halloween harmless or harmful fun ?

8/12/2019 Halloween Harmless Or Harmful Fun ?

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Climate Change or a ime of Reckoning?8

Godin Islam34

Life & Character ofthe Seal of Prophets22

Te Philosophy of the eachings of Islam12

VOL. 106 - ISSUE TENOCTOBER 2011

HALLOWEENHARMLESS OR HARMFUL

FUN?


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The Holy ProphetMuhammad (saw) prophesiedthat the Promised Messiah (as) would be raised near awhite minaret, east ofDamascus. This prophecy

was ful lled with the adventof the Promised Messiah (as)

from Qadian, India, a citydirectly east of Damascus.

Te Promised Messiah

Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), the PromisedMessiah and Mahdi was born to a noble family inQadian, India. From an early age he had a keen inter-est in religion and developed a love for the Holy ProphetMuhammad (saw). He was also known for his honesty,friendliness and resolve. Over time his knowledge andunderstanding of religion and its application to societydeepened. Being a Muslim it was his rm belief that allreligions were true at their source but with the passageof time had drifted away from their original teachings;he upheld the dignity of religion and demonstrated itsrelevance to everyone.

His earnest defence of religion was ultimately blessed when he started to receive direct revelation from Allah a blessing that he continued for the rest of his life.

His mission was to revitalise the truth that all religionsheld within them and to revive the teachings of Islam. It

was through this that he would bring mankind togetherand establish everlasting peace.

In 1889, under Divine Guidance, Hadhrat Ahmad (as) founded the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community acommunity that has since grown in its stature andstrength and has remained active in conveying themessage of Islam to the ends of the earth.

Hadhrat Ahmad(as) had established himself as a respected writer and had written over 80 books. His writingshave been translated into more than 60 languages andcontinue to inspire readers to this day. One of his greatestscholarly works wasTe Philosophy of the eachings of

Islam, prepared as a paper and read out at the Conferenceof Great Religions in 1896.

He also wrote a fascinating treatise in 1899 entitled Jesusin India , a book that uncovered remarkable evidenceof Jesus(as)s journey to India. In 1902 the PromisedMessiah(as) initiated Te Review of Religions which hascovered a vast array of topics on religion, philosophyand contemporary issues of the day. It is the longestrunning English magazine in defence of Islam and the values it teaches.

From 1889 until the time of his demise in 1908 tensof thousands of people accepted him. Tis blessinghas continued and will continue through his Khalifas(successors).

Currently under the fth successor, we are seeing thatthe tide of acceptance is worldwide and that the messageof Prophet Ahmad(as) has really reached the ends of theearth.

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Say, He is Allah, the One!Allah, the eternallyBesought of all! He neitherbegets nor was begotten.And there is nonecomparable unto Him.

ISLAM, HE HOLYQURAN, CH.112

Jabir narrates that he heardthe Holy Prophet(saw)state:

Te most excellent wayof remembering Allah isto proclaim. Tere is noone worthy of worshipexcept Allah. And the bestsupplication is to profess.All praise belongs to Allah.ISLAM, HE HOLYPROPHE SAW, IRMIDHI

Te Unity of God is alight which illuminesthe heart only after thenegation of all deities,

whether they belong to theinner world or the outer

world. It permeates everyparticle of mans being.ISLAM AHMADIYYA , HEPROMISED MESSIAH AND IMAM MAHDIAS,HAQIQA UL WAHI, P.148 INRUHANI KHAZAIN VOL.22

Hear O Israel, the Lordour God, the Lord is One. JUDAISM AND CHRIS IANI Y,BIBLE, DEU ERONOMY 6:4

He is the one God, hiddenin all beings, all-pervading,the Self within all beings,

watching over all works,dwelling in all beings, the

witness, the perceiver, the

only one, free from qualities.HINDUISM, SVE ASVA ARAUPANISHAD 6:11

He is the Sole Supreme

Being; of eternalmanifestation; Creator,Immanent Reality;

Without Fear, WithoutRancorSIKHISM, ADI GRAN H, JAPUJI, P.1: HE MUL MAN RA

Godis One

WORLD FAITHS


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6 EditorialPlay a Part inTe Review of Religions AMER SAFIR, UK

8 Notes & CommentsNatural Disasters ClimateChange or a ime of Reckoning?HIBBA TURRAUF, UK

12 Te Philosophy of the

eachings of Islam Part 10Continuing the serialisation ofthe acclaimed and profound essaybased solely on the Holy Quran.

Tis section looks at what is reallymeant by the drinks of ginger andcamphor alluded to in the QuranHADHRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD (AS) ,

THE PROMISED MESSIAH AND MAHDI

22 Te Life & Character of theSeal of the Prophets(saw) Part 11After the Prophet Muhammad(saw),Hadhrat Umar(ra) was the secondKhalifa of Islam. Tis is the story ofhis conversion. Also how HadhratHamzah(ra), the powerful leader,decided to become a MuslimHADHRAT MIRZA BASHIR AHMAD (RA)

34 From the Archives:God in IslamIn Islam, God is believed to beOne, Unique and All-Powerful.Muslims attribute to God whatothers attribute to men and otherbeings, and therefore he can

comprehend Gods existence better.MUBARAK AHMAD FUELLING

12 22

CON EN S


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46 Halloween Harmless orHarmful Fun?Halloween is associated withpumpkins, scary costumes andtrick or treating. Behind theinnocent fun, however, is thereality and history of the darkerside of sorcery, occultist rituals andspiritism, still practiced today.NAVIDA SAYED, UK

64 Calendar of ReligiousEvents and FestivalsOctober 2011

MANAGEMEN BOARDMunir-ud-din Shams (Chairman)Syed Amer Sar (Secretary)Ataul Mujeeb RashedNaseer Ahmad QamarMubarak Ahmad Zafar

Aziz Ahmad BilalAbid Waheed Ahmad KhanAbdul Baqi Arshad

CHIEF EDI OR & MANAGER Syed Amer Sar

EDI ORIAL BOARDBockarie ommy Kallon, Fazal Ahmad,Hibba urrauf, Mansoor Saqi,

Munazza Khan, Nakasha Ahmad,Sarah Waseem

PROOFREADERSAbdul Ghany Jahangeer Khan,Farhana Dar, Munavara Ghauri

DIS RIBU IONMuhammad Hanif

DESIGN AND LAYOUAhsan Khan

SPECIAL CON RIBU ORSArif Khan, Maleeha Ahmad,Khullat Munir, Mansoor Clarke,Sami Ullah, Shehzad Ahmad

PUBLISHER Al Shirkatul Islamiyyah Ltd.

Views expressed in this publicationare not necessarily the beliefs of theAhmadiyya Muslim community.

All correspondence should beforwarded to the Editor at:

Te Review of Religions ahir House, 22 Deer Park Road

London, SW19 3 L, United Kingdom elephone: + 44 20 8544 7614Fax: + 44 20 3044 [email protected] www.reviewofreligions.org

34

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2 logos were shortlisted. From January2011 until August 2011 Logo A (seeabove) was used. Since September 2011Logo B was used and will continueuntil the end of this year. Which ofthe 2 logos do you like best and why?

New Look and New ArticlesFrom January this year signicantchanges toTe Review of Religions have occurred. We started printing

in full-colour for the rst time sinceits launch in 1902. We have alsoconsiderably changed the layout andstyle of the magazine by using morephotos, incorporating a colour schemefor each edition, changing the fontstyle throughout and improving thepaper quality. We have also tried to widen our scope of writers and includemore articles relevant to the eventsand religious festivals occurring during

the month of publication. Hence, wefeatured an article on Muharram in January, an article on Easter in April,in this October edition our mainarticle is on Halloween and in ournext edition we will feature an articleon Hajj to coincide with its start.

New eamMany new faces joinedTe Review ofReligionsstaff over the past year, whilst

others have been with us for over 10-15 years. From the compilation of articlesto reviewing and editing, proofreading,design and typesetting, distribution anddespatch worldwide, administration, webdevelopment, our coordinators in variouscountries and the Management Board,all team members, both old and newhave been working with great dedicationto ensure the best quality for our readers.

Please do provide us feedback regarding our new design, logo and also articles.Email us at [email protected] or [email protected] with your comments.

Logo A:Using an all-caps News Gothic stylebold sans typeface, its roots canbe traced back to the 1900s whenthe Review was established.

Logo B: A twentieth century modern typeface,Melior is based on the squared-offcircle known as the super-ellipse.The result, a modernised classic.

OC OBER 2011 | HE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 7


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Te Promised Messiah (as) and Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, HadhratMirza Ghulam Ahmad, said over 100 yearsago:

Remember, God has informed me of manyearthquakes. Rest assured, therefore, thatas earthquakes have shaken America andEurope, so will they shake Asia. (HaqiqatulWahi, pp.256-57)

the world shall know for certain thatthey are in fact signs from God which haveappeared in support of His servant, thePromised Messiah.( Essence of Islam Vol. V, p.142)

Natural disasters have been occurring sincetime immemorial; however their intensity,

frequency and severity have increasedover the last 100 years. Tis year, oods inAustralia and Pakistan, earthquakes in New

Zealand, tsunami in Japan and the recentHurricane Irene to hit the Caribbean,United States East Coast and AtlanticCanada, have all left extensive damage in

their wake. An analysis by UNEP/GRID- Arendal shows an exponential increase inthe numbers of natural disasters from 1900to 2000.1 According to a report issued bythe International Development Ministry,major disasters like the Japanese earthquakeand tsunami or Pakistans oods are likelyto increase. Scientists believe recent naturaldisasters were not an aberration, but thebeginnings of a new kind of future in

which mega-disasters are going to be morefrequent. Te scale, frequency and severityof rapid onset humanitarian disasters willcontinue to grow in the coming years, andat an accelerating pace, says Paddy Ashdown

a member of the British House of Lords.2

Why are scientists predicting this huge rise

Natural Disasters -Climate Change or a ime of Reckoning?

Hibba urrauf, UK

8 HE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | OC OBER 2011


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in mega-disasters, and why has there beensuch a dramatic increase in natural disastersover the last 100 years?

Scientists dont really have an answer, withmost blaming global warming, climatechange and consumerism. Te giant reinsurer,Munich Re, explained: Te high numberof weather-related natural catastrophesand record temperatures both globally andin different regions of the world providefurther indications of advancing climatechange.3 But scientists and climate changeexperts negate this view. Sapir, Director of theCRED said for example: It is not clear thatclimate change itself is an important factor.4

Earthquakes are not linked to climate change,so what explanation could be given for thesharp rise in their occurrence? Earthquakes

made up 60 percent of the natural disastersfrom 2000 to 2009.5 he governor for

okyo, Shintaro Ishihara was quoted as

saying the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan was divine punishment for excessiveconsumerism. Similarly, the rightwingFox News radio talk show host and V

presenter Glenn Beck said the earthquakecould be a message from God. Obviousfrom such statements is that even in thiscontemporary and secular world, the questionof a supernatural, divine force causing thesedoes arise.

All religions, especially Islam, Judaismand Christianity believe it to be a form ofdivine act , that is, God showing His wrath.Both the laws of nature/climate changes (asscientists posit) and divine wrath are causes.Natural disasters caused by climate changesor the laws of nature happen unexpectedly,in accordance with existing climatic

conditions, whereas a disaster that occursas divine punishment has been foretold tous in detail. Chapter 71 of the Holy Quran

Trends in natural disasters.(2005). In UNEP/GRID-

Arendal Maps and GraphicsLibrary. Retrieved October3, 2011 from http://maps.

grida.no/go/graphic/ trends-in-natural-disasters.



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worshipping its true God and has becomelost in the affairs of the worldBut with mycoming the secret purposes of an affrontedGod which were hidden so far, became

manifest.(Haqiqatul Wahi,pp.256-57)

Being informed by God, he foretold thatnatural disasters would take place as a signof his advent. His warning was an act ofmercy, so we recognise our Creator, accepthis Chosen Messiah and hence not fall underHis wrath. His bookHaqiqatul Wahi Essenceof Islam, Vol. V explains this further. Te

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has beenpropagating this true message of Islam toconvince mankind to recognise its Creatorand accept the Messiah of Muhammad (saw) thereby saving it from Gods wrath and also

warning mankind of the consequences if theydo not. Resources of the Community suchas Muslim elevision Ahmadiyya (M A)

International, Te Review of Religions,itsthousands of missionaries etc. are all helpingto further the message of the PromisedMessiah: to bring man closer to God and

to discharge the rights due to His creation.

ENDNOTES

1. rends in natural disasters, http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/trends-in-natural-disasters (Last visited September 10, 2011)2. http://www.dd.gov.uk/Documents/publications1/HERR.pdf?epslanguage=en3. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/ natural-disasters-killed-295000-in-2010- 20110104-19e06.html 4. http://english.sina.com/technology/p/2010/0128/302222.html5. http://english.sina.com/

technology/p/2010/0128/302222.html

His warning was an actof mercy, so we recogniseour Creator, accept HisChosen Messiah and hencenot fall under His wrath.



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Te Philosophy of the eachings of Islam

Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as),the Promised Messiah and Mahdi

TRANSLATED FROM URDU BY SIR MUHAMMAD ZAFRULLA KHAN


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Te Meaning of Drinks Prepared FromCamphor and Ginger We have already explained that the wordKafur has been used in this verse for thereason that the Arabic word Kafara means suppression and covering up . Tisis an indication that these people havequaffed the cup of cutting asunder fromthe world and turning to God with suchsincerity, that their love of the world hasbecome quite cold. It is well-known thatall passions originate in the heart, and

when the heart withdraws altogetherfrom all undesirable fancies and neverreverts to them at all, these passions begin

to decline until they disappear altogether;that is what is conveyed in this verse, thatis to say, that such people draw far awayfrom the passions of self, and inclineso completely towards God that theirhearts become cold to worldly pursuits,and their passions are suppressed ascamphor suppresses poisonous matter.

Ten it is said: Tey will be given to drinktherein of a cup tempered with ginger.

Te Arabic word for ginger ( Zanjabil )is a compound ofZana and Jabal . Zana in Arabic idiom means ascending and

Jabal meansa mountain, thus Zana Jabal means:He ascended the mountain.

It should be remembered that after aperson recovers from a poisonous disease

he passes through two stages before he isrestored to full health and strength. Terst stage is when the poisonous matteris completely overcome and dangeroustendencies are reformed, and poisonous

conditions are safely averted and theattack of the fatal upsurge is completelysuppressed; but the limbs are still weak,strength is lacking and the patient treads

wearily. Te second stage is when thepatient is restored to full health and hisbody achieves full strength, and he feelsthat he can climb hills and run alongthe heights. Tis condition is achievedin the third stage concerning which God

Almighty has said, that godly peopleof the highest rank drink of cups thatare avoured with ginger; that is to say,that arriving at the full strength of theirspiritual condition they can climb high

mountains; meaning that they carry outgreat projects and make great sacricesin the cause of God.

It is well-known that all passions originate in the heart

The Holy Quran, upon which The Philosophyof the Teachings of Islam was based.



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Te Effect of Ginger It should be remembered that one of thequalities of ginger is that it strengthensthe system and relieves dysentery and

warms it up so that a person becomes

capable, as it were, of climbing amountain. By placing camphor andginger in juxtaposition it is intended toconvey that when a person moves froma condition of subordination to hispassions towards virtue, the rst reactionis that the poisonous matter from whichhe suffers are suppressed and the surgeof passions begins to subside, as camphorsuppresses poisonous matter. Tat is whyit is found useful in the treatment ofcholera and typhoid. When poisonousmatter is completely suppressed and thepatient recovers his health to a degreein which he still feels weak, the second

stage is that he derives strength from adrink avoured with ginger. In spiritualterms, this drink is the manifestation of

Divine beauty, which is the nourishmentof the soul. When he derives strengthfrom this manifestation he is enabled toclimb high mountains, that is to say, heperforms such surprisingly difficult featsin the cause of God, that no one whoseheart is not inspired by the warmth oflove can perform. In these verses, God

Almighty has employed two Arabicterms to illustrate these two conditions;one term is camphor, which meanssuppression, and the other is ginger, whichmeansclimbing .

Tese are the two conditions, which are

encountered by seekers after God. [TeQuran states] that for the disbelievers who have no inclination towardsaccepting the truth, we have preparedchains and collars for the neck, andthe burning sensation of a blazing re.1

Tis means that for those who reject thetruth and have no inclination towardsaccepting it, God has prepared chains andcollars and a blazing re. Te meaning isthat those who do not seek God with atrue heart suffer a severe reaction. Teyare so involved with the world as if theirfeet are secured by chains, and theybend down so much towards worldly

pursuits, as if there are collars round theirnecks which do not permit them to lifttheir eyes towards heaven. Tey have

THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE TEACHINGS OF ISLAM

In spiritual terms, thisdrink is the manifestationof Divine beauty, which isthe nourishment of the soul.



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a burning desire for the things of the world: property, authority, domination, wealth, etc. As God Almighty findsthem unworthy and committed toundesirable pursuits, He inicts them

with these three sufferings. Tis is anindication that every human action isfollowed by a corresponding action onthe part of God. For instance, when aperson closes all the doors and windowsof his room, his action is followed by aDivine action whereby the room becomesdark. All the inevitable consequences ofour actions that have been appointed byGod Almighty under the law of nature

are all Gods actions, inasmuch as He isthe Cause of causes. For instance, if aperson swallows poison, his action wouldbe followed by the Divine action thathe would suffer death. In the same wayif a person acts in some improper way

which attracts an infectious disease, hisaction would be followed by the Divineaction that he would be afflicted withthat disease.

Tus, as we observe clearly that in our worldly life, there is an inevitable resultfor every action of ours, and that resultis the act of God Almighty. Te same

law operates in religious matters also. Forinstance, it is said that in consequenceof the full striving of a person in seeking

God, the inevitable act of God is toguide him along the ways that lead toHim.2 As a contrast it is said:When theydeviated from the right course and didnot desire to tread along the straight path,the Divine action followed in that their

hearts were made perverse .3

o illustratethis even more clearly it is said:He whoremains blind in this life will be blind in thehereafter also, and even more astray .4 Tis isan indication that the virtuous see Godin this very life and they behold their

rue Beloved in this world. Te purportof this verse is that the foundation of theheavenly life is laid in this very world,and that the root of hellish blindness isalso the vile and blind life of this world.

Ten it is said: Give glad tidings to thosewho believe and work righteously, that for them there are gardens beneath whichrivers ow.5 In this verse, God Almighty

has described faith as a garden beneath which rivers ow, and has thus indicatedthat faith is related to righteous action,

Te meaning is that those whodo not seek God with a trueheart suffer a severe reaction.



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as a garden is related to the water ofthe river or stream. As a garden cannotflourish without water, faith cannotsurvive without righteous action. If thereis faith but no righteous action that faithis vain; and if there are actions but not

faith, the actions are mere show or display.

Te reality of the Islamic paradise is thatit is a reection of the faith and actions ofa person in this life, and is not somethingthat will be bestowed upon a person fromoutside. A persons paradise is developedinside him and everyones paradise is hisfaith and his righteous actions, the delightof which begins to be tasted in this verylife, and one perceives the hidden gardensand streams of faith and righteous action

which will become concretely manifestin the hereafter. Gods holy teachinginstructs us that pure and perfect and

rm faith in God, His attributes and Hisdesigns, is a beautiful garden of fruit trees,and righteous actions are the streams that

irrigate the garden. Te Holy Quran saysthat a word of faith that is free from everyextreme defect and falsehood and vanity,and is perfect in every way is like a tree,

which is free from every defect.6 Te rootof that tree is rm in the earth and itsbranches spread into heaven. It bringsforth its fruit at all times and at no timeare its branches without fruit. Tus, it willbe seen that God Almighty has describeda word of faith as a tree that bears fruitat all times, and has set forth three of itscharacteristics.

Te rst is that its root, that is to say,

its true meaning should be rm in theearth, meaning that its truth and realityshould be acceptable to human natureand conscience.

Its second characteristic is that itsbranches should spread out into heaven,meaning that it should be supportedby reason and should be in accord withthe heavenly law of nature which is the

work of God. In other words, the lawof nature should furnish arguments insupport of its correctness and truth, andthose arguments should be beyond thereach of criticism.

Its third characteristic should be that itsfruit should be permanent and unlimited,


If there is faith but norighteous action that faith isvain; and if there are actionsbut not faith, the actionsare mere show or display.



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that is to say, the blessings and effectsof acting upon it should continue to bemanifested at all times, and should notcease to be manifested after a period.

Ten it is said:

Te case of an evil word is like that ofan evil tree, which is uprooted from theearth and has no stability; meaning thathuman nature rejects it and it cannotbe established by reason, nor the law ofnature or human conscience.7 It has nomore stability than an idle tale.

As the Holy Quran has said that the

trees of true faith will appear in thehereafter as grapes and pomegranatesand other good fruits, in the same waythe evil tree of faithlessness is calledZaqqum, as is said: Are the gardens of paradise better entertainment or the treeZaqqum which We have made a means oftrial for the wrongdoers? It is a tree thatsprings forth from the root of hell, that isto say, it grows out of arrogance and self-esteem. Its fruit is, as if it were, the heads ofSatan, meaning that he who eats it would beruined .8 Ten it is said: Te tree of Zaqqumis the food of the deliberately sinful. It willboil in their bellies like molten copper. Te

sinful one will be commanded: Now sufferthis, thou who didst hold thyself mightyand noble.9 Tis is a wrathful expression

meaning that if he had not been arrogantand had not turned away from the truthout of pride and a false notion of hisdignity, he would not have had to sufferin this fashion. Tis verse indicates thatthe word Zaqqum is compounded of

Zuq , meaning taste it , and Am, which isformed by the rst and last letters of theremaining portion of the verse.10

Tus, God Almighty has described the words of faith uttered in this life as thetrees of paradise. In the same way Hehas described the words of faithlessnessuttered in this life as the tree of hell,

which He has called Zaqqum, and hasthus indicated that the root of paradiseand of hell is laid in this very life. Atanother place hell is described as a re, thesource of which is the wrath of God and

which is kindled by sin and overcomes

the heart.11

Tis is an indication that atthe root of this re are the sorrows andgrief s and torments which afflict the

God Almighty has describedthe words of faith uttered inthis life as the trees of paradise.



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heart. All spiritual torments arise in theheart and then envelop the whole body.

At another place it is said: Tat the fuelof the re of hell, which keeps it blazing, isof two types .12 One, those men who turn

away from God and worship other things,or who require their own worship; as issaid: False deities and their worshippers

will all be thrown into hell.13 Te secondtype of fuel of hell is the idols. If therehad been no false gods and no idols, norany worshippers of these, there wouldhave been no hell. All these verses showthat in the Holy Word of God, heavenand hell are not like the physical world.

Teir source is spiritual, though it is truethat in the hereafter they will take onconcrete forms, and yet they will notbelong to this world.

Means of Establishing a PerfectSpiritual Relationship with God he method of establishing a perfect

spiritual relationship with God that theHoly Quran teaches us is Islam, meaningdevoting ones whole life to the causeof God and being occupied with thesupplications which we have been taughtin Surah Fatihah [opening Chapter ofthe Holy Quran]. Tis is the essence ofIslam. Complete surrender to God andthe supplication taught inSurah Fatihah, are the only methods of meeting Godand drinking the water of true salvation.

Tis is the only method that the law ofnature has appointed for mans highestexaltation and for his meeting the Divine.

Tose alone nd God who enter into

the spiritual re of Islam and continueoccupied with the supplication set out inSurah Fatihah.

Islam is the blazing re that burns upour life, and consuming our false deities,presents the sacrice of our life and ourproperty and our honour, to our HolyGod. Entering it, we drink the water ofa new life and all our spiritual facultiesestablish such a relationship with Godas subsists between kindred. A re leapsup from our inside like lightning, andanother re descends upon us from above.By the meeting of these two ames all

our passions and our love for anythingbesides God are totally consumed and we become dead vis--vis our previous


Complete surrender to Godand the supplication taughtin Surah Fatihah, are theonly methods of meetingGod and drinking thewater of true salvation.



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life. Tis condition is named Islam inthe Holy Quran. Trough our completesurrender to the will of God our passionsare killed, and through supplication

we acquire new life. Tis second life issignalised by the receipt of revelation.

Arriving at this stage is interpretedas meeting with God, in other wordsbeholding God. At this stage, a personestablishes a relationship with God by

virtue of which he becomes as if he werebeholding God, and he is invested withpower and all his senses and his innerfaculties are illumined, and he feels thestrong pull of a holy life. At this stage,

God becomes his eye with which he sees,and becomes his tongue with which hespeaks, and becomes his hand with whichhe assaults his enemy, and becomes hisear with which he hears, and becomeshis feet with which he walks. Tis stageis referred to in the verse: Allahs hand isabove their hands .14 In the same way it issaid that: it was not thou who didst throw,but it was Allah Who threw.15

In short, at this stage there is perfectunion with God and His holy Willpervades the soul thoroughly, and themoral power that had previously been

weak becomes rm like a mountain, andreason and intelligence are sharpened tothe extreme.16 Tis is the meaning of the

verse; at this stage the streams of love forand devotion to Him surge up in such amanner that to die in the cause of God

and to endure thousands of tormentsfor His sake, and to become disgracedin His path, become as easy as breakinga small straw. One is pulled towards God

without knowing who is pulling. One iscarried about by a hidden hand, and todo Gods Will becomes the purpose ofones life. At this stage God appears veryclose, as He has said:We are closer to himthan his jugular vein.17 In this conditionthe lower relationships of a person fallaway from him, as ripe fruit falls awayautomatically from the branch of a tree.His relationship with God deepens, andhe draws far away from all creation and

is honoured with the word and converseof God. Te doors of access to this stageare as widely open today as they were at

At this stage, a personestablishes a relationshipwith God by virtue ofwhich he becomes as if hewere beholding God.



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any time, and Divine Grace still bestowsthis bounty upon those who seek it, asHe did before. But this is not achievedby the mere exercise of the tongue, andthis door is not opened by vain talk andboasts. here are many who seek but

there are few who nd. Why is that so?It is because this stage demands trueearnestness and true sacrice. Mere wordsmean nothing in this context. o stepfaithfully onto the re from which otherpeople run away is the rst requirementof this path. Boasts avail nothing; whatis needed is practical zeal and earnestness.In this context God, the Glorious, hassaid: When my servants enquire fromthee concerning me, tell them I am close. Irespond to the call of the supplicant when hecalls on me. So should they seek me throughtheir supplications and have rm faith in me,that they may be rightly guided .18

Continues in the next edition

ENDNOTES

1. Verily, We have prepared for the disbelieverschains and iron-collars and a blazing Fire. (Ch.76:V.5)2. Andas for those who strive in our path we will surely guide them in Our ways (Ch.29:V.70)3. So when they deviatedfrom the rightcourse , Allah caused their hearts to deviate... (Ch.61:V.6)4. But whoso is blind in this world will be blind inthe Hereafter, and even more astray from the way. (Ch.17:V.73) 5. And give glad tidings to those who believe and

do good works, that for them are Gardens beneathwhich ow streams (Ch.2:V.26) 6. Dost thou not see how Allah sets forth thesimilitude of a good word?It is like a good tree,whose root is rm and whose branchesreach into heaven. It brings forth its fruit at all times. (Ch.14:Vs.25-26)7. Te case of an evil word is likethat of an eviltree, which is uprooted from above the earth andhas no stability.(Ch.14:V.27) 8. Is that better as an entertainment, or the treeof Zaqqum? Verily We have made it a trial for thewrongdoers. It is a tree that springs forth in thebottom of Hell; Te fruit thereof is as though it werethe heads of serpents.(Ch.37:Vs.63-66)

9. Verily, the tree of Zaqqum. Will be the food ofthe sinful, Like molten copper, it will boil intheirbellies, like the boiling of scalding water aste

Tere are many who seekbut there are few who

nd. Why is that so?




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it! Youdid consider yourself the mighty, thehonourable.(Ch.44:Vs.44-47, 50)10. Youdid consider yourself the mighty, thehonourable. (Ch.44:V.50) 11. It is Allahs kindled re, Which rises over thehearts. (Ch.104:Vs.7-8) 12. whose fuel is men and stones (Ch.2:V.25)

13. Surely, you and that which you worship beside Allah are the fuel of Hell (Ch.21:V.99) 14. Te hand of Allah is over their hands... (Ch.48:V.11)15. And you threw not when you did throw, butit was Allah Who threw... (Ch.8:V.18) 16. and whom He has strengthened with

inspiration from Himself (Ch.58:V.23)

17. and we are nearer to him thaneven his jugular vein. (Ch.50:V.17)18. And when My servants ask you about Me, say:I am near. I answer the prayer of the supplicantwhen he prays to me. So they should hearken to meand believe in me, that they may follow the rightway. (Ch.2:V.187)

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Te Life and Character

of the Sealof the Prophets(saw)

Hadhrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad(ra)

CHAP ER VII Days of Struggle


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Departure of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (ra) withthe Intention of MigrationIt is narrated by Hadhrat Aishah(ra), thatafter the Muslims migrated to Abyssinia,at one time, Hadhrat Abu Bakr (ra) alsoleft Makkah with the intention of migra-tion. While travelling south, when hereached Barikul-Ghimad, he coinci-dentally met Ibni Daghinah who wasa Chieftain of the Qarah tribe. WhenIbni Daghinah inquired as to the cause ofthis trip, Hadhrat Abu Bakr(ra) responded,

My people have exiled me. For this reason, Ihave decided to travel throughout the land of

Allah freely, and worship my Lord. A man of your calibre should not leave Makkah on his own accord, nor should he beexiled, said Ibni Daghinah,Come, I take you into my protection. Return and wor-ship your Lord in Makkah. As a result,

Abu Bakr(ra) returned as per his request.On reaching Makkah, Ibni Daghinahrebuked the Chieftains of the Quraishsaying,Do you exile a man of such and suchvirtues? After this, Hadhrat Abu Bakr(ra)

made a small mosque in the verandaof his home, where he would observeprayers and recite the Holy Quran.Since he was exceedingly soft-hearted, he

would often weep while reciting the HolyQuran. Tis sight would especially movethe hearts of the women and children ofthe Quraish, who were relatively simpleand free of religious prejudice. SinceHadhrat Abu Bakr (ra) was extremelyrevered among the Quraish, his fervent

worship would pull the hearts of peopletowards Islam. Upon this, the Quraishcomplained to Ibni Daghinah that Abu

Continued serialisation of the English rendering of Hadhrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra)soutstanding biography,Seerat Khatamun Nabiyyin, on the life and character of the HolyProphet Muhammad (saw). Seerat Khatamun Nabiyyin has been translated into English

for the rst time, and is being serialised in Te Review of Religions

. Tis section of theseries looks at the conversion to Islam of Hadhrat Hamzah(ra) and Hadhrat Umar (ra) and theattempts by the leaders of the Quraish to dissuade the Holy Prophet (saw) from preaching Islam.

My people have exiledme. For this reason, I havedecided to travel throughoutthe land of Allah freely,and worship my Lord.

TRANSLATED FROM THE URDU BY AYYAZ MAHMOOD KHAN



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Bakr(ra) recited the Quran aloud and dueto this their women, children and weakerones were put to trial, thus he should beforbidden. Ibni Daghinah attempted tostop Hadhrat Abu Bakr(ra), but he refused

saying,I cannot leave this on any account.However, if you are fearful, then I leave your protection, the protection of my Lord issufficient for me. 1 After this, the Quraishinicted many hardships upon Hadhrat

Abu Bakr (ra), but he remained steadfastlike a resolute rock.

Acceptance of Hamzah(ra) In an attempt to narrate all the eventsrelated to the migration of Abyssinia inone place, many other concurrent events

were left out, which shall be mentionednow. Until now the apparent state of theMuslims was very weak, because among

them there was not a single person(excluding Hadhrat Abu Bakr(ra)), whopossessed inuence among the Quraish,

or who at least from whom the Quraish were somewhat pressured. But now, bythe Grace of Allah two such personsentered the fold of Islam, who, to someextent by their dignity and awe, provedto reinforce the apparent glory of Islam.Our intent is (to mention) HadhratHamzah bin Abdul-Muttalib (ra) andHadhrat Umar bin Al-Khattab (ra), whoaccepted Islam one after the other in 6Nabawi.

Hamzah (ra) was the biological paternaluncle of the Holy Prophet(saw). He lovedthe Holy Prophet (saw) dearly, but until

now, he was an idolater. It was his prac-tice to set out in the early morning, bowand arrow in hand, and hunt all day long.In the evening, he would return to per-form the awaf [circumambulation] ofthe Kabah and he would then hold ses-sions with the various gatherings of theQuraish, which were held in the courtyard of theKabah, in groups of twos andfours. Afterwards, he would return home.One day, when Hamzah(ra) returned fromhunting, a female servant said to him,

Have you heard that Abul-Hakam[that is,Abu Jahl] just went on to say awful thingsto thy nephew, and cursed at him in lthy

and profane language, but Muhammad (saw)

did not react at all?Upon hearing this,Hamzahs(ra) eyes gorged with blood in

THE LIFE & CHARACTER OF THE SEAL OF THE PROPHETS

Te Quraish inicted manyhardships upon Hadhrat AbuBakr (ra), but he remainedsteadfast like a resolute rock.



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rage and his family honour was infuri-ated. He immediately started off towardsthe Kabah, and rst performed circuits of

the Kabah. After this awaf , he movedtowards the gathering in which Abu Jahl was sitting. Upon reaching there,

he rmly struck Abu Jahls head withhis bow and said, I have heard that youcursed Muhammad (saw). Ten listen, I too follow the religion of Muhammad (saw) and I also say what he says. Hence, if you possesseven a little courage, speak before me! Teassociates of Abu Jahl rose in his sup-port and a brawl almost erupted, but Abu

Jahl, who was struck in awe of the braveryand courage of Hamzah(ra), stopped hisassociates saying,Hamzah(ra) is true, I did

Night view of the minarets of Masjid al-Haram where Hadhrat Hamza (ra) would returnin the evenings after hunting all day.

Credit: Basid D Soufi



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in fact act unjustly, and in this way thematter was settled.2

In his outburst Hamzah (ra) said, I amalso upon the religion of Muhammad (saw)

but when he returned home and hisanger subsided, he was somewhat appre-hensive and began to ponder over the

best course of action. Ultimately, hisheart decided that it was now best toforsake polytheism. Consequently, hecame to the Holy Prophet(saw), recited theKalimah [i.e. the Muslim creed: there isnone worthy of worship except Allah and

Muhammad(saw) is His Messenger] andentered the fold of Islam.3 Tis incident

is from the sixth year of prophethood, when the Holy Prophet(saw) was still situ-ated in Dar-e-Arqam. 4 In happiness of


The Kabah in Makkah, where theencounter between the Makkan leadersand Hadhrat Hamzah (ra) took place.



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Hadhrat Hamzahs(ra)

acceptance of Islam,or perhaps in the ardour of his sincerity,Hadhrat Abu Bakr(ra) openly announcedthe unity of God in the courtyard of theKabah, the same day Hadhrat Hamzah(ra) accepted Islam. At that time, the HolyProphet (saw) and various other Muslims were also present. When the Quraish witnessed the boldness of Hadhrat AbuBakr(ra), they attacked him. Tey beat himso mercilessly that when the people ofhis tribe helped him up and took himhome, he was completely unconscious.Due to the severe beating, his body wasseriously injured. When he regained con-

sciousness, his rst question wasHow isthe Holy Prophet (saw), and until HadhratAbu Bakr(ra) received word of his security,he did not feel at ease.5

Acceptance of Umar (ra)Only a few days had passed after theacceptance of Hadhrat Hamzah(ra), when

Allah the Exalted blessed the Muslims with another instance of happiness, inother words, Hadhrat Umar(ra) who wasa vehement enemy, accepted Islam. Testory of his acceptance is very interest-ing. Te disposition of Hadhrat Umar(ra) enclosed a kind of stiffness which was

further increased by his enmity towardsIslam. herefore, prior to his accep-tance of Islam, Umar(ra) subjected poor

and weak Muslims to great torture onaccount of their [belief in] Islam. But

when he was exhausted by inicting thisagony, and saw no signs of their return,he thought, why not nish the founder

of this very disease. Upon this thought,he took hold of his sword and set outin search of the Holy Prophet (saw). Onthe way, when someone noticed him

walking with an unsheathed sword inhand, he inquired, O Umar (ra) , whereto? Umar (ra) responded, I have set off toslay Muhammad (saw). He replied, Byslaying Muhammad (saw) can you remainsafe from the Banu Abdi Manaf? Why notthen look after your own home rst? Yoursister and brother-in-law have accepted

Islam. Hadhrat Umar (ra) immediatelyturned and started off towards the homeof his sister Fatimah(ra). As he approached

the home, he could hear the sound ofthe recitation of the Holy Quran frominside, which Khabbab bin Al-Arat(ra)

Due to the severe beating,his body was seriouslyinjured. When he regainedconsciousness, his rstquestion was How isthe Holy Prophet (saw)



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was reciting very melodiously. WhenUmar(ra) heard this voice, he was furtherenraged and entered the home. As soonas Khabbab(ra) heard his footsteps, he hidsomewhere, and Fatimah(ra) also hid the

various pages of the Holy Quran hereand there.6 When Hadhrat Umar (ra) entered, he shouted, I heard that youhave left your faith! Ten, he attackedhis brother-in- law Said bin Zaid (ra).Fatimah (ra) was also wounded as shemoved forward, in an attempt to save

her husband, and very courageouslysaid,Yes Umar! We have become Muslim.Do as you wish, we shall not leave Islam. Hadhrat Umar(ra) was a very stern man,but beneath this veil of stiffness was alsoa touch of love and tenderness, whichshowed its colours on certain occasions.

When he heard the courageous words ofhis sister, he glanced at her and noticedthat she was covered in blood. Tis sight

had an inexplicable impression upon theheart of Umar(ra). After a short silence, hesaid to his sister,Show me the word that

you were reading. I shall not, respondedFatimah (ra), for you will destroy the leaf-lets. Umar(ra) replied, Nay, Nay! Pleaseshow me, I shall indeed return them to you.

But you are unclean, said Fatimah(ra), andthe Quran should be touched in a state of purity. First bathe, then read. Perhaps


As he approached the home,he could hear the sound ofthe recitation of the HolyQuran from inside.

Quranic Manuscript from the 7th Centurywritten on vellum in the Hijazi script. Hadhrat

Umar (ra)s sister had parchments with versesof the Quran on them which she gaveto her brother Hadhrat Umar (ra) to read.



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his own sword. Te door was opened,and Umar(ra) entered, unsheathed swordin hand. Upon seeing him, the HolyProphet (saw) moved forward and takinghold of Hadhrat Umars(ra) mantle he

yanked it, saying,O Umar, with what

intention have you come? By Allah, I seethat you have not been created for the chas-tisement of Allah. O Messenger of Allah,responded Umar (ra) , I wish to become a

Muslim. When the Holy Prophet (saw) heard these words, in the fervour of hishappiness he said Allahu Akbar! , andhis companions called out the slogan of

Allahu Akbar so loudly that the moun-tains of Makkah began to resonate.8

At that time, Hadhrat Umar (ra) wasthirty-three years of age, and he was theChieftain of his tribe, the Banu Adiyy.

Among the Quraish he also held the

responsibility of being an ambassador,and was very awe-inspiring, valiant, andcourageous. By his acceptance of Islam,

the Muslims gained signicant strength. Tey left the Dar-e-Arqam and beganoffering their Salat openly in the Masjid-e-Haram. Hadhrat Umar(ra) was the lastcompanion to accept Islam in the Dar-e-

Arqam. Tis occurred in the last monthof the sixth year after the propheticcommission. At that time the numberof Muslim men totalled forty.9

When news of Hadhrat Umars(ra) acceptance spread, the Quraish becameexceedingly furious. In this very state offury, they besieged the home of HadhratUmar(ra). When Hadhrat Umar (ra)

stepped out, a large party of people gath-ered around him. It was nigh that variousenraged young men attack HadhratUmar(ra), but he stood his ground withextreme audacity. At last, in this state,a Chieftain of Makkah, As bin Wail,arrived and upon noticing this multitude,he moved forward in his authoritativemanner and said, What is the matter?

he people said, Umar has become aSabi. After judging the situation hesaid, All right, even still, there is no need for this commotion. I give Umar my protec-tion. At this voice, in accordance withthe Arab custom, people were compelled

to silence and they gradually dispersed. After that, Hadhrat Umar (ra) remainedin security for a few days, because no


Hadhrat Umar (ra) was thelast companion to accept

Islam in the Dar-e-Arqam.



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one would confront him on account ofthe protection of As bin Wail. But thehonour of Hadhrat Umar (ra) could notbear this state for long. Hence, muchtime had not passed before he went toAs bin Wail and said,I leave your protec-tion . Hadhrat Umar(ra) relates,After this,

I would remain in a constant brawl in thestreets of Makkah. 10 However, HadhratUmar(ra) never lowered his gaze beforeanyone.

Shortly after Hadhrat Umar(ra) acceptedIslam, his son, Abdullah bin Umar(ra) also became Muslim. At that time

Abdullah(ra)

was only a child, but afterthe demise of the Holy Prophet (saw) heacquired great status, and was lookedupon as a great scholar of Islam.

ENDNOTES

1. Sahih Bukhari , Kitabu Manaqibil-Ansar,Babu Hijratin-Nabiyyisa wa Ashabihi ilal-Madinah, Hadith No. 39052. * arikhut- abari , by Abu Jafar Muhammadbin Al-Jarir abari, Vol. 2, pp. 235-236, BabuDhikril-Khabri amma kana min AmriNabiyyillahi(sa) inda Ibtidaillahi aala..., Darul-

Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Second Edition (2002)* As-Siratun-Nabawiyyah, by Abu MuhammadAbdul-Malik bin Hisham, p. 219, Babu Islami

Hamzah(ra), Darul-Kutubil-Ilmiyyah, Beirut,Lebanon, First Edition (2001)3. Ar-Raudul-Anf , by Imam Abul-Qasim

Abdur-Rahman Suhaili, Vol. 2, pp.44-45, BabuIslamiHamzah(ra), Darul-Kutubil-Ilmiyyah, Beirut,Lebanon, First Edition (2001)4. Sharhul-Allamatiz-Zarqani alal-Mawahibil-Ladunniyyah, by Muhammad bin Abdul-BaqiAz- Zarqani, Vol. 2, p. 3, Babu Islamil-Faruq,Darul-Kutubil-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, FirstEdition (1996)5. arikhul-Khamis , by Husain binMuhammad bin Hasan Dayar Bakri, Vol. 1,p.294, Dhikru IslamiHamzah, Muwassasatu Shaban, Beirut6. Tis instance should be remembered,because through it we nd that even from the

early era, the Holy Prophet(saw)

had the HolyQuran written along the way and these manu-scripts were preserved by numerous companions

When news of HadhratUmars(ra)acceptancespread, the Quraish becameexceedingly furious. Inthis very state of fury,they besieged the homeof Hadhrat Umar (ra).



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Front cover of the recently published book, SeeratKhatamun Nabiyyin, The Life and Character of theSeal of Prophets . Since December 2010 The Reviewof Religions has been serialising this book.


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MUBARAK AHMAD FUELLING

GOD IN ISLAM

FROM THE

Archives Te Review ofReligions, JANUARY 1932 EDITION


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Te fundamental doctrine of the religionof Islam is that of the existence ofAlmighty God and His Unity. Te HolyQuran teaches us that in the Unityof God are crystallised all the perfectattributes to an innite capacity. It alsoteaches us that the attributes of God areall-inclusive and inter-dependent. It isnot logical according to Islam, that anysingle attribute or perfection could bedistinguished from any other attributeor perfection so as to justify a separateGod. We cannot, therefore, in believingthat a God exists, further believe in amultiplicity of gods. he God-head

cannot be triply decentralised for example,into a Creator, a Preserver and Sustainer,and a Destroyer. For, according to Islamicdoctrine, we should nd it ridiculous andillogical to conceive or believe in a deity

who was all-powerful to the exclusionof other attributes, for in everythingelse that deity would command a statusinferior to that of mankind. It is therefore

wrong to stress the fact that God isLove, or Fear-inspiring, or All-Merciful,or All-Knowing, to the detriment orexclusion of other necessary and essentialattributes.

If Almighty God, such as we believe in, were in any way to be deprived of anyattribute or perfection, He would cease

to command our total submission to

His Will. o the Muslim it is essentialthat God should possess every moralattribute conceivable. If Almighty Godis to command our everlasting love,submission and worship for all time,in all climes and in all conditions, it ispositively necessary that we delegate toHim the highest qualities conceivable.

Te attributes of God, which we considerto constitute His Perfect Essence, areinnumerable. Although the Holy Quranquotes many of them in explaining howthey are applicable to the actions ofhuman beings, it by no means claimsto mention them all. Te attributes of

God are such that often their subtletyand wisdom are lost on the ordinaryhuman being, and there are millions of

Islam holds that God has notonly infused into our minds abelief in Him, but that Godhas given us a book whereinwe can nd out how to usethat belief to our prot.


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factors working for our good for which,although Almighty God is responsible,

we never really appreciate or realise inour life-time.

It is interesting here to remark that thepious Muslim can nd more workingsof God in this world than can any othermortal, for, the Muslim constantlyattributes to God what obviously cannotbe attributed to man.

Te belief in Almighty God, whilst anatural one, is a very involved belief. Itis really a stupendous mental task toconceive Him fully in the correct light,and it is difficult to conceive by one

mental expression the vast perfectionembodied in Him. We must not conceiveGod through the channels of His Love

rather than through the channels ofHis Mercy or His Justice, but one must

conceive Him collectively through asmany of His attributes as possible. Teclearer we perceive His attributes theclearer image we have of Him. hemagnitude of each attribute is far beyondthe bounds of mortal perception, and wecan only basically dene it and partiallyrealise it. o know to what depths andto what extent these attributes areemployed, is too subtle a task for ourpoor brains. But, the Muslim has a greatconsolation. Te Muslim believes thatGod so employs His capabilities thatif we take advantage of His Grace, wecannot but raise ourselves in an ever

nearing position to His Trone. We know,too, in a positive way that the purposesand the methods of Almighty God are

GOD IN ISLAM

Te Holy Quran is thereections of Gods thoughtsand ideas. Because it is HisWord, His Ordinance, itis natural that we shouldknow more of Him bystudying His Word.

Close-up of front cover of the Holy Quran


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so wonderfully combined, interlaced,inter-dependent and consistent, thatthe huge superstructure of our physicaland metaphysical laws is ever respondentto our lawful needs, and ceaseless in itssameness.

In our concept of God we must at rstunderstand His existence introspectively.It must be from inside us that we nd thespark of the realisation of the existence ofGod. Although we are surrounded by the wonders of nature, from the innitesimalprotozoa to the complex structures ofmatter, this material should not be the

source of our belief in God. In other words, we should not believe in Godbecause we believe in a Creator. It canbe argued logically or metaphysicallythat God exists, but these argumentsmust not convince the Muslim that Godexists. Te Muslims must believe in Godbecause his soul, his innermost beingnaturally impels him to that belief. Manshould be able to believe in God withoutGods manifestation in this world. I

want to stress this point because it isimportant to understand that we shouldnot necessarily believe in God because ofHis creation, but because we instinctively,

by the nature of our soul, nd that weknow Him to exist. When we have redthe spark of realisation within ourselves,

we can feed it by our good actions andcause it to glow when we look about and

see His wonderful creation. By realisingmore deeply the outward manifestationof God and by doing good deeds to allmen and by constantly rememberingHim, we no doubt feel within us there of the truth of His existence. Terealisation of the existence of God growsmore deeply in us as we deal uprightlyand remember Him, for it is thus that theattachment between God and a humanbeing is made more sweet and enduring.

he manifestations of God can onlydeepen our belief in Him and His Will.

Te existence of God is the only existenceabout which a man can be certain, for

if philosophers could convince us that we ourselves are not realities, they couldnever convince us otherwise as to the

It must be from inside usthat we nd the sparkof the realisation of theexistence of God.


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existence of God. o the Muslim the onlyreality worth investigating is the reality

of God Himself; for if the universe and

its glory were to vanish in a trice, thetrue Muslim would nd God just as realas before.

GOD IN ISLAM

The Orion Nebula is 24 light years across andis the closest region of massive star formationto Earth, visible to the naked eye from earth.

Credit: NASA/ESA


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Te Holy Quran as the Word of God is

not, however, the primary proof of HisExistence. A man may believe sincerelyin the Existence of God without havingever heard of the Holy Quran or theHoly Prophet Muhammad(saw), or indeedof any scripture or prophet. But hisbelief will not bear fruit, neither willhis actions reap any reward unless heknows how to practise his beliefs and

what constitutes good actions. Just asthe theorist is a poor practitioner, if hepossesses no instruments wherewithalto make an experiment, so a man whomerely believes that there is a God,unless he makes use of that belief for his

moral uplift, cannot benet from it. Islamalways, as a religious principle, upholdsthe theory that if a thing is to be believed

in, it must be of some use to humanity.Muslims uphold the Holy Quran in asmuch as they claim that red with thebelief in Almighty God, any man canbenet by that belief by accepting theinjunctions laid down in the Holy Quran.Islam is essentially a practical religion,for in exchange for the acceptance of itsdoctrines it offers an everlasting reward.

he Muslim, therefore, is told in theHoly Quran what to do with himself inhis actions towards his fellow creaturesand towards God. Islam holds that Godhas not only infused into our minds abelief in Him, but that God has given us

a book wherein we can nd out how touse that belief to our prot. It is foolishmerely to profess by lip our belief inanything, unless we can show to the

world what that belief means to us. Itis a unique point that in Islam there areno injunctions which, if practised, do notreap a spiritual reward. We therefore nda double tie with God. For, not only doesHe teach us but gives us the means with which we should use our knowledge toour benet.

Te imparting of knowledge of spiritualguidance from God, called Divine

Revelation, is an essential doctrine.Our belief in Almighty God evolvesinto a belief in a Living God, a God in

We shudder at the magnitudeof the universe and at themultitude of thoughts owingtherein, and we gaze at thebeauty of this world, andrealise the comparativeinsignicance of a single man.


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everlasting contact with His creation. TeMuslim believes in an Ever-Watching

Deity and Ever-Helping Master.

We believe that God, in His Love formankind, constantly communicates toHis creatures in all ages. o call Him aGod of Love and at the same time tobelieve that after Jesus Christ(as) He hasnot spoken to the world by means of aMessenger, is to believe in opposite andcontrary doctrines. Tose who are fondof citing that that love is best of all, areusually those who with the same breathdeny a Guide after the prophet Jesus(as).A shepherd who loves his ock of sheep will keep them from wandering astray

at all times of the day, for he sleeps not.Muslims do not believe in the power of

Jesus Christ(as), to foster righteousness in

man for all time. History has repeatedlyshown to the world the disastrouseffects resulting from man believing inthe powers of a man, rather than in thePower of God.

Te basic communication from God tomankind is the Holy Quran, and it isreally the covenant between man andGod. For if a man is conscious of theexistence of God, he will next becomeconscious of the nature of God, and nallyof His Wishes and Prohibitions; for, allthese consciousnesses are contained inHis Wordthe Holy Quran.

A Muslim not only sows a good seed byhis beliefs, but reaps a fruitful harvestfrom them. he Holy Quran is aninexhaustible mine of spiritual treasures,and whoever troubles to stoop beforeHis Trone, cannot fail to nd the mostprecious of gems. Te Holy Quran is thereections of Gods thoughts and ideas.Because it is His Word, His Ordinance,it is natural that we should know moreof Him by studying His Word. Muslims,born after the desire of God, must live toearn His Pleasure and must die to claimHis Paradise. ruly, it is said that if all the

sea were ink there would not be enough wherewithal to write of His Glory.

GOD IN ISLAM

A Muslim believes, in thisrespect, that God could, if He so willed, either causethis huge machinery of National or ScienticLaws to cease functioningor to function otherwise.


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If we meditate sincerely for a fraction oftime and really endeavour to concentrateour attention upon Him, we shall alwaysrealise how much we are indebted toHim, and the innite extent to which we owe Him gratitude.

Whilst we shudder at the magnitudeof the universe and at the multitude ofthoughts owing therein, and we gazeat the beauty of this world, and realisethe comparative insignificance of a

single man, we should also realise that,incapable as man is, sinful and corruptingand vile as his actions are, yet the love

of God for mankind goes beyond our wildest thoughts. He is the Almighty

Deity Who hears the prayers of both the wretched and the rich, Who is cognisantof the destruction of even the smallest ofthe animal world, Who is cognisant ofall ideas and intentions and actions ofmankind, since creation began and to allfuturity. It is enough for the good manthat he understands the signicance ofHis attributes, for to comprehend themdeeply overwhelms our faculties withawe.

We have found the material of this eartha ready servant to our desire, for we haveharnessed most of natures forcesthe

air, the land and the seato our whims, yet there are men who are ungrateful. AMuslim believes, in this respect, that God

We have harnessed mostof natures forcesthe air,the land and the seatoour whims, yet there aremen who are ungrateful.

High altitude view of earthwith the moon visible


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could, if He so willed, either cause thishuge machinery of National or Scientic

Laws to cease functioning or to functionotherwise. He is therefore essentially one who relies on the constancy of scienticlaws, and on Him Who created orconceived those laws.

It is as well to understand what a Muslimbelieves as regards his relations with God.

A Muslim lives a life of consolation.Consolation on the one hand because heis created by God and bears the stamp ofGod on his soul, and consolation on theother hand because he must ultimatelyreturn to his Maker. For, it is absurd tosuppose that those mortals whom God

has created shall ever be consigned toeternal damnation. It would be admittingthat the power of evil, as opposed to God,

has won against Him. Te religion ofIslam plainly points out the ridiculousand absurd conclusion that is to be drawnfrom the Doctrine of Eternal Damnation.

All mankind, according to Islam, must,of necessity, return to the Essence from

which it sprang, for it is the Muslimsbelief that in the battle between Goodand Evil, no life can be lost forever. AsGood must ultimately prevail, it willprevail with each and every individualthat has ever been born. It is a beautifuldoctrine and a great consolation to knowthat God will never repudiate mankind

whatever vileness it commits, for while

our ultimate return to His Grace maybe preceded by an agonising physical ormental operation or treatment, we shallnevertheless return to Him.

In the face of this doctrine, Islam has beenaccused by our Christian contemporariesof stressing the God of Power rather thanthe God of Love. Might I point out thatif the Christian God of love is contentto allot to the non-Christian eternaldamnation, then the Muslim concept isten thousand times more justiable, andinnitely more lovable and loving.

Te soul of man, since it is created byGod, bears the stamp of God upon it,and there is no shadow of doubt that all

Te Holy Quran is thereections of Gods thoughtsand ideas. Because it is HisWord, His Ordinance, itis natural that we shouldknow more of Him bystudying His Word.

GOD IN ISLAM


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human beings possess in them an instinct which, if developed, would cause themto do good constantly and act uprightlyand shun evil, and to try to seek thePleasure of God, and imbue themselves with the attributes of God, so that theyare constantly drawing nearer to Him.

Man is like a mirror and if he would turntowards the light which emanates fromthe Divine Being, he would reect thatlight in his person, in his actions andin his heart. Indeed, there is nothing asnatural and pleasing to the soul of manas the capability of reecting, however

imperfectly, the attributes of God. Withall men, even with the vilest of mankind,there exists that potential, that capabilityto reect the Divine Light of God. TeIslamic idea is that if man endeavoursto turn towards God, God will help him.If any man sins, he does so under aninuence which cannot emanate from theDivine Being. God can prevent sin, butthe great purpose of the free-will of manis lost if he were to become a machine ofthe Divine Will. Te true believer is one

who constantly treads the path leading toGod. If a man dallies, or loiters, or looksback, or retraces his steps then he himself

is the loser. God is a magnet for allmankind and whoever moves away fromthat magnet is necessarily using a force

to do so. Te path leading to the Troneof God brings to one the realisation of

what is good and what is evil, and alsoprompts one to bear good-will to onesfellow creatures. It promotes hundredsof virtues and extinguishes thousands of

vices. Such is the path of righteousness.

Te Muslim believes that God judgeseach and every man by his relative andcomparative morality, for it is knownthat all men have not had the sameopportunity to manifest what is best inthem. But it shall be enough that a man

who cannot bestow charity, act charitablyand has the intention, should he ever bein the position to do so, of bestowing

charity. A man is judged by his thoughts,especially if he cannot realise his goodintentions through no fault of his own.

Man is like a mirror and ifhe would turn towards thelight which emanates fromthe Divine Being, he wouldreect that light in his person.


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In this light, according to Islam, a man who has never heard of the religion of

Islam cannot ever be ranked so low asa Muslim who, whilst he knows them,neglects to follow the precepts laiddown in the Holy Quran. A rich manhas more opportunity and more time tohelp others, yet a Muslim believes that apoor man shall not be the loser on thisaccount. He who has abundant time allday to read and imbibe the Holy Quranand glorify God, shall not be countedby God higher than he, who, by force ofnecessity, is working in a busy place andhas not so much time to give to religiousknowledge. God judges a man by whathe makes of the life that is given him,

whether he is a prince or a sweeper. Tisis a truth that is more clearly broughthome to us in the mosque, the House

of God, where we all stand shoulder toshoulder before the Majesty of God,equal in His Sight. It is unique in Islamthat in the House of God all men are

equals, for who shall speak of values inthe presence of God, and what an absurdstatus that of emperor becomes in thepresence of the Master of Judgment.

All pomp and display with which menherald the great among them, appears soinsignicant in the mosque. o earn thePleasure of God a rich man may spenda thousand pounds and a poor man buta penny. It is comforting to realise that

whatever we may be, we can all achievethe greatest ambition of our lifethat ofhaving earned the Pleasure of the DivineBeing. Te mosque expresses relationsbetween God and man better than

anything else, for it is in that place thatour souls are clothed in the best light.

Tis is a truth that is moreclearly brought home to us inthe mosque, the House of God,where we all stand shoulderto shoulder before the Majestyof God, equal in His Sight.

GOD IN ISLAM


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It is our duty to depend upon the Mercyof God, for we cannot ever dispense with it. It is our duty to depend uponGod for all the success that shouldaccrue from good works. Furthermore,

we should ever treat Him as our Helper,as a loving Guardian and as a Judge.

Whilst we feel His proximity, we shouldrealise His altitude and while we reectHis attributes, we must remember thatour reection is incomparable with HisLight.

We are comforted as Muslims to knowthat while God is so innitely removed

from us His presence is nearer to us thanour jugular vein. Whilst He is remote,He knows all our most trivial thoughtsand ideas. It is, therefore, accordingto Islam, foolish to think or to intendevil, for God knows all thoughts andintentions. A judge condemns a manonly after a crime, but God knows thecriminal before the crime is committed.Also, if we advance towards the Trone ofGod we shall be divinely assisted, but if we turn from His Trone we shall neverprot by our worldly actions.

his fundamental doctrine of the

existence of God, therefore, is to aMuslim nine-tenths of his religion. A Muslim can reveal his respect and

submission to the Divine Will by sincereprayer and prostration, whilst other menmust spend hours in chant, helped byorgans, exotic music and instruments ofgold. A Muslim can pour out his heartbefore a Potent Deity with serenity andtranquillity, whilst others must hire aconfessor. A Muslim can summon hisbrothers to prayer with an intelligentand beautiful call from his lips, whilstothers must use jangle bells. A Muslimcan lavish his surplus money on the poor,

whilst others lavish theirs in adorningtheir places of worship. A Muslim cannotnd a sentence in his Scripture which

does not ring with purity and truth, whilst others must search their booksfrom beginning to end to nd justiablestatements. Shall not then the Muslimnd pleasure in prostrating himself ingratitude before the Lord of the Worlds?Shall not a Muslim hold his head highamong the people of mankind? For, inhis belief in the Existence of Allah, aMuslim nds the perfect expression ofthe Soul, and thus evolves as the mostcontented of mankind.


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Halloween is a festival celebrated aroundthe world on 31st October. It is a day which has become commercialised, mostpeople being unaware of its true origins.Instead, most associate Halloween withonly pumpkins, scary costumes, bonresand trick or treating. Societies go to greatlengths to ensure that no one missesout on this festivity. Even a pregnantmother can obtain an outt of a witch

or a devil to wear. Supermarket aisles arethe centre of attraction with their vast variety of Halloween themed goods,and the bookshelves are loaded withHalloween themed books. Advice andspecial tips are given out at this time of year, on how to include and be sensitiveto the vulnerable senior citizens in societyduring Halloween.

In short, Halloween is considered bymany around the world as a harmlessday of fun. But how did Halloweenactually begin? Behind all the innocentcelebrations is the reality and history of adarker side of festivities linked to sorcery,spiritism and occultist rituals.

Te History and Origins of Halloween Te history and origins of Halloween are

predominantly linked to pagan beliefs.Te word pagan was originally used bythe Urban Romans to refer to people whopreferred the faith of their local rulingbody, it was later applied to people who worshipped local deities, or people whopracticed polytheism.1 Pagans are people who practice non-Abrahamic religions.Paganism or Neo paganism (modernpaganism) promotes reverence for the

NAVIDA SAYED , UK

Halloween Harmlessor Harmful Fun?



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earth and/or deities of pre-Christianreligions. Halloween or Samhain is a

very important Holy festival in theircalendar. Troughout history, the Church(the church is not only a building, but

a body of religious people), attemptedto invite pagans to Christianity byincluding religious ceremonies or holydates coinciding with pagan festivals,so that the pagans could keep some oftheir traditions and come into the foldsof Christianity. One of these festivals wasHalloween.

Celtic Origins and DruidsHalloween, or Samhain, is one of theeight festivals in the Celts wheel of the year. Te Celts are one of the groups who

branched off from the Norse/Germanicpeople (originating in Scandinavia,Norse/Germanic people were several

HALLOWEEN HARMLESS OR HARMFUL FUN ?

Troughout history, theChurch attempted to invite pagans to Christianity byincluding religious ceremonies

or holy dates coincidingwith pagan festivals.



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groups of people whose beliefs varied,but had some similarities).

he origin of Halloween is from theCeltic festival of death marking thebeginning of their New Year, calledSamhain, pronounced sow-en or saw-win, celebrated on 31st October or 1 st November.

From the earliest records,Samhain isseen not simply as a day for the deadbut when the dead might reach out tothe living.2

Tis came to be known as the feast ofthe dead, because the Celts believe thaton this night the veil or border betweenthe worlds of the living and dead is thethinnest, enabling souls of the dead tore-enter the world. Tis was a time whenthe Celts anticipated communing withthe dead spirits, in the hope that theirdead ancestors would guide them aboutthe forthcoming new year.

On this day the spirits of the deadleft their graves and roamed the earth or visited their former homes and families.3

During Samhain, Druid priests believedthat the evil spirits were responsiblefor bringing about the advent of cold

weather and shorter hours of daylight,(a druid could be a priest, teacher, judgeor philosopher). Te Celtic Druids litbonres to markSamhain and to combatthe powers of darkness, and offeredsacrices as a request and plea to the godsto return sun and warmth after the coldand dark winter. Many historians believethat ancient Druids performed human oranimal sacrices and there is evidenceof human ritual sacrices being offeredto the gods in exchange for the troubledlife of the people... these were sacredand magical acts made in great times ofneed.4 However, modern Druids do not

offer human or animal sacrices and theyhave not revived this practice.5 Druidspast and present, celebrated or celebratethe festival ofSamhain, and their primefocus is to honour the dead on thisDruidic New Year Day.

Te ancient Druids believe that the soulis immortal, that after a person diestheir soul reincarnates and lives againin another living entityeither in aplant or the body of a human or animal. Te Druid priests and priestesses actedas mediums through which the spiritscould be summoned and heard.Samhain

is a time for divination and magic. Te Druids foretell the future on thispowerful night.



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Witches/Wiccans Holy Night Witches or wiccans (wicca is the namefor the modern witchcraft movement)honour many gods and goddesses. Wiccais amongst the fastest growing religionsin the United States. In 1999 resultsbased on a voluntary poll estimated thatthere were around 768,000 Wiccans andPagans in the United states.6 Witches or

Wiccans have their magical tools (wand,chalice, pentacle etc.), and they may dressmainly in the colours purple and black.For witches black is the colour of deepcreativity, the inner-self and the mysteriesof the universe, however the witch cladin black is an old image.7 Contrary topopular belief, they do not wander the world in pointed hats waving their magic wands, this is the stereotypical image which was created and is illustrated inchildrens stories and lms.8 Te wiccansdo not follow any sacred text, but theyfollow a rule not to harm others. Te

Wiccan Book of Rites and Rituals states...whatever harm is done to others willcome back threefold....9

OnSamhain, or Halloween, the wiccans/ witches believe that the God is dead.Some say the goddess is in mourning andenters the crone stage. For most wiccans,

she is in the mother stage for althoughshe mourns, she is pregnant with thegods child and due to give birth...10

Wicca is amongst the fastest growing religionsin the United States.


Pentagram Parchment. The Pentagram is asymbol used by many followers of Wicca



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Te crone, or old hag, is associated withthe witchesSamhain season of the dead.

Tey believe that this is the time whenthe crone prepares the shrouds for thedead, and she is the midwife who receivesthe dead at the end of their life whenthey are reborn into the otherworld.11 Samhain, or All Hallows Eve , is one ofthe eight major Sabbats, of the witches/pagan calendar.

A Sabbat is a gathering of witches forthe purposes of celebrating allegianceto the devil, casting spells, plotting eviland indulging in feasting, drinking,dancing....12.

Samhain is considered to be the highestholy day and the busiest night of the yearfor witches, who are deeply engrossed incasting spells, fortune-telling and magick. Tey believe that:

his is the time to perform ritualsdealing with communication with the

dead, honouring the deceased, psychicabilities, divining...and to pay specialhomage to the dead. Because the realmagick begins at midnight on October31st, and continues for a full twenty-fourhours to November 1st.13

On this night, witches perform manyrituals including honouring andcommunicating with the dead. his

On this night, witches perform many ritualsincluding honouring andcommunicating with the dead.

Witches perform many rituals on this nightinvolving the use of candles, cauldrons,incense and other ingredients



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process involves the use of candles,

cauldrons, incense, spider-webs andmany other ingredients depending onthe ritual, followed by citing incantations.Some of these spells or rituals involve visiting graveyards. Witches or wiccanshonour the dead and celebrateSamhain by forming circles, either on their ownor with other witches and perform various rituals in a process of inviting andcommuning with the dead. Black cats,owls, toads and bats are an important linkbetween Halloween and the occult, whichare known as the witchs familiars.

A familiar is a demon or imp, usually inthe outward form of an animal that wasassigned to a witch or sorcerer to carryout a magic on their command.14

Te witches Sabbats holidays are stillcelebrated today, by modern-day pagans.

Roman Inuence on Halloween Te Romans believed in many deities,their laws were based on logic, but alsoon omen, and divination was common.15

Alongside the worship of deities, theRomans celebrated several festivals,and two of their festivals inuenced thecelebration of Halloween. Around A.D.50, the Romans had conquered most ofthe Celtic lands, the Romans broughttheir traditions with them.16 One was thetraditional festival Feralia, (a day in late

October when the Romans traditionallycommemorated the passing of the dead)and the other festival was a day to honourPomona (the Roman harvest goddess offruit and trees).

he Romans pictured Pomona as abeautiful young maiden, her arms lled with fruit, and a crown of apples on herhead. o thank Pomona for good harvests,the Romans laid out apples and nuts inher honour. Tey played various games,held races and celebrated throughout theday and night.17

Te Roman festival of the dead Fernaliaand Pomona, became mingled withSamhain, because they were celebrated at

Wiccan/Celtic Wheel of the Year




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the same time. It is believed that: manyHalloween customs and games includingapples, such as apple bobbing and applepeeling probably dates from this time.18

Halloween and the Christian ChurchIn Christian tradition, Halloween isthe abbreviated term for All Hallows of Eve , the day before All Saints Day , a day when Christians commemorate all theknown and unknown deceased saints ofthe church.

On May 13, 609/10, Pope Boniface IVdeclared November 1st to be All SaintsDay to honour Catholic saints andmartyrs. November 1st became known

as All-Hallowmas and All-Hallows ,thus making October 31 st All-Hallows Eve , which in turn came to be knownas Halloween. Around A.D. 1000, theCatholic Church expanded the holidayto November 2nd AllSouls Day a dayto honour all of the dead.19 Tis wasthe Churchs attempt to associate theirown Saints with the time of the paganspirits.20

It is believed that:

As Christianity spread throughoutEurope, the church sought to eliminatethe pagan practices of the Celts by givingthe Samhain a new meaning. Mostcultures set aside a day for rememberingthe dead, so the Roman Churchdesignated November 1st as All HallowsDay to eulogise departed saints.21

Te rst testimony to All Souls Day is

found around the tenth century.....andprobably represents an attempt on thepart of the church to turn the minds ofthe faithful away from the pagan beliefin and tendance of ghosts, to thecontemplation of saints in the glory ofparadise.22

On this holy day of obligation for theCatholics and many other Christians,a custom of singing the Litany of the

Pope Boniface IV, who was Pope from608AD until his death in 615AD, declaredNovember 1st to be All Saints Day, thusmaking October 31st All Hallows Eve.



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Saints follows, where the names ofthe Saints are invoked. Following theinvocation of the saints, the Litanyconcludes with a series of supplicationsto God to hear the prayers of the worshippers.

Unfortunately, even though the Church

tried to Christianise (adapting andaccommodating parts of pagan festivalsinto the Christian faith, by giving themnew names and celebrating them on thesame days or seasons,) this pagan holiday,they did not succeed, because they couldnot inuence witches or pagans to turnaway from and abandon their witchcraft,divinations and sorcery, instead it becamea mockery for the Witches.

Halloween became known as the nightof the witch. It was then, accordingto superstition, that the devil and allhis followers witches, warlocks, anddemons gathered. Tey would mockthe coming of the Churchs festivalof All Saints Day on November 1st by

performing unholy acts.23

Creating a day such as All Hallows toremember the departed saints or souls, inthe name of Christianity, only alludes tothe spiritual weakness of such believers. Tis day is not an instruction of the Bibleeither, nor is it a teaching of Jesus(as). It is

ironic that any follower of Jesus(as)

couldever contemplate creating such a day, which goes against the teachings of theOld estament. Many devout followersof the Bible do not celebrate Halloweenand its pagan customs, bearing in mindthe teachings of the Bible:24

It is evident that Halloween is a dayof the dead and the peak momentof Sorcery, divinations and occultistpractices associated with harmfulinnovations. Many of these practicesdate back thousands of years and overtime. Prophets warned people about

the harms of such practices, ProphetMoses(as) warned:

When thou art come into the land whichthe LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shaltnot learn to do after the abominations ofthose nations. here shall not be foundamong you any one that maketh his son orhis daughter to pass through the re, or thatuseth divination, or an observer of times, or

Te Church tried toChristianise this paganholiday, they did not succeed.




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an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or aconsulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard,or a necromancer. For all that do these thingsare an abomination unto the LORD: andbecause of these abominations the LORDthy God doth drive them out from before

thee. Tou shalt be perfect with the LORDthy God. For these nations, which thoushalt possess, hearkened unto observers of

times, and unto diviners: but as for thee,the LORD thy God hath not suffered theeso to do.[Deuteronomy 18:9-14]

his is a very clear message, and ascriptural injunction forbidding the

Creating a day such as All Hallows to remember thedeparted saints or souls, inthe name of Christianity,only alludes to the spiritualweakness of such believers.

Nowhere in the Bible is there mention of All Hallows nor did Jesus (as) instruct it.Photo: Handwritten Latin Bible writtenin Belgium from 1407 AD on displayin Malemusbury Abbey, England.


8/12/2019 Halloween Harmless Or Harmfu