Wonders of the Universe

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

And when you speak, speak
only what is absolutely true
and fair, even if you testify
against a close relative.
ISLAM, THE HOLY QUR’AN,
6:153.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported:
The Messenger of Allah, peace
and blessings be upon him, said,
“Verily, truthfulness leads to
righteousness and righteousness
leads to Paradise. A man may
speak the truth until he is
recorded with Allah as being
truthful. Verily, falsehood leads to
sin and sin leads to the Hellfire.
A man may tell lies until he is
recorded with Allah as being a liar.”
ISLAM, SAHIH MUSLIM.
There is hardly anyone in the
world who would tell a lie
without any motive.Truth that is
abandoned at a time of risk can
never form part of the true morals.
The real occasion of telling the
truth is when one apprehends
loss of life or property or honour.
ISLAM, THE PROMISED
MESSIAHAS
, THE PHILOSOPHY
OF THE TEACHINGS OF ISLAM.
These are the things that you
shall do: Speak the truth to
one another; render in your
gates judgments that are
true and make for peace.
CHRISTIANITY, THE BIBLE,
ZECHARIAH 8:16.
Truth cannot be suppressed
and always is the victor.
HINDUISM, YAJUR VEDA.
Silence the angry man with
love. Silence the ill-natured
man with kindness. Silence
the miser with generosity.
Silence the liar with truth.
BUDDHISM, GAUTAMA
BUDDHA
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
Truthfulness
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 The Messiah Has Come
HAZRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMADAS
, THE PROMISED
MESSIAH AND IMAM MAHDI
10 Ask The Review of Religions
Introducing our new feature in which
we invite reader questions on Islam.
SHAHZAD AHMED, LONDON, UK
14 Science Cannot Defeat Islam
HAZRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMADAS
, THE PROMISED
MESSIAH AND IMAM MAHDI
16 Wonders of the Universe
Join us as we explore the world of
scientific discovery through images
which highlight God’s handiwork.
DR. ANNE-MARIE IONESCU, LONDON, UK
30 Life of the Holy Prophetsa
32 Five Reasons Why
Some Christians Are
Shroud Sceptics
Many people dismiss the Shroud
as fake. Barrie Schwortz addresses
common misconceptions.
BARRIE SCHWORTZ, COLORADO, US
52 The Economic System of Islam
In this thirteenth part of the
series, communism’s false ideas
of equality are discussed.
HAZRAT MIRZA BASHIR-UD-DIN MAHMUD AHMADRA
,
THE SECOND CALIPH OF THE AHMADIYYA MUSLIM
COMMUNITY
62 Calendar of Religious Events
Front cover picture:
Sergi Verdugo Martinez | astrophoto-sv.com |
Released under CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0
contents
august 2016 Vol.111 issue eight
52
16
32

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
B
rethren, I am a Reformer, not an innovator and, God
forbid,I have not come to spread any innovation.I have
come to proclaim the truth. I consider everything that
finds no place in the Qur’an or Hadith,and is opposed to them,
as heresy and negation of faith.But there are few who can reach
the true meaning of the Divine Word and can comprehend its
subtle mysteries. I have not added anything to, nor subtracted
anything from,the faith.Brethren,my faith is the same as yours.
I follow the same Noble Messengersa
whom you follow. The
same Holy Qur’an is my guide, my beloved and my scripture,
believing in which is incumbent upon you also. It is quite true
that I believe that Jesus, son of Maryas
, died and joined the
company of the dead. I also believe with complete certainty
that the prophecy of the coming of the Messiah has been ful-
filled in me. O brethren, this belief of mine is not the product
of my own imagination. Rather God Almighty has informed
me,through His revelation,that I am the one who was to come
in the name of Jesus, son of Maryas
. God has disclosed to me
all the conclusive arguments which are contained in the Holy
Qur’an and the true Ahadith,which establish the death of Jesus,
son of Maryas
, Messenger of God, as a certainty.1
endnotes
1. Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, pp. 231-232.
The Messiah
Has Come

of civilization has germinated through
the constant nourishment of religious
teachings.
The Neolithic Revolution is consid-
ered one of the major turning points in
human history which caused a change
in the way people lived and led to the
eventual rise of civilizations. There has
been much debate and research as to
what exactly was the cause of this sud-
den change and it is often said that it
was agriculture that gave rise to our
civilization. However, the Holy Qur’an
speaks of this revolutionary change that
occurred and which eventually led to the
new social progress of man.Almost over
6000 years ago, God Almighty spoke to
Adam and appointed him as His vice-
gerent on earth. He revealed to Adam
the divine truths, in which he was told
that if the divine law were to be followed
then “it is decreed for thee that thou shalt
not hunger therein nor shall be naked;
and that thou shalt not thirst therein,
nor shalt thou be exposed to the sun.”1
According to the Holy Qur’an,the divine
law formed the precepts which gave birth
to a civilized society.
“These two verses point to the fact that
to provide food, clothing and shelter to
its people – their prime necessities of
life – is the first duty of a civilized gov-
ernment and that a society can only be
called civilized when all its members are
adequately provided with these neces-
sities. Mankind will continue to suffer
from social upheavals, and the moral
tone of human society will never really
improve unless economic inequalities of
such a serious nature,that some sections
of society roll in wealth and others die
of starvation,are done away with.Adam
is told here that he will live in a place
where the amenities and necessities of
life will be adequately available to all
its inhabitants. This state of affairs has
been described elsewhere in the Qur’an
in the words, and eat therefrom plenti-
fully wherever you will (2:36). The verse
In today’s world, whereby standards of
living have so vastly improved and com-
mon values of good are enjoyed and
practiced by even non-believers of any
particular religion or faith,one may per-
haps question the validity of religion in
modern-day society.
Man’s deep association with religion
has been since time immemorial. The
followers or believers of any particular
faith vary in their reasons for adopting
religion; for some it’s a source of peace,
and offers comfort when most needed;
whilst for others it’s a sense of hope
and attaches meaning to our existence,
as opposed to atheism, which proposes
nothing more than a meaningless exist-
ence followed by death.
However, the importance of religion is
far more significant than perhaps the
individual benefits one reaps. Religion,
whether or not we are consciously aware
of it, has in fact benefited and continues
to play a pivotal role in shaping our soci-
ety as a whole. Civilization is indeed the
essence of our society, yet the very seed
Ask The Review
of Religions
Welcome to Ask The Review of Religions, a new
regular series where readers can enquire on all
types of theological and religious matters.
Email Askthereview@reviewofreligions.org with your questions.
Mankind will continue to
suffer from social upheavals,
and the moral tone of human
society will never really
improve unless economic
inequalities of such a serious
nature, that some sections
of society roll in wealth
and others die of starvation,
are done away with.
Shahzad Ahmed, London, U.K.
Does society really need religion or is it just a
mere obstacle that has long been in the pathway
of man’s progress?
10 The Review of Religions | august 2016 august 2016 | The Review of Religions 11

is, man attaining a communion with his
Lord and to manifest within him His
attributes. However, the laws pertain-
ing to society that these holy founders
introduced have never been the same,
rather each of them carried forward the
baton from his predecessor and intro-
duced a profound teaching specifically
designed to meet the requirements and
needs of the society of the time. And in
each instance their teachings proved to
bring about a revolutionary change. A
close study of the lives of prophets such
as Moses, Jesus and the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon them all) confirms that
their advent took place when their soci-
ety was at its lowest ebb and in complete
decline and within their lifetime they
were able to transform a deteriorating
and divided mass into a powerful nation;
they enlightened a latent society; they
inspired dormant minds and paved the
way for the emergence of yet another
illustrious civilization that decorates
the history of our world. Thus, it is of
no surprise to find that among the top
100 most influential people of all time,
according to Michael H.Hart’s book,The
100,more than half of those who occupy
the top 10 spot are religious figures,with
the Holy Prophetsa
of Islam being num-
ber one. Indeed, the selection was based
on those who were the most influential,
‘people who swayed the destinies of mil-
lions of human beings, determined the
rise and fall of civilizations, changed the
course of human history.’4
History bears testimony that the advent
of Prophets has had a tremendous impact
on its people,the astonishing contrast of
the circumstances before their advent and
after their departure is a universal theme
reflected in the life of every prophet.The
transformation they brought in their
society and the lasting legacy they left
behind helped culminate if not a new era
of civilization but most certainly revived
a decaying one.
endnotes
1. The Holy Qur’an, Ch.20, V: 119 -120.
2. Farīd,M.(2006).The Holy Qur’an with English
Translation and Short Commentary.Tilford,Surrey:
Islam International Publications Ltd.
3. Mann, C. (2011). Göbekli Tepe - The Birth
of Religion. [online] Ngm.nationalgeographic.
com. Available at: http://ngm.nationalgeo-
graphic.com/2011/06/gobekli-tepe/mann-text/1
[Accessed 28 Dec. 2015].
4. Hart,M.(1992).The 100.Secaucus,N.J.: Carol
Pub. Group.
under comment also shows that with
Adam began a new social order and that
he laid the foundations of a kingdom
which ushered in the era of a social pro-
gress of man.”2
Mesopotamia which is considered
‘the Cradle of Civilization’ is said to
have emerged around 3100 B.C.E.
Interestingly, the accoutrements of this
civilization are said to have appeared
around the same time and place that the
religious scriptures postulate the advent
of Adam. However, the commonly held
Biblical view of Adam being the first man
created by God on earth is certainly not
supported by the modern scientific study
of human evolution. In fact, man has
roamed the earth for over tens of thou-
sands of years and has passed through
numerous cycles of creation and civili-
zation. However Adam, the progenitor
of the present human race, is only the
first link in the current cycle and through
whom our present civilization took root.
Indeed, before our present cycle, many
nations and civilizations have risen and
fallen.However,those that have come to
pass before us, it is religion that seems
to be at its root yet again. A recent
study on one of the world’s oldest tem-
ples, Gobekli Tepe, which dates back to
12000 years ago, was recently published
and suggested that perhaps agriculture
was not the driving force behind the
emergence of early civilization. Rather,
“the construction of a massive temple
by a group of foragers is evidence that
organized religion could have come before
the rise of agriculture and other aspects
of civilization.”3
Even if we confine ourselves to our
present civilization alone, we find that
religion has continually played a crucial
and pivotal role in the advancement and
betterment of mankind. A strong proof
of this lies in the close study of the advent
of the Prophets and the Divine laws
which were revealed to them. All of the
revealed religions have in essence come
with the same universal objective, that
A recent study on one of the
world’s oldest temples, Gobekli
Tepe, which dates back to
12000 years ago, was recently
published and suggested
that perhaps agriculture
was not the driving force
behind the emergence
of early civilization.

The
Promised Messiahas
& imam mahdi
( g u i d e d o n e )
founder of
Just observing the attacks of science over religion in this age
when there is a state of war between the two, one should not
become disheartened and wonder what to do.There can be no
doubt that in this war, Islam does not need to appease itself
as the beaten and humiliated. Rather, it is the time of Islam’s
spiritual sword just as it had shown its physical might once.
Remember this prophecy that soon the enemy in this war will
lose with disgrace and Islam will be victorious.
No matter how furious the attack by science and whichever
new instruments of war it resorts to,the end result is its defeat.
I say with gratitude that I have been bestowed the knowledge
of Islam’s superior powers. Through this knowledge I can say
that Islam will not only defend itself from the attacks from
modern philosophy but will prove the confronting knowledge
to be no more than mere ignorance and backwardness. The
kingdom of Islam has no fear for these attacks from science
and philosophy.The days of Islam’s good fortune are nigh and
I perceive the signs of its victory visible in the heavens. This
prosperity is spiritual and the victory is also spiritual so that
the powers of false knowledge are so weakened by the Supreme
that they eventually vanish.
(A’yeena Kamalaat Islam, footnotes, pp.254-255)
Science Cannot
Defeat Islam

We live in an age of scientific progress, and the science
section of The Review of Religions is pleased to present
the following collection of striking scientific images
which illustrate current groundbreaking research
in fields as diverse as astronomy and biology.
While there is a popular conception that science and
religion must be at odds with one another, the Promised
Messiahas
wrote that the “Holy Qur’an brings full
accord between science and religion.” Browsing through
these images, God’s Handiwork is fully evident.
Credit: NASA/JPL Caltech /WISE
Wonders
of the
Universe

Wonders of the
Universe
Dr. Anne-Marie Ionescu, London, U.K.
Fluorescent mouse brain in coronal section
Luis de la Torre-Ubieta, UCLA | Wellcome Images
Confocal microscopy was used to visualise a subgroup of neurones in the
brain, engineered to express green fluorescent protein. Individual images
were captured at 5.3 micrometers before being subsequently combined into
the single image seen here. All neurones visualised are colour-coded by
depth; from red (top) to orange, yellow, purple, blue and green (bottom).
august 2016 | The Review of Religions 19

Cosmic Optical Illusions in Ursa Major
Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
This image shows galaxies that appear as though
they are in a galactic tug of war. In reality, the
galaxy “above” is actually closer to Earth than
the one “below”, and the two are not physically
connected. Even more bizarrely, this image
actually contains at least four galaxies, with
the galaxy “above” actually comprising of three
galaxies.Two are spiralling around one another
in what seems to be the early stages of a merger,
while a third sits separately towards the right
of the image.This trio of galaxies are only 600
million light years away from Earth, in the
constellation of Cepheus.The blue stream
seemingly connecting the galaxies “above” and
“below” is believed to have formed as a result
of turbulent gravitational interactions from the
merger of the two galaxies in the upper half
of the image. As the two galaxies collide and
merge, they throw off gas, dust, and millions
of newborn stars.These young stars clump
to form hot, massive, super-clusters and are
responsible for the stark blue hue in this image.

Transmission electron microscope image of a T4
bacteriophage in the process of injecting its viral
DNA into its host, an Escherichia coli bacterium.
Credit: Biozentrum, University of Basel | Science Source
This is an electron-micrograph image capturing the
event of a bacteriophage landing on the surface
of its host, an E.coli bacterium. Bacteriophages
are viruses that infect bacterial cells. Most
bacteriophages are 24-200 nanometers (nm) in
size (that’s one-billionth of a metre!) but can be
as small as 6.5nm.This image captures the phase
at which a bacteriophage anchors to the cell
before preparing to penetrate the membrane to
inject its genetic load into the bacterial cell. From
there, the virus will replicate within the bacterium
before bursting out and invading other hosts.
Bacteriophages are increasingly being used as
alternatives to antibiotics to kill bacteria in humans.
Bacteriophages have the advantage over antibiotics
of potentially being much more specific to their
target, sparing human cells and even human flora1
.
1. Keen, E. C. (2012). “Phage Therapy: Concept
to Cure”. Frontiers in Microbiology 3.doi:10.3389/
fmicb.2012.00238

The Jellyfish Nebula: IC 443
Sergi Verdugo Martinez | astrophoto-sv.com | Released under CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0.
This image captures the constellation
of Gemini IC 443. It is approximately
5,000 light years from Earth. It is a
galactic supernova remnant, a star that
exploded between 3000-30,000 years
ago and is one of the best-studied cases
of a supernova remnant interacting
with surrounding nebulous clouds. Near
the apex of the nebula is a neutron
star that is thought to have been the
progenitor of the supernova explosion
– the ultimate fate of a massive star. It
is a process in which a star collapses in
upon its own gravity, before exploding
in an event that can momentarily
outshine a galaxy, ejecting its matter
at roughly 10% of the speed of light.
The shape of this nebula earned it the
nickname of the ‘Jellyfish Nebula’.

“Homo Naledi” is
the name given to
a series of bones
found in a cave
in South Africa,
presumed to belong
to the same species...
Skull of Homo Naledi, Discovered in a
South African Cave in 2015
Lee Roger Berger research team | Released under CC
BY 4.0
“Homo Naledi” is the name given to a
series of bones found in a cave in South
Africa, presumed to belong to the same
species. “Presumed” because, despite the
media hype at apparently discovering a
new ancestor of ours, there is very little
that we know for sure about this creature.
The date of the bones found in the cave
are unknown, so we cannot place this
species as our ancestor, as the bones may
be dated to an age younger than our own.
The bones are thought by some to belong
to more than one species, as the skulls
discovered seem to represent two distinct
morphologies. Many of the features of this
hominid are also entirely unique, making
it difficult to know where to place it in
the mosaic of evolution. Its tibia, femur,
hands and feet all have unique features not
found in other hominids. Indeed, its place
within the genus of Homo is itself up for
debate, with many of its features appearing
to resemble the Australopith genus more.
Given these issues, Homo Naledi has
conjured more questions than answers…

PIA19966: Charon and Pluto:
Strikingly Different Worlds
CREDIT: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied
Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute
This is a composite enhanced image designed to
bring Pluto (lower right) and Charon (upper left)
together for the purpose of comparison. NASA’s
New Horizons spacecraft snapped the images as
it passed through Pluto’s orbit on July 14, 2015.
The images have been processed identically so as
to permit comparison of the different features.
For example, note the similarity between Pluto’s
red equatorial terrain and Charon’s dusky polar
regions.The advantage of this image positioning
is that it also gives an approximate idea of the
relative sizes of these two planets. Pluto has had
a chequered history, having been relegated from
the category of planets in 2006 to its current
status as a dwarf planet. It was relegated because
it was not deemed to have met a third, new
and essential criteria: a planet must “clear the
neighbourhood around its orbit”.This meant
that a planet had to have attained gravitational
dominance in its immediate vicinity, having
sucked up all other masses into itself. Pluto is
surrounded by similarly sized planets such as Eris
and Ceres and as such, could not be regarded
as a planet, standing on its own two feet.
About the Autor: Anne-Marie Ionescu is a medical doctor based
in Leamington Spa. Her interests include photography and the
beauty of the natural world.

TRUTHFULNESS
A man once came to the Holy Prophetsa
and said: “O Messengersa
of Allah! I suffer from three evils: falsehood, indulgence in strong drinks
and fornication. I have tried my utmost to get rid of them but have not
succeeded. Will you tell me what to do?”The Prophetsa
replied: “If you
make a firm promise to me to give up one of them I guarantee that you will
be rid of the other two.”The man promised and asked the Prophetsa
to tell him which of the three he should give up.The Prophetsa
said:
“Give up falsehood.”
Sometime later the man came back and told the Holy Prophetsa
that,
having followed his advice,he was now free from all three vices.The
Prophetsa
asked him for the details of his struggle and the man said:
“One day I wanted to indulge in liquor and was about to do so when
I bethought myself of my promise to you and realised that if any of my
friends asked me whether I had taken liquor, I would have to admit it as
I could no longer utter a falsehood.This would mean that I would acquire
an evil reputation among my friends and they would in future avoid
me.Thinking thus, I persuaded myself to postpone drinking to some later
occasion and was able to withstand the temptation at the time. In the
same way when I found myself inclined towards fornication, I argued
with myself that indulgence in the vice would expose me to the loss of the
esteem of my friends as I would either have to tell a falsehood if questioned
by them, thus breaking my promise to you, or I would have to admit my
sin. In this way I continued to struggle between my resolve to fulfil my
promise to you and my desire to indulge in liquor and in adultery.When
some time had passed I began to lose the inclination to indulge in these
vices and the resolve to keep away from falsehood has now saved me from
the other two also.”
Life of
The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa

A
t first glance, I might seem to
be the least likely candidate to
be writing an article addressing
Christians’ beliefs about the Shroud of
Turin, because I am Jewish. (Of course,
so is the man on the Shroud!) On the
other hand, I was a member of the only
research team ever permitted to per-
form an in-depth scientific examination
of the cloth. In 1978, I was one of 24
researchers who spent 120 non-stop
hours over five days and nights examin-
ing it directly and performing a battery
of non-destructive tests on the cloth.We
spent the next three years evaluating all
of our data and writing the results into
formal scientific papers,which were sub-
mitted and published in highly regarded
peer-reviewed scientific journals. Our
research ultimately concluded that the
Shroud was not an artwork. In spite of
that, I remained a die-hard sceptic and
it took me another 17 years before the
scientific evidence finally convinced me
of its authenticity.
In my role as the official “Documenting
Photographer” for the research team, I
was obligated to document the event
and the team’s work in detail.When that
work was finished and most of the oth-
ers moved on, I felt that my work was
somehow incomplete. As an “insider”
with access to all of the scientific research
and a media professional myself, I was
very frustrated by the inaccurate (and
sometimes patently false) reports in the
media about the Shroud and realized
that my Christian brothers and sisters
were not really getting a very accurate
accounting of what we knew about it.Let
us be honest.The average person does not
read peer-reviewed scientific journals! So
I created and published the first Shroud
of Turin website on the internet in 1996
(www.shroud.com) to provide a platform
Five Reasons Why
Some Christians Are
Shroud Sceptics
In 1978, I was one of 24
researchers who spent 120
non-stop hours over five
days and nights examining
it directly and performing a
battery of non-destructive
tests on the cloth. We spent the
next three years evaluating
all of our data and writing
the results into formal
scientific papers, which were
submitted and published
in highly regarded peer-
reviewed scientific journals.
Barrie Schwortz, Colorado, USA
-
The Review of Religions is pleased to present the following
article by Shroud photographer Barrie Schwortz, which was orig-
inally published in The City in Spring 2016 and is reprinted
here with permission.

the back of an envelope so I could address
each of them directly when I got up to
speak.I called it (with apologies to David
Letterman) the “Top 5 Reasons Why
Some Christians Are Shroud Sceptics”
and opened my talk with it. To my
surprise,the audience response was over-
whelmingly positive and I realized that
this information should be made more
readily available. Consequently, I cre-
ated a PowerPoint to better illustrate the
information and now present it as part
of my regular presentations to Protestant
and Evangelical groups. When I was
asked to write this article for The City I
realized this was a perfect opportunity
to expand on the information I had been
presenting at my lectures and dispel in
detail some of the misconceptions about
the Shroud that many Christians seem
to have. Before you make up your mind,
I believe you should know the facts. So
here are the top Five Reasons Why Some
Christians are Shroud Sceptics:
1.The Shroud is a Graven Image
This is usually the first reason I am given
as to why the Shroud is not credible in
some people’s eyes. In my lectures, I
always remind folks that being Jewish,
I know a little bit about graven images.
We had a Golden Calf that cost us 40
years in the desert! But what exactly is a
for more accurate and readily accessible
information about the Shroud and began
lecturing about it at conferences,univer-
sities and churches around the world.
Over the years I have spoken to hun-
dreds of Christian groups of nearly every
denomination and have probably heard
every reason why people either love or
hate the Shroud. Everything came to
a head in 2013, when I was asked to
speak at an Evangelical Conference in
Colorado Springs, Colorado. I attended
the entire three day event and spent the
first two days just sitting at a table with a
modest Shroud display and talking with
many of the attendees, some of whom
were quick to tell me they were not really
interested in the Shroud.They were also
very happy to tell me why,and their rea-
sons were rather stunning, since in most
cases they were completely inaccurate or
totally incorrect.
I knew this evangelical audience prob-
ably would not be thrilled with a Jewish
guy getting up and telling them they are
misinterpreting their own Gospels when
it comes to the Shroud,but I knew I had
to do something. I was giving my only
lecture in the main auditorium on the
third day of the event, so I jotted down
the top five reasons folks had given me on
A frontal view of the Shroud of Turin in natural
light.
© 1978 Barrie M. Schwortz Collection,
STERA, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Photographers Barrie Schwortz and Vernon
Miller made large format photographs
of the Shroud of Turin in 1978.
Everything came to a head
in 2013, when I was asked
to speak at an Evangelical
Conference in Colorado
Springs, Colorado. I attended
the entire three day event
and spent the first two days
just sitting at a table with a
modest Shroud display and
talking with many of the
attendees, some of whom were
quick to tell me they were not
really interested in the Shroud.
five reasons why some christians
are shroud sceptics

fact, it even quenched the pale yellow-
green background fluorescence of the
cloth itself,thus proving that the Shroud
image is not the product of a high tem-
perature event.In other words,we proved
that the image is not a scorch.
The third theory was that the Shroud
image was created in medieval times using
a photographic process,even though the
first documented photographic negative
still exists and was created in 1826 by
Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in France!
There is not one shred of evidence in the
historical record that any photographic
images were created before then. Since
the primary light sensitive material used
in the photographic process is silver, the
STURP team looked for it using spectral
and chemical analyses and not one trace
was found. According to proponents of
that theory, all the silver was removed
during the fixing process. However, the
chemicals used to fix the image and
make it permanent only remove the
UNUSED silver and there would be
plenty of it remaining in all of the image
areas. Also, such a light sensitive emul-
sion would have to be coated onto the
entire Shroud in a semi-viscous liquid
or gelatine form which would have pen-
etrated deep into the fibres of the cloth
and some silver would have remained
there until this day. Yet not one trace
was found.Again,we proved the Shroud
image was not created by a photographic
process. Of course, if one takes the time
to thoroughly analyze the Shroud’s global
image properties (and I am a professional
photographer that has had 38 years to do
so),one can easily see that,other than the
negative-like light to dark reversal, the
Shroud image is absolutely nothing like a
photographic image.One cannot encode
spatial or topographic 3-D information
into an image using normal photography.
Here is an excerpt taken directly from
the official summary of STURP’s 1981
final report:
“No pigments, paints, dyes or stains
have been found on the fibrils. X-ray,
fluorescence and microchemistry on the
fibrils preclude the possibility of paint
being used as a method for creating the
image. Ultra Violet and infrared evalu-
ation confirm these studies. Computer
image enhancement and analysis by a
device known as a VP-8 image analyzer
show that the image has unique, three-
dimensional information encoded in it.
Microchemical evaluation has indicated
no evidence of any spices, oils, or any
biochemicals known to be produced by
the body in life or in death. It is clear
that there has been a direct contact of
graven image? By definition,it is a man-
made object or artwork (such as a statue)
that is worshipped as a god or in place
of a god.
But science itself has PROVEN (and
I don’t use that word lightly), that the
Shroud is not an artwork of any kind.
Our team went to Turin to answer a sin-
gle question: How is the image on the
Shroud formed? The conventional wis-
dom in 1978 was that it was either some
form of painting, scorch or photograph,
so our tests included experiments to
explore all of those possibilities. Using
very sensitive spectral and chemical
analyses, along with microscopic and
photographic examination, we searched
for any traces of paints or pigments
on the cloth. In fact, we had with us a
complete catalogue of the spectral char-
acteristics of every paint and pigment
used by man from medieval to modern
times.In the end we determined that no
paints or pigments were responsible for
the image. Thus, we proved scientifically
that the Shroud image is not a painting.
Another theory was that someone heated
a metal statue,laid the Shroud over it and
the hot metal scorched the image onto
the cloth. This was an understandable
possibility since the colour of the Shroud
image is very similar to the colour of the
lightly scorched areas on the cloth. The
Shroud was heavily damaged by a fire in
1532, leaving it covered with burns and
scorches, so there were plenty of docu-
mented reference scorches on the cloth
for us to compare to.Scorched linen will
fluoresce red under ultraviolet excitation,
so we photographed the entire Shroud
using ultraviolet fluorescence photogra-
phy and sure enough,every known scorch
fluoresced in the red,just as we expected.
But the image itself did not fluoresce. In
But science itself has
PROVEN (and I don’t use
that word lightly), that the
Shroud is not an artwork of
any kind. Our team went
to Turin to answer a single
question: How is the image
on the Shroud formed? The
conventional wisdom in
1978 was that it was either
some form of painting, scorch
or photograph, so our tests
included experiments to
explore all of those possibilities.
are shroud sceptics

safekeeping, they retained ownership of
it until the death of King Umberto II,last
Duke of Savoy, in 1983. So the church
was only the custodian of the Shroud,
had no direct control of it and could do
nothing with it without first getting the
permission of the king.In fact,the scien-
tific examination performed by STURP
in 1978 was authorized by the king and
not by the church. Frankly, had it been
the direct property of the church, I am
doubtful we would ever have received
permission to examine it.
In 1985, after two years in the Italian
courts,the king’s will was probated and it
was determined that the will was valid.It
is most interesting to note that the king
did not leave the Shroud to the institu-
tion of the church,but rather to one man,
the living Pope. I imagine the king real-
ized that if 130 cardinals had to vote on
what should be done with the Shroud,
nothing might ever be accomplished.
So technically, the Shroud did not come
under control of the Catholic Church
until 1985! Consequently, it is not really
correct to label it a Catholic relic.
3.The Gospels State That Jesus Was
Tied With Linen Strips
“The Gospels state that Jesus was tied
with linen strips, yet the Shroud is a
single large cloth,so it can’t be real.”That
is another statement I hear frequently. I
guess most people do not realize that by
the first century,even the Egyptians had
stopped wrapping mummies with strips.
So why are “linen strips”even mentioned
in the Gospels?
One has to remember that Jesus and
his disciples were Jews and his burial
would be conducted according to Jewish
law and tradition. The Old Testament
requires Jewish men of high stature to
be buried in “pure linen raiments.”The
the Shroud with a body, which explains
certain features such as scourge marks,
as well as the blood.However,while this
type of contact might explain some of the
features of the torso,it is totally incapable
of explaining the image of the face with
the high resolution that has been amply
demonstrated by photography…”
“Thus, the answer to the question of
how the image was produced or what
produced the image remains, now, as it
has in the past, a mystery. We can con-
clude for now that the Shroud image is
that of a real human form of a scourged,
crucified man. It is not the product of
an artist.The blood stains are composed
of haemoglobin and also give a posi-
tive test for serum albumin. The image
is an ongoing mystery and until further
chemical studies are made, perhaps by
this group of scientists, or perhaps by
some scientists in the future, the prob-
lem remains unsolved.”
Science has proven the Shroud is not a
manmade artwork, so there is no way it
can be considered a graven image.Finally,
in my 39-year-involvement with the
Shroud, I have never seen one person
pray to the Shroud. People may kneel
before it in prayer, but the Shroud sim-
ply serves as a focal point for their prayers
and not the final destination.The Shroud
of Turin is NOT a graven image.
2.The Shroud is Just Another
Catholic Relic
I have heard this argument on countless
occasions and it always brings a smile
to my face. My first response when this
comes up in my lectures is to ask the
audience when they believe the Shroud
came under the control of the Catholic
Church.The answers run the gamut from
the 1st
century to medieval times, but
none of those are correct. For more than
six centuries, the Shroud was in private
hands and owned by the Savoy family,
the ruling monarchy of Italy. Although
they did place it in the Cathedral of St.
John the Baptist in Turin in 1578 for
This painting shows how the Shroud
of Turin would have been wrapped
around the body to create the image.
My first response when this
comes up in my lectures is to
ask the audience when they
believe the Shroud came
under the control of the
Catholic Church.The answers
run the gamut from the 1st
century to medieval times,
but none of those are correct.
are shroud sceptics

We still follow a similar procedure today
and typically cover the face of the dead
immediately upon their passing.Frankly,
it is the preservation of this second cloth
and its presence in the tomb that con-
vinces me this was an authentic Jewish
burial. Even more amazing is that this
second cloth, known as the Sudarium,
has survived to the present day and is
now kept in the cathedral in Oviedo,
Spain, where it has resided since the 7th
century!
4.The Man of the Shroud Has Long
Hair, Which is Forbidden in the
Gospels
Sceptics will often quote to me from
1 Corinthians 11:14 - “Doth not even
nature itself teach you, that, if a man
have long hair, it is a shame unto him?”
(this and other verses in this article are
from the King James Version translation).
Well, yes, that is what it says. But when
exactly was that written? I am not a New
Testament scholar, but I know that Paul
wrote that about twenty years after the
death of Jesus! So this rule would NOT
have applied to him or his disciples,since
it had not been written yet! What laws
did they follow? The best way to address
that is to look to the Old Testament,
which was the law in Jesus’time. Here is
what it says about long hair and beards:
Numbers 6:5 (Re the Nazarite’s vow)
- “All the days of the vow of his separa-
tion there shall no razor come upon his
head: until the days be fulfilled, in which
he separateth himself unto the LORD, he
shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the
hair of his head grow.”
And in Leviticus 19:27 - “Ye shall not
round [i.e., cut] the corners of your heads,
neither shalt thou mar [i.e.,cut] the corners
of thy beard.”
Jews were literally forbidden to cut their
hair and beards and you can still see
that today in any Orthodox or Hassidic
Jewish communities, where all adult
males have long hair and beards. Jesus
followed the Law of Moses!
5.The Prophecies Say the Man’s Beard
Was Plucked
“The Prophecies say the Man’s beard was
plucked, yet the Man of the Shroud has
a full beard, so it can’t be Jesus.”This is
another popular reason I am given by
many Christians as to why the Shroud
cannot be authentic. Is there anything
on the Shroud that might address this
issue? Actually, there is.
If you look closely at the centre of the
beard below the chin, you will notice an
Gospels tell us that the shroud of Jesus
was provided by Joseph of Arimathea,
a wealthy man. That makes good sense,
since such a cloth would have been
expensive by first century standards and
would most likely have been imported,
quite possibly from Syria.Jewish custom
requires burial in a large single sheet, as
demonstrated in the accompanying De
la Rovere painting (see page 33). Once
the body is wrapped in the cloth,it must
be bound by linen strips to ensure the
cloth does not fall off when the body is
transported. That is not only consistent
with a first century Jewish burial,but also
with contemporary burials, and not just
by Jews but by Muslims as well. When
my father died in 2003, he was given an
Orthodox Jewish burial and was wrapped
in a white linen shroud very similar to
the Shroud of Turin.When the disciples
entered the tomb on Sunday morning,
only the cloth and strips remained, so
they are mentioned in the Gospels.
Of course, the Gospels also tell us there
was a second cloth, folded and separate
from the other.I often am told that,since
the Shroud is only one cloth and two
were mentioned in scripture, that the
Shroud must consequently be a fake.
Never mind the fact that over two mil-
lennia, it is quite possible the two cloths
could get separated! So what is this sec-
ond cloth and why was it there? Once
again, Jewish law requires that anything
containing the victim’s blood or bodily
fluids be buried with the body.Once Jesus
was taken down from the cross, his face
and head were wrapped in a smaller cloth
or napkin which absorbed the blood and
pleural fluids from his nose and mouth.
Once Jesus was taken down
from the cross, his face and
head were wrapped in a
smaller cloth or napkin
which absorbed the blood and
pleural fluids from his nose
and mouth. We still follow
a similar procedure today
and typically cover the face
of the dead immediately
upon their passing. Frankly,
it is the preservation of
this second cloth and its
presence in the tomb that
convinces me this was an
authentic Jewish burial.
are shroud sceptics

As you can see, there is a very plausible
explanation for each of these objections.
It might seem a bit strange that they are
being presented to you by a Jewish guy
(especially one who said “no”when I was
first asked to be on the STURP team in
1977), but I feel obligated to share with
you the knowledge I have been privi-
leged to gain over the past 39 years. It
is my sincere hope that this information
will simply provide you with a new per-
spective on the Shroud of Turin.It turns
out that I was not in that room with the
Shroud for myself. I was there for you!
About the Author: Barrie M. Schwortz was
the Official Documenting Photographer for the
Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP), the
team that conducted the first in-depth scientific
examination of the Shroud in 1978. Today, he plays
an influential role in Shroud research and education
as the editor and founder of the internationally
recognized Shroud of Turin Website (www.
shroud. com), the oldest, largest and most extensive
Shroud resource on the Internet, with more than
fifteen million visitors from over 160 countries. In
2009, he founded the Shroud of Turin Education
and Research Association, Inc. (STERA, Inc.),
a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation in order to
preserve and maintain his Shroud photographic
collection and other important resources and make
them available for future research and study. He
currently serves as the President of STERA, Inc.
inverted “V” notch that indicates some
missing hair.Having worn a beard myself
for nearly four decades, I can assure you
that plucking even one hair would bring
tears to your eyes.Pulling out a clump of
hair, as it appears on the Shroud, would
have been extremely painful and only
added to his torture.Once again,we must
consult the Old Testament to see what
the Prophecies say:
Isaiah 50:6 - “I gave my back to the smit-
ers, and my cheeks to them that plucked
off the hair: I hid not my face from shame
and spitting.”
It never said they shaved his face or
plucked off ALL his hair.
Among people of the Middle East, the
beard was held in great veneration, so to
pluck a man’s beard was a gross indignity
and still would be today.As a Jew follow-
ing the Law of Moses, Jesus was NOT
clean shaven. How could people pluck
hair from his cheeks if he had no beard?
Your feedback is
important to us
Write to us with comments,
feedback and suggestions at
info@ReviewofReligions.orgThis is an enhanced contrast view of the
image of the face on the Shroud of Turin
as it appears on a photographic negative.
Among people of the Middle
East, the beard was held in
great veneration, so to pluck
a man’s beard was a gross
indignity and still would be
today. As a Jew following
the Law of Moses, Jesus was
NOT clean shaven. How
could people pluck hair from
his cheeks if he had no beard?
are shroud sceptics

Bitcoin: On Behalf of
The Future
14
Educating Our Children
24
The Difference Between
True Islam & Extremist
Groups
30
FGM’ – Not in The
Name of Religion
50
VOL. 110 - ISSUE 1JANUARY 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
ERADICATING
EXTREMISM
Why The Honeybee
is Dying and What It
Means for Life on Earth
16
Wonders Experienced
Through Fasting
26
The Islamic Dilemma
Should We Fear the
Religion of Peace?
30
Atheism or Belief -
Which is evidence
Based?
42
VOL. 110 - ISSUE SEVENJULY 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
The
ISLAMIC
DILEMMA
ShouldWeFearthe
ReligionofPeace?
God - His Transcedence
and Manifestation
12
Untold Stories
26
From the Archives:
My Visit to Qadian
38
Preaching Activities of
Jesusas
in the East
46
VOL. 110 - ISSUE TWOFEBRUARY 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
EYES CANNOT
REACH HIM...
The Sign of the Heavens
20
The Plague
58
A Murder in British
Lahore: Closing the Case
of Lekh Ram
80
World War One:
Centenary of Fulfliment
of a Grand Prophecy
102
VOL. 110 - ISSUE EIGHTAUGUST 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
EVIDENCE FORTHE
TRUTHYoubetheJudge...
S P E C I A L 1 6 4 P A G E E D I T I O N
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
VOL. 110 - ISSUE THREEMARCH 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
REACTIONto
CHARLIE
HEBDO...?
SERMON
onthe
MOUNT
The Economic System
of Islam
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
VOL. 110 - ISSUE NINESEPTEMBER 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
Fromthe
LETTERSof
MAHMUDRA
A HISTORIC JOURNEY TO THE HOUSE OF GOD
Firm Stance Against
Terror At Peace
Symposium
8
The Golden Principles
for World Peace
16
Three Minutes and
Counting
38
Has Science Rendered
Religion Obsolete?
66
VOL. 110 - ISSUE FOURAPRIL 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
RAY
OF
HOPE?
SERMON
onthe
MOUNT
Halloween –
Fear or Fun?
10
Shariah: A Semantic
Oxymoron?
28
Connecting to Khilafat:
A Guidance for Today’s
Muslim Youth
36
Islam’s Response to the
Destruction of Cultural
Heritage
56
VOL. 110 - ISSUE TENOCTOBER 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
A Guidance forToday’s MuslimYouth
Connecting to Khilafat:
Is the Shroud of Turin a
Medieval Photograph?
22
The Sudarium of Oviedo
and the Shroud of Turin
40
A Brief Review of Recent
CNN Documentary on
the Shroud
56
The Oviedo Cloth by
Mark Guscin:
Book Review
66
VOL. 110 - ISSUE FIVEMAY 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
TheRESURRECTION
ShroudingTheTruth?
Mufti Muhammad
Sadiqra
– An Early Ray of
Western Sunrise
18
World Peace & Security
- The Critical Issues of
Our Time
38
Responsibilities of an
Ahmadi Muslim
50
The Economic System
of Islam
56
VOL. 110 - ISSUE ELEVENNOVEMBER 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
WORLDPEACE
&SECURITY:
THE CRITICAL
ISSUES OF
OURTIME
The Race to Conquer the
Secret of Life
14
The Spiritual Benefits of
Fasting
24
Navigating Life in the
21st Century
32
Visits to
Sacred Places
54
VOL. 110 - ISSUE SIXJUNE 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
NAVIGATING
LIFEinthe
21ST
CENTURY
Spirituality,
Morality
&Material
Progress
Three Gradations of
Doing Good
14
Is Religion Truly the
Cause of Disorder in the
World Today?
20
Apartheid of Ahmadis
in Pakistan
52
Women’s Responsibilities:
Fulfilling the
Conditions of Bai’at
78
VOL. 110 - ISSUE TWELVEDECEMBER 2015 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
The
BLAME
GAMEIs religion truly
the cause of
disorder in
the world
today?
Is Religion Truly the Cause of Disorder in
the World Today?
To order back issues email info@reviewofreligions.org
The front covers of our 12 Editions in 2015
Subscribe
12 editions
for just
£15gbp
or $30 Usd
or $36 cad
Students!
12 editions
for just
£5gbp
or $10 Usd
or $12 cad

SUBSCRIBE NOW!
12 Issues for only £15
For more information Visit: ReviewofReligions.org/Subscription
Call (UK Head office) : +44 (020) 8544 7614
Email: Accounts@ReviewofReligions.org
Youtube.com/theReviewofReligions @ReviewReligions facebook.com/theReviewofReligions @ReviewReligions
Suffer Pain to Bring
Comfort to Humanity
10
The Significance
of Ramadan
14
Religious Trends
in Germany
24
Khalifah of the Promised
Messiah in Germany
40
ISLAM
A THREAT OR A
SOURCE OF PEACE?
CASE STUDY:
GERMANY
Khalifah of Promised
Messiah Sends Letter to
Russian President
30
Syria - A Religious
Heritage
34
Medical Consequences
of Nuclear War
46
The World in Need of
a Reformer
74
SYRIA
IN CRISIS
Chimes of Messiah
8
The Beginning of
Creation in Scriptures of
Different Religions
34
Messiahas
at the Houses
of Parliament
46
Guests Reflect on the
Houses of Parliament
Event
62
ISLAM-ARELIGIONof
PEACE&COMPASSION
The magazine devoted to promoting intellectual and
lively debate that is based on respect for all religions.
or $30 Usd
or $36 cad
Students!
12 editions
for just
£5gbp
or $10 Usd
or $12 cad
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

The life-sized replica of The Shroud of
Turin returns this year to The Review
of Religions’ exhibition. The Shroud
exhibition aims to use the replica of
the Shroud as a visual aid to tell the
story of the crucifixion of Jesusas
.
Barrie Schwortz will also be
attending the Jalsa Salana and will
be holding seminars and interactive
lectures on the significance of the
historic relic. Barrie Schwortz is
widely considered to be one of the
world’s leading experts on the Shroud
and was the Official Documenting
Photographer for the Shroud of
Turin Research Project, the team that
conducted the first in-depth scientific
examination of the Shroud in 1978.
Also, this year a replica of the Tomb
of Jesusas
will also be present at the
exhibit which will represent the
event of Jesus being taken to rest
after being put on the cross. This is
an opportunity to see the full story of
the crucifixion and speak to experts
about the scientific evidence and
research they have done over the years.
Exhibition
Jalsa Salana UK 2016
A
fter the huge success of his first
exhibition at Jalsa Salana UK
2015, Razwan Baig returns
this year with an even bigger display
of his unique Islamic art collection.
One of the highlights of this year’s
exhibition will be the official launch
of Razwan Baig’s Al-Qalam project.
We are extremely fortunate that Hazrat
Ameer-ul-Momineenaba
has graciously
approved this project where for the
first time in history, a unique and
historic manuscript will be compiled
where each verse of the Holy Quran
will be handwritten by a member of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
To write a verse in this historic
manuscript, visit the Review of
Religions’ exhibition where this
project will be running on all
three days of the Jalsa Salana.
Razwan Baig is one of the largest
private collectors of ancient Islamic
manuscripts in the whole of Europe.
His Islamic art collection includes
items as diverse as textiles and
ceramics to Qur’anic manuscripts,
and has been shown in several major
art museums and international
exhibitions.During the Jalsa, Razwan
Baig will be delivering a special
presentation on the history and
significance of Islamic calligraphy.
#RORexhibition2016
www.reviewofreligions.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 V, 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

Barriers to Foreign Influences in
Russia
It seems that Russia is aware of its basic
weakness and tries to shield itself by
restricting contacts with foreign coun-
tries. In an article published in the June
issue of The Soviet Union, Mr. Stephen
King-Hall, a member of the British
Parliament, reported his impressions
based on his recent visit to Russia. He
wrote that the Russian Government
did not wish that the Russian people
should be exposed to Western ideas or
thinking. He went on to say that it was
only through official channels—not
directly—that one could get an idea of
the Russian way of life,and that this state
of affairs would continue for some time.
Russian isolation was evident during the
recent visit of a group of Russian experts
who came along with some Americans
to this country. The Russians were sur-
prised to find that in India one could
travel freely, while in their own country,
people had little money to travel on their
own. They felt as though they had been
transported to a different world. This
instance reflected Russia’s lack of expo-
sure to other countries. Obviously, the
The Economic
System of Islam He wrote that the Russian
Government did not wish
that the Russian people
should be exposed to Western
ideas or thinking. He went
on to say that it was only
through official channels—
not directly—that one could
get an idea of the Russian
way of life, and that this
state of affairs would
continue for some time.
by Hazrat Mirza Bashir-Ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra
W
e continue with the seri-
alisation 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 thirteenth part of the series,
Communism’s false ideas of equality
are discussed.
To read the first twelve 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

had seen in a country with a proletarian
government. If equality really exists in
Moscow, does an ordinary Russian get
the same lavish dinners as are offered at
state banquets? If not, it is evident that
Russia has not resolved the problem of
inequality, nor is there a prospect that it
will in future. The lavishness displayed
at state banquets cannot be rationalised
on grounds of necessity.During the war,
state banquets in England were quite
simple. Russia could have kept the ban-
quet simple,but their real motivation was
to impress Mr. Churchill with Russia’s
grandeur. It is this attitude that frus-
trates the spirit of equality.This incident
also suggests that the notion of equality
itself has undergone change over time,
and a new class of rich is emerging that is
rooted in the power and influence within
the Communist Party.In short,inequal-
ity persists in the Soviet Union, but its
form has changed. While reviewing the
manuscript for the speech,I came across
a piece of news relating to the absence of
equality in Russia. I reproduce it below
because it throws light on the subject
and lends support to my assessment.
It was reported by the Canberra cor-
respondent of The Sun, a well-known
Australian newspaper,that the Australian
Ambassador to Russia gave a statement
before a parliamentary party during his
holidays in which he stated:
1. A new class of wealthy people is
emerging in Russia because the influ-
ential members of the Communist
Party, as well as those considered
technical experts,get far better treat-
ment than ordinary people.
2. In restaurants the food served is
graded into five classes, tickets for
which can be obtained according to
party influence or the nature of a per-
son’s job.
3. In consequence,the difference among
individuals is as evident today as it
was during Czarist Russia.
4. While in other countries the black
market is run by the shadier segments
of society, in Russia it is in the hands
of the authorities themselves.
Russians cannot be kept in ‘cold storage’
indefinitely; one day the wall of isolation
would crumble and the world would wit-
ness a profound transformation.
Russian Claims of Practising
Equality Among its Citizens Are Not
Credible
I have my doubts about equality in
Russia, but since the information about
the actual situation is very scanty, one
cannot be sure. I do know that ordi-
nary Russian soldiers wear worn-out
uniforms. I have learned this from our
Ahmadi officers and soldiers who were
posted in places where they had contact
with the Russian army. According to
them, the uniforms worn by the soldiers
from the Asian part of the Soviet Union
were particularly shabby.By contrast,the
uniforms worn by Russian Marshals—as
can be seen from their pictures in the
newspaper—are elegant and resplendent
with very expensive medals. The cost of
these medals alone dispels any notion of
equality in the Soviet Union. The state
of equality in Russia can be gauged from
a banquet Mr. Stalin gave in honour of
Mr. Churchill when he visited Moscow
during the war. Mr. Churchill, upon his
return to England, said that he wished
his capitalist country could afford to feed
him on the same sumptuous scale as he
the economic system of islam
Stephen King-Hall was a British
naval officer, writer and politician
who visited Communist Russia.
©OlgaPopova|shutterstock.com
If equality really exists in
Moscow, does an ordinary
Russian get the same lavish
dinners as are offered at
state banquets? If not, it
is evident that Russia has
not resolved the problem of
inequality, nor is there a
prospect that it will in future.

but in the goal of settling scores with the
Czarist government.
Unanswered Questions About Claims
of Equality
I would like to say something here about
the moral and cultural standard of the
ordinary Russian soldiers.I learned of the
case of a train carrying drums of benzene
oil through Iran.When one of the drums
leaked, some Russian soldiers mistook
it for rum or beer, and started drinking
it. About one thousand Russian sol-
diers ended up drinking benzene, which
resulted in the death of dozens of soldiers
while hundreds were taken ill. It was a
display of total lack of commitment to
national service; the soldiers forgot their
sense of duty and responsibility to pro-
tecting their country’s property, i.e. the
benzene. It also shows that the soldiers
assigned in Iran were not paid enough to
resist temptation and they had not ben-
efited from Russia’s economic progress.
With respect to Russian industry, the
question arises of whether the nature of
work is similar in every industry.Clearly,
a coal miner’s work is quite different from
that of a shopkeeper. Similarly, a tailor’s
needs for capital are different from the
needs of a man who wants to start work-
ing as a jeweller.How does Communism
propose to resolve these differences?
Does the government own all the capital
of the shopkeepers and control all their
transactions? Further, is an incompetent
doctor or a lawyer entitled to charge the
same fees as other doctors and lawyers?
If the fees can vary according to ability,
how can the presumed claim of equality
be established? And if the best doctor or
lawyer cannot charge a higher fee,would
everyone not rush to them for service? In
this case, how can they attend to every-
one? In short,as soon as the Communist
principle of equality is put into practise,
a host of questions arise. We are not in
a position to know how these questions
may be answered in Russia.But so long as
satisfactory answers are not forthcoming,
5. As a consequence, important people
can obtain whatever they wish, while
the ordinary labourer has to do with-
out many necessities of life.
The Australian Ambassador subsequently
expressed regret at the publication of the
report on the ground that it was likely
to upset Australia’s relations with Soviet
Russia. However, he did not contradict
it. This suggests that the expression of
regret was politically motivated and
was not a contradiction of the state-
ment itself. This report also confirms
my expectations regarding the future of
Russia, as described earlier. It was inevi-
table that a new class of wealthy people
would emerge in Russia, for the differ-
ences in individuals’capacity and calibre
cannot be ignored.Because Communism
lacks the restraints on power, privilege
and wealth—as ordained in Islam—the
new class is bound to drag Communist
governments to the old ways. The
only consequence of the Communist
Revolution would be to give Russia
a prominent place among imperial-
ist nations in exploiting the profitable
opportunities wherever available. The
hope of a proletarian world government
would turn into an unrealisable dream.
This is so because Communist philosophy
was not anchored in human sympathy,
Wealth and position influenced
the quality of life for people in
Communist Russia, even though the
communists claimed that universal
equality was one of their principles.
© Demjanovich Vadim | Shutterstock.com
If one looks into the unbalanced
Communist principle of equality, a
host of unanswered questions arise.
© Tribalium | Shutterstock.com
When one of the drums
leaked, some Russian soldiers
mistook it for rum or beer, and
started drinking it. About one
thousand Russian soldiers
ended up drinking benzene,
which resulted in the death
of dozens of soldiers while
hundreds were taken ill.

the conclusion must remain that the
Communist proponents of equality are
wrong in their claims.
A Proper Economic System
After reflecting over these important
matters, a reasonable person would con-
clude that a practical economic system
must leave room for religion.Short term
economic considerations must not per-
mit that the longer term consequence of
an economic system be ignored. Only
that economic system would be benefi-
cial to humanity which fulfils everyone’s
basic needs, but also promotes healthy
competition among individuals while
curbing unhealthy rivalry. The fact is
that Communism was a reaction to past
tyranny.That explains why this philoso-
phy spread to areas where people were
oppressed, but it did not take root in
such countries as Great Britain and the
United States. Similarly, it has not been
successful in countries where nationalist
or socialist governments were in power.
Some time ago, an American newspa-
per posed an interesting question to the
working classes: Do you consider yourself
to belong to the capitalist class,the mid-
dle class or the poor class? The majority
of the respondents said that they consid-
ered themselves to be in the middle class.
This suggests that it does not occur to an
American worker that he is poor. This
is the reason why Communism was an
even bigger failure in the United States
than in Great Britain.On account of the
abundance of wealth in America, the
labouring class does not feel that they are
impoverished and are in need of a system
that redresses their complaints and meets
their basic needs.Thus, the real solution
to the problem is that:
1. In accordance with the Islamic teach-
ing, the rights of the poor should be
safeguarded; and
2. The hopes and aspirations of people
should be fostered.
In Germany and Italy, people were not
distributed money, but their aspirations
were nurtured. As a consequence, they
started viewing themselves as victorious
and triumphant. Hope and aspirations
are vital for national progress. A nation,
where people no longer have aspirations
or where its poor are denied basic rights,
is inevitably destined to its ruin.
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
58 The Review of Religions | august 2016

SUBSCRIBE NOW!
12 Issues for only £15
For more information Visit: ReviewofReligions.org/Subscription
Call (UK Head office) : +44 (020) 8544 7614
Email: Accounts@ReviewofReligions.org
Suffer Pain to Bring
Comfort to Humanity
10
The Significance
of Ramadan
14
Religious Trends
in Germany
24
Messiah in Germany
40
ISLAM
A THREAT OR A
SOURCE OF PEACE?
CASE STUDY:
GERMANY
Khalifah of Promised
Messiah Sends Letter to
Russian President
30
Syria - A Religious
Heritage
34
Medical Consequences
of Nuclear War
46
The World in Need of
a Reformer
74
SYRIA
IN CRISIS
Chimes of Messiah
8
The Beginning of
Creation in Scriptures of
Different Religions
34
Messiahas
at the Houses
of Parliament
46
Guests Reflect on the
Houses of Parliament
Event
62
ISLAM-ARELIGIONof
PEACE&COMPASSION
The magazine devoted to promoting intellectual and
lively debate that is based on respect for all religions.
or $30 Usd
or $36 cad
Students!
12 editions
for just
£5gbp
or $10 Usd
or $12 cad
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

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.
Friday 12th
– Sunday 14th
August
Faith: Ahmadiyyat Islam
Event: Jalsa Salana UK
Jalsa Salana is the annual gathering of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, founded
by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
, the
Promised Messiah of the latter days.
The gathering spans three days with the
main purpose being spiritual and moral
development of the members of the
community, and to increase one’s personal
relationship with God.
Sunday 14th
August
Faith: Christianity
Event: Assumption
Celebrated as early as the 6th
century,
Roman Catholics mark this day as
the death of the Virgin Mary and her
ascension to Heaven. It is celebrated
with prayers and a traditional feast.
Monday 25th
August
Faith: Hinduism
Event: Janmashtami
Also known as the ‘Krishna Janmashtami’
festival, this holy day marks the birth of
Krishna. Hindus consider Krishna to be an
avatar of Lord Vishnu, the highest avatar. It
is celebrated over 2 days in which Hindus
sing traditional songs and enjoy foods
prepared from milk and curds, as this is said
to have been a favourite food of Krishna.
Friday 29th
August
Faith: Christianity
Event: Beheading of John the Baptist
This is a holy day to commemorate the
martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist,
on the orders of Herod Antipas.
Calendar of
Religious
Events &
Festivals
august 2016
SUBSCRIPTION
Subscription Contacts:
India - Khursheed Ahmad
Email: india@reviewofreligions.org
Tel: +91 1872 500970
Tel: +91 981 544 6792
Fax: +91 1872 500971
USA - Adnan Ahmed Bhalli
Email: usa@reviewofreligions.org
Tel: +1 412 639 9108
Canada - Muhammad Dawood Khalid
Email: canada@reviewofreligions.org
Tel: +1 647-779-1810
Nigeria - Qasim Oyekola
Email: nigeria@reviewofreligions.org
Tel: + 23 481 2221 1949
Ghana - Naeem A. Cheema
Email: ghana@reviewofreligions.org
Tel: +23 320 0517 181
+23 324 2105 652
UK - Athar Ahmad Bajwa
Email: uk@reviewofreligions.org
Tel: +44 745 339 1205
For all other subscription issues or for
general enquiries email
info@reviewofreligions.org
or contact Head Office:
Tahir House
22 Deer Park Road, London SW19 3TL

spine
vol.111-issueeightaugust2016www.reviewofreligions.orgwondersoftheuniverse
© Islamic Publications, 2016
ISSN No. 0034-6721
Terrorism was never
Mohammad
The Review of Religions, in print since
1902, is one of the longest-running
comparative religious magazines.
The objective of the magazine is to present
the teachings of Islam, reflecting its rational,
harmonious and inspiring nature. It also brings
together articles and viewpoints on different
religions and seeks to make discussions on
religion and religious philosophy accessible to a
wider readership.
The magazine is devoted to promoting intellectual
and lively debate that is based on respect for all
prophets and religions. Islam repeatedly stresses
the need to seek knowledge and The Review of
Religions provides a unique platform for people
to acquire, and share knowledge.
Yearly subscription is only £15 sterling or $30 for
overseas customers.
To subscribe, or for more info, visit
www.reviewofreligions.org/subscription
Follow us on Twitter @ReviewReligions

Wonders of the Universe

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (9)

Similar to Wonders of the Universe

Similar to Wonders of the Universe (20)

More from muzaffertahir9

More from muzaffertahir9 (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Wonders of the Universe