The Light 2018 07 July

ِ ی م الرَّحم 

ن 

ِ 

سب اہللِ‏ الرَّْحم ٰ 

ْ م ِ 

The Light 

International Organ of the Centre for the Worldwide 

Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam 

2018 

April 

2016 

July 

The only Islamic organisation which is upholding the finality of prophethood. 

Webcasting on the world’s first real-time Islamic service at 

www.virtualmosque.co.uk 

Germany 

Guyana 

India 

Sweden 

Suriname 

Editors 

- Amir Aziz 

- Abd ul Muqtadir Gordon 

- Gowsia Saleem & - Prof. Shahab 

Shabbir 

- Kaleem Ahmed 

- Robbert Bipat M.D, PhD 

South Africa-Ebrahim Mohamed 

UK 

The USA 

- Shahid Aziz & - Mustaq Ali 

- Zainab Ahmad 

Contents 

The Call of the Messiah 2 

An Eid Khutba by Ebrahim Mohamed 3 

Islam - A Religion of Peace Arab News 8 

Purpose of Existence by Araf Rehman 8 

Education of Muslim Women by Phew 

Research Centre 11 

The Quranic Script Arab News 12 

Broadcasts (UK time) 

1. Skype Urdu lecture: Sunday 09:00 

2. Live on www.virtualmosque.co.uk 

‣ Friday Sermon 13:00 

‣ First Sunday of month lecture 15:00. 

3. Radio Virtual Mosque 

Our Websites 

1. International HQ 

2. Research and History 

3. The Woking Mosque and Mission 

4. The Berlin Mosque and Mission 

5. Quran search 

6. Blog 

Broadcasts from and about us 

‣ Audio of the Holy Quran 

‣ www.virtualmosque.co.uk 

‣ mixlr.com Radio Virtual Mosque 

‣ Eid ul Fitr khutba by Mr Nasir Ahmad 

‣ Friday khutba by Dr Zahid Aziz 

‣ Prejudice by Muslims (Urdu) 

‣ Are non-Muslims entitled to Zakat? 

Interesting external links 

‣ Hafizah Helps prove Einstein was Right. 

‣ Still Smiling After an Acid Attack - BBC. 

‣ Protecting Women in Pakistan. 

‣ In Pakistan, Girl box their Way out of Discrimination. 

‣ London More Islamic Than Much of the Islamic 

World! 

External Links 

The Light is not responsible for the content 

of external sites. The inclusion of a link to an external 

website should not be understood to be 

an endorsement of that website, the views it expresses 

or the site's owners (or their products/services). 

Some links may have research, which disagrees 

with our beliefs. It is for us to consider 

such material and provide a rebuttal. Ignoring it 

will not make it go away. 

We welcome all scholarly contributions to 

The Light. 

I Shall Love All Mankind.

July 2018 The 

Light 2 

The Call of the 

Messiah 

by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam 

Ahmad 

The Promised Messiah and Mahdi 

(Editor’s note: Any quotations from the Quran 

are translated from the author’s explanations 

and are not literal translations of the verse 

quoted. This extract is from the English translation 

of a lecture he delivered in 1904 in Lahore, 

now in Pakistan, taken from the Lahore Ahmadiyya 

publication ‘Essence of Islam’.) 

The Purity of Sexual Relations in Islam 

Here I take occasion to express my views on 

another point of equal importance. Whatever 

the feeling of hatred 

which the 

Arya Samaj entertains 

towards 

Muslims and the 

principles of Islam, 

it should not make 

a total departure 

from the timehonoured 

custom 

of purdah, for such 

a course would be 

productive of immense evil and mischief, 

though it may appear to be attractive at the present 

moment. Every sensible person can easily 

understand that the majority of men and 

women in this age are walking only in obedience 

to their passions and desires and are so 

completely in their control that they do not care 

at all for the retribution of their deeds. Most 

young men cannot refrain from looking to lust 

after young and beautiful women if they get a 

chance to look at them at all. And so is also the 

case for most women. If in this state, when the 

hearts of both sexes are not free from corruption 

and evil and are unable to resist the temptations 

of flesh, a too free meeting of men and 

women is allowed, the result would be that the 

evil of adultery would poison the whole system 

of society, as is the case in many parts of Europe. 

But when these men actually grow pure in 

heart. When they are freed from the control of 

I Shall Love All Mankind. 

bestial passions and sensual desires, when the 

spirit of devil is utterly expelled from among 

them, when the Divine majesty takes entire possession 

of their hearts and the awe of God controls 

their looks, in short when a pure transformation 

is effected in their lives and they don the 

garments of the fear of God, then, but not till 

then, they may do what they like, for they would 

be then as eunuchs made so by the Hand of God 

and their eyes would be shut against lustful 

looks and their hearts closed against evil ideas. 

But remember, my beloved countrymen, may 

God Himself inspire this idea into your hearts, 

that this is the most dangerous time for doing 

away with the custom of purdah, and if you do it 

you would sow the seed of poison in your people 

which would vitiate the whole society. This 

is a time when the custom of purdah ought to 

have been instituted even if it had never prevailed 

before, for this is the kaljug (the iron age). 

Evil rages in the 

world and the 

Evil rages in the world and 

the transgression of Divine 

commandments, corruption 

and drunkenness are at 

their highest. 

transgression of 

Divine commandments, 

corruption 

and drunkenness 

are at their highest. 

Atheism prevails 

in the hearts 

and the awe of Divine 

majesty and 

glory has utterly 

vanished away from them. Many things are uttered 

with the tongue with which the heart does 

not tally. Lectures are delivered which may 

claim great intellectual merits, but the hearts 

are dead and devoid of spirituality. It is not appropriate 

that at such a time the poor sheep 

should be let loose in forests where wolves 

abound. 

My friends, the plague is still threatening us 

and I have received information from on High 

that many of its onslaughts are in store for us. 

These are dangerous days and no one can say 

who would become its morsel by the next year 

and who remain alive, what house would be 

devastated and what saved. Arise then and repent, 

and please your Lord with good and virtuous 

deeds. Mind that though errors in belief 

would be punished in the life to come, and the 

fact of being a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian



Reconcile yourselves with 

your Lord, for He is the most 

Merciful and if you ripen 

truly and forsake the ways 

of evil, He will forgive you 

all your sins. 

would be decided on the day of judgment, yet 

the person who, exceeds all limits in his transgressions, 

evils and injustice to others, will be 

punished even here, and he cannot flee from the 

wrath of heaven. Rise then and please your Master 

and be at peace with Him before the terrible 

day comes, the day of the raging of plague, of 

which the prophets of God have prophesied. 

Reconcile yourselves with your Lord, for He is 

the most Merciful and if you repent truly and 

forsake the ways of evil, He will forgive you all 

your sins. A single moment's repentance with a 

true and fearful heart cancels the evil deeds of 

seventy years. Do not say that your repentance 

is not accepted by God. No! you cannot be saved 

by your own deeds, it is the grace of God that 

takes you by the hand and not your own deeds. 

O Merciful and Gracious God, show mercy to us 

for we are Your servants and bow ourselves at 

Your threshold. 

Comment by the Editor - Zainab Ahmad: 

As part of his mission for the revival of the original 

spirit of Islam, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad 

wrote about the need for utmost modesty in 

gender relations. At that time the custom of purdah 

was prevalent in the Indian subcontinent, 

which meant that women were practically secluded 

from society. They had a separate section 

within the home and they would not mingle 

with men, and rarely ventured out in society. 

Hazrat Mirza Sahib brought moderation to this 

restrictive practice, by encouraging women to 

leave their homes for exercise and other needs. 

He also urged men to lower their gaze as far as 

possible, so as to avoid staring at the opposite 

gender. He himself embodied this virtue and 

kept his eyes downcast for modesty. 


Hazrat Mirza Sahib did not differentiate between 

men and women with regard to their 

spirituality and his soul-stirring teaching address 

both to raise their morality to the point 

where they would not be swayed by lower passions. 

As we reflect upon these words said over 

a hundred years ago, we find them to be sadly 

true in our times. Hazrat Mirza Sahib’s words 

call each of us to reflect on the role of modesty 

in our lives. 

(Return to contents) 

Only True Morality Can Bring 

Happiness and Peace on 

Earth 

The Sermon Eid ul Fitr 2018 

By Ebrahim Mohamed 

“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for 

you, as it was prescribed for those before you, 

so that you may guard against evil.” (The Holy 

Quran, 2:183) 

All praise is due to Almighty Allah we praise 

Him, and we thank Him for this blessed day of 

Eid; a day of recurring joy that is celebrated at 

the end of the month of fasting. The lesson we 

derive from the noble acts of devotion for the 

sake of Almighty Allah in the month of Ramadan 

is that only once humankind has reached the 

stage where they are in complete control of 

their lower passions of lust, greed and anger 

will lasting happiness abide on earth. The wisdom 

of our Creator in prescribing an effective 

remedy for the diseases of evil that plague our 

beings and societies at large is therefore indeed 

a great sign of His Mercy for humankind. The 

remedy is simple, fasting and the objective la 

‛alla-kum tattaqoon “so that you may guard 

against evil.” The abstention from food, though, 

is an effective, psychological discipline that 

makes man realise if in obedience to Almighty 

Allah he can stay away from what is otherwise 

lawful, how much more important is it for him 

to stay away from what is unlawful and evil in 

the sight of Allah. Fasting is thus a means to an 

end, and that is the conquering of the evil within



and without to quicken the growth of moral and 

spiritual qualities latent 

in all of us. This is 

the difficult part not the 

staying without food. 

Anyone can stay without 

food; even young 

children do it these 

days. The staying without 

food part of the 

Ramadan ends today 

but not the ‘staying 

away from evil.’ It is imperative 

that we understand 

what la‛alla-kum 

tattaqoon, guarding 

O you who believe, be upright 

for Allah, bearers of 

witness with justice; and 

let not hatred of a people 

incite you not to act equitably. 

Be just; that is 

nearer to the observance 

of duty. And keep your 

duty to Allah. Surely Allah 

is Aware of what you do. - 

The Holy Quran 5:8 


against evil, really 

entails. It is continuous 

hard work. We cannot 

change our natures, but 

we can mould and guide ourselves into becoming 

beings of high morality. ‘Guarding against 

evil’ means we constantly have to work on our 

weaknesses and to do this effectively we must 

first accept the fact that we have all been created 

weak and not perfect. We are all made up 

of basic raw qualities and traits that need to be 

refined. As Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad wrote, 

you cannot change the nature of a person, but 

you can teach him how to use his intrinsic nature 

for the moral good of humanity at large and 

not to harm anyone. Teach him how to conquer 

his lust and turn it into the moral qualities of 

love, compassion and empathy for humankind. 

Teach him how to turn his anger into bravery 

and rather become a defender of the weak and 

righteous and not a murderer of innocent people. 

Teach him how to turn his greed into insatiable 

quests for doing good to all of humanity 

instead of robbing and depriving them of their 

rightful property and rights. (Hazrat Mirza Sahib 

has written a masterpiece on this topic in 

his paper submitted at an interfaith conference 

in Lahore about a century ago, called The Philosophy 

of the Teachings of Islam, or just The Teachings 

of Islam. I recommend it highly if you are 

interested in this branch of knowledge.) So, the 

transformation of the self, which is the aim and 

object of the fast, is hard work, but essential for 

in the end it is the only hope we have of establishing 

lasting peace and ever-recurring happiness 

on earth. If you feel 

this might be farfetched, 

wishful thinking 

then let us ponder 

and reflect on the condition 

the world is in at 

present for a while. Imagine 

a world where 

dominant forces of 

good over evil are triumphant; 

a world of 

controlled greed, controlled 

anger, controlled 

lusts, everywhere. 

Imagine a world 

where freedom to worship 

Almighty God is a 

respected human right 

free of persecution. 

Then imagine a world of tolerance; a world devoid 

of backbiting; devoid of superstitions and 

suspicions; devoid of envy and hatred. Imagine 

a world free of anger and killings where human 

life is respected and where the striving for its 

preservation is zealously supported and applauded 

by every living soul on this earth and 

where even the slightest harm that might lead 

to its destruction are condemned in the loudest 

of voices with the contempt it deserves and duly 

punished with fitting punishments so as never 

to be repeated. Imagine a world free of lies, slander, 

corruption, defamations, and deliberate 

distortions of truth to malign others. Imagine a 

world free of ignorance in all its ugly shapes and 

forms that we come across daily, such as the bigotry, 

biases, prejudices, dogmatism, extremism, 

and fanaticism that creep up upon us all the 

time. 

Imagine a world where ‘free thinking’ and 

‘free expressions of thought’ that uplift society, 

not such that defame and abuse the dignity and 

rights of others, prevail. Imagine a world where 

the principles of justice throughout the world, 

especially in morally depraved countries under 

majority Muslim governance, are based on the 

noble dictum of the Holy Quran: 

“O you who believe, be upright for Allah,



bearers of witness with justice; and let not hatred 

of a people incite you not to act equitably. 

Be just; that is nearer to the observance of duty. 

And keep your duty to Allah. Surely Allah is 

Aware of what you do.” -The Quran, 5:8 

Then imagine a world free of greedy, ruthless 

profiteering by a handful of ‘fat-cat’ corporates 

and spoilt oligarchies bloated with illgained 

wealth and opulence to the misery of the 

masses; perhaps then we might just be able to 

imagine a world free of all sorts of human 

abuses: human trafficking, homelessness, poverty, 

hunger and uncontrolled diseases and 

drug addiction. Like John Lennon, we can keep 

on imagining, and like Martin Luther King we 

can keep on dreaming of a world united in 

brotherly love, peace, justice and ultimately ample 

sustenance and happiness for all. But one 

thing is for certain such a ‘heaven on earth’ will 

not simply fall from the sky onto our laps as the 

disciples of Jesus pleaded for. Nay, it has to be 

earned. Therefore, the Greatest of Physicians of 

the Universe, the Rabb-ul-‛Alameen our Lord, 

the Nourisher and Sustainer of all the worlds, 

has prescribed fasting as one of the means to 

achieving that end la‛alla-kum tattaqoon — “so 

that you may guard against evil.” 

Muslims these days, like the Jews did after 

Moses, tend to approach their faith more in a 

ritualistic manner. Often more emphasis is put 

on the external 

aspects such as 

the abstaining 

from food and 

drink and not 

enough focus 

is placed on 

the intended 

. . . the apparent disconnect between 

the teachings of the Holy 

Qur’an and the practice of Islam in 

the Muslim World, which is what the 

Holy Prophet prophetically refers to 

. . . 

moral development that feeds the spiritual 

seeds of our souls. 

With the advent of Islam and the revelation 

of the Holy Quran, the means to obtain control 

over our base desires and passions that ignite 

evil have been made accessible to all of us. The 

prayer five times a day, the fast, the giving in 

charity, the pilgrimage are all devotions focused 

on generating humane, moral qualities within 

us. If it fails to do this, then there is a serious 


problem with the manner these acts of devotions 

are performed. In fact, it would be a waste 

of time and effort. This, unfortunately, is the 

condition existent in most parts of the Muslim 

world today. Anyone can be taught to perform 

the prayer, to fast, to give zakaat and perform 

pilgrimage but when it comes to sacrificing 

over-blown egos to put into practice basic ordinances 

of the Holy Quran on issues of justice 

and exercising even basic human rights, Muslims, 

in general, fail miserably. 

During the time of the Prophet (s), the hypocrites 

used to pray, they used to fast etc., but 

they turned their backs on him (s) at the most 

crucial time in his career. Today it would seem 

that Muslims nations have turned their backs 

on the Holy Quran. They recite it beautifully but 

are not prepared to implement its teachings in 

their daily lives. The ulema are devoid and incapable 

of providing guidance. Instead they engage 

in petty politics, fighting among themselves 

for status and positions of power over the 

vulnerable minds of weak followers unable to 

think for themselves and happy to be led like 

sheep to the house of mental, moral and spiritual 

slaughter. It is such behaviour that made 

the Nabi (saw) complain to Almighty Allah: “My 

Lord, surely my people treat this Quran as a forsaken 

thing” (25:30). 

The truth of this plea of the Holy Prophet 

(saw) has been proven 

true by recent studies 

done by a PhD Economist, 

Professor Hossein 

Askari. Askari made a 

study on how close to 

Quranic principles the 

economic, political and 

justice systems of 152 countries in the world 

are. According to Professor Askari, what motivated 

his study was the apparent disconnect between 

the teachings of the Holy Quran and the 

practice of Islam in the Muslim World, which is 

what the Holy Prophet prophetically refers to in 

verse quoted above. He says, and I quote: “(the) 

Indices provide a simple approach for Muslims 

to focus on the indisputable source of their religion—the 

Holy Quran—as opposed to pronouncements 

made by clerics, rulers, the media



and extremists, who all have their selfish agendas.” 

He looked at four specific categories 

within which the overall successful governance 

of a country depends. These are the Economy, 

Legal and Governance, Human and Political 

Rights, and International Affairs. 

So, I gather, he would have, for example, 

looked at whether a country provides freedom 

of religion within the framework of the Quranic 

injunction “There is no compulsion in religion” 

and whether the justice system is based on a 

free and independent judiciary that upholds the 

principle of the Holy Quran that says: 

when they make a promise, and the patient in 

distress and affliction and in the time of conflict. 

These are they who are truthful, and these are 

they who keep their duty.” (2:177) 

This verse is self-explanatory. Together 

with the other verses I have quoted on justice 

and freedom of religion, these form but a few 

that highlight the very high standard set by the 

Holy Quran with regard to all forms of human 

rights, justice, social welfare, etc. especially the 

spirit of selflessness i.e. ‘doing it for the sake of 

the muḥabba (love) of Allah’, free from insincere, 

empty ritualism. 

“Be upright for Allah, bearers of witness 

with justice; and let not hatred of a people incite 

you not to act equitably” - 5:8 

“O you who believe, be maintainers of justice, 

bearers of witness for Allah, even though it 

be against your own selves or (your) parents or 

near relatives — whether he be rich or poor, Allah 

has a better right over them both. So follow 

not (your) low desires, lest you deviate. And if 

you distort or turn away from (truth), surely Allah 

is ever aware of what you do.” - 4:135 

And a political system that is all-inclusive 

and consultative. And to address the social 

needs to alleviate the burdens of the poor and 

disadvantaged, there are numerous verses in 

the Holy Quran to this effect. The following one 

stands out as capturing the true spirit that is expected 

to accompany these noble acts of benevolence. 

“It is not righteousness that you turn your 

faces towards the East and the West, but 

righteous is the one who 

believes in Allah, and the Last 

Day, and the angels and the 

Book and the prophets, and 

gives away wealth out of love 

for Him to the near of kin and 

the orphans and the needy 

and the wayfarer and to those 

who ask and to set slaves free 

and keeps up prayer and pays 

the poor-rate; and the 

performers of their promise 

‘Be upright for Allah, 

bearers of witness 

with justice; 

and let not hatred 

of a people incite 

you not to act equitably’ 

-5:8 


Now, one would naturally expect that with 

such noble Quranic guidelines, Muslim governed 

countries would be amongst the topranking 

in the ‘Askari’ index scoresheet in the 

categories ‘Economy, Legal and Governance, 

Human and Political Rights, and International 

Affairs.’ However, it is with dismay that the opposite 

is true. Ranked at the top, based on an average 

score of all four categories, is New Zealand 

followed by the Netherlands, Sweden, Ireland, 

followed by 39 other non-Muslim countries 

with Malaysia the first Muslim country in 

the rankings at 43 rd . The country with the highest 

Muslim population in the world, Indonesia 

is 74 th , and Saudi Arabia, the custodians of the 

Holy cities at 88 with Iran at 134 and Pakistan a 

low 137. I was particularly interested in the human 

rights stats as for me the Holy Quran lays 

much emphasis on human rights. First was Norway, 

second Sweden, third New Zealand, followed 

by several other non-Muslim countries. 

Indonesia was 92, Saudi Arabia 110 and Pakistan 

at an almost rock-bottom low of 142 out of 

152 countries. What is shocking is the fact that 

these are countries that claim 

religious allegiance to the 

Holy Quran, which is sheer 

hypocrisy. 

These results come as no 

surprise, though, for it is a 

known fact that in most of 

these Muslim countries you 

do not have the freedom to 

even speak out against any injustices 

whether committed



by the ruling authorities or the sacrosanct 

ulema without the fear of being jailed. In Pakistan, 

minority groups such as Ahmadis, for example, 

are declared non-Muslim by human 

agencies at the beck and call of bigots parading 

as clerics and, can you believe it, jailed for 

practising Islam. And let me remind you these 

are no longer the much dreaded, dark, medieval 

days of human history, this is the supposed enlightened 

21 st century. 

Islam is the natural religion of humanity, it 

does not belong to Muslims alone. Thus, the 

Holy Quran says: 

“So set thy face for religion, being upright, 

the nature made by Allah in which He has created 

men.” – 30:30 

It thus comes as no surprise that fairminded, 

rational people, although not of the 

Muslim community, would, perhaps unknowingly, 

adopt such sound, practical principles to 

be found only in the Holy Quran. It is time that 

we stop looking for ‘Islam 

in Practice’ in the East for 

that is where the sun of Islam 

has set and rather 

turn our attention to the 

West for that is where it 

will rise according to an 

interpretation of a prophecy 

of our noble Prophet 

Muhammad (s). All indications 

are that Islam is 

indeed on the rise in the 

West and it is very encouraging 

to see a host of 

enlightened folk emerging from among academics, 

religious scholars and ordinary folk, 

male and female, prepared to challenge the old 

order created by ulema still stuck in their narrow-minded, 

backward ideologies and practices. 

There is also an encouraging movement 

towards the adoption of the Holy Quran as the 

undisputed primary source and a slow but 

steady, overdue departure from the prominence 

given to the long-held practice of blind subservience 

to flawed, outdated interpretations of 

the clerical fraternity. The clarion call ‘Back to 

the Quran’ of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad to 

O God, it is Your promise that 

You shall make Islam triumph 

in the world. It is Your promise 

that after falling into the 

greatest deviation and wrongdoing 

people will again turn 

to You. Fulfill this promise of 

Yours today and let the truth 

overcome falsehood and let 

Islam triumph over unbelief. 


the Muslims 100 years ago is slowly coming to 

fruition. In 1917 when his first English translation 

came out, Maulana Muhammad Ali urged 

that the Holy Quran must be taken to the West 

by the wishes of the Mujaddid Hazrat Mirza Sahib. 

It was the first properly bound and printed 

single volume English translation by a Muslim 

that reached the shores of Britain, Europe, Africa, 

the USA, and Egypt. It was this English 

translation that inspired the Nation of Islam in 

America and caused the likes of his namesake 

Muhammad Ali, the boxer, and many others 

turning to Islam. Give a man a copy of the Holy 

Quran and the Quran will do the work by itself, 

were the words of Maulana Muhammad Ali. 

How often do we not hear heart-warming tales 

of people who found faith simply by reading the 

Holy Quran? I would encourage everyone here 

to engage in this work. Start by buying one 

Quran and donating it to a friend, a stranger, an 

institution, or whatever, you decide. And who 

knows who might be touched by its inspirational 

teachings. I would like to conclude with 

the following prayer by Maulana Muhammad 

Ali for the triumph of Islam 

“O God, unbelief is dominant 

over the world. Love of 

worldly things and wealth 

has taken hold of human 

hearts. Human beings are being 

led astray by possession 

of physical power, material 

resources and outward 

adornments. But, O God, it is 

Your promise that You shall 

make Islam triumph in the 

world. It is Your promise that 

after falling into the greatest deviation and 

wrongdoing people will again turn to You. Fulfill 

this promise of Yours today and let the truth 

overcome falsehood and let Islam triumph over 

unbelief. 

— “O God, the armies of unbelief and misguidance 

are attacking with full force. Your 

strength in the past too has been manifested 

through weak human beings. Let it be manifest 

today through this small Jama‘at. We are weak, 

humble and sinners but we have a strong zeal to 

see Islam prevail over unbelief. Forgive us our



faults, grant us protection, save us from stumbling, 

and be our helper and make this weak 

Jama‘at of Islam overcome the vast strength of 

unbelief. O God! make the Quran and Muhammad 

Rasul-ullah and Islam triumphant in the 

world, and wipe off the forces of unbelief and 

misguidance.” (Return to contents) 

Islam 

A Religion of Peace 

From Arab News 

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1283136/saudi-arabia 

Makkah: Spreading moderation in the Muslim 

world will be an enormous task that will 

present Islamic scholars with numerous challenges, 

Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Mohammed A-Talib, 

Imam and Preacher of the Grand Holy Mosque 

in Makkah, has said. 

He was addressing the 12th batch of guests 

of the Program of the Custodian of the Two Holy 

Mosques for Umrah and Hajj. 

Al-Talib stressed that the program seeks to 

build bridges of communication among Islamic 

scholars around the world to discuss thorny issues 

and challenges facing Islamic nations and 

to overcome obstacles to deploying the true Islamic 

religion. 

“A big task rests on our shoulders that is to 

identify and defend the true status of Islam, 

which is a religion of peace and teaches us love, 

peace, brotherhood, equality, humanity, a way 

of life, justice and tolerance,” he added. 

and sense the fraternal tie. We should never allow 

anyone to penetrate our rank to stoke division, 

suspicion or disintegration.” 

“Islam has been under fire for 1,439 years 

ago. However, its power increases with new 

people reverting to Islam every day,” Al-Talib 

said. He noted that the largest Muslim country 

today regarding population is Indonesia, which 

did not witness for 1,400 years any battle on its 

soil because people there reverted to Islam 

through trade and commercial dealings or by 

addressing the intellect. 

He reassured the Islamic scholars that Islam 

cannot be weakened and shall prevail. 

Dr Abdul Hamid Al-Ameen, Head of the 

Mercy Relief Society in Norway, emphasised the 

significant role played by Saudi Arabia under 

the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy 

Mosques King Salman in caring for Muslims and 

serving Islam. (Return to contents) 

Purpose of Existence 

By Mr Araf Rehman, LL. B 

Secretary 

Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam (T&T) 

“Say: If your fathers and your sons and your 

brethren and your wives and your kinsfolk and 

the wealth you have acquired, and trade whose 

dullness you fear, and dwellings you love, are 

dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and 

striving in His way, then wait till Allah brings His 

command to pass. And Allah guides not the 

transgressing people.” The Quran, 9:24 

Al-Talib emphasised the importance of unifying 

Muslim ranks to counter the impending 

dangers to avoid disintegration and fragmentation, 

and instead to embody the concept of Islamic 

fraternity, which is based on love and 

honour. 

“Our Islamic fraternity which gathers Muslims 

from the far west to the far east and makes 

us one secure nation, impels us to cooperate 


Let me firstly express my appreciation for 

another opportunity to address your jamaat in 

your lecture series for Ramadan 2018. Permit 

me also to pay special recognition to Brother 

Faizool Hosein who is celebrating his 70th 

birthday today. May Allah continue to guide and 

protect you so that you can see many more 

happy birthdays in the years to come. 

I noticed that your theme for this year is titled 

‘The Holy Quran - Our Source of Guidance’.



We know that the month of Ramadan is the 

month in which the Holy Quran was revealed. If 

we study the Holy Quran, we come to the inescapable 

conclusion that God has laid down for 

us a broad and sound philosophical position. 

Everything is placed in a proper perspective so 

that man might not be at a loss as to his origin, 

his place in the Universe and his ultimate journey. 

The verse that I recited at the beginning, 

9:24, presents itself to us as a wake-up call. The 

ominous admonition is that if we are getting 

caught up in the pursuit of worldly gains and 

neglecting our Creator and his Messenger, then 

we will not be counted among the rightly 

guided. It is therefore imperative that we are 

always kept conscious of the purpose of our existence. 

The Quran states in 31:20 that all things are 

made subservient to man as he is the best of creation. 

In today’s materialistic world great emphasis 

or focus is placed on acquiring material 

resources for happiness. Wealth is pursued not 

for itself but for the things that wealth brings; 

things such as gourmet food, first-class 

privileges, cars, houses, entertainment and the 

like. 

When human beings spend the majority of 

their time in acquiring and or enjoying wealth, 

they become diverted from other responsibilities 

such as their health or the welfare of their 

family, their friends, their community and even 

their spiritual development. Acquiring material 

resources for happiness is not bad. But it is our 

attitude towards wealth which determines 

whether we are selfless and care for others or 

selfish and care only about ourselves. God exhorts 

us not to let abundance bring us loss, especially 

loss of character and values; see 

18:103-105; chapters 102, 103 and 104. Progress 

and gain are usually associated with material 

advancement. 

The gospel of the New Testament preaches 

blessed are the poor for they shall inherit the 

earth, but its followers claim that the poor are 

lazy. The economic doctrine that rules the world 


is if you don't work you don't get. It has happened 

that persons who could no longer afford 

their mortgage, even though they may have already 

paid back the amount they borrowed, 

were kicked out of their homes. The message of 

the Quran is quite different, as it says in 51:19: 

“And in their prosperity, there is a due share for 

the pauper and the indigent”. 

The human being by nature is a seeker of 

betterment and benefit. Everyone desires to improve 

himself or herself and to better one's lot. 

We seek to be better educated, richer, healthier 

etc. The Quran does not stifle human nature and 

its development. It does not condemn human 

enjoyment of life. But it does state that in acquiring 

all these we should be careful that we 

do not belittle, look down upon or scorn others. 

What then is the path to achieving prosperity 

and all that goes with it? Is it through the 

acquisition of wealth alone? Or is it through 

faith and good deeds as well? Our Islam teaches 

us: Don’t step over others, step down to help 

others. Think of your progress and not how to 

bring about the downfall of others. 

The Quran educates us that six things destroy 

our moral and spiritual progress. When 

we amass a fortune in knowledge, health, 

wealth or other material or worldly possessions 

we must have faith, behave appropriately and 

exhort each other to truth and tolerance; see 

103:1-3. Our faith must not include these six 

types of behaviour: sakhar which means laughing 

at others, joking, ridiculing and mocking; 

lamaz which means finding fault with your own 

people; nabaz which is calling one another by 

nicknames, or by inappropriate names; zann 

which is suspicion; jas-sas which means spying 

and ightaab which is backbiting 49:11, 12. All of 

these not only hurt others but more importantly 

they destroy us by becoming a burning obsession 

enveloping us. When we laugh at other 

people or backbite others, we demonstrate the 

kind of ideas and thoughts we have in our 

minds. We laugh at others because we feel we 

are better than they; see 18:34. 

We cannot spend out everything that we acquire. 

If we do, then later on when we need resources 

for our ill health, retirement, home care



etc. we will either have nothing, we may have 

too little, or we may become dependent on others 

for hand-outs or fundraising. But when we 

don’t spend our wealth, we may lose it to others 

legally or illegally; and furthermore we lose the 

opportunity to be kind to build our character as 

well as that of others. We eventually lose the 

trust and confidence of others, and they lose 

trust and confidence in us. Society today encourages 

entrepreneurs more than philanthropists. 

Philanthropy is left to the individual. It is 

an individual choice. Entrepreneurship is a social 

need as everyone aspires to have greater 

economic sufficiency 

and independence. 

But acquisitions 

of prosperity 

can become 

a costume for the 

emptiness of human 

personality. Strangely enough, millions of 

people are motivated to donate more time and 

money to support those who seek political 

power than to give charity. 

Then when such persons and parties gain 

political power, they impose greater economic 

and financial hardship on the entire population. 

The question can be asked: What effect the acquisition 

of material possessions has on our 

personality and character? Are they the idols 

that have replaced Allah in the Kaaba of the human 

heart? We can measure the largeness of 

wealth but not the largeness of the heart. We 

can assess and quantify personal economic 

growth but not personal spiritual growth. What 

the world needs, therefore, is a system of accounting 

for spiritual development. And so the 

Quran tells us: If you do good, you do good for 

your souls, and if you do evil, it is for them; see 

17:7. The stuff we buy and own offers only temporary 

happiness. Does acquiring these make 

us better persons? Or are we the same but just 

feel happier? By what standard do we measure 

or estimate happiness. Happiness in Islam is a 

natural flow of my good fortune to others. It 

makes me a new person created after the likeness 

of Allah. Happiness changes our true identity, 

for when Allah gives us more we raise not 

only our standard of living but our standard of 

giving. 


Our new and true identity is now shaped by 

our faith in Allah and living a life in which our 

behaviour is developed by His attributes. 

Money and wealth doesn't buy love or happiness. 

Acquiring wealth may free us from the 

anxieties of earning a livelihood. Yet we are not 

free from the cares which life brings. The enmity 

of others, their jealousy and malice, family 

calamities, health problems and the complications 

of social life are among the burdens we are 

required to bear. We find them, at times, growing 

painful and burdensome. Only those who 

possess the necessary largeness of heart can escape 

the resulting 

Our Islam enjoins upon us the use of our wealth 

and our possessions, our health, our knowledge 

and our strength for the benefit of a group of persons 

extending from our close relatives, to our near 

neighbours and even unto our far neighbours 4:36 

miseries. It is acquiring 

largeness of 

heart through our 

generosity which 

helps us to bear the 

difficulties and challenges 

with a cheerful spirit. 

Our Islam enjoins upon us the use of our 

wealth and our possessions, our health, our 

knowledge and our strength for the benefit of a 

group of persons extending from our close relatives, 

to our near neighbours and even unto our 

far neighbours; see 4:36. Our Islam teaches us 

to treasure our Relationships, not our Possessions. 

This is the wealth which enables us to act 

in such a manner as would remove any amount 

of difficulties from our way, and at the same 

time win the heart of the deadliest foes to turn 

them into our friends. Says the Quran: “Repel 

evil with what is best, when Lo! He (or she) between 

whom and you is enmity would be as if 

he (or she) were a warm friend!” (41:34). 

Let us all use this month as a turning point 

in our lives, and strive, through the self-disciplinary 

act of fasting, to equip ourselves with 

proper moral and spiritual values and thus develop 

our character. In this month of Ramadan, 

let us not reduce this universal religious institution 

of fasting into a mere ritual. Let us all 

pledge to live in harmony with the wonderful 

teachings of Islam. May Allah guide all of us 

along the path of character development in this 

blessed month, and may He help each one of us 

to continue with our spiritual striving. Without 

Allah’s Mercy, nothing is possible.



Education of Muslim Women 

Limited by economic conditions, not 

religion 

By Conrad Hackett 

Conrad Hackett is a senior demographer and associate 

director of research at Pew Research Centre. 

and Dalia Fahmy 

Vegard Skirbekk. Hackett is a senior demographer 

and associate director of research at Pew 

Research Centre. McClendon is a former research 

associate at the Centre.) 

The analysis shows that a country’s wealth 

– not its laws or culture – is the most important 

factor in determining a woman’s educational 

fate, with women in oil-rich Gulf countries, especially, 

making some of the biggest educational 

leaps in recent decades. 

(From: 

www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2018/06/12/education-of-muslimwomen-is-limited-by-economic-conditionsnot-religion/) 

Muslim societies have sometimes faced criticism 

for failing to adequately educate women. 

Boko Haram’s kidnapping of schoolgirls in Nigeria 

and the Taliban’s attack on Pakistani education 

activist Malala Yousafzai have contributed 

to this perception, raising the question of 

whether Islam itself hampers women’s education. 

But a new analysis of Pew Research Centre 

data on educational attainment and religion 

suggests that economics, not religion, is the key 

factor limiting the education of Muslim women. 

It’s true that, historically, Muslim women 

have received less schooling than females of 

other major religions (except Hindus); they also 

have lagged behind Muslim men in educational 

attainment, according to previous analysis by 

Pew Research Centre. More recently, however, 

Muslim women have been catching up — not 

only with Muslim men but also with other 

women around the world. 

As Muslim women move up the educational 

ladder, the role of religion as a predictor of academic 

attainment is diminishing, according to 

the new study, which analyzes the Centre’s education 

data and appears in the journal Population 

and Development Review. The findings 

challenge claims that there’s a culture clash between 

Muslim and Western societies over gender 

equality in education. (The study was authored 

by David McClendon, Conrad Hackett, 

Michaela Potanc okova , Marcin Stonawski and 


For example, young Muslim women (born 

between 1976 and 1985) in Saudi Arabia, which 

calls itself an Islamic state and enforces conservative 

gender laws, have an average of 11.5 

years of schooling, compared with 11.8 years 

for the country’s young men and just two years 

of education for older Muslim women (those 

born between 1935 and 1955). These numbers 

indicate that Saudi Arabia has increased access 

to schooling for women and has come closer to 

closing the education gender gap. (The study 

measured only the education of Saudi citizens 

and not trends among the large population of 

noncitizen migrant workers in Saudi Arabia and 

other Gulf countries.) By comparison, the average 

duration of schooling for young U.S. men 

and women – across religious groups – is 

around 13 years. 

By contrast, in Mali – also a predominantly 

Muslim country, but one that is economically 

poor – young Muslim women have an average of 

only 1.4 years of schooling, compared with 2.7 

years for the country’s young men. And older 

Muslim women in Mali (those born between 

1935 and 1955) average half a year of schooling. 

These figures show that Mali has seen only 

modest gains in the education of Muslim 

women. The same pattern has unfolded in sub- 

Saharan Africa overall, where young Muslim 

women average 2.5 years of school, up from 0.8 

years of school among the older generation. 

To test the extent to which Islam itself influences 

a woman’s educational attainment, the 

researchers examined factors in Muslim communities 

that might play a role, such as the degree 

of gender discrimination in a country’s 

family laws, the percentage of its population



that is Muslim and the share of Muslims who reported 

religion is very important to them. The 

study finds that none of these elements had a 

significant impact on the results. (Return_to 

content) 

Arabia’s Madani Script: From 

handwritten origins to the 

digital age 

From: www.arabnews.com 

JEDDAH: Ancient Arabic scripts are distinguished 

by their beauty and diversity, and the 

Makki and Madani scripts were the most prominent 

versions throughout history. The Madani 

script, in which the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the 

Prophet Muhammad’s correspondence with 

kings and presidents were written, is particularly 

notable. 

There are many opinions concerning the origins 

of Arabic calligraphy. Some scholars suggest 

it goes back to Ismail, son of the Prophet 

Ibrahim. Others say it came from the Nabataeans 

in the 4th century BC. 

Prophet Muhammad urged people in Madinah 

to learn to write, and so Arabic calligraphy 

spread there only after his migration. The number 

of literate people in the Prophet’s era is said 

to have amounted to about 42 men. 

The Madinah area is rich in precious Islamic 

inscriptions engraved on the rocks of its mountains 

and valleys, and ancient caravan routes. 

The history of these inscriptions dates back to 

the Hijri first century, and they include Qur’anic 

verses, supplications, letters, poetry and news. 

King Abdul Aziz took an interest in preserving 

Arabic calligraphy, and his interest has been 

reinforced by the King Salman Centre for Restoration 

and Conservation of Historical Materials, 

part of King Abdul Aziz Historical Centre, which 

preserves and cares for ancient documents and 

manuscripts. 

Prince Faisal bin Salman, governor of Madinah 

region, launched an initiative to preserve 

the Madani script during the inauguration of an 

exhibition of Madinah manuscripts organized 

by King Abdul Aziz Historical Centre in 2016. 

Many international libraries have copies of 

the Holy Qur’an written in the Madani script, including 

the Paris National Library, the Leiden 

University Library in the Netherlands, the University 

Library of Birmingham in England, and 

the Berlin Library. 

Idham Mohammed Hanash, the dean of the 

Faculty of Arts and Islamic Architecture at the 

World Islamic Science and Education University 

in Jordan, said the Madani script has become 

the standard for the origin and originality of Arabic 

calligraphy. 

He pointed out that it is characterized by 

aesthetic qualities and technical characteristics 

and said its great historical importance and 

technical excellence mean there is a need to restore 

knowledge of the art of the script. 

Prince Faisal praised the King Fahd Complex 

for the Printing of the Holy Qur’an in Madinah 

for issuing 10 million copies of the book, 

achieving the highest production level for the 

first time in five months. 

The target production is 18 million copies 

during the first operational year, which ends after 

seven months. 

This came during a meeting with Tawfiq Al- 

Sudairy, the deputy minister of Islamic Affairs, 

Da’wah and Guidance, who briefed Prince Faisal 

on the achievements of the King Fahd Complex 

in the presence of Mohammed Salem Al-Awfi, 

secretary-general of the complex. 

Prince Faisal said that these achievements 

came in record time with national capacities to 

serve Islam and Muslims. (Return_to content) 

Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha‘at Islam Lahore (UK) 

Founders of the first Islamic Mission in the UK - established 1913 as the Woking Muslim Mission. 

Dar-us-Salaam, 15 Stanley Avenue, Wembley, UK, HA0 4JQ 

Centre: 020 8903 2689 ∙ President: 01793 740670 ∙ Secretary: 07737 240777 ∙ Treasurer: 01932 348283 

E-mail: info@aaiil.uk 

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The Light 2018 07 July

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