Obama on Freedom of Religion

President of the United States Barack Hussein Obama spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast, a decades-old Washington tradition, on February 06, 2014. "To harm anyone in the name of faith is to diminish our own relationship with God", says the President.

As instances of persecution and other violation of basic freedoms scar the lives of millions of people in different parts of the world, the President reminds that to respect human rights, particularly religious freedom, leaders everywhere must do more. Among the cases of egregious violation of religious freedoms, the President remembers the plight of, among others, the Ahmadi Muslims of Pakistan.

Read the Extracts from the Speech:

So each time we gather, it’s a chance to set aside the rush of our daily lives; to pause with humility before an Almighty God; to seek His grace; and, mindful of our own imperfections, to remember the admonition from the Book of Romans, which is especially fitting for those of us in Washington: “Do not claim to be wiser than you are.”

So here we put aside labels of party and ideology, and recall what we are first: all children of a loving God; brothers and sisters called to make His work our own. But in this work, as Lincoln said, our concern should not be whether God is on our side, but whether we are on God’s side…

Meaning of “Khatamun-Nabiyyin"

The term “Khatamun-Nabiyyin” which when literally translated means ‘Seal of the prophets’ is grammatically a compound phrase. It is a matter of common knowledge that when two words join together to make a phrase, they do not necessarily give their literal meaning. For example, ‘Ibn’ means ‘son’ and ‘Sabil’ means way; but when these words is joint together to make ‘Ibn-Sabil’ it does not reflect an absolutely literal meaning. We thus don’t consider it to mean: ‘Son of the path’, it only means a traveller. 

Such titles was also a practice of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) whereby he used to name his companions according to sometimes memorable events or simply because of the situation in which he found them. For example, he named his cousin, son-in-law and his fourth successor Ali (ra), Abu Turab, which literally means: Father of the soil/sand, which of course Hazrat Ali (ra) was not literally one, but the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) gave him the name as an adjective or attribute and not as a literal meaning. So the real sense of a phrase is determined by grammar, its usage in language and the context in which it is used.

It is an established and unchangeable rule of Arabic grammar and language that when the word ‘Khatam’ is used in the praise of a person and its combining word is a ‘group of talented people’, it never means that the person called ‘Khatam’ is the last or final to appear in respect of time. It always means that in the opinion of the user, the person concerned is the perfect and supreme in that ‘group of talented people’ and that he has achieved the last and final grade in that particular excellence. The Islamic literature is full of such instances and not a single example can be cited against this rule.  

Remembering the "Seal of Prophets"

A seal sets a distinction from all other things. Now a Seal among humans and prophets bring about the exquisite perfection of such a being without whom, the example of leader and follower would be in vain. A true leader is the one who not only guides his people in the right path, but also set examples for them to follow; such examples which are priceless if only these peoples put those actions into motion. The followership emotion derived from such leadership is simply amazing and beyond definition.

If the Quran is a Book sent to mankind; not only Muslims, then Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is also not only a prophet for the Muslims alone. As a Bringer of good news and a Warner he came like his brethrens from among the prophets of the past, including his ancestor and patriarch Abraham (uhbp) to preach the words of God Almighty so that humankind may reform and connect with their Maker. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) came as a light to shed to pieces the darkness of unfaith and immorality.

Prophet Muhammad: The Perfect Role Model

Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) is the only human and divine prophet to have reached the degree of perfect excellence, such excellence which is agreeable to human nature and the Creator Himself. With the revelation of the Holy Quran upon his humble self, Allah told him to say to the people: 

“If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you, forgive you your sins.” (3: 32).

The declaration of the Holy Quran is clear. It is set with such a condition which is agreeable to the ways of Allah, which is: Obey Allah and Obey the Prophet. Guidelines to obeying Allah are found in obeying the prophet and manifest the exquisite nature of being a good listener of the divine revelations and putting those instructions into practice.

There is abundant historical evidence to prove that those who have reformed their lives, by deciding to mould their lives according to the Holy Prophet’s model emerged from the abyss of ignorance and barbarism and poverty to be the teachers of arts and sciences and morals and social good, and it is them who became the masters of the world. They did not only attain the utmost temporal progress, but also set such an example of religious and spiritual life of piety and righteousness and purity and chastity that Allah (twa) Himself proclaimed in the Holy Quran:

 “Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Allah.” (98: 9)

The fact is that the more the example of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is taken into consideration and acted upon, the more the door of divine salvation opens to let manifest the love of Allah for such a devoted servant of Allah and true follower of the Seal of all prophets.