Guide Posts

The REVIEW of RELIGIONS A monthly magazine devoted to the dissemination of the teachings of Islam, the discussion of Islamic affairs and religion in general. The Review of Religions is an organ of the Ahmadiyya Movement which represents the pure and true Islam. It is open to all for discussing problems connected with the religious and spiritual growth of man, but it does not accept responsibility for views expressed by contributors. All correspondence should be forwarded directly to: The Editor, The London Mosque, 16 Gressenhall Road, London, SW185QL, U.K. Annual subscriptions: U.K. & Europe £12 U.S.A. & Canada $20 /, CONTENTS 1. Guide Posts (BashirAhmad Orchard) 2. Deeds and Results (N.A. Qamar) ; 3. .CommentaryontheBahaiFaith (Paul Kelly) 4. True Islam (Dr.B.M.Mirza) 5. Egypt and Freedom of Religion (Mushtaq Ahmad Bajwa) 6. CurrentAffairs (Rashid Ahmad Chaudhry) 7. Astronomy in the Quran (Saleh Mohammed Alladin) 8. Khitab of Lithuanian-Polish Tartars (Czestewiapicz) Page 12 22 28 33 39 41 47 Guide Posts Treasury of Prayers (Selected by Bashir Ahmad Orchard) In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, The Gracious, the Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgement. Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help. Guide us in the right path — The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings, those who have not incurred Thy dis- pleasure, and those who have not gone astray. (Quran). O Allah, purify my heart from hypocrisy and my conduct from show and my tongue from falsehood and my eyes from treachery; for Thou well knowest the treachery of the eyes and that which the hearts conceal. (Muhammad). O Allah, put Thy light in my heart and in my tongue and in my eyes and in my ears and put Thy light on my right and on my left and above me and below me and in front of me and behind me and put Thy light in the depths of my soul and bestow upon me vastly Thy light. (Muhammad). Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. (Jesus). Grant me the Grace of prayer. (Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad). Lord, take my lips, and speak through them; take my mind, and think through it; take my heart, and set it on fire. (W. L. L. Aitken). Write Thy blessed name, O Lord, upon my heart, there to remain so indelibly engraven, that no prosperity, no adversity shall ever move me from Thy love. Be Thou to me a strong Tower of defence, a Comforter in tribulation, a Deliverer in distress, a very present Help in trouble, and a Guide to heaven through the many temptations and dangers of this life. (Thomas A. Kempis). GUIDE POSTS 3 O God, everything is at your service, so protect me, help me and have mercy on me. , . . (Revealed to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad). Help us, O Lord, with patient love to bear Each other’s faults, to suffer with true meekness; Help us each other’s joys and griefs to share, But let us turn to Thee alone in weakness. (Anon). 0 Lord, forgive my sin, And deign to put within A calm, obedient heart, a patient mind; That I may murmur not, Though bitter seem my lot; : For hearts unthankful can no blessing find. (Rutilius). Our Lord, we have heard a Caller calling unto faith: Believe ye in your Lord; and we have believed. Our Lord, forgive us, therefore, our errors and remove from us our ills, and in death number us with the righteous. Our Lord, grant us that which Thou hast promised us through Thy Messengers and humiliate us’not on the Day of Judgement.’ Surely Thou doest not contrary to Thy promise. (Quran). Take my life, and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my moments and my days; Let them flow in ceaseless praise. (F. R. Havergal). Renew Thine image, Lord in me, Lowly and gentle may I be; No charms but these to Thee are dear, No anger mayst Thou ever find, No pride in my unruffled mind, But faith, and heaven-born peace be there. (P. Gerhardt). 1 pray that your hearts may be purified and that all vices and corruptions and evil incitements may be removed from you, that the Satan of arrogance, vanity, self seeking and selfishness and meekness should prepare your breasts for the reception of your Lord, and then Allah should descend upon them and fill them with every type of blessing. May He illumine your hearts and souls with every type of light. May God REVIEW OF RELIGIONS cause that fountains of human sympathy and compassion should burst forth from your pure breasts and the whole world should become the • beneficiary of your selfless service. (Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad). Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy steadfast love; according to Thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my inquities, and cleanse me from my sin. (Book of Psalms). Lord, be Thou near and cheer my lonely way; With Thy sweet peace my aching bosom fill; Scatter my cares and fears; my griefs allay, And be it mine each day To love and please Thee still. (P. Corneille). Lord I my vows to Thee renew; Disperse my sins as morning dew; Guard my first springs of thought and will, And with Thyself my spirit fill. (Thomas Ken). Lord, I have given my life to Thee, And every day and hour is Thine,— What Thou appointest let them be; Thy Will is better, Lord, than mine. (A. Warner). Thou Who hast given so much to me, give one thing more, a grateful heart. (George Herbert). My Lord, forgive and have mercy, for Thou art the best of those who show mercy. (Quran). Lord, grant me righteous progeny. (Abraham). Lord, I have been afflicted with distress and Thou art the Most Merciful of all who show mercy. (Job). Send down Thy likeness from above; And let this Thy adorning be: • Clothe me with wisdom, patience, love, With lowliness and purity. (Joachim Lange). GUIDE POSTS J Make me patient, kind and gentle, Day by Day; Teach me how to live more nearly As I pray. • . . (Sharps Magazine). Save us from the evil tongue, From the heart that thinketh wrong, From the sins, whate’er they be, That divide the soul from Thee. (Anon). May my Lord strengthen your faith and characterise it with sincerity and devotion. May your conduct in the cause of Allah be full of sincerity and zeal and free from every suspicion of disorder. May Allah so ordain that the ways you adopt should lead you to success and prosperity. May you ever dwell in the gardens of my Lord and be occupied with His praise and glorification, and may your greeting for each other be one of peace and may you be the recipients of peace from your Lord. (Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad). Teach me, my God and King, In all things Thee to see, And what I do in anything, To do it for Thee. (G. Herbert). Plant in us a humble mind, Patient, pitiful and kind; Meek and lowly let us be, Full of goodness, full of Thee, (C. Wesley). O most Merciful and Gracious God, Thou fountain of all mercy and blessing, Thou hast opened the hand of Thy mercy to fill me with blessings, and the sweet effects of Thy loving-kindness. Thou feedest us like a Shepherd, Thou lovest us as a Friend, and thinkest on us •perpetually, as a careful mother on her helpless babe, and art exceeding merciful to all that fear Thee. As Thou hast spread Thy hand upon me for a covering, so also enlarge my heart with thankfulness; and let Thy gracious favours and loving-kindness endure for ever and ever upon Thy servant; and grant that what Thou hast sown in mercy, may spring up in duty; and let Thy Grace so strengthen my purposes that I may sin no more, but walk in the paths of Thy commandments; that I, living here to the glory of Thy name, may at last enter into the glory of my Lord, to spend a whole eternity in giving praise to Thy ever-glorious name. (Jeremy Taylor). REVIEW OF RELIGIONS Lord, without Thee I can do nothing; with Thee I can do all. Help me by Thy grace, that I fall not; help me by Thy strength, to resist mightily the very first beginnings of evil, before it takes hold of me; help me to cast myself at once at Thy sacred feet, and lie still there, until the storm be overpast; and if I lose sight of Thee, bring me back quickly to Thee, and grant me to love Thee better, for Thy tender mercy’s sake. (Archbishop E. W. Pusey). This is my prayer to Thee, my Lord- Strike, strike at the root of penury in my heart. Give me the strength lightly to bear my joys and sorrows. Give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service. Give me the strength never to disown the poor or bend my knees before insolent might. Give me the strength to raise my hand above daily trifles. And give me the strength to surrender my strength to Thy will with love. (R. Tagore). God be in my head, and in my understanding; God be in mine eyes, and in my looking; God be in my mouth, and in my speaking; God be in my heart, and in my thinking; God be at mine end, and at my departing. (Sarum Primer). 0 Lord, help us to be masters of ourselves, that we may be servants of others. (A. Paterson). Oh, take this heart that I would give Forever to be Thine own; 1 to myself no more would live,— Come, Lord, be Thou my King alone. (G. Tersteegen). O Lord, my God, Fountain of all true and holy love; Who has made me, and preserved me, that I might love Thee; give to Thy servant such a love, that whatsoever in Thy service may happen contrary to flesh and blood, I may not feel it; that humility may be my sanctuary, and Thy service the joy of my soul, and death itself the entrance of an eternal life, when I may live with Thee, my Strength and my Refuge, my God and everlasting Hope. . (Jeremy Taylor). GUIDE POSTS 7 O Maker of the heaven and the earth, Thou art my Protector in this world and the Hereafter. Let death come to me in a state of submission to Thy will and join me to the righteous. (Joseph). Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves; and if Thou forgive us not and have not mercy on us, we shall surely be of the lost. (Adam and Eve). God, who touches earth with beauty, Make me lovely too; With Thy Spirit re-create me, Make my heart anew. Like Thy springs and running waters, Make me crystal pure; Like Thy rocks of towering grandeur, Make me strong and sure. Like Thy dancing waves in sunlight, Make me glad and free; Like the straightness of the pine-trees Let me upright be. Like the arching of the heavens, Lift my thoughts above; Turn my dreams to noble action — Ministries of love. God, who touchest earth with beauty, Make me lovely too; Keep me ever, by Thy Spirit, Pure and strong and true. (Mary S. Edgar). O Lord, give us more charity, more self-denial, more likeness to Thee. Teach us to sacrifice our comforts to others, and our likings for the sake of doing good. Make us kindly in thought, gentle in word, generous in deed. Teach us that it is better to give than to receive, better to forget ourselves than to put ourselves forward; better to minister than to be ministered unto. And unto the God of Love be all glory and praise, both now and for evermore. (H. Alford). Quench Thou the fires of hate and strife, The wasting fever of the heart; From perils guard our feeble life, And to our souls Thy peace impart. (J. H. Newman). REVIEW OF RELIGIONS We ask Thee, O Lord, that we may be so filled with holy thoughts that our earthly life may be inspired with the spirit of Heaven. May we go to and fro about our business as those who have seen the face of God. (F. B. Meyer). Help us to worship Thee by righteous deeds and lives of holiness. (Christina Rossetti). Take away from our hearts, O Lord, all suspiciousness, indignation, wrath and contention, and whatsoever may.hurt charity, and lessen brotherly love. (Thomas A. Kempis). O Allah! Make me from among those who repent of their sins and from among those who keep themselves pure and clean. Lord, forgive me and have mercy on me, and provide for me and guide me and make good my shortcomings and raise me up, and grant me security and overlook my defaults. (Muslim prayers). Sanctify, O Lord, I beseech Thee,, my heart which Thou hast created, and cast out from it all wickedness; Fill it and keep it filled with Thy grace, that I may be made a temple worthy for Thee to dwell in, Thou art sweeter than honey, brighter than the sun, more pleasant to the taste than nectar, more precious than gold and fine jewels. Mayest Thou alone give pleasure to my soul, may Thou be the only object of my earnest longing and desire. (Louis de Blois). Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace, Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there isp doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; . Where there is darkness, light And where there is sadness, joy. (St. Francis of Assisi). Grant, Lord, that I may not, for one moment, admit willingly into my soul any thought contrary to Thy love. (Archbishop E. B. Pusey). Lord grant us good in this world and in the Hereafter; also grant us good and safeguard us against the torment of the Fire. (Quran). O God, the Light of every heart that sees Thee, the Life of every soul that loves Thee, the Strength of every mind that seeks Thee, grant me ever to GUIDE POSTS 9 continue steadfast in Thy holy love. Be Thou the joy of my heart; take it all to Thyself, and therein abide. The house of my soul is, I confess, too narrow for Thee; do Thou enlarge it, that Thou mayest enter in; it is ruinous, but do not. It has that within which must offend Thine eyes; I confess and know it; but whose help shall I implore in cleansing it, but Thine alone? To Thee, therefore, I cry urgently begging that Thou wilt cleanse me from my secret faults, and keep Thy servant from presumptuous sins, that they never get dominion over me. (St. Augustine). I worship Thee, O my God, with all my best love and awe, with my fervent affection, with my most subdued, most resolved will. O make my heart beat with Thy heart. Purify it of all that is earthly, all that is proud and sensual, all that is hard and cruel, of all perversity, of all disorder, of all deadness. So fill it with Thee, that neither the events of the day nor the circumstances of the time may have power to ruffle it; but that in Thy love and Thy fear it may have peace. (John Henry Newman). Take my lips, and speak through them; take my mind and think through it; take my heart and set it on fire. (F. B. Meyer). Allah, I seek refuge with Thee against going astray or being led astray, or wronging anybody or being subjected to misbehaviour. (Muslim prayer). O Thou most sweet and loving Lord, Thou knowest my infirmities, and the necessities which I endure; in how great evils and sins I am involved; how often I am weighed down, tempted and disturbed by them. I entreat of Thee consolation and support. I speak to Thee Who knowest all things, to Whom all my inward thoughts are open, and Who alone canst perfectly comfort and help me. Thou knowest what things I stand in need of. Behold, I stand before Thee poor and naked, calling for grace, and imploring mercy. Refresh thy hungry supplicant, kindle my coldness with the fire of Thy love, enlighten my blindness with the brightness of Thy presence. Suffer me not to go away from Thee hungry and dry, but deal mercifully with me, as often-times Thou has dealt wonderfully with Thy saints. (Thomas A. Kempis). Oh God, please forgive us for forgetting you at times, Forgive us for our wrongs, correct our petty crimes. Help us to improve till we attain that perfection, Our aim is for Paradise, not the place of correction. (Shahana Zafar Mirza). 10 REVIEW OF RELIGIONS O Lord, long-suffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth, fill us, I beseech Thee, with graces. Make us long-suffering and patient, cordial and sympathizing, kind and good; teach us to hold and speak the truth in love, and to show mercy that we also obtain mercy. (Christina C. Rossetti). Enlighten our souls with the brightness of Thy presence. May Thy Grace sink deeper into our hearts, purifying the springs of thought and action. (F. B. Meyer). Beloved Lord, come to our help. Make firm our convictions and our faith so that we should incline wholly towards Thee with all our hearts and all our desires and our full understanding, and with all our limbs and our lands and our cultivations and our commerce and our industry and our professions. Make us turn away from everything that is besides Thee. Let nothing besides Thee have any existence in our estimation. We should obey and follow Thee alone. O Creator of all and Master of all, why should we take any pride in wealth or the owner of wealth, and why should we be deceived by them? We present ourselves, in Thy court of honour in the guise of the humble and the meek. We rej ect the world and part from it. We love the Hereafter and desire that alone. (Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad). Set my heart on fire with the love of Thee, and then to do Thy will, and to obey Thy commandments. (F. M. Meyer). O Thou, Whose name is Love, Who never turnest away from the cry of Thy needy children, give ear to my prayer this morning. Make this a day of blessing for me, and make me a blessing for others. Keep all evil away from me. Preserve me from outward transgression and from secret sin. Help me to control my temper. May I check the first risings of anger or sullenness. If I meet with unkindness or ill-treatment, give me that charity which suffereth long and beareth all things. Make me kind and gentle towards all, loving even those who love me not. Let me live this day as if it were to be my last. O my God, show me the path that Thou wouldst have me to follow. May I take no step that is not ordered by Thee, and go nowhere except Thou, Lord, go with me. (Ashton Drenden). Lord, grant us the best in this world as well as the best in the world to come. (Quran). GUIDE POSTS 11 If I can do some good today, 11 can serve along life’s way, If I can something helpful say —• Lord, show me how. If I can right a human wrong, If I can help to make one strong, If I can cheer by smile or song — Lord, show me how. If I can aid one in distress, If I can help to make a burden less, If I can spread more happiness •—• Lord, show me how. If I can do a kindly deed, If I can help someone in need, If I can sow a fruitful seed —• Lord show me how. If I can feed a hungry heart, If I can give a better start, If I can fill a nobler part — Lord, show me how. (Grenville Kleiser). O fill me with Thy presence, Lord, That love may shine through me To quicken that same presence, Lord, In all whose eyes can see. (Ernest C. Wilson). May I grow in patience and fortitude of soul, in humility and zeal, in spirituality and a heavenly disposition. (F. B. Meyer). All that we ought to have thought and have not thought, All that we ought to have said and have not said, All that we ought to have done and have not done; All that we ought not to have thought and yet have thought, All that we ought not to have spoken and yet have spoken, All that we ought not to have done and yet have done, For thoughts words and works, we repent O God, and ask forgiveness. (Zendavesta). O God, may we be more gracious to those around us. (F. B. Meyer).