofA l l a h ’s word through theauspices of the Holy Qur’an.

Soon afterwards the Prophet(sa)

was commanded to proclaimwidely and openly that whichwas being conveyed to him.His attempts to convey Allah’smessage to those around himin Mecca only drew hostilityand ridicule. Initially only fourpersons believed in him andwhen this became known tothe Meccans they began tolaugh and mock. As moreverses of the Holy Qur’an wererevealed, more peoplebecame interested and drawnto this new message,especially the young, the weakand oppressed of Meccans o c i e t y. Women especiallywere drawn to this newreligion as it offered themboth dignity and honouramongst their fathers,husbands and sons, somethingwhich they had neverexperienced before as in mostrespects they were treatedworse than animals.

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The continuing success of theHoly Prophet(sa) brought abouta backlash against him and theearly converts. The Meccansembarked on a course ofpersecution which grew morecruel and more savage as timepassed. They were afraid thatthe new religion wouldbecome firmly established andthat their own religion andculture would be ruined.

Out of this fear, it was theMeccans, the disbelievers, whodrew their swords and tookdelight in slaughtering the trueand faithful servants of Allahover a long period. The streetsof Mecca became red with theblood of the Muslims but theydid not retaliate. Theirhumility and steadfastnessencouraged their persecutors

to be even more cruel andthey subjected the Muslims tomore extreme modes oftorture and floggings. Manyparents had to endure thesight of their children beingslaughtered before their veryeyes and some parents werecrucified in front of theirchildren.

What made these peopleaccept the Holy Prophet(sa), aman who, at the time waswithout power or wealth? Hecertainly did not wield a swordto compel them to accept himand his message. The only‘sword’ the Holy Pr o p h e t( s a )

possessed was the HolyQur’an, a spiritual sword, asword of truth, which naturallyturned the hearts ofunbelievers without any

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WHAT MADE THESE PEOPLE ACCEPT THE HOLY PROPHET(SA), A

MAN WHO, AT THE TIME WAS WITHOUT POWER OR WEALTH? HE

CERTAINLY DID NOT WIELD A SWORD TO COMPEL THEM TO

ACCEPT HIM AND HIS MESSAGE. THE ONLY ‘SWORD’ THE HOLY

PROPHET(SA) POSSESSED WAS THE HOLY QUR’AN, A SPIRITUAL

SWORD, A SWORD OF TRUTH, WHICH NATURALLY TURNED THE

HEARTS OF UNBELIEVERS WITHOUT ANY AGGRESSION.

aggression. Such was thebeauty, the glory and mag-netism of Islam andMuhammad(sa), who practisedand preached Islam, whooozed goodness and love, thatthey willingly gave their livesto its cause. However, it wasthe non-Muslims and especiallythe Meccans who raised theirphysical swords to attack theMuslims in order to compelthem to return to their oldreligion and customs.

After the migration of the HolyPr o p h e t( s a ) to Medina, thecruelties of the unbelieversfrom among the Quraishexceeded all bounds. Theystarted to murder thosehelpless converts left behindin Mecca including women andorphaned children. Althoughthe Prophet(sa) and many of hiscompanions had migrated toMedina, they too were not leftin peace. They were contin-uously harassed in that placealso.

By this time the emergingreligion of Islam wassurrounded by enemies on all

sides and was threatened withcomplete annihilation. It is inthis regard that the firstcommandment on the lesserJihad was revealed to the HolyProphet(sa):

Permission to fight is givento those against whom waris made, because they havebeen wronged – and Allahindeed has power to helpthem. (Ch.22: v.40)

According to scholarly opinion,this is the first verse that gaveMuslims permission to take uparms in self-defence. Theverse lays down principlesaccording to which Muslimscan wage a defensive war. Itclearly sets forth the reasonswhich led a handful of Muslims,without arms and othermaterial means, to fight in self-defence after they hadsuffered with great restraint,ceaseless persecution in Meccafor years and had been pursuedwith relentless hatred toMedina where they werecontinuously harassed andh a r r i e d .

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The primary reason theMuslims gave for now taking uparms was that they inferredthat ‘they had been wronged’.They had suffered untoldpersecution and war wasactually forced upon them.

The very next verse of theHoly Qur’an also lends supportto this inference in that itstates that permission to fightwas given after the Muslimshad been driven out of theirhearths and homes. It states:

Those who have beendriven out from theirhomes unjustly onlybecause they said, ‘OurLord is Allah’ – And if Allahdid not repel some peopleby means of others, therewould surely have beenpulled down cloisters andchurches and synagoguesand mosques, wherein thename of Allah is oftcommemorated. And Allahwill surely help one whohelps Him. Allah is indeedPowerful, Mighty.(Ch.22: v.41)

The Holy Qur’an specificallymakes it clear that this type ofJihad is that of fighting onlyagainst those who first attackMuslims and other verses ofthe Qur’an lend support tothese conditions. Muslims canonly raise their swords todefend themselves againstthose who first raise hostilitiesagainst them and then only ifthey are oppressed and havebeen wronged. This is thespirit and essence of IslamicJihad that has been somaliciously mis-portrayed. It istotally wrong to assume orassert that the Holy Prophet(sa)

offered people the choice ofconversion or death, Islam orthe sword.

The Jihad with the swordwhich the Holy Prophet(sa) andearly Muslims had to wageunder their own peculiarcircumstances was a passingphase in the establishment ofthe foundations of Islam.Those who sought to destroyIslam by the sword, perishedby the sword. Unless a peopleor nation wage war against

28



Muslims in order toexterminate Islam, no fight orwar in which Muslims areengaged can be called Jihad.

The object of the Muslimstaking up arms was never todeprive anybody of theirhomes or possessions or theirfreedom. It was solely to fight,in self-defence, to save Islamfrom extermination and toestablish freedom ofconscience and thought as wellas helping to defend otherplaces of worship belonging todifferent religions from beingdesecrated or destroyed.

In short, the primaryobjectives of the wars of Islamwere to establish freedom ofbelief and worship and to fightin defence of honour andfreedom against unprovokedattacks and this will always bethe case, if the time everarises again.

Early Muslims had no choicebut to go to war because theywere constrained to do so.Aggressive wars were and arestill forbidden by Islam. The

political power of MuslimNations must never ever beused for selfish and grandioseambitions but for theimprovement of the poor andthe promotion of peace andprogress.

There can be no greaterexample of this than when theHoly Pr o p h e t( s a ) and hisfollowers victoriously returnedto Mecca. He addressed theMeccans and said:

You have seen how true thepromises of Allah haveproved. Now tell me whatpunishment you shouldhave for the cruelties andenormities you committedagainst those whose onlyfault was that they invitedyou to the worship of theOne and Only God.

To this the Meccans replied:‘We expect you to treat us asJoseph treated his erringbrothers.’ Hearing their plea,the Pr o p h e t( s a ) i m m e d i a t e l ydeclared: ‘By God, you willhave no punishment today andno reproof.’ (Hisham)

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The Holy Qur’an states: -

And fight them until thereis no persecution andreligion is wholly for Allah.But if they desist, thensurely Allah is Watchful ofwhat they do. (Ch.8: v.40)

This verse shows that fightingwas to be continued only solong as there was persecutionand until men were free toprofess the religion they liked.If the opponents of Islamstopped fighting then theMuslims were to stop.

If any people were everdeserving of any punishment,it had to be the people ofMecca. If Islam was spread bythe sword, then this occasionof the Holy Pr o p h e t ’s( s a )

victorious return to Meccawould have been the perfecttime to wield the sword forpunishment and conversion.But no, the people of Meccawere not converted by force -they were converted by love.Love of the Holy Prophet(sa) andlove of the emancipating,

enlightening and civilisingteachings of the Holy Qur’an.

The Holy Qur’an states:

There should be nocompulsion in religion.S u r e l y, right has becomedistinct from wrong. (Ch.2: v.257)

This verse warns Muslims inthe clearest and strongest ofwords not to resort to force forconverting non-Muslims toIslam. It also gives the reasonwhy it should not be used,intimating that the true pathhas become distinct from thewrong one and therefore thereis no justification for usingforce. The Holy Prophet(sa) isclearly warned by Allah not touse force in an attempt toreform society. His status ismade clear in the followingverses of the Holy Qur’an:

Admonish, therefore, forthou art but anadmonisher; You are not awarden over them. (Ch.88: vs.22-23)

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Amazingly, this last verse wasrevealed in Mecca in the earlyyears of the Prophet’s(sa) calland he was warned in advancethat he would gain greatpower but should not use it forimposing his will on others.

Essentially, the Holy Prophet(sa)

did not convert by the sword,but by his righteousness,purity, love and devotion toAllah, which completelyoverwhelmed his enemies, somuch so that those whoseintentions were to murderhim, were later to lay at hisfeet and give their lives tosave him from his oppressors.

During his last pilgrimage theHoly Prophet (sa), in the closingwords of his Farewell Address,said:

Even as this month issacred, this land inviolate,and this day holy, so hasAllah made the lives,property and honour ofevery man sacred. To takeany man’s life or hisp r o p e r t y, or attack hish o n o u r, is as unjust and

wrong as to violate thesacredness of this day, thismonth, and this territory.What I command you todayis not meant only for today.It is meant for all time. Youare expected to rememberit and act upon it until youleave this world and go tothe next to meet yourMaker.

In conclusion, he said:

What I have said to you,you should communicate tothe ends of the earth.Maybe those who have notheard of me may benefitmore than those who haveheard. (Sihah Sitta, Tabari,Hisham and Khamis)

The Holy Pr o p h e t ’s( s a ) g r e a tconcern for the welfare of thewhole of mankind and forestablishing peace throughoutthe world knew no bounds.

It is such a tragedy that for thelast thousand years or so,many Muslim leaders andMuslim nations, have to a largeextent, ignored the true

31



teachings of the Holy Qur’anand the Holy Pr o p h e t( s a ) t osatisfy their greed and lust forpower and material gains.They have fought against eachother for these worldly gainsand through their injustice,have persecuted the innocentand acclaimed the guilty. Theyhave treacherously betrayedtheir own countrymen andtheir fellow Muslim nationsand accepted monetary gain,power or property from theenemies of Islam. Most of thespiritual and temporal leadershave misled their own peopleand brought wholesalecorruption of body, mind andsoul. In this day and age, someyoung Muslim men and womenhave been foolishly‘brainwashed’ into believingtheir acts of barbarism,terrorism, suicide and murderwill gain them martyrdom. Inshort, they have broughtdishonour to the door of thereligion they profess to love.The name of Islam is nowequated with terror instead ofpeace. Most countries of theworld have fought politicalbattles but it seems Muslim

countries have only everfought Jihad and in doing so,they have slaughtered oneanother.

In this regard, it is impossiblefor me not to mention theevents which occurred in NewYork last September or for thatmatter the ongoing events inAfghanistan and the MiddleEast, where so-called ‘IslamicJihad’ is being wagedindiscriminately by extremeMuslim organisations againstnon-Muslim nations.

The Holy Pr o p h e t(sa) w a r n e dthat the Muslims in the LatterDays, and especially theirleaders, would be far removedfrom the true Islam and thatsome would be the worst ofcreation. These leaders aremisleading young, intelligent,Muslim men and women. Theyhave trained and indoctrinatedthem into believing that ifthey give their lives, in whatthey erroneously believe is inthe cause of Islam, they willimmediately gain Paradise asmartyrs of the Faith.

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What lies and what deceit! AllMuslims should ask them, ‘Onwhose authority do they makethis claim?’ O you youngMuslims who are being askedto commit such terrible acts.If, as they say, you will becomea martyr and enter Paradise,then surely they should leadthe way if what they ask you todo is such a meritorious act.Again, ask of them: ‘Why doyou say what you do not do?’(Ch.61: v.3)

Far from being a meritous act,it is an act that is an outrage tothe name of Islam and adefiance of the commands ofA l l a h .

The Holy Qur’an clearly states:

O ye who believe! Devournot your property amongyourselves by unlawfulmeans, except that you earnby trade with mutualconsent. And kill notyourselves. Surely, Allah isMerciful to you.(Ch.4: v.30)

The words, ‘kill not your-selves’, prohibit and outlawacts of suicide. On the otherhand, is the murder ofinnocent people such ameritorious act that will gain aMuslim entry to Paradise? Farfrom it, it is an open door tothe Fire of Hell.

Abu Zaid ibn Thabit ibn Dhahakrelates that the HolyProphet(sa) said:

He who takes a false oaththat if he is not telling thetruth he might become afollower of a faith otherthan Islam is already as hedescribes himself. He whokills himself with aninstrument will betormented with thatinstrument on the Day ofJudgement. A personcannot offer as a vow thatwhich does not belong tohim. Cursing a believer isequal to slaying him. (Bukhari, Book of GoodManners, Chapter – CallingBad Names and Cursing)

So those men and women who

33



call themselves Muslim andwho are contemplating suicideor encouraging others tocommit suicide, with a weaponor a bomb, and in doing so,slaughter innocent people,take heed of this verse of theHoly Qur’an and the Hadith ofyour Master. It is notmartyrdom you shall have butthe Fire of Hell. Modern dayterrorism is contrary to thevision and interpretation ofthe real spirit of Islamic Jihad.Political wars do not becomeJihad. The cry of Jihad isheard again and again andfrom many different quarters.But what was the Jihad towhich Allah and His Prophetinvited Muslims? And what isthe Jihad to which we areinvited today?

The Holy Qur’an mentionsanother Jihad called Jihad-e-Akbar. It states:

So obey not thedisbelievers and striveagainst them with it (theQ u r’an) a great striving.(Ch.25: v.53)

The great and real Jihad,according to this verse, is topractise and preach theMessage of the Qur’an. AhmadiMuslims have accepted theclaim of Hadhrat Mirza GhulamAhmad(as), to be the Mahdi andMessiah. He claimed to be aMessenger and a Prophet ofAllah, totally subordinate tothe Seal of all the Prophets,Muhammad(sa) the Holy Prophetof Islam. He was born inQadian, India, in 1835 and diedin the year 1908. Innumerablesigns in his support were givenby Allah Almighty and arevelation that his message,that is, the true message ofIslam, would reach all cornersof the earth.

In one of his many addresses tothe people of the world, thePromised Messiah(as) stated:

You should understand itwell that the need of thetime is not the wielding ofthe sword; it is the penthat has to be used. Thedoubts that our opponentshave expressed about Islamand the assaults that

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different sciences havemade, have drawn myattention to the fact thatequipped with the weaponof the pen, I should enterthe battlefield and showthem the miraculousbravery of Islam and itspowers. (Malfoozat, Vol.1, p.57)

He clearly states that now isnot the time for the wieldingof the sword but the wieldingof the pen. What does thismean and how do we enter thebattlefield to extend aninvitation to people to see thereal beauties and teachings ofIslam?

One of the answers lies in themeaning of J i h a d - F i a l l a h o rthe Akbar Jihad, the greaterJihad, that is, the Jihad orstruggle against our ownindividual evil designs andpropensities and especially ourstruggle against Satan. This isthe true Jihad, an individualJihad to reform ourselves intopious and godly people and toreform the Satans within usinto righteous Muslims so that

we are able and well equippedto attract others to the faith.The Holy Qur’an states: -

And whoso strives, strivesonly for his own soul;verily, Allah is Independentof the entire universe.(Ch.29: v.7)

This verse gives a very aptdescription of a Mujahid, thatis, a person who strives in theway of Allah. High and nobleideals with consistent andconstant effort to carry themout in actual practice is whatin Islamic terminology is calledJihad and the person whopossesses these noble idealsand lives up to them is aMujahid in the true sense ofthe word.

We have to be a perfect modelof Islam and for that we needto know the teachings of theHoly Qur’an and the practicesof the Holy Prophet(sa).

The Holy Prophet(sa) says thatthe best expression of perfectfaith is that other people arealways protected by our power

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and live in peace. The bestIslam or religion is that peopleare safe from us and that wenever harm them with ourhands or tongue. (B u k h a r i ,Book of Belief)

This tradition is a perfectsummary and guide to our lifein society. It is imperative forevery Muslim that theirbehaviour should be exem-plary and nobody should evercome to harm by them in anyway. These things are part ofour faith and are, in fact,fundamental to our rela-tionship with Allah.

As true believers, we knowthat the most important goalof our lives is to reach Allah.Our lives are short and beforewe realise it, they are halfgone. We learn from the HolyQur’an that such a relationship

with Allah can be established,but it also says that we need tostrive for it. When we look atour physical lives, we can seewhat kind of striving we gothrough to achieve success.Surely a similar degree ofstriving in Allah’s way will leadus to a meeting with Him.

We should look into our heartsand see how much time andeffort we spend in spiritualmatters during the course ofthe day. Do we spend half oreven a quarter of the timespent for worldly efforts? Doour hearts truly yearn for thelove of Allah like they yearnfor the luxuries of the world?Do we spend a significantamount of time in prayers, inreading the Holy Qur’an, inspending in the way of Allahwith our wealth and our time?Do our hearts weep for the

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IT IS IMPERATIVE FOR EVERY MUSLIM THAT THEIR BEHAVIOUR

SHOULD BE EXEMPLARY AND NOBODY SHOULD EVER COME TO

HARM BY THEM IN ANY WAY. THESE THINGS ARE PART OF OUR

FAITH AND ARE, IN FACT, FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR RELATIONSHIP

WITH ALLAH.

welfare of our brother andsister human beings and do wemake the effort to go to themin all humility and pass onAllah’s Message?

Do we observe the rules andregulations in Allah’s Book?There is no doubt that thereare no better or perfect rulesor guidelines for our own goodand advancement. These rulesand regulations are for ourconvenience. Who can knowthe best path to Allah, exceptAllah Himself? We must followDivine Law to make sure weare protected from exteriorand interior evil influences andto enhance our spiritualjourney. This is where changesare required in life-long habitsand styles. Thoughts and ideasmay need to be altered andmodified. This may be arduousor painful but all strife andstruggles are painful andsometimes tiresome.

All people who live by Allah’srules and strive constantly inHis way, themselves becomewalking examples of godlypeople. They stand out from

the multitude. There is acomplete change, both inter-nal and external in theirp e r s o n a l i t y, so that peoplestand in respect and awe ofthem, because a Divine glowand light shines from theirfaces. They are a living proofof the Qur’anic verse:

And as for those who strivein Our path - We will surelyguide them in Our ways.And verily Allah is withthose who do good. (Ch.29: v.70)

The word Jihad encompassesall the positive activities aMuslim should try to achieveand we should all as Mujahidscontinuously reform ourselvesin all that is good. To strive inthe cause of Allah requiresgreat resolve and stead-fastness and this cannot beachieved without true faith,true understanding and beliefin a Supreme, All-Po w e r f u lBeing and in the certainty of aLife after Death.

If a Muslim believes that hisfaith is the true faith, if his

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religion is the true religion,then, if he practices his faithin accordance with its trueteachings, he should never beafraid of those who seek todraw him away from his faith.On the contrary, he shouldwelcome them into his homeand by his righteous words anddeeds, they will, Allah willing,be converted to his faith.

Before becoming an AhmadiMuslim over 14 years ago, Itried for almost two years toconvert my Ahmadi friend toC h r i s t i a n i t y. Far from taking oradopting a hostile attitude, hetaught me so much about thetruth of his own religion inwords and practice, that I soonnot only fell in love with Islam,I loved the man as a truebrother loves his own bloodb r o t h e r. He always put hisreligion and his religiousobligations before anythingelse, including his family. By hisrighteous words and deeds andby adopting the practice of theHoly Pr o p h e t( s a ), he was able tosuccesfully call not only me,but many other Englishmen tothe true Islam. He performed

the true Jihad, not by force,but by gentle persuasion. Hehad many setbacks on the way,but his patience, steadfastnessand most of all his love for hisCreator enabled him to be amost successful Caller untoAllah.

It is so painful to witness theinjustice meted out by someWestern nations againstMuslims and Muslim nations. Itis even more painful to witnessthe actions of so-calledMuslims who declare Jihadagainst anyone who does notagree with their interpretationof the teachings of Islam andwho commit atrocities andshameful acts in the name ofIslam. How can they expect toattract non-Muslims to Islam?

F i n a l l y, the Pr o m i s e dMessiah(as) has stated:

Ignorant maulvis, may Allahguide them, have grievouslymisled the common peopleand have told them thatsuch action which is sheerwrong and cruelty and isopposed to all moral values

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is the key to paradise. Can itbe good action to shootdown an utter stranger whois walking through thestreet on some errand andwho has done us no harm? Ifthis kind of thing isvirtuous, wild animalspossess more virtue thansuch men. Glory be to Allah,how righteous were thoseand how truly inspired bythe spirit of the Prophetswho, when they werecommanded in Mecca not toresist evil though theymight be cut to pieces,behaved like hum-ble andweak suckling babies as iftheir hands and their armspossessed no power at all.

How grievous and shamefulit is that an utter strangerwho has done us no harmand who is occupied insome lawful errand shouldbe shot down without anycause and his wife made awidow and his childrenmade orphans and hisdwelling turned into ahouse of mourning? Whichhadith and which verse of

the Holy Qur’an authorisessuch an outrage? Can anymaulvi furnish an answer tothis question? Ignorantpeople who have only heardthe word Jihad make it anexcuse for the fulfilment oftheir selfish desires.

I have brought you acommandment which isthat Jihad with the swordhas been ended, but theJihad of the purification ofyour spirits must continueto be waged. I say this noton my own but in order toproclaim the design ofAllah. (Essence of Islam pp.260-261).

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Mr Bilal Atkinson, an Englishmanretired from the police serviceand is the Regional Amir of NorthEast Region, United Kingdom.

All prophets, without exception,are but mortal human beings.H o w e v e r, although the HolyProphet of Islam( s a ) passed awaylike all prophets before him, hismessage was to endure till theend of days. Thus, Allah Almightypromised in the Holy Qur’an thatIslam would be nurtured andfortified through the dedicatedefforts of his rightly guidedspiritual successors or Khulafa, sothat his opponents would notrejoice in the reflection that afterhis demise, Islam would witherand pass into the limbo of history.We read in the Ay a t - u l - I s t i k h l a f,that is, the verse of the HolyQ u r’an which deals with thesubject of Khilafat:

Allah has promised to those

among you who believe and dogood works that He will,s u r e l y, make them Successorsin the earth, as He madeSuccessors from those whowere before them; and thatHe will, surely, establish forthem their religion which Hehas chosen for them; and thatHe will surely give them inexchange security and peaceafter their fear.(Ch.24: v. 5 6 )

The promise of the establishmentof Khilafat is clear andunmistakable. As the HolyProphet is now humanity’s soleguide for all time, his Khilafatmust continue to exist in one formor another in the world till theend of time. This is, among many


The Blessings of Khilafat

The advent of a prophet has, since the creation of man, always been amanifestation of Divine mercy and a source of many blessings. On the demise ofthe prophet, there is a second manifestation of Divine mercy and bounty in theform of the institution of Khilafat. The institution of Khilafat is a unique Divinelyestablished system. Khilafat is the office and realm of the Khalifa or successor tothe prophet elected as the supreme leader of the community of believers. Hecommands the highest moral position of his time and in him is vested absoluteauthority in all affairs religious. This article provides a brief overview of some ofthe major achievements of the Successors to the Holy Prophet(sa) and PromisedMessiah(as) demonstrating how the institution of Khilafat has been instrumental inthe establishment of the spiritual and political hegemony of Islam.

By Tommy Bockarie Kallon

others, the Holy Pr o p h e t ’s( s a )

distinct superiority over all otherprophets and messengers of Allah.

In accordance with that promise,on the demise of the HolyPr o p h e t( s a ), when all the believerswere struck with shatteringbewilderment, Hadhrat AbuB a k r( r a ), was elected as the FirstKhalifa in Islam. The IslamicEmpire was soon beset with manyinternal disorders and externalthreats. There arose many falseprophets from within who seizedthe opportunity to instigate arebellion and, from beyond, theexternal enemies threatening thesecurity of the Islamic State.Hadhrat Abu Bakr(ra) led both byprecept and by example and wasable to crush all forces of revoltand disorder thereby fullysafeguarding Islam from discordand disintegration. By the end ofhis Khilafat, the Muslims wereunited again under one standard.When we take due cognisance ofthe enormous loss the Muslimssuffered with the departure ofthe Holy Prophet(sa), the void thatwas created by his demise andthe unenviable responsibility, asit were, of stepping into hisshoes, we can safely concludethat this was no meanachievement and was due

entirely to the blessings thatemanated from Hadhrat AbuBakr’s leadership.

After his demise, Hadhrat Umar( r a )

assumed the mantle of Khilafatand, by the grace of Allah,Muslims enjoyed many blessingsunder his humble and tolerantleadership. Indeed, his Khilafatrepresents a golden period in thehistory of Islam. His tirelesse n e r g y, his selflessness, sym-p a t h y, scrupulous discharge ofd u t y, his strong sense of even-handed justice and his zeal in theservice of Islam are universallyrecognised and marvelled at eventoday as they were fourteenhundred years ago. He initiatedmany schemes for the welfare ofthe Muslims. It was HadhratU m a r( r a ) who first introduced thesystem of old age pensions, nowprevailing in the West. Childrenwithout guardians were broughtup at the expense of the state.Education was made compulsoryfor boys and girls. The weak anddisabled were granted allowancesfrom the public treasury and ingeneral, people grew inprosperity under his leadership.We read with just pride thatHadhrat Umar( r a ) would traversehis state at night in disguise toascertain and attend to the needs

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of his citizens. No wonder he wasblessed so much so that during hisKhilafat the two mighty Ro m a nand Persian empires that oncethreatened Islam were utterlydefeated.

H o w e v e r, victory would not spoilhim. He always encouraged hisarmies to adhere to the teachingsof Islam and show tolerance,justice and kindness to all peopleswho came under Muslim rule. Fortheir part, his armies translatedinto action all his admonitionwhich won over the hearts of theconquered and made manyfriends in the territories.

In addition to the manyconquests, the Khilafat ofHadhrat Umar( r a ) yielded manyother blessings. He establishedthe Majlis-e-Shura, a consultativebody of advisors to the Khalifa.He displayed a unique genius inorganising the civil adminis-tration of the Muslim Empire.Every country was divided intoprovinces, a police force wasestablished, canals were dug,public treasuries were startedand the Muslim calendar of Hijrawhich has been a great help inthe preservation of history wasintroduced.

After the demise of this greatp e r s o n a l i t y, Hadhrat Uthman ( r a )

was elected as the third Khalifa.He, like his two predecessorsproved to be an admirable leaderand guide, successfully expandingthe Muslim Empire still further. Ageneral wave of revolt andinvasion swept though the MuslimEmpire but by the sheer grace ofAllah and a result of the blessingsof Khilafat these rebellions andinvasions were promptly quelled.

Hadhrat Uthman( r a ) made manycontributions in the cause ofpublic welfare. He supervised theerection of many new buildings,roads and bridges. Mosques andguest houses were alsoconstructed in different townsunder his direction. The HolyQ u r’an, in its present standardform, was compiled during hisKhilafat and under his directsupervision, this perhaps, is hismost important contribution tothe cause of Islam. HadhratU t h m a n( r a ) was a simple and kindman who never wavered in hisi n t e g r i t y, honesty and piety. Heshowed great tolerance andutmost patience even towards theend of his Khilafat when variousgroups wanted to depose him. Herefused to discard the robe ofKhilafat invested in him by Allah

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Almighty but at the same time herefused to fight them in order toavoid shedding the blood ofinnocent Muslims. Hisassassination ensued but therecan be no doubt HadhratU t h m a n( r a ) laid down his life forthe integrity of Khilafat and in thebest interests of Islam.

The death of Hadhrat Uthman iscertainly one of the saddestchapters in the history of Islam.Unity among all Muslims wasshattered. Internal feuds becamethe order of the day as Muslimturned against Muslim. HadhratAli(ra) was elected as the fourthKhalifa six days after the death ofHadhrat Uthman ( r a ). Heannounced that his top prioritywas to restore law and order inthe state and to this end showedenormous restrain and tried hisbest to avoid fighting andbloodshed in the face of populardemands by some influentialCompanions of the HolyPr o p h e t( s a ) for him to bring tojustice the assassins of HadhratUthman. As Medina had degen-erated into a lawless society,Hadhrat Ali( r a ) moved the capitalfrom Medina to Kufa in Iraq.U n f o r t u n a t e l y, however, hisKhilafat was beset by disruptionand disarray. Hadhrat Ali( r a ) t r i e d

to pacify the Muslims but it seemsthat the anti-Khilafat malaisewhich had set in was incurable.Civil wars broke out and thewhole debacle culminated in themartyrdom of Hadhrat Ali( r a ).

‘The value of a shade is notknown until the tree is cut down’,an old African adage maintains.With the assassination of HadhratA l i( r a ), that brilliant beacon ofguidance and unity, that gloriousfountain of blessings and mercieswas lost. Muslims discarded therobe of Khilafat and with it all itscountless blessings. The system ofm o n a r c h y, devoid of all spiritualg l o r y, was instituted in the placeof Khilafat with various dynastiesarising over many centuries. Civilwars and internecine feudsgreatly weakened the Muslims.Nations that in the past trembledand bowed before them nowconfronted them with insolenceand invariably succeeded inhumiliating the Muslims. Islamicinfluence and world dominionbegan to diminish until the timecame when other religions,though based on false doctrines,began to dominate the truereligion of Islam.

The re-establishment of Khilafatamongst the Muslims has to date

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been one of the greatestchallenges facing the Muslims.Present day Islam is torn withinternal strife and externalintrigues and is in dire need of al e a d e r, a man of integrity whowould take charge of theinstitution of Khilafat and underDivine guidance lead the Muslimnation. Various movements toestablish Khilafat amongsto r t h o d o x( 1 ) Muslims have arisen inthe past and recently in our timeas well. It is a sad but historicaltruth that all have met withfailure. This is because they aredevoid of any Divine guidance andare based solely on humanendeavour with self-indulgenceand personal desire for power atthe heart of their foundation.

Khilafat is a spiritual dominion ofAllah Almighty and its estab-lishment is never brought aboutby any political or pseudo-religious movement. WheneverKhilafat is established by Divinedesign, it has been through aprophet of Allah. History furnishesnot a single instance whereKhilafat was established withoutthe advent of a prophetpreceeding it. The Khilafatpromised in the Holy Qur’an is inthe footsteps of a prophet. TheHoly Pr o p h e t( s a ) is reported to

have said:‘ Prophethood shall remain amongyou as long as Allah shall will. Hewill bring about its end and followit with Khilafat on the precepts ofprophethood for as long as Heshall will and then bring about itsend. A tyrannical monarchy willthen follow and will remain aslong as Allah shall will and thencome to an end. There will followthereafter monarchical despotismto last as long as Allah shall willand come to an end upon Hisdecree. There will then emergeKhilafat on the precept ofProphethood.’ (Masnad Ahmad)

From this prophecy of the HolyProphet(sa) it is clear that theKhilafat which would come intobeing after him would consist oftwo eras - one would followimmediately after his death andbetween that and the otherwould intervene a period ofsuppressive, oppressive and cruelregimes. On the demise of theHoly Pr o p h e t( s a ), that blessedinstitution of Khilafat wasestablished as prophesied. It wasto be re-established only with theadvent of the Promised Messiah(as)

and Holy Founder of theAhmadiyya Movement in Islam.

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Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad( a s )

of Qadian, was a faithful servantof Allah and a devoted follower ofthe Holy Pr o p h e t( s a ). He claimedthat he had been appointed byAllah Almighty as the voicearticulate of this age; that he isthe Messiah foretold in theTraditions of the Holy Pr o p h e t( s a )

and the Mahdi promised in hisSayings. He claimed that theprophecies contained in all thedifferent religious books aboutthe advent of a Divine Messengerin the latter days have also beenfulfilled in his person; that Godhas raised him for the advocacyand promulgation of Islam in ourtime; that God has granted himinsight into the Holy Qur’an andrevealed to him its innermostmeaning and truth.

By his work, his message and hisexample, he glorified the HolyPr o p h e t( s a ) and demonstrated thesuperiority of Islam over otherreligions so that the HolyPr o p h e t( s a ) could be accepted asthe Seal of the Prophets by all thepeoples of the world. At a timewhen fanaticism, obscurantismand bigotry had become thehallmark of Muslim thinking, hedisplayed before the wonderingeyes of seekers after truth, a vast

and seemingly limitless treasuryof knowledge, philosophy andwisdom from the Holy Qur’ a n .The moral and spiritual valuesinculcated by the Holy Qur’an andillustrated in their perfection bythe Holy Pr o p h e t( s a ) were revivedby him, so that men could profitnot only from his precept but alsofrom his example.

On his demise, obituaries fromopen-minded Muslims and non-Muslims alike paid rich tribute tohis messianic qualities, purity andrighteousness. However, hisunthinking opponents rejoiced inhis death hoping that what theyconsidered a grave heresy wouldnow die a natural death and berelegated to history.

At that critical hour, his mostdevoted follower – an eminentdivine, a reputed physician, adiscerning mystic and a scholasticcommentator on the Holy Qur’an -was unanimously elected to theoffice of Khalifatul Masih. By thegrace of Allah, in that capacity henavigated the ship of Ahmadiyyatto safe waters fully safeguardingit from disintegration. His name,Nooruddeen, that is, theBrilliance of Faith, was synony-mous to his brilliant services inthe name of faith.

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Hadhrat Maulvi Nooruddeen(ra) h a da living faith in Allah Almighty andrelied on Him totally for all hisneeds. As Khalifatul Masih, hisrole was variegated and multi-faceted. In spite of his indifferenthealth, he would carry out hismanifold functions with a benigncountenance displaying anenviable devotion to duty. Hewould diagnose and prescribe foreach of his patients, givedirectives, advise and counsel tooffice bearers, hold lectures onthe Holy Qur’an, Ahadeeth andIslamic Thought, dictateresponses in refutation of thecritics of Islam and deliberateprojects for the propagation ofIslam. But his most importantdistinction was his unerringmaintenance and fortification ofthe institution of Khilafat in theface of persistent opposition fromhis dissenters who sought toundermine his authority andcreate disorder in the Community.Nothing and no one could affecteither his high resolve or theurbanity of his disposition. In aloud and unambiguous voice heproclaimed: ‘I declare with allthe emphasis at my command andcall Allah to witness that I shallnot discard the robe with whichHe has invested me.’

On his demise, that robe ofKhilafat was bestowed uponHadhrat Mirza BashiruddeenMahmood Ahmad( r a ). HadhratKhalifatul Masih II( r a ) was thePromised Son of the Pr o m i s e dMessiah. His birth was infulfilment of a glorious prophecyof the Promised Messiah that hewould be granted a son whosequalities and excellence would betruly outstanding. He was electedto the exalted office of KhalifatulMasih at the tender age of 25 and,by the grace of Allah, his tenureof office was blessed withenormous success beyond the paleof expression. With extremelylimited funds, he guided thecommunity to previously unfath-omable heights. Notable amongthe numerous schemes helaunched are the Ta h r i k - e - J a d i dand Wa q f - e - J a d i d which havebeen instrumental in establishingthe Community in almost allcountries of the world. It was hisunique genius that launched theauxiliary associations so thattoday all members of theC o m m u n i t y, under the auspices oftheir particular association, arebound together in affectionateties of brotherhood and sisterhoodand carry out programs designedto inculcate moral and spiritualv a l u e s .

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Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II( r a )

established the M a j l i s - e - S h u r awithin the Community, aconsultative body that meetsannually to deliberate and advisethe Khalifa on important policymatters. The Qadha Board, ajudicial system, providing theCommunity with a very fair,economical and dignified way forits members to settle theirinternal disputes, in accordancewith Islamic law and juris-prudence, was set up by him. Heinitiated Jalsa Seerat-un-Nabi a n dReligious Founders’ Days tocelebrate the life of the HolyPr o p h e t(sa) and the lives of allfounders of great religions.

Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II(ra) a l s oshowed a keen understanding ofcomplex political and social issuessuccessfully guiding the com-munity through two fearsomeworld wars and a migration e nm a s s e to Pakistan after the 1947partition of the Indian sub-continent from where he startedthe whole city of Rabwah fromabsolute scratch in a mostinhospitable land.

His books and pamphlets whichnumber more than 200 exposehim as an eminent divine and anexpert diagnostician of eternal

verities. The greatest blessing ofhis Khilafat, perhaps, is hismagnum opus, the Ta s f e e r- e -K a b e e r, an exhaustivecommentary on the Holy Qur’ a n .This ten thousand-page com-mentary contains a deep esotericunderstanding and exposition ofthousands of spiritual truths andhidden secrets, many of whichhad never been presented before.

His Khilafat, spanning two andfifty years, truly represents agolden period in the history ofAhmadiyyat and of Islam. In spiteof manifold duties andmultifarious engagements, hestrove hard to maintain theCommunity at the highest level ofa c t i v i t y, both in respect of self-improvement and in respect ofpropagating the message of Islam.For this purpose, he called in aidall his great talents; he hadrecourse to continuous advice,exhortation and admonition; heset a high and shining personalexample and spent a good part ofhis nights in earnest supplicationto the Divine.

When Hadhrat Khalifatul MasihI I( r a ) passed away, his eldest son,Hadhrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad(ra) w a selected as Khalifatul Masih III.During his seventeen years of

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Khilafat, with his unique admin-istrative ability and his distinctiveplans of far-reaching benefits, hewas able to strengthen andexpand the Communityr e m a r k a b l y. Some of the salientfeatures of his Khilafat includethe Fazle Umar F o u n d a t i o n, topromote activities in the field ofresearch work, education,missionary engagements andeconomic welfare of theCommunity and the Nusrat JehanS c h e m e under which scores ofschools and hospitals have beenestablished in West Africa, purelyfor the service of humanity andwithout any profit motives.Through the success of thisscheme, millions of Africans haveembraced Ahmadiyyat and stillcontinue to do so. But perhaps hewould be remembered most forthat simple yet highly pragmaticmodus vivendi he bequeathed theC o m m u n i t y, namely, the motto:Love for All, Hatred for None.

Today we are passing through thegolden era of Hadhrat KhalifatulMasih IV. He, like his pre-decessors, has, under Divinedirection, launched variousschemes to mobilise theCommunity efforts for the globalspread of Islam. During his tenureof office which, on 10th June

2002, completed a glorious 20years, the Community has beenextraordinarily blessed with itsmembership growing from 10 toan amazing 150 million world-wide. Under his directives,thousands of mosques, missionhouses, clinics, hospitals, schoolsand colleges dedicated to theservice of Islam have beenestablished. Homeopathic dispen-saries have been set up all overthe world, under his auspices,providing millions with cures tovarious ailments free of charge.Among his numerous books is histhesis, Revelation, Rationality,Knowledge and Tr u t h which hasbeen acclaimed as perhaps thegreatest literary achievement ofthe last century. His devotion tothe Holy Qur’an is confirmed byhis personal supervision ofnumerous translations and accu-rate revisions of translations ofthe Holy Qur’an in diverselanguages, he himself producing afluid translation and commentaryin the Urdu language.

Muslim Television Ahmadiyya, thew o r l d ’s first global satelliteMuslim broadcasting channelsimultaneously providing livetranslations in up to eightlanguages, was the brainchild ofHadhrat Khalifatul Masih IV. It is

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impossible to enumerate all theblessings that MTA Internationalhas brought in its wake. Itprovides, to a global audience, aninvaluable source of knowledge, itteaches various languages,discusses various topical issuesand their relation to the moraland spiritual well-being of manand, in general, is essentialviewing for students of religionand philosophy every-where. Thekey to its success is without doubtthe personal appearance ofKhalifatul Masih in many of theprogrammes so that Muslims andnon-Muslims alike from the worldover can benefit from his broadknowledge, wisdom andpercipience. It is through MTAthat we have been able to witnesshistoric scenes like theInternational Bai’at Ceremony atthe Annual InternationalConvention of the AhmadiyyaMuslim Community where, in oneyear alone, up to 81 million newAhmadi Muslims from over ahundred nations of the worldsimultaneously took the oath ofallegiance at the hands ofHadhrat Khalifatul Masih throughlive satellite transmission.

It should be patently obvious bynow that Khilafat is not only avery blessed institution but also a

very important institution of Islamand unquestionably calls for thehighest degree of obedience. AKhalifa is elected through the Wi l lof Allah but by the act of thebelievers. In other words, at thatcritical hour when the election ofa Khalifa is due, the minds anddeliberations of the faithful areguided by Allah Almighty to theappointment of His choice.Inasmuch as the Khalifa is electedin accordance with the DivineWill, disobedience to him is infact tantamount to the dis-obedience of Allah and, by thesame token, obedience to AllahAlmighty and obedience to theoffice of Khilafat are simply theobverse and reverse of the samecoin.

This, in itself, is a necessary andsufficient condition for thecontinuation of this great Divineinstitution. In a communityotherwise showered with so manyDivine blessings, Khilafat isundeniably the most importantbounty to the members of theAhmadiyya Movement in Islam.The Khalifa plays a pivotal role inuniting all members of theCommunity under one banner. Toall members he is, at all times, adeeply loving father to whom theycan look up to for guidance,

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advice and encouragement, to allintelligent and reasonable peopleof goodwill he proves himself awise friend and counsellor and tothe afflicted he is, withoutdiscrimination, a ready source ofcomfort, consolation and relief.

It is only through the blessings ofKhilafat and through Divine Gracethat Islam has made progress inthe past as it continues to dotoday and, Allah willing, w i l lcontinue to do for years andcenturies to come. Prophethood isa seed after which the instru-mentality of Khilafat spreads itsmunificence throughout theworld. After the Holy Prophet ofI s l a m( s a ), through the devotedworks of the rightly guidedKhulafa, Islam spread throughoutthe then known world. To d a y,under the guidance of theKhalifatul Masih, the AhmadiyyaMovement in Islam is spreadingand spreading exponentially allaround the world, despite all theefforts of hostile fanatics, bothindividual and governmental,whose purported objective is ofexterminating Ahmadiyyat fromthe surface of the earth.

Through the blessed institutionof Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya, thepromise of Allah in the Holy

Q u r’an: ‘He will surely establishfor them their religion which Hehas chosen for them’ is beingfulfilled. The days are fastapproaching when we shallobserve the unification ofmankind under the banner ofIslam and we shall witness thefinal and universal manifestationof the Unity of Allah.

R e f e r e n c e s :

1 . O r t h o d o x y, used here tocharacterise Muslims of non-Ahmadi persuasion, is only infollowing the sociological usage toindicate the majority group. Itdoes not, in any normative,suggest heterodoxy on the part theAhmadiyya Community.

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It is a sad fact that generations ofEuropean writers have presentedIslam to the Western audience inthe most negative manner. In theworks of an overwhelming major-ity of European writers, Islam isportrayed as a religion with deepmoral faults, preaching violenceand extremism.

Admittedly from time to time afresh start has been attemptedby some fair-minded We s t e r nEuropeans ready to look at thereligion of Islam with objectivityand honesty. However, moreoften than not, their views arenegated by overwhelmingnegative publicity in the media.

September 11th, 2001 is still freshin our minds. This awesometragedy perpetrated by a fewfanatics for their political gainshad nothing whatsoever to dowith Islam. Many decent peoplearound the world who saw theevent unfold in front of their eyeson TV screens felt the same way,irrespective of their religiousb a c k g r o u n d .

No true Muslim can ever condone

this act of terrorism. Islamexpressly forbids suicide,genocide, fratricide and anykilling of innocent people.Sanctity of life is guaranteed inIslam as laid down in Article 3 ofthe Universal Declaration onHuman Rights: ‘Everyone has theright to life, liberty and securityof person.’ Suicide bombing andrelated acts of terrorism have noplace in the Islamic teachings andwhoever uses the name of Islamto justify such acts, commits acalumny of grossest proportions.

September 11th took our politi-cians by complete surprise andtheir initial reaction was ofuncertainty and confusion.Various statements were made inthe heat of the moment and laterwithdrawn. Luckily, the generalpublic is much more mature andnot as gullible as the media thinksand they refused to believe everyword that was printed in themedia or uttered by thepoliticians. They want to knowthe truth and they want to knowabout Islam. The new awarenessof the people imposes a greatresponsibility on us that we

Islam and Human RightsRafiq Hayat – Amir UK


Islam and Human Rights

furnish them with honestinformation about the true Islam.

All the histories of civilisationwritten in the Western mediamention a thousand years as DarkAges, conveniently omitting thatduring that period the Islamiccivilisation had brought about atremendous revolution in allspheres of life. The arts,philosophy, humanities, sciencesand medicine flourished in thatage, from which the latercivilisations benefited.

The same is true with the issue ofhuman rights. World historyrecords that December 10th 1948was a landmark in the march ofhuman civilisation when theUnited Nations proclaimed theUniversal Declaration of HumanRights. No one can deny thecredit that is due to the UnitedNations because it was the firsttime ever when the consensus ofthe contemporary nations of theworld, for once unanimouslyagreed to give the dignity andassurance to human race thatthey possess inviolable funda-mental rights. With 30 articles,this Charter is one of the mostcomprehensive in assuring theequality of man without anyprejudice to colour, creed and

race. 1400 years ago, AllahA l m i g h t y, through His DivineCommandments revealed themost comprehensive Charter ofHuman Rights in the Holy Qur’anthrough the Prophet of Islam (sa).

It is impossible in such a shortarticle to quote the Qur’ a n i cinjunctions to show that all 30Articles of the Declaration havebeen mentioned in detail. Let ustake the very fundamentalArticles 1 and 2 that lay stress onthe freedom, equality and dignityof man.

It is a unique feature of Islamthat it holds all faiths in respectand reverence. Islam bases itselfon the truth that the Divineguidance has been promised toman throughout the ages.Muslims believe that all greatfaiths had the same divine originand must therefore be respected.Belief and respect of all the pastprophets of God is part of faithfor every Muslim. Allah Almightysays in the Holy Qur’an:

Say ye! We believe in Allahand what has been revealedto us and what was revealedto Abraham and Ishmael andIsaac and Jacob and hischildren, and what was given



to Moses and Jesus and whatwas given to all the Prophetsfrom their Lord. We make nodifference between any ofthem and to Him we submitourselves. (Ch.2: v.137)

Again the Holy Qur’an stresses:

And We caused Jesus, son ofM a r y, to follow in theirfootsteps, fulfilling thatwhich was revealed beforehim in the Torah; and We gavehim the Gospel whichcontained guidance and light,fulfilling that which wasrevealed before it in theTorah… (Ch.5: v.47)

Belief in all the Holy Booksstresses the common origin ofman having been created by thecommon Creator and thediversity that we observe allaround us is part of the DivineDesign and is, indeed, anexpression of Divine Wisdom. TheHoly Qur’an says:

And among His Signs is thecreation of the heavens andthe earth and the diversity ofyour tongues and colours. Inthat surely are Signs for thosewho possess knowledge.(Ch.30: v.23)

This diversity reflects therichness in Allah’s creation andmust not be seen as an indicationof inferiority, which confersspecial privileges to some at theexpense of others.

O mankind, We have createdyou from a male and a femaleand We have made you intotribes and sub-tribes that youmay recognise one another.Ve r i l y, the most honourableamong you in the sight ofAllah is he who is the mostrighteous among you. SurelyAllah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Ch.49: v.14)

Part of diversity in the divinescheme is the diversity of man’sintellect. This leads, among otherthings to diversity of faith andcreed. This has often beenconsidered a source of conflict. Ifwe follow the Qur’anic teachings,this conflict should not arise. Nocompulsion is permissible in sovital a matter as the funda-mentals of faith. It is part of thedignity with which man has beenendowed by his Maker that hisconscience must be free. By itsvery nature, it cannot becompelled. It is proclaimed bythe Holy Qur’an unequivocally:



There should be nocompulsion in religion.S u r e l y, right has becomedistinct from wrong. (Ch.2: v.257)

And say, ‘It is the truth isfrom your Lord; wherefore lethim who will, believe, and lethim who will, disbelieve.(Ch.18: v.30)

S u r e l y, if anyone rejects thetruth, he suffers thedisadvantage. But whateverdisadvantage he may suffer, hecannot be forced in the matter ofhis choice. This is the mostfundamental freedom given 1400years ago; and if there is to beany hope of peace betweenmankind, this freedom must bescrupulously observed. The HolyQur’an goes so far in establishingthis freedom that it proclaimsthat even God Himself, Whoindeed possesses the power to doso, would not force anyone in thematter of conscience. Whatever aperson does in this respect mustcome from his free choice.

Let me, therefore, send thismessage to all the Muslimcountries who deny this funda-mental injunction of AllahAlmighty, that they should revise

their policies. Otherwise theylose the right to call themselvesMuslim nations.

It is an enduring characteristic ofthe Holy Qur’an and Islamicteachings that all issues areaddressed at the very funda-mental and basic levels: equalityof man, freedom of thought,freedom of faith etc. The HolyQur’an repeatedly draws atten-tion towards the ties of kinshipbinding humanity together inhaving created mankind of onespecies. The spirit of brotherhoodis emphasised again and againand shows from the repeatedinjunctions of the Holy Prophet(sa)

himself. He is recorded as saying,‘None of you can be a believerunless he desires for his brotherwhat he desires for himself.’ Heurged his followers, ‘Go to theaid of your brother whether hebe oppressor or oppressed.’ Onbeing asked how an oppressormay be helped, he replied, ‘Stophim from his course ofoppression.’

Similarly Islam deals with otherissues. Islam gives everyone theright to life, liberty and security.As mentioned earlier, Islamforbids suicide and infanticide.



The sanctity of life of otherpersons can be measured fromthe verse of the Holy Qur’an:

On account of this, Weprescribed for the children ofIsrael that whosoever killed aperson… it shall be as if hehad killed all mankind; andwhoso gave life to one, itshall be as if he had given lifeto all mankind. (Ch.5: v.33)

The rights of orphan arepreserved as well as of otherrelatives. The Holy Prophet(sa) ofIslam, in his last address at theoccasion of the FarewellPilgrimage in the plains of Arafat,advised and admonished,

‘ Your persons, your propertiesand your honours are declaredsacred like the sanctity attachedto this day, this month and thisplace. Let them not be violated!’(Hanbal V, p411) This farewelladdress of the Holy Prophet(sa) is acomplete Charter of HumanRights stressing the equality ofman irrespective of colour, creedor race. It lays down the dutiesand obligation of one persontowards the other and even theobligations of the State towardsits people. When he concludedhis address, he charged all those

present to convey what he hadsaid to those who were unable tohear him. In his words, ‘Maybe,one who is not present today mayeven be more mindful than theone who is.’ His address isconsidered as his testament andbecause of his instructions andthe contents of this address, widepublicity continues to be given.

Article 4 of the Charter prohibitsslavery and slave trade. From thevery beginning, the Holy Prophet

of Islamsa looked at the slaveryand slave trade with distaste andabhorrence and he took thestrongest measures to eliminatethis loathsome practice. Oneneeds to look at the historical,political and social perspectivebefore realising the importanceof abolition of this form ofservitude from the society of the7th century. The Holy Qur’an isreplete with injunctions aboutthe abhorrence of slavery and therights of prisoners of war. Evenmaking war on others is strictlyforbidden except when it is indefence to repel or halt theaggression. Even during thefighting, Muslims are forbidden touse unduly aggressive means.

Fight in the cause of Allahagainst those who fight



against you but do nottransgress. Surely, Allah lovesnot the transgressors. (Ch.2: v.191)

Muslims are often portrayed asviolent and war mongering. Thefact is that Muslims are onlypermitted to take up arms indefence of freedom of conscienceand when their rights are violated.As the Holy Qur’an lays down:

Permission to fight is given tothose against whom war ismade, because they havebeen wronged - and Allahindeed has power to helpthem – those who have beendriven out from their homesunjustly, only because theysaid, ‘Our Lord is Allah’. Andif Allah did not repel somemen by means of others,there would surely have beenpulled down cloisters andchurches and synagogues andmosques wherein the name ofAllah is oft commemorated.And Allah will surely help onewho helps Him. Allah isindeed powerful, Mighty.(Ch.22: v.40-41)

Muslims never indulge in warmongering. They are only allowedto defend themselves. Their J i h a d

is always a defensive war againstthose who declare war on them.

S i m i l a r l y, Islam lays down thelaws about dispensation ofjustice. It lays down duties forthe litigants and strict rules forthe Judges. Islam providessafeguards against the arbitraryuse of executive or adminis-trative power. There are checksand balances in every dimensionof life that has been covered bythe Articles of the Charter ofHuman Rights.

Article 16 of the Declarationelaborates on the rights of menand women. I would like to dilateon the distorted European view ofthe position of women in Islam. Itis erroneously presumed thatwomen have no rights in a Muslimsociety or that they are somehowconsidered inferior. The HolyPr o p h e t( s a ) consulted his wifeHadhrat Khadija(ra) and his laterwives and his daughters oncethey had grown up, on all aspectsof Islamic community and theyacted as advisors to the newconverts. They engaged alongsidemen in the public observance ofreligious rituals and worshippedtogether with men in themosque. Women accompaniedtheir husbands, fathers and



brothers in the battlefield againstthe enemies of Islam. There is noquestion that the first Muslimcommunity under the guidance ofthe Holy Prophet(sa) was built bymen and women. The Holy Qur’anunequivocally gives spiritualequality:

S u r e l y, men who submitthemselves to God andwomen who submit them-selves to Him, and believingmen and believing women,and obedient men andobedient women, and truth-ful men and truthful women,and men steadfast in theirfaith and steadfast women,and men who are humble andwomen who are humble, andmen who give alms andwomen who give alms, andmen who fast and women whofast, and men who guardtheir chastity and women whoguard their chastity, and menwho remember Allah muchand women who rememberHim – Allah has prepared forall of them forgiveness and agreat reward. (Ch.33: v.36)

Muslim women were given theentitlements to those rights 1400years ago that have been laiddown in Article 16 of the Charter.

They were entitled to ownershipand were permitted to inheritproperty and wealth in their ownrights without any encumbrance.This facility was denied to womenof Europe until recently. Muslimwomen were granted equal rightsof consent in the matter of theirmarriage and divorce. In factwomen are considered equal in allrespects. All this is fully realisedin the Canon Law. But God, in Hiswisdom has equipped themdifferently for the fulfilment oftheir role in the society. Instructure and physique, man isstronger than woman, who is moredelicate and possesses greaters e n s i t i v i t y. Were it not so therewould have been little cause ofattraction between the two. AsAllah says in the Holy Qur’ a n :

And one of His Signs is this,that He has created wives foryou from among yourselvesthat you may find peace ofmind in them, and He has putlove and tenderness betweenyou. In that surely are Signsfor a people who reflect.(Ch.30: v.22)

The measure that has been takenby the Europeans to be thesymbol of women’s inferior statusis the veil. Special rules applied



to the wives of the HolyProphet(sa) against the intrusion ofthe curious, but for women ingeneral, the Holy Qur’an sayssimply that they should drawtheir head-dress over theirbosoms or pull close tothemselves part of their dresseswhen in presence of men fromoutside their family.

And say to the believingwomen that they restraintheir eyes and guard theirprivate parts, and they notdisplay their beauty andembellishments except thatwhich is apparent thereof,and that they draw their headcovers over their bosoms, andthat they display not theirbeauty and embellishmentsave to their husbands…(Ch.24: v. 32)

O Prophet! tell your wivesand your daughters, and thewomen of the believers, thatthey should pull down uponthem of their outer cloaksfrom their heads over theirfaces. That is more likely thatthey may thus be recognisedand not molested. And Allahis Most Forgiving, Merciful.(Ch.33: v. 60)

The wording and commandments

amount to little more than arequirement to dress modestly –something, it must be added, isexpected of men as well:

Say to the believing men thatthey restrain their eyes andguard their private parts.That is purer for them.Surely, Allah is well aware ofwhat they do. (Ch. 24: v. 31)

Another issue is Article 25 of theDeclaration. It declares thateveryone has a right to a standardof living adequate and worthy ofhuman dignity including food,clothing, housing, sanitation andmedical care. Although thesociety has set up institutions toovercome poverty and disparityamong different nations, amongthe affluent and the destitute,the gap has widened and createdan unpleasant divide between theso-called North and South. In the1 9 6 0 ’s our hopes were raisedwhen Premier Heath andChancellor Kohl took thisinitiative within the EuropeanUnion to close this gap. However,almost twenty-five years later thesituation has only deterioratedand the gap has increased. Thepoor nations, instead of pros-pering, have been weighed down



with interest incurred on theirdebts. There are too manyreasons for the defective orrather ineffective result of theseaids and assistance.

Developed countries have doublestandards and tend to exploitpoor nations through their aidprograms. Some of the problemsin Africa, especially where theyexperience drought, can beresolved simply and with minimalexpenditure. A British MP hasmentioned of his visit to BurkinaFaso that he was surprised to seethe projects being undertaken bythe Ahmadiyya Muslim Communityin remote areas where we areinstalling tube wells to supplywater for irrigation projects. Eachwell costs approximately $3000and can support up to 300individuals. Therefore, if theWest truly wanted to assist poordrought ridden African countriessurely as an initial step, theyshould be investing in suchprojects rather than sendingsacks of maize stamped with USAjust to get media attention.

If politicians are sincere then theyshould divert attention to thesebasic requirements of the thirdworld and unless we can addressthis inequity and provide proper

aid, we would continue to seeconflict in the world.

Islam put the first effectiveconcept of the Welfare State.Within a few years of theorganisation of the first IslamicState, the provisions of basicnecessities were assured. TheHoly Pr o p h e t ’s( s a ) exhortations andhis own example had infused asense of brotherhood that sharingeverything, even in the face ofa d v e r s i t y, became a uniqueMuslim characteristic. The HolyQ u r’an bears witness to thispractice. Of the Ansars of Medinaand early refugee settlers, it says:

And those who hadestablished their homes inthis city before them and hadaccepted faith, love thosewho come to them for refugeand find not in their breastsany desire for that which isgiven them…… (Ch.59: v.10)

It is the measure of thisremarkable sharing andbrotherliness that by the time ofthe Abbasid Khilafat, there washardly anyone in the IslamicEmpire, Muslim or non-Muslim,who was in need of any charity.This revolution is indeed the proof



of the effectiveness of the Islamicvalues, as laid down in the HolyQ u r’an and explained by the HolyPr o p h e t(sa). The basic objectivesof this Article can be achieved atmacro level to a high degreeunder Islamic teachings. Sharing,rather than lending on highinterest and aiding by educatingand relieving poverty by buildinginfrastructure for essentialsupplies would be the answer.

There are 30 Articles in theCharter of Human Rights but theycover only certain aspects ofhuman life and man’s relationshipwith man. But all this requireslegislation, administrative andjudicial powers to be imple-mented.

Religion goes far beyond theselimited ideals. Religion tries toconcern itself with totality of life– life in this world and in theHereafter. The religion of Islamaddresses the problems of manmore comprehensively thanordinary declarations can. TheHoly Qur’an, in dealing with allissues of life is unique in that itstreasures are inexhaustible. TheHoly Qur’an rightly claims:

And if all the trees that are inthe earth were pens and the

ocean were ink, with sevenoceans swelling it thereafter,the words of Allah would notbe exhausted…. (Ch.31: v.28)

The message of the Holy Qur’an isfor all times and for all people.That is why Allah has promised tosafeguard and preserve themessage. The Holy Prophet ofI s l a m( s a ) realised that themessage, however compre-hensive and pristine, may getdistorted by human short-comings. That is why he gave theassurance that Allah wouldcontinue to raise someone amonghis people, at the beginning ofeach century, to revive andresurrect the faith. The HolyQur’an also assures us:

He it is Who has raised amongthe Unlettered people aMessenger from among them-selves who recites unto themHis Signs and purifies themand teaches them the Bookand wisdom, although theyhad been, before, in manifestmisguidance. And amongothers from among them whohave not yet joined them. Heis the Mighty, the Wise. Thatis Allah’s Grace; He bestows iton whom He pleases; and



Allah is the Master ofimmense grace. (Ch.62: v.3-5)

The verse forecasts the advent ofa prophet among the Muslims.This prophecy was fulfilled in theperson of Hadhrat Ahmad(as) ofQadian, who under Divinerevelation claimed himself to bethe Promised Messiah, theAwaited One, in all religions.Thus his advent fulfilled thepromised rebirth of Islam asdescribed in the Holy Qur’an:

And among His Signs is this:that you see the earth driedup, but when We send downwater on it, it stirs and swellswith verdure. Surely, He Whoquickened it, can quicken thedead. Verily He has powerover all things. (Ch.41: v.40)

We notice the growth of verdurein the Islamic world, indeed in thewhole world and perceptible andimperceptible changes have beentaking place. Islamic society has along way to go before it can claimto observe all the articles ofhuman rights as laid down in theHoly Qur’an. That change willcome about not with force, notwith coercion, not with violencebut with love, with persuasion andwith a change of heart. This is the

mission entrusted to the Pr o m i s e dM e s s i a h( a s ). The message of theHoly Prophet of Islam( s a ) was offriendship and unity. Similarly themessage of the Pr o m i s e dM e s s i a h( a s ) is one of love and amityand hatred does not feature in theplans of Islamic revival. Werespect the freedom ofconscience of people belonging toany religion – Sikhism, Hinduism,Christianity or Judaism.

But there is a message for othersas well. It is high time thatconfrontation gave way to mutualrespect and tolerance. Unless theWest begins to form a moresympathetic and wholesome viewof true Islam, the medievalrancour will continue, breedinghatred, violence and turmoil. Ifthe West learns to respect theHoly Pr o p h e t( s a ) and the religion ofIslam, it can hope to be respectedin return. It is hoped thiscontribution will go some waytowards the building of thisunderstanding. All praise belongsto Allah, the Lord of the Universe.

The author is the NationalPresident of the Ahmadiyya MuslimCommunity in the UK and theformer Editor of the Review ofReligions and the former Chairmanof MTA International.

O ye who believe! fasting isprescribed for you, as it wasprescribed for those beforeyou, so that you maybecome righteous. Theprescribed fasting is for afixed number of days, butwhoso among you is sick or ison a journey shall fast thesame number of other days;and for those who are ableto fast only with greatdifficulty is an expiation -the feeding of a poor man.And whoso performs a goodwork with willing obedi-ence, it is better for him.And fasting is good for you,if you only knew. The monthof Ramadan is that in whichthe Qur’an was sent down asa guidance for mankind withclear proofs of guidance anddiscrimination. Therefore,

whosoever of you is presentat home in this month, lethim fast therein. But whosois sick or is on a journey,shall fast the same numberof other days. Allah desiresto give you facility anddesires not hardship for you,and that you may completethe number, and that youmay exalt Allah for Hishaving guided you, and thatyou may be grateful. Andwhen my servants ask theeabout Me, say: I am near. Ianswer the prayer of thesupplicant when he prays toMe. So they should hearkento Me and believe in Me,that they may follow theright way.(Ch.2: v.184-187)


Ramadan – Part 1

Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad – Translated by Khalilur Rahman Mullick and HamidaFarooqui. Transcribed by Fauzia Bajwa

Shortly, Muslims will embark on a month of fasting, abstaining from foodand drink during daylight hours for a period of thirty days. The holy monthof Ramadhan has great signif-icance in the Muslim calendar. What followsis a synopsis of a series of Friday sermons, originally delivered in Urdu byHadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, discussing the philosophy and importance offasting. The Editorial Board takes full responsibility for any errors that mayhave occurred in the process of translation and transcription.

The above verses can betranslated in various ways.When a river passes through anarrow place, its depth is notvisible; but when it reaches anestuary and spreads far andwide, one becomes aware of thelarge quantity of water in ther i v e r. Similarly with the word ofAllah, a verse may apparentlyhave a narrow and restrictedmeaning, but when interpretedcorrectly it is seen to encompassa wide array of subjects.

The Arabic word Yu t e e q u i sderived from the word t a q a t o rp o w e r. When it is used in thisform of the verb, it carries botha positive and negativeconnotation, and has to beinterpreted according to thecontext. Yu t e e q u n a h u m e a n sthose people who have thepower and ability, Yu t e e q u n ameans those people who do nothave the power and ability. Inthe context of these verses, thequestion that now arises is: thepower and ability to do what? Inother words, a determinationhas to be made as to where thepreposition ‘ h u ’ applies. Thefast and the expiation (f i d y a)are mentioned alongside eachother - is Yu t e e q u n a h u to be

applied to the fast or to theexpiation? Or could it apply toboth? One possible interpre-tation is that those people whohave the capability to pay f i d y ashould do so, but it is notobligatory on everyone. It is adeed which is recommended,but is not compulsory, as is thefast. If a person is able, heshould pay f i d y a as well asobserve the fast, and in thisinterpretation Yu t e e q u n a h uapplies to both fasting andexpiation. Another interpre-tation would be linked to thefast - those who have thestrength to fast, but findthemselves in circumstancesthat prevent them from doing so- such people should pay f i d y a.Here, Yu t e e q u n a h u applies justto the fast. The Pr o m i s e dM e s s i a h( a s ) has stated that f i d y aenables the person who cannotfast during Ramadan to fast at alater date; in other words, it is away of seeking Allah’s help infulfilling the obligations of thefast. Again, linking Yu t e e q u n a h uonly to the fast, the meaningwould be that those with theability should fast (duringRamadan), but if they cannotafford to pay the fidya, they areunder no obligation to do so.

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Now, to go onto the negativeconnotation i.e. Yuteequna, inthis context the applicationwould only be to fasting, not tofidya. In other words, those whoare unable to fast due to long-term illnesses should gainconsolation by paying f i d y a;they will then benefit fromsome of the blessings ofRamadan. So in summary,depending on his circumstances,a person may fast and pay fidya,or fast and not pay fidya, ordefer the fast and pay fidyaduring Ramadan, or, being along-term patient, just payfidya.

The above verses say: ‘fasting isbetter for you, if only youknew.’ So the conclusion is thatof all the options offered,fasting is the best option. Allother virtues will be blessedwith ample rewards, none willgo unnoticed by Allah. But oneshould not take the fast lightly,and should not look for excusesto avoid fasting. Fidya is not analternate to the fast, unless oneis suffering from a long-termillness.

Allah states that Ramadan is themonth in which the Holy Qur’ a n

was revealed. Whencommentators reflect on this,they are perplexed by the factthat the Holy Qur’an wasrevealed over a number of years,not in the short period of thirtydays. This Qur’anic statementcan be interpreted in a variety ofways. For example, it could referto the fact that the revelation ofthe Qur’an commenced in themonth of Ramadan while theHoly Prophet Muhammad( s a ) w a smeditating in the Cave Hira.Another possible meaning is thatevery Ramadan, the angelGabriel would repeat the HolyQ u r’an with the Pr o p h e tM u h a m m a d( s a ). In those days theQ u r’an was not recorded in bookform, and even to this day,memorisation relies on repeti-tion. So, during Ramadan theangel Gabriel would ask theProphet Muhammad( s a ) to repeatthe Qur’an to the extent that ithad been revealed. Anotherschool of thought is thatRamadan captures the essenceof the Qur’anic teachings, andhence is the month whichprovides a synopsis of theQ u r’ a n .

The Qur’an is described in theseverses as a guidance for

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mankind, and as its revelationtook place in Ramadan, there isa deep link between this holymonth and guidance. Now thisraises an interesting point. Theverses here are addressing onlythe believers, so how canRamadan be described as aguidance for the whole ofmankind? The answer can befound in these very verses,where it is stated that previousgenerations had also beencommanded to fast. It is the lawof Allah that all nations whoreceived revelation from Allahwere commanded to fast in oneform or another with the initialinstructions being issued inRamadan. The Ka’aba is alsodescribed by the Qur’an as aguidance for mankind.O r i g i n a l l y, the whole of mankindbelonged to the faith of theProphet Abraham ( r a ), and the

Ka’aba was their place ofgathering. Later, differencesarose, but ultimately the wholeof mankind is destined to be re-united under the banner ofIslam, and hence Ramadanbecomes a guidance for thewhole of mankind. The Qur’an isthe perfect and complete guide,and a unique feature ofRamadan is that the HolyProphet Muhammad( s a ) has laiddown very comprehensiveinstructions regarding theconduct of man during this holymonth. Prior to this, no otherreligions were given such adetailed code of conduct forfasting. The Holy Qur’an is abook which presents the mostillustrious signs and theRamadan described thereintakes man to his highest stageand grants him distinction byproviding him with over-

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TH E QU R’A N I S D E S C R I B E D I N T H E S E V E R S E S A S A G U I D A N C E F O R

M A N K I N D, A N D A S I T S R E V E L AT I O N TO O K P L A C E I N R A M A D A N, T H E R E

I S A D E E P L I N K B E T W E E N T H I S H O LY M O N T H A N D G U I D A N C E. N O W T H I S

R A I S E S A N I N T E R E S T I N G P O I N T. T H E V E R S E S H E R E A R E A D D R E S S I N G

O N LY T H E B E L I E V E R S, S O H O W C A N R A M A D A N B E D E S C R I B E D A S A

G U I D A N C E F O R T H E W H O L E O F M A N K I N D? T H E A N S W E R C A N B E F O U N D

I N T H E S E V E RY V E R S E S, W H E R E I T I S S TAT E D T H AT P R E V I O U S

G E N E R AT I O N S H A D A L S O B E E N C O M M A N D E D TO FA S T.

whelming arguments. So t h eteachings of the Holy Qur’an andthe Ramadan presented in theQ u r’an provides general guid-ance as well as guidance of amuch higher status, and this hasbeen called the ‘clear proofs ofg u i d a n c e ’ which grant distinc-tion to the believers. All theseblessings have been broughttogether in the month ofRamadan. Having put forward allthe arguments in favour ofRamadan, Allah again issues aninvitation to partake of fasting.It is as if Allah is saying ‘Now youunderstand how magnificent thismonth is, We once again adviseyou to fast.’

Some people are commanded toabstain from fasting and they arethose who are journeying andthose who are sick. They are toldto defer the fast until they areable to undertake the rigours offasting. The philosophy of pietyis not that Allah places people inhardship for the sake ofsuffering. During the fast, onedoes suffer but suffering in itselfis not virtue and is not what isaimed for. Rather, it is seekingthe pleasure of Allah that isvirtue. If one has to beardifficulties in the pursuit of

virtue then that virtue is of ahigher order. Next, these verses commandmankind to exalt Allah for theguidance that He has given asthis will enable them to becomegrateful to Him. Ultimately, thegoal of fasting and every otherform of worship is to attainnearness to Allah. In theseverses, Allah informs those of Hisworshippers who ask after Him,that ‘I am near. ’ Although Allahis present everywhere, to feelHis presence man needs todevelop certain spiritual pow-ers. First and foremost, manmust decide that he sincerelywants to reach his Lord; then hemust supplicate to Allah withlove and humility and he willfind that Allah responds. Thus adialogue between man and hisCreator is established whichresults in him feeling close toAllah. But man must pay heed toAllah only then will Allahrespond to his calls. This is howthe goal of Ramadan is reached.

Having discussed the impor-tance of fasting and the blessingsof Ramadan, Allah then says‘believe in Me’. Now the wholediscussion began with an addressto the believers, so why is it

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concluded with this appeal? Theanswer is that having undergonethe rigours of fasting, faith takeson a new colour. First oneundertakes a journey towardso n e ’s Lord, one suffers hardshipfor His sake and supplicates toHim, then a dialogue isestablished between Allah andman - man feels close to Allahand this is true faith. So thejourney started with faith andresulted in a higher level offaith. Those who believe in Allahare guided by Allah. Thisguidance results in an increase ino n e ’s wisdom. In fact, only holypeople are truly wise. Manyworldly people are proud of theirown intellect but none of theirdecisions are made withreference to God. The decisionsthat they make sometimeshappen to coincide with the Wi l lof Allah and these prove to besuccessful. But wherever theirinterest is opposed to that ofAllah, they follow their own self-interest and the resultantbenefits are short lived. Thereare many nations who commitgrave errors in their politicaldecision-making simply becausethey are deprived of the light ofA l l a h .

There is much to be achievedduring Ramadan and only thirtydays in which to do so. On theone hand, the holy month onlylasts for a short period and onthe other hand, it comes justonce a year, and should not bewasted. It is a wonderfulopportunity to please Allah andthe hardship is minute incomparison to the blessings.Those who have true knowledgeof virtue take stock of theirweaknesses and seek forgive-ness for them.

Hadhrat Abdur Rahman binA u f( r a ) reports that the HolyProphet Muhammad( s a ) s a i d‘Ramadan has excellence overall other months and whosoeverestablishes this month with fullfaith and self analysis, his sinswill be removed without trace.’This is a great glad tiding whichis linked to these limitednumber of days, and byfollowing this formula of theHoly Prophet(sa), one is bound toavail of the blessings ofRamadan. All articles of faithshould be fulfilled, for example,performing good deeds for thesake of Allah and performingsalat are articles of faith. Self-

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analysis must be done alongsidevirtue for this safeguards virtue.Keeping a strict account ofone’s intentions will ensure thatthe spirit of Ramadan isfulfilled. Ramadan means tofind God, to take all piety to itshighest point; anything thatcontradicts the spirit ofRamadan takes one away fromrighteousness. During Ramadanit is especially important toconcentrate on worship, pietyand remembrance of Allah.

The Holy Prophet(sa) is reportedto have said that Medina is likea furnace. Iron emerges purifiedfrom a furnace but after a whilerust develops. So the HolyPr o p h e t( s a ) advised his com-panions and other Muslims tovisit Medina regularly to removethe rust that had developed as aresult of being distanced fromhis pious company. ThePromised Messiah( a s ) a l s orepeatedly invited Ahmadis tovisit Qadian and the wisdombehind this is the same as thatincluded in the words of theProphet Muhammad(sa). Muslimsare required to pray five times aday and through this repetitiveworship one is able to removeone’s impieties. Then there is

the worship of Hajj orpilgrimage to Mecca. This isobligatory and is sufficient tocleanse a person of a lifetime ofimpieties. Ramadan is repeat-ed every year and the wisdomand philosophy of Ramadanshould be rememberedalongside it. Abu Huraira( r a )

relates in Bukhari and Muslim,that the Holy Pr o p h e t(sa) s a i dthat during the month ofRamadan the gates of paradiseare thrown wide open and thegates of hell are closed andSatan is put into shackles. Thereis another Hadith which statesthat the doors of mercy areopened during Ramadan. Visiblythere are no signs of improve-ment in the moral condition ofthe world; rather than lookingexternally for signs of progressone should look inside oneself.Every man has his own universe,his own heaven and his ownearth. The above mentionedHadith is linked to this internaluniverse. A person who bringsabout changes in his inner-selfand who adopts the virtuesassociated with this month,which incidentally are madeeasy during Ramadan, the doorsof his heaven are opened andthe doors of his hell are closed.

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If this does not happen, ifRamadan has no positiveimpact, then the Hadith doesnot apply to that person’suniverse. Now, why do the gatesof paradise and mercy openmore during Ramadan incomparison to the rest of theyear? The reason is that anatmosphere of virtue and pietycomes into being during thismonth. People pay more atten-tion to worship and are moreinclined to offer sacrifices andto do good. Ramadan is a seasonin which hearts are inclinedtowards righteousness. It isimportant to avail of thisatmosphere of piety. Graduallythe doors of paradise will openand the doors of hell will close.The gates of heaven and hellmentioned in the Hadith are thegates of one’s own inner world.The shackled satans are thesatans of man’s own self. As aresult, even a pious person pro-gresses in virtue. To achievesuch progress, man is dependenton God’s Mercy. For his part manhas to struggle hard to removeimpieties from himself but hisefforts and supplications attractthe mercy of God. Abu SayedKhudri reports that the HolyPr o p h e t(sa) said that anyone who

fasts during the month ofRamadan, recognising andfulfilling all its requirements andprotecting himself from all thathe should shun (i.e. does notcommit sins), such a person’sfast becomes a recompense forhis previous lapses.

A Hadith can be found whichstate that helping a poor personbreak his fast will bringsalvation. These Ahadith musthave been falsified by Sufis andmystics - it seems a greatcontradiction that on the onehand, people are required tosuffer the strict discipline ofRamadan for salvation and onthe other hand all that isrequired of them is to help apoor person break his fast. AnyHadith which contradicts theQur’an and the nature of theHoly Pr o p h e t( s a ) should berejected. Being kind to poorpeople is virtue and to help apoor person break his fast is asymbol of piety which does notremain restricted to that onedeed. Allah rewards the vir-tuous person by enabling him todo more good, removing his sinsby a gradual process. It isreported that the HolyProphet(sa) used to spend gener-

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ously in charity but duringRamadan his charity gatheredthe strength of forceful winds.The practice of the HolyProphet(sa) was to help the poorand needy in many ways, whichincluded breaking the fast. Toignore the needs of the pooruntil the time of Iftari [endingof the fast] and then to just givethem a few morsels to eat andclaim that this will earn onesalvation is a mere fallacy.

The Holy Prophet(sa) said thateverything has a path and adoor, and the door of worship isRamadan. One interpretation ofthis Hadith is that a personunable to worship duringRamadan will be unable toworship during the rest of theyear. So the door of worship isopen. Only after passingthrough it will the gates ofheaven open. Having passedthrough the door of worship,there is no turning back. Onehas to remain steadfast.Without worship one has nospiritual life. It is the daily foodand drink for the soul andwithout it there can be nonotion of a spiritual world. Theway to be steadfast in worship isto derive pleasure from it.

People become drug addicts justfor a few kicks. To becomehabitual in worship one has toenjoy it. This can be achievedby seeking Allah’s help. Firstone has to become steadfast inprayer and then ask for Allah’shelp in finding pleasure inworship. Without discoveringthe true meaning of prayer, aperson’s life remains barren. Asa result of true worship one’sheart and whole life becomesadorned. As Allah says in theQur’an: their light walks in frontof them and becomes a guidefor others. No matter howvirtuous a person is, without aspiritual life he cannot be atpeace. Islam says that whoso-ever bows to Allah andprostrates before Him is inpeace. Although there are manynoble people among thedisbelievers, they are nonethe-less deprived of the benefits ofthe higher meanings of Islamwhich are linked to thesubmission of man to Allah.

The Holy Pr o p h e t( s a ) has said thatif a person finds peace inRamadan, then the rest of theyear will be peaceful for him. Itis like the case of a bullet firedfrom a rifle - its course is set in

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Ramadan – Part 1


the direction that the rifle pointsto. So every effort should bemade to maintain the pioushabits developed duringRamadan and one shouldcontinue on the course setduring that holy month. The restof the year would then bep e a c e f u l .

Hadhrat Abu Huraira(ra) reportsthat the Holy Prophet(sa) saidthat Allah has no need for thefast of one who does not abstainfrom ill habits or falsehoods. Aperson nullifies his fast byindulging in evil. On the onehand, people are willing toforego those things that arelawful and on the other, theyare not willing to abstain fromunlawful acts. What a contra-diction! To some extent allpeople suffer from this malady,if not in major sins then inminor sins. The most destruc-tive of diseases is the telling offalsehoods. It is an acid whichdissolves all piety. Greatproblems arise as a result ofdishonesty - divorces, businesslosses etc. One shouldundertake a Jihad againstfalsehood and uproot all seedsof dishonesty from withinoneself. A person may be

truthful in his day-to-day life,but when in a testing situation,he may lie to save his skin. Thisseed of falsehood must bedestroyed. Dishonesty is foundin many walks of life - there iswelfare fraud, the misuse ofgovernment benefits, incometax fraud etc. The thieves offalsehood hide in every man’sheart and in reality he worshipsthem more than he worshipsAllah. At a time of difficultyeven idolators call on Allah -when in a difficult position, abeliever should turn to Allahand not rely on falsehoods tosave himself. One needs toreflect upon oneself deeply,uproot dishonesty and only thencan faith in the Unity of Allahfind a place in one’s heart.Ultimately, peace is faith in theUnity of Allah.

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Ramadan – Part 1


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