'Bigotry has no place in Islam'

Islam and Human Dignity

From the very beginning, Islam has strongly condemned racial discrimination and has done everything possible to remove the artificial barriers between tribes and between nations. For the first time in the history of humanity, a new standard for judging the qualities of man was stated in the Holy Quran in these solemn words:

“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” (49: 14)

This statement sounded the death knell for all kinds of aristocracies, whether of birth, caste or wealth. The black people found themselves on the same level as the white people. Suddenly and forever, the colour of such abominable prejudice was rejected.

Even today, with the passage of time, incidents such as those of Little Rock are hardly heard in the Islamic countries and the problems of discrimination law as before what is happening in South Africa have neither arisen in the Middle East nor the Far East.

“An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab and a non-Arab has no superiority to an Arab, you are all the children of Adam, and Adam was created from clay.”

Those are the memorable words of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) in the valley of Mina during the Farewell Pilgrimage (his first and last one). What was the result?

At these solemn words, the social pride of the Arabs was driven away. The difference between Arabs and non-Arabs, similar to that which existed between Jews and pagans, Greeks and barbarians, patricians and plebeians was brutally stripped of the halo of old antiquity. The weak and the oppressed ceased to receive alms according to the whims of the wealthy. Religion had now given them legitimate rights to the property of the rich as well as in politics. The woman, who suffered because of the weakness of her physical stature and who was simply considered as mere commodity, was put on the same footing as man.

Surah Ar-Rahman: A Commentary

Recently, a Muslim brother from India put forward a request to Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) for exposition concerning the gardens as mentioned in Chapter 55 of the Holy Quran. In connection with the issue, the Khalifatullah (atba) turned in prayer to Allah, and the following explanations in English ensued. The explanations include a short commentary of Surah Ar-Rahman, the Jinns and the gardens which form the subject matter of the Surah.

For the spiritual enlightenment of one and all, we reproduced below the inspired commentary provided by the Muhyi-ud-Din (atba) on certain aspects of the subtle and profound verities of Divine wisdom encompassed in Surah Ar Rahman:

The Jinns and the Humans

Surah Ar-Rahman deals with the absolute power of Allah in spreading His mercy and benevolence to not only mankind but to the realm of the Jinns also who cohabit in the world of humans, invisible to the naked eyes – yet there is an invisible veil which separates the two and thus the two creations co-exist and both types of creatures of Allah are mortal.

The mortality of human is revealed when his soul leaves the body of clay and water whereas the Jinns get access to a body of felicity after inhabiting a body made of fire. Therefore, the Almighty has granted knowledge to both species so that they may accede to God.

Mubahila against Janbah Sahib: Truth Triumphs

Where a man is pure of heart,
He does not need  multiple miracles:
One single sign is enough to lead such a one, 
To the right path, if  there be
The Fear of God in the heart!
                              
                                           - Brahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part V

“If the world witnesses at any time.... if sees at any time that those who deny me has overcome those who believe in me, then, you may conclude that I was an impostor....”

                                                -Hadhrat Khalifa Sani (ra) on his claim of being Musleh Maoud     

In recent weeks, many people ask a question: what is the outcome of the Mubahila Challenge launched by Imam Muhyi-ud-Din Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius against Abdul Ghaffar Janbah Sahib, Mansur Ahmed Sahib and their Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Islah-Pasand?

In a speech on February 20, 2014 Hadhrat Sahib (atba) of Mauritius eloquently explained the prophecy on Musleh Maoud in its classical setting, traditional explanations over it in the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya and also its interpretative possibilities in the contemporary context of the Divine Manifestation in Mauritius.  The circumstances behind, and conditionalities of, the Mubahila Challenge was also dealt with, while reminding the world that the opponent parties cannot escape from the fact that “the truthful and the truth must triumph”: “And you cannot prevent it from happening”.  

Some people, however, have already reached their own “conclusions” about the apparent, perceived/alleged “failure” of the Mubahila to lead to the “destruction” of either of the parties to the challenge!