March 2015 Editor: Nasir Ahmad B.A. LL.B.

IN MEMORY OF JALAL-UD-DIN AKBAR IBN-I ABDULLAH, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

Vol. No. 7, Issue No. 25

PageCONTENTS

Al-Azhar views on the position of Shia School of Thought in Islam 2

Brief report from the Berlin Mosque 3Amir Aziz Al-Azhari

Should sermons be delivered in German only? Interview of Mr. Amir Aziz by an Austrian Correspondent 4

Conversation with a Danish Priest Report by Mr. Ahmed Saadat 6

“Long Night of Religions” at the Berlin Mosque 10

The life of Prophet Muhammad and his importance in Islam 11Faizaan Ahmad

Islam on Ridiculous Cartoons 16Raffique Ali

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AL-AZHAR VIEWS ON THE POSITION OF SHIA SCHOOL OF THOUGHT IN ISLAM

TRANSLATION BY F. M. MAHDAVIMY OF AN INTERVIEW TO THE EGYPTIAN TV CHANNEL “AL-NEEL” WITH SHEIKH AL-AZHAR, DR. AHMAD AL-TAYYIB

Q. In your opinion, isn’t there any problem in Shia Beliefs?A. Never, 50 years ago Shaikh Mahmood Shaltoot, the then Chancellor of Al Azhar, had issued a

fatwa that Shia School is the fifth Islamic School and are like as the other schools.

Q. Our children are embracing Shia Islam, what should we do?A. Let them convert and to embrace Shia School. If someone leaves Maliki or Hanafi Sect, do we

criticize him? These children are just leaving fourth school and join the fifth.

Q. The Shias are becoming relatives with us and they are getting married with our children!A. What is wrong with this, marriage between religions is allowed.

Q. It is said that the Shias have a different Quran!A. These are the myths and superstitions of the elderly women. Shia Quran has no any difference

with ours, and even the script of their Quran is like our alphabet.

Q. 23 clerics of a country (Saudi Arabia) issued a fatwa that the Shia are infidels, heretics (Kafirs)!!A. Al-Azhar is the only authority to issue fatwa for Muslims; therefore the above said fatwa is invalid

and unreliable.

Q. So what does the difference – being raised between the Shia and the Sunni – mean?A. These differences are the part of the policies of foreign powers who seek conflict between The

Shia and the Sunni.

Q. I have a very serious question that “the Shia do not accept Abu Bakr and Umar, how you can say they are Muslims?”

A. Yes, they do not accept them. But is the belief in Abu Bakr and Umar a part of the principles of Islam? The story of Abu Bakr and Umar is historic and history has nothing to do with fundamentals of the beliefs.

Q. (The reporter surprised by the response, asks) Shia has a fundamental problem and that is “they say that their Imam the time (رصعلا ماما) is still alive after 1,000 years!”

A. He may be alive, why is it not possible? But there is no reason that we – as Sunni – should believe just like them.

Q. (Referring to Imam Mohammad Taqi al-Jawad AS, (the 9th Imam of Shias) the reporter asked) The Shias believe that one of their Imams was just eight-year old when he became Imam; is it possible that an eight-year-old child be the Imam?

A. If an infant in a cradle can be a prophet (Issa AS), then why an eight-year-old child can not be the Imam? It is not strange. Although we may not accept this belief as we are Sunni. However, this belief does not harm their Islam, and they are Muslims.

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BRIEF REPORT FROM THE BERLIN MOSQUE

AMIR AZIZ AL-AZHARI

27 February 2015With the blessings of Allah, I reached Berlin safely on 21 February 2015. The first Friday sermon was delivered on 27 February.

The same evening, Dr Gerdien Jonker, a University research scholar and a very good ‘Friend of the Mosque’, came with a group of students who be-longed to various faiths. She gave a talk to them in the Mosque for half an hour about the history of the Mosque and the Imams. Later on, I was asked to explain the difference between Ahmadiyya and non-Ahmadiyya beliefs.

I explained the difference and also narrated the whole situation regarding our Jama‘at from the time of Hazrat Mirza Sahib’s death till the year 1994, when extremely discriminatory laws were passed against both sections of the Ahmadiyya Movement. The programme lasted for an hour. I am pleased that

Dr Jonker got clarification on the Ahmadiyya viewpoint. It may be noted that Dr Jonker is deeply in-volved in the history and impact of the Ahmadiyya Movement during the inter-war period in Europe.

“Berlin TV”. TV Berlin interviewed me last Thursday. The theme of the interview was the visit of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem to our Mosque in 1942. One day before the interview I had researched the Mufti’s visit and read all information from the website and from our own literature. I explained the historical background of his visit to our Mosque. I clarified the point that the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement did not agree with his point of view and disapproved of his political agenda. He was allowed to visit the Mosque and deliver a speech because at that time there was no other mosque in Berlin and during the critical time of World War II this was the only one catering to the Muslim community in Berlin.

Interview for channel i24newsOn 4 March, Polina Garaev, an Austrian correspondent in Berlin for the channel, recorded a one-hour detailed interview. She asked about the problems Muslims are facing and also about the position of Ahmadiyya thoughts about extremist views. It was a detailed interview.

[The relevant portion of the interview is reproduced in this issue of the Bulletin. – Ed.]

Selection for recitation in ‘Berlin Poetry Programme’With Allah’s blessings, my recitation of the Qur’an has been selected to participate as part of the Poetry Programme, the theme of which is ‘Religion this Year’. My recitation has been recorded and has been sent for final approval.

5 March 2015A group of 15 teachers visited the Mosque and had discussions for one and half hours. It was a very significant meeting and the group was much impressed by our presentation of the teachings of Islam

Mr. Amir Aziz studying in the new office set

up in the side room of the Mosque.

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and the efforts of the Mosque. They promised to visit us in future, as well. Free literature was given to them.

* * *

SHOULD SERMONS BE DELIVERED IN GERMAN ONLY?

CAN IT BE AN EFFECTIVE MEASURE TO PREVENT EXTREMISM IN GERMANY?AUSTRIAN LAW REQUIRING MUSLIM CLERICS TO PREACH IN GERMAN GETS

MIXED REACTIONS

An extract relevant to the Berlin Mosque is being reproduced below. The article was done by Ms Polina Garaev under the title “Ahmadiyya Mosque”.

Mr Amir Aziz came to Berlin less than two weeks ago, after he was appointed Imam of the oldest mosque in Germany. In preparation for his new position, he stud-

ied German in his homeland, Pakistan, but still struggles with the language. Nevertheless, he insists on giving his sermons, at least partially, in German, believing that “addressing the public in the local language is the best way to

convey a message.”

This conciliatory attitude towards the use of German language in mosques differs greatly from the sharp criticism incurred by a recent Austrian decision to demand that all Imams learn the local tongue. Last week, the German Bundestag President, Norbert Lammert, added fuel to the fire by suggesting that Germany should adopt a similar law. Mr Aziz isn’t worried by that possibility: “The main difference is that now I need to look at my pages when I give a sermon. If I don’t understand something, I can always ask someone in the crowd to translate for me.”

But some politicians in Germany believe he shouldn’t have to. Lammert’s interview over the week-end with the German newspaper Die Welt – in which he argued that the Austrian legislation “is an interesting attempt to bring clarity, for which there is demand in Germany” – has caused much

German and French translations of the Qur'an by Maulana Muhammad Displayed.

Mr. Amir Aziz, the new Imam.

Ms. Poline Garvear, Austrian Correspondent, for i24 News Channel.

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controversy, with several politicians from the left-wing of the political map warning of the onset of a “language police.”

The Austrian legislation, which bans Islamic cultural organizations from receiving foreign funding, also compels Imams to be able to speak German under the law, in the hope of making their comments more accessible and transparent, while also facilitating the absorption of Muslims into Austrian so-ciety. Lammert suggested to do the same in Germany, and was backed by Andreas Scheuer, the chair of the conservative CSU party, who said the demand was a precondition for “successful integration.”

Yet other politicians were outraged. The co-chairperson of Germany’s Green party, Katrin Göring-Eckardt, rejected the notion of cementing this requirement in law, saying: “We do not prohibit Jews from speaking Hebrew in synagogues.” Cem Özdemir, another Green party leader, has also warned that enforcing a law of this sort might only be the beginning. “We want no language police, which might also intervene in the use of Latin, Hebrew or Arabic,” he told the Welt am Sonntag.

Mr Aziz, on his part, doesn’t see the harm in government intervention. “This law should apply to all communities; all religions should give sermons in the native language of the country where they reside,” he stated. His Mosque is attended by many native German speakers, but also immigrants from Turkey and Sudan and foreign diplomats working in Germany. Like him, they are also not always fluent in German. Still, he is convinced in the effectiveness of the local language.

Instead of focusing on the suggested invasion of personal and religious space, he called on his col-leagues to acknowledge the law’s motivation. “I understand the purpose of the Austrian law, which comes in light of recent events in Europe,” added Aziz. “The government fears that when I speak Arabic I might be trying to convince people to become fundamentalists, and they are trying to make sure that no part of the service is harmful to society.”

However, even he stressed that not everything can be translated. “The parts of the prayer which are in Arabic, must remain so. This is how it’s been done since the time of the Prophet Muhammad. If the government wants to know what we are saying, they can ask for the translation and check, in order to eliminate all misunderstandings. But the main ritual recitations are something which cannot be replaced by its translation.”

* * *

Signs of the End

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. 1. The calamity! 2. What is the

calamity? 3. And what will make you know how terrible is the calamity? 4. The day

when people will be as scattered moths, 5. and the mountains will be as flakes of

wool. 6. Then as for him whose good deeds are heavy, 7. he will live a pleasant

life. 8. And as for him whose good deeds are light, 9. the abyss is a mother (or

abode) to him. 10. And what will make you know what that is? 11. A burning Fire.

(Al-Qariah 101:1-7)

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CONVERSATION WITH A DANISH PRIEST

JESPER THOBO-CARLSEN

(The following is an edited English version of a report published in a Danish paper about a conver-sation between Mr Ahmed Saadat, then acting Imam of the Berlin Mosque, and a Danish priest Ms. Iben Vinther Nordestgaard, at the Berlin Mosque. The Danish church (Brienner Strasse 12) is within walking distance from the Berlin Mosque. The Priest and the staff of the Church are very helpful and supportive, even sometimes bringing visitors to the Mosque. The report was published on 17 January 2015. – Ed.)

A Pakistani Imam and a Danish priest attend each other’s sermons in Berlin. The Imam believes that terrorists, like those from Paris, should be hanged on the street as a warning.

One by one, the small congregation pops up in the worn, old Berliner Mosque, a little pompously also called “Wilmersdorfs Taj Mahal”. It is Germany’s oldest functioning mosque, but not known by very many Berliners. It’s Friday. Two days after the terrorist attack on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, which the whole world is talking about. Imam Ahmed Saadat has chosen freedom and peace as the theme for his sermon, and he quickly gets on to the tragedy in Paris.

“It is a very sad moment in history. We condemn – as a Muslim and as a human being. At the same time, we must not give justification or excuses and say it was this or that. They are not Muslims. I do not regard them as human beings,” says Ahmed Saadat to the congregation, which gradually grows to a few dozen men and three women.

The Mosque belongs to the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement, which preaches peace, tolerance and women’s right to self-determination. According to Ahmed Saadat, the Koran’s message is of peace and respect. He says there may be a hundred reasons why the killers in Paris did … “It has nothing to do with Islam. I do not even consider them as human beings. But still, I feel as a Muslim the pressure of this gruesome incident. I’m sorry. Ultimately, I speak only of what God tells us, and it’s all about peace, love and respect. On the other hand, we see so-called Muslims who kill. They are extremists.

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I feel the pain it has caused to the cause of religion, especially Islam. But I am 100 percent sure that those people who do not know the message of Islam will get a wrong message,” he told Berlingske.

What is Islam’s response to radical propaganda?“No, if you hear me, Islam has the opposite message. If you kill a man, you kill the whole of human-ity. If you save a person, you save all of humanity. So I try to tell other Muslims that they should not feel guilty, even though it is difficult because of TV and media coverage,” says Ahmed Saadat.

Also, the large Muslim associations in Germany have sharply condemned the killings. The peaceful tone of the Imam disappears when the talk is about the killers. The authorities should act harder than that, he believes. Much harder. “I would personally wish that terrorists – whether they are from any Muslim country; whether they call themselves Muslims or Christians – should be hanged to death in front of people. Something that should deter such cruel people. I can only speak about peace and love. My approach will never be aggressive. But, for example, police and politicians in all countries – Denmark, Germany, Pakistan – they must punish them, maybe in the street where everyone can see it, as a deterrent,” he said.

Some terrorists are suicide bombers. It does not seem they are scared of death?“I’m not sure what to say about the theme. Who are they and what are their intentions? What motivates them? As a student of religion, I know that religion never motivates this kind of brutality. So I will never blame religion. Religion only gives direction and promotes virtuous deeds,” he said.

One of the women sitting at the back of the Mosque during the sermon is the pastor Iben Vinther Nordestgaard from Christianskirken, the Christian Danish congregation in Berlin. Her church is locat-ed diagonally across the street, and she sometimes comes to Ahmed Saadat’s Friday sermon, as he goes to her services. The German Church’s relationship with Islam is good, she says. It makes great effort for dialogue and focuses on a common concept rather than Christians “für sich,” she says. “The relationship between Muslims and the rest of Germany at some places is more problematic,” she says. “The Muslims I know try wherever possible to integrate. But it is clear that depending on which Islamic line you go for there is a problem with accepting the values in German society. It is clear that when you walk in a burka, you signal something different from German values,” she says.

How widespread is it?“I do not see so many in burka. I see a lot in scarves, and I also think I see an increasing number of scarves just in the eight years we’ve been here.”

Do you feel it in the schools?“Actually, it’s a problem in some schools where bullying from Turks is a big issue. I also know from my colleagues in the clergy who have classes at schools with a large number of Muslims that it is a problem for them to teach about Christianity ….”

Every Monday in Dresden, self-proclaimed ‘patriots’ go to the streets to protest against what they claim is an ongoing ‘Islamization’ of Germany and Western Europe. Iben Vinther Nordestgaard can-not see the Islamization of Germany. But more young Muslims become radicalised.

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“They also experience a greater radicalisation among young people in the Muslim communities. I think it is as a consequence of that that they are not accepted in the society. It is my feeling. Maybe it is due to the fact that they do not have many opportunities to improve their lot. Many send appli-cation after application for jobs, and they just do not get anything. It is clear that if you get rejected and are never allowed in, one tries to find other opportunities which are easily available, and it may be available in the form of religious adventurism or deeds performed in the name of Allah,” says Iben Vinther Nordestgaard.

If it is a form which one grasps in desperation when no alternative is available, then extremism becomes the breeding ground for it. What is the response from a priest?“It will, of course, be all the time – and that also goes for pastors when preaching – to urge for humanity. All the time talking about your neighbour and the responsibility you have towards the people you meet,” she says.

Is there, from your perspective, something in Islam that may condition this reaction in some rad-icalised youth?“I think, and I have also talked to the Imam about this, that there is a completely different concept of fear in Islam. It’s a religion of Law – viz. Shariah – many rules and guidelines for almost all aspects of life. The Christian religion does not have this. In Christianity there is no such element of fear. It guar-antees “fear not”. We stand before our judge, but it is a judgment for acquittal, and forgiveness,” she says.

Is it not a vengeful God you should fear?“No, it is grace and of pure mercy. I talked to the Imam about the concept of fear, and he said: ‘Well, the element of fear is there when you shun something which is prohibited either by law or religion. That’s, for instance, why I do not drink alcohol.’ Of course, such abstinence may also come out of judgement. If you live in constant fear of God, you are lacking boldness to live a free life, I think. I believe we as Protestants enjoy that state of ‘no fear’,” she says.

But this can take you to hell right away.“Mmm, that you can say, but I believe not. I really think we are His children all together, and He loves us unconditionally,” said Iben Vinther Nordestgaard.

Pegida demonstrations in Dresden have bypassed Ahmed Saadat’s attention. As English-speaking Imam who is only in Berlin temporarily, he does not follow the media much. Today’s sermon is his last before he returns to Pakistan after three years and three months. He sees Germany as a ‘friendly and tolerant’ country. “Actually, I experience more freedom to express what I believe as a member of a rational and progressive school of thought. I mean, the Lahore Ahmadiyya school of thought,” he said.

Some opponents of Islam in Europe, like some radical Muslims, feel that Islam and Western civili-sation are incompatible.“I do not agree,” says Ahmed Saadat.

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Is there a problem between unreformed Islam and democracy?“My answer is that there is only one Islam. I belong to the Lahore Movement. We may differ in the concept and nature of certain beliefs but we all believe in the fundamentals. God is One and Universal and the message and guidance brought by the Holy Prophet Muhammad is complete and final. There is no difference on fundamentals. In this regard, no group or school of thought differs. This is Islam; simple and pure. You surrender to God. I do my best to follow the fundamentals,” he said.

There are different schools of thought in Islam. It is a basic fact.“I do not deny their existence. Similarly, there are good and evil. The only thing I say is that we must promote and enjoy what is good and forbid what is evil,” says Ahmed Saadat, who also says he has never heard hate sermons in Berlin.

For the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement jihad means that one must control oneself, he explains. “If someone wants to kill me, then I must defend myself. And if someone dies in self-defence, I will appreciate his courage. But there are other Islamic rules: do not kill civilians; do not take their prop-erty by force or by illegal means. As the US Military ruthlessly attacked Afghanistan after September 11, many innocent women, children and old people died. For instance, if 1,000 people died on September 11, so perhaps 10,000 people died in Afghanistan. I see it as nonsense. That’s the kind I see that incites more radicalisation. Such unjustified and uncalled for acts of aggression are set up as Christians-and-Muslims, or Muslims-Jews conflicts. When in such unprovoked acts of aggression innocent people die, it’s very sad and deplorable. It creates sympathy for those killed and hatred against the aggressors. I have seen that since September 11 things have become more aggressive; uglier. We have lost peace. Perhaps you know that in my country we also have suicide bomb attacks every other week. Children are dying. I have never seen before such things happening in Pakistan as is the case in the last 10-15 years,” said the Imam.

Imam: “Some Germans see Islam as a threat.”

The Danish Priest, Vinther Nordestgaard, says she does not think so. But she adds: “Our laws are not conditioned by the Lord. We make them ourselves, but, of course, with our neighbour in mind. Our politicians, of course, should keep this in mind. It’s also why we have an opening service for the Parliament, so that they should know the limits of their authority. If you always operate with ‘your neighbour’ in mind, you can take stock of what country or what time you are in. That, I do not think, Islam does,” she says.

A study by the Bertelsmann Foundation shows that Germany’s Muslims overwhelmingly share democratic values. Nine out of ten ‘religious’ Muslims think, for example, that democracy is good governance.

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Why is this democratic orientation not taken seriously by many Germans?“I think it is because the minority of Muslims talk really loud. And then it’s easy to get scared – even about the smallest things. The element of fear breeds hatred and fills a lot in many people,” says the Priest.

[Translation: Die Berliner Zeitung (Lange Nacht des Religions).]

* * *

“LONG NIGHT OF RELIGIONS” AT THE BERLIN MOSQUE

“GREEN IS THE COLOUR OF ISLAM”

(“Long Night of Religions” is the day fixed by the Germany Government when all places of prayer and worship are required to be kept open for visitors. For the convenience of the visitors, these places

are open from morning till late in the evening. As compared to other countries, our experience is that people in Germany, and especially in Berlin, take a keen interest in visiting religious centres. On some occasions, the turnout at the Berlin Mosque is about 600 to 700 people in a day. During the time of Mr Muhammad Ali, a green light was installed at the main entrance of the Mosque. It not only looks fascinating to the visitors but it is also visible from a long distance away. Green is the favourite colour of Muslims, as it is the colour of the dome of the mausoleum of the Holy Prophet (saw). The news clipping (below) is taken from Berliner Zeitung (a newspaper of Berlin). The photo of the entrance has also been taken from the same issue of the newspaper – Ed.)

Green is the colour of Islam. The Ahmadiyya Mosque was lit green on the “Long Night of Religions” to welcome guests.

20.15. The Ahmadiyya Lahore Mosque in the deserted Briennerstraße in Wilmersdorf is the oldest mosque in Germany, dating back to the 1920s. It is a beautiful white building with minarets. For

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the evening, it is bathed in green light. The members of the community have made it their goal to practice Islam in its original, true form. At least, that is what’s written in the programme. Ahmed Saadat is a handsome man with a broad smile. The Pakistani has been in charge of the mosque for three years. “Most of the other Muslims perceive us as infidels,” he says. “We are not.”

There are few people there; nearly all of them are men. Most of them seem to be in communication with the community. Hardly a few minutes there, there are already deep theological discussions. The individual details are only difficult to grasp for a layman. It is about the non-recognition of the Prophet to the return of Jesus Christ and, in another conversation, certain details from the biography of Muhammad. The atmosphere is friendly, but not laidback. You do not want to be misrepresented, especially not in the press.

* * *

THE LIFE OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN ISLAM

FAIZAAN AHMAD, AYLESBURY, UK

(Talk delivered at the monthly meeting of the UK Ahmadiyya Jama‘at at Wembley, London.)

Dear respected elders, brothers and sisters, Assalamo alaikum.

“Surely, a Messenger has come unto you from among yourselves; grievous to him is that you should fall into trouble; he is ardently desirous of your welfare; and to the believers he is compassionate, merciful” (9:128).

Yesterday marked the twelfth day of Rabi’ al-Awwal according to the Hijri calendar. On this day in 571 AD, Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was born.

Today, I will talk about the life of Prophet Muhammad (saw), and his importance in Islam.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) was born among a people of no established religion, consisting of different tribes who worshipped tribal idols and other objects. Knowledge and learning were very limited, and no system of justice, rights, or law existed in the land, apart from tribal customs and codes. Exploitation of the weak, slaves, and women prevailed. Arabia had largely been untouched by the great civilisations and cultures that passed to its north. It was a desolate time with a total absence of any form of political organisation. It was a completely male-dominated society where drinking, gambling, and polygamy were the norm. Prophet Muhammad (saw) was able to bring about a new mind-set, freed from the root-, blind-following of ancestral traditions. He made the people aware of the falsehood of their former customs, so this awareness could protect them from lapsing back into such modes of thought.

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Until the age of forty nothing had actually been revealed to Prophet Muhammad (saw) by Allah. At an early age he was renowned for his honesty, integrity, trustworthiness, and service to the poor, and that is why he was commonly known as Al-Amin, meaning The Faithful, and this not only implied his honesty in matters of money but it denoted his righteousness in every form. He felt more and more grieved at the fallen state of society around him, and shortly before he reached the age of forty he began to retreat to a cave in Mount Hira, a few miles outside Makkah, for solitary prayer, contemplation, and fasting. He pondered on the meaning of life and how people could be reformed.

One night in the month of Ramadan, the angel Gabriel appeared in front of Prophet Muhammad (saw) and said: “Iqra’!” (Read). “I do not know how to read,” was the Holy Prophet’s reply. Then the angel hugged him close to his chest and asked him to read again. Three times the angel repeated the request to read, and as many times the Holy Prophet (saw) pleaded his inability to do so. Then the angel Gabriel commanded Prophet Muhammad (saw) to read the following verses (96:1-5), the English translation of which is as follows:

Read in the name of thy Lord who creates,Creates man from a clot.Read, and thy Lord is the most Generous,Who taught by the pen,Taught man that what he knew not.

This was the first day the heavy responsibility of prophethood was placed on the Prophet’s shoul-ders. The right path in the quest of which he had been so long engaged was at last revealed to him. The light for which he had been eagerly searching came to him. It was, however, made known to him at the same time that the stupendous charge of human reformation was to rest on his shoulders.

The Holy Qur’an was revealed in a period of twenty-three years, and when Prophet Muhammad (saw) delivered the last sermon in the field of Arafat during the Pilgrimage, there were approximate-ly 124 to 144 thousand Muslims present. There was no other time in the past two millenniums that one person has changed the lives and minds of so many people in such a short time! And, amazingly, the impact of our Holy Prophet (saw) still affects millions of lives every day. … Can you imagine anyone in our modern times that has achieved this much influence to such an extent?

After receiving the support of Hazrat Khadija – the Prophet’s first believer and main supporter – and additional angelic visits, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) felt strengthened, and he became confident to shoulder the grand responsibility as the Messenger of God and he began to preach, as he had been commanded.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad’s message to his countrymen was to convert from pagan polytheism, immorality and materialism, and to repent from evil and to worship Allah, the only true God. He was always careful to clarify his role in God’s work: he was only a prophet; he was not an angel, he did not know the mind of God, he did not work miracles. He simply preached what he had received.

In the first three years of his ministry, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) gained only 40 followers, and as his teachings threatened the Meccan way of life – both moral and economic – he and his followers experienced heavy persecution. It first took the form of mockery, but soon turned into

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open violence. Members of the small movement were stoned, covered in dirt as they prayed, beaten with sticks, thrown into prison, and refused service by merchants.

Persecution continued to increase until the Holy Prophet (saw) received some welcome news: he had gained followers in the city of Yathrib, 280 miles north of Mecca. The city was in need of a strong leader, and a delegation from Yathrib proposed that Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) take the job. In return, they pledged to worship Allah only, obey the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) and defend him and his followers to the death. Allah revealed His approval of this arrangement, and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) made plans to escape to Yathrib.

The leaders in Mecca got an inkling of the planned escape, and attempted to prevent it. But the Holy Prophet (saw) and his close friend, Abu Bakr, managed to make a narrow escape to the north of the city, evading a Meccan search party and arriving safely in Yathrib. Yathrib was renamed Medinat al-Nabi (the City of the Prophet) and is now known simply as Medina (the City).

In Medina, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) proved himself an able politician and statesman as well as a versatile prophet.

Exercising superb statecraft, he welded the five heterogeneous and conflicting tribes of the city, three of which were Jewish, into an orderly confederation.... His reputation spread and people be-gan to flock from every part of Arabia to see him.

After the Prophet (saw) had established himself in Medina and accomplished the job he had been in-vited to do, the people of Medina began several years of battle with Mecca. In 624, the Muslims won their first battle against the Meccans. As the latter had a much larger army, the Muslims took the victory as a sign that Allah was on their side. However, a subsequent battle was not victorious, and Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) himself was wounded. But in 627, the Meccans attacked Medina with the support of all major opponents of Islam, and after a tense and critical battle in Medina, the Holy Prophet (saw) came out on top.

In 630, the Meccans breached the conditions of the Truce of Hudaibiyya and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) and his forces marched to Mecca where they won a bloodless victory. The Prophet (saw) rededicated the Ka‘bah temple to Allah, and shortly thereafter witnessed the conversion to Islam of nearly the entire Meccan population.

Mr William Montgomery Watt, a professor of Islamic and Arabic Studies at Edinburgh University, wrote a biography of the Prophet (saw) called Muhammad at Mecca, Muhammad at Medina in two volumes. He says: “One thing baffles me. I cannot understand how one man, who has no formal education, could lead a community who behaved like animals, and transform them into men the world had never seen before.”

Now that I have given you a brief overview of Prophet Muhammad’s life, I will look at how the revelation of the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Prophet’s actions changed the world.

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Gift of readingFirstly, the Holy Prophet (saw) gave the world the gift of reading. In the world before Prophet Muhammad (saw), reading generally used to be the prerogative of the royal family, of the families of the nobles and aristocrats, and of the clerical and priestly classes.

Others were often discouraged or even prevented from learning to read and write. In some instances, they were punished. That situation changed completely after the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw). The very first word that he brought from God in the Qur’an commanded everyone everywhere, male, as well as female, to read. “Read! Iqra’!” was the message given in the middle of the seventh century. Today, in the twenty-first century, learning to read and write is one of the most pressing and common priorities throughout the world, no matter what one’s race, religion, class, age or gender.

So, the gift of universal literacy, across gender, races and classes, is one of the most profound ways in which the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) changed the world.

Female liberationSecondly, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) gave women freedom and dignity. Before him, wom-en everywhere lacked rights. Europeans wondered if women had a soul. They called women the Instruments of the Devil and Gateways to Hell. They denied women the right to inherit their parents’ or husbands’ property. In Arabia, fathers buried their own daughters alive. The Qur’an put an end to this. It taught the principle of male-female parity in reward and punishment – worldly and oth-er-worldly, and it made women partners of males in the inheritance process. The Qur’an doesn’t have a chapter called “The Men,” even though the whole world sang the praises of men all the time. It has, however, a chapter called “The Women” (An-Nisa’), going back 1400 years. An-Nisa’ or “The Women” is the fourth chapter of the Qur’an and it is also one of the longest chapters of the Qur’an. This is the kind of glorious revolution that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) brought about in the status of women in the world, through the implementation and preaching of the Qur’an.

Before Muhammad (saw), humanity was in chains. The world belonged to the kings and to the rich, and ordinary human beings were their property. The broad mass of humanity was called serfs, riffraff, villains, peasants, and a lot else. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) set human beings free and gave them the most honoured title of “The People.” America ought to be proud, and rightly so, for having used in their Constitution the words “We, the People.” That expression, “the People,” is a direct reference to the Qur’an. I am providing below the words of the Constitution of the United States of America. But I want to know if anyone, Muslim or non-Muslim, American or otherwise, ever wondered how closely related these words are with the spirit of the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) from the middle of the seventh century.

Constitution of the United States of AmericaIt says: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and se-cure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

These are simply the teachings given in the Qur’an on equality, just with a different order of words. And this message was given to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) in the seventh century! A special

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thing to note is An-Nas, meaning “The People”, is mentioned over 200 times to show the importance of this message of humanity and equality.

As I mentioned earlier, governments before the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) were absolute mon-archies, dictatorships, and tyrannies, and no true form of organisation existed within politics. All the rights belonged to the rich and the powerful, and none to the common people. Most kings claimed to have the power of God behind their throne, and the claim of the kings to rule by Divine Right was never questioned. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) put an end to that. He taught the world the lesson of Liberty and Human Equality. “O People,” he said in Chapter 4 (The Women), “fear your God, Who created you all from one soul, and then from that one soul He created its mate, and then from the two of them He caused to spring forth many, many men and women” (4:1). Can you imagine a more revolutionary message of human equality across race, class, gender, and all other kinds of boundaries and barriers, and all this in the middle of the seventh century? Everyone knows what kind of a world it was in terms of race, class and gender disparity, discrimination and oppression. And yet this is the message the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) gave to the world, with the guidance of Allah. This was also the Divine blueprint on the basis of which the Holy Prophet (saw) then set about building the most egalitarian society the world has ever known.

“Government of the People by the People”These words are attributed to Abraham Lincoln, a fighter for national unity and human liberty and equality, and, rightly so, as they are taken directly from his Gettysburg address.

Lincoln began his address by saying: “… our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

How are these words not a reflection of, and a commentary upon, the words of the Qur’an and of the Hadith, the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (saw): “Surely, this nation of yours is one nation, and I am your Lord, so worship Me” (Holy Qur’an, 21:92).

Lincoln then goes on to end his address with the following words: “… that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

In many ways, these words capture the essence of the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) in this world. They encapsulate his dealings with the people – his followers – whom he referred to as his Companions (Ashab).

Finally, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) was ordered by Allah to give the message (to para-phrase): “All I am is a human being just like you, even though I receive revelation from God.”

Can anyone provide or point to a more solid foundation of egalitarian democracy, than this?

So, this is what the Prophet Muhammad (saw) gave the world in the realm of politics and government.

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From superstition to rationalityBefore the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw), the world was steeped in superstition of every kind and description. Prophet Muhammad (saw) was the one who put an end to all that with a singular phrase: “Laa ilaaha illallaah.” (There is no god but Allah.)

Prophet Abraham taught that same message; as did Prophet Moses in the Old Testament; as did Prophet Jesus (peace be upon them all), and then the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) changed the entire world using those same four words: “Laa ilaaha illallah.”

He also made religion common sense and simple rationality, and not blind faith.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) thus tried to abolish all religious tyrannies and priestly hierar-chies, and idolaters, and through the message of the Qur’an and Allah, he tried to bring not only the country of Arabia, but the world, into a state of peace and harmony, which could have only been achieved through Islam.

These are just a few examples of the impact Prophet Muhammad (saw) had on the world. It is, of course, obvious to state that all his messages came from Allah, and he was the messenger. However, due to his honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness among many other beautiful attributes, he truly lived up to his name Al-Amin (The Faithful), and he truly was the only one who could have delivered such a life-giving message.

It would take thousands of pages to cover all the positive effects he had on society. I hope, though, that I have given a sufficient overview of how the messages within the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad’s life can shaped modern society on egalitarian bases.

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ISLAM ON RIDICULOUS CARTOONS

RAFFIQUE ALI

(Khutbah delivered at the Wajidali Memorial Mosque, California, Trinidad, on 27 February 2015)

“Verily, those who annoy Allah and His Messenger, Allah has cursed them in this world and in the Hereafter, and has prepared for them a humiliating torment” (33:57).

Brothers and Sisters, the verse I have just read is taken from Surah Al-Ahzab of the Holy Qur’an. You will recall that sometime recently two masked gunmen, shouting “Allahu Akbar”, entered the offices of a French magazine called Charlie Hebdo in Paris, France. They opened fire using automatic weapons and killed at least twelve people, including the publisher of the magazine, and even some innocent people who had nothing to do with the magazine. We were told that the magazine had published cartoons depicting the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw), which were insulting to the Holy Founder of Islam and the Muslim Ummah.

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So, just when you think that things couldn’t get any worse in the Muslim Ummah, you receive this disturbing news. Here I am again being placed in a very awkward position because the murderers purport to belong to the same faith that I hold so dear. Once again, I am called to defend my religion and to try and explain to my friends that Muslims are not terrorists and Islam does not condone violence or killing of other human beings.

Image of Islam being tarnishedAre you not tired of this? I know I am. Because of incidents like these, the Muslim Ummah now finds itself spending a considerable amount of time defending our great religion. Why? All because of a few misguided and bigoted people who are either unfamiliar with the Holy Qur’an or have misinter-preted what they read or are being used by others to do their dirty work. It is passing strange that these people are more troubled by a few childish cartoons of the Holy Prophet (saw) than the image of Islam they are showing to the world.

When Charlie Hebdo printed those cartoons, I, like so many other Muslims, was angry. As Muslims, we had every right to be because people were ridiculing a man whom we hold in the highest esteem, a man whom we all love and whose lifestyle and teachings we all try to emulate. The anger resonat-ed throughout the world and people were incensed to mount large demonstrations to protest the act of Charlie Hebdo.

Some important questionsBut we are Muslims. Our lives are guided by the words of Allah as revealed in the Holy Qur’an, and by the life and practices of His beloved Messenger (saw). This raises some very important issues.

The questions we have to ask ourselves are, firstly, is it right for a Muslim to kill people for such an act, and secondly, how would the Holy Prophet (saw) have handled such a situation?

In the first place, the Holy Qur’an never enjoins people to murder or persecute those who mock Islam or any of its precepts. The Qur’an is very clear on this. On the contrary, it advises us to re-solve such issues through peaceful means, using civil dialogue or by ignoring or walking away from such situations.

People become very emotional when their religion is attacked. They seem compelled to do some-thing about it and to act. And this is quite often a normal reaction in human nature. I, myself, was very angry and offended by this portrayal of our beloved Prophet. I firmly believe that Muslims should react and take action to let everyone know that we are offended.

The question here is what type of action the Muslim Ummah should engage in. We all believe that the Holy Qur’an teaches us how to conduct ourselves in this life. We also believe that the Holy Qur’an has the solution for all our problems, and it enjoins on us the type of behaviour we must engage in to resolve those problems.

So, when people clamour to take action when they see their religion being mocked or attacked, I agree and say take action by all means. But does it have to be violent? I say to you that this should never be, and there is no justification in Islam for engaging in the taking of lives for such a reason. I

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was unable to find any verse in the Qur’an which supports blasphemy against the Holy Prophet (saw) as a crime punishable by death.

In Surah Al-An‘am, Allah says: “When you see them engaged in vain discourse about our signs, turn away from them unless they engage in a different subject. If Satan ever makes you forget [i.e. if your mind gets engrossed in their discourse], then as soon as you recollect, no longer sit in the company of the people who confound the truth with falsehood” (6:8).

So, Allah is telling us that instead of persecuting people who mock Islam, we should withdraw from any activity associated with such mockery. What this means to me is that we are not supposed to harbour ill feelings or enmity towards them, much less kill them.

In Surah Al-Qasas, we are again instructed: “Whenever they [the believers] hear vain talk of ridicule, they withdraw from it decently and say, To us our deeds and to you yours. Peace be upon you, we do not seek to join the ignorant” (28:55).

Have you noticed how a Bad John (bully) operates? His answer to everything is violence and ag-gression. As soon as you try to have dialogue with him or attempt to engage him in discussion, he becomes very confused and is put on the defensive. In the same way, force is the preferred way when people are frustrated and there is no rational answer to offer. So when someone depicts the Holy Prophet (saw) as a war-monger and a paedophile and we respond by persecuting them, all we do is perhaps reinforce the perception that ours is a religion of tyrants.

It seems very clear to me that we should devote more time to studying the faith that we are willing to kill to defend, and learn from it.

In addition, our beloved Messenger was not the only messenger of Allah to be mocked and ridiculed. Read the story of Prophet Abraham, Prophet Moses, Prophet Noah, and Prophet Jesus (may Allah be pleased with them) and you will see that they were mocked, ridiculed and physically harmed when they attempted to carry out their ministry.

Surah Ya Sin tells us: “Alas for My servants! There comes not a messenger to them but they mock him” (36:30).

It is interesting to note that although the Holy Qur’an clearly states that all the prophets were sub-jected to attacks by others, there is no evidence that the attackers were ever ordered to be punished for blasphemy or even persecution.

I believe that some Muslims in their ignorance of the Holy Qur’an and, in their extreme love per-haps, try to outdo their reverence for the Prophet Muhammad (saw) and to prove to the world that they love him more because they consider him the best among the Prophets. Showing respect and reverence in such a violent manner does not in any way impress others; rather, they entertain more enmity against him.

It could be that Muslims use this to establish their identity as the followers of Muhammad (saw) and that some people, whom the media may describe as fanatics, use this to rally support for their

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cause. In my humble opinion, this is a situation when the Muslims should behave in a more rational and unified manner so that it may send a positive message to the world at large.

Strangely, this also happened during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (saw). His message of “La ilaha illal-lah” – a message of social justice, demanding radical changes in the society at that time – made him a target for his enemies. They used his social reforms as a rallying point to unite against him and to use violence against him and to accuse him of being a madman.

Another point I would like to make is that mockery of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) is not new. He was called insane and a sorcerer and all sorts of insults and verbal abuse were thrown at him throughout his lifetime. I cannot recall any one instance when the Holy Prophet (saw) persecuted anyone for it, even when he gained power in his later years and acquired the power and authority to do so. Why? Because he lived according to the words of Allah, as stated in the Qur’an: “The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel the evil with that which is better, then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, will become as though he was a close friend” (41:34).

Do you remember the story of the Holy Prophet (saw) and the old woman? It is reported that when-ever he went to the masjid, the Holy Prophet (saw) used to pass by an elderly woman’s home. Because of her hatred of the Prophet, she used to throw garbage in his path and on him, which caused him physical harm and injury. However, he used to patiently walk by her and never once did he respond to her insults with violence. (Don’t you think her actions were far more insulting than drawing silly cartoons of him?) One day, she stopped doing it. Instead of outwardly showing relief and happiness, he actually showed concern and went to enquire about her and discovered that she was very ill. He cared for her needs and helped her to recover. It is said that he and the woman became friends. So! Even when he was insulted and attacked, the Messenger obeyed his Creator and repelled evil with what was better.

Patience and forgiveness enjoinedThere are several other examples of this type of behaviour from the Messenger of Allah (saw). In another instance, when Makkah fell to the Holy Prophet (saw), he pardoned all those who had op-posed him. He forgave Abu Sufyan and Abu Sufyan’s wife Hinda, who were among the Holy Prophet’s sworn enemies, for killing his family. He pardoned Habbar, who killed the camel carrying his daugh-ter, Hadhrat Zainab, and caused her to lose her baby and endure much suffering before she passed away. In the Battle of Uhud, he took no action against the hypocrites who had deserted him.

It is also reported in Salih Bukhari (5749) that at one time the Holy Prophet Muhammad was criti-cised and insulted by one of the men from Medina when he was distributing charity. When he was informed of this, it was reported that anger was seen on his face, yet his response was, “Moses was hurt by more than this, yet he remained patient.”

We claim to follow the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (saw). How is it then that Muslims are so quick to take up arms and murder people in the name of a religion which he came to spread among mankind and which means peace?

Similarly, in Salih Bukhari (6530), Ibn Mas’ud is reported to have said that he saw the Messenger of Allah tell a story of a prophet who was beaten by his people and who wiped blood from his face,

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saying. “My Lord, forgive my people, for they do not know.” He did not ask the Creator to punish the people.

When I see Muslims killing others for mere childish insults and thoughtless remarks, it pains me to know that we share the same faith.

Why do we need to kill when throughout the Qur’an Allah assures us that He is sufficient to protect us from such actions?

Let us study the following verses of the Qur’an:

“We will surely suffice thee against those who mock” (15:95).“Follow not the disbelievers and hypocrites, and leave alone their annoyance, and put thy trust in Allah; for Allah is sufficient as a Guardian” (33:48).“Have patience with what they say, and leave them with noble dignity” (73:10).“Allah is with those who restrain themselves” (16:128).

In the Holy Qur’an, sixty-four verses can be identified which have a direct bearing on the subject of blasphemy and the way it should be handled by the Muslim Ummah, and more than two hundred and fifty more which emphasise forgiveness, forbearance and compassion.

Punishment for blasphemy?It is up to Allah to punish the offenders in this world or in the Hereafter. This authority has not been delegated to anyone, not even the Holy Prophet (saw). So! Why do we need to operate and behave contrary to the teachings of Allah?

After reading about the behaviour of certain Muslims, I feel that if the Holy Prophet (saw) were alive today, those people who kill others in the name of Islam would have attacked him for preaching restraint, patience and peaceful co-existence among men.

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blessings of Allah be on him). LOVE also generates peace and happiness in the society. Follow the commandments of ALLAH and His Messenger, the Holy Prophet MUHAMMAD and earn an ever-lasting life here in this world and in the Hereafter. May Allah bless you all.

Ahmad Nawaz, Hayward, California I have just finished reading the February 2013 issue of the HOPE Bulletin dedicated to the memory of the late Br. Akbar Abdullah. I must say that your team has worked very hard to collect facts about the life and contributions made by our late Br. Akbar. The formatting of the Bulletin and photographs have made it very impressive and visual. Br. Akbar deserved such a beautiful dedication. I wish to congratulate you for making the Bulletin more than just a news bulletin. The brief life history of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas) by our new sister in the fold of Islam, Christiane Backer, is very impressive and shows how his Perfect Example has inspired her thoughts and behaviour. I am sure her book “From MTV to Mecca” must be worth reading. Thanks for introducing the autobiography of a highly popular figure in the Western media, who, by her own study, has adopted Islam, and is facing challenges with firm faith and conviction.

CONTACT INFORMATION

The HOPE Bulletin E-mail address: thehopebulletin@hotmail.com

ISLAM stands for: I SHALL LOVE ALL MANKIND

Photographs : Mr. Mudassar Aziz and Mr. Ahmed Saadat.Design & Formatting : Erwan Hamdani, Jakarta, Indonesia