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The Role of Women in an Islamic Society

The Role of Women in an Islamic Society

Maryam Chaudhry, USA
The Review of Religions, August 1995

Surely, men who submit themselves to God and women who submit themselves to Him, and believing men and believing women, and obedient men and obedient women, and truthful men and truthful women, and men steadfast in their faith and women steadfast, and men who are humble and women are humble, and men who give alms and women who give alms, and men who fast and women who fast, and men who guard their chastity and women who guard their chastity, men who remember Allah much and women who remember Him - Allah has prepared for all of them forgiveness and a great reward. (Ch. 33, v. 36)

The passage that has just been recited was from the Holy Qur'an, the book which Muslims believe to be the word of God in its entirety, revealed to the Holy Prophet (saw). In this verse, God Almighty tells us that by following a certain way of life, both men and women can attain to the same spiritual heights. There are no double standards in Islam, the requirements of piety are the same: submission to God, true belief in God, obedience to God, truthfulness, steadfastness in the faith, giving alms or charity, fasting, and remaining chaste. If these conditions are met in constant remembrance of God, then both men and women can achieve nearness to God and the same spiritual status. In the Holy Qur'an, God tells us:

Whoso does good whether male or female, and is a believer, shall enter Paradise and they shall not be wronged a whit. (Ch. 4,v. 125)

Before I continue, however, I want to give you a brief introduction to Islam. Being a convert who was born and raised a Christian, I realise that your understanding of Islam is either limited or contains a lot of totally erroneous information. Also, if I talk about the role of women in Islam it will make no sense without a basic understanding of the religion. I am going to ask you to put aside your paradigms for the next hour or so and to keep your mind open to new ideas. I will pose some questions and I will present to you different alternatives. We will play a game of what if? What if you are not here today by chance? What if what you hear today is the truth and could be the beginning of a whole new life for you? Bear with me patiently for a while. You have been given an outline of my speech with spaces in which to take notes or write questions. So please hold your questions until I have completed my lecture. If you are a Christian, you believe in all the prophets mentioned in the Bible and Old Testament, don't you? Now, did it ever become a source of wonder for you that the prophets as far as you know were all Jewish? It would seem odd that God found pious people worthy of prophethood only in the Jewish nation, even though all races and people of the world are God's creation. Also, the message of Christianity was conveyed throughout the world only after Christ. Do you think it makes sense that God in His Infinite Wisdom would have let the people of Africa, of China, of Australia, of the Americas, and so forth fumble in ignorance without any guidance until the advent of Christ?
Another question which I like to pose to you is this. Why is it that people that belong to different religions throughout the world hold so dearly to their beliefs? After all, there are learned people in every community who have accepted the major religions of the world.
Now, try to visualise the world as a pie. Each segment of society or community is represented by a slice of the pie. Each group declares that their religion is true. The Christian community to which many of you belong claims that God only chose prophets from the Jewish community. I was in my early teens when I started to wonder about such questions.
As I look in front of me, you will notice that my field of vision is limited to a certain angle of this room. If I don't move my head, I can visually detect only a certain segment of the room. To me that is reality, is it not? Is it only reality? Of course, not. There are people and objects that are not within my field of vision. This is exactly the position in which followers of different religions are, including those of you who are Christians. In order to see all the reality available in this room, I would need to be standing from a different position, perhaps higher up, near the ceiling.
Islam provides the only logical and sensible answer to this problem of equity and justice. After all, we will all agree that God is Just, is He not? And to assume that God only sent guidance to one group of his creation so that during the 6000 years or so of the history of the Old Testament, only the Jews were correctly guided, does not seem to fit our concept of God's absolute justice. Now, again, I will ask you to lay aside your paradigms. Paradigms are ideas that you have always held to be absolutely true simply because you were taught those ideas from childhood. Paradigms affect our perception of reality. We filter and interpret information received through our senses and reject and do not notice information that does not confirm our paradigms. A simple illustration: If I believe that dogs are cute and friendly and a dog comes into this room and barks, I will interpret it as a message that he likes me and wants to play. If I believe that dogs are mean and vicious, I will interpret the bark as a sign that the dog wants to bite me. Same evidence, filtered through different paradigm. The world being flat was another paradigm. Another example was the advent of Jesus Christ. The Jews of the time, having interpreted the Bible literally, expected him to be a worldly king who would liberate them from Roman domination. It took twelve disciples and a handful of others who laid aside that old established paradigm and, as Jesus asked them to do, took another look at the prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the advent of the Messiah, and lo and behold, they were able to accept Prophet Jesus as the Messiah.
Asking you to lay your old paradigms aside for just one hour, I will give you the following information. When Jesus gave his message, he made two important points. The first one is that the people of his time were not ready to receive the message of God in its entirety: 'I have yet many things to say unto you and you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of Truth will come, he will guide you unto all truth; for He will not speak of His own authority, but whatever He shall hear, He will speak' (John 16: 12-13). Also, he told the Jews, 'The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits thereof' (Matthew 22: 42-43). The kingdom of God, or the gift of prophethood, was taken away from the Jews and given by God to the descendant of Prophet Abraham's first son, Ismael, that is the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) who came to bring to mankind a complete code of law, contained in the Holy Qur'an.
The Message of Islam provides the view from the ceiling I mentioned earlier because the Holy Qur'an claims to contain 'a message ... for all the worlds' (8:128) while all other previous religions specifically mentioned that their message was addressed to a specific group of people. For example, Jesus Christ declared: 'I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel' (Matthew 14:24).
God explains in the Holy Qur'an that all the people of the world received divine guidance in the form of prophethood.

And there is a Guide for every people... (Ch. 13, v. 8) And for every people there is a Messenger... (10:48)
Verily, We have sent thee (the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)) with the Truth.

Duties to God, and duties toward fellowmen. Since we would expect Islam to provide a more refined spiritual guidance, we would expect the precepts of Islam to be also in keeping with what human beings have discovered through years of progress. To name a few, 1500 years ago, Islam declared that all men are created equal (an idea expounded by the French philosopher Rousseau around the year 1750). To quote the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw),

... Even as the fingers of the two hands are equal, so are human beings equal to one another. No one has any rights, any superiority to claim over another. You are as brothers. O men, your God is One and your ancestor is one. An Arab holds no superiority over a non-Arab, nor a White over a Black person, nor vice-versa, but only to the extent to which he discharges his responsibility to God and man. Only the God-fearing people merit a preference with God.

The pursuit of knowledge (education) was stressed for both sexes:

The pursuit of knowledge is a duty to every Muslim, men and women. (Hadith)

The Holy Prophet of Islam (saw) told the world that God had especially entrusted to him the task of safeguarding the rights of women. Islam gave women rights that the non-Islamic world has given to women only within the past 200 years: the right to inherit property (from their husbands, their parents, their next of kin), the right to own, keep, and manage their own property, the right to ask and get a divorce in case of ill treatment or abandonment from the husband, the right to remarry, the right to obtain an education. The responsibility for the maintenance of the wife and children was placed on the husband (only recently have child support laws been made and enforced in this country). Remember that Islam was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) by God 1500 years ago. In the United Kingdom, it was only in late 1882 that the first Married Women's Property Act was passed by Parliament, and before that, a woman could not hold property on her own, independently of her husband, and in Italy as late as 1919. Misconduct was accepted in English law as cause for divorce only in 1923. Abandonment was accepted as cause for divorce in New Zealand only in 1912. In Tasmania, 1919, in Victoria, 1923, in Cuba, 1918, in Mexico, 1917, in Portugal, 1915, in Norway, 1909, in Sweden, 1920, in Switzerland, 1912, divorced was allowed for various forms of mistreatment. But Islam had proclaimed and enforced the rights of women since approximately the year 600 only through revelation from God, not as a result of women having to fight for their rights. As American Justice Pierre Craibites had rightly observed:

Muhammad (saw), 1300 years ago assured to the mothers, wives, and daughters of Islam a rank and dignity not yet generally assured to women by the laws of the West.

A principle of change which has been discovered recently is that change in organisations takes place effectively only when the change is directed at the entire organisation rather than at individuals. Islam takes this very view. The dictates of Islam that have to do with men and women and children will change the entire society, not just the individual. You will agree that it is better to raise a good child in a good neighbourhood, isn't it? Would any of you want to spend a lot of time raising your child and then would you go and live in a gang-infested environment? Of course not! Another paradigm which I ask you to lay aside at this time is that, as a society, you have all the answers. The society in which we live presently, with increasing number of broken homes, single parent homes, drugs, murder, illegitimate births, child abuse, general lack of morality, certainly lack of spirituality, should be a source of shock to all of us. Is this the ideal society? Is this the environment in which we want to leave our future generations? Are conditions improving or getting worse? If indeed we believe in God and an afterlife, is the society around us conducive to the achievement of this goal? If what you have is not so great, stop hanging on to the belief that you are the only one who can find solutions. Now, let's stop putting money into government funded programmes to prevent child abuse, use of drugs, unwanted pregnancies, murders. These programmes do not work. Listen to a different alternative, one that works.
Islam's approach is proactive (not waiting for problems to occur then trying to find solutions). Islam's approach is positive. There are more than 700 commandments of positive things to do in the Holy Qur'an and a few things not to do. Islam's approach is systematic. It addresses change in the entire society, not just in the individual. These three conditions make Islam educationally sound. Islam gives a system for producing maintaining a social climate in a society that is conducive to allowing human beings to achieve the real goal of their creation which is the worship of God (Allah is the same God that people of all faith understand to be the Creator and Supreme Being):

O ye men! worship your Lord Who created you and those who were before you, that you may guard against evil. (Ch. 2, v. 22)

The dictates of Islam create a good moral individual but in addition, Islam which is from God Who, of course, understands the nature of the humanity He has created, realises that this good individual must be placed in a very moral society so that his energies are not spent fighting off evil, but instead, are spent in progressing in nearness and communion to God in preparation of the life to come. If you believe in God and in an afterlife, then a great portion of your time should be spent in preparation for that next life. When you want to prepare for a race or a championship fight or for an exam or for getting a job, you spend years, hours in preparation, don't you? I asked someone at work what she did to prepare for the next life. She answered 'I go to church on Sunday.' Is it really enough? For the individual, Islam prescribes a minimum of five daily prayers which progressively bring human beings closer and closer to God, and a recipe of spiritual foods contained in the Holy Qur'an. When you do weight lifting, don't you follow a strict programme of regular exercise coupled with a diet rich in nourishing foods? Islam then tells human beings how to regulate their relationships with one another within the content of the family, the society, and humanity.
The great and noble quest that, we as human beings undertake in this life in search of our Creator, must approach it as brothers.

Surely, all believers are brothers.

Human society must provide internal support for its individual members:

And help one another in righteousness and piety; but help not one another in sin and transgression... (Ch. 5, v. 6)

We are all in this together, all of humanity! God, in His Infinite Wisdom, has created humanity in a wonderfully, diverse and complementary manner. Men and women are diverse in their respective faculties and capacities.

Our Lord is He Who has endowed everything with its appropriate faculties and then guided it to their proper use. (Ch. 20, v. 51) God has fashioned mankind according to the nature designed by Him, there is no altering the creation of Allah. (Ch. 30, v. 31)

Men and women are equal in the sight of God, but in view of the differences in their nature, they have been assigned different roles for the smooth functioning of the human society. Women have the unique ability to bear children and to nurture them. Men are physically stronger. Look at the cover of the latest Newsweek magazine. This article discusses brain wave research which shows how differently men and women think and feel and how different parts of the brain are affected differentially for the same mental function. Women are one segment of humanity. In an Islamic society, women can occupy three positions. First as a daughter, her importance is such that the Holy Prophet of Islam (saw) tells us: 'He who brings up his daughters well, and makes no distinction between them and his sons, will be close to me in Paradise.'
Secondly, a woman can be a wife. The character of men in an Islamic society is established in relationship to their treatment of women. 'The best from among you is one who behaves best towards his wife.' (Hadith)
Thirdly, in her role as a mother, Islam has placed women at a higher status than men. 'Paradise is at the feet of the mother.' Islam recognizes the great role that women play in upbringing of the children and that the future of mankind and of societies depends on mothers. The paradise mentioned by the Holy Prophet (saw) refers to both the social paradise that can be achieved in Islam and the heavenly paradise. Therefore, mothers have been placed at a position of the highest respect. As a covert, I can testify to the profound respect (almost unimaginable if you are not a Muslim) which is accorded to mothers in Islamic homes.
People who sell or teach, people who aim to effect behaviour changes in others, need to fulfill three conditions in order to be effective. First they must sell themselves, that is gain trust and credibility; for example real estate sales people are told that it is not the house that they must sell to their customers, it is themselves. Secondly, they must constantly model the behaviour which they want others to adopt. As a teacher trainer, I constantly tell my staff that they must 'walk the talk'. The third and most vital condition is that the teacher must have high expectations of the learners. Therefore, in order for mothers to effectively mould humankind in the highest mould of excellence required by God, they must share the high expectations of that God has for his creation:

Verily, We have created man in the best make. (Ch. 95, v. 5)

And they must become those fortunate beings under who feet paradise can be earned. If an organisation such as an university entrusts the training of students to teachers, would you not expect that organisation to also provide adequate training for the teachers, good schools or places for the training to take place, and also, good job opportunities after the training is complete?
You would expect nothing less from God, the Almighty Creator. The dictates of Islam that have to do with behaviour of women are the training of this crew of teachers of mankind. The family unit provides the setting for this teaching to take place, but the society which is the workforce of life where the teaching is practiced must also be regulated and maintained in the best of ways.
Teaching is not effective unless the teacher has credibility and respect. Both need to be earned. Can you respect someone who does not behave in a respectable fashion? Can a child behave well unless you accompany your teachings with good modelling? Of course not. Therefore, the high respect which God commands us to hold for women in Islam also dictates that women have to behave with utmost dignity and piety in order to become the most respected and honoured segment of our society. It is sort of the 'Noblesse Oblige' concept of the French. Those of higher nobility are under constant obligation to behave in the best of ways.
Ask yourselves this question. 'Why did nuns used to dress very modestly and cover their heads?' Because they were supposed to be very noble and very pure. In both the Old Testament and the Bible, a head covering is prescribed for chaste women (Genesis: 24:64, 65; 1 Corinthians 11:5, 6). A paradigm which comes from misinterpretation of the Bible is that Eve was responsible to make Adam sin, therefore there is an implication in Christianity that women are impure and that association with them diminishes a man. That is why priest and nuns were told not to marry if they wanted to be close to God. Islam denies the theory of the original sin, and rejects monasticism as a human invention. God tells us in the Holy Qur'an that all human beings are created pure and that both men and women are capable of achieving the highest degree of spirituality (high expectations).
Going back to the question of modest dressing, nuns dressed modestly because they did not intend to marry therefore did not want to attract the attention of members of the opposite sex. But Islam wants all women to be pure, and all men also, no double standards in Islam. What you wear affects both how you feel about yourself and how others view you. For example, at my school, which is not air conditioned, the principal always wears a suit, no matter how hot it is. Teachers and parents know that well dressed children feel good about themselves, and teachers subconsciously view them as well cared for and treat them better. Well dressed children do better in school. Many public schools are now adopting uniform policies for the students because wearing a uniform puts the student in a learning mood and makes the teachers view them as potential learners. This affects both the student and the teacher's behaviour so that the entire atmosphere becomes conducive to learning. Also, even in my childhood, women used to wear veils when they entered the church which points to the relationship between dress and attitude.
Islam prescribes modesty for both men and women in order to maintain a pure Islamic society. As a matter of fact, the responsibility to create and maintain this society starts with men:

Be chaste and your women will be chaste (Hadith).

It is a society in which the institution of marriage plays a vital part. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) says, `Marriage is my way.' The Holy Qur'an describes the relationship between husband and wife in a beautiful manner:

They are a sort of garment for you and you are a sort of garment for them.

A garment embellishes, protects, safeguards, gives dignity and honour. It's a beautiful relationship based on love and respect and characterised by grace:

Consort with them graciously... (Ch. 4, v. 20)

In order to allow women the opportunity to fulfill the challenging obligation of producing these moral individuals who will become members of the Islamic society, the responsibility for providing for the family has been placed on men. They are appointed as protectors of the members of their household.

Men are appointed guardians over women... (Ch. 4, v. 35) Wives have rights corresponding to those which husbands have, in equitable reciprocity, though, in certain situations, men would have the final word and thus enjoy a preference. Allah is Mighty, Wise. (Ch. 2, v. 229)
When you married, God appointed you trustees of those rights (of your wives). You brought your wives to your home under the law of God. You must not, therefore, abuse the trust which God has placed in your hands. (Hadith)

Just as in any system, different individuals are assigned different roles for the optimum functioning of the system, similarly, in the family unit, man is the head of the household. This does not imply superiority or inferiority in any way, just difference in roles because the functions men and women each play in the family unit are different. For example, in the school where I work we have the principal. The staff shares in decision making through committee work but the suggestions always receive the final approval or disapproval from the principal. No one would ever think of disobeying the principal because he has final accountability, therefore he must have the freedom to make the ultimate decisions. In the family unit, the men bears the ultimate responsibility for providing that pious and safe haven of love and comfort called the Islamic home within which paradise is formed under the feet of mothers during the course of the sacred task of the moral upbringing of the children. In return, men receive obedience and support from their spouse. God instructs parents to pray for the success of this sacred duty, because seeking God's help through prayer is a necessary precursor to every endeavour of a Muslim:

Lord, grant us of our spouses and our offspring the delight of our eyes and make us a model (family) for the righteous. (25:75)

Therefore, in order for a society to be a pure society, both men and women should think, dress, and behave in ways that allow pure thoughts and actions to dominate the way of life and create a social climate conducive to the achievement of the real goal of life, the achievement of communion with our God, our Creator. Physical attraction between men and women is good and pure only within the context of the sacred institution of marriage. In the Holy Qur'an, God tells us:

Of His Signs is that He has created for you of your own kind that you may find peace of mind through them, and He has put love and tenderness between you. In that surely are Signs for a people who reflect. (30:22)

To fulfill the natural need for love and comfort, God established the family unit as a safe and healthy place for the experience and manifestation of these normal needs. God also tells us how men and women should behave with people other than their immediate family:

Say to the believing men that they restrain their looks and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Surely, Allah is Well-Aware of what you do. And say to the believing women that they restrain their looks and guard their private parts, and that they display not their beauty or their embellishment except that which is apparent thereof, and that they draw their head-coverings over their bosoms, and that they display not their beauty or their embellishment save to their husbands, or to their fathers, or their sons, or the son of their husbands, or their brothers, or the sons of their brothers, or the sons of their sisters, (all men that are not possible for a woman to marry) or women who are their companions (decent women), or those that their right hand possesses, or such of male attendants as have no desire of women, or young children who have not yet attained knowledge of the hidden parts of women. And that they strike not their feet so what they hide of their ornaments may become known. And turn ye to Allah all together, O believers, that you may prosper. (24: 31, 32)

God asks us to follow these injunctions for our own benefit. A pure society will result not only in salvation but in prosperity. What would you choose, a society where men and women respect one another and help one another achieve nearness to God, or would you prefer the present society? Let's face reality. Women have no respect in this society. Just turn on the radio, you will hear how men talk about going to the beach to look at women, free ladies' night at the clubs; we see surveys in major magazines where more than half of American men report being sexually aroused on the job daily by the way women dress themselves; teen pregnancies, rape, youth suicide, runaways, adultery, divorce on the rise, broken homes; another survey of Time Magazine reports that men between the ages of 25 to 40 have 6 to 9 sexual partners; picture the scenes on college campuses, especially where there are dorms, is this really the society in which you, your children, your future generations want to spend the short time we have on this earth to prepare for our eternal life? As a woman, I pity women in this society. From early childhood, they are taught that their main asset is their physical attraction (think of teen beauty pageants; there are now cheer-pom squads for girls even in elementary schools). They are made to believe that they must parade their physical beauty, spend hours working out in the gyms to shape their figures only to display them at the beaches, all this demeaning compromise so that eventually they will catch a husband. Once they do, they continue to display their attractiveness outside the home, only to be complimented by men other than their husband, or sexually harassed on the job, generally starting the slide into the path of adultery, divorce, broken homes, etc... Enough is Enough.
In Islam, a women need not compromise her dignity, her integrity, her high self-esteem at any time. She thinks, behaves, and dresses modestly. She is respected by all members of the society, particularly men. She displays her beauty for her own husband, not providing a free show for all to enjoy:

..and display not your beauty like the displaying of the former days of ignorance ... (33:34)

Here is the key word `ignorance'. If you walked in an area where prostitutes were parading, would you not feel pity for them and understand that they chose this way of life out of ignorance, because of low self-esteem learned from bad childhood experiences? The Holy Prophet of Islam (saw) tells us:

When you are contemplating a certain course of action, reflect first upon its consequences; if they are good persist, if they are bad desist.

Modest behaviour, of which clothing is only one part, is worth the effort. Why would we, as women, who are entrusted the great responsibility of teaching all of mankind the ways of our Lord, why would we ever want to cause indecent thoughts in the mind of our fellow men who are our brothers in the sight of God. In an Islamic society, men and women help each other achieve goodness, they are not devilishly tempting one another.

The believers, men and women, are friends one of another. They enjoin good and forbid evil and observe Prayer and pay the Zakat (tax for the poor), and obey Allah and His Messenger. It is these whom Allah will have mercy. Surely, Allah is Mighty, Wise. Allah has promised the believers, men and women, Gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide, and delightful dwelling places in Gardens of Eternity, and the pleasure of Allah, which is the greatest bounty of All. That is the supreme triumph. (9:71-72)

The symbolic description above refers to paradise which Islam tells us is a condition of nearness to God which can begin to be reached here on earth, the river flowing under the gardens of paradise refers to the never ending, continuously progressing nature of the quest for the pleasure of God, which is in fact, heaven. Modest behaviour includes not only how we dress, but how we think, how we address others:

...So be no soft in speech, lest he, in whose heart is a disease, should feel tempted; and speak decent words. (33:33)

God understands that all men do not feel tempted every time they look at a woman, however indecently she may be dressed. But we have no way of knowing the inner state of morality of others. Islam, as I mentioned earlier, takes a proactive and systematic approach to the establishment of morality in an upright society. Regulation of behaviour between men and women is only one of the preventive dictates of Islam. Others include no intoxicants at all so that human beings are always acting with a clear head and able to make responsible choices. Remember the goal is to produce individuals who eventually achieve communion with God. Of course, production of such individuals in large numbers, who would be the rule rather than the exception, can only be achieved in an upright society where spiritual thriving is the norm.
Earlier, I referred to the fact that principals in schools, bosses in organisations, always dress the part. This clothing does not make them the bosses. It is symbolic of their role in that organisation. In the Qur'an, God explains the essence of Islamic purdah or covering which embodies the attitude of both men and women and is reflected in dress, behaviour and is in turn positively affected by dress and behaviour. When, as a teacher, I see the sad consequences of immoral behaviour perpetuated by behaviours of parents learned by children, I realise that it is a vicious circle. I like to think of the Islamic system as the `pious circle'.

O children of Adam, we have indeed sent down to you raiment to cover your nakedness and to be a means of adornment, but the raiment of righteousness - that is the best. That is the commandment of Allah, that they may remember. (7:27)

The eventual goal is the righteousness of the hearts. Look around you and see morality declining and a system that is not working. Islam offers a system that works. Women play a vital part in this complex and refined system. You know that the more frequent the opportunities for social interchange between men and women, friendships, dating, parties, and so forth, the more likely chances are that the natural attraction which God has placed between them will result in relationships that are bound to endanger morality in a society. Islam restricts this free and unrestrained intermixing of the sexes. Believe me, it is a lot more of a restraint on men than it is on women. And women are protected from all kinds of molestation. Molested individuals lose their sense of self-esteem and unless they undergo lengthy therapy they are usually unable to form stable relationships. In this society, I view women as suffering from Psychological Molestation Syndrome (PMS) because of the way they are treated as sex objects by the media, at school, on the job, and unfortunately, sometimes in their own homes. The resulting self-esteem of women is low as evidenced by the fact that they allow themselves to be continually exploited in this fashion. Therefore, unless we change the entire system and allow women to gain the self-esteem and respect God provided for them through Islam, stability of relationships between wives and husbands, between mothers and children will continue to be endangered.
When I taught High School students, I would become so saddened by the plight of those teenagers. They felt pressured by society to date. A few girls and a few boys in a class of twenty five would get all the requests. The rest would always feel unhappy, living in constant fear of not being asked out, and often I saw that girls who were finally asked would be ready to give up everything for fear of losing the opportunity. But when relationships of a more serious nature developed, most of the time, they would end up in tremendous heartbreaks, then a process of healing followed in which the teenager hardened and lost this wonderful softness which would have been so critical in forming an enduring relationship in a marriage. After a few of these relationships and ensuing heart breaks, there was nothing left of these poor souls. What would these broken hearted, mended, patched human beings have to contribute to the great task of motherhood. How would you expect individuals who had been exposed to so much to be contained in a relationship with a single partner?
Don't you see that it is the very system that you have created which contributes to the progressive degeneration of your social system? Don't you see that the divorce rate, unwanted pregnancies, lack of commitment to the institution of marriage, all these ills are increasing day by day. Women are so exposed and available that men are losing their attraction for them, and homosexuality, children molestation are becoming more and more common. Unlimited and unrestricted pleasures bring no happiness, indeed they result in unhappiness and instability throughout the entire society. It's like drug usage, the more you take, the more and stronger drug you need to get the temporary but potentially deadly thrill.
As I mentioned earlier, you cannot affect change by targeting individuals or different aspects of a system. You must create change by changing rules that govern the entire system. The rules must be proactive and preventive in nature. The dictates must be positive and include a large number of behaviours that progressively lead to the targeted change. The change proposed by God in the Holy Qur'an will produce a healthy society where goodness becomes a source of pleasure and happiness. Islam promotes strong emotional attachments in relationship between wife and husband, parents and children, siblings, extended families which provide comfort and support and result in happiness, peace of mind and heart, harmony, trust, and stability. In such a society, the natural human need to be loved and to love is fulfilled in so many chaste ways that the individual is satisfied.
A few years ago, I felt so lucky to be a woman in Islam that I became overwhelmed by my Beloved God's goodness toward me. I have, by the grace of God, pious and wonderful children, a wonderful husband, a wonderful son-in-law who is also a convert, and I can see Islam at work creating heaven daily in front of my own eyes. I cannot wait until the time that more and more Americans adopt Islam. Americans are so kindhearted, welcoming, sympathetic, generous human beings, they will, God willing, make the best of Muslims.

Survival of the Jesus on the cross

The Greatest Miracle of Jesus

Jesus prophecied that his fate would be like that of prophet Jonah.
Jesus said:

"A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matthew 12:39,40)

Survival — Not Revival

The sign of Jonah is related in the Bible:

The Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights. From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said: In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry. (Jonah 1:17, 2:1,2)

The sign given to the Ninevites by Jonah was he was saved from certain death. He stayed for a period of time in danger, but ultimately recovered. He went alive into the belly of the fish, stayed alive for days, and came out alive.
The same fate was prophecied for Jesus. He would enter the tomb alive, stay alive for days, and come out alive. If Jesus had died, there would be little resemblance to Jonah.
The story of Jonah is one of survival — not revival.

Prayer in the Garden

When it appeared that there was no way to avoid the devious plans of the Jews to have him crucified, Jesus prayed fervently 'to remove the cup' of death upon the cross (Mark 14:36).
Jesus had full confidence that his prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane would be accepted as he himself told his disciples:

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer" (Matthew 21:22).

"Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks. You parents- if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Of if they ask for fish, do you give them a snake?" (Matthew 7:7-9)

God Accepted His Prayer

The prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane was the most important and grand prayer offered by Jesus and portrayed quite vividly in the Gospels. It is inconceivable that the prayer did not reach the Divine Throne, especially as Jesus taught his disciples the power of prayer.
Indeed we need not guess. The Gospels furnish evidence that his prayer was accepted.
The Gospel of Luke states an angel came from Heaven "strengthening him" (Luke 22:43). This indicates God had heard his heart-felt prayer.
After his supplication in the garden, when Jesus was apprehended, one of his followers drew a sword, struck a servant of a high priest and cut off his ear. Jesus sternly rebuked him and said:

"Those who use the sword will be killed by the sword. Don't you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?"(Matthew 26:52-53).

This shows Jesus was now in perfect contentment that his prayer was accepted and all could be left now in the hands of God, with no need for active self-defence.
Finally, when death looked imminent and he was in agony on the cross he cried "Eli Eli lama sabachthani"* (Matthew 27:45-46) because he did not expect that it would come to this. He fully believed the prayer would be accepted.

* Translation: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!

Convinced of His Innocence

It is notable in the New Testament testimony that Pontius Pilate believed Jesus to be innocent and did not want him executed. One of the influences was a dream Pilate's wife convincing her of Jesus' innocence, and the message she passed on to Pilate was "leave that innocent man alone" (Matthew 27:19).
Pilate eventually acquiesced to the demand of the Jews that Jesus be crucified, as a riot was developing. However he then asked for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd and exclaimed "I am innocent of the blood of this man. The responsibility is yours!" (Matthew 27:24) .

The Plan to Save Jesus

An analysis of the Gospels clearly reveals Pilate had an interest in saving Jesus' life to the best of this ability while trying to maintain official execution procedure as mandated by Roman law. Three key points may be noted:

• He set the crucifixion day just before the Sabbath, as Jewish law specifically prohibits bodies to hang on the cross by the start of Sabbath. Death would be unlikely to ensue within 6 hours (see "Short Duration")
• When the time came to remove Jesus and the two others on the cross, the Jews asked Pilate to break the legs of Jesus (John 19:31). However the centurions acting on Pilate's command did not break the legs of Jesus (John 19:33). It was because he had taken these precautionary measures that Pilate was surprised when he was told that Jesus was "already dead" (Mark 15:44).
• Roman protocol was that body would lie on the crucifixion grounds and be subjected to the elements and animals. However Pilate allowed something quite interesting to take place by deviating from standard practice. He allowed Jesus to be given to Jesus' friends not his enemies.

Saved from a Fatal Blow

After Jesus supposedly 'died' on the cross a Roman soldier made a decision not to break the legs of Jesus while on the cross. The episode fulfilled a prophecy and was not without meaning.
The Gospel of John (19:36) tells us that the Scripture was fulfilled (based on Psalms 34:20) - a bone of his shall not be broken. The Roman soldier did not bother to break the legs of Jesus to hasten death since he thought he was already dead. Breaking the legs would have been devastating due to the severe trauma of blood loss and consequential hypovolemic shock by breaking one of the larger bones in the body, the tibia, in each leg.
The Scriptural attention to not breaking the legs can only be meaningful if the body was alive - it is a meaningless issue for a corpse. A fuller reading of Psalm 34, verses 19 and 20 underscores it:
"The righteous face many troubles but the Lord rescues them from each and every one. For the Lord protects them from harm - not one of their bones will be broken."

Corpses Do Not Bleed

An important piece of information is mentioned in the Gospel of John which supports the view that Jesus did not die on the cross:
"One of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water" (John 19:34).
Blood pouring out is a sign of intact circulation, with the spear injuring an arteriole. Note the words 'sudden flow' which implies blood pressure. The 'water' was perhaps pleural fluid, present between the rib cage and lungs.
As blood does not rush out of corpses, the quoted verse did present a problem to at least one Church Father, Origen. In his exegesis of John 19:34, he admitted that blood coagulates after death, but the flow of blood in this case constituted a miracle and thus needed no explanation. (Contra Celsus, by Origen, translated by H. Chadwick, Cambridge U).
The spear thrust into the side of Jesus was not meant as a kind of definitive blow, but as a rough (and actually inaccurate) indicator if death had occurred. If the intent were to kill, the soldier would have stabbed into the front of the chest to injure the heart. However, in the event the person was not on the cross for sufficient length of time, death was usually caused by breaking the legs, as was done with the individuals hanging along side Jesus.

Breaking with Protocol

The Gospel testimony it should be pointed out is inconsistent on the point of the centurion wanting to ensure the death of Jesus. On the one hand, the centurion saw that Jesus was 'already dead' so he did not bother to break his legs (see "Legs not Broken") as against the demand of the Jews to hasten death by breaking his bones on account of the Sabbath (John 19:31) which was the standard protocol. On the other hand the centurion pierced Jesus' side. Was this done to cause death if he was uncertain about it? If so, why were the bones not broken also which was the standard, brutal method? How can we not assume there were some elements of sympathy from at least some of the Romans, starting from Pilate on top (see "Pilate's Plot") and going down the chain of command?
It is alleged the Romans executioners were cold, brutal and blood thirsty experts in the art of putting people to death. Not only do we have some inconsistency in actions documented on the part of the centurion, we also have what appears to a be a very sympathetic Roman officer and even a closet follower of Jesus, as marked by his words when he was looking on at the cross when Jesus supposedly died: "Truly this man was the Son of God" (Mark 15:39).

Death by Crucifixion Takes Days

When the news of the supposed death of Jesus reached Pilate, he was surprised to learn that Jesus had passed away so soon (Mark 15:44). His testimony is extremely important and revealing. Here was the man who probably had the most knowledge in his time of the nature of the punishment of crucifixion and likely officiated over many such crucifixions.
Though many details of the crucifixion have been lost with the end of the Roman Empire, there are ample records to show this particular punishment took at least two to three days to kill a person. For example, good testimony comes from historian Flavius Josephus in the first century A.D who described survivors of crucifixions. The writer Plutarch (c 75 A.D) mentions some individuals surviving some ten days on the cross.
The New Bible Dictionary also concluded based on the historical facts of crucifixion that "death by this method was usually quite protracted, rarely supervening before thirty-six hours, and on occasion taking as long as nine days" (1962 ed, Intervarsity Press, Page 282).

Aloe and Myrrh

After the crucifixion, the body of Jesus came into the hands of his disciples Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus
The Gospel of John records that Nicodemus brought myrrh and aloes 'about a seventy-five pounds in weight' (John 19:39). These plants, particularly aloe plants, are considered medicinal and applied to wounds. It was used extensively in many ancient cultures is used even today to soothe open wounds. The Roman physician Pedanius Dioscrorides (c 75 B.C) recommended aloe for wounds and skin conditions. Alexander the Great's mentor, Aristotle, persuaded him to capture the island of Socotra to harvest the aloe plants for treating wounded soldiers.
Interestingly, the medieval near eastern classic textbook of medicine entitled Canon of Medicine by Avicenna mentioned an ointment termed Marhami Isa (Ointment of Jesus).

Wounded, but Alive

After the crucifixion, Jesus came under the care of his devoted followers who brought him into a spacious tomb.
If a man survived the death punishment, we would expect such a person to show clear evidence of the wounds. We would expect him to keep a low profile and move away from the place of crucifixion, as there may be the chance of re-arrest. Fear would be exhibited by his followers out of concern for their master.
The Gospel testimony leads precisely to that conclusion.
Jesus shows his wounds to Thomas (John 20:25-7), showing he did not have a supernatural, resurrected body, but a patient's body.
He hurriedly travelled away from the locality of the crucifixion and chose to meet only his closest followers:
"Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there" (Matthew 28:10).
The followers of Jesus were frightened to the extent that they decided not to tell anyone about his emergence from the tomb (Mark 16:8).
Not once did Jesus appear before his persecutors or wandered through the center of Jerusalem asking people now to accept him as the resurrected Messiah who had atoned for their sins.
All we have is a man in his earthly body of flesh and bones (Luke 24:39) who suffered pangs of hunger (Luke 24:41) and staying out of the lime-light. In convincing his disciples that he had the same wounded body, he in effect was showing he never died as God saved him from the ordeal just as Jonah emerged alive from the fish (see "Sign of Jonah").

Tomb of jesus

The Kashmir Tomb

The burial place of Jesus in Kashmir is known to the locals as Rauzabal, meaning the Honored Tomb.
It is known as the tomb of Yuz Asaf, which may be of Buddhist derivation (see link) or possibly from Yusu or Yehoshua (Jesus) the Gatherer.
Local tradition states that the entombed was a prophet of Ahle-Kitab, or People of the Book, and his name was Isa - the Quranic name for Jesus.
The prophet Yuz Asaf came to Kashmir from the West (Holy Land) in the reign of Raja Gopdatta (c 1st century A.D) according to the ancient official documents held by the current custodian of the tomb.
Some of the most extensive research on the tomb has been conducted by the now retired famous historian and former Head of Archaelogy for State of Kashmir, Professor Fida Hassnain.
The tomb is Jewish, as attested by the direction the grave is lying. Next to the grave is a footprint engraved in stone, an artistic rendition of the wounds of crucifixion.

jesus found the lost tribes

Beyond the Euphrates

Traditional Jewish history and Biblical texts divided this Semitic people into twelve tribes. In the time of Jesus, only two of the tribes were in the region Jesus preached, whereas the whereabouts of the remaining ten has always been a bit of a mystery.
The second century historian Josephus wrote in his book Antiquities of the Jews that the ten tribes were 'beyond Euphrates' in his time, east of present day Iraq and in the Persian empire of the time which extended into India.
It is also notable that early Church history documents the existence of a Gospel in the Hebrew language found in India, which also confirms Israelites in India. St Jerome (c 400 A.D) wrote that the scholar Pantaenus in the second century came across the document in his travels. St Jerome further wrote that the Israelites in his time continue to live in the Persian empire.
The mission of Jesus was to reach out to the Lost Tribes (or 'Sheep') of Israel, as stated in Matthew 15:24. It was thus imperative for him to migrate to the east.
The mass of evidence showing that the peoples of Afghanistan, north-west India (particularly Kashmir) and neighboring areas are of Israelite ancestry continues to grow. Their physical features, language, folklore, customs and festivals attest to their Israelite heritage. Evidence also come from the names they give to their villages, their monuments and ancient historical works.
Some pilot genetic studies on peoples in India who to this day call themselves 'Bene Israel' or 'Children of Israel' confirm their middle eastern origin.

The Testimony Hindu and Buddhist Texts

First century A.D Northern India was a vast center of not only Hinduism, but also Buddhism. The Israelite peoples whom Jesus ministered to in these areas were in a minority practicing Judaism, but it is likely many adopted the indigenous faiths of Hinduism and Buddhism also.
It is possible to trace Jesus's footprints in these lands from some of these texts.
The ancient books of Hindus are called Puranas. One book, Bhavishya Maha Purana (written in Sanskrit) contains an account of a king of India, Salivahana meeting "Isa-Masiha" (Jesus the Messiah)- a religious personage of fair complexion who was a foreigner.
Buddhist texts contain a prophecy of future Buddha, a bodhisattva, named 'Bagwa Metteyya' a Pali phrase which literally means "fair-complexioned", or "white traveller". The etymological resemblance of the word "Metteyya" to "Messiah" is established and one meaning of the word "Messiah" is traveler.
As the sun of Christianity did rise in India with Jesus' personal advent in the area, many teachings of Jesus became interwoven with Gautama Buddha's teachings. Even certain parables as recorded in the New Testament became attributed to Buddha, such as parable of the sower which is found in Buddhist texts.
It has been proposed that the word Yuz Asaf, the name of the person entombed in Kashmir, is derived from Buddha Asaf, as Jesus would have been included in the Buddhist pantheon of saints. The term would thus mean a Buddha who rallied people, or gathered the flock of the true faith.

Purpose Fulfilled

Jesus found acceptance in the lands of the Lost Tribes, and completed his mission by travelling eastward to these ancient Israelite communities.
One objection is, if Jesus spent most of his life in India, why is that part of his life so unknown and forgotten?
One has to keep in mind the phenomenon of what happens to a religion's presence when another religion takes over. For instance modern day Afghanistan was a vast center of Buddhism and had some of the largest statues of Buddha in the world carved in stone. That faith has now vanished there. Another example are the pagan religions of Europe prior to Christianity arriving there.
The Israelite peoples of Afghanistan and Kashmir accepted Islam. Jesus had foretold the coming of messenger after him, the Paraclete of the gospels, fulfilled in the person of Holy Prophet Muhammad.
With time, the old faith of Christianity was forgotten over generations so that now there are mainly 'orthodox Muslims' in these same areas holding beliefs as other 'orthodox Muslims'.
However, remnants of the followers of Jesus Christ still exists in the vicinity of Herat, Afghanistan. The British scholar O.M Burke in his book 'Among the Dervishes' has described these peoples. Though they are now Muslims, they did not forget their Christian legacy. They have a special attachment to Jesus and refer to him as 'Yuz Asaf the Kashmiri' who came to preach to them.

True Christianity and how it leads to Islam

Aminullah Khan, Ahmadiyya Muslim Missionary, Bradford, Yorks

• Introduction
• Oneness of God
• "He Does Not Beget"
• "Nor Is He Begotten"
• Miracles
• Jesus for "The House of Israel"
• Atonement
• Ascension
• Jesus Did Not Die on the Cross
• The Second Advent of Jesus
• Hazrat Ahmad, The Promised Messiah
• A Miracle of Hazrat Ahmad
• Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

Muslims devoutly believe in Jesus, Moses and all other true prophets. Catholics, Protestants, and Muslims all claim to believe in Jesus. Why, then, are there such differences among his believers? The fact is that his teachings have been misinterpreted and misrepresented. Jesus himself did what a sincere Muslim would have done. He submitted to the will of God. He, further, prophesied the corning of Prophet Muhammad.
This short booklet offers Biblical teachings which disavow some beliefs which are wrongly attributed to Jesus Christ. It tells that there is no contradiction between Islam and true Christianity. True Christianity, in fact, leads to Islam.
The whole purpose of this booklet is to promote better understanding, closer relationship, peace, and harmony between Muslims and Christians.

Jesus said:
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment ... I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
"Howbeit when he, the spirit of truth is come, he will guide you unto all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
"He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you". (John 16:7-15)

This prophecy applies to the Holy Prophet Muhammad, to whom was revealed the Holy Quran, which is a perfect book, and thus the Prophet Muhammad guided the people unto all truth. The Holy Quran declares that its mission is to guide to the truth. (The Holy Quran 46:31). The prophecy cannot refer to the "Holy Ghost", said to be the partner of the "Trinity".
The Holy Ghost already existed, and according to the Bible, had come in the form of a dove (John 1:32). It was the Holy Prophet Muhammad, coming after the departure of Jesus, who brought the pure heavenly word. who glorified Jesus, and in whose holy person were fulfilled other signs of the prophecy. Moses also addressed Israelites and prophesied about the coming of a prophet "from among their brethren", that is from among the Ishmaelites.

God said to Moses:
"I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him". (Deuteronomy 18:18)

It was the Prophet Muhammad who was raised from among the Ishmaelites. He was like unto Moses in the fact that he brought a new law as Moses did. It was the Prophet Muhammad, who told the people whatever was revealed to him.

Jesus had said:
"I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself: but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will show you things to come". (John 16:12-13)

The Holy Quran, the scripture revealed to the Prophet Muhammad and presented by him to the whole world, says:

"Today we have perfected your religion for you and completed our favours upon you". (The Holy Quran 5:4)

These words clearly point out the comprehensiveness of the teaching of the Holy Quran as required by the prophecy.

ONENESS OF GOD

Jesus was a staunch believer in the oneness of God. He came to re-enforce the old commandments. He said:

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of heaven". (Matthew 5:17-19)

God conlmanded the Israelites, according to the Old Testament:

"I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt have none other gods before me ... Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath or in the waters beneath the earth". (Deuteronomy 5:6-8)

Over and over again, the Old Testament has very explicitly and emphatically enjoined belief in one God:

"the Lord our God is one Lord". (Deuteronomy 6:4)

If Trinity, which is so much stressed by Christianity today, had its basis on facts, it would have been explicitly stated in the Old Testament. On the contrary, the teachings of Moses urge us to believe in one God. Jesus earnestly championed for this unity of God, as the New Testament quotes:

"And Jesus answered him. The first of all the commandments is, Hear O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first commandment". (Mark 12:29-30)
Moreover, Jesus said:
"And behold, one came and said unto him, 'Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?' And he said unto him. 'Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God, but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments'". (Matthew 19:16-17)

Thus, Jesus strongly believed in the absolute oneness of God, and enjoined others to believe in it.

"HE DOES NOT BEGET"

In the Bible, it is obvious that the words, "children of your Father", have been used metaphorically.

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
"That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust". (Matthew 5:44-45)

Jesus was not a physical son of God. The Bible refers to Jesus as the son of David:

"The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham". (Matthew 1:1)

At another place, Jesus presented himself as the son of man:

"And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head". (Matthew 8:20)

In the present day Bible, not only Jesus but also Jacob has been called the son of God. Jacob, moreover, has been referred to as "first born" son.

"And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my first born:" (Exodus 4:22)

Jesus was not a partner in the Godhead, as was not Jacob. Both of them were beloved prophets of God.

"NOR IS HE BEGOTTEN"

That Jesus was born without a father does not make him a son of God in any physical sense. Adam had neither father nor mother. The King of Salem, according to the Bible, was born without father and without mother.

"To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually". (Hebrew 7:2-3)

MIRACLES

Prophets produce miracles so that bewildered and wayward man may be led from his chaotic state to a state of firm faith in God. The showing of miracles was not peculiar to Jesus. Other prophets also demonstrated the miraculous power of God. According to the Bible, not only Jesus, but other prophets also made the dead to live again. Elisha was one of such prophets:

"And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.
"Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him, and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes". (II Kings 4:32, 35)

It is just a figure of speech when the dead are said to be raised to life by holy divines. Here, life means the spiritual life. The life instilled by the faith in One God:

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent". (John 17:3)

The following use of the word "dead" beautifully brings out its metaphorical character:

"But Jesus said unto him, Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead". (Matthew 8:22)

The word "sick" has likewise been used metaphorically in the Bible.

"And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?"
"When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, they that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance". (Mark 2:16-17)

Besides Jesus, others also have been reported to heal the sick. Elijah cured Naaman of his leprosy.

"Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean". (II Kings 5:14)

Other prophets also performed the kind of miracles Jesus displayed. According to the Bible, Jesus walked on the sea. The Bible also makes mention of Elijah's having divided the waters:

"And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they too went over on dry ground". (II Kings 2:8)

Jesus instructed his disciples to raise the dead:

"Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils; freely ye have received, freely give". (Matthew 10:8)

Jesus also said:

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive". (Matthew 21:21-22)

At another place Jesus very clearly said:

"If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you". (Matthew 17:20)

Jesus even assured his believers that they could do greater deeds than those he did:

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth in me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it'. (John 14:12-14)

From the foregoing Biblical verses it follows that the physically dead have never been brought to life by anyone. If it were possible to do so, a believer in Jesus would be able to give life to the dead buried in the grave. However, Jesus did perform great miracles by bringing spiritually dead persons to life. The lives of the prophets provide us with numerous brilliant examples of such miracles.

JESUS FOR "THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL"

The mission of Jesus was confined to the Israelites alone. It is unfair to think that his teachings are for all mankind or that they are practicable in this age. Jesus expressly stated:

"I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel". (Matthew 15:24)

It may be said that he asked his disciples to teach all nations:

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost". (Matthew 28:19)

The repeated injunctions of Jesus, however, manifestly oppose this view. In the light of such unequivocal teachings of Jesus as in Matthew 15:24, one may safely assert that the words "teach all nations" are either mistranslated or misinterpreted. They might perhaps mean that the disciples of Jesus should go to all the tribes of Israelites. The word "nation" may readily be taken as an equivalent of "tribe" in view of the testimony which the Bible itself provides.
For exalllple, the following verses show that the mission of the disciples of Jesus was restricted to the tribes of Israelites:

"Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel". (Matthew 19:28)

Jesus emphatically said, while clarifying his mission to the Israelites:

"It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs". (Matthew 15:26)

At another place Jesus instructed his disciples to avoid the Gentiles:

"These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, 'Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel' ". (Matthew 10:5-6)

The apostles by their actions, showed that the message of Jesus was meant for and confined to the Jews only.

"Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen, travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only". (Acts 11:19)

The apostles were disturbed and annoyed when they learned that Peter, on one occasion, had preached to non-Israelites. "And when Peter was come to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, saying, Thou wentest into men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them". (Acts 11:2-3)

Thus, the express injunctions of Jesus make it obvious that he was concerned only with Israelites.

ATONEMENT

The present day Christian doctrine of atonement, which is, that Jesus gave his life on the cross for the sins of others, and that one may achieve paradise by believing in this idea of atonement, is based on the supposed sin of Adam. In fact, Eve was held to be more responsible than Adam according to the Bible since she persuaded Adam to eat the forbidden "fruit".
The Bible says:

"And the man said, 'the wonlan whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat' ". (Genesis 3:12)

To present Jesus as sinless because he did not have a father, makes it more questionable, as Jesus was born just of woman and it was woman, according to the Bible, who gave the forbidden fruit to Adam. And, again, what does the Bible say of a person born of a woman?

"What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous". (Job 15:4)

Again it says:

"How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?" (Job 25:4)

The belief in atonement rests on the supposition that every human being is sinful. The Bible refutes this idea. Several persons have been mentioned to be righteous, such as Zacharias and his wife, Elizabeth.

"There was in the days of Herod, the king of Juda, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaran, and her name was Elizabeth.
"And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless". (Luke 1:5-6)

Since Jesus' mission was with the Israelites, as he himself declared (Matthew 15:22-24), the question of atoning for the sins of all mankind does not arise. Furthermore, if death on the cross would have been pleasing to God, if it would have been the instrument of human salvation, he would not have so earnestly prayed for his relief the night before the crucifixion.
The Bible says:

"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli Eli, lama sabachthani?' That is to say, 'My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?'" (Matthew 27:46)

The fact is that Jesus did not die on the cross and was spared this humiliation. Thus, there is no basis for the doctrine of atonement.
The Old Testament narrates different ways and mean which can bring forgiveness of sin. This shows that the idea of forgiveness and salvation only through believing in the death of Jesus on the cross, is not supported by the Bible. It says:

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land". (II Chronicles 7:14)

The Bible points out that there are different kinds of sins. Some of them will not be forgiven at all. This also contradicts the belief of atonement.
The Bible says:

"Wherefore, I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men", (Matthew 12:31)

It has been emphasized over and over again in the Bible that everyone shall bear his own burden.

"But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden". (Galatians 6:4-5)

"Every man shall die for his own sin", says the Biblical law which Jesus did not come to change:

"But he slew not their children, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, where the Lord conmmanded, saying, 'the fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin'". (II Chronicles 25:4)

In Ezekiel, this way of judgment has been presented in these words:
"The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son.
"The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

....But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keeps all my statutes, and does that which is lawful and rightful, he shall surely live, and will not die". (Ezekiel 18:20-21)

The Bible most plainly and firmly has laid down the condition that one must forgive others in order to be forgiven by God. In whatever dogma, theory, or doctrine one may believe, one must act; one must forgive others in order to be forgiven by the "heavenly Father".
'The Bible says:

"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
"But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses". (Matthew 6:14-15)

Any doctrine which contradicts the above teaching does not present the views of Jesus. These Biblical teachings refute the present doctrine of Atonement, and show that it does not present the true viewpoint of Jesus.

ASCENSION

The Bible does not approve the idea that Jesus ascended to heaven. There is a strong possibility that some words were changed when the gospels were written very many years after Jesus. There is also the possibility that after the incident of crucifixion the disciples might have used some phraseology having dual meaning, so that people would not know that Jesus was living, and would not try again to kill him. It is possible that later followers might not have understood this phraseology and were led to misrepresent the fact.
Jesus had prophesied that he would go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and guide them.

"But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel". (Matthew 15:24)

According to the gospel of St John, Jesus tells of his objective and determination.

"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold. Them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd". (John 10:16)

It is a historical fact that these "lost Sheep" had gone to Kashmir which is in the continent of Asia. If Jesus had ascended to heaven, he could not have gone to the lost Israelites and would have failed in his heavenly task. But he did not ascend to heaven. He went to Kashmir and conveyed his prophetic message to the Israelites in that area.
Jesus admittedly was born of a wowan. holy Mary, and the Bible says:

"And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven". (John 3:13)

This shows that Jesus could not have ascended to heaven, as he was born on earth and did not descend from heaven. This matter of rising to heaven is not reported about Jesus only. Enoch and Elijah are also said to have had a similar experience. Concerning Enoch, the Bible says:

"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God". (Hebrews 11:5)

We read about Elijah:

"And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven". (II Kings 2:11)

The existence of such statements concerning other holy persons also show that there is no reason why Jesus should be distinguished from other prophets in this respect. But, the fact remains that no one ascends to heaven physically:

"And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven", ... (John 3:13)

JESUS DID NOT DIE ON THE CROSS

Jesus did not die on the cross, and he was saved from the humiliation of death on the cross. The Bible says:

"he that is hanged is accursed of God". (Deuteronomy 21:23)

Almighty God did work to save his beloved prophet from an accursed death on the cross. Jesus fervently prayed that the cup of death on the cross be removed. He said:

"O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me". (Matthew 26:39

The Bible further informs us that these supplications were heard and accepted:

"Who in the days of flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he suffered". (Hebrews 5:7)

Jesus had predicted to give the sign of Jonas:

"But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in a whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth". (Matthew 12:39-40)

For the sign to be similar to that of Jonas, Jesus must have been alive in the sepulchre after the incident of crucifixion.
Jesus was alive when he was being taken off from the cross. A soldier pierced his side with a spear and blood and water came out which normally indicates life. The Bible says:

"But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side and forthwith came there blood and water". (John 19:34)

Jesus met his disciples after crucifixion and assured them of his life.

"And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them then came Jesus, the doors being shut and stood in the midst, and said, 'Peace be unto you'. Then saith he to Thomas. "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand and thrust into my side and be not faithless, but believing". (John 20:26, 27)

Jesus was sent to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24) as he himself declared. It is historically proven that these lost Israelites had migrated to different eastern countries. Jesus in fulfillment of his heavenly mission, went to the lost Israelites and conveyed his prophetic message. In Kashmir, he died a natural honourable death. His tomb, even today can be visited in Srinagar, Kashmir.

THE SECOND ADVENT OF JESUS

Whenever there is a prophecy of the second advent of a prophet, it means that another prophet will be raised in the spirit and power of the prophet sent earlier. Jesus himself explained this point in the case of Elijah:

"And his disciples asked him, saying, "Why then say the scribes that Elias must first corne?' 'But I say unto you, Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall the son of man suffer of them'.
"Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist". (Matthew 17:10-13

Thus Jesus declared that the prophecy of the second advent of Elijah was fulfilled in the person of John the Baptist. In the same way the prophecy of the second advent of Jesus should be understood to imply that a holy person would be raised in the spirit and power of Jesus.

HAZRAT AHMAD, The Promised Messiah

In this age of moral and spiritual deterioration, world tension and conflicts - God, out of His infinite grace and mercy, raised a holy person, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, India, in the attributive position of Jesus. His objective: to heal the morally sick, to enliven the spiritually dead, and to create a living relationship between man and his Maker. The world had been waiting anxiously for the Promised Prophet, the Promised Messiah or the Promised Mahdi. He claimed that it was he whose coming and appearance was predicted by the prophets of great religions. He proved his claim through numerous signs. At the age of forty he received the revelations, pure words from the Living God, and in 1891 A.D. he claimed to be the Promised Messiah.
Hazrat Ahmad, who lived from 1835 to 1908, showed thousands of miracles which are quite beyond the power of any human being. The beauty of his character, the acceptance of his prayers and magnificence of his signs were unique.
The Bible presents a criterion of a prophet:

"But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die". (Deuteronomy 18:20

The words, "that prophet shall die", can mean that a false claimant of revelation will not die a natural death, or that his movement will not flourish, since all true prophets are known to have passed away, including Moses, who mentioned this standard of judgment.
Hazrat Ahmad continued to convey his divine revelations (Tazkirah) for about thirty years, died a natural death and his movement has been progressing throughout the world.
Jesus presented this merit as a proof of the truth.

"Which of you convinceth me of sin?" (John 8:46)

The Promised Messiah, Hazrat Ahmad, also emphasized that it is inconceivable that an acknowledged truthful and holy person, who may have spent a considerable part of his life-time among his people, could turn out to be an i111poster and a liar. Very confidentiy, he said:

"You cannot accuse me of fabricating a lie, or falsehood or deceit in my life preceding my claims, lest you may think that one who is used to lying may have done the same now. Which of you can find any fault with anything in my life? It is God's grace that from the very first, He guarded me against evil and made me lead a pious life". (Tazkiratush-Shahadatain p. 62

This indeed was a claim of great courage. No one could raise his finger to point out any evil and no one could accept his challenge.
The acceptance of prayers has been recognized as another important criterion by the Bible:

"We know that God heareth not sinners, but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth His Will, him He heareth". (John 9:31)

The Promised Messiah. Hazrat Ahmad, wrote in one of his books:

"Let us select some sick people and allot them between us and try to heal them by prayer. Then you will see that God will accept my prayers and will heal my patients, but my opponents shall fail".(Arbdeen No.3, p. 17)

And he tells of his accepted prayers thus:

"I have been given the blessing of abundant acceptance of prayers. There is none who can rival this. I can swear that about thirty thousand of my prayers have been heard and I can provide proof of it". (Zarurat-ul Imam p. 22)

Thousands of people experienced the acceptance of, and received benefit from, his prayers. Undoubtedly this also was a great heavenly proof in his favour.
Miracles have been earmarked by the Bible as denoting heavenly approval. Peter once said in his sermon:

"Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs which God did by him". (Acts 2:22)

Thousands of miracles concerning the health, the life, or the death of certain persons were performed by the Promised Messiah. He challenged with the offers of rewards to anyone who would reply to his arguments, and openly challenged his opponents to compete with him in prayers. Out of his thousands of miracles one which the United States has witnessed, is briefly mentioned here.

A MIRACLE OF HAZRAT AHMAD

During the life of the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Ahmad, a person named Dr. Alexander Dowie founded Zion City, near Chicago. He established a great church and claimed to be the Elijah. He said he had come to destroy Islam before the second advent of Jesus. The Promised Messiah, on the other hand, claimed that the purpose of his advent was to remove doubts concerning Islam and to spread its message. In short, both of them claimed to be God-appointed, while pursuing contradictory objectives. It is obvious that one must have been an imposter. The Promised Messiah challenged Dr. Dowie in 1902 and repeated this challenge in 1903:

"I am about seventy years of age, while Dr. Dowie (as he himself states) is about fifty-five and thus, as compared with me, is still a young man. But since the matter is not to be settled by age, I do not care about this great disparity in years. The whole matter rests in the hands of Him, Who is the Lord of heaven and earth and Judge over all judges. He will decide in favour of the true claimant.
"Though he may try as hard as he can to flee from the death which awaits him, yet his flight from such a contest will be nothing less than death to him; calamity will certainly overtake his Zion, for he must bear the consequences either of the acceptance of the challenge or its refusal". (The New Commericial Adviser of New York)

This challenge was published in several English and American papers Dr. Dowie did not reply. The American papers questioned his silence. In Decenlber, 1903, he responded in his own paper, thus:

"There is Muhammadan Messiah in India who has repeatedly written to me that Jesus Christ lies buried in Kashmir, and people ask me why I do not answer him. Do you imagne that I shall reply to such gnats and flies? If I were to put down my feet on them I would crush out their lives. I give them a chance to fly away and live".

But, as predicted by the Promised Messiah the hour of decision was destined. Whether he accepted the challenge or not, death hovered over the imposter. Dr. Dowie, who used to live like a prince suffered the pangs of a deserted and miserable life. His followers forsook him. His wife and son condemned him for having a hypocritical dual character for he publicly denounced and forbade wine, while in privacy he imbibed of it habitually. He was attacked by paralysis, and his feet, which he had said tauntingly, could crush the Promised Messiah, were themselves staggered and disabled.
The American papers commented on this great event. The "Dunville Gazette" pointed out its accuracy:

"Ahmad and his adherents may be pardoned for taking some credit for the accuracy with which the prophecy was fulfilled a few months ago". (The Dunville Gazette, June 7, 1907)

The "Truth Seeker" of New York remarked at the grandeur of the fulfillment:

"The Qadian man predicted that if Dowie accepted the challenge, 'he shall leave the world before my eyes with great sorrow and torment'. If Dowie declined, the Mirza said, 'the end would only be deferred; death awaited him just the same, and calamity will soon overtake Zion.
This was the Grand Prophecy: Zion should fall and Dowie die before Ahmad. It appeared to be a risky step for the Promised Messiah to defy the restored Elijah to an endurance test, for the challenger was by 15 years the older man of the two, and odds, in a land of plagues and religious fanatics were against him, as a survivor. But he won out". (The "Truth Seeker" June 15, 1907)

The "Boston Herald", wrote about the victory of Hazrat Ahmad:

"Dowie died with his friends fallen away from him and his fortune dwindled. He suffered from paralysis and insanity. He died a miserable death, with Zion City torn and frayed by internal dissensions. Mirza comes forward frankly and states that he had won his challenge". (The "Boston Herald", June 23, 1907)

This wonderful work of the Living God, on one hand, provides a strong proof of His existence and power, and on the other, it establishes the truthfulness of Hazrat Ahmad.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, we reiterate that it is Islam which exposes the true teachings of Jesus Christ. Islam is an embodiment of the complete, final and universal form of the message which Jesus had prophesied. The Holy Quran, the holy scripture of Islam, is the intact and pure word of God, in which we can trust with full confidence. By enjoining belief in all prophets, Islam invites the world to a common platform of unity, love, brotherhood and peace. Islam stands for the true honour of Jesus. Through lslam alone will be recognized the true exalted position of Jesus, about whom the Promised Messiah Hazrat Ahmad said:

"That I do not hold in esteem the Messiah, son of Mary, only a mischief monger and imposter would say that". (Kishti-i-Nooh p. 16)

And

"We regard the righteous Messiah holy, exhalted and pure, who neither claimed to be God nor His son and who foretold the coming of Muhammad the chosen (peace and blessings of God be on him) and believed in him". (Faiz-i-Maseeh p. 13)