Message of peace to Islam's detractors on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Forgiveness and restraint: a message at Eid and an insight into Islam's true teachings

Muslims have just finished a month of fasting. The Holy Quran tells us that the purpose of fasting is to enable us to guard against evil. One great evil prevailing at this time is the desire to take revenge for perceived or real injustice by hurting others.

Ramadan teaches us to control such evil desires. Hazrat Abu Bakr (r), a close companion of the Holy Prophet (s), used to help a certain poor man regularly. This man, however, spread false rumours about the character of Hazrat Abu Bakr’s daughter. In his anger, Hazrat Abu Bakr stopped giving this man any money for food. Upon this, Allah sent a revelation through the Prophet Muhammad (s) asking how many humans would survive if Allah withdrew His benefits from every human being who wronged Him. This is the lesson we should have learnt from fasting.

And this is not restricted to dealings between Muslims. The Holy Quran tells us that the whole of mankind is a single nation and that the Holy Prophet Muhammad was sent to the whole of humanity with this message of forgiveness and mercy. Let us open our hearts and not just forgive those who wrong us but extend love towards them and do whatever is required to help them.

_{The Ahmadiyya Association for the Propagation of Islam (Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha‘at Islam) was established in 1914 at Lahore to promote the informed understanding of Islam in the West. In the UK it operated the Shah Jehan Mosque in Woking until the early 1960s. Its new UK headquarters is at Dar-us-Salaam, 15 Stanley Avenue Wembley, HA0 4JQ, UK. In 1924, it built the first mosque on the Continent at Berlin. This mosque is now recognised by the German government as part of the German national heritage. From its European and other centres around the world this organisation has taught that Islam promotes peace, harmony and mutual respect between all communities and nationalities.}

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