The Light & Islamic Review
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•call to the path of thy Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and argue with people in the bestpossible manner." (Holy Quran16:125) • • Exponent of Presents Islam Islam as: and the PEACEFUL Lahore The Light .Ahmadiyya TOLERANT Movemen1 & IslamicReview RATIONAL for over INSPIRING seventy • years• September - October 1994 1994 Ahmadiyya Convention, Columbus, Ohio Speeches by participants from Holland, Canada and England given inside, Seepages 8-18. Vol. 71 CONTENTS No. 5 3 The Ahmadiyya Annual December Gathering, by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. 4 The philosophy of colours in the Holy Quran - 2, by Maulana Abdul Haq Vidyarthi. 6 Instructions forthe Ahmadiyya Jama'at - 3, Its objectives and duties of its members, by Maulana Muhammad. Ali. 8 The soul and its perfection - Speech at Convention, by A. S. Hoeseni, Holland. 11 Prophecies relating to the Promised Messiah - Speech at Convention, by Fazeel Sahukhan, Canada. 15 The Holy Quran and the Promised Messiah - Speech at Convention, by Dr. Zahid Aziz, England. 19 Dare they tell the truth? - What theydon't tell you in Qadiani Television broadcasts, by the Editor. * Ahmadiyya Anjuman lsha'at Islam Lahore Inc. U.S.A. 1315 Kingsgate Road, Columbus, Ohio 43221-1504, U.S.A. www.alahmadiyya.org 2 THE LIGHT • SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1994 The Light was founded in 1922 as the organ of the AHMADIYY A ANJUMAN ISHA. AT ISLAM (Ahmadiyya Association forthe propaga About ourselves. tion of Islam) of Lahore, Pakistan. The Islamic Review was pub The Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha'at Islam lished in England from 1913 for over 50 years, and in the U . S. A. Lahore has branches in the following 1980 to 1991. The present periodical represents the beliefs of the councries: world-wide branches of the Ahmadiyya Anjuman lsha'at Islam, Lahore. U.S.A. Canada. England. Germany. ISSN: 1060-4596 Holland. South Africa. Editor: Dr. Zahid Aziz. Format & Design: The Editor. India. Indonesia. Circulation: Mrs. Samina Sahukhan, Dr. Noman I. Malik. Australia. Fiji. I Trinidad. Guyana. Articles, letters and views are welcome, and should be sent to: Suriname. The Editor, 'The Light', 15 Stanley Avenue, Wembley, The Movement has members and Middlesex, HAO 4JQ. ENGLAND. supporters in many other countries as I well. In Berlin, it has a large historical For circulation matters, contact U.S.A. address on front cover. mosque constructed in the mid-l 920s. Beliefs and aims. Achievements: The Anjuman has produced extensive The main object of the A.A.1.1.L. is to present the true, original literature on Islam, originally in English message of Islam to the whole world - Islam as it is found in the and Urdu, including translations of the Holy Quran and the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, obscured Holy Quran with commentaries. These today by grave misconceptions and wrong popular notions. books are being translated into other lan Islam seeks to attract the hearts and minds of people towards guages, such as French, German, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Japanese. the truth, by means of reasoning, good moral example, and the natural beauty of its principles. It neither aspires to gain political The Anjuman has run several Muslim power, nor allows the use of force in support of the faith. missions around the world. including the first-ever in Western Europe. Hazrat MirzaGhulam Ahmad (1835-1908), our Founder, arose to remind the world that Islam is: The Movement's unique contribCltion to Islamic thought is summed up in the International: It recognizes prophets being raised among all column on the left. nations and requires Muslims to believe in them all. Truth and History: goodness can be found in all religions. God treats all human 1889: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad beings equally justly, regardless of race, nationality or religion. founded the Ahmadiyya Movement. Peaceful: Allows use of force only in unavoidable self-defence. 1901: Movement given name Ahmadiyya Teaches Muslims to live peacefully under any rule which after Holy Prophet Muhammad's other accords them freedom of religion. famous name Ahmad. 1905: Hazrat Mirza appoints central body Tolerant: Gives full freedom to everyone to hold and practise (Anjuman) to manage the Movement. any creed or religion. Requires us to tolerate differences of 1908: Death of Hazrat Mirza. Succeeded belief and opinion. by Maulana Nur-ud-Din as Head. Rational: In all matters, it urges use of human reason and 1914: Death of Maulana Nur-ud-Din. knowledge. Blind followingis condemned and independence of Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha'at Islam thought is granted. founded at Lahore to continue the original Anjuman, to preserve Hazrat Inspiring: Worship is not a ritual, but provides living contact Mirza's real mission. Maulana with a Living God, Who answers prayers and speaks to His Muhammad Ali elected as Head. righteous servants even today as in the past. 1951: Death of Maulana Muhammad Ali after fifty years of glorious service to Non-sectarian: Every person professing Islam by the words I.ii the cause of Islam. Maulana Sadr-ud ilaha ill-Allah, Muhammad-ur rasal Allah (There is no god but Din (d. 1981) becomes head. Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah) is a Muslim. A Muslim cannot be expelled from Islam by anyone. Since 1981 Dr. Saeed Ahmad Khan, an eminent doctor and religious scholar, He also taught that no prophet, old or new, is to arise after the has led the Movement, at a time when it Holy Prophet Muhammad. However, Mujaddids will be raised by faces intense persecution and opposition. God to revive and rekindle the light of the faith of Islam. THE LIGHT • SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1994 3 Europe and America are getting ready to accept The Ahmadiyya Annual Islam. For example, these very days I have received a letter from an Englishman saying: "You are December Gathering supposed to show mercy to all creatures, we are also human beings and deservant of mercy because Its importance, aims and purposes we have embraced Islam but are still ignorant of the true and authentic teachings of Islam." Know it for by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad certain, 0 brothers, that this group is being pre pared for our Movement. God Almighty does not leave a truthful one without a following. Allah Note: It was in 1891 that the Founder of the willing, the blessing of truth shall draw them this Ahmadiyya Movement instituted an annual gathering of his followers to take place for way. This is the decree of God Almighty from three days at the end of every December. It is above, and there is none to change it. customary around this time of the year to Thereforeit is imperative that, to this gathering publish his directions relating to the reasons which is held for several blessed purposes, must for holding this gathering so that we realize come everyone who can affordto do so, and should the importance and the benefits of attending it. This year we are drawing our readers' bring their winter bedding etc. as needed. They attention to this duty in an issue earlier than should not care for small losses in the way of Allah usual, in order to give more advance notice. and His Messenger. God Almighty rewards the The gathering provides us with a unique sincere ones at every step, and no labour or hard opportunity to meet and strengthen our bonds ship in His way goes to waste. It is to be repeated: with our fellow-members of this Movement, discuss our common cause, and most impor Consider not this gathering to be an ordinary tantly, bow together in prayer before the meeting held by people. It is purely for the purpose Almighty to beseech His assistance in these of the support of Truth and the propagation of critical and difficult times. So please give Truth. heed to the words of the Promised Messiah The foundation stone of this Movement has been printed below. You can contact the officialsof your Jamaat in your country for more specific laid by the hand of God Almighty Himself, and He information about the gathering. has prepared nations for it who shall shortly join it. We give below the announcement issued This is the work of that All-Powerful One, for by Hazrat Mirza on 7 December 1892 setting Whom nothing is impossible. That time approaches, out the underlying reasons for the gathering. nay it is at hand, when there shall not remain in this religion any trace of naturiyyat,1 nor of those opponents who are at an extreme in supporting this "Consider not this gathering to be an ordinary philosophy and follow their own thoughts. There meeting held by people. It is purely for the purpose shall neither remain those who deny miracles nor of the support of Truth and the propagation of those [at the other extreme] who have added sense Truth." less and unfounded stories contradicted by the Quran. God Almighty will establish forthis moder The main object of this gathering, among its aims, ate nation the path of clear truth on the earth - the is that every sincere person should get the oppor very path brought by the Quran, the very way tunity to benefit spiritually in a face-to-facesetting, taught by the Holy Prophet Muhammad to his to increase his knowledge, and, by the help of God Companions, the very guidance which has been Almighty, to develop his understanding of matters spiritual. Then there are the consequential advan I. Editor·s Note: Naturiyyat (from the word nature) refers to tages that by meeting each other the brethren will the views of the rationalist Muslims in the nineteenth get better acquainted and the fraternal ties within century who held that God could not act in contravention the Community will be strengthened.