Baitun Nur Mosque Calgary - Ahmadiyya Gazette Canada

A H M A D I Y Y AGazetteC A N A D ASEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2009 | WWW.AHMADIYYAGAZETTE.CABaitun Nur Mosque Calgary(see inside cover for details)

BAITUN NUR CALGARY MOSQUELAW SUIT SETTELEDMessage from Amir Canada Jama`atAssalamo alaikum wa RahmatullahBy the Grace of Allah, the payment dispute with Ellis Don, our ConstructionManager, and some other sub-trades who worked on the Calgary Mosqueconstruction project, has been fully resolved to the full benefit of the Jama`at.All liens on the title of the property have been removed and all claims against theJama`at and Ch. Naseer Ahmad Sahib, who was the Project Director on behalfof the Jama`at and worked for many years on this project, have been withdrawnwithout any legal or interest cost to the Jama`at or to him. Al-Hamdo lillah.During the construction, some sub-trades had billed the Jama`at excessiveamounts that, in view of our Project Director, were not justified and he did notrecommend making payments for the extra amounts. The amounts in disputewere more than a Million dollars. Consequently, some companies filed liens onthe property and filed claims against the Jama`at and our Project Director.Syedna Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V (aa) directed that the Jama`at should tryto resolve these matters preferably as an “out of court settlement”, withoutcompromising our rights or core principles.Under these guidelines, our representative worked very hard and diligentlyto protect the interest, rights and principles of the Jama`at, and as a result, alldisputed extra charges of approx. $1.2 million dollars have been withdrawnagainst the Jama`at and all liens have been removed from the Jama`at property.All justified payments, that were blocked due to this dispute, have been madeto all trades. We have also received discounts for some of the work that neededsome improvements or corrections, and the Jama`at will now look after thosematters.I want to thank all those who worked on this project in fund raising, construction,and in resolving these disputes. May Allah reward them! This matter is nowclosed.May Allah bless all projects of the Jama`at!Wassalam!Lal Khan MalikAmir Jama`at Ahmadiyya Canada

Ahmadiyya Gazette CanadaAn Educational and Spiritual PublicationVolume 38 - No. 9-10 - September-October 2009Pearls of WisdomSelection from the Holy Qur’an and AhadithWritings of the Promised Messiah as p.2Guidance from Khalifatul Masih V abSummary of Friday Sermons p.3ArticlesLiving with God in a Godless Society p.6Book Review p.13National Academic Achievement Awards Canada 2009 p.17Hadhrat Maulvi Dost Muhammad Shahid sahib- Passed Away p.20Biblical Criteria of a True Prophet p.23Question/Answer Session With Hadrhat Khalifatul Masih IV rh p.25Maulana Mohammad Tariq Islam sahib - Passed Away p.28Humanity First - Serving Mankind p.30Tabligh Activities p.32WWW.AHMADIYYAGAZETTE.CACurrent Issues - Archives - Contribute - Register - ContactAhmadiyya Muslim Jama`at Canada Inc., 10610 Jane Street, Maple, ON L6A 3A2, CanadaTel: 905-303-4000 Fax: 905-832-3220 - editor@ahmadiyyagazette.caThe Ahmadiyya Gazette Canada is published by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama`at Canada. The editors of the AhmadiyyaGazette Canada shall be solely responsible for all errors or omissions contained in the publication herein of the writingsof the Promised Messiah as or any of his successors ra , as well as the summaries of the sermons or addresses of HadhratMirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V ab .Articles published in the Ahmadiyya Gazette Canada reflect the views of their respective authors and may not reflectthe views, beliefs and tenets of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama`at Canada.Amir Jama`at:Lal Khan MalikChief Editor:Naseem MahdiEditors:Ansar RazaS.H.HadiContributing Editors:Farhan KhokharDr. Ijaz QamarM. Nadeem A. SiddiqAssitant Editors:Hana MalikManager:Mubashir KhalidGraphics Layout:Farhan A. NaseerIlyas KhanPrinting:Jamnik GraphicsWeb Magazine:Muzaffar AhmadOfficial Photographers:Bashir NasirAjaz KhanMuzaffar AhmadThe official publication of the Ahmadiyya MuslimJama`at CanadaISSN 0229 56441. Ahmadiyya -- Periodicals.I. Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam Canada.BP195.A34 1972297.8605-20dcCANADA POSTSECOND CLASS MAILMail Registration No: 40026877Table of Contents

The Divine Commandment about Tabligh[9:41] Go forth, light and heavy, and strive with yourproperty and your persons in the cause of Allah. Thatis better for you, if only you knew.Chapter 9 -Surah Tauba Verse 38The Teaching of the Holy Prophet sa about TablighThe Holy Prophet sa said:"Hear! Have I conveyed Allah'smessage to you?" They said: "Yes." He said: "OAllah, bear witness! It is incumbent upon thosewho are present here to convey it [Allah's message]to those who are not present here as the latter maycomprehend it better than the one who conveys it."Bukhari Kitab-ul-Hajj Bab Khutba Min Ayyam-e-MinaSo Said the Promised Messiah as“If it was within my power, I would have desired to go from door to door like beggarsand propagate the True Religion of Allah and thereby rescue humanity from polytheism(Shirk) and disbelief (Kufr). If Allah would grant me the knowledge of the Englishlanguage, I would personally embark on preaching (Tabligh) expeditions and spendmy entire life in this pursuit even if I were to die in this cause.” (Malfoozat Vol-2, P-219,Publisher-Nazarat-e-Isha`at, Rabwah)2Pearls of Wisdom

Over successive generations, faithgradually weakens and decadenceascends ultimately resulting in theerosion of the belief in the Unityof God. Eventually, humankindbegins to deny the existence ofGod.In addition, when Allah showersHis favors upon people andgrants them prosperity, humanityeventually begins to take itsworldly possessions and comfortsfor granted, forgetting to maintaina state of gratefulness to God forgranting them in the first place. Thisp h e n o m e n o nis occurringtoday. Allahhas showeredupon us all thecomforts of thisworldly lifeand, instead ofbeing gratefuland bowingour headsin humilitybefore ourLord, society isforgetting aboutand turningaway from God.As a result, we areliving in an increasingly Godlesssociety.I will now discuss the evidencewhich demonstrates the extentof society’s Godlessness today.According to recent surveys,it has become apparent thatatheism is more prevalent inCanada than in the United States,with 19-30% of Canadians holdingan atheistic or agnostic viewpoint.During the 2001 Canadian Census,when the question “What is thisperson’s religion?” was asked, 16%stated that they held no religiousaffiliation. In the urban centers,this figure was substantiallyLiving with God in a Godless Societyhigher. For example, 42% of theresidents of Vancouver indicatedthey possessed “no religiousaffiliation.” In 2008, 23% ofCanadians (approximately ¼ ofthe population) stated that they donot believe in a god.Outside of Canada, the remainderof the Western world is not farbehind. According to a recentstudy, atheism has proven to beparticularly prevalent amongstscientists. In 1914, a study foundthat 58% of 1,000 randomlyselected American naturalscientists expressed “disbelief ordoubt in the existence of God”.However, according to a 1996study by the National Academy ofSciences, this number rose to 93%.According to a study conductedby the State University of NewYork – Buffalo, over 60% of naturaland social science professors areatheists or agnostics. When askedwhether they believed in God,nearly 34% answered “I do notbelieve in God” and about 30%answered “I do not know if thereis a God and there is no way to findout.”Despite the above statistics, themedical profession appears to bean exception. According to a recentstudy, 76% of medical doctorsbelieve in God and 59% of thembelieve in some form of afterlife. Inthe United States, 90% of medicaldoctors attend religious servicesat least occasionally. This figure iscontrasted with 81% of the generalpopulation who does the same.One of the possible reasons givenfor the prevalence of godlinesswithin the medical profession isthat sense of responsibility andcaring for those who suffer andare in need resonates throughoutmost religioustraditions.According to asurvey of the top50 populatedcountries, the totalnumber of thosewho profess to beatheist or agnosticis approximately500 to 750 million.These numbersare staggeringand worrisomebecause not onlyare they on therise but they areincreasingly made up of the mosteducated members of society, likescientists. Why is the populationof atheists an agnostics increasing?The following are some possiblereasons:(1) Atheists have taken optimumadvantage of moderntechnological advancementspertaining to communicationand the dissemination oftheir message, allowing theirmaking their propagationefforts to meet with somesuccess.(2) Some non-governmental7

organizations have sprungup in various countries andare actively recruiting andinfluencing young people. Arecent example of the workof such organizations is therecent advertising campaignlead by world famous atheistRichard Dawkins to placethe following advertisementon the side of buses: “There’sprobably no God. Now stopworrying, and enjoy yourlife.” Originally launched inthe United Kindgom, 140,000British pounds were spent todisplay this advertisementon 200 buses in London and600 others across England,Scotland and Wales. Thiscampaign has now spread inmany European countries aswell as in North America.(3) The majority of the world’sreligions have failed tocounter the assertions ofatheists with sound and wellthoughtout arguments.Despite the existence of the abovephenomena, no rational personcan deny the existence of God.Those who reject God, do so inreliance upon the presuppositionthat God does not exist. Theirconjecture is thus not based on anyreal investigation.Despite their lack of investigation,it is the atheists to claim to bethe champions of impartialintellectual inquiry. However, themanner in which they theorize andpresent their version of religiousevolution consists entirely ofimagined facts and unrecorded,obscure and virtually non-existenthistory. Their primary reliance ison their understanding of humansocial psychology whereby theyclaim that early humans began toworship a higher power out of fear.According to atheists, primitivepolytheistic religions eventuallyevolved into monotheistic formsof belief.This view of religious history has nobasis in fact. According to recordedhistory, not a single example of apolytheistic religion evolving intoa monotheist one exists. In fact, allreligious traditions are unanimousin their asserting the Unity of God.It was only after the passing awayof the founders of these religionsthat monotheistic faith adherentsbegan to drift away, doubt theUnity of God, and becomepolytheistic. Indeed, evidence ofthis phenomenon was most visibleat the end of 19 th century, such asthe ascendancy of the belief in theHoly Trinity of Christianity as wellas the polytheism of Hinduism.Fortunately, it was at this timethat Allah raised Hadhrat MirzaGhulam Ahmad as , the PromisedMessiah and Mahdi foretold by allof the religions of the world, to reestablishthe belief in the Unity ofGod. In an age when the world isshunning morality and turning itsback on God and religion, it is theresponsibility of the AhmadiyyaMuslim Jama’at to hearken peopleback to the belief in the One TrueGod. In this regard, the PromisedMessiah as stated:“If it were in our power, wewould go home to homelike beggars conveying themessage of the true religion ofour Lord and try to save thepeople from the destructiveattacks of shirk, i.e. associatingpartners with Allah, anddisbelief, which has spread inthe world. If Allah would helpus learn the English languagewe would travel around theworld to convey this messageand consume all our life in thisstruggle, even if it meant beingkilled in this way!” (Malfoozatvol. 3, p291-292)There is no doubt that in this dayand age, the Ahmadiyya Jama`athas been given the responsibilityto save the world from the perilsof disbelief. Today, we Ahmadismust be armed with the mosteffective arguments to deal with8 Living with God in a Godless Society

these challenges and we must beready to sacrifice our time, wealthand honor to safeguard the Unityof God (Tauheed).I would like to now provide somearguments which support theexistence of Allah.The Holy Qur’an says:“Say, ‘Our Lord is HeWho gave unto everythingits proper form and then guidedit to its proper function.’”(20:51)This verse very clearly presentsproof of existence of God. Allah hascreated in this universe everythingperfectly. Is there someone whocan show us any flaws in what Godhas created? Allah has not onlycreated everything with perfectionthat best suits its function but hasalso given purpose to each andeveryone of His creation.The Holy Qur’an further says:“Who has created sevenheavens in harmony. Noincongruity canst thousee in the creation of theGracious God. Then lookagain: Seest thou any flaw?Aye, look again, and yet again,thy sight will only return untothee confused and fatigued.”(67:4-5)In addition, according to the HolyQur’an, Allah is the ultimate of allcauses.“And that to thy Lord do allthings ultimately go.” (53:43)For the scientific mind, the aboveargument should constitutepositive proof of the existenceof God. If we observe carefully,we find that the entire universeis bound in a cause-and-effectrelationship. The scientists knowthat without cause there is noeffect -- the entire universe runson this fundamental principal.Some things are roots of othercauses while some are branchesof another cause. This cause andeffect phenomenon can be tracedfor billions of years but there mustbe an ultimate end. The HolyQur’an states that Allah is end ofall causes. To Him shall returnwhatever is in the heavens and theearth. The Holy Qur’an presentsthe same argument in the form ofa question:“Are you in doubt concerningGod, Maker of the Heavensand the earth?” (14:11)The inference here is that upondiscovering the astonishingintricacies and genius of creation,one cannot possibly doubt therole of a Divine Intelligence in itscreation and design.Any open and unprejudiced mindcan hear the voice from deep withinhim/herself that there is a creator.Allah Himself has planted the seedof Tauheed in the heart of every soulas explained in the following verseof the Holy Qur’an:“And when God questionedthe souls, “Am I not your Lord?They replied, yes, we do bearwitness” (7:173).In this verse God sets forth, in theform of question and answer, thecharacteristic with which He hasinvested the souls such that, by itsvery nature, no soul can deny theexistence of God.I am always fascinated by themanner in which a Bedouinpresented the simple beauty of thisargument:“When someone walksthrough the jungle and findsthe excrement of a camel, heunderstands that a camel haspassed that way. And when hefinds the footsteps of a man inthe desert sand, he infers thata traveler must have walkedthrough there. Why then, can’tyou, seeing this world with itsgreat paths and the sky withits great sun, moon and stars,realize that there is a creatorWho made it all?”How powerful, pure and full ofwisdom are the words of this sonLiving with God in a Godless Society9

of the desert, whose depth, thephilosophers of the West could notfathom despite their tall claims tophilosophy and wisdom.Western Scholars have alwaysfailed to find the True God becausethey have no knowledge of whatthey are looking for or how tolook for Him. It would be veryunjust for someone to ask anotherperson to go and look for someonewithout telling him/her what tolook for or how to identify him orher. Only the Holy Qur’an guidesus regarding knowing who theOne True God is and how to lookfor and discover Him. The HolyQur’an states:“Allah is the Light of theheavens and the earth. Thesimilitude of His light is asa lustrous niche, wherein is alamp. The lamp is in a glass. Theglass is as it were a glitteringstar. It is lit from a blessed tree— an olive — neither of theeast nor of the west, whose oilwould well-nigh glow fortheven though fire touched it not.Light upon light! Allah guidesto His light whomsoever Hewills. And Allah sets forthparables for men, and Allahknows all things full well”(24:36)This beautiful verse of the HolyQur’an has addressed the entiresubject of God’s identity and themeans of attaining His nearness.In this day and age, who elsewould be better than the PromisedMessiah as to guide us regardingthe true identity of our Lord. ThePromised Messiah as stated:“Our God is that God who isalive even now as He was alivebefore. He speaks even nowas He used to speak before.And even now He hears as Heused to hear earlier. It is a falsenotion that in these times Hedoes hear but does not speak.But He hears and speaks, too.All His Attributes are eternaland everlasting . . . . And Heis the One Who is unique, inthat none of His Attributes areexclusively possessed byanyone besides Him. He is theOne Who has no equal. He isthe One Who has no one toshare with Him His Attributes. . . .”“He is the One to Whomeverything returns. He isthe Lord of all realms. Hepossesses every perfectionand is free from all defects,imperfections and weaknesses.It is His sole prerogative thatall those, who belong to theearth as well as all those whobelong to the heavens, shouldworship Him.”The Promised Messiah as hasclearly shown us the path toattain nearness to our Creator andthat is through His worship. ThePromised Messiah as stressed theneed to establish communion withGod in the following words:“Our Paradise, indeed, is ourGod: our highest enjoymentis in God, for we have seenHim and all beauty found inHim. This treasure is worthhaving, even if at the cost ofone’s life; and this is a jewelwhich should be purchasedeven if obtainable only bysacrificing one’s entire being.O ye that are devoid, run tothis spring, for it will slackenyour thirst. It is the spring oflife that shall save ye. Whatam I to do, and how am I toimpress this glad tiding uponyour mind, with what drumshould I go crying through thestreets that this is your God, sothat all should hear! And withwhat remedy am I to treat thepeople so that their ears opento hear!” (Kashti-e-Nooh, OurTeaching p. 12)Now, that it has become clear whoGod is and how we can find Him,let us see what happens when manbecomes closer to God. The HolyQur’an states:“Islam is inherent in man’snature and humanity has beencreated in accord with Islam.”(30:30)God has desires that humansshould devote themselves toworshipping Him and to obeyingand loving Him with all of theirfaculties. That is why He bestowedon humans all the faculties thatare appropriate for Islam. Hence,the true purpose of internal andexternal limbs and faculties thathave been bestowed on humansis the understanding of God andHis worship and His love. Whena man tries his utmost to achievethese goals, then Allah becomes afriend of His servant and in thisworld who could be a better friendthan Allah.Hadhrat Abu Hurairah rarelated that the Holy ProphetMuhammad sa said:“Allah, the Exalted, says: Onewho becomes an enemy of myfriend, I declare war with him.My servant does not achievemy nearness more thanthrough the acts of worship,which I am pleased with, andwhich I have made obligatoryfor him. Then, my servant,draws further close to methrough nawafil so much so10 Living with God in a Godless Society

that I start loving him. WhenI love him, I become his earswith which he hears. I becomehis eyes with which he sees. Ibecome his hands with whichhe holds. I become his feet withwhich he walks. If he asks mefor something, I give him and ifhe seeks my protection, I shieldhim.” (Bukhari – Hadiqatus-Saliheen p. 298)The Promised Messiah as explainedhow God treats his true friends:“If you really become God’s,then rest assured that God isyour very own. Whilst you willsleep, He willkeep watchover you;while youneglect yourvigil againstthe enemy,He will keepan eye on himand disrupthis plans.Even nowyou have noidea whatw o n d r o u spowers yourGod has.If you hadknown, thenno day couldhave dawned on you for youto grieve over for lack of thingsof this world.” (Kashti-e-Nooh-- Our Teaching p. 12)What changes take place in humanswhen they believe in God? Beliefin God dissuades humans fromevil. Belief in God stops humansfrom sin because a believer knowsthat God is All-Knowing. He orshe knows that God maintains aconstant watch over him or her andthis awareness alone is sufficientLiving with God in a Godless Societyto keep one from the commissionfrom a crime or transgression.Belief in God encourages humansto do good deeds and this in turnbrings about true satisfaction.Therefore, all these positivechanges make a believer distinctfrom the rest of the world.The believer becomes a beacon oflight and source of blessings forhis or her relatives, friends andcountry. The ordinary people turntowards him or her for guidance,counseling and prayers.We Ahmadis are the chosenpeople of God. In this day and age,Allah has allowed us to be thepeople who live in accordancewith His will and to demonstrateto the world the existence of Godthrough our daily actions andrelationships. As a result, ourhearts should be filled with lovefor Allah and our souls should beilluminated with the true essenceof Tauheed. When we will follow thebeautiful teachings of Islam andthe uswah of the Holy Prophet sa ,we will become beacons of lightthat illuminate the darkness of thisgodless world. We can achieve thisnoble objective only when we trulybecome Allah’s and Allah’s alone.If we become Gods we need haveno other worry.Can anyone aspire to becomeclose to God? The doors of accessto the pleasure and closeness toAllah are as wide open today asthey were at any time in the past.Divine grace still bestows thisbounty upon those who seek it.However, this divine grace cannotbe achieved by the mere exercise ofone’s tongue -- the door of divinegrace does not open to vain talk andboasting. Merewords meannothing andhelp us achievenothing untiland unlessthey area c c o m p a n i e dby our actionsand our deeds.We must shunall the vices ofthe world andbecome trueservants ofGod and adoptall the Islamicpractices in allaspects of ourdaily lives.When we try our utmost to bringthese positive changes into ourlives, we will feel a change withinourselves. The fruits of thispositive change would illuminatethe people around us. We willfind peace and inner satisfaction.When we become the best person,the best husband, the best wife,the best parent, the best citizenand we excel in all walks of life,then the people around us willbe compelled to take notice. Theywould envy us and would make11

us their role models. Then theywould also wonder what makesus so special and so different. Wewould then have the excellentopportunity to fulfill the pledgethat we made with HadhratKhalifatul Masih V ab last year onthe occasion of Khilafat Jubilee.We pledged with our belovedImam to continue to strive, till thefinal moments of our lives, for thepropagation of Islam and the nameof the Holy Prophet Muhammad sato the corners of the world and,for the completion of this sacredduty, we shall always keep ourlives dedicated for the sake ofAllah and His Holy Prophet sa .By offering sacrifices in everincreasingmeasure, we will keepthe standard of Islam flying highin every country until the end oftime. This is no ordinary pledge.We made this pledge under oathwith our Imam. Thus, it is ourduty to try our utmost to fulfillthis pledge to its fullest, becauseby fulfilling this pledge we wouldbe the recipients of the blessingsof Allah which come throughestablishment of Khilafat.Last year, we celebrated thecentenary of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyyaand we read and heard the Ayate-Istikhlaf,the verse in which thepromise of Khilafat was made. Iwould like to draw your attentionto the second part of this ayahwhere Allah says He will surelygive them security and peace aftertheir fear. Now, it is very importantto understand that this security andpeace are granted as a reward inexchange for establishing Tauheed.We must establish Tauheed in ourdaily lives and then as a rewardAllah would grant us security andpeace.The world that we live in ismaterialistic. People chase worldlycomfort and joy. They shunmorality considering it a thing ofthe past. Now, in the 21 st century,the Jama’at of the PromisedMessiah as has been given the task tore-establish Tauheed, to re-establishtrue morality among people andto guide them to the illustriouspath of righteousness. Let us makeno mistake. This task is not easyand may not even be achieved inour lifetimes. But one thing is forcertain, Islam will be victoriousand Tauheed will be re-establishedin this world. This world willnever achieve peace and unitywithout it first embracing Islamand Tauheed.O Ahmadis living in all corners ofCanada, I urge you to recognizeyour duty and the noble cause forwhich you have been made thebest people on this earth. This canonly be achieved when we andour children and our children’schildren become true servants ofGod. We must cement our prayerswith pearls of tears and we mustshun all worldly vices to belongsolely to Allah. We must becomeexemplary by following the noblemodel of the Holy Prophet sa whois our master and our guide,who has shown us the true pathby his personal example. We mustadopt his model in all walks ofour daily lives. We must endeavorand struggle to attach ourselvesfirmly to the institution of Khilafate-Ahmadiyyabecause in thisattachment lies the key to oursuccess. If and when we and ourchildren and our families conformour entire lives according to theuswah of the Holy Prophet sa andthe love of Khilafat is deeply rootedin our hearts, then you can restassured that you have beensuccessful not only in this worldbut in the next as well.This is the time for serving the causeof Islam. We must realize this rareopportunity, being a follower ofa great and exalted prophet and anoble religion. It is our duty to bringhumanity back to God. It is ourduty to establish Tauheed inWe must endeavour and struggle toattach ourselves firmly to the institutionof Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya becuase in thisattachment lies the key to our success.this godless society with ournoble examples and the key ofsuccess in this path lies in Tabligh(propagation) as the fruits ofTabligh would bring about afundamental change in our livesand would bring us closer to God.This closeness to our Creatorwould enable us to become trueMuslims and would allow us tobe firm in our faith with suchsteadfastness that the angles wouldpray for blessings on us. May Allahenable us to become true servantsof Islam. Ameen!`12 Living with God in a Godless Society

Book Review:The Crucifixion and the Quran: A Study in the History of Muslim Thought,by Todd Lawson (2009 One World Publications, 279pp)Tahir Ijaz, M.D. (San Diego, California, USA)“And for their saying ‘we didslay the Messiah, Jesus son ofMary, the Messenger of Allah’,whereas they slew him not (wama qatalahu), nor did they bringabout his death on the cross (wama salabuhu), but was made toappear to them like so (wa lakinshubbiha lahum); and thosewho differ therein are certainlyin doubt about it; they have noknowledge thereof, but onlypursue a conjecture; and theydid not arrive at a certaintyconcerning it. On the contrary,Allah exalted him (rafaa) toHimself. And Allah is Mighty,Wise (Holy Qur’an 4:158).The above verse of the Holy Qur’anforms one of the pillars of IslamicChristology, the only Qur’anicverse that refers directly to thecrucifixion of Jesus as . One ofthe unfortunate ironies is thatthe conjecture and uncertaintymentioned in the verse that befellthe Jews of Jesus’ as day also befellthe Muslims who themselvesstarted to conjecture and differas to the exact circumstances ofwhat transpired regarding Jesus as .This is partly exacerbated by thefact the Hadith (the recorded oraltraditions of the Holy ProphetMuhammad sa ) do not discuss theabove verse or directly shed anylight on it.Book ReviewThe book The Crucifixion and theQuran by Todd Lawson (AssociateProfessor at the Department ofNear and Middle EasternCivilizations at the University ofToronto) is an excellent attempt toencapsulate and summarize some1,300 years of Islamic exegeticalhistory and scholarship on themeaning of the above verse of theHoly Qur’an. After discussingthe lexical aspects of the verse,Professor Lawson referencesmufassirun (Qur’an commentators)from three separate eras:1. pre 923 AD (prior to at-Tabari),2. classical exegetical traditionsfrom 923 to 1505 AD, and3. modern interpretations(including a brief mentionof the Ahmadiyya MuslimCommunity).As discussed by Professor Lawson,most Qur’anic exegetes adoptedthe “substitution theory” whichwas belief that God miraculouslytransformed someone into thephysical image of Jesus as who wascrucified instead of Jesus as , buteveryone present thought it wasJesus as . Jesus as , having been savedfrom such suffering and death,physically ascended to Heaven.This “substitution theory” figuresprominently in the tafsir literature.Professor Lawson postulates thatthe “substitution theory” enteredIslamic thought due to the influenceof Docetism which was espousedby many Christian sects at thedawn of the advent of Islam.According to Docetism, matter andspirit are antagonistic such thatmatter is considered evil while thesprit is good or holy. Docetism,as practiced by many GnosticChristian sects of the second andthird centuries AD, proposesthat Jesus as was a spirit and only“appeared” to possess a real humanbody such that his suffering anddeath on the cross was completelyillusory – the crucifixion occurredeither as an illusion or, if it didoccur, someone else was substitutedfor Jesus as . Docetism developed outof the tendency of some people toquestion how the Son of God (spirit)could have possibly been subjectedto such suffering and death. TheDocetic substitution theory wasdeveloped in order to reconcile thisdilemma.Professor Lawson’s detailedlexical analysis of Qur’anic termsrelating to Jesus as is thorough.Beginning with the Holy Qur’an5:117 and 3:55, regarding the wordmutawaffika (to take), ProfessorLawson supports the interpretationthat the Holy Qur’an refers to thebiologic death of Jesus as . Accordingto Professor Lawson, the root13

‘w-f-y’ connotes physical death,not physical ascension to Heaven,and refers to other verses of theHoly Qur’an as support for thisinterpretation. This is in accordwith the Ahmadiyya interpretationwhich also asserts that while Jesus assurvived the crucifixion, he wasnot physically risen to Heaven, butrather, continued to live his life untilhe died a natural death at a ripe oldage. Professor Lawson’s analysisconstitutes independent supportfor the Ahmadiyya interpretation.Professor Lawson then moves on tothe term salabuhu (s-l-b) (to crucify)and notes that its roots also occurelsewhere in the Holy Qur’an.However, Professor Lawson doesnot however clarify or expand onthe issue of what is means not tobe crucified. Does it mean not tobe nailed to the cross or does itmean that one was nailed butdid not die?With reference to the HolyQur’an, the answer to thisquestion can be easilyascertained. An inspectionof the use of the roots-l-b in the Holy Qur’andemonstrates that the termrefers to bones, such as thebackbone, and the classicdictionaries state that theterm refers to the breakingof bones.Therefore, the phrasewa ma salabuhu would mean “didnot kill him by crucifixion in so faras they did not break his bones”.This interpretation is supportedby the Holy Qur’an 12:42 whichrefers to Hadhrat Joseph’s ra fellowprisoner as stating “he will becrucified (salaba) so the birds (i.e.vultures) will eat from his head”.Therefore, the term salabuhu refersto one dying such that the termmeans “death by crucifixion”.The placing of the term ma in frontof the phrase salabuhu indicatesthat, while Jesus as was nailed tothe cross, he did not die fromthe act or process of crucifixion.While this discussion is not foundin Professor Lawson’s study, it iseasily ascertainable with referenceto the Holy Qur’an.In order to interpret the phraseshubbiha lahum, ProfessorLawson defers to Lane’s lexiconof the Arabic language inadditionto noting where the rootssh-b-h are found elsewhere in theHoly Qur’an. According toProfessor Lawson, the phraseshubbiha lahum refers to thesemblance to something else,i.e., a likeness that is ambiguous,dubious, obscure or unclear.Therefore, while Professor Lawsondoes not categorically state thatthe “substitution theory” is to berejected, he does state (based on acorrect understanding of Arabiclexicon) to interpret the phraseshubbiha lahum in accordance withit would “seem to be quite a reach.”According to Professor Lawson,unfortunately, the majority ofcommentators have incorrectlyadopted the substitution theoryand imposed it upon theirinterpretations of the Holy Qur’an,even though such an interpretationappears to be totally contrary to acorrect understanding of Arabiclexicon and grammar.The term rafaa (to rise up)denotes both (1) liftingan object physically or(2) divine exaltation andelevating the rank of aperson. Professor Lawsonnotes many exegetes took theterm ‘anthropomorphically’,i.e., to connote bodilyascension (despite the fact thatAllah is placeless) only to bechallenged by other exegetes ontheological and terminologicalgrounds. Professor Lawsonrightly notes the logicalinconsistency with the notion ofAllah being placeless and limitlessand yet Jesus as being physicallyrisen to Him and placed atHis side.The majority of the book is focusedon references from the variousexegetical traditions. ProfessorLawson notes two basic versionsof the “substitution theory”. Thepredominant hypothesis is that aperson volunteered to be Jesus’ assubstitute. The other hypothesis isthat someone was forced to take theplace of Jesus as . However, despitethere being two differing themes,Professor Lawson’s researchdemonstrates that, whetherthey support the voluntaryhypothesis or not, there were notonly numerous versions prevalent14 Book Review

at the time of at-Tabari, but theseversions are vastly different fromand contradictory to each other.The following are some versions ofthe hypothesis as examples.1. The Muslim scholar, at-Tabari (c923 AD), is an important sourceof information about the beliefswhich existed during his timeas well as centuries prior hereferences older commentariesin his work. In at-Tabari’s work,the most popular versions of the“substitution theory” are toldon the authority of Wahb (c 732AD), a Yemeni Jewish convert.Some scholars however contendWahb was born a Muslim,but was influenced by biblicaltraditions due to interactionswith Jews and Christians inhis native city of Dhimar. Inhis exegetical works, Wahbincorporated stories of the“People of the Book”, a conceptreferred to as Israiliyyat. Forexample, in one form of thestory of Jesus’ as arrest, Wahbplaces Jesus as in a house withseven of his disciples whenthe Jews surrounded him.When the Jews entered, Godmiraculously changed allof the disciples to look likeJesus as . The Jews demandedto know who the real Jesus aswas, threatening to kill themall if there was no response.Jesus as proposed, “who wouldpurchase for himself Paradisetoday?” In response to this,according to Wahb, one of thedisciples volunteered, and theJews crucified him instead ofJesus as .2. In another version, one discipleof Jesus as offered to tell theJews the whereabouts of Jesus aswho was in hiding. Previously,Jesus as foretold that one discipleBook Reviewwould betray him for money, anotion obviously drawn fromthe Gospel of Judas. However,divine retribution for thistreachery made this disciplelook like Jesus as , and the Jewscrucified the disciple instead.Later, Jesus as met his motherand disciples, and assured themhe was with God now, and thenascended physically upward toHim.3. Ibn Ishaq (c 767 AD) cited aChristian convert as the personwho substituted for Jesus as ,apparently voluntarily, andreferred to him as “Serjes”,the thirteenth disciple. Othercommentators such as al Balkhi(c 767 AD stated the likenessof Jesus as was cast on a guardthat the Jews had appointed towatch over Jesus as while he wasin custody.4. Professor Lawson also quotesfrom the tafsir attributed to IbnAbbas (c 687 AD), the oldestknown tafsir. However, worksattributed to early figures ofIslamic history have alwaysbeen plagued with questionsregarding their authenticity.Currently, modern scholarshipconsiders this commentary todate from the 10 th century ADand attributes it to Ibn Abbas.According to this tafsir, Godfoiled the plan of the Jewsby raising Jesus as to Himselfand miraculously forciblytransforming a man namedTityanus to resemble Jesus as .5. The stories relating to voluntarysubstitution may have arisen tocounter a problem associatedwith the idea of substitution:why would God force aninnocent person to suffer anddie to save another? In yetanother version quoted by AlThalabi (c 1035 AD), it is relatedthat a certain Jew pretendedto be Jesus as . However, whenhis miracles failed, the angrycrowd, mistaking him for thereal Jesus as , crucified him. AlThalabi also mentions anothertradition that Pontius Pilate, theRoman official mentioned inthe Gospels, was made to looklike Jesus as .6. Some versions of thesubstitution theory even stateGod cast the likeness of Jesus ason the man’s face only and notthe body. Thus the people wereconfused as to the identity ofthe man killed. This was addedto explain the rest of the versewhich states those who differedconcerning him followed onlytheir conjecture.Professor Lawson brieflyreviews the works of some thirtymufassirun from the early periodof Islam to the classic and medievalperiod. Though most uphold someversion of the “substitution story”,the details are widely differentwith absolutely no reference toor support from the Hadith ofthe Holy Prophet Muhammad sa .One scholar, Al Razi (c 1200AD), in his grand commentaryentitled Mafatih al ghayb, (Keyto the Unseen) was skeptical ofthe “substitution theory” legendshanded down and doubted thenotion of Jesus as having physicallyascended to God since Godwas not located somewhere.Al Razi was a philosopher,theologian and jurist. His workis considered monumental, witha style and organization andclarity unmatched according tomost scholars of Islamic literature.In the end, he remained agnosticon this issue, finding seriousdifficulties with the “substitution15

theory” legends but concludingthat only God knows the truth.Regarding the modern era,Professor Lawson discusses a halfdozen commentaries, including theworks of Mawdudi, MuhammadAbduh and Rashid Rida (Tafsiral Manar), and Sir Sayyid AhmadKhan. Unfortunately, ProfessorLawson only makes reference tothe Ahmadiyya Community in afootnote without much comment.become accursed, was foiled andGod ensured that Jesus as survivedand found safety in a place that theHoly Qur’an refers to as rabwah.For his suffering and spirit of selfsacrificefor the sake of Allah, hewas exalted and granted greatspiritual blessings. The Ahmadiyyainterpretation of the Holy Qur’anregarding Jesus as , as noted byProfessor Lawson, is completelyconsistent with Arabic lexicon andgrammar.which successfully clears allof the misunderstandings andanomalies persistent in medievalIslamic scholarship, as wellas other credible scholarshipwhich supports the Ahmadiyyainterpretation (like MuhammadAsad), the work by ProfessorLawson is a valuable additionto the corpus of Islamic studiesliterature, particularly for thosewho require a summary of classicalmedieval scholarship on the subjectProfessor Lawson briefly reviews the works of some thirtymufassirun from the early period of Islam to the classic andmedieval period. Though most uphold some version of the“substitution story”, the details are widely different withabsolutely no reference to or support from the Hadith of theHoly Prophet Muhammad sa .At least, despite making an almostcursory reference to the Ahmadiyyainterpretation, Professor Lawsonrightly notes that the thrust ofMawdudi’s works is directedat countering the Ahmadiyyainterpretation.The Ahmadiyya inerpretationhas greatly influenced Muslimthinking in this century. Accordingthe Ahmadiyya interpretation,Jesus as was nailed on the cross butdid not die on it. However, somesort of confusion ensued amongsthis enemies -- his enemies werenot certain as to what transpiredand were not sure as to whetheror not he actually died. Indeed, asthe Holy Qur’an testifies, it onlyappeared to them that Jesus as waskilled. Jesus as recovered from hisinjuries and then travelled abroad.The plan of Jesus’ as enemies, whichwas to kill him so that he wouldOne modern commentary missedby Professor Lawson, and whichis very popular in the Muslimcommunities around the world, isby Muhammad Asad (1900-1992),a Jewish convert to Islam. Whilenot a member of the AhmadiyyaCommunity, Asad vigorouslycontended in his tafsir, The Messageof the Quran, that the “substitutiontheory” is a fanciful legendconcocted due to stories broughtin by the classical commentatorswithout the slightest supportfrom the Holy Qur’an or authentictraditions. Consistent with theAhmadiyya interpretation, Asadinterprets the word rafaa to mean‘exaltation’, not physical ascension,in the same way prophet Idris as isdescribed in the Holy Qur’an.Despite making only a cursoryreference to the Ahmadiyyainterpretation, an interpretationas well as for those interested inanalyzing historical developmentsin Islamic Christology over thecenturies. Such scholars can useProfessor Lawson’s findings asparadigmatic of how a belief entersa religious community, evolves andtransforms based on the religiousand socio-cultural milieu at thetime that various exegetical worksare composed thereby resulting ina belief that is far-removed froma correct understanding of theoriginal religious text, in this case,the Holy Qur’an.16 Book Review

National Academic AchievementAwards Canada 2009With the dawn of the 21 st century, Academic Excellencehas become the defining factor for the success ofsocieties. From its inception, the Worldwide AhmadiyyaMuslim Community has always laid prime emphasison the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sathat “Acquisition of knowledge is obligatory uponevery Muslim man and woman.”It was revealed to the Promised Messiah as that themembers of his community will excel others in thefields of knowledge and wisdom. To recognize thosewho fulfill their obligation of seeking knowledge, andare embodiment of the revelation of the PromisedMessiah as , it is the express desire of Hadhrat KhalifatulMasih V ab to grant awards to such members of thecommunity every year at Jalsa Salana. Awards aregranted for Academic Excellence on the basis of meritand overall average of the respective diploma, degreeor certificate.were distributed on Saturday, June 27 th , 2009 by SadrSahiba Lajna Canada. The male students’ awards weredistributed on Sunday June 28 th 2009 by Amir SahibCanada.Prayers are requested for all award recipientsand applicants so that Allah may strengthen theirachievements. Ameen.The following is a list of the award recipients:By the grace of Allah, for the 2008-2009 year, 124applications for these awards were received of whom76 applicants, 29 male students and 47 female studentsqualified for the award. The female students’ awardsGrade 8 Awards 2009 (Men)No. Name of Applicant Father’s Name Jama'at Marks/Grades1 Ali Arshad Syed Salim Edmonton A2 Faraz Chattha Fazalat Chattha Surrey West 92.73 Mirza Shaharyar Ahmad Mirza Haneef Ahmad P.V.E. 90.14 Shaman S. Ahmad Imtiaz Ahmad Vaughan East 88.65 Labeeb Janood Shoiab Janood Calgary N.E. 87.86 Madeeh ur Rehman Habib ur Rehman Regina SK. 86.647 Qaasim Mian Nadeem Mian Edmonton 86.38 Anser Daud Aslam Daud Vaughan West 84.99 Mohammed Bilal Omokanye Aoeob Omokanye Calgrary 84.310 Waqar Ahmad Ilyas Ahmad P.V.W. 83.311 Musaver Ahmad Hasher Ahmad Ottawa 82.512 Mahammad Ibahim Mubarik Mubarik Ahmed Toronto C. 81.413 Shamir Khan Wasiem Khan Weston-North 81.414 Jari Ullah Adnan Qudrat Ullah Adnan A.A.P. 80.33Academic Achievement Awards17

Grade 8 Awards 2009 (Women)No. Name of Applicant Fathers Name Jama'at Marks/Grades1 Amina Ali Safder Ali Vancouver 4 A's2 Sakina Wajahat Wajahat Aslam Bajwa Saskatoon 933 Warda Bajwa Mansoor Bajwa Calgary N.E. 934 Hira Ahmad Irfan Ahmad P.V.E. 89.55 Bariah Qadeer Altaf Qadeer North York 896 Maha Sami Abdus Sami Windsor 88.87 Samreen Ahmed Javed Mian Ahmed Durham 88.68 Wardah Nasir Nasir Mahmood Hamilton 87.79 Nyma Malik Arshad Malik Weston Islington 87.610 Maham Ahmad Rafaqat Ahmad P.V.C. 87.311 Maliha Rafiq Mirza M. Rafiq Calgary N.E. 86.912 Mehwish Sabeha Afzal Quresh Ottawa 86.813 Iram Shahzada Maqsood Shahzada Vancouver 86.414 Ramsha Jamshed Jamshed Munawar Saskatoon 85.615 Manahil Sadiq Tariq Sadiq Cornwall 8516 Naila Chaudhry Abdul Razzaq Chaudhry Calgary N.W. 8417 Rabia Sadiq Ahmad Sadiq Cornwall 83.618 Nayab Ahmad Furrakh Ahmad Oakville 82.519 Naila Manahil Zefer Ullah Vaughan w. 81.520 Zara Ahmad Amir Ahmad Vaughan East 81.3621 Labibah Bajwa Maqbool Bajwa P.V.C. 81.3Grade 12 Awards 2009 (Men)No Name of Applicant Fathers Name Jama'at Marks/Grades1 Talha Qureshi Rizwan Haroon Weston North 94.72 Waleed Majoka Malik Zafarullah Majoka AAP 91.43 Waqar Ahmad Anwar Ahmad Toronto East 914 Rehan Iqbal Muhammad Iqbal Vaughan East 895 Faraz Ahmad Rajput Ijaz Ahmad Rajput Montreal East 88.76 Arslan Kashif Kashif Jamil Hamilton 84.77 Nasrullah Siddiqui Tariq Siddiqui Calgary N.E 83.58 Mobaraz Iqbal Khokhar Iqbal Muhammad Khokhar Peace Village South 80Grade 12 Awards 2009 (Women)No. Name of Applicant Fathers Name Jama'at Marks/Grades1 Labiba Majeed Majeed Ahmad Calgary NE 91.72 Humda Tahir Karim Tahir Peace Village West 90.253 Monazza Iqbal Khokhar Iqbal Muhammad Khokhar Peace Village South 88.14 Mohsina Islam Abdul Salam Rexdale 87.35 Irrej Murtaza Ghulam Murtaza Zafar Delta, B.C 87.16 Arooj Zohra Zohra Parveen Vancouver 85.57 Talat Sadiq Javed Sadiq Peace Village Centre 85.48 Sara Amjad Amjad Khalil Oakville 85.19 Aisha Kiran Riaz Ahmed Calgary NE 83.210 Salmana Rajput Ijaz Ahmad Rajput Montreal East 8311 Bushra Shafiq Shafique Ullah Peace Village East 82.812 Saadia Malik Arshad Malik Weston Islington 82.413 Birha Zuberi Azaz Zuberi Heart Lake Brampton 81.114 Yumna Idrees Mahboob Baqapuri Vancouver Surrey West 80

College Awards 2009 (Women)No. Name of Applicant Father's Name Jama'at Marks/Grades1 Uzma Iftikhar Iftikhar Alam Weston South 80Undergraduate Awards 2009 (Men)No. Name of Applicant Father's Name Jama'at Marks/Grades1 Fezan Khalil Muhammed Khalil Brampton Centre 802 Khalid Tahir Karim Tahir PVW 3.9/4Undergraduate Awards 2009 (Women)No. Name of Applicant Father's Name Jama'at Marks/Grades1 Aysha Imtiaz Imtiaz Ahmed Peace Village Centre 882 Rabya Imtiaz Imtiaz Ahmed Peace Village Centre 863 Khaula Mangla Mohammed Zubair Mangla Peace Village Centre 7.84 Manaza Ahmad Ilyas Ahmad Peace Village West 7.625 Sana Bahsir Syed Bahsirudin Mehmood Hamilton 3.96 Fathia Nasir Nasir Chatha Brampton Peel Village 3.857 Ausma Ahmed Rizwan Ahmed Scarborough 3.738 Sonia Cheema Zafar Cheema Peace Village East 74.07Post-Graduate Awards 2009 (Men)No. Name of Applicant Father's Name Jama'at Marks/Grades1 Inam Shaikh Saleem Shaikh Richmond Hill 77.32 Talha Khan Nasim Khan Vaughan East 4.53Mohammed AmirSheikhKhalid Masood Sheikh Brantford MBAPost-Graduate Awards 2009 (Women)No. Name of Applicant Father's Name Jama'at Marks/Grades1 Hira Munir Amjad Munir Scarborough 922 Saima Ahmad Sheikh Mubashar Ahmad Peace Village East AProfessional Awards 2009 (Men)No. Name of Applicant Father's Name Jama'at Degree1 Habib-ur-Rehman Fazl ur Rehman Regina M.D.2 Izhar Khan Attaul-Haq Khan Burlington Ph.D.Professional Awards 2009 (Women)No. Name of Applicant Father's Name Jama'at Degree1 Fozia Zakaria Zakaria Ismail Edmonton M.D.

Hadhrat Maulvi Dost Muhammad ShahidPassed Away (To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return)The Ahmadiyya Gazette sharesthe sad news of passing away ofMaulana Dost Muhammad ShahidSahib with great sorrow and grief. Hedied on August 26, 2009 at the age of82 at Tahir Heart Institute, Rabwah.To Allah we belong and To Him we shallreturn.Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V aa paidtribute to Maulana Dost MuhammadShahid sahib saying that he wasa high ranking scholar of theCommunity, may God continue toelevate his status. He was referredto as the ‘Historian of Ahmadiyyat’as he had penned the history of theCommunity of which twenty volumeshave been published, while work onthe Fifth Khilafat was in progress.Huzur said he was not simply anhistorian; rather his life was a chapterof the history of Ahmadiyyat. He wasa luminary who was ever ready tospread Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam.20He had an incredible memory. Huzursaid it would not be out of place tosay that he was an encyclopedicperson. In fact, Hudhur said, HadhratKhalifatul Masih IV rh did indeedmake this observation.Hudhur said he retained extensiveinformation on the lives of earlysaints and mujaddad (reformers) tothe point of remembering the nameof the relevant book and the pagenumber where certain informationwas.He served Jama`at for more than 63years. His father’s name was HafizMuhammad Abdullah. He was bornon May 3, 1927 in his native townPindi Bhatian. His uncle, Mian AbdulAzim Sahib was the first person whojoined Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama`at.Later, at the occasion of Jalsa Salanain 1933, his father did the ba`it at theblessed hands of Hadhrat KhalifatulMasih II ra . The repercussions ofthis ba`it was a series of calamitiesfrom his family, but he showedperseverance and steadfastness of astaunch believer till his last breath.In 1935 Maulana Dost MuhammadShahid Sahib entered in MadrassaAhmadiyya Qadian. In 1944 hestarted his education in JamiaAhmadiyya. In 1946 he passed theexam of “Maulvi Fazil” and stood 3rdin the Punjab University. His writingsstarted publishing in daily ‘Alfazl’Qadian in May 1944; in ‘Review ofReligions’ Qadian in August 1945;and in monthly ‘Furqan’ Qadian inApril 1947. He was among the firstgraduates of Jamiatul Mubashereen,Rabwah on October 29, 1951.Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II ra blessedthe farewell party of these fortunategraduates by his presence and andeloquently addressed them. Upon theinstructions and under the patronageof Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II ra , hestarted writing full-page columnin ‘Alfazl’ under the title ‘Shazraat’which popularly continued tillTribute to Maulana Dost Muhammad Shahid Sahib

February 1953. He had a wide rangeof services for Jama`at. He was alearned and literary person havingtraditional etiquettes and manners.Allah had bestowed him with greatprowess of speech and writing.On June 25, 1953 Hadhrat KhalifatulMasih II ra entrusted him theresponsibility of compilation of thehistory of Ahmadiyyat. So far 20volumes of this great historical workhave been published which coversJama`at’s history till 1960. Besidesthat, more than 40 of his writings ondifferent topics have been publishedand translated in different languages.He was also a member of thedelegation appeared in the NationalAssembly of Pakistan in 1974 underthe leadership of Hadhrat KhalifatulMasih III ra .His wife, Salima Begum Sahiba, diedon May 22, 1990. He had one son andfive daughters:1. Dr. Sultan Mubashar Sahib,Cardiologist Fazl-e-Umar HospitalRabwah and General SecretaryAhmadiyya Medical Association,Pakistan.2. Shahida Bushra Sahiba wifeof Mubarak Ahmad Tahir Sahib, VicePresident National Bank of Pakistan,Wapda House, Lahore, Pakistan;3. Tahira Siddiqua Sahiba, wifeof Muhammad Sarwar Butt Sahib,Toronto, Canada;4. Nasira Mubashara Sahiba,wife of Khalid Iqbal sahib, State LifeSociety, Lahore, Pakistan;5. Khalida Munawar Sahiba,wife of Munawar Ahmad AbbasiSahib, Johar Town, Lahore, Pakistan;6. Qanita Bushra Sahiba, wifeof Abdul Wahab Razi Sahib of Kunri,Pakistan;He had 15 grand children by thegrace of Allah.Tribute to Maulana Dost Muhammad Shahid SahibPhotos by: Ajaz Khan21

Biblical Criteria of a True ProphetAnsar RazaDuring meetings with Christian friends and some Churchcongregations, it is commonly asked how do we know thatthe Prophet Muhammad sa is the true Prophet of God. Theanswer given to them is presented here for our readers’benefit and knowledge so that they may also let theirChristian friends know that it is their own sacred book, theBible, both the Old and the New Testaments, which provesthat the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa is a true Prophet ofGod.The biblical criteria of the truthfulness or otherwise of aclaimant of Prophethood is that false prophets are rootedout and destroyed by the Mighty Hands of God.“That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, becausehe preached rebellion against the LORD your God…”(Deuteronomy 13:5)“But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything Ihave not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks inthe name of other gods, must be put to death.” (Deuteronomy18:20)“Then the LORD said to me, “The prophets are prophesyinglies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them orspoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions,divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds.Therefore, this is what the LORD says about the prophetswho are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yetthey are saying, ‘No sword or famine will touch this land.’Those same prophets will perish by sword and famine. Andthe people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into thestreets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. Therewill be no one to bury them or their wives, their sons or theirdaughters. I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve.”(Jeremiah 14: 14-16)“He replied, every plant that my heavenly Father has notplanted will be pulled up by the roots.” (Matthew 15:13)them to death. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacherof the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up inthe Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for alittle while. Then he addressed them: “Men of Israel, considercarefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time agoTheudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about fourhundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followerswere dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judasthe Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a bandof people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followerswere scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you:Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose oractivity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God,you will not be able to stop these men; you will only findyourselves fighting against God.” (Acts 5:33-42)On the other hand, the prophecies of a true prophet alwayscome true and fulfilled. True Prophets become ultimatelyvictorious and no earthly power can overcome them.“But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized asone truly sent by the LORD only if his prediction comes true.”(Jeremiah 28:9)“For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, butmen spoke from God as they were carried along by the HolySpirit.” (2 Peter 1:21)The above passages clearly prove that the ProphetMuhammad sa is a true Prophet of God as his mission wassuccessful not only in his homeland but world-wide. Theprophecies he made both in Qur`an and Hadith fulfilledbeyond any doubt and are still being fulfilled in this moderntime. Had he not been, God forbid, a true Prophet, he wouldhave been perished as per the above Biblical standards. Hisworld-wide success and fulfillment of his prophecies provehim to be a true Prophet of God.“When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to putBiblical Criteria of a True Prophet23

Are YOU the next Abdus Salam?Prove it at the Abdus Salam Science FairSunday November 07, 2009 at Baitul IslamThe Science Fair is open to all Ahmadi Students of Grade 5 to Grade 12Enter your Experimental Projects, Models, Demonstrations etc.and win fabulous prizes!Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:Al-Khwarizmi Group: Boys grade 5 to 8Ibn al-Haytham Group: Boys grade 9 to 12Abû Alî Sînâ Group: Girls grade 5 to 8Jâbir ibn Hayyân Group: Girls grade 9 to 12There is no fee to enter the competitionFor details please visit www.iaams.caOrganized By:IAAMSInternational Association of Ahmadi Muslim Scientists Canada

Q& AQuestion/Answer SessionWith hadrhat Khalifatul Masih IV rhAre Islamic Terms aMuslim Patent?Question: There is a great deal ofuproar and noise in Pakistan emanatingfrom the mullahs that Islamic Termsare a patent of the Muslims andwhichever person uses these IslamicTerms without permission shall receivesevere punishments. Would you care tocomment on this? Also, what do Shariaand common sense have to say aboutthis?Answer: Hazrat Khalifatul MasihIV rh gave the following answer:At the outset we should understandwhat is meant by the word ‘PATENT’.By PATENT is meant that a Companyinvents a certain thing and then getsthis invention registered in certainrequired offices as a NEW INVENTIONand thereby that Company receivescertain protections for its newlyinvented thing and is granted theright to benefit from its invention andis granted the protection that withoutyour permission no one else shall beallowed to make that thing and makethat thing and sell it.This is what ‘PATENT’ means. But thatthing which is already in existence,there is no restriction on its use. Thisis the fine point which the Pakistaniintelligentsia seems to be unawareof or perhaps they are aware of thisfine distinction but lack the requisiteQuestion & Answer Sessioncourage to give voice to this truth.Patent has simply to do with the processof ‘creation’ and does not extend beyondthat, and so far as Islamic Terms areconcerned, these were coined by Allah,the Exalted. They were not created byany mullah, nor, for that matter werethey invented by some sect’s leader. Ifsomeone was going to patent these, itwould have been God but Allah hasnever patented any term invented/created by Him for any people. IndeedHe is RABBUL ALAMEEN, the LORDOF ALL THE WORLDS, and has issuedan open invitation to everyone. Andeven if there had been a patent it makesno sense that some would be allowedto use and others would be prohibitedfrom use…Islamic teachings are for the wholeof humanity and the mullahs do notunderstand this… it is written in theHoly Quran:And We have sent thee not but as amercy for all peoples. (21:108)And the Holy Prophet Muhammad saused to dispense the teachings of doingrighteous deeds openly and everyperson not only had the permission tomake use of his teachings but ratherhad his invitation to do so. And this isin fact what the Holy Prophet is told todo in the Holy Quran:Say, ‘O People of the Book! come toa word equal between us and you-(3:65)There is no patent, we invite you tothose values that are common betweenyou and us, in those let us cooperateand collaborate with each other. Youcooperate with us and we will worktogether with you. This is the meaningof rahmat-al-lil-alameen the vastnessof which extends to all the worlds.There is no meanness of sight here, norstraitened hearts, the bounties of Godare there open for all to benefit from.It is not clear from where these peoplehave learned this type of Islam and it issuch a shame that they are teaching thehapless Pakistanis this interpretationof Islam .I do not know who they arecopying.…If the Government of Pakistanwishes to issue the patent then it mustfirst make an OFFICE for the issuanceof such Patents for the religions and letall the religions submit their requeststo this office to be granted the patentfor the use of such and such religiousterms for themselves. In this case therule of patents is that whoever shall beproved to have first invented the thing,whoever shall be proved to have usedthe thing for the very first time that oneshall be granted the patent.25

If Pakistan should open such a PatentOffice, the first to arrive shall be theJews and they will say that HazratIbrahim as was the Founder of our faithand your Holy Quran testifies to thisthat the word, ‘Islam’ was first used forHazrat Ibrahim (as), so was the casefor the word, ‘Muslim’…I have thereferences with me…let me show you:“Abraham was neither a Jew nor aChristian, but he was Haneef andMuslim. Holy Quran [3:68]Now, the question is: This is thedemand of a patent from the Jews sohow will the PATENT OFFICE OFPAKISTAN reject this? And if, oncethis term is patented, then neitherChristians…nor shall the Muslimsbe able to call themselves Muslims.All will have a restriction,they will first have to goto the Jews and get theirpermission then they cancall themselves Muslims.The question is why shouldwe seek permission fromthe Jews? This indeed is thefundamental question.These terms are God’sterms and Allah, theExalted, tells us that everygood thing is for the wholeof humanity without restriction.There is no restriction in anyonecopying any good thing, rather Islaminvites towards this… Then Allah,the Exalted, says that Ibraheem prayswith Hazrat Ismael that:O Our Lord! Make of us, twoMuslims...and from our progenysimilarly keep on makingMuslims…this ummat-emuslaymawill be for you.” HolyQuran [2:129]Actually, our belief is that the time of theHoly Prophet, his epoch, comprehendsall time-spans.. but I am responding inthe language and logic of the mullahsthat all the progeny of Hazrat Ibraheem(as) even before the advent of the HolyProphet, that they were all Muslims asper the Holy Quran. The Patent Officeof Pakistan will have to enter into itsrecords that this is their right and in thefuture without their permission no oneshall have the right to call him or herself a Muslim…It is the Ummat of Ibraheem that isMuslim, so whoever shall ascribehimself to Ibraheemas that oneshall have the right to call himselfa Muslim and no power on earthcan stop him.. and in any case thiswhole talk reeks of ignorance.See Holy Quran [22:79]So here we are, here is anther patentthat the Jews have. So the next petitionof the Jews shall be that we in fact areMuslims and Bismillah hir Rahman nirRaheem belongs to us. See Holy Quran[27:30, 31]The Ahmadis are beaten and torturedfor the crime of writing Bismillahhir Rahman nir Raheem. They aredragged to the courts and handeddown punishments…This is a crimeas per the statutes of Pakistan and sofar as Patents are concerned this is apatent that belongs to the Jews becausethe letter that Hazrat Suleiman sent toQueen Saba this was written upon it, aswe read in theThe Queen said, “Ye chiefs, there hasbeen delivered to me a noble letter.Holy Quran: [27:30]“It is from Solomon, and it is:Holy Quran [27:31]‘In the name of Allah, the Gracious, theMerciful; And then what does the letterinvite to, to become a Muslim:“That come to me having become aMuslim.” Holy Quran[27:32]Now, we cannot call a Masjid [mosque]a Masjid.. so what shall we call it? …Then a patent claim would come forthfrom the Christians…The Holy Quransays and accepts that the Christianswere persecuted for the sake oftheir belief in One God… just as theAhmadis today are persecuted forthe same thing … and that they wentunderground. Then, finally, when theywere given the good news that peacehad been restored outsideand your rights have beenestablished; now without adoubt you can come aboveground and it was arguedas to what Memorableconstruction should beerected at that spot.. and theanswer that the Holy Qurangives is that:“That those people who were inpower to decide on the mattersaid: We shall erect a Masjid intheir memory.” Holy Quran [18:22]So the Christians will say that youhave pointlessly started a dispute withregard to the use of the term, ‘Masjid’,this is in fact a Christian term, and theHoly Quran is a witness to the fact.How can you claim to be the inventorsof this term? This shall be the petitionof the Christians against the Muslimsand on Bismillah, of course, the Jewshave established authority, and whatwas left, ‘Masjid’ , well now that toohas passed to the Christians.26 Question & Answer Session

Now what shall the mullahs make ofthings? Their petition shall be acceptedand why would it be accepted? This isthe question. On which side shall theHoly Quran be?If we accept the rule that the Patentrequests shall be filed according to therules for patents, then, certainly theside on which the Holy Quran shallbe, are the one that shall have to beaccepted and, God forbid, the Quranshall be bearing witness against theQuran itself. So the truth is that thiswhole concept is totally repugnant andvulgar and objectionable. There is nopatent in matters of faith. Every truebeliever invites everyone to every gooddeed and when a true believer adoptsa good action he finds joy in so doing.Now, look, there is the case of the MasjidZarar. Up till today, everyone refers toit as Masjid Zarar. These mullahs whenthey give speeches regarding this topic,they still use the term ‘masjid zarar’because the Holy Quran refers to it asMasjid:“Never stand to pray therein. A mosquewhich was founded upon piety from thevery first day is surely more worthy thatthou should stand to pray therein. In it aremen who love to become purified, and Allahloves those who purify themselves. ThisMasjid that they have made.” Holy Quran[9:108]These are the people who have made thisMasjid with the intention of supportingdisbelief, and cause pain to the believersand to sow discord among the Muslims,even then it said you should not standin this Masjid, the word Masjid is still,nevertheless used…it is not said that thisis not a Masjid.” Holy Quran [9:107]Jalsa rainWashes my brain,Relieving meFrom worries and pain,See how its dropsResemble my tears,In them is a light,Of hopes and fears,Jalsa rainWashes my heart,Making me readyFor a new start,See how it coolsMy hot blood,Reminding me thatI am made from mudJalsa rainWashes my tongue,Cleaning the wordsWhich I sung,See how it turns,When meeting the earth,Hell into heavenLike a new birth,Jalsa rainWashes my ear,Let me understandWhat´s worth to hear,See how it praisesOur true Lord,So that we may liveWith Him in accordJalsa RainHadayatullah Huebsch, GermanyJalsa rainWashes my face,That I get gratefulFor Allah´s grace,See how it lingersFor times ahead,Followed by sunshineThrough prayers said,Jalsa rainWashes my skin,That I may wanderInto worlds within,See how it veilsHoles of my mind,Drenching the pathThrough which I findJalsa rainWashes my eyes,So I discernTruth from lies,See how inspiringGod´s rain could be,Until I forgetYou and me,Jalsa rainWashes my hair,That I may learnNot to despair,See its blessingsFor those who endure,Like love it is sentAs a might cure.Question & Answer Session27

Maulana Mohammad Tariq IslamPassed Away (To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return)Ahmadiyya GazetteCanada very sadlyannounces the suddenand sad passing away ofa devoted servant of God,Maulana Tariq Islam Sahib.He died on Septermber 8,2009 after short illness ofcancer.To Allah we belong andto Him we shall return.Ahmadiyya Gazette offers its condolence to the bereavedfamily and to the whole Jama`at in Canada and pray thatmay Allah shower His blessings on the his soul, granthim an elevated status in the heavens and bestow solaceto the bereaved family. (Amen)Hadhrat Khalifatul Masihul V aa said during this FridaySermon delivered on September 11, 2009, mentioning thissad incidence and the qualities of the deceased, said:“We have received the sad news that ourmissionary in Canada, Muhammad Tariq Islamdied two days ago. To Allah we belong and toHim we Shall return. He was 54. He had spleencancer, due to which he died after a short illness.the traditions of Jama`at, a great passion towards theobedience of the system, and great love for Khilafat.Every Ahmadi loves Khilafat; all Murabbi should anddo love Khilafat but some excel others.He was one of them. No complaint was ever raisedagainst him. He always performed his dutiesmeticulously and with great care. During my visitsto Canada, he has been working in Private Secretary’soffice performing certain jobs including meetingswith the members of Jama`at. May Allah exalt hisstatus and grant him pardon.He had a wife and five daughters. Two of them aremarried. The youngest one is probably 12. Pray forthem that may Allah grant them solace and courageand keep them in His protection. Majid Sialkoti Sahib,our missionary here, is his brother-in-law. One of hisbrothers, Hafiz Tayyab Ahmad sahib, is in Ghana. Hecouldn’t reach for his funeral. May Allah grant solace,comfort and courage to all of his family members andrelatives.”Hudhur offered his funeral prayer in absentia afterFrinday prayers.He successfully completed his “Shahid” exam in1978 after which he served in different locations inPakistan. Afterwards, he served in Wakalat-e-Ulia inRabwah. He was sent to Italy but due to visa problemshe returned after a few months. Later on he servedin Wakalat-e-Tabsheer. Since 1993 he was servingin Canada as a Murabbi in Vancouver and Ottawa.He was very friendly, loving and had a high level ofmorality. He always took care of his family members,relatives and the poor. He had deep knowledge of28 A Devoted Servant of God

Message from Family ofMuhammad Tariq Islam sahibIn the name of Allah the Gracious the MercifulAsalam-o-Alakium,I hope you all find yourselves in the best of health. As youall are aware, since the beginning of July Mohammad TariqIslam Sahib had been ill. Due to the rupture of the spleen, itwas surgically removed on July 29th, 2009. Later, the testsshowed that it was cancerous which, had unfortunatelyalready spread to the liver. After the surgery there werefurther complications due to infection. Despite aggressivetreatment for infection, his health deteriorated. Thus, thetreatment for cancer (chemotherapy) at that time was notan option.On September 6th 2009, while in the hospital due toworsening of his condition he was transferred to theICU. Despite all medical treatments ultimately the willof Allah prevailed and on September 8th 2009 at 5:10 pmhe passed away. To Him we belong and to Him we shallreturn. He who has left us was very dear to us; but Hewho has called Him is the dearest to us. As a family weare content with Allah’s will and we are humbled by allthe prayers, love, and support expressed by the members.As you were helping us with your prayers before, pleasecontinue your prayers that may Allah elevate his statusin heaven and give us patience during this difficult time.Jazakallah.Family of Tariq Islam SahibPhotos by: Bashir Nasir & Ajaz KhanA Devoted Servant of God29

Bridging the Gap BetweenPoverty and ProsperityNadia Ahmad, Media Relations, Humanity First CanadaHumanity First Builds the Bridgethat will change lives of 14,000peopleAugust 23, 2009 is an historic dayfor the people of a very remotevillage name LaHatte, in the townof Torbeck, Haiti. It is the day whenlives of 14,000 people has changed!These are people who live in a veryremote area that is surrounded byhigh and low rivers. During the drymonth, these people can go to thecity but in the rainy season or whencyclone hits, these people are cutand prosperity has been filled by abridge! A real bridge was built thathas made this village accessible andfrom the day of inauguration a busservice has also started.The chairman of Humanity FirstCanada, Dr. Aslam Daud wasinvited by the Mayor of Townof Torbeck for the inaugurationof Bridge. The Mayor and townofficials, along with police, mediaand hundreds of residents ofTorbeck were present at the ribboncutting ceremony.about 60 per cent of Haiti’s foodharvest had been destroyed due tothis natural disaster.In response to this disaster,Humanity First Canada carriedout the relief work to help thevictims of hurricane and flooding.Hundreds of families were helpedwith food, school supplies andother necessities. During the reliefeffort, the team on the groundfound that the town of Torbeckwas badly affected due to floodingand some villages get isolated fromoff from the mainland for months.Due to no road access, even innormal times, there was no directtransportation to this village. Thesick could not go the city. Mostpeople are unable to leave thevillage. On August 23, 2009 thingshave changed! Humanity First gavethese people a gift that will changetheir lives. The gap between poverty30Haiti is the poorest country in theWestern Hemisphere. Last fall, atleast 800 people were killed in Haiti,in the wake of four tropical storms.Tens of thousands were forced intoshelters. Due to flooding on thestreets, most were stranded in theirhomes and had no place to go. Thecatastrophe left many homelessbegging for food and clothes, asother cities after every rainy season.In an effort to provide long lastingrelief for the locals, Humanity Firstundertook the initiative of buildinga bridge in the village of LaHatte,Torbeck.With the construction of this bridge,a bus service is now available tothe residents of this village. OneHumanity First - Serving Mankind

elder from the village remarked,“In the past a sick person could notbe carried to the hospital becausethere was no way to cross the river.This bridge will enable us to takethe sick to hospital and children canalso go to school.”Humanity First hopes that thisbridge will have a long term impacton the community and has thepotential to lift the poverty- strickenfamilies out of their dire situation,providing them with employmentand income.At the inauguration ceremony,the Mayor, his worship SamuelCadet thanked Humanity First andrequested for further assistancefor economic uplift of the townof Torbeck. The chairman ofHumanity First promised that if thepeople of this village are willing tohelp themselves and will make aneffort to change the conditions, thenHumanity First will support themin other educational and economicdevelopment projects.Thanks to its donors and supportersin Canada, Humanity First was ableto make the difference in Haitianlives and generations will benefitfrom this bridge. Humanity Firsthas successfully bridged the gapbetween poverty and prosperityliterally – by building a physicalbridge!Currently, Humanity First isalso working on other projectsin Haiti that includes rebuildingand sponsorship of a school andrunning a medical clinic in remoteareas of southern part of Haiti.Humanity First is committed tohuman development projectsand responding to disasters, bothlocally and abroad providing acontinuum of services that promotehuman values and a higher qualityof life through education and directservices in poorest communities.Humanity First - Serving Mankind31

Tabligh ActivitiesTrip of Tabligh Teamto Northern OntarioA team of Tabligh departmentmembers comprising of NaseerMalik Sahib– Mua’win NationalSecretary Tabligh, KhawajaImtiaz sahib – Qaid Tabligh MajlisAnsarullah, and Tanvir Sheikhsahib – Member of Exhibitiongroup in National Tablighdepartment visited 7 towns ofNorthern Ontario. They visitedHuntsville, Sudbury, North Bay,Sturgeon Falls, Espanola, ElliotLake, and Sault Ste Marie.The team met with six mayors,three police chiefs, two designatepolice chiefs, three newspapers,CTV, and eight churches. TheMayors and all other officials,as well as church dignitaries notonly welcomed this team but alsoshowed great interest and offeredtheir full support to hold events intheir towns. Some of the mayorsagreed to moderate these events.These dignitaries were presentedwith gifts consisting of Jama`atflyers, booklets and book. Thelocal media published interviewsand pictures of this team. In onetown flyers were distributed doorto door and in the downtownarea. People appreciated ourteam and remarked that there is avery negative impression of Islamwith local residents and we doneed to hold interfaith seminarshere in order to clear up thismisconception.Tabligh Events inNorthern CanadaA delegation comprising of 14members of Calgary NW Jamā’atled by Regional Amir PrairieRegion, Salman Khalid sahib hada very successful Tablīgh tour ofNorthern Alberta and Yellowknife,Northwest Territories. OnSeptember 26, 2009, from 10am to 11 am, a ‘Focus on Islam’seminar was held in Whitecourt,AB. This is a small town 540 KMapproximately north of Calgaryand its population is about 10,000.The topic was ‘ Concept of Jihadin Islam’ and the speaker wasSalman Khalid Sahib, RegionalAmīr Prairies. Despite the earlymorning timing, guests showedkeen interest in the topic andlistened to the presentation withinterest. After the presentationRegional Amīr Sahib answered thequestions of the audience. Localnewspaper Whitecourt Star hadpublished the pre-event story ofthe program.Another ‘Focus on Islam’ eventwas held on same day from 4pm to 5 pm, in Peace River AB.The topic was ‘Concept of Jehadin Islam’. Peace River is a smalltown approximately 840 km northof Calgary with a population ofabout 6,000. Salman Khalid Sahibmade the presentation which wasfollowed by Q/A session. The localleaders showed great interest inthe program. The city council hadpassed a resolution welcoming theteam to their city. Local radio airedinterviews of Regional Amīr Sahiband the local newspaper PeaceRiver Recorder published storyabout the event. The program wasattended by two city councilors.One councilor wrote a blog about32 Tabligh Activities

the program and encouragedpeople to attend the event.Next day the same delegationreached Yellowknife, the capitalof Northwest Territories, which isapproximately 1,800 km north ofCalgary with a population of about18,000. An interfaith seminar washeld on September 27, 2009, from 3pm to 5 pm. The topic was ‘Conceptof Salvation’ and viewpoints ofBuddhism, Aboriginal Spirituality,Christianity, and Islam werepresented. The total attendancewas 77, out of which 63 were guests.People showed great interest inthis program. The Mayor of the citymoderated the event. The Premierof the Northwest Territories senthis well wishes and a regionalMP sent his representative to theconference. The local media gavegreat coverage to the event. Thelocal newspaper Yellowknifer hadpublished a full page story aboutthe conference three weeks priorto the event. Another report aboutthe event was published a daybefore the event. CBC North airedan interview of Sultan Mahmoodsahib, President Calgary NW,on 25th September, 2009. Also,the local French radio aired onehour talk show with AbdurRasheed Anwar Sahib, Missionary,Tabligh ActivitiesMontreal, in French on the 24th ofSeptember, 2009. The same radiostation aired an interview on theirtalk show with Basheer IslamSahib on the morning of the 27thof September.Tabligh Trip to Erinwith Mobile Tabligh CentreOn Sep-27, 2009 10 Khuddamfrom Majlis Brampton Springdalevisited the Town of Erin withmobile Tabligh centre. Over 900flyers were distributed in total outof which 400 were distributed tothe homes door to door and restto the walking people. Mobiletabligh centre was parked inthe only Grocery market of thetown. Flyers were handed outto every person at the marketand were requested to visit themobile tabligh centre. At least15 conversations were held withwalk in people and shop keepers.One Convenience store owner (aBangladashi Muslim) asked toleave bunch of flyer on his store’scounter for people. Discussion washeld with a minister in the localchurch and contact informationwere exchanged. He welcomedthe tabligh team and asked to visitChurch service on Sunday.33