•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. of the laws of nature. They thus considered that spiritual Apart from this, one of the essential require­ phenomena, such as revelation from God, Divine inter­ ments of this gathering will be to consider plans for vention, and acceptance of prayers, could not take place outside the then known laws of nature. Such experiences the spiritual well-being of Europe and America. For were interpreted by them as not really being objective it is now established that the good-natured people of realities but perceptions of man's own mind. 4 THE LIGHT • SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1994 received fromthe beginning by the righteous saints Light fromthe sun is, in fact, heat of such great of the Muslims. This shall happen, and most cer­ intensity that it has no equal in any fire on earth, tainly take place. Let him who has ears listen. and if it were to reach the surface of the earth Blessed are they to whom the right path will be directly everything would burn and turn to gas. But disclosed. Divine wisdom has been so kind to the living At the end, I close with the prayer that may God creatures on earth that this heat is cooled down by Almighty be with everyone who undertakes the passing through miles and miles of atmosphere and journey for this gathering held for a Divine pur­ clouds beforereaching the earth, and then that very pose, may He grant them a great reward, have heat evaporates water from the surface of the earth mercy on them, ease for them their difficulties and to form clouds. Read the above verse of the Holy trials, relieve their worries and anxieties, deliver Quran, on the one hand, and on the other the them from every hardship, open for them the following wordsof a scientist: avenues of their aspirations, raise them on the Day "The light is pouring down from the sky as of Judgment with those upon whom He has had certainly as if it consisted of rain drops, but mercy, and be the custodian after them till their with vastly greater speed." return. I 2. Fast speedof light. The factthat light travels * * * * * at a very high speed is also a modern discovery. The wordjudud ("streaks" in the above translation) means fast moving rays - sar'i-us-sair. The speed of light has been reckoned to be 186,000 miles per The philosophy of colours second. in the Holy Quran - 2 3. Just as rainfall causes the earth to produce fruit of different types and colours, so does light from above by falling on things on earth create by Maulana Abdul Haq Vidyarthi different colours. (We continue from the last issue the translation of this 4. The different types of fruit are produced Urdu article dealing with the philosophy behind the according to the types of soil, even though the rain existence of colours as given in the Holy Quran, and the which falls is the same. Likewise, the light falling scientific, linguistic and moral aspects of 'colour'.) everywhere is the same, but a particular thing on earth will absorb certain colours from white light "Do you not see that Allah sends down from the and reflectthe others, and when these reflectedrays clouds water, then brings forth with it fruits of strike the retina of the human eye, that is seen to be different kinds (or colours). And in the mountains the colour of that object. there are streaks, white and red, of different 5. The colours which are absor:,�d by a sub­ colours, and others intensely black. And of people stance produce chemical changes in it, and create and animals and cattle there are different colours for us useful things. There ai·e in nature numerous likewise. Only those of His servants fear Allah who kinds of such 'receiving stations' which absc,."light possess knowledge."(Holy Quran 35:27-28) of certain wave-lengths, producing chemical com­ pounds as a result, and return to our eyes light of 1. Colours raining down from the sky. other wave-lengths, creating in our brain the im­ U',ite light comes down from above bearing the pression of colours. For example, the colour of the colours just as rain descends fromthe clouds. This skin of an orange looks reddish-orange to us is another fact disclosed in this verse. More than because of the mercury sulphide in it. 250 years before today, no one believed this about 6. In the verse under discussion, a likeness and colours, but the great achievement of the Holy analogy is drawn between rain in the form of water Quran is that it mentions both kinds of rain in the and rain in the form of light which brings with it same verse, so that those who possess knowledge colours. There are three points of likeness: may ponder that the Quran contains not only Divine knowledge unknownto man but also shows the deep a. The Divine bounty of rain and of light is the wisdom behind it. doer or subject. THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1994 s

b. The thing upon which rain or light fallsis the 1. In the beginning, colour was not considered as object. something separate from the coloured object. c. The fruits and the results produced are the 2. At the second stage, the idea of light and action or consequence. darkness developed. 3. Then, besides black and white, the concept of Both kinds of rain are likened to Divine revelation, red came into existence. and that is the real topic of discussion. It is meant 4. At the fourth stage, the idea of the yellow to convey that Divine revelation is a similar kind of colour was born. Divine bounty coming from above which falls on the "earth" of the human heart and produces 5. Then green began to be considered as distinct spiritual consequences. Colours are related to the from yellow. physical sense of sight of man, while Divine 6. At the sixth stage, the concept of blue came revelation is related to his inner sight. into being. No reasonable person in the world can deny the 7. Sir Isaac Newton, at the seventh stage, put need for rain and for light for the processes of forward the theory of seven different colours. nature on earth, nor can anyone believe that only But even this view is now considered to be the some nations and countries need rain and light but outcome of very deficient knowledge because the others do not, nor again can anyone deny the results number of colours has at present reached about ten produced by rain and light. Yet as regards religion, thousand. atheists and deniers of revelation hold the view that In the languages of primitive human culture, high morals can be produced without spiritual rain, even today the colours red, orange and purple are and that the great teachers of righteousness and all known as red; white, yellow and green are all goodness in the world such as Abraham, Moses, called white; and forblack, blue and dark-blue there Jesus, Zoroaster, Buddha and Krishna, may peace is only the term black. be upon them all, came into existence without Divine favour. Colour-blind nations. Likewise, some believers in religion consider In some languages there is no distinctive word for that while the benefitof rain and light is not limited colour. Thus in the Hebrew language and in the to one nation, yet spiritual rain was confinedto just Bible there is no word for colour as such. In the one people and land. translations of the Bible the word rendered as 7. Atheists and irreligious people usually deny colour does not carry the significance of colour. As the truth of religion on the grounds that there are the Encyclopedia Biblica says under the entry colour: differences in the religions. Had religion been from God, there would not have been any differences. "When a Hebrew writer wishes to compare Although in expressing this view they are ignoring one object with another in respect to its the great principles and teachings which religions colour, he finds it necessary to use the word have in common, nonetheless they should consider ayin in the sense of appearance.•• the factthat the effects of rain and light on different Not only is there no word in Hebrew to signify parts of the earth and on different things on the earth are different because the capacity of absorp­ colour, in the Bible only three colours are ever mentioned by the metaphorical use of other words. tion differs from one thing to another. Similarly, , religion which is the "colouring of God . (see the Colour in Arabic. Quran, 2: 138) produces different effects on the One powerful evidence of the truth of the Holy differing natures of people. It is not the "colouring Prophet Muhammad, and of the perfection of his of God" which differs but the human hearts. mission, is that his language is one of the most Misconceptions about colours in all nations. comprehensive of the languages of the world. The By studying the languages of the world, which German Professor Krenko has written of the Arabic reflect the various phases and types of human language that "the limits of its vastness are known civilization,one learnsthat the human conception of to none but the angels". The Arabs were surrounded by the civilizations of the Hebrews, Persians, colour has passed through seven stages: Chaldeans and Egyptians. Now bearingin mind the 6 THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1994 maxim that "knowledge and reason not only bring The verse under discussion succinctly refers to this material progress to a nation but also add to its in the words: "streaks, white and red, of different language a wealth of words", the languages of these colours. " I civilized nations should have been much more {Editor's note: In the next and final part, the author comprehensive and wide-ranging than Arabic. discusses the wealth of words for colours and their However, it is puzzling forlinguistic experts to find shades in Arabic, the Divine language and mother of all that, as compared with the tongues of these civilized tongues, and moves on to the views of various religions nations, the language of the Arabs is farricher. and nations about the colour differences of mankind.} Besides this, the essential principle of evolution, that everything is a product of its environment, * * * * * seems to be violated by the Arabic language, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, and the Holy Quran. The fact that Arabic is unequalled by its neighbouring Instructions for the languages in breadth of vocabulary, and that the Holy Prophet Muhammad, arising in a land of Ahmadiyya Jama'at - 3 illiterate people, excelled all the prophets in the wisdom he taught and the book he brought - this is a miracle which cannot be explained by the laws of Our organizational system evolution. Those principles do apply in every type by Maulana Muhammad Ali of creation in nature; however, matters which do not belong to the domain of creation (khalq) but to (We continue the translation of the Maulana 's Urdu the domain of Divine command (amr), must not be booklet written as a guide book for the members of the considered as products or results of evolution but A.A.I.I.L., summarizing the aims of the Movement and rather they are the creators and causes of evolution. laying do wn the basic duties of each member. In the Divine revelation and prophethood were never firs t two parts, the Maulana outlined the various dis tinc­ products of their environment. This is a powerful tive fea tures of the aims of our Jama 'at. He now dis­ cusses the nature of our organiza tional system and argument on the existence of God. The Holy Quran structure. J says: "Surely His is the creation (khalq) and the This is the second aspect to which I wish to draw command (amr)." (7:54) attention. Without organization a community cannot even survive, let alone make progress. The better The meaning is that wherever He wishes He creates and stronger the organization of a community, the according to the law of evolution, and wherever He faster will that community progress and the more wishes He breaks this rule by His command. successful will it be in attaining its objective. To As evidence of this, just consider the Arabic organize the community, it is essential to keep in language. The languages of the neighbouring coun­ view the following principles. tries, such as Hebrew, Chaldean, Persian and Egyptian, are dumb in respect of colour. The Arabs 1. Responding to one willand one voice. called all languages other than their own as 'ajmi The characteristic of every living body is that when (dumb) not out of prejudice, but because they found it wills to do something all its organs set to work that these languages, as compared to their own, towards that end. As soon as you start the engine of were incapable of expressing the finer and higher a machine, its various parts and components come thoughts of mankind. The civilizations of those into action and begin their allotted work. This is nations may have been magnificentand ancient, but also the sign of a living community, that on receiv­ even the Greek philosopher Aristotle, despite the ing the call from one source all its workers respon­ perfection of his knowledge and his intellectual sible for that task set about their work. This is language, knew of no more than three colours. Sir known as the organization of a community. The Isaac Newton, as late as the seventeenth century, community in which there is no organization, whose revealed the existence of only seven colours. But members do not set about exerting their all for the Arabic language has since ancient times pos­ achieving their objective afterhaving heard the one sessed a vast stock of words to describe colours. voice, that is not a living community. If the various THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1994 7 components of a body do not work subject to one of one man. In fact, sometimes even when consulta­ will, it cannot be called a living body but is merely tion does take place, the collective decision is made a heap of separate parts. subject to the will of one man, so that when opinion Therefore, as a community our first and fore­ is divided the Imam or Amir is free to follow the most needis that we must come together to respond majority or the minority as he wishes. This is to one voice, and when that voice calls us to the nothing other than imposing the will of an indivi­ attainment of the objective of our existence, we all dual over the will of the community. On the other rush immediately, forgetting all else, and each one hand, the Companions of the Holy Prophet sets about his work. At that time our individual will Muhammad made decisions according to the must be subordinated, and all our efforts must be majority view. directed towards the fulfilment of another will, in Ahmadiyya Movement to work by maj ority view. obedience to which the community should come into action. In this present age, the Promised Messiah has again revived this true principle, and has clearly written 2. Voice and callof consensus. with his own hand that whatever is the decision of The one voice to be obeyed can be the voice of an the Anjuman arrived at by a majority. that shall be individual or that of the whole community. By the followed, and no individual shall be able to over­ voice of an individual is meant that all the affairs of ride such a decision. Therefore this is the principle the community are placed in the hands of one man, which our community ought to abide by in its and he is given absolute authority to run the move­ system of organization. The man who disregards the ment in whatever way he wishes. By the voice of collective decision, or prefers instead to follow his the community is meant that the call to be obeyed is own view. is violating the clear command of Allah that of the decision of the movement arrived at by given in the words: "Their affairs are by consulta­ mutual consultation. It is this second method which tion among themselves," and is adjudged by God as is taught by Islam: "Their affairs are by consulta­ a sinner. tion among themselves." 2 The Holy Prophet It must also be borne in mind that consultation is Muhammad is ordered: "Consult them in affairs." 3 only done in case of the important matters. There­ The reason for the system of consultation is that fore, the administrative tasks which are entrusted to every person should be given his human right of particular people shall also be started according to expressing his opinion, but in such a way that the collective decisions. The principle is that an individ­ diversity of views does not cause harm to the ual's opinion shall be subservient to the will of the movement. When several people give their opinions community. and cannot prevail over it. However, in about a certain matter, each view is bound to differ matters of religious belief, sometimes when a in some degree, and it is impossible to act on all of person's mind has reached a certain conclusion he them. Therefore it is essential to reach an agreed cannot be compelled to reject it. But as regards the view. This is decided by the majority of opinion, work done by the community, if, after agreement that is to say, taking the views of those people who having been reached, a uniform view is not fol­ have been chosen as persons of sound opinion, lowed the result is disunity and ruination of the whatever decision is favoured by the majority of community. to the them, that is decreed be consultative decision 3. Financial contributions. or the will of the community. It is then binding to by consultation, upon every member of the movement to obey that According our decision, taken decision. every Ahmadi must take part in the running of the community by means of making monetary contribu­ This is the only way in which, despite the tions, whether he is great or small. The standard of freedom of opinion, there can be agreement upon greatness in our community is determined by the one view. Muslims have generally ignored this object of our life. The more a man serves Islam, the principle, and instead of mutual consultation or the greater he is. The man who devotes his whole life will of the community prefer to follow the opinion for the service of Islam is indeed very great and worthy of the highest honour. But no one can be exempt from doing his duty in the system of the 2. The Holy Quran, 42:38. 3. The Holy Quran, 3:159. community. For example, just as the paying of 8 THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1994 zakat is incumbent upon a man in employment or in Holy Prophet Muhammad too used to face such business or engaged in some other worldly work, so needs, and he would urge his Companions to give it is also obligatory on the man who serves the faith their wealth. Various Companions even used to day and night. Payment of zakat is not conditional bring their all, or one-half, or one-quarter or less, upon the kind of work someone does; the only of their wealth when such needs arose. Similar condition relates to the minimum limit of wealth. If needs arise in the work of the propagation of Islam. a person has wealth in excess of a certain minimum [To be continued in the next issue.] amount, zakat is obligatory on him. In observance of this command of the Quran, our decision, arrived at by consultation, is that all our * * * * * members shall pay two-thirds of their due zakat into Speech at Columbus Convention, July 1994: the funds of our community, and the remaining one­ third they shall give as they wish. A somewhat similar practice under certain circumstances can be The soul and its perfection seen in the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad . by A. S. Hoeseni Contributions by way of jihad. Stichting Ahmadiyya lsha 'a t Islam, Holland Moreover, to carry out religious works the expendi­ ture of money is required, and the Holy Quran too The topic which has, in addition to the zakat, also prescribed jihad has been entrusted as obligatory. Whether jihad is by the sword or by to me is Th e soul the pen, in both cases the spending of money is and its perfection. required. In the light of this injunction of the When we study Quran, our decision taken by mutual consultation this subject we has decreed it as compulsory that all members must see that Almighty make monthly donations of at least one-twentieth of Allah has in ex­ their income, and may pay more if they so wish. To tremely delicate fail to fo llow this call of the community is to cut and subtle allu­ oneself adrift from the collective system of the sions and meta­ Jama 'at. This is a responsibility which devolves phors stated in the upon the great and the small, the rich and the poor. chapter ash-Shams If the leaders are in the forefront of this activity, (The Sun) of the they shall become an example for the ordinary Holy Quran that members to fo llow . If the ordinary members take man's state is the highest, possessing the highest of the lead in this good work, they will be envied by qualities among all the creations of heaven and the leaders. earth. The verses run as follows: It must also be remembered that the prominent and great men of the movement also bear a greater "By the sun and his brightness! responsibility . It is not only that the man who has And the moon when she borrows light from it! been blessed with more wealth by God must give And the day when it exposes it to view! more for the pleasure of his Lord. But the greater And the night when it draws a veil over it! sense and understanding someone possesses, or the And the heaven and its make! stronger is the zeal for the faith in someone's heart, And the earth and its extension! the more is their responsibility. So if the ordinary And the soul and its perfection!" (91:1- 7) members of the Jama'at give one-twentieth of their That is, by the sun and the light it gives, by the income, the trustees and office-bearers of the moon when it fo llows the sun, by the day when it Anjuman ought to give more as their regular contri­ manifests its light, by the night which is in pitch bution. Besides this, they should also take on the darkness, by the earth and Him Who spread it out, responsibility for supporting particular works which by the soul of man and Him Who has reposed in it are being carried out, as well as contribute towards perfect harmony and every quality of permanence special needs which arise from time to time. The and has not deprived man of any attribute of THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1994 9

fact that despite the aloofness and separation from Annual desires of the self that he acquires through the grace of God, he sometimes reverts to those things that North American constitute human rights under Divine wisdom and guidance. Such desires are apparently opposed to Islamic Convention and a hindrance to the spiritual light, such as the functions of eating, drinking, resting, duties of towards wives, love and care of the children. The perfect man carries out these duties and fora little Ahmadiyya Anjuman lsha'at Islam Lahore U. S.A. while accepts this darkness for himself not because he is inclined towards such darkness but because h eld at Columbus, Ohio, July 29-31st, 1994 Almighty God directs him towards these things, so that he may gain a little rest from the exertions and Another highly-successful and well-attended annual Convention was held this year. Partici­ endeavours in the path of the spirit and, having pants came from various parts of the U.S.A. as rested, be prepared to carry on with the burden of well as other countries such as Pakistan, his efforts. Trinidad, Holland, Canada, and England, and So such people, if they indulge in bodily com­ included non-Muslim guests, Muslim friends from outside the Ahmadiyya Movement, and members fonsand needs after undergoing anxiety and mental of our own organization. We reproduce on these fatigue, it helps their feeble bodies to be refreshed pages some speeches delivered at the Conven­ and become fitand gain enough strength and energy tion, with further ones to follow in the next issue. to accompany the spirit on its course once again. After this somewhat baser indulgence, man is able to cover many stages of spiritual progress. Besides this the human soul has many other finer qualities resembling the night which have been discovered perfection, so much so that all the splendours that through the researches carried out in the field of have been listed with the various oaths have all been astronomy. assembled in man. A man with all these qualities is, in fact, the "Heaven and its make, earth andits extension!" Perfect Man with the Perfect Soul in Islam. Hazrat Similarly the soul of the perfect man bears resem­ Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Founder of the blance to outer space. Just as the boundaries of Ahmadiyya Movement, has made this point very space are so extensive and limitless that nothing can clear in his writings. Thus the soul as found in a fill it, in the same way the reasoning powers of Peifect Man contains within it the brilliance of the these noble souls have extensive capacities within sun and its rays, the characteristics of the moon in them, and despite the fact that they acquire a vast being able to acquire benefit fromothers, and for amount of knowledge and truths, they still cry out: his own good acquire light (knowledge and wisdom) "I do not know." Just as the canopy of space is fromanother source of light. dotted with bright stars, so the soul of the perfect man has such luminous powers that they can be Resemblance to dayand night. detected like the stars in the dark sky. Man has also the characteristics of daylight. Just as The soul of the perfect man also bears a strong in daylight labourers and workers are able to carry resemblance to the earth. The best kind of soil has out their duties properly, in the same way the the characteristic that, when it is ploughed, sown seekers of truth and those who tread the path of and irrigated, and all the care and attention that it peace, by followingthe example of the perfect man, needs has been given to it, then it yields far more are able to carry out their religious functions with than any other plot of land, and the fruit produced ease and comfort. Such a man, like daylight, can from such a land is finer and sweeter and more reveal himself with clarity and holds within himself delicious than other crop of fruit. In its quantity and all the characteristics of daylight. quality it cannot be excelled. A similar thing hap­ The perfect man also bears resemblance to the pens to the soul of the perfect man: when Divine pitch darkness of night. This is explained by the commandments are sown into the heart of such a 10 THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1994 person, they prosper wonderfully and good deeds, purpose in being born in this world is to gorge like plants, emerge from those seeds. Th� fruit of ourselves like animals and spend our whole lives in these plants is so wonderful and delicious that pursuit of bodily pleasures. Such people are not anyone who looks at it is reminded of the power of even aware of the factthat the human soul possesses God and has to say: "All praise is due to Allah!" gifts and qualities of the most excellent form, and if they were to devote themselves to the acquisition of "The soul and its perfection." these qualities then in a short period they would This verse clearly indicates that the perfect man in encompass all the merits and virtues of the various his inner self and nature is a universe, and all the things in the whole universe. manifestations, characteristics and qualities of the Thus in the verses of the chapter ash-Shams, great universe are found in him on a smaller scale. quoted earlier, Almighty God has proved the exis­ In the verses quoted at the beginning, Almighty God tence of the human soul and described its excellent started with the characteristic of the sun and ended virtues and qualities, and in order to direct attention with a reference to the earth, which is our place of the verses first mention the characteristics of the abode, and brieflyreferred to the characteristics of sun, the moon and other things and then lead on to everything that fallswithin these two regions. These the soul of man which, they state, combines within were referred to by way of oaths. After that, the itself all those qualities. When the soul of man has verses mentioned the soul of the perfect man so that the potentialities of the excellent qualities which are it should be understood that the soul of the perfect individually present in the earth and the bodies in man combines in itself all the various splendours space it would be an act of gross ignorance to which are present individually in all the things that suspect that the human soul is just nothing and does have been mentioned by way of oath. not exist after the death of the body. All the objects Use of oaths. mentioned in the beginning can be observed and It can be questioned: why has God sworn by the sensed; their existence cannot be denied. Is it then names of those things which are His creation and possible that a non-existent thing should be able to which compared to His Being are insignificantand combine the characteristics of all those things that unimportant? The answer to this is that throughout are known to exist? the Quran it is the practice and the rule of God that The importance of this subject has to do with the for the proof and authenticity of a theoretical real object of the life of man on earth, which is matter, He refers to such things which have mani­ according to the Holy Quran a true knowledge and fest and clear proof of their qualities. No one can worship of God and a total resignation to His will, doubt that the sun exists, and that it is radiant; that so that whatever is said or done is for His sake the moon exists and it obtains light from the sun; only. On the one hand, Allah has proved to us the everyone knows what is daylight and what is dark­ existence of the human soul and that this soul has ness of the night. The extensive canopy of space is the potentialities of the excellent qualities which are apparent to everyone and the earth is everyone's individually present in the bodies in space. On the place of abode. All these things possess their own other hand, Allah has described in the Holy Quran apparent identity and their own visible particular numerous ways to acquire the qualities mentioned. characteristics, but the soul of man is such a hidden Almighty Allah has also sent to us the most thing and a matter subject to so much conjecture perfect man, the ideal Prophet, the Holy Prophet that there are many contending views about its very Muhammad, may peace and the blessings of Allah nature. be upon him, with the perfect guidance, the Holy There are many groups who disbelieve that there Quran, for our perfection. The Holy Prophet is the is any permanent thing which exists by itself and sun of righteousness, who is spiritually mentioned can be called the soul or the spirit of man, and in the first verse of the chapter ash-Shams. He is which after the end of its companionship with the the exemplar, the perfect model for our daily life body can exist till eternity. And not all of those who along the way to perfection. And for our benefit, believe in the identity, the existence and the mani­ Allah sent in our times the Promised Messiah and festation ,of the soul value the hidden abilities of the Mahdi, the Mujaddid of the 14th century Hijra, who soul in a way which it deserves. Some have limited was the perfect spiritual moon, the perfect manifes­ their understanding so much that they think the only tation of the spiritual sun. THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1994 11

Three stages of progress of the soul. Speech at Columbus Convention, July 1994: Allah has given us knowledge of the stages of our soul, which was stressed once again in our times Prophecies relating to the and explained to us for our spiritual upliftment by the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement. These Promised Messiah stages are in short as follows : 1. Nafs al-ammara. This signifies the uncontrol­ by Fazeel Sahukhan lable spirit which commands the doing of evil . It leads man into iniquitous and immoral paths, and Va ncouve� Canada stands in the way of perfection and moral excel­ lence. However, it becomes tamed under the usages The second advent of Jesus Christ is a belief of society or ordinances of revelation and begins to common to both Christians as well as Muslims . distinguish between right and wrong. "He it is Who sent His Messenger with the 2. Nafs al-lawamma, the self-accusing spirit. The guidance and the religion of truth, that He soul at this stage upbraids a man for the doing of may cause it to prevail over all religions." 1 wrong. Its tendency is to generate noble qualities and to moderate and restrain the sensual desires so as to keep them within due bounds . But the spirit is It has been pro­ not yet the master of its passions , nor powerful claimed in this enough to practise virtue exclusively. verse that Islam shall be the pre­ 3. Nafs al-mutma 'inna, the soul at rest. At this dominant religion stage the soul has reached a point where the spirit on this earth. commanding evil has completely surrendered to the Arabia witnessed self-accusing spirit, which has achieved full victory. this great fact in We shall shun all evil and virtue shall rule in every the time of the corner of our hearts . The spirit will then be at rest. H o l y Pro phet This is complete resignation to His will, which is Muhammad . But Islam. this prophecy has All temptations disappear utterly. We feel as a much wider sig­ though we are living for others, their happiness nificance. All sub­ becomes the object of our life. We take infinite sequent efforts to pains and face all the hardships of existence, but for destroy Islam shall be brought to naught. The the service of others . In fact we do all that we used learned commentators of the Holy Quran unani­ to do before, but whereas formerly we were self­ mously maintain that Islam shall predominate once centred in our motives, now it is the benefit of more through the Promised Messiah as it did in the others which induces us to face the trials of life. We time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad . walk humbly with the Lord, and adopt all His ways The Hadith relating to the advent of the to maintain and nourish His other creatures. We Promised Messiah are foretold in Sahih Bukhari, lose our entity and merge in Him, and the soul ::.ahih Muslim, and in fact all of the six reliable becomes mature. collections of Hadith accepted by Ahl Sunna and all Acquiring deeper knowledge about the soul collections of Hadith accepted by the Shias . The within us and carrying on the struggle against the prophecies of the advent of the Messiah have thus lower state of our soul to gain its perfection, which been unanimously accepted by the Muslim is jihad against self, is in fact a condition for the community, by every generation of Islam from true believers to be able to spread Islam and let beginning till now. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Islam predominate again. Success in this jihad the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement, there­ against self is a condition to be successful in the fore ' introduced no innovation into Islam when he greatest jihad. I claimed to be the Messiah that was promised to * * * * * 1. Holy Quran, eh. 9:33. 12 THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1994 appear. It is true that Muslims generally thought The Muslims shall become like the Jews at the that Jesus Christ had been taken up alive to heaven time of Christ: their kingdom shall crumble into and that he himself would return to earth one day. dust, the rich shall be indifferentto the needs of the But on the basis of the clearest evidences from poor of the nations. The bad among the Ulama will verse after verse of the Holy Quran, Hazrat Mirza be hypocrites and will deviate from the path of Ghulam Ahmad held that Jesus Christ had died, just righteousness and rectitude and will condemn one as all other prophets had died. Believing that another as heretics. Mosques will be many, but the Prophet Jesus would himself re-appear on earth Qazis and Maulvies will be unjust people. Singers would result in disbelieving in the teachings of the and dancers will be held in respect and a mention of Holy Quran, that Prophet Muhammad is the seal of the most high God and His Prophet will be derided the Prophets (Khtltam an-nabiyyin), as well as and disdained. Adultery will be excessively commit­ disbelieving in the teachings of the Holy Prophet ted with a feeling of pride and arrogance. Men will Muhammad, as he said: "La nabiyya ba 'df" - try to look like women and women will try to look There is no prophet after me! like men, assuming their habits. Communication between the countries will improve and increase. Advent in spiritual likeness. Camels will be thrown out of use, and their place So the Messiah to come would be a Mujaddid, a will be taken by other means of conveyance, run by reformer, who would come in the spirit and power fireand steam. Sailing ships and steams boats will of Prophet Jesus. This is also not a new concept. In minimize obstacles of seas and oceans. Roads will the Bible we learn that Prophet Elijah was to re­ be constructed through the mountains. People will appear on earth before the Messiah. When Prophet flyin the air like birds. Jesus was questioned about this, he said that John Is this not a perfect description of the conditions had come in the spirit and power of Elijah. In the on earth within the last century? There are many Holy Quran Mary. the mother of Jesus, is referred specific signs relating to the advent of the Pramised to as "sister of Aaron". Aaron had lived hundreds Messiah and Mahdi which have all come to pass of years before Mary, but she was given this title within the lifetime of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. because of the nearness of spiritual qualities bet­ We must also keep in mind that, relating to these ween them. Even our Holy Prophet Muhammad is prophecies, the Mahdi and the Promised Messiah referred to as the likeness of Moses. It is in this are not two different individuals but are the same sense that we accept Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad person; as Prophet Muhammad informedus: "There as the Promised Messiah and accept that all the is no Mahdi except Jesus." prophecies in connection with the Messiah to come have been fulfilled in him. Signs in life-time of Promised Messiah. One of the signs was the breaking out of Plague. Prophecies about conditions to come on earth. This epidemic broke out in a most deadly form in Numerous prophecies have been foretold about the 1882 and took away many lives fromthe surface of condition on earth at the time of the coming of the this earth. Messiah. From the Bible a brief summary may be Another sign was the stopping of Pilgrimage. given in the following words: For over fourteenhundred years Muslims have been Famines at that time will stalk through the land. performing their pilgrimage to the holy city of Earthquakes will occur. The epidemic of plague will Makka every year. However, in 1889 it was stopped break out in a virulent form. Nation will rise by the order of the government on account of an against nation and kingdom will stand up against epidemic that was raging at the time. kingdom. Spiritual cleanliness and purity will Yet another sign was the "fire in the east". This become extinct. Love and reverence of God will was the huge volcanic eruption on the island of fade away from the minds of the people. Fair Krakatoa, near Java, in 1883, the greatest in dealing and honesty will become a thing of the past, recorded history. and people will be obsessed with the love of this world. Sign of two ecli�. The signs mentioned from Islamic scriptures are Probably the greatest proof was the heavenly sign of even more explicit and clear: the solar and lunar eclipses which Almighty Allah THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1994 13 executed in the month of Ramadan 1894. This after the 6th century which is calculated to 1890. unmistakable sign was left forour guidance by the Our Holy Prophet Muhammad has also specified Holy Prophet Muhammad. He said: a time for the appearance of the Messiah: "Of our Mahdi there are two signs which "How can my Ummah be annihilated and have never taken place ever since the earth undone when I am in its beginning and Jesus, and the heaven came into existence. One is son of Mary, at its close and twelve caliphs that in the month of Ramadan the moon shall in between us." be eclipsed on the first of its nights and the sun in the middle of its days; and such a sign These caliphs are well known to be the Mujaddids has never occurred ever since the creation of which appear at the head of every century. Thus, the earth and the heaven." there is a distance of twelve centuries between the Holy Prophet Muhammad and the Messiah. Hence Now it is a well-known astronomical law that a according to the Holy Prophet's pronouncement, the lunar eclipse always takes place on the 13th, 14th or Promised Messiah must appear in the 14th century 15th night, and a solar one on the 27th, 28th or of the Islamic era; as he did in the person of Hazrat 29th day of the lunarmonth . Hence the sign of the Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Mahdi's appearance is that in the month of It has also been reported by Hazeefa bin Ramadan the moon shall be eclipsed on the 13th Tamman that the Holy Prophet Muhammad said: night and the sun on the 28th day. This great phenomenon of the sun and moon took place in the "1240 years would not have passed over the year 1894. In the month of Ramadan the moon was Hijra that Allah will send the Mahdi." eclipsed on the 13th night and the sun on the 28th day, precisely in accordance with the Holy Prophecies by Muslim saints. Prophet's word. Astronomers till this day cannot There are also many evidences from Muslim saints find one single similar instance in their records predicting the time of the advent of the Promised since the beginning of time. The Mahdi had truly, Messiah and Mahdi. Hazrat Shah Wali-ullah, who and without a doubt, come into the world. was the Mujaddid of the 12th century Hijra, epito­ mized the year of the Mahdi 's birth by two short Timeof appearance prophesied. words: Chiragh-i-Din; which according to the abjad It has also been foretold of the exact time of the system of computation gives the year 1268 Hijra. It appearance of the Promised Messiah through many should be noted that when the Mahdi is to take his relevant prophecies. In the Old Testament we read birth in 1268, he will naturally appear before the in Daniel 12:9-11: world to embark upon his mission at the beginning "Go thy way Daniel, forthe words are closed of the 14th century Hijra. up and sealed till the time of the end. Many Another great saint of the Muslim nation who shall be purified and made white, and tried; lived in Delhi over 700 years ago named Wali but the wicked shall do wickedly and none of Nimat-ullah wrote: the wicked shall understand; but the wise "I behold the might and power of God, and shall understand. And from the time that the also the conditions obtaining at present. It is daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the no idle guess or a baseless surmise that I abomination that maketh desolate, set up, make, but I state what has been revealed to there shall be one thousand two hundred and me by the Great Creator. When 1200 years ninety days." will have expired my eye beholds strange These verses show conclusively that the second events taking place in the world. But do not advent of the Messiah shall take place 1290 years worry nor vex, for in such pretty past I also afterthe abrogation of the Daily Sacrifice. The Jews behold the advent of a supremely blessed made burnt offerings at the altar. They slaughtered friend. Crowned heads I find entering the lambs before the tabernacle and consigned them to lists of his followers. The law of Muhammad flames. This practice of the Jews was abandoned in shall he refresh and revive, and the flowerof the 6th century C.E. Therefore, Daniel's prophecy faith shall bloom through his efforts. reveals that the Messiah shall re-appear 1290 years Prophet-like shall he be in manner and make, 14 THE LIGHT • SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1994

and learning shall be his way and custom. westernnations of that continent, the nations known The grandeur of the Shariah and the glory of as Teutons, Germanic races. Islam I see firmly established in his time. I In the Holy Quran we read: recite the name Ahmad, for this is, it has been revealed to me, the name of that Imam. "Even when Gog and Magog are let loose He is the Mahdi of the time and the Messiah and they sally forth from every elevated of the age; both these offices I see blended in place." (21 :96) him." Sallying forth from every elevated place evidently It would be interesting to note that even Maulvi means that they will establish their supremacy all Muhammad Husain of Batala who later became an over the world. inveterate opponent of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad In view of the clear indications as to the identity had to confess in his paper lshaat-us-Sunnah that: of Gog and Magog in the Bible, only one meaning can be attached to the Quranic description of them. "The ancient Ulama have also fixed the 14th "They would sally forthfrom every elevated place" century Hijra for the appearance of the Pro­ means that Europe will wield supreme authority mised Messiah." over the whole surfaceof the globe. The expression "every elevated place" shows that their supremacy Dajjal, Gog and Magog. will not only be in the physical but also in the Another great sign in relation to the Promised intellectual sphere, and the other people of the Messiah are the prophecies relating to the Dajjal world will be their slaves not only in body but also and Gog and Magog. The mention of Dajjal occurs mentally. The Holy Quran thus gives us a true repeatedly in Hadith, whereas Gog and Magog are picture of the political and cultural dominance of not only mentioned in Hadith but in the Holy Quran Europe over all the nations of the world. I been and Bible as well. The appearance of both has [To be continued in the next issue.) connected with the advent of the Promised Messiah. In the Bible, the identity of Gog and Magog is foretold in very clear terms: * * * * * "And the word of the Lord came unto me saying, son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief Prince of Rosh, ... continued from page 18, column 2: Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against Ouran and Promised Messiah ... him: And say. thus saith the Lord God, I am against thee, 0 Gog, the chief prince of man-made interpretations and traditions in prefer­ Rosh, Meshech and Tuba!: And I will turn ence to the revelation of God. He said to their thee back, and put hooks into thine jaws ... " 2 scholars of religion: Here Gog is spoken of as being the chief of Rosh "For the sake of your tradition, you have (Russia), Meshech (Moscow) and Tubal (Tobalsk). made void the word of God." (Matt. 15:6) In view of this clear description Gog is Russia, the Similarly, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as the habitat of the Slavonic people. And as for Magog. Messiah who appeared among the Muslims· told it is of the same land. So, while on the one hand, them: Gog is spoken of as the chief or master of Russia, on the other he is described as living in the land of "Those who honour the Quran shall receive Magog. Now the population of the land in which honour in heaven. Those who give prece­ Russia is situated, Europe, consists of two main dence to the Quran over every hadith report races, Slavs and Teutons. The Teutons include the and every other saying, they shall be given British and the Germans. This clearly shows that precedence in heaven. There is now no book not only is Gog the name of the eastern nations of forthe guidance of mankind on earth except Europe, but also that Magog is the name of the the Quran." (Kishti-i Nuh.) I

2. Ezek. 38: 1-4. * * * * * THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1994 15

Sp eech at Columbus Convention, July 1994: As to the religious leaders and scholars, who were learned in Arabic and could understand the meanings of the Quran, they looked upon the The Holy Quran and the commentaries of the Quran which had been written centuries earlier as the final and correct expositions Promised Messiah of its meanings. In fact, what they studied and learnt was not the Quran itself but its commentaries. by the Editor Now these books reflected the thinking and the knowledge of the times when they were written. In One of the explaining the Quran they referred to the sciences, greatest achieve­ astronomy, geography etc., as known at the time of ments of Hazrat writing, and many of those things seemed irrelevant Mirza Ghulam and even ridiculous now. Moreover, these books Ahmad, in his quite obviously did not deal with the questions and capacity as doubts about religion which have arisen in modern Mujaddid and times, and could not answer the heavy, wide­ Reviver of the ranging criticism of Islam from many sides which original teachings began in the modern period. of Islam, is that he restored the r. Result of neglecting the Quran. Holy Quran to the The Holy Quran was therefore a closed book to the proper place Muslims, and as a result of this neglect they were which it should facing the worst internal and external crisis of their occupy in the whole history. Internally, their condition was most thinking and the lives of the Muslims. There is no decadent. The great moral qualities taught by the doubt that the Muslims of his time held the Quran Quran were unknown to them, or if known there in high reverence, considered it to be a source of was no urge in their hearts to acquire them. Exter­ great blessings, and believed it to be miraculous, as nally, they could not meet the attacks upon the Muslims have always done. But this view of theirs teachings of Islam, and as a result they suffered loss was just verbal profession, and the reverence shown of faith and degradation. towards the Quran was merely a ritual. They could not show what blessings the Quran possessed and Mujaddid raised to uphold the Quran. how a person could receive them, or how the At this time, God raised a mujaddid among the miraculous nature of the Quran could be seen today. Muslims, in accordance with His promise in the Quran given in the following words: "Surely We Position of Quran in Muslim view. have revealed the Reminder [the Quran] and We are Among the general Muslim public, the purposes for ever its Guardian" (15:9) . It is generally thought which the Quran was used was to recite it, espe­ that this verse refers to the text of the Quran being cially on certain occasions of joy or mourning, for guarded by God against any change, loss or corrup­ its blessings without understanding at all what it tion, but it is in fact all-comprehensive. The true meant. No attempt was made nor any interest shown meanings, purpose and function of the Quran are in trying to understand its meaning. Muslim reli­ also Divinely-guarded. Some eminent Muslim gious leaders held that it was against Islam to thinkers and religious leaders prior to the time of translate the original word of God from Arabic into Hazrat Mirza had also written that the coming of another language. Before Marmaduke Pickthall mujaddids is promised in this verse of the Quran. translated the Quran into English in the late 1920s, The Quran was, on the one hand, being utterly he obtained a religious ruling from the Egyptian neglected by the Muslims, and on the other hand, Ulama declaring it allowable to translate the Quran. under attack by outsiders. For its defence and pro­ Lack of translation of the Quran, and indeed lack of gress, Allah raised Hazrat Mirza as the Mujaddid, realizing the need for it, was one reason why the and he told Muslims, especially his followers: general Muslim public considered that the blessings of the Quran were obtained just through recitation. "Don't leave the Quran neglected because 16 THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1994

your very life lies in it . ... Read the Quran some previous age, but ever newer ones are with understanding, and love it "ery greatly. constantly appearing. The same is true of this Love it as you have not loved anything else holy scripture." (Izola Auham, pp. 305-311) because God has informed me that all types of good is in the Quran. Pity be on those Muslims of course have always believed the Quran people who give precedence to something to be a miracle, as the Quran itself issues the else over it. The source of all your success challenge to those who think that it is not from God, but is the word of a mortal, to try to produce and salvation lies in the Quran. There is no a book like it. But as to what makes it miraculous, spiritual need of yours which is not provided it had been generally thought that it meant just the in the Quran . ... God has done you an eloquence of its language, and that the Holy immense favour by giving you a book like the Quran, ... so value the blessing given to Prophet's Arab opponents, despite having in their midst great masters of the Arabic language, were you." (Kishti-i Nuh) unable to produce a composition matching its eloquence. Indeed, some Muslims have even held Shows the true miracle of the Quran. that the miracle of the Quran was that no human His own life was a perfect example of this teaching. being living in the circumstances and the country He wrote book after book, to present the religion of and the time of the Holy Prophet could produce a Islam, to answer the modern doubts and questions book like the Quran, and that the challenge of the about religion, to reply to objections against Islam, Quran was only meant for the Arabs of the time. and to refute false beliefs. In all these writings you But Hazrat Mirza sahib believed fe rvently that no can see how he brings out treasures of knowledge human being of any country and any time and any from the Holy Quran. He writes: circumstances can produce a book like the Quran. "Know that the clear miracle of the Holy The miracle of the Quran which he has men­ Quran which can be displayed to a person of tioned here, that it contains unlimited truths and any nation, speaking any language, and by knowledge which can meet the needs of any age, which we can silence a man of any country, was actually demonstrated in practice by Hazrat whether he is an Indian, Persian, European, Mirza sahib. He brought forth arguments from the American, or of any other country, is that the Quran to reply to modem rationalism and material­ knowledge and the truths contained in the ism, and to refute certain doctrines of other reli­ Quran are unlimited, and are disclosed in gions such as Christianity and Hinduism. The Holy every age according to the needs of that age. Prophet Muhammad would have had no knowledge They stand like armed soldiers to combat the of many of these beliefs and philosophies, which philosophies of every age. If the Holy Quran came into existence after him or which were not had been a limited thing in terms of the truths known in the land where he lived, and yet the contained in it, it could not possibly be a Quran discusses and corrects these ideas. perfect miracle. Eloquence of language by itself is not a quality whose miraculous nature Perfection of Quran. can be appreciated by everyone, whether According to Hazrat Mirza, the Holy Quran is the learned or uneducated. . .. perfect and ever-living scripture. It presents a Divine Being with perfect attributes. If you look at "Whatever doubts arise in any new age, with the concept of God in other faiths, you find some the new conditions in it, and whatever excel­ weakness or imperfection attributed to God. lent knowledge any new age may claim to According to Christian beliefs, God appeared in the have discovered, the Holy Quran contains a world as a helpless mortal with human needs. The complete refutation and criticism of it and Quran tells us that God has created human beings can compete with it fully. No person of any and their needs, so how could He ever be subject to religion or follower of any philosophy can those needs Himself? According to certain Hindu show a spiritual truth which is not contained beliefs, God and matter exist side by side eternally. in the Quran. The wonders of the Holy Quran God did not and cannot create anything fromnoth­ can never come to an end, just as the won­ ing, but can only change matter from one form to ders of nature did not come to an end in another. Arguing against these beliefs, Hazrat Mirza THE LIGHT • SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1994 17 asserted strongly that God can and does create out attending upon it which exist actually in their sacred of nothing. The known science of that time sup­ books." Surely this would enable a fair comparison ported the position that matter could not be created to be made of the revealed scriptures. or destroyed. But the first blow to this view came at In a famous lecture which he wrote fora multi­ that very time, in the 1890s, when it was discovered religious conference, which has been widely pub­ in modern physics that matter was interchangeable lished in book form as The Teachings of Islam, he with energy, and in that sense it could be created states at the very outset that he would himself abide from energy or destroyed to release energy. It is by the rule, and expect other speakers to do so as also believed now that creation may still be going well, that all their claims and arguments must be on. Therefore the imperfection attributed to God, presented from their acknowledged scriptures, so that He cannot create, has to some extent been that each speaker advocates what his revealed book shown to be wrong by science itself. Hazrat Mirza teaches. What is more, this very rule that each writes: spokesman must argue on the basis of his scripture, "The factis that except the Quran there is no is itself put forward by the Quran. It says: "Then book at present on the face of the earth, bring your book if you are truthful" (37:157). believed to be revealed, which considers God Opening door of further knowledge. to possess all the perfect attributes and to be These two principles, firstly that the knowledge of free from every shortcoming and defect." the Quran is limitless and is disclosed in every age (Chashma Ma 'rifa , pp. 107-108) in accordance with the needs of that age, and secondly that all claims and arguments should be Quran itselfgives all its claims and arguments. presented from the Quran, opens for us the way to Another unique characteristic of the Quran much study the Quran and bring forth from it ever newer stressed by Hazrat Mirza is that it puts forward all knowledge. So Hazrat Mirza has not onl� given us its own claims and supports them by arguments the correct interpretation of the Quran in many provided by itself. It does not leave it up to its matters, but has also shown us the way of con­ followers to make claims on its behalf nor does it stantly increasing our knowledge. If he had only just make claims and rely on its followers to pro­ done the firstthing, that is, give the correct mean­ vide arguments and proofs for them. This has been ings of certain parts of the Quran, then after we had put forward as a criterion of a scripture which understood and accepted those meanings our prog­ claims to be revealed by God. This principle may ress would have come to an end. But by teaching sound very obvious, but it is when it is applied to these two principles he has encouraged us to look the scriptures of the world that one discovers that for more treasures in the Quran ourselves. the beliefs and claims of various religions have not been put forward by their scriptures, and where Quran came for thewhole world. they have been they are not supported by any Another characteristic of the Holy Quran emphasis­ arguments provided in those scriptures. ed by Hazrat Mirza is that it came for the whole Again, being a man of practical demonstration, world. He writes: Hazrat Mirza provided evidence of this. In his very "God sent forall the countries one book, and first book, Barahin Ahmadiyya, which he wrote on commanded therein that as this book reaches the truth of Islam, he says: "all the arguments and various countries in different ages it shall be evidence we have adduced . . . has been gathered obligatory on those people to accept it and from the Holy Quran; we have reiterated the same believe in it. It is the Holy Quran which is claim which the Holy Book has itself made, and the book that has come to join together all the reproduced the same arguments and proofs which it countries. Each of the books before the has advanced in proof of that claim; we have neither Quran were limited to one nation, ... and had offered any argument fromour own mind nor made nothing to do with any other nation. But the any claim not contained in the holy book." And he Holy Quran which came after them all is an asked advocates of other faithsto abide by the same international book, and is not fora particular principle, again I quote him: "they should adduce people but for all the nations. The Quran and advance only that claim and the arguments came fora group of beings who were going 18 THE LIGHT ■ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1994

to become a single nation eventually. So in Diversity of tongues and colours of humanity. the present age those resources have come Only those who study and acquire knowledge can into existence which are making the various see that this diversity of languages and colours has nations into one. Meeting one another. which deep wisdom and purpose behind it. Each language is the real basis of becoming one nation. has has its own special characteristics, expressions and become so easy that journeys which were sounds which developed to meet the needs of those many years in length now take only days. who speak that language. We gain much more Such means of communication have come knowledge due to the diversity of languages - and into existence that news from adi stant coun­ there are thousands of languages on earth - than try which could not take less than a year to we would have gained if there was only one lan­ arrive, now reaches in an instant. .. . This guage in the world. Another sign in this diversity is clearly shows that God Almighty now intends that languages also have much in common. Some to make into one nation all the nations spread linguists say that the basic structure of language is over the earth." (Chashma-i Ma 'rifa . pp. built into the human brain, and that man has deve­ 67-68) loped and evolved languages in accordance with the So humankind will become one nation through the structure which was already present in his mind. Holy Quran. And if we look at a fe w of its Then there is the diversity of colours. Those teachings we find that it is unique among world who study the relevant fields of science know that scriptures in addressing all human beings on earth skin colour serves very useful purposes in nature, and treating them as equal. and there are important reasons why different races are of different colours. It is a sign of deep Divine 1. The Quran opens with the words: Praise be to wisdom in the way that nature works. According to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Th e worlds means this verse, the learned people find signsof God in all the worlds, and in the context of human the diversity of languages and colours of mankind. beings it means all the nations on earth. But those who are ignorant think that a particular 2. The very first command in the Quran is ad­ language or colour of skin bestows superiority or dressed to all human beings: "O human beings, inferiority on a person or nation. serve your Lord Who created you and those The Quran thereforeseeks to unite all sections of before you, so that you may guard against evil, mankind by telling them that these natural differ­ Who made the earth a floor for you and the ences must not be made a cause for conflict but heaven a canopy" (2:21-22). The Quran is here rather studied to gain knowledge about how this calling all human beings to serve the Lord, and diversity is beneficial and indeed essential for it tells them that they are, as it were, all living human beings. in one house with the same ground under their feet and the same sky above them. They can Quran to be given precedence over everything. only stop fightingand bickering with each other Finally, much of the great reform work done by when they realize that they have one and the Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is based on the same Lord Who provides for them equally. principle he taught and revived, that in order to understand Islam correctly the Quran should be 3. The Quran also teaches that the diversity of given precedence over all other sources such as colours, races and languages among human Hadith reports or books of Islamic law and theol­ beings is not something which makes one group ogy. Many misconceptions among Muslims, such as superior to others, but is something beneficial those regar ding the meaning of jihad, extent of and a sign of God's wisdom: freedomof religion given by Islam, some aspects of "Of His signs is the creation of the heavens the life of the Holy Prophet, arose because the clear and the earth and the diversity of your lan­ text of the Quran, the word of God, was either just guages and colours. Surely there are signs in ignored or made subject to reports and stories this for those who possess knowledge." contained in other Islamic sources which are the (30:22) words of mortals. Jesus also found the Jewish religious leaders doing the same, following their ..• contin ued on page 14, column 2 ... THE LIGHT • SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1994 19

fellow-Muslims. For example, they refuse to hold Dare they tell thetruth ? the Islamic funeral service forany deceased Muslim who is not one of their members, on the basis that by the Editor other Muslims belong to another religion, and not to Islam, just like "Hindus and Christians". The founder of the Qadiani doctrines, Mirza Mahmud Ahmad (1889-1965), wrote in a book Mirza Tahir Ahmad does not, indeed he dare published in English that one of their beliefs is: not, repeat this repugnant belief in his television speeches. But we proclaim what Hazrat Maulana "that all those so-called Muslims who have Muhammad Ali declared over fifty years ago: not entered into his [Promised Messiah 's] "Remember, we will not let them [the Qadia­ bai 'at formally, wherever they may be, are nis] get away. Either they have to enter the Ka.firs and outside the pale of Islam, even field of combat and prove that all Muslims on though they may not have heard the name of earth are kafi r and expelled from Islam, or the PromisedMessiah. " (The Truth about the they have to admit defeat and acknowledge Split, 3rd edition, Rabwah, 1965, p. 55) that according to the Holy Quran, the Hadith, According to him, the acceptance of the Kalima and the teachings of the Promised Messiah, Shahada (testifying "that there is no god but Allah, every person professing the Kalima is a and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah") is Muslim - and this is what we want because no longer sufficient to admit anyone into Islam or to our aim is reform. " (May 1940) keep anyone within its fold, which is the purpose this Kalima had been serving since the Holy Prophet Muhammad's time. A prophet has appeared after the Holy Prophet, allege the Qadianis, and anyone SUBSCRIPTION FORM who does not accept him is a non-Muslim! To subscribe to Th e Light & Islamic Review, please When the Holy Prophet Muhammad appeared, it complete and return the form below. became incumbent on Jews and Christians to believe (Note that subscribers in the U.K. should contact the British in him, and their belief in their previous prophets branch of the A.A./.1.L. at: 15 Stanley Avenue, Wembley, no longer remained sufficient for them. So Mirza Middlesex HAO 4JQ. Tel: 0181-903 2689) Mahmud Ahmad declares that as a "prophet" has r------now appeared in this age, therefore it is no longer sufficient for Muslims to believe in the Holy Prophet Muhammad and the prophets before him, Name: but they must acknowledge the present-day prophet as well. M. Mahmud Ahmad went so faras to write in the book quoted above that he considers that: Address: "even those who, in their hearts, believe the Promised Messiah to be true, and do not even deny him with their tongues, but hesitate to enter into his Bai 'at, have here been ad­ judged to be Ka.firs. " (pp. 139- 140) So according to the Qadianis, in the whole world at I enclose payment. D Please bill me. D this time the only Muslims are those people who have taken the bai 'at of Mirza Tahir Ahmad (and One year's subscription: Within U.S.A. $15.00 Outside U.S.A. $18.00 who watch their master's performances on satellite (b y surface mail. ) television with reverence and devotion). The Qadiani leadership has also strictly fo rbid­ Return to: 'The Light', 1315 Kingsgate Road, den their community fromperforming towards other Columbus, Ohio 43221, U.S.A. Muslims any of those fraternal duties which Islam Ph one: 614 457-8504 Fa x: 614 457-4455 requires a Muslim to perform exclusively towards L------·------Some of our publications

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"Probably no man living has done longer or Muhammad, The Prophet Pp.200 more valuable service for the cause of Islamic Researched biography of the Holy Prophet. Corrects revival than Maulana Muhammad Ali of many misconceptions about his life, and answers Lahore. His literary works. with those of the Western criticism. late Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din, have given fame Early Caliphate. and distinction to the Ahmadiyya Mo vement. " - Marmaduke Pickthall, famous British History of Islam under first four Caliphs. Muslim and a translator of the Quran into "(I) Muhammad The Prophet. (2) The Early Cali­ English, writing in 1936. phate, by Muhammad Alitogether constitute the most complete and satisfa ctory history of the early Muslims hitherto compiled in English. " - Islamic By Maulana Muhammad Ali Culture, April 1935

The Holy Quran. Pp. 1300 Other Books. Arabic text, with English translation, exhaustive The Teachings of Islam. commentary, comprehensive Introductionand large Index. Leading English translation. Has since 1917 by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Highly-acclaimed influenced millions of people all over the world. discussion of the Islamic path for the spiritual Model forall later translations. Thoroughly revised progress of man. in 1951. Testimony of the Holy Quran. Pp. 100 ·To deny the excellence of Muhammad Ali 's trans­ lation, the influence it has exercised, and its A discussion by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad on his proselytising utility,would be to deny the light of the claim of Promised Messiah based on the Quran. sun. " - Maulana Abdul Majid Daryabadi, Indian Muslim scholar. ■ NEW PRINTING ... NEW PRINTING ■ •The first work published by any Muslim with the thoroughness worthy of Quranic scholarship and Message of Peace, revised translation of lec­ achieving the standards of modernpub lications. " - ture by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Amir Ali in The Student 's Quran, London 1961. The Debt Forgotten, by Mr. Rahim Bakhsh. The Holy Quran:other translations. Booklet on achievements of Ahmadiyyat. Versions of the above work are now available in Spanish and French. Versions in German and Introduction to Islam for younger readers, Russian are forthcoming. Question/answer booklet by Dr. Zahid Aziz. The Religion of Islam. Pp. 700 Books recently re-typeset and printedin clude: Comprehensive and monumental work on the sources, principles and practices of Islam. Living Thoughts of the Prophet l\ilnbamrnad. •... an extremely usefu l work. almost indispensable Introduction to the Study of the Holy Quran. to the students of Islam. " - Dr Sir Muhammad Muhammad and Christ. Iqbal, renowned poet and philosopher. The Muslim Prayer Book. •such a book is greatly needed when in many all by Maulana Muhammad Ali. Muslim countries we see persons eager fo r the revival of Islam, making mistakes through lack of just this knowledge. " - Marmaduke Pickthall. Fo r prices and further details, information A Manual of Hadith. Pp. 400 about other books.free catalog andfree litera­ Sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad on practical ture, please contact The Publications Manager life of a Muslim, classified by subject. Arabic text, at the address on the front cover. English translation and notes.