The Light
December 2014
December
orldwide Ahmadiyya An uman Ishaat Islam
2014
The only Islamic organisation upholding the finality of prophethood
Webcasting on the world’s first real-time Islamic service at www.virtualmosque.co.uk Editors: Shahid Aziz Mustaq Ali Contents: The Call of the Messiah Muhammad (s) IV
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By Prof K. S. Ramakrishna Rao Philosophy of the festival of sacrifices
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By Mr Mustaq Ali
ن ْحالرَّ ْ ی م حم ْ ْس م ْ ٰ ِباہللْالرَّ م The Call of the Messiah by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi (Ayyam us Sulah, continued from last month.) These people, the Afghans, who have their rule and sovereignty in Afghanistan even up to this day, are Jews in reality. Francis Bernier has also proved in his book, Travels in the Mughal Empire: Journey to Kashmir, the Paradise of the Indians, that all the Kashmiris are also Jews in reality, and they, too, had a king; and the rule and Kingdom of the Afghans has been coming down the ages continuously, without an end. Now that when it has been stated very clearly in the sacred scriptures of the Jews that a deliverer like unto Moses will be raised for them, that is to say, he will make his appearance at such a time when the Jewish nation, like the Pharaoh’s time, will be in
a state of utter disgrace and distress, and will, then, be delivered from their pain and debasement by reposing their, belief in that Saviour. There remains, therefore, no doubt whatsoever that this prophecy whereon the eyes of the Jews had been fixed in every age, referred to our Holy Prophet (peace and the blessings of God be upon him), in whom had been fulfilled with perfect precision and clearness the prophecy of the Torah; for, when the Jews believed, great Kings arose among them, which constituted a clear argument on the fact that the Most High God, on their acceptance of Islam, had forgiven their sin, and according to the promise held out in the Torah, showered His mercy on them. Now that it has been established and proved that all the Afghans are Bani lsrael in reality, it remains to be shown that the prophecy of the Torah, mentioned in Deut. (18:l5--19), has been fulfilled with perfect perspicuity by the Afghan Kingdom. This prophecy is about our Holy Prophet (peace and the blessings of God be upon him), and its significance is that it has been ordained by the Most High God that a prophet like unto Moses shall appear in the world, i.e. he will make his appearance at such a time when, as in the time of Pharaoh, the Children of Israel will again be in a state of different kinds of distress and disgrace, and that prophet will deliver those from this suffering and pain who will repose their belief in him. Just as belief in Moses not only delivered the Children of Israel from pain and disgrace, but kings also arose among them, a very much similar coup de grace will take place also in the case of these Israelites who will come to believe in that prophet; that is to say, Kingship will be con-
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ferred upon them, and they will become rulers of countries. The Christians tried to foist this prophecy unto Jesus, but they have miserably failed; for, they could not adduce any argument of resemblance. It is a mere vain fancy or utopianism on their part to think that Jesus has delivered man from sin. e acknowledge and admit that like other prophets, Jesus also, as far as it lay in his power, reformed some people of his nation. But to rectify and reform was not an exclusive prerogative of his; all the prophets have been raised for the rectification and reform of human beings, and not for spreading evil and abomination. Of course, the notion that he is the source of forgiveness and pardon, and that all the transgressions, whether against the rights of man or God, will be forgiven through his mediation or intervention, is an absurd claim which besides being sans argument, also offends against the Law of Nature. So the people of Europe, who have become Christians, have they become hateful and disgusted with every kind of evil-doing, adultery and winebibbing, and begun to live the pure life of a believer? Europe we have not seen with our eyes; but as to its condition, ust inquire from those who have been to that place. e have heard that, besides other things, indulgence in intoxicating liquors in London alone has assumed such huge proportions that if all the taverns and wine-shops were to be arranged side by side in a straight line, their length will be nearly seventy miles. It is now to be seen and taken into consideration that deliverance from sin, in the first place, is a matter which is hidden and concealed from the human eye. ho can, excepting the Most High God, be acquainted with the inner conditions and dangers of a man? Then, whatever is being set-forth and displayed by Europe which is for the Christians a manifest model of Christians’ life, stands not in need of any mention. e can accept the sin-free life of only that nation some members of which have with them the signs of sinless life, and the blessings of the righteous persons be found in them. So this nation, of a truth, is Islam the lights of whose righteousness dwindled not, nor decreased in any age; otherwise a mere claim cannot serve the purpose of an argument.
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Moreover, the claim that the deliverer from sin was to come in some other age, is senseless and absurd for the reason that if such a saviour was to be sent, his need was certainly in the time of Moses, for the children of Israel had sunk so deep in different kinds of sin that they even took to idol-worship for the redemption from sins. How unreasonable and absurd, therefore, it is to contend that whereas sin was rampant and rife in those days so that the Children of Israel had fallen so low as to worship the golden calf, the deliverer from sin came 1400 years afterwards, when hundreds of millions of people had, on account of those very sins, been thrown into the fire of hell. ho can accept such a senseless and ridiculous idea? As against it, what a clear and lucid statement it is that by that deliverer was meant the one who was to deliver and redeem from distress and calamities; and as a matter of fact he came at such a time when the Jews had been encompassed on all the four sides with cruel calamities and distress. Kings of other nations, many a time, drove them away as captives, and enslaved them. Twice their temple was dismantled and destroyed. According to our interpretation, the time bore witness and testified that the deliverer from distress and affliction should have come at such a time when our Holy Prophet (peace and the blessings of God be upon him) made his appearance. But what proof there is to show that the time when Jesus was born in the reign of Herod, was truly the time for the raising of the deliverer from sin that he might emancipate them from the bondage of sin? In brief, the spiritual redeemer is a thing which has been cooked up and coined by way of ceremony and affection. The state of affairs for which the Jews have been weeping and wailing up to this day, is that such a saviour be born who may deliver them from the sub ection and slavery of other nations. It never occurred to a Jew even in a dream that a spiritual saviour would come, nor is the intention of the Torah which says clearly that in the last days, the Children of Israel will again be smitten with calamities and affliction, and their rule and independence will vanish away. The Most High God will then, through the instrumentality of a prophet, re-establish and restore
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their rule and independence. So this prophecy came to be fulfilled with full force and explicitness through our Holy Prophet (Peace and the blessings of God be upon him); for, when the Jews believed in him, independence, rulership and authority were conferred on them in that very age, and after sometime, through the blessing and grace of Islam, they became the rulers of the world, and kingship, glory and authority of such a high degree was bestowed upon them which they did not get even through Moses. History bears out that the rise of the Afghans who are Bani Israel, commenced with the reign of Shahab-ud-din Ghauri, and when the Afghan king, Bahlol Lodhi sat upon the throne, the foundation of the Afghan rule and supremacy in India was laid generally. Bahlol was very eager and zealous to expand the Afghan rule and suzerainty in India, and make the Afghans masters of lands and property. So he invited large numbers of Afghans to his kingdom, and conferred on them posts of authority and dignity, and large estate; and as long as the kingdom of India remained in the dynasty of Bahlol and Sher Shah Afghan Suri, the population, power and wealth of the Afghans remained in a progressive state so that they reached positions of high rank and authority in the government. hile taking into consideration the kingdom, wealth and glory of the Afghans, a glance should also be cast on the grandeur and glory of Ahmed Shah Abdali Saddozye who had been a very powerful king from among the Afghans; and then there had been Taimur Shah Saddoozye Shah Zaman, Shu a-ul-Malk, Shah Mahmud, Amir Dost Mohammad Khan, and Amir Sher Ali Khan; and even at the present time the ruler of the kingdom of Kabul is an Afghan; Amir Abdur Rahman. All these facts prove conclusively that the Divine promise of giving to the Bani Israel independence, kingdom and power for the second time was
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fulfilled at last on their becoming Muslims. A strong argument on the truthfulness of the Torah also emanates from it, that how wonderfully all the promises held out in the Torah have at last been fulfilled with great force and dignity; and it has also been established and proved from this that the Prophet who was to be the deliverer of the Children of Israel for the second time, at the time of their misery and misfortune, is our holy Master, the holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and the blessings of God be upon him). And ust as Moses breathed his last while leaving the Bani Israel only on the road and the Israelites got kingdom after him, in the same way, after the demise of the Holy Prophet, as the Bani Israel began to get into the fold of Islam, power and authority began to be vouchsafed unto them so that they became at last kings and rulers of large territories in the world.
Muhammad (pbuh) Part IV Prof. K. S. Ramakrishna Rao, (Head of the Dept. of Philosophy, Govt. College for omen. University of Mysore, Mandya-571401 (Karnatika, India). Re-printed from “Islam and Modern age”, Hyderabad, March 1978. (continued from The Light November 2014) In the person of the Prophet of Islam the world has seen this rarest phenomenon walking on the earth, walking in flesh and blood. And more wonderful still is what the reverend Bosworth Smith remarks, “Head of the state as well as the Church, he was Caesar and Pope in one; but, he was pope without the pope’s claims, and
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Caesar without the legions of Caesar, without an standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue. If ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by a right divine it was Mohammad, for he had all the power without instruments and without its support. He cared not for dressing of power. The simplicity of his private life was in keeping with his public life.” After the fall of Mecca, more than one million square miles of land lay at his feet, Lord of Arabia, he mended his own shoes and coarse woolen garments, milked the goats, swept the hearth, kindled the fire and attended the other menial offices of the family. The entire town of Medina where he lived grew wealthy in the later days of his life. Everywhere there was gold and silver in plenty and yet in those days of prosperity many weeks would elapse without a fire being kindled in the hearth of the king of Arabia, his food being dates and water. His family would go hungry many nights successively because they could not get anything to eat in the evening. He slept on no soften bed but on a palm mat, after a long busy day to spend most of his night in prayer, often bursting with tears before his creator to grant him strength to discharge his duties. As the reports go, his voice would get choked with weeping and it would appear as if a cooking pot was on fire and boiling had commenced. On the very day of his death his only assets were few coins a part of which went to satisfy a debt and rest was given to a needy person who came to his house for charity. The clothes in which he breathed his last had many patches. The house from where light had spread to the world was in darkness because there was no oil in the lamp. Circumstances changed, but the prophet of God did not. In victory or in defeat, in power or in adversity, in affluence or in indigence, he is the same man, disclosed the same character. Like all the ways and laws of God, Prophets of God are unchangeable. An honest man, as the saying goes, is the noblest work of God, Mohammad was more than honest. He was human to the marrow of his bones. Human sympathy, human love was the music of his soul. To serve man, to elevate man, to purify man, to educate man, in a word to hu-
manize man-this was the ob ect of his mission, the be-all and end all of his life. In thought, in word, in action he had the good of humanity as his sole inspiration, his sole guiding principle. He was most unostentatious and selfless to the core. hat were the titles he assumed? Only true servant of God and His Messenger. Servant first, and then a messenger. A Messenger and prophet like many other prophets in every part of the world, some known to you, many not known to you. If one does not believe in any of these truths one ceases to be a Muslim. It is an article of faith.
Sermon on Eid ul-Adha (‘Festival of Sacrifices’) by Mr Mustaq Ali (Sermon delivered at Dar-us-Salaam, Wembley, UK, September 2013) Verily e have given to you the abundance, So pray to your Lord and sacrifice. Indeed your enemy is the one who is cut off. (Holy Quran, 108)
Background and significance of the day in Hadith The tenth day of Dhul-Hijjah is the greatest day
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of Ha . It is known as Yaum-an-Nahr (‘the Day of Sacrifice’), since it marks the ending of the maor rite of Ha – the sacrifice. And it is on this day that Muslims commemorate the bounties and blessings of Allah. It was recorded in a Hadith by Imam Ahmad (in his Musnad, vol. 4, no. 350) that the day of Nahr is the most virtuous day to Allah. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “The greatest day of Ha (Pilgrimage) is the day of an-Nahr.” (Abu Dawood, no. 59 89) On this day the pilgrims leave the alMuzdalafa area for Mina before sunrise to perform the rite of offering sacrificed animals in abidance by what the Messenger (saw), did. The pilgrims do such rites while saying prayers and Zikr. Then they head for the Greater Akaba area to throw seven stones (at Satan as a gesture of cursing him) and offer the sacrificed animals. The throwing of the seven stones at Shaitan symbolises an acknowledgement of the root cause of their sins and readiness to destroy that source. Maybe the pebbles should be directed at ourselves instead of a rock which has no bearing on our situation in the hereafter. After purging themselves of past sins they then become like the sacrificial animal and are willing to submit their soul to the Lord of the orlds to be their friend and protector. The wearing of two pieces of white cloth and shaving of the head is also a symbol of the removal of the distinctions of ego, status, wealth and nationality as the pilgrims stand before the Master of the Day of Judgment. Hence they chant labbaik Allahumma labbaik, la-sharika laka labbaik, meaning “Here I am, O Allah, at thy service”. The day of Arafat also holds great importance in Islam since this is the day when Allah completed his revelation to His Messenger
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(saw). It is reported in the Sahihain (i.e., Sahih alBukhari and Sahih Muslim), from Umar ibn alKhattab (radhi Allah ‘anhu) that a Jewish man said to him: “O Amir al-Muminin (‘O Head of the Muslims’)! There is a verse in the Quran which, if it had been revealed to us, the Jews, we would have taken that day as an Eid (festival).” Umar asked, “ hich verse?” He said, ‘This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and chosen for you Islam as your religion’ (Surah al-Maidah, 9:7). Umar (r) said: “ e know on which day and in which place this was verse revealed to Allah’s Messenger (s). It was when he was standing in Arafat on a Friday.”
Self-realisation through sacrifice hat are you asked to sacrifice- your baser self, your money, your time, an animal, your wife and children or your love of this world? As Muslims we sacrifice during the long hours of Ramadhan for 29 or 30 days. Despite our time spent in salah, giving of charity and zakat, despite giving up all that is halal during Ramadhan, this day is considered to be the greater of the two Eids. e are told that Allah himself rewards our fasting, so how is it that this is considered to be the Greater Eid? This festival is associated with Abraham the great Patriarch (the Father of the Prophets), who is also called the Friend of Allah or KhalilAllah because of his willingness to sacrifice the thing which he loved most – allegedly his son Ishmael. The modern thinkers could surmise that it was actually Ishmael who was ready to sacrifice his life for the cause of God. And a close study of the Quran would reveal that it was not a command of God to perform such a sacrifice, but it was Abraham narrating a dream to his son (37:101).
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hat an example of true sacrifice, a young man, possibly in his teens, ready and willing to give up his life and possessions! An example for the youth of today.
Honouring the sacrifice of Hagar However, a study of the family of Abraham would show that Hazrat Hagar had a vital role in all of these celebrations and every year a part of her role is enacted in remembrance of her sacrifice as well. hat great reverence is given to a woman, millions of pilgrims running between Safa and Marwa remembering her ordeal in search of water for the infant Ishmael. It is important to remember that she was a handmaid (slave) given to Abraham by his wife. hich other faith pays such homage to their female personalities? Does Christianity or Judaism show the same reverence to Sarah the mother of Isaac, whom they consider to be the first-born of Abraham? Perhaps we can say that if it was not for Hagar we would not be Muslims today. Traditionally, sermons given on this day
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highlight the slaughter of an animal as our willingness to slaughter our baser self for higher spiritual aspirations. e read in the Quran, “Neither their flesh nor their blood reaches Allah, but to him is acceptable observance of duty on your part” (22:37). Interestingly, this verse goes deep into the concept of sacrificing an animal and the lesson that should be learnt from this permission. It says, “Neither the flesh of the animal nor the blood reaches Allah”. hy would the Quran talk about the blood of the animal – something which is impure and abhorrent? In the Encyclopaedia of Religion it highlights that some Hindu cultures used to sacrifice cows at the shrines of idols and bathe the idols with the blood. They would also cook the meat and offer it to the deities. Allah admonishes them in the Quran when he says: “And the cattle are made lawful for you, except that which is recited to you, therefore avoid the uncleanness of the idols and avoid false words." (22: 30) e see also that even then these people also observed the Quranic verse which states: “Surely Allah commands you to sacrifice a cow” (2:67, Moses speaking to his people). And in relation to them offering food to the deities, Allah says, “I have only created jinn and men, that they may serve Me. No sustenance do I require of them, nor do I require that they should feed Me. For Allah is He ho gives (all) Sustenance, Lord of Power, Steadfast (for ever)” (51:56–58). e also see the concept of sacrifice existed in other cultures and faiths before Islam. e read in the Quran: "And to every nation e appointed acts of devotion that they may mention the name of Allah over what He has given them of the cattle (quadrupeds); so your God is One God, therefore to Him should you submit; and give good news to the humble” (22:34). Even the concept of zabah (the mentioning of the name of Allah before slaughter) was given to those before us. The second aspect of sacrificing an animal is the human being’s taking control of an animal and making it submit to his will. On submission, the animal fulfils its duty for which it was cre-
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ated. But what about the highest of God’s creation – us – do we submit ourselves in a similar manner or are the animals superior to us in this respect? The Quran gives great detail about these animals: "And (as for) the camels, e have made them of the signs of the religion of Allah for you; for you therein is much good; therefore mention the name of Allah on them as they stand in a row, then when they fall down eat of them and feed the contented and the beggar; thus have e made them subservient to you, that you may be grateful" (22:36);
numerous. From cattle we get milk and meat, use the skin in drums and decorations and even for food. The dung is used for fertilizer and fire and for housing. e can also get biofuel for cooking and electricity from the methane gas produced from their waste. In medicine we can use the heart valves in humans. In some African countries the bones of goats and sheep are used in surgery. Amongst tribal people and the bedouin it is a sign of great wealth to have herds of cattle, sheep and goats. They were used to trade and barter and were given as dowries. The camel is famously known as the ‘ship of the desert’, able to travel long distances without water. Intention behind the sacrifice
“And verily in the cattle there is a lesson for you. e give you to drink of what is in their bellies from between faeces and blood, pure milk and agreeable to those who drink it” (16:66); “And the cattle, He has created them for you. You have in them warm clothing and (other) advantages, and of them you eat. “And therein is beauty for you, when you drive them back (home) and when you send them out (to pasture).
e could well ask what is the point of sacrificing an animal if our intention is misplaced; does God really want our money or misplaced intention? If we have all the basics of life and do not have financial difficulties then it is easy for us to slaughter an animal. hen this becomes easy for us we lose the real essence of the sacrifice. hen we struggle to find the means to perform a sacrifice and in spite of this we do it, this is true sacrifice. In connection with this the Quran beautifully explains:
“And they carry your heavy loads to regions which you could not reach but with distress to yourselves. Surely your Lord is Compassionate, Merciful.
“Therefore be careful of (your duty to) Allah as much as you can, and hear and obey and spend; it is better for your souls; and whoever is saved from the greediness of his soul, these it is that are the successful.
“And {He has created} horses, mules and donkeys for you to ride and as an adornment. And He creates (other) things of which you have no knowledge.” (Surat-an-Nahl, 56 :9–8).
“If you set apart for Allah a goodly portion, He will double it for you and forgive you; and Allah is the Multiplier (of rewards), Forbearing” (64:16–17).
Economic and medical benefits of quadrepeds
Historically, the concept of sacrifice was a duty incumbent on the sons of Adam. In the Bible we read in Genesis 4:3–5: "And in the pro-
The benefits of these animals for mankind are
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cess of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering." The Bible clearly questions the intention behind Cain’s Sacrifice and goes on to say in Hebrews, 11:4: “By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.” Indeed here we see congruity between the Quran and the Bible in questioning our intention behind our sacrifice, hence the Quran says: “to Allah is acceptable your observance of duty”. It is the intention behind the sacrifice that really means the most to God. Similarity between our Jamaat and the Family of Abraham Abraham, Ishmael and Hagar also had their Hijra when they left their people, land and other possessions. hereas Abraham was tried as a youth, having to stand up against his father and his people, Hagar, being a handmaid also had to make sacrifices and give up everything for the sake of Allah more than once. The first time was when she was left by Abraham in the desert with the baby Ishmael and the second was when Abraham was making preparations to sacrifice Ishmael. There are lessons here for our Jamaat. Our predecessors and their children made similar sacrifices for this Jamaat. They left their family, land and possessions, even careers for the sake of religion.
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grandchildren and future generations. Look at our predecessors and see what fruits their work has brought and continues to do so. Just as a river starts as a trickle high up in the mountains, so too, our sacrifice should start small. These trickles forms tributaries and merge into a river; as we develop our spiritual power our sacrifice should increase. As a river sustains life for humans and animals, our sacrifice should do the same and eventually the river culminates in the ocean: this represents the gift of all our sacrifices, which is a never-ending source of Abundance from Allah for our hard work. Just as Allah has given the Holy Prophet in abundance, so too he has given us. Hence our sacrifices should match that of Allah and be in abundance. Let our lives be a river of sacrifice that has humble beginnings and whose end culminates with sacrificing all the pleasure and comforts of this life for something which we have not seen or heard, and of which our hearts can never conceive – that is jannat. If we fulfil these sacrifices then we will be the embodiment of the verse of the Quran, “I will make you leaders of mankind” (2:124) and thus become the spiritual progeny of the Family of Abraham. hat greater way can we pay homage to the Family of Abraham?
Now, in the 21st Century, similar and even greater sacrifices are required of the
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