The Need for Enlightened Reformation

themuslimtimes.info

by Nayyar Ahmed

In an article of Gulf News titled ‘Islam condemns all forms of religious compulsion, scholar says’, it is a welcoming sign to see the leadership of United Arab Emirates (UAE) condemning violence and all kinds of negative impulses committed under the name of Islam. I take the opportunity to commend the peaceful leadership of UAE on taking such a stance and defending the honor of Islam and the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him (pbuh). Time and again, the leaders of UAE have shown the peaceful message of Islam through actions. The late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan was an exemplary leader of UAE who showed immense love for humanity and broke all barriers of caste, creed, color and race.. Surrounded by countries that are plagued with extremists and terrorism, this country has put in every ounce of effort to ensure the safety of its people. It has ironically served as an oasis of justice and security in a vast desert of corruption and radicalism.

Dr Mohammad Mokhtar Gomaa, minister for religious affairs of Egypt, while on a visit to UAE met the leaders of the country and explained that Islam has no roots in extremism. Expanding upon his understanding, the Quran categorically condemns all forms of extremism as stated in Chapter 2, verse 257 which says “There is no compulsion in matters of faith”. This verse stands firmly against the ideology of extremists groups that have taken Islam as hostage. Terrorist groups like ISIS and Boko Haram are defaming the image of Islam and bring dishonor to the Holy Prophet (pbuh). Dr. Gomaa has implored anti-Islam bigots to join ranks with peaceful Muslims and dispel the bigotry of hate and division.

In recent times, it has become the flavor of the day for Islamophobes and bigots to hurl accusations against the teachings of Islam with respect to extremism, rights of women and the Islamic system of governance, some of which have been highlighted by Dr. Gomaa. He goes on to say that “Islam did not impose a specific system of governance, but set rules for good governance. So any regime that achieves justice among people, fights corruption, works for the good of the people and ensures religious freedom is an Islamic rule”.

The Quran agrees with the above notion and proposes a system of Caliphate or spiritual leadership. The Quran declares in chapter 24 verse 56 that “Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will, surely, make them Successors (Khalifa) in the earth, as He made Successors from those who were before them; and that He will, surely, establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them; and that He will surely give them in exchange security and peace after their fear”. The verse above shows a clear sign of Allah and His promise to people who are pious and religious that He will bless them with a spiritual leadership that supersedes all worldly governance. To this effect, Mirza Masroor Ahmad the current Head of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (AMC) has said “Let me make it clear that the institution of Khilafat leading the Ahmadiyya Community has no interest in power or government. Rest assured that true Khilafat has no worldly or political objectives. The sole concern of the Ahmadiyya Khilafat is that the people of the world come to recognize their Creator and bow down before the One God.”

Dear Mr. Gomaa and leaders of UAE, as a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, who believe in the Messiah and Mahdi Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (1835-1908),I invite you to join the True Islam and The Extremists campaign under the leadership of peaceful Caliphate that has been established by God and instils a message of love, peace and harmony among its members. Mirza Masroor Ahmad has dedicated his life in the service of Islam to spread the message of peace far and wide. He has traveled to many countries and has spoken repeatedly (here and here) to admonish members of his community, non-Ahmadi Muslims, as well as people in general to work in unison towards a common goal of attaining reconciliation and peace. He has called out to world leaders through letters addressing  issues of impending disasters such as wars on a global scale (here and here).

In his quest to establish peace Mirza Masroor Ahmad says “The Khilafat of the Ahmadiyya Community can never depart from Islam’s core teachings of fulfilling the rights owed to God and to mankind. Today, the institution of Khilafat is striving for peace in every possible way and to spread love and affection throughout the world”. The above mentioned activities highlight only a fraction of his achievements since becoming Khalifa in 2003. For a broader understanding, here is a short clip that shows how the world perceives the Caliphate of Ahmadiyya Muslims.

Moving on, extremist organizations are always in search for young impressionable minds that unfortunately play into the hands of terrorists. Hence, I agree with Dr. Gomaa where he mentions that “A combined effort is required from the educational, cultural and media institutes”. Referring to similar groups such as Al Qaida and Boko Haram as terrorist would help lessen the appeal of these organizations for western Muslim youth, Dr Gomaa said.

However, it is important to understand that due to a lack of  spiritual leadership Muslim youth undergo sporadic and discontinuous reformation which creates a void in their understanding of Islam. This void is subsequently exploited by terrorists. Muslim youth are in a dire need of a platform for dialogue where ideas and information can be exchanged in an amicable fashion leading to enhanced understanding and tolerance. It is important that young minds should be conditioned from an early age to become productive members of the society as the second Head of AMC Mirza Basheeruddin Mahmood Ahmad (ra) said “Nations cannot be reformed without the reformation of youth”.

Dear Mr. Gomaa and leaders of the Muslim world, the AMC has an auxiliary of youth known as the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA). The youth auxiliary deals with males between the age of 15 and 40. Guided by the singular Spiritual Leadership of the Caliphate on a global scale, the youth association provides a host of activities that offer young men positive outlets to channel youthful energy in a manner that encourages social responsibility and strengthens a nation’s value system. Through the teachings of Islam, AMYA expresses the positive impact religion can have on young men and the communities they are intended to serve. This platform continues to play an important role in the life of many Ahmadi individuals which can revolutionize the thinking process of our youth. To highlight some of the activities and achievements of AMYA please visit the following links (here, here and here). In a similar fashion, the women belonging to AMC have their own auxiliaries that serve the same purpose.

To conclude, it is our understanding that the Muslim world is going through a very difficult time. Many Muslims countries have now become victims of extremist ideology and barbaric crimes. On one hand, we have the terrorist organizations that are killing innocent Muslims and non-Muslims alike such as ISIS, Boko Haram, Taliban, Al Qaeda and many more, while on the other hand the West imposes sanctions and illegitimately occupies Muslim countries under the pretext of defeating the above mentioned terrorist organizations. The only answer to these problems lies in a consensus and unification of ideologies to achieve everlasting peace throughout Muslim countries and the entire world. The solution mentioned in the Quran and by the Holy Prophet of Islam is the system of Caliphate. Only a true and peaceful Caliphate of Islam can unite the hearts of Muslims and non-Muslims together, rising above nationalism, colonialism, racism and cultural barriers. I invite the readers to learn about the peaceful message of Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam and dispel their fears of losing their identity as Muslims by accepting the Imam of the age.

I leave the readers with a slogan of my community which summarizes Islamic teachings: love for all hatred for none.