Voice of British Muslim Women

Dur-e-Shewar Anwar, Manchester

In his writings the fourth head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness Mirza Tahir Ahmad (Allah have mercy on his soul), elaborates on the third article of the Islamic faith which states that Muslims must believe that all religions are true. Given the massive discrepancies amongst world religions, on the surface, this ideal might be difficult to reconcile. He explains that at their conception all religions were the same and carried the same message. They were all delivered to mankind by the same Divine Being that we refer to as Allah ^[1]. But the impact of time is substantial; over generations as humans became more connected to the material world, the authenticity of many religions was lost. Many holy ordinances have succumbed to innovations, the pillars of their religion have crumbled and the faith has descended into disorder.

If we delve into the history of religion we discover that as each established religion fell into disarray Allah sent a new Prophet to revive His perfect authentic teachings and lead society back to its Creator. The final revelation came to mankind in the form of Islam, a religion whose holy scripture is eternally preserved and protected by Allah. This does not however ensure protection from harmful innovations in religious practise. Humans are social creatures and as we embed ourselves into a diverse society, religion can become blended with culture, so much so that superfluous rituals become interpolated with the practise of faith. Eventually religion stops serving the moral and spiritual development of mankind and instead serves only material developments ^[2].

In an address His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his Helper), head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community observes that even seemingly small transgressions in the name of social integration or harmless fun can lead to permanent religious impairment ^[3]. In most households around the UK Christmas is considered as an opportunity to spend time with family as everyone is given time off school and work at the same time. With this however many Muslim families have begun to adopt those Christmas customs that either due to their origin or their negative impact are considered harmful innovations in religion. Decorating the home with a Christmas tree and holly are practises borne of pagan rituals in order to ward off evil spirits; a practise that might seem innocuous is tantamount to associating partners with God. Meanwhile indulging in the giving and receiving of lavish gifts can promote materialism within families, particularly young children, and can often lead to Christmas having a greater significance for Muslim children as compared to Eid.

His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his Helper), quotes the teachings of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him); explaining that even practises that would seemingly increase a person’s faith such as incantations can develop in to harmful innovations and be considered more significant than the obligatory Prayers. The emergence of Sufism is an example of this innovation leading to extreme practises, many followers of this sect believe that if a feeling of spirituality can be attained through mental or physical yoga-like practises then there is no need for daily Prayers prescribed in Islam ^[4].

It is related in one hadith that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

“I am terrified at the thought of you falling prey to these innovations and lustful inclinations. I am afraid this may cause great harm to the religion and may lead you astray!”^[5]

A novel form of religious innovation that is settling amongst the new generation of young Muslims has come about through adopting self-serving ideals “live your truth”, “love yourself first” and others with the same basic message. In Islam subduing the nafs (ego) is fundamental to spiritual development and many Islamic teachings are in place to enable Muslims to achieve this ^[6]. Unfortunately whilst these ideals appear to promote freedom of expression and individuality, they are often used as an excuse to deviate from Islamic teachings to satisfy personal desires and egos. This is  similar to the principles underpinning Sufism, where individual judgement of spiritual feeling is considered more significant in religious practise than the specific laws within Islam. As our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) feared, lustful inclinations are leading to an abandonment or manipulation of Islam’s core teachings and warping religious practises.

The Holy Qur’an tells us that tenets of Islam were perfected at the time of their revelation (5:4)^[7]. They are individually substantive. History dictates that harmful innovations in religion ultimately result in their downfall, leading people away from the true purpose of life which is to cultivate a relationship with Allah and worship Him. Through truly understanding the context and purpose of each teaching of Islam and appreciating the benefit of adhering to them we can better defend ourselves from getting lost in the current of society and prevent innovations taking root in our lives.

Allah has promised us that His word as written in the Holy Qur’an will be preserved, but it is our individual responsibility as Muslims to maintain the practise of His Word and protect ourselves from harmful innovations.

References:

1. An Elementary Study of Islam, His Holiness Mirza Tahir AhmadKhalifatul Masih IV^(ra). Available at URL: [https://www.alislam.org/book/study-of-islam]
2. Christianity: A Journey from Facts to Fiction, His Holiness Mirza Tahir AhmadKhalifatul Masih IV^(ra). Available at URL: [https://www.alislam.org/book/christianity-journey-facts-fiction/]
3. Harmful innovations in religion. Friday Sermon delivered by His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad Khalifatul Masih V^(at). Available at URL: [https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2010-10-29.html]
4. Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge and Truth, His Holiness Mirza Tahir AhmadKhalifatul Masih IV^(ra). Available at URL: [https://www.alislam.org/book/revelation-rationality-knowledge-truth/]
5. Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi. His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad Khalifatul Masih V^(at). Available at URL: [https://www.alislam.org/book/conditions-baiat-responsibilities-ahmadi/]
6. The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, His Holiness Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Promised Messiah and Madhi^(ra). Available at URL: [https://www.alislam.org/book/philosophy-teachings-islam/]
7. The Holy Qur’an with English Translation by Malawi Sher Ali, Chapter 5 verse 4.