Fwd: December 2013 - The Prophet Muhammad: A Mercy for the Whole Mankind

Very enlightening...

Raziya

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. And We (Allah) have sent thee (Muhammad) not but as a mercy for all peoples. (Al Quran 21:108) So said Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Mosque of Medina Have you any notion what was the strange event that occurred in the desert country of Arabia when hundreds of thousands of the dead were revived within a brief period and those who had been misguided through generations put on Divine color, and those who were blind obtained sight, and those who had been dumb began to speak of the understanding of the Divine, and the world underwent a revolution which had never been seen or heard of before? It was the supplications during dark nights of one who had lost himself in God which raised a clamor in the world, and manifested such wonders as appeared impossible in the case of that unlearned helpless one. Send down Thy blessings and peace, O Allah, on him and his people according to the amount of pain and anguish he felt for his Ummah, and pour down upon him the lights of Thy mercy forever. [Barakat-ud-Du'a, Ruhani Khaza'in, Vol. 6, pp. 10-11] I always wonder how high was the status of this Arabian Prophet, whose name was Muhammad, (thousands of blessings and peace be upon him). One cannot reach the limit of his high status and it is not given to man to estimate correctly his spiritual effectiveness. It is a pity that his rank has not been recognized, as it should have been. He was the champion who restored to the world the Unity of God which had disappeared from the world; he loved God in the extreme and his soul melted out of sympathy for mankind. Therefore, God, Who knew the secret of his heart, exalted him above all the Prophets and all the first ones and the last ones and bestowed upon him in his lifetime all that he desired. He is the fountainhead of every grace and a person who claims any superiority without acknowledging his grace is not a man but is the spawn of Satan, because the Holy Prophet has been bestowed the key to every exaltation and he has been given the treasury of every understanding. He who does not receive through him is deprived forever. I am nothing and possess nothing. I would be most ungrateful if I were not to confess that I have learnt of the true Unity of God through this Prophet. The recognition of the Living God we have achieved through this perfect Prophet and through his light. The honor of converse with God, through which we behold His countenance, has been bestowed upon me through this great Prophet. The ray of this sun of guidance falls like sunshine upon me and I continue illumined only so long as I am adjusted towards it. [Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Ruhani Khaza'in, Vol. 22, pp. 118-119] To read more click here A Collection of Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad with Foreword by Mahatma Gandhi Epigraph: And We (Allah) have sent thee (Muhammad) not but as a mercy for all peoples. (Al Quran 21:108) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (pronounced [ˈmoːɦənd̪aːs ˈkərəmtʃənd̪ ˈɡaːnd̪ʱi] ( listen); 2 October 1869 - 30 January 1948) was the preeminent leader of Indian nationalism in British-ruled India. Employing non-violentcivil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. The honorific Mahatma (Sanskrit: "high-souled," "venerable"[2]) - applied to him first in 1914 in South Africa,[3] - is now used worldwide. He is also called Bapu (Gujarati: endearment for "father,"[4]"papa."[4][5]) in India. But, for Albert Einstein, Gandhi would have been the man of the century, as determined by the Time magazine, for the twentieth century. This collection of sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him, collected by Sir Abduallah Suhrawardy, with foreword by Mahatma Gandhi is not only a wonderful heritage for all the Muslims, but, also for a billion Hindus, in India and else where. One of the first four Hadith quoted in this book is about the Golden rule, "No man is a true believer unless he desireth for his brother that which he desireth for himself." Allama Sir Abdullah al-Mamun al-Suhrawardy, M.A, Ph.D., D.Litt. (Oxon), LL.D., Commander of the Order of Medjidie, (1870 - 1935) was an Islamic scholar, barrister, and academic. To read the full book click here An apology for Mohammed and the Koran Book written by John Davenport This is a short but a wonderful book and a must read for all Muslims and Christians. The Muslim Times has the unique privilege to make a PDF file of this beautiful book, An apology for Mohammed and the Koran, available online. I will encourage all readers to download and not only read the book, but, save it for future generations. Let us call this book a very important world heritage. In his book An apology for Mohammed and the Koran, John Davenport has a chapter dedicated to refuting four different allegations against the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him. In the beginning of the chapter he makes a list of the four allegations that he is going to defend: The charges brought against Mohammed are reducible to four, as follows :- I. The promulgating a new and false religion as a revelation from God, it being, on the contrary, but a mere invention of his own, for the purpose of gratifying his ambition and lust. II. That Mohammed propagated his religion by the sword, thereby causing an enormous waste of human blood and a vast amount of human misery. III. The sensual character of his Paradise as described in the Koran. IV. The encouragement he has given to licentiousness by legalizing Polygamy. Below I have quoted some parts from the said chapter: Is it possible to conceive, we may ask, that the man who directed such great and lasting reforms in his own country by substituting the worship of the one only true God for the gross and debasing idolatry in which his countrymen had been plunged for ages; who abolished infanticide, prohibited the use of spirituons liquors and games of chance (those sources of moral depravity), who restricted within comparatively narrow limits the unrestrained polygamy which he found in existence and practice - can we, we repeat, conceive so great and zealous a reformer to have been a mere impostor, or that his whole career was one of sheer hypocrisy? Can we imagine that his divine mission was a mere invention of his own of whose falsehood he was conscious throughout? No, surely, nothing but a consciousness of really righteous intentions could have carried Mohammed so steadily and constantly without ever flinching or wavering, without ever betraying himself to his most intimate connections and companions, from his first revelation to Khadijah to his last agony in the arms of Ayesha. Surely a good and sincere man, full of confidence in his Creator, who makes an immense reform both in faith and practice, is truly a direct instrument in the hands of God, and may be said to have a commission from Him. Why may not Mohammed be recognized, no less than other faithful, though imperfect servants of God, as truly a servant of God, serving him faithfully though imperfectly? Why may it not be believed that he was, in his own age and country, a preacher of truth and righteousness sent to teach his own people the unity and righteousness of God, to give them civil and moral precepts suited to their condition. The Muslims, however, believe that the Prophet Muhammad did serve his God perfectly. Having said that, any Muslim cannot but help being grateful to John Davenport for his eloquence in the defense of Islam. In another place John Davenport beautifully explains that the religion of Islam is a continuation of the religion of all the previous prophets: It has also been objected that Mohammed, while pretending not to deliver any new religion to the Arabians, but only to revive that old one which God had revealed to Abraham, and Abraham had delivered to Ishmael, the founder of their nation, actually did found a new religion, and, consequently, spake that which was false. But, if that only be a new religion which differs from the former in the object of its worship, and the moral duties imposed by it, then, certainly neither that of Moses, nor that of Jesus Christ, nor that of Mohammed, were new religions. That of Moses was no more than the renewal and enforcement by laws of that religion which Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Ishmael professed, and which was to adore the one only God, and Him to love and obey with their whole soul, and to practise those moral duties which the necessity of human society as well as the will of God imposed upon mankind. Thus, Jesus Christ tells us that to love God above all things and our neighbour as ourselves was the whole law and the prophets, that is, that Moses and the prophets taught the Israelites a religion which entirely consisted in the love and adoration of one eternal God, and an extensive love of one another; and hence the doctrine of Jesus Christ himself was not new, but the same that Moses had taught before, with this only difference, that our moral duties to one another were commanded with more force than before, and this admirable and divine rule set down, by which the meanest and most ignorant of mankind might know with almost certainty when he offended against these moral duties and when not, as the precept 'do unto others as you would they should do unto you' clearly shows. At the appearance of Jesus, the Jews inhabiting Judea were extremely corrupt in their morals, and a criminal self love and egotism having been long spread among them, both priests and people, there was nothing to be found but avarice, rapine, injustice and oppression, for, placing their righteousness in the rigid observance of some ceremonies and formulas of religion, they had entirely lost its real substance. To restore this seems to have been the whole aim, drift and design of the mission of Christ, for to that all his doctrines plainly tend-a consideration sufficient to show that the Christian religion in its foundation was but the renewing of that of Moses. The business of Mohammed was not only to enforce moral doctrines, but also to establish the adoration of one God, for the people among whom it was his lot to be cast were gone vastly astray in both; it was, therefore, his intent to revive the religion of Ishmael the founder of his nation - namely, the worship of one God; and this is enough to prove that Mohammed did but speak the truth when he told the Arabians that he did not preach to them a new religion, but only the ancient one which their forefather Ishmael had proposed many ages before. To read more click here Did Prophet Muhammad kill 700 Jews? Source: Muhammad Fact Check This is perhaps one of the most common contemporary allegations levied against Prophet Muhammad [1]. It is also one of the most spurious. This event occurred after the largest battle ever held on Arabian soil in Medina during Prophet Muhammad's life. The Confederate Army comprised of no less than 12,000 soldiers while the Muslims barricaded themselves in Medina, along with their sworn allies - per the Charter of Medina - numbering roughly a tenth the size. While the Muslims were victorious, they came within moments of annihilation due to the Banu Quraizah tribe's treason. Critics baselessly claim that Prophet Muhammad blindly executed the entire tribe. This too is baseless. Prophet Muhammad and the Jews were allies, as enshrined in the Charter of Medina Article 49, which states, "The parties to this Pact are bound to help each other in the event of an attack on Yathrib." The Banu Quraizah Tribe was an equal and willing party to this pact. Yet, in the heat of battle, the Banu Quraizah sided with the enemy against the state of Medina despite their prior signed agreement. Fortunately, the remaining allied Medina army was able to withstand this treasonous act and win the battle against incredible odds. The question remained, however, how to address the Banu Quraizah's treason. Adding to the dilemma was the fact that the Banu Quraizah had committed this act once before, upon which Prophet Muhammad merely exiled them. When they later asked his forgiveness, he granted it, which is why they had since re-entered Medina. The 19th century historian Stanley Lane-Poole accurately describes the events that followed the Battle of the Ditch: Of the sentences on the three clans, that of exile, passed upon two of them, was clement enough. They were a turbulent set, always setting the people of Medina by the ears; and finally, a brawl followed by an insurrection resulted in the expulsion of one tribe; and insubordination, alliance with enemies and a suspicion of conspiracy against the Prophet's life, ended similarly for the second. Both tribes had violated the original treaty, and had endeavored in every way to bring Muhammad and his religion to ridicule and destruction. The only question is whether their punishment was not too light. Of the third clan a fearful example was made, not by Muhammad, but by an arbiter appointed by themselves. When Quraish and their allies were besieging Medina and had well-nigh stormed the defences, this Jewish tribe [the Banu Quraizah] entered into negotiations with the enemy, which were only circumvented by the diplomacy of the Prophet. When the besiegers had retired, Muhammad naturally demanded an explanation of the Jews. They resisted in their dogged way and were themselves besieged and compelled to surrender at discretion. Muhammad, however, consented to the appointing of a chief of a tribe allied to the Jews as the judge who should pronounce sentence upon them. This chief gave sentence that the men, in numbers some 600, should be killed, and the women and children enslaved; and the sentence was carried out. It was a harsh, bloody sentence; but it must be remembered that the crime of these men was high treason against the State, during a time of siege; and one need not be surprised at the summary execution of a traitorous clan. Thus, Prophet Muhammad did not order any execution, nor did he participate in the execution. On the contrary, Prophet Muhammad graciously agreed to let the Banu Quraizah's own ally, Sa'd bin Mu'adh of Aus, deliver the verdict. Why blame Prophet Muhammad for a decision he did not make and for a crime he did not commit? To read more click here Prof. Laura Veccia Vaglieri: An interpretation of Islam Prof. Laura Veccia Vaglieri contributed several articles to the Encyclopedia of Islam. She was a pioneer of Arabic and Islamic studies in Italy, Veccia Vaglieri served as professor at the Naples Eastern University and was the author of books on the historical and institutional analysis of the Arab and Muslim world. Laura Veccia Vaglieri (1893 - 1989) was an Italian orientalist A pioneer of Arabic and Islamic studies in Italy, Veccia Vaglieri served as professor at the Naples Eastern University and was the author of books on the historical and institutional analysis of the Arab and Muslim world. Her most popular book is An interpretation of Islam. To read more click here Muhammad: the Light for the Dark Ages of Europe! Abstract An honest study of the causes of the Dark Ages and European renaissance will lead to the inevitable conclusion that Muhammad, may peace be on him, was the light for the Dark Ages. John Davenport writes in, an apology for Mohammed and the Koran: "It is in the compositions of Friar Bacon, who was born in 1214, and who learned the Oriental languages, that we discover the most extensive acquaintance with the Arabian authors. He quotes Albumazar, Thabet-Ebu-Corah, Ali Alhacer, Alkandi, Alfraganus and Arzakeb; and seems to have been as familiar with them as with the Greek and Latin classics, especially with Avicenna, whom he calls 'the chief and prince of philosophy.' The great Lord Bacon, it is well known, imbibed and borrowed the first principles of his famous experimental philosophy from his predecessor and namesake Roger Bacon, a fact which indisputably establishes the derivation of the Baconian philosophical system from the descendants of Ishmael and disciples of Mohammed." In a short paragraph, John Davenport has very precisely identified all the links in the human intellectual evolution. Additionally, his book, which is available in Google books, is a master piece in the defense of the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him. Read his two page Preface and he is standing shoulder to shoulder with other great defenders of the Prophet Muhammad in the Western world, like Thomas Carlyle. Unfortunately, some Western scientists and historians propose the European science to be some sort of magical wand and what preceded it as not good enough or label it as pre-science or mystical science etc.! My task here is twofold, first to show that European science was built on the Latin translations of the works of the great Muslim pioneers and secondly that the Muslim learning from 8th-12th centuries was heavily influenced by the teachings of the Holy Quran, the literal word of God, revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him. "If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and outstanding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad?" -Alphonse de Lamartine, Foreign Minister of France, 1848 Allow me to make the lion's share of my case by quoting a classic book History of the Moorish Empire in Europe published in 1904 in three volumes and extending over more than 2000 pages. The insightful writer, Samuel Parsons Scott, a lawyer from Hillsboro Ohio writes, as he attributes all the success of Europe to the Prophet Muhammad: Unlike most theological systems to which men, in all ages, have rendered their obedient and pious homage, no mystery obscures the origin and foundation of Islam. The purity and simplicity of its principles have undergone no change. Its history has been preserved by the diligence of innumerable writers. The life and characteristics of its Prophet, even to the smallest detail, are accessible to the curiosity of every enterprising scholar. The austere character of a faith which, at its inception, exacts a rigid compliance with the minutest formalities of its ritual, naturally becomes relaxed and modified after that system has attained to worldly importance and imperial authority; or, in the language of one of the greatest of modern writers, 'a dominant religion is never ascetic.' It is strange that Islam, which, in this respect, as in many others, has conformed to the general law of humanity, and now acknowledges tenets and allows practices that would have struck the subjects of Abu-Bekr and Omar with amazement, has been able to preserve in such perfection the observance of its ceremonial; especially when it had no organized sacerdotal power to sustain it. The absence of an ecclesiastical order which could dictate the policy of the throne, and humble the pride of the ermine and purple with the dust in the presence of some audacious zealot, also left untrammelled the way for scientific investigation and research, and, more than all else, contributed to dispel the darkness of mediaeval times. The doctrine of toleration enunciated by Mohammed gave no encouragement to that system of repression whose activity has exhausted every means of checking the growth of philosophical knowledge, by imposing the most direful spiritual and temporal penalties upon every teacher who ventures to publicly explain its principles; and it is a matter of far deeper import to the civilization of the twentieth century, than is implied by the mere performance of an act of devotion, when the Temple of Mecca - the seat of a time-honored faith, from whose shrine emanated the spirit of learning that redeemed degraded Europe - is saluted five times every day by the reverent homage of concentric circles of believers, one hundred and fifty million in number, from Tangier to Pekin, from the borders of Siberia to the Equinoctial Line. To read more click here Book Review: The Leadership of Muhammad Written by Prof. John Adair Reviewed by Zia H Shah MD Epigraph: : Indeed, the Messenger of God is an excellent model for those of you who put your hope in God and the Last Day and remember Him often. (Al Quran 33:22) Leadership John Adair is one of the world's leading authorities on leadership and leadership development. Over a million managers worldwide have taken part in the Action Centered Leadership programs he pioneered. He wrote this wonderful book about the Holy Prophet Muhammad's contributions to leadership in 2010. This year he has come out with another book Confucius on Leadership. His short 127 page book, The Leadership of Muhammad, appears to me, to be a very lucid commentary of the verse, I mentioned as Epigraph and Adair quotes it in the introduction to his book. In the conclusion of his book, he pays wonderful tribute to the Prophet, by saying, "The Muslim tradition of leadership, if I have understood it, transcends even the three great human traditions of understanding leadership that I have just mentioned." He describes a universal or a generic role of a leader. He says that a universal leader, then, will be a person who exemplifies such distinctively human qualities as goodness, kindness, humaneness and compassion. He writes in the introduction of the book: I believe that there is a universal or generic role of leader. Moreover, thanks to one lucky discovery (see Chapter 8), I have come as close as anyone has yet been to defining what that universal or generic role actually is. When experimentally applied on a large scale to selection and training of leaders the theory has worked consistently, and it has done so for over half a century. That is why I now claim that it is true. Prof. John Adair: UN Chair of Strategic Leadership & World's first Professor of Leadership Studies Adair concludes each of the eight chapters with a few key points. In the end of the first chapter he writes: -Leader should exemplify or personify the qualities expected, required and admired in their working groups. A leader of soldiers, for example, needs to demonstrate courage, 'the soldier's virtue', as Shakespeare called it. -Courage is a quality shown by Muhammad at Hunayn: it is that which enables people to meet danger without giving way to fear, to act bravely under stress or to endure in times of adversity. ... Another generic quality of universal leaders is humility. The word comes from the Latin root humus (ground, earth), related to homo (man). When Muhammad spread his cloak, lowered himself and sat on the ground with people at the same level, it was an act of humility. Compare a king sitting high upon a throne above his subjects, who abase themselves before him. As they will tell you in Ghana, 'Don't expect to be offered a chair when you visit a place where the chief himself sits on the floor.' The fifth chapter is titled, Muhammad: 'The Trustworthy One,' here, Adair writes: Why does truth or veracity, honesty and high principle, matter in a leader? The reason is simple. Leaders who are true, and always speak the truth, create trust. And trust is vital in all human relations, professional or private. You can see why Muhammad insisted upon integrity in those who were chosen to be leaders in the Umma, the growing Muslim community. There was to be no place for any form of bribery or corruption: not that this prohibition was - or is - easy, for man is 'violent ... in his love of wealth' (Q 100:8). 'I will stand surety for Paradise if you save yourself from six things: telling untruths, violating promises, dishonouring trust, being unchaste in thought and act, striking the first blow, taking what is bad and unlawful.' MUHAMMAD Today, the political leaders do not think twice, before a preemptive strike, when it serves their purpose, as long as they can fog the public perception, with excuses, smoke screens and propaganda. To read more click here December 2013 Updates from Alislam What's New at alislam.org Follow us on Recent Highlights New English Book: The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets(sa) Volume 2 [PDF] by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad M.A.(ra) New English Book: The Economic System of Islam [PDF] by Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih II, Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad(ra) New English book: The Outset of Dissension in Islam (PDF) by Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad(ra) Alfazl Qadian Archives: 1913 to 1920 New Children's Book: Our Beloved Master - His Early Life (PDF) by Sheikh Muhammad Ismail Panipati New Urdu Book: Khatabat-e-Noor [PDF] Addresses by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I(ra) New English Book: A Critical Review of the Pamphlet: Fateh-e-Qadian [PDF] by Hadi Ali Chaudhary New English Book: The Verdict of the Quran and Sunnah [PDF] In reply to the booklet: Faisalah Ap Karein (Judge for Yourself) Persecution News and Updates For latest updates about the persecution of peaceful Ahmadiyya Muslim Community please visit newly launched website www.persecutionofahmadis.org www.reviewofreligions.org www.muslimsunrise.com Archives of Alislam-eGazette about the Prophet Muhammad April 2011 Jan 2011 Thomas Carlyle, Karen Armstrong, John Davenport and Prof. Laura Veccia Vaglieri To read more click here Unsubscribe    |   Contact Us   |   eGazette Team   |   Sitemap    |   Twitter   |   Facebook   |   Google+   |   YouTube Copyright © 2013 Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. 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Historic Reception takes place at Houses of Parliament to Celebrate Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat UK Centenary

Unlike the hatred and divisiveness that some Muslims preach, the following is what the real message of Islam is all about.

Raziya

LONDON, 13 June 2013

PRESS RELEASE

HISTORIC RECEPTION TAKES PLACE AT HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT TO CELEBRATE AHMADIYYA MUSLIM JAMAAT UK CENTENARY

Deputy Prime Minister,  Secretaries of State and Parliamentarians welcome Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad to Westminster

The World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat and Fifth Khalifa, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, was welcomed to the Houses of Parliament by the Deputy Prime Minister and various Secretaries of State and Parliamentarians on 11 June 2013.

The Khalifa was visiting Westminster to deliver the keynote address at a special reception hosted by Rt Hon Ed Davey MP (Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change) and the 'All Party Parliamentary Group for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community' in recognition of the 100 Year Centenary Celebrations of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in the UK.   

Prior to the formal proceedings, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad held private meetings with the Deputy Prime Minister Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, Home Secretary Rt Hon Theresa May MP, Energy Secretary Rt Hon Ed Davey MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP, Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP and Siobhain McDonagh MP.

The formal proceedings began at 1.05pm with a brief welcome address given by Ed Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. This was followed by short addresses by the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, by Douglas Alexander, the Shadow Foreign Secretary and by Theresa May, the Home Secretary.

Rt Hon Ed Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change said:

"It is a real privilege for us to host the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community today. We know well the amazing work His Holiness (Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad) does for the cause of peace and also the members of the Ahmadiyya Community. Thus it is absolutely fitting that so many MPs are here to thank you for being loyal and hard-working members of society." 

Rt Hon Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister said:

"The most important values and ethos which the Ahmadiyya Community has steadfastly communicated to millions of people around the world is of course one of peace, of love and one of reconciliation and that is a message which is enduring, powerful at all times - amongst all ages and in all communities… We all join with you, whatever background, political party or religious background, in celebrating the presence of your community here over a hundred years but also to celebrate the message the community has so quietly, steadfastly and with dignity been spreading and communicating for so long - one of peace, love and reconciliation."

  

Rt Hon Douglas Alexander, Shadow Foreign Secretary said:

"In a world of ever greater diversity and challenges that message of reconciliation is needed more than ever before. I want to place on record our admiration for the leadership you (Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad) have personally shown and collectively your community has shown, for the work you have done, the difference you have made and the service you continue to do not just for the members of the Ahmadiyya Community but being a powerful voice for tolerance, reconciliation and for peace. 'Love for All, Hatred for None' is a philosophy from which we can all benefit and from which we have a lot to learn in the years ahead."

Rt Hon Theresa May, Home Secretary said:

"His Holiness (Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad) has shown and continued to show that the only effective way of persuading extremists out of their poisonous convictions is peaceful dialogue. That is a message that you are giving around the world and it is a message we should all listen to and heed. I know that you have been targeted as a community yourselves, particularly in Pakistan, where it is a criminal offence for Ahmadis to call themselves Muslims, and where you have been subjected to some horrific attacks. I am absolutely committed to tackling all forms of extremism wherever it occurs… I have every confidence that in another 100 years there will be a group of people celebrating 200 years of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Britain. Thank you for all that you have contributed here in the United Kingdom and not just here but also the message you are giving around the world." 

During his keynote address, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad spoke of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat's commitment to peace and tolerance; he spoke of the importance of loyalty to one's country as a part of Islamic faith; he strongly condemned the recent brutal killing of a British soldier in London; he absolutely rejected the concept of a violent Jihad in today's world and he appealed for justice in an effort to safeguard the world from warfare and conflict.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad began his address by addressing directly all people associated with the Houses of Parliament by saying: 

"It is my sincere hope and prayer that all of the departments and people who work within this beautiful and grand building are able to fulfil the rights of serving this country and its people. I also hope and pray that they are able to work in the best possible manner towards fostering good relations with other nations, to act with justice and so make decisions that are of benefit to all parties. If this spirit is adopted then it will reap the very best fruits, which are of love, affection and brotherhood and will lead the world towards becoming a true haven of peace and prosperity."

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said that loyalty to one's country was an essential part of Islamic faith and that it had been "emphatically ordered" by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He said that all Ahmadi Muslims living in the UK desired "the progress and prosperity of this great nation." His Holiness also praised the British public for welcoming immigrants to the United Kingdom and allowing them to become "part of the fabric of British society." 

The Khalifa continued by stating that throughout its 100 year existence in the United Kingdom the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat had always promoted peace and rejected all forms of extremism.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

"These past 100 years prove and serve witness to the fact that the members of the Ahmadiyya Community have always fulfilled the requirement of being loyal to their country and have always steered absolutely clear of all forms of extremism, rebellion and disorder. In reality, the fundamental reason for this loyal and loving approach is due entirely to the fact that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a true Islamic religious community." 

The world leader continued by condemning and rejecting absolutely the concept of a 'violent Jihad'. He accepted with regret that some other 'so-called' Muslim scholars promoted such teachings but said they were entirely wrong and responsible for the formation of various terrorist groups and the radicalisation of certain individuals.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

"The most recent example of terrorism was, of course, the brutal killing of an innocent British soldier on the streets of London. It was an attack which had absolutely nothing to do with the real teachings of Islam; rather, Islamic teachings vehemently condemn such acts."

Later in his address, His Holiness appealed for mutual religious respect and tolerance. He said that Islam had given the foundation for peace because the Quran taught that prophets of God were sent to all peoples and nations.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

"No other religion so willingly and openly praises every faith and every nation as Islam does."

Describing the true character of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

"It was the Founder of Islamwho developed the love of God and the love of His creation in our hearts. It was he who ingrained and established love and respect for all of mankind and for all religions within us. The Holy Prophet(peace be upon him) spent his entire life spreading peace in the world. That was his noble mission. Certainly, there will come a day when the people of the world will realise and understand that he did not bring any teachings of extremism. They will realise that all he brought was a message of peace, love and kindness.

Explaining that freedom of religion was a fundamental tenet of Islam, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

"If a person's heart desires then they are free to accept Islam, but if their heart does not, then they are free to reject it. Therefore, Islam is completely against compulsion and extremism; rather, it advocates peace and harmony at all levels of society."

The Khalifa concluded by speaking about the critical need for justice in the modern world. He said that he feared current conflicts could escalate into a world war unless all forms of discrimination and inequality were rooted out. 

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

"Due to the acts of certain countries the signs are that another world war is on the horizon. If a world war breaks out then the Western world will also be deeply affected by its far-reaching and devastating consequences. Let us save ourselves from such destruction. Let us save our future generations from the miserable and devastating consequences of war. There is a real risk of a nuclear war breaking out. To prevent such a horrific outcome, we should adopt justice, integrity and honesty and join together to suppress and stop those groups who wish to spread hatred and who wish to destroy the peace of the world."

The event concluded with a silent prayer and thereafter guests were able to personally meet with Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad.

The Centenary Celebrations were attended by 68 dignitaries, including 30 MPs and 12 Members of the House of Lords, including 6 Cabinet Ministers and 2 Ministers. Various media organisations including the BBC, Sky TV and ITV were also present to cover the event.

Prior to the event the three main party leaders had all written in support of the Centenary. Whilst congratulating the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Prime Minister, Rt Hon David Cameron MP said Britain could be proud of the Community and he praised Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad as "a man of peace."

End

Further Information: press@ahmadiyya.org.uk

An invitation to other religions: demonstrating human rights and Universal Brotherhood from your scriptures

And excellent challenge!

Raziya

Follow us in Twitter | The Muslim Times | Alislam |  Subscribe An invitation to other religions: demonstrating human rights and Universal Brotherhood from your scriptures Epigraph: "And who is better in speech than he who invites men to Allah and does good works and says, 'I am surely of those who submit?' And good and evil are not alike. Repel evil with that which is best. And lo, he between whom and thyself was enmity will become as though he were a warm friend." (Al Quran 41:34-35)   Kaaba in Mecca Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD I was very happy to see the rescue of the 33 miners in Chile, in October of 2010, after an ordeal of more than two months. I noted all the international media focused on this and I wondered how wonderful our human community will become if we valued every human life regardless of race, religion or creed, with a similar zeal. I also wondered where do the human rights come from and what is the worth of an individual human life. This reminded me of a verse of the Holy Quran that declares the worth of human life to be priceless, it equates the saving of one life to the saving of the whole humanity: "We (Allah) prescribed for the children of Israel that whosoever killed a person — unless it be for killing a person or for creating disorder in the land — it shall be as if he had killed all mankind; and whoso gave life to one, it shall be as if he had given life to all mankind." (Al Quran 5:33) In what may be considered by others a self-indulgent thought, I rejoiced that the human rights and the dignity of human life, in its most pristine form, comes from the Holy Quran. It seems self evident to me that followers of other religions will not agree, some may even violently disagree, but, here I suggest a peaceful solution. I will demonstrate the roots of the human rights and the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in my holy scripture, in my comments and the links that I offer here and I would plead that the Christians, the Jews, the Hindus and the Buddhists will reciprocate the favor and make their case from their respective scriptures. The Holy Quran not only encourages rights of others and justice but prescribes unilateral goodness even in the face of evil: "And who is better in speech than he who invites men to Allah and does good works and says, 'I am surely of those who submit?' And good and evil are not alike. Repel evil with that which is best. And lo, he between whom and thyself was enmity will become as though he were a warm friend." (Al Quran 41:34-35) I suggest the 30 articles as a matrix or yard stick against which we choose to measure our respective scriptures. Let this Knol be a purist's pursuit to demonstrate the elegance of his or her own scripture without maligning others. Let the race begin, and do not focus on just one article of the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights, rather show how your scripture is in line with or better than all the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration! Fourteen hundred years before USA elected her first African-American President Barack Obama who jokingly described himself a 'mutt' and a similar number of years before Nelson Mandela could be free and the leader of South Africa the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him said, addressing a historic crowd of a hundred thousand people in the sparsely populated desert peninsula of Arabia, at the time of Hajj, "O men, all of you are equal. All men, whatever nation or tribe they may belong to, and whatever station in life they may hold, are equal. Allah has made you brethren one to another, so be not divided. An Arab has no preference over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab over an Arab; nor is a white one to be preferred to a dark one, nor a dark one to a white one."  It has been noted by the Muslim theologians, the Prophet never made any big or tall claims that did not have their foundation in the holy scripture, the Quran. As the Holy Quran is the final revelation by God to the whole of mankind, it addresses humanity as a whole.  There are at least 65 mentions of 'mankind,' in the Holy Quran. The Quran intends to unify Homo sapiens into 'Universal Brotherhood.' Many verses in the Holy Quran start with a term, which means, 'O mankind.' A couple of examples of the use of the expression, O mankind: "O mankind! be mindful of your duty to  your Lord, Who created you from a single soul and created therefrom its mate, and from them twain spread many men and women; and fear Allah, in Whose name you appeal to one another, and fear Him particularly respecting ties of relationship. Indeed, Allah watches over you."  (Al Quran 4:2) In this verse, Allah is defining the unity of mankind and highlighting that the whole of humanity is coming from one source and as such are related to each other, and should fear God in regards to their responsibilities to each other.  Incidentally, the verse also talks of evolution of life on the planet earth and how all life forms are related and the initial biological reproduction was asexual. "O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female; and We have made you into tribes and sub-tribes that you may recognize one another. Indeed, the most honourable among you, in the sight of Allah, is he who is the most righteous among you. Surely, Allah is All-knowing, All-Aware." (Al Quran 49:14) "O mankind, the Messenger has indeed come to you with Truth from your Lord; believe therefore, it will be better for you. But if you disbelieve, indeed, to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and in the earth. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise." (Al Quran 4:171) "Say, 'O mankind! truly I am a Messenger to you all from Allah to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. There is no God but He. He gives life, and He causes death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Prophet, the Immaculate one, who believes in Allah and His words; and follow him that you may be rightly guided.'" (Al Quran 7:159) "O mankind! there has indeed come to you an exhortation from your Lord and a cure for whatever disease there is in the hearts, and a guidance and a mercy to the believers." (Al Quran 10:58) "The extinction of race consciousness as between Muslims is one of the outstanding moral achievements of Islam, and in the contemporary world there is, as it happens, a crying need for the propagation of this Islamic virtue."  (Famous historian: Arnold Joseph Toynbee) Read further in the Muslim Times.

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Muhammad: The Light for the Dark Ages of Europe!

A very good eye-opening article! Read on...

Raziya

Follow us in Twitter | The Muslim Times | Alislam |  Subscribe Muhammad: The Light for the Dark Ages of Europe! My task here is twofold, first to show that European science was built on the Latin translations of the works of the great Muslim pioneers and secondly that the Muslim learning from 8th-12th centuries was heavily influenced by the teachings of the Holy Quran, the literal word of God revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him.   Cave of Hira where the Prophet Muhammad had his first revelation! Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD Abstract An honest study of the causes of the Dark Ages and European renaissance will lead to the inevitable conclusion that Muhammad, may peace be on him, was the light for the Dark Ages. John Davenport writes in, an apology for Mohammed and the Koran: "It is in the compositions of Friar Bacon, who was born in 1214, and who learned the Oriental languages, that we discover the most extensive acquaintance with the Arabian authors. He quotes Albumazar, Thabet-Ebu-Corah, Ali Alhacer, Alkandi, Alfraganus and Arzakeb; and seems to have been as familiar with them as with the Greek and Latin classics, especially with Avicenna, whom he calls 'the chief and prince of philosophy.' The great Lord Bacon, it is well known, imbibed and borrowed the first principles of his famous experimental philosophy from his predecessor and namesake Roger Bacon, a fact which indisputably establishes the derivation of the Baconian philosophical system from the descendants of Ishmael and disciples of Mohammed." In a short paragraph, John Davenport has very precisely identified all the links in the human intellectual evolution. Additionally, his book, which is available in Google books, is a master piece in the defense of the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him. Read his two page Preface and he is standing shoulder to shoulder with other great defenders of the Prophet Muhammad in the Western world, like Thomas Carlyle. Unfortunately, some Western scientists and historians propose the European science to be some sort of magical wand and what preceded it as not good enough or label it as pre-science or mystical science etc.! My task here is twofold, first to show that European science was built on the Latin translations of the works of the great Muslim pioneers and secondly that the Muslim learning from 8th-12th centuries was heavily influenced by the teachings of the Holy Quran, the literal word of God, revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him. ————————————————————————————————————————————–- "If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and outstanding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad?"  Alphonse de Lamartine, Foreign Minister of France, 1848 Allow me to make the lion's share of my case by quoting a classic book History of the Moorish Empire in Europepublished in 1904 in three volumes and extending over more than 2000 pages.  The insightful writer, Samuel Parsons Scott, a lawyer from Hillsboro Ohio  writes, as he attributes all the success of Europe to the Prophet Muhammad: Unlike most theological systems to which men, in all ages, have rendered their obedient and pious homage, no mystery obscures the origin and foundation of Islam. The purity and simplicity of its principles have undergone no change. Its history has been preserved by the diligence of innumerable writers. The life and characteristics of its Prophet, even to the smallest detail, are accessible to the curiosity of every enterprising scholar. The austere character of a faith which, at its inception, exacts a rigid compliance with the minutest formalities of its ritual, naturally becomes relaxed and modified after that system has attained to worldly importance and imperial authority; or, in the language of one of the greatest of modern writers, 'a dominant religion is never ascetic.' It is strange that Islam, which, in this respect, as in many others, has conformed to the general law of humanity, and now acknowledges tenets and allows practices that would have struck the subjects of Abu-Bekr and Omar with amazement, has been able to preserve in such perfection the observance of its ceremonial; especially when it had no organized sacerdotal power to sustain it. The absence of an ecclesiastical order which could dictate the policy of the throne, and humble the pride of the ermine and purple with the dust in the presence of some audacious zealot, also left untrammelled the way for scientific investigation and research, and, more than all else, contributed to dispel the darkness of mediaeval times. The doctrine of toleration enunciated by Mohammed gave no encouragement to that system of repression whose activity has exhausted every means of checking the growth of philosophical knowledge, by imposing the most direful spiritual and temporal penalties upon every teacher who ventures to publicly explain its principles; and it is a matter of far deeper import to the civilization of the twentieth century, than is implied by the mere performance of an act of devotion, when the Temple of Mecca—the seat of a time-honored faith, from whose shrine emanated the spirit of learning that redeemed degraded Europe—is saluted five times every day by the reverent homage of concentric circles of believers, one hundred and fifty million in number, from Tangier to Pekin, from the borders of Siberia to the Equinoctial Line. We may well consider with admiration the rapid progress and enduring effects of this extraordinary religion which everywhere brought order, wealth, and happiness in its train; which, in destroying the deities of the Kaaba, swept away the traditions of thirty centuries; which adopted those pagan rites that it could not abolish; which seized and retained the birthplace of Christianity; which dispersed over so wide a territory alike the theocracy of the Jews and the ritual of Rome; which drove the Magi from the blazing altars of Persia; which usurped the throne and sceptre of the Byzantine Church; which supplanted the fetichism of the African desert; which trampled upon the mysteries of Isis, Osiris, and Horus, and revealed to the wondering Egyptians the secret of the Most High God; which invaded the Councils of Catholicism, and suggested a fundamental article of its belief; which fashioned the graceful arches of our most famous cathedrals; which placed its seal upon the earth in the measurement of a degree, and inscribed its characters in living light amidst the glittering constellations of the heavens; which has left its traces in the most familiar terms of the languages of Europe; which affords daily proof of its beneficent offices in the garments that we wear, in the books that we read, in the grains of our harvests, in the fruits of our orchards, in the flowers of our gardens; and which gave rise to successive dynasties of sovereigns, whose supreme ambition seemed to be to exalt the character of their subjects, to transmit unimpaired to posterity the inestimable treasures of knowledge, and to extend and perpetuate the intellectual empire of man. These signal and unparallelled results were effected by the inflexible constancy, the lofty genius, the political sagacity, of an Arabian shepherd, deficient in the very rudiments of learning, reared among a barbarous people divided into tribes whose mutual hostility had been intensified by centuries of warfare, who had no organized system of government, who considered the mechanical and mercantile arts degrading, who recognized no law but that of force, and knew no gods but a herd of grotesque and monstrous idols. Robbery was their profession, murder their pastime. Except within the precincts of their camp, no friend, unless connected by the sacred ties of blood, was secure. They devoured the flesh of enemies slain in battle. Deceit always excepted, cruelty was their most prominent national characteristic. Their offensive arrogance, relentless enmity, and obstinate tenacity of purpose were, in a direct ratio to their ignorance and their brutalizing superstition, confirmed by the prodigies, the omens, and the legends of ages. To undertake the radical amelioration of such political and social conditions was a task of appalling, of apparently insuperable difficulty. Its fortunate accomplishment may not indicate the active interposition of Divine authority. The glories which invest the history of Islam may be entirely derived from the valor, the virtue, the intelligence, the genius, of man. If this be conceded, the largest measure of credit is due to him who conceived its plan, promoted its impulse, and formulated the rules which insured its success. In any event, if the object of religion be the inculcation of morals, the diminution of evil, the promotion of human happiness, the expansion of the human intellect; if the performance of good works will avail in that great day when mankind shall be summoned to its final reckoning, it is neither irreverent nor unreasonable to admit that Mohammed was indeed an Apostle of God. Alhambra in Granada Spain Mark Graham is the Edgar award-winning author of 'Black Maria,' third in a series of historical novels which have been translated into several languages. He studied medieval history and religious studies at Connecticut College and has a master's degree in English literature from Kutztown University. He writes: This is how the tale is still often told in the West, from grade school through college. The rise of Islam is mentioned just long enough to explain why there are so many Muslims in the world. After that Islam fades from the historical record until the Franks encounter the 'Saracens' in the l090s. The success of the First Crusade is recounted with pride, while later failures are quickly glossed over. With the Renaissance wrapping up the account, one might safely conclude that the Europeans could do what the Muslims could not: turn Greek wis­dom into something useful. This is the story of the Middle Ages, the one that every school kid learns. It is the story of how the glory of Greece and the grandeur of Rome were lost for a time but found again-how Europe wandered in the wilderness for forty years (actually more like six or seven hundred) but eventually redeemed itself by throwing out the superstitious world­view of the Catholic Church and embracing the humanistic ideals of the Greek philosophers. What may come as a surprise to the millions of people of all generations who have been forced to learn this version of events is that it is sheer myth. After all, what could be more mythological than the idea of a hero (Europe), the son of Gods (Greece and Rome), discovering its birthright (civilization and power), after going through a quest (the Crusades) and fighting various monsters (Muslims) who have been hoarding the treas­ure (philosophy, science, mathematics) for ages? Read it in Ovid, the Nibelungenlied, or J. R. R. Tolkien. But if you really want your heroic fantasy straight up, all you have to do is read a social studies textbook. Looking through the pages of a standard high school text on Western civilization (or world cultures or whatever other euphe­mism), you will be hard pressed to find mention of any Muslim other than Muhammad. Perhaps you will come across the names of Saladin or Suleiman the Magnificent, brilliant rulers who, it is begrudgingly admitted, actually defeated the West from time to time. But after that.. .nothing. No mention of scientists, writers, artists, philosophers-in short, no reference to anyone or anything that would lead you to believe that the Islamic world ever had any culture worth speaking about. Truth, unlike myth, is frequently what we do not want to hear. And perhaps the most heretical thing to say is that Europe ever had anything to learn from Islam. But learn it did, sitting at the foot of its Muslim teachers for half a millennium. Far from being incubators or preservers, Muslims were all the things those textbooks deny them being: artists, poets, philosophers, mathematicians, chemists, astronomers, physicists. In short, they were civilized at a time when Europe was wallowing in barbarism. Muslim civilization was the greatest in size and technology that the world had ever seen. And far from existing in a vacuum, it directly impinged on the creation of Europe as a cultural entity and as a scientific and political power. As much as some are loathe to admit it, the Islamic world is the giant on whose shoulders the European Renaissance stood. Read further in our site Islam for the West

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