The Holy Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, peace be on Him, was a great advocate of inter-faith dialogue. He opposed the distorted concept of Jihad i.e. the concept of attacking and killing non-believers with swords and promoted, not only in speech but in practice, a Jihad of a greater nature. He took Jihad to mean a peaceful way of striving in the way of Allah the Almighty. This supreme form of Jihad was, he believed, only possible through dialogue and discourse.
He claimed to be the Promised Reformer, the Promised Messiah and the Mahdi who was prophesied by most major religions to appear in the latter days.
This led him to further believe in the fact that all religions had to be united under the banner of one religion which was none else but the religion of Islam. To prove this fact, he took up the lifelong Jihad of writing and debating with not only people of other religions, but his co-religionists also.
In this great service of Islam, he wrote to Queen Victoria and invited her to accept the peaceful message of Islam.
He proposed to her that since she was the Empress of a vast part of the world and adherents of a variety of religions lived under her rule, so it would be a great idea that she arranged for an inter-faith conference to take place in London. This conference, he proposed, could see representatives of all religions coming together in a peaceful manner and introducing their faiths and their teachings.
Although this could not happen in his lifetime, or even in the lifetime of Queen Victoria, the world famous Conference of World Religions held in 1924 under the auspices of the British Empire in London was exactly on the lines that he had once proposed a couple of decades ago.
To attend this conference, his successor, who also happened to be his son, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra travelled from Qadian to London as a representative of Islam Ahmadiyya, to deliver an address. This address, now published under the title The Ahmadiyya Movement, was read out in the conference by Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan Sahibra, a companion who had travelled with Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra from India. It was received wholeheartedly by all in attendance and appreciated by Sir Dennison Ross who presided the session.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat has a very rich history of promoting the concept of inter-faith dialogue. The present head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, may Allah strengthen his hand, has worked tirelessly in promoting this peaceful means of inter-faith peace and harmony.
The books mentioned above, and many more, can be accessed and read at:
When Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah, on whom be peace, was divinely instructed to take the Bai’at (initiation) and establish a Jamaat, he published a tract titled Takmil-e-Tabligh wa Guzarish-e-Zaruri (Completion of the Call and an Important Request). In this tract, Huzooras put forward the ten conditions that one must pledge to enter the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat. These conditions are as follows:
I The initiate shall solemnly promise that he/she shall abstain from shirk [associating any partner with God] right up to the day of his/her death.
II That he/she shall keep away from falsehood, fornication/adultery, trespasses of the eye, debauchery, dissipation, cruelty, dishonesty, mischief and rebellion; and that he/she will not permit himself/herself to be carried away by passions, however strong they might be.
III That he/she shall regularly offer the five daily Prayers in accordance with the commandments of God and the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa and shall try his/her best to be regular in offering the tahajjud and invokingdurud on the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. That he/she shall make it his/her daily routine to ask forgiveness for his/her sins, to remember the bounties of God and to praise and glorify Him.
IV That under the impulse of any passions, he/she shall cause no harm whatsoever to the creatures of God in general and Muslims in particular, neither by his/her tongue, hands, nor any other means.
V That he/she shall remain faithful to God in all circumstances of life, in sorrow and in happiness, in adversity and in prosperity, in felicity and in trial; and that he/she shall in all conditions remain resigned to the decree of God and keep himself/herself ready to face all kinds of indignities and sufferings in His way and shall never turn away from Him at the onslaught of any misfortune; on the contrary, he/she shall march forward.
VI That he/she shall refrain from following un-Islamic customs and lustful inclinations and shall completely submit himself/herself to the authority of the Holy Qur’an; and that he/she shall make the Word of God and the sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa his/her guiding principles in every walk of his/her life.
VII That he/she shall entirely give up pride and vanity and shall pass all his/her life in humbleness, cheerfulness, forbearance and meekness.
VIII That he/she shall hold faith, the honour of faith and the cause of Islam dearer than his/her life, wealth,honour, children, and all loved ones.
IX That he/she shall keep himself/herself occupied in the service of God’s creatures for His sake only and shall endeavour towards the beneficence of mankind to the best of his/her God-given abilities and powers.
X That he/she shall enter into a bond of brotherhood with this humble servant of God, pledging obedience to me in everything good for the sake of God, and remain faithful to it until the day of his/her death. That he/she shall exert such a high devotion in the observance of this bond as is not to be found in any other worldly relationship and connection that demand devoted dutifulness.
(It is interesting to note that the Promised Messiahas wrote this tract on 12 January 1889. On the same date, the Promised Son, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, was born. The Jamaat and Hazrat Musleh Maudra, therefore, were born twins.)
Having published this tract, the Promised Messiahas travelled to Ludhiana (then in British Indian Punjab, now in the Indian Punjab) to take initiation from those who wished to join the divinely established Jamaat at the hand of the Promised Messiahas.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas resided at the house of Hazrat Sufi Ahmad Jan in Mohalla Jadid. The background of this setting is understood to be the urge that Hazrat Sufi sahib had shown many years ago for him to take the Oath of Initiation at his hand and allow a Jamaat to be established. As the Promised Messiahas had not yet been instructed by Allah the Almighty to do so, he showed reluctance.
Now that Allah had instructed him to do so, he chose the house of Hazrat Sufi Ahmad Jan to do so, who, unfortunately, had previously passed away. This blessed house is now known as Dar ul Bai’at. Having been passed to many residents over decades, it is now in the custody of the Jamaat.
This blessed service, commonly known as Bai’at e Ula (the first Bai’at) was held on 23 March 1889, the venue being the house mentioned earlier. A notebook (commonly known as Register Bai’at-e-Ula) was prepared to note down the names of the fortunate persons in attendance.
Hazrat Maulvi Nurudin, Allah be pleased with him, was the first person to be called in the room where the Promised Messiahas was seated and was to take the Oath of Initiation. The rest of the persons who had travelled from distant places followed one by one.
That register is still safe and secure except for the first page which is unfortunately missing. This register was discovered by Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ishaqra who passed it on to Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, on 14 October 1955 wrote a letter to Maulvi Muhammad Siddiq, then in-charge of Khilafat Library Rabwah, expressing that he wished for such extremely important and historic material of the Jamaat to be preserved by the Jamaat.
Register of the first Bai’at at the hand of the Promised Messiahas with names including Hazrat Maulvi Nuruddinra, Hazrat Hafiz Hamid Alira and Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira
Maulvi Muhammad Siddiq sought guidance from Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, KhalifatulMasih IIra, who replied that it was best for it to be preserved under Jamaat’s custody.
Copies of this correspondence are included in this article with their English translation.
As mentioned above, the first page of the register has been missing ever since the register was first discovered by Hazrat Mir sahib. However, with the help of those who were present, the names were later inserted on a page which now works as page one of that blessed document.
[Should our readers wish to contribute to filling in the missing names, (provided they have sufficient evidence to prove so,) we request them to write to us and we will arrange for research to be carried out and guidance sought from Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa for a final decision.]
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra to Maulvi Muhammad Siddiq (Librarian, Khilafat Library)
Respected Maulvi Muhammad Siddiq sahib,
Assalamo Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah
I have the register of the first Bai’at. The first page is missing and the numbering starts from thereon. It should be brought to Huzoor’s attention and preserved in the library…
Wassalam
Khaksar
Mirza Bashir Ahmad
14.10.1955
Maulvi Muhammad Siddiq to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
My Lord
Assalamo Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahe Wa Barakatuhu
Hazrat Miyan Bashir Ahmad sahib has informed me that he has the first register of Bai’at in Silsila Ahmadiyya… He is of the opinion that this should be brought to the knowledge of Huzoor and then … be preserved in the Library.
I write to seek Huzoor’s permission and guidance in this regard.
Wassalam
Huzoor’s humble servant
Khaksar
Muhammad Siddiq
17/10/1955
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, granting permission wrote:
Very good. It will be preserved in the Jamaat’s history. Archive it.
Sir Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) now portrayed as the greatest thinker of the Indo-Pakistan Subcontinent, held Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian to be “the profoundest theologian”.
Below is the image of his article where he clearly stated so:
He held this opinion for most of his life, but the last few years of his life saw a shift in his opinion. The reasons seem to be political more than religious. Ayesha Jalal has given a very interesting account of Iqbal’s political interests and his change of heart in her wonderful book Self And Sovereignty: Individual and Community in South Asian Islam since 1850.
Prophecy had it that the Muslim Ummah would gradually drift away from the true teachings of Islam. The Unity of Allah, the status of Hazrat Muhammadsa, the meaning and interpretation of the Holy Quran would all be misunderstood. The true essence of Islam would be abandoned and only ritual would prevail.
The unity of the Ummah, which was once its pride, would become a thing of the past and sect after sect would emerge, each declaring the rest out of the pale of Islam. Islam, that meant and stood for peace, would become synonymous with violence and bloodshed.
The prophecy goes on to tell that it would be in that dire state that a man would appear. He would be from among the Muslims but appointed by Allah the Almighty directly. He would dedicate every moment of his life to rejuvenate the lost glory of Islam. He would be the promised Messiah and the awaited Mahdi, embodied in one. He would create a community – “Al Jamaat” – which would be the last nation to assemble in the name of Allah the Almighty.
This prophecy was made by none other than the Holy Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and was destined to be fulfilled to the letter; and so it did.
It took fourteen long centuries for the Ummah to reach that fragile point when Allah the Almighty commissioned the Promised Saviour of the Muslim Ummah. This saviour was none else than Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, peace be upon him.
He took the first Bai’at on 23 March 1889, thus founding “Al Jamaat”— the last Jamaat to be established by Allah the Almighty.
It is the fulfilment of a grand prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa of Islam that is celebrated on 23 March. The success story of this great man of God and his Jamaat, as you read these lines, spreads over one hundred and twenty-nine years. Look at it from another angle and you see this story spread over 1529 years; Why not add the 1400 years of the prophetic build-up?
It was a cold morning of November 2017. Nineteenth of November to be precise. I sat in the waiting area of the Private Secretary’s office, waiting to be seen by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (may Allah strengthen his hand).
Among other issues that I had to seek his blessed guidance on, was the proposal for a newspaper, Al Hakam, to be launched again, this time in English.
The idea had come from a colleague and I had instantly agreed to present it to Huzooraa. But as I sat waiting for the blessed audience, I felt that I was extremely nervous in presenting a proposal which did not seemingly fall within the scope of my duties. But the love, affection and attention I have always experienced when presenting any matter was my only and best source of encouragement.
The proposal was last on the list. I had sought guidance on all other matters and the time came to present the proposal of Al Hakam being launched from London. It was immediately approved and accepted.
Any decision made by Huzooraa is revered by all Ahmadis and held in high esteem, but when a proposal or suggestion is accepted so wholeheartedly by Huzooraa , it means more than just an approval. It brings with it a great deal of motivation, blessings, prayers and everything good that one can imagine.
Thus, it would be a grave injustice not to acknowledge that every step that was taken towards realising this dream, however hard or impossible it may have seemed at the onset, turned simple and every hurdle simply gave way to the fulfilment of a task that had the blessing of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih.
A piece from Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat has been included in this issue where a message of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra at the second launch of Al Hakam (Urdu) in 1934 has been quoted. I would like to add here the line that was not quoted by Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat. After stating that whether Al Hakam survived physically or not, its name would always live, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further stated:
“…but I have the desire that, as its very name suggests, the status given to the Promised Messiahas from the very start by his followers, [Al Hakam] should physically survive also…”
It is faith-inspiring to witness the heartfelt desire of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra materialised in the time of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa .
May Allah enable this newspaper to live up to the standards set by the scholarly and pious pioneers in its early phases and also to function in accord with the expectations of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa.
Every year 23 March is marked as Yaum-e-Masih-e-Maud (the Promised Messiah day) on the calendar of the Jamaat, commemorating the first ever initiations taken at the hand of the Promised Messiahas, thus laying the foundation of the last Jamaat to be divinely established. What better date could be chosen for the launch of a newspaper that has its roots in the blessed time of the Promised Messiahas.
Al Hakam was the first-ever newspaper of the Jamaat when first launched. Its re-launch today makes it the first weekly newspaper of the Worldwide Jamaat in the English language.
The connection of the present phase of Al Hakam with the Ahmadiyya ARC (Archive & Research Centre) will work as a platform to bring the rich legacy of the Jamaat to light, which is a very precious treasure sitting in archive boxes or lying on shelves of various repositories. Scholarly articles, the majority of which were written in Urdu, will insha-Allah be translated into English and presented here, thus providing Ahmadis around the world the knowledge hidden in these articles as well as opening up new avenues for western researchers to tap into.
An English rendering of the Friday sermons delivered by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih will be regularly made available in full. This will insha-Allah make it easier for researchers to cite references from the sayings of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, apart from providing Ahmadi readers with a quick and easy access to the blessed words of our Imam.
The Promised Messiahas referred to Al Hakam as an arm of the Jamaat. May Allah enable Al Hakam to always live up to the standard and become so in the true sense of the term. On Allah, we rely, and in the prayers of his Khalifa, we believe. We know that there will always be challenges, but we strongly believe that the prayers and guidance of our beloved Imam will always enable us to sail through the turbulent waters that may come our way. Insha-Allah.
A note recorded in Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat on the history of Al Hakam (Urdu) written by Dost Mohammad Shahid Sahib, Historian of the Jamaat
It had been eight years since the Jamaat had been established and it still had no newspaper of its own.
The Promised Messiah, on whom be peace, and his companions felt the need but financial constraints were a hindrance.
Finally, a courageous and enthusiastic youth of the Jamaat, Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Turab, Allah be pleased with him, (who was then based in Amritsar and was by then an acclaimed journalist in the intellectual circles) was inspired to write a request to the Promised Messiahas. The Promised Messiahas replied to his request in his own writing, the summary of which is:
We have no experience in this field. There is a need for a newspaper but our Jamaat comprises of poor people and is unable to bear financial strains. If you can do this through your experience, then you may do so. Allah bless this effort.
Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Turabra too had no financial resources. Some of his friends were adamant that he join the civil service, but Allah the Almighty helped him and an esteemed newspaper like Al Hakam was materialised in Urdu.
Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Turabra
The first issue of Al Hakam was published on 8 October 1897 and up to the end of the year, was printed at Riaz-e-Hind Press in Amritsar and was based also in Amritsar. It was in the beginning of 1898 that it started to be published from Qadian. With a few breaks here and there, Al Hakam was successfully published until July 1943.
In the second phase of its publication, it was edited by Sheikh Mahmud Ahmad Irfani (son of Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Turabra), and successfully did so until his death.
Recalling the early days of Al Hakam, Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Alira states:
“In August 1897, Henry Martyn Clark brought about a lawsuit against the Promised Messiahas. I recorded the minutes of this court-case under the title Doosri Jang-e-Muqaddas [literally meaning the second holy war; named after Jang-e-Muqaddas which was an account of the debate between the Promised Messiahas and the Christian clergy held in Amritsar]. I strongly felt the need of a newspaper to express the viewpoint of the Jamaat and also to refute the allegations of political and religious nature that were brought about against the Jamaat. So, Al Hakam was launched in October 1897. The Government was against the press in those days and the present Press Act was about to be passed, but in these unfavourable circumstances, I launched the paper purely relying on Allah.
“At the end of 1897, a relaunch of the Paisa Akhbar was being considered and I had accepted the offer of Munshi Mahbub Alam to be on the editorial staff. I was of the opinion that Al Hakam should be based in Lahore, and based on this, I had joined the Paisa Akhbar. But when I attended the Jalsa Salana, Qadian in December 1897, a resolution was moved for the establishment of a madrasah [school], for which I offered my services; thus, destiny brought me to settle in Qadian.
“At the launch of Al Hakam, discouraging factors like the decline in religious taste and the rise in opposition of Ahmadiyyat were brought to my attention, asserting that Al Hakam would result in failure.
“The Editor of Al Hakam [referring to himself] came to Qadian in January 1898, sacrificing, for the sake of Qadian, the newfound ties with the Paisa Akhbar and other prospective benefits associated with Lahore; by the Grace of Allah, I feel I have been prosperous. It was a great challenge to access a press in Qadian; there was no press, no designers and no copywriters, nor did any of these want to come and settle in Qadian. However, the Editor continued to handle these challenges.”
Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Turabra was gifted with the wonderful skill of fast-writing. Whether the Promised Messiahas spoke during his walks or the evening audience, Sheikh Yaqub Ali Turabra would immediately transcribe every word and publish it in Al Hakam straight away.
Through Al Hakam, the latest revelations of the Promised Messiahas also got published instantaneously. Events taking place in Qadian started to get coverage and articles written not only by scholars but also by the Promised Messiahas himself were published; members of the Jamaat were thus able to enlighten themselves with the spiritual provisions of the Promised Messiahas.
The newspaper turned into a treasure house of the writings of the Promised Messiahas, an authentic source of history and a milestone for the Jamaat.
Al Hakam served this unique cause singlehandedly up to 1901, making it an extraordinary example. Then the newspaper Al Badr joined in sharing the sacred responsibility of publicising the sayings and writings of the Promised Messiahas alongside the blessed revelations he would receive. The Promised Messiahas would refer to Al Hakam and Al Badr as “the two arms of the Jamaat”.
At the second launch of Al Hakam in 1934, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, the second Khalifa of the Promised Messiahas, issued a special message stating:
“Al Hakam is the first ever newspaper of the Jamaat and the service it has rendered, as well as Al Badr in the last years of the Promised Messiahas, can never again be done by any newspaper even in exchange of millions of rupees.
“I declare that whether Al Hakam survives in its present form or not, its name will forever endure. No significant work on the Jamaat can be complete without its mention as it carries the history of the Jamaat.”
Allah the Almighty revealed to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas a promise, stating “I shall not leave any such thing that may lead to your embarrassment.”
The life of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah, has been recorded in hundreds of books and thousands of articles. While Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim Sialkotira started writing a series of articles on the blessed life of the Promised Messiahas in Al Hakam in 1900, there were opponents like Rev. Griswold who was writing about the Promised Messiahas in satirical tones.
As we move further and further away from the time of this era’s saviour with every passing moment, it becomes incumbent upon us that we try and read as much as we can about his blessed life.
Al Hakam, in its early phases, would carry a daily diary of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, along with his latest revelations as they were received and many of his sayings; all this laid the foundations for the many books that were later to be written on the life and character of the Promised Messiahas.
We will, God willing, try to uphold this flagship of Al Hakam by bringing to the readers of Al Hakam various aspects of the life of the Promised Messiahas in every issue.
Alongside that, we will also provide a list of biographies on the life of the Promised Messiahas for our readers to benefit from. This list has been attained from Sirat-e-Ahmad which is being compiled by Syed Mubasher Ahmad Ayyaz (Principal, Jamia Ahmadiyya Rabwah, Pakistan). He has very painstakingly put together this list and arranged them in chronological order, however, he has listed the biographies written by the very own children of the Promised Messiahas. We will serialise this list in this issue and the issues to follow:
1. Sirat Hazrat Masih-e-Maud (Urdu), by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra. This can be found in the third volume of Anwarul Ulum, or at the following link:
www.alislam.org/urdu/au/AU3-9.pdf
Introducing this book, the author wrote in his foreword:
“I wished to write a booklet describing the status of the Ahmadiyya Community and its founder, so as to work as a guiding light for those in pursuit of truth, with the blessings of Allah the Almighty. This brief tract will give an account on the life of the founder of the Jamaat, his biography, claims and arguments, the difficulties he faced, his prophecies and his services.”
2. Hazrat Masih-e-Maud Ke Karnamay (Urdu) [The Achievements of the Promised Messiahas] by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra. This can be found in volume 10 of Anwarul Ulum or at the following link:
www.alislam.org/urdu/au/AU10-5.pdf
This is a speech delivered by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra on 28 December 1927 at Jalsa Salana, Qadian. It was later published in book-form.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra has selected fifteen of the many accomplishments of the Promised Messiahas. These carefully selected services of the Promised Messiahas are the ones related to the existence of God, correction of the concept about the attributes of Allah, Angels, removing misconceptions about prophets, miracles, worship; rectifying issues of fiqh [jurisprudence], rights of women and peace.
3. Ahmad, The Messenger of the Latter Days (English) by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra gives a chronology of events from the early phase of the Promised Messiah’sas life. Also given is a brief sketch of the history of Ahmadiyyat and the claims of the Promised Messiahas, some of his prophecies with explanations and a concise account of his services.
4. Sirat-ul-Mahdi (Urdu) [The Life of the Mahdi] by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra MA.
This is a collection of traditions related to the life of the Promised Messiahasnarrated by his companions and collated by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, the son of the Promised Messiahas. All traditions have a detailed account of who narrated a tradition, who recorded it and how it was communicated to the author. This book is spread over three volumes.
“All sincere souls who have entered the fold of this humble one should know that the purpose of pledging allegiance is to dampen the worldly ardour, so that the heart is engulfed in the love of the Bountiful God and of the Holy Prophetsa, and to develop such a state of detachment that the Final Journey does not seem an unwelcome prospect.
“But in order to achieve this, it is necessary to stay in my company and to spend a portion of one’s life in this cause, so that—if God Almighty so wills—through witnessing some definite signs, weakness, infirmity and tardiness may be overcome and perfect faith may be born, resulting in fervour and passionate ardour. One should always strive to achieve this goal and pray that God may grant this opportunity. Until this happens, it is essential to meet me now and then. Bai‘at is devoid of all blessings and is a mere formality if one does not care to meet me.”
(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, The Heavenly Decree, p.73)
The 15th Peace Symposium was held in Tahir Hall (Baitul Futuh Mosque, London) on Saturday, 17 March 2018. The theme for this year’s event was “Fundamentals of Establishing Lasting Peace”. More than 800 guests attended the unique event including secretaries of state, parliamentarians, diplomats, faith and civic leaders as well as representatives from numerous charities and faith communities.
While talking about the need for holding this Symposium every year, Huzooraa said that as long as adequate steps towards establishing peace are not taken by the major nations of the world, it is a duty of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat to continue calling the world to this noble cause and to never give up.
Historically, Huzoor’saa addresses have given deep insight into the most pressing contemporary issues concerning the religious, political, social and moral décor of the world that we live in.
Regarding issues such as climate change and the reduction of carbon emissions, Huzooraa said that although they are issues of great importance, a vast number of people living in the developing world live below the line of poverty and do not know how they will have their next meal.
Huzooraa said, “It is essential that every effort is made to raise the standards of the developing world. Poor nations must not be looked down upon, rather we should consider them as part of our family: our brothers and sisters. By helping the developing nations stand on their own feet and by giving their people opportunities and hope, we will actually be helping ourselves and safeguarding the future of the world.”
While reflecting on the peaceful teachings of the Holy Prophetsa of Islam, Huzooraa commented, “The truth is that Islam has always been diametrically opposed to any form of terrorism or extremism. Furthermore, whilst I accept that the evil acts of some Muslims have greatly damaged society, I do not accept that it is only Muslims who are to blame for the volatility of today’s world. Many commentators and experts are now openly saying that certain non-Muslim powers and groups have also played a role in undermining peace and social cohesion.”
Every year, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Peace Prize is given to a charity or individual for the advancement of peace. This year’s Ahmadiyya Muslim Peace prize was given to Dr Leonid Roshal, Senior Pediatric Surgeon, Russia for his remarkable services to children in war torn areas of the world.
The proceedings of the Peace Symposium 2018 can be watched at www.mta.tv
