The Review of Religions March 2017

Losing Your Head,
Keeping Your Cool
12
A Glimpse into the Life
of the Holy Prophet
Muhammadsa
22
The Berlin Mosque Plan
of 1923
24
Jihad with
the Sword
44
vol. 112 - issue threemarch 2017 www.reviewofreligions.org
of Head-Transplant Surgery
T h e
Resurrection

Surely all believers are brothers.
So make peace between
brothers, and fear Allah that
mercy may be shown to you.
Islam, The Holy Qur’an,
Ch. 49:V. 11
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
, Hadith from
Sihah Sitta, Tabari,
Hisham and Khamis
Develop brotherhood and love
among yourselves and give up
viciousness and dissension.Totally
abstain from any kind of insult
and ridicule because they distance
you from truth and lead you far
away.Treat each other with respect.
Everyone should give priority
to the comfort of his brother.
Create a sincere reconciliation
with Allah the Almighty and
come back into His obedience.
Islam, The Promised
Messiahas
, Malfuzat, vol.
1. pp. 266-268
Behold, how good and pleasant
it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil upon the
head,
running down upon the beard,
upon the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his
robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of
Zion!
For there the Lord has
commanded the blessing,
life for evermore.
Judaism, Old Testament,
Psalms 133, 1-3
Every kingdom divided
against itself is laid waste,
and no city or house divided
against itself will stand.
Christianity, The Bible,
Matthew 12:25
May your counsel be common,
your assembly common,
common the mind, and the
thoughts of these united.
A common purpose do I lay
before you,
and worship with your common
oblation.
Let your aims be common,
and your hearts of one accord,
and all of you be of one mind,
so you may live well together.
Hinduism, Rig Veda,
10.191.204
Let all mankind be thy sect.
Sikhism, Adi Granth,
Japuji 28, M.1, p. 6
Happy is the unity of the Sangha.
Happy is the discipline
of the united ones.
Buddhism, Dhammapada
194
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
Unity
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 Proper Upbringing
of Children
, The Promised
Messiah & Imam Mahdi
12 Losing Your Head, Keeping
Your Cool
In the 1950s, Vladimir Demikhov
was the first scientist to conduct a
head-transplant surgery on a dog.
However, with the increasingly rapid
progress in science, new frontiers
are being explored where we could
potentially see the resurrection of
head-transplant surgery in humans.
Azhaar Ashraf, UK
22 A Glimpse into the Life of The
Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
24 The Berlin Mosque Plan
of 1923
The historic blueprints of the Berlin
Mosque Plan of 1923 reveal a
truly tremendous and monumental
plan by Hazrat Mirza Bashir-Ud-
Din Mahmud Ahmadra
, Second
Khalifah and Worldwide Head of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community,
for the propagation of Islam.The
mosque was to be one of biggest in
Europe in its time and was to serve
as the centre for Islam in Europe.The
author traces its history back to the
early phase of this grand project.
Muhammad Luqman Majoka, Germany
40 God Does Not Disclose His
Wonders to Those Who Do
Not Believe in His Powers
, The Promised
44 Jihad with the Sword
A special feature in which we
highlight the writings of the Promised
Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam
Ahmadas, on various topics.This
month, we feature his writings on the
true reality of Jihad with the Sword.
, The Promised
62 Calendar of Religious Events
Front cover picture:
© vitstudio | shutterstock
contents
march 2017 Vol.112 - issue three
44
12
24

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
WORLD
CRISIS
M I R Z A M A S R O O R A H M A D
PEACE
andthePathwaytoThe world is passing through very turbulent times.The
global economic crisis continues to manifest newer and
graver dangers almost every week. The similarities to
the period just before the Second World War continue
to be cited and it seems clear that events are moving
the world at an unprecedented pace towards a horrific
Third World War.
In this book, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad,
the Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community warns the world of the fast approaching
dangers and how it can avert disaster and chart a
course to peace.
WORLD
CRISIS
PEACE
andthePathwayto
9 781848 808584
ISBN 184880858-5
9 781848 808577
ISBN 184880857-7
WORLDCRISISandthePathwaytoPEACEMIRZAMASROORAHMAD
Please Note.
Background colour:
C=10
M=10
Y=0
K=100
From His Holiness – Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
– comes a groundbreaking vision for how to estab-
lish long-lasting peace in a world fraught with rapidly
increasing disorder and unrest. His Holiness reminds
world leaders that the flames of war are already burn-
ing through local and regional conflicts and we stand
at the precipice of another world war. If these sparks
were to truly ignite we could witness the horrific
reality of a nuclear war, whose consequences are
unimaginable. His Holiness is the Worldwide Head
and Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
– which has tens of millions of followers in over
200 countries.
World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace is a collection
of the historic addresses and letters by His Holiness to
world leaders and influential figures. In this book, His
Holiness offers consummate analysis on all aspects
of the global crisis; political, economic, social and
spiritual and provides the golden keys to resolving
the critical problems the world faces. In a world where
existing strategies for peace have failed and peo-
ple are desperately looking for a new direction, His
Holiness presents fresh and practical solutions, giving
hope that we can still prevent a global catastrophe.
(continued on back flap)
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 Messiahas
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
believe that beating children in a manner that the ill-
behaved child-beater pretends to be Allah’s partner in
guiding and training children is a type of polytheism.
Pray for Children Instead of Punishing Them
When a hot-tempered person is provoked and punishes a child,
he takes on the role of an enemy in the stress of his anger and
imposes punishment far in excess of the wrong which has been
done.An individual with self-respect and control over himself,
who is also forbearing and dignified, has the right to correct
a child to a certain extent as the occasion demands or seek to
guide the child. But a wrathful and hot-headed person who is
easily provoked is not fit to be a guardian of children. I wish
that,instead of punishing children,parents would have recourse
to prayer, and should make it a habit to supplicate earnestly
for their children; for the supplications of parents on behalf of
their children meet with special acceptance.1
endnotes
1. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
, The Essence of Islam, vol. 3 (Tilford,
Surrey: Islam International Publications, 1993), 335.
Proper Upbringing
of Children

TheAdventofthePROMISEDMESSIAH
ran
evive
nd to
d of
and
Holy
Allah
come
otten
ould
this
e be
ed to
l the
the
the
o be
The Advent
of the
PROMISED
MESSIAH
HAZRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD
The Promised Messiah and Mahdi
Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
HAZRATMIRZAGHULAMAHMAD
Read online: https://www.alislam.org/library/books/The-Advent-of-The-Promised-Messiah.pdf
Purchase print copy: http://store.alislam.org/englishbooks.html
At a time when injustice,immorality and sin ran rampant,
the religion of Islam dawned to revive the bond between
humanity and its Creator, and to establish peace in
the world. It was at the hand of the Prophet of Islam
that an unparalleled moral and spiritual transformation
took place. But the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him, prophesied that
a time would come when the true teachings of Islam
would be forgotten and at this time a divinely appointed
reformer would appear to rejuvenate Islam. In fulfilment
of this prophecy, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, peace
be upon him, appeared in Qadian, India, and claimed
to be the divinely appointed reformer awaited by all the
world religions.
This book comprises an address delivered by the
Promised Messiahas
, in which he speaks about the
purpose of his advent and what it means to be
an Ahmadi.
new
book
The Advent
of the
Promised
Messiah

Extracts from
The Essence of
Islam
Volume III
© SpeedKingz | Shutterstock
Head-
Transplant
Surgery:
A New Frontier

monkey onto the body of another mon-
key. Since the scientists were not able to
fuse the spinal cords,the recipient mon-
key could not move its new head,though
facial expressions could be observed.The
monkey was kept on artificial ventilation,
but died nine days after the procedure as
a result of multiple complications.
At the Cutting Edge of the
Impossible
Now, the horror of Frankenstein might
spring into action again in 2017. Sergio
Canavero, of the Turin Advanced
Neuromodulation Group in Italy,intends
to use head-transplant surgery to extend
the lives of people suffering from mus-
cular degeneration disorders. These
disorders render the patients paralysed.
His first subject will be a terminally ill
Russian computer scientist suffering
from a congenital genetic muscle-wasting
Introduction
Ethically dubious as it may seem,the first
successful head-transplant surgery was
performed by a Soviet scientist by the
name of Vladimir Demikhov, to form a
two-headed dog.The transplant surgeon
successfully grafted the head and forelegs
of a smaller dog, Shavka, onto a bigger
dog, Brodyaga. The ground-breaking
news was that both dogs survived the
intricate procedure and were able to
see and move around independently, at
first. Alas, this did not last; both expired
four days later. Being a dedicated sur-
geon, Demikhov tried the experiment
more than 24 times. The longest sur-
vival for any two-headed dog was a
month.The deaths usually occurred due
to immune-rejection.
Controversy
To conduct the procedure, an incision
was made at the base of Brodyaga’s neck
to expose the jugular vein (a large vein
in the neck), the aorta (artery supply-
ing blood from the heart to the organs)
and a segment of the spinal column.
Subsequently, two holes were drilled
through the bony part of one vertebra
and plastic strings threaded through
each of the holes.Through this,the head
and neck of the smaller dog was liter-
ally stitched to the neck of the large dog,
allowing them both to share the same
heart to sustain life (see picture on page
14).1
Amidst the tensions of the Cold War,
the Soviet surgeon inspired an American
surgeon named Robert White to con-
duct head-transplants on monkeys in
the 1970s.White placed the head of one
Losing Your Head,
Keeping Your Cool
The Resurrection of Head-Transplant Surgery
Now, the horror of
Frankenstein might spring
into action again in 2017.
Sergio Canavero, of the Turin
Advanced Neuromodulation
Group in Italy, intends to
use head-transplant surgery
to extend the lives of people
suffering from muscular
degeneration disorders.
These disorders render
the patients paralysed.
In this procedure, the spinal cord, which
contains neurons (shown above) that carry
messages between the brain and the body, is
cleanly severed and then fused together to a
new body.
© Romanova Natali | Shutterstock
By Azhaar Ashraf, London, UK
14 The Review of Religions | march 2017 march 2017 | The Review of Religions 15

patient would be induced into a coma for
four weeks, to allow the head and body
to heal together. If all goes to plan, the
patient upon waking should ideally be
able to move, feel their face and speak
with the same voice. With the advance-
ment of potent immunosuppressive
drugs in recent years, it is predicted that
immune rejection could be avoided, as
in other transplant surgeries. To further
improve chances of success,the head and
body would be cooled to give the sur-
geons more time and to extend the time
the cells can survive without oxygen.The
details of the proposed surgery and its
technical aspects are briefly outlined in
the figure on page 16.3
Conclusion
Demikhov was the first ever surgeon
to demonstrate the possibility of heart
and lung transplants.This procedure has
undoubtedly saved numerous lives and his
disorder called Werdnig-Hoffman dis-
ease.If the procedure gets the green light,
the volunteer-to-be, Valery Spiridonov,
would obtain his new body from a brain-
dead donor.
The complex procedure would involve
both donor and patient having their
heads severed from their spinal cord
concurrently using an ultra-sharp blade
to produce a clean cut. The head of the
patient would subsequently be placed
onto the donor’s body and attached using
polyethylene glycol,a glue-like chemical,
to fuse the two ends of the spinal cord
together. Polyethylene glycol has previ-
ously been demonstrated to promote the
growth of spinal cord nerves in animals,
but whether its effectiveness can be suc-
cessfully translated to humans remains
to be proven.2
The muscles and the blood
supply would be stitched up before the
The complex procedure
would involve both donor
and patient having their
heads severed from their
spinal cord concurrently
using an ultra-sharp blade
to produce a clean cut.
If all goes to plan, the patient
upon waking should ideally
be able to move, feel their face
and speak with the same voice.
Dr. Sergio Canavero, a renowned
neurosurgeon, is aiming to become the
first person to perform a successful
head transplant on humans.
© User Triff | Shutterstock
Vladimir Demikhov was a Soviet surgeon
famous for several transplant operations.
In the 1950s he conducted a transplant in
which he attached the head of a smaller
dog onto a different dog. However, his
subjects would not survive for long and
would succumb to immune reactions.
Günter Weiss | Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-61478-0004 |
Released under Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0 Germany
the resurrection of
head-transplant surgery

work deserves respect.The Frankenstein
approach he initiated on dogs in the
form of head transplants was revived in
monkeys but potentially sees its resur-
rection in humans. However, the Italian
surgeon Sergio Canavero would need to
amass 11.1 million dollars and a team of
150 doctors and nurses, to accomplish
the proposed 36-hour ground-breaking
operation.Whether this mission impos-
sible will thus become possible, remains
to be seen. If successful, the result could
raise profound questions at the medical,
psychological and even spiritual level,
relating to human identity and the rela-
tionship of the soul to the body.
About the Author: Azhaar Ashraf is a first-
year Ph.D. student in neuroimaging/neuroscience
at King’s College London studying Alzheimer’s
dementia. He is a senior member of Ahmadiyya
Muslim Research Association UK (AMRA) and
serving as the Editor of AMRA Scientific Journal.
The AMRA serves to promote science and research
based careers to its members as well as highlighting
the intrinsic harmony between religious and
scientific thought. AMRA members actively explore
and develop approaches towards using the Holy
Qur’an as a source for secular knowledge with
special emphasis on prospective research ideas.
endnotes
1. Igor E. Konstantinov, “At the Cutting Edge
of the Impossible: A Tribute to Vladimir P.
Demikhov,” Texas Heart Institute Journal 36, no.
5 (2009): 453-458.
2. Florentia Papastefanaki et al.,“Intraspinal
Delivery of Polyethylene Glycol-coated Gold
Nanoparticles Promotes Functional Recovery
After Spinal Cord Injury,” Molecular Therapy 23,
no. 6 (2015): 993-1002, doi:10.1038/
mt.2015.50.
3. Sergio Canavero,“The “Gemini”Spinal
Cord Fusion Protocol: Reloaded,” Surgical
Neurology International 6, no. 1 (2015): 18,
doi:10.4103/2152-7806.150674.
However, the Italian surgeon
Sergio Canavero would need
to amass 11.1 million dollars
and a team of 150 doctors
and nurses, to accomplish the
proposed 36-hour ground-
breaking operation.
Summary of the futuristic human head-
transplant surgery. The upper-most aspect
of the spinal cord, i.e., the cervical cords, of
the donor and the recipient will be severed
with either a sharp specially-fashioned
diamond microtomic snare-blade, or a
nanoknife, made of a thin layer of silicon
nitride with a nanometer-sharp cutting
edge. The axons/connections of the
spinal cord would be reconnected and
this process would be accelerated using
electrical stimulation via application of
a spinal cord stimulator straddling the
fusion point. A sealant substance such as
polyethylene glycol would be used to glue
the repairing spinal cord cells together.
Sergio Canavero I Released under Creative
Commons BY-SA 3.0 Germany
Your feedback is
important to us
Write to us with comments,
feedback and suggestions at
info@Reviewof Religions.org

entre
s the
sider
s the
while
g on
y. In
ulam
and
s. He
Jesus
hmir,
ward
on a
a and
HAZRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD
The Promised Messiah and Mahdi
Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
HAZRATMIRZAGHULAMAHMAD
Read online: https://www.alislam.org/library/books/A-Hidden-Truth.pdf
The life of one man has perhaps never been the centre
of such passionate debate as with the case of Jesus the
Messiah, peace be upon him. While some consider him an
imposter,others believe he appeared as the savior who would
atone for the sins of mankind, while still others believe
he was saved from being hung on the cross by ascending
into the heavens physically. In this book, with compelling
testimony, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, peace be upon him,
presents the true and accurate biographical findings on the
life of Jesusas
. He argues with conclusive historical evidence
that Jesusas
survived the crucifixion and travelled to Kashmir,
India, where he died at the ripe age of 120.Toward the end
of this treatise the author also sheds light on a prophecy
regarding Muhammad Husain of Batala and the purpose of
a prayer-duel with the same.
new
book

Deference Towards Servants of Humanity
He paid special deference to those who devoted their
time and substance to the service of mankind. The
Arab tribe, the Banu Ta’i, started hostilities against
the Prophetsa
and in the ensuing battle their forces
were defeated and some were taken prisoner. One
of these was the daughter of Hatim Ta’i, whose
generosity had become a proverb amongst the
Arabs. When Hatim’s daughter informed the Holy
Prophetsa
of her parentage he treated her with great
consideration and as the result of her intercession he
remitted all the penalties imposed upon her people
on account of their aggression.1
endnotes
1. Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-din Mahmud Ahmadra
, Life
of Muhammad (Tilford, Surrey, U.K.: Islam International
Publications Limited, 2013), 376.
A Glimpse into the Life of
the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa

The
berlin mosque plan
of 1923

Hazrat Mirza Bashir-Ud-Din Mahmud
Ahmadra
to proceed to Nigeria via
London.3
As his jouney to Nigeria
was delayed for various reasons, it
was decided that he should remain in
London4
and work there, until 1922,
when he was finally sent to Berlin. At
that time,Berlin was a very cosmopolitan
and international city,where intellectuals
from different parts of the world resided.
Germany itself was still suffering from
the aftermath of the First World War.
After losing the war, significant politi-
cal changes occurred. The monarchy
was abolished and a democratic republic
was declared. This era of German his-
tory is known as the era of the Weimar
Republic. German foreign policy was
still hostile towards the victorious pow-
ers. Hence, anti-British revolutionaries
T
he year 1923 is very important
in the history of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community, for it was
in this year that Hazrat Mirza Bashir-
Ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra
, Second
Caliph and then-Worldwide Head of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community,
called for Ahmadis to actively work
against the so-called “shuddhi” move-
ment of the Hindu sect called the Arya
Samaj, who intended to convert the
Muslims of India to Hinduism at that
time. Simultaneously, on the other side
of the globe, a very historic event was
taking place: a mosque was to be built in
Berlin,which would be entirely financed
by Ahmadi women.
For this task, Maulvi Mubarak Ali who
was born in 1881 in Digdair, Bengal,
was sent from London to Germany in
September of 1922.1
After completing
his studies at Presidency College, he
joined the Teachers Training College
in Dhaka to receive a B.A in teaching
and education. In 1905, his first con-
tact with Ahmadiyyat was made through
the study of The Review of Religions.2
Subsequently, four years later, he visited
Qadian and accepted Ahmadiyyat in the
era of the first Caliph and then-World-
wide Supreme Head of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community, Hazrat Maulvi
Noor-ud-dinra
.In the latter part of 1913,
he took a one-year leave of absence and
traveled to Qadian where he also worked
on the English translation of the Holy
Qur’an.
In 1919, he received instructions from
The Berlin Mosque
Plan of 1923
By Muhammad Luqman Majoka, Germany
This era of German history
is known as the era of the
Weimar Republic. German
foreign policy was still
hostile towards the victorious
powers. Hence, anti-British
revolutionaries from
the British colonies were
warmly welcomed into
the city, amongst whom
many were Muslims.
The Khadija Mosque, Berlin, was inaugurated
in 2008, almost 90 years after the original
plans for the mosque were drawn up.
© Makhzan-e-Tasaweer

start. As the day there starts much later
than here, 9 oćlock Berlin time means
that at this time of Juma, is 9 oćlock
there. Which means that the excavation
work is just now being done.As this is the
time of acceptance of prayers, I request
the Jama’at to pray that God may bless
this work and may Islam spread there
stronger than Christianity did.”11
When we consider the blueprints12
of
the mosque, it becomes evident what
a tremendous and ambitious plan had
been launched by Hazrat Mirza Bashir-
Ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra
, the Second
Khalifah. It would have probably been
the biggest mosque of the Jama’at at that
time.The mosque had huge proportions;
the minarets were approximately 60
metres high and a hostel for students
was planned for construction in addi-
tion to multiple rooms for students and
staff in the main building. In addition, a
restaurant and shops had been proposed
for inclusion on the ground floor. The
mosque itself was on the second floor,
bearing a huge dome of 13 metres in
diameter. The costs for the mosque was
from the British colonies were warmly
welcomed into the city, amongst whom
many were Muslims.5
In these turbulent
times, Maulvi Mubarak Ali arrived in
Berlin with the aim of spreading the mes-
sage of Islam in this part of Europe. He
first took residence in Charlottenburg,
a thriving and international borough
of the city, in Dahlmannstresse 9.6
Two
other Ahmadis, brothers Dr. Attaullah
and Abdullah Butt, who were probably
pursuing their studies, also resided in
Berlin in the Hannoversiche Str. 1 near
the Charité hospital.7
All three appear
in the list of attendees of the meet-
ing of the Islamic Society of Berlin in
November 1922.8
Shortly after arriv-
ing, Maulvi Mubarak Ali succeeded in
purchasing a piece of land near the tram
station of Witzleben, which was at that
time an agricultural land.9
He bought it
for £200 on 16th
of February 1923.10
The
architect K.A Hermann was assigned
by Maulvi Mubarak Ali to design the
mosque and after receiving the required
permission, the excavation work for the
mosque started on Friday,27th July,1923.
Precisely at the same time,Hazrat Mirza
Bashir-Ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra
,sec-
ond Khalifah and then-Worldwide Head
of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community,
was delivering the Friday sermon in
Qadian, in which he said about the
Berlin mosque:
“How thankful we should be that in this
short period, the weak and small part of
a small community has collected the
required amount and the construction
of the mosque has started. I am men-
tioning this because I had written to be
informed when the excavation work for
the foundation starts,so that the Jama’at
could pray for this work. Today a tele-
gram came which stated,that at 9 oćlock
Berlin time the excavation work would
the berlin mosque plan of 1923
It would have probably
been the biggest mosque
of the Jama’at at that
time.The mosque had huge
proportions; the minarets
were approximately 60
metres high and a hostel for
students was planned for
construction in addition to
multiple rooms for students
and staff in the main building.
In addition, a restaurant and
shops had been proposed for
inclusion on the ground floor.
This drawing by the architect was
published in the German newspaper
Vossische Zeitung in August of 1923. The
caption at the bottom of the picture
reads, “The new face of Berlin: the first
Mosque in Berlin W at the Kaiserdamm.
Designed by architect Hermann.”

“This mosque is donated by the Ahmadi
women for their new Muslim brothers.”14
Maulvi Mubarak Ali expressed this in
his words stating: “This mosque will be a
monument to prove that Muslim women
have souls and that they not only care
for their own souls but for the souls of
their brothers and sisters thousands of
miles away.”15
On the 6th of August at 5 pm,the official
ceremony for the laying of the founda-
tion took place.Maulvi Mubarak Ali had
sent 500 invitations to various dignitar-
ies, scholars and other people for this
occasion. But there was also opposition
to the mosque. In particular, a group of
Muslims under the leadership of the
two Indian brothers Abdul Jabbar and
Abdus Sattar Kheiri, who not only had
good relations with the German Foreign
Ministry but were at times on their pay
roll,opposed the mosque.16
Additionally,
the Egyptian Dr.Mansur Rifat from the
Egpytian Nationalists, was also against
its construction.When Maulvi Mubarak
Ali invited the different governmental
officials to the ceremony, the German
Foreign Ministry circulated a letter to
different ministries on the 4th
of August
with the heading “very urgent”stating:
estimated at £2500.13
As stated earlier,
the money for this project was collected
in a relatively short period of time, by
the women of the Ahmadiyya com-
munity. The speeches of Hazrat Mirza
Bashir-Ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra
, the
Second Khalifah, and the reports pub-
lished in the Al-Fazal newspaper during
those years, spoke volumes of the great
sacrifices of the poor Ahmadi women
of India. Hazrat Mirza Bashir-Ud-Din
Mahmud Ahmadra
,second Khalifah and
then-Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community instructed the fol-
lowing words to be displayed on the
mosque:
The original plans for the Berlin Mosque show
the grand scale of the project in the 1920s.

“This mosque will be a
monument to prove that
Muslim women have
souls and that they not
only care for their own
souls but for the souls of
their brothers and sisters
thousands of miles away.”

Mubarak Ali.22
However, as mentioned in the letter by
the foreign office,this historic event was
disrupted by some Egyptians under Dr.
Mansur Rifat. Maulvi Mubarak Ali had
hardly finished his speech when Dr.Rifat
caused a disturbance, exclaiming that
the mosque would not be a mosque but
rather an English barrack.Rifat wrongly
accused Maulvi Mubarak Ali of being an
Agent for the British,23
trying to exploit
the anti-British sentiment prevalent
among Germans at that time.Eventually
he was removed from the scene by the
police and the ceremony continued.24
In
the coming days, the ceremony and the
incident were reported extensively in the
press.Some newspapers remained neutral
but others wrote against the Jama’at.25
Their biggest accusation was that the
Ahmadis were agents of the English
Government and thus against the inde-
pendence of Muslim countries. Mansur
Rifat also started publishing some pam-
phlets against the Jama’at in which not
only were these accusations repeated but
also the Afghan Ambassador was fiercely
attacked for attending the ceremony.26
Mubarak Ali tried to refute these accu-
sations in many of his private meetings
in the days and months that followed,
stating that Ahmadis were loyal to every
“The Indian national Mubarak Ali
has purchased some months ago at
Kaiserdamm a plot to build a mosque.
He seems to have significant funds.The
above mentioned is a representative of
the sect of Ahmad the Qadiani, the
founder of the reformist sect — named,
after him,the Ahmadiyya Movement —
among the Indian Muslims.The Muslims
living in Germany dislike strongly
Mubarak Ali and his friends, because
he is seen in Muslim circles as an agent
of the British government […] As we
have learned from confidential sources,
the local Muslims intend to counter rally
on the 6th
of this month during the foun-
dation-laying ceremony. Therefore, it is
strongly discouraged that representatives
of the government take part in this cer-
emony or that the invitation of Mubarak
Ali to the foreign ministry is answered.”17
Despite this letter, almost 400 peo-
ple attended the ceremony, including
a number of prominent personalities.
Amongst them, the Secretary of State
to the Interior Minister, Dr. Freund;
President of the Brandenburg Province,
Dr. Maier; the Afghan Ambassador
Ghulam Siddiq Khan; Imam of the
Turkish Embassy, Hafiz Sükri Bey;
Imam Idris from Bukhara;18
the Iranian
Prof. Mirza Hassan from the Berlin
University and the famous Orientalist,
Georg Kampffmeyer, attended, only to
name a few.19
A total of four Ahmadis
were present at this ceremony; Maulvi
Mubarak Ali,the brothers Dr.Attaullah
and Abdullah Butt and Muhammad
Ishaq Khan, son of Mistri Qutbuddin,
who had travelled from Dresden to
attend.20
Maulvi Mubarak Ali started
the ceremony with the recitation of
the Holy Qur’an, after which he gave a
short speech in English about the pur-
pose of the mosque.21
His speech was
translated in German by Dr. Schoemls
of the German Society for Islamic
Studies.Afterwards Prof.Mirza Hassan,
the Inspector of the Afghan students,
Sayed Muhammad Hashim, and the
Ambassador of Afghanistan spoke,
thanking the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at
for this great work. The architect of the
mosque K.A.Hermann then introduced
the building itself. The notes of Maulvi
Mubarak Ali’s speech, some newspa-
pers from that day, and German, Arabic
and English coins were put in a casket
which was placed in the wall near the
mihrab [alcove built into a mosque for
the Imam to stand and lead prayers]
by Maulvi Mubarak Ali, Dr. Attaullah
Butt, Imam Idris of Bukhara and the
Afghan Ambassador.The ceremony con-
cluded with a silent prayer led by Maulvi
In Germany, hyperinflation reached such a
point that 10-billion mark notes, such as the
one shown above, were issued. Although
the walls had already reached a height of
2.5 meters, the Berlin Mosque project had to
be abandoned due to these circumstances.
Hazrat Musleh Maudra
then instructed for a
mosque to be built in London, which went on
to be known as the first Mosque of London.
© User Kondor83 | Shutterstock
Some newspapers remained
neutral but others wrote
against the Jama’at.Their
biggest accusation was that
the Ahmadis were agents of
the English Government and
thus against the independence
of Muslim countries.

accusations had already been published
in the Al-Fazal of 21st
September 1923.30
In 1924,another small booklet about the
beliefs of the Jama’at entitled Ahmadiyya
Movement or “Pure Islam” was published
by Mubarak Ali.31
These were the first
Ahmadiyya publications in Germany.
The mosque project eventually fell victim
to the hyperinflation which devastated the
German economy in the year 1923.32
The
walls had already reached a height of 2.5
metres,when the construction stopped.33
In early 1925 the constructed walls were
demolished, due to an alteration of the
plan34
by the company Hausgemeinschaft
Witzleben GmbH.35
This company also
ran out of money after the basic structure
of the building had been constructed.
Consequently, the site was sold off in
a compulsory auction in July 1926. It
was then bought by Charlottenburger
Baugenossenschaft.36
Even today,apart-
ment buildings of this company stand at
the spot.Maulvi Mubarak Ali and Malik
Ghulam Faridra
left Germany. Both had
also attended the famous Wembley
Conference of Religions in 1924, and
Maulvi Mubarak Ali left at the end of
the same year. He went back to India
where he pursued a successful career as
a teacher. He was later appointed the
Amir of the Bengal province and is to
this date held in high esteem as a result
of his piety.37
The German Mission
itself was closed due to a lack of funds;
a decision made after a discussion in the
Majlis-e-Shura [Consultative Body of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community] of
1924. It was decided that for the time
being, London should be established as
the main European Mission.38
With the construction of Khadija
Mosque in Berlin in 2008, the Berlin
Mosque project was at last completed.
His Holiness, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih
Vaba
, opened the mosque in a big event,
which was extensively covered by the
media. The women’s organization of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Lajna
Imaillah, had also financed this mosque
project. Similarly, this project was also
vehemently opposed, by right-wing and
anti-Islam activists. A female Ahmadi
architect designed the mosque itself,39
thus in this way, the second Khalifah’sra
vision of the Berlin mosque was finally
fulfilled.
About the Author: Muhammad Luqman
Majoka has an M.A. in Oriental and Islamic
Studies. Currently, he is serving as Editor of the
newly-established German edition of The Review
of Religions, and is also serving as National
country they lived in.27
Later in the year 1923, Malik Ghulam
Faridra
also arrived with his wife and
young son in Berlin to support Maulvi
Mubarak Ali.28
In 1924, both mission-
aries published a booklet called Refuting
the Allegation that the Members of the
Ahmadiyya Movement are a Spearhead
of British Imperialism, in which they
replied to the attacks of opponents such
as Mansur Rifat.29
Before that a letter
written by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih
IIra
to Mubarak Ali refuting these
His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
,
Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community laid the foundation stone of the
Khadija Mosque in 2007, more than 85 years
after the cessation of the initial project. The
mosque was funded by Lajna Imaillah – the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Women’s Association
© Makhzan-e-Tasaweer

III E226 5/29.
18. Maulvi Mubarak Ali writes him as Imam of
Bukhara. In the Moslemische Revue of October
1934, his name is given as Imam Idris from
Turkestan, who was the head of the so-called
Tatar Camp (formerly Halbmondlager).The
camp was for Muslim war prisoners of World
War I.
19. Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung 08 August
1923; Maulvi Mubarak Ali,“Diary”(1923), 15;
Dr. Mansur Rifat, Die Ahmadia-Sekte (Berlin,
1923) 14.
20. Al-Fazal (Qadian) 5 Oct. 1923. Maulvi
Mubarak Ali,“Diary”(1923), 11.
21. The speech itself was published in The
Moslem Sunrise from January 1924. See: The
Moslem Sunrise, January 1924, 13.
22. Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, Berliner
Tageblatt, Berliner Lokal Anzeiger, Vossische
Zeitung, 07 August 1923; Maulvi Mubarak Ali,
“Diary”(1923), 11.
23. Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung Morning Issue,
07 August 1923. Maulvi Mubarak Ali,“Diary”
(1923), 11.
24. Ibid.
25. E.g, Die Rote Fahne.
26. See: Mansur Rifat, Die Ahmadia Sekte
(Berlin, 1923); Mansur Rifat, Der Verrat der
Ahmadis an Heimat und Religion (Berlin,
1923); Mansur Rifat, Die Ahmadia Agenten
(Berlin, 1924); Mansur Rifat, Vollständiger
Zusammenbruch der Ahmadia-Sekte (Berlin,
1924).
27. Maulvi Mubarak Ali,“Diary”(1923).
28. Al-Fazal (Qadian), 28 March 1924, 14.
29. Mansur Rifat, Vollständiger Zusammenbruch
der Ahmadia-Sekte (Berlin, 1924).
30. For details see Al-Fazal (Qadian), 21 Sept.
1923.
31. See Mubarak Ali, Ahmadija-Bewegung oder
Reiner Islam (Berlin, 1924).
32. Maulvi Mubarak Ali,“Diary”(1923), 22.
For details on hyperinflation, see: Wolfgang
CH Fischer, German Hyperinflation 1922/23: A
Law and Economics Approach (Lohmer-Cologne,
Germany: Eul Vehrlag, 2010).
34. A. Mikowiak Baugeschäft Spandau, let-
ter to the district office Charlottenburg, 26
Publications Director of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community, Germany.
endnotes
1. Al-Fazal (Qadian), November 1922.
2. K.M. Mahmudul Hassan, Germanyte
Prothom Bangali Missionery/First Bengali
Missionary In Germany (1993).
3. Al-Fazal (Qadian), 23 August 1922.
5. Gerhard Höpp, Fremde Erfahrungen: Asiaten
Und Afrikaner in Deutschland, Österreich Und
in Der Schweiz Bis 1945, Studien / Zentrum
Moderner Orient, Geisteswissenschaftliche
Zentren Berlin e.V (Das Arabische Buch,
1996).
6. Members list of Islamische Gemeinde, e.V. 04,
November 1922.
7. Al-Fazal (Qadian) 5 Oct. 1923. Members
list of Islamischen Gemeinde zu Berlin e.V. 04.
November 1922. Interestingly, the brothers
Abdul Jabbar and Abdul Sattar Kheiri also
lived at the same address, for more details see:
Members list of the Islamische Gemeinde zu Berlin
e.V. 04. November 1922.
8. The Islamische Gemeinde zu Berlin e.V. was
established in April 1922 by the brothers Abdul
Jabbar and Abdus Sattar Kheiri.
9. Letter of the District Court III, Berlin, 31
January 1927, 1. XV.15/A.1005.3.
10. Ibid.; Maulvi Mubarak Ali,“Diary”(1923),
9; The Muslim Sunrise, January 1924, 14.
11. Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud
Ahmadra
,“Friday Sermon of 27 July 1923,”
Khutubat-e Mahmud Vol. 8 (Qadian), 146-147.
12. The blueprints and construction files were
found in a copy of the Islamarchiv Soest. For
this the author traveled with Ml. Ashraf Zia,
Hafiz Fareed Khalid , Dr. Dawood Majoka
und Ilyas Majoka in December 2015 to the
Islamarchiv in Soest. Director of the archive Mr.
S. Abdullah was very helpful in the research.
14. Khutubat-e Mahmud, Vol. 8, (Qadian), 21.
15. Ibid.
16. Kris Manjapra, Age of Entanglement,
German and Indian Intellectuals across Empire
(London, 2014), 168.
17. Letter of the foreign office, 04 August 1923,

February 1925.
35. Hausgemeinschaft Witzleben GmbH, let-
ter to the district office Charlottenburg, 15
January 1925; in the Mushawarat of 1924 this
option was discussed. For details see: Report
Mushawarat (1924), 46 – 47.
36. Letter of district court III in Berlin, 31
January 1927, 1. XV.15/A.1005.3.
38. Report Mushawarat (1924), 46 – 47.
39. The mosque was designed by architect
Mubashra Ilyas.
Deep in the heart of the Arab
Peninsula, amidst the desert
and the valleys of Pharan,
stands a modest bricked
structure. This monument is
undisputedly the single most
sacred, revered and Holy
Shrine of Islam; the compass
point for which the Muslim
world aligns itself on a daily
basis in prostration to God.
Its name is the Ka’bah, literally
translating from Arabic as ‘the cube’,
but is synonymously referred to as
Baytul Haram or ‘the Sacred House’. It
was established for the benefit of the
whole of mankind, to act as a centre
for the unification of humanity.
Does its inception lie with the
earliest human populations – viz-a-
viz Adamas
and his Community – or
were Abrahamas
and his son Ishmaelas
the individuals responsible for its
initial erection? And what purpose
does the Ka’bah actually serve?
38 The Review of Religions | march 2017

The
Promised Messiahas
& imam mahdi
( g u i d e d o n e )
founder of
W
hen you stand up in prayer, you should know it for
certain that your God has the power to do all that
He wills.Then your prayer will be accepted and you
will behold the wonders of God’s power that we have beheld.
Our testimony is based on seeing and is not a mere tale. How
should the supplication of a person be accepted and how should
he have the courage to pray at the time of great difficulties when
according to him he is opposed by the law of nature, unless he
believes that God has power over everything? You should not
be like that.Your God is One Who has suspended numberless
stars without any support and Who has created heaven and
earth from nothing.Then would you think so ill of Him as to
imagine that your objective is beyond His power? Such thinking
will frustrate you.Our God possesses numberless wonders,but
only those observe them who become wholly His with sincerity
and fidelity. He does not disclose His wonders to those who
do not believe in His powers and are not faithful to Him. 1
endnotes
1. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
, The Essence of Islam, vol. 2 (Tilford,
Surrey: Islam International, 2004), 213.
God Does Not Disclose
His Wonders to Those
Who Do Not Believe in
His Powers

The English Rendering of the
5 Volume Commentary of the
Holy Qur’an
One of the most comprehensive commentaries of the
Holy Qur’an ever written.
Commentary by
Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-Ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad(ra)
Read it online at: http://www.alislam.org/quran/
Or Purchase the print version at: http://store.alislam.org/
©AMAGALLERYUK
THE
PHILOSOPHY
OF THE
TEACHINGS
OF
ISLAM
MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD
THE PROMISED MESSIAH & MAHDIAS
The Review of Religions
serialised the famous treatise
The Philosophy of the Teachings
of Islam, by the founder of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community. Initially written
for the Conference of Great
Religions on December 26-
29,1896, each speaker at the
conference was asked to present
to the audience the beauties
of their own religion based
upon its scripture, proving that
it was the true religion, based
on the following topics:
• The Physical, Moral,
and Spiritual States of Man;
• What is the State of
Man after Death?
• The Object of Man’s Life and
the Means of its Attainment;
• The Operation of the Practical
Ordinances of the Law in
This Life and the Next;
• Sources of Divine Knowledge
SERIALISED IN
The Review of Religions
Read online:
www.alislam.org/books/
Or purchase here:
store.alislam.org/englishbooks.html

Extracts from
The Essence of
Islam
Volume III
JIHAD with
the SWORD
The truth behind...
Extracts from
The Essence of
IslamVolume III
Kamelia Ilieva | shutterstock

me for a while and observe for himself
that Islam proves through reasoning and
divine signs that it is a living faith. God
Almighty now desires and has so deter-
mined that all such objections as have
been raised against Islam by evil minded
people should be effectively repelled.
Those who allege that Islam was spread
by the sword will now be put to shame.
[Malfuzat, vol. III, p. 176.]
The Promised Messiah will not Fight
Disbelievers with the Sword
The commonly held doctrine professed
by some of the divines that the Promised
Messiah will descend from heaven and
will fight the disbelievers and will not
accept the poll tax and will offer only the
choice of death or Islam, is utterly false.
T
he Promised Messiah has come
into the world so that he should
repel the notion of taking up the
sword in the name of religion, and that
through his reasoning and arguments
he should establish that Islam is a faith
which does not at all need the help of
the sword for the purpose of its propa-
gation, but that the inherent qualities of
its teaching and its verities,insights,rea-
sons, proofs and the living support and
signs of God Almighty and its inher-
ent attractions are the factors that have
throughout contributed to its progress
and its propagation. Let all those who
proclaim that Islam had been spread by
the sword take note that their claim is
false.Islam is not in need of any coercion
for its propagation.Should anyone doubt
this, let him come to me and stay with
Let all those who proclaim
that Islam had been spread
by the sword take note that
their claim is false. Islam is
not in need of any coercion
for its propagation. Should
anyone doubt this, let him
come to me and stay with me
for a while and observe for
himself that Islam proves
through reasoning and divine
signs that it is a living faith.
Jihad with
the Sword
The Promised Messiahas
wrote over
80 books in Arabic, Urdu, and
Persian. Excerpts of his collected
works have been translated into
English and organised by topic. The
Review of Religions is pleased to
present these excerpts as part of a
monthly feature. Continuing from
part I, published in February 2017,
we continue the examination of the
origins of Jihad in Islam and what
its true purpose is.
,
the Promised Messiah & Imam Mahdi
PART II

It is brimful of all types of error and mis-
chief,and is utterly opposed to the Holy
Qur’an and is only an invention of the
impostors.
[Nur-ul-Haq,Part 1,Ruhani Khaza’in,vol.
8, p. 67.]
There is no compulsion in Islam. There
are only three types of wars in Islam:
(1) Those undertaken in self-defence.
(2) Those undertaken as chastisement for
aggression.
(3) Those undertaken for the establish-
ment of freedom of conscience, that is
to say for breaking up the strength of
those who inflicted death upon such as
accepted Islam.
As Islam does not permit the use of force
or coercion for the purpose of its propa-
gation, it is altogether vain and absurd
to wait for a bloody Mahdi or a bloody
Messiah; for it is not possible that anyone
should appear who should convert people
to Islam by the sword contrary to the
clear teaching of the Qur’an.
[Masih Hindustan Mein, Ruhani Khaza’in,
vol. 15, p. 12]
It is worthy of reflection that if a person
does not accept the true faith because
he is not yet aware of its holy teaching
and its inherent good qualities, then
should he be immediately put to the
sword? Indeed such a person deserves
to be treated mercifully and should be
informed gently and courteously of the
truth and excellence and spiritual benefi-
cence of the faith and not that his denial
should be repelled by the sword or the
gun.Therefore,the commonly held doc-
trine of Jihad put forward by certain
Muslim sects—and their teaching that
the time is approaching when a fight-
ing Mahdi will appear whose name will
be Imam Muhammad, and that Jesusas
will descend from heaven to join him
and help him, and that the two together
It is worthy of reflection that
if a person does not accept
the true faith because he
is not yet aware of its holy
teaching and its inherent good
qualities, then should he be
immediately put to the sword?
As Islam does not permit the
use of force or coercion for the
purpose of its propagation, it
is altogether vain and absurd
to wait for a bloody Mahdi
or a bloody Messiah; for it
is not possible that anyone
should appear who should
convert people to Islam by
the sword contrary to the
clear teaching of the Qur’an.
Left: While Islam is falsely supposed to be
spread by the sword, the fact of the matter is
that Islam was never imposed on a people.
When the Holy Prophetsa
and his successors
wielded the sword (at left, a sword alleged to
be that of Hazrat Umarra
), it was only in self-
defence or in the defence of others’ religious
freedom—never to force others to convert.
Copyright: Mohammad Adil | Released under Creative
Commons BY-SA 3.0
jihad with the sword

maulvis call on government officials they
bow down before them at such an angle
as if they are ready to go into prostration;
but when they are among their own ilk
they persist in declaring that this coun-
try is the House of War (Dar-ul-Harb)
and that the employment of the sword
for the purpose of the propagation of the
faith is a prescribed obligation.There are
few of them who do not adhere to this
doctrine.The large majority of them are
so committed to this false doctrine which
is utterly contrary to the Holy Qur’an
and the teaching of the Holy Prophetsa
that they condemn anyone who differs
with them on this score as the Antichrist
(Dajjal) and proclaim that he may be
killed with impunity. I have been the
subject of such condemnation for a long
time…
They should remember that this doctrine
of Jihad as conceived by them is not at
all correct. Its first result is the sacrifice
of human sympathy.Their notion that as
Jihad was permitted in the early stages of
Islam there is no reason why it should not
be lawful now is utterly misguided. We
have two answers to it. The first is that
the Holy Prophetsa
never raised his sword
except against those who first raised it
themselves and most mercilessly killed
innocent and pious men, women and
children.They were killed in such a cruel
manner, the recital of which even today
brings tears to our eyes.
Secondly, even assuming that in the
beginning of Islam such Jihad was
obligatory, as is mistakenly conceived
by these maulvis, yet in this age it
no longer holds good inasmuch as it
is written that when the Promised
Messiah appears, Jihad by the sword
and all fighting for religion will come
to an end as he will not take up the
sword or any other earthly weapon. His
only instrument will be his supplica-
tions, and his only weapon will be his
firm determination. He will lay the
foundation of peace and will gather the
will slaughter all the peoples who refuse
to accept Islam—is totally opposed to
morality. Is this not a doctrine which
stultifies all the pure faculties of man
and generates emotions like those of wild
beasts? People who hold such doctrines
have to behave hypocritically towards
everyone else.
[Masih Hindustan Mein, Ruhani Khaza’in,
vol. 15, pp. 8-9]
The Promised Messiah was to Put an
End to War
The doctrine of Jihad as understood and
propagated by the Muslim divines of this
age who are called maulvis [Religious
Cleric] is utterly incorrect. It can lead
to nothing except that by their forceful
preaching they would convert common
people into wild beasts and would deprive
them of all the good qualities of human
beings; and so it has happened. I know
for certain that the burden of the sins
of those people who commit murders
through ignorance on account of such
preaching, and who are unaware of the
reason why Islam had to fight battles in
its early stages,lies on the necks of these
maulvis who go on propagating secretly
these dangerous doctrines which result
in such grievous loss of life.When these
The first is that the Holy
Prophetsa
never raised his
sword except against those
who first raised it themselves
and most mercilessly killed
innocent and pious men,
women and children.
Islam strictly forbids taking up arms
against anyone. The Qur’an explains
the circumstances in which Muslims
were forced into defending themselves.
Otherwise waging war for political and
economical gain is not permissible.
© Saida Shigapova | Shutterstock

misunderstanding. But now that I
have arrived and you have witnessed
the day of promise, those who take
up the sword on behalf of the faith
have no excuse left which they can
put forth before God Almighty. He
who possesses eyes and can read the
Holy Qur’an and the Ahadith can real-
ize that this kind of Jihad, which the
ignorant ones insist upon in this age, is
not authorized by Islam. It is an error
which has spread among the Muslims
in consequence of the upsurge of
unlawful passions or the vain hope of
winning paradise through such mis-
guided action…
Ignorant maulvis, may God guide them,
have grievously misled the common peo-
ple and have told them that such actions,
which is sheer wrong and cruelty and is
opposed to all moral values,are the key to
paradise.Can it be a good action to shoot
down an utter stranger who is walking
through the street on some errand and
who has done us no harm? If this kind
of thing is virtuous, wild animals pos-
sess more virtue than such men. Glory
be to God, how righteous were those
and how truly were they inspired by the
spirit of the Prophets who, when they
were commanded in Mecca not to resist
evil though they might be cut to pieces,
behaved like humble and weak suckling
babies as if their hands and their arms
possessed no power at all…
How grievous and shameful it is that an
utter stranger who has done us no harm
and who is occupied with some lawful
errand should be shot down without any
cause and his wife made a widow and his
children made orphans and his dwell-
ing turned into a house of mourning?
Which hadith and which verse of the
Holy Qur’an authorises such an outrage?
Can any maulvi furnish an answer to this
question? Ignorant people who have only
heard the word Jihad make it an excuse
for the fulfilment of their selfish desires.
[Government Angrezi Aur Jihad, Ruhani
Khaza’in, vol. 17, pp. 7-13]
I have brought you a commandment
which is that Jihad with the sword has
been ended but the Jihad of the puri-
fication of your spirits must continue
to be waged. I say this not on my own
but in order to proclaim the design of
God. Reflect on the Hadith of Bukhari
wherein it is stated that the Promised
Messiah:
ْ‫ﻟ‬‫ا‬ ُ‫ﻊ‬َ‫ﻀ‬َ‫ﻳ‬َ‫ﺤ‬َ‫ب‬ْ‫ﺮ‬
goat and the lion together. His age will
be the age of peace and kindliness and
human sympathy. Why do these people
not reflect upon the fact that thirteen
hundred years ago the Holy Prophetsa
had said concerning the Promised
Messiah: “He will put an end to war.”
O Ye Muslim divines and maulvis,
listen to me. I tell you truly this is
not the time of fighting for the faith.
Do not disobey the Holy Prophetsa
.
The Promised Messiah, who was to
come, has appeared and has directed:
Henceforth desist from religious wars
with the sword which caused blood-
shed.To persist in bloodshed and not
to desist from such sermons is not the
way of Islam. He who accepts me will
not only desist from such sermons
but will hold this way as most vicious
and likely to invite divine wrath…
Now that the Promised Messiah has
come, it is the duty of every Muslim
that he should refrain from having
recourse to fighting for the propaga-
tion of the faith. Had I not come there
might have been some excuse for this
Those who do not understand the
prophecies of the Holy Qur’an and the
Prophet Muhammadsa
believe that
Jesusas
will descend from heaven and
slaughter those who do not believe in
Islam. This violence has never been
allowed or promoted in any religion and
so a peaceful Messiah has come but they
are still waiting for the gates of heaven
to open and another Messiah to come.
© Anna Om | Shutterstock

would put an end to fighting for the faith.
Accordingly,I command those who have
joined my ranks that they should dis-
card all such notions.They should purify
their hearts and foster their mercy and
should have sympathy for the afflicted.
They should spread peace on the earth,
for this would cause their faith to spread.
They should not wonder how this would
come about. As God Almighty has uti-
lized the elements and all earthly means
for the purpose of bringing about new
inventions to serve human needs like
mechanical locomotion,etc.,in the same
way He will put His angels to work for
the fulfilment of spiritual needs through
heavenly signs,without the intervention
of human agencies and there will appear
many flashes of light whereby the eyes of
multitudes will be opened.
[Government Angrezi Aur Jihad, Ruhani
Khaza’in, vol. 17, p. 15]
Religious clerics are brainwashing Muslims
into believing that Jihad is a synonym
for war and destruction. However the
true teachings of Islam declare self-
reformation as the ultimate Jihad.
© Sadik Gulec | Shutterstock
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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,
.
www.alislam.org

Makhzan-e-Tasaweer is the official image library of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community, which is managed and maintained by the
centre itself. Reinstated in April 2006 by Hazrat Mirza Masroor
Ahmad Khalifatul Masih V, it is currently based in London.
The primary purpose of Makhzan-e-Tasaweer is to collate, archive and
preserve photographs related to the Community. For this purpose, an ongoing
project is being pursued in which photographs related to various categories
are being collected and collated.This includes photographs of the Promised
Messiah, the Khulafa, Companions, other prominent personalities of historic
importance and all events of historic nature.This project therefore preserves
a pictorial history of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaba
, officially
inaugurated the Makhzan-e-Tasaweer website on 7th
February 2016.The website allows
members to view as well as purchase from the wide range of historic and latest images
of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and is available in six different languages.
Also, any photograph(s) which may be required to be included in publications (i.e.
books, periodicals etc.), calendars and souvenirs by any chapter, auxiliary organisation
or other departments of the Community can be ordered through the website.
Makhzan-e-Tasaweer
Tahir House
22 Deer Park Road
London
SW19 3TL
email: info@makhzan.org
website: www.makhzan.org
Anyone who is in possession of any
photograph(s) of historical significance
that may benefit this cause, is encouraged
to send these photographs along with the
relevant details (senders name, the date
and place the picture was taken, etc.) to:
Visit
www.makhzan.org

Of Mice and Men
10
The Keys to Peace in a
Time of Global Disorder
20
Opening of the Baitul
Ahad Mosque in Japan
40
The Economic System
of Islam
52
VOL. 111 - ISSUE ONEJANUARY 2016 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
Is Religion Truly the Cause of Disorder
in the World Today? Spreading Peace &
Security
RETURN OF
THEABSOLUTE
EVIL…?
World in Crisis -
How do we Cope?
10
True Mosques Transmit
Only Love and Peace
28
Qur’anic History and
the Role of Islamic
Calligraphy
46
The Philosophy of
Eid ul Fitr
58
WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
WORLD IN CRISIS
HOW DO WE COPE?
VOL. 111 - ISSUE SEVENJULY 2016
Are Religious Parents
Brainwashing Their
Children?
14
Pray for Children
Instead of
Punishing Them
24
Apartheid of Ahmadis
in Pakistan
32
The Economic System
of Islam
50
VOL. 111 - ISSUE TWOFEBRUARY 2016 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
Is Religion Truly the Cause of Disorder
in the World Today? Spreading Peace &
Security
Are
RELIGIOUS PARENTS
BRAINWASHING
Their CHILDREN?
Ask The Review
of Religions
10
Wonders of
the Universe
16
Five Reasons Why
Some Christians Are
Shroud Sceptics
32
The Economic System
of Islam
52
WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
WONDERSof the
UNIVERSE
VOL. 111 - ISSUE EIGHTAUGUST 2016
End Times, Armageddon
& the Return
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10
What are the Signs of the
Second Coming
of the Messiah?
28
Real Peace
on Earth
40
Recognising the
Celestial Signs of
Almighty God
48
VOL. 111 - ISSUE THREEMARCH 2016 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
NO MORE
WAITING?
NO MORE
WAITING?
Hajj—Pilgrimage to the
House of God
10
The Review of Religions’
Exhibition: An Interfaith
Event
32
My First Visit to Jalsa
Salana
36
The Economic System
of Islam
76
VOL. 111 - ISSUE NINESEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
CELEBRATING SACRIFICE:
EID-UL-ADHA
Good Mosques,
Good Neighbours
14
Jonahas
and the
Big Fish?
28
Why Alcohol is
Prohibited in Islam
42
The Economic System
of Islam
62
VOL. 111 - ISSUE FOURAPRIL 2016 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY,
LEARNING FROM LEICESTER
Building Bridges
of Peace
10
Glimpse into the Life of
Prophet Muhammadsa
26
A Short Sketch of
Muslim History
28
The Economic System
of Islam?
52
VOL. 110 - ISSUE TENOCTOBER 2016 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
BUILDING BRIDGES
of PEACE
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
Islam: Restoring
Women’s Rights
8
Deliverance of
Afflictions
28
Justice in an
Unjust World
32
The Qur’an on War
and Peace
50
VOL. 110 - ISSUE ELEVENNOVEMBER 2016 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
ISLAM:
Restoring Women’s Rights
Should Islam Really
be Feared...?
10
Qur’anic History &
the Role of Islamic
Calligraphy
26
On Fasting
46
The Economic System
of Islam
50
VOL. 111 - ISSUE SIXJUNE 2016 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
SHOULD
ISLAM
REALLY
BE
FEARED...?
Human Values – The
Foundation for a
Peaceful World
12
A Glimpse into the Life
of The Holy Prophet
Muhammadsa
32
Justice –The Prerequisite
to a Peaceful World
34
Mary: A Personal
Reflection
52
VOL. 110 - ISSUE TWELVEDECEMBER 2016 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
A historic address at Canada’s
National Parliament
WHAT ARE THE
FOUNDATIONS
for a PEACEFUL
WORLD?
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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.
Wednesday 1st
March - Monday 13th
April
Faith: Christianity
Event: Lent
Lent is a religious observance where Christians fast
for 40 days, beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending
just before Easter Sunday. By observing the fasts,
Christians reflect on the forty days Jesus spent in the
desert. During this period Christians are to abstain
from luxuries and devote their time to worship.
Sunday 12th
March
Faith: Judaism
Event: Purim
The story of Purim relates to the biblical Book
of Esther, a Jewish woman who was married to
Ahasuerus, the king of Persia. According to the
account mentioned in the Bible she is said to
have prevented Hamaan – a Persian Noblemen
– from the killing of innocent Jews in Persia.
During this festival Jews render thanks by the
giving of alms and reciting the story of Esther.
Monday 13th
March
Faith: Hinduism
Event: Holi
Also known as the “Festival of Colours,”Holi is a
Hindu festival celebrated in the spring. It begins
on the day after the full moon in the Hindu
month of Phalguna – which usually falls between
the end of February and the middle of March
according to the Gregorian calendar.This festival
involves applying or throwing coloured water
or powder on friends and family.The ritual is to
celebrate a tussle between Krishna and Radha.
Krishna, being of darker complexion asked his
mother why Radha and other girls were fairer
than him.Tired of seeing her son in despair she
advised him to see how Radha’s complexion
would change if he applied colour to her face.
Tuesday 28th
March
Faith: Zoroastrianism
Event: Khordad Sal
Khordad Sal is a special time for the Zoroastrians
as it symbolically represents the birthday of their
founder Zoroaster; the actual birthdate of Zoroaster
is unknown.The day is celebrated with special prayers
and a grand feast is prepared to mark the occasion.
Calendar of
Religious
Events &
Festivals
march 2017
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spine
vol.112-issuethreemarch2017www.reviewofreligions.orgTheResurrectionofHead-TransplantSurgery
© Islamic Publications, 2017
ISSN No. 0034-6721
Terrorism was never
Mohammad
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