Adam Abid Alexander, Canada
‘He is Allah, and there is no god beside Him, the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace, the Bestower of security, the Protector, the Almighty, the Subduer, the Exalted. Holy is Allah, far above anything they associate with Him as His partners.‘ [1]
The Source of Peace; this beautiful attribute of Allah was fully manifested in the person of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa). The people of Makkah could not find any fault in his personage due to the fact that he would always remain calm and peaceful in all his interactions.
Upon being commissioned by God as a prophet, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) instructed his followers to adopt his Sunnah – in other words, to do as he does. The Holy Prophet (sa) said, ‘As-Salam (The Source of Peace) is one of the names of Allah which Allah has placed in the earth. Therefore, give the greeting among yourselves.’ [2]
Similarly, there is a beautiful narration of the Holy Prophet (sa) which has been recorded regarding the Prophet Adam (as):
‘When Allah created Adam (as), He said to him: ‘Go and greet that company of angels who are sitting there – and then listen to what they are going to say in reply to your greetings because that will be your greeting and your off-spring’s.’ Adam (as) said to the angels: ‘As-Salamu ‘Alaikum (May peace be upon you).’ They replied: ‘As-Salamu ‘Alaikum wa Rahmatullah (May peace be upon you and the Mercy of Allah).’ Thus, adding in reply to him: ‘wa Rahmatullah (and the Mercy of Allah)’ to his greeting.’ [3]
Hence, this greeting of peace is a supplication to Allah. If we truly mean Allah’s peace to be upon them, and if they sincerely return the same greeting and we continue this serene Sunnah, then we can expect Allah to answer these prayers, showering His mercy and peace upon each person.
What a tranquil image of the future I can see if everyone was greeting each other with this prayer.
Imagine the confidence we would have that peace and security reside in our societies and the reality that “A Muslim is he from whose hand and tongue the Muslims are safe” [4] as emphasised by the Holy Prophet (sa) would be realised.
Today, Ahmadi Muslims pledge to follow the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) who ordained that all men and women who pledge allegiance to him must adhere to ‘Ten Conditions of Bai’at’ which includes the oath, ‘that under the impulse of any passion, he/she shall not cause any harm whatsoever to the creatures of Allah in general, and Muslims in particular, neither by his/her tongue nor by his/her hands nor by any other means’ (Condition IV)
The community which the Promised Messiah (as) had been sent to establish was intended to demonstrate the magnificent attributes of the living God to the entire world.
Therefore, the peace we extend to each other must also be extended beyond just the community and Muslims, to all communities and all people.
The Fifth Caliph and Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba) states ‘We Ahmadi Muslims are sincere in our claim that we do not hate anyone. Moreover, we hold genuine love for all people and are ever ready to extend a hand of friendship to others. Just to give one small example, last year when a local Jewish cemetery was attacked in Philadelphia and their gravestones were desecrated, the local members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community immediately went to offer their support to the Jewish community and to stand in solidarity with them after that despicable crime. We seek no reward or gratitude for such things, because we are merely following what our religion has taught us, which is to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of other faiths and beliefs in their times of need or distress. We champion the right of all people to live their lives, free from discrimination or prejudice.’ [5]
Therefore, to present Allah as the Source of Peace to the entire world, we must illuminate our communities with this greeting and prayer of Allah’s peace upon one another, and then we must illuminate the world with this peace. Everyone should know that Allah is living and the source of peace for all peoples, for all time.
May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you all, Ameen.
About the Author: Adam Abid Alexander accepted Islam Ahmadiyyat in 2008. He now serves as an Imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Canada.
ENDNOTES
[1] The Holy Qu’ran – 59:24
[2] Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 989
[3] Sahih al-Bukhari 6227
[4] Sahih Muslim 41
[5] Reception held to mark Inauguration of Baitul Aafiyat Mosque in Philadelphia 19th October 2018
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