“If you love the Artist, then you must love His art. And if you love the Creator, then you must love His creation.” (Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih IV^rah)

“At this critical moment in history, I believe with all my heart that there is only one way to bring an end to the great challenges of our time. There is only one path that can lead us to salvation and deliver us from this world of war and conflict and that is the path of God Almighty. Peace does not lie in power or wealth, rather peace lies in the cradle of God Almighty. Thus, it is the need of the hour that mankind comes to recognise its Creator. God Almighty desires that mankind, Who He created as the best of creation, should live peacefully and fulfil the rights of one another.”

(Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V^aba)

Laiq Ahmed Atif – English translation of article published in It-Torċa on 22 May 2022

When we analyze the current state of the world, we find uncertainty, turmoil, disorder, hopelessness, lack of peace, lack of direction, and an endless race for unidentified purpose and objective. We as humans do not know or are not sure or fully convinced of the objective of human creation or of the purpose of our journey, which has become so fast that we do not even have a few moments to sit down and think and analyse the entire situation, to thinking about the purpose of our existence.

I think we need to examine our conscience and ask ourselves why and where we are heading? Are we really convinced of what we are doing? Are these efforts becoming productive and fruitful?

A critical moment in history

We are at a critical juncture in history where the outbreak of a world war is becoming more and more likely. From the South China Sea, to North Korea, from Iran to the Middle East, from Russia to Ukraine, and to the doorstep of Europe – there are so many conflicts and these small incidents can lead to a further escalation and to a world war. Mass immigration has caused unrest in Western societies, which has been deteriorating since the start of the war in Ukraine. The number of mass immigration is increasing every day and is increasing at a very high speed and at an unprecedented rate.

At the international level, we find new methodology where groups of countries are fighting each other because of the economy and trade. On the other hand, inflation, particularly prices of food and basic necessities are also increasing on a daily basis, which are also leading to another crisis of hunger and poverty.

The rise of nuclear weapons

On the other hand, yet more worryingly, another issue that I personally find very alarming is the rise of nuclear weapons. The fact that many countries have nuclear weapons means that a world war will surely have unimaginable consequences.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to find even a corner of the world that can be considered safe and free from disagreements and conflicts; which is immune to any disruption and turmoil.

Therefore, it is crucial that we chalk out a clear, holistic and feasible plan for the long lasting peace and by providing a detailed geopolitical analysis of the world crisis; and working hand in hand to find solutions to the current state of affairs of our world.

Whose fault is it?

In this hustle and bustle, we also find voices of people who blame religion for this predicament, and for this lack of peace, serenity and tranquillity. From time to time we hear voices that if there were no religions, the world would have been a much better and more peaceful place. Is that the case?

Absolutely not; and it is far from the reality. Religion cannot be blamed for such lack of peace and security; religion in general and Islam in particular are not the cause of such disturbance. There are likely to be a number of economic, geopolitical, social, and selfish political issues that are contributing to this disruption of peace and order in the world.

The road to lasting peace

In this prevailing context, His Holiness, Mirza Masroor Ahmad^aba, the World Leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, very genuinely highlights an important path of how to establish eternal peace in the world, and says that:

“At this critical moment in history, I believe with all my heart that there is only one way to bring an end to the great challenges of our time. There is only one path that can lead us to salvation and deliver us from this world of war and conflict and that is the path of God Almighty.

Peace does not lie in power or wealth, rather peace lies in the cradle of God Almighty.

Thus, it is the need of the hour that mankind comes to recognise its Creator. God Almighty desires that mankind, Who He created as the best of creation, should live peacefully and fulfil the rights of one another.”

If you love the Artist

I firmly believe that it is not possible to truly love God without loving and fulfilling the rights of His creation. The love of God is interlinked to the love of mankind, and in the same way, the love of mankind is linked to the love of the Merciful God.

I have always loved and cherished these words of Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih IV^rah, that present a luminous and brilliant principle for making our world a better, prosperous and peaceful world; this valuable golden principle is such a profound, wise and rational, that it alone can lead to the eternal path of peace and prosperity; and that is: “If you love the Artist, then you must love His art. And if you love the Creator, then you must love His creation”

It is my ardent hope and fervent prayer that we all understand our obligations and responsibilities that we need towards the Best Artist – our Creator, our Lord, our Merciful and Gracious God – and towards mankind, so our world becomes a haven of eternal peace and prosperity. Ameen