Source: The Muslim Sunrise: The First Muslim publication of North America

Editorial by Mubasher Ahmad; Editor-in-Chief

Hospitality is not only a social value of universal magnitude, but among all faith traditions it is a moral virtue as well, closely connected with one’s spiritual growth. In the present issue of the Muslim Sunrise, we have tried to cover as many aspects of hospitality as possible. The articles deal with the tradition of hospitality as practiced at individual and community levels, both in major world religions and in Eastern and Western culture.

The Jews follow the example of Prophet Abraham (as); the Christians welcome and show affection for their guests to win the love of God; the Hindus consider a guest as a god. In Islam, this extremely desirable quality is part and parcel of a Muslim’s daily life, exemplified through the guidance and actions of Prophet Muhammad (sa) himself. He has provided detailed instructions on how to serve and honor one’s guests.

Following the tradition of the Holy Prophet (sa) of Islam, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has developed hospitality as an outstanding feature of its religious gatherings. The founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian, India, established a ‘Langar Khana’ – a public kitchen – to serve thousands of his guests who visited him regularly to acquire spiritual knowledge. The tradition of hospitality is observed at a spectacular level at Ahmadiyya Muslim Annual Conventions all over the world where thousands of guests are served with great humility and respect, no matter who they are or where they come from.

It is important that we read the articles and do our best to adopt the virtue of hospitality in our homes and in all our social and religious gatherings.

Your comments and suggestions are always greatly appreciated.

Read the volume online: Summer 2017 Muslim Sunrise