The ''Review of Religions'' is an English-language comparative religious magazine published monthly by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Regularly in print since 1902, it is one of the longest running Islamic periodicals in English. It has been described as the main publication of the Ahmadiyya movement in the language and as a valuable source material for information on the geographical expansion of Ahmadi activity. The magazine was launched by
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
Mirzā Ghulām Ahmad (13 February 1835 – 26 May 1908) was an Indian religious leader and the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement in Islam. He claimed to have been divinely appointed as the promised Messiah and Mahdi—which is the metaphoric ...
with the aim of conveying an accurate understanding of Islamic teachings across the English-speaking world and dispelling misconceptions held against the faith. The articles, however, typically comprise distinctly Ahmadi perspectives. In addition to the English edition published from
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, the magazine currently publishes separate quarterly editions in German, French and Spanish.
History and impact
The ''Review of Religions'' was established by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in 1902 with the express purpose of disseminating Islamic teachings in the English language. The periodical had three main goals: to inspire new Muslim converts in the Western world who may have felt isolated and reinvigorate their efforts in propagating Islam; to convey a clear understanding of Islam to non-Muslim intellectuals; and to counteract Christian missionary proselytism. The idea that the ''Review'' should publish more articles of a general nature with those specifically connected to the Ahmadiyya movement being printed in a supplement was abandoned early on at Ghulam Ahmad's behest. The ''Review'' targeted Western audiences and focused especially on
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
. The magazine was printed in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
polygamy
Crimes
Polygamy (from Late Greek (') "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, sociologists call this polygyny. When a woman is married ...
, marriage, divorce, slavery and concubinage; and comprised ''inter alia'' a series critiquing various European translations of the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
and a series in refutation of the theory of Quranic abrogation. In addition, the ''Review'' devoted much space to the messianic claim of Ghulam Ahmad and the organisation of the Ahmadiyya movement. In 1902–3, the ''Review'' partly serialised Ghulam Ahmad's treatise '' Jesus in India'' (1908) which put forward the view that
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
had survived crucifixion, left Roman jurisdiction and died a natural and honourable death in
Kashmir
Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
. On the issue of
Jihad
Jihad (; ar, جهاد, jihād ) is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with Go ...
, which was also extensively covered in early editions, the ''Review'' was both the reflection of and the English vehicle for the dissemination of the Ahmadi teaching of jihad "by the pen" in the propagation of Islam. In its critical approach towards Christianity and its doctrines, the ''Reviews style and content led the editor of the '' Calcutta Review'', in April 1902, to suspect that the articles were written by a European. By 1914, the ''Review'' had also begun highlighting the racial relations subsisting within Islam, often in the context of the
racial discrimination
Racial discrimination is any discrimination against any individual on the basis of their skin color, race or ethnic origin.Individuals can discriminate by refusing to do business with, socialize with, or share resources with people of a certain g ...
among Christian missionary institutions of the time.
The editors of the ''Review'' were successful in accessing mainstream publishing outlets in Britain and the United States and the periodical received the appreciation of both Muslim and non-muslim figures of the early 20th century. Ahmadi sources list a number of international endorsements from prominent Europeans of the period including the Russian writer
Leo Tolstoy
Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
and the Dutch Orientalist
Martijn Theodoor Houtsma
Martijn Theodoor Houtsma (15 January 1851, in Irnsum, Friesland – 9 February 1943, in Utrecht), often referred to as M. Th. Houtsma, was a Dutch orientalist and professor at the University of Utrecht. He was a fellow of the Royal Netherlands Ac ...
. Writing in 1918,
Howard Walter
Howard Arnold Walter (August 19, 1883November 1, 1918) was an American Congregationalist minister, author, and hymnwriter.
Born in New Britain, Connecticut on August 19, 1883, Howard Arnold Walter was the son of Henry S. Walter, superintenden ...
, a
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
minister working in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
who was otherwise unsympathetic towards the Ahmadiyya movement, commended the wide range of subjects and the variety of religious groups and currents with which the ''Review'' dealt. In the first decade of the 20th century, the ''Review'' also served as the most significant means of contact between the early Ahmadiyya movement and converts to Islam in Britain and North America before the arrival of Ahmadi missionaries there. The influential Victorian English convert to Islam,
Abdullah Quilliam
William Henry Quilliam (10 April 1856 – 23 April 1932), who changed his name to Abdullah Quilliam and later Henri Marcel Leon or Haroun Mustapha Leon, was a 19th-century convert from Christianity to Islam, noted for founding England's first mo ...
, who described the ''Review'' as a "priceless work" in the defence of Islam, acclaimed the standard of the articles and their effectiveness in answering Christian polemics against
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
. He also reprinted an article from it in his own newspaper, '' The Crescent'' in 1903 and advertised the ''Review'' therein in 1906. Other notable subscribers among Quillam's circle of Muslims who positively received the ''Review'' and were in correspondence with its editors included Djaffar Mortimore, Nur-ud-Din Stephen an Yahya Nasser Parkinson In the United States, Alexander Russell Webb, one of the first converts to Islam in the country who was also in contact with the Ahmadiyya movement, was a regular subscriber and also commented favourably on the ''Review''. Among its American readers was
A. George Baker
Anthony George Baker (February 2, 1849 – February 17, 1918) was an American Protestant clergyman and medical doctor who converted to Islam.
Background
Anthony George Baker was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was the son of German immigra ...
, a contact of Webb and former Protestant clergyman who had converted to Islam and would become one of the earliest Ahmadi Muslims in America. Baker also maintained correspondence with the editors of the ''Review'' and contributed articles for it.
Although the articles were initially intended to feature translations of Ghulam Ahmad's lectures, the ''Review'' soon extended its range to include the writings of prominent followers as well as lectures and articles by Western converts to Islam. British subscribers who contributed articles to the ''Review'' included converts such as the Irish Peer Baron Lord Headley, Yahya Nasser Parkinson and Khalid Sheldrake. Contact between the British Muslim converts and Qadian grew through the ''Review'' under the leadership of Hakim Nur-ud-Din the first Ahmadi caliph, as did their literary contributions towards the magazine; something which may have conveyed the urgency of establishing an Islamic mission in Britain for the Ahmadis in India following Quilliam's departure from England.
The ''Review of Religions'' also played an instrumental role in establishing the Ahmadiyya movement in different parts of the world including in
Mauritius
Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...
(1915) and
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
(1921). The ''Reviews editorial office was transferred from Qadian, India to
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, England by Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud, the then caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, when he visited the city in 1924 to lay the foundation for the first purpose-built mosque in the British capital. The scope of the magazine has since grown to cover a vast array of topics surrounding theology, science, philosophy, history of religions, international politics and contemporary issues. It is mainly based in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, while a considerable amount of its editors are themselves based in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
or
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
International editions
During Ghulam Ahmad's lifetime, the ''Review'' used to be published in both English and
German language
German ( ) is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and Official language, official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Ita ...
as ''Die Revue der Religionen''., based in
Frankfurt am Main
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
. Since 2017, the magazine also has a
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
edition published as the ''Revue des Religions'' based in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. The Spanish edition of the ''Review of Religions'' was launched from
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
in 2018.
Exhibitions
Since 2015, the ''Review of Religions'' has been hosting regular thematic exhibitions covering various religious topics including Islamic art, the
Turin Shroud
The Shroud of Turin ( it, Sindone di Torino), also known as the Holy Shroud ( it, Sacra Sindone, links=no or ), is a length of linen cloth bearing the negative image of a man. Some describe the image as depicting Jesus of Nazareth and bel ...
and Quranic calligraphy. Many of these exhibitions are of an interactive nature and allow for the active participation of Muslim and non-Muslim guests.The ''Review of Religions'' Exhibitions /ref>
Early editors
*
Maulana Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali (; ar, محمد علي; 1874 – 13 October 1951) was an Indian people, Indian writer, scholar, and leading figure of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement.
Biography
Ali was born in Murar, Kapurthala State (now in Ludhiana dis ...
Mufti Muhammad Sadiq
Mufti Muhammad Sadiq (January 11, 1872 – January 13, 1957) was a companion of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and a Muslim missionary in the United States. Sadiq converted over seven hundred Americans to Islam directly, and over one thousand indirectly. Hi ...
*Maulwi Muhammad Din
*
Mirza Bashir Ahmad
Mirza Bashir Ahmad (20 April 1893 – 2 September 1963) was an Ahmadi religious scholar and writer. He was the son of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad who was the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement and who claimed to be the Messiah and Mahdi awaited by Muslims.
...
*
Maulvi Sher Ali
Maulvi Sher Ali Ranjha (24 November 1875 – 13 November 1947) was a prominent Ahmadi scholar and a companion of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who claimed to be the Promised Messiah and the awaited mahdi.
Early life
Sher Ali was born to a well off and e ...
Abdul Rahim Dard
Abdur Rahim Dard, known as A. R. Dard (19 June 1894 – 7 December 1955) was an Ahmadi Muslim writer, missionary, and political activist for the Pakistan Movement, who served as the Imam of the historic Fazl Mosque, the premier gathering plac ...
*Maulwi Farzand Ali
*Sufi Abdul Qadeer Niaz
See also
*''
The Muslim Sunrise
''The Muslim Sunrise'' (formerly ''The Moslem Sunrise'') is a monthly Islamic magazine published by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the United States of America. Founded in 1921 by Mufti Muhammad Sadiq in Highland Park area of Detroit, Michigan ...
''
*''
The Islamic Review The ''Islamic Review'' (1913–1971) was an Ahmadiyya official magazine, first of the Woking Muslim Mission, and then of AAIIL, California (1980–1989). It was founded in London by Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din. Originally the ''Muslim India and Islamic Revi ...