MUHAMMAD: THE BEST MESSENGER OF ISLAM

When it comes to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him), the expression “to know him is to love him” is certainly true for well over a billion Muslims around the world. And yet in the Internet age, where a wealth of information on Islam can be obtained in seconds (at Alislam.org, for example), most Christians -- and most believers in other faiths -- know very little or nothing about Muhammad (pbuh) or the real teachings of the Quran and Islam.

This failure to seek the true facts about Islam and Muhammad (pbuh) is not just regrettable; it opens the door for people to be misled by hostile, self-styled “experts” on Islam whose books, videos and public appearances present only an extremely negative and selectively edited picture of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

          I often ask Christians: If non-Christians want a clear and honest portrait of Jesus and his teachings, should they read a book written by an “expert” who doesn’t believe in Christianity and hates Jesus? Wouldn’t Christians consider such a book nothing but vile propaganda and a complete waste of time? Why then do many non-Muslims think it’s perfectly OK – even preferable – to be educated on Islam and the life of Muhammad (pbuh) by those who revile the man and detest his religion? How is that in any way “fair and balanced”? 

In the interests of presenting the true picture of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), allow me to share a handful of hadiths (sayings) of the Prophet, which not only reflect the vast majority of his tens of thousands of sayings, but also the central teachings and commandments in the Holy Quran, of which Muhammad (pbuh) was the living embodiment and best example. These sayings are short and to-the-point and require no commentary.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has said:

“God is kind and loves kindness (in all affairs).”

“You can never enrich people with your money (alone); so help them cheerfully and with good grace.”

“The best provision for the journey (to the next life) is fear of God (i.e., righteousness).”

“Modesty is the essence of virtue.”

“One who is not thankful to people is not thankful to God.”

“The chief of the people is the one who best serves them.”

“One who cheats (in business, etc.) has nothing to do with me.”

“In every matter, moderation is best.”

“Truth saves – falsehood destroys.”

“A generous person is close to God, close to people and close to paradise; but far away from the Fire (of Hell).”

“The most perfect of believers in respect of their faith are those whose behavior is the most excellent, and the  best of you are those who behave best towards their wives.”

“The beauty of a person’s ‘Islam' (religion; submission to God) lies in the fact that he abandons all that which is vain.”

“Contentment is a treasure that will never be exhausted.”

“The height of excellence is that you should strengthen (renew) the ties of relationship with the one who severs them, and be generous to the one who is miserly to you, and be forgiving to the one who abuses you.”

“I have been sent to perfect (in people) the best of morals.”

Such examples of the true character of Muhammad (pbuh) are easily and repeatedly found throughout the six major collections of Hadith. And testaments to his high moral qualities and righteousness can be found in the writings of non-Muslim scholars and historians such as Karen Armstrong, who has written not one but two biographies of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh); one in 1992 and another in 2006.

And in the well-known book “The 100” author Michael Hart lists the 100 people throughout human civilization who he considers had the greatest impact on the world. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is ranked #1 as the most influential person in human history (Jesus is ranked #3).

On page 3 of “The 100” Mr. Hart writes: “My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular level.”

Later, on page 9, he writes: “. . . Muhammad played a far more important role in the development of Islam than Jesus did in the development of Christianity. . . . Muhammad was responsible for both the theology of Islam and its main ethical and moral principles. In addition, he played the key role in proselytizing the new faith, and in establishing the religious practices of Islam. . . “

It is hoped that a sincere and open-hearted investigation into the life and teachings of Muhammad (pbuh) will result in non-Muslims gaining a new, unbiased perspective on the man whose life and example have inspired millions of people to accept Islam and strive to embody the peace that Muhammad preached and strove for all his life. To be called a Muslim means you desire peace with God, peace within yourself, peace within your family and peace throughout the world. Anything else is not what a true Muslim should be striving for. May God guide and strengthen us all in our own personal struggles for peace. Amen.

PAKISTAN'S BLASPHEMY LAWS -- THE REAL BLASPHEMY (OP-ED VERSION)

“There should be no compulsion in religion...” Quran 2:257

“...And do not say to anyone who greets you with the greeting of peace, [i.e., salaam alaikum] ‘You are not a believer.’...”  Quran 4:95

Religious blasphemy laws are a touchy subject, especially in Pakistan. Just bringing them up and questioning their validity is considered, well… blasphemous. This is wrong.

Historically, most blasphemy laws were written to deter members of one religion from indulging in offensive speech or actions that hurt the feelings of, or provoke physical harm against, members of another religion -- Muslims against Hindus or Christians against Jews, for example. But religious persecution can and frequently does occur between groups within the same faith; Catholics against Protestants, or Sunni Muslims against Shias.

It is this sectarian persecution that can turn blasphemy laws into a double-edged sword used to cut the throats of the very people they were intended to protect. This is exactly what is happening – and has been happening for nearly thirty years – in Pakistan, where accusations by Sunni Muslims of desecrating the Quran or uttering blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) are routinely used to jail business rivals or personal enemies or members of minority sects like the Shias and the Ahmadis or members of other religions.

Because of this sad state of affairs, Pakistan today has a reputation as one of the most dangerous and religiously intolerant places on earth. And what many people in the West do not appreciate or even understand is that the inferno of religious violence and bigotry tearing Pakistan apart is being stoked not only by the anti-Western, Jihadist agendas of Al-Qaida and the Taliban, but by the tacit approval -- via legislative and Constitutional sanction -- of the Pakistan government itself.

This began in 1974 under democratically-elected president Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who endorsed and signed an amendment to Pakistan’s Constitution which declared that Ahmadi Muslims were non-Muslims. Article 260 was amended with Clause (3) below:

AMENDMENT OF ARTICLE 260 OF THE CONSTITUTION.
“(3) A person who does not believe in the absolute and unqualified finality of the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the last of the Prophets or claims to be a Prophet, in any sense of the word or of any description whatsoever, after Muhammad (peace be upon him), or recognizes such a claimant as a Prophet or a religious reformer, is not a Muslim for the purposes of the Constitution or law.”

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Clause (3) of Article 260 was written specifically to legislatively nullify and deny the claims of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908), who founded the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in 1889 in Qadian, India, for the purpose of bringing people back to God and restoring Islam to its original purity and spiritual vitality.

Ahmad proclaimed that God had appointed him the Imam Mahdi and Promised Messiah, whose advent was foretold in the Holy Quran and in the Hadith (sayings) of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). What particularly incensed Muslims of his day (and to this day) was that he forbade the Jihad of the sword to convert people to Islam or wage offensive wars, replacing it instead with the Jihad of the pen.

To that end, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad wrote over 80 books in defense of Islam, the Quran and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to remove the misconceptions and corruptions that had disfigured Islam from its true form and beauty. Ahmad’s writings and life have inspired tens of millions of Muslims (and non-Muslims alike) to dedicate themselves to God and strive in the Greatest Jihad – to become righteous, God-fearing and peaceful members of society and of his Community, whose motto is: “Love for All – Hatred for None.” They are also the only Muslims with an unbroken series of Khalifas, or spiritual leaders, guiding the Community since 1908.

With all this going for it, you would think Muslims would flock to join the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, but no – most reject it and consider the founder an apostate and his followers “wajibul qatl” – Arabic for ”deserving of death.” The obvious question most non-Muslims would ask is: why all this hatred against Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and his followers? The answer has to do with what Muslims expect the Imam Mahdi to do.   

Muslims anticipated the Imam Mahdi (literally, divinely-Guided spiritual leader) to manifest at the beginning of the Muslim 14^th century -- the last quarter of the Christian 19^th century (1870s). This corresponded with expectations by millions of Christians of the Second Coming of Jesus (pbuh). Ahmadis are the only Muslims who believe that both events happened as prophesized in Islam and Christianity with the advent of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. All other Muslims believe that Jesus (pbuh) was taken bodily alive to heaven before the crucifixion and that he will bodily descend from heaven after the appearance of the Mahdi.

What will ensue then won’t be peace and love, but war and bloodshed by the Mahdi and Jesus to restore the worldly power and material glory of Islam through the conquest of its main enemies, the Christians and Jews.

Because the Ahmadiyya Community founder’s mission was completely non-violent, non-political and entirely focused on spiritual and moral reformation, the extremist Muslim clerics and their followers (from the late 19^th century to the present) have always opposed Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, his teachings and his followers. Peace, tolerance and non-violence are dangerous practices – especially to those who use Islam to justify their un-Islamic beliefs and barbaric actions.

Thus, Clause (3) of Article 260 has to define as “non-Muslim” anyone who makes any claims to be a reformer or prophet after the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). This effectively declares anyone who ever claims to be the Imam Mahdi – who by definition must be a Muslim – is not a Muslim, along with all those who believe in and follow him.

The inherent evils of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are laid bare by just one concept central to our understanding and protection of the basic right to freedom of religion: the blasphemy laws are unjust on more than just legal grounds because no political assembly – no human assembly, period -- has any authority or right to interfere with anyone's chosen religious beliefs so long as they are not harmful to others.

Below are the blasphemy laws which do not name Ahmadis directly, but are routinely levied against Ahmadis, Shias, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and the members of other religious minorities in Pakistan.

Pakistan's Criminal Codes (PPCs) relating to blasphemy.

295 forbids damaging or defiling a place of worship or a sacred object.

295-A forbids outraging religious feelings.

295-B forbids defiling the Quran.

295-C forbids defaming the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)   

With the enactment of Ordinance XX, penal codes 298B and 298C specifically targeting Ahmadis were added, making it a crime punishable by fine and up to three years in prison if Ahmadis say “As-Salaam alaikum” (peace be upon you), or recite the call to prayer (Azan), or call their place of worship a “mosque,” or publicly perform any of the five daily prayers, or refer to themselves as Muslims, or propagate their faith.

Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and Constitutional amendment targeting Ahmadis targets everyone who believes in freedom of conscience and the end of religious bigotry and intolerance. The blasphemy laws also highlight the behavior of two distinct camps of Islam: the Ahmadis, who have never once repaid the violence they suffer with violence from their own hands; and those Muslims who either turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the evils borne of their infamous blasphemy laws, or those Muslims who applaud such evils -- or perpetrate them -- as if the intolerance and inhumanity inflicted upon the Ahmadis, Shias, Christians, Hindus and others were the sworn duty and religious obligation of every “devout” Muslim.

Every truly devout Muslim must stand up and take sides and say, “No, this is not what it means to be a Muslim.” It means standing with the Ahmadis, Shias, Christians and all others who are victims of evil at the hands of so-called Muslims. It means choosing to be the kind of Muslim that others can say without hesitation: “This is what being a good Muslim looks like.” If that ends up looking like an Ahmadi Muslim, then so be it. That shouldn’t be something other Muslims are ashamed of.

ARE MOSQUES HOTBEDS OF TERRORISM OR TRANQUILITY?

          What do Muslims do when we go to our weekly sermon and congregational prayer service on Fridays? If you are not Muslim, you probably have no clear idea beyond the basic notion that we listen to a sermon by the Imam (the Islamic equivalent of a minister) and then we participate in some form of congregational prayer.

Talk radio host and Fox News pundit Mike Huckabee (the former Baptist minister and Arkansas Governor) seems convinced that most Muslims – especially those in the Middle-East – are only going to the mosque to hear hate-filled sermons railing against the West, so they can get all riled up, storm outside and start a riot. This was the gist of his comments about the temporary closing of US embassies across the Middle-East and North Africa on his syndicated radio show on Monday, August 5^th. Referring to Islam and Muslims, Huckabee said in part:

“…. explain to me why it is that we tiptoe around a religion that promotes the most murderous mayhem on the planet in their so-called ‘holiest days.’ …. You know that the most likely time to have an uprising of rock-throwing and rioting comes on the day of prayer on Friday. So the Muslims will go to the mosque, and they will have their day of prayer, and they come out of there like uncorked animals -- throwing rocks and burning cars.”

Huckabee said later he doesn’t think ALL Muslims do that, but the fact he said it shows he has no problem characterizing Muslims as “uncorked animals” or their faith as “a religion that promotes the most murderous mayhem on the planet. . .”

And, if Huckabee and other like-minded Islamophobes (professional and otherwise) are correct in their belief that Islam promotes “the most murderous mayhem on the planet” and that the teachings of the Quran and the Prophet (peace be upon him) are the root cause of a Muslim’s angry, anti-Western worldview and violent behavior, shouldn’t the entire world wherever Muslims reside be a scene of weekly rioting and car-burning? Shouldn’t the jails in all Western nations be filled with angry, rock-throwing Muslim men and women? There are tens of millions of Muslims in Europe, Asia and North America, so where are they every Friday? I’ll tell you. They are in their mosques praying to God and listening to their Imams guide them in the peaceful, everyday living of their faith. 

Now, there are 1.6-billion Muslims in the world, with the vast majority of them praying five times a day as required in Islam. These Muslims, along with a sizable number who may not pray five times a day, will attend the Friday sermon on a regular basis. That’s a lot of people praying. What are they praying for?

Some religious and political leaders in the West criticize Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) using insulting and derogatory attacks. They also make the false claim that most Muslims believe in violent Jihad against all Western nations, and that it is the duty of all Muslims to engage in this bloody Jihad against the “infidels.” This is a blatant lie which no true, peace-loving Muslim believes in or supports.

I am grateful to live in America where I am free to speak my mind and talk about my faith. But such freedom does not mean a person should be free to cross all boundaries of moral and civil decency as some religious and political leaders are doing. People should be careful with their words because, as the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) once said: “Guard your tongue, for words are like arrows. Once you let them loose, there is no calling them back.” All people should be free to express their opinions politely without reservation, but all people should also be free from hate-mongering, falsehoods and just plain evil attacks on their religious beliefs.

Those who most often raise objections against Islamic beliefs or practices do so either in ignorance, with little or no knowledge about what Islam actually teaches and what really goes on at a typical Friday Prayer service, or else critiques of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) flow from the pens and tongues of so-called “experts” that are little more than thinly-veiled diatribes full of malice against Islam, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Muslims.

I would like to explain what normally happens – what’s supposed to happen – at a Friday Prayer service in Islam. Let’s start with Chapter 62 in the Holy Quran, called “Al-Jumu’ah” – the Arabic term for the Friday Prayer and sermon. (I invite Muslims and non-Muslims to read Ch.62 with commentary at this link: www.alislam.org/quran/tafseer/?page=1135&region=EN)

Here’s what Ch.62, verses 10-11, says about the Friday Prayer:

“O ye who believe! When the call is made for Prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of God, and leave off all business. That is better for you, if you only knew. And when the Prayer is finished, then disperse in the land and seek of God’s bounty, and remember God much, that you may prosper.” Notice there are no calls for civil unrest, violent street protests or acts of terrorism. (These are all prohibited elsewhere in the Quran anyway.)

On this holy day for Muslims, after the first Azan (call to prayer), the faithful perform private prayers. After the 2^nd Azan about 20-30 minutes later, the Imam will start the sermon, drawing the Muslims’ attention to the teachings of the Quran and the example of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

After the sermon, which usually lasts 45-minutes to an hour, the Imam will lead the congregation in a short prayer (salat) composed of recitation in a standing position of a brief portion of the Quran, followed by different postures that include bowing, prostrating and sitting in a kneeling position. In each of these postures, a Muslim recites specific phrases in Arabic that were revealed by God to the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and have been an established part of the Islamic Prayer for over 1,400 years.

During the sermon, which usually starts between 1:00 pm and 1:30 pm, it is common for the Imam to talk about the beauties of Islam, to remind the congregation to worship only God, to not commit Shirk (associating partners with God) and to discharge their spiritual responsibilities to God (such as performing the five daily prayers and seeking forgiveness for their sins), and to excel one another in doing good works and helping their fellow human beings. These are the fundamental duties and concepts in Islam and the basis for most Friday sermons, in one form or another, which most Muslims will hear when they go to the Friday Prayer.

          This does not mean there are no radical Imams preaching hatred and violence – there are, in places like Pakistan, Afghanistan, and North Africa – but that is not the entire Muslim world by any stretch. But clearly, if some Muslim Imams are creating disorder among Muslims with their fiery, anti-Western sermons, is it right to say that all Muslim Imams are doing this and therefore all Muslims are being incited to create disorder? Either Muslims by the millions are disobeying their radical Imams or the feared incitement to violence is not happening everywhere as believed by those who are prejudiced against Islam.

So what are Muslims actually taught by God in the Quran about what their expected behavior should be? The answer is found throughout the Quran and in the word “Muslim” itself, which means a person who is completely submitted to God and who has peace with God and peace with his fellow human beings. A definition of a Muslim is also clearly stated in the Quran in chapter 23 titled “The Believers”:

“Surely, success does come to the believers, who are humble in their Prayers, and who shun all that which is vain, and who are active in paying the Zakat [annual tax on unused wealth to help the poor], and who guard their chastity . . . and who are watchful of their trusts and covenants, and who are strict in the observance of their Prayers. These are the heirs who will inherit Paradise. . . “ (ch.23, vv.2-6 and vv.9-12)

          And the founder of Islam, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), said: “Your worship is meaningless if your character and behavior with the people are not good, and you do not treat them with politeness and good conduct. Your worship will not benefit you at all.”

Therefore on Fridays, Muslims should be reminded of these teachings to improve their moral qualities and change their bad behavior and habits into good behavior and habits. And they should inculcate sympathy and love among themselves and for others.

Yes, there are many so-called Muslim clerics -- especially in Pakistan -- who have abandoned this moral high ground, and about whom in a well-known hadith the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) once said: “They will be the worst creatures under heaven. Disorder will come from them and return to them.”

It should be that all Muslims prove with their actions that Islam is a religion of peace and that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was a mercy to all mankind, who offered all kinds of sacrifices for peace and justice.

In the 19^th century, in fulfillment of prophecies in the Holy Quran and by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908), delivered this same call for peace and justice among Muslims and between Muslims and all others. It is the same call I now repeat in the 21^st century.

I appeal to all Muslim who deliver Friday sermons (and all Muslims who listen to them) to expound and practice the true teachings of Islam so Muslims can be restored to their true purpose – creating peace. Let all who believe in God demonstrate the truth and goodness in our scriptures by living that truth and goodness. In this way, the evil that harms us all can be eliminated and replaced with the love that heals us all.

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[ with Imam Shamshad fro Asia Today and other weekly newspapers. Appeared in an abridged form in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin's "From the Pulpit" religion column under the headline: "Imams preaching terror deny teachings" on Sat., Aug. 17th. 2013. Also appeared online at AhmadiyyaTimes.com on Aug. 18th, 2013 at this link: http://ahmadiyyatimes.blogspot.com/2013/08/perspective-friday-prayer-time-for.html#more ]

BLASPHEMY LAWS ARE THE REAL BLASPHEMY

“There should be no compulsion in religion...” Quran 2:257

“...And do not say to anyone who greets you with the greeting of peace,
          [i.e., salaam alaikum] ‘You are not a believer.’...”  Quran 4:95

Religious blasphemy laws can be a touchy subject, especially in Pakistan, where just bringing up the subject of the blasphemy laws and whether they are right or wrong is considered to be, well… blasphemous. This wasn’t always the case.

The well-intentioned concept and motives of most blasphemy laws are easy to understand. No person or group should be free to insult another religion’s beliefs or holy personages, or desecrate their Holy Scriptures, icons or places of worship. The Golden Rule is the foundation of many freedoms -- from speech to privacy – with the right to freely choose and practice one’s religion, without fear of insult or attack, usually at or near the top of the list for most people, even those who are not religious. As Jesus (peace be upon him) said: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Article 18 of the UN’s 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, with regard to a person’s beliefs, that:

“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”

Most blasphemy laws are formulated with that sentiment in mind. They operate on the premise that offensive speech or actions designed to hurt someone’s feelings or provoke physical harm are usually directed at members of one religion by the members of another, separate religion; Muslims against Hindus or Christians against Jews, for example. But religious persecution can and frequently does occur between denominations within the same faith; Catholics against Protestants, or Sunni Muslims against Shia Muslims.

It is, in fact, this element of sectarian animosity and persecution that can turn blasphemy laws into a double-edged sword used to cut the throats of the very people they were intended to protect. This is exactly what is happening – and has been happening for nearly thirty years – in Pakistan, where accusations by Sunni Muslims of desecrating the Quran or uttering blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) are routinely used to jail business rivals or personal enemies or members of minority sects like the Shias and the Ahmadis or members of other religions whose homes or business are coveted by blasphemy accusers.

“Proof” of Quran desecration is often only eyewitness testimony or is found to have been done by the accuser to prove their charge. In the matter of “proof” of uttering blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), no evidence is presented because to do so would require repeating the blasphemous remark. As for legal help against such a charge, most lawyers are reluctant to defend the blasphemy-accused because it implies support for them, which could mean losing business -- or worse, your life.

And in fact, lawyers are rarely needed anyway, because just the accusation of Quran desecration or insult to Islam or Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is enough to generate a mullah-led flash mob of angry Muslims intent on beating or killing the accused. Even police protection in jail isn’t really protection because those accused of blasphemy are almost guaranteed to be brutally assaulted or murdered in jail by the police or other inmates. As a result of what they know is coming if they are accused of blasphemy, most victims go into hiding or flee their homes or the country itself, if they can afford to. These last are indeed the lucky few.

Because of this sad state of affairs, Pakistan today has a reputation as one of the most dangerous and religiously intolerant places on earth. And what many people in the West do not appreciate or even understand is that the inferno of religious violence and bigotry that is tearing Pakistan apart is being stoked not just by the anti-Western, Jihadist agendas of Al-Qaida and the Taliban, but by the tacit approval -- via legislative and Constitutional sanction -- of the government.  

This began in 1974 under democratically-elected president Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who endorsed and signed an amendment to Pakistan’s Constitution which declared that Ahmadi Muslims were non-Muslims. Here are the amended and added sections of the Constitution pertaining to Ahmadis. (Note: the terms “Qadiani” and “Lahori” are used to refer to two separate Ahmadi groups. The Qadiani group is the original Community founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in 1889 in Qadian, India. The Lahori group split off from the original in 1914, six years after the death of the founder in 1908. They are called “Lahoris” because they relocated to Lahore, India in 1914.)

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CONSTITUTION (SECOND AMENDMENT) ACT OF 1974
[ Declaring AHMADI MUSLIMS to be “NON-MUSLIMS” ]

An Act to amend the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan . . . is hereby enacted:

1.        (1) This Act may be called the Constitution (Second Amendment) Act, 1974

(2) It shall come into force at once.

2.      AMENDMENT OF ARTICLE 106 OF THE CONSTITUTION.
In the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan . . . in Article 106, in clause (3), after the word “communities” [ i.e., those declared non-Muslim ], the words and brackets “and persons of the Qadiani group or the Lahori group (who call themselves ‘Ahmadis’)” shall be inserted. [ bold emphasis mine. ]

3.      AMENDMENT OF ARTICLE 260 OF THE CONSTITUTION.
. . . after clause (2), the following new clause shall be added, namely:

“(3) A person who does not believe in the absolute and unqualified finality of the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the last of the Prophets or claims to be a Prophet, in any sense of the word or of any description whatsoever, after Muhammad (peace be upon him), or recognizes such a claimant as a Prophet or a religious reformer, is not a Muslim for the purposes of the Constitution or law.”

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It is essential to understand that Clause (3) of Article 260 was written specifically to legislatively nullify and deny the claims of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908). He founded the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in 1889 in Qadian, India, for the purpose of bringing people back to God and restoring Islam to its original purity and spiritual vitality.

Ahmad proclaimed that God had appointed him the Imam Mahdi and Promised Messiah whose advent was foretold in the Holy Quran and in the Hadith (recorded sayings) of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). What particularly incensed Muslims of his day (and to this day) was that he forbade the Jihad of the sword to convert people to Islam or wage offensive wars, replacing it instead with the Jihad of the pen.

To that end, he wrote more than 80 books in defense of Islam, the Quran and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to remove the misconceptions and corruptions that have disfigured Islam from its true form and beauty. His writings and life have inspired tens of millions of Muslims (and non-Muslims alike) to dedicate themselves to God and strive in the Greatest Jihad – to become righteous, God-fearing and peaceful members of society and of his Community. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community motto is: “Love for All – Hatred for None.” Despite intense, often violent and deadly persecution by other Muslims, the number of Ahmadis in the world continues to increase on a daily basis.

Ahmadiyyat Islam is the only unified body of Muslims in the world – unified under the divinely-supported system of the world’s only spiritual Khalifate, which has continued in an uninterrupted chain of successors (Khalifas) from the time of the demise of the Promised Messiah in 1908 up ‘till the current, 5^th Khalifa, Mirza Masroor Ahmad.

With all this going for it, you would think Muslims would flock to join the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, but no – most reject it and consider the founder an apostate and his followers “wajibul qatl” – an Arabic slogan which means ”Deserving of death.” This expression calling for the murder of Ahmadis is a common sight in Pakistan on government buildings and courthouses, in storefront windows, on banners and signs, in newspapers and magazines, and on religious TV shows hosted by clerics. The question that most non-Muslims would ask is: why all this hatred against Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and the Ahmadis? The answer has to do with what Muslims expect from the Imam Mahdi.   

Prior to the 20^th century, Sunni Muslims expected that the Imam Mahdi (lit., divinely-Guided spiritual leader) would be raised by God sometime during the mid-to-late 19^th century (the beginning of the Muslim 14^th century). This corresponded with expectations by several newly-born Christian sects of the imminent Second Coming of Jesus (pbuh) during this same period. Ahmadi Muslims are the only ones who believe that both events – the advent of the Imam Mahdi and the Second Coming of Jesus (pbuh) – manifested as prophesized in Islam and Christianity in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. All other Muslims believe that Jesus (pbuh) was taken bodily alive to heaven before the crucifixion and that Jesus will bodily descend from heaven to the earth after the appearance of the Imam Mahdi.

Generally speaking, what will follow after that won’t be peace and love, but war and bloodshed – the “Bloody Imam” concept -- to restore the worldly power and material glory of Islam through the conquest and destruction of its enemies (the Christians and Jews, primarily.)

Because the Ahmadiyya Community founder’s mission was decidedly non-violent, non-political and focused entirely on spiritual and moral reformation, it is easy to see why the extremist Muslim clerics and their followers (from the late 19^th century to the present day) have always been so opposed to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and his followers. Peace, tolerance and non-violence are dangerous ideas – especially to those who are opposed to them and want to use their religion to defend their un-Islamic beliefs and barbaric behavior. The last thing these extremists want is for someone sent by God to rebuke them and require them to play by God’s rules.

Thus, Clause (3) of Article 260 has to define as “non-Muslim” anyone who makes any claims to be a reformer or prophet after the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). This effectively declares anyone who ever claims to be the Imam Mahdi – who by definition must be a Muslim – is not a Muslim, along with all those who believe in and follow him.

The idiocy of this is matched only by its irony. All Muslims, Sunni and Shia alike, believe in the eventual appearance of the Imam Mahdi who (as his title denotes) will be guided by God and thus, by all rational definitions, will have to be a prophet of God and a Muslim.

But when you apply the Constitution’s Second Amendment and the blasphemy laws in Ordinance XX, the very person they believe must come to save Islam – the Imam Mahdi – won’t be a Muslim because he will be coming after the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). But Muslims still believe the Imam Mahdi must come. He just won’t be a prophet, according to them.

The inherent injustices created by Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are laid bare by just one concept, which is central to our understanding and protection of the basic human right to freedom of religion: the blasphemy laws are unjust on more than just legal grounds because no political assembly has any religious authority or right to interfere with anyone's chosen religious beliefs.

What is sadly ironic – tragic, really – is that in August of 1947, the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, echoed this in his famous statement promising complete religious freedom for all in the newly-created country of Pakistan. He declared:

“You are free; you are free to go to your temples. You are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion, caste or creed -- that has nothing to do with the business of the State.”

Fast-forward a quarter century to the time of the Constitutional amendment declaring Ahmadis non-Muslims and one can easily see how ethically bankrupt and blinded by religious fanaticism the lawmakers of Pakistan had become.

And to take things to even higher levels of absurdity and moral insanity, this official government stripping of Ahmadis of their God-given right to profess to be Muslim and freely practice their faith of Islam was later criminalized in 1984 under Dictator Gen. Zia ul-Haq’s infamous Ordinance XX. This addition and modification to the pre-existing British colonial rule-era blasphemy laws of 1860 and 1898 was largely instigated by the same Muslim clerics and political leaders (and their followers) who had demanded only a decade earlier that Ahmadis be declared non-Muslims by the government.

To put the bite of law into that 1974 Constitutional amendment, Ordinance XX not only specified by name as its target anyone calling themselves Ahmadi, but it increased the severity of the penalties for acts or statements deemed offensive to Muslims or directed against Islam, the Quran or the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Listed below are the blasphemy laws that do not name Ahmadis, but which are routinely brought to bear against Ahmadis, Shias, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and the members of other religious minorities in Pakistan.

Pakistan's Criminal Codes (PPCs) relating to blasphemy.

295 forbids damaging or defiling a place of worship or a sacred object.

295-A forbids outraging religious feelings.

295-B forbids defiling the Quran.

295-C forbids defaming the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)   

With the enactment of Ordinance XX, penal codes 298B and 298C specifically targeting Ahmadis were added to the blasphemy laws, making it a crime punishable by fine and up to three years in prison if an Ahmadi says “As-Salaam alaikum” (peace be upon you), or makes the call to prayer (Azan) or publicly performs the 5x daily prayer (salat), or uses Islamic expressions of respect or blessing for Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), his family, companions or Khalifas, or calls him-or-herself a Muslim, or propagates their faith, or calls their place of worship a “mosque.” In short, an Ahmadi can be fined and jailed for doing or saying anything that “outrages” the feelings of a Sunni Muslim, which can be anything and everything pertaining to Islam.

Ahmadis are not allowed to vote as Muslims. If they wish to register as “Muslim,” they must sign a statement declaring Mirza Ghulam Ahmad an apostate, a liar and a false prophet. No true Ahmadi will do this. Likewise, in order to obtain a passport or national ID card, an Ahmadi must sign a statement like the one on the voter registration card which says they believe that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was false. Ahmadis who refuse to sign this are prevented them from leaving Pakistan to perform the Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca), which is obligatory on all Muslims at least once in their lifetime if their health and finances permit.

Ahmadi students are often expelled from schools, colleges and universities only because of their faith. The same goes for Ahmadis in government or banking or the military. Across all levels of society, Ahmadis suffer discrimination. On a family level, people who convert from Sunni Islam to Ahmadiyya Islam are usually disowned by their parents and ostracized by their siblings. friends and co-workers – some are even killed for converting to Ahmadiyyat.

Ahmadi mosques are often attacked, vandalized, burned, closed or taken over by Sunnis with no arrests of the perpetrators by the police or help from the police in preventing such attacks. In addition, the police are often called on to remove from the outside of Ahmadi mosques the Kalima – the Arabic declaration of Islamic faith (There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the messenger of Allah). And this is almost always being done by people who are themselves Muslims! To date, because of police complaints (FIRs) filed against Ahmadis for violating the blasphemy laws, hundreds of Ahmadis are in prison, and since the blasphemy laws were first enacted, thousands of Ahmadis have been jailed for up to three years and fined.

Equally disturbing is the escalating tide of attacks since the mid-1980s by Sunni Muslims against Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and other non-Muslims. In its 2011 annual report, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) stated:

“There was a direct link between the rise of the Taliban and the suppression and oppression of the minorities and of all those whose beliefs differed with those of the extremists who dared to expose hatred and violence in the name of religion. . . It is obvious that the mere charge of blasphemy, however preposterous it may be, is now a conviction in itself.”

A cursory review of attacks against religious minorities from July 2009 to March 2011 (about 18 months) illustrates the tragedy and intolerance that rages unchecked in Pakistan.

July 30th, 2009 - hundreds of members of two banned radical Islamic groups descended on the Christian-populated town of Gojra in the Punjab, torching about 60 houses – including a targeted firebombing that killed a Christian family of 6 by trapping them in their home and burning them alive. A 7^th member of the same family was earlier shot in the head by the same attackers.  

May 28th, 2010 - members of a Pakistani Taliban group simultaneously attacked two Ahmadi mosques in Lahore -- using grenades, suicide vests and AK-47s to indiscriminately murder 86 men and boys during Friday Jumah Prayer -- only because they were Ahmadis. Several of the attackers were eventually subdued and captured by the Ahmadis inside the mosques and turned over to the police. The killers were later released without being charged and promptly disappeared.

July 2010 - A trader in Faisalabad reported to police that an employee had been given a Christian pamphlet containing disrespectful remarks about Prophet Muhammad. According to police, the pamphlet appeared to have the signatures and addresses of Christian Pastor Rashid Emmanuel and his brother Sajid. The brothers were later shot and killed while leaving a district court. Both had denied the charge of blasphemy.

November 2010 – A Christian mother of 5, Asia Bibi, was sentenced to death by hanging for blasphemy; the case sparked international condemnation in the West. Punjab Gov. Salmaan Taseer criticized her arrest and death sentence and visited her in jail to draw attention to her plight. He was shot dead on Jan. 4th, 2011 by his own security guard. Federal minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian, also called for Asia Bibi’s release and criticized the blasphemy laws, vowing to fight to end them. On March 2nd, less than two months after the assassination of Salmaan Taseer, Shahbaz Bhatti was shot dead in Islamabad on his way to work.  

A comprehensive report entitled: “Pakistan: religious freedom in the shadow of extremism” by UK-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide examines religious persecution in Pakistan in 2011. You can read it on their website: http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=report&id=139

Now, as a direct result of these blasphemy laws, hardly a day goes by without another shocking news story from Pakistan about Islamist militants or Muslim vigilantes responsible for stonings, beheadings, attacks on girls’ schools, the burning down of Christian churches and neighborhoods, and the targeted shootings of religious minorities and people like Salmaan Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti who expressed sympathy or support for them.

The common denominator in all these atrocities and violations of fundamental human rights is two-fold: one element stems from the breakdown of the Rule of Law caused by lax, non-existent or selective enforcement of civil and criminal laws. The other element, ironically, evolves from just the opposite – the sanctioning by the very laws and Constitution of Pakistan of vigilantism and religiously-motivated hate crimes.

Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and Constitutional amendment targeting Ahmadis targets everyone who believes in freedom of conscience and the end of religious bigotry and intolerance. The blasphemy laws also highlight the behavior of two distinct camps of Islam: the Ahmadis, who have never once repaid the violence they suffer with violence from their own hands; and those Muslims who either turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the evils borne by their infamous blasphemy laws, or those Muslims who applaud such evils -- or perpetrate them -- as if the intolerance and inhumanity inflicted upon the Ahmadis, Shias, Christians, Hindus and others were the sworn duty and religious obligation of every “devout” Muslim.

A paraphrase of the famous quote by Nazi-era German Protestant pastor Martin Niemoeller is tragically applicable to the present climate of religious intolerance and persecution in Pakistan:

“First they came for the Ahmadis, but I did not speak up because I was not an Ahmadi… Then they came for the Shias, but I did not speak up because I was not a Shia… Then they came for the Hindus, but I did not speak up because I was not a Hindu… Then they came for the Christians, but I did not speak up because I was not a Christian… When they came for me, there was no one left to speak up.” 
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[ with Imam Shamshad for Asia Today monthly & other weekly newspapers. Appeared in edited form in the Sept./Oct. 2013 issue of Liberty Magazine -- online link here: http://www.libertymagazine.org/article/pakistans-blasphemy-laws. ]

RAMADAN A TIME FOR RE-DEDICATION TO GOD

The Islamic holy month of fasting called Ramadan is with us once again, and all over the world Muslims are entering into a 29 or 30 day period of self-restraint and self-reflection. From the first sighting of the new moon (July 9^th in North America) until the sighting of the next new moon (Aug. 8^th), all healthy adult Muslims are expected to refrain from eating or drinking anything, starting from about an hour and twenty minutes before sunrise until just after sunset. This year that covers a period of over 16 hours.

The point of fasting in Islam is not to starve the body but feed the soul. This is done by voluntarily foregoing that which is lawful and allowed by God solely in order to focus more intensely on God and on striving to better yourself as a Muslim and in doing good works and giving in charity to those less fortunate. If nothing else, the fast in Ramadan makes you acutely aware of the sufferings of others, especially those who go hungry by circumstance, not by choice. But compassion for others is only the start.

A common question Muslims hear from non-Muslims is, why do you have to fast? Why put yourself through such denial and hardship? A similar question is often asked about the Islamic prayer, which Muslims are required to perform five times a day, with the first prayer about an hour before sunrise and the last prayer about an hour after sunset.

The answer to both questions is the same: if you want spiritual benefits and progress, you have to actually do something, you must sacrifice your time and sleep and energy for the sake of pleasing God and becoming humbler and closer to God. That is why Muslims pray in various postures like standing and bowing and sitting, with the humblest being the act of prostration, on your hands and knees with your forehead on the ground, in complete submission before God.

 The fast in Ramadan requires a Muslim to not only offer the regular obligatory five daily prayers, but expects him or her to willingly rededicate themselves to their religion and the sincere worship of God, and to helping others even more than usual. Muslims are also encouraged to get up in the middle of the night to perform Tahajjud -- extra prayers done privately before the beginning of the fast and the regular morning prayer, called Fajr.

Another feature of Ramadan is for believers to complete at least one reading of the Quran before the month of Ramadan is over. This involves recitation of the Arabic text of the Quran, either aloud or silently, as well as reading the Quran in whatever language you understand. This is extremely important because if a Muslim recites only the Arabic text but does not know what it means, there is very little spiritual benefit. It would be like a parrot who may say something repeatedly but has no idea what it means.

In order to create a change in the soul, you must comprehend the teachings of God in the language you understand in order to take those teachings to heart and make them a living part of you. This is what allows Muslims to reconnect to their faith and strengthen their relationship with God and their fellow Muslims. It is one of the main blessings of Ramadan that Muslims who may have fallen away from a sincere and regular practice of Islam have a month to get back with the program, so to speak.

Ramadan is also a wonderful opportunity for non-Muslims to get to know Muslims and learn first-hand about the true teachings and practices of Islam. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, now in more than 200 countries, has always welcomed other Muslims and non-Muslims to participate in the prayers, fasting, lectures and other events associated with Ramadan. This is one simple way to build bridges of peace and understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims, and between Muslims of different denominations. Our motto is “Love for All – Hatred for None.”

To learn more about Ramadan or to participate in the fast or attend any of the five daily prayers or the Taraveeh prayer, or the nightly lectures starting at 7pm or the free dinners after the sunset prayer, please contact the Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino at 909-627-2252 or Imam Shamshad A. Nasir at 909-636-8332. You may also contact the Imam at his Email: shamshadanasir@gmail.com. The main website for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is: www.Alislam.org

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(with Imam Shamshad; appeared in print in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin's "From the Pulpit" religion section Sat., July 20th, 2013; and at this link for AhmadiyyaTimes.com: http://ahmadiyyatimes.blogspot.com/2013/07/perspective-ramadan-time-for.html#more

TERRORISM WILL NEVER SUCCEED

         The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community wishes to express its deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the families of those murdered by the terrorists responsible for the Boston Marathon bombings on Monday, April 15th. We condemn in the strongest possible terms this latest act of evil perpetrated against the innocent. 
          As sympathetic and compassionate human beings, our hearts and thoughts are with the survivors, and our tearful prayers are for those whose loved ones were so mercilessly killed and for all those injured who will be physically and emotionally scarred for life. And because, as individuals, we are so far removed from the process of justice, all we can do is pray that those responsible are brought to justice as swiftly as possible.

          What truly measures the determination to prevail between those who commit such acts of terrorism and those who suffer from them can be summed up in one word: humanity. Those who have none -- terrorists by definition -- will continue to believe that acts of violence against the innocent meant to instill fear and hopelessness will somehow break the spirit of the afflicted and force them to submit to whatever crazed ideology or hateful worldview the terrorists seek to impose by the force of their evil. Those who have not lost their humanity will endure any sorrow, any tragedy, any evil – as they have valiantly done so in the past – because it is the very act of endurance in the face of unimaginable evil that demonstrates the power of the spirit over the flesh, of good over evil, and of love over hate.

          Terrorism is just another word for hate. Our determination to resist evil and stand up to hate and not let it control or destroy us is what makes us better than the terrorists. As long as we retain our capacity to love, and to care about others, and to feel the pain and loss of strangers which we ourselves are spared, terrorism will never succeed.   

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[ with Imam Shamshad A. Nasir; ran April 17th, 22013 on AhmatiyyaTimes.com at this link: 
http://ahmadiyyatimes.blogspot.com/2013/04/usa-terrorism-will-never-succeed.html ]

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.]