October – December 2008 - The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement in

20 Pages·2009·0.33 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
October – December 2008
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. 85 CONTENTS No. 4
Clarion Fund and Pastor Parsley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
From politics to religion, the threat of Islam to the West
remains at the forefront of public discourse
By Fazeel S. Khan, Esq.
Prophet Abraham: A Life of Supreme Dedication,
Submission and Sacrifice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Eid-al-Adha Khutba 2008
By Dr. Jawad Ahmad
Abraham and the Sacrifice of the Animal Within . . . . . . 10
By Dr. Mohammed Ahmad
The Ahmadiyya Movement and Sectarianism . . . . . . . . . . 14
An analysis of a widespread misconception
By Maulana Muhammad Ali
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) OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2008
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 Indonesia Germany
Suriname India
Assistant Editor: Fatima Z. Rahman
Trinidad South Africa
Circulation:Mrs. Samina Malik. Guyana
Contact information: Achievements:
‘The Light’, P.O. Box 3370, Dublin, Ohio 43016, U.S.A. The Anjuman has produced extensive
literature on Islam, originally in English and
Phone:614 – 873 1030 • Fax:614 – 873 1022
Urdu, including translations of the
Holy Quran with commentaries. These books
E-mails:[email protected]
are being translated into other languages,
Website:www.muslim.org including French, German, Spanish, Dutch,
Russian, Chinese, and Arabic. The Anjuman
The main objective of the A.A.I.I.L. is to present the true, original message has run several Muslim missions around the
of Islam to the whole world — Islam as it is found in the Holy Quran and world, including the first ever in Western
the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, obscured today by grave mis - Europe.
conceptions and wrong popular notions.
History:
Islam seeks to attract the hearts and mindsof people towards the truth, by
means of reasoning and the natural beauty of its principles. 1889: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad founds
the Ahmadiyya Movement.
HazratMirza Ghulam Ahmad (d. 1908), our Founder, arose to remind the
1901: Movement given name Ahmadiyya
world that Islam is:
after Holy Prophet Muhammad’s other
International:It recognizes prophets being raised among all nations famous name Ahmad.
and requires Muslims to believe in them all. Truth and goodness
1905: Hazrat Mirza appoints central body
can be found in all religions. God treats all human beings equally, (Anjuman) to manage the Movement.
regardless of race, nationality or religion.
1908: Death of Hazrat Mirza. Succeeded by
Peaceful: Allows use of force only in unavoidable self-defence. Maulana Nur-ud-Din as Head.
Teaches Muslims to live peacefully under any rule which accords
1914: Death of Maulana Nur-ud-Din.
them freedom of religion.
Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha‘at Islam
Tolerant: Gives full freedom to everyone to hold and practise any founded at Lahore as continuation of the
original Anjuman. Maulana Muhammad
creed or religion. Requires us to tolerate differences of belief and
Ali elected as Head.
opinion.
1951: Death of Maulana Muhammad Ali
Rational:In all matters, it urges use of human reason and knowledge.
after fifty years of glorious service to the
Blind following is condemned and independence of thought is
cause of Islam. Maulana Sadr-ud-Din
granted.
(d. 1981) becomes Head.
Inspiring:Worship is not a ritual, but provides living contact with a 1981–1996: Dr Saeed Ahmad Khan, an emi-
Living God, Who answers prayers and speaks to His righteous ser- nent medical doctor and religious schol-
vants even today as in the past. ar, led the Movement, at a time of
intense persecution.
Non-sectarian:Every person professing Islam by the words La ilaha
ill-Allah, Muhammad-ur rasul-ullah (There is no god but Allah, 1996–2002: Prof. Dr Asghar Hameed, a
and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah) is a Muslim. A Muslim distinguished retired University
Professor of Mathematics, and learned
cannot be expelled from Islam by anyone.
Islamic scholar, served as Head.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad taught that noprophet, old or new, is to arise
2002: Prof. Dr Abdul Karim Saeed Pasha
after the Holy Prophet Muhammad. However, Mujaddidswill be raised by
elected Head.
God to revive and rekindle the light of Islam.
OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2008 (cid:0) THE LIGHT AND ISLAMIC REVIEW 3
Clarion Fund and Pastor ply a concerted effort to further an agenda to instill
hate in the hearts and minds of Americans against a
Parsley
particular group of people (i.e. Muslims). In all fair-
ness, the Obsession DVD does begin with a dis-
From politics to religion,
claimer that states: “It is important to remember that
the threat of Islam to the West remains
most Muslims are peaceful and do not support ter-
at the forefront of public discourse
ror”. Moreover, while describing the Obsession DVD
on the Clarion Fund’s website, it is stated: “A peace-
By Fazeel S. Khan, Esq.
ful religion is being hijacked by a dangerous foe, who
seeks to destroy the shared values we stand for”.
After a long and intense presidential election season,
the American people elected Barack Obama as their So why all the fuss? If the Obsession DVD targets
next president. The historic significance of this elec- “radical” Muslims only, why should “moderate”
tion was profound. It was a first in terms of an African Muslims be offended? Isn’t objecting to the cam-
America being elected to lead the country’s highest paign inter aliaaligning one’s self with radicals? Not
public office. It was exceptional in terms of the role quite. As Hate Hurts America, a non-profit interfaith
women played: Hillary Clinton very nearly became coalition that was formed to address the rising prob-
the Democratic Presidential candidate and Sarah Palin lem of hatred against American minorities, very aptly
almost became the country’s Vice-President. It was explains, the Obsession DVD “cast[s] a wide net of
also outstanding in terms of the tremendous active suspicion against Muslims by blurring the line
participation by youth and the impact the internet had between violent radicalism and mainstream Islam”.
on raising campaign donations.
But is there any merit to the assertion that
Americans will be fooled into believing the violent
In addition to the momentous events of this past
acts and vile propaganda of some is representative of
presidential election campaign season, there was
an entire group of people? Are we to believe that
another unprecedented campaign that took place over
Americans will not be able to make the distinction
the past several months. This campaign was not tied
between “radical Islam” and “true Islam”? The
to any particular presidential hopeful, but was quite
answer to both questions, for the most part, is “Yes”.
clearly aimed at affecting the outcome of the election.
Case in point: the infamous lady at the John McCain
This campaign comprised sending twenty-eight mil-
rally who stated before the world that she does not
lion free DVDs of a 2006 propaganda film titled
trust Barack Obama because he is an “Arab”.
Obsession: Radical Islam’s War against the West to
Although she didn’t refer to him as a “Muslim”, it
Americans in various swing states via seventy daily
was quite apparent she meant the same thing.
newspapers. Conservative estimates place the cost of
Because he was an Arab/Muslim, her logic flowed, he
this campaign at about ten million dollars.
could not be trusted, as, presumably, Arabs/Muslims
The distributor of the film, the Clarion Fund, is a are inherently anti-American and a threat to the West.
registered non-profit organization that claims “to Clearly, the threat of “radical Islam” is very much
educate the public about national security issues”. It understood by at least some Americans as a danger
does this “by funding documentaries and websites posed by anyone who is Arab or Muslim.
dealing with topical issues”. The Obsession DVD in
One may suggest this was simply an isolated case.
particular aims at exposing the threat of “radical
Perhaps this lady was unusually uninformed and
Islam” to the West. In includes many clips from tele-
impressionable, it may be argued. This supposition
vision programs throughout the Middle East, from
fails to carry much weight due to the numerous exam-
Lebanon to UAE, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in sup-
ples of educated, well-informed persons expressing
port of its premise.
the same view. Take a look at the nationally recog-
The objections to the Obsession DVD campaign nized Pastor Rod Parsley. Rod Parsley is the pastor of
were numerous. Along with legal arguments that such the World Harvest Church, a mega-church in the
a campaign violates election laws and breaches the Columbus, Ohio area that has membership of over
organization’s tax exempt status, there was a wide- twelve thousand. He also leads nine other ministries,
spread moral view that the Obsession DVD was sim- which include The Center for Moral Clarity, a
4 THE LIGHT AND ISLAMIC REVIEW (cid:0) OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2008
Christian school, a bible college, and hosts a televi- from the true God”. He also believes America “was
sion show that airs across the U.S. and Canada. Due founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this
to his far reaching influence, John McCain sought his false religion destroyed” and that 9/11 “was a gener-
support in his run for the White House. Whatever one ational call to arms”.
may think about Pastor Parsley, clearly he is not unin-
In a sincere effort to educate Pastor Rod Parsley,
formed or lacking intelligence; his accomplishments,
the members of his congregation, other Christian
rather, reveal he is quite knowledgeable and very
leaders who may hold similar views, and the millions
bright. Yet, Pastor Parsley, like the lady at the McCain
of Americans who are quite unaware of the true
rally, fails to make the distinction between Islam as a
nature of Islam, the Lahore Ahmadiyya Islamic
religion and radical Muslims who claim to be follow-
Society invites Pastor Parsley to debate the merits of
ers of Islam. In his book Silent No More, he includes
these views.
a chapter titled “Islam: The Deception of Allah” and
warns of a war between Islam and Christian civiliza- “Far from a hostile religion”, Dr. Mohammed
tion. Lest there be any uncertainty as to who exactly Ahmad, President of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Islamic
he believes this enemy to Christian civilization is, he Society, explains, “the word Islamis derived from the
states emphatically: Arabic word silm, meaning peace. “Moreover”, he
continues, “Islam is titled after the objective to which
There are some, of course, who will say
it aspires: the attainment of peace – within the indi-
that the violence I cite is the exception and
vidual, amongst people, and between man and God –
not the rule. I beg to differ. I will counter,
is what Islam prescribes as the very purpose of life”.
respectfully, that what some call “extrem-
ists” are instead mainstream believers who It appears Pastor Parsley is quite unaware that the
are drawing from the well at the very heart Holy Quran provides:
of Islam.
All people, regardless of faith, color or
Thus, Pastor Parsley, much like the confused lady creed, are equal: “mankind is but a single
at the McCain rally stating she did not trust Barack nation” (2:213).
Obama because he was an “Arab”, lumps all Muslims
Total and complete religious freedom
into the category of America’s enemies based on the
must be upheld: “There is no compulsion
actions of radicals/extremists. Accordingly, the con-
in religion” (2:256).
cern that the Obsession DVD can blur the lines
between radical/extremist Muslims and mainstream State governments must be democratic:
Muslims is certainly valid: we frequently see persons “those whose affairs are decided by coun-
of all backgrounds attributing the acts of radicals to sel among themselves” (42:38).
all Muslims and generalizing the ideologies of
Financial independence of women must
extremist to the true teachings of Islam.
be established: “For men is the benefit of
In response to Pastor Parsley’s rhetoric, the Lahore what they earn. And for women the bene-
Ahmadiyya Islamic Society issued a press release fit of what they earn” (4:32).
and publicly invited him to debate the merits of his
Justice must be administered in all mat-
views. The press release is copied below:
ters: “Be maintainers of justice even
though it be against your own selves or
Lahore Ahmadiyya Islamic Society
your relatives” (4:135).
Invites Pastor Rod Parsley to Debate
A welfare system for the poor and needy
COLUMBUS, OH, 5/29/08: As widely reported by
must be institutionalized: “Give away
various media outlets recently, Columbus, Ohio
wealth out of love for Him (God), to the
Pastor Rod Parsley has an extremely unfavorable
near of kin and the orphans, and the needy
view of Islam. He believes Islam is an “Anti-Christ”
and the wayfarer and to those who ask and
religion, the underlying spirit of the faith being “one
set slaves free” (2:177).
of hostility”. He believes Muhammad, the prophet of
Islam, “received revelations from demons and not War must be limited to cases of self-
OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2008 (cid:0) THE LIGHT AND ISLAMIC REVIEW 5
defense only: “Permission to fight is given effort in eradicating extremist ideologies from the
to those on whom war is made” (22:39); world”, he concludes.
“And fight against those who fight against
Inciting hatred towards members of a particular
you, and be not aggressive” (2:190).
faith and calling for violent acts directed against them
Are these principles contrary to the values and is neither Islamic nor Christ-like. The Holy Quran,
ideals upon which America was founded? Is there rather, mandates resolving religious differences in a
any other religious scripture that so explicitly defines more civilized manner; it states: “Call to the path of
the principles required to establish a peaceful, civil, thy Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation and
democratic society? debate with people in the best possible manner”
(16:125). It is in the spirit of engaging in respectful
It appears Pastor Parsley is also unaware that the
dialogue, as mandated by the Holy Quran, that the
Holy Quran:
Lahore Ahmadiyya Islamic Society invites Pastor
Vindicates Jesus’ status of Messiah: Parsley to a written, public debate on the validity of
“…whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son his views about Islam.
of Mary, worthy of regard in this world
The Lahore Ahmadiyya Islamic Society is head-
and in the hereafter …” (3:44);
quartered in Columbus, Ohio and is the U.S.A.
Refers to Jesus as a “word” of God: “The branch of the international Lahore Ahmadiyya
Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, is only a Movement in Islam. For more information, you may
messenger of God and His word …” contact Fazeel S. Khan at [email protected] or (614)
(4:171); 873-1030, and visit www.muslim.org.
Explains that Jesus was “strengthened
with the Holy Spirit”: “And We gave clear Despite the title of his book being Silent No More,
arguments to Jesus son of Mary, and Pastor Parsley has chosen to remain completely silent
strengthened him with the Holy Spirit” in response to this invitation.
(2:253);
As argued in the Press Release, whenever address-
Has an entire chapter titled “Mary” ing the issue of Islamic extremism a primary distinc-
(Chapter 19), after Jesus’ mother, and tion needs to be made between what Islam as a reli-
defends her against charges of being gion prescribes and what some who claim to be fol-
unchaste: “… for their uttering against lowers of Islam practice. This is really the key in fully
Mary a grievous calumny” (4:156); understanding the issue. It is widely recognized by
political scientists that Islamic extremism is general-
Provides that Jesus’ disciples received rev-
ly the product of political grievances, not adherence
elations from God: “And when I (God)
to religious obligations. Accordingly, if one is to con-
revealed to the disciples …” (5:111).
tinue to believe that Islam is the source that fuels ter-
Can these beliefs be reasonably construed as rorism carried out by Muslims, the root cause of the
inherently “Anti-Christ”? Do these plain confirma- problem will be overlooked. In actuality, it is a radi-
tions appear to be inspired by “demons”? cal, unsupportable interpretation of Islam that is sim-
ply being used by Muslim terrorists as justification
“Clearly, Pastor Parsley has relied on biased and
for furthering political goals. By stripping extremists
inaccurate sources in forming his views about Islam”,
of the garb of Islam, they lose the moral ground upon
explains Attorney Fazeel S. Khan, Secretary of the
which their existence is based and are also deprived
Lahore Ahmadiyya Islamic Society. “The erroneous-
of their most influential recruiting tool. What better
ness of his views”, he continues, “is plainly manifest-
way to address the “threat of radical Islam”?
ed by his failure to make the primary distinction
between one, Islam as a religion, and two, misguided Certainly, Muslims have the primary responsibility
persons claiming to be followers of Islam”. “He has in refuting such extremist ideologies. However, the
aligned himself with the Islamic extremists’ interpre- question must be asked, if entities like the Clarion
tations of Islam; such an act only legitimates the Fund genuinely seek to enhance the country’s nation-
extremists’ cause, a result that impedes the global al security by reducing the threat of “radical Islam” to
6 THE LIGHT AND ISLAMIC REVIEW (cid:0) OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2008
the West, why not attack the ideology upon which rad- rifice you, so consider what you see. He
ical Muslims based their cause by exposing the said: O my father, do as you are com-
untruths of extremist views in contrast to true Islamic manded. If Allah please, you will find me
principles? The Lahore Ahmadiyya Islamic Society patient. So when they both submitted and
has been engaged in this concerted campaign for Abraham had thrown him down upon his
approximately a century now. It has produced a forehead, We called out to him, saying, O
library of scholarly works that utterly destroy the very Abraham, you have indeed fulfilled the
extremist views that are causing havoc in the world vision. Thus do We reward the doer of
today. It has translated these works into numerous dif- goods. Surely this is a manifest trial. And
ferent languages so that local populations throughout We ransomed him with a great sacrifice.
the world may benefit from it. It continues to establish And We granted him among the later gen-
learning centers and missions around the globe so that erations (salutations). Peace be to
the material in native languages may be accessible to
Abraham. Thus do We reward the doers of
all. Accordingly, a strategic platform for eliminating
good. (37:100-110).
the threat of “radical Islam” has already been set.
Common sense dictates that all those who claim to Eid al-Adha is the second of two important festi-
want to defend America’s national security from “rad- vals for Muslims, coming after Eid al-Fitr. One
ical” Muslims would take advantage of this opportu- unique aspect of the annual Islamic pilgrimage (Hajj)
nity to further its goal by supporting the mission of the or the minor pilgrimage (Umra) is that in this high
Lahore Ahmadiyya Islamic Society. Will the Clarion point of worship, no memorable event relating to the
Fund support this cause? Or will it, like Pastor life of the Founder of Islam, the Holy Prophet
Parsley, become silent when asked to step forward and Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon
become accountable for its views? (cid:0) him, has been included. Rather an animal is offered
for sacrifice a tribute to the spirit of sacrifice shown
by Prophet Abraham when he was ready to sacrifice
Prophet Abraham: A Life
his son Ishmael in obedience to the Divine command.
of Supreme Dedication, The circuits made around the Ka’bah are made as a
tribute to Abraham and Ishmael for re-building this
Submission and Sacrifice
place of worship. The sa’i(running) between the two
hillocks of Safaand Marwais a tribute to the patience
Eid-al-Adha Khutba 2008
and fortitude shown by Lady Hagar (Hajira), the
mother of Ishmael. The throwing of pebbles symbol-
By Dr. Jawad Ahmad
ically at Satan is a tribute to the resistance offered by
[This article, slightly modified, was presented by Dr.
Prophet Abraham to the attempts of Satan to dissuade
Jawad Ahmad as the Eid-al-Adha khutba (sermon) at
him from sacrificing his son, while he was taking him
the London Center this year. In this article, Dr.
to the place of sacrifice. By enjoining Hajj, Almighty
Ahmad reveals the key features, both ritual and spir-
itual, of the Eid-al-Adha festival. In addition to sac- Allah has given ever-lasting recognition to Prophet
rificing an animal and performing the hajj (pilgrim- Abraham’s struggle against polytheism, his profound
age), Dr. Ahmad explains, by comprehending the les- devotion to worshipping Allah and unqualified sub-
sons from the life of Abraham one can appreciate the mission to the Divine commands.
true meaning of “sacrifice”. Moreover, despite
If we study the Bible and the Qur’an we come
Abraham being highly regarded in Christianity and
across some amazing acts performed by Prophet
Judaism as well, it is Islam, Dr. Ahmad shows,
Abraham. For instance, the Holy Qur’an says:
through its principles and practices, that truly aims
at reaffirming the “faith of Abraham”. And when his Lord tried Abraham with
certain commands he fulfilled them. Then
My Lord, grant me a doer of good deeds.
Allah said: Surely I will make you, O
So we gave him the good news of a for-
Abraham, a leader of men.” (2:124).
bearing son. But when the son became of
age to work with his father, he said: O my The Bible provides a somewhat similar narration,
son, I have seen a dream that I should sac- but it also contains some prophecies which have been
OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2008 (cid:0) THE LIGHT AND ISLAMIC REVIEW 7
fulfilled by the advent of Holy Prophet Muhammad The Holy Qur’an records the supplications of
(saw) and his followers: Prophet Abraham in the following words:
And I will make you a great nation, and I And when Abraham said: My Lord, make
will bless you, and make your name great, this city secure, and save me and my sons
and you shall be a blessing. And I will from worshipping idols.
bless them that bless you, and curse him
Our Lord! I have settled a part of my off-
that curse you, and in you shall all families
spring in a valley unproductive of fruit
of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 17: 2,3)
near Your Sacred House, our Lord, that
Please note here the words: “I will bless them, that they may keep up prayer; so make the
bless you.” Here the word “them” stands for Muslims hearts of some people yearn towards them,
and the word “you” stands for Prophet Abraham. and provide them with fruits; haply they
may be grateful. (14:35, 37).
Jews and Christians both regard Prophet Abraham
as the Great Patriarch. But the question arises as to We must not forget that in order to earn ever-last-
who fulfils the prophecies conveyed to Abraham by ing blessings from Allah, Prophet Abraham and his
Allah. Who commemorates the sacrifices made and immediate family went through a series of trials in
trials faced by him? Who makes it a fundamental reg- which they remained steadfast and carried out what
ular practice to invoke salutations and blessings upon was commanded to them with utmost submission. We
him as promised to him by Allah. No doubt the Jews find the details in the Qur’an in the following words:
believe Prophet Moses to be the last of the prophets
And when his Lord tried Abraham with
and exalt and glorify him alone and disbelieve other
certain commands, he fulfilled them…
prophets who came after him. Similarly the
Christians believe that Prophet Jesus died on the And we enjoined Abraham and Ishmael,
Cross atoning for the sins of believers and regard him
saying: Purify My house for those who
as the son of God and establish his glory by raising
visit it and those who abide in it for devo-
him to the position of a partner in the Godship of
tion and those who bow down and those
Allah. But it is only the followers of the Holy Prophet
who prostrate themselves. (2:125)
Muhammad (saw) who not only believe Prophet
History tells us that Prophet Abraham under divine
Abraham as the “Father of Prophets”, as numerous
prophets were raised among the Children of Israel, command left his native town with his wife Hajrah
but also invoke salutations and blessings to exalt and and their sibling Ishmael, and after trudging through
glorify him along with the Holy Prophet Muhammad rugged and sandy routes reached the barren city of
who came in fulfilment of his intense supplications Makkah. He then left both wife and the child in the
made to Allah while rebuilding the Ka’bah. That is deserted vicinity of the Kab‘ah, the first House of
why at the end of each cycle of an individual or con- Allah, and returned home.
gregational Muslim prayer the following salutations
But that was not the end of trials. A bigger and
are recited:
more difficult trial was yet to come. When the first-
O Lord! Exalt Muhammad and the true born child grew up into a righteous and sturdy young
followers of Muhammad as You exalted man, Prophet Abraham saw in a dream that he was
Abraham and true followers of Abraham. sacrificing his son. The very next morning he consult-
And You are Mighty and highly praised. O ed his young son about the command given to him in
Lord! Bless Muhammad and the true fol- the dream. The obedient son without any hesitation
lowers of Muhammad as You blessed replied: “My dear father, Do as has been commanded
Abraham and the true followers of to you”. And Prophet Abraham attempted to carry out
Abraham. Certainly You are praised and what he was commanded to do by Allah, when he
Mighty. was revealed the following memorable words:
And the Holy Prophet Muhammad has said that O Abraham! Surely you have indeed ful-
any supplication made after reciting the salutations is filled the vision. Thus do We reward the
most likely to receive divine acceptance. doers of good (37:105).
8 THE LIGHT AND ISLAMIC REVIEW (cid:0) OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2008
Here again you will find that even Allah has Over the years, the deserted place is now blooming
regarded it as a vision and not as a commandment and with millions of pilgrims of all nationalities and
that is why Allah honours him in the Qur’an with the colours from all over the world. And the once barren
title of “Haneef”, that is, the most upright person: place is now booming with every conceivable item
produced anywhere in the world. Just imagine how
And he was a most submissive and upright
supreme the sacrifices and the humble supplications
person (3:66).
were that Allah responded with such tremendous
In addition, Allah mentions his appreciation for the bounties, blessings and affluence. Allah also raised a
followers of Prophet Muhammad (saw) for following great Prophet to perpetuate not only the memory of
and believing in Prophet Abraham’s messages in those who rebuilt it and offered such supreme sacri-
these words: fices, but through that Prophet permanently estab-
lished the Ka’bah as the greatest and most vibrant
The nearest of people to Abraham are
centre of spiritual elevation and purification. This
surely those who follow him and this
simple structure also instils firm faith in the hearts of
Prophet [i.e. Holy Prophet Muhammad
its devotees that all those who worship Allah and sub-
(saw)] and those who believe. And Allah is
mit to Him with sincere supplications and devotion
the Friend of those who believe. (3:67)
and serve His creatures will be granted not only a gra-
The sacred House of Allah, the Ka’bah, initially cious reward but ever-lasting blessings.
created by Prophet Adam and then re-built by
At this point I would like to quote a Christian
Prophet Abraham, forms a focal point in a Muslim’s
writer, Chris Horrie. In his book, What is Islam?
daily prayers as well as during the performance of
(published by Virgin Books, London (England), Mr.
Hajj. It is but a simple cubic structure, but has a
Horrie pays tribute to the historic role played by the
tremendous spiritual heritage and historical back-
Ka’bah in establishing the concept of tauhid
ground attached to it. That is why it has assumed so
(Oneness of the Divine Being) and in the struggle
much importance and veneration by Muslims. It is a
against polytheism. He writes:
symbol of the Unity of Allah - a living monument
reminding people that Allah is All-Powerful and One
The Ka’bah is a cube-shaped stone build-
Who can preserve any thing which stands for its
ing, believed to have been built at the
Unity in spite of all human efforts to destroy it.
beginning of time by Adam for the exclu-
History tells us that from Prophet Adam to Prophet
sive worship of Allah. The fate of the
Muhammad (saw), all prophets put their lives at stake
shrine is symbolically linked to Islam’s
and bore extreme hardships, along with their devout
battle against mankind’s repeated rever-
followers, to uphold the Unity of Allah. Even at times
sion from true religion of Allah-worship
Allah singularly guarded the sanctity and safety of
into paganism. (p.38).
the Ka’bah, the first house built for His worship. And
this brings to mind the attack of Abraha at the Recently I was reading the November 2008 issue
Ka’bah; a Christian Governor of Yemen, with a of EMEL, published from London. In this issue, the
mighty army and elephants with the intention of talented and devoted editor, a British Muslim, Mrs.
destroying it but were miraculously warded off by the Sarah Joseph, who was awarded OBE by the Queen,
pebbles of tiny birds. has given a fascinating account and inspiring spiritu-
al insight into what she felt while looking at the sim-
About five years ago I went to perform ‘Umra
ple cubic structure of Ka’bah. She writes in her
along with my family. While sitting in one of the
Editorial Note:
verandas of the Sacred Masjid, I looked at the simple
structure of the Ka’bah and tried to imagine a thou- As I slowly walked round, I could hear the
sand of years back, when this place was not so embel- hushed whispers of a thousand prayers in
lished, yet people from distant lands travelling for a hundred different tongues. Each was
months came to visit this shrine to pay their respect calling upon their Lord, praising Him and
to this symbol of the Unity of Allah and the memory asking Him to respond to the call of their
of its early settlers - Prophet Abraham, his wife hearts. Beads of sweat ran into tears of
Hajara and his son Ishmael. worshippers as they brought to God their
OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2008 (cid:0) THE LIGHT AND ISLAMIC REVIEW 9
troubles and their deepest wishes. I came The sacrifice of an animal during Hajj brings to an
with my prayers, my searching, my needs; end the rituals of the pilgrimage. But do we think that
and with the strongest belief that He sacrifice of an animal is just symbolic or does it carry
would hear me and He will answer…. a positive message for every Muslim? Abdus Sattar
Edhi of Karachi, Pakistan is world-renowned for his
After the seven rotations of the Ka’bah,
humanitarian services. Tehmina Durrani of Pakistan,
we moved to pray behind the footprints of
a woman with a penetrating pen and an observant
prophet Ibrahim who had, with his son
eye, has compiled an autobiography of this simple
Ishmail, rebuilt the ancient ruins left by
but courageous lover of humanity. In the book enti-
Adam and dedicated then again to the One
tled A Mirror to the Blind,she translates Abdus Sattar
True God…
Edhi’s inner feelings of the significance of sacrifice
My thoughts turned to the connection with while performing Hajj in the following words:
history and then our own place in it. As I
In keeping with Prophet Abraham’s sub-
followed ritually in the footsteps of the
mission to Divine command to slaughter
prophets, one is forced to ask questions; his son Ishmael, on the day after Hajj,
What am I doing to follow the example of Muslims all over the world celebrate Eid,
the prophets, to act upon the messages of highlighting Allah’s mercy towards that
the prophets, to aspire towards the goals of supreme sacrifice by replacing Ishmael
the prophets… with a sheep. It is a sacrifice not of a goat,
or a cow or a camel but of need, love,
I sat on the steps looking at the Ka’bah. Its
desire, habit, greed and a thousand other
beauty lies within its simplicity and I think
obstacles in the way of submitting to truth.
the same can be said of the whole of
It represents the death of ego, whereas
Islam….
Muslims merely slaughter an animal. (A.
We had participated in the rites as ancient Sattar Edhi Foundation, Mithadar,
as humanity itself, yet it was absolutely Karachi, Pakistan, 2001, p.137)
current in our experience. The rites were
One important lesson we can learn from the shin-
ancient, but their purposes were timeless;
ing example of this noble family is how culture and
as is the call to self-surrender oneself unto
collectiveness as individuals and as members of a
God. And so I prayed: “Make our faith a
family can provide tremendous impetus to achieve
living faith, not something inherited or
high objectives in life. Each member of this righteous
passively acquired, but lived and felt in the
family exhibited commendable sense of politeness,
reality of today. As Makkah overflows
mutual respect, unity of purpose and firm conviction
with history, may our hearts overflow with
in the divine support. For instance, the father address-
faith to be experienced in this life and in
es his son “yaa bunayya”, which means “O my dear
the life hereafter.
son”, and the son replies “yaa abate”, meaning “O
my dear father”. Again when Prophet Abraham was
Thus the Ka’bah is a living monument to the
leaving his wife Lady Hagar in that deserted place,
monotheistic concept, and the festival of ‘Id al-Adha
she in desperation asked: “Who will look after us in
is a reminder to man to work continuously for the
this wilderness”? And the reply was: “I entrust you to
inner and outer purification of his person through
the care of Allah”. And the wife said: “Then He will
spiritual discipline and training so that he should be
never forsake us”.
able to lead a virtuous life. Further, he is to derive
strength to empathise with others and serve them. Here one can observe how individual character as
The rituals observed during pilgrimage furnish us well as collective coherence not only fosters strength
with living proof of the fact that hardships undergone among family members. but provides immeasurable
and sacrifices made for noble and virtuous ideals and impetus to achieve great objectives. This is what
for setting a noble example are always rewarded by every family needs, this is what every community
God, the High. The greater the sacrifice, the greater needs and this is what the whole Muslim Umma
and more abiding shall be the recompense. needs today. In fact, the great objective of the mam-
10 THE LIGHT AND ISLAMIC REVIEW (cid:0) OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2008
moth gathering planned by Allah in that barren and ing… “If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do
vast stretch of land at Arafat, clad in one dress, recit- the works of Abraham.” Speaking of Abraham, the
ing one set of praises to the Almighty Allah, is to seek Holy Quran states:
forgiveness for their sins and beseech His mercy to
And when his Lord tried Abraham with
make them submissive and righteous, and above all to
certain commands he fulfilled them He
foster bonds of brotherhood and commitment to act
said: Surely I will make thee a leader of
righteousness and to set an example of righteousness
men. …When his Lord said to him,
for others.
Submit, he said: I submit myself to the
Let us, brothers and sisters, pray and make a Lord of the worlds. (2:124, 131)
solemn promise today on this auspicious occasion
Hindu religious tradition also relates the story of
that we will try our best to sacrifice our undue
Brahma, according to which, no being in the three
desires, selfish anger, greed, inclinations to exploit
worlds will worship him. He is also called son of god,
others for one’s own benefit, and attempts to deny
and is often depicted with a white beard, reciting one
help and happiness to those who deserve it. Let us
of the four Vedas. One of his hands is shown holding
submit sincerely to the commandments of Allah and
a spoon, which is associated with the pouring of holy
the practice of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw).
ghee (oil) into a sacrificial pyre-indicating the fact
And let us also make a solemn commitment to fulfil
that Brahma is the lord of sacrifices. Brahma’s vehi-
the objectives of sacrifice symbolised in the festival
cle is a divine swan. This divine bird is bestowed with
of Sacrifices. In short, the message of Eid al-Adha is
the ability to separate milk and water from a mixture
to purify our inner selves, elevate our spiritualism,
of the two. Also, this virtue indicates that one should
foster love and respect for others and extend selfless
learn to separate the good from the evil and then
sacrifice to uphold the cause of Islam and foster sym-
accept that which is valuable and discard that which
pathy for our fellow human beings. Ameen. (cid:0)
is worthless or evil. From this symbolic language
emerges a patriarchal human figure blessed with the
Abraham and the Sacrifice of revealed word, whose spirit soared to higher eleva-
tions like a bird, who could tell right from wrong
the Animal Within
(correlating with the Arabic word “hanif”) and who
is not worshipped as a god, but is close to God, and
By Dr. Mohammed Ahmad
is connected with the institution of sacrifice. This is
very much a portrait of Abraham.
[This article was presented at the symposium on
“The Faith of Abraham” held in conjunction with the Faith of Abraham: belief in Divine Unity
USA Jamaat’s 2007 annual convention. In this article
With reference to Prophet Abraham and Prophet
Dr. Ahmad emphasizes that the true sacrifice of
Muhammad, the Holy Quran states:
Abraham was his unwavering adherence to the Unity
of God. This sacrifice, Dr. Ahmad explains, is an Say: As for me, my Lord has guided me to
internal struggle with one’s own base desires. In the the right path – a right religion, the faith of
lives of Abraham, Lady Hajira and Ishmael, Dr. Abraham, the upright one, and he was not
Ahmad continues, we are provided examples of how of the polytheists. Say: My prayer and my
this process of true belief in One God through sacri- sacrifice and my life and my death are
fice may be achieved.] surely for Allah, the Lord of the worlds
(6:161, 162)
We find in the person of Abraham, a unique individ-
The faith of Abraham, based on the belief in the
ual who shares the respect of major world religions.
Oneness of God, is also presented in the Holy Quran
The Old Testament speaks of Abraham, “…and the
as a point of consensus between all revealed reli-
Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.” (Genesis
gions:
24:1). His rise to such eminence was because, “…
Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My Say: O people of the Book, come to an
commandments, My statutes and My Laws.” equitable word between us and you, that
(Genesis, 26:5). In John 39, Jesus is quoted as say- we shall serve none but God and that we