TRUE ISLAM IS A BLESSING FOR WOMEN

          For all of human history, it could be argued, women have suffered cruelty and injustice in the name of religion simply because of their gender. Every religion must answer to its followers from its teachings in this regard, and Islam is no exception. Yet why does it seem that only Islam as a religion gets singled out as the cause for the gang-rapes, honor killings, acid attacks, beheadings and other atrocities committed against Muslim women today? Hindu women have been the victims of these same crimes (and worse, if you consider being doused with kerosene and set on fire to be “worse” than being raped to death or beheaded) yet Hinduism is seldom if ever presented as the cause of these evils.

          The question then, with respect to Islamic teachings, is simple: are the cruelties and injustices suffered by Muslim women at the hands of Muslim men or Islamic governments encouraged and commanded in the Holy Quran or presented from the life of Muhammad (pbuh) as examples for Muslims to follow? The answer, on both counts, is an emphatic “No.”

          Let’s examine “honor killings” which are routinely cited as a product of Islamic theology and culture. The problem with this charge is that there is not a single verse in the Quran that says a husband can murder his wife – for any reason – let alone because she offended his or his family’s honor.

          Ironically, at the time of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), killing girls in their infancy was not unheard of among Arab families of high social status. Having a female first-born child and not a male was considered a disgrace that brought dishonor to the family name, and some parents buried their infant daughters alive in the desert sand until a son was born to them.

          Islam condemned this barbaric practice of female infanticide 1400 years ago, yet it continues in these times on a genocidal scale that makes the death tolls of World War I and II seem inconsequential by comparison. In fact, over a period of 60 years in India and China, it is estimated that 100-million girls from each of these two countries have gone “missing,” [ Google or search YouTube for: “IT’S A GIRL” or read this article from June 2011: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/27/opinion/27douthat.html?_r=0 ] The tragedy, of course, is that these girls are not “missing,” they are dead -- the vast majority either aborted or murdered at birth – only because they were females and not males.

          Vicious attitudes and behaviors towards women were common in pre-Islamic Arabia, and to correct these, the advent of Islam through the teachings of the Holy Quran and the example and pronouncements of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) were, literally, a Godsend. Here are some verses of the Quran pertaining to women, affirming their worth and spiritual equality:

          “Among His Signs is that He has created mates for you so that through them you may find peace of mind, and He has put love and tenderness between you. . .” (30:22.

          In answer to the desire for a happy and righteous family life, the Holy Quran offers sage commandments, as well as this insightful prayer: “Lord, grant us of our spouses and our children [that they may be] the delight of our eyes, and make us a model for the righteous.” (25:75)

          In some religions and cultures, marrying widows or divorced women is viewed as taboo or a disgrace. This results in a large number of women being condemned to a life without a husband due to this cruel prejudice. Islam encourages marrying such women, and the Holy Prophet (pbuh) led by example by marrying both divorcees and widows. God says in the Quran in 2:235: “There shall be no blame on you [disgrace] in hinting at a proposal of marriage to divorced or widowed women. . .”

          “Of the believers who act righteously, whether male or female, We will surely grant each of them a pure life; and We will certainly reward them according to the best of their works.” (16:98)

          And likewise in 9:71 of the Quran we read: “The believers, men and women, are friends one to another. They enjoin good and forbid evil and observe [the five-times daily] Prayer and pay the Zakat [a charity tax for the poor] and obey Allah and His Messenger [Muhammad]. It is these on whom Allah will have mercy. . . “

          There are tens of thousands   of collected sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) called hadith. Here are just a few pertaining to women:

          Muhammad (pbuh) said: “Paradise lies at the feet of your mother.” This means a person can achieve Paradise by serving and respecting his or her mother, and that it is the responsibility of the mother to ensure the moral and spiritual development of the children because she spends the most time raising and educating them, thus helping them (and her) attain Paradise in this life and in the next.

          The Holy Prophet (pbuh) also said: “Whoever has daughters and provides for them the same as he does for his sons will be close to me in Paradise.” And in one of his most famous sayings on the treatment of one’s spouse and children, Muhammad (pbuh) said: “The best of you is he who is best in behavior with his family members.” If we put into practice just this one saying of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), the lives of both men and women would be a paradise on earth. May God -- and us -- make it so.

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[ with Imam Shamshad A. Nasir.]

PEACE STARTS WITH JUSTICE AND RESPECT

          Achieving peace with God and with the world’s inhabitants is the two-fold purpose of the religion of Islam and the central focus of the Quran. It is thus no surprise that aspects of life and human nature which seek to destroy or hinder peace are subjects of frequent admonition in the Quran and Hadith (sayings) of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

          One such verse in the Quran, if put into practice by Muslims, would lay the foundation for and ensure peace among Muslims, and between Muslims and all others. In chapter 16 (Surah al-Nahl), verse 91, we read:

                   Verily, Allah [God] enjoins justice, and the doing                                                
                   of good to others; and giving charity to strangers                                                 
                   like they were kindred; and forbids indecency and                                                
                   manifest evil, and wrongful transgression. . .

          On an individual level, one can see how living by these basic commandments would prevent animosity, immorality, evil done openly by others (manifest evil) and evil done to others (wrongful transgression) either openly or secretly. Obeying just this one verse in the Quran would promote peace, mercy and justice among members of a family and between all people in general. By striving to be just to all and doing good to others (regardless of their status relative to you) mutual respect and goodwill would naturally flourish between people on a grassroots level with the ease and healing power of a smile.

          If put into practice on a national level, a government that tried sincerely to act with justice towards its citizens and sought the best for all members of society would ultimately do the most good for the most people. And if nations treated other nations with respect, graciousness and true justice without ulterior motives or ill intent, there would be peace between nations.

          Of course, in the real world, it is virtually impossible to find such examples of altruism and respect between nations because it rarely exists between people, but that does not invalidate the truth of the principle because the principle comes from God and God’s principles are always just. In every case where God gives us a commandment, it is for our betterment and it is achievable. The responsibility for that achievement rests with us, not God.

          With the Holy Quran, God has given us the final, complete code of Laws to live by and be successful in every circumstance and situation, but He does not force us to live by that code. He tells us clearly the negative consequences for failing to do so and leaves the choice up to us. Our ultimate success or failure in this life -- and in the next -- always resides squarely in our own hands.

          With the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him), God has given us a complete and perfect example to live by. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) was the embodiment of the Holy Quran, and his life and sayings have been preserved unlike that of any other prophet. Literally tens of thousands of Hadith (traditions or sayings) of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) have been recorded which present not only the teachings of the Quran but various interpretations of them to deal with different situations and changing needs. And where conflict may arise over the validity of a particular Hadith, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) has provided an easy remedy: he proclaimed that any saying attributed to him that goes against the teachings of the Quran or his Sunnah (example) is not from him.  

          Here are two of his sayings that corroborate 16:91 in the Quran: the Holy Prophet (pbuh) said, “A true believer is one who shows respect for his elders and kindness to his young ones.” The Holy Prophet (pbuh) also once said, “When dignitaries from other countries come to visit you, give them all respect and treat them with kindness and good hospitality.”

             Again, simple commandments that create lasting goodwill and respect, and ensure justice and tranquility if applied as directed. This is why peace starts with justice and respect and why its absence so easily creates discord and disrespect. Let us strive to embody the truths of these sayings of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and the teachings of the Holy Quran so that peace and justice can be realities and not just wishful thinking.

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WHO ARE THE REAL BLASPHEMERS IN PAKISTAN?

          The scene has been repeated so often in Pakistan in the last several years that the word “shocking” is no longer applicable because it’s no longer shocking, just sadly, tragically predictable. As for the perpetrators, the only thing that changes is the name of the so-called Muslim extremist group who proudly takes responsibility for the latest suicide bombing, target killing or mob attack. As for the victims, that category rotates through a familiar list: Shia Muslims, Ahmadi Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Hindus.

          This time around, on Saturday, March 9^th, an angry mob of 3,000 so-called Muslims affiliated with the Taliban attacked Joseph Colony, a Christian enclave in the industrial section of Lahore. Fueled by charges of blasphemy against a Christian who lived in the Colony, the mob proceeded to loot the houses while the police looked on and did nothing. The police were equally uninspired to uphold the rule of law and safeguard people and property when the lawless mob set fire to an estimated 180 Christian homes and two churches. (A few days later though, elsewhere in Lahore, the police regained enough of their sense of civic duty to wade in with batons, tear gas and riot gear to disburse a vocal crowd of demonstrators – all Christians – protesting the blatant injustice and lack of police protection only days earlier in the attack at Joseph Colony. If the protestors had been wielding torches, I’m sure the police would’ve had the fire department at the ready.)

          So how did this latest spasm of violence and inhumanity erupt, costing the homes and worship places of hundreds of innocent Christians? It is reported by a French news site that the charge of blasphemy against a Christian was made by his Muslim friend -- while both of them were drunk! Getting intoxicated, it seems, was a shared pastime they engaged in on a daily basis after work. It isn’t difficult to imagine how, while drunk, the animosity of the Christian could be easily roused by the frequent maltreatment and disrespect of him and his fellow Christians at the hands of so-called Muslims. And it is just as easy to imagine how the drunken Muslim would naturally take offense at any unkind remarks directed at his religion or the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

          And as everyone in Pakistan knows – especially Christians and Ahmadi Muslims – saying or doing anything that could be seen as an insult against Islam or the Holy Quran or the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is just not something you do without worrying about the often deadly consequences. In fact, those consequences are so well known that you would be crazy to even consider blaspheming Islam, the Quran or Muhammad (pbuh) -- knowing how quickly a mob of angry and impassioned Muslims would show up on your doorstep to teach you a quick and violent lesson in Islamic tolerance of perceived blasphemy in Pakistan.

            The beginning of this state of intolerance began in 1974, when the Pakistan Constitution was amended to appease the mullahs for their political support by declaring Ahmadi Muslims apostates from Islam, Ahmadis have been the victims of discrimination in political advancement, voting, housing, education and business. And starting in the mid-1980s with draconian enforcement and re-interpretation of 19^th-century British India-enacted Blasphemy Laws, Ahmadi Muslims and other religious minorities (including Christians) have suffered intense persecution, boycotts and even targeted killings and mass murder at the hands of extremist Sunni Muslims.

          These amended Blasphemy Laws initially criminalized the public practice or expression of Islam by Ahmadi Muslims as a way to keep them isolated from the Sunni mainstream, but later, the Blasphemy Laws were directed against anyone not classified as the “right kind of Muslim” such as Shias, or against members of minority religions, such as Christians, Sikhs and Hindus.

          Now days, radical Mullahs and their congregations routinely threaten violence against religious minorities and political insurrection against the ruling party if they are opposed or brought to justice. It is then no surprise when government leaders and politicians either ally themselves openly with the terrorists or don’t confront or oppose them, choosing silence instead. And for those brave souls like Punjab governor Salman Taseer and his minister of minorities Shabaz Bhatti who do stand up and speak out against the terrorists, they end their careers in a hail of gunfire.

          Concerning the terrible price Pakistan will pay for doing nothing to repeal the Blasphemy Laws, Ali Dayan Hasan, Pakistan director at Human Rights Watch, has summed up the current situation quite succinctly: “The ugly fact is that the blasphemy law is an enabler of mob violence against vulnerable groups. As long as such laws remain on the books and the authorities remain unwilling or unable to rein in mobs playing judge, jury and executioner, Pakistan will remain plagued by abuse in the name of religion.”

          It is just this abuse in the name of religion which is at the heart of the survival of Pakistan as a nation. As the Christians of Joseph Colony can attest, it is easy to see by their actions who are the ones truly guilty of bringing dishonor to the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the religion of Islam. The true blasphemers continue to be those Muslims who burn down the homes and churches of Christians, and who force Christian and Hindu girls to convert to Islam and marry Muslims, and who become suicide bombers and violent Jihadists, killing innocent Shia and Ahmadi Muslims because they are not following the Islam of the suicide bombers and violent Jihadists.

          Today the Rule of Law and the hope for justice do not exist in Pakistan, nor in Indonesia, nor in Saudi Arabia, nor in any professed Muslim country where the freedom to practice one’s faith peacefully and in peace is only a fleeting dream held hostage to hatred, intolerance and fanaticism. These are not the qualities or directives of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), nor are they what define the true teachings of Islam. As long as there are Muslims who think and act like the so-called Muslims who looted and burned the homes of Christians in Lahore, then the only real blasphemers of Islam will be those kinds of Muslims.

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[ Ran in print in the Sept./Oct. 2013 issue of Liberty Magazine. Also appeared on AhmadiyyaTimes.com March 14th, 2013 at this link: http://ahmadiyyatimes.blogspot.com/2013/03/who-are-real-blasphemers-in-pakistan.html ]

PEACE AND SALVATION THROUGH THE MESSIAH

Peace and salvation: two things desperately sought by billions of human beings amidst a depressing reality of economic, social and political upheavals and what seems an unending avalanche of everything except peace and salvation. And yet, in a tantalizing divine promise of hope and redemption, all the world religions have prophesized -- and their followers fervently await -- the coming in the latter days of a divinely-appointed messiah to reform the people and usher in an era of peace and spiritual salvation.

The worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community believes that the One and only God of the universe does not lie, nor does He promise something He does not deliver. It is for this reason that we believe in the prophecies of Moses, Jesus, Muhammad and other great spiritual teachers (peace be upon them all) who have all proclaimed the coming of just such a grand, unifying divine reformer and savior. The only question is: who is this person and has he come yet?

Christians and most every other religious group would answer: “He is: [ insert name of expected messiah / savior / prophet here ] and he will come. We just don’t know exactly when.” Fair enough. Waiting is part of the prophecy deal. But what if the waiting is over and has been over for nearly 125 years? What if the expected spiritual reformer and savior already came into the world like a thief in the night and most people failed to notice?

In this great reformer’s advent, God’s promise of the Second Coming of Jesus (and all other Second Comings expected in other religions) was fulfilled. Equally fulfilled was the promise to all Muslims of the coming of the Imam Mahdi, or guided spiritual leader. For Islam’s 1-billion Sunni Muslims, the Mahdi’s advent was eagerly anticipated at the beginning of the Islamic 14th century – a time which aligned perfectly with the expected Second Coming of Christ within the last quarter of the 19th century. The good news for both religions is that their expectations of the coming of the Messiah and Mahdi were fully manifested in one person: Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) of Qadian, India.

In one of his more than 80 books in defense of Islam, Ahmad stated: “I am the Light of this dark age. He who follows me will be saved from the pit which is prepared for him by Satan.” Furthermore, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad stated that God would show countless divine signs in favor and support of his truth and his claims, and that these signs and the passage of time would clearly set forth the true reformer from God.

A singular objection to the claims of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is raised by both Christians and non-Ahmadi Muslims, because both believe Jesus is physically alive in heaven and will return in the latter days, albeit with different and opposing missions, depending on which religion you consult. For this reason, it is important to address this objection in detail. This involves understanding who Jesus was according to Christianity and Islam, and what are the general beliefs in both religions regarding the crucifixion of Jesus. It should be remembered that the Ahmadiyya Islam interpretation is significantly different from the standard Sunni or Shia Islam view. The Ahmadiyya view will be clarified in detail later. In general, though, the following perspective is true for all denominations of Islam.

Christianity and Islam share an acknowledgment and respect for Jesus and his mother Mary, differing only in the fact that Islam -- while accepting Christ as the messiah for the Israelites -- does not accord Jesus any form of Trinitarian divinity or godhood or physical sonship as do most forms of Christianity.

In that respect, Islam and Judaism are on the same page when it comes to their views on the nature and Oneness of God. Both Islam and Judaism define God as being indivisible, purely singular and completely non-corporeal, having no manifestations as God in the flesh in either human or animal form. As these were pagan religious beliefs, it is easy to see why they are universally condemned in Judaic and Islamic scriptures, and why such pagan beliefs are never advocated by Jesus himself.

As Jesus is a holy figure common to and revered in both Islam and Christianity, let me explain the Ahmadiyya Muslim take on Jesus (pbuh). We believe Jesus was the Israelite messiah sent by God 2,000 years ago to “gather the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel” which he states in Matthew 15:24 to be his only mission.

To Ahmadi Muslims, it is unthinkable that he could fail in that mission -- that God would not deliver him from his enemies but instead let him die on the cross as an accursed impostor and proven liar in his claim of being God’s messiah for the Israelites. This is precisely why his opponents wanted him crucified in the first place – to prove he was a false messiah! It is the main reason the Jews did not accept him. They even tell him when he is on the cross that if he comes down off it, they will believe in him. It is only later interpretations of the event by Paul and Pauline Christians that transforms the purported death of Jesus on the cross from being a sign of his failure to the sole reason for his advent!

There are two major differences between the standard Muslim and Christian beliefs about Jesus: the first is that non-Ahmadi Muslims believe Jesus was never put on the cross at all – thereby rescuing him from an “accursed” death -- but was instead miraculously raised bodily alive by God to heaven the night before the crucifixion. Another person (usually said to be Judas) was then made to resemble Jesus and it was this other person who was mistakenly arrested by the Romans, tried before Pontius Pilate (without once complaining that they had the wrong man) and then crucified instead of Jesus.

The other major difference between the Christian and Muslim versions of Jesus pertains to what he will be doing once he comes back down in his same physical body after 2,000 years. To the Christians, Jesus will be coming back to gather the faithful who believe in him and to “judge the quick and the dead” – presumably resulting in the dispensing of divine punishment to anyone who doesn’t believe in him as their Savior and as God incarnate and/or the literal Son of God. If you take Luke 19:27 at face value, Jesus commands that all those who will not have him reign over them as their king be brought before him and put to death at his feet.

The Muslim version isn’t much different except that Jesus will be a Muslim when he comes back – even though the Quran defines him as an Israelite messiah under the Mosaic Law – and the victims of his bloody wrath will be the Christians, the Jews and presumably everyone else who won’t convert to Islam at the point of a sword or the barrel of an AK.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim belief is that God sends prophets and messiahs as physicians for the soul, commissioned to cure the spiritually sick. All those who thirst for God’s truth and healing are drawn to such divinely-guided fountains of reformation and redemption, and are thus rewarded with a new spiritual rebirth. This has always been the way God works in the world to save mankind.

For this reason, Ahmadi Muslims do not believe that Jesus died an accursed death on the cross, nor do we believe that Jesus is God or the literal son of God or that he was raised bodily alive to heaven. Jesus is certainly in heaven, but his body is here on earth. In fact, there is ample evidence to support the contention that Jesus is buried in a Jewish-style sepulcher in Srinagar, Kashmir, where he was finally laid to rest after spending decades working to fulfill his mission to gather and preach to the Lost Sheep of Israel. (To learn more, go to YouTube and type in “10 Lost Tribes” and “Jesus in India” to see 75,000 entries combined on these two subjects alone. And watch the BBC video “Did Jesus Die?”)

As much as it may pain most Christians and Muslims, no one will ever see Jesus physically return to earth in his Second Coming for exactly the same reason the prophet Elijah never physically returned to earth in his Second Coming. Jesus made it clear to all who would listen that second advents occur metaphorically through other people, explaining that John the Baptist was the spiritual return of Elijah.

In exactly the same way, the spiritual return of Jesus has already happened through Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who founded the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community on March 23rd, 1889. He came as a thief in the night, yet his advent started a movement of spiritual reform and regeneration within Islam that has reached over 200 countries and attracted tens of millions of devoted followers from all walks of life and virtually every religious and philosophical persuasion. The unifying ideas of Islam are simple: God is purely One, there is none worthy of worship except God, Muhammad is the messenger of God, and the Holy Quran is God’s final and complete guidance for all mankind.

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, came to reignite these truths in the hearts of Muslims and all mankind. These truths are epitomized in the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community motto, which all sincere members strive to embody: “Love for All – Hatred for None.”

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GOD'S LAWS ARE A BLESSING NOT A CURSE

For everyone who has ever believed in a religion or spiritual teaching, there is usually a book or collection of books associated with it that has the purpose of first bringing the devotee to an awareness of God, and then deepening that awareness into a real connection to the divine. The use of the written word to transmit knowledge about God and His Teachings is fundamentally what enables future generations to benefit morally and spiritually from those Teachings. 

In most cases, each religion’s divine guidance is associated with a messenger sent by God to not only convey His teachings, but also embody those heavenly principles and present to the believers a living example of submission and obedience to God. That’s why in Islam, belief in all previous prophets and their holy scriptures is an essential requirement of the faith.

While some religious texts and people may insult, ridicule and declare as false and satanic any and all messengers who are not from their own dispensation, true Islam looks at earlier messengers as being sent by God to different peoples to give specific guidance needed at that time. Just as a child starts in kindergarten and 1st grade learning elementary things, as he grows up, the lessons become more and more complex until the child is an adult and in college. In the grand design of God, all prophets are seen in a similar light, fulfilling a necessary spiritual evolution of giving the teachings each people requires for their time, place and level of understanding.

The Israelites, for example, were told by God that He was their God alone and they were His “chosen” people. He gave Moses the Torah to teach the Jews the true oneness of God and cleanse them of the idolatry and paganism they had adopted over their four long centuries of enslavement in Egypt. Moses and the Torah are timeless examples of how God raises prophets and gives them guidance to educate and reform people. 

As human beings, we progress spiritually, morally and civically when we realize that it is God alone who appoints Law-bearing prophets and reveals to them His Holy Scriptures so people can know and live by God’s Laws and thus create righteous relationships and societies. This is why Paul’s statements in the New Testament that the Law of Moses is a curse or that Jesus (pbuh) redeemed us from that “curse” cannot be true. The reasoning is simple.

If parents correct their children’s immoral or harmful behavior out of love, not wanting them to come to any spiritual or physical harm, how much more does God love us by sending prophets with divine guidance to correct our immoral and harmful behavior on both a personal and societal level?

Viewed in this light, how could anyone say God’s Laws were a curse? Some teachings may only be meant for a limited time or purpose, and any such commandments which are not meant to be permanent are either modified or replaced with better, more humane or universally applicable Laws revealed to later prophets.

This has always been the way of God in rehabilitating mankind through His Holy Scriptures: He raises up Law-bearing prophets with divine guidance for their people, and then He sends follower prophets to bring a people back to the guidance previously sent to them or to prepare them for the next Law-bearing prophet.                             

This was the fundamental mission in the case of Jesus (pbuh). He states emphatically that he was sent “only to the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel” and that he did not come to destroy the Mosaic Law but to fulfill it -- that he was the Christ, their Messiah, but not a new, Law-bearing prophet. That prophet, he said, would come later and “lead them into all truth.”

This was a reference to Deut. 18:15-20 and 33:2, where the Israelites are given prophecies about their future Messiah, Jesus (pbuh) in 18:15, and of another Law-bearing prophet like Moses (18:18-20) who would come from Mount Paran in Arabia with a new Holy Scripture -- a “fiery Law in his right hand” (33:2). This Holy One from Mount Paran (Habakkuk 3:3) was the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his new Divine Law was the Holy Quran, which was designed to cleanse people of their sinfulness, and transform them into righteous, pious believers in the One True God of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac.

And this is exactly what happened with the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Islam in the 7th century AD. The resulting spiritual treasure was the Holy Quran, God’s complete and final guidance for all mankind, and the best example and clearest proof that God’s Laws are always a blessing and never a curse.

As Muslims we believe in all prophets of God and in the truthfulness of their original teachings. We also believe that the Holy Quran and the life example of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) answer mankind’s spiritual questions and moral needs for all time. We invite you to read the Quran and the Life of Muhammad (pbuh)

To read the Quran online in English, Spanish and other languages, go to the “Holy Quran” section at: www.alislam.org. To purchase a Quran in your language, call the Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino at 909-627-2252.

[ with Imam Shamshad; ran in the Jan. 2013 Asia Today newspaper on page 36 ]

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The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a dynamic, fast-growing international revival movement within Islam. Founded in 1889, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community spans more than 200 countries with membership exceeding tens of millions. Their motto is: “Love for All – Hatred for None.”

For more information about the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Southern California call 909-627-2252 or go online to: www.alislam.org or call Toll-Free 1-800-WHY-ISLAM. 

CHRISTMAS -- A REMINDER TO FOLLOW CHRIST

The Christmas season is here with its crass commercialization of the supposed birthday of Jesus (peace be upon him) on December 25th. With all the Santas and door-buster sales wherever you look, it’s a wonder Jesus gets remembered at all. Following the teachings of Jesus should be what defines a true Christian, which leads us to the pivotal question: shouldn’t Christmas be a reminder to follow the teachings of Jesus?

Jesus wasn’t born Dec. 25th anyway -- you can look it up using Google or Wikipedia or a Bible: Luke 2:8 says Jesus was born when shepherds were still outside at night with their flocks. That ends in early Fall, not late December. The Quran supports this in chapter 19, “Maryam.” In verse 26, after Mary gives birth to Jesus at the base of a palm tree, an angel tells her: “. . . shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm tree; it will cause fresh ripe dates to fall upon thee.” Dates ripen in four stages from July to September, with the end of September corresponding to the time mentioned in Luke 2:8.

In the interest of refreshing the holiday spirit with something actually holy and spiritual, allow me to present some of Christ’s commandments, with related Islamic rulings for comparison. In Mark 12:28-29 Jesus is asked, “What is the first commandment?” He answers by quoting Deut. 6:4, the creed of Judaism: “Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.” This statement of Jewish belief about the essential nature of God should be no surprise. What may surprise many is that this matches perfectly with the concept of the Oneness of God in Islam in chapter 112 of the Holy Quran: 

“In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful. Say, “He is Allah, the One; Allah, the Independent and Besought of all. He begets not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.” (112:1-5) 

Jesus on dealing with evil (Mat. 5:39): “I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” And likewise in Mat. 5:44 Jesus commands: “… love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you. . .” 

No Christian nation has ever “turned the other cheek” when dealing with its enemies or applied these other teachings of Jesus. You’ll be equally hard-pressed to find any individual Christians who live by these commandments.

Islam teaches the element of deterrence provided by the “eye for an eye” Old Testament Law of equitable retaliation, tempered with the allowance of forgiveness where appropriate. In chapter 42, verse 41 of the Quran we read: “And the recompense of an injury is an injury the like thereof; but whoso forgives and his act brings about reformation, his reward is with God. Surely, He loves not the wrongdoers.”

On divorce, Jesus says: “. . . whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” (Mat. 5:32). This verse is what the Catholic Church uses to prohibit divorce except for adultery. No one disputes the devastating effects of adultery in society. 

Islam allows divorce in the case of adultery, but recognizes there are other legitimate reasons for ending a marriage, such as physical or mental abuse, being forced to do un-Islamic things or live with a spouse who does such things. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) has said that of all the things permissible in Islam, divorce is the most hateful in the sight of God. The purpose of marriage is to safeguard chastity, morality and the family -- especially the children. Every effort should be made to correct whatever problems are instigating the divorce.

Jesus on adultery: “. . . whoever looks lustfully at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. . .” (Mat. 5:28-29). Jesus is not speaking metaphorically; the punishment is literal, but since it is supposed to be self-inflicted, the probability of it ever being done is probably zero.

Islam’s solution calls for women and men to dress modestly and never stare openly, let alone lustfully, at the other. There is no plucking out of eyeballs required. In the Quran, God’s commandment is to “cast down thy gaze” rather than the eyeball itself. This, in conjunction with the requirement for separation of the sexes (except for close family), is designed to prevent all the problems caused by free and unrestricted mixing of men and women past the age of puberty.

Jesus says “Blessed are the peacemakers. . .” Islam says be the peacemakers. Islam comes from the word salam -- “peace” -- and a Muslim is one who, by definition, must be peaceful and create peace. Self-defense is allowed in Islam, but being the aggressor in a conflict or creating terrorism or civil disorder is clearly forbidden.

As a Muslim, I love and respect Jesus as a true prophet and the messiah for the Israelites to whom he addressed his teachings (Mat. 15:24). The complete guidance and final Law from God was delivered to the world in the Holy Quran and the example of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). 

As an Ahmadi Muslim, I believe in the Second Coming of the messiah promised for the entire world in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908). In this way, I reap the blessings from accepting both messiahs. The first spoke of the coming of Muhammad (pbuh) and the second restored the lost truth and beauty of the religion Muhammad (pbuh) brought. I offer these same blessings to all who wish to receive them. 

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( Appeared in the Dec. 15th, 2012 print edition of the Daily Bulletin's "From the Pulpit" religion section, and online at Ahmadiyya Times.com )

CHAI WITH IMAM SHAMSHAD

[Editor, Asia Today]: I am talking with Imam Shamshad A. Nasir, the spiritual leader (Imam) at the Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino, CA and the southwest regional missionary in the U.S. for the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

Q:      Imam sahib, could you tell our readers a little about yourself?

A:       Thank you very much. . . My name is Imam Shamshad A. Nasir, I am originally from Pakistan, I graduated from High School in 1966 at the age of 15, and in the Fall of that year, I was accepted into the Ahmadiyya Muslim missionary training college in Rabwah, Pakistan -- a 7-year seminary training program. I graduated in 1973.

Q:      Why did you want to become an Imam?

A:       I loved my religion and I wanted to teach it to others, and I wanted to learn my religion as best I could, so I applied for our Community’s training college and was accepted. It was a critical time, when people had very little knowledge of Islam and their perception of Islam was not good. I wanted to educate people about the real teachings of the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him).

Q:      You belong to a Muslim community that is heavily persecuted in the Islamic world. Was this a factor in your decision to want to become an Imam and tell people, Muslims included, what your true beliefs were?

A:       At the time I went into the missionary training program, there was not the kind of persecution like we have today, which really started after 1974. The government of Pakistan had not yet declared Ahmadis non-Muslims. Back then, I just wanted to learn my own religion so I could communicate those teachings to the people.

Q:      So how are the teachings of Ahmadiyya [Islam] different from the standard Sunni or Shia Muslim beliefs?

A:       This is a very important question for this time. As you know, all religions have many denominations, sects, like in Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism; and the same is true for Islam. There are now 73 distinct denominations in Islam, and ours, called Ahmadiyyat, is one of them. We are the 73^rd group. What defines Ahmadis from other groups is that we believe Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is the Promised Messiah. I will go into a little bit more detail about the founder of Ahmadiyyat and what he claimed.

The rest of the Muslims are waiting for the return of the Israelite messiah, Jesus (pbuh) from heaven, where they believe he was taken up alive 2,000 years ago in his physical body. They think this same messiah will come back down bodily alive from heaven in the latter days. They also believe he was never put to death on the cross like the Christians believe, but was instead taken up alive bodily into heaven where he waits to come back.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim belief is quite simple. Jesus Christ was put on the cross and he suffered a lot, but God saved him from dying on the cross. In reality he was only unconscious – he only appeared to be dead. He was taken down by his friends, one of whom was a doctor who treated him, and he recovered. The Ahmadiyya belief is that Jesus was saved from an accursed death on the cross, that he survived the ordeal, and went on to complete his mission to preach to the Lost Tribes of Israel.

Jesus did not go up alive into heaven; he is not waiting there and will not come back down, as Christians and now Muslims believe. Ahmadi Muslims believe that the founder of the Community, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (pbuh), was the second coming of Jesus. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (pbuh) proved from the Holy Quran that Jesus (pbuh) died a natural death here on earth 2,000 years ago and is not ever coming back. All human beings live and die here on this earth. 

It is even mentioned in the Quran that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was challenged by the disbelievers to ascend bodily into heaven and bring them down a book for them as proof that he was from God. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) says in response that he is a mortal man like they are and he cannot ascend alive to heaven and come back down. And even if he could do this, it wouldn’t matter: the disbelievers would still not believe in him or accept Islam.

What Ahmadis believe is that God raised Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as the Promised Messiah in the power and spirit of Jesus to restore the religion of Islam and the honor of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and bring people back to God in this way. But the Promised Messiah will be a Muslim and will be completely devoted and subordinate to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). He will not be separate from Islam or from the Holy Prophet (pbuh) – he will under his direction, his teachings and his example. He will uphold the teachings of Islam and the Holy Prophet (pbuh) 100-percent.

Q:      Ahmadis claim that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was a prophet, yet one of the standard beliefs among Muslims today is that Prophet Muhammad was the last prophet and that no prophet can come after him. This is one of the main reasons Muslims say the founder of Ahmadiyyat and its members are not Muslims. Could you explain the Ahmadiyya position and why you believe in Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is a prophet?

A:       It is true that Muslim raise the objection against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and our founder on the basis of this belief that Muhammad pbuh) was the last prophet and no prophet can come after him. This is not the case, and Muslims need to study the history of their own faith as well as the other religions and how God has sent different kinds of prophets to other groups of people in the past.

Muslims also believe in the coming of a prophet after the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). They believe Jesus (pbuh) is a prophet and that he will be coming back and he will do so after the Holy Prophet (pbuh). The only difference is the Muslims believe this prophet will be from 2,000 years ago and not somebody born in these times.

What is more believable? That God will keep alive in heaven a prophet sent only to the Israelites 2,000 years ago, rather than raise up a Muslim prophet who brings no new Shariah -- no new Holy Book -- to save Islam from destruction by its enemies?

The Ahmadi belief is that God raised up a devout Muslim who loved and followed the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and that person was Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. He did not bring any new Law, he did not come to demolish or abrogate the Holy Quran and the teachings of Muhammad (pbuh) but to restore them in the hearts of the Muslims. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad claimed to be a non-Law-bearing prophet completely subordinate to the Holy Prophet (pbuh). He did not come as an independent prophet who came to change the Holy Quran – no, nothing like that.

Q:      Just as Jesus (pbuh) was the Jewish messiah who was subordinate to Moses (pbuh) who was the Law-bearing prophet for the Israelites. . .

A:       Yes. But the difference is that Allah says very clearly in the Holy Quran in surah Bani Israel that Jesus son of Mary was sent as a messenger to the Israelites. Jesus even says this in the Bible – that he came only for the Israelites. But the Quran says that Muhammad (pbuh) came as a mercy for all mankind, just as Islam says it is the completed religion for all mankind as well. In this same way, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad came as the messiah for the Muslims and for all other religions as well.

Q:      Now, the Muslims are expecting the Imam Mahdi to come along with the messiah Jesus. . . How is the Ahmadiyya belief different from that?

A:       Our belief is that "Messiah" and "Mahdi" are not two separate people, but two titles or responsibilities given to one person, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. The Christians are waiting for the second coming of Jesus. For them, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is that messiah. The Muslims are waiting for both the messiah and the Mahdi, and for them, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad fulfills those roles in his person.

If a separate messiah came for each religion that was expecting one, how could there be unification of mankind under one messiah? It would never happen. And because God says Islam is the complete and perfect religion for all mankind for all time to come, there is only one messiah required..

Q:      You’ve been an Imam for nearly 40 years. How do you see people’s reaction to Islam today as compared to when you first became an Imam?

A:       By the Grace of God, we are seeing the acceptance of Islam and Ahmadiyyat growing steadily day by day everywhere in the world. You can see that when Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (pbuh) laid the foundation for his Community on March 23^rd, 1889, only 40 people joined. Today, we have tens of millions of members in 202 countries. So even if we take the most conservative estimate of our numbers, we would still have a million-fold increase in our numbers from the time the Community began in 1889.

The duty of our members is to show by their example the true teachings of Islam. Our motto is: “Love for All – Hatred for None.” We have translated the Holy Quran into 70 languages, we have the Muslim world’s only 24-hour satellite TV station called MTA -- Muslim Television Ahmadiyya -- which broadcasts to every corner of the earth in Arabic, English, Urdu, Bengali, French, German and other languages. You can watch it online at www.MTA.tv. Our Khalifa’s Friday sermons are transmitted live to the world from London on MTA as well.

Q:      You mentioned your Khalifa. . . There has been a lot of talk in the Islamic world about the need for a Khalifa to unify the Muslims. Can you tell me what the difference is between your Khalifa and what the rest of the Muslims are calling for?

A:       Yes, this is a very important question, one that is at the heart of uniting the Muslims and restoring Islam to its true, peaceful state. What the Muslim world is calling for today is a political and military Khalifa to lead the Muslims against the rest of the world and restore the lost glory of the Islamic empire. This is only a materialistic goal.

What the Ahmadiyya Khalifa seeks to do is lead the Ahmadis in spiritual Jihad against their lower selves -- the greatest Jihad, as the Holy Prophet (pbuh) has said. The duty of the Khalifa and all Ahmadis is the same duty given to the Promised Messiah (pbuh): to reform Islam by reforming the Muslims, and to bring people back to God.

In the beginning of Islam, after the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) passed away, the majority of Muslims believe that there were four rightly-guided Khalifas in Islam. The Holy Prophet even said that there would be righteous leaders of the Muslims for a certain period of time, and then there would be leaders who were politically and worldly motivated. Muhammad (pbuh) prophesized there would be dictators and tyrants ruling the Muslims and that the religion would suffer and decline. Then, 1300 years from the time of Muhammad (pbuh), God would raise the Promised Messiah and Mahdi to sow the seed of the rejuvenation of Islam and restore it to its original spiritual purity.

Ahmadis believe this occurred with the advent of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in the late 1800s. God also promised to re-establish Khilafat on the pattern of prophet-hood after the demise of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi. It is no accident or coincidence that it is only the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community that claims its founder was the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, and that after him came rightly-guided Khalifas as God had promised.

That is the key difference between the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and the other Muslims in the world: Ahmadis are those Muslims who have accepted the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, and as a result, we are completely peaceful and totally unified around our Khalifa. His name is Mirza Masroor Ahmad, and he is the 5^th successor to the Promised Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (pbuh) who passed away in 1908.

Since that time, Ahmadiyyat has had an unbroken succession of divinely-guided Khalifas – something no other Muslim group can claim. Our present Khalifa, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, has been at the forefront of bringing the peaceful message and teachings of Islam to the world.

He has addressed political leaders and government bodies many times. Just this year alone he spoke before lawmakers on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, and parliaments in Britain, Holland, Germany and the European Union in Brussels. Each time he has presented the true teachings of Islam and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as the solution to the world’s problems and how to combat radical, extremist Muslims. As a result, more and more people are beginning to associate the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community with peaceful, tolerant, law-abiding and loving Muslims and with the kind of Islam they could live with and learn from.

Q:      Thank you so much, Imam sahib, for taking the time to tell our readers about your Muslim Community. How can they get in contact with you or learn more about the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community?

A:       They can reach me directly at 909-636-8332 or by Email at: shamshadanasir@gmail.com or they can go online at: alislam.org

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( Ghosted with Imam Shamshad. Appeared in Jan. 2013 print edition of Asia Today and online at this link: https://asiatodayaz.com/chai-with-imam-shamshad/ -- it also appeared on www.AhmadiyyaTimes.com Jan. 5th at this link: http://ahmadiyyatimes.blogspot.com/2013/01/faith-and-practice-chai-withimam.html )