The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement Blog

Archive for the ‘general’ Category

Submitted by Ikram.

Repeatedly on this site attention is drawn to the Kalima-Shahada which is:

Ashhadu an la ilaha ill-Allah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammad-ur rasul-ullah
“I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”

This declaration is the fundamental oath of a Muslim. It identifies the source of belief (Allah) and the messenger (Muhammad)

By declaring Allah as one’s God, one is barred from either thinking or acting like a god himself unto others neither taking others as god unto oneself. This declaration fundamentally humbles and unburdens mankind from shackles of arrogance, myths and fears of life, thus unleashing human potentials. Yet, it is the very objective of Islam to revive godly attributes in one-self.

By declaring Muhammad as the messenger, the oath assigns a human status to Muhammad and prevents the Muslims from attributing super human qualities to him. Unlike other religions whose followers, out of love for their respective messengers, coupled with their ancestral and inherent idolatrous traditions, over a period of time started attributing godliness to their messengers. In contrast, this oath preserves the fundamental immaculate monotheistic nature of Islam.

In light of the Kalima, it does not behoove the holders of majority point of view to act as God towards a minority opinion; else they are contravening the basic oath of Islam. Having the audacity to declare another adherent of this oath a Kafir is extreme form of arrogance.

Quran draws attention to the moral laws of retribution for such behaviors where it speaks on behalf of the minority:

5:59. Say, “O People of the Scripture! Do you not blame us because we believe in God, and that which is revealed to us and that which was revealed before? And because most of you are drifting away from the Right Direction?”

Quran then in the same breath admonishes the majority:

5:60. Say, “Shall I point out to you something much worse for retribution with Allah? Worse is the case of those whom Allah has rejected, and His Law of Requital hits them. And whom Allah’s Law relegated from the honorable stature of humanity and they started behaving like apes and swine (2:65). And they fell into becoming the slaves of TAGHOOT (tyrants and the priesthood of any religion (4:51)). Such are in worse plight, and farther astray than the mockers.”

Quran then continues on to identify such transgressors by their attributes:

5:61 When they come to you O believers, they say, “We believe”. In fact they come in disbelief and depart in disbelief. God knows best what they conceal.

5:64 (The Divine System wants people to contribute to the society) The Jews say, “God’s hand is tied down.” It is their hands that are tied down. Their uttering deprives them of God’s Grace. His hands are wide open and He showers His Bounties according to His Laws. (O Prophet) Since the Revelation given to you by your Lord brings about a benevolent revolution in the society, people with selfish interests hate it. Many of them plunge deeper into transgression and disbelief. Consequently, Our Law has sent down into their hearts and ranks animosity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection. God has put down the flames of war that they repeatedly ignited. They try to create corruption and disorder in the land and God does not love the corruptors.

At the time of revelation of these verses, the transgressors were people belonging to older interpretations of the scriptures. Now that we have Quran for more than fourteen hundred years, these verses squarely include the arrogant Mullahs and their followers as well. With this in mind, please re-read the verses above.

[The Qur'an As It Explains Itself - Shabbir Ahmed]

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing away of His Eminence Sheikh Muhammad Syed Tantawi. The Sheikh was the Grand Imam of Egypt’s prestigious Al-Azhar University. He passed away in Riyadh, where he was attending a conference, because of cardiac arrest at the age of 81. Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilaihi Rajioon.

His Eminence Sheikh Tantawi was a prominent voice in the world of moderate Islam. When the book The Religion of Islam by Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ali, the late Head of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement, was translated into Arabic he was asked to review the manuscript and to write a foreword. After reviewing the manuscript he wrote a very favourable foreword praising the book and Maulana Muhammad Ali. He asked his personal printer to give his advice on how best to print and to publish the book. His personal printer also printed the Arabic translations of other books by Maulana Muhammad Ali such as Muhammad the Prophet, Living Thoughts of the Prophet Muhammad and A Manual of Hadith.

He regarded the Lahore Ahmadis as Muslims and spoke well of us. He would quote from the book The Religion of Islam in his articles. Sheikh Tantawi showed his support for this jamaat by saying that we should not worry about criticism. He would throw newspapers containing abusive articles about Lahori-Ahmadis in the waste paper basket.

His enlightened leadership will be greatly missed by moderate Muslims. May Almighty Allah admit him to His mercy and grant him a place in paradise.

Sheikh Tantawi, right, with Pope Shenouda III, Coptic pope of Alexandria and the Patriarch of All Africa, earlier this year. (Photograph: Salah Ibrahim/EPA)

Submitted by Rashid. This was originally a comment, which is being converted into a new post.

More and more opponents of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad are inadvertently adopting his approach to solve Muslims conflicts with non-Muslim people, nations and countries.

Today in an event in UK, well covered by media, Tahir ul-Qadri has issued Fatwa against militant approach of Muslims. His target audiences are Muslims all over the world, including countries in which Muslims are fighting against occupation.

‘Powerful attacks’ are forcing Muslims to accept HMGA by accepting his approach for revival of Islam.

Alhamdolillah, we are witnessing fulfillment of Allah’s promise and HMGA prophecy.
Hopefully, HMGA opponents this time won’t say his prophecy did not fulfill.

The Independent
March 1, 2010.
Islamic scholar says suicide bombers will ‘go to hell’

Submitted by Rashid Jahangiri.

Recently, US educated Pakistani Neuroscientist Dr. Aafia Siddiqi was convicted by a US court in New York City. There were protests all over Pakistan. Pakistani electronic and print media gave it a huge coverage. Many legal, political and religious commentators voiced their opinions. On the Internet many Pakistanis and other Muslims wrote articles against her conviction.

Without going into the merits and demerits of Dr. Aafia Siddiqi’s conviction, I would like the Muslim Ummah particularly of Pakistan, to reflect on their last 125 years behavior. When Pakistanis disagree with some individual or group of people’s OPINION they go to every extent to get that individual and group punished. Pakistani Ummah and their predecessors Indian Muslim Ummah have been doing this by forging frivolous and false cases. After creation of Pakistan this Muslim Ummah of Pakistan considers it justified enacting laws “in service of Islam” to punish those with whom they do not agree; without any regard to justice and fairness. It is unbelievable to see how Pakistani Ummah is at pains when one of their Ummah member is convicted by a non-Muslim Judge. Between 102 and 125 years ago ancestors of today’s Pakistani Ummah tried many times to get one of their Ummah member convicted by a non-Muslim Judge. Just, because they couldn’t defeat him in arguments.

With my little education/training in Forensic Psychiatry, I’m NOT sure if Dr. Aafia Siddiqi is innocent.

Dr. Aafia Siddiqi is lucky she is convicted in a country where, unlike Pakistani Muslim Ummah country i.e. Pakistan, there is a right to appeal and judges do give decisions irrespective of their Ummah political and street pressure.

Let’s hope justice prevails.

P.S. In case some one is wondering whom I’m talking about in the era between 102 and 125 years ago: The person is Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, the Mujaddid of 14th Islamic century.

It is reported from Lahore that Akhtar-un-Nisa Begum, the last of the sons and daughters of Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ali, passed away today, 6th February, at Darus Salaam, the Lahore Ahmadiyya centre in Garden Town, Lahore. Inna li-llahi wa inna ilai-hi raajioon. She was 93 years of age.

She was still regularly participating in the activities of the Jama`at. She was a member of the executive committee of the Ahmadiyya Women’s Association and attended their monthly meeting just three days ago. She also attended the Jumua prayers yesterday.

Glancing through pages of Paigham-i-Sulh of the 1930s, one comes across reports of activities of the Young Ahmadi Girls Association. Miss Akhtar-un-Nisa was the moving force behind this organization.

May Allah grant her a high place in Paradise, along with her earlier departed elders, and may He also grant patience and fortitude to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss. Ameen.

Submitted by Usman.

An article today in the Daily Times laments that much of Pakistan’s problems today can be traced to the country’s ideological boundaries that have been defined by the political mullahs. This has been in cohorts with politicians and dictators as by themselves the mullahs have no political power. He goes on to say that this ideology is the opposite of the vision of the country’s founder and that Sufi Islam presents the correct religious ideology that would have saved Pakistan. According to the writer the rot started with Bhutto “when he declared Ahmadis a minority, banned liquor and racing and designated Friday as a weekly holiday.”

It is a fact that in the Mullah’s zeal to outcast the Ahmadis, some fundamental sufi concepts have been labelled as heretic as well. The result is that in Pakistan today, it has consequently become very difficult to have an alternative religious ideology for the nation that can credibly challenge the extremist ideology. This is even more unfortunate because the extremist ideology is not the view of the majority; but with the deliberate exclusion of competing ideologies, it may very well become so over the passage of time.

Submitted by Rashid Jahangiri.

While surfing Pak Tea House blog I was intrigued by name of Muhammad Yusuf Ali.
Wikipedia entry says:

“Mr. Ali testified during the trial that according to Islamic beliefs all human beings are representative of God Almighty and all Muslims should also strive to be a representative of Prophet Muhammad. He advocated that to gain human excellence all human-beings should respect each other and live life according to examples set by their great leaders such as Prophet Muhammad, Prophet Jesus, Prophet Moses, Mahatama Buddha, etc. Mr. Ali admitted that he himself lives life according to teachings, examples and guidance of the Prophet Muhammad, strives to fulfill his mission, and considers himself his humble and true representative.”

I never heard of this gentleman, and will appreciate if anyone can share information. To me his message sounds like LAM message.

About 4 or 5 years ago, during conversation with (late) Abdul Manan Omar sahib on propagation of HMGA message, he said HMGA message would be spread by those who may not be related to either of the two branches of Ahmadis. In this regard he gave example of Muslims, whose mosque is near our jamaat headquarters in Lahore. I never heard of that group of Muslims, neither before nor after that. I’m curious if anyone knows about them. And whether Muhammad Yusuf Ali was connected to them?

Link to Wikipedia entry

Yes, there is a book The Life of Mohammed, by George Bush, published in New York by Harper!

But this is a Rev. George Bush who lived during 1796-1859.

Here is the title page:

Here is an interesting extract from page 18 of the book:

Here is a link to the book.

At this link you can view a photograph I recently found, which shows some students from the year 4 medical class at the Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore, from the year 1951, along with some staff. Dr Allah Bakhsh, who later in 1965 became General Secretary of the AAIIL in his retirement, is 4th from the left in the seated row (wearing glasses).

In the mid-1950s he became Chief Chemical Examiner of the city of Karachi, from which post he retired in 1960. Serving in that post required a high degree of probity, honesty and integrity since he was responsible for the post-mortem reports in murder cases. Some of these crimes were carried out at the behest of wealthy, influential persons who were prepared to offer large bribes to get a report which cleared the murderer.

I was unable to get the previous spam-protection script to work today, which required you to specify the current year when submitting a comment. When I switched the script off, two auto-spam comments appeared in the moderation queue within a few minutes!

I have now installed a different spam protection method which doesn’t require comment posters to type the answer to any question. This saves you the extra bother, as well as providing me with spam protection (if the claim is true!).

Zahid Aziz