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The Messiah Has Come
In 1835, Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas was born in the unknown village of Qadian, India. In 1889, he founded the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. By the end of his life he had hundreds of thousands of followers. Today, his peaceful community numbers in the many millions, and grows at a remarkable rate each year. Its adherents hail from every faith, nation, and walk of life. Among his followers are Nobel Prize winners, United Nations Director-Generals, and celebrated authors, artists, and leaders of nations. They all claimed that by following Ahmad they achieved something no longer seen in the contemporary world — a genuine, two-way connection with our Creator; spiritual enlightenment in our age of darkness. Ahmad made a remarkable claim. He said that he was the long-awaited Messiah and Reformer foretold by Christianity, Islam and countless other religions. He said that as Islam was the universal religion, the Reformer to come in this age was to be a single man, born and raised in the all-embracing Muslim faith. But what of the first Messiah, Jesus? With Biblical, Quranic, and historical argumentation he proved that Jesus of Nazareth survived the crucifixion, fled East and died a natural death in India. Ahmad claimed that the old Jesus would never come back, and second coming of Jesus that Muslims and Christians alike await was a spiritual rebirth, rather than a physical descent from the skies. He claimed to be a Prophet for our time, a deputy to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who was and always will be the greatest of all Prophets. Ahmad did not rest with claims alone, but proved them with ceaseless intellectual output and the testimony of heavenly signs. Thus was the long-awaited double eclipse in the month of Ramadan fulfilled in his lifetime. Thus did he call those who branded him a liar to prayer duels and emerge in humble victory. Thus did his prophecies foretell the Great War and countless other world events. But his truest proof lay in the spiritual revolution that he created among his followers. The connection that they forged with God by following Ahmad brought with it fresh inspiration and revelation. This contact with the Divine sustained the spiritual lives of his followers 125 years ago, and continues to do so today. Over half a million join each year — their stories of Divine Experience are numberless. Ahmad had no political ambitions. He shunned the world and lived a life of hardship and restraint. His community does not seek to conquer lands, but to conquer hearts. Its aim is to reconnect man with God, and to reconnect the hearts of humanity with each other. Its method is simple: to follow the true teachings of Islam, as revealed in the Holy Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. It does so under divine guidance, in the form of elected spiritual successorship known as Caliphate. Today we live under the fifth Caliph, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, an internationally renowned ambassador of peace, and a beacon of spiritual guidance. He travels the world purveying the message of Islam Ahmadiyya, the True Islam. This Islam is far removed from the fanaticism of extremists, and is the path to spiritual, social, and international peace that our world so sorely needs.
Khilafat
Introduction A Khalifa literally means a ‘successor’. Khalīfah is an Arabic word used in the Qur’an to denote a person who succeeds or represents a forebear. The institution as a whole is called Khilāfah, which is referred to on the Indian Sub-continent as Khilafat. The Holy Qur’an specifically promises the Muslim Community that ‘Khilafat’, or ‘successorship’ will remain among them after the demise of the Prophet Muhammadsa, Allah has promised to those among you who believe and act righteously, that He will surely make them Successors (Khulafā) in the earth, as He made Successors from among those who were before them; and that He will surely establish for them their religion, which He has chosen for them; and that He will surely grant them security and peace in place of their fear.(Holy Qur’an, 24:56) This verse clearly and explicitly foretells the appearance of Khulafā, (the Arabic plural of ‘Khalifa’), among the Muslims as there were among previous peoples. These Khulafa will come to establish the faith, and to give people ease and security at a time of fear. The Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas explained the need for Khulafa as follows: ‘A successor is called a Khalifah. The successor of a prophet in the real sense can only be the one who has the excellences of a prophet on a shadowlike basis…in fact a Khalifah is the shadow of a prophet. As no person can live forever, therefore Allah the Exalted willed to establish the beings of prophets, who are the most eminent and the best among all the beings of the world, on a shadow-like basis till the Day of Judgement. It is with this objective that Allah the Exalted chose Khilafat so that the world may never and at no time be deprived of the blessings of prophethood.’ The Prophet Muhammadsa elaborated on the future appearance of Khilafat among his followers in a well-known narration: HIS HOLINESS MIRZA MASROOR AHMADATBA KHALIFA OF THE AHMADIYYA MUSLIM COMMUNITY “Prophethood shall remain among you as long as God wills. Then khilafat on the pattern of prophethood will commence and remain as long as He wills. A corrupt monarchy shall then follow and it shall remain as long as God wills. There shall then be a tyrannical despotism which shall remain as long as God wills. Then once again khilafat will emerge on the precept of prophethood.” (Masnad-¬Ahmad, Mishkat, Chapter Al-Anzar Wal Tahzir). Thus the Prophet Muhammadsa foretold that after his demise, true spiritual Khilafat will emerge. Then would follow various phases of Islamic rule, each worse than the last, before ‘Khilafat on the precepts of Prophethood’ would reappear once more. History has borne witness that every word of the Holy Prophetsa has been fulfilled. After his own passing, there emerged spiritual leadership in the form of the four Rightly-Guided Khulafa. Then there followed age after age of successive Muslim leadership, the integrity of which dissipated every century. Then, in the 19th Century, came the advent of the Promised Messiahas, a follower-prophet after the Prophet Muhammadsa. After Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’s demise, there once again appeared Khilafat ‘on the precept of Prophethood,’ providing spiritual guidance in an age of worldly decadence. The current Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadatba, a spiritual light in this age of darkness, renowned throughout the world as a tireless campaigner for international peace and justice. *** If you want to learn more about Khilafat after reading through these pages, you can discover more articles, books, and multimedia on the http://www.alislam.org website. Types of Khilafat The 2nd Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Bashirrudin Mahmud Ahmadra delineated the different kinds of Khilafat in his erudite commentary on the following verse: Allah had promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will surely make them Successors in the earth, as He made Successors from among those who were before them; and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them; and that He will surely give them in exchange security and peace after their fear: They will worship Me, and they will not associate anything with Me. Then who so is ungrateful after that, they will be the rebellious. (Holy Qur’an, 24:56) He explained: ‘The present verse embodies a promise that Muslims will be vouchsafed both spiritual and temporal leadership. The promise is made to the whole Muslim nation but the institution of Khilafat will take a palpable form in the person of certain individuals who will be the Prophet’s Successors and the representatives of the whole nation. They will be, as it were, Khilafat personified. The verse further says that the fulfilment of this promise will depend on the Muslims’ observing the Prayer and giving the Zakat and on their obeying the Messenger of God in all religious and temporal matters concerning the nation. When they will have fulfilled these conditions, the boon of Khilafat will be bestowed upon them and they will be made the leaders of nations; their state of fear will give place to a condition of safety and security, Islam will reign supreme in the world, and above all the Oneness and Unity of God – the real purpose and object of Islam – will become firmly established. The promise of the establishment of Khilafat is clear and unmistakable. As the Holy Prophet is now humanity’s sole guide for all time, his Khilafat must continue to exist in one form or another in the world till the end of time, all other Khilafahs having ceased to exist. This is among many others the Holy Prophet’s distinct superiority over all other Prophets and Messengers of God. Our age has witnessed his greatest spiritual Khalifa in the person of Ahmad, the Promised Messiah. The Qur’an has mentioned three kinds of Khulafa: Khulafa, who are Prophets such as Adam and David. About Adam, God says in the Qur’an: “I am about to place a vicegerent in the earth” (2:31); and about David He says: “O David, We have made thee a vicegerent in the earth”
Islam – Introduction
What does Islam really teach? What are its fundamental beliefs, and what are the actions it enjoins? What is the Qur’an, and what wisdom does it contain? These pages seek to answer these questions, and give the reader a perfect starting point to learn about this great faith. We start with the Articles of Faith, which are the six core beliefs of Islam. As it is a key principle in Islam that belief must be put into action, we then move onto the Pillars of Faith, which are the five key religious acts to be performed by Muslims. Thereafter we discuss the Qur’an, and offer an overview of Islamic History. Please note that the letters (sa)/pbuh or (as) appearing after the name of the Prophet Muhammadsa and other Prophets respectively, indicates an Arabic honorific translating to ‘peace be upon him.’ (ra) indicates ‘May Allah be pleased with him/her.’ Further Learning Once you’ve exhausted the pages on this website, you may want to know where else you can learn about Islam! For that reason, we’ve compiled some further sources of education below. Books An Elementary Study of Islam By Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad This book, written by the blessed 4th Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, provides an insightful overview of the core teachings of Islam. Much of this section is excerpted from this wonderful introduction. Read it now. Holy Qur’an with Short Commentary This publication of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a perfect introduction to the text of the Qur’an itself. With an easy-to-read English translation, and commentary summarised from the 2nd Khalifa’s, the book constitutes a short but in-depth primer to Qur’anic scholarship. Read it online or by PDF. Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam By Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad This classic of Ahmadiyya literature has introduced countless souls to the world of Islam. A deep and revolutionary analysis of the Islamic teachings by the Promised Messiah himself. Enlightenment awaits! Read it now. You can find countless more books freely available on the Alislam library. Multimedia MTA International The revolutionary broadcasting channel of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, MTA (Muslim Television Ahmadiyya) now has several different channels with endless content on Islam 24/7. See it on YouTube, watch live on its website, or visit channel 787 on Sky TV. Alislam.org Alislam is the international homepage of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. It is a repository of information on Islam and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, featuring thousands of books, articles, and hours of media production. Visit Alislam now. Ask Islam This is a treasure-trove of information on every subject, excerpted from audio recordings of the late 4th Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad. Just search your query, and find an answer! Visit now. The Tahir Archive This YouTube channel collects all the video material of the 4th Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad. Here you can find full original Q&A sessions, lectures delving into the depths of Holy Qur’an teachings, and videos with translations into many of the world’s languages. A must watch for further education on Islam. Watch it online here. Articles of Faith Belief in God’s Unity The following article was written by the 4th Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, in his much-lauded book, An Elementary Study of Islam. *** This seems to be a rather simple and elementary concept. It should not be difficult for anybody to understand the oneness of God, and there the matter seems to rest. But in fact there is far more to this than meets the eye. When one examines the concept of Unity in depth, the entire world of religion seems to revolve around this pivotal point. This belief influences man’s life in all its aspects. It also implies the negation of all else but God. So belief in the oneness of God is not the end-all of belief, but all other beliefs spring from this fountain-head of eternal truth. This also delivers a message of liberation from all other yokes and releases man from all obligations except such as is born out of his submission to God. This article has been further elucidated from different angles, both in the Holy Qur’an and the traditions of the Holy Prophet(sa) of Islam. For instance, the declaration ‘La houl wala quat illa Billah’ (There is no all-encompassing power except Allah) opens up new windows for a deeper and wider understanding of Unity. It negates all fears other than the fear of God. The second part of the same brings to the focus of attention another very important aspect of Unity, i.e. that the power to achieve good is solely dependent on God and that He is Master of all sources of strength and energy. Hence while the first part relates to the negative aspects of power, the second part relates to the positive. In application to human actions, intentions and motivations etc., these two forces are all-encompassing. Man’s intentions and his subsequent actions are always guided and controlled either by fear or hope and there is no exception to this rule. Those who do good deeds do so out of fear and hope, and those who indulge in vices are motivated by the same. The fears of non-believers belong to the negative ungodly category, and they shape their lives in accordance with these worldly fears. Sometimes they are afraid of earning the displeasure of monarchs and authorities, sometimes they are afraid of society in general or of despots and bullies. Again, sometimes they act evilly out of a fear of poverty and loss etc. So, in a world full of vices, a large part of human actions can be explained with reference to these fears. The belief in Unity dispels these fears altogether and brings to one’s mind the importance of the fear of God, which means that one must not be afraid of the displeasure of the ungodly, but should always endeavour to avoid displeasing God and shape one’s life according to that fear alone. In the positive sense, the same applies to all human motivations and consequent
Ahmadiyya Beliefs
Overview The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a community of Muslims who believe that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadianas (1835-1908) was the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi. Ahmadis believe that he was the foretold reformer for the latter days, promised in both Islamic and non-Islamic religious texts. For while it exults in material progress, the world finds itself in an age of spiritual darkness. Ahmad claimed to be the light for this age, to guide seekers of truth into spiritual enlightenment. His followers now number in the tens of millions, spread over 200 countries of the world. Though they are persecuted bitterly in some parts of the globe, and deemed heretical by many an established cleric, their cause continues to find progress in every quarter of the globe. Having translated the Holy Qur’an into over 70 languages, their mission is to spread the original peaceful teachings of Islam throughout the world. The community has now 4 international satellite television channels, spreading the peaceful and rational message of the Prophet Muhammadsa throughout the globe. Its literature and missionary efforts have been hailed as pioneering in the USA, Europe and Africa in particular. In recent years, the message of the Promised Messiahas has become more widely heard in the Middle East, with unprecedented numbers of Arabs joining. What can explain the success of such a religious community, perhaps the only in the world to rely entirely on the donations of its own adherents? How can we explain the success of a spiritual movement that is bitterly opposed by many governments and religious orders alike? Perhaps the answer lies in divine support for a refreshingly rational and peaceful presentation of Islam, with a message that satisfies the mind and moves the heart. Beliefs This page will explore the beliefs of Ahmadi Muslims, exploring both similarities and differences with our Non-Ahmadi ‘Sunni’ and ‘Shia’ brothers and sisters. A brief summary follows: Ahmadi Muslims believe in the Five Pillars of Islam, the Six Articles of Faith, the superiority of the Qur’an over all other texts, the station of Muhammadsa as Seal of the Prophets, the pre-eminence of the Rightly-Guided Khulafa, the high station of the Prophet’ssa companions, and all the other major aspects of Islam agreed upon by the 4 major schools of Sunni Islam. We also believe in the lofty station of the immediate descendants of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa , while not ascribing inherent divine leadership to them. Ahmadi Muslims differ from contemporary Sunni & Shia Muslims in a few important areas: Death of Prophet Jesusas Ahmadi Muslims believe that Jesusas was a Prophet like other Prophets. As such, we do not accept the idea held by many clergy today that Jesusas has ascended to heaven, and is waiting to return with sword in hand, to herald a bloody end to the world. Ahmadi Muslims deem this belief a dishonour to the peaceful and rational teachings of Islam, and trace this belief’s origin in Muslim thought to an era long after that of the Prophet Muhammadsa , when great numbers of Christians entered into the fold of Islam. Such beliefs find no basis in the Qur’an or the authentic traditions of the Qur’an and are in fact refuted by them. Based on Qur’anic, Biblical, and historical records, Ahmadis believe that Jesusas survived the crucifixion attempt on his life, escaped the clutches of the Roman Empire, and fled East to the lands of Tibet and India. There he preached to the lost tribes of the House of Israel, before dying at the age of 120 in Kashmir. There his tomb is to be found, venerated by the local population as the tomb of Jesusas , who visited the land 2000 years ago. Second Coming of Jesusas There is a clear prophecy in the Qur’an about the second appearance of the Prophet Muhammadsa in the Latter Days. There are also explicit prophecies of the Prophetsa regarding the Second Coming of the ‘Messiah, Son of Mary,’ as well as references to the arrival of the ‘Imam Mahdi.’ To Ahmadis, all these prophecies relate to different aspects of the same Prophetic figure in this era. As Jesusas has passed away, the ‘second coming of the Messiah’ can only have a metaphorical and symbolic meaning: in the same way that Jesusas was the Messiah for the Jews in the 14th century after Moses, the prophecy foretells a messianic figure for the Muslims appearing in the 14th century after the Prophet Muhammadsa . The character of both respective communities would be similar. The Jews in the time of Jesusashad become extremists, with many supporting a terrorist movement known as the Zealots who sought to overthrow the ruling Roman Empire and establish a Jewish state. In the same way, the Muslim clergy of today adhere to extremist beliefs, often showing support to extremist groups who seek to overthrow western government by violent means. Moreover, the metaphor of the ‘Second Coming’ indicated that the character of the respective Messiahs would be similar. Whereas Jesusas came with a teaching of compassion and tenderness to a hard-hearted Jewish nation, so too would the Muslim Messiah come with a teaching of peace and sympathy to a hard-hearted Muslim nation. Thus the Second Coming was symbolic, indicating that there would be a spiritual affinity between the Jewish Messiah and the Muslim Messiah. Not only this, but Ahmadis believe that the prophecies of the Imam Mahdi indicate that he would also be the Messiah, and would be a spiritual manifestation of the Prophet Muhammadsahimself. Taken together, both the Qur’an and the narrations tell us that the Mahdi and the Messiah are two aspects of the same individual. This individual would be a spiritual reflection of the Prophet Muhammadsa himself. For Ahmadi Muslims, that individual was the Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadianas . Finality of Prophethood The Holy Qur’an calls the Prophet Muhammadsa the ‘Seal of the Prophets’. It is often claimed that Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas contradicted this by claiming to be a Follower-Prophet himself. This is a misconception based on the idea that the term the ‘Seal of the Prophets’ means that there would be literally no
Introduction to Islam
What does Islam really teach? What are its fundamental beliefs, and what are the actions it enjoins? What is the Qur’an, and what wisdom does it contain? These pages seek to answer these questions, and give the reader a perfect starting point to learn about this great faith. We start with the Articles of Faith, which are the six core beliefs of Islam. As it is a key principle in Islam that belief must be put into action, we then move onto the Pillars of Faith, which are the five key religious acts to be performed by Muslims. Thereafter we discuss the Qur’an, and offer an overview of Islamic History. Please note that the letters (sa)/pbuh or (as) appearing after the name of the Prophet Muhammadsa and other Prophets respectively, indicates an Arabic honorific translating to ‘peace be upon him.’ (ra) indicates ‘May Allah be pleased with him/her.’ Further Learning Once you’ve exhausted the pages on this website, you may want to know where else you can learn about Islam! For that reason, we’ve compiled some further sources of education below. Books An Elementary Study of Islam By Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad This book, written by the blessed 4th Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, provides an insightful overview of the core teachings of Islam. Much of this section is excerpted from this wonderful introduction. Read it now. Holy Qur’an with Short Commentary This publication of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a perfect introduction to the text of the Qur’an itself. With an easy-to-read English translation, and commentary summarised from the 2nd Khalifa’s, the book constitutes a short but in-depth primer to Qur’anic scholarship. Read it online or by PDF. Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam By Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad This classic of Ahmadiyya literature has introduced countless souls to the world of Islam. A deep and revolutionary analysis of the Islamic teachings by the Promised Messiah himself. Enlightenment awaits! Read it now. You can find countless more books freely available on the Alislam library. Multimedia MTA International The revolutionary broadcasting channel of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, MTA (Muslim Television Ahmadiyya) now has several different channels with endless content on Islam 24/7. See it on YouTube, watch live on its website, or visit channel 787 on Sky TV. Alislam.org Alislam is the international homepage of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. It is a repository of information on Islam and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, featuring thousands of books, articles, and hours of media production. Visit Alislam now. Ask Islam This is a treasure-trove of information on every subject, excerpted from audio recordings of the late 4th Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad. Just search your query, and find an answer! Visit now. The Tahir Archive This YouTube channel collects all the video material of the 4th Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad. Here you can find full original Q&A sessions, lectures delving into the depths of Holy Qur’an teachings, and videos with translations into many of the world’s languages. A must watch for further education on Islam. Watch it online here.
Other Prophets
Overview Our universe and all that it contains is the creation of Allah, the Wise. He has created everything with a purpose and to achieve that purpose He has provided all necessary guidance and means. He has created man in His own image and has made him the chief of His creation. Both good and bad have been made manifestly clear to man. He has also been blessed with wisdom by which he can find out the right path, can sift right from wrong and truth from falsehood. The Holy Quran tells us that man has been endowed with both spiritual and physical eyes by which he can distinguish good from evil and has been given a tongue and two lips that he might ask for guidance, and above all God has placed before him a supreme object of his life that he may devote all his faculties and energies to achieve it. Man has been granted the choice of both selection and action. Hence he is the master of his own destiny. To achieve the object of life, God, out of His benevolence raises prophets, who serve as models. These prophets have been appearing in every people and in all parts of the world. Their mission has always been to guide mankind to its Creator, through their example and model. The guidance revealed through each prophet was designed to cater for the specific needs of the time and location; hence they were essentially temporary in nature. With the advancement and maturity of mankind God sent advanced and matured teachings suitable to their time. God’s guidance for human race commenced through Adam (peace be upon him) and reached the zenith through Mohammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). God says, “This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed my favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as religion.” – Holy Qur’an, 5:4 Thus the revelation of Law, or Shariah, was perfected and completed by Islam. According to one saying of the Prophet Muhammadsa the number of prophets who were chosen to convey the message of God to mankind is 124,000. The names of all of them are not mentioned anywhere. However the Holy Quran states in very clear words, “There are no people (in the world) to whom We have not sent a Warner.” – Holy Qur’an 35:25 It also mentions the following twenty-eight prophets by name: Adam (peace be upon him), Noah (peace be upon him), Abraham (peace be upon him), Lot (peace be upon him), Ishmael (peace be upon him), Isaac (peace be upon him), Jacob (peace be upon him), Joseph (peace be upon him), Hud (peace be upon him), Salih (peace be upon him), Shuaib (peace be upon him), Moses (peace be upon him), Aaron (peace be upon him), David (peace be upon him), Solomon (peace be upon him), Elias (Elijah) (peace be upon him), Jonah (peace be upon him), Ezekiel (Dhul-Kifl) (peace be upon him), Elisha (Alyasa) (peace be upon him), Idris (Enoch) (peace be upon him) (19:57), Job (peace be upon him) (4:164), Zechariah (peace be upon him) (19:3),John (Yahya) (peace be upon him) (3:40), Jesus (peace be upon him) (3:46), Luqman(peace be upon him) (31:13), Ezra (peace be upon him) (9:30), Dhul-Qarnain (peace be upon him) (18:84), Mohammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) (48:30). Belief in all the prophets and their messages is an integral part of the belief of every Muslim. The Holy Quran states, “This messenger of Ours believes in that which has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers; all of them believe in Allah, and in His angels, and in His Books, and in His Messengers, saying, ‘We make no distinction between any of His Messengers.’ ” –Holy Qur’an, 2:286. In prophethood all are equal but their ranks are different as is clear from the following verse of the Holy Quran, “These Messengers have We exalted some of them above others; among them there are those whom Allah spoke; and some of them He exalted in degrees of rank…’ – Holy Qur’an, 2:254 So Wherever and to whichever people prophets have been sent, they are our (Muslims) prophets as well, and we hold them in great reverence. The following brief histories of a few of them is given for the benefit of the reader. This overview was written by Daud A. Hanif, as originally published by the Muslim Sunrise. Other Prophets Adam This article was first published on alislam, titled Quran, Adam and Original Sin by Belal Khalid. An extract was also taken from an interview by Professor Wraig of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas . *** Evolution and History of Mankind from Quran The Holy Quran says that God desired to bring into existence a universe which should serve as a manifestation of His Majesty and His Light and that this was the cause of the creation of universe. It says that God created the heavens and the earth in six periods. Before that God ruled over water. God`s object in creating the heavens and the earth out of water was to bring into existence a being endowed with the will to choose between good and evil. These beings would pass through various trials and would seek to outstrip one another in doing good and thus show which of them had attained to perfection (11:8). This verse shows that before matter assumed its present form, it existed in liquid shape. With regard to the pre-material stage the Quran says: “Do not the disbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were a closed up mass, then We opened them out? And We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?” – (Holy Qur’an, 21:31) The verse purports to say that the heavens and the earth were at first an amorphous mass and God then split them and formed them into a solar system and form the beginning He has always created life out of water. Stages of the Universe According to the Quran the universe passed from stage to stage till the earth assumed a shape
The Promised Messiah
Introduction HAZRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD OF QADIAN While the beliefs of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community can be explored in detail here, these pages will focus on the life and times of the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. His was a special life, one of immense success in the face of immense hardship, leaving a legacy that resonates more and more strongly in every region of the world. Before moving directly presenting a life sketch, this page presents various different sources for learning about the life of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Sources For the reader seeking an impartial view, the biography by a non-Muslim, Iain Adamson, is perhaps the first port of call. Ahmad, The Guided One is a review of his life and claims. Ahmad’s life and Adamson’s skill makes for a stirring read. A biography of more detail is Life of Ahmad — Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement, written by Abdur Rahim Dard. Dard was a companion of the Promised Messiah, and the first Imam of the historic London Mosque. The biography leaves no stone unturned in bringing you to witness the remarkable life of Ahmad. Another invaluable source is a collection of revelations of the Promised Messiah, named Tadhkirah. This volume, with a page count numbering over 1000, gives an intimate sketch of Ahmad’s spiritual life. Tadhkirah is composed of Ahmad’s own recounting of God’s revelations, stretching from his early life to his last days. This unique volume allows one to glimpse into the soul of a Prophet. Finally we have Essence of Islam Vol. 4. This volume again collects writings from Ahmad’s own corpus, this time exploring his claims and arguments in detail. This volume is perfect for those wishing to explore the specific theological claims of the Promised Messiah. Further resources can be found here. Videos Below are some videos from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community on the life of the Promised Messiah: Promised Messiah And The Timeline Of History Messiah of the Age Second Coming of the Messiah THE PROMISED MESSIAH HAZRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD OF QADIAN Hazrat Ahmad By Mirza Bashirrudin Mahmood Ahmad Second Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community The following pages give a life sketch of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah. The material is directly adapted from a book written by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad, the son of the Promised Messiah and the second Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The foreword is written by Hazrat Muhammad Zafrullah Khan, one of the companions of the Promised Messiah and a renowned scholar, jurist and statesman. The book constitutes a perfect introduction to the life and times of His Holiness — “Hazrat” — Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Foreword The closing years of the nineteenth and the opening years of the twentieth century witnessed the transition from one epoch of human history to another. Since then man’s daily increasing knowledge of the laws of nature and his growing mastery of its forces have added a new dimension to human life on earth. This tremendous upheaval has released a bewildering variety and complexity of problems in every sphere of life. While some sort of adjustment and co-ordination are in the process of being worked out in the physical sphere, moral and spiritual values are demonstrably fighting a losing battle and there does not appear to be much chance of their making a firm stand, leave alone advancing boldly forward against the forces of disintegration. The prospects are bleak and cheerless. The safeguarding of these values is pre-eminently the task of religion, and religion appears supine on the ground and helpless in this confrontation. It seems more than likely that it may soon be swept out of the way by the surging forces of so-called modernity and progress. The terrible truth is that all progress is impelling mankind towards chaos and annihilation rather than towards security and prosperity. The physical and the material have become the sole concern and pre-occupation of man. He is totally beguiled, and has no thought to spare for the morrow and the Hereafter. Yet, what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul? Is there, then no help, while the guides and guardians of the spirit are beginning to repudiate God Himself, by asserting that God is no more than the centre of our being, and proclaiming boldly: God is dead? Indeed, there is: “Allah-there is no God but He, the living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining. Slumber seizes Him not, nor sleep. To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that will intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He pleases. His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth; and the care of them burdens Him not; and He is the High, the Great”(The Quran 2:256) THE OPENING CHAPTER OF THE HOLY QUR’AN If this is so, why does God not manifest Himself in this age as He has done so in the past? Why are His attributes not in operation today, as they were in the past? When it is said: ‘God is dead’, why does not God proclaim: ‘I am not, 1 am the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Sustaining’? God’s attributes are eternal and are in operation all the time. He manifests Himself today as He did in ages past, and by the same tokens, He furnishes guidance, adequate for all contingencies, at all times. He reveals Himself constantly to those of His servants who strive after Him. All the contingencies and complexities of this epoch lie open before Him, and He has, in His perfect wisdom, made provision for all of them. Only He has left it to the free choice of each of His creatures to choose and follow the Path of guidance and security or that of error and ruin. The comprehensive guidance is contained in the Quran, the verbal revelation vouchsafed to the Prophet of Islam
The Prophet Muhammad
Introduction The Prophet Muhammadas, peace be upon him (sa), was the founder of Islam. On these pages, we will briefly outline his life story, drawing upon the sources listed below. By tracing the life story of the Holy Prophetsa , one can separate myth from reality, and perceive the radiant character of the Prophetsa shining through. To begin with, we will present some excerpts from the writings of his greatest lover, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi: “That light of high degree that was bestowed on perfect man was not in angels, was not in stars, was not in the moon, was not in the sun, was not in the oceans and the rivers, was not in rubies, emeralds, sapphires, or pearls; in short, it was not in any earthly or heavenly object. It was only in perfect man whose highest and loftiest and most perfect example was our lord and master, the Chief of the Prophets, the Chief of all living ones, Muhammad, the chosen one (sa). That light was bestowed on this man and, according to their ranks, upon all those who bore the same colour to some degree…. This dignity was found in its highest and most perfect form in our lord and master and our guide, the immaculate Prophet, the righteous one, testified to by the righteous, Muhammad, the chosen one (sa).” “O all ye who dwell upon the earth, and O all human souls that are in the east or in the west, I announce to you emphatically that the true reality in the earth is Islam alone,and the True God is the God Who is described in the Qur’an, and the Prophet who has everlasting spiritual life and who is seated on the throne of glory and holiness, is Muhammad, the chosen one (sa). The proof of his spiritual life and holy majesty is that by following him and loving him we become recipients of the Holy Spirit and are favoured with the bounty of converse with God and witness heavenly signs.” “When we estimate justly, then out of the whole series of Prophets, we find one of high courage and alive and greatly dear to God, the Chief of the Prophets, the pride and the crown of the Messengers, whose name is Muhammad Mustafa and Ahmad Mujtaba [peace and blessings of Allah be on him]. By walking under his shadow for ten days one obtains that light which before him could not be obtained in a thousand years…. We have found every light by following the immaculate Prophet and whoever follows him will also find it and he will become so accepted of God that nothing will be impossible for him. The Living God, Who is hidden from people, will be his God and all false gods will be trodden under his feet. He will be blessed everywhere and Divine Power will be with him. Peace be on him who follows the guidance.” “I always wonder how high was the status of this Arabian Prophet, whose name was Muhammad, (thousands of blessings and peace be upon him). One cannot reach the limit of his high status and it is not given to man to estimate correctly his spiritual effectiveness. It is a pity that his rank has not been recognized, as it should have been. He was the champion who restored to the world the Unity of God which had disappeared from the world; he loved God in the extreme and his soul melted out of sympathy for mankind. Therefore, God, Who knew the secret of his heart, exalted him above all the Prophets and all the first ones and the last ones and bestowed upon him in his lifetime all that he desired. He is the fountainhead of every grace and a person who claims any superiority without acknowledging his grace is not a man but is the spawn of Satan, because the Holy Prophet has been bestowed the key to every exaltation and he has been given the treasury of every understanding. He who does not receive through him is deprived forever. I am nothing and possess nothing. I would be most ungrateful if I were not to confess that I have learnt of the true Unity of God through this Prophet. The recognition of the Living God we have achieved through this perfect Prophet and through his light. The honour of converse with God, through which we behold His countenance, has been bestowed upon me through this great Prophet. The ray of this sun of guidance falls like sunshine upon me and I continue illumined only so long as I am adjusted towards it.” Sources: The main bulk of biography over the following pages was from A Book of Religious Knowledge by Waheed Ahmed. Some very minor amendments have been made. The description of the Prophet’ssapersonal qualities comes from Life of Muhammed by Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmadra Miscellaneous articles on https://www.alislam.org/holyprophet/ were also consulted during this process. N.B.: The use of ‘pbuh’ signifies ‘peace be upon him’ and is an honorific given in Islam to prophets of God. It is especially important to say this after mentioning the Prophet Muhammadsa . The use of ‘ra’ signifies the Arabic for ‘may Allah be pleased with him/her’ and is often used after mentioning the name of a companion of the Prophetsa . The Prophet’s Early Life The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, was the Founder of Islam, and the one to whom the final religion was revealed by Allah. He was born in a noble family in 570 CE in Makkah, Arabia, and was a descendent of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him). The word ‘Muhammad’ literally means ‘praiseworthy’. Family Background The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa belonged to the tribe of Quraysh, the leading tribe of Makkah. The Quraysh were descendants of Prophet Abrahamsa through his son, Prophet Ismail. The Ka’bah, which is considered by Muslims to be the first house of God, was rebuilt by Abraham and his son Ismail some 2600 years before the Holy Prophetsa . Pre-Islam Arabia At the time of the birth of the Prophet Muhammadsa , the whole world seemed to be passing through a period of extreme
How Can We Know God?
Three Stages of Divine Realisation The Promised Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, peace be upon him, wrote at length about how we can be convinced of the existence of God for ourselves. He taught that believing in God is not an on/off switch. Rather, our certainty concerning God can be of different types. He outlined three different levels of certainty of God. These were the certainty by means of inference; certainty by means of sight, and certainty by means of experience. He wrote, “The Holy Quran has drawn attention to three types of knowledge: knowledge by way of certainty of inference, knowledge by way of certainty of sight, and knowledge by way of certainty of experience. As we have already explained knowledge by certainty of inference is that a thing should be known not directly but through something through which it can be inferred, as by observing smoke we infer the existence of fire. We do not see the fire, but see the smoke and because of it we believe in the existence of the fire. Then if we see the fire, this, according to the Holy Quran, would be certainty by sight. If we were to enter into the fire, our knowledge would have the quality of certainty by experience. We have set out all this already and we refer our listeners and readers to that exposition.” Certainty of Inference “It should be known that the source of the first type of knowledge, that is to say knowledge by the certainty of inference, is reason and information. God Almighty sets out in the Holy Quran that the dwellers of hell will affirm: “And they will say, ‘If we had but listened or possessed sense, we should not have been among the inmates of the blazing Fire.’” Holy Qur’an, 67:11 That is, those who go to hell will say if they had exercised their reason and had approached the consideration of religion and doctrine sensibly, or had listened to and read with attention the speeches and writings of the wise and the scholars, they would not have been condemned to hell… These verses also indicate that one can obtain the certainty of knowledge by inference through one’s ears also. For instance, we have not visited London and have only heard of it from those who have visited it, but then can we imagine that all of them might have told a lie? Or, we did not live in the time of Emperor Alamgir, nor did we see him, but can we have any doubt that Alamgir was one of the Moghul emperors? How did we arrive at that certainty? The answer is, through the continuity of hearing about him. Thus, there is no doubt that hearing also carries one’s knowledge to the stage of certainty by inference. The books of the Prophets are also a source of knowledge through hearing, provided there should be no contradiction in the account that is heard… The Holy Quran is not confined merely to knowledge gained through continuity of hearing, it contains well reasoned arguments which carry conviction. Not one of the doctrines and principles and commandments that it sets forth is sought to be imposed merely by authority; as it has explained, they are all inscribed in man’s nature… Thus, intellectual arguments which have a sound basis undoubtedly lead a person to the certainty of knowledge by inference.” THE UNIVERSE IS REPLETE WITH SIGNS OF GOD’S EXISTENCE Certainty of Sight “With regard to the hereafter our knowledge arrives at the degree of certainty by sight when we receive direct revelation and hear the voice of God through our ears, and behold the true and clear visions of God with our eyes. Without a doubt we are in need of direct revelation for the purpose of achieving such perfect understanding for which our hearts hunger and thirst in our beings. If God Almighty has not provided the means of such comprehension for us in advance then why has He created this hunger and thirst in our hearts? Is it not true that an affirmation by the Living God: I am present; bestows such a degree of understanding compared with which the self conceived books of all the philosophers amount to nothing at all? What can those so-called philosophers who are themselves blind teach us? In short, if God Almighty designs to bestow perfect understanding upon His seekers then He has certainly kept open the way of converse with them.” Certainty of Experience “The third source of knowledge is certainty through experience, that is to say, all the hardships and calamities and sufferings that are experienced by the Prophets and the righteous at the hands of their opponents, or that are imposed upon them by Divine decree. Through these hardships and sufferings all the commandments of the law and its directions that were comprehended by the human mind intellectually, appear in practical shape and become experience, and by being developed by practical exercise arrive at their climax, and the person concerned himself becomes a perfect code of Divine guidance.” Progressing from Faith to Certainty While there are many logical reasons to believe in God, such intellectual endeavour can only take you so far. Even if you believe in God on an intellectual level because of what you read of scientific discoveries, Qur’anic prophecies, and spiritual testimonies, such things won’t give you a personal experience of God. For that, you need to commit to the path of True Islam for yourself. You have to live your life dedicated to God. With such actions, you progress along the spiritual path. With such actions, you witness the existence of God in your own lives, you begin to experience true dreams and other spiritual experiences, and where your doubt once was you find only courage and conviction. The Promised Messiah, writing on this topic, tells us: “The Word of God directs us: Have faith and you will be delivered. It does not tell us: Demand philosophical reasons and conclusive
