From: njamil@nyx.cs.du.edu (Nasir Jamil)
Subject: CFD: soc.religion.islam.ahmadiyya (Moderated)
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix @ U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 92 13:11:01 GMT

There had been a lot of discussion on the use of name Islam by


			WHY ISLAM... WHAT IS IN THE NAME.

Ahamdi Muslims. Here is a quote from the 2nd Head of the Ahmadiyya
Movement in Islam's book titled "An Invitation to Islam" which
deals with topic clearly and strongly. 

The Name Ahmadi, Ahmadiyya

"A point I wish to make quite clear at the outset is that the names Ahmadi,
Ahmadiyya, etc., do not point to a new religion. Ahmadis are Muslims and
their religion is Islam. The slightest deviation from it they consider
wrong and degrading. True, Ahamdis have adopted the names Ahmadiyyat,
Ahmadiyy Movement, Ahmadiyya Jamaat and so on, But the adoption of a 
name is not the adoption of a new religion. The name Ahmadiyyat is the
name of a reinterpretation or a restatement of the Religion of the 
Holy Quran. It is a restatement presented under divine guidance by the
Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement. The names Ahmadi, Ahmadiyyt, etc., are
meant only to distinguish Ahmadi Muslims from other Muslims, Ahmadi
interpretation from other interpretations of Islam.

The name Islam.

"The name Islam is the name which God Himself gave to followers of the 
Holy Prophet which long before him had found and honoured place in
the prophecies of earlieer prophets. Thus

 'He [God]] gave you the name Muslims before, as well as in this[the Quran.'
   (Al-Hajj, 79)

and in the Bible:

'Thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall 
name.' (2 Isaiah 62:2)

"No name can be more blessed than the name which God Himself chose for 
His servants and which He invested with importance by making other prophets
prophesy about it. WHO WILL GIVE UP THIS NAME?

"IT IS DEARER TO US THAN OUR LIVES. The religion it connots is for us the
only religion, the only source of spiritual life.

"But as in our time different groups of Muslims, out of regard for their
special beliefs and outlook, have adopted different names, it became
necessary for us to adopt a name to distinguish ourselves from others.
The best name we could adopt was the name Ahamdi or Ahmadiyyat. This
name has a significance for our time. Ours is the time appointed for
the propagation, all over the world, of the Universal Message of the
Holy Prophet of God and for the spread of a knowledge of His Bounty and
Beauty, the time for manifestation of the attribute of Ahmadiayyat, the
attribute of Muhammadiyyat having had its manifestation already. A
better name could not have been adopted.

"We are Muslims heart and soul. We hold the beliefs a true Muslim must
hold, and deny the beliefs a true Muslim must deny. If, in spite of
our sincere subscribing to the truths of Islam and our conforming to
the Commands of God, anybody attributes unbelief, or Kufr, to us and
describes us as innovators or as believers in a new religion, he is
unkind and cruel. He is answerable to God for this. A man may be 
convicted for what he declares with his mouth, not for what he holds
in his heart. For who can say what is in a man's heart? If a person
accuses another of saying one thing and believing another, he raises
himself to the status of God. Only God knows what is in human hearts. Only
He can say what a man thinks and believes. The Holy Prophet (peace be on him)
admitted this human limitation. And yet, who could know another man's
heart better than he? Says he:

	'There are amongst you those who bring their disputes to me.
	I am a man as much as you. It is possible that some amongst
	you may espouse their cause better than others. Therefore, if
	I give to one what is due to another, I give to him a part of
	the fire. It is for him to refuse.' (Sahi-al-Bukhari, Kitabul
	Ahkam, chap Muuzatul-Iman)'

"We read in the Tradition of that Usama bin Zaid was appointed commander
of a division by the Holy Prophet (on whom be peace). Usama confronted
an unbeliever whom he attacked. When he was about to be killed, this
unbeliever recited the Kalima, affirming his faith in the truth of Islam.
Usama killed him nevertheless. When the Holy Prophet heard of this, he
castigated Usama. Usama said in his defence: 'O Prophet of God, he did
so out of fear,' upon which the Holy Prophet said, 'Why? Did you split
his heart to see?' Knowledge of what passes in human hearts is not given
to ordinary mortals. It was not for Usama to guess whether this man's
affirmation of Islam was out of fear or conviction.

"Therefore, we may be condemned for what we declare, not for what may
be supposed to lie in our hearts. What lies in our hearts is known
only to God. He who claims to condemn another for what in in his
heart exceeds his limits and is answerable to God for his excess.

"So, while we of the Ahmadiyya Jama'at declare ourselves Muslims, nobody
has the right to say that our Islam is a pretence; that at heart we deny
Islam or deny the Holy Prophet (peace be on him); that we subscribe to
new Kalima or turn to new Qibla in our prayers. If it was right for
orthers to attribute such things to us, it would be right for us to
attribute such things to others. We could say that their declaration
of Islam is a pretence, that they, God forbid, deny Islam and the
Holy Prophet when they repair to their homes. But we cannot be led
astray by opposition. We will not say of anyone that he says one
thing and believes another; that he has one thing on his lips and another
in his heart. In deference to the Shariyat, our judgment of others will
be based on what they openly affirm and acknowledge."