Miracles, Myths, Mistakes and Matters — See Title Page and List of Contents
See: Project Rebuttal: What the West needs to know about Islam
Refuting the gross distortion and misrepresentation of the Quran, the Prophet Muhammad and Islam, made by the critics of Islam
Read: Background to the Project
List of all Issues | Summary 1 | Summary 2 | Summary 3
An esteemed friend and contributor, whom we had missed very much for a while, has submitted the following post.
Following video may be of interest to the blog readers who want to know more about the “rewards” of the afterlife as explained by a Mullah; in particular the “hoors”. Due to the graphic language used viewer discretion is advised.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocn1eTDxXkQ&feature=player_detailpage
(Admin: The video can take some time loading after the above page opens.)
Submitted by Rashid Jahangiri.
Since 9/11 in my conversations in person and some times on different blogs, I have argued the terrorism in Muslim countries is not breeding due to poverty. Rather it is lack of their understanding of Islamic teachings, in its spirit. My point has been that educated and wealthy Muslims tacitly support terrorism perpetuated by Muslims against Europeans and Americans. These educated and financially well off Muslims hold belief that since they cannot convince Europeans and Americans to stop practicing their double standards when it comes to Muslim countries, so it is justified to at least tacitly support those who do acts of terrorism against these countries.
In my opinion these educated and wealthy Muslims are not convinced that Islam has that capability to convince Europeans and Americans and win their hearts and minds, and invite them to accept Islam intellectually. I am of the convinced that if sizable populations of these countries embrace Islam, then they will become Muslim brothers and sisters. And they will stop practicing themselves and letting their politicians and governments to practice double standards in their dealings with Muslim countries. I being some one who is fortunate to have read some of literature on Islam produced by Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement disagree with wrong notion prevalent among educated and financially well off Muslims.
My father in-law Professor Chaudhary Ghulam Rasool sahib has told me that in many gathering of educated, professionals, educationalists, politicians and other successful Pakistanis he has repeatedly told them on their faces that: you all support Al-Qaeda in your hearts and you feel good when they attack on Europeans and Americans. In reply they all invariably acknowledge with smile and chuckle.
A recent study by Georgetown University Professor Christine supports my point, that poverty is not the reason of extremism in Muslim societies.
Georgetown University’s Christine Fair talks with CNN about her studies that link poverty and Islamic extremism.
http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2011/05/26/lklv.mann.yugoslavia.explainer.cnn?hpt=C2
by Ikram.
Dear Dr. Hawking:
As a citizen I want to thank you for your life long research and the knowledge you continue to impart to humanity.
I came across two articles about you in recent press that I refer to below. I added my comments from Quran and Islam to some of the thoughts that were attributed to you. Please take a look. Purpose of doing so is not to preach or draw you into a discussion for which I am sure you do not have time, but only to inform.
———
Guardian [http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/may/15/stephen-hawking-interview-there-is-no-heaven]
“We should seek the greatest value of our action.”
28:88. … Every thing is liable to perish but those (righteous deeds) by means of which you seek His attention…[i.e. at the end of the day, it is the actions that define a man and survive him, that includes scientific discoveries]
“In answering another, he wrote of the beauty of science, such as the exquisite double helix of DNA in biology, or the fundamental equations of physics.”
67:3. It is He Who has created seven heavens [i.e. numerous universes], one upon another in conformity (with each other). You can see no flaw, no incongruity and no imperfection in the creation of the Most Gracious (God). Then look up once more (to heaven). Do you see any flaw?
67:4. Look again and yet again (to find out any confusion in Divine law). (The result will only be that) your eye will return to you dazzled while it is weary (and you will be unable to find any discordance).
“Science predicts that many different kinds of universe will be spontaneously created out of nothing…
2:117. (God is) the Wonderful Originator without depending upon any matter or pattern of the heavens and the earth; and when He issues a decree He does but say to it, `Be’ and it comes to be [conforming to laws of physics including the dimension of time].
…(continuing from above sentence) It is a matter of chance which we are in,”
40:57. Of course, the creation of the heavens and the earth is (a) greater (performance) than the creation of mankind but most people do not know (it).
…to create something out of nothing is also His work. Just as you see it in in a scene in a dream He creates a whole world without any matter, and shows nonexistent things to be existent. Thus such are all the wonders of His power…[On the concept of God and the status of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, The Light – U.K. Edition, May 2008 Special Century Edition, page 19.]
“One possibility predicted by M-theory is supersymmetry, an idea that says fundamental particles have heavy – and as yet undiscovered – twins, with curious names such as selectrons and squarks.”
36:36. Glory be to Him Who has created pairs of all type of the things that the earth grows and of their own species and of the things yet unknown to them [that includes the fundamental concept of twins e.g. matter and antimatter].
“There is no heaven or afterlife”
57:21. (Mankind!) advance quickly, outstripping one another, towards the protection from your Lord and (towards) a Garden the extensiveness of which is (beyond measure) as the extensiveness of the heaven and the earth. It has been prepared for those who believe in Allâh and His Messengers; that (protection) is Allâh’s grace and bounty. He grants it to such of those who wish to attain it (and strive for it). Allâh is the Lord of immense grace and bounty.
…we have a reliable tradition on record that a messenger of Heracleus [Byzantine Emperor, born c. 575 – died February 11, 641] asked the Prophet [Muhammad], “If the paradise were as extensive as the heavens and the earth, where would be hell? “He replied, “Glory be to Allah, where is the night when the day comes?“ The verse and the incident recorded clearly show that heaven and hell are not the names of two places, but actually two conditions, because if paradise were the name of a particular place, hell could not exist, as paradise would then extend over the whole of the space. This conclusively gives us a rational view of “heaven”, and is confirmed fully by the trend of modern thought which rejects the conception of the “geographical heaven” as primitive and irrational. Is not Modernism then indebted to the Quran? [Excerpted from: Dean Inge’s Homage to Muhammad, by S. Hamid Raza B.A. (Alig), pg 322, Sept & Dec, The Muslim Revival, Ahmadiyya Buildings Lahore (India)]
I agree with you when you say “They made a human-like being with whom one can have a personal relationship. When you look at the vast size of the universe and how insignificant an accidental human life is in it, that seems most impossible.”
My understanding is that you are alluding to Jesus (or other similar religious figures), a man made God. Whereas people of knowledge and understanding live within the framework pointed to in Quran, that I am sure that you will testify to:
18:109. Say, `If every ocean became ink for (recording) the words and creation of my Lord, surely, the oceans would be spent up before the words and creation of my Lord came to an end, even if we brought to add (therewith) as many more (oceans).
31:27. And if all the trees in the earth were pens, and the sea with seven more seas added to it (were ink), the words of Allah would not be exhausted. Surely Allah is Mighty, Wise.
As to Who made the above framework within which theories M-Theory, Relativity etc. survive. Take a look:
57:3. He is (from) the very First (there was nothing before Him), and (He will exist to) the Last (there will be nothing after Him), and when nothing remains He will remain (He being an eternal Being). He is the Supreme Being (subordinate to no one). And (whereas He comprehends everything) He is Incomprehensible. He has full knowledge of every thing.
As to how He (-the God) makes Newtons, Einsteins, Hawkings:
96:3. Read and thy Lord is most Generous,
96:4. Who taught by the pen,
96:5. Taught man what he knew not.
96:6. Nay, man is surely inordinate,
96:7. Because he looks upon himself as self-sufficient.
Dr. Hawkins, I leave you with a final thought from Khwaja Kamaluddin, who was a barrister at law and first Muslim missionary to England and worked out of the mosque at Woking (Surrey) in 1913:
Everything in the world appears to have been enchained by the Law. It follows it implicitly, Is it then other than Allah’s religion that they seek (to follow), and to Him submits whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him shall they be returned? (3:82). Nature discloses regularity, precision, punctuality, knowledge, power, command, intellect, preordination, prearrangement, precaution, and several other features that are the possessions of the mind exclusively. In their presence the universe cannot be taken as the outcome of accident. It needs an intelligent Design to precede the process of its creation. The word design sometimes used to bore minds with sceptic tendencies, but it has become now widened in its connotation. It brings within it so many facts and figures recently discovered by Science that disbelief in God would amount to ignorance. [Note:“intelligent Design” referred here has no relation to contemporary evolution debate. Excerpted from: Introduction to Study of The Holy Quran, by Khwaja Kamaluudin, pg 21, Dar-ul-Ishahat-Kutub-Islamia, Fatamabi Court, 4th Floor, 17 M Azad Road, Jacob Circle, Bombay. 1939, 1950, 1991.]
Finally, as to what science is discovering, Prophet Solomon (son of Prophet David) summed it all: “There is nothing new under the sun.”
-Peace be on you, and happy discoveries.
-ikram.
P.S. I have posted the above at https://ahmadiyya.org/WordPress/
I have noticed today that when you click on a link to reach a comment (e.g. under Recent Comments), it reaches the top of the appropriate page quickly but it waits there for a while before reaching the comment further down that page. If anyone else is experiencing this, I apologise for the inconvenience. It must be slowness on the server to execute the php script which takes it to the comment.
Zahid Aziz
We have received the following message by e-mail which I have pleasure in reproducing below.
Dear Brothers, Sisters, Friends;
Asalam-o-Alakium (Peace be on to you)
It may help you to know that many ‘Sunni’ Muslims are also against the blasphemy laws as practiced in Pakistan & much of the Muslim world. I have spoken out against this injustice at the expense of personal safety, though I’m not an ‘Ahmadi’ or ‘Qadani.’
Please check out my blog on the Muslim Institute website UK. You are welcome to circulate it widely amongst friends & family. I reckon mullahs need to be challenged publicly and intellectually. It re-assuring to know that rational Muslim Scholars actually do exist in Pakistan & many parts of the world. Unfortunately with guns to their heads they are not given any airtime or column inches in Pakistan.
‘Shush if you dare speak’ cautions Amjad Hussain on the politics of blasphemy | The Muslim Institute
We all need to ascertain that; NO MULLAH or anyone for that matter should be allowed to pass an edict of disbelief or apostasy (takfir) against a believer who utters the creed [Kalama] and professes the faith. Judgement in this affair is the sole prerogative of Almighty Allah. We all make mistakes no one is infallible; according to the Holy Quran, the Sunnah and the Sharia all offences are pardonable and can be compensated in this world. Accept that against God for polytheism that carries retribution in the hereafter.
Regrettably with the filmiest of pretexts, it’s a common currency these days for one sect or another to incite aggression, hate and xenophobia. I urge scholars and leaders of all the parties that they must refrain from whipping up hysteria leading to a holy rage that pits brother against brother neighbour verses neighbour-this bloody conflict has to stop. Allah (swt) calls for mutual respect between brothers & all citizens.
The sura Al-Hujurat (49: 9) states, ‘And if two parties of the believers quarrel, make peace between them.’
(49:10) ‘The believers are brothers so make peace between your brethren, and keep your duty to Allah that mercy may be had on you.’
(49: 11) ‘O you who believe, let not people laugh at people, perchance they may be better than they; nor let women (laugh) at women, perchance they may be better than they. Neither find fault with your own people, nor call one another by nick-names. Evil is bad name after faith; whoso turns not, it that are the iniquitous.’
(49:12) ‘O you who believe, avoid most of suspicion, for surely suspicion in some cases is sin; and spy not nor let some of you backbite others. Does one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You abhor it! And keep your duty to Allah, surely Allah is Oft-returning (to mercy), Merciful.’
The teachings of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) reminds us that the life, property and honour of a person are sacred than the Kaaba and its precincts. Ulema therefore need to speak strongly against violence and condemn the mindless terrorist attacks that have claimed thousands of innocent lives all over Pakistan.
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) had warned the Companions [and thus all future Muslims & mankind], ‘Beware, do not become unbelievers after me, so that some of you should strike off the necks of others.’ [Bukhari 25:132]
Echoing this theme the Glorious Quran in Sura An-Nisa (4:92-94) states, “It is not for a believer to kill a believer (except) by mistake…..[verse 93] whoever slays a believer intentionally, his reward is Hell forever. Allah is angry with him and He has cursed him and prepared for him an awful doom. [verse 94] O you who believe, when you go forth [even in time of war] to fight in Allah’s way, make thorough investigation, and say not to anyone who offers you salutation (Salam, peace), that thou are not a believer.”
As far as both the Apostasy and blasphemy laws are concerned no favour can be found in the Holy Quran and Sunnah.
In fact (Sura 2:256) reads, “There is no compulsion in matter of faith. Distinct is the way of guidance now from error’ And in (Al-‘Imran 3:79) it is stated ‘No human has the right, even though God may have given him a ‘code of laws’ or the power to enforce it or even Prophethood that he should say unto mankind, Be subservient to me instead of God.”
In surah An-Nisa’ (4:137), states that “those who believe, then disbelieve, then believe again, then disbelieve, and then increase in their disbelief – Allah will never forgive them nor guide them to the path.”
Surah Yunus, (10:99) Allah says: “Had your Lord willed, everyone on earth would have believed. Do you then force people to become believers?”
In the Sunan of Ibn Maja, it is reported that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) said, ‘Do not carry out punishments and find ways to avoid them.’ A similar Hadith is report by Tirmidhi with a following emphasis, ‘better that a judge errs in forgiveness than for him to err in punishments.’ Whilst Ibn Rushd in Bidayat al-Mujtahid quotes a report that ‘in doubtful cases hudd punishments are suspended.’
No wonder that half of the Muslim-World, comprising 30 countries have already suspended capital punishments for all crimes. Due to my humble efforts solely exerted for the betterment of Ummuah, at the UN last year increasing number of Muslim countries, including the war ravaged Afghanistan voted with international community in over whelming way [107 to 38 against] for the global freeze on death penalty. This signifies the fact that human blood is so sacred not to be spilt so cheaply. With this spirit in mind, [after my tireless campaign] last year the government of Pakistan too declared moratorium on death penalty. [I have personally lobbied officials & party high ups, however a lot of work needs to be done & continuous behind the scenes]
A learned former Chief Justice of Pakistan, Dr Abdur Rehman in his book, ‘The Punishment for Apostasy in Islam’ notes that the subject of apostasy occurs 20 times-but the Holy Quran remains silent on death as the punishment.
The Holy Quran mentions that Arabs of jahilliyyah use to refer to the Holy Prophet (pbuh) by various (God forbid) nicknames. Despite their torment that was some times accompanied by physical harm; the Holy Prophet endured their insults with up most patience without ever cursing anyone [let alone death] reflects his noble character.
For instance:- Al-Anbiya (The Prophets) 21:5, Ya-Seen 36-69, As-Saaffat 37:36 [a poet possessed, ma’zalla], At-Tur 52:30, Al-Haqqa 69:41 and Al-Hijr 15:6, ‘They say: o thou to whom the message is being revealed! Truly thou art mad.’ [ma’zalla]. Al-Mumenoon 23:25, 23:70, Saba 34:36. About Prophet Moses (pbuh) 51:39, similarly against all Prophets 51:52. It is mentioned in Sura 61:5 that Prophet Moses was insulted, ‘O my people! Why do ye vex and insult me, though ye know that I am the apostle of Allah (sent) to you?’ Many Prophets were ridiculed and the Believers too & blasphemes uttered against Allah the Most Gracious. Such as in Al-Nisa (4:140) and in Sura Al-Taubah (9:79) it is said, ‘those who slander and ridicule the believers -Allah will throw back their ridicule on them and they shell suffer a grievous penalty.’
Ridicule of Prophet Noah (pbuh) and Prophet Hud in verse 11:38 is recorded. The Holy Prophet is ridiculed in Al-Anbiya 21:36, ‘When the unbelievers see the, they treat thee not except with ridicule…and they blaspheme at the mention of (Allah) Most Gracious!’ Also refer to Ar-Room (Romans) 30:10, Luqman 31:6, Saba 34:7, 37:12, 43:57, and Blasphemes against the angles are mentioned in Al-Baqara 2:102,
‘those who utter blasphemes…..would have no share in the happiness of hereafter.’
And the punishment is, ‘Hell is the abode of the blasphemes for those that utter lies against Allah.’ (Sura 39:32). In all the above verse no punitive retaliation is mentioned expect in the hereafter and despair of this world.
In addition to my day job, a detailed monograph on this theme is in progress and I will pass it on to the Government of Pakistan upon completion inshallah, with copies to all the relevant departments, ministries, including the Federal Law Division and the legislature.
Hope this helps.
Regards, Mirza Amjad Hussain
A friend has drawn my attention to the following news report:
The text is as below:
Clerics receive threats for conducting Taseer’s funeral prayers
Press Trust Of India
Lahore, January 13, 2011
Three Pakistani clerics who conducted the funeral and memorial prayers for slain Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer have received death threats, police said on Thursday. Maulana Afzal Chishti, the head of the ulema or clerics’ wing of the ruling PPP, had led the funeral prayer for Taseer along with Qari Muhammad Younus. The qul or memorial ceremony was led by Qari Akhtar Qureshi.
“We have provided police guards to two clerics – Younus and Qureshi – after they received death threats probably from those who consider Taseer a blasphemer,” a senior police officer, who did not want to be named, told PTI.
The third cleric, Chishti, had gone into hiding because he feared for the lives of his family members, the police officer said.
Taseer was gunned down in Islamabad on January 4 by a police guard who said he was angered by the Governor’s criticism of the controversial blasphemy law.
After a group of over 500 clerics and scholars of the Barelvi school of thought asked Muslims not to lead or offer the funeral prayer for Taseer, top clerics in Lahore had refused to lead the namaz-e-janaza.
“Younis and Qureshi have publicly expressed regret for participating in the prayers and re-embraced Islam after admitting their mistake due to pressure from hardliners, but we cannot withdraw the security provided to them,” the police officer said.
The clerics of the historical Badshahi Mosque, the Data Darbar shrine and the mosque at the Governor’s House had refused to lead the funeral prayer for Taseer.
Several groups of clerics had announced that anyone who led the funeral prayer of a “blasphemer” would be considered an infidel.
Submitted by Rashid Jahangiri
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is accused by his Muslim opponents of using “foul” language for Jesus. This they accuse him of doing, without paying attention to the fact that he only quoted Christians Holy book i.e. Bible; while pointing out to the Christian missionaries that the person (i.e. Jesus) they are promoting would not have qualified to be a decent person, assuming those portrayals in their Holy Bible are taken as true.
Christmas is approaching and US comedian has highlighted portrait of Jesus in Christian’s Holy Bible.
The Colbert Report
December 16, 2010
Please pay attention to video at 2minutes and 50 seconds.
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/368914/december-16-2010/jesus-is-a-liberal-democrat
Blasphemy per Christians
The Colbert Report
December 15, 2010
Please pay attention to video at 0:40 seconds
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/258567/december-15-2009/the-blitzkrieg-on-grinchitude—treesus—christ-mas-tree
Today by chance I came across the following link:
http://www.muslimaccess.com/articles/misc/aisha.asp
This is in fact an article I wrote, after some research, about Hazrat Aishah, wife of the Holy Prophet, which is at:
http://www.ahmadiyya.org/islam/aisha-age.htm
In the version on the muslimaccess.com website, the title and the author’s name are not given.
I cannot say that it is this website which has removed the title and name. It is possible that they obtained it through some source where these were already removed.
Submitted by Usman.
A few days a lower court in Pakistan convicted a poor Christian woman to death for blasphemy. The woman has 5 children, one of whom is a disabled 12 year old girl. One just hopes that the High Court over turns this verdict and that she is not murdered by the Mullahs. Already the local Mullah has declared that she should be killed. May Allah have mercy on the people who think nothing of taking the life of a poor woman with 5 children.
http://beta.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=15628&Cat=2&dt=11/14/2010
More details on the case are here:
http://www.dawn.com/2010/11/24/a-sip-of-water-by-rafia-zakaria.html
Reaction from the civil society, minorities etc:
http://www.dawn.com/2010/11/22/pressure-grows-for-pardon-of-aasia-bibi.html
http://blog.dawn.com/2010/11/22/intolerance-of-the-other/
Reaction from the Mullahs:
http://www.dawn.com/2010/11/24/religious-parties-threaten-protest-in-blasphemy-case.html
Reaction from Govt:
http://www.dawn.com/2010/11/23/pakistan-will-not-repeal-blasphemy-law-minister.html
Reaction from Governor of Punjab:
http://www.dawn.com/2010/11/21/blasphemy-convict-gives-mercy-plea-to-taseer-2.html
Submitted by Usman.
This article may be of interest to the blog community. It basically talks about the benefits of being grateful; and who is more worthy of being grateful to than Allah!
According to an article published by BBC Urdu the total number of Ahmadiyya community in India is One hundred thousand.…
----Jul 27, 18:49