April – June 2005

20 Pages·2005·0.15 MB·English

by  Ken White

“Call to the path of thy Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation,
and argue with people in the best manner.” (Holy Quran, 16:125)
The Light
AND
ISLAMIC REVIEW
Exponent of Islam and the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement
for over eighty years
April – June 2005
In the spirit of the above-cited verse, this periodical attempts to dispel
misunderstandings about the religion of Islam and endeavors to
facilitate inter-faith dialogue based on reason and rationality.
Vol. 82 CONTENTS No. 2
Dutch Holy Quran Opening Speech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
By Dr. Noman Malik
Human Rights in Islam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
By Dr. Ayesha Saliha Khan
A Commentary on Mirza Masroor Ahmad’s khutba
dealing with the “ever-lasting” Qadiani khilafat . . . . . . . .13
By Dr. Zahid Aziz
Certainty In Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
By Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
Published on the World-Wide Web at: www.muslim.org
◆ Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha‘at Islam Lahore Inc., U.S.A. ◆
P.O. Box 3370, Dublin, Ohio 43016, U.S.A.
2 THELIGHT ■ APRIL– JUNE2005
The Lightwas founded in 1921 as the organ of the AHMADIYYAANJUMAN
ISHA‘AT ISLAM (Ahmadiyya Association for the Propagation of Islam) of
About ourselves
Lahore,Pakistan. The Islamic Reviewwas published in England from 1913
for over 50 years, and in the U.S.A. from 1980 to 1991. The present Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha‘at Islam Lahore
periodical represents the beliefs of the worldwide branches of the has branches in many countries including:
Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha‘at Islam,Lahore. U.S.A. Australia
U.K. Canada
ISSN:1060–4596
Holland Fiji
Editorial Board:Directors of AAIIL,Inc.,USA Indonesia Germany
Suriname India
Circulation:Mrs. Samina Malik.
Trinidad South Africa
Guyana
Contact information:
‘The Light’,P.O. Box 3370,Dublin,Ohio 43016,U.S.A. Achievements:
Phone:614 – 873 1030 • Fax:614 – 873 1022 The Anjuman has produced extensive
literature on Islam,originally in English and
E-mails:[email protected]
Urdu, including translations of the
Holy Quran with commentaries. These books
Website:www.muslim.org
are being translated into other languages,
including French, German, Spanish, Dutch,
The main object of the A.A.I.I.L. is to present the true,original message of
Russian, Chinese, and Arabic. The Anjuman
Islam to the whole world — Islam as it is found in the Holy Quran and the
has run several Muslim missions around the
life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad,obscured today by grave misconcep-
world, including the first ever in Western
tions and wrong popular notions. Europe.
Islam seeks to attract the hearts and mindsof people towards the truth,by
means of reasoning and the natural beauty of its principles. History:
HazratMirza Ghulam Ahmad (d. 1908),our Founder,arose to remind the 1889: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad founds
the Ahmadiyya Movement.
world that Islam is:
1901: Movement given name Ahmadiyya
International:It recognizes prophets being raised among all nations
after Holy Prophet Muhammad’s other
and requires Muslims to believe in them all. Truth and goodness
famous name Ahmad.
can be found in all religions. God treats all human beings equally,
regardless of race,nationality or religion. 1905: Hazrat Mirza appoints central body
(Anjuman) to manage the Movement.
Peaceful: Allows use of force only in unavoidable self-defence.
1908: Death of Hazrat Mirza. Succeeded by
Teaches Muslims to live peacefully under any rule which accords
Maulana Nur-ud-Din as Head.
them freedom of religion.
1914: Death of Maulana Nur-ud-Din.
Tolerant: Gives full freedom to everyone to hold and practise any
Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha‘at Islam
creed or religion. Requires us to tolerate differences of belief and founded at Lahore as continuation of the
opinion. original Anjuman. Maulana Muhammad
Ali elected as Head.
Rational:In all matters,it urges use of human reason and knowledge.
Blind following is condemned and independence of thought is 1951: Death of Maulana Muhammad Ali
granted. after fifty years of glorious service to the
cause of Islam. Maulana Sadr-ud-Din
Inspiring:Worship is not a ritual,but provides living contact with a
(d. 1981) becomes Head.
Living God,Who answers prayers and speaks to His righteous ser-
1981–1996: Dr Saeed Ahmad Khan,an emi-
vants even today as in the past.
nent medical doctor and religious schol-
Non-sectarian:Every person professing Islam by the words La ilaha ar, led the Movement, at a time of
ill-Allah, Muhammad-ur rasul-ullah (There is no god but Allah, intense persecution.
and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah) is a Muslim. A Muslim
1996–2002: Prof. Dr Asghar Hameed, a
cannot be expelled from Islam by anyone. distinguished retired University
Professor of Mathematics, and learned
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad taught that noprophet,old or new,is to arise
Islamic scholar,served as Head.
after the Holy Prophet Muhammad. However,Mujaddidswill be raised by
God to revive and rekindle the light of Islam. 2002: Prof. Dr Abdul Karim Saeed Pasha
elected Head.
APRIL– JUNE2005 ■ THELIGHT 3
Dutch Holy Quran propaganda by extremist organizations, who, taking
advantage of the ignorance of the Quran by the Muslims,
Opening Speech
try to convert them to their own violent philosophies.
Another great advantage of these translations is that they
By Dr. Noman Malik will enable non-Muslim readers to appreciate the message
of peace and tolerance preached by the Quran which
[This article was presented at the momentous occasion of
should result in mutual respect and understanding between
the Opening of the Dutch translation of the Holy Quran,
Muslims and persons of other faiths.
based on the English translation by Maulana Muhammad
Ali on March 10,2005 in The Hague,Netherlands. It pres- Concept of the Divine Being:Basis of Correcting
ents an insightful look into the need for the Quran in con- Misconceptions
temporary society in the languages of the Western world.]
Perhaps the most common misconception about Islam is
Value of Translations of the Holy Quran that it is an intolerant, violent religion which espouses
“holy war” to forcibly convert non-Muslims to Islam.
Honorable Madame Minister Verdonk and distinguished
Before dealing with this specific misconception, I would
guests, it gives us great pleasure that you have come here
like to give a short over-view of the general attitude which
to share in our joy and happiness on this day of the
the Holy Quraninculcates in Muslims which should guide
Opening of the Dutch Holy Quran. This is truly a historic
them in any and all situations they may face. This general
moment. Muslim populations of Western Europe are grow-
attitude is based on the concept of the Divine Beingas given
ing at a rapid rate. Many Muslims are now of second or
in the Holy Quran. The soul of all men regardless of their
even third generation Westerners and identify more with
religious persuasion or ethnicity is the spirit of God which
the countries of birth rather than with their ethnic origins.
he breathes into all men as stated in the following verse:
Unfortunately,due to centuries of armed conflict between
Muslim and Christian nations,racial bigotry in Europe,the So when I have made him complete and
catastrophic events of 9/11 and the rise of terrorist organi- breathed into him of My spirit,fall down mak-
zations such as Al-Qaida justifying their violent attacks on ing obeisance to Him (15:29).
civilians in the name of Islam,the western public has,gen-
The object of Man’s existence is to develop those divine
erally,a very negative opinion of Islam.
qualities within him by deeds so that he may attain close-
Islam is frequently viewed as an intolerant and violent ness to God in this life as well as in the next:
religion which is incompatible with democratic principles
And the soul and its perfection!
accepted by modern, civilized nations. These negative
So He reveals to it its way of evil and its way
ideas many times translate into discriminatory acts against
of good;
Muslims. Muslims,who themselves abhor the violent acts
He is indeed successful who causes it to grow
committed by terrorist organizations in the name of Islam,
And he indeed fails who buries it (91:7-10).
are frustrated and angered by this prejudice and discrimi-
nation directed against them. This is especially true for As man’s soul is the Spirit of God which has been
young Muslims who consider themselves as nationals of breathed into him, his conduct and behavior towards his
the countries of their birth and are much less inclined to fellow man will be determined by his developing the attrib-
accept discrimination than their immigrant parents. The utes of God within himself. Therefore,it is very important
resulting tension and conflict disturbs the peace of society. that we understand the attributes of God. The best descrip-
tion of the Divine Being and His attributes are found in the
Islam is fortunate in that it does not have any ecclesias-
first chapter of the Holy Quran,the Fatihah:
tical authority or priesthood which defines its spiritual val-
ues. The Holy Quran is the paramount source of spiritual Praise be to Allah,the Lord of the worlds,
values and moral behavior in Islam. The Hadith (the say- The Beneficent,the Merciful,
ings and practices of the Holy Prophet),the opinions of the Masterof the day of Requital.
Jurists and the general consensus of the Muslim communi- Thee do we serve and Thee do we beseech for
ty are the other sources,listed in their order of importance. help.
The Holy Quran,however,takes precedence over the other Guide us onthe right path,
three in all matters. The path of those upon whom Thou hast
bestowed favours,
Many Muslims,however,do not understand Arabic,the
Not those upon whom wrath is brought down,
language of the Holy Quran. Hence the value of transla-
nor those who go astray.
tions such as this Dutch translation which allows Muslims
to access first hand the teachings of the Holy Quranabout Allah is the proper name of God and means “the Being
any subject. It also make them much less vulnerable to Who exists necessarily by Himself,comprising all the attrib-
4 THELIGHT ■ APRIL– JUNE2005
utes of perfection”.Three of these attributes are mentioned punish,they should do so,not in a spirit of vengeance,but
in this prayer and these serve as the prime attributes from rather with the intention of reforming the individual.
which all other attributes are derived. The first of these is
The Sura Fatihah, which contains this message, is said
Rabb which is translated as Lord,but which actually means
about thirty times a day in the congregational prayers held
“one who creates and then nurtures from a lower state to a
five times every day. When Muslims stand shoulder to
higher state any thing or affair by set laws until it reaches its
shoulder and prostrate in unison before God thirty times a
state of perfection”. Nourisher unto perfection would be the
day and reiterate the perfect attributes of God, the Divine
closest translation of the wordRabb. The word translated as
becomes a living force in a Muslim’s life not only on an
worldsalso means nations. Thus,God is the Nouisher unto
individual level, but also on a collective scale, thereby
perfection of all nations and not only of Muslims. Never
becoming a powerful impetus to serve humanity.
once does God limit himself by calling himself the Lord of
Muslims or Arabs. He always refers to Himself as the Lord These are the general tenets of behavior taught by the
of mankind. He excercises this attribute of being Lord or Holy Quran which should govern Muslim conduct in any
Rabb through His rahma which is translated as mercy but situation or circumstance. These general principles of action
which actually means to have so much love or tenderness themselves should be enough of an answer to the main crit-
for a thing that one must do good to it. God, in his role as icism leveled against Islam that it preaches intolerance and
Beneficent (Rahman), provides for men out of love every- espouses the use of force in its spread,and that it is incom-
thing needed for their development, material or spiritual patible with democracy and dictates the oppression of
without their having done anything to deserve it. And then if women. The Holy Qurannot only rejects such behavior,but
men follow God’s rules and guidance, He, the Merciful rather on the contrary,lays down specific rules and codes of
(Rahim), rewards them immeasurably. This attribute of conduct which proactively move the Muslims towards toler-
Mercy is the only attribute Allah has made binding upon ance,the freedom of religious choice,government by coun-
himself and shows his immeasurable love for mankind: sel,and the liberation of the oppressed.
Say:To whom belongs whatever is in the heav- Equality:the Natural Antidote to Religious
ens and the earth? Say: To Allah. He has Intolerance
ordained mercy on Himself…(6:12).
The Holy Quran demolishes the root causes of religious
If sometimes circumstances arise that nations or individ- intolerance by declaring that, spiritually, all people are
uals violate God’s commandments and try to destroy that equal as they have all the same soul,which is the spirit of
which is good,then He judges them,and punishes them if God breathed into man. It states the founders of all reli-
needed, by His attribute of being Master of the day of gions are Messengers from God sent for the guidance and
requitalor judgment.The punishment is never in the spirit reform of mankind whether they are mentioned in the Holy
of vengeance,but is always intended to bring about reform Quranor not:
of an individual or nation,or to save the good from destruc-
Surely We have sent thee with the Truth as a
tion. In his capacity as judge, He is mentioned approxi-
bearer of good news and a warner. And there is
mately 300 times as the “Forgiving”and only 4 times as the
not a people but a warner has gone among
“Lord of Retribution” which shows the preponderance of
them (35:24).
Forgiveness in the Divine Being. Therefore, these three
basic attributes are the ones by which humanity and the And (We sent) messengers We have mentioned
whole of creation are brought to perfection. Such a broad to thee before and messengers We have not
concept of God is unrivalled among the world’s scriptures. mentioned to thee...(4:164).
Muslims are expected to imbibe these attributes and dis- According to the Quran, the founders of all religions
play them in their everyday lives. This means that just as are one community and the Prophet Muhammad is the last
God is Lordor Nourisher unto Perfectionof men,irrespec- in this list of messengers with the final message,the Holy
tive of their religious beliefs or racial origin, so too must Quran, which contains all that is good in the previous
Muslims help in the development (physical and spiritual) of scriptures. Hence, Muslims are duty bound to respect the
humanity without any discrimination against any group. In founder and scripture of all other religions.
the same way as God does good to all of mankind through
According to the HolyQuran,spiritual development is
his love for humanity (i.e. His Rahma or Mercy), so too
possible for adherents of all religions and the means to
must Muslims provide for their fellow human beings out of
attain it is the same for every one.
love for them. And if Muslims are placed in a position
where they have to sit in judgment and mete out punish- Surely those who believe, and those who are
ment,forgiveness should preponderate in their decision just Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians,
as it preponderates in the Divine Being. And if they have to whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day
APRIL– JUNE2005 ■ THELIGHT 5
and does good, they have their reward with bation. Jihad, in accordance with this definition, can be
their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor applied in one of three ways; namely: against a visible
shall they grieve (2:62). enemy,against the devil and against one’s self. Jihadas war
to spread Islam is unknown equally to the Arabic Language
Furthermore, the Holy Quran unequivocally acknowl-
and to the teachings of the Holy Quran. That the primary
edge the presence of good people in all religions:
significance of Jihad is not fighting is proven by the fact
They are not all alike. Of the People of the that the word jihad is used in the Makkan revelations when
Book there is an upright party who recite even the thought of fighting had not occurred. To give two
Allah’s messages in the night-time and they examples from the many places where the word is used in
adore (Him). the Makkan revelations,one may view the following:
They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and And strive hard for Allah with due striv-
they enjoin good and forbid evil and vie one ing...(22:78).
with another in good deeds. And those are
So obey not the disbelievers and strive against
among the righteous.
them a mighty striving with it (25:52).
And whatever good they do, they will not be
In the former it says “And strive hard (jahidu) for God
denied it. And Allah knows those who keep
with due striving (jihad)”which means to struggle to attain
their duty. (3:113-115).
nearness to God by struggling with one’s passions and sub-
In no religious scripture is freedom of religion stated duing them. In the latter verse it says “So obey not the dis-
more emphatically and forcefully than in 2:256 of the Holy believers and strive (jahid) against them a mighty striving
Quran: (jihadan) with it (i.e. with the Quran).
There is no compulsion in religion, the right Later when the Muslims were attacked in Medina,per-
way is indeed clearly distinct from error... mission to fight was given but only as defensive measure
as it says in verse:
These are only a few of the many like verses in the Holy
Quran. One would turn the pages of other scriptures in Permission (to fight) is given to those on
vain to find statements of tolerance such as these, whom war is made, because they are
expressed so frequently and in such a clear and forceful oppressed. And surely Allah is Able to assist
them - Those who are driven from their homes
manner. Perhaps nowhere is the tolerant attitude more
without a just cause except that they say: Our
beautifully summed up than in the last section of chapter 2
Lord is Allah. (22:39,40).
of the Holy Quran where states:
Furthermore,2:190 states:
The Messenger believes in what has been
revealed to him from his Lord,and (so do) the And fight in the way of Allah against those
believers. They all believe in God and His who fight against you but be not aggressive.
angels and His Books and His messengers. We Surely Allah loves not the aggressors.
make no difference between any of His mes-
It should be noted that in this verse, the word used for
sengers.And they say:We hear and obey; our
fighting isQuitaland not jihad.
Lord, Thy forgiveness (do we crave), and to
Thee is the eventual course (2:285). Fighting in these cases were always in self-defense.
When one is attacked and oppressed and when the object
Misunderstanding the Concept of Jihad:an Obstacle
of the enemy is to destroy Islam, then indeed fighting in
to Understanding Islam
such a case is also jihad as it is a struggle against evil.
Closely related to the misconception that Islam is an intol- Aggressive warfare, however, is forbidden in Islam. The
erant religion is the subject of Jihad. Jihad is mistakenly Quranclearly says that God does not love the aggressors.
understood by the majority of the western public as mean- There are no injunctions, as in the Bible for example, to
ing aggressive war undertaken by Muslims to convert non- fight people and conquer their land. Not only does the
Muslims to Islam. The foregoing discussion effectively Quran only permit defensive war, it specifically encour-
refutes the idea that forceful conversion is permitted in ages peace by making its acceptance mandatory even if it
Islam. In fact verse 2:156 positively forbids it. is suspected that the enemy is offering peace just as a
deceptive measure as stated in the following verses:
The word Jihadis derived from the Arabic word “Jahd”
which means ability, exertion or power. One authority And if they incline to peace, incline thou also
defines it as the exertion of one’s utmost power, efforts, to it, and trust in Allah. Surely He is the
endeavors or ability in dealing with an object of disappro- Hearer,the Knower.
6 THELIGHT ■ APRIL– JUNE2005
And if they intend to deceive thee,then surely vides a practical example of this at the time of the battle of
Allah is sufficient for thee. He it is Who Uhud. The Holy Prophet was of the opinion that rather than
strengthened thee with His help and with the fight the enemy in the open field,the Muslims should forti-
believers (8:61,62). fy Medina and fight a defensive battle. The majority of the
Muslims wanted to meet the enemy on the battleground and
Neither in the earlier revelations of the Holy Qurannor
the Prophet assented to the majority opinion. The Muslims,
in the later revelations is there the slightest indication of
although not defeated in battle, suffered heavy casualties
any injunction to propagate Islam by the sword. On the
because of this decision. But even then the Holy Prophet
other hand, war was clearly allowed as a measure of self-
was advised in the Holy Quran to adhere to the principle of
defense till the end. There is not a single case of any non-
forming a majority decision even if it led to a reverse:
Muslim being forced to accept Islam during the life of
Holy Prophet. Thus it is by Allah’s mercy that thou art gentle
to them. And hadst thou been rough, hard-
Democracy in Islam
hearted, they would certainly have dispersed
Closely related to the above topic is the great misconcep- from around thee. So pardon them and ask
tion that not only is Islam incompatible with democracy protection for them, and consult them in
but it encourages dictatorial forms of government. You (important) matters.But when thou hast deter-
may judge and make up your own minds from the quota- mined, put thy trust in Allah. Surely Allah
tions of the Holy Quran I will cite in dealing with this loves those who trust (in Him). (3:159).
topic. As I had stated in the beginning,the mind set engen-
This background firmly establishes the democratic prin-
dered by the Holy Quran, by which Muslims are to be
ciple of majority rule in Islam.
guided in any and all situations, is that stated in the Sura
Fatihah. Whatever form of government Muslims create, After laying down the principle for the form of govern-
according to the spirit of the sura fatihah, it must be a ment,the Holy Quran deals with the issue of selection of a
benign,beneficent,merciful and just government. leader. In 4:58 it states:
Before dealing with the form of government, I would Surely Allah commands you to make over
like to quote the Holy Quranon what constitutes a nation trusts to those worthy of them, and that when
or state. The Quran unequivocally declares the whole of you judge between people,you judge with jus-
mankind as a single nation and thus does away with ethnic
tice. Surely Allah admonishes you with what is
and linguistic divisions which have wreaked so much
excellent. Surely Allah is ever Hearing,
havoc and atrocities in human history. The Quran declares
Seeing. (4:58).
an end to these ethnic conflicts with a single verse:
Note that it is the peoplewho make over the trust. It is
Mankind is a single nation…(2:213).
the people who choose the leader. There is no room for
The Quranlays down the rule that the only criteria for hereditary kingship or dictatorship in Islam.
worthiness is moral and spiritual excellence:
The first four successors to the Holy Prophet,the right-
O mankind, surely We have created you from eous caliphs, demonstrated this practically. Hazrat
a male and a female,and made you tribes and Abubakr the first caliph was elected by majority vote.
families that you may know each other. Surely Another companion of the Holy Prophet, a respected
the noblest of you with Allah is the most duti- Ansar from Madinah who was also a candidate for leader
ful of you. Surely Allah is Knowing, Aware. of the Muslims had given a speech giving reasons why he
(49:13). should be leader. Hazrat Abubakr then stood up and gave a
speech as to why he should be chosen as leader instead.
The form of government presented in the Holy Quran is
The assembly decided in favour of Hazrat Abubakr as
clearly stated to be democratic, that is a government “by
Caliph. The companion who had stood as the other candi-
counsel”.
date unhesitatingly accepted Hazrat Abubakr as the caliph.
And those who respond to their Lord and keep This gives lie to the canard that Muslim leaders are taught
up prayer, and whose affairs are (decided) by by the Holy Quran to try to grab power at all cost and never
counsel among themselves,and who spend out to accept defeat. The other three caliphs, Hazrat Umar,
of what We have given them. (42:38). Hazrat Uthman and Hazrat Ali were all elected by a coun-
cil comprised of important companions of the Holy
In other words, the state apparatus has to be such that
Prophet with unimpeachable characters.
governmental decisions have to be taken by mutual consul-
tation between the ruler and the ruled. There cannot be any The elections of a head of state should be based on wis-
dictatorship. The Holy Prophet Muhammad himself pro- dom,clear judgment and knowledge of affairs,as it is stated:
APRIL– JUNE2005 ■ THELIGHT 7
Bear patiently what they say, and remember Human Rights in Islam
Our servant David,the possessor of power. He
ever turned (to Allah).
By Dr. Ayesha Saliha Khan
Truly We made the mountains subject to him,
glorifying (Allah) at nightfall and sunrise, [This article was presented at the Symposium on Islam and
And the birds gathered together. All were obe- World Peace in conjunction with the Annual Convention of
dient to him. the USA branch of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement held
And We strengthened his kingdom and We in Columbus,Ohio in August of 2004.]
gave him wisdom and a clear judgment.
Introduction
(38:17-20).
And their prophet said to them: Surely Allah Almost 2 years ago,on September 11,2002,a professor in
has raised Saul to be a king over you. They my medical school stated to the class that he would like to
said:How can he have kingdom over us while a few minutes at the end of his biochemistry lecture to
we have a greater right to kingdom than he, commemorate the one-year anniversary of the tragedy that
and he has not been granted abundance of devastated our country. Of course, most of the students
wealth?He said:Surely Allah has chosen him agreed that a few moments to remember the lives of those
above you, and has increased him abundantly that were lost was appropriate. Unfortunately,however,the
in knowledge and physique. And Allah grants professor’s “commemoration” consisted of a 20 minute
His kingdom to whom He pleases. And Allah attack on Islam as a religion and the people who follow it.
is Ample-giving,Knowing. (2:247). His talk on the attacks of 9/11,complete with power point
slides, explained that the reason the attacks occurred was
This will necessitate the development of a mechanism
that the un-evolved and uncivilized nature of the average
for evaluating candidates such as a free press in modern
times. Furthermore, justice should form the basis of gov- Muslim mindlessly followed the example of a barbaric
ernment,as is explained in the following verse: prophet who (God forbid) did such things as kill the infants
of mothers who dared to voice an opinion against him. He
O David,surely We have made thee a ruler in
explained that the genetic make-up of the Muslim people
the land; so judge between men justly and fol-
largely predisposed them to such violent tendencies and
low not desire,lest it lead thee astray from the
even the very few who could be educated to overcome this,
path of Allah. Those who go astray from the
could not mount an effective response to the radicalized
path of Allah,for them is surely a severe chas-
fundamentalists because the very Book of Islam supported
tisement because they forgot the day of
the militant actions. Were this a senseless tirade,one could
Reckoning. (38:26)
easily dismiss it as the crazy rant of a bigot; unfortunately,
The head of state in Islam should not be above the law however, the professor threw up slide after slide of hard
and may be removed for misconduct. Thus, some mecha- evidence in the form of the countless human rights viola-
nism should be in place,such as an independent judiciary,
tions and ruthless killings that go on in the many “Islamic
to carry out such a function. This principle is set forth in
states” that scatter the globe. He also referred the class to
the following way:
a website called secularislam.org so that they could see for
And do not gain access to judges thereby. themselves what an evil religion Islam was.
(2:188).
This website, www.secularislam.org, which I have
As a practical example of this,the Caliph Umar himself briefly researched since the incident,is supposedly created
had to appear as defendant in court in a civil case against by a former Muslim who has denounced Islam. The thrust
him. of the website is in outlining Islam as a barbaric religion
through the many human rights violations that occur in
Conclusion
Islamic states. It uses some quotes from the Quran that
To conclude,the need for a correct understanding of Islam, have been quite deliberately misinterpreted to further back
by Muslims and non-Muslims alike, in modern times, is the proof of Islam as barbaric; but mainly,the practices of
essential to the peaceful co-existence of humanity. It is, the modern ummahare given as proof of the moral corrupt-
ultimately,only through the proliferation of the Quranthat
ness of Islam as a religion. This tactic is not a new one as
people can truly understand and appreciate this world reli-
many, including the media, have used the human rights
gion and its value to civilized society. We pray that this
violations that occur in Islamic countries to attack Islam as
publication of the Holy Quran in the Dutch language is a
a religion. As such, I feel it is important to address this
meaningful contribution to that end.■
issue of human rights and their relation to the religion of
8 THELIGHT ■ APRIL– JUNE2005
Islam. In doing so,I feel that it is necessary to stick to the these rights unless they have come to recognize or abide by
guide we have been given as the primary sources of behav- a moral way of life and part of their moral code, part of
ior, as stipulated in the Quran; that is, first the Quran and their beliefs, is to place the dignity of the human being,
then the traditions of the Holy Prophet. In addition, since above any other worldly pursuit. Because,in the end,it is
the first truly Islamic State was formed under the four early only when one realizes he/she will be accountable for
caliphs, and these caliphs were sahibaan of the prophet every action he/she does that one is consistent in leading a
and rightly guided by his example, I will use their model moral life. While most religions recognize the dignity of
of an Islamic state to guide my discussion as well. the human person a delicate balance must be struck in
order to develop a practical way of life for the average
The Development of the Modern Concept of “Human
human so that the society one creates around oneself
Rights”
respects freedom of others while not allowing so much lax-
First and foremost,it is necessary to realize where this idea ity as to send the community into a spiral of corruption. At
of codified human rights came about. This word actually the same time, one must not be so constrictive so as to
started being bandied about in response to the horrible trample upon the liberties of their fellow human beings.
atrocities committed against humankind during the world Unfortunately, the two major religions of the West err in
wars. The early 20th century imperialism brought with it this manner; neither provides a complete way of life that is
the dehumanization of many peoples that were different. practical to follow for all people. Largely,the reason why
Entire peoples were placed into the category of being clos- people have abandoned religion in the west is for its
er to animals than humans and subsequently were stripped impracticality in modern life. However, when one studies
of their respect, dignity, and in more cases than not, their Islam,one finds that not only is every aspect of the univer-
lives. Simultaneously, in Europe, a feeling of nationalism sal declaration of human rights provided for within its
was rising and nations were pitted against each other in a teachings,but also the blueprints for a practical,function-
desire to prove supremacy. Evil itself was paraded as a al society that recognizes that,“. . . the inherent dignity and
virtue as long as it wore the cloak of nationalism. These . . . the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the
tensions,as you know,finally clashed in the form of World human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and
War II,and once this war was over with,mankind stood in peace in the world”(Preamble to the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights).
shock of what it had done. In response,the United Nations
was developed in an attempt to foster friendship between Personal Freedom of a Human Being
nations and in 1948 this body codified the Universal
Rather than go through each article of the Declaration of
Declaration of Human Rights. As the declaration states in
Human Rights and compare it to the Islamic teachings on
its preamble, it was developed to prevent the “barbarous
that subject, I have divided the articles into four general
acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind.” Of
sections, each section encompassing a number of rights.
course, in the more than fifty years that have passed, the
The first of these that I wish to mention is one that I think
world has done a miserable job of living up to its promis-
Islam is greatly maligned for,and that is personal freedom.
es. An article on human rights written at the Ramsey
This section deals with freedom from persecution,freedom
Colloquiem states:
of expression, freedom of thought, conscience and reli-
The subsequent fifty years have not been lack- gion; freedom to change religion or belief,and freedom,to
ing in barbarous acts that outrage the con- manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship
science of mankind. After the demise of Soviet and observance; freedom of opinion and freedom to seek,
Communism in 1989-91,it was hoped that the receive and impart information. At the core of the allega-
Universal Declaration might be universally tions against Islam is that those who do not believe,or the
affirmed with greater clarity and persuasive kufaar, must be slain, simply for not being Muslim.
force. That has not happened. Instead,the end However, the truth about religious freedom in Islam is
of the Cold War has witnessed other distor- clearly laid out for us in the verse which reads, “There is
tions in the understanding of human rights. no compulsion in religion—the right way is indeed clearly
distinct from error” (2:256). Furthermore, the Quran goes
We must frankly recognize that,in both theory
on to explain that not only does one have the right to
and practice, the Universal Declaration of
choose their religion free of compulsion, but also that a
Human Rights is today under attack.
person may not hurt the feelings of another person by base-
This article goes on to make the very valid point that lessly insulting their religion:“And abuse not those whom
these rights need a moral grounding in order for them to be they call upon besides Allah, lest, exceeding the limits,
accepted and effective. That is, people will not respect they abuse Allah through ignorance” (6:109). In addition
APRIL– JUNE2005 ■ THELIGHT 9
to the passive dictates of not forcing religion upon people from duress with all the rights of the State granted to them
or insulting religions, believers in Islam are directed to and the added freedom of being judged by their law rather
defend those being persecuted: “And fight against them than Muslim law in the event of wrong doing. The same
until there is no more persecution,and all religions are for rights and freedoms were granted to people of other reli-
Allah”(8:30). Thus,clearly Islam lays out the principle of gions living under the Islamic empire at the time of the first
freedom from persecution. four caliphates. Various arguments are raised against Islam
at this point. The first is that Islam spread because those
Ironically, the one verse from the Quran most often
conquered by the Islamic empire were given the choice of
used to malign Islam as a brutal religion in which non-
Islam or death. Clearly this cannot be true as many Jews
believers are killed,actually is a command to defend free-
and Christians as well as persons following other religions
dom from persecution: “And kill them wherever you find
lived freely under the caliphate. Another argument is that
them, and drive them out from where they drove you out,
though these various people lived under Islamic rule, they
and persecution is worse than slaughter” (24:191).
had to pay a special tax, called jizyah, by virtue of their
Opponents of Islam take the first two thirds of this verse
being non-believers. In actuality,jizyahmeans “compensa-
and interpret it as meaning that Muslims are given free
tion” and this tax was levied against non-believers for the
reign to kill non-believers willy-nilly. In fact, the “them”
protection of life and property under Islamic law. In
of “kill them” is a personal pronoun referring to the peo-
essence, the non-believers were free from the burden of
ple in the previous verse who are the aggressors actively
compulsory inscription into the army; the Muslims bore the
fighting against the Muslims at that time. As the last third
burden of military life and sacrificed their lives to defend
of the verse, “persecution is worse than slaughter” clari-
the country in which Muslims and non-Muslims alike were
fies, these aggressors were to be killed not because they
abiding. Interestingly, the soldiers of the US army are
were non-believers, but rather because they had started a
exempt from many of the taxes the rest of the country’s cit-
war in order to persecute those who had peacefully accept-
izens must pay—a similar concept to the one of jizyah.
ed for themselves Islam as a religion. Thus Islam lays out
Furthermore, service in the army in lieu of jizyah was
that a person is free to choose their religion,they have the
accepted. Also, not all non-believers had to pay this tax;
right not to be insulted for any reason but especially
exemptions were given to those under 20,over 50,women,
because of the religion they choose,and also,they have the the blind and the poor. Muslims, in addition, had to pay
right to live free of persecution under Muslim rule. zakat,a tax that the non-believers were exempt from.
Finally, on the subject of religious freedom, an allega- Freedom of expression, forming an opinion and then
tion levied against Islam is that while religious freedom is sharing it also falls into this category. There are two beau-
allowed,death is prescribed for apostasy,or reverting from tiful examples from the tradition of the Holy Prophet and
Islam. In actuality,those who revert from Islam are spoken his caliphs that dispel the notion that Islam stifles freedom
of in the Quran repeatedly but never stating that they of speech. The first entails Umar, the second caliph and a
should be killed or even punished. The following verses great friend of the Prophet,stipulating to the Muslim peo-
delineate this matter: ple that the mehr, or wedding gift given to the bride,
should be decreased so as not to be extravagant. A woman
O you who believe, should one of you turn
from amongst the crowd of citizens spoke out against
back from his religion, then surely Allah will
Umar by stating that he could not place a limit on what
bring a people whom He shall love and they
Allah had not limited. Umar considered what she said and
too shall love Him (5:54).
seeing the truth of her statement replied that ‘the women of
Those who disbelief after their believing, then Mecca have more knowledge than I’. Though a simple
increase in disbelief,their repentance shall not be incident,this delineates a very important precept:an aver-
accepted,and these are they that go astray (3:89). age citizen was free to form an opinion and express it
freely to the leader of the country. In return, the leader
It should be noted that these verses simply stress the fact
quite calmly considered her input and accepted it.
that whatever consequences the actions of reverting from
Secondly,The Prophet is known to have stated,“The most
Islam carry,it is God who will exact them. There is no pun-
excellent of jihad is the uttering of truth in the presence of
ishment to be rendered at the hands of any human. I would
an unjust ruler”. Thus not only does Islam allow freedom
also like to draw attention to the practical example that
of independent opinions,it encourages them.
exists for us of an Islamic society devoid of persecution and
entailing these freedoms under the rule of Prophet A related freedom is that of knowledge and conscience.
Muhammad and the early Caliphate. Under the Prophet The Quran repeatedly stresses the importance of using one’s
Muhammad’s rule in Medina,many Jewish tribes lived free mind and acquiring knowledge. The Quran repeatedly
10 THELIGHT ■ APRIL– JUNE2005
orders a person to reflect, “reflect on the creation of the Into this scope of social life also fall the UN articles
heavens and earth”(3:189). We are told in the Quran to pray, regarding the right to work,that is free choice of employ-
“Rabbi- zidni ilma” or “O my Lord, increase my knowl- ment and just working conditions, and the right to own
edge”(20:114). The Quran further states,“And whoever is property. In this regard, the Quran states, “For men is the
given knowledge is indeed given abundant wealth”(2:269). benefit of what they earn. And for women is the benefit of
The Prophet said,“The seeking of knowledge is obligatory what they earn” (4:32). Thus the idea of just and equal
upon every Muslim” (Bukhari-Msh.2). Practically, in the employment is laid down. The Prophet stated, “No one
community of the Prophet, this translated into a system of eats better food than that which he eats out of the work of
compulsory education for all, young, old, male or female, his own hand”. The Prophet gave a great deal of respect to
rich or poor. Thus,not only is the right to free thought pro- any honest work. He himself worked as a laborer during
tected in Islam, an Islamic state provides for the education the day even while he was the ruler of the Islamic empire.
of all its citizens. I would be remiss if I did not mention that He also established that the relation between a laborer and
the reason for this great stress laid on education is because employer were of two equal parties in a contract; in
Islam itself is a religion to be accepted with full use of the essence this is the basis of organized labor (Muhammad
human mind. As such it appeals to reason and logic and Ali,Religion of Islam,584,585).
must be studied in order to satisfy the human mind that it is
Furthermore, the Quran states, “O you who believe,
free of contradiction. For this reason,the intellectual devel-
devour not your property among yourselves by illegal
opment of mankind is given importance only second to the
methods except that it be trading by your mutual consent”
tenet of faith,as recorded by Bukhari.
(4:29). In this verse, individual property is safeguarded
Social Life of a Human Being from illegal means of acquisition. A fitting tenet of Islam
that highlights the right to own property is shown in the
I would like to now move on to the second section of rights
concept of mahr. Mahris the wedding gift given to a bride
and freedoms that I put under the general heading of rights
before marriage by her husband so that even if she does not
related to the social life of a human being. First and fore-
work,she has her own independent property and as such is
most among these are equal rights in marriage,during mar-
not dependent on him in case circumstances necessitate
riage and at its dissolution. “Marriage shall be entered into
her to leave the marriage. Once again,it is clear that Islam
only with the free and full consent of the intending spous-
provides a practical application of the ideas that yet remain
es. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of
theoretical in the declaration of human rights. Another
society and is entitled to protection by society and the
great contribution of Islam to social life concerns what the
State” (UN Declaration of Human Rights). The Islamic
declaration calls “just and favourable remuneration ensur-
requirement for a marriage is that,“each party should sat-
ing for himself and his family an existence worthy of
isfy itself as to the desirability of choosing the other as a
human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other
partner for life” (Muslim 40). Likewise both partners are
means of social protection. Everyone has the right to a
equal if they should desire to end the marriage. However,
standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of
much as the universal declaration of human rights states,
himself and of his family.”In other words,the declaration
Islam recognizes the family as the fundamental unit of
calls for a kind of social welfare that raises the standard of
society and as such defines roles for its members so that
living for those who cannot provide for themselves an exis-
the family unit may function. Furthermore,while allowing
tence worthy of human dignity. Unfortunately, this is just
divorce by the husband or wife,it discourages it in favor of
one of the many aspects of the declaration that have not
preservation of the family unit. Also,just as the declaration
been fulfilled in most countries. Even in the United States,
calls for the protection of the family unit by the State,
a country of not only adequate means but excess means,
Islam provides for this practically by allocating a portion
people live in a state of poverty. Indeed,many of those in
of State funds to those families that cannot provide for
the inner city or rural country do not lead existences wor-
themselves. We have before us the practical example of
thy of human dignity. Many women, girls, and boys are
Hazart Umar who personally saw to the welfare of the
forced to degrade themselves simply to provide basic
bereaved families who had lost members in the great
necessities for themselves or their families. In the society
plague of Syria by making arrangements regarding their
laid down in the Quran, however, such discrepancies in
property and children. The declaration of human rights
ways of life should not exist. There are numerous times
also calls for the special protection of the mother and child.
that the Quran encourages voluntary charity,a sampling of
Numerous instances enjoining special care of the mother
which is as follows:
and child can be seen in Islam. One in particular of note is
that Aishah,the wife of the Prophet,gave up her last date And give away wealth out of love for Him to
fruit to a mother and her two daughters. the near of kin and the orphans and the needy