Treatment of Prisoners
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Contents June 2004, Vol.99, No.6 Avoid Those Who Create Disorder: People should identify you as the special servants of Allah Address to the Annual gathering of the Ahmadiyya Community in Ghana asking participants to deal with others with kindness, tolerance, compassion, justice and humility. By saving the next generation from the ills of the society, become a guarantor for the survival of your future generation and nation. By Hadrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V............ 2 The Essence of Islam – III Devoting one’s life to the cause of God Almighty so that he becomes the object of worship, the true goal and the beloved and so that one’s life is devoted to the service of His creatures are the true essence of Islam. y. By Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (as) .................................................................................. 15 Treatment of Prisoners of War The enslavement of conquered people or their being held as prisoners of war requires that they must be treated with justice and granted the rights available to all free persons. Islam set the standards for others to follow: By Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad(as)..................................................................................... 28 Peace Symposium A Dharma Talk on Buddhism: Emphasis on Peace argues that peace and happiness depend on our minds by Phrakru Sarnu Lom; A Jewish View on Peace looking squarely at the absence of war to promote peace. By Rabbi Danny Rich. ............................................................................................................... 47 My Journey into the Ahmadiyya Community A young American recalls her acceptance of Islam. By Dara Fulton, USA ........................................................................... 54 Noah’s Ark – Another Viewpoint Those who rode in Noah’s Ark heeded the Warner sent to them; likewise the plague during the time of the Promised Messiah(as) swept away 10 million disbelievers. by Latif Qureshi...................................................................... 58 Letters to the Editor .............................................................................. 63 Basit Ahmad Chief Editor and Manager: Mansoor Ahmed Shah Bockarie Tommy Kallon Management Board: Special contributors: Design and layout: Fareed Ahmad Mr Munir-ud-din Shams (Chairman) Amatul-Hadi Ahmad Tanveer Khokhar Fazal Ahmad Mr Mansoor Shah (Secretary) Farina Qureshi Publisher: Fauzia Bajwa Mr Naseer Ahmad Qamar Proof-reader: Al Shirkatul Islamiyyah Mr Mubarak Ahmad Zafar Mansoor Saqi Shaukia Mir Distribution: Mr Mirza Fakhar Ahmad Mahmood Hanif Muhammad Hanif Mr. Abdul Baqi Arshad Mansoora Hyder-Muneeb Navida Shahid All correspondence should The Review of Religions © Islamic Publications, 2004 Sarah Waseem be forwarded directly to the The London Mosque ISSN No: 0034-6721 editor at: 16 Gressenhall Road Saleem Ahmad Malik London, SW18 5QL Tanveer Khokhar. United Kingdom Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the beliefs of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community 1 Avoid Those Who Create Disorder: People should identify you as the special servants of Allah Address by Hadrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V, to the Annual Gathering of the Ahmadiyya Community in Ghana Assalamu alalikum warahmatullah wabarakatuhu [Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you] By the grace of Allah, the Jalsa Salana of Jama’at Ahmadiyya Ghana starts today. These Annual Conventions in various countries of the world are held pursuant to the tradition started by the dition and should become ‘t h e Promised Messiah( a s ) for the s e rvants of the Gracious God’ tarbiyyat [or spiritual training and because Allah has said: reformation] of the members of the Jama’at. And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they The purpose of the Promised may worship Me. Messiah(as) behind this Jalsa, as I (Al-Dhariyat Ch. 51: V.57) said just now, is to reform the members of the Jama’at so that The second important purpose of they know what is religion. A these Jalsas is that by meeting living relationship with God each other to create an envi- should be created in them. By ronment of brotherhood, and a listening to speeches on subjects loving relationship should begin of reformation, they should begin to grow. People from various to improve their spiritual con- towns, different families, and 2 The Review of Religions – June 2004 Avoid Those Who Create Disorder tribes; persons from various The Promised Messiah(as) says that schools of thought and different the minimum standard should be temperament; persons holding such that it is free of all personal diverse opinions on worldly desires and a true believer should matters; the educated and the elevate his relationship with Allah uneducated Ahmadis, should to such heights that even if one gather together, should recognise knows that there is no paradise each other, should participate in and no hell, even then one should each others, moments of be so lost in the love of Allah that happiness and sorrow, and should one should worship Allah and pray for the growth of the Jama’at should never cause this worship to and the country. This is because slacken. If a person recounts the in whichever country you dwell, it blessings and benevolence which has a right on you that you should Allah has endowed through His use your talents and abilities for attribute of Rahmaniyyat [or His the progress of the community Grace] then at once one wants to and the country with absolute bow down towards Him. When loyalty. So, this is such a spiritual we begin to try and pray like that, gathering in which we find also we would be able to receive the opportunity to reform countless favours of Allah the ourselves and create a bond of Almighty. May Allah enable us to brotherhood with our brethren. do that. We also get a chance to get to know new friends and build The second important purpose of relationships. life is Haququl ‘Ibad or the rights of man to other men. The There are only two supreme obligations towards Allah’s purposes of human life. One is creation can only be discharged H a q u q u l l a h, the obligation we when for Allah’s sake we begin to owe to Allah, and the other is be kind towards God’s creatures. Haququl ‘Ibad, the fulfilment of True kindness towards Allah’s our duty towards Allah’s servants creation can never arise till we and His creation. So, as I said have the ability of tolerance; till earlier, one is the worship of God. our hearts are filled with The Review of Religions – June 2004 3 Avoid Those Who Create Disorder compassion; till our ideologies not spend any time with those manifest justice; and till we deal who are evil, who lead a bad with everyone in humility. When way of life, who create all these qualities begin to disorder, or who are of a bad develop in us, we can say that we character nor should they find have truly recognised the a place in your homes because teachings of Islam and they can be cause of Ahmadiyyat because this is what misguidance for you. Islam requires. It would be a great misfortune if after having found These are those matters and such beautiful teaching of Islam, conditions that I have been we fail to act upon it. Then, as emphasising from the very Ahmadis, we carry an extra beginning and it shall be burden of responsibility because compulsory for every person true to the prophecies of the Holy to act on these admon- Prophet Muhammad(sa) we have ishments and there should be believed in the Promised Messiah no element of impurity, and Mahdi(as) who presented the ridicule or derision in your beautiful teachings of Islam once meetings; and walk on this again before us. earth with piety in your heart and purity of thoughts and Now, I wish to present before you, conduct and remember every in brief, some examples of these mischief is not worth beautiful teachings. The Promised responding. Therefore, it is M e s s i a h( a s ) says in an adver- important that you should tisement: develop a habit of forgiveness and mercy. You should act ‘It befits you that there should with patience and forbearance be no intention to cause any and do not assail anyone loss to any religion, any unlawfully.’ people, or any man in any group but instead you should What a beautiful teaching is this! become sincere advisors to all. Do not even think of causing any It is also necessary that you do loss to any person or any nation. 4 The Review of Religions – June 2004 Avoid Those Who Create Disorder you to move you away from the Ahmadiyya Community and sometime, they may even use you against the country because trouble makers cause nothing but disorder and conflict. It is none of your business to keep company with such people. Further he said that sometimes Loss or damage is not only caused one takes action against such by wars, but it can arise in troublemakers in frustration, but it everyday life by making is not important to reply to every complaints against your col- mischief. According to the leagues in the office. Damage can commandment of Allah, you be caused to those with whom you should turn your face and walk do not agree by spreading away from such troublemakers rumours against them, and there because all these are trivial and are many other minor ways in useless matters. Submit yourself which you can cause a loss to to Allah and pray to Him to save others. The Promised Messiah(as) you from these troublemakers and tells us that we should not even save the Ahmadiyya Community think about this. Truth should and save our country from the always be your guiding light and people who want to cause whenever you give advice to mischief and dissention.