Reposted from the web

Summary: This Vancouver Muslim travel guide continues the journey with an Ahmadiyya mosque visit, conversations with Pakistani-Canadian worshippers, Quran reflections, local hospitality, airport trouble, and the author's final move toward Calgary after a colorful Canada trip.



The Ahmadiyya movement started in the Punjab region of India in the 19th century. Its founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908), claimed to be the savior Mahdi. Although this group claims to follow all the scriptures and laws brought by the Prophet Muhammad, mainstream Islam today still considers them heretical. The Al-Azhar Fatwa Committee spent over a year studying them and concluded that Ahmadiyya are not Muslims, mainly because they believe there are prophets after the Prophet Muhammad.



Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

Ahmad believed that after Jesus was crucified, he did not ascend to heaven. Instead, he woke up in the tomb, traveled to Roza Bal in Kashmir, India, to find the lost tribes of Israel, and lived there until he died.



Everyone I met at this mosque that day was a Pakistani-Canadian. Their prayer rituals were no different from traditional Islam. After talking to them, I learned that their ancestors had accepted Ahmadiyya, which has a history of over a hundred years since its founding.



Regarding the Five Pillars, Ahmadiyya also follow the Quran and Sunnah. Ten years ago at the Beijing International Book Fair, I picked up some of their books, including a Chinese version of a Quran commentary by Zhou Zhongxi, 'Basic Questions and Answers about Islam,' and a Chinese translation of 'The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam' by Ahmad. I have also visited their website and have some understanding of their basic claims.



The people in the mosque were very excited. They did not expect that I, a Chinese person from Beijing, would know anything about them. I had planned to leave, but they invited me into their office, served me tea and desserts, and brought out some Chinese materials to give to me.



I listened to them talk about their experiences. Because they are an illegal organization in Pakistan, they faced persecution and came to Canada as refugees. They now hold Canadian passports. They are usually afraid of meeting fellow Pakistanis abroad because most Pakistanis do not recognize them. As soon as Pakistanis hear they are Ahmadiyya, they turn around and leave, unwilling to say a single word.



But they say Ahmadiyya is exactly the same as Islam, yet the world just does not understand. Currently, there are over 10 million Ahmadiyya followers worldwide. About 4 million are in Pakistan, and the rest are mainly distributed across Africa, Europe, America, and Southeast Asia. Most of the followers are of South Asian descent.



Ahmadiyya believe the Prophet Muhammad is the Seal of the Prophets, meaning he validates all previous prophets. They believe that after the Prophet Muhammad, while no new scripture would be revealed, people would still receive revelations from Allah. The Prophet Muhammad once prophesied that the Mahdi would come to lead all Muslims to unity and victory. They believe this person has already arrived, has the character of Jesus, and is the Indian man, Ahmad.



Hakeem Noor-ud-Din (1834-1914), the first successor of Ahmadiyya

The first caliph oversaw the translation of the Quran into English. During his lifetime, many famous people studied under him, including the Egyptian leader Muhammad Ali. This English translation later reached China, where people who did not know the full story used it as a reference for writing Quranic commentaries.



To be honest, after reading their work, I am impressed by their academic skills. These Ahmadiyya followers are not ignorant people. On the contrary, they are well-read in scriptures, good at citing sources, quick-thinking, and very persuasive.

I understand their way of thinking, but I cannot accept their claims. I also know that faith is not always rational. You cannot always use logic to explain right and wrong between religions. Whether you believe or not often comes down to a single thought.



If I have to give a reason for not believing, the main point is that over more than a hundred years of missionary work and five generations of caliphs, the Ahmadiyya movement has had very little influence on the world, almost to the point of being negligible. Even though they claim to have millions of followers in over two hundred countries, they have not influenced our politics or daily lives. They are not even as well-known as political leaders like the American Founding Fathers or Marx. How can a savior have less influence on the world than some thinkers and political leaders?



As for the minor details this group argues about, I do not think they are worth debating. You cannot even change the ideas of one Sufi order (menhuan) to another through debate. Every sect has descriptions of its own spiritual masters that outsiders cannot understand. If you understand how various Sufi groups developed, you will not be surprised by the rise of the Ahmadiyya.



The rise of the Ahmadiyya has a historical context. In 19th-century India, it was a time of political turmoil, followed by the partition of India and Pakistan. People were suffering and felt the end of the world was coming. It was just like when the Mongol army marched west in earlier times; people then also thought the end had arrived. In such a social environment, many were unhappy with the world and hoped for a savior to appear.



At the same time, someone in Africa also claimed to be the Mahdi, but he was wiped out shortly after. Do not simply think of these people as scammers. Some self-proclaimed religious leaders truly believe they are special and do not think they are lying. If a person lives in isolation for a long time and is malnourished, they might have hallucinations. They might believe they really heard revelations from Allah. Then, through rumors spread by people who do not know the truth, it eventually ferments into a new religious group.



So the problem is not what they said or did, but what their appearance brought to this world. At least for now, most Chinese Muslims have never heard of this Mahdi. He has had no influence on our lives. He has been gone for over a hundred years, and our world has not become a better place because of the arrival of a savior.



In fact, since the Prophet Muhammad, no new religious group has reached world-class influence. Most only spread within specific regions or groups. The world does not run or develop under the leadership of a new religious leader. If their god only intended to save that small group of people who think they have the truth, that would be too narrow-minded.



Even in India and Pakistan, where the Ahmadiyya began, the region did not become more prosperous or united because of the savior's arrival. Instead, his arrival led to even more conflict.



Ahmadiyya Quran translations in various languages, including the Chinese version.



The person on the right in the photo above is the fifth and current Caliph, Mirza Masroor Ahmad (1950-). Born in Pakistan, he is the nephew of the fourth Caliph (left), Mirza Tahir Ahmad, as his mother was the fourth Caliph's sister. He now lives in the UK and has visited Vancouver many times, where members of the mosque have met him often.



The second and third Caliphs.

The Ahmadiyya community restored the Caliphate system. They choose successors through internal nomination rather than hereditary succession or public election, and there is no requirement for the Caliph to be from the Hashim family.



Congratulatory messages sent by various Canadian government officials for the 50th anniversary of the Ahmadiyya community.









The Ahmadiyya motto: Love for all, hatred for none.





Kitchen.

I asked them about their dietary rules, which are the same as ours, so they do not eat just anything. They also introduced me to some reliable halal chain restaurants in Canada.



Saying dua before and after meals.



Abdus Salam.

He is likely the most famous Ahmadiyya follower. Abdus Salam was Pakistani and won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1979. He was the first Pakistani Nobel laureate and served as the head of the Pakistani delegation to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Because his faith was not officially recognized, he later chose to leave Pakistan. He passed away in Oxford in 1996, and his body was returned to Pakistan. His grave is in Rabwah, Pakistan. The tombstone originally stated he was the first Muslim to win a Nobel Prize, but the word Muslim was later covered up.

However, as far as I know, Egyptian President Sadat won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978, a year before Salam. Does that mean the Peace Prize does not count as a Nobel Prize? Or does Sadat not count as a Muslim?



The tombstone of Abdus Salam.



Salam meeting with Kennedy.

Salam said: The Quran tells us to reflect on the laws of nature created by Allah. Our generation is lucky to have caught a glimpse of a part of Allah's design. This is a blessing, and I express my gratitude with a humble heart.

When reading his Nobel Prize in Physics acceptance speech, he quoted the Quran: He created seven heavens in layers. You cannot see any flaw in the creation of the Most Merciful. Look again! What kind of flaws can you actually see? Then look twice more, and your eyes will return to you, dazzled and weary! (67:3-4) In fact, this is the belief of all physicists. The deeper we explore, the more we are amazed, and the more dazzled we become.



The current Caliph once attended the groundbreaking ceremony for this mosque.



The Ahmadiyya movement repeatedly emphasizes that the meaning of jihad is not aggression or starting a war, but rather inner spiritual practice. Force may not be used unless it is to resist oppression.



A small incident happened when I left Vancouver to head to my next stop, Calgary. People at the Ahmadiyya mosque learned I was going to the airport and immediately offered to drive me. They told me not to rush and that we could chat a bit more. Later, an uncle drove me. I reminded him several times on the road that the airport I was going to was not Vancouver Airport, but another one. He said he understood, but he still took me to the wrong place. He then called another person from the mosque and asked him to wait for us there. This person was a taxi driver. We returned and switched to his car so he could take me to the airport, which was faster. I switched to the taxi to continue to the new airport. On the way, the driver said I needed to pay. I said no problem. For the 50-kilometer trip, the meter showed over 120 dollars. I asked him for a discount, and he finally charged me 100 dollars and did not ask for a tip.

Luckily, my flight was delayed by another hour, so I didn't miss it. If I had taken the bus to the airport myself, I wouldn't have spent 100 dollars. I wanted to save some money, but ended up losing a lot instead. I believe the man didn't mean to lead me the wrong way, but maybe this experience was a little warning for me?



My next stop is Calgary, the most affordable city in Canada. I am going to see Banff National Park, which is just like a copy of northern Xinjiang. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Muslim life guide from Vancouver covers the MDRT annual meeting, Muslim insurance professionals from different countries, mainland Chinese attendance changes, halal finance discussions, Islamic insurance ethics, Muslim representation in the industry, and reflections on dignity and protection.

Gathering with Muslim Insurance Professionals from Around the World at the MDRT Annual Meeting in Vancouver is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: The Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) started in the United States in 1927. At that time, 32 life insurance agents who sold over one million dollars in policies wanted to form a forum to promote high standards in life. The account keeps its focus on Muslim Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.

The Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) started in the United States in 1927. At that time, 32 life insurance agents who sold over one million dollars in policies wanted to form a forum to promote high standards in life insurance sales and improve the image of insurance professionals.



Since then, the MDRT annual meeting has been held every year in either the United States or Canada. Last year it was in the U.S., and this year it is at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Canada.



Vancouver Convention Centre

This year's attendance is very different from previous years. Before 2019, as the Chinese insurance market grew rapidly, the total number of attendees from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan was the highest, and it increased every year. This year, however, the Mandarin speakers I saw at the venue were mainly from Taiwan, with a reported attendance of over 600 people. Very few people came from Hong Kong, reportedly fewer than 30. Among the East Asian faces, there were many from Japan and South Korea, while the largest groups from Southeast Asia were from Singapore and Thailand.



The sharp drop in attendees from mainland China may be related to political and economic factors. For one thing, we do not have direct flights to Canada, so most people have to transfer, which takes a long time. Prices in North America have soared in recent years, making a round trip very expensive. On the other hand, many of our colleagues could not get visas. I only saw a single-digit number of colleagues from my own company at the venue, even though over a thousand of us actually met the criteria to attend.



2024 MDRT President Gregory B. Gagne, ChFC

Another objective factor for the sharp decline in mainland attendees is that many large state-owned insurance companies no longer organize trips to the U.S. in an official capacity. Award winners have to go on their own. Instead, they attend insurance award ceremonies held within China, such as the International Management Associate (IMA) awards ceremony I attended last year. Although it is nominally an international award, everyone who attended was an insurance elite from the mainland.



The group in the picture above is the Thai delegation taking a group photo. They are easy to recognize because they are wearing traditional Thai clothing.



This is a delegation of middle-aged Japanese women (obasan). This is just the tip of the iceberg for the Japanese delegation, as the Japanese MDRT is not made up entirely of middle-aged women.



This is my conference badge. You must have it to enter during the meeting. There are guards at the entrance of every venue, so it is hard to sneak in without one. The badges are different every year.



On the first day of the conference, I met this young woman from Jordan. She was easy to recognize because she wore a headscarf. I showed her some articles I translated about Islamic insurance law (sharia), and she was very surprised. She took photos of my articles and translated them into Arabic. It felt amazing to share knowledge about insurance law with an Arab person in this way.



The venue provides simultaneous interpretation services. Everyone gets a small translation device where they can select a language they understand.



These people are all veteran North American members of many years, and the bald man holding the microphone has been a member for over twenty years.



One of the keynote speakers was a person with dwarfism. This was a heartwarming moment for me. MDRT usually invites ordinary people, grassroots elites, rather than celebrities to stand on stage. Each guest shares their personal growth and shows their family life, which makes the audience feel it is real.



The Malaysian MDRT delegation was very warm. The young women asked where I was from. I said I am a Chinese Hui Muslim. They asked which province, and I said I am from Beijing. I showed them photos of my family's Hajj pilgrimage. They were very excited and immediately called over a colleague who spoke Chinese to take a photo with me.



They belong to a Muslim insurance company in Malaysia and asked me if there are any Muslim insurance products in China. I said there are none in mainland China yet, and only a few insurance companies in Hong Kong have Muslim insurance businesses. Perhaps this will open up in the future.

I covered the topic of Muslim insurance in my previous article, Mustafa Zaka: Traditional Commercial Insurance Complies with Sharia.

I introduced it there.

According to current scholars, so-called Muslim insurance is not feasible in practice. This is because there are no Muslim reinsurance companies in the world today that can support Muslim insurance companies. Also, because Muslim insurance adds operating costs to its design, the products are expensive and offer weak coverage, making them uncompetitive in the market. They rely more on the sentiment of the faithful to pay for them, which limits the development of Muslim insurance. Therefore, we should re-evaluate the Sharia regarding traditional insurance and allow Muslims to purchase commercial insurance.



I met a very kind uncle from Singapore. He has worked in insurance for thirty years, and his daughter has been in the industry for nine years. Both father and daughter have achieved Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) membership. It is a case of a daughter following in her father's footsteps. Many insurance professionals overseas, like this uncle, treat insurance as a lifelong career.

The insurance market in Singapore is different from the mainland. Mainland insurance teams can be very large with no upper limit on members, but in Singapore, you can only form a small team of up to 15 people. Also, there are not many insurance companies in Singapore, so customers have fewer choices and competition is fierce. The uncle has an annual salary of 400,000 Singapore dollars, which is equivalent to over 2 million RMB. This income would rank in the top 100 at my company, but he is very frugal in his daily life. He said that when he meets clients, he just chooses an ordinary coffee shop because he does not want to project an image of being very wealthy.



Besides meeting insurance elites from various countries, I also met two colleagues from my company who live in Canada. Even though their time zone is the complete opposite of China's, it does not stop them from qualifying for the Million Dollar Round Table for many years in a row. This is one of the reasons I chose Mingya, as it allows me to do my job from any corner of the globe.



Both of these colleagues come from wealthy backgrounds, but they still work hard and stay positive. They did not just lie flat while living abroad. You could say that the momentum successful people have makes them unwilling to be mediocre in any environment, leading them to achieve outstanding results.



Every year, MDRT attracts tens of thousands of insurance elites from all over the world, but looking around the venue, the number of Muslims is very small. It is possible that I did not recognize some of the male Muslims, but I expect the number of this group is not very high. This is completely disproportionate to the fact that Muslims make up one-fifth of the world's population.



The people in the blue caps in the photo above are MDRT Jews. Insurance is already widely accepted in Judaism and Christianity, and North America has a very mature insurance industry. A century ago, they used the influence of the church to make insurance a part of daily life. Fortunately, Islamic legal scholars in North America, such as Ibrahim Khan and Monzer Kahf, also have an open attitude toward insurance.

Ibrahim Khan: Is insurance halal?

A collection of fatwa Q&As on insurance by Professor Sheikh Monzer Kahf.

In modern society, insurance has become a necessity. If a person lacks health insurance or retirement insurance, it is hard for them to live a worry-free and decent life. It is easy to issue a religious ruling that bans insurance, but these scholars do not provide alternatives for what to do instead. The difficulties this causes for the lives of Muslims are very real. Becoming an actuary is one of the hardest certifications in the world, taking an average of 10 years to complete. Since insurance is such a complex financial product, how can it be easily declared illegal?



A cruise ship heading to Alaska.

Look at the fundraising links in our social media feeds. When a family is reduced to crowdfunding for medical treatment, they lose their dignity. Relying on online crowdfunding is a form of begging, and begging is a detestable act repeatedly mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah. I do not want to see our community appearing on crowdfunding platforms all the time. As vicegerents on earth, this should not be our image. view all