The Review of Religions January 2017

Mosques – Building
Blocks for Peace
12
Essence of Islam:
The Veil
26
A Mosque of Security
and Peace
32
The Search for
“Enlightened Moderation”
in Pakistan
46
vol. 112 - issue onejanuary 2017 www.reviewofreligions.org
mosques –
building
blocks
for Peace

“And the believers, men and
women, are friends one of another.
They enjoin good and forbid
evil and observe Prayer and pay
the Zakat and obey Allah and
His Messenger. It is these on
whom Allah will have mercy.
Surely, Allah is Mighty, Wise.”
Islam, The Holy Qur’an,
9:71
Al-Nu’man ibn Bashir relates
that the Messengersa
of Allah
stated: “The parable of the
believers in their affection, mercy,
and compassion for each other
is like that of a body; when one
limb aches, the whole body aches
with sleeplessness and fever.”
Islam, Sahih Bukhari and
Sahih Muslim
“There are many elements in
righteousness. It is righteousness
to avoid pride and self-esteem
and to refrain from unlawful
acquisition and ill manners. A
person who displays courtesy
and good manners converts
his enemies into friends.”
Islam, The Promised
Messiahas
, Malfuzat, vol.
I, p. 81
A faithful friend is a sturdy
shelter: he that has found one
has found a treasure.There is
nothing so precious as a faithful
friend, and no scales can measure
his excellence. A faithful friend
is an elixir of life; and those
who fear the Lord will find him.
Whoever fears the Lord directs
his friendship aright, for as he
is, so is his neighbour also.
Judaism, Sirach 6:14-17
Do not be misled: “Bad company
corrupts good character.”
Christianity, The Bible,
Corinthians I, 15:33
It is by dealing with a man that
his virtue is to be known, and
that too after a long time; not
by one who gives it a passing
thought or no thought at all; by
a wise man, not by a fool. It is by
association that a man’s integrity
is to be known…It is in times of
trouble that his fortitude is to be
known…It is by conversing with
him, that a man’s wisdom is to be
known, and that too after a long
time; not by one who gives it a
passing thought or no thought at
all; by a wise man, not by a fool.
Buddhism, Udana 65-66
Friend! Listen to the benefits of
holy company: Thereby is cast off
impurity, vanished are millions of
sins, And purified is the mind.
Sikhism, Adi Granth 809
Sit in the assembly of the honest;
join with those that are good and
virtuous; nay, seek out a noble
enemy where enmity cannot
be helped and have nothing
to do with the wicked and the
unrighteous. Even in bondage you
should live with the virtuous, the
erudite, and the truthful; but not
for a kingdom should you stay
with the wicked and the malicious.
Hinduism, Garuda
Purana 112
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
Friendship
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 Religion Requires Patience
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas,
The Promised
Messiah & Imam Mahdi
12 Mosques – Building Blocks
for Peace
While the building of mosques can
instill fear in a community, mosques
built in the true spirit of Islam can
become strong and solid foundations
serving the communities around them.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
, Worldwide
Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
26 Essence of Islam:The Veil
Introducing a new feature in which we
highlight the writings of the Promised
Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam
Ahmadas
an various topics.This month,
we feature his writings on the veil.
32 A Mosque of Security
and Peace
In this keynote address at the
inauguration of a mosque in
Lloydminster, His Holiness explains
how mosques promote peace for all:
Muslim and non-Muslim alike.
, Worldwide
Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
42 A Glimpse into the Life of
The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
44 Truth Never Leads to Disgrace
, The Promised
Messiah & Imam Mahdi
F r o m t h e A r c h ives :
46 The Search for “Enlightened
Moderation” in Pakistan
In this response to an editorial
published by then-President
of Pakistan, General Pervez
Musharraf, Pakistani politicians and
intelligentsia to truly examine the
factors that have prevented Pakistan
from achieving moderation.
Dr. Atif Mian, Princeton, USA
58 Calendar of Religious Events
Front cover picture:
Regina Mosque shines at night.
© The Review of Religions
contents
january 2017 Vol.112 - issue one
46
12
32

CHIEF EDITOR & MANAGER
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WORLD
CRISIS
M I R Z A M A S R O O R A H M A D
PEACE
andthePathwaytoThe world is passing through very turbulent times.The
global economic crisis continues to manifest newer and
graver dangers almost every week. The similarities to
the period just before the Second World War continue
to be cited and it seems clear that events are moving
the world at an unprecedented pace towards a horrific
Third World War.
In this book, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad,
the Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community warns the world of the fast approaching
dangers and how it can avert disaster and chart a
course to peace.
WORLD
CRISIS
PEACE
andthePathwayto
9 781848 808584
ISBN 184880858-5
9 781848 808577
ISBN 184880857-7
WORLDCRISISandthePathwaytoPEACEMIRZAMASROORAHMAD
Please Note.
Background colour:
C=10
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K=100
From His Holiness – Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
– comes a groundbreaking vision for how to estab-
lish long-lasting peace in a world fraught with rapidly
increasing disorder and unrest. His Holiness reminds
world leaders that the flames of war are already burn-
ing through local and regional conflicts and we stand
at the precipice of another world war. If these sparks
were to truly ignite we could witness the horrific
reality of a nuclear war, whose consequences are
unimaginable. His Holiness is the Worldwide Head
and Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
– which has tens of millions of followers in over
200 countries.
World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace is a collection
of the historic addresses and letters by His Holiness to
world leaders and influential figures. In this book, His
Holiness offers consummate analysis on all aspects
of the global crisis; political, economic, social and
spiritual and provides the golden keys to resolving
the critical problems the world faces. In a world where
existing strategies for peace have failed and peo-
ple are desperately looking for a new direction, His
Holiness presents fresh and practical solutions, giving
hope that we can still prevent a global catastrophe.
(continued on back flap)
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
I
t is recorded in the Hadith ِ‫ﻪﻠﻟ‬ َ‫ن‬‫ﺎ‬َ‫ﻛ‬ ْ‫ﻦ‬َ‫ﻣ‬.ُ‫ﻪ‬َ‫ﻟ‬ ُ‫ﷲ‬ َ‫ن‬‫ﺎ‬َ‫ﻛ‬
َ
which means,
Allah Almighty becomes one with those who become His.
It is a pity, however, that many of those who pay heed and
wish to gain the nearness of God Almighty seek immediate
results. They know not the degree of patience and ambition
that is required in matters of religion.It is surprising that they
wait years on end for the acquisition of worldly objectives, for
which they strive day in and day out, and for which they exert
their best efforts. A farmer plants a seed and waits for quite
some time, yet when it comes to matters of faith, they would
like to be transformed into saints in a heartbeat. On the very
first day, they expect to reach the throne of Allah, without
undergoing any toil and hardship on this path, and without
being subjected to trial.Remember well,this is not the law and
practice of God Almighty.Even in religious matters,every form
of progress is gradual, and God Almighty cannot be pleased
with mere declarations that we are Muslims or believers.1
endnotes
1. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadra
, The Advent of the Promised Messiah
(Tilford, Surrey: Islam International Publications, 2016), 38-39.
Religion Requires
Patience

The Khalifah in Canada
The Review of Religions continues
with exclusive coverage of the historic
tour of the worldwide Head of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim community

attendance here at an Islamic function is
a demonstration of your open hearts and
tolerance and it obliges me to profess my
heartfelt and sincere gratitude to all of
you. My thanks is not given out of mere
courtesy or as a hollow gesture but is a
part of my faith, because the Founder of
Islam, the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
taught that a person who is not grateful
to his fellow man cannot be grateful to
Allah the Almighty.
Hence, extending my appreciation to all
of you, is actually my religious duty and
is a beautiful part of the religious teach-
ing that I, and every Ahmadi Muslim,
acts upon and lives by. My gratitude is
even greater given that we are passing
through extremely precarious and turbu-
lent times and this is particularly true of
H
azrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
,
5th
Successor to the Promised
Messiahas
, Worldwide Head
of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community,
said:
“Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem – in the
Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Ever
Merciful.
All distinguished guests, Assalamo
Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatohu
- peace and blessings of Allah be upon
you all.
First of all I would like to take this
opportunity to thank all of our guests for
graciously accepting our invitation and
joining us here this evening.The major-
ity of you are not Muslims and so your
Mosques -
Building Blocks
for Peace
On Fr iday, 4th No vembe r
2016, the Worldwide Head of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community,
the Fifth Khalifah (Caliph), His
Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor
Ahmadaba
, inaugurated the Mahmood
Mosque, the Mosque of the
Praiseworthy, in Regina, the capital of
Saskatchewan in Western Canada.
At a special reception marking the
inauguration, His Holiness addressed
neighbours and local dignitaries,
explaining how a true mosque is built to
safeguard and protect others’ rights and
describing how it was in the mosque
that the Holy Prophetsa
prayed fervently
for his people.
address by the worldwide Head of the Ahmadiy ya Muslim Community,
His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
My thanks is not given out of
mere courtesy or as a hollow
gesture but is a part of my
faith, because the Founder
of Islam, the Holy Prophet
Muhammadsa
taught that a
person who is not grateful
to his fellow man cannot be
grateful to Allah the Almighty.
His Holiness addresses the audience
at the opening of Mahmood Mosque
in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
12 The Review of Religions | january 2017 january 2017 | The Review of Religions 13

groups have emerged who are not only
committing heinous atrocities in their
own countries but have also exported
their terrorism abroad. Thus, a number
of despicable and entirely unjustifiable
attacks have taken place in recent times
here in the Western world.
For example,in the past year alone there
have been terrorist attacks in Paris,
Brussels,Orlando and other major cities
in which scores of innocent people have
been ruthlessly and barbarically slaugh-
tered. Such incidents have caused for a
climate of fear to develop in the West
amongst non-Muslims and consequently
we have seen a rise in what is commonly
termed as “Islamophobia”.Thus, despite
the fact that you are attending this func-
tion, and despite the fact that you have
personal contact with Ahmadi Muslims,
it remains quite possible that some of you
may harbour suspicions and fears about
our mosque.
You may believe that whilst Ahmadi
Muslims did not have a mosque, they
lived here as a well-integrated part of
society. However, now they have their
own place of worship, you may fear that
they could lock the doors to their mosque
and shut themselves off from the rest of
society and, even worse, could use their
mosques to engage in extremist activities,
plot attacks and undermine the peace of
society.Given everything I have just said
about the current state of the world, I
would not blame you for holding such
reservations if anyone has any, and actu-
ally I would consider such concerns to
be entirely understandable. In light of
this, at the very outset, I wish to make it
clear to all of you that the objectives for
which mosques are built are extremely
noble and rather than being a cause of
disorder, are actually a means of laying
the foundation for true and long-lasting
peace in the world.
the Islamic world. We are all well aware
of the fact that certain Muslim extremist
groups have formed and are perpetrating
the most horrific brutalities in the name
of Islam. Where they are fighting one
another,they are also waging wars against
their leaders and rulers.
Similarly, certain governments are also
failing to fulfil the rights of their citi-
zens and so rebel groups have formed
and have risen up in violent opposition.
As a result of all of this, there has been a
complete breakdown in society in some
Muslim countries. Rather than living
peacefully, those nations are mired in a
state of perpetual and utterly senseless
cycle of violence and destruction. What
is happening can only be deemed as an
absolute stain on humanity.
Of course, it is true that conflicts or vio-
lence are not entirely exclusive to the
Muslim world. We also see civil wars
and restlessness in some non-Muslim
countries, particularly in economically
challenged and under-developed parts
of the world. Nonetheless, it is the dis-
turbances in the Muslim world that
are considered to be the centre of the
world’s problems and the cause for great-
est concern.This is because a number of
so-called Muslim terrorist and extremist
mosques - building blocks for peace *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.*
Recent mass shootings in France and the US
have shown the barbaric nature of some so-
called ‘Muslims’ who do not understand even
the basic teachings of Islam. Here, President
Obama receives updates on the shooting
in Orlando which took place in June 2016.
I wish to make it clear to all
of you that the objectives
for which mosques are built
are extremely noble and
rather than being a cause of
disorder, are actually a means
of laying the foundation
for true and long-lasting
peace in the world.
In Syria we have seen recently how the rebels
have risen up in violent opposition to the
government which has oppressed its citizens
for decades. In this case, neither party
involved is following the teachings of Islam.
User shamsnn | Released under CC
BY 2.0 | Wikimedia Commons

walks of life,and if,God forbid,a mosque
is not built with these virtuous intentions
then it is not fulfilling its purpose.
On one occasion, during the time of
the Holy Prophetsa
, a so-called mosque
was erected with the intention of caus-
ing mischief and to spread disorder
amongst society.Thus,it is written in the
Holy Qur’an that Allah the Almighty
instructed the Holy Prophetsa
to demol-
ish the mosque because it had been built
with ill-intent and not for the worship
of God and nor for the sake of fulfill-
ing the rights of humanity.Therefore,the
mosque was razed to the ground. These
are the outstanding teachings of Islam,
where Muslims are taught that to ful-
fil the objectives of a mosque, they must
not only be devoted to their Creator,but
must also cherish and care for their fel-
low beings.
Consequently, from every possi-
ble perspective, the worship of God
is intrinsically linked with fulfilling
the rights of mankind. This is why the
Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community said that Islam’s teachings
could be summarised in just two lines –
firstly, to faithfully love God Almighty
and fulfil His rights and secondly, to
love His Creation and fulfil their rights.
The first objective of a mosque is to be a
place for people to congregate and col-
lectively worship God Almighty, and to
bow down and submit before Him and
to beseech His mercy and love.However,
it is not enough to merely pray for your
own personal peace and prosperity,rather
it is the duty of a Muslim to pray for
the peace and well-being of all other
people, regardless of their religion or
background, because the Holy Prophetsa
of Islam said that it is necessary for a
Muslim to desire for others whatever
they desire for themselves. Thus, if we
want peace,security,love and respect for
ourselves then we must also wish it for
others. Accordingly, rather than spread-
ing conflict and hate, true mosques are
built with an intention to bring people
together and to unite mankind in peace,
harmony and mutual respect.
The Holy Prophetsa
was himself the per-
fect manifestation of this principle of
desiring for others what you desire for
yourself. Due to his utter despair and
anguish at seeing how people were mov-
ing away from their Creator, the Holy
Prophetsa
would spend night after night
bowed down in prostration, weeping
before his Lord in a state of complete
submission.
His every prayer was consumed by utter
torment beseeching God Almighty that
why people were not spiritually and mor-
ally reforming. Why did they refuse to
abandon their cruelties? Why were they
unwilling to forsake wrongdoing and
evil? And consequently, why were they
putting themselves at risk of the punish-
ment of Allah the Almighty? The Holy
Prophet’ssa
agony and anguish was so
deep and his state of anxiety and despair
was so great, that in a verse of the Holy
Qur’an, Allah the Almighty addressed
him directly, asking if he would “grieve
himself to death” because mankind was not
living in peace and was not fulfilling the
rights of their Creator or of one another.
Thus, from every organ, every pore and
every fibre of the Holy Prophet’ssa
being
gushed forth a spring of eternal mercy
and compassion for humanity and so
true Muslims,who follow him,can never
enter mosques with ill-intent or with a
desire to harm others.
Rather, they enter with the firm con-
viction of supplicating before Allah the
Almighty and imploring Him that the
entire world should join together in peace
and be saved from the wrath of Allah in
the Hereafter. Hence, a true mosque is a
guarantor of peace for all people,from all
Muslims are taught to pray
for everyone, not just other
Muslims; this is personified
by the Prophet of Islamsa
himself who wept in his
prayer for the prosperity of
every person. And mosques,
as the place where prayers
happen, are building blocks
for the community.
© ESB Professional | Shutterstock
Thus, it is written in the
Holy Qur’an that Allah the
Almighty instructed the Holy
Prophetsa
to demolish the
mosque because it had been
built with ill-intent and not
for the worship of God and
nor for the sake of fulfilling
the rights of humanity.
Therefore, the mosque was
razed to the ground.
mosques - building blocks for peace

many parts of the world there are peo-
ple who have little or no access to it. In
African countries, if it rains their ponds
may fill, but quite often there is drought
and so the ponds run dry, leading to a
grave shortage of water. In fact, even
where there is rainfall, those who live in
villages or remote areas,still do not have
access to clean water, because the pond
water that they use is contaminated with
all kinds of bacteria and toxins.The same
water they use to drink, bathe, cook and
wash their clothes, is used by animals to
drink and is often polluted by animal
waste. Further, it is not as though such
dirty water is available on tap, rather it
requires young children to walk several
kilometres carrying water vessels bal-
anced on their heads.
I personally lived in Africa for a number
of years and so I have seen this with my
own eyes. At an age when young chil-
dren should be in school and should
be free, they are forced by dire circum-
stances beyond their control to endure
daily routines that are unimaginable to
those of us living in the comfort of the
West. Here in the developed world the
daily concerns of people are trivial by
comparison.The most we have to worry
about is ensuring that our children get
to school on time each morning or other
similar minor issues. Such insignificant
problems are a distant dream for the peo-
ple living in deprived parts of the world.
Those children would give everything for
the opportunities that our children have
here.What they would give to be able to
go to school each day rather than having
to walk great distances to fetch water for
their family’s daily domestic use.
Thus,in an effort to bring comfort to such
people and in order to literally quench
With the Grace of Allah,the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community has always followed
these teachings and so wherever we build
mosques or have established communi-
ties we soon become well-known for our
commitment to serving others. We are
recognised for our willingness to make
all possible sacrifices in the cause of
humanity. Wherever there is a need, the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is at the
forefront of serving mankind.
Our humanitarian services are provided
across the board,irrespective of a person’s
ethnicity,religion or background and our
only objective is to provide comfort to
those in need and to provide them with
the means to a better existence. Hence,
our mosques are not only places for us
to worship Allah, but also serve as cen-
tres for us to congregate and to plan
different ways to help the local people.
The only plotting that takes place in our
Ahmadi mosques is to determine how
we can quell the heartache and grief of
those who are bereft and deprived. The
only schemes we hatch are to remove the
heavy burden of desperation and hope-
lessness that weigh down those who are
consumed by hardship and misfortune.
For example, we have built hundreds of
schools and dozens of hospitals in the
developing world in order to provide
education and healthcare to people liv-
ing in the most remote parts of the world.
Similarly,we are also providing access to
clean water in many villages and towns
where such facilities did not previously
exist. Living here in the West it is very
easy to be complacent about the true
value of water. In exchange for paying a
regular fee to the water authorities clean
water flows from our taps, and so it is
extremely difficult to comprehend how
desperate people living in Africa and
other impoverished parts of the world
are for this priceless commodity.
Water is the means of life and yet in
The only plotting that takes
place in our Ahmadi mosques
is to determine how we can
quell the heartache and grief
of those who are bereft and
deprived.The only schemes
we hatch are to remove the
heavy burden of desperation
and hopelessness that weigh
down those who are consumed
by hardship and misfortune.
Serving mankind is an intrinsic part of
Islam. Without this a Muslim cannot
fulfil the due rights of mankind that
God Almighty has made incumbent
upon them. This is crucial in laying the
foundation blocks of a peaceful society.
© CHOATphotographer | Shutterstock

swords, guns or bombs. Our Jihad is not
a Jihad of cruelty,brutality and injustice.
Rather, our Jihad is of love, mercy and
compassion. Our Jihad is of tolerance,
justice and human sympathy. Our Jihad
is to fulfil the rights of God Almighty
and of His Creation. If we have formed
any Jihadi group,it is not for the purpose
of brutally attacking and killing innocent
people, or for launching evil terrorist
attacks at clubs,stations or anywhere else,
rather it is to establish the rights of all
people in all places at all times.
To achieve these aims we do not violently
brandish swords or fire guns, rather our
weapons of choice are love, compas-
sion, sympathy and above all, prayers.
Accordingly, now that this mosque has
been built I am confident that the local
Ahmadi Muslims will not only increase
their attention towards the worship of
Allah, but will also focus ever more on
serving humanity.As our neighbours,you
will see that this mosque will stand as
a beacon of light that illuminates soci-
ety with universal values of benevolence,
compassion and grace. You will see how
their thirsts, the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community is providing access to clean
drinking water through the installation
of hand or solar-powered water pumps.
Often our volunteers take photos or vid-
eos of the moment when the locals see
water flowing from the taps for the first
time and later they share them with me.
After having lived in complete destitu-
tion, the look of pure and unbridled joy
on the faces of the local people,especially
the young children when they see clean
water for the very first time at their door-
steps,is a sight to behold.It is as though
all of their hopes and dreams have been
fulfilled all at once and as though they
are the recipients of the entire world’s
treasures.
We, Ahmadi Muslims, take pride in
being able to serve such people and
consider it a blessing that we are able to
provide relief and ease to others because
this is the way of Islam.As a result,wher-
ever the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
builds mosques, soon the local people
come to recognise and openly attest to
the fact that we are selflessly serving
humanity, irrespective of differences of
religion,and are contributing to the soci-
ety in the best possible way. In the same
way, Ahmadi Muslims also seek to sup-
port and assist people stricken by natural
disasters.To cite one recent example,just
a few weeks ago,Hurricane Matthew was
the cause of huge destruction and dev-
astation in Haiti. As a result, Ahmadi
Muslim volunteers were immediately
sent there by Humanity First,which is a
humanitarian relief organisation estab-
lished by our Community,and they were
able to assist the Royal Dutch Navy in
the relief efforts.
The efforts of our Ahmadi volunteers
had such a profound effect that the
Commander of the Dutch Naval Ship
later wrote a letter of appreciation to us
in which he said that he had never seen
any other organisation serve with such
dedication, selflessness and devotion as
the Humanity First team. Therefore, I
say again that true mosques and true
Muslims are nothing to be feared. Our
Jihad is not a false Jihad of terrorism or
violence, rather our Jihad is the same
as was defined and practiced by Holy
Prophetsa
of Islam.Upon returning from
a defensive war that had been forced
upon the Muslims, he told his com-
panions that they were returning from a
lesser Jihad and were now moving to a far
greater Jihad, which was of discharging
the rights owed to their Creator and of
mankind and of reforming their inner
self. Hence, our Jihad is not a Jihad of
His Holiness leads the
guests in silent prayer
at the conclusion
of the event.
Rather, our Jihad is of love,
mercy and compassion. Our
Jihad is of tolerance, justice
and human sympathy. Our
Jihad is to fulfil the rights
of God Almighty and of
His Creation. If we have
formed any Jihadi group,
it is not for the purpose
of brutally attacking and
killing innocent people, or
for launching evil terrorist
attacks at clubs, stations or
anywhere else, rather it is
to establish the rights of all
people in all places at all times.

this mosque will prove to be a glorious
symbol of peace,prosperity and sanctuary
for all of mankind.
Certainly,the Holy Qur’an has laid great
emphasis on the rights of one’s neigh-
bours, to the extent that the Prophetsa
of Islam once said that God Almighty
had drawn his attention to their rights
so much that he came to think that per-
haps neighbours would be included in a
person’s rightful inheritors.Thus,if any of
the neighbours continue to have any mis-
givings or fears about this mosque they
should remove them once and for all.We
Ahmadi Muslims will seek to care for
the neighbours,protect them and honour
them so that we can fulfil the objectives
of our faith.The local Ahmadi Muslims
will, God Willing,prove themselves to be
loyal and devoted members of the local
community and will seek to serve all of
you to the very best of their abilities.May
Allah enable them to do so.
With these words, I would like to once
again thank all of you for attending this
event and reiterate that our mosque
will always remain a centre of peace
and goodwill and its doors will forever
be open to the people of all faiths and
beliefs. May Allah bless you all. Thank
you very much.”
Your feedback is
important to us
Write to us with comments,
feedback and suggestions at
info@Reviewof Religions.org
Deep in the heart of the Arab
Peninsula, amidst the desert
and the valleys of Pharan,
stands a modest bricked
structure. This monument is
undisputedly the single most
sacred, revered and Holy
Shrine of Islam; the compass
point for which the Muslim
world aligns itself on a daily
basis in prostration to God.
Its name is the Ka’bah, literally
translating from Arabic as ‘the cube’,
but is synonymously referred to as
Baytul Haram or ‘the Sacred House’. It
was established for the benefit of the
whole of mankind, to act as a centre
for the unification of humanity.
Does its inception lie with the
earliest human populations – viz-a-
viz Adamas
and his Community – or
were Abrahamas
and his son Ishmaelas
the individuals responsible for its
initial erection? And what purpose
does the Ka’bah actually serve?
Purchase print copy: http://store.alislam.org/englishbooks.html
22 The Review of Religions | january 2017

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
Senior Anchor for
Global Regina,
Whitney Stinson,
interviews His
Holiness, Hazrat
Mirza Masroor
Ahmadaba
in Regina.
CTV anchor, Sabeen
Ahmad, interviews
His Holiness, Hazrat
Mirza Masroor
Ahmadaba
in Regina
on a range of issues.
the khalifa in canada

THE ESSENCE OF
ISLAMVOLUME III
Extracts from the Writings, Speeches,
Announcements and Discourses of the
Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi
NEW FEATURE
THE
VEIL
Extracts from

The Philosophy Behind the Veil
A fair-minded person will appreciate
that the free mixing of men and women
and their going about together would
expose them to the risk of succumb-
ing to the flare of their emotions. It has
been observed that some people see no
harm in a man and woman being alone
together behind closed doors. This is
considered civilized behaviour.To avoid
such untoward situations from arising,
the Law-Giver of Islam has forbidden all
such acts as might prove to be a tempta-
tion for anyone.
In a situation of this kind where a man
and a woman, whom the law does not
allow to meet thus, happen to meet pri-
vately, Satan becomes the third member
of this party. Imagine the harm that is
being done in Europe in consequence of
such reckless freedom. In certain parts
of Europe a life of shameless promiscu-
ity is being led which is the end product
of such thinking. If you want to save a
trust,you have to stand guard over it.But
if you are not watchful, then remember
that despite the people being ostensibly
nice, the trust will definitely be violated.
Islamic teaching in this behalf safeguards
social life against unlawful indulgence
by keeping men and women apart. Free
mixing leads to the kind of destruction
of family life and frequent suicides that
have become common in Europe. That
some women, who otherwise belong to
noble families adopt the ways of prosti-
tutes,is the direct result of the prevailing
freedom.
--Malfuzat, vol. 5, p. 33
The Islamic system of the veil does not
at all require women to be shut up as in a
prison.What the Holy Qur’an directs is
that women should avoid displaying their
beauty and should not look at strange
men. Those women who have to go out
in order to fulfil their responsibilities may
do so, but they must guard their glances.
--Malfuzat, vol. 1, p. 430
However much the Aryas may dislike the
Muslims and be averse to Islamic teach-
ings, I would earnestly request them not
to do away with the veil completely, as
the resulting evils will make themselves
felt sooner or later. Any intelligent per-
son will appreciate that a large portion of
humanity is governed by natural desires
and,under the sway of the baser self,pays
no heed to Divine chastisement. At the
sight of young and beautiful women most
men cannot help but stare. Women too
do not hesitate to stare at strangers.Such
unrestricted freedom will result in the
kind of situation prevalent in Europe
The Veil
The Promised Messiahas
wrote over 80 books in Arabic, Urdu,
and Persian. Excerpts of his collected works have been translated
into English and organized by topic. The Review of Religions
is pleased to present these excerpts as part of a monthly feature.
This month’s topic, on the much-misunderstood veil, explores the
meaning and significance behind the controversial fabric.
If you want to save a trust,
you have to stand guard over
it. But if you are not watchful,
then remember that despite
the people being ostensibly
nice, the trust will definitely
be violated. Islamic teaching
in this behalf safeguards
social life against unlawful
indulgence by keeping
men and women apart.

today. When people become truly puri-
fied and shed their baser appetites, and
get rid of the Satanic spirit and when
they have the fear of God in their eyes,
and when they become fully conscious of
the majesty of God,and they bring about
a transformation and adorn the robes of
Taqwa,only then will they have the right
to do what they like; for then they will
be like pawns in God’s hands and, in a
manner of speaking, they will cease to
be males, their eyes will become oblivi-
ous to the sight of women and to such
evil thoughts. But dear ones, may God
direct your hearts, the time is not right
for this. If you usher in freedom today,
you will sow a poisonous seed in your
culture. These are difficult times. Even
if it was not needed before, the veil is
essential now, because this is the last era
of mankind, and the earth is full of vice,
debauchery and drunkenness. Hearts
are filled with atheism and are devoid
of respect for Divine commandments.
Tongues are so loquacious and lectures
are loaded with logic and philosophy,
but the hearts are empty of spiritual-
ity. At such a time it would be a folly to
expose your helpless sheep to the mercy
of wolves.
--Lecture Lahore,Ruhani Khaza’in,vol.
20, pp. 173-174
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,
.
www.alislam.org
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

our new mosque. Today’s event is nei-
ther a political or worldly event and nor
has it been arranged in order to discuss
and analyse world affairs; rather, it is a
purely religious event organised to mark
the opening of a religious place of wor-
ship - the Baitul Amman Mosque - built
by an Islamic community.
As we gather here today, it is an unde-
niable fact that we are passing through
troubled times and the future of the
world is becoming increasingly uncer-
tain. Conflicts continue to spread and
escalate in various countries and in
particular in certain Muslim nations.
Anyone who has even a slight interest
in current affairs may well hold a nega-
tive impression of Muslims and mosques,
and view them with an element of fear
and suspicion. In almost every news
bulletin there are reports of bloodshed
and violence, wherein governments are
fighting local rebel groups and the hos-
tilities have developed into full-fledged
civil wars, in which thousands upon
thousands of innocent people are being
, 5th
Successor to the Promised Messiah,
Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community, said:
“Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem – in the
Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Ever
Merciful.
All distinguished guests, Assalamo
Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahe Wa Barakatohu
- peace and blessings of Allah be upon
you all.
First of all, I would like to take this
opportunity to thank all of our guests
who have joined us here this afternoon
on the occasion of the inauguration of
A Mosque of
Security & Peace
A
s part of his Canadian tour, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
,
Khalifatul Masih V, Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community, inaugurated the Baitul Amman Mosque in the city of
Lloydminster in Western Canada on 5th
November 2016.The next day, His
Holiness delivered the keynote address at a special reception to mark its
opening, reassuring guests and neighbours that the purpose of mosques is
to promote peace—not discord.
Anyone who has even a
slight interest in current
affairs may well hold a
negative impression of
Muslims and mosques, and
view them with an element
of fear and suspicion.
Keynote Address by
the Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiy ya Muslim Community,
His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
.

your participation today is an extremely
brave act and a sign of your open hearts
and broad minds. For your kind and
praiseworthy gesture, I thank you. My
thankfulness is not expressed merely as
an empty gesture or out of polite cour-
tesy, rather it is offered with sincerity
and in accordance with my faith and my
religion. This is because the Founder of
Islam, the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
,
said that a person who does not show
gratitude to his fellow man is not grateful
to Allah the Almighty.
The Prophet of Islamsa
taught that thank-
ing others was a means of reaching Allah
the Almighty and so professing gratitude
is actually a principle of great significance
for a true Muslim and a beautiful example
of Islam’s peaceful and inclusive teach-
ings.Furthermore,the Holy Prophetsa
did
not say that Muslims should limit their
appreciation to other Muslims,rather he
instructed that they should exhibit grati-
tude to all people,regardless of their faith
or beliefs. Hence, where my expression
of thanks to you is heartfelt, it is also a
religious obligation upon me.
With these words of introduction, I
would now like to briefly speak to you
about mosques themselves and their true
objectives. The Arabic word for mosque
targeted and killed.The brutalities taking
place are horrific and a source of shame
on humanity.
Rather than small-scale, low-grade
weapons, we are seeing formidable and
terrifying missiles being fired and heavy
bombardment and airstrikes taking place
as a matter of routine. Towns and cities
are being ravaged and left in ruin.Rivers
of blood flow through the streets and
countless people are being left bereaved
and displaced. The news media is pro-
viding constant global coverage of such
atrocities and so it is not surprising that
misgivings and a fear of Islam has devel-
oped within some non-Muslims. Such
reservations are now further escalating
in some countries with hatred and intol-
erance of Muslims rising to the surface.
Given all of this, the fact that you have
come to attend a mosque inaugura-
tion, which is a purely Islamic event, is
a sign of extraordinary courage on your
part. It is also a sign that you are not
amongst those people who have fallen
prey to the false belief that Islam is a
religion of violence or extremism; rather
you have understood that the discord
and lack of peace in Muslim countries is
not linked to Islam’s teachings. It shows
that you appreciate that the conflicts
are actually a result of the local govern-
ments and rebel elements, senselessly
seeking to assert their dominance over
one another and prioritising their own
vested interests above everything else.
Conversely, through your contact with
Ahmadi Muslims,you will have seen that
our beliefs and practices are in complete
contrast to the violence and injustice
being perpetrated in the Muslim world.
Every Ahmadi Muslim in every town,
city and nation, rejects all forms of
extremism and feels immense grief and
heartache at the carnage and disor-
der being perpetrated in some Muslim
countries.Similarly,we feel extreme pain
and devastation when we witness sui-
cide bombings and other brutal terrorist
attacks taking place not only in Muslim
countries, but also increasingly in the
Western world.We wholeheartedly con-
demn such atrocities and consider them
to be a complete affront to Islam’s true
teachings.
Nevertheless, despite the peaceful and
tolerant nature of Ahmadi Muslims,there
may still be a few people here or in the
local community, who hold reservations
about the opening of this mosque. This
is quite understandable given the current
state of the world and so I say again that
a mosque of security & peace
Furthermore, the Holy
Prophetsa
did not say that
Muslims should limit their
appreciation to other Muslims,
rather he instructed that
they should exhibit gratitude
to all people, regardless
of their faith or beliefs.
State-of-the-art weaponry is being used to
threaten other countries and these weapons
destroy the lives of countless civilians.
© User guruXOX | Shutterstock.com
*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.*

right hands possess. Surely Allah loves
not the proud and the boastful.”
In this verse, Allah the Almighty has
instructed Muslims to display the very
best values and morals at all times and
amongst all people. It requires Muslims
to lovingly serve mankind, irrespective
of colour, caste or creed, starting from
one’s inner circle, comprising a person’s
parents, family and friends, to much
further afield including the poor and
needy, orphans and other vulnerable
members of society. Likewise, Muslims
have been taught to love, protect and
honour their neighbours. And accord-
ing to the teachings of Islam, the scope
of one’s neighbours is extremely vast and
far-reaching. Neighbours do not only
include those who live nearby, but also
many other people,including one’s work
colleagues and travel companions.Thus,
the sphere of love in Islam is limitless and
so how could a true Muslim ever seek
to harm others or be the cause of disor-
der in society? Furthermore, Allah the
Almighty has stated that Muslims must
never fall prey to arrogance or pride, but
should be humble and meek.
This is the way of Islam.This is the way of
true Muslims. In essence, Islam requires
a Muslim to show love and compassion
is ‘masjid’ and this word literally means
a place for people to congregate in com-
plete humility and submission in order to
worship God Almighty.If a person enters
a mosque with this meek spirit,consider-
ing himself to be worthless,he can never
wish any type of harm on others or be the
cause of discord or animosity.A Muslim
who offers his prayers with humility is a
person who is kind, caring and merciful
and who strives to stay away from immo-
rality,illegal activity and all forms of evil.
Rather than promoting disorder or divi-
sion, mosques are a means of bringing
people together in humility for the wor-
ship of their Creator. Hence, in chapter
5, verse 3 of the Holy Qur’an, Allah the
Almighty states:
“And let not the enmity of a people
that they hindered you from the Sacred
Mosque, incite you to transgress. And
help one another in righteousness and
piety; but help not one another in sin
and transgression.And fear Allah,surely
Allah is severe in punishment.”
This verse establishes the duty of a
Muslim to act peacefully at all times and
in all places. Here Allah the Almighty
prohibited those early Muslims who
had been mercilessly persecuted from
responding unjustly or from transgress-
ing against their oppressors,even though
they had sought to prevent them from
entering the Holy Ka’abah, the Sacred
Mosque,which is the most revered place
in Islam.Consequently,the Holy Qur’an
has laid down an unprecedented standard
of tolerance, justice and forbearance for
Muslims to abide by, wherein they are
duty-bound to act righteously,with grace
and fairness, even to those who seek to
deny them their religious freedom.
Rather than revenge or reprisal, the
Holy Qur’an calls on Muslims to dis-
play nobility and to uphold the highest
possible moral values, even in the most
trying of circumstances. Therefore, let it
be clear that there is no need to fear true
mosques, because they are not places of
vengeance or hatred, but are abodes of
peace, harmony and unity built for the
sake of worshipping God Almighty.
Furthermore,in chapter 4,verse 37 of the
Holy Qur’an, Allah the Almighty says:
“And worship Allah and associate naught
with Him, and show kindness to par-
ents, and to kindred, and orphans, and
the needy, and to the neighbour who is
a kinsman and the neighbour who is a
stranger,and the companion by your side,
and the wayfarer, and those who your
It requires Muslims to
lovingly serve mankind,
irrespective of colour, caste
or creed, starting from one’s
inner circle, comprising a
person’s parents, family and
friends, to much further
afield including the poor and
needy, orphans and other
vulnerable members of society.
Likewise, Muslims have been
taught to love, protect and
honour their neighbours.
Suicide bomb attacks wreak havoc
across both the East and the West,
making terrorism a global crisis.
© Asianet-Pakistan | Shutterstock.com

building hospitals and schools in the
most deprived parts of the world.We are
also working to provide clean and port-
able drinking water to people. Here in
the Western world it is difficult to com-
prehend the true value of water because
our taps and showers are constantly flow-
ing. It is only when you visit the most
isolated parts of Africa and you see with
your own eyes young children walking
many kilometres each day in searing heat,
in order to fill water vessels balanced on
their heads, that you realise just what a
precious commodity water really is.And
even that water, for which so much gru-
elling effort is made, is rarely clean, but
is normally contaminated and a source
of disease.
Thus,we seek to alleviate the hardship of
such people by installing water wells and
water pumps that provide clean drinking
water at their doorsteps.The sheer joy on
the faces of such deprived people upon
seeing clean water for the first time is
indescribable.Instead of carrying earthen
to all of humanity. It obliges Muslims
to share in the happiness of others and
to consider the pain and grief of oth-
ers as though it is their own. In short, a
true Muslim is a person who is merciful
and compassionate and a true mosque
is a centre of peace and security for all
mankind.
In light of such benevolent and inclu-
sive teachings, how could a mosque be
considered a place of danger or some-
thing to be feared? Certainly, wherever
and whenever Ahmadi Muslims build
mosques, they are built with the dual
objectives of fulfilling the rights of God
Almighty and also fulfilling the rights
of mankind.
Our mosques are built with the purpose
of bringing people together and serving
our neighbours and the local society.Our
mosques are beacons of light radiating
peace, love and humanity. Wherever we
have built mosques, or we have estab-
lished Ahmadi communities, we seek to
alleviate the suffering of the local people
because Allah the Almighty has linked
the fulfillment of His rights with the ful-
fillment of the rights of humanity. Our
faith teaches us that our worship and our
prayers are worthless if we fail to love,
support and cherish those around us. In
light of this teaching,we strive to provide
a better future to the most vulnerable and
impoverished members of society.
For example, in Africa and other parts
of the world, the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community constantly reaches out
to serve the local people and endeav-
ours to fulfil their needs, irrespective of
religion, faith or background. We are
providing healthcare and education by
Wherever we have built
mosques, or we have
established Ahmadi
communities, we seek to
alleviate the suffering of the
local people because Allah
the Almighty has linked the
fulfillment of His rights with
the fulfillment of the rights of
humanity. Our faith teaches
us that our worship and
our prayers are worthless if
we fail to love, support and
cherish those around us. The mosques at the time of Prophet
Muhammadsa
were built as a place for
peace and tranquillity for all people.
© Aris Suwanmalee | Shutterstock.com

I pray that our neighbours and indeed
all members of the society come to see
and witness for themselves the high-
est standards of benevolence, care and
consideration from the local Ahmadi
Muslims. And I pray that we are never a
cause of pain or concern for anyone.I am
confident that the local Ahmadi Muslims
will act upon this and will strive to serve
humanity with selflessness and open
hearts. May Allah enable them to do so.
With these words, I would like to once
again thank you all for joining us this
afternoon.May Allah bless you all.Thank
you very much. May Allah bless you all.
Thank you very much.”
vessels upon their heads for hours on
end, those children are now being edu-
cated in schools that our community
has established. We are seeking to free
them from the bondage of their poverty
and help them stand upon their own
feet so that they can grow to serve not
only their families but also their nations.
Upon providing such service,we Ahmadi
Muslims are filled with joy and delight in
the knowledge that we have been able to
serve our neighbours and those in need,
and in this way have been able to follow
the teachings of our religion. We con-
sider it to be our good fortune to remove
the heavy weight of desperation from the
shoulders of such disadvantaged people.
This is true Islam, wherein apart from
worshipping God Almighty, Muslims
strive earnestly to provide comfort to
others. In the limited time available, I
have only been able to briefly introduce
Islam’s true teachings to you, however I
am confident that having heard my words
you will have been reassured. If anyone
previously did hold any reservations
about this mosque, I hope they will now
have been removed. Certainly, I believe
that, God Willing, you will come to see
for yourselves that this is not just a place
of worship for Ahmadi Muslims but is
a centre of peace for all of mankind.You
will witness first-hand that the Ahmadi
Muslims living in this area will seek to
serve their neighbours and their society
ever more than before.
Found across all the continents of the
world, Humanity First is the charity
organisation run by the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community which helps anyone suffering
from hardships, irrespective of race, social
class or religion. This selfless service for
humanity is a core principle of Islam.
User Peaceworld11 | Released under CC
BY-SA 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons
Instead of carrying earthen
vessels upon their heads for
hours on end, those children
are now being educated in
schools that our community
has established. We are seeking
to free them from the bondage
of their poverty and help
them stand upon their own
feet so that they can grow to
serve not only their families
but also their nations.

Treatment of Animals
He warned people against cruelty to
animals and enjoined kind treatment
to them. He used to relate the instance
of a Jewish woman who was punished
by God for having starved her cat to
death. He also used to relate the story
of a woman who found a dog suffering
from thirst near a deep well. She took
off her shoe and lowered it into the well
and thus drew up some water. She gave
the water to the thirsty dog to drink.This
good deed earned her God’s forgiveness
for all her previous sins.
‘Abdullah bin Mas‘udra
relates:“While we
were in the course of a journey along with
the Holy Prophetsa
we saw two young
doves in a nest and we caught them.They
were still very small.When their mother
returned to the nest,not finding her little
ones in it, she began to fly wildly round
and round. When the Holy Prophetsa
arrived at the spot he observed the dove
and said,‘If any one of you has caught its
young ones he must release them at once
to comfort it .’”1
‘Abdullah bin Mas‘udra
also relates that
on one occasion they observed an ant-
hill and, placing some straw on top of it,
they set fire to it; whereupon they were
rebuked by the Holy Prophetsa
. On one
occasion the Prophetsa
observed a donkey
being branded on the face. He inquired
the reason for this and was told that the
Romans had recourse to this practice for
the purpose of identifying high-bred ani-
mals.The Prophetsa
said that as the face
was a very sensitive part of the body, an
animal should not be branded on the face
and that if it had to be done the brand-
ing should be done on its haunches.2
Since then Muslims always brand ani-
mals on their haunches and, following
this Muslim practice,Europeans also do
the same.3
endnotes
1. Sunan Abu Daud.
2. Sunan Abu Daud and Tirmidhi.
3. Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-din Mahmood
Ahmadra
, Life of Muhammadsa
(Tilford, Surrey:
Islam International Publications, 1990),
245-246.
A Glimpse into the Life of
the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa

The
Promised Messiahas
& imam mahdi
( g u i d e d o n e )
founder of
A person who speaks the truth can never be disgraced for he
basks in the protection of God Almighty.There is no fortress
or citadel more secure than the protection of God Almighty.
Half-hearted effort,however,brings no benefit.Would anyone
suggest that when a person is thirsty, to drink one drop would
suffice; or in the case of extreme hunger, one gram or morsel
would satisfy? On the contrary, until such a person drinks or
eats their fill, they will not be satisfied. Similarly, until actions
are performed to perfection they do not yield the fruits or
benefits that are expected.Flawed actions neither please Allah
Almighty nor can they be blessed.Allah Almighty promises to
grant blessings only when deeds are performed according to His
will.Therefore,worldly people themselves invent such notions
that one cannot live without resorting to falsehood and decep-
tion.Some say that such and such person was sentenced to four
years for speaking the truth in a lawsuit, but I reiterate that
these are all baseless notions arising out of a lack of insight.1
endnotes
1.Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadra
,The Advent of the Promised Messiah (Tilford,
Surrey: Islam International Publications, 2016), 33-34.
Truth Never Leads
to Disgrace

trajectory of religious extremism contin-
ues.This is not the way Muhammad Ali
Jinnah’s1
Pakistan was supposed to be.
How did the very religious elements that
hated Jinnah, called him Kaafir-e-Azam
(“the great infidel”),resisted the creation
of Pakistan, and even tried to murder
Jinnah, actually become the dominant
political force in Pakistan? The answer
lies in the gradual process of decay with
everyone from Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto,
Zia-ul-Haq and the military, to US and
Saudi Arabia providing support to these
extremist elements at different points in
time. The support was provided under
differing rationales: some were tempted
by short term political advantage,others
were driven by twisted ideologies, and
yet others succumbed to the fear of social
unrest threatened by the mullah.
As part of an occasional series highlight-
ing notable articles from the archives of
The Review of Religions, we are pleased
to present the following piece, originally
published in 2004 in response to an op-ed
written in The Washington Post on May
31, 2004, by then-President of Pakistan,
General Pervez Musharraf. In that piece,
Musharraf argued that Muslims must prac-
tice “enlightened moderation.” The article
below responds by asking Musharraf and
others to truly examine the factors that have
prevented Pakistan from achieving this state
of moderation.
All of us feel great pain and anguish in
the social and political chaos engulf-
ing our Pakistani nation. The problem
of religious extremism has reached epic
proportions. Here is a snapshot from
the very recent history: A large num-
ber of Shias gunned down in broad
daylight, at least two serious attempts
on the President’s life, shootings and
bombings in different places of worship,
killings of minorities and foreigners on
a regular basis, a serious attempt on the
Prime Minister’s life and now an armed
revolt against the Pakistani army in the
frontier.These are not isolated incidents,
or incidents which only affect a particu-
lar region of the country.The insanity is
being perpetrated everywhere and affects
everyone in Pakistan. The result is that
the educated and progressive minds left
in Pakistan feel hostage to the mullahs
and their extremist machinery, while
those outside Pakistan are afraid to come
back and invest, teach, visit or even play
cricket. In fact many religious organi-
sations in Pakistan have implicitly or
openly declared a militant “war” against
the incumbent president and his law
enforcement agencies including the army.
One shudders to think what would hap-
pen in the near future to Pakistan if this
The Search for
“Enlightened
Moderation”in Pakistan
By Dr. Atif Mian, Princeton, USA
from the archives
With mass killings being the norm in modern
day Pakistan the social unrest and fear is
destroying a nation once built on peace
and tolerance for all faiths. Minorities are
being driven out and tortured for practicing
their beliefs and the world is looking in
disgust at this nation and its barbaric
mentality not fit for the 21st century.
With mass killings being the
norm in modern day Pakistan
the social unrest and fear
is destroying a nation once
built on peace and tolerance
for all faiths. Minorities are
being driven out and tortured
for practicing their beliefs
and the world is looking in
disgust at this nation and
its barbaric mentality not
fit for the 21st century.

independently,put their trust in the mul-
titude of clergy and scholars belonging
to the religious organisations above.
Therefore,when General Musharraf pro-
claims that Islam is a religion of peace
and tolerance,does he have the religious
scholars (of whatever sect) to back his
claim? The answer is no. As the above
book points out, all the major organised
sects in Pakistan are actively promoting
militancy and violence to further their
agendas.
If Islam were to be defined by the major-
ity religious scholars of Pakistan then
it does become a religion of militancy
and violence. It becomes a religion that
However,whatever the causes,the fact is
that today we are dangling at the preci-
pice of social and political disaster as a
nation. General Musharraf is correct in
pointing out that the biggest threat fac-
ing Pakistan today is from within and
not from the outside.This internal threat
is the threat of religious extremism and
intolerance.It is the threat of a self-right-
eous and arrogant mullah who roams the
streets of Pakistan thinking he is above
the law of the land. He believes that he
has divine authority to murder, plunder
and destroy with impunity.
In a recent book, A to Z of Jihadi
Organizations in Pakistan, Muhammad
Amir Rana superbly traces the history,
organisational setup and ideologies of
237 religious organisations spanning
all the major sects in Pakistan, includ-
ing Deobandi,Barelvi,Ahle Hadith and
Shia. According to the book, each sect
has a number of different organisations
designed to achieve separate objectives.
For example, the Deobandi sect of the
Hanafi school of thought has a total of
45 religious organisations in Pakistan.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s JUI (Jamiat
Ulema-e-Islam) is the main politi-
cal party of this sect and organisations
such as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Jaish-e-
Muhammad, Harkatu Mujahideen
and Sipah-e-Sihaba serve as its mili-
tant wings. These organisations often
have close associations with one other.
Commenting on the organisations from
the Deobandi school of thought, for
example,Muhammad Amir Rana writes:
“Important position holders of Sipah
Sahaba, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Tehreeke
Khuddame Ahle Sunnat,Tehreeke Difa
Sahaba and other similar organisations
have at the same time held important
offices in Jamiat-e-Islam, and sectarian
organisations of the Deobandi school
consider the Jamiat their mentors and
attend their rallies and functions.”
The close relationship between religion,
politics and militancy is not exclusive
to any particular sect. As pointed out in
the book, this pattern is repeated in all
the major Sunni and Shia sects in the
country. Use of force and militancy is
sanctioned and promoted by a major-
ity of the clergy. The definition of Jihad
has now expanded to include the kill-
ing of minorities, opposing politicians,
religious leaders and now the army as
well. Moreover, the distorted definition
of Jihad is now accepted if not practised
by large sections of our society.
The masses, many of whom are either
illiterate or not willing to study religion
The close relationship
between religion, politics and
militancy is not exclusive
to any particular sect. As
pointed out in the book,
this pattern is repeated in
all the major Sunni and
Shia sects in the country.
the search for “enlightened moderation”
in pakistan
In Pakistan people from all walks of life
are affected by the extreme militant jihadi
terrorists but large groups believe in their
ideology and this violent form of jihad
is practiced and promoted by many.

the forefront of a religious movement
aimed at suppressing the rising tide of
religious extremism and intolerance?
Who is going door to door in Peshawar,
Quetta, Karachi and Jhang to convince
the public that the militant version of
Islam presented by the mullahs is illogical
and unjustified? Are the various Jamiats,
Jama’ats and Majalis (parties and organ-
isations) created in the name of Islam
presenting and practising a peaceful and
tolerant version of Islam? Unfortunately
no recognised religious movement in
Pakistan is preaching or practising the
peaceful and tolerant message of Islam.
This should not come as a huge surprise.
After all, how can the same religious
parties and organisations that have
led Islam to be recognised with hatred
and intolerance be expected to lead the
Muslims towards peace and moderation?
Therefore, when our leaders talk about
changing the image of Islam and tak-
ing the country towards “enlightened
moderation,” they should also point out
which religious movement has the abil-
ity to do so.
What Pakistan needs is a rational and
progressive religious movement that pre-
sents an alternative to the militant and
frowns upon differences of opinion and
suppresses another person’s religious free-
dom by force if necessary. It becomes a
religion that allows vandalising shops,
setting vehicles on fire and carrying out
threatening processions to pressure gov-
ernments into acceding to its demands.
In short, Islam as presented and prac-
tised by the publicly recognised scholars
of Pakistan is an ugly religion.
However, true Islam is not to be defined
by the clergy of today. True Islam is to
be found in the teachings of the Holy
Qur’an, a book that reminds its reader
at least 23 times:
Create not disorder on the earth.2
A book so pluralistic in nature that far
from killing innocent Christian, Jews or
Hindus, it exhorts its followers to guard
and respect their freedom of religion and
places of worship:
And if Allah did not repel some men by
means of others, there would surely have
been pulled down cloisters and churches and
synagogues and mosques, wherein the name
of Allah is oft commemorated.3
A Hindu may reject Mosesas
, Jews may
reject Jesusas
and Christians may reject
Muhammadsa
but a Muslim is told that
he cannot call himself a believer if he
does not believe and respect all prophets
of all the great religions of the world:
And We did raise among every people a
Messenger.4
Far from condemning followers of other
religion to damnation,the Qur’an accepts
all righteous men and women as good
human beings and declares:
Surely, the Believers and the Jews, and the
Christians and the Sabians – whichever
party from among these truly believes in
Allah and the Last Day and does good deeds
– shall have their reward with their Lord,
and no fear shall come upon them, nor shall
they grieve.5
When these are the teachings of the
Holy Qur’an, how can such a universal
and unifying religion be linked to hatred,
terrorism, and violence?
General Musharraf is, therefore, cor-
rect in pointing out that true Islam is
a religion of “peace and tolerance”, but
the question remains, which organised
religious movement in the Pakistani soci-
ety is preaching this message? Where
are the clerics, mosques and thinkers at
While many groups have been created
in Pakistan for the promotion and
practise of Islam, most of them neither
teach nor practise a peaceful Islam.
© Patrick Poendl | Shutterstock.com
in pakistan

How is it then that we can hope to
achieve either “enlightenment”or “mod-
eration” without being bold enough to
change the laws of the country along the
same lines?
Today the law of the land states that
members of the Ahmadiyya Community
must be declared non-Muslims against
their will (Second Amendment, 1974).
By law, Ahmadis cannot say the Kalima
(the Muslim declaration of faith),Adhan
(the Muslim Call to Prayer) or practise
their religion openly. If they do, they
intolerant version of Islam proliferat-
ing the country; a peaceful, tolerant and
rational alternative that is, in fact, the
true face of Islam.
The good news is that Pakistan does have
such a reformist religious movement in
the form of the Ahmadiyya Movement
in Islam.I was fortunate enough to learn
about it and ultimately accept its mes-
sage. However, unfortunately the same
movement is persecuted, suppressed
and constitutionally banned to convey
its message in Pakistan. The Movement
was initiated by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam
Ahmadas
of Qadian, who claimed to be
the reformer of latter days as prophesied
by our beloved Prophet Muhammadsa
.
He claimed to be the reformer who
was prophesied to come at a time when
Muslims would have reached rock bot-
tom and “their clergy would be the worst of
creatures under the canopy of the heavens.
Evil plots will hatch from them and to them
will they return”(Mishkat ul Masabih).A
reformer who was prophesied to come
and settle the ideological differences
among the divided Muslims as an “arbi-
ter and judge”(Bukhari) and one of whose
primary missions was to “put an end to
wars”or “abolish jizya” (Bukhari).
of
Qadian wrote more than 80 books in
total.The sole purpose of his writings was
to rejuvenate, in spirit and in practice,
exactly the same Islam that is contained
in the Qur’an and revealed to the Holy
Prophet Muhammadsa
. He repeatedly
asked the world and the Muslim clergy
in particular, to refrain from militancy
and bloodshed in the name of religion
and accept the peaceful and true teach-
ings of Islam.
However, my intention in this article is
not to convince the reader of the truth
of Ahmadiyyat. My goal is more mod-
est. It is to appeal to the rational and
progressive minds in Pakistan that if
we are sincere in spreading “enlightened
moderation”in our society,we should no
longer choke the voices of moderation
and tolerance with our own hands. The
Holy Qur’an reminds us that,
Allah changes not the condition of a peo-
ple until they change that which is in their
hearts.6
Further that:
And there is nothing for man but the fruits
of his endeavours.7
The good news is that
Pakistan does have such
a reformist religious
movement in the form of
the Ahmadiyya Movement
in Islam. I was fortunate
enough to learn about it and
ultimately accept its message.
However, unfortunately
the same movement is
persecuted, suppressed and
constitutionally banned to
convey its message in Pakistan.
Though their own actions, Muslims
have tarnished the name of Islam
and hurt countless numbers of fellow
Muslims in the process. Here, victims
of an attack on an Army school in
Peshawar, Pakistan receive treatment.
in pakistan

Allah’s temples and seeks to ruin them?11
Moreover:
Say not to anyone who greets you with the
greeting of peace,‘Thou art not a believer.’12
Today the face of Islam presented by
our religious leaders defies moderation,
enlightenment and objectivity.
Enlightened Moderation? Perhaps the
following can be the first step towards
enlightenment:
Allah commands you that ...When you judge
between men, you judge with justice.13
One hopes and prays that those in power
may have the courage to stand for jus-
tice and repeal those laws and regulations
that stifle the voices of moderation and
enlightenment in our country each day.
About the Author: Dr. Atif Mian is currently
Theodore A. Wells ’29 Professor of Economics and
Public Affairs at Princeton University and Director
of the Julis-Rabinowitz Center for Public Policy
and Finance at the Woodrow Wilson School. He
accepted Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam, in 2002.
endnotes
1. The founding father of Pakistan.
2. The Holy Qur’an, 2:12.
are subject to imprisonment and fines
(Pakistan Penal Codes 298 B & C). In
fact the law is so vague that just being an
Ahmadi is a criminal offence if anyone
chooses to prosecute.
Thus the only organised religious move-
ment in the country that preaches the
message of peace and “love for all,hatred
for none” is banned by its own govern-
ment. Here lies the irony. While we tell
non-Muslims that we believe in a peace-
ful, tolerant and enlightened version of
Islam,we in Pakistan continue persecut-
ing a peaceful religious community in
our own country precisely in the name
of Islam! Why blame the West then for
tarnishing the image of Islam when we
have done so ourselves through our own
actions?
We, as Pakistanis, should show the
world that true Islam has no tolerance
for religious intolerance.We should show
through our actions the beautiful teach-
ing of the Qur’an that:
There should be no compulsion in religion.8
Far from allowing a government to sup-
press religious freedom, Islam does not
even give a prophet that authority:
Thou hast not been appointed to compel them
in any way.9
Also:
But if they turn away,We have not sent thee
as a guardian over them.Thy duty is only to
convey the Message.10
What a powerful statement of modera-
tion it would be if we could throw out the
messages of hate,suppression of religious
practices and declarations of non-Mus-
lims as the Holy Qur’an exhorts us:
And who is more unjust than he who pro-
hibits the name of Allah being glorified in
Thus the only organised
religious movement in the
country that preaches the
message of peace and “love for
all, hatred for none” is banned
by its own government.
Here lies the irony.
in pakistan

Of Mice and Men
10
The Keys to Peace in a
Time of Global Disorder
20
Opening of the Baitul
Ahad Mosque in Japan
40
The Economic System
of Islam
52
VOL. 111 - ISSUE ONEJANUARY 2016 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
Is Religion Truly the Cause of Disorder
in the World Today? Spreading Peace &
Security
RETURN OF
THEABSOLUTE
EVIL…?
World in Crisis -
How do we Cope?
10
True Mosques Transmit
Only Love and Peace
28
Qur’anic History and
the Role of Islamic
Calligraphy
46
The Philosophy of
Eid ul Fitr
58
WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
WORLD IN CRISIS
HOW DO WE COPE?
VOL. 111 - ISSUE SEVENJULY 2016
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
Is Religion Truly the Cause of Disorder
in the World Today? Spreading Peace &
Security
Are
RELIGIOUS PARENTS
BRAINWASHING
Their CHILDREN?
Ask The Review
of Religions
10
Wonders of
the Universe
16
Five Reasons Why
Some Christians Are
Shroud Sceptics
32
The Economic System
of Islam
52
WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
WONDERSof the
UNIVERSE
VOL. 111 - ISSUE EIGHTAUGUST 2016
End Times, Armageddon
& the Return
of the Messiah
10
What are the Signs of the
Second Coming
of the Messiah?
28
Real Peace
on Earth
40
Recognising the
Celestial Signs of
Almighty God
48
VOL. 111 - ISSUE THREEMARCH 2016 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
NO MORE
WAITING?
NO MORE
WAITING?
Hajj—Pilgrimage to the
House of God
10
The Review of Religions’
Exhibition: An Interfaith
Event
32
My First Visit to Jalsa
Salana
36
The Economic System
of Islam
76
VOL. 111 - ISSUE NINESEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
CELEBRATING SACRIFICE:
EID-UL-ADHA
Good Mosques,
Good Neighbours
14
Jonahas
and the
Big Fish?
28
Why Alcohol is
Prohibited in Islam
42
The Economic System
of Islam
62
VOL. 111 - ISSUE FOURAPRIL 2016 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY,
LEARNING FROM LEICESTER
Building Bridges
of Peace
10
Glimpse into the Life of
Prophet Muhammadsa
26
A Short Sketch of
Muslim History
28
The Economic System
of Islam?
52
VOL. 110 - ISSUE TENOCTOBER 2016 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
BUILDING BRIDGES
of PEACE
Terrorism Was Never
Justified by the Prophet
Mohammadsa
10
Peace Requires
Compassion
32
Gene Editing:
Harnessing the Power
of Nature
36
The Economic System
of Islam
62
VOL. 111 - ISSUE FIVEMAY 2016 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
TERRORISM
WAS NEVER
JUSTIFIED
bythe
PROPHET
MOHAMMAD
Islam: Restoring
Women’s Rights
8
Deliverance of
Afflictions
28
Justice in an
Unjust World
32
The Qur’an on War
and Peace
50
VOL. 110 - ISSUE ELEVENNOVEMBER 2016 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
ISLAM:
Restoring Women’s Rights
Should Islam Really
be Feared...?
10
Qur’anic History &
the Role of Islamic
Calligraphy
26
On Fasting
46
The Economic System
of Islam
50
VOL. 111 - ISSUE SIXJUNE 2016 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
SHOULD
ISLAM
REALLY
BE
FEARED...?
Human Values – The
Foundation for a
Peaceful World
12
A Glimpse into the Life
of The Holy Prophet
Muhammadsa
32
Justice –The Prerequisite
to a Peaceful World
34
Mary: A Personal
Reflection
52
VOL. 110 - ISSUE TWELVEDECEMBER 2016 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
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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.
Thursday 5th
January 2017
Faith: Sikhism
Event: Birthday of
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh (1666-
1708 CE) was the last of
the ten Gurus of the Sikh
faith. He succeeded his
father, Guru Tegh Bahadur,
as leader of the Sikhs at the
age of nine. Guru Gobind
Singh is considered a poet,
philosopher and a warrior
by the Sikh community and
was responsible for many
Sikh traditions that exist
today. He is also known
as the one who declared
the Guru Granth Sahib
(the Sikh Holy Scripture)
as his successor and Guru
for all times to come.
Friday 6th
January 2017
Faith: Christianity
Event: Epiphany
The Epiphany is celebrated
by both the Eastern and
Western churches and is
usually celebrated on the
twelfth day after Christmas.
The literal meaning of
Epiphany is “revelation”
and it marks the day when
the Magi (three wise men)
visited the baby Jesusas
,
bringing with them their
gifts of gold, frankincense
and myrrh (according to
Mathew 2:11). Also, this
is a time to celebrate the
revelation of Christ to the
gentiles.The celebration
is commemorated with
worship, the singing of
hymns and the display
of nativity scenes.
Thursday 12th
January 2017
Faith: Buddhism
Event: Mahayana New Year
In the Mahayana tradition
of Buddhism the New Year
is celebrated on the first
full moon day of January.
This is a time to honour
and reflect on the deities,
especially Buddha. On this
day Buddhists visit their
local temples for prayer
and meditation. Statues
of Buddha are bathed
as a sign of respect.
Calendar of
Religious
Events &
Festivals
january 2017
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© Islamic Publications, 2017
ISSN No. 0034-6721
Terrorism was never
Mohammad
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The Review of Religions January 2017

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