Guide Posts

Guide Posts BROTHERHOOD (Bashir Ahmad Orchard) “Surely all believers are brothers. So make peace between your brothers, and fear Allah that peace may be shown to you.” (Ouran 49:11). Islam lays much stress on brotherhood which involves proffering a cordial attitude towards others. No doubt ties of human relationships vary in depths of affection. This is human nature. One may be intimate with some persons and less so with others. Brotherhood demands a certain standard of respect and goodwill towards everyone. Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad – the third successor of the Promised Messiah and Holy Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam – propagated the maxim: “Love for all. Hatred for none.” The Holy Ouran declares: “0 mankind, We have created you from a male and a female; and We have made you tribes and sub-tribes that you may know one another. Verily the most honourable among you, in the sight of Allah, is he who is most righteous among you. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. ” (49:14). This verse declares the brotherhood and equality of mankind. Having originated from the same source all members of the human race belong to one 1 } I GUIDE POSTS 3 family. Love and respect are the unifying bonds of family life. Peace is an essential ingredient for lasting brotherhood as friction of any kind undermines it. No doubt this is why the Holy Prophet of Islam taught that in the event of any dissent between two Muslims they should not cease talking to one another for more than three days. He also epitomised the spirit of brotherhood with the following exhortation: “0 ye men! your God is One and your ancestor is one. An Arab possesses no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab over an Arab. A white is in no way superior to a red, nor, for that matter, a red to a white, but only to the extent to which he discharges his duty to God and man. The most honoured among you in the sight of God is the most righteous among you.” In times of war and other extremely aggravating situations it is not possible to extend normal courtesies of brotherhood. Never-the-Iess hatred should not be allowed to dominate the heart. The Prophet Muhammad (may peace be on him) showed extreme benevolence towards his enemies and persecutors when he victoriously returned to Mecca with ten thousand followers. The town was at his mercy and it was within his power to make the Meccans severely suffer for their crimes of inhumanity which they had perpetrated against him and his followers for so many years. On the contrary he occupied Mecca without bloodshed and forgave his persecutors. Truly he demonstrated love for all and hatred for none. Love for one another has been the message conveyed by all revealed religions since time immemorial. Three thousand years ago God commanded Moses to proclaim: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (19:18). The same exhortation was promulgated by Jesus (Matthew 19:18; Mark 12:31) as well as to love one’s enemies: “But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Elsewhere we read in the New Testament: “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” (Matthew 5:44). (1 John 3:11). 4 REVIEW OF RELIGIONS “. . . let us love one another.” ” … ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.” (1 John 4:7). (1 Thessalonians 4:9). True believers have been told in the Ouran that they are friends and brothers; and that they should live at peace with one another (8:73; 49:11). Mutual respect is a basic requirement for the maintenance of peace and harmony. The Ouran has provided specific directions in this respect and prohibited spiteful and discourteous conduct towards others: “0 ye who believe! let not one people deride another people, haply they may be better than they, nor let one group of women deride other women, haply they may be better than they. And do not defame your people nor call one another by nick names. It is an evil thing to be called by bad name after having believed; and those who repent not, such are the wrong doers. 0 ye who believe! avoid much suspicion; for suspicion in some cases is a sin. And spy not on one another, neither back-bite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? certainly, you would loathe it. And fear Allah, surely, Allah is Oft-Returning with compassion and is Merciful. ” (49:12, 13). We all fall short of perfection and should bear this fact in mind in our attitudes towards other people. It does not mean we should condone their sins and short-comings but at the same time we should not treat them with contempt for this attitude strikes at the root of brotherhood. Humility and an awareness of our own miserable condition should create within us sympathy and compassion rather than contempt for them. If contempt is to be directed anywhere then it should be towards ourselves.