The Light, UK, October 2016
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From: www.ahmadiyya.org/uk October 2016 April International Organ of the Centre for the worldwide 2016 Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam The only Islamic organisation upholding the finality of prophethood. Webcasting on the world’s first real-time Islamic service at www.virtualmosque.co.uk Editors: Shahid Aziz Mustaq Ali Contents: Page The Call of the Messiah 1 Religious view of organ transplant By Adeeba Ali 2 Chaudhry Masud Akhtar 6 By Shahid Aziz The late Masud Akhtar (left) with his brother retired Wing Commander Ahmad .Nawaz س ْ َّ ْ ن َّ ی ِ ِب اہلل الر ٰ ْحالر ِْح What is their god but a frail human being? This is the reason why they have been left in such a state of gratification. I do not wish to stop you Dedication from striving for worldly goods, but you should not follow the ways of those who think this pre- This issue is dedicated to the memory sent world is everything. In everything you do, of Chaudhry Masud Akthar, our first as- whether it pertains to the things of this world or sistant imam, who, on 21 September of the next, you should seek help and succour 2016, after lifelong service to the from Allah alone. And, this should remain the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement left mor- eternal guiding principle of your life. But this tality to become immortal. seeking of help should not be from your lips alone. It should be your conviction deep down The Call of the Messiah at the bottom of your heart being that every by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, blessing comes only from heaven. You will be truly righteous only when, at the time of every The Promised Messiah and Mahdi difficulty, before making your plans, you close your door upon yourself. Then fall down before Beware! Do not follow other nations blindly. the throne of Allah, Most High, crying for His Be careful! Having seen how other nations have grace, help and succour. Then the Holy Spirit attained a considerable measure of success in will come to your help and through unseen their worldly endeavours, do not be tempted to means a way will be opened for you. Have mercy follow in their footsteps. Listen carefully and on your own souls. Be not like those who have take notice for these people are alien to and un- cut themselves wholly away from Allah. They mindful of that God Who calls you all to Himself. I Shall Love All Mankind. October 2016 The Light 2 depend on material means to such an extent Religious Views of Organ that to seek Divine help they do not even for- mally utter with their lips the word “If Allah Donation and wills”. May Allah open your eyes so that you Transplantation begin to see that your God is the support on which all plans rest. When the central beam of By Adeeba Ali the roof falls, can the minor supports maintain (Editor’s note: This research paper has been ed- their position? Most certainly not. They will all ited for publication.) come down in an instant and in all likelihood, with much loss of life. In the same way, your “If you save a life it is as though you have plans cannot remain in position without help saved the whole of humanity” (Qur’an 5:32). from Allah. If you will not cry for His help, if you Never has there been a statement of such a pro- will not make entreating Him the most funda- found nature that has influenced my life than mental principle of your life, you will have no these few words stated above. If as human be- success and will ultimately die with great re- ings we all thought like this, wouldn’t this world gret. be a better place to live? Organ donation and or- gan transplantation are ways of emulating this Do not start wondering why other peoples verse. Let us consider the stand different reli- are meeting with success although they have gions take. not the slightest idea of your Most-perfect and All-powerful God. The answer is this, and this Christianity alone, that having forsaken Allah, they have There are several denominations within been put to trial by means of material means. Christianity and all encourage organ donation. Oftentimes, a trial from Allah comes in such a In Catholicism it is strongly encouraged as the way that whoever forsakes Him, and gives him- self up to carnal pleasures and setting his mind current Pope, Pope Francis who stated that “or- wholly on material wealth, finds that the doors gan donation is a testimony of love for our of worldly advancement are opened to him even neighbour.” In addition, the previous Pope, Pope though from a religious and spiritual point of Benedict XVI, had a donor card. However, it was view he is altogether destitute and naked. He fi- announced by the Vatican that his body parts nally dies while engrossed in this world only to could not be donated as they belonged to the be thrown into an eternal hell. Sometimes this church. trial takes another form in that such a person There are several verses in the Bible to sug- remains unsuccessful even in the task of amass- gest that organ donation is allowed. For exam- ing wealth. But the latter trial is not so danger- ple, “Do to others as you would have them do to ous as the former, since the former breeds an in- you” (Luke 6:31) and “Love your neighbour as ordinate measure of pride and engenders a su- yourself” (Matthew 22:39). periority complex. In any case, both these groups are of those on whom falls the wrath of Reverend Dr John Wilkinson, author of Allah. The true fountainhead for all kinds of Christian Ethics in Health Care, stated that “the prosperity is Allah. Therefore, when these peo- first ethical principle on which organ donation ple are unaware of this Living and Sustaining and transplantation may be justified is that of Being and in fact become heedless of Him and love for one's neighbour”. turn their backs upon Him, how can real pros- perity be their lot? Blessed are they who under- In addition, the Methodist Church UK stand this secret and in extreme distress is he stated, “The Methodist Church has consistently who fails to grasp it. supported organ donation and transplantation in appropriate circumstances, as a means (From Noah’s Ark) through which healing and health may be made possible”. I Shall Love All Mankind. October 2016 The Light 3 The former Archbishop of Canterbury Ro- common concerns with regard to organ dona- wan Williams released a poem promoting organ tion in the Jewish community. The common con- donation called ‘Host Organism’. cerns are as follows: firstly, the emotional at- tachment to the body, secondly superstition, Jehovah’s Witnesses are a non-Trinitarian de- ayin ha-ra (evil eye) the belief that if one talks nomination of Christianity_. Their doctrine intro- about death it will bring about death, thirdly the duced in 1945, stated that blood should not be treatment of the corpse. received or donated_. Jewish law has three prohibitions which are This doctrine is based on the following nivul hamet (desecration of the body) a law verses: “For the life of a creature is in the based on Deuteronomy 21:22-23, which states blood…” (Leviticus 17:11) and “Instead we that if a criminal is put to death by hanging...” should write to them, telling them to ab- but thou shalt surely bury him that same day.” stain…from blood” (Acts 15:20). Rabbis interpret this verse to mean that mutila- tion or mistreatment of the deceased is a viola- In 1967 Jehovah Witnesses document tion of the scriptural law; halanat hamet (delay stated that: "… removing the organ and replac- of the burial of the body) and Hannat hamet ing it directly with an organ from another hu- (prohibition of benefiting from the corpse). As a man…is cannibalistic". This is a clear indication result of the above this has led some Jewish that organ donation and transplantation was scholars to disagree with deceased donation. not permissible. The definition of death has been debated by However, despite not donating or receiving many Jewish scholars_. The Talmud describes blood, they do allow organ transplantation only death as the “departure of the soul”, however if the blood is removed from organs and tissues this cannot be observed or measured. The tra- before being transplanted. ditional Jewish definition of death requires that This statement was changed in 1980 to the all brain, respiratory and cardiac output have following: "While the Bible specifically forbids ceased. However, some believe death occurs consuming blood, there is no Biblical command when the whole brain, including the brain stem, pointedly forbidding the taking in of other hu- dies and others believe it is when the heart man tissue… It is a matter for personal deci- alone ceases. sion”. Thus, the first published case of trans- Goses is a Halachic term that describes a plantation of a Jehovah's Witness was in 1986 person who is gravely ill and likely to die within in California. 72 hours. Jewish law prohibits any interference Judaism with the Goses to prevent acceleration of death. In addition, there is “reluctance to intervene There are specific concerns regarding organ medically with the Goses to prevent death”, donation amongst Jewish scholars and Rabbis. solely for the purpose of taking their organs_. According to an article entitled “Religious as- pects of organ transplantation” when a member In Israel where 75% of the population are of the Jewish faith dies, it is important that they Jewish, only 10% of the population have an or- be buried within 24 hours.