Khalifah aba of Islam Visits Heart of Germany. Wives of Holy Prophet sa Series Hazrat Saudah ra. The Plight of Women s Education

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1 december 2012 vol issue twelve The Holy Prophet s sa Unparalleled Love & Compassion for All Wives of Holy Prophet sa Series Hazrat Saudah ra The Plight of Women s Education Khalifah aba of Islam Visits Heart of Germany New Mosque Opens in Manchester, UK

2 The Promised Messiah and imam mahdi and founder of the review of religions The Holy Prophet Muhammad sa prophesied that the Promised Messiah as would be raised near a white minaret, east of Damascus. This prophecy was fulfilled with the advent of the Promised Messiah as from Qadian, India, a city directly east of Damascus. world faiths Love & Compassion for Others makhzan-e-tasaweer And abuse not those whom they call upon besides Allah, lest they, out of spite, abuse Allah in their ignorance. Thus unto every people We should dispose kindly to each other and be mutually helpful. In the difficulties pertaining to religious and worldly matters, we 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. Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as, 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 Muhammad sa. 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. Hadhrat Ahmad as 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 He also wrote a fascinating treatise in 1899 entitled Jesus in India, a book that uncovered remarkable evidence of Jesus as s journey to India. In 1902 the Promised Messiah as 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. have We caused their doings to seem fair. Then unto their Lord is their return; and He will inform them of what they used to do. Islam, the Holy Qur an, Ch.6:V.109. According to Anas ibn Malik, the Holy Prophet sa said, Help should exercise such sympathy towards each other as if we have become limbs of the same body. Islam, the Promised Messiah as, Message of Peace, pp All men are responsible for one another. Hinduism, Basavanna, Vachana, 247. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem the other, better than themselves. Christianity, Philippians, 2:3. 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, Hadhrat Ahmad as 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. 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 Khalifas (successors). Currently under the fifth successor, we are seeing that the tide of acceptance is worldwide and that the message of Prophet Ahmad as has really reached the ends of the earth. your brother whether he is the oppressor or oppressed. Islam, The Holy Prophet Muhammad sa, Hadith of Sahih Bukhari. Judaism, Talmud, Sanhedrin, 27b. Hatred never ceases through hatred in this world; through love alone they cease. This is an eternal law. Buddhism, Dhammapada, 3-5.

3 contents december 2012 MANAGEMENT BOARD Munir-Ud-Din Shams (Chairman) Syed Amer Safir (Secretary) Mubarak Zaffar, Ataul Mujeeb Rashed, Naseer Qamar, Abdul Baqi Arshad, Abid Waheed Ahmad Khan, Aziz Ahmad Bilal CHIEF EDITOR & MANAGER Syed Amer Safir EDITORIAL BOARD Amtul Razzaq Carmichael, Bockarie Tommy Kallon, Fazal Ahmad, Hibba Turrauf, Jonathan Butterworth, Mansoor Saqi, Munazza Khan, Nakasha Ahmad, Navida Syed, Sarah Waseem PROOFREADERS Abdul Ghany Jahangeer Khan, Farhana Dar, Munavara Ghauri, Hina Rehman, Amina Abbasi Sub-Editors Maleeha Ahmad, Mariam Rahman, Ayesha Khan, Nusrat Haq, Maryam Malik, Khullat Munir, Sadia Shah DISTRIBUTION/SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER Muhammad Hanif. Distribution Team Member: Sami Ullah 6 Editorial to come Amer Safir, UK 10 Notes and Comments The Plight of Women s Education Maleeha Ahmad, Rabwah, Pakistan 14 The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam Final part of serialisation. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi 20 NEW SERIES The Noble Wives of the Holy Prophet sa Hazrat Saudah ra The life sketch of the Holy Prophet s sa second wife. We continue our series on the wives of the Prophet sa. Hafiz Muzaffar Ahmad, Rabwah, Pakistan 34 The Holy Prophet s sa Unparalleled Love and Compassion for All The Founder of Islam practically demonstrated the highest standards of forbearance, friendship and brotherhood to all peoples of any and no faith. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad aba, Khalifatul Masih V, Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community 45 The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets Vol. II We continue with Chapter VI. Why is polygamy permitted in Islam? And why did the Prophet Muhammad sa marry numerous wives? Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad ra 50 A Haven of Peace and Love 6 th new mosque inaugurated by the Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the UK this year. Darul Amman Mosque promises to extend love and friendship to the entire city of Manchester. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad aba, Khalifatul Masih V, Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community 60 Khalifah of Islam: A Visit to the Heart of Germany Highlights of the tour of the Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Khalifatul Masih V aba, to Germany, earlier this year. Original Urdu reports by Abdul Majid Tahir. translated by Professor Amtul Razzaq Carmichael Front cover picture: "Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah" inscribed on one of the doors of the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah. DESIGN AND LAYOUT Ahsan Khan Staff writer Arif Khan WEB DEVELOPER Masood Nasir INDEXING/TAGGING TEAM Team Leader: Taalay Ahmad. Deputy: Amtus Shakoor Tayyaba Ahmed. Team: Humaira Omer, Humda Sohail, Mirza Krishan Ahmad, Shahid Malik, Ruhana Hamood, Mubahil Shakir, Adila Bari, Hassan Raza Ahmad TWITTER Hibba Turrauf, Mala Khan, Nudrat Ahmad PUBLISHER Al Shirkatul Islamiyyah (ASI Ltd.) Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the beliefs of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. All correspondence should be forwarded to the Editor at: The Review of Religions Tahir House, 22 Deer Park Road London, SW19 3TL, United Kingdom Telephone: Fax: info@reviewofreligions.org

4 2012 was a historic year for The Review of Religions. Our March Easter Special Edition was dedicated to the debate surrounding the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus as. We tried to prove from different perspectives; Biblical, historical, medical and genetic, that Jesus as in fact survived the crucifixion and travelled eastwards to India to complete his mission. We continue to receive comments from Christians, and others, intrigued by the articles we featured in that edition. We covered the controversy surrounding the publication of cartoons by the UCL Atheist society in our February Edition. An intriguing history of the Fazl Mosque, or the London Mosque, the first Mosque in London, was featured over the June and July Editions. Our January Edition featured the letter sent by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba, Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, to Pope Benedict XVI, and later in our March Edition we featured his letters to the leaders of Israel, Iran, USA and Canada and then in our August Edition we featured the remaining letters sent by His Holiness to the leaders of the world. The historic 6 The Review of Religions december 2012 editorial address by His Holiness at Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. to leading politicians and policy makers was the focus of our September Edition. The Queen s Diamond Jubilee was celebrated in our July Edition and our November Special Edition depicted the manner in which true Muslims responded to the vile film, Innocence of Muslims. Staff at The Review of Religions worked with great dedication over the year. We hope that our readers enjoyed the articles we featured. Look out for the new and intriguing material that we have lined up for As always, we invite our esteemed readers to provide us feedback. We greatly value suggestions and comments and would love to hear from our readers on any aspect of the magazine: editor@reviewofreligions.org or info@reviewofreligions.org Amer Safir c h i e f ed i t o r makhzan-e-tasaweer The Friday Sermon Every Friday live at 13:00 GMT on MTA International Live Translations: English, French, Arabic, German, Bengali Translations on repeat: Russian, Turkish, Swahili, Tamil, Malayalam UK viewers: watch MTA on Sky channel 787 For info on viewing MTA in other countries, or for online stream, visit Each week on Friday, Muslims are required to take a bath, dress in their best and clean clothes, wear perfume and assemble in the mosque for Jumu ah, the Friday Prayer. The Friday Prayer gives Muslims an opportunity to meet together to discuss and solve their individual as well as community problems. Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba), Khalifatul Masih V, Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, delivers the Friday Sermon each week, broadcast live by Muslim Television Ahmadiyya International (MTA). Through MTA therefore, the Imam is able to address not just the congregation, but also the entire world. It gives the Imam a chance to advise all Muslims at the same time on urgent matters that face them. Sky channel 787

5 The front covers of our 12 Editions in 2012 JANUARY 2012 VOL ISSUE ONE FEBRUARY 2012 VOL ISSUE TWO MARCH 2012 VOL ISSUE THREE E A S T ER S P E C I A L APRIL 2012 VOL ISSUE FOUR MAY 2012 VOL ISSUE FIVE JUNE 2012 VOL ISSUE SIX ED I T I O N LOVE FOR ALL HATRED FOR NONE BAITUL WAHID MOSQUE OPENS IN FELTHAM, LONDON PAN AFRICAN ADDRESS 18 by HEAD of the AHMADIYYA MUSLIM COMMUNITY REV. JOHN HUGH SMYTH PIGGOTT RESURRECTION FACTor FICTION? HIS CLAIM, PROPHECY AND END Important Message Sent to the Pope Noah(as) and the Flood Britain - Bring Back Christian Values? Miracle of the Splitting of the Moon Absolute Oneness Human Rights and Derogatory Cartoons The Prophet(saw) s Marriage The Object of Life Alternative Reading of Gospels JULY 2012 VOL ISSUE SEVEN AUGUST 2012 VOL ISSUE EIGHT Cardiologist s Perspective on Crucifixion 18 Tracing PostCrucifixion Footsteps of Jesus(as) 38 THE DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES of a NUCLEAR WAR LETTERS to WORLD LEADERS and the CRITICAL NEED for ABSOLUTE JUSTICE by HEAD of the AHMADIYYA COMMUNITY Resurrection Theories and Genetic Research on Lost Tribes 28 & 50 SEPTEMBER 2012 VOL ISSUE NINE Letters to Israel, Iran, USA & Canada New Mosque Opens in Catford, UK Law of this Life and the Hereafter The Prophet Muhammad(saw) s Journey to Ta if 32 OCTOBER 2012 VOL ISSUE TEN Keynote Adddress at 9th Annual Peace Symposium 18 Peace An Islamic Jihad 8 NOVEMBER 2012 Brand New Vol. II of the Life and Character of Seal of Prophets 46 Means to Peace London s First Mosque A Study in History and Mystery 30 6 VOL ISSUE ELEVEN Acid Attacks on Women in Pakistan Depicted in Saving Face 8 Brand New Vol II of Life and Character of Seal of Prophets 50 The Review of Religions launches on Twitter 6 DECEMBER 2012 VOL ISSUE TWELVE special edition HISTORIC ADDRESS AT CAPITOL HILL THE PATH TO PEACE JUST RELATIONS BETWEEN NATIONS? THE DIAMOND JUBILEE HEAD OF AHMADIYYA MUSLIM COMMUNITY SENDS LETTER TO THE QUEEN THE MYTH THAT DIALOGUE or DISSENSION? ISLAM PROMOTES EXTREMISM WILL THE WORLD 10 FREE SPEECH & ISLAM BREAKING TAKE HEED LETTERS TO WORLD LEADERS PART 2 A Gift to the Queen 16 Promised Messiah(as) and Blessed Reign of Queen Victoria 22 House of Peace and Security Opens in London 32 Gratitude to God, Queen and Country Letters to Saudi Arabia, Iran, Germany & France 8 30 A Poetic Prophecy of Unprecedented Destruction 12 Ramadan The Sacred Month of Fasting 14 THE HOLY PROPHET S UNPARALLELED LOVE & COMPASSION FOR ALL SA Brand New Life and Character of Seal of Prophet Vol II 58 To order back issues info@reviewofreligions.org Eyewitness Account An Event 100 Years in the Making Queen Elizabeth II Replies to His Holiness True Loyalty to One s Nation The Epic Book Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Khalifa of Peace Tour of Holland Life and Character of Seal of Prophets Vol 2 New Mosque Opens in Halesowen, UK How Ahmadi Muslims reacted to Innocence of Muslims 46 New Series The Wives of the Holy Prophetsa 84 Practical Response of True Muslims Worldwide 64 True Love for the Holy Prophetsa Wives of Holy Prophetsa Series Hazrat Saudahra The Plight of Women s Education Khalifahaba of Islam Visits Heart of Germany New Mosque Opens in Manchester, UK

6 notes & comments The Plight of Women s Education maleeha ahmad, rabwah, pakistan In pursuance of a successful nation, it is imperative to understand the importance of a woman s role in society; an investment in providing and protecting their enlightenment is necessary to avoid the risk of degeneration. The yearning for a decent education was recently exemplified in the case of Malala Yousafzai an eleven year old Pakistani girl championing this right of women across the nation. She was consequently attacked in the name of Islam by the extremist Taliban group. Over the past few years, the Taliban have been infiltrating Pakistan from neighbouring Afghanistan. Their growing influence in these rural areas has come at the expense of women s rights, as they have continued to close several hundreds of girl s schools in the infected areas. Their false assertions of Islam forbidding a female from acquiring education were exposed by Malala, who began a blog on the BBC website from the midst of the oppression: I will show them the Qur an. The Qur an doesn t say that girls are not allowed to go to school. The innocent voice of truth from a little girl could not be tolerated by the fabricators; she was shot in the head on her bus to school by the Taliban on 9 th October When the notion of rationality and religion coexisting is neglected, such unfortunate and misguided judgements are at a danger of becoming an unyielding threat to the stability of a nation. A recognisable means of achieving rationality is through invoking secular education. Islam itself compels the individual to investigate the truth of Qur anic teachings: He is the Mighty, the Most Forgiving; Who has created seven heavens in harmony. No incongruity canst thou see in the creation of the Gracious God. Then look again. Seest thou any flaw? Aye, look again, and yet again, thy sight will only return unto thee confused and fatigued. 1 This instruction of intellectual pursuit does not entail any gender disparity; the Holy Prophet sa of Islam said that it was the duty of every Muslim man and woman to acquire knowledge. He also stressed the importance of educating girls specifically. He said that a man who has daughters and brings them up and educates them to the best of his capacity shall be entitled to paradise. The Holy Prophet s sa wife, Hazrat A ishah ra, was so cultivated that the Companions would turn to her if they had any queries on a number of subjects, including history, medicine, literature, law, as well as Ahadith (the sayings of the Holy Prophet sa ). Her example in Islamic history ascertains Islam s advocating women s pursuit for knowledge. The reality of Malala s shooting is a struggle between power-hungry groups trying to gain leadership over the people. Women s empowerment is a threat to their ideology, and whilst attempting to obliterate any attempts that jeopardise their established dogma, they cite Islam as a way of justifying it. We have already observed how Islam s true teachings are in support of women s education. The Taliban want to eliminate any threat against the exposure of this truth, and Malala was the writing on the wall. With a literacy level of just 57% of the 10 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 11

7 the plight of women s education This is from an article published in 1986, and it is uncomfortably befitting to the state of Pakistan s educational system twenty-six years on. adult population in Pakistan, a boost in these figures will deflate the Taliban s chances of succeeding, and minimise the attraction between an illiterate society, and an equally uneducated leadership. The late Professor Dr. Abdus Salam, the Muslim Nobel Laureate, recognised the relation between education and progress: Misleading and rather inappropriate education is in fact a national crisis right now. I believe that our nation is passing through a grave crisis for which the reason is that a proper educational system has not been developed. 2 This is from an article published in 1986, and it is uncomfortably befitting to the state of Pakistan s educational system twenty-six years on. The international scale of attention brought on by Malala s predicament has led to over a million people in Pakistan signing petitions to ensure that every girl has a place at a school. If this can pressurise Pakistan into taking control of their educational system, without any gender discrepancy, it will be one of their best investments in the future security of the country for generations to come. endnotes 1. Holy Qur an, Ch.67:V links/ html Write to us with comments, feedback and suggestions at info@reviewofreligions.org Calendar of Religious Events & Festivals december 2012 Sunday 2nd December Faith: Christianity Event: Advent Sunday This is the first day of the ecclesiastical year in Western Christian churches. It also marks the beginning of the Advent season the expectant waiting and celebrating for the Nativity of Jesus as at Christmas. Saturday 8th December Faith: Buddhist Event: Bodhi Day The celebration of Gautama s enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, at Bodhgaya, India. Sunday 9th December Faith: Jewish Event: Hanukkah Also known as the Festival of Lights it marks the restoration of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem during the Maccabean Revolt in 164 BCE. Tuesday 25th December Faith: Christianity Event: Christmas Day Western Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus as. 12 The Review of Religions december 2012

8 The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam final part hazrat mirza ghulam ahmad as, t h e promised messiah and mahdi t r a n s l a t e d from urdu by s i r muhammad zafrulla khan r a The Holy Qur an, upon which The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam was based. This is the final part of our serialisation of The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as of Qadian, the Promised Messiah, was the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and originally wrote this as an essay in Urdu, Islami Usul Ki Philosphy. It was presented at the second Conference of Great Religions, in Lahore. Organised by a Hindu named Swami Sadhu Shugan Chandar, the purpose of the conference was to gather learned representatives from many of the world s leading religions in order to discover the true religion. Each representative was asked to present to the audience the beauties of their religion based upon its source, to prove its truthfulness. This essay presents the deep meaning and intellectual sophistication behind true Islamic principles. It offers Islamic arguments that take into account the psychology of the human psyche and represents the Islamic model as taught by the Founder of Islam, the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa. Two Phases of the Life of the Holy Prophet sa That is why God Almighty divided the life of the Holy Prophet sa into two phases; one phase of hardship and calamities and sufferings, and the other of victory; so that during the phase of sufferings those high moral qualities might be demonstrated which come into play at such times, and during the phase of victory and authority, those high moral qualities might be illustrated which cannot be displayed in the absence of authority. Thus, both these types of qualities were perfectly illustrated in the life of the Holy Prophet sa, by his passing through both these phases and conditions. During the period of trials in Observing his steadfastness, many of the disbelievers believed in him and thus testified that it is only the one who has complete trust in God who can display such steadfastness. Makkah, which extended over thirteen years, the Holy Prophet sa demonstrated in practice all the high qualities which a perfectly righteous person should exhibit at such a time, such as trust in God, perfect serenity under sufferings and the steady and eager carrying out of duties and fearless courage. Observing his steadfastness, many of the disbelievers december 2012 The Review of Religions 15

9 the philosophy of the teachings of islam believed in him and thus testified that it is only the one who has complete trust in God who can display such steadfastness and endurance of suffering. During the second phase, that is to say the phase of victory, authority and prosperity, he demonstrated such high qualities as forbearance, forgiveness, benevolence and courage, so that a large number of the disbelievers believed in him through witnessing his exercise of those high qualities. He forgave those who had persecuted him, granted security to those who had expelled him from Makkah, bestowed great wealth upon those among them who were in need and having obtained authority over his bitter enemies, forgave them all. Witnessing his high morals, many of them testified that such qualities could only be demonstrated by one who comes from God and is truly righteous. That is how all the rancour, which his enemies had entertained against him over a long period, was washed out of their hearts in an instant. His greatest quality was the one that is set out in the Holy Qur an in the following words: My worship and my sacrifices and my living and my dying are all wholly for Allah. This means that the whole purpose of his life was to demonstrate the glory of God and to provide comfort for His creatures, so that through his constant suffering of death they might procure life. No one should be misled by the mention of his death in the cause of God and for the good of His creatures, to think that he had at any time (God forbid) contemplated destroying himself, imagining like the ignorant and the insane, that his suicide would be of benefit to others. He was entirely free from any such stupid line of thinking and was wholly opposed to it. The Holy Qur an considers anyone who is guilty of self-destruction as a great offender, liable to severe chastisement, as it says: Do not commit suicide and do not become the cause of your own destruction. It is obvious that if X suffers from pain in the stomach, it would be futile for Y to break his own head out of pity for X. That would be no virtuous deed but only needless suffering through stupidity. In the circumstances, it would have been virtuous on the part of Y to minister to X in an appropriate and useful manner, for instance, by procuring medical advice and the required medicines for him. His breaking his own head would do no good to X. It would be the infliction of needless suffering upon a noble part of his own body. In short, the true meaning of the verse cited above is that the Holy Prophet sa, out of true sympathy, had devoted his life to labour for the welfare of mankind and through supplications and exhortations and enduring their persecution and by every proper and wise means, had laid down his life and sacrificed his comfort in this cause; as God the Glorious has said: Haply thou wilt risk death grieving that they do not believe; and: Let not thy soul waste itself in sighing after them. Thus, the wise way of laying down one s life in the service of one s people is to endure hardship in their service in accord with the beneficial law of nature, and to spend one s life working out appropriate projects to that end, and not to strike one s head with a stone because of the perilous situation of one s people resulting from their errors or afflictions, or to depart this life after swallowing two or three grains of strychnine imagining that through this absurd device one would open the way of salvation for one s people. This is not a manly method, but is a feminine tendency. It has always been the way of faint-hearted people that finding themselves unable to endure hardship they run towards suicide. Whatever explanation may be offered in respect of it there can be no doubt that such action is sheer folly. Again, it is obvious that the endurance of hardship and nonresistance to an enemy on the part of a person who never had the opportunity to take revenge, cannot be accounted a moral quality for it is not known how he would have behaved if he had had an opportunity of taking revenge. Unless a person passes through hardships and then achieves authority and prosperity, his true qualities cannot be manifested. It is obvious that a person whose whole life is spent in a state of weakness, indigence and helplessness, enduring persecution all the time, and who is never in a position of authority and power and prosperity, cannot be adjudged as possessing high moral qualities. If he has had no opportunity of taking part in a battle, it cannot be determined whether he is brave or a coward. We cannot make any estimate of his character as we do not know how he would have treated his enemies if he had overcome them, or how he would have spent his wealth, if he had become prosperous. Would he have hoarded it or 16 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 17

10 the philosophy of the teachings of islam A contemplation of the Divine law of nature clearly shows that it certainly is pure mercy. would he have distributed it among the people? If he had been present in the field of battle would he have run away or would he have behaved as a brave fighter? In the case of the Holy Prophet sa, Divine favour and grace afforded him the full opportunity for the manifestation of his moral qualities. He displayed generosity, bravery, meekness, forbearance and equity on their appropriate occasions to such perfection that it would be a vain effort to look for their match in any other person. In both phases of his life, in weakness and power, indigence and prosperity, he demonstrated to the whole world to what high degree he comprehended all moral qualities. There is no high moral quality for the exercise of which God Almighty did not afford him an opportunity. All excellent moral qualities like bravery, generosity, steadfastness, forbearance, meekness, etc., were in his case so clearly established that it is not possible to seek his equal. It is also true that those who had carried their persecution of him to the extreme and had designed the destruction of Islam were not left unpunished by God. To forego chastisement in their case would have amounted to the destruction of the righteous, under the heels of their enemies. The Purpose of the Wars of the Holy Prophet sa The purpose of the wars of the Holy Prophet sa was not to cause needless bloodshed. The Muslims had been expelled from their ancestral homes, many innocent Muslim men and women had been martyred and still the wrongdoers were not prepared to restrain themselves, and continuously obstructed the progress of Islam. In these circumstances the Divine law of security demanded the safeguarding of the persecuted ones against total destruction. Therefore, those who had drawn the sword were opposed with the sword. Thus, those wars were directed towards rooting out the mischief of those who were bent upon murder, and were aimed at repelling evil. They took place at a time when the wrongdoers were bent on the ruin of the righteous. In these circumstances, if Islam had not had recourse to measures of self-defence, thousands of innocent women and children would have been slaughtered and an end would have been put to Islam. It is a great error on the part of our opponents that they imagine that revealed guidance must under no circumstances inculcate resistance to the enemy, and should always demonstrate its love and mercy by way of meekness and gentleness. Such people imagine that they display great reverence for God, the Lord of Honour and Glory, by attributing to Him only the qualities of gentleness and tenderness. But those who are given to reflection and pondering can easily perceive that such people are involved in gross and obvious error. A contemplation of the Divine law of nature clearly shows that it certainly is pure mercy. But that mercy does not manifest itself by way of gentleness and tenderness in all circumstances. Out of pure mercy, like an expert physician, it sometimes administers a sweet draught to us and at other times it prescribes a bitter medicine for us. Divine mercy deals with us as each of us deals mercifully with his body. There can be no doubt that each of us loves his whole body and if anyone wishes to pull out a single hair of ours we are much annoyed with him. Yet despite the fact that the love that we bear towards our body is distributed over the whole of it, and all our limbs are dear to us, and we do not desire the loss or hurt to any of them, it is clear that our love for every one of our limbs is not of the same degree and quality. In fact, the love of our principal limbs upon which largely depends the carrying out of our purposes, prevails over our hearts. Similarly, in our estimation the totality of our limbs is far greater than our love for any particular limb. Thus, when we are confronted with a situation in which the security of a superior limb depends upon wounding or cutting or breaking an inferior limb, we reconcile ourselves to such an operation. We are grieved at the wounding or cutting of a limb that is dear to us, but through the apprehension lest the disorder of the inferior limb should operate to destroy a superior limb, we are reluctantly reconciled to its cutting. This illustration should help us to realise that when God observes that His righteous servants are in peril of being destroyed at the hands of the worshippers of falsehood and that this would lead to great disorder, He manifests His appropriate design, whether from heaven or from earth, for the safeguarding of the righteous and for the putting down of disorder; for as He is Merciful, He is also Wise. All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the Universe. 18 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 19

11 The Noble Wives of the Holy Prophet sa 2. Hazrat Saudah bint Zama ah ra by hafiz muzaffar ahmad, rabwah, pakistan The lives of the Prophet Muhammad sa, his wives and the women of early Islam are often portrayed by numerous Western historians and scholars in a negative light. This is largely based on inaccurate historical material or without consulting original sources. This misinformation has been disseminated in the media, magazines and news reports forming an adverse image of the women of early Islam to the world. The Review of Religions has commissioned a special series on the wives and female Companions of the Holy Prophet sa to present the true life stories of the noble women of early Islam. Our purpose is not to individually respond to such historians, but only to present the actual history and to let our readers make up their own minds, based on facts. This article details the Holy Prophet s sa second marriage, to Hazrat Saudah ra. Illustrations by Masood Tahir (Waqfe Nau), London, UK. NEW SERIES translated by murtaza ahmad Introduction When the Holy Prophet Muhammad s sa first wife, Hazrat Khadijah ra, passed away, her death left him bereft. It is reported that when Hazrat Khaulah bint Hakim ra the wife of Hazrat Uthman bin Maz un commented, O Messenger of Allah! You have become so lonely and saddened after Hazrat Khadijah s ra demise, the Holy Prophet sa responded, Of course after all she was the mother of my children and supervisor of the house. Indeed, Hazrat Khadijah ra had managed the operations of her household so well that it allowed the Holy Prophet sa to fully focus on carrying out his religious obligations and responsibilities. Her death also left a vacuum in the communal life of the Muslims and in the education and moral training of the Muslim women. Hazrat Saudah ra became the first wife of the Holy Prophet sa after Hazrat Khadijah s ra demise. From accounts of her personality and conduct we can surmise that she was extremely righteous and had deep faith in and obedience to the Messenger of Allah. Background Hazrat Saudah s ra father, Zama ah bin Qais, was from a branch of the Quraish clan, whereas her mother, Shammus bint Qais, belonged to the tribe of Banu Najjar in Madinah. 1 Following the Messenger of Allah s claim to prophethood, Hazrat Saudah ra had the honour of accepting Islam during the very outset of its epoch. december 2012 The Review of Religions 21

12 She was married to her cousin, Hazrat Sukran bin Amoro Al-Qarshi ra. He had the privilege of being a Companion to the Holy Prophet sa and also had the distinction of migrating to Abyssinia; Hazrat Saudah ra accompanied him throughout the migration. Hazrat Sukran bin Amoro Al-Qarshi ra passed away on his return from Abyssinia. 2 According to some other narrations, Hazrat Sukran ra passed away during the journey on migrating to Abyssinia. Therefore, in addition to having performed migration, Hazrat Saudah ra also earned the distinction becoming the widow of a Muhaajir (migrant) Companion. From among the children of Hazrat Sukran ra and Hazrat Saudah ra, was Abdul Rahman ra, who later on became a martyr in the battle of Jalula in Iran. 3 Marriage to the Holy Prophet sa After Hazrat Khadijah ra passed away, the Holy Prophet sa continued to worry about the care of Hazrat Khadijah s ra four daughters and the management of his household affairs. There was an atmosphere of loneliness and sadness, and the Companions felt this as well. Hazrat Khaulah bint Hakim ra, an esteemed female Companion, went to the Holy Prophet sa as a representative for the rest of the Muslims and offered some suggestions to him regarding suitable marriage partners. Out of these suggestions, the Holy Prophet sa expressed Her response was, I have believed in the Messenger of Allah and I am within his Bai at; what could be a greater privilege for me than this marriage proposal? a preference for Hazrat Saudah ra, who was a relatively older widow. Hazrat Khaulah ra then spoke to Hazrat Saudah ra. Her response was, I have believed in the Messenger of Allah and I am within his Bai at; what could be a greater privilege for me than this marriage proposal? Hazrat Khaulah ra then went to Hazrat Saudah s ra father. He responded, What could be a better and more honourable marriage proposal for Saudah than this? According to Hazrat Ibn Abbas ra, when the Messenger of Allah sent the marriage proposal, Hazrat Saudah ra already had five or six children. She replied, There is no obstacle to my marrying you because you are dearer to me than all of creation. But keeping in mind [my] respect [for you] I worry lest these children of mine annoy you with their screams and cries over you, day and night. The Messenger of Allah responded, May Allah have Mercy on you. The women of the Quraish train their young children excellently and are very thoughtful of their husbands. 4 The marriage was thus agreed and Hazrat Saudah ra was married in the Makkan period and joined the household of the Holy Prophet sa. The Messenger of Allah fixed her dowry at four hundred dinars. 5 When Hazrat Saudah s ra brother, Abd bin Zama ah ra, who was not a Muslim, heard the news, he threw dust on his hair and cried bitterly as a sign of grief. Later on, after becoming a Muslim, he used to admit, How foolish was I when I mourned and threw dust over my head when my sister married the Holy Prophet sa ; little did I know how great an honour this was! 6 Hazrat Saudah s ra Dream The marriage took place in accordance with divine decree. Some of Hazrat Saudah s ra dreams also draw attention to her piety, righteousness, and closeness with Allah. Hazrat Saudah ra narrates: Long before marrying the Holy Prophet sa, I saw in a dream that the Holy Prophet sa had come and placed his feet upon my neck. I related this dream to my husband. He remarked, If this dream is true then after my death, you shall tie the knot with the Holy Prophet sa. The next day I saw another dream that I was 22 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 23

13 the noble wives of the holy prophet sa Whenever she heard something pious or beneficial, even once, she would adopt the practice resolutely. lying down and the moon fell onto me. I felt worried and told my husband about this dream also. He again interpreted the dream to mean that he would soon die and I would subsequently marry the Holy Prophet sa. A narration goes on to say that that very day, her husband, Hazrat Sukran ra fell ill and could not be saved. 7 It was shortly after this, that her marriage with the Holy Prophet sa was settled. After the death of Hazrat Khadijah ra, Hazrat Saudah ra was the Holy Prophet s sa only wife for approximately three years, until Hazrat A ishah ra came into the house of the Holy Prophet sa, although Hazrat A ishah s ra Nikah [formal marriage announcement in Islam] had been settled before Hazrat Saudah s ra Nikah. Hazrat Saudah ra thus enjoyed the distinction of becoming the first wife of the Holy Prophet sa following the demise of Hazrat Khadijah ra. She took care of the Holy Prophet s sa children by Hazrat Khadijah ra, and was given the important responsibility of running the household of the Holy Prophet sa. Personal Characteristics Hazrat Saudah ra was of a very simple and pious disposition. Her faith was unquestioning, so much so that whenever she heard something pious or beneficial, even once, she would adopt the practice resolutely. Her simplicity was an extremely venerable and especially admirable aspect of her character. Rather than comment on any instruction imparted by the Holy Prophet sa, or delay carrying it out, she would do her utmost to instantaneously act upon it, in accordance with her understanding. Upon the occasion of the Last Pilgrimage to Makkah, the Holy Prophet sa mentioned to his Companions that, This may be my last Pilgrimage. After this, obstacles shall be created. 8 Hazrat Saudah ra, in her simplicity, stuck to these words of the Holy Prophet sa literally. She used to say that the Holy Prophet sa had declared, This is indeed the last pilgrimage. Thereafter, there will be obstacles. Thus, Hazrat Saudah ra and Hazrat Zainab ra used to say, After hearing this statement of the Holy Prophet s sa, never again did we set out for this purpose. 9 Similarly, in a parental dispute involving Hazrat Saudah s ra brother, Abdul Rahman bin Zama ah ra, the Holy Prophet sa ruled in principle in his favour, saying, The child born to Zama ah s slave girl will be counted as belonging to Zama ah. However, because this child looked and resembled the other claimant, Utbah bin Abi Waqas, the Prophet sa expediently advised Hazrat Saudah ra to observe purdah in his presence. Hazrat Saudah ra observed this instruction so strictly that she never again expressed a desire to meet him and never saw him for the rest of her life. 10 Due to Hazrat Saudah s ra endearing simplicity and straightforwardness, she would at times unintentionally do amusing things and the Holy Prophet sa enjoyed them thoroughly. Once, upon receiving news from Allah, the Holy Prophet sa described some features of the dajjal (the anti-christ) in one of his gatherings. As it happened, some of these characteristics were also found in one of the Madinite Jews a young man named Ibn Sayad and the Holy Prophet sa surmised that perhaps Ibn Sayad might be the dajjal. Subsequently, Hazrat A ishah ra mentioned this to Hazrat Saudah ra. Since the Holy Prophet sa had said that, To this day, no fitna [disorder] bigger or more terrifying than the dajjal has been seen; all of the past prophets have warned against this fitna, Hazrat Saudah ra was already scared of the dajjal. Hazrat A ishah ra states that, When I mentioned to Hazrat Saudah ra the fact that Ibn Sayad is the dajjal who has appeared, she was so scared that she hid under a bed in the storeroom and her head and clothes got dusty. So Hazrat A ishah ra went to the Holy Prophet sa and explained the situation to him. The Holy Prophet sa came and brought her out of there and asked, What is the matter? Hazrat Saudah ra said, I was so afraid of the dajjal that I hid. 11 Hazrat A ishah ra had a special bond of love and openness with Hazrat Saudah ra. Hazrat Saudah ra had a special attachment with Hazrat Hafsa ra, Hazrat Safiyya ra, and Hazrat Zainab ra. In her endearing simplicity, she would also give the Holy Prophet sa messages on their behalf. In one incident, it is narrated that once the Holy Prophet sa stopped at Hazrat Zainab s ra house to drink some honey sherbet. Hazrat A ishah ra sent Hazrat Saudah ra to ask the Holy Prophet sa, You haven t by any chance eaten maghaafir honey (Maghaafir is a kind of flower, which gives out an offensive smell, and if the bee obtains honey from it, it is 24 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 25

14 the noble wives of the holy prophet sa The incident is indicative of the good natured ambience that characterised the household of the Holy Prophet sa. also tainted by the same odour), which causes your mouth to smell, have you? Because of this question to him, the Holy Prophet sa stopped drinking honey made from the maghaafir (flower). 12 Another amusing incident took place between Hazrat A ishah ra and Hazrat Saudah ra, which Hazrat A ishah ra describes: Hazrat Saudah ra came to our house. The Holy Prophet sa was sitting between us in such a manner that he had one foot on her lap and the other one in my lap. I had made Harirah [a type of soup] for the Holy Prophet sa which I also offered to Hazrat Saudah ra but she didn t eat it and kept refusing despite my insistence. I said, I m not letting you leave until you eat it, and if you don t, I m going to rub it on your face. When Hazrat Saudah ra continuously refused, Hazrat A ishah ra really did smear the sweetmeat over Hazrat Saudah s ra face. When the Holy Prophet sa saw Hazrat Saudah ra in this amusing state, he could not control his laughter. Then with complete justice, he decided that Hazrat Saudah ra should avenge herself and he removed his leg from her lap so that she could do so; and thus Hazrat Saudah ra smeared Harirah on Hazrat A ishah s ra face. In the meantime, Hazrat Umar s ra voice was heard calling somebody and the Holy Prophet sa thought that perhaps he wanted to come inside. He then instructed his wives, Go and wash your faces. 13 The incident is indicative of the good natured ambience that characterised the household of the Holy Prophet sa. Hazrat Saudah s ra simple nature, purity of heart and enthusiastic compassion was demonstrated when, during the battle of Badr, seventy disbelievers of the Quraish came as prisoners of war, which included some influential leaders and chiefs. On seeing some of the leaders of the Quraish imprisoned within her house, Hazrat Saudah ra spontaneously said something which displeased the Holy Prophet sa, although he accepted her apology. Hazrat Saudah ra narrates: When the news came that the prisoners of Badr had reached Madinah, I had just returned home after visiting someone. I found that the leader of the Quraish, Abu Yazid Suhail bin Amr, was in one corner of the room in our house, in a state of captivity with his hands tied to his neck with ropes. Seeing Abu Yazid in such a state, uncontrollably I said, Abu Yazid! It would have been better for you to die with respect than to become a captive. I had just said this when I was shaken after hearing the voice of the Messenger of Allah from the other side, Saudah! Do you provoke him against Allah and the Messenger? O Messenger of Allah! I swear by He who has sent you with the Truth that when I saw Abu Yazid captive and with his hands tied to his neck it came out uncontrollably, otherwise I did not, God forbid, have any such motive. 14 Love for Prayer Once, the desire to pray at night alongside the Holy Prophet sa arose in Hazrat Saudah s ra heart. On one of the nights when he was staying with her, after he got up to offer the Tahajjud (pre-dawn voluntary prayer), she stood to offer the prayer with him. When the Holy Prophet sa was alone, he would offer his prayers at length standing for a long time, with lengthy bows and prostrations. 26 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 27

15 the noble wives of the holy prophet sa Hazrat Saudah ra had a particular love for the Holy Prophet sa. However Hazrat Saudah ra was of a stout physique, and so the next morning, she spoke very openly to the Holy Prophet sa of her impressions about the prayer, saying, O Messenger of Allah, I prayed behind you yesterday; you offered a ruku [one of the postures in the prayer] so long that I eventually held on to my nose lest it bled from all the bending down. Hearing this remark, the Holy Prophet sa was much amused. 15 Love for the Messenger of Allah Hazrat Saudah ra had a particular love for the Holy Prophet sa. In his last illness, the Holy Prophet sa said, Among the pure wives of the Prophet sa, the first wife to meet me there will be the one with the longest hands. After hearing this, the Prophet s sa wives began measuring their hands to check who was most fortunate enough to have the longest hands and thus be the first to reach her beloved! Hazrat Saudah ra, who was tall, turned out to have the longest hands. She was very pleased and said, This good fortune will fall to my lot first and I will be the first to be reunited with my beloved. 16 Another incident relates to the revelation of the laws pertaining to the veil. There had been generally no previous tradition of Arab women observing purdah, although the women of the nobility would at times wear a chaadar (loose robe) for respect and dignity. The lives of women were limited to within the home. The temperament of Hazrat Umar ra, who later became the Second Khalifah of Islam, was such that he was extremely strict regarding purdah. Hazrat Umar ra saw Hazrat Saudah ra leaving her home to go out, and recognised her owing to her height. Hazrat Umar s ra personal opinion was that the wives of the Prophet sa should stay at home and should not leave their homes, in order to maintain purdah properly. Hazrat Saudah ra, however, did not consider it inappropriate to leave her house veiled with the traditional chaadar (a loose robe). Hazrat Umar ra called out loudly, O Saudah, we have recognised you! Hazrat Saudah s ra disposition was somewhat spirited. She became angry and turned around immediately for home, and went straight to the house of the wife where the Holy Prophet sa was staying that night. Hazrat Saudah ra complained, O Messenger of Allah, Umar bin Al-Khattab ra has said loudly in the open bazaars to your pure wives that we have recognised you. At that very moment, the Holy Prophet sa received the revelation concerning those verses wherein permission was granted to the pure wives to go out of their homes (Surah Al-Ahzaab, Verse 34). The Holy Prophet sa then declared, O Saudah, Permission has been granted to you to go out for business or [other] necessities whenever you wish. 17 Hazrat Saudah ra has narrated five Ahadith on the authority of the Messenger of Allah, of which two have been recorded in Bukhari and Muslim and the rest have been recorded in Abu Da ud and Nisai. Hazrat Ibn Abbas ra and Yahya bin Abdul Rahman ra narrate from her. 18 Latter Years In her later years, Hazrat Saudah ra became increasingly overweight and as a result of this, she was overcome by weakness and inactivity. For this reason, during the Last Pilgrimage, on the night of Muzdalifah [whilst in Mina], she made a request to the Holy Prophet sa, O Messenger of Allah, in the morning, there shall be a large crowd when people return to Muzdalifah; it will be difficult for me to walk with them. For this reason, please allow me to return before everyone else. On account of her illness, the Holy Prophet sa gave her permission to do so. Hazrat Saudah ra returned to Muzdalifah on the same night while everyone else returned to Muzdalifah in the morning. So, through Hazrat Saudah s ra blessings, the weak and disabled among the Muslims were allowed ease and mercy. Therefore, after Hazrat Saudah ra asked for this permission, when other pilgrims asked about changing around the order for [some of the Hajj rituals such as] the shaving of the head, the sacrifice of the animals and the throwing of the stones, the Holy Prophet sa compassionately granted permission and stated, There is no harm in doing this. 19 During the last years of the Holy Prophet s sa life, Hazrat Saudah ra feared that because of her illness, weakness and old age, she could not maintain her conjugal duties with the Holy Prophet sa but did not want that incapacity on her part would nullify her relation with the Messenger of Allah. So, she said to the Holy Prophet sa, O Messenger of Allah, I have no desire to compete with the other wives; but of course I wish to be resurrected as one of your wives on the Day of Judgement. I do not want to be separated from you. Nevertheless, I 28 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 29

16 withdraw from discharging the rights of zawjiyyah [being a wife] and I give up my turn in favour of A ishah ra. 20 By making this request, her goal was to gain the pleasure of Allah and His Messenger. The Holy Prophet sa accepted her entreaty. Hazrat A ishah ra would mention that Chapter Al-Nisa, Verse 129 in the Holy Qur an deals with this subject and that in some specific circumstances, a wife is permitted to give up discharging some of her rights as an expediency. 21 Thus, any narrations which allude to the Messenger of Allah s intention to divorce Hazrat Saudah ra are unreliable according to both the principles pertaining to Rawayah and Darayah. The fact is that Hazrat Saudah ra herself came forward and gave up her rights based upon an unfounded fear and anxiety. In relation to this matter, in a rebuttal of an allegation raised by a Christian Priest Fatah Masih - the Promised Messiah as, the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Community writes: The story that the Holy Prophet sa was about to divorce Hazrat Saudah ra due to her old age is entirely false and contrary to facts. Those who have related such stories have failed to provide evidence as to whom the Holy Prophet sa ever expressed this view. So the real truth recorded in the authentic books of Ahadith is that Hazrat Saudah ra, on account of her old age, feared in her heart that, Now that on account of age my condition is no longer desirable; it is well-nigh possible that the Holy Prophet sa divorces me owing to the natural disinclination, which is an essential part of man s nature. It is quite conceivable that in her heart of hearts she might have feared signs of disinclination on his part. And from this, an apprehension of divorce embedded in her heart; because women tend to be suspicious and sensitive in such matters. That is why she said she only wished to be resurrected among his wives. Therefore, in Neil-ul-autar, page 140, there is the Hadith which Ibn Sa d and Sa id bin Mansur, Tirmidhi and Abdul Razzaq have also narrated. Moreover, in Fathul Bari it is written that there is the common theme in their narrations that Saudah ra felt the fear of divorce herself. Now from this Hadith, it is clear that in reality, the Holy Prophet sa did not express any such desire. On the contrary, Hazrat Saudah ra, considering her old age, had entertained the fear herself. Hypothetically, if we were to overlook the tawarud [recurrence] and tazahur [reinforcement] present in the narrations and suppose that he had decided to divorce her because of an aversion to her old age, there would still be nothing objectionable about this. Nor would such an action be morally wrong, because if any obstacle appears on the path of smooth matrimonial relations of husband and wife, thereby not allowing the man to fulfil his obligations in this regard, then in such a state if any action is taken keeping the norms of Taqwa in mind, there is no sense in criticising it rationally. 22 A Woman of Purest Heart According to a well-known narration, Hazrat Saudah ra passed away in 22 Hijrah in Madinah, during Hazrat Umar s ra period of Khilafat. However, other narrations put her death at a much later date. 23 From accounts of her personality, we can surmise that Hadhrat Saudah (ra) was deeply righteous, and had a simplicity of character. She was honest and steadfast. 30 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 31

17 the noble wives of the holy prophet sa Hazrat Saudah was also held in great respect by the successors of the Holy Prophet sa, the Khulafa-e-Rashideen. Once, Hazrat Umar ra sent her a sack full of dirhams. As the sack was one usually used for dates, Hazrat Saudah ra asked, What is in this? She was told, It contains dirhams. In her simplicity, she asked, How can there be dirhams in a sack of dates? So she told her servant to bring her a dish for the dates so that she could put these dates in it. But when the sack was opened, there really were dirhams in it. 24 Hazrat A ishah ra deeply loved Hazrat Saudah ra on account of her personal qualities. She greatly admired her carefree disposition, simplicity of speech and purity of heart. Once she said: I have never wished that I was like any other women, except for Hazrat Saudah ra. I would like to have her simple and unpretentious ways and I wish I could be like her and that I could have a heart as pure and clean as hers and her simple ways. 25 May Allah have mercy on this righteous soul. edited by nakasha ahmad and sarah waseem. The series continues in the next Edition. Hafiz Muzaffar Ahmad is an eminent scholar of the Holy Qur an, Hadith and Islamic history. The Hafiz in his name denotes that he has memorised the entire Holy Qur an by heart. He has authored several books, including on the life of the Holy Prophetsa and his Companions. He is a regular panellist on the popular religious discussion programme, Rahe Huda, which broadcasts on Muslim Television Ahmadiyya International ( endnotes 1. Asadul Ghaba, Vol. 7, p.157, (Beirut). 2. Jawami al-seerah p.66, (Beirut). 3. Asadul Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 42, Zawjatunabi; Sherawi, p. 136, (Beirut). 4. Tabaqatul Kubra libni Sa ad, Vol.8, p.54 (Beirut). 5. Tabrani, Vol.23, p.23, (Egypt) & Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol.6, p.210 (Cairo). 6. Tabrani, Vol.24, p.36 (Egypt). 7. Al-Tabaqatul Kubra libni Sa d, Vol.8, p.56 (Beirut). 8. Al-Tabaqatul Kubra libni Sa d, Vol.8, p.55 (Beirut). 9. Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol.6, p.324 (Cairo). 10. Bukhari Kitabul Bayo baab Tafsir al- Mushabihat. 11. Al-Isaba, Vol.7, p.610 (Beirut). 12. Bukhari Kitabul Tafsir, Surah At-Tahrim. 13. Majma Al-Zawa id, Vol.4, p.578 (Beirut) & Kanzul Ummal, Vol.12, p Seerat ibn Hisham, (GZ) 2, p.299 (Mustafa Al-Babi Al-Halabi). 15. Tabaqatul Kubra libni Sa d, Vol.8, p.54 (Beirut). 16. Bukhari Kitabul Zakat. 17. Bukhari Kitabul Wudu bab Khuruj al- Nisa 18. Alam Al-Nisa Zawjatun Nabi; Shaa rawi, p.140, Al-Isaba, Vol.7, p Bukhari Kitab al-hajj. 20. Al-Isti ab, Vol.1, p Tirmidhi Kitab al-tafsir, Surah An-Nisa. 22. Nurul Qur an, Ruhani Khaza in, Vol.9, pp Tabaqat Ibn Sa d, Vol.8, p.57 (Beirut). 24. Al-Isaba, Vol.7, p.721 (Beirut). 25. Muslim Kitabul Raza a Write to us with comments, feedback and suggestions at info@reviewofreligions.org 32 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 33

18 The Holy Prophet s sa Unparalleled Love and Compassion for All Mayor of Nunspeet Mr. D. H. A. Van Hemmen meeting His Holiness aba. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba in discussion with Mr. Harry Van Bommel, Member of the Dutch Parliament. Address by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba, Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community to non-muslim Guests in Holland On the 2 nd Day of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Holland s Annual Convention ( Jalsa Salana) on 9 th May 2012, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad aba, Khalifatul Masih V, Fifth Successor to the Promised Messiah as and Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, delivered an address to an audience of approximately 120 non-muslim guests. The guests included Mr. Henmen, Burgomaster of the town of Nunspeet, and Mr. H. Van Bommel, Member of Parliament for the Socialist Party. We present below the transcript of the keynote address delivered by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad aba. After reciting Tashhahud, T aawwuz and Bismillah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba said: All the distinguished guests, Assalamo Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahe Wa Barakatohu Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all. Today, the National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community here in Holland (the Netherlands) has requested me to address you, our friends. Indeed, this is the first time that I have had the opportunity in Holland to directly address people who are not members of our Community. I am sure that all of you will have come here with the expectation that I will speak to you about the true teachings of Islam, and indeed this will be the main focus of my speech. However, before doing so, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all of you for accepting our invitation to this event. This gratitude is fully justified in light of the fact that you are attending, despite belonging to different religions, or holding different beliefs. Another december 2012 The Review of Religions 35

19 the holy prophet s sa unparalleled love and compassion for all reason why I am particularly grateful to all of you is that over the past few years a certain group here in Holland has presented a most terrifying portrayal of Islam; and so the fact that you have chosen to accept the invitation of an event organised by a Muslim community and to listen to its viewpoints, certainly demonstrates and proves your high levels of tolerance, broad-mindedness and your open hearts. You have shown yourselves to hold a truly just and fair mind-set, whereby rather than simply believing ill-founded rumours and propaganda, you have instead chosen to come and see for yourselves and assess what the reality is. I commend you for this, because it is exactly such values that uphold the requirements of justice, and which lay the foundation for peace, security and reconciliation. This is why the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa advised Muslims that they should not just blindly accept rumours and hearsay, but should seek to verify what they have heard before forming an opinion. If one fails to do this and believes everything he hears without any investigation, it can lead to the development of misunderstandings and grudges. Such misconceptions can in turn lead to disorder and strife. Thus, what may seemingly be a very trivial and insignificant matter has the potential to lead to the complete breakdown of peace within society. Keeping all of this in view, I am extremely pleased that you have joined us today. Indeed, your attendance is a reflection of your high moral standards. Thus, first and foremost, it is my obligation to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for displaying such positive values and for sparing your precious time. With these few words I would now like to move on and briefly speak to you about the true teachings of Islam. For all true Muslims, the Founder of Islam, the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa, is their master and guide. During his life he provided moral teachings in such depth and detail, that even the very smallest aspects of life have been addressed. It is these seemingly smaller points that lead to the establishment and creation of a truly harmonious society. For example, the Holy Prophet sa counselled Muslims to always offer thanks and to express gratitude where appropriate, because he taught that a person who is ungrateful to his fellow man, is in fact ungrateful to God; and He Who is ungrateful to God will not be able to truly derive His blessings and rewards. If a true Muslim chooses to adopt a righteous path with the intention and hope of attaining God s rewards, then his every act and deed should be in accordance with the teachings of Allah the Almighty and His Messenger. There are two fundamental principles that Islam requires Muslims to live by. The first is to fulfil the rights of worship, which are owed to God Almighty, and the second is to fulfil the rights of God s creation. These are the primary teachings of Islam. Both of these objectives can only be fulfilled when a person s heart is filled with purity, sincerity and the desire to do good. God Almighty has great love for His creation. One manifestation of this love is that He desires that all people treat one another with mutual love, compassion and respect, so that they can come to attain His blessings and rewards. The ultimate manifestation of the love that God Almighty holds for His Creation is the perfect and incomparable guidance that He has provided for mankind in the shape of the Holy Qur an. Within the Holy Qur an, Allah has described His all-encompassing Mercy and His Compassion, but alongside this, He has also commanded mankind to fulfil the rights of each other, at all times. It was for this very reason that Allah sent the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa as a mercy for all of mankind. I should point out here that neither the Holy Qur an nor the Holy Prophet sa ever claimed that he had been sent only as a mercy for the Muslims, but instead, his mercy and compassion extended to all humans, irrespective of differences of religion or belief. In fact the Holy Prophet sa was sent not just as a source of mercy and compassion for humans, but indeed also for all animals and living things. When a person has been especially sent as a source of love, compassion and forgiveness for the entire world, then it is certainly impossible that his teachings could ever prove to be a source of harm or suffering for anyone. It is similarly impossible for his acts and deeds to violate the rights of anyone or 36 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 37

20 the holy prophet s sa unparalleled love and compassion for all There is no doubt that his conduct was based solely upon the teachings that were revealed to him by God Almighty. cause them injury in any way. On the contrary, it is certain that a sincere person who desires for others to be treated with compassion and mercy, will himself willingly endure great pain and anguish in order to benefit others. This is exactly how we find the life and character of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa. There is no doubt that his conduct was based solely upon the teachings that were revealed to him by God Almighty. Here, I would like to say that regardless of whether non-muslims believe Islam to be true or not, certainly it is our firm belief that the system of prophethood that God Almighty established, reached its pinnacle in the person of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa. We believe him to be the Final Law-bearing Prophet. We believe that the law revealed to him in the shape of the Holy Qur an was the Ultimate and Perfect Law. We believe that the Guidance of the Holy Qur an is universal and everlasting. If we glance at the history of the past prophets of God, we find that the people and nations who rejected them were ultimately always punished by God Almighty, and that such punishment was manifest through various and different means. Some powers and nations were destroyed in this very life whilst others, according to our beliefs, are punished by God Almighty in the Hereafter. In the same way, when the teachings of Islam were revealed to the Holy Prophet sa, he also believed that those who not only rejected his message, but who crossed all limits in their opposition and persecution towards him and his followers, would be subject to God s Wrath, either in this world or in the Hereafter. As I have already explained, the Holy Prophet sa was a Mercy for all Mankind, and this meant that he remained constantly anxious and desperate that mankind should be saved from the consequences of Divine Punishment. Therefore, after spending his entire days working tirelessly in the cause of Islam, he would then spend virtually all night and every night bowed down in front of God begging and praying desperately, that mankind be saved from destruction. Upon observing this state of restlessness, God Almighty addressed the Holy Prophet sa directly, as is mentioned in the Holy Qur an. It says: Haply thou wilt grieve thyself to death because they believe not. (Ch.26:V.4) This verse beautifully illustrates the unparalleled love and compassion for mankind that was felt by the Holy Prophet sa. It was due to this love that he desired that the people of the world should come to recognise their Creator and that they leave behind all forms of idolatry and concepts of polytheism. His ardent desire was that man should be absolutely firm in His conviction that the Possessor of All Powers was the One God. The Holy Prophet sa desired all of this because he knew that those who did not recognise God Almighty would come to face His Wrath. Thus, when God Almighty observed his grief-stricken state, He reminded the Holy Prophet sa that he should not allow himself to perish through grief, because God had tasked him only with conveying the message and to counsel and guide people towards God. The Holy Prophet sa was reminded that ultimately it was God Almighty Who guided Whomsoever He pleases to the Truth and thus the final stage of accepting Islam could only be completed through God s Grace. This is the reason why God Almighty, in Chapter 2, Verse 257 of the Holy Qur an, has stated categorically that There should be no compulsion in religion. Therefore, according to Islam, all people have the right to choose whether or not to believe in any religion, because this is viewed as a personal matter between them and God. Islam neither teaches compulsion in matters of faith and nor was it, as is often wrongly alleged, spread in this way. Islam categorically teaches that nobody should ever be forced to accept a religion. Indeed, if somebody is compelled by force to join a religion, yet in his heart he does not believe it to be the truth, then whenever the opportunity arises, he will leave the religion immediately. It is an eternal truth that hearts and minds can never be conquered by force; but if we look at the example of the early Muslims, we find that they were people who gave great personal sacrifices for the sake of the religion and for the sake of their faith. The majority of the early Muslims were either very poor people or were slaves, and due to their acceptance of Islam, they had to endure horrific levels of cruelty and persecution. Yet, they never turned away or gave up their faith. 38 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 39

21 The Muslims were forced to migrate from Makkah to Madinah after years upon years of brutal persecution. is that the war was forced upon them. The opponents who had driven them out of Makkah then refused to let them to live in peace in Madinah and instead arrived at their doorsteps and waged a fierce attack. been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques, wherein the name of Allah is oft commemorated. And Allah will surely help one who helps Him. Allah is indeed Powerful, Mighty. (Ch.22:Vs.40-41) If we further analyse the history of early Islam we find that as a result of the long period of hardships and cruelties imposed on the Muslims in Makkah, they were forced to migrate to Madinah. If the religion of Islam had not been firmly ingrained in their hearts and they did not have firm conviction of its truth, then why would the Muslims have had any need or desire to endure such trials and tribulations and to give up their homeland? Following the migration to Madinah, the situation of Muslims who had been gravely persecuted and oppressed in Makkah improved significantly, and their numbers began to increase. It is in relation to this postmigration period that an allegation or question is sometimes levelled at Islam, that due to the relative improvement in their circumstances, the Muslims then decided to wage war against the disbelievers. However, this allegation is without any basis or foundation. This is completely wrong and has simply arisen as a result of the false propaganda by the opponents of Islam. The first battle that took place after the Muslims migrated to Madinah was the Battle of Badr. All historical accounts testify to the fact that the military capabilities of the non-muslims was far superior, as compared to what was available to the Muslims. The army of the Muslims was even less than one third the size of the army of the disbelievers. In addition, the disbelievers had huge stocks of weapons and artillery, whilst the Muslims had only a handful of swords and a few arrows with which to defend themselves. Furthermore, to suggest that the war was initiated by the Muslims is completely wrong. The truth The hearts and minds of the Muslims were filled with such strong faith and conviction that they were inspired to defend themselves with fearlessness and exemplary courage. Such bravery and faith showed that they had not been forced to join Islam, but that their faith was truly genuine. Despite the huge gulf in resources and manpower, a great victory was secured by the Muslims. This victory was a grand sign that the Help of God was with them. As I said, this battle was a defensive war that occurred only after Allah had granted permission to the Muslims to fight back. The reason that Allah granted permission is stated in the Holy Qur an, where it states that: Permission to fight is given to those against whom war is made, because they have been wronged and Allah indeed has power to help them. Those who have been driven out from their homes unjustly only because they said, Our Lord is Allah. And if Allah did not repel some men by means of others, there would surely have Having heard these verses you will realise that permission for defensive wars was not granted by the Holy Qur an in order to only protect the Muslims, but in fact, through this permission, the Muslims were commanded to defend and protect the places of worship of all other religions as well. Certainly, as long as true Islam was practised, which was during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet sa and his Rightly Guided Successors, never did the Muslims initiate any warfare. Even where they were compelled to defend themselves they were bound by strict instructions given by the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa in relation to the rules of war. For example, he instructed the Muslims that during warfare, no church or any other place of worship was to be damaged; he instructed that no priest or religious leader was to be caused any harm; he instructed that no women, children or elderly people were to be harmed; he instructed that no Muslim should attack anyone who did not attack him or who had not raised his sword, 40 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 41

22 the holy prophet s sa unparalleled love and compassion for all This act of incomparable mercy and compassion was so astonishing that it won over even the hearts of the remaining enemies of Islam. and the rules of engagement given by the Holy Prophet sa were not limited to protecting only humans, but went even further. Thus, the Holy Prophet sa instructed that during any battle no trees were to be felled and no crops were to be destroyed. All of this guidance was given as a result of the beautiful teachings of the Holy Qur an. This was the real Islam and is the real Islam. In direct contradiction to these teachings, in today s world we find indiscriminate firing and bombardment regularly occurring, in many parts of the world. We find that well-populated towns and cities are being targeted and so innocent civilians are being killed and their homes are being destroyed; and neither is the environment spared, with trees and crops also being destroyed. Thus, based on all I that have said, can it be alleged that Islam is a religion that teaches or promotes extremism? I have already mentioned that great cruelties were inflicted on the early Muslims of Makkah. I shall cite just one example, which relates to a blacksmith who was an opponent of Islam. Upon learning that his slave had become a Muslim, he inflicted the most horrific torture on him. The blacksmith would repeatedly lay his slave directly onto burning coals only because the slave would proclaim that, God is One and Muhammad is His Messenger. The Muslim slave was forcibly kept lying on the burning coals until the coals themselves had cooled, due to prolonged contact with his skin. Yet in spite of such cruelty and barbarity, when Makkah was eventually conquered by the Muslims, the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa, in an act of unparalleled mercy, chose to forgive all of those who had bitterly oppressed the Muslims for so many years. This forgiveness was rendered unconditionally and regardless of whether they had come to accept Islam or not. The only stipulation that the Holy Prophet sa laid down was that the opponents should not attack the Muslims in the future. This act of incomparable mercy and compassion was so astonishing that it won over even the hearts of the remaining enemies of Islam. These were the true and real teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa and of Islam. With regret I must admit, that today some Muslim groups act in a way that is totally opposed to these teachings. In the same way, some Muslim governments appear not to follow these teachings in their policies and acts. However, the blame for this cannot be placed upon the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa or the Holy Qur an. We, Ahmadi Muslims, follow the true teachings that the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa brought with him. He himself prophesised that a period of spiritual darkness would arise in the future where the majority of the Muslims would no longer follow the true teachings of Islam. He further prophesised, that at such a time, God Almighty would send a person as the Promised Messiah as and the Imam Mahdi (the Guided One). He would be sent to re-establish the true teachings of Islam in the world. The Holy Prophet Muhammad sa instructed that when such a person came, he should be accepted. We, Ahmadis, believe that the Messiah and Mahdi who was to come has indeed arrived in the person of the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, whose name was Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as, of Qadian. During his lifetime he shined a bright light on the true and real teachings of Islam, and it is as a result of his guidance, that our Community, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama at, spreads a message of love, compassion and peace throughout the world. The Promised Messiah as himself outlined the main objectives for which he had been sent. He said that his primary task was to bring mankind closer to God Almighty and to draw the attention of mankind towards fulfilling the rights of each other. He was sent to bring an end to all religious warfare and to spread Islam s true teachings, which are of love, affection and peace, and to establish true human values. Therefore, we, Ahmadi Muslims, promote these very teachings throughout the world. Nevertheless, when certain anti-islamic groups choose to either mock or ridicule our Holy Book, the Holy Qur an or to insult our master, the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa, or to raise wholly false allegations against them, then this naturally leads to our feelings and sentiments being grievously injured and hurt. Furthermore, there are many other Muslims from different sects who themselves are extremely hurt by such distressing acts. From the perspective of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, 42 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 43

23 the holy prophet s sa unparalleled love and compassion for all N E W A N D E X C L U S I V E I can say with certainty that we never display any wrong or inappropriate reaction and never seek to take revenge, and we never take the law into our own hands. Instead, we constantly strive to present the true and beautiful teachings of Islam to the world, and so in this way, dispel all doubts and suspicions that may be raised against the religion. Sadly, certain Muslim groups or individuals react to the provocation in an entirely wrong way and retaliate or seek revenge, and thus discord and disorder spreads within society. Consequently, through this event today, I would like to convey the message that we must endeavour to always consider and respect the feelings of one another; and I would also request all of you to help and assist in our efforts to fulfil this crucial object. We must try to promote peace and reconciliation in society, because the alternative is that burning flames of 44 The Review of Religions december 2012 hatred and conflict will continue to erupt, and will come to engulf the entire world. Thus, it is my prayer and desire that all of you should help us to promote love, affection, reconciliation and brotherhood throughout society. In your own circles of influence I would urge you to propagate to others the importance of respecting and honouring one another, as this is the only way that we can save the world from the impending devastation; because we already see that in the vast majority of the world, disorder and frustrations have become widely prevalent. If these are allowed to continue, then it could lead to another world war and the final result of such a war will be colossal destruction and devastation, the like of which we have not seen before. May God have mercy on the world, and may all mankind come to realise the great need to fulfil the rights due to God Almighty, and to His Creation, as this is the only way that the world can be saved from catastrophe. At the end, I would like to once again thank all of the distinguished guests for taking the time and effort to be with us today. May Allah reward you, abundantly. Thank you very much. volume 11 Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad ra chapter vi Rukhsatanah [marriage] of Hazrat A ishah ra and an Exposition of Her Age at the Time, the Issue of Polygamy and Two Fabricated Incidents [Cont.] part ii turn over to start reading Masjid Quba, the first Mosque built in Islam

24 We continue with the first ever serialisation of the newly translated Volume II of Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad ra s outstanding biography, Seerat Khatamun Nabiyyin, on the life and character of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa. This is arguably the best biography on the Prophet ever written. Each month we will present extracts from chapters of the book. Here, we continue with Chapter VI. translated from the urdu by ayyaz mahmood khan At this instance, it is also necessary to mention that the marriage of Hazrat A ishah ra took place under specific divine indication. It is recorded in a Hadith that prior to her marriage, the Holy Prophet sa saw a dream in which an angel presented a silk cloth to him and said, This is your wife. When the Holy Prophet sa opened it, he found upon it a portrait of Hazrat A ishah ra. However, the Holy Prophet sa did not mention this dream to anyone, and understood that if this dream was to be fulfilled in the literal sense, then Allah would arrange for it Himself. As such, this bond was ultimately established through the proposal of Khaulah bint Hakim ra. 1 It is also mentioned in the Ahadith that in her last days, Hazrat Saudah bint Zam ah ra gave her own turn of company with the Holy Prophet sa to Hazrat A ishah ra, and in this way Hazrat A ishah ra received a double opportunity to benefit from the company of the Holy Prophet sa. In that era, the Shari at was being revealed, and the foundation of new rules of practice were being established in every matter. For this reason, when Hazrat Saudah ra grew old and became unable to fulfill It is recorded in a Hadith that prior to her marriage, the Holy Prophet sa saw a dream in which an angel presented a silk cloth to him. her duties as a spouse completely, she thought to herself that in this state, perhaps the Holy Prophet sa would seek a separation from her; so she offered her turn to Hazrat A ishah ra herself, and submitted to the Holy Prophet sa that, O Messenger of Allah! I no longer require my turn. 2 This surmise of Saudah ra was absolutely false and was merely an unfounded doubt. However, since the Holy Prophet sa was especially concerned for the education and training of Hazrat A ishah ra and since she was worthy of receiving special attention due to her age and characteristics, the Holy Prophet sa accepted this proposal of Hazrat Saudah ra. Nevertheless, even after this, the Holy Prophet sa continued to regularly visit Hazrat Saudah ra, and like his other wives, he would show affection towards her and take care of her comfort. There is a difference of opinion with respect to the literacy of Hazrat A ishah ra. Though, it is established by a narration in Bukhari that she was in the possession of a written manuscript of the Holy Qur an, 3 wherefrom she personally dictated various verses to a Muslim from Iraq, which in the least, proves that she could in fact read. It is most probable that after her Rukhsatanah, she learned how to write, though various historians have stated that she was unable to write. 4 Following the demise of the Holy Prophet sa, Hazrat A ishah ra lived for more or less forty-eight years, and met her Beloved Creator in 58 A.H., during the month of Ramadan. At the time she was approximately sixty-eight years of age. Polygamy Practiced by the Holy Prophet sa and its Wisdom Along with the Rukhsatanah of Hazrat A ishah ra the practice of polygamy began in the life of the Holy Prophet sa. Therefore, at this instance, it would not be inappropriate to write a brief note on this issue. However, prior to mentioning anything with regards to polygamy, it seems necessary to mention the purposes of marriage, as stipulated in the Islamic Shari at. The reason being that along with all its additional purposes, to some extent, polygamy depends upon reasons which are an offshoot of these very same original purposes. As such, it should be known that there are four purposes of marriage, which are derived from the Holy Qur an. Firstly, for an individual to be safeguarded from various physical, moral and spiritual ailments and from their ill consequences. This aspect is referred to as Ihsan in the Arabic language, which literally means to be protected within a fortress; secondly, the continuation of human life; thirdly, lifelong companionship and peace of heart; fourthly, the growth of relations of love and compassion. The Holy Qur an states: O Ye Muslims! Allowed to you are all those women, except for those which have been alluded to above, that you 46 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 47

25 the life & character of the seal of the prophets appoint for them their dowries and marry them. However, the purpose of your marriage should be so that you may be safeguarded from ailments and evils, not that you should succumb to a life of lust and follow a way of pleasure and sensuality. 5 In this verse, the purpose of Ihsan has been mentioned. In other words: firstly, so that through marriage an individual may be safeguarded from falling victim to certain specific ailments of a physical nature, which develop as a result of celibacy; secondly, so that an individual may be safeguarded from certain spiritual and moral ailments, and does not become indulged in impure thoughts and lewd relations. This very fundamental purpose has been described in another verse as follows: O Ye Muslims! Remember that your wives are a garment for you, and you are a garment for them. 6 In other words, spouses are a means of safeguarding one another from evils and ailments, just as garments protect an individual from the hardships of cold and heat. In this verse, since women were also to be addressed, the manner of description has been made more subtle. Furthermore, this verse also alludes to the fact that men and women are also a means of hiding the weaknesses of each other, just as garments are also a means of concealment. Then, the Holy Qur an states: O Ye Muslims! Your wives are a tilth for you, from which the harvest of your future generation is to be reaped; so now you may deal with your tilth how you like, and reap the harvest of your choice. 7 In this verse, the purpose of the continuation of human life has been mentioned. In other words, it must be ensured that the line of human offspring continues to flourish. Along with this, God the Exalted has also mentioned in a very subtle manner that when future progeny is to be brought into existence through wives, an individual should maintain relations with his wife in such a manner that future progeny is not ruined, rather, the best possible offspring is brought into existence. Then, He states: Allah the Exalted has created wives for you from among yourselves, so that you may find peace of heart in your relation with them, then God has made this relationship a means of love and tenderness between you. 8 In this verse, the third and fourth purposes of marriage have been mentioned; in other words, so that a husband and wife may find a life-long companion in one another, and may find comfort in their relationship with one another. Secondly, so that through marriage, a relationship of love and unity may be created between the relatives of both husband and wife, and in addition to blood-relations, through other ties, various families and various nations may receive opportunities to come together in a bond of love and companionship. Therefore, in the Islamic Shari at, four purposes of marriage have been mentioned: firstly, Ihsan, i.e., to be safeguarded from various physical and spiritual ailments and their consequences; secondly, the continuation of human life; thirdly, life-long companionship and peace of heart; fourthly, the joining of different families and different nations through a relationship of love and compassion. If one contemplates, not only are all of these purposes absolutely permissible and appropriate; rather, they are extremely pure and in complete accordance with human nature and the needs of mankind. Through these aspects, the relationship of husband and wife has been planted upon a most excellent foundation and a means has been developed by which the best possible fruit may be procured as a result of this relationship. Furthermore, in contrast to these purposes, the purpose which the Holy Qur an has deemed as being unlawful, which Muslims have been instructed to abstain from, is the one of lust and sensuality. endnotes 1. Sahihul-Bukhari, Kitabun-Nikah, Babu Nikahil-Abkar, Hadith No Sharhul- Allamatiz-Zarqani Alal-Mawahibil- Ladunniyyah, by Allamah Shihabuddin Al-Qastalani, Vol. 4, p. 380, Saudah Ummul- Mu minin, Darul-Kutubil- Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) 3. Sahihul-Bukhari, Kitabu Fada ilil-qur an, Babu Ta lifil-qur an, Hadith No Kitabu Futuhil-Buldan, by Ahmad bin Yahya bin Jabir Al-Baghdadi Ash-Shahiru Bil- Baladhuri, p. 478, Amrul-Hazzi, Al-Mausu atu Bi-Shari in Babil-Khalq, Egypt (1901) 5. The Holy Qur an: An-Nisa (4:25) 6. The Holy Qur an: Al-Baqarah (2:188) 7. The Holy Qur an: Al-Baqarah (2:224) 8. The Holy Qur an: Ar-Rum (30:22) 48 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 49

26 A Haven of Peace and Love Darul Amaan Mosque opens in Manchester, United Kingdom Manchester is located in the northwest of England. Right Location of Manchester within Greater Manchester. that the mosque had been built at a site which was only a few hundred metres from where he had been born and brought up. He said that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama at had the full support of the Manchester City Council. Keynote Address by hazrat khalifaul masih v aba, head of the worldwide ahmadiy ya muslim community AMA Gallery UK On 27 th April 2012, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad aba, Khalifatul Masih V, Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, inaugurated the Darul Amaan mosque in the City of Manchester, United Kingdom. This was the sixth new mosque inaugurated by His Holiness in the United Kingdom in An official reception to mark the opening of the mosque was held at the mosque premises, which was attended by dignitaries and guests from various backgrounds. Councillor Harry Lyons, the Lord Mayor of Manchester, said he was delighted Tony Lloyd, MP for Manchester Central, said he had a longstanding relationship with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama at. He said that under the leadership of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad aba, Ahmadi Muslims constantly displayed values of love and peace. Kate Green, MP for Stretford and Urmston, said the new mosque was a beautiful addition to Manchester, and she congratulated the Ahmadiyya Community on the inauguration of Darul Amaan. AMA Gallery UK AMA Gallery UK 50 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 51

27 a haven of peace and love AMA Gallery UK John Leech, MP for Manchester Withington, said the new mosque stood as a beacon amongst all the other buildings in the area and was a wonderful addition to the landscape. He congratulated the Community for having raised the funds for the mosque independently and in such a short time. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad aba, Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, delivered the keynote address, the transcript of which is presented here: After reciting Tashhahud, T aawwuz and Bismillah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba said: All the distinguished guests Assalamo Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahe Wa Barakatohu peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all. I would like to first of all thank all of our guests who have taken the time and effort to join us this evening and enlighten the opening of our new mosque here in Manchester, which is called the Darul Amaan mosque. Your attendance demonstrates the strong ties of friendship that exist between you and the local Ahmadi Muslims. It is a result of these ties that you are attending, and indeed, your participation is also an example of how you care for the feelings of others. Certainly, your attendance is a true reflection of your high moral standards and it is exactly such elevated values, which the entire world stands in great need of, because, unfortunately, in today s world selfishness and a sense of superiority have become widely prevalent. It is often said that humans are social animals and thus living together and forming a society is a natural inclination. Yet, in reality, humans tend to group together according to their personal backgrounds, religions or temperaments. Therefore, we find that people normally form their own close circles and groups. However, high moral standards are proved and demonstrated when people of different nationalities, cultures, religions and social backgrounds are able to converse and interact freely with one another and come to form a strong relationship, irrespective of the differences that may exist between them. It is a source of great pleasure to me that Ahmadi Muslims do not remain hidden away and isolated, but in fact, they endeavour to form relations with all segments of society and make efforts to integrate and interact with people from all walks of life. Certainly, such an attitude ought to be the hallmark of every true Ahmadi Muslim. However, I should also say that I am very grateful to all of you because you have not only accepted the hand of friendship that we have extended, but it is quite apparent that you value such relations very dearly and certainly this attitude of yours is worthy of recognition and admiration. There is no doubt that you are extremely deserving of the gratitude and appreciation that I feel towards all of you. Indeed, the high value of your kind gesture rises even further when considering that this function is a purely religious and spiritual event, in which a place of worship of the Ahmadiyya Community, which according to Islamic 52 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 53

28 terminology is called a masjid that is, a mosque is being inaugurated. With these words of thanks, I would like to speak briefly about the importance and the main objectives of a mosque in Islam. Unfortunately, we find that upon just hearing the word mosque the hearts of many non-muslims become instantly consumed with trepidation and fear. It is a common belief that all Muslims who are associated with any mosque must be religious extremists and that perhaps it is in their mosques that such teachings are taught and encouraged. However, this is a completely false portrayal of a mosque. In reality, if every Muslim and indeed even anyone were to act upon Allah s instructions to those who enter mosques, then we would find the world would become a haven of peace, love and compassion. In Chapter 7, Verse 30 of the Holy Qur an which Muslims believe to be the direct Word of God Allah the Almighty has instructed that a believer should focus his attention at all times towards the mosque and should call upon God with sincerity. However, this teaching is prefaced by another instruction in which Allah the Almighty has commanded man to proclaim that: My Lord has enjoined justice. This is because justice at all levels is a fundamental requirement of Islam, and so if a person does not act in a fair and just manner, then his supplications to God Almighty and the effort he takes in going to the mosque are rendered completely void and worthless. Indeed, God has commanded Muslims that if they pray to Him without keeping in view His pleasure, then such worship will be completely rejected by Him and the prayers of such people will be a cause for their doom. Having established that Islam requires justice, it is pertinent to ask that what exactly are the standards of justice that the Holy Qur an demands? To help answer this question I shall refer to a couple of verses from the Qur an itself. In Chapter 5, Verse 9, in relation to the establishment of justice, God Almighty directly addresses those who believe meaning those who claim to be Muslims that they must bear witness with equity and stand forth in the cause of Allah. In this verse, God Almighty further commands that the enmity of others should not lead a Muslim to acting unjustly, because to be fair and just, is closer to righteousness. Then, in Chapter 4, Verse 136, God Almighty has further commanded about the importance of bearing witness and giving testimony with justice and accuracy. In this verse justice has been advocated to such an extent that Allah has commanded Muslims that they must be ready to testify against even themselves, their parents, their close friends and relatives. There can be no higher standard of justice than this, whereby a person is required to testify even against himself and his loved ones, in order to uphold the truth. These are just a few examples from the Holy Qur an that I have given in order to illustrate the essential ingredients for establishing justice and equity in society. All Muslims who enter a mosque are commanded to act and abide by these very teachings, at all times. Thus, how can it be that a person whose life is governed by the teachings of the Holy Qur an and whose sole aim is to acquire God s pleasure, could ever cause any form of disorder or strife in society? Furthermore, how can it be that in a mosque a Muslim learns to usurp the rights of other people? This could never happen because it directly contravenes the teachings of Islam. In the Holy Qur an, God Almighty has very categorically stated that when Muslims enter mosques, their only intention and motive should be to worship Him sincerely. The word masjid literally means a place where a person bows down before God in a pure manner, with only the desire to attain His pleasure. If a person prays with an impure state of mind and does not have the fear of God in his heart, then, as I have already mentioned, his worship will be completely rejected by God 54 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 55

29 a haven of peace and love Almighty. Bearing all of this in mind, there is absolutely no reason for anyone to become fearful when they hear the word mosque. At one place, the Holy Qur an commands that those people who enter mosques must enter with a spirit of sincerity and solely with the intention of worshipping God Almighty. Furthermore, to fulfil the requirements of worship it is necessary that a Muslim prays according to the method that God Almighty Himself has taught. Only then can he do true justice to God s right of worship. In relation to this it is necessary to ask who are the people who worship God Almighty sincerely and in the correct way? And indeed, what is the correct method of worship? To answer these questions we look once again at the Holy Qur an. It has taught that people who worship God Almighty properly are those who have adopted humility as the cornerstone and underlying basis of their lives. This is because God Almighty greatly appreciates humility. True worshippers display humility in all aspects of their lives. For example, if an ignorant person confronts a sincere believer and tries to quarrel or start a fight, then the believer will not rise to the provocation, but instead to save himself from any wrongdoing, will quietly and respectfully take his leave and walk away from that situation, in a dignified manner. In other words, such a person responds to cruelty and harshness with kindness and gentleness, in an effort to create an atmosphere of peace and reconciliation. He is governed not by pride, but only a desire to please God and to help foster a peaceful society. Likewise, a true believer can never take the life of another person without reason and neither can he ever wish to cause harm or suffering to anyone else. Where I have said that a person cannot take the life of another without reason, it should not be misunderstood that somehow this means that there is a right to take a person s life if you feel you have a justified reason. This is entirely wrong, because a Muslim has been taught to never take the law into his own hands. What is actually meant here is that to sentence someone to death on the basis of fabrication or conspiracy is totally wrong and God Almighty is greatly displeased by such an act. True worshippers of God can never tolerate giving even the slightest false testimony. Moreover, true believers cannot bear to observe anything that is immodest, false or obscene and if by chance they ever come across such undesirable elements, then they remove themselves from the situation immediately, in a dignified manner. All of these points have been mentioned in the Holy Qur an as the hallmarks of true believers. Allah has deemed only those people who bear such qualities as true worshippers. These are the people whose acts and deeds are filled with piety and goodness and hence they are recipients of His rewards and pleasure. Keeping all of this in view, when an Ahmadi Muslim constructs a mosque he does so with two overarching and primary objectives. First, he tries to fulfil his obligation of worshipping God Almighty with even greater resolve than ever before. Secondly, he also endeavours to fulfil the rights of his fellow man and to serve humanity with an everincreasing determination and passion. An Ahmadi Muslim will always try Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community delivering the Friday Sermon earlier in the day to distance himself from all types of disorder. Thus, it is with complete conviction and confidence that I say to all of you that the only message that you will ever hear from an Ahmadi Mosque is a call urging people towards God Almighty, and a call to fulfil the rights of God s Creation. Apart from these two noble objectives you will hear no other call or message conveyed from an Ahmadi mosque. Indeed, this particular mosque has been named Darul Amaan and this literally means a place of complete peace and security. It is a place of sanctuary, where whoever enters will be liberated from all fears and distress. 56 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 57

30 a haven of peace and love SUBSCRIPTION And I would like to inform you that the status of the mosque as a place of refuge is not limited only to those who enter it, but in wider terms, it means that even those who live in the surrounding areas will always be safe and will never have any reason to fear the worshippers of the mosque. Not only will the local people be able to live safely and peacefully, but they will also find that every Ahmadi Muslim will stand shoulder to shoulder with them in an effort to establish a society filled with peace, love and compassion. Certainly, the local people of this area will find that all Ahmadis will always remain at the forefront of every effort that is made towards transforming hatred and enmity into love and peace. Thus, I hope and very much expect that this mosque will become a symbol of peace and a beacon of light not just in the local area, but for the entire city and indeed the wider world. This is exactly what the world stands in need of today. There is an urgent need for the world to become filled with compassion and tolerance, so that true peace can develop and we must all work together towards achieving these truly crucial pursuits. If we fail, then it is highly likely that another war will break out. Because of the circumstances, it seems as if the 58 The Review of Religions december 2012 war is drawing nearer and approaching fast. Such a war will not be limited to a particular country or even a region, but will almost certainly engulf the vast majority of the world and will leave behind such a trail of destruction and devastation, that we cannot even imagine. The effects of such a war will be tragic and will be felt not just by us, but also by many future generations. That would be a truly terrifying legacy to pass on to our coming generations. Thus, it is my heartfelt request to all of you that within your own circles of influence, strive and endeavour towards developing peace and reconciliation, so that we can come to live in a society where all enmities and hatred are left behind. May all of us come to value and respect one another so that we, and those that follow us, are protected from all forms of destruction. It is my sincere prayer that we come to achieve this paramount objective. At the end, I would like to once again thank all of our friends who have attended tonight s function, and who by doing so, have displayed their good nature and piety. Thank you very much. We hope you enjoyed reading the print edition of The Review of Religions. If you would like to receive a print copy we can put you on our mailing list. 1) Subscribe securely online through PayPal at subscription 2) Subscribe by cheque/check UK: Send cheque of 15 made payable to AMA UK to the following address: The Review of Religions UK Subscription Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK 181 London Road Morden, Surrey SM4 5AE USA: Mail check or money order of $30, payable to AMI (Review of Religions) to the following address: The Review of Religions USA Subscription Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam McLaughlin Ave., Holliswood, NY, Canada: Mail check or money order of $36, payable to AMJ (Review of Religions) to the following address: The Review of Religions Canada Subscription Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama at Jane Street, Maple, Ontario Canada L6A 3A2 Please ensure you include your full name and address when sending cheque/check. 3) If you are a member of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim community: You can make the equivalent cash or cheque payment of 15 to your local finance secretary in the country in which you reside. Send a scanned copy of the receipt provided to you by or fax to the relevant The Review of Religions coordinator in your country (information available from your National Amir). For all other countries, the receipt to info@ reviewofreligions.org or fax it to Head Office ensuring you include your full name and address. Subscription Contacts: USA Faiza Bajwa usa@reviewofreligions.org Canada Sheikh Abdul Wadood canada@reviewofreligions.org Tel: Nigeria Qasim Oyekola nigeria@reviewofreligions.org Tel: Ghana Ragheb Zia ul Haq ghana@reviewofreligions.org Tel: UK Mohammad Hanif uk@reviewofreligions.org Tel: +44 (0) (0) For all other subscription issues or for general enquiries info@reviewofreligions.org or contact Head Office

31 Khalifah of Islam- A Visit to the Heart of Germany Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad aba, Khalifatul Masih V aba, Fifth Successor to the Promised Messiah as and Head of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, left London on 14 th May 2012 for a tour of Holland, Germany and Belgium, during which he attended the Jalsa Salana (Annual Conferences) of each country. After visiting Holland for seven days (a report of which has been published in our October 2012 edition), Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba travelled to Germany. We present here the highlights of the tour of Germany undertaken by His Holiness during May and June This is based on the extensive and detailed Urdu reports by Mr. Abdul Majid Tahir, Additional Wakilut Tabshir (Director of Foreign Missions of the Ahmadiyya Community), originally published in the daily Al-Fazl, Rabwah. Here, the highlights of the full report are being presented. by abdul majid tahir, translated by professor amtul razzaq carmichael May 22 nd, 2012 Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba, affectionately known as Huzur by the members of the Community, arrived in Germany from Holland after crossing the border at Hunxe in a convoy accompanied by his staff and family. A reception committee, comprised of dignitaries from the Ahmadiyya Community in Germany, welcomed him at the border and escorted the convoy to the Baitus Subuh Mosque in Frankfurt. A large number of men, women and children were gathered on the grounds to give their Khalifah a warm and affectionate welcome. Despite a long journey, Huzur aba continued with his official commitments, meeting with Amir Sahib Germany (National President of the Ahmadiyya Community Germany) Abdullah Wagishauser and advised on various matters. May 23 rd, 2012 After attending to official commitments, His Holiness had mulaqat (private audience) with families from the Ahmadiyya Jama at (Community) in Germany. Mulaqat is a blessed opportunity for families to meet their Khalifah and leader in private and to talk to him in person. Families travel hundreds of kilometres for this privilege. Huzur aba will often give younger children chocolates and gifts school children and university students with a pen. After more official commitments in the afternoon, Huzur aba held additional family mulaqat in the evening. May 24 th, 2012 His Holiness spent the morning attending to official duties, replying to posts and advising on various matters. The rest of the day was dedicated to family mulaqat. May 25 th, 2012 After attending to his official duties, Hazrat Khalifahtul Masih V aba delivered the Friday sermon in Baitus Subuh in Frankfurt. Nearly 2000 people listened to the sermon in the mosque and it was relayed across the globe through MTA, Muslim Television Ahmadiyya International. His Holiness related many faith-inspiring examples of the obedience of the Companions of the Promised Messiah as. The rest of the day was occupied with official duties, family mulaqat and an Ameen ceremony for children who had just completed their first entire reading of the Holy Qur an. May 26 th, 2012 Hazrat Khalifahtul Masih V aba spoke with the students of Jamia Ahmadiyya Germany (Ahmadiyya School of Theological and Religious Studies), where they presented speeches on the topic of Akhireen (people of the latter 60 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 61

32 khalifah of islam- a visit to the heart of germany Foundation stone ceremony at Baitul Ahad, Limburg days) and the importance of Khilafat as mentioned in the Promised Messiah s as book, Al-Wasiyyat (The Will). Hazrat Khalifahtul Masih V aba instructed that the new building of the new Jamia should have a library and a common room. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba asked the Jamia students about current affairs, including the Eurozone crisis, Greece s financial problems and the world economic situation, explaining that they should be familiar with current world affairs. He said that as the German Chancellor is playing a leading role in managing the current financial crisis, students should be aware of what is occurring in their own country. If they are not, they will be accused of not integrating into society. One student commented that by integration, some people meant forfeiting the Islamic practice of purdah (covering). Huzur aba said that this was not integration, but immodesty. He explained that integration should be based on the principle outlined in the Hadith: that every good thing is a Muslim s lost property. Thus to integrate, we should adopt the good aspects of our country s culture, contribute to the society effectively and do our best for the welfare of our nation. Integration does not mean ignoring purdah. His Holiness also instructed Jamia students to not cut themselves off from society and to maintain social ties with neighbours, school friends and other Germans. Moreover, locals should be sent Christmas cards, congratulated on the arrival of the New Year and sent letters on the Islamic blessed day of Eid, explaining this Muslim celebration. Later, Huzur aba attended another Ameen ceremony followed by family mulaqat. May 27 th, 2012 Huzur aba held a Waqfaate Nau class. Girls gave presentations on excess involvement in fashion, inappropriate use of mobile phones, watching unsuitable TV shows, extravagant wedding ceremonies and the negative impact these have on Ahmadi girls. His Holiness explained that the unsupervised use of mobile phones by children can lead a child into bad company, while young people s phones can be targeted by unsavoury people who can lead their impressionable minds astray. Huzur aba also took questions on various topics. First, he explained that Islam allows women to go out to work, but instructs them to speak firmly whilst talking to men, in order to eliminate any possibility of misunderstandings. Next, he explained that the istakhaara is a special prayer to seek the guidance of Allah the Exalted about a particular Tree planting at Baitul Ahad, Limburg. matter, and that it is not always necessary to see a dream for guidance; in some cases peace of mind is granted regarding the matter in question. Finally, he clarified that Muslims do believe in the concept of evolution within the species; this is why religious teachings have progressively advanced with the evolution in human intellect and understanding. Afterwards, a Waqfe Nau class was held, in which Waqfe Nau boys presented on the history of Ahmadiyyat in Germany. In 1922, Mubarak Ali Bengali Sahib and Malik Ghulam Farid Sahib were sent as missionaries to Germany. In 1923 a foundation stone was laid for the Berlin mosque, although it could not be built for various reasons. In 1955, Hazrat Musleh Mau ud ra (Khalifatul Masih II Second Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community) visited Nuremburg and Frankfurt on his first trip to Germany. 62 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 63

33 khalifah of islama visit to the heart of germany Baitus Samad, Giessen and 1959 saw the inaugurations of Masjid Fazl-e-Omar in Hamburg and Masjid Noor in Frankfurt. Hazrat Musleh Mau ud ra had demonstrated a strong commitment to preaching in Germany. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III ra who visited in 1967, identified the Germans potential to accept Islam on the basis of a blessed dream. In the recent past, the Ahmadiyya Jama at Germany has been fortunate enough to be blessed with multiple visits from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV ra, and in more recent years from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba. Huzur aba also answered questions from the Waqfe Nau boys. He advised a young man who had presented a question on God, to use his personal experiences of acceptance of prayer as evidence of the existence of God. Explaining that Gog and Magog are the political forces that promote Shirk (association of partners with Allah), he explained a Hadith that reciting the first 10 and the last 10 verses of Surah Al-Kahf, Chapter 18 of the Holy Qur an, will counter these forces. He also explained that Islamic banking is a complex issue and a team of Islamic jurisprudential experts have to meet to work out many of its details. A young man was advised by His Holiness to write his Ph.D thesis on Islamic banking. Finally, on the topic of Wasiyyat, Huzur aba said that it should be pledged at an age where maturity and understanding have developed, around the age of 15. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba then visited Limburg for the inauguration of the Baitul Ahad Mosque. The Limburg Ahmadiyya Community started in 1984 with only four people, and has now grown to an efficient and hardworking group of 200 members. Huzur aba said that having a mosque increases Ahmadis responsibilities. The name of the mosque proclaims the oneness of God, and Ahmadis should come to this mosque leaving behind the world and focus on praying to one God only. An Ahmadi respects, protects, and looks after any place of worship. After planting a commemorative tree, Huzur aba returned to Frankfurt and attended a wedding. May 28 th, 2012 Hazrat Khalifahtul Masih V aba travelled to Giessen to lay the foundation stone of the Baitus Samad mosque. The Ahmadiyya Community in Giessen was initiated in 1986 and currently consists of highly educated members, including doctors and scientists. The attending dignitaries were impressed by the teachings of Islam as it gives voice to women, shuns extremism Darul Aman, Friedburg. and keeps faith separate from politics. His Holiness aba praised the Ahmadiyya Jama at Germany s commitment to building mosques, and mentioning that Giessen was a university town, he said that Islam promotes the seeking of knowledge and that with the building of this mosque, the beautiful teachings of Islam will become even more apparent to all. After the laying of the foundation stone and silent prayers, he returned to Frankfurt to attend a Walima (wedding reception.) May 29 th, 2012 The morning was spent in official duties and family mulaqat. Later, Huzur aba travelled to historically significant Friedberg in order to lay the foundation Foundation stone ceremony at Baitus Samad, Giessen. 64 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 65

34 khalifah of islam- a visit to the heart of germany stone for a mosque. The Ahmadiyya Jama at there consists of 285 welleducated members, who are wellintegrated into the local society. It had been an enormous challenge to obtain a suitable site and planning permission for the mosque, but eventually a site was found in The Lord Mayor explained that because of the local laws, the mosque has to be built in an industrial area; but that this will help Muslims to integrate into society and raise awareness regarding Islam. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba noted that the Ahmadiyya Jama at Germany is the fastest in Europe in building mosques. He was pleased to see a thriving relationship between Ahmadis and local Germans. Islamic teachings are clear and unambiguous; a man needs to worship God and fulfil the rights of others. This ceremony received good coverage in the local press. Later, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba travelled back to Frankfurt and attended another wedding. May 30 th, 2012 Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba attended a reception in his honour at the Military Headquarters in Koblenz. In his address, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba focused on the issues of human rights and loyalty to one s country. His Holiness graciously answered questions from the attending officers. He explained that most Ahmadis living in Germany have been accepted as they escaped the persecution in their home countries. In response to one question, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba explained the process by which the election of the supreme head of the Ahmadiyya Community takes place. A Khalifah could be elected from Europe or Africa. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba explained that the Ahmadiyya Community has accepted the Messiah of the age, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as of Qadian and that it believes in fulfilling obligations to Allah and to mankind. Ahmadis are involved in preaching. They are also active in serving humanity, particularly in African villages. This visit was also given extensive media coverage In the afternoon, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba visited Baitul Tahir and met the local Ahmadiyya Jama at. He visited the library and instructed that the library be completed with sets of Ahmadi books. Then he travelled back to Frankfurt where he met with some official dignitaries and conducted family mulaqat. May 31 st, 2012 Huzur aba set off for Karlsruhe to inspect preparations for the 37 th Jalsa Salana (Annual Convention). Afterwards, he inaugurated the Jalsa radio. After leading silent prayers, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba went to his accommodation. June 1 st, 2012 This was the first day of the 37 th Jalsa Salana. After the flag hoisting ceremony, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba outlined the certain difficulties with Jalsa preparations last year and how they were overcome this year, in his Friday sermon. Huzur aba explained that the policy of an Ahmadi is to regard any good thing as his lost property and we should adopt this attitude.in fact, when Main hall, Jalsa Salana (Annual Convention) Germany Huzur aba explained this to a high-ranking German official once, he responded by saying that with this attitude, the Ahmadis would soon win the world over. That afternoon, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba met over 300 Ahmadi university students who were completing Ph.D., Masters, and Bachelor s degrees. Students described their research: one Ph.D student was researching a plant extract Meeting with University students. 66 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 67

35 khalifah of islama visit to the heart of germany His Holiness explained in his address that Islam awards women a high status, and rewards them equally with men for good deeds. which might be used later on in medicine, and Huzur aba advised him to research plants, such as bitter gourd. Speaking to a Ph.D student researching skin cancer, Huzur aba explained that the principle of homeopathy is to bring the disease to the surface to then be treated, and suggested that research be done on Wiesbaden s hot water springs, which contain elements that might be helpful in treating skin ailments. Discussing Pakistan with a doctoral student in agriculture, Huzur aba noted that its natural resources had been mishandled and canals and dams had not been properly maintained, which led to the dams inability to hold water. Moreover, the unnecessary logging has negatively affected both the economy and the environment, and new trees need to be planted. Other Ph.D students noted their projects: one researching the use of zebra fish in medicinal products, sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry and another exploring thalidomide s use in treating bone cancer. His Holiness was especially interested in the research of a doctoral student working on wind energy and discussed sources of energy to be used for the African model villages. Finally, Huzur aba noted that the financial crisis in the Eurozone was inevitable, since the 27 countries had adopted a common currency without adopting a common economic policy, in contrast to the US, where all fifty states are under one economic policy, making a common currency sustainable. June 2 nd, 2012 Hazrat Khalifahtul Masih V aba addressed Lajna Imai llah (Women s Auxiliary of the Ahmadiyya Community) during the second day of the Jalsa Salana. After handing out the academic excellence awards to Ahmadi Students who had achieved outstanding success in education, His Holiness explained in his address that Islam awards women a high status, and rewards them equally with men for good deeds. An Ahmadi woman s purpose in life is to bring about a pious revolution in this world, rather than being allured by its glitter and charm. She is also expected to achieve high standard of modesty and prayers. His Holiness gave inspiring examples of the sacrifices made by Muslim women and encouraged today s women to engage in Jihad (to strive or struggle hard) of the self to spiritually reform. Later, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba addressed German dignitaries and guests in English. During the afternoon, His Holiness held a question and answer session with university students. He explained that Islam allows family planning when carried out for good reasons, although women should consider both their age and the wishes of their husbands. Secondly, he noted that while Ahmadi women can study law and go into practice helping deprived women, the practice of criminal law may not be compatible with an Ahmadi woman s lifestyle. Moreover, while women can continue their education after they are married, this should be a decision made amicably by both husband and wife. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba said that Islam allows and encourages carrying out medical experiments on unclaimed dead bodies as well as organ donations, since doing this helps humanity. Speaking on the current economic crisis, His Holiness quoted a famous saying: Born in debt, live in debt, die in debt, and cautioned against taking out loans to buy luxury items, although taking out a mortgage is acceptable, since the same amount would otherwise be spent on rent. However, borrowing money to buy smaller things such as a sofa, or so on., cannot be justified by any Ahmadi, Moosi (a person who has bequeathed at least 1/10 th of their property to the Community as detailed in The Will) or not. His Holiness also advised students to enhance their bond with God Almighty by understanding His true status, reciting the verse asking for the Right Path, and praying to Allah that they might find Him. Huzur aba advised against the longterm use of life support machines, saying that while using them for hours to look for signs of improvement is fine, prolonging the agony further is not recommended, although euthanasia is not allowed. Another question was whether Salat (the Islamic formal Prayer), can be offered while wearing nail polish, to which he responded by saying that cleanliness is what is required and polish does not affect it. His Holiness said he does not recommend that Ahmadi women enter frontline politics at this stage. Commenting on Ahmadis in Pakistan and some Arab countries, he compared them to the People of the Cave (Ashaabe Kahf), in that they face extreme hardship and persecution. Huzur aba also said that 68 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 69

36 International Bai at Ceremony (Oath of allegiance) at Jalsa Salana Germany A human chain is formed by placing hands upon the shoulder of the person in front, which connect to Khalifatul Masih, the Head of the Ahmadiyya Community. women can go to other countries for their education as long as they have their parents permission and stay in single-sex housing. Asked about sex education in schools, His Holiness advised mothers to maintain strong friendships with their children, so that they can explain right and wrong when their children start to learn such matters at school. He also encouraged students to learn Chinese, since China is an emerging power and in the future the Jama at will need people to translate literature into Chinese. June 3 rd, 2012 The final day of Jalsa Salana started with the International Bai at, (Oath of Allegiance) followed by the academic excellence awards. In his concluding address, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba explained that Ahmadiyyat is destined to succeed according to the Divine prophecies. God has promised the Promised Messiah as that his Jama at (Community) will succeed. Afterwards, His Holiness met with new converts from Germany, Afghanistan and some Arab countries. He advised one new convert to focus fully on offering his Salat on time, understanding the meanings of the Holy Qur an and enhancing his spirituality. Many converts told their heart-rending stories of sacrificing careers, families, and relationships in order to accept Ahmadiyyat. His Holiness told them that they had accepted Ahmadiyyat because they believed it to be the true religion and therefore it was important to follow its teachings and not be distracted by other Ahmadis, who did not completely follow Islamic teachings. The role models they need to follow are the Holy Prophet sa, the Promised Messiah as, and the Khulafah of Ahmadiyyat. Huzur aba advised converts with family members hostile to their conversion to maintain affectionate relationships with them and to preach to them and support them with prayers. He also warned that a Third World War is a possibility if people do not reform themselves, and that we should pray for the world to be saved from it, especially since there are similarities between the current financial crisis and the economic situation between the last two World Wars. His Holiness then travelled back to Frankfurt. June 4 th, 2012 His Holiness met with a number of delegations. First, Huzur aba met and advised a Member of the National Assembly of Tunisia who had attended the Jalsa and was most impressed and spiritually moved by it. He had even slept on the floor of the main marquee to make sure that he did not miss any part of the proceedings. A delegation from Hungary also met with His Holiness and was impressed by the peaceful teachings of Islam, the dedication and commitment shown by Ahmadis during Jalsa, and noted that this was the practical depiction of Islam in the world. The delegation from Malta consisted of two people who were being preached to; one 70 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 71

37 khalifah of islama visit to the heart of germany of whom was of Sudanese origin. His Holiness commented on the fact that the people of Sudan had not benefited from significant business with other countries. A delegation from Iceland consisted of a father whose son had accepted Ahmadiyyat, and who was impressed by the positive impact of Ahmadiyyat on their son and the excellent manners of their Ahmadi daughter-in-law. Huzur aba advised a Danish student who was studying Islam to read The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam and Introduction to The Study of the Holy Qur an. After meeting with the Estonian delegation, His Holiness met with several delegations from Arab countries, which also included new converts who shared how they accepted Ahmadiyyat. Commenting on Syria, Huzur aba said that the two Muslim sects fighting were destroying their own economy and integrity and that their cruelty was becoming excessive, and this will leads to Allah s decree coming into action. Through infighting, Syrians are giving Western countries the opportunity to intervene and promote their own interests. Ahmadis have no power to intervene in this situation; they can only advise and pray for them. Huzur aba also commented on how some Ahmadi women do not observe proper purdah: their hair is showing, they do not cover the face while wearing makeup, they do not wear knee-length coats, or they dress inappropriately, while other women do not do proper wudhu (ablution) for fear of wiping off their makeup. His Holiness explained that he constantly brings these matters to women s attention in his addresses. Allah s commandment is to continue to give advice in order to address weaknesses; aggression has no role here. He also warned that those who do not observe proper purdah show weakness; this is an inevitable part of human nature, which is why the Holy Qur an commands us to keep reminding and giving advice. He also explained that new converts should not take ordinary Ahmadi women for role models but rather the wives and female Companions of the Holy Prophet sa. In fact, Huzur aba encouraged the new converts to become an example for all Ahmadi women and spread the real teachings of Islam through their practical examples. Allah is not nepotistic, He will only make those people leaders who correctly follow the teachings of Islam. On bringing up children, His Holiness advised women to persist in a Jihad (hard struggle) against the self, keep an eye on their children, forge a strong bond with the mosque and maintain a close connection with the system of Jama at. The delegations from Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro met Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba and reported that they were most impressed by the spiritual impact of the Jalsa Salana. Some of them even witnessed spiritual signs. During a meeting with a German Member of Parliament, Pakistan s political situation was discussed: the law of the jungle is the rule, Ahmadis are bitterly persecuted and are not allowed to build minarets on their mosques, and even foreign aid ends up in Swiss bank accounts. Members of the Turkish delegate related heart-rending accounts of their acceptance of Ahmadiyyat and their perseverance in the face of intense family opposition. The delegates from Tajikistan and Lithuania were most impressed with the organisation of the Jalsa. They were advised to be regular in offering Salat. Delegations from Mali, Bosnia, Slovenia, and Macedonia liked the message of Love for All, Hatred for None, and how Ahmadis helped others. Later, fourteen couples had the honour of having their Nikah ceremonies Left and above: Masjid Mansoor, Aachen. (Islamic formal and public declaration of marriage) led by Huzur aba. During his sermon, His Holiness emphasised that righteousness (Taqwa) should be the foundation of any relationship, that if it is the basis of marriage, then the next generation will also be righteous, always seek Allah s pleasure, and give precedence to their faith over the world. This makes the basis of a successful marriage. A Bulgarian delegation, which had also attended the Jalsa Salana, mentioned to Huzur aba that they were impressed with Ahmadis focus on educational excellence and the limiting of their worldly desires. They especially liked the Islamic teaching of wishing for others what we like for ourselves. The day ended with family mulaqat (meetings). June 5 th, 2012 Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba left for Achen. Achen is the westernmost town in Germany and is historically significant as an engine town. Its first 72 The Review of Religions december 2012 december 2012 The Review of Religions 73

38 Outside the 14th century City Hall, Aachen. Jama at was established in His Holiness laid the foundation stone for Masjid Mansoor, and in his address emphasised the Islamic teachings of peace, kindness, and mutual cooperation. He also explained that Muslims had to endure 13 years of persecution in Makkah before they were allowed to fight in self-defence, and that this permission to fight was to be used to protect places of worship, including cloisters, churches, and synagogues. Huzur aba instructed Ahmadis to demonstrate through their actions building the mosques, along with safeguarding the rights of all religions and places of worship, and that they should enhance their personal actions and deeds. This ceremony was attended by many dignitaries and was given extensive media coverage. After visiting the historic Achen Town Hall, a 14th century building where German kings used to be coronated, His Holiness and the rest of the convoy bade farewell to the German Jama at and travelled to Belgium. 74 The Review of Religions december 2012

39 The Review of Religions, in print since 1902, is one of the longest-running comparative religious magazines. The objective of the magazine is to present the teachings of Islam, reflecting its rational, harmonious and inspiring nature. It also brings together articles and viewpoints on different religions and seeks to make discussions on religion and religious philosophy accessible to a wider readership. The magazine is devoted to promoting intellectual and lively debate that is based on respect for all prophets and religions. Islam repeatedly stresses the need to seek knowledge and The Review of Religions provides a unique platform for people to acquire, and share knowledge. Yearly subscription is only 15 sterling or $30 for overseas customers. To subscribe, or for more info, visit Follow us on Islamic Publications, 2012 ISSN No