The Ireland Visit

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘According to the teachings of Islam the basis of the faith of Islam is only two-fold. Or it could be said that its teaching is based on two main objectives. Firstly, understanding of One God and recognition of His existence; to love and truly obey Him in line with the requisites of love and obedience. The second objective is to expend all one’s faculties in service and compassion of God’s people and to be grateful and gracious to all, from a king to an ordinary person…’

He also said: ‘Teaching of Islam is two-fold: firstly, rights of Allah and secondly, rights of mankind. Rights of Allah include considering Him worthy of obedience and rights of mankind include compassion for God’s creation. It is not good to hurt someone simply due to religious differences.’

There are numerous other similar discourses and writings of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) which draw our attention to our obligations; a matter that the world is currently in need of. This indeed is the teaching which when presented to the world astonishes them. When further features and details of Islamic teachings are explained their astonishment increases because on a general level non-Muslims have only been told by anti-Islam circles that Islam is an extremist faith which usurps rights of others. They refer to the practices of certain Muslim organisations as proof of this which unfortunately some Muslim organisations and people are perpetrating.

Reality is unfolded when example of the Holy Qur’an, blessed model of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) the Rightly Guided Khilafat e Rashida and other Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) is presented before the world. And when it is explained to them that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) was sent in this age with this teaching which Ahmadiyya Muslims try to disseminate as well as practice, the world takes note! Huzoor said he has observed that when the facts are expounded well it has a remarkable effect even on hardened detractors.

Today Huzoor gave some details of how during Huzoor’s recent Irish tour Islamic teachings as explained by him during his Friday sermon and his address at a reception had positive effect on our guests in Galway. Huzoor said Ahmadis must have seen the broadcast of both the events on MTA. Furthermore Huzoor expounded Islamic teachings during interviews, talks with politicians and various well-versed people which were very well received. Huzoor said it is a good quality of the Irish that they openly express their positive or negative impressions, or if they do not like what they hear they keep their own counsel and do not praise something needlessly.

The day after Huzoor arrived in Ireland the Jama’at there had organised a meeting at the Parliament House with some Parliamentarians including the Speaker of the national parliament. He is a very affable, open-minded and fair person. He said he knows about the Jama’at and values its works and said that although the Jama’at in Ireland was small it was very active. He has also personally experienced the efforts of the Jama’at in Africa. Huzoor gave him further information about Jama’at’s services in Africa including building hospitals, providing fresh water and other humanitarian works. What amazed the Speaker the most was that students in our schools in Africa were free to follow their own religious studies and were not bound to study Islam. He was surprised because Christian schools only teach the Bible. The Speaker also said that there are also Christian extremists in places but Christianity is never blamed for their acts. However, wrongdoing by any Muslim is attributed to his religion.

Huzoor said he met many parliamentarians in a cordial atmosphere. Huzoor told them about the advent of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) in accordance with the prophecy of the