JUNE 2011 - VOL.

106 - ISSUE SIX

Who was the
Prophet Promised in
Deuteronomy?
Why I Believe
in Islam
Te Philosophy
of the
Teachings of Islam
Te Life and
Character of the Seal
of the Prophets
FAITH &
CERTITUDE
Where there is smoke
there is fre
The Holy Prophet
Muhammad
(saw)
prophesied
that the Promised Messiah
(as)

would be raised near a
white minaret, east of
Damascus. This prophecy
was fulflled with the advent
of the Promised Messiah
(as)

from Qadian, India, a city
directly east of Damascus.
Te Promised Messiah
and imam mahdi and founder of
the review of religions
Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
(as)
, the Promised
Messiah and Mahdi was born to a noble family in
Qadian, India. From an early age he had a keen inter-
est in religion and developed a love for the Holy Prophet
Muhammad
(saw)
. 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 frm 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, Hadhrat Ahmad
(as)

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.
Hadhrat Ahmad
(as)
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 Te 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
(as)
s journey to India. In 1902 the Promised
Messiah
(as)
initiated Te 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. Tis blessing
has continued and will continue through his Khalifas
(successors).
Currently under the ffth successor, we are seeing that
the tide of acceptance is worldwide and that the message
of Prophet Ahmad
(as)
has really reached the ends of the
earth.

m
a
k
h
z
a
n
-
e
-
t
a
s
a
w
e
e
r
those who spend in
prosperity and adversity,
and those who suppress
anger and pardon
men; and Allah loves
those who do good
ISLAM, THE HOLY
QURAN, CH.3:VS.134-135
Abu Huraira
(ra)
reported
Gods Messenger
(saw)
as
saying: A strong man is
not one who is a good
wrestler; the strong man
is only he who controls
himself in anger.
ISLAM, THE HOLY
PROPHET MUHAMMAD
(SAW)
,
BUKHARI AND MUSLIM
Patience is a great
virtue. One who shows
patience and does not
speak angrily, it is God
who makes him speak.
ISLAM AHMADIYYAT, THE
PROMISED MESSIAH
(AS)
,
MALFOOZAT
Conquer anger by love.
BUDDHISM,
DHAMMAPADA, 223
Te anger of man
does not work the
righteousness of God.
CHRISTIANITY, JAMES 1:20
Anger deprives a
sage of his wisdom, a
prophet of his vision.
JUDAISM, TALMUD,
PESAHIM, 66B
man should subvert
anger by forgiveness.
JAINISM, SAMAN
SUTTAM, 135-36
Your physical anger
brings dishonor on yourself;
Your mental anger
disturbs your thinking
HINDUISM, BASAVANNA,
VACHANA, 248
Overcoming
Anger
WORLD FAITHS
june 2011
6 Te Philosophy of the
Teachings of Islam Part 6
Continuing a commended
and exceptional treatise based
entirely on the Holy Quran, this
section features an exposition
on the moral values that arise
from performing good deeds
HADHRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD
(AS)
,
THE PROMISED MESSIAH AND MAHDI
16 Te Life & Character of the
Seal of the Prophets
(saw)

Part 7
An account of the frst centre
for the propagation of Islam,
and the opposition faced by
the Holy Prophet
(saw)
at the
hands of the Quraish.
HADHRAT MIRZA BASHIR AHMAD
(RA)
26 Who was the Prophet
Promised in Deuteronomy?
Te prophecy in Deuteronomy
18 foretells the coming of a
special Prophet. But who exactly
was that prophet? (Final part)
DR MIRZA SULTAN AHMAD
RABWAH, PAKISTAN
40 Faith and Certitude
Examining how logical perception,
direct perception and personal
engagement are all key factors
towards certainty of faith
SAYED HAMEEDULLAH NUSRAT
PASHA, RABWAH, PAKISTAN
6 16
CONTENTS
46 From the Archives:
Why I Believe in Islam
Islamic teachings are perfectly
rounded, impart guidance that
appeal to human nature and provide
rights to all peoples unreservedly
HADHRAT MIRZA BASHIR-UD-DIN MAHMUD
AHMAD
(RA)
, KHALIFATUL MASIH II
60 Letters to the Editor
64 Calendar of Religious
Events and Festivals
June 2011
MANAGEMENT BOARD
Munir-ud-din Shams (Chairman)
Mansoor Shah (Secretary)
Naseer Ahmad Qamar
Mubarak Ahmad Zafar
Mirza Fakhar Ahmad
Abdul Baqi Arshad
CHIEF EDITOR & MANAGER
Mansoor Ahmed Shah
EDITORIAL BOARD
Adam Walker, Amer Safr, Bockarie
Tommy Kallon, Fareed Ahmad, Fauzia
Bajwa, Fazal Ahmad, Hibba Turrauf,
Khullat Munir, Mansoor Saqi, Nakasha
Ahmad, Sarah Waseem, Tanveer Khokhar
PROOFREADERS
Abdul Ghany Jahangeer Khan, Farhana
Dar, Munavara Ghauri
DISTRIBUTION
Muhammad Hanif
DESIGN AND LAYOUT
Ahsan Khan
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS
Arif Khan, Maleeha Ahmad,
Munazza Khan, Sami Ullah
PUBLISHER
Al Shirkatul Islamiyyah Ltd.
Views expressed in this publication
are not necessarily the beliefs of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim community.
All correspondence should be
forwarded to the Editor at:
Te Review of Religions
Tahir House, 22 Deer Park Road
London, SW19 3TL, United Kingdom
Telephone: + 44 20 8544 7614
Fax: + 44 20 3044 3030
[email protected]
www.reviewofreligions.org
26
40
Te Philosophy of the
Teachings of Islam
part 6
Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
(as)
,
the Promised Messiah and Mahdi
TRANSLATED FROM URDU BY
SIR MUHAMMAD ZAFRULLA KHAN
Moral Qualities Related
to the Doing of Good
The second types of moral qualities
are those that are related to doing
good. Te frst of these is forbearance
or forgiveness. He who commits an
ofence against another causes him pain
or harm and deserves to be punished
either through the process of the law,
with imprisonment or fne, or directly
by the person ofended. To forgive him,
if forgiveness be appropriate, would be
to do good unto him. In this context the
teaching of the Holy Quran is:
Tat is, good men are those who control
their tempers when they are roused and
who overlook peoples faults when that
is appropriate.
1
Te recompense of an
injury is a penalty in proportion thereto;
but whoso forgives and efects thereby
a reform in the ofender, and no harm
is apprehended, that is to say, exercises
forgiveness on its appropriate occasion,
will have his reward with Allah.
2
Tis verse shows that the Quran does
not teach non-resistance to evil on all
occasions, or that mischief-makers and
wrongdoers should never be punished.
Its teaching is that one must consider
whether the occasion calls for forgiveness
or punishment, and to adopt the course
which would be best in the interests
both of the offender and the public.
Sometimes an ofender turns away from
wrongdoing in consequence of being
forgiven, and sometimes forgiveness
incites him to further wrongdoing.
Terefore, God Almighty directs that
we should not develop the habit of
forgiving blindly on all occasions, but
should consider carefully whether
forgiveness or punishment would be most
appropriate, and, therefore, constitute a
virtue, in each particular case, and should
adopt that course. Some people are so
vindictive that they keep in mind the
wrongs done to their fathers through
generations, and there are others who
carry forbearance and forgiveness to the
extreme, sometimes even to the limit
of shamelessness. They exercise such
weakness, forgiveness and forbearance
as are utterly inconsistent with dignity,
honour, and chastity. Teir conduct is a
stain on good character and the result
Tis verse shows that
the Quran does not
teach non-resistance to
evil on all occasions
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 7
of their forgiveness and forbearance is
that people are disgusted with them. Tat
is why the Holy Quran attaches the
condition of appropriate time and place
for the exercise of every moral quality,
and does not approve the exercise of a
moral quality out of its place.
It should be remembered that forgiveness
is not a moral quality in itself. It is a
natural impulse which is found in children
also. A child soon forgets an injury, if it is
inficted upon him wrongfully, and again
approaches afectionately the person who
has inficted the injury upon him, even if
such a person should intend to kill him.
He is pleased with his beguiling words.
Such forgiveness is in no sense a moral
quality. It would become a moral quality
when it is exercised in its proper place
and on its proper occasion; otherwise it
would only be a natural impulse. Tere
are few who are able to distinguish
between a natural impulse and a moral
quality. We have repeatedly pointed out
the distinction between a true moral
quality and a natural condition, which
is that a moral quality is conditioned by
conformity to place and occasion, and
a natural impulse often comes into play
out of place. A cow is harmless and a
goat is humble but we do not attribute
these qualities to them because they are
not invested with a sense of time and
place. Divine wisdom and Gods true
and perfect Book have made every moral
quality subject to time and place for its
proper exercise.
Te second moral quality in this category
is equity, and the third is benevolence
and the fourth is graciousness as between
kindred. God, the Glorious, has said:
Tis means that we are commanded to
return good for good, and to exercise
benevolence when it is called for, and
to do good with natural eagerness as
between kindred, when that should
be appropriate. God Almighty forbids
transgression or that you should exercise
benevolence out of place or should refrain
from exercising it when it is called for; or
that you should fall short of exercising
graciousness as between kindred on its
proper occasion, or should extend it
beyond its appropriate limit.
3
Tis verse
sets forth three gradations of doing good.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE TEACHINGS OF ISLAM
Forgiveness is not a moral
quality in itself. It is a
natural impulse which is
found in children also.
8 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
Te frst is the doing of good in return
for good. Tis is the lowest gradation and
even an average person can easily acquire
this gradation that he should do good to
those who do good to him.
Te second gradation is a little more
difcult than the frst, and that is to take
the initiative in doing good out of pure
benevolence. Tis is the middle grade.
Most people act benevolently towards
the poor, but there is a hidden defciency
in benevolence, that the person exercising
benevolence is conscious of it and
desires gratitude or prayer in return for
his benevolence. If on any occasion the
other person should turn against him, he
considers him ungrateful. On occasion
he reminds him of his benevolence or
puts some heavy burden upon him. Te
benevolent ones have been admonished
by God Almighty:
Tat is, O those who do good to others
good that should be based on sincerity
do not render it vain by reminding them
what favours you have done them or by
inficting injury on them.
4
Te Arabic
word for alms (Sadaqah) is derived from
a root (sidq) that means sincerity. If
the heart is not inspired by sincerity in
bestowing alms, the almsgiving ceases to
be alms and becomes mere display. Tat
is why those who exercise benevolence
have been admonished by God Almighty
not to render vain their benevolence by
reproaches or injury.
The third grade of doing good is
graciousness as between kindred. God
Almighty directs that in this grade there
should be no idea of benevolence or any
desire for gratitude, but good should
be done out of such eager sympathy
as, for instance, a mother does good to
her child. Tis is the highest grade of
doing good which cannot be exceeded.
But God Almighty has conditioned
all these grades of doing good with
their appropriate time and place. Te
verse cited above clearly indicates that
if these virtues are not exercised in
their proper places they would become
vices. For instance, if equity exceeds its
limits it would take on an unwholesome
aspect and would become indecent. In
the same way, misuse of benevolence
would take on a form which would be
Good should be done out
of such eager sympathy
as, for instance, a mother
does good to her child.
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 9
repelled by reason and conscience; and
in the same way graciousness between
kindred would become transgression.
The Arabic word for transgression is
baghi, which connotes excessive rain
which ruins crops. A defciency in the
discharge of an obligation or an excess
in its discharge are both baghi. In short,
whichever of these three qualities is
exercised out of place becomes tainted.
Tat is why they are all three qualities
conditioned by the due observance
of place and occasion. It should be
remembered that equity or benevolence
or graciousness between kindred are not
in themselves moral qualities. Tey are
mans natural conditions and faculties
that are exhibited even by children
before they develop their reason. Reason
is a condition of the exercise of a moral
quality and there is also a condition that
every moral quality should be exercised
in its proper place and on its proper
occasion.
There are several other directions set
out in the Holy Quran concerning
benevolence which are all made subject
to the condition of place and time. It is
said:
Tat is, O ye who believe, spend by way
of generosity or benevolence or charity
such of your wealth as you have acquired
lawfully, that is to say, no part of which
has been acquired through theft or
bribery or dishonesty or embezzlement
or wrongdoing. Do not select for charity
out of it that which is useless or unclean.
5

Render not vain your alms with
reproaches or injury, that is to say, never
remind your donee that you had bestowed
anything on him nor infict any injury
upon him, for in such case your charity
would be rendered vain, nor spend your
money merely for display.
6
Be benevolent
towards your fellow beings, for Allah
loves those who are benevolent.
7
Te truly virtuous shall drink of a cup
tempered with camphor. Te reference
to camphor means that their hearts will
be cleansed of all the burning desires and
impure urges of the world. Te root of
the Arabic word for camphor connotes
suppression, or covering up, which
means that their illicit emotions will be
THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE TEACHINGS OF ISLAM
Te truly virtuous feed
the poor, the orphan, and
the captive for the love
of Allah with such foods
as they eat themselves
10 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
suppressed and they will become pure
hearted and will enjoy the coolness of
understanding. Ten it is said that they
will drink from a spring which they
shall cause to gush forth from the earth
through their efforts.
8
This indicates
a deep mystery of the philosophy of
paradise. Let him who has understanding
understand it.
Then he said: the truly virtuous feed
the poor, the orphan, and the captive
for the love of Allah with such foods as
they eat themselves, assuring them: We
are not laying you under any obligation
but feed you only to win Allahs pleasure.
We desire no return or thanks from you.
9

Tis is an indication that they exercise
the third grade of doing good which
proceeds out of pure sympathy.
The truly virtuous are in the habit of
spending their wealth out of love of God
on their kindred and on the upbringing
and training of orphans and in making
provision for the poor and for providing
comfort for travellers and for those who
ask and for procuring the freedom of
slaves and discharging the burdens of
those who are in debt.
10
They are neither extravagant nor
niggardly, but keep a balance between
the two.
11
Tey join together that which
Allah has bidden to be joined, and fear
their Lord.
12
In their wealth those who
ask and those who are unable to ask have
a right.
13
By those who are unable to ask
are meant animals such as dogs, cats,
sparrows, oxen, donkeys, goats and others
that cannot express their needs in words.
Tey do not hold back in times of scarcity
or famine, but continue to spend at such
times also according to their capacity.
14

They spend in charity secretly and
openly; secretly, so that they might
safeguard themselves against displaying
their charity, and openly, so that they
might set an example for others.
15
Tat
which is set aside for charity should be
spent on the poor and the needy, and on
those employed in connection with its
collection and distribution, and to help
those who have to be rescued from some
evil, and on procuring the freedom of
slaves, and on those burdened with debts,
True courage, which is
one of the high moral
qualities, is conditioned
by place and occasion
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 11
and the aficted and on other purposes
which are purely for the sake of God and
on those striving in the cause of Allah.
16
You cannot attain the highest grade
of virtue unless you spend for the
promotion of the welfare of your fellow
beings that part of your wealth which
you hold dear.
17

Render to the poor their due and to the
needy and the wayfarer but safeguard
yourselves against extravagance.
18
Tis
is a direction to restrain people from
spending unnecessarily on weddings and
luxuries and on the occasion of the birth
of a child etc.
Be benevolent towards parents and
kindred, and orphans and the needy and
the neighbour who is a kinsman, and the
neighbour who is not related to you, and
the wayfarer and your servants and your
horses and your cattle and your other
animals that you possess. Tis is what
God loves. He loves not those who are
heedless and selfsh, and those who are
niggardly and enjoin other people to be
niggardly, and conceal their wealth and
tell those who are needy that they have
nothing which they can give them.
19

True Courage
Of the natural conditions of man is that
which resembles courage, as an infant
sometimes seeks to thrust his hand into
the fre on account of its natural condition
of fearlessness. In that condition a person
fearlessly confronts tigers and other wild
beasts and issues forth alone to fght a
large number of people. Such a one is
considered very brave. But this is only a
natural condition that is found even in
savage animals and in dogs. True courage,
which is one of the high moral qualities,
is conditioned by place and occasion,
which are mentioned in the Holy Word
of God as follows.
That is, those who are steadfast in
adversity and under affliction and in
battle;
20
their steadfastness is for the
purpose of seeking the favour and
countenance of Allah and not for the
display of bravery.
21
Tey are threatened
that people have gathered together to
persecute them and they should be afraid
of them, but this only adds to their faith
THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE TEACHINGS OF ISLAM
Tere is a great diference
between human courage and
the courage of a wild beast.
12 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
and they say: Sufcient for us is Allah.
22

Tus their courage and bravery are not
like that of dogs and wild animals which
proceed from natural passions and are
only one-sided. Teir courage has two
aspects. Sometimes they contend out
of their personal courage against the
passions of their selves and overcome
them; and sometimes when they feel
that it is appropriate to fght against an
enemy they issue forth against him, not
out of any urge of a roused self but for
the support of truth. Tey do not depend
upon their selves but trust in God and
behave courageously. Tey do not issue
forth from their homes insolently and to
be seen of people.
23
Teir only purpose is
to win the pleasure of God.
Tese verses illustrate that true courage
derives from steadfastness. To be steadfast
against every personal passion or against
any calamity that attacks like an enemy
and not to run away out of cowardice
is true courage. Thus, there is a great
diference between human courage and
the courage of a wild beast. A wild animal
is moved only in one direction when
it is roused, but a man who possesses
true courage chooses confrontation
or non-resistance whichever might be
appropriate to the occasion.
ENDNOTES
1. and those who suppress anger and pardon
men (Ch.3:V.135)
2. And the recompense of an injury is an injury the
like thereof; but whoso forgives and his act brings
about reformation, his reward is with Allah...
(Ch.42:V.41)
3. Verily, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing
of good to others; and giving like kindred; and
forbids indecency, and manifest evil, and wrongful
transgression (Ch.16:V.91)
4. .render not vain your alms by taunt or injury...
(Ch.2:V.265)
5. O you who believe! Spend of the good things that
you have earned,and seek not what is bad to
spend out of it (Ch.2:V.268)
6. render not vain your alms by taunt and injury,
like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men
(Ch.2:V.265)
7. and do good; surely, Allah loves those who do
good. (Ch.2:V.196)
8. But the virtuous drink of a cup, tempered with
camphor a spring wherefrom the servants of
Allah drink. Tey make it gush forth a forceful
gushing forth. (Ch.76:Vs.6-7)
9. And they feed, for love of Him, the poor, the
orphan, and the prisoner, saying, We feed you
for Allahs pleasure only. We desire no reward nor
thanks from you. (Ch.76:Vs.9-10)
10. and spends his money for love of Him, on
the kindred and the orphans and the needy and the
wayfarer and those who ask for charity, and for
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 13
ransoming the captives (Ch.2:V.178)
11. when they spend, are neither extravagant
nor niggardly but moderate between the two;
(Ch.25:V.68)
12. And those who join what Allah has commanded
to be joined, and fear their Lord, and dread the evil
reckoning. (Ch.13:V.22)
13. And in their wealth was a share for one
who asked for help and for one who could not.
(Ch.51:V.20)
14. Tose who spend in prosperity and adversity
(Ch.3:V.135)
15. and spend out of that with which We have
provided them, secretly and openly (Ch.13:V.23)
16. Te alms are only for the poor and the needy,
and for those employed in connection therewith,
and for those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and
for the freeing of slaves, and for those in debt, and
for the cause of Allah, and for the wayfarer an
ordinance from Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing,
Wise. (Ch.9:V.60)
17. Never shall you attain to righteousness
unless you spend out of that which you love
(Ch.3:V.93)
18. And give you to the kinsman his due, and to
the poor and the wayfarer, and squander not thy
wealth extravagantly. (Ch.17:V.27)
19. and show kindness to parents, and to kindred,
and orphans, and the needy, and to the neighbour
that is a kinsman and the neighbour that is a
stranger, and the companion by your side, and the
wayfarer, and those whom your right hands possess.
Surely, Allah loves not the proud and the boastful;
Who are niggardly and enjoin people to be niggardly,
and conceal that which Allah has given them of His
bounty. (Ch.4:Vs.37-38)
20. and the patient in poverty and afictions
and the steadfast in time of war; (Ch.2:V.178)
21. And those who persevere in seeking the favour
of their Lord (Ch.13:V.23)
22. Tose to whom men said, People have mustered
against you, therefore fear them, but this only
increased their faith, and they said, Sufcient
for us is Allah, and an excellent Guardian is He.
(Ch.3:V.174)
23. And be not like those who came forth from
their homes boastfully, and to be seen of men
(Ch.8:V.48)
THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE TEACHINGS OF ISLAM
14 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
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Te Life and Character
of the Seal
of the Prophets
(saw)
PART 7
Hadhrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad
(ra)
Dar Arqam Te First Centre for the
Propagation of Islam
Perhaps during these days, the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
thought that a centre for
the propagation of Islam should be
established in Makkah, where Muslims
could gather without any hindrance to
ofer their prayers, etc., and where the
propagation of Islam could formally yet
quietly take place with peace and calm.
For this purpose, a location was required
that could serve as a headquarters.
Tus, the Holy Prophet
(saw)
selected the
house of a new Muslim named Arqam
bin Abi Arqam
(ra)
, situated at the foot
of Mount Safa. Tereafter, the Muslims
would gather here, and it was here that
they would ofer their Salat [Prayer]. It
is here that seekers of truth would come
and where the Holy Prophet
(saw)
would
preach the religion of Islam to them.
It was for this reason that this house
has found reverence in the history of
Islam, and is renowned by the name,
Dar-ul-Islam.
Te Holy Prophet
(saw)
worked in the Dar
Arqam for approximately three years. In
other words, the Prophet
(saw)
made it his
headquarters in the fourth year of his
prophethood and worked in it until the
end of his sixth year. Historians record
that the last person to accept Islam in the
Dar Arqam was Hadhrat Umar
(ra)
, the
acceptance of whom strengthened the
Muslims to the extent that they left the
Dar Arqam and began to preach openly.
1
Tose who accepted Islam in Dar Arqam
are counted amongst the pioneers.
Among these, the most renowned are:
Musab bin Umair
(ra)
, from the Banu
Abd al-Dar. He was very handsome
and striking and held very dear by his
family. Tis is the same young, noble
man who was sent as a missionary to
Continued serialisation of the English rendering of Hadhrat Mirza Bashir
Ahmad
(ra)
s outstanding biography, Seerat Khatamun Nabiyyin, on the life
and character of the Holy Prophet Muhammad
(saw)
. Tis section looks at how
preaching in Islam was initially organised by the Holy Prophet
(saw)
and the
ferce opposition he faced from the powerful Quraish
Historians record that
the last person to accept
Islam in the Dar Arqam
was Hadhrat Umar
(ra)
TRANSLATED FROM THE URDU
BY AYYAZ MAHMOOD KHAN
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 17
Yathrib [now Madinah] prior to the
migration and through whom Islam
spread in Madinah. Ten there was Zaid
bin Al-Khattab
(ra)
, the elder brother of
Hadhrat Umar
(ra)
. He was martyred in
the Battle of Yamamah after the death of
the Holy Prophet
(saw)
. Hadhrat Umar
(ra)

was very grieved by his demise. Hence,
during his reign as Caliph when some
person recited an elegy before him in
remembrance of his brother, he said,
If I could write such verses, I would also
have written an elegy in remembrance of
my brother. Tat person responded, O
Amirul-Muminin! [i.e. commander of
the faithful] Te blessed death endowed
to your brother is such that had my brother
received the like of it, I would never lament
or write an elegy for him. Te disposition
of Hadhrat Umar
(ra)
was very sagacious.
He responded, By God, the way you have
consoled me with this statement, none has
done the like of it. After that, he never
again expressed grief for his brothers
demise in this way.
2
Another individual to believe in this era
was Abdullah bin Umm Maktum
(ra)
who
THE LIFE & CHARACTER
OF THE SEAL OF THE PROPHETS
Tis speculation, however,
was completely false
and unfounded
18 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
was blind and was among the relatives
of Hadhrat Khadijah
(ra)
. There is an
interesting narration about him that once
when the Holy Prophet
(saw)
was fervently
preaching to an honoured chieftain
named Walid bin Mughirah, Abdullah
bin Umm Maktum
(ra)
quickly came to the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
and wanted to ask about
a religious matter. But in his eagerness,
he did not notice the gathering and the
task in which the Holy Prophet
(saw)
was
occupied, and ignored etiquettes of a
gathering of the Holy Prophet
(saw)
. Under
the circumstances, the Holy Prophet
(saw)

disliked his interruption, and his face
showed signs of displeasure. It was due
to the nobility of his character that the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
did not say anything
to him; rather, he turned away from
him and continued his discourse with
Walid. Abdullah bin Umm Maktum
(ra)

remained oblivious to his mistake, but
he was saddened by this inattention
and he thought that perhaps the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
preferred Walid, on account
of his highest status, over his modest
self. This speculation, however, was
completely false and unfounded, because
at the time, the question was not of rich
or poor, rather the Holy Prophet
(saw)
was
engaged in preaching to someone who
received little opportunity to listen to
such words, and bin Umm Maktum
(ra)

Panorama of the Holy Kaaba in Makkah
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 19
on the other hand had the luxury of his
company more often. For this reason, the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
did not desire giving
up such an opportunity and disliked
bin Umm Maktum
(ra)
s interruption,
which in fact was against the etiquette
of the gathering as well. Nonetheless,
the level of the noble character of the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
was such that when he
was informed of bin Umm Maktum
(ra)
s
heartfelt sadness and a Qur anic
revelation was also revealed regarding it,
the Holy Prophet
(saw)
greatly consoled
him and spread his blessed mantle, and
sat him upon it, as per the custom of the
Arabs [Ch.80:Vs.2-10].
Ten, among those who became Muslim
in that era was Jafar bin Abi Talib
(ra)

who was the biological brother of
Hadhrat Ali
(ra)
and was a close relative
of the Holy Prophet
(saw)
. With regards to
Hadhrat Jafar
(ra)
, historians write that he
greatly resembled the Holy Prophet
(saw)

in his physical attributes and character.
Ten there was Ammar bin Yasir
(ra)
who
was from the Muzhaj tribe and lived
in Makkah with his father Yasir
(ra)
and
mother Samiyyah
(ra)
. Then there was
Suhaib bin Sinan
(ra)
who was generally
known as Suhaib the Roman
(ra)
.
However, in actuality he was not Roman;
rather, when his father was sent by the
Sovereign of Iran as an employee, he was
captured by the Byzantines and made
a slave. For some time he remained
among them as a slave after which he
was fnally purchased by Abdullah bin
Jadan al-Quraishi, a Makkan chieftain,
and set free. When Suhaib
(ra)
became
Muslim the Holy Prophet
(saw)
said as a
positive presage, Tis is our frst Roman
fruit. Suhaib
(ra)
was such a devotee to
the company of the Holy Prophet
(saw)

that after the Prophet
(saw)
had migrated
to Madinah, he set out to migrate to
Madinah; when the Quraish stopped him
and said, You came unto us as a poor slave,
and now you have become rich in our midst;
thus, we shall not permit you to go. He
responded, Take the entirety of my wealth,
but let me go. Te Quraish permitted
him to leave on this condition. When
the Holy Prophet
(saw)
was informed of
this, with great happiness he remarked,
Suhaib has made a very benefcial trade
THE LIFE & CHARACTER
OF THE SEAL OF THE PROPHETS
Historians write that he
greatly resembled the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
in his physical
attributes and character.
20 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
indeed. When Hadhrat Umar
(ra)
was
fatally wounded during his caliphate, he
appointed Suhaib
(ra)
in his place (who was
present at the time) as the Imamus-Salat
[leader of the Congregational Prayer].
Therefore, it was Suhaib who led the
funeral prayer of Hadhrat Umar
(ra)
.
Perhaps during or around the same era,
Abu Musa al-Ashari
(ra)
also became
Muslim. Abu Musa
(ra)
lived in Yemen
and was astonishingly melodious. So
much so that in one instance the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
said, Abu Musa has received
a portion of Davids melody. Tis was the
same Abu Musa who was appointed an
arbitrator between Hadhrat Ali
(ra)
and
Amir Muawiyah during the caliphate of
Hadhrat Ali
(ra)
.
Opposition of the Quraish
and its Causes
As mentioned above, prior to the era of
entering the Dar Arqam, public preach-
ing had begun and the name of Islam
began to take on popularity in the streets
of Makkah. Until now the Quraish were
quiet to some extent, but now, even they
began to worry that perhaps this disease
would spread further, and the plant of
Islam might take frm root in Makkan
soil. For this reason, they turned their
attention to Islam and attempted to halt
its propagation forcefully. What were the
causes of this opposition? We need not
write too much in this regard, for all
divine religions established in the world
face opposition, the reason being that
such religions unquestionably possess
attributes as are unknown to the people
of that time. Actually, these attributes are
taken by the existing society an inevitable
death for their current habits, beliefs and
ideologies. In actuality, the rise of proph-
ets occurs in such eras when the people
of the world have strayed from the path
upon which Allah the Exalted wished
that they tread, and they consider their
current false path to be the correct one.
As such, whenever a new prophet comes,
and invites people to the right path, the
world rejects his invitation, thinking
it fctitious, and prepares to oppose it.
Hence, Allah the Exalted states in the
Holy Quran:
Alas for mankind! There comes not a
Tis was the same Abu
Musa who was appointed an
arbitrator between Hadhrat
Ali
(ra)
and Amir Muawiyah
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 21
messenger to them but they mock at him
[Ch.36:V.31]
Ten, the strange thing is that it is usually
those who are considered of high status
that tend to be the most fervent in
opposition. Tus, Allah the Exalted says:
Te custom of Allah is that in every town it
is the great ones who break ties with Allah,
in opposition of the Messenger, and become
the instigators of disorder and corruption.
[Ch.6:V.124]
Tus, when Abraham
(as)
was sent, the
distinguished people of his nation took
hold of him and cast him into a fire.
When Moses
(as)
came, he was also made
to confront violence and contention from
the most powerful of his people. When
the Messiah
(as)
s turn came, the scholars of
his nation and Pharisees put him on the
cross. When Krishna
(as)
was sent to India,
his nation stood up to annihilate him.
Would then the chief of the prophets
be exempt from this custom? Rather,
his opposition was to be proportionally
equivalent to the magnitude of his
mission. Since the Holy Prophet
(saw)

was raised in an era when darkness was
especially prevalent and it was inevitable
that upon the advent of light, the armies
of darkness would contend their utmost;
so it happened as such in comparison
to all the prophets of the past, the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
was faced with the most
opposition. Te primary causes as they
appear for this opposition are as follows:
1. The people of the Quraish were
idolaters of the highest degree. The
honour and love of idols had become
so impressed in their hearts that to hear
even a word against them was unbearable.
Tese wrongdoers had placed hundreds
of idols in the Kabah, which had been
built for the worship of Allah the Exalted
alone. Tey would turn to these idols for
all their needs. When Islam came, its
principle foundation was the unity of
God; its clear commandment was not to
bow ones head before any human, tree,
rock or star, etc., rather:
Prostrate thyselves before that Being alone
[Allah], who hath created them.
[Ch.41:V.38]
THE LIFE & CHARACTER
OF THE SEAL OF THE PROPHETS
His opposition was to be
proportionally equivalent to
the magnitude of his mission.
22 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
Furthermore, the words used to describe
the idols of the Quraish in the Holy
Quran appeared to the Quraish very
insulting, for they were declared the fuel
of hell. For example, it is mentioned:
O Ye People! Surely you and your idols
which you worship are the fuel of Hell.
[Ch.21:V.99]
These statements emblazoned a fire
among the Quraish, and they stood up
united to obliterate Islam.
2. With the exception of idolatry, the
customs and morals of the Arabs have
been mentioned in the beginning of
this book. Te arena of adultery, alcohol,
gambling, pillaging, murder, and unlawful
gains was ever rampant. Islam, on the
other hand, condemned such things.
As such, by accepting Islam, they were
compelled to adopt a new way of life, and
the Quraish were not prepared for this
in the least. Similar was the case with
ritualism, which had become part of the
Arab religion. Islam, on the other hand,
prohibited and crushed all vile, immoral,
and irreligious rituals.
3. To honour the traditions of their
ancestors and follow them, whether right
or wrong, was a part of the Arab religion.
For this reason, they insisted:
Nay, we will follow that wherein we found
our fathers.
[Ch.2:V.171]
However, Islam declared God-given
intellect an arbitrator between truth
and falsehood, and with regards to their
idolatrous ancestors, it clearly said:
Shall they then follow their fathers, even
if they had no sense at all and no guidance?
[Ch.2:V.171]
4. The Quraish were a very arrogant
people. These people thought of no
one like unto themselves. As far as
slaves were concerned, they especially
desired to debase them and keep them
downtrodden. In stark contrast, with
respect to rights, Islam dispelled all
such distinctions, developed a universal
Te arena of adultery,
alcohol, gambling, pillaging,
murder, and unlawful
gains was ever rampant.
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 23
brotherhood, and brought both master
and slave in the same row before God
the Almighty. For the chieftains of the
Quraish, this was no less than a cup of
death.
5. Many people of infuence and wealth
existed among the Quraish. Despite the
fact that the Holy Prophet
(saw)
belonged
to a noble dynasty, he possessed neither.
In other words, due to his reclusive
disposition, he was not among the
chieftains of the Quraish, nor was he
distinct in terms of his money and
wealth. In this case, to act in obedience
to the Holy Prophet
(saw)
, for the leaders
of the Quraish, was a sacrifce of such
magnitude as they were not at all ready
to make. It is for this reason that they
would say:
Why has not this Quran been sent down to
some great man of Makkah or Taif ?
[Ch.43:V.32]
6. In addition to these causes, another
reason was that between the various
tribes of the Quraish, there existed
extreme hostility and enmity. As such the
remaining tribes were in no way prepared
to accept the superiority of the tribe of
the Holy Prophet
(saw)
over their own. Te
tribes of the Banu Umaiyyah and Banu
Makhzum particularly harboured great
enmity against the Banu Hashim. For
this reason, these two tribes were most
fervent in their opposition to Islam.
ENDNOTES
1. * Sharhul-Allamatiz-Zarqani alal-
Mawahibil-Ladunniyyah, by Muhammad bin
Abdul-Baqi Az-Zarqani, Volume 2, pp. 8-9,
Babu Islamil-Faruq
(ra)
, Darul-Kutubil-Ilmayyah,
Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) *
Tarikhul-Khamis, by Husain bin Muhammad
bin Hasan Dyar Bakri, Part 1, p. 296, Dhikru
Islami Umarra, Muwassasatu Shaban, Beirut
2. Usdul-Ghabah, Vol.2, pp. 146-147, Babu
Zaid bin Al-Khattab, Darul-Fikr, Beirut (2003)
3. * Al-Kamilu ft-Tarikh, by Imam Izz-ud-Din
ibnil-Athir, Vol.1, pp. 667-673, Babu Dhikril-
Mustahziina wa man kana Ashaddul-Adha
lin-Nabisa, Darul-Kutubil-Arabi, Beirut, First
Edition (1998)
* Sharhul-Allamatiz-Zarqani alal-Mawahibil-
Ladunniyyah, By Muhammad bin Abdul-Baqi
THE LIFE & CHARACTER
OF THE SEAL OF THE PROPHETS
Te remaining tribes
were in no way prepared
to accept the superiority
of the tribe of the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
over their own.
24 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
Az-Zarqani, Vol.1, pp. 462-473, Babu Dhikri
Awwalu man Amana billahi wa Rasulihi, Vol.1,
pp. 462-473, Darul-Kutubil-Ilmiyyah, Beirut,
Lebanon, First Edition (1996)
NOTE ABOUT REFERENCES
Verse references to the Holy Quran
count Bismillah (In the Name
of Allah) as the frst verse of each
Chapter. In some non-standard texts,
this is not counted. Should the reader
refer to such texts, the verse quoted in
Te 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,
(saw) or saw after the words, Holy
Prophet, or the name Muhammad,
are used normally in small letters.
Tey 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. Te abbreviation ra or (ra)
stands for Radhiallahu Taala 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, ru or (ru) for
Rahemahullahu Taala 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.
DR MIRZA SULTAN AHMAD, RABWAH, PAKISTAN
Who was the
Prophet Promised
in Deuteronomy?
FINAL PART
Now, we come to the second aspect of
the prophecy that the promised prophet
would resemble Moses
(as)
. In his book,
the Pope has rightfully pointed out that;
Te object of this promise is not a king
of Israel and king of the world a new
David, in other words but a new Moses.
From this it appears that this prophecy
contained a promise of a prophet like
Moses
(as)
, not of a prophet like David
(as)
.
But how do we determine whether
Jesus
(as)
resembled Moses
(as)
or David
(as)
?
Te Pope has written in the foreword of
the book that; Te main implication of
this for my portrayal of Jesus is that I
trust the Gospels.
1

So, let us consult the Gospels. Te Gospel
of Luke tells us that before the birth of
Jesus
(as)
, the Angel Gabriel gave this glad
tiding to Mary about him:
And behold you will conceive in your womb
and bring forth a son, and shall call His
name Jesus. He will be great, and will be
called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord
Deuteronomy or Devarim
is the ffth of the fve
books of the Torah
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 27
God will give him the throne of His father
David.
2
So, it was destined that the coming
Messiah would resemble David
(as)
,
and would inherit his spiritual throne.
Like David
(as)
, the Messiah would not
introduce a new law but clarify the law
given to Moses
(as)
. But the book Jesus
of Nazareth states that the prophecy
narrated in the book of Deuteronomy
is not about a new David
(as)
, but about
a new Moses
(as)
. This can only lead
to one conclusion. The prophecy in
Deuteronomy is not about Jesus
(as)

because it speaks of a prophet who would
resemble Moses
(as)
, whereas, according to
the above quotation, Jesus
(as)
is deemed
to resemble David
(as)
.
WHO WAS THE PROPHET PROMISED
IN DEUTERONOMY?
Mount of Olives, 1899, where David
(as)

is mentioned to have ascended in
II Samuel 15:30. According to the
Gospel of Luke, Jesus
(as)
is deemed to
resemble David
(as)
, and not Moses
(as)
.
28 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
When Jesus
(as)
started his mission, the
people of Israel were excited, since they
were eagerly waiting for the kingdom
of David
(as)
to be restored. Tey thought
that the deliverer they awaited would free
them from Roman subjugation, and that
their past glory would be restored. When
many of these people saw Jesus
(as)
, they
thought that their deliverer had come and
a new David
(as)
had appeared. Tis is why
when many amongst the multitude saw
him, they cried out that here was the Son
of David (See Matthew 21:9). Of course,
whilst the masses might call Jesus
(as)
the
Son of David, did Jesus
(as)
himself ever
confrm that he was, in fact, like David
(as)
?
To answer this question, we will have to
follow the story of Jesus life when he
entered Jerusalem for the last time. Te
Gospel of Matthew narrates that Jesus
(as)

went to the Temple and overturned
the tables of the moneychangers, and
healed the blind and the lame that came
to him. At that time, children present
in the Temple cried out in excitement,
Hosana to the Son of David. Tese inno-
cent words of the children were too much
for the chief priests and the scribes. Tey
found it hard to conceal their jealousy,
and said to Jesus
(as)
, Do you hear what
these are saying? Jesus
(as)
replied: Yes.
Have you ever readOut of the month
of the babes and nursing infantsyou
have perfected faith? (Matthew 21:16).
He was, of course, referring to the verses
of Psalm 8.
When Jesus
(as)
started preaching, people
speculated about his role. Indeed, the
Gospel of John tells us that these theories
started when Jesus
(as)
was a baby. When
John the Baptist
(as)
baptised Jesus
(as)
, he
said, Behold! Te Lamb of God who
takes away the sins of the world! Some
of the disciples of John started following
Jesus
(as)
. One of them Andrew, told
his brother that he had discovered the
Messiah. On the other hand, Philip
had a diferent opinion; and he told his
brother Nathaniel that; We have found
Him of Moses in the law, and also the
prophets wrote Jesus of Nazareth.
3

But, Jesus
(as)
was not present to either
confrm or reject their theories. Jesus
(as)

was aware of these rumours. Mark tells
us that when he and his disciples were
Te prophecy in Deuteronomy
is not about Jesus
(as)
because
it speaks of a prophet who
would resemble Moses
(as)

JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 29
on the road whilst going to the towns
of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus
(as)
asked his
disciples, Who do men say that I am?
Tey answered, John the Baptist; but
some say Elijah (Elias); and others, one
of the prophets. Jesus asked them, Who
do you say I am? Peter was the one who
answered and said that he was the Christ.
Jesus
(as)
did not say that his answer was
wrong, but he strictly told them not
to tell anybody about him.
4
Luke also
narrates a similar incident.
5
But it is
worth noting that when Philip called
him the prophet promised by Moses
(as)
,
Jesus
(as)
was not present and that Philip
had not yet himself heard the preaching
of Jesus
(as)
. But when the children in
the Temple called him Son of David,
these remarks were quickly confrmed
by him. In other words, Jesus
(as)
himself
only confrmed comparisons to David
(as)
.
Indeed, most of the comparisons above
are not, in fact, to Moses
(as)
.
The third important aspect of the
prophecy is that this prophet would be
from among the brethren of Israel. When
Moses
(as)
narrated the prophecy in his
own words, he told his people that this
prophet would arise, from among you,
from your brethren, but when he quoted
the exact words of God, he said that this
prophet from among their brethren.
So what does the phrase, from among
their brethren mean? Christians claim
that this means that the prophet would
arise from among the tribes of Israel.
Muslims, on the other hand, maintain
that this phrase clearly indicates that this
prophet would be born of the progeny
of Ishmael
(as).
Since Ishmael
(as)
was
the brother of Isaac
(as)
, the progeny of
Ishmael
(as)
are brothers to the tribes of
Israel. Tis may be a matter of opinion for
some and a matter of faith for others, but
let us see how Pope Benedict XVI has
dealt with this particular point. While
discussing that the promised one would
arise from Israel on page 3 of his book,
the Pope has quoted this part of the
prophecy in a strange way. He writes:
It does this in the form of a promise.
Te Lord your God will raise up for you a
prophet like me from among you him you
shall heed. (Deut.18:15). At frst glance it
seems to be no more than a declaration
Jesus
(as)
did not say that his
answer was wrong, but
he strictly told them not to
tell anybody about him
WHO WAS THE PROPHET PROMISED
IN DEUTERONOMY?
30 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
that God will establish the Prophetic
ofce in Israel
6
Here the ellipsis () used at times
to skip over irrelevant passages in a
longer quote, replaces the words from
thy brethren. This is odd, because the
phrase is not irrelevant; in fact, it is
of key importance to understanding
the prophecy. Secondly, the quote is
not lengthy and it does seem rather
unnecessary to replace three little words
with an ellipsis. Te author may have
interpreted the words, from thy brethren
as he understands, but the Pope should
not have deleted these crucial words
when quoting the prophecy. It would
have been more appropriate and just,
to let the reader of the book read the
full text of the prophecy and make his
own judgment about the interpretation
of the author (see Te Review of Religions
December 2010, for a detailed discussion
on the positions of Ishmael
(as)
and Isaac
(as)

as sons of Abraham
(as)
and true brethren
of the Israelites Ed).
Now we come to another important
point of the prophecy. God told Moses
(as)

that He will put my words in his mouth;
and he shall speak unto them all that I shall
command him. Obviously, this meant that
this prophet would convey to mankind
the exact words which God revealed to
him. Also, through him people would
have the good fortune of listening to the
very words of God.
Did Jesus
(as)
pass on the exact words
of God to his followers? When we
go through the four Gospels we fnd
sermons, parables, and the story of Jesus
life. However, according to the Gospels,
Jesus
(as)
did not convey the exact words
of God to mankind. Once again, Jesus
(as)

does not fulfl this particular aspect of
the prophecy. Moreover, God told us
about this Prophet that, He shall speak
unto them all I shall command. To judge
whether the personality of Jesus
(as)
fulfls
this aspect, let us trust the Gospels and
listen to what Jesus
(as)
himself said about
this. Just before his arrest and crucifxion,
he told his disciples, I still have many
things to say to you, but you cannot bear
them now. However, when he the spirit
Once again, Jesus
(as)
does
not fulfl this particular
aspect of the prophecy.
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 31
of truth has come, He will guide you into
all truth for the shall not speak of himself,
but whatsoever he shall hear, that he shall
speak; and he will show you things to come
( John 16:12-13)
Here Jesus
(as)
himself admits that he is
not the one who was destined to pass
on all that God told him. As said before,
Pope Benedict XVI has not quoted the
full text of this prophecy in his book. It
is evident why the author did not feel
comfortable about quoting the full text
of the prophecy. After all, the details of
the prophecy go against his conclusion.
But again, he should present his readers
with the whole truth and let them decide.
But what if someone pretends to be
the one promised by God? How can
we ascertain the truth of this claim? In
Deuteronomy 18:20, God has given us
the criterion by which to judge. We are
told that such a pretender shall incur
Divine wrath, and meet with death and
defeat. In fact, such a pretender will be
killed. But Christians themselves admit
that Jesus
(as)
was successfully crucifed
and died an accursed death. So, this again
leads us to the conclusion that, according
to Christian belief, Jesus
(as)
cannot be the
prophet promised in Deuteronomy.
Usually the following reference from
the Gospel of John is quoted by some
Christian authors to support their claim.
Jesus
(as)
said:
Do not think that I shall accuse to the father;
there is one who accuses you Moses in
whom you trust. For if you believed Moses,
you would believe Me, for he wrote about
Me. ( John, 5:45-46).
But here there is only a vague reference
to a prophecy by Moses
(as)
. It does
not specify which prophecy is being
mentioned. Furthermore, Christian
authors quote many other prophecies
from the Pentateuch about Jesus
(as)
, but
cannot prove that the Jews of Jesus
time understood the same verses in the
manner that present day Christians
interpret them.
Tere are many Jewish commentators,
such as Ibn Ezra (1089-1164), who have
WHO WAS THE PROPHET PROMISED
IN DEUTERONOMY?
Tis again leads us to the
conclusion that, according
to Christian belief, Jesus
(as)

cannot be the prophet
promised in Deuteronomy.
32 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
Hebrew Bible with Aramaic Targum from the
frst half of the 11th century, found in Iraq.
Most scholars place the composition of the
Book of Deuteronomy around 640-650 B.C.,
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 33
claimed that this prophecy of Moses
(as)

was fulflled in Joshua
(as)
. But here we face
another obvious ambiguity. Te book of
Deuteronomy was written when Joshua
(as)

had already taken over the leadership of
Israel. Deuteronomy 34:9 describes the
events after the death of Moses
(as)
in the
plains of Moab:
Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the
spirit of wisdom, for Moses has laid his
hands on him: so the children of Israel heeded
him, and did as the Lord had commanded
Moses.
We can safely conclude that at the
earliest, the Book of Deuteronomy was
compiled in the early part of Joshuas
reign. In fact, most scholars place its
composition around 640-650 B.C.,
several centuries after Joshua
(as)
. So
while this verse describes the Divinely-
ordained leadership of Joshua
(as)
, the next
verse makes it clear that Joshua
(as)
was
not the deliverer promised by God in
Deuteronomy 34:10. Here, we read:
But since then there has not arisen in Israel
a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew
face to face.
Tis makes it clear that the fulflment
of the prophecy about a prophet like
Moses
(as)
lies in the future, that is, after
Joshuas time.
As mentioned before, Muslims claim
that Muhammad the Holy Prophet
of Islam
(saw)
was the prophet like unto
Moses
(as)
promised in the Deuteronomy
prophecy. First of all, let us ascertain
whether the Quran declares the Holy
Prophet of Islam
(saw)
to be a prophet like
Moses
(as)
or not. Surah Al-Muzzammil
states:
Verily We have sent to you a Messenger,
who is a witness over you, even as we sent
a messenger to Pharaoh. (Ch.73:V.16)
Moreover, Surah Al Araf refers to the
followers of the Holy Prophet
(saw)
as:
Tose who follow the Messenger, the Prophet,
the Ummi (Immaculate one) whom they
fnd mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel
WHO WAS THE PROPHET PROMISED
IN DEUTERONOMY?
Tis again leads us to the
conclusion that, according
to Christian belief, Jesus
(as)

cannot be the prophet
promised in Deuteronomy.
34 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
which are with them (Ch.7:V.158)
Muslims claim that Muhammad
(saw)
is
referred to in Genesis 12:2-3; 17:4; 21:13,
21:18, 25:13,; in Deuteronomy 18:18,
33:1-3, Psalms 84:4-6, Habakkuk 3:3,
Isaiah 21:13-17; 28:10-11; 42:1-13 and
as the Paraclete in John 16:13 and John
14:26.
Te Holy Prophet
(saw)
mentioned this to
the Jews of his time. After migrating to
Madinah, the Holy Prophet
(saw)
wrote
a letter to the Jews of Khaibar in the
following terms:
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful. From Muhammad the Apostle of
God, Friend and Brother of Moses, who
confrms what Moses brought. God says to
you, O People of the Book; you will fnd it
in your scripture: Muhammad is the apostle
of God
7
So the Quran declares that the Prophet
Muhammad
(saw)
is the prophet like
Moses
(as)
, and that his advent was foretold
in the Torah. Also, the Holy Prophet
(saw)

himself claimed to be a brother and
friend of Moses
(as)
, whose coming was
foretold by Moses
(as)
.
Tis is not a mere claim. Everyone can see
the resemblance between Moses
(as)
and
the Holy Prophet of Islam
(saw)
. Amongst
some of the many similarities:
-Both Moses
(as)
and the Holy Prophet
(saw)

were Law-bearing prophets.
-Both were given revealed Books, namely,
the Torah and the Quran.
-Both prophets had to migrate under
most dangerous circumstances and were
pursued -during their migration.
-Both prophets had to fght battles.
Hence, the question arises as to what is
meant by the phrase from thy brethren.
Who are the brethren of the Children
of Israel? The Muslim world claims
that it meant the prophet will be born
from among the progeny of Ishmael
(as)
.
If this prophet was destined to be born
from among the children of Israel, then
it would have sufced to have used the
phrase from among you; there was no
Tis makes it clear that the
fulflment of the prophecy
about a prophet like Moses
(as)
lies in the future, that
is, after Joshuas time.
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 35
need to add the words from thy brethren.
Christian and Jewish commentators have
always maintained that, for the purposes
of this prophecy, the descendants of
Ishmael
(as)
cannot be considered the
brethren of the children of Israel. Tey
claim that the prophecy clearly means
that this prophet would be born amongst
the tribes of Israel. In order to interpret
a Biblical prophecy, we should find
guidance in the Bible itself. In the book
of Numbers, we find an interesting
narration about the encounter between
Israel and the Edomites. Te Edomites
were descendants of Esau, the brother
of Jacob
(as)
. We read in Chapter 20 that
Moses
(as)
sent a message from Kadesh, a
city at the edge of Edom, to the King
of Edom. Tis message began with the
words, Tus says your brother Israel
If the descendants of Jacob
(as)
can be
called brothers of the progeny of Esau,
because Jacob
(as)
and Esau were brothers,
there is no reason why the progenies
of Isaac
(as)
and Ishmael
(as)
cannot be
considered brethren to one another.
Ishmael
(as)
and Isaac
(as)
were both sons
of Abraham
(as)
, and thus were brothers.
Furthermore, in the Bible the word
brother is not only confned to blood
relations; it also includes the defnition of
being a compatriot or ally (See 2 Samuel
1:26, 1 Kings 9:13).
In the prophecy we are told that God
will put His words in the mouth of this
prophet, and he will convey all that is
revealed to him to mankind. Te Quran
is exactly such a book. It contains the
exact words of God. On the other hand,
none of the four Gospels or even Gospels
of Apocrypha, are the exact words of
Gods revelation.
Some Christian authors when confronted
with this question, take refuge in the
objection that the entire Quran was
revealed through the medium of the
Angel Gabriel, and that this proves that
the Prophet Muhammad
(saw)
did not
speak to God directly, and that he is not
the prophet promised by God.
But this objection does not hold water.
Firstly, if God sends His revelation to
WHO WAS THE PROPHET PROMISED
IN DEUTERONOMY?
In order to interpret a Biblical
prophecy, we should fnd
guidance in the Bible itself.
36 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
a prophet through an angel, does not
this mean that God has put His words
in the mouth of that prophet? Sahih
Bukhari the most authentic of the
books of the traditions (Ahadith) of the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
states in its very frst
chapter that not all of the revelations
received by the Holy Prophet
(saw)
were
through the Angel Gabriel
8
.
In the Holy Quran God commanded
the Holy Prophet
(saw)
, to Recite that which
has been revealed to thee of the Book
(Ch.29:V.46)
Ten in Surah Al Maidah God instructed
the Holy Prophet of Islam
(saw)
:
O Messenger convey to the people what has
been revealed to thee from thy Lord; and if
thou do it not, thou has not conveyed His
Message at all (Ch.5:V.68)
In these two verses we see the instruc-
tion according to the prophecy in
Deuteronomy Ch.18:V.18, that God
would put His words into the mouth of
the prophet, and he would speak unto
them all that he had been commanded
by God. The Holy Quran is a proof
that the Holy Prophet
(saw)
did as he was
commanded. On the other hand, when
we go through the Gospels we do not
see the commandments or revelation of
God being conveyed to mankind. On the
contrary, we read such statements as the
following admission from Jesus
(as)
:
I still have many things to say but you
cannot bear them now, but when the spirit
of truth will come he will guide you to the
complete truth. ( John 16:12-13)
The Ahadith (books of traditions and
sayings of the Holy Prophet of Islam
(saw)
,
recorded faithfully by his Companions
and those who were their descendants),
also proves that whenever the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
was asked anything by his
Companions, he would pause a while,
often waiting for God to put words in
his mouth, and would then speak and
would repeat whatever he had said
three times. So it is evident that the
Holy Prophet
(saw)
only spoke whatever
he was commanded to do, and many of
We are told that God will
put His words in the mouth
of this prophet, and he will
convey all that is revealed
to him to mankind.
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 37
his words and certainly all his revelations
were recorded in his lifetime. Conversely,
many Christians admit that in the case
of Jesus
(as)
, what he said or did cannot
always be verifed.
Now the question arises, what if an
impostor claims to be the prophet prom-
ised in Deuteronomy? What will the
criterion be for determining his false-
hood? As it turns out, the last part of
the prophecy provides the answer. Such
a pretender would incur Gods Divine
Wrath and would meet with death and
defeat, whilst a true prophet would be
saved by God. Tis is the reason why
God promised the Holy Prophet
(saw)
:
O Messenger! convey to the people what has
been revealed to thee from thy Lord; and if
thou do it not, thou has not conveyed His
message at all. And Allah will protect thee
from men(Ch.5:V.68)
Whilst the enemy tried to murder the
Prophet
(saw)
many times, each time he
was miraculously saved by God. The
Jews of that time were very much aware
of this part of the prophecy, and many
of them began to admit that perhaps
Muhammad
(saw)
was the prophet they
had been awaiting. Tough some pious
Jewish scholars accepted Islam, most of
them were obstinate and opposed him
in every manner. Many a time the Jews
made collective or individual efforts
to murder the Holy Prophet
(saw)
. Even
when they had signed a treaty with the
Muslims, one of the Jews of the Banu
Nadir tribe of Madinah Amr bin Jihas
connived with his comrades, to throw
a stone at the Holy Prophet
(saw)
, whilst
he was staying as a guest in one of their
houses
9
. When the Jews of Khaibar were
defeated in war, one of their women
Zaynab, daughter of Harith tried to
poison him
10
. Aside from these incidents,
the Jews of Madinah also tried several
times to encourage the enemies of Islam
in Makkah to attack Madinah. One of the
possible reasons behind these repeated
attempts was that many among them had
begun to admit that Muhammad
(saw)
was
the prophet promised in their scriptures.
However, if they succeeded in murdering
him, they could claim that he was an
impostor, and that the prophecy which
stated that any pretender would die
would be fulflled in this way. But each
time God miraculously saved the Holy
Prophet
(saw)
.
Of course, everyone is free to hold an
opinion about this prophecy. Since
ancient times there have been lively
debates about such issues that is the
WHO WAS THE PROPHET PROMISED
IN DEUTERONOMY?
38 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
beauty of the intellectual arena. But while
arguing in favour of ones conclusion,
each writer should make an effort to
present all the necessary facts before
the readers, so that they are in a better
position to form an independent opinion.
ENDNOTES
1. ibid, p.xxi
2. Luke, Ch.1:Vs.31-32
3. John, Ch.1:Vs.41-45
4. Mark, Ch.8:Vs.27-30
5. Luke, Ch.9:Vs.18-21
6. Ratzinger, Joseph, Jesus of Nazareth,
Bloomsbury, London. Berlin. New York. 2008.
p.3
7. Ibn e Ishaq (English translation by
A. Guillaume), Sirat Rasul Allah, Oxford
University Press, Karachi, 17
th
Impression, 2004,
p.256
8. Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Bida ul Wahi; Ch.1,
Hadith No.2
9. Ibn e Ishaq (English translation by
A. Guillaume), Sirat Rasul Allah, Oxford
University Press, Karachi, 17
th
Impression, 2004,
p.265
10. ibid, p.516
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 39
Apostles of God claim to believe in
God. Saints too make a similar claim.
Ordinary believers also appear to be quite
certain about their beliefs. Agnostics on
the other hand, admit candidly that they
do not know whether God exists or not,
SAYED HAMEEDULLAH NUSRAT PASHA RABWAH, PAKISTAN
Faith and
Certitude
At this point, he has perceived
the attributes of the fames
of fre by means of not just
one, but all of his senses
40 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
while atheists deny outright the existence
of God. So, there is a whole spectrum
of people who represent diferent levels
of faith and certitude regarding the
existence of God. Te relevance of the
issue of certainty pertaining to God lies
in the fact that the level of this certainty
happens to infuence both our standard
of worship as well as our conduct in a
very profound way.
Certainty regarding any entity, be it the
Being of God or any material existence,
begins at the level of logical deduction.
Te next level up is direct perception.
Te next level, further up, is the level of
complete personal engagement.
The human mind is gifted with the
faculty of drawing logical conclusions
by applying rationality to available
information and established facts. With
this faculty, the human mind can draw
conclusions that are logically acceptable.
The common adage where there is
smoke there is fre, encapsulates this
idea. Given that the existence, form and
properties of fre are already within the
realm of ones knowledge, one becomes
capable of deducing that there is fire
when seeing its properties smoke
being one of them. Te sight of smoke
will lead any rational mind to deduce the
presence of fre because of the prevalent
knowledge; where there is smoke there
is fre. Only if a person knows that fre
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 41
produces smoke will he infer the presence
of fre when seeing smoke. Hence, the
precondition to such certainty would
be Knowledge. The Arabic term for
knowledge is Ilmand the Arabic for
certitude is Yaqeen. Tus, the Arabic
term employed by the Holy Quran for
Certainty based upon Knowledge is
FAITH AND CERTITUDE
A higher appreciation would
logically involve perception
through all his senses
42 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
Ilm ul Yaqeen.
We read in the Quran, ...If only you
knew with certainty based on knowledge
(Ch.102:V.6). At the level of Ilm ul
Yaqeen,the believer and seeker of God
believes in God not on account of having
directly perceived His Being, but by virtue
of deducing from facts that lie within the
bounds of his knowledge. Essentially, he
believes in the Unseen, for which the
term Imaan bil Ghaib, meaning belief in
the Unseen is used. Although the seeker
has not yet perceived God, the God-
shaped vacuum in his heart that keeps
him restless, the abundance of reliable
testimony in favour of God given by
a huge number of truthful and noble
people, the very existence and perfection
of the orderly Universe, the acceptance of
his prayers in moments of distress and the
transfer of knowledge of the unseen from
an Unperceivable Source to mortals like
himself, lead him to deduce the existence
of God. He has not seen the fre itself, but
having witnessed the smoke, he is led to
infer that there indeed should be a fre.
Carrying on with the adagewhere there
is smoke there is fre, a higher level of
appreciation of the existence of fre would
understandably be based upon direct
observation. This level of certainty is
associated with direct perception instead
of logical deduction. Once someone has
actually seen the fames of the fre, he
no longer relies on inferring the presence
of these flames from the smoke they
produce. He now sees the fre directly.
Te smoke may still be there, but it is
no longer required as proof of the fre.
Te Arabic term for the eye is Ainand
hence, the Arabic for Certitude based
upon observation is Ain ul Yaqeen.
We read in the Quran, ...You will
surely see it with the eye of certainty
(Ch.102:V.8]. This verse draws our
attention to the fact that at the level
of Ain ul Yaqeen, the believer believes
in God, by what could be fguratively
termed as the direct perception of God.
For the human being, whose physical
senses respond only to material stimuli,
perception of God obviously does not
mean a physical encounter with the Being
of God. Beholding the Countenance of
Only if a person knows
that fre produces smoke
will he infer the presence
of fre when seeing smoke.
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 43
God can only mean being a witness to
overt manifestations of His Divinity.
Tese manifestations include miraculous
acceptance of prayers and Divine
communion. Te believers supplications
begin to meet with generous acceptance.
When he prays for something, he fnds
Divine grace favourably inclined towards
his prayer. Te believer also begins to
experience true dreams, dreams that are
completely fulflled, as well as visions
and precisely-worded verbal revelations,
during the state ofwakefulness. When
these encounters become frequent and
abundant, it is then that the human soul
fguratively beholds the spiritual face of
God. Hence at this level of certitude,
thebeliever relies no longer on logical
deductions, regarding the existence of
God. At this level, it is as if he has seen
God with his own eyes.Although the
state of Imaan Bil Ghaib, or Belief in the
Unseen continues, the believer becomes
much more acquainted with the realm
of Ghaib or the Unseen, than he was
at the level of Ilm ul Yaqeen. Reverting
to the analogy of the fames of fre, we
can appreciate that at the level of Ilm
ul Yaqeen, the seeker has fnally seen the
flames. The logic based on the adage
where there is smoke, there is fre, at
this level, is of little relevance beyond
being an axiom. Te seeker of God, at
this point, has in a fgurative sense, seen
God.
Continuing with the analogy of the mans
journey towards the fames of fre, and his
gradually increasing certainty regarding
the existence of these fames, we should
now proceed to examine the highest level
of certainty that man can attain, be it with
regard to the glowing fames of fre in the
scenario being discussed, or of course the
very Being of God. When the man who
in search of fre, witnesses the fames, he
attains a level of perception that involves
one of his five senses, in this case
sight. Tus, a higher appreciation would
logically involve perception through all
his senses. Tis is not to suggest that the
seeker of the fames would necessarily
need to burn himself to ashes to attain
this level of appreciation, but to propose
that the highest level of appreciation
would indeed summon all fve senses. Let
us assume that our protagonist continues
FAITH AND CERTITUDE
When the man who in search
of fre, witnesses the fames, he
attains a level of perception
that involves one of his fve
senses, in this case sight.
44 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
to walk in the direction of the fames,
which he has alreadyperceivedwith his
eyes, and finally lands himself inside
the ring of the fre. At this point, he has
perceived the attributes of the fames of
fre by means of not just one, but all of
his senses. Applying this analogy to the
seeker of God, we can say that when the
seeker fnally perceives the Attributes of
God, by means of a maximal involvement
of his senses, both physical and spiritual,
it is then that he attains the highest level
of certitude regarding God. It is then that
he can be said to have reached the level of
Haqq ul Yaqeen. Te Arabic for Absolute
Truth is Haqq. Te Arabic for certainty
as we have already discussed, is Yaqeen.
Hence, the term Haqq ul Yaqeenwould
signify the level of perfect certainty about
God.
We read in the Quran, ...Verily, this is
perfect certainty (Ch.56:V.96). At this
stage, thebeliever believes God because
he has perceived the Attributes of God
in a more complete manner, as if all
modes of perception available to him
had come into direct contact with the
beauty and glory of God. At this stage,
the believer is blessed with an even
greater abundance of Divine revelation.
At this stage, the seekers prayers are
so copiously accepted and answered,
that each prayer becomes a miracle in
itself.Prophets and saints of God dwell
in this exalted state of certainty. Tis is
the highest level of faith and certitude.
Tis intriguing and profound theme has
been dealt with in absorbing detail by
the Promised Messiah
(as)
in his historical
treatise Haqeeqat-ul Wahy, in which he
writes:
...God, Who isBenefcentand Merciful, has
implanted in the human soul a thirst for
knowing God. Similarly, He has blessed the
human nature with two sets of faculties to
enable man to attain perfect enlightenment
the intellectual faculties whose seat is the
brain and the spiritual faculties whose
seat is the heart. Te spiritual faculties are
subject to the purifcation of the heart. Te
spiritual faculties tend to reach and discover
such truths as cannot be wholly accessible to
mans intellectual faculties...
1

ENDNOTES
1. Haqeeqatul Wahy, p.6, in Ruhani Khazain,
vol.22, p.8
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 45
Why I Believe
in Islam
HADHRAT MIRZA BASHIR-UD-DIN MAHMUD AHMAD
(RA)
FROM THE
Archives
Te Review of
Religions,
MARCH 1940 EDITION

m
a
k
h
z
a
n
-
e
-
t
a
s
a
w
e
e
r
Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-Ud-Din
Mahmud Ahmad
(ra)
, Khalifatul Masih II,
was the Second Head of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim community and eldest son of
Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
(as)
, the
Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi.
Elected to the spiritual station of Khilafat
in 1914 at the young age of 25, he
shouldered the responsibility of guarding
this institution fearlessly for almost
52 years. A great orator, he delivered
countless speeches the world over on a vast
array of topics. He was a true visionary
and epic administrator, establishing
the administrative structure of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim community, now
established in over 198 countries. He was
a revered scholar with immense knowledge
and wrote over 200 books, including his
peerless 5-volume commentary of the Holy
Quran. Tis was Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-
Ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad
(ra)
s personal
account of why he believed in Islam in
response to a question posed to him by a
Bombay radio station.
TRANSLATED FROM THE URDU
Bismillah-ir Rahman-ir Rahim
(In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the
Merciful)
I have been asked to state why I believe in
Islam. When I put the question to myself,
the reply I received was, for the same rea-
son for which I believe in anything else,
that is to say, because it is the truth. A
more detailed reply would be that in my
view the central doctrine of all religions
is the existence of God and mans rela-
tionship with Him, so that the religion
that can succeed in establishing a true
relationship between God and man must
be true, and the truth of a faith is surely a
sufcient reason for believing in it.
Islam claims that the Creator of this
universe is a living God and that He
reveals Himself to His creatures in this
age, in the same manner in which He
used to reveal Himself in the ages past.
Tis claim can be tested in two ways. God
may either manifest His signs directly for
a seeker after Him, or the seeker may
come to believe in God by studying
the life of a person to whom God has
revealed Himself. As by the Grace of
God, I happen to be one of those people
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 47
to whom God has on many occasions and
in a supernatural way revealed Himself,
I stand in need of no further reason for
believing in the truth of Islam, than that
I have experienced that truth in my own
person.
However, for the beneft of people who
have had no similar experience, I proceed
to relate the grounds which, in addition
to my personal experience, have been the
cause of my believing in Islam.
First of all,I believe in Islam for the
reason that it does not compel me to
accept all those matters the sum total
of which is called religion merely on
authority, but furnishes convincing
arguments in support of its doctrines.
The existence of God and the nature
of His attributes, angels, prayer and its
efects, Divine decrees and their sphere,
worship and its need, Divine law and its
benefts, revelation and its importance,
resurrection and the life after death,
heaven and hell with regard to every
one of these, Islam has given detailed
explanations and has established their
truth with strong arguments, to the
satisfaction of the human mind.
Islam therefore, furnishes me not only
with faith, but also with the certainty of
knowledge, which satisfes my intellect
and compels it to admit the need for
religion.
Secondly,I believe in Islam as it does
not base itself upon the experience of
people who have passed away, but invites
everybody to a personal experience of
that which it teaches and guarantees.
It claims that every truth can, in some
manner or the other, be put to the test in
this world, and it thus satisfes my reason.
Tirdly,I believe in Islam as it teaches
that there can be no confict between
the word of God and the work of God,
and thus resolves the supposed confict
between religion and science. It does not
ask me to ignore the laws of nature and
to believe in things which contradict
them. On the contrary, it exhorts me
to study the laws of nature and derive
beneft from them. It teaches me that, as
revelation comes from God and He also
is the Creator of the universe, there can
WHY I BELIEVE IN ISLAM
I believe in Islam for
the reason that it does
not compel me
48 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
Islam claims that the
Creator of this universe
is a living God
WHY I BELIEVE IN ISLAM
50 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
be no confict between that which He
does and that which He says. It invites
me, therefore, in order to understand
His revelation, to study His work, and
in order to realise the significance of
His work, to study His word, and thus
satisfes my intellectual yearning.
Fourthly,I believe in Islam as it does
not seek to crush my natural desires, but
guides them along the right channels.
It does not by altogether crushing my
desires, reduce me to a stone; nor does
it, by leaving them uncontrolled and
unrestrained, reduce me to an animal,
but, like an expert irrigation engineer
who harnesses uncontrolled waters and
makes them run into irrigation channels,
thereby bringing prosperity to waste
I believe in Islam as it does
not seek to crush my natural
desires, but guides them
along the right channels.
The Holy Quran - Islam furnishes logical
arguments in support of its truth
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 51
areas, it converts my natural desires by
proper control and guidance, into high
moral qualities.
It does not say to me: God has given
you a loving heart but forbids you to
select a life companion, or that He has
endowed you with the sense of taste and
the capacity to appreciate good food, but
has forbidden you to eat such food. On
the contrary, it teaches me to love in a
pure and proper way that would ensure
through my progeny the perpetuation of
all my good resolves. It permits me to use
good food, but within proper limits, lest
I should eat my fll and my neighbour
should go hungry. By thus converting my
natural desires into high moral qualities,
it satisfes my humanity.
Fifthly,I believe in Islam for the reason
that it has dealt fairly and lovingly not
only with me, but also with the whole
world. It teaches me not to discharge my
duties only towards myself, but insists
upon my dealing fairly with every other
person and thing, and has furnished me
WHY I BELIEVE IN ISLAM
It does not say to me: God
has given you a loving
heart but forbids you to
select a life companion
52 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
with proper guidance for this purpose.
For instance, it draws attention to
the rights of parents and the duties
which children owe to their parents.
It admonishes children to behave
obediently and tenderly toward their
parents, and has made the latter heirs to
that which the former may leave. On the
other hand, it enjoins love and afection
by the parents for their children and
imposes upon them the duty of bringing
up their children well, training them in
good qualities and looking after their
health. It has also made them heirs to
their parents.
Similarly, it enjoins the best relationship
between husband and wife, and requires
each to have due consideration for the
need and desires of the other, and that
they should behave afectionately towards
each other. Tis was put beautifully by the
Holy Founder of Islam
(saw)
when he said:
A person who mistreats his wife during
the day and loves her at night, acts in
Islam exhorts me to study
the laws of nature and
derive beneft from them
Photo credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 53
complete contradiction to the beauty of
human nature.
He also said:
Te best of you are those who treat their
wives best.
Again he said:
A woman is fragile like glass, and men
should therefore treat a woman with
delicacy and tenderness, as they would
handle an article made of glass.
Islam has laid special stress upon the
education and training of girls. Te Holy
Prophet
(saw)
has said:
A person who brings his daughter up
well and gives her a good training and
education, thereby earns paradise.
Islam has made daughters the heirs of
their parents along with sons.
Again, it has laid down fair rules for the
guidance of the rulers and the ruled. It
says to the rulers that the authority vested
in them is not their private property
but is a trust, and that they should
discharge the obligations of that trust
to the utmost, like upright and honest
people, and should carry on government
in consultation with the people. It says
to the ruled, the power to choose your
rulers has been bestowed upon you as a
gift from God and you should, therefore,
be careful to invest only such persons
with governing authority as fully deserve
it, and after vesting this authority in
them, you should give them your fullest
cooperation and should not rebel against
them, for if you do so, you are merely
seeking to demolish that which your own
hands have built.
It has also regulated the rights and duties
of the employer and employed. It says
to the employer: You must render to
the workman his full due even before
his perspiration is dry on his body, and
should not look down upon those who
work for you, for they are your brothers
whose care has been entrusted to you by
God, and who are the true supporters
of your prosperity. You should, therefore,
WHY I BELIEVE IN ISLAM
Islam has laid special
stress upon the education
and training of girls.
54 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
not be so foolish as to seek to destroy
that which constitutes your own support
and the basis of your power. It says to
the workman: when you are engaged to
execute a piece of work for somebody,
you should discharge your obligation
honestly and with due care and diligence.
It says to those who have been endowed
with abundance of physical health and
strength, that they should not behave
oppressively towards the weak nor treat
contemptuously those who sufer from
some physical defect or blemish; for these
ought to excite ones pity rather than
ones contempt.
It says to the wealthy: You have been
charged with the duty of looking after
the poor and you must set aside one
fortieth of your substance every year
so that it may be employed in the relief
of poverty and distress, and for the
advancement of those who lack the
means of advancement. It teaches them
not to enhance the disabilities of the poor
by lending money to them on interest,
but to help them with free gifts and free
loans, pointing out that wealth is not
given to a man that he may spend his
life in luxury and riotous living, but that
he should use it for the advancement
of the whole of humanity, and should
thus deserve the best reward here and
hereafter.
On the other hand, it also teaches the
poor not to look with envy and longing
upon that which has been given to
other people, as these feelings gradually
darken the mind and disable a person
from developing such good qualities as
he himself has been endowed with. It
therefore, exhorts the poor to devote their
attention towards developing such talents
as God has bestowed upon them, so that
they should progress along benefcent
paths. It directs governments to aford
facilities for the poorer sections of the
community for such advancement, and
not to permit all wealth and power to be
concentrated in a few hands.
It reminds those whose ancestors had
attained dignity and honour as the
result of noble efforts, that it is their
duty to maintain that dignity and that
It says to the wealthy: You
have been charged with the
duty of looking after the poor
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 55
honour with their own noble efforts,
and it warns them against looking down
upon others who have not been blessed
in the same way, as God has made all
mankind equal. It reminds them that
God, who has bestowed these honours
upon them, can bestow greater honours
upon others, and that if they misuse
the position to which they have been
called, and transgress against those who
have not been similarly endowed, they
will be laying the foundations of future
transgressions against themselves by
those who are now transgressed against.
Tey should, therefore, take no pride in
proclaiming their own greatness, but
should take pride in helping others to
become great, for true greatness belongs
only to him who tries to raise his fallen
brother to greatness.
Islam teaches that no nation should
transgress against another nation, nor
should one state transgress against
another, but that nations and states
should cooperate with each other for
the purpose of advancing the interests
of the whole of humanity. It forbids
some nations, states and individuals
to unite with each other in order to
conspire against other nations, states or
individuals. On the other hand, it teaches
that nations, states and individuals should
covenant with each other to restrain each
other from aggression, and to cooperate
with each other in advancing those that
are less advanced.
In short, I find that Islam provides
conditions of peace and comfort for
me, and for all those who may wish to
tread the path prescribed by it, whoever
they may be, whatever they may be,
and wherever they may be. In whatever
position I place myself, I fnd that Islam
is equally useful and benefcial for: me
and mine, for my neighbours, for people
whom I do not know and have not even
heard of, for men and for women, for the
aged and for the young, for the employer
and the employed, for the rich and for
the poor, for great nations and for small,
for internationalists and for nationalists,
and that it establishes a sure and certain
relationship between me and my Maker.
I believe in it, and indeed how could I
give it up and accept something else in
its place?
WHY I BELIEVE IN ISLAM
Islam teaches that no
nation should transgress
against another nation
56 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
Each week on Friday, Muslims are required
to take a bath, dress in their best and clean
clothes, wear perfume and assemble in the
mosque for Jumuah, the Friday Prayer. The
Friday Prayer gives Muslims an opportunity
to meet together to discuss and solve their
individual as well as community problems.
Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad
(aba)
, Khalifatul
Masih V, Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community, delivers the Friday Sermon each
week, broadcast live by Muslim Television
Ahmadiyya International (MTA). Through MTA
therefore, the Imam is able to address not just
the congregation, but also the entire world. It
gives the Imam a chance to advise all Muslims
at the same time on urgent matters that
face them.
Te
Friday
Sermon
Every Friday live at
13:00 GMT on
MTA International
Live Translations:
English, French, Arabic,
German, Bengali
Translations on repeat:
Russian, Turkish, Swahili,
Tamil, Malayalam
UK viewers:
watch MTA on Sky channel 787
For info on viewing MTA in other
countries, or for online stream,
visit www.mta.tv
www.mta.tv Sky channel 787

m
a
k
h
z
a
n
-
e
-
t
a
s
a
w
e
e
r
Dear Sir,
By means of your seed all nations
of the earth will certainly bless
themselves. Tose words of Jehovah
God to Abraham the Hebrew
guaranteed that one day the whole
human race would be blessed through
his line of descent.Gen. 22:18.
Abraham began to father ofspring at
the age of eighty-six. His frstborn son
was Ishmael. Certain descendants of
Ishmael today believe that God will
bless all mankind through Ishmaels
line of descent rather than through
that of Isaac, Abrahams second son.
Te holy book of the Muslims, the
Quran, refers to Ishmael in its Sura
(section) 19, verses 54 and 55, saying:
Also mention in the Book the story
of Ismail: He was strictly true to
what he promised, and he was an
apostle and a prophet. . . . He was
most acceptable in the sight of his
Lord. Quran translator A. Yusuf Ali
commented concerning Abrahams
sons, Ishmael and Isaac: Te younger
sons progeny developed the Faith of
Israel and that of Christ; the elder sons
progeny perfected the more universal
Faith of Islam, the Faith of Abraham
the True. . . . in the universality of
Islam all nations are to be blessed.

Te Bibles view of this matter is most
important. Te Quran refers many
times to Bible incidents and characters.
In fact, its recognition of Abraham,
Ishmael, Moses, Jesus and others comes
from the Holy Scriptures, which were
completed nearly 600 years before
the beginning of the Mohammedan
era. Terefore, what is the Bibles
view? Did God purpose to bless all
mankind through the line of Ishmael?

Before Ishmael and Isaac were born
(and therefore, before any controversy
concerning them could have arisen),
the Bible foretold an experience that
will help us to answer that question.
What was that? At Genesis 15:13, 14,
God told Abram (Abraham): You
may know for sure that your seed will
become an alien resident in a land not
theirs, and they will have to serve them,
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
JUNE
2011
60 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
and these will certainly afict them for
four hundred years. But . . . after that
they will go out with many goods.
Genesis 17:8 foretells even the place
to which Abrahams seed would go
out: And I will give to you and to
your seed after you the land of your
alien residences, even the entire land of
Canaan, for a possession. To identify
the true seed of Abraham we must look
for a people that would experience the
fulfllment of both of these prophecies.

When Ishmael was thirteen years old,
Jehovah God made this additional
promise to Abraham: As for Sarai your
wife, . . . I will bless her and also give
you a son from her . . . and you must
call his name Isaac. And I will establish
my covenant with him for a covenant
to time indefnite to his seed after
him. Isaac was born the following year,
when Abraham was a hundred years
old.Gen. 17:15, 16, 19; 21:1-5.

Five years later Sarah noticed Ishmael
poking fun at Isaac. (Gen. 21:9) Tis
led to the dismissal of him and his
mother, Hagar, the Egyptian, from
Abrahams household. Te matter
was displeasing to Abraham, but
Jehovah assured him: It is by means
of Isaac that what will be called
your seed will be. (Gen. 21:12) So
the Bibles view is that Abrahams
seed for blessing all mankind would
come through Isaac, not Ishmael.

Later God commanded Abraham
to sacrifce your son, your only
son. (Gen. 22:2) In connection
with Abrahams ofering up this son,
the promise of blessing by means
of Abrahams seed was stated by an
angel of God. Te Quran, too, speaks
of Abraham as having a boy ready
to sufer and forbear and whom
Abraham would ofer . . . in sacrifce.
(Sura 37:101, 102) Te Quran does
not specify who the boy was. However,
some Muslim writers claim that the
expression only son must apply to
Ishmael. Is that what you believe?

It is noteworthy that Isaac was an only
son in a double sense. He was the
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 61
only son of Abrahams wife Sarah and
the only son remaining in Abrahams
household at the time that God spoke
the words found at Genesis 22:1, 2.
Quran translator Ali admits that
Muslim tradition . . . is not unanimous
on this point. Some Muslim writers
agree with the Biblical account that
Isaac was the prospective sacrifce.

Gods promise that Abrahams seed
would be reckoned through Isaac was
subsequently confrmed when Isaacs
descendants experienced the foretold
400 years of alien residence and
afiction, after which they went out of
Egypt with many goods. (Gen. 15:14;
Ex. 3:21; 12:35; Ps. 105:37) Ten
the Israelites began their conquest of
the land of Canaan, which God had
promised to Abrahams seed.
Other Bible prophecies reveal that
the blessing of all mankind would be
centered in a single individual. Genesis
49:10 pointed to the Israelite tribe of
Judah. Ten, of all Judah, the line of
David was chosen. (2 Sam. 7:12-16)
Micah 5:2 reveals two important things
about the coming seed of Abraham: (1)
that he would be born in Bethlehem,
and (2) that he had a pre-human
existence from early times, from the
days of time indefnite. Daniel 9:24-
27 shows that the coming seed, called
Messiah the Leader, would appear in
the frst century C.E., not long before
the destruction of Jerusalem and its
temple by the Romans in 70 C.E.

No descendant of Ishmael appeared
as a benefactor of mankind in the
frst century C.E. But a descendant
of Abraham through Isaac did
appear at that time. Tis individual
was from the tribe of Judah and
the family of David and was
born in Bethlehem. He was Jesus
Christ.Heb. 7:14; Matt. 1:1; 2:1.

Te Bible connects Jesus with the
promise to Abraham, at Galatians
3:16: Now the promises were spoken
to Abraham and to his seed. It says,
not: And to seeds, as in the case of
many such, but as in the case of one:
And to your seed, who is Christ.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
JUNE
2011
62 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
Blessings certainly began to fow to
mankind through Jesus Christ. Te
countless aeons of his pre-human
existence in heaven enabled him to
fully know God and to explain him.
(Matt. 11:27; John 1:18) In this way
others could come to worship God in
the way that he approves.
Te Quran itself highlights another
aspect of Jesus activity that further
helps us to identify him as the
promised seed through whom blessings
would come to mankind. At Sura
5:113 we read: Ten will God say: O
Jesus the son of Mary! . . . thou healest
those born blind, and the lepers, by
My [Gods] leave. And behold! thou
bringest forth the dead by My leave. . .
. thou didst show them [the Israelites]
the Clear Signs.Compare John 9:1-
41; Luke 17:12-14; John 11:39-44.
Tus, as the Bible clearly shows,
through Abrahams son Isaac came the
true seed of blessing, Jesus Christ.
ANONYMOUS
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 63
Wednesday, 8th June
Event: Shavuot
Faith: Judaism
Occurring ffty days after the Passover,
Jewish people celebrate the time when
the Torah was received on Mount Sinai.
Some spend this frst night of Shavuot
reading the Torah, whilst many ofer
prayers, especially at dawn, to thank God.
Sunday, 12th June
Event: Pentecost
Faith: Christianity
Celebrated on the Sunday, ffty days after
Easter, Christians celebrate the gift of the
Holy Spirit descending on the Disciples
of Christ. In Orthodox Churches the
service is celebrated with an all-night Vigil
on the eve of the feast day. Te singing
of Pentecost hymns, and the wearing
of red, are features of the celebration of
the Pentacost in Western Churches.
CALENDAR OF
RELIGIOUS
EVENTS &
FESTIVALS
64 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2011
Tursday, 16th June
Event: Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev
Faith: Sikh
Guru Arjan Dev (1563-1606) was the
ffth of the ten Sikh Gurus and the frst
Sikh martyr. He laid the foundation
of the Golden Temple in Amritsar. He
was the Head of the Sikh faith for over
quarter of a century . One of his most
important works was the compilation
of Adi Granth, in which he collected
the works of all the frst four Gurus and
dictated these in the form of verses.
Wednesday, 29th June
Event: St Peters Day
Faith: Christianity
St Peter was an early leader of the
Christian Church, and according to the
New Testament, one of the twelve disciples
of Jesus
(as)
. Peter features prominently in
the New Testament Gospels and the Act
of the Apostles. He is considered the frst
Pope by the Roman Catholic Church. Te
question whether the rock of Matthew
16:18 on which Jesus declares He will build
his church is to be identifed with Saint
Peter the Apostle has generated intense
debate, disagreement and discussion.
JUNE 2011
JUNE 2011 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 65
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