MANAGEMENT BOARD CONTENTS - WordPress.com...MANAGEMENT BOARD Mr Munir-ud-din Shams (Chairman) Mr...

MANAGEMENT BOARDMr Munir-ud-din Shams (Chairman)

Mr Mansoor Shah (Secretary)Mr Naseer Ahmad QamarMr Mubarak Ahmad ZafarMr Mirza Fakhar AhmadMr. Abdul Baqi Arshad

CHIEF EDITOR AND MANAGERMansoor Ahmed Shah

EDITORIAL BOARDBasit Ahmad

Bockarie Tommy Kallon.Fareed AhmadFazal AhmadFauzia BajwaMansoor Saqi

Mahmood HanifMansoora Hyder-Hanif

Navida ShahidSarah Waseem

Saleem Ahmad MalikTanveer Khokhar

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORSAmatul Hadi Ahmad

Farina Qureshi

PROOF READERSAbdul Ghany Jahangeer Khan

Shaukia Mir

DESIGN AND LAYOUTTanveer Khokhar

PUBLISHERAl Shirakatul Islamiyyah

DISTRIBUTIONMuhammad Hanif

All correspondence should be forwarded to the editor at:The Review of Religions

The London Mosque16 Gressenhall RoadLondon, SW18 5QL

United Kingdom

Email: [email protected]

© Islamic Publications, 2007ISSN No: 0034-6721

Views expressed in this publication are notnecessarily the beliefs of the Ahmadiyya

Muslim Community

April 2007, Vol.102, No.04

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL – Truth Prevails by Bockarie Tommy Kallon – UK. ................... 2

COMMENT – Seeking a Free Worldby Fareed Ahmad – UK. ................................. 5

ESSENCE OF ISLAM – Part 18 – SpiritualCharacteristics of Surah FatihahRecitation of this prayer ushers one into the fold of Allah’s chosen servants.The standards for a true commentary of the Holy Qur’an and the ten systems of roots in the Holy Qur’an.Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as) .................... 7

POTENTIAL RISK FACTORS FACED BY AHMADIS IN RABWAH Continuation of the report, ‘Rabwah – A Place for Martyrs? of the UK’s Parliamentary HumanRights Group mission to Pakistan investigating the internal flight option for Ahmadis. by Jonathan Ensor, UK ................................... 22

THE ROLE OF TRUTH AND RECONCILIATIONIN ENHANCING DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE:THE CASE OF GHANA.A paper presented at a workshop on regionalissues and challenges of reconciliation in West Africa. by Maulvi A Wahab Adam – Amir, Ghana ...... 37

PRESIDENT THOMAS JEFFERSON - WAS HEA MONOTHEIST?A compelling argument that Thomas Jeffersonnegated belief in the divinity of Jesus(as) andaffirmed the unity of God. Was he influenced by the Holy Qur’an?by Zia H Shah MD - Syracuse, USA............... 44

2 The Review of Religions –April 2007

Tommy Kallon – London

EDITORIAL Truth PrevailsAs with all other prophets of God,the Promised Messiah(as) was tomeet with stern opposition fromthe very people he had beencommissioned to guide back untothe right path. The Holy Qur’an isfull of examples where therighteous have become victims ofphysical violence and verbal abuseat the hands of their adversarieswho shield their iniquity under theguise of zealous religious piety. Inthe case of the PromisedMessiah(as), however, hisopponents went a step further andwaged a campaign to discredit himin the eyes of the uninformed.

Not only were there personalcharacter attacks which embodieda shocking violation of the Islamicsense of decency and morals insocial intercourse, his teachingswere deliberately traduced and hewas falsely accused, amongstother things, of being sponsoredby the then British Government inhis claim to prophethood and that,God forbid, he repudiated the

status of the Holy Prophet(saw) asKhataman Nabiyyeen – the Seal ofthe Prophets.

Even after the demise of thePromised Messiah(as), such utterlyfalse allegations which unfortu-nately all too often gain the assentof the unthinking multitudes havecontinued to be made against theAhmadiyya Community dissem-inating far and wide the seeds ofprejudice, ignorance and error.

Especially in Pakistan where theCommunity has its Headquarters,it has repeatedly had to defenditself against such outrageous andbaseless accusations made throughthe media and nourished from thepulpits of pseudo-clergy across thenation. The Community has beenaccused without the least shred ofevidence of being agents of theZionist state of Israel; it has beenaccused of changing its Qiblahfrom Makkah to Qadian; it hasbeen accused of altering the text ofthe Holy Qur’an; it has beenaccused of altering the Islamic

credo – There is no God but Allahand Muhammad is the Messengerof Allah – by substituting the namethe Holy Prophet of Islam(saw) withthat of Hadhrat Ahmad(as), its HolyFounder.

The authorities in Pakistan haveaccorded the Community noprotection – legal or otherwise –from these false accusations. Onthe contrary, they have beencomplicit in the storm ofvituperation and wave of perse-cution against the Communitycaused by such fabricatedallegations because, according tothe authorities, they hearthenfeelings of ordinary Muslims.

The controversy caused by theDanish cartoons caricaturing theblessed person of the HolyProphet(saw) and the protestationsthey drew from Muslims of alldenominations around the world isstill fresh in our minds. Some ofthese protests regrettably wereviolent, others, as in the case of theAhmadiyya Community, werepeaceful condemnations.

But where Islam and its HolyFounder(saw) strongly admonish

against the falsehood, there shouldbe no need, in a so-called Islamicstate, for the Community to haveto defend itself against fabri-cations. Islam regards the tellingof lies as a major sin. The HolyQur’an goes as far as to imputeidolatry to falsehood. Says theHoly Qur’an:

Shun therefore the abom-ination of idols and shun falsespeech.(Ch.22: V.31)

The Promised Messiah(as) explainsthis juxtaposition of falsehoodalongside idolatry. Falsehood is anidol, he maintains; he who reliesupon it ceases to trust in and henceloses God. No true Muslimtherefore can resort to suchinveracity as we find obtainingamongst the hostile opponents ofthe Ahmadiyya Community.

3

EDITORIAL

The Review of Religions – April 2007


Seeking a Free WorldSlavery has been a horrid chapterin human history and historicallya part of human life pretty muchthe world over. People of allfaiths and cultures have bothsuffered and perpetrated slaveryat one time or another. In Islam,Prophet Muhammad(saw) gaveclear direction to free slaves, yetsubsequent generations lost sightof this noble message of equalityand liberty and reverted totrading in slaves placing theirgreed over their morals.

Without doubt the commendableefforts of the likes of Wilberforcethat resulted in the Abolition ofthe Slave Trade Act in 1807 inBritain provide some reassuranceand faith in humanity. Yet it isdisheartening to see, that twohundred years on, his vision of aworld without slavery is still nota reality.

Sadly even today slavery exists –

from physical slavery that issometimes disguised as bondedlabour, to social and economicslavery whereby poorer nationsare trapped by political manoeu-vrings of wealthier nations.

There is also slavery in thedeveloped world itself in theform of human trafficking (withwomen being sold into pros-titution) and farm and factorylabourers (commonly migrantsfrom Eastern Europe who areforced to work ghastly hourssimply to pay off extortionateloans taken out for the ‘privilege’of such work). It seems that thosewho perpetrate slavery today, aswith those who perpetrated it inthe past, have little regard forcompassion and justice providedthey can either escape the law, ormask their crimes in legalterminology and political debate.

It is too easy for us to lose sightof these issues in our daily life

Notes & CommentFareed Ahmad – Devon and Cornwall, UK

5The Review of Religions – April 2007

but we need to be more vigilantand check our actions to see thatthose with whom we deal shareour values of freedom for all. Weare keen to buy cheap food orcheap clothes but who pays theprice for our bargains?

On this anniversary of theabolition of slavery let us hopeand pray that together we canwin this war on slavery that hasbeen raging since timeimmemorial. Our commemo-ration of this great Act will onlytruly be worthwhile if we use itto renew our sense of resolve andcommitment to abolish slavery inall forms now and forever.

NOTES AND COMMENT

Verse references to the Holy Qur’anitem count ‘Bismillah...’ (In theName of Allah...) as the first verse ofeach Chapter. In some non-standardtexts, this is not counted and shouldthe reader refer to such texts, theverse quoted in The Review ofReligions will be found at one verseless than the number quoted.

In this journal, for the ease of non-Muslim readers, ‘(saw)’ or ‘saw’after the words, ‘Holy Prophet’, orthe name ‘Muhammad’, are used.They stand for ‘Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam’ meaning ‘Peace andblessings of Allah be upon him’.Likewise, the letters ‘(as)’ or ‘as’after the name of all other prophets isan abbreviation meaning ‘Peace beupon him’ derived from ‘Alaihissalatu wassalam’ which are wordsthat a Muslim utters out of respectwhenever he or she comes across thatname. The abbreviation ‘ra’ or (ra)stands for ‘Radhiallahu Ta’ala anhuand is used for Companions of aProphet, meaning Allah be pleasedwith him or her (when followed by therelevant Arabic pronoun). Finally, ‘ru’or (ru) for Rahemahullahu Ta’alameans the Mercy of Allah the Exaltedbe upon him.

In keeping with current universalpractice, local transliterations ofnames of places are preferred to theiranglicised versions, e.g. Makkahinstead of Mecca, etc.


A spiritual characteristic of theSurah Fatihah is that to recite itin one’s prayers with fullattention and to establish itsteaching in one’s heart, believingit to be true, brings about theillumination of one’s soul. One’smind is expanded thereby and thedarkness of humanness isdispelled and the worshipperbegins to experience the grace ofthe Fountainhead of grace. He isencircled by the lights of beingaccepted by the Divine andprogresses towards beinghonoured by the converse of Godand derives benefit from true

visions and express revelations.He is counted among those whoare close to the Divine and suchwonders of inspiration andacceptance of prayers and thedisclosure of hidden matters andDivine support proceed from himthe like of which is not foundamong others. For such of ouropponents who deny this, theproof has been set out in thisbook.

Invitation to All Seekers afterTruth This humble one is ready tosatisfy every seeker after truth

This series sets out, in the words of the Promised Messiah(as), Hadhrat Mirza GhulamAhmad, a summary of his exposition of four outstanding topics: ISLAM; ALLAH,THE EXALTED; THE HOLY PROPHET(sa) and THE HOLY QUR’AN. The originalcompilation, in Urdu, from which these extracts have been translated into English, wascollated with great care and diligence by Syed Daud Ahmad Sahib, Allah have mercyon him and reward him graciously for his great labour of love. Amin. The Englishrendering is by the late Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan, may Allah be pleased withhim, and is quoted from The Essence of Islam, Volume 1. All references throughout,unless otherwise specifically mentioned, are from the Holy Qur’an.

ESSENCE OF ISLAM: Part 18 – Spiritual Characteristics of Surah Fatihah


not only from among ouropponents but even among thosewho agree with us nominally andwho are Muslims on the outside,but whose faith is veiled andwhose bodies are without life. Inthis dark age they do not believein heavenly signs and considerrevelation impossible anddescribe it as illusion andimagination. They have a verynarrow concept of humanprogress confined to intellectualproblems and conjectures. Theirconcept of God Almighty is thatof someone extremely weak andlacking strength.

This humble one submitsrespectfully to all these peoplethat if they deny the effectivenessof the Holy Qur’an and adhere totheir old ignorance, they shouldtake advantage of the opportunitythat this humble servant isprepared to satisfy everyonefrom his own experiences. It isproper, there-fore, that as seekersafter truth they should turn to meand should observe forthemselves the characteristics ofthe Divine Word which havebeen mentioned above, and

emerging out of gloom anddarkness should enter true light.

So far this humble one is alive,but life is uncertain. It is proper,therefore, that on hearing this

ESSENCE OF ISLAM – SPIRITUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SURAH FATIHAH

The founder of the AhmadiyyaMuslim community was Hadhrat

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as).The founder of the AhmadiyyaMuslim community was HadhratMirza Ghulam Ahmad(as). In 1891,he claimed, on the basis of Divinerevelation, that he was the PromisedMessiah and Mahdi whose adventhad been foretold by Muhammad,the Holy Prophet of Islam (peaceand blessings of Allah be upon him)and by the scriptures of other faiths. His claim constitutes the basis of thebeliefs of the Ahmadiyya Muslimcommunity.


announcement attention shouldbe paid to the establishment oftruth and the removal offalsehood so that if my claimshould not be established areason may become available fordenial; but if my claim isestablished then the opponentsshould give up their false notionsand should embrace Islam so asto escape humiliation anddisgrace in this life andchastisement and torment in thenext.

Observe, therefore, brethren anddear ones and philosophers andpundits and Christian ministersand Aryas and followers ofnature and Brahmo Samajists,that I proclaim openly that ifanyone doubts the characteristicsof the Holy Qur’an that I havementioned and has any hesitationin accepting them, he should turnto me without delay and bykeeping company with me forsome time steadfastly andsincerely, should witness theaccuracy of the above statementswith his own eyes, lest after mypassing away someone mightassert unjustly that he was not

invited openly and had notbecome aware of my claim sothat he could have followed it upand asked me for its proof.

So, brethren and seekers aftertruth, please observe that I say itopenly and, trusting in God,Whose lights I see day and night,I assume the responsibility that ifyou will seek the truth withsincerity of heart and will keepcompany with me for some timesteadfastly and in good faith, itwill become obvious to you thatthe spiritual qualities that havebeen mentioned are truly to befound in the Surah Fatihah andthe Holy Qur’an. How blessedthen is the person who, emptyinghis heart of bigotry and rancourand being eager to embraceIslam, should pay attention to myinvitation in sincerity and goodfaith for achieving the purpose inview, and how unfortunate is theman who should pay no attentionto this open invitation and shouldbecome deliberately an object ofthe curse and wrath of GodAlmighty. Death is near and thetermination of life is at the door. (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Ruhani



Khazain, Vol.1, pp.626-635,footnote 11)

The Surah Fatihah brieflycomprehends all the purposes ofthe Holy Qur’an. This is referredto in the verse:

And We have, indeed, giventhee seven oft-repeatedverses, and the Great Qur’an.(Ch.15:V.88)

This means that: O Prophet! Wehave bestowed upon thee theseven verses of the SurahFatihah which briefly compre-hend all the purposes of the HolyQur’an and, in contrast withthem, there is the Great Qur’anwhich sets out religious purposesin detail.

For this reason, this Surah isknown as the Mother of the Bookand the Comprehensive Surah. Itis the Mother of the Bookbecause all purposes of the HolyQur’an can be derived from it,and it is called theComprehensive Surah, as itbriefly comprehends all types oflearning contained in the Qur’an.

It is for this reason that the HolyProphet(saw) has said that recitingSurah Fatihah, is like recitingthe whole Qur’an. The HolyQur’an and the Ahadith showthat the Surah Fatihah is a mirrorthat displays the Qur’an. Forinstance, it is one of the purposesof the Holy Qur’an that it sets outall the perfect praise of GodAlmighty and states clearly thecomplete perfection that Hepossesses. This is briefly setforth in the Surah Fatihah in theverse:

All praise belongs to Allah.(Ch.1:V.2)

which means that all types ofperfect praise are established forAllah Who is comprehensive ofall excellences and is worthy ofevery type of worship.

The second purpose of the HolyQur’an is that it manifests God’sbeing the Perfect Fashioner andthe Creator of the universe, andsets forth the beginning of theuniverse, and describes as acreation of God all that is part ofthe universe and proves the



falsehood of those who areopposed to this. This purpose isset forth briefly in the phrase:

Lord of all the Worlds.(Ch.1:V.2)

The third purpose of the HolyQur’an is to establish theunearned grace of God and to setforth His general Mercy. Thispurpose is conveyed briefly in:

The Gracious.(Ch.1:V.3)

The fourth purpose of the HolyQur’an is to establish that graceof God which follows upon effortand diligence. This is set forth in:

The Merciful.(Ch.1:V.3)

The fifth purpose of the HolyQur’an is to set forth the truecondition of the hereafter. This iscomprehended in the phrase:

Master of the Day ofJudgement.(Ch.1:V.4)

The sixth purpose of the Holy

Qur’an is to set forth thesincerity and servitude andpurification of the soul from thatwhich is beside Allah, and theremedy of spiritual ills and thereform of moral qualities and theupholding of the Unity of God inworship. This is included brieflyin the affirmation:

Thee alone do we worship.(Ch.1:V.5)

The seventh purpose of the HolyQur’an is to establish God as thetrue source of all action, and ofall strength and benevolence, andhelp and steadfastness, andobedience and freedom from sin,and the acquisition of all themeans of doing good, and thereform of the here and thehereafter, and to emphasise theneed of seeking His help in allmatters. This purpose is set forthbriefly in the affirmation:

Thee alone do we implore forhelp.(Ch.1:V.5)

The eighth purpose of the HolyQur’an is to set forth the fine



points of the straight path and toemphasise the need of seeking itthrough prayer and supplication.This is briefly included insupplication:

Guide us in the right path.(Ch.1:V.6)

The ninth purpose of the HolyQur’an is to set forth the way andmanner of those who become therecipients of God’s bounty andgrace so that the hearts of theseeker after truth might becomforted. This purpose isincluded in:

…the path of those on whomThou hast bestowed Thyblessings.(Ch.1:V.7)

The tenth purpose of the HolyQur’an is to set forth the qualitiesand way of those with whomGod was displeased and of thosewho lost the way and fell into allsorts of innovations so that theseekers after truth should bewarned of their ways. Thispurpose is included in:

…those who have notincurred displeasure, andthose who have not goneastray.(Ch.1:V.7)

These are the ten purposes thatare set out in the Holy Qur’anand that are the roots of allverities. So they are all brieflymentioned in the Surah Fatihah. (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, RuhaniKhazain, Vol.1, pp.580-585,footnote 11)

Perfection in Conduct byFollowing the Holy Qur’an Those who put their trust inreason alone are as defective anddeficient in action, faithfulnessand sincerity of conduct, as theyare deficient in knowledge,understanding and certainty. Theirgroup has not set up an examplewhich should prove that they areincluded among millions of holypeople who are the faithfulservants of God and areacceptable to Him. The blessingsof these were so manifested thatthrough their preaching andadmonition with prayer andattention, and the influence of



their company, hundreds ofpeople began to tread the straightpath and, becoming the men ofGod, turned wholly to their Lord.They paid no attention to theworld and its contents, and cut offaltogether from the delights,comforts, joys, renowns, prides,properties, and kingdoms of thisworld. They followed the path ofrighteousness whereby hundredsof them lost their lives, andthousands of heads were cut off,and the earth became wet with theblood of hundreds of thousands ofholy ones. Despite all thesecalamities, they exhibited suchfidelity that like devoted loversthey laughed while their feet wereshackled, were joyful whilesuffering pain, and were gratefulin the midst of misfortunes. Forthe sake of the love of the Onethey abandoned their homes,chose disgrace in place of honour,distress in place of comfort,poverty in place of wealth, andwere content with indigence,solitude and helplessness in placeof every kind of relationship,association and joy. By sheddingtheir blood and having their headscut off and laying down their

lives, they set a seal upon theexistence of God. By the blessingof following the Word of Godthey acquired such special lightsas have never been found inothers. Such people were not onlyto be found in ages past, but thisgroup of the elect is ever presentin Islam and refutes its opponentsby its illumined being.

Thus we have proved con-clusively that as the Holy Qur’anconveys one to the high grade ofintellectual perfection, in thesame way, one attains through itto the stage of perfection inconduct also. The lights andsigns of being accepted by Godhave always appeared andcontinue to appear in those whohave followed this Holy Wordand not in others. For a seekerafter truth this proof which hecan observe with his own eyes isenough, namely, that heavenlyblessings and Divine Signs arefound only in the perfectfollowers of the Holy Qur’an andthat all other sects, who turnaway from revelation, whetherBrahmos, Aryas or Christians,are altogether deprived of this



light of truth. We make ourselvesresponsible for satisfying every-one who denies this, providedsuch a one, being eager toembrace Islam sincerely, shouldturn to us in complete good faithand steadfastness and sincerityfor seeking the truth. (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, RuhaniKhazain, Vol. 1, pp. 350-352,footnote 11)

Prophecies in the NarratedStories in the Holy Qur’an The stories set out in the HolyQur’an are in reality prophecieswhich have been stated in theform of stories. In the Torah, theyare merely stories but in the HolyQur’an, every story is a prophecyconcerning the Holy Prophet(saw)

and Islam and these prophecieshave been very clearly fulfilled.The Holy Qur’an is an ocean ofverities, insights and prophecies.It is not possible that a personshould believe fully in GodAlmighty except through theHoly Qur’an. A characteristicspecial to the Holy Qur’an is thatby following it perfectly allobstructions that exist betweenman and God are removed.

Followers of other religionsmention the name of God by wayof a tale, but the Holy Qur’anshows the countenance of theTrue Beloved and makes thelight of certainty enter the heartof a person. God, Who is hiddenfrom the whole world, is seenonly through the Holy Qur’an. (Chashma-e-Ma’rifat, RuhaniKhaza’in, Vol. 23, pp. 271-272)

Uniqueness of the Holy Qur’anin All its Qualities The Holy Qur’an is notmatchless merely on account ofthe beauty of its composition, butis matchless on account of all itsexcellences which it claims tocomprise and that is the truth, forwhatever proceeds from GodAlmighty is not unique only onaccount of one quality but onaccount of every one of itsqualities. Those who do notaccept the Holy Qur’an ascomprehensive of unlimitedverities and insights, do not valuethe Qur’an as it should be valued.A necessary sign for therecognition of the holy and trueWord of God is that it should beunique in all its qualities, for we



observe that whatever proceedsfrom God Almighty is uniqueand matchless even if it is only agrain of barley, and humanpowers cannot match it. Beingmatchless means being unlim-ited, that is to say, a thing can bematchless only when its wondersand qualities are unlimited andhave no end.

As we have just stated, thischaracteristic is found ineverything created by GodAlmighty. For instance, if thewonders of a leaf of a tree areinvestigated for a thousand years,that period would come to anend, but the wonders of the leafwill not come to an end. Thatwhich has come into beingthrough unlimited power, must

comprise unlimited wonders andqualities. The verse:

Say, ‘If the ocean became inkfor the words of my Lord,surely, the ocean would beexhausted before the words ofmy Lord were exhausted, eventhough We brought the likethereof as further help.’(Ch.18:V.110)

supports this, for the whole ofcreation is Words of God... Thusthis verse means that the qualitiesof creation are without limit andendless. Now when every createdthing possesses unlimited andendless qualities and comprisesnumberless wonders then howcould the Holy Qur’an, which isthe Holy Word of God Almighty,


‘THE STORIES SET OUT IN THE HOLY QUR’AN AREIN REALITY PROPHECIES WHICH HAVE BEENSTATED IN THE FORM OF STORIES. IN THE TORAH,THEY ARE MERELY STORIES BUT IN THE HOLYQUR’AN, EVERY STORY IS A PROPHECYCONCERNING THE HOLY PROPHET(SAW) AND ISLAMAND THESE PROPHECIES HAVE BEEN VERYCLEARLY FULFILLED.’


be confined to the few meaningswhich may be set out in acommentary of forty or fifty or athousand volumes, or could havebeen expounded by our lord andmaster the Holy Prophet(saw) in alimited period? To say so wouldalmost amount to disbelief, if it isdeliberately persisted. It is truethat whatever the Holy Prophet(saw)

has set forth as the meaning of theHoly Qur’an is true and correct,but it is not true that the HolyQur’an contains no more than theinsights that have been set forthby the Holy Prophet(saw). Suchsayings of our opponents indicatethat they do not believe in theunlimited greatness and qualitiesof the Holy Qur’an. Their sayingthat the Holy Qur’an was revealedfor the benefit of the unlearned,further proves that they arewholly bereft of the light of therecognition of the Holy Qur’an,and do not realise that the HolyProphet(saw) was sent not only forthe unlearned, but that people ofall grades are included among hisfollowers. God, the Glorious, hassaid:

Say, ‘O mankind! Truly I am a

Messenger to you all fromAllah.’ (Ch.7:V.159)

This verse shows that the HolyQur’an was revealed for theperfection of every capacity. Thefollowing verse also points tothis:

…but he is the Messenger ofAllah and the Seal of theProphets. (Ch.33:V.41)

The notion that whatever theHoly Prophet(saw) has said withreference to the Qur’an cannot beexceeded is obviously false. Wehave established with conclusiveand certain arguments that it isnecessary for the Word of GodAlmighty that its wonders shouldbe unlimited and matchless.

If it is objected that if the HolyQur’an comprises hiddenwonders and qualities, then whywere the earlier people deprivedof their knowledge? The answeris that they were not deprivedaltogether of Qur’anic wonders,but were bestowed whatever inGod’s design was needed bythem of the knowledge of those



wonders and whatever wasneeded in this age has beenmanifested in this age.

That which is the basis of faith,by knowing and accepting whicha person can become a Muslim,has been proclaimed clearly inevery age. I wonder wherefromhave these Maulavis, who lackintelligence, gathered that GodAlmighty was under obligationthat whatever of His favours andbounties was to be manifested infuture must be proved to haveexisted in past ages also. (Karamat-us-Sadiqin, RuhaniKhaza’in, Vol. 7, pp. 60-62)

Standards for a TrueCommentary of the HolyQur’an The first standard of a truecommentary on the Holy Qur’anis the testimony of the Qur’anitself. It should be rememberedthat the Holy Qur’an is not likeother books dependent uponsomething else for proof ordisclosure of its verities. It is likean orderly structure the whole ofwhich is disturbed by thedisplacement of one if its bricks.

It comprises no verity which isnot supported by ten or twentytestimonies contained in it. Whenwe interpret a verse of the HolyQur’an we should considerwhether it contains other testi-mony in support of the meaningthat we have adopted. If othertestimony is not available and themeaning that we have adopted isfound to be opposed to otherverses, we should realise that thatmeaning is false for it is notpossible that there should be anycontradiction in the Holy Qur’an.The sign of true meaning is that awhole host of clear testimonyfrom the Holy Qur’an shouldconfirm it.

The second standard for a correctinterpretation of the Qur’an is thecommentary of the HolyProphet(saw). There can be no doubtthat the person who understoodthe meaning of the Holy Qur’anbest was our dear and grandProphet(saw). Thus if an inter-pretation by the Holy Prophet(saw)

becomes available, it is the dutyof every Muslim to accept itinstantly without hesitation, andwhoever fails to do this would be



guilty of heresy and philoso-phising.

The third standard is inter-pretation by the companions ofthe Holy Prophet(saw). There is nodoubt that the companions of theHoly Prophet (saw), were the firstheirs of the lights of the HolyProphet(saw) and of his knowledge,and that they were bestowed greatgrace by God Almighty and theirperception was aided by God forthey not only professed butpractised.

The fourth standard is reflectionupon the Holy Qur’an with one’spure spirit, inasmuch as the HolyQur’an has a relationship withpurity of spirit. God the Glorioussays:

Which none shall touch exceptthose who are purified.(Ch.56:V.80)

This means that: A person with apurified heart appreciates the holyinsights of the Qur’an on accountof his relationship with theQur’an. He recognises them andsmells them and his heart bears

witness that this is the true way.

The light of his heart is a goodstandard for testing the truth.Unless a person is purified inpractice and passes through thenarrow path through which theProphets have passed, he shouldnot become a commentator ofthe Qur’an out of impertinenceand arrogance, for hiscommentary would be basedupon his opinion and suchcommentary is forbidden by theHoly Prophet(saw) who has said:

‘He who interprets the Qur’anon the basis of his opinion is inerror, even if he should putforward a commentary which heconsiders right.’

The fifth standard is the Arabiclexicon, but the Holy Qur’ansupplies so many means itselfthat it is not very necessary tohave recourse to the lexicon,though it adds to one’s under-standing. Sometimes by havingrecourse to the lexicon attentionis drawn to the mysteries of theHoly Qur’an and a hidden matteris discovered.



The sixth standard of appre-ciating the spiritual system is thephysical system, for there iscomplete accord between thetwo.

The seventh standard is therevelation and visions of thesaints. This standard in a waycomprises all other standards asthe recipient of revelation is acomplete reflection of theProphet whom he follows, andwith the exception ofProphethood and new com-mandments, he is bestowedeverything that is bestowed onthe Prophet. The certain and trueteaching is disclosed to him andhe receives everything by way ofbounty and favour that isbestowed on the Prophet whomhe follows. He does not indulgein conjecture, but speaks havingseen and expounds having heard.This way is open for theMuslims for it cannot be thatthere should be no true heir. (Barakat-ud-Du’a, RuhaniKhazain, Vol. 6, pp. 17-21)

It should be remembered that weare not permitted to make any

change in the text or sequence ofany verse in the Word of God,except when the Holy Prophet(saw)

himself should have done so andit can be proved that he did so. Inthe absence of such proof wecannot disturb the sequence ofthe Holy Qur’an, nor can we addanything to it. If we do so, wewould be guilty of an offence andwould be accountable for it. (Itmam-ul-Hujjah, RuhaniKhaza’in, Vol. 8, p. 291)

Ten Systems of Roots in theHoly Qur’an It should be remembered that theHoly Qur’an is comprehensive often systems of roots:

1. The system in which theexistence of God andarguments in support of it,and such Divine attributes,names, actions, ways andhabits are set out as arespecial to the Being of Allah,the Glorious; also thosephrases which relate to Hisperfect praise regarding Hisglory, beauty and greatness.

2. The system which is compre-



hensive of the Unity of Godand arguments in support ofit.

3. The system in which thequalities and actions, andconduct and habits, andspiritual and physical con-ditions are manifested bycreatures in the presence ofGod Almighty in accord withHis pleasure or contrary to it.

4. The system which containscomplete guidance from Godconcerning admonitions andthe teaching of moralqualities and doctrines, andthe rights of God and therights of His creatures, andwise knowledge, and limitsand commandments, anddirections and prohibitions,and verities and insights.

5. The system which expoundswhat is true salvation andwhat are the true means ofachieving it and what are thesigns and conditions of thebelievers and of those close toGod who have achievedsalvation.

6. The system that sets out whatis Islam and what is disbelief,and what is shirk, andarguments in support ofIslam, and answers toobjections.

7. The system which refutes allthe false doctrines of theopponents of Islam.

8. The system that compriseswarnings and good news,promises and sanctions,world of the hereafter andmiracles, illustrations andprophecies which foster faith,and such stories as serve toadmonish, warn or conveygood news.

9. The system that comprises thelife history and holy qualitiesof the Holy Prophet(saw) andhis excellent example, and thearguments in support of hisProphethood.

10. The system that sets forth thequalities of the Holy Qur’anand its effects and itscharacteristics.




These are the ten systems whichare found in the Holy Qur’an intheir perfection like ten circles.In these ten circles, GodAlmighty has made use of suchpure and distinct roots that sanereason immediately testifies thatthis complete and perfect systemof roots was appointed in theArabic language for the serviceof the Qur’an. That is why thissystem of roots is in full accordwith the educative system of theHoly Qur’an, which is completeand perfect. The system of rootsof other languages is not inaccord with the educativesystems of those books which arecalled Divine, and which are saidto have been revealed in thoselanguages; nor are the ten circlesmentioned above found in thosebooks. It is one of the strongproofs of the deficiency of thosebooks that they are deprived ofthe necessary circles, and that theroots of the language have notbeen able to keep company withthe teaching of those books. Thereason for this is that those booksare not the real books, and servedonly a temporary purpose. Thereis only one real Book which

came into the world which was toserve the welfare of mankindforever. It was revealed with theten perfect circles, and its systemof roots is in accord with itseducative system, and every oneof its ten circles is accompaniedby its system of roots accordingto its natural quantity and valuesin which distinct roots areappointed for the manifestationof Divine attributes, and for theexplanation of four types thathave been mentioned, and forevery circle of teaching a perfectcircle of roots is available. (Minan-ur-Rahman, RuhaniKhaza’in, Vol. 9, pp. 150-152,footnote)


Potential Risk Factors Facedby Ahmadis in RabwahPrior to travelling to Pakistan themission identified potential riskfactors faced by Ahmadis. Theinterview questions and sourceswere selected to investigatethese factors with a focus on thetreatment of Ahmadis inRabwah. As previously noted, itquickly became apparent to themission that an understanding ofthe national context is importantwhen considering the potentialrisks to and protection forAhmadis in Rabwah. Thefollowing material should

therefore be read taking accountof the perspective offered in theprevious section, ‘The Positionof Ahmadis in Pakistan’.

The potential risk factorsidentified by the mission are: theblasphemy laws; practising orexpressing the Ahmadi faith;preaching by Ahmadis; threatsand physical attacks; and attackson property. Evidence collectedby the mission relating to eachfactor is set out below. However,it should be noted throughoutthat, according to the BritishHigh Commission, there is

Rabwah: A PLACE FOR MARTYRS?Part two

By Dr Jonathan Ensor – UK

Report of the UK Parliamentary Human Rights Group mission to Pakistaninto internal flight for Ahmadis. Mission members: Frances Allen, MichaelEllman, Jonathan Ensor.

An independant report (reproduced with prior permission) that destroys themyth that being a majority in their headquarters, Ahmadis may be able to obtainpolice protection. A chilling reminder of the ostracisation of Ahmadi Muslims inPakistan, their continuing persecution and the absence of any protection by theauthorities in Pakistan.


RABWAH – A PLACE FOR MARTYRS?, PART TWO

under-reporting of Ahmadipersecution, making it difficultto make an accurate assessmentof the frequency of attacksagainst Ahmadis.

Blasphemy lawsThe mission were provided witha report detailing prosecutions ofAhmadis during 2005 compiledby the community in Rabwahthrough their contact withAhmadis throughout Pakistan(Appendix D). The reportdocuments a total of 60 FIRsregistered against Ahmadis, 25of which were recorded at‘Chenab Nagar’ (Rabwah)police station (note that FIRsmay be registered at any policestation regardless of the place ofresidence of the accused). Thesame document also provides asummary of cases recordedagainst Ahmadis from April1984 to Dec 2005. The summarycatalogues the total number ofcases by the description of thetransgression: for example, atotal of 404 FIRs institutedagainst Ahmadis for posing as aMuslim. These statistics are not

disaggregated by location.

The Ahmadi communityexplained that once anindividual receives bail they arerequired to appear at a casehearing approximately everymonth. The location of the casehearing will depend on wherethe FIR has been lodged. Thisallows a complainant to lodge anFIR in, for example, Karachi,with the effect that a resident ofRabwah would be required totravel a great distance everymonth. The community pointedout that travelling to repeatedbail hearings is expensive, maycost the individual his jobthrough regular absence, andmay place the Ahmadi at risk ashe has to travel the same routeon regular occasions. Thetestimonies of Rabwah residentsRashid Ahmed, ‘MN’ and AbdulShakoor to the mission, recordedin Appendix A, provideexamples. In January 1990,Rashid Ahmed received bailfollowing the registration of acase under section 298c. Sincethen he has had to attend court in


RABWAH – A PLACE FOR MARTYRS? PART TWO

Chiniot (approximately 30minutes drive from Rabwah)every 15 days, sometimeshaving to wait all day for hiscase to be called. Each time thepolice fail to produce witnessesand the case is adjourned,without any criticism of thepolice. He has applied for thecase to be dismissed, but hebelieves the magistrate is toofrightened of the mullahs toorder this: he has been told thepolice will arrange for all thewitnesses to come together onone occasion. In a separate case,‘MN’ has to attend court inChiniot every 15 or 30 daysfollowing an FIR under section298c that was registered in 1988.The court refuses to dismiss hiscase and his bail has beencancelled on two occasions.Similarly, Abdul Shakoor hadfour FIRs lodged against him inDecember 1990 by a mullah inRabwah: Mr Shakoor has toattend court in Chiniot everymonth but each time the case hasbeen adjourned because themullah has failed to appear andhas not been arrested to do so.

Applications to have his casedismissed have been made, allwithout success (see AppendixA for the testimonies of ‘MN’and Abdul Shakoor).

Addressing the lengthyprosecution of FIRs in court,DPO Salimi pointed out thatcases against Ahmadis oftenhave ‘complicated socialimplications’ quite different tonormal criminal activity. Thepolice often do not want toprosecute, but they have to, evenwhere the complaint itself is‘very stupid’. If a witness thenfails to attend court, they can bearrested, but ‘it is a trickybusiness,’ and not usually thefault of the police. The SeniorGovernment Advisor fleshed outthese problems, noting that thesocial pressure around theAhmadi issue has a real impacton the effectiveness of all levelsof the police and judiciary (seesection 4.2, ‘State Protection’,below).

The Ahmadi CommunityRepresentatives informed the



mission that if an individual failsto appear at a bail hearingseveral actions are put inmotion: first, the police will lookfor the person. Next, if s/he isnot found, they are then ‘atlarge’ and the case is reported tothe court, at which point theperson becomes a ‘proclaimed’offender. Anyone can arrest aproclaimed offender within onemonth of the proclamation, afterwhich time the person’s propertyis sold. The warrant issued bythe court is valid anywhere inPakistan. The Representativesnoted that a common (butillegal) practice is to detainfamily members of the accused.DSP Tatla, however, insistedthat the police do not interrogatefamily members of accusedpeople, unless they arepersonally concerned in thecharge. The Representatives alsoinformed the mission that whenrelocating in Pakistan access tomany everyday services requiresthe production of an identitycard. All details are held by thenational Database andRegistration Authority. It was

not known if this database isinterrogated to find missing orproclaimed offenders. Theservices identified by the AhmadiCommunity Representatives asrequiring production of an IDcard included:

1) passport/ driving licence2) water/ electricity3) schooling4) employment5) buying/ renting land 6) hospital visits

Moreover, there are policecheckpoints on the roads andpolice will often ask for ID cardsfrom those travelling by publictransport at night.

During the mission’s interviewwith the Ahmadi CommunityRepresentatives it became clearthat blasphemy FIRs areregistered as a result ofcomplaints from three mainsources: those lodged bymembers of Khatme Nabuwwat,those precipitated by police orgovernment intervention, andthose used to settle personal



rivalries or enmity. Examples ofeach follow.

FIRs instigated by KhatmeNabuwwatMr Rehman noted that KhatmeNabuwwat are present inRabwah and are known for bothinstigating FIRs, and identifyingthose with outstanding FIRs andpassing them to the police. MrRehman’s comments are borneout in the cases of ‘MN’ andAbdul Shakoor, related to themission and recorded atAppendix A. Both cases revolvearound blasphemy FIRs lodgedby Mullah Khuda Bakhsh, amember of Khatme Nabuwwat.Mr Rabnawaz agreed thatKhatme Nabuwwat had filedFIR’s against Ahmadis, and saidthat Ahmadis had filed FIRsagainst his members includingone pending against himpersonally (the AhmadiCommunity Representativessubsequently denied that theyhad successfully filed FIRsagainst Mr Rabnawaz’smembers or against MrRabnawaz, and they stated that if

an attempt was made to do so,they were sure the police wouldnot accept it). Mr Rabnawazstated that the cases go on for along time, as do all cases inPakistan, but he said that it wasusually about 6 months fromFIR to conclusion of case.Sometimes they were adjournedat the Ahmadi defendants’ ownrequest, or because only one ofseveral defendants had turned upas they had fled the country andwere ‘criminals living inEurope’.

FIRs instigated through policeor government interventionThe Ahmadi CommunityRepresentatives highlighted thefact that some FIRs are filedagainst Ahmadis by the police,whilst others follow the directintervention of the FederalGovernment. The testimonyprovided by Rashid Ahmed tothe mission (Appendix A)provides an example of thispractice, in which Mr Ahmedwas charged with blasphemyunder an FIR registered on 22May 1989 on the order of the


Home Secretary of theProvincial Government, Punjab.The mission were also shown avariety of examples of thispractice by the AhmadiCommunity Representatives: anFIR dated 15 December 1989,filed by the Station HouseOfficer in Rabwah, which isagainst the entire population ofRabwah (accused under 298c ofpractising Islamic socialetiquettes and worship. SeeAppendix B3: Police report(FIR) against the entirepopulation of Rabwah, 15December 1989); a June 2006FIR filed by the District PoliceOfficer (DPO) against Latif ButtFIR 21/06 for preaching; and arecent circular issued by theMinistry of Interior. Thecircular requests provincialauthorities to take immediateaction against the circulation ofAhmadi literature. Thedocument is dated 8 May 2006and is from the Ministry ofInterior, Government ofPakistan addressed to HomeSecretaries of four provinces –Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan and

North West Frontier Province(NWFP) – and provincial policeofficers. The circular asks therecipients to take action againstAhmadi activities involving thedistribution of letters andnewspapers, propagation of theAhmadi faith, and collectingfunds. The mission were alsoshown a second circular, dated 8June 2006, addressed to theDeputy Inspector General ofPolice Karachi (with copies toStation House Officers,Karachi). This second documentstates that the contents of thecircular has been duly noted andinstructions have been given toStation House Officers to takeimmediate action, includingpreventative measures (seeAppendix B4: Circulars fromthe Ministry of Interior,Government of Pakistan, 8 May2006 and 8 June 2006).

The mission asked DSP Tatla(Rabwah) about the circular.DSP Tatla explained that he hadreceived the circular from theMinistry of the Interior and thatit is normal to receive such



circulars from the Government.In this instance, an FIR wasissued in September 2006 as aresult of the circular, citing theAhmadi newspaper ‘Alfazal’ forprinting ‘objectionable material’(see Appendix B9: Press report ofclosure of Alfazal, September2006). DPO Salimi (in Jhang),however, was not aware of thecircular and doubted itsauthenticity: he stated that it wasnot uncommon to see forgedletters. He had not received thisparticular circular, but had onlybeen in post since the middle ofSeptember. Referring to theAlfazal incident, the AhmadiCommunity Representativesnoted that the FIR resulting in theclosure of the newspaper wasordered by the Assistant InspectorGeneral of Police (Operations)acting on the government’sinitiative. There was no civiliancomplainant involved. The casewas listed as FIR No. 480/06dated 9 September 2006 atChenab Nagar Police Station,District Jhang. The FIR states thatthe Alfazal promotes hatred andinjures the feelings of Muslims;

however, the FIR does not specifyany extracts from the newspaperthat are defined as objectionable.The Community Representativestold the mission that on 9thSeptember 2006 the offices ofAlfazal were raided by the police.The editor, publisher and printerwere not present at the offices butthe police arrested two men notconnected with the newspaper. Ina further raid at his home MrSultan Ahmad Dogar, a printer,was arrested. Two days after hisarrest Mr Dogar was presentedbefore the Anti-terrorism Court inFaisalabad. The Judge ordered hisreturn in a week and he wasremanded. On 18 September MrDogar was refused bail and ahearing date of 25 September wasset for trial. On 25 September thecase did not proceed and MrDogar was remanded again until4 October. As of October 2006the case is still pending and MrDogar remains on remand. (SeeAppendix B10 Translation of FIR480/06, provided by the AhmadiCommunity, Rabwah; and B9:Press report of closure of Alfazal,September 2006).



FIRs resulting from personalenmityThe Ahmadi CommunityRepresentatives informed themission that FIRs are also usedto settle personal scores. Forexample, in a case known to thecommunity an Ahmadi became avillage headman through thelocal tradition of primogeniture.However, his first cousin (a non-Ahmadi) wanted to take over theheadman role, and so filed ablasphemy charge against him.The Ahmadi subsequently spentfour years in prison.

Practising or expressing faithThe Ahmadi CommunityRepresentatives explained thatthe blasphemy laws severelyrestrict the ability of Ahmadis topractise their faith as a group oras individuals. The laws create asituation where even carryingout everyday religious practicesruns the risk of prosecution. AsAhmadis are ‘non-Muslims’ inthe eyes of the law, even usingthe greeting ‘AssalamuAlaikum’ can result in a

blasphemy prosecution. Thecommunity explained that theirbooks and literature are banned,public meetings are not allowedand there is a ‘constant fear ofprosecution’ under the blas-phemy laws (see section 2.3‘Blasphemy Laws and FirstInformation Reports’ andAppendix B1: Notificationsfrom the Government of thePunjab banning Ahmadimaterials, 19 July 2006; 1September 2006; and 9September 2006).

As noted above, the missionwere provided with a reportdetailing prosecutions during2005 compiled by thecommunity in Rabwah throughtheir contact with Ahmadisthroughout Pakistan (AppendixD). The report documents a totalof 60 FIRs registered againstAhmadis, 25 of which wererecorded at ‘Chenab Nagar’(Rabwah) police station, andprovides a summary of casesrecorded against Ahmadis fromApril 1984 to Dec 2005. Thesummary catalogues the total



number of cases by thedescription of the transgression:for example, a total of 404 FIRsinstituted for posing as aMuslim. These statistics are notdisaggregated by location. When asked about the Ahmadifaith, Khatme Nabuwwat(Islamabad Chapter) informedthe mission that anyone whoclaims that there was a Prophetafter Muhammad is an infideland their claim is false, baselessand a crime. KhatmeNabuwwat’s view is thatfreedom of religion haslimitations and does not includefreedom to misinterpret Islam.Ahmadis should not assertthemselves to be Muslimbecause they do not believe inthe laws of the Prophet – thisview is endorsed by Parliamentand the constitution. KhatmeNabuwwat see them-selves as‘protectors’ of Islam: Islam hasthe right to the protection of its‘life, religion, property andhonour’. When asked how theyachieve this, the Chapterinformed the mission thatKhatme Nabuwwat spread

understanding of the finality ofthe Prophet through preachingand books, not through force.

See also section 3.1 ‘Blasphemylaws’, above.

PreachingThe Ahmadi CommunityRepresentatives explained thatthey are a ‘preaching religion’ inthe sense that they have a moralobligation to spread their beliefs.However, no pressure is placedon people to convert. The risk ofprosecution under theblasphemy laws for eveneveryday religious practicesmeans that individuals tend toconvey the message of theirreligion to people they know,such as relatives and friends whoare usually other Ahmadis orsympathetic to their cause.However, if they are asked aquestion about their religion, orif their beliefs are challenged,then they are under a ‘moralobligation’ to explain their faith.As noted above, the communityemphasised that the blasphemylaws are framed in such a way as



to create a ‘constant fear ofprosecution’ for Ahmadis inPakistan (see section ‘2.3Blasphemy Laws and FirstInformation Reports’, above,and Appendix C: Copy ofOrdinance No. XX Of 1984 and1986 Amendment to the section295c of the Pakistan PenalCode).

The community also informedthe mission that in June 2006 theDistrict Police Officer (DPO)ordered a case be filed againstLatif Butt for preaching (FIRnumber 21/06).

See also section 3.1 ‘Blasphemylaws’, above.

Threats and physical attacksThe Ahmadi CommunityRepresentatives stated that inRabwah they felt intimidatedand were frequently threatened.They informed the mission thatthe main perpetrators of attackson persons and property inRabwah were members orsupporters of KhatmeNabuwwat who have a mosque

and madrassa in Rabwah. Thecommunity repre-sentativesreferred to graffiti on the wall ofthe mosque in the MuslimColony of Rabwah which reads‘wholesome security of Islamand the faith lies in totalliquidation of Ahmadis’ (seeAppendix B2: Photographssupplied by the AhmadiCommunity). The communitystated that they face threats fromKhatme Nabuwwat’s membersand supporters within Rabwah,and from those coming toRabwah from other areas ofPakistan for conferences. Themission was told that theAhmadi community feelparticularly intimidated andthreatened on these occasions.The senior community membersadvise their community to stayindoors and women are told notto attend prayers.

Mr Rehman confirmed thatKhatme Nabuwwat are presentin Rabwah and are known toincite people to attack Ahmadisin speeches broadcast on loud-speakers from their mosque.



Khatme Nabuwwat are repeat-edly in the news, for example forinciting violence or attacking thelibrary at Rabwah. In atestimony recorded by themission, Ahmadi communitymember ‘ZB’ told the missionthat her husband was attacked bya mob in Sialkot following anedict by the local head ofKhatme Nabuwwat, MullahManzoor. The edict resultedfrom his conversion to theAhmadi faith. Following hisattack, the police refused to enteran FIR and he fled to Rabwah. In2004 he was shot at whilst inRabwah following the distri-bution of his photograph at aKhatme Nabuwwat conference.The full testimony of this case isrecorded at Appendix A.

The Ahmadi CommunityRepresentatives told the missionthat although the Ahmadis havenot been granted permission tohold their annual convention inRabwah since 1983, KhatmeNabuwwat hold 3-4 large eventseach year. These events havemarches through the streets of

Rabwah that are escorted by thepolice (the mission viewed avideo showing a march throughRabwah; see also Appendix B2:Photographs supplied by theAhmadi Community).

The Ahmadi CommunityRepresentatives described howthe marches are accompanied bythe shouting of ‘filthy, dirtyslogans that are designed toprovoke’; one common slogan is‘death to Ahmadis’. The eventssometimes result in violence,such as in 2004 when Rabwahresident Ghulam Tahir wasattacked by a mob. Thecommunity told the mission thatthis year two major KhatmeNabuwwat conferences were heldin Rabwah during Septemberdespite the Government ofPunjab directing all districtgovernments to forbid religiousmeetings and rallies for 30 daysfrom 1 September 2006. Specialpermission was granted to theclerics to hold these conferences.On 7 September 2006 (theanniversary of Ahmadis beingdeclared non-Muslim) the 19th



Annual International KhatmeNabuwwat Conference was heldat the Madrassa Usmania in theMuslim Colony of Rabwah,whilst on 21-22 September 2006Khatme Nabuwwat held their25th annual two day conferenceat Rabwah. Mullah Arshadconfirmed that KhatmeNabuwwat holds threeconferences in Rabwah eachyear, on the anniversary of thebirth of the Prophet, and on 7and 21-22 September.According to the Mullah, thelatter is a national event thatattracts about 50,000 people; theothers are local with 4,000-5,000attendees. When asked whyKhatme Nabuwwat meetsregularly in Rabwah, MullahArshad explained that KhatmeNabuwwat’s mission is to inviteAhmadis to rejoin Islam andtherefore they hold largegatherings where there are thegreatest number of Ahmadis.Khatme Nabuwwat have beenrefused permission to holdmeetings, but the last time thishappened was in 1997. TheIslamabad Chapter of Khatme

Nabuwwat explained thatKhatme Nabuwwat holdmeetings in different places, oneof which is Rabwah. In contrastto Mullah Arshad, the Chaptermembers stated that the mainRabwah gathering brings15,000-20,000 people to thetown from all over Pakistan.When pushed as to the reasonfor staging such a large meetingin Rabwah, it was stated thatKhatme Nabuwwat want it to beknown to everyone that Rabwahis a part of Pakistan and thatthere is no exclusive city inPakistan for Ahmadis: ‘Rabwahis not their place.’ When asked about KhatmeNabuwwat’s mission to inviteAhmadis to rejoin Islam, onemember of Islamabad Chapterexplained that their aim was topersuade Ahmadis to repent.However, in accordance with theIslamic teachings, as an apostatean Ahmadi will be given threedays to repent and if s/he fail todo so s/he will be sentenced todeath. None of the Chaptermembers were willing toelaborate on this comment.1



The mission asked the membersof the Islamabad Chapter ofKhatme Nabuwwat about reportsfrom sources such as the USDepartment of State humanrights reports and the AhmadiCommunity of violence againstAhmadis, marches and shoutingof slogans that demand thatAhmadis be killed. The Chaptermembers insisted that the reportswere false and that the marcheswere staged by the Ahmadis whoare ‘great conspirators’. TheKhatme Nabuwwat conferencesnever march through the town –only within the perimeter of theirmosque, however it was notexplained how this was achievedwith many thousands ofparticipants. Khatme Nabuwwatdo not attack or kill and theChapter members had not seen orheard of slogans advocatingviolence. By contrast, MullahArshad acknowledged andsupported the slogan ‘death toAhmadis’ and stated that it refersto the fact that the Ahmadi beliefis a dead belief and Ahmadis arecausing a schism in society. TheMullah does not believe in

killing Ahmadis. The Mullah didnot believe that the sloganeeringmight incite violence againstAhmadis: nothing of the sorthappens in Rabwah. (DPOSalimi informed the mission thatthe expression ‘Death toAhmadis’ was ‘just a slogan’,and he did not think it amountedto an incitement to violence.)Reflecting the statements of theIslamabad chapter, MullahArshad maintained that Ahmadishave made up stories of theirarrest: they even dress in policeuniforms and go and arrest otherAhmadis to create a story and sothey can escape to Europe andmake money. When asked aboutreports of arson and violence, MrRabnawaz denied there had beencases of arson against Ahmadihomes and stated that anyshooting that had occurred hadbeen between the Ahmadisthemselves. Moreover, Ahmadishad fired on Muslims and MrRabnawaz himself had beenabducted and tortured. The caseis still ongoing as the defendants,Mr Rabnawaz claimed, hadescaped and are now living inluxury outside Pakistan.



Responding to the suggestionthat abusive sloganeering andviolence are associated with theKhatme Nabuwwat conferences,Mr Rabnawaz stated that theAhmadi community have fullreligious freedom, yet they willnot allow Muslims into Rabwah,even as hawkers. Similarly theIslamabad Chapter of KhatmeNabuwwat told the mission thatRabwah has been totally reservedfor Ahmadis and Muslims are notpermitted to enter. However, themission met with DSP Tatla andMr Ibrahim, Secretary to theMayor of Rabwah, both non-Ahmadi Muslims, in the centreof Rabwah. Moreover, MrIbrahim stated that all 11members of the Local Council inRabwah are non-Ahmadis, whilstthe HRCP noted that the police inRabwah are all non-Ahmadis.Nevertheless, the IslamabadChapter of Khatme Nabuwwatstated that they want it to beknown that Rabwah is a part ofPakistan and that there can be noexclusive city in Pakistan forAhmadis. Referring to theAhmadi community, the Chapter

members insisted that ‘Rabwahis not their place.’

Attacks on propertyAs noted above, the missionwere informed by the AhmadiCommunity Representatives thatthe main perpetrators of attackson property in Rabwah weremembers or supporters ofKhatme Nabuwwat. TheCommunity told the mission thatthey face a constant threat ofphysical violence, includingagainst their mosques andeducational establishments. Themarches following anti-Ahmadiconferences have resulted inarson and attacks on Ahmadimosques, in one case resulting inthe destruction of a mosque. MrRehman noted that KhatmeNabuwwat are repeatedly in thenews, including, for example, forattacking the library in Rabwah.The Ahmadi CommunityRepresentatives noted that theviolence is different in differentplaces and at different times,highlighting the example of thedestruction in the village ofJhando Sahi which had beenreported by the Pakistani press



and documented by AmnestyInternational (see Appendix B8).During mob violence in June2006 the whole Ahmadicommunity had their homes andbusinesses attacked by local non-Ahmadis.

The Ahmadi CommunityRepresentatives also told themission of the desecration ofAhmadi graves. The Ahmadicommunity in Rawah have acemetery on the edge of thetown, next to which is themosque belonging to KhatmeNabuwwat’s Mullah Arshad. TheAhmadi community explainedhow they had built a wall toprotect their cemetery but theKhatme Nabuwwat membersstill entered the site and damagedgrave stones. The mission visitedthe cemetery and photographedthe damage to the gravestones,located immediately adjacent tothe cemetery boundary with theKhatme Nabuwwat mosque (seephotographs in Appendix F).Mullah Arshad insisted that therewas no truth in the story thatKhatme Nabuwwat desecratedAhmadi graves: Ahmadis do it

themselves and then blameMuslims. The Ahmadis have asecurity system at the cemeteryand moreover Muslims do notbelieve in and condemn thedesecration of graves. MrRabnawaz stated thatphotographs of desecratedgravestones were fabricated.

1. This is a controversial andcontested reading of theteachings of Islam.



Reconciliation, from thereligious perspective, is veryimportant for peaceful societalexistence as it allows man todemonstrate the moral quality ofbenevolence. For this reason Ihave chosen to preface thispresentation with the story ofJoseph(as) and his brothers asnarrated in the Holy Qur’an.

Having been thrown into a welland left for dead, having beenfound by a trader and sold asmerchandise, and having spentsome time in prison, Joseph(as)

was elevated to a very highstatus in the court of a king. Itwas during this period that anopportunity came for Joseph(as) toremind his brothers of what theydid to him. Crestfallen and

shocked at the enormity of theircrime and the realisation thatJoseph(as), in his position, couldexact his pound of flesh, theyconfessed:

...We have indeed beensinners.(Ch.12: V.92)

Responding, Joseph(as) told them:

No blame shall lie on you thisday; may Allah forgive you!And He is the Most Mercifulof those who show mercy. (Holy Qur’an, Ch.12: V.93)

This large-hearted and generouspardon granted by Joseph(as) tohis brothers, constitutes hisgreatest and most outstanding

The Role of Truth and Reconciliation inEnhancing Democratic Governance: thecase of Ghana

By Maulvi A Wahab Adam – Accra, Ghana

A paper presented at a workshop on ‘West Africa: Regional Issuesand Challenges of Reconciliation’ held at the Kofi AnnanInternational Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra from May 3rd-5th 2006.


THE ROLE OF TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION IN ENHANCING DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE

resemblance to the Holy ProphetMuhammad(saw).

Like Joseph(as), the HolyProphet(saw) gained honour andpower in flight and banishment.When, after years in exile, heentered his native town as aconqueror and Makkah layprostrate at his feet, he asked hispeople what treatment theyexpected from him. ‘Thetreatment that Joseph accordedto his brothers’, they replied, towhich the Holy Prophet(saw)

declared, ‘Then no reproachshall lie on you this day.’

An unparalleled example ofreconciliation!

I accepted to be a member of theNational ReconciliationCommission out of my deepreligious conviction of the valueof reconciliation as a conditionfor peace in our dear country ofGhana. It is refreshing that thisworkshop is taking place somethree weeks after theGovernment announced that anamount of 13 billion Ghanaian

Cedis has been allocated for theprovision of reparation tovictims of human rightsviolations who petitioned theCommission for redressal oftheir grievances. It is my hopethat the reparations and furthercounselling for the victimswould contribute immensely tohealing and closure for thevictims and also impact on thereconciliation process.

Having served as aCommissioner on Ghana’sNational ReconciliationCommission, I have come toappreciate, for its healing value,the urgent necessity for everynation to make the effort toconfront its past. Let me say thatthe agonising and incredulousstories which assaulted my earsand imagination, can only bedescribed as evil and inex-plicable. But I have comethrough that experience withhope and confidence in thefuture of mankind and my dearcountry in particular. This hopeis anchored on the fact that mostof the victims, after narrating


their testimonies of pain andsuffering, at the loss of dearones, and of a future destroyed,expressed their willingness toforsake revenge and committhemselves to forgiveness andreconciliation. It is this truth thatgives me hope for the future.

The National ReconciliationCommission opened its doors tovictims of human rights viola-tions on September 2, 2002.Public hearings began onJanuary 14, 2003 at the OldParliament House, where almostfifty years earlier, on March 51957, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah hadtabled the motion of the destinyfor Ghana to become the firstcolony, South of the Sahara, toachieve independence fromcolonial rule. At the inaugurationof the Commission in 2003, thethen Attorney General, NanaAkuffo Addo said:

‘The inauguration of thepublic hearings is one moremilestone on our tortuous,but determined path towardsconsolidating our democracy

and fulfilling the goals of ournational motto: Freedom andJustice.’

In all, over 4,000 personspetitioned the Commission.During the hearings, which wereheld in the national capital andregional capitals to give thepeople easy access and a sense ofparticipation in the nationalreconciliation process, victimsspoke, some amid tears, ofkillings, torture, detention,disappearances of relations,seizure of property, ill treatmentand dismissals. For somepetitioners, the Commission wasable to exhume and hand over tothem, the remains of relations,who had been executed andburied in mass graves.

Working parallel to the publichearings were five committeesthat examined possibleinstitutional culpability infostering a climate that allowedhuman rights violations to thrive.The five committees were thoseon security services, the legalprofession (including the



judiciary), the media, organisedlabour and students movement,professional bodies (other thanlegal), and religious bodies andthe chieftaincy institution. Withhindsight, I think anothercommittee to look at ethnicity asbeing responsible for some of thehuman rights violations, couldhave been worthwhile. Besides,the institutional hearings shouldhave been conducted in publicand opened its doors totestimony from members of thepublic.

On October 13, 2004, theCommission submitted its reportto His Excellency, the Presidentof the Republic of Ghana. Thereport embodies recommen-dations for reparations, thesource of funding for repa-rations, institutional reforms, andspecific actions for the nation tosymbolically demonstrate con-trition and acknowledgementtowards vic-tims of human rightsviolations. The report had thisconclusion:

“We must not be tied down to

our past mistakes or mis-fortunes. Doing so wouldproduce nothing but furthersuffering. Instead, we have tomake serious efforts to put allthe pains behind us, and helpto build a new Ghana wherethe conditions that producedsuch pain and sufferingwould not be permitted torecur. Every Ghanaian mustmake a personal pledge that‘NEVER AGAIN!’ shallsuch wrongs be a feature ofgovernance or a feature oflife on this beautiful land ofour birth.”

If a feature of governance thatshall not accommodate suchwrongs is democratic gover-nance, then the question to beasked is has the NationalReconciliation Commission en-hanced democratic governance inGhana?

Answering this question musttake into account the work of atruth commission as both aforward-looking and backward-looking exercise. As a nation



looks back at its dark past andacknowledges responsibility, itmust look into the present andthe future and make thembecome illumined by the past.Successful truth commissionsare those that leave in their placefollow-up institutions tofacilitate the implementation andmonitoring of the recommen-dations of the commission.

The completion of the work of atruth commission is the end ofthe beginning. Much moreremains to be done in Ghana’spursuit of a human rights culture.Thus the responsibility has nowshifted away from theCommission to the state and tocivil society. The extent to whichthe National ReconciliationCommission has impactedpositively on democratic gover-nance can be located in theperformance of the twoimportant factors.

It is worth noting that Ghana’struth commission was dictatedby its own mode of transition. Itwas not defined in terms of the

four well-known categories:

a) Full defeat in an armed ware.g. the treatment ofGermany after World War II;

b) Transition through adictator’s loss in an electione.g. Chile;

c) Transition through compro-mises and negotiation e.g.South Africa; and

d) Transition from a longstanding communist regimee.g. East European countries.

Ghana’s truth commission wasset up 10 years after the countryhad returned to democraticgovernance following elevenyears of military rule duringwhich a lot of human rightsviolations occurred. Threeelections had been held, the lastone leading to a change ofgovernment. During this time,indices of democratic gover-nance were present, howeverimperfect: constitutional rule,independent judiciary, rule of



Law, free media, civil societyand a certain level ofgovernment accountability.

Significantly, the then president,a military dictator turnedpolitician, acknowledged theneed for reconciliation and set inmotion a process to de-confiscate properties earlierconfiscated. It was an ad hocarrangement that did not go far.A truth commission, that wouldhave subjected his human rightsrecord to public scrutiny, was noteven discussed.

This was unlike that of SouthAfrica where the ANC set up acommission to probe humanrights violations allegedlycommitted by its membersduring the liberation war wellbefore the South African Truthand Reconciliation Commissionwas set up.

The government that set up thenational reconciliation com-mission, then in opposition, hadpolitical space to sell its messageand with the support of a free

media, defeated the ruling partyin the 2000 elections. In itsmanifesto, it had promised to setup a truth commission toinvestigate human rightsviolations as part of the processtowards reconciliation. These arethe antecedents to the establish-ment of Ghana’s NationalReconciliation Commission. Anyassessment of the role it hasplayed in enhancing democraticgover-nance will have to look atthe level of democraticgovernance in the pre-NRCperiod and attempt to establishwhether there has been animprovement over that in thepost NRC period.

In the absence of any empiricalevidence, any conclusion onimproved democratic gover-nance after the NRC will bespeculative. However, there areareas that attention must befocused. No doubt civil societyhas become more active.Advocacy is being intensified toincrease public participation inpolicy making, legislativeprocess and social dialogue. That



the Domestic Violence Bill,Freedom of Information Bill andthe Disability Bill are being laidbefore Parliament for passagetestify to the active advocacy ofcivil society. The CoalitionAgainst Water Privatisation hasvirtually put a hold ongovernment action in the sector.In the area of conflict preventionand resolution, civil society hasbeen playing a crucial role. Forthe current level of stability inDagbon and the ending of the 80year-old Alavanvo-Nkonyadispute, credit should go to theinvolvement of civil society,including the religious bodies.

More importantly, Ghanaianshave recognised that perennialpolitical instability has notbenefited the country and theyhave a shared responsibility tohelp sustain the currentdemocratic dispensation. Aboveall, the gross human rightsviolations that occurred underthe various military regimes andthe First Republic that reducedthe dignity and self-esteem of thepeople, have contributed in con-

vincing them that anincompetent constitutionalgovernment, founded on the ruleof law, is better than a militarygovernment and therefore thereis the need for patience until thenext elections during which theywill exercise their franchise toretain or change it.

If these modest indices constitutean enhancement of democraticgovernance in the country, thenthe National ReconciliationCommission was not set up invain.



Say, ‘He is Allah the One!Allah the Independent andBesought of all. He begetsnot, nor is He begotten. Andthere is none like unto Him.’(Ch.112: Vs.2-5)

First Muslim in US CongressKeith Ellison made history inJanuary 2007 by becoming thefirst Muslim member of the USCongress and embellishing theoccasion by taking a ceremonialoath on the copy of the HolyQur’an once owned by the thirdPresident of the USA, ThomasJefferson. Mr. Ellison is an Afro-American who converted toIslam during his college years. Ina very strategic move, hesucceeded in taking his oath ofoffice using Thomas Jefferson’sown copy of the Holy Qur’an.The Qur’an was acquired in 1815as part of a 6,400-volumecollection that Jefferson sold for$24,000 to replace the

congressional library that hadbeen burned by British troops theyear before, in the War of 1812.The book’s leather binding wasadded in 1919. Inside, it reads,‘The Koran, commonly called‘The Alcoran of Mohammed.’Jefferson marked his ownershipby writing the letter ‘J’ next tothe letter ‘T’ that was already atthe bottom of pages.

Speaking to ABC News in abroadcast, Ellison said it wasonly natural that he would takehis oath on the Holy Qur’an, thebook of his Islamic faith. ‘It’s thescripture that I read every dayand it’s the book that I drawinspiration from,’ said theincoming lawmaker, whoconverted from RomanCatholicism to Islam while astudent in college. Ellison, whois also the first black USlawmaker from Minnesota, saidthat as he goes about the business

PRESIDENT THOMASJEFFERSON – Was he a monotheist?

By Zia H Shah MD, Syracuse, USA


PRESIDENT THOMAD JEFFERSON – WAS HE A MONOTHEIST?

of learning to be a lawmaker, hewill take a page from the book ofbaseball legend Jackie Robinson,who made history as the firstblack player in the sport’s majorleague. ‘It’s like JackieRobinson: Did he worry aboutbeing the first black baseballplayer? No. He worried aboutgetting a hit. He worried aboutgetting on base’, said Ellison. Healso remarked that he chose thiscopy of the Holy Qur’an becauseit showed that a visionary likeJefferson believed that wisdomcould be gleaned from manysources.

Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson (1743-1826)was the principal author of theDeclaration of Independence(1776) of the United States andthe nation’s first secretary ofstate (1789-94), second vicepresident (1797-1801), and thirdpresident (1801-09). Jeffersonwas an early advocate of the totalseparation of church and state(Virgina Statute for religiousFreedom), and the most eloquentAmerican proponent of indi-vidual freedom as the core

meaning of the AmericanRevolution.

Edwin Gaustad has written areligious biography of ThomasJefferson titled Sworn on theAltar of God. He writes:

‘Jefferson would gather ideasas a reaper gathered corn,selecting and retaining themost delectable, ignoring ordiscarding what he regardedas unsuitable to his taste.Many of Jefferson’s fellowdeists found English andScottish thinkers morecongenial, less radical, lessunnerving than those ofFrance. But Jefferson reapedthere too.’1

In other words he sought ideasfrom all sorts of philosophersfrom all different times. Jeffersonseemed to have a special abilityto decipher right from wrong anduseful from useless. He showedthat in so many different spheresof life. Jefferson liked books asthey gave him new and goodideas. He was a great collector ofbooks. When Thomas Jefferson


went abroad as an emissary toFrance in 1785, the opportunitiesfor book buying marvellouslymultiplied. Reading readily inFrench, Jefferson devoted everyfree afternoon to examining allthe principal bookstores, turningthe leaf of every book with hisown hand and trying to absorbeverything which related toAmerica, and indeed whateverwas rare and valuable in everyscience. Gaustad writes:

‘Besides haunting thebookstalls in Paris, ‘I hadstanding orders’, Jeffersonwrote, ‘during the whole timeI was in Europe on itsprincipal book-marts, partic-ularly Amsterdam, Frankfurt,Madrid, and London.’”2

Who was this genius Jefferson?What were his religious beliefs?What ideas did he ‘borrow’ fromthe Holy Qur’an? Were his ideascloser to the Holy Qur’an or tothe Holy Bible?

Influence of IslamIt was generally not customary in

18th century Europe or Americato give credit to the Muslims, theHoly Prophet Muhammad(saw) orto the Holy Qur’an. We willexamine this issue later in thearticle. But if this be true, theresult of this phenomenon is thatwe cannot examine the questionas to what Jefferson borrowedfrom the Holy Qur’an in anyreasonable fashion, as there is nowritten proof of that. On thecontrary, it is much easier toexamine as to whether his ideaswere closer to the Holy Qur’anor to the Holy Bible? Byanswering this question we canmake some judgement to the firstissue as to what he may have‘borrowed’ from the HolyQur’an.

The balance between humanknowledge gained by experi-mentation or observation and the‘revealed truth’ has been aconstant dilemma for mankind.This was a burning struggle forJefferson also. His struggle wascompounded by the fact that themain revelation with which hewas familiar was the Bible.



Having read the Holy Qur’an in aperiod which was extremelyhostile to Islam, he could notpossibly fully embrace it.Moreover, George Sale’s Englishtranslation that he owned was notunbiased either. Did revelation ashe knew it in the form of theBible have any role in humanaffairs? ‘And if God spoke tohumankind mainly or evenexclusively through the mediumof nature, what did nature tell usabout that God? About Hiseternal truths? About the natureand destiny of women andmen?’3 The adulterated accountsof the Bible did not satisfyJefferson. After extensive studiesof different books Jeffersonconcluded:

‘Christianity had traditionallyrested not upon reason orexperience but upon mysteryand miracle. The Bible,moreover, portrayed a deityquite different from thatrevealed in nature, a deity thatreason could neither explainnor defend. How rationalcould it possibly be for theGod of the whole universe to

reveal himself solely to onesmall nation in the easternMediterranean and to leavethe rest of the world in utterignorance of his existence? Itseemed even more irrationalto believe that the SupremeBeing of the cosmos had ‘senthis only begotten son’, whohad not offended him, to besacrificed by men, who hadoffended him that he mightexpiate their sins, and satisfyhis own anger.’4

Jefferson, like many of thoseauthors whom he had read in hisyouth, had no trouble acceptingthe argument for God’s existencefrom the magnificent designevident in Allah’s creation. Histhoughts were perfectly inkeeping with the verses of theHoly Qur’an quoted above andthe verses of Surah Al-Hashr:

He is Allah, the Creator, theMaker, the Fashioner. His arethe most beautiful names. Allthat is in the heavens and theearth glorifies Him, and He isthe Mighty, the Wise. (Ch.59: V.25)



‘It was impossible’, Jeffersonwrote to John Adams, ‘for thehuman mind not to perceive andfeel a conviction of design,consummate skill, and indefinitepower in every atom of itscomposition.’ This was the casewhether one contemplated theheavens above (‘the movementof the heavenly bodies, soexactly held in their course bythe balance of centrifugal andcentripetal forces’) or the earthbelow (‘the structure of our earthitself, with its distribution oflands, waters, and atmosphere,animal and vegetable bodies…insects as mere atoms of life, yetas perfectly organised as man ormammoth’).5

Qur’an and the study ofNatureEvery enlightened reader of theHoly Qur’an knows that it urgesus to reflect on the Laws ofNature. It draws examples fromcosmology, biology and physics,among other branches of science,as signs for all men ofunderstanding.

For example, the Holy Qur’ansays:

Do they not then look at thecamel, how it is created? Andat the heaven, how it is raisedhigh? And at the mountains,how they are firmly rooted,and at the earth, how it isspread out?(Ch.88: Vs. 18-21)

And again:

Verily, in the creation of theheavens and the earth and inthe alternation of night andday, and in the ships whichsail in the sea with that whichprofits men, and in the waterwhich Allah sends down fromthe sky and quickens there-with the earth after its deathand scatters therein all kindsof beasts, and in the changeof the winds, and the cloudspressed into service betweenthe heaven and the earth –are indeed Signs for thepeople who understand.(Ch.2: V.165)



Seven hundred and fifty verses ofthe Qur’an (almost one eighth ofthe Book) exhort believers tostudy nature, to reflect, to makethe best use of reason in thesearch of the Creator, theAlmighty Allah. This contrastswith 250 verses in the HolyQur’an with regard to differentcommands.6

One Creator of the UniverseJefferson was not only a geniusbut also a free and anindependent thinker. It was easyfor him to see that our universespeaks of one Creator, call HimAllah or by whatever Name butthere cannot be three creators ofthis world. There are no creationsof the Holy Ghost or of JesusChrist(as) that we can see.7 WeMuslims love Jesus(as) dearly andapplaud him as a prophet. But hedid not create anything to merit astatus equal to Allah Almighty.There is one theme in thecreation of this universe be itliving or non-living. In the livingbeings, there is similar RNA anda common kind of DNA. Thetheory of evolution ties all livingbeings to one ancestry or lineage.

The physicists are working on astring theory that will unite allforms of matter and energy intoone. If there had been other godsbesides Allah in the heavens andthe earth, then there would havebeen chaos in the universe.8

Sir Isaac Newton saw that thereis no changing of the laws ofnature and that the universefollows the rules of mathematics.In other words, he understood thetrue meaning of the verse ofSurah Rum:

So set your face towardsreligion ever inclined to truth– and follow the nature ofAllah after which Hefashioned all mankind. Thereis no altering the creation ofAllah. That indeed is thereligion which is firmlyupright and supports othersto be upright.(Ch.30: V.31)

Pertaining to Jefferson, EdwinGaustad writes:

‘Newton taught Jefferson thatGod’s world was orderly,



dependable, regular andpredictable. From hisPrincipia (1687), the wholeWestern world learned thatpatient observation andcareful mathematical calcu-lation could reveal previouslyunknown truths about thenature of the universe. Planetsdid not ‘wander’ but movedaccording to specific laws;like all matter in motion, theyproceeded not by chance butby design. England’s‘greatest and rarest genius’(in David Hume’s words)placed science firmly in thecentre of the modern world;indeed, Newton helped createthe modern world.’9

For Jefferson, the laws of Naturewere God’s laws; they did nothave an independent status alltheir own. They came into beingby God’s decree, and theycontinued to operate, as Newtondemonstrated, through God’sunceasing providential direction.Unlike many other deists,Jefferson did not hold that Godcreated the world and then retiredfrom the scene; rather, he

believed that God continued tocreate and sustain the worldmoment by moment. Gravity wasnot a property of matter: it wasGod’s law for the orderlyoperation of matter, one of themeans by which he brought orderout of chaos.10 To a closeobserver of nature, whichJefferson surely was, theconclusion could not be denied:we see ‘evident proofs of thenecessity of a super-intendingpower to maintain the universe inits course and order.’11

Here again his thoughts wereperfectly in keeping with thethrone verse of the Holy Qur’an:

Allah – there is no God butHe, the Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining. Slumber seizesHim not, nor sleep. To Himbelongs whatsoever is in theheavens and whatsoever is inthe earth… His knowledgeextends over the heavens andthe earth; and the care ofthem burdens Him not; andHe is the High, the Great.(Ch.2: V.256)



Jefferson’s views were far morein line with the sublime teachingsof the Holy Qur’an than anyrudimentary mention of thissubject in the Holy Bible. Yet theHoly Qur’an historically got nocredit for these views. Why? Ibelieve the answer is obvious.The political and the religiousatmosphere of the West was notconducive to giving any credit tothe Holy Qur’an, to the HolyProphet Muhammad(saw) or toIslam. It does not allow that eventoday. Perhaps Karen Armstrong,an Orientalist who used to be acatholic nun knows best thereasons for this. Explaining theprejudices of the west towardsIslam she writes:

“In the 12th century, Peter theVenerable, Abbot of Cluny,initiated a dialogue with theIslamic world. ‘I approachyou not with arms, but withwords,’ he wrote to theMuslims whom he imaginedreading his book, ‘not withforce, but with reason, notwith hatred, but with love.’Yet his treatise was entitledSummary of the Whole

Heresy of the Diabolical Sectof the Saracens and seguedrepeatedly into splutteringintransigence. Words failedPeter when he contemplatedthe ‘bestial cruelty’ of Islam,which, he claimed, hadestablished itself by thesword. Was Muhammad atrue prophet? ‘I shall beworse than a donkey if Iagree,’ he expostulated,‘worse than cattle if Iassent!’”12

She concludes her essay bystating that this prejudice is stillall too pervasive:

“Neither the Danishcartoonists, who publishedthe offensive caricatures ofthe Prophet Muhammad lastFebruary, nor the Christianfundamentalists… wouldordinarily make commoncause with the Pope; yet onthe subject of Islam they arein full agreement.”13

History of Scientific ThoughtThe West learned a lot from theMuslims. What does the West



owe to the East? To give thereader a glimpse let us go back inhistory, the place is Baghdad.Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khawarizmi was a mathe-matician and an astronomerwhose major works introducedArabic numerals and the con-cepts of algebra into Europeanmathematics. Al-Khawarizmilived in Baghdad, where heworked at the ‘House ofWisdom’ under Caliph al-Ma’mun. The House of Wisdomacquired and translated scientificand philosophic treatises,particularly the ones in Greek. Italso published original research.Al-Khawarizmi’s work onelementary algebra, Al-kitab al-mukhtasar fi hisab al-jabr wa’l-muqabala, was translated intoLatin in the 12th century, fromwhich the title and term Algebraderives. The English translationfor the name of the book is TheCompendious Book onCalculation by Completion andBalancing.

Al-Khawarizmi made manycontributions to mathematics andgave mankind the concept of

zero and Arab numerals. Beforehim the Roman numeralsfollowed were actually alphabetslike X, C, L, XII etc. It was notpossible to make simpleadditions. It was Al-Khawarizmiand other Arab mathematicianswho showed that if we line up1000, 100,005 and 101 in properorder it is easy to add these threenumbers.

1000100,005

101_____________

101106

Contrast the simplicity of thisaddition to adding relativelysmaller numbers XXIV andLXXVI to get C. Romannumbers were used in Europeuntil the middle ages. Todaysimple additions appear ascommon sense to us but in thepast, a vast majority ofpopulation could not do simplecalculations. There used to bespecialists like modern dayaccountants who were in chargeof the tedious tasks of additionand subtraction, and earned theirliving as such.



The very first step in thedevelopment of science wasaccurate quantification of diff-erent parameters. Mathematicsand Algebra were absolutelyessential for the young tree ofscience in Europe to blossom.Carly Firoina, Ex CEO ofHewlett-Packard, had this to sayin 2001:

‘Although we are oftenunaware of our indebtednessto Islamic civilisation, itsgifts are very much a part ofour heritage. The technologyindustry would not existwithout the contributions ofArab mathematicians.’

Dr Abdus Salam, the firstMuslim Nobel laureate inPhysics, writes about thecontribution of Muslims toscience and the process oftransmission of knowledge fromthe Muslims to Europe in thefollowing words:

‘To emphasise that science isthe shared heritage of mankind,and that the history of scientificdiscovery, like the history of all

civilisation, has gone throughcycles, I recalled in my Nobellecture, a historical episode,when some 760 years ago, ayoung Scotsman left his nativeglens to travel south to Toledoin Spain. His name wasMichael, his goal to live andwork at the Arab universities ofToledo and Cordova. Michaelreached Toledo in 1217 AD.Once there, Michael formed theambitious project ofintroducing Aristotle to LatinEurope, translation not fromthe original Greek, which heknew not, but from the Arabictranslation which was thentaught in Spain. From Toledo,Michael travelled to Sicily, tothe Court of Emperor FrederickII. Visiting the medical schoolat Salerno, chartered byFrederick in 1231, Michael metthe Danish physician HendrikHarpestraeng, later to becomeCourt Physician of King EricIV Waldermarrson. Hendrik theDane had come to Salerno tocompose his treatise, preservedin seven volumes at theNational Library in Stockholm,on blood-letting and surgery.



Hendrik’s sources were themedical canons of the greatclinicians of Islam, Al Razi andAvicenna, which only Michaelthe Scot could translate forhim. The schools of Toledo andSalerno mark the beginning ofthe creation of Sciences in theWest. At these schools a candlewas lit from a candle alreadyburning brightly in the lands ofIslam.’14

Mr. Zakaria Virk, a CanadianMuslim historian, has examinedthis subject in greater depth insome of his writings. In hisarticle published in The Reviewof Religions in 2003, he starts hisdescription by quoting fromRobert Briffault’s The Making ofHumanity:

‘It was under the influence ofArabian and Moorish revivalof culture and not in the 15thcentury, that the realrenaissance took place.’15

Jefferson was a believer; he wasa believer in One God. Heunhesitatingly rejected theatheism of some of the French

philosophers, finding it illogicaland untenable. For the atheist,said Jefferson, the universe hadsimply always existed. It has nocause, no beginning in time. Forthe deist, on the other hand, thegreat canvas of creation cried outfor a First Cause, possessingintelligence and power; power inthe production, and intelligencein the design and constantpreservation of the system.16

Jefferson’s belief in a God, Whois the creator of the universe, canbe seen from the clues in the USDeclaration of Independence interms like ‘Creator’ and‘Nature’s God’.

Corruptions in ChristianityJoseph Priestly was a chemistwho had created a name forhimself in discovering Oxygenand Carbon Dioxide. But he wasas notorious in Europe as he wasfamous. He received hisnotoriety from writing a book:History of the Corruptions ofChristianity originally publishedin 1782. Priestley was besiegedby mobs in Birmingham,England, and having lost both his



home and his laboratory to theirfury, had retreated in 1791 toLondon. Even there hisradicalism in religion and hisembrace of France magnified hisunpopularity and aggravated thedanger he faced. So in 1794, atthe urging of Jefferson andothers, he migrated to America,settling in Pennsylvania for thelast decade of his turbulent life.In 1797 in Philadelphia, Priestlydelivered a series of lectures onChristianity. It was here thatJefferson met him and learnedmuch from Priestley’s lectures,but he gained even greaterintellectual satisfaction fromreading his book. In any case,this one book influencedJefferson’s religious viewsprofoundly. In reading it,Jefferson made a criticaldiscovery for and about himself.He thought that he had utterlyrejected Christianity; now hefound to his relief and perhaps tohis delight as well, that he hadonly rejected a hopelesslycorrupted form of Christianity.Somewhere underneath all thelayers, pure gold could yet befound. Priestley argued, for

example, that the real ‘mystery’of the Trinity was that so manyChristians believed it, for Jesus(as)

did not teach it, the Bible did notproclaim it and Reason could nothonour it. Jesus(as) lived as ahuman being, claimed to benothing more than the ‘son ofman’, whose mission was toshow all humankind how itshould live and what Godexpected of it. The OldTestament honoured mono-theism, as did the NewTestament.

Jefferson embraced Priestly’sviews whole-heartedly. Thedescription of President ThomasJefferson in Wikipedia.com isvery revealing:

‘Miracles and references tothe Trinity and the divinity ofJesus are notably absent fromthe Jefferson Bible. The Biblebegins with an account ofJesus’ birth without refer-ences to angels, genealogy, orprophecy.’

In August of 1804, Jeffersonwrote to Benjamin Rush: ‘I shall

UZBEKISTAN – CRADLE OF ISLAMIC THOUGHT


some of these days ask you toread the little volume on Jesus.’Rush, who had respondedpositively to an earlier work byJefferson named ‘the Syllabus’sent the year before, now gave adisconcerting reply. Rush wasnot ready to give up his ideasabout the divinity of Jesus(as). Sohe wrote back, unless Jefferson’slittle volume advanced thedivinity of Jesus(as) ‘and rendershis death as well as his lifenecessary for the restoration ofmankind, I shall not concur withits author.’ Jefferson, who hadabandoned all notions ofatonement and divinity,therefore, declined to send hismodest editing effort to his goodfriend.17

Divinity of Jesus(as)

In the Gospel according to John,where Jesus(as) makes the mostunambiguous claims to divinity(‘the Father is in me, and I inhim’; ‘I am the way, the truth,and the life: no man cometh untothe Father but by me’; ‘I am inthe Father, and the Father in me’;etc.), Jefferson repeatedly turnedaway from all such claims.

One of the most strikingexamples of this occurs inchapter 13, where Jeffersonincluded the verses (21-26)relating to the Last Supper. Thenverse 31 begins, ‘Therefore,when he was gone out, Jesussaid…’

What Jesus(as) said at that pointwas, ‘Now is the Son of manglorified, and God is glorified inhim.’ But Jefferson dropped thatand the two following verses tojump abruptly to the moralmessage: ‘A new commandmentI give unto you, That ye love oneanother; as I have loved you, thatye also love one another’ (v. 34).

When quoting from John,Jefferson kept his blade busy.Finally, in passages treating thelast days of Jesus(as), Jeffersonstayed with the mortal man whodied on the cross and was buried.After the soldiers piercedJesus(as)’ side with a sword,‘Joseph of Arimathea… besoughtPilate that he might take away thebody of Jesus and Pilate gave himleave.’ (John 19:38). Afterpreparing the body for burial,



disciples transported it to a newtomb in the crucifixion garden.At that point, taking fragmentsfrom John and from Matthew,Jefferson’s scriptures concluded:‘There laid they Jesus and rolleda great stone to the door of thesepulcher, and departed.’ Noresurrection, no appearances of arisen Lord, no ascension intoheaven. A great teacher, thegreatest of all moral teachers, haddied and was buried.18

John Adams was an earlyadvocate of American indepen-dence from Great Britain andbecame the second President(1797-1801) of the UnitedStates.19 The origin of evil, JohnAdams noted, was perhapsknown only to omniscience, butwe can be sure that it did not allbegin in a garden. We poormortals have nothing to do withit, but to fabricate all the good wecan out of all inevitable evils.”One way to eradicate a large classof evils, Adams added, was toemploy our reason to dispose ofour own unnecessaryapprehensions and imaginaryfears.

Original sin, if such a thing evenexisted, was ignorance, saidVolney. It was definitely not, forthe Jeffersonian, an Edenicaction that forever afterparalysed humankind, corruptedone’s nature, or destroyed one’smoral sense. Man was not aworm, not a moral midget, butone designed by God andempowered by him to conquerthe infirmities, moral or physical,of this world.20 These were againthe views completely inagreement with the teachings ofthe Holy Qur’an. The HolyQur’an gives a repeated messageof personal responsibility andstresses one’s good deeds forone’s salvation. The concept ofatonement is totally foreign tothe teachings of the Holy Qur’anand also to teachings of the Torahfor that matter.

After his presidency years,expressed general agree-mentwith his friend Joseph Priestley’sUnitarianism, that is, therejection of the doctrine ofTrinity. In a letter to a Ohiopioneer he wrote:



‘I rejoice that in this blessedcountry of free inquiry andbelief, which has surrenderedits conscience to neither kingsor priests, the genuinedoctrine of only one God isreviving, and I trust that thereis not a young man nowliving in the United Stateswho will not die aUnitarian.’21

His dream, however, of largescale conversion to the belief inOne God was not to come true inthe time of his contemporaries. Ithad to wait until the advent ofIslam in the West. But it certainlyseems that he was laying downthe groundwork for the grandprophecy of the Holy Qur’an:

He it is Who has sent HisMessenger with the guidanceand the Religion of truth, thatHe may cause it to prevailover all religions, even ifthose who associate partnerswith God dislike it. (Ch.61: V.10)

His belief in One GodJefferson wrote at length on

religion and most scholars agreewith the claim that Jefferson wasa deist, a common position heldby intellectuals in the late 18thcentury.22 He believed in OneGod and was a Unitarian.

Historically, Unitarianismbelieved in the oneness of Godand not the Christian doctrine ofthe Trinity (Father, Son, and HolySpirit in one God) proclaimed atthe Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.Historic Unitarians believed inthe moral authority, but not thedeity, of Jesus(as). Throughout theworld, many Unitariancongregations and associationsbelong to the InternationalCouncil of Unitarians andUniversalists. In the UnitedStates and Canada manyUnitarians are UnitarianUniversalist or UU, reflecting aninstitutional consolidationbetween Unitarianism andUniversalism. Today, mostUnitarian Universalists do notconsider themselves Christians,even if they share some beliefsquite similar to those ofmainstream Christians.23 There isa small percentage of Unitarian



Universalists who have aChristian-centric belief system.

If the Holy Qur’an has afundamental claim to any ideathen it is to the idea ofmonotheism. It is said that onethird of the Holy Qur’an isdedicated to this fundamentalIslamic doctrine. The Torah alsohas a claim to monotheism but itis only the Holy Qur’an that offersmonotheism which is not limitedto a select few but is available foreach and every human being andis preserved in its pristine purityand unparalleled beauty.

It is hard to know whetherThomas Jefferson borrowed theidea from the Holy Qur’andirectly or indirectly. But the factremains that the Holy Qur’an hasbeen the best and the mostarticulate advocate of mono-theism. So, it will not be partialityto give it credit whenever a goodcase is made for monotheism inmore recent history. Even ifThomas Jefferson learntmonotheism completely from theHoly Qur’an, it was not possiblefor him to give credit to it. In his

autobiography talking about theyear 1769 Thomas Jeffersonwrites:

‘Our minds were circum-scribed within narrow limitsby an habitual belief that itwas our duty to be sub-ordinate to the mother countryin all matters of government,to direct all our labours insubservience to her interests,and even to observe a bigotedintolerance for all religions buthers.’24

However, he was certainly astrong proponent of One God anddenied Trinity in veryunambiguous terms. This was asif he was professing his belief inthe first half of the Creed of Islam,‘There is no God but Allah.’

Jefferson formulated a Bible forhis own use. He took two copiesof the New Testament in the KingJames Version and cut out thoseverses from the Gospels ofMatthew, Mark, Luke, and Johnthat in his view best conveyed the‘pure and unsophisticateddoctrines’ of Jesus(as). Having



undertaken the task of separatingthe authentic and original Jesus(as)

from the later Platonised andmythical Jesus, Jefferson toldJohn Adams:

‘We must reduce our volumeto the simple evangelists,select, even from them, thevery words only of Jesus,paring off the amphibol-ogisms into which they havebeen led, by forgetting often,or not understanding, whathad fallen from him, by givingtheir own miscon-ceptions ashis dicta, and expressingunintelligibly for others whatthey had not understoodthemselves. There will befound remaining the mostsublime and benevolent codeof morals which has ever beenoffered to man. I haveperformed this operation formy own use, by cutting verseby verse out of the printedbook, and arranging the matterwhich is evidently his, andwhich is as easilydistinguishable as diamonds ina dunghill.’25

Jefferson worked without know-ledge of manuscript transmissionor oral traditions or any of thebiblical apparatus that latercenturies would introduce.Rather, taking reason and natureas his trusted guides, hedetermined by sense and soundwhat had fallen from the lips ofJesus(as) himself. The result waspure gold, gold separated fromthe dross, as he told WilliamShort much later. In examiningthe Gospels carefully, Jeffersonfound ‘many passages of fineimagination, correct morality,and of the loveliestbenevolence.’ Jefferson notedthat all that beauty sat trapped in‘so much ignorance, so muchabsurdity, so much untruth,charlatanism, and imposture.’Something had to be done toextract the gold. He also pointedout ‘and I found the workobvious and easy.’26

ConclusionJefferson was not just anindividual; he held severalinstitutions in himself. It isimportant to study him fromdifferent angles, especially his



ideas on the separation of churchand state as exemplified by hiswriting of the Virginia Statute forReligious Freedom (1779, 1786),a statute that forms the backboneof many religious freedomlegislation. The world is badly inneed of his ideas on religiousfreedom and keeping the politicsaway from religious intoleranceand bigotry. It is hoped that otherMuslim writers with abackground in politics, law andhistory will endeavour in thisrich field.

References1 Edwin Gaustad. Sworn on the

Altar of God: A religiousbiography of Thomas Jefferson.William B Eerdmans PublishingCompany, 1996, p.25.

2 Edwin Gaustad. Sworn on theAltar of God: A religiousbiography of Thomas Jefferson.William B Eerdmans PublishingCompany, 1996, pp.19-20.


4 Edwin Gaustad. Sworn on the

Altar of God: A religiousbiography of Thomas Jefferson.William B Eerdmans PublishingCompany, 1996, pp. 22-23.

5 Edwin Gaustad. Sworn on theAltar of God: A religiousbiography of Thomas Jefferson.William B Eerdmans PublishingCompany, 1996, p.36.

6 Dr. Mohammad Iqbal. ‘Life: ItsMeaning and Origin.’ The Reviewof Religions, February 1994.

7 The Holy Qur’an, Ch.46:V.5.8 The Holy Qur’an, Ch.21:V.23.9 Edwin Gaustad. Sworn on the

Altar of God: A religiousbiography of Thomas Jefferson.William B Eerdmans PublishingCompany, 1996, p.21.



12 www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,1874653,00.html

13 www.guard ian .co .uk /comment/story/0,,1874653,00.html

14 Dr. Abdus Salam, a NobelLaureate. Ideals and Realities.



World Scientific PublishingCompany.

15 www.alislam.org/ror/July_2003i.pdf




19 www.eb.com under John Adams.20 Edwin Gaustad. Sworn on the

Altar of God: A religiousbiography of Thomas Jefferson.William B Eerdmans PublishingCompany, 1996, p 37.

21 Letter to Dr. BenjaminWaterhouse June 26, 1822

22 Avery Cardinal Dulles, ‘TheDeist Minimum’ First Things: AMonthly Journal of Religion andPublic Life Issue: 149. (Jan 2005)p. 25, www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft0501/articles/dulles.htm

23 www.uua.org/news/011205.html24 Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson

Writings. The Library of America,eighteenth printing. ISBN 0-940450-16-x. Page 5.

25 www.cooperativeindividualism.org/jefferson_m_03.html




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