The Promised Messiah and World Faiths

Are Religious Parents
Brainwashing Their
Children?
14
Pray for Children
Instead of
Punishing Them
24
Apartheid of Ahmadis
in Pakistan
32
The Economic System
of Islam
50
vol. 111 - issue twofebruary 2016 www.reviewofreligions.org
Are
religious parents
brainwashing
Their children?

O my dear son! Observe Prayer,
and enjoin good, and forbid
evil, and endure patiently
whatever may befall thee. Surely
this is of those matters which
require firm resolve. And turn
not thy cheek away from men
in pride nor walk in the earth
haughtily; Surely Allah loves
not any arrogant boaster.
Islam, the Holy Qur’an,
Ch.31:V.18-19.
Narrated by Hazrat Anas
bin Malikra
: “Said the Holy
Prophetsa
of Allah: Respect
your children and cultivate in
them the best of manners.”
Islam, the Holy
Prophetsa
, Hadith of Ibn
Maja.
I wish that, instead of punishing
children, parents would have
recourse to prayer, and should
make it a habit to supplicate
earnestly for their children; for
the supplications of parents
on behalf of their children
meet with special acceptance.
Islam, the Promised
Messiahas
, The Essence of
Islam, Vol. 3, p. 335.
Train up a child in the way he
should go,
and when he is old he will
not depart from it.
Judaism and
Christianity, the Bible,
Proverbs 22:6.
Supporting one’s father
and mother, cherishing
wife and children and a
peaceful occupation; this
is the greatest blessing.
Buddhism, Sutta Nipata,
262.
As the child, according to its
natural disposition, commits
thousands of faults, the father
instructs and slights, but again
hugs him to his bosom.
Sikhism, Adi Granth,
Sorath, M.5.
The Holy Prophet
Muhammadsa
prophesied
that the Promised Messiahas
would be raised near a
white minaret, east of
Damascus. This prophecy
was fulfilled with the advent
of the Promised Messiahas
from Qadian, India, a city
directly east of Damascus.
The Promised Messiahas
& imam mahdi
©makhzan-e-tasaweer
founder of
the review of religions
Children
world faiths
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
, the Promised Messiah
and Mahdi was born to a noble family in Qadian, India.
From an early age he had a keen interest in religion and
developed a love for the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
. He
was also known for his honesty, friendliness and resolve.
Over time his knowledge and understanding of religion
and its application to society deepened. Being a Muslim
it was his firm belief that all religions were true at their
source but with the passage of time had drifted away
from their original teachings; he upheld the dignity of
religion and demonstrated its relevance to everyone.
His earnest defence of religion was ultimately blessed
when he started to receive direct revelation from Allah
– a blessing that he continued for the rest of his life.
His mission was to revitalise the truth that all religions
held within them and to revive the teachings of Islam. It
was through this that he would bring mankind together
and establish everlasting peace.
In 1889, under Divine Guidance, Hazrat Ahmadas
founded the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community – a
community that has since grown in its stature and
strength and has remained active in conveying the
message of Islam to the ends of the earth.
Hazrat Ahmadas
had established himself as a respected
writer and had written over 80 books. His writings
have been translated into more than 60 languages and
continue to inspire readers to this day. One of his greatest
scholarly works was The Philosophy of the Teachings of
Islam, prepared as a paper and read out at the Conference
of Great Religions in 1896.
He also wrote a fascinating treatise in 1899 entitled Jesus
in India, a book that uncovered remarkable evidence
of Jesus’sas
journey to India. In 1902, the Promised
Messiahas
initiated The Review of Religions which has
covered a vast array of topics on religion, philosophy
and contemporary issues of the day. It is the longest
running English magazine in defence of Islam and the
values it teaches.
From 1889 until the time of his demise in 1908 tens
of thousands of people accepted him. This blessing
has continued and will continue through his Khulafa
(successors).
Currently under the fifth successor, we are seeing that the
tide of acceptance is worldwide and that the message of
Prophet Ahmadas
has really reached the ends of the earth.

8 The Purpose of the Advent of
the Promised Messiahas
, the Promised
Messiah and Imam Mahdi
14 Are Religious Parents
Brainwashing Their Children?
Atheists allege that religious parents
who bring up their children in the
same faith are “brainwashing” their
offspring. But is this really the case?
UMAR NASSER, LONDON, UK
24 Pray for Children Instead of
Punishing Them
, the Promised
Messiah and Imam Mahdi
28 High Moral Qualities of the
Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
HAZRAT MIRZA BASHIR-UD-DIN MAHMUD AHMADRA
,
THE SECOND CALIPH OF THE AHMADIYYA MUSLIM
COMMUNITY.
32 Apartheid of Ahmadis
in Pakistan
Presenting the second part of
a Harvard lecture in which
advocate Mujeeb ur Rahman
discusses the erosion of the
rights of Ahmadis in Pakistan.
MUJEEB UR RAHMAN, PAKISTAN
50 The Economic System of Islam
What are the flaws in communism?
An Islamic perspective.
HAZRAT MIRZA BASHIR-UD-DIN MAHMUD AHMADRA
,
THE SECOND CALIPH OF THE AHMADIYYA MUSLIM
COMMUNITY
Front cover picture:
© ZouZou | shutterstock.com
contents
february 2015 Vol.111 issue two
50
14
32

CHIEF EDITOR & MANAGER
Syed Amer Safir
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Nakasha Ahmad,Tariq H. Malik
RELIGION & SCIENCE
Editor: Dr. Syed Muhammad Tahir Nasser
Deputy: Dr.Tauseef Khan
ISLAM & CONTEMPORARY ISSUES
Editor: Shahzad Ahmad
LAW & HUMAN RIGHTS
Editor: Qudsi Rasheed
Deputy: Ayesha Mahmood Malik
ANCIENT RELIGIONS & ARCHAEOLOGY
Editor: Fazal Ahmad
Deputy: Rizwan Safir
CHRISTIANITY
Editor: Navida Sayed
Deputy: Arif Khan
Women’s Section
Editor: Aliya Latif
Deputy: Meliha Hayat
BOOK REVIEWS
Editor: Sarah Waseem
WEB TEAM
Mubashra Ahmad, Hibba Turrauf
Special Collections
Head: Razwan Baig
EDITORIAL BOARD
Mansoor Saqi, Bockarie Tommy Kallon, Professor
Amtul Razzaq Carmichael, Murtaza Ahmad, Fiona
O’Keefe, Hassan Wahab, Jonathan Butterworth,
Munazza Khan, Waqar Ahmedi, Mahida Javed
SUB-EDITORS
Munawara Ghauri (Head), Maryam Malik,
Nusrat Haq, Mariam Rahman
PROOFREADERS
Farhana Dar (Head), Hina Rehman, Amina Abbasi, Aisha Patel
HOUSE STYLE GUIDE
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SOCIAL MEDIA
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Ahmad, Hajra Ahmad, Mishall Rahman, Shumaila Ahmad
PRINT DESIGN AND LAYOUT
Ahsan Khan
INTERNATIONAL SUBSCRIPTION & DISTRIBUTION
Muhammad Hanif
ACCOUNTS & MARKETING
Musa Sattar
ART & CREATIVITY
Zubair Hayat, Mussawir Din
INDEXING,TAGGING & ARCHIVING
Mirza Krishan Ahmad (Head). Amtus Shakoor Tayyaba Ahmed
(Deputy). Humaira Omer, Humda Sohail, Shahid Malik, Ruhana
Hamood, Mubahil Shakir, Adila Bari, Hassan Raza Ahmad
MANAGEMENT BOARD
Munir-Ud-Din Shams (Chairman), Syed Amer Safir (Secretary), Mubarak Ahmad Zaffar, Ataul Mujeeb
Rashed, Naseer Qamar, Abdul Baqi Arshad, Abid Waheed Ahmad Khan, Aziz Ahmad Bilal
The world is passing through turbulent times.The global economic crisis
continues to manifest new and grave dangers at every juncture.The
similarities of the current circumstances to the build-up of the Second
WorldWar are stark. Events appear to be moving us rapidly towards a
ThirdWorldWar.The consequences of a nuclear war are beyond
our imagination.
In this book, the historic addresses of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
, Fifth
Khalifah of the Promised Messiah and Supreme Head of the worldwide
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, to prominent dignitaries at Capitol Hill, the
House of Commons, the European Parliament and other notable locations
around the world have been collated.The book also includes the momentous
letters sent by His Holiness to the numerous world leaders. Over and over
again, His Holiness has reminded all that the only means of averting a global
catastrophe is for nations to establish justice as an absolute requirement of
their dealings with others. Even if mutual enmity exists, impartiality must
be observed at all times, because history has taught us that this alone is
the way to eliminate all traces of hatred and to build everlasting peace.
Read online at: www.alislam.org
Purchase the book here:
http://store.alislam.org/

The
Promised Messiahas
& imam mahdi
( g u i d e d o n e )
founder of
Earthquakes are a sign from God. Here, Hazrat Mirza
Ghulam Ahmadas
, the Promised Messiah, writes about
his mission to restore the relationship “between God and
His creatures” and the significance of earthquakes in
reformation.
The task for which God has appointed me is that I
should remove the malaise that afflicts the relation-
ship between God and His creatures and restore
the relationship of love and sincerity between them.
Through the proclamation of truth and by putting an
end to religious conflicts,I should bring about peace
and manifest the Divine verities that have become
hidden from the eyes of the world.I am called upon
to demonstrate spirituality which lies buried under
egoistic darkness. It is for me to demonstrate by
practice,and not by words alone,the Divine powers
which penetrate into a human being and are mani-
fested through prayer or attention. Above all, it is
my task to re-establish in people’s hearts the eternal
plant of the pure and shining Unity of God which is
free from every impurity of polytheism, and which
has now completely disappeared. All this will be
accomplished, not through my power, but through
the power of the Almighty God, Who is the God
of heaven and earth.[1]
Why Did The Promised
Messiahas
Come?

Divine revelation has repeatedly employed the word
‘earthquake’ and has indicated that the earthquake
will present a spectacle of doomsday,as described in
Surah
Quotes of the Promised Messiah
#1

(Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Zilzal, Verse 2).
The Economic System of Islam
‫ا‬َ‫ل‬‫ا‬‫ا‬َ‫ه‬َ‫ل‬ِ‫إ‬‫ا‬‫ا‬َ‫ل‬ِ‫إ‬‫ا‬‫ا‬‫ه‬َ‫ل‬‫ال‬‫ا‬‫ا‬‫د‬َ‫م‬َ‫ُم‬‫ا‬‫ا‬َ‫ر‬‫ا‬‫ول‬‫س‬‫ا‬‫ا‬ِ‫ه‬َ‫ل‬‫ال‬‫ا‬
.[2]
But I cannot say with
certainty if it will in fact be an earthquake. It may
not be an earthquake but some other dire calamity
evoking the spectacle of doomsday,the like of which
would not have been witnessed by this age, and
which would bring about great destruction of life
and property.However,if no such extraordinary sign
appears and people do not openly reform themselves,
then I shall prove to be a liar.[3]
endnotes
1. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
, Lecture Lahore, Ruhani
Khaza’in, Vol. 20, p.180.
2. “When the earth is shaken with her violent shaking,…” (Holy
Qur’an, Surah Al-Zilzal, Verse 2).
, Brahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part
5, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 21, p. 151, footnote.
THE
PHILOSOPHY
OF THE
TEACHINGS
OF
ISLAM
MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD
THE PROMISED MESSIAH & MAHDIAS
The Review of Religions
serialised the famous treatise
The Philosophy of the Teachings
of Islam, by the founder of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community. Initially written
for the Conference of Great
Religions on December 26-
29,1896, each speaker at the
conference was asked to present
to the audience the beauties
of their own religion based
upon its scripture, proving that
it was the true religion, based
on the following topics:
• The Physical, Moral,
and Spiritual States of Man
• What is the State of
Man after Death?
• The Object of Man’s Life and
the Means of its Attainment
• The Operation of the Practical
Ordinances of the Law in
This Life and the Next
• Sources of Divine Knowledge
SERIALISED IN
The Review of Religions
Read online:
www.alislam.org/books/
Or purchase here:
store.alislam.org/englishbooks.html

Bitcoin: On Behalf of
The Future
14
Educating Our Children
24
The Difference Between
True Islam & Extremist
Groups
30
FGM’ – Not in The
Name of Religion
50
VOL. 110 - ISSUE 1JANUARY 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
ERADICATING
EXTREMISM
Why The Honeybee
is Dying and What It
Means for Life on Earth
16
Wonders Experienced
Through Fasting
26
The Islamic Dilemma
Should We Fear the
Religion of Peace?
30
Atheism or Belief -
Which is evidence
Based?
42
VOL. 110 - ISSUE SEVENJULY 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
The
ISLAMIC
DILEMMA
ShouldWeFearthe
ReligionofPeace?
God - His Transcedence
and Manifestation
12
Untold Stories
26
From the Archives:
My Visit to Qadian
38
Preaching Activities of
Jesusas
in the East
46
VOL. 110 - ISSUE TWOFEBRUARY 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
EYES CANNOT
REACH HIM...
The Sign of the Heavens
20
The Plague
58
A Murder in British
Lahore: Closing the Case
of Lekh Ram
80
World War One:
Centenary of Fulfliment
of a Grand Prophecy
102
VOL. 110 - ISSUE EIGHTAUGUST 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
EVIDENCE FORTHE
TRUTHYoubetheJudge...
S P E C I A L 1 6 4 P A G E E D I T I O N
A Message of Peace
10
Legal Right Verses
Moral Duty
38
Is it Permissable for
Prisoners of War
to be Executed?
56
The Life of the
Prophet Muhammadsa
68
VOL. 110 - ISSUE THREEMARCH 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
REACTIONto
CHARLIE
HEBDO...?
SERMON
onthe
MOUNT
The Economic System
of Islam
10
The Institution of Hajj
20
Mahmud’s Letter From
the Land of the Dearest
One [Muhammadsa
]
24
The Life & Character of
the Seal of Prophetssa
52
VOL. 110 - ISSUE NINESEPTEMBER 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
Fromthe
LETTERSof
MAHMUDRA
A HISTORIC JOURNEY TO THE HOUSE OF GOD
Firm Stance Against
Terror At Peace
Symposium
8
The Golden Principles
for World Peace
16
Three Minutes and
Counting
38
Has Science Rendered
Religion Obsolete?
66
VOL. 110 - ISSUE FOURAPRIL 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
RAY
OF
HOPE?
SERMON
onthe
MOUNT
Halloween –
Fear or Fun?
10
Shariah: A Semantic
Oxymoron?
28
Connecting to Khilafat:
A Guidance for Today’s
Muslim Youth
36
Islam’s Response to the
Destruction of Cultural
Heritage
56
VOL. 110 - ISSUE TENOCTOBER 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
A Guidance forToday’s MuslimYouth
Connecting to Khilafat:
Is the Shroud of Turin a
Medieval Photograph?
22
The Sudarium of Oviedo
and the Shroud of Turin
40
A Brief Review of Recent
CNN Documentary on
the Shroud
56
The Oviedo Cloth by
Mark Guscin:
Book Review
66
VOL. 110 - ISSUE FIVEMAY 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
TheRESURRECTION
ShroudingTheTruth?
Mufti Muhammad
Sadiqra
– An Early Ray of
Western Sunrise
18
World Peace & Security
- The Critical Issues of
Our Time
38
Responsibilities of an
Ahmadi Muslim
50
The Economic System
of Islam
56
VOL. 110 - ISSUE ELEVENNOVEMBER 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
WORLDPEACE
&SECURITY:
THE CRITICAL
ISSUES OF
OURTIME
The Race to Conquer the
Secret of Life
14
The Spiritual Benefits of
Fasting
24
Navigating Life in the
21st Century
32
Visits to
Sacred Places
54
VOL. 110 - ISSUE SIXJUNE 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
NAVIGATING
LIFEinthe
21ST
CENTURY
Spirituality,
Morality
&Material
Progress
Three Gradations of
Doing Good
14
Is Religion Truly the
Cause of Disorder in the
World Today?
20
in Pakistan
52
Women’s Responsibilities:
Fulfilling the
Conditions of Bai’at
78
VOL. 110 - ISSUE TWELVEDECEMBER 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
The
BLAME
GAMEIs religion truly
the cause of
disorder in
the world
today?
Is Religion Truly the Cause of Disorder in
the World Today?
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Are
religious parents
brainwashing
Their children?
In a world where religion is constantly under scrutiny and
many people are being misled by so-called religious leaders,
do parents have the right to pass on religious beliefs to
their offspring? Is teaching children religious ideals a form
of indoctrination? We explore the arguments.

It is a question that has been raised too
frequently over the last few years for reli-
gious parents to ignore entirely: Is raising
a child to hold religious beliefs a sinis-
ter form of ideological indoctrination?
Many outspoken atheists of today argue
just this,with zoologist Richard Dawkins
predictably leading the pack. Last year,
in a detailed article specifically on this
topic, he wrote:
“There really is an important difference
between including your children in harmless
traditions, and forcing on them un-evi-
denced opinions about the nature of life or
the cosmos.”[1]
In another interview he added:
“Children do need to be protected so that
they can have a proper education and not
be indoctrinated in whatever religion their
parents happen to have been brought up
in.”[2]
The full argument presented by some
atheists asserts that raising a child with
religious beliefs is a form of brainwash-
ing, which exerts an undue influence on
their future.A fairer approach,they pro-
pose, would be to raise children without
any religious beliefs at all, permitting
them to reach intellectual maturity
whereupon they can choose their own
faith or non-faith world-view.
At first glance, this position may seem
reasonable; its logic however, is deeply
flawed. Here are five reasons why reli-
gious people have absolutely every right
to raise their children according to their
own religious convictions:
1.We all raise our children according to
our personal beliefs - atheists included.
When we examine the aforementioned
statements from Dawkins, the hypoc-
risy of the stance becomes immediately
apparent. It hinges on the idea that
religious people hold ‘un-evidenced
Are Religious Parents
Brainwashing Their
Children?
The full argument presented
by some atheists asserts
that raising a child with
religious beliefs is a form
of brainwashing, which
exerts an undue influence
on their future.
By Umar Nasser, London, UK
c Yonatan Sindel for the Ministry of Tourism.
february 2016 | The Review of Religions 17

its logical conclusion, would prohibit
parents from discussing any of their
political, economic, or social values with
their children, for fear of their children
inclining towards their parents’ political
persuasions. Perhaps Dawkins would be
in favour of mass genetic recombination
too; one hates to see genetic traits being
passed down so indiscriminately from
parent to child.
2. Parents have their children’s best
interests at heart.
All parents, whether they are religious
or not, take a myriad of decisions on
behalf of their children based on what
they judge will be best for their progeny’s
future. How many children have wailed
and cried when their parents sent them
to school,or felt that moving house away
from their friends was ‘the worst thing
ever?’And yet,does anyone imagine that
we should emancipate all such children in
the glorious name of freedom of choice?
Of course not,because we all accept that
a parent’s judgment with regards to their
children’s future must be respected.There
is no reason why the rights which apply
to the choices shaping a child’s social
and academic future should not also be
extended to a child’s spiritual future.
3. Islam upholds freedom of belief.
Of course, there is a limit to a parent’s
right over determining a child’s future:
“There is no compulsion in religion...”[3]
Bearing in mind the profound import of
opinions about the nature of life or the
cosmos.’ Does that not sound rather like
an opinion in itself? I do not think my
beliefs are un-evidenced; after all, who
does? We cannot all be right, but we all
reserve the right to believe that we are.
Who is to say that I do not deem athe-
ism to be an un-evidenced stance which
is harmful to the moral and spiritual wel-
fare of my children? If so, how could I
consciously deny my nearest and dearest
the opportunity to spiritually develop in
their youth? The argument essentially
boils down to a petulant expression of
anti-religious outrage: your belief is dif-
ferent to mine,and I am obviously right,
so how dare you teach your ignorant
beliefs to your children. Thus, it is very
clear; if Dawkins raises his children with
the belief that naturalistic processes alone
can and do explain any and all phenom-
ena, then I have every right to raise my
children with the belief that they cannot.
As a final argument in his writings,
Dawkins repeatedly draws a compari-
son with the apparent absurdity of
labelling children according to their
parents’ political inclinations, shrewdly
pointing out that calling children
‘conservative’ or ‘socialist’ would be
ridiculous. Unfortunately for the pro-
fessor, his argument, when taken to
All parents, whether they
are religious or not, take
a myriad of decisions on
behalf of their children based
on what they judge will
be best for their progeny’s
future…There is no reason
why the rights which apply
to the choices shaping a child’s
social and academic future
should not also be extended
to a child’s spiritual future.
are religious parents
brainwashing their children?
Religious parents are allowed to bring up
their children in the faith they ascribe to in
the same way that an atheist can. However,
religious parents are stigmatised as forcing
their children to believe in a particular way.
© India Picture | Shutterstock.com
Parents always have their children’s
best interests at heart and therefore use
every means to guide them in the best
way possible. This includes the moral,
educational and spiritual upbringing of the
child and maximising his or her potential.
© rmnoa357 | Shutterstock.com
18 The Review of Religions | february 2016 february 2016 | The Review of Religions 19

spiritual satisfaction, the fulfilment of
prayers and a relationship with God,then
how can you possibly make an informed
choice about religion’s truth? A truly
informed choice is born out of experi-
ence. If after such an effort one decides
that spirituality’s promised fruits were
non-existent, then one is free to leave.
However, a rejection of religion without
ever endeavouring to truly experience its
benefits is meaningless.
5.If a religious upbringing means per-
manent indoctrination,there would be
no atheists.
Perhaps the greatest proof that this whole
idea is flawed is the fact that most of the
leading proponents of the New Atheism
were born and raised in religious envi-
ronments, before choosing to relinquish
religion. After all, we all know that
religiosity in the West is on the decline
and atheism is on the rise. That simply
would not be possible if raising a child
in a religious environment inevitably cre-
ated an indelible religious streak in him.
We see then that this demand has no
legitimate ground to stand upon. This
notwithstanding,it is of course true that
a minority of parents may seek to sup-
press the faculty of critical reasoning in
their children so as to make way for a
set of religious beliefs.Such mental coer-
cion, however, is anathema to the true
teachings of the Prophets—those who
showed every sign of their truth,yet who
valued freedom of conscience above all
other freedoms.
“And say, it is the truth from your Lord,
this verse,I plan to raise my children with
the religious beliefs that I hold to be true;
so that they may taste the spiritual ben-
efits that I have tasted, of which I could
not dream of depriving them. However,
when they reach intellectual maturity
and should they find themselves truly
unconvinced by the arguments in favour
of these beliefs, then so be it. I have no
right to force them to profess belief, not
least because a forced belief is hollow.My
commitment to do what I deem best for
them in their youth does not translate to
depriving them of their autonomy as they
grow older.After all,the Prophet Noahas
,
with great anguish, beckoned his disbe-
lieving son to the Ark, but he did not
force him to embark with the believers.[4]
4. Being raised outside religion means
you are not given an informed choice.
The premise upon which this idea is built
is that it is fairer for a child to be raised
without a faith because it leaves the
door open for him to choose a religion
in adulthood as and when he wishes.This,
however,means that most people will end
up atheists, and for all the ‘wrong’ rea-
sons. Religion may have a very rational
basis but many of its fruits are not purely
intellectual, they are also experiential. If
you grow up without having experienced
I plan to raise my children
with the religious beliefs
that I hold to be true; so that
they may taste the spiritual
benefits that I have tasted, of
which I could not dream of
depriving them. However,
when they reach intellectual
maturity and should they find
themselves truly unconvinced
by the arguments in favour
of these beliefs, then so be it.
Islam gives the precedent that there is no
compulsion in matters of faith so once
any child is intellectually mature and can
stand on his own feet, he or she is then
able to judge for themselves whether they
want to follow a particular religion or not.
© Samet Guler | Shutterstock.com
The example of Richard Dawkins shows
that after being brought up as a Christian
until his teenage years, he then decided to
cease believing in God and now continues to
live his life having no faith. Therefore, being
brought up with faith does not brainwash or
bind the child to follow religion when they
are more mature to decide for themselves.
(Accessed via Wiki Commons)

wherefore let him who will, believe, and let
him who will, disbelieve.”[5]
About the Author: Umar Nasser is a final year
medical student at Imperial College, London. He
is currently serving as Chair of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Students Association UK, and is the
co-founder of Endofatheism.com, an initiative
seeking to provide coherent answers to the questions
posed by atheism in the modern age. He is also
serving as co-editor of Student Review, a new blog
jointly produced by Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya
UK and The Review of Religions.
endnotes
1. Richard Dawkins,“Don’t Force Your
Religious Opinions On Your Children,”
Foundation for Reason and Science, 19 February
2015, https://richarddawkins.net/2015/02/
dont-force-your-religious-opinions-on-your-
children/.
2. Joe Humphreys,“Richard Dawkins: Children
Need to be ‘Protected’From Religion,”
The Irish Times, 24 February 2015, http://
www.irishtimes.com/news/education/
richard-dawkins-children-need-to-be-pro-
tected-from-religion-1.2116281.
3. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 257.
4. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Hud, Verse 43.
5. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Kahf, Verse 30.
Your feedback is
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22 The Review of Religions | february 2016

The
Promised Messiahas
& imam mahdi
( g u i d e d o n e )
founder of
How to properly raise children is a perennial question
and concern for mothers and fathers everywhere. Here,
, the Promised Messiah,
provides valuable insight and advice for parents.
I believe that beating children in a manner by which
the ill-behaved child-beater pretends to be Allah’s
partner in guiding and training children is a type
of polytheism.[1]
When a hot-tempered person is provoked and pun-
ishes a child, he takes on the role of an enemy in
the stress of his anger and imposes punishment far
in excess of the wrong which has been done. An
individual with self-respect and control over himself,
who is also forbearing and dignified, has the right
Pray for Children Instead
of Punishing Them
I wish that, instead of punishing
children, parents would have
recourse to prayer, and should make
it a habit to supplicate earnestly for
their children; for the supplications
of parents on behalf of their children
meet with special acceptance.

to correct a child to a certain extent as the occasion
demands or seek to guide the child. But a wrathful
and hot-headed person who is easily provoked is not
fit to be a guardian of children. I wish that, instead
of punishing children,parents would have recourse
to prayer, and should make it a habit to supplicate
earnestly for their children; for the supplications of
parents on behalf of their children meet with special
acceptance.
True guidance and training belongs to God Almighty.
To pursue a matter persistently and to insist upon
it unduly and to rebuke children upon every matter
indicates that such a person imagines himself to be
the source of guidance and believes that he will bring
the children to order by pursuing his own method.
This kind of attitude savours of a hidden assump-
tion of association with the Divine and should be
avoided by the members of our community. I pray
for my children and require them to follow a broad
set of rules of behaviour and no more. Beyond this,
I put my full trust in Allah Almighty in the confi-
dence that the seed of good fortune inherent in each
of them will flower at its proper time.
endnotes
, Malfuzat, Vol. 2, pp. 4-5
(English Translation: The Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, pp. 335-336).
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His Self-Control
He always held himself under complete control.Even when he became a
sovereign he always listened to everybody with patience, and if a person
treated him with impertinence he bore with him and never attempted
any retaliation. In the East, one way of showing respect for a person
whom one is addressing is not to address him by his personal name.The
Muslims used to address the Holy Prophetsa
as:“O Messenger of Allahsa
,”
and non-Muslims used to address him as “Abu’l Qasim[sa]
”(i.e., Qasim’s
father: Qasim being the name of one of his sons).On one occasion a Jew
came to him in Medina and started a discussion with him.In the course
of the discussion he repeatedly addressed him as “O Muhammadsa
, O
Muhammadsa
.”The Prophetsa
paid no attention to his form of address and
went on patiently expounding the matter under discussion to him. His
Companionsra
, however, were getting irritated at the discourteous form
of address adopted by his interlocutor until one of them, not being able
to restrain himself any longer, admonished the Jew not to address the
Prophetsa
by his personal name but to address him as Abu’l Qasimsa
.The
Jew said that he would address him only by the name which his parents
had given him. The Prophetsa
smiled and said to his Companions: “He
is right. I was named Muhammadsa
at the time of my birth and there is no
reason to be upset at his addressing me by that name.”
Sometimes people stopped him on the way and engaged him in conver-
sation, explaining their needs and preferring their requests to him. He
always stood patiently and let them go on and proceeded only after they
© Masood T
had done so.On occasion people when shaking hands with him kept hold
of his hand for some time and, though he found this inconvenient and it
occasioned a loss of precious time also,he was never the first to withdraw
his hand. People went freely to him and laid their troubles and difficul-
ties before him and asked him for help. If he was able to help he never
declined to do so.Sometimes he was pestered with requests and they were
unreasonably pressed but he went on complying with them as far as he was
able.On occasion,after complying with a request,he would admonish the
High Moral Qualities of the
Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
“He is right. I was named Muhammadsa
at the
time of my birth and there is no reason to be
upset at his addressing me by that name.”

person concerned to have greater trust in God and to avoid asking others
for relief. On one occasion a devout Muslim asked him several times for
money and each time he complied with his request but in the end said:
“It is best for a man to put his trust in God and to avoid making requests.”The
person concerned was a sincere man.Out of regard for the feelings of the
Prophetsa
, he did not offer to return what he had already received but he
declared that in future he would never make a request to anybody under
any circumstances.Years later, he was taking part in a battle, mounted on
a charger,and in the thick of it when the din and confusion and the clash
of arms were at their highest and he was surrounded by his enemies, his
whip fell from his hand. A Muslim soldier who was on foot, perceiving
his predicament,bent down to pick up the whip for him but the mounted
man begged him to desist and jumped from his horse and picked up the
whip himself, explaining to the soldier that he had long since promised
the Holy Prophetsa
that he would never make any request to anybody and
that if he had permitted the soldier to pick up the whip for him it would
have amounted to his having made an indirect request and would thus
have rendered him guilty of breaking his promise to the Holy Prophetsa
.[1]
endnotes
1. Hazrat Mirza Bashir-Ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra
,Life of Muhammadsa
(Tilford,Surrey:
Islam International Publications Ltd., 2013), 217-219.
A
solitary voice, raised in
Makkah, was, under Divine
Command, calling people
to the worship of One God and
proclaiming that through responding
to this call would humankind achieve
true dignity, honour, prosperity and
happiness both here and Hereafter.
That voice was the voice of the Holy
Prophet Muhammadsa
, the Seal
of the Prophets. In this popular
biography, Hazrat Mirza Bashir-Ud-
Din Mahmud Ahmadra
outlines the
life of the most influential man in
history in an easy-to-digest manner.
Read online here:
http://www.alislam.org/library/books/Life-of-Muhammad.pdf
Purchase book
here: http://store.alislam.org/englishbooks.html

For years, Ahmadi Muslims have been
treated as second-class citizens in Pakistan.
Pakistani advocate Mujeeb ur Rahman
explores the legal background.
After the Second Amendment was
passed and Ahmadis were declared to
be non-Muslim, the community took
it in their stride. We said, “Alright, for
the purposes of constitution and law, I am
a non-Muslim, so what? I will lose some
of my political rights. But I continue to be
what I am with my faith. If I am reckoned
as a Muslim with the Lord in Heaven, let
the constitution deny me.” So we did not
challenge it in court for whatever reason.
But the clerics did not sit quiet.They said,
“We have declared them non-Muslim and
yet they pray as they did, they fast as they
did and they read the Qur’an as they did, so
what’s the point?”So there was a spate of
litigation in the Province of Punjab and I
had the honour to argue the cases: where
cases were filed that Ahmadi mosques
“Alright, for the purposes of
constitution and law, I am
a non-Muslim, so what? I
will lose some of my political
rights. But I continue to be
what I am with my faith. If
I am reckoned as a Muslim
with the Lord in Heaven, let
the constitution deny me.”
in Pakistan
A Lecture by Mujeeb ur Rahman, Advocate
Harvard Law School
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
(part 2 of 2)
Ahmadi Muslims have been persecuted for years under the rule of the Pakistani
government, their rights have been usurped and they are disrespected for their
beliefs. This is occurring in nation built on religious freedom and tolerance
that has now become a place of social, political and religious turmoil.
© Asianet-Pakistan | Shutterstock.com
The Review of Religions is pleased
to present below the second part in a
two-part series featuring a discussion
on the legal status of Ahmadi Muslims
in Pakistan by the advocate and
lawyer, Mr. Mujeeb ur Rahman, at
Harvard Law School. The event was
co-sponsored by the Harvard Human
Rights Program, Harvard Human
Rights Law Journal, Harvard
Law School Advocates for Human
Rights, Harvard South Asian Law
Students Association, and Ahmadiyya
Muslim Lawyers Association USA,
and moderated by Amjad Mahmood
Khan, Esq. This second part of the
series features a Q&A session which
followed the lecture published in our
December 2015 issue. This second part
of the series starts with the discussion
on the Second Amendment which
was passed and declared Ahmadis as
non-Muslims. It also features a Q&A
session which followed the lecture
published in our December 2015 issue.

in to argue the religious side of that case.
I argued it for about 14 days, I think.
That case yielded a masterpiece judge-
ment by Justices Aftab Hussain and
Samdani; they said Ahmadis are non-
Muslim under the constitution, but
they are non-Muslims of a special kind
because they believe in the Qur’an, they
believe in Hadith, they believe in Salat
and all their practices are those of Hanafi
Muslims, so we cannot stop them.They
have been doing it for the last 100 years,
and these particular practices,which have
been banned now under ordinance XX of
Zia–ul-Haq, each one of them was pro-
tected and sanctified for Ahmadis – and
the judge used those words.They said it
has been argued before us that Azan and
Salat and such things,are Sha’aer of Islam
(Sha’aer means the symbols of Islam),and
the judge said that they are as much the
symbols of the Ahmadiyya faith, and it
will be against their fundamental rights
to deny them that.So that judgement ran
about 120 pages.The clerics dare not take
that case to the Supreme Court because
it was a compelling case. So as a result
of Abdul Rahman Mubashar Ahmad,for a
while there was some peace again.
But the clerics waited, and they got an
ally in the martial law administrator,
Zia-ul-Haq.When he came,I remember
Zia-ul-Haq’s first comments,that phrase
is in my ears even now. On his first tel-
evision broadcast,he said in Urdu:“Don’t
give up your faith and don’t touch other men’s
faith.”So very neutral.Within a matter of
two years, when he was gasping for the
legitimacy of his political rule,he brought
in this ordinance XX.The second section
of the ordinance XX says:“notwithstand-
ing any judgement of the court, or any other
law for the time being enforced, this ordi-
nance shall have effect.”This ordinance was
meant to destroy what I had gained by
should be demolished, that they should
be restrained from building minarets
in their mosques, that they should be
restrained from building domes on their
mosques, that they should be restrained
from calling Durud (blessings) on the
Holy Prophetsa
, that they should be
restrained from calling Azan, the call
to prayer, that they should be restrained
from doing prostrations in Salat (prayer)
– i.e.,every part of religious practice was
called into question; So there were many
cases.35 cases were brought in the Lahore
High Court. One case decided was that
of Abdur Rahman Mubashar Ahmad (and
Professor Asad Ahmad sitting in front
of me would know that case and he has
studied many other cases,though he has
his own sociological angle). In that case,
we had a compelling argument that the
1974 amendment was violative of fun-
damental rights. But the counsel on the
other side said: “Yes our constitution is the
law, but Islamic law is also a body of law,
and in Pakistan we are going to enforce
Islamic law.”So under the Islamic law,the
mosques belonging to the Ahmadiyya
community need to be erased. He tried
to rely on some historic event of Masjid-
e-Zarar having been demolished during
the lifetime of the Holy Prophetsa
and
certain Qur’anic verses. So I was called
I remember Zia-ul-Haq’s
first comments, that phrase
is in my ears even now. On
his first television broadcast,
he said in Urdu:“Don’t give
up your faith and don’t touch
other men’s faith.” So very
neutral. Within a matter
of two years, when he was
gasping for the legitimacy of
his political rule, he brought
in this ordinance XX.
apartheid of ahmadis in pakistan
Pakistani President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, who established Ordinance XX which declared Ahmadis
to be non-Muslims, meets with U.S. President Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office in 1982.
(Accessed via Wiki Commons).

Retired Duraab Patel of the Supreme
Court of Pakistan. He said the judge-
ment was flawed because it was against
the Supreme Court’s own case law. It
had not considered the earlier case of
Jivindranaat Kishore,a judgement by five
judges. The five judges in Zaheeruddin
could not overrule the earlier judge-
ment of five judges. But that judgement
was cited in court (I cited that judge-
ment).Justice Fakhruddin Ibrahim,who
was our lead counsel, also cited it. And
yet it was not even discussed.The judges
could have said we do not agree with that
judgement; it needs to be overturned,but
they did not even mention it. So Patel
said that Zaheeruddin was bad because it
has ignored the Supreme Court’s earlier
ruling. The judgement was also bad on
account of another case decided in the
Supreme Court by five judges, which is
known as Haqim Khan.In Haqim Khan’s
case, one of the judges was also a judge
sitting in the Zaheeruddin case,and in the
prior case he said that Islamic law does
not prevail over the constitution, and in
the Zaheeruddin case,he said that Islamic
law does prevail over the constitution.So,
what do we consider his opinion [to be]?
He signed the majority opinion. There
was a Supreme Court lawyer in Pakistan,
Misayadree Chaudhry,who said the ratio
or nature of the division of opinion in
Zaheeruddin is not clear. In this particu-
lar issue,two judges said that the Islamic
provisions prevail and two judges said
that the Islamic provision did not prevail,
one judge who was in the earlier case.The
division was two and two,which did not
make a majority. There was also a com-
ment by Karen Parker, a human rights
activist in San Francisco, who said: “It’s
a virtual diatribe against the Ahmadiyya
belief.”Then there was a comment in the
School of Oriental and African Studies
in the U.K.by Martin Lau,who criticised
the judgement and pointed out its legal
flaws. I also wrote a short book about
the judgment called Error at the Apex.
Today, we are confronted with sociolog-
ical and anthropological comments on
the judgement. I still need to examine
them and will not discuss them here in
detail.But they try to maintain that there
is some legitimacy about defining the
appropriateness of “Muslim-ness” or a
“foreignness within.”If there is a foreign-
ness within your body,you need to throw
it out; so,as the argument goes,Ahmadis
are a foreign element within the Muslim
body and must be thrown out. Now, we
will have to examine the validity of this
argument. There was another argument
that this judgement, which all lawyers
say was seriously flawed, was in the best
of liberal traditions of Anglo-Saxon law.
the judgement of a court. So, the clerics
had a victory in the Assembly, declared
me non-Muslim, but they could not
make me a non-Muslim.I call it legal fic-
tion; some people have called it a paradox
of identity.But I call it a legal fiction,and
as lawyers I ask you,how far can you take
a legal fiction? Legal fiction is saying that
a man is a woman and a woman is a man;
therefore,can I expect a man to deliver a
baby? This matter has also been referred
to in a different way by the Supreme
Court of South Africa by a Jewish judge.
In any event, they failed to make me a
non-Muslim,so they wanted to make me
a non-Muslim through a court of law.
Though the National Assembly declared
me to be non-Muslim,it could not make
me a non-Muslim, because the amend-
ment does not stop me from praying or
calling myself a Muslim.They went to a
court and went to parliament, but they
failed.So they came through the martial
law administration. So the martial law
said, “Alright, you will not do this because
you ‘pose as a Muslim.’” Now, how does
one pose as a Muslim? Subsequently,the
Zaheeruddin case came up,and after that,
there were a series of comments on the
appropriateness of the ruling.
If I was to summarise them, the first
comment was, I think, by Justice
Not only Ahmadi Muslims who are
persecuted in Pakistan; it is members of
other minority groups are outcast by religious
extremists and a government that rules with
an iron fist against smaller communities.
Though the National Assembly
declared me to be non-
Muslim, it could not make
me a non-Muslim, because
the amendment does not stop
me from praying or calling
myself a Muslim.They
went to a court and went to
parliament, but they failed. So
they came through the martial
law administration. So the
martial law said,“Alright,
you will not do this because
you ‘pose as a Muslim.’”

Answer:
I think it is. In Pakistan, the Christian
community is an organised community,
as are the Ahmadiyya community. The
Pakistan Human Rights Commission is
a secular voice,and there are certain other
individuals who keep on raising their
voices.For instance,Sherry Rahman (for-
mer Ambassador to the U.S.) proposed
a bill in the Assembly to amend some of
the laws,and then the bill had to be taken
away on account of outside pressure.She
only proposed certain amendments in the
blasphemy law,some procedural amend-
ments.She said leave the law where it is,
but at least make it more reasonable so
that everybody does not go to court or
the police station.But even that amend-
ment could not be possible. Then, as a
part of the strategy which was being very
effectively pursued by the Ahmadiyya
community, I know of the effort made
by the Ahmadiyya community,but I also
know that the Christian community had
also been making good efforts, and at
some points we also coordinated with
one another. As a result of that, enough
pressure was built by America and the
European Union, as a result of which,
Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif both
had been talking of amending the laws.
After all that pressure,Pervez Musharraf
did in fact amend that law. Only a part
of it; he first wanted to amend the blas-
phemy law; there he did not succeed
because he was also making some kind
of coalition with the fundamentalist
Muslim clergy’s political parties, but he
did amend part of the electoral process.
The biggest harm, talking in political
terms,is that I (and my fellow Ahmadis)
have been disenfranchised. I have no
right to vote.I cannot vote as an Ahmadi
Muslim. To start with, in Pakistan’s
How? Because Ahmadis have a conflict
of identity; their ontic identity is differ-
ent from their legal identity. I may not
have followed this argument thoroughly,
but as I understand it, the court has to
negotiate and give effect to one’s legal
identity, not one’s ontic (actual) identity.
But my ontic identity is my real identity;
the legal identity has been forced upon
me, it has been planted on me, I have
been tagged with that legal identity and
when I challenge that legal identity you
say,“But your legal identity and your ontic
identity are different?”
Anyway,these are the few legal questions
which I wanted to place before you in my
talk,but let me stop here.I will be happy
to take any questions if you have them.
Thank you very much. [Applause].
Question:
I am Raj Guppal, I teach at MIT
University and direct the Human Rights
programme there. So given all the very
enormous obstacles that you have laid
out for the Ahmadis, what do you see as
the next strategy? What is the path for-
ward in terms of options for changing the
system or rules, both within the country
and also I was wondering as part of the
strategy of response, whether you can
speculate about the relationship between
the Ahmadiyya community’s struggles
for justice and other communities that
might be facing similar sorts of issues;
whether there have been alliances where
there are mutual interests, those sorts
of things, whether it’s part of a broader
constitutional rebuilding movement in
some way?
The biggest harm, talking in
political terms, is that I (and
my fellow Ahmadis) have
been disenfranchised. I have
no right to vote. I cannot
vote as an Ahmadi Muslim.
To start with, in Pakistan’s
Constitution, we did not have
separate Muslim and non-
Muslim lists, there was one
list; citizenship is indivisible
– Muslim, non-Muslim; they
are all citizens and the voting
right is the citizen’s right.
Pervez Musharraf passed the executive
order which took away the most basic
right of a citizen to vote. This bold move
by the government aims to segregate
the Ahmadi Muslims from the rest of
Pakistan so that they have no chance of
integration and live separate lives with none
of the same rights as ordinary citizens.

both sitting down there and they want
electoral reforms. So let us hope that
these people see some reason when the
electoral reforms come.
So Mr. Raj Guppal, we do interact, but
as far as I am concerned, I live in hope.
As far as the Ahmadiyya community, in
their 100-year history, they have never
adopted violent means and they will not
go on street demonstrations. Their fight
is a legal fight, and it is so both in the
minds and hearts of the people not only
in Pakistan but across the globe. That is
our strategy.
Yes,I am happy to see you,Beena Sarwar.
Beena is one of the voices of sanity that
we often hear.
Question:
I am Beena Sarwar.Thank you so much,
and I am honoured to meet you and to
hear you speak.You gave a fantastic talk,
and there is so much in there I wish we
could have had a couple of hours here.
Two specific cases I want to ask you
about; one case is about that lecturer,that
English lecturer,Junaid,I think his name
is, who was a Fulbright scholar and he
was at Bahauddin Zakariya University in
Multan.The Jamaat-e-Islami concocted
a case against him, for which our friend
Rashid Rahman was killed, the lawyer
who took up that case.I want to ask what
is happening with that case, if anything,
and secondly, I want to ask you that one
thing that really hurts us all as citizens
of Pakistan who are “Muslims”—we are
‘real Muslims’ as opposed to you ‘fake
Muslims’, so when we go to get a pass-
port we have to state what our religion is.
If you write Muslim over there (I cannot
write atheist or non-practising,you have
to write a religion) I have to sign that
declaration that declares Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad[as]
to be an imposter and I know
of people who have actually crossed that
out and then signed it as a symbolic ges-
ture.But not everybody can do that,and
has that been challenged at all? That par-
ticular case?
Answer:
The passport issue has been challenged
at the administrative level and there have
been changes time and again,sometimes
when there is pressure from these coun-
tries, that pro forma is withdrawn and a
new pro forma is made. But as it is now,
we are not required to sign a pro forma
ourselves.Now the procedure is different,
the signature is obtained,now everything
is online. When I apply for a passport, I
Constitution, we did not have separate
Muslim and non-Muslim lists, there
was one list; citizenship is indivisible
– Muslim, non-Muslim; they are all cit-
izens and the voting right is the citizen’s
right.So,Pervez Musharraf passed what
is known as executive order 7 (2002). It
said that henceforth there will not be a
separate list,there will be a joint electoral
list, so we had some relief after all. Why
are elections so important? Because, if
the minority community and the major-
ity community do not interact, it works
against the solidarity of the nation; it
disintegrates. When the minority and
majority community interact, then it
helps integration of the society and the
nation at large.So,it was a welcome move
because a member who wants to fight
or contest in an election, will necessarily
go to Muslims,Christians,Ahmadis,and
Hindus.Hence,there will be interaction
and then the candidate will also feel a
responsibility to protect the minority’s
rights in the Assembly. So Musharraf
passed that, but then within a matter
of weeks, Pervez Musharraf took that
order back, and executive order number
15 of 2002 was passed. Now that presi-
dential order 15, which was passed in
2007 governs, the elections of 2008 and
2013 are being conducted under the same
executive order 15 of 2007.There was an
Assembly who could have amended the
order, but they did not. And the same
law is being followed, and now there is
a talk of amending the electoral pro-
cedures. I want the international voice
raised; I want the human conscience
around the world to be awakened. We
will lobby and work with many political
actors to see that if the procedures are
being amended. Maybe something can
be done now,because we are experiencing
a very strange kind of drama outside the
Pakistan National Assembly; one Tahir-
ul-Qadri from Canada and one Imran
Khan, a cricketer from Pakistan and a
man with great credibility it seems, are
I want the international voice
raised; I want the human
conscience around the world
to be awakened. We will lobby
and work with many political
actors to see that if the
procedures are being amended.
Maybe something can be
done now, because we are
experiencing a very strange
kind of drama outside the
Pakistan National Assembly…

have that discussion with Allama Tahir–
ul-Qadri. It is not an Islamic provision,
but nevertheless the blasphemy law is
there. So, the gentleman was killed and
after that it was difficult to get lawyers
for prosecuting the assailants. So, the
issue was raised for quite some time,and
thereafter I think it went quiet,I have not
heard anything further.
Question:
I am just wondering about the case of
the young man who was in prison for
blasphemy.
Answer:
The person who was going to defend him
has been killed. I know that the Human
Rights Commission of Pakistan is work-
ing on it,and somebody will defend him.
Pakistan is not still that barren, some-
body will come to defend him.
Question:
I am Ken Berkowitz, Chief of Police,
Canton, Massachusetts. I just want to
thank you for your comments, they are
very enlightening.A couple of things; just
sitting here as an American, as a police
chief, it’s kind of inconceivable that the
police officers, as Amjad was saying
before, were complicit with some of the
torture and of some of the discriminatory
practices against the Ahmadis over there.
But do you think that the totalitarian-
ism philosophy that’s being implemented
over there empowers or even plants seeds
for militancy?
Answer:
Empowers militancy you said? Yes.
You see my view is that the militancy
in Pakistan has increased over time
go to the passport office. He asks ques-
tions and fills the form and it is on the
computer.So if he asks me whether I am
a Muslim or not,then I have to sign that
which he prints. He prints it out; I have
to sign it, if I say I am a Muslim. If I say
I am an Ahmadi, it is very difficult for
me to say I am not a Muslim. So what I
do is, I say I am an Ahmadi, so he scores
it out. There are cases to my knowledge
where Ahmadis have gotten passports
with Muslims written on their passport.
I do not have my passport in my pocket.
In my passport, there is the endorse-
ment ‘Ahmadi’ because I have declared
my faith to be Ahmadi. But there are
many Ahmadis whose passports I have
seen and they are very unhappy about the
designation.But there are obstacles,and I
keep on going to the passport office and
NADRA [Pakistan’s National Database
and Registration Authority] because by
default everybody is not that literate. By
default, looking at my name ‘Mujeeb ur
Rahman,’ the man filling the form will
think, looks like a Muslim, he scores it
out and if I am illiterate, I let it go by
default. But it is difficult for an Ahmadi
to get a passport as a Muslim. For an
Ahmadi to get a passport as a Muslim
and to sign that declaration is worse than
death. So, he would never sign it.That is
a genuine difficulty.
The other question that you asked was
about Rashid Rahman’s case. The prob-
lem is, at one of these lectures—I think
at Columbia Law or somewhere—I am
going to touch on the law of blasphemy
in Pakistan and its validity under law,
constitution and Islamic jurisprudence.
The law of blasphemy in Islam is abso-
lutely not based on Qur’an and Sunnah,
and is absolutely un-Islamic.I could talk
for hours on this subject and if necessary
When I apply for a passport, I
go to the passport office. He
asks questions and fills the
form and it is on the computer.
So if he asks me whether I
am a Muslim or not, then I
have to sign that which he
prints. He prints it out; I
have to sign it, if I say I am
a Muslim. If I say I am an
Ahmadi, it is very difficult for
me to say I am not a Muslim.
So what I do is, I say I am an
Ahmadi, so he scores it out.
Ahmadi Muslims must declare on their
passports if they associate with the
Community and then are told they cannot
call themselves Muslim if they wish to be
a Pakistani citizen and obtain a passport.
Therefore, the government has targeted the
Ahmadiyya Community in particular and used
every method to exile them from Pakistan.
© Xubayr Mayo | Shutterstock.com

some action against them there will be
a backlash, and that backlash will affect
their government, so there is no polit-
ical will. I am not in a position to say
anything positive—but sometimes we,
sitting outside, I mean the ordinary citi-
zens, we feel that there is a difference of
opinion amongst our establishment and
our political government as to how to
deal with fundamentalist attacks.
Question:
My name is Mauroof Sayed, and I am
a graduate student here at Harvard and
my question is more historical; you said
that Pakistan was established on dem-
ocratic principles and later on certain
elements, certainly Jamaat-e-Islami,
came to Pakistan and established its will
and had various nefarious political alli-
ances, but if you look—and correct me
if I am wrong—but the establishment
of Pakistan was also a move away from
one person-one vote. So having this
electoral division where non-minorities
had special seats in Parliament, was that
a slippery slope that started right from
the beginning and led to this situation
where, certainly, Ahmadi Muslims are
completely disenfranchised? Also, was
it right from the beginning and a sort of
slippery slope that led to it?
Answer:
That is a very important question and
many people do not really give it seri-
ous thought. The point that Pakistan
was envisioned as a secular state or a
democratic state cannot be denied. This
also cannot be denied that the Pakistan
Constitution is the Federal Constitution
Republic and in all its appearances it is
structured as a democratic constitution.
But, the other thing that you men-
tioned is that in that constitution there
were reservations for the minority seats,
when Ahmadis had not been declared
as a minority. However, there were
other minorities—Christians, Hindus,
Parsis and Sikhs, so there were reserved
seats for them. I think that was a part
of the colonial legacy and that also has
its own wisdom according to the need
of the time. Because this representation
in India during the colonial period was
on account of the clash of economic and
political interests between Muslims and
non-Muslims, that in order to protect
the minorities—now this is very impor-
tant and I have a thesis of my own and I
have talked about it at length also—that
the reservation for minority seats is in
the ultimate analysis a process of inte-
gration. Some minorities that have been
left behind by the process of history, in
because of some of the legal and stat-
utory provisions. To start with, if I say
that I was maybe talking of my own case,
but I am now absolutely, dispassion-
ately,independently saying this: that the
Second Amendment declaring Ahmadis
non-Muslim started a process of frag-
mentation of society.It was feared at that
time that after Ahmadis it would be the
turn of the Shias. So this bifurcation
and fragmentation of society took place.
Society was fractured, and the religious
influence started coming in more and
more. Because it was a religious influ-
ence that brought that amendment, and
the Taliban and the terrorist organisa-
tions have their presence within Pakistan
also amongst some Pakistan religious
political parties, that fact cannot be
denied.The Pakistan State,as such,does
not acknowledge that terrorism is their
state policy, but in Pakistan state, now
I am saying it with quite a bit reserva-
tion and I would say it with all possible
due care and caution, that our Pakistan
political government also does not have
the political will to challenge terrorist
organisational attacks. Now the absence
of that political will could be due to mul-
tiple reasons: number one; they may have
a mental affinity with those people who
are terrorists or fundamental[ist] organi-
sations, or they think that if they take
Protests are held by ordinary citizens
because of the increasing tension in
Pakistan as well as the rising threat of
terrorist attacks which has de-stabilised
the nation and is destroying peace.
The Pakistan State, as such,
does not acknowledge that
terrorism is their state policy,
but in Pakistan state, now I
am saying it with quite a bit
reservation and I would say it
with all possible due care and
caution, that our Pakistan
political government also
does not have the political
will to challenge terrorist
organisational attacks.

a collective community of minorities
to work together to advocate for more
freedom?
Answer:
I think given the circumstances in
Pakistan, Ahmadis and Christians and
other communities, they interact, they
help one another, but they are not seen
acting together. That is what raises your
question; that they should be more vis-
ibly together. In terms of logistics and
in terms of ideas, in terms of work, they
do interact and cooperate with one
another. But in Pakistani society, some-
times it can be counterproductive.When
some Muslims work with Christians,
Christians can be said to be working with
Ahmadis who are not loyal Pakistanis.
Yet, Christians are as much loyal as any
other persons. We had that Squadron
leader, Cecil Chaudhry, in the Pakistani
Air Force; Charles Amjad Ali,the Bishop
of Lahore and I, we have been interact-
ing, meeting in the American Embassy,
the German Embassy and some other
European Embassies, so we have been
working together.
Let me just again thank you so much for
joining us today,thank you everyone,it’s
great to see such a wonderful turnout.
Applause
Thank you so much again,you have done
me a great honour. I am privileged to be
at Harvard Law School,one of the most
prestigious law schools in the world. If
I may say so, many world leaders, judges
of the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S.
presidents, came from here. So Harvard
carries a great name and for a humble
man like me to be in Harvard, speaking
to this galaxy of students and academia,
it has been a great pleasure. Thank you
all for giving me such a patient hearing.
Applause
About the Author: Mr. Mujeeb ur Rahman is
a lawyer and has practiced as an advocate of the
Supreme Court of Pakistan for more than 50 years.
As a human rights activist, he has worked for the
religious freedom of Ahmadis and has defended
them in hundreds of cases, including two landmark
cases in the Pakistan Supreme Court and the
Federal Shariat Court, which have been published
in law journals. As the author of several books, Mr.
Rahman recently undertook a tour and delivered
lectures at five Ivy League universities in the U.S.
Islamic law and jurisprudence, with particular
focus on blasphemy and apostasy are subjects of his
special interest, and he is currently writing a book
on these subjects.
India they called them the untouchables,
they call them Dalit,they call them lower
caste; in Pakistan we do not have low
caste, but we have the Christian com-
munity, which was left behind by the
accidents of history. If they competed
in the general elections, because of the
overwhelming majority of Muslims, no
Christian would be elected, no Hindu
would be elected, so they would have no
voice.So the separate seats were designed
to give them a voice, so that they were
part of a phased process of integration.
Ultimately,it has turned out to be a pro-
cess of disintegration,unfortunate as it is.
Question:
Hello, my name is Shanta Bahaan, I
attended here at Harvard a few years ago
and I am actually a part of the Christian
community in Pakistan,as is much of my
family and so I appreciated your actu-
ally addressing that issue.I was not aware
that Christians and Ahmadis had actu-
ally been working together to advocate,
I think if it were possible to have more
of the minority communities working
together, there might be a greater voice.
I know travelling toward the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, I have seen some Sikh
communities there as well, so there are
other minorities and I am just wonder-
ing what work is being done to bring all
of them together so that they can have
a collective voice? I say this also because
Christian communities (my family is
actually from a slightly more privileged
community), are relegated and are safer
in some areas that are, I don’t want to
call them slum areas, but they are areas
that are not quite so nice, they tend to
be safer in those areas then they are in
some of the wealthier districts. So I’m
just wondering,what can we do to bring
The Pakistani diaspora has reached its
climax with many fleeing the land and moving
abroad to the West and other parts of the
world. The map highlights the areas that
Pakistani citizens are now living because
of increased tension, corruption, violence
and mistreatment in their homeland.

In recent times vested interests have
launched a ‘crusade’ against Islam.
Islam is labelled as a religion of terror,
backwardness and suppression.
Based on Quranic teachings, the author of
this book goes about disproving these notions
and professes that Islam provides practical
solutions to current issues; and argues that:
(1) Swords can win territories but not hearts,
forces can bend heads but not minds; (2) The role
of women is not of concubines in harems nor a
society imprisoned in the four wall of their houses;
(3) Richer nations provide aid with strings attached
and yet the flow of wealth continues to be in the
direction of the rich while the poorer sink deeper
in the red; (4) Religion does not need to be the
predominant legislative authority in the political
affairs of the state; (5) Irrespective of the thawing
of the cold war, the issue of war and peace does not
only hang by the thread of superpower relationship.
(6) Without God there can be no peace.
It also contains comprehensive discussion
on interest; financial aid; international
relations; and the role of Israel, America and
the United Kingdom in a new world order.
The message of this book is timeless and chalks
a blue print for the future prospects for peace.
Read online: http://www.alislam.org/books/
Purchase print copy: http://store.alislam.org/englishbooks.html

Among the world’s religions,Islam is the
most detailed, encompassing a compre-
hensive and complete law. It has a clear
teaching on the devotion and worship
due to God, a clear teaching in regard
to the economic aspect of man’s life, his
political activities, moral and ethical
questions, social relationships dealing
with employment, education, family
life and business dealings, the law of
inheritance, international affairs, judici-
ary precepts and procedures and a host
of regulations designed to cover every
conceivable contingency in human life.
Each of these aspects demands a thor-
ough study, which is impossible unless a
body of capable men make it the object of
their lives.If such persons were stamped
out of existence, from whom would the
ordinary people learn? What would they
learn? And how would Islam spread in
the world?
The Economic
System of Islam [Islam] has a clear teaching
on the devotion and worship
due to God, a clear teaching in
regard to the economic aspect
of man’s life, his political
activities, moral and ethical
questions, social relationships
dealing with employment,
education, family life and
business dealings, the law of
inheritance, international
affairs, judiciary precepts
and procedures and a host
of regulations designed to
cover every conceivable
contingency in human life.
by Hazrat Mirza Bashir-Ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra
We continue with the serialisation
of the epic lecture delivered by the
Second Worldwide Head of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community,
Hazrat Mirza Bashir-Ud-Din
Mahmud Ahmadra
, later published
as a book titled, The Economic
System of Islam. In this seventh
part of the series, the difference
between the economic system of
Islam and that of Communism and
the major flaw in the Communist
model are discussed.
To read the first six parts,
visit our website:
www.reviewofreligions.org
*The photos used in this article were not used in the original
publication, but have been added to our serialisation by The Review
of Religions to help illustrate the subject matter. The Review of
Religions takes full responsibility for any errors in depiction.*
ra
Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad
THEECONOMICSYSTEMofISLAMMirzaBashir-ud-DinMahmudAhmad
U
ra

in countries like India, China and
Arabia. The truth is that between Islam
and the other religions, on one side, and
Communism,on the other,there is a fun-
damental difference in the conception of
what constitutes work.
Our view is that a machine operator, a
person propagating or teaching religion,
and a recipient of religious education are
all engaged in useful work.Communism,
however, accords this status only to a
machine operator, while those teach-
ing or learning religion are regarded as
parasites. To teach the alphabet is use-
ful work according to the Communist
view but to teach the profound truth—
Quotes of the Promised Messiah
#1

(Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Zilzal, Verse 2).
The Economic System of Islam
‫ا‬َ‫ل‬‫ا‬‫ا‬َ‫ه‬َ‫ل‬ِ‫إ‬‫ا‬‫ا‬َ‫ل‬ِ‫إ‬‫ا‬‫ا‬‫ه‬َ‫ل‬‫ال‬‫ا‬‫ا‬‫د‬َ‫م‬َ‫ُم‬‫ا‬‫ا‬َ‫ر‬‫ا‬‫ول‬‫س‬‫ا‬‫ا‬ِ‫ه‬َ‫ل‬‫ال‬‫ا‬ “There is none
worthy of worship but Allah and
Muhammad is His Messenger”—is a waste
of time and energy.
Thus, while we are in accord with
Communism that only useful work-
ers may have their labour rewarded,
we cannot accept at all that no work
is to be considered useful unless the
Communists so certify. In the estima-
tion of Communists, to work for the
betterment of one’s spiritual life is no
work at all; to teach or learn the Holy
Qur’an,hadith,fiqah,tafsir,tasawwuf,and
to teach morality is no work. In the eyes
of a Muslim, on the other hand, these
things are far more precious than life
itself.To ensure proper study of religion
and that adequate effort is made for its
propagation, thousands of scholars are
needed in a country like Soviet Russia,
with its Muslim population of 30 million.
But Communist Russia would only look
upon them as shirkers,idlers and worth-
less people, who are a burden on society
and need to be quickly eliminated.
These two views stand poles apart;
it is impossible to reconcile them.
Undoubtedly, some do claim to serve
religion, but they are impostors, who do
Tafsir (commentary of the Holy Qur’an)
is a vast branch of learning in itself that
cannot exist independently of competent
scholars devoted to its study, involving
a thorough grasp of the earlier works
and traditions, a command over the lan-
guage,its usage and grammar,familiarity
with the hadith (sayings of the Holy
Prophetsa
), and a study of comparative
religion,Arab and Jewish history,and the
Bible. All this cannot be achieved with-
out a lifelong effort, though, of course, a
person might be blessed with this knowl-
edge directly from the divine source.But
this is very rare, perhaps once in a cen-
tury. Others can acquire it only through
diligent study based upon righteousness.
In the Communist state, such work is
not considered work at all—it would not
permit anyone to spend twelve years in
studying and then a lifetime of teach-
ing it to others. Such a person would be
imprisoned or deprived of food and lodg-
ing,as he is a useless burden on the State.
The situation is similar with respect to
the branch of learning known as had-
ith. It involves careful study of dozens
of works and their expositions, Arabic
usage and grammar,and careful scrutiny
of the chain of narrators in the case of
each hadith. Without a proper study of
hadith—a life-long activity—adequate
knowledge of the details of Islamic
teaching is impossible. Similarly, in the
case of the branches of learning known as
fiqah (religious knowledge), qada (juris-
prudence),history,tasawwuf (mysticism),
and teachings of Islam in social and eco-
nomic activities. All these are branches
of study that cannot be ignored with-
out turning Islam into a dead letter, and
no Muslim worth the name could ever
be reconciled to such a state of affairs.
But there is no place for such scholars
or their students under Communism.
The state would consider them unpro-
ductive and grant them no allowances.
People themselves would have no means
for supporting them through voluntary
private donations—as is the experience
the economic system of islam
Islam gives the most comprehensive
and clear guidelines for the economic
aspect of society which covers all parts
of man’s spiritual and material progress.
© Luciano Mortula | Shutterstock.com
Communism does not credit students
or scholars as having much benefit in
a Communist society and it focuses on
manual labour as the most important
work that man can do. This means that
funding would not be allocated for the
growth of intellectual pursuits which
could give deeper meaning to life.
© Attila JANDI | Shutterstock.com

by Communism. But the Holy Prophet
Muhammadsa
, Jesus Christas
, Mosesas
,
Krishnaas
, Buddhaas
, Zoroasteras
and
Guru Nanakrh
(God forbid) are consid-
ered as parasites and dangers to society.
They are not worthy of being called
‘workers.’
History provides no example that
matches the selfless, ceaseless labour of
love undertaken by these great moral
benefactors of mankind.But for their toil
and effort, humanity would have lacked
social cohesion, which depends on the
sense of moral obligations that developed
only after colossal sacrifices on the part
of these great teachers, who worked and
suffered for the human cause day and
night.Yet Communism condemns them
as worthless people and places them far
lower in the scale than drunkards and
debauchers who work in factories for
hardly eight hours a day,then give them-
selves up to all sorts of low and vulgar
pursuits.
In short, there is no place for these great
and noble souls in the Communist sys-
tem. I cannot speak for others, but I do
know that in a state that provides no place
for the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
,there
can be none for me.We can regard as ours
only that country or regime that accords
to the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
a place
of ultimate honour. A country closed to
him must be a country closed to every
true Muslim. Communism might cover
up this stark reality from religious believ-
ers to win their sympathy and allegiance,
not practise what they claim. But a per-
son who really and truly serves religion
at the cost of personal comfort and gain
deserves to be recognised as a true leader;
he holds a position similar to that of the
soul in relation to the body; he is our
greatest benefactor. To the Communist,
however, such persons are only despic-
able scamps or idlers, and traitors to the
nation, who should be imprisoned or
driven out of the country.
There is someone who,in our estimation,
stands so high that the mightiest rulers
of this earth carry less weight and value
in our eyes than the dust on his feet. It
is the deepest and fondest desire of our
hearts to sacrifice our lives for him. He
is Muhammadsa
, the greatest benefactor
of mankind,who illuminated the human
soul with Divine Light. But according
to the Communist way of thinking, he
would be considered (God forbid) as
a burden upon his people, as were all
the chosen ones of God before him:
Jesusas
, Mosesas
, Abrahamas
, Krishnaas
,
Ramchandraas
, Buddhaas
, Zoroasteras
,
Guru Nanakrh
and Confuciusas
. The
Soviet regime would, God forbid, send
all such persons into workshops to make
shoes or clothing for farm and factory
workers or assign them the task of cut-
ting other people’s hair.Failing that,they
would be deprived of food since accord-
ing to them they are parasites and a
burden on the national economy.
Communism does, however, recognise
the work of painters and sculptors as ‘cre-
ative artists,’but considers work done to
uplift people’s souls or morals as utterly
useless.As we all know,man does not live
by bread alone,and food by itself cannot
give him the peace of mind. The world
is full of people who, if prevented from
praying to God,would have no peace,no
matter what luxuries of life were placed
at their disposal.
It is indeed odd that Communism rec-
ognises it as work when labourers spend
a few hours in factories, but then go out
to dissipate themselves in drink, cinema
or dance-halls. Photography and music,
too, are considered useful pursuits, but
moral improvement and purification of
the soul constitute no work at all.
Some time ago, Marshal Malinovsky
was asked about his sons’ interests. He
responded laughing, “They are interested
in photography, music and keeping rab-
bits.” A child of fifteen, in other words,
who spent his time in photography and
music or in scampering after pet rab-
bits deserves to be fed and taken care of
Communist rulers see great leaders and
benefactors of mankind such as the
Prophet Muhammadsa
as possessing no
more value than factory and farm workers
even though he has singlehandedly
helped the less fortunate, promoted
peace and eradicated injustice.

plainly proclaims “Teach man what he did
not know.”As soon as you have ruled out
the possibility of teaching,you put those
so deprived at a disadvantage, and place
them in a position of the pre-Islamic days
of ignorance,and prevent Muslims from
carrying out their duty. There are some
other points that arise in this connec-
tion, but as I am not addressing aspects
of Communism that are not related to
economics,I shall not go into them here.
Apart from the harm flowing from its
opposition to religion, Communism is
defective when judged on the basis of
reason and common sense as well.
It is not in human power to estab-
lish complete equality for all, covering
all aspects of life. Happiness does not
depend on money alone,nor do content-
ment, solace and peace of mind spring
only from the satisfaction of material
wants.Besides,given the same standards
of living,the amount of pleasure derived
must differ greatly from individual to
individual. Given the same quality of
meal,some people will eat it with greater
relish than others at the same table.The
sense of taste, smell, eyesight, or general
health varies among people. Intellectual
and physical capabilities are a great
source of self-confidence and consequent
happiness, but no state action can make
these factors equal for everyone.Our near
and dear ones are a great source of hap-
piness,but no regime can guarantee that
wives,children,parents or friends of each
individual would live equally as long.The
presence of children around the hearth
satisfies the deepest needs of human
nature, but no one can guarantee that
all married couples will have children,
or have an equal number of children, or
that the children will all live equally long,
be equally healthy, or achieve equal suc-
cess in life.The pangs of separation from
a loved one can be a source of great pain.
but it can never attract them if the truth
is told. Communists are prone to assert
that they do not oppose any religion.The
Communists might declare that they do
not oppose religion, but in reality that is
not the case.Their oral pronouncements
are therefore no more than lies.
Regarding this point, it may be men-
tioned that Russia obstructs religious
education on the grounds that par-
ents have no right to impart religious
knowledge to their children and thereby
influence their leanings. Communists
argue that it would be cruel to allow
parents to influence their children, as
they lack judgement to freely decide for
themselves. Children must be allowed
to choose for themselves about religion
upon reaching adulthood. On the sur-
face it seems to be a fair and reasonable
demand, but in reality it is cruel and
terrifying. All religions seek to propa-
gate a positive message—the existence
of God—whereas nonbelievers deny it.
Those with a positive message have the
responsibility to spread it; nonbelievers
need do nothing. Thus, the Communist
position is not one of equality, but is
deceptive and unjust. It can be likened
to a situation where a man is barred from
telling his child that he is the father, but
is then given assurance that no one else
would be allowed to deny his fatherhood.
If a child is not taught the alphabet or
history, he is bound to remain ignorant,
similarly for religious education. As
stated earlier,religion has a positive mes-
sage to impart, but nonbelievers are just
deniers.By not allowing religious educa-
tion,the deniers are the ones who achieve
their goal. Thus, while Communism
claims to be impartial on religion, it is
only committing treachery; this is not
impartiality or equality in treatment,but
fraud and deception. The Holy Qur’an
Workers in a Communist society have no
chance of succeeding individually and
their life is spent working for the greater
good of society with very little incentive for
individual progress. This eventually leads to
frustration and anger among workers which
results in sanctions and propaganda from
the government to keep people in line.
© Everett Historical | Shutterstock.com
It is not in human power to
establish complete equality
for all, covering all aspects
of life. Happiness does not
depend on money alone,
nor do contentment, solace
and peace of mind spring
only from the satisfaction
of material wants. Besides,
given the same standards of
living, the amount of pleasure
derived must differ greatly
from individual to individual.

A mother who has lost her only child will
not relish a sumptuous meal, whereas a
poor mother who holds her child in her
lap will enjoy even a simple meal more
than a feast.
The intensity of emotions in regard to
dear ones may be judged from the follow-
ing incident in Lenin’s life.The Russian
Communist Party split into two groups
at an early stage of its history because of
some fundamental differences in view-
points.The Mensheviks,who were led by
Martove, held the view that on gaining
political power, the Communist system
must abolish capital punishment, but
Lenin, who led the Bolsheviks—while
accepting the principle—wanted to delay
its adoption until after the Czar had been
executed. The basic reason for Lenin’s
tougher stance was that the Czarist
government had previously ordered his
brother,to whom he was deeply attached,
to be hanged in connection with a crime,
and Lenin wanted to have his revenge
on the Czar.
The suffering of our friends and relatives
thus profoundly affects our happiness
and no one can take out an insurance
against such suffering. It is therefore
beyond the power of man to remove
or level up inequalities in the countless
aspects of human life, and the kind of
equality that Communism rants about is
little more than a delusion.Abiding hap-
piness comes from the relationship with
God alone,because all contingencies are
under His control. You may grant food
and clothing in equal amounts, but the
man who lacks the relationship with God
can have no peace. There are countless
things whose presence or absence cause
dissatisfaction, but it is entirely up to
God to grant or withhold them.
Join us next month for part 8 of this series, in which
communism and its relationship to property rights
will be discussed.
The official website of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community worldwide.
You can find a huge collection of free online
material, including translation and commentary
of the Holy Qur’an and you can access literature
of the Community including the books written
by its founder, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
.
www.alislam.org
Eveneven Lenin was swayed by his
emotions to have his revenge on the
Czar for the death of his brother.
© Everett Historical | Shutterstock.com
58 The Review of Religions | february 2016

The English Rendering of the
5 Volume Commentary of the
Holy Qur’an
One of the most comprehensive commentaries of the
Holy Qur’an ever written.
Commentary by
Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-Ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad(ra)
Read it online at: http://www.alislam.org/quran/
Or Purchase the print version at: http://store.alislam.org/
©AMAGALLERYUK
The world is passing through turbulent times.The global economic crisis
continues to manifest new and grave dangers at every juncture.The
similarities of the current circumstances to the build-up of the Second
WorldWar are stark. Events appear to be moving us rapidly towards a
ThirdWorldWar.The consequences of a nuclear war are beyond
our imagination.
In this book, the historic addresses of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
, Fifth
Khalifah of the Promised Messiah and Supreme Head of the worldwide
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, to prominent dignitaries at Capitol Hill, the
House of Commons, the European Parliament and other notable locations
around the world have been collated.The book also includes the momentous
letters sent by His Holiness to the numerous world leaders. Over and over
again, His Holiness has reminded all that the only means of averting a global
catastrophe is for nations to establish justice as an absolute requirement of
their dealings with others. Even if mutual enmity exists, impartiality must
be observed at all times, because history has taught us that this alone is
the way to eliminate all traces of hatred and to build everlasting peace.
Read online at: www.alislam.org
Purchase the book here:
http://store.alislam.org/

Note about references
Verse references to the Holy Qur’an
count ‘Bismillah…’ (In the Name
of Allah…) as the first verse of each
Chapter. In some non-standard texts,
this is not counted. Should the reader
refer to such texts, the verse quoted in
The Review of Religions will be found a
verse earlier, i.e. at one verse less than
the number quoted in this journal.
For the ease of non-Muslim readers, ‘sa
’
or ‘(saw)
’ after the words, ‘Holy Prophet’,
or the name ‘Muhammad’, are used
normally in small letters. They stand
for ‘Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam’ meaning
‘peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him’. Likewise, the letters ‘as
’ or ‘(as)
’
after the name of all other prophets
is an abbreviation meaning ‘peace
be upon him’ derived from ‘Alaihis
salatu wassalam’ which are words
that a Muslim utters out of respect
whenever he or she comes across
that name. The abbreviation ‘ra
’ or ‘(ra)
’
stands for ‘Raziallahu Ta’ala anhu and
is used for Companions of a Prophet,
meaning Allah be pleased with him
or her (when followed by the relevant
Arabic pronoun). Finally, ‘rh
’ or ‘(rh)
’ for
Rahemahullahu Ta’ala means the Mercy
of Allah the Exalted be upon him.
In keeping with current universal
practice, local transliterations
of names of places are preferred
to their anglicised versions, e.g.
Makkah instead of Mecca, etc.
Tuesday 2nd
February
Faith: Christianity
Event: Candlemas
The feast of Candlemas commemorates
the presentation of Jesusas
in the temple.
Forty days after the birth of Jesusas
,
Maryas
and Josephas
brought forth their
newborn son to be presented to the Lord
in the temple, as prescribed by the law
of Mosesas
.The day is considered a day
of renewal, hope, and purification.
Wednesday 10th
February
Faith: Christianity
Event: Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent
in the Western Christian Calendar,
occurring 46 days before Easter.
It is the start of the season preparing for the
commemoration of the resurrection of Jesusas
on Easter Sunday. It derives its name from
the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads
of the faithful, as a sign of mourning and
repentance to God.The ashes are typically
gathered from the palms dedicated from
the previous year’s Palm Sunday.
Friday 12th
February
Faith: Hinduism
Event: Vasant Panchami
Vasant Panchami highlights
the arrival of spring.
This day is dedicated to Saraswati, the
Goddess of knowledge, music, arts, science,
and technology. Young girls wear bright
yellow dresses to signify the brilliance
of nature and the vibrancy of life.
Monday 15th
February
Faith: Buddhism
Event: Nirvana Day
Nirvana Day, or Parinirvana Day,
celebrates when Buddha is said to
have achieved complete Nirvana upon
the death of his physical body.
The importance of this day lies in the belief
that since Buddha was enlightened, he was
freed from the pain of physical existence.
Friends and relations who have died
during the previous year are remembered,
and there is a focus on Buddhism’s
positive approach to death and change.
Calendar of
Religious
Events &
Festivals
february 2016
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vol.111-issuetwofebruary2016www.reviewofreligions.orgArereligiousparentsbrainwashingTheirchildren?
© Islamic Publications, 2016
ISSN No. 0034-6721
From the letters of
The Blame Game: Is
disorder in the wo
The Critical Issues
Our Time
The Review of Religions, in print since
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