"Call to the path ofthy Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and argue with people in the best possible manner." (The Holy Quran 16:125) The

Light published since 1924.

Exponent of Islam and the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement.

A journal devoted to showing that Islam is:

PEACEFUL - TOLERANT - RATIONAL - INSPIRING

Vol. 68 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1991 No. 3

CONTENTS

■ Our Teachings by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad ...... 3

■ Special tribute to Maulana Hafiz SherMohammad by Dr. Zahid Aziz ...... 4

■ Introduction to Islam Basic questions answered in simple form 11

■ Beliefs theof Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement Hazrat Mirza's claims accord with Islam 13

■ News and Notes ...... 15 1) Jesus did not die on the cross - View of eminent British physician. 2) About Ourselves - Changes in TheLight .

• Published from: 15 Stanley A venue, Wembley, Middlesex, HAO 4JQ. ENGLAND. 1315 Kings Gate Road, Columbus, Ohio 43221, U.S.A.

www.alahmadiyya.org 2 THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1991

The Light was founded as the organ of the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha'at Islam, Lahore, Pakistan (the Ahmadiyya Our Representatives. Association fQrthe propagation of Islam, established at Lahore Canada. in 1914). It is now the international periodical of the world­ Mr. Yaseen Sahu Khan wide branches of the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha'at Islam, 3181 East 15th Avenue, Lahore. Vancouver, BC. V5M 2Ll

Beliefs and aims. Germany. Mr. Saeed Ahmad Choudhary, The main· object of the A.A.1.1.L. is to present the true, Die Moschee, original message of Islam to the whole world - Islam as it is Brienner Strasse 7/8 , found in the Holy Qur� and the life of the Holy Prophet D-1000 Berlin-31 Muhammad, which is obscured today by grave misconceptions Nederland. and wrong popular notions. Mr. A. S. Abdul Santoe, We believe that Islam seeks to attract the hearts and minds Zevengetijdeklaver-5 of people towards the truth, by means of reasoning, good 3069 DK Rotterdam moral example, and the natural beauty of its principles. Islam South Africa. does not aspire for political power, nor does it permit force to Mr. Osman Sydow, compel people to accept or practise the faith. P.O. Box 112, Goodwood 7460 Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, our Founder, arose to Cape Province proclaim to the world certain generally forgotten aspects of Islam. He stressed that Islam is: India. Mr. Abdul Razak, International: It recognizes prophets being raised among Fatmabai Court, 4th Floor, all nations and requires Muslims to believe in them. Truth Jacob Circle, and goodness can be found in all religions. God treats all 17 Maulana Azad Road, human beings equally justly, irrespective of race, nation­ Bombay 400011 ality or religion. Australia. Peaceful: Allows use of force only in unavoidable self­ Dr. A. H. Sahu Khan, defence. Teaches Muslims to live peacefully under any rule 9 YasmerAvenue, Haberfield, N.S.W. 2045 which accords them freedom of religion. Fiji. Tolerant: Gives full freedom to everyone to hold and Mr. Amin Sahu Khan, practise any creed or religion. Requires us to tolerate 12 Bau Street, differences of belief and opinion. Suva Rational: In all matters, it urges use of human reason and Trinidad. knowledge. Blind following is condemned and indepen­ Mrs. Zarina Muhammad, dence of thought is granted. 106-A Old SouthernMain Road, McBean, Couva Inspiring: Worship is not a ritual, but provides living contact with a Living God, Who answers prayers and Guyana. speaks to His righteous servants even today as in the past. Moulvi M. Rasheed, 111 Regent Road, Non-sectarian: Every person professing Islam by the words P. 0. Box 10692 La ilaha ill-Allah, Muhammad-ur rasul Allah (There is no Bourda, Georgetown god but Allah, andMuhammad is the Messenger of Allah) Suriname. is a Muslim. No inquisitions allowed into anyone's beliefs, Mr. M. Rashid Pierldian, nor can a self-professing Muslim be expelled from Islam Zwartenhovenburg Straat 154, by anyone. Paramaribo Indonesia. Imam Musa Projosiswoyo, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (d. 1908) was a servant of Islam, P.O. Box 2535, withthe mission of bringing about thespiritual and intellectual JKT., Jakarta 10001 triumph of Islam, and uniting mankind under the banner of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, the last and final Prophet. Hazrat Mirza was one of the God-sent Mujaddids (renovators) of the Muslims. He believed that, afterthe Holy Prophet Muhammad, no prophet can arise, whether a new one or one from the past. THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1991 3 Our Teachings From the work Ki_mtI-i Niih (Noah'sArk) by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

When adversities encompass you all about, your Relationship with God faith in Him should be the greater. To follow me it is necessary in the first place to believe in One God, the Creator and the Supp­ Treatment of fellow beings orter of all existence, powerful over all, eternal, Let all your power be exerted to establish His everlasting and unchanging in His attributes, unity upon earth. Be kind and merciful to the neither being a son nor having a son, and free creatures of God. Let not your tongue speak evil from suffering injuries, cross or death. Being far against them or your handsdo injury to them. Do off,He is yet very near, andbeing nearHe is still not oppress them, but try your best to do good to very far. He is One but His manifestations are them. Speak not the word of pride and vanity to many. For those who renew themselves, He is a anyonethough he be your subordinateor servant. new God, and His dealings with them are new. Abuse not anyone though he might abuse you. They witness a transformation in God to the Walk upon earth in humility and meekness and extent to which theytransform themselves. But it sympathise with yourfellow beings thatyou may is not God Who changes, for He is unchanging be accepted of God. There are many who show and perfect in His attributes from all eternity. It meekness outwardly but inwardly they are is a new manifestation of Divine which is dis­ ravening wolves. Thereare many who aresmooth closed to a man when he is transformed by a in appearance but they have the nature of a renewal of his mind. As a man rises higher, a serpent. You cannot be accepted of your God higher manifestation of Divine power is revealed until your tongue conforms to your heart. Ifyou to him. When he shows an extraordinary trans­ are in a high place, glory not in your greatness formation, Almighty God reveals to him extra­ and do not look down upon the lowly but have ordinary manifestationsof His power. This is the mercy on them. If you are learned, glory not in root from which signs and miracles spring. your learning and do not despise the ignorant Such is my Lord, in Him you must believe with vanity but give them a word of kind advice. and Him you must set before you. Let God be If you are rich, glory not in your wealth and uppermost in your mind; let Him be dearer to behave not proudly towards the poor, but serve you than your own selves, your comforts and all and assist them. Shun the paths that lead to your connections. Be constant and firm in His destruction. Fear God and be righteous. Worship pathso thatno storm might shake you. The world not the creatures, but severing all your earthly trusts in its resources and prefers not God to its ties become wholly devoted to God. Let not your own dear objects, but you should trust in God delight be in this world. Serve God only, and alone and prefer Him to all else, so that you may devote your life to His service. Hate every be numbered in heaven with His people. impurity and evil for God's sake, for your Lord Almighty God has been exhibiting His signs of is holy. Let every morning bear witness that you mercy from ancient times, but you cannot avail have passed thenight with righteousness, andlet yourselves of His tender mercies until you are every evening bear witnessthat you havepassed one with Him and fulfil all the laws of righteous­ the day fearing God. ness. His will must be your will and His desires True inner reform your desires. Be faithful to Him in adversity and lie at His door whether He hearkens to your Fear not thecurses of thisworld, forthey arelike voice or not, so that His will be done in allcases. the smoke which disappearsinstantly andcannot If you trustin Himthus, the Living God Who has tum the light of your day into the darkness of long hidden His face from the world will mani­ night; but fear the curse of God which comes fest Himself in you. Is there anyone among you down from heaven, and brings ruin, both in this who acts upon these ordinances, who can seek to life and the next, upon the heads of those upon do the will of God and submit to the decree of whom it descends. You cannot save yourselves Heaven without uttering a word of complaint? with hypocrisy, for your Lord sees the inmost secrets of the heart. Can you deceive Him? 4 THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1991

Thereforestand uprightly beforeHim, purgeyour lives. He demands of you a death, after which He hearts of every impurity and cleanse them of shall breathe a new life into you. Be at peace every dross. If the· slightest darkness remains in with each other andforgive the trespasses of your you, it shall overcomeyour light and all shall be brethren, for wicked is the person who does not darkness. If there is vanity, hypocrisy, self­ agree to be at peace with his brother. He is in approbation or idleness in you, you cannot be danger of being cut off, for he sows the seed of acceptable in the sight of God. Be not deceived dissension. that a few words which your lips utter are the (Adapted from the translation published in the goal of your life, for Almighty God wishes to Review ofReligions, 1902.) bring about a thorough transformation in your

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Some impressions of Maulana Hafiz Sher Mohammad

by Dr. Zahid Aziz, Nottingham, England

I was not able to write thi1 article in time for the prepared and the magazine printed, and his own December 1990 special issue of The Light first writings appeared in it as well. devoted to the life of the late Hafiz Sher Hafiz Sahib's scholarship and research was of Mohammad; hence its appearance now. I shall considerable assistance in the compilation of give my impressions of the Hafiz Sahib based on several of our Urdu books published during the my experiences with him, and what he used to 1960s. Two such books are: Mujahid-i Kabir recount to us. (biography of Maulana Muhammad Ali), and Hafiz Sahib joined the Lahore Ahmadiyya Shahadat-i Haqqah (compilation of tributes paid Movement at the hand of Maulana Muhammad by prominent Muslims to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ali, and worked under him on the Anjuman's Ahmad and to the Lahore Ahmadiyya Move­ staff for about ten years. Maulana Muhammad ment). Ali's virtuous character, noble example, and his sympathetic concern for the members of the In our time. Jama'at, made a deep andindelible impression on It was in 1972 that Hafiz Sahib ventured abroad, Hafiz Sahib. He used to speak of Maulana and went to the Fiji Islands as missionary. Two Muhammad Ali with the greatest affection and years later certain events befell our Movement respe,ct; in fact, love and devotion. He often said (which are too well-known to need elaboration) that the Maulana was "a very great man", and which changed the future course of this Jama'at, that in over ten years of working with him, he namely, that the Pakistan government declared had never had cause to entertain the slightest Ahmadis to be non-Muslims and imposed restric­ grievance or complaint about the Maulana. tions on our activities. This was a critical time when Ahmadis had suffered a severe shock, and AfterMaulana Muhammad Ali's death, Hafiz attempts were being made all over the world to Sahib worked closely with, and sat at the feet of, overwhelm us with poisonous propaganda. Hafiz those stalwarts of this Movement whose scholar­ Sahib, while stationed in Fiji, toured our Jama'ats ship as well as saintliness are reco·gnised on all around the world on various occasions, giving hands, men such as Maulana Abdul Haque them the benefit of his wisdom, scholarship and Vidyarthi, Shaikh Ghulam Qadir, Hafiz guidance, both as regards matters ofreligion and Muhammad Hasan Cheema and Sayyid Asad­ affairs of organisation. Hafiz Sahib's exposition ullah Shah. In those days of the 1950s, an Urdu and defence of our beliefs did much to restore periodical entitled Ruh-i Islam was published, people's confidence in the mission and the truth under the overall editorship of Maulana Abdul of this movement. Haque Vidyarthi, which largely consisted of contributions from these great scholars. Hafiz I shall speak only about his visits to the U.K., Sahib was responsible for getting the articles and later about South Africa, which I can do THE LIGHT ■ S,EPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1991 s frompersonal knowledge. HafizSahib came here ing them with his masterly grasp of the issues. for the Ahmadiyya Convention in 1975, and Yet on the other hand, he was daily meeting delivered a speech, in his inimitable style, about ordinary people, answering their questions at a theFinality of Prophethood.This opened the eyes level they could understand, and was able to of many of us, not only about the views of the arouse their interest and hold their attention. He Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement, but also sometimes even had to deal with silly questions about the kind of claims made by Sufisaints who asked by very ignorantpeople, andyet he showed are revered by all Muslims. It was at that time no impatience or disdain towards them. This is a thatHafiz Sahib assisted HazratAmeer Dr. Saeed rare combination of qualities. Ahmad Khan in laying the foundations of the The date of the court hearings was set for U.K. Lahore Ahmadiyya Jama'at. 1984, and Hafiz Sahib again went to Cape Town At about that time,he wrotehis masterly book that year. I went there to join him in October La Nabiyya Ba'di� dealing with the finality of 1984 as interpreter and translator, and stayed prophethood, and the usage of terms nabf and with him for about four weeks. It was just rasul for non-prophets, by Islamic scholars, amazing to see the intensely hard work he was consistent with the finality. devotedly and laboriously doing there,under the During the next few years, we received many most trying circumstances. He faced a language of the Urdu articlesand booklets written by Hafiz barrier, as only two or three people there could Sahib, and learntmuch fromhis lucid and logical speak Urdu. The environment was an unfamiliar writings. He wished us to translate some of these and difficult one. Above all, he was suffering into English, and in fact we had been so inspired from several serious medical complaints such as by them that we too entertained the same desire. diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. It was a privilege and a great education forme in His room was a sea of pile upon pile of books those years to translate his booklets such Death and journals, making it near impossible to move of Jesus, A Brief Review of Khilafat in the around in it. Day. and night he was preparing Ahmadiyya Movement, and True Facts about the submissions on various issues, searching for Ahmadiyya Movement (A Reply to S. P. Tayo). references, entirely unassisted. In a l etter to me the year before, he had described these problems Cape Town Case 1983-1985. as follows: I now describe thegreat service rendered, and the sacrifices made, by Hafiz Sahib in connection "Due to heavy work, I havebeen suffering with the two Cape Town cases, and also mention from heart problems for the last · two some inspiring events which took place at the weeks. I read and write a little, and then time. feel pressure on my heart. The doctor The first case was brought by a member of advises rest, but that is impossiblebecause our Jama'at in Cape Town against the Muslim there are numerous issues to be dealt with. Judicial Council(and some other bodies). Despite Who knows what question may be raised its name, the MJC is no more thanan association in court. . . .As we are the plaintiffs, the of theologians, and is not a legal body of any burden of proof is on us. They [the oppo­ sort. The grounds for the action were that the nents] haveonly to quotefatwas, while we defendants were defaming Ahmadis by vilifying will have to producebooks andjournals to them as kafir, and were denying them their due prove each and every thing we say. These rights as Muslims to use a certain cemetery and are the problems I face here. There is no a certain mosque. The plaintiff sought court one here who can assist me. .. . Since two orders to stop the defamation arid the denial of weeks I have to take a sleeping tablet at rights. Hafiz Sahib first went to Cape Town in night, and then I can workin the morning. 1983 for this case, and stayed there for a few Each dayI die andthen come to lifeagain. months.His knowledge andpersonality immedia­ There is no other way except prayer." tely made a deep impact on the people he came into contact with, whether it was membersof our I saw for myself that we would often be Jama'at, other friends, or the advocates involved havingmeetings with the advocates fromthe start in the case. On the one hand, he would be dis­ of the day till the afternoon. To explain all the cussing highly technical and scholarly, legal and issues of difference to advocates who have little religious matters with the lawyers, and impress- knowledge of even the basics of Islam, and 6 THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1991 spending day after day doing it, is considerably law, and Hafiz Sahib returned from Cape Town. exhausting. Frequently, the advocates would ask for a paper to be -prepared on a certain issue 1985 proceedings. within two or three days, and much of the A few months later the judgment was delivered, evening would be taken up with that work. On rejecting the defendants' plea, and the hearings top of this, there was a constant stream of were set for November 1985. Hafiz Sahib and I visitors wishing to meet him. Yet despite all this, went to Cape Town again, and found that we now he was invariably cheerful, smiling, pleasant, and had different advocates, who had to be briefed uncomplaining. If anything worried him, it was from the beginning on all the issues! So the only a problem with the case or with the Jama'at. previous year's laborious work was repeated with Hafiz Sahib had never appeared in court the new advocates, andthe writtensubmissions to before. In a letter to me, written during his 1983 be presented in court were fmalised. visit, he expressed this with typical humility as The defendants, who did not want to go to follows: court (as only became clear later on), tried various ways (through intermediaries) of per­ "I shall have to testify as an expert wit­ suading us to withdraw our claim. Once a group ness. . . . Please pray for me and ask all of five or six muscular men came to visit us to friends to do the same, because I have exert pressure on us to withdraw. Hafiz Sahib never appearedin any court, and this is the explained to them, in simple terms which they Supreme Court too. And who knows whom could understand, that our beliefs were exactly the opponents may call from Pakistan and the same as theirs, and we were only seeking our Saudi Arabia. I have great trust in God. just civil rights. He told them that we had the lnsha-Allah, He will definitely decide in same Kalima, prayer, fasting, etc., the same our favour." Quran, books of Hadith and so on; As he explained this, the men's attitude began to Against him, the defendants submitted a list of change, their hostility diminished, and their some 13 expert witnesses, six of them being interest was aroused by what Hafiz Sahib was judges, constitutional and legal experts, and saying. At the end of the meeting, they accepted Islamic law specialists fromPakistan. It was just to take some of our booklets to read! And these daunting to read the qualifications of these were men who, we later learnt, had come with eminent men and the lofty positions they held in revolvers in their pockets. This was all due to Pakistan. One was described, amongother things, Hafiz Sahib's shrewd and wise handling. as "Chairman of the Constitution Commission Hafiz Sahib's personal security was at risk appointed by the President of Pakistan"; anotber during this and the later 1987 case. Yet his as "Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan concern was not for what he might suffer, but for (ShariatBench)"; a third as "StandingCounsel of the court case if he was unable to testify as a the Government of Pakistan in the Federal result of some malicious act against him. Shariat Court"; and a fourth as "Acting President Final hearings, November 1985 of Pakistan, May 1963, Judge of the West Pakistan and Lahore High Courts, Elevated as a When the hearings opened on 5 November 1985, the defendants, acting according to pre-arranged Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, October 1974". And facing them was a solitary villager tactics which had been kept secret, announced in court that they were withdrawing their defence, from Khoshab who hardly knew any English. Notwithstanding all this expertiseavailable to the as they could not (so they claimed) accept that the court could give a verdict based on a con­ defendants, when the hearings began in November 1984 they advanced a technical point sideration of Islamic law. They and their hund­ of law, in order to prevent the actual religious reds of supporters then left the court, leaving just issue from being discussed. (Theircontention was our side and the court officials. As they turned that the court was not qualified to decide, on the their backs and walked out, the thought struck us basis of religious evidence, as to whether a that they were really turning their backs on, and certain person was a Muslimaccording to Islamic walking away from, the judgment of God and His teachings, and that it must accept their authority Messenger, because the court was going to hear to make such determinations.) The case was evidence based on the injunctions of the Quran postponed, pending the judgment on the point of and Hadith as to who was entitled to be called a THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1991 7

Muslim and to be treated as such, and it was this and Hafiz Sher Mohammad." How it occurred to that they could not accept. That day �d those him to say this, I do not know, but it sums up scenes will live in our memories as long as we things most aptly. are on this earth. The judgment was delivered in our favour, Although this meant that we now only needed granting the orders sought for by the plaintiff. It to present ·our case briefly to satisfy the court as was a remarkable victory, morale-boosting for to the reasonableness of our claim in the absence our members everywhere, to which the following of opposing arguments, nonetheless we decided verse may justly be applied: "Surely We have to present all the evidence which had been pre­ granted thee a clear victory" (48:1). The pro­ pared. Hafiz Sahib entered the witness box (with ceedings of this case, including the background myselfstanding just outside it as interpreter).The events, the judgment, and the documents of judge asked him one or two questions about evidence, have been compiled in the book Islam, presumably with a view to ascertaining his entitled TheAhmadiyya Case, published in1987 . competence as an expert. His answers at once Anyone wishing to obtain a copy can write to seemed to impress. the judge. Hafiz Sahib then me, c/o the address of our U.K. centre (given on proceeded to go through his evidence on various the front cover). topics. It was not only the scholarly content of Hafiz Sahib's evidence, but his whole demeanour Hafiz Sahib's scholarship and approach. and bearingwhich made a deep impression on the I must make some points about the evidence judge. The judge asked Hafiz Sahib if he would presented by Hafiz Sahib, and these will be of like a seat to sit on while giving his lengthy benefit to all those who wish to serve this Move­ evidence, but the Maulana declined, and stood in ment by means of knowledge and scholarship. the witness box day after day foralmost six days. (1) In response to the opponents' charges, he In the judgment, the judge wrote: could have merely repeated the well-known beliefs proclaimed by the Lahore Ahmadiyya "Second plaintiff placed before this court Movement since its inception, and that would the evidence of one Hafiz Sher Mohammad have been sufficient to answer allegations . . . I am satisfied that he is an expert in directed against this Jama'at.But he adopted the this field and able to speak with authority approach of directly defending and explainingthe on it. . . . Inmy estimation the witness is a writings of HazratMirza Ghulam Ahmadhimself. man of great learning and integrity. He This had the advantage of both rebutting the gave evidence before me for some six days allegations, and showing that our beliefs derive and created an extremely favourable imp­ from his. Hafiz Sahib's great anxiety was, in his ression. I accept his evidence without own words, "to clear theposition of HazratMirza hesitation." Sahib". (2) Hafiz Sahib's knowledge went far beyond These words cannot fully convey the high degree what is contained in our standard books. And of respect and regard with which the learned even as regards the things which we are familiar judge looked upon Hafiz Sahib, as I could see. with from our books, he knew many background This highly-experienced judge told our advocate details about them which were extremely valu­ in private that Hafiz Sahib was the best witne.ss able. that had ever appeared before him in court. The (3) As regards the quotations we commonly impression made by Hafiz Sahib was all the more give in our literature from other people (for remarkable when one considers that there was a example, what prominent Muslims wrote when language barrier and he could not speak directly the Founder died), Hafiz Sahib was never merely to his hearers. content with just having those quotations in our After Hafiz Sahib's six days of evidence, our own books. He tried tokeep the original books, senior advocate, Mr Edwin King, presented his journals and newspapers in which those views summary of argumentto the court. From memory were firstpublished. His realisation of theimpor­ I recall that he began with some introductory tance of these sourcesshows him to be a true and words, departing from the prepared text, which thorough research scholar of the highest order. were something like the following: "This case His life-long work of saving these references was has been a story of three remarkable men - found to be invaluable in the court case, for if Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Maulana Muhammad Ali, challenged we could show the original sources 8 THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1991 containing the extracts which we quote (for borate Hazrat Mirza's stand-point on various example, Muhammad Husain Batalvi's review of issues. The style and manner of explanation Barahin Ahmadiyyll in his magazine lsha'at-us­ which he developed was uniquely his, and it Sunna). Thisencouraged me, duringthe period of made his arguments both simple and effective. postponement in 1985, to try to obtain the ori­ ginals of certain English references from old In London briefly. journals available in British libraries. I managed In 1986, after the tragic martyrdom of our Imam to obtain a copy of Iqbal's original article in the Mr.Anwar, theAnjuman asked Hafiz Sahib to go Indian Antiquary (September 1900), in which, to London for a few months. Despite serious ill­ discussing a certain metaphysical , doctrine health,Hafiz Sahib acceptedand was with us for emphasised by a Sufi saint of old, Iqbal writes: a while. 1987 court case. "- a doctrine which has always found favour with almost all the profound Unknown to us, since December1985 events had thinkers of Islam, and in recent times has been laying the foundations of a second court been readvocated by M. Ghulam Ahmad of case in Cape Town. This action was initiated by a Sunni Imam, Shaikh Jassiem, who had been Qadian, probably the profoundest theo- mistreated because he had refused to condemn 1 o g i an among modern In dian Muhammadans." members of our Jama'at as kafir and ostracise them.The defendants were the Muslim Judicial Council, again, and its President. The defence I also· obtained Mr. Pickthall's review of The case largely revolved around their claim that for Religion of Islam, as published in Islamic Culture someone to hold the office of imam, he must be from Hyderabad Deccan. The whole of that prepared to condemn Ahmadissince theirbeliefs review is even more remarkable than the extract are so un-Islamic. Therefore, Hafiz Sahib was which we usually quote from it. For instance, he again required to testify as an expert witness on writes about HazratMaulana Muhammad Ali: behalf of the plaintiff. However, his health had now deteriorated considerably.Our President and " ... his premises are always sound, we are Ameer, Dr. Saeed Ahmad Khan Sahib, told him always conscious of his deep sincerity; and that as a doctor he was advising him not to go. his reverence for the holy Quran is suffi­ But HafizSahib was undaunted, andin May 1987 cient in itself to guarantee his work in all flew to Cape Town via London, a journey of essentials. There are some, no doubt, who some eleven thousandmiles in all, about one half will disagree with his general imdings, but of the way around the world. He did this solely they will not be those fromwhom Al-Islam for the sake of truth and the honour of the has anything to hope in the future." Founder of theAhmadiyya Movement. Inthe first (4) Hafiz Sahib was very precise and clear in case too, his main anxiety had been that the giving his arguments and in his use of termino­ defendants would try to vilify and ridicule the logy, whether in his writings previously or in the person of the Founder in public, sling mud athis court case, so that it was difficult to find contra­ character, and make a play to theirsupporters in dictions and loopholes in his statements. More­ court to get cheap laughs. As it turned out, they over, he would anticipate beforehand the kind of did not appear in that case. In this second case, reply or objection that could come from the in violation of their own previous so-called ijma, opponents, and therefore frame hisstatements in they did appear and, in the hearings before Hafiz such a way as to make them immune from such Sahib's.arrival, had adopted exactly these tactics criticism in advance. which he was worried about. (5) Much of Hafizsahib's contributions on the Hafiz Sahib's marathon evidence. subject of the life, work and beliefs of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad were original. He learnt Hafiz Sahib began his testimony in July 1987, fromthe great scholars of the Lahore Ahmadiyya andgave his evidence-in-chieffor about 10 days. Movement, and he then added to and refined the After that he was under cross-examination by the body of knowledge which he acquiredfrom the m. opposing advocate, and then a brief re-exami­ A notable aspect of his research was the tracing nation by our own advocate, for another 17 days. and finding of opinions expressed by recognised He was thus on the witness stand fora total of 27 Sunni leaders, ancient and modem, which corro- days, over a period of nearly seven weeks. The THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1991 9 interpreters in court were Mr Shahid Aziz from translated them. The following day, when the England and ChoudharyMasud Akhtar from the hearing resumed, the opponents' advocate asked U.S.A. In the court room, sitting behind the Hafiz Sahib sarcastically: Well Hafiz, did you opposing advocate was an imposing array of find those references? Haf"iz Sahib turned to the advisors including eminent Ulama, legal experts, lady judge and began: I must apologise to the Shariah scholars and specialists in Islamic law court thatI had promised yesterday to findeight fromPakistan. During HafizSahib's evidence-in ­ references. The opposition bench beamed with chief, the opposition left no stone unturned in delight when they heard this, but their smiles raising every possible objection they could think soon vanished when Haf"iz Sahibcontinued: I did of, at every available opportunity. They objected not find eight references, but I did find five. to references and to the translation. When the Haf"iz Sahibthen started reading them out one by cross-examination began, the opposing advocate, one. After one or two quotations, as the oppo­ aided by his expert advisors close at hand, nents' faces fell, their advocate said: Alright, launched a fierce assault against Hafiz Sahib. alright, that will be enough. Hafiz Sahib said to Needless to say, they could hardly touch the thejudge: We spent all night findingthese refer­ substantial issues in the case. Their line of attack ences for him, and it is only fair thatI read them was to raise secondary, irrelevant points to try to all out now. Then Haf"iz Sahib read out all the discredit the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Move­ references. He also explained theprinciple that if ment, and to pressurise and intimidate Hafiz a hadith is cited by numerous classical scholars Sahib in the witness box into making ·a slip or in their writings, then it can be considered as contradicting himself.The attacks of the hostile reliable even though it may not be found advocate would come like mighty waves of the recorded in any compilation of Hadith as such. ocean, and Hafiz Sahib would repulse them I have it on good authority that, while Hafiz firmly, standing like a solid rock. Sahib was in the witness box, the defendants It should be recorded that during this time used to transmit thetranscript of his evidence, at Hafiz Sahib along with his helpers had to work daily or regular intervals, to Pakistan by Fax, literally day and night. After the day's hearings where it was studied by a committeeof top-level in court, there would be lengthy consultations religious and legal experts, who would then and work to get certain things prepared for the advise the defendants on how to cross-question next day. Sometimes they would work through him in court. the night till 4 o'clock in the morning, and then after a brief sleep get ready to appear in court at The defence's evidence. 10 o'clock. Despite all this exertion, there were AfterHafiz Sahib's mammoth evidence was over, many occasions when Hafiz Sahib simply con­ there soon came the turn of the defendants to founded the opponents. From the witness-box he present their religious expert witnesses, of whom was able to point out to them, several times, there was no shortage. But none of these digni­ referencesin theirown acknowledged books (and taries, who are famous for their writings and English books at that)which supported ourstand­ speeches in condemnation of the Ahmadiyya point. For instance,there was Yusuf Ali's transla­ movement, was brought forward to support the tion of verse 6:88 ("and some of their fathers defendants' case and to face cross-questioning ... ") which supports the belief that Jesus had a about it. Instead of these public figures, it was a father. Professor of Arabic from Pakistan who testified At one stage it was objected that the saying for the defence. His evidence bore no comparison attributedto the Holy Prophet 'ulamii' ummati ka whatever to the excellent calibreof Haf"izSahib's anbiyii' banilsrii'i1 (the righteous learned ones testimony, as is indicated by the judge in her among my followers shall be like the prophets of judgment. The Professor was rigorously and the Israelites), which is cited by Hazrat Mirza thoroughly cross-examined by our advocate, at Sahib in his support, is not to be found in any great length, and thesuperficiality and weakness collection of Hadith, and is thus not a hadith at of the defendants' case was made abundantly all. Hafiz Sahib replied that tomorrow he would plain for all to see. At one point, the Professor bring references from eight (I forget the exact admitted that Maulana Muhammad Ali had number) recognised Sunni theologians who have rendered great services to the religion of Islam; accepted this as a hadith. That night Hafiz Sahib however, he then added that this was just as searched for the references, and his helpers many non-Muslims had rendered services to 10 THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1991

Islam.I (Can he name any non-Muslims who tried hearings resumed in February, the Senator was to convince the world that Islam is the true nowhere to be seen! Instead, the defence pre­ religion, and tried to spread it?) sented the Imam (or deputy Imam) of the Another issue which the opposition misrepre­ Washington D.C. mosque, a gentleman of sented concerns Hazrat Mirza's claim that he Egyptian origin. As he knew nothing about the excelled the IsraeliteMessiah in certain respects. case or the issues, he only made conflicting This was no doubt raised to inflame Christians remarks, which contradictedthe defendants'own against Hazrat Mirza. However, our Christian standpoint. One statement he made became advocate said to the Professor: "I also excel memorable. He said that the reason why non­ Jesus, in one respect� because I am a qualified Muslims could not· be buried near graves of lawyer and he was not!" The lady judge, too, Muslims was that the Muslims would then feel could see what Hazrat Mirza had actually meant, the heat from the hell-fire in which the non­ and at one stage she said to the witness: Muslimsburn in their graves! Thehearings ended "Professor, can't you see that what Mirza is only three days after being resumed as the saying is that the Prophet Muhammad is so great defence could not present any more witnesses. that even his followers, without being prophets, The Judgment. can excel Jesus is certain respects". Hafiz sahib used to say that even these lawyers and judges, Hafiz Sahib returned fromCape Town in March belonging to a different religion, could under­ 1988. The judgment of the case was reserved, stand so readily what Hazrat Mirza had said, but and given much later in February 1990. Hafiz our Ulama could not understand after a hundred Sahib's stand had been completely vindicated, years. and the position of HazratMirza Sahib had been cleared. It may be noted that in the hearings in Our opponents are used to writing books and this case before Hafiz Sahib's arrival in Cape delivering speeches against us in which they can Town, the defendants had made Hazrat Mirza make the wildest allegations and claims, without Sahib's name a dirty word in that court by mis­ having to prove them and without being cha­ quoting from his writings to allege that he had llenged. However, testifying in an impartial court vilified and abused Jesus. The Christian officers of law is a different matter altogether, and was of the court had been outraged at hearing these therefore quite a novel experience for our critics, so-called statements condemning Jesus. What a which perhaps explains their performance. I may complete change of view was brought about by also · add that usually it is Ahmadis who are on Hafiz Sahib! the defensive against their critics, which perhaps Let me saythat, in both the courtcases, it was creates the impression that our opponents' own the person of the Founder of the Ahmadiyya beliefs are somehow entirely correct and beyond Movement who was himself on trial. Hafiz Sahib criticism. However, during the Professor's cross­ represented him and cleared name. Once, in examination it was our opponents, for once, his my presence, someone by a slip of the tongue whose beliefs were being scrutinised and who addressed Hafiz Sahib as "Mirza Sahib", which had to answer objections raised against them. was more significant than just a mistake. When one considers the clash between Hafiz These cases bear a certain analogy to an event Sahib's evidence and the defence's standpoint, in early Islamic history. To escape persecution by the following verse of the Holy Quran comes to the Quraish, it was to a place in mind: Africa (Abyssinia) that some Muslims emigrated. The Quraish sent a delegation after them to the "Nay, We hurl the truth against falsehood, court king of that country, and to so it knocks out its brains, and lo! it of the Christian incite him against the Muslims they put forward vanishes." (21: 18) the case that the Muslims spoke disparagingly After the Professor's testimony was over, the about Jesus. However, the king, on listening to defenceobtained an adjournment (fromDecember the reply given by theMuslims, exonerated them, 1987 to February 1988), claiming that their next and the delegation returned disappointed. witness, a well-known former minister, religious Causes live and perish by argument. writer and Senator from Pakistan, needed time to The Quran says, regarding the battle of Badr, collect evidence showing that all Muslims regard that: "... he might perish who perished by clear Ahmadis as outside the fold of Islam. When the THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1991 n

argument, and he might live who lived by clear representative of the Anjuman, and did his level argument" (8:42). The real victory, therefore, is best to protect and further the interests of the not by means of force of any kind, but by means Anjuman. He never mentioned any personal of argument. And it is by the triumph of argu­ complaints or grievances, despite having worked ment and truth that one side lives and the other in the Anjuman for fifty years. He never tried to perishes. There are those who think that their make a name for himself or attract a personal cause has the upper hand because they have following.Just thesequalities, even leaving aside political power or because they are numerically his scholarship and services, set a great example superior, but these are only self-delusions. In for us to emulate. Due to his loyalty to the cause both these court cases, as well as in his many of the Anjuman, he showed great faithfulness to other encounters, Hafiz Sahib made the cause of Maulana Muhammad Ali, and to Dr. Saeed this Jama'at to live and the cause of its oppo­ Ahmad Khan Sahib in our time. nents to perish through argument. He had com­ When, in the distant future, the history is piled long lists of questions, which are published recorded of how this Movement survived and in Urdu as well as English and some other lan­ rose up again, against all odds and in theface of guages, addressed to various opponents such as the most powerful attempts to annihilate it, the the general Sunni Ulama and the Qadianis, name of Hafiz Sher Mohammad will appear in regardingthe differencesin ourbeliefs. None was golden letters as one of its greatest fighters. ever able to answer these questions. In the end, it only remains for me to add my There is one other quality of Hafiz Sahib, prayers that may Allah admit Hafiz Sahib to His leaving aside his scholarship and services, which eternal mercy and shower His blessings on him! I must mention. He showed the most intense May the prayer of Zacharias be accepted on Hafiz loyalty and devotion to the Central Anjuman. Sahib's behalf: "My Lord, leave me not alone, Wherever he went, he presented himself as a and Thou art the best of inheritors."

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Introduction to Islam

Answers to common questions about Islam.

God says: 1. What is the name ofour religion? The name of our religion is ISLAM. This word is "I have chosen for you (0 mankind) Islam pronounced as: as a religion." (chapter 5, verse 3, or 5:3 for short.) IS - as in the word this (NOT like is). and LAM - LA as in the word large. "He (God) has named you as Muslims." A follower of Islam is known as a MUSLIM, (22:78) pronounced as: MUS - u as in pull, and a softs. 4. What is the basic teaching ofIslam? LIM It is to make peace with God, which means to submit to and obey God completely. And also to 2. What do these words mean? make peace with man, which means to do good The word Islam means 'entering into peace' and to people around us. This basic teaching is also 'submission to God'. Muslim, therefore, summed up in the Holy Quran as follows: means one who has made peace, with God as "Whoever submits himself completely to well as with man. God, and does good to others, he shall 3. Who gave these names to this religion? have his reward from his Lord." (2:112) These names are to be found in the Holy Quran, (Note that "he" here does not meanman only, but the sacred Book of the Muslims. For instance, any person). 12 THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1991

5. How did Islam come into the world? So the Holy Prophet Muhammad appeared as the The religion of Islam in its present form came to Last Prophet to give to the whole world one, us through the teachings of the Holy Prophet perfect and ever-lasting, religion - Islam. Muhammad, who lived and preached in Arabia some 1400 years ago (born 571 C.B., died 632 9. What does one have to believe in order to c.B.). However, the Holy Prophet taught that he become a Muslim? was not bringing a completely new religion into A person becomes a Muslim by declaring in the world, because the basic principles of Islam public an oath known as the Kalima Shahada. had also been preached by all the great founders This runs: of the various religions before him. Islam, there­ fore, did not begin with the Holy Prophet Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill-Allah Muhammad, but was also the religion of (I bear witness that there is no god except Allah) Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Krishna, Buddha, and Wa ash-hadu anna Muhammad-an rasul-Ullah every other prophet of God. (and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Mess­ 6. Why is this religion not named after enger of Allah). Muhammad, the Holy Prophet? The Kalima contains the two basic points a Because, properly speaking, the Holy Prophet Muslim has to believe: that there is only one God Muhammad was not the Founder of Islam, but - Allah, and that the Holy Prophet Muhammad was himself a Muslim - a follower of Islam. is God's Messenger to mankind. Prophets before himtoo are called Muslims inthe Holy Quran. Our religion was not named afterthe 10. Is there a list of basic Muslim beliefs? Holy Prophet Muhammad in order to stress that Yes. The Kalima itself is known as the 'brief it teaches the same basic principles that were expression of faith'. It summarises the basic originally taught by all the prophets who Muslim beliefs, which are five in number. These appeared before him in various parts of the are belief in: world. God, Who possess the most perfect and 7. Are there any special reasons why our religion 1. is called Islam? excellent qualities. Yes. Because it teaches that, just as the world 2. Angels, who act upon the heart of each around us obeys the laws God has devised for it, person, inspiring him to do good. man too should submit to the guidance the 3. The Prophets and Messengers of God sent Almighty has revealed through His prophet. It to all the nations of the world, who taught teaches that Islam or 'submission to God' is only virtue by their own high moral example. another name for human nature; and that every human child born is a 'Muslim' because he (or 4. The Books of God, which were revealed to she) behaves according to true human nature. all the nations through their respective prophets, containing guidance on how man 8. If previous prophets had also taught the same should live and conduct himself. basic 'Islam', what was new about the teachings ofthe Holy Prophet Muhammad? 5. The life after death, when each person shall become conscious of all the deeds, The original teachings given to the different good or bad, he/she did in this life, and nations of the world by the prophets who shall face the consequences. appeared in them, had gradually become lost, altered and obscured. God then sent the Holy Prophet Muhammad to: 11. What is the most important point Islam teaches about belief? i) re-establish those original principles, It is this, that beliefdoes not just mean believing ii) preach other truths which had not been something in one's heart, but also acting on the . preached before, but were necessary now belief. Mere faith counts for nothing if not because mankind had advanced, carried into practice. The purpose of belief is to iii) to collect together the best of every reli­ show us what to do in practice. No 'belief' by gion into one faith. itself can bring salvation. THE LIGHT ■ S.BPTBMBBR - OCTOBER 1991 13 Beliefs of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement

The members of the AhmadiyyaAnjuman lsha'at leaders of the Ahl as-Sunna. Islam Lahore (Ahmadiyya Association for the Position of Hazrat Mirza propagation of Islam, based at Lahore, Pakistan), hold the following beliefs, as proclaimed by The Holy Quran promises that God will raise, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Founder of the among the Muslims, Khalifas (deputies or succ­ Ahmadiyyamovement, in the extract below taken essors) to the Holy Prophet Muhammad: from his writings: "Allah has promised to those of you who " We believe in the five fundamentals upon believe, and do good, that He will surely which Islam is based, and we abide by the make them khalifas in the earth as He word of God, i.e. the Holy Quran, which it is made those· before them to be khalifas .•. " incumbent upon us to follow. ... We believe that (24:55) there is none to be worshipped but Allah, andour By "those before them" are meant the Israelites. leader Muhammad Mustafa, may peace and the The Holy Prophet Muhammad said in expla­ blessings of Allah be upon him, is His Messenger nation: and the Last Prophet. We believe that whatever Allah has said in the Holy Quran, and whatever "The Israelites used to be led by prophets; the Holy Prophet Muhammad has said, is true, as whenever a prophet died, another came stated above. And we hold that any person who after him. After me there is no prophet, but removes even one jot from the Shari'ah of Islam, there will be khalifas and there will be or adds even an iota to it, is without faith and many." (Bukhari, book 60, ch. 50) excluded from Islam. The khalifas of the Holy Prophet include not " I enjoin upon my followers that they should only his successors who possessed worldly rule, have whole-hearted faith in the Kalima such as Hazrat Abu Bakr and Umar, but also his Tayyiba: La ilaha ill-Allahu, Muhammad-ur spiritual successors who came to revive the true rasul-ullah (There is no god but Allah, and teachings of Islam in every age. The spiritual Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah), and khalifas are also mentioned in another hadith of should die in that faith. They must believe in all the Holy Prophet in the following words: the prophets and all revealed books, whose truth "Surely Allah will raise up for the Mus­ is proved from the Holy Quran. And they must lims, at the headof every century, one who adhere to Islam, properly and correctly, by will revive their religion." (Abu Dawood) considering obligatory upon themselves: Salaat (prayer), Saum (fasting), Zakaat (charity) and Such a person is known as a mujaddid (reviver or Hajj (pilgrimage to Makka), and all duties laid reformer). In accordance with all these pro­ down by Allah and His Messenger; and by con­ phecies, several renowned figures in the history sidering as unlawful all that is prohibited. To of Islam have been recognised by the Muslims conclude, it is obligatory to believe in all those generally as being mujaddids of their centuries matters, relating to faith and practice, on which and spiritual khalifas of the Holy Prophet. the past righteous religious elders of Islam were Among them were: Umar ibn Abdul Aziz (1st agreed, and which, by consensus of opinion of century Hijra), Imam Ghazali (5th century), and the Ahl as-Sunna, are held to constitute Islam. Shah Wali-ullah of India (12th century). In fact, And we call heaven and earth to bear witness that Shaikh Ahmad of Sirhind (India), the mujaddid this is our religion. " of the 11th century Hijra, is commonly known as (Book Ayyam as-Sulh, pp. 86-87) Mujaddid Alif Sani (the mujaddid appearing at the start of the second millennium). Thus Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement believe in all the In accordancewith this tradition, Hazrat Mirza doctrines and practices of Islam as laid down in Ghulam Ahmad claimed to be the Mujaddid of the Holy Quran and the Books of Hadith, and as the 14th century Hijra (1883-1979) and a spiri­ recognised throughout history by the religious tual khalifaof the Holy Prophet Muhammad. By 14 THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1991 believing him to be Mujaddid, we are not adding the Holy Prophet Muhammad. any new belief to Islam, but only following In believing Hazrat Mirza to be the Promised Islamic practice as recognised by the Ahl as­ Messiah, Ahmadis are not adding any new belief Sunna. to Islam. They are only accepting the Quran's The Promised Messiah verdict that Jesus is not alive in heaven, and then interpreting the Hadith prophecy about his future There are well-known sayings of the Holy • coming, on the basis of that cle� ruling. More­ ProphetMuhammad, prophesying that "Jesus, son over, by showing that the Holy Prophet of Mary" shall appeaJ" among the Muslims in the Muhammad'sprophecies about the coming of the last days, at a time when they would be in the Messiah, and other related events, have been most dire straits, facing destruction at the hands fulfilled in this age, this Movement has proved of their enemies, and he shall lead them to vic­ the truth of Islam and the words of its Holy tory. Muslims generally took these prophecies Prophet. literally, believing that the prophet Jesus had If the Ahmadiyya interpretation is rejected, gone up to heaven alive, and would descend from then every Muslim should consider the alter­ there to rescue them. In Hazrat Mirza's time, natives. Either he must accept the belief, dama­ this wrong belief was being much exploited by ging to Islam and contrary to the Quran, that Christian missionaries who argued that as, accor­ Jesus is still alive in heaven and will return to ding to Muslim belief itself, Jesus did not die this world after the Last of the prophets, the Holy like a mortal, but has been alive in heaven for Prophet Muhammad. Or, if it is admitted that · nearly two thousand years, from where he will Jesus is dead and cannot return, then all theHol y descend later on, it follows that he must be much Prophet's prophecies connected with this matter, more than a mortal human being, and vastly which are contained in the most authentic books superior to the ProphetMuhammad who died like of Hadith, will have to be rejected as fabricated. every human being must do. To this argument, Muslims had no answer. Hazrat Mirza believed that no prophet, whether Jesus or a new prophet, can come after Having raised Hazrat Mirza to the position of the Holy Prophet Muhammad: Mujaddid, with the mission of defending Islam, Allah informed him of the answer. It was dis­ "By saying, 'There is no prophet afterme', closed to him that the Holy Quran actually the Holy Prophet Muhammad closed the teaches that, like every other prophet, Jesus too door absolutely to any new prophet or the had died (though not on the cross), and had not return of any old prophet." (Ayyam as­ ascended to heaven alive. Hazrat Mirza then Sulh, p. 152) discovered verse after verse in the Quranproving exactly this. And when he put forward all this "The fact that om Holy Prophet is the evidence, no one could refute his arguments. Khatam al-anbiya (last of the prophets) This, however, left the question of the pro­ also requires the death of Jesus because if phecies about the coming of Jesus. God gave another prophet comes after him, he cannot Hazrat Mirza the knowledge that by the coming remain theKhatam al-anbiya... Thereturn Messiah in the prophecies was meant, not Jesus, of Jesus is not mentioned anywhere in the but a Muslim Mujaddid whose circumstances, Holy Quran, but theending of prophethood mission and work would be similar to those of is mentioned perfectly clearly. To make a Jesus. In fact, the verse and hadith quoted earlier distinction between the coming of an old tell us that khalifas, while not being prophets, prophet and a new prophet is mischievous. will be raised among Muslims just like prophets Neither the Hadith nor the Quran make were raised among the Israelites. This clearly such a distinction, and the negation con­ indicates that the prophecies speaking of the tained in the hadith report . 'There is no coming of theMessiah among the Muslims must prophet after me' is general. What auda­ refer to the raising up of such a khalifa. city, boldness and insolence it is to depart Hazrat Mirza then showed the many simi­ from the clear meaning of the Quran, in larities between the circumstances in which he pursuit of one's feeble conjectures, and had come, and those in which Jesus had come believe in the coming of a prophet after among the Israelites. And he laid claim to be the the Khatam al-anbiya!" (ibid., p. 146) Promised Messiah - the Messiah promised by THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1991 15 News and Notes Jesus did not die on the Cross About Ourselves - paper by eminent physician The Light had been printed and published in According to Press reports at the weekend of Lahore, Pakistan, as the organ of the Lahore 27-28th Aprilthis year, DrTrevor Lloyd Davies, Ahmadiyya movement, since the journal was a former honorary physician to the Queen of founded in 1924. It appeared uninterrupted till England, has written an article in the Journal of early 1985, when it was forced to cease publi­ the RoyalCollege of Physicians, concluding that cation due to legal restrictions imposed on the Jesus did not die on the cross, but was merely work of the Ahmadiyya movement. Publication unconscious and later recovered. His findings are recommenced in 1989, but the scope of its con­ based upon applying modem medical knowledge tents and. coverage was seriously hampered by to the descriptions of the crucifixion in the Bible various restrictive legal requirements. As The and information from historical sources. He Light could not serve its purpose under these writes: circumstances, we were compelled to stop its publication as a Pakistani magazine, with its last "At his crucifixion, Jesus was in shock and appearance in February 1991. hypotensive, and lost consciousness It has, therefore, been decided to re-issue it as because of the diminished blood supply to an internationally based periodical, representing the brain. His ashen skin and immobility the world-wide LahoreAhmadiyya movement, to was mistaken for death, and there is no be printedand published outside Pakistan.This is doubt bystanders believed he was dead." the first such issue. Due to limited resources for the new venture, the magazine will now appear These words remind us of the description once every two months. There will be further given in the Holy Quran: changes while the printing and distribution arrangementsare being finalised, and we seek our "And for their saying, We have killed the readers' indulgence in this transition period. Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the mess­ Theaims and objects of TheLight will remain enger of Allah, and they killed him not, what they have always been. It will be a repre­ nor did they cause his death on the cross, sentative and exponent of Islam, in particular but he was made to appear to them as putting beforethe modem world thosefine pearls such." (4: 157) of wisdom and truth which have been unearthed, from the Holy Quran and the life of the Holy Dr Lloyd Davies also suggests that close Prophet Muhammad, by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam followers then detected signs of life, took him Ahmad andhis scholarlyfollowers in this age. It away and tended him. Jesus was taken away by will also highlight the necessity, for the Muslim either Mary and Marthato Bethanyor by Joseph world, of the mission of Hazrat Mirza and the of Arimathaeato Arimathaea, and thenbecame a Lahore Ahmadiyya movement, and strive to hermit, says Dr Davies. We will review this dispel the misconceptions about his claims and paper in our next issue, and also comment on the our movement's beliefs and works. subsequent correspondence about this matter which later appeared in the journal. A Christian clergyman, refuting Dr Davies' Naturally, we depend upon the conclusions in the Observer Sunday newspaper of support of our contributors and 28 April, commented that the details of the readers. Please send us your articles crucifixion given in the Gospels cannot be taken for publication, write to us with your as a precise record because they contain inconsis­ views about the contents of the tencies I So we now find the church protagonists magazine, and try to enlarge its arguing in their own defence that theGospels are circle of distribution. inaccurate and unreliable. We need not comment further. Some of our publications

World renowned literature produced by The Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha'at Islam, Lahore

"Probably no man living has done longer or Muhammad, The Prophet 350 Pp. more valuable service for the cause of Researched biography of the Holy Prophei. Islamic revival than Maulana Muhammad Corrects many misconceptions about his life, and Ali ofLahore. His literary works, with those answers Westem criticfsm. of the late Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din, have Early Caliphate. given fame and distinction to the Ahmadiyya Movement." - Marmaduke Pickthall, History of Islam under first four Caliphs. famous British Muslim and a translator of "(1) Muhammad TheProphet, (2) TheEarly Cali­ the Quran into English, writing in·1936. phate, by Muhammad Ali together constitute the most complete and satisfactory history of the early Muslims hithertocompiled in English." - Islami� By Maulana Muhammad Ali Culture, April 1935

The Holy Quran. 1300 Pp. Living Thoughts ofProphet Muhammad. Life of Holy Prophet and teachings of Islam. Arabic text, with English translation, exhaustive commentary, comprehensive Introduction and The New World Order. largeIndex. LeadingEnglish translation.Has since 1917 influenced millions of people all over the Islam's solution to modem internationalproblems. world. Model forall latertranslations. Thoroughly revised in 1951. Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement. "Todeny the excellenceof Muhammad Ali's trans­ Biography of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad by his lation, the influence it has exercised, and its close associate Maulana Muhammad Ali. proselytising utility, would be to deny the light of the sun." - Maulana Abdul Majid Daryabadi, Other Books. Indian Muslim scholar. "The first work published by any Muslim with the The Teachings of Islam. thoroughness worthy of Quranic scholarship and achieving the standards of modern publications." by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Highly­ - Amir Ali in The Student's Quran, London acclaimed discussion of the Islamic path for the 1961. spiritual progress of man. The Holy Quran: other translations. Testimony of the Holy Quran. Pp. 100 Versions of the above work are now available in A discussion by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad oli Spanish and French. Versions in German and his claim of being Promised Messiah on the basis Russian are forthcoming. of the Quran. The Religion of Islam. 700 Pp. The Ahmadiyya Case. Pp. 350 Comprehensive and monumental work on the Full details of the court case in 1985 in which the sources, principles and practices of Islam. beliefs of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad were "... an extremely useful work, almost indispens­ proved to be fully Islamic. able to the students of Islam." - Dr Sir Ahmadiyyat in the service of Islam. MuhammadIqbal, renownedpoet and philosopher. "Such a book is greatly needed when in many by N. A. Faruqui, former Head of the Pakistan Muslim countries we see persons eager for the Civil Service. Deals with the mission andwork of revival ofIslam, making mistakes through lack of Hazrat Mirza and the Lahore Ahmadiyya Move­ just this knowledge." - Marmaduke Pickthall. ment. A Manual of Hadith. 400 Pp.

Sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad on For prices and delivery of these books, practical life of a Muslim, classified by subject. information about other publications, and Arabic text, English translation and notes. free literature, please contact The Book Depot at the address on the cover.