There is no doubt that one of the most influential people in the
entire scope of human history is Muhammad, the founder of the great
faith of Islam.
 His religious teachings and the actions of his followers have
touched the lives of billions of people from the seventh century to
today.
There is no doubt that one of the most influential people in the entire scope of human history is Muhammad, the founder of the great faith of Islam. His religious teachings and the actions of his followers have touched the lives of billions of people from the seventh century to today.
A few weeks ago, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community held a public lecture titled “The Character of the Prophet of Islam” at the Morgan Hill Community Center. This lecture was followed by informal discussion and sharing of refreshments among those who attended.
The morning began with a welcome from Irshad Ahmad Malhi, an Imam – meaning spiritual leader – of a mosque in Milpitas.The theme of his presentation was “love for all, hatred for none.”
The main speaker at this event was Muhammed A. Chaudhry, executive director of the Franklin-McKinley Education Foundation, a nonprofit agency in San Jose. Chaudhry opened by cautioning the audience, “Not everyone who claims to be a Muslim is actually practicing what the Quran teaches.”
Chaudhry told a series of stories illustrating what kind of person Muhammad was. They emphasized traits of the prophet such as piety, humility and generosity. For example, when his followers saw Muhammad’s goodness, they couldn’t understand why he was always praying to God for forgiveness. He replied that sins can’t be forgiven for good deeds, which exist because of God’s good grace. In fact, “Good deeds are noble opportunities given to us by God.”
Many instances were related of Muhammad’s good relations with Jews and Christians of his time. Apparently he even opened mosques for anyone to pray to God, not just Muslims.
The discussion that followed the lecture was wide-ranging and good-natured, mentioning the recent violent controversy concerning the infamous Dutch cartoons, as well as the tension between freedom of speech and respect for people and their religious beliefsÂ
Ahmadiyya is a denomination of Islam based in the United Kingdom that is practiced by some 200 million believers in 180 countries. It was established by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who lived from 1835 to 1908 in the Punjab area of India. He claimed to be the expected reformer of latter days, the Awaited One of the world community of religions. His message was peace, universal brotherhood and submission to the will of God.
This movement emphasizes aspects of Islam that non-Muslims rarely hear about: interfaith dialogue, peace, tolerance, love and understanding among followers of different faiths. It firmly believes in and acts upon the Quran teaching that “there is no compulsion in religion.”  And it rejects violence and terrorism in any form for any reason.
Learn more about the Islam faith
‘The Character of the Prophet of Islam’ will take place again at 11am April 22 in the Diana Murphy Room of the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road.
Info: (408) 603-3070
