The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement Blog

Are these “Dr Mingana’s Leaves”?

Many of you will have seen the following news item: 'Oldest' Koran fragments found in Birmingham University.

When I read in this news item that: "The manuscript is part of the Mingana Collection of more than 3,000 Middle Eastern documents gathered in the 1920s by Alphonse Mingana, a Chaldean priest born near Mosul in modern-day Iraq", my mind turned to the section entitled "Dr Mingana's Leaves" in the Introduction of the English translation of the Quran by Maulana Muhammad Ali. I have extracted it and placed it at this link.

Please also read in this connection articles in the May 1915 issue of The Islamic Review, starting at p. 219 (link).

If these newly-discovered manuscripts are the same as those mentioned in these references, then what we have is that a hundred years ago these were used by a Christian clergyman, Rev. Mingana, to prove that the Quran before Hazrat Uthman had some differences with the Quran that he standardized which has been in use since then!

Dr Mingana co-wrote a book entitled Leaves from three ancient Qurans, possibly Pre-Othmanic, with a list of their Variants, published by the Cambridge University Press in 1914 (which is dangerous and poisonous from an Islamic point of view). Today I downloaded it and have for your convenience placed it at this link (14 MB).

Update:

Ramadan Daily Quran Study, June-July 2015

Welcome to the Ramadan Daily Quran Studies for 2015

(Note: Other new posts are below this post.)

This year we will again, as in 2014, be covering the fundamental teachings of Islam, based on the treatment in the renowned book The Religion of Islam by Maulana Muhammad Ali. Last year, we covered topics relating to the sources and principles of Islam (Parts 1 and 2 of The Religion of Islam). This year we will be covering some sections from Part 3, relating to the practices of Islam.

I will be presenting edited and abridged extracts from this book under various topics, along with additions by myself. The book itself is firmly based on the Holy Quran, from which it quotes extensively.

Ramadan Message by Head of Lahore Ahmadiyya, Hazrat Ameer Dr A.K. Saeed.

Eid-ul-Fitr Message by Head of Lahore Ahmadiyya, Hazrat Ameer Dr A.K. Saeed, 16 July 2015.

• Fast 1 — Significance of fasting in Islam
• Fast 2 — More on significance of fasting in Islam
• Fast 3 — Fasting in earlier religions
• Fast 4 — Fasting: The month of Ramadan
• Fast 5 — Fasting: Conclusion
• Fast 6 — Prayer: Introduction
• Fast 7 — Prayer: Humility

• Fast 8 — Prayer: Its purposes
• Fast 9 — Prayer: Means of purification
• Fast 10 — Prayer: Ablution before Prayer
• Fast 11 — Prayer: Its regulated form
• Fast 12 — Prayer: The language of prayer
• Fast 13 — Prayer: Significance of reciting Surah Fatiha
• Fast 14 — Prayer and action: Those who prayed most, worked most

• Fast 15 — Prayer: The Call to Prayer
• Fast 16 — Prayer: Times of Prayer
• Fast 17 — Prayer: Form and Spirit
• Fast 18 — Prayer: Special Prayers — Friday, Tahajjud, Tarawih
• Fast 19 — Charity
• Fast 20 — Charity: Its recipients
• Fast 21 — Charity: How to give

• Fast 22 — Charity: Zakat
• Fast 23 — Charity: Zakat
• Fast 24 — Pilgrimage to Makkah
• Fast 25 — Pilgrimage to Makkah
• Fast 26 — Pilgrimage to Makkah — Its various rites
• Fast 27 — Jihad — What is it?
• Extra for Fast 27 — About Lailat-ul-Qadr
• Fast 28 — Jihad — Jihad at Madinah
• Fast 29 — Jihad — When is war allowed for Muslims?
• Fast 30 — Jihad — Freedom of religion in Islam

Moon crescent sighting tragedy

At the last Eid, the Eid-ul-Adha in October 2014, I said in my Eid Khutba that it was a tragedy that:

"on 24th and 25th September Muslims around the world tried to sight the new moon by human eye to determine the start of the present month of the Islamic calendar"

because:

"On 21st September 2014 a US spacecraft reached the planet Mars and was placed into orbit around it. On 24th September a spacecraft built and launched by India reached Mars and was placed into orbit around it."

It has happened again and the tragedy is even worse this time.

While Muslims are wondering whether the new moon for Eid-ul-Fitr will be sighted on 16th July or 17th July 2015, NASA's New Horizons probe passed close to Pluto on 14th July, sending back photos of this minor planet. Pluto is at present about 3 billion miles from earth, which is about 12000 (twelve thousand) times the distance of the moon from the earth.

The tragedy is worse this time than at the last Eid because Pluto is much further away than Mars.

Eid-ul-Fitr a hundred years ago at Woking Mosque (England) led by Hazrat Maulana Sadr-ud-Din

In view of the forthcoming Eid-ul-Fitr at the end of this week, I have compiled and published an online article consisting of contemporary reports and photographs of Eid-ul-Fitr at the Woking Mosque in England under the Woking Mission a hundred years ago in August 1915.

The Imam was Hazrat Maulana Sadr-ud-Din (d. 1981), who later built the Mosque in Berlin, Germany, in the mid-1920s and became Head of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement in 1951.

Here is the link to the article.

Zahid Aziz

Question on homosexuality

Submitted by Amna.

What is jammat's stance on this subject? Now i have seen ppl who are using this to justify homosexuality:

http://www.texasislam.com/2012/10/homosexuality-in-islam.html

and these hadiths:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mukhannathun

Promised Messiah and Nawabs of Malerkotla

Submitted by Rashid Jahangiri.

In a recent article on ‘BBC online Urdu’ website on Malerkotla, a city in Indian Punjab state. The article tells this city is an exceptional case of religious tolerance, communal harmony and coexistence. Two daughters of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad sahib were married to father and son in the Nawab family of city.

According to marhoom Abdul Mannan Omar sahib, Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din sahib on return from England, after split in Ahmadiyya Movement of HMGA, contacted one of the brother in-law of QK2 Mirza Mehmud Ahmad. I think his name was Nawab Muhammad Ali and was the younger of two son in-laws of HMGA. Khwaja sahib wanted to end the split and get both jamaats back together. Nawab said to Khwaja sahib, “The only issue is the money. The requirement of ba’it of Mirza Mehmud is NOT an issue. Iqida (tenet that HMGA was a prophet) NOT an issue. If you (LAM) people let him [QK2 Mirza Mehmud Ahmad] control all jamaat chanda, jamaat can be together again in a day”.

Later statements of QK2 in Munir-Kiyani commission, in which he retracted his cardinal beliefs that differentiates Mehmudis from LAM and rest of Muslim Ummah, give credence to goal of QK2. For him only important thing was money, and beliefs and requirement of his ba’it was only a means to force people, who later joined Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement, out. He wanted to consolidate his control on Jamaat income. No doubt he definitely succeeded, but has damaged HMGA mission and 100 years are lost.

Imagine if in last 100 years HMGA message had reached to Muslim world, we would not be seeing dictators in Muslim world, and their reaction in form of Jihadists and ISIS. Muslim world would be progressive, peaceful and tolerant. And message of Islam would have gained deep and strong roots in Europe and North America. We would not be seeing Islamophobia and Islam bashers on television screens and internet in USA and Europe.

BBC article.

Wikipedia

Manuscripts of khutbahs of Maulana Muhammad Ali penned in hand of Maulana Abdul Haq Vidyarthi

In Maulana Abdul Haq Vidyarthi’s papers, manuscripts penned by him of three Friday khutbahs of Maulana Muhammad Ali, with changes on them marked by hand of Maulana Muhammad Ali himself (in black ink), have been found. The khutbahs are from Ramadan of January–February 1931. Maulana Vidyarthi was editor of Paigham Sulh at that time, where these were published. We present here the scanned image of the first page of two khutbahs:

Khutbah dated 6th February 1931

Khutbah dated 13th February 1931

These two khutbahs can be read in full in their published form in the collection Khutbaat Muhammad Ali, volume 8, p. 49 to 57, and p. 58 to 64, available at this link.

US President in White House Studying Holy Quran Translation by Allama Noor-ud-Din— Well, sort of.

Submitted by Rashid Jahangiri.

House of Cards is TV series produced by streaming service Netflix. This is American political drama. In recent past in one of its show actor playing role of US President is studying/ consulting Holy Quran translation. When he places it on table the shot shows Holy Quran translation by Allama Noor-ud-Din (rendered into English by his daughter-in-law Mrs. Amtul Rehman Omar and son Abdul Mannan Omar).

Well of course this is drama. We pray one day it becomes a reality and US President does consult the modern, intellectual, peaceful, rational, and inspiring interpretation of Holy Quran by Allama Noor-ud-Din, who has been a source of all such interpretations and translations; from Maulana Muhammad Ali, Maulana Sher Ali, Abdullah Yousaf Ali, to Muhammad Asad etc.

In another related news. An American actress Lindsay Lohan, who is having troubles with law in last few years, has been spotted carrying, with hope of studying, Holy Quran translation. This translation is by Maulana Sher Ali, published by Qadiani Jamaat. Late Maulana Sher Ali was father of Mrs. Amtul Rehman Omar and father in-law of Abdul Mannan Omar. Maulana Sher Ali was student of Maulana Muhammad Ali. Under guidance of Maulana Muhammad Ali, Maulana Sher Ali did Holy Quran translation and commentary of Holy Quran. Later he went to England to have its English language reviewed by Arthur John Arberry. English translation of Holy Quran was published, in 1955, under instructions of Abdul Mannan Omar sahib, while he was in charge of Holy Quran publications, in Rabwah, Pakistan. He could not get commentary published, due to lack of funds, at that time. Later the SAME Holy Quran commentary was published by Qadiani Jamaat in form of 5 VOLUME COMMENTARY in 1988, under name of Qadiani Khalifa 2 Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad.

Link to House of Cards:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Cards_%28U.S._TV_series%29

http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/70178217

Link to Lindsay Lohan:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3080683/Lindsay-Lohan-turns-Islam-Trouble-actess-carries-Quran-steps-Brooklyn-court-ordered-community-service-children-s-center.html

Link to A. J. Arberry:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_John_Arberry

‘A Handbook of Islam’, new abridged edition of ‘The Religion of Islam’ by Maulana Muhammad Ali

Update on 16 May 2015: Some corrections/enhancements made to the Kindle version (see link below).

Update on 12 May 2015:

I have now created a version of this book for Kindle. It is a .mobi file. You should be able to read it on any tablet or smartphone using a Kindle app (or of course on a real Amazon Kindle).

Right-click here and save the mobi file

After about two years of work, I have, by the grace of Allah, produced this book which you can read at this link.

Zahid Aziz

My reply to e-mail I received entitled ‘Drawing of Muhammad’

I received today an e-mail at the UK Lahore Ahmadiyya Jamaat account that I administer, with the subject "Drawing of Muhammad", and it consisted of the following message:

Attached is a drawing of your false prophet Muhammad.

The bolding is his. The sender gave his name, real e-mail and his Facebook address. I am not including these for his privacy (and perhaps other obvious reasons). The image which he attached is that of the head of a man, with beard and moustache, wearing a large turban with the Kalima on its front, and protruding above the turban is a lit fuse of a bomb.

I replied to him as follows:

Dear Mr NS

Thank you for your e-mail.

Whether our Prophet is a true or false prophet is a matter of belief, and discussions about it will go on forever, and people will disagree about it.

Whether your drawing is a true or false picture is a matter that can be determined factually. It doesn't involve any belief. So please provide evidence that it is a drawing correctly showing our Prophet's face. I have always wanted to know what our Prophet looked like. Therefore, if you can prove to me that it is his likeness, I would be very grateful to you. Until then, I will perhaps wonder whether you looked in the mirror and drew your own likeness.

Regards,
Zahid Aziz

Both the N and S in his name are Old Testament names.