Overview of Letters

• Letter to Prime Minister of Israel
• Letter to President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
• Summary of Letter to Prime Minister of Canada
• Letter to President of the United States of America

Letter to Prime Minister of Israel

Letter to President of the Islamic Republic of Iran

 Summary of Letter to Prime Minister of Canada

Letter to President of the United States of America

“One way in which I have tried to promote peace is through a series of letters that I have written to certain world leaders….. upon observing that hostilities between Iran and Israel were boiling over to a very dangerous level, I sent a letter to both Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Iran’s President, Mahmud Ahmedinejad, in which I urged them to forsake all forms of haste and recklessness when making decisions, for the sake of mankind. I have also recently written to President Barack Obama and Canada’s Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, calling on both of them to fulfil their roles and responsibilities towards the development of peace and harmony in the world. I am also planning to write and warn other Heads of State and leaders in the near future.

I do not know if my letters will be given any value or weight by the various leaders I have written to, but whatever their reaction, an attempt has been made by me, as the Khalifa and spiritual leader of millions of Ahmadi Muslims worldwide, to convey their feelings and emotions about the perilous state of the world. Let it be clear that I have not expressed these sentiments because of any personal fear, but instead, I am motivated out of a sincere love for humanity. This love for humanity has been developed and instilled in all true Muslims by the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who, as I have already mentioned, was sent as a means of mercy and compassion for all of mankind.”

The Review of Religions has already published the full letter to Pope Benedict (January 2012 Edition). We present here some of the letters sent recently by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad^(aba), Khalifatul Masih V, to various world leaders.

Contents of Letters

• Letter to Prime Minister of Israel
• Letter to President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
• Summary of Letter to Prime Minister of Canada
• Letter to President of the United States of America

The Holy Qur’an, upon which The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam was based.

Translated from Urdu by
Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan

FOURTH QUESTION

The Operation of the Practical Ordinances of the Law in this Life and the Next

We have already stated that the effect of the true and perfect Divine law upon man’s heart in this life is that it lifts him from a savage condition and converts him into a human being, and thereafter invests him with high morals, and finally makes him godly. One of the effects of the practical ordinances of the law is that a person who follows the true law progressively recognises the rights of his fellow beings and exercises his faculties of equity, and benevolence, and true sympathy, on their proper occasions. Such a one shares with his fellow beings, according to their respective ranks, the bounties with which God has favoured him, like knowledge, understanding, wealth and means of comfort. He sheds his light like the sun upon the whole of mankind, and like the moon, acquiring light from God, conveys it to others. Being illumined like the day he shows the paths of virtue and goodness to others, and like the night he covers up their weaknesses and provides comfort for those who are weary. Like the sky he provides shelter under his shade for everyone who is in need, and pours down the rain of grace at its proper time. Like the earth, out of utter humility, he becomes like a floor for everyone’s comfort and gathers them close to afford them security, and offers them diverse types of spiritual fruits. Thus, he who adheres to the perfect law discharges his obligations to God and to his fellow creatures to the utmost. He loses himself in God and becomes a true servant of His creatures. This is the effect of the practical ordinances of the law on his life here.

Their effect in the hereafter is that a person who adheres to them will observe his spiritual relationship with God as a manifest reality. The service that he rendered to God’s creatures out of his love for God, which was stimulated by his faith, and his yearning for righteous action, will be manifested to him as the trees and rivers of paradise. In this context, God Almighty has said: we call to witness the sun and its light; and We call to witness the moon when it follows the sun and obtains its light from it and conveys it to people; and We call to witness the day when it manifests the light of the sun and shows up the paths; and We call to witness the night when it darkens and envelops everything within itself; and We call to witness the heaven and the purpose for which it has been created; and We call to witness the earth and the purpose for which it has been spread out like a floor; and We call to witness the human soul and its quality which makes it equal to all these other things; that is to say all those qualities which are found dispersed among the other bodies that have been mentioned are all comprehended in the soul of the perfect man. As these bodies serve man in diverse ways, the perfect man performs all that service by himself. Then He says: he will be delivered from death and will attain salvation who purifies his soul, that is to say, who serves God’s creatures out of his devotion to God like the sun and the moon and the earth.

It should be kept in mind that in this context life means life eternal, which will be bestowed upon perfect man. This is an indication that the fruit of conforming to the practical ordinances of the law will be the eternal life of the next world, which will be sustained for ever by the vision of God. Then it is said that he who corrupts his soul and does not acquire the qualities for which he was bestowed appropriate capacities and goes back after spending an unclean life, shall be ruined and shall despair of life eternal. Then he said: this is illustrated by the event of the she-camel of Allah, which was hamstrung by a wretched one of the tribe of Thamud and was prevented from drinking at its fountain. This is an indication that the soul of man is the she-camel of God which He bestrides, meaning that the heart of man is the place of Divine manifestations. The water of the she-camel is the love and understanding of God which sustain it. Then he said: when the Thamud hamstrung the she-camel of God and prevented it from having its drink, they were overtaken by God’s chastisement and He cared not how their dependants would fare. Thus would be ruined one who corrupts his soul and prevents it from taking spiritual nourishment and does not desire to foster it.^[1]

The Philosophy of Allah’s Swearing by Various things

Here one needs to be reminded that there is a deep philosophy in God’s calling the sun and the moon etc. to witness. Some of our opponents, out of their lack of knowledge, criticise God for calling to witness created things. As their intelligence is earthly and not heavenly they fail to appreciate true insights. The purpose of taking an oath is that the one who takes an oath puts forward a testimony in support of his claim. A person who has no witness of his claim calls God to witness, for He knows what is hidden and He is the foremost witness in every controversy. Such a person puts forward the testimony of God by taking an oath in His name, meaning thereby that if God does not thereafter chastise him, that would be proof that God has confirmed the truth of his claim. It is, therefore, not permissible for a person to take the oath of any created thing, for no created thing possesses knowledge of the unseen, nor has it the power to punish one who takes a false oath. In these verses, God calling various phenomena to witness is not the same thing as a person taking an oath. Divine manifestations are of two types. One, those that are obvious and concerning which there is no controversy. Secondly, there are those Divine manifestations which are inferential concerning which people differ and can fall into error. By calling to witness the obvious phenomena, God Almighty’s purpose is to establish by their evidence His inferential manifestations.

It is obvious that the sun and the moon and the day and the night and the heaven and the earth, possess the respective characteristics that we have mentioned, but everyone is not aware of the characteristics possessed by the human soul. Thus, God has set forth His obvious manifestations as witnesses for the purpose of explaining His inferential manifestations. It is as if He says: If you are in doubt with regard to the qualities with which the human soul is invested, then reflect upon the sun and the moon and the other phenomena cited which obviously possess these qualities. You know that man is a microcosm that comprises a tiny representation of the pattern of the universe. As it is clear that the great bodies of the macrocosm possess these qualities and provide benefits for God’s creatures, then how can man, who ranks above all those bodies, be without those qualities? That is not so. Indeed, like the sun, man possesses the light of knowledge and reason whereby he can illumine the world. Like the moon he receives the light of vision and revelation from the Divine and conveys it to others who have not yet arrived at the highest stage of human progress. Then how can you say that prophethood is a false notion and that all prophethoods and purported Divine laws and books are only the imposture and selfishness of certain human beings. You observe how all paths are lit up and the heights and depressions become distinct when the day dawns. In the same way perfect man is the day of spiritual light, by his advent every path becomes clearly distinguishable. He points out the right path, for he himself is the bright day of truth and righteousness. Similarly, you observe how the night accommodates the weary and how the labourers, after working hard during the day, sleep in the gracious lap of the night and rest from their labours. The night also covers up all defects and imperfections. In the same way, the perfect servants of God come to provide comfort for people and the recipients of revelation relieve all wise people of extreme effort. Through them great problems of insight are easily resolved. Also, Divine revelation covers up the defects of human reason and, like the night, does not let its faults to become known, inasmuch as wise people correct their mistakes on their own in the light of revelation, and thus through the blessings of God’s holy revelation save themselves from being exposed. That is the reason why no Muslim philosopher offered the sacrifice of a rooster to an idol as was done by Plato. Plato was misled as he was deprived of the light of revelation and despite being a great philosopher he perpetrated such a stupid and hateful act. The following of our lord and master the Holy Prophet^(saw) safeguarded the Muslim philosophers against such stupid and unholy practices. This shows how Divine revelation covers up, like the night, the deficiencies of the wise.

You are also aware that the perfect servants of God provide, like heaven, shelter for every weary one. His prophets and the recipients of His revelation pour down the rain of their beneficence like the sky, and they also possess the qualities of the earth. Diverse types of trees of high knowledge spring forth from their fine souls, from the shade and flowers and fruits of which people derive benefit. Thus, this visible law of nature which is displayed before our eyes is a witness of the hidden law whose testimony God Almighty has cited in these verses by way of oaths. Reflect, therefore, how full of wisdom is the Word that is found in the Holy Qur’an and which issued from the mouth of an unlettered dweller of the desert. Had it not been the Word of God, the wise ones and those who are called highly educated, being confronted with this fine insight, would not have made it the subject of criticism. It is a common experience that when a person is unable to appreciate something on the basis of his finite reason he criticises that which is based on wisdom and his criticism becomes proof that that point of wisdom is above and beyond the reach of average minds. That is why those who are accounted wise raised an objection against this phenomenon; but now that the mystery has been resolved no reasonable person will criticise it, but will derive pleasure from it.

The Holy Qur’an has, at another place, recited such an oath for the purpose of citing an instance of the law of nature in support of the phenomenon of revelation, and has said: we call to witness the heaven that sends down rain and the earth that sprouts diverse types of vegetation with the help of such rain, that the Qur’an is God’s word and His revelation, and that it decides between Truth and falsehood and is not vain talk, that is to say, it has not been revealed out of time and has come like seasonable rain.^[2]

Here, God Almighty has set forth a well-known law of nature in support of the Truth of the Holy Qur’an, which is His Word. It is a matter of common observation that at a time of need rain comes down from heaven and that the vegetation of the earth all depends upon rain. When rain is held back then gradually the wells also run dry, so that the water in the earth also depends upon rain from heaven. That is why in the rainy season the level of the water in the wells also rises, the reason for which is that heavenly water exercises a pull upon earthly water. The same is the relationship between divine revelation and human reason. Divine revelation is heavenly water and reason is earthly water which receives sustenance from heavenly water. When heavenly water, that is to say, divine revelation, is held back, the earthly water also dries up gradually. That is the reason why, when a long time passes and no recipient of revelation appears on the earth, the reason of the wise is corrupted, as earthly water is corrupted and dries up. To appreciate this phenomenon, it would be enough to cast a glance at the condition of the world immediately before the advent of the Holy Prophet^(saw). As six hundred years had passed after the time of Jesus^(as), and no recipient of revelation had appeared during the interval, the whole world had been corrupted. The history of every country shows that before the advent of the Holy Prophet^(saw), falsehood had become current throughout the world. Why did this happen? This happened because divine revelation had been held back for a long time and the kingdom of heaven had fallen into the hands of human reason alone. No one is unaware of the corruption in which the people were involved by following defective reason. Thus, when the rain of revelation did not descend for a period, the water of reason dried up.

So, in these oaths God Almighty draws attention to this firm and eternal law of nature, and calls for reflection upon it that all the vegetation of the earth depends upon the water of heaven. Thus, for the hidden law that governs divine revelation, the obvious law of nature is a witness. Then, try to derive benefit from the testimony of this witness and do not make reason alone your guide, for it is not a water that can continue without heavenly water. As it is a characteristic of heavenly water that it pulls up the water of all the wells, whether it falls directly into a well or not, in the same way, when a recipient of divine revelation appears in the world then, whether a wise person follows him or not, reason is illumined and clarified to a degree not witnessed before. People begin to search for the truth and their faculty of reflection is stirred up from the unseen. Thus, all this upsurge of reason and of the heart is initiated by the blessed advent of the recipient of divine revelation and the waters of the earth are pulled up by it. So, when you find that everyone has started a search for religion and an upsurge has stirred earthly waters, then rise up and be warned and know for certain that heavy rain has fallen from heaven and that the water of divine revelation has fallen upon a human heart.

1. By the sun and its growing brightness, and by the moon when it follows it (the sun), and by the day when it reveals its glory, and by the night when it draws a veil over it, and by the heaven and its making, and by the earth and its spreading out, and by the soul and its perfection—and He revealed to it what is wrong for it and what is right for it—He indeed truly prospers who purifies it, and he who corrupts it is ruined. The tribe of Thamud denied the truth because of their rebelliousness. When the most wretched among them got up, then the Messenger of Allah said, ‘Leave alone the she-camel of Allah, and let her drink.’ But they rejected him and hamstrung her, so their Lord destroyed them completely because of their sin, and made it (destruction) overtake all of them alike. And He cared not for the consequences thereof. (Ch.91:Vs.2-16)
2. By the cloud which gives rain after rain, and by the earth which opens out with herbage, it is surely a decisive word, and it is not a useless talk. (Ch.86:Vs.12-15)

Translated from the Urdu by Ayyaz Mahmood Khan

Demise of Hadhrat Khadijah^(ra) and Abu Talib

A General shot of a desert valley in Saudi Arabia.

When the Holy Prophet^(saw) came out of the Valley of Abu Talib, he was struck by two consecutive misfortunes. Hadhrat Khadijah^(ra) and Abu Talib passed away, one after the other. Both of them were aged, and death is ordained for every individual. However, the demise of both of them so close to the era of their besiegement in the Valley of Abu Talib, strongly gives rise to the possibility that the insistent hardships of their imprisonment had a great role to play in their demise. It seems as if under the influence of constant severities, their health greatly deteriorated. While they were besieged, the thought of struggle kept their dispositions well-maintained, but as soon as they came out, the adversity of their besiegement brought forth its impact, and both of them fell victim to death, one after the other. On account of these consecutive grievances, the Holy Prophet^(saw) named this year, that is, 10 Nabawi, the ‘Amul-Huzn, ‘The Year of Grievances’.^[1] Abu Talib was like a father to the Holy Prophet^(saw). He loved the Holy Prophet^(saw) immensely and the Holy Prophet^(saw) also loved him dearly. When Abu Talib was in his terminal illness, the Holy Prophet^(saw) would regularly bless him with his presence. Thus, on one occasion, when his demise was near, the Holy Prophet^(saw) went to visit him. At that time, Abu Jahl and other idolaters were also present. When the Holy Prophet^(saw) sensed his approaching demise, he said, “Uncle! Merely utter the Kalimah Shahadah [Muslim declaration of faith] and on the Day of Resurrection, I shall intercede on your behalf.” On hearing this, Abu Jahl and the rest became apprehensive, and began to say to Abu Talib, “Will you forsake the religion of ‘Abdul-Muttalib?” and continued to persuade him in many ways, the outcome of which was that the last words heard of Abu Talib were that, “I die upon the religion of ‘Abdul-Muttalib.” When the Holy Prophet^(saw) heard these words, he said in great anguish, “All right, I shall continue supplicating in the presence of my Lord for your forgiveness, except that I am prohibited from doing so.” But it was not long before the Holy Prophet^(saw) was forbidden from doing so, and an injunction was revealed that it is unlawful to pray for the forgiveness of idolaters and disbelievers, instead, their matter should be left to God.^[2]

There is another narration which might be true and it relates that upon his deathbed, Abu Talib said to the Chieftains of the Quraish that:

The Muslim Creed: ‘There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger’

“O Party of the Quraish! Among the creation of Allah, you are a chosen people. God has given you great reverence. I advise that you treat Muhammad well, because amongst you, he is a man of the highest morals. He possesses distinction among the Arabs on account of his truthfulness and straightforwardness. If you ask the truth, he has brought a message to us which the tongue rejects but the heart accepts. I have stood by Muhammad a lifetime and have stepped forward to protect him in all times of difficulty, and if I receive more time, I shall continue to do so in the future as well. And O Quraish! I also advise you not to insist upon causing him grief, but help him and support him, for your betterment lies in this.”^[3]

The last verse from Surah An-Najm (Chapter 53) of the Holy Qur’an embodies the Message that the Holy Prophet(saw) was commissioned to preach, ‘So prostrate yourselves before Allah, and worship Him.’

Shortly thereafter, Abu Talib passed away. The Holy Prophet^(saw) was greatly hurt by his demise and since Abu Talib remained a supporter and protector to the Holy Prophet^(saw) against the Quraish, by his demise, the position of the Holy Prophet^(saw) became even more sensitive. At the time of his demise, which occurred in 10 Nabawi, Abu Talib was over eighty years of age.^[4] Although Abu Talib held fast to polytheism during the whole of his life and also died in the same state, the Holy Prophet^(saw) always considered him his father and demonstrated such a high model of love, loyalty, service, obedience, honour and respect, the likes of which cannot be found. On the other hand, Abu Talib always treated the Holy Prophet^(saw) with an extreme level of protection and loyalty, and preferred putting himself in every type of difficulty, but did not leave the side of the Holy Prophet^(saw). Where this treatment is evidence of his own graciousness and loyalty, it also proves that although he may have believed the Holy Prophet^(saw) to be mistaken, on account of his polytheistic beliefs, he did not consider the Holy Prophet^(saw) a liar or deceiver at all. He was a heartfelt believer of the excellent morals, truthfulness and sincerity of the Holy Prophet^(saw). Therefore at this instance, Muir writes:

‘The sacrifices to which Abu Talib exposed himself and his family for the sake of his nephew, while yet incredulous of his mission, stamp his character as singularly noble and unselfish. They afford at the same time strong proof of the sincerity of Mohammad. Abu Talib would not have acted thus for an interested deceiver; and he had ample means of scrutiny.’^[5]

“Jannatul Mu’alla” (Hajun) cemetery before 1925, where Hadhrat Khadijah(ra) was buried.

A few days after the demise of Abu Talib, Hadhrat Khadijah^(ra) also passed away.^[6] Khadijah^(ra) had stood by the Holy Prophet^(saw) in times of extreme grief and anguish. She loved the Holy Prophet^(saw) and the Holy Prophet^(saw) loved her immensely. For this reason, naturally, the Holy Prophet^(saw) was exceedingly grieved at her demise. After her demise, whenever she was mentioned, the eyes of the Holy Prophet^(saw) would become suffused in tears, and he would praise her often. He would say that, “Khadijah was among the best of the women in her era.”

Hadhrat ‘A’ishah^(ra) narrates that:

‘The Holy Prophet^(saw) would praise Hadhrat Khadijah^(ra) so often, that I would begin to feel jealous of her, and I would say, “You mention Khadijah as if she was the only lady who was ever born in this world.” The Holy Prophet^(saw) would respond, “O ‘A’ishah! She possessed great qualities and God gave me children from her as well.”’

Hence, the Holy Prophet^(saw) would mention Hadhrat Khadijah^(ra) with extreme love. If ever an animal, etc., was slaughtered in his home, the Holy Prophet^(saw) would always send a portion to the friends of Hadhrat Khadijah^(ra). At one occasion, the Holy Prophet^(saw) was sitting in the home of Hadhrat ‘A’ishah^(ra), when the sister of Hadhrat Khadijah^(ra), Hallah bint Khuwailid, came to visit the Holy Prophet^(saw). She asked permission to enter at the door. Hadhrat ‘A’ishah^(ra) relates, “The Holy Prophet stood up restlessly saying, ‘the voice of Khadijah, it appears as if her sister Hallah has come.’”^[7] In the Battle of Badr, when Abul-‘As, the son-in-law of the Holy Prophet^(saw), who had not yet accepted Islam, was captured, his wife, in other words, Zainab^(ra), the daughter of the Holy Prophet^(saw), who still resided in Makkah, sent her necklace as a ransom. This was the same necklace which Hadhrat Khadijah^(ra) gave to Zainab^(ra) in her bride’s paraphernalia. When the Holy Prophet^(saw) saw this necklace, he was reminded of the late Khadijah^(ra) and his eyes filled with tears. The Holy Prophet^(saw) said to his companions, “If you wish, return the reminiscence of Khadijah^(ra) to her daughter.” They needed a single indication, and the necklace was immediately returned.^[8] At the time of her demise, Hadhrat Khadijah^(ra) was sixty-five years of age. She was buried in Makkah at a location known as Hajun. The Holy Prophet^(saw) descended into her grave himself, but a funeral prayer was not offered, because at that time, the injunction pertinent to funeral prayer was not yet revealed.^[9]

Adversity of the Holy Prophet Intensified

After the demise of Hadhrat Khadijah^(ra) and Abu Talib, the Quraish of Makkah became bolder towards the person of the Holy Prophet^(saw) and began to inflict severe hardships upon him.^[10] Once, the Holy Prophet^(saw) was walking on his way, when an ill-behaved person publicly threw filth upon the head of the Holy Prophet^(saw). The Holy Prophet^(saw) returned home in this state, and when one of his daughters saw this, she quickly fetched some water, washed his head, and began to weep bitterly. The Holy Prophet^(saw) calmed her down and said, “Daughter, weep not, for Allah shall Himself protect your father and all these difficulties shall pass.”^[11] Then, at another instance, the Holy Prophet^(saw) was in prostration before God the Almighty in the courtyard of the Ka’bah, where a few Chieftains of the Quraish were gathered as well. Abu Jahl said, “At this time, if someone can muster the courage, throw the uterus of a camel upon Muhammad” Hence ‘Uqbah bin Abi Mu’it stood up and threw the uterus of a slaughtered camel, full of blood and filth, upon the back of the Holy Prophet^(saw), and all of them burst into laughter. When Fatimatuz-Zahra learnt of this, she came running and removed this burden from her father’s shoulders. It was only then, that the Holy Prophet^(saw) was able to lift his head from prostration. It is narrated, that once, the Holy Prophet called upon the chieftains of the Quraish by name, who were adamant on erasing and humiliating Islam, and prayed against them, seeking a verdict from God. The narrator states that, “Then I saw all of these people killed on the day of Badr, at the hands of the Muslims, polluting the air in the valley of Badr.^[12]

VIII – EXPANSION OF PREACHING

Visits to the Tribes

During the days of Hajj, people would gather in Makkah from far and wide, and in the Ashhur-e-Hurum, very large assemblies would be held in significant numbers at ‘Ukaz, Majinnah, and Dhul-Majaz. From the start, it was a custom of the Holy Prophet^(saw) to utilise such occasions to his advantage. He would visit the various encampments of the Arab tribes and would invite them to Islam.^[13] However, until now, naturally, the attention of the Holy Prophet^(saw) was more directed towards the Quraish of Makkah. Nonetheless, during the days when the Quraish of Makkah had besieged the Muslims in the Valley of Abu Talib, the Holy Prophet^(saw) began to turn his attention towards the other tribes of Makkah. As such, during the era of siege, in the peace of the Ashhur-e-Hurum, the Holy Prophet^(saw) would especially visit the various tribes who had arrived for Hajj. He would regularly visit the assemblies at ‘Ukaz, etc. and preach the message of Islam. However, the Quraish of Makkah began to create hindrances in this preaching as well. They knew that for these tribes to become Muslim was almost as dangerous as the conversion of the Makkans themselves. As such, due to the opposition of the Quriash, that although the Holy Prophet^(saw) visited various tribes at numerous occasions, and he would go to every camp presenting them with the invitation to Islam, there was no prospect of success.^[14]

Pilgrims at Masjid Al-Haram, Makkah during the Hajj

Journey to Ta’if

When the ban was lifted, and the Holy Prophet^(saw) found a sort of freedom in his movements, he decided to visit Ta’if and invite its people to Islam. Ta’if is a famous place situated forty miles to the south-east of Makkah. During this era, it was home to the Banu Thaqif. Putting aside the speciality of the Ka‘bah, Ta’if was recognised equal to Makkah and many eminent, influential and affluent people resided there. The people of Makkah themselves admitted to this importance of Ta’if. As such, it was the very Makkans who said: “Why has not this Qur’an from God been sent to some great man of Makkah or Ta’if?”^[15]

The location of Ta’if in Saudi Arabia.

Therefore, in Shawwal of 10 Nabawi,^[16] the Holy Prophet^(saw) took the journey to Ta’if by himself.^[17] On the authority of other narrations, Zaid bin Harithah^(ra) also accompanied him.^[18] Upon his arrival, the Holy Prophet^(saw) remained there for ten days, and one after another he met with many chieftains, but like Makkah, it was not in the destiny of this city to accept Islam either. Therefore, all of them refused, and as a matter of fact they mocked the Holy Prophet^(saw). At last, the Holy Prophet^(saw) approached the grand chieftain of Ta’if, named ‘Abdu Yalail,^[19] and invited him to Islam, but he also refused, rather, in a manner of mockery he said, “If you are truthful, then I have not the strength to speak to you, and if you are a liar, then to speak to you is useless.” Then, concerned that the youngsters of the city may become influenced by the Holy Prophet^(saw), he said, “It is best that you leave this place, for there is nobody here who is willing to listen to you.” After that, this evil man had the miscreants of the city start off behind the Holy Prophet^(saw). When he left the city, this rabble chased the Holy Prophet^(saw) and began to bombard him with rocks, due to which the entire body of the Holy Prophet^(saw) became drenched in blood. These people pursued the Holy Prophet^(saw) for three miles, more or less, and cursed at him and threw stones at him continuously.

At a distance of three miles from Ta’if, there was an orchard, which belonged to a Chieftain of Makkah named ‘Utbah bin Rabi‘ah. The Holy Prophet^(saw) took refuge in this orchard, and his ruthless enemies returned exhausted. Standing beneath a shadow, the Holy Prophet^(saw) prayed before Allah in the following words:

“O My Lord, I complain to you of my helplessness, and my inability, and my helplessness before the people. O My God, You are the most merciful, for You are the guardian and protector of the feeble and helpless – You are my Lord. I seek refuge in the light of Your countenance. It is You who dispels all darkness and it is You who bestows the inheritance of favor in this world and in the next.”

At this time, ‘Utbah and Shaibah were in their garden. When they saw the Holy Prophet^(saw) in this state, perhaps moved by emotions of near or far relations, or perhaps national responsibility, they sent the Holy Prophet^(saw) a tray of grapes in the hand of their Christian slave named ‘Addas. The Holy Prophet^(saw) took them and addressed ‘Addas saying, “Where are you from, and a follower of which religion?” “I am from Nineveh,” responded ‘Addas, “and a Christian.” The Holy Prophet^(saw)  inquired, “The same Nineveh, which was home to the righteous servant of God, Jonah^(as) son of Matthew?” “Yes,” responded ‘Addas, “but how are you aware of Jonah^(as)?” “He was my brother,” said the Holy Prophet^(saw), “for he was a prophet of Allah, and I am also a prophet of Allah.” Then the Holy Prophet^(saw)  preached the message of Islam to him, which moved him greatly. In his passion of sincerity, he moved forward and kissed the hands of the Holy Prophet^(saw). ‘Utbah and Shaibah observed this sight from afar; as such, when ‘Addas returned to them, they said, “What happened to you that you began to kiss the hands of this man? This man shall ruin your faith, while your religion is better than his.”^[20]

In his book, Sir William Muir acknowledged the Holy Prophet(saw)’s bravery in travelling to Ta’if.

The Holy Prophet^(saw) rested in this orchard for some time. He then departed from here and arrived at Nakhlah, which is situated at a distance of approximately one day’s journey from Makkah, and remained there for a few days. After this, the Holy Prophet^(saw) departed and reached the mountain of Hira, and since the apparent failure at Ta’if entailed the possibility of the Makkans growing overly bold, the Holy Prophet^(saw) sent word to Mut’im bin ‘Adiyy that I wish to enter Makkah, can you help me in this regard? Although Mut‘im was a firm disbeliever, his disposition possessed graciousness, and in times like these, it was against the nature of noble Arabs to refuse. For this reason, along with his sons and relatives, fully armed, they stood by the Ka‘bah, and sent word to the Holy Prophet^(saw) that he may enter. The Holy Prophet^(saw) entered and performed the tawaf [circumambulation] of the Ka‘bah, and along with Mut‘im and his children, escorted under the shadow of swords, the Holy Prophet^(saw) entered his home. On the way, when Abu Jahl witnessed Mut‘im in this state, he was astonished and inquired, “Have you given Muhammad^(saw) refuge, or have you become a follower?” Mut‘im responded, “I am only one to give refuge, not a follower.” Upon this Abu Jahl said, “Alright, then there is no problem.” Mut‘im died in a state of disbelief, but the Muslims were not ones to lose sight of rightly due value. Alluding to the gracious treatment of Mut‘im, Hassan bin Thabit^(ra), who was practically the court-poet of the Holy Prophet^(saw), said many passionate couplets in his praise, which have been vouchsafed in his collection to this day.^[21] The journey to Ta’if was a special occurrence in the life of the Holy Prophet^(saw). The details of this journey shed light on the lofty magnificence of the Holy Prophet^(saw), his astronomical magnanimity, and his incomparable patience and steadfastness. As such, Sir William Muir writes:

‘There is something lofty and heroic in this journey of Mohammad to Al-Ta’if; a solitary man, despised and rejected by his own people, going boldly forth in the name of God, like Jonah to Nineveh, and summoning an idolatrous city to repent and support his mission. It sheds a strong light on the intensity of his belief in the divine origin of his calling.’^[22]

It is mentioned in Hadith that on one occasion, it was inquired of the Holy Prophet^(saw) by Hadhrat ‘A’ishah^(ra), “Were you ever confronted by a day more difficult than the Battle of Uhud?” The Holy Prophet^(saw) responded, “O ‘A’ishah^(ra), your people have compelled me to confront times of severe adversity.” Then the Holy Prophet^(saw) described the details of his journey to Ta’if and said:

“During my return from this journey, the Angel of the mountains came to me and said, “God has sent me to you, that if you so command, I may bring the two mountains of this valley together upon these people, and destroy them.”

But the Holy Prophet^(saw) said, “Nay! Nay! I trust that Allah the Exalted shall give birth to such people from among them who shall worship the one true God.”^[23]

(Erratum: the section ‘Demise of Hadhat Khadijah^(ra) and Abu Talib’ and ‘Adversity of the Holy Prophet^(saw) Intensified’ should have been included in the February 2012 Edition, hence has been included here.)

1. Sharhul-‘Allamatiz-Zarqani ‘alal-Mawahibil-Ladunniyyah, by Muhammad bin ‘Abdul-Baqi Az-Zarqani, Vol.2, p.49, Babu Wafati Khadijata wa Abi Talib, Darul Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)
2. Sahih Bukhari, Kitabu Manaqibil-Ansar, Babu Qissati Abi Talib, Hadith No.3884
3. Sharhul-‘Allamatiz-Zarqani ‘alal-Mawahibil-Ladunniyyah, by Muhammad bin ‘Abdul-Baqi Az-Zarqani, Vol.2, pp.46-48, Babu Wafati Khadijata wa Abi Talib, Darul Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)
4. At-Tabaqatul-Kurba, by Muhammad bin Sa’d, Vol.1, p.59, Babu Dhikri Abi Talib wa Dammihi Rasulillahi, Darul-Ihya’it-Turathil-‘Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)
5. Life of ‘Mahomet’, by Sir William Muir, p.105, Reprint of the 1894 Ed. Published by Voice of India, New Delhi
6. * Tarikhut-Tabari, by Abu Ja’far Muhammad bin Al-Jarir Tabari, Vol.2, p.241, Babu Dhikril-Khabri ‘amma kana min Amri Nabiyyillahi ‘inda Ibtida’illahi Ta’ala….,Darul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Second Edition (2002)
   * At-Tabaqatul-Kubra, by Muhammad bin Sa’d, Vol.1, p.59, Babu Dhikri Abi Talib wa Dammihi Rasulillahi, Darul-Ihya’it-Turathil-‘Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)
7. Sahih Bukhari, Kitabu Manaqibil-Ansar, Babu Tazqijin-Nabi Khadijata wa Fadliha, Hadith No. 3818,3821
8. As-Siratun-Nabawiyyah, by Abu Muhammad ‘Abdul-Malik bin Hisham, p.444, Babu Dhikri Ru’ya ‘Atikata binti ‘Abdil-Muttalib, Darul Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001)
9. Sharhul-‘Allamatiz-Zarqani ‘alal-Mawahibil-Ladunniyyah, by Muhammad bin ‘Abdul-Baqi Az-Zarqani, Vol.2, p.49, Babu Wafati Khadijata wa Abi Talib, Darul Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)
10. As-Siratun-Nabawiyyah, by Abu Muhammad ‘Abdul-Malik bin Hisham, p.299, Babu Wafati Abi Talibin wa Khadijah, Darul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001)
11. Tarikhut-Tabari, by Abu Ja’far Muhammad bin Al-Jarir Tabari, Vol.2, p.241, Babu Dhikril-Khabri ‘amma kana min Amri Nabiyyillahi^(saw) ‘inda Ibtida’illahi Ta’ala……, Darul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Second Edition (2002).
12. Sahih Bukhari, Kitabul-Maghazi, Babu Du‘a’in-Nabiyyi^(saw) ‘ala Kuffari Quraish….., Hadith No. 3960
13. At-Tabaqatul-Kubra, By Muhammad bin Sa‘d, Vol. 1, p. 104, Dhikru Du‘a’i Rasulillahi^(saw) Qaba’ilal- ‘Arab fil-Mawasim, Darul-Ihya’it-Turathil-‘Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)
14. * At-Tabaqatul-Kubra, By Muhammad bin Sa‘d, Vol. 1, p. 104, Dhikru Du‘a’i Rasulillahi^(saw) Qaba’ilal-‘Arab fil-Mawasim, Darul-Ihya’it-Turathil-‘Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)
    * Tarikhut-Tabari, By Abu Ja‘far Muhammad bin Al-Jarir Tabari, Vol. 2, pp. 243-244, Babu Dhikril-Khabri ‘amma kana min Amri Nabiyyillahisa ‘inda Ibtida’illahi Ta‘ala……, Darul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Second Edition (2002)
15. Az-Zukhruf (Ch.43:V.32)
16. At-Tabaqatul-Kubra, By Muhammad bin Sa‘d, Vol. 1, p. 102, Dhikru Sababi Khuruji Rasulillahisa ilat-Ta’if, Darul-Ihya’it-Turathil-‘Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)
17. * As-Siratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abu Muhammad ‘Abdul-Malik bin Hisham, p. 300, Babu Sa‘yur-Rasuli ila Thaqifin Yatlubun-Nusrah, Darul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001)
    * Tarikhut-Tabari, By Abu Ja‘far Muhammad bin Al-Jarir Tabari, Vol. 2, p. 241, Babu Dhikril-Khabri ‘amma kana min Amri Nabiyyillahi^(saw) ‘inda Ibtida’illahi Ta‘ala……, Darul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Second Edition (2002)
18. At-Tabaqatul-Kubra, Vol. 1, p. 102, By Ibni Sa‘d, Dhikru Sababi Khuruji Rasulillahisa ilat-Ta’if, Darul-Ihya’it-Turathil-‘Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)
19. The name Ibnu ‘Abdi Yalil is mentioned in Hadith– refer to Sahih Bukhari, Kitabu Bad’il-Khalq, Babu Idha Qala Ahadukum Amin, Hadith No. 3231
20. * As-Siratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abu Muhammad ‘Abdul-Malik bin Hisham, pp. 301-302, Babu Sa‘yur-Rasuli ila Thaqifin Yatlubun-Nusrah, Darul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001)
    * Tarikhut-Tabari, By Abu Ja‘far Muhammad bin Al-Jarir Tabari, Vol. 2, pp. 241-242, Babu Dhikril-Khabri ‘amma kana min Amri Nabiyyillahisa ‘inda Ibtida’illahi Ta‘ala……, Darul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Second Edition (2002)
21. Sahih Bukhari, Kitabu Bad’il-Khalq, Babu Idha Qala Ahadukum Amin, Hadith No. 3231
22. Life of ‘Mahomet’, By Sir William Muir, pp. 112-113, Reprint of the 1894 Ed., Published by Voice of India New Delhi (Publishers)
23. Sahih Bukhari, Kitabu Bad’il-Khalq, Babu Idha qala ahadukum amin…, Hadith No. 3231

The Tahir Mosque, Catford, United Kingdom

Official Opening of the Mosque

On 11th February 2012, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad^(aba), Khalifatul Masih V, Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, inaugurated the new Tahir Mosque in Catford, London. An official reception marking the opening of the mosque was held in the evening, which was attended by various dignitaries, professionals, guests and local residents. Heidi Alexander MP congratulated the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at (Community) on the opening of the mosque and said that she looked forward to working with the community in the future. Mayor of Lewisham, Sir Steve Bullock, congratulated the Jama’at and said that having a home for any community was very important and was a means for its growth.

Tree Planting Ceremony

Both Heidi Alexander MP and Sir Steve Bullock also thanked the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at for making donations to their local nominated charities as a further means to mark the opening of the mosque. Also in attendance were: Mercy Addo from the charity Youth Aid Lewisham, who was presented a cheque and gift by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad^(aba), and Chief Inspector Simon Davis of Lewisham Police Station. The function was concluded with the keynote address by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad^(aba). The transcript of this address is presented below:

After reciting Tashhahud, Ta’awwudh and Bismillah, Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V^(aba) said:

“All our guests, Assalamo ‘Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahe Wa Barakatohu – peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all.

We are all gathered here today for the inauguration of our new, Tahir Mosque, in this part of London.

The Ahmadi Muslims who live in the surrounding area have had a long standing and deeply held desire for an Ahmadi mosque and centre to be built here in this area. This is because they wanted to have a place where they could join together to worship God Almighty and where their spiritual and religious well-being could be facilitated. Therefore, for the Ahmadi Muslims who live in this area, certainly this mosque is of great significance and holds great value.  Here I should mention that the construction of this mosque would not have been possible without the help and support given to us by the local council, the local authorities and the local people themselves.

For this reason, I would like to take this opportunity to first of all thank all of the people who have fully co-operated and assisted with the building of this mosque, despite not being members of the Ahmadiyya community.

At the outset, I would also like to thank all of you, our distinguished guests, for attending the opening of the mosque today.

Through this kind gesture you have made it quite apparent that although you do not share the same religious beliefs as the Ahmadiyya community, you are willing to set aside such differences, because you have such high regard for the importance of human values and for the need to care for and respect the feelings of others. You are people who share in both the happiness and in the grief of others.

These are the core values, which elevate the status of mankind. It is these qualities, which are essential for the spread of love and affection in today’s world.

The teachings of Islam on religion are very clear. We, Muslims, are commanded that every person’s religion is a matter strictly between him and God Almighty.

Our Holy Book, the Holy Qur’an, is very clear that there should be no compulsion in religion (Ch.2:V.257).

Nevertheless, putting religion to one side, it is absolutely essential for each and every person to fulfil the rights owed to his fellow man because this is the only way that an atmosphere of peace, reconciliation and harmony can be developed.

Catford is located in South London in the Borough of Lewisham, United Kingdom

A question that is often asked is how should people who are not religious be treated? We believe that this will be determined by God Almighty in the Hereafter and is a matter for God alone to decide. However, on the other hand there are people who continually destroy the peace of society because as they fail to discharge the due rights of other people. Such people will face God’s punishment in the next world, but apart from this they are normally brought to justice in this world also. In His Holy Book, the Holy Qur’an, God Almighty has started with the following words:

(Ch.1:V.2)

This translates as:

‘All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the Worlds’.

These words thus teach us that God is that Being, Who is the Lord of all the Worlds, and it is He who nurtures and sustains the entire Universe. The Arabic word –‘Aalam’ – used here includes all nations of the world, and entails different eras and time periods also. These few words are repeated by Muslims in every prayer, indeed not just in every prayer but at the start of every single Unit (called Rakat) of every prayer.

Thus, for every true Muslim there is an extremely important lesson contained in these words, which is that man should always remember that he is the Creation of God and that God Almighty is always watching him. It is He alone Who we worship, because God is the Lord of All the Worlds, Who has Created everything and sustains it.

The Andromeda Galaxy (photo) contains approximately 1 million stars. Scientists estimate that there are approximately 170 billion galaxies in the observable universe.

The Holy Qur’an has further taught that humans are the very best of God’s Creation. The sun, air, water and countless other things, both in the earth and in the atmosphere, have been commissioned to serve God’s creation. Because mankind is the best of Creation, humans have been given superiority in comparison to other life forms, and so other forms of living beings have been made subservient to man.

They have essentially been designed to serve mankind to ensure the continuing sustenance of human beings in the most excellent manner.  Some of these facilities and blessings are granted equally to all of mankind without discrimination and are not dependent upon a person’s religion, or whether he even believes in the existence of God. Thus God Almighty, in his Grace, has designated many blessings equally to all people regardless of their religion, caste, creed or faith and from these blessings all humans derive benefit. Nonetheless, certain people have a special relationship or association with God Almighty.

Who are these people?

It is those people who show gratitude to God and who bow down before Him because of all the blessings and favours that He has granted them. Such people truly believe Him to be their Lord and have accepted all of His prophets. These are the people who are recipients of His special favours. The results of this mutual relationship and bond are witnessed in this world on a daily basis. Then upon death, such people are granted special treatment by God Almighty again.

Therefore, another reason that Muslims repeatedly recite the prayer ‘Lord of All the Worlds’ is so that they realise that within their own circle of influence, Muslims should seek to adopt the Attributes of God to whatever extent they are capable. That is why we recite this prayer again and again, and this is why we start every unit of our prayer with this supplication, repeating it in our prayers at least thirty-two times each day.

Keeping this in view, it is essential that a Muslim should never usurp the rights of others and instead he should cast aside all differences of religion, nationality or ethnicity and seek to become the means of support and love for all others. A Muslim should seek to utilise all of his faculties and abilities to help and serve his fellow man. Each Muslim should try his utmost to provide all other people with their due rights.

In every prayer a Muslim offers, he is also reminded that God is both ‘Gracious’ and ‘Merciful’. ‘Gracious’ means that God continually bestows His Creation with favours out of His own love, and even without being requested. By ‘Merciful’ it means that God is also He who responds to the prayers and requests of His Creation. As I just mentioned, God Almighty has instructed a true Muslim to try and come to reflect God’s own Attributes. Hence, it is the duty of a Muslim to show mercy to his fellow man and indeed all other forms of Creation.

The men’s Prayer area in the Tahir Mosque. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V(aba) addressing members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community earlier in the day.

For this reason, if someone comes to a Muslim for help, it is the duty of the Muslim to try and fulfil that need. Bearing all of this in mind, can a true Muslim, who believes in God and who worships Him in the proper way, ever contemplate usurping the rights of another? How can this be possible when he knows that he will be liable to punishment for failing to follow God’s Commands?

On the one hand God Almighty has provided so many provisions for the well being and sustenance of His Creation. Then how, on the other hand, can it be possible that a true Muslim, who claims to believe in God, should then try to destroy the lives of God’s Creation? As I said, it is impossible for a true Muslim to act in this way because such acts are contrary to God’s Laws.

We, Ahmadi Muslims, claim to have accepted the Imam of this era, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^(as) of Qadian, who we believe to be the Promised Messiah. It was he who founded our community and he shined a light on the true teachings of Islam. Having accepted him, we act upon the real teachings that a true Muslim ought to. That is why we, who are his followers, use all our resources and capabilities to provide provisions to people in need, irrespective of differences of nationality or religion. In addition, we are also providing health and educational services in various parts of the world.

Our goal is to serve humanity wherever we can. We do so not due to any vested interests, but only out of our desire to seek God’s Pleasure and Nearness. When Ahmadi Muslims enter mosques, their primary purpose is the worship of God. Apart from this the only other point of discussion is trying to find ways and means to help and serve humanity. Or perhaps, the Ahmadi Muslims will be involved in deep reflection, that as our Khalifa has launched such and such scheme for the betterment of mankind, how can we contribute towards this project?

Arabic calligraphy carved on Mosque wall in Alexandria, Egypt, meaning ‘In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful’. Muslims recite this in every Prayer.

Therefore, where on the one hand our mosques unite people for the worship of God, they are also a place where we collectively endeavour to join together in an effort to serve humanity. In summary, we truly believe that mosques have two overarching purposes. First is the worship of God Almighty, and second is to be a place where projects are launched to help God’s Creation. Both of these purposes are essential and should be undertaken with the aim of seeking only God’s pleasure. We certainly believe that any mosque devoid of these two aspects is not fulfilling its true purpose. Having heard all of this, I am sure that you will agree with me that if these are the true and real purposes of a mosque, then there should be a mosque in every area.

We often find that upon just hearing the word ‘mosque’ or upon hearing that planning permission for a mosque has been submitted to the local council, the local non-Muslims become worried, and indeed frightened. They become anxious that if a mosque is built in their area then the peace of the town could be destroyed. They, therefore, try their utmost to prevent permission for the mosque or centre to be built. If truth be told then this fearful frame of mind is justified, because some Muslim groups are undoubtedly destroying the peace of the world. However, the acts of a few people should not be classed as the norm. Indeed, the actions of just a handful of misguided people should not be used as a pretext to raise objections against our religion and to hurt the sentiments of the sincere and innocent Muslims of the world.

Churches and Mosques in old quarters of Jerusalem.

Peace in society is a two-way process and can only be established if all parties work together towards mutual reconciliation. This is why every individual in a society, irrespective of his background, has a role to play towards achieving this goal. We believe in the Founders and Prophets of all religions and because of this, a true Muslim can never mock or ridicule any religious leader or religion itself. In fact, the Holy Qur’an teaches that a Muslim must protect the places of worship of all religions, be they churches, synagogues, temples or any other place of worship. Without any doubt, the true teachings of Islam are peaceful and beautiful and so when they are ridiculed it can only lead to the feelings of Muslims being hurt. Hurting the feelings of innocent people, I am sure one will agree, is unjust and wrong.  When sentiments are deeply wounded then even decent and sincere people can display an inappropriate or negative reaction, through which the peace of society will be harmed. The people who display the wrong reaction are certainly in error but those who provoke them are just as responsible for the breakdown in peace.

Today we, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, are trying to bring peace in the world. We are playing our role and trying to fulfil our responsibilities in this regard. Thus, I would request all of you to join us in this task. Human values and mutual love can be developed even where differences of belief exist, as long as we all co-operate and respect each other. Today, the world stands in need of peace because the sparks of war can be seen all around the world. If these sparks ever truly explode then we will be witness to the Third World War, which is a truly frightening and horrific thought.

Thus, in every direction and at every level we must try our best to extinguish the flames of hatred. If we are successful in this task, only then will we be able to guarantee the bright futures of our coming generations.

So today we must set aside our own personal desires and instead be concerned for the future existence and well-being of our next generations. We must adopt selflessness rather than selfishness.

When we all join together and come to respect each other’s feelings and sentiments then, and only then, will an atmosphere of mutual love develop. It is then that we will truly see the beautiful society that all peaceful people desire.

Alongside all of this, to safeguard our future generations it is essential that we remember that it is God who has created us. It is He who loves His Creation and it is He who desires its prosperity and success. It is due to all of this that He has granted us countless favours and blessings, through His eternal Grace.

It is my sincere prayer that each and every one of us becomes a good and sincere person, Amin.

In the end I would like to once again express my gratitude to all of the guests who have sacrificed their time to be with us today, and whose presence has enlightened this event. May Allah reward all of you for this abundantly.

Thank you.”

Vintage engraved illustration, Holy city and burial place of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw), Founder of Islam (Trousset Encyclopedia (1886-1891)

Since January 2010, The Review of Religions has been serialising the English rendering of Volume I of Hadhrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^(ra)’s epic Seerat Khatamun Nabiyyin (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets). As this book has now been published, we will be discontinuing the serialisation of Volume I.

Starting in our next Edition, we will begin the first ever serialisation of the recently translated, English Rendering of Volume 2 of Seerat Khatamun Nabiyyin, prior to its publication and release in book form.

To read the brand new translation of Volume 2, read our next Edition of The Review of Religions.

The English Rendering of Volume I of Seerat Khatamun Nabiyyin (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets) is available to read online at www.alislam.org

Sepulchre of Jesus Christ in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem.

Two thousand years have passed, yet adherents of Islam, Christianity and Judaism differ regarding even the basic aspects of Jesus’^(as) life. Author of Christianity: A Journey From Facts to Fiction, Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad^(rh) (1928-2003), Fourth Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Community, explained that, ‘If these powerful religions were to unite in one common understanding about the nature of the person of Christ, his first and promised advent, then such an understanding would lead to the resolution of many problems confronting mankind today.’ While the passage of two millennia has seen the divide in opinions increase and fierce rivalry in beliefs of these aspects, we now have the benefit of modern scientific, medical, archaeological and historical evidence, which may help us resolve these issues. Modern research strongly indicates that Jesus^(as) did not die on the cross; rather he survived, and travelled East in search of the Lost tribes of Israel, to fulfil his mission. An increasing number of esteemed commentators, historians, scholars, doctors and archaeologists have started to provide evidence that supports this theory. We have seen documentaries on the BBC and other international TV channels, as well books published by respected authors on this topic. The first, however, to provide complete evidence of Jesus’^(as) survival from the cross and travels eastwards was Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^(as) of Qadian in his ground breaking treatise, Jesus in India, after which others started seriously considering and researching these theories. Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^(as) has provided a compendium of compelling evidence that completely shatter the mainstream Christian belief in the resurrection. St Paul had declared the resurrection as the most fundamental part of the faith of a Christian. However, in this Edition, taking inspiration from Jesus in India, based on Biblical, historical, medical and genetic evidence and research, we aim to prove that the resurrection did not occur according to the commonly held Christian belief. We do not intend to offend or insult anyone, but merely to present real facts and credible evidence, which we urge our readers to reflect on in an unbiased manner.

Some may start to question their faith in the resurrection after reading through our articles, which is why Jesus in India extracts conclude our Edition, as it provides hope for those seeking Truth.

Introduction

The last few days of Jesus^(as) in Jerusalem are perhaps the most analysed in his life. The four Gospels of the New Testament give a detailed account of the events leading up to the crucifixion.  This, along with a historical perspective, provide an insight into Jesus’^(as) final days in Jerusalem, allowing us to deconstruct whether he really did go willingly on the cross; if at all he was crucified; or indeed whether he actually survived this terrible ordeal as God’s plan of saving His beloved Messenger unfolded. It is worthwhile beginning with Jesus’^(as) visit to Jerusalem for the Passover. Prior to this the chief priests had gathered and concluded that it would be in the best interests of the nation that Jesus^(as) should die.^[1] It is likely that this plan was disclosed to Jesus^(as), either through revelation or via his secret disciples.^[2] Disturbed by such news, Jesus^(as) sought comfort in prayer in the garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus’ ^(as) Arrest in Gethsemane and Trial before the Sanhedrin

Being a Prophet of God, Jesus^(as) first and foremost turned to God and prayed intensely for God to foil the plans of his enemies: ‘Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.’^[3] He was greatly ‘distressed and troubled’; he sought solitude, and fell to the ground and prayed. In fact, his prayer was so intense that some manuscripts^[4] state that he sweated blood. He prayed fervently for God to remove this ‘cup’ from him; the ‘cup’ being a symbolic term for destiny.^[5] Jesus^(as) was not concerned for his own life, but rather the actual plan of the Jewish priests for a public execution. If such a plan went ahead, it would have brought the Divine mission of Jesus^(as) to an end; his disciples and all those who believed him to be the Messiah would abandon such belief, as Jesus^(as) would have died an ‘accursed death’ – shaking the very foundations of his Messianic claim. According to the Old Testament the punishment for such criminals was to hang their bodies on a tree or wooden pole following execution as a deterrent to others, thus sending a clear message, that such people were accursed by God.^[6] It was for this very reason that Jesus^(as) prayed to God to foil the plans of his enemies so that he should not die on the cross.

Garden of Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem where Jesus(as) prayed before his crucifixion.

Shortly afterwards, whilst Jesus^(as) was still in prayer, Jewish soldiers from the Temple came to arrest Jesus^(as).^[7] He surrendered and was taken to the Sanhedrin (Jewish council) for a quick and spurious trial, ‘And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.’ Yet was convicted of blasphemy and condemned to death.^[8] But such a sentence could only be carried out by the Romans.^[9] Therefore, Jesus^(as) was brought before Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea.

Jesus^(as) Brought before Pilate

Since only the Roman officials were permitted to execute criminals, the Jewish council took Jesus^(as) to Pilate. The allegation laid against Jesus^(as) was modified to insurrection,^[10] yet Pilate (according to the gospels) found no reason to have him put to death: ‘Then said Pilate to the chief priests and [to] the people, I find no fault in this man.’^[11] Instead, he tried his utmost to free him; he himself interrogated him^[12] and attempted to pass the responsibility to Herod Antipas.^[13] He even went so far as freeing a murderer in an attempt to rescue Jesus^(as).^[14] This may not be wholly attributable to the pious behaviour of Pilate, since other contemporary and less biased texts present Pilate in a very poor light: Philo, a Jewish Philosopher who lived at the same time as Jesus^(as) discusses in depth the ‘briberies, the insults, the robberies, the outrages and wanton injuries, the executions without trial constantly repeated, the ceaseless and supremely grievous cruelty.’^[15] There must have been strong reasons for Pilate to act like this; it may have been due to his wife having a dream regarding Jesus’^(as) innocence^[16] or it may also be due to Pilate wishing to safeguard his position and authority: he wished to avoid disturbances and riots at all costs, and if he sentenced Jesus^(as) to death, Jesus’^(as) followers may have begun to cause trouble in order to save him (he may well have heard the commotion when Jesus^(as) entered Jerusalem^[17] and thus assumed he had a large following). However, there was little that he could do, for the Jewish crowds lead on by the priests would equally have caused a riot if he did not comply with their request: ‘And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.^[18] ’ This being a stronger threat, the end result was that Jesus^(as) was delivered to be crucified.^[19]

The Crucifixion

Jesus^(as) was taken to Golgotha where he was then offered wine to dull the pain,^[20] but he refused to drink since he still held hope that his prayers would be answered and that he would not die on the cross – an accursed death. As the hours passed on the cross, Jesus^(as) felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. Fearing that God may have abandoned him, he cried out: “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabach-thani?” meaning,  “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”^[21]. Uncomfortable with this cry of despair, numerous interpreters argue that Jesus^(as) is simply quoting Psalms 22:1. According to them, Jesus^(as) was both fully God and fully human. God cannot be anywhere near sin, and since Jesus^(as) was atoning for the sins of humanity, i.e. taking on their sins, the ‘God side’ of Jesus^(as) had to leave, leaving the ‘human side’ to lament over the separation. However, there is a critical problem with this theory; the words above were uttered by Jesus^(as) in Aramaic. The Hebrew of the Psalms is “Eli ‘Eli lamah ‘azabtani?” while Jesus^(as) actually cried out “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabach-thani?”  Why would Jesus^(as) quote a Hebrew text in Aramaic translation? The Jews in those days would have known many of the Psalms by heart, and Jesus^(as) must have known them too. So why would he quote it in a different tongue as opposed to the verse direct in Hebrew?

Golgotha was the site where Jesus(as) was said to have been placed on the crucifix.

The answer is, that it was a cry of desperation, seeing that things were not going the way he had expected.  He knew God would heed the call and prayer of His Prophet and Messiah, yet he could feel his strength wavering and perhaps saw no other opportunity of surviving the ordeal, he cried out to God “Why have You forsaken me?” This clearly indicates that even up to this point Jesus^(as) never gave up his faith and hope in prayers and he believed that God the Almighty would most certainly help him and answer his prayers. From this, one can easily understand and believe the fact that Jesus^(as) did not want to sacrifice himself for the sins of the world, instead he cried to God in desperation for his life to be spared, and indeed, God responded by saving Jesus^(as) from dying on the cross. Otherwise, the only alternative we have to choose from is that God forbid, Jesus^(as) died an ‘accursed death’.

Jesus^(as) Still Alive

The Sabbath, which would begin at dusk on Friday was approaching, and therefore the criminals on the cross had to be taken down and killed immediately according to Jewish law. The two thieves on either side of Jesus^(as) were executed, but the soldiers saw that Jesus^(as) was unconscious and thought him already dead; ‘…when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.’ Thus, to ensure they were not mistaken in considering Jesus^(as) dead, they pierced his side with a spear, resulting in a sudden flow of blood and water,^[24] a sure medical sign that his heart was still pumping and that he was alive.

It is often argued by some interpreters that Jesus^(as) had died before the actual thrust of the spear in his side, and if Jesus^(as) was not dead, then the spear thrust would have killed him. However, the author of the gospel chose the Greek verb ‘ηΰσσω’ (nussow) meaning: to prick, stab or pierce^[25] when describing the action of the soldier; implying a small cut or prick, the intention being to ensure that Jesus^(as) was in fact dead, since the prick would have made Jesus^(as) flinch. Even a prick did not cause any involuntary movement. Some interpreters have come up with fascinating medical conditions and theories of why ‘blood and water’ came out of Jesus^(as) including discussions of a fluid build up in the lungs or around the heart. Yet, it should be remembered that the spear was a small prick and not a deep thrust into the side. Researcher and writer Holger Kersten, author of several books including Jesus Lived in India and The Jesus Conspiracy: The Turin Shroud and the Truth about the Resurrection writes:

‘It appears that the expression ‘blood and water’ is a traditional idiom from the ornate Arabian language, intended to emphasise a certain happening. Today we can say someone ‘sweats blood’ – the German equivalent is ‘to sweat blood and water’, ‘Blut und Wasser schwitzen’ – if he works hard or is very anxious, without meaning that blood actually comes from the pores. The same expression, applied when observing a wound, could simply mean that a lot of blood is visible. The eyewitness was doubtless surprised to see so much blood pouring out from a supposedly dead body through a minor scratch wound, and aptly expressed his surprise.’^[26]

Since the Roman soldiers saw no movement and thought him dead, they reported it to their superiors, and so Jesus^(as) was given over to his disciples, namely Joseph of Arimithea and Nicodemus: And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound [weight].’ Nicodemus thus applied 100 pounds of myrrh and aloe on his body.^[27] The two herbs are significant and very important as they show further proof that the disciples knew that Jesus^(as) was still alive, since both herbs have healing properties and were used as medicine in the ancient world.

Joseph of Arimathea (by artist Pietro Perugino circa 1495)

Aloe is a genus containing about 500 species, the most common one being Aloe Vera which grows in Africa and the Middle East. It is very valuable due to its qualities, so much so that the great thinker Aristotle, being aware that the healing properties of Aloe would be invaluable to soldiers wounded in battle, advised his student Alexander III (‘the Great’) to conquer all lands that grew it, especially the island of Socotra off the coast of Eastern Africa.  Similarly, Pedanius Dioscorides, a physician in the Roman army, mentioned medicinal Aloes in his encyclopaedic Greek herbal De Materia Medica (Approximately around 75 BC)^[28]. Myrrh is equally valuable:

‘In the past Myrrh was used by many cultures for religious ceremonies and as a healing agent. It was mentioned in the Bible as a gift at the birth of Christ. The Egyptians believed in its healing powers: they burned it every day as part of their worship rituals. In the Greek culture when soldiers went to battle is was an essential part of their combat gear because of Myrrh’s extremely high antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. It was used to clean wounds and to prevent infection. It was also used to prevent the spread of gangrene in already infected parts of the body.’^[29]

Numerous interpreters have argued that the above herbs were used in the process of embalming or that they were rubbed on the body of the deceased as per the Jewish custom of the day.^[30] However, embalming was not a Jewish custom, as it involved cutting the body and the removal of the internal organs, something abhorrent to Jews. It is true that Jewish burial customs did involve the rubbing of oils on the deceased, but this was for cleansing purposes; the bodies would have been washed, and the use of ointments and herbs to aid in the washing may have been applied, but never aloe and myrrh, which were very costly and not used as cleansing agents, but rather as medicines. Other uses of spices and herbs were for the scent: Josephus, a first century Jewish historian, speaks about Herod the Great’s burial; that it required 500 of his servants to carry the spices to his tomb.^[31] But again, these were never applied to the body, rather they were burnt:

‘You shall die in peace. And as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so men shall burn spices for you and lament for you, saying, “Alas, lord!”’ For I have spoken the word, says the LORD.^[32]”’

There can be no other explanation for the application of such a large quantity of these healing herbs being applied to Jesus^(as), other than to heal his wounds and stop the bleeding. Thus, the two disciples who took away Jesus’^(as) body knew that he was still alive and had planned his rescue, they brought along with them large amounts of herbs and medicines to wrap Jesus’^(as) body, to stop the excessive bleeding and aid the healing.

Jesus^(as) Placed in a Tomb

Once the bleeding was taken care of, Jesus^(as) was then placed in an airy tomb owned by Joseph.^[33] On the following day, the chief priests and Pharisees came to Pilate and asked him to place some guards at the tomb.^[34] It has been suggested that they feared the disciples might come and steal the body and then claim that he resurrected from the dead. However, this suggestion is absurd as it would not be a concern for anyone, even if the disciples did steal the body, what were they to do with it? If they claimed Jesus^(as) had resurrected the simple question of ‘where is he?’ would have put a stop to the claim. The real reason the priests asked for a guard seems to be that even they doubted that Jesus^(as) had died; the duration of the ordeal and quick ‘death’ raised their suspicions and as such, they wished to have men guarding the cave in case the disciples came and aided Jesus^(as) from the tomb. In the end, Pilate agreed to place some guards, nevertheless they could not stop God’s plan of saving Jesus^(as).

Conclusion

The facts relating to the period before crucifixion as well as the facts of the crucifixion itself and after it, as related by the New Testament, indicate that Jesus^(as) did not go on the cross willingly; in fact he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemene to be saved from the ordeal planned by the Jewish priests and he displayed utmost faith during the trials. Alas, his prayers were answered. God’s plan unfolded as reported in the Gospel texts themselves; Jesus^(as) displayed signs of life, was wrapped in medical ointments and finally placed in a tomb where he could recover.

Although he was challenged and taunted on the cross by the Jewish priests ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe’ ^[35], in the end, his prayer was answered, his claim to be the Messiah was proven true when he did come down from the cross alive, as the Holy Qur’an attests:

And their saying, `We did slay the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah;’ whereas they slew him not, nor crucified him, but he was made to appear to them like one crucified; and those who differ therein are certainly in a state of doubt about it; they have no definite knowledge thereof, but only follow a conjecture; and they did not convert this conjecture into a certainty. On the contrary, Allah exalted him to Himself. And Allah is Mighty, Wise.^[36]

As Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^(as) states in his ground breaking treatise, Jesus In India:

‘….Jesus’ (peace be on him) meeting the disciples after his Crucifixion; his travelling up to Galilee; eating bread and meat; his display of wounds on his body: staying a night with the disciples at Emmaus; fleeing secretly from Pilate’s jurisdiction; emigrating from that place, as was the practice of prophets; and travelling under the shadow of fear — all these events are conclusive that he did not die on the Cross; that his body retained its mortal character; and that it had undergone no change.’^[37]

1. John 11:49-50
2. Mark 14:18-21, John 13:21-30
3. Matt 26:36-46
4. Codex Sinaiticus and Bezae
5. Matthew 20:22
6. Deuteronomy 21:22
7. John 18: 2-4, 10-12
8. Mark 14: 53-55, 61-64
9. John 18:31
10. Luke 23:2
11. Luke 23:4
12. Mark 15:2-5
13. Luke 23: 6-12
14. Matthew 27: 15-23
15. Philo, On The Embassy of Gaius Book XXXVIII, pp.299-305
16. Matthew 27:19
17. Matthew 21:9-12
18. Matthew 27: 24-26
19. John 19: 16
20. Mark 15:22-27
21. Mark 15: 34
22. John 19: 28-29
23. Luke 23:46
24. John 19: 31-34
25. Friberg, Miller. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament
26. Kersten, Holger, The Jesus Conspiracy: The Turin Shroud & The Truth About The Resurrection, (1995),  p.251
27. John 19: 38-42
28. www.aloe-spectrum.com/body_aloes.htm — Aristotle’s view on Aloe
29. mdmd.essortment.com/whatismyrrh_riss.htm — myrrh properties explored
30. John 19:40
31. Antiquities book 17, 199
32. Jeremiah 34:5
33. John 19: 41-42
34. Matt 27:62-66
35. Mark 15: 17-32
36. The Holy Qur’an, Ch.4:Vs.158-159
37. Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Jesus in India, Chapter 1

In recent years, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ^(as) has stimulated considerable interest. The inspiration received from the masterpiece of the Promised Messiah, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^(as), Jesus in India, stimulated this author to conduct an interdisciplinary investigation on the circumstances surrounding the crucifixion and to present a historical-cum-medical accurate account as to why Jesus Christ^(as) went into a state of swoon and the circumstances that led to his recovery, and to explore the differential diagnosis of other clinical conditions put forward by doctors. There is a range of evidence on the process of crucifixion in literature. However, the credibility of any discussion will be determined primarily by the credibility of the source material. For this ‘theory’, the source material includes the extensive and detailed descriptions of the process of flogging and crucifixion found in the New Testament Gospels,^[3] and contemporary Christian and non-Christian authors.^[14] The interpretations of modern writers, based on the knowledge of science and medicine, may offer additional insight into this.

Jesus Christ^(as) was arrested past midnight at Gethsemane and taken to the high priest where he was found guilty of blasphemy. Soon after daybreak he was blindfolded, spat on the face and struck on the face with fists. There is no mention of any blood loss nor does blood loss of any significance occur with such an assault. Further, it is reasonable to assume that Jesus Christ^(as) was in good physical condition.

Scourging. Left, short whip (flagrum) with lead balls and sheep bones tied into leather thongs. Center left, naked victim tied to flogging post. Deep stripe like lacerations were usually associated with considerable blood loss Center right, View from above, showing position of lector. Right superolateral direction of wounds.*6

Scourging (Flogging) Practices

At the praetorium, Jesus Christ^(as) was flogged – a preliminary to almost every Roman execution. The instrument was a short whip with several single or braided leather thongs of variable length, in which small iron balls or sharp pieces of sheep bones were tied at intervals.^[4,7,8] The victim was stripped of his clothing, and his hands were tied to an upright post.^[8] He was then struck on the back with the whip encircling the side and part of the front of the chest. (see image below) The iron balls of the whips resulted in deep contusion, and sharp piece of sheep bones caused deep cuts into the skin and subcutaneous tissue.^[4,7,8] The extent of blood loss may well have determined how long the victim would survive on the cross.^[9] In the case of Jesus Christ^(as), scourging was mild and blood loss minimal. Also, the severity of scourging is not discussed in the four Gospel accounts^[3] and it is not known whether the number of lashes was limited to thirty nine, in accordance with the Jewish Law.^[4]

Surviving Crucifixion

Survival length on the cross generally averaged three days (with a range of two to five days).^[8,9] Jesus Christ^(as) did not carry the crossbar from the flogging post to the site of crucifixion (as was customary for condemned men), one third of a mile (600 to 650 m) away.^{[3,4,7,8,9,13]} At Golgotha, the crucifixion site, after twelve noon that Friday, Jesus Christ^(as) cried out in a loud voice, bowed his head, and swooned.^[3,15] He remained on the cross for only about two hours until the sixth hour on Friday, just before sunset, because the next day was the Sabbath and according to Jewish custom it was unlawful to keep anyone on the cross on the Sabbath, or the night previous. The soldiers broke the leg of the two thieves, but not that of Jesus Christ^(as), as they mistook his being in a state of swoon for being dead.^[3] Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his chest, with an infantry spear,^[3] most probably into the pericardial cavity, producing a sudden flow of blood and water. After the dust storm and violent earthquake, many people had dispersed.^[3,15] Christ^(as) having been taken for dead, his body was handed over to Joseph of Arimathea.^[3,15,8] Nicodemus, a very learned physician who knew the secrets of ‘Therapents’ – a term for therapeutics, saw the wound with blood and water flowing, which is not seen in the dead, and spoke in a low tone: ‘Dear friends, be of good cheer, and let us to work. Jesus is not dead. He seems so only because his strength is gone.’^[15] Having carefully laid the body of Jesus Christ^(as) on the ground, Nicodemus spread strong spices and healing salves, making out that he was doing so to keep the body from decaying. These spices and salves had great healing power and were used at that time. Both Joseph and Nicodemus ‘blew into him their own breath’^[15] as if providing mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration. Nicodemus also ‘believed that it was not best to close up the wound in Jesus’ side, because he considered the flow of blood and water was helpful to respiration and beneficial in the renewing of life’.^[15] This is a well-known practice in patients with cardiac tamponade (bleeding within the pericardial cavity) where after aspiration with a wide bore needle the blood is allowed to drain to avoid recollection. At the suggestion of Pilate, Jesus Christ^(as) was then placed in a nearby inconspicuous house, built like a tomb.^[3]

Nailing of wrists. Left, Size of iron nail. Center, Location of nail in wrist, between carpals and radius. Right, cross section of wrist, at level of plane indicated at left, showing path of nail, with probable transection of median nerve and impalement of flexor pollicis longus, but without injury to major arteries and without fractures of bones. Blood loss is thus, minimal.*6

Medical Aspects of Crucifixion Of Jesus Christ^(as)

Scourging of Jesus Christ^(as)

The severity of scourging depended on the disposition of the lictors (Romans soldiers) and was intended to humiliate and weaken the victim.^[9] In the case of Jesus Christ^(as), scourging was mild due to the seemingly favourable attitude of Pilate. The iron balls caused contusion and the sheep bones cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissues,^[7] thus the blood loss was minimal. The sharp pieces of sheep bones probably injured the pericardial sac resulting in slow accumulation of blood within the pericardial cavity. If the rate of blood accumulation had been fast, this would have most likely caused severe injury, as the faster rate would have interfered with the adequate functioning of the heart. The rate of blood accumulation may well have determined the time Jesus Christ^(as) lapsed into a state of coma.

Crucifixion of Jesus Christ^(as)

With the arms outstretched, the wrists were nailed to the cross. It has been shown that the ligaments and bones of the wrist can support the weight of the body but the palms cannot.^[8,11,16,17] The nail in the wrist might pass between the bony elements and thereby produce no fractures, the likelihood of painful periosteal injury, i.e. injury to the outer layers of bones, which are rich in nerves and hence very sensitive to pain, wound seem great.^[7,8,16] (see image below).

Nailing of feet. Left, position of feet atop one another and against cross. Upper right, Location of nail in second intermetatarsal space. Lower right, Cross section of foot, at plane indicated at left, showing path of nail.

Most commonly, the feet were fixed to the front of the cross by means of an iron spike driven through the first or second intermetatarsal space, (space between the first and second toe), just distal to the tarsometatarsal joint.^{[4,8,9,16,17]} Thus, crucifixion per se was a relatively bloodless procedure since no major arteries pass through the favoured anatomic sites of transfixion.^[8,11,16] (see image below) .

Spear wound to chest. Left, Probable path of spear. Right, Cross section of thorax, at level of plane indicated at left, showing structures perforated by spear into pericardial cavity. LA indicates left atrium; LV, left ventricle; RA, right atrium; RV, right ventricle. (Modified from Edward et al.6)

The actual cause of death varied with each case. It mainly depended on the initial health of the victim including mental health, the duration on the cross, dehydration, excruciating pain, exhaustion, asphyxia (on account of prolonged interference of normal respiration), blood loss with hypovolaemia (excess blood loss), and crurifracture – the act of breaking someone’s legs so as to ease their pain by speeding along their death in crucifixion. Jesus Christ^(as), he was in good health and in excellent mental state. He remained on the cross for a significantly short time with less exhaustion, dehydration and asphyxia. The blood loss was minimal both during scourging and crucifixion making the possibility of shock due to the loss of a large volume of blood unlikely. No bones were broken in order to hasten death. The injury to the chest with a spear can result in pleural effusion but the blood congeals in a dead man with poor flow with blood clots and pleural fluid. It is most probable that the infantry spear came to the rescue of Jesus Christ^(as) when it pierced the pericardial cavity and revived the encaged heart as ‘blood and water gushed out’ (see image below). It is only in a beating heart of a living person that blood gushes out. Skepticism has arisen in explaining with medical accuracy, the flow of both blood and water. In ancient Greek, the order of words generally denoted prominence and not necessarily a time sequence.^[18] therefore; it seems likely that John was emphasising the prominence of blood following the injury with a spear.

A popular but medically unacceptable explanation has been that Jesus Christ^(as) died of cardiac rupture. It is mentioned that in the setting of scourging and crucifixion, an altered coagulable state may have resulted in thrombotic vegetation over the aortic and mitral valves which could have embolised in the coronary circulation resulting in myocardial infarction, rupture and death,^[19,20] meaning that blood becomes more prone to clotting, leading to a congealed mass of blood on the structures on the left side of the heart. These congealed masses may have broken off from the heart and gotten to the blood supply of the heart, resulting in the condition. This is a very naïve explanation that is hardly, if ever, seen in medical practice. The altered coagulable state (when blood congeals inside the body, rather than readily flowing) is uncommon with scourging or crucifixion. When it does develop, it takes many hours, and presents primarily as bleeding from the wound. The patient usually dies of blood loss over the next few days. These detached broken off clots mainly block the small arteries such as kidneys. The small arteries of the heart are seldom involved but if the small arteries are ever involved, myocardial infarction is extremely unlikely as the main coronary arteries are spared. If ever a heart attack does occur, rupture of the infracted segment (deadened part of the heart), usually takes five to seven days. Thus, the explanation does not find cardiological acceptance. Another explanation put forward is the state of exhaustion on account of scourging, blood loss and pre-shock state.^[7] The fact that Jesus Christ^(as) did not carry his crossbar is given in support of this interpretation. However, one should not forget the compassionate attitude of Pilate who never wanted Jesus^(as) to be crucified in the first place. In the case of Jesus Christ^(as), scourging was mild and no mention is given in the four Gospel account. The above explanation thus, is untenable. It has been postulated that perhaps Jesus Christ^(as) died of acute heart failure with terminal fatal cardiac arrhythmia, i.e. serious problems with the rhythm of the heart.^{[4,6-8,11,13,16]} This explanation in a man like Jesus Christ^(as) without previous history of any medical ailment makes the above diagnosis unlikely. Jesus Christ^(as) has been described by some to have suffered from an extremely rare medical disorder of bloody sweat (heamatidrosis).^[21] This may have occurred in highly emotional state in which he was in and could have resulted in hypervolemia (loss of blood volume) contributing to his death.^[3] It is rather odd to think of such rare disorder in a healthy man with a loss of a substantial volume of blood in sweat on a cold night of early April.^[3] Also it is very unlikely that a noble Prophet of God would have succumbed under emotional stress.

Conclusion

Thus, with knowledge of both anatomy and ancient crucifixion practices, it is not difficult to reconstruct the probable medical aspects of crucifixion from a cardiologist’s perspective. It is extremely likely that Jesus Christ^(as) sustained an injury to the pericardium during the process of scourging. The sharp pieces of sheep bones in the whip caused deep cuts in the pericardium. This resulted in accumulation of blood in the pericardial cavity. While on the cross, the process of blood accumulation continued. This resulted in cardiac tamponade with hemodynamic disturbance, a condition that caused the heart to struggle, as it was unable to pump blood against free blood in the coverings of the heart, leading to low blood pressure and pulse. In such a predicament, the cardiac output dropped and the brain was deprived of oxygen. It was most likely at this critical stage of hemodynamic disturbance, i.e. low blood pressure and heart rate that Jesus Christ^(as) cried out in a loud voice, bowed his head and became unconscious. The piercing of the spear in the chest aimed at the heart created a rent in the outer layer of the pericardium. This resulted in decompression of the heart ‘as blood and water gushed out.’ The increase in cardiac output as the heart was decompressed resulted in improvement of oxygen to the brain. The arrival of Joseph of Arimethia and Nicodemus, an experienced physician, further lend support that Jesus^(as) survived the ordeal of crucifixion. The application of strong spices and salves at this stage was essential to prevent the wounds from infection and relief of pain. They probably employed artificial respiration when they ‘blew into him their own breath’ after Jesus^(as) was brought down from the cross. Also, the wound of the spear was left open to drain, as ‘Nicodemus believed that it was best not to close up the wound in Jesus’^(as) side because he considered that flow of blood and water from there was helpful to respiration in the renewing of life.’ This practice is well known amongst cardiologists to prevent reaccumulation of blood in the pericardial cavity. Clearly, the weight of historical and medical evidence indicates that Jesus Christ^(as) did not die on the Cross but was delivered alive and then treated.

Map of Jerusalem at time of Christ. Jesus left Upper Room and walked with disciples to Garden of Gethsemane (1), where he was arrested and taken first to Annas and then to Caiaphas (2). After first trial before political Sanhedrin at Caiaphas’ residence, Jesus was tried again before religious Sanhedrin, probably at Temple (3). Next, he was taken to Pontius Pilate (4), who sent him to Herod Antipas (5), Herod returned Jesus to Pilate at (6), and Pilate finally handed over Jesus for scourging at Fortress of Antonia and for crucifixion at Golgotha (7), (Modified from Pfeiffer et al.17)

Professor M M H Nuri MBBS, FCPS, MRCP, FACC is Chief Executive and Chief Cardiologist of Tahir Heart Institute (THI) Rabwah Pakistan. THI is a state of the art, not-for-profit, partly charitable, heart hospital in the most impoverished region of Punjab, Pakistan.

1. Ahmad MG: Jesus in India., printed in Great Britain at the Alden Press, pp.20, Oxford 1978.
2. Riceiotti G: The Life of Christ, Zizzamia Al (trans), Milwaukee, Bruce Publishing Co, 1947, pp.29-57, 78-153,161-167 & 586-647.
3. Matthew ch:, Mark ch: Luke ch: John ch:, in Holy Bible Authorised (King James) Version. National Publishing Company USA,1978
4. Bucklin R: The Legal and Medical Aspects of the Trial and Death of Christ, Sci Law 1970; 10: 14-26
5. McDowell J: The Resurrection Factor, San Bernardino, Calif, Here’s Life Publishers, 1981, pp.20-53,75-103
6. Edwards WD, Gabel JG, Hosmer FE: On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ^(as), JAMA 1986, 255: 1455-1463
7. Davis CT: The Crucifixion of Jesus: The Passion of Christ from a Medical Point of View, Ariz Med 1965; 22: 183-187
8. Barbet P: A Doctor at Calvary: The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ as Described by a surgeon, Earl of Wicklow (trans), Garden City, NY, Doubleday Image Books 1953, pp.12-18,37-147,159-175,187-208
9. Tenny SM: On death by crucifixion, Am Heart J 1964; pp.68: 286-287
10. Freidrich G: Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Bremiley G (ed-trans) Grand Rapids, Mich, WB Eerdmans Publisher, 1971, Vol.7, pp.572, 573, 632
11. DePasquale NP, Burch GE: Death by crucifixion, Am Heart J 1963; pp.66: 434-435
12. Stroud W:Treatise on the Physical Cause of the Death of Christ and its Relation to the Principles and practice of Chemistry, ed 2, London, Hamilton & Adams 1871, pp.28-156, 489-494
13. Johnson CD: Medical and cardiological aspects of the passion and crucifixion of Jesus, the Christ, Bol Assoc Med PR 1987; pp.70: 97–102
14. Bloomquist ER: A doctor looks at crucifixion. Christian Herald, March 1964 pp 35, 46 – 48
15. The Crucifixion by personal friend of Jesus in to an Esseer Brother in Alexandria, Supplemental Harmonic Series vol II, 2nd ED, Chicago, Indo-American Book Co. 1907, pp.62, 64, 65
16. Lumpkin R: The Physical suffering of Christ, J Med Assoc Ala 1978; 47:8 – 10,47
17. Pfeiffer CF, Vos HF, Rea J (eds): Wycliff Bible Encyclopedia, Chicago, Moody Press, 1975, pp.149–152, 404–405, 713–723, 1173–1174, 1520–1523
18. Robertson AT: A Grammar of Greek New Testament in light of Historical Research, Nashville, Tenn, Broadman Press, 1931, pp.417–427
19. Kim H-S, Suzuki M, Lie JT, et al: Non-bacterial thrombotic endocadities (NBTE) and disseminated intervascular coagulation (DIC): Autopsy study of 36 patients, Arch Pathol Lab Med 1977; 101 : pp.65–68
20. Becker AE, Van Mantgem J-P: Cardiac Tamponade: A study of 50 hearts. Eur J Cardiol 1975; 3: pp.349–358
21. Scott CT: A case of Haematidrosis, Br Med J 1918, pp.532-533

The Credibility of the Resurrection Narratives

Jesus’^(as) Body Placed in the Tomb    

In Mark 15:46 and Luke 23:50-54, Joseph of Arimathea takes the body of Jesus^(as) and lays him in an open tomb. According to Matthew 27:59-60, 66, Joseph of Arimathea takes the body of Jesus^(as), lays it in his own new tomb and the Roman guards secure the front of the tomb. John 19:41 has a different interpretation altogether where Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea take the body of Jesus^(as), anoint him with spices, wrap the body and place it in the open tomb in the garden nearby.

Visiting the Tomb

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

According to Mark 16:1-2, Mary Magdalene, Mary (follower of Jesus^(as)) Mother of James and Salome , take spices to anoint the body and arrived at the tomb when the sun had risen. In Mathew 28:1 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the grave as it began to dawn. According to Luke 24:10, Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James, Joanna, and other women took spices which they had prepared the night before to anoint Jesus^(as) body and they arrived at early dawn. John 20:1 says only Mary Magdalene went to the tomb when it was still dark.

When is the Tomb Stone Rolled Away? Who is at the Tomb?

In Mark 16:3-4,5, the women arrive at the tomb, the tombstone is already rolled away and one angel is sitting on the right side, inside the tomb. According to Matthew 28:1-2, the women arrive at the tomb, there is an earthquake, then an angel appears, removes the tomb stone and sits on it. In Luke 24:2, 4, when they arrived, the stone had already been removed and two angels are standing by the women, inside the tomb. In John 20:1-2, 12, when Mary arrived, the stone had already been taken away, she sees the missing body, runs out and when she comes back the second time then she sees two angels one at the head and the other at the feet where Jesus^(as) was laid.

The Reaction of the Women after Discovering the Missing Body, and the First Appearance of Jesus^(as)

According to Mark 16: 6-8, the angel was told to go and tell the disciples that Jesus^(as) has risen and was travelling towards Galilee. The women left the tomb trembling with fear, and did not say anything to anyone. In verse 9, Jesus^(as) appears to Mary Magdalene. It is not clear where he met her. It was some time after she fled the tomb. Matthew 28:4-8, 9, mentions how the guards shook with fear at the appearance of the angels. The women were told to go and tell the disciples that Jesus^(as) has risen and would see them in Galilee. The women left quickly with joy and ran to let the disciples know, but they met Jesus^(as) on the way in Jerusalem before they saw the disciples. Matthew further adds, in verses 11-14, that while the women were on their way, the guards went into the city and reported what had happened to the chief priests. They assembled with the elders who consulted and decided to give the soldiers a large sum of money, and instructed them to tell people that:

‘You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep. And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.’

They took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

In Luke’s story (24:5-11) the women are terrified, the two angels tell them that Jesus^(as) had risen. They return and inform the disciples, who would not believe them. Peter runs to the tomb and sees the linen wrappings. Luke’s account of the first appearance of Jesus^(as) is different to Matthew and Mark. Luke mentions that on their way home about 7 miles away from Jerusalem in Emmaus, Cleopas and another (not Mary Magdalene) met Jesus^(as) who accompanied them on their way, but they do not recognise him. When they reached the village they asked him to stay, and they recognised Jesus^(as) when he sits to eat with them, but after that, he disappears.

John 20:11-18 gives a completely contradictory account in comparison to the synoptics (Mark, Matthew and Luke). The angels ask Mary why she was crying. As Mary was about to respond, she turned around and saw Jesus^(as), disguised as gardener, standing there. There are no angels giving instructions to Mary in John’s story. On the contrary, in the Fourth Gospel, it is Jesus^(as) who appears to Mary in person, not the two angels, telling her that he has risen. John’s account also does not mention the Roman soldiers, whom Matthew places at the tomb. Without the presence of the guards at the tomb, John’s Mary believed that Jesus^(as)’ body had been removed from the tomb.

Jesus’^(as) Other Appearances after Leaving the Tomb

A tomb near Nazareth dating to the 1st Century. It is likely that Jesus(as) may have been placed in a similar, airy tomb.

It is widely believed that Mark 16:9-20 is a much later insertion which is not found in the earlier ancient manuscripts of the New Testament Gospels. However, the later addition asserts that Jesus^(as) appeared to the eleven disciples telling them to preach to the whole world. However, in Matthew 28:16-20, the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus^(as) had designated. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some were doubtful. Then Jesus^(as) told his disciples to preach: ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.’ In Luke 24:36-49, Jesus’^(as) followers were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. He said to them:

‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’

And then showed them his hands and his feet. He said, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of fish; which he took and ate in front of them. Then Jesus^(as) explains the Law of Moses, the prophets and Psalms to his disciples indicating that they must be fulfilled. According to John 20:19-30, in the evening on the same day, Jesus^(as) met his disciples behind closed doors for fear of the Jews, and he showed them his hands, feet and his side. According to Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus^(as) made this appearance to all the eleven surviving Disciples. Paul’s version mentions the presence of all twelve Apostles (1 Corinthians 15:5), although Judas had long since died (Matthew 27:5, Acts 1:18). Contrary to all this, John’s story places only ten disciples at the scene, Thomas being absent! (John 20:24).

Strangely, Paul never mentions the physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus^(as). He also does not mention the empty tomb, appearances to the Disciples, or the ascension of Jesus^(as) into heaven. In Galatians 1, he mentions that he first met Jesus^(as) in a ‘revelation’ on the road to Damascus, not in the flesh. 1 Corinthians 15; Paul says the original eye-witnesses—Peter, James, the twelve Disciples, and hundreds of others—saw Jesus^(as) the same way Paul did, then he describes how the body that dies is not the body that rises. This indicates quite strongly that Paul did not believe in the physical resurrection, but something completely different.

The Resurrection and Ascension

Many scholars, including Constantine Von Tischendorf—the noted German Biblical scholar and author of Criticial Edition of the New Testament—generally agree that the author of Mark pureposely stopped at verse 16:8. This means that the original version of the Gospel did not describe any post-resurrection appearances of Jesus^(as). According to the later additional verses of Mark 16:14-19, Jesus^(as) went up to heaven and sat at the right hand of God, but there is no clear evidence that this is an accurate reference. There is only one account of the ascension in Luke 24:50-51. This was also omitted in the early ancient texts. The cross-reference to the ascension is in Acts 1:9-12; the author of Acts is also Luke. If the original reference was omitted in Luke, then it does not have much credibility in Acts at all.

Inside the Edicule, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, where many believe Jesus(as) was first buried.

The resurrection narratives would thus be deemed unreliable and a cause for real concern, because of the conflicting inconsistencies. In fact, it appears that the resurrection became a growing legend over time as the Gospels slowly emerged one by one several decades after the crucifixion (each author of the Gospel adds an addition to the story one after the other) because of contradictions in the accounts. The main issue to bear in mind is that, how can it be possible that such a crucial and essential tenet of the Christian faith as the resurrection is recorded so poorly and inaccurately? If this was truly a divine and miraculous event, then surely God would have enabled the account of Jesus’^(as) resurrection to be safeguarded and preserved in its actual form of the Biblical narratives as a primary and fundamental source of reference for its followers.

The Gospel narratives clearly indicate that the appearances to the Disciples were real and actually happened. The evidence that the New Testament narratives provide, are that Jesus^(as) was alive and he was not roaming the world in a supernatural state as a ghost or spirit. He had all the faculties and signs of a living human being, expressing the need to physically eat and drink, and his followers could touch his physical body. He was disguising himself and was hiding out of fear of persecution. Yet he was mindful of his incomplete mission, and continued to guide his disciples whilst in hiding. All of these facts indicate that he was not God. For arguments sake, even if he was, then why would there be a need for God to be incarnated and resurrected? It is very likely and plausible that the idea of the physical resurrection was borrowed from the idea of gods being expected to raise people bodily from the dead. Associating Jesus^(as) with this idea would have been a very easy mistake to make at the time:

‘Babylonian folklore claimed that Tammuz was worshipped during the spring. However, after he was slain, his mother (Easter) so wept that he became alive again. The manifestation of his resurrected life was the arrival of vegetation in the spring. When Jesus^(as) arose in the spring following his crucifixion, logic seemed to dictate a connection between ignominious fable and the glorious fact. Then, when the church later desired to become popular with pagan and saint, it amalgamated the celebration of Jesus^(as) resurrection with the fertility rites, eggs, and other accoutrements of a pagan holiday. After all Easter celebrated the arrival of spring, the resurrection of life from the dead of winter. What could be more appropriate?’^[1]

Earliest Sources

The inaccuracies, contradictions and inconsistencies in the New Testament cast a great shadow of doubt on its reliability and accuracy. In view of this, the most ardent scholars have attempted to go back to the original early sources (ancient texts of the Bible in the form of Codices, fragments and manuscripts) in the aim to try and trace exactly what happened during the life of Jesus^(as). Such ancient sources have come to light through archeological findings. After decades of excavation, archaeological discoveries have provided evidence and assisted researchers in the verifying the reliability of the Old and New Testaments. Some discoveries have shed completely new light on the Biblical stories. Amongst the discoveries were:

A portion of the Codex Sinaiticus, from one of the leaves that at the time was at the University of Leipzig, containing Esther 2:3-8. (The majority of the manuscript is now at the British Library, London: the other parts are in Leipzig, the National Library at St. Petersburg, Russia, and St Catherine’s Monastery at Sinai in Egypt.) (Source: Plate XXII. The S.S. Teacher’s Edition: The Holy Bible. New York: Henry Frowde, Publisher to the University of Oxford, 1896.)

‘Over 1000 previously unknown documents, written in Greek, Arabic, Syrian, Armenian, Ethiopian, Gregorian and Latin. This astonishing collection, buried for nearly 200 years and unknown to the outside world for nearly 2000, must be included in the sequence of major twentieth-century discoveries that includes the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Gnostic Gospels’.^[2]

Amongst the discovered Codices, the masterpiece was the Codex Sinaitcus, which is the oldest surviving Bible in the world. The Codex Sinaticus is also one of the most important witnesses to the Greek text of the Septuagint (the Old Testament in the version that was adopted by early Greek-speaking Christians) and the Christian New Testament. This manuscript of the Christian Bible written in the middle of the Fourth Century has immensely contributed to the reconstruction of the original Christian Biblical text and history.

Resurrection and Ascension References in the Early Texts

When examining early texts, the process of searching for the truth becomes ever more complicated for Christians:

‘According to St Marks Gospel, as contained in Codex Sinaiticus, They went out and ran away from the tomb, beside themselves with terror. They said nothing to anybody, for they were afraid. There, according to codex Sinaiticus, the Gospel of mark comes to an end. It does not so end, of course, in the Authorized Version of the English Bible, nor in the received texts of any of the orthodox Christian Churches. Their version all continued with a further 12 verses.’^[3]

‘The scribe who brought Mark’s Gospel to an end in Codex Sinaiticus had no doubt that it finished at chapter 16, verse 8. He underlined the text with a fine artistic squiggle, and wrote, The Gospel according to Mark. Immediately following begins the Gospel of Luke.’^[14]

In Luke 24:51 we are told how Jesus^(as) left his Disciples following the resurrection. ‘He blessed them, was parted from them, and was carried up into heaven.’ This last phrase ‘and was carried up into heaven’ does not appear in Codex Sinaiticus or in Codex Vaticunus. According to the textual critic C.S.C. Williams, if this omission is correct, then ‘There is no reference at all to the Ascension in the original text of the Gospels.’^[5]

Interestingly, Bentley points out that:

‘The early century manuscripts Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Syriacus, Codex Vaticunus and Codex Bobiensis do not contain the last twelve verses of the Gospel of Mark. This is a notable omission: it is these verses only which contain the description of Jesus^(as) resurrection appearance. Since Mark’s (in accordance with the Synoptic theory, discovery of who wrote first amongst Mathew, Mark and Luke) account seems to be not only the earliest but also that on which Matthew and Luke based their accounts, a question arises: what is the basis for the accounts of Jesus’^(as) bodily resurrection according to Matthew, Luke and John?’^[6]

The Ending of Mark

Regarding the abrupt ending of Mark, Bentley writes:

‘Once we assume that Mark was written first and used by at least two of the other evangelists, we are forced to ask whether or not they, so to speak, watered down what he had to preach. John Fenton makes no bones about this. Mark’s theology, he asserts, was too rigorous for the church, and the revisions that were made by Matthew, Luke and John were adaptations to meet the weakness of human nature. Everywhere in his Gospel, Mark presupposes that Jesus^(as) is alive…The extra twelve verses we have already quoted were probably added by a presbyter named Aristion in the second century.’^[7]

Did Jesus^(as) Predict his Own Resurrection?

‘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 reference relates to a visit by Nicodemus (John 3). Nicodemus was afraid, or ashamed to be seen with Jesus^(as), therefore he would visit him in the night. Jesus^(as) welcomed him. Nicodemus did not talk with Jesus^(as) about the state affairs, though he was a ruler, he discussed his own concerns of his own spiritual state. Jesus^(as) explained the necessity and nature of regeneration or a new birth to be born again. Here Jesus^(as) is talking about a spiritual rebirth and reformation. Nicodemus misunderstood Jesus^(as) and he acknowledged this, which showed his desire to be better informed. What Jesus^(as) was trying to preach was the necessity for change in order to be fit enough to ‘enter into the kingdom of God till we are born again.’ This refers to the hereafter and the Day of Resurrection, not Jesus’^(as) own bodily resurrection and ascension. Christians have interpreted this verse to mean that Jesus^(as) was omnipresent, but Jesus^(as) never made such a claim. What the Biblical references refer to is that he was fearful of times to come and spoke very clearly and openly.

Resurrection Theories

Christians traditionally believe that Jesus^(as) died and rose supernaturally, and miraculously. However, others have provided other theories relating to the empty tomb. One such theory is that Jesus’^(as) body went missing, or was stolen. Regarding this, Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad^(rh), the Fourth Successor to the Promised Messiah^(as) said:

‘We know for certain that the Jews were unhappy and disturbed at not finding the body of Jesus Christ^(as). They wanted to be sure of Jesus’^(as) death and for that they needed the universally acceptable proof of death, that is, the presence of a dead body. Their complaint, lodged with Pilate, evidently displays their uneasiness about its potential disappearance. The real and simple answer, however, lay in the fact that as Christ had not died in the manner that was believed so the question of a missing body was totally irrelevant, and in keeping with his promise he must have left Judea in search of the lost sheep of the House of Israel. Obviously he could not be seen again.’^[8]

Conclusion

Christian belief relies on the historical event of the resurrection. If Jesus^(as) was not bodily resurrected, He was not God, He did not redeem mankind and Christianity would have no standing. As Paul Says:

‘If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!’ (1 Corinthians 15:17.).

If Jesus^(as) could not rise from the dead, He is not the saviour and faith is a lie. The fact remains that God saved Jesus^(as) from dying as a result of the most extreme, shameful form of punishment, that of crucifixion. He did not die as a criminal, openly, shamefully and disgracefully in the eyes of the world:

‘Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.’ (Galatians 3:13).

Jesus^(as) has been a dominant figure in history for over the last two thousand years, but more evidence will continue coming to light to prove that Jesus^(as) did not die on the cross, he was not resurrected and he did not ascend to heaven.  God the Exalted says in the Holy Qur’an:

 ‘O Jesus^(as), I will cause thee to die a natural death and will exalt thee to Myself, and will clear thee from the charges of those who disbelieve, and will place those who follow thee above those who disbelieve, until the Day of resurrection; then to Me shall be your return, and I will judge between you concerning that wherein you differ. (Ch.3:V.56)

Prior to his crucifixion, Jesus^(as) instructed his followers:

These twelve Jesus^(as) 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 10:5-7)

But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. (Matthew 10:23)

Jesus^(as) escaped the clutches of his persecutors and the son of man continued his mission in search of the lost sheep of Israel.

Navida Sayed is on the Editorial Board of The Review of Religions. She has been the Coordinator of the Ahmadiyya Community’s Lajna Research Team UK since 1992, whose work has predominantly revolved around Biblical Studies.

1. Ingraham, Dr David A. (2000). Pagan Traditions. Oklahoma: Bible Belt Publishing.
2. Bentley, J. (1985). Secrets of Mount Sinai the story of finding the world’s oldest Bible – Codex Sinaiticus. London: Orbis Publishing Ltd., p.22
3. Bentley, J. (1985). Secrets of Mount Sinai the story of finding the world’s oldest Bible – Codex Sinaiticus. London: Orbis Publishing Ltd., p.138
4. Bentley, J. (1985). Secrets of Mount Sinai the story of finding the world’s oldest Bible – Codex Sinaiticus. London: Orbis Publishing Ltd., p.139
5. Bentley, J. (1985). Secrets of Mount Sinai the story of finding the world’s oldest Bible – Codex Sinaiticus. London: Orbis Publishing Ltd., p.131
6. Bentley, J. (1985). Secrets of Mount Sinai the story of finding the world’s oldest Bible – Codex Sinaiticus. London: Orbis Publishing Ltd., p.6
7. Bentley, J. (1985). Secrets of Mount Sinai the story of finding the world’s oldest Bible – Codex Sinaiticus. London: Orbis Publishing Ltd., p.145
8. Ahmad, Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Christianity a Journey from Facts to Fiction.