Every year, around the world, the Jamaat continues to produce fresh batches of missionaries, who dedicate their lives for the cause of Islam to further spread the true message.
The Jamaat has many Jamias around the world such as Jamia Ahmadiyya Qadian, Rabwah, Ghana, Germany, Canada and the UK, just to name a few.
After completing the Shahid exams, a new batch spends a period in which they are sent to different areas like Africa, Pakistan and Spain. During this period, they are also temporarily posted in various offices of the Jamaat to broaden their understanding of the Nizam (system) of the Jamaat.
During the activities of the year, the highlight for many fortunate young missionaries are the mulaqats the missionaries have with Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa in which they are given the opportunity to learn and ask Huzooraa various questions.
Before the batch departs for Africa or Pakistan, they leave with guidance from Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa as to what tasks they should focus on during their time there and are once again reminded of their actual purpose.
Last week, both the Canadian and the UK batches of missionaries had seperate mulaqats with Huzooraa.
Al Hakam spoke with Sabahat Ali Sahib who, along with his Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada class fellows, had a class mulaqat on Saturday, 12 January. Regarding the mulaqat, he said:
“This was our first class mulaqat. It was totally different in that the level of expectation was clearly much higher, and this air of expectation from Huzooraa fanned the flames of devotion in each one of us.
“One person asked Huzooraa about how many letters one should ideally write to him. Huzooraa replied, ‘As many as your love impels you to write. It shouldn’t just be to fulfil a certain quota of letters.’”
“We asked Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa about his expectations for us in Rabwah, to which he responded that we should always remember that we are going there as missionaries, and should conduct ourselves as such. He told us that there are many elders in Rabwah who are experienced and knowledgeable, and that we should take advantage of that. First and foremost, he said that we should offer all five prayers in Masjid Mubarak, and that whatever programme the organisation has given shape for us should be adhered to perfectly.
“Huzooraa asked a student about what time he got up for Tahajud, and advised that for a missionary, half an hour before Fajr is expected as a bare minimum, stating that it should be around an hour before preferably.”
On 14 January, the UK batch had their second class mulaqat with Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa, the first being before they departed for Africa. After the recent mulaqat, our Al Hakam reporters spoke with Sabahuddin Ahmedi Sahib, who expressed his feelings saying:
“We have had the honour to meet Huzooraa twice as a class; once before going to Africa and today being the second time before we travel to Pakistan. I feel honoured, privileged and humbled to be able to spend time with our Imam who advises us on different aspects before travelling. As a father advises his child is how my Khalifa advised us. From what to eat and drink, to how to worship and greet others. Despite our beloved Imam’s busy schedule, he took out over half an hour for us, asked us about our previous experiences in Africa and gave us the opportunity to ask questions. To be in the presence of an individual who we believe to be the closest man to God Almighty is truly a blessing.”
After the mulaqat, our reporters also spoke with Attaul Fattir Tahir Sahib from the UK batch, who said:
“Spending any amount of time with Huzooraa is priceless. By the grace of Allah, we have been blessed with two mulaqats with Huzooraa since passing Jamia. It’s Huzoor’s sheer love and affection that he grants us this time in his blessed company.
“The first mulaqat was prior to our trip to Africa in which Huzooraa advised us on what to do, gave us insight into the African culture and specifically told us to show love to Africans and learn from them. Huzooraa reminded us that our conduct should be of a very high standard and that we should not be unmindful of our daily prayers, recitation of the Holy Quran and extra studies whilst in Africa.
“In this recent mulaqat, Huzooraa enquired about our experience in Africa and gave us valuable advice for our next visit to Pakistan. The mulaqat was very light-hearted and Huzooraa showed us great love.”
Ataul Fattir told our reporters that he had the opportunity to ask Huzoor about the recent Halal meat debate and ban in one area of Belgium and what response should be given to those who say that the manner in which animals are slaughtered in Islam is cruel.
“Huzoor presented a beautiful answer,” said Ataul Fattir, “highlighting the fact that Halal meat is actually more beneficial and less cruel to animals as compared to other methods of slaughter. Huzoor said that countries like New Zealand are actually promoting Halal meat and that the world would soon realise that the method Islam presents is actually the best.”
He added an interesting aspect of the mulaqat, highlighting Huzoor’s love for the Jamaat around the world, “Huzooraa graciously gave us each two pens as well at the close of the mulaqat. Huzooraa said to give a pen to any friend we made in Rabwah.”
“Each mulaqat has enlightened, blessed and spiritually uplifted our whole class. The advice Huzooraa gives us prior to going into the field has been extremely valuable. It’s another proof of the truthfulness of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya.”
These mulaqats are preparing the young missionaries for their journies ahead. Though they may have completed their studies in Jamia, however the real training comes from every guidance received from Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa.
18 January 1903: The Promised Messiahas began his journey back from Jhelum and reached Lahore on this day. He was in Jhelum for the Karam Din case court proceedings.
18 January 1970: Hazrat Hafiz Mirza Nasir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIIrh laid the foundation stone of Khilafat Library, Rabwah. Hazrat Chaudhry Sir Muhammad Zafarulla Khanra was also present. Huzoor’srh speech on this occasion was about the philosophy of learning, branches of knowledge and establishing libraries. Khilafat Library’s inauguration was held on 3 October 1971 and Huzoorrh himself presided over this historic event. The building of the library was funded by Fazle Umar Foundation and the authority was given to Sadr Anjuman. As Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra (Fazle Umar) was a scholar of the Quran and other branches of knowledge, he wanted to establish a library for the coming generation. On this basis Fazle Umar foundation built this library. Nowadays, Khilafat Library is a household name amongst book lovers, publishers and literary circles of the country.
19 January 1903: The Promised Messiahas arrived back in Qadian from Jhelum after attending court proceedings. On this day, the judge announced the final verdict which was in favour of the Promised Messiahas as foretold by God Almighty.
21 January 1886: The Promised Messiahas went for a chillah [forty days of seclusion for worship] to Hoshiarpur on a small ox-drawn two-wheeled vehicle. One narration recorded that the oxen were of white colour and Huzooras also made an overnight stay in Rasul Pur.
22 January 1897: The Promised Messiah’sas book Anjam-e-Atham (End of Atham) was published on this day. In the conclusion of Jang-e-Muqaddas (Holy War), on 5 June 1893, the Promised Messiahas published a prophecy about Abdullah Atham, who represented the Christian community in the debate called Jang-e-Muqaddas, that Abdullah Atham would be thrown into hell within 15 months – one month corresponding to each day of the debate – and that he would be (severely) disgraced “provided he did not turn to the truth”.
A period of 15 months ended on 5 September 1894 by which day Abdullah Atham was still alive. There was a great uproar that the prophecy of the Promised Messiahas turned out to be false as he was still alive. A procession was taken out on 6 September 1894 in Amritsar in which Atham was paraded as a sign that the Christians had become victorious over Islam. The Promised Messiahas wrote that the prophecy made by him was fulfilled in letter and spirit, because during the period of 15 months, Abdullah Atham had repented, turned towards the truth and had remained quiet without saying a single word against Islam and the Holy Prophetsa, nor did he write any article or book against Islam during this period.
Since 6 September, the Promised Messiahas issued seven announcements, one after the other, inviting Atham to take an oath that during the period of 15 months, he did not turn to God. In the posters, he offered a prize of 1,000 rupees which went on increasing with every poster – to 2,000, 3,000 and then 4,000 rupees. Every time, Atham was invited to take an oath. It was after the seventh poster (issued on 30 December 1895) that the refusal of Atham had reached a point where he would not be given any further respite.
Abdullah Atham died on 27 July 1896. This book, Anjam-e-Atham, contains the related details of the events. The book also bears the list of Hazrat Ahmad’sas 313 Companions.
24 Jan 1898: The Promised Messiah’sas Urdu book Kitab-ul-Bariyyah (The Acquittal) was published on this day by Zia-ul-Islam Press, Qadian. History shows us that the Christian missionary of Amritsar, Dr Henry Martyn Clark brought a charge of conspiracy to murder under Section 107 of IPC against the Promised Messiahas on 1 August 1897 in the court of Mr AB Martineau, District Magistrate of Amritsar.
Dr Clark stated that Hazrat Ahmadashad sent a young man, Abdul Hamid, to murder him. Abdul Hamid’s statement was also recorded. The magistrate immediately issued a warrant of arrest for Hazrat Ahmadasunder Section 114. The news of the arrest spread like wildfire and people eagerly looked forward to seeing the Promised Messiahasalight the train at Amritsar railway station handcuffed. They gathered every day at the station waiting for him, but God would not let him be humiliated at the hands of his enemies. The warrant of arrest never reached its destination and was never served to the Promised Messiahas. On the other hand, the district magistrate of Amritsar later realised his own mistake that he had no jurisdiction outside of Amritsar. Therefore, the case was transferred to the district magistrate of Gurdaspur. This book carries the details of this court case and also briefly mentions details of the Promised Messiah’s ancestry.
On 13 January, a group of seven new converts who travelled from Canadawere blessed with a mulaqat, organised by Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiayya Canada, with Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa.
The main purpose of mulaqats initially took root at the time of the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas. He emphasised the importance of those who accepted him as the Messiah and Mahdi to meet him and foster a relationship with him.
Huzooraa started by asking each person for their introduction and further enquired from them what they had studied and where they all worked.
The guests arrived in the UK on Thursday, 10 January. Huzooraa asked where they were staying and enquired about the food and hospitality. Huzooraa then asked each person the date and year they converted.
Among the new converts, one guest asked that they had prepared and wished to ask a few questions, upon which Huzooraa graciously accepted.
A brother asked Huzooraa to relate a personal faith inspiring incident. Huzooraa affectionately said, “You are the new convert, you should tell me a faith-inspiring story.” Huzooraa further asked the gentleman to narrate his story of how he converted to Ahmadiyyat.
One of the guests asked Huzooraa, as a born Ahmadi, at what point he had certainty that Islam Ahmadiyyat was in fact the true Islam.
Answering his question, Huzooraa stated: “There were so many occasions.” Huzoor went on to say:
“When I was just 16, I believed that there is a God, and if there is a God, He has appointed Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadianias as the Messiah and Mahdi of the age. So, if he has been appointed by Allah, then his followers should have firm belief in Allah and in the acceptance of prayers. So I prayed, and my prayers were accepted. Then, I realised that God is with Hazrat Masih-e-Maudas.”
Huzooraa further said, “There were so many stories I had read of the old Ahmadis and companions of Hazrat Masih-e-Maudas that also made my faith firm.”
Then, a guest asked, “In Islam, a son has the obligation of – financially and by other means – looking after his parents when they are older. However, if parents only have daughters, what will the duty be for the daughters regarding her parents?”
Answering this question, Huzooraa said, “If Allah did not give them sons, then the daughters can help their parents in other ways. It is not necessary that they help in a financial way.”
Huzooraa further stated, “How many sons are helping their parents today? In modern day society, in the Western world, old people are sent to old people homes. It is not only the sons that should try to seek paradise under the feet of their mothers, it is the daughters as well who should try to seek paradise under the feet of their mothers.”
A brother asked Huzooraa, “How can we know the difference between good innovations and bad innovations?”
Huzoor answered, “Anything which is against the teachings of Islam is a bad innovation. Anything which is depriving the people of the society from their rights is a bad innovation.”
For the new converts department, an idea was presented before Huzooraa regarding Muakhaat (brotherhood), where each convert is partnered with another person to strengthen the bond between them and the Jamaat. Regarding this, Huzooraa replied affirmatively and said, “Even in Qadian, this was done by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra.” Huzooraa further stated, “Sometimes, even Nau Mubai‘een [new converts] can help all Ahmadis increase their spiritual level.”
A new convert asked Huzooraa what motivated him to devote his life for the cause of the Jamaat. Huzooraa replied, “When I was quite young, I thought I should dedicate my life for the cause of the Jamaat.” Huzoor went on to say:
“I wrote to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh that I want to dedicate my life. He [Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh] sent my letter to the Tahrik-e-Jadid office, and after being processed, the Tahrik-e-Jadid office called me and interviewed me. After some time, they wrote back to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh [saying] ‘We don’t need a person of this qualification at present.’ Then, on the letter, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh wrote, ‘Tahrik-e-Jadid might not need this person, but I need him.’ Then, he [Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIra] accepted my waqf and sent me to Ghana.”
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then turned to the person who, in the beginning of the mulaqat, asked Huzooraa for a faith inspiring story, and said, “You were asking for a faith inspiring story, so this is also one”.
In the end, Huzooraa graciously gifted each person a ring with the inscription أَلَيْسَ اللهُ بِكَافِِ عَبْدَهُ and concluded the mulaqat with a group photo.
As readers will have gathered from my previous report, I submitted a request for my passport to travel to Africa, however that was rejected. [Mufti Sahibra wrote in an earlier report that he was struggling to acquire the relevant documents to travel to Africa, after being instructed to travel to Africa by the markaz.]
Upon the advice of Qazi Abdullah Sahib, I went to the passport office and submitted a request again, however, it was of no avail. The secretary of the India office wrote in his letter dated 4 November [1918], “In this regard, the chief of naval staff is very strict; he does not permit travelling by sea unless it is imperative. There is a shortage of ships as most ships are currently being used for the war. However, as the war is nearing its end, it seems that the conditions may, Insha-Allah, improve within the next few months and travelling to Africa shouldn’t be a problem.”
Two letters from the secretary of the India office were sent to Daftar Taraqqi-e-Islam for presenting to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, may Allah be with him and help him with divine support.
Due to the postponement of this journey, I travelled to Torquay. This town is situated in the south-west of England, approximately 200 miles from London. I set off at 10am from London and got to Torquay at around 2:30pm. It was a direct train. This area is lush green and the air here is pure. It is said that compared to London, the cold is not so bitter here. Thus far, I have noticed nothing different other than the fact that the sun stays out of the clouds far longer than it does in London.
I have acquired two furnished rooms from an Englishman’s home. Other tenants also reside here. The gentleman, along with his sister and daughter, cook the food, feed us and clean the rooms. They are very hospitable. The meat I consume comes from a Jewish butcher in Plymouth via post. Due to the cold, the meat stays in good condition for many days. I eat my food in my room. The fireplace is always lit in my room. (28 December 1918)
Tabligh in the town hall
On 8 November, there was a gathering of dignitaries in the Torquay town hall. One of the board members delivered a lecture on how towns are formed and how they can be managed. On such a subject, at first I saw no opportunity for me to speak, but my heart did not accept that whilst being present there, the gathering should be bereft of the remembrance of Allah.
After the lecture, I stood up, and my remarks have been published in newspapers. I said:
“What the speaker said about the formation and management of towns is very beneficial. I belong to a village and that village is progressing day by day in accordance with prophecies of a prophet of God. The name of that village is Qadian. It is strange how the first three letters of the second syllable in the word Torquay are similar to the first three letters of Qadian [when spelt ‘Quadian’, which it sometimes was]. It was said to Hazrat Ahmadas, Prophet of Allah, in the revelations vouchsafed to him that Qadian would grow exceptionally. With regard to such a place, what advice would the respected speaker give?”
In this manner, I had the opportunity to perform tabligh. What answer was the speaker to give? He replied, “The case of villages is different. We reside in a town.”
The report of this speech was given in the newspapers the Torquay Times and the Torquay Directory on 15 November [1918]. Both newspaper cuttings have been sent to Master Abdur Rahim Nayyar Sahib so that they may be given to the appropriate English magazine or journal.
Speech in Spiritualist church
On the evening of 5 November, an event was held in this church and I too participated. The organiser of the event said that if I wished to speak, then 5-10 minutes could be allocated for me. I responded affirmatively.
Thus, in a brief speech, I spoke on the need of revelation and proofs in support of the door to divine communication still being open. It had a positive impact on the audience. After the speech, I had the chance to speak to some ladies about Islam Ahmadiyyat in detail. Two of those ladies visited the house where I stayed and I had the chance to preach to them. Very happily, they took the Bai‘at form with them to ponder over it. May Allah bless their decision and may He bring them towards Islam. Amin.
The local newspaper, the Torquay Directory, published a report on this brief speech on 12 November [1918] with the heading [translated from Urdu] Address of an Eastern Scholar.
Newspaper cuttings
I usually purchase those newspapers that include mention of the Jamaat or about us and send the cuttings of articles to friends. Regrettably, within the given budget, this is not possible anymore and I have had to discontinue this. However, should anyone desire for me to continue sharing such newspaper articles, they should send some money and I shall carry on sending such newspapers with their help. The funds can be sent via postal order.
India’s part in the war
The secretary of state for India said, in a speech at Cambridge University, “During the war, 1,161,800 people recruited the army in India, and yesterday, 1,215,600 recruits set off for the war via ship. Nobody can say that India has not played a part in gaining victory for this war. Now, India shall be considered part of the British Government.”
This is all correct, but the larger part of India’s contribution is that a prophet of Allah belonging to India not only foretold this war, but he prayed for the British monarchy’s victory.
Thirty-six new Ahmadis
I have received a letter from the secretary at Gold Coast [now known as Ghana], Africa – where I have been posted as a missionary but have not been able to go due to not receiving my passport. In the letter, he has sent a list of 36 new Ahmadis. May Allah grant them perseverance, taqwa and strength. Amin. The list is being sent along with this report to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, may Allah assist and help him. (It has been conveyed – Editor.)
Fulfilment of another prophecy
I wrote an article on Turkey’s recent attempt of conciliation and it was published in the Torbay News newspaper, the title of which was [translated from Urdu] Another Prophecy Fulfilled. In this article, I showed that one of the major errors made by Turkey in terms of the war was that they termed it a religious Jihad, hence their defeat.
The Imam of the time and Prophet of God, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdias has already explained in many of his writings that now, Jihad is not permissible, and prophesied:
اب چھوڑ دو جہاد كا اے دوستو خیال
دیں كے لئے حرام ہے اب جنگ اور قتال
“Dismiss the thought of Jihad, dear friends;
War and bloodshed are forbidden in the name of religion”
اب آگیا مسیح جو دیں كا امام ہے
دیں كى تمام جنگوں كا اب اختتام ہے
“The Messiah has come, who is the Imam of faith;
It is now the end of all religious warfare”
یہ حكم سن كے بھى جو لڑائى كو جائے گا
وہ كافروں سے سخت ہزیمت اُٹھائے گا
“Having heard this, those who set off for bloodshed,
shall face humiliation at the hands of disbelievers”
اِک معجزہ كے طور سے یہ پیشگوئی ہے
كافى ہے سوچنے كو اگر اہل كوئى ہے
“This prophecy is as a miracle;
It is enough for one to reflect, provided one is worthy”
The newspaper cutting of this article has also been sent to Master Abdur Rahim Nayyar Sahib.
The same cutting was sent to the prime minister of Great Britain, along with a letter of congratulations upon our victory. He acknowledged receipt of this letter on 12 November 1918 in a letter written to me. A copy of this letter has also been sent to Qadian.
Memorial for martyrs of war
A memorial service was held in a popular place of central London for the fallen soldiers of the war, where a platform full of flowers was put up. Those people who lost dear ones and friends bring bouquets in memory of their loved ones with notes attached to the bouquets with names of the love ones and some words in their praise.
After a while, to make space for more flowers, all old flowers and papers are removed. It has been announced that all papers will be stored safely and after some time, they will be preserved permanently.
As a large number of Ahmadis took part in this war, and a number of them lost their lives, I thought it appropriate to place a bouquet in memory of the martyrs there. Therefore, along with the bouquet, a big piece of paper was placed with the following words [translated from Urdu, originally in English]:
[There is none worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.]
“In memory of our dear Ahmadi brothers, who sacrificed their lives in the days of war for the beneficent British government, because it was the instruction of their spiritual leader, Hazrat Nabiyullah [prophet of Allah] Ahmad Qadianias, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, to always remain loyal and obedient to their government and to serve and help the British Government. Hazrat Nabiyullah foretold this war well before its time and prayed for the British monarchy that it may hail victorious. These soldiers served in France, Egypt, Dardanelles, Syria, Iraq, Arabia etc. May God’s mercy descend upon those who fell and those who lost their lives as a result of their injuries. O Benevolent God, grant them paradise. Amin.
“Mufti Muhammad Sadiq and Qazi Abdullah – Ahmadi preachers. 4 Star Street, Paddington, London. November 1918.
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّا اِلَیْهِ رَاجِعُوْنَ
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return].”
This is the [English from the Urdu] translation of the note that was written and placed there. Thousands of people travel to central London to see this memorial and read these notes.
Influenza
According to the revelation of God that a disease would spread in Europe, influenza is killing thousands of people. In some households, there have been three or four deaths as a result of this. It is getting more and more difficult to seek medical attention from doctors. Aside from Europe, we have received news of it spreading its ghastliness in America, Africa and many other places. A friend from Nigeria wrote that the disease has claimed two thousand lives. May Allah save everyone out of His grace, benevolence and mercy and may He cause everyone to come to the right path, accept the prophet of the time and be saved from His wrath. Amin.
Swine fever
A doctor has published his views that the disease started as a result of consuming pork, and due to it being contagious, it has spread. Its actual name is swine fever, which results from eating pork. During the war, swine meat was not sold as fresh as it was before the war, and after it had gone bad, it would be included in foods and influenza bacteria would spread in that meat. That is how, he suggests, the disease started.
Torquay Town Hall, 1922 |Postcard from 1922 | Wiki Commons
The studio lecture
In a previous report [published in Al Fazl on 24 December 1918] I wrote that Khawaja Kamaluddin Sahib was scheduled to deliver a lecture in Scarsdale [or Scarborough] Studios on 25 October [1918], but due to being ill, he was not able to attend. Accepting the request of the organisers of the event, I delivered a lecture in his place. The topic of his lecture was Treading Humbly in the Sight of God. I changed the topic to An Example of Treading Humbly in the Sight of God – Hazrat Ahmad Nabiyullah’s Life and Teachings.
The chairlady of the event sent me a letter following my lecture, a part of which is as follows:
“I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am for the lecture that you delivered in the studio despite the short notice. Your lecture was incredibly interesting for me. We, the residents of London, have very little acquaintance with this major prophet, Ahmad. Whatever you said with respect to him and the Ahmadiyya movement, of which you are an Imam in London, was very inspiring and insightful. I feel as though we owe you a great debt for having opened a door for us to an Eastern religion and explaining the teachings of Islam. On behalf of myself and all my associates, I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I hope that you will deliver another lecture on the same subject in the next session. Yours sincerely, Mrs Alice Hall Simpson. 3 November 1918.”
Tabligh to prince of Japan
Friends will have read in the newspapers that Prince Higashifushimi Yorihito of Japan arrived in England as a guest of our king, George V. He was shown great courtesy and regard in this country. On this occasion, I wrote him a letter on a green tabligh form in which I, on behalf of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, congratulated him on his successful visit and victory in the war. Along with the words “Ahmadiyya Jamaat”, I explained that the founder of the Jamaat, Hazrat Nabiyullah Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi was a resident of Qadian.
In response to my letter, the secretary to the prince, Mr Mikodira wrote on 20 November 1918, “His Royal Highness has instructed me to inform you that he is entirely grateful to you and the entire Ahmadiyya Jamaat and highly appreciates your kind words.”
The letter along with the response has been sent to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih…
Return from Torquay
With the thought that Torquay would not be as cold as other places, I set off for Torquay. As of yet, I have not found the cold any different to that of London. For this reason, I have returned to London. My intention is to try and spend summer in London. If the cold becomes unbearable, then I shall shift to Ventnor or some other place for a few months, or if my passport is approved for travelling to Africa, then I will have to travel there for a few months. In all cases, my postal address will remain the same, and the mail sent here will, Insha-Allah, reach me wherever I am.
Celebrations
I was in Torquay the day the war ended. There were scenes of jubilation in the entire town. Soldiers would march the streets, beating their drums and singing songs. The flags of Great Britain, the USA and other ally nations decorated houses and doors. Small children jumped around and danced in the streets with little flags in their hands whilst singing songs. Church bells were ringing from all corners in joy and celebration for the war having come to an end. I have heard that the same was the case in London.
Article in a London newspaper
Two or three days after the war ended, I returned to London. I wrote an article for a London-based newspaper Marylebone Record, which the editor published under the heading An Eastern Prophet. The article said [translated from Urdu]:
“Eventually, Great Britain and its allies proved victorious after the biggest and longest war in the history of the world. Around seven years prior to this war, a prophet of God, Hazrat Ahmad of Qadian, India foretold these events as well as the collapse of the Tsar. Further, he prayed for the victory of the British monarchy. That prophecy has been fulfilled today. As an Ahmadi and as an Indian, I congratulate Great Britain and its allies. India performed its role in a befitting manner also…
“Mufti Muhammad Sadiq. 4 Star Street, London.”
The newspaper cutting of this article has also been sent to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih.
On Wednesday, 9 January 2019, the inauguration ceremony of duties for Jalsa Salana Uganda was held.
After the Zuhr and Asr prayers, the Amir and Missionary In-charge Uganda, Al-Haj Muhammad Ali Kaire held a meeting with all the departmental heads.
In his address, Amir Sahib emphasised the importance of devotion and serving in Jalsa Salana. In connection with Waqar-e-Amal (voluntary physical labour), he said that congregational work and congregational prayers are symbols of unity among us, and the unity among us complements the unity of God.
The inauguration concluded with the inspection of different departments by Amir Sahib.
On Friday 11 January 2019, the 31st Jalsa Salana Uganda commenced with the Jumua prayer led by Amir and Missionary In-charge Uganda and Rwanda, Maulana Al-Haj Muhammad Ali Kaire.
In his sermon, Amir Sahib said that it was a blessings of Allah that in an age of great satanic influences, He raised the Messiah and Mahdi as the Imam of the age to counter these influences and He has bestowed upon us the favour of Khilafat that leads us on the right path.
He also said that the Jamaat started in Uganda in 1934 and the numbers would have been easily at least ten million by now, but unfortunately the tarbiyat of the younger generation was not properly performed and when they grew up, they distanced themselves from the Jamaat.
Amir Sahib said that it is only through obedience and in keeping a peaceful environment that we can attain victory.
After the Jumua prayer, Amir Sahib met the press. Mr Henry Nsubuga asked the Amir to clarify the point of the youth being the foundation upon which the spiritual transformation of people is laid. In answering this question, he said that old people have already moulded in the shape that they will remain for the rest of their lives. However, the youth are akin to a fertile land on which the seeds of taqwa can be sown.
The first session began with the hoisting of Liwa-e-Ahmadiyyat by Amir Sahib, which was followed by recitation from the Holy Quran by Sheikh Hafiz Azhar Nkuutu. This was followed by an Arabic poem recital by Sheikh Nasir Nsonko.
In his opening speech, Amir Sahib welcomed the guests and thanked all the organisers who worked tooth and nail to make the Jalsa Salana a success.
He then read out Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih V’saa message to the members participating in Jalsa Salana Uganda 2019.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said:
“Dear members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Uganda. May peace and blessings of Allah be upon you. I am pleased that you are holding your 31st Jalsa Salana on 11, 12 and 13 January 2019. May God Almighty make this Jalsa Salana a great blessing for you, and through it, may He enable you raise your spiritual conditions.
“A great favour upon us that we have accepted the Promised Messiahas and Mahdi who is the Imam of age. It is therefore incumbent upon us, who have pledged allegiance to him, to strive always to improve our spiritual conditions.
“The Promised Messiahas admonished us to raise our standard of righteousness and shun all kinds of evils and also strengthen our personal relationship with our Creator.
“We should not only read the words of the Bai‘at and listen to the sayings of the Imam of the age, but also endeavour to put these teachings in practices.”
During the month of December, we had the opportunity to organise two humanitarian events under the motto of “Love for All, Hatred for None”.
One day we distributed toys in a children’s hospital located in Buenos Aires to more than 100 children. Aside from the 3 members of the Jamaat, around 13 friends of the community participated and supported us and thus made this event successful.
Only a few days ago, along with the Sai Baba community, we went to a underprivileged neighbourhood near Buenos Aires to distribute food, clothes and toys. The Ahmadiyya Jamaat was represented in this event by 3 members and 3 friends of the community. More than 100 people received different types of donations.
The online news channel ABC Mundial also published an article about these activities of the community.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in Jamaica has successfully, by the grace of Allah, launched its first radio talk show called Voice of Islam recently. The programme goes live every Sunday from 4pm to 5pm on one of Jamaica’s most popular radio stations for religious listeners called Bess 100 FM.
The purpose of this programme is to clear the misconceptions that the people of Jamaica have about Islam and to share the true message of Islam.
The very first show was hosted by Umair Khan Sahib, Missionary In-charge Jamaica Jamaat along with missionary Ibrahim Forson Sahib and Haneef Taylor Sahib, National Secretary Tabligh for Jamaica Jamaat.
The programme started with the recitation of the Holy Quran. The first programme for the Voice of Islam Jamaica focused on removing misconceptions about terrorism and teachings of peace in Islam. The topics of the oneness of God and belief in Prophet Jesusas were also discussed. The programme came to a conclusion with a very interesting question and answer session between listeners and the Jamaat panel.
The programme is interactive and allows listeners to call in, send text messages and ask questions, while also sharing feedback and ideas for new topics related to Islam.
We hope and pray that Allah makes this radio programme a means of successfully conveying the message of Islam Ahmadiyya to the people of Jamaica.
On Thursday, 13December 2018, a group of central and local politicians visited Baitul Hamd Mosque, Nakskov, Denmark.
Mr Daniel Toft Jacobsen, a member of parliament was chief guest while Mr Kasper Roug, Vice Mayor of Lolland Council, Remzi Grepi, President Integration Committee and Muj Barish, member of Lolland Counsil were assisting him.
The delegation was accompanied by journalists and photographer from local newspapers who covered the whole gathering.
The purpose of visiting our mosque was to increase inter-religious harmony, clarification of certain myths and beliefs regarding Muslims, and especially the role of Jamaat-e-Ahmaydiyya in the current era.
Upon arrival, a warm welcome was given by the local missionary of the Jamaat, Naimatullah Basharat. Later on, the delegation was given a brief overview of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya and its history in Denmark. Thereafter, the guests were taken into the prayer hall where Jamaat books, placards and pamphlets were displayed in the Danish language.
A brief and comprehensive lecture was given to the delegation with questions and answers following the speech. The delegation mainly asked questions about the role of Muslims in society, Islamic beliefs and practices such as fasting in Ramadan. The local politicians appreciated the Jamaat’s positive role to hold dialogue with other religious and social leaders.
After the formal proceedings, the guests had the chance to dine with the hosts. At the dining table, many questions were asked by the delegation and they were answered in detail accordingly.
Gifts of the Holy Quran and Jamaat Books were presented to guests on their departure.
The local newspaper Folketidende published a brief report with photos about this visit.
Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Mexico held its 2nd Jalsa Salana on 28-29 December in Merida, Mexico. The total attendance at the Jalsa Salana this year was 195 among which the majority were Mexican members and guests. The remaining members consisted of guests from USA, Belize, Guatemala, Ghana and Pakistan.
Guests of the Jalsa travelled from all over Mexico to attend, some driving 15 to 20 hours to reach the city of Merida to attend the Jalsa. There was representation from 4 different states of Mexico; members attended from Chiapas, Mexico City, Querétaro and Merida.
Guests started arriving on Wednesday, 26 December and everyone was provided accommodation near the mosque or at the mosque. The Langar Khana was located at the mosque throughout the day for anyone who arrived, no matter what time of day or night. Some of the members who drove from far off places and arrived at two or three o’clock in the morning were all served food from the Langar at their arrival, after which they were taken to their accommodations. Transport was available for all guests flying in or arriving by bus; they were all provided pick and drop services.
Jalsa Salana commenced on Friday, 28 December with the Friday Sermon and prayers. After this, lunch was served.
The first session of the Jalsa started in the evening. The topics of the speeches and presentations during Jalsa Salana were selected bearing in mind that the majority of the members in Mexico are newly converted Ahmadi Muslims. After the completion of the first session, Salat was offered and dinner was served.
On Saturday, Lajna Imaillah held their session separately for the first time and men held their session separately. For many Mexican guests, this was their first time seeing women having their own Jalsa session and delivering all the speeches and presentations. This really impacted their view about leadership among women. Salat was offered and lunch was served before starting the third session of Jalsa Salana.
During the third session of Jalsa Salana, in which guests and dignitaries were also invited to attend and share their views, a few of the guests were as follows:
Norma Barnet Cantón, Director of Religious Affairs for the state of Yucatan. She was also representing the governor of Yucatan state
Luis Antonio Andrade Castillo, Director of Promotion and Diffusion of Culture in the department of culture and arts
Hector Castellano, Secretary of Religious Affairs for the city of Merida. He also represented the mayor of the city of Merida
Dr David Vegue, a Catholic priest
Padre Oscar Viñas Oliveras, Vice President of Inter-Religious Council for the state of Yucatan
Sofía del Carmen Brito Soberanís, Coordinator of Blood Donation Camps in the state of Yucatan
A request was sent by Mexico Jamaat for a message from Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa for the attendees of Jalsa Salana Mexico. The request was graciously approved and a letter from Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa was received. This letter was translated into Spanish and was read out during the first session of Jalsa Salana and printed copies were given to each and every attendee.
The Jalsa Salana concluded with taranas [choral poems] prepared by children and Lajna, followed by dua (silent prayer). Therafter, Salat was offered and dinner was served.
Mexico Jamaat is based on members who have converted during the last three or four years, and many of them dedicated their time in organising the Jalsa and serving throughout the Jalsa in various departments. Volunteers ranged from children to the elderly, all eagerly wanting to serve the guests of the Promised Messiahas. For many, it was the first time ever doing Jalsa duty, however, each and every volunteer fulfilled their duties as if they had been doing it for years. This dedication to serve, which was seen in the new converts, was a clear result of the prayers of the Promised Messiahas regarding every Jalsa Salana and its blessings.
In accordance with the permission granted by Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa, Jalsa Salana Mexico was streamed live on various social media websites.
By the grace of Allah, many media outlets covered Jalsa Salana; print media and electronic media was present during the last session and various articles were published in various media outlets.
Traditional education about Western civilisation tells the story of how around 1500 CE, Greek texts recovered the lost memory of Europe’s Greek and Roman past and unleashed an era of progress in science and civilisation called the Renaissance.
A map of Europe in 1570
In fact, the progress in civilisation had begun in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, and was the result of the transfer of Arabic civilisation to Europe. The sixteenth century Renaissance was rather the construction of an exclusive Christian European identity within the world of literature and science.
Latin humanists created a movement imitating the Arab tradition in its key values, but distinguishing itself by classical Latin as its lingua franca and the classical authors as its founding fathers.
After a period in which classical culture was vigorously celebrated and Arab influences were attempted to be removed from the scientific canon, the image of a Greek source of European culture had settled itself firmly in the European mind. Scholars hardly dared cite an Arab in support of their revolutionary developments.
Popular belief reaffirmed the theme of the revived classics by repetition after repetition until the Arabic heritage in Europe came to be forgotten. Biased educative material should be corrected to offer a true image of history to our youth.
A cultural myth
Traditional education about Western civilisation tells the story of how Europe, floundering in the ignorance and illiteracy of the Middle Ages, suddenly came across a number of texts in classical Greek which at once recovered the lost memory of Europe’s glorious Greek and Roman past.
Science and literature started flourishing, and with the help of the brilliant Greek philosophers the dormant Europeans were able to shed the ignorance of Medieval times and open the doors of science and civilisation. This process has been called the “rebirth”of classical civilisation in Europe, the Renaissance.
The story however is a myth, quite lacking historical substance.
Frontispiece of Fasciculo di medicina, Venice, 1493
The twelfth century Renaissance
In fact, the progress in civilisation had begun in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, and did not have a Greek or Roman origin. In 1060, the Normans conquered Sicily while some time later in 1085, the Reconquista took the city of Toledo. Both Sicily and Toledo became centers through which the Arab culture of science and learning started spreading through Europe, creating a spark of learning among European Christians. In the words of EJ Holymard:
“During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries there was a scientific renaissance in Europe, and scholars from Christian countries journeyed to Muslim universities in Spain, Egypt, Syria and even Morocco in order to acquire knowledge from their foes in religion but friends in learning. Arabic science soon began to filter through, and by the middle of the thirteenth century the trickle had become a river.” (Richard Russel, The Works of Geber: a new edition with introduction by E.J. Holmyard,p. XV. 1928)
England’s “first scientist”, Adelard of Bath, explains what he learned from his Arab masters in these words:
“From the Arab masters I have learned one thing, led by reason, while you are caught by the image of authority, and led by another halter. For what is an authority to be called, but a halter? As the brute beasts, indeed, are led anywhere by the halter, and have no idea by what they are led or why, but only follow the rope that holds them, so the authority of writers leads not a few of you into danger, tied and bound by brutish credulity.” (Norman Daniel, The Arabs and Mediaeval Europe,pp. 265-266. 1974)
Other scientists of the twelfth century Renaissance indebted to the Arabs were Roger Bacon, Witelo, Albertus Magnus, Adam Marsh, Arnold de Villeneuve, Peter of Abano and Daniel of Morley.
In the transfer of Muslim-Arabic civilisation to Europe, three important primary developments can be distinguished. The first are the giant translation projects in Italy and Spain in the twelfth century, in which hundreds of Arabic books were translated into Latin.
The second development is the adoption, primarily at the court of Sicily and in Al-Andalus, of the values of Arabic “adab”, which in Europe came to be known as humanism. This humanism was not an atheist philosophy, as it is often understood today, but comprised a set of disciplines such as ability in speech and writing, knowledge of grammar, poetry, erudition, scholarship and research into religious texts.
These humanist disciplines became the fundamental driving force of the emerging European civilization. (George Makdisi, The Rise of Humanism in Classical Islam and the Christian West, 1991)
Well known early humanists are Petrarch (1304-1374), Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) and Coluccio Salutati (1331-1406). That Islam was an influence even in the humanist perspective of man is illustrated by the humanist Pico della Mirandola’s famous Oration on the Dignity of Man (1486), which has been called the “Manifesto of the Renaissance” and commences by quoting the famous Arabic humanist Abdallah ibn Qutaibah (d. 889):
“Most esteemed Fathers, I have read in the ancient writings of the Arabians that Abdala the Saracen on being asked what, on this stage, so to say, of the world, seemed to him most evocative of wonder, replied that there was nothing to be seen more marvelous than man.” (Pico della Mirandola, Oration on the Dignity of Man. See also Makdisi, The Rise of Humanism, p. 307)
The third development is the foundation of European universities after the example of the Islamic Jamias (George Makdisi, The Rise of Colleges: Institutions of Learning in Islam and the West, 1981). The first European universities were the University of Bologna (1088), Paris (c. 1150), Oxford (1167), Cambridge (1209), Padua (1222) and Naples (1224).
A university lecturer at Padua (Italy) is surrounded by titles of twelve important scholars, six of which are Arabs and one is an Arab Jew. On the top shelf, the classical authors Aristotle, Hippocrates and Galen are followed by the Arab authors Avicenna, Haly Abbas, Rhazes and Averroës. Next to the teacher is Pliny’s Historia Naturalis.
On the shelf below the cabinet are the Conciliator of the Medieval English scholar Peter Abano, the works of Isaac the Jew and a work by the Arab surgeon Avenzoar. (Singer & Rabin, A Prelude to Modern Science, Cambridge University Press p. XXIV. 1946)
The emancipation from Arabic predominance
To illustrate the presence of Arabic authors in the European scientific world of the twelfth to sixteenth centuries, only in the field of medicine there were nineteen authors who were known in Europe by the Latin transcription of their Arabic name: Mesue Sr., Mesue Jr., Humainus, Jesu Haly, Alkindus, Serapion, Janus Damascensus, Isaac Judaeus, Haly Abbas, Algazirah, Annafis, Albucasis, Avenzoar, Averroës, Maimonides, Aben-Guefit, Ebn Albethar and the most influential, Avicenna en Rhazes. (Donald Campbell, Arabian Medicine and its Influence on the Middle Ages, pp. 60-102.1974)
An important textbook by Ferrari from 1471 quotes Avicenna 3,000 times, Rhazes 1,000 times and the Greek authors Galen and Hippocrates 1,000 and 140 times respectively (Ibid., p.201). Many a Greek work was known only through the Latin rendering of their Arabic translation.
The dominance of Arab authors had caused feelings of unease among Christians very early on. A significant fragment has been preserved in a letter of a Christian named Alvaro who lived in Al-Andalus in the ninth century. He complained that the talented Christian Mozarab youths of Spain lost their identity by participating in Arab learning:
“My fellow Christians delight in the poems and romances of the Arabs; they study the works of Mohammedan theologians and philosophers, not in order to refute them, but to acquire a correct and elegant Arabic style. Where today can a layman be found who reads the Latin commentaries on Holy Scriptures? Who is there that studies the Gospels, the Prophets, and the Apostles? Alas! The young Christians who are most conspicuous for their talents have no knowledge of any literature or language save the Arabic; they read and study with avidity Arabic books; they amass whole libraries of them at a vast cost and they sing everywhere the praises of Arabian lore. On the other hand, at the mention of Christian books they disdainfully protest that such works are unworthy of their notice. The pity of it! Christians have forgotten their own tongue, and scarce one in a thousand can be found able to compose in fair Latin a letter to a friend. But when it comes to writing Arabic, how many there are who can express themselves in that language with the greatest elegance, and even compose verses which surpass in formal correctness those of the Arabs themselves!” (Makdisi, The Rise of Humanism, p. 330)
George Makdisi considers this fragment illustrative of the backgrounds of the further development of humanism in Christian Europe. Feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the Arab-Islamic identity of literature and science, Christians sought to create their own culture of learning, similar to, but competing with, the Arab tradition.
Two important choices were made by the Christian humanists in their search for their own identity. As George Makdisi puts it, Christian humanists wanted to “answer the challenge of classical Arabic with an equally classical language” (George Makdisi, Humanism and Scholasticism in Classical Islam and the Christian West, Journal of the American Oriental Society, pp. 175-182. 1989).
This language came to be Latin. Latin was the language of the Catholic Bible and was in this sense comparable to the Arabic of the Quran. Classical Latin, however, had been long ago replaced by vernacular Latin and was not anymore in use in everyday life. In order to make classical Latin meet the demands of a holy lingua franca like Arabic, it had to be literally revived from the dead.
Christian humanists went out of their way to learn to write in the pure Latin of the Roman author Cicero, which ironically hardly anyone could read.
The second formative decision was a choice to regard only the classical Greek and Roman authors as foundations of their literature and science. As stated by William Montgomery Watt:
“… Europeans were attracted to Aristotle, not simply by the inherent qualities of his philosophy, but also by the fact that he belonged in a sense to their own European tradition. That is to say, the assignment to Aristotle of a central position in philosophy and science is partly understood as one aspect of the European assertion of distinction from Islam. The purely negative activity of turning from Islam, especially when so much was being learnt from Arab science and philosophy, would have been difficult, if not impossible, without a positive complement. This positive complement was the appeal to Europe’s classical (Greek and Roman) past.” (William Montgomery Watt, The Influence of Islam on Medieval Europe, p.79. 1972)
With classical Latin as a new European lingua franca and the classical authors appointed the founding fathers of a new European tradition, the foundations of the Renaissancewere laid – literally the “rebirth” of classical culture in Europe.
This Renaissance was all but a spontaneous one; it was an artificial image imposed by Christians upon themselves, to be able to establish a competing culture of learning distinct from the Arab example.
After the Turks took Constantinople in 1453 CE, Greek refugees brought with them texts from classical authors in the original Greek. This was like coal on the fire of European growing self-awareness. Around the start of the sixteenth century, the Renaissance ideals were carried to their climax by demanding their absolute rule over science and literature. The aforementioned Pico della Mirandola would at some stage proclaim: “Let us in Heaven’s name our Pythagoras, Plato and Aristotle, and keep your Omar, your Alchabitius, your Abenzoar and your Abenragel”. (Watt, The Influence of Islam, p.80)
Latin humanism adopted from the religious aspect of Arabic humanism a stress on purity of sources and of language. In an ironic twist, this religious demand for purity turned against the Arabic heritage in the sciences. When a Dutch scholar [probably Nicolaus Clenardus of Diest (Alastair Hamilton, Arab Culture and Ottoman Magnificence in Antwerp’s Golden Age, p. 37. 2002)] arrived in Salamanca, Spain, in 1531-32, and asked whether he could kindly be taught the Arabic language, a Spanish dignitary told him:
“What concern do you have with this barbaric language, Arabic? It is sufficient to know Latin and Greek. In my youth I was foolish as you and took up Hebrew and Arabic; but I have long since given up these two last and devote myself entirely to Greek. Let me advise you to do the same.” (Watt, The Influence of Islam, p. 80)
In a wave of anti-Arabism, Renaissance humanists sought to literally cleanse the scientific field of Arabic influences. To illustrate the proceedings of this cleansing campaign, we will examine it in the field of medicine, as described by historian Nancy Siriasi (Nancy G. Siraisi, Avicenna in Renaissance Italy: The Canon and Medical Teaching in Italian Universities after 1500, pp. 66-77. 1987). Petrarch in the fourteenth century condemned medicine itself as “Arab lies”; after him, several themes would develop in the rejection of Arabic medical literature. The obvious charges were concerned with the supposedly heretical nature of the religion or philosophy of the authors. Arab writings were deemed “obscure”, erroneous, and a corruption of the “pure” Greek sources. Arabic borrowings in botany and pharmacology came to be seen as confusing, and perceived traces of the Arabic language itself were condemned as “coarse” and “barbaric”, when compared to the Renaissance ideal of classical Latin.
By 1530, “the role of the Arabs was a central issue in debates over the reform of medicine” (Siraisi, Avicenna, p.71), creating “an intellectual climate in which hostility to the Arabs had become a shibboleth of modernism in medicine” (Ibid., p. 74). Venomous pamphlets were published with titles like “… Against Neoteric Physicians Who, Neglecting the Discipline of Galen, Cultivate the Barbarians” (1533). Some started to talk of the “tyranny” of Avicenna and of Arab “occupation of the schools”. The influential humanist Leonhart Fuchs makes things very clear in his Institutions of Medicine (1555):
“It is best to reject the Arabs completely and just to abandon them, the barbarians of a bygone age, and – as if one drinks water from the purest spring – to start studying the writings of the Greek physicians, who have passed on the art of medicine in its most pure and uncontaminated form and by the most reliable of methods, all that is required for the medical practice. As everything in the teachings of the Arabs is dirty, barbaric, contaminated, complicated and littered with the worst of errors, likewise all that is Greek is clean, clear, brilliant, lucid, transparent and uncontaminated … The Arabs have nothing which they did not borrow from the Greeks, except for the mistakes which only they make. (Leonhard Fuchs, Institutionum medicinae sive methodi ad Hippocratis, Galeni aliorumque veterum scripta recte intelligenda mire utiles libri quinque.1555. See alsoPormann E & E Savage Smith, Medieval Islamic Medicine, p. 169. 2007)
The University of Alcalá de Henares stopped teaching Avicenna in 1565. By 1563, the London College of Physicians had decided to examine new candidates only on Galenic texts. The University of Tübingen, perhaps so advised by Leonhart Fuchs, went so far as to discourage in its statutes the reading of Arab authors.
At the same time, the Arabs were erased from European learning, the classics were sanctified as symbols of the humanist revolution. The Latin humanists went so far as to believe the classics had been infallible and were superior to empirical observation. When, for example, the anatomist Andreas Vesalius in his legendary De humani corporis fabrica (1543) attacked the infallibility of the Greek-Roman physician Galen, his former teacher Jacobus Sylvius answered that Galen had not erred, but that instead the human body had changed over the centuries (Jacobus Sylvius / Jacques Dubois, Vaesani cuiusdam calumniarum in Hippocratis Galenique rem anatoicam depulsio. 1551). And when nobody could find the small holes which Galen assumed to perforate the heart septum, two Dutch professors Otto Heurnius and Adriaen van Valkenburg sought to do the truth a favour by creating the holes themselves before showing a heart to their students (F.C. van Leersum. Vesalius. Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde. pp. 4-16. 1915). It may be observed that the fanaticism of the Latin humanists is very close to religious fundamentalism. We should not forget that the sixteenth century was the age in which heretics were burned almost on a daily basis. It was also the time in which the Spanish Inquisition enforced conversion of all Muslims and Jews in Spain, only to expel them, and all Arab Christians, in 1609.
In this socio-political atmosphere, accusations of heresy were easily made against individuals who disagreed with the hardliners, be they of the Church or of the new humanist avant garde. French humanist Guy Patin tried to defend the practice of bloodletting against the criticism of the Flemish alchemist Johannes Baptista van Helmont (1577-1624) by a post mortem slander campaign:
“He was a wicked Flemish rascal who died insane a few months ago. He did nothing of value. I have seen all that he has done. This man had in mind only a medicine full of chemical and empirical secrets and to overthrow it more quickly he came out strongly against bloodletting, for the lack of which he died mad.” (McGovern JP, Humanism in Medicine, p. 14. 1973)
This fanatical and unreasoning attitude ultimately suffocated scientific advancement, as has been rightly pointed out by Lester King: “The humanists who condemned scholastic authority and domination of the church, themselves bowed before an equal tyranny – the authority of the ancients”. (LS King, Humanism and the Medical Past, In JP McGovern and CR Burns (eds), Humanism in Medicine, pp. 3-10. 1973)
Despite their aggression, the flood of extreme anti-Arabism and extreme classicism were short-lived and did not pervade all levels of the scholarly world. Translations from the Arabic were continuously made in Italy (George Saliba, Rethinking the Roots of Modern Science: Arabic Scientific Manuscripts in European Libraries, pp. 14-24. 1999). Elsewhere in Europe, there were writers who defended the Arab authors even at the peak of the antagonism. Lorenz Fries, for example, in 1530 published a Defense of the Important Scholar Avicenna Against the German Physicians (Siraisi, Avicenna, p.71). By the second half of the sixteenth century, Johann Lange (1485-1565), physician to the Elector Palatine, proposed that universities instruct the Arab language and he did not to hide the fact that he himself associated with those Arab lands and participated in Arab learning (Ibid., p. 80). In the 1570s, the universities of Ingolstadt and Freiburg, where the curriculum had emphasised the Greeks at the expense of the Arabs, again introduced Avicenna and Rhazes (Ibid., p. 77). And by the 1580s, printing offices such as that of Plantin in Antwerp showed a renewed interest in the Arab world and even printed texts in Arabic. (Alastair Hamilton, Arab Culture and Ottoman Magnificence in Antwerp’s Golden Age. 2002)
However, this short period, roughly between 1490 and 1560 with a climax in the 1530s, had made its impression on the self-image of European civilisation. Whereas the Scientific Revolution, as in the critique of Vesalius on Galen mentioned above, actually involved a break with authoritarian humanism, the fanatical celebration of classical culture quite erroneously came to be understood as having been the cause of Europe’s awakening to modernity. Whenever in the future any progress would be made, popular belief would praise classical Greek authors as having been the inspiration, even if the progress was made on the basis of research done by Arabs.
From the early sixteenth century onwards, scholars hardly dared to cite an Arab in support of revolutionary developments. For example, Copernicus in his 1543 work about the earth’s rotation around the sun failed to mention the Arabic source of the important astronomical models now known as the Tusi couple and the Urdi lemma. (George Saliba, Rethinking the Roots of Modern Science: Arabic Scientific Manuscripts in European Libraries. 1999)
The physician Michael Servet in 1553 offered a first description of the pulmonary blood circulation in Europe, but makes no mention of the text by the Arab physician Ibn an-Nafis which probably was his source. Similarly, we see the Arab influences on Descartes, on Stevin, on Huygens, Newton and Kepler, but either they were silent about them, or if they mentioned anything, popular belief ignored it. (Joseph Schacht, Ibn al Nafis, Servetus and Colombo, pp.317-336. 1957)
Whenever in the present day an ordinary person comes across the theme of Arab contributions to modern civilisation, they reduce it to the Arabs handing over the Greek texts – which he thinks did not belong to them anyway – to their true inheritors, the European Christians. The Arabs themselves never contributed anything.
The Divina Comedia by Dante Alighieri (Sicily, 1265-1321) probably is the best illustration of the paradoxes involved. Dante tells the story of a journey through heaven and hell which was inspired by Sufi accounts of the ascension of the Prophet Muhammadsa. The work influenced Christianity even to the extent that the concept of purgatory was adopted by the Catholic Church.
(Prophet Muhammadsa offered the unique teaching that hell is a means to purify the souls of sinners, after which they are all allowed to enter paradise. This teaching was continued by the Muslim mystics; Dante was probably influenced by the writings of Muhyuddin ibn Arabi [1165-1240] [See Miguel Asin Palacios, La escatologia musulmana en la Divina comedia. 1819]. The Catholic concept of Purgatory is a partial adoption of the Islamic teaching, in which forgiveness is allowed only for moderate sinners).
Despite the strong influences – or indeed because of them – Dante not only remains silent about his sources of inspiration, but even pictured the Prophet Muhammadsa – God forbid – in the deepest corner of hell.
The Danish humanist Melchior Lorck could by the second half of the sixteenth century again place Arabic among the prime languages in the sciences, as shown by this impression of Aristotle dated 1561 | Sievernich, Europa und der Orient, Bertelsmann 1989.
Conclusions
The Renaissance is an extremely important icon in our civilisation. It could be compared to the redemption by Jesus Christas, in the sense that the European myth either subconsciously or consciously believes that it is a unique event responsible for the progress of modern science and the apparent success of modern democracies. Like the blessing of the Holy Ghost, the moment in the sixteenth century when Europe awoke to its Greek past makes European man, in his mind, superior to all other civilisations which were not blessed in the same way.
The celebration of classical heritage at the start of the sixteenth century was, however, not the cause of progress and awakening as it is generally believed to be. The progress had been made much earlier, in the twelfth to thirteenth centuries, when Arab learning inspired a wave of learning, offered humanist scholars their ideals and disciplines and set the example for the European universities. The early sixteenth century was rather the construction of an exclusive Christian European identity within the world of literature and science. Latin humanists created a movement imitating the Arab tradition in its key values, but distinguished itself by classical Latin as its lingua franca and the classical authors as its founding fathers.
We cannot fail to observe elements of jealousy and fanaticism in the vigorous cleansing campaign against Arab elements by the proponents of the sixteenth century Renaissance. The sanctification of the classical Greek authors at the expense of centuries of scientific work was dogmatic and slowed down scientific progress. It cannot be surprising that this idea would not survive for long as a model of practice.
After the second half of the sixteenth century, scholars would simply continue to consult the translations of Arab works and would even again learn Arabic themselves. By then however, the image of a Greek source of European culture had settled itself firmly in popular belief, which reaffirmed the theme by repetition after repetition until it received a strong second stimulus from nineteenth century educational programmes. (Jona Lendering, Vergeten Erfenis: Oosterse Wortels van de Westerse cultuur. 2009. An English summary can be found on www.livius.org)
Today, it is painful to watch how popular culture excludes Muslim immigrants by regarding them as a desert people who have come to consume the civilisation, which allegedly they had no part in building. Science and civilisation however, are projects of mankind as a whole. The torch of science and civilisation had moved from India, China and Persia to remain with the Muslims for a thousand years before being truly taken over and appropriated by Europe.
As the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ never redeemed Europe from its sins, the death and resurrection of Greek civilisation never offered it any progress. It rather caused science to become limited and ethnocentric in vision. The ethnic cleansing of history by a mythical Renaissance should be replaced by an international vision in which credit is given where credit is due.
If a true image of history is shown to our youth in their educative years, perhaps the European sense of superiority would see some moderation and immigrants would receive a sense of self-esteem, which would contribute both to historical and social justice.