Four years ago on May 28, terrorists attacked two Ahmadi Muslim mosques in Lahore, Pakistan, and 86 members of the community lost their lives on that single day.
Source/Credit: Stafford County Sun
By Shehla Ahmad | June 4, 2014
God never compels men to become believers of a faith and humans are granted free will in this regard. Unfortunately, some Muslims tend to forget this basic principle. They simply ignore that the Qur’an tells us that forcing others in matters of faith was the common practice of direct opponents of prophets. The Qur’an says, “And those who disbelieved said to their Messengers, ‘we will, surely, expel you from our land unless you return to our religion’” [14:14].
The latest court decision against the Christian woman in Sudan shows the same mentality. In a recent incident, an American Ahmadi Muslim cardiologist, Mehdi Ali Qamar, was brutally shot dead in Pakistan. He was on a humanitarian trip to serve as a volunteer at Tahir Heart Institute. It shows that perpetrators of such heinous acts are totally ignorant of the true Islamic teachings. They forget that the Qur’an states, “And if God had enforced His will, He would surely have made you all one people” [16:94]. But He did not.
The month of May reminded me of the long history of religious persecution of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. Four years ago on May 28, terrorists attacked two Ahmadi Muslim mosques in Lahore, Pakistan, and 86 members of the community lost their lives on that single day.
If we scroll through the pages of the history of religions, we find one story is repeated time and again. At the advent of a prophet, his followers always face persecution at the hands of those who have deviated from their own faith. However, this persecution becomes a sign of the truthfulness of their message, which the opponents are unable to refute with arguments. The Qur’an says “And Messengers indeed have been rejected before thee” [6:35].
In the wake of all atrocities, the Qur’an expects believers in God to remain steadfast and not to show any sort of retaliation or reaction. “So in God let those who trust put their trust” [14:13].
This patience never goes to waste. The Qur’an gives this good news when it says, “And We will try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives, and fruits; but give glad tidings to the patient” [2:156].
But why does God want believers to bear the atrocities but never retaliate against them? Because “God loves not disorder” [2:206].
On the other hand, the Qur’an says about the mischief-makers: “Beware! It is surely they who create disorder, but they do not perceive it” (2:13).
In response to the above referred terrorist attacks on Ahmadiyya mosques, the head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim community, His Holiness Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, issued the following statement:
“No form of terrorism has any place in Islam and thus those who were behind these attacks may justify their acts in its name, but let it be clear they are Muslim only in name and never in deed.”
His holiness further said:
“The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at is a peace-loving true Muslim Jama’at. Thus there will be no improper reaction from any Ahmadi. Our salvation lies in our supplications to God Almighty.”
Ahmadi Muslims believe that matters of faith are only decided by God. It is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an: “He is the Best of judges” [7:88].
Those who persecute innocents will be accountable for their deeds on the Day of Judgment; Qur’an says, “Those who persecute the believing men and the believing women and then repent not, for them is surely the punishment of Hell, and for them is the punishment of burning” [85:11].
I conclude in the words of His Holiness, “May God protect all good natured people from the evil acts of those opposed to peace.”
Shehla Ahmad is a Stafford County resident.
Read original post here: Perspective: Violence abhorrent to Islam
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