During a virtual mulaqat of Majlis Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya Germany with Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa, which was held on 29 November 2020, a tifl said to Huzooraa that due to the current circumstances, non-Muslims had a fear of Muslims. He asked as to how one should reassure them?
Huzooraa replied:
“We have always undertaken this effort and have endeavoured [to eradicate this fear] for the past many years. That is why I hold peace symposia and I also admonish you to hold peace symposia, distribute pamphlets promoting peace and explain the true teachings of Islam to the people. The true teachings of Islam are that of love and affection. When you will explain this to people, their fears will be removed. The greater our efforts will be, the more awareness we will be able to spread amongst the people and they will come to know about the true teachings of Islam. Therefore, we should endeavour to spread these teachings to as many people as possible, including our friends. You would have friends in school, who are students like yourself. Explain what the true teachings of Islam are to them.
“The true teachings of Islam are that of love and affection. Islam does not permit any kind of warfare or jihad. As a matter of fact, there are conditions in which Islam has permitted warfare or [so-called] jihad; rather, when the first commandment about jihad was revealed, Allah clearly mentioned in the Holy Quran that Muslims were permitted to undertake jihad because the people were inflicting cruelties upon the Muslims, and if the Muslims did not stop them from committing these cruelties, then churches, Jewish synagogues, temples and mosques would be destroyed.
“So, if Islam permitted jihad, then the sole purpose for this was so that religion could be secured and protected. Under no circumstances does Islam permit jihad [with the sword] or the killing of people in order to spread one’s religion.
“Islam says that if you see someone attacking a Christian church, it is the duty of a Muslim to go and help to save that Christian church. Islam says that if anyone attacks a Jewish synagogue, then you should go to help save that Jewish synagogue. Similarly, Islam instructs that if someone is attacking a Hindu temple, then you should go to help and protect it. One should also protect his own mosque in this way as well. Islam grants protection to everyone.
“Therefore, you ought to openly and clearly explain to people and your friends that this is what is written in the Holy Quran. Tell people that these jihadists or extremists who claim to be Muslims are actually spreading false ideologies and not the teachings of Islam. When you will explain these things to people, they will realise that Islam is a religion that establishes peace and love.”