2 Liberty and Freedom in Europe - The Review of Religions · Muhammad Hanif PUBLISHER: Al Shirkatul ... 53 Jesus in India – King of Wisdom ... through the giving of balls of sesame

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EDITORIAL BOARD: Adam Walker • Amer Safir • Bockarie Tommy Kallon •Fareed Ahmad • Fauzia Bajwa • Fazal Ahmad • Khullat Munir • Mansoor Saqi •Sarah Waseem • Tanveer Khokhar

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The Review of Religions: January 2010, Vol.105, No.1

2 EditorialLiberty and Freedom in Europe (Amer Safir)

5 Calendar of Religious Events and Festivals6 The Victory of Islam – Part 2

The coming of a Messiah had been prophesied by the Holy Prophet(saw). What arethe signs of his appearance?(Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as), the Promised Messiah and Mahdi)

14 The Beauty and Glory of the Holy Qur’anAn exposition of how the brilliance of the Qur’an goes far beyond its compositionand text and inspired countless souls and softened many hard-hearted persons (Azhar Haneef – USA)

38 Teach Us How to Pray – The Lord’s PrayerThe Christian prayer – its significance and what it means (Rev. Stan Brown – UK)

44 Imam BukhariA glance at the life of the most famous compiler of the sayings and practicalTraditions of the Holy Prophet(saw)

51 Is Music Allowed in Islam?(Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad(ru), Khalifatul Masih IV, Fourth Head of the AhmadiyyaMuslim community)

53 Jesus in India – King of WisdomForeword to a recent book and film on Jesus’s(as) travels to India

© Islamic Publications, 2010ISSN No: 0034-6721

[email protected]

Views expressed in thispublication are notnecessarily the beliefsof the AhmadiyyaMuslim Community

Just over 200 years ago, Europe wasruled by various monarchs anddictators, as had been the case forthousands of years previous. Freedomand liberty were privileges, not rights.When French Republicans stormed theBastille in 1776, it marked an epoch inthe French Revolution and Europeanhistory. Its legacy would serve as aprecursor to the establishment of theprinciples of future democracy inEurope, as set out in the TheDeclaration of the Rights of Man andCitizen (1789): “No one should bedisturbed on account of his opinions,even religious, provided theirmanifestation does not upset the publicorder established by law.” In thefollowing two centuries, internationalhuman rights charters as well asEuropean constitutions adopted by thecountries were heavily influenced by,and to some extent based on, the idealsof the French Revolution and theDeclaration. Through the ages Europefought against communism andfascism that threatened such freedoms.After a long history of religiousintolerance and persecution, Europesuccessfully established itself as aplace where religious followers couldhave freedom of conscience, belief andexpression.

Unfortunately, contemporary eventshave shown that in certain Europeancountries this ideal of ‘freedom ofreligion’ is not being adhered toproperly. Some recent laws againstreligions are quite oppressive,intolerant in comparison with thestandards of the Declaration. In partsof Europe, religion is being suppressedby a wave of what has been describedby some as oppressive secularism;Muslim headscarves banned in France,an attempt to ban crosses from schoolsin Italy, and now the Swiss ban on theconstruction of minarets.

When a Danish newspaper printeddebasing cartoons of the HolyProphet(saw), voices all over Europestood up in defence of ‘freedom ofexpression’, and, to rub the pointhome, the cartoons were re-publishedin several newspapers. When Muslims,or followers of other religions, want toexpress themselves, through minaretsetc. those same voices do not defendfree expression by religious followers;instead, they are content for suchfreedoms to be curbed.

In Switzerland, one of the argumentsput forward is that certain Muslimcountries do not allow Churches and

2 The Review of Religions – January 2010

Editorial

Liberty and Freedom in EuropeBy Amer Safir

Editorial

Synagogues etc. to be built. As thispublication has proved time and again,such ‘Muslim’ countries are notrepresentative of the true tolerantteachings of Islam – the HolyProphet(saw) even welcomed a Christiandelegation to pray in the mosque andgranted other religious followers fullrights of worship and completefreedom of religion. This begs thequestion that if some Muslim countrieshave abandoned the noble principles ofIslam, should Europe abandon itsnoble principles of liberty and freedomalso?

The European ideals of liberty andfreedom for all, which took thousandsof years to establish, must not beforgotten. These privileges must be

granted to all peoples, no matter whattheir religious denomination is. It islikely that we have not seen the end ofunfair measures against religiousfraternities; rather this is probably onlythe beginning of a wave ofdiscriminatory measures directedagainst religions, and in particularIslam. Credit must be given, however,to a large section of the European Pressthat voiced serious dismay over theSwiss minaret ban, and to a significantsection of the European populationwho have voiced their opposition tothese measures. It is hoped that thevoices of the vast majority of open-minded and liberal Europeans riseabove the minority of right-wingbigots.

We are delighted to announce the launch of our new website for The Review of Religions. It will feature:

• Free on-line content, including the current edition• Downloadable PDF’s of articles• Search facility for our articles• Archives of past issues• Facility to subscribe on-line to print edition

Will also enable readers to submit letters and articles to the editor. We will look to incorporate further features as it develops.

Launch of New Website

Visit www.reviewofreligions.org

NOTE FOR THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONSVerse references to the Holy Qur’an item count ‘Bismillah...’ (In the Name of Allah...) as thefirst verse of each Chapter. In some non-standard texts, this is not counted. Should the readerrefer 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, ‘(saw)’ or ‘saw’ after the words, ‘Holy Prophet’, or thename ‘Muhammad’, are used normally in small letters. They stand for ‘Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam’ 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’ derivedfrom ‘Alaihis salatu wassalam’ which are words that a Muslim utters out of respect wheneverhe or she comes across that name. The abbreviation ‘ra’ or (ra) stands for ‘Radhiallahu Ta’alaanhu and is used for Companions of a Prophet, meaning Allah be pleased with him or her (whenfollowed by the relevant Arabic pronoun). Finally, ‘ru’ or (ru) for Rahemahullahu Ta’ala meansthe Mercy of Allah the Exalted be upon him.

In keeping with current universal practice, local transliterations of names of places are preferredto their anglicised versions, e.g. Makkah instead of Mecca, etc.

5The Review of Religions – January 2010

Day Event Significance

1 Oshogatsu (Shintoism) Shinto new year celebration in Japan.

5 Birthday of GuruGobind Singh (Sikhism)

Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) whobecame the final Sikh Guru at the tender age ofnine. He established the Sikh Khalsa (baptizedand pure disciples) and declared the Guru GranthSahib as the holy book of the Sikhs.

6 Epiphany (Christian)Celebration feast day marking the revelation ofGod in human form. Some mark Jesus’ baptism,and others the visit of the 3 wise men. Armenianscelebrate this as their Christmas Day.

7 Christmas Day(Christian)

Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas Day onthis date rather than December 25th.

14 Makar Sankrant(Hinduism)

Celebration of the Winter Solstice in India markedthrough the giving of balls of sesame sweets toencourage nicer behaviour in the coming year.

20 Vasant Panchami(Hinduism)

Dedication to Saraswati, Brahma’s wife andworshipped by Hindus as the goddess ofknowledge, music and art.

30 Tu B’Shevat (Judaism) Jewish New Year for trees and one of four newyears mentioned in the Mishnah.

31 Birthday of Guru HarRai (Sikhism)

Birthday of Guru Har Rai (1630-1661) who wasthe seventh of the Gurus and known for hiscompassion for animals and plants.

Calendar of Religious Events & Festivals (January 2010)

Visit www.reviewofreligions.org


If faith evaporates to thePleiades, this Persian

will bring it down to earth

This is the prophecy of the HolyProphet(saw). Its meaning has beenmade clear to me by divinerevelation. All its details have beenmade manifest. The meaning is thatthe Messiah son of Mary was arestorer of faith who appeared 1400years after Moses(as); at a time whenthe Jews had become very weak infaith, when they had come to sufferfrom evils of various kinds, allsymptoms of this one malady viz.,weakness of faith. So, now about1400 years after the HolyProphet(saw)’s advent, this Ummah[Muslim community] also hascome to suffer from the same evils

from which the Jews had come tosuffer in their time in order that theprophecy may be fulfilled whichhad been made about them. So, forthe Ummah also, a Messiah similarto the first Messiah has been raisedto restore to them their faith. GodAlmighty has done this out of hisInfinite power and mercy: TheMessiah that was to come hascome. Accept him if you will.

Those who have ears to hear letthem hear. This is the work of GodAlmighty, wondrous in people’seyes. If there be those who willreject, then remember, trueclaimants have been rejectedbefore. John or Elijah son ofZachariah(as) was rejected by theJews and yet the Messiah had

VICTORY OF ISLAM

Continuation of an extract from Victory of Islam, anEnglish rendering of the Urdu Fath-e-Islam, writtenby the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, HadhratMirza Ghulam Ahmad(as).

part 2

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Victory of Islam – part 2

The Review of Religions – January 2010

witnessed to his truth, saying it washe who had been raised to heavenand whose second coming fromheaven had been foretold in theholy books. God’s speech is full ofmetaphors. It is common forsomeone, similar to someone elsein power, character, and capacity, tobe named after this other. Onesimilar to ‘Umar, the Farooq, is‘Umar Farooq according to Him.

You read the Hadith, which says,“If this Ummah were to haveMuhaddathin to whom God speaksthen such a Muhaddath would be‘Umar?” Would you say that,therefore, Muhaddathiyyah is overafter ‘Umar? No! The meaning ofthis Hadith is that whoever in spiritand power is like ‘Umar, will be aMuhaddath when the time for hisadvent comes. It was in this sensethat this humble one once receivedthe revelation: “You have beenendowed with the character of‘Umar.”

This humble one is similar incharacter to other holy ones. Thesubject is described in detail in my[book], Barahin-i-Ahmadiyyah.But the similarity to Jesus Christ(as)

is more pronounced.

Because of this similarity, thishumble one has been sent in thename of Jesus Christ(as), so that thebelief connected with the Crossmay be banished. I have been sentto break the Cross, to kill the swine.I have come from heaven withangels on my right and left; angelswhom God will send, nay, isalready sending into willing heartsand this, to help complete mymission. Even if I speak or writenothing, even then the angels whohave descended with me will carryon their work. They have maces intheir hands, given to them so thatthey may break the cross and breakthe idol of man-worship. Maybethe ignorant will ask, what does itmean – this descent of angels fromheaven? Let them know it is thecustom of God that when a prophetor apostle or saint descends fromheaven to reform and restore apeople to faith, then angels alsodescend with him, in his company. These angels enter human heartswilling and ready. They draw themto virtue and keep drawing them,until unbelief and misguidancedisappear and the dawn of beliefand righteousness shows its face.As indeed God Almighty Himselfsays in the Holy Qur’an:

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In it - the Night of Power –descend angels and a NewSpirit, all by the command oftheir Lord and charged withevery kind of affair. Peace it is,peace – till the rising of thedawn. (Ch.97:Vs.5-6)

The descent from Heaven, that is tosay of angels and the Holy Spirit,takes place only when a greathuman – an elect – draped invicegerency and blessed withdivine revelation, descends uponthis earth. The Holy Spirit isspecially charged to work for thisman. And the angels descend uponwilling hearts all over the world.Then wherever there are men ofgoodwill and ability, the lightemitted by this man [(Vicegerent)]

descends. The whole world is thenunder the influence of a pervasivelight. Angels enter men’s hearts andset them in the right direction. Loveof the One God begins to attract.Simple and straight hearts becomecharged with the love of and searchfor truth. The weak are endowedwith strength. Everywhere a windof wholesome change begins toblow. The cause of the reformerbeings to prosper? A hidden handmoves men to righteousness.Whole nations begin to feel thepush, so much so that the ignorantamong men begin to think theworld has taken a turn towards theright, all on its own. In reality thechange is the work of angels whodescend from Heaven along withthe vicegerent of God, and lend

Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as)

The founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community In 1891, he claimed on the basis of Divine revelation,that he was the Promised Messiah and Mahdi whoseadvent had been foretold by Muhammad, the HolyProphet of Islam (peace and blessings of Allah beupon him) and by the scriptures of other faiths.

His claim constitutes the basis of the beliefs of theAhmadiyya Muslim community.

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special strength for the acceptanceand understanding of truth. Theyawaken those who were asleep andalert those who were lost. Theygive hearing to the deaf, quickenthose who were dead, and raise theentombed out of their graves. Thendo men suddenly open their eyesand begin to perceive andunderstand what was hidden fromthem before. The angels who helpthe Vicegerent are not beings apartfrom the Vicegerent. They are thelight that shines on his face. Theyare the many signs and symptomsof his courage and will. This light,that is, these signs and symptoms,draw towards themselves by theirmagnetic quality men suited to thechange. Physical distance may ormay not separate them; the mendrawn may be friends or completestrangers.

In short the stir towards a newconscience, a new enthusiasm fortruth that marks the change, comeof the influence emanating from theangels, who descend along with theVicegerent. It may be the people ofAsia or Europe or America. It isangels who move them. This is thelaw of God. You will find nochange in it and it is so easy and

simple to grasp. It will be yourmisfortune if you heed it not. Thishumble one has come from Godwith Truth. You will see signs ofTruth on all sides. Time is not far,nay it is very near, when you willsee angels in troops descend fromheaven, moving men in Asia, inEurope and in America.

You know from the Qur’an thatangels must descend along with theVicegerent so that they may turnmen’s minds towards the truth. It isbetter, therefore, that you wait forthe appearance of this sign. If noangels descend, and no visible signof their influence, not a general buta more than ordinary movementtowards the truth, takes place, thenyou may think no one has comefrom heaven. But if all this comesto pass, beware lest by rejecting thetruth you become a peoplerebellious in the sight of God.

There is a second sign. It is the signof the bounties of God reserved forHis favoured servants: Of these,this humble one has received alarge and special portion, and thisothers may not claim. If you doubtit, then come and contest it openly.Take it for certain that you will

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never be bold enough to contest it.You have tongues but no heart, youhave bodies but no life, eyes but nolight. May God endow you withlight that you may see.

A third sign is that the HolyProphet(saw) has mentioned me, thishumble one, in his recordedutterances – in the Sihah, forinstance. You claim to believe inthe Holy Prophet(saw), but you payno heed to what he has said. Do younot thus reject the Holy Prophet(saw)

himself? Maybe this comes of yourunconscious hostility to him. Yourthinking encourages a rejection ofthe Holy Prophet(saw)’s utterances,not their affirmation.

Many among you will now writeFatwas [(edicts)] of Kufr[(disbelief)]. Many would haveproceeded to assassinate were thatpossible. It so happens that thisGovernment is different. It is notrun by a people easy to provoke, orpoor in understanding or tolerance.It does not encourage ‘Jewish’ways, ‘Jewish’ thinking. True, thisGovernment knows little about truebeliefs – their beauties andblessings. But it is many timesbetter than the Government of

Herod with whom the Messiah sonof Mary had to deal. It is also betterthan present-day MuslimGovernments in providing forsecurity and welfare services, forfreedom, for civil rights, foreducation, for justice throughcourts and control and punishmentof delinquents. There is asignificant parallel here. Out ofdivine wisdom, Jesus(as) was notsent in the time of Jewishsupremacy and under Jewishsuzerainty. Similar care has beenobserved by God in the case of thishumble one.

If, therefore, there are disbelieverstoday who dismiss me withderision, there is nothing to besorry about, for, disbelievers ofearlier times meted out to theirprophets treatment much worsethan this. The Messiah son of Marywas derided and mocked. His ownbrother, born of the same mother,conspired to have him imprisonedas an insane person. His enemiesattempted several times to murderhim. He was stoned and spat uponand, of course, put on the cross and,as they thought, put to an end. Yethe survived, his bones had not beenbroken and a secret believer and

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well-meaning citizen rescued him.He was raised to heaven after hehad lived the remaining years of hislife. His followers, companions andfriends also proved weak. One ofthem deserted him for a bribe ofthirty rupees, another cursed him,openly pointing at him. The rest,who also professed loyalty,disappeared. They had come tohave doubts of various kinds aboutthe Messiah. But he was true in hisclaim. Therefore, God restored tolife his mission after he had died.The resurrection of Jesus(as) asentertained by Christians, is notphysical. It is not a resurrection ofhis person. It is a resurrection of hiscreed. It was the creed that wasresurrected. Similarly did God giveme the glad tidings: “I will give youa new life after death.” God alsosaid that the near ones of God cometo life again after their death. AndHe said: “I will show Myself as bylightning. I will show My power byraising you.”

My second life foretold here meansthe life of my mission andobjectives. But there are not manywho would understand thesesecrets. To do so would be tochallenge God. True, there are men

steeped in darkness or in thoughtsof their own. They will not accept.But the time is near when God willmake plain to them their error. Godhas said:

“A warner came into theworld but the world acceptedhim not. God, however, willaccept him and manifest histruth by mighty signs.”

These words proceed not from themouth of man. They are God’swords, words of the Mighty LordHimself. The mighty attacksmentioned in this prophecy arenear.

But these attacks are not byphysical weapons, not swords orguns. These are spiritual weapons,which will come as help from God.A battle with the ‘Jews’ of our timewill ensue. And who are these‘Jews’? They are worshippers ofexternal forms who have acquiredcomplete resemblance with theIsraelites of yore. The sword ofheaven will cut them up, the‘Jewish’ ways will be destroyed.All those who resemble the Anti-Christ, those who love this worldover-much and who have only one

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eye, having lost the eye for spiritualtruth, all of them will be destroyedby the sword of solid, unan-swerable arguments. Truth willprevail. A bright new day will dawnagain for Islam, as it did before.The sun of Islam will rise in fullglory, as it did before. But this willnot happen at once. It is imperativethat this should not happen until wehave proved our worth by devotedhard work, by offering our life-blood, by sacrificing our rest andpeace and by accepting allindignities for the dignity of Islam.

The new life of Islam demands agreat sacrifice from us. What is thissacrifice? It is our lives: on thissacrifice now depends the life ofIslam, the life of Muslims, themanifestation of God in our time.Sacrifice is of the essence of Islam.And this is the Islam that Godwants to restore. To bring about thisgreat transformation, it wasnecessary that God Himself shouldestablish a workshop, adequate andefficient in all respects. So, HeWho is Most Wise, Most Powerful,let this workshop come into beingby sending this humble one toundertake the work of reformingmankind. This workshop He had

divided into several branches, alldevoted to the dissemination oftruth, the propagation of Islam. Ofthese branches, one branch isconcerned with the preparation ofbooks – one of the tasks assigned tothis humble one. To perform thistask I have been gifted with specialknowledge; knowledge which isnot within man’s capacity, whichcan be acquired only by the Help ofGod, which comes not throughhuman effort but through the HolySpirit. Instruction by the HolySpirit has dissolved our difficulties.

A second branch of this workshopis concerned with the publication ofleaflets which, also under divinecommand and for the satisfactionand conviction of all concerned,has already been undertaken. Morethan 20,000 leaflets on Islamictruths and arguments have beenpublished. The process iscontinuing according to the need inthe future.

The third branch of this Divineworkshop relates to visitors andinquirers, those who choose totravel and come to me in search oftruth or for other purposes: theyhave heard of this workshop and so

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they come to me. This branch of thework also keeps growing. Thepressure of visitors no doubt varies.Not much on certain days, but verymuch on other days. During the lastseven years there could have beenabout 60,000 or more visitors. Godalone knows what I was able to do:talking to those who were eager tolisten, helping solve theirdifficulties and encouraging themin different ways.

Talking to people and answeringtheir questions sometime provesmore useful than reaching themthrough books and leaflets. Themethod makes for speedy andeffective communication. That iswhy prophets have relied on thismethod. Prophets have had theirrevealed teaching recorded andpublished, so as to reach all andsundry. Whatever else they had togive was in the form of speechesmade by them on differentoccasions and adapted to thoseoccasions. What they received asrevelation from God was certainlywritten down and circulated withspecial care. But the generalcustom of prophets has alwaysbeen to speak to those who wouldlisten and speak appropriately.

They keep the needs of theiraudiences in view. They do notspeak like the speakers of today,who speak to show how learnedthey are, or who speak to deludesimple folks into accepting alltheir bad logic and sophistries –making their own passage to hellso much the easier. No, not thus,but rather in a simple and sinceremanner, prophets havecommunicated whatever happenedto move their own hearts. Theirspeeches are pure and holy, suitingthe occasion and fitting the needsof listeners. Nor do they speakonly to entertain and amuse. Theirapproach is the approach of thosewho find spiritually sick personsaround them and who thenproceed to counsel these listenerssuffering delusions of variouskinds. In that case they try toremove these delusions bypowerful arguments. Alwayschoosing words economically,putting more meaning in fewerwords. This is what this humbleone also keeps doing. Visitors andinquirers have their needs andtheir spiritual ailments. Speechesare adapted accordingly in keepingwith their abilities.


“Nothing now is left with theMirzais after the demise of[Hadhrat] Mirza GhulamAhmad. The Movement has lostits head, and the person, whohas become the head, onlyknows the Holy Qur’an and hewill only be reading andlecturing on the Holy Qur’anin the mosque.”(Quoted from The Way of theRighteous, S. H. Ahmad, p122,1908)

I am reminded of the precariouscondition of the AhmadiyyaMuslim Jama’at immediately afterthe demise of Hadhrat Ahmad, thePromised Messiah(as). Indeed,those were critical days whenhearts and minds were sorelytested in ways we can hardlyimagine as the architect, engineerand captain of the Holy Arkknown as the Ahmadiyya Jama’athad passed on and left a suddenvoid of leadership. This situationled Mirza Hairat, the editor of theCurzon Gazette, to make the boldprediction quoted above. Withobvious satisfaction andanticipation, he felt that Jama’at

The Beauty andGlory of theHoly Qur’an

By Azhar Haneef – Missionary, Ahmadiyya Muslim community USA

15

The Beauty and Glory of the Holy Qur’an


Ahmadiyya was destined to fallapart and doomed to fail becausenow at the helm of the ship was anelderly man, Hadhrat MaulawiHaakim Nur-ud-Din(ra), whose solepassion, interest and ability was toteach the Holy Qur’an.

What a gross error of judgment ofthe character and ability ofHadhrat Maulawi Nur-ud-Din(ra)

and what a poor assessment of thevalue of God’s Word, the HolyQur’an. The fact is, as revealed tothe Promised Messiah(as)“all goodis in the Qur’an”, everything weneed – every bounty and everyblessing, every source of help,strength and guidance and everymeans of progress and success – isin the Holy Qur’an. This is exactlywhat the Holy ProphetMuhammad(saw) believed and reliedupon from the beginning of hisprophethood. He would informpeople:

…‘I am only a man likeyourselves, but I havereceived the revelation…(Ch.18:V.111)

In other words, the one great

distinction that separated him fromeveryone else was being the directrecipient of the Holy Qur’an; hepractised, preached and as hisbeloved consort, Hadhrat‘A`ishah(ra) would say, “hischaracter was the Qur’an”, heembodied it.

The very first word of theQur’anic revelation was apowerful and profound command,“Iqra’...”, meaning, read, recite,compile and convey. The word“Qur’an” is derived from thesame Arabic root. Thus the firstword and command of the HolyQur’an indicated the purpose of itsrevelation, and the plan by whichthe religion of Islam would spreadin the world. The faith wouldspread in a twofold manner: one,by men and women reciting andreading the Holy Qur’an andrelaying its message to others, andtwo, by writing implements suchas the pen and similar inventionsto compile the scripture into abook and distribute and convey itfar and wide. Allah says:

Convey! And thy Lord is MostGenerous, Who taught man

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by the pen, taught man whathe knew not.(Ch.96:Vs.4–6)

Nowadays there are so many newdevices to communicate andconvey information, that the rapidadvancement in this field bogglesthe mind. There are small, pocket-sized gadgets, like PDAs, MP3players, IPods and Kindle, todownload, store and accessunbelievable amounts of digitisedmaterial; easily allowing one toput the entire text of the HolyQur’an on these devices if sodesired. You can imagine whatpeople would have thought if theHoly Prophet(saw) had pulled one ofthese devices from his pocket andstated that it will transmit all of hisrevelations and oral traditions in ahuman voice or a book format toplaces around the world!

They may have thought it wassheer madness. But looking back,we smile and laugh at theircomplete ignorance. When Godsays, ‘Be!’ the means are createdto bring that command into being.These devices, as well as theinternet, computers, fax machines,

radios, televisions, satellitesystems, telephones and mobilephones have not been created justto educate, communicate andstimulate the human mind throughmusic, movies and games. No, thedevelopment of these machines,technologies and systems is part ofthe Divine scheme to enable thebeautiful message of the HolyQur’an to easily reach everyhabitation, every home and everyhuman heart. It also fulfils aQur’anic prophecy that during theLatter Days, in the time of thePromised Messiah, means will becreated to spread books andknowledge extensively, especiallythe Book of God and theknowledge of Islam. Allah says,

And when books are spreadabroad. (Ch.81:V.11)

Therefore, every time we use orsee this modern technology, weare literally seeing themanifestation of God’s commandand the fulfilment of a Qur’anicprophecy. Regarding the spread ofthe Holy Qur’an and otherliterature, the Promised Messiah(as)

has said:

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‘It has been disclosed to methat this word “Qur’an” carriesin itself a great prediction. This“Qur’an” is really the onlyBook worth studying, and inthe future it shall be read verywidely and many other booksshall also be read in itsaccompaniment.’

Stepping back in time, during theera of the early history of Islam,allows us to review how thisblessed scripture reached us priorto this age of technology. That wasa time when things were writtenon leather, bark of tree and roughparchment, and high literacy wasuncommon and even the HolyProphet(saw) as we know could notread or write. So it was the humanvoice that was the main mode ofcommunication and the Arabstook great pride in their poets andstorytellers. But none of theircompositions could compete withthe inherent beauty and magneticappeal of the Holy Qur’an. Afterlistening to a few verses of theHoly Qur’an for the first time,Khalid ibn ‘Uqbah became totallycaptivated and said,

“I swear by God that this texthas a sweetness of its own anda unique freshness. Its roots arewell-watered and its branchesare laden with fruits. No mancan ever compose anythinglike it.”

Lubaid Amiri, a famous Arab poetof the time, concurred. When onone occasion Hadhrat ‘Umar(ra)

requested him to read out some ofhis poetry, he said, “since I havecome to know the Holy Qur’an, Ihave lost all taste for my ownpoetry.”

Nothing could challenge themajesty and appeal of the HolyQur’an in that era of classicalArabic, the purest and finest formof the language. It was inimitable.One of the false prophets, whoappeared during the lifetime of theHoly Prophet(saw) was namedMusailimah. He claimed that anangel named Rahman brought himrevelation. After his death in abattle which he waged against theMuslims, Hadhrat Abu Bakr(ra),wanted to know what promptedpeople to give him allegiance. Sohe enquired from his followers

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about his main teachings. Theysaid, “here is a sample of hisrevelation”, and then recited,

“O frog! Holy are you, for youdo not prevent the drinker, nordo you make the water dirty.Half the world belongs to usand the other half to theQur’aish. But the Qur’aish area cruel people.”

Appalled and astonished athearing this recitation, HadhratAbu Bakr(ra) commented,

“Holy is Allah! You are to bepitied. Is this the Divine Word?It lacks the sublime nature ofDivinity. To what depths hadhe dragged you?”

Accordingly, Hadhrat MirzaGhulam Ahmad(as) said:

‘If one carries out a researchtill the Day of Judgment, intothe qualities and wonders of afly, they would not come to anend. Then are not the wondersand qualities of the HolyQur’an even as many as thoseof a fly? Without doubt those

wonders are in excess of thetotal wonders of the whole ofcreation and to deny themwould be to deny the Divineorigin of the Holy Qur’an forthere is nothing in the worldwhich proceeds from GodAlmighty and does notcomprise unlimited wonders.’(Izalah-i-Auham; RuhaniKhaza’in, Vol.3, pp.675-681)

‘How then could man’s wordever compete with the Word ofGod Who is the Lord of, Mightand Power, while man is mostinsignificant and the differencebetween the two is everapparent’;

‘Man cannot even create theleg of a tiny insect; how couldit possibly be easy for him tocreate the Light of Truth?’(Faza’il Qur’an Majeed, Durr-i-Sameen, Hadhrat MirzaGhulam(as), the PromisedMessiah and Mahdi)

The comments of the PromisedMessiah(as) and Hadhrat AbuBakr(ra) should ring loud in the earsof those who would attempt to

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falsely claim to be a recipient ofDivine revelation or to compose abook that supposedly rivals theHoly Qur’an in beauty, style,content and spiritual effect. No onecan contest or challenge God’s trueHoly Word. As Hadhrat MirzaMasroor Ahmad mentioned in aFriday Sermon, this appliesparticularly to the group of Arabevangelists who claim to haveaccepted the Holy Qur’an’schallenge and produced a book likeit. Reading that book gives one thesame sense of Hadhrat Abu Bakr(ra)

to pity them for thinking that theirlittle flicker of human imaginationcan compare to the brilliant andradiant Word of the Lord and Lightof Heavens and Earth.

The Promised Messiah(as) wrote inone Urdu couplet:

‘O Christians! Come this way;see the light of the True God,and find the true path. Can you show us in theGospels the numberlessqualities present in theQur’an?’(Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol.1,p.298)

The Holy Qur’an possessesbeauties that go beyond itscomposition as well. The HolyProphet(saw) once said that “he whodoes not recite the Holy Qur’anmelodiously is not one of us.”(Abu Dawud). When recited inthis manner, the Holy Qur’animmediately strikes a chord in thesouls of pure-hearted listeners.Man is constructed from “dry-ringing clay” according to theHoly Qur’an. He is built to receiveand respond to God’s Word, andwhenever man hears the HolyQur’an, the highly charged,spiritual vibrations of this blessedand holy word reverberate throughevery fibre of his being, rivet hisattention, and reawaken hisdormant spiritual senses. Owing tothis, the Makkan leaders used tocomplain about Hadhrat AbuBakr(ra) reciting the Holy Qur’anopenly in his courtyard. He wouldweep loudly and would recite sopassionately from the depth of hisheart and soul that his voicereadily attracted and affected thenearby women, children andweaker members of the society. Toprevent him from furtherinfluencing people, they demand-

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ed that he “pray and recite theHoly Qur’an only inside hishouse.”

Nonetheless, through the sound ofhis soul-stirring recitations alone,Hadhrat Abu Bakr(ra) raised manydead souls to spiritual life andconverted many individuals toIslam. Years later, his owndaughter, Hadhrat Asma’(ra) wouldsay that she accepted Islam on herown primarily from listening toher father’s passionate recitationsat a tender young age. In Surah Al-Nur of the Holy Qur’an, thechapter of the Divine Light, AllahAlmighty ordained to exalt thosehomes in which His name isremembered and His Book isrecited and to fill them with HisLight (Ch.24:V.37). The recitationof the Holy Qur’an by children is asource of tremendous blessings forparents too. The Holy ProphetMuhammad(saw) said:

“Whoever recites the HolyQur’an and acts according toits command, his parentswould be more resplendent onthe Day of Judgment than thebrightness of the sun in any

house in the world.” (AbuDa’ud)

What better way is there to returnthe inumerable favours andselfless service of parents than toadopt this course suggested by theHoly Prophet(saw) and earnheavenly blessings for themthrough the Holy Qur’an? Thecase of Hadhrat Maulawi HakeemNur-ud-Din(ra), the First Khalifa ofthe Ahmadiyya Muslim com-munity, is interesting to note here.He used to say that he had heardthe stirring recitation of his motherwhile in her womb and hadimbibed the love of the HolyQur’an while nursing her milk.Given his intense love and passionfor the Holy Qur’an, it is nowonder that his life mirrored thatof Hadhrat Abu Bakr(ra) so much.While serving as the royalphysician to the Raja of Jammu,India, Hadhrat Maulawi Nur-ud-Din(ra) used to sit with people andexplain the verses of the HolyQur’an so eloquently and soeffectively that once a Hinducourtier pleaded, “Would someonestop Hakim Sahib from teachingthe Holy Qur’an, or I will become

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a Muslim.” But that would havebeen like trying to stop the rainfrom falling from the sky. PraisingHadhrat Khalifatul Masih I(ra), thePromised Messiah(as) wrote:

‘The love, the devotion and theaffection of the Holy Qur’anthat is found in Hakeem Nur-ud-Din, I simply do not see inany other human being…hespeaks of the truth andgreatness of the Holy Qur’an,which no one else canexpress.’(A’eena-i-Kamaalaat-i-Islam,pp.581–589)

The Holy Qur’an is capable ofmoving not only the tender heartsof women and children, but alsothe hardest, stoniest hearts ofproud men. It can movemountains, as Allah says:

If we had sent down thisQur’an on a mountain, thouwouldst certainly have seen ithumbled and rent asunder forfear of Allah.(Ch.59:V.22)

The pre-Islamic Arabs were an

extremely proud people,unyielding to foreign influenceand interference. How could aforeigner, whom they called andconsidered ‘ajnabi’ (inarticulateand unexpressive), ever earn theirloyalty, respect and command?Anyone who challenged theirauthority or pagan ways was put tosword or flight. Jews livedamongst them and Christiansdominated in surrounding lands,but neither the Torah nor the Bibleever swayed their minds andhearts. Yet, notwithstanding all ofthese daunting circumstances,when the Holy ProphetMuhammad(saw) started preachingto his people, the sublime andpowerful message of the HolyQur’an, it slowly conquered theirminds and melted their hearts.

Examples of this abound inIslamic history, some of themwell-known. Hadhrat ‘Umar(ra), abold and fearless man, left hishome in the morning determinedto kill the Holy Prophet(saw) andreturned back at night ready to diefor him. Samamah ibn ‘Asaldespised the Holy Prophet(saw) anddetested going near Madinah. But

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in the brief span of two days, hewent from being a bitter enemy ofIslam to becoming one of theblessed Companions of the HolyProphet(saw). Asad ibn Zararah, aninfluential chief of Madinah, oneday planned to expel Masaab binUmair, the first missionary ofIslam, from the city. Yet a shorttime later he accepted Islam at hisvery hand. Jubair ibn Mut’im, aMakkan disbeliever, stood nearbycasually and impassivelyobserving the Holy Prophet(saw)

offer Maghrib, sunset Prayer, butbefore the Prayer concluded hesuddenly became so deeplyimpressed and overwhelmed byfear that he thought his heartwould stop.

Even a neighbouring non-Arabking, Ashama Al-Najashi, theChristian Ruler of present dayEthiopia, turned a full 360 degreesfrom preparing to deport adelegation of Muslim refugees togranting them full asylum andpublicly affirming their viewsabout Jesus(as). In all of these cases,what was the common, decisivefactor to produce these remarkabletransformations? It was the first-

hand and first-time experience ofhearing the recitation of passagesof the Holy Qur’an. The messageof the Holy Qur’an was simplyirresistible, even to men who havethe greatest pride, passion andposition.

The marvellous capacity of theHoly Qur’an to transform peopleunexpectedly and dramatically isnot relegated just to the past. Thelegacy continues to this day inlands far distant from the place ofits origin. One striking accountwas that of the British journalist,Yvonne Ridley. On an undercoverassignment, she donned a Burqaand attempted to sneak intoAfghanistan in 2001, only to becaptured by the Taliban.Discussing her ordeal, she said, “Iwas horrible to my captors. I spatat them and was rude and refusedto eat.” She was not going to becowed into submission and silencelike so many women in thatnation. Fearing for her life, theworld exhaled a collective sigh ofrelief when she gained freedomeleven days later only to gasp incomplete surprise and shock whenshe announced after some time her

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conversion to Islam. Whathappened? How could a highlyeducated, Western woman of allpeople enter the stronghold of theTaliban with their penchant forextremism and oppression ofwomen, endure captivity andreturn home to embrace Islam?Some surmised that she must be avictim of Stockholm’s Syndrome –the traumatic experiences causeher to identify and bond with hercaptors. No; she was competentand mentally balanced. But shewas also determined to fulfil asolemn promise to one of thecaptors that she would read theHoly Qur’an upon her release andreturn home. Once she opened theHoly Book and poured over itspages, she realised from years ofjournalistic training on how todecipher information and find thefacts that the Taliban’s treatmentof women opposed the actualteachings of Islam and that theHoly Qur’an was in her ownwords, a “Magna Carta forwomen”. As a result, a hard-nosedfemale journalist and defiantprisoner of the Taliban becameanother loving daughter and vocaladvocate of Islam. These are the

miraculous changes that the HolyQur’an continues to produce rightbefore our eyes.

With testimonies such as this, whocan dare say that the Holy Qur’anis not a grand and glorious Wordof God? It is (al-Kitab) thePreserved Book; in fact, it is morethan a single book as Allah says:

Therein are the lastingcommandments. (Ch.98:V.4)

The Arabic word kutub means‘books’ and signifies that the HolyQur’an is a compilation of all theholy books that were scatteredthroughout the earth. One nolonger has to travel far and wide insearch of truth and wisdom. TheHoly Qur’an contains everythingthat we need for our moral andspiritual advancement, includingevery beneficial, universal andeternal principle and precept fromthe earlier scriptures.

The Holy Qur’an is al-Nur, theLight, described as “Light uponlight” (Ch.24:V.36) in the HolyQur’an. It lifted the Arabs out of

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the darkness of ignorance andimmorality and it continues tolight the way for millions of soulsaround the world to safely treadalong the Divine path. Centuriesago, it illuminated the way forEurope to come out of the DarkAges to an era of Enlightenmentand Moorish Muslims educatedand inspired Columbus to launchhis ships across the Atlantic Oceanand begin the European discovery,exploration and expansion into theNew World of the Americas.

Cordoba was the capital ofMuslim Spain, and the center forall light and learning in the entireEurope. It was the spark to ignitethe scientific revolution which stillbrightly glows in the discoveriesand inventions of today. As Dr.Abdus Salam, the Ahmadi MuslimNobel Laureate in Physicsexplained, the Muslims excelled inscience based on three premises.First,

“seven hundred and fiftyverses of the Holy Qur’an –(almost one eighth of theBook) – exhort believers tostudy Nature, to reflect, to

make the best use of reason intheir search for the ultimateand to make the acquiring ofknowledge and scientificcomprehension part of thecommunity’s life.”

Second,

“there is not a single verse inthe Qur’an where naturalphenomena are describedwhich contradicts what weknow for certain from ourdiscoveries in sciences.”

Third,

“in Islamic history there hasbeen no incident like that ofGalileo.”

The Promised Messiah(as)

writes:

‘The more progress anddevelopment there is in thephysical sciences, the morebeauties. and grandeur of theQur’an shall also come tolight.’ (Malfoozaat; Vol.1, p80)

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The Holy Qur’an is al-Huda, theGuide, the perfect scripture thatguides man to attain the highestranks righteousness and thehighest degree of God-conscious-ness, as it says:

…it is a guidance for therighteous. (Ch.2:V.3)

It takes him along the moststraight and shortest path to God:

This Qur’an guides to theway which is straight.(Ch.5:V.17)

And to facilitate the journey,especially when we become wornand weary, it becomes a swifttransport to carry us along the wayso that we reach our destinationsafe and sound. What more couldman ask and possibly need interms of guidance?

The Holy Qur’an is al-Ni’mat, theUltimate Favor, for it completesand perfects the favor of revealedlaws and commands which Godhas graciously sent down to man.The Holy Prophet(saw) said that hewas the last missing brick in the

edifice of Divine Guidance, andshortly after delivering his famousFarewell Sermon during hisPilgrimage, he received this lastrevelation:

…This day have I perfectedyour religion for you andcompleted My favor upon youand have chosen for youIslam as religion...(Ch.5:V.4)

Every religion, in essentialteachings, is Islam, but noneearned the honor and distinction ofthat name until the Holy Words ofGod came to completion in therevelation of the Holy Qur’an.Thus it is the greatest gift andfavour from God.

The Holy Qur’an is also al-Mutahharah, the Purified, and isthe source to purify and cleanseman of the dross and dirt of sinand transgression. Man has noneed to resort to strange penancesor rituals, and to rely upon avicarious atonement to be freedfrom the bondage of sin. The HolyQur’an opens the door to spiritualpurification and redemption.

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Hadhrat Promised Messiah(as) hassaid:

‘The Holy Qur’an can purifyman within a week, providedthere is no attempt to get awayfrom it in form or spirit.’ (Our Teaching, p26)

This statement gives mankindgreat hope and encouragement,and no one should feel surprisedby it. I have already sharednarrations of how the Holy Qur’anradically changed the lives ofmany individuals, sometimes byjust a few verses in a matter ofmoments, and turned them intopure and pious souls.

By stating that “none shall touch itexcept the pure”, the Holy Qur’anemphasised the need ofmaintaining a clean heart, cleanmind, and clean body to access itsinner mysteries and verities. Thisrevolutionised the concept ofcleanliness and hygiene for theMuslims in comparison to otherpeople and nations. For example,the expression, “don’t throw thebaby out with the bath water”dates back just a few centuries

ago, when some Europeans tookvery infrequent baths, sometimesonly once a year. During theannual bathing routine, everyonein the household turn by turn,starting with the men and endingwith the children, took a bath inthe same tub of water. By the timethey reached the turn of the babies,the water was so filthy and murkythat they used this expression as anote of caution, so that the babydoes not go unnoticed andinadvertently cast out along withthe dirty water. Whether said intruth or jest, the statement showshow far behind the rest of theworld was to the teachings of theHoly Qur’an in terms ofcleanliness. The Holy Prophet(saw)

enjoined that ‘cleanliness is a partof faith’ and advised Muslims tobath at least once a week, toperform ablutions before eachprayer, to apply scents andperfume, and to adopt othermeasures of hygiene which haveonly recently become the norm.This is how the Holy Qur’anpurifies.

Another name for the Holy Qur’anis al-Dhikr, the Reminder and the

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Source of honor and fame. AllahAlmighty says:

It is nothing but a Reminderunto all the worlds. (Ch.81:28)

The Holy Qur’an is a uniquecomposition that enriches andenthralls every reader and allowseveryone to comprehend andconnect with its teachings on somelevel, no matter one’stemperament, aptitude, intelli-gence, age, gender, race, or origin.It contains passages that enable thereader to personally experienceGod as if He is speaking directlyto the reader at that given moment,and answering the queries of themind and the concerns of the heart.This makes the Holy Qur’an aliving book that helps man torealise and remember that he livesin the presence of God at all times.As it is a “Reminder” foreveryone, the Holy Qur’an doesnot share the past stories andrecollections only about men offaith, but also about women offaith, such as Hadhrat Maryam(ra),Hadhrat Hajirah(ra) the mother ofMoses(as) and the wife of Pharoah,

and of youth, such as HadhratIshmael(as) and Hadhrat Joseph(as),who received true dreams andrevelation during his childhood.The Holy Qur’an is not a bookwritten by man for men – a chargeoften levelled by women againstholy scriptures – it is God’s Wordfor all mankind (or womankind oryouth-kind, so to speak).

It is the final and perfect law bestsuited for all mankind. No otherscripture so unequivocally andunambiguously makes this claim.Of course, on this point Christiansobject and contend that themessage of Christ was universal aswell. But while making theseassertions, they also admit thatthey have yet to achieve theelusive goal of universality andharmony in their own churches.Billy Graham and Dr. MartinLuther King, Jr., two famousChristian ministers from oppositesides of the colour divide inAmerica, both agreed that:

“11:00 a.m. on Sundaymorning is still the mostsegregated hour in America.”

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Perhaps the situation is slightlydifferent here in Europe or otherChristian nations, but I highlydoubt it. This was never meant tobe the task of Christ or the focus ofthe Bible. God Almighty reservedthis grand mission and aim for theHoly Prophet Muhammad(saw) andthe Holy Qur’an. The PromisedMessiah(as) elaborates, saying:

‘The Qur’an was sent downfor the purpose of making thehuman race one flock and onenation. And now conditionshave been created in whichdifferent peoples shall beunited into one greatnation…All this has beenforetold in the Holy Qur’anwhich says that it has beensent to all the peoples of theworld.’(Chashma-i-Ma’rifat, p.68)

No other scripture can comparewith the Holy Qur’an inpromoting universal harmony,equality and brotherhood. Theword “Qur’an” means to read andrecite, but it also means to compileand to gather; in this case, tocompile universal truths in one

book and to gather people aroundit. To accomplish this objective,the Holy Qur’an repeatedlyemphasises the Unity of God andthe unity of mankind, therebysynthesising God-consciousnessand social consciousness anddemolishing all barriers of race,culture, language and nationality.The Holy Qur’an unites us into alarge spiritual family with genuineaffection and mutual respect forone another stemming and flowingfrom our common love for OurCreator. This eliminates thefriction born of natural differ-ences. In Islam, the 11:00 amSunday segregation hour nevercomes. Whenever Muslims gatherin mosques for prayers, kings mustbow down next to the peasants,blacks next to whites, and the richnext to the poor. Regarding thelofty ideals of Islamic equality,Professor Hurgronje once said:

“The league of nationsfounded by the prophet ofIslam put the principle ofinternational unity of humanbrotherhood on suchuniversal foundations as toshow candle to other

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nations…the fact is that nonation of the world can showa parallel to what Islam hasdone to the realisation of theidea of the League ofNations.”

The Holy Qur’an is also al-‘Azizand al-‘Adheem, the Mighty andGreat, that makes great kings falldown before it in prostration, thatcracks the hardest hearts andinstills fear in the most powerfulmen. It is al-Majid, the Gloriousand al-Karim, the Noble thatgrants man a dignified andhonourable bearing, and it is al-Mubarak, the Blessed, that helpsman to live a rich, full andabundantly blessed life. It isreferred to as al-Burhan, the ClearArgument and Proof, al-Bayan,the Clear Exposition, al-Hikmah,the Wisdom, al-Haqq the Truth,al-Furqan, the Distinguisher ofright from wrong, and through itsverses one gains the capacity andability to speak truth plainly andeloquently and to rebut and refuteany allegation or attack against it.The Promised Messiah(as) instruc-ted us to rely upon the HolyQur’an as the main source for our

dialogues and discussions. Hesaid:

‘This shall be the only bookworth reading in its owndefence. If you use the HolyQur’an as your weapon ofdefence and attack, you arebound to achieve victory. Nodarkness could ever stand itsbrilliant light.’(Malfoozat; Vol.1, p.122)

Given all these wonderful namesand special qualities of the HolyQur’an and many others, it isapparent that the Holy Qur’an isthe crown jewel of Divinerevelation. Summarising thispoint, Hadhrat PromisedMessiah(as) wrote:

‘The Holy Qur’an is such asparkling ruby and such abright Sun that the rays of itstruth and the gleam of itsDivine origin are not onlyevident from one or twoaspects, but are quite vividthrough its enumerableaspects.’ (Minan ur-Rahman: p.1)

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The excellence and magnificenceof the Holy Qur’an is slowly beingrecognised everywhere, includinghere in Europe as well. Severaldecades ago, George BernardShaw wrote:

‘I have prophesied about thefaith of Muhammad that itwould be acceptable to theEurope of tomorrow as it isbeginning to be accepted to theEurope of today.’

That “tomorrow” grows nearerwith each passing decade. In thesepast few years, Prince Charles,next in line to the throne ofEngland, has paid so muchglowing tribute to Islam ondifferent occasions that somepeople have expressed fear andanxiety that he may become theConstantine of Islam, paving theway for an Islamic renaissance inEngland during his reign. Forinstance, he once said,

“Islam can teach us today away of understanding andliving in the world whichChristianity itself is poorer forhaving lost.”

Whether he actually plays aprominent role in the spread ofIslam or not, the dye is alreadycast and many Europeans, in GreatBritain and elsewhere, are joiningthe Muslim fold in full convictionand unwavering devotion to theHoly Qur’an. One Polish convert,Dr. Ata’ullah Budgan, who hadserved the Polish CommunistParty as their chief propagandist inthe Third World, wrote:

‘My study is vast, but theimpression produced by thestyle of expression of the HolyQur’an has no parallel andcan’t be described in words. Ithought as if Allah, theAlmighty, was Himselfaddressing me with all HisBlessings and Benedictions,and the Qur’an was going to berevealed on me. I felt pity atthe Muslims treating theQur’an as they do. They go onreading this Book of Allah likenovels. They neither ponderover its meaning nor stop atany point to understand itsglory.’

Whenever the message of the Holy

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Qur’an reaches people, whetherfrom the East or West or North orSouth, this is the impression itindelibly leaves on human heartsbecause as I have mentioned, it isimplanted in the nature of man toappreciate beauty and to receiveand respond to God’s Word whenhe hears it. There is nothing on thisearth more beautiful and gloriousthan the Holy Qur’an. It is aninexhaustible treasure which willcontinue to disclose more of itshidden beauties with each passinggeneration – no generation canexhaust its beauty. The PromisedMessiah(as) has said:

‘The clear miracle of the HolyQur’an which can manifestitself to every people and bypresenting which we cansilence every one, whether anIndian, or a Persian or aEuropean or an American, isthe unlimited treasury ofinsights and verities andwisdoms, which areexpounded in every ageaccording to its need and standas armed soldiers to refute thethinking of every age. If theHoly Qur’an had been limited

in its verities and insights itwould not have amounted to aperfect miracle. Beauty ofcomposition is not a matter themiraculous nature of whichcan be appreciated by everyliterate and illiterate person.The clear miracle of the HolyQur’an is the unlimitedinsights and fine points whichit comprises...Bear it in mindthat the miracle of unlimitedinsights and verities which arecontained in the Holy Qur’anhas accomplished more inevery age than has the sword.’[Izalah-I-Auham; RuhaniKhaza’in, Vol. 3, pp.305-320]

To win the hearts of the Westernnations and the rest of the world,there is no need for terrorism,militarism or holy Jihads, oneneed only present the beauties,verities and unlimited treasures ofthe Holy Qur’an. It is a perennialmiracle. The Holy Prophet(saw)

once said:

‘Before me, every Prophet wasgiven a miracle and I havebeen given the permanentmiracle of the Qur’an till the

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Hour is established, so I hopethat my followers will bemore in number than all theother Messengers’ as mymiracle will last till the Day ofResurrection, and it is aGlorious Book; when anyonereads it, even if he is a pagan,he is convinced that it isproduced by none but by theCreator of the heavens and theearth.’ (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 1)

This declaration comes from asoul whose voice was so blessedthat he once shouted a warningand the commander of theMuslim forces heard his wordsloudly and clearly althoughhundreds of miles separated thetwo. His gaze was so blessed thatone night he looked and pointedskyward and the bystandersnoticed that the moon had splitinto two. His hand was so blessedthat he merely cast a handful ofpebbles and it turned into aferocious wind and dust stormwhich whipped against theMakkan army. His mouth was soblessed that he sipped from avessel and milk began to fill it

with such abundance that a groupof his companions drank to tilltheir fill. His saliva was soblessed that he rubbed it into theeyes of his noble cousin andcompanion, Hadhrat ‘Ali(ra), andhealed him of distress. Yet, he didnot consider any of thesemarvelous and miraculousoccurrences to be the true signwhich he brought from God toopen the eyes and hearts ofhumanity. No, he felt that his solemiracle – a miracle not buried inthe narrations of the past and notconfined to the Arabs or anypeople, place or time tillJudgment Day – is the HolyQur’an. This is the real glory,grandeur and greatness of Qur’an.

In his lifetime, through theagency of the Holy Qur’an, theProphet Muhammad(saw) lifted hispeople from the darkness ofspiritual ignorance to the heightsof Divine knowledge so much sothat he declared, “Mycompanions are like the stars,whomsoever you follow you willfind guidance.” What greatermiracle could there be than theone which lifts the veil from

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man’s eyes and enables him to notonly achieve the purpose forwhich he was created but also tolead others to that purpose andattain the highest levels ofspiritual ranks and degrees in theestimate of God. In short, theHoly Qur’an is Al-Ruh, parexcellence, the Living Book thatimparts life to others. That is themiracle which he left us as hisgreat legacy to move our heartsand minds, elevate our morals,raise our spiritual consciousnessand help us to perceive Godthrough His Glorious attributesand experience His Love, andGrace and Mercy so that wediscard our lower selves, ourearthly passions and desires, ourbrutish and beastly behavior, andrise like so many fortunate soulsbefore us to take our place in thespiritual firmament reserved forthe righteous and become one ofthose glittering bright stars.

The miracle of the Holy Qur’anpromises honour and distinctionto its devotees, not disgrace anddefeat. Hadhrat Maulawi HakimNur-ud-Din(ra), the First Khalifa,had an intense love of the Holy

Qur’an and an incessant desire toimpart its knowledge and instil itslove in our hearts as well. Hewould pray, “O God help me toteach them the Holy Qur’an sothat they can understand it” andhe would express his sole requestto receive the gift of the HolyQur’an first and foremost uponhis resurrection after death so thathe may again start reading it andteaching it to others. All Muslimsshould hope and pray that theymay have a leader who has thistype and degree of boundless andtimeless love for the HolyQur’an. May Allah forever blesshim for his sincere and selflessservice of the Holy Qur’an. Basedon that love, we can understandwhy the Promised Messiah(as)

strongly recommended to all hiscompanions to sit with HadhratMaulawi Nur-ud-Din(ra) to learneven a few parts of the HolyQur’an, and later said:

“How wonderful it would beif everyone in my Communitywas Nur-ud-Din. However,this can only happen if eachheart is filled with the Lightof Faith.”

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I would say here that Allahgranted Hadhrat Maulawi Nur-ud-Din(ra) this “Light of Faith”because of his love of the HolyQur’an, and we too can acquirethis light only through thisblessed book.

The Second Khalifa of theAhmadiyya Muslim community,Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-ud-DinMahmud Ahmad(ra) used torespond to enquiries about hiseducation by simply saying, “Iknow the Holy Qur’an.” It was anunderstatement, he didn’t justknow the Holy Qur’an, hereceived special Divine help asthe ‘Musleh Mau’ud’, the‘Promised Reformer’, to masterit. In his concluding addressduring the Annual Jalsa of 1944he stated:

“God of His Grace, appointedangels for my instruction andby this means made me awareof such meanings of the HolyQur’an as were beyong theimagination of a human being.(He) has appointed me theteacher of the world forteaching the Holy Qur’an in

this age.” (The Renaissance of Islam,p.299)

That was all he needed to discussany subject, tackle any problemand find guidance on any matter.Anyone who has read a portion ofhis commentary on the HolyQur’an knows that this was novain or empty boast.

The Third Khalifa, Hadhrat MirzaNasir Ahmad(ra), like the firstKhalifa and rightly-guidedKhulafa following the HolyProphet(saw), had committed theHoly Qur’an to memory, and hesteered the ark of Ahmadiyyatthrough the storms of severeopposition in Pakistan as theyconstitutionally declared us non-Muslims in 1974. Prior to thedeclaration, when He appearedbefore a special committee of thePakistan National Assembly tostate the Jama’ats viewpoints andto respond to questions, he gavesuch a powerful answers basedprimarily on verses of the HolyQur’an that the governmentsealed the record of the entireproceeding and refused to publish

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his testimony, even up till now, inorder to conceal the verdict of theHoly Qur’an that their declarationwas baseless.

The Fourth Khalifa of theAhmadiyya Muslim community,Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad(ru)

tried to prevent the first Gulf Warby advising President SaddamHussein and the Muslimleadership to not shed the bloodof fellow Muslims and to settletheir disputes through the HolyQur’an, and not through militaryaction and political intrigue. Thiswas the exact same advice andadmonition which Hadhrat‘A`ishah(ra) gave when insurgentsassassinated Hadhrat ‘Uthman(ra)

and then infiltrated the Muslimranks during the Khilafat ofHadhrat ‘Ali(ra) and instigated awar. Hadhrat Mirza TahirAhmad(ru) said:

“I invited them to make arecourse to the teachings ofthe Holy Qur’an in thisregard. The Holy Qur’ansays:

If you differ in anything; refer

it to Allah and His Messenger.(Ch.4:V.60)

“You should revert to theteachings of the Holy Qur’anand draw the guiding-lightfrom it…Simply put, theteaching is this: whenever twoMuslim countries are at warwith each other, it is incumbentupon all Muslim countries tocollectively put pressure on theparty they unanimouslybelieve to be the trans-gressor… there is no mentionof seeking assistance fromnon-Muslim countries. If thisteaching was adhered to, thisever-deepening and dangerouscrisis would not have takenthis turn.”(Gulf Crisis, pp.46-47)

Tragically, President Hussein andthe Muslim leadership paid noheed to the Khalifa’s exhortationsand turned away from the HolyQur’an. Centuries ago, Godwarned about this time when theMuslims would abandon the HolyQur’an, and thus would painfullylament:

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O My Lord, my people indeedtreated this Qur’an as adiscarded thing.(Ch.25:V.31)

His words pierce one’s heart, ashe asks with utter dismay anddisbelief, how could anyoneabandon a Book as marvelous andglorious as this particular Word ofGod, the Holy Qur’an?

Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad(ru),Khalifatul Masih IV shared thattreasure of the Qur’an with usthrough his sermons, speeches,question answer sessions, Dars(lessons) of the Holy Qur’anduring Ramadhan and later as aregular feature on MuslimTelevision AhmadiyyaInternational. In the process heeducated and inspired a whole newgeneration of Muslims as heprimarily spoke about contem-porary thinking, issues, sciencesand discoveries. He demonstratedthat the Holy Qur’an is pregnantwith hidden knowledge andrelevant for every age.

The fifth and current Khalifa ofthe Ahmadiyya Muslim

community, Hadhrat MirzaMasroor Ahmad, from the outsetof his Khilafat has drawnattention towards spiritual andmoral education through theguidance found in the HolyQur’an. He speaks consistentlyand forcefully from Qur’anicteachings on every matter thatcomes before the world at large.Recently, for instance, HadhratKhalifatul Masih V pointed to theQur’anic teachings on economicsthat would eliminate the globaleconomic crisis, save humanityfrom the brink of a disaster suchas a World War, and foster asystem that provides foreveryone’s needs. Addressing theBritish Parliament on October22nd, 2008, he said:

“The Holy Qur’an guided usby saying avoid interestbecause interest is such acurse that it is a danger fordomestic, national andinternational peace…furthermore, we have beencautioned that we are notallowed to enter into thebusiness of interest, with thewarning that if you do so, it

37



will be a war againstGod…God Almighty hassaid: Come towards peacethat can only be guaranteedwhen there is pure andwholesome trade and whenresources are put into usagein a proper and fair manner.”

His overriding advice, however,is for all of us to develop a deepattachment to the Holy Qur’an.He said:

“Everyone of us shouldanalyse as to what extent heloves the Holy Qur’an andobeys its commandments andtries to practice them in hislife. There are ways ofmanifesting love. The mostimportant thing for anAhmadi is to make itobligatory upon him to recitea minimum of two or threeruku (sections) of the HolyQur’an regularly. Thentaking the next step, heshould read it along withtranslation. By reciting theHoly Qur’an daily alongwith reading the translation,its beautiful teachings

subconsciously filter into thedeep layers of the mind.”(Conditions of Bai‘at & OurResponsibilities, p.114)

Following this routine is thesimple and clear way for each ofus to earn blessings and honors.The Promised Messiah(as) said:

‘Those who honor this HolyBook shall be honored inHeaven.’(Our Teaching, p.5)

May Allah have mercy onmankind through the Holy Qur’anand pour its glory and beauty intohearts, minds and souls so that wemay become brilliant beacons oflight – we become Nuruddins asthe Promised Messiah(as) wished –to guide families and nations andall of mankind out of thewilderness of spiritual darknessalong the heavenly path of Islamthat leads ever nearer to Allah.

review of religions

By Rev. Stan Brown

Rev. Stan Brown is an ordained minister in the Methodist Churchwhich he has served in a variety of appointments. He studiedtheology and philosophy at Leeds and Birmingham Universities andis currently working on a Doctorate at King’s College London. Forthe last six years Stan has been Chaplain at Kingston University,London, working with and alongside students and staff of manyfaiths and helping to support the religious groups within theUniversity. He is an active member of the Kingston Inter-FaithForum and is frequently involved in organising inter-faith events.

Teach us How to Pray The Lord’s Prayer

39

Christian worship and Christianprayer are very diverse. Christiansuse many languages, manysources and many styles. There is,however, one prayer you will findin the hearts and on the lips ofChristians everywhere – the“Lord’s Prayer”. This is the formof prayer received directly fromthe teaching of Jesus.

The prayer is found in two placesin the Christian scriptures: theGospel of Matthew 6:9-13 and ina slightly shorter form in theGospel of Luke 11:2-4, where it isa response to a request to Jesusfrom his disciples to “teach ushow to pray”. Jesus would almostcertainly have first taught theprayer in his spoken language ofAramaic, but the record we haveof it in the gospels is in Greek. ForChristians the underlying meaningof the prayer is more importantthan its form in the words of anyone language and so the Lord’sPrayer, like the Christianscriptures, is translated intocountless languages. To manyEnglish speakers, however, the“Lord’s Prayer” is most familiar in

the form it was given in 1662 CEby the Book of Common Prayerwhich had a lasting effect not juston English Christian worship, buton the English language itself.

Here is the prayer in both itstraditional English form, and awidely used contemporaryEnglish version:

Traditional FormOur Father, who art in heaven,hallowed be thy name;thy kingdom come;thy will be done;on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespassagainst us.And lead us not into temptation;but deliver us from evil.For thine is the kingdom,the power and the glory,for ever and ever.Amen.

Contemporary FormOur Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,

Teach Us How to Pray: The Lord’s Prayer


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your will be done,on earth as in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our sinsas we forgive those who sinagainst us.Lead us not into temptationbut deliver us from evil.For the kingdom, the power,and the glory are yoursnow and for ever.Amen

The prayer offers us an all-encompassing vision of themajesty of God and invites us torespond with lives that areradically changed through ourrelationship with Him. This prayermay be set to hauntingly beautifulmusic in the worship of a greatchurch, or it may be muttered bysomeone alone, afraid anddesperate or one who finds somefamiliar words of hope in God.

Many years ago I visited anelderly lady in hospital at the veryend of her life. Her family andfriends were around the bed whereshe lay seemingly unconscious –without having spoken for many

hours. After talking for a whilewith those around the bed, I tookher hand and began to say theLord’s Prayer. To the astonish-ment of everyone there, withoutopening her eyes she joined in thefamiliar words. She died shortlyafter and the prayer was probablythe last thing she said out loud.This prayer lies very deep in theChristian heart.

Like all great prayers it takes alifetime of study, reflection andworship to even begin to unpackits meaning, but a few thoughtsand comments will at least help tobegin that journey:

Our Father, who art in heaven,hallowed be thy nameThe prayer begins with an addressto God Who is heavenly – above,beyond and immeasurablydifferent from us, but at the sametime “our Father” – intimate,loving and close to us. This dualrelationship with God is at theheart of all Christian spiritualitywhere the closeness and othernessof God are held constantly inbalance and tension. The older

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English form of the prayer canhelp us here for at the time thiswas shaped the English language(like the Greek in which theChristian Scriptures were origi-nally written) could distinguishbetween thou /thy/thine: anintimate form used to addressfamily and friends, and you/your/yours: a polite form used toaddress strangers and showrespect. God is always addressedin the intimate “thou” form whenthis older style of English is used.Yet because these words nowsound strange and mysterious tous we mix it all up and assumethese old words are some specialhyper-respectful language usedonly for God. How wrong we canbe!

Within the Hebrew Scriptureswhich Christians share with Jews,God’s “name” is not just what Heis called, but God’s wholecharacter and nature. So God’s“name” and nature ought to be“hallowed” or treated as holy –this is a prayer that the whole ofcreation will come to give honourto God.

Thy kingdom come, thy will bedone on earth as it is in heavenLook at the teaching of Jesus aswe find in the Gospels of Mark,Luke and Matthew – you will seeso much of it is concerned withthe coming of God’s “kingdom”,but if God is already King of theUniverse, what can this mean?God’s rule is not forced on us, youhave only to look around theworld to see many and terribleexamples of people openlydenying God’s ways of love,justice and peace. God mayindeed be King, but we need topray continually that His way ofbeing King – a way of patient lovefor His children – should beaccepted “on earth as it is inheaven”. There was a time whenthe world’s great political powersused to talk about their “spheres ofinfluence”. We pray that God’s“sphere of influence” – Hiskingdom on earth – mightincrease.

Give us this day our daily bread. There is some doubt how totranslate the word rendered hereas “this day”. It is an unusual wordin the original language, but taken

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alongside Jesus’ teaching that weshould not worry about the futurebut simply trust it to God themeaning seems to be that weshould be content and thankful ifwe have what we need one day ata time. In a world of huge contrastbetween wealth and poverty whatright do we have to ask God forthat which we do not really need?In this simple line of the prayerthere is a whole world ofchallenge to the materialisticlifestyles which are consuming theplanet today. Our prayer shouldhelp to form us as people who livein a different way content withwhat we need rather thanexpecting everything we desire.

And forgive us our trespasses, aswe forgive those who trespassagainst usForgiveness and reconciliation areat the heart of Christianity. ForChristians “God was in Christreconciling the world to himself”(2 Corinthians 5:19). Christiansbelieve that it is the very nature ofGod to be forgiving, and that thisis what God shows us throughJesus. If it is in the nature of Godto be forgiving, then it must

become part of human nature too.The old word “trespasses” with itssense of crossing a boundary to aplace we shouldn’t go couldequally well be rendered as “sins”as in the modern English version,or perhaps best of all as “debts”.The stress is less on our need forforgiveness because we have donea whole raft of wrong actions,than on our need to be reconciledto God because we owe Him morelove, honour, praise and glorythan we are ever able to give.

And lead us not into temptation;but deliver us from evil.Some translators prefer “do notbring us to the time of trial”. Theprayer is perhaps not so much thatwe should be spared any inwardfeeling of “temptation” but ratherthat we are not put in places wherewe are tested beyond what we canstand. When engineers want toknow the strength of a material ora structure they may employ either“destructive” or “or non-destructive” testing. Testing todestruction simply means over-loading the structure (or a modelof it!) until it breaks and thenmeasuring the load at which it did

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so. Non-destructive testingemploys techniques which allowthe engineer to calculate andpredict the point at which thematerial will break – but withoutactually having to break it. Thereare places in life to which any ofus can come in which our faith inGod risks being tested todestruction – places of illness,grief, anger or doubt – the prayeris that God keeps us safe fromthese frightening places. Evil isvery real; terrible things can anddo happen even to those who puttheir faith in God. We might seethis as the forces of “evil” in animpersonal way or as “the evilone”- a personal Satan (also apossible translation) but the realityand the danger remain the same.

For thine is the kingdom, thepower and the glory, for ever andever. AmenThese words are not part of theoriginal prayer as Jesus gave it tous and you will not find them ineither the Gospels of Matthew orLuke. Technically words like thisat the close of a Christian prayerare known as a “doxology” – aformal ending in which glory is

given to God. At some point verysoon after the time of Jesus,Christians started adding thesewords to the end of the prayer,probably when they used it inpublic worship, and there theystuck. Many churches, however,and especially the RomanCatholic Church do not normallyadd these concluding words.

The Lord’s Prayer sums upChristianity – it speaks of ourbelief about the nature of God andour relationship with Him, of ourneed to be reconciled to God andeach other, of ways in which ourlives and our world are beingtransformed by the presence andpower of God. This is not an easyprayer. Christians say it over andover again, day by day, week byweek, but like everything thatbecomes familiar we probably donot reflect on it as we should, forthis is a prayer which asks for thewhole world to be changed, andinvites those who pray in this formto become a part of that changethemselves.


Imam Bukhari(Adapted from The Review of Religions, May 1926, Vol. XXV, No. 5)

Part of the ancient city of Bukhara, Uzbekistan

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Imam Bukhari


Muhammad ibn Isma‘il ibnIbrahim ibn Al-Mughirah

ibn Bardiziyeh Al-Bukhari (810-870), better known as ImamBukhari, was born on Friday, the3rd of the lunar month of Shawwalin the year 194 after Hijra, inBukhara, located in modern dayUzbekistan. Of his ancestors, wholived in Persia and wereZoroastrians by religion, Mughirawas the first to accept Islam. Wedo not know much about hisgrandfather Ibrahim, but his fatherIsma‘il was a reliable traditionistof the fourth grade. Isma‘il’sreliability and the high position heheld among the traditionists can begauged from the fact that he hadsat at the feet of Imam Malik andHammad, persons of establishedauthority on Apostolic Tradition,and had enjoyed the company ofsavants like ibn Mubarak. TheIraqis have related many traditionsfrom him, and Imam Bukhari him -self has given a detailed account ofhis life in his well-known work,Al-Tarikh Al-Kabir, and has takenpride in the high and solid learningof his father and his well-earnedreputation.

Imam Bukhari was yet in hischildhood when his father wentthe way of all men, leaving hisprecocious son to the care of hismother, who took him and hiselder brother Ahmad to Makkah,where he was brought up andlearned the rudiments of know -ledge. Bukhara also was thebirthplace of Abu ‘Ali ibn Sina(Avicenna) (980-1037)

From his very early age ImamBukhari devoted himself to thepursuit of knowledge.Jurisprudence, first of all,engrossed his attention. He studiedthe erudite works of thedistinguished jurists of the time,Imam Waqih and ibn Mubarak. Atthe age of fifteen he had madehimself proficient in this branch oflearn ing. Henceforward, hedevoted his entire attention to thecom pilation of the sayings of theHoly Prophet(saw), which hedeveloped from very in completeand disorganised beginnings intoan advanced science.

It is difficult to say with certaintyfrom what canonists ImamBukhari took his first lessons in

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Imam Bukhari


Hadith [Traditions], but it isadmitted that his subsequentlearning and his unapproachableerudition in the science of theApostolic Tradition owes a deepdebt of grati tude to what helearned from Ishaq ibn Rahwiaand ‘Ali ibn Al-Madani. Besidesthese two, his knowledge owes agreat deal to Muhammad ibn‘Abdullah Ansari, Adam ibn Ayas,Qutaibah ibn Sa’eed, Ahmad binHanbal, ‘Abdullah ibn Hammad,‘Abdullah ibn Al-‘As, Abu HatimAl-Razi, etc., etc.

So great was Imam Bukhari’sthirst for the acquisition ofknowledge that there was hardly atraditionist in Baghdad, Basra,Khorasan, Kufa, Khwarezm, theHijaz and Syria to whom he wasnot indebted in some way or otherin the collection of the sayings ofthe Holy Prophet(saw). The totalnumber of the narrators fromwhom he relates these sayingsreaches 1800, most of whom aretraditionists of the first grade.

Imam Bukhari was gifted with aremarkably strong memory whichproved to be of great use to him in

acquiring high pro ficiency in thescience of Apostolic Traditions.So tenacious was his memory thathe never forgot a saying of theHoly Prophet(saw) related beforehim only once. He was at firstagainst committing to paper thesayings of the Holy Prophet(saw) hecollected from various sources, onthe plea that it made a personwholly dependent on books. Lateron, however, he changed his mindand wrote down all the sayings ofthe Holy Prophet(saw) he knew.

Imam Bukhari’s reputation spreadfar and wide before he hadcompleted his course of study. Hewas looked upon as a traditionistof established authority. Onaccount of a large number of thesayings of the Holy Prophet(saw)

that he knew by heart, coupledwith his highly-cultured intellectand refined intelligence andacumen, he came to wield such agreat influence in this specialdepartment of knowledge thatscholars and savants ofacknowledged learning and famelooked upon him as a greatauthority on the science of theApostolic Tradition whose verdict

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Imam Bukhari


as regards the authenticity orunreliability of a tradition wasunquestionable. Students from farand near gathered round him totake lessons in Hadith, anddistinguished adepts in thisScience admitted his superiority.

“Khorasan has not produced aman like Muhammad ibn Isma‘il,”Imam Hanbal used to say. The‘Ulama [(Muslim clergy)] of histime were struck with wonder atthe extent and versatility of hisknowledge. “Truly, he was a signfrom among God’s signs walkingon earth. He was not created butfor the science of Tradition.”

Distance and the inconveniencesof travel were no impedi ments inhis way. For the acquisition ofknowledge and for pay ing visits toscholars of high learning andspotless integrity, he would goanywhere. He paid a second visitto Egypt and Syria, stayed in theHijaz for six years and paidfrequent visits to Kufa andBaghdad, then the centres ofknowledge and learning, visitedBasra four times and stayed therefor years, seeing Makkah off and

on during the intervals. But mostimportant was his journey toNeshapur, at that time the seat ofthe science of tradition and arendezvous for savants andscholars. Neshapur was thebirthplace of his contemporary,Muslim ibn Hajjaz, the famousauthor of the collection calledSahih Muslim, and his teacherImam Muhammad ibn Yahya.They had spread the fame ofNeshapur far and wide. To visitNeshapur in the presence of sucheminent scholars and to establishhis reputation as a first-classtraditionist was no small achieve-ment for Imam Bukhari. On hisarrival in Neshapur he wasaccorded a welcome as was neveraccorded to any monarch orpotentate before.

In Neshapur he devoted his wholetime and energy to the teaching ofHadith. He attracted students fromfar and near and even scholars likeImam Muslim used to attend hisclasses. Struck with the depth andbreadth of Imam Bukhari’s know -ledge and the variety and many-sidedness of his learning, ImamMuslim one day kissed his

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Imam Bukhari


forehead in the presence of thewhole assembly exclaiming,“Allow me, O King of the realm ofHadith, that I should oweallegiance to thee.” ImamMuhammad ibn Yahya had told hisstudents to attend Imam Bukhari’slessons in Hadith. He was himselfa frequent visitor to him. He didnot hesitate to admit ImamBukhari’s superiority. One day,being asked “whether the words ofthe Qur’an which we speak arecreated.” The Imam replied, “TheQur’an being the Word of God isnot created, but the words of theQur’an being recited by ourtongues become our words and ourwords are the result of the motionof our tongues, hence they are ouractions, and our actions arecreated.” This subtle answer of theImam to a very complicated anddebated question, was too muchfor the ordinary intelligence tocomprehend and slanderoustongues began to decry him. Histraducers gave so much publicityto this matter that the Imam losthis popularity with the masses.Even Imam Zahli turned againsthim, though Imam Muslim beganto respect him all the more for the

solidity of his views onmultifarious questions. When thepopular difference with his viewsassumed an acute form he leftNeshapur for Bukhara, his nativeplace.

The inhabitants of Bukhara,swayed by patriotic feelings,extended him a hearty welcomeand the gentry and nobility re -ceived him two miles outside thetown.

He lived in Bukhara for someyears in peace, but his indepen dentand self-respecting dispositionsoon involved him in trouble andhe had to bid farewell to Bukharaand lived the last years of his lifein a small village near Samarkand,with his few relatives.

He was deeply grieved at hisexpulsion from Bukhara by theorders of the Amir and in theparoxysms of grief he would oftenexclaim, “My God, the earth hasbecome straitened for me in spiteof its spaciousness.”

The private and public character ofthe Imam was spotless.

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Imam Bukhari


Independence, out-spokenness andfearless courage were the dis -tinguishing features of hischaracter. He was simple and un -assuming, but very self-respecting. In the last years of hislife he was expelled from Bukharaby the orders of the Amir becausehe would not debase himselfbefore him and barter his learningfor filthy lucre. The Amir wishedhim to recite the Sahih Al-Bukhariand Al-Tafsir Al-Kabir in hisDurbar. The Imam replied that hewould not humiliate learning bypresenting himself at royal courts,and that if the Amir had a true lovefor knowledge he should come asan ordinary student to attend hisclasses. The Amir also wished theImam to teach the princes in hispalace. The Imam replied that hewould make no distinctionbetween a peasant and a prince asstudents. If the Amir so wished,the princes could join his classesas ordinary students. This was toomuch for a great monarch to bearand he ordered his ex pulsion. TheImam preferred expulsion to thehumiliation of knowledge andlearning.

He died at the age of 62 years inthe year 256 of the Hijra on thetenth day of Shawwal. The newsof his death sent a shrill of horrorin Samarkand. His bier wasfollowed by the whole city andgreat ‘Ulama and nobles wereweeping. He was buried atmidday.

He prided himself on hisindependence of character. “I havenever considered myself lower instatus than anybody else exceptmy teacher, ‘Ali ibn Al-Madani,”he would often say. Imam Bukharinever accepted any offer that wasmade to him by any monarch or anoble in the form of a stipend. Hewas satisfied with what smallproperty his father had left. Heinvested his money in trade andthe income was sufficient to meethis extremely simple and frugalway of living. He was of thosevery few people who, in spite ofthe great influence they wieldedand the high reputation theyacquired in their lifetime, neverdis dained to garner usefulinformation from very ordinarypersons. In the list of his teachershe records the names of some of

his fellow-students. He wasabsolutely unbiased in thecollection and selection oftraditions. There are to be foundtraditions in his collections whichcontradict some cherishedconviction of the Ahl-Al-Sunnah,yet he included them in hiscollection because tested by hisstandards they proved to beauthentic and reliable.

Imam Bukhari was very fond ofphysical exercise. He was a goodhorseman and a dead shot. Thoughhe led a very simple, unosten-tatious and purely intellectual life,yet he was very particular aboutcleanliness. He would not evenallow a straw to remain lying onhis mat. The number of his pupilswas very large. Students camefrom all parts of the Muslim worldto sit at his feet and men oflearning were proud of includingthem selves among his disciples.His pupils included Abu ‘IsaMuham mad ibn ‘Isa Al-Tirmidhi,Abu ‘Abdur Rahman Nisai andMuslim ibn Hajjaj, three out of thesix pillars of ‘Ilm-ul-Hadith. IbnKhuzaimah, Muhammad ibn Nasr,Salih ibn Muhammad, who

afterwards became a writer ofgreat authority and reputation,were among his ordinary students.

From the days of studentshipImam Bukhari had a great likingfor literary production and thisliking remained with him till hisdeath. At the age of 18 he wrote abook, Qadaya as-Sahabah wat-Tabi‘in, which surprised learnedsavants. Al-Tarikh Al-Kabir waswritten in moonlight at Madinah.

His works include Al-Tarikh Al-Ausat, Al-Tarikh Al-Saghir, KhalqAf‘aal-Al-‘Ibaad, Al-Qira’atuKhalf Al-Imam, Al-Adab-Al-Mufrad, Kitab-Al-Manaqib,Kitab-Al-Fawa’id, Kitab-Al-Mabsoot, Kitab-Al-Du‘afa, Al-Jami‘-Al-Kabir.

Al-Jami’ Sahih Al-Bukhari is hisbest production. This book hasrightly been called the mostreliable book after the Book ofGod.

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Imam Bukhari



Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad(ru):“You see, this is what you call a badhabit; it all depends on the degree ofthe habit and the nature of the music.The music in itself, as a whole, cannotbe dubbed as bad. Even wine in theHoly Qur’an is not dubbed as totallybad. Even juggling and these thingsare not dubbed as entirely bad. What isdescribed, the principle described, is athing which has overwhelmingly, ormore than 50% bad in it should beabandoned and rejected and a thingwhich has less than 50% of bad things,its better things should be utilised andthe bad things avoided. Now musicfalls in the no man’s land in fact; it isneither forbidden entirely nor per-mitted without any conditions. We

know at the time of HadhratMuhammad(saw) when he walked intoMadinah, the ladies of Madinah,welcoming him, sang a song ofwelcome plus they beat on the drum,which is called daff. Now, that was asort of music which was available tothe Arabs; nobody can say that it wasnot music. But this was not thepractice of Rasulullah(saw) [(the HolyProphet)] to permit the Companions togo on enjoying music revelries andmusic sessions, and to be given up tomusic. That was not their habit.Instead they enjoyed [the] recitation ofthe Qur’an, or listening to the goodverses, or meaningful verses, of greatpoets. But gradually their taste wasdeveloped and they shifted from

Is Music Allowed in Islam?(We present below part of a question andanswer session with Hadhrat Mirza TahirAhmad(ru), Khalifatul Masih IV, Fourth Head ofthe Ahmadiyya Muslim community.)

Questioner: “Somebody I know has a bad habit of listening to music. My question is: whatis the status of music [in Islam]?

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Is Music Allowed in Islam?


poetry to the Qur’an ultimately. So, itrequires some time of patience toimprove the quality of your taste, andwithout that to abandon certain thingswould be rather cruel.

In these things it is a matter of taste. Insome other things the matter ofprohibition is fast and hard and youcan’t change it. You can’t say I have toimprove my taste for water before Ican stop drinking wine. No, no, thatwill not be permissible because wine isforbidden and what is forbidden isforbidden, but music does not fall intothat category. For that you can acquirea wise approach of a systematic,gradual deliverance from that habit.

And as far as pop music is concerned Idon’t know how people can toleratethat! Just sheer nonsense! I don’tdisrespect music altogether, because Iknow the classical music had somenobility in it. It brought out the best inman, in a way that man would notunderstand. But the music writers werenoble minded. They wanted to bring,even if the theme was miserable, theywanted to bring the question of miseryof others to the listeners of music –that the others were suffering. Theybecame sad, without anybody namingthe people, without any tale being toldin words. The music delivered all thesethings, and they became sad andstarted crying, not knowing for what,

but when they came out of the musichalls they were nobler people thanbefore. So the music served a purpose,and a noble purpose.

Here in the pop music when peopleleave that hall, they leave with somesort of madness and craving forsomething they cannot have, and forthat even they have to go to kill othersor mug others for some drug orsomething; that elation, artificialelation, requires further help of drugs.So the taste left behind by this modern‘so-called music’ is ugly and evil, andthe society under its influence isbecoming uglier and more permissive,more careless of the traditional values,so this music is obviously evil andsinful.

So I can’t treat every music alike; thatis why I said you have to be wise andbe selective in your choice. [An]occasional brush with music cannot beconsidered a practice whereby youwill be sent to hell, I assure you not!But, an occasional brush with musicwhich draws you into itself at the costof higher values, at the cost of memoryof Allah, at the cost of prayers, whereyou are taken over by music and thatbecomes all your ambition andobsession; if that happens then you area loser, obviously.”


FOREWORDBy Paul Davids

The film that this book describeswas chosen by the SundanceChannel for a national U.S.television broadcast as itsChristmas documentary for2008, with a prime time airingDecember 22nd and a repeatbroadcast the day afterChristmas and on the day of New

Year’s Eve. Additionally, theInternational Television Divisionof NBC Universal offers the filmfor broadcasts around the world.

This is both wonderful andremarkable, because “Jesus inIndia” is admittedly a contro-versial film. However, we areprivileged to live (especially inthe United States) in an era whencontroversy has become a virtue,

A foreword from a recent book andfilm ‘Jesus in India: King of Wisdom’on the life of Jesus(as) and his travelsin India. Whilst there are a vastamount of concepts and sourcescovered and it is hard to drawdefinitive conclusions, the spirit ofresearch and discovery iscommendable and will lead to newenquiry in this field. It asks whetherJesus(as) was in India during theunrecorded eighteen years (betweentwelve and thirty years of his age)before his emergence in Palestine.The Promised Messiah(as), however,clarified that Jesus(as) went in searchof the lost sheep of Israel, and died anatural death in India.

Reproduced with the permission of the author.Jesus in India: King of Wisdom, Edward T. Martin, Yellow Hat Publishing, USA, 2008

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Jesus in India – King of Wisdom


and debate and the clash of ideashave emerged as a time-honoredtradition.

People no longer hide fromideas. If they do not like them,they chew them up, spit themout, stomp on them, shout aboutthem and then move on to otherideas. But sometimes ideas planta seed, take hold and blossom,re-shaping both popular andtraditional culture.

The verdict is not yet in for“Jesus in India” as a conceptand theory and new direction inreligious thought. But if you failto accept the challenge ofconsidering it, you will bedepriving yourself of knowledgeof an extraordinary puzzle. Thisremarkable puzzle, whichinvolves eighteen lost years or“Hidden Years” in the life ofJesus, may well turn out to be acornerstone for understandingmany enigmas about Christianity– like the long-ignored missingbut somehow obvious clue in amystery that remains unsolved.Or perhaps somehow it willeventually be proven a dead end

by indisputable dating ofdocuments, DNA testing andother scientific tests and tools.Either way, none of us will be theworse for the truly incrediblejourney to inquire and discover.

New concepts of the actual,historic person of Jesus ofNazareth are emerging fromhistoric studies of textsdiscovered since the 1940s in theHoly Land and Egypt, includingthe ancient gospels of the so-called Gnostic Christians thatwere found in Nag Hammadi,Egypt.

Even Pope Benedict the 16th haswritten a book called Jesus ofNazareth which acknowledgesevolving understandings of thelife and meaning of Jesus basedon new findings in the modernera.

However, what the Pope does nottalk about, which you will learnmuch about here, is that there ispurportedly one particularancient text about Jesus, longbelieved to have been seen andstudied by a few select scholars

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and explorers at the HemisMonastery in Ladakh, India, highin the Himalayas. This text maytell us true things about theMissing Years in the life of thehistoric Jesus not described in theNew Testament and has beentranslated from Tibetan at leasttwice.

The questions today are: where isthe Tibetan version, and where isthe most ancient version of it,purportedly originally written inthe Pali language, and how old isit, really?

Does it, as it purports, fill in actualand accurate details of the life ofyoung Jesus, between the ages oftwelve and thirty, that are missingfrom the New Testament?

The author of the book you areabout to read is Edward T. Martin,who has long had the wish – hisgreatest wish – to hold in hishands the manuscript said to existat the Hemis Monastery at 14,000foot elevation, near Tibet.

Edward Martin is by anydefinition an adventurer who has

visited almost sixty countriesand climbed about a dozenmountains. He is an Englishteacher from Lampasas, Texas,where he was raised as a memberof the Church of Christ but ranafoul of popular opinion in thechurch organisation. The offencehe committed was that as ayoung Bible student he noticedone omission in the NewTestament – those Missing Years— that he thought to be ratherserious, and he began asking fartoo many questions for those inhis small town.

Edward T. Martin’s first book,King of Travelers: Jesus’ LostYears in India, inspired our film“Jesus in India.” A revised andupdated version has recentlybeen published by Yellow HatPublishing and is available at:

www.jesus-in-india-the-movie.com

and from New Leaf DistributingCompany and other sources aswell. It will jolt you andchallenge much of what youhave always taken for grantedabout the origins of Christianity,

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but it is not a prerequisite forreading this book.

This book is the story of anadventure in which I participatedas a film producer and director,travelling with Edward T. Martinand producer Anil Kumar Urmiland a dedicated crew of Hindus,Muslims, and Christians over4000 miles in India in search ofanswers to ancient mysteries. Ithen continued travelling tocontinue filming in several othercountries, including Italy, theUnited Kingdom and the UnitedStates.

In India, we confronted all kindsof dangers, from terrorism toinhospitable climates, floods,impassable roads and arduoustrain travel during India’ssummer monsoon, which waslike being roasted alive in anoven. (You’ll find that Ed makesmany references to the excessiveheat during our travels.) But wediligently searched for theanswers to the Biblical questionsthat have robbed Edward T.Martin of many nights of sleep inhis five decades of life.

Not only has Ed Martin pointedout many times that informationabout Jesus between ages twelveand thirty is missing from theNew Testament, but twoprominent Catholic scholarswhom I interviewed atGeorgetown University con-firmed it as well. Both ProfessorAlan C. Mitchell and ProfessorAnthony Tambasco, of theGeorgetown Department ofDivinity, acknowledge thatCatholics call that period ofJesus’ life either the “MissingYears” or the “Hidden Years,”and that mainstream Christianitycannot offer any informationabout those years except tospeculate that Jesus was growingup in Judea with Joseph andMary.

In the motion picture business,which has been my professionfor three decades, we call theproblem of the Missing Years a“jump cut.” In the Bible, onemoment young Jesus is twelveyears old and speaking with theJewish doctors of the law in thetemple in Jerusalem. And thensuddenly, on the next page, he’s

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thirty years old being baptized atthe River Jordan by his cousin,John the Baptist. Only onesentence in the Gospel of Luke(2:52) connects the years, and itsays: “And Jesus increased inwisdom and stature and in favourwith God and man.” End ofstory.

But for Edward T. Martin, it wasnot the end of the story; it wasthe beginning of his ownpersonal quest that has pre-occupied him for most of his life,and which has now absorbed mefor several years while makingthe film “Jesus in India.”

We found some remarkableinformation, in some veryamazing places. And there arereasons to take what these sourcestell us quite seriously. But let’s gofurther than the issue of the so-called “Missing Years” or “HiddenYears.” The very provocativequestion Christianity has avoideddiscussing since its inception isthis: Is it possible that Jesusphysically survived the cruci-fixion?

Until recent years, to even askthe question was consideredblasphemy or heresy, and soparts of this investigation maystill seem heretical to some.Christianity takes the Biblicalaccounts literally and statesunequivocally that Jesus did die– and then He was resurrectedand met with the Apostles,instructing them to preach theGospel throughout the world.Then after a period of days, the“official story” asserts that heascended to heaven to sit at theright hand of God, and that Jesuswill return again – the SecondComing – to bring judgmentupon all mankind in the FinalDays.

Edward T. Martin no longerbelieves the “official story,” buthe believes there are manyelements of historical fact in theNew Testament concerningJesus. In fact, he has tentativelyconcluded that the “officialstory” may have been a sort of“cover story,” not unlike coverstories which may have beenused to hide the fact that JohnWilkes Booth probably did not

58



really die after assassinatingLincoln, although it was made toappear that Booth did. Reportsthat Booth escaped and travelledto London by a ship departingSan Francisco (the last possibleplace he would be expected toboard to get to England), andthat he even appeared on thestage again in London, are eithernonsense or fact. People are freeto reach either conclusion. Butfor those who look, there areclues to be followed, and there istestimony and evidence.

Medical science has advanced along way in two thousand years,and today we know that the linebetween life and death issometimes impossible to define.There have been many cases, intwo thousand years, of peoplethought to be dead and nearlyconsigned to their graves, whowere not dead at all and survivedto tell their tales of “near deathexperiences.”

Author Edward T. Martin takesas fact that Jesus did appearbefore his Apostles following thecrucifixion. But he asks whether

Jesus’ actual survival could be alogical explanation for thosesightings of Him, an explanationthat does not depend upon thesupernatural. Although heaccepts that even Jesus’ survival,under those circumstances,should be regarded as a greatmiracle, justifying the cele-bration of Easter, Ed searches forevidence that Jesus escaped theRoman Empire and had acontinuing life in the east.

In the film, I sought manyopinions other than those ofEdward T. Martin. Fiveprominent Catholics weigh in onthose questions, as well as afundamentalist Christian preach-er, Hindu priests, theShankaracharya of the Hindureligion (one of the four ultimateecclesiastical authorities onHinduism, whose authority inthe Hindu world is similar to thatof the Pope in Catholicism),Buddhist monks in theHimalayas, a young Muslimscholar in London, a Jewishrabbi and many others. TheCatholics appearing in the filminclude the late Monsignor

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Corrado Balducci, who wasApostolic Nuncio of John PaulII, Professors Alan C. Mitchelland Anthony Tambasco ofGeorgetown University, MichaelHesemann, who is a Vatican-accredited journalist, and FatherBaptiste, who is the CatholicBishop of Bareilly in India. Best-selling author Professor ElainePagels of Princeton University,who wrote Beyond Belief: TheGospel of Thomas and manyother books, also made animportant contribution to thisfilm, conceding that: “We cannotrule out that Jesus may havetravelled to India.”

The Christian faithful (who pickup this book or who want towatch the DVD of thedocumentary feature motionpicture, “Jesus in India”) neednot fear that it is a one-sideddiatribe, because it certainly isnot. In fact, our assistant directoron the film, Mr. N. T. Binny ofMumbai (whom everyone callsjust “Binny”), is a devout“Thomas Christian” who said hisprayers very early every morningwhile working on the film and

who frequently reminded us that,although he could accept theevidence that Jesus possibly didjourney to India as a young man,he believes the speculation aboutthe crucifixion and its aftermathis unfounded. Jesus wasresurrected and ascended toheaven, according to Binny.Nevertheless, Binny’s curiositywas certainly piqued by the trailof inquiry, and he devoted everypossible effort to helping uscomplete each phase of theproduction. He does not agreewith some of Edward T. Martin’sconclusions, but he believes ithas taken a courage to pull backthe veil and look at these issues.

Without resolving the questionsraised in this book and in thefilm, which may never beresolved, we found that the trailof inquiry took us to Srinagar, toa specific grave believed byAhmadiyya Muslims to be thefinal resting place of thehistorical Jesus Christ. We wentthere aware that political conflictand violence in the area made thevisit dangerous – and madefilming at the tomb in a Muslim

60



district where the locals wereangry at any intrusions and didnot welcome visitors – evenmore dangerous.

The project meant so much toeach of us involved in thefilming of “Jesus in India” thatwe went there, in spite of theU.S. Secretary of State’sadmonitions for Americansconsidering such travel, and inspite of warnings at the tomb notto film it or photograph it evenfrom the outside. That warningat the tomb appears as the finalphotograph of chapter twelve ofthis book.

Even stalwart believers in Jesus’resurrection may ask themselveswhat is so threatening, and towhom, that visitors would bewarned not even to take a pictureof a certain very ancient grave innorthern India! And why doesthe grave have stone carvings ofthe feet of the prophet who isburied there, which suggest thewounds and scars of crucifixion?And why do some Christians aswell as Ahmadiyya Muslimsworship there [Ed. – Ahmadi

Muslims do not worship at anygrave], pay homage, lightcandles, shed tears – and why doall the other branches of Islamrevere the tomb, protect it anddiscourage outsiders fromapproaching? There are threeprophets in Islam – Abraham,Jesus and Muhammad [Ed.Muslims believe in hundreds ofthousands of Prophets includingmany others such as Moses(as)

and Krishna(as)] – and the tomb inquestion is called by Muslims“The Prophet’s Tomb.” NeitherAbraham nor Muhammad isburied there, so who is?

We survived the visit to Srinagarwith extraordinary footage forour film. But others in thatregion, within the very nextweek, were not so lucky, andsixteen died. Terrorismcontinues there unabated, andmost of it does not reach thewestern press. As this book ispublished, Kashmir hasdescended into bedlam, andmany of those who live there arethreatened.

My work on the film project did

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not end when the journey toIndia with Edward T. Martin wascompleted. There was still muchto do and other travels to make.The filming continued at theVatican, at Princeton University,Georgetown University, Amherstin Masssachusetts, Lampasas inTexas, London (home of ArifKhan), Florida (home ofSuzanne Olsson), and manyother places. I am indebted tomany people for their con-tributions to this film. As for mytime spent with Professor ElainePagels, interviewing her for thefilm brought me back toPrinceton University, my almamater, several decades after I hadgraduated as a young psychologystudent who had a particularlykeen interest in making motionpictures.

The result of all of this is that Icompleted a motion pictureabout Edward T. Martin’s search,“Jesus in India.”

The search itself, as described byEdward T. Martin in this book,contains elements of both heavenand hell, and in many ways it

enlightened us. Yes, we hadsome ecstatic experiences,seeing and beholding certainthings and places holy to Hindus,Christians and Buddhists that areseldom seen by western eyes. Ofour travels to about fortylocations in India, there is littleabout it that was easy but therewere parts of it that could be saidto have been blessed.

I had many reasons for making“Jesus in India,” and the originscame about while I was a studentat Princeton University. As anundergraduate student at theclose of the 1960s, when it wasstill an all-male school, I took acourse in Mahayana Buddhism,learned about the MaharishiMahesh Yogi from the Beatles(and their dedication to theteacher known as MaharishiMahesh Yogi and toTranscendental Meditation), andthen I happened upon the “bookof books” for mystical seekers,Autobiography of a Yogi, byParamahansa Yogananda.

I was raised as a non-practisingJew by agnostic parents.

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However, my father was one ofthe few Jewish professors forforty years at GeorgetownUniversity, one of the mostprominent Catholic institutionsin the U.S. As a result of readingAutobiography of a Yogi, whilein college I attended services ofYogananda’s Self-RealizationFellowship (SRF) in a privatehome about ten miles fromPrinceton.

I could scarcely have imaginedat that time that I would end upstudying film in Beverly Hills, atthe American Film InstituteCenter for Advanced FilmStudies, or that I would end upliving for thirty years in a homeatop a hill about half a mile fromthe Mount Washington “MotherCenter” of Yogananda’s Self-Realization Fellowship in LosAngeles, CA. Nor could I haveimagined then that Yogananda’swritings, so filled as they arewith devout belief in manyseemingly “supernatural”realities, including the resur-rection of Christ, would continueto hold a fascination for me andinvolve me throughout my life,

including his teachings of KriyaYoga.

My fellow producer on thisproject, who I invited to join meon this adventure, likewise wasraised with ambiguous andconflicting religious realities. AnilKumar Urmil was raised in Goa,India, the son of a Hindu fatherand a Catholic mother, both fromIndia. He knew much about thetravels of St. Thomas in India andhad long heard tales about thetravels of Jesus there. In makingthis film, he wanted to know moreabout whether he should believethe legends he had always heard,whether they had foundation infact, or whether those storiesshould be regarded as myths.

Sometimes the answers we seek inlife are not given to us. We mustbecome a seeker to find them. Wemay never find them. But withoutthe effort, without daring to try,there is never any result. Theresults of our questioning and oursearch for answers are offeredwith literary flair and considerableinsight here by Edward T. Martin.

You will find not just what hefeels we learned about the “Kingof Wisdom,” as some havedescribed Jesus in regard to hispurported travels in India, butyou will see the humour,heartaches and foibles of theauthor, who in some respects isjust a very ordinary fellow wholikes nothing more at the end ofthe day than to take off hisleather cowboy boots andunwind.

As a matter of fact, everyonewho sees our film has a goodlaugh when Ed confesses how hefirst reacted when he heard theevidence that Mother Mary isburied in Pakistan and the mortalremains of Jesus are in a tomb inKashmir.

“When I heard that, I neededanother drink,” he confessed.

As controversial as some aspectsmay prove to be, we gainedconfidence that we must havedone something right whennoted critic Pete Hammondwrote that “‘Jesus in India’ is afascinating and profound film, a

deeply spiritual journey certainto make you think and questionin ways you never have before.”

Edward T. Martin has done awonderful job of taking youalong with us to India andbeyond. And so we both inviteyou to join us for the pages thatfollow, hoping you willexperience and that you willlearn, as we did, some absolutelyfascinating things about the lifeof Jesus of Nazareth you didn’tknow before. As the Gospel ofSt. John says, “There are alsomany other things that Jesus did,which if they were written oneby one, I suppose that even theworld itself could not contain thebooks that would be written.”

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2 Liberty and Freedom in Europe - The Review of Religions · Muhammad Hanif PUBLISHER: Al Shirkatul ... 53 Jesus in India – King of Wisdom ... through the giving of balls of sesame