Source/Credit: The Record - Gazette | Peace River
By Erin Steele | October 14, 2010
A game of chess or a game of chance? This question with regards to evolution was raised at the Sawridge Inn last Saturday.
About 20 people attended the Introduction to Islam seminar put on by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, a group founded in the late 1800s that strongly believes in inter-faith dialogue. Ataul Lahay, a national executive with the Ahmadiyya, was the speaker.
The Qur'an states "you shall pass on from one form to another." This can be applied to both the concept of evolution as well as individuality, according to Lahay. When organisms evolve, a greater sense of consciousness occurs. As an individual, you can spiritually evolve within your lifetime by following three distinct roles and responsibilities: towards god, fellow men, and responsibility of self.
"Fulfilment of those responsibilities is to become more conscious in this life, regardless of your religion," Lahay said, and added that all humans will get a message in their lifetime whether it's through déjà vu or something else.
The message he speaks of is an ultimate consciousness that our creator exists, whatever faith you follow.
"There's no compulsion in religion. You're expected to support all religion," he said.
Lahay believes that humans, unlike other animals, have free will. This means they can make their own choices. His views are in accordance with many experts on Islam, many who widely discuss free will. According to al-islam.org, an online library project, in the Islamic faith a human may do as he or she chooses with good or bad consequences.
"What makes us distinct from animals is the ability to evolve spiritually to where God wants us to be," Lahay said. Evolving spiritually is a lifetime journey, that Lahay says correlates with age.
"A two-year-old can't spiritually progress to where God wants us to be."
The Qur'an contains many scientific components including a belief in extraterrestrial life. The problem with science though, according to Lahay, is that scientists are wrong to deny the existence of a creator and replace it with something that's only a theory.
The Muslim faith preaches that God doesn't want people to be consumed with materialism, trying to increase wealth or vanity. He wants people to make sacrifices on behalf of others.
"If you kill one man unjustly, it's like you killed all man. If you save one, you save them all," he said.
The Ahmadiyya strive to accept differences in faith groups. Not so accepting, though were Lehay's views on homosexuality which he calls a "plague like disease" and "sexually immoral."
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