Notes and Comment: Professional Fasting

Ever since his advent, the person and purpose of Jesus(as), Son of Mary, have been the subjects of much debate and discussion. No other prophet has appeared in the entire history of religion whose birth, death, life, teachings and re-advent, have been subject to greater debate than Jesus’(as). This is mainly because the significance of these is not confined to Christianity alone. It transcends the world of Christianity to other world religions, Judaism and Islam in particular. These religions remain at odds with each other about the basic facts of the life and ideology of Jesus(as). Too many myths and legends have emerged in these religions relating to the mission of Jesus(as) to distance man from the realities of life and make faith imaginary. A natural concomi- tant of this is the spread of materialism, immorality and irreligion among contemporary youth initiated, besides other factors, by a fatal trend towards a total rejection of religion in general and disbelief in God in particular. Religion, if it is to have its natural and proper place in spiritual life must be based on incontrovertible facts, the search for and assimilation of which is one of the principal aims of this periodical. It is generally for these reasons that over the last century many pages of this journal have been devoted to the person of Jesus(as) in an attempt to divest him of all false appurtenances of divinity and disentangle the labyrinth of controversy surrounding him. Much of this edition is again devoted to the person of Jesus(as). Muslim Beliefs in Jesus Christ(as) is an excellent summary of the Islamic notions relating to Jesus(as), believed to be a noble prophet and honoured messenger of Allah, holding a unique place among the prophets of Israel. In 2 The Review of Religions – October 2003 Editorial this review of relevant scriptures, the author examines the various schools of thought surrounding the person and mission of Jesus(as). Many conclusions are drawn from this article, the most important, perhaps, being the fulfilment of the prophecies relating to the second advent of Jesus(as) in person of the Holy Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad ( a s ) o f Qadian. Following on from that, in Jesus Versus Finality, Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad(ru) examines, from the vantage point of rationality, the incompatible belief held by the majority of Muslims today that Jesus(as), Son of Mary, would return to earth as a prophet among the Muslims in the Latter Days while still maintaining that the Holy Prophet of Islam(sa) is the last prophet. This belief has arisen from various misin- terpretations of relevant Qur’anic passages and from a misun- derstanding of vital traditions of the Holy Prophet of Islam(sa) on the subject. In this piece, the author has relied purely on logic and common sense which have neither creed nor colour. Rationality, common alike to all peoples and religions, appeals to the human intellect and provides a basis of agreement on this fundamental issue. Amongst other things, it is what makes this article, an extract from the book Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge and Truth, one of the best ever written on the subject. Tommy Kallon – UK 3 Message from Heaven The Review of Religions –October 2003