“O my Lord! Increase me in Knowledge & Education.” (Holy Quran, 20:115) Cradle to the Grave: “Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.” “Seek knowledge even if you have to go to China.” “It is the duty of every Muslim man and every Muslim woman to acquire knowledge.” (Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be on him)
MOGĦDIJA WAĦDA GĦAS-SALVAZZJONIF’dan il-waqt kritiku fl-istorja, jiena nemmen b’qalbi kollha li hemm biss ħaġa waħda li tista’ ġġib fi tmiem l-isfidi kbar ta’ żmienna.
Hemm mogħdija waħda li tista’ twassalna għas-salvazzjoni u teħlisna minn din id-dinja ta’ gwerra u konflitti u dik hi l-mogħdija ta’ Alla Omnipotenti.
Il-paċi ma tinstabx fis-setgħa jew l-għana, iżda pjuttost il-paċi tinsab fil-benniena ta’ Alla Omnipotenti.
NAGĦRFU LILL-ĦALLIEQ
Għaldaqstant, huwa l-ħtieġa tal-mument li l-umanità għandha tagħraf lill-Ħallieq tagħha. Alla Omnipotenti jixtieq li l-umanità, li Hu ħalaq bħala l-aqwa kreazzjoni tiegħu, għandha tgħix fil-paċi u tissodisfa d-drittijiet ta’ wieħed lill-ieħor.
Għalhekk, il-Koran Imqaddes, li huwa l-Ktieb Qaddis tal-Iżlam u s-sors ewlieni tal-liġi Iżlamika, kien, skont it-twemmin tagħna, rivelat minn Alla Omnipotenti lill-Qaddis Profeta Muħammad (is-sliem u l-barkiet t’Alla fuqu) u aħna nikkunsidrawh bħala l-liġi reliġjuża finali li se tibqa’ sa Jum il-Ġudizzju. U fil-Koran, Alla Omnipotenti jiddikjara li meta l-firda u d-diżordni jkunu tferrxu fl-irkejjen kollha tad-dinja, il-kawża ewlenija tkun id-distanza dejjem tikber bejn l-umanità u l-Ħallieq tagħha.
Fi żminijiet bħal dawn, meta d-dinja tkun resqet lejn xifer diżastruż, bis-saħħa tal-grazzja u l-ħniena infiniti Tiegħu, Alla Omnipotenti jibgħat lir-rappreżentanti magħżula Tiegħu biex iqarreb lill-umanità mill-ġdid lejn ir-reliġjon.
(“The eternal skies of peace”, l–indirizz tal–Qdusija Tiegħu, Mirża Masroor Aħmadaba, il-Kap Dinji tal-Komunità Ahmadiyya Musulmana)
Musawar Ahmad
Children’s returning to school not only relieves some of the stress on parents, but they also have access to wholesome meals and extracurricular activities like athletics, art and school-outings with a variety of study subjects.
The role of parents and teachers is equally important in the training and education of children. Children’s first teachers are their parents. They give them the love and support they need to grow and develop in a healthy way while also imparting important academic and life skills. The teachers provide them necessary education, professional training, knowledge and understanding.
Back to school
The days but particularly the night before the start of school is always very crucial. Therefore, the parents should celebrate that time together with their children by arranging bags, books and uniform. Following are a few tips for all three stakeholders in the paradigm of learning and understanding.
Tips for the Students
Make a daily routine chart and follow it.
Set up a to-do list. Prepare a list of daily, monthly and yearly objectives. This list of things should contain things like schoolwork, homework, healthy activities such as sports and exercise, exam preparation, and artistic endeavours, etc.
Establish a relaxing, distraction-free study environment. Find a place in your house that is peaceful and tidy where you may sit and do your schoolwork and daily study.
Don’t waste your time. Time management is a crucial life skill that affects our overall achievements; therefore, manage your time well.
Tips for the Parents
An excellent strategy to get kids in the right frame of mind for the forthcoming school year is to encourage them to establish objectives and take responsibility.
It’s highly important to connect with your child’s curriculum and be aware of what they will study and be skilled in, and assist them accordingly.
One of the things that might make the first few days of school challenging is the holiday routine of going to bed late at night and waking up late in the morning. So, change that routine and start adopting the school routine a few days before the start of school.
Even while school days might not be as fun as holidays, that doesn’t mean they have to be depressing or dull. Look for methods to make things enjoyable for your children by having breakfast, reading a book or watching any programme or football match together, or children’s favourite extracurricular activities.
Tips for the Teachers
Getting to know your pupils is very important, so spare some good time during the first week of school to get to know your students well.
If you obtain class rosters in advance, greet students by writing them a quick letter, poster or message expressing your excitement to having them in your class before they walk through your door.
Getting parents on your side at the start of the school year is ideal. Even though there might not be many issues with discipline during the first week of school, you can still contact parents regularly through email to establish a good contact with them.
Make sure students are aware of the rules and expectations for your classroom and start adhering to those standards from day one when you are in the middle of icebreakers and administrative work.
Begin slowly and then gradually increase the load of work so the students can adapt to new routine smoothly.
To conclude, the students, parents and teachers are all the very important stakeholders of providing quality education and training to the future of the nation – meaning children – therefore, everyone should shoulder their responsibility and should try to give their hundred percent, and work hand in hand to make the academic year a wonderful and memorable experience. Read this article in MALTESE
L-Iżlam huwa reliġjon naturali li dejjem tiffoka fuq it-taħriġ spiritwali u morali tal-bniedem. Iżlam litteralment tfisser paċi, sottomissjoni; u li tkun f’relazzjoni ta’ ħbiberija u armonija. Is-sinifikat tal-isem Iżlam hu l-ksib ta’ ħajja ta’ paċi perfetta u hena billi tkun sottomess kompletament għar-Rieda ta’ Alla. It-tagħlim kollu tal-Iżlam jaqbel perfettament man-natura umana.
Biex jintlaħaq l-għan ta’ purifikazzjoni spiritwali tar-ruħ u l-ġisem tal-bniedem, l-Iżlam jiffoka fuq it-talb u jordna Ħames Talbiet obbligatorji kuljum. Xi ħaġa sabiħa fl-Iżlam hija li x-Xarija (il-Liġi) sħiħa ġiet deskritta fil-Koran Imqaddes innifsu kif ukoll ġiet murija bil-fatti mill-Qaddis Profeta Muħammadsa. Il-Ħames Talbiet ta’ kuljum ġew deskritti bħala barka għall-Musulmani fil-Koran Imqaddes:
U kieku Aħna ma saħħaħnikomx permezz tal-Koran, intom kontu tinklinaw lejhom bi ftit. (Il-Koran, 17:75)
Il-frekwenza tat-Talb hija magħmula b’tali mod li tgħajjex kontinwament lir-ruħ bl-istess manjiera li l-ikel jgħajjex kontinwament lill-ġisem. Barra minn hekk, din tgħin biex wieħed jiftakar il-ħin kollu f’Alla u fil-barkiet tal-għajnuna Tiegħu fl-attivitajiet kollha tal-ħajja ta’ kuljum tagħna.
Soċjetajiet differenti jħaddnu modi differenti ta’ kif jesprimu r-rispett u r-riverenza. Pereżempju, storikament, it-Torok kienu joqogħdu bilwieqfa bi jdejhom fuq xulxin fuq sidirhom u l-Iranjani kienu joqogħdu sempliċement bilwieqfa bi jdejhom imniżżlin ’l isfel; it-timjila tar-ras hija sinjal ta’ qima fost il-Ħindu kif ukoll f’xi kulturi oħra; fl-Indja u fl-Afrika li timtedd fl-art wiċċek ’l isfel huwa sinjal ta’ rispett kbir, filwaqt li fl-Ewropa n-nies jinżlu għarkopptejhom bħala sinjal ta’ sottomissjoni.
Il-qima Iżlamika tinkludi dawn kif ukoll pożizzjonijiet oħra fit-Talb tagħha, b’hekk tixhed ameljorament u raffinament tal-għamliet varji ta’ adorazzjoni li kienu jinsabu fir-reliġjonijiet ta’ qabel. (Aspetti tat-Talb Iżlamiku, pġ. 4 u 7)
AHMADIYYAT: Ir-Riformazzjoni SpiritwaliIl-Komunità Ahmadiyya Musulmana hija fergħa fl-Iżlam li twaqqfet għall-benefiċċju tar-riformazzjoni spiritwali tal-umanità, skont profezija tal-Fundatur tal-Iżlam, il-Qaddis Profeta Muħammad (is-sliem u l-barkiet t’Alla fuqu) rigward l-aħħar ġranet.
Huwa fenomenu naturali li japplika mhux biss għall-organizzazzjonijiet sekulari, iżda wkoll għall-komunitajiet reliġjużi li, mal-mogħdija taż-żmien, is-segwaċi ta’ moviment jew twemmin partikolari jibdew jiddevjaw mit-tagħlim oriġinali u jitbiegħdu mit-twemmin fundamentali tagħhom. Bħala riżultat ta’ dan, jasal żmien fil-ħajja ta’ dawn il-gruppi jew komunitajiet kollha meta jkollhom bżonn ta’ qawmien mill-ġdid. Altrimenti, eventwalment imutu jew inkella jinbidlu f’xi ħaġa li ma tkun tixbah xejn il-qagħda minn fejn telqu.
Aħna nemmnu li fejn jirrigwarda l-komunitajiet reliġjużi, biex it-tagħlim fundamentali jibqa’ ħaj, hija l-prattika ta’ Alla Omnipotenti li jibgħat ir-rappreżentanti magħżula Tiegħu biex jirriformaw u jiggwidaw lill-poplu lura għat-twemmin u l-użanzi oriġinali.
Fejn għandu x’jaqsam l-Iżlam, aħna nemmnu li l-Qaddis Profeta Muħammad (is-sliem u l-barkiet t’Alla fuqu) kien l-aħħar Profeta mibgħut minn Alla Omnipotenti li ġab il-Ktieb (it-tagħlim finali). U mbagħad, lejn l-aħħar tas-seklu dsatax, biex iqajjem u jsaħħaħ l-Iżlam li hu [il-Qaddis Profeta Muħammadsa] għallem u pprattika, Alla Omnipotenti bagħat riformatur fil-persuna tal-Fundatur tal-Komunità Ahmadiyya Musulmana.
Għaldaqstant, aħna nemmnu li l-fundatur tal-komunità tagħna huwa l-Messija Mwiegħed u Maħdi (l-Iggwidat) u l-għan suprem tiegħu huwa li jerġa’ jagħti l-ħajja lit-tagħlim ġenwin tal-Iżlam, u li jressaq lill-umanità aktar viċin lejn Alla Omnipotenti.
Upon the demise of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, the World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba) has said:
“The death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II is a truly great loss for the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. Ahmadi Muslims will remain forever grateful for the way Her Majesty served her people with immense dignity, grace and unwavering dedication throughout her long reign.
On behalf of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, I wish to express our most sincere condolences to His Majesty, King Charles III, the members of the Royal family and to the nation. May God Almighty grant them all the patience and strength to deal with this tremendous loss.”
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah & Mahdi (as) says:
There are three stages of knowledge: knowledge by inference, certainty by sight and true certainty. For example, to believe in the existence of a fire somewhere at the sight of smoke is knowledge by inference. However, to see the fire with one’s eyes is certainty by sight. After this, there is true certainty, which is akin to putting one’s hand into the fire and to know for certain that the fire exists by experiencing its heat and burning sensation. How unfortunate is the one who has attained neither one of these stages. According to the following verse, a person who is deprived of Allah’s grace is entangled in the practice of blindly following others. Allah the Exalted states: “And as for those who strive in Our path — We will surely guide them in Our ways.” 29:70
Meaning, a person who strives in our cause shall be shown the ways that lead to Us. Along with this promise, we have also been taught the prayer: “Guide us in the right path.” (1:6)
Therefore, man ought to keep this in mind and supplicate fervently in their formal Prayer, lest he departs from this world blind and bereft of insight. Allah Almighty states: “But whoso is blind in this world will be blind in the Hereafter.” (17:73)
Meaning, whoso is blind in this world shall be blind in the hereafter. This demonstrates that we must take our ability to see from this very world, so that we may be able to witness the hereafter. In order to experience the next life, our senses are to be developed in this very world. Can it be conceived that Allah the Exalted would make a promise and then break it?
A blind person is one who is bereft of spiritual insight and pleasure. A person who blindly follows the practices of their family just because they are born into a Muslim household is called a Muslim. Similarly, a person who is born to a Christian family becomes a Christian. This is the very reason that such people give no regard to God, the Messenger or the Quran. Even the love such people possess for religion is questionable. Some remain in the company of those who act insolently towards God and His Messenger. This is wholly due to the fact that such people do not possess a spiritual eye. They are empty of love for religion. Does a person who is full of love desire anything that is at odds with the liking of their beloved? Hence, Allah the Almighty teaches that He is prepared to bestow His bounties if a person is prepared to receive them. The offering of this supplication prepares one to receive divine guidance. (Malfuzat, vol. 1, p. 18-19) – Reading in Maltese
Alla l-Omnipotenti tana l-aħbar tajba li huwa jaċċetta t-talb u s-suppliki tagħna, li huwa mezz importanti ta’ kif tiġi stabbilita relazzjoni eqreb m’Alla. Madanakollu, Alla l-Omnipotenti ddikjara wkoll li jekk aħna nixtiequ li Huwa jilqa’ t-talb tagħna, mela aħna rridu nobduh u nsegwu l-kmandamenti Tiegħu. Alla Ħanin jgħid fil-Koran Imqaddes:
U meta l-qaddejja Tiegħi jsaqsuk Għalija, ja Profeta, għidilhom li Jiena ninsab qrib tagħhom. Jiena nisma’ t-talbiet tagħhom u nilqagħhom meta huma jitolbu Lili. Għalhekk għandhom jisimgħu Minni u jemmnu Fija, ħalli jkunu jistgħu jimxu fit-triq it-tajba. (2:187)
Il-Messija Mwiegħedas, il-Fundatur tal-Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, jgħid:
“It-talb huwa l-qofol tal-Iżlam u din hija xi ħaġa li l-Musulmani huma kburin biha. Imma ftakru, it-talb mhuwiex biss it-tlissin tal-kliem; pjuttost, huwa meta l-qalb timtela bil-biża’ ta’ Alla Omnipotenti u r-ruħ tas-supplikant tiġri bħall-ilma quddiem l-għatba divina. Hija tfittex il-maħfra għad-dgħufijiet u d-difetti tagħha mingħand Alla Setgħani u Omnipotenti. Dan huwa stat li, fi kliem ieħor, jista’ jissejjaħ mewt. Meta jasal dan l-istat, mela nkunu ċerti li l-bieb tal-aċċettazzjoni jkun infetaħ għas-supplikant u jingħataw abbiltà speċjali, grazzja u rieda ferma ħalli jibqgħu ’l bogħod mill-ħażen u jibqgħu sodi fil-virtujiet. Fuq kollox, dan il-mod huwa l-aqwa.”(i)
Għalhekk, dan hu l-aqwa mod tat-talb, jiġifieri, il-kisba tal-qrubija ta’ Alla Omnipotenti, u t-tbegħid mid-dnub. Din hija r-raġuni li Alla l-Ħanin tana talba sabiħa li rridu ngħiduha l-ħin kollu biex nibqgħu sodi fil-fidi tagħna lejn Alla u lejn it-tjubija.
“Lilek biss inqimu u lilek biss nitolbu għall-għajnuna. Mexxina fit-triq it-tajba, it-triq ta’ dawk li berikt bil-grazzja tiegħek, mhux ta’ dawk li ġabu l-għadab tiegħek, u lanqas tal-mitlufin.”
Xi wħud jgħidu li tant dinbu f’ħajjithom li Alla Omnipotenti żgur li qatt mhu se jaħfrilhom. Oħrajn isaqsu wkoll jekk persuna li dinbet ħafna għandhiex ċans li tinħafer. Imbagħad hemm oħrajn li minħabba li jaħsbu li qatt mhu se jingħataw il-maħfra jibqgħu jgħixu fid-dnub. Fir-realtà, ix-Xitan iqiegħed dan il-ħsieb f’moħħhom u juża dawn il-manuvri biex ibiegħed in-nies minn Alla. Dawn in-nies imbagħad ikunu kompletament fil-ħakma tax-Xitan.
Biex ifisser kif wieħed għandu jiskappa mill-qbid tax-Xitan, il-Messija Mwiegħedas jistqarr: “Il-ħsieb li wieħed ikun wettaq viżibilju dnubiet ma għandux iżomm lill-midneb milli jirrikorri għat-talb. It-talb huwa antidotu. Fl-aħħar mill-aħħar, wieħed jibda jintebaħ kif it-talb jgħin biex iwelled fih stmerrija lejn il-ħażen.”(ii)
It-talb kollu jintlaqa’? It-talb jista’ jiġi miċħud? Għaliex ċertu talb jintlaqa’ u ieħor le?
Biex ifisser dan il-punt, il-Messija Mwiegħedas jgħid: “Fejn Alla Omnipotenti jkun jixtieq titjib u riforma, it-tiċħid ta’ talba jista’ jkun ukoll forma ta’ aċċettazzjoni. Xi kultant, persuna ma jirnexxilhiex tikseb dak li tkun tixtieq hi mit-talb. Wieħed jissoponi li Alla Omnipotenti jkun irriġetta t-talb tiegħu, anki jekk fir-realtà Huwa jkun laqa’ t-talb tal-persuna u din l-aċċettazzjoni timmanifesta ruħha bħala diżapprovazzjoni. F’dan il-każ speċifiku, wara dak li jidher, fil-verità, il-vantaġġ u l-benefiċċju reali jinsabu fiċ-ċaħda proprja tat-talba tas-supplikant. Minħabba li l-bniedem ma jirriflettix biżżejjed u ma jiflix sew l-affarijiet ta’ madwaru, għax jara biss dak li jidher, ta’ min jirrikkmanda li meta jitlob lil Alla Gglorifikat u ma jirċevix riżultat li jidher ta’ benefiċċju għalih skont il-ħsieb li diġà kellu f’moħħu, m’għandux jeħodha kontra Alla u jikkonkludi li t-talb tiegħu ġie kompletament riġettat. Alla Omnipotenti jisma’ t-talb ta’ kull supplikant.
Itolbu Lili; jiena nisma’ t-talb tagħkom (40:61). Il-misteru u s-sigriet jinsabu fil-fatt li l-aqwa ġid u benefiċċju għas-supplikant joħorġu meta t-talb jiġi riġettat.”(iii)
Fi kliem ieħor, huwa aktar ta’ benefiċċju għas-supplikant meta t-talb tiegħu jiġi miċħud f’dak il-mument partikolari.
Filwaqt li kompla jelabora fuq dan il-punt, il-Messija Mwiegħedas jgħid:
“Dan huwa l-prinċipju tat-talb. Fl-aċċettazzjoni tat-talb, Alla Gglorifikat ma jinfluwenzax ruħu mill-ħsibijiet u x-xewqat tagħna.
Wieħed jista’ josserva kif omm iżżomm lil binha. Hija tixtieq li tipproteġih il-ħin kollu. Iżda, jekk it-tifel jibda jibki u jinsisti fuq l-idea assurda li jingħata sejf li jaqta’ ħafna jew biċċa faħam taqbad, dik l-omm, minkejja l-imħabba u l-kompassjoni ġenwina tagħha, qatt se tapprova li binha se jżomm biċċa faħam taqbad u b’riżultat ta’ dan jaħraq idu, jew li jaqta’ idu b’xafra taqta’ ta’ sejf? U żgur li le.
Il-prinċipju sottili tal-aċċettazzjoni tat-talb jista’ jinftiehem fid-dawl ta’ dan l-eżempju.”(iv)
(i) Malfużat, Vol. 7, p. 263, edizzjoni 1984 | (ii) Malfużat Vol. 1, p. 4, edizzjoni bl-Ingliż, 2018 | (iii,iv) Malfużat Vol. 1, p.102, edizzjoni bl-Ingliż, 2018
Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Malta wishes you a very happy, peaceful and blessed Eid-Ul-Azha 2022. May Almighty Allah bless you with a joyous, healthy, peaceful and blessed Eid; and may He accept our sacrifices and lead us to a pious, truthful and righteous life. Ameen
“This wealth [God] is worth acquiring, even at the cost of one’s life.”
The major and most worrying problem of the time we live in is the denial of the existence of God and the detachment from Him. The increasing fear, disorder and lack of peace and hope are clear signs that humanity has forgotten its Creator, the Lord of the entire universe. Therefore, it is evident and an undeniable fact that, the peace and prosperity of the world lies in the close relationship and communion with the Merciful and Loving God. However, the questions arise: How we can know that God exists? How to find God? How to create a close friendship with the Lord?
The creation of the universe and everything that is in it is a clear and undeniable sign of the Creator. It is simple reason and logic that even a pencil cannot come into being without the designer and creator, then how it is possible that such a vast, organised and perfect universe is without any designer and creator. We must not forget that the lack of knowledge of something does not necessarily negate its existence. Similarly, lack of knowledge of God does not negate in anyway His existence.
Secondly, there are many ways to find God, amongst those is to find God through His signs and through acceptance of our prayers. There is also His knowledge which a person obtains through Prophets and thereby saves himself from death and ruin. Also His attribute that He hears the supplications of the restless and fatigued ones.
Moreover, to establish a strong relationship with God it is necessary to have experienced His Beneficence and His Beauty. For instance, one would have found divine help at the time of helplessness and weakness, at the time of need, or at a time of great sorrow.
Therefore, when a person experiences Divine beneficence and blessings his faith is strengthened beyond measure and he is drawn towards God as iron is drawn towards a magnet. His love for God increases manifold and his trust in God becomes very strong. And when we experience the existence of God in our lives it leads to create a close relationship and friendship with God. As the human soul never leaves his body while a person is alive, in the same way, the certainty that enters into him from God, the Mighty and Glorious, never leaves him. And this continuously increases our communion with God and continuously strengthens our friendship with our Lord. Read this article in Maltese
Dar tal-Providenza, a home for disabled persons, held its 53 hours volleyball fundraising marathon from 1 to 3 July 2022. Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Malta actively participated in this event. In fact, for the last few years, the Jamaat in Malta is collaborating on an array of fundraising events.
For the volleyball marathon, seven members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Malta helped in the kitchen with the preparation of breakfast and lunch for all the volleyball players and volunteers. Members of the Jamaat also helped in responding to the telephone calls that were received for offering donations.
A prayer session was also held before the end of the fundraising event on 3 July. The prayer was led by Rev Martin Micallef, the Director of Dar tal-Providenza and Imam Laiq Ahmed Atif, president of the Ahmadiyya community, who recited two Quranic prayers with the Maltese translation and also prayed for all the volunteers and donors. The programme was aired live on Maltese television channels, therefore, people also joined in these prayers from their homes.
Laiq Ahmed Atif | Times of Malta | 21.06.2022 | Read-in-Turkish | amjmalta@gmail.com
We are living in a time of unprecedented troubles and tribulations, be they societal, economic, diplomatic or health-related such as the pandemic. Not a single day passes without another harrowing headline replacing the previous one, constantly revolving around the same issues pertaining to conflicts, health and humanitarian crises and law and order.
What is extremely worrying is that violence, marginalisation of different groups of people, violent revolutions, domestic problems, wars, poverty, crime and loss of human lives through wars and pandemics continue to increase.
Despite ground-breaking achievements and the technological advancements over the past few decades, the most sophisticated weaponry, the largest armies ever seen and billions spent on defence, the world is more fragile than ever before and, God forbid, could get worse.
In the pursuit of being better than their counterparts, leading countries around the world have made the world more unsafe and have exposed the global community to countless dangers and threats.
When a system is consistently failing, naturally a complete transformation or overhaul is required and changes become inevitable.
A rational doctor changes the prescription if the medicine he is administering does not have the desired effect on the patient. The same approach is required for the global community.
I think the critical and worrying moments that our world is currently passing through requires a complete overhaul of the entire system; it needs massive reformation. But where do we begin with such a restructuring? How do we go about redesigning the entire system? And what are the steps towards the reformation?
The Holy Prophet Muhammad gave a simple yet magnificent principle: “Like for others what you like for yourself.” This golden rule is the key to transforming our system and to establishing true and long-lasting peace in the world.
The reality is that it is extremely difficult to make a good friend but it is very easy to make an enemy. We, therefore, must strive to sow the seeds of friendships with others by genuinely caring for them and not just care for ourselves.
The narrative that devastating weapons are required for our own safety and for so-called ‘security reasons’, must be countered with a stronger, permeating and all-encompassing narrative of sincerity and friendship.
We must adopt a shift from guns to books, from bullets to pens, from tanks to libraries, from nuclear inventions to scientific innovations
The cornerstone of this alternative approach is the establishment of sincere and friendly relationships with neighbours because, if someone is safe with one’s neighbours and trusts them, then why would they buy a gun?
One radical change, which many may consider unfathomable, that is necessary to remove the danger of an atomic conflict is the demilitarisation of the entire world. Globally, trillions of dollars are spent annually on the budgets allocated for defence and weaponry, which actually makes the world a far more dangerous place instead of the intended purpose of making it safer.
If, instead, this money was spent on the welfare of mankind and resolving the issues that can lead to conflict, such as lack of education, food and water, and giving countries resources that belong to them, it would be a more effective and beneficial use of such money.
Alfred Nobel invented dynamite and gelignite, the most powerful explosives at that time, but the intended purpose was never to harm others.
He decided to leave his immense fortune to foster science, literature and peace leading to the establishment of the Nobel Prize; he wished that to be his legacy and not explosives; this should be a learning lesson for nuclear armed nations.
Use your wealth for the promotion of the betterment of humanity and not destruction of nations.
The race for weapons should instead be a healthy competition in the areas of health and education, which the world needs desperately.
The world urgently needs a shift from aggression and violence to dialogue and understanding; from ‘might makes right’ to ‘live and let live’; from exclusion to inclusion; from discrimination to acceptance; from inequality to equity; and from money-centred societies to love and justice-centred communities.
Furthermore, to say the least, a far more positive approach is needed. The focus should be on building bridges and healthy relationships instead of barriers and walls. We must extend an olive branch instead of challenging and threatening others; we should speak gentle and kind words instead of harsh and abusive language.
We must adopt a shift from guns to books, from bullets to pens, from tanks to libraries, from nuclear inventions to scientific innovations for the good of mankind that is beneficial for the entire humanity.
Let us, therefore, stand up and unite in forming and redesigning a new world, a world of love, care, respect, harmony and peace.
A world based on human values of compassion and human dignity; a world that is more vibrant and accepting and that believes in dialogue and education.
The brilliant saying applies so well in this age: “Swords can win territories but not hearts; forces can bend heads but not minds.”
Let us try to win the hearts because it is time to win hearts and not to bend heads; it’s a time of persuasion and not of power and force, It is a time of ‘Love For All and Hatred for None’.
Let us join hands and redesign our entire system for the betterment and prosperity of the entire human race, before it becomes too late.
L-Għan Nobbli tal-ĦajjaImam Laiq Ahmed Atif | amjmalta@gmail.com | Il-Leħen | 19/06/2022
Huwa fatt komuni ħafna li ħadd ma jista’ jiċħdu li kull ħaġa u kull ħlejqa għandhom skop u għan partikulari għall-eżistenza tagħhom. Pereżempju, l-invenzjoni u l-ħolqien tal-kompjuter, mowbajl, karozza eċċ. għandhom l-iskop tal-ħolqien tagħhom. Allura, meta kull ħaġa dinjija u materjalistika, anki jekk hija l-iżgħar ħaġa, għandha l-iskop tagħha, allura ma jistax ikun li m’hemmx l-iskop tal-ħolqien tal-bniedem. Allura l-mistoqsija hija, x’inhu l-għan tal-bnedmin – li huma l-aħjar tal-ħolqien – tal-aqwa Kreatur u Disinjatur?
It-tliet għanijiet tal-ħajja
Fil-qosor, skont it-tagħlim Iżlamiku, hemm tliet għanijiet prinċipali tal-mezzi u l-fakultajiet interni u esterni li ngħataw lill-bniedem li huma (i) l-fehim ta’ Alla, (ii) il-qima Tiegħu u (iii) l-imħabba Tiegħu.
Hawnhekk, irrid nagħmilha ċara li l-imħabba ta’ Alla tinkludi wkoll l-imħabba tal-umanità, għax ma jistax ikun li wieħed iħobb lil Alla u ma jħobbx il-kreazzjoni Tiegħu.
Żewġ imħabbiet
Dawn iż-żewġ imħabbiet jimxu b’mod parallel ma’ xulxin, u n-nuqqas ta’ xi waħda minn dawn l-imħabbiet hija kontra l-filosofija vera tal-għanijiet ewlenin tal-eżistenza umana. Allura, wieħed ma jistax jifred bejniethom.
Għalhekk, minkejja li l-bniedem ikollu l-lussu fil-ħajja, ikollu rikkezzi kbar, ikollu pożizzjoni għolja, ikun negozjant kbir, u anke jekk ikun jirrenja f’saltna enormi, u jkun magħruf bħala filosfu kbir, qatt ma jkun sodisfatt u fl-aħħar huwa jħalli dawn l-impenji kollha b’sogħba kbira. It-tluq tiegħu minn din id-dinja qatt ma jkun ta’ ferħ u ta’ sodisfazzjon. Qalbu l-ħin kollu ċċanfru fuq il-preokkupazzjoni assoluta tiegħu fuq il-ħwejjeġ tad-dinja u l-kuxjenza tiegħu qatt ma tapprova l-ħażen u l-qerq u l-attivitajiet illeċiti tiegħu.
Il-biża’ mill-mewt
Imma jekk il-bniedem veru dejjem jiffoka fuq l-għan tal-eżistenza tiegħu, kif ktibt hawn fuq, jiġifieri, il-fehim, il-qima u l-imħabba tal-Mulej u l-kreazzjoni Tiegħu, huwa dejjem iħossu ferħan u sodisfatt u qatt ma jibża’ biex jitlaq minn din id-dinja.
Dan ifakkarni fil-mewt tal-Qaddis Profeta Muħammad, is-sliem għalih, li hu qatt ma beża’ mill-mewt tiegħu. Meta wasal iż-żmien tal-mewt, u meta ruħu kellha titlaq, kien qed jgħid: “Lill- Ħabib tiegħi l-Ogħla tal-Għoli—lill-Ħabib tiegħi l-Ogħla tal-Għoli,” jiġifieri evidenti li kien miexi lejn Alla b’serenità sħiħa.
Il-ftuħ ta’ tieqa tal-qalb
Din is-serenità ma tiġix awtomatikament u għal xejn, imma tiġi meta l-bniedem jagħraf l-għan nobbli tal-ħajja tiegħu u dejjem jipprova biex jilħaq dan l-għan. Għalhekk, meta nħaffru fil-fond u nippruvaw niskopru l-iskop reali tal-ħajja umana f’din id-dinja, qalbna u ruħna jitkellmu b’mod ċar li, li l-ogħla lħiq tal-fakultajiet tal-bniedem huwa li jiltaqa’ ma’ Alla, il-Ħanin. B’hekk l-għan prinċipali ta’ ħajtu huwa li t-tieqa ta’ qalbu tinfetaħ għal Alla.
X’pjaċir hemm fil-ħajja jekk…
Nixtieq nikkonkludi b’xi siltiet mill-poeżja tal-Fundatur tal-Komunità Ahmadiyya Musulmana, fejn hu jispjega b’mod tajjeb ħafna għaliex huwa importanti li nħobbu lil Alla, u kif se tkun il-ħajja mingħajr Alla.
X’pjaċir hemm fil-ħajja jekk Hu ma jinstabx
Ħajja bħal din hi misħuta jekk tkun ’il bogħod Minnu
L-għan kollu huwa li tara Wiċċu mill-isbaħ
Din hija l-Ġenna – li jinstab il-Maħbub familjari.
Hu jipprovdi għal kulħadd, il-Grazzja Tiegħu hija manifesta,
Fih biss tinsab il-faraġ tagħna; Hu waħdu hu għażiż għalina.
Mingħajru ma nistgħux ngħixu, il-bqija kollox hu invalidu,
Imbierek dan il-jum, Qaddis hu Dak li jżommni fil-ħarsa tiegħu.
TAF? L-IŻLAM…
I would like to share a story of a king who had a lovely horse. One day, the horse fell sick and there was no chance for recovery, making the king extremely sad who repeatedly enquired about its health. He sent a very high-ranking minister of his to see the horse; he came back and informed the king that his horse had died. The king, who didn’t want to hear such news, flew into rage and severely punished the minister and lowered his rank.
He then sent another minister who was very wise and gentle. Upon returning, he informed the king that there are no signs of pain and the horse is in a state of complete peace and comfort. After a thorough examination of the horse, he said he didn’t hear any voice whatsoever from its chest. The king understood that the horse had died but remained calm and stable due to the selection of the minister’s wise and appropriate words which provided relief, consolation and solace to the king who consequently rewarded his minister for his gentle and wise approach.
This story highlights that words make a difference, and the huge impact words can have. Inappropriate and ill-selected words, even if true, impact a person negatively both physically and emotionally, and sometimes people on the receiving end suffer extremely and some even end up self-harming themselves.
Conversely, wisely chosen words describing the same situation, can resonate positively with others and boost their morale and wellbeing.
So, we must weigh our words properly and always select the right and most appropriate words whenever we speak or write something, because our words have a great impact, so we must think before we speak or write. Read this article in Maltese
In this day and age when the world has literally shrunk to a global village in a way that could not have been imagined previously, we must realise our responsibilities as human beings and should try to pay attention towards spreading peace, love and brotherhood amongst one another. In addition, it is also important to show respect for each other’s religious feelings and sentiments.
When someone hurts another’s feelings by uttering disrespectful words against their religion or against their holy personages, it leads to creating tensions and conflicts between people. Such uttering does not benefit humanity in any way. What can be the benefit of hurting such sensitivities that only increase hatred and dislike between people?
We must therefore understand that we cannot sow the seeds of peace without sowing the seeds of mutual respect between us. Together, let us build a mutual narrative to always show respect for each other, for each other’s religions as well as for the holy personages, God’s messengers and to the founders of all religions.
The Holy Qur’an states that God has sent His Messengers to every nation to show them the right path – the path that leads to Him. Furthermore, the Holy Qur’an declares the piety and truthfulness of every prophet. The Holy Qur’an says:
‘And for every people there is a Messenger. So when their Messenger comes, it is judged between them with equity, and they are not wronged.’ (10:48)
‘Verily, We have sent thee with the truth, as a bearer of glad tidings and as a Warner; and there is no people to whom a Warner has not been sent.’ (35:25)
In light of these verses from the Holy Qur’an, it is clear that Islam categorically states and emphasizes that throughout human history, in every time and in every part of the world, God has been taking care of the religious and spiritual needs of human beings by sending messengers to deliver the divine message to their respective people.
This sense of mutual respect and honour for all the messengers and founders of the world religions lays the foundation for universal brotherhood, harmony, tolerance and peace, something which is fast disappearing from the world.
As Muslims, we respect and honour all the prophets and messengers (peace be upon them all). We believe all of them to be the messengers sent by the Almighty God and we do not say anything disrespectful against any of them. However, we are deeply saddened when we hear baseless, untrue allegations against our beloved Prophet – Muhammad (sa).
The Almighty God sends His messengers to the people so that they can show them the ways that bring people closer to God and closer to humanity. When we read the teachings of the world’s major religions we find that the core objectives of every religion have always been to bring people closer to God and to establish human values.
No founder of any religion has taught his disciples to deny the rights of others or to act in a cruel manner towards other human beings. Islam teaches us to show unconditional respect towards all the prophets of God, makes it imperative on Muslims to believe in all the prophets who have been mentioned in the Holy Bible or the Holy Qur’an, and to make no distinction between the messengers of God. [1]
Therefore, in order to maintain peace in society, it is necessary for everyone to eliminate all sentiments of hostility from their heart and to increase their levels of tolerance. There is a need to stand in defence of the respect and reverence of each other’s Prophets.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, the holy Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has emphasised on this approach to attaining peace in the world, which is based on the true teachings of Islam. He says:
The Promised Messiah & Imam Mahdi, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian
‘This principle lays down the foundation of love, peace and harmony, and supports moral values, in that we consider all those prophets true who appeared in the world—whether in India, or Persia or China or any other country. God instilled their respect and grandeur in the hearts of millions and made firm the roots of their religion, which remained established for centuries. This is the principle that the Qur’an teaches us. In light of this principle, we honour all religious founders who fall under this description whether they are the founders of the religion of the Hindus, or the religion of the Persians, or the religion of the Chinese, or the religion of the Jews or the religion of the Christians. Unfortunately, our adversaries cannot treat us this way, and they do not bear in mind the pristine and unalterable law of God that He does not give that blessing and honour to a false prophet that
He bestows upon the true one. The religion of a false prophet does not take root and does not last long as does the religion of a truthful prophet.
Therefore, people subscribing to this kind of belief—who defame the prophets of other nations by declaring them false—are always enemies of peace and harmony, because there is no greater mischief than abusing the elders of other nations.’ [2]
If we analyse the current international situation, we realize that the world is going through times of uncertainty and great turmoil. This requires that we create an atmosphere of love and affection so that we can remove the tension and fear, deliver a message of love and peace to all those around us, learn to live in far greater harmony than ever before and therefore create a better life and become acquainted with the true values of humanity.
Indeed, respect is a core principle for building harmonious cohesive societies. Therefore, let us all build a new world, a caring and loving world, by sowing the seeds of peace and harmony through mutual love and respect.
It is my fervent prayer that all of us understand our responsibilities and together play our effective roles in spreading peace, love, brotherhood and respect among all people and in turn strengthen our relationship with our Creator. Ameen.
About the Author: Laiq Ahmed Atif is currently serving as an Imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Malta. He is a very regular writer in national and international newspapers and journals, in Urdu, Maltese and English.
ENDNOTES: [1] Holy Qur’an 2:286; 3:85 | [2] A Gift for the Queen, second edition reprinted in UK in 2018, pp.6-7
Ħbiberija mal-Insara: Il-Musulmani jistgħu jkunu ħbieb mal-Lhud u l-Insara?Il-Koran Imqaddes huwa kelma sagra ta’ Alla li ġiet rivelata lill-Qaddis Profeta Muħammad, is-sliem għalih. Il-Koran Imqaddes huwa ktieb sħiħ ta’ gwida u għerf profond. Madankollu, biex nifhmu sew dan it-tagħlim, il-gwida sħiħa u l-messaġġ veru, huwa importanti ħafna li nżommu quddiem għajnejna l-kuntest u t-tagħlim kollu, u ma neħdux xi versi barra mill-kuntest. Għalhekk meta nitkellmu dwar il-versi tal-Koran Imqaddes li jitkellmu dwar il-Lhud u l-Insara, jew dwar in-nies ta’ twemmin ieħor, huwa importanti li nżommu l-kuntest u versi oħra relatati mas-suġġett quddiemna. Inkella, it-tagħlim tiegħu se jinftiehem ħażin u jista’ jwassal għal xi kunċetti żbaljati. Sfortunatament hekk ġara fejn in-nies ma ħadux il-kuntest quddiem għajnejhom u fehmu ħażin it-tagħlim Koraniku. Wieħed minn dawn l-eżempji huwa l-vers li ġej.
Intom li temmnu, la teħdux il-Lhud u l-Insara bħala ħbieb. Huma ħbieb u alleati ta’ xulxin. U min fostkom jeħodhom bħala ħbieb huwa tassew isir wieħed minnhom. Alla tabilħaqq ma jurix it-triq it-tajba lin-nies il-ħżiena. (5:52)
Dan il-vers tal-Koran Imqaddes spiss jiġi kkwotat biex juri li l-Iżlam huwa reliġjon intolleranti u jikkmanda lis-segwaċi tiegħu biex ma jagħmlux ħbieb ma’ Lhud, Insara u nies ta’ twemmin ieħor.
Imma fir-realtà dan mhux il-każ. Il-vers 58 jiċċara r-raġunijiet biex jiġu skuraġġiti ħbiberiji mal-Lhud u l-Insara minħabba l-fatt li kienu fil-kunflitti mal-Musulmani u anke kienu jiċħdu lill-Musulmani talli jżommu mal-fidi tagħhom. Il-Koran Imqaddes jgħid:
Intom li temmnu, la teħdux lil dawk li jieħdu l-fidi tagħkom biċ-ċajt u l-logħob, minn fost il-Lhud u l-Insara, u dawk li ma jemmnux, bi ħbieb u alleati; u dejjem ibżgħu minn Alla, jekk tassew temmnu. (5:58)
Jiġifieri, meta l-Musulmani huma fil-gwerra jew għandhom kunflitti mal-Lhud, mal-Insara jew mas-segwaċi ta’ twemminiet oħra, għandhom dejjem jibqgħu man-nies tagħhom, u m’għandhomx jagħmlu ħbiberija ma’ dawk li qed jiġġieldu kontrihom.
Prekawzjonijiet bħal dawn dejjem jittieħdu għas-sigurtà u l-benesseri tan-nies kull meta jkun hemm xi gwerra jew kunflitt, u d-dinja moderna tal-lum mhijiex eċċezzjoni. Dan huwa dak li hu pprojbit.
Iżda li tittratta lil xi ħadd bil-qalb, b’kompassjoni u simpatija, mhux biss huwa permess iżda huwa imperattiv għall-Musulmani. Il-Koran Imqaddes ikompli jispjega din il-kwistjoni u jgħid:
Alla ma jżommkomx milli turu tjieba u ġustizzja lejn dawk li ma ġġildux kontrikom minħabba r-reliġjon u lanqas keċċewkom minn djarkom. Alla tabilħaqq iħobb lill-ġusti. Alla jżommkom biss milli tissieħbu ma’ dawk li ġġieldu kontrikom minħabba l-fidi, u huma keċċewkom minn djarkom, u għenu lill-għedewwa fit-tkeċċija tagħkom. Allura, min jissieħeb magħhom, dawk ikunu l-ħżiena. (60:9-10)
Din hija s-sbuħija tal-kelma ta’ Alla li tispjega kollox b’mod tal-għaġeb, tipprovdi raġunijiet u loġika ma’ kull kmandament. Il-Koran Imqaddes iżomm lura lill-Musulmani jekk huma fil-gwerra mal-Lhud, l-Insara jew kwalunkwe reliġjon oħra, u għal dak iż-żmien ta’ gwerra biss, mhux iktar. Barra minn hekk, huwa d-dmir tal-Musulmani li jsiru ħbieb u juru mogħdrija, simpatija u qalb tajba lejn il-bnedmin kollha ta’ rieda tajba u dawk li jżommu mal-paċi, mingħajr ebda eċċezzjoni jew diskriminazzjoni. Aqra Iktar f’ Id-Dawl
ID-DAWL 54
Jekk pajjiżi huwa dari…“Tabilħaqq, Alla jħobb lil dawk li jqimuh, u jħobb lil dawk li jżommu lilhom infushom indaf u safja.” Nemmen li kollox jibda bl-imħabba. Għalhekk, jekk inħobb u naħseb li pajjiżi huwa dari, allura għandi nieħu ħsiebu. Kif inżomm dari nadifa, huwa obbligu li anke nżomm lil pajjiżi nadif. Fuq kollox, pajjiżi huwa dari.
Laiq Ahmed Atif | amjmalta@gmail.com | It-Torca 29/05/2022
Meta nħobbu xi ħaġa nieħdu ħsiebha u nsiru aktar kawti għall-benesseri u l-prosperità tagħha. Huwa raġunament u loġika komuni li kull meta nħobbu lil xi ħadd jew xi ħaġa, dejjem nippruvaw nagħmlu l-almu tagħna biex qatt ma nagħmlulha ħsara u qatt ma naħsbu biex inkażbruha, numiljawha, nittraskurawha, nabbandunawha, jew nimminaw il-valur u l-importanza tagħha.
Verament nemmen li kollox jibda bl-imħabba. Għalhekk, jekk verament inħobbu lil pajjiżna huwa d-dmir u l-obbligu tagħna li nieħdu ħsiebu bl-aħjar mod possibbli. F’dak li għandu x’jaqsam mal-imħabba tal-pajjiż, il-Qaddis Profeta Muħammad, is-sliem għalih, tana prinċipju tad-deheb u għallem li, “l-imħabba u l-lealtà lejn pajjiżek hi parti mill-fidi.” L-Iżlam jemmen fil-paċi, fil-lealtà lejn il-pajjiż ta’ residenza, u s-servizz lejn l-umanità kollha.
Pajjiżi huwa dari
Għalhekk, irridu nistaqsu lilna nfusna mistoqsija: Verament inħobbu lil pajjiżna jew le? Allaħares, jekk it-tweġiba hija LE, allura m’hemmx tama, imma jekk it-tweġiba hija IVA, u jien ċert li t-tweġiba se tkun IVA, allura l-konklużjoni loġika hija li għandna nieħdu ħsieb tajjeb ħafna ta’ pajjiżna, bħalma nieħdu ħsieb djarna.
Sfortunatament, insibu bosta persuni li jarmu l-iskart li jkollhom illegalment f’toroq imwarrba fejn huwa diffiċli li xi ħadd jarahom, imma huma jinsew li jekk ħadd ma jarahom, hemm Alla fuqhom li dejjem jara dak li jagħmlu. Allura, ma nagħmlux dan minħabba xi raġuni jew minħabba l-biża’ tal-multi, imma għandna biex nikkonsidraw dan bħala dmir u obbligu tagħna. Nittrattaw lil pajjiżna bħala darna. Kif inżomm dari nadifa, huwa obbligu li anke nżomm lil pajjiżi nadif. Fuq kollox, pajjiżi huwa dari.
Ftit tal-jiem ilu kelli opportunità nattendi laqgħa ta’ konsultazzjoni fil-kunsill lokali tal-Imsida li għaliha attendew ukoll is-Sindku u rappreżentant tal-pulizija tal-komunità. Fost il-kwistjonijiet diskussi hemmhekk, il-ħmieġ fit-toroq kien l-aktar problema tal-lokalitajiet tagħna, u l-aktar li ġie diskuss.
Ħobb lil pajjiżek u żommu nadif
Naqraw ħafna reklami fil-gazzetti lokali dwar it-tindif tal-ambjent tagħna, anke qrajt il-Ħadd li għadda f’din il-gazzetta, bħal “flimkien għal Malta nadifa”; “kun kburi b’pajjiżek, tħammiġx”.
Jekk inħobbu lil pajjiżna, allura għaliex ma nieħdux ħsiebu? Għaliex għadna naraw ħafna ħmieġ fil-lokalitajiet u t-toroq tagħna? Għaliex ma nippruvawx nagħtu sehemna biex pajjiżna jsir aħjar u nadif?
Huwa minnu li jekk naħseb li pajjiżi huwa dari, allura dan jitlob minni li nżommu nadif. Għax ma jistax ikun li nħobb xi ħaġa iżda ma nagħtix kasha u ma niħux ħsiebha.
L-indafa tal-ġisem u tar-ruħ
L-indafa hija importanti, anzi l-indafa ta’ kull ħaġa hija pjuttost bżonjuża, inkluż l-indafa tal-ġisem u tar-ruħ. Il-Koran Imqaddes jgħid, “Tabilħaqq, Alla jħobb lil dawk li jqimuh, u jħobb lil dawk li jżommu lilhom infushom indaf u safja.” (2:223)
Jiġifieri, dawk li jżommu lilhom infushom, ġisimhom u rwieħhom indaf u safja, huma jsiru maħbubin ta’ Alla. Fi kliem ieħor, dawk li mhumiex safja u nodfa fiżikament, moralment u spiritwalment, Alla ma jħobbhomx. Kemm hija importanti l-indafa!
L-indafa hija parti mill-fidi
It-tfal Musulmani huma mgħallma li hija parti mid-dmirijiet reliġjużi tagħhom li jiffokaw fuq l-indafa personali. Il-Qaddis Profeta Muħammad, is-sliem għalih, enfasizza ħafna fuq l-indafa u qal li, “L-indafa hija parti mill-fidi.”
Huwa qal ukoll li, “Iċ-ċavetta għall-Ġenna huwa t-talb, u ċ-ċavetta għat-talb hija l-indafa.” Jiġifieri l-indafa u l-purità huma valuri sagrosanti.
Barra l-indafa tal-ġisem, il-Qaddis Profeta Muħammad, is-sliem għalih, enfasizza b’qawwa wkoll l-aspetti ambjentali tal-indafa bħall-indafa tat-toroq. Il-Qaddis Profeta Muħammad qal, “It-tneħħija tal-periklu mit-toroq hija karità (li tiġi premjata minn Alla)”, li tista’ wkoll tkun ta’ ostaklu kbir għal nies li huma nieqsa mid-dawl jew dawk b’diżabbiltà. Filwaqt li ħafna nies iqisu dawn l-azzjonijiet bħala ħwejjeġ morali, l-Iżlam iqishom bħala sisien indispensabbli tat-twemmin.
“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 IVrah)
“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 Vaba)
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 Ahmadaba, 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 IVrah, 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
IT-TRIQ ETERNA TAL-PAĊI U L-PROSPERITÀ“Jekk tħobb l-Artist, mela tħobb l-arti Tiegħu. U jekk tħobb lill-Ħallieq, mela tħobb il-kreazzjoni Tiegħu.” Hemm mogħdija waħda li tista’ twassalna għas-salvazzjoni u teħlisna minn din id-dinja ta’ gwerra u konflitti u dik hi l-mogħdija ta’ Alla Omnipotenti.
Laiq Ahmed Atif | amjmalta@gmail.com | It-Torċa 22.05.2022
Meta nanalizzaw l-istat attwali tad-dinja, insibu inċertezza, taqlib, kaos, nuqqas ta’ tama, nuqqas ta’ paċi, nuqqas ta’ direzzjoni, u tellieqa li ma tintemmx għal għan u skop li mhumiex identifikati. Aħna, il-bnedmin, ma nafux jew m’aħniex ċerti jew konvinti bis-sħiħ dwar l-għan tal-ħolqien tal-bnedmin jew dwar l-iskop tal-vjaġġ tagħna, li tant sar mgħaġġel li lanqas biss għandna ftit mumenti fejn noqogħdu bilqiegħda u naħsbu dwar l-iskop tal-eżistenza tagħna. Naħseb, irridu nagħmlu eżami tal-kuxjenza u nistaqsu lilna nfusna l-għaliex u ’l fejn sejrin. Aħna tassew konvinti dwar dak li qed nagħmlu? Dawn l-isforzi qed isiru produttivi?
Mument kritiku fl-istorja
Ninsabu f’mument kritiku fl-istorja fejn it-tifqigħa ta’ gwerra dinjija qed issir aktar u aktar probabbli. Mill-Baħar tan-Nofsinhar taċ-Ċina, għall-Korea ta’ Fuq, mill-Iran lejn il-Lvant Nofsani, mir-Russja sal-Ukrajna, jiġifieri lejn l-għatba tal-bibien Ewropej tagħna – inċidenti żgħar setgħu kkawżaw gwerra daqsiex. L-immigrazzjoni tal-massa ħolqot inkwiet li qed jifni lis-soċjetajiet tal-Punent, li qed tmur għall-agħar mindu bdiet il-gwerra fl-Ukrajna. In-numru tal-immigrazzjoni tal-massa qed jiżdied kuljum u qed jiżdied b’veloċità kbira u b’rata bla preċedent.
Fuq livell internazzjonali l-moda l-ġdida hija li jkollok gruppi ta’ pajjiżi li jiġġieldu bejniethom minħabba l-ekonomija u l-kummerċ. Min-naħa l-oħra, l-inflazzjoni u partikolarment il-prezzijiet tal-ikel u affarijiet ta’ bżonnijiet bażiċi qed jiżdiedu wkoll kważi kuljum, li jwasslu għal kriżi oħra ta’ ġuħ u faqar.
Iż-żieda tal-armi nukleari
Fuq naħa l-oħra, b’mod aktar inkwetanti, kwistjoni oħra li personalment inħoss li hija allarmanti ħafna hija ż-żieda tal-armi nukleari. Il-fatt li ħafna pajjiżi għandhom l-armi nukleari jfisser li gwerra dinjija żgur ikollha konsegwenzi inkonċepibbli.
Sfortunatament, huwa diffiċli biex issib imqar rokna fid-dinja li tista’ titqies bħala sigura u ħielsa min-nuqqas ta’ qbil u konflitti.
Għalhekk, huwa importantissimu li nfasslu pjan ċar għall-paċi dejjiema u billi nipprovdu analiżi dettaljata ġeopolitika tal-kriżi dinjija; u naħdmu id f’id u nsibu soluzzjonijiet kif nistgħu niksbu l-paċi fil-qagħda tal-affarijiet kurrenti fid-dinja.
Il-ħtija ta’ min?
Hemm min jitfa’ t-tort fuq ir-reliġjon għal dan l-inkwiet u għan-nuqqas ta’ paċi, serenità u trankwillità. Minn żmien għal żmien nisimgħu vuċijiet li kieku ma kienx hemm reliġjon, id-dinja kienet tkun post ħafna aħjar u paċifika. Dan huwa l-każ?
Assolutament le. Il-ħtija tan-nuqqas ta’ paċi u sigurtà fid-dinja ma tistax tintefa’ fuq xi reliġjon partikolari, la l-Iżlam u lanqas twemmin ieħor; x’aktarx li hemm għadd ta’ kwistjonijiet ekonomiċi, ġeopolitiċi, soċjali, u l-politika egoistika li kollha qed jikkontribwixxu biex ma tiġix stabbilita l-paċi dejjiema fid-dinja.
It-triq għall-paċi dejjiema
F’dan l-isfond, il-Qdusija Tiegħu, Mirża Masroor Aħmad, il-Mexxej Dinji tal-Komunità Ahmadiyya Musulmana, b’mod ġenwin ħafna juri t-triq importanti ta’ kif wieħed jista’ jikseb il-paċi fil-qagħda tal-affarijiet kurrenti fid-dinja, u jgħid li:
F’dan il-waqt kritiku fl-istorja, jiena nemmen b’qalbi kollha li hemm biss ħaġa waħda li tista’ ġġib fi tmiem l-isfidi kbar ta’ żmienna. Hemm mogħdija waħda li tista’ twassalna għas-salvazzjoni u teħlisna minn din id-dinja ta’ gwerra u konflitti u dik hi l-mogħdija ta’ Alla Omnipotenti.
Il-paċi ma tinstabx fis-setgħa jew l-għana, iżda pjuttost il-paċi tinsab fil-benniena ta’ Alla Omnipotenti.
Għaldaqstant, huwa l-ħtieġa tal-mument li l-umanità għandha tagħraf lill-Ħallieq tagħha. Alla Omnipotenti jixtieq li l-umanità, li Hu ħalaq bħala l-aqwa kreazzjoni tiegħu, għandha tgħix fil-paċi u tissodisfa d-drittijiet ta’ wieħed lill-ieħor.
Jekk tħobb lill-Artist
Nemmen u nemmen bis-sħiħ li mhux possibbli li wieħed verament iħobb lil Alla, mingħajr ma jħobb u jaqdi d-drittijiet tal-kreazzjoni Tiegħu. L-imħabba ta’ Alla hija marbuta mal-imħabba tal-umanità, u bl-istess mod, l-imħabba tal-umanità hija marbuta mal-imħabba ta’ Alla l-Ħanin.
Jien dejjem inħobb u ngħożż dan il-kliem li huwa prinċipju luminuż u brillanti ħafna biex id-dinja tagħna ssir dinja aħjar, prospera u paċifika, jiġifieri: “Jekk tħobb lill-Artist, allura trid tħobb ukoll l-arti Tiegħu. U jekk tħobb lill-Ħallieq, allura għandek tħobb il-ħolqien Tiegħu.”
Hija t-tama u t-talba ferventi tiegħi li aħna lkoll nifhmu l-obbligi tagħna lejn l-aqwa Artist – il-Ħallieq tagħna – u lejn il-proxxmu tagħna, ħalli d-dinja tkun tista’ ssir ġenna ta’ paċi u prosperità. Ammen.
Once a philosopher met with a Bedouin, and the philosopher asked him: Do you believe in God? The Bedouin replied: Yes I do believe in God. The philosopher asked him: What proof do you have of the existence of God? Can you provide an argument to prove the existence of God? The Bedouin’s reply was very simple yet so profound, and it is very important answer and comprehensively sheds sufficient light on the subject of existence of God. The Bedouin replied:
“When someone walks through the jungle and finds the excrement of a camel, he understands that a camel has passed that way. And when he finds a man’s footprints in the desert sand, he infers that a traveller must have walked through there. Why then can’t you seeing this world with its great paths, and the sky with its sun, moon and stars, realise that there is a Creator Who made it all?”
How very truthful, pure and full of wisdom are these words. The Holy Quran (14:11) also presents this argument and speaks of the design of the universe and says: “Are you in doubt concerning Allah, Maker of the heavens and the earth?” Everything in this world is a definite proof of the existence of a Creator – Allah – who created it.
“The fact of the matter is that God does as He pleases. He transforms desolate wastelands into inhabitations and reduces flourishing cities to ruins… Hence, bear well in mind that to depend on medicine and human strategies whilst putting aside God Almighty is extremely foolish. What is required is a completely new life; one full of seeking forgiveness from Allah. Those who are engaged heavily in worldly matters ought to be more fearful. Those in employment often fail to observe their obligations to God… Do not fail to offer the rights owed to God’s servants and the rights owed to God… Bear well in mind that one who does not thank their fellow man is ungrateful to God as well.” (Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 264-265)
WHAT IS THE ISLAMIC CULTURE?On 6 March 2022, replying to a question, His Holiness, Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba, Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, explained what Islamic culture is, and said:
“Islam is a universal religion and if Islam claims that it is a universal religion, then there should not be any question of culture there. People of different cultures will join Islam… They will only follow the teachings of Islam. And the teachings of Islam are that you should discharge your rights you owe to your Creator, Allah the Almighty. Worship Him as has been prescribed in the Holy Quran and as was practised by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). It is to follow the commandments and injunctions of the Holy Quran.”
“There are quite a number of Asian traditions which are contradictory to the teachings of Islam. That does not mean that Islam teaches those things… If you are offering five daily prayers and if you are morally good, if you are obeying the commandments of the Holy Quran – there are 700 or more commandments given in the Holy Quran – if you are following those, it is enough… So always see what the true teaching of Islam is.”
“Islamic culture is nothing but the teachings of Islam – that is, to practise whatever has been given in the Holy Quran. Apart from that there is nothing. If you are offering five daily prayers, if you are reading the Holy Quran, if you are morally good, if you are following the commandments of the Holy Quran, if you are not corrupt, if you are giving due respect to your parents, to your elders, if you are honest to the nation, if you are working hard wherever you are working, if you are a student, you are working hard to become a good student, then that is the culture and that is the teaching, apart from that nothing.”
His Holiness, Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba, explained:
“You have to make good friends. If you are a good-natured person and you follow the commandments given to us by Allah the Almighty then the first commandment is to bow before Him, to pray to Allah the Almighty. When the time of prayer comes during the school time, try to offer your prayer… So, by seeing this, your fellow students would know that you are a person of different nature.”
“If your morals are good, you always behave well, your language is always good, [you are] not doing any immoral things, not even thinking ill of others and you never try to harm anybody, do not fight or quarrel, you are always busy with your school studies or whatever extracurricular activities are given to you by the school, then they would know that these students are different. And those students who are of good nature, they themselves will come to you and try to make you their friend. So, this is the way.” READ This Article in MALTESE
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