Muslims Remove from US Airways Flight 300

Published in Oshkosh NorthWestern - Dec-6-2006

The news about the behavior of some of our small minded countrymen on US Airways flight 300 ( http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15824096/) prompted me to write this letter. If educated people like Airline Captains can act like narrow minded bigots and the Airline Executives lack the decency and assertiveness to apologize for the obvious disregard for civil rights – then we have a long way to go as a nation. This also suggests that we as Muslims need to do more in terms of educating our fellow citizens.

Muslims are required to pray five times a day. We are strongly encouraged to say our prayers in congregation. In that setting one person leads the prayer and others stand behind him. During these prayers, the leader recites some Arabic verses from the Quran so that the followers may be able to listen. An often stereo typed phrase of "Allah Akbar" is said several times during the prayer and it means that the God is great. When this is said we are referring to the God of Abraham.

So next time when you see some people who gather, face north-east, and offer prayers – just know that they are praising the God of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. When they say "Allah Akbar" do not panic; they just affirmed the belief of the Biblical prophets. Take that as an opportunity to learn about the faith that is practiced by more than one fifth of the planet. Prayer is meant for God and to bring His people together – not to create such a bitter divide. I would also encourage the local Muslims to arrange seminars to improve the understanding of Islam. May God improve our mutual understanding - Amen.

More information about Islam may be found at http://www.alislam.org or contact me at saad.ahmad@gmail.com

Short version of Response to Pope Benedict XVI’s Lecture that he delivered on Tuesday September 12 2006

Published in Oshkosh NorthWestern Sep-24-2006
Pope Benedict XVI in his recent lecture reflected upon the importance of reason in understanding the faith. His point being that domain of rationality and reason extends beyond the limits of empirical evidence. He also mentioned Islam as being fundamentally opposed to rational thought and that its spread was through force. In this short essay I would provide an Islamic perspective.

Islam and Rationality
The Quran fully acknowledges the role of rationality in attainment of the truth. There are around 750 verses in the Holy Quran that exhort the believers to study nature, to reflect and make best use of reason and to make scientific enterprise an integral part of a community’s life.[i]

Islam’s invitation to the mankind is primarily on rational grounds and not through force. Verse 2:257 quoted by the pope actually relies on Islam’s rationality for its appeal and not on force; and to his point of “later verses somehow changing the message” Quran emphatically rejects such notions and declares that no verse of Quran abrogates another verse and there are no inconsistencies (4:83).

It is the duty of every Muslim to invite others to Islam – but through the best of manners (16:126). Quran invites other religions and philosophies to a dialog and to bring forth their proof: (e.g. 2:112, 4:175, 21:25, 27:65, 28:76).

Those who do not study Islam are astonished by its rapid progress. People were drawn towards it because of its rationality and reasonable basis – not because of any fear. This is a real miracle that has been recorded by history unlike the phantom miracles that other religions put forth.

Islamic Concept of God
In order to give credence to his faulty premise, the pope attributed this to Islamic concept of God. Islam’s view of God is much different than Christianity. It is more evolved and not bound by trivial ideas like “one is three and three is one”. Islam is a strictly monotheistic religion where there is only one God who is unique.

Islam does not put forth an idea that only way to know the God is by believing in some mortal as a part of the godhead; or that that god was dead for three days; or that god is so powerless that he had to kill his only begotten son to forgive the sins of mankind. Islam totally rejects a god that would kill an innocent in order to absolve others of their crimes and sins.

God of Islam is not limited by human imagination but the ability to recognize Him has been imprinted on the human psyche. He can be recognized through His attributes but at that same time His attributes do not have a limit. Some of His attributes can be metaphorically compared to human attributes and some of His attributes can be seen in His creation in a limited capacity. So the being of God is hidden to those who are not willing to find Him but those who strive would find God everywhere.

Conclusion
It is Christianity and especially the Church that has traditionally opposed rationality and reason. The various episodes of Galilio and Newton are well known. The “rational” tradition of “witch hunts” is an integral part of the Catholic history. Trinity, original sin, resurrection, and rapture all have been challenged by the secular scholars on rational grounds. Today’s catholic beliefs are more like the pagan beliefs of that era and far removed from the true and pure teachings of Jesus Christ.

Islam on the other hand is well founded in human psyche. It is a strictly monotheistic religion with evolved concepts of God, revelation, afterlife, and prophet hood. Islam’s strength is its reasonableness and it does not need force for its progress.

I hope that the pope takes time to understand Islam and actually read the Holy Quran before quoting it. Today Islamic and Christian civilizations are facing each other in the most unfriendly confrontation ever witnessed in the history. Inter faith dialogues evolve through mutual understanding and not by maligning the other religion – even if it is done in the guise of “I quote I quote”.



[i] LAI, C.H. KIDWAI, A (1989) Ideals and Realities, Selected Essays of Abdus Salam. 3rd ed. World Scientific Publishing Co, London pp. 343-344.

Response to Pope Benedict XVI’s Lecture that he delivered on Tuesday September 12 2006

By
Saad Ahmad
Saad.ahmad@gmail.com

Pope Benedict XVI in his recent lecture reflected upon the importance of reason in understanding the faith. His point being that domain of rationality and reason extends beyond the limits of empirical evidence. He further pointed out that Christianity’s original encounter with Greek philosophy enhanced the Christian thought. In making this point he also mentioned Islam as being fundamentally opposed to rational thought. He said that Islam’s spread was primarily through force and had little to do with rationality and reason. In this short essay I would provide an Islamic perspective.

Islam and Rationality
The pope has shown his ignorance of Islamic thought by mentioning some quotes from another Christian – giving no importance to the original Islamic text, i.e. Quran; which unlike the Christian Bibles is still available in its original form. There are two types of people; those who do not know and those who do not know that they do not know – pope has shown that he belongs to the latter group.

Islam’s message is universal and as opposed to other religions whose claim to universality was an afterthought of its followers Islam’s claim was made over 1500 years ago in the Quran.

And we have not sent thee but as a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner, for all the mankind, but most know not. (34:29)

So by claiming to be a universal religion for all times, all races, and all religions Islam has challenged other philosophies on purely rational grounds because no religion with an element of irrationality can be acceptable to the universal consciousness of man.[i]

The Quran fully acknowledges the role of rationality in attainment of the truth – whether religions or secular.

Truth is the religion of Islam, Islam is the religion of Truth[ii]

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)’s constant prayer was:

God! Grant me knowledge of the ultimate nature of things[iii]

Impressed by this emphasis on knowledge, Professor Dr. Abdus Salam, the renowned Nobel Laureate said:

According to Dr. Mohammad Aijazul Khatib of Damascus University nothing could emphasize the importance of sciences more than the remark that “in contrast to 250 verses which are legislative, some 750 verses of the Holy Quran – almost one eighth of it – exhort the believers to study nature – to reflect, to make the best use of reason and to make the scientific enterprise an integral part of the community’s life”. The Holy Prophet of Islam – peace be upon him – said that it was the “bounden duty of every Muslim – man and woman to acquire knowledge.[iv]

Islam’s invitation to the mankind is primarily on rational grounds and not through force. The pope hinted that

… The emperor must have known that surah 2,256 reads: “There is no compulsion in religion”. According to the experts, this is one of the suras of the early period, when Muhammad was still powerless and under threat. But naturally the emperor also knew the instruction, developed later and recorded in the Quran, concerning holy war.

This idea stems from his obvious prejudice against Islam and his lack of knowledge about the religion. If he only took the time to read the rest of the verse:

There is no compulsion in religion. Surely, the right way has become distinct from error; so whosoever refuses to be led by those who transgress, and believes in Allah, has surely grasped a strong handle which knows no breaking. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (2:257)

So Islam relies on the strong rational basis of the religion to keep the followers within its fold and not on force. It relies on the “right being distinct from the wrong in the eyes of the believers” and not on coercion. And to his point of “later verses somehow changing the message” Quran emphatically rejects such notions:

Will they not, then, meditate upon the Quran? Had it been from anyone other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much disagreement (4:83)

No verse of Quran abrogates another verse and all of them paint a consistent picture of tolerance and rational argument. It is the duty of every Muslim to invite others to the message of Islam through reason and wisdom – and not through force. Allah says in the Holy Quran:

Invite to the path of thy Lord with wisdom and comely admonishment and dispute with them in the best of manners (16:126)

As quoted earlier number of verses that exhort Muslims to use reason and rationality add up to 750. Against this not a single verse can be found that advocates irrational dogmatic invasion of the world.

Following are some of those verses:

Do you enjoin others to do what is good and forget your own selves, while you read the Book? Will you not then understand?(2:45)

And they say, ‘None shall ever enter Heaven unless he be a Jew or Christian’. These are their vain desires. Say, ‘Produce your proof, if you are truthful’. (2:112)

O ye people, a manifest proof has indeed come to you from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear light (4:175)

And worldly life is nothing but a sport and pastime. And surely the abode of the Hereafter is better for those who are righteous. Will you not then understand? (6:33)

Have they taken gods beside Him? Say, ‘Bring forth your proof. Here is the Book of those with me, and the Book of those before me’. Nay, most of them know not the truth, and so they turn away. (21:25)

… Is there a God besides Allah? Say, ‘Bring forward your proof if you are truthful’ (27:65)

And We shall draw from every people a witness and We shall say, ‘Bring your proof.’ Then they will know that the truth belongs to Allah. And that which they used to forge will be lost unto them. (28:76)

The verses mentioned above are only a few of the many verses that invite the people to reason and rational thinking in order to arrive at the truth. Those who do not study Islam are often astonished by the rapid progress and spread of the religion. They do not realize that the real reason behind the spread of Islam is the power of reason and rationality. People were drawn towards the message because of its beauty and wonder – not because of any fear. This is a real miracle that has been recorded by history unlike the phantom miracles that other religions put forth – and that becomes a point of sore jealousy for the likes of the pope.

Islamic Concept of God
The pope has put forth a faulty argument about rational thinking in Islam and then he rationalizes the faulty premise by putting forth:

But for Muslim teaching, God is absolutely transcendent. His will is not bound with any of our categories, even that of rationality.

The pope is right about one thing – Islam’s view of God is much different than Christianity. It is certainly much more evolved and not bound by trivial ideas like “one is three and three is one”. Islam is a strictly monotheistic religion where there is only one God who is unique. Allah says in the Holy Quran:

Say, ‘He is Allah, the One;’
Allah, the Independent and Besought of all.
He begets not, nor is He begotten.
And there is none like unto Him . (112:2-5)

Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad – the promised Messiah[v] (peace of Allah be upon him) describes the concept Allah as follows:

In the language of the Noble Quran, Allah is the Perfect Being Who is rightfully adored, combining in Himself all perfect attributes, and free from every defect, the One without associate and the Source of all beneficence[vi]

Islam does not put forth an idea that only way to know the God is by believing in some mortal as a part of the godhead. It does not put forth an idea where that same god prays “O God why have you forsaken me” when put on the cross. It certainly does not put forth an idea that god was dead for three days. It does not put forth a god that is so powerless that he had to kill his only begotten son to somehow forgive the sins of the mankind. It certainly does not put forth a “rational god” that assumes that killing an innocent is the way to absolve others of their crimes and sins.

Islam’s view of God is certainly different from that. Islam certainly accepts that the God is not limited by human imagination – but it also tells us that human beings can know God and that ability has been imprinted on the human psyche.

The promised Messiah Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace of Allah be upon him) writes:

… the Exalted and Lord of blessings says: O My servants, know Me through My attributes and recognize Me through My excellences. I certainly do not suffer from any defect or shortcoming. Nay, My Praiseworthiness far exceeds the highest limits of praise rendered by those who praise Me. You will not find in the heavens or in the earth any praiseworthy feature that is not to be found in My countenance. If you tried to count My excellences you would not be able to number them, even if you exerted yourselves hard and took pains like the dedicated. Search well then if you can light upon a praiseworthy merit that you do not find in Me or can discover an excellence that is beyond Me and My Presence. If you feel that way then you have no knowledge of Me and are bereft of vision.[vii]

Our God is our paradise. Our highest delight is in our God for we have seen Him and have found every beauty in Him. This wealth is worth procuring though one might have to lay down one's life to procure it. This ruby is worth purchasing though one may have to lose oneself to acquire it. Oh ye, who are bereft, run to this fountain and it will satisfy you. It is the fountain of life that will save you. What shall I do, and how shall I impress the hearts with this good news, and by beating what drum shall I make the announcement that this is our God, so that people might hear? What remedy shall I apply to the ears of the people so that they should listen?[viii]

About rationally understanding the God, he (peace of Allah be upon him) says:

The God of Islam is the same God who is visible in the mirror of the law of nature and is discernible in the book of nature. Islam has not presented a new God but has presented the same God Who is presented by the light of man's heart, by the conscience of man, and by heaven and earth[ix].

Our soul and every particle of our being are prostrate before the Mighty, True and Perfect God from Whose hand j every soul and every particle of creation together with all its faculties came into being, and through Whose support every being is sustained. Nothing is outside His knowledge, or outside His control, or outside His creation. We call thousands of blessings and peace and mercy on the Holy Prophet Muhammad, the chosen one, through whom we have found the living God who gives us proof of His existence through His Word. He demonstrates to us through extraordinary signs His shining countenance which possesses eternal and perfect power. We found the Messenger who manifested God to us and we found the God who created everything through His perfect power. How majestic is His power that nothing came into being without it and nothing can continue to exist without its support. That true God of ours possesses numberless blessings, numberless powers, numberless beauties and beneficences. There is no other God beside Him.[x]

And about understanding the God he (peace of Allah be upon him) says:

God Almighty, in order to bestow perfect understanding upon His humble creatures has set out His attributes in the Holy Quran in two aspects. First, He has described His attributes metaphorically as resembling some human qualities, as for instance, He is Noble, Merciful, Beneficent and becomes angry and has love and He has hands and has eyes and possesses shanks and has ears and that through eternity He has created, though nothing has personal co- existence, but only co-existence as species and even that is not essential or the operation of His attribute of creation, for though creation is one of His attributes the manifestation of His Unity and Singleness is also part of His attributes. None of His attributes falls into permanent disuse, but a temporary cessation of its operation is permissible. Thus God manifested His attributes of resemblance to man. For instance, God is Creator, but to some degree man also creates or fashions; and man can be called noble for, up to a point, he possesses the quality of nobility; and man can be called merciful for, up to a point, he possesses the quality of mercy and the quality of anger; and he has eyes and ears etc. This could create a suspicion in one's mind that man resembles God in respect of these attributes, and God resembles man. To repel this God has mentioned in the Holy Quran as a contrast His attributes of transcendence also, i.e. such attributes of which man does not partake at all in his being or in his qualities. God's creation is not like man's creation, nor is God's mercy like man's mercy, nor is His wrath like man's anger, nor is His love like man's love, nor is He in need of space like man.[xi]

He (peace of Allah be upon him) explains the limits of rationality as follows:

The Being of God is hidden upon hidden and beyond of beyond and is most secret and cannot be discovered by the power of human reasoning alone, and no argument can prove it conclusively; inasmuch as reason can travel only so far that contemplating the universe it feels the need of a Creator. But the feeling of a need is one thing and it is quite another to arrive at the certainty that the God Whose need has been felt does in fact exist. As the operation of reason is defective, incomplete and doubtful, a philosopher cannot recognize God purely through reason. Most people who try to determine the existence of God Almighty purely through the exercise of reason, in the end become atheists. Reflecting over the creation of the heavens and the earth does not avail them much and they begin to deride and laugh at the men of God. One of their arguments is that there are thousands of things in the world which have no use and the fashioning of which does not indicate the existence of a fashioner. They exist merely as vain and useless things. These people do not seem to realize that lack of knowledge of something does not necessarily negative its existence. There are millions of people in the world who regard themselves as very wise philosophers and who utterly deny the existence of God. It is obvious that if they had discovered a strong reason for the existence of God, they would not have denied it. If they had discovered a conclusive argument in support of the existence God, they would not have rejected it shamelessly and in derision. It is obvious, therefore, that no one boarding the ark the philosophers can find deliverance from the storm of doubts, but is bound to be drowned, and such a one would ever have access to the drinking of pure Unity. It is a false and stinking notion that belief in the Unity of God can be achieved otherwise than through the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, nor can man achieve salvation without it. How can there be a faith in the Unity of God unless there is perfect certainty with regard to His existence? Be sure, therefore, that belief in the Unity of God can be achieved only through a Prophet, as our Holy Prophet, peace be on him, convinced the atheists and pagans of Arabia of the existence of God Almighty by showing them thousands of heavenly signs. Up till today the true and perfect followers of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, present those signs to the atheists. The truth is that till a person observes the living powers of the living God, Satan does not depart from his heart, nor does true Unity enter into it, nor can he believe with certainty in the existence of God. This holy and perfect Unity is appreciated only through the Holy Prophet, peace be on him[xii]

Conclusion
It is Christianity and especially the Catholic Church that has traditionally opposed rationality and reason. The various episodes of Galilio and Newton are well known. The “rational” tradition of “witch hunts” is an integral part of the Catholic history. Throughout the Christian history rationality has been pitted against the religion. Christian ideas of trinity, original sin, resurrection, and rapture have been challenged by the secular scholars purely on rational grounds. It is strange that for the Church the person of Jesus is less important than the encounter with the Greek civilization. According to the pope:

Today we know that the Greek translation of the Old Testament produced at Alexandria – the Septuagint – is more than a simple (and in that sense less than satisfactory) translation of the Hebrew text: it is an independent textual witness and a distinct and important step in the history of revelation, one which brought about this encounter in a way that was decisive for the birth and spread of Christianity.

So for this pope Jesus’s (peace of Allah be upon him) words are of a far less value than this encounter. Today’s catholic beliefs are more like the pagan beliefs of that era and far removed from the true and pure teachings of Jesus Christ (peace of Allah be upon him).

Islam on the other hand is well founded in human psyche. It is a strictly monotheistic religion with evolved concepts of God, revelation, afterlife, and prophet hood. Islam’s strength is its reasonableness and it does not need any sword for its progress. Where the Catholic Church needs the Lateran Councils[xiii] to develop the Christian beliefs; with Islam we can actually refer to the Quran that has been preserved exactly as it was revealed to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

I sincerely hope that the pope takes time to understand Islam and actually read the Holy Quran before quoting it. Today Islamic and Christian civilizations are facing each other in the most unfriendly confrontation ever witnessed in the history. Inter faith dialogues evolve through mutual understanding and not by maligning the other religion – even if it is done in the guise of “I quote I quote”.



[i] Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge and Truth p255
[ii] Ibid – p256
[iii] Allah Muhammad Iqbal, The reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam p11
[iv] LAI, C.H. KIDWAI, A (1989) Ideals and Realities, Selected Essays of Abdus Salam. 3rd ed. World Scientific Publishing Co, London pp. 343-344.
[v] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani (1835-1908) (may peace be upon him) founded Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam. He claimed to be the Promised Messiah and the Reformer for the latter days as prophesized by Holy Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). More information may be found at http://www.alislam.org
[vi] Commentary on the Holy Quran Volume 1. Compiled from the writings and pronouncements of The Promised Messiah and Mahdi Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian. pp 71
[vii] Ibid pp74
[viii] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace of Allah be upon him), Kishti Nooh p 19-20
[ix] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace of Allah be upon him), Tableegh-e-Risalat, Vol VI p15
[x] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace of Allah be upon him), Naseem-e-Dawat, (Qadian, Ziaul Islam Press, 1903); Now printed in Ruhani Khazain, Vol.19, p. 3
[xi] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace of Allah be upon him), Chashma Marifat, (Qadian, Anwar Ahmadiyyah Press, 1908); Now published in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984), Vol. 23., pp. 260
[xii] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace of Allah be upon him), Haqiqatul Wahi, (Qadian, Magazine Press 1907); Now published in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984), Vol. 22, pp. 117-118
[xiii] A series of five important councils held at Rome from the twelfth to the sixteen century. From the reign of Constantine the Great until the removal of the papal Court to Avignon, the Lateran palace and basilica served the bishops of Rome as residence and cathedral. During this long period the popes had occasion to convoke a number of general councils, and for this purpose they made choice of cities so situated as to reduce as much as possible the inconveniences which the bishops called to such assemblies must necessarily experience by reason of long and costly absence from their sees. Five of these councils were held in the Lateran palace, and are known as the First (1123), Second (1139), Third (1179), Fourth (1215), and Fifth Lateran Councils. Other, non-ecumenical councils were held at the Lateran, among the best known being those in 649 against the Monothelite heresy, in 823, 864, 900, 1102, 1105, 1110, 1111, 1112, and 1116. In 1725, Benedict XIII called to the Lateran the bishops directly dependent on Rome as their metropolitan see, i.e. archbishops without suffragans, bishops immediately subject to the Holy See, and abbots exercising quasi-episcopal jurisdiction. Seven sessions were held between 15 April and 29 May, and various regulations were promulgated concerning the duties of bishops and other pastors, concerning residence, ordinations, and the periods for the holding of synods. The chief objects were the suppression of Jansenism and the solemn confirmation of the Bull "Unigenitus," which was declared a rule of faith demanding the fullest obedience. (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09016a.htm)

Economic Justice

By Saad Ahmad
saad.ahmad@gmail.com>
Published in Review of Religions May 2004

Indeed Allah requires you to abide by absolute justice, to treat with grace, and to give like the giving of kin to kin.
Ch. 16, Vs. 91

In order to understand the concept of Economic Justice, I will first explain the concept of justice in general – its definition and importance. Then I will discuss its application in an economic system. After establishing the importance of justice in an economy I will discuss the approach that Islam takes to tackle the issue. Finally I will discuss some specific steps that Islam suggests in order to achieve economic justice.

In preparation of this paper I have relied heavily on the Holy Quran. Along with that two books “Absolute Justice, kindness and Kinship” and “Islam’s response to Contemporary Issues” – both by Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, provided valuable guidance.

Justice is not the end, it is the means that will lead to grace and then to a spontaneous expression of love and care as experienced by a mother for her child; who wouldn’t want to have a society like that… In-fact the desire for this ultimate objective, where the whole society is so harmonious that every one feels about the next person as their kin is a desire that is built in to the human psyche. All laws, philosophies, dogmas try to achieve this objective, Islam provides the way – and the first stop on this journey is justice – absolute justice that is.

Absolute justice can be compared to the idea of Equilibrium and Balance in the physical world. An example can be seen in an ecosystem. A perfect balance exists between the Animal kingdom and the Plant kingdom; and this balance is responsible for the survival of the whole system. A slight deviation, like cutting some trees, killing some animals or introducing some new ones adversely affects the whole system.

Justice is in play in all spheres of life and is essential for survival. Human beings are given free will, so the true absolute justice will be defined as a conscious effort to remain on this just path. For an illustration, visualize a bullet jetting out of a muzzle. From then on it is on a fixed path governed by the natural laws. If other factors, such as winds and change of medium, influence the bullet to deviate from this set course and if again the bullet had not only the consciousness but also the ability and strength to resist these influences and continue to maintain its trajectory unruffled, then that conscious effort to remain on the right path is what is termed as absolute justice.[i]

Now that we have an understanding of the theory of absolute justice, lets explore its application in an economic system. Allah explained the fundamental principles of Economic Justice to Prophet Adam as follows:

It is provided for thee that thou wilt not hunger therein, nor wilt thou be naked. And thou wilt not thirst therein, nor wilt thou be exposed to the sun.
Ch. 20, Vs. 119-120

Hence, at the economic level, the teachings of Adam comprise four fundamental rights granted to man at the very start of the formation of society. They are:
· Every person has the right to be properly fed; none will remain hungry.
· Every person has the right to be adequately clothed.
· Every person is guaranteed a supply of healthy water.
· None will be left without shelter.[ii]
This is the paradise of Adam as depicted in the Holy Quran.

Why, one would ask, is Islam trying to guarantee these rights? Isn’t it fashionable these days to say that one needs to earn these basic needs? Isn’t an expectation of these fundamental rights termed as free loading? Isn’t the popular phrase in today’s materialistic society – equality of opportunity not equality of equity? Aren’t you supposed to work for a living? Wouldn’t a society encourage laziness by guaranteeing these rights?
Tough questions; for answer lets turn to the ultimate creation of the Almighty - the human body…

First part of the answer deals with the concept of cause and affect; meaning what would happen if these rights were not respected. The natural laws will work against such a society. The members of a society that will utilize this right may not be the most vibrant contributors to the economy, they may not be paying the most taxes, they may not be the intellectuals and the thinkers; but nevertheless they are parts of the same whole. They are still part of the same body. Some parts of a human body contribute more to the bodily functions than others; mind is the king, heart is the government, immune system is the army, kidneys and lungs are the cleaning crew, blood vessels are the post office; all working vigorously toward the survival of the body… and then there is the small toe, lonely toe that no one cares about. That toe may not be contributing as much as the heart or the mind; but nevertheless it has some basic rights to blood, energy, nourishment etc. These rights are not a function of the organ’s contribution; why? Because health of the whole body will be adversely affected even if the least important organ is deprived of these basic necessities. Ignoring an injury to the toe may cause tetanus or some other disease causing grave suffering to the whole body.
This is what will happen exactly in a society that does not guarantee the basic rights. If it does not guarantee the blood circulation to some organs from the point of view that they have done nothing to earn it; the society as a whole will suffer from painful diseases. We see implications of that every day in every society that does not follow this principle. We see young innocent children turning into gangsters and murderers. We see families losing their fathers to drugs and suicide. We see mothers abandoning their children. We see abortion on the rise. We see care on decline. We see apathy strengthening and empathy losing – all signs of a sick, infected, and diseased society. Why do we feel surprised on hearing such incidents? Allah has already told us the principle governing these outcomes. Allah has promised us that a guarantee of these rights will make this very world a heaven – consequently a lack of this awareness will make this world a hell.

The second part of the answer deals with the ownership of the economy. There is no controversy, for example, over the right to breathe. No one is required to pay for breathing; why? Because air is no one’s property and the mode of its circulation, as chosen by the Almighty does not involve a payment system. Source of material wealth is none other, but the same God. For its distribution, He has established a different system involving human beings as the carriers; just like blood is carried one way in a human body and air as another. God is still the source, so He has the ultimate right to dictate the ground rules for its distribution. Allah tells us about this rule as follows:

Allah multiplies the wealth of those who conform to His will. Bountiful is Allah, and All-knowing.
Ch. 2 Vs. 262

If heart pumps the blood to go toward the feet, no organ in between the two has any right to hoard the blood. No argument may be used to justify such an attitude by any organ, simply because it was not its blood to begin with. At any given time, one organ may be using more blood than the other, it may be using more resources than the other – but at no time is that organ the owner of those resources.

The wealth of the society does not belong to individuals, as a capitalist might want; nor does it belong to the society, as a socialist may desire. It belongs to God and God alone. He is the only one who has the final right to decide on the methods of its distribution.

Now that we have established the definition of absolute justice and its importance in an economic system, lets move toward the solution. What guidance is it that Allah provides us in this regard?
Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, the fourth successor of the Promised Messiah, explain this as follows:

In scientific socialism, an attempt is made to level-off the economic soil so completely and perfectly that there are no ups and downs left. If watered such a soil will get its share equally. There is no question of any demand from the have-nots nor any threat to the have-alls from the less fortunate sections of the society to forcibly rob them of their surplus wealth.
In the capitalist society, they talk more of equal opportunities, level playing fields and free economies than of equal distribution of wealth. Thus there is always room for the demand of rights and the creation of pressure groups such as trade unions etc. which seek the most out of the government or other capitalists for the sake of the employee and the laborer who always live under a sense of depravation.
If scientific socialism is implemented ideally, there is no need left for any section of society to make demands. Either that society would be rich enough to equitably distribute national wealth according to the needs or it would be so poor as to have failed to fulfill even the basic needs leaving every member of the society to share equally in the misery. Either way, it would end up as a society where demand no longer has a meaningful role to play.
The capitalist system, on the other hand, is demand-oriented. The less fortunate section of the society must be given the right to express its dissatisfaction and a free opportunity to be heard: hence the need for the formation of pressure groups and strikes, industrial strife, lockouts etc.
Islam attempts to create an attitude whereby the governments and the wealthy are constantly reminded that it is in their own ultimate interest to establish an equitable system. They are also constantly exhorted to be on the look out for the rights of others. The weak and the poor should not be denied their fundamental economic rights, such as freedom to chose one’s profession, equal access to opportunities, and the basic requirements of life – as discussed earlier. The lack of this very special attitude has already caused much misery, pain and disorder in the history of human struggle and survival. There is thus greater emphasis in Islam on giving than taking or keeping. The government and the wealthy must constantly be on the lookout lest there be a section of society which is deprived of the fundamental human right to live decently. A truly Godly state would have felt the need and taken appropriate measures for its fulfillment. Before grief turns into crises and protest and before the need threatens peace and order, the cause of grief must be removed and the need fulfilled.[iii]

Islam is guaranteeing the same basic rights that a socialist system also promises but does not use the same coercive means to achieve that. Islam realizes that in any society there will be wealthy people and there will be poor people; just like in a human body some organs have access to more resources than the others. Islam’s approach is not so cold as dialectical materialism either. The Islamic social system remains deeply wedded to the innate laws of the human psyche. Islam attempts to raise the consciousness and sensitivity of a society, as a whole, to such a degree whereby members of a society as a whole are concerned more about what they owe to the society than what the society owes to them. Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him explains these ideas in his various sayings as follows:

Give the laborer more than his dues. Pay him what he has earned before his sweat has dried out. Do not put those who serve under you to such tasks, as you cannot perform yourself. As far as possible, feed your servants with whatever you feed your family. Provide them with similar clothing. Do not transgress against the meek in any way, or you will be held responsible before God. Lest you succumb to false pride, occasionally make your servants sit on the same table with you and serve them. (Various Ahadith)[iv]

And then there are the bad times. It is easy to be conscious of the rights of others when the economy is doing well; it is the recession and the economic hardships that make us careless. Allah tells us to spend in good cause even in adversity:

The paradise which is as vast as the heavens and the earth, and has been prepared for those who take refuge in Allah, those who spend for the cause of Allah in prosperity and adversity, and who suppress their anger and who forgive men.
Ch. 3 Vs. 134-135

When economy is slower the first item on our list that is the victim of our budgeting is charity. We think that United Way, Salvation Army, or Red Cross will have to wait for better times in order to receive our checks. The Almighty is explaining us that even in the toughest times do not hold back on charity because it is those times that the poor are suffering the most. They need the most help when economy is at its worst.

All civilized societies today have well-established institutions for charity and people do contribute toward those also; but the concept of alms, as generally understood, is double edged. On one hand, it pays compliment to the qualities of excellence of the donor; but on the other hand, it creates an embarrassing, if not disgraceful, image of the recipient. The very act of receiving alms degrades his status. Islam revolutionizes this concept. A fascinating analysis is made of why some people are poor and some are rich in the following verse of the Holy Quran:

A part of their wealth comprises that which should by right have belonged to the one who asked for help, beggar, and the one who could not, the poor.
Ch. 51 Vs. 20

This verse is telling the donor that what he gives to the poor, in reality, did not belong to him anyway. Something has to be very wrong with an economy where some people are left destitute or compelled to beg for their survival. This is not a sign of a healthy economic system.

The message delivered to the recipient is that there is no need for him to be embarrassed because, in fact, God has granted him the fundamental right to survive decently and honorably. So whatever your apparent benefactor is giving to you, is your own right which some how got transferred over to the donor. As mentioned earlier, God’s teachings are directly related to the human nature. Any injunction that is likely to disturb the equilibrium is counter balanced by corrective measures.

An objection may be raised against this model on the grounds that this idea will promote free loading and the rights will be provided at the cost of decent behavior. To remove such ills, Allah turns to the recipients and says:

If you are ungrateful, surely Allah is Self-Sufficient, being independent of you; and He is not pleased with ingratitude in His servants; but if you are grateful, He likes it in you.
Ch. 39 Vs. 8

Further emphasizing the point, the Holy Founder of Islam (peace be on him) reminds the believers:

One who is not grateful to human beings is not grateful to God either.[v]

The implication being that Allah will not accept gratitude from a person who is ungrateful to fellow human beings. This message of recipient’s rights is intended to be only a quiet message to the recipients so that they do not suffer from any inferiority complex and to safeguard their dignity. The inference is that; to express gratitude is not against the dignity of man: on the contrary it elevates him.

On the other hand, Allah tells the donor that it is against his dignity to accept gratitude as if he deserved it. According to Islam, the service to mankind is for a higher purpose than to satisfy the natural urge or earn good reputation. The acts of kindness should be for the sake of the Almighty not for any material reasons. About such people Allah says:

They feed, for love of Him, the poor, the orphan, the prisoner, even when they themselves stand in need saying: ‘We feed you for Allah’s pleasure only. We desire neither reward nor thanks from you’.
Ch 76 Vs. 9-10

To remove the potential ill of free loaders, Islam encourages spending more than receiving; Holy Founder of Islam (peace be on him) once said:

The hand of the donor is better than that of receiver.[vi]

And on another occasion he said:

The upper hand is better than the lower hand.[vii]

When Allah talks about giving and receiving it is not confined to the domain of money. Whatever Allah has given an individual should be spent in His cause. Allah says:

And the true believers spend in Our cause of whatever we Ourselves have bestowed on them.
Ch. 2 Vs. 4

This covers all faculties, qualities, and also, of course, every type of material possession, human relationship and ties. The phrase also covers such values as honor, peace, comfort etc.

By establishing this system Allah is giving us the recipe of a heavenly society where:
· People give to others, not for personal gain, but only for the sake of the Almighty.
· The donor does not expect any gratitude. He sincerely believes himself to be entrusted with the money so that it is distributed to the less fortunate.
· The receiver expresses gratitude to the donor as well as to the Lord.
· People in general want to give more than they receive.
· People do not hesitate to donate their time, services, money, comfort, and any other material possession in the way of God.

Surely, injustice will not find home in such a society.

Understanding of this philosophy makes their hearts softer and more receptive to the divine guidance. Islam does not stop here, rather it goes a step further and provides some details. Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad explains this as follows in his book Islam’s Response to Contemporary Issues:

Islamic economic system commences with the premise that all that is in the heaven and the earth has been created by God Who has bestowed man various provisions on trust. As a trustee, man will be held accountable for the discharge of this trust. The possession or absence of wealth is a means of trial so that both in abundance and adversity, those who are mindful of their accountability may be distinguished from those who resort to callousness and scant attention to the sufferings of the rest of the mankind.[viii]

The most prominent tool that Islam uses to promote circulation of wealth in a society is the system of Zakat. Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam. The Arabic word Zakat literally means to purify something and in the context of a mandatory levy would mean that the residual wealth after the deduction of Zakat had rendered it pure and lawful for the believers.
Zakat is a tax on disposable assets above specific thresholds that have remained in the hands of the owners beyond one year. The exact percentage of this tax is flexible and is a function of the economic situation. The money thus collected can be utilized only for certain categories of expenditure – which have been spelled out in the Holy Quran as follows:

Alms are for the poor and the needy, and for those employed in connection with their collection and distribution, and for those whose hearts are to be comforted, and for the freeing of slaves, and for those burdened with debt, and for those who are striving in the cause of Allah, and for the Wayfarers. This is an ordinance from Allah. Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.
Ch. 9 Vs. 60

The treasury is bound by this ordinance. No room is left here, for example, for using the collected tax for debt financing or anything of the sort. Money is collected and distributed; just like blood is distributed in the body.
With Zakat, Islam sets forth another ordinance, that being prohibition of interest. According to Islam, money is meant to be circulated not hoarded. Expectation of growth of money without circulation, as expected by interest, is like storing blood in one part of the body, expecting that it will grow. Such blood will not grow – rather it will cause clotting and may lead to death. Islamic economic system promotes joint-ventures, investments, partnerships, shareholdings, business etc. – all means of circulation of wealth. The system of Zakat, where idle money is taxed, is intended to promote this system of circulation. If idle wealth is going to be taxed, people will be tempted to invest money into the society thus improving the health of the society. The system of the interest on the other hand promotes hoarding of wealth. The borrower is expected to pay the interest regardless of the economic condition. This encourages the companies to save up for hard times rather than investing into the society. Interest is like a parasite that eats away the very fabric of the economic system.

Time is too short to go into all the details of the economic system suggested by Allah. Volumes have been written on the subject, my intention was to give a brief introduction to the Islamic philosophy in this area. I will end this paper with some verses from the Holy Quran which summarize the basis of this philosophy:

To Allah belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth; and Allah has power over all things (3:190)… Allah has favored some of you above others in worldly gifts (16:72)… Verily, Allah commands you to give over the trusts to those entitled to them (4:59)… Verily, your wealth and your children are a trial (64:16)… And the true believers spend in Our cause of whatsoever we Ourselves have bestowed upon them (2:4)… The flesh of the sacrificial animals reaches not Allah, nor their blood, but it is your righteousness that reaches Him (22:38)… Allah will abolish interest and will cause charity to increase (2:277) … In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and day there are indeed signs for men of understanding. Those who remember Allah, standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and ponder over the creation of the heavens and the earth, say ‘Our Lord, Thou hast not created this in vain; Nay, Holy art Thou; save us then from the punishment of the fire (3:191-192).

[i] Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Absolute Justice, Kindness and Kinship. Islam International Publications, p 26
[ii] Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Absolute Justice, Kindness and Kinship. Islam International Publications, p 116
[iii] Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Islam’s Response to Contemporary Issues. Islam International Publications, p 115
[iv] Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Islam’s Response to Contemporary Issues. Islam International Publications, p 117
[v] Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Islam’s Response to Contemporary Issues. Islam International Publications, p 119
[vi] Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Islam’s Response to Contemporary Issues. Islam International Publications, p 123
[vii] Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Islam’s Response to Contemporary Issues. Islam International Publications, p 124
[viii] Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Islam’s Response to Contemporary Issues. Islam International Publications, p 144

Philosophy of Jihad

By
Saad Ahmad
saad.ahmad@gmail.com

In this paper, I am going to briefly describe the basic philosophy of Jihad according to the fundamental Islamic principles. Before we explore this issue, we need to understand the following points:

What is the purpose for which Allah created Human beings?
How should we achieve the purpose of our creation?
We need to explore the concept of Jihad in the light of these basic principles.

Purpose of Creation:
In order to understand the philosophy of any concept in Islam, it is essential to understand the purpose of our creation. Allah says in the Holy Quran:

And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me. (51:57)

This implies that Allah has created the human race for the sole purpose of His worship. This implies that the apex of human achievement is to understand Allah and to love Him.

This goal is not a trivial task since true worship of Allah requires that everything else should become secondary. Islam does not expect that this goal will be achieved overnight. Islam wants us to travel on the path of Allah and pray to Allah for His assistance in achieving this goal.

The basic philosophy of all of Islamic teachings is to assist the human beings in achieving this highest objective. Every edict of Islam should be understood in this context and similarly any interpretation of an Islamic teaching that does not help us in this struggle is contrary to the basis of the Holy Quran.

A human soul has to go through a process of evolution that culminates in a state where it attains the status that enables it to worship Allah as He should be worshiped. Holy Quran describes these states as follows:

Nafs-e-Ammara – Soul that incites to evil
Mind of man is ever ready to incite to evil (12:54)

This state incites a man towards evil as opposed to the attainment of the objective of his creation. This is his state so long that he is not guided by reason. In this state he follows his natural bent in his every day activities. [1]

Nafs-e-Lawama – The reproving self
The source of the moral state of man is designated by the Holy Quran as the Nafs-e-Lawama:

I call to witness the reproving self (75:3)

The first state, nafs-e-ammara, moves towards the next state that is called nafs-e-lawama with the help of reason and understanding. This verse indicates that at this state the soul reproves itself for every vice and intemperance. Since it reproves every vicious movement, it is referred to as the reproving self. At this state, even though the soul reproves itself in respect of vices, yet it is not fully effective in practicing virtue. It is often dominated by natural emotions and thus it often stumbles and falls. At this state the soul is like a weak child that does not wish to stumble but often does so out of weakness.[2]

Nafs-e-Mutmainna – The soul at rest
The beginning of the spiritual state of man is called nafs-e-mutmainna in the Holy Quran. Allah says:

O soul at rest that has found comfort in God return to thy Lord, thou well pleased with Him and He well pl2eased with thee. Now join My chosen servants and enter into My garden (89:28-31)

This is the stage when the soul of a person enables him to establish a relationship with the Almighty.

As water flowing down from a height, on account of its volume and the absence of any obstruction, rushes with great force, in the same way the soul at rest flows towards God.[3]

This soul is bestowed a paradise while still in this world. This is the state, which is the objective of the creation. By implication, a secondary objective is that we strive to achieve this state. This is the state that enables a soul to truly worship Allah.


Achieving the goal of our creation
The earlier discussion tells us the following points:
* The goal of our creation is the worship of Allah
* This goal involves a long and arduous transformation of the soul

Life is a journey in which we need to focus on our destination. In Quran Allah not only tells us about the destination but also provides the necessary guidance about the way to the destination. Muslims recite the following verse more than 32 times during their five daily prayers:

Guide us in the right path (1:6)

Quran does provides the necessary guidance, but along with that Muslims are instructed to pray for Allah’s help since He alone can enable us to reach the objective that he has laid out for us.

Every edict, advice, suggestion, instruction, law, story, and example in the Holy Quran is for helping us in achieving this objective. Shariah (Islamic Laws) were established in order to provide a framework that assists in the growth of human soul. The various articles of the faith of Islam that include:

* Declare faith in Islam
* Praying five times a day
* Observing Fast during the month of Ramadan
* Helping the poor financially through the institution of Zakat
* Pilgrimage of the House of Allah in Makkah

These are the tools that we need in order to tread this path. These rituals are essential in order to cleanse our soul and enable it to reach its objective and worship Allah. In fact being able to worship Allah in its true spirit is the heaven that one can reach in this world.

When Quran tells us about the historical accounts of the Jews and Christians, the purpose of those stories is that we should learn from history and not repeat their mistakes. As Quran tells us to pray:

Guide us in the right path-The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings, those who have not incurred Thy displeasure, and those, who have not gone astray(1:6-7)

This is the background in which the Quranic injunctions about Jihad should be understood and analyzed. Quran is a coherent book and does not contain any inconsistencies as it claims:

This is a perfect Book; there is no doubt in it; it is a guidance for the righteous (2:3)

It has been the practice of the human beings to interpret scripture of any sort to fit their own agenda. Quran is not an exception to this – but fortunately in the case of Quran the original text is preserved and we can revert back to it to find out the real truth. Any interpretation of the Quranic text that makes it inconsistent with other parts of Quran need to be resolved using this principle.

Jihad
Lexical Interpretation:
Arabic Word Jihad is derived from word Juhud that means, “to strive”[4]. So the literal meaning of the word Jihad is “to strive” or “struggle”.

Some Quranic Verses about Jihad

And strive in the cause of Allah as it behooves you to strive for it. ... Therefore observe Prayer and pay the Zakat, and hold fast to Allah. He is your Master. An excellent Master and an excellent Helper! (22:79)

So obey not the disbelievers and strive by the means of it (i.e. the Quran) a great striving (25:53)
In this verse, Jihad with the help of the Quran is called Jihadan Kabeera that means the greatest Jihad.

Those of the believers who sit still, excepting the disabled ones, and those who strive in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their persons, are not equal. Allah has exalted in rank those who strive with their wealth and their persons above those who sit still. And to each Allah has promised good. And Allah has exalted those who strive above those who sit still, by a great reward (4:96)

O ye who believe! fear Allah and seek the way of approach unto Him and strive in His way that you may prosper (5:36)


These verses have been stated as examples. There are several other references to Jihad in the Holy Quran, all of which invite the believers to strive in the way of Allah.

Jihad in the Context of the evolution of the Soul
As I stated earlier, all Quranic injunctions are there to assist us in our journey towards our ultimate objective, i.e. the worship of Allah. This journey is full of hardships. Satanic impulses are waiting for us at every corner. The path of Allah is arduous and full of obstacles that require a conscious and consistent struggle.

Imagine a typical day in the life of a person striving in the way of Allah and the types of obstacles and impulses that he or she may encounter:

· Impulse to lie when faced with trouble
· Impulse to cheat in order to get out of a situation
· Impulse to drink – one drink is not going to hurt
· Impulse to take drugs
· Laziness in fulfilling the rituals that train us to worship Allah, such as praying five times a day
· Sexual promiscuity and permissiveness
· Impulse to bribe or to take a bribe
· Etc.

Such distractions are real and hinder in the course of our journey towards Allah – the struggle to overcome such obstacles is termed Jihad in the Holy Quran.

When returning from one of the armed conflicts, Holy Prophet (peace be on him) observed with a sigh of relief:

We have returned from a lesser Jihad (warfare) to a greater Jihad[5]

This struggle that we go through in order to overcome our shortcomings and strive in the way of Allah so that our soul can achieve the highest status has been called the Greater Jihad by the Holy Prophet (peace be on him).

Jihad-an-Kabeera – Greatest Jihad with the help of Quran
In Quran 25:23 that was stated earlier, Allah says:

So obey not the disbelievers and strive by the means of it (i.e. the Quran) a great striving (25:53)

Here Allah ordains the Muslims to strive against the disbelievers using the Quran. This has been called the greatest Jihad. Is this the Jihad that the Muslims are called towards today? Certainly not! Allah wants us to propagate His message to the corners of the world using the guidance that is provided by the Quran.

This is the Jihad that is the need of the day for the Muslims. We need to understand Quran ourselves and then explain it to others. Quran is the tool of Islamic Jihad not man-made destructive weapons.

Jihad of pen is another form of this Jihad. Muslims should fight off the attacks on our faith by the use of reason that is guided by the true revelation. Objections against Islam should be answered rather than issuing a fatwa for murder.

If Muslims want to regain their forgotten glory, they need to revert to this greatest Jihad rather than waiting for someone who is going to murder every infidel and kill every swine in order to spread the word of Allah. If Muslims look toward Quran for guidance, they will quickly discover how the likes of Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussain, and the various other so-called Muslim leaders are maligning the good name of Islam in order reach their twisted goals.

Lesser Jihad – Necessary Armed Conflict
Islam claims to be the true religion that satisfies the root of human psyche. In Quran, Allah has told us about the purpose of our creation and the path that we can tread to achieve that. Islam also recognizes that the path to this end is critical and it is necessary to strive in this path in order to reach the desired objective. Islam competes with other religions on merit and does not require any coercion. Allah says in the Holy Quran:

There shall be no compulsion in religion. Surely, right has become distinct from wrong. (2:257)

Islam wants to create a world where human beings are free to practice their faith. A world where people from different faiths interact in order to find the path that leads straight to Allah.

Islam has allowed Muslims to take up arms only when the practice of religion becomes impossible and only when it becomes impossible for the Muslims to strive in the way of Allah because of the repressive actions of the enemy. Quran clearly states that an armed conflict is only allowed when the religious freedom is threatened:

Permission to fight is given to those against whom war is made, because they have been wronged-and Allah indeed has power to help them. Those who have been driven out from their homes unjustly only because they said, `Our Lord is Allah'-And if Allah did not repel some men by means of others, there would surely have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques, wherein the name of Allah is oft commemorated. And Allah will surely help one who helps Him. Allah is indeed Powerful, Mighty (22:40-41)

It is important to note here that the Arabic word for armed conflict that is used here is Yuqatilona, which does not have the same roots as the Arabic word Jihad, so to translate Jihad as “Holy War” as is commonly done is completely wrong. it is wrong morally, ethically, academically, and lexically.

This verse permits defense when one cannot say “Our Lord is Allah”. This is a very concise and specific condition. Permission to fight is not given so that you can expand your territory, neither is permission to fight given to convert the infidels to Islam – it is given only when the religious oppression gets to such an extreme that saying “Our Lord is Allah” becomes impossible.


In another verse, Allah says:
And fight in the cause of Allah against those who fight against you, but do not transgress. Surely, Allah loves not the transgressors (2:191)
The Arabic word for fight that is used here is Qatilu.

This permission to fight is also very narrow and allows a strictly defensive fight. It lays down three basic conditions:

1. You cannot fight others in order to spread your religion.
2. Only fight those who have taken up arms against you.
3. You can only fight those who are legal combatants, i.e. who are actively taking part in the fighting.


So, it is important to note here that Islam is different from Christianity in that it has allowed an armed defense against an armed enemy when the armed enemy has waged an aggressive war that threatens the religious liberties – but this permission is very narrow and applies only in certain specific situations. Any attempt to exploit these verses in order to achieve political and nationalistic ends is shameful and against the basic teachings of Islam.

At this time, I must mention that we enjoy more freedom of religion in USA, than in any Muslim country. So it should be abhorrent for any Muslim when someone tries to label killing Americans as Jihad. I could not have made this speech in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, or Iran. So USA is more Islamic than any Muslim country on the face of the planet today.

Conclusion
In conclusion I want to re-emphasize that Quranic teachings are inter-related and all of them lead us to a single goal – to reach the apex of human existence and be able to worship Allah as He should be worshiped. This path is defined in the Holy Quran along with the necessary tools. While traversing on this path, we face challenges – and overcoming those challenges is termed Jihad. So whenever someone overcomes a satanic impulse and corrects his course, he is doing Jihad – and such Jihad is called the greater Jihad.

Islam also wants us to propagate these teachings to others such that the whole mankind can benefit. Islam tells us to use Quran in this struggle (25:53 stated earlier) and be a beacon for the mankind.

All Muslims should take part in Jihad wherever they are. In this society or in any other society, we must take part in such Jihad and while overcoming the satanic impulses we should invite others to Islam using the powerful teachings of the Quran.

But we must strongly deny and resist the view that makes it right to shed blood, to spread disorder and disloyalty, and to disrupt civil peace in the name of Islam. To do so is to soil the fair name of Islam.

I will end this paper with the following passage from a book of the promised Messiah and Mehdi – Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (may his soul rest in peace)

The Holy Quran clearly forbids the use of force for the spread of the faith and directs its propagation through its inherent qualities and the good example of the Muslims. Do not be misled by the notion that in the beginning the Muslims were commanded to take up the sword. That sword was not taken up for the spread of the faith, but in self-defense against the enemies of Islam and for the purpose of establishing peace and security. It was no part of the purpose of taking it up, to have a recourse to coercion in the matter of faith.[6]

[1] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, The Philosophy of the teachings of Islam. Islam International Publications, p 1
[2] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, The Philosophy of the teachings of Islam. Islam International Publications, p 2
[3] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, The Philosophy of the teachings of Islam. Islam International Public3ations, p 3
[4] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, British Government and Jihad. p 1
[5] Jihad and World Peace. Islam International Publications, p 6
[6] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Sitarah Qaisariyyah. p 16