By Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V
May 11, 2013 at Montage Beverly Hills, CA, United States

All distinguished guests السلام علیکم ورحمۃ اللہ وبرکاتہ (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all)

First of all, I would like to thank all of our guests who have accepted our invitation to this event and who by coming have enlightened the occasion. I also thank all those honourable guests who have spoken and praised the Community and I also thank all those, who as a gesture of goodwill, have given gifts, especially the key to this city. Thank you for this. Your kind approach towards an Islamic religious organisation is clearly demonstrated by your attendance and shows that you have a very tolerant attitude and a keen desire to learn about Islam.

With these few words, I would like to turn towards an issue of great importance and of which there is an urgent need to deliberate and talk about in today’s world. What I wish to discuss is something that has caused Islamaphobia in the Western and non-Muslim. There can be no doubt that this state of fear and anxiety has been fuelled by the acts of certain so-called Muslims or so-called Muslim groups.

However there is also no doubt, that the acts of terrorism or extremism they perpetrate have nothing whatsoever to do with the true teachings of Islam. The very meaning of ‘Islam’ is peace, security and giving a guarantee of protection against all forms of harm and evil. Indeed, the Holy Quran declares that this is the teaching that every single Prophet of God taught.

How then could it be possible, that on the one hand, God has praised the qualities of all religions for urging mankind to fulfil the rights of God and of man, yet on the other hand God could enjoin the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), upon whom the Great Book was revealed, to not establish peace and security in the world? How could it be possible that they were instructed to cause destruction and to destroy the peace and security of the world? Certainly no wise person could ever accept this.

True justice and fairness  requires that rather than judging Islam in a prejudiced manner or by making false assumptions based on hearsay, a person should study the religion and try to develop an understanding of its teachings before criticising it and its Founder. An informed decision about any issue can only be made once a person has studied its teachings in depth and strived to learn the truth.

The truth or reality of any faith can only be learned from those who are practising or striving to follow its true and authentic teachings. Today, it is the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, which claims to follow the original and true teachings of Islam and is spreading it.

To answer this question, firstly and as I have already said, the Qur’an has clearly stated that Islam is a religion of peace that has nothing to do with terrorism or extremism. And secondly, in a grand prophecy made by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), he said that as had happened with all previous religions, a time would come when the state of Muslims would become ruined and corrupted.

The Muslim scholars would spread false doctrines and ideologies and there would be great division and conflict within the Muslim world. Whilst the Holy Quran would remain preserved in its original state, false commentaries and interpretations would be made which would lead Muslims away from its true teachings.

According to the prophecy, when such a desperate state of affairs came to pass, God Almighty would send a person as the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi to rejuvenate Islam. He would clarify the correct meanings of the Quran and would inform the world of the true Islam practiced by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his rightly guided successors 1400 years before.

The Promised Messiah would guide the world towards living together in love, peace and harmony and would foster a spirit of mutual understanding and reconciliation. The Promised Messiah would do all of this in light of the shining example of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and the true teachings of the Quran. Furthermore, the Promised Messiah would bring an end to all forms of religious warfare.

We, Ahmadi Muslims, believe that the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, was the very person who was sent as the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi according to the prophecies of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). We believe he came as a beacon of light to convey the true and luminous teachings of Islam to the entire world.

With these words of introduction, I shall now briefly present some examples of the beautiful and peaceful characteristics of Islam.

Before I give specific examples, I should mention that the person who followed the teachings of the Quran to the greatest extent possible was the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). That is why one of his wives once said that his morals and his acts were a perfect mirror image and reflection of the teachings of the Qur’an.

Consequently, if a person studies the Quran then the life and character of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) will naturally become clear and apparent. In the limited time available it is not possible for me to cover all aspects of the Quran, in fact it is not possible for me to cover even one aspect of its teachings. Nonetheless, I shall try to briefly explain one part of Islamic teaching, which has sadly become very misunderstood in the modern world and thus has caused a great deal of fear to develop in the non-Muslim world.

I refer to the teachings of the Qur’an and the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in relation to establishing peace in the world.

“All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.”

This verse means that the God who Muslims worship, is the One God, who sustains and nourishes everything and everyone without any distinction. He fulfils all of the needs of His Creation. In other words, He is the God of the Christians, the God of the Jews, the God of the Hindus and indeed He even gives nourishment and provides to those who do not believe in His existence.

Whenever I reflect upon this particular point, I realise that I believe in that One God who is the Lord of all nations, all races and all religions, and so it becomes impossible that I could ever develop any hatred in my heart for any nation, any race or any religion. In this context I would like to say that my sympathies and my prayers are with the victims of the recent Boston attack. We fully condemn that attack.

A Muslim has been commanded by God Almighty to pray five times a day and to recite the opening chapter of the Quran in each unit of prayer. And so, at the very least, a Muslim must repeat the prayer that His Lord is the ‘Lord of all of the Worlds’ at least thirty-two times each and every day.

The entire world is God’s Creation and He loves His Creation dearly. Thus the reason we praise the ‘Lord of all the Worlds’ and repeat this prayer so many times each day is so that we realise and accept the beauty of all people and all nations because they are all part of God’s Creation. When the beauty and merit of something is accepted, then it is impossible to bear hatred or malice towards it, rather love and compassion shine forth.

If this point is understood, then the question can not even arise in the heart of a true Muslim that he should bear enmity, ill-will or hatred towards any of God’s Creation.

This is why the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who had the greatest insight and understanding of God’s Word, used to recite the words “All Praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the Worlds” not just in his obligatory prayers, but also in the countless voluntary prayers he used to offer. More than anyone else, his heart was consumed by love for all and was entirely free from any form of hatred or spite.

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had love for all of God’s Creation, but most particularly for mankind, because humans have been deemed to be the best of God’s Creation. Human beings have been given wisdom to differentiate between right and wrong and so there is reward for goodness and punishment for wrongdoing. Due to the infinite love God instilled in the heart of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for all people, he used to feel great anguish and despair for the state of mankind. He was constantly overwhelmed by a concern that due to wrongdoing a large number of people were at grave risk of incurring the Wrath of God and His Chastisement.

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to spend night upon night, beseeching his Lord and praying that those who had forgotten God became guided to the right path. He used to feel this burden with such intensity that Allah the Almighty has said in the Quran that the Holy Prophet would grieve himself to death due to his anguish for mankind. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was held captive and enslaved in his heartfelt distress and desire to save the people of the world from destruction.

And so it is a cause of great injustice that many people today try to stain his blessed character by saying that, God forbid, he brought teachings of cruelty, oppression and injustice.

Today, when we the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat raise the slogan of ‘Love for All, Hatred for None’ as a means to establish global peace, we do so directly in fulfilment of the teachings of the Holy Quran and the practice of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was so consumed by his desire to serve humanity and to fulfil the rights of mankind that throughout his life he stood ever ready for this cause. Even after becoming a Prophet of God, which was a huge responsibility and the greatest task imaginable, he said that if any person, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, called him at any time for the mission of serving humanity, then he would most certainly join them in their effort to serve mankind.

This was his example, whereby irrespective of religion, if a person was in any kind of need or came from a deprived segment of society, he deemed it essential to come forward to help and assist him. Despite his great status as Islam’s Founder and a Prophet of God, he deemed it of utmost importance to work towards this pious objective with non-Muslims.

To answer this question, we must assess whether an entirely pacifistic attitude, whereby war in all circumstances is wrong, is a correct doctrine? Or alternatively whether in extreme circumstances fighting may be permitted? And, if in certain circumstances it is permissible, then what are the required conditions and to what extent is war allowed? What does Islam teach us about this?

As I explained earlier, when a Muslim praises the ‘Lord of all the Worlds’, the beauty of God’s Creation comes before him and he is compelled to praise and be attracted to it. When this beauty is acknowledged, one cannot harbour any ill will or malice towards God’s Creation.

However there will always be some people who do not act upon this teaching and who are determined to spread disorder in society and the wider world. Islam has given very clear and detailed guidance about how to reform such people so that global peace and harmony can be maintained. Allah the Almighty has said in the Quran that had not Allah repelled some men by others the earth would indeed be full of mischief. But Allah is the Lord of Grace to all Peoples.  (Chapter 2 Verse 252)

If we ponder the meaning of this, we see that peace is undoubtedly the best state of affairs and so Allah has naturally instilled its attraction inside the human mind. However sometimes man goes against his natural tendencies and inclinations. His greed, envy, selfish interests and hatred overpower him and incite him to such an extent that he no longer has any concern for the rights of others.

As a result disorder develops in society, in a country and in the wider world. Such people move far away from peace. It becomes their objective to supress and violate the freedoms that society hold dear. They attack basic human rights such as freedom of conscience and freedom of thought by using force and severity.  Indeed, such people also target religious freedom and seek to supress it.

It was when such subjugating circumstances arose, that Allah granted permission to the early Muslims to respond to force with force. This permission was granted only as a means to stop disorder, to stop cruelty and establish peace and harmony.

Allah has said in the Quran that He bestows His Grace and Blessings on all of the Worlds. He does not favour any nation or region. He does not desire peace for just a limited few, rather He wants to see the entire world filled with peace, harmony and compassion. In the sight of Allah, all of His Creation is equal and the same.

If God has enabled someone to become wealthy then that person does not have the right to deprive a poor person of his rights. Similarly, if any nation or country becomes powerful and wealthy it does not have the right to usurp the rights of weaker and poorer countries. God Almighty has clearly said that such cruelties only create division and conflict.

In the eyes of God, peace is a great and paramount objective, and so to establish it, if you occasionally have to sacrifice a smaller ideal then there is no harm, as it is for the greater good of mankind.

“Permission to fight is given to those against whom war is made, because they have been wronged and Allah, indeed, has power to help them.

Those who have been driven out from their homes unjustly only because they said, ‘Our Lord is Allah.’ – And if Allah did not repel some people by means of others, there would surely  have  been  pulled  down  cloisters  and  churches  and  synagogues  and  mosques, wherein the name of Allah is oft commemorated. And Allah will surely help one who helps Him. Allah is, indeed, Powerful, Mighty.” (Chapter 22, Verse 40-41)

Thus, it is quite clear that Islam has made every effort to establish peace and every effort to protect all other religions. Even where defensive war was permitted to the Muslims, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave extremely strict rules of engagement to the Muslim armies which they were compelled to abide by.

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught that during wars only those people who were directly engaged in the war could be fought. He gave strict instructions that no innocent person was ever to be attacked. No woman, child or elderly person was ever to be attacked.  He taught that no religious leader or priest could be attacked in his place of worship. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) further taught that no person could be forced or compelled to convert to Islam. He taught that when Muslims were forced to fight for the cause of peace they must not create fear or terror amongst the members of the public, nor should they be treated in a harsh or severe manner. He taught that prisoners of war should be treated with even greater care and attention than a person would pay to himself. He taught that buildings should not be targeted or destroyed and that trees should not be felled.

Thus even where conditions existed where war was justified, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave countless guidelines and instructions to his followers which were essential to follow. I have only mentioned very few.

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said very clearly that whosoever acted against these rules of engagement would not be fighting in accordance to the commands of Allah to establish peace, but rather would be fighting for their own personal interests or gain.

Those who criticise the Holy Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings be upon him) in today’s world should reflect upon whether these instructions are being followed in any of the wars taking place today? Is it not the case that today horrific weapons are being used which are causing innocent people to be killed indiscriminately?

Yet,  the  Holy  Prophet  (peace  and  blessings  be  upon  him)  prohibited  any  form  of collateral damage, to the extent that once during a war, a companion accidently killed a child and this caused great displeasure to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who severely rebuked him for this act.

Another incident shows just how much respect the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had for all of mankind. Once a funeral procession passed by and as a mark of respect he immediately stood up. Upon seeing this, a companion commented in surprise that:

“This is the funeral procession of a Jewish person.”

Hearing this, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

These are the characteristics and qualities which develop mutual respect in society and help develop peace.

Today’s world is ever increasing in its criticism of Islam and its Founder, despite the fact that Islam’s teachings and the Holy Prophet’s every act were filled with love for humanity and a desire to establish peace in the world. Sadly, today’s world does not see or understand what is really happening today.

As I have already said, the evil acts conducted by extremists claiming to be Muslims, have nothing to do with the real teachings of Islam. If there is oppression in Muslim countries or the rights of the public are being usurped then that too is completely contrary to the teachings of Islam. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that such cruelties were based only on vested interests and certainly were not for the sake of God.

Bearing all of this in mind, the urgent need of the time is that instead of thinking ill or holding misconceptions about Islam, all those who desire peace should join together and discuss how cruel and unjust elements can be stopped.

Defaming  or  unjustly  attacking  Islam  is  not  the  right  way.  Leaving  aside  certain Muslim countries and groups, there are also non-Muslims who are conducting acts through which innocent people, women and children are losing their lives on the basis of ‘establishing peace’.

The direction the world is moving in suggests that the dark shadow of war is being cast over a very large part of the globe. If war breaks out then countless innocent women, children and elderly people will all die. The destruction will be greater than was witnessed in the previous two World Wars and I say this knowing full well that during the Second World War tens of millions of people lost their lives. The world’s population is now far greater and there has also been a vast increase in both the number of weapons of mass destruction and the countries that have developed a thirst for war. Under these circumstances destruction will be manifold.