Dr. Nasim Rehmatullah, Chairman Markazi Al Islam Team, USA
The Descent of the Messiah is a profound and far-reaching discourse on one of the most awaited events in history: the advent of the Promised Messiahas, whose appearance is being awaited by the majority of the world’s religions. In this remarkable work, the Promised Messiahas presents evidence for the divinely inspired claim that he is the same figure raised by God in the Latter Days for the salvation of mankind.
This account details how faith and technology are converging toward one divine truth.
Evolution, science & technology
Artificial Intelligence (AI) powerfully embodies the convergence of modern knowledge, drawing together diverse disciplines into a unified expression of intelligence. Like a prism that receives many colours and produces a single spectrum, AI has integrated fields of mathematics, computer science, physics, biology, and ethics into a single, dynamic discipline. This convergence of diverse sciences reflects nature’s own pattern, in which all things ultimately point back to a single Creator and Originator.
“The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein extol His glory; and there is not a thing but glorifies Him with His praise, but you do not understand their glorification.” (Surah Bani Isra’il, Ch.17: V.45). This verse shows that the entire universe with its order and coherence testifies, both in its vastness and in every part, to the unity and perfection of its Creator.
The Holy Quran parallels cosmic unity with human evolution: Adamas was not the first human, but the first with intellect fit for divine law, marking the shift from instinct to moral agency. Humanity thus began its journey to intellectual and ethical maturity, culminating in the “Perfect Man”, Prophet Muhammadsa. This aligns with both contemporary science and the Quranic view of purposeful, divinely guided evolution.
Just as the sciences converge in AI, religion, too, has moved toward unity. Divine prophets such as Krishna, Abraham, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Confucius, and Jesus,peace be upon them, all brought guidance across cultures, each adding to humanity’s spiritual legacy. These diverse lights pointed to one universal faith, culminating in Islam, which synthesised and completed previous revelations.
Advent of the Promised Messiahas
This convergence reached its final stage with the advent of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian (1835-1908), the Promised Messiahas, a metaphorical second coming of Jesus, sent to unite faith, restore worship of the One God, and revive peace and reason through Islam. A new era of spiritual and technological progress has begun.
Chaos and fragmentation can serve as the necessary precursors to unity, a principle concisely expressed in the Quran as “Surely, there is ease after hardship.” (Surah al-Inshirah, Ch.94: V.6)
It is a divine design that forges the character of humanity. The evolution of man precedes the evolution of technology. Man is the master and AI the servant. Guided by human intention, AI stands as a beacon, illuminating the path to truth and enabling its wide and effective spread.
The convergence in religion with the Promised Messiahas and in science with AI has appeared close together in modern times. This is a profound sign, as the Quran declares, “‘Truth has come and falsehood has vanished away. Falsehood does indeed vanish away [fast].’” (Surah Bani Isra’il, Ch.17: V.82) We are on the path to the realisation of prophesied order and truth, witnessed today as religious revival in Islam Ahmadiyyat and technological integration in AI.
From Adam’sas awakening of intellect, through the unification of faiths by the Promised Messiahas, to the advances of AI, one theme persists: unity. Humanity’s progress in spirit and science reveals that diversity leads us back to the oneness of the Creator.
The Perfect Man, Prophet Muhammadsa fulfilled all capacities bestowed by God, but man cannot transcend his created nature to become divine. Despite millennia of computation, a machine is still a machine. No spark of consciousness has emerged. Consciousness cannot be manufactured by sheer iteration. It must be bestowed by God, just as proximity to Him at the highest station of the Prophetsa required God’s descent, not just man’s ascent. (Surah an-Najm, Ch.53: V.9)
Mental health care surrounding expectant and new mothers is often an overlooked topic of discussion. Even though every pregnancy journey differs, many women face emotional and psychological challenges and pressures in the perinatal periods of their lives, and such issues often go unnoticed by the individual and people around her.
Many women might not comprehend mental health issues and major signs of distress, thereby, they often tend to shrug it off as something unimportant by considering it a phase that shall pass in a week or two.
However, many mothers end up suffering longer than expected, which leaves them helpless and wondering what had happened and how it came to this.
In order to ensure women receive the care they need it is imperative that we build awareness around emotional and psychological needs. This is especially important during challenging life situations, as it is the most crucial stepping-stone towards sustainable mental and physical well-being.
Globally, maternal mental health is considered a public health challenge that needs immediate attention. (“Mental Health, Brain Health and Substance Use”, who.int, accessed on 2 January 2026)
But the real question is where do we start?
The answer to it is that we start with raising our level of mental health knowledge and awareness regarding this under spoken phenomena.
Perinatal period
So, what does the term perinatal mean?
The perinatal period in a woman’s life is the time before, during and after childbirth. It includes both antenatal (before birth) and postnatal (after birth) phases. It represents the transition from pregnancy to parenthood and is a critical stage for the overall well-being of the mother and the baby.
Pregnancy and the birth of a child bring joy and happiness, but it is also a period marked by intense physical (hormonal), emotional, social and psychological shifts.
It involves significant changes in daily routines, roles, responsibilities and identity and the changing relationship dynamics, societal pressures and work-related commitments add fuel to the fire.
There is no denying that a woman’s mental health is particularly challenged during this transformative period. This necessitates self-care interventions, and early detection of signs and risk factors can go a long way in preventing a full-fledged onset of various common perinatal mental health complications such as perinatal depression, anxiety, childbirth or birth-related PTSD (CB-PTSD) and postpartum psychosis.
Let us now explore the nature and symptoms of the most commonly occurring mental health complications during this delicate phase in a woman’s life.
Perinatal depression
It refers to depression that occurs during pregnancy and after birth. It is a serious, yet treatable mental health issue.
Who is at risk?
All women can develop mental health problems but some of the major risk factors include:
A personal or a family history of depression
Unresolved childhood or teenage trauma
Emergency or conflict situations like war
Substance misuse
Lack of emotional support networks
History of abuse
Financial struggles
Lacking the psychological readiness to handle a new responsibility (mental unpreparedness or unplanned pregnancy)
Societal pressures
Migration
Previous fertility issues
Pregnancy-related complications
Short intervals between pregnancies (birth spacing)
Traumatic birth experience
Having a child with health problems etc.
Perinatal depression vs baby blues
It must however be understood that experiencing perinatal depression is not the same as experiencing “baby blues” after childbirth. Post baby blues is a very common hormonal issue that causes mood swings, irritability, reduced or increased appetite and sleep changes.
It does not cause a notable dysfunction in daily life and usually subsides within two weeks. Whereas perinatal depression can be psychologically taxing and emotionally debilitating, thereby hampering your daily functioning and healthy connections. This can be the case for months or even longer.
Symptoms of perinatal depression
Symptoms of perinatal depression can range from mild to severe and they tend to negatively impact daily functioning.
You may experience the following:
Depressed mood/feelings of extreme sadness (persistent feelings of sadness that do not get better)
Feelings of hopelessness
Feelings of guilt/shame
Numbness/emptiness
Decreased or increased appetite that can lead to overeating/binging or complete avoidance of food leading to weight gain or loss
Reduced interest and meaning in life
Loss of pleasure and satisfaction in activities that were once enjoyable and satisfying
There can also be a notable lack of interest in the pregnancy/unborn baby, excessive worrying about self and baby, sleep problems. This can be in the form of experiencing difficulty in falling or staying asleep, excessive crying for “no reason”, feeling demotivated, changes in self-esteem (i.e. losing confidence in one’s abilities to become an efficient parent).
A significant loss of interest in intimacy and emotional attachment, along with feeling disconnected from the partner or the baby can also be observed.
Furthermore, the mother may find difficulty in attuning with the unborn child or infant, and face memory and concentration problems. This can include having trouble staying focused and experiencing difficulty in making decisions.
Additionally, withdrawing from friends and family and experiencing suicidal thoughts and comments or engaging in self-harm is not uncommon.
Understanding and an effort to deepen existing knowledge about symptoms and timely action by the caregiver is strongly recommended. If left untreated, the maternal dysfunction can pose serious health complications for the mother and the child (unborn/infant).
Perinatal anxiety
This involves excessive worry, nervousness or fear (regarding oneself/baby’s health, worrying about whether you would be a good parent, finances, job commitments, and relationships) during the pregnancy and a year after birth that has a significant negative impact on daily activities and mental peace. Furthermore, higher rates of anxiety disorders are observed in early stages of pregnancy. (“Perinatal anxiety disorder prevalence and incidence” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 14 April 2016)
Risk factors that contribute to perinatal anxiety are as follows:
Family or personal history of anxiety
Previous issues with fertility or perinatal loss
Difficult birth related complications or difficulties
Work-related stress
Lack of meaningful emotional support
Poor relationship quality with spouse and in-laws
Negative pregnancy-related attitudes
Critical self-talk
Job loss
If you are experiencing perinatal anxiety, you may have these symptoms:
Changes in body and behaviour:
Restlessness/inability to sit still
Feeling dizzy or experiencing brain fog
Elevated breathing
Easily startled and/or feeling scared for no reason
Frequent headaches
Finding it hard to fall asleep even when you get a chance
Panic attacks (racing heart, shallow breathing, trembling, feeling like you might pass out)
And/or developing obsessive and compulsive behaviours such as:
Excessive checking if baby is breathing
Feeling the need to visit hospitals even when no complication is noted
Excessive washing, bathing or cleaning that consumes a significant amount of time and energy in a day
Endless scrolling (on your phone) on the topic of infant’s health or other concerns etc.
Changes in mood:
In addition to changes in body and behaviour, mothers can experience changes in their mood too, such as:
Feeling nervous and fearful for no specific reason
Abrupt mood fluctuations and irritability
Apprehension or a sense of impending doom
Feeling things around you are strange, unreal or foggy
Intrusive thoughts (unwanted thoughts that destabilise mood states)
Catastrophising, that is, thinking about all that can go wrong
Avoiding people or places that trigger anxiety or nervousness
Withdrawing from family or friends and/or having difficulty in effectively communicating with friends, spouse, and doctors
Perinatal anxiety often goes unnoticed by the individual and her family. It is vital to know how this experience looks or feels like in order to avoid further delays
Childbirth related post-traumatic stress disorder(CB-PTSD)
Childbirth is a physically and psychologically intense experience. Complications during birth can lead to CB-PTSD (more commonly known as birth trauma). This is the most under-reported perinatal issue worldwide.
Let us understand the two contributing factors to birth trauma:
External or objective stressors such as medical complications for mother and baby, delivery complications and difficulties, unplanned interventions and lack of optimal medical resources.
Subjective stressors which relate to how an individual perceives something as life-threatening and the negative emotions that might get triggered in her, as a response to the event.
Risk factors for developing CB-PTSD can range from a history of physical or sexual abuse, having a history of untreated mental health complications, delivering prematurely, gynaecological or obstetrical complications etc., inadequate support during pregnancy or after birth can also be a very important yet overlooked risk factor of developing CB-PTSD.
Individuals may avoid the triggers that remind them of trauma, which can include the baby or spouse, re-experiencing and reliving the trauma vividly, feeling jittery, jumpy, restless, easily startled, angered or anxious, constantly on the lookout for danger (hyperarousal), inability to focus, difficulty sleeping or avoiding self-care activities like grooming, and/or maintaining hygiene and paranoia (excessive and irrational distrust and suspicion of others).
Emotional, psychological and social functioning (both present and future) of the individual may be severely impacted if this condition is not apprehended and intervened at initial stages.
Postnatal psychosis
Postnatal psychosis (also known as postpartum psychosis) is a rare but severe mental health condition which requires immediate medical and psychiatric attention. The onset is typically within one week of birth, although it can appear anytime between 6 months to a year after birth.
It is a complex issue with risk factors that include a personal history or familial history of postnatal psychosis and schizophrenia, having a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, history of postnatal psychosis in previous pregnancy, and/or discontinuation of psychiatric medication during pregnancy.
The two main symptoms of postnatal psychosis that directly affect the person’s sense of reality and the way they connect to their surroundings are:
Hallucinations: Seeing and hearing things that are not there. Occasionally an individual can also experience tactile sensations, (related to sense of touch), phantosmia/olfactory sensations (related to sense of smell), and/or gustatory sensations (related to the perception of taste).
Delusions: Fears, thoughts and beliefs that are not true. One might hold onto beliefs even when there is convincing contradictory evidence.
Some examples are: the belief that you were not pregnant at all, and insisting that the baby is not real/denying giving birth, believing that someone is controlling your body and instilling thoughts in your head or thinking that the baby is evil or cursed, and/or having compulsions to harm the baby.
Along with the above, other symptoms that commonly occur are: a mixture of severe mood changes, oscillating between mania (increased activity and mood), or hypomania (milder version of mania), confusion, disorientation, irritability, insomnia, and self-harm or harming others which can include the newborn.
When to get help?
Fortunately, this is a rare disorder, however, awareness and open mindedness around postnatal psychosis is vital for family members, caregivers and guardians to understand and recognise this condition at its primordial stage (the earliest stage) in order to prevent a full-blown stage wherein; the devastating effects are at maximum and recovery extremely difficult. Contact your GP and OBGYN immediately when you notice these symptoms in you or in your loved one.
Prevention and management
Self-care: Do not lose who you are while assuming new roles as a parent. Create a well-being plan for you and the baby. Keep your hobbies alive, set realistic goals that you enjoy, go out for a walk or to a spa, practice mindful eating and catch up on sleep whenever you find time. Small steps can have a huge impact on your overall well-being.
You are not your depression: Your sense of self is not defined by an illness. The strong positive connection (includes thoughts, feelings and behaviours towards mind and body) that you have with yourself acts as a vital protective factor against perinatal illnesses. Being mindfully aware of your strengths and triggers and being kind to oneself can prepare you for any emotional outburst that you may experience.
Meaningful social contact: Keep in touch with people who encourage, motivate and spark positive thoughts and feelings in you. Phone or video call a friend or a confidant every week if not every day. Spouse, parents and in-laws have a great responsibility in ensuring an emotionally safe and stress-free environment for the would-be-mother, in order to avoid any birth related stressors that might harm the development of the mother and the child.
Effective communication and mutual partnership: Open dialogues regarding parenting expectations, new challenges and changes in relationship with spouse can help navigate the difficulties around changing needs/desires, parenting styles, fears and doubts.
Parent-infant bonding: The emotional connection between the mother and the baby is built during pregnancy. Practices such as singing (or as might be the case for Muslims, reciting the Quran, qasa’id, nazms, etc.), talking to the baby, feeling the foetal movements and skin-to-skin contact with baby after birth, can help build the emotional bond between mother and child.
Prayers bring mental comfort and resilience: Connection with a higher power brings profound emotional and spiritual clarity as well as mental strength. Prayer and spiritual belief act as key components of holistic perinatal care. They possess an immense capacity to alleviate anxiety and sadness around pregnancy and parenting related factors.
Prayers with utmost conviction are certainly heard, as in the case of Prophet Zachariahas: “Zachariah prayed to his Lord, saying, My Lord, grant me from Thyself pure offspring; surely, Thou art the Hearer of prayer.”(Surah Aal-e- Imran, Ch.3: V.38)
Attend antenatal sessions with spouse: Prenatal or birth classes as they are called can help prepare expectant parents physically and cope the upcoming changes and challenges.
These sessions aim at increasing awareness around birthing process, build confidence, reduce anxiety, aid in learning relaxation techniques and accentuate positivity. You can also learn practical skills to enhance bonding through antenatal sessions.
Check for Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 deficiency: Suboptimal levels of vitamins during the perinatal period are linked to a higher risk of maternal depression, anxiety and neurodevelopmental problems in the child. Prenatal supplementation and monitoring are vital during this phase.
Monitoring mood states and building healthy thinking patterns: Monitor your mood states through the days and look out for any unhelpful thought pattern that may be causing the eruption of negative feelings and physical distress within you. Jot the thoughts down and find alternative thoughts which are helpful, reasonable and compassionate. Try to do this whenever your mood dips.
It is alright to ask for help: Contact your health care provider – an OBGYN or a psychiatrist – if you notice symptoms related to any of the above mentioned perinatal mental health complications.
And as you move forward in your treatment you may also find the need to see a psychologist for a few sessions of psychological therapy in order to manage the problem by changing the way you think, feel and behave. You can also join perinatal support groups and share your experiences with like-minded expectant families.
Islam’s emphasis on the status of mothers & mental health
Indeed, when the above struggles are taken into consideration, a mother’s immense efforts and sacrifices are truly worth showing gratitude to, as the Holy Quran instructs:
“And We have enjoined on man concerning his parents – his mother bears him in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning takes two years – ‘Give thanks to Me and to thy parents. Unto Me is the final return.” (Surah Luqman, Ch.31: V.15)
Additionally, one can understand the status given to mothers by the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa as recorded in various narrations.
At one instance, he was asked who was most deserving of good treatment, the Holy Prophetsa responded with “Your mother” thrice, and then “Your father”. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-biri wa l-silati wa l-adaab, Hadith 2548b)
In another famous narration it is recorded that when a person confirmed that his mother was alive, the Holy Prophetsa responded with:
“Then stay with her, for Paradise is beneath her feet.” (Sunan an-Nasa’i, Kitab al-jihad, Hadith 3104)
The taboo and stigma around seeking help for mental health matters has also been addressed from an Islamic angle. The importance of seeking psychological and psychiatric support has been stressed by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, who endorsed seeking professional help when and where needed, stressing that there is nothing wrong with seeking such help. In fact, he commended it as a good thing which should be done.
Paternal mental health matters too!
Last but not least, fathers too can follow the preventive measures mentioned in this article, in order to stay ahead and on top of their mental health.
Knowing that the father’s mental health concerns will impact the child’s connection and emotional development, and by taking his mental health into consideration can serve as a game changer.
With regard to fulfilling mental health, the true strength lies not in silence, but in speaking out and seeking the right support at the right time.
This new year, let us open up discussions concerning mental health with family, friends and in workplaces to reduce stigma and resistance to psychological interventions.
Let it be known that mental health issues are nothing to be ashamed of, rather they are a part of human experience, which involves learning and growth.
Let us unite and speak openly and guide generations towards a culture of love, support, and recovery. God willing!
The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had a blessed face which was أَزْهَرَ اللَّوْن “radiant in complexion” and أَبْيَضُ مُشْرَب “white with a reddish tinge.” His eyes were large and dark with long lashes, and his brows were finely curved and naturally separate. His cheeks were smooth, his mouth beautifully wide and his teeth were أفلج الثنيّتین “slightly spaced and shining.” When he smiled, it lit his whole face with a softness that the Companionsra never forgot. (Shamail al–Tirmidhi, Hadith 7-14)
“When he spoke, it was as if light came out between his front teeth.” (Mishkat al-Masabih, Hadith 5797)
His hair was naturally wavy, neither straight nor tightly curled. At times it reached his earlobes and at times his shoulders. He would part it on some occasions and leave it unparted on others. His beard was thick and full, dignifying his appearance.
“His face shone with the radiance of the moon on the night of the full moon.” (Ibid.)
Hazrat Abu Hurairara said:
مَا رَأَيْتُ شَيْئًا أَحْسَنَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم
“I did not see anyone more handsome than the Messengersa of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.”
كَأَنَّ الشَّمْسَ تَجْرِي فِي وَجْهِه
“It was as if the brightness of the sun had shone from his auspicious face.”
He continued: “I never saw anyone walk faster than the Messengersa of Allah. It was as if the earth was folded up for him. We would tire ourselves out (trying to keep up), while he did not seem concerned in the least.” (Jami at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3648)
Hazrat Alira said the Holy Prophetsa “walked as if going downhill, energetically. He was neither short nor tall. I have never seen anyone like him before or since.” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 1122)
When walking, the Holy Prophetsa did not drag his feet, nor did he lift them harshly. When he turned, he turned his whole body. When he spoke to someone, he faced them entirely, giving them his full attention. His gait, his posture, and the calmness with which he sat all carried a quiet majesty – a humility that neither diminished his presence nor allowed it to overwhelm. (Shamail al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 7)
He stood with balanced, natural height – “neither conspicuously tall nor short.” His chest was broad, his shoulders strong and his limbs well-built. His palms were wide and firm, and his joints powerful. (Ibid.)
His physical strength can be gathered from many incidents, two of which are as follows:
During the digging of the trench before the Battle of the Ditch, the Companionsra came across a huge rock that none of them could break. They struck it repeatedly but their blows made no difference. The Holy Prophetsa descended into the trench, took the pickaxe and struck the rock himself. With each strike, a spark flashed, and a portion of the boulder shattered until it broke completely. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 4101)
Rukanah ibn Abd Yazid, may Allah be pleased with him, a renowned wrestler of the Quraish, was famed in Mecca for his unmatched strength and wrestling skills. Once, Rukanah challenged the Holy Prophetsa to a wrestling contest. The result? صَرَعَهُ النَّبِي – “the Prophetsa wrestled him to the ground.” (Sunan Abi Daud, Hadith 4078)
This did not happen once, but to Rukanah’s astonishment, the Holy Prophetsa threw him down three times. This left Rukanah deeply impressed by the strength and skill of the Holy Prophetsa, leading him to accept Islam.
The endurance and physical prowess of the Holy Prophetsa are also reflected by how he would regularly hike up to the cave of Hira for prayers. This hike is roughly three miles from the Ka‘bah at an elevation of 600 meters, which, at a time when the terrain was undeveloped and extremely rocky, would have required an extremely strong and healthy physique.
His majesty and presence
Many could not even fully look at him out of reverence and awe. On his deathbed, Hazrat Amrra bin al-Aas said:
ما كانَ أحَدٌ أحَبَّ إلَيَّ مِن رَسولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلَّمَ، ولا أجَلَّ في عَيْنِي منه، وما كُنْتُ أُطِيقُ أنْ أمْلأَ عَيْنَيَّ منه إجْلالًا له، ولو سُئِلْتُ أنْ أصِفَهُ ما أطَقْتُ؛ لأَنِّي لَمْ أكُنْ أمْلأُ عَيْنَيَّ منه
“No one was more beloved to me than the Messengersa of Allah, and no one was greater in my eyes than him. Out of reverence for him, I could not gather enough courage to look fully at his face. If I were asked to describe him, I would not be able to, for I never filled my eyes with a full glimpse of him.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 121)
After accepting Islam, addressing the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat Thumamahra ibn Uthal declared:
“O Muhammadsa, by Allah! There was no face on the face of the Earth that was more hateful to me than your face, but now your face has become the most beloved of all faces to me.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 4372)
Bravery and courage
The Messengersa of Allah was the epitome of bravery and courage, embodying steadfastness and valour without any arrogance.
In Sahih al-Bukhari, the Holy Prophetsa is reported to have described five unique distinctions that set him apart from all other prophets. The first was: نُصِرْتُ بِالرُّعْب “I have been reinforced with awe” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 335). This means that whenever an enemy stood before the Holy Prophetsa, Allah would instill fear and awe into their hearts.
In battle, he always led from the heart of the war. The Companionsra would seek protection behind the Prophetsa during war, as reported by Hazrat Bara’ bin Azibra:
إِذَا احْمَرَّ الْبَأْسُ نَتَّقِي بِهِ وَإِنَّ الشُّجَاعَ مِنَّا لَلَّذِي يُحَاذِي بِهِ . يَعْنِي النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم
“When the battle grew fierce, we, by God, would seek protection by his side, and the bravest among us was he who confronted the onslaught – and it was the Holy Prophetsa.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1776b)
At the Battle of Uhud, when the enemies launched a sudden attack and exposed the Muslim army, the Holy Prophetsa, sword in hand, stood facing the enemy attack and endured severe injuries. A rock struck his face and his tooth was broken. Another blow caused his helmet to jam into his cheek. He also fell unconscious. Yet he rose again and continued fighting and leading the Companions to safety.
When the Muslims faced the ambush of the archers in the Battle of Hunayn and the enemy shower of arrows overwhelmed the army, many of the new converts to Islam fled – the Holy Prophetsa, on the other hand, stood firmly facing the enemy and declared:
أَنَا النبيُّ لا كَذِبْ أَنَا ابنُ عبدِ المُطَّلِب
“I am the Prophet; that is no lie. I am the son of Abd al-Muttalib.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 4315)
He did not stop there. He dismounted from his mule, took a handful of sand and hurled it into the faces of the enemy. The enemy’s eyes filled with dust and they turned and fled. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith no. 1777)
The Holy Prophetsa embodied not only intense awe but also immense humility. He accepted no praise for himself, reminded others of his servitude to Allah and carried authority without arrogance.
Once a man came to the Holy Prophetsa shaking and awe-struck. The Holy Prophetsa said to him:
“Be calm, for I am not a king. Verily, I am only the son of a woman who ate dried meat.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 3312)
Hazrat Alira, who was raised by the Holy Prophetsa, provides a beautiful description summarising the characteristics of the Holy Prophetsa:
“He was the best of the people in generosity, the most truthful of the people in speech, the gentlest of them in temperament and the noblest of them in social speech. If someone saw him unexpectedly, he was awestruck by him, and if someone came to know him, he loved him. His describer says: ‘I have never seen the like of him neither before him nor after him.’” (Shamail al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 6)
Hazrat Anasra bin Malik, who served the Holy Prophetsa for ten years, said:
“When the day came on which God’s Messengersa entered Medina, everything in it shone; but when the day came on which he died, everything in it was dark. We did not brush the earth off our hands when we were engaged in burying him, and we felt sore at heart.” (Mishkat al-Masabih, Hadith 5962)
In the early hours of Saturday, 3 January 2026 – two days after Trump announced his New Year’s resolution to establish world peace – social media was flooded with news of US airstrikes on military targets in Venezuela. This initial shock was followed by an even greater shock; US President Donald Trump announced that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife had been “captured and flown out of the country”. The charge: Narco-terrorism. Trump went on to share an image on his platform – Truth Social – of Maduro being transported to the US.
Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima.
(TS: 03 Jan 11:23 ET) pic.twitter.com/uHWmcm3K2V
— Commentary: Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) January 3, 2026
This has been followed by mixed sentiments across social media, depending on the algorithms and how your feed might be curated. Whilst some Venezuelans are celebrating the removal of Maduro, the “despot”, others are vehemently denouncing Trump as the “despot” and his actions as illegal.
With regard to international law – or whatever is left of it since its double standards were exposed during the Israel-Gaza conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war – many are calling this an act of terror and an illegal operation waged against a sovereign country.
There is no doubt that a portion of the Venezuelan people were unhappy with Maduro, and of course, there were many who supported him, but whether he was the right leader for the country or not can often turn into an unfruitful debate.
What can be done, however, is study and investigate the past to learn what might be in store for Venezuela, the US and potentially even the international community.
Iran: When a leader tries to nationalise
A look through history can give us some interesting parallels to what might be unfolding in front of our very eyes.
In 1951, Iran elected its first democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh. Due to Iran being rich in oil reserves, the UK and the West had a vested interest in the country, since they were extracting that oil and filling their coffers. When Mosaddegh decided to nationalise Iran’s oil, it all came crashing down for the new democracy.
The whole situation, as well as the domino effect that it caused, has been summarised by Harvard Business School:
“Many of the West’s political problems in the Middle East and in Iran in particular can be traced to the overthrow of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh by military forces supported by the American CIA and the British MI6 in August 1953. Mossadegh, at the head of a newly-elected nationalist government, had nationalized the Iranian oil industry that had been controlled by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC), now known as BP.
“Since 1908, the AIOC had been producing enormous revenue for London, and control of Iranian oil was essential to the British Empire. In order to gain Washington’s assent to the coup, the Americans had to be convinced that Mossadegh represented a geopolitical threat, not merely an economic one.
“Ever since, the overthrow of Mossadegh has been seen as evidence of the extent of the supposed neo-imperialist motivations of the West in the post-colonial world.”
Mossadegh was assassinated. The democratically elected leader of a sovereign state – for the sake of oil companies and their profits – and this is causing the nation to spiral into whatever it is now.
And since respected institutions like Harvard Business School admit that Western intervention is what caused today’s problems in that region, you’d expect Western leaders to learn from those mistakes and not repeat them.
Iraq: A repeated mistake
Only a few decades later, news headlines raged on about Saddam Hussein and his WMDs (weapons of mass destruction). And so, the US and its Western allies felt obliged to rid the country of the despot and bring freedom to its people and the region in general from that threat.
The resulting freedom: Millions of people dead, whether directly or indirectly, and a country and its infrastructure in ruins.
Was Saddam the right leader for his people? That depends on who you ask, but there are many Iraqis (especially those who died as a result of the invasion) who might have preferred to sort out their problems with Saddam in-house, rather than having the US invade.
Needless to say, Saddam was executed. Coincidentally, Iraq has a lot of oil, which is an important common factor throughout these historical examples.
Libya: Never again, surely
Then came Libya’s turn. General Muammar Gaddafi had been ruling Libya with an iron fist, not allowing any democratic elections and providing free housing, free electricity, free land, free education, free health care and much more to his people.
But he wasn’t aligned with the West, so he had to go. And go he did, as many would have seen in videos circulating on social media in those days.
The result of the freedom brought by the US and its Western allies? Well, a free country where elections could take place. Also, destroyed infrastructure, poverty, hunger and amongst many other things, amongst the chaos, a newly established slave market. The sweet smell of “freedom”.
Another dead leader, another major oil reserve (9th largest in the world) given “freedom”. Another destroyed civilisation.
Venezuela’s future
In light of these atrocious results of such “freedom” based operations and wars, one can only be so optimistic about Venezuela’s future. The playbook is the same, so why shouldn’t the result be? Maduro, just like the others, was a sovereign leader of a sovereign nation which just happened to be sitting on large oil reserves. Was he the right person? That is for the Venezuelans to decide.
With regard to Venezuela’s oil reserves, its future seems to be set in stone as Trump announces that the US will be “strongly involved” in the industry.
In any case, this act of aggression, whether right or wrong, clearly goes against Trump’s claim to have ended wars and not to begin any new ones.
And since Maduro has been captured, Trump has declared that the US will “run” the country temporarily. He went on to say that US oil companies will fix Venezuela’s “broken infrastructure” and “start making money for the country” and that if needed, a second, much larger strike will be carried out on the country if needed. This is obviously being disputed by the Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez who claims that Maduro is the country’s only president.
It is only a matter of time before we see how the country responds. Will it give up its sovereignty and oil for “freedom”? And what about the opposition leader, the Nobel Peace Prize winner who has repeatedly declared her intentions to foster warmer relations with Israel? Where does this fall in all of the chaos?
In any case, it would be interesting to see whether the “international community” that vehemently defended Israel’s “right to defend itself” also keeps the same stance regarding Venezuela, or will the double standards and hypocrisy be exposed once again?
Justice, which has remained elusive for decades and has allowed the injustices of powerful nations to escalate to a critical point, may still prove to be the force that saves countless lives and safeguards their futures. This is what the Holy Quran teaches:
“O ye who believe! be steadfast in the cause of Allah, bearing witness in equity; and let not a people’s enmity incite you to act otherwise than with justice. Be always just, that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah. Surely, Allah is aware of what you do.” (Surah al-Maidah, Ch.5: V.9)
Guidance regarding basic Islamic issues that Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, has given on various occasions in his written correspondence and during MTA programmes is being published officially below for everyone’s benefit.
Someone from Türkiye asked Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, whether getting a tattoo is haram. He also asked whether it is permissible to include photographs of the Promised Messiahas and his Khulafa in videos that also feature music.
Huzoor-e-Anwaraa, in his letter dated 12 October 2023, provided the following guidance regarding this matter:
“To make or get a tattoo is not permissible. It has been prohibited in ahadith, where Allah the Exalted has condemned, in very strong terms, those who practise tattooing and those who get themselves tattooed for the sake of beauty. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-libas, Bab al-mutafallijati li l-husn)
“The objective behind getting a tattoo is to show it off or to beguile the opposite sex in an impermissible manner. That is why people usually get tattoos on body parts that they may then expose and exhibit to the public. However, even if someone gets a tattoo on parts of the body that must be covered, the mindset behind it is the same: to display the tattoos made on these hidden parts to the opposite gender at the time of committing evil deeds and immorality. Both of these methods are impermissible, as they are contrary to Islamic teachings.
“Furthermore, tattoos have also been linked to a host of physical and health issues. For instance, the sweat glands under the skin are badly affected in the areas of the body that have tattoos; that is, having a tattoo reduces the sweating in the concerned parts of the body, which is harmful to one’s health. Similarly, since tattoos become permanent features on the skin, sometimes as the body grows or shrinks, so does the shape of the tattoo, which makes the tattoo look ugly instead of ‘beautiful’. Then such individuals begin to think of them as a plague that they cannot get rid of. Thus, for these reasons alone, it is futile and absurd to get a tattoo.”
Can we use photos of the Promised Messiah or his Khulafa in videos with music?
Image: Library
“The answer to your second question is that it is absolutely not permitted to include photographs of the Promised Messiahas or his Khulafa in videos where music, etc., is playing. Music is considered among vain or laghw things and Allah the Exalted mentions in the Holy Quran as a sign of the believers that they shun vain acts and frivolous matters (Surah al-Mu’minun, Ch.23: V.4) Thus, how can it be permissible to mix something good with something vain?”
Should one perform qasr prayer when visiting one’s son’s or parents’ house?
Image: Timur Weber/Pexels
Someone from Germany wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, stating: “I live in a city in Germany and one of my sons has a home in another city. When I visit that son’s home, should I shorten [qasr] the salat and when my son visits my home, should he offer the full salat or shorten it?”
Huzoor-e-Anwaraa, in his letter dated 14 October 2023, replied to this question as follows:
“In my view, these are one’s own homes; there is no need to shorten the salat in them. However, as you have written that you have a separate home and your son also has a separate home, in such a situation, according to some Islamic jurists, a person would be considered a traveller and would shorten the salat. Whereas, according to the Ahmadiyya jurisprudence, in such a case, a person has the choice to either shorten the salat or offer it in full. Accordingly, it is written in Fiqh-e-Ahmadiyya that if a person is staying at the home of such a relative, which he considers his own home – such as the parents’ home, the in-laws’ home, or a religious centre like Mecca, Medina, Qadian, Rabwah, etc. – then during a stay of less than 15 days, he may choose to avail himself of this concession and offer two rak‘ats, or he may choose to offer the full salat, i.e., four rak‘ats. (Fiqh-e-Ahmadiyya, ‘Ibadaat, p. 189)” […]
What is the punishment for adultery in Islam?
Image: Mizzu Cho/Pexels
Someone wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, asking whether the punishment for adultery [zina] mentioned in the Holy Quran is only for premarital intercourse, or if the same punishment applies if a man or woman commits adultery with someone other than their spouse during marriage. Furthermore, if the one who committed adultery realises their sin, can they hope that Allah will forgive them?
Huzoor-e-Anwaraa, in his letter dated 16 October 2023, provided the following guidance regarding this issue:
“Where the punishment for adultery is mentioned in the Holy Quran, no such distinction has been made as to whether this punishment is for premarital adultery or for adultery committed after marriage. Rather, the punishment for adultery has been stated generally: that whether the adulterer is a man or a woman, when their sin is proven through four witnesses in accordance with the conditions of testimony established by Islam, they should be administered 100 lashes. Regarding the punishment for adultery, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira states:
“‘When the charge of adultery is proven against a man and a woman, their punishment is that the man should be given 100 lashes and the woman should also be given 100 lashes.’ (Haqaiq-ul-Furqan, Vol. 3, p. 200)
“Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states with reference to verse 3 of Surah an-Nur:
“‘It is manifestly proven from this verse of the Holy Quran that the punishment for an adulterous man and an adulterous woman is 100 lashes.’ (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 8, UK, 2023, p. 423)
“Thus, whether a person is married or unmarried, when they commit a heinous act like adultery, in both cases, their punishment is 100 lashes. However, this punishment is for such a habitual criminal who has become so involved in this evil that there exist witnesses against him, for whose testimony Islam has set extremely strict conditions (Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-hudud, Bab fi rajmi l-yahudiyyain); or [it is for one who] commits this lewd act so publicly as to outrage public decency and thus encourages its spread in society. Accordingly, explaining this matter with reference to verse 3 of Surah an-Nur, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states:
“Thus, by al-zaniyah and al-zani, a perfect [complete] adulterer is meant, who is either habitual in adultery or has become so fearless that he commits this act openly or is muhsan, i.e., married, or elderly and yet commits adultery. Regarding all such people, the Holy Quran states the same: Upon their crime being proven, administer 100 lashes to them.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 8, UK, 2023, p. 435)
“The answer to your second question is that in the Holy Quran and the ahadith of the Holy Prophetsa, there is abundant mention of God Almighty’s mercy with reference to His attributes of Rahman [Gracious], Rahim [Merciful], ’Afuww [The Effacer of Sins], Ghafoor [Most Forgiving], Ghafir [Forgiver] and at-Tawwab [Oft-Returning with Compassion], etc. Just as Allah the Exalted states in the Holy Quran: ‘O ye who believe! Turn to Allah in sincere repentance. It may be that your Lord will remove the evil [consequences] of your deeds and make you enter Gardens through which rivers flow.’ (Surah at-Tahrim, Ch.66: V.9) Similarly, the Holy Prophetsa stated that the one who sincerely repents after committing a sin is like one who has not committed the sin at all. (Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab az-zuhd, Bab zikri t-tawbah)
“Hazrat Ubadah bin Samitra narrates that, ‘On one occasion, the Holy Prophetsa said to the Companions present around him: ‘Take a pledge of allegiance with me that you will not associate anything with Allah, will not commit theft, will not commit adultery, will not kill your children, will not bring any calumny which you have deliberately forged and will not disobey in any good matter. Thus, whoever among you fulfils [this pledge], his reward is with Allah; and whoever becomes involved in any of these [evils] and receives its punishment in this world, that punishment will be an expiation [kaffarah] for him. And whoever becomes involved in any of these [evils] and Allah veils his sin in this world, then his matter is with Allah; He may forgive him if He wills, or punish him if He wills.’’ (Hazrat Ubadah bin Samitra says,) ‘So we all pledged allegiance to the Holy Prophetsa on these matters.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-iman, Bab ‘alamati l-imani hubbu l-’ansar)
“Thus, when Allah the Almighty, Who is the Master of everything, continues to overlook the sins of His weak servants, if any party among a husband and wife falls prey to such an evil and subsequently repents – and they are granted sincere repentance such that they never turn back to this evil again – then the other party should also overlook the one who has repented and leave the matter to Allah the Almighty.”
[Note: The above response is provided for theological understanding only and is not legal advice. It must not be construed as endorsing any private enforcement, accusation, coercion or punishment, nor as encouraging conduct contrary to the laws of the land. Any discussion of prescribed punishments in classical Islamic law pertains to lawful judicial authority and due process, not individual action. —Editor, Al Hakam]
(Compiled by Zaheer Ahmad Khan, Head of Records Department, Private Secretariat, London and translated by Al Hakam)
The commentaries of the Holy Quran produced by the Promised Messiahas and his Khulafa are unique as they have not only given new insights into the Quran but also corrected mistakes made by classical commentaries (tafasir).
One such profound commentary is Tafsir-e-Kabir by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, a work which is vast and full of astonishing Quranic insights. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra also clarifies many mistakes made in past commentaries.
This article highlights Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra discussion of verses 73 and 74 of Surah al-Baqarah and gives his critiques of earlier interpretations – including some offered by scholars of our Jamaat – and presents a more accurate reading. (Taken from Tafsir-e-Kabir (new edition), Vol. 2, pp. 182-207)
The beginning verses of the ninth ruku of Surah al-Baqarah state:
“And [remember the time] when you slew a person and differed among yourselves about it; and Allah would bring to light what you concealed.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.73)
“Then We said: ‘Smite him (the murderer) for a part of [the offence against] him (the murdered person).’ Thus, Allah gives life to the dead and shows you His Signs that you may understand.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.74)
Classical commentaries and Hazrat Musleh Maud’s difference
The common classical reading of these verses refers to a miracle: a murdered man is struck with part of the slaughtered cow (mentioned in Surah al-Baqarah prior), the man briefly returns to life, identifies his killer and dies again.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra challenges this framing by showing a mistake in reading the context of these verses. He also argues that such interpretations do not align with Islamic teachings and have instead been adopted from Jewish scriptures.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra explains that classical commentators make a key mistake: they assume verses 73 and 74 are a continuation of the earlier “cow” narrative mentioned in Surah al-Baqarah in the previous ruku. They misunderstood verses 73 and 74 just because they were adjacent to the cow narrative verses.
Two examples (summarised) illustrate this mainstream approach in commentaries:
Tafsir Ibn Kathir presents the episode as a literal miracle: after people dispute over a murder, the dead person is struck with a piece of the cow (the specific part is left unspecified), he returns to life, and the event is framed as evidence of Allah’s power to resurrect and as a proof against Jewish disputation. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, for Ch.2: V.73)
Ma’arif al-Quran similarly treats the verses as part of the same story: the murderer’s supporters attempt to conceal the crime, but the truth is exposed through a miraculous sign in which the dead man identifies his killer after being touched with part of the sacrificial cow. (Tafsir Ma’arif al-Quran, Ch.2: V.73)
A structural key: The ninth ruku begins a new discourse
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra notes verses 73 and 74 open the ninth ruku of Surah al-Baqarah and though the addressees remain the Jews (as in the previous ruku), the time-frame and subject shift:
In the eighth ruku, the Jews at the time of Prophet Mosesas are addressed.
From the ninth ruku, a new discussion begins, addressing the Jews at the time of the Holy Prophetsa – this is the key change in the subject.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra says many interpretations stumble here: they assume continuity with the “cow” narrative that the previous verses were referring to simply because the verses are close together, but a more careful reading shows otherwise.
A prior Jamaat interpretation and Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s reservation
Before presenting his own reading, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra records how some Jamaat scholars had interpreted these verses:
They took “And remember the time when you slew a person and differed among yourselves about it” as referring to Jesusas– that the Jews attempted to kill him and later differed over what occurred (whether he died on the cross, what happened to his body, and whether it was stolen or disappeared).
They read “and Allah would bring to light what you concealed” as Allah revealing the truth through the Promised Messiahas, who argued – through the Holy Quran, Hadith, Bible and historical references – that Jesusas survived the crucifixion and later fulfilled his mission among the remaining tribes of Israel.
They interpreted “Then, We said: ‘Smite him’” as a command to the angels to punish the Jews for trying to kill Jesusas.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra does not categorically reject this view. However, he raises a textual concern: if “and Allah would bring to light what you concealed” is anchored in the time of the Promised Messiahas, then later verses about the Jews after verse 74 such as “then your hearts became hardened” would appear to fall after or during that period of the Promised Messiahas – whereas the hardening of hearts of the Jews occurred long before.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s interpretation
In brief, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra explains the interpretation of these verses as follows:
Verse 73 refers to the Jews attempting to kill the Holy Prophetsa.
Verse 74 points to decisive action taken against the principal instigators of that hostility by the Jews – especially Ka’ab bin Ashraf and Abu Rafi – whom Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra identifies as central figures behind a broader conspiracy and escalation against the Holy Prophetsa.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra grounds this in the political and social realities around Medina after the Battle of Badr, when tension shifted into open incitement and conspiracy.
Background: Escalating hostility after Badr
Ka’ab bin Ashraf and Abu Rafi were the Jewish leaders in the Medina region. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra explains that the Jewish tribes did not initially see the Muslims as a serious threat, but after the Muslim victory at Badr, hatred and enmity became more visible.
He notes that the battle of Badr occurred in Ramadan, during 2 AH and Ka’ab bin Ashraf went to Mecca soon after the Battle of Badr and incited the people of Mecca against Islam and its founder. After returning to Medina, he began uttering inappropriate and filthy couplets about Muslim women and members of the family of the Holy Prophetsa. What followed was open hostility and rebellion against the treaty signed by the Jews as well when Islam came to Medina.
A striking detail used to show the severity of the threat is the report concerning the companion Talha bin Barara. He is described as having been ill for some time; on the night he expected to die, he asked his family not to inform the Holy Prophetsa of his death, fearing Jewish harm if the Prophetsa came out to lead his funeral.
meaning: “I fear for him the Jews, and that he may be harmed because of me.”
From this chain of events, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra concludes that hostility had moved beyond rhetoric into treaty violation, incitement, sedition and conspiracy to assassinate the Holy Prophetsa. On this basis, he argues that Ka’ab bin Ashraf and Abu Rafi, though killed at different times, were guilty of the same overarching offence.
A close reading of the verses in Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s commentary
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra explains his view by breaking the verses into key phrases and reading each in light of Quranic usage and historical context.
1. “You slew a person…” (Ch.2: V.73)
وَاِذۡ قَتَلۡتُمۡ نَفۡسًا فَادّٰرَءۡتُمۡ فِیۡہَا
“And remember the time when you slew a person and differed among yourselves about it.”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states this addresses the Jews at the time of the Holy Prophetsa, with particular reference to figures such as Ka’ab bin Ashraf and Abu Rafi and when they tried to assassinate the Holy Prophetsa.
He says nafsan(person)refers to the Holy Prophetsa, and although qatala typically means “to kill”, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra notes it can also encompassattempting to killorplotting to kill.
To support this, he cites Quranic language where “slaying” appears in the context of threatened killing:
“And a believing man from among the people of Pharaoh, who concealed his faith, said, “Will you slay a man because he says, ‘My Lord is Allah,’ while he has brought you clear proofs from your Lord?” (Surah al-Mu’min, Ch.40: V.29)
Just as this verse speaks about plotting against Hazrat Musaas (not literally killing him), Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra argues chapter 2, verse 73 can indicate intent and attempt even where killing fails.
2. “Allah would bring to light what you concealed” (Ch.2: V.73)
وَاللّٰہُ مُخۡرِجٌ مَّا کُنۡتُمۡ تَکۡتُمُوۡن
“And Allah would bring to light what you concealed.”
In this verse, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra interprets the “concealed” matter as the Jews’ ultimate objective: not just general opposition, but the intention to assassinate the Holy Prophetsa. Even if that aim was not openly declared, Allah would expose it.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra supports this with two incidents: the attempt by Bani Nadhir to assassinate the Holy Prophetsa by dropping a rock after inviting him for a “discussion,” and the poisoning attempt in Khayber by the Jews. In both cases, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra argues, Allah exposed the danger and protected the Holy Prophetsa.
3) “Smite him […]” (Ch.2: V.74)
فَقُلۡنَا اضۡرِبُوۡہُ بِبَعۡضِہَا
“Then We said: ‘Smite him (the murderer) for a part of the offence against him (the murdered person).’”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra notes that darabameans “to strike”, and that expressions such as daraba bis-saif(to strike with the sword) can signify a fatal blow. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra then explains that bi-ba‘diha(with a part of it)refers to the offences already described; treaty-breaking, rebellion, incitement, sedition, foul provocation, and conspiracy – through which the instigators became deserving of punishment.
This is the part where classical scholars have said bi-ba‘diha(with a part of it) means to strike with a part of the slaughtered cow, which is a clear misunderstanding.
4) “Thus, Allah gives life to the dead” (Ch.2: V.74)
کَذٰلِکَ یُحۡیِ اللّٰہُ الۡمَوۡتٰی
“Thus, Allah gives life to the dead.”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra explains this part is an established divine practice: prophets are opposed and plotted against, yet Allah especially protects the first and the last prophet of a dispensation and does not allow enemies to kill them. From the opponents’ perspective, the prophet may appear “as good as dead,” yet Allah saves him even when escape seems impossible – thus “giving life to the dead.”
5) “And shows you His Signs […]”
وَیُرِیۡکُمۡ اٰیٰتِہٖ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تَعۡقِلُوۡن
“And shows you His Signs that you may understand.”
The “Signs” are not merely abstract proofs; they are also warnings for those inclined to disorder. Here, despite visible and hidden efforts to harm the Holy Prophetsa, Allah protected him and exposed the intent behind the hostility.
Classical commentaries commonly treat verses 73-74 as a continuation of the cow narrative, reading them as a literal miracle in which a murdered man is struck with part of the slaughtered cow, briefly revived, and made to identify his killer.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra clarifies the passage by shifting the key assumption: because these verses open a new ruku, he argues they begin a new discourse – addressing the Jews in the time of the Holy Prophetsa, not the Jews in the time of Prophet Mosesas.
On that basis, he reads the language of the verses in a Quranic and historical register rather than as a tale. “You slew a person” is understood as an attempt or plot to kill the Holy Prophetsa; “Allah would bring to light what you concealed” refers to the exposure of that hidden intent; and “Smite him” points to decisive punishment of the principal instigators behind treaty-breaking, sedition and conspiracy to assassinate the Holy Prophetsa.
In short, where classical works emphasise a miraculous reenactment tied to the cow story, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra presents a structurally grounded, context-driven reading that keeps the verses coherent within the realities of the life of the Holy Prophetsa and Quranic usage.
This was just one example out of the large corpus of Tafsir-e-Kabir. It is important we all study Tafsir-e-Kabir and derive benefits from the insights Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra provided for us.
The 5th Annual Award Ceremony of the International Talimul-Quran Academy (ITQA) was held on 7 December 2025, at Tahir Hall, Baitul Futuh Mosque Complex. The event was presided over by Rafiq Ahmed Hayat Sahib, Amir Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya UK.
The ceremony commenced with a recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by hadith, selected sayings of the Promised Messiahas and an Urdu poem. This was followed by a 15-minute documentary showcasing the brief history of the Academy’s establishment, the performance of its various learning zones, an introduction to its office departments and feedback from students residing in distant countries who have been attending ITQA classes.
Thereafter, Hafiz Fazle Rabbi Sahib, In-Charge of ITQA, presented the annual report, highlighting the Academy’s educational activities, year-long progress and major achievements. He stated that the International Academy was established in 2020, under the special guidance of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. The Academy was launched from London with the aim of delivering Quranic education to Ahmadi boys and girls in their homes across the world.
The Academy currently has approximately 4,000 students receiving online Quranic education from 36 countries, organised into five learning zones, with the number of volunteer teachers exceeding 550. This year, teachers who have continuously served the Academy for five years were also awarded certificates.
Hafiz Sahib further informed the audience about the progress made during the past year in courses related to nazirah (Quran reading), translation of the Quran, Arabic grammar and Hifzul-Quran. He also mentioned that word-by-word Quran translation classes are being conducted in 13 major world languages, which are uploaded to the Academy’s YouTube channel and are benefiting people beyond the Jamaat as well.
Subsequently, Hafiz Aneeq-ur-Rehman Sahib, In-Charge of the Office Management Department, announced the names of students who demonstrated outstanding performance in the examinations. Certificates and prizes were awarded to female students by Dr Qurratul-Ain Sahiba, Sadr Lajna Imaillah UK, while male students received their certificates and awards from Amir Sahib Jamaat UK.
Some highlights from the 5th Annual Award Ceremony . . . International Talimul Qur'an Academy (ITQA) pic.twitter.com/MymHx7f4wn
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Amir Sahib Jamaat UK delivered his closing speech.
He briefly mentioned the establishment and rapid progress of ITQA under the guidance of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa and paid tribute to the dedication, sincerity and services of the Academy’s entire staff and teachers. He then led the gathering in silent prayer, marking the conclusion of this blessed ceremony. Dinner was then served to the guests.
The entire programme was broadcast live on YouTube, enabling students and teachers from other countries to participate virtually.
A year after his return from England, Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra, Khalifatul Masih II, reflects upon the West’s apparent indifference towards religion and the deeper spiritual realities concealed beneath it. While acknowledging the material progress and religious apathy prevalent in Europe, he argues that this indifference masks an underlying attraction towards faith and reverence for God. His observations lead to a hopeful conclusion – that despite its advanced spiritual malaise, Europe is not beyond cure and that through sympathy, perseverance and the universal principles of Islam, a path towards genuine spiritual and international peace remains open.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra states:
“It has been a full year since I left England, but the kind treatment which the English people extended to me and my companions during my brief sojourn in England and the attention accorded to me by the English press are yet fresh in my mind. I had gone to England with a heart full of sympathetic feelings for England and the British people. On my return, I found that those feelings had intensified.
Western material progress and religious apathy
“It is true that a general apathy towards religion prevails in all Western countries on account of the great material progress they have made. England is no exception in this respect. It has had its share of this indifference towards religion. I was conscious of this fact and therefore, when I left England last year, I was more solicitous of her spiritual welfare than when I had entered it.
Hidden reverence for religion
“Notwithstanding my consciousness of British apathy towards matters religious, I had, after a deep and careful study of the British mind and the different influences that are affecting it, returned convinced that beneath this apparent indifference lay concealed a liking for and attraction towards religion and though an impenetrable layer of irreligiousness had spread over the English mind, yet England was not absolutely devoid of love and reverence for religion.
Not beyond spiritual cure
“This filled me with greater certainty that England is not beyond the pale of spiritual cure and though the disease is very serious and is in an advanced stage, yet there is hope for her to rally. It requires only perseverance and sympathy on the part of her physicians and the patient shall recover. Then shall the erring flock enter the Master’s fold and the prodigal son shall come to his Father and he shall see that his Father shall not demand from him the shedding of blood for the remission of his sins and his restoration to His favour, as Christianity of today teaches, but as Islam teaches, from which Christianity in its pristine form did not differ a jot, shall accept the sacrifice of his sincere repentance and heartfelt contrition and shall make merry and be glad and shall kill a fatted calf on the return of His penitent son.
East-West unity under the banner of the Messiah
“Those will be the days when all distinctions of East and West shall vanish and all would be God’s servants and the Easterners shall look upon the West as their home and the Westerners shall regard the East as their own. All shall gather under the banner of the Messiah who has been raised a second time to give salvation to the world and shall be presented before the Greatest of all Prophets, Muhammad, peace be upon him, who is the last and the Most Perfect Divine Manifestation. Then shall the whole world say with great joy:
“‘Let His Kingdom be upon earth as it is in heaven.’” [Matt. 6:10]
How the West is moving towards Islam
“I clearly perceive that God is manifesting sign after sign to bring about the desired end and is providing means after means for the same object. The tongue is chanting the praise of Christianity, but the hearts are being attracted towards Islam. The question of divorce is being solved in accordance with Islamic teachings, the objections against polygamy are weakening, women are given their rights on the lines laid down by Islam and a vigorous campaign is being conducted against the use of wine. Sundry other problems are being solved in the light of the Islamic teachings.
“Though the excellence and superiority of the teachings of Islam are not openly acknowledged because old-standing enmities are not so readily got rid of, yet the everyday changes demonstrate that the West, unconsciously and against its will, is coming over to Islam.
The Locarno Pact and Islamic principles of peace
“But what I at present wish to draw the attention of the Western people to is the Locarno Pact. Up till now, Europe has been following the Islamic teachings in social matters. In politics, she thought, she was too advanced to stand in need of guidance from any other quarter. But the Locarno Pact is Europe’s practical admission of the fact that in politics and international problems as well, Islam is the best guide and without acting upon its teachings, no success is possible.
Engagement with the League of Nations
“During my stay in England last year, two representatives of the religious branch of the League of Nations came to see me and they desired that, being the head of a large community, I should use my influence in getting the branches of the League established in India and help those who are already engaged in this work. I had told the aforesaid gentlemen that though the League of Nations had not yet been constituted on such lines so as to establish peace and tranquillity in the world, yet as it was a step in the right direction, I would lend every possible support to it.
“I told them as well that Islam has laid down some lines and principles on which a League of Nations could be made. According to these principles, when two nations which are members of the League go to war against each other, the other nations should, as arbitrators, hear the cases of the belligerent parties and then decide how mutual understanding could be brought about between them. If either of the parties concerned refused to accept the League’s award, they should all unite to fight against it till it submitted to the decision of the League and refrained from encroaching upon the rights of the other party. When the war was over, the victors, to feed fat their grudge or to make the most of the victory, should not impose new financial burdens upon the vanquished and should not make preposterous demands which render the foundations of war stronger and firmer. They evinced their entire sympathy with the scheme but said that the time had not come when the League could be constituted on these lines because mutual mistrust and suspicions were not removed yet and some big powers had not accepted the membership of the League.
“I have outlined the above-said scheme in my book, entitled ‘Ahmadiyyat or True Islam,’ which was originally written for the Conference of Living Religions within the British Empire. I have made it quite manifest in the book that a League of Nations established on these lines only could restore peace in the world.
Why the Locarno Pact succeeded
“I consider it a great heavenly sign that in less than a year, God has made the European nations follow the lines of the scheme outlined by me. Where the League failed, the Locarno Pact has succeeded in establishing peace in Europe because only that Pact can bring about peace in which the interests of all the parties are equally safeguarded and which, if violated by one party, should be vindicated by the united strength of all other parties. Take off from the Pact the clauses about mutual cooperation and the equal representation of all interests and the armed intervention of all parties against that party which violates it and it will become a mere scrap of paper.
“The difference in this Pact and the treaty which the German Chancellor styled as ‘a scrap of paper’ is that in that treaty the interests of one party were quite safe and no provision was made to defend the interests of the other party. Belgium enjoyed every protection, but no safeguard was provided for the German frontiers. Compelled by the existing circumstances and fearing lest Belgium, which was inclined towards France, should give the latter’s armies a passage through her territories, Germany committed that breach of trust which shall remain forever an indelible blot on the names of those in whose hands were then the reins of Germany’s politics. But in the present Pact, as the interests of all parties are equally safeguarded, it has succeeded in creating an atmosphere of trust and confidence. This is the line of action suggested by Islam.
“The second distinctive feature of this Pact is that all the signatories have pledged themselves to armed intervention on behalf of the injured party and the international relations could not be based on a satisfactory basis without this clause.
“Though the Locarno Pact has been signed by a few nations only, if pacts were made among different countries on the same lines and in the same spirit, the possibility of future wars would be greatly reduced.
Islam and the dawn of a new era in European politics
“Europe is delighted and justifiably delighted that a new era has dawned in European politics and there is no doubt about it that the Locarno Pact is the precursor of a new era. But what is that era? It is the era of Islam, which, in order to base international relations on a better and firmer footing, had suggested this line of action.
“Is it then too much to expect of the serious-minded people of Europe that when they have practically accepted the scheme suggested by Islam for establishing peace, they will make verbal acknowledgement also of the excellence of Islamic teachings and will express their indebtedness to Islam, which is the bounden duty of all noble-minded people.
“I pray that the new era, for which the foundations are laid on the teachings of Islam, may prove an era of real peace, because Islam means ‘to give peace.’
“What harm did the boycott of Russia by other powers do to her? If she was isolated on one side, she contracted relations and established her influence on other sides. A boycott could coerce into submission only that country which depends on other countries for its very life. A big country sustains no serious loss on account of such a boycott; neither can all its neighbours maintain this boycott against it, because some financially weak nations take advantage of such an opportunity to improve their fiscal condition.
“When a nation is bent upon shedding innocent blood and reducing a sister nation to slavery, particularly when she is advised by other nations that she is not justified in what she is doing, nothing can check such a nation from her inhuman and unjust course except for the fear of or actual armed intervention by other nations in favour of the aggrieved party. By providing this most important clause, the Locarno Pact has done much greater service in creating an atmosphere of mutual trust and confidence than the League Protocol had done.
A call to Europe’s moral and spiritual vanguard
“I pray also that God may vouchsafe strength to those thousands of British and other European people who are convinced in their hearts of the excellence and truth of the teachings of Islam, that they should come forward and should prove themselves the vanguard of the era which is about to dawn.
“True, it is the vanguard which always suffers most, but it is they who constitute the vanguard that deserve undying fame and endless reward. It is they whose memories are perpetuated in this world and whose souls in the next are guided to the interminable summits of spiritual altitude. I appeal to the noble feelings of these great souls that they should extend us their hand of sympathy and help in this apparently doomed-to-failure task of the propagation of Islamic ideas and should tarry no longer. They should come forward and should faithfully and bravely discharge that sacred obligation which they owe to their own selves, to the whole of mankind, to coming generations, nay, to humanity and to the cause of truth, justice and morality. Then they shall deserve to be called God’s elect and then shall they claim Him as their own.” – Khalifatul Masih II
(Transcribed and edited by Al Hakam from the original English, published in the January 1926 issue of The Review of Religions)
A glimpse into the rich history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat
Maulana Nazir Ahmad Mubashar Sahib giving a speech during a session chaired by Hazrat Chaudhry Sir Zafrulla Khanra
2 January 2000: On this day, a tragic collision occurred between a train and a passenger wagon at the railway crossing in Rabwah during the morning hours. On this occasion, Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, Fazl-e-Umar Hospital and local Ahmadis of Rabwah rendered invaluable services. For instance, 28 khuddam immediately donated blood for the injured. (Al Fazl, Rabwah, 4 January 2000, p. 1)
2 January 2006: During his tour of India, on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa visited various places in Qadian, including Talim-ul-Islam College, Noor Mosque, Tahrik-e-Jadid’s boarding, SS Bajwa School, Kothi Darus Salam, Noor Hospital, Aqsa Mosque and the Ahmadiyya Central Library, etc. (Al Fazl International, 24 February 2006, p. 11)
3 January 1898: The Promised Messiahas had expressed multiple times his intention to open and establish a middle school in Qadian to meet the educational requirements of the growing Jamaat. On this day, this historic milestone was achieved and Talim-ul-Islam School was inaugurated in Qadian. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, p. 3)
3 January 2014: During his Friday sermon on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa mentioned Yusuf Latif Sahib of Boston, USA, who had passed away on 23 September 2013 at the age of 93. He had accepted Ahmadiyyat in 1948 and was amongst the early Afro-American Ahmadis. He was the author of various books. Once, President Clinton invited him to the White House and Yusuf Sahib attended the event wearing a shalwar kameez.
4 January 1952: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra directed the central administrative Jamaat offices to draw up a list of projects in detail that needed to be completed during the year. He also instructed that the projects should be completed within their given timeframe. (Al Fazl, 11 January 1952)
5 January 1944: In the night between 5 and 6 January 1944, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was shown in a vision that he was the person mentioned in the Promised Messiah’sas announcement of 20 February 1886 that spoke of a ‘promised son’. At the time, Huzoorra was staying in Lahore at Sheikh Bashir Ahmad Sahib’s residence located on 13 Temple Road.
To read more about the background and fulfilment of this divine prophecy and heavenly sign, read: “Friday sermon – Musleh-e-Maud: The Prophecy and The Man (23 February 2024)” at alhakam.org (22 March 2024, pp. 21-24).
5 January 1945: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra instructed that every Ahmadi family must ensure that at least one person from their family devote their lives to serving the Jamaat.
Huzoorra explained that the work of tabligh and spreading religion could not solely be done with finances; the efforts of people were also required. (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 26, p. 1)
6 January 1945: On this day, Hazrat Hafiz Mirza Nasir Ahmadrh, then principal of Talim-ul-Islam College, was elected as a member of the academic council of Punjab University for 1945-46. The principals of the concerned intermediate colleges elected him unanimously.
As soon as Talim-ul-Islam College was established, its reputation grew due to its teaching standards. This had an effect not only on the province of Punjab but also on the whole country. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 9, p. 63)
7 January 1910: On this day, Hazrat Mir Qasim Alira, a companion of the Promised Messiahas, launched his paper Al Haq from Delhi. The name of the newspaper was granted by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 3, p. 313)
7 January 1947: Jamaat’s missionary Maulana Nazir Ahmad Mubashar Sahib, who rendered invaluable services on the African continent under the guidance of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, returned to Qadian on this day after spending over 10 years in the field, serving as a missionary.
To read more about his sacrifices and achievements, see: “Pioneer Missionaries: Part 10 – Eleven years in Gold Coast: A lesson of sacrifice, resilience and love for Islam Ahmadiyyat” at alhakam.org (9 June 2023, p. 16).
7 January 2017: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa inaugurated the Baitul Ehsan Mosque in Mitcham, London. In addition to the prayer halls, the five-storey building holds conference rooms, offices and various other facilities. (“Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Inaugurates New Mosque in Mitcham, London”, www.pressahmadiyya.com)
8 January 1932: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra initiated a remarkable scheme for the propagation of Islam Ahmadiyyat and added that every year, there should be a large number of people entering the Jamaat from around the world. To achieve this noble goal, Huzoorra also stressed that Jamaat members had to unite, bridging any internal rifts. (Al Fazl, 14 January 1932)
8 January 2010: During his Friday sermon on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa mentioned Professor Muhammad Yusuf Sahib of Rachna Town, Lahore, Pakistan, who had been martyred on 5 January, at the age of 65. He had been serving as the local president for the last 20 years.
The word qalb, which is used for ‘heart’ in Arabic, has two meanings. Firstly, there is the apparent and physical meaning, and then there is the spiritual meaning. The apparent meaning of qalb is one of ‘turning about’. Since it is the heart that causes the circulation of blood in our bodies, it is referred to as qalb in Arabic. In the spiritual sense, this word implies that any progress an individual hopes to attain in terms of spirituality can only be attained through the power of the heart. Just as the circulation of blood, which is absolutely critical in sustaining human life, is powered by the heart or qalb, in the same manner, all forms of spiritual advancement are dependent on the power of the heart.
