Terrorism was Never Justified by the Prophet Mohammadsa

Terrorism Was Never
Justified by the Prophet
Mohammadsa
10
Peace Requires
Compassion
32
Gene Editing:
Harnessing the Power
of Nature
36
The Economic System
of Islam
62
vol. 111 - issue fivemay 2016 www.reviewofreligions.org
Terrorism
was never
justified
bythe
Prophet
Mohammad

There is no good in many of
their conferences except the
conferences of such as enjoin
charity, or goodness, or the
making of peace among men.
And whoso does that, seeking the
pleasure of Allah, We shall soon
bestow on him a great reward.
ISLAM, THE HOLY QUR’AN,
CH.4:V.115.
O men, what I say to you, you
must hear and remember. All
Muslims are as brethren to one
another. All of you are equal. All
men, whatever nation or tribe
they may belong to, and whatever
station in life they may hold
are equal. Even as the fingers
of the two hands are equal, so
are human beings equal to one
another. No one has any right,
any superiority to claim over
another. You are as brothers.
ISLAM, THE HOLY
PROPHETSA
, FAREWELL
SERMON.
My dear ones, there is nothing
like peace and compromise. Let
us unite with the blessing of
this treaty and be one nation.
ISLAM, THE PROMISED
MESSIAHAS
, MESSAGE OF
PEACE, P. 27.
Let there be peace in heaven, Let
there be peace in the atmosphere,
May peace fill the four quarters,
May the waters and medical
herbs bring peace, May planets
give peace to all beings, May
enlightened persons disseminate
peace to all beings, May the Vedas
spread peace everywhere, May all
other objects everywhere give us
peace, And may that peace come
to us and remain with us for ever.
HINDUISM, YAJURVEDA 36/37.
Peace I leave with you, my
peace I give to you; not as the
world gives do I give to you.
Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid.
CHRISTIANITY, THE BIBLE,
JOHN 14:27.
Each one has to find his peace
from within. And peace to
be real must be unaffected
by outside circumstances.
HINDUISM, MAHATMA
GANDHI.
A man is not called wise because
he talks and talks again; but if he
is peaceful, loving and fearless.
BUDDHISM, GAUTAMA
BUDDHA, THE
DHAMMAPADA: THE
SAYINGS OF THE BUDDHA.
Abiding happiness and peace
is theirs who choose goodness
for its own sake - without
expectation of any reward.
ZOROASTRIANISM, AVESTA.
The Holy Prophet
Muhammadsa
prophesied
that the Promised Messiahas
would be raised near a
white minaret, east of
Damascus. This prophecy
was fulfilled with the advent
of the Promised Messiahas
from Qadian, India, a city
directly east of Damascus.
The Promised Messiahas
& imam mahdi
©makhzan-e-tasaweer
founder of
the review of religions
Peace
world faiths
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
, the Promised Messiah
and Mahdi was born to a noble family in Qadian, India.
From an early age he had a keen interest in religion and
developed a love for the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
. He
was also known for his honesty, friendliness and resolve.
Over time his knowledge and understanding of religion
and its application to society deepened. Being a Muslim
it was his firm belief that all religions were true at their
source but with the passage of time had drifted away
from their original teachings; he upheld the dignity of
religion and demonstrated its relevance to everyone.
His earnest defence of religion was ultimately blessed
when he started to receive direct revelation from Allah
– a blessing that he continued for the rest of his life.
His mission was to revitalise the truth that all religions
held within them and to revive the teachings of Islam. It
was through this that he would bring mankind together
and establish everlasting peace.
In 1889, under Divine Guidance, Hazrat Ahmadas
founded the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community – a
community that has since grown in its stature and
strength and has remained active in conveying the
message of Islam to the ends of the earth.
Hazrat Ahmadas
had established himself as a respected
writer and had written over 80 books. His writings
have been translated into more than 60 languages and
continue to inspire readers to this day. One of his greatest
scholarly works was The Philosophy of the Teachings of
Islam, prepared as a paper and read out at the Conference
of Great Religions in 1896.
He also wrote a fascinating treatise in 1899 entitled Jesus
in India, a book that uncovered remarkable evidence
of Jesus’sas
journey to India. In 1902, the Promised
Messiahas
initiated The Review of Religions which has
covered a vast array of topics on religion, philosophy
and contemporary issues of the day. It is the longest
running English magazine in defence of Islam and the
values it teaches.
From 1889 until the time of his demise in 1908 tens
of thousands of people accepted him. This blessing
has continued and will continue through his Khulafa
(successors).
Currently under the fifth successor, we are seeing that the
tide of acceptance is worldwide and that the message of
Prophet Ahmadas
has really reached the ends of the earth.

8 Belief in the Unity of God
Established through the
Holy Prophetsa
, the Promised
Messiah and Imam Mahdi
10 Terrorism was Never Justified
by the Prophet Mohammadsa
Keynote address at the 13th
Annual Peace Symposium.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
, Worldwide
Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
32 Peace Requires Compassion
, the Promised
Messiah and Imam Mahdi
36 Gene Editing: Harnessing
the Power of Nature
Exploring the science and
ethics of gene editing using the
CRISPR-Cas technique.
Sinwan Basharat, Toronto, Canada
44 Life of The Holy Prophet
Muhammadsa
50 The Economic System of Islam
HAZRAT MIRZA BASHIR-UD-DIN MAHMUD AHMADRA
,
THE SECOND CALIPH OF THE AHMADIYYA MUSLIM
COMMUNITY
58 Calendar of Religious Events
Front cover picture:
© enciktat | shutterstock.com
contents
may 2016 Vol.111 issue five
50
10
36

CHIEF EDITOR & MANAGER
Syed Amer Safir
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Nakasha Ahmad,Tariq H. Malik
RELIGION & SCIENCE
Editor: Dr. Syed Muhammad Tahir Nasser
Deputy: Dr.Tauseef Khan
ISLAM & CONTEMPORARY ISSUES
Editor: Shahzad Ahmad
LAW & HUMAN RIGHTS
Editor: Qudsi Rasheed
Deputy: Ayesha Mahmood Malik
ANCIENT RELIGIONS & ARCHAEOLOGY
Editor: Fazal Ahmad
Deputy: Rizwan Safir
CHRISTIANITY
Editor: Navida Sayed
Deputy: Arif Khan
Women’s Section
Editor: Aliya Latif
Deputy: Meliha Hayat
BOOK REVIEWS
Editor: Sarah Waseem
WEB TEAM
Mubashra Ahmad, Hibba Turrauf
Special Collections
Head: Razwan Baig
EDITORIAL BOARD
Mansoor Saqi, Bockarie Tommy Kallon, Professor
Amtul Razzaq Carmichael, Murtaza Ahmad, Fiona
O’Keefe, Hassan Wahab, Jonathan Butterworth,
Munazza Khan, Waqar Ahmedi, Mahida Javed
SUB-EDITORS
Munawara Ghauri (Head), Maryam Malik,
Nusrat Haq, Mariam Rahman
PROOFREADERS
Farhana Dar (Head), Hina Rehman, Amina Abbasi, Aisha Patel
HOUSE STYLE GUIDE
Maleeha Ahmad (Head), Sadia Shah
SOCIAL MEDIA
Tazeen Ahmad (Head), Mala Khan (Deputy), Nudrat
Ahmad, Hajra Ahmad, Mishall Rahman, Shumaila Ahmad
PRINT DESIGN AND LAYOUT
Ahsan Khan
INTERNATIONAL SUBSCRIPTION & DISTRIBUTION
Muhammad Hanif
ACCOUNTS & MARKETING
Musa Sattar
ART & CREATIVITY
Zubair Hayat, Mussawir Din
INDEXING,TAGGING & ARCHIVING
Mirza Krishan Ahmad (Head). Amtus Shakoor Tayyaba Ahmed
(Deputy). Humaira Omer, Humda Sohail, Shahid Malik, Ruhana
Hamood, Mubahil Shakir, Adila Bari, Hassan Raza Ahmad
MANAGEMENT BOARD
Munir-Ud-Din Shams (Chairman), Syed Amer Safir (Secretary), Mubarak Ahmad Zaffar, Abdul Baqi Arshad,
Ataul Mujeeb Rashed, Naseer Qamar, Abid Waheed Ahmad Khan, Aziz Ahmad Bilal
The world is passing through turbulent times.The global economic crisis
continues to manifest new and grave dangers at every juncture.The
similarities of the current circumstances to the build-up of the Second
WorldWar are stark. Events appear to be moving us rapidly towards a
ThirdWorldWar.The consequences of a nuclear war are beyond
our imagination.
In this book, the historic addresses of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
, Fifth
Khalifah of the Promised Messiah and Supreme Head of the worldwide
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, to prominent dignitaries at Capitol Hill, the
House of Commons, the European Parliament and other notable locations
around the world have been collated.The book also includes the momentous
letters sent by His Holiness to the numerous world leaders. Over and over
again, His Holiness has reminded all that the only means of averting a global
catastrophe is for nations to establish justice as an absolute requirement of
their dealings with others. Even if mutual enmity exists, impartiality must
be observed at all times, because history has taught us that this alone is
the way to eliminate all traces of hatred and to build everlasting peace.
Read online at: www.alislam.org
Purchase the book here:
http://store.alislam.org/

The
Promised Messiahas
& imam mahdi
( g u i d e d o n e )
founder of
I
t is a false and stinking notion that belief in
the Unity of God can be achieved other than
through the Holy Prophetsa
; nor can man
achieve salvation without it.How can there be 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 Prophetsa
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 Prophetsa
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 Prophetsa
.1
endnotes
1. Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 22, pp. 120-121
(English Translation: The Essence of Islam, Vol. 1, pp. 41).
Belief in the Unity of God
Established through the
Holy Prophetsa

At the the 13th Annual Peace Symposium organised by the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness Hazrat Mirza
Masroor Ahmadaba
urges world leaders and the press to push for
peace, while explaining Islam’s true teachings about love and peace.
Terrorism Was Never
Mohammadsa

H
azrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
,
the Worldwide Head of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community said:
“Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem – in
the Name of Allah, the Gracious,
Ever-Merciful.
Assalamo Alaikum wa Rehmatullah wa
Barakatohu - peace and blessings of Allah
be upon you all.
First of all I would like to take this
opportunity to express my sincere grati-
tude to all of our distinguished guests
who have accepted our invitation and
joined us here this evening.Your attend-
ance is particularly noteworthy given
that this event is taking place at a time
when widespread fear of Islam is on the
increase due to the horrific and disgrace-
ful acts of terrorist groups.
For example, last November, the world
watched in horror when the terrorist
attacks took place in Paris, and apart
from this,there have been suicide bomb-
ings and attacks in various countries at
regular intervals. In terms of the United
Kingdom, very recently the Assistant
Commissioner of Police warned that
Daesh was planning “enormous and
spectacular” terrorist attacks here in the
UK, targeting high-profile and public
places.
Furthermore, there has been a sudden
influx of refugees into Europe during
the past year and this is causing a degree
of fear,uncertainty and even panic in the
minds of many people. In light of all of
this, your attendance and willingness as
non-Muslims,to attend an event organ-
ised by a Muslim community,proves that
you are courageous, tolerant and open-
hearted people.
Nonetheless, the simple truth is that
there is no need for anyone to fear true
Islam.Whilst some people claim Islam to
be a religion of extremism and one that
promotes suicide attacks or other forms
Terrorism Was Never
Mohammadsa
Furthermore, there has been
a sudden influx of refugees
into Europe during the past
year and this is causing a
degree of fear, uncertainty
and even panic in the
minds of many people.KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY WORLDWIDE HEAD
OF THE AHMADIYYA MUSLIM COMMUNITY AT
THE 13TH
NATIONAL PEACE SYMPOSIUM AT THE
BAITUL F U TUH MOSQUE, UK.
2016 Peace Prize honoree Hadeel Qasim Hussein Al-Okbi,
who was chosen for her dedicated work with refugees,
shares the stage with other distinguished guests.
may 2016 | The Review of Religions 13

He would help and support those who
had been wronged. In early Islam, the
wars that took place were genuine
religious wars fought for the sake of
upholding the fundamental principle
of universal religious freedom. History
proves that the wars fought with this
intention made Muslims victorious,
regardless of the fact that a handful of
unequipped Muslims fought against
huge, well-equipped armies.
However, as a Muslim, when I analyse
the wars involving Muslims today, I
am certain that they cannot be classed
as religious wars. For one, most of the
wars taking place in the Muslim world
are either internal civil strife or with
the neighbouring Muslim countries.
Secondly if ever non-Muslim countries
are involved, they have never declared
the war as religious and rather helped
both sides of Muslims.Thus present-day
wars are not being fought for the sake of
Islam or for the sake of religion, but are
for economic or geopolitical gains and
are proving only a means of defaming
Islam’s name.
And so based upon what I have just said,
I hope it is now clear that there is no need
to fear Islam and that it is not a religion
of extremism or one that permits suicide
of terrorism, nothing could be further
from the truth. Recently, a well-known
English columnist wrote about the rise
of ‘Islamophobia’ in a national newspa-
per.He wrote that he had done extensive
research on suicide bombings and found
that the first such attack took place in
the 1980s,despite the fact that Islam had
existed for well over 1300 years.
He concluded that if Islam permitted or
encouraged such attacks then they ought
to have occurred from the outset of Islam
and throughout its history.His point was
valid and very well made and proved that
such attacks were a modern-day evil,
far removed from the true and peace-
ful teachings of Islam. Certainly, Islam
has very clearly prohibited all forms of
suicide and so there is no justification
whatsoever for suicide attacks or any
other forms of terrorism.
Such heinous acts lead to the mur-
der and barbaric slaughter of innocent
women, children and other members
of the public. A recent research article
by Dr. Considine of Rice University, in
Houston,Texas,clearly says that the per-
secution of Christians in the so-called
Islamic state is not justified by Prophet
Muhammad’ssa
writings.It further states
that the Prophet’ssa
vision of a Muslim
nation was one of religious pluralism and
civil rights.
Thus let it be clear that such acts are
absolutely contrary to Islamic teachings.
If Islam has ever permitted warfare, it
is only to the extent of a defensive war,
where war has been forced upon you.For
example, in chapter 22, verse 40, of the
Holy Qur’an, Allah the Almighty has
said that permission for warfare is given
to those people upon whom war has been
forcibly imposed.
In that same verse, Allah the Almighty
said that in the case of religious warfare
Recently, a well-known
English columnist wrote about
the rise of ‘Islamophobia’ in
a national newspaper. He
wrote that he had done
extensive research on suicide
bombings and found that the
first such attack took place
in the 1980s, despite the
fact that Islam had existed
for well over 1300 years.
terrorism was never justified by
the prophet mohammadsa
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
addresses the audience at the 13th
annual Peace Symposium.
14 The Review of Religions | may 2016 may 2016 | The Review of Religions 15

Outside of the religious context,in every
society and nation, there are rules and
laws that exist and if they are violated
then punitive action is normally taken.
If it is possible to reform without pun-
ishment or with just a mild sanction or
reprimand,that is better; however,if that
is not possible then severe punishment
is duly discharged for the benefit of the
wider society and as a means of deterrent
to others.
Moving to a religious context, accord-
ing to Islam, punishment or sanction is
permitted not as a means of revenge or
retribution,but only as a means of ending
cruelty or persecution and as a means of
positive reformation. The Holy Qur’an
has said that if a person or group can
be rehabilitated through forgiveness
and mercy then this method should be
adopted.
However, if clemency or forbearance
does not prove effective then punishment
should be administered as a means of ref-
ormation and improvement. Therefore
the philosophy underpinning punish-
ment in Islam is extremely far-sighted
and quite unique.Its purpose is to reform,
rehabilitate and improve.It is to develop
the highest standards of human values
amongst mankind so that, by adopting
the Attributes of their Creator,all people
come to respect and care for one another.
Therefore, where the rights of an indi-
vidual or group are unjustly usurped,
Islam permits punishments that are
proportionate to the crime, however it
remains the case that if reformation can
be achieved without sanction it is prefer-
able.This is why Allah the Almighty has
said in chapter 24, verse 23, of the Holy
Qur’an that it is better to forgive and to
manifest forbearance.
Similarly, in chapter 3, verse 135, Allah
the Almighty has said that those who
suppress their anger and who forgive
attacks or indiscriminate violence.There
is no need for ‘Islamophobia’ because
Islam’s true teachings are of peace,toler-
ance and mutual respect.Islam’s teachings
are of upholding human values and pro-
tecting the honour,dignity and freedoms
of all people.
However,of course,we are all well aware
that there are some extremists and
so-called Islamic groups that are perpe-
trating the very worst forms of brutality
in the name of Islam. Nevertheless, the
verse of the Qur’an I quoted earlier
makes it clear that such acts are not per-
mitted or justified in any shape or form
by Islam. Another significant matter,
which instead of leading me as a Muslim
towards warfare and violence, leads me
towards exhibiting love for all of human-
ity, is the fact that in the second verse of
the very first chapter of the Holy Qur’an,
it is stated that Allah the Almighty is the
“Provider and Sustainer of all the worlds.”
And the third verse states that He is the
“Gracious, Ever-Merciful.”
Thus, when Allah the Almighty is the
Provider and Sustainer of all people and
Gracious,Ever-Merciful,how could it be
that He desired for those who believed
in Him to mercilessly murder, violently
oppose or harm His Creation in any way?
Of course the answer is that it is not pos-
sible. Nonetheless, Allah the Almighty
has certainly permitted for action to be
taken to stop cruelty, inhumanity and
injustice.
Islam states that a Muslim should seek to
stop the hand of an oppressor and to end
all forms of injustice and transgression.
According to Islam there are two ways in
which this can be achieved. Firstly, it is
far better if peace can be attained through
mutual dialogue,negotiations and diplo-
macy.However,where this is not possible,
only then force may be used in order to
stop wrongdoing with the intention of
establishing sustainable peace.
Thus, when Allah the
Almighty is the Provider and
Sustainer of all people and
Gracious, Ever-Merciful, how
could it be that He desired for
those who believed in Him to
mercilessly murder, violently
oppose or harm His Creation
in any way? Of course the
answer is that it is not possible.
Guest speakers at the symposium included, from left to right: London mayoral candidate
and Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith; Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister
for Countering Extremism; Rafiq Hayat, National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community UK; Siobhan McDonagh, MP for Mitcham and Morden, and Chair of the ‘All
Party Parliamentary Group for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’; and the Rt. Hon. Justine
Greening, MP for Putney and Secretary of State for International Development.

of conscience. According to Islam,every
person not only has the right of freedom
of belief, but also has the right to peace-
fully propagate their beliefs.
Faith is, and always will be, a matter
of the heart and so there should never
be any form of compulsion in religion.
Whilst Allah the Almighty has deemed
Islam to be a complete teaching, no one
has the right to forcefully convert others
to it. Anyone, whether religious or not,
is free to accept Islam, but the key point
is that it should be accepted freely and
entirely of one’s own volition and choice.
Similarly, if a Muslim decides that he
wishes to leave Islam, then, according to
the teachings of the Qur’an,he or she has
the right to do so.
Whilst we believe Islam to be a univer-
sal religion and a timeless teaching, if
anyone chooses to leave it then that is
their choice and prerogative.In chapter 5,
verse 55, Allah says that if anyone wants
to leave, let them go. He will replace
and forget are those whom Allah loves
and prefers. Furthermore, at many other
places in the Holy Qur’an, it is stated
that a person should forgive wherever
possible, because the ultimate purpose
is always moral reformation, rather than
vengeance. In terms of conflict between
nations or groups, Allah the Almighty
has given a golden principle for the
establishment of long-lasting peace in
chapter 49,verse 10,of the Holy Qur’an.
In the verse, it states that if there is a
dispute between nations or groups,third
parties should seek to mediate and to
bring about a peaceful resolution to the
conflict.In the event of an agreement,all
parties should act equitably, but if either
party contravenes the settlement and
takes aggressive measures,then the other
nations or groups should unite together
and even use force if necessary to stop
the aggressor.However,once the aggres-
sive party withdraws and adopts peace
they should not be unduly restricted but
should be permitted to move forward as
an independent nation and a free society.
Therefore, as the Provider and Sustainer
of all of mankind, Allah the Almighty
desires for all people to live together in
peace and to be free from all forms of
persecution and injustice. In terms of
belief, Islam enshrines the principles of
universal religious freedom and freedom
Allah the Almighty desires
for all people to live together
in peace and to be free from
all forms of persecution and
injustice. In terms of belief,
Islam enshrines the principles
of universal religious freedom
and freedom of conscience.
Attendees at the Peace Symposium
listen to His Holinesss, Hazrat
Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
.

to whoever is kind to you and to favour them
in return, whether they be your monarch or
ruler or whether they be the most simple
and humble of people. And you should keep
always keep a loving bond with them.”
Furthermore, the Founder of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, has
also explained the true meaning of chap-
ter 16, verse 91, of the Holy Qur’an, in
which Allah the Almighty states:
“Verily, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing
of good to others; and giving like kindred.”
The Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community states that in this verse
Muslims are commanded by Allah to be
just and fair towards all others.Therefore,
Muslims are commanded to be kind
and to extend favour to all other peo-
ple, including those who have not been
sympathetic to them or favoured them
in any way.Finally,he explained that the
verse required a Muslim to love God’s
Creation to such an extent that they con-
sidered every person in the world to be
like their own close family member.
In fact,he said that a true Muslim should
love others, irrespective of their back-
ground or belief, in the same way that
a mother loves her child. Certainly, this
is the highest and purest form of love
because in terms of the second stage,
where a person exhibits kindness or
favour, it is possible that an element of
self-projection remains, whether covert
or overt,and at some point,the individual
may remind the person of their gesture
and seek favour in return.
However, a mother’s love is truly self-
less and altruistic and her unique bond
with her child is such that she is will-
ing to sacrifice everything for the sake
of her offspring. She desires nothing in
return and nor does she require any form
of praise or tribute.Therefore, this is the
ultimate standard that Islam advocates,
whereby Muslims are taught to love all
them with better and sincere ones. No
government, group or individual has a
right to punish them or sanction them
in any way.
Thus,the allegation that Islam mandates
punishment for apostasy is entirely unjust
and without foundation. Therefore the
teachings of Islam all revolve around
Allah and His Being and the fact that
He is the Sustainer and Provider for
the entire universe. Consequently, if a
Muslim seeks to inflict merciless cruelties
or to indulge in any forms of extrem-
ism then they will have to reject God’s
Attribute of being the Sustainer of all of
mankind.
Alternatively, it may be that certain
Muslims accept Allah to be the Master
of the Universe and the Sustainer of all
the Worlds, but have not truly compre-
hended the meaning of this and have
consequently moved far away from
Islam’s original teachings. Hence, it was
to enlighten and educate mankind of the
true Islam that we, Ahmadi Muslims,
believe that Allah the Almighty sent
the Founder of our Community, as the
Promised Messiah and Reformer of the
Age.
He informed us that the era of religious
warfare had come to an end and that God
Almighty desired for mankind to live in
peace and to fulfil the rights of their
Creator and of one another. Addressing
his followers about this, the Promised
Messiah,Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
of Qadian once said:
“According to the true spirit of the teach-
ings of Islam there are only two parts of the
religion, or it can be said that the religion
is based upon two paramount objectives.
First of all is to recognise the One God with
absolute certainty and to sincerely love Him
and to submerge yourself entirely in His
obedience, as per the demands of love and
submission. The second purpose is to serve
His people and to utilise all of your capa-
bilities and faculties in the loving service of
others and to always show sincere gratitude
In fact, he said that a
true Muslim should love
others, irrespective of their
background or belief, in the
same way that a mother
loves her child. Certainly,
this is the highest and
purest form of love. True Muslims exude a mother’s love to
everyone, not just their own children.
Rafal Olechowski | Shutterstock.com

brutality are inviting God’s wrath and
anger to their doorstep.
At a time when fear of Islam is ever
increasing, let me stress again that the
Holy Qur’an has repeatedly enjoined
love, compassion and benevolence. If in
certain extreme circumstances the Qur’an
permitted defensive warfare, it was only
in order to establish peace. Today, we
observe that the majority of govern-
ments or groups, whether Muslims or
non-Muslims, involved in warfare also
claim that they are fighting for the sake
of establishing peace.
In terms of perception,it seems that most
people are willing to overlook the wars
conducted by certain world powers or
at least not affiliate their actions to any
religion or belief. However, as we live
in a climate in which Islam’s teachings
are being targeted, we see that all cruel-
ties or wars carried out by Muslims are
immediately linked to the teachings of
Islam.Yet the voices of those people and
those groups who are earnestly striving
to spread Islam’s true and peaceful teach-
ings are not being heard and not being
widely publicised.
In my opinion this is unjust and
extremely counter-productive.At a time
of worldwide conflict,we should remem-
ber this basic principle that it is better for
all forms of evil and cruelty to be sup-
pressed and for all forms of goodness
and humanity to be endorsed. In this
way,evil will not spread far,whilst virtue
and peace will spread far and wide and
adorn our society.
If we promote the good that is happen-
ing in the world,we can overcome those
who seek to undermine our cherished
values of mercy and humanity. Yet the
world does not seem to have accepted
or understood this principle and that is
why the media continues to prioritise
its circulation or viewing figures over
and beyond the peace of the world. The
of humanity as a mother loves her child.
These are the true teachings of Islam.
Allah the Almighty has said that those
who believe in Him should adopt His
Attributes and so it is impossible for a
true Muslim to be cruel and it is similarly
impossible for Islam to permit any form
of injustice,violence or extremism.Over
the years, I have made these points time
and time again and have highlighted
these core Islamic teachings.
I have repeatedly quoted the Holy Qur’an
to prove that what I am saying is based
on Islam’s authentic teachings.However,
it remains that our peaceful and inclu-
sive message is not covered extensively
in the media, whilst on the other hand
those relatively few people involved in
brutality and carnage are given non-stop
worldwide media coverage and attention.
There is no doubt that the media plays a
huge role in influencing public opinion
and so the media should use this power
responsibly - as a force for good and as
a force for peace. It should show the
world what true Islam represents, rather
than focusing on the merciless acts of a
minority.
Publicity is the oxygen sustaining most
terrorist or extremist groups and so I have
no doubt that if the media takes on board
what I have said we will soon find that
the terrorism and violence afflicting the
world will begin to die away. Personally,
I cannot comprehend how the extremists
who have plagued Islam and violated its
noble teachings can seek to justify their
hateful acts in its name.
Islam’s teachings of peace prohibit all
forms of extremism, to the extent, that
even in a state of legitimate war, Allah
has commanded that any action or pun-
ishment should remain proportionate to
the crimes committed and that it is better
if patience and forgiveness is manifest.
Thus, all those so-called Muslims who
are engaged in violence, injustice and
Publicity is the oxygen
sustaining most terrorist
or extremist groups and so
I have no doubt that if the
media takes on board what
I have said we will soon
find that the terrorism and
violence afflicting the world
will begin to die away.
If the media prioritised peace over ratings,
we would soon see the imminent demise
of Daesh and other terrorist organisations.
Brian A. Jackson | Shutterstock.com

whereby President Gaddafi was forcibly
removed from office in 2011 and ever
since Libya has spiralled into a state of
lawlessness and unbridled chaos.
A direct consequence of the political
vacuum in Libya has been the fact that
Daesh has now built a significant base
and terror network in the country,which
it is continuing to strengthen.The situa-
tion is now extremely dangerous,not only
for the region, but also for Europe and
this is something that I warned of some
years ago.Therefore, the priority in such
countries should not be regime change
for the sake of it.
Rather, it should be to ensure that the
members of the public are given their
due rights and for long-term peace to
be established. Going back to Syria, I
agree with the Austrian Foreign Minister
when he says that the overriding objec-
tive should be to establish peace. Hence,
the major powers should be willing to
open the channels of communication
with Syria’s Government and to seek the
help of other neighbouring countries that
have influence in the region.
Remember, positive change is only pos-
sible if one is willing to set aside their
personal interests for the greater good
and is willing to act fairly at all times.As
I have already said,Islam says that justice
is the foundation upon which peace is
built. And so we must pay heed to the
urgent issues of our time.For many years
I have warned that the world is mov-
ing rapidly towards another world war
and now others are reaching the same
conclusion.
In fact, some prominent people are now
saying that they believe that a world war
has already begun.Nonetheless,I believe
that we still have the time to stop such a
war in its tracks but the solution remains,
as I have already said, to act with justice
and to leave aside all vested interests.On
a number of previous occasions, I have
media, which gladly focuses on the tiny
minority involved in brutality,are feeding
the propaganda machines of evil groups
such as Daesh, yet they fail in their duty
to highlight all that is good in the world.
This is an injustice that is sowing the
seeds of further division and conflict.
In terms of world politics and defeat-
ing terrorism, it is necessary to accept
that establishing peace is our paramount
objective and so compromise from all
sides is required.In case you do not trust
the words of a Muslim,let me present to
you the views of eminent non-Muslims
who are well-versed in political affairs
and who desire peace in the world. For
example, when speaking about how to
defeat extremism and in particular the
terrorist group Daesh, Austria’s Foreign
Minister recently said:
“We need a pragmatic approach, including
the involvement of President Al-Assad in
the fight against Islamic State terror. In my
opinion the priority is the fight against ter-
rorism. This is not possible without powers
such as Russia and Iran.”
Further, Professor John Gray, a retired
political philosopher who taught for
many years at The London School of
Economics, recently wrote about the
importance of prioritising peace over
the type of political system in place. He
wrote:
“The form of government – democratic,
despotic, monarchical or republican – is
less important than the capacity to deliver
peace.”
In my opinion, this was an extremely
insightful comment, yet the world’s
major powers have continued to priori-
tise regime change in countries that were
previously relatively stable.
For example,the West was determined to
remove Saddam Hussein from Iraq and
the painful consequences of that war 13
years ago continue to be felt to this day.
Another prominent example is Libya,
It is more important that a government
ensures a peaceful stable society, rather than
conforming to a certain type of government.
Anurak Pongpatimet | Shutterstock.com
The media, which gladly
focuses on the tiny minority
involved in brutality, are
feeding the propaganda
machines of evil groups such
as Daesh, yet they fail in
their duty to highlight all
that is good in the world.

“The world tolerates all forms of atrocities for
the sake of gaining oil. Thus countries have
bought oil from Daesh and from Sudan
where a lot of human rights abuses have
taken place. This is a violation of proper
fundamental market economics – whereby
violence should not create property rights.”
Furthermore, in a recent article, the
Director of the Iraq Energy Institute
explained how Daesh was selling its oil.
The author wrote:
“Crude oil is transported by tankers to
Jordan via Anbar province, to Iran via
Kurdistan, to Turkey via Mosul, to Syria’s
local market and to the Kurdistan region of
Iraq, where most of it gets refined locally. It
defies logic to say that state officials are not
complicit in this trade.”
Therefore, whilst it is claimed that
all possible efforts are being made to
eradicate terrorism and extremism, the
evidence does not substantiate this claim.
Given all of this, how can it be said that
there is true justice in the world? How
can it be claimed that honesty and integ-
rity are considered paramount? Similarly,
recently there has been widespread media
coverage documenting the global arms
trade.
According to official reports last year
the United States exported weapons
worth $46.6 billion dollars, which was
an increase of more than $12 billion dol-
lars from the previous year.It was further
reported that the majority of those weap-
ons were sold to countries in the Middle
East and in turn they were fuelling the
wars in Syria,Iraq and Yemen.I reiterate
that if such trading is taking place, how
is it possible for justice and peace to be
established?
These few examples I have cited are all
in the public domain and are the views
of respected analysts and commentators.
Until principles of justice are exhibited at
all levels of society and between nations
we will not see true peace in the world.
Without justice it could take decades to
defeat the evil that is Daesh and other
extremist groups.
However, if the world heeds this mes-
sage and comes to manifest justice and
genuine efforts are made to restrict the
funding and supply lines of terrorism
then I believe – unlike a retired American
military general who recently said the war
against Daesh will last between 10 and
20 years – that the networks of terrorism
tormenting the world can be destroyed
imminently.
spoken about the critical importance of
cutting the funding and supply lines of
extremist groups.
Yet it cannot be said that full efforts are
being made in this regard. For example,
a recent special investigative report pub-
lished by The Wall Street Journal stated
that Daesh was acquiring huge quantities
of U.S. dollars from auctions being held
by Iraq’s central bank.
Those same dollars were being provided
to Iraq directly from the Federal Reserve
in the United States. The article stated
that the U.S. Government had known
about this since at least June 2015, but
personally I believe that world powers
knew about such trading for much longer.
Furthermore, in terms of the sale of oil,
it is well-known that different groups
and even governments are purchasing
oil from Daesh. Why has this trade not
been stopped? Why have comprehensive
sanctions not been imposed to prevent
such deals? It seems that when it comes
to acquiring oil, morality goes out of the
window. This is a point that was also
made by Professor Leif Wenar of King’s
College London in a recent article where
he said:
Daesh acquires dollars from the Federal
Reserve Bank through Iraq’s central bank.
We can defeat these terrorist groups more
quickly if we cut the funding off at the source.
Tetra Images | Shutterstock.com
Furthermore, in terms of the
sale of oil, it is well-known
that different groups and even
governments are purchasing
oil from Daesh. Why has
this trade not been stopped?
Why have comprehensive
sanctions not been imposed
to prevent such deals? It
seems that when it comes
to acquiring oil, morality
goes out of the window.

In conclusion, it is my belief that unless
the world comes to recognise its Creator
and accepts Him as the Sustainer of man-
kind,true justice cannot prevail.Not only
will true justice not prevail, but we will
also experience a lethal nuclear war whose
catastrophic consequences will be faced
by our future generations.I pray that the
world comes to understand this reality.I
pray that we all play our respective roles
in furthering the cause of humanity.And
I pray that true peace,based upon justice,
is established in all parts of the world.
With these words I would like to once
again take the opportunity to thank all
of our guests for joining us this evening.
May Allah bless you all.Thank you very
much.”
His Holinessaba
leads the
audience in silent prayer.
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Educating Our Children
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The Difference Between
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30
FGM’ – Not in The
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ERADICATING
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Why The Honeybee
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Wonders Experienced
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The Islamic Dilemma
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Atheism or Belief -
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Based?
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The
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God - His Transcedence
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Untold Stories
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My Visit to Qadian
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Preaching Activities of
Jesusas
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EYES CANNOT
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The Plague
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80
World War One:
Centenary of Fulfliment
of a Grand Prophecy
102
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EVIDENCE FORTHE
TRUTHYoubetheJudge...
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A Message of Peace
10
Legal Right Verses
Moral Duty
38
Is it Permissable for
Prisoners of War
to be Executed?
56
The Life of the
Prophet Muhammadsa
68
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REACTIONto
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HEBDO...?
SERMON
onthe
MOUNT
The Economic System
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10
The Institution of Hajj
20
Mahmud’s Letter From
the Land of the Dearest
One [Muhammadsa
]
24
The Life & Character of
the Seal of Prophetssa
52
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Fromthe
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A HISTORIC JOURNEY TO THE HOUSE OF GOD
Firm Stance Against
Terror At Peace
Symposium
8
The Golden Principles
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16
Three Minutes and
Counting
38
Has Science Rendered
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66
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RAY
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HOPE?
SERMON
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Halloween –
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10
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28
Connecting to Khilafat:
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36
Islam’s Response to the
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56
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66
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- The Critical Issues of
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38
Responsibilities of an
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50
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56
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32
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Three Gradations of
Doing Good
14
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Apartheid of Ahmadis
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The
BLAME
GAMEIs religion truly
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today?
Is Religion Truly the Cause of Disorder in
the World Today?
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The
Promised Messiahas
& imam mahdi
( g u i d e d o n e )
founder of
My countrymen, a religion which does not inculcate univer-
sal compassion is no religion at all. Similarly, a human being
without the faculty of compassion is no human at all. Our
God has never discriminated between one people and another.
This is illustrated by the fact that all the potentials and capa-
bilities which have been granted to the Aryans have also been
granted to the races inhabiting Arabia, Persia, Syria, China,
Japan,Europe and America.The earth created by God provides
a common floor for all people alike, and His sun and moon
and many stars are a source of radiance and provide many other
benefits to all alike. Likewise, all peoples benefit from the ele-
ments created by Him, such as air, water, fire and earth, and
similarly from other products created by Him like grain, fruit,
and healing agents, etc. These attributes of God teach us the
lesson that we, too, should behave magnanimously and kindly
towards our fellow human beings and should not be petty of
heart and illiberal.
Friends! Take it as certain that if either of our two nations will
not treat God’s attributes with respect and will not shape its
conduct in accordance with the conduct of God, then, that
nation will soon be wiped out from the face of the earth. Not
only will it destroy itself but it will also jeopardise the future of
its generations to come.The righteous of all ages have testified
that following God’s ways works like an elixir for the people.
Moreover the survival of human beings,both physical and spir-
itual,depends on the same eternal truth that man should follow
Peace Requires
Compassion

happened lest anyone should have cause to complain that ‘God has
bestowed His favour upon such and such people,but not upon us.’Or
that ‘So and so received the Book in order to be guided while we did
not.’ Or that ‘In such and such an age, He revealed Himself through
His revelations, communications and miracles but in our time He
remained hidden.’ Thus, by demonstrating His universal beneficence,
He left no justification for such possible accusations.He displayed His
virtues boundlessly so that no people remain bereft of physical and
spiritual bounties from Him.He also did not treat any age as doomed.
So,when such are the attributes of our Lord,it is but befitting for us to
acquire them ourselves.So,O compatriots! This short epistle entitled A
Message of Peace’ is being presented to you with all due respect and
with a sincere heartfelt prayer that Almighty God may Himself inspire
you and fill your hearts with trust in my sincerity,lest you misread this
friendly gesture and consider it to be an attempt to gain some ulterior
motive. Dear Countrymen! The matter of the Hereafter is very often
obscured to ordinary people.Its secrets are known only to a few of the
enlightened,who embrace a kind of death [for the sake of their Lord]
before they actually die.The goodness of this world,on the other hand,
is easily recognised by any man with vision and wisdom.4
endnotes
1. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Fatihah, Verse 2.
2. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
, A Message of Peace (Tilford, Surrey, UK: Islam
International Publications Ltd., 2007), 6-7.
3. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Fatir, Verse 25.
4. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
, A Message of Peace (Tilford, Surrey, UK: Islam
International Publications Ltd., 2007), 9-10.
the virtuous attributes of God Who is the Fountainhead of all that is
essential for survival. God commences the Holy Qur’an with the fol-
lowing verse which is contained in Surah Al-Fatihah:“All praise belongs
to Allah, Lord of all the Worlds.”1
That is, all perfect and holy attributes
belong exclusively to Allah, Who is the Lord of all the worlds. The
word ‘alam [worlds] comprises all different peoples, all different ages
and all the different countries.The commencement of the Holy Qur’an
with this verse was designed to counter the views of such people who
attempted to monopolise God’s unlimited providence for their own
nation and imagined that the other nations did not belong to God or
that having created these other people, God discarded them as being
of no consequence, or else perhaps they were shelved to oblivion by
Him, or (God forbid) they were not even created by Him…2
God also made it clear in several places in the Holy Qur’an that His
messengers have been appearing in different lands all over the world.
In fact He did not neglect any people or any country.The Holy Qur’an
explains through various examples that just as God has been look-
ing after the physical development of the people of every country, in
accordance with their requirements, so has He blessed every country
and every people with spiritual upbringing. Allah says in the Holy
Qur’an: [“and there is no people to whom a warner has not been sent”],
meaning that there is no people to whom a Warner has not been
sent.3
Therefore, there is no question that the True and Perfect God,
to believe in Whom is essential for every person,is the Lord of all the
worlds.Furthermore,His providence is not confined to any particular
people,age or country.In fact,He is the Lord of all peoples,the Lord
of time and space, and He is the Sovereign of all the countries. He
alone is the Fountainhead of all beneficence and the Source of every
physical and spiritual strength. All that exists is sustained by Him.
He is the Support for every creature.It is the universal beneficence of
God which encompasses all peoples, all countries and all ages. It so

“Blessed be Allah, the Best of Creators”1
The field of biotechnology is built upon
this very principle,that the greatest inno-
vations are inherent within nature,and it is
only a matter of identifying and harness-
ing the power of organisms for humans
to use.The challenge is in finding a sys-
tem which can be perfectly employed.
The complexities that are found even in
microorganisms such as bacteria are so
extensive,that it was only in the 20th
cen-
tury that scientists began to understand
how beneficial they could be to humans.
It was in 1928 that scientists discovered
penicillin, the first antibiotic. Antibiotics
are chemicals produced by bacteria and
fungi to fight off other microorganisms.
Their discovery transformed medicine and
led to the rapid reduction of infectious
diseases across the world, saving millions
of lives. Later, scientists discovered that
due to the relative simplicity of these
microorganisms in comparison to animals
and plants,bacterial genes could be easily
modified or changed,in a process known
as ‘recombination.’ This discovery was not
only instrumental in understanding how
DNA works,but opened the doors to the
field of genetic engineering.Today,many
medical treatments are based upon such
technology.
For example,patients suffering from dia-
betes have very high levels of sugar in
their blood because they are deficient in
the hormone insulin. In order to treat
diabetes, patients are given injections
of insulin. Have you ever considered
where insulin is made? Instead of going
through the complexities of synthesis-
ing insulin, scientists simply take the
insulin gene and recombine it into bac-
terial DNA. These bacteria then make
large quantities of the hormone which
can be collected. Hence, bacteria can act
Gene Editing:
Harnessing the Power
of Nature
Sinwan Basharat, Toronto, Canada
Have you ever considered
where insulin is made?
Instead of going through the
complexities of synthesising
insulin, scientists simply
take the insulin gene
and recombine it into
bacterial DNA.These
bacteria then make large
quantities of the hormone
which can be collected.
In an age where engineering advancements are producing
remarkable technologies,one is amazed at the power of human
innovation.However astonishing these technical advancements
are, one should not forget the unshakable truth of the Holy
Qur’an, which affirms that despite the wondrous capability of
humans to engineer, all these inventions pale in significance
compared to the creation of God, the Ultimate Creator.
Human DNA consists of about 3 billion bases, and
more than 99 percent of those bases are the
same in all people. The order, or sequence, of
these bases determines the information available
for building and maintaining an organism.
Creations | Shutterstock.com

found that CRISPR serves as an immune
defence system in bacteria, and only
recently has its potential for gene editing
been explored.6
How does CRISPR work
and how is it used for gene manipulation?
Bacteria, like all organisms, face a real
threat from invasive viruses. However,
bacteria are vulnerable as they are sin-
gle-celled and so do not have any special
cells dedicated to recognising and fight-
ing off invaders,unlike animals,who have
white blood cells and other immune cells.
One of the ways bacteria defend them-
selves against viruses is by having short
copies of different viral genes within
their own DNA, which are known as
CRISPR.2
The CRISPR genes are always
on surveillance duty. When a bacteria is
attacked by a virus, the genes match up
to the viral DNA that has entered into
the bacteria.The Cas protein is then able
to cut the foreign DNA at the specific
sites where there is a match between the
viral DNA and the bacterial viral DNA
copy, essentially destroying the invading
virus.7
Interestingly,when exposed to new
viruses,bacteria can expand their library of
CRISPR genes and build up their arsenal
of recognising future viruses.8
Scientists have discovered that, instead
of a viral gene, a portion of any other
gene can also be placed into the CRISPR
library in the bacterial DNA.Once a cell
encounters that specific gene again, the
CRISPR-Cas system lines up its own
copy of the DNA with the foreign DNA
and cuts the foreign DNA precisely,ena-
bling the gene to be removed and another
gene to be put in its place.9
From this,the
altered foreign DNA can be transferred
into different types of cells in a wide vari-
ety of organisms, ranging from insects
to plants and even to human cells.10,11
It
is popular because of its simplicity, low
cost and high efficiency. For this very
reason, CRISPR is revolutionising the
field by “democratising gene editing”,i.e.,
making gene editing possible in ordinary
scientific laboratories.12
as remarkable genetic factories, with the
ability to churn out whichever protein
is inserted into their DNA. Many other
drugs are produced in a similar way, by
genetically modifying bacteria.
This great capability to harness the power
of microorganisms makes one grateful
to the beneficence of The Gracious God.
The intricacies of bacteria are greater
than even the most complex of human
creations and God has permitted humans
to benefit from them.
“And He Has Subjected to You
Whatsoever is in the Heavens and
Whatsoever is in the Earth: All This is
From Him. In That Surely are Signs For
a People Who Reflect.”2
Over decades, the field of genetic engi-
neering has progressed steadily and has
led to the production of genetically mod-
ified plants,insects and even animals such
as mice, which are used to study models
of human diseases.However,since these
animals are more complex than bacteria,
their production has proven difficult,time
consuming and expensive.3
This has lim-
ited production only to those scientific or
industrial labs which house special facil-
ities and have ample resources.4
Today
however,we are amidst a revolution that
is making gene editing a simple and rou-
tine process, which is being adopted in
laboratories across the world.
While there are multiple new gene edit-
ing techniques being developed,the most
popular one is known as CRISPR (pro-
nounced as crisper, short for Clustered
Regularly-Interspaced Short Palindromic
Repeats). CRISPR-Cas (Cas stands for
CRISPR-Associated protein) was origi-
nally discovered in the 1980s in bacteria
but its function was not understood at
the time.5
In the early 2000s, researchers
Microorganisms such as the bacteria
Escherichia coli have been instrumental
in developing the field of biotechnology
and genetic engineering.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,
National Institutes of Health | Released under CC BY 2.0
Insulin hormone injections have
transformed the lives of those living with
diabetes and it is another example of
the positive impact genetically modified
bacteria has had on the world.
Andrey Popov | Shutterstock.com
gene editing: harnessing the power
of nature

resistant to the carriage of the malaria
parasite.17
Their aim was to show that
one possible way of reducing the inci-
dence of malaria would be to release
such genetically modified mosquitoes
into the environment. These mosqui-
toes would replicate and spread across a
region,coming to dominate the mosquito
population and reducing the spread of
malaria. Although their experiment was
only meant to illustrate that such gene
editing was easily possible, the effects of
manipulating an entire insect population
could have catastrophic and unforeseen
consequences within the ecosystem.
As CRISPR use expands, such contro-
versial experimenting will continue. To
discuss the ethical concerns, an interna-
tional panel of scientists held a summit
in Washington, D.C., in December
2015. They focused primarily on how
gene editing should be used in humans
and raised important questions.18
Would
the gene-editing tool be used in humans
only to return dysfunctional genes to a
functioning, healthy state, or would it
be used to alter characteristics based on
fashion and preference? What regula-
tions and safety standards should be
employed before hospitals and clinics
begin to offer gene editing therapy to
parents? The summit was an important
step,but international laws and standards
have yet to be enacted.19
Remarkably,the
Holy Qur’an provided great insight into
this modern concern 1400 years ago:
“‘And assuredly I (Satan) will lead them
astray and assuredly I will excite in them
vain desires…and assuredly I will incite
them and they will alter Allah’s crea-
tion.’ And he who takes Satan for a friend
beside Allah has certainly suffered a mani-
fest loss.”20
The second Khalifah of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza
Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmadra
, has
expounded on this verse by stating that
the meaning of ‘altering Allah’s creation’
can refer to deforming or disfiguring the
body of a young child and also to turning
to an evil use that which God has created
for a good purpose.21
Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh
(fourth
spiritual head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community),further explained that this
verse is an emphatic prophecy which was
fulfilled with the introduction of genetic
engineering, something inconceivable
when the Holy Qur’an was revealed.
Moreover, he explained that gene edit-
ing and similar technologies should
only be used to protect the creation of
Scientists from multiple fields are using
CRISPR to add or remove genes, to
study the role of specific mutations and
to develop animal models to see how
diseases are inherited.13,14
Moreover,
CRISPR is becoming a highly attrac-
tive tool because it offers the potential
to correct genetic disorders and may even
be used as a gene therapy in humans to
replace faulty genes.15
Yet, this great
breakthrough is not without controversy.
The scientific community was both
intrigued and startled in April 2015,
when Chinese scientists used CRISPR
on human embryos collected from fer-
tility clinics. The researchers used the
gene-editing tool to alter the gene
responsible for causing a blood disorder
known as β-Thalassemia. The scientists
were able to successfully alter the harmful
mutation in a subset of the embryos but
found that some complications, such as
off-target effects (i.e., other genes being
altered), also occurred.16
Although the
embryos they used were not able to
develop into live births,their work none-
theless raised ethical concerns regarding
CRISPR technology.
Similarly, in October 2015, scientists
used CRISPR to successfully make a
genetically altered line of mosquitoes
Similarly, in October 2015,
scientists used CRISPR to
successfully make a genetically
altered line of mosquitoes
resistant to the carriage of the
malaria parasite. Although
their experiment was only
meant to illustrate that such
gene editing was easily possible,
the effects of manipulating
an entire insect population
could have catastrophic and
unforeseen consequences
within the ecosystem.
Special proteins read the genetic code
found in all living things. With CRISPR a
permanent change can be made in genes
leading to a different protein being formed.
David Bushnell, Ken Westover and Roger Kornberg, Stanford
University | flickr.com | Released under CC BY 2.0
of nature

11. Yin, Hao, Wen Xue, Sidi Chen, Roman
L. Bogorad, Eric Benedetti, Markus Grompe,
Victor Koteliansky, Phillip A. Sharp,Tyler
Jacks, and Daniel G. Anderson.“Genome
Editing with Cas9 in Adult Mice Corrects
a Disease Mutation and Phenotype.”Nature
Biotechnology 32, no. 6 (2014): 551–53.
doi:10.1038/nbt.2884.
12. Ledford, Heidi.“CRISPR: Gene Editing Is
Just the Beginning.”Nature 531, no. 7593 (July
2016): 156–59. doi:10.1038/531156a.
13. Hsu, Lander, and Zhang,“Development
and Applications of CRISPR-Cas.”
14. Doudna and Charpentier,“The New
Frontier of Genome Engineering.”
15. Ibid.
16. Liang, Puping, Yanwen Xu, Xiya Zhang,
Chenhui Ding, Rui Huang, Zhen Zhang, Jie Lv,
et al.“CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Gene Editing
in Human Tripronuclear Zygotes.”Protein
& Cell 6, no. 5 (2015): 363–72. doi:10.1007/
s13238-015-0153-5.
17. Gantz, Valentino M., Nijole Jasinskiene,
Olga Tatarenkova, Aniko Fazekas, Vanessa
M. Macias, Ethan Bier, and Anthony A.
James.“Highly Efficient Cas9-Mediated
Gene Drive for Population Modification
of the Malaria Vector Mosquito Anopheles
Stephensi.”Proceedings Of the National Academy
of Sciences 112, no. 49 (2015). doi:10.1073/
pnas.1521077112.
18. Wade, Nicholas.“Scientists Seek
Moratorium on Edits to Human Genome
That Could Be Inherited.”The New York Times,
December 4, 2015 p. A1. Retrieved from http://
www.nytimes.com/2015/12/04/science/crispr-
cas9-human-genome-editing-moratorium.
html?_r=0.
19. Wade,“Scientists Seek Moratorium.”
20. The Holy Qur’an, 4:120.
21. The Holy Qur’an with English Translation
and Commentary (Islamabad: Islam
International Publications, 1988), 564.
22. Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Urdu
Translation, Introduction of Chapters and Brief
Explanatory Notes of The Holy Qur’an (Islamabad:
Islam International Publications, 2000), 154
(footnote).
23. Ahmad, Urdu Translation.
God.22
That is, they should only be used
to change a diseased state to a healthy
state. If they are used to alter creation
by bringing about unnatural innovations,
then it could have catastrophic effects.
Such a misuse of this technology would
be against the teachings of God and
would instead be motivated by Satan
who stirs “vain desires”in man.23
Gene editing using CRISPR beautifully
harnesses the natural processes within
bacteria created by God.It has immense
potential to reduce suffering throughout
the world and benefit mankind. Lasting
treatments for incurable genetic diseases
could finally be produced, thus improv-
ing the lives of millions of people. With
this new wave of gene editing, it is the
responsibility of the public and scientists
alike to ensure that laws and regulations
on this matter adopt the divine guid-
ance given by God,the Ultimate Creator.
Only then can we truly benefit from such
technologies and be truly grateful to God
and become recipients of His blessings.
About the Author: Sinwan Basharat is a
graduate student in molecular biology at the
University of Toronto, Canada.
endnotes
3. Hsu, Patrick D., Eric S. Lander, and Feng
Zhang.“Development And Applications of
CRISPR-Cas9 for Genome Engineering.”
Cell 157, no. 6 (2014): 1262–78. doi:10.1016/j.
cell.2014.05.010.
4. Sander, Jeffry D., and J. Keith Joung.
“CRISPR-Cas Systems for Editing, Regulating
and Targeting Genomes.”Nature Biotechnology
32, no. 4 (February 2014): 347–55. doi:10.1038/
nbt.2842.
5. Doudna, J. A., and E. Charpentier.“The
New Frontier of Genome Engineering with
CRISPR-Cas9.”Science 346, no. 6213 (2014):
1258096–96. doi:10.1126/science.1258096.
6. Ibid.
7. Sander and Joung,“Crispr-Cas Systems.”
8. Ibid.
9. Doudna and Charpentier,“The New Frontier
of Genome Engineering.”
10. Ibid.
of nature

Did the Prophetsa
Seek to Continue Warfare?
In the battles which had so far been fought, Muslims had
either remained in Madinah or gone some distance out of it
to fight the aggression of disbelievers.Muslims did not initiate
these encounters,and showed no disposition to continue them
after they had started.Normally hostilities,once begun,can be
ended in only two ways—an agreed peace or the submission of
one side to the other.In the encounters between Muslims and
disbelievers so far there had been no hint of a peace nor had
either side offered to submit. True, there had been pauses in
the fighting,but nobody could say that war between Muslims
and disbelievers had ended. According to ordinary canons,
Muslims could have attacked the enemy tribes and compelled
them to surrender. But Muslims did not do this. When the
enemy stopped fighting,Muslims stopped also.They stopped
because they believed there might be talk of peace. But when
it became evident that there was no talk of peace by the disbe-
lievers,nor was there any disposition on their part to surrender,
the Prophetsa
thought that the time had come to end the war
either by peace or by the surrender of one side to the other.
War had to be ended if there was to be peace.After the Battle
of the Ditch, therefore, the Prophetsa
seemed determined to
secure one of two things; peace or surrender. That Muslims
should surrender to disbelievers was out of the question.The
victory of Islam over its persecutors had been promised by God.
Declarations to this effect had been made by the Prophetsa
during his stay at Makkah.Could Muslims then have sued for
peace? A movement for peace can be initiated either by the
stronger or by the weaker side.When the weaker side sues for
peace it has to surrender, temporarily or permanently, a part
of its territory or part of its revenues; or it has to accept other
conditions imposed upon it by the enemy.When the stronger
side proposes peace it is understood that it does not aim at
Life of
The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa

the total destruction of the weaker side
but is willing to let it retain complete or
partial independence in return for certain
conditions. In the battles which had so
far been fought between Muslims and
disbelievers the latter had suffered defeat
after defeat.Yet their power had not been
broken. They had only failed in their
attempts to destroy Muslims. Failure to
destroy another does not mean defeat.It
only means that aggression has not yet
succeeded; attacks which have failed may
be repeated.The Makkans,therefore,had
not been beaten; only their aggression
against Muslims had failed. Militarily
speaking, Muslims were decidedly the
weaker side.True, their defence was still
maintained, but they constituted a mis-
erable minority and a minority which,
though it had been able to resist the
aggression of the majority, had been
unable to take the offensive. Muslims,
therefore, had not yet established their
independence.If they had sued for peace,
it would have meant that their defence
had broken,and that they were now ready
to accept the terms of the disbelievers.An
offer of peace by them would have been
disastrous for Islam.It would have meant
self-annihilation. It would have brought
new life to an enemy demoralised by
repeated defeats. A growing sense of
defeat would have given place to renewed
hope and ambition. Disbelievers would
have thought that though Muslims had
saved Madinah, they were still pessi-
mistic about their ultimate victory over
disbelievers.A suggestion of peace,there-
fore, could not have proceeded from the
Muslim side. It could have proceeded
from the Makkan side, or from a third
side, if a third side could have been
found. No third side could, however, be
found. In the conflict which had arisen
Madinah was set against all Arabia. It
was the disbelievers,therefore,who could
have sued the Muslims for peace, and
there was no sign of this. Thus warfare
between Muslims and Arabs might have
gone on forever.The Muslims could not,
and the Arabs would not, sue for peace.
Civil strife in Arabia, therefore, seemed
to have no end, at least not for another
hundred years.
There was only one way open to Muslims
if they wanted to put an end to this strife.
They were not prepared to surrender their
conscience to the Arabs, to renounce,
that is to say, their right to profess, prac-
tise and preach what they liked; and there
was no movement for peace from the
side of disbelievers. Muslims had been
able to repel repeated aggression. It was
for them, therefore, to force the Arabs
either to surrender or to accept peace.
The Prophetsa
decided to do so.
Was it war which the Prophetsa
sought?
No, it was not war but peace that he
wanted to bring about. If he had done
nothing at this time, Arabia would have
remained in the grip of civil warfare.The
step which he took was the only way to
peace.There have been some long wars in
history. Some have lasted for a hundred
years, some for thirty or so. Long wars
have always resulted from lack of decisive
action by either side. Decisive action, as
we have said, can take only one of two
forms—complete surrender or a negoti-
ated peace.1
endnotes
1. Hazrat Mirza Bashir-Ud-Din Mahmud
Ahmadra
, Life of Muhammadsa
(Tilford, Surrey:
Islam International Publications Limited, 2013),
103-106.
There was only one way open
to Muslims if they wanted
to put an end to this strife.
They were not prepared to
surrender their conscience
to the Arabs, to renounce,
that is to say, their right to
profess, practise and preach
what they liked; and there
was no movement for peace
from the side of disbelievers.
Muslims had been able to
repel repeated aggression. It
was for them, therefore, to
force the Arabs either to
surrender or to accept peace.
The Prophetsa
decided to do so.
Was it war which the
Prophetsa
sought? No, it was
not war but peace that he
wanted to bring about. If he
had done nothing at this time,
Arabia would have remained
in the grip of civil warfare.
life of the holy prophet muhammadsa

A
solitary voice, raised in
Makkah, was, under Divine
Command, calling people
to the worship of One God and
proclaiming that through responding
to this call would humankind achieve
true dignity, honour, prosperity and
happiness both here and Hereafter.
That voice was the voice of the Holy
Prophet Muhammadsa
, the Seal
of the Prophets. In this popular
biography, Hazrat Mirza Bashir-Ud-
Din Mahmud Ahmadra
outlines the
life of the most influential man in
history in an easy-to-digest manner.
Read online here:
http://www.alislam.org/library/books/Life-of-Muhammad.pdf
Purchase book
here: http://store.alislam.org/englishbooks.html

8. Communism Destroys Family
Relations
The eighth flaw in Communism is that it
destroys home life and family relations,
which will ultimately cause its decline.
Communism virtually ignores the deep
natural bonds between parents and their
children, between brothers and sisters,
and other close relations united by ties
of blood.In its eagerness to indoctrinate
them into Communism and to move
them away from religion, it decided to
treat children as belonging to the State.
Instead of being raised in the care of
the mother and father, the child is put
completely under the government’s con-
trol—at least according to the law. The
result is that family relations are totally
disrupted. This state of affairs too can-
not continue for long. It must change,
for otherwise a Russian would cease to
be a normal human being. Although
Communism appears at the moment
to be firmly established in Russia, the
fact is that Communism’s evident suc-
cess is basically due to a reaction against
the miseries wrought by the czarist
regime. If Communism continues to
The Economic
System of Islam Communism virtually
ignores the deep natural
bonds between parents and
their children, between
brothers and sisters, and
other close relations united by
ties of blood. In its eagerness
to indoctrinate them into
Communism and to move
them away from religion, it
decided to treat children
as belonging to the State.
by Hazrat Mirza Bashir-Ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra
We continue with the serialisation
of the epic lecture delivered by the
Second Worldwide Head of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community,
Hazrat Mirza Bashir-Ud-Din
Mahmud Ahmadra
, later published
as a book titled The Economic
System of Islam. In this tenth part
of the series, the final arguments
for objecting to Communism on
the basis of religion are presented,
including its negative impacts on
the family system and the value of
excelling in intelect.
To read the first nine parts, visit our
website: www.reviewofreligions.org
*The photos used in this article were not used in the original
publication, but have been added to our serialisation by The Review
of Religions to help illustrate the subject matter. The Review of
Religions takes full responsibility for any errors in depiction.*
ra
Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad
THEECONOMICSYSTEMofISLAMMirzaBashir-ud-DinMahmudAhmad
U
ra

will slip out to other countries and seek
recognition and reward denied to them
in their own country. The discoveries
and inventions of Russian scientists and
engineers will be registered,patented and
exploited not in Russia, but in America.
At present, the Soviet government pre-
vents its people from emigration through
rigid control,but as Russia’s contact with
the outside world expands,these controls
would have to be relaxed in the inter-
est of foreign trade, if for nothing else.
Those who might wish to escape would
then have ample opportunity to do so.
When Germany began to mistreat Jews,
many escaped to America, which ben-
efited from their knowledge and skills.
Some of the chemicals,previously manu-
factured only in Germany,are now being
produced in the USA. If Russia were to
open its doors to outside contacts, dis-
satisfied scientists will have a chance to
slip out.But if Russia remains closed,its
culture will,for want of fresh intellectual
stimulus, begin to wither and end up as
a pool of stagnant water.
10. Rigid Control over Economy
The tenth flaw of system lies in the rigid
control of the Russian economy. The
provision of food and clothing is at pre-
sent government responsibility, and so
are industry and foreign trade. Because
Russia was industrially backward,it is not
possible to assess the country’s real eco-
nomic progress.Nevertheless,one thing is
quite clear even now; as long as the prod-
ucts of Russian industry remain shielded
from foreign competition and barely meet
domestic requirements, it would not be
known whether the factories make prof-
its or run at a loss. What would happen
to those industries when the home mar-
ket gets saturated? Would production be
reduced thereafter? Or would the expan-
sion continue? If a limit on production
were imposed, industry would sooner
or later start to feel the crippling effect;
continued expansion,on the other hand,
be successful after the memory of those
sufferings fades away, one could say that
it succeeded in eliminating the natural
bonds of love between parents and chil-
dren and among siblings. Let the world
beware that such bonds of love cannot be
crushed; a day will dawn when a mother
will be loved as a mother,a father will be
honoured as a father,and a sister will get
her due place. The hitherto suppressed
bonds would surely reassert themselves.
But right now,the system regards a man
simply as a machine,not as a man.It has
no respect for the feelings of a mother, a
father, a sister, or any other relative.This
concept of man as a piece of machinery
could not survive for long.A time would
come when this system would be over-
thrown and replaced by one that accords
due recognition to filial bonds.
9. Communism Undervalues
Intellectual Excellence
The ninth flaw of Communism is that
it does not adequately recognise intel-
lectual and mental capabilities, which
causes Russians with those capabilities
to emigrate to other countries in search
of higher rewards. Bolshevism regards
only manual labour as real work and dis-
misses intellectual endeavour as a waste
of time. Manual labour is undoubtedly
important, but it is equally true that
intellectual effort has an importance of
its own.Because it is an inherent human
trait that people expect to be adequately
rewarded for their services, Russia must
modify its philosophy if it desires to avail
itself of the services of its intellectual
giants and scientists. Otherwise, they
the economic system of islam
Communism ignores blood ties
and the bonds between family
members and it treats children
as if they belong to the state.
Tomsickova Tatyana | Shutterstock.com
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra
predicted
that if Russia didn’t start recognising
those with intellectual and scientific
merits, it would lose those individuals
to other countries who were willing
to recognise their talents.
Syda Productions | Shutterstock.com
Let the world beware that
such bonds of love cannot be
crushed; a day will dawn
when a mother will be loved
as a mother, a father will be
honoured as a father, and a
sister will get her due place.

another consequence that I describe
below.
11. Focus on National Interests
Instead of Universal Welfare
The fact that the communist system is
concerned only with national interests—
not universal interests—is another major
weakness of the system. If Russia some-
how succeeds in industrial development,
it would be forced to implement a capital-
ist system that is stronger and even more
dangerous for the world than the one it
replaces. In the face of this great danger,
I am at a loss to understand why a seg-
ment of our intelligentsia is so strongly in
support of Communism.The fact is that
Russia has presented collectivist owner-
ship in a manner that others are easily
impressed, but a time will come that its
damage to the world will become obvious.
People are impressed that Communism
has ensured provision of food and cloth-
ing for everyone—and that is something
we too welcome—but the great danger
that lurks in its shadow must not be dis-
regarded. That danger is the prospect of
the rise of a new capitalist system. Russia
boasts that between 1928 and 1937, it
raised its industrial production by 625%.
This is indeed a commendable achieve-
ment. Russian Communism also claims
that, during the same period, the worth
of Russian productive capital rose from
ten billion roubles to 75 billion roubles,
i.e.seven and a half times (the monetary
value of rouble is very low at present). It
also claims that in 1937, one-third of its
national income was invested to expand
its factories. This, too, is quite impres-
sive. But the question is how long can
Russia maintain this pace of expansion
in an economy closed to foreign trade?
The present situation is that the Russian
economy is quite self-sufficient,with only
a low level of imports and exports. Its
imports are meant basically to satisfy the
would require foreign markets that could
absorb the surplus at prices still profitable
for Russian manufacturers. When that
stage is reached,Russian industry would
have to withstand the full force of foreign
competition, and its success or failure
would depend on how it performs. In
any case, Russia from that point onward
would end up behaving like any other
imperialist country,bent on securing and
controlling foreign markets—thereby
belying its claim of freedom of choice.
To reiterate, there is at present little
incentive to produce at the lowest cost
because of the absence of international
competition—and this could continue
for some time. This situation is similar
to the one where a woman grinds five
kilos of grain manually,which makes her
household happy at the amount of work
she puts in. But it is only when she goes
out to work that she comes to realise the
true worth of her work,because she earns
considerably more money. Similarly, so
long as the Russians consume all that
is produced within the country, they
would not know whether the economy
was progressing or declining.The country
appears to be making economic progress
right now, but the reality would dawn
only when its industry reaches the limits
of its expansion. If it manages to survive
that dire situation, there would follow
By undervaluing and not appreciating
the intellectual skills of individuals,
communist countries will lose
those skills to other countries.
Dirk Ercken | Shutterstock.com
To reiterate, there is at
present little incentive to
produce at the lowest cost
because of the absence of
international competition—
and this could continue for
some time.This situation is
similar to the one where a
woman grinds five kilos of
grain manually, which makes
her household happy at the
amount of work she puts in.
Russia claimed to have raised its
productive capital seven and a
half times within nine years
Chombosan | Shutterstock.com

requirements of its industry. This situa-
tion resembles that of an Indian farmer,
who grows a little sugarcane,some lentils,
a little rice, wheat and some oil seeds on
his piece of land,and manages to subsist
on these things. But obviously this situ-
ation cannot continue as economic and
cultural progress takes place. At some
point exposure to the outside world must
be faced.If it had been possible to main-
tain economic self-sufficiency forever,
the conflicts seen all over the world—
which led to world wars—would have
never occurred. But the fact is that this
state of self-sufficiency cannot continue
indefinitely.
The official website of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community worldwide.
You can find a huge collection of free online
material, including translation and commentary
of the Holy Qur’an and you can access literature
of the Community including the books written
by its founder, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
.
www.alislam.org
Your feedback is
important to us
Write to us with comments,
feedback and suggestions at
info@ReviewofReligions.org
At some point exposure to
the outside world must be
faced. If it had been possible
to maintain economic self-
sufficiency forever, the
conflicts seen all over the
world—which led to world
wars—would have never
occurred. But the fact is that
this state of self-sufficiency
cannot continue indefinitely.
56 The Review of Religions | may 2016

Note about references
Verse references to the Holy Qur’an
count ‘Bismillah…’ (In the Name
of Allah…) as the first verse of each
Chapter. In some non-standard texts,
this is not counted. Should the reader
refer to such texts, the verse quoted in
The Review of Religions will be found a
verse earlier, i.e. at one verse less than
the number quoted in this journal.
For the ease of non-Muslim readers, ‘sa
’
or ‘(saw)
’ after the words, ‘Holy Prophet’,
or the name ‘Muhammad’, are used
normally in small letters. They stand
for ‘Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam’ meaning
‘peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him’. Likewise, the letters ‘as
’ or ‘(as)
’
after the name of all other prophets
is an abbreviation meaning ‘peace
be upon him’ derived from ‘Alaihis
salatu wassalam’ which are words
that a Muslim utters out of respect
whenever he or she comes across
that name. The abbreviation ‘ra
’ or ‘(ra)
’
stands for ‘Raziallahu Ta’ala anhu and
is used for Companions of a Prophet,
meaning Allah be pleased with him
or her (when followed by the relevant
Arabic pronoun). Finally, ‘rh
’ or ‘(rh)
’ for
Rahemahullahu Ta’ala means the Mercy
of Allah the Exalted be upon him.
In keeping with current universal
practice, local transliterations
of names of places are preferred
to their anglicised versions, e.g.
Makkah instead of Mecca, etc.
Sunday 1st
May
Faith: Christianity
Event: Easter
This is the day that the Orthodox Church
celebrates Easter, when they believe Jesusas
ascended bodily into heaven after his
death on the cross.Traditionally, this date
is later on the calendar for the Orthodox
Church than it is for other Christian sects.
Sunday 15th
May
Faith: Buddhism
Event: Vesak or Buddha Day
Vesak or Buddha Day is a major festival
of the year from the Theravada tradition
of Buddhism. Buddhists believe that the
Buddha was born, received enlightenment,
and died all in the same month of Vesakha.
Sunday 15th
May
Faith: Christianity
Event: Pentecost
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vol.111-issuefivemay2016www.reviewofreligions.orgTerrorismwasneverjustifiedbytheProphetMohammadsa
© Islamic Publications, 2016
ISSN No. 0034-6721
Terrorism was never
Mohammad
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Terrorism was Never Justified by the Prophet Mohammadsa

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Terrorism was Never Justified by the Prophet Mohammadsa