The Review of Religions December 2015

Three Gradations of
Doing Good
14
Is Religion Truly the
Cause of Disorder in the
World Today?
20
Apartheid of Ahmadis
in Pakistan
52
Women’s Responsibilities:
Fulfilling the
Conditions of Bai’at
78
vol. 110 - issue twelvedecember 2015 www.reviewofreligions.org
The
Blame
GameIs religion truly
the cause of
disorder in
the world
today?

The Holy Prophet
Muhammadsa
prophesied
that the Promised Messiahas
would be raised near a
white minaret, east of
Damascus. This prophecy
was fulfilled with the advent
of the Promised Messiahas
from Qadian, India, a city
directly east of Damascus.
The Promised Messiahas
& imam mahdi
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
, the Promised Messiah
and Mahdi was born to a noble family in Qadian, India.
From an early age he had a keen interest in religion and
developed a love for the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
. He
was also known for his honesty, friendliness and resolve.
Over time his knowledge and understanding of religion
and its application to society deepened. Being a Muslim
it was his firm belief that all religions were true at their
source but with the passage of time had drifted away
from their original teachings; he upheld the dignity of
religion and demonstrated its relevance to everyone.
His earnest defence of religion was ultimately blessed
when he started to receive direct revelation from Allah
– a blessing that he continued for the rest of his life.
His mission was to revitalise the truth that all religions
held within them and to revive the teachings of Islam. It
was through this that he would bring mankind together
and establish everlasting peace.
In 1889, under Divine Guidance, Hazrat Ahmadas
founded the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community – a
community that has since grown in its stature and
strength and has remained active in conveying the
message of Islam to the ends of the earth.
Hazrat Ahmadas
had established himself as a respected
writer and had written over 80 books. His writings
have been translated into more than 60 languages and
continue to inspire readers to this day. One of his greatest
scholarly works was The Philosophy of the Teachings of
Islam, prepared as a paper and read out at the Conference
of Great Religions in 1896.
He also wrote a fascinating treatise in 1899 entitled Jesus
in India, a book that uncovered remarkable evidence
of Jesus’sas
journey to India. In 1902, the Promised
Messiahas
initiated The Review of Religions which has
covered a vast array of topics on religion, philosophy
and contemporary issues of the day. It is the longest
running English magazine in defence of Islam and the
values it teaches.
From 1889 until the time of his demise in 1908 tens
of thousands of people accepted him. This blessing
has continued and will continue through his Khulafa
(successors).
Currently under the fifth successor, we are seeing that the
tide of acceptance is worldwide and that the message of
Prophet Ahmadas
has really reached the ends of the earth.
©makhzan-e-tasaweer
founder of
the review of religions

Those who act kindly in this
world will have kindness.
Islam, the Holy Qur’an,
Ch.39:V.10.
A man once asked the Prophetsa
what was the best thing in Islam,
and the latter replied, “It is to feed
the hungry and to give the greeting
of peace both to those one knows
and to those one does not know.”
Islam, the Holy
Prophetsa
, Hadith of
Bukhari.
The essence of love is to have
sincerity for something and to
be drawn irresistibly towards
it. Just as the real characteristics
of an object are only truly
perceived when it reaches
perfection, the same is the case
with love, in that its qualities
are openly revealed when it is
extreme and reaches perfection.
Islam, the Promised
Messiahas
, The Essence of
Islam Vol. 3, p. 36.
The world stands upon
three things: upon the
Law, upon worship, and
upon showing kindness.
Judaism, Mishnah, Abot
1.2.
Love covers a multitude of sins.
Christianity, Bible, 1
Peter 4.8.
Have benevolence towards all
living beings, joy at the sight
of the virtuous, compassion
and sympathy for the afflicted,
and tolerance towards the
indolent and ill-behaved.
Jainism,
Tattvarthasutra 7.11.
He who can find no room
for others lacks fellow feeling,
and to him who lacks fellow
feeling, all men are strangers.
Taoism, Chuang Tzu 23.
What sort of religion can it be
without compassion?
You need to show compassion to
all living beings.
Compassion is the root
of all religious faiths.
Hinduism, Basavanna,
Vachana 247.
The bhikkhu who abides in
loving-kindness, who is pleased
with the Buddha’s teaching,
attains to that state of peace
and happiness, the stilling of
conditioned things, Nibbana. Let
him be cordial in all his ways and
refined in conduct; filled thereby
with joy, he will make an end of ill.
Buddhism, Dhammapada
368, 376.
Love & Kindness
world faiths

12 Responding to Paris
A message from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaba
14 Three Gradations of
Doing Good
, the Promised
Messiah and Imam Mahdi
20 The Blame Game: Is Religion
Truly the Cause of Disorder in
the World Today?
Concluding address by Hazrat Mirza Masroor
Ahmadaba
, Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community at the 2015 UK Jalsa Salana
(Annual Convention)
52 Apartheid of Ahmadis
in Pakistan
For years, Ahmadi Muslims have been
treated as second-class citizens in
Pakistan. Pakistani advocate Mujeeb
ur Rahman visits Harvard Law School
and discusses their legal status.
Mujeeb ur Rahman, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
76 Forgiveness of the
Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
78 Women’s Responsibilities:
Fulfilling the Conditions
of Bai’at
Concluding address by Hazrat Mirza Masroor
Ahmadaba
, Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community at the 2015 Ijtema of Lajna
Imaillah UK (Women’s auxiliary organisation)
92 The Economic System of Islam
What are the government’s
responsibilities to its citizens?
Hazrat Mirza Bashir-Ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra
Front cover picture:
© Kyrylo Glivin | shutterstock.com
contents
december 2015 Vol.110 issue twelve

THE
PHILOSOPHY
OF THE
TEACHINGS
OF
ISLAM
MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD
THE PROMISED MESSIAH & MAHDIAS
The Review of Religions
serialised the famous treatise
The Philosophy of the Teachings
of Islam, by the founder of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community. Initially written
for the Conference of Great
Religions on December 26-
29,1896, each speaker at the
conference was asked to present
to the audience the beauties
of their own religion based
upon its scripture, proving that
it was the true religion, based
on the following topics:
• The Physical, Moral,
and Spiritual States of Man;
• What is the State of
Man after Death?
• The Object of Man’s Life and
the Means of its Attainment;
• The Operation of the Practical
Ordinances of the Law in
This Life and the Next;
• Sources of Divine Knowledge
SERIALISED IN
The Review of Religions
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Bitcoin: On Behalf of
The Future
14
Educating Our Children
24
The Difference Between
True Islam & Extremist
Groups
30
FGM’ – Not in The
Name of Religion
50
VOL. 110 - ISSUE 1JANUARY 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
ERADICATING
EXTREMISM
Why The Honeybee
is Dying and What It
Means for Life on Earth
16
Wonders Experienced
Through Fasting
26
The Islamic Dilemma
Should We Fear the
Religion of Peace?
30
Atheism or Belief -
Which is evidence
Based?
42
VOL. 110 - ISSUE SEVENJULY 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
The
ISLAMIC
DILEMMA
ShouldWeFearthe
ReligionofPeace?
God - His Transcedence
and Manifestation
12
Untold Stories
26
From the Archives:
My Visit to Qadian
38
Preaching Activities of
Jesusas
in the East
46
VOL. 110 - ISSUE TWOFEBRUARY 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
EYES CANNOT
REACH HIM...
The Sign of the Heavens
20
The Plague
58
A Murder in British
Lahore: Closing the Case
of Lekh Ram
80
World War One:
Centenary of Fulfliment
of a Grand Prophecy
102
VOL. 110 - ISSUE EIGHTAUGUST 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
EVIDENCE FORTHE
TRUTHYoubetheJudge...
S P E C I A L 1 6 4 P A G E E D I T I O N
A Message of Peace
10
Legal Right Verses
Moral Duty
38
Is it Permissable for
Prisoners of War
to be Executed?
56
The Life of the
Prophet Muhammadsa
68
VOL. 110 - ISSUE THREEMARCH 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
REACTIONto
CHARLIE
HEBDO...?
SERM
onth
MOU
The Economic System
of Islam
10
The Institution of Hajj
20
Mahmud’s Letter From
the Land of the Dearest
One [Muhammadsa
]
24
The Life & Character of
the Seal of Prophetssa
52
VOL. 110 - ISSUE NINESEPTEMBER 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
Fromthe
LETTERSof
MAHMUDRA
A HISTORIC JOURNEY TO THE HOUSE OF GOD
To order back issues email info@reviewofreligions.org
The front covers of our 12 Editions in 2015

Firm Stance Against
Terror At Peace
Symposium
8
The Golden Principles
for World Peace
16
Three Minutes and
Counting
38
Has Science Rendered
Religion Obsolete?
66
VOL. 110 - ISSUE FOURAPRIL 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
RAY
OF
HOPE?
SERMON
onthe
MOUNT
Halloween –
Fear or Fun?
10
Shariah: A Semantic
Oxymoron?
28
Connecting to Khilafat:
A Guidance for Today’s
Muslim Youth
36
Islam’s Response to the
Destruction of Cultural
Heritage
56
VOL. 110 - ISSUE TENOCTOBER 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
A Guidance forToday’s MuslimYouth
Connecting to Khilafat:
Is the Shroud of Turin a
Medieval Photograph?
22
The Sudarium of Oviedo
and the Shroud of Turin
40
A Brief Review of Recent
CNN Documentary on
the Shroud
56
The Oviedo Cloth by
Mark Guscin:
Book Review
66
VOL. 110 - ISSUE FIVEMAY 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
TheRESURRECTION
ShroudingTheTruth?
Mufti Muhammad
Sadiqra
– An Early Ray of
Western Sunrise
18
World Peace & Security
- The Critical Issues of
Our Time
38
Responsibilities of an
Ahmadi Muslim
50
The Economic System
of Islam
56
VOL. 110 - ISSUE ELEVENNOVEMBER 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
WORLDPEACE
&SECURITY:
THE CRITICAL
ISSUES OF
OURTIME
The Race to Conquer the
Secret of Life
14
The Spiritual Benefits of
Fasting
24
Navigating Life in the
21st Century
32
Visits to
Sacred Places
54
VOL. 110 - ISSUE SIXJUNE 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
NAVIGATING
LIFEinthe
21ST
CENTURY
Spirituality,
Morality
&Material
Progress
Three Gradations of
Doing Good
14
World Today?
20
Apartheid of Ahmadis
in Pakistan
52
Women’s Responsibilities:
Fulfilling the
Conditions of Bai’at
78
VOL. 110 - ISSUE TWELVEDECEMBER 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
The
BLAME
GAMEIs religion truly
the cause of
disorder in
the world
today?
Is Religion Truly the Cause of Disorder in
the World Today?
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The world is passing through turbulent times.The global economic crisis
continues to manifest new and grave dangers at every juncture.The
similarities of the current circumstances to the build-up of the Second World
War are stark. Events appear to be moving us rapidly towards aThird World
War.The consequences of a nuclear war are beyond our imagination. In
this book, the historic addresses of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
, Fifth
Khalifah of the Promised Messiah and Supreme Head of the worldwide
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, to prominent dignitaries at Capitol Hill, the
House of Commons, the European Parliament and other notable locations
around the world have been collated.The book also includes the momentous
letters sent by His Holiness to the numerous world leaders. Over and over
again, His Holiness has reminded all that the only means of averting a global
catastrophe is for nations to establish justice as an absolute requirement of
their dealings with others. Even if mutual enmity exists, impartiality must
be observed at all times, because history has taught us that this alone is
the way to eliminate all traces of hatreds and to build everlasting peace.
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VOL. 109 - ISSUE SEVENJULY 2014 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
ISLAM
A THREAT OR A
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CASE STUDY:
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Khalifah of Promised
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Syria - A Religious
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Medical Consequences
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The World in Need of
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VOL. 108 - ISSUE ELEVENNOVEMBER 2013 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
SYRIA
IN CRISIS
Chimes of Messiah
8
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Messiahas
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The World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the
Fifth Khalifah (Caliph), His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor
Ahmadaba
has condemned last night’s terrorist attacks in Paris.
Speaking from London, His Holiness, Hazrat
Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
has said:
“On behalf of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community worldwide, I express my heartfelt
sympathies and condolences to the French nation, its people and government
following the heinous terrorist attacks that have taken place in Paris. This brutal
and inhumane attack can only be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
I would also like to reiterate that all forms of terrorism and extremism are completely
against the true teachings of Islam. The Holy Qur’an has said that to kill even one
innocent person is akin to killing all of mankind. Thus under no circumstances
can murder ever be justified and those who seek to justify their hateful acts in
the name of Islam are serving only to defame it in the worst possible way.
Our sympathies and prayers are with the victims of these attacks and all those who have
been left bereaved or affected in any way. May God Almighty grant patience to them all
and I hope and pray that the perpetrators of this evil act are swiftly brought to justice.”
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
Press & Media Office
22 Deer Park Road
London, SW19 3TL, UK
(44) 020 8544 7678
media@pressahmadiyya.com
www.pressahmadiyya.com
Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community Condemns Paris
Attacks and Prays for Victims
Saturday, 14 November 2015
12 The Review of Religions | december 2015

The
Promised Messiahas
& imam mahdi
( g u i d e d o n e )
founder of
the review of religions

We present extracts from the writings of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad,
the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdias
, on gradations of doing good
to others. These are published from ‘The Philosophy of the Teachings of
Islam’ and ‘Lecture Lahore.’Quotes of the Promised
Messiahas



[1] “Verily, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing
of good to others; and giving like kindred;
and forbids indecency, and manifest evil, and
wrongful transgression” (Holy Qur’an, Surah
An-Nahl, Verse 91).

[2] (Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse
265)



[4] (Holy Qur’an, Surah An-Nahl, Verse 91).



[7] (Holy Qur’an
Verse 35).
This means that we are commanded to return good for good, and to
exercise benevolence when it is called for, and to do good with nat-
ural eagerness as between kindred, when that should be appropriate.
God Almighty forbids transgression or that you should exercise be-
nevolence out of place or should refrain from exercising it when it is
called for; or that you should fall short of exercising graciousness as
between kindred on its proper occasion, or should extend it beyond
its appropriate limit. This verse sets forth three gradations of doing
good.
The first is the doing of good in return for good. This is the lowest
gradation and even an average person can easily acquire this grada-
tion that he should do good to those who do good to him.
The second gradation is a little more difficult than the first, and that
is to take the initiative in doing good out of pure benevolence. This
is the middle grade. Most people act benevolently towards the poor,
but there is a hidden deficiency in benevolence, that the person ex-
ercising benevolence is conscious of it and desires gratitude or prayer
Three Gradations of
Doing Good
[1]

in return for his benevolence. If on any occasion the other person
should turn against him, he considers him ungrateful. On occasion
he reminds him of his benevolence or puts some heavy burden upon
him.The benevolent ones have been admonished by God Almighty:



An-Nahl, Verse 91).

265)




*

[5] (Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Dahr, Verses 9-
10).


[6] (Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Shura, Verse 41).

[7] (Holy Qur’an, Surah
Verse 35).
That is, O those who do good to others–good that should be based
on sincerity–do not render it vain by reminding them what favours
you have done them or by inflicting injury on them.The Arabic word
for alms (Sadaqah) is derived from a root (sidq) that means sincerity.
If the heart is not inspired by sincerity in bestowing alms, the alms-
giving ceases to be alms and becomes mere display.That is why those
who exercise benevolence have been admonished by God Almighty
not to render vain their benevolence by reproaches or injury.
The third grade of doing good is graciousness as between kindred.
God Almighty directs that in this grade there should be no idea of
benevolence or any desire for gratitude, but good should be done out
of such eager sympathy as, for instance, a mother does good to her
child. This is the highest grade of doing good which cannot be ex-
ceeded. But God Almighty has conditioned all these grades of doing
good with their appropriate time and place. The verse cited above
clearly indicates that if these virtues are not exercised in their proper
places they would become vices. For instance, if equity exceeds its
limits it would take on an unwholesome aspect and would become
indecent. In the same way, misuse of benevolence would take on a
form which would be repelled by reason and conscience; and in the
same way graciousness between kindred would become transgression.
The Arabic word for transgression is baghi, which connotes excessive
rain which ruins crops. A deficiency in the discharge of an obligation
or an excess in its discharge are both baghi. In short, whichever of
these three qualities is exercised out of place becomes tainted.That is
why they are all three qualities conditioned by the due observance of
place and occasion. It should be remembered that equity or benev-
[2]

olence or graciousness between kindred are not in themselves mor-
al qualities. They are man’s natural conditions and faculties that are
exhibited even by children before they develop their reason. Reason
is a condition of the exercise of a moral quality and there is also a
condition that every moral quality should be exercised in its proper
place and on its proper occasion.[3]
Forgiveness is Better Than Retribution


An-Nahl, Verse 91).

265)




*

10).


[7] (Holy Qur’an, Sur
Verse 35).
That is, God commands you to abide by justice and fairness. But if
you wish to attain greater perfection, then treat people with compas-
sion and do good even to those who have done you no good. And if
you aspire to even higher perfection, then be of service to others out
of personal sympathy and natural impulse, without any desire to win
gratitude or to put anyone under obligation,and be kind to them just
as a mother is kind to her children out of a natural urge. God also
forbids you to commit excesses, to remind people of the good you
have done them, or to be ungrateful to those who have been kind to
you.This is further elaborated in the verse:
Quotes of the Promised
Messiahas



An-Nahl, Verse 91).

265)




*

10).



[7] (Holy Qur’an, Sur
Verse 35).
That is, when the truly righteous feed the poor, the orphan and the
captive, they do so selflessly, only out of love for God, and say to
[4]
[5]

them: “We only serve you for the sake of God, from you we require neither
gratitude nor reward.”
With regard to retribution or forgiveness, the Holy Qur’an teaches us:

*

10).


The retribution for an injury is an injury to the same extent.Tooth
for a tooth, eye for an eye, and abuse for an abuse, but whosoever
forgives—and the forgiveness results in reformation rather than
mischief, and he who has been forgiven rectifies his behaviour and
desists from evil—his forgiveness is better than retribution, and the
forgiver shall have his reward [with God]. It does not teach us that,
having been struck on one cheek, we should in all circumstances turn
the other cheek also, for this goes against true wisdom.
Doing good to an evil-doer can be as unjust as doing evil to a good
man.The Holy Qur’an further says:



e doing
red;
vil, and
, Surah



[7] (Holy Qur’an, Surah Ha Mim Al-Sajdah,
Verse 35).
That is, if someone is kind to you, show him even greater kindness.
All rancour between you will thus turn into a friendship so close that
it borders upon kinship.[8]
[6]
[7]

endnotes
1. “Verily, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing of good to others; and giving
like kindred; and forbids indecency, and manifest evil, and wrongful
transgression” (Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Nahl, Verse 91).
2. “Render not vain your alms by taunt or injury.” (Holy
Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 265)
3. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
, The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam
(Tilford, Surrey: Islam International Publications Ltd., 2010) 64-67.
4. “Verily, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing of good to others; and giving
like kindred; and forbids indecency, and manifest evil, and wrongful
transgression” (Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Nahl, Verse 91).
5. “And they feed, for love of Him, the poor, the orphan, and the prisoner,
Saying, ‘We feed you for Allah’s pleasure only. We desire no reward nor
thanks from you’” (Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Dahr, Verses 9-10).
6. “And the recompense of an injury is an injury the like thereof; but
whoso forgives and his act brings about reformation, his reward is
with Allah” (Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Shura, Verse 41).
7. “And good and evil are not alike. Repel evil with that which is best. And
lo, he between whom and thyself was enmity will become as though he were
a warm friend” (Holy Qur’an, Surah Ha Mim Al-Sajdah, Verse 35).
8. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
, Lecture Lahore
(Tilford, Surrey: Islam International, 2008), 12-14.

T
he constant threat of extremism and
radicalisation across the Islamic
world is increasing tension among
nations. However, this extremist ideology
has navigated its way into Western countries.
The effects of terrorism are now making
themselves known to the West as well as the
East. Developing sympathy for mankind and
promoting justice is the only hope for peace
in our modern global village. But how can we
adopt the values of justice, compassion and
sympathy in a world on the brink of war and
conflict?
Cause of Disorder in
the World Today?

The Blame Game:
World Today?
Concluding Address by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
,
5th
successor to the Promised Messiahas
, Worldwide Head of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, at Jalsa Salana UK 2015

Concluding Address by Hazrat
Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
, 5th
succes-
sor to the Promised Messiahas
and
Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community,at the Jalsa Salana
(AnnualConvention)oftheAhmadiyya
Community UK in August 2015
[Our readers should note that the below
address was given in August 2015—the
current state of affairs in the world prove
how the words of His Holiness have been
proved exactly true—Ed]
After reciting the customary Islamic
invocations of Tashhahud[1]
,Ta’awwuz[2]
and Surah Al-Fatihah[3]
His Holiness
proceeded to say:
Khalifatul Masih Vaba at Jalsa Salana
UK 2015




[1] Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Nahl, Verse 91.


.
[2] Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Rum, Verse 42.






[11] Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Nur, Verse 34.

[13] Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Shu’ara’, Verse 4.
“Verily, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing
and forbids indecency, and manifest evil,
and wrongful transgression.He admonished
you that you may take heed.”[4]
The disorder and corruption widespread
in the world today have distressed every
“Verily, Allah enjoins justice,
and the doing of good to others;
and giving like kindred;
and forbids indecency, and
manifest evil, and wrongful
transgression. He admonished
you that you may take heed.”
French police gathering evidence at
the Bataclan theatre on 14 November,
2015. ISIS militants claims responsibility
for the horrific attacks that evening.
© wikicomons
English Translation by
Shahzad Ahmad & Tariq H. Malik
december 2015 | The Review of Religions 23

peace-loving person.Everyone with sym-
pathy and compassion towards humanity
is astonished and worried about the
current state of affairs in the world.
Much has been said and written about
this issue, suggesting that this unrest
has arisen much more intensely in the
Islamic world or that it is being caused
by Muslims. And therefore the conclu-
sion is drawn that religion in general,
and Islam in particular (God forbid), is
the root of this discord. Up until now,
the Western world believed that all of
this turmoil would remain limited to
the Islamic or underdeveloped nations
and that it is exclusively a problem con-
fined to them; and that they (that is, the
developed nations) would continue to
help them (the underdeveloped nations)
in the name of resolving these problems
and trying to establish justice.
It is a matter aside that on the pretext of
helping and establishing justice, one of
their goals was to secure their superiority
and to take advantage of the resources
of these (underdeveloped) countries.
Indeed, certain major powers and anti-
religious forces were seriously mistaken.
Time has now shown that this is not a
problem confined to the Muslim world
alone. The tendency towards extremism
and terrorism is not limited to the Islamic
World; rather,it has in fact spilled over to
the West and the developed parts of the
world and is about to become a source of
great fear and the cause of horrific con-
sequences for them as well.
For the past few years,I have been direct-
ing their attention towards the fact that
the world is in a state of turmoil.Today,
it is an error to believe that this situation
is confined to a small part of the world.
Whilst the majority would agree with
my words and explanations, afterwards
they would say that they did not think
that the world—especially the developed
world—would face the horrific situation
that “he” has portrayed. However, today
the blame game: is religion truly the
cause of disorder in the world today?
A view of the Old City of Jerusalem,
including the Dome of the Rock through
coils of razor wire, illustrating the Holy
Land’s history of division and conflict.
© Ryan Rodrick Beiler | Shutterstock

their leaders and those who observe
world affairs closely have started to say
that even the developed world is not safe
from this chaos and the terrifying cir-
cumstances that stand before us. Thus,
the British Prime Minister’s statement
also expresses this perilous predicament.
The Foreign Minister of Australia has
also expressed a similar concern.The for-
mer Army Chief of the United Kingdom
has voiced similar thoughts. Various
newspapers have also started writing on
this. The reality is that the world today
is enveloped in cruelty and disorder.
The developed and well-educated class
of people believe that the root cause of
this problem is religion, which has now
reached its extremes because of a cer-
tain Muslim group or organisation. Yet
in reality, the root cause of this is their
failure to understand religion.The world
thinks that we should eschew religion in
order to end this disorder and there is
abundant propaganda promoting this
notion. The press and media also plays
its part by saying that religion either
makes a person ignorant and dull, or
turns him into an extremist.They say that
one can only progress by shunning reli-
gion and believe that advancement can
be achieved by moving away from God
Almighty. And due to the spread of this
false notion the number of people who
deny the existence of God is increasing
on a daily basis.
The reality is however, that the world
is in disorder because it has forgotten
God Almighty. This disorder is either
because of the misuse of God Almighty’s
Syrian Military soldiers during the ongoing
battle with rebels which is causing bloodshed
and tension across the Middle East.
© Volodymyr Borodin | Shutterstock
For the past few years, I have
been directing their attention
towards the fact that the
world is in a state of turmoil.
Today, it is an error to believe
that this situation is confined
to a small part of the world.

teachings and using the name of God as
a pretext for one’s own benefit, or it is
due to the denial of God’s existence alto-
gether.In fact they mock God’s existence
and cross all limits of decency.
In short the main reasons for the state
of disorder in the world are the acqui-
sition of personal gains in the name of
God, the true fear of God disappearing
from people’s hearts,or the denial of the
existence of God Almighty whilst giving
preference to worldly laws and ideolo-
gies.Despite being the creation of Allah
the Almighty, man considers Allah the
Almighty’s customs and system of jus-
tice and equity inferior to his man-made
customs and system of justice.Man asks:
why can we not subordinate religious
knowledge and Islamic teachings to our
worldly customs, worldly desires and
worldly laws according to the needs of
the time? A learned university professor
has asked this question of me as well.
But we should remember that this ques-
tion could be raised if religious teachings
had been corrupted and human values
and principles had been proven superior
to the foundational values and princi-
ples of religion. However, we believe in
the book that has been safeguarded for
1400 years and whose teachings are supe-
rior in all respects. It is a complete code
of life for human beings for all times.
It has been revealed by God Almighty,
Who is the Lord of the Universe and
the Omniscient.Why does it need to be
subservient to man-made rules and laws?

The purpose of religion is to make people
follow it. It does not follow the world
or the desires of people. Today, Islam is
the religion and the Qur’an is the book
which is a guide for all of mankind for all
times, under the condition that man has
the ability to comprehend it. The rights
that are being usurped in the world in this
day and age is not the fault of religion.
Instead, they are caused by people who
deceive others in the name of worldly
laws or religion. The injustices that are
being carried out in wars in the world
today are not caused by religion; rather,
they are being carried out by those who
only seek materialistic gains.The immo-
rality and shocking scenes of indecency
in the name of freedom today are not part
of religious teachings; rather,they are due
to the degradation caused by man-made
laws which have destroyed the com-
mandments of Allah the Almighty. To
express one’s power, prowess and supe-
riority is not the teaching of Allah the
Almighty. Rather, it is an invention of
man,because he considers himself supe-
rior to everything.
Therefore,whatever we are witnessing in
the world today is due to man consider-
ing himself to be the wisest and his being
devoid of the light of revelation. This
exact state of affairs is mentioned in the
Holy Qur’an in the following manner:
UK 2015






.





[8] Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Ma’idah, Verse 9.




[1
[1
“Corruption has spread on land and sea
because of what man’s hands have wrought,
that He may make them taste the fruit of
some of their doings so that they may turn
back from evil.”[5]
Due to this mayhem created by man,nei-
ther are the rich or poor safe nor are the
religious (that is, the so-called religious
people) or the irreligious. It is clear that
under these circumstances man will be
seized and punished by God Almighty.
The purpose of religion is
to make people follow it. It
does not follow the world or
the desires of people.Today,
Islam is the religion and the
Qur’an is the book which is
a guide for all of mankind
for all times, under the
condition that man has the
ability to comprehend it.

This is a natural consequence of moving
away from the Creator. Naturally, when
we move away from God Almighty,
Who is the Creator and Master, then
this should be and in fact is the obvious
result: receiving some form of punish-
ment from God Almighty.However,only
God Almighty knows and He is a better
judge of the punishment which will be
given in the hereafter for their actions.
But God Almighty is never pleased by
punishing His creation. When God
Almighty sees His creation treading
upon the right path and avoiding dis-
order, He is happier than a mother who
rejoices to find her child after his being
lost in dreadful circumstances.A mother
searches for her child like an insane per-
son and walks around in both hope and
despair, wondering whether the child is
alive or not.Then,suddenly she finds and
embraces him. However, God Almighty
loves His creation even more than this.
When a man moves towards Him, God
is happier than [that mother]. It is as a
result of this love that God Almighty
sends His prophets and messengers to
reform the world and show them the
right path, so that the world is saved
from destruction and becomes safe from
the punishment due to wrong deeds and
disorderliness. God Almighty desires to
save His people from falling into the pit
of fire, and not only desires to save them
from falling into the pit of fire but also
to favour them with His rewards.
Regarding these circumstances and this
era, the Promised Messiahas
states that:

“At this moment in time people yearn for
spiritual water and yet the earth is com-
pletely barren and lifeless. This has become
the embodiment of an era whereby
Khalifatul Masih Vaba at Jalsa
Salana UK 2015
t!yγsßßŠ$|¡x&ø9$#’ÎûÎh)y9ø9$#Ì!óst7ø9$#uρ
[3] Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Rum, Verse
42.
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[1]
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[5] Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Nahl,
Verse 91.
Ÿω(#θè=ÏÜö7è?Νä3ÏG≈s%y‰|¹Çdyϑø9$$Î/3“sŒF{$#uρ
[6] Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-
Baqarah, Verse 265.
$¨ΒÎ*sù$CΖtΒß‰÷èt/$¨ΒÎ)uρ¹!#y‰Ïù
[10] Holy 0 Qur’an, Surah
Muhammad, Verse 5.
Verse 91.
y7¯=yès9ÓìÏ‚≈t/y7|¡ø&¯Ρ)ωr&(#θçΡθä3tƒtÏΖÏΒ÷σãΒ
Shu’ara’, Verse 4.
‘Corruption has spread on land and
sea.’[6]
The jungle and sea have become cor-
rupt. The ‘jungle’ is understood to be the
disbelievers and the ‘sea’ is understood to
be the people of the book. It can also mean
ignorant people and knowledgeable people.
Hence, there is disorder in every section
of society. Whichever aspect or facet you
look at the world we see it is transformed.
Spirituality no longer exists and nor is its
impact visible any longer. Whether young
or old, all are engulfed in immorality. It
appears that the worship of God and the
knowledge of His being have been completely
extinguished. Right now it is necessary for
heavenly water and the [spiritual] radiance
of prophethood to descend and enlighten those
“God Almighty loves His
creation even more than
this. When a man moves
towards Him, God is happier
than [that mother]. It is
as a result of this love that
God Almighty sends His
prophets and messengers
to reform the world and
show them the right path.”

hearts which are willing. Express gratitude
to God Almighty! For He has sent His spir-
itual light in this day and age through His
Grace. There are few, however, who derive
benefit from this spiritual light.”[7]
Thus,in order to save humanity,God the
Exalted acts according to His Sunnah
[way]. He continues to send His mes-
sengers in order to guide mankind and to
show them ways of safeguarding them-
selves from disorders. In this era He has
sent the Promised Messiahas
[Hazrat
Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
of Qadian].
The current state of the world shows that
the state of the Muslims has deteriorated
– one of the speakers also mentioned this
with reference to a certain country – and
so too have [deteriorated] the followers
of other faiths and also those who do not
follow any religion.The world is running
towards what it thinks is water.However,
it is not water—it is a mirage. The true
water and spiritual light is that which
has been sent down by God Almighty.
The Muslim world and the rest of the
The disorder in the Muslim
world--including the
bloodshed and other extremist
acts in the name of religion,
God or the Prophet--are
apparent to all.The injustices
of the governments on
their people and also the
rebellious attitude of the
people of the country and their
injustices is a proof of this.

world should be thankful and should
be guided by this spiritual light and
drink from this oasis. Instead, they are
immersed in darkness and drinking from
dirty ponds.Unfortunately,the Muslims
are not showing any regard for the true
servant of the Holy Prophetsa
, [the
Promised Messiahas
].Thinking the dirty
water to be clean, they follow the teach-
ings of malicious scholars.Others are also
making excuses instead of recognising
the true faith; consequently, the world
today is completely abandoning faith.
They are totally denying the existence
of God Almighty. Though the major-
ity of Muslims are firm in their faith to
the extent of claiming [themselves to be
Muslims] or in their dogma; however,the
‘Ulema [scholars] have profoundly spoilt
their education and practice by blinding
their intellect. This is not an accusation
which I am levelling against them; rather
this is the truth which is visible to all.The
disorder in the Muslim world--includ-
ing the bloodshed and other extremist
acts in the name of religion, God or the
Prophet--are apparent to all. The injus-
tices of the governments on their people
and also the rebellious attitude of the
people of the country and their injus-
tices is a proof of this.When the general
public seeks guidance from its ‘Ulema
[scholars] they find in them nothing but
their selfish desires. We can see how the
words of the Holy Prophetsa
were fulfilled
to the absolute letter when he said that
apart from disorder nothing else would
be found emanating from these schol-
ars.There would be contradiction in their
Anti-Assad protests in Baniyas, April
2011, during the Syrian Civil War.
© Anthony Correia | Shutterstock

speech and action and apart from igno-
rance and discord, nothing else will be
gained from them.[8]
Thus, the statements and behaviour of
today’s ‘Ulema [scholars]are in fact proof
of the Holy Prophet’ssa
truthfulness.
Further, Muslims have generally fallen
victim to moral degeneration and the
decline in their faith is also quite evident.
The state of the general Muslims would
be quite obvious when the ‘Ulema [schol-
ars] are themselves so ignorant and pass
edicts based on their self-interest. For
their own interests, these ‘Ulema have
distorted the teachings of Islam to such
an extent that it has even become permis-
sible according to them to usurp the
rights of others. Such kinds of edicts are
very common in Pakistan now, because
Ahmadis are considered to be outside the
pale of Islam. Despite the fact that they
read and can continue reading
Salana UK 2015
42.
[1]
Verse 91.
Baqarah, Verse 265.
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[9] Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Anfal,
Verse 68.
[there is none worthy of worship except
Allah; Muhammadsa
is the messenger of
Allah] and since they are not a part of
Islam,it is hence permissible to loot and
seize their property.Yet,they themselves
are split into different sects and the fires
of hatred are smouldering. Allah the
Exalted states that they are
Salana UK 2015

[9] Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Fath, Verse 30.

[15] Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Nahl, Verse 91
“tender among themselves.”[9]
However,let
alone displaying love and brotherhood,
deep hatred for one another is thriving
among them. Thus, this is evidence that
a state of corruption exists amongst the
Muslims too. And at such a time, it was
a requisite of the mercy of Allah the
Exalted’s mercy,that He should send His
messenger. And indeed, in keeping with
His tradition and promise, he was sent
by Allah the Exalted.However,as I men-
tioned earlier, that instead of accepting
him, the ‘Ulema [scholars] mislead the
Muslims and have also increased [the
Muslims] in their opposition to him.
Rather than answering and hearkening
to the call of the one who came and ful-
filled the instruction of Allah the Exalted
As far as the teachings of
Islam are concerned, they
form the basis of peace,
security and reconciliation
which is unmatched by any
other teaching.Those who
speak against Muslims
should remember that by
saying this they are adding
further fuel to these so-called
Islamic extremist groups.

and His Prophet, and trying to become
a unified Ummah, they have become
embroiled in disorder,discord and blood-
shed among themselves and are also
having a negative impact on the rest of
the world.That is why the opposing non-
Muslim powers are able to take advantage
of the weakened state of the Muslims.
They are levelling allegations against
Islam and attacking it.They are labelling
Islam as a religion of chaos,disorder and
extremism.They seek to prove that world
peace and harmony can only be estab-
lished by non-Muslims and those who
have moved away from religion.However,
these powers do not voice this openly,but
are carrying out their schemes and ploys
in a rather shrewd manner. On the one
hand they claim to show sympathy and
seek to forge peaceful relations with
Muslims by offering their services to
eradicate the chaos and disorder from the
Muslim world. And on the other hand
they state that neither the religion of
Islam nor Muslims are bad; Islam does
not teach terrorism and transgression and
that we should all seek to work together
to end the world’s disorder,which appears
to be more prevalent in the Muslim
world. However, on the other side, they
also suggest there is a connection between
Islam, terrorism and violence. They also
say that the extremism is due to the
teachings of Islam.They want to appease
the powers who oppose Islam as well as
the Muslims by telling one leader to say
one thing while at the same time telling
the others to say the complete opposite.
We say to such people that as far as the
teachings of Islam are concerned, they
form the basis of peace,security and rec-
onciliation which is unmatched by any
other teaching.Those who speak against
Muslims should remember that by saying
this they are adding further fuel to these
so-called Islamic extremist groups. By
making such statements,they are playing
a role in inciting [those] Muslims who
are less educated and frustrated because
of their circumstances. Peace cannot be
The Holy Qur’an, which is the sacred
text of Islam, outlines the path towards
world peace, harmony and justice.
© BEGY Production | Shutterstock

established by blaming religion; rather,
it can only be achieved by campaign-
ing against transgression and injustice
while keeping religion aside. Success is
only attainable if they play their role by
campaigning against wrongdoing and
oppression.Therefore,those who belong
to the superpowers as well as the gov-
ernment leaders need to establish their
strategies and policies upon justice.There
is no doubt that a worldly person does
not possess spiritual sight and therefore
only sees things from a worldly perspec-
tive; the apparent efforts being made for
establishing peace are in fact becom-
ing a cause for the disorder. Therefore
the superpowers should not take pride
in their power. If we seek to establish
peace then the worldly powers will have
to change their attitude or otherwise
the world will become enveloped in vio-
lence and wars,with even greater severity.
Similarly, Muslims must also listen to
the voice of God the Exalted, and need
to examine the so-called slogans raised
by their pseudo-scholars, and the lead-
ers and organisations in light of those
standards contained in God Almighty’s
teaching.They should see how beautiful
the teaching of Islam is! They should try
to understand what God expects from
them. Allah the Exalted wants them to
look to the one who He has sent.When
this happens mutual differences will come
to an end and love,friendship and justice
will be established instead.Muslims will
become a united Ummah and as a result
they will attain freedom and deliverance
from the clutches of enslavement from
non-Muslim powers.
We should always remember that the
Western or secular education and sys-
tem are not the guarantors for creating
peace and security in the world and nor
can they ever be so. The guarantor for
creating world peace and security are the
teachings of Islam which were neither
presented by any religion before Islam
nor are they found in any other philos-
ophy, -ism and system in this day and
age. Indeed it is the beautiful teachings
of Islam which guarantee creating peace
and security in the world.
Peace cannot be established
by blaming religion; rather,
it can only be achieved
by campaigning against
transgression and injustice
while keeping religion aside.

Therefore today,instead of the non-Mus-
lim powers showing us the way to peace
and security, we need to show them the
true path of peace and justice in light
of the Islamic teachings. This teach-
ing manifests its splendour in the short
verse that I have just recited. Hence, as
opposed to adopting a defensive stance,
each and every Muslim should consider
putting this remarkable teaching before
the world as a challenge.Therefore,today
I will also state some things in light of
this teaching which was revealed to the
Holy Prophetsa
1400 years ago.The Holy
Prophetsa
along with his Rightly Guided
Khulafa [Caliphs] and some of the self-
less leaders of the state,who felt the pain
of the Ummah, adhered to this teaching
and practised it and thereby established
a beautiful society.
I also do not deny the fact that a veil
was put over this beautiful teaching
afterwards among the majority of the
governments,due to the selfish attitudes
and the personal interests of Islamic lead-
ers and scholars.However,as I said,Allah
the Exalted sends his prophets and cho-
sen people in every era of disorder and
corruption for the guidance of mankind.
He also sent the Promised Messiahas
,
who clearly expounded upon this beau-
tiful teaching and familiarised us with
its beauty. He announced that there was
a twofold purpose for my advent: firstly,
to unite man with Allah the Exalted and
to draw the attention [of man] towards
fulfilling the rights of God; secondly,the
purpose of his advent was to make one
fulfil the rights of fellow human beings.[10]
Hence, Islam draws our attention
towards fulfilling these two rights and
we must examine this in the light of
the teaching of the Holy Qur’an. As I
said, in light of this verse of the Holy
Qur’an, we can observe how the high-
est standards of [fulfilling] these rights
The guarantor for creating
world peace and security are
the teachings of Islam which
were neither presented by
any religion before Islam
nor are they found in any
other philosophy, -ism and
system in this day and age.
Indeed it is the beautiful
teachings of Islam which
guarantee creating peace
and security in the world.

can be established in the world and the
establishment of equality,justice,love and
brotherhood. We also observe how well
the Holy Prophetsa
demonstrated this to
us through his own practical example.
Even in this era, we see how, through
this verse, the person who was sent by
Allah the Exalted guided us regarding
how one should fulfil both these types
of rights.
The Promised Messiahas
states that:
There are two overarching command-
ments of the Holy Qur’an: firstly, unity,
love and obedience of the Creator, glory
be to His name; secondly,compassion for
one’s brothers and fellow human beings.
Furthermore, He has split these com-
mands into three stages. With reference
to the verse of the Holy Qur’an,
Salana UK 2015
42.
[1]
Verse 91.
Baqarah, Verse 265.
Muhammad, Verse 5.
Verse 91.
of good to others;and giving like kindred.”[11]
the Promised Messiahas
comments that
in the first instance, the meaning of this
verse is that one should display justice
in the relationship of obedience with
his Creator and should abstain from
becoming unjust.Hence,just as in reality,
besides Him no one is worthy of worship,
no one is worthy of love and no one is
worthy of trust because every single right
belongs to Him,due to His exclusivity of
being the Creator, the Sustainer and the
Lord.(It is He who created us,He grants
us life and sustenance and He it is Who
provides us the means of growth.Hence,
this is His right alone.) Similarly,you too
should not associate anyone with Him
in His worship, in His love and in His
Lordship. If you manage to do as much,
then this is ‘Adl (justice),and the demon-
stration of which is obligatory upon you.
If you wish to progress further then there
is the stage of Ihsan (doing good to oth-
ers).That [stage] is for you to become so
convinced of His Greatness,to become so
disciplined in your worship before Him
and to become so absorbed in His love,
as if you have seen His Majesty, Glory
and His infinite Beauty. After this is the
stage of Iita-e-Dhil Qurba (giving like
kindred). And that [stage] is, for your
worship, your love and your obedience
to become completely free from pretence
and superficiality and for you to remem-
ber Him with such intimate friendship
as you remember your fathers. Your love
for Him should become like the love a
child holds for his beloved mother.In the
second instance, in terms of compassion
for mankind,the meaning of this verse is

for you to treat your brothers and fellow
humans with justice and not to exceed in
taking from them what is due to you (do
try to take your rights but do not try to
take more than you are due) and estab-
lish yourself upon justice. If you wish to
progress further from this stage,then the
next stage is Ihsan (doing good to others).
And this [stage] is when you do good in
exchange of a wrong committed by your
brother and for you to grant him com-
fort in exchange for his abuse and to help
him, out of compassion and love.
After this, is the stage of Iita-e-Dhil
Qurba (giving like kindred) and that
is, that whatever good deed you do for
your brother, or whatever good you do
for mankind should not be considered
as a favour in any way. Rather, it should
be done simply owing to one’s natural
urge and without any ulterior motive
(whatever deed you carry out should be
done without thinking that you are doing
a favour to someone. It should be done
without such a thought). It should be
done in a manner that is similar to when
a relative acts good towards another rela-
tive on account of his close relation.This
is the ultimate stage of moral develop-
ment, whereby one shows sympathy to
the creation but without any personal
interest, or motive. In fact, the passion
one has for his brother or close one
develops to such a high degree that he
naturally does the deed,without any rea-
son,or any kind of gratitude,prayer or its
end result.[12]
Thus unless one develops an understand-
ing of fulfilling both these rights, the
claims of establishing justice and equal-
ity will simply remain as mere claims.
Man-made laws do not exceed beyond
‘Adl [justice] and the world thinks that
by establishing ‘Adl [justice] they have
overcome all stages for the establish-
ment of peace and have thus acquired
all that which they set out to acquire;
however injustices still exist here as well.
The requisites of ‘Adl [justice] cannot be
fulfilled when there are personal inter-
ests involved.This is true among the rich
as well as the poor [parts of the] world.
The most they can do is to try and do
Ihsaan [doing of good to others] but not
because the Ihsan is part of their duty,
which is why afterwards they remind the
person about their favours upon them.
We also generally observe in the world,
that out of compassion when one even
thinks of offering someone more than
their right, they stipulate various con-
ditions. Nowadays this is commonly
observed in the dealings and practices
of the major governments. There are

various conditions attached when help
is offered to poorer countries. However,
Islam teaches that such help after which
approbation is sought or one is given
injury, is not a virtuous deed. Thus, it
states:
42.
[1]
Verse 91.
Baqarah, Verse 265.
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4®Lymš∅Ï‚÷Wãƒ’ÎûÇÚö‘F{$#
[9] Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Anfal,
Verse 68.
Verse 91.
“…render not vain your alms by reproach
and injury…”[13]
Explaining this, the Promised Messiahas
states that:
“O ye who extend favours to others! Do not
ruin your alms which ought to be on the basis
of sincerity, by reproach and injury.”[14]
Thus, if the heart is devoid of sincerity
and devotion then such alms and aid no
longer become a charitable act.The world
cannot even entertain the thought of
Salana UK 2015

[9] Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Fath, Verse 30.

“giving like kindred.”[15]
As I mentioned earlier, man-made laws
cannot go beyond ’Adl [justice] and even
then they are just limited to speech
because they are ruined by all kinds of
conditions which are attached to them.
However, God Almighty enjoins you to
do justice,and the doing of good to oth-
ers and giving like kindred; and to fulfil
the requisites of justice and equality.Your
acts of benevolence should not be fol-
lowed with any kind of suffering or pain.
Also, you should not just consider ‘Adl
and Ihsaan to be the ultimate stage,
rather, “giving like kindred” should also
be kept in view, and you should afford
sympathy to others without any personal
motive.You should feel the pain of others
as if it is your own pain; such is the con-
dition that will make you a Momin [true
believer].
How great are the commandments
revealed by God Almighty and the laws
designed by Him! Whereby one cannot
be a guarantor of true peace unless one
becomes selfless in setting the standards
of justice, compassion and love.This is a
teaching that enables one to reach the
pinnacle in fulfilling the rights of oth-
ers. With regards to compassion for the
creation of God Almighty and establish-
ing peace, let alone man-made laws, no
religion can present such a teaching and
nor has any religion ever presented it in
the past. It is only the teaching of Islam
that stands above all others in relation to
fulfilling the rights of others and estab-
lishing peace. If anyone who ascribes
himself as Muslim, or any Islamic gov-
ernment or any other group formed in
the name of Islam acts contrary to this
teaching or carries out extremist acts,

then they are acting against the teaching
of the Holy Qur’an. Islam has enjoined
its followers to adhere to this teaching
for all people and in all circumstances.
A wrongful act committed in the name
of Islam cannot stand as an argument to
suggest that Islam permits a license to
commit wrong acts.The critics of Islam,
who consider themselves to be the stand-
ard-bearers of justice and peace, should
also be just when presenting their views.
Those leaders or politicians of the West,
who give statements that they cannot
deny there to be some link between the
teaching of Islam and extremism, do
so owing to their lack of knowledge or
simply because they are unjust in their
views. They fail to recognise their own
actions whereby under the pretence of
justice,they in fact completely obliterate
it and perpetrate all kinds of injustices.
I do not need to give my personal opin-
ion on this because their own writers
have unveiled the reality of their jus-
tice and establishing peace. An article,
‘The West’s Libyan Legacy’ by John
Wight says,“Out of the many examples of
Western military campaigns in recent times,
none has been more grievous or disastrous
than NATO’s 2011 intervention in Libya,
which only helped turn the country into a
failed state.” NATO’s intervention “ush-
ered in crisis and chaos as Libyan society
promptly fragmented and broke down into
the tribal, sectarian, and brutal internecine
conflict that has turned a once-functioning
state and society into a dystopia into which
Islamic State (IS) has gained a foothold...”
he further writes that “There were no
terrorist training camps in Libya prior to
NATO’s military intervention.” The West
was not motivated by the desire to help
effect democratic change, but to ensure
that the extensive and lucrative oil explo-
ration and economic ties were forged.[16]
Thus, this is a glimpse of the injus-
tices carried out in the name of peace
It is only the teaching of Islam
that stands above all others in
relation to fulfilling the rights
of others and establishing
peace. If anyone who ascribes
himself as Muslim, or any
Islamic government or any
other group formed in the
name of Islam acts contrary
to this teaching or carries
out extremist acts, then
they are acting against the
teaching of the Holy Qur’an.

and justice. Similarly, many people have
written extensively about the war in Iraq
being wrong and on various other injus-
tices. However, the teachings of Islam,
which they criticise, in fact consider ‘Adl
[justice] as the most basic of virtuous
deeds. ‘Adl is not a great deed; rather,
Islam considers it as the most basic form
of a good deed, while they [the West]
raise slogans of justice and equality and
deem it as a great deed. If they were
to adhere to this we may still say that
An image illustrating Libyan oil
fields and pipelines in 2011.
© Wiki Commons

considering they are worldly people,this
indeed is a great deed for them, but as I
have mentioned before, their standards
of ‘Adl [justice] change when it comes to
their personal interests. Islam sets forth
a beautiful standard for establishing ‘Adl,
as it states:






.







[9]Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Anfal, Verse 68.

[10] Holy Qur’an, Surah Mohammad, Verse 5.





“O ye who believe! Be steadfast in the cause
of Allah, bearing witness in equity; and let
not a people’s enmity incite you to act other-
wise than with justice. Be always just, that
is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah.
Surely, Allah is Aware of what you do.”[17]
This is the beautiful teaching of Islam,
that one must not make false justifica-
tions even in enmity. Qawaam means
to carry out a task properly and con-
sistently. Therefore, a Muslim has been
commanded to always carry out jus-
tice both properly and consistently and
to remember to carry out all his works
while keeping the commandments of
God Almighty in view. A Momin [true
believer] should fulfil the requisites of
justice by dwelling deep into the intrica-
cies of God Almighty’s commandments.
A Momin [true believer] should always
be mindful of God Almighty’s com-
mandments and remain in search of them
– when this state develops only then can
one be deemed a true Muslim. Always
remember the commandment of God
Almighty regarding justice, by which a
people’s enmity should not steer you away
from justice. God Almighty not only
enjoins Muslims to deal with justice and
fairness with the enemy,but also instructs
us to increase in our virtuous deeds. As
the columnist has written, the war in
Libya or the deposition of Gaddafi was
purely due to economic factors; it was to
gain a firm grip on oil revenue.However,
the teaching of the Holy Qur’an which
they have criticised as promoting extrem-
ism, in fact states that one should not
look at the wealth of others with envy.
I mentioned this in the USA before the
politicians and one of the politicians,
who was an African-American, came to
me and said that what you have men-
tioned,i.e.,not to look at another person’s
wealth with envy and not to derive any
unlawful benefit from it, is a very true
and accurate statement, which we are in
need of here.Thus,when this is their own
state,how can these people then criticise

Islam? As I quoted earlier,even their own
journalists (I mentioned just one earlier)
have now begun to write that it is due
to their war in Iraq and unjust policies
which have led to the emergence of some
Muslim extremist groups. What justice
was demonstrated in the Second World
War when atom bombs were dropped on
two cities in Japan massacring innocent
civilians? What human sympathy was
demonstrated then and what has hap-
pened now for this issue to arise once
again? Even today they speak about
this incident. However, instead of say-
ing that it was wrong and it should not
have happened, they show no remorse
for their actions. Clifton Truman, who
is the grandson of President Truman
[former President of the United States]
in an interview said regarding the atom
bombs that they were a great thing. He
said referring to his grandfather, that he
ended the war. He said they saved hun-
dreds of thousands of lives on both sides
and that is what his grandfather said
was his reason for the decision. He also
said that he did not feel that the US ever
needed to apologise to Japan. Another
columnist wrote in the Daily Telegraph
on the 9th
of August, that it was justifi-
able to drop atom bombs on Nagasaki
and Hiroshima at the at the expense of
human lives.So this is their attitude and
their view.This is their justice.Although
the war is fought between soldiers,inno-
cent children,the elderly and women are
the ones who die! They seek to contrive
all kinds of justifications. However, if
an Islamic group is guilty of any wrong
actions they immediately attach its blame
to the teaching of Islam.The teaching of
Islam, in fact, is one that enjoins justice
and the doing of good to others; and giv-
ing like kindred in all instances.It rejects
all forms of injustices and acts of rebel-
lion.The Holy Qur’an enjoins justice and
the example of one who adhered to the
Holy Qur’an the most, is to be found in
the Holy Prophetsa
. A Jew once came to
the Holy Prophetsa
to settle a dispute and
lodged a complaint against a Muslim.
After listening to both parties, the Holy
What justice was
demonstrated in the Second
World War when atom
bombs were dropped on two
cities in Japan massacring
innocent civilians? What
human sympathy was
demonstrated then and what
has happened now for this
issue to arise once again?

Prophetsa
passed the verdict against the
Muslim and in favour of the Jew.[18]
Today,we observe at both a personal level
as well as at a governmental one, loans
are taken yet all sorts of excuses are pre-
sented when it comes to paying it back.
However, when we observe the example
of the Holy Prophetsa
which in fact is the
true reflection of the teachings of Islam,
we find that that not only did he repay
the loan before it was due, but he would
return more than the actual sum he had
borrowed due to his benevolence.
A reference to wars was made earlier,God
Almighty states regarding prisoner of wars:
Wrecked framework of the Museum
of Science and Industry in Hiroshima,
Japan. This is how it appeared
shortly after the dropping of the first
atomic bomb, on August 6, 1945.
© Everett Historical | Shutterstock
Hiroshima after the atomic bombing of
August 6, 1945. The city was located on
a flat river delta, with few obstructions
to the contain the blast of the nuclear
explosion detonated on August 6, 1945.
Hiroshima about a month after the
Atomic Bombing of August 6, 1945. View
from roof of Chamber of Commerce
building. Some people walk amid
the ruins. Ca. Sept.-Oct. 1945.





.








[10] Holy Qur’an, Surah Mohammad, Verse 5.




“It does not behove a Prophet that he should
have captives until he engages in a regular
fighting in the land.”[19]
At a time when it was a common practice
to imprison the people of an enemy tribe,
it was Islam that spoke out against it.It is
asserted that to imprison someone who
has not taken up arms against Islam is in
fact against justice and fairness. Today,
if any government or so-called govern-
ment conducts this practice in the name
of Islam,it is totally contrary to its teach-
ings and is not permissible.
Regarding prisoners of wars,Islam states:



[10] Holy Qur’an, Surah Mohammad, Verse 5.“Then afterwards either release them as a
favour or by taking ransom.”[20]
Furthermore,kind treatment is extended
towards prisoners of war. In the days
when such wars broke out, every soldier
was responsible for his own military
equipment and also for his own free-
dom if he were captured.And so,[in the
instance of becoming a captive] either he
would himself try or his relatives would
make efforts to make the arrangements
for his release. At times, certain relatives
would become hard-hearted and in order
to accumulate more wealth they would
simply leave their relative in captivity.
If the prisoner did not have any close
relatives then distant relatives would act
in this manner. At times an individual
would not have the means to pay the ran-
som.Thus, the Holy Qur’an states:
UK 2015






.





“And such as desire a deed of manumission
in writing from among those whom your
right hand possesses, write it for them if
Islam goes to such lengths
that even if someone from
one’s enemies takes part
in a war and draws the
sword against Muslims,
and then is imprisoned
due to defeat or any other
reason, Islam teaches that
Muslims should find means
to procure his freedom out
of a sense of compassion.

you know any good in them; and give them
out of the wealth of Allah which He has
bestowed upon you.”[21]
In other words, among the prisoners of
wars there will be some whom you can
neither release as a favour, nor can they
be freed them by their own people paying
their ransom.However,if they seek their
freedom by earning it through their own
skills or talents and thus become able to
pay their ransom, then they should be
freed, providing it is felt that they will
be able to earn a livelihood if set free.
In fact, [the Holy Qur’an] goes one step
further and enjoins doing good to such
prisoners by stating that one should also
contribute towards their efforts.Muslims
should make a contribution from their
own wealth and through financial sup-
port they should try to liberate them.
Today, those who raise the slogans
for justice and fairness do not come
anywhere near demonstrating such
standards. Certain groups who work for
human rights claim to do this kind of
work but they cannot even achieve the
release of those who have been impris-
oned because of their faith or political
factors, let alone prisoners of war. As I
mentioned earlier, the Muslims have
forgotten their religious teachings. If
they closely reflect over their teachings,
they would never imprison people the
way they are doing without justification
and thereby bring the name of Islam into
disrepute.Nonetheless,we were discuss-
ing the teaching of Islam and in order to
restore the rights of one’s freedom,Islam
goes to such lengths that even if someone
from one’s enemies takes part in a war
and draws the sword against Muslims,
and then is imprisoned due to defeat
or any other reason, Islam teaches that
Muslims should find means to procure
his freedom out of a sense of compassion.
I mentioned earlier how the atom bombs
that were dropped in Japan, causing the
death of many civilians,is still being jus-
tified today. If one looks at the images
from that time, they show how a person
sitting on a set of stairs became a statue
after his skin melted and hung almost
instantly. Though there were deaths
instantaneously, fatalities continued to
occur for a long time afterwards due to
the effects of radiation and children were
born with disabilities.Now,after so many
years, why are they bringing up the sub-
ject of the war in Japan and atom bombs?
Do they want to incite those who com-
mit injustices?
The Holy Prophetsa
stated that if one

overpowered the enemy during war,even
then they were not permitted to disfig-
ure their faces.The enemy was not to be
deceived in a state of war, nor was any
kind of deception allowed in war.[22]
No children or women were to be killed
and nor were any priests or religious lead-
ers.The elderly,children and women were
not to be attacked.[23]
Peace and compassion would always be
kept in view. If because of the enemy’s
oppression, one had to go the enemy’s
country for war, then they should not
cause fear and terror among the general
public and neither treat them harshly.[24]
The movement of the army should not
cause any hindrance or disturbance to the
general population either.[25]
The enemy should not be subjected to
any disfigurement of the face and the
least possible harm should be caused to
them.[26]
If a Muslim is guilty of being unlawfully
harsh to any prisoner of war then he must
immediately free him.[27]
Consideration
was to be given to the care and comfort of
the prisoners; if any of the prisoners were
related to one another then they should
be kept together and not be separated.[28]
Whoever had any prisoners must feed
them with the same food he ate him-
self. How can all of this be described?
All of this exceeded beyond justice and
in fact was Ihsaan [doing of good to
others]. Who extends such treatment to
prisoners?
Never have any previous teachings been
able to match this teaching and nor do
today’s laws of human rights compare
to this high standard of ‘Adl and Ihsaan.
All of the points that I have mentioned
regarding prisoners is with the aim of
not prolonging wars,but rather stopping
them.
When the Holy Prophetsa
formed the
Covenant of Madinah, he afforded
the Jews the same rights that Muslims
enjoyed. They would not be treated
unjustly by any Momin [true believer]
and if any injustice was carried out
against them by any Momin or by any-
one else, they would be granted help in
countering it.[29]
Among many of the conditions [of
the covenant], this particular condi-
tion was guarantor of peace for the
Jews – whether they stayed in the city

of Madinah or went outside of it. This
is the justice which was established by
the Holy Prophetsa
. If Muslims seek to
attain this standard [of justice] and fulfil
their covenants, then they would never
have to face humiliation. The history of
the Muslims shows that as long as they
fulfilled their covenants they continued
to succeed. However, the moment they
stopped fulfilling their covenants and
relinquished justice, they were humili-
ated. A great example of fulfilling one’s
covenant was when the Muslim army
had to retreat due to the Roman army’s
attack. The Muslims returned the tax
taken from the non-Muslims of that area
and said that they took this tax in order
to protect them and establish peace in
the area.However,because they could no
longer do that, therefore they were not
its rightful owners anymore.The response
and the reaction of the people from that
area is equally a golden chapter in human
history,and one that should be written in
lustrous terms.They responded that they
had become the target of oppression from
the people of their own religion; however,
Muslims went there and took over and
amazed them by fulfilling their covenants
and establishing such high standards of
justice.They said that now,we shall fight
along with you. So, the Muslims were
able to fend off the Roman army and
the [Muslim] government was re-estab-
lished.When the Muslims re-entered the
city,they were given an exuberant recep-
tion by its people.[30]
If only Muslim governments could
take a lesson from this. If they stop the
injustices upon their own people and on
others, they will become the leaders of
the world, instead of being humiliated
and disgraced.However, for this to hap-
pen they must hearken to the call from
the Imam of the age. The Holy Qur’an
contains countless injunctions regarding
the subject of justice, and the doing of
good to others and giving like kindred.
The life of the Holy Prophetsa
is also full
of such examples. In this age, there are
many references of these in the writings
of the Promised Messiahas
too,elaborat-
ing on this specific verse
Salana UK 2015
42.
[1]
Verse 91.
Muhammad, Verse 5.
Verse 91.
of good to others; and giving like kin-
dred…”– if one were to read them all, it
could take hours.[31]
Here,I would also like to present another
expression of the Holy Prophet’ssa
desire
of ‘giving like kindred’to men who have

The Review of Religions December 2015

The Review of Religions December 2015

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The Review of Religions December 2015