So said Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

Have you any notion what was the strange event that occurred in the desert country of Arabia when hundreds of thousands of the dead were revived within a brief period and those who had been misguided through generations put on Divine color, and those who were blind obtained sight, and those who had been dumb began to speak of the understanding of the Divine, and the world underwent a revolution which had never been seen or heard of before? It was the supplications during dark nights of one who had lost himself in God which raised a clamor in the world, and manifested such wonders as appeared impossible in the case of that unlearned helpless one. Send down Thy blessings and peace, O Allah, on him and his people according to the amount of pain and anguish he felt for his Ummah, and pour down upon him the lights of Thy mercy forever.

[Barakat-ud-Du'a, Ruhani Khaza'in, Vol. 6, pp. 10-11]

I always wonder how high was the status of this Arabian Prophet, whose name was Muhammad, (thousands of blessings and peace be upon him). One cannot reach the limit of his high status and it is not given to man to estimate correctly his spiritual effectiveness. It is a pity that his rank has not been recognized, as it should have been. He was the champion who restored to the world the Unity of God which had disappeared from the world; he loved God in the extreme and his soul melted out of sympathy for mankind. Therefore, God, Who knew the secret of his heart, exalted him above all the Prophets and all the first ones and the last ones and bestowed upon him in his lifetime all that he desired.

He is the fountainhead of every grace and a person who claims any superiority without acknowledging his grace is not a man but is the spawn of Satan, because the Holy Prophet has been bestowed the key to every exaltation and he has been given the treasury of every understanding. He who does not receive through him is deprived forever. I am nothing and possess nothing. I would be most ungrateful if I were not to confess that I have learnt of the true Unity of God through this Prophet. The recognition of the Living God we have achieved through this perfect Prophet and through his light. The honor of converse with God, through which we behold His countenance, has been bestowed upon me through this great Prophet. The ray of this sun of guidance falls like sunshine upon me and I continue illumined only so long as I am adjusted towards it.

[Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Ruhani Khaza'in, Vol. 22, pp. 118-119]

To read additional excerpts about the Holy Prophet Muhammad click here

Umar Farooq: Who pioneered religious freedom for the whole of humanity!

The following is a slightly modified version of a short speech I gave in Vestal High School, New York to show that Islam is a religion of peace and that revelation has contributed in a big way to human knowledge and history.

When the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him, claimed Monotheism in the polytheistic society of Mecca they turned against him and he and his followers had to face persecution for 13 long years. He migrated to Medina but the Meccans did not leave him alone there and attacked Medina, it was in these circumstances that the following verses were revealed:

“Permission to fight is given to those against whom war is made, because they have been wronged — and Allah indeed has power to help them — Those who have been driven out from their homes unjustly only because they said, ‘Our Lord is Allah’ — And if Allah did not repel some men by means of others, there would surely have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques.” (Al Surah Al-Hajj 22:40-41)

By mentioning Churches and Synagogues before Mosques, the revelation was laying the foundation of genuine religious freedom for the whole of humanity.

To read more click here

Book Review: ‘Islamic Jerusalem and its Christians: A History of Tolerance and Tensions’

By Maher Y. Abu-Munshar

Reviewed by Rabia Mir, Canada

History saw 9/11 as that splash of color upon its canvas which altered every other color there was, redefining the very image upon the canvas. But perhaps the most profound change that 9/11 produced was one of perspective. Perspectives on Islam became abundant. What was once a faith that was indeed generally condemned but simultaneously ignored became the most provocative punching bag phenomenon. But once the shock of 9/11 passed, and the fervor of justice and vengeance died down, what came to light was an incredible introspection into the heart of Islam–into the heart of Islam and its relationship with the West.

There were many books written about Islam before 9/11 and perhaps even more since: How Islam is a source of fear and affliction; how it oppresses its followers into a self-crushing submission. There have been many books written about Islam and its relationship to the West. How it subdues its opponents with treachery and terror; how it treats non-believers with contempt and cruelty. While all these topics are often discussed by Western authors (some steadfastly deriding and insulting while others standing strong for reason, cohesion and peace and reconciliation) these subjects have not been, even after 9/11, dissected by Muslim authors in an academic fashion. Most Muslims respond to such accusations in a defensive manner, often effacing their dignity in a struggle to justify their beliefs to Western critics or becoming childishly and uselessly engaged in an offensive against the West, striving to expose it as a weak and hypocritical judge of Islam. But Maher Y. Abu-Manshar follows neither of these two paths in his book Islamic Jerusalem and its Christians: A History of Tolerance and Tensions. He addresses Islam’s historical relationship with the West in an entirely academic fashion, as a student of the Islamic Jerusalem studies.

To read further click here

Announcing a new Website for Christian and agnostic readers: Islam for the West:

In view of the Hadith, ‘In the latter days, the sun shall rise from the West,’ a new website has been made to introduce true Islam to Christian, agnostic and atheist readers. It has several different pages, in addition to the homepage, page on Christianity, Islam, the Holy Quran the page on ‘Revelation,’ is worthy of your special consideration, as many in the West are now in complete denial of revelation, whatsoever.

It also has a Muslim Heritage tab under About Us tab, which will link a lot of our work on this subject.

To view more click here

The Muslim Times featuring a BBC Documentary by James Al-Khalili

Jim Al-Khalili OBE (born 20 September 1962) is an Iraqi-born British theoretical physicist, author and science communicator. He is Professor of Theoretical Physics and Chair in the Public Engagement in Science at the University of Surrey. He has hosted several BBC productions about science and is a frequent commentator about science in other British media venues.

Born in Baghdad in 1962 to an Iraqi father and English mother, Al-Khalili studied physics at the University of Surrey. He graduated with a B.Sc. degree in 1986 and stayed on to pursue a Ph.D. degree in nuclear reaction theory, which he obtained in 1989. In 1989, he was awarded a Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) postdoctoral fellowship at University College London.

Al-Khalili returned to Surrey in 1991, first as a research assistant then lecturer. In 1994, Al-Khalili was awarded an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Advanced Research Fellowship for five years, during which time he established himself as a leading expert on mathematical models of exotic atomic nuclei. He has published widely in his field.

Al-Khalili is now a professor of physics at the University of Surrey where he also holds a chair in the Public Engagement in Science. He is a Trustee and Vice President of the British Science Association.

The documentary is titled: Science & Islam – The Language of Science — a BBC Documentary. It is available on the Muslim Times’ video page and Youtube:

Medical Breakthroughs in Islamic Medicine

By Zakaria Virk, Canada

Physicians occupied a high social position in the Arab and Persian culture. Prominent physicians served as ministers or judges of the government. and were also appointed as royal physicians. Physicians were well-versed in logic, philosophy and natural sciences. All of the prominent Muslim philosophers earned their livelihood through the practice of medicine.

Muslim physicians made astounding break throughs in the fields of allergy, anatomy, bacteriology, botany, dentistry, embryology, environmentalism, etiology, immunology, microbiology, obstetrics, ophthalmology, pathology, pediatrics, psychiatry, psychology, surgery, therapy, urology, zoology, and the pharmaceutical sciences.

The Islamic medical scholars gathered vast amounts of information, from around the known world, added their own observations and developed techniques and procedures that would form the basis of modern medicine. In the history of medicine, Islamic medicine stands out as the period of greatest advance, certainly before the technology of the 20th century.

To read more click here

Celebrations 400 yrs Turkey Netherlands

By Abdul Haq Copier

In 2012, the Netherlands and Turkey will celebrate 400 years of diplomatic relations. Anti–‐Islam party leader Geert Wilders spoke out against celebrating relations with the Muslim nation, which he portrayed as cruel and suppressive. He was not aware that his noise about Dutch-‐Turkish relations would draw attention to the fact that the very foundations of the Netherlands and its free religious policy are historically connected to the Muslim Ottoman Empire.

The celebrated diplomatic relations are the coming of the first official ambassador to Istanbul in
1612. But the earliest relations go back another 46 years and are much more interesting. These relations are at the roots of the struggle for independence of the united provinces of the
Netherlands against the Catholic Empire of Spain of which they were part. When the Protestant sects emerged within the Catholic world, their followers were ruthlessly prosecuted, many burned at the stake.

The picture is of Willem of Orange

To read more click here

A Book about Muslim Heritage: ‘Arabic Islamic Science and The Making Of European Renaissance’

By Prof. George Saliba

George Saliba is Professor of Arabic and Islamic Science at the Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies, Columbia University, New York, United States, where he has been working since 1979.

Saliba received his Bachelor of Science (1963) in mathematics and a Master of Arts (1965) from the American University of Beirut; he earned a Master of Science degree in Semitic languages and a doctorate in Islamic sciences from the University of California, Berkeley. He has received a number of awards and honors, including the History of Science Prize given by the Third World Academy of Science in 1993 and the History of Astronomy Prize in 1996 from the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Science. He was also selected as a Distinguished Kluge Chair, at the Library of Congress (2005-2006), and as a Distinguished Carnegie Scholar (2009-2010).

In his website he writes about himself: “I study the development of scientific ideas from late antiquity till early modern times, with a special focus on the various planetary theories that were developed within the Islamic civilization and the impact of such theories on early European astronomy.”

Saliba has been doing research about possible transfer of mathematical and astronomical knowledge from the Islamic world to Europe during the 15-16th centuries.

A portion of the book can be read online:

To read more click here

Turning on the light of Muslim science

By Naser Faruqi

Source: The Globe and Mail

The political dramas unfolding in Tunisia, Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries present pivotal opportunities: They improve the prospects for harnessing science and its values to advance sustainable and equitable development, openness and democracy in the Islamic world.

During Europe’s so-called Dark Ages, Islamic scientists led the world in innovation. In this “golden age” of Muslim science, Muslim scholars made advances that remain cornerstones of our scientific outlook. Al-Khwarizmi developed algebra, for example, and The Canon of Medicine by Ibn Sina (Latinized as Avicenna) became the standard medical text used in Europe for centuries.

Enquiry and debate are the essence of the scientific method – and the foundations of any open society. It’s not surprising that, during this era, respect for science transcended religion, and scholars of all faiths exchanged ideas and advanced learning.

But after the 13th century, Muslim societies fell into a long decline. One feature of that decline was a mistrust of innovation by Muslim leaders. Consequently, today’s Islamic world is characterized by low levels of science, development and openness.

Many predominantly Muslim countries are ruled by authoritarian governments. Half the 57 member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference are developing countries. And 15 of the 20 countries that spend the least on the research and development needed to escape poverty belong to the OIC.

Recently, though, Muslim leaders have shown signs of increasing respect for science. Saudi Arabia and Qatar, for instance, have invested large amounts in research universities, and Turkey increased its R&D spending by 600 per cent in the past decade. Such investments have been paying off: More Muslim women, for example, are now earning advanced science degrees.

To read more click here

Alhazen: the Father of Optics and the First Scientist

By Zia Shah

Anyone who has ever used vision glasses or contact lenses, taken a picture with a camera or watched television has a reason to be thankful to the Father of Optics, Alhazen.

Latinized as Alhazen, in full, Abū Alī al-Ḥasan ibn al-Haytham, born c. 965, Basra, Iraq, died c. 1040, Cairo, Egypt, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, “mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the principles of optics and the use of scientific experiments.”

David L. Shenkenberg writes in an article titled, ‘Before Newton, there was Alhazen,’ for Photonix.com:

“A millennium ago, an Arab scientist authored more than 100 works on optics, astronomy, mathematics and religious philosophy. Although he was arguably one of the greatest scientists of all time, his name is little known to people living in Western countries today. “

If we read all the works of Alhazen, Roger Bacon from 14th century and Sir Isaac Newton side by side, we may realize that a lot of work attributed to Sir Isaac Newton truly belongs to Alhazen. The paradigm of two civilizations, arising from the politics of crusades, deprived Alhazen of these honors. The time is now ripe to begin the study of the works of these three gifted giants, who were standing on the shoulders of prior giants, side by side, to have a better understanding of the history of science.

Alhazen also described the refraction and the dispersion of light into its component colors, ideas credited to Isaac Newton. “Certainly in the field of optics, Newton himself stood on the shoulders of a giant who lived 700 years earlier,” said Jim Al-Khalili, a physics professor at the University of Surrey in the UK. Khalili recently narrated “The Empire of Reason,” about history of science that is part of a three-part series on medieval Islamic scientists.

Nobel Laureate in physics, Dr. Abdus Salam wrote:

“Ibn-al-Haitham (Alhazen, 965–1039 CE) was one of the greatest physicists of all time. He made experimental contributions of the highest order in optics. He enunciated that a ray of light, in passing through a medium, takes the path which is the easier and ‘quicker’. In this he was anticipating Fermat’s Principle of Least Time by many centuries. He enunciated the law of inertia, later to become Newton’s first law of motion. Part V of Roger Bacon’s ‘Opus Majus’ is practically an annotation to Ibn al Haitham’s Optics.”

The punch line here is, “Part V of Roger Bacon’s ‘Opus Majus’ is practically an annotation to Ibn al Haitham’s Optics.” This is the theme of this knol to demonstrate a smooth transition of science from the Muslim era to European renaissance.

To read more click here

Rising of the Sun from the West in the Latter Days

By Zia H Shah MD

This article was originally published in the summer 2011 volume of the Muslim Sunrise.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him, said and it is common knowledge among the Muslim circles, “In the Latter Days, the sun shall rise from the West.” The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community believes that this hadith implies that religion of Islam will spread in the West in our times. Is this wishful thinking or are there reasons to believe that this prophecy from 14 centuries ago may come true soon?

To read more click here

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A short-url service, easy to remember that allows you to quickly go to a specific chapter and verse of The Holy Quran. Try it yourself!

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Alislam’s newly developed MTA page to catch-up on great content produced by MTA International. Watch Live Stream in multiple languages, view latest Friday Sermon and any of the MTA’s program that you missed. Moreover, view schedule with local time zone to set your calendars. visit alislam.org/mta

Alislam Media Library

2500 hours of 4000 MTA programs have been uploaded on to youtube. Many are being indexed as well. For example, users can fast forward to a question in Faith Matters, Liqa Ma’al Arab and Fiqihi Masahil, with simple click on a link to a question.
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ePub & iBooks

10 Jama’at books available now in ePub format. With this format, you can download books for your iPad, Kindle, Nook and other mobile devices. It gives many options to users to copy/paste text, email text from book etc. Good for research and ease of reading.
http://alislam.org/books/epub

Audio Books

Many Jama’at books are now also available in an audio (mp3) format. You can download these books for free for your mobile device and listen to them.

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Persecution News and Updates

For latest updates about the persecution of peaceful Ahmadiyya Muslim Community please visit newly launched website www.persecutionofahmadis.org or at the The Persecution Blog

www.reviewofreligions.org

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Jalsa Bangladesh

Jalsa Bangladesh concluded successfully with the blessed address by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad Khalifa-tul-Maish V(aba). Jalsa and the concluding address was streamed live by MTA International and Alislam. Watch Concluding address from link below.

Urdu/Bangla

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Archives about Muslim Heritage in Alislam-eGazette

January 2010: Europe’s debt to the Muslim Empire?

January 2011: Muhammad: the Light for the Dark Ages

Pragmatic role of Muslim Heritage — German Interior Minister: ‘German Identity is Shaped by Christianity.’ But, is it True?

Source: Spiegel International

In a SPIEGEL interview, German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich discusses the motives of Norwegian killer Anders Breivik, calls for an end to anonymity on the Internet and explains why Islam is not part of German identity.

SPIEGEL: Minister Friedrich, the massacre in Norway has sparked a discussion about the political background to the attacks. Is Anders Breivik a madman or the first anti-Muslim terrorist?

Friedrich: He is a madman, but he’s also more than that. I’m not talking about insanity in a medical sense. This sort of a crime, where someone shoots children in cold blood as they desperately beg for their lives, is incomprehensible for any person with normal emotions. But other factors must also have entered into the equation, factors that made this crime possible in the first place. Investigators are now trying to determine what they are.

SPIEGEL: Is this sort of an attack possible in Germany?

Friedrich: We are increasingly concerned about radicalized perpetrators acting alone. The deadly shots at American soldiers at the Frankfurt airport were also fired by a lone perpetrator, in that case an Islamist, who had become radicalized on the Internet. We have more and more people who isolate themselves from their social environment and immerse themselves into an online world. It changes them, usually in ways that no one notices. This constitutes a serious threat, also in Germany.

SPIEGEL: Have politicians paid too little attention to the extremist anti-Islamic scene that has developed in Europe in recent years?

Friedrich: There are always defensive reactions against what we perceive to be foreign. We have to incorporate these defensive reflexes into a rational discussion process through prevention and education. In Germany, so far, we have been relatively successful at this. We are a cosmopolitan and open country.

SPIEGEL: And yet there is also a growing movement in Germany that inveighs against Islam, especially on the Internet, and warns against the supposed threat of foreign infiltration. Breivik is apparently not alone with his ideas.

Friedrich: It’s a long way from the crude political theories that certain Islamophobic blogs disseminate on the Internet to the mass murder Breivik committed. But you are, of course, right: There are certain political views in this scene that we find shocking, because they are unconsidered and full of prejudices. But we also have to realize that the abuse of Islam by Islamist extremists has contributed to this.

SPIEGEL: Anders Breivik claims to have acted in the name of Christendom. In doing so, is he misusing Christianity in a way that’s similar to how Osama bin Laden misused Islam?

Friedrich: Someone who disregards individuals’ life and limb, and their dignity as human beings, cannot invoke Christianity.

SPIEGEL: Did politicians like Geert Wilders in the Netherlands, or bloggers like “Fjordman,” who Breivik often quoted and whose identity has since been revealed, pave the way for this killer?

Friedrich: Nowadays politically motivated perpetrators like Breivik can find all kinds of radical, unsophisticated theories, especially on the Internet. They can maneuver from blog to blog, spending all their time in this intellectual soup. At some point they manage to combine it all into a cohesive worldview. But this tells us that the Internet creates completely new challenges. The principles of our legal system must also apply on the web. In democratic conflict, we argue openly on the basis of our constitutional rules of behavior. Why should this be different on the Internet? I know that I will be severely berated in the online community for this, but why don’t Fjordman and other anonymous bloggers need to disclose their true identity? Normally people use their names when they take a position. Why shouldn’t this be something that is also self-evident on the Internet?

SPIEGEL: Where is the boundary between legitimate discourse and racist or right-wing extremist agitation?

Friedrich: The boundary is set by our constitution. There can be no justification for violating the dignity of other human beings, irrespective of whether it has to do with a political or a religious view. That is the underlying consensus of our constitutional state.

To read more click here

Book Review: ‘Pathfinders: The Golden Age of Arabic Science’

By Jim Al-Khalili

By the eighth century, with Western Europe languishing in its dark ages, the Islamic empire covered an area larger in expanse than either the Roman Empire at its height or all the lands conquered and ruled by Alexander the Great. So powerful and influential was this empire that, for a period stretching over 700 years, the international language of science was Arabic.
The teenage prince Ma’mūn would have known Baghdad at the height of its glory: a vast, beautiful city characterized by the domes and archways of its famously intricate Abbasid architecture. It had grown to become the world’s largest city just 50 years after the first brick was laid, with some estimates putting its population at more than 1 million.

Ma’mūn was not the only caliph to support scholarship and science, but he was certainly the most cultured, passionate and enthusiastic. As a young man, he memorized the Qur’an, studied the history of early Islam, recited poetry and mastered the newly maturing discipline of Arabic grammar. He also studied arithmetic and its applications in the calculation of taxes. Most importantly, he was a brilliant student of philosophy and theology, or more specifically what is referred to in Arabic as kalam, which is a form of dialectic debate and argument. The early Muslim theologians found that the techniques of kalam enabled them to hold their own in theological discussions with the Christian and Jewish scholars who lived alongside them, and who had had a head start of several centuries to hone their debating skills by studying the writings of philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle – historical figures from ancient Greece whose names would certainly have been known to the young Ma’mūn. It is even quite likely that by the early 9th century, some of their work had already been translated into Arabic.

Under Ma’mūn’s patronage, and the spirit of openness towards other religions and cultures that he fostered, many scholars from all over the empire gravitated towards Baghdad, drawn by a vibrant sense of optimism and freedom of expression. Every week, guests would be invited to the palace, wined and dined, and then begin to discuss with the caliph all manner of scholarly subjects, from theology to mathematics. He would send emissaries great distances to get hold of ancient scientific texts: one, Salman, visited Constantinople to obtain Greek texts from the Emperor Leo V (Leo the Armenian). Often, defeated foreign rulers would be required to settle the terms of surrender to him with books from their libraries rather than in gold.

To read further click here

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Copyright © 2012 Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. All rights reserved.

The Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani, the Founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, wrote about God, as he contrasted Islam and Christianity:

“The God of a true religion should be so much in accord with reason and the light of nature that His existence should be a matter of proof for people who possess reason but who have no heavenly book in which they believe. He should be such as does not savor of coercion or artificiality. Such perfection is characteristic of the God Who is presented by the Holy Qur’an. The followers of other religions have either abandoned the True God, as have the Christians, or have attributed improper and low attributes to Him, as have the Jews, or have deprived Him of His attributes, as have the pagans and the Aryas. The God of Islam is the same True God Who is seen through the mirror of the law of nature and is visible in the book of nature. Islam has not presented a new God but has presented the same God Who is presented by the light of man’s heart and by man’s conscience and by heavens and earth. Another quality of a true religion is that it should not be a dead creed. The blessings and greatnesses which were cultivated in it in the beginning should persist in it till the end of the world for the promotion of the welfare of mankind, so that ever fresh signs should confirm its past signs and should not permit the light of its truth to become an old tale. I have been writing over a long period that the Prophethood which was claimed by our lord and master Muhammad, the chosen one [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] and the heavenly proofs in the form of signs which he had set forth, still continue in Islam and are bestowed upon his followers so that they should arrive at the state of complete understanding and should witness the Living God directly. The signs which are attributed to Jesus are mere stories, and are nowhere to be seen, and therefore this religion, which teaches the worship of the dead, is itself dead like its god. A verity cannot be confined to old tales. Every people have a store of tales setting forth alleged miracles and wonders. It is a characteristic only of Islam that it does not present merely the defective and imperfect comfort of tales and stories, but satisfies the seekers with living signs. A seeker after truth should not be satisfied with senseless worship of the dead and should not be put off with sorry tales. We have come into the market of the world to purchase the best. We should not waste our faith by exchanging it with false things. A living faith is that through which we can find the Living God. The Living God is He Who can inspire us directly, or could at least bring us in contact with one who is directly inspired. I convey this good news to the whole world that the God of Islam is such a Living God. Those with whom no one can now speak are dead and are not God. No one can see their signs today. He whose god is dead would be put to shame in every field and would be humiliated and would not be helped in any way. My purpose in making this announcement is that a religion which is true does not change. As it was in the beginning, so it would be at the end. A true religion would never become a dry tale. Islam is a true religion and I call everyone—Christians, Aryas, Jews and Brahmus—to show them the truth of Islam. Is there anyone of them who seeks the Living God? We do not worship the dead.

Our God is Living. He helps us through His inspiration and revelation and through heavenly signs. If there is a single Christian who is truly a seeker after truth, let him make a comparison between our Living God and his dead god. For such a trial, a period of forty days would suffice.”

[Majmu'a Ishtiharat, Vol. 2, pp. 310-312]

To read more click here

Friday Sermon: Renaissance and Victory of Islam

This sermon was delivered on October 14, 2011 by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V, International leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

This is the age of the second phase of Islam in which God is going to demonstrate the triumph of Islam over all other world religions. We, Ahmadis are firm on the belief that in every way God is substantiating this. In particular the Community’s firm stand against the Christian creed of attributing Divinity to man, based on the reasoning explained by the Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani (on whom be peace), which are in light of the teachings of Islam, have full succor of God. No other section of the Muslim world is even doing a fraction of such work.

Christians as well as pious-natured Muslims concede that the path to guidance is now with Ahmadiyyat and they believe that the Messiah came from God and founded the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Sixty or seventy years ago Christian priests proclaimed that Africa was about to accept the Divinity of Jesus (on whom be peace). Indeed, about a hundred and twenty years ago, Christian priests were thus proclaiming in India. However, when the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) presented the arguments and reasoning in his books, people began to come to their senses. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) thus erected a huge barrier in the way of the Christian priests and proved the Unity/Oneness of God and superiority of Islam. Similarly, in Africa the missionaries of our Community unfolded the reality behind the erroneous concept of Trinity and raised a barrier for the Christian priests. Yet, in spite of observing the works of one commissioned by God, rather than be glad and join in, the large majority of Muslims created uproar of animosity and wickedness.

To read further, for summary click here and for complete English translation click here.

A watershed moment for China: Islam or Christianity?

By Zia H Shah MD

Like it or not, but Islam and Christianity have been two missionary religions, which have been struggling to win the hearts and minds of humanity for centuries and they are not going to change their character, just because some agnostics or atheists do not like it. As a Muslim, belonging to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, I believe that the Holy Prophet Muhammad and his follower, the Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani, came to unite all religions and mankind by emphasizing religious freedom for everyone and the fact that the founders of all other religions, Confucius, Buddha, Tao, Krishna, Ram, Moses and Jesus were prophets of God. Islam gives a unifying paradigm and recognizes the spiritual experience of all people over the millennia, whereas, Christianity always demonstrates an obsession with Jesus and in this age of information wants to pull us back two thousand years ago to a society, when heroes were elevated to be gods. We have two other man-gods from Jesus’ time, Emperor Augustus and Apollonius of Tyana. If we are to believe in human gods we may as well believe in millions of Hindu gods. After all why should the Christian stories be more acceptable than the Hindu myths, except that the Western civilization gave us our present day science and technology. On an side note, it would be relevant to add here that the Western civilization did extensively borrow from the Chinese and the Islamic Heritage.

Islam is not new to China. Emperor Hongwu (1328 – 1398) was the founder of the Ming dynasty and ordered construction of several mosques in Nanjing, Yunnan, Guangdong and Fujian and had inscriptions praising the Prophet Muhammad placed in mosques. He rebuilt the Jinjue Mosque in Nanjing. He also wrote a 100 word praise on Islam, Allah and the prophet Muhammad. He had around 10 Muslim generals in his military, including Chang Yuchun, Lan Yu, Ding Dexing, Mu Ying, Feng Sheng and Hu Dahai. In addition, Hongwu’s spouse, Empress Ma, was a Muslim. Hui scholars like Yusuf Haji Chang have claimed the Emperor was a Muslim himself as well, due to his intimate relations with Muslims. Zheng He (1371–1433) the greatest Chinese Admiral was also a Muslim. His voyages and immigrants of Chinese descendant played a major role in converting Indonesians to Islam. Several sources note that some of the members of the Wali Songo (the nine revered saints of Islam in Indonesia, especially in Java, because of their historic role in the spread of Islam in Indonesia) had Chinese blood in them.

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The Muslim Times: A Blog to Foster Universal Brotherhood

Daoism: Monotheism, Trinity or Polytheism?

By Dr. Naseer Tahir

Daoism, also known as Taoism is an organized religious tradition that has been evolving in China, Korea and Japan for last two thousand years. It is understood that it has gone though a continuous change and self-invention within different environmental contexts. The Daoism as it existed at its origin has been changing consistently and its followers recognize the mysterious creativity within the very fabric of time and space, and human experience of changes in our bodies and world around us. It is difficult to estimate the total number of followers due to a variety of factors including defining Daoism. Various estimates range from twenty million to over fifty millions.

Daoism has no single founder, it has a variety of sacred texts but there is no decisive authority among them. The most influential text, (Daode jing, 4th century BCE) names the mysterious “Dao” which can be translated as “way” or “path.”

Present day Daoism is not monotheistic and it believes in a variety of deities and spirits which may or may not originate from this world and different Dao groups may glorify different gods.

There is some evidence of a concept of “Trinity”; San Qing (Daoist Trinity) refers to three supreme Gods respected by Daoism, including Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure and Celestial Worthy of the Tao and its Power. Worship for the Daoist Trinity dates back to the 4th century. The Daoist Trinity lives in a far and mysterious fairyland, and governs countless other Gods while supervising the social life of human beings. Thus, ultimately emphasizing polytheism. It has no resemblance to Christian Trinity, lacking any concepts of original sin, salvation, or redemption. There is no mention of the Father, Son of God or the Holy Spirit. Read more:

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Quantum Theory – Sign of a Personal God

Source / Courtesy: Muslim Sunrise, Fall 2011

By Zia H Shah MD and Sardar Anees Ahmad

A deist believes God created the universe, but rejects the notion of a Personal God – a God who answers prayers or intervenes in human affairs. Many deists are strict determinist, believing that causality governs the entire universe. Albert Einstein, by his own admission, held such a conception of God, “I do not believe in the God of theology who rewards good and punishes evil. My God created laws that take care of that. His universe is not ruled by wishful thinking, but by immutable laws.”

Einstein’s own views resulted from his own remarkable scientific discoveries, as well as that of Newton. Through these discoveries, great technological advancements surfaced and scientists came to believe that determinable laws governed the entire universe.

In turn, Einstein’s strict adherence to determinism lead him to reject the notion of free will: “If this being is omnipotent, then every occurrence, including every human action, every human thought, and every human feeling and aspiration is also His work; how is it possible to think of holding men responsible for their deeds and thoughts before such an almighty Being? In giving out punishment and rewards He would to a certain extent be passing judgment on Himself. How can this be combined with the goodness and righteousness ascribed to Him?”

Unlike his earth-shattering discoveries regarding space, time, gravity and light, however, Einstein’s determinism would not be able to command respect. Ironically, science itself would debunk Einstein’s determinism.

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Muslim Times featuring a BBC Documentary about Madagascar and making it into an Exhibit for Islam against Christianity

Almost 80% of species in Madagascar are unique to the island and are not found else where. As a result this largest island is a witness for evolution, which for our purposes means, a common lineage of all life forms on our planet earth. The uniqueness of Madagascar species is a proof for the theory of evolution, rather than of the theory of separate creation of individual species. Theory of evolution means that Adam and Eve were not the first humans and this inference blows away the dogma of Original Sin, a hallmark of Christianity. In this sense Madagascar becomes an Exhibit and a key Witness for Islam against Christianity! As you enjoy the scenic beauty of Madagascar in an hour long documentary, through the eyes of legendary Sir David Attenborough, it becomes a 587,041 square kilometers Exhibit for the truth of Islam against the dogma of Original Sin, which is linked to atonement through the vicarious sacrifice of alleged literal son of God, Jesus Christ!

Read further click here

Confucius: His testimony for one God and against Pauline Dogma

By Zia H Shah MD

As all humans are God’s creation, it stands to reason that God not only guided people in the Middle East through Abraham, Isaac, David, Solomon, Jeremiah, John the Baptist and Jesus, but, He also guided other people through prophets like Confucius, Buddha and Zoroaster. If this be true there should be some common theme between their teachings, a common thread, a clue that these teachings are all emanating from a common source, one and the same glacier feeds all these rivers of wisdom.

Absence of Trinity, Original Sin and Pauline atonement in Confucius’s teachings should serve as an epiphany to every fair and open minded Christian.

In 1962, he and his wife Carol went to work among the Sawi tribe of what was then Dutch New Guinea. Richardson labored to show the villagers a way that they could comprehend Jesus from the Bible, but the cultural barriers to understanding and accepting this teaching seemed impossible until an unlikely event brought the concept of the substitutionary atonement of Christ into immediate relevance for the Sawi.

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Buddha: A Witness against Pauline Dogma

By Zia H Shah MD

There is a concept in Buddhism of countless Buddha. Encyclopedia Britannica states, “According to the various traditions of Buddhism, there have been buddhas in the past and there will be buddhas in the future.” This resonates with the Islamic teaching that there have been 124,000 prophets in different times and different parts of the world.

The testimony of One God is everywhere and Trinity is nowhere to be seen in our universe. The universe and all life forms on our planet earth speak of One God and not three.

Historically also other than the Christians we find no testimony of Trinity in other regions of the earth and other religions. Even looking at the local population of the Middle East, Jews are strict monotheists. Even among the Christians we still have a sect named Unitarians.

The word Trinity is not even mentioned in the New Testament. It is stated in 1890 edition of Encyclopedia Britannica, “The Trinitarians and the Unitarians continued to confront each other, the latter at the beginning of the third century still forming the large majority.”

With a little effort One God can be traced in all religions, but the three persons and one substance of Trinity is nowhere to be seen, except in Pauline dogma.

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Zoroaster: A Witness against Pauline Dogma

By Dr. Amtul Qadoos Farhat

The teachings of Zoroaster stood for the unity of God and rejected the notion of the Original Sin and Atonement. He taught that all humans are born on the nature of God and therefore are without any inherited sin. He also believed that human beings are born with free will through which they shape their destiny. By making wise choices through good actions, good thoughts and good words (path of Asha) they can find everlasting happiness or else become victims of Satan (Angra Mainyu or Ahraman) and remain unhappy and miserable. The ultimate life and fate of human beings depend upon how they guide their free will and what sort of choices they make.

This article provides some of the links to support Zoroastrian teachings against the Pauline Doctrines.

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Alislam-eGazette Archives regarding Universal Brotherhood and Hajj

December 2010

July 2011

April 2010

July 2009

May 2009

Islam in China

By: Amtul Mussawir Mansoor

When one hears of China, they think of Confucianism, Buddhism, or other Chinese folk religion, but who would know that Islam was established in China only 18 years after Prophet Muhammad’s death, and had a major influence in the development of China.

Islam was officially introduced to China in the year 650 C.E. during the Tang dynasty (618-907). Hadhrat Uthman, the third Caliph of Islam, sent a delegation led by Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas, the maternal uncle of Prophet Muhummad, may peace be on him, who invited the Chinese Emperor to recognize Islam. The emperor was pleased with the teachings of Prophet Muhummad(pbuh), due to the fact that many aspects of Islam were similar to the teachings of Confucius, and he granted the “freedom to propagate their faith and expressed his admiration for Islam.” In addition to the warm welcome, the first Mosque, the Huaisheng Mosque, was built in the city of Guangzhou to show respect to the delegation sent by the Caliph.

During the Tang dynasty, Arab and Persian traders gradually arrived in China traveling by sea routes and through the Silk road. The settlers built mosques, mostly along the Canton River. They were also responsible for bringing various elements of the Muslim culture to the Chinese world, such as various Muslim cuisines and their knowledge of medicine to China.

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Recruiting the four Horsemen of Neo-atheism into Cavalry of Islam

By Zia H Shah

First a few words about the big picture. Atheists are right in exposing the irrationality of the Christian dogma. However, the Christians are right in as far as their claim that there needs to be a Creator of this universe, Who employed natural means to do His work. However, both parties in their self-conceit are not listening to how Islam resolves their conflict; Islam as understood by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

Christopher Hitchens, Prof. Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Prof. Richard Dawkins have been called the four horsemen of neo-atheism. That is old news. The latest is that I have just recruited them as volunteers for army of Islam; they form my meager cavalry, which will establish the philosophical superiority of Islam over Christianity. They will work hard for every day of their God given life, for the cause of Islam, without any worldly compensation from me.

Every time they make a good case for evolution, for common lineage of all life forms on planet earth, they establish the truth of Islam as opposed to the dogma of Christianity. In my previous writings I have shown, how evolution, by showing that Adam and Eve were not the first human couple, strikes a death blow to the dogma of Original Sin. I appreciate the clarity of thinking of my cavalry, except in the areas of their blind spots, where they are blinded by their ideology, so I will continue to use their scholarship suitably. With this army of only four, I will fight in all directions, East, West, North and South, by the Grace of Allah. We will fight not with swords or arrows, not even with pen, just one mouse and a key board, which I bought for twenty dollars of my hard earned money! My mouse and key board will just properly direct their words. To make sure that my horsemen do not double cross me and start fighting their own battles, I will need to suitably expose their blind spots of understanding also, so they submit to the will of Allah and continue to serve Islam. Read on, and in the words of Sir Francis Bacon’s advice, “Read not to contradict … but to weigh and consider.”

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Jesus and Mary are loved by Muslims too

By Laiq Ahmad Atif

Each year, with the start of December, many discussions, publications, activities are directly focused on the topic of ‘Christmas’; in brief, Christmas becomes the talk of the town. Streets become brighter with different lights and decorations; homes, shops and offices are also very well decorated, in order to welcome Christmas.

The Holy Quran gives great honor and respect to Jesus and Mary (peace be on them), and both are mentioned repeatedly in the Holy Quran. A chapter of the Holy Quran is named after mother Mary and the name of Jesus is actually mentioned more often in the Holy Quran than of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him. Allah Almighty says:

When the angels said, ‘O Mary, Allah gives thee glad tidings of a word from Him; his name shall be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, honored in this world and in the next, and of those who are granted nearness to God. (3:46)

And We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs and strengthened him with the Spirit of holiness. (2:254)

The Holy Quran also extended great honor and respect to Mary, to such a high extent that God has named an entire chapter of the Holy Quran by her name, ‘Sura Maryam’, and Maryam is an Arabic name for Mary.

To read more click here

Unity of God and superiority of Islam

By Laiq Ahmad Atif

Some time ago, during a discussion with friend, we came to know of a woman from Australia, who’s sole mission was to unite all mankind at one point. I asked him that does she believe in a single entity, the central focus of the universe, – the Almighty God. If not, then how can she bring together and unite the entire humanity at one single point. Because unity requires a unit, an absolute single central point, extreme oneness, where mankind can be united, and that central unit is the Almighty God. As whole human body depends on its central unit – the heart, the entire mankind depends on the Unity and Oneness of God.

Can a state run when there is more than one leader? Can a human body function with more than one heart? Can a country have more than one capital city? Absolutely not, and any such system cannot be successful and will be a massive disaster. Similarly, there cannot be more than one central point that can unite people besides God Almighty. That is a philosophy and extreme reality that Islam presents when it speaks about the existence, absolute Unity and Oneness of God. The Holy Quran says:

If there had been in them (the heavens and the earth) other gods besides Allah, then surely both would have gone to ruin. Glorified then be Allah, the Lord of the Throne, above what they attribute. (21:23)

Unity means that if God is Unique and One, then in His entire universe such unity will be visible.

To read more click here

Thomas Paine: His Second Coming in Islam in the 21st Century

By Zia H Shah MD

Thomas Paine was one of the Founding Fathers of USA, in 18th century he was one of the greatest intellectuals and a proponent of Deism. He is best known for his book Age of Reason. Mark Twain said, “It took a brave man before the Civil War to confess he had read the Age of Reason … I read it first when I was a cub pilot, read it with fear and hesitation, but marveling at its fearlessness and wonderful power.”

Paine’s metaphysics is closer to Islam than Christian dogma, and I will over time create his Muslim version for our times. In studying him, his Deism, Islam and Christianity, side by side, some of our Christian brethren and sisters are more likely to appreciate reality. In noting what is common and what is different between the three religions, Deism, Islam and Christianity one’s reason, belief and prejudices may be shaken and jolted enough to restore a natural and reasonable order. Allow me to use a rather crude analogy that it would be like electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) restoring the depressed mood in major depression. Anesthesia is not required for the reading of my articles though!

I will present his book the Age of Reason in another article and in both these articles, show where his Deism and Islam completely agree with each other and augment each other and where they would differ, in so doing a Christian may find a more palatable transition to Islam.

To read more click here

Saint Augustine did build a bridge from Christian tradition to Islam!

By Zia H Shah

According to Encyclopedia Britannica:

“Saint Augustine was bishop of Hippo from 396 to 430, one of the Latin Fathers of the Church, one of the Doctors of the Church, and perhaps the most significant Christian thinker after St. Paul. Augustine’s adaptation of classical thought to Christian teaching created a theological system of great power and lasting influence. His numerous written works, the most important of which are Confessions and City of God, shaped the practice of biblical exegesis and helped lay the foundation for much of medieval and modern Christian thought.”

Saint Augustine in his book Confessions provided a bridge from Paganism to Christianity. I believe the same bridge can help us today in moving from the Christian tradition to a more pure Monotheistic tradition of Islam. I will by the Grace of God demonstrate this in this article. In Confessions he provides reasons for the truth and superiority of Christianity, especially in Book VII of this classic. I learnt about this through the lecture series by the Teaching Company, St. Augustine’s Confessions, taught by William R. Cook and Ronald B. Herzman. They write in introduction to the Book VII of the Confessions:

“Within the 13-book structure of the Confessions, Book VII is the exact center. In some ways, this makes sense. If we look at the Confessions in terms of Augustine’s search for truth, this book marks the time when he becomes convinced of the intellectual superiority of Christianity. In this lecture, we will discuss how Augustine becomes convinced that Christianity is true. He presents the climax of his search in terms of an amazing paradox: He learns of the truth of Christianity by reading pagan philosophers. Because he makes the case for the importance, indeed, the necessity, of pagan learning in his search for truth, this book is an important chapter in the history of Christianity and in the intellectual history of the West. Augustine offers a valuable contribution to the question: ‘What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem?’ This lecture deals with what Augustine is and is not saying about the relationship between Christian revelation and classical learning and what the long-term implications of his position have been for subsequent history.”

Why does Augustine become convinced that Christianity is true? What does Augustine propose that Athens have to do with Jerusalem? What does Plato have to do with the Bible and more specifically with the Gospel of John? How can you examine the truth of one tradition of thought and reasoning in light of another parallel tradition? To find answers to all these questions read further:

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Friday Sermon about human compassion and International brotherhood

This sermon was delivered on September 12, 2003 by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V. The subject of this sermon is humanitarian values in Islam. We will review a few excerpts and quotes from this sermon:

After the initial recitation Huzur said that the Islamic teachings are so beautiful that they have not left out any important aspect of human life. In view of this special Grace of Allah it is our responsibility to make these values of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) an essential part of our lives. Those of us who claim to be the followers of the true of lover of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, that is the Promised Messiah (as), should revisit the conditions of Initiation (Bai’at) in Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The ninth condition of initiation at the hands of
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi (peace be upon him) is:

“That he/she shall keep himself/herself occupied in the service of God’s creatures for His sake only; and shall endeavor to benefit mankind to the best of his/her God-given abilities and powers.”

In this sermon Huzur talked about this condition of Initiation that pertains to compassion for the humanity at large, without distinction of religion, creed or ethnicity. In this connection, Huzur recited a verse of Sura Al-Nisa:

“And worship Allah and associate naught with Him, and show kindness to parents, and to kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and to the neighbor who is a kinsman, and the neighbor who is a stranger, and the companion by your side, and the wayfarer, and those whom your right hands possess. Surely, Allah loves not the arrogant and the boastful.” (Al Nisa 4:37)

In this verse Allah the Compassionate has said that we should not only be kind and compassionate to our brothers, relatives, friends and neighbors but also to any fellow human who is yet a stranger to us. If any fellow being has a need from us or can benefit from us then we should be gracious and compassionate to extend the helping hand. We help the fellow humans not for any return but with the pure intention of winning the pleasure of Allah All Mighty. The last part of the verse highlights that if we are not service minded with this pure intention then we will fall in the category of the arrogant and the boastful. Huzur then recited another verse of the Holy Quran;

‘And they feed, the poor, the orphan and the prisoner, while they are not, themselves, yet satiated.’ (Al Dahr 76:9)

This verse can have more than one meanings and one of the meanings is that the true Muslims, do charity for the pleasure of Allah, while they still have unfulfilled needs of their own.

To hear the audio click here

This is a picture of the Kaaba with the surrounding plazas.

“Surely, the first House founded for mankind is that at Becca (Mecca), abounding in blessings and a guidance for all mankind.” (Al Surah Ale-Imran 3:97)

This verse about the Kaaba not only mentions the Muslims, but the whole of humanity, as such it suggests that Hajj and Kaaba foster Universal Brotherhood, which is why we chose this line for our Muslim Times, as a tagline or logo:

The Muslim Times presenting Journey of Man: A Genetic Odessy

By Spencer Wells

DNA is more than 99% similar among all humans, so all claims for discrimination, like caste system, polygenetic theory of human origin or some people being the ‘chosen people’ are only self indulgence. There is very little difference in the intellectual abilities of different races or families. The Journey of Man is a documentary by Spencer Wells, talks about our evolution, our recent history, and how we came to be to the way we are today. The story starts when ancestors of San bushman in Kalahari Desert in Namibia started migrating out of Africa some 50,000 years ago. The findings and data discussed in this documentary are in line with the Universal Brotherhood as expressed in the Quranic verse, “O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female; and We have made you into tribes and sub-tribes that you may know one another.” (Al Surah Al-Hujuraat 49:14)

To watch the documentary click here

How Shariah, an intended compass for peace became a tool of oppression

By Atif Munawar Mir

Shariah is the set of principles and rules outlined in the Holy Qura’n. The Holy Prophet , may peace be on him, further elaborated and illustrated these rules and principles through his deeds also called Sunnah (ways of the Holy Prophet) and his words also referred to as Ahadith (oral traditions of the Holy Prophet). Like the Holy Quran, Sunnah and Ahadith are considered primary sources of Shariah by Muslim scholars. But in order of importance, the Holy Qura’n outranks Sunnah and Ahadith. This is because the Holy Qura’n is the Divine word. It has been preserved in its original form as the Quran itself states and also as history bears witness and is thus considered authentic. The authenticity of Sunnah and Ahadith is sometimes subject to the test of authenticity. Such dissection is not required in all situations. Sunnah and Ahadith are deemed inauthentic, when in conflict with the Holy Qura’n simply because the actions of the Holy Prophet cannot be in conflict with Divine principles. In the West today, Shariah is identified as a source of oppression, violence and tyranny. This misconception of Shariah stems from actions that arise from an out-of-context reading of the Holy Quran and reliance on inauthentic traditions of the Holy Prophet. A study of the Holy Quran suggests that the Holy Quran preaches justice, freedom of conscience and compassion. For instance, the Holy Quran says:

O ye who believe! Be strict in observing justice, and be witnesses for Allah, even though it be against yourselves or against your parents or kindred. Whether he, against whom witness is borne, be rich or poor… (4:136)

It is not righteousness that you turn your faces to the East or the West, but truly righteous is he who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Book and the Prophets, and spends his money out of love for Him, on the kindred and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and those who ask for charity, and for ransoming the captives; and observes prayer and pays the Zakat… (2:178).

There should be no compulsion in religion. Surely, right has become distinct from wrong…(2:257)

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What if the top one percent of USA were Muslims?

By Zia H Shah

The short answer to this provocative question in the title is that the elite 1% will pay Zakat, which is a tax on savings and property. At a suitable rate of taxation, Zakat will have the potential to fulfill all the essential needs of the remaining 99%. If the top one percent in USA were true Muslims, they will gradually and genuinely abolish interest or usury and promote international free trade. This Op-Ed is a short presentation in favor of Zakat and an interest free economy and a more detailed exposition will be published later on. Read on and in the words of Sir Francis Bacon, “Read not to contradict… but to weigh and consider.”

John R. Gribbin is a British science writer, who earned his Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of Cambridge, writes in his very well written book, the Scientists: A History of Science Told Through the Lives of its Greatest Inventors: “The renaissance was the time when Western Europeans lost their awe of the Ancients and realized that they had as much to contribute to civilization and society as the Greeks and Romans had contributed. To the modern eyes, the puzzle is not that this should have occurred, but that it should have taken so long for people to lose their inferiority complex.” In the same vein, it seems that the 99%, in the form of Occupy Wall Street protests, are finally ready to overcome their awe of the Nobel Laureates in Economics and fancily dressed rich investment bankers and throw away their inferiority complex and begin to understand the financial system. In this age of information, we should be ready to begin to learn from teachers like, Congressman Ron Paul, Prof. Niall Ferguson and Murray N. Rothbard, who have provided adequate education, in form of well written books, to understand and demystify our present day capitalism, grounded in Central Banking and interest based economy.

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Karen Armstrong: Let’s revive the Golden Rule

The Golden Rule in its prohibitive form was a common principle in ancient Greek philosophy. Examples of the general concept include:

“Do not do to your neighbor what you would take ill from him.” – Pittacus

“Avoid doing what you would blame others for doing.” – Thales

“What you do not want to happen to you, do not do it yourself either. ” – Sextus

“Do not do to others what would anger you if done to you by others.” – Isocrates

“What thou avoidest suffering thyself seek not to impose on others.” – Epictetus

“It is impossible to live a pleasant life without living wisely and well and justly (agreeing ‘neither to harm nor be harmed’[19]), and it is impossible to live wisely and well and justly without living a pleasant life.” – Epicurus

“It has been shown that to injure anyone is never just anywhere.” – Socrates, in Plato’s Republic. Plato is the first person known to have said this.

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Alislam-eGazette Archives regarding Universal Brotherhood and Hajj

November 2010

November 2009

December 2008

December 2007

Humanity First focuses to preserve and safeguard human life and dignity. Humanity First is registered in 33 countries across 6 continents, and has been working on human development projects and responding to disasters since 1995. Your support can help save lives. Take action.

Shareef Odeh, Amir of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Kababir presenting Holy Quran to Pope Benedict XVI.

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So said Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

Have you any notion what was the strange event that occurred in the desert country of Arabia when hundreds of thousands of the dead were revived within a brief period and those who had been misguided through generations put on Divine color, and those who were blind obtained sight, and those who had been dumb began to speak of the understanding of the Divine, and the world underwent a revolution which had never been seen or heard of before? It was the supplications during dark nights of one who had lost himself in God which raised a clamor in the world, and manifested such wonders as appeared impossible in the case of that unlearned helpless one. Send down Thy blessings and peace, O Allah, on him and his people according to the amount of pain and anguish he felt for his Ummah, and pour down upon him the lights of Thy mercy forever.

[Barakat-ud-Du'a, Ruhani Khaza'in, Vol. 6, pp. 10-11]

I always wonder how high was the status of this Arabian Prophet, whose name was Muhammad, (thousands of blessings and peace be upon him). One cannot reach the limit of his high status and it is not given to man to estimate correctly his spiritual effectiveness. It is a pity that his rank has not been recognized, as it should have been. He was the champion who restored to the world the Unity of God which had disappeared from the world; he loved God in the extreme and his soul melted out of sympathy for mankind. Therefore, God, Who knew the secret of his heart, exalted him above all the Prophets and all the first ones and the last ones and bestowed upon him in his lifetime all that he desired.

He is the fountainhead of every grace and a person who claims any superiority without acknowledging his grace is not a man but is the spawn of Satan, because the Holy Prophet has been bestowed the key to every exaltation and he has been given the treasury of every understanding. He who does not receive through him is deprived forever. I am nothing and possess nothing. I would be most ungrateful if I were not to confess that I have learnt of the true Unity of God through this Prophet. The recognition of the Living God we have achieved through this perfect Prophet and through his light. The honor of converse with God, through which we behold His countenance, has been bestowed upon me through this great Prophet. The ray of this sun of guidance falls like sunshine upon me and I continue illumined only so long as I am adjusted towards it.

[Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Ruhani Khaza'in, Vol. 22, pp. 118-119]

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Incomparable & supremely great ethics and courteousness of the Holy Prophet

By Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, delivered on February 25, 2005

Indeed you have in the Prophet of Allah an excellent model, for him who fears Allah and the Last Day and who remembers Allah much. (Al Surah Al-Ahzab 33:22)

The personality and the character of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him, has such vast dimensions that it is not possible to cover all the aspects and different incidents and examples in a short series of sermons.

In this verse that I have recited, Allah says that for every person who realizes his responsibility to God and believes in accountability, there is an excellent model to follow in the person and character of the Holy Prophet. If anyone wishes to be a genuine believer and a true servant and worshipper of Allah he or she has no choice but to follow the Prophet’s model for no other model reveals such perfect characteristics and examples. As elsewhere in the Holy Quran, Allah says:

And thou dost surely possess high moral excellences.” (Al Surah Al-Qalam 68:5)

Promised Messiah, may peace be on him has explained this verse of the Holy Quran, “Oh Prophet, you are stationed on the most excellent character, which means that in your person you have such a charisma and such complete morals and qualities that any improvement in them cannot be imagined. The word ‘Azeem,’ in this verse, in Arabic diction is used for something that in its quality, in its category, reaches such height that anything higher cannot be conceived. Some scholars have suggested that ‘Azeem’ is something whose grandeur cannot be fully appreciated and is beyond the human imagination.”

So, such is the grandeur of the personality and temperament of our Prophet. Such is the vastness of his achievements and abilities; nevertheless, we have to try to emulate his example within the limits of our abilities.

So, this year I will give a series of sermons to highlight different aspects of his character and also refute some of the absurd criticism raised against him by the opponents of Islam.

To read more click here

Muslim Times featuring Saladin: Who taught Europe the Ethics of War

This is an hour and a half movie or documentary about Saladin and Richard the Lionheart. If the movie inspires you in some ways, remember that the Latter Days, which is our times, are an era of Jihad with pen and the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him had prophesied this. Come join the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and volunteer your services for the Muslim Times.

According to wikipedia: “Saladin’s chivalrous behavior was noted by Christian chroniclers, especially in the accounts of the Siege of Kerak, and despite being the nemesis of the Crusaders, he won the respect of many of them, including Richard the Lionheart; rather than becoming a hated figure in Europe, he became a celebrated example of the principles of chivalry.”

Saladin did not destroy the True Cross, even though he had it after the Battle of Hattin. In the same spirit we want to preserve everything that is wonderful in the Christian tradition and useful for humanity, as we engage in our ‘Jihad with Pen, Keyboards and Internet!’

When Saladin finally captured Jerusalem, he did not kill the Christian population of Jerusalem, the descendents of the crusaders of the First Crusade, who had killed each and every Muslim inhabitant of Jerusalem during the First Crusade. He was following in the footsteps of his master, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, and trying to mimic his mercy and forgiveness that he had shown to the polytheist population of Mecca a few centuries before.

To read the account of the First Crusade click here

Richard the Lionheart killed three thousand prisoners of war in cold blood. To read an account of the Holy Prophet Muhammad and prisoners of war:

First Article

Second Article

Video: Story of Salahuddin Ayyubi, Who taught Europe the Ethics of War

The picture is of a Statue of Saladin in Damascus.

Blasphemy and the Holy Prophet Muhammad

By Laiq Ahmed Atif, Malta

The issue of blasphemy is a hot issue that remains in news particularly in Pakistan. In 2010, a Christian woman Asia Bibi, who was charged with blasphemy in Pakistan, made the international headlines. But charging Asia Bibi under the blasphemy law did not apparently quench the radical thirst of the clerics of Pakistan. A Muslim cleric offered $6,000 to a person who would kill Asia Bibi. Tragically, the late governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer, who visited Asia Bibi in prison, was later gunned down by his own security guard, Mumtaz Qadri. Salman Taseer’s crime was to speak up for the victims of blasphemy law. The insanity continued unabated when after few weeks of the murder of Salman Taseer, a Catholic and Minister for minorities, , Shahbaz Bhatti, was assassinated allegedly over his stance on blasphemy laws. The issue of blasphemy has once again reared its ugly head: the death penalty imposed by anti-terrorism court against Mumtaz Qadri, the murderer of Salman Taseer, has been reversed.

The issue of blasphemy is not a new phenomenon. The instances of blasphemy are found throughout recorded human history. The Holy Quran, for example, points out very clearly that all the prophets and messengers of God were persecuted, harmed, abused and mocked, not only during their life time but also after their demise. “Alas for My servants! There comes not a Messenger to them but they mock at him.” (36:31) “Then We sent Our Messengers one after another. Every time there came to a people their Messenger, they treated him as a liar.” (23:45) Noah, Abraham, Lot, Saleh, Shuaib, Moses and Jesus, peace be on them all, just to name a few, were all mocked and blasphemed by their enemies and opponents.

Questions naturally arise: How did Prophets react to blasphemy? Did they ever punish the blasphemers? What was the end of those mockers and blasphemers?

The Holy Quran clearly speaks about the treatment of those mockers and enemies of God’s prophets; “And surely, Messengers have been mocked at before thee; but I granted respite to those who disbelieved. Then I seized them, and how was then My punishment!” (13:23) “And Messengers indeed have been rejected before thee; but notwithstanding their rejection and persecution they remained patient until Our help came to them. There is none that can change the words of Allah.” (6:35)

These verses make it abundantly clear and manifest that all the messengers observed extreme patience whenever they were blasphemed and they never tried to punish or respond to those blasphemers violently. All those mockers, blasphemers and enemies faced deadly consequences. Another common element in their stories is that all the enemies were punished by God, and this is one supreme reality that can never change; “There is none that can change the words of Allah” (6:35).

Read further click here

The Constitution of Medina: the First written Constitution of the World

By Zia H Shah MD

In this Google Knol I will collect the description of the constitution from various biographers and introduce my understanding based on all these different sources.

Mark Graham writes:

Muhammad’s brilliance lay in politics as well as spirituality. One of the most extraordinary events to take place during this time was the drafting of the Covenant of Medina (Sahifat al-Madinah), what some consider to be the world’s first constitution. It was a treaty and city charter between the Arabs and Jews of the city. All groups (Muslims, Jews, and non-Muslim Arabs) pledged to live in civic harmony, governed by mutual advice and consultation. The Covenant bound these varied groups into a common defense pact and stipulated that the Jews of the city were one community with the Muslims, that they were free to profess and practice their religion and that they were entitled to all the rights pertaining to the Muslims. This amazingly foresighted document was a revolutionary step forward in civil government. Despite the ultimately tragic end of Muslim and Jewish cooperation in Medina, this blueprint of interreligious tolerance would serve Islam and its subject peoples well in the future.

To read more click here

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Video Course Review: ‘Confucius, Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad’ by Prof. Mark Muesse of Harvard University

Reviewed by Rabia Mir, Canada

The Dacheng Hall, the main hall of the Temple of Confucius in Qufu.

The Teaching Company vide course titled Confucius, Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad starts with the description of this book, The 100: A Ranking Of The Most Influential Persons In History.

One of the salient features of the Ministry of Buddhism and Confucius is that there is no mention of Trinity, Original Sin or other dogma of Christianity, but the Monotheism of Judaism and Islam can be traced into these teachings that have gone through changes over time. Additionally the insightful Prof. Mark Muesse describes Paul to be the founder of Christianity rather than Jesus himself. The shear act of putting the four sages in one bracket serves to raise the reader above many contemporary Western prejudices.

As religion comes to occupy the forefront of the socio-political stage, the academic arena, which has always been enamored with religious discourse, has now begun to dissect the purpose of religion: What each faith has to offer and what religion offers, on the whole, to humanity. Professor Mark W. Muesse in his set of lectures entitled “Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad” does precisely this. He considers the teachings of each of these men in light of their historical context and personal circumstances, and tries to redefine each man’s character based on his intent and action, rather than the persona imposed upon him by his followers. He acknowledges that western media’s portrayal of Prophet Muhammad has been unfair particularly his teachings regarding women’s rights and warfare.

Professor Mark W. Muesse proves himself to be a fine scholar who aims to understand what these four men had to offer to their followers, and thus how they acquired the great following that they did, and what their teachings can offer to humanity as a whole. He strives to understand their socio/political endeavors in light of their historical contexts and personal circumstance. His work is a rare glimpse into the actual struggle of these men to rise up out of their personal obstacles and redress the social issues of their times. Muesse’s perspective is secular, refreshingly unbiased, honest and foremost, as stated, contextual. His work is a phenomenal breakthrough in the study of religion, as he lays out the teachings of these men, not as their followers understood them, but as these four men intended them to be understood. Muesse has done what few scholars have managed to do: set aside his contextual time period and re-enter the time period of the great personalities he studies. As the world sees the re-emergence of religion, and witnesses a rising fundamentalism within every faith, and academics and scholars struggle to understand this re-emergence that has occurred despite the prevailing scientific order, Muesse offers his readers a profound window into humanity’s need and struggle to follow a path of nobility, as embodied particularly in the historical characters of these four sages.

To read Rabia Mir’s complete review click here

The description of the course on the Teaching Company website is:

Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad—four extraordinary sages who influenced world civilization more deeply than any other human beings in history.

As just one measure of their importance, current rankings of the most influential people in history consistently put Confucius, the Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad at or near the top of the list. Four centuries after the rise of the scientific worldview, their influence in human affairs continues to be fundamental, underscoring issues ranging from questions of ethics and justice to religious and political conflicts to other issues that dominate today’s headlines.

In the 21st century, much of humanity still looks to the lives, teachings, and actions of these four sages for guidance on how to live, for their conceptions of morality, and for understanding the most crucial human values.

Never merely historical figures, as models of human living they remain dynamically alive for countless millions of people around the world, exemplifying the moral and spiritual precepts our civilizations are built on. Taken together, their influence extends over most of the human population, from Asia to the Middle East and from Europe to the New World.

No understanding of human life, individual or collective, could be complete without factoring in the role and contribution of these history-shaping teachers.

Now, in Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad, award-winning Professor Mark W. Muesse of Rhodes College takes you deep into the life stories and legacies of these four iconic figures, revealing the core, original teachings, and thoughts of each, and shedding light on the historical processes that underlie their phenomenal, enduring impact.”

To order the DVD course: click here

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Is Islam for Germany and Separation of Mosque-Church and State?

Source / Courtesy: The Review of Religions

On the 2nd Day of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Germany’s Annual Convention (Jalsa Salana) on 25th June 2011, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad(aba), Khalifatul Masih V, Fifth Successor to the Promised Messiah(as) and Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, delivered an address to an audience of over 300 non-Ahmadi guests. The majority of the guests were of German origin, whilst delegations from Macedonia, Slovenia, Kosovo, Bosnia, Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Malta, Hungary, Lithuania, Estonia, and various Arab countries were also in attendance. The guests included people from various professions, including doctors, teachers, lawyers, politicians, as well as ordinary citizens. We present below the transcript of the address delivered by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba):

After reciting Tashhahud, Ta’awwudh and Bismillah, Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) said:

“All the distinguished guests: Assalamo ‘Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahe Wa Barakatohu – Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all.

First of all I would like to thank all of the guests who, despite not being a part of our religion, are attending this event taking place within our Annual Convention. This program today has been organized specifically for our non-Ahmadi friends, and indeed the majority, or at least quite a number of guests, are non-Muslim.

Certainly, your attendance at this event demonstrates your broad-mindedness, whereby as citizens of Germany, you appreciate that it is important to understand and recognize each another, irrespective of religious differences.

A large majority of the Ahmadis in Germany are not of German origin. In fact, apart from just a few people, the vast majority are of either Pakistani or Asian origin. This shows that not only have you come here irrespective of religious differences, but also irrespective of national and cultural differences.

It is said that some of Germany’s indigenous population has Asian ancestry. It may seem that many of the world’s nations are divided by their cultures and languages, but the truth is that their cultures and languages often have common roots.

If we look, for example, at the case of the Indo-Pak sub-continent, we observe that for a very long period various nations came and inhabited its lands. If we look just at Pakistan, we find that dozens of tribes and ‘brotherhood’ systems existed. Over many eras these distinct groups came to form one nation.

…

Look at the true picture of Islam portrayed by the Ahmadiyya community. It is on these teachings that you should base your judgment.

In this speech, Khalifatul Masih V, Hadrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad has also stressed, separation of Mosque-Church and State. He says:

In one verse, the Holy Qur’an teaches us that: there should be no compulsion in matters of faith (Ch.2:V.257). Some of you may not be aware that this verse was revealed when the Holy Prophet of Islam (saw) had already established a government in Madinah. At the time, a covenant had already been made with the Jews and other tribes, and a functioning system of government was in place in which the Holy Prophet (saw) had already been accepted as Head of State. The injunction to keep religion and government independent of each other was revealed at that time and in those circumstances, even though the difference between right and wrong had become manifest, and even though the Muslims believed their religion to be true and their teachings to be unparalleled.

With this injunction it became clear that these excellent teachings were to be spread through love and affection, rather than by force or by acting unjustly towards others. Allah has said that a requirement for a just government is that it should separate religious matters from matters of State, and every citizen should be afforded his due rights.

This principle is absolute and without exception, to the extent that you must act justly even with those people who have displayed hatred towards you, and who
due to this opposition have persecutedyou repeatedly in every possible way. The Holy Qur’an states:

O ye who believe! Be steadfast in the cause of Allah, bearing witness in equity; and let not a people’s enmity incite you to act otherwise than with justice. Be always just, that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah. Surely, Allah is Aware of what you do. (Ch.5:V.9)

This is the key principle to running a government, that religion should play no part in it. Religious differences should not be an obstacle to the implementation
of justice.

To read more click here

The Muslim Times featuring a BBC Documentary: the Life of Muhammad

Producer Rageh Omaar

This is a wonderful three part documentary, three hours long! The documentary proceeds in a chronological fashion based on the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him and the third part has a fairly detailed discussion on Sharia and polygamy.

It’s a television first, claims the BBC Press Office. OK they would say that wouldn’t they but I think it might be the first time in decades – if not ever – that a British network has screened a program, let alone a series, about Muhammad. According to the blurb it charts the “extraordinary story of a man who, in little more than 20 years, changed the world forever”. The series as a whole raises questions about some of the more contested areas of Islam such as women, religious tolerance and conflict.

Were the series not interesting enough – even critics of Islam and religion generally are sure to find something in it – the backdrop to it is also fascinating. I’ve been asking BBC executives for years when they planned to show such a series – first asking its director general Mark Thompson, then its head of religion Aaqil Ahmed (more about him later) and then most recently BBC One controller Danny Cohen. After years of nagging, lo! It has come to pass. Read more in Guardian UK:

To view the documentary click here or on the logo of the Muslim Times

Governor Christie Defends Muslim Pick for New Jersey Judge, Calls Critics ‘Crazies’

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is defending his pick of a Muslim for a state judgeship, saying critics of a lawyer who represented suspects after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks are “ignorant” and “crazies”.

Sohail Mohammed, 47, was sworn in July 26 as a Superior Court judge in Passaic County. Some political columnists and bloggers have accused Mohammed of having links to terrorism and said he’ll be more likely to follow Shariah law, religious standards based on the Koran, instead of state or federal statutes.

Christie, a first-term Republican and former U.S. attorney, told reporters July 26 in Newark that he met Mohammed after 9/11 when he represented Muslims detained by the FBI. Mohammed, of Clifton, “played an integral role” in creating trust between the Islamic community and law enforcement, Christie said.

To read more click here

Source / Courtesy: Huffington Post

By Abdul Malik Mujahid: President Sound Vision, and Chair Council for a Parliament of World Religions

You might have seen a government-required sign at a McDonald’s restroom telling employees to wash their hands. Muslims do this as a part of living their faith, which is called sharia in Arabic. The Prophet Muhammad also encouraged Muslims to wash their hands before and after eating. Muslim parents raise their children on many such manners. The first chapter in almost all books on sharia is about morals and manners of cleanliness, which Prophet Muhammad said is half of the faith. God’s peace and blessings be upon him.

When Muslims begin anything they say, “in the name of God.” — that is sharia. When they greet each other, they smile and say, “Assalamu Alaikum” (peace be with you) — that is sharia.

Similarly, when Muslims take short breaks five times a day to pray, this is another example of practicing sharia. Prayer is normally the second chapter in almost all books about sharia.

sharia does not present a comprehensive list of pure foods and drinks, although it prohibits ten or twelve things and declares everything else to be Halal or lawful to consume. If Muslims cannot find Halal food, they often eat vegetarian or kosher food. This is all sharia.

To read more click here

Source / Courtesy: NY Times

By Andrea Elliot

NASHVILLE — Tennessee’s latest woes include high unemployment, continuing foreclosures and a battle over collective-bargaining rights for teachers. But when a Republican representative took the Statehouse floor during a recent hearing, he warned of a new threat to his constituents’ way of life: Islamic law.

The representative, a former fighter pilot named Rick Womick, said he had been studying the Koran. He declared that Shariah, the Islamic code that guides Muslim beliefs and actions, is not just an expression of faith but a political and legal system that seeks world domination. “Folks,” Mr. Womick, 53, said with a sudden pause, “this is not what I call ‘Do unto others what you’d have them do unto you.’ ”

Similar warnings are being issued across the country as Republican presidential candidates, elected officials and activists mobilize against what they describe as the menace of Islamic law in the United States.

To read more click here

Critique and refutation of such fear mongering is the theme of this volume of Alislam-eGazette that will be going out to more than 40,000 recipients.

Click here to see What’s New at alislam.org



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Persecution News and Updates

For latest updates about the persecution of peaceful Ahmadiyya Muslim Community please visit www.ThePersecution.org or at the The Persecution Blog

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Archives of Alislam eGazette: Separation of Mosque-Church and State

June 2009

October 2010

May 2011

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Archives of Alislam eGazette: Secular Law and Sharia Law

December 2009

January 2008

April 2008

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President Barack Obama on Religion and Politics

He says that we can draw our inspiration from our scriptures but we have to translate the message into a language that is understood by other fellow citizens from different religions.

One of the points President Obama makes is that the scripture has to be translated into a universal message by the believers, one that is befitting the realities of our global village.

To hear President’s Obama’s explanation click here

The Holy Quran has a dynamic and universal message and Sir Zafrulla Khan has explained this issue, in some details in his book titled: Islam and Human Rights.

To read Dr. Zia H Shah’s collection of articles about Islam, Politics and Human Rights click here

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Demystifying “Shariah”

Source / Courtesy: Washington Post

By Nasim Rehmatullah and Amjad Mahmood Khan

Shariah is a misunderstood and misused concept. Critics of Islam frequently employ terms like “creeping shariah” to stoke fear amongst the masses. The Park 51 controversy and the increasing media focus on Islam provide an opportunity to educate Americans about the true teachings and practices of Islam concerning shariah.

Shariah literally means “a path to life-giving water,” and refers to a defined path upon which all God-fearing people are advised to tread. It is grounded in the recognition of God’s existence. Shariah presupposes that there is a God. God reveals His desire of how man should shape his destiny, and God’s will is manifested in the form of certain laws or principles. These laws or principles constitute shariah.

Shariah is not unique to Islam. Every faith has its own form of shariah. In the United States, for example, our legal system already permits some narrow civil matters to be settled through alternative dispute resolution. Among such alternative mechanisms is the beit din, or rabbinical law courts. American Jews routinely go before beit din to arbitrate real estate deals, divorces and business disputes.

To read more click here

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Don’t fear Islamic Law in America

Source / Courtesy: New York Times

By Eliyahu Stern: Assistant professor of religious studies and history at Yale

MORE than a dozen American states are considering outlawing aspects of Shariah law. Some of these efforts would curtail Muslims from settling disputes over dietary laws and marriage through religious arbitration, while others would go even further in stigmatizing Islamic life: a bill recently passed by the Tennessee General Assembly equates Shariah with a set of rules that promote “the destruction of the national existence of the United States.”

Supporters of these bills contend that such measures are needed to protect the country against homegrown terrorism and safeguard its Judeo-Christian values. The Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has said that “Shariah is a mortal threat to the survival of freedom in the United States and in the world as we know it.”

This is exactly wrong. The crusade against Shariah undermines American democracy, ignores our country’s successful history of religious tolerance and assimilation, and creates a dangerous divide between America and its fastest-growing religious minority.

The suggestion that Shariah threatens American security is disturbingly reminiscent of the accusation, in 19th-century Europe, that Jewish religious law was seditious. In 1807, Napoleon convened an assembly of rabbinic authorities to address the question of whether Jewish law prevented Jews from being loyal citizens of the republic. (They said that it did not.)

Fear that Jewish law bred disloyalty was not limited to political elites; leading European philosophers also entertained the idea. Kant argued that the particularistic nature of “Jewish legislation” made Jews “hostile to all other peoples.” And Hegel contended that Jewish dietary rules and other Mosaic laws barred Jews from identifying with their fellow Prussians and called into question their ability to be civil servants.

The German philosopher Bruno Bauer offered Jews a bargain: renounce Jewish law and be granted full legal rights. He insisted that, otherwise, laws prohibiting work on the Sabbath made it impossible for Jews to be true citizens. (Bauer conveniently ignored the fact that many fully observant Jews violated the Sabbath to fight in the Prussian wars against Napoleon.)

During that era, Christianity was seen as either a universally valid basis of the state or a faith that harmoniously coexisted with the secular law of the land. Conversely, Judaism was seen as a competing legal system — making Jews at best an unassimilable minority, at worst a fifth column. It was not until the late 19th century that all Jews were granted full citizenship in Western Europe (and even then it was short lived).

To read more click here

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Friday Sermon about the Blessed month of Ramadhan

Delivered by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba) Head of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, on August 28th, 2009:

Huzur recited verse 187 of Surah Al Baqarah, the translation reads, ‘And when My servants ask thee about Me, say: ‘I am near. I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me. So they should hearken to Me and believe in Me, that they may follow the right way.’ (2:187)

Huzur said it is an immense favor of God that we are experiencing yet another blessed month of Ramadhan and today with His grace and His grace alone we are going through the sixth day of fasting.

When God states in Surah Al Ankabut, ‘And as for those who strive in Our path — We will surely guide them in Our ways. And indeed Allah is with those who do good’ (29:70) it signifies that He accepts those who endeavor for His nearness.

It has been the way of God from time immemorial that He sent His Prophets in every age who guided people on the paths that led to Him. When mankind, having gone through evolution, reached a stage of spiritual maturity, God sent the Holy Prophet Muhummad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to this world with the perfect religious law (Shariah) so that mankind may set forth on the way that leads to God.

One of these ways and means, is Ramadhan. The verses preceding the aforementioned verse (2:187) mention that God had prescribed fasting on earlier people, just as it is prescribed to Muslims now. As Islam is the perfect religion, it expounds the details of fasting in the most excellent manner.

The Holy Qur’an clearly states the conditions under which one may not fast, for example when ailing or travelling. The missed fasts should be made up later on. If one can, one may also give fidya (expiation). People with chronic illnesses should pay fidya.

This is a most blessed month and minor ailments should not be made an excuse to miss fasting. During the month of Ramadhan God puts special arrangements in place for forgiveness of sins.

In verse 29:70 the word Sobolona (in Our ways) signifies that the grace is for anyone who makes an endeavor with purity of intention. However, a special beneficence has been made available for those who make sacrifices during the month of Ramadhan to attain nearness to God. He creates an atmosphere in this month which facilitates attaining piety. He brings closer all the remote ways of acceptance of prayer.

Hadith relates that during Ramadhan God opens the door to Paradise and shuts down the doors leading to Hell and restrains Satan. Huzur said what an excellent illustration the Hadith gives of the grace of Ramadhan. Is it then not our utter good fortune to be experiencing the grace of yet another Ramadan.

To read more click here

A Prayer from the Holy Bible

The Gospel of Matthew has been called the most Jewish of the gospels; I guess it can also be labeled as the most Muslim of the gospels. Allah is Father of all of us. Here is a prayer from the Gospel of Matthew:

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth; they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:5-15)

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Alislam page on Ramadhan

To view the page click here

Alislam-eGazette Archives regarding Ramadhan

September 2007

October 2007

September 2008

August 2010

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Zikr Illahi (remembrance of Allah) and the human mind

By Zia H Shah MD

Our brain is made of neurons. It is no wonder that whatever we do or think has, in the final analysis, to do with our neurons or brain cells. They communicate with each other at the junctions that are called synapses, also called neuronal junction, the site of transmission of electric nerve impulses. The synapse, with its neurotransmitter, acts as a physiological valve, directing the conduction of nerve impulses in regular circuits and preventing random or chaotic stimulation of nerves.

At a chemical synapse each ending, or terminal, of a nerve fiber (presynaptic fiber) swells to form a knoblike structure that is separated from the fiber of an adjacent neuron, called a postsynaptic fiber, by a microscopic space called the synaptic cleft. The typical synaptic cleft is about 0.02 micron wide. The arrival of a nerve impulse at the presynaptic terminals causes the movement toward the presynaptic membrane of membrane-bound sacs, or synaptic vesicles, which fuse with the membrane and release a chemical substance called a neurotransmitter. This substance transmits the nerve impulse to the postsynaptic fiber by diffusing across the synaptic cleft and binding to receptor molecules on the postsynaptic membrane. The chemical binding action alters the shape of the receptors, initiating a series of reactions.

Once they have been released and have bound to postsynaptic receptors, neurotransmitter molecules are immediately deactivated by enzymes in the synaptic cleft; they are also taken up by receptors in the presynaptic membrane and recycled. This process causes a series of brief transmission events, each one taking place in only 0.5 to 4.0 milliseconds. If the same neurons get fired over and over again, the connections or synapses between them get facilitated and can be activated easily. This forms the basis of human memory and a lot of other mental activities.

Scientific studies of different addictions like alcohol and gambling have shown that in addicts certain brain cells get facilitated for these negative activities, and their synapses continue to get reinforced. These neurons and synapses get so facilitated that as a result, addicts cannot control themselves against these addictions, as these cells keep firing. In other words whatever neurons repeatedly fire in our brain, end up determining our daily life and destiny.

To overcome negative emotions, thoughts and action we need to replace those with positive ones. The month of Ramadhan is to occupy ourselves with remembrance of Allah and charge our neurons with positive and spiritual. We want to charge our brain cells and synapses with Zikr illahi, even in our idle moments and think positive thoughts, facilitating positive synapses and neurons that will determine our fate. No wonder it is said, “Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

To read further click here

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How to be free from Sin

By Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

The Islamic concept of salvation differs from that of other religions, and from Christianity in particular, because Islam rejects the concept of Original Sin and declares man to be responsible only for his own sins. He, therefore, needs to free himself from his own sins in order to attain salvation. In this article, the Promised Messiah, may peace be on him, answers the all-important question, why does man commits sin, and how can he free himself from it.

The Promised Messiah writes that man is by his very nature averse to things he believes to be harmful, and if he commits sin it is only because he does not truly believe in the existence of God and in the Day of Reckoning. Had he possessed the same certainty about the accountability of sin, as he does, for instance, about the harmfulness of a poison or a snake, he would never even think of transgressing Divine commandments.

The Promised Messiah also argues that a true religion must be judged by its ability to lead its followers to certainty about the existence of God. The holy author makes a detailed comparison between Islam and other major religions, and concludes that Islam alone can lead man to perfect awareness and, consequently, to freedom from sin. He writes:

In this article, I intend to show that the remarkable material progress of the current age has been more than counter-balanced by its deplorable spiritual decline, to the extent that the souls of men have lost their ability even to grasp obvious truths. It is apparent from a close study of humanity that a hidden and formidable force is pulling it downwards, and man is swiftly being dragged into a pit which is termed Asfalus Safilin [the lowest of the low]. Such a complete change has come over the intellects of men, which they have come to admire and praise things which are abhorrent and detestable to the spiritual eye. Every soul feels itself being dragged downwards by a force, which, through its devastating influence, has already caused a whole world to fall into decline. Pure truths are laughed at and ridiculed, and complete submission to God is looked upon as an absurdity. Every soul is drawn towards the world as if constrained by some hidden force. As I have often stated before, attraction forms the basis for everything that happens in the world, and the side which possesses greater conviction is able to attract others towards itself. There is every truth in the principle that a force can only be counteracted by another more powerful than itself. It is impossible for this world, which is being pulled downwards by the force of base attractions, to rise up again, unless an opposing force appears from heaven to reinforce people’s faith, and to show them that there is more substantial and lasting joy in submission to the commandments of God than in the fulfillment of carnal passions, and to convince them that transgression is worse than death. This heavenly light of conviction is granted to man through the ‘Sun’, i.e., the Imam of his age, and failure to recognize him amounts to dying a death of ignorance. The person who thinks he has no need of this true source of light is deluded, for he sets himself against the immutable laws of God. Human eyes, even though they possess a light of their own, cannot see without the sun. The sun is the source of the light which descends from heaven and illuminates the earth, and without it our eyes are as good as blind. He who attains conviction through this heavenly light is drawn towards piety, and it is natural for a struggle to ensue between the two attractions, one pulling him towards virtue and the other towards vice, one towards the East and the other towards the West. The clash is all the more ferocious when the two attractions are at their peak—as they are during times of tremendous material advancement.

To read the whole booklet go to: click here

Friday sermon: Christianity and Beatification of Pope John Paul II

Delivered by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (ata) Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, on May 6, 2011:

It was God’s great favor on us that He sent the true and ardent devotee of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) so that he could guide us away from the deteriorated state of the teaching. He was the Hakm (Judge) and the Adl (Arbiter) of the age and as such in order to rid us of the infestation of shirk (associating partners with Allah), he guided us precisely in light of the teaching of the Quran, which had established the Oneness of God and which tells us about the true teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) as well as Islam’s superiority over other world religions.

Christianity claims that through the atoning death of Jesus (on whom be peace) his followers are ‘reconciled’ to God. Some saints are also thought to be means of intercession. It has been recently said about the previous Pope, John Paul II that owing to a miracle healing of a woman he had reached the station of intercession with God, while in Paradise. Hudhur said, these are their viewpoints, whereas the reality is that their teaching is contrary to the teaching of Jesus and is based on shirk.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) informs us:

‘Remember, it is wholly calumnious to ascribe divinity to Jesus (on whom be peace). He certainly did not make any such claim. Whatever he said as regards himself did not go beyond intercession. As such, who can deny the intercession of Prophets? Many times Israelites were saved from raging torment because of the intercession of Moses (on whom be peace) And I have experience of this myself. Many esteemed people of my Community know very well that due to my intercession some embroiled in problems and illnesses were relieved of their grief and they had been informed of this beforehand. For Jesus to be crucified for his followers and for the sins of his followers to be imputed to him is a meaningless creed that is far-removed from reason. It is beyond the Divine attributes of fairness and justice that the punishment of the sin of someone should be given to another. In short, this creed is a collection of errors.’

Explaining the requisites of intercession, the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote: ‘Firstly, it is essential that an intercessor has a perfect connection with God, so that he can attain beneficence from God. And [he] also has an intense connection with mankind so that he can take to mankind the beneficence and the good that he attains from God. Unless both these connections are not intense, one cannot be an intercessor…unless these two models are not to be seen, there can be no beneficial outcome’.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) also wrote that Jesus (on whom be peace) could not even reform his disciples. By contrast, through his perfect model, our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) saved his followers from physical and spiritual chastisement and transformed their world. The intercession of Moses (on whom be peace) had similar outcome. However, after Jesus (on whom be peace) the condition of his followers deteriorated.

Hudhur said thus the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) illustrated the facts about Christianity. In his lifetime, Jesus could not reform his disciples, his death on the Cross was also considered accursed by the Jews, although we Ahmadi Muslims do not accept this concept and say that God saved His Prophet from all the accusations that the Jews wanted to ascribe to him. He lived a long life and was successful in the objective for which God had sent him. Hudhur explained that he had spoken regarding the Pope [John Paul II] because there is a lot of debate going on these days in schools about his ‘miracles’ and Hudhur wished to inform our youngsters about the facts. They listen to what is said out there and can at times be influenced by it. Always remember that the lofty station of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) is the real station of intercession. And his miracles have taken place from his lifetime to this day. People are being born among his followers who can show miracles. We Ahmadis, firmly believe that God continues to manifest His Powers through adherence to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). We are also firm on the belief that there is no need for any saint or any recommendation; God is found by following the teachings of the Holy Quran and the commandments of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). Whereas Christians are beatifying the Pope, after his death, for miracles the validity of which is disputed. A Polish newspaper has raised objections regarding this, stating it is possible that the team of doctors which ascertains the legitimacy of ‘miracles’ did not research the matter properly about the woman about whom it is said that she suffered from Parkinson’s disease. It is possible that she had some other illness which naturally is cured after a while.

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Book Review: ‘Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don’t Know About Them)’ by Prof. Bart Ehrman

Reviewed and Critiqued by Dr. Naseer Tahir

Prof. Bart Ehrman

Prof. Bart Ehrman Has written more than 20 books, latest one being, Forged: Writing in the Name of God–Why the Bible’s Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are.

He wrote Jesus Interrupted in 2009. His outstanding research into the origin of the Bible is well recognized and it is a just and fair critique of the present day knowledge about the Bible as held by a common Christian.

In the preface of the book, the author mentions about his journey towards spirituality and then his moving away from it. The “born again” experience and passion for the knowledge about the Bible during high school period lead him to the Moody Bible Institute. In 1978 he went to Theological Seminary at Princeton for Doctorate in New Testament studies. Starting his studies as a Bible believing Christian, he finished with changed ideology. He wrote, ” It became clear to me over a long period of time that my former views of the Bible as the inerrant revelation from God were flat-out wrong.” ( P:xi) What changed his ideas is what this book is all about. What caused him to be an agnostic? He details his reasons in the final chapter of the book.

I found this book a scholarly work and one can use some of that in favor of the Holy Quran. Notwithstanding his hard work, I feel sorry for the author, all his struggle and efforts gone in vain. His hard and long journey was to lead him to be “born again,” but it resulted in the demise of his faith. If he had studied Islamic scripture with the same intention he would have had a different experience.

With his life time of study, expanding over decades, Bart Ehrman has discovered only part of the truth: ‘the present Bible is not the literal word of God.’ To complete his journey and reach the destination, I invite him to study the Quran. He will find the true and the original teachings of the Bible in the Holy Quran.

To read rest of the review by Dr. Naseer Tahir go to: click here

Christianity a journey from facts to fiction

By Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad

He examines the doctrines of Christianity in light of reason and logic. He puts his conclusion on the back cover of his book in the words of a Christian theologian, Søren Aabye Kierkegaard:

“It is not the business of any Christian writer or preacher to dilute Christianity to suit the general educated public. The doctrine of the incarnation was to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, and so will it always be, for the doctrine not only transcends reason; it the paradox par excellence; and it can be affirmed only by faith, with passionate inwardness and interest. The substitution of reason for faith means the death of Christianity.”

What Kierkegaard could not foresee is the information age with millions of websites. It will be hard to hide behind the veil of ‘faith’ and run away from reason and rationality. It is self evident that faith cannot be divorced from reason. If man needed faith alone, any cult would be as good as any religion and all human affairs will completely collapse.

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Book Review: ‘A History of the Corruptions of Christianity: Considerations in evidence that the apostolic and primitive church was Unitarian’ By Joseph Priestly

Reviewed by Dr. Amtul Qadoos Farhat

Dr Joseph Priestly

Dr Joseph Priestly (1733–1804), was a British Scientist, Natural Philosopher and Theologian who first discovered Oxygen gas. As a Unitarian Theologian, Dr Priestley wanted to return Christianity to its “primitive” or “pure” form by eliminating the “corruptions” which had accumulated over many centuries.

One of his major works the Institutes of Natural and Revealed Religions first published in 1771 shocked and appalled many readers, primarily because it challenged basic Christian orthodoxies such as the divinity of Christ. The History of Corruptions of Christianity was initially added as the fourth part of this book. It became so voluminous that he had to issue it separately. First published in 1782, Dr Priestley believed that The History of Corruptions of Christianity was “the most valuable” work he ever published.

The two volume book has various sections tracing history of distortions and corruptions in all the major doctrines of Christianity such as Trinity, Atonement, Baptism, Grace, Original Sin, Veneration of saints, angles and relics, State of Dead and the Lord’s Supper to its origins. Dr Priestly retrieves the sequential details of history as to how the corruptions were gradually incorporated in to a monotheistic religion of Jesus; both unintentionally and intentionally. The work is original and the evidence has been taken either from New Testament or from the writings of scholars and theologians of the apostolic age and around 500 years after that. It contains more than 1800 original quotes regarding unity of God alone.

Just like his contributions in science his writings on religion are masterly and earned him the friendship and tutorship of President Thomas Jefferson. Priestley argued, for example, that the real “mystery” of the Trinity was that so many Christians believed it. For Jesus did not teach it, the Bible did not proclaim it, and Reason could not honor it. Jesus lived as a human being, claimed to be nothing more than the “son of man,” whose mission was to show all humankind how they should live and what God expected of them. The Old Testament honored monotheism, as did the New Testament, rightly read.

To read his entire book click here

To read the review by Dr. Amtul Qadoos Farhat click here

Breaking the Cross: Epoch making refutation of dogma of Christianity by the Promised Messiah

By Ataul Mujeeb Rashid

The author is the Senior Missionary, for Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in UK. He has written a very detailed and beautiful book exposing the dogma of Christianity. He has collected excerpts from the writings of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah, to refute Christianity. Rashid has written this book in Urdu and it would be very worthwhile, for the cause of humanity, if someone translates it into English for the benefit of those who do not know Urdu.

To read a more than a hundred page chapter in refutation of Trinity in Urdu click here

Sola Scriptura: A Fatal trap for Christianity

By Zia H Shah MD

Sola scriptura is the doctrine that the Bible contains all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness. Consequently, sola scriptura demands that only those doctrines are to be admitted or confessed that are found directly within or indirectly by using valid logical deduction or valid deductive reasoning from scripture.

It is an essential doctrine of Protestant Christianity. Now, as we learn more and more about how the New Testament was compiled and interpolated, it is becoming clear to all, except the fundamentalists that the Bible is not the literal word of God and as a result is a habitat of several contradictions. Therefore, it cannot be a perfect guide to humanity.

As Christianity is losing its theological and logical basis it is time not to excel in Islamophobia but to consider Islam as a natural evolution of Christianity and consider Islam as panacea for different problems of the West and means to reintroduce spirituality in the West, Europe and North America.

The Encyclopedia Britannica has laid down the core of my argument as it describes, Christian fundamentalism:

“The issue of biblical authority was crucial to American Protestantism, which had inherited the fundamental doctrine of sola Scriptura (Latin: ‘Scripture alone’) as enunciated by Martin Luther (1483–1546) and other 16th-century Reformers. Thus, any challenge to scriptural integrity had the potential to undermine Christianity as they understood and practiced it. In response to this challenge, theologians at the Princeton Theological Seminary argued for the verbal (word-for-word) inspiration of Scripture and affirmed that the Bible was not only infallible (correct when it spoke on matters of faith and morals) but inerrant (correct when it spoke on any matters, including history and science).”

So, if the Bible is neither infallible nor inerrant, as we will show in this and related knols, then the whole of Protestant Christianity implodes into ruins of contradictory ideas!

If one were to genuinely believe in the biblical authority as proclaimed by the American Protestantism and explained by the Encyclopedia Britannica above, very dramatic events will begin to occur that will shock and awe any sensitive and learned person. For example, let the Bible define and explain labor pains:

“And the Lord God said unto the woman, what is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, the serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.” (Genesis 3:13-16)

Now, this is not only unfair and inaccurate with respect to women but also with respect to the snakes. By isolating the snakes from the rest of the animal kingdom for condemnation, it gives a distorted view of evolution, biology and reptiles. It attributes the labor pains to consequences of the Original Sin and in so doing completely misrepresents humans and the mammals. These verses of Genesis suggest as if humans did not have labor pain before Eve committed the sin and as if other mammals do not have labor pain and they are not linked through evolution.

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The age of Reason

By Thomas Payne

Thomas Payne, one of the Founding Fathers of USA wrote in his epic making book the Age of Reason:

“From the time I was capable of conceiving an idea, and acting upon it by reflection, I either doubted the truth of the Christian system, or thought it to be a strange affair; I scarcely knew which it was: but I well remember, when about seven or eight years of age, hearing a sermon read by a relation of mine, who was a great devotee of the church, upon the subject of what is called Redemption by the death of the Son of God. After the sermon was ended, I went into the garden, and as I was going down the garden steps (for I perfectly recollect the spot) I revolted at the recollection of what I had heard, and thought to myself that it was making God Almighty act like a passionate man, that killed his son, when he could not revenge himself any other way; and as I was sure a man would be hanged that did such a thing, I could not see for what purpose they preached such sermons. This was not one of those kind of thoughts that had anything in it of childish levity; it was to me a serious reflection, arising from the idea I had that God was too good to do such an action, and also too almighty to be under any necessity of doing it. I believe in the same manner to this moment; and I moreover believe, that any system of religion that has anything in it that shocks the mind of a child, cannot be a true system.”

To Read his book with some annotations click here

A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom

By Andrew Dickson White (1832-1918)

Because the suppression of scientific thought by the medieval Church represents one of blackest periods of human history, many scholars have studied this period with great care. Worth special mention is a remarkable two-volume treatise by Andrew Dickson White entitled A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom, published in 1896.

To read the whole text click here

Andrew Dickson White wrote:

“The doctrine of the spherical shape of the earth, and therefore the existence of the antipodes, was bitterly attacked by theologians who asked: ‘Is there anyone so senseless as to believe that crops and trees grow downwards? . . . that the rains and snow fall upwards?’ The great authority of St Augustine held the Church firmly against the idea of the antipodes and for a thousand years it was believed that there could not be human beings on the opposite side of the earth – even if the earth had opposite sides. In the sixth century, Procopius of Gaza brought powerful theological guns to bear on the issue: there could not be an opposite side, he declared, because for that Christ would have had to go there and suffer a second time. Also, there would have had to exist a duplicate Eden, Adam, Serpent, and Deluge. But that being clearly wrong, there could not be any antipodes. QED!”

The Intelligent Design movement, which wants to teach philosophy and metaphysics as science in USA schools, the Evolution wars in USA and efforts during the intrusive reign of President Zia ul Haq in Pakistan are prime examples of futile struggle between religion and science. There is a popular saying, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” In that spirit it would be worthwhile to read this book.

To read more accounts click here

Limitations of oral traditions: Differences in the four Gospels

By Zia H Shah MD

At the time of Jesus only 5% of the population was literate, the four Gospels that decades or centuries later made into the canonical New Testament, served a theological purpose for the local illiterate population and could hold their awe, in an atmosphere of lack of literacy and medieval culture, as literal word of God, but in this age of information, when all of them are read side by side, with better interpretation, almost each and every line of the text is an epiphany for the rational, who is not invested in the text through indoctrination, a reminder, to seek a better scripture, which was more precisely recorded and genuinely preserved over time, namely the Holy Quran!

In this article let us go on a journey of the New Testament, through the eyes of different scholars of the New Testament, how from oral traditions, we came to have our New Testament. We have to imagine different cultural phenomena leading to oral traditions, at times people sitting around bonfire and sharing stories for decades before they were committed to pen and paper or their equivalent.

Prof. Mark W. Muesse is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. A native of Waco, Texas, he completed his graduate work at Harvard University, where he received a Masters of Theological Studies from the Divinity School and the A.M. and Ph.D. in the Study of Religion from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. He has also been Visiting Professor of Theology at the Tamilnadu Theological Seminary in Madurai, India, traveling extensively throughout Asia. He has been a practitioner of meditation for over fifteen years and has studied the Buddhist discipline at the International Buddhist Meditation Centre, Wat Mahadhatu in Bangkok, Thailand and the Himalayan Yogic Institute in Kathmandu. He writes as he describes almost a fictional nature of the Gospel of John, in his lecture series, Confucius, Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad:

“John’s gospel was written later than the synoptics, at the end of the Ist or beginning of the 2nd century; by that time, christological developments that had been in process for 60 or 70 years. As we’ve seen with the Buddha and Confucius, as time proceeds, the biographies of charismatic individuals tend to acquire greater legendary qualities.

Second, John neglects to mention most of the events and teachings contained in Mark, Matthew, and Luke. John contains no parables, no reports of exorcisms, and no discussions of the end-time. John only mentions the kingdom of god twice. It’s hard to account for these omissions if John had access to the same historical material that the synoptics used. There are other factors involved, of course, but the consensus among academic biblical specialists who apply the methods of modem historical study is that John contains little historical fact and few, if any, authentic sayings of Jesus. Accordingly, most critical scholars doubt that the historical Jesus actually identified himself as the Christ as the gospel of John describes.”

At another place, Mark W. Muesse writes about the contradictions in the different canonical Gospels as they describe the events after crucifixion:

“Within three days of his ignominious crucifixion, many of Jesus’ close followers became convinced that he had overcome death. Their conviction was both experienced and interpreted in a variety of ways. In the Gospel of Mark, the empty tomb appears to have been a sign from god that Jesus had transcended the bonds of the grave. But Mark’s gospel does not tell Us what exactly happened to him, simply that he was no longer in his tomb Matthew and Luke both report that some of Jesus’ disciples saw him in various settings. Matthew says that the women who went to the tomb to prepare his body for burial were the first to see him and that later the 11 remaining apostles saw him on a mountain in the Galilee. Luke indicates that the first persons to see Jesus were not the women or the 11 apostles, but two otherwise unknown followers who walked with him to a village called Emmaus and recognized him only after they began to share a meal with him. Luke also says that shortly afterwards, Jesus appeared to the 11 while they were gathered in Jerusalem, not the Galilee as Matthew tells it. At first, they ‘thought they were seeing a ghost,’ to quote Luke, until Jesus invited them to touch him and feel his flesh and bones.

… In John’s gospel, Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene, who mistook him for the caretaker of the garden where the tomb was located. Later in the day, Jesus appeared to the apostles, except for Thomas, who was not among them. A week later, Thomas saw Jesus and actually touched him, dispelling the skepticism that had earned him the title ‘Doubting Thomas.’ John continues to describe several other occasions on which Jesus’ followers saw and interacted with him.”

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Book review: ‘Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures’ by Pope Benedict XVI and Marcello Pera

Reviewed by Shazia Sohail

This was a lecture delivered by Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, in 2005 at the School of Catholic Culture, in Italy. In it he aims at solving what he believes is the greatest immorality in the European culture: abortion. He makes the argument that the crisis of cultures does not comprise the clash between one religion and another, or one continent and another; rather it is the clash between religious and moral truths on the one hand and the secular or Enlightenment culture, based on a scientific attitude, on the other. He makes an elaborate case to prove the moral bankruptcy of the Enlightenment culture, the most obvious symptom being the ‘murder’ of the ‘weakest of the weak,’ the unborn child. He rejects agnosticism as a viable option and invites the audience to choose faith and God with the totality of their beings and sneaks in Christianity as the only option, without establishing her exclusive claim for a theistic paradigm.

In the foreword, titled “A Proposal That Should Be Accepted,” Marcello Pera admits that the cultural break from Christianity occurred due to acceptance of Galileo’s proposal that the spheres of science and religion should never be allowed to influence each other since the Bible clearly contradicted scientific truths; the resulting gap continued to widen to the point that morality came to be replaced by the universally accepted values of personal liberty and freedom of expression. In deference to Kant, no action was considered good or bad in itself; the consequences that ensued from it determined its value. At some point the statement in Genesis “man was made in the image of God” was transformed into human rights. But when other advances joined this one like scientific freedom, autonomy of technology, and women’s self-determination, it created difficult problems. Pera closes the introduction with a powerful appeal to accept the Pope’s opinion.

In the opinion of the Pope the greatest failure of the modern society pursuant to its break from Christianity is the recognition of a woman’s right to choose abortion for herself. He does not tell us why the unborn child, even if it is illegitimate and the result of rape or incest, must be born. Why are the rights of a potential person more valuable than those of a woman? How did he deduce from Genesis that a fetus, even in the earliest stages of its development, is a person? If something cannot exist or live on its own how can it be called a life and have rights? Why must the state enforce Christian values if the church has failed to teach it to its own followers? Why must non-Christians living in a Christian state be forced to practice the Christian doctrine of the ‘right to life?’ The author does not answer these questions but tries to convince us that if we just lived our lives as if God existed, even if we didn’t believe it, and imposed Christian values on ourselves we would come to believe that He does indeed exist.

The author describes Faith as being a fundamental human attitude; we exhibit it in everyday life in our use of technology and pharmaceuticals made by others. It is essential for human life to function. Although it is of lesser value than knowledge, it is still fundamental to human existence, for the very survival of society.

Throughout the book the author laments Europe’s lack of connection to its Christian roots and would like Europe to re-connect with its past values, but to what end? It is naïve on his part to assume that the sanctity of human life would be restored if people had Christian values. To an enlightened reader the author himself appears to be disconnected from Christianity’s past. Is the Pope not aware of the bloodshed in the name of Christianity? He also does not take into consideration that it was only after Europe distanced itself from Christianity that it began to make progress. Scientific progress became possible only after commitment to scientific truth came to be valued more than religion. Women attained liberty and equality after justice based on secular values characterized the function of the state.

In the Foreword by Marcello Pera, Galileo is quoted as saying “It is the intention of the Holy Spirit to teach us how to go to heaven, not how heaven goes.” It is the contention of the Holy Quran that a revealed scripture should be able to do both, and there can be no conflict between the Word of God and the Act of God (science). The Holy Quran challenges us to find such a contradiction in the following words, “Say, ‘Allah Who knows every secret that is in the heavens and the earth has revealed the Quran. Indeed, He is Most Forgiving, Merciful.’” (Al Surah Al-Furqan 25:7) And again, “No incongruity canst thou see in the creation of the Gracious God. Then look again: Seest thou any flaw? Aye, look again, and yet again, thy sight will only return unto thee confused and fatigued.” (Al Surah Al-Mulk 67:4-5)

We believe that in a trilateral discussion between the Christians, atheists or agnostics and the Ahmadi Muslims, we can find appropriate Faith and Reason and the right balance between the two. If Faith and Reason are based on good foundation, they do not have to be polar opposite. They can be synergistic, as Albert Einstein has said, “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”

In the past several centuries in Europe, there have been only two parties to the debate for human civilization, Christianity and the Enlightenment scientific culture, with emphasis on agnosticism. Each party has denied the strengths of the other lest it self-annihilates herself. With the arrival of a third party in Europe, namely of Islam, as understood by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, an open, honest and rational discussion has begun. In this trilateral dialogue we can not only find solutions for the crisis of Europe, but also for Asia, Americas, Africa and Australia!

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Book Review: ‘Jesus Died in Kashmir: Jesus, Moses and the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel’ by Andreas Faber-Kaiser

Reviewed by Amtul Mussawir Mansoor

A. Faber Kaiser, a philosopher and a scholar of comparative religions, heard of the ‘Kashmir Hypothesis’ and became interested when he discovered that there was a tomb in Kashmir that belonged to Jesus. He himself decided to go to Kashmir and investigate the hypothesis more thoroughly. In his book, he examines the evidence and presents historical and physical proofs, that Jesus Christ, in fact, survived the crucifixion, and travelled East, to find the “Children of Israel,” in order to complete his mission. The purpose of this book was to inform a large sector of the public about the possibility that Jesus did not die on the cross and did not ascend physically to heaven. This possibility is not widely known.

The accepted Christian dogma regarding Jesus is that he was crucified at noon on a Friday, and then on the same day before sunset, the body was taken down from the cross and his body was given to Joseph of Arimathaea and was laid to rest in his sepulcher. A large stone blocked the entrance of the tomb and on Sunday, the body was gone from the tomb. In this way, the Biblical prophecy was fulfilled and Jesus had risen from the dead. After visiting his disciples, he ascended to heaven to sit on the right hand of God. The author incidentally points out regarding this Biblical description that “there is no historical evidence that Jesus did die on the cross, and there is no record that anyone witnessed the resurrection.” He further says, “but there is considerable evidence that a man with the same ideas and philosophy as Jesus set out eastwards at precisely this time, leaving behind him a trail of proof of his life and acts. This man made his way to Kashmir, where he remained until death.” In addition, the author points out that “there is evidence that Jesus visited Kashmir during his youth, of which the Bible says virtually nothing more than that he visited Jerusalem when he was twelve.”

The four canonical gospels mention the events regarding the birth of Jesus but then jump ahead to when he was 30 years of age when he was baptized by John and began his ministry, except for a brief mention when he was at the tender age of 12 year old.

Andreas Faber-Kaiser has assembled an arresting body of evidence to throw new light on these questions. This evidence supports a completely new concept of Jesus. For Example, among a group of people living in Kashmir today calling themselves ‘Children of Israel,’ the author has found a living descendent of Jesus with a complete family tree tracing his descent over 2000 years.

Calmly and persuasively, this book examines revolutionary new findings and theories to reveal how Christ survived the ordeal of crucifixion, went East to find the ‘Children of Israel’ – and completed his mission on Earth.

To read Andreas Faber-Kaiser’s book click here

To read the review click here

The History of the Bible: The Making of the New Testament Canon

By Dr. Shahid Malik, Binghamton, NY

This article describes the compilation of the New Testament and will look into the basic facts as what books it contains, when were they written, who were their authors, how they were copied and transmitted down through the ages, and lastly how they were collected together into a canon of scripture.

The New Testament contains twenty-seven separate books arranged in four groups, according to genre. It begins with the gospels, including four accounts of the life, ministry, death and assumed resurrection of Jesus. Next is the book of Acts, a historical account of the life of the Christian Church and its missionary efforts after the resurrection of Jesus. The third group contains twenty-one Epistles, which are the actual letters written by Christian leaders, most prominently the apostle Paul to Christian communities and individuals, dealing with the problem of faith and church administration. The New Testament ends with an apocalyptic vision of the end of the world as we know it, the Revelation of John.

The New Testament consists of four gospels named after their alleged authors as Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. The first gospel written was the gospel of Mark in 65-70 AD probably written a decade after the Pauline letters, the next were the gospels of Mathew and Luke written 80-85 AD and lastly the gospel of John was written in 90-95 AD. Even though the gospels go under the name of authors mentioned above but in fact, they were written anonymously. These authors’ titles were included in the English bible in later additions and were not original to the gospels themselves. The gospel narrations are always written in the third person. The earliest gospels were written in Greek and the writers seems to be well educated, literate, Greek-speaking Christians, in contrast to the apostles of Jesus, who were uneducated, lower class, illiterate, Aramaic-speaking peasants. The bottom line is that we don’t know the identity of the real authors of the gospels and it seems probable that none of the gospels were actually written by any of Jesus’ closest followers.

To read more click here

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Book Review: ‘Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew’ by Prof. Bart Ehrman

Reviewed by Ijaz Ahmad, Rochester, NY

Millions of people worldwide consider the New Testament to be the true word of God. However, recorded history tells a somewhat different tale of forgeries, debates, and a countless exchange of derision. How exactly did this New Testament come about? Who wrote it and who put it together? Was the New Testament agreed upon by all Christians? Bart D. Ehrman illustrates the world of Christianity in the first three centuries after the death of Jesus Christ leading up to the formation of what we today know as the New Testament in his book “Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew.”

The book itself is conveniently organized to tell a story utilizing factual evidence (for the most part). The book is divided into three parts. The first part explores different written texts and works that didn’t make it into the New Testament. The second part focuses on the forms of Christianity that eventually disappeared and became “lost.” These forms were declared heretical by the ‘proto-orthodox’ Christians (those Christians whose beliefs became the mainstream beliefs of Christianity). The third part explores the rise of the ‘proto-orthodoxy’ and the eventual formation of the New Testament and Christianity.

Ehrman explores various written works and Gospels that were never included into the canon (a collection of written works) of the New Testament. The Gospel of Peter and the Gospel of Thomas are just a few of the numerous other written works that some early forms of Christians believed in. The book presents an overview of what these early written works discussed and why they weren’t included in the canon of the New Testament.

To read more click here

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Book Review: ‘Letter to a Christian nation’ by Sam Harris

Reviewed by Atif Mir, Canada

In Letter to a Christian nation, Sam Harris makes a sneering, feeble and condescending attempt to demonstrate that religion is an imagination of human mind and the sooner humanity discards it, the better. The letter echoes ideas of his previous book, The End of Faith, in which he had said:

“There seems…to be a problem with some of our most cherished beliefs about the world: they are leading us inexorably ,to kill one another…It seems that if our species ever eradicates itself through war, it will not be because it was written in the stars but because it was written in our books.”

In response to his book, The End of Faith, Harris had received a very “hostile communication” from Christians. It is in response to this hostile communication, he wrote, Letter to a Christian Nation, to respond to many of the arguments that Christians put forward in defense of their religious beliefs. In the letter, however, Harris makes two flawed assumptions upon which he builds his intellectual edifice.

The two flawed assumptions he makes are:

1. All faiths are antithetical to western values. Islam due to its ideology of jihad is worse because it threatens freedom of people living in west.

2. The moral value of rational atheism can replace religious morality

This article will discuss that Christianity is more vulnerable to the attacks of Harris because its teachings, though divine, have become distorted with the passage of time. Harris holds Christianity responsible for corporal punishment, intolerance, and other moral shortcomings that apparently he can’t seem to find in Islam. That is why Harris invokes Jihad and Islam’s agenda of world conquest to prove that Islam, instead of being a more modern religion, is a greater threat to the West than Christianity. His argument to replace all religions with rational atheism is nothing but a vague assertion without any deep philosophical foundations and hence not comparable to Islamic moral system.

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Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why

By Prof. Bart Ehrman

Here is a detailed lecture by Prof. Bart Ehrman, describing the compilation of the Bible, how copies of the copies were made in the medieval ages, introducing countless mistakes. Ehrman’s Book, “Misquoting Jesus” (1 of 5):

click here

In this book he has written, “There are more differences among our manuscripts than there are words in the New Testament.”

Once our Christian brethren and sisters fully grasp the limitations of the Holy Bible, some of them may be willing to trade it in for the Holy Quran. Let us see if you are one of them?

If you are already a Muslim then the good news for you is that the Holy Quran says, “Blessed is Allah, Who has sent down the Discrimination (the Quran) to His servant, that he may be a Warner to all the worlds.” (Al Surah Al-Furqan 25:2)

The All Knowing God has given the learned Muslims a yard stick or litmus test to distinguish and discriminate between truth and make belief. Some of them have an immediate ability to be a judge of scholarship of New Testament researchers like Ehrman, if they pick up the right yard stick from the Holy Quran.

For a review of the book click here

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Book Review: ‘Who Wrote the Bible?’ by Richard Elliot Friedman

Reviewed by Dr. Niaz Ahmed, Binghamton, NY

Is the Bible authentic? Surely, it is one of, if not the most influential book in our modern time. It has, and currently is being studied in depth not only as sacred text, but also as literature, and history. Richard Elliot Friedman, a renowned biblical scholar, and author of, “Who Wrote the Bible?” is a Harvard graduate, and currently the professor of Jewish studies at the University of Georgia. In his book, he focuses primarily on the author (or authors, as you will see later) of the five books of Moses (IE. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). This compilation is known as the Pentateuch (from Greek, meaning “five scrolls”), or as you may well know, the Torah (from Hebrew, meaning “instruction”). From the long course of biblical analysis throughout history, to the formation of the Documentary Hypothesis of Julius Wellhausen, and finally to his own analysis, Friedman thoroughly explains the source of the texts of the Five books of Moses, as well as its influence on the next 6 books of the Old Testament. Using both historical and archeological evidence, tied with linguistic analysis of the Bible text, he systematically identifies the individual authors of the four main source documents (J, E, P, and D), while challenging certain aspects of the Documentary Hypothesis. In lieu of such analyses, any religious scholar would question the sanctity of such a book (considered to be a holy scripture), in being the word of God.

Friedman starts with the history of biblical studies and the analysis of the Bible’s foundation, which began with the long history of discriminatory action that even involved ex-communication of those who pursued such knowledge. Initial investigators had agreed with the old tradition of Moses as the original author, while still suggesting that a few lines may have been added here or there. Isaac ibn Yashush, a Jewish court Physician for a ruler during Muslim Spain, showed that a list of Edomite Kings in Genesis 36 actually named some kings who lived long after Moses, suggesting that this list was written by someone other than Moses (Friedman 18). He later became known as “Isaac the blunderer.” The man who gave him this label was Abraham ibn Ezra, a 12th-century Rabbi, who exclaimed, “His book deserves to be burned,” (referring to Isaac).

To read more click here

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Video Course Review: ‘Confucius, Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad‘ by Prof. Mark Muesse

Reviewed by Rabia Mir, Canada

The Teaching Company vide course titled Confucius, Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad starts with the description of this book, The 100: A Ranking Of The Most Influential Persons In History.

One of the salient features of the Ministry of Buddhism and Confucius is that there is no mention of Trinity, Original Sin or other dogma of Christianity, but the Monotheism of Judaism and Islam can be traced into these teachings that have gone through changes over time. Additionally the insightful Prof. Mark Muesse describes Paul to be the founder of Christianity rather than Jesus himself. The shear act of putting the four sages in one bracket serves to raise the reader above many contemporary Western prejudices.

As religion comes to occupy the forefront of the socio-political stage, the academic arena, which has always been enamored with religious discourse, has now begun to dissect the purpose of religion: What each faith has to offer and what religion offers, on the whole, to humanity. Professor Mark W. Muesse in his set of lectures entitled Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad does precisely this. He considers the teachings of each of these men in light of their historical context and personal circumstances, and tries to redefine each man’s character based on his intent and action, rather than the persona imposed upon him by his followers. He acknowledges that western media’s portrayal of Prophet Muhammad has been unfair particularly his teachings regarding women’s rights and warfare.

Professor Mark W. Muesse proves himself to be a fine scholar who aims to understand what these four men had to offer to their followers, and thus how they acquired the great following that they did, and what their teachings can offer to humanity as a whole. He strives to understand their socio/political endeavors in light of their historical contexts and personal circumstance. His work is a rare glimpse into the actual struggle of these men to rise up out of their personal obstacles and redress the social issues of their times. Muesse’s perspective is secular, refreshingly unbiased, honest and foremost, as stated, contextual. His work is a phenomenal breakthrough in the study of religion, as he lays out the teachings of these men, not as their followers understood them, but as these four men intended them to be understood. Muesse has done what few scholars have managed to do: set aside his contextual time period and re-enter the time period of the great personalities he studies. As the world sees the re-emergence of religion, and witnesses a rising fundamentalism within every faith, and academics and scholars struggle to understand this re-emergence that has occurred despite the prevailing scientific order, Muesse offers his readers a profound window into humanity’s need and struggle to follow a path of nobility, as embodied particularly in the historical characters of these four sages.

To read Rabia Mir’s complete review click here

The description of the course on the Teaching Company website is:

Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad—four extraordinary sages who influenced world civilization more deeply than any other human beings in history.

As just one measure of their importance, current rankings of the most influential people in history consistently put Confucius, the Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad at or near the top of the list. Four centuries after the rise of the scientific worldview, their influence in human affairs continues to be fundamental, underscoring issues ranging from questions of ethics and justice to religious and political conflicts to other issues that dominate today’s headlines.

In the 21st century, much of humanity still looks to the lives, teachings, and actions of these four sages for guidance on how to live, for their conceptions of morality, and for understanding the most crucial human values.

Never merely historical figures, as models of human living they remain dynamically alive for countless millions of people around the world, exemplifying the moral and spiritual precepts our civilizations are built on. Taken together, their influence extends over most of the human population, from Asia to the Middle East and from Europe to the New World.

No understanding of human life, individual or collective, could be complete without factoring in the role and contribution of these history-shaping teachers.

Now, in Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad, award-winning Professor Mark W. Muesse of Rhodes College takes you deep into the life stories and legacies of these four iconic figures, revealing the core, original teachings, and thoughts of each, and shedding light on the historical processes that underlie their phenomenal, enduring impact.”

To order the DVD’s click here

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The Teaching Company course: History of the Bible: The Making of the New Testament Canon

By Professor Bart D. Ehrman, M.Div., Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The New Testament stands unchallenged, in the words of Professor Bart D. Ehrman, not only as the “‘bestseller’ of all time,” but also as the most important “book—or collection of books—in the history of Western civilization.”

Yet how many of us, Christian or otherwise, are as knowledgeable about the New Testament as we would like to be? Even many who consider themselves Christian find themselves asking some—perhaps even all—of the questions so often posed by those who are not.

What different kinds of books are in the New Testament? When, how, and why were they written? What do they teach? Who actually wrote them? How were they passed forward through history? And, perhaps most important of all, why and how did some books, and not others, come to be collected into what Christians came to consider the canon of Scripture that would define their belief for all time?

Professor Ehrman offers a fast-moving yet thorough introduction to these and other key issues in the development of Christianity.

Drawing on the award-winning teaching skills and style that have made him one of our most popular lecturers—respectful yet provocative, scholarly without sacrificing wit—Professor Ehrman has crafted a course designed to deepen the understanding of both Christians and non-Christians alike.

“The New Testament is appreciated and respected far more than it’s known, and that’s not just true among religious people who consider themselves Christian. …

“This set of lectures is designed to provide an introduction to the New Testament for people who recognize or appreciate its cultural importance, or who have religious commitments to it, but who have not yet had a chance to get to know where it came from, what it contains, and how it was transmitted down to us today.

“The focus in this course will be historical, rather than theological. The course does not either presuppose faith or deny faith. It’s based neither on faith nor skepticism. … It’s simply taught from the perspective of history.”

To order the DVD course click here

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Copyright © 2011 Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. All rights reserved.

Over 600 Hours of MTA Programs in Different Languages

Friday sermon: Obedience to the State

Delivered by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (ata) Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, on April 1, 2011:

Hudhur said the Qur’an states, and this part of the verse is recited every Friday: ‘Allah…forbids indecency, and manifest evil, and transgression.’ (Al Surah An-Nahl 16:91). The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) has explained the Arabic word Bagh’i (transgression) as signifying excessive rainfall that spoils crops. Hudhur explained this means one who diminishes rightful dues or one who exceeds in rightful dues. God forbids from both; neither the ruler, nor the masses should either diminish or exceed in this regard, if they do, they break the boundaries set by God. Hudhur said as these day it is the masses who are taking severe action against governments, Hudhur would address the matter correspondingly. Ahadith inform us that even if the leader is in the wrong, the masses are enjoined to be patient.

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said; ‘After me you will see injustice, rights suppressed and others given preference over you. You will see matters that you will disapprove of’. When asked what was the commandment in such circumstances, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) replied, ‘pay their [leaders] rights to them and ask God for your rights.’ The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) also said: ‘Whoever disapproves of something done by his ruler should be patient, for whoever disobeys the ruler even as little as the span of a hand will die a death of ignorance.’ A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and complained that he had appointed so and so as a ruler and had not appointed him, to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) replied: ‘After me you will see others given preference over you but you should be patient till the Day of Judgment.’ Once the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was asked how people should react if unjust rulers are imposed on them. He declined to answer, he was asked again, and again he declined. When he was asked the third time, he replied that even in such a situation the ruler should be obeyed. He would be accountable for the responsibility given to him while the subjects would be accountable for the responsibility laid on them. Once the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) took Bai’at, after which he said once someone is made a ruler he should not be quarreled with unless he does Kufr (disbelief) publically and for this they [they people] have a proof from God.

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Friday sermon: Honor of the Holy Prophet (saw) and blasphemy law

Delivered by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (ata) Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, on Jan 21, 2011

Hudhur said currently a hotly debated topic in the press and the electronic media is that of the blasphemy law of Pakistan. [Referred to in Urdu as 'Namoos e Risalat', i.e. law upholding the honour of the Prophet]. A true Muslim, whose belief extends from Hadhrat Adam (on whom be peace) to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) is anxious at offence directed at any of the Prophets and is certainly very concerned as regards the Seal of all the Prophets (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). A true Muslim can lay his/her life down, can see his/her children murdered and his/her property looted but cannot listen to disrespect towards his/her master, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). Today, due to certain situations, the blasphemy law of Pakistan is at a critical juncture and Western leaders as well as the Pope are making demands regarding it.

These days Islam and Muslims are represented in a most horrific manner in the media with plentiful examples of Pakistan and Afghanistan thrown in. Hudhur said today he would not speak on the matter of the significance of the blasphemy law for Muslims and how the non-Muslims are taking advantage of it. Rather, he wished to say that anyone who made the slightest of effort against the honour and respect of his master, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) would come under the chastisement of the Quranic verse: ‘We will, surely, suffice thee against those who mock:’ (15:96). God Himself is protecting the honour of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and is enhancing his status every minute and thus states in the Qur’an: ‘Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet…’ (33:57).

In the current age, the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) understood this status more than any other and explained it to us. He said that the Holy Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) truthfulness and sincerity was such that he experienced all manner of evil but did not care and God thus stated: ‘Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! you also should invoke blessings on him and salute him with the salutation of peace.’ No verse of this magnitude has been used for any other Prophet. God willed us to send salutations on him as a mark of thankfulness. In his blessed model, the Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) truthfulness and sincerity was for God. Therefore, if we wish to be included among those who are true believers of the Ummah, then we should obey all of God’s commandments with truthfulness and sincerity and invoke salutations and blessings (Durud) on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) with profusion.

To read in more click here

The Muslim Times: A Blog to Foster Universal Brotherhood

Our international news blog gets a brand new look by the Grace of Allah. The new site is able to translate all the posts into scores of languages of your choice on click of a button. The menu is in the right column.

We are an international news blog representing an Ahmadiyya Muslim perspective of the world, especially the Muslim countries. We aspire for separation of Mosque-Church and State, loyalty to our specific countries, while maintaining a belief in Universal Brotherhood of mankind.

Check out the blog: click here

The teaching of Universal Brotherhood in Islam, among other verses is grounded in the following verse of the Holy Quran:

O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female; and We have made you into tribes and sub-tribes that you may recognize one another. Indeed, the most honourable among you, in the sight of Allah, is he who is the most righteous among you. Surely, Allah is All-knowing, All-Aware. (Al Surah Al-Hujuraat 49:14)

On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the full text of which appears in the link provided. Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and “to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories.”

We believe that information about these articles and learning about the human family from all countries, races, ethnicities and religions will foster compassion and Universal Brotherhood.

We are strong supporters of the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

For the thirty articles click here

For Islam and Human Rights: click here

Punishment of Blasphemy

By Khalid Saifullah Khan (Australia)

Blasphemy means behavior or language that shows disrespect for any prophet or any religion. Blasphemy not only hurts the religious sensibilities of others, but it also disturbs the peace and harmony of any society and even causes law and order problems, which is why Islam does not allow even the idols of the polytheists reviled or maligned. Allah says: “And abuse not those whom they call upon beside Allah, lest they, out of spite, abuse Allah in their ignorance.” (Al Surah Al-An'am 6:109) If even the false idols are not allowed to be slandered, how the founders and leaders of different religions, sects and groups can be defiled? Clearly, the Holy Quran forbids Muslims to be blasphemous but if a blasphemy is committed, whether by a Muslim or a non-Muslim, Islam does not prescribe any worldly punishment. In this article, Pakistan’s Blasphemy Law would be examined in the light of above.

No doubt, the freedom of speech is necessary for the progress and development of a society. But this freedom must not be used to insult religions.
That is why Islam forbids blasphemy but does not prescribe any worldly punishment for it.

To read more click here

Khilafat: its two portfolios, spiritual and temporal

By Dr. Nasim Rehmatullah and Dr. Zia H Shah

With the political turmoil spreading from one Arab country to the next, during the last few weeks, several fears and demons have been reawakened. Could these changes herald development of a theocracy or establishment of Caliphate in some Muslim country? These speculations have served as a golden opportunity for some fear mongers. For example, Glenn Beck claims that Caliphate will result from the rebellions in Tunisia and Egypt. Rush Limbaugh and Donald Rumsfeld have also been tilting at windmills and have joined Glenn’s Jihad against presumed Caliphate. We label the commentary of Glenn and like as fear mongering, as there is no political tool available in the Muslim world to reestablish Caliphate.

What is Caliphate? After the demise of the Prophet Muhammad, Caliphate – spiritual, moral and political succession — was established in 632, akin to the Papacy in Catholic Church. Early on it was a democratic and beneficent institution, but, unfortunately, within a few decades it deteriorated into kingship, largely giving up the spiritual and moral dimension and providing only some political leadership to the Muslims, in some form, over the centuries. The consolation for the believers, as they look back on the history, is that they find the events followed the predictions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, as he had said, “Prophethood shall remain among you as long as God wills. Then khilafat on the pattern of prophethood will commence and remain as long as He wills. A corrupt monarchy shall then follow and it shall remain as long as God wills. There shall then be a tyrannical despotism which shall remain as long as God wills. Then once again khilafat will emerge on the precept of prophethood.”

Khilafat after prophethood can have two portfolios, mainly spiritual and moral and secondarily temporal. It was a special blessing of Allah for Islam that in the early history of Islam, after the demise of the Holy Prophet, the two portfolios were combined in one person during the tenure of the Rashidun Khulafa, the rightly guided Caliphs, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali, may Allah be pleased with them all. This helped tremendously in the early consolidation of Islam. This, however, is not the case after every prophet and was indeed not the case after Jesus, may peace be on him. His earlier followers did not enjoy any temporal influence for a long time to come. After the rightly guided Caliphs the title of Caliph was retained by the kings and temporal rulers but they largely lost moral and spiritual legitimacy and influence. This gulf was filled by the Mujaddids and Sufis, over the centuries, in various parts of the Islamic Empire.

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Our common cause with the Pope Benedict XVI: Pakistan should Repeal Blasphemy Law

On this issue we completely and whole heartedly agree with the Pope.

MILAN. Jan 2011 — In a forceful appeal for religious freedom, Pope Benedict XVI urged Pakistan on Monday to repeal contentious blasphemy laws as he called on governments worldwide to do more to enable Christians to practice their faith without violence, intolerance or restriction.

The pope was speaking in an annual address to diplomats accredited to the Vatican, a long-scheduled event. But this year his words came after bomb attacks in Iraq and Egypt — the most recent in the Egyptian city of Alexandria less than two weeks ago — and the assassination last week of a leading Pakistani politician who had opposed his country’s law that makes blasphemy against Islam punishable by death.

The politician, Salman Taseer, had campaigned against the law and had petitioned the government to re-examine the case of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who was sentenced to death last November under the legislation.

Mr. Taseer’s “tragic murder,” the pope said, “shows the urgent need to make progress in this direction: the worship of God furthers fraternity and love, not hatred and division.”

To read more click here

What’s New at
www.alislam.org

An Elementary Study of Islam First English book released on iBooks and ePub format

Aik Ghalati Ka Azala Urdu Audio Book of The Promised Messiah(as)

Khutbaat e Nasir Volume 10 Sermons in Urdu on Eid and Nikah (1965-1982)

New Urdu Books Tehrik-e-Jadid aik ilahi tehrik (Vol. 2, 3), Khitabat-e-Nasir (Speeches on Jalsa Salana), Seerat Sahaba-e-Rasool

Learn word-by-word Urdu translation of the Holy Quran with audio

Learn Namaz Translation in Urdu a web project for children

Persecution News and Updates

For latest updates about the persecution of peaceful Ahmadiyya Muslim Community please visit www.ThePersecution.org or at the The Persecution Blog

www.reviewofreligions.org

www.muslimsunrise.com

Demystifying ‘Caliphate’

By Harris Zafar

The term “Islamic caliphate” often stirs fear of an Islamic uprising where Muslims will acquire global political control. Some, like Sean Hannity, claim that giving control to al Qaeda will lead to an Islamic caliphate. And although caliphate is the English rendition of the Arabic term khilafat, the two terms have different connotations.

Since the revolution began in Egypt, many pundits have continually warned of a possible radical takeover in Egypt that will ultimately resurrect an imperialist caliphate. The system of caliphate is apparently obligated to wage war to bring the world under Islamic rule — and then to enforce Sharia law.

This is a far cry from the actual origins and significance of khilafat. Whereas caliphate implies a politico-religious Muslim state governed by a political leader, khilafat refers to the Islamic institution of spiritual successorship. The word khilafat means succession, and the khalifa is a successor to a prophet of God, whose goal is to complete the tasks of reformation and moral training that the prophet instituted. Therefore, khilafat can exist and flourish without a state, much like the papacy in Catholicism, which provides spiritual guidance and unity.

To read more click here

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Copyright © 2011 Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. All rights reserved.

So said Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

Have you any notion what was the strange event that occurred in the desert country of Arabia when hundreds of thousands of the dead were revived within a brief period and those who had been misguided through generations put on Divine color, and those who were blind obtained sight, and those who had been dumb began to speak of the understanding of the Divine, and the world underwent a revolution which had never been seen or heard of before? It was the supplications during dark nights of one who had lost himself in God which raised a clamor in the world, and manifested such wonders as appeared impossible in the case of that unlearned helpless one. Send down Thy blessings and peace, O Allah, on him and his people according to the amount of pain and anguish he felt for his Ummah, and pour down upon him the lights of Thy mercy forever.

[Barakat-ud-Du'a, Ruhani Khaza'in, Vol. 6, pp. 10-11]

I always wonder how high was the status of this Arabian Prophet, whose name was Muhammad, (thousands of blessings and peace be upon him). One cannot reach the limit of his high status and it is not given to man to estimate correctly his spiritual effectiveness. It is a pity that his rank has not been recognized, as it should have been. He was the champion who restored to the world the Unity of God which had disappeared from the world; he loved God in the extreme and his soul melted out of sympathy for mankind. Therefore, God, Who knew the secret of his heart, exalted him above all the Prophets and all the first ones and the last ones and bestowed upon him in his lifetime all that he desired.

He is the fountainhead of every grace and a person who claims any superiority without acknowledging his grace is not a man but is the spawn of Satan, because the Holy Prophet has been bestowed the key to every exaltation and he has been given the treasury of every understanding. He who does not receive through him is deprived forever. I am nothing and possess nothing. I would be most ungrateful if I were not to confess that I have learnt of the true Unity of God through this Prophet. The recognition of the Living God we have achieved through this perfect Prophet and through his light. The honor of converse with God, through which we behold His countenance, has been bestowed upon me through this great Prophet. The ray of this sun of guidance falls like sunshine upon me and I continue illumined only so long as I am adjusted towards it.

[Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Ruhani Khaza'in, Vol. 22, pp. 118-119]

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Incomparable & supremely great ethics and courteousness of the Holy Prophet

By Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, delivered on February 25, 2005

Indeed you have in the Prophet of Allah an excellent model, for him who fears Allah and the Last Day and who remembers Allah much. (Al Surah Al-Ahzab 33:22)

The personality and the character of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him, has such vast dimensions that it is not possible to cover all the aspects and different incidents and examples in a short series of sermons.

In this verse that I have recited, Allah says that for every person who realizes his responsibility to God and believes in accountability, there is an excellent model to follow in the person and character of the Holy Prophet. If anyone wishes to be a genuine believer and a true servant and worshipper of Allah he or she has no choice but to follow the Prophet’s model for no other model reveals such perfect characteristics and examples. As elsewhere in the Holy Quran, Allah says:

And thou dost surely possess high moral excellences.” (Al Surah Al-Qalam 68:5)

Promised Messiah, may peace be on him has explained this verse of the Holy Quran, “Oh Prophet, you are stationed on the most excellent character, which means that in your person you have such a charisma and such complete morals and qualities that any improvement in them cannot be imagined. The word ‘Azeem,’ in this verse, in Arabic diction is used for something that in its quality, in its category, reaches such height that anything higher cannot be conceived. Some scholars have suggested that ‘Azeem’ is something whose grandeur cannot be fully appreciated and is beyond the human imagination.”

So, such is the grandeur of the personality and temperament of our Prophet. Such is the vastness of his achievements and abilities; nevertheless, we have to try to emulate his example within the limits of our abilities.

So, this year I will give a series of sermons to highlight different aspects of his character and also refute some of the absurd criticism raised against him by the opponents of Islam.

To read more click here

Life of Muhammad: A biography

Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad (1889-1965) was the second successor to Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad the Promised Messiah. He led the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community from 1914 till 1965, as Khalifatul Masih II. He was one of the greatest Muslim thinkers. His great achievements covered all walks of life and not only benefited the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community but through his devout followers the humanity at large.

He was a great orator and a leader. The community progressed remarkably during his leadership.

The biography by him, Life of Muhammad is very insightful and can be read at the following link: click here

The character of the Holy Prophet Muhammad — An Urdu speech

By Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad

Historical Address delivered by Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Maseeh IV – the previous administrative and spiritual head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The topic of the Address was Seerat-un-Nabi or the Life of the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him. This Address was delivered during the concluding session of Jalsa Salana United Kingdom 1996 in Urdu Language.

To listen to the speech click here

Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets

By Sir Zafrulla Khan

This is one of the best biographies of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, for non-Muslim readers. Why is it so important for every human to learn about the Prophet Muhammad? The Holy Quran says about the Prophet Muhammad:

“Say, ‘If you love Allah, follow me: then will Allah love you and forgive you your faults. And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.’” (Al Surah Ale-Imran 3:32)

Encylopaedia Britannica states about Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan:

“Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan was a Pakistani politician, diplomat, and international jurist, known particularly for his representation of Pakistan at the United Nations (UN).

The son of the leading attorney of his native city, Zafrulla Khan studied at Government College in Lahore and received his LL.B. from King’s College, London University, in 1914. He practiced law in Sialkot and Lahore, became a member of the Punjab Legislative Council in 1926, and was a delegate in 1930, 1931, and 1932 to the Round Table Conferences on Indian reforms in London. In 1931–32 he was president of the All-India Muslim League (later the Muslim League), and he sat on the British viceroy’s executive council as its Muslim member from 1935 to 1941. He led the Indian delegation to the League of Nations in 1939, and from 1941 to 1947 he served as a judge of the Federal Court of India.

Prior to the partition of India in 1947, Zafrulla Khan presented the Muslim League’s view of the future boundaries of Pakistan to Sir Cyril Radcliffe, the man designated to decide the boundaries between India and Pakistan. Upon the independence of Pakistan, Zafrulla Khan became the new country’s minister of foreign affairs and served concurrently as leader of Pakistan’s delegation to the UN (1947–54). From 1954 to 1961 he served as a member of the International Court of Justice at The Hague. He again represented Pakistan at the UN in 1961–64 and served as president of the UN General Assembly in 1962–63. Returning to the International Court of Justice in 1964, he served as the court’s president from 1970 to 1973.

He was knighted in 1935. He is the author of Islam: Its Meaning for Modern Man (1962) and wrote a translation of the Qur’an (1970).”

To read the book click here

Muhammad: the Light for the Dark Ages of Europe

By Zia H Shah MD

An honest study of the causes of the Dark Ages and European renaissance will lead to the inevitable conclusion that Muhammad, may peace be on him, was the Messiah of the Dark Ages. John Davenport writes in an apology for Mohammed and the Koran: “It is in the compositions of Friar Bacon, who was born in 1214, and who learned the Oriental languages, that we discover the most extensive acquaintance with the Arabian anthors. He quotes Albumazar, Thabet-Ebu-Corah, Ali Alhacer, Alkandi, Alfraganus and Arzakeb; and seems to have been as familiar with them as with the Greek and Latin classics, especially with Avicenna, whom he calls ‘the chief and prince of philosophy.’ The great Lord Bacon, it is well known, imbibed and borrowed the first principles of his famous experimental philosophy from his predecessor and namesake Roger Bacon, a fact which indisputably establishes the derivation of the Baconian philosophical system from the descendants of Ishmael and disciples of Mohammed.” In a short paragraph, John Davenport has very precisely identified all the links in the human intellectual evolution. Additionally, his book, which is available in Google books, is a master piece in the defence of the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him. Read his two page Preface and he is standing shoulder to shoulder with other great defenders of the Prophet Muhammad in the Western world, like Thomas Carlyle. Unfortunately, some Western scientists and historians propose the European science to be some sort of magical wand and what preceded it as not good enough or label it as pre-science or mystical science etc!

To read more click here

These Eternal Truths

By Ruth Cranston

I was blessed with a father and mother whose lives were shining lessons in character and goodness. As a child, I heard the Bible read daily. But the doctrines of the church were confusing and never very real to me. I had not worked out a personal belief or philosophy of my own, when trouble struck—as it did early, and hard.

Casting about for something solid to hang on to in that difficult time, I began studying the great spiritual systems of the world for myself. Not the present day doctrines, but the original teachings of the founders of religion: the world’s great prophets and seers. I was struck with two things: First, the simplicity of the teachings of the great masters of religion. Second, the similarities in their teachings and the repetition of certain fundamental principles, which appeared again and again.

I heard them from the Hindu pundits at Benares, and from the yellow-robed high priests at the Buddhist college in Ceylon, at the family shrine of a humble hill-town weaver in south India, and in the magnificent Temple of Confucius in Peking. The same truths. And how long they had endured, through ages and centuries, while all else changed. But they remained. Why? Surely they must hold something very close to reality.

As I listened and pondered and steeped my mind in these great truths of all time, my own problems here in this present time cleared up. I began to see my way, and a possible philosophy for a person of this modern day and age filtering through the simple statements of Jesus and Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed, and Moses. I began to feel firm ground under my feet. They taught the unity of all life; the interdependence of all men; love and service to fellow man; help, not exploitation, of the weak and backward. They taught nonviolence and non-injury. They all taught purity of life and of motive, simplicity of life too, and that true riches are within. They taught the worth of individual man and the ability of every man to rise to higher states of development than we are now experiencing. They taught the immortality of the soul and the building of the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth.

To read the full story click here

What’s New at
www.alislam.org

Introduction of Holy Quran Chapters (Urdu Audio)

Ahmadi or Ghair Ahmadi Main Kia Faraq Hay? Urdu Audio Book of The Promised Messiah(as)

Zarurat-ul-Imam Urdu Audio Book of The Promised Messiah(as)

Ruhani Khazain Interactive English Index of the Urdu books of Promised Messiah(as)

Peace Symposium 2011 (UK) Including Address by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

Shuhada-e-Lahore Pakistan, Eulogy to the Lahore Martyrs (pdf) Urdu Book with Pictures of Martyrs

Coming of The Messiah (MTA Documentary) different interpretations and understandings regarding the awaited Messiah

MTA Documentary: The Defender of Faith Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani(as)

Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK Muqami Ijtema 27th March 2011 (Urdu) Address by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V(aba)

Friday Sermon (Archives)

Persecution News and Updates

For latest updates about the persecution of peaceful Ahmadiyya Muslim Community please visit www.ThePersecution.org or at the The Persecution Blog

www.reviewofreligions.org

www.muslimsunrise.com

The Message: Mohammed: Messenger of God (A movie)

By Zia H Shah MD

This Google knol is a step ladder approach for the non-Muslims to learn about the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him.

Samuel Parsons Scott understood part of the charm of the Prophet’s character when he wrote:

“The glories which invest the history of Islam may be entirely derived from the valor, the virtue, the intelligence, the genius, of man. If this be conceded, the largest measure of credit is due to him who conceived its plan, promoted its impulse, and formulated the rules which insured its success. In any event, if the object of religion be the inculcation of morals, the diminution of evil, the promotion of human happiness, the expansion of the human intellect, if the performance of good works will avail in the great day when mankind shall be summoned to its final reckoning it is neither irreverent nor unreasonable to admit that Muhammad was indeed an Apostle of God.”

What Samuel Parsons Scott missed, Reverend Professor Montgomery Watt a biographer of the Prophet Muhammad grasped or was it a Freudian slip? He highlighted above all virtues the Prophet’s trust in God:

“The more one reflects on the history of Muhammad and of early Islam, the more one is amazed at the vastness of his achievement. Circumstances presented him with an opportunity such as few men have had, but the man was fully matched with the hour. Had it not been for his gifts as a seer, statesman, and administrator and, behind these, his trust in God and firm belief that God had sent him, a notable chapter in the history of mankind would have remained unwritten.”

A good place for the non-Muslims to start learning about the Holy Prophet Muhammad is a movie named the Message: Mohammed: Messenger of God (1976) Rated PG.

The back cover states, “After seeing a vision of the Angel Gabriel, Mohammad calls to the people of Mecca to cast aside the 300 idols of Kaaba and worship only one God. Starring Anthony Quinn and Irene Papas, this breathtaking historical epic about the birth of the Islamic faith took six years to prepare and more than a year to film. It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score.”

To watch the video: click here

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Friday sermon about Ruhani Khazain

By Khalifatul Masih V, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad on Dec 31st 2010

In view of the coming new year, Hudhur said tonight when the world will be busy dancing, consuming alcohol and getting excited, especially in the Western world, we should make the promise in the Presence of God that in the New Year we will keep our emotions in obedience to His commandments, we will develop in belief and will try to mould every act of ours in accordance with God’s commandments.

Hudhur wished a very happy New Year to all individually as well as communally. Relating some blessings of the year, Hudhur said through the work done by Russian desk at MTA he now receives letters in their hundreds from Russia. God revealed to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and he said: ‘I see my community in Russia like the grains of sand in number.’ [Tadhkirah p. 964]. Hudhur said may God continue to take the message to them and fulfill this revelation. Hudhur also mentioned something that he had wished to say during Jalsa Qadian.

Hudhur praised our website alislam.org and informed that it has a new resource. A word search facility is now available for all the books of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). Hudhur said this was a difficult task which has been accomplished by a team of young people. They are: Noman Ahmad from Lahore, Mubarak Ahmad from Karachi. Both of them are Waqfe Nau. The additional team is from India, hence Hudhur’s wish to mention the names at Qadian Jalsa. They are: Fazalur Rahman from Chennai, Maqsood Ahmad, Shahid Pervaiz, Abdul Salam, Ayesha Maqsood, and Altaf Ahmad, all from Bangalore. Riaz Ahmad from Mangalone. Khurram Naseer from Pakistan and Kaleem ud din Sheikh from Chennai. Hudhur said they have accomplished a great task, may God reward them and may the world benefit from the resource they have created.

To read more click here

These are the books of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, peace be on him.

Originally written in Arabic, Persian and Urdu. At the time of the celebration of the Promised Messiah’s day on March 23rd, the Alislam team once again presents to the readers its new page of Ruhani Khazain and the new Computerized Edition Published in 23 Volumes:

To read in Urdu click here

To read English translation click here

Jesus in India

Jesus in India is an English version of Masih Hindustan mein, an Urdu treatise written by the Holy Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835 – 1908). The Urdu treatise was published in 1899.

The main thesis expounded in the treatise is Jesus’ escape from an ignominious death on the Cross and his subsequent journey to India in quest of the lost tribes of Israel whom he had to gather into his fold as mentioned in the New Testament.

Abundant evidence has been furnished from Christian as well as Muslim Scriptures, old medical books and books of history, including ancient Buddhist records, to illustrate the theme.

Starting upon his journey from Jerusalem and passing from thence through Nasibus and Iran, Jesus is shown to have reached Afghanistan, where he met the Jews who had settled there after their deliverance from the bondage of Nebuchadnezzar.

From Afghanistan Jesus went to Kashmir, where some Israelite tribes had also settled. He made this place his home and here he died. His tomb has been traced and found in Khanyar Street, Srinagar.

To read the full text click here

Prof. William Lane Craig makes false claims about swoon hypothesis!

By Zia H Shah MD

Prof. William Lane Craig is an American Evangelical Christian apologist, theologian, and analytic philosopher known for his work in the philosophy of religion, historical Jesus studies, and the philosophy of time. I applaud and honor much of his work for the cause of theism, but, when he makes tall and false claims about Jesus, I need to expose him. Swoon hypothesis , which I will be arguing for in this paper, means that Jesus did not die on the cross; he only went into a coma or a swoon. In his much publicized debates with Dr. Peter Slezak and Christopher Hitchens, about existence of God, Prof. Craig cites the so called resurrection of Jesus, as proof for existence of God and claims that other explanations for an empty tomb and sighting of Jesus after crucifixion have been universally rejected. He has perhaps not read the early history of Christianity thoroughly or he would not have made such an exaggerated claim. He calls the assumed resurrection a divine miracle and a great proof for the existence of God. He suggests that belief in resurrection is based on three historical facts but completely overlooks alternative and more plausible explanations for these facts. Given his theological and doctrinal biases, he has an axe to grind. Prof. Craig highlights in his presentations exorcisms performed by Jesus, may peace be on him, as miracles and feels that in doing so he is buttressing his claims about resurrection of Jesus, but as every student of allopathic medicine knows that exorcisms, demons and witches were a creation of the medieval mind, and so is the claim of resurrection!

In the debate Prof. Craig suggests that the only explanation of empty tomb that the Christian theologians have accepted is the miraculous one. This does not amount for much as it only reflects the pre-existing biases and prejudices of these theologians. Additionally the Christian apologists use the label of ‘theologian,’ only for those who agree with their premise. Craig equates other explanations for the empty tomb with flat-earth theory and by implication his own interpretation and emphasis on resurrection to very well founded scientific realities. Such analogies are unfair propaganda only. To raise Christian dogma to the level of completely proven and fully established scientific realities, for which evidence abounds, whereas, the evidence for resurrection is only well meaning and pious stories from 20 centuries ago, amounts to religious fundamentalism only and no scholarship of any kind. It is unfortunate that highly accomplished people like William Lane Craig do not carefully examine the ramifications of their belief in resurrection of Jesus, may peace be on him. Craig nicely explains the proof from First Cause and the Big Bang, banking on the information from science; if he were to examine resurrection in the same scientific scrutiny he will find that his belief system implies a nuclear explosion several times more powerful than Nagasaki and Hiroshima!

For the rest of the story click here

Zikre Habib: Forbearance and Forgiveness of Enemies by the Promised Messiah

By Dr. Mirza Maghfoor Ahmad

Pundit Lekhram, a religious scholar who was a staunch enemy of Islam and the Holy Prophet Muhammad, arrived in Qadian and was aided and supported by the Hindus of Qadian in his effort to abuse the Promised Messiah. They fed him all kinds of lies about Hazoor which made him more abusive and disrespectful towards the Promised Messiah and the Holy Prophet Muhammd, may peace be on him. Eventually, Pundit Lekhram was killed in response to the prayers and prophecy of Hadhrat Masih Mau’ood, the Promised Messiah. Hindus and Arya Samaj, including Lala Shrampat, accused the Promised Messiah of masterminding the murder of Pundit Lekhram and wanted the government to prosecute Hazoor. And yet, while on one hand Lala Shrampat laid slander upon Promised Messiah’s name, on the other hand he asked for help from the Promised Messiah at the same time. During this whole episode, Lala Shrampat became sick and he came to Hazoor for medicine. Hazoor gave him the medicine and asked him if he truly considered him the enemy responsible for the murder of Lekhram. If so, Hazoor asked, did he then think it was appropriate to take his medicine? Lala Shrampat replied, “We trust you. Please give us the medicine.”

The same Lala Shrampat, fell seriously ill on another occasion due to an infection in his abdomen and believed he was going to die. When Hadhrat Masih Mau’ood found out about his illness, he visited his home located in a dark and narrow alley. He appointed his own personal doctor, Muhammad Abdullah, to treat Lala Shrampat – he was the only doctor in Qadian at the time. Hazoor visited him daily. During his illness, Lala Shrampat would request Hazoor “Hadhrat Jee, pray for me!” Hazoor comforted him and prayed for him till he recovered. This is the character of a man so great that his heart overflowed with genuine goodwill for even the worst of his enemies.

Hadhrat Masih Mau’ood wrote in his book Arba’een, “I would like to say explicitly to all Muslims, Christians and Hindus that I do not consider anybody my enemy in this world. I love mankind more than a caring mother loves her children. I am only the enemy of those false beliefs which belie the truth. Compassion for human beings is my obligation; repudiation of falsehood, idolatry, oppression and every kind of misdeed, injustice and immorality is my creed.” He repeatedly expressed his love and sympathy for all humans as part of his faith and purpose of his advent. Even those who devoted their lives to prosecute him shared his grace. The Promised Messiah said, “I am thankful that I have prayed for every single one of my enemies at least two or three times.”

To read the transcript click here

To watch the video click here

What’s New at
www.alislam.org

Holy Quran with Swedish translation (pdf)

Holy Quran with Sinhala translation first 10 parts (pdf)

Urdu Audio Books of The Promised Messiah(as) (Tadhkiratush Shahadatain and Review Mubahasa Batalvi-Chakralwi)

The Islamic Khilafat – Its Rise, Fall, and Re-emergence by Rafi Ahmed

Prevention of Moral Degradation in Light of Islamic Teachings a speech by Nasir Mahmood Malik

Waqf-e-Nau Syllabus Books (pdf) A set of books for Waqf-e-Nau children and their parents

MTA Programs on Demand – YouTube Playlists

Persecution News and Updates

For latest updates about the persecution of peaceful Ahmadiyya Muslim Community please visit www.ThePersecution.org or at the The Persecution Blog

www.reviewofreligions.org

www.muslimsunrise.com

Remembrance of the Promised Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian

This is an English Speech by Imam Naseem Mahdi, Missionary In charge, at 25th Jalsa Salana USA West Coast 2010, Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino, California.

He narrates many incidents about the life of the Promised Messiah, may peace of Allah be on him, from the books written by Mufti Muhammad Sadiq and Ghulam Rasool Rajeki, both were very distinguished companions of the Promised Messiah, and other sources.

To watch the video: click here

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