Ibn' Arabi

64 Pages·2008·0.28 MB·English

MANAGEMENT BOARD CONTENTS August 2007, Vol.102, No.08
Mr Munir-ud-din Shams (Chairman)
Mr Mansoor Shah (Secretary)
Mr Naseer Ahmad Qamar EDITORIAL – Nobel prize and Rushdie?
Mr Mubarak Ahmad Zafar
Exploration of the reason why Rushdie’s work
Mr Mirza Fakhar Ahmad
Mr. Abdul Baqi Arshad has been offensive and the correct response to
this situation.
CHIEF EDITOR AND MANAGER By Arshad Ahmedi – UK..................................... 2
Mansoor Ahmed Shah
ESSENCE OF ISLAM – Part 22 –
EDITORIAL BOARD
Arabic, the Mother of Tongues
Basit Ahmad
Bockarie Tommy Kallon The importance of the Arabic language as a
Fareed Ahmad
vessel for the transmission and dissimenation
Fazal Ahmad.
Fauzia Bajwa of spiritual commandments.
Mansoor Saqi
Mahmood Hanif Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as)...................... 10
Mansoora Hyder-Hanif
Navida Shahid
BLASPHEMY IN ISLAM
Sarah Waseem
Saleem Ahmad Malik No authority has been granted to any man to
Tanveer Khokhar
inflict any punishment for blasphemy. Yet
Ahmadi Muslims have been sentenced to death
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS
for blasphemy in Pakistan.
Amatul Hadi Ahmad
Farina Qureshi Dr IftikharAyaz, OBE......................................... 24
PROOFREADERS
Abdul Ghany Jahangeer Khan IBN’ ARABI – SUFI AND SAVANT
Shaukia Mir
The life, travels and works of the great Arab
DESIGN AND LAYOUT
mystic from Spain and his journey to
Tanveer Khokhar
enlightenment that led him to the Middle East.
PUBLISHER
By Zakaria Virk – Canada.................................. 36
Al Shirakatul Islamiyyah
DISTRIBUTION
THE PURITY OF THE TEXT OF THE
Muhammad Hanif
HOLY QUR’AN - PART 6
All correspondence should be forwarded to the editor at:
The Review of Religions Was the order of the chapters of the Holy
The London Mosque
16 Gressenhall Road Qur’an arbitrary and is our current order
London, SW18 5QL
United Kingdom of chapters the same as the original?
From the Review of Religions, 1907................... 49
Email:
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©Islamic Publications, 2007 RATIONALISATION
ISSN No: 0034-6721
Analysis of responsibility related to sin, and
whether ignorance is an excuse.
Views expressed in this publication are not
necessarily the beliefs of the Ahmadiyya By Rizwan Khan – Silver Spring, USA............... 60
Muslim Community
EDITORIAL
Arshad Ahmedi – Stevenage, UK
Nobel Prize and Rushdie? an honour normally bestowed
In June 2007, the unexpected upon someone who has made a
news filtered out from the UK great and positive impact upon
that Salman Rushdie was to be British culture? As a Booker
knighted by the Queen in her Prize winner, has Rushdie
Honours list for his services to achieved such high status
literature. Going by the euphoria amongst other writers, who
that normally surrounds the incidentally have also won this
subject involving Rushdie, it prize, that a knighthood is an
came as no surprise that differing appropriate and a just reward?
reactions reverberated around the
United Kingdom and the Muslim And what of the reactions of the
world. Whereas on the one hand handful of ‘so-called Muslims’,
the western media justified such who are ridiculing the good name
an honour with the usual of Islam by their unacceptable
accolades, on the other hand behaviour, which is guaranteed to
certain elements of the Muslim get the headlines all around the
fraternity reacted in the way they world?
know best: by remonstrating and
burning effigies. It seems that the knighthood is a
reward for Sir Salman for
Who is right, and who is wrong? ‘stirring things up’ between Islam
The fact of the matter is that and the West through his writing
neither is right, but the way that over a few decades. He is a man
feelings have been expressed or who does not take criticism or
justified leaves a lot to be desired. defeat well at all. Philip Howard,
What has prompted the out-going the literary editor of The Times,
Prime Minister Tony Blair to put mentions the debacle that
Rushdie’s name forward for such followed the failure of one of
2 The Review of Religions–August 2007
EDITORIAL
Rushdie’s earlier novels, Shame, Review who said that a man who
to win the Booker Prize after it had been chased ‘from pillar to
was made the favourite to do so: post by religious maniacs’
deserved victory, (The Times,
‘It (Shame) was the favourite November 1995).
to win the Booker. When it
did not, Rushdie took it badly. The fact that Waugh admitted that
He leapt to his feet and he had not even read Rushdie’s
harangued the judges and novel just adds absurdity to the
passers-by.’ blinkered and fanatical support
(The Times, 15 February Rushdie has received, just to
1989). reward him in the name of
freedom of speech. But the
Perhaps it was this intense knighthood is for services to
passion and desire for fame and literature, not for being a victim
glory that Rushdie flaunted which of the actions of some
made him the target for the ‘fundamentalists’ or indeed for
Judaeo-Christian conspirators freedom of speech. At this rate,
against Islam, who then took him very soon the next ‘obvious’ step
under their wing and slowly but would be the pinnacle in anyone’s
surely nurtured him to become life: the Nobel Prize, and in
part of their spiteful and Rushdie’s case for Literary
implacable crusade to further Fiction.
defame and distort the name of
Islam. Everyone has a right to an
opinion, and a right for freedom
In 1995, Rushdie, much to his of expression. But freedom
disappointment, failed to win the without any sort of boundaries
Booker prize for The Moor’s Last would lead to anarchy. Could you
Sigh. In spite of this he received imagine letting everyone drive
great support from his close band cars with freedom on any side of
of followers, like Auberon the road? What would be the
Waugh, Editor of The Literary reaction if nudists were allowed
The Review of Religions–August 2007 3
EDITORIAL
to express their freedom in public purely due to the publicity
places where there are young surrounding him. They end up
children? putting them down after only a
few pages: so incongruent and
No matter who we are, or what disjointed do they find his
position we hold in society, no writing. So how did he become
one has complete freedom to do such a renowned author?
what one likes. Writers are not a
special breed of privileged people Every sane and rational human
that are afforded carte blanche. In being is able to deduce that there
fact it is quite the opposite; they are greater powers behind him
are the ones who have to exercise and that mischief is the ultimate
the most control because they purpose. Lauding Rushdie with
reach out to a greater audience. more ‘honours’ will add fuel to a
hotbed of simmering ashes, and
But where the ‘freedom of those that are behind this and
expression’ card is used to support him unreservedly are
wilfully cause hurt and incite equally guilty.
hatred causing riots, as did
Rushdie, then that writer deserves Some western writers have also
no credit. Having read all doubted the suspicious motive of
Rushdie’s books, and moving in Rushdie’s writings. An eminent
the circle of writers and English author, Roald Dahl, a
publishers, both Western and member of the Society of
Eastern, I have yet to meet one Authors, and who is perhaps the
who has such high praise for him first non-Muslim to bravely
that merits any Book award, let expose Rushdie for what he truly
alone a Booker Prize, or represents, raised a very
knighthood. important question in a letter
published in The Times, 28th
Most literary people I know have February 1989. In it he wrote:
all said, without exception, that
they start to read his books, ‘with all that has been written
4 The Review of Religions–August 2007
EDITORIAL
and spoken about the Rushdie Self, brands his literary
affair, I have not yet heard any colleague, Rushdie, ‘irrespon-
non-Muslim voices raised in sible’ for accepting the award
criticism of the writer himself. considering the outrage it has
On the contrary, he appears to created among Muslims
be regarded as some sort of worldwide. He says:
hero... To my mind, he is a
dangerous opportunist. ‘Given the furore The Satanic
Clearly he has profound Verses occasioned, it does
knowledge of the Muslim strike me that any responsible
religion, its people, and he writer might ask himself
must have been totally aware whether the fallout from
of the deep and violent accepting such an honour was
feelings his book would stir really worth the bauble. It is
up among devout Muslims. In surely better that writers
other words, he knew exactly decline any form of honour.’
what he was doing and he
cannot plead otherwise.’ But Rushdie is one who hankers
after publicity at any cost, and he
Roald Dahl ends his letter by and his band of cohorts have tried
making a very noteworthy to use the ‘fiction card’ to justify
observation which has been his ‘over-imaginative’ and
missed by most of the western creative writing of the The
media and Rushdie’s supporters: Satanic Verses. The Holy
Prophet(saw) of Islam, his noble
‘In a civilised world we all wives and companions are
have a moral obligation to mentioned specifically by name,
apply a modicum of which leaves absolutely no room
censorship to our own work in for any doubt in the reader’s mind
order to reinforce this as to who is being alluded. Let us
principle of free speech.’ examine some sections from The
Satanic Verses.
Another English novelist, Will
The Review of Religions–August 2007 5
EDITORIAL
Some allegations against the Those women up there: they
Holy Prophet(saw), his noble turned his beard half-white in
wives and companions a year.... he went for mothers
In The Satanic Verses, matters and daughters, think of his
relating to polygamy and the first wife and then Ayesha: too
alleged licentiousness of the Holy old and too young, his two
Prophet(saw) have been treated loves.’ (p.366).
with the most potent poison:
‘How many wives? Twelve,
‘In spite of the ditch of and one old lady, long dead.
Yathrib, the faithful lost a How many whores behind the
good many men in the war Curtain? Twelve again;.......
against Jahilia... And after the When the news got around
end of the war, hey presto, Jahilia that the whores of the
there was the Archangel Curtain had each assumed the
Gibreel instructing the identity of one of Mahound’s
surviving males to marry the wives, the clandestine
widowed women..... Salman excitement of the city’s males
cried, we were even told it was intense;.... So, in the
didn’t matter if we were Prophet’s absence, the men of
already married, we could Jahilia flocked to the Curtain,
have up to four marriages if which experienced a three
we could afford it, well, you hundred per cent increase in
can imagine, the lads really business..... The fifteen-year-
went for that. What finally old whore ‘Ayesha’ was the
finished Salman with most popular with the paying
Mahound: the question of the public, just as her namesake
women; and of the Satanic was with Mahound.’
verses. Listen, I’m no gossip, (pp.380/381).
Salman drunkenly confided,
but after his wife’s death Rushdie also mocks the idea that
Mahound was no angel, you Muhammad(saw) would go into
understand my meaning.... trances when he wanted
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EDITORIAL
revelations to be sent to suit his to someone closer to her own
needs. age?... ‘What will Mahound
do?’ Baal wanted to know. ‘O,
Rushdie picks on another incident he’s done it,’ Salman replied.
concerning the Holy Prophet(saw) ‘Same as ever. He saw his pet,
and Ayesha to continue his the archangel, and then
perverted account in casting informed one and all that
doubt using defamatory Gibreel had exonerated
language. This incident was the Ayesha.’ Salman spread his
one in which some scandal- arms in worldly resignation.
mongers tried to taint the noble ‘And this time, mister, the
character of Ayesha, and it took a lady didn’t complain about
revelation from God to put the the convenience of the
matter straight and exonerate verses.’
Ayesha completely. (pp.386/387).
Rushdie has, as usual, treated the Is this the work of a writer who
subject without any sensitivity has the interest of the reader in
and has used it to ridicule and to mind, or a deliberate attempt to
deride: incite and hurt the sensitivities of
Muslims at large?
‘Lemme tell you instead.
Hottest story in town. Whoo- Rather than ‘honouring’ Rushdie
whoo!’ ... The two young to the hilt with presumably the
people had been alone in the Nobel Prize, the next in a long
desert for many hours, and it line of accolades, he should be
was hinted, more and more exposed for what he really is, by
loudly, that Safwan was a rational and logical means and at
dashingly handsome fellow, the same time to extol the true
and the Prophet was much beauties of Islam.
older than the young woman,
after all, and might she not We would simply like the
therefore have been attracted mischief the likes of Rushdie and
The Review of Religions–August 2007 7
EDITORIAL
their accomplices to be exposed The Islam taught and practised by
to the world so that in future no the Holy Prophet(saw) is a most
one is allowed to inflict such beautiful and attractive religion.
wilful hurt to the adherents of any It is this Islam which will
faith. captivate the hearts of the entire
world if it is given a chance to
Religion should always be judged flourish. We can only hope and
from the sources upon which it is pray that the whole world
based, and not from the actions becomes more tolerant and that it
and pronouncements of a handful exercises more control over the
of fanatics or politicians. ‘freedoms’ it professes to give
everyone.
SOME OTHER FACTS
Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie was nating him in 1993 as the Booker
born a Muslim in Bombay, the of Bookers. Magic realism
only son of Anis Ahmed Rushdie became his genre.
and Negin Butt. After a career in
advertising, he took up writing. In September 1988, Rushdie
He has been married four times published The Satanic Verses in
with all marriages ending or in which he seemed to give vent to
one case about to end in divorce. his personal perversion by
In 1999, he had an operation to scornfully refering to a falsely
open up his eyes. He is a self reported tradition that the Holy
avowed atheist. Prophet Muhammad(saw) (whom
Rushdie refers to as Mahound)
His first work was ignored by the added verses in an attempt to
public. His Midnight’s Children accept three goddesses wor-
received the Booker Prize, the shipped by the Makkans.
Booker Prize committee nomi- According to those who believe
8 The Review of Religions–August 2007
EDITORIAL
in this falsehood, the Prophet prevent religious hatred, has
revoked these verses as being stated that veils suck and
from the Satan. Such people commented on the Danish
ignore the fact that the whole cartoons. For his services to
chapter is a strong rejection of British literature (although he
idol worship and the question of spends more time in USA than in
any satanic prompting does not Britain) or as some would have it
arise and is totally out of context. portrayed for all these services
Rushdie on the other hand against Islam, he was knighted as
reinvents history by attributing Sir Salman on 16 June 2007.
these verses to the Archangel Once again, calls for his death
Gabriel. were renewed by several
misguided Muslim groups.
This book was banned in many Pakistan’s religious affairs
Muslim countries. In Bradford minister, Mr Mohammad Ejaz-
and other places in the world, the ul-Haq was reported to have said
book was burnt on the streets. A that: ‘if someone commits
fatwa (an edict) was issued by suicide bombing to protect the
Ayatullah Ruhollah Khomeini, honour of the Prophet
the then spriritual leader of Iran Muhammad, his act is justified.’
calling the book blasphemous Islam does not need suicide
and a bounty of US$1 million bombers to tackle such writers:
offered for his death. Rushdie what is needed is a rational retort
went into retreat with police in writing to those who use the
protection costing several pen to criticise Islam.
million pounds each year.
Diplomatic relations between
Iran and Britain were broken.
Rushdie offered a public apology
but to no avail.
Since then Rushdie has spoken
out against the bill designed to
The Review of Religions–August 2007 9
ESSENCE OF ISLAM:
Part 22 – Arabic, the Mother of Tongues
This series sets out, in the words of the Promised Messiah(as),Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad, a summary of his exposition of four outstanding topics: ISLAM; ALLAH,
THE EXALTED; THE HOLY PROPHET(sa)and THE HOLY QUR’AN. The original
compilation, in Urdu, from which these extracts have been translated into English, was
collated with great care and diligence by Syed Daud Ahmad Sahib, Allah have mercy
on him and reward him graciously for his great labour of love. Amin. The English
rendering is by the late Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan, may Allah be pleased with
him, and is quoted from The Essence of Islam,Volume 1. All references throughout,
unless otherwise specifically mentioned, are from the Holy Qur’an.
Faculty of Speech is the Basic the mouth of God Almighty, it
Reality of Man was necessary that it should also
It is necessary to point out that display this sign so that it may be
observation of the book of nature established with certainty that in
compels us to acknowledge that truth, it is one of those things
the principal sign of all that has which have proceeded solely
been created by the hand of God, from God Almighty without the
or has issued from Him, is that it intervention of any human effort.
serves to bring about the All praise, therefore, belongs to
recognition of God according to Allah that the Arabic language
its respective rank and station, displays this sign most plainly
and that it proclaims in its own and clearly. As the verse:
peculiar manner that the true
purpose of its creation is to serve And I have not created the
as a means of the recognition of Jinn and the men but that they
the Divine. This is confirmed by may worship Me.
the study of the diverse species of (Ch.51:V.57)
God's creation. Thus as the
Arabic language has issued from declares the true purpose of the
10 The Review of Religions–August 2007