Does God Exist ?

MARCH 2011 - VOL.
106 - ISSUE THREE

Te Philosophy of the
Teachings of Islam

Rejection of Gods
Prophets
Aspects of Islamic
Prayer
Religious Freedom
in Indonesia
Under Siege
DOES
GOD
EXIST?
The Holy Prophet
Muhammad
(saw)
prophesied
that the Promised Messiah
(as)

would be raised near a white
minaret, east of Damascus.
This prophecy was fulflled
with the advent of the
Promised Messiah
(as)
from
Qadian, India, a city directly
east of Damascus.
Te Promised Messiah
and imam mahdi and founder of
the review of religions
Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
(as)
, the Promised
Messiah and Mahdi was born to a noble family in
Qadian, India. From an early age he had a keen inter-
est in religion and developed a love for the Holy Prophet
Muhammad
(saw)
. He was also known for his honesty,
friendliness and resolve. Over time his knowledge and
understanding of religion and its application to society
deepened. Being a Muslim it was his frm belief that all
religions were true at their source but with the passage
of time had drifted away from their original teachings;
he upheld the dignity of religion and demonstrated its
relevance to everyone.
His earnest defence of religion was ultimately blessed
when he started to receive direct revelation from Allah
a blessing that he continued for the rest of his life.
His mission was to revitalise the truth that all religions
held within them and to revive the teachings of Islam. It
was through this that he would bring mankind together
and establish everlasting peace.
In 1889, under Divine Guidance, Hadhrat Ahmad
(as)

founded the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community a
community that has since grown in its stature and
strength and has remained active in conveying the
message of Islam to the ends of the earth.
Hadhrat Ahmad
(as)
had established himself as a respected
writer and had written over 80 books. His writings
have been translated into more than 60 languages and
continue to inspire readers to this day. One of his greatest
scholarly works was Te Philosophy of the Teachings of
Islam, prepared as a paper and read out at the Conference
of Great Religions in 1896.
He also wrote a fascinating treatise in 1899 entitled Jesus
in India, a book that uncovered remarkable evidence
of Jesus
(as)
s journey to India. In 1902 the Promised
Messiah
(as)
initiated Te Review of Religions which has
covered a vast array of topics on religion, philosophy
and contemporary issues of the day. It is the longest
running English magazine in defence of Islam and the
values it teaches.
From 1889 until the time of his demise in 1908 tens
of thousands of people accepted him. Tis blessing
has continued and will continue through his Khalifas
(successors).
Currently under the ffth successor, we are seeing that
the tide of acceptance is worldwide and that the message
of Prophet Ahmad has really reached the ends of the
earth.

m
a
k
h
z
a
n
-
e
-
t
a
s
a
w
e
e
r
O ye who believe!
Be steadfast in the cause
of Allah, bearing witness
in equity; and let not a
peoples enmity incite you
to act otherwise than with
justice. Be always just, that
is nearer to righteousness.
And fear Allah. Surely,
Allah is aware of what
you do.
ISLAM, THE HOLY QURAN,
CH.5:V9
If [a ruler] enjoins fear
of God, the Exalted and
Glorious, and dispenses
justice, there will be great
reward for him; and if
he enjoins otherwise, it
resounds on him.
ISLAM, THE HOLY
PROPHET
(SAW)
, SAHIH MUSLIM
Lay no burden on the
public which the majority
cannot bear.
JUDAISM, TALMUD, BABA
BATRA 60B
Te highest duty of a ruler
is to protect his subjects;
the ruler who enjoys the
rewards of his position is
bound to that duty.
HINDUISM, LAWS OF MANU
7.144
If your kingdom exists for
the doctrine and not for
fame or desire, then it will
be extremely fruitful. If not,
its fruit will be misfortune.
BUDDHISM, NAGARJUNA,
PRECIOUS GARLAND 327
Te ruler who submits to
democratic ideals, His rule
is lasting.
SIKHISM, ADI GRANTH, MARU,
M.1
When one rules justly over
men, ruling in the fear of
God, He dawns on them
like the morning light, like
the sun shining forth upon
a cloudless morning, like
rain that makes grass to
sprout from the earth.
CHRISTIANITY AND JUDAISM,
2 SAMUEL 23.3-4
Heads
of State
WORLD FAITHS
march 2011
6 Editorial
Religious Freedom in Indonesia
Under Siege
ABID KHAN, UK
10 Notes & Comments
Musaylimahs claim to
Prophethood
SARAH WASEEM, UK
16 Te Philosophy of the
Teachings of Islam Part 3
Continuing an acclaimed and
unique essay based exclusively on
the teachings of the Holy Quran
HADHRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD
(AS)
,
THE PROMISED MESSIAH AND MAHDI
24 Te Life & Character of the
Seal of the Prophets
(saw)

Part 4
Te story of Zaid, the Prophet
(saw)
s
slave who became like a son to
him, and the Prophet
(saw)
s retreat
to the Cave Hira where his
prophethood began
HADHRAT MIRZA BASHIR AHMAD
(RA)
34 Rejection of Gods Prophets -
Final Part
Te intense opposition to the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
of Islam, and to
(as)
,
the Promised Messiah led to the
defeat of the opponents
DR ABDUL LATIF D. BUSARI, ABUJA,
NIGERIA
14 22
CONTENTS
42 Aspects of Islamic Prayer
A concise exposition of the diferent
aspects of Islamic Prayer, explaining
the signifcance behind each posture
and its import
MALIK JAMIL R. RAFIQ RABWAH, PAKISTAN
50 Does God Exist?
Te search for the Ultimate Truth has
dogged mankind since the beginning
of time. Is it possible that there is a
Creator Who preceded existence?
SAYED HAMEEDULLAH NUSRAT PASHA
RABWAH, PAKISTAN
62 Calendar of Religious Events
and Festivals
March 2011
MANAGEMENT BOARD
Munir-ud-din Shams (Chairman)
Mansoor Shah (Secretary)
Naseer Ahmad Qamar
Mubarak Ahmad Zafar
Mirza Fakhar Ahmad
Abdul Baqi Arshad
CHIEF EDITOR & MANAGER
Mansoor Ahmed Shah
EDITORIAL BOARD
Adam Walker, Amer Safr, Bockarie
Tommy Kallon, Fareed Ahmad, Fauzia
Bajwa, Fazal Ahmad, Khullat Munir,
Mansoor Saqi, Nakasha Ahmad, Sarah
Waseem, Tanveer Khokhar
PROOFREADERS
Abdul Ghany Jahangeer Khan, Farhana Dar,
Munavara Ghauri
DISTRIBUTION
Muhammad Hanif
DESIGN AND LAYOUT
Ahsan Khan
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTER
Arif Khan
PUBLISHER
Al Shirkatul Islamiyyah Ltd.
Views expressed in this publication are not
necessarily the beliefs of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim community.
All correspondence should be forwarded to
the Editor at:
Te Review of Religions
Tahir House
22 Deer Park Road
London, SW19 3TL
United Kingdom
Telephone: + 44 20 8544 7614
Fax: + 44 20 3044 3030
info@reviewofreligions.org
www.reviewofreligions.org
33
48
Escalating religious persecution and
an increase in attacks on religious
minorities has raised serious concerns
about religious intolerance in Indonesia.
Some of the most appalling incidents
of religious intolerance and violence to
occur there in recent memory have been
witnessed.
On 6
th
February, three Ahmadi Muslims
were dragged outside a villa, stripped
and bludgeoned to death by hundreds
of extremists in a brutal and bloody
attack in Cikeusik, a small village
south of Banten in Indonesia. Five
others were injured. A mob of around
1000 attacked the Ahmadi Muslims
who numbered no more than 30. Te
assailants pounced in a pre-planned
attack whilst the police stood by and
watched the angry crowd mercilessly
beat these three Ahmadi Muslims
with sticks and rocks until their lifeless
bodies became so disfgured that they
were initially unrecognisable.
Local children stood by and applauded,
whilst others raised slogans of Allahu
Akbar, that is God is Greatest. Te
pure name of Islam and of the Holy
Prophet Muhammad
(saw)
had once again
been slandered and defamed in the
most grotesque and unjust manner.
Te horrifc video clips that appeared
on YouTube shows us prejudice of the
worst kind. Te utter viciousness and
barbarity of the attacks has shocked
many observers. TV channels either
refused to show the footage or blurred
out the video as it was deemed too
graphic to air.
editorial
Religious Freedom in
Indonesia Under Siege
Abid Khan, UK
6 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | MARCH 2011
Te three Ahmadi Muslims who were
martyred in this attack were Tubaqus
Chandra Mubarak (34), Ahmad
Warsono (38) and Roni Pesarani (35).
Tis most recent attack in Banten
province is the culmination of a recent
pattern of escalating violence against
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
in Indonesia. Te violence in efect has
the tacit support of the government
through a Joint Ministerial Decree
enacted in June 2008 that banned
Ahmadi Muslims from preaching.
Tis was carried out to appease the
anti-Ahmadiyya demands of extremist
groups such as Islamic Defenders Front
(FPI). Tis decree has emboldened
religious extremists to persecute
Ahmadis with impunity all over the
country.
In addition to the attacks on Ahmadi
Muslims, there have been several attacks
on Christians and other minorities as
well. Just two days after the Cikeusik
incident, the seed of extremism was
once again displayed, this time in the
Indonesian city of Java. Violent clashes
broke out after a court verdict in which
a Christian accused of spreading anti-
Muslim leafets was sentenced to fve
years imprisonment. Protestors, who
ignorantly held that their actions were
in defence of Islam, demanded the
death penalty. First, they attacked the
court where the trial had been held and
then thousands went on to attack three
churches, a Christian orphanage and a
health centre.
Te shocking and barbaric nature
of both these attacks by people who
MARCH 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 7
purport to represent Islam is an afront
to all true Muslims who understand
that the Holy Prophet Muhammad
(saw)

taught of love, compassion and mercy
throughout his life. In fact, the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
and his Companions left
us with the most outstanding examples
of conduct and tolerance. Instead of
applying these beautiful traditions,
some Muslim groups and individuals
are continuing on a path of hatred,
persecution and killings. Tey act not
out of love for Islam but out of a love
for that which Islam condemns. Tose
involved in terrorism are invariably
motivated by a desire for power and
wealth rather than any noble pursuit.
After the Cikeusik attacks, Hadhrat
Mirza Masroor Ahmad
(aba)
, Head of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community said:
Whenever such attacks occur the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat both
in Indonesia and worldwide always
displays patience and seeks solace not
in revenge or violence but through
prayers to God Almighty and this will
always remain the case. It is however
certain that those who have inficted
these cruelties will be answerable to
God Almighty and will have to face His
punishment.
Both the Indonesian and international
media have almost uniformly
condemned the attacks on both the
Ahmadi Muslims and the Christians
and for this they deserve praise. In
respect of this Hadhrat Mirza Masroor
Ahmad said:
Media outlets like the Jakarta Post,
Jakarta Globe and many international
organisations have strongly condemned
this attack and tried to infuence the
Indonesian government accordingly.
Te media and intellectual classes in
Indonesia have had the courage to
make a stand against the cruelty and
because of this there remains hope that
their society will progress. If only such
courage would develop amongst the
media and educated classes of Pakistan.
Whether a Muslim, Christian, Jew,
Hindu or Atheist or a person of any
other faith is attacked, it is wrong and
must be condemned unequivocally.
Tolerance and mutual respect are the
cornerstones of any successful society.
We sincerely hope that the Government
of Indonesia will take frm action
to eradicate the menace and evil of
extremism. Te Government needs
to protect members of all minorities
and religious groups. One of the most
painful and regrettable points of these
recent attacks is that they were both
avoidable. People must be educated
from a young age that although there is
always room for ideological diferences,
ultimately we are all the Creation of
God and must reconcile our diferences
through love and respect.
The Kawah Ijen volcano in Java, Indonesia.
Te capacity of man for brutality against
his fellow being has been well docu-
mented. The two World Wars of the
last century bore testimony to this and
in recent times the atrocities commit-
ted in Eastern Europe, Central Africa
and Palestine, remind us of the evil that
humankind is capable of. Most of us
deplore that darker side of human nature.
We try to distance ourselves from this
seeming aberration in human behaviour
and sometimes attempt to explain it by
reaching out to models of psychopathol-
ogy. Tose of a religious disposition would
argue that these abhorrent acts refect
a lack of fear of any judgment of ones
actions by a Supreme Power. Indeed they
would say this was one of the purposes
of the coming of prophets, to guide us
away from the evil within and to direct us
towards the path of Godliness and com-
passion for our own kind.
Muslims argue that the Holy Prophet
Muhammad
(saw)
was compassion per-
sonified. His love for humanity was
demonstrated each day of his life. Tat
love and kindness was extended beyond
his followers and Companions to even his
enemies. His life is replete with incidents
of forgiveness towards those who hated
him and denied his prophethood.
When the Prophet
(saw)
entered Makkah
with 10,000 followers, some expected
that he would avenge the sufering and
persecution that had been meted out to
the Muslims by the people of Makkah. A
Companion of the Holy Prophet
(saw)
Sad
ibn Ubada, saw Abu Sufyan, a staunch
opponent of the Holy Prophet
(saw)
and
leading member of the Quraish, the chief
tribe of Makkah, and said:
O Abu Sufyan, this is the day of
slaughter; when the inviolable shall be
notes & comments
Musaylimahs claim
to Prophethood
Sarah Waseem, UK
violated: the day of Gods abasement of
the Quraish. Abu Sufyan repeated this
to the Holy Prophet
(saw)
who replied: Tis
is the day of mercy, the day on which
God has exalted the Quraish. A general
amnesty was proclaimed. Using the words
of Joseph
(as)
as reported in the Quran,
Muhammad
(saw)
said: Verily I say as my
brother Joseph
(as)
said, this day there shall
be no reproach on you. May Allah forgive
you. He is the Most Merciful of all those
who show mercy (Ch.12.V.93). (Murder
in the name of Allah).
Tus the standard of human conduct laid
down by the Holy Quran and demon-
strated in the life of the Holy Prophet
(saw)

is a very lofty one for Muslims to aspire to,
designed to eliminate hatred and enmity
between people of all backgrounds and
faiths.
Tragically a small number of the followers
of this paragon of peace have been una-
ble to rise above the mere act of calling
themselves Muslims. Their deeds do
not convey the noble message that the
advent of the Holy Prophet
(saw)
brought.
It is truly horrifying when one hears of
Muslims committing atrocities, espe-
cially when atrocities are committed in
the name of Allah and His Prophet
(saw)
.
Ahmadi Muslims have long been a target
of Muslim persecution and violence due
to their belief in Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad
(as)
as a Prophet and the Promised
Messiah
(as)
.
Some Muslims have lamely argued that
the violence is the result of the Ahmadi
refusal to accept the Holy Prophet
(saw)
as
the Seal of the Prophets, and their claim
that Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
(as)
,
the Promised Messiah, is a Prophet of
God. For this to have any credibility, one
would expect to fnd that at the time of
We try to distance ourselves from this seeming
aberration in human behaviour and sometimes
attempt to explain it by reaching out to models
of psychopathology.
the Holy Prophet
(saw)
all false claimants to
prophethood would be subject to punish-
ment if not death. Te evidence suggests
otherwise.
One such claimant was Musaylimah ibn
Tumaamah ibn Kabir ibn Habib of the
Banu Hanifa tribe. He came to Madinah
with a delegation of this tribe and pro-
posed to the Holy Prophet
(saw)
that he
would submit to him providing that he
was nominated as the successor of the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
. Te Holy Prophet
(saw)
,
who was holding a staff in his hand,
retorted that he would not yield him even
a twig of a date palm tree.
Musaylimah later claimed to be a prophet
and announced that half the country
belonged to him and half belonged to
the Quraish. In 10 Hijri, when the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
became very ill, Musaylimah
claimed that he was a partner to the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
in his prophethood and wrote
a letter to him thus:
From Musaylimah, messenger of Allah,
to Muhammad, Messenger of Allah
peace be on you. I have been appointed
your partner in authority. Half the
country belongs to us and half belongs to
the Quraish, but the Quraish are a people
who transgress (Tabari, V 01. IV, p.1849).
Te Holy Prophet
(saw)
replied:
Te earth belongs to Allah; He bestows it as
heritage on whomsoever He pleases of His
servants, and the pleasing end is that of the
righteous (the Holy Quran, Ch.7:V.129)
It is noteworthy that the reply contains no
mention whatsoever to any punishment
to be meted out Musaylimah at the hands
of the Holy Prophet
(saw)
.
Tereafter, Musaylimah established his
notes & comments
Indeed, Musaylimah was not the only
false claimant to prophethood; Tulaiha bin
Khawailad Asadi was another, as was Aswad
bin Ansi. None were ordered to be killed by the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
.
authority in Hajar and Yamamah and
expelled therefrom the functionaries
who had been appointed by the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
(Khamees, Vol.2, p.177). He
made a junction with Sajah, the female
rebel, who had intended to fight the
Muslims and assured her: I shall establish
my authority over the whole of Arabia
with the help of my people and thy peo-
ple. (Punishment of Apostasy in Islam).
There is no record anywhere that
the Holy Prophet
(saw)
ordered that
Musaylimah should be put to death.
Indeed, Musaylimah was not the only
false claimant to prophethood; Tulaiha
bin Khawailad Asadi was another, as was
Aswad bin Ansi. None were ordered to be
killed by the Holy Prophet
(saw)
.
(Te Truth about the Alleged Punishment for
Apostasy in Islam; an address by Hadhrat
Mirza Tahir Ahmad Khalifatul Masih
IV
(rh)
)
Advocates for death to apostates pose
the question that if there was no pun-
ishment for apostasy or falsely claiming
Prophethood, why did Hadhrat Abu
Bakr
(ra)
, the first Khalifa after the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
later go to war with
Musaylimah?
Te reason was that Musaylimah aspired
to political power. Hadhrat Abu Bakr
(ra)

did not wage war against Musaylimah
until he himself had taken the ofensive
and openly rebelled against the Muslim
state and refused to pay zakat (a levy paid
by Muslims at 2.5% on ones unutilised
disposable assets).
According to Tarikh Tabari : Musaylimah
had also prepared an army of 40,000 and
planned to take over the whole of Arabia.
(Vol.1 part 4 Urdu version, p.71).
As Hadhrat Abu Bakr
(ra)
was the
Successor of the Holy Prophet
(saw)
it
was his obligation to collect the zakat in
the same manner the Holy Prophet
(saw)

himself would collect it. That is why
he affirmed that if any Muslim who
paid zakat to the Holy Prophet
(saw)
,
would withhold from him as little as
the nose-string of a camel that he used
to render to the Holy Prophet
(saw)
, he
would require it from him by the sword.
Tus the recovery of the zakat would be
enforced in the same manner in which
governments recover their dues from
their subjects. If anyone should refuse
to pay such dues, the state is entitled to
recover them by force.It was the duty
of Hadhrat Abu Bakr
(ra)
to recover the
zakat by force from those who refused
to render it. Tose people were rebels
against the state like those who might
refuse to pay government taxes today.
Thus, if Hadhrat Abu Bakr
(ra)
fought
those Muslims who were not guilty of
any ofence other than refusal to pay the
zakat, those who difer with us on the
question of the punishment of apostasy
can derive no support or comfort from
his action, as he had fought those who
had rebelled against the authority of the
state. (Punishment of Apostasy in Islam)
Hadhrat Abu Bakr
(ra)
sent letters to many
other tribes that had rebelled against the
Islamic state with the same instructions;
if they did not desist, their men would
be put to death for treason and their
wives and children would be impris-
oned. If the attack against Musaylimah
was purely because he had claimed to be
a prophet, why would the same action be
taken against the other rebellious tribes?
Te reason is that this punishment was a
result of one common factor; their rebel-
lious behaviour against the state.
Hadhrat Abu Bakr
(ra)
then sent an army
under the leadership of Hadhrat Ikrama
(ra)

notes & comments
to Yamammah to fght the Banu Hanifa,
Musaylimahs tribe. He sent another army
to strengthen the attack under the leader-
ship of Hadhrat Khalid bin Waleed
(ra)
. It
is reported that approximately 10,000 of
the enemy were killed in this battle and
about 600 companions were martyred.
(Te Biography of Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq by
Dr Ali Muhammad As-Sallabee)
Musaylimah was also killed in this bat-
tle. So those who look to the example
of the Holy Prophet
(saw)
to bolster their
argument that false Prophets and their
followers should be killed, will fnd no
justifcation for their acts from the blessed
example of the Holy Prophet
(saw)
or his
righty guided Khulafa.
Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul
Masih IV
(rh)
writes:
Te cobbles of Taif, where the blood of
the Holy Prophet
(saw)
was spilled, bear
witness to the fact that our great Master
mercifully did not teach that religious
belief was compulsory, that he did not
order the burning of houses of worship
in the name of worship Muslims
hang their heads in shame and their
souls cry out over todays religious leaders
who preach violence in the name of the
Prophet
(saw)
. (Murder in the name of Allah).
references:
Te Truth about the Alleged Punishment for
Apostasy in Islam; address by Hadhrat Mirza
Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IV
(rh)
Murder in the name of Allah; Hadhrat Mirza
Tahir Ahmad
(rh)
, Khalifatul Masih IV
Punishment of Apostasy in Islam; Sir
Muhammad Zafrulla Khan
(ra)
Te Biography of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq by Dr Ali
Muhammad As-Sallabee
Muslims hang their heads in shame and
their souls cry out over todays religious
leaders who preach violence in the name
of the Prophet
(saw)
.
Te Philosophy of the
Teachings of Islam
part 3
(as)
,
the Promised Messiah and Mahdi
translated from urdu by
sir muhammad zafrulla khan
Spirituality can be achieved only through
the use of every moral quality in its
proper place and on its proper occasion,
and through treading faithfully upon the
ways of God and through being wholly
devoted to Him. He who becomes truly
Gods cannot exist without Him. A true
seeker after God is like a fsh sacrifced
by the hand of God and its water is the
love of God.
Tree Methods of Reform
After this digression I revert to my ear-
lier discussion. I have just mentioned
that there are three springs from which
human states fow, namely; the self that
incites to evil, the self that reproves and
the soul at rest. There are also three
methods of reform. The first is that
senseless savages should be taught the
elementary social values pertaining to
eating, drinking, marriage etc. They
should not go about naked nor eat car-
rion, like dogs, nor practise any other
type of wildness. Tis is an elementary
stage of the reform of natural conditions
of the type that would have to be adopted,
for instance, if it is desired to teach a
savage from Port Blair the elementary
ways of human behaviour. Te second
method of reform is that when a person
has adopted elementary human ways, he
may be taught the higher moral qualities
and should be instructed to employ his
faculties in their proper places and on
their proper occasions.
Te third method of reform is that those
who have acquired high moral qualities
should be given a taste of the draught of
the love of and union with God. Tese
are methods which the Noble Quran has
mentioned.
Te Advent of the Holy Prophet
(saw)
at
the Time of the Greatest Need
Our lord and master, the Holy Prophet
(saw)

was raised at a time when the world had
been thoroughly corrupted. As God
Almighty has said:
[Corruption has appeared on land and sea
(the Holy Quran, Ch.30:V.42)]
Corruption has spread over land and sea.
Tis means that the People of the Book,
as well as those who had no experience
of revelation, had all been corrupted. Te
purpose of the Holy Quran was to revive
the dead, as is said:
[Know that Allah is now quickening the
earth after its death. (Ch.57:V.18)]
Know that Allah is about to revive the
earth after its death.
At that time the people of Arabia were
steeped in barbarism. No social pattern
prevailed and they took pride in every
type of sin and misconduct. A man mar-
ried an unlimited number of wives, and
they were all addicted to the use of every-
thing unlawful. Tey considered it lawful
to marry their mothers, and that is why
God Almighty had to prescribe:
[Forbidden to you are your mothers,
(Ch.4:V.24)]
Tat is, today your mothers are made
unlawful for you. Tey ate carrion and
some of them were even cannibals.
Tere is not a sin of which they were
not guilty. Most of them did not believe
in the afterlife. Many of them denied
the existence of God. Tey killed their
female infants with their own hands.
Tey killed orphans and devoured their
substance. Tey had the appearance of
human beings but were bereft of reason.
Tey possessed no modesty, no shame,
and no self-respect. Tey drank liquor
like water. Te one among them who
indulged indiscriminately in fornica-
tion was acknowledged as the chief of his
tribe. Tey were so utterly ignorant that
their neighbouring people called them
the unlettered ones. At such time and for
the reform of such people, our lord and
master, the Holy Prophet
(saw)
appeared
in Makkah.
This was the time that called for the
three types of reform that we have just
mentioned. Tat is why the Holy Quran
claims to be more complete and more
perfect than all other books of guidance,
inasmuch as the other books had not the
opportunity of carrying out the three
types of reforms which the Holy Quran
was designed to carry out. Te purpose of
the Holy Quran was to elevate savages
into men, and then to equip them with
moral qualities, and fnally raise them
to the level of godly persons. Te Holy
Quran thus comprehends all those three
projects.
Te True Purpose of the Teachings of
the Holy Quran is the Reform of the
Tree Conditions:
Before I embark upon a detailed
the philosophy of the teachings of islam
At that time the people
of Arabia were steeped in
barbarism. No social pattern
prevailed and they took
pride in every type of sin and
misconduct.
exposition of the threefold reforms that
I have just mentioned, it is necessary to
point out that there is no teaching in
the Holy Quran which is imposed by
compulsion. Te whole purpose of the
Quran is the three reforms, and all its
teachings are directed towards that end.
All other directions are the means for
the achievement of those reforms. As
sometimes a surgeon has to perform an
operation in order to restore the patient
to normal health, or has to apply an oint-
ment, in the same way the teachings of
the Quran, out of sympathy for man-
kind, have recourse to such means also.
Te purpose of all Quranic insights and
admonitions and directions is to raise
man from his natural condition of bar-
barity to a moral state, and then to lift
him from that state to the limitless ocean
of spirituality.
Natural Conditions by Regulation
become Moral Qualities
We have already stated that natural
conditions are not something distinct
from moral conditions. When they are
regulated and are used on their proper
occasions, under the direction of reason,
they acquire a moral character. Before
they are controlled by reason and under-
standing they have not the character of
moral qualities, but are natural impulses,
however much they might resemble
moral qualities. For instance, if a dog
or lamb displays affection or docil-
ity towards its master it would not be
described as moral or good-mannered. In
the same way a wolf or a tiger would not
be described as ill-mannered on account
of its wildness. A moral state emerges
after refection and regard for time and
occasion come into play. A person who
does not exercise reason and deliberation
is like a child whose mind and intellect
are not yet governed by reason, or is like
a madman who has lost his reason and
good sense. A child or a mad man some-
times behaves in a manner that has the
appearance of moral action, but no sen-
sible person calls such conduct moral,
as such conduct does not proceed from
good sense and appropriateness, but is
a natural reaction to the circumstances.
A human infant, as soon as it is born,
seeks its mothers breasts, and a chicken,
Te purpose of the Holy
Quran was to elevate savages
into men, and then to equip
them with moral qualities,
and fnally raise them to the
level of godly persons.
as soon as it is hatched begins to pick
up corn. In the same way the spawn of
a leech behave like a leech, a baby ser-
pent behaves like a serpent and a tiger
cub behaves like a tiger. A human infant
begins to exhibit human reactions as
soon as it is born and those reactions
become more and more remarkable as
it begins to grow up. For instance, its
weeping becomes louder, and its smiles
become laughter, and its gaze becomes
more concentrated. At the age of a year
or eighteen months it develops another
natural trait: it begins to display its
pleasure and displeasure through its
movements and tries to strike some-
one or to give something to someone.
All these motions are natural impulses.
Similarly a barbarian who possesses little
human sense is like such an infant and
displays natural impulses in his words,
actions and movements and is governed
by his natural emotions. Nothing pro-
ceeds from him in consequence of the
exercise of his inner faculties. Whatever
surges up from within under the opera-
tion of a natural impulse and as a reaction
to external stimuli, becomes manifest. It
is possible that his natural impulses that
are exhibited as a reaction to an exter-
nal stimulus may not all be vicious, and
some might resemble good morals, but
they are normally not the consequences
of reasonable refection and considera-
tion, and even if they are to some degree
so motivated, they cannot be relied upon
on account of the domination of natural
impulses.
True Morals
In short we cannot attribute true mor-
als to a person who is subject to natural
impulses like animals or infants or the
insane, and who lives more or less like
animals. Te time of true morals, whether
good or bad, begins when a persons rea-
son becomes mature and he is able to
distinguish between good and bad and
the degree of evil and goodness, and
begins to feel sorry when he misses
an opportunity of doing good and is
remorseful when he has done some
wrong. Tis is the second stage of his life
It is possible that his natural
impulses that are exhibited
as a reaction to an external
stimulus may not all be vicious,
and some might resemble
good morals, but they are
normally not the consequences
of reasonable refection and
consideration.
which is designated by the Holy Quran
the self that reproves. It should, however,
be remembered that casual admonition
is not enough to lead a barbarian to the
stage of the self that reproves. It is neces-
sary that he should become conscious of
the existence of God to a degree at which
he should not consider his creation as
without purpose, so that an understand-
ing of the Divine should stimulate his
true moral qualities. Tat is why God
Almighty has drawn attention to the
need of understanding of the Divine, and
has assured man that every act and moral
produces an efect which brings about
spiritual comfort or spiritual pain in this
life, and will be manifested clearly in the
hereafter. In short, at the stage of the self
that reproves, a person is bestowed so
much of reason and understanding and
good conscience, that he reproves himself
over a wrong done by him and is anxious
to do good. Tat is the stage when a per-
son acquires high moral qualities.
Distinction Between Khalq (creation)
and Khulq (morals)
Here I would like to defne the word
Khulq. It should be kept in mind
that Kh in the word Khalq fol-
lowed by Fatha denotes physical birth,
and Kh in the word Khulq followed
by Zamma denotes the spiritual birth.
Khalq connotes physical birth and Khulq
connotes inner birth. As inner birth is
perfected through moral development
and not merely through the exercise of
natural impulses, Khulq connotes moral
qualities and not natural impulses. It
should be pointed out that the com-
mon conception that morals merely
mean meekness, courtesy and humility
is entirely mistaken. Te truth is that cor-
responding to every physical action there
is an inner quality which is moral; for
instance, a person sheds tears through
the eyes and corresponding to that action
there is an inner quality which is called
tenderness, which takes on the character
of a moral quality when, under the con-
trol of reason, it is exercised on its proper
occasion. In the same way, a person
defends himself against the attack of an
It is necessary that he
should become conscious of
the existence of God to a
degree at which he should
not consider his creation as
without purpose, so that an
understanding of the Divine
should stimulate his true
moral qualities.
enemy with his hands, and correspond-
ing to this action there is an inner quality
which is called bravery. When this qual-
ity is exercised at its proper place and on
its proper occasion, it is called a moral
quality. Similarly a person sometimes
seeks to relieve the oppressed from the
oppression of tyrants, or desires to make
provision for the indigent and the hun-
gry, or wishes to serve his fellow beings
in some other way, and corresponding
to such action there is an inner quality
which is designated mercy. Sometimes
a person punishes a wrongdoer and cor-
responding to such action there is an
inner quality which is called retribu-
tion. Sometimes a person does not wish
to attack one who attacks him and for-
bears to take action against a wrongdoer,
corresponding to which there is a quality
which is called forbearance or endur-
ance. Sometimes a person works with
his hands or feet or employs his mind
and intellect or his wealth in order to
promote the welfare of his fellow beings,
corresponding to which there is an inner
quality which is called benevolence. Tus,
when a person exercises all these quali-
ties on their proper occasions and at their
proper places they are called moral quali-
ties. God, the Glorious, has addressed the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
in the words:
And you do surely possess high moral
excellences. (Ch.68:V.5)
Tat is, thou dost most surely possess
high moral excellences. This means
that all high moral qualities such as
benevolence, courage, justice, mercy,
bountifulness, sincerity, high mindedness
etc. were combined in the person of the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
. In short all the natu-
ral qualities of man as courtesy, modesty,
integrity, benevolence, jealousy, stead-
fastness, chastity, piety, equity, sympathy,
bravery, generosity, forbearance, endur-
ance, bountifulness, sincerity, loyalty etc.,
when they are manifested on their proper
occasions under the guidance of reason
and refection would all be accounted
moral qualities. In reality they are the
a person defends himself
against the attack of an
enemy with his hands, and
corresponding to this action
there is an inner quality
which is called bravery.
When this quality is exercised
at its proper place and on its
proper occasion, it is called a
moral quality.
natural states and impulses of man and
are designated moral qualities when
they are exercised deliberately on their
proper occasions. A natural characteristic
of man is that he desires to make pro-
gress and, therefore, through following a
true religion and keeping good company
and conforming to good teachings, he
converts his natural impulses into moral
qualities. No other animal is invested
with this characteristic.
Continues in the next edition.
NOTE ABOUT REFERENCES
Verse references to the Holy Quran
count Bismillah (In the Name
of Allah) as the frst verse of each
Chapter. In some non-standard texts,
this is not counted. Should the reader
refer to such texts, the verse quoted in
Te 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 the name Muhammad,
are used normally in small letters.
Tey stand for Sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam meaning peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him. Likewise, the
letters (as) or as after the name of
all other prophets is an abbreviation
meaning peace be upon him derived
from Alaihis salatu wassalam which
are words that a Muslim utters out of
respect whenever he or she comes across
that name. Te abbreviation ra or (ra)
stands for Radhiallahu Taala anhu and
is used for Companions of a Prophet,
meaning Allah be pleased with him
or her (when followed by the relevant
Arabic pronoun). Finally, ru or (ru) for
Rahemahullahu Taala means the Mercy
of Allah the Exalted be upon him.
In keeping with current universal
practice, local transliterations of names
of places are preferred to their anglicised
versions, e.g. Makkah instead of Mecca,
etc.
A natural characteristic of
man is that he desires to
make progress and, therefore,
through following a true
religion and keeping good
company and conforming to
good teachings, he converts
his natural impulses into
moral qualities. No other
animal is invested with this
characteristic.
Te Life and Character
of the Seal
of the Prophets
(saw)
part 4
Hadhrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad
(ra)
translated from the urdu by
ayyaz mahmood khan
Service of Zaid bin Harithah
(ra)

Hakim bin Hizam, the nephew of
Hadhrat Khadijah
(ra)
, was a merchant
who constantly moved about with vari-
ous trade caravans. Once he purchased a
few slaves during a trade expedition and
gave one of them as a gift to Hadhrat
Khadijah
(ra)
. Te name of the slave gifted
to Hadhrat Khadijah
(ra)
was Zaid bin
Harithah
(ra)
. In actuality, Zaid
(ra)
belonged
to a free family, but during a plunder he
was taken captive and was forcefully
enslaved. Khadijah
(ra)
found Zaid
(ra)
to
be wise and intelligent, so she entrusted
him to Muhammad
(saw)
.
It was always the practice of the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
that he would treat his
servants and slaves with immense
love, like his own kith and kin. Hence,
Muhammad
(saw)
was affectionate to
Zaid
(ra)
. Since Zaid
(ra)
possessed a sin-
cere heart, he also developed love for
Muhammad
(saw)
. Meanwhile, Zaid
(ra)
s
father Harith and paternal uncle Kab
came to Makkah whilst looking for him.
Both of them presented themselves
before the Holy Prophet
(saw)
, and with
great humility requested the freedom
of Zaid
(ra)
, so that he may return home
with them. Muhammad
(saw)
responded;
Absolutely! If Zaid wishes to leave with
you, I delightedly give him permission
to do so. At this, Zaid was called upon
and was asked by Muhammad
(saw)
, Zaid,
Do you recognise these people? Yes,
responded Zaid
(ra)
, they are my father
and paternal uncle. Muhammad
(saw)
said,
Tey have come to take you. If you wish
to leave with them, I gladly give you
permission to do so. I shall not leave
you on any account, answered Zaid
(ra)
,
To me, you are far dearer than my own
uncle or father. Zaid
(ra)
s father reacted
with great anger and grief, What? Do
you give preference to a life of slavery
English rendering of Hadhrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad
(ra)
s outstanding
biography, Seerat Khatamun Nabiyyin on the life and characters of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad
(saw)
. Tis section features the story of Zaid
(ra)
,
the slave of the Prophet
(saw)
who desired to remain enslaved to him, and
a glance at the frst 40 years of the life of the Prophet
(saw)
.
It was always the practice of
the Holy Prophet
(saw)
that he
would treat his servants and
slaves with immense love, like
his own kith and kin.
over that of freedom? Yes, responded
Zaid
(ra)
, for I have witnessed such virtues
in him that I can now give preference to
none above him.
When Muhammad
(saw)
heard this
response he immediately stood up and
took Zaid
(ra)
to the Kabah. There he
announced in a loud voice, O People!
Be witness to the fact that as of this day
I free Zaid
(ra)
and make him my son. He
shall be my heir and I shall be his. When
Zaid
(ra)
s uncle and father observed this
sight, they were astounded. Tey happily
left Zaid with Muhammad
(saw)
. Since
then, Zaid bin Harithah
(ra)
became
known as Zaid bin Muhammad
(ra)
.
1

However, after the Hijrah, God revealed
a commandment that it was unlawful to
take an adopted child as an actual son.
2

Upon this, Zaid
(ra)
was once again given
his original name, Zaid bin Harithah.
Nonetheless, the loving conduct of the
ever-loyal Muhammad
(saw)
remained
unaltered with this ever-sincere servant.
Instead, that love increased day by day.
After the demise of Zaid
(ra)
, the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
extended the same gracious-
ness and love to his son Usamah bin
Zaid
(ra)
, who was born of Ummi Aiman
(ra)
,
a servant of the Prophet
(saw)
.
In addition to the honourable distinctions
of Zaid, one is that among all the com-
panions of the Prophet
(saw)
, only his name
is specifcally mentioned in the Holy
Quran.
3

Ali bin Abi Talib taken into the Care
of Muhammad
(saw)

Abu Talib was a very respectable man.
However, he sufered from poverty and
his subsistence was only provided by
grave hardship. Abu Talib was the vic-
tim of great sufering, particularly due
to the drought in Makkah in those days.
When Muhammad
(saw)
noticed the
anguish of his paternal uncle Abu Talib,
he approached his uncle Abbas and pro-
posed: Your brother Abu Talib lives in a
state of difculty. Would not it be worthy,
if from his sons you took one to your
home and I brought one to my home?
Abbas agreed to this proposal and both
of them went to Abu Talib and ofered
the life & character
of the seal of the prophets
During this time, it was
the general practice of
Muhammad
(saw)
to retreat
to this cave where he would
occupy himself in deep
meditation with remembrance
of God.
this proposal. Among his children, Abu
Talib dearly loved his son Aqil; hence
he said, Leave Aqil with me and if
you wish take the others into your care.
Terefore, Jafar was taken into the guard-
ianship of Abbas and Ali
(ra)
was taken
by Muhammad
(saw)
. Hadhrat Ali
(ra)
was
approximately six to seven years of age
and from that day he remained in the
blessed custody of Muhammad
(saw)
.
4
Emergence of Dawn
Muhammad
(saw)
had now reached
the mature age of 40 years. The time
had come for the light of dawn to
manifest itself upon the Eastern hori-
zon. Muhammad
(saw)
never intermingled
with the general society of Makkah, for
he was one who desired solitude. During
this time, his disposition was such that
he would remain in seclusion longing for
Allah the Exalted, diligently occupied
in his remembrance day and night. At
a distance of three miles from Makkah
towards Mina, to the left is the moun-
tain of Hira, wherein is a cave, famously
known as the Cave of Hira. During
Inside Cave Hira
this time, it was the general practice
of Muhammad
(saw)
to retreat to this
cave where he would occupy himself in
deep meditation with remembrance of
God. He would normally take sufcient
food with him and would not return
to Makkah for many days. Sometimes,
Hadhrat Khadijah
(ra)
also accompanied
him. It is this very time period which has
been referred to as the era of the search
for truth in the Noble Quran. Terefore,
God Almighty states:
And He found thee wandering in search for
Him and guided thee unto Himself.
5
I t was dur i ng t hi s t i me t hat
Muhammad
(saw)
experienced the com-
mencement of righteous and true dreams
that are reported to have lasted for a
period of six months.
6
It was in efect the
elementary stage of the prophethood of
the Holy Prophet
(saw)
. Terefore, Hadhrat
Aishah
(ra)
narrates:
Te commencement of (Divine) Revelation
to Allahs Messenger
(saw)
was in the form of
righteous (true) dreams which he would
see during his sleep. Every dream came
true like bright daylight. During that time,
solitude and seclusion had become very dear
to him. He used to go to the cave of Hira
where he would worship (Allah alone) and
continuously engaged himself in worship
for many nights. Ten he would come back
and take more food with him. Upon its
exhaustion he would return to Khadijah
(ra)

and take his food again. He was still in this
state when suddenly the truth from God
descended upon him. At that time he was
in the cave of Hira.
7
Chapter V
A Glance at the Early Life of
Muhammad
(saw)
A Scarcity of Narrations
Now the frst era of the life of the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
has come to an end. Yet a
sense of contentment is missing and the
heart does not let the hand stop writing.
It was during this time that
Muhammad
(saw)
experienced
the commencement of
righteous and true dreams
that are reported to have
lasted for a period of six
months. It was in efect
the elementary stage of the
prophethood of the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
.
It appears as if the events of the frst 40
years of the life of the Holy Prophet
(saw)

are not preserved with such detail as were
the events of the latter era. Tis is but
natural because the way he was looked
upon in the time of his prophethood, was
missing in that frst period. Nevertheless,
had early historians exerted more atten-
tion on the period of his life prior to
prophethood and had sought events
with greater diligence and efort, many
additional details could have been found.
However, the information currently
available, as compared to other previ-
ous prophets, is vast. Tis information is
sufcient evidence of the magnifcently
holy and pure life of the Holy Prophet
(saw)

prior to his divine appointment.
Illiteracy of the Holy Prophet
(saw)

Readers have probably noted that in
this forty-year lifespan, no allusion has
been made to the education of the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
. In actuality, the level of
education in Arabia was very low, and
in this regard, there was little diference
between the nobles and commoners. As a
matter of fact, even infuential chieftains
were generally as uneducated and
illiterate as the common people. Tere is
no doubt that educated individuals were
present here and there throughout the
country. Such people were found more
in Makkah as compared to other places.
However, it is proven that the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
was completely illiterate
and uneducated.
8
It seems that the
illiteracy of the Holy Prophet
(saw)
was
the Will of God, so that the grandeur
of his scholarly miracle could be further
magnifed. Along with this, we learn that
many letters and treaties, etc. were often
prepared before the Holy Prophet
(saw)

and were continually observed by him
during the period of his prophethood. As
a result, he developed a recognition of
letters to some extent, later on in his life.
Tis becomes evident from one Hadith,
that on the occasion of the Treaty of
Hudaibiyah, whilst the treaty was being
prepared, the Holy Prophet
(saw)
crossed
the words Rusulullah [Messenger of
Allah]
9
by his own hand and wrote Ibn
Abdullah in its place after the infdels
it is proven that the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
was completely
illiterate and uneducated. It
seems that the illiteracy of the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
was the Will
of God, so that the grandeur of
his scholarly miracle could be
further magnifed.
objected to it.
10
It is quite possible that
the use of the root word
in the
Hadith about that occasion, meaning to
write, could also imply to get written.
Tis is because, sometimes, writing and
to get written is denoted by the same
word in general conversation. In this
case, the meaning (of the word
)
would be that the portion of the treaty
which the Holy Prophet
(saw)
crossed, was
crossed by his own hand, but whatever
was written afterwards was written by his
scribe. In any case, whichever meaning is
accepted, it does not afect the illiteracy
of the Holy Prophet
(saw)
.
Circle of Friends
Prior to his prophethood, the circle of
friends of the Holy Prophet
(saw)
seems to
have been quite limited. Tis is because
the Holy Prophet
(saw)
was one to prefer
seclusion from the beginning and never
intermingled with the common society
of Makkah during any part of his life.
However, there were a few individuals
with whom the Prophet
(saw)
possessed
a relationship of friendship. Te most
distinctive among them was Hadhrat
Abu Bakr
(ra)
, also known as Abdullah
bin Abi Quhafah, who belonged to
a noble family of the Quraish. On
account of his nobility and aptitude,
his people looked upon him with great
reverence. Next to him was Hakim
bin Hizam
(ra)
who was the nephew of
Hadhrat Khadijah
(ra)
. He was a man of
an exceptionally decent nature. In the
beginning, he did not accept Islam, yet he
held feelings of sincerity and love for the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
. Ultimately, his natural
propensity drew him to Islam. Te Holy
Prophet
(saw)
also had good relations with
Zaid bin Amr. He was a close relative of
Hadhrat Umar
(ra)
and was among those
who had abandoned polytheism even in
the time of the Jahiliyyah [ignorance].
He attributed himself to the Abrahamic
religion, but passed away prior to the
advent of Islam.
Te Prophet
(saw)
s Religion Prior to his
Commission
Since Islam with its detailed injunctions
was revealed later, no one can claim
or has ever asserted that the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
was a follower of Islamic
injunctions prior to its revelation.
However, it is evidently proven from
history that the Holy Prophet
(saw)
in
conformity to his pure nature, always
refrained from the filthy rituals of
the Arab society and never practised
idolatry. Terefore, during the time of
his prophethood, the Holy Prophet
(saw)

used to say to Hadhrat Aishah
(ra)
, I have
never eaten from the sacrifcial oferings
made to idols.
11
Hadhrat Ali
(ra)
relates
in a narration, that someone once said to
the Holy Prophet
(saw)
, O Messenger of
Allah, have you ever worshipped idols?
The Prophet
(saw)
replied, No. Then
the people inquired, Have you ever
consumed alcohol? The Prophet
(saw)

responded, No. Ten he said, I have
always detested these things, but prior
to Islam, I had no knowledge of religious
law or faith.
12
Te Prophet
(saw)
s Virtues and Manners
It has already been mentioned that
prior to his advent, the Prophet
(saw)
was
known by the title of Al-Amin among
the Quraish. Tis is conclusive evidence
of his trustworthiness, honesty and high
morals. Such was the level of his honesty
in speech that even a bitter enemy of
the likes of Abu Jahl, once addressed
the Holy Prophet
(saw)
, during the time of
prophethood, saying:
O Muhammad! We do not consider you
to be a liar but we consider that which
you have brought to be a lie.
13
Abu Sufyan was presented before
Heraclius, King of Rome. Heraclius
questioned him about the Hol y
Prophet
(saw)
:
Prior to his claim have you ever seen this
man lie?
At that time, Abu Sufyan was at war
with the Holy Prophet
(saw)
, but upon
this question, he was unable to give any
answer other than La, meaning No.
14

Umaiyyah bin Khalf was a vehement
enemy of the Holy Prophet
(saw)
, but
when Sad bin Muadh informed him of
the prophecy of his death made by the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
, he lost all his senses,
and anxiously mentioned this to his wife,
saying:
By God, when Muhammad speaks, he
does not lie.
15
Ten, Al-Nadr bin Al-Harith was among
the fervent enemies of Islam, but when
he heard someone say that (God forbid)
Muhammad is a liar, he said at once:
Muhammad was a child among you
and he was the most virtuous of all. He
was the most honest in speech and the
most trustworthy and this remained
your view of him until you observed his
hair turning grey and he reached his old
age, and he brought to you that which he
brought. Ten you began to say that he is
a magician and a liar. By God, he is not
a liar nor is he a magician.
16
By this statement Al-Nadr bin Al-Harith
meant the same as Abu Jahl, that is to say
We do not consider Muhammad to be
a liar, but consider the religion he has
brought to be a lie.
When the Holy Prophet
(saw)
began the
propagation of Islam and gathered the
Quraish upon a hillock and said to them,
If I tell you that a large army is gathered
behind this hillock ready to launch an
assault against you, will you believe me?
Even though this apparently seemed
impossible, everyone responded:
Yes, we shall believe you, for we have
always found you truthful.
17
Te Holy Prophet
(saw)
responded:
Ten I tell you this the chastisement of
God approaches, from which you should
save yourselves.
All these testimonies came from the most
vehement of enemies. No testimony is
required from the believers because their
acceptance is in itself a powerful testi-
mony. However, at this moment, I cannot
rest without including the testimony of
the wife of the Holy Prophet
(saw)
, Hadrat
Khadijah
(ra)
. When the angel of God frst
came to the Prophet
(saw)
with revelation
and the Holy Prophet
(saw)
apprehensively
said to Khadijah
(ra)
, I fear for myself,
Khadijah
(ra)
, who was intimately aware
of his life, spontaneously said the follow-
ing words:
Nay! Nay! By God, Allah shall never dis-
honour you. You treat your kith and kin
with love, and are truthful, and mitigate
the burdens of others. You have brought
together lost virtues within yourself, and
you are hospitable, and you assist others
in the way of truth.
18
Tis testimony is of that venerable lady
who by day and night, whilst sitting and
standing, eating and drinking, while
semi-conscious and awake, observed the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
.
O Allah bless Muhammad
(saw)
and grant
him peace and prosperity.
(Serialisation continues in the
next edition with Chapter VI
Commencement of Prophethood)
footnotes
1
* Usdul-Ghabah, Vol.2, pp.141-142,
Zaidubnu Harithah
(ra)
, Darul-Fikr, Beirut
(2003)
* As-Siratun-Nabawiyyah, By Ibn
Hisham, Babu Islami Zaidibni Harithah
(ra)

Taniyyan, p.188, Darul-Kutubil-Ilmayyah,
Beirut, (2001)
2
Surah Al-Ahzab, Ch.33:V.5
3
Surah Al-Ahzab, Ch.33:V.38
4
* As-Siratun-Nabawiyyah, by Ibn
Hisham, Babu Dhikri Anna Aliyyabna Abi
Talibin Awwalu Dhakarin Aslama, p.187,
Darul-Kutubil-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, (2001)
* Usdul-Ghabah, Vol.3, pp.588, Aliyyubnu
Abi Talib
(ra)
, Darul-Fikr, Beirut (2003)
5
Surah Al-Duha, Ch.93:V.8
6
Sharhu Allamatiz-Zarqani alal-
Mawahibil-Ladunniyyah, Vol.1, pp. 386,
Babu Mabathin-Nabi
(sa)
, Darul-Kutubil-
Ilmiyyah, Beirut, First Edition (1996)
7
Sahih Bukhari, Kitabu Badil-Wahyi,
Babu Badil-Wahyi, Hadith No. 3
8
Surah Al-Araf, Ch.7:V.159, Surah
Al-Ankabut, Ch.29:V.49
9
Messenger of Allah (publisher)
10
Sahih Bukhari, Kitabus-sulh, Babu
Kaifa Yuktabu Hadha Ma Salaha Fulan bin
Fulan, Hadith No.2699
11
As-Siratul-Halbiyyah, Vol.1, p.180,
Babu Ma Hafzahullahu Taala Bihi
Fi Sigharihisa Min Amril-Jahiliyyah,
Darul-Kutub (2002)
12
As-Siratul-Halbiyyah, Vol.1, p.182,
Babu Ma Hafzahullahu Taala Bihi Fi
Sigharihisa Min Amril-Jahiliyyah, Darul-
Kutub (2002)
13
Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Kitabut-Tafsir,
Babu Wa Minal-Anami, Hadith No.3064
14
Bab No. 6, Hadith No. 7
15
Sahih Bukhari, Kitabul-Manaqib, Babu
Alamatin-Nubuwwati Fil-Islam, Hadith
No.3632
16
* As-Shifa, by Qadi Ayad, Part 1, p. 90,
Babuth-Tani Fi Takmilillahi Taala Lahul-
Mahasina Khalqan Wa Khuluqan Faslun
Wa Amma Adluhu
(saw)
, Darul-Kutubil-
Ilmiyyah, Beirut, (2002)
* As-Siratun-Nabawiyyah, By Ibni Hisham,
Babu Ma Dara Baina Rasulillahi
(saw)
Wa
Baina Ruusai Quraishin Wa Tafsiril-Kahf,
p. 224, Darul-Kutubil-Ilmiyyah, Beirut,
(2001)
17
* Sahih Bukhari, Kitabut-Tafsir, Babu
Wa Minash-Shuarai, Hadith No.4770
* Sahih Muslim, Kitabul-Iman, Babu
Wandhir Ashiratakal-Aqrabin, Hadith No.
508
18
Bab No.3, Hadith No.3
Rejection of
Gods Prophets
A Historical Perspective
part 2
dr abdul latif d. busari abuja, nigeria
Refutations of all charges against
Gods Prophets
God has refuted all the charges and cal-
umnies levelled by disbelievers against
the Prophets. In defence of the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
and, by extension, all other
Prophets since they all share similar
objections from their peoples and in
answer to the general objection by disbe-
lievers through the ages on the humanity
and mortality of Prophets, God says:
And We sent none as Messengers before
thee, but men to whom We sent revelation.
So ask those who are well versed in
scriptures, if you know not. And We did
not give them bodies that ate no food, nor
were they to live forever.
(Ch.21:Vs.8-9)
Also God says in relation to Jesus
(as)
:
Te Messiah, son of Mary, was no more than
a Messenger; surely, Messengers like unto
him had indeed passed away before him.
And his mother was righteous. Both of them
used to eat food.
(Ch.5: V.76)
On the age-long request by disbelievers
for angels as Messengers, God the All-
Wise says:
And they say: Why has not an angel been
sent down to him? But if We had sent
down an angel, the matter would have been
settled, and then they would not have been
granted a respite. And if We had appointed
as Messenger an angel, We would have
made him appear as a man; and thus We
would have made confused to them what
they are themselves confusing.
(Ch.6: Vs.9-10)
In several places in the Quran God
debunked the charge of forgery made
by disbelievers against His Prophets
(Ch.25:V.5). As to those who alleged that
Messengers of God have forged the rev-
elation sent through them and demanded
proof of authenticity, God declares:
And if We had sent down to thee a writing
upon parchment and they had felt it with
their hands, even then the disbelievers
would have surely said, Tis is nothing but
manifest sorcery.
(Ch.6:V.8)
Final part of serialisation. This section focuses on
the f ierce opposition faced by the Holy Prophet
Muhammad
(saw)
, and also by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad
(as)
, the Promised Messiah and Founder of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim community
The fact is that no matter what the
Prophets say or do, the disbelievers
will never believe, since the warnings
delivered by Prophets hit at the very root
of their prosperity, power and self-esteem
and they are so far gone astray that they
have lost all God-consciousness! Tere is
little the Prophets can do to make them
change their mind, unless it pleases God
to intervene. Alluding to this category of
human beings, God says:
And there comes not to them any Sign of
the Signs of their Lord, but they turn away
from it.
(Ch.6:V.5)
As if to reassure the Holy Prophet
(saw)

and believers who may be perturbed by
the disbelief of these unfortunate people,
God says:
And We sent Messengers before you among
various denominations of earlier people. And
there never came to them any Messenger but
they mocked at him. Tus do We cause this
habit of mocking to enter into the hearts
of the sinful people; they believe not therein,
though the example of the former peoples has
gone before them. And even if We opened
to them a door from heaven, and they began
ascending through it, they would surely say,
Only our eyes are dazed; rather we are a
bewitched people.
(Ch.15:Vs.11-16).
In other words, the disbelievers among
every people, are already doomed to reject
truth even when they see it, however
much the Prophets desire it, and it is
this obduracy that has, through the ages,
earned them perdition and destruction.
Repercussions for Rejection of Gods
Prophets
The repercussion for the rejection of
Prophets of God has been calamity. As if
to remind mankind of this fact, God says:
Then We sent Our Messengers one after
another. Every time there came to a people
their Messenger, they treated him as a liar.
rejection of gods prophets
Te fact is that no matter what
the Prophets say or do, the
disbelievers will never believe,
since the warnings delivered
by Prophets hit at the very
root of their prosperity,
power and self-esteem and
they are so far gone astray
that they have lost all God-
consciousness!
So We made them follow one another to
destruction and We made them mere tales.
Cursed, then, be the people who believe not!
(Ch.23: V.45)
In the frst place, God Almighty was not
going to allow His Divine purpose to be
thwarted, or have His chosen Messengers
disgraced and prevented from achieving
their God-given mandate. Te Quran
says:
Never sent We a Messenger or a Prophet
before thee, but when he sought to attain
what he aimed at, Satan put obstacles in
the way of what he sought after. But Allah
removes the obstacles that are placed by
Satan. Ten Allah frmly establishes His
Signs. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.
(Ch.22: V.53)
Terefore, opposition to Prophets was
doomed to fail. Te people of Noah
(as)
,
Hud
(as)
, Salih
(as)
, Shuaib
(as)
, etc, one after
the other, met a disastrous end while
those who believed among them were
saved. Te disbelievers among the people
of Noah
(as)
were drowned (Ch.7:V.65;
Ch.10:V.74), while those of the people of
Hud
(as)
were eradicated by an earthquake
(Ch.7:V.73; Ch.11:V.61). They were
followed by the tribe of Tamud who
were in turn also destroyed by an
earthquake while they slept (Ch.11:V.68).
Another quake which rained stones and
clay destroyed Lots people. Historians
have likened the earthquake which
destroyed these unfortunate people to the
one which destroyed Pompeii. For the
Midians who rejected Shuaib
(as)
, exactly
the same fate as the Tamud befell them.
Te Children of Israel witnessed several
punishments including the destruction of
Jerusalem in 556 BCE during the time
of Prophet Ezekiel
(as)
by the Babylonian
Nebuchadnezzar who carried them
into captivity (Bible, 2Kings 24:10).
Although Cyrus the Great, helped to
restore the Israelites to Jerusalem, once
again in 70 CE, the Roman Emperor
Titus captured Jerusalem and destroyed
the Temple. Long before these Divine
punishments, the land of the Children
of Israel had been ravaged in 1256 BCE
by the Midianites as a result of which
they were compelled to abandon their
homes and take refuge in caves (Bible,
Te people of Noah
(as)
, Hud
(as)
,
Salih
(as)
, Shuaib
(as)
, etc,
one after the other, met a
disastrous end while those
who believed among them
were saved.
Judges 6:1-6).
Tere was no general punishment for
the idolaters of Makkah and indeed
the people of Arabia among whom
the Holy Prophet
(saw)
was raised, for
they later accepted him and largely
abandoned their idol worship and evil
ways. It is a fact of history that following
the bloodless conquest of Makkah by the
Muslims led by the Holy Prophet
(saw)
,
thousands of Arabs converted to Islam.
Nevertheless, specifc individuals who
opposed the Holy Prophet
(saw)
s mission
were destroyed one after the other.
Examples include Abu Jahl, the leader of
the Quraish in Makkah who met his end
in the Battle of Badr along with other
Quraishi leaders; Abd Al Uzza also
known in history as Abu Lahab, the hot-
tempered uncle and enemy of the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
, died ignominiously along
with his infamous wife. Abdullah bin
Ubayy was the leader of the hypocrites
in Madinah whose ambition to become
the ruler of the city was frustrated by
the Holy Prophet
(saw)
s arrival. This
turned him into a bitter enemy of Islam
and the Holy Prophet
(saw)
. Following
his evil machinations and hypocrisy, he
eventually died in ignominy. A Christian
monk going by the name Abu Amir,
who was an enemy of Islam, had to fee
to Syria where he still continued his
nefarious activities, hoping to enlist the
help of the Byzantines against the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
. He died in disgrace in Syria
shortly after, a broken-hearted wretch.
This brings us to the modern epoch
exemplified by the opposition of the
people of India and present day Pakistan
to Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
(as)

of Qadian. Before his declaration of
prophethood, he was already widely
known as an upri ght and pi ous
Champion of Islam well respected by
other leaders of Islam. Te publication
of his seminal treatise in the defence
of Islam, Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, which
gained wide approval, enhanced his
standing among Islamic scholars and
mainstream Muslims. Muhammad
Hussain, leader of the Ahl-e-Hadith,
praised the book in the following words:
This book in our opinion has no
It is a fact of history that
following the bloodless
conquest of Makkah by the
Muslims led by the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
, thousands of
Arabs converted to Islam.
parallel in our time and in view of the
circumstances and needs of our time,
there has not been another one like it in
the entire history of Islam.
On the author, he had this to say:
We should also be told of two or more
friends of Islam who have resolved to
serve Islam in the same way, with purse
and pen and with speech and silence;
whose lives are similarly devoted; who are
able to manfully challenge the enemies
of Islam and the deniers of revelation to
come and witness these experiences
3
Muhammad Hussain later led the
opposition to Hadhrat Ahmad
(as)
and
devoted the rest of his life denouncing
him as a kafr and a liar just like the
chief of the Makkans had labelled the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
. Objections to Hadhrat
Ahmad
(as)
include his claim that Jesus
(as)

had died a natural death, contrary to the
belief shared by Christians and orthodox
Muslims. Tere was also the objection to
the claim on the continuity of revelation
and the advent of non-law bearing
Prophets after Prophet Muhammad
(saw)
,
a major point of contention with
orthodox Muslims who hold that the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
is the last Prophet after
whom there would be none ever again.
He was also charged with denying the
institution of Jihad. All these issues had
been dealt with by Hadhrat Ahmad
(as)
in
his books with clear arguments supported
copiously by references from the Quran
and the authentic Hadiths of the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
.
Sufce it to say that on the basis of these
charges and objections and in spite of
the widely publicised rebuttal, many in
the Indian subcontinent rejected his
prophethood as an obedient servant of
Muhammad
(saw)
. Not only did the Ulama
(clerics) issue fatwas (edicts) labelling
him a kafr (disbeliever), even after his
demise in 1908, members of the com-
munity he established the Ahmadiyya
Muslim community have continued
to face persecution at the hands of ordi-
nary unenlightened Pakistanis. Tis task
has especially been undertaken by reli-
gious fanatics, exemplifed by groups like
Khatme Nabuwwat and Jamaat-i-Islami
Before his declaration of
prophethood, he was already
widely known as an upright
and pious Champion of Islam
well respected by other leaders
of Islam.
led by Maulana Maududi whose stated
goal was to unify all Pakistani Muslims
under a common cause of excommuni-
cating Ahmadis from Pakistan
5
.
In 1974, under Prime Minister Bhutto,
the government of Pakistan efected an
amendment to the countrys constitu-
tion declaring Ahmadis as non-Muslims
allegedly because they do not accept
Prophet Muhammad
(saw)
as the last
Prophet.
4
All the rights and liberties that
were enshrined in the 1956 constitution
by the founding fathers of Pakistan were
in one fell swoop rolled back
5
. In 1984,
President Zia-ul-Haq enacted his infa-
mous Ordinance XX which amended
the Pakistani Penal Code (PPC) by add-
ing sections that restricted the freedom
of expression by religious minorities,
especially with specifc reference to the
Ahmadiyya Community. Tis ordinance
prohibits Ahmadis from calling them-
selves Muslims or posing as Muslims
and calling their faith Islam. It also
made defling the Holy Quran or the
name of the Holy Prophet
(saw)
subject
to the death penalty, life imprisonment
and heavy fnes
4
. Later in 1991, Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif made the death
penalty the mandatory punishment for
the so-called blasphemy against the name
of the Holy Prophet
(saw)4
. Te efect of all
this legislation is the increasing spiral of
violence against Ahmadis. Teir homes,
businesses and persons can be attacked
and destroyed with impunity. Ahmadis
are routinely subjected to murder, wrong-
ful arrest and imprisonment, intimidation
and harassment.
A town solely founded and developed
by the Jamaat near Chiniot and named
Rabwah in 1947 and to which the
Community moved its headquarters from
Qadian, was forcefully taken over and
ofcially renamed Chenab Nagar by the
government in 1999. Repeated attempts,
both subtle and brazen, have been made
by the Mullahs to chase out Ahmadis, so
much so that many emigrated to practise
their religion freely following the age-
old tradition of believers of Prophets who
faced similar persecution on the basis of
their faith. Several international human
rights agencies have issued statements
and written reports condemning these
acts and especially the failure of successive
Pakistani governments to repeal the laws
being exploited by fanatics. Yet discerning
observers have also begun to see a repeat
of history of the fate of past rejecters of
Prophets of God.
All the major active players in the
Ahmadi persecution are being visited
by unexplained disasters that cannot be
taken as coincidences; and the trend con-
tinues. Yet, lessons are not being learned.
Tese attacks have not abated; on May 28
2010, two Ahmadi Mosques in Lahore
were attacked during Friday prayers in
which 86 Ahmadis were killed in cold
blood, attracting international outrage
and condemnation
6
. Te people of this
embattled land should pause and refect.
Allah reminds us again:
Surely, there have been many dispensations
before you; so travel through the earth and
see how evil was the end of those who treated
the Prophets as liars. (Ch.3:V.138)
We can only hope and pray that the
people of Pakistan will follow the advice
God made the Holy Prophet
(saw)
give to
the Makkans:
Say to those who disbelieve, if they desist,
that which is past will be forgiven them;
and if they return thereto, then verily, the
example of the former peoples has already
gone before them.
(Ch.8:V.39)
May God, the Merciful, touch the hearts
of their leaders and open the eyes of the
Mullahs and their followers to see the
light and retrace their steps before it is
too late. Te warnings are clear; anyone
who takes on a Messenger of God will
have to contend with God.
references
1. Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud
Ahmad, Invitation to Ahmadiyyat, Islam
International Publications Ltd, India
(2009).
2. Iain Adamson, Ahmad - the Guided One,
Islam International Publications Ltd,
India (2009).
3. Ishaat al-Sunnah, VI, p.7, quoted in
Invitation to Ahmadiyyat by Hadhrat
Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud
Ahmad.
4. Rabwah: A Place for Martyrs Report of
the U.K. Parliamentary Human Rights
Group Mission to Pakistan into Internal
Flights by Ahmadis by Dr. Jonathan
Ensor. Parts I, II & III. Te Review of
Religions, Vol. 102 Nos. 03, 04 & 05,
March, April & May 2007.
5. Amjad Mahmood Khan, Persecution
of Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan
- Analysis under International Law and
International Relations, Te Review of
Religions, Vol.98 No.6, June 2003.
6. Humda Malik, Ahmadi Muslims Face
Steady Persecution in Pakistan http://
www.edmontonjournal.com/news/
Ahmadi Muslims.
Formal prayer is an important part of any
religion and it comes in diferent forms,
and is ofered in diferent ways. In Islam,
Prayer also plays a central and fundamen-
tal role, as it provides the opportunity
for man to develop a personal relation-
ship with his Creator. Tis relationship
is set in the context of humility, whereby
man, in awe of the perfect and boundless
attributes of God, places himself at the
threshold of the Divine, beseeching His
forgiveness, help and blessings.
Te format of Islamic prayer is refec-
tive of this spirit. Its various postures and
prescribed prayers focus the mind and
soul on God.
Ablution
Before a Muslim can begin to worship
Allah, he must prepare himself physically
and mentally. Physically he must make
himself clean for Prayer. For this reason
it is mandatory for a Muslim to perform
ablution before the commencement of
prayer, so long as water is available.
1
Te
Holy Quran is quite explicit about this
requirement, and states:
O ye who believe, when you stand up for
Prayer, wash your faces, and your hands up
to the elbows, and pass your wet hands over
the heads and wash your feet to the ankles.
(Ch.5:V.7)
Te Holy Prophet
(saw)
taught his com-
panions how to perform ablution. He
has also explained to us the signifcance
of wudhu, or ablution. In Tirmidhi, a
Hadith (sayings and traditions of the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
) states that the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
said that when a believer
washes diferent parts of his body whilst
performing ablution, his sins pertain-
ing to those parts are drained or washed
away with the last droplet of water which
falls down from those parts. Tat is to say,
while performing ablution, the believer
malik jamil r. rafiq rabwah, pakistan
Aspects of
Islamic Prayer
should frmly resolve to not commit any
sin with those parts of the body, and to
keep them as spiritually clean as they
are physically clean. In this way, the
Holy Prophet of Islam
(saw)
himself has
explained the philosophy behind Islamic
ablution.
Preparing the mind and soul for Prayer
starts from the moment the call to Prayer
is heard and is then followed by the pre-
scribed Prayers themselves that bring
ones attention to God.
Call for Prayer
Before the congregational five daily
Prayers are ofered, a believer stands up
and calls people to the Prayer. While
ringing bells and blowing the trum-
pet have been used in diferent faiths
to inform people of the time to go to
worship, in Islam the call to Prayer is
aspects of islamic prayer
The Call to Prayer is often made from minarets,
although early Mosques were built without
them. Picture: Mosque of Uqba in Tunisia. The
Oldest Minaret in the Muslim world (836).
done by human voice alone. Te words
of the Islamic call serve a dual purpose
of informing worshippers about the time
for Prayer as well as inspiring them to
come for Prayer and prosperity, and to
prioritise it over other matters. Te words
of the Islamic call to Prayer, therefore, act
as a great incentive for worshippers to
converge upon the mosque. Te words
of the call to Prayer are:
Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the
Greatest.
Greatest.
I bear witness that there is none worthy
of worship except Allah.
I bear witness that there is none worthy
of worship except Allah.
I bear witness that Muhammad is the
Messenger of Allah.
I bear witness that Muhammad is the
Messenger of Allah.
Come quickly to Prayer.
Come quickly to Prayer.
Come quickly towards success.
Come quickly towards success.
Greatest.
Tere is none worthy of worship except
Allah.
Five Daily Prayers
Islam prescribes fve obligatory Prayers
each day. One of the beauties of Islam is
that the entire Shariah (Law) has been
both described in the Holy Quran itself,
and was actually demonstrated by the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
. Te fve daily Prayers
have been prescribed as a blessing for
Muslims in the Holy Quran:
And if We had not strengthened theewith
the Quran, thou mightest have inclined to
them a little. (Ch.17:V.75)
The frequency of Prayer is designed
to continuously nourish the soul in
the same way that food continuously
nourishes the body. Furthermore, this
provides a constant reminder of God and
the blessings of His support in all activi-
ties of our daily lives. Te Founder of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
(as)
has
elaborated on the philosophy of the fve
timings of Prayer:
These are a picture of your different
states. Five mutations are inevitable in
your life when a misfortune befalls you.
And these must occur naturally: (Kashti
Nuh, p.64, Ruhani Khazain, Vol.19, p.69,
Nazarat Ishaat, Rabwah, computerised
ed 2008)
(i) This first state is when you are
informed that a misfortune is about to
befall you, say, for example, if you are
served with a warrant from a court of
law. Tis is the frst state, and in it your
comfort and happiness is disturbed. Tis
state is like the time of the declining of
the sun, because your happiness has
started to decline as well. Against this,
the Dhuhr (afternoon) Prayer, whose
time starts with the lowering or declin-
ing of the sun, has been prescribed.
(ii) Te second change happens to you
when you are brought very close to ruin,
say, once you have been apprehended, as
per the warrant, and brought before the
judge. Tis is a time when fear petrifes
you, you are extremely scared, and any
semblance of comfort has deserted you.
So this phase resembles the time when
the brightness of the sun has dimmed
and you are able to set your eye on it
and it becomes evident that its setting
is imminent. Against this state, the Asr
(late afternoon) Prayer has been pre-
scribed.
(iii)
Te third change happens when you
lose all hope that you will be able to
escape disaster, say, when the charge-
sheet has been written against you, and
witnesses have given evidence to support
your capital punishment. Tis is the time
when your senses start to leave you and
you begin to realise that you are a captive.
Tis condition resembles sunset. By this
point there is no hope for any sunlight.
Against this spiritual condition Maghrib
(sunset) prayer has been prescribed.

(iv) Te fourth change occurs when the
calamity has actually happened and its
utter darkness has encompassed you, say,
when, after the charges and the trial, the
verdict is announced to you, and you are
handed over to a policeman for custody.
So, this condition resembles nightfall; it
becomes pitch dark. Against this spiritual
condition Isha (night) Prayer has been
prescribed.
(v) Ten, after you have spent some time
in this trouble, Gods mercy is moved and
He delivers you from that trouble, just as
morning breaks out of darkness and then
light makes itself manifest with all its
brightness and sparkle. So, against this
spiritual condition Fajr (morning) Prayer
has been prescribed.

So God, seeing five stages in your
character, has prescribed for you five
Prayers... (Kishti-e-Nuh (pp. 63-65)
Qiblah
Muslims all over the globe pray in one
direction, towards the Qiblah, the Holy
Ka bah in Makkah. Islam is unique
because in other religions the adherents
in diferent parts of the world face each
other, or in various directions for worship.
Turning to the Kabah while praying is
a means of establishing complete unity
amongst the believers, and provides
them with a focal point of congregation
although the focus remains frmly on
God.
Te Prayer
Diferent societies have diferent ways
of showing respect and reverence. For
example, historically the Turks stood
Muslims all over the globe
pray in one direction, towards
the Qiblah, the Holy Kabah
in Makkah. Islam is unique
because in other religions the
adherents in diferent parts of
the world face each other, or in
various directions for worship.
up with hands folded on the chest, and
the Iranians simply stood with hands
hanging down; bowing down is a sign
of reverence amongst Hindus as well as
some other cultures; in India and Africa
to prostrate is a sign of great respect,
while in Europe people kneel as a sign
of submission.
Islamic worship includes these as well as
other postures in its Prayer, thereby dem-
onstrating a culmination and refnement
of the various forms of worship found in
preceding faiths.

Te formal act of Prayer begins when the
worshipper raises his or her hands to the
lobes of the ears, or up to the shoulders.
Tis is a sign of surrendering to God. Te
arms are then folded, hands on chest,
placing the right hand over the left. Tis
is a symbolic statement of giving prefer-
ence to religion over worldly matters.
While standing with folded hands
the worshipper pours praise upon the
Highest Entity being addressed by him
or her, recites several prayers, including
an excellent prayer comprising all seven
verses of the frst chapter of the Holy
Quran, Surah Fatiha:
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the
Merciful.
All praise belongs to Allah alone, Lord of all
the worlds,
Te Gracious, the Merciful,
Master of the Day of Judgement.
Tee alone do we worship, and Tee alone
do we implore for help.
Guide us in the straight path,
The path of those on whom Thou hast
bestowed Ty favours, those who have not
incurred Ty displeasure and those who have
not gone astray.
After Surah Fatihah, a portion from the
Holy Quran is recited. Te worshipper
then bows at the waist, resting his hands
on his knees in adoration, to the Most
Holy Entity just addressed, that is to
say Allah. Te worshipper then stands
upright, this time with his hands hang-
ing down by his sides, and praises Allah.
After this, he or she prostrates, with the
forehead and nose placed on the ground,
demonstrating the height of reverence,
humility and submission to Allah. Tis
represents the climax of the Prayer. In
prostration the worshipper praises Allah.
Te Holy Prophet
(saw)
has said that one is
closest to Allah while in prostration and
therefore should pray to Him earnestly.
Many believers, in addition to reciting
the short prescribed prayer Holy is Allah,
the High also whole-heartedly suppli-
cate and earnestly seek Allahs succour, to
get rid of their difculties both spiritual
and worldly. Tis is followed by assuming
a position of sitting with the legs folded
and time is then taken to supplicate to
Allah for provision and spiritual elevation
etc. Ten the worshipper goes down a
second time into prostration. In one unit
(Rakah) of Prayer it is only the prostra-
tion which is done twice, all other acts of
worship are performed once only.
Tis completes one Rakah (unit) of the
Prayer. Two, three or four Rakaat are
prescribed for diferent Prayers over a
24-hour period.
After the last Rakah, the worshipper
sits with legs folded. Te left foot lies
fat, while the right foot is kept upright.
Sitting on the left foot, the right foot is
balanced on the ball of the foot with the
heel up, keeping the right foot upright.
Tis position signifes subordination of
our worldly matters and giving prefer-
ence to spiritual goals.
In this position, one praises Allah,
invokes His blessings on the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
, recites further prescribed
prayers, then turns ones face to the right,
reciting in Arabic, Assalamu Alaikum Wa
Rahmatullah on you be the peace and
mercy of Allah, then to the left saying
the same greeting. Tis salutation com-
pletes the Prayer.
While in Prayer, it is prohibited to turn
ones face right or left, or to talk. One
stands before the countenance of Allah
while praying and is cut of from oth-
ers. When the Prayer is completed the
believer is back among people of this
world, once again. Hence, one greets
them with the salutation, Assalaamu
Alaikum Wa Rahamatullah. Salaam
(peace) is one of the attributes of Allah
so by saying Salaam, the worshipper
expresses the fact; I have come from
Salaam (peace), and have brought you
peace.
footnotes
1
Where water is not available, then
a shorter symbolic ablution can be
performed with clean dust. Tis signifes
the importance of Prayer in Islam.
Does
God Exist?
sayed hameedullah nusrat
pasha rabwah, pakistan
Te whole concept of religion is based on
the belief in the existence of a Supreme
Being, worthy of being worshipped
the Being known as God. If there is
no God, we would have to admit that
religion is little more than a philosophy.
In fact, we would have to admit, albeit
unwillingly, that religion is no more
than a philosophy based on forgery. Te
status of Revealed Scriptures would
be reduced to man-made chronicles,
and the value of prophets would be
diminished to ambitious philosophers
The Hubble Ultra Deep Field, an image of a
small region of space in the constellation
Fornax, composited from Hubble Space
Telescope data accumulated from September
3, 2003 through January 16, 2004. It is the
deepest image of the universe, or cosmos,
ever taken. This high-resolution image of the
HUDF includes galaxies of various ages, sizes,
shapes, and colours. The smallest, reddest
galaxies are some of the most distant galaxies
to have been imaged by an optical telescope,
existing at the time shortly after the Big Bang.
The Big Bang theory, only recently discovered
by science, is mentioned in the Holy Quran
over 1400 years ago as a miracle of God and
the birth of the universe.
(Photo: NASA/European Space Agency)
If there is no God, we would
have to admit that religion is
little more than a philosophy.
In fact, we would have to
admit, albeit unwillingly,
that religion is no more than a
philosophy based on forgery.
seeking dominance over people. On the
other hand, if there is a God, a Supreme
Being Who created us, cares for us and
controls our destiny, we would have
to recognise His existence, strive to
know His attributes, submit willfully
to His Presence and seek to establish a
relationship with Him, according to His
Will.
Te fact that the human soul or call it the
human psyche if you like, has a craving
for the Unseen Ultimate Being and is
fascinated and intrigued by the slightest
hint that leads it in the direction of the
Ultimate Being, is indicative of a vacuum
in the human soul, a vacuum that can be
flled only by attaining knowledge about
that Being. Te search for the Ultimate
Truth or the Absolute Truth has intrigued
man since time immemorial, a question
that the most able of human minds have,
throughout the ages, attempted to resolve.
What is the Absolute Truth in relation to
which all other truths are relative? What
is the Absolute Constant, in relation to
which all other truths are mere variables?
Who preceded all Existence and who
will continue to remain after the End
of Time? One wonders whether this
curiosity and persistent quest of the
human mind is coincidental, or could it
possibly have been deliberately ingrained
in the human soul? Could it be that the
human soul did have a Creator, Who
chose to programme His creation, the
human soul, to seek out its Creator? If
the human soul has been programmed
to search God, it follows logically that
it will not fnd peace until it fnds God.
We read in the Quran an interesting
dialogue between God and the Human
Soul. According to this dialogue God
asked all human souls, Am I not your
Lord? (Ch.7:173). The human souls
replied indeed(Ch.7:V.173). Tis does
not mean to suggest that there was ever
an occasion when all human souls were
gathered in a congregation, where they
were collectively addressed by God. It
simply means that all human souls have
individually testifed that God is their
Lord and that this testimony is intrinsic
to the human soul.
It is equally interesting to refect that
there is an innate sense of morality in
the human soul. Among the many levels
of morality, the most elementary level
of morality manifests itself through the
expression of what is commonly known
as the conscience. This is an innate
human faculty with which all humans,
irrespective of their religious inclination,
have been blessed. Even the child of
does god exist?
atheist parents, born and brought up in
a Godless environment, has this innate
sense of right and wrong. Even a child, yet
unaware of religion, feels content doing
what is morally right, and experiences
guilt when doing what is morally wrong.
Tis is a morality independent of any
conscious appreciation of religious values.
Tese could be termed as moral standards
independent of a conscious belief in God.
Where did this moral sense come from?
Certainly not by Natural Selection.
We are rationally led to infer that it is
God who has willed that humans be
blessed with a conscience, a conscience
that operates even without consciously
believing in God. It is by Gods Will that
this conscience serves as a hidden guide
sitting inside mans heart, who commends
him on his morally right actions and
reprimands him on his morally wrong
actions. The Quranic term for the
human conscience is the reproving spirit
(Ch.75:V.3). Hence, while there may
indeed be moral standards independent
of a conscious appreciation of Gods Will,
the innate moral sense in man suggests
its existence being there on account of a
preceding Will the Will of God.
Religion serves man at all stages of moral
refnement. Religion imparts to man a
sense of God-consciousness. It is this
God-consciousness that raises mans
morality to higher levels. Religion, thus
serves the purpose of refining mans
innate moral sense. It lends acuity to
the human conscience. Thus God-
consciousness gradually evolves into a
real and viable relationship between man
and God.
With respect to the human souls quest
for peace, we read in the Quran, Beware
the peace of hearts is in the remembrance
of Allah only (Ch.13:V.29). Tese words
intimate the fact that the human soul will
fnd peace only in the remembrance of
God. Te word alaa used in this verse
[Ch.13:V.29], which means beware,
suggests that while man may indeed seek
Te fact that the human soul
or call it the human psyche
if you like, has a craving
for the Unseen Ultimate
Being and is fascinated and
intrigued by the slightest hint
that leads it in the direction
of the Ultimate Being, is
indicative of a vacuum in the
human soul
peace of mind through other means, all
these quests are destined to culminate
in frustration, and that the human soul
is programmed to find peace in the
remembrance of God only.
Te fact that there is an innate quest for
the Ultimate Being and the Absolute
Truth in the human soul, the fact that
there is a loose end of the Human Soul
that connects only to that One Deity,
the fact that there is an innate sense
of morality in the human soul and the
fact that the human soul fnds ultimate
peace only in the remembrance of God,
all suggest that there indeed is such a
Being a Being called God. We read
The percentage of the population in European
countries who said they believe there is a
God. (2005 Census)
does god exist?
in the Quran: And (there are signs) in
your own selves. Will you not then see?
(Ch.51:V.22).
A major source of knowledge for man has
always been the dependable testimony.
Not everything we believe in has been
seen or ever physically perceived by us.
Antarctica, very much a reality, in fact
an entire continent in itself, has never
been seen or directly perceived by the
overwhelming majority of humans
the world over. Yet, its existence is not
queried nor should it rationally be. We
have absolutely no inhibition in accepting
the existence of Antarctica for the simple
reason that there is an abundance of
testimony suggesting its existence. We
turn on a news channel to learn that there
has been a plane crash in Guatemala.
Having neither seen the plane crash nor
Guatemala, we spontaneously accept the
news and feel sorry for the crash victims.
Te reason is that we consider the source
of information dependable. Travellers
have always turned to the map to seek
direction. Some have even met with
disaster as a consequence of being misled
by the map. Yet, people will continue
to accept the veracity of maps and
chronicles. We humans as a race, have till
now been visited by more than a hundred
thousand prophets, all of whom were
known for both their sound judgement
as well as their truthfulness. Prior to his
proclamation, each prophet was accepted
as the most truthful, as well as the most
prudent individual among his people. It
is only after his claim to prophethood
that he is labelled a liar, never before. A
remarkable aspect of the character of all
prophets of God, is the fact that they
foresee no worldly gain in their call, and
yet they show amazing perseverance in
pursuing their respective missions. Te
call of the prophets is invariably in a
direction opposite to the prevalent trends
of their respective societies. Teir call
always makes them unpopular and they
are persecuted. Yet their conviction is not
only ever-increasing, but also inspiring
Even the child of atheist
parents, born and brought
up in a Godless environment,
has this innate sense of right
and wrong. Even a child,
yet unaware of religion, feels
content doing what is morally
right, and experiences guilt
when doing what is morally
wrong.
and motivating. Te testimony given by
the prophets and other truthful people
is therefore something that cannot be
overlooked.
Te phenomenon of Cause and Efect
is familiar to everybody. Where there
is smoke, there is fire, and nobody is
perplexed by this notion, even if the fre
itself is not visible. We experience the
force of gravity every moment of our
lives, while we have never perceived the
actual Gravitational Force itself. What
we perceive is only the efect. Similarly,
the effect of the magnet on metallic
objects is nothing unusual. What
we witness or feel is the efect of the
magnetic force, the actual force itself
being obviously unperceivable. Yet we
show no scepticism towards either the
force of Gravity or Magnetism. Tere
are many entities that are acknowledged
by sheer deduction, with absolutely no
direct evidence. In fact, it is this ability
to recognise the possibility of directly
unperceivable entities, on merely the basis
of postulations that enables man to make
progress in scientifc discoveries. More
recently, scientists have, through logical
deduction, arrived at the conclusion that
an entity they call the Dark Matter
exists, and somewhat flls the universe.
Tis Dark Matter, as it is called, cannot
be perceived through mans fve physical
senses, yet its existence makes a lot
of sense. Moreover, denying or even
ignoring its existence leaves many gaps
and lacunae in the comprehensibility of
the Universe as we know it. Essentially,
man tends to pick up clues and with the
help of these clues he moves to the next
step of deduction, until he arrives at a
Tis Dark Matter, as it is
called, cannot be perceived
through mans fve physical
senses, yet its existence makes
a lot of sense. Moreover,
denying or even ignoring
its existence leaves many
gaps and lacunae in the
comprehensibility of the
Universe as we know it.
Strong gravitational lensing as observed by the
Hubble Space Telescope in Abell 1689 one of
the most massive galaxy clusters indicates
the presence of dark matter. The gravity of the
clusters trillion stars, and dark matter, acts as
a 2-million-light-year-wide lens in space. Some
of the faintest objects are possibly 13 billion
light-years away. (Photo: NASA/European
Space Agency)
higher level of understanding and insight.
It is precisely this mode of quest and
discovery that enables man to progress
from postulation to hypothesis, from
hypothesis to theory and from theory to
verifable personal experience, whether
in relation to Science or with respect to
belief in the existence of God.
Te state of existence of the Universe or
Cosmos, its coming into existence, its
sustained and orderly organisation and
its enchantingly amazing architecture, do
indeed suggest to the rational mind that
there ought to be a Creator and Sustainer
of this ultimate marvel of Science and
work of Art. Te exceedingly intelligent
layout of the Universe, logically suggests
an Intelligent Creator preceding
the Universe. Similarly, the orderly
management of the Universe governed by
unchanging laws, suggests an Intelligent
Sustainer running the affairs of the
Cosmos. Te Cosmos is the efect and
a beautiful one, and the efect suggests
a Cause, the Ultimate Source of this
beauty God.
In terms of simple and down-to-earth
commonsense, a proposition to the efect
that a miniature wood carving came
into being by itself, would be taken as a
delusion of the highest order. To imagine
that a Universe whose expanse is so vast
that it would take you approximately
twenty billion years to travel across it, if
you were to travel at the speed of light
(186,000 miles per second), came into
being by itself, would most certainly be
irrational. To imagine that Life with
all its complexities, came into being
by accident, amounts to suggesting a
probability of one over ten raised to the
power of two hundred. Te probability of
accidents and chances leading ultimately
to intelligent life is infnitely lower.
We all appreciate the fact that an
intelligent response cannot be generated
out of an absolute void. We also realise
that if we knock at a door and receive
no response, we cannot logically infer
from this absence of response that there
is nobody on the other side of the door.
It is possible that there may be someone
inside who does not wish to respond.
However, if someone does respond, we
cannot then rationally deny the presence
Te Cosmos is the efect and
a beautiful one, and the
efect suggests a Cause, the
Ultimate Source of this beauty
God.
does god exist?
of someone inside. It is by following this
logic, that we come to know that while
the non-acceptance of prayer does not
conclusively disprove God, an acceptance
unquestionably establishes the existence
of God. In the lives of prophets and other
men of God, we notice an astounding
abundance of acceptance of prayer.
Every Prophet of God has two essential
aspects of his appointment; the aspect
of being a Messenger of God and the
aspect of being a Prophet of God. As
Messenger of God, for which the Quran
uses the term Rasool, he is appointed to
convey Gods message to humans. Te
message assigned to him could either
be a new message revealed to him or
could also be a message revealed earlier
to another or an earlier prophet. As
Prophet of God, for which the Quran
uses the term Nabi, he is blessed with
an abundance of Divine Discourse,
God speaking to him and revealing to
him matters of the unseen. Based upon
this revealed knowledge of the unseen,
the prophet makes prophecies and it
is on account of this that he is called
a Nabi, or Prophet. It is this Prophet
aspect that serves as the proof of his
being a Messenger of God, because it is
through his prophecies based on Divine
Revelation that he is able to establish his
being God-sent.
Knowledge of the unseen is received by
man through the agency of revelation
and if proven true subsequently, logically
suggests that not only is there a source
from where this knowledge fows, but
also that the source of this knowledge
is indeed the Knower of the Unseen,
introduced to humans by the prophets
as God. All prophets issued prophecies
based upon revealed knowledge, but as
with all other aspects of Prophethood
and Messengership, in this sphere too,
we fnd that Muhammad
(saw)
excels all
others. On examining the revelation
received by Muhammad
(saw)
the Quran,
we cannot help noticing that there are
verses that deal with the subject of the
creation of the Universe as well as the
evolution of life. Tey reveal facts that
were unquestionably unknowable 1400
years ago, facts that only recently have
been verified as scientific fact. It was
It is possible that there may
be someone inside who does
not wish to respond. However,
if someone does respond, we
cannot then rationally deny
the presence of someone inside.
obviously impossible for an unlettered
man of the 7
th
century AD, a man who
could not even spell his own name, living
in the sands of Arabia, to gain access to
scientifc secrets that were destined to
remain undiscovered by mankind till
fourteen centuries later.
Te Big Bang theory, a recent discovery
of Science, is something that could not
possibly have been conceived or even
vaguely imagined 1400 years ago. Te
crux of the Big Bang theory is that at
the moment of the birth of the Universe,
the total mass of the entire Universe was
confned within the smallest possible
volume, because all inter-atomic and
intra-atomic spaces were non-existent
and close to zero. Then by a colossal
boom, this infnitely condensed mass
exploded and the Universe we have
today came into being. We read in the
Quran: Do not the unbelievers appreciate
that the Heavens and the Earth were all an
ultimately condensed mass. We then clove
them asunder (Ch.21:V.31). Similarly,
it is also an accepted scientifc fact that
the Universe is continuously expanding.
Tis scientifc fact too, was established
in very recent times. It was utterly
incomprehensible to the man of the 7
th

century AD. We read in the Quran: We
have built the heaven with Our own hands
and it is We who expand it (Ch.51:V.49).
Tese instances of knowledge of the
unseen being transferred from its source
to its recipient is only a tiny fraction
of revealed prophecies in the Quran.
Te very presence of such prophecies
based upon knowledge of the unseen
in the Quran, suggests the existence
of a Knower of the Unseen an All-
Knowing God.
God is unperceivable to the physical
senses of man and inaccessible to sheer
logic. He is too sublime and subtle to be
perceived by the human physical senses.
On the other hand, His Being and
Attributes both measure in Infnity, and
are hence beyond sheer reason and logic.
Te human brain has its own limitations,
one being the inability to comprehend
Infnity. Nevertheless, it would also be
equally irrational and impractical to deny
the existence of an entity merely for the
reason that it happens to be beyond the
scope of the human physical sensory
system, and beyond comprehensible
mathematical computation. Te above
reasons do indeed suggest that there
should be a God.
does god exist?
HUMANITY FIRST APPEAL
Humanity First is an International charitable
trust established to promote and safeguard
human life and dignity. Aid is provided to the
vulnerable on the basis of need, irrespective of
race, religion, culture or political allegiance.
Humanity First runs with minimal overheads,
delivering 93% of your donations directly to
projects, and delivering actual aid value of 100
times the donations through our volunteers and
corporate services donations.
We have responded to recent disasters such as
the Asian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and the
Kashmir Earthquake where we have been able
to support hundreds of thousands of victims
with emergency shelter, food and water and
medical treatment. We also run long-term proj-
ects in the developing world to improve health,
provide food and rations, provide a safe water
supply, and training for careers.
10 provides education for a month
25 can restore a persons eyesight
30 provides IT training for a month
If you would like to volunteer, help with supplies
or donate, please visit our website or contact
us:
Web: www.humanityrst.org
Email: info@humanityrst.org.uk
HUMANITY FIRST APPEAL
Humanity First is an International charitable
trust established to promote and safeguard
human life and dignity. Aid is provided to the
vulnerable on the basis of need, irrespective of
race, religion, culture or political allegiance.
Humanity First runs with minimal overheads,
delivering 93% of your donations directly to
projects, and delivering actual aid value of 100
times the donations through our volunteers and
corporate services donations.
We have responded to recent disasters such as
the Asian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and the
Kashmir Earthquake where we have been able
to support hundreds of thousands of victims
with emergency shelter, food and water and
medical treatment. We also run long-term proj-
ects in the developing world to improve health,
provide food and rations, provide a safe water
supply, and training for careers.
10 provides education for a month
25 can restore a persons eyesight
30 provides IT training for a month
If you would like to volunteer, help with supplies
or donate, please visit our website or contact
us:
Web: www.humanityrst.org
Email: info@humanityrst.org.uk
Tuesday, 1st March
Event: St Davids Day
Faith: Christianity
St David (c 500-589), Patron Saint of
Wales, was a pioneer of the Welsh Church
who helped spread the Christian faith
among the Celtic tribes of West Britain.
St Davids Day has been celebrated as a
national day of celebration in Wales since
the 18th century. Religious services are
held in schools and other venues, parades
are held in commemoration and people
wear a symbol of either a leek or a dafodil.
Tursday, 3rd March
Event: Mahashivatri
Faith: Hindu
Also known as Shivaratri, a Hindu festival
dedicated to Shiva, one of the Hindu
deities. Hindu tradition states that Shiva
came to rid the world of darkness and
ignorance, hence his symbol of the new
moon.
Monday, 7th March
Event: Clean Monday
Faith: Christianity
Te beginning of Lent for Orthodox
Christians; referred to as Clean Monday
to symbolise the ridding of sins.
CALENDAR OF
RELIGIOUS
EVENTS &
FESTIVALS
Wednesday, 9th March
Event: Ash Wednesday
Faith: Christianity
Beginning of Lent for Western Christian
Churches. Ash Wednesday derived its
name from the ritual of placing ashes on
the forehead of devotees as a symbol of
repentance, patience and mortality.
Tursday, 17th March
Event: St Patricks Day
Faith: Christianity
St Patrick (c 387-493) is the Patron
Saint of Ireland. He played a key role in
converting the Irish to Christianity. St
Patricks Day is traditionally associated
with the Shamrock plant, which he
supposedly used to explain the concept of
Trinity.
Sunday, 20th March
Event: Purim
Faith: Jewish
Jewish people commemorate the time
when Jews in Persia were saved from death
by Esther, a young Jewish woman, on the
14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar.
Te Book of Esther, Megillah (meaning
scroll) is recited in Synagogues, where
Jewish men and women wear their best
clothes.
Event: Holla Mohalla
Faith: Sikh
Te event, frst organised by Guru Gobind
Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, comprised
mock battles and poetry contests while he
was fghting the Mughal Empire and the
Hill Rajputs.
MARCH 2011
Monday, 21st March
Event: Naw Ruz
Faith: Bahai
Bahai new year festival falling on the
Spring Equinox, one of the nine holy days
for devotees of the Bahai faith. Naw Ruz
is associated with the Most Great Name
of God and was established as a festival
for those observing the Nineteen Day Fast,
designated by BahaUllah.
Event: Jamshedi Noruz
Faith: Zoroastrian
Also known as just Noruz, it is the
celebration of the Zoroastrian New Year
occurring on the Spring Equinox. It has
been celebrated for at least 3000 years and
is a public holiday in Iran, Afghanistan and
most of the former USSR countries.
Wednesday, 23rd March
Event: Masih-e-Mauud Day
Faith: Islam Ahmadiyyat
Te signifcance for Ahmadi Muslims on
this day is the aspect of the revival of Islam
and the message of the Holy Prophet(saw).
Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as)
claimed to be the Promised Messiah, and
on 23rd March 1889 he established the
Ahmadiyya Muslim community under
Divine instruction and in accordance with
the prophecy of the Holy Prophet(saw).
CALENDAR OF
RELIGIOUS
EVENTS &
FESTIVALS
MARCH 2011
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Te Review of Religions, in print since
1902, is one of the longest-running
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Te objective of the magazine is to present
the teachings of Islam, refecting its rational,
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together articles and viewpoints on diferent
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religion and religious philosophy accessible to a
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prophets and religions. Islam repeatedly stresses
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Yearly subscription is only 15 sterling or $30 for
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ISLAMIC PUBLICATIONS, 2011
ISSN NO. 0034-6721

Does God Exist ?

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MARCH 2011 - VOL.

106 - ISSUE THREE

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