July – September 2011 - The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam

20 Pages·2012·0.29 MB·English

“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
July – September 2011
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. 88 CONTENTS No. 3
Tolerance and Mutual Respect in Islam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
By Sheikh Omar El Bastawisy (Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Cairo, Egypt)
Islam In America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Reflections on Being Muslim in America in a Post-9/11 World
By Fazeel S. Khan, Esq.
Trials and Tribulations and the Duty of Muslims . . . . . . . 9
A prescription for dealing with the maladies of distress and suffering, and advice on
the goal to which Muslims must direct their efforts
By Maulana Muhammad Ali
(translated into English by Dr. Mohammed Ahmad)
On Being Fair with Islam and the Muslims . . . . . . . . . . . 13
A Qur-anic Framework of Gender Equity
By Prof. Henry Francis B. Espiritu
Beliefs of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Compiled by the Editor
Published on the World-Wide Web at: www.muslim.org
(cid:1) Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha‘at Islam Lahore Inc., U.S.A. (cid:1)
P.O. Box 3370, Dublin, Ohio 43016, U.S.A.
2 THE LIGHT AND ISLAMIC REVIEW (cid:0) JULY –SEPTEMBER 2011
The Lightwas founded in 1921 as the organ of the AHMADIYYAANJUMAN
ISHA‘AT ISLAM (Ahmadiyya Association for the Propaga tion 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
Editor:Fazeel S. Khan, Esq. Indonesia Germany
Suriname India
Circulation:Mrs. Samina Malik.
Trinidad South Africa
Guyana Philippines
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 objective of the A.A.I.I.L. is to present the true, original message
Russian, Chinese, and Arabic. The Anjuman
of Islam to the whole world — Islam as it is found in the Holy Quran and
has run several Muslim missions around the
the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, obscured today by grave mis -
world, including the first ever in Western
conceptions 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.
JULY –SEPTEMBER 2011 (cid:0) THE LIGHT AND ISLAMIC REVIEW 3
Tolerance and Mutual Freedom of Thought and Expression
Respect in Islam Tolerance of Islam is also evident in the fact that Islam
grants freedom to conduct religious discussions on an
By Sheikh Omar El Bastawisy objective basis, far from abuse or ridicule. In this regard,
(Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Cairo, Egypt) Allah, the Most Exalted, says in the Holy Quran: “Call
to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and goodly exhor-
[This article is a transcript of a speech delivered at the
tation, and argue with them in the best manner…” [The
Symposium titled “The Quran: A Response to Recent
Bee 16: 125]. Based on these tolerant principles, the dia-
Controversies Concerning Islam’s Holy Book”, held in
logue should be conducted between Muslims and Non-
conjunction with the Lahore Ahmadiyya Islamic
Muslims. The Holy Quran invites the People of the Book
Society’s 2011 International Convention in Columbus,
to this. Allah, the Most High, says: “Say: O People of the
Ohio on July 9, 2011. Sheikh Omar El Bastawisy is a
Book, come to an equitable word between us and you,
scholar from the prestigious and most respected Al-
that we shall serve none but Allah and that we shall not
Azhar Al-Sharif in Cairo, Egypt. Sheikh Bastawisy held
associate aught with Him, and that some of us shall not
the esteemed position of Director and Head of the Office
take others for lords besides Allah. But if they turn away,
of the Grand Imam. Sheikh Bastawisy is a close friend
then say: Bear witness, we are Muslims.” [The Family of
of the U.S. branch of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement
‘Amran 3: 64]. This means that should the dialogue
and, in particular, has been an incredibly valuable
between both parties fail to accomplish its aim, every
resource for Samina Malik (the Vice-President of the
person has his own religion in which he believes. This is
U.S. based Lahore Ahmadiyya Islamic Society), in her
expressed in the last verse of the Chapter entitled “The
collaborative works with Al Azhar. In this article,
Disbelievers” which is concluded by the Divine revela-
Sheikh Bastawisy very eloquently canvasses the land-
tion to the Holy Prophet Muhammad [May Allah’s peace
scape of tolerance and mutual respect in Islam. His
and blessings be upon him], addressed to the disbeliev-
presentation at the Symposium was appreciated by all, ers: “You have your religion, and I have my religion.”
especially the members of the various interfaith groups [The Disbelievers 109: 6].
in attendance.]
Liberal View of Other Religions
Assalamu aleikum (May Peace and Blessings of Allah
be upon you). The topic I will speak on today is titled Muslims honor and revere all prophets and messengers
“Tolerance and Mutual Respect in Islam”. of Allah. They make no distinction between any of
them, for it is a fundamental article of faith in Islam that
Freedom of Belief and Conscience a Muslim cannot be a true believer until and unless he
believes in all messengers of Allah [Mighty and
One of the manifestations of tolerance in Islam is the
Majestic be He], not only in Muhammad [May Allah’s
freedom of belief that Islam guarantees for human
peace and blessings be upon him]. Allah, the Most
beings. This is clearly stated in the Holy Quran when
High, says: “And those who believe in Allah and His
Allah, the Most Exalted, says: “There is no compulsion
messengers and make no distinction between any of
in religion...” [The Cow 2: 256]. Compulsion to
them, to them He will grant their rewards. And Allah is
renounce one’s religion and convert to another religion is
ever Forgiving, Merciful.” [The Women 4: 152]. The
forbidden, for belief is based on the freedom of choice.
Messenger of Allah [May Allah’s peace and blessings
This is clearly emphasized in the Holy Quran; Allah, the
be upon him] lauded his fellow Messengers of other
Most High, says: “…so let him who please believe, and
religions. About Jesus [May Allah’s peace be upon
let him who please disbelieve…” [The Cave 18: 29].
him], he said: “Both in this world and in the Hereafter,
Tolerance is exemplified by The Holy Prophet [May I am the nearest of all the people to Jesus, the Son of
Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him] in his decla- Mary. The Prophets are all paternal brothers; their
ration of religious freedom in the first constitution of the mothers are different, but their religion is one”. Prophet
Islamic State in Madinah when he acknowledged that Muhammad [prayers and peace be upon him] so vener-
the Jews and the Muslims together formed one nation. ated Moses [Peace be upon him] that when the Prophet
Based on the religious freedom and tolerance guaran- came to Madinah and found the Jews fasting the day of
teed by Islam, the Second Early Caliph, ‘Umar Ibn Al- ‘Ashura’, he asked them: “‘Why are you fasting this
Khattab, [May Allah be pleased with him] granted the day?”. They said: “This is a righteous day; it is the day
Christians of Jerusalem an assurance of safety for their when Allah saved the Children of Israel from their ene-
lives, churches and crosses, assuring them that none of mies, so Moses fasted on this day.” He said: “We have
them would be harmed nor compelled on account of his more right to Moses than you,” so he fasted on that day
religion. and commanded [the Muslims] to fast on that day.
4 THE LIGHT AND ISLAMIC REVIEW (cid:0) JULY –SEPTEMBER 2011
Messenger Muhammad [May Allah’s peace and bless- importunate missionaries nor did they place Muslim
ings be upon him] spoke of his fellow Prophet Joseph missionaries in privileged positions in order to propa-
[Peace be upon him] in laudatory terms: “The honor- gate or defend their religion. In a certain period of time,
able, the son of the honorable … (was) Joseph, the son Muslims stipulated that whoever wishes to accept Islam
of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham [Peace be must take a certain measure that undoubtedly would not
upon them all]”. facilitate the propagation of Islam. They required that
whoever wishes to embrace the new religion must
No Compulsion in Matters of Faith
appear before the judge and declare that they accepted
Thus, we find that Islam’s tolerance is well reflected in Islam without any pressure and that their conversion is
the fact that Islam has never coerced its opponents to not motivated by any worldly gain”. It is also tolerant
enter into it. Rather, it grants Non-Muslims the full free- that Islam has not only granted Non-Muslims the free-
dom to retain their own religion and does not force them dom to retain their religion, but also its tolerant Shari‘a
to convert to Islam. This is clearly stated in the Holy has allowed Non-Muslims to practice their religious rit-
Quran and traditions of the Holy Prophet. Allah, the uals and granted protection for their places of worship.
Most Exalted, says: “And if thy Lord had pleased, all Allah, the Most High, says: “… And if Allah did not
repel some people by others, cloisters, and churches,
those who are in the earth would have believed, all of
and synagogues, and mosques in which Allah’s name is
them. Wilt thou then force men till they are believers?”
much remembered, would have been pulled down…”
[Jonah 10: 99]. The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad,
[The Pilgrimage 22:40]. When commanders of Muslim
[May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him] gave
armies conquered any country, the caliphs advised them
Non-Muslims the option either to accept Islam or to
to display such tolerance. Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq [May
retain their faith. He even concluded with Non-Muslims
Allah be pleased with him] commanded Usama Ibn
covenants of protection for their religion, honor and
Zayd as follows: “I command you to do 10 things: kill
property. According to US Professor Edon Calgerily,
no woman, no child, nor an elderly person; do not cut
the Quran contains a holy verse abounding in truth and
down fruit trees, or vandalize homes, or wound a sheep
wisdom. This verse is well known to all Muslims and
or camel except if you must eat it; do not drown a palm
must also be known to Non-Muslims. It runs as follows:
tree, or burn it, do not be treacherous; do not be coward-
“There is no compulsion in religion”. This verse was
ly; and you will pass by people who have devoted them-
revealed regarding some men of Al-Ansar (the Helpers)
selves to monastery life; leave them alone to their devo-
whose children embraced Judaism or Christianity. With
tions”.
the advent of Islam, they tried to force their children to
convert to the new religion. So, this verse was revealed Historical Examples
to forbid them from forcibly converting their children to
Including the people of Illyaa “Jerusalem” in his
Islam.
covenant, ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab [May Allah be pleased
Allah, the Most Exalted, says: “And say: The Truth is with him] said: “This is an assurance of peace and pro-
from your Lord; so let him who please believe, and let tection given by the servant of Allah ‘Umar,
him who please disbelieve…” [The Cave 18: 29]. Commander of the Believers to the people of Illyaa. He
Therefore, Muslims offered Non-Muslims conversion to gave them an assurance of protection for their lives,
Islam without compulsion or coercion. When King Al- property, church and crosses as well as the sick and
Mansour Qalawun had mistakenly forced ahl al-dhim- healthy and all its religious community. Their churches
ma [People of the Covenant] to accept Islam in 680 shall not be occupied, demolished nor taken away whol-
A.H, and such people had forcibly converted to Islam, ly or in part. None of their crosses nor property shall be
this sparked the fury of Muslim religious scholars and seized. They shall not be coerced in their religion nor
judges in his time. Six months later, the board of reli- shall any of them be injured.”
gious scholars was held and resolved that such people
Covenants and pacts with Non-Muslims were trans-
forcibly converted to Islam and that forced conversion
lated into practical behavior, namely respecting their
to Islam is disallowed, therefore they are allowed to
beliefs, shari‘as [religious laws] and customs and not
revert to their old religion. So, the majority of such peo-
compelling nor coercing them to convert to Islam. Such
ple reverted to their religion. Is it not a tolerance dis-
freedom had a wonderful impression on Non-Muslims,
played by Islam and a respect for other religions? The
for they were not accustomed to such noble virtues.
Italian Dr. Laura Veccia Vaglieri says: “Once the
Muslims concluded agreements with peoples, they Muslims protected and did not cause any harm to the
granted them the freedom of religion and did not force places of worship of others. In a letter sent to Simeon,
them to enter into Islam. Furthermore, Muslim armies Metropolitan of Rev-Ardashir, Primate of Persia, the
were not followed by a great multitude of undesirable, Nestorian Patriarch, Isho-yabh III says: “The Arabs, to
JULY –SEPTEMBER 2011 (cid:0) THE LIGHT AND ISLAMIC REVIEW 5
whom God at this time had given the empire of the and His angels and His Books and His messengers. We
world, behold, they are among you as you know well; make no difference between any of His messengers.
and yet they attack not the Christian faith, but on the And they say: We hear and obey; our Lord, Thy forgive-
contrary, they favor our religion, do honor to our priests ness (do we crave), and to Thee is the eventual course.”
and the saints of the Lord and confer benefits on church- [The Cow 2: 285].
es and monasteries”.
Contemporary Attitudes
The Unbiased Western historians acknowledged this
Today, Islam is the recipient of many fierce campaigns
great tolerance of Islam. Gustav Le Bon said: “The tol-
against it. No religion in the world today is exposed to
erance of Muhammad towards the Jews and Christians
as much flagrant oppression and calumny in the interna-
was truly grand; the founders of other religions that
appeared before him, Judaism and Christianity in partic- tional media as Islam. This shows that there is a lack of
ular, did not prescribe such goodwill. His caliphs fol- understanding surrounding the religion of Islam and a
lowed the same policy, and his tolerance has been misunderstanding of its tolerant teachings, whether
acknowledged by some European skeptics and believers deliberate or intentional. Moreover, there is an evident
alike when they study the history of the Arabs in depth”. confusion between Islam as a religion and some foolish
The Italian Laura Veccia Vaglieri said: “… such people actions which are committed by some Muslims in the
known as ahl al-dhimma[People of the Covenant] were name of Islam and which the religion is innocent of. To
granted as much protection as the Muslim community”. confront this, we should double our scholarly efforts in
Given the fact that the deeds of the Messenger [May order to present and widely spread the true picture of
Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him] and the Early Islam. Thanks to Allah, the discerning Non-Muslims are
Caliphs later became a law followed by Muslims, it is well aware of, and bear witness to, these effects. Never
not exaggeration to insist that Islam does not only in the history of Islam have Muslim religious scholars
preach religious tolerance, but also makes tolerance an failed to fulfill their duty to present the tolerance, ease
essential part of its Shari‘a. Non-Muslims have been and moderation of Islam. Fairness requires that Islam
shown by Muslims such tolerance as not displayed by should be judged on the basis of an objective and unbi-
opposing denominations of their faiths. The Christians ased study of the fundamentals of Islam, not on the
in Syria wrote to Abu ‘Ubaidah ‘Amer Ibn Al-Jarrah basis of rumors, false accusations and groundless, pre-
[May Allah be pleased with him], the commander of the conceived judgments.
Muslim army during the conquest of Syria in the camp
Importance of Bonds of Fraternity
called “Fahl”, saying: “Oh Muslims, you are more
beloved to us than the Romans, even though the In its primary sources, Islam invites Muslims to unity
Romans share our religion. You are more true to your and solidarity and warns them against disunity and dis-
covenants, more accommodating to us, and you don’t sension. Allah, the Most High, says: “And hold fast by
oppress us, and you are just rulers, but Romans, they the covenant of Allah all together and be not disunited
would oppress us and take away our homes.” …” [The Family of ‘Amran 3: 103]. It also calls for
sympathy with others and alleviating their pains and
Thus, we find out that when Islam made its appear-
ance more than fourteen centuries ago as the seal of all compares all Muslim people to one human body. The
divine messages and the last link in the chain of divine Messenger of Allah [May Allah’s peace and blessings
revelation, of all the religions that man has ever known, be upon him] said: “You will see the believers in their
whether they are divine or earthly, it has been distin- mutual kindness, love and sympathy just like one body.
guished by tolerance and mutual respect. It has con- When a limb complains, the whole body responds to it
veyed to people the last revealed Word of God on earth. with wakefulness and fever”.
Islam has not denied any of the previous prophets and
Islam places bonds of faith and fraternity on an equal
messengers of Allah nor their revealed divine scriptures.
footing. Allah, the Most High, says: “The believers are
It has not forced any of the followers of previous divine
brethren…” [The Rooms 49: 10]. This establishes the
religions to convert to Islam. Rather, it has made belief
foundations of Islam that achieve peace and security all
in all prophets of Allah and their revealed scriptures a
over the world. Mutual respect among followers of dif-
fundamental article of faith in Islam without which faith
ferent religions means that followers of different reli-
is invalid. This tolerant attitude of Islam towards previ-
gions should not have contempt for each other and sym-
ous religions should be met with similar tolerance and
bols of religions should be respected, so that this con-
reduce the number of opponents of Islam. Allah, the
cept prevails among all people.
Most Exalted, says in the Holy Quran: “The Messenger
believes in what has been revealed to him from his Whoever wants to understand Islam should commu-
Lord, and (so do) the believers. They all believe in God nicate with prestigious religious organizations such as
6 THE LIGHT AND ISLAMIC REVIEW (cid:0) JULY –SEPTEMBER 2011
the more than 1000-year-old Al-Azhar Al-Sharif. and us be safe. In the Noble Hadith, the Messenger of
Dialogue and communication should be conducted on Allah [May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him]
matters of mutual interest, not on the core of belief, for, said: “Allah made “salaam” the greeting of our ummah
as we have already said, every person has the freedom [community], and a profession of peace towards our
to choose his religion. As it is always said, compulsion dhimmis [People of Covenant]”. When the Muslim fin-
in matters of religion does not produce true believers, ishes his prayer, he salutes to his right, saying: “May
but rather hypocrites. peace and Allah’s mercy be upon you” and to his left,
saying: “May peace and Allah’s mercy be upon you”.
Tolerance and mutual respect are displayed in the
The greeting that the believers receive from their
salutation of Assalamu ‘Alaikum [peace be upon you].
Creator in Paradise is al-salaam. Allah, the Most High,
Islam admits that all humans are brothers or sisters in
says: “Their salutation on the day they meet Him will
humanity and that they originated from a single father,
be, Peace!..” [The Allies 33:44]. The greeting that
Adam, [peace be upon him] and a single mother, Eve.
Angels bestow upon believers in Paradise is al-salaam.
Difference in faiths does not prevent cooperation among
Allah, the Most Sublime, says: “ … and the angels will
all humans. Allah [Exalted be He] says: “O mankind,
enter in upon them from every gate. Peace be to you,
surely We have created you from a male and a female,
because you were constant — how excellent is then the
and made you tribes and families that you may know
final Abode!” [Thunder 13: 23-24]. The greeting that
each other. Surely the noblest of you with Allah is the
the believers in Paradise exchange is al-salaam, as
most dutiful of you...” [The Rooms 49: 13].
Allah says: “They will hear therein no vain discourse,
Islam and the Foundation for Peaceful Relations but only, Peace! And they have their sustenance therein,
morning and evening.” [Mary 19: 62].
The word “Islam” means submission to the Will of
Allah and sincere devotion to Him [Glorified and Dar Al-Salaam[Abode of Peace] is one of the names
Exalted be He]. Islam is the religion of all prophets. All of Paradise, as Allah, the Most High, says: “And Allah
prophets were sent down with the same message, name- invites to the abode of peace, and guides whom He
ly to sincerely worship Allah and possess noble virtues. pleases to the right path.” [Jonah 10: 25]. This means
that the Almighty invites His servants to enter Paradise
Islam is peace. The term “Islam” is derived from the
through faith and good deeds and guides whom He
word “salaam” [peace]. These two terms -Islam and
pleases to the right path. A frequently invoked prayer of
salaam- concur in that they carry the sense of bringing
the Messenger [May Allah’s peace and blessings be
about safety, serenity and cooperation among all people
upon him] is: “O Allah, You are the Peace and from You
in righteousness and piety, these people being all
comes peace, so greet us with the salutation of peace”.
descendents of one and same origin, as Allah, the Most
High, says: “O people, keep your duty to your Lord,
Thus, it becomes clear to any rational person that the
Who created you from a single being and created its
Islamic Shari‘a considers peace among people as the
mate of the same (kind), and spread from these two
basis of all human relations. When minds are safe from
many men and women…” [The Women 4: 1]. The word
perversion, souls free from greeds, hearts purified from
“salaam” occurs more than thirty times in the Holy
sins and emotions filled with true faith, then goodness
Quran. The recurrent use of this word, in various situa-
will prevail among people and they will cooperate with
tions and in different styles, attracts attention to this
each other in righteousness and piety, not in sin and
lofty basic principle. Peace opens hearts, minds and
aggression. In order for the rhythm of life to be regulat-
sentiments up to planting the virtue of brotherhood
ed, prosperity to be promoted and goodness to prevail
among all humans and exchanging among men the
among people, people should cooperate with each other
bounties that Allah made permissible for them, and
to fulfill their interests and needs and provide aid and
spreads a sense of safety and serenity among individu-
help to the needy. The Arabic poet says:
als and communities. One of the virtues of the term
“salaam” is that it is one of the magnificent names of Whoever does good will be recompensed for
Allah, as Allah, the Most High, says: “He is Allah, it
besides Whom there is no God; the King, the Holy, the
Allah will not waste the reward of those who
Author of Peace, the Granter of Security, Guardian over
do good deeds.
all, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Possessor of
Greatness. Glory be to Allah from that which they set up Our meeting today in this Special Conference pre-
(with Him)!” [The Banishment 59: 23]. Al-salaam is sented by the Lahore Ahmadiyya Islamic Society and
also the greeting that is exchanged among the people of participation with such elite scholars, thinkers and
faith. When meeting a fellow Muslim, the Muslim says: researchers make us look forward with great hope to the
Assalamu ‘Alaikum [peace be upon you], i.e. may you future, the events of the conference to be organized and
JULY –SEPTEMBER 2011 (cid:0) THE LIGHT AND ISLAMIC REVIEW 7
the resolutions and recommendations to be made. We be treated as second-class citizens – that it is okay
are all required to cooperate and work together in order to have a church or a synagogue in that location,
to achieve security, peace and tolerance. but not a mosque. How is this different from say-
ing: well, although African Americans have a right
We ask Allah, the Most Sublime and All-Powerful to
to sit at the front of the bus, but because it offends
grant us success to do what benefits the whole mankind
the sensibilities of some, we’d prefer they sit at the
and what Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, loves and is
back?
pleased with. Verily Allah is All-Hearing and
Responsive. He is the best Protector and best Helper.(cid:0) Clearly, whether consciously done or not, this
view is based on holding all Muslims collectively
guilty for the crimes of a handful of terrorists.
Islam in America There is nothing to suggest that those involved in
the Park51 Project have anything to do with any
Reflections on Being Muslim in America type of extremist acts or beliefs for that matter. To
in a Post-9/11 World the contrary, those involved in this project have a
history of promoting “moderate” Islam and work-
ing collaboratively with other faith groups.
By Fazeel S. Khan, Esq
And if Park51 is just too close, what is far
In March of this year I was asked to speak at Capital
enough? New York wasn’t attacked on 9/11,
University’s week-long conference on “Islamophobia”.
America was. Should there be no mosques in the
In particular, I was asked to give my impressions on
entire country? Apparently, the fear of such a slip-
being Muslim in America post-9/11. Later in the year, in
pery slope is a reality, as we already see chal-
September, I was asked to speak at the Broadway
lenges to the construction of mosques in
Methodist Church (in Columbus, Ohio) during a series
Tennessee, Texas, and many of other states.
of weekly events it was conducting in commemoration
of the 10 year memorial of 9/11. In this event, I was And what is really intriguing is the fact that we
asked to speak about the same issue, but focusing on were inundated with this controversy every day
Columbus, Ohio specifically. Below, I present some top- leading up to the 2010 elections, but now, after the
ics that were discussed at both events and my opinions elections are over, no one hears about this any-
and thoughts on them. Although incidents of peaceful more, as if the issue has just disappeared. Why is
collaborative work and bridge-building were discussed, that? What can we learn from this?
the points included in this article are the more prominent
Representative King’s Congressional Hearings
issues that gained national and even international media
interest. As pointed out below, despite these more promi- There has been media frenzy over Rep. King’s congres-
nent issues being generally negative in nature, they pro- sional hearings titled “The Extent of Radicalization in
vided the opportunity for positive outcomes. the American Muslim Community and that
Community’s Response”. Many believe the hearings are
“Ground Zero Mosque” Controversy
fair and balanced, and focus on a serious threat to the
This controversy, that captured national and internation- nation. Others view the hearings as discriminatory, tar-
geting one group of citizens for political purposes.
al media attention, concerned the building of a commu-
nity center (which also happened to have a prayer area Acknowledging that extremism among some seg-
included therein) in downtown Manhattan. The opposi- ments of the Muslim community is real, the issues I
tion to the continued construction of the community have with the hearings are as follows:
center/mosque was based on the view that, despite
Again, rather than focus on radicals, the terrorists,
Muslims having a constitutional right to build a place of
those who pose a threat to America, the entire
worship in that location (especially since there is a
American Muslim community is lumped together
church and a synagogue in the vicinity as well), the
as being the problem.
plans should be thwarted because it offends the sensibil-
ities of Americans. Would it make sense to hold congressional hear-
ings about the extent of radicalization in the
At first glance, the argument may seem somewhat
Christian community based on the crimes of the
benign. But, as a Muslim in America, the following
KKK or other white supremacist groups?
thoughts come to mind:
Obviously not, for we can all appreciate that all
What about the sensibilities of the 7 million Christians cannot be held collectively guilty for
American Muslim who are being told it is okay to the wrongs committed by a few.
8 THE LIGHT AND ISLAMIC REVIEW (cid:0) JULY –SEPTEMBER 2011
The fact of the matter is that there are more terror- many Muslims had been searching for, and was
ist acts or attempted terrorist acts in America by produced as a direct result of Pastor Jones’ hate-
non-Muslims than Muslims. But this “fact” was filled campaign.
not presented at the hearing because no one was
Pastor Rod Parsley
called to testify on this crucial point. Nor were any
law enforcement officials called to testify about During the 2008 Presidential Campaign season,
the extent of participation by the American Republican presidential candidate John McCain
Muslim community in combatting terrorism. How received the endorsement of local Christian personality,
is the response from the American Muslim com- Pastor Rod Parsley of the World Harvest Church. This
munity to be assessed without this pertinent infor- was seen as a critical achievement for Senator McCain,
mation? a platform from which to obtain the evangelical vote.
However, shortly afterwards, some of Pastor Parsley’s
Because of the absence of crucial testimony and
extreme views on a host of issues, including Islam and
evidence, it appears the hearings do nothing to
Muslims, became known to the general public. In his
address the real problem of threats of terrorism in
book “Silent No More”, Pastor Parsley states that:
America. Rather, the publicized hearings are hav-
ing the effect of creating fear and distrust among Islam is an “Anti-Christ” religion;
citizens of the country and, as a consequence,
The underlying spirit of the faith is “one of
doing much more to foster radicalization than to
hostility”;
deter it.
Muhammad “received revelations from demons
Pastor Jones’ “Burn the Quran Day”
and not from the true God”.
Another event that took place recently that gained
America “was founded, in part, with the
national and international attention concerned the
intention of seeing this false religion destroyed”.
Pastor in Florida who declared September 11th of last
year “Burn the Quran Day”. This event, quite ironically, And that “9-11 was a generational call to arms”
I believe, was a positive one, for the following reasons: against Muslims.
Despite the ill intentions of the Pastor, who most The following impressions were relayed:
probably hoped to spark a war of sorts between
Pastor Parsley symbolized the type of extreme
Muslims and Christians all around the country, the
views Muslims had heard about from different
response from Churches throughout the country in
parts around the country and had come to fear. For
opposition to this campaign was overwhelming.
Muslims in the Columbus area, it was quite shock-
Churches publicly condemned the Pastor’s pro-
ing to witness these views coming from our own
gram and even held “Read the Quran” events in
back yard.
opposition to his campaign. Locally, the
Universalist Unitarian Church in Clintonville held In response to Pastor Parsley’s views, the Lahore
an event titled “Burn No Sacred Books”, which Ahmadiyya Islamic Society offered to engage in
brought in approximately 500 people, including
discussion with him about his views on Islam and
myself, to stand in solidarity against the message
even publicly debate the legitimacy of such views.
of hatred promoted by Pastor Jones.
Unfortunately, despite his book title being “Silent
Here at home, we also had Reverend Deborah No More”, once challenged to debate his views,
Lindsay of the First Community Church give a Pastor Parsley became completely silent.
sermon on “Islamophobia” in response to the Nevertheless, thousands of people became aware
“Burn the Quran Day” campaign that went viral of the shallowness of Pastor Parsley’s understand-
on the internet. Hundreds of thousands of people ings and commenced their own study of the Quran
viewed the sermon, most of them from the (and related literature) to learn for themselves
Muslim world. The sense of appreciation and what this religion entailed.
respect that was generated by Rev. Lindsay’s ser-
Rifqa Barry Case
mon calling out Pastor Jones and his offensive tac-
tics was unparalleled. Rev. Lindsay, who is a very Another local incident that received much media atten-
good friend of mine, has since been asked to speak tion concerned a young girl of Sri Lankan origin who
on Christian-Muslim relations throughout the lived in New Albany (suburb of Columbus) with her
country and even internationally. Her sermon pro- Muslim family. Her name was Rifqa Barry, and
vided a much-needed gesture of good-will that Wikipedia states the following:
JULY –SEPTEMBER 2011 (cid:0) THE LIGHT AND ISLAMIC REVIEW 9
Rifqa Barry drew international attention in 2009 between Islam and the West), are all based on underly-
when she ran away from her Ohio home at age 16 ing political motivations. Eliminating the practice of
saying that her parents were going to kill her for using religion to influence political agendas is needed in
becoming Christian. Her story was broadcast on order to prevent inter-faith clashes and foster peaceful
TV and discussed on partisan blogs. It became a cohabitation. The doctrine of “separation of church and
focal point in a culture clash between Evangelical state” is well established; what needs to be encouraged
Christians and Muslims. further by all faiths is the “separation of church and
hate”. When people apply the principles of peace and
The points discussed were as follows:
tolerance fundamental to all faith traditions, we see that
During the legal proceedings and the investigation destructive plans can yield positive results.(cid:0)
by Jobs and Family Services of Ohio, it was deter-
mined there was no threat to the life or safety of
Trials and Tribulations and
Rifqa Barry from her family. What should have
been a simple child custody case, turned into a the Duty of Muslims
media circus fueled by far-right religious groups
using this matter as a catalyst for advancing other
A prescription for dealing with the maladies of
political issues.
distress and suffering, and advice on the goal to
The most prominent person in this campaign was which Muslims must direct their efforts
Pamela Ghellar, a blogger and political activist,
from Florida, who co-founded the group “Stop the
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Islamization of America”, and who was also an
integral force behind the opposition to the estab- [This article is a Jummah Khutba (Friday
lishment of Park51 (the “ground zero mosque”, as Congregational Prayer Sermon) delivered by Maulana
she coined the term) in lower Manhattan. The Muhammad Ali ninety years ago on March 18, 1921.
campaign to support Rifqa Barry, unfortunately The Khutba is based on verses 186 through 189 of
turned into a campaign to demonize the Muslim Chapter 3 of the Holy Quran. Maulana Muhammad Ali
community of Columbus and its local institutions, explains how patience and guarding against inequity is
like the Noor Islamic Cultural Center. Quite fortu- required in times of distress and suffering. Using the
nately, the local media was very fair in its report- early history of Islam as an illustration, he applies these
ing on the subject, not giving into the sensational lessons to the condition of contemporary Muslims. In
issues introduced by Pamela Ghellar and counter- doing so, he offers the valuable lesson that the goal to
parts. which Muslims must direct their efforts is to under-
standing the Quran and propagate its true and pure
On a positive note, this controversy presented the
teachings to the world. The pursuit of expanding the
opportunity to discuss the topic of “apostasy” in Islamic faith through force and military means, which
Islam and educate both Muslims and non- many Muslims believed was their true calling, he fur-
Muslims alike about what the religion of Islam ther clarifies, is contrary to the teachings of Islam.
mandates (if anything) when a Muslim converts to History bears testimony to the fact that the objective of
another faith. The Lahore Ahmadiyya Islamic spreading Islam through educational means was lost
Society published a brochure outlining provision sight of by the masses, resulting in extremism being fos-
of the Quran and Hadith that unequivocally prove tered that is causing much havoc in the world today.
no punishment whatsoever can be administered to Maulana Muhammad Ali ends this Khutba by reminding
someone leaving the faith, all matters of faith members of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement not to
being solely between God and the individual. lose focus of this objective, that its very existence hinges
on it, and it is to this goal that it must remain steadfast.]
Other prominent Islamic organizations were also
compelled to address this issue and a general con- I bear witness that none deserves to be served besides
sensus was forged around this issue in the Muslim Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is the servant
American community, despite differing views and messenger of Allah. After this I seek the protection
existing in other parts of the world. of Allah from the accursed devil.
Conclusion In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful.
A general theme emerges from analyzing the events dis- You will certainly be tried in your property and
cussed. These controversies, normally presented and your persons. And you will certainly hear from
viewed as religious conflicts (or inherent tensions those who have been given the Book before you
10 THE LIGHT AND ISLAMIC REVIEW (cid:0) JULY –SEPTEMBER 2011
and from the idolaters much abuse. And if you are be upon you). Those who openly manifested such inso-
patient and keep your duty, surely this is an affair lent behavior were certainly capable of secret acts of
of great resolution. And when Allah took a malice and persecution. Loss of life and property had
covenant from those who were given the Book: You occurred before the battle of Uhud and certainly during
shall explain it to men and shall not hide it. But it.
they cast it behind their backs and took a small
One can therefore conclude that the loss of property
price for it. So evil is that which they buy. Think
and person and abuse referred to in this verse was
not that those who exult in what they have done,
prophetic in nature. By mentioning the coming of such
and love to be praised for what they have not done
tribulations after the great losses of Uhud, attention is
— think not them to be safe from the chastisement;
drawn towards tribulations of a much larger proportion
and for them is a painful chastisement. And
that were to occur in the future. What could be the rea-
Allah’s is the kingdom of the heavens and the
son for mentioning these future events in relationship
earth. And Allah is Possessor of power over all
with the battle of Uhud? In fact the verses relating to
things. (Holy Quran, 3:186-189)
Uhud occur in the chapter Al Imran. It is also generally
Two statements are made in the first verse: 1) You accepted that the first eighty verses of chapter Al Imran
will certainly be tried in your property and persons, relate to Christianity, and the Holy Prophet used these
and 2) hear much abuse from those who have been verses as a reference point in his discussions with the
given the book before you and the idolaters.Upon cur- Najran delegation. His challenge of the Deprecatory
sory examination this does not appear to be an unusual Prayer (Mubahila) to this delegation is also mentioned
announcement. One quite often has to face insult and in verse 3:61 of the Holy Quran. Chapter Al-Baaqarah
injury from those in opposition. During the time of the refers a lot to the Jewish faith while Al Imran has a spe-
Holy Prophet, the Muslims suffered great losses of life cific connection with Christianity. The chapter Al Imran
and property. Even before the battles in Makkah their begins with mention of Christianity and also ends with
wealth and property was pillaged and plundered and verses related to Christianity. In the middle of this chap-
many lost their lives. They were subjected to all kinds of ter we have verses related to Uhud. In this battle the dis-
torture and there were hardly any who did not face believers had brought along with their army the famous
adversity. These included both the rich and poor. Christian Monk Abu Amir. He was the first one to come
Hadhrat Uthman, who was a rich man, suffered much forward in the battle of Uhud wearing the raiment of
grief and also the poor slaves underwent bitter persecu- piety and chastity. The idea was to try to delude the
tion. The battles present an even worse and more painful Ansar (people of Medina who had accepted Islam),
scenario. because Abu Amir was well respected amongst the
Ansar. This Chapter, and this battle, therefore has a spe-
Let us examine the battle of Uhud. The Holy Prophet
cial relationship with Christianity. Mentioning
and his companions suffered tremendously during this
Christianity along with losses of life and property indi-
engagement. The Holy Prophet was bleeding from his
cate that in the future Muslims will have to suffer even
head and had fallen into a pit. All forms of insult and
greater tribulations at the hands of those professing this
abuse had been hurled at him by the disbelievers. This
faith. When Abu Sufyan (leader of Makkan disbeliev-
verse was revealed at such time of great affliction in the
ers) finding the Muslims in dire straits during the battle
year 3 A.H. after the battle of Uhud. A period of great
of Uhud called out in a loud voice, “Is Muhammad
distress had just ended when he was informed of further
amongst you?”, the Holy Prophet instructed his follow-
trials and tribulations in the form of loss of property and
ers not to answer him. He then asked the same question
person. Before the battle of Uhud the Muslims had been
about Hadhrat Abu Bakar and Hadhrat Umar, two of the
subjected to much verbal abuse. The disbelievers of the
Holy Prophets most venerable companions. The Holy
Quraish were experts in composing such invectives in
Prophet again gave the same instructions not to reply.
their poetry. The Jews of Medina also joined them in
Abu Sufyan proclaimed “indeed they must have all been
slandering and composing sexually explicit lyrics
killed, were they alive they would have answered.”
against the chaste Muslim women. They also tormented
Upon hearing this Hadhrat Umar could no longer
the Holy Prophet by use of malicious language. For
remain silent and responded, “O enemy of God we are
example, they would address him in a gathering and
all alive so that you may be humiliated.”
instead of using the word ra ‘i-na (as stated in Quran,
2:104), meaning excuse us, with a slight change of From these statements one can conclude that as a
accent they would use the word ra‘ina, which had the result of this battle, great loss of life had occurred
connotation of ignoranceor stupidity. Similarly, instead amongst the Muslims. Islam survived these great losses,
of saying, Asalaamoalaikum (meaning peace be upon though the enemy believed it had succeeded in destroy-
you), they would say Asaamoalaikum (meaning death ing it. It will manage once more to survive if it has to