The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement Blog

Vinicunca (or Rainbow Mountain), Pitumarca District, Peru

وَ مِنَ الۡجِبَالِ جُدَدٌۢ  بِیۡضٌ وَّ حُمۡرٌ  مُّخۡتَلِفٌ اَلۡوَانُہَا وَ غَرَابِیۡبُ سُوۡدٌ ﴿۲۷﴾ وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَ الدَّوَآبِّ وَ الۡاَنۡعَامِ مُخۡتَلِفٌ اَلۡوَانُہٗ  کَذٰلِکَ

“And in the mountains are streaks, white and red, of various colours and (others) intensely black. And of mankind and beasts and cattle there are various colours likewise.” (The Quran, 35:27–28)

See more such photos of these mountains at this link.

At this link, you may read in this connection the article The Philosophy of Colours in the Holy Quran by Maulana Abdul Haq Vidyarthi.

— Zahid Aziz

Speeches at the Annual Lahore Ahmadiyya Gathering, Lahore, December 2020

The annual gathering of the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Lahore took place in Lahore from December 25th to 27th, 2020. It has been taking place on around the same dates since December 1914, and is a continuation of the annual gathering or Jalsa instituted by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in December 1892.

The audio recordings of the speeches are available as follows:

• English
• Urdu

Assessment of Prof. Mahmood Ahmad Ghazi by Lady Judge in Cape Town

Professor Mahmood Ahmad Ghazi (d. 2010) of the International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan, appeared for the defence in a court case in Cape Town in 1987. The case was brought by a Sunni Imam, Sheikh Jassiem, against the Sunni Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) and its President and involved a discussion of the point whether Jassiem was right in treating Lahore Ahmadis as Muslims after they had been declared kafir and apostate by the MJC.

Professor Ghazi, who later became Rector of International Islamic University, Islamabad, a judge in the Federal Shariah Court, and later still the Minister of Religious Affairs in Pakistan, testified to prove that Lahore Ahmadis are non-Muslim.

In her judgment of February 1990, the lady Judge Van Den Heever, assessed Ghazi’s testimony as follows:

“He has been involved with various Pakistan government bodies…  As a witness Professor Ghazi has the disadvantage that he correctly concedes that where the government of the day supports an idea that idea flourishes. The Pakistan government having legislatively declared Pakistan Mirzais to be a non-Muslim minority, he himself would have problems on his return home were he to thump any but an anti-Ahmadi tub. That tub he thumped with great vigour, displaying his total bias against Mirza [Ghulam Ahmad]. He concedes that he has the “strongest possible” anti-Ahmedi feelings — a concession it was unnecessary to extract from him since he seldom missed an opportunity of running Mirza down. He was not prepared to give Mirza the benefit of any doubt whatever, to regard him as perhaps bona fide but misguided, but likened him to a “criminal” whose “justification” should not be taken as face value. Of possible interpretations put on Mirza’s words and actions, he always chose the worst. …

… his evidence was often illogical, inferences unjustified. Indeed, he appears to be more interested in the political than the spiritual aspect of Islam…

Advocate de Villiers’s comment to Ghazi “you do seem to make up rules as you go along” or words to that effect, was not without foundation. Ghazi has dual standards for apos­tacy and almost everything else, one for Mirza and one for others.” (pp. 93–95).

The mystery of the quotation from George Bernard Shaw about Islam

At this link I have compiled some research into the source of a much-repeated quotation attributed to George Bernard Shaw which begins as follows:

“I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because of its wonderful vitality.”

It contains also the following comments, which are frequently quoted in Muslim literature:

“I believe that if a man like him [Prophet Muhammad] were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it the much-needed peace and happiness. … It [Europe] is beginning to be enamoured of the creed of Muhammad. In the next century it may go still further in recognising the utility of that creed in solving its problems …”

But what is the source of this? This is explored in my article.

Zahid Aziz

Translation of verse 3:186

From Abdul Momin

Pickthall translates the verse numbered as 3:186 of the Holy Quran as:

“Assuredly ye will be tried in your property and in your persons, and ye will hear much wrong from those who were given the Scripture before you, and from the idolaters. But if ye persevere and ward of (evil), then that is of the steadfast heart of things.”

The same verse translated by Maulana Muhammad Ali reads:

“You will certainly be tried in your property and your persons. And you will certainly hear from those who have been given the Book before you and from the idolaters much abuse. And if you are patient and keep your duty, surely this is an affair of great resolution.”

The translations “But if ye persevere and ward of (evil)” (Pickthall) and “And if you are patient and keep your duty,” (Maulana Muhammad Ali), can convey different meanings.

Which translation is more prevalent, the one by Maulana Muhammad Ali or the one by Pickthall? Thank you.

Revised editions of two publications available as paperbacks from Amazon

These are as follows:

Muhammad in World Scriptures, New Edition, Volume 2: Buddha foretells the advent of Prophet Muhammad

A Mighty Striving: Life and work of Maulana Muhammad Ali

Ramadan Last Friday Khutba and Eid-ul-Fitr Khutba, May 2020

Here is my Khutba for on the last Friday of Ramadan: A Summary of the Teachings of Islam on Fasting

And here is my Eid-ul-Fitr Khutba: The Holy Quran as “Criterion” (Furqān) and “Guidance”

Eid-ul-Fitr message by Dr A.K. Saeed, Head of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement

Here is the Eid-ul-Fitr Message, May 2020, by Hazrat Ameer Dr A.K. Saeed, Head of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement.

Ramadan 2020

Welcome to the Ramadan Daily Quran Studies for 2020

For these studies, added daily during Ramadan:

Please visit www.ilam.uk/ramadan-2020

or see embedded page below (and use its scroll bars).

Message regarding COVID 19 from Head of Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement, Dr A.K. Saeed

At this link please hear a message from the Head of Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement, Dr A.K. Saeed, regarding the worldwide COVID 19 virus.