ahmadiyyah muslim jama‘at and the palestinian muslims · pdf file(8) ahmadiyyah muslim...

A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat—

A Grave Threat to Islam

Replies to Some Allegations

(8)

Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at and the Palestinian Muslims

M i r z a T a h i r A h m a d

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A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat—

A Grave Threat to Islam

Replies to Some Allegations

(8)


Glorious Services of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at During the Tragedy of the Palestinian Muslims

An English translation ofthe Friday sermon delivered by

Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IVrta

on March 15, 1985at the Fadl Mosque, London

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Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at and the Palestinian MuslimsGlorious Services of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at During the Tragedy of the Palestinian Muslims

An English translation of the Friday sermon delivered in Urdu by Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IV (rahmatullah ‘alaih), on March 15, 1985, at the Fadl Mosque, London.

Translated by: Mubashir AhmadRevised by: Mansur Shah & Mati‘ullah Dard

First Published in Urdu in the United Kingdom in 1985 as:Musalmanan-e-Falastin ka Almiyah aur Jama‘at-e-Ahmadiyyah ki Khidmat-e-Jalilah

Present English translation published in the United Kingdom in 2005

© Islam International Publications Ltd.

Published by:Islam International Publications Ltd.“Islamabad” Sheephatch LaneTilford, Surrey GU10 2AQ UK

Printed in the United Kingdom at:Raqeem PressTilford, Surrey GU10 2AQ

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the Publisher.

For further information you may visit www.alislam.org

ISBN: 1 85372 809 8

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Table of Contents

�Abbreviations......................................................................viiSystem of Transliteration ....................................................ixGlossary of Important Terms...............................................xiPreface ................................................................................ xvAbout the Author .............................................................xvii

Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at andthe Palestinian Muslims.....................................................1The Attributes of the Best People .......................................3

The Example of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa..............5

The Refutation of a False Allegation ..................................7

Disclosure of a Famous Iraqi Journalist.............................8

Recognition for the Services of

Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrullah Khanra ......................10

An Abiding Distinction of Ahmadiyyah

Muslim Jama‘at ...............................................................14

Formidable Dangers Confronting the Islamic World.....15

Examples of Those Being Penalised for Reciting

the Kalimah .....................................................................16

Mentality that Reflects Ignorance ....................................19

Accountability on the Day of the Judgement ..................20

Time for Reflection ...........................................................22

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Abbreviations�

The following abbreviations have been used. Readersare urged to recite the full salutations when reading thebook:

sa sal-lAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, meaning ‘maythe peace and blessings of Allah be uponhim’ is written after the name of the HolyProphet Muhammadsa.

as ‘alaihis salam, meaning ‘may peace be uponhim’ is written after the name of Prophetsother than the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa.

ra radi-Allaho ‘anhu/‘anha/‘anhum, meaning‘may Allah be pleased with him/her/them’ iswritten after the names of the Companionsof the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa or of thePromised Messiahas.

rta rahmatullah ‘alaih, meaning ‘may Allahshower His mercy upon him’ is written afterthe names of deceased pious Muslims whoare not Companions of the Holy ProphetMuhammadsa or of the Promised Messiahas.

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System of Transliteration

�This book uses the system of transliteration adopted bythe Royal Asiatic Society.

at the beginning of a word, pronounced as a, i, u pre-ceded by a very slight aspiration, like h in the English word honour.

th, pronounced like th in the English word thing.

h, a guttural aspirate, stronger than h.

kh, pronounced like the Scotch ch in loch.

dh, pronounced like the English th in that.

s, strongly articulated s.

d, similar to the English th in this.

t, strongly articulated palatal t.

z, strongly articulated z.

‘, a strong guttural sound, the pronunciation of which must be learnt by the ear.

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Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘atand the Palestinian Muslims

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gh, a sound approached very nearly by r in the French grasseye and also the German r. It requires the muscles of the throat to be in the gargling position whilst pro-nouncing it.

q, a deep guttural k sound.

’ , a sort of catch in the voice.

Short vowels are represented by ‘a’ for (like ‘u’ in ‘bud’);‘i’ for (like ‘i’ in bid); ‘u’ for (like ‘oo’ in ‘wood’); thelong vowels by ‘a’ for or (like ‘a’ in ‘father’); ‘i’ for

or (like ‘ee’ in ‘deep’); ‘ai’ for (like ‘i’ in ‘site’);‘u’ for (like ‘oo’ in ‘root’); ‘au’ for, (resembling‘ou’ in ‘sound’).

Please note that in transliterated words the letter ‘e’ is to bepronounced as in ‘prey’ which rhymes with ‘day’; howeverthe pronunciation is flat without the element of Englishdiphthong. If in Urdu and Persian words, letter ‘e’ is length-ened a bit more it is transliterated as ‘ei’, to be pronounced as‘ei’ in ‘feign’ without the element of diphthong; thus istransliterated as ‘Kei’.

The consonants not included in the above list have thesame phonetic value as in the principal languages of Europe.

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Glossary of Important Terms

�Allah—Allah is the personal name of God in Islam. To

show proper reverence to Him, Muslims often addTa‘ala, ‘the Most High’, when saying His Holy name.

Ahmadi Muslim or Ahmadi— A m e m b e r o f t h eAhmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at.

Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at—(Also Ahmadiyyah)The Community of Muslims who accept the claims ofHadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian as thePromised Messiah and Mahdi. The Jama‘at was estab-lished by Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, and is nowled by his fifth Khalifah, Hadrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad[may Allah be his help]

Ahrar—An organisation of Muslims known for its oppo-s i t ion to the c rea t ion o f Pak i s tan an d to theAhmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at.

Fatwa—A legal opinion or ruling issued by an Islamicscholar.

Hadith—A saying of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa.The plural is ahadith.

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Hadrat—A term of respect used for a person of establishedrighteousness and piety.

Hudur—Your Holiness; His Holiness.

Holy Prophetsa—A term used exclusively for HadratMuhammadsa, the Prophet of Islam.

Holy Qur’an—The Book sent by Allah for the guidance ofmankind. It was revealed to the Holy Prophetsa over aperiod of twenty-three years.

Imam—The Arabic word for a leader. The head of theAhmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at is also referred to as theImam.

Insha’Allah—An Arabic term meaning ‘God willing’.

Istighfar—Seeking Allah’s forgiveness.

Jama‘at—Jama‘at means community. In this book, it spe-cifically refers to the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at.

Kalimah Shahadah—The declaration of the Islamic faith:to bear witness that there is none worthy of worshipexcept Allah, that He is One, without any associate, andto bear witness that Muhammadsa is the Servant andMessenger of Allah.

Khalifah—Caliph is derived from the Arabic word khali-fah, which herein means the successor. Khulafa ’ is theplural of khalifah. In Islamic terminology, the title ‘righ-teous khalifah’ is applied to one of the first four khulafa ’

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A Review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”:Qadiyaniyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam

[ xiii ]

who continued the mission of Hadrat Muhammadsa, theHoly Prophet of Islam. Ahmadi Muslims refer to eachsuccessor of the Promised Messiahas as Khalifatul Masih.

Khalifatul Masih II—Hadrat Khalifatul Masih II, MirzaBashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra. He is also calledMusleh-e-Mau‘ud (the Promised Reformer) because hewas born in accordance with the prophecy made by thePromised Messiahas in 1886 regarding the birth of a righ-teous son who would be endowed with special abilities,attributes, and powers.

Khalifatul Masih IV—Hadrat Khalifatul Masih IV, MirzaTahir Ahmadrta (1928–2003) was the fourth successor ofthe Promised Messiahas. He was a grandson of theFounder of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at, HadratMirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiahas.

Mahdi— ‘The guided one’. This is the title given by theHoly Prophetsa to the awaited Reformer of Latter Days.

Maulavi and Mullah—A Muslim religious cleric.

Mufti—A Muslim relgious cleric that interprets theShariah.

Promised Messiah—The Founder of the AhmadiyyahMuslim Jama‘at, Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas ofQadian, India, who made his claim in fulfilment of theprophecies of the Holy Prophetsa regarding the coming ofa Mahdi and Messiah from among the Muslims.

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Rasul—Messenger [of Allah].

Sahib—A term of respect, similar to the diversity ofEnglish terms like mister or sir.

Surah—Arabic word for designating the chapters of theHoly Qur’an.

Tabligh—Preaching, giving the message of Islam andAhmadiyyat.

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In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Preface�

A perfect example of the cruel treatment of theAhmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at by the government ofPakistan is the White Paper. This document, published byt h e g ove r n m e n t o f Pa k i s t a n u n d e r t h e t i t l eQadiyaniyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam, was written insupport of the Federal ordinance dated April 26, 1984.

By publishing the White Paper, this ‘Islamic Republic’has set aside all Islamic values and has done away withmany basic human rights including religious social free-doms of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at. Using the WhitePaper as a crutch, the government of Pakistan claims thebeliefs of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at compel it toimpose restrictions upon the Ahmadi Muslims.

As far as the allegations and accusations made in theWhite Paper are concerned, they are a repetition of thesame baseless allegations and accusations that theAhmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at has responded to in the paston the basis of the Holy Qur’an and the Ahadith.

Since much of our literature is currently being confis-cated by the government of Pakistan, sincere seekers oftruth may have difficulty finding the answers. This series

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of Friday sermons present the response laid out by HadratMirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IVrta, the then Imamof the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at, to these allegations.

This response to the White Paper was first published inUrdu in 1985, and the English translation is now beingpublished for the first time. This sermon was delivered onMarch 15, 1985 at the Fadl Mosque, London, and dealswith the services rendered by the Ahmadiyyah MuslimJama‘at for the Palestinian Muslims.

The translation of this Friday sermon was done byMubashir Ahmad and later revised by Mansur Shah andMatiullah Dard. The translation team headed by MunawarA. Sa‘eed, under the direction of Vakalat-e-Tasnif London,finalized this series of Friday sermons for publication. MayAllah bless them all. Amin.

Please note that in referencing the Holy Qur’an, we havecounted ‘In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful’ asthe first verse of the Chapter in which it appears.

We pray to God that this message will reach all peoplewho have a genuine desire to study these issues. May Allahthe Almighty make this a source of guidance for them.Amin.

Munir-ud-Din ShamsAdditional Vakil-ut-Tasnif

London, UK, April 2006

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About the Author

�HADRAT MIRZA TAHIR AHMADrta was born inQadian, India, in 1928 to Hadrat Mirza Bashir-ud-DinMahmud Ahmadra and Hadrat Maryam Begumra. Hereceived his early schooling in Qadian. After graduatingfrom the Ahmadiyyah Missionary College, Rabwah withdistinction, he obtained an honours degree in Arabic fromPunjab University.

In 1955, he visited England for the first time with hisfather, who suggested that he remain behind to improvehis knowledge of the English language and Europeansocial habits. He secured admission at the School ofOriental and African Studies (SOAS), University ofLondon, where he remained for two and a half years. Bythe end of 1957, Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrta had seenmost of Western Europe. He traveled extensively inEngland, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

The experience that he gained during these yearswould play a crucial role later in his life, when administer-ing his great responsibilities as Khalifatul Masih IV, thefourth Head of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at. He was

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elected to this office in 1982, one day after the demise of hispredecessor, Hadrat Mirza Nasir Ahmadrta.

The anti-Ahmadiyyah ordinance of April 1984, promul-gated by General Zia-ul-Haq, compelled Hadrat MirzaTahir Ahmadrta to leave Pakistan. He decided to migrate toEngland where he established his transitory base in exile.Within a few years, he trained and organised thousands ofvolunteers to help him discharge his global responsibilities.Of all his achievements in England, MTA international isone of the greatest. Through MTA international (MuslimTelevision Ahmadiyyah), numerous training programs aretelevised twenty-four hours a day. His activities sincedeparture from Pakistan helped proliferate and spread theAhmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at to over 150 countries of theworld.

Apart from a religious leader, he was also a homeo-pathic physician, a prolific writer, a gifted poet, and asportsman.

Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrta passed away on April 19,2003 at the age of 74. He is succeeded by Hadrat MirzaMasroor Ahmad (may Allah be his help), the present Headof the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at.

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After reciting tashahhud, ta‘awwudh,and Surah al-Fatihah, Hudurrta recited the followingverses of the Holy Qur’an:1

1. You are the best people raised for the good of mankind; you en-join what is good and forbid evil and believe in Allah. And if thePeople of the Book had believed, it would have surely been bet-ter for them. Some of them are believers, but most of them aredisobedient. (Al-e-‘Imran, 3:111)

They are not all alike. Among the People of the Book there isa party who stand firm by their covenant; they recite the word ofAllah in the hours of night and prostrate themselves before Him.They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and enjoin what is goodand forbid evil, and hasten, vying with one another in goodworks. And these are among the righteous. And whatever goodthey do, they shall not be denied its due reward; and Allah wellknows the God-fearing. (Al-e-‘Imran, 3:114–116)

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[ 2 ]

Hudurrta said:

The verses that I have recited are from Surah Al-e-‘Imran.The first verse is 111 and the other three verses are 114–116.

These verses emphasise the need for doing tabligh tothe People of the Book, while stating in a most beautifuland sagacious manner that if the People of the Book donot accept Islam, then it would be to their own detri-ment. As far as the ser vants of the Holy ProphetMuhammadsa are concerned, they cannot then becharged with neglecting their duty to convey the mes-sage; indeed, they preach in a manner such that theirarguments are clearly established.

What’s more, the Holy Qur’an generally forbids us tocompletely dismiss the People of the Book or to declarethem accursed, as if they had no redeeming qualities. TheHoly Qur’an asserts that it is against the will of Allah theAlmighty to pronounce an entire people accursed, whichwould imply that there were absolutely no good peoplefrom among them. This elucidation of the Holy Qur’angrants hope to those whom the Muslims had deemed (orstill deem) apparently dead. Allah the Almighty can givelife to the dead, so we should never lose hope for these peo-ple, nor should we be negligent of our obligations towardsthem.



[ 3 ]

The Attributes of the Best People

Allah the Almighty says:

Meaning that you are the best people who have been raisedin the world to do good for others. You possess the valuesof enjoining others to goodness, while you continue doinggood. You forbid evil and keep on forbidding it. You believein Allah the Almighty and in Him alone is your trust. Youdo not assume the role of a watchman over others. You areindeed people who have discharged the obligation ofspreading the message, and who put trust in your Lord andHis Powers. Allah the Almighty then states:

…And if the People of the Book had believed, itwould have surely been better for them…

This implies that it is their own fault that they have notbelieved, because as far as the Muslims are concerned, theyhave discharged their obligations fully and they cannot beheld responsible. Now the censure will lie upon those Peo-ple of the Book, who despite the efforts of the Muslims,deprived themselves of the privilege of belief. Allah theAlmighty also states that not all the People of the Book arethe same, and that among them are some who stand firmby their covenant, recite the Word of Allah the Almighty in

. . .

. . . . . .



[ 4 ]

the hours of night, and prostrate themselves before Him.They believe in Allah the Almighty and the Last Day, andenjoin what is good and forbid evil, and hasten, vying withone another in good works. Indeed, these are among therighteous. Whatever good they do, they shall not be deniedits due reward as Allah the Almighty is well aware of theGod-fearing.

You will not find any book in the world that contains averse like this that critiques opponents—extreme oppo-nents at that—in this manner, while acknowledging theirgood qualities in a style so beautiful that it is astonishing. Itcompels one to concede that such a book cannot be fromanyone but Allah the Almighty. Not even mentioning otherverses, we could present just this single verse as a challengeto all the religions of the world. Let them match it with averse of similar courage and greatness from their books.The message of God Almighty has been revealed before.However, it was not revealed to the perfect man [before] inthe mat te r i t was re vea led to the Holy ProphetMuhammadsa. While this message testifies to its being ofDivine origin, it is also a testimony to the exalted status ofthe Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. The word revealed to himpossessed the same grandeur and compassion which per-meated his heart. Today, those associated with the HolyProphet Muhammadsa rebuke us for taking the message ofIslam to the Jews. They think that since we could not evenrefrain ourselves from spreading the message in Israel, we



[ 5 ]

must surely be Israeli agents. How foolish! They do nothave any knowledge of the Holy Qur’an, nor do they haveany knowledge of the ways of the Holy ProphetMuhammadsa. If they did, they would not fabricate sucherroneous and ignorant slander. The Holy Qur’an arguesthat Muslims are the best ummah because they do notdeprive any people from the blessed message of Islam. Thisgrace is so wide spread that it is conveyed to the enemies aswell. Then, if the enemies are still not guided by it, theresponsibility lies with them rather than on the Muslims.

The Example of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa

We have the example of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa toserve as a model. Husain bin Salamra, the first Jew to con-vert to Islam—whom the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa laternamed as ‘Abdullah bin Salamra—became a Muslimthrough the personal preaching of the Holy ProphetMuhammadsa. Afterwards, when the Holy ProphetMuhammadsa sent the message to others through him, theHoly Prophet Muhammadsa gathered other Jews andpreached to them as well. There is not a single incident inthe life of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa where he forbadesomeone from preaching to the Jews or he himselfrefrained from preaching to the Jews. Likewise, there is nota s ing le incident in the l i fe of the Holy ProphetMuhammadsa where he forbade good treatment of the



[ 6 ]

Jews, or where he himself refrained from treating themwell. Once, a Jewish child lay dying. His Jewish mother senta message to the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa regarding thecondition of the child. She said that the child was on hisdeathbed and wished to see him. The Holy ProphetMuhammadsa got up at once to visit the child. As the childlay dying, the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa asked him,‘Would it not be better to die as a Muslim?’ The child said,‘Yes, O Prophet of God. It would indeed be better for me.’Thus, he passed away as a Muslim. This is the example ofthe Holy Prophet Muhammadsa to which we adhere. How-ever, our opponents endeavor to stop us from doing so.

In another incident, a funeral procession was passingby, and the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa stood up out ofrespect. Suddenly, others around him started calling, ‘OProphet of God, this funeral procession is for a Jewishwoman.’ According to one hadith, the Holy ProphetMuhammadsa said, ‘Did she not have a life before herdeath?’ Then, he expressed other sentiments regardinghuman dignity. He said that we are all equal in grief. TheHoly Prophet Muhammadsa stood up and honoured theJewish woman’s funeral. But today, people who preachhatred and make agonising accusations about the exampleof the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, ask us how we can fol-low the example of Muhammadsa instead of following theirmodel. I want them to know that we will not follow theirexample at any cost. For us, there has always been and there



[ 7 ]

always will be one exemplary model, and that is the modelof our master, the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. We havebased our lives on following this model, and we shall con-tinue doing so. We are prepared to give our lives to upholdit, insha’Allah.

The Refutation of a False Allegation

The allegation that Ahmadis are (God forbid) agents of theJews, and that they work for the benefit of the Jews, is com-pletely false and baseless. If we reflect on the facts, a com-pletely contrary picture emerges. Before the United NationsGeneral Assembly made the oppressive decision to dividePalestine, who warned and cautioned the Muslim world—creating a commotion in the Arab and non-Arab countriesalike? That passionate warning came from Hadrat Khali-fatul Masih IIra. He wrote a heart-rendering pamphlet andpublished it in abundance. It warned Muslims not tonaively portray the West as their enemy and the East astheir ally; or the vice versa, the East as their enemy and theWest as their ally. He cautioned them that neither theUnited States nor the Soviet Union were their friends. Bothmutually conspired against Islam. They have forgottentheir animosity towards each other and have togetherdirected their animosity towards Islam. Does the Islamicworld have any sense of honour? Do they not possess the



[ 8 ]

love for Islam that would allow them to forget their ani-mosity towards each other and unite?

This address was reasoned so well that it resonated inthe Arab world for a long time. Afterwards, when the UN’scruel decision was made, Khalifatul Masih II—HadratMirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra—wrote anotherarticle that was also published in abundance. This articleshed light on the possible steps that Muslims should take inthe aftermath of the UN decision that would help themregain what they had lost. The details of the condition ofthe Arab world at the time, and how thankful the Arabswere to the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at is a long story.However, I shall read out one excerpt, which not only dis-plays the thoughts of the Arab world, but also cites thereaction of the Colonial powers demonstrating the signifi-cance placed on the voice of Khalifatul Masih IIra.

Disclosure of a Famous Iraqi Journalist

A well known and esteemed Iraqi journalist, ‘Ali al-KhayyatAfandi, who published a respected newspaper called al-Añ ba’, wrote a detailed article from which I will read anexcerpt. He writes:

These foreign governments are always trying to gen-erate hatred by creating slogans among Muslims thatcreate division. Certain sects rise to declare Ahmadisinfidels and to slate them. I have full knowledge that



[ 9 ]

in reality, all such activity is being perpetrated by theColonial powers, because during the last Palestinianwar in 1948, the Colonial powers approached me tosee if I could be an instrument in this matter.

In those days, I was the editor of a satirical journalthat was critical of the government. At the time, aresponsible representative of some foreign govern-ment residing in Baghdad invited me to a meeting. Toflatter me, he praised my satirical style and suggestedthat I target the Qadiani Community in a hurtfulnature, because this Community was outside the paleof Islam.

It is interesting that a Colonial power was so concernedwith Islam that it summoned an editor in an attempt toencourage him to criticise a community, because it wasexcluded from Islam.

He continues to write:

This was in 1948 when part of the Holy Land was cutoff and handed over to the Zionist government, andthe state of Israel was created. I believe that the mea-sure the diplomat took was in response to the twotracts published by the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘atduring the year of the partition of Palestine. One ofthe tracts was entitled The United Nations and theDecision to Divide Palestine, in which the conspiraciesof the western Colonial powers and the Zionists,regarding their plans to hand over the Palestinianports to the Jews, were disclosed. The second tractpublished was entitled Al-Kufro Millatuñ Wahidah



[ 10 ]

(All Disbelievers Are in One Group), and it calledupon the Muslims to maintain complete unity andaccord. This is an incident that I personally experi-enced. I am fully convinced that as long as Ahmadiscontinue to promote unity amongst the Muslimcommunity—to facilitate the end of the Israeli statecreated by Colonial powers—the Colonial powerswill leave no stone unturned in persuading certainpeople and sects to continue spreading this kind ofhatred and condemnation of Ahmadis to prevent theMuslims from being united. (al-Añ ba’, Baghdad,September 21, 1954)

In short, these two publications of Hadrat Musleh-e-Ma‘udra made such an astonishing impact that the greatColonial powers were shaken. Their embassies receiveddirectives to befriend and bribe newspapers, and to start acampaign against Ahmadis with whatever means theycould.

Recognition for the Services of Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrullah Khanra

There was an allegation regarding Chaudhry MuhammadZafrullah Khanra that he made speeches against the interestof Palestine and supposedly, the consequence was that Pal-estinian interests were sabotaged. This is utter shameless-ness. Is it not a ludicrous notion that the entire Arab worldis unaware of these actions, yet the Pakistani mullahs know?



[ 11 ]

The Arabs did not come to know of this, but the Ahrars ofPakistan came to know? For whose objectives didChaudhry Muhammad Zafrullah Khanra work day andnight, wearing himself out as he mustered all of his God-given abilities? Yet, Jama‘at-e-Islami and the government ofPakistan has found out the truth?

The Arab world not only knew about the services ofChaudhry Zafrullah Khanra during that time, but eventoday when the opposition to Ahmadiyyat is at its height,they still remember those services. To this day, there aresome honest individuals who are not afraid of acknowledg-ing them. Hear it from the Arabs. Writing an article to thejournal al-‘Arabi, in the issue dated June 1983, ‘AbdulHamid al-Katib writes:

Muhammad Zafrullah Khan is the only person whoproved to be valiant in the defence of the Palestiniancause. He put to use all of his God-given powers andtested all avenues of his faculties—be it his splendidoration or his great political and legal competence—in the defence of the rights of the Palestinian cause.His work was in complete unison with the true spiritof Islam.

When the Palestinian dispute was still fresh, and ChaudhryZafrullah Khanra was engaged in a struggle of historicalproportions, the Arab League made an odious attempt toexpel him from the world of Islam and thus deprive theIslamic world of his services. On the suggestion of King



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Farooq, the well known agent of the Colonial powers whowas later over-thrown, the mufti of Palestine issued alengthy fatwa against Chaudhry Zafrullah Khanra andAhmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at in an attempt to deprive theIslamic world of their glorious champion. When the fatwawas first published, the memory of the services ofChaudhry Zafrullah Khanra was still fresh in people’sminds, and the secretary of the Arab League, General‘Abdur Rahman A‘zam Pasha, published a response to thejournal that published the fatwa. He writes:

I am shocked that you consider the opinion of themufti about the Qadianis and the Foreign Minister ofPakistan, Chaudhry Zafrullah Khan, as a valid reli-gious fatwa.

He continues:

If this fatwa is accepted then the tenets, honour, andfuture of mankind is at the mercy of the opinions of aminority from amongst the scholars.

He continues further:

We certainly know that Zafrullah Khan is a Muslimby word and deed. He has been successful indefending the honour of Islam in all parts of theworld. He always gave priority to fight on behalf ofwhatever plan was adopted in the defence of Islam.That is why the masses deeply respect him, and thehearts of Muslims worldwide are brim with feelings



[ 13 ]

of gratitude for him. (al-Bushra, December 1953 vol.13, p. 115–116)

Do these Muslims not live in Pakistan? Have they forgottenthe time when the part of the world, where the light ofIslam sprung forth, was loudly proclaiming that Muslimsare grateful to Chaudhry Zafrullah Khanra for the servicesthat he rendered to Islam and for the benefits received bythe Muslims of the world? Under the title of: ‘O Infidel,May God Grant Eminence to Your Name’, another newspa-per, al-Misri, writes in its June 26, 1952 edition:

The mufti has declared Zafrullah Khan to be an infi-del and faithless. Come, let us all send a collective sal-utation of peace to Chaudhry Muhammad ZafrullahKhan. Bravo to the infidel, Zafrullah Khan! We needtens of big infidels like him.

Another Egyptian newspaper, Azzaman, writes in its June25, 1952 edition:

I have been deeply distressed by this fatwa, becauseChaudhry Zafrullah Khan has given a great service tothe Islamic world on the whole and Egypt in particu-lar. The world of Islam is grateful to him for his glori-ous service.

The newspaper al-Yaum writes on July 26, 1952:

If a person who confronts the great Colonial powerswith strength, eloquence, and authenticity, and Allahthe Almighty puts the honest truth in his heart and



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speech can be declared as infidel, the majority of peo-ple should wish to be infidels like him.

The newspaper Beirut al-Masa’ writes:

There is a distinct difference between Sheikh Makhlufand Zafrullah Khan. Sheikh Makhluf does not prac-tice his Muslim beliefs except to cause discord, andcontrary to this, Zafrullah Khan is a good practisingMuslim. Allah the Almighty mentions belief andgood deeds jointly in the verses of the Holy Qur’an.How unwise it is to declare Muslims as infidels,despite both their good faith and good deeds. (asquoted in al-Fadl, Lahore, July 10, 1952)

An Abiding Distinction of Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at

It was a time when the Islamic world faced a crisis. Con-tinuing with the Ahmadi tradition, the AhmadiyyahMuslim Jama‘at responded to the dangers threatening theworld of Islam. Whenever Islam or the Islamic world facesdanger, the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at and its khulafa ’always have (with the grace of Allah the Almighty) had theoutstanding capacity and distinctive honour of being theforemost to draw attention to these dangers. TheAhmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at rendered its services in accor-dance with the wishes of their khulafa ’. However, theAhmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘at has been penalised for thisfrom all sides. Not only have the Colonial and anti-Islamic



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powers set out to punish the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama‘atfor maintaining their freedom of conscience, but they alsoattempt to utilise Muslims to carry out their objectivesinternally. The Islamic world did not just face these dangersfrom the outside, but also from within. Externally, theanti-Islamic powers created dangers for Islam, and inter-nally, they utilised those who have always been agents ofColonialism.

Formidable Dangers Confronting the Islamic World

A similar situation exists today where the world of Islamfaces danger; however, it is a danger so formidably oppres-sive that throughout its history, Islam has never faced sucha threat. Today, this threat is neither from the Soviet Union,the United States, the Buddhist powers, nor from the Colo-nial powers. It is neither from the East nor from the West.Today, the danger to Islam is from a government thatclaims to be Muslim—a government that rose to powerwith promises of upholding the dignity and honour ofIslam. However after having used this objective for itsneeds, it imposed itself over the people of Pakistan. Thisdanger is such that the Islamic world has never confronteda greater danger.

History presents several non-Muslim attempts to oblit-erate the belief in the Unity of God. The most dreadfulattempt of all was made during the life of the Holy Prophet



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Muhammadsa. However, even those Muslims could notconceive that a time would come when those associatedwith Islam would attempt to obliterate the kalimah withtheir own hands. No Muslim could have even remotelyimagined this. Today, this dubious honour goes to thetyrannical government of Pakistan. A new dreadful and ter-rifyingly bloody history is being written. A new concept forthe defence and service of Islam is being presented: toattack the very basis of Islam, assault the affirmation ofGod’s Unity, and to assault the affirmation of the belief inthe prophethood of Muhammadsa. This government hasdeclared that if Ahmadis do not deter from respecting thekalimah that bears the Unity of God and belief in prophet-hood of Muhammadsa, and if they do not stop affirming it,then they will be severely punished. This is the worstassault against Islam, and it is rising from the soil of a self-proclaimed ‘Islamic’ country. It has tainted the atmosphereand created an ugliness in the world.

Examples of Those Being Penalised for Reciting the Kalimah

I will present an example of the method in which theseactivities are being carried out. A young Ahmadi, who wasarrested for the crime of writing the kalimah, documentshis experiences and explains how the workers of the tyran-nical government of Pakistan are ‘serving’ Islam. He writes:



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At the time of my arrest, the policeman started beat-ing me. Another policeman joined him, and theywere both slapping and punching me. Then, I wastaken to a shop, which had been converted into apolice station, where I was laid in a wooden box andbeaten. I continued to recite the kalimah throughout.I was then taken to the police station in BaghbanPurah on a horse carriage. Along the way, I was alsoslapped and punched as I would recite:2

Upon reaching the Baghban Purah station in Gujran-wala, one policeman said, ‘Lay him down and beathim up.’ I was told to lie down, but I did not. Two orthree men came forward. One grabbed my hair,another twisted my arm, and the third pulled my legs.In this way, they threw me onto the floor. Anotherpoliceman holding a whip, whipped me several times.At each whiplash I would recite the kalimah aloudand they would say, ‘You are from among the infi-dels.’ They would strike me again saying, ‘We will getthe kalimah out of your system, you great devotee ofthe kalimah!’ Afterwards, when their desire to serveIslam was not quite satisfied, one policeman thoughtof serving Islam in a better way, and he ordered that

2. O our Lord, pour forth steadfastness upon us, and make oursteps firm, and help us against the disbelieving people. (al-Baqarah, 2:251)

. . .



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my trousers be removed. A struggle to get them offensued. Five or six policemen succeeded in removingmy trousers. They hung me upside down and startedstriking me on my bare back. God Almighty stillgranted me the ability to utter the kalimah. Next afew more policemen gathered and inquired, ‘Tell usabout your Mirza? Where was he born, and where didhe die?’ They were abusing me in the most vile man-ner possible. They uttered vulgarities at the PromisedMessiahas. This verbal abuse carried on for half anhour or so, but I kept on saying Istighfar. Apart frommy back, they whipped my head and my shouldersfor a countless number of times.

Is this the concept of ‘serving’ Islam and the kalimah inPakistan? Does this not remind you of the scorching desertsof Arabia where Hadrat Bilalra was dragged for this verycrime? Smoldering pieces from a furnace were placed onthe chest of those who uttered the kalimah. A bed of burn-ing coal was placed on the ground beneath them. The ooz-ing fluid from the resulting blisters would extinguish thecinders. In Pakistan today, events comparable to the excru-ciating attempts to obliterate the kalimah in the past arebeing repeated. The horrific irony is that it is the workers ofa ‘Muslim’ country who do it today. None could be happierthan Satan, for today he is making those who associatethemselves with the name of Muhammadsa repeat actionsthat the worst enemies of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa

once perpetrated.



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Mentality that Reflects Ignorance

When they are asked if they have lost all sense, they comeup with lengthy arguments. They say: ‘You Ahmadis areimpure people. When you utter the kalimah or hold it closeto your heart, it dishonours the kalimah, and we cannottolerate this type of disrespect.’ Astonishing! The kalimahexists to cleanse the impure, and that is precisely why it wasrevealed, so that it may purify the wicked. If Ahmadis areimpure, then be happy that the kalimah is purifying them.This is the kalimah of Muhammadsa. This is the kalimah ofthe One and Only God. It is the kalimah of that purifiedperson, the like of whom has never been born. For centu-ries this kalimah purified those who were impure. This isnot the kalimah of some mullah that can be polluted. It isnot the kalimah of a ruling tyrant that turns the pious intothe wicked. If according to them the Ahmadiyyah MuslimJama‘at is impure, then bear in mind that this ‘impure’Jama ‘at only desires this kalimah , the kalimah ofMuhammadsa, and the kalimah of the One and Only God.We do not care about any man made kalimah.

The other objection they raise is that this kalimah is notreally in the hearts of the Ahmadis. They allege thatwhereas Ahmadis utter the kalimah, ‘Muhammad is theMessenger of God,’ in their hearts they say, ‘Ahmad is theMessenger of God,’ suggesting that Mirza Ghulam AhmadQadiani is the Messenger of God. Amazing ignorance!



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What is even more astonishing is that if they are attemptingto snatch away the kalimah from us, then they are pretend-ing to have Divine power and superiority to the HolyProphet Muhammadsa. Throughout the life of the HolyProphet Muhammadsa, we do not come across a singleevent where he censured a person for reciting the kalimahor said that someone was being dishonest and had some-thing else in his heart. On the contrary, even regarding thepeople about whom God had informed3:

Meaning their hearts have not even a touch of faith, andfaith has not even entered their hearts.

The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa did not say to a singleone of them that the kalimah in their hearts was differentthan the kalimah that they uttered. There are numeroussuch incidents that one marvels at the greatness, glory, andcourage of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, and his altruis-tic heart.

Accountability on the Day of the Judgement

There is one incident from the history of Islam whereUsamah bin Zaidra killed a man in an altercation, whoused to repeatedly attack Muslims. Just when Usamah bin

3. (al-Hujrat, 49:15)

. . . . . .



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Zaidra was about to kill him, the man recited the kalimah.Usamahra killed the man despite this. Usamah bin Zaidra

relates:

When I mentioned this incident to the HolyProphetsa, he asked, ‘Did you kill him even though hesaid la ilaha illAllah [there is none worthy of worshipexcept Allah]?’ I explained that he had only done sofearing my weapon. The Holy Prophetsa said, ‘Didyou tear open his heart to see what it truly says ordoes not say?’ The Holy Prophetsa repeated this ques-tion over and over again: did you tear his heart openand look inside of it. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Iman)

Another hadith relates that he said:

Why did you not open his heart to see if the kalimahwas in it or not?

The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa never himself claimed toknow what is in the heart of others. He never claimed toknow whether someone believes in the kalimah or not, nordid he allow his followers to do so. The mullah of today iscontradicting this example, and therefore claiming to bethe Knower of the Seen and the Unseen and assuming arank higher than that of the Prophetsa of Islam and hisCompanionsra.

In another narration of this hadith the words areslightly different. It relates that when Hadrat Usamah binZaidra admitted, ‘O Prophet of God, he said the kalimah



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only fearing my sword.’ The reply came, ‘He read la ilahaillAllah4 and you still killed him. When la ilaha illAllah willbear witness against you on the Day of Judgment, how willyou answer?’ Hadrat Usamahra replied, ‘O Prophet of God,seek forgiveness for me,’ to which the Holy ProphetMuhammadsa said once again, ‘When la ilaha illAllah bearswitness against you on the Day of Judgment, how will youanswer?’ Hadrat Usamahra relates that the Holy ProphetMuhammadsa would say nothing apart from this. Herepeated, ‘When la ilaha illAllah bears witness against youon the Day of Judgment, how will you answer?’

Time for Reflection

This is the current situation that is unfolding in Pakistan.Just as I mentioned before, a tyrannical government isimposing its rule in the name of Islam. It attacks the foun-dation of Islam at the very core, while the Islamic world isasleep. The two magazines that I mentioned earlier wereprinted at the time when Palestine was in danger, and con-sequently, Mecca and Medina were in danger. At that time,Hadrat Khalifatul Masih IIra addressed the Islamic world insimple and clear words saying:

4. The first half of the creed of Islam, meaning, ‘There is none wor-thy of worship except Allah.’



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The question is not of Palestine, but of Medina. Thequestion is not of Jerusalem, but of Mecca itself. Thequestion is not of Zaid and Bakr, but is of the honourof Muhammadsa. Despite their internal disagree-ments, the enemy has united against Islam. Will notthe Muslims, in view of thousands of reasons forunity, come together on this occasion? (al-Kufro Mill-atuñ Wahidah as it appears in: al-Fadl, May 21, 1948)

Now that this foul attack has been made on the kalimah, Icall on the Islamic world and say that today it is neither aquestion of Palestine nor Jerusalem, and it is not a questionof Mecca either. It is a question of the honour and glory ofthe One and Only God in Whose name these cities of clayfound greatness and in Whose great name the edifices ofbricks and mortar were sanctified. His Unity is beingattacked. Today, it is not a question of Mecca and Medina.Today, it is a question of the honour and dignity of ourmaster, the master of Mecca and Medina. Today, the ques-tion is whether the Muslims have any sense of honour leftin them at all. Do they not tremble when they see the handsof fellow Muslims rise to erase the kalimah?

Outrage upon outrage! When no Muslim is willing todo this job, the tyrannical government of Pakistan usesanti-Islamic Christians, and when no decent citizen isavailable, convicts are fetched from prisons to erase thekalimah that declares: ‘There is none worthy of worshipexcept Allah; Muhammad is a Messenger of Allah.’ The



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foul movement that is coming into existence today is theinnovation of President General Zia-ul-Haq. He isresponsible for it in this world, just as he will be responsi-ble for it on the Day of Judgment. No worldly force will beable to save him and no religious power; because today, hehas assaulted the honour and glory of God. Today, he hasassaulted the sanctity of the holy name of Muhammadsa.

Ahmadis are ready. They are prepared to sacrificeeverything they own in the defence of the kalimah andwill not retreat, not even one inch. But the questionremains: Why does the world of Islam deprive itself of thisprivilege? I say: O world of Islam! Do you not have even atiny spark of compassion for Islam? Do you not have anysense of honour for it and love for the Unity of God left inyou? I invite you towards the Unity shared by the entireworld of Islam. There is one soul of the world of Islam.There is no conflict and no doubt about it. The Shi‘asassociate with the kalimah just as the Sunnis. Ahmadisassociate with it too, just as the Wahhabis and other sects.The kalimah is the soul of Islam, but today this soul isunder attack. I call you in the name of the Cave of Hirafrom where the voice of truth once emanated with suchglory that it shook this very earth. I call you in the nameof the Hadrat Bilalra of Africa, so that you come and learna lesson from a slave who forsook all of his comforts forthe defence of the kalimah. He endured pain of such a



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magnitude that even today, the mere thought of it makesone’s hair creep.

O Muslims, If you come and join the Ahmadis in thisnoble cause, I give you the glad tidings that you would liveforever, and no force on this earth will annihilate you. Youwill be rewarded on this earth and you shall be rewarded inthe heavens. The blessings of Allah the Almighty will alwaysbe showered on your homes. However, if you do notrespond to this call, then there would be no greater crimi-nal than you. Would you—after associat ing withMuhammadsa and after having affirmed the Unity ofGod—sit around comfortably when the holy name ofMuhammadsa and the Unity of God are being assaulted? Ifyou do not pay any attention except for the sake of yourpolitical interests and your political motives, then thisheaven and this earth will neither send blessings on you,nor will your name ever be remembered with respect.


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