MANAGEMENT BOARD July 2007, Vol.102, No.07 Mr Munir-ud-din Shams (Chairman) CONTENTS Mr Mansoor Shah (Secretary) Mr Naseer Ahmad Qamar COMMENT – Elected leader for the Muslims? Mr Mubarak Ahmad Zafar Mr Mirza Fakhar Ahmad Non-Ahmadi Muslims who want a British elect Mr. Abdul Baqi Arshad leader to be the voice of Muslims should see how Khilafat that has existed in Ahmadiyyat for CHIEF EDITOR AND MANAGER Mansoor Ahmed Shah almost a 100 years can be an effective voice. By Sarah Waseem – UK. ..................................... 2 EDITORIAL BOARD Basit Ahmad ESSENCE OF ISLAM – Part 21 – Bockarie Tommy Kallon Fareed Ahmad Arabic, the Mother of all Tongues Fazal Ahmad Fauzia Bajwa The root of all words can be traced to Arabic: Mansoor Saqi. a few words can convey extensive meanings. Mahmood Hanif (as) Mansoora Hyder-Hanif Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad ...................... 5 Navida Shahid Sarah Waseem Saleem Ahmad Malik ESTABLISHING SOCIETAL PEACE Tanveer Khokhar An address at Roehampton University: true peace depends upon man recognising God. SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Amatul Hadi Ahmad The teachings of the Holy Qur'an provide a Farina Qureshi recipe for the establishment and maintenance PROOFREADERS of peace in all parts of the society. Abdul Ghany Jahangeer Khan Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad ......................... 19 Shaukia Mir DESIGN AND LAYOUT Tanveer Khokhar A BRIEF SURVEY OF SOME SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHER FACTS Al Shirakatul Islamiyyah A response to the objections against the book DISTRIBUTION Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge and Truth. Muhammad Hanif ............................................................................. 36 All correspondence should be forwarded to the editor at: The Review of Religions The London Mosque 16 Gressenhall Road THE PURITY OF THE HOLY QUR’AN – 5 London, SW18 5QL (From The Review of Religions, 1907). The United Kingdom arrangement of verses and chapters of the Email: (saw) [email protected] Holy Qur'an was done by the Holy Prophet © Islamic Publications, 2007 himself. The objection that verses are not ISSN No: 0034-6721 connected to each other arises from a lack of understanding of the Holy Qur’an. Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the beliefs of the Ahmadiyya ............................................................................. 44 Muslim Community EDITORIAL Sarah Waseem – London, UK In a recent poll conducted in the remained divided along religious UK of Muslims, most said that and political lines. Today at an there should be a single leader international level, Muslims for their religion in Britain to act present a sad sight to the world as as their voice and help them to they fight, brother against integrate. Muslims suggested a brother. Because of this lack of British Mufti who would unity, they are easy prey for their represent them alongside other opponents. religious leaders such as the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Of course, Muslims need unity. Catholic Archbishop of As Hadhrat Khalifat Masih IV(ru) Westminster and the Chief said in a Question and Answer Rabbi, to ease tensions between session (Ahmadiyya Gazette, Muslims and other groups. Canada. Khilafat Number, May However the poll also indicated 2001): that while 57% of Sunnis and 53% of other Muslim groups are When you go to the mosque in favour of such a leader, the for Namaz [prayer] five times proportion falls to just 30% a day, there must be an Imam. among Britain’s Shi’ite Muslims. Standing behind an Imam is a There are about 1.8m Muslims in demonstration of unity among Britain and more than 80% are people. …..if the Imam believed to be Sunni, which is falters, the entire congre- also the dominant denomination gation must follow his world-wide. mistake even if they know that a mistake has been The results of the poll are committed. … If Imam is unsurprising. For a long while mandatory in a small mosque, Muslims in the UK have then how can the whole of 2 The Review of Religions – July 2007 EDITORIAL Muslims Ummah survive majority of the Muslim without an Imam. Therefore, community. it is incumbent that Muslims should unite on the hand of ‘According to a large number One Imam. There should be of Muslims the chain of one Imam of the Muslims of Khilafat ended with the the whole world. But without Khilafat of Hadhrat Ali. After Khilafat, it is just impossible. him, there was no Khilafat-e- Khilafat is the successor after Rashida (rightly guided). It the prophet in the form of a was monarchy in the name of person who is representing Khilafat and majority of the deceased prophet and Muslims agree that Khilafat- Khalifa is the vicegerent and e-Rashida ended after his subordinate. He is the Hadhrat Ali. So how can you central authority. This is the start this Khilafat once basic principle of Khilafat. again? However there is a problem as Muslims believe that no Hadhrat Khalifat Masih IV(ru) prophet, of whatever cate- pointed out. gory, can come now. This means that the single avenue ‘The issue is that once to open the way of Khilafat Khilafat is terminated, then it has been barred. This is the is not within the power of the big issue, which the Muslim people to introduce it again Ummah is facing today.’ themselves…. Khilafat starts after the passing away of the So while Muslims may yearn for prophet and if unfortunately a global leader to represent them, once it is destroyed, it is they first need to reflect on the impossible that it restarts meaning and significance of such without a prophet.’ a leadership. And herein lies the tragedy of the Non-Ahmadi Muslims also The Review of Religions – July 2007 3 EDITORIAL believe in the coming of a descend from skies; Khilafat was prophet. But according to them destroyed but it has returned in this person will be Jesus Christ(as) the Ahmadiyya Muslim who will descend with his old community. Now the non- form and body. But fourteen Ahmadi Muslim world needs to hundred years have passed, and reflect on the teachings of the there is no trace of the second Holy Qur’an and the Hadith coming of that Jesus. And as they carefully if they are to enjoy its wait, the Muslim world falls benefits. deeper into chaos and despair. The fact is that no one will ever Verse references to the Holy Qur’an item count ‘Bismillah...’ (In the Name of Allah...) as the first verse of each Chapter. In some non-standard texts, this is not counted and should the reader refer to such texts, the verse quoted in The Review of Religions will be found at one verse earlier than the number quoted. In this journal, for the ease of non-Muslim readers, ‘(saw)’ or ‘saw’ after the words, ‘Holy Prophet’, or the name ‘Muhammad’, are used. They stand for ‘Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam’ meaning ‘Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him’. Likewise, the letters ‘(as)’ or ‘as’ after the name of all other prophets is an abbreviation meaning ‘Peace be upon him’ derived from ‘Alaihis salatu wassalam’ which are words that a Muslim utters out of respect whenever he or she comes across that name. The abbreviation ‘ra’ or (ra) stands for ‘Radhiallahu Ta’ala anhu and is used for Companions of a Prophet, meaning Allah be pleased with him or her (when followed by the relevant Arabic pronoun). Finally, ‘ru’ or (ru) for Rahemahullahu Ta’ala means the Mercy of Allah the Exalted be upon him. In keeping with current universal practice, local transliterations of names of places are preferred to their anglicised versions, e.g. Makkah instead of Mecca, etc. 4 The Review of Religions – July 2007 ESSENCE OF ISLAM: Part 21 – Arabic, the Mother of Tongues This series sets out, in the words of the Promised Messiah(as), Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, a summary of his exposition of four outstanding topics: ISLAM; ALLAH, THE EXALTED; THE HOLY PROPHET(sa) and THE HOLY QUR’AN. The original compilation, in Urdu, from which these extracts have been translated into English, was collated with great care and diligence by Syed Daud Ahmad Sahib, Allah have mercy on him and reward him graciously for his great labour of love. Amin. The English rendering is by the late Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan, may Allah be pleased with him, and is quoted from The Essence of Islam, Volume 1. All references throughout, unless otherwise specifically mentioned, are from the Holy Qur’an. It is not true to say that language the equator, he has to be is the invention of man. Research instructed in the art of speaking, has established that the inventor and in the absence of such and the creator of human instruction he would not be able languages is God Almighty, Who to speak. created man out of His perfect power and bestowed upon him a The notion that languages tongue that he may be able to undergo changes under human speak. Had language been the influence is an illusion. These invention of man, it would not changes do not result from have been necessary to teach a conscious human effort, nor can baby to talk. It would have we determine any rule or invented its own speech, as it principle whereby the human grew mature. But it is patent that mind brings about changes in if a child is not taught speech, it languages at certain times. Deep will not be able to speak. reflection would reveal that Whether it is nurtured in a Greek linguistic changes also take place forest or in the British Isles or at under the direction of the Causa The Review of Religions – July 2007 5 ESSENCE OF ISLAM – ARABIC, THE MOTHER OF ALL TONGUES Causans like all other heavenly and earthly changes.