Review of Religions February 2015

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...

He is the Living God.There
is no god but He. So pray
unto Him, devoting your
worship wholly and sincerely
to Him. All praise belongs to
Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
Islam, the Holy Qur’an,
Ch.40:V.65.
Abu Hurairara
reported Allah’s
Messengersa
as saying: “When
one of you makes a supplication
(to his Lord) one should not
say: ‘O Allah, grant me pardon,
if Thou so likest’, but one should
beg one’s (Lord) with a will
and full devotion, for there is
nothing so great in the eye of
Allah which He cannot grant”.
Islam, the Holy
Prophetsa
, Hadith of
Sahih Muslim.
The truth is that the last stage
of the seeker’s journey is that
withdrawing himself altogether
from the demands and desires
of self, he should be completely
engulfed by the love of God and
in complete devotion to Him.
Islam, the Promised
Messiahas
, The Essence of
Islam, Volume 2, 317.
Whatever you do, do all
to the glory of God.
Christianity, Bible, 1
Corinthians, 10:31.
The supreme Lord who pervades
all existence, the true Self of
all creatures, may be realised
through undivided love.
Hinduism, Bhagavad Gita,
8:22.
“And you shall love the
Lord”—namely, you shall
make the Lord beloved.
Judaism, Talmud, Yoma 86.
Those who remember the
Lord with every breath, each
morsel, and in whose mind
ever abides the spell of the
Lord’s Name—Says Nanak, are
blessed, perfect devotees.
Sikhism, Adi Granth, Var
Gauri, M.5, p. 319.
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
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.
©makhzan-e-tasaweer
founder of
the review of religions
Devotion & Praise
world faiths

10 Words of Wisdom from the
Promised Messiahas
12 GOD – His Transcendence
and Manifestation
Eyes cannot reach Him, but
He reaches the eyes.
Sayed Hameedullah Nusrat Pasha -
Rabwah, Pakistan
New featu r e
26 Untold Stories
28 Evolution –
Survival Without Direction?
A closer inspection of almost any
aspect of evolutionary science will
raise as many questions as answers.
Dr. Adeel Bajwa, Birmingham, UK
38 From the Archives –
My Visit to Qadian
A globe-trotter who visited Qadian,
India in November 1932 and
stayed there for about 7 weeks,
recounts his unique experience.
Friedrich Wagner, Chemnitz, Germany
46 Preaching Activities of Jesusas

in the East; Jesusas
in India
There is a growing body of strong
evidence to suggest that Jesusas
,
having survived the crucifixion,
travelled East to Kashmir in India.
Professor Amtul Razzaq Carmichael,
United Kingdom
12
38
contents
february 2015 Vol.110 issue two
46
© Makhzan-e-Tasaweer

M a n ageme n t B o a r d
Chairman: Munir-Ud-Din Shams
Secretary: Syed Amer Safir
Board Members: Mubarak Ahmad Zaffar, Ataul Mujeeb
Rashed, Naseer Qamar, Abdul Baqi Arshad, Abid
Waheed Ahmad Khan, Aziz Ahmad Bilal
C hief E d it o r & M a n age r
Syed Amer Safir
E d it o r ia l B o a r d
Amtul Razzaq Carmichael, Bockarie Tommy Kallon, Fazal Ahmad,
Hassan Wahab, Hibba Turrauf, Jonathan Butterworth, Mansoor
Saqi, Munazza Khan, Murtaza Ahmad, Nakasha Ahmad, Navida
Syed, Sarah Waseem, Shahzad Ahmad, Tariq H. Malik
W eb Deve l o pe r & I T
Hibba Turrauf, Mubashra Ahmad
A ss o ciate E d it o r s
Nakasha Ahmad, Tariq H. Malik (Sub-Editor: Mariam Rahman)
S ub - E d it o r s
Head: Hibba Turrauf
Sub-Editors: Ayesha Malik, Nusrat Haq, Maryam Malik,
H o use S t y l e G ui d e
Head: Maleeha Ahmad Team: Sadia Shah, Humaira Omer
P r o o f r ea d e r s
Head: Munawara Ghauri. Deputy: Farhana Dar. Proofreaders: Abdul
Ghany Jahangeer Khan, Hina Rahman, Amina Abbasi, Ayesha Patel
S taff W r ite r s & Resea r che r s
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Ahmed. Team: Humaira Omer, Humda Sohail, S. Taalay Ahmad,
Ruhana Hamood, Mubahil Shakir, Adila Bari, Hassan Raza Ahmad
T witte r
Hibba Turrauf, Mala Khan, Nudrat Ahmad
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.
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

Eyes Cannot
Reach Him...
...BUT HE REACHESTHE EYES.
AND HE ISTHE INCOMPREHENSIBLE,
THEALL-AWARE
The Holy Qur'an,Ch.6:V.104
© Triff | shutterstock.com

The
Promised Messiahas
& imam mahdi
founder of
the review of religions
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
God of IslamVisible in Nature and
Perceived by Human Hearts
The Being of God is transcendental
and beyond the beyond and is most
secret and cannot be discovered
by the power of human reasoning
alone. No argument can prove
it conclusively; inasmuch as
reason can travel only so far that
contemplating the universe, it feels
the need of a Creator. But the
feeling of a need is one thing and
it is quite another to arrive at the
certainty that the God, Whose
need has been felt, does in fact
exist. As the operation of reason is
defective, incomplete and doubtful,
a philosopher cannot recognise
God purely through reason. Most
people who try to determine
the existence of God Almighty
purely through the exercise of
reason, in the end become atheists.
Reflecting over the creation of the
heavens and the earth does not
avail them much and they begin
to deride and laugh at the men of
God. One of their arguments is
that there are thousands of things
in the world which have no use
and the fashioning of which does
not indicate the existence of a
fashioner.They exist merely as vain
and useless things.These people
do not seem to realise that lack of
knowledge of something does not
necessarily negate its existence.
There are millions of people in
the world who regard themselves
as very wise philosophers and
who utterly deny the existence
of God. It is obvious that if they
had discovered a strong reason
for the existence of God, they
would not have denied it. If they
had discovered a conclusive
argument in support of the
existence of God, they would
not have rejected it shamelessly
and in derision. It is obvious
therefore, that no one boarding
the ark of the philosophers can
find deliverance from the storm
of doubts but instead is bound
to be drowned; and such a one
would never have access to the
drinking of pure Unity.[1]
1. Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol.
22, pp. 120-121, (Eng.Translation, The
Essence of Islam, Vol. 1, p. 40.
Words of Wisdom

Allah, as introduced to us by the
Holy Qur’an, is the One God who is
Transcendent, and yet Manifest. He is
described as the infinitely Sublime, and
yet ultimately Evident Being.We read in
the Qur’an, “Eyes cannot reach Him. He
reaches the eyes. He is the Incomprehensible,
All-Aware.”[1]
The Qur’an speaks of
‘eyes’, not exclusively in the sense
of the physical organs of sight, but as
representatives of the entire human
sensory apparatus - the Sensorium. The
human sensory apparatus, when exam-
ined in its totality,includes all the senses
and all perceptive faculties,both physical
and spiritual.The human physical senso-
rium comprises the five physical senses
along with the brain and all its faculties.
What is being said here, essentially, is
that the human physical senses can not
perceive God on their own, and that
human reason by itself, can not discover
Him of its own accord. But God, when-
ever He so chooses, reaches out to the
‘eyes’, by wilfully unveiling Himself to
the human spiritual senses. The spir-
itual senses collectively, form another
sensorium, one that is distinct from the
physical sensorium and one through
which man perceives not physically, but
spiritually. Even as God reveals Himself
to the human ‘spiritual senses’ in this
material life, He does so by means of
His attributes of Manifestation. His
attributes of Transcendence continue to
remain concealed to all modes of human
perception during this temporal life.

The Arabic for‘Transcendence’is Tanzeeh.
God’s state of Tanzeeh or Transcendence,
involves attributes of His that are entirely
beyond human perception and compre-
hension,and to which man cannot relate.
Human perception operates on the sim-
ple principle of resemblance.If an object
does not resemble something that is
already preserved in human memory,that
object will not be recognisable. God’s
state of Manifestation, Tashbeeh in
Arabic, on the other hand, involves such
of His attributes that are mirrored in the
artistry of God’s Creation and to which
man can relate. The Arabic term Tashbeeh,
which literally means ‘resemblance’,refers
to God’s state of Manifestation. His
attributes of Transcendence are therefore
GOD
His Transcendence
& Manifestation
Sayed Hameedullah Nusrat Pasha - Rabwah, Pakistan
What is being said here,
essentially, is that the
human physical senses can
not perceive God on their
own, and that human reason
by itself, can not discover
Him of its own accord.
© MarcelClemens | shutterstock.com
february 2015 | The Review of Religions 13

eventually be unveiled in the Hereafter.
Similarly,we have been told by the Holy
Prophet Muhammadsa
that in the next
life, we would be able to see the Holy
Countenance of God, just as we see the
full moon – and he pointed towards the
full moon in the sky, while saying this.[5]

We read in the Qur’an, “Exalted be
Allah, the True King. There is no god but
He, the Lord of the Glorious Throne.”[6]
God’s Transcendence,symbolised by His
Throne,is His state of Absolute Grandeur,
independent of whether there exists any
creation or not. His attribute of Mercy,
in contrast, demands expression which
in turn, can be fulfilled only by the pres-
ence of life, created to be shown mercy.
The Qur’an treats water as the emblem of
life. We read, “…of water, We have made
all things living.”[7]
We also read, “… and
His Throne rests over water…”.[8]
If God’s
Throne refers to His Transcendence and
water signifies life, then the expression
‘Throne over water’ can be understood
only as a metaphorical way of saying that
God’s Transcendence dominates over
His Manifestation.Whereas transcend-
ence demands aloofness,mercy demands
expression.God’s will to be known,there-
fore,stems from His Absolute Mercy.His
attributes of Manifestation require that
there be recipients of His Grace, Mercy,
Love, Protection and Forgiveness. The
Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
states that
God says: “I was a HiddenTreasure.Then I
chose to be known. Hence, I created Adam.”[9]

The attributive names of God,are collec-
tively known,in the Qur’an,as the Asmaa
al Husna, meaning the ‘Most Beautiful
Names. Hence, we read, “Allah - there is
no God but He. His are the most beauti-
ful names.”[10]
God manifests Himself
to man, principally through His four
principal attributes, known in Arabic
as the Asmaa al Arba’a, meaning ‘the
four names’. These principal attributes
of God are enumerated in the open-
ing chapter of the Qur’an, Al-Fatiha,
as follows: “All Praise belongs to Allah -
the Rabb of all the worlds. The Rahman,
the Raheem. Maalik of the Day of
Judgement.”[11]
Rabb, the first of these
four, is translated commonly for the
sake of convenience as ‘Lord’, Rahman as
‘Gracious’, Raheem as ‘Merciful’
and Maalik as ‘Master’. The above
quoted verses could thus alterna-
tively be read as “All Praise belongs to
Allah - Lord of all worlds. The Gracious,
the Merciful. Master of the Day of
Judgement.”[12]
The quality of being Rabb,
in Arabic,is called Ruboobiyyat.The qual-
ity of being Rahman,by the same rule of
Arabic grammar, is called Rahmaniyyat.
known as Sifaat-e-Tanzeehiyya,while His
attributes of Manifestation are known
as Sifaat-e-Tashbeehiyya. According to
the Qur’an, God’s Transcendence and
Manifestation complement each other.

God says in the Qur’an, “And indeed,
We have set forth for mankind, all kinds
of metaphors in this Qur’an, that they may
take heed.”[2]
Were it not for the gener-
ous use of metaphors in the Qur’an, we
would certainly have been deprived of
even superficially understanding mat-
ters that relate to the spiritual realm.
Perhaps, the most classic and intriguing
example of Qur’anic metaphor would
be the ‘Throne of God’. In his book
Chashma-e-Maarifat, the Promised
Messiahas
beautifully expounds the
Qur’anic concept of the Throne of
God - the Arsh. The Arsh, according
to the Promised Messiahas
, symbolises
God’s Transcendent attributes. Just as
God Himself is not material, so is the
Throne on which He allegorically seats
Himself, not made of matter. According
to the Qur’an, God’s Throne is held
aloft by eight angels, four of whom are
revealed to us in this life.The reason they
are spoken of as ‘Angels’ is because all
Divine attributes operate in the Cosmos
through the agency of the angels. In the
next life,when our perceptive acuity will
become two-fold,due to the activation of
our spiritual senses,the four Haamileen al
Arsh or ‘Bearers of the Throne’, as they
are called,will appear as eight.Hence,in
relation to the Day of Judgement,we read
in the Qur’an,“…on that Day, eight angels
will bear the Throne of thy Lord.”[3]
Again,
regarding the next life, God says, “…
now, We have removed from thee, thy veil,
and sharp is thy sight this Day”[4]
suggest-
ing that God’s Transcendence too, will
Were it not for the generous use
of metaphors in the Qur’an,
we would certainly have been
deprived of even superficially
understanding matters that
relate to the spiritual realm.
god - his transcendence & manifestation
© NASA, ESA, H. Teplitz and M. Rafelski (IPAC/
Caltech), A. Koekemoer (STScI), R. Windhorst
(Arizona State University), and Z. Levay (STScI)
14 The Review of Religions | february 2015 february 2015 | The Review of Religions 15

of the meanings of Rabb, as already
mentioned, is ‘One who perfects in a
step-by-step fashion’. Man, the pinna-
cle of God’s creation,does not attain the
zenith of his perfection during the span
of this life, justifying a continuation of
life, beyond the threshold of death. The
hereafter, therefore, is a manifestation
of God’s Ruboobiyyat. The concept of
the various levels of Heaven and Hell,
mentioned in the Qur’an and in the say-
ings of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
,
further suggest the continuous manifes-
tation of Ruboobiyyat. Even Hell, which
from our mortal point of view, may
indeed appear to be punitive in nature,
and most certainly not desirable,is in its
truest essence,merely a manifestation of
God’s attribute of Ruboobiyyat,by means
of which God cleanses and burnishes the
blemished and tarnished human soul
- thus preparing it for an eternal and
joyful Bliss. God as Rabb, also acquaints
man with the ecstatic delights of spir-
itual experiences, whether they are true
dreams or visions or verbal revelations or
other mystical experiences, so that the
rapture of these experiences may gradu-
ally draw man closer to his Creator.

T h e s c o p e a n d s p h e r e o f
God’s Ruboobiyyat, according to the
Qur’an, transcends beyond the confines
of both space and time. We read in
the Qur’an, “All Praise belongs to Allah
- Lord of all worlds.”[13]
The expression
‘world’ - in Arabic ‘Aalam - can sig-
nify a certain defined sphere of space
or time. This means to say that God is
the Rabb of all spaces and all times.
His attribute of being the Rabb for ‘all
worlds’ or ‘Aalameen, also suggests that
He is as much the Rabb for the believ-
ers as He is for the disbelievers, where
each group constitutes a distinct world in
itself.God’s final message,the Qur’an,is
addressed not to any particular ‘Aalam,
but to the ‘Aalameen or ‘all worlds’.
Hence,we read, “Nay,it is but a Reminder
for all worlds.”[14]
The Messenger of God,
Muhammadsa
who conveyed this mes-
sage, was also according to the Qur’an,
sent for ‘all worlds’.Addressing the Holy
Prophet Muhammadsa
,God says, “And We
have not sent thee but as Mercy embodied for
all worlds.”[15]
The Qur’an is therefore the
reminder for all worlds, revealed by the
Lord of all worlds,to His Messenger who
was mercy for all worlds. ‘Universality’
is thus, a distinguishable feature of the
Message of Islam.

There happens to be a whole range of
diverse states - physical, mental, moral
and spiritual - in which a person can, at
any given moment, find himself. Each
The quality of being Raheem is
called Raheemiyyat.The quality of being
Maalik is called Maalikiyyat. These four
attributes collectively, are also known
as Sifaat al Arba’a, meaning the ‘Four
Attributes’. All other attributes of Allah
reflect the various hues of these four
attributes.

The attributive name Rabb, the first
of these four principal attributes,
has three meanings - the Creator,
the Sustainer, and the Perfecter.
The Qur’an introduces Allah to us as
the Rabbul ‘Aalameen, which means the
‘Rabb of all worlds’. ‘Aalameen is the
plural of ‘Aalam, which means ‘world’.
Hence, according to the Qur’an, Allah
is the Creator, Sustainer and Perfecter
of ‘all worlds’ - whether these ‘worlds’
are astronomical, territorial or demo-
graphical. As Rabbul ‘Aalameen, God is
the Creator of the entire Cosmos and
all the things that fill it. As Rabbul
‘Aalameen, God is also the Sustainer
of His entire Creation. He sustains,
nurtures and cherishes His creation.
As Rabbul ‘Aalameen, God also perfects
and burnishes His creation, guiding
each creature individually to its own
individual zenith. He perfects His crea-
tion by wilfully controlling the process
of evolution, thus causing His creation
to move from lower levels of refinement
to higher ones. Ruboobiyyat, is the force
that propels and harnesses the process
of Divinely guided evolution. As Rabb,
God continues to perfect His creation,
leading it through the corridor of this
life, not ceasing at the juncture of death
and continuing after death, into the
next life. Hence, while on the one hand,
God’s attribute of Ruboobiyyat explains
the phenomenon of Divinely guided
evolution, on the other hand, it negates
the concept of accidental natural selec-
tion. Nature is indeed an intelligent
design, but not inherently intelligent
itself. Ruboobiyyat, in contrast, is inher-
ently wise. Ruboobiyyat is absolute
intelligence.God’s attributive name Rabb
justifies the life of the hereafter. One
God as Rabb, also acquaints
man with the ecstatic delights
of spiritual experiences,
whether they are true
dreams or visions or verbal
revelations or other mystical
experiences, so that the
rapture of these experiences
may gradually draw man
closer to his Creator.

term Rahman is generally translated
as ‘Gracious’. The Promised
Messiahas
has elaborated the meaning
of Rahman for us as One who shows
mercy unconditionally, even when it has
not been earned, and even where it is not
deserved.God’s personal name - Allah -
by definition, contains within itself, the
merits of all His attributive names. It is
interesting to note however, that of all
the attributive names of Allah, the one
that has been mentioned as an alterna-
tive to His personal name ‘Allah’ is the
name Rahman, suggesting in an exqui-
sitely subtle way, that God’s personal
name Allah symbolises His uncondi-
tional mercy. Hence, we read in the
Qur’an, “Say,‘Call upon Allah or call upon
Rahman…”[17]
The Qur’an thus draws our
attention to the fact that Allah is, as if
He were Graciousness itself. Another
striking feature of God’s attributive
name ‘Rahman’is that the Qur’an treats
it as the opposite pole, antonym if you
please, of ‘Satan’. Satan symbolises the
negativity that leads man away from
God, in a direction opposite to God’s.
Hence, we read, “I fear, lest a punishment
from Rahman seize thee, and thou become a
friend of Satan.”[18]
This verse suggests that
whereas the name Rahman symbolises
all-embracing mercy, its opposite
pole, which would be mercilessness,
is symbolised in the Qur’an by Satan.
Which of the two opposite poles man
chooses,is of course left entirely to man’s
own choice, and he is free to make his
choice.

According to Islamic doctrine,the Qur’an
is Al Kitab or the perfect scripture. Had
the human race earned this Book, God
would certainly have attributed His gift
to His attribute of Raheemiyyat. But, we
read in the Qur’an, “Rahman - Who has
taught the Qur’an.”[19]
Hence, God’s ulti-
mate and priceless gift to man, is the
Qur’an, which is attributed to His sheer
Grace - Rahmaniyyat.

On account of his ego, and to his credit,
man remains susceptible to viewing
the rewards of the Hereafter as the
consequence of his own doings solely.
People talking about treading their
way to Heaven and earning Paradise,
is indeed commonplace. Paradise how-
ever, is treated by the Qur’an, as a gift
so disproportionately greater than man’s
true entitlement, that the factor of
human action emerges as infinitesimally
smaller than the value of the reward.
Hence, Paradise too is associated with
the Divine attribute of Rahmaniyyat.
We read, “The Gardens of Eternity, in
the Unseen, which Rahman has promised
of these states is, in every sense of the
word, a ‘world’ in itself. The state of
prayer, the state of sacrifice, the state
of life and the state of death, are all
states where each state is a world in
itself. According to the Qur’an, it is
God who looks after man, in each of
the states in which he may find himself.
Afflicted with perpetual ingratitude,
however, man tends to be oblivious of
his Sole Cherisher.As the most strikingly
prominent exception to this human atti-
tude of thanklessness, the Holy Prophet
Muhammadsa
epitomises gratefulness
towards God, remaining committed
to God in all situations. Addressing
His messenger, Muhammadsa
, God says
in the Qur’an, “…My prayer and my sacri-
fice and my life and my death, all, are wholly
committed to Allah - Rabb al Aalameen.”[16]
In this particular verse, God speaks of
Himself as man’s ‘Cherisher’ in each
and every single state of man’s existence.
The term ‘aalam in this verse, signifies
a ‘state’ or ‘situation’ or ‘condition’.
The Holy Prophetsa
stands prominent in
the sea of humans, in that he remained
wholly committed to God in each of
these ‘states’, or ‘aalameen, of his.

The second mentioned attributive
name, from among the four principal
attributes of God, relating to His state
of Manifestation, is Rahman. For the
sake of linguistic convenience, the
The state of prayer, the state
of sacrifice, the state of
life and the state of death,
are all states where each
state is a world in itself.
© Shico | shutterstock.com

One of the most amazing manifesta-
tions of God’s name Raheem, is when it
appears in confluence with His attribu-
tive name Ghafoor, which means the
Most Forgiving. Istighfar, in turn, is
the Arabic for man’s act of seeking
God’s forgiveness. In the Qur’an, God’s
attributive name Ghafoor, the Most
Forgiving, is frequently coupled with
His attributive name Raheem. The duo
of Divine attributes, Ghafoor ur Raheem,
is one that comes across frequently in
the Book of God. We read, “…Allah
is Most-Forgiving, the Merciful.”[24]
This
clearly suggests that God’s forgiveness is
displayed in conjunction with His attrib-
ute of Raheemiyyat. Man is expected to
be cognisant, on his part, of his short-
comings, confess his sins, show genuine
remorse, and conscientiously seek God’s
forgiveness. This seeking of forgiveness
or Istighfar, on man’s part, would be
required as a prerequisite to God’s for-
giveness.God’s Maghfirat or forgiveness,
acts under the influence of His attribute
of Raheemiyyat. God’s pardon is, there-
fore,as a matter of rule,overwhelmingly
greater in magnitude than the weight
of man’s apology. Applying the sec-
ond meaning of Raheem — the Ever
– Merciful — to Ghafoor ur Raheem, we
find ourselves, as if it were, in the pres-
ence of a perpetually forgiving God. If
the repetitiveness of God’s forgiveness
could not outclass man’s repeated fal-
tering, man would be doomed. Man’s
atonement,is therefore,a blessing of God
the Raheem.

The fourth principal attribute of God,
according to the Qur’an,is His being the
Lord of the Day of Judgement.The term
employed in the Qur’an is Maaliki Yaum
id Deen, where Maalik means ‘Lord’,
‘Master’ or ‘Proprietor’, Yaum means
‘day’and Deen refers to both ‘judgement’
as well as ‘religion’. Hence, the expres-
sion Maaliki Yaum id Deen could be
translated as both Master of the Day of
Judgement and as Master of the Day of
Religion.The attribute of being Maalik,
or Maalikiyyat, is a state beyond being a
mere judge. Whereas a judge is bound
by the law that dictates his judgement,
the Maalik or Master enjoys absolute
proprietorship, His will being the law
itself. This does not mean to suggest that
the Qur’an speaks of a whimsical God.
On the contrary, His judgement sprouts
from absolute knowledge. We read in
the Qur’an, “Your Lord knows you best.
If He so pleases, He will have mercy on
you, or if He so pleases, He will punish you.
And We have not sent thee as a keeper over
them.”[25]
Addressing man, in general, in
this verse, God says, “Your Lord knows
to His servants.”[20]
Man’s lack of sincere
intention so outweighs his good deeds,
in most cases, that his entitlement to
Paradise becomes questionable.Thus, in
most cases, he inherits Paradise, not due
to his deeds,but in spite of them,and due
to sheer Divine Grace.

According to the Qur’an, if there is one
attribute of God that is the summation
of all His attributes, the one attrib-
ute that continues even in His state of
Transcendence,when He,speaking alle-
gorically,seats Himself upon His Throne
- it is His Grace or Rahmaniyyat. Hence,
we read in the Qur’an, “He is Rahman,
who has settled Himself on the Throne.”[21]
In other words, Divine Grace, although
essentially an attribute of Manifestation,
is so intrinsic to God’s Person, that it is
there even in His state of Transcendence.
This characteristic makes the Divine
attribute of Rahmaniyyat singularly
unique. Hence, Rahmaniyyat is an
attribute that is common to both God’s
Transcendence and Manifestation.

The third attribute from among
God’s Asmaa al Arba’a - the four Divine
attributes - according to the Qur’an,
is Raheemiyyat, the quality of perpet-
ual Mercy. The first encounter we make
with the Divine attribute of Raheemiyyat,
is in the opening verse of the Qur’an,
which reads, “In the name of Allah - the
Gracious, Ever Merciful.”[22]
The attribu-
tive name Raheem is generally translated
as ‘Merciful’ or ‘Ever-Merciful’. The
Promised Messiahas
has elaborated the
meanings of this term for us as “One who
will express His mercy in response to a good
deed, in a measure that is disproportionately
greater than the good deed itself.” The sec-
ond meaning of the term Raheem is “One
who expresses mercy repeatedly.” Hence,
the attribute of Raheem involves the
element of repetitiveness and perpetuity
in the expression of mercy. The Qur’an
introduces its reader to an Ever-Merciful,
Loving God. We read in the Qur’an, “…
Verily, my Lord is Ever-Merciful,
Loving.”[23]
His Mercy, in other words, is
born out of love, while His Love is born
out of mercy.

In other words, Divine
Grace, although essentially
an attribute of Manifestation,
is so intrinsic to God’s Person,
that it is there even in His
state of Transcendence.

Him, the Most Hidden.This state is termed
‘Arsh’ or ‘The Throne’, in the Qur’an, where
God becomes incomprehensible to Man’s
intellect and appears unreachable. His four
Attributes of Manifestation, however,
symbolised by four angels, reveal His hid-
den existence. Firstly, by His attribute of
Ruboobiyyat, He nurtures Man, both in the
physical and spiritual spheres. Ruboobiyyat,
therefore,demands,for the sake of its expres-
sion, both matter and spirit. Similarly,
Divine revelation and the appearance of mir-
acles too,are on account of God’s Ruboobiyyat.
Secondly, God’s attribute of Rahmaniyyat,
which causes Man to inherit innumer-
able bounties without his slightest effort, is
also a manifestation of the Divine.Thirdly,
the attribute of Raheemiyyat, by means of
which, God enables Man to put to use such
faculties of his that were granted to him
by God’s Rahmaniyyat, also manifests the
Being of God.Fourthly,the attribute of being
Maalik-iYaum id Deen, by means of which
God rewards the righteous and punishes the
evil ones,is also a manifestation of God.These
four attributes of Manifestation hold aloft
the metaphorical ‘Arsh’ or Throne of God,
which symbolises His state ofTranscendence.
Hence, God’s otherwise imperceptible Being
is revealed through the expression of these
four attributes of His. In the Hereafter, this
perception of Divinity will become two-fold.
Thus, the four angels will become eight.”[27]

endnotes
1. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-An’am, Verse 104.
2. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Zumar, Verse 28.
3. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al Haqqah, Verse 18.
4. Holy Qur’an, Surah Qaf, Verse 23.
5. Hadith of Bukhari, Kitabul Tauheed.
6. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Mu’minun, Verse 117.
7. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Anbiya’, Verse 31.
8. Holy Qur’an, Surah Hud, Verse 8.
9. Hadith of Kashful Khifaa wa Muzeelul
Ilbaas.
10. Holy Qur’an, Surah Ta Ha, Verse 9.
11. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Fatihah, Verses 2-4.
12. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Fatihah, Verses 2-4.
13. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Fatihah, Verse 2.
14. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 53.
15. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Anbiya’, Verse 108.
16. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-An’am, Verse 163.
17. Holy Qur’an, Surah Bani Isra’il, Verse 111.
18. Holy Qur’an, Surah Maryam, Verse 46.
19. Holy Qur’an, Surah Rahman, Verse 2, 3.
20. Holy Qur’an, Surah Maryam, Verse 62.
21. Holy Qur’an, Surah Ta Ha, Verse 6.
22. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Fatihah, Verse 1.
23. Holy Qur’an, Surah Hud, Verse 91.
24. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 200.
27. Chashma-e Maarifat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol.
23, pp. 278-279.
you best.” On the other hand, addressing
His own Messenger, in the same verse,
God says,“And We have not sent thee as a
keeper over them,” suggesting that abso-
lute knowledge rests so singularly with
God that He alone is worthy of being
the Master of the Day of Judgement.
He alone is aware of the privileges
that were available to a certain person
during his temporal life, as well as the
handicaps that befell him. Then again
we read, “Everyone acts according to his
own constitution. Your Lord alone knows
who is best guided.”[26]
Hence, according
to the Qur’an, man’s physical and men-
tal constitution,be it to his advantage or
otherwise,will be fully taken into account
by God,when He judges man on the Day
of Judgement. The term Yaum,the Arabic
for ‘Day’, does not necessarily imply a
day of twenty-four hours. Its connota-
tion is merely a specified time-frame,
implying anything from a moment to
an era. Whether a soul is judged inno-
cent or guilty in this life or the next, the
judgement will not come to pass without
God’s leave. The expression Deen can also
be translated as ‘religion’. Applying this
meaning of the word Deen, the meaning
we derive of Maalik-e Yum id Deen, would
be ‘Master of the Day of Religion’. The
‘Day of Religion’ would therefore imply
a span of time in which God revives and
revitalises the true religion.

The Holy Qur’an, thus introduces its
reader to a God who is the Transcendent
God, as well as the Manifest God. His
Transcendent attributes are indis-
cernible to human perception and
impalpable to human reason.His attrib-
utes of Manifestation,on the other hand,
refer to His four principal attributes
whose beauty can be appreciated, to a
certain degree, by man’s intellect.

The Promised Messiahas
writes in his
book Chashma-e Maarifat:

“God’s state of Transcendence, tends to over-
shadow all other Divine attributes,rendering
His Transcendent attributes
are indiscernible to human
perception and impalpable
to human reason. His
attributes of Manifestation,
on the other hand, refer
to His four principal
attributes whose beauty can
be appreciated, to a certain
degree, by man’s intellect.

The Prophet Muhammadsa
bravery
At one time Madinah was full of rumours
that the Romans were preparing a large army
for its invasion. During that time Muslims
were always on the qui vive at night. One
night sounds of an uproar came from the
desert. Muslims hurried out of their homes
and some of them collected in the mosque and
waited for the Holy Prophetsa
[Muhammad]
to appear and to give them directions to
meet the contingency. Presently they saw
the Holy Prophetsa
on a horse coming back
from the direction of the sounds.They then
discovered that at the very first sound of
alarm the Prophetsa
had mounted a horse
and gone in the direction from which the
sounds had come to find out whether there
was any reason for alarm and had not waited
for people to collect together so that he
could proceed in company. When he came
back he assured his Companions that
there was no cause for alarm and that they
could return to their homes and go to sleep
(Bukhari, chap. on Shuja‘at fil Harb).[1]
1. Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra
,
Life of Muhammadsa
(UK: Islam International
Publications Limited, 2014) 247.
© Masood T

I had the opportunity to live in
Tanzania, traversing from the East
to the far western border and then
sharing my experience with Indians
and Pakistanis in South-East Asia.
Then living amongst the British in
London, and continuing my journey
to Philadelphia, USA. All of these
places were full of cultural diversity
but my journey across the Islands of
the Pacific was special as I experienced
the unique, vibrant, and hidden-
to-the-world Golden Culture. As a
missionary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community, I have seen the beauty of
Marshall Islands and I am currently
on the Islands of Kiribati.There is
frustration and dislike towards Islam
in the hearts of people living here,
which has really intrigued me. I
would introduce myself as a Muslim
and people would say “Oh! So you’re
a terrorist.” Once I was distributing
‘Muslims for Peace’ flyers and I met a
nice couple. I shared these flyers with
them. After taking one, the lady said
“Why does it say ‘Muslims for Peace’?
They are not peaceful. They are terrorists!”.
I replied “Madam, do I look like a
terrorist?” She said, “Well, you don’t.
But you probably have a bomb in your
shoes.” I remarked “Well, I’m wearing
slippers.” Then she said “It’s probably
in your stomach.” Although others
standing by were laughing, everyone
felt the tension; it’s against their culture
to disrespect a guest. After some
small talk, I proceeded with the flyer
distribution. A little later, I returned to
the same road where I had distributed
flyers to see if anyone had a question.
When I approached that couple
again, the lady called me back and
said “Can I ask you a few questions?” I
replied “Definitely” and took my time
to answer her questions. I explained
to her the true message of Islam and
how some people have hijacked the
name ‘Islam’ in order to defame it.
After I had explained the stance of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, she
was very impressed and felt
embarrassed of her initial reaction.
The couple invited me to a family
barbeque.The lady said “It’s strictly for
family but I’d like for you to come.” We
have been able to clear some of the
misunderstandings here in the Pacific,
but much work is still ahead of us.
Regards,
E. M. Kauser
UNTOLD
STORIES
We launch a new series from
this edition:‘untold stories’
from around the world.
I have had the honour of being in the
first batch to have graduated from
Jamia Ahmadiyya UK, the Institute
of Languages and Theology. Having
had a brief taste of missionary work
in the northern region of Ghana, I
am currently undergoing field work
in West London. Just recently we
organised an open day and coffee
morning at the Baitul Wahid Mosque
in Hanworth, in order to build
relationships with our neighbours.
Apart from knocking door to door
to hand out invitations, I had the
opportunity to attend a Sunday
service at the local Church. After the
service I was able to meet worshipers
at the Church over a cup of tea and
personally invite them to the Mosque
open day. I had a very interesting
conversation with an elderly lady,
who was really happy to meet me.
She said, “I have never met an Imam
before and I feel privileged to have had
the opportunity of meeting you.” On the
open day, the same lady dropped by the
Mosque despite her age and the cold
weather. I was quite surprised when she
approached me and took out a little slip
from her pocket. She said, “I opened up
the Qur’an this morning to see if I could
find a verse which I found interesting. So
I found one and wrote it down to bring
with me.” It was verse 264 from the
second chapter of the Holy Qur’an
which read: “A kind word and forgiveness
are better than charity followed by injury.
And Allah is Self-Sufficient, Forbearing.”
She asked if I could open it up in a
Qur’an which had the Arabic text by
the side. So I took her to the library
and opened it up for her and we shared
our thoughts about the verse. Her quest
for learning about the Holy Qur’an has
left a deep impression on my heart. We
are continuing our efforts in building
good relationships with our neighbours.
Every time, we meet new people
and share interesting experiences.
Regards,
Atta-ur-Rahman Khalid

Introduction
The theory of evolution by natural
selection was brought to us by Charles
Darwin in the mid 19th
centenary and is
unquestionably one of mankind’s most
important scientific discoveries. For
many, evolution not only explains how
life came into being but also holds prom-
ise of unlocking the meaning of life itself.
It is perhaps for this reason that evolution
appears to be at the forefront of the con-
flict between science and religion.On the
one hand, there are those who believe in
the supernatural creation of man carved
out of clay in the image of God. At the
other extreme,there are those that believe
that creation is an automated accumula-
tion of slow change that needs only the
vastness of time rather than a God.In the
150 years since Darwin first published his
theory, some of his key ideas have been
cemented as scientific fact.However,the
exact details of three and a half billion
years of evolution remains very much a
work in progress and closer inspection of
almost any aspect of evolutionary science
will raise as many questions as answers,
as this article will explore.
Darwinian Natural Selection
The key principle of Darwinian natural
selection is best summarised by the man
himself:
“As many more individuals of each species
are born than can possibly survive; and as,
consequently, there is a frequently recur-
ring struggle for existence, it follows that
any being, if it vary however slightly in
any manner profitable to itself, under the
complex and sometimes varying conditions
of life, will have a better chance of surviv-
ing, and thus be naturally selected. From the
strong principle of inheritance, any selected
variety will tend to propagate its new and
modified form.”[1]
Evolution – Survival
Without Direction?
by Dr. Adeel Bajwa, Birmingham, UK
© Bennyartist | shutterstock.com
Charles Darwin. © Nicku | Shutterstock.com

to the Technology, Entertainment and
Design (TED) Conference in 2002:
“Darwinian natural selection is so stun-
ningly elegant because it solves the problem
of explaining complexity in terms of noth-
ing but simplicity. Essentially it does this by
providing a small gradual ramp of step-by-
step increment.The elegance of Darwinism
is corrosive to religion precisely because it
is so elegant, so parsimonious, so economi-
cally powerful. It has the sinewy economy
of a beautiful suspension bridge. The God
theory is not just a bad theory; it turns out
to be in principle incapable of doing the job
required of it.”[3]
Thus, Dawkins believes that the auto-
mated process of natural selection is
sufficient to explain the wonder of
creation without the need for God’s inter-
vention. This incapacity to contribute,
claims Dawkins, is the reason why
Darwinian natural selection under-
mines the very concept of God. If time
In other words, those siblings that have
characteristics that make them more
likely to survive (such as being physically
stronger) will go on to have more chil-
dren than their siblings. Consequently,
by having more children,that same char-
acteristic will become more apparent in
that population over time.With multiple
repetitions of this process,the species will
evolve from a basic to a more complex
being. Many scientists (perhaps most
notably, Professor Richard Dawkins)
believe that this gradual automated pro-
cess explains the origin of species without
the need of a Conscious Creator.
To demonstrate the creative power of
this process,Professor Richard Dawkins
famously created a simple computer
model in his best selling book, The Blind
Watchmaker.[2]
The principle of this pro-
gram was to show how random variation
followed by non-random selection can
lead to the evolution of complex forms.
The program generated a simple shape
based on computer code (that repre-
sented genes).
This code was then altered very slightly
but randomly, generating new shapes,
which were designated as the offspring
of the original (akin to the variation that
all children have from their parents).
Dawkins then looked at these new
shapes and selected only those shapes
that had distinct and interesting new
features. Using these distinct chosen
shapes only, the whole process was then
repeated where their code would again
be randomly altered resulting in a new
array of offspring. This modeled natural
selection where the fittest (in terms of
survival) reproduce preferentially to oth-
ers. Within a few cycles of this process,
extraordinary complex and wonder-
fully shaped computer generated shapes
evolved (Dawkins even named these
new shapes as ‘biomorphs’ to depict a
new type of creation). The purpose of
this exercise was for Dawkins to dem-
onstrate how small changes over time can
accumulate to create complex beings –
akin to evolution by natural selection,
where subtle random change followed
by natural selection is thought to have
occurred over the 3.5 billion years since
the inception of life on earth. It is this
process that is proposed to have resulted
in the variety and complexity of life that
exists today.It is a process,so simple and
yet so powerful, that Dawkins believes
that it negates the need for the guid-
ing hand of a Conscious Creator. The
impact of Darwinian natural selection
on the God theory was summarised in
a speech Professor Dawkins delivered
This tree diagram, used to show the
divergence of species, is the only
illustration in On the Origin of Species.
evolution – survival without direction?
It is a process, so simple and
yet so powerful, that Dawkins
believes that it negates the
need for the guiding hand
of a Conscious Creator.

variation. The criteria for this non-ran-
dom selection is, of course the selection
of those that have a survival advantage
over others. This natural selection pro-
vides a constant non-random direction
to evolution.
This non-randomness is simulated by
Dawkins’ in his computer program by
the non-random selection of those forms
which look interesting to the human
being running the program.The human
being decides using his intellect which of
the randomly mutated computer gener-
ated shapes he fancies to preferentially
pass on their physical characteristics,
and thus it is the human intellect that
drives this process forward.The obvious
flaw to this approach is that an intellect
is providing the non-random element to
this artificial model of natural selection.
Neo Darwinists are, of course, adamant
there is no intellect (like a God) in the
process of evolution.This highlights the
first major objection to the modern inter-
pretation of Darwinian natural selection.
It is assumed that the selection of species
on the basis of their fitness to survive
is a constant reproducible process – as
modelled in Dawkins’ computer pro-
gram.However,the reality is that the real
threats to survival are as varied and ran-
dom as the random genetic mutation they
have to select. This is acknowledged by
Darwin himself when he talks about “the
complex and sometimes varying conditions
of life”.[6]
Viruses,bacteria,floods,drought,
parasites, meteors, earthquakes, hunger,
lack of space, paucity of trace elements,
warmth,shelter etc.,the list of “threats to
survival”is limitless.That which is deter-
mined fit for survival at one moment can
change within seconds by the complexity
of varying conditions on Earth. In fact,
simultaneous varied challenges co-exist,
pushing fitness from one random direc-
tion to the next.Consider a drought that
will annihilate a mammalian species, a
complex organism with a long and illus-
trious evolutionary history.Yet,the worm
in the earth scavenging dirt and eating
the faeces of its ‘evolutionary’ advanced
cousins would happily survive, turn-
ing progress on its head. Hazrat Mirza
Tahir Ahmadrh
, the Fourth Successor
of the Promised Messiahas
, writes in his
repost of Richard Dawkins,in ‘Revelation
Rationality Knowledge and Truth’:
“In every changed context, the principle
of the survival of the fittest would favour
the survival of different contestants. Every
calamity would have its own preferences.”[7]
“It is only the chance outcome of a given
situation which decides the quality of
and natural selection can create mankind,
what power is then left for God to be
worthy of worship? In fact,what evidence
can be found of His existence at all?
An immediate objection to Dawkins’
viewpoint arises in the question of why
studying evolution would lead to any
proof regarding the existence or non-
existence of God? Would accepting the
modern interpretation of Darwinian
natural selection (also known as Neo
Darwinism) in any way confirm that God
does not exist? Could God not have cre-
ated the process of natural selection as a
mechanism of His creation? The Islamic
viewpoint on this issue is quite clear,
as it states that God is indeed actively
involved in creation:
“Blessed is He in Whose hand is the king-
dom, and He has power over all things;
Who has created death and life that He
might try you—which of you is best in deeds;
and He is the Mighty, the Most Forgiving.
Who has created seven heavens in harmony.
No incongruity canst thou see in the creation
of the Gracious God.Then look again: Seest
thou any flaw?
Aye, look again, and yet again, thy sight
will only return unto thee confused and
fatigued.”[4]
“And in your own creation and in that of
all the creatures which He scatters in the
earth are Signs for a people who possess firm
faith.”[5]
Thus from an Islamic perspective,
Dawkins is correct in his view that the
absence of God’s Hand in evolutionary
science would indeed be corrosive to
Islam as a religion. In the study of evo-
lution according to the Holy Qur’an,
believers will be rewarded with further
evidence to bolster their faith.Therefore,
the challenge raised by Professor
Dawkins is one which Muslims at least
cannot ignore.
The scientific counter movement to the
Godless principles of Neo Darwinism
(loosely termed ‘Intelligent Design’)
holds a belief that simple random muta-
tion and natural selection on its own
cannot explain the staggering variety of
complexity that exists in the living world.
The incremental progress to complex-
ity as proposed by Darwinian natural
selection, is the key argument against
Intelligent Design. The key principle of
step-by-step incremental evolution is the
non-random selection of random genetic

order to support the enormous neck.The
giant neck has placed such an enormous
burden on the giraffe that it has had to
evolve stronger bones, a unique neck
structure and a completely modified car-
diovascular,gastrointestinal and nervous
system. Its entire being appears to have
evolved in order to maintain and sup-
port its giant neck. In fact, the evolution
of the giraffe from its deer-like ancestor
is so complex, it may have taken several
millions of years.9
Without these reciprocal changes, there
would be no hope for the elongating
neck to offer a survival advantage. For
instance, consider the first moment the
neck began to evolve.Even a few millim-
eters may have given the animal greater
access to food at the tops of bushes
and trees. However, that benefit would
have to be balanced against the negative
impact a longer neck would have on the
rest of its body. A longer neck, even by
a few millimeters, would put a small but
definite strain on the animal’s heart that
would have to pump blood a few mil-
limeters further to reach the brain. The
extra weight of the longer neck would
need to be carried by the animal’s skel-
eton. A millimeter longer neck would
ever so slightly, make the animal less
balanced and more prone to falling over
(not a good thing if predators are nearby).
The degree of disadvantage a longer neck
places on a four legged animal can be
understood by the uncountable ways
the giraffe has had to evolve various
parts of its body in order to cope with
its giant neck. Yet at every step of its
evolution, according to the principles of
Neo Darwinism,one key environmental
condition must have been constant and
dominant over this enormous period of
time, namely, a clear survival advantage
for any animal that could access food
the surviving factors. Blind struggle for
existence cannot always aim at the right
qualities. Whatever emerges, bad or good,
must be accepted as the fittest. A particu-
lar species could be adjudged as champion
with regards to its potential for survival in
a specific situation.The species that becomes
extinct could have possessed more advanced
qualities and characters in other regards.”[8]
Thus, the very first premise of natural
selection is based on an assumption,
namely that only the fittest will survive.
The reality is that only that which is fit-
test for that particular challenge would
survive and even within a generation the
direction of evolution will meander aim-
lessly in one direction then the other.The
very least Neo Darwinists would have to
admit is that the true direction of evo-
lution, when every challenge to survival
is computed into the survival equation,
is unknown. However, even the briefest
study of any species will demonstrate
distinctly unique complex features. For
these unique features to have evolved
over hundreds of thousands of genera-
tions, their environmental conditions
would have to have been constant and
predictable over that same period. The
giraffe’s neck, the elephant’s trunk, the
ant’s architectural prowess,the dolphin’s
sonar system,the six hundred volt electric
eel, the polar bear’s half a mile distant
sense of smell – are just a few examples of
distinctly unique features selected pref-
erentially by natural selection.According
to Neo Darwinism, each of these com-
plex characteristics must have evolved by
single incremental steps over countless
generations.Furthermore,at every one of
these countless steps, the environmental
conditions would have to be such that
the need (in terms of survival) for the
evolving characteristic must predominate
over other threats to survival.In addition,
these same conditions must prevail for
thousands if not millions of years.In the
real world, that is simply not the case.
As an example,consider the environmen-
tal conditions required for the evolution
of the giraffe’s neck.It is believed that the
giraffe,which can grow up to 6 meters in
height, evolved from a deer like animal,
which may have only been 1.5 meters
in height.The reason the giraffe evolved
such a long neck is not entirely clear,but
may be due to the advantage it gains in
being able to reach vegetation at the tops
of trees and bushes that shorter animals
cannot. It is clear that the evolution of
the giraffe’s neck was a complex process.
Not only did the neck need to elongate,
but the entire skeleton and physiol-
ogy of the evolving giraffe changed in
In addition, these same
conditions must prevail for
thousands if not millions
of years. In the real world,
that is simply not the case.
© Pyty | Shutterstock.com

and far is He above all that they associ-
ate with Him.”[10]
Dr. Adeel Bajwa is training to be a general
surgeon in the West Midlands and completed
his medical degree in 2003 from the University
of London. He has a BSC in Cancer Biology
from UCL where he also completed his
Doctorate in Medicine. He is senior committee
member and adviser for the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Research Association UK (AMRA) with an
interest in Evolutionary Theory.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 is actively involved
in scientific research with a focus on its positive
impact on Islamic teaching.
endnotes
1. Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species by
Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation
of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life, 1st ed,
(London: John Murray, 1859).
2. Richard Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker,
(New York: Norton & Company, 1986).
3. Richard Dawkins,‘Militant
Atheism’, Ted.com, February 2002,
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/
richard_dawkins_on_militant_atheism.html.
2002.
4. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Mulk, Verse 2-5.
5. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Jathiyah, Verse 5.
6. Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species by
Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation
of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life, 1st ed,
(London: John Murray, 1859).
7. Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Revelation Rationality
Knowledge and Truth, (Tilford: Islam
International Publications Limited, 1998).
8. Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Revelation Rationality
Knowledge and Truth, (Tilford: Islam
International Publications Limited, 1998).
9. G Mitchell & JD Skinner, On The Origin,
Evolution and Phylogeny of the Giraffe Giraffa
Camelopardalis, transactions of the Royal
Society of South Africa: 58(1), 2003, pp. 51-73.
10. Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Qasas, Verse 69.
from the tops of trees and bushes. In
other words, for millions of years there
must have been such a desperate lack
of vegetation available for herbivores at
1.5 meters tall, such that any animal tall
enough to access vegetation even a few
centimeters higher would be at a clear
survival advantage.Indeed this advantage
would have to be greater than the sum of
all the disadvantages that a longer neck
would place on the poor animal.
Thus for millennia, bacterial infection,
viruses, carnivores, infertility, poisonous
snakes, parasites, drought and extremes
of cold must all take a back seat in the
battle for survival to leave the Neo
Darwinian evolutionary stage free for
lack of herbage at or below 1.5 metres to
take centre stage.This appears of course
highly unlikely, not least by the fact that
hundreds of species of herbivores shorter
than 1.5 metres have evolved in the same
savannahs as the giraffe and its giant
neck. These species have found simpler
and easier ways of surviving than grow-
ing a giant neck that would burden every
organ of a four-legged herbivore.
The giraffe and its enormous neck is just
one of millions of examples in the liv-
ing world of how evolution must have
been driven in a peculiar but definite
direction, creating countless problems
on the way to solving a single problem.
For Neo Darwinists to believe that in
each of these examples, the unique and
peculiar direction of evolution by coin-
cidence, also happened to yield a clear
survival advantage at every single step
(regardless of the countless and variable
alternatives) is an extraordinary leap of
faith.It could be argued that this faith is
driven by the real and unspoken back-
bone of their viewpoint – namely that
under no circumstances can the idea of
Intelligence or Design enter the science
of Evolution.
It is clear to see that mere survival as the
sole selection pressure,cannot explain the
extraordinary lengths evolutionary paths
have taken to reach the variety and com-
plexity witnessed in the animal kingdom
today.A clear path and direction of evo-
lution is evident in any study of the living
world. How and from where this direc-
tion comes requires further open-minded
scientific investigation. For believers in
the Holy Qur’an, there is clear merit in
this investigation with the promise of
extraordinary rewards.
“And thy Lord creates whatever He pleases
and chooses whomsoever He pleases. It
is not for them to choose. Glorified be Allah,

The original description for this article in
the 1932 Edition read: “A globe-trotter
who visited Qadian in November, last
year and stayed here for about 7 weeks.
His article entitled “My Visit to Qadian”
in our May issue will be read with great
benefit by those westerners who are inter-
ested in Islam.”
First of all, I want to relate how it came
about that I visited Qadian. From 1924
to 1929, I lived in the Eastern part of
China. My best Chinese friend there
was a Muslim. I dwelt also for a period
of three months in a mosque at Peking.
In 1929-30 I returned to Europe by the
somewhat unusual way through Central-
Asia. I was able, due to my knowledge
of the Chinese language,to travel all the
long way entirely alone.During this jour-
ney, I had many opportunities to come
into direct contact with Muslims. (Was
it ordained to prepare me for my later
visit to Qadian?) I crossed the Himalaya
mountains by way of the Karakorum
Pass,to return via India to Germany.Up
to this time,though I had had many con-
versations about Islam,I had never heard
a word about Qadian. It was only at Leh
(Ladakh), that one of the officials there
(Khan Bahadar Ghulam Muhammad
with whom I had several friendly talks),
drew my attention to Qadian. I learned
that Qadian was not veryfar from Lahore
and that it could be reached easily by rail-
way. This enabled me to include a short
visit to Qadian in my itinerary.
It was on November 29, 1930, about
noon, that I arrived at Qadian. My orig-
inal intention was to stay only for some
hours, at the most for one day, and then
to proceed further to Bombay.But it hap-
pened otherwise.In spite of my not very
imposing outward appearance,which too,
had suffered much on the long,strenuous
journey I had behind me, I was received
at once in the most cordial way and given
the best lodging available at the time. It
was not long that I was friendly invited
to stay at least for a week. It was hard
to withstand the kind invitation. So I
accepted it and stayed on, beyond my
My Visit to Qadian
It was on November 29, 1930,
about noon, that I arrived
at Qadian. My original
intention was to stay only
for some hours, at the most
for one day, and then to
proceed further to Bombay.
But it happened otherwise.
By Friedrich Wagner, Chemnitz (Germany)
Originally Published in May 1932 Edition of
The Review of Religions
FROM THE
Archives
Masjid Aqsa (Aqsa Mosque) in Qadian.

different from the material world outside.
Here,the religious thoughts dominate.It
is a centre which gives one the spiritual
strength to fight the struggle of daily
life in the material world. It is a cen-
tre of peace, a centre for the recreation,
not of the body, but of the mind. This
is partly due to the physical conditions
of the place.There is hardly a motor-car
there.The railway is distant.There are to
be found modern things but they do not
predominate.Qadian is a centre of people
of many different countries; this means
also many different views and different
branches of knowledge. He who only
endeavours to seek and dig out, will find
very much to his satisfaction. It is not
too much to say that he will never come
to the end and will continue to find new
treasures.
At Qadian, I had conversation of all
kinds and I read many different books
(amongst these ‘The Philosophy of the
Teachings of Islam’, the well-known
book by the Holy Founder of the
Ahmadiyya Movement,which came into
my hands for the first time,and has made
the deepest impression upon me). I was
thus able to increase my knowledge of
Islam. And l could correct many errone-
ous views about the Holy Qur’an and the
Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
, which had
originated in my mind from misrepre-
sentation in European books.I discerned
the simplicity and clarity of Islam more
and more. How many good and beau-
tiful things Islam contains! I only wish
that all this may become widely known
in Europe and America,so that much of
it may be accepted by and in Christian
countries. Islamic teaching is so clear
that even the most simple man can eas-
ily understand it. Christianity with its
many different teachings and dogmas
could very well take a lesson from Islam.
Both Islam and Chistianity could give
much to each other and thus grow and
develop and appreciate each other in a
better way. And why should one always
look to the dark side of a religion other
than his own? No,we should look to the
bright points and accept them as well.
By doing so, we would help in perfect-
ing the belief that there is only one God,
Who is Almighty and All-Merciful.And
I believe that the Holy Founder of the
Ahmadiyya Movement received his rev-
elations from the Almighty God. And I
believe that the Almighty God in send-
ing these revelations wanted besides
other aims in view,to give a new impulse
to the untiring efforts towards an under-
standing and rapprochement between
different religions.
plans.And I stayed not only for one week
but being asked repeatedly to prolong my
sojourn, for about seven weeks in all. In
this way I was able to see also the big
Annual Gathering of the members of the
Ahmadiyya Movement,who had come to
Qadian from many parts of the country.
This Gathering marks the highest point
in the otherwise very busy life of Qadian.
My impressions of this Gathering were
the very best.It was on January 15,1931,
that I could depart.
Mr. Abdullah R. Scott has given his
impressions of Qadian in No. 8 (August
1931) of The Review of Religions. I can
only say that I agree in every respect with
him with this difference that he has writ-
ten his impressions as a Muslim, and I
am giving them as a Christian.
Certainly there are many Christians who
would like to obtain a deeper knowledge
about Islam. To achieve this there are
two ways; either by reading books about
Islam or by studying Islam at first hand
by living for sometime in Islamic coun-
tries. Amongst books on Islam there
are many which contain misstatements
and are not good on the whole. One of
the activities of the Ahmadis is to clear
up such misconceptions about Islam by
publishing well and carefully written
books. He who cannot afford to travel
to Islamic countries should at least try
to read some of their more recent publi-
cations.The second way up-to-now was
only open to those who could master one
of the main Islamic languages. But for
many it was not possible to learn one of
these languages. This difficulty has now
been removed. When such seekers after
truth will go to Qadian, they will find
a large number of Muslims who speak
excellent English. They will also find a
number of missionaries returned from
Europe or America, who know the con-
ditions in Christian countries from their
own experience. Every visitor to Qadian
will find at least one person, but most
probably several with whom he will be
best able to exchange his views.
It is a spiritual atmosphere which one
feels at Qadian, an atmosphere quite
my visit to qadian
It is a spiritual atmosphere
which one feels at
Qadian, an atmosphere
quite different from the
material world outside.

and amongst these it stands in first rank.
This also shows how much Qadian has
given me and is capable of giving every-
body who visits it.I take this opportunity,
before I close, to express my heartiest
thanks to all those who contributed to
make my visit to Qadian such a pleasant
remembrance!
We are working to procure accounts by people
who stayed in Qadian for the latest Jalsa
Salana held in December 2014 and hope
to present these in one of our upcoming
editions—Ed.
It was very pleasant for me to note the
very sympathetic attitude that is observed
in Qadian towards the followers of other
religions.His Holiness Khalifatul Masih,
the present Head of the Ahmadiyya
Community, who, in spite of his busy
time,received me several times,declared
at one occasion to me, that it was under
his influence that the apathetic attitude
which the Ahmadis had taken in for-
mer years had become softened and even
changed. l believe that it is this attitude
which will contribute very much towards
the killing of old religious controversies
and enmities and will thus open the way
to mutual understanding.This hope gives
me so much joy. It is not out of place
here to remark that I went to Qadian
and lived there as a Christian and never
denied this.And in spite of that,I always
received the best treatment.On one occa-
sion I overheard (involuntarily) what my
companion said about me to an inquirer:
“He (that is me) is a pakka (real, genuine)
Christian.”
I would advise any one who may afford
to pay a visit to Qadian, that he should
make it a point to stay there for several
days because it is after a stay of some
days, that the real spirit of Qadian will
begin to reveal itself to him.He who goes
there only for the sake of sight-seeing
will hardly find it interesting. Qadian is
not Delhi or Agra in respect of splendid
buildings. But it is a place whose spir-
itual treasures never exhaust. Each day
more at Qadian gives more to the new-
comer. There will be only very few, who
will leave Qadian taking nothing with
them.And that which a visitor takes back
with him cannot be measured in coins.
No, it is something much more precious
and really invaluable.
And to revert to my own story; on my
long journey across Asia I had visited
many a place. Amongst those there are
such which I would like to see again,
and there are others which would not
attract me again. Qadian is one of the
places which l would like to see again,
I would advise any one who
may afford to pay a visit to
Qadian, that he should make
it a point to stay there for
several days because it is after
a stay of some days, that the
real spirit of Qadian will
begin to reveal itself to him.
my visit to qadian
Minartul Masih in Qadian: In accordance with
divine instructions and in order to fulfill a
prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa
, the Promised
Messiahas
laid the foundation stone of
this minaret on Friday 13 March 1903.
Your feedback is
important to us
Write to us with comments,
feedback and suggestions at
info@Reviewof Religions.org

© Masood T
The Fullfilling of Covenants
The Holy Prophet [Muhammad]sa
was very particular
with regard to the fulfilling of covenants. On one
occasion an envoy came to him on a special mission
and after he had remained in his company for some
days, he was convinced of the truth of Islam and
suggested that he might declare his adherence to it.
The Prophetsa
told him that this would not be
proper as he was there in a representative capacity
and it was incumbent upon him to return to the
headquarters of his Government without acquiring
a fresh allegiance. If, after he had returned home, he
still felt convinced of the truth of Islam he could
return as a free individual and declare his acceptance
of it (Abu Dawud, chap. on Wafa bil ‘Ahd).[2]
2. Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra
, Life of Muhammadsa
(UK: Islam International Publications Limited, 2014) 248.

Introduction
There is robust scientific, archaeologi-
cal and historical evidence to suggest
that Jesusas
travelled to Kashmir after
the events of the crucifixion[1]
in order
to reform the lost tribes of Israel.[2]
The
Promised Messiahas
, Hazrat Mirza
Ghluam Ahmad of Qadian, has dealt
with this subject matter in his epic
book ‘Jesus in India’ in a comprehen-
sive manner. These lost tribes were the
Jews that were exiled by the King of the
Neo-Babylonian Empire Bukhtanasar
(Nebuchadnezzar,who destroyed the city
and the temple of Jerusalem in 587 BC,
after a siege that began in 589 BC).The
deported Jewish population emigrated
eastward towards Afghanistan,Kashmir
and India via Persia and Media.[3]
These
were the very tribes that Jesusas
set out
to preach to after surviving the events
of the crucifixion; the eastward journey
of Jesusas
ended in Kashmir. Jesusas
took
the message of God to these tribes, who
accepted Christianity. Jesusas
foretold
his followers about the advent of a great
prophet after him and directed them to
accept him.[4]
In obeyance of these teach-
ings, the followers of Jesusas
in Kashmir
accepted the Great Prophetsa
of Arabia at
the time of his advent and embraced the
religion of Islam. The aim of this short
article is to review the evidence that
Jesusas
was actively involved in proselyt-
isation of the lost tribes of Bani Israel,
residing in the regions of Kashmir and
neighbouring areas.
Is there any evidence from the histori-
cal literature that a prophet resided in
Kashmir in ancient times?
The study of the history of Kashmir sug-
gests that long before the advent of Islam,
a prophet preached in Kashmir.An emi-
nent and well respected Kashmiri writer
called Mullah Khaleel has been reported
to have said that even before the Holy
Prophetsa
, Kashmiris followed a prophet
of God and followed a divine book.[5]
The
historical writings of that era suggest that
Kashmir was regarded as a place from
where spiritual guidance was sought.
A famous ode to Kashmir suggests the
presence of a religious prophet in the
Preaching Activities of
Jesusas
in the East;
Jesusas
in India
by Professor Amtul Razzaq Carmichael, United Kingdom
These were the very tribes
that Jesusas
set out to preach
to after surviving the
events of the crucifixion;
the eastward journey of
Jesusas
ended in Kashmir.
Srinagar, Kashmir
© Tappasan Phurisamrit | shutterstock.com

fact that Jesusas
preached to the people
of Kashmir.
Does Kashmiri architecture show any
impact of the teachings of Jesusas
?
Architectural artefacts tend to be durable
and hence can be a valuable source for the
study of the historical religious beliefs
of a nation.The world famous Architect,
Norman L. Koonce, has suggested that
the goal of sacred architecture is to make
“transparent the boundary between matter
and mind, flesh and the spirit”.
The architecture of Kashmir and
Afghanistan provides strong evidence
that the religious teaching of Jesusas
had
a profound impact in those geographical
areas.Perhaps the strongest archaeologi-
cal evidence comes from the architect of
the Temple of Marttand.The Temple of
Marttand is the finest example of what
is known as the Kashmirian style of
architecture, and was built by the most
noted of the Kashmir kings,Lalataditya,
who ruled between the years 699 and
736 a.d.[13]
Interestingly, this temple has
a striking resemblance with the Temple
of Jerusalem.
The writings of archeological experts and
eminent travellers corroborate this. Mr
Godfrey Thomas Vigne, (1801–1863)
an accomplished lawyer and traveller
spent seven years touring the north-west
regions of India in 1824. During these
journeys,he visited Kashmir,Ladakh,and
land of Kashmir, who was the guiding
light for the whole region. The ode can
be translated as “Kashmir is a place from
where the words and directions come; the
one chosen by Allah utter these words”.This
ode was written by a famous Royal Court
poet.[6]
Historical Hindu literature mentions
the presence of a most revered reformer
with the name of ‘Ishai’; ‘Ishai’ is prob-
ably an alternative form of Jesus (Isa)as
.
A poem entitled ‘The Poems of a Yogi’says,
“My friend, to what country did Ishai[7]
go,
and what country went John? My Friend,
where is the guru of the gurus, and where
is your mind resting? My friend, Ishai has
gone towards Arabia, John towards Egypt.
My friend, Ishai is the guru, my guru. The
mind of the yogi rests only in the yogi”.[8]
The Sanskrit Traditions also give the
description of this prophet, who was
born to a virgin.The essence of some his-
torical Sanskrit writing translates as the
following: “Once he went up to the moun-
tain covered in snow where he saw a white
handsome King in white clothes. The King
said ‘I am the reformer who was born to a
virgin. I am here to reform the people and
establish the truth. I am here to purify the
soul’”.[9]
The extract continues with deeply
philosophical religious concepts pertain-
ing to spiritual purification.[10]
A famous fountain in Kashmir is called
‘The Prophet’s Fountain’,which is about
seven miles north of Trahgam; it is
suggested that the Jesusas
visited this
fountain and delivered his sermon here.
[11]
This is in concordance with the Biblical
prophecies of Jesusas
preaching to the lost
sheep of the House of Israel.[12]
In summary, historical Hindu litera-
ture and Sanskrit traditions support
the notion that a fair-skinned Prophet,
who called himself the son of a virgin,
preached religious practices and teach-
ings in the mountains of the Ladakh and
Tibet. His name is quoted to be ‘Ishai’,
which is probably an alternative form ‘Isa’
(the name of Jesusas
in one of the local
languages). This evidence points to the
preaching activities of jesusas
in the east; jesusas
in india
A famous fountain in
Kashmir is called ‘The
Prophet’s Fountain’, which
is about seven miles north of
Trahgam; it is suggested that
the Jesusas
visited this fountain
and delivered his sermon here.
View of the ancient Hindu
Sun Temple at Martand
© Tracing Tea | shutterstock.com

in the Kashmiri Temple that it reproduces
in plan, at least the Jewish temple more
nearly than any other known building”.[16]
This remarkable similarity in the archi-
tectural structure of these two Temples
is a practical testimony of the impact of
proselytisation by Jesusas
of the Kashmiri
people.
Not only the places of worship, but
also the historical places of burial in
Kashmir conform to the Jewish teach-
ings. The pattern of ancient graves in
Kashmir is completed in concordance
with Jewish practices (Figure 2). The
ancient Kashmiri graves are an exact
replica of open graves, with a window
towards the West,as found in the ancient
Jewish graves.[17],[18]
Is there evidence of the impact of the
teachings of Jesusas
on the customs and
practices of the Kashmiri people?
The evidence that can be gleaned from
the similarities in the customs and prac-
tices of the ancient Kashmiri and Jewish
populations, suggest that the teach-
ing of Jesusas
had a significant impact
on the lives of Kashmiris. François
Bernier (1625 – 22 September 1688) was
a French traveller, who was the personal
physician of the Mughal emperor, Auran
gzeb, for about 12 years.He wrote Travels
in the Mughal Empire, based on his own
extensive journeys and observations.
One of the queries he wished to address
on his journey was “Whether it be true
that Jews have a long period resided in the
kingdom of Kachemire; whether they be in
possession of the Holy Scripture, and, if so,
other parts of Central Asia.He published
the accounts of these travels in ‘A Personal
Narrative of a Visit to Ghuzni, Kabul, and
Afghanistan,’ London, 1840, 8vo, and in
‘Travels in Kashmir,’London, 1842, 8vo.
Mr Vigne said,“I had been struck with the
great general resemblance which the tem-
ple bore to the recorded disposition of the
ark, and its surrounding curtains, and in
imitation of which the temple at Jerusalem
was built; and it became for a moment a
question whether the Kashmirian temples
had not been built by Jewish architects, who
had recommended them to be constructed on
the same plan, for the sake of convenience
merely. It is, however, a curious fact that
in Abyssinia, the ancient Ethiopia, which
was also called Kush, the ancient Christian
churches, as I am informed by Mr. Wolff,
are not unlike those of Kashmir, and that
they were originally built in imitation of
the temple, by the Israelites who followed
the Queen of Sheba to Aksum, the capi-
tal of Tigree, where she resided with her
son Menelik, whom she had by Solomon,
who (Menelik) took possession of the throne
of Kush, where his descendants are at this
moment the Nugus, or Kings,of Abyssinia”.[14]
Mr James Fergusson, one of the leading
architectural historians in the 19th cen-
tury, was widely regarded as a specialist
of Indian architecture; he was awarded
many honours and titles including Vice-
President of the Royal Asiatic Society
and Vice President of the Royal Institute
of British Architects.[15]
Mr James
Ferguson was regarded as an authority
on the Temple of Jerusalem. He wrote
in 1876 “The temple itself is a very small
building, being only 60 feet in length by 38
feet in width. The width is of the Façade,
however is eked out by two wings or adju-
nets which make it 60 feet. Also it realises
the problem that you so earnestly set them-
selves to solve--- how to build a temple with
three dimensions equal but yet should not be
a cube. Small however, as a Jewish temple
was, it was more than twice as large as this
one. At Jerusalem the temple was 100 cubits,
or 150 feet in length, breadth and height.
At Marttand these dimensions were only
60 feet. But it is one of the points of interest
The evidence that can be
gleaned from the similarities
in the customs and practices
of the ancient Kashmiri and
Jewish populations, suggest
that the teaching of Jesusas
had a significant impact
on the lives of Kashmiris.
Sir Francis Younghusband is one of the numerous
prominent historians who acknowledge the impact of
the teachings of Jesusas
on the people of Kashmir.
in india

Sir Francis Younghusband. He referred
to the claim of the Promised Messiahas
that “Jesusas
resided in Kashmir some 1900
years ago, as a saint of the name of Yus Asaf,
who preached in parables and used many
of the same parables as Christ used, such
as, the parable of the sower. His tomb is in
Srinagar.”Sir Francis Younghusband says
in his book ‘Kashmir’: “When the people
are in appearance of such a decided Jewish
cast it is curious that such a theory should
exist; and certainly, as I have said, there are
real Biblical types to be seen everywhere in
Kashmir, and especially among the upland
villages. Here the Israelitish shepherd tend-
ing his flocks and herds may any day be
seen”.[24]
According to old Kashmiri traditions the
ancient name of Kashmir was Kashiph
or KashiphMir.[25]
It is suggested that the
Casiphia as mentioned in Ezra viii. 17[26]
was in fact Kashmir; the prophet Ezra
was the prophet sent for the Levites from
Caiphia (Kashmir) to help with the holy
tasks that only Levites were allowed to
carry out.
As mentioned earlier,the historical places
of burial in Kashmir also conform to the
Jewish teachings.The pattern of ancient
graves in Kashmir is completed in con-
cordance with Jewish practices (Figure 2).
Given the history of eviction of Jews by
the King of Neo-Babylonian Empire
Bukhtanasar (Nebuchadnezzar, who
destroyed the city and the temple of
Jerusalem in 587 BC after a siege
that began in 589 BC) even today the
term Bookht Nassoor is regarded as the
most derogatory and insulting term in
Kashmir.[27]
Summary
There is strong supportive evidence in the
historical writings of Kashmiri,Sanskrit
and independent scholars, indicating
the presence of a prophet in Kashmir.
This fair-skinned prophet is reported to
have talked in the language of parables,
had values similar to Jewish teachings
and claimed to be born to a virgin. We
propose that this was in fact the prophet
Jesusas
, who emigrated to Kashmir in
order to preach to the lost tribes of Israel
after surviving the events of the cruci-
fixion.[28]
In support of this argument,we
present the remarkable similarities in
the customs (the places of burial), reli-
gious practices (the Sanhedrin) and
architecture (the Temple of Marttand)
of Kashmiris’ and Jews. This is evidence
of Jesus’as
proselytisation activities in
Kashmir. The striking resemblance in
the aforementioned practices could have
whether there be any discrepancy between
their Old Testament and our own?”.[19]
He
writes “There are, however, many signs of
Judaism to be found in this country. On
entering the kingdom after crossing the Pire-
penjale Mountains, the inhabitants in the
frontiers struck me as resembling Jews.Their
countenance and manner, and that inde-
scribable peculiarity that enables a traveller
to distinguish the inhabitants of different
nations, all seemed to belong to that ancient
people”.[20]
Mr F Brenier further said “You
are not to ascribe what I say to mere fancy,
the Jewish appearance of these visitors have
been remarked by our Jesuit Fathers, and by
several other Europeans, long before I vis-
ited Kachemire”.[21]
Mentioning the Jewish influence on the
people of Kashmir,François Bernier said
“A second sign is the prevalence of the name
of Mousa, which means Moses, among the
inhabitants of this city, notwithstanding
they are all Mahometans”.[22]
The recorded evidence of the preaching
activity of Jesusas
comes from the writings
of popular Kashmiri Scholar Abi Saeed
Ghanim Al-Hindi, which alludes to the
fact that the ancient Kashmiri Kings
used to hold a religious Council similar
to Sanhedrins.
Such councils were an important part
of Jewish religious practice and existed
amongst Palestinian and Iraqi Jews. Abi
Saeed writes in his book that he lived in
a town in India (in Kashmir) where 40
scholars used to sit on the right side of
the King at the Royal Court.[23]
Their role
was to study the four Holy Scriptures
of Torah (Old Testament) Injeel (New
Testament),Zabur (scrolls of David) and
Suhufe Ibrahim (Scriptures of Ibrahim)
and issue religious edicts. In fact, Abu
Saeed was referring to the Sanhedrin
(The ancient Jewish court system). On
one occasion, the Sanhedrin discussed
the prophecy about a great Prophet of
Arabia in the latter days. Abi Saeed was
a respected Kashmiri scholar and his tes-
timony supports that in Kashmir practice
of Sanhedrin took place in accordance
with the Jewish practices of the time.
The impact of Jesus’as
teachings in
Kashmir is acknowledged by several emi-
nent, independent historians including
The impact of Jesus’as
teachings in Kashmir is
acknowledged by several
eminent, independent
historians including Sir
Francis Younghusband.
in india

11. Sheikh Abdul Qadir, Bani Israel Lay Teen
Gurooh (Afzal, Dec. 10 1979). Hasmat Kashmir
Kay Qalmi Nuskhay (Punjab University Libr-
aray Lahore, Calacutta Museum and British
Library).
12. “But he answered and said, I am not sent but
unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel”
(Matt 15:24).
13. Sir Francis Edward Younghusband, “The
Project Gutenberg eBook, Kashimir”, Guten-
burg, May 7, 2012, http://www.gutenberg.
org/files/39642/39642-h/39642-h.ht-
m#Page_114-116.
14. G T Vigne, Travel in Kashmir, Ladak,
Iskardo. The countries Joining the Mountain Course
of the Indus, vol. 1 (London: 1844).
15. James Fergusson, “James Fergusson and
Indian Architecture”, Tokyo University, 2001,
http://www.kamit.jp/08_fergusson/ferg_eng.
htm.
16. James Ferguson, History of Indian and East-
ern Archetecture (London: 1876), 286.
17. Muazna Muzahib, Kasmir mein Bani Israel
and Hazrat Isaas
ka Qiyam uzz Tarikh (Trans:
The History of Prophet Jesusas
and Bani Israel in
Kashmir) August, 2012, 44.
18. James Turner Barclay, The City of the Great
King: or, Jerusalem as it was… (Philadelphia:
1858), 184.
19. F Brenier, Travels in the Moghul Empire,
1656-58 (1891), 428
1656-58 (1891), 430.
1656-58 (1891), 430.
1656-58 (1891), 430.
23. Assolul Kafee, Kitabul Hajja, 334.
24. Sir Franics Edward Younghusband, “A
Corner of the Village of Pahlgam, Lidar
Valley”, Gutenberg, May 7, 2012, http://www.
gutenberg.org/files/39642/39642-h/39642-h.
htm#Page_129.
25. Mohammad Azam Deeda Murree, Tarikh
Kashmir Uzma, Urdu Trans. (Lahore: 1995), 28.
26. “And I sent them with commandment unto
Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them
what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren
the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they
should bring unto us ministers for the house of our
God” (Ezr 8:17).
27. Muazna Muzahib, Kasmir Mein Bani Israel
and Hazrat Isaas
ka Qiyam uzz Tarik (trans.:
History of Bani Israel and the Prophet Jesusas
in
Kashmir), August, 2012.
28. “And other sheep I have, which are not of this
fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my
voice; and there shall be onefold, and one shepherd”
(Jn 10:16).
only resulted from the physical presence
and influence of Jesus’as
preaching and
teachings.
Conclusion
The historical evidence points to the fact
that Jesusas
emigrated eastward.Then,he
was actively engaged in preaching and
reforming the lost sheep of the House of
Israel in Kashmir and its neighbouring
areas. Jesusas
took the message of God
to these tribes,who accepted the proph-
ecy of Jesusas
about the advent of a great
prophet after him and directed them to
accept the Great Prophetsa
of Arabia at
the time of his advent and embrace the
religion of Islam.
Professor Amtul Razzaq Carmichael
MD, FRCS (Gen Surg), MBBS, is a
consultant specialist breast surgeon.
She qualified in 1987 with gold medals for
academic Excellence and undertook her surgical
training at major teaching hospitals in London,
Edinburgh and Philadelphia. She has authored
many articles for major peer reviewed scientific
journals and her particular interests includes
research into the theory that Jesusas
travelled to
Kashmir in the East and the Jewish diaspora in
India, Afghanistan and surrounding areas.
endnotes
1. Dr. Amtul Razzaq Carmichael, “The Lost
Tribes of Isreal in India - A Genetic Perspec-
tive”, The Review of Religions, March, 2012,
http://www.reviewofreligions.org/6107/the-
lost-tribes-of-israel-in-india-a-genetic-perspec-
tive/.
2. “And other sheep I have, which are not of this
fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my
voice; and there shall be onefold, and one shepherd”
(Jn 10:16).
3. Media is a place located in the northwestern
portions of present-day Iran.
4. “But the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost,
whom Father will send in my name, he shall
teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (Jn
14-26).
5. Mullah Khalee, Jan Puri Tarikhe Kashmir
Maharajah Gulab Singh Kee Tasneef (trans: The
History of Kashmir; Writings of Maharaj Gulab
Singh).
6. Diwaney Haji Mohammad Jam Qudsi (trans:
Memoirs of Haji Mohammad Jam Qudsi), 1056.
7. Isa is the name of Jesusas
in one of the local
language.
8. Miguel Serrani, The Serpent of Paradise: The
Story of an Indian Pilgrimmage (UK: 1963), 78.
9. Boshia Paran Botee Sirg KHAND 3. Adhya
2 Asjloke 21-31.
10. Boshia Paran Botee Sirg KHAND 3. Ad-
hya 2 Asjloke 21-31.
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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;
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Ordinances of the Law in
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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
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For the ease of non-Muslim readers, ‘sa
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or the name ‘Muhammad’, are used
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for ‘Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam’ meaning
‘peace and blessings of Allah be upon
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’ 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
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’
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of Allah the Exalted be upon him.
In keeping with current universal
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Makkah instead of Mecca, etc.
Monday 2nd February
Faith: Christian
Event: Candlemas
This event is also known as ‘The Presenta-
tion of Christ in the Temple’. It marks the
ritual presentation of the baby Jesusas
to
God in the Temple at Jerusalem.
Wednesday 4th February
Faith: Jewish
Event: Tu Bishvat
Tu Bishvat is celebrated as an ecological
awareness day. It is also known as ‘New
Year of the Trees’. New trees are planted in
celebration of this day.
Sunday 15th February
Faith: Buddhist
Event: Nirvana Day
This day celebrates the death of Buddha,
when he is said to have achieved Parin-
irvana, or complete Nirvana; meaning
that having attained Enlightenment, he
achieved freedom from physical existence
and its sufferings.
Wednesday 18th February
Faith: Christian
Event: Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting, and the
first day of Lent. It takes place 46 days be-
fore Easter. Lent originates from the time
Jesusas
spent 40 days fasting in the desert,
according to the gospels, where he endured
temptation by Satan.
Calendar of
Religious
Events &
Festivals
february 2015

spine
vol.110-issuetwofebruary2015www.reviewofreligions.orgEyesCannotReachHim...
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ISSN No. 0034-6721

Review of Religions February 2015

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