December 2017 edition by The Truth Newspaper

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Friday, 22 December 2017 (CE); 04 Rabi-ul-Thaani 1439 (HQ); 22 Fath 1396 (HSh); Vol. LXVII, No. 4 NGN 200 GHAZAL JIDE LAWAL / 14

Is the World a Vanity? NEWS / 6

Ahmadi Youths Organise Ride4Peace Campaign NEWS / 6

More Than 1000 Zarians Benefit from Free Medical Outreach FEATURES / 13

Islamic Finance: Structuring Funds for Businesses Amir of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria, Alhaji Dr. M.A. Fashola while presenting books to Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State.

Photo: Bayoor Ewuoso

Khalifa, Archbishop Call for Worldwide Religious Freedom T

he World Head of the Ahmadiyya M u s l i m Community, the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph), His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad and the Archbishop of Canterbury,

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Condemn persecution of Rohingya Muslims Most Reverend, His Grace, Justin Welby have called for an end to persecution of minorities in the world. The call came when the

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minorities in various parts of the world. His Holiness informed the Archbishop that he himself had been falsely imprisoned in Pakistan in 1999 prior to his election as Head of the Ahmadiyya

Muslim Community. During the meeting, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad spoke of the need for 'tolerance' in society and CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

Gov Akeredolu Solicits Support and Prayers Nurudeen Akinreti

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Archbishop visited London's oldest Mosque, the Fazl Mosque where he met with the Khalifa. Earlier, the Archbishop also

visited the largest Mosque in Western Europe, the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden. During the meeting, the Caliph and the Archbishop discussed the continued persecution of religious

overnor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) recently hosted the leadership of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Nigeria led by the Amir (National Head), Dr. Mashhud Adenrele Fashola in his office in Akure, Ondo State.

Outlines plan to promote agriculture Amir speaks on responsibilities of political leaders Governor Akeredolu was pleased to welcome the Amir who was on a working visit to the Sunshine State to address members, commission laudable projects and lay foundations of Jama'at Mosques and mission houses

in the state. The governor affirmed the long standing relationship of the Ahmadiyya Community with the government of Ondo State as well as the good neighbourliness and kindness of Ahmadiyya members with

the people. He further requested for prayers and full support and cooperation of Ahmadiyya Community towards the success of his administration which came to power on 24th February 2017. “You are warmly welcome

to the Sunshine State. The Ahmadiyya Community has been with us for so long. We are not unaware of their activities. It is an organization that is well grounded in Ondo State. Indeed, there is sizeable number of Ahmadiyya members in the State. Their good characters

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News Khalifa Condemns Persecution of Rohingya Muslims CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

for 'mutual respect' to be displayed by all people and communities. He said that it was imperative that people had the right to practice their religion freely and without any form of coercion. The meeting concluded as His Holiness presented the Archbishop with a copy of the Holy Quran, including both the original Arabic text and the English translation. Following the meeting, the Archbishop of Canterbury, His Grace, Justin Welby said during an interview with MTA News: “It was a great honour to meet His Holiness (Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad). It was a wonderful meeting, hospitable and warm… We spoke principally about the issues of persecution, which is something the Ahmadiyya Community is well aware of and suffers hugely and we also spoke about the nature of religious extremism around the world in the different faiths and the importance of faith

communities in the United Kingdom standing together, both for the common good of the country and for each other's support.” During his visit, the Archbishop was given a tour of both the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden and the Fazl Mosque in Southfields. Meanwhile, the Khalifa has condemned in the strongest possible terms the persecution of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar (Burma). It is being reported that scores of Muslims are being killed and tortured, whilst many thousands have been driven out of their homes and forced to flee. Such treatment can only be described as an affront to humanity. His Holiness said: “All A h mad i M u s lims ar e extremely grief-stricken to hear of the cruel treatment inflicted upon the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and we pray that all of these cruelties and injustices come to an immediate end.

His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (r) and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Reverend, His Grace, Justin Welby during the visit of the Archbishop to London's oldest Mosque, the Fazl Mosque

The fact that these Muslims are being targeted seemingly with impunity is a result of the division and sectarianism within the Muslim world itself. If there was unity amongst Muslim nations and

communities, such tragedies would never unfold. On behalf of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, I hope and pray that the international community comes together

to help the Muslims in Myanmar and in this effort the Muslim nations should be at the forefront. I pray that the persecution of the Muslims in Myanmar, and indeed of all people who are denied their

religious rights in the world, comes to an end. We believe that all people should be free to practice their faith or beliefs without any fear and that all people should be equal under the law of their land.”

Amir Speaks On Responsibilities of Political Leaders CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

and behaviours with the people speak for them.” “As you are all aware we resumed office in February this year, we humbly request for your prayers and support for successful and landmark regime,” the governor stated. The governor used the opportunity to highlight the key agenda which his administration will embark on to improve the living standard of Ondo people, as well as enhancing the infrastructural facilities in the State. “The government which came on board not long ago has an all-encompassing plan of action which we intend to follow strictly within the given period of time. Security of lives and property is so important to us that we intend to invest much in the sector. Also, one of the cardinal programmes in Ondo State is agriculture which will be pursued vigorously.” “By next year God willing,

(L-r) Circuit President Ondo State, Alhaji Aliu Hamzat; Ondo State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Alhaji Taofiq Abdulsalam; Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Ifedayo Abegunde; the Amir, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Nigeria, Dr. Mash'hud Adenrele Fashola; Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, and his Deputy, Mr. Agboola Ajayi, when Dr Fashola and his entourage paid a courtesy visit to the Governor. Photo: Bayoor Ewuoso

the State shall be producing rice. We shall strive to avert famine in the State. Other infrastructural amenities shall also be improved upon by our administration,” Governor Akeredolu submitted. In his earlier address, the Amir Sahib appreciated the governor, for being a just and hardworking administrator.

He believed Almighty God has chosen for the Ondo State people a righteous leader who always stands for peace and justice. He further stated that Ahmadiyya Community through its Supreme Head Worldwide preaches peaceful co-existence among the people irrespective of

religion, culture, colour or language differences. Amir said the organization is also saddled with the responsibility of upholding the tenets of Islam including the taking care of the aged, poor and selfless service to humanity at large. He said that the Jama'at will continue to associate with leaders who

are concerned with the welfare of the masses. His words: “We are all equal before God. Only Him knows the righteous people. That is why there should not be a compulsion in religions. We are grateful to Almighty God for providing a righteous and diligent leader for Ondo State. He is a man of the people, a

man who stands for equity and justice. As an organization that follows the principles of Islam, we are bound to support those leaders with good vision and developmental programmes for the people.” On what is expected from all leaders in the country to the people, Dr. Fashola stressed: “Leaders are saddled with the duty of ensuring the security of lives and property of the citizens, provision of basic amenities such as food, clothing and shelter, provision of moderate infrastructural facilities like stable electricity, good road and health care system. More importantly, leaders must give agriculture a huge priority. This is meant to avert hunger in the land.” Amir Sahib later presented Jama'at's literature to the g o v e r n o r. Among the dignitaries in attendance were the Deputy Governor of the State, Mr. Agboola Ajayi; the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Sunday Abegunde Ifedayo; and other members of the State Cabinet.

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The Friday Sermon A summary of the Sermons of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V

Vie with Each Other in Good Deeds

llah states to the believers that "Your goal must always be fastabiqul khairaat!" It means that you must always endeavour to lead others in good works. Furthermore, Allah the Almighty has also referred to those, who perform righteous deeds and do good works as "best of creatures" as it is stated: "Verily, those who believe and do good works; they are the best of creatures." (98:8) The Promised Messiah (as) has, in light of the Holy Qur'an and the Hadith, expounded this matter in great detail for our guidance. For instance, what is virtue? How can one achieve true virtue? Why is it necessary to believe in God Almighty in order to [be able to] perform good deeds? What should be the standard of one's belief? How can we enhance the standard of this belief? What are the means for doing righteous deeds? What are the various aspects of virtue? How many kinds of righteous deeds are there? How does Allah the Exalted reward those who perform righteous deeds? He has also stated that it is [a requirement of] virtue to perform even lawful deeds in moderation. If one transgresses it, it will lessen the virtue. Now, I will present some excerpts by the Promised Messiah (as). Elucidating as to what the nature of virtue is and explaining that even an apparently minor good deed can make one worthy of the pleasure of Allah the Exalted, he states: "A righteous deed is a ladder to rise towards Islam and God. The reality of a good deed needs to be borne in mind." Satan misleads people in every way and leads them astray from the path of Truth. The Promised Messiah (as) gave the example of a self-indulgent person, who chooses to donate left over bread to a hungry person, despite having freshly prepared meal to hand. This does not comply with the Divine commandment that Allah the Exalted says: And they feed, for love of Him, the poor, the orphan, and the prisoner. He did not feed poor from what was Tuam (means desirable food) for him, but from the left-overs.' This is not a true act of virtue. To attain a true act of virtue demands a lot of selfreflection and endeavour. True virtue cannot be acquired without having absolute faith in God Almighty. Tre virtue is attained when one develops a faith in God Almighty as All-Seeing, Who is totally aware of everything and possesses knowledge of the unseen. The Promised Messiah (as) said, 'Thus, in order to reform one's morals it necessary to have faith in a Being, Who is ever watchful over him, his actions, his deeds and Who is a Witness for the secrets of his hearts. Thus, this is none but the Being of God the Exalted.' Hence, only if a person has faith of this standard and is ever mindful of God Almighty will he be able to truly act virtuously. Then, further elaborating true virtue, the Promised Messiah (as) says, 'Righteousness means to abstain from the subtle paths of evil. ...Rather, true virtue is to serve mankind and demonstrate absolute truthfulness and loyalty in the cause of Allah the Exalted and to be ready to sacrifice one's life in His cause. For this reason Allah the Exalted has stated here: That is, verily Allah is with those who are righteous and those who do good.' The Promised Messiah (as) said, 'Remember full well that merely abstaining

from evil is not a virtue (to say that I abstain from evil and am very pious is not an act of virtue), until he does not act virtuously alongside it.' The Promised Messiah (as) further said, 'In the sight of Allah the Exalted, Islam is not the name of refraining from vices. Rather, until a person does not adopt virtues, whilst abstaining from vices, he will not be able to survive in this spiritual realm. The truth of Islamic teachings is to increase and improve one's spirituality.' The Promised Messiah (as) said, 'Virtues are like food. In the same manner a person cannot exist without food, he will seize to exist until he adopts virtues. This state is acquired by increasing in faith'. What should be the standard of one's faith in God? This standard can only be acquired when the outer and inner state of a person is one.' Furthermore, similar to a person being certain that if he places his hand in the burrow of a snake, the snake can bite him if it is in the hole, in the same way, one should have faith in the Being of Allah the Exalted that if I commit evils, Allah the Exalted is always watching me and I will be punished. One should always be mindful of the fact that God the Exalted is watching every deed of mine. The Promised Messiah (as) says, 'In fact, pious is he, whose outer and inner state is one and whose heart and outer appearance is one. He walks on the earth in similitude to an angel.' The Promised Messiah (as) states, 'All good results come about through faith. Hence, nobody puts his finger in the burrow of a snake having recognised it. When we know that a certain amount of poison is lethal then our belief is

that it will kill. So the sign of that belief is that we will not pour it into our mouths and instead save ourselves from death.' Whilst further expounding on how to strengthen one's faith the Promised Messiah as states that the root of all righteous deeds and virtues is to have faith in God Almighty. The weaker one's belief in God Almighty is, the more weakness and laziness there will be in doing good deeds. However, when faith is strong and there is complete faith in all the attributes of God Almighty the more there will be an extraordinary type of change in the deeds of man. ... A death comes upon all his capabilities through which he could commit sin and he becomes just like the dead. He follows the will of God Almighty and cannot raise even a foot without that. This is the state which comes when one has true faith in God Almighty.' All these states will come about when one has true faith in God Almighty and as a result he is granted complete satisfaction. The Promised Messiah (as) states, 'This is the true purpose which should be the real aim of man'. This is our target. We should always keep in mind that we must remove all kinds of filth from our minds, our hearts, our eyes and our ears and to refrain from listening to it too. The Promised Messiah (as) states, 'Our community is in need of this and in order to attain complete satisfaction, one must first have complete faith. The first duty of our community is to have full faith in God Almighty.' Then explaining the different aspects of virtue, the Promised Messiah (as) states: There are two very important things for a human being, that is, to safeguard from evil and to strive towards virtue and there are two aspects of virtue; one is to abstain from evil and the other is to do more good. To shun evil is one aspect of virtue but the other aspect is to actually do good yourself. Faith is complete when we carry out virtuous deeds and become helpful for others. The Promised Messiah (as) continues to say "By doing so, we remain cognizant of our transformation and such standards are attained when we have firm faith in the attributes of Allah Almighty and understand them. We cannot eschew evil without this." We should persistently study the Holy Qur'an and its commandments in order to understand the attributes of Allah Almighty. The Promised Messiah (as) says, "It is very important to become beneficial for others. People revere kings and fear punishments by the state and there are many who do not violate the law of the land. Then how can they disobey the commandments of God, Who rules over all, with such audacity? Is there any other reason for this apart from lack of faith in God?" Hence, as it has been mentioned before that such shortcomings exist when faith is weak. We recognise Allah Almighty as the AllKnowing and the One who has the knowledge of the unseen in terms of our beliefs, however, we fail to demonstrate this in our practise. This then leads one to carry out many evil deeds and such a person is unable to do good because of his weakness in faith. After mentioning the perfect belief in Allah Almighty, the Promised Messiah (as) elaborates on how to safeguard ourselves from evil actions. The Promised Messiah (as) says "The stage of refraining from evil is accomplished when there is belief in God. The second stage should be to seek the ways that were chosen by the beloved people of God'. Firstly, it is to believe in God and then it is to adopt the same kind of deeds and virtues which the righteous people of God and His prophets adopted. 'The first stage of safeguarding ourselves from evils is sought through the manifestation of the glorious attributes of God Almighty because He is an enemy of the sinful people. The second stage is accomplished through the manifestation of the merciful attributes of God Almighty. The last [stage] is that nothing is obtained without the strength and capacity obtained from Allah Almighty. According to Islamic terminology this is called Ruhul-Qudus (Holy Spirit). This is a power given by God and the hearts of the recipients find comfort and their temperament becomes loving as it attains virtue." When someone establishes a connection with God Almighty and His holy spirit descends upon them, then righteous deeds become akin to delicious and pleasant-smelling sweet drink for them. They begin to recognise the innate beauty of virtues and run towards them. The mere thought of doing evil trembles their spirit." The Promised Messiah (as) further states: "Man should not consider it a great achievement or pride over the fact that he occasionally laments and weeps. It is not an achievement to cry occasionally during Salat, or develop a state of fervency or that his heart becomes meek. One should not consider it the peak of his achievement." True spiritual advancement is when one completely shuns all vices and carries out virtuous deeds solely to attain the pleasure of God Almighty."

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News FOCHS Gets Govt Stamp to Conduct External Exams

a d l - l - O m a r Comprehensive High School Lagos, one of the schools owned by the Ahmadiyya Muslims Jama'at in Nigeria has gotten approval of Lagos State Government to conduct external examinations. This was disclosed by Engr. Abdul Waheed Adeoye, chairman of the school's management board during the school's 2nd Annual General Meeting held at the school premises in Lagos. According to him, the approval covers West Africa Examination Council ( WA E C ) , N a t i o n a l Examination Council (NECO) and GCE A level examinations. He noted that the Board was still working on becoming an accredited centre for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), as well as a special status for Adult Education.

“We got the approval of the Lagos State Government to conduct external examinations in our school. Interestingly, before the approval, our students have always outshined the students of their hosting schools at the WA E C e x a m i n a t i o n s , especially with (very) good results. “We are also working on our JAMB centre where students across the country can come for their higher institutions entrance exams,” Adeoye said. Adeoye further explained that the school expansion program has covered the building of eighteen more classrooms which accommodated new laboratories, Art Studio, Computer room and Library. Accordingly, Fadl-l-Omar Comprehensive High School is now ranked among one of the best secondary schools in Lagos State. While commending the school management and staff,

Amir of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Nigeria, Dr. Mash'hud Adenrele Fashola expressed his elation with the school performance at all levels. “The Jama'at has been championing education in the country since the establishment of the first Muslim Primary School in Nigeria in 1922,” Fashola stressed. Dr. Fashola explained further that having ensured proficiency in basic learning of the Holy Qur'an for the past decades, the school was now fully prepared for the commencement of her own Madrasat Hafizul Qur'an (Arabic) class for the 2017/2018 academic session. The Arabic class is expected to be in two categories which is 3 years programme moulded in classic basic form and 6 years duration that will coincide with the Basic Education Certificate and Senior School Certificate respectively. Officials of the Jamaat at the

L-R: Former Sadr, Majlis Ansarullah Nigeria, Alhaji Abdul Waheed Aina; Naib Sadr, Majlis Ansarullah Nigeria, Admin. Alhaji Raji Dauda; Naib Sadr Safdom, Arc. Abdus-Semiu Morenikeji; Chairman, Ahmadiyya National Education Commission (ANEC), Alhaji Mikail Odukoya; Proprietor, Fadl-I-Omar Comprehensive High School Ijaiye Ojokoro, Lagos State and Sadr Majlis Ansarullah Nigeria, Engr. Abdul Waheed Adeoye and Chairman, Amir, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria, Dr. Mash’hud Aderenie Fashola, during the 2nd Annual General Meeting of the School in Lagos.

meeting include former Sadr, Majlis Ansarullah Nigeria, Alhaji Abdul Waheed Aina; Naib Sadr, Majlis Ansarullah Nigeria (Admin) Alhaji Raji Dauda; Naib Sadr (Safdom) Arc. Abdus-Semiu Morenikeji; and Chairman, Ahmadiyya National

Education Commission (ANEC), Alhaji Mikail Odukoya. Others are former Sadr, Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Nigeria; Qaid Mal (Financial Secretary), Alhaji Isa Shokunbi; and representative of Naib Amir South West,

Alhaji Tajudeen Oladoja; Chairman, Business Committee, Majlis Ansarullah Nigeria, Alhaji Ibrahim Ogunmola; Rukni Khususi; Pa Kamorudeen Lawal; Muavin Sadr 1, Mr. Abdul Ghaniy Babalola; and Ustaz Tola Kareem.

Amir Visits Ogun State House of Assembly

he Amir of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Nigeria, Dr. Mash'ud Aderele Fashola and his entourage paid a courtesy visit to the Ogun State House of Assembly (OGHA) Complex on Thursday 23rd November 2017 at Oke Mosan, Abeokuta. The visit was part of the activities that preceded the annual National Conference (Jalsa Salana) holding from 22nd to 24th December 2017 in Ilaro, Ogun State. The Amir was warmly received by the Speaker, House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Suraj Adekunbi. In the Amir's entourage were

the Naib Amir Alhaji Alhassan, Ogun State President Alhaji (Engr.) Ali, Sadr Majlis Ansarullah, Nigeria, Engr. A.W.A Adeoye, immediate past Sadr of Majlis Ansarullah, Alhaji M. B. Odukoya, National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Qasim Akinreti, Maulvi Sanni, Alhaji M. Alaka, Bro. Murthada Oriolowo, Ogun Ilaqa Qaid, Comrade Ibrahim Idris and others. Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya, Abeokuta Dil'a were also present in sparkling Majlis uniform at the OGHA Complex to welcome the Amir Sahib and his entourage.

Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon Surajudeen Adekunbi; Amir, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria, Dr. Mash’hud Adenrele Fashola and Sadr, Majlis Ansarullah Nigeria, Engr. Abdul Waheed Adeoye, during a courtesy visit to Speaker House Assembly in Ogun State in Abeokuta.

Group picture of the member Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria with The Amir, Dr Mash’hud Adenrele Fashola, after the courtesy visit to Speaker House Assembly in Ogun State in Abeokuta. PHOTO: BAYOOR EWUOSO

Omi-Adio Holds 2nd Atfal Day Celebration Ismail Olalekan

s part of its efforts to build a virile and morally-inclined society, the Omi Adio Dil'a of the Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya held its 2nd Atfal Day Celebration on Sunday 26th November 2017 at Owode Estate Open field with the theme “Redefining Children Upbringing- the Catalyst to Remodeling a Morally Stinking Society”. In his speech at the event, chairman of the occasion, Engr Saheed Aina who is also the

Sadr (National President) of the Khuddam in Nigeria underscored the importance of moral upbringing of children for them to live purposeful life according to the teachings of Islam. He further charged the Khuddam not to rest on the oars in teaching and mentoring the children. The Sadr also tasked parents to go the extra mile in the training of their children so that they could become leading lights to their peers. According to him, the society is in dire need for moral reformation. Therefore,

Ahmadi children could help reform the society through their behaviours, attitudes and actions. The Dil'a Zaiq Atfal Tifl Yahya AbdFatah in his welcome address after expressing his and his colleagues' appreciation for the holding of the Atfal Day Celebration. He said the marking of a Special Day for the Atfal was a practical demonstration by concerned stakeholders that the future of the Jama'at and the society at large belong to children and

helping them to guide this future jealously. He also highlighted the need for children to be trained to become ambassadors of Islam. He said: “To cope with the complexities of the modern societies, our parents must be ready to equip us with moral and spiritual training that builds on their own understanding and practices, so that we children may be able to handle the ever evolving society.” Featured at the Atfal day was a mind-touching lecture on the

theme by Muallim Muhammad Wa'iz Apooyin, Qur'an Competition, Inter house presentation, news presentation, inter dil'a match past, 100m race, Spelling Bee competition, concentration race among others. One hundred and sixty nine (169) Atfal participated in the 2nd Atfal Day Celebration. 39 invited Atfal, 130 Lajna members, 126 Ansarullah, and 96 Khuddam members graced the occasion. Dignitaries in attendance are; the Chairman Oyo State

Circuit forum ably represented by Pa. Rahman Salaudeen, Omi-Adio Circuit Missionary Mualim Solih Obaditan, the Chief Imam of Omi-Adio Community Fadhilat-e-Sheikh AbdLateef Abiola, Apata Circuit President Alh. Taslim Oniyide, Alh. F.K. Apooyin among others. Members of the Amila Mulk of Majlis Khuddam Nigeria and Dila Qaideen in Oyo Stateattended the program. Prior to the commencement of the Atfal Day, the Sadr Khuddam, Engr. Sa'eed Kunleola Aina paid courtesy visits to elders of the Jama'at within Omi-Adio Circuit.

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News Amir Commissions Library for Ipokia Jama'at

h e A m i r , Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Nigeria, Dr. Mashhud Adenrele Fashola has commissioned a library for the Ipokia Jama'at as part of his 3-day working visit to Owode Circuit from Friday 22 September to Sunday 24 September 2017. Members of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at, Owode Circuit, led by the circuit president Alhaji Ojuola

Mustapha Jimoh and the circuit Missionary Muallim Akintola Hassan received the Amir on his arrival to the circuit. The Amir Sahib and his team visited many Jama'ats and places in the circuit. Lauding the effort of Ipokia Jama'at, the Amir said: “This library is a unique one and it shall be made that of the headquarters' because it is part of the mosque building

and not in the mission house or elsewhere outside the mosque premises.” Amir Sahib however noted that since the library is not spacious enough, more wall wbookshelves should be made to accommodate more books. In his remarks in the visitors' book of the library, the Amir Sahib noted his delight at the initiative of the Jama'at in establishing the library. He also prayed

for Allah's blessing on the project. Ipokia Jama'at, led by their president Bro. Fagbenro Musa and their Missionary Muallim Ridwanullah Yussuf was able to achieve this feat because they meticulously took heed to the “Headquarter's correspondence” being reported at the circuit Amir, Dr. Mash-hud Adenrele Fashola at the unveiling of the Ipokia Jama’at Library meetings instructing every Jama'at to have a library in their various Mosques.

Ogun IVC: Strengthen Your Ties with Khalifah, Amir Urges Children Nurudeen Adeyemi & Mikail Sulaiman

h e A m i r , Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Nigeria, Dr Mashhud Adenrele Fashola, has admonished the youths to strengthen their spiritual relationships with the Head, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Worldwide, Hadrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (atba) by constantly corresponding to the Huzur via letters. He made this known during the biennial Atfal and Nasirat Islamic Va c a t i o n C o u r s e (IVC)/Ijtema hosted by Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya, Ogun Ilaqa held at Iganmode Grammar School, Ota, tagged Awori 2017.

Represented by Hafiz AbdulGaniyy Shobambi, the Amir, while expatiating on reasons every member must strengthen his/her ties with the Khalifah, implored all Atfal and Nasirat who can write to do so before the end of the camp as he promised to help them forward the letters to Huzur (atba). The event was officially declared opened by notable Jama’at members, who addressed the large crowd of Atfal and Nasrat outlining the purpose and importance of organizing IVC and the duty of each participant to pray to Almighty Allah with humility and perseverance. The children were grouped into classes based on their ages; 2 classes for age 7-9, 3 classes for age

Amir, Dr. Mash-hud Adenrele Fashola with Atfal and Nasirat when he paid a visit to Owode Circuit recently

10-12, and 3 classes for age 13-15, with about 20 tutors comprising resourceful Missionaries from various circuits in Ogun State. The Atfal and Nasrat were urged to always pray for the

H u z u r, H a z r a t M i r z a Masroor Ahmad (atba) and the president of Nigeria, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari. The procession for peace which was staged on the 5th

day of the camping saw a tremendous out-turn of indigenes who were amazed to see a large number of children on the streets campaigning for peace in the society.

The chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria who was on a courtesy visit to the venue of the IVC stated his joy on meeting the children who were in their large numbers. He, however, commended the state Qaid and the IVC planning committee for bringing together these children for the purpose of development. Appreciating the efforts of the Lajna Imaillah for ensuring a conducive environment in terms of sanitation and the feeding of the participants, the facilitators commended their dedication and selfless service to the success of the programme. The total number of children who enrolled for the IVC was nine hundred and thirty-seven (937).

60th Anniversary: UCH Awards Khuddam for Commitment to Life AbdulGaniyy Adiamoh

igeria's foremost University teaching hospital, the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan has given the Majlis Khuddamul-Ahmadiyya an Award of Recognition for its services to the institution. The Award Ceremony was part of activities marking the 60th anniversary of the medical institution which was established in 1957. The Qaid of the Oyo State K h u d d a m , B r o AbdulAkeem Awe received

the award on behalf of MKAN. On the plaque given to the Khuddam, the UCH noted that members of the A h m a d i y y a Yo u t h Organisation have shown commitment to saving lives through their generous donation of blood to the Blood Bank of the institution. In a related development, members of the Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Oyo State have donated a total of 207 pints of blood in two weekends to the National Blood Transfusion

Service (NBTS) and the UCH Blood Bank. One hundred and one members of the Khuddam donated 101 pints of blood to the NBTS on the 25th November 2017 while one hundred and six (106) more members donated to the UCH on 2nd December 2017. The donors were drawn from seven dila within the Ibadan metropolis, viz Akinyele Dila (12), Ibadan Dila (66), Omi Adio Dila (23), CocaCola Dila (25), Monatan Dila (22), Oluyole Ona-Ara Dila (19), Apata Dila (34),

Members of the Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, Oyo State during welfare visit to Agodi Prisons recently

with six (6) special donors. Also, as part of its welfare outreach to society’s underprivileged, the State Qaid, Bro AbdulAkeem Awe, led a 9-member

delegation to pay a visit to the Ibadan Home for Motherless Babies and the Agodi Prisons. The Khuddam presented gift items to the children

and their handlers, and to the prison inmates. The gesture of the Khuddam were appreciated by the beneficiaries.

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News More Than 1000 Zarians Benefit from Free Medical Outreach AbdulGaniyy Adiamoh

ore than one thousand (1000) people have benefitted from a free medical outreach organised by the Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya in Zaria, Kaduna State. The free medical camp was conducted on 23rd and 24th November 2017 at the front of the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris palace. The medical camp, which was a prelude to the Northern Economic Summit also organised by the Majlis Khuddam, treated one thousand and eighteen (1,018) people for high blood pressure, diabetes, stomach ulcer, Typhoid and malaria and eye and teeth problems. Glasses were also given out to those for whom it was

recommended. Also, volunteers at the medical outreach conducted Tuberculosis and HIV tests for beneficiaries. Among the beneficiaries were a prince of Zazzau, Prince Adam Idris; the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Zaria City Division, CSP Shettima Nasir, men, women, young and old. Speaking at the venue of the exercise, Emir of Zazzau's palace, the Regional Coordinator (North) Ahmed Ibrahim Badamasi said, the exercise was part of the humanitarian services rendered by the organization. He offered noted that the free medical services was part of activities lined up for the organisation's national convention to also hold in

Zaria in March 2018. Badamasi further said that the Majlis Khuddam was at the forefront of humanitarian services and peace-building, noting that without peace, there could be no development and the society would regress. Volunteers at the medical outreach included four Ahmadi doctors, two laboratory technicians, two nurses, six medical students of ABU Zaria, and twenty three Khuddam who provided administrative support. He also used the opportunity to explain that the Northern Economic Summit, which held at NAERL Conference Hall of ABU Zaria, would train youths on how to engage in online business, fish farming, poultry farming and host of others to make

People of Zaria town trooped out to benefit from a free medical outreach organised by Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya at the Emir Palace, Zaria on 23rd and 24th November 2017

them self-reliant. Participants at the Economic Summit included the Naib Amir for the Northern Region,

Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Nigeria, Dr. Yekeen Habeeb; Professor Abdulraheem Giwa of ABU Zaria, Barrister

Bashirudeen Badr and a host of others who inspired the participants at the Summit.

Ahmadi Youths Organise Ride for Peace Campaign AbdulGaniyy Adiamoh

embers of the Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya (Ahmadiyya Muslim Youths Organisation), Nigeria have embarked upon a Ride for Peace Campaign where members ride bicycles as part of efforts to exhibit the peaceful nature of Islam. The campaign was first started last year (2016) as part of the Centenary celebrations of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at in Nigeria. Noting the success of the inaugural campaign, the 2016 Shoora of the MKAN decided that the Ride4Peace campaign be made an annual event.

The 2017 campaign has held so far in eleven (11) states of the Federation, viz: Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Abuja, Rivers, Edo, Kaduna, and Cross Rivers states between 11th November and 26th November 2017. A total of 840 participants participated in the exercise though there were only 275 bicycles shared among them, as many participants walked through the exercise. A total of 108.8 kilometers was covered while participants distributed not less than 8160 Tabligh materials. A total of 22 hours and 40 minutes was used for the exercise. Sadr, Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Nigeria, Engr. Saheed Aina leads prayer at the commencement of the Ride for Peace Campaign in Ogun State.

Edo-Delta Ilaqa Tasks Youths on Developments Islam Oshone Mustapha

eplicating the success of the MKAN Economic Summit held earlier in the year, Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, Edo/Delta Ilaqa has held its annual leadership workshop and economic summit between 6th and 8th October, 2017 at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Mosque in Warri, Delta state, tasking youths from all walks of lives on social, economic and personal developments. The programme was aimed at fostering an equitable balance in worldly pursuit and spiritual quest along with aspirations to

mould economic giants, loving husbands, caring fathers and committed members of the Jama'at. The series of activities lined up for the event such as lectures, interactive session all tackled issues ranging from resumé writing and job interview related questions, startup entrepreneur challenges and ways of enriching familial ties and improved service to Allah. The economic summit had three sessions: an economic discussion session, a moral discussion session, and a simulation session using case studies. The first two sessions had accomplished discussants who shared experiences and

guided participants on the discussion subject. The third session was aimed towards making participants explore business ideas, noting the possible opportunities, weaknesses, threats and strengths of ideas. Among the dignitaries of the Jama'at at the event were: Sadr MKAN, Engr Saheed Aina; Naib Amir, Eastern Region; Benin Circuit President; Benin and Warri Jama'at Presidents; Eastern Region Central Missionary and Auchi Circuit Missionary, among others. Forty-two (42) members of various Muqameen across the state attended the workshop and summit.

Niger State holds 'Stop the Crime Campaign' Atfal Visit Olumo Rock Lawal Ahmed

ajlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya, Niger State has held its “Stop the Crime Campaign” at Diamond Global Academy, Opposite NECO Headquarters, Minna on 27th October, 2017. The programme, with over 120 students and 15 staff members in attendance, is organized to educate the students on the effects of crime on their moral, physical, mental and spiritual ability. The presentation which lasted for one hour was done with the use of fliers and printed copies of

the presentation slides, facilitated by Bro Mustapha Hamzat, the State Motamad. The school principal, represented by Mr Ndobi, appreciated the efforts of the Majlis in all ramifications, urging students to abide by the advice given by the facilitator just as the School Director, Mallam Muhammed Idris Gbangba, urged the Majlis Khuddam not to relent in its efforts in creating a more peaceful environment. The School Management entertained the seven Majlis members, after which group photographs were taken with the students and some staff.

etermined to expose the children to tourist sites in t h e c o u n t r y, M a j l i s Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, CocaCola has taken Majlis Atfal to Olumo Rock, Abeokuta, Ogun State for their Picnic on 15th October, 2017. The guide, who took the Atfal and handlers round the site, narrated the historical background of Olumo Rock. They also visited the museum gallery which occupy an ancient gallery pictures. The Majlis appreciated the supports of State Qaid, Bro Hakeem Awe, Lajna President, Coca-Cola Circuit, Mrs Kilani and former Qaid, Coca-Cola Dil'a, Bro Luqman Lanlehin. A total of 35 Majlis Atfal, 6 Nasrat, 24 Khuddam, 1 Ansarullah and 2 Lajna members attended the event.

FRIDAY, 22ND DECEMBER 2017

THE TRUTH

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WorldNews Triple talaq: India considers jail for 'instant divorce’

usbands who attempt "instant divorce" could be sentenced to three years in prison under draft legislation being considered in India. The traditional practice involves a Muslim man saying "talaq" (divorce) three times in any form, including email or text message. It was declared unconstitutional by India's Supreme Court in August, but officials say it has continued since. The proposed law also provides for fines and support for affected women. The draft Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill has now been

sent to regional governments for consultation. It would explicitly ban "triple talaq", in line with the Supreme Court ruling, and lay out procedures legal procedures for a "subsistence allowance" and custody arrangements, the Press Trust of India said. Those provisions have been made "to ensure that in case the husband asks the wife to leave the house she should have legal protection," it quoted a high-level official as saying. Under the current draft, people suspected of the offence would not be eligible for bail. It would also ban the

practice in any form including in writing, or by text message. Indian news outlets said the legislation is due to be considered during the winter parliamentary sessions, which begins in mid-December. Muslims are India's largest minority group, and it is one of a few countries where the practice of triple talaq - which has no basis in the Koran - has survived. The Supreme Court ruling came after five women petitions the court, arguing the traditional practice violated their fundamental rights. The court ruled 3-2 in their favour, and labelled it "unIslamic".

A wedding

Afghan leader apologises for headscarf remark

he Afghan president has apologised to women for remarks he made about the traditional headscarf. On Saturday, Ashraf Ghani responded to claims that some government officials have links to so-called Islamic State. He said people should provide evidence or wear a woman's headscarf. It provoked a backlash from people who viewed the comments as sexist. Mr Ghani later apologised to women who felt offended and said his comments had been

misinterpreted. In a statement, the Afghan presidential palace said: "The president is a very prominent advocate of women's rights and has taken unique steps to strengthen and preserve their position since his tenure as the president of Afghanistan." It said Mr Ghani's use of the word "Chaadar", scarf in English, had been misinterpreted. It is "a common saying which is never aimed to offend the highly valuable place of women in the country," it added.

Many believed Mr Ghani was suggesting his critics should become women, thus inferring inferiority. The important context is that Afghanistan is a majority Muslim nation with most women wearing the headscarf. Civil society activists took to social media to demand the president apologise for his comments. Some government officials, including female MPs, also reacted angrily. Free Women Writers, an organisation supporting female writers in Afghanistan, issued a response to Mr

Ashraf Gani

Ghani's comments on Facebook. "Who can be the hope for Afghan women when their president thinks being a woman as well as womanhood is embarrassing", they said. Fawzia Koofi, a female Afghan MP, tweeted to say she was "proud of wearing her scarf". Mr Ghani was sworn in as Afghan president in 2014, pledging to tackle the issue of corruption as a priority.

Ahmadi lawyer elected President of Teacher reports six-year-old Muslim boy with Down's Syndrome to police for 'terrorism' International Criminal Court Bar Association

supply teacher's call to police about a six-year-old Muslim boy with Down's Syndrome led to his family being investigated for terrorism. Officers launched the probe after six-year-old Mohammad Suleiman allegedly kept repeating the words “Allah” and “boom” class. His parents from the Texan city of Pearland, around 20 miles south of Houston, have claimed this cannot be true because “he doesn't speak at all” and has “the mental capacity of a one-year-old.” The boy's father said the family been through hell after becoming the subjects of both a police and social services investigation. “The last three or four weeks have been the hardest of my life,” Maher Suleiman told the

Fox26 news channel. “My wife and kids were crying a few days ago and I told them everything is fine. “Mohammad was born with Down's Syndrome Chromosome 21. He needs care all the time." He added: "They claim that he's a terrorist. This is so

stupid, this is discrimination actually. It's not implied discrimination, it's a hundred per cent discrimination.” The teacher was covering for a regular member of staff at the CJ Harris Elementary School when he made the call. A spokesperson for the district education authority said it was unable to release information on individual students due to privacy laws. The Pearland Police Department said it has concluded its investigation and found no need for further action. But the region's Child Protective Services department said its investigation is ongoing.

rominent Ahmadi Muslim lawyer, Karim A.A. Khan, QC, has been elected President of the International Criminal Court Bar Association (ICCBA) Executive Council and Committees in the unchallenged contest. Karim Khan QC, called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1992, is presently a member of the ICCBA Executive Council. Khan has served as a Senior Crown Prosecutor in the UK, at the Law Commission of England & Wales, as a Prosecution lawyer at the International Criminal Tribunal For Rwanda and International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and has represented accused persons at the Special Panel for Serious Crimes in East Timor, the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Special Tribunal for Lebanon, and the the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo Courts in Kosovo. A leading expert in

international criminal and human rights law, at the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan has been a lead counsel for 7 accused persons, presently for Banda (Sudan) and Saif Gaddafi (Libya). Previously, Khan was lead counsel for the largest group of

civil parties (victims) at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia in the first trial. He is presently international lead counsel representing groups of victims of human rights violations in Sierra Leone and Kenya. Khan, a Founder Director of the Peace and Justice Initiative (PJI), is presently a Visiting Professor of international law and Human Rights at Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone and a trainer at the Philippine Judicial Academy and at the office of the Prosecutor General of Timor Leste. Khan is the co-author of “Archbold International Criminal Courts, Practice, Procedure and Evidence”, a leading practitioner's text in the area. Karim A.A. Khan is a son-inlaw of the late His Holiness Mirza Tahir Ahmad (1928-2003), who served as the fourth Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

FRIDAY, 22ND DECEMBER 2017

THE TRUTH

Opportunities When the Amir Came Calling -A Recollection from Owode CircuitBy Oyeniran Raheem

ust as anticipated, the day was bright, euphoria was high. As seconds tick by, every member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at, Owode Circuit grew in excitement, standing on the tip of their feet at the sound of vehicles passing, looking through the glasses whether it was the Amir, Dr Mashhud Adenrele Fashola whom they were expecting. By 10 o'clock in the morning, members of the Majlis Khudam-ul-Ahmadiyya, Owode Circuit had made a long queue at Atan Ota round about, to kick start the much anticipated Amir Tour which began from the meeting place of the Amir entourage and the delegated people of Owode Circuit, Atan, to Arigbawonwo, to Ado-Odo, where the Amir met with Imam Ado after the Jumat service was held. The Friday Service led by the Amir Sahib was eloquently delivered in the indigenous language, Yoruba, to ensure that the people of AdoOdo and its environs understand the pristine message of Islam. During Amir's meeting with Imam Ado, the Imam cheerfully presented a new set of dresses which was sent to him from Abroad for Eid-Adha but which he had not used to the Amir as gift. Not only that, the Balogun Adinni of Yewa Land also promised to give lands, even up to 100 hectares, so that Ahmadiyya could build a University on their land. And in reciprocal, to this more than kind gesture, the Amir gave him Quran (Yoruba and English versions), Our Teachings (Yoruba and English version), Salat: Muslim Prayer Book (Yoruba and English versions) among other presents. An atmosphere of brotherhood pervaded both meetings. It was fun memories as the Amir bade them farewell. From there, Amir headed to Kento, and from Kento to Idooleyin where he commissioned a tap by Humanity First, and thereafter, headed to Ijomu, the last place he stopped before heading to Owode Central mosque, where he spent the night. The Amir arrived at Owode at 7.55pm with an ecstatic crowd, waiting to receive him. The joy in the long queue of people was palpable. Not showing any sign of fatigue due to the long travel, the Amir greeted them and led the Ishai prayer and later commissioned the Fadli-Omar Islamic Nursery and Primary School Hall, Owode. The second day of Amir's tour began on an ecstatic atmosphere, starting from Owode Town, from where the Amir and his entourage drove straight to the Owode Central mosque where he met with the Imam of the town, Ustaz

Fadhilatullah Sheik Abdul Maroof Olohunyeagbami. The Imam was short of words to describe Amir, saying 'How on earth would he find the words to talk before the Amir when he is an ordinary Imam'. Howbeit, Amir calmed his nerves and later preached to the populace about holding firmly to the rope of Allah. From there, the contingent drove off to the Fadl-i-Omar Model College, where the Amir planted two trees as part of the centenary project tagged Tree Planting Exercise. There, he implored the school authority to plant more trees. He further promised to give them a pear tree if they can come for it at the Ahmadiyya National Headquarters in Ojokoro, Lagos. From there, he paid visitation to the two mosques in Owode, Isaga and Isale Oro Jama'at where he advised them to be steadfast in the cause of Allah. Thereafter, the Amir entourage headed to the ancient town of Ajilete, where the Amir Sahib visited the Alale of Ajilete, Adele (Regent) Alhaji Badru Akande. He was thereafter warmly welcomed by the Chief Imam, Alh Rafiu Akande Ewuosho, with Arabic poems illustrating how dazzled they were, and their eagerness to take care of this august visitor. From Ajilete, he headed to Oke-Odan new Mosque, which is still under construction. It was in the late hours of the night when he met with the Olu of Oke-Odan Land, Oba (Dr) Olurotimi Fagbenro. It was during this meeting, that the Oba charged the Jama'at to build a school or donate some blocks of classes before his 15th year Anniversary, which will be staged in the next three years. On the last day of Amir's tour, Dr. Fashola Sahib visited Ahuntedo Jama'at at early hour in the morning after Fajr prayer, where he was warmly welcomed by all members of the Jama'at. Amir admonished the members to be steadfast in their faith and discard any form of intimidation from anyone. He later proceeded to Ajegunle where he commissioned a new mosque. After Ajegunle, he arrived at Idiroko to meet members of the Jama'at, and from there, he moved to Ipokia, where he met with the Chief Imam of the town. He later returned to the Jama'at mosque at Ipokia to observe the Zuhr and Asr prayers, when he concluded his 3-day visit to Owode Circuit. May Allah the Almighty continue to protect and guide our dear Amir, Dr. Mashhud Adenrele Fashola. Amin.

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FRIDAY, 22ND DECEMBER 2017

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Op-Ed The

Truth

Jalsa: Not An Ordinary Meeting

ll praise be to Allah who has preserved our lives up till this year's Jalsa Salana. Jalsa Salana (Annual Conference) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at are organized in different countries of the world. This is the 65th Jalsa Salana to be organized in Nigeria. As Allah (swt) would have it, there are many among us who have participated in this blessed meeting every year and are recipients of the blessings of Allah garnered from it. Yet, there are others who might be attending the Jalsa for the first time. For those categories of attendees, we welcome them to this blessed gathering. Jalsa Salana are no ordinary meetings. In establishing the Jalsa, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad announced thus: “This gathering will be devoted to the exposition of such truths and spiritual insight as are necessary for the promotion of faith and certainty and spiritual understanding, and there will be special prayers and attention for the participants. And to the best of our ability we shall endeavour to supplicate at the threshold of the Most Merciful that He may draw them towards Him, may accept them and may bring about a pious change in them. An additional benefit of these gatherings will be that each year new entrants to the Jama'at shall, by being present on the fixed dates, get to know their brethren who had joined earlier. And these meetings will lead to progressive strengthening of the bond of mutual love and affection.” He also wrote: “The primary purpose of this Convention is to enable every sincere individual to personally experience religious benefits. They may enhance their knowledge and due to their being blessed and enabled by Allah, The Exalted their perception [of Allah] may progress” “It is essential for all those who can afford to undertake the journey, that they must come to attend this Convention which embodies many blessed objectives. They should disregard minor inconveniences in the cause of Allah and His Prophet (sa). Allah yields reward to the sincere persons at every step of their way, and no labour and hardship, undertaken in His way, ever goes to waste. I re-emphasize that you must not rank this convention in the same league as other, ordinary, human assemblies. This is a phenomenon that is based purely on the Divine Help, for propagation of Islam. May Allah count us among those who will reap the utmost spiritual benefits. Amin.

The

Truth PUBLISHER

Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Nigeria

CHAIRMAN, EDITORIAL BOARD AbdulWahhab Matepo

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ASSISTANT EDITOR Roqeebah Dikko MEMBERS Saheed Timehin, PhD AbdulAzeem Ahmad Taofeeqah Fagbolade Taoheed Shoboyede AbdulWasiu Udi Qasim Adam Aisha Maishanu Jamil Abubakar AbdulGaniyy Babalola

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Mujeeb Oniyide, Ibadan

hough the United Nations have since 1995 declared every 16th of November as the World Tolerance Day, yet the world has since not been able to transform this noble vision into reality; and the human race continues to experience tensions, conflicts, and wars caused by inter-personal, interethnic, inter-state, inter-racial and inter-civilizational intolerance. This is an indisputable fact. Observably, the world has been paying little attention to the need to collectively inculcate mutual tolerance and shun violence. Today, many religious organizations and practitioners are also perpetrating violence by not accommodating others, all in the name of their religious ideologies. Similarly, from the Middle East countries to Nigeria, France, UK and Myanmar etc, the world has become a hotbed of terrorism and lack of peace and security, all due to socio-political ideological differences. In fact, Nigeria, in particular, has also been witnessing such expression of intolerance in almost every corner of its six geo-political zones with resultant continuous cases of hate speech, tribal partisanship, kidnapping, and

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bombings etc. As far as Islam is concerned, it should be clearly noted that, as a religion of peace, it does not in any way encourage violence borne out of intolerance for fellow human beings. The Holy Founder of Islam in his lifetime lived with people of different religions, ethnicities, social classes and races for the purpose of establishing and promoting socio-religious peace. Therefore, those using Islam to promote intolerance and evil actions have personal and worldly motives, neglecting the true Islamic principles of mutual tolerance, love, respect, and justice. As we celebrate the World Tolerance Day, it is worthy of note that the global peace we all yearn for will not come as long as we continue to fail to love one another, inculcate true justice, forgiveness, and above all, tolerance for one another. Mujeeb Oniyide is a freelance writer, member of Muslim Writers’ Guild of Nigeria and Publicity Secretary of Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Organisation, Nigeria.

Justice and Peaceful Coexistence Abdussalam Abdurrofeeq, Ibadan

I saw two people engage in fight, Both claiming to be right, Have they forgotten the words of the wise? That two wrong does not make a right. If I wrote figure six somewhere, And show it to someone elsewhere, Figure nine might appear to him possibly, The same number appears differently.

And that of “survival of the fittest”, Are in operation in our society. This has caused an imbalance in the shift of power, The Holy Prophet (saw) of Islam said once, That “He who has no sympathy for the younger ones, And does not recognize the right of the older ones, Cannot be called among the righteous ones.

This should make us understand something, To those who abandoned relations with you, behave The fact that you are right on a particular thing, respectfully, Does not mean I am wrong on that same thing, To those who hold back from you, give generously, In fact we might mean the same thing, To those who wrong you, forgive quickly, But our mode of expression might be the cause of the This is how to show you believe truly, misunderstanding. These are what the Prophet told his followers repeatedly. If you are the one who is right, You do not need to fight, You just need to prove your point, And leave the other person as he rants.

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And if you are the one who is at fault, You still do not need to fight, All you need to do is apologize, That is the behavior of the wise. The only justifiable fight you can have in the real sense, Is when you fight for self-defense, Or you fight in support of weak people, Who have been cheated by powerful people. It is our pride, That we fail to hide, And our ego, Is what we refuse to let go. It is an acknowledged fact, That the concept of “might is right”,

If this is expected from you, To those who are cruel to you, Now to those who are nice to you, What do you think is expected of you? You should show them more kindness than they showed you. The Holy Quran was not silent on this issue, It commands that trust should be rendered back to whom they are due, And when you want to judge between men duly, You judge between them justly. We have to change our ways and start living in peace, Where people will go through their daily exertion with ease, And all religious and tribal fights will cease, Then we will like each other with a friendly face. Abdussalam Abdurrofeeq

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THE TRUTH / FRIDAY, 22ND DECEMBER 2017

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The Principal Jamiatul Mubashireen, IIaro, Ogun State, Maulvi Nadeem Ahmad-Waseem; Sadr, Majlis Ansarullah Nigeria, Engr. (Alhaji) Abdul Waheed Adeoye; General Secretary, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria, Alhaji Abbas Iromini; Chairman, Jalsa Planning Committee, Alhaji Mudafadhlu Bankole; Amir, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria, Dr. Mash’hud Adenrele Fashola; Naib Amir South West, Barrister Abdul Azeez Alatoye and Sadr Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya Nigeria, Engr. Saheed Aina, during the commissioning of industrial borehole for the 2017 Jalsa Salana preparation in IIaro, Ogun State.

His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (r) and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Reverend, His Grace, Justin Welby during the visit of the Archbishop to London's oldest Mosque, the Fazl Mosque

Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Abuja Circuit held Aminul Quran for 3 boys and six girls at the Central Mosque, Abuja on 5th November 2017

Maulvi Abdul Azeem Ahmad, a member of The Truth Editorial Board, receiving an academic award from His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V during the 2017 Jalsa Salana of Germany

Osogbo Circuit Missionary, Alhaji AbdulGaniyy Ademola Oladipupo was conferred with a Honorary Doctoral Degree of Theology by Bradley University, USA on 25th November, 2017

Graduands and Jama’at members at the Aminul Quran organised by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Abuja Circuit at the Central Mosque, Abuja on 5th November 2017

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THE TRUTH / FRIDAY, 22ND DECEMBER 2017

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PICTURES AT THE 2016 JALSA SALANA

L-R: Representative of Niger State Governor, Alhaji Tanko Baba Ahmed, Special Adviser on Religion Affairs; Naib Amir Special Duties, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Nigeria, Engr. Alhaji A-lhassan Ahmed; the Amir, Dr Mashhud Adenrele Fashola and State of Osun Governor, Ogbeni Raufu Aregbesola, during the centenary celebration and 64th Jalsa Salana in IIaro Ogun State

L-R: Former President of Nigeria, President Olusegun Obasanjo while addressing the Atfal (male children 7-15 years old) at the centenary celebration and 64th Jalsa Salana in Ilaro, Ogun State. With him were: Chairman, Jalsa Planning Committee, Alhaji Mufaddilu Bankole; former Military Governor of Ogun State, General Seidu Balogun (rtd); former President, Nigeria Labour Congress, Engr Alhaji Hassani Sunmonu; Representative of Niger State Governor, Alhaji Tanko Baba Ahmed, Special Adviser on Religion Affairs; the Amir, Dr Mashhud Adenrele Fashola and other guests

L-R: Representative of Niger State Governor, Alhaji Tanko Baba Ahmed, Special Adviser on Religion Affairs;

L-R: Former President of Nigeria, President Olusegun Obasanjo; former Military Governor Ogun State, General Seidu Balogun (rtd); Chairman, Jalsa Planning Committee, Alhaji Mufaddilu Bankole; Naib Amir, Northern Region Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Nigeria, Dr Yeqeen Habeeb and Naib Amir, South West, Barrister Abdul Azeez Alatoye, during the centenary celebration and 64th Jalsa Salana in IIaro Ogun State

L-R: Akinrun of Ikirun, Oba Abdulraufu Olawale Adedeji; former President, Nigeria Labour Congress, Engr Alhaji Hassani Sunmonu; Naib Amir South West Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Nigeria, Alatoye AbdulAzeez and Missionary-in-Charge, Cameroun and Chad, Maulvi Abdul Khalique Nayyar, during the centenary celebration and 64th Jalsa Salana in IIaro Ogun State

L-R: the Amir, Dr Mashhud Adenrele Fashola, Representative of Niger State Governor, Alhaji Tanko Baba Ahmed, Special Adviser on Religion Affairs;

L-R: Representative of Niger State Governor, Alhaji Tanko Baba Ahmed, Special Adviser on Religion Affairs; the Amir, Dr Mashhud Adenrele Fashola and former President of Nigeria, President Olusegun Obasanjo, during the centenary celebration and 64th Jalsa Salana in IIaro Ogun State

L-R: Naib Amir, Northern Region Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Nigeria, Dr Yeqeen Habeeb; the Amir, Dr Mashhud Adenrele Fashola ; former President of Nigeria, President Olusegun Obasanjo; former Military Governor of Ogun State, General Seidu Balogun (rtd); Chairman, Jalsa Planning Committee, Alhaji Mufaddilu Bankole; Representative of Niger State Governor, Alhaji Tanko Baba Ahmed, Special Adviser on Religion Affairs; and other guests at the centenary celebration and 64th Jalsa Salana in Ilaro, Ogun State

THE TRUTH

FRIDAY, 22ND DECEMBER 2017

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HolyVerses The Holy Qur’an In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful And thou, O soul at peace! Return to thy Lord well pleased with Him and He well pleased with thee So enter thou among My chosen servants And enter thou My Garden. (Holy Qur'an 89 vs 28-31)

he last four verses of Sura Fajr constitute a befitting climax. They purport to say that he who acquires the pre-requisites for full moral development, mentioned in the foregoing verses, becoomes immune to all possibility of faltering and failing. He attains the highest stage of spiritual development; "he is well pleased with his Lord and his Lord is well pleased with him." At this stage, called the heavenly stage, man is freed from all weakness and frailty and is braced with a peculiar spiritual strength. He becomes únited'with God and cannot exist without

Him. As water flows with great force down a slope and, on account of its great mass and the total absence of all obstacles, dashes down with irresistible force, so the Godintoxicated man at this stage, casting off all trammels, becomes attracted unrestrainedly towards his Maker. It is in this life and not after death that this great transformation takes place in him and it is in this life and not elsewhere that access to Paradise is granted to him. He finds his support only in God; He drinks deep at this fountain of spiritual life and is delivered from death.

Hadith Sayings of the Holy Prophet (saw)

bu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: "Faith has seventy-some doors, the lowest of which is removing something harmful from the road, and its highest is the statement 'La Ilãha Illallãh." (Sahih)

bn 'Umar narrated that the Messenger of Allah passed by a man and he was chastising his brother about modesty, so the Messenger of Allah said: "Al-Haya' (modesty) is part of faith." (Sahih)

Malfoozah

Sayings of the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi (as)

he first move of a believer towards achieving his objective is humility in his prayer, an act that involves the abandonment of pride and arrogance. The objective attained thereby is that the self adopts the habit of humbleness and becomes ready and attuned to establishing a relationship with God. The second step towards fulfilment is the abandonment of vain thinking and pursuits, for until a believer acquires the strength to abandon vain pursuits for the sake of God, which is not a difficult matter, it is unreasonable to expect that he will be able to turn away from such pursuits from which he derives some benefit or pleasure, and which are difficult to abandon. This shows that after the abandonment of pride, the next step is the giving up of vain pursuits in consequence of which some relationship is established with God Almighty and, as a result, faith becomes stronger than before…. The third step towards spiritual fulfillment is to spend one's wealth in the cause of Allah, which is a greater sacrifice than turning away from vain pursuits, as wealth is earned with effort and is something useful, and is also a source of prosperity and faith. This sacrifice requires stronger faith than the giving up of vain pursuits. Consequently, faith is strengthened further and the relationship with God is likewise fostered. This purifies the self because the sacrifice of wealth for the sake of God is not possible without such purification. The fourth step is the restraint of passions against unlawful indulgence, which is a stronger attachment to wealth, for wealth is spent in the pursuit of one's passions. To control passion for the sake of God is a greater sacrifice than the sacrifice of wealth. Consequently, the abandonment of the pursuit of passions strengthens the relationship with God, for whatever a person gives up for the sake of God, he is granted something better in its place. The fifth step is to discard the ego altogether in the cause of God. This means to render back to God that which has been committed to one as a trust. At this stage a believer is required to modify his relationship to everything that is bestowed upon him as if all of it were a trust to be devoted to the cause of God. The sacrifice of the ego, therefore, means that the

trust should be rendered back to God Almighty, and also that one's covenant of faith with God should be duly fulfilled and the obligations that one owes his fellow beings should be fully discharged as a true sacrifice, inasmuch as the complete fulfillment of all aspects of righteousness also amounts to a type of death. It should be remembered that the fifth stage is the final stage of the spiritual journey. When that stage reaches perfection, it is followed by the sixth stage, which is a pure bounty, and is bestowed upon the believer without any further effort or toil…. In other words, just as the believer forsakes his self for the sake of God, and is granted a new soul….; in the same way, a believer who dedicates his life to the cause of God out of personal love for God, is honoured with the spirit of God's personal love which is accompanied by the Holy Spirit. …. When this spirit descends upon a believer, worship ceases to be a burden, and he is invested with such strength and pleasure that it prompts him to worship and remember God out of the eagerness of love and not through conscious effort. Such a believer continuously attends upon the threshold of God, like the angel Gabriel, and is granted permanent nearness of the Lord of Honour. At that stage, a believer deems his prayer essential for nurturing his spiritual life without which he cannot survive. This stage cannot be achieved without the spirit which descends from God Almighty upon a believer. When a believer discards his life for the sake of God Almighty, he deserves to be given a new life. All this shows that according to a sane reason, these are the six stages which have to be traversed by a believer who seeks the perfection of his spiritual journey. The reason for this is that until a person succeeds in establishing a perfect relationship with God, his imperfect ego loves five vicious conditions, and the discarding of the love of each condition requires a motive which should enable him to overcome that love so that a new love may take its place.

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Features Islamic Finance: Structuring Funds for Businesses (Murabaha) Hafis Bello

urabaha simply refers to a business relationship in which an intermediary buys a property with free and clear title. It is a form of sale contract in Islam whereby a buyer approaches a financier to seek financing for the purchase of an asset; the seller is required to declare his cost plus profit. Murabaha transactions are not an interest-bearing loan, and are thus accepted form of credit sale under the Sharia. Murabaha, usually termed 'cost-plus-markup' is an Islamic financing technique that requires a client to make a request to the financial institution towards purchase of an asset for him/her. The financial institution does that for a definite and clearly identified profit over the cost (hence the term cost-plus-markup). The client is then required to repay the agreed sale price (which includes profit margin of the financial institution) in stipulated installments. Murabaha is a tool applicable for clients who wish to purchase halal and legal equipment or other assets for approved business or other uses. Murabaha is the most common mode of Islamic financing adopted across Islamic financial institutions in the world. The Murabaha is derived from the Arabic work Ribh- profit. It is used for the various financing such as consumer financing for purchase of durable items such as household items, cars, real estate; poultry and fish farm financing; production financing such as raw materials, implements, machinery,; and short-term trade which it is eminently suitable. Murabaha financing could also be used to issue letters of credit and

to provide financing to import trade. How the Murabaha transaction operates: One: The client approaches an Islamic financial institution to seek financing to purchase a specific commodity from the market. Two: Unlike conventional bank that releases money to the client and charge interest, Islamic financial institutions cannot charge interest but they have to stay profitable. Hence. the Islamic financial institution purchases the specific commodity on cash, and sells to the client on deferred payment basis. Thus, the client gets the commodity he desired, and the Islamic financial institution made some profit on the amount it had spent in acquiring the commodity. Guiding Principles for Murabaha Transactions: These are the requirements for the transaction to meet Islamic standards of a legal sale: 1. The client must make a clear request to the financial institution for purchase of an asset 2. The asset must be halal, legal and considered worthy. It must be a standard item not adulterated. 3. The financial institution gets a promise from the client to purchase the item upon acquisition by the financial institution. Although, this promise is not legally binding, thus it could put the financial institution into a loss situation. 4. Two sale contracts are required: one which involves the financial institution and the seller of the asset/product and the other, between the financial institution and the client. Practical example using the LNIF model.

A client walks to Leeds Non Interest Finance (LNIF) to purchase a product/asset worth N500,000 1. The client is required to complete LNIF form online (leedsng.com/murabaha). 2. LNIF team does independent investigation on the details provided with key focus on halal nature of the required commodity, personal values of the Mudarib in terms of trust element; genuine information, and reality checks, etc. This process in done by the Audit, Sharia Compliance and Finance Teams. 3. If the proposal is successful at the critical review phase, the client is invited for oral interview. 4. A repayment schedule is communicated with the client. This schedule indicates the cost (product costs, legal and documentations), profit and repayment dates. 5. LNIF purchases required equipment, location or other resources and make them available to the client. It is good to note that Islamic financing discourages giving cash to the client unless in unavoidable circumstances. In such cases, the client will execute an Agency Agreement to act on behalf of the financial institution on purchases for the project. As indicated earlier, such agency are implemented in rare cases. We shall continue on other models of financing in the next edition, insha Allah. May Allah continue to guide, guard and grant us wisdom to do the right things. Ameen

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YoursSincerely Is the World a Vanity? Ghazal Jide Lawal

his world, many persons affirm, is a place of vanity. The statement has already become very trite; or rather, more of a slang because everybody, old or young, utters it. In Yoruba community, particularly, when the death occurs of a wealthy, influential and famous person, people will look at all he had left behind; the property he had amassed whether by hook or by crook, the big name he had built like a pillar of monument, his fame which had spread all over the world, the string of wives and countless children and so on; people will hiss, sigh and shake their heads and then the ready utterance : “This world is a place of vanity” they will exclaim. But how much truth is contained in this statement? We are asking: is this world truly a place of vanity? The Holy Quran 38:28 provides the answer: Allah says, “And we have not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in vain. This is the view of those who disbelieve…” It is crystal clear here that Allah created nothing in vain. In fact, any person who thinks that Allah created the world in vain is a disbeliever according to the verse of the Holy Quran quoted above. In another instance, precisely the Holy Quran 3:192, Allah says: “Those who remember Allah standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and ponder over the creation of the heavens and the earth and say: “Our Lord, Thou hast not created this universe in vain….” Indeed, every object created by Allah, both living and non-living, from the microscopic to the very biggest organism was never in vain and it is the attribute of the believers to ponder over all of Allah's creation and affirm that all of them were created for a purpose. Therefore, it is not the statement of the believers to say that the world is a place of vanity. Now, let us put up some arguments with reference in the Holy Quran to puncture the saying that the world is a place of

vanity. In the Holy Quran 7:55, it is stated that Allah created the heavens and the earth in six days and in the Holy Quran 22:48, Allah says that His one day in our own counting is equivalent to one thousand years. Invariably, then Allah had spent six thousand years to create the heavens and the earth. We should note that the creation of our own Adam (a.s) is about six thousand years now. Then, how reasonable does it sound for anybody to think that Allah had spent six thousand years to create vanity? Our Allah, the Almighty is far from someone who would spend six thousand years on frivolity whoever thinks so is a disbeliever.

“

Every object created by Allah, both living and non-living, from the microscopic to the very biggest organism was never in vain and it is the attribute of the believers to ponder over all of Allah's creation and affirm that all of them were created for a purpose.

”

Here again is an argument from another point of view: For any person to attain salvation, it is in this world he would work for it. The Holy Quran 51:57 states that Allah has not created man and the jinn but to worship Him. That worship is to take place in this world and not in heaven. Then, how is the world a place of vanity? The Holy Quran 90:11 states that man has been shown the two high ways. The two high ways are the good, straight way that leads to heavens; and the evil, crooked way that leads to hell. These two ways are in this world from where man has freedom to make a choice. The two ways are not in the moon. So, if this world provides a way that determines man's eternity, how, then, is it a place of vanity?

If a Muslim has been joining the multitude to say that this world is a place of vanity, he should desist from saying so henceforth or else, he becomes a disbeliever as stated in the Holy Quran cited above. However, it is possible for an individual person to live a life of vanity. In other worlds, the world of an individual can be a place of vanity if he chooses to make it so. In this regard, we have four categories of people whose world is a place of vanity. Category One: These are the people who have wealth in abundance, respected names and fames but lack Allah's worship (the purpose for which they were created). That is to say, they have all but Allah. Their lives are in vain. Category Two: These are Muslims quite alright, they perform acts of worship, they spend their money on religious activities and participate in religions functions but they are members of evil society like witchcraft, wizardry and other cults. In other words, they indulge in shirk which is the most detestable sin in the sight of Allah and which He had vowed not to forgive. What then becomes of their works, worship and so on? Allah says, “And we shall turn to the work they did and we shall scatter it into particles of dust. (H.Q 25:24). Category Three: These are the people who believe in another power and adores it beside Allah's. Or they regard themselves as powerful as they follow no religion or faith. Category Four: These are the people who so much love the world that they allow themselves to be deceived by the ornamentation and pleasure of the world that they treat religious matters with levity. Allah has avowed not to combine the love for Him and the love for the world in one soul just as it is difficult for fire and water to share the same abode. May Allah not make our world a place of vanity. Amin.

Of Paradise and the Private Ghazal Jide Lawal

uman creation is characterised by two phenomena which are “the physical” and “the private”. Human existence is enshrouded in these two phenomena. The human appearance depicts the physical which is open to the world such as body and actions whereas the private concerns itself with the mind which is hidden from the outside world and only Allah and the body that hosts the mind know what the mind harbours. When a baby is born, its physical appearance is seen but its private is hidden from everybody including the mother who conveyed it to the world and that is why nobody can explain why the baby cries at birth. The baby's cry at birth is essentially the product of its mind (the private) which is hidden from the world. As the baby grows physically, its private also grows with it which accounts for the absolute innocent world of a baby. At infancy, the private of a person is a tabularasa which does not harbour rancour, hatred, hypocrisy, insincerity or mischief. Falsehood and all illegality are alien to it. In fact, the private of an infant is the purest in human life. If an infant makes a mistake, it is an honest mistake which is not tainted by any ulterior or prejudiced motive. However, when the baby attains puberty, his “physical” begins to outgrow his private as he now pays little or no attention to the private. He spends greater part of his time to cater for his physical appearance at the total neglect of his private. At this period of life, man hides under his stunted private to perpetrate heinous deeds of all kinds because he believes nobody sees him. At this growing years of a girl, for instance, it takes the special grace of God not to have been defiled before she is twenty years old. In most cases, a twenty-year old girl is no longer “complete” as she must have been fairly used. For an adult whose private is unnurtured, and malnourished, he becomes an embodiment of deceit, hypocrisy and dishonesty even when people may see him as

religious. His words will not be in tandem with his deeds as he is totally bereft of fear of God. Most of his actions are done for people to see him and acclaim him as a believer and even vow to vouch for him anytime. But, if people have a means of opening his private and see what resides in the innermost recesses of his mind, people will run for dear life. Just because the private is hidden from the outside world, we now have many witches in hijabs and many wizards in turbans and jalabias. Their physical appearances and their outward activities are mere facade which present them to the world as true servants of Allah, but beneath this facade lies their furtive reality totally unbeknown to the world. Their private life is scarily horrific. I understand some people are regular programme-goers. They attend Islamic conferences and conventions and even contribute intelligently in Islamic discourses. They spend their strength and wealth towards these programmes, thus, they never miss the conferences and conventions. But, what do all these physical activities matter if the private is filthy? If they hide under the ugly private to perpetrate evils while they put up deceptive outward appearances and physical activities, they should know that Allah is never unaware of their secrets. Allah reckons very little with the outside appearances and physical activities. It is for this reason that the Holy Qur'an emphasizes the fear of Allah in private as yardstick for the attainment of Allah's forgiveness and salvation. Suratul Baqarah verse 285 says: “To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth; and whether you disclose what is in your minds or keep it hidden, Allah will call you to account for it…”. Man can hide from another man but certainly not from Allah. If Allah knows man's private, then, what a foolery for man to think he can do anything without Allah being in the know. Suratul Qaf verses 17 to 19 shed further light on how all

escape routes have been closed against man and he should get prepared to account for his deeds whether in the open or private. “And assuredly, We have created man and We know what his mind whispers to him and We are nearer to him than even his jugular vein, when the two recording angels record everything, sitting on his right hand and on his left. He (man) utters not a word but there is by him a guardian angel ready to record it”. In this situation, is there any hideout for man in order to avoid being called to account when Allah is closer to him even more than his jugular vein and the recording angels record all his utterances? It has been pointedly said that the FEAR OF ALLAH IN SECRET is the only route to salvation. The Holy Qur'an, suratul Yasin verse 12 says: “…and fear the Gracious God in secret. So, give him the glad tidings of forgiveness and a noble reward”. After forgiveness comes the noble reward which is salvation. To further hammer on the essence of the fear of Allah in secret, Allah emphasizes in Suratul Mulk verse 13 thus: “Verily, those who fear their Lord in secret, for them is forgiveness and great reward”. With this, salvation is dependent on the fear of Allah in secret. Suratul Qaf verses 33 to 35 dramatize what will be the experience of the believers who fear their God in private on the day of judgement as follows: “And, it will be said: “This is what was promised to you to everyone who constantly turned to God and was watchful of his actions, who feared the Gracious God in private and came to Him with a penitent heart. “Enter ye therein in peace. This is the Day of Eternity”. We can see again that eternity is promised to only those who fear Allah in private and therefore, there is the need to pay greater attention to our private than our physical appearances and outward actions, as salvation is essentially hinged on the fear of Allah in secret when nobody sees your actions or hears your utterances.

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Features Martyrdom in Islam - A Brief Conceptual Clarification Al-Hafiz Yunus Omotayo

“Abu Barakat Thaqafi has related that the Holy Prophet (saw) said: When two Muslims confront each other with swords and one is killed, both end up in hell. I said: Messenger of Allah (saw), as to the one who kills it is understandable; but why the other? He answered: The other was also eager to kill his opponent.” [1] “All the soldiers who died in the battle on the Iraqi side were applauded as great martyrs by the Iraqi media. All the Iranian soldiers who died at the hands of the Iraqis were condemned as infidels dispatched straight to hell by the Iraqi media. Exactly the same story was repeated in reverse day in and day out on the other side of the border in Iran. Whenever an Iraqi soldier was bayoneted to death the battlefield resounded with the cry of 'Allaho Akbar' (God is the greatest). On which side was Islam? One wonders! All this demonstrates the hollowness of these slogans. The only point which can be proved beyond a shadow of doubt is that the Iraqi and Iranian soldiers who laid down their lives for an apparently noble cause were duped by their leadership. Islam was neither here nor there.” [2] Mirza Tahir Ahmad. Introduction he totality of Islamic beliefs, doctrines and ideologies and their expressions or manifestations by the contemporary Muslim world occupy a central position in contemporary world socio-religious and political discourse. Particularly critical are such topical discussions on the various extremist re-interpretations of Islamic theological and legal doctrines and their fanatical applications by various radical Muslim individuals, groups and governments at local, national and international levels. One of such Islamic doctrines that has been subjected to such extremist re-interpretation and radically applied is the concept of martyrdom in Islam. Observably, as numerous recent events have shown, whether it was the thousands of young Iranian boys in the Bassidj organization who sacrificed themselves during the IranIraq war in 1980s, the Shia militants in Islamic Jihad that bombed the U.S. embassy and French barracks in Beirut in 1983, the Hezbollah attacks against Israel targets in southern Lebanon in the 1980s, the 9/11 hijackers flying commercial airliners into the World Trade Center, or during the last five years frequent reports of suicide bombings in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Muslims across the world are committing suicide to attack their perceived enemy and become martyrs for their cause.[3] In the same vein, of particular note are the ongoing bloodshed resulting from the protracted Syrian civil war cum ISIS militancy, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen and as well as Boko Haram's guerrilla war and suicide bombings in the North-East Nigeria. Every case of death resulting from the brutalities perpetrated by each of these bodies is regarded as Islam-sanctioned martyrdom. Obviously, the concept of martyrdom as currently understood and manifested in the contemporary Muslim world presents before us a quite disturbing phenomenon that seriously calls for critical re-assessment and, of course, clarification and re-presentation of what the true Islamic conception of the philosophy of martyrdom is. Who is a martyr? Or, to put more objectively, who is an ideal Muslim martyr, according to Islam? Can a Muslim suicide bomber be Islamically referred to as a martyr? Similarly, based on true Islamic conception of martyrdom, can the word 'Islamic martyr' be applicable to every Muslim soldier, rebel and civilian who died as a result of any political war, for instance, the ongoing Syrian, Yemen and Nigeria-Boko Haram wars etc? What fundamental principle and condition define, determine and justify true

Islamic martyrdom? This article attempts a brief conceptual clarification of a subject that is, evidently, being increasingly misconstrued, badly-expressed and abused whether through the so-called contemporary radical Islamist-Jihadists' martyrdom operations or suicide terrorism, or the various internal civil wars or inter-state political wars being engaged in by some Muslim individuals, groups and governments in the name of Islam. Concept of Martyrdom in Islam The Arabic word for martyr, as used in the Quran and in Muslim theology and jurisprudence as well as by major

Martyrdom is placed among the four highest spiritual classes that mankind can ever attain, namely: the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous. Allah says: “And whoso obeys Allah and this Messenger of His shall be among those on whom Allah has bestowed His blessings, namely the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs, the Righteous. And excellent companions are these.” Muslim world languages, is shahid. The word is derived from the Arabic trilateral root verb, shahida, meaning “he witnessed, “he experienced an event personally”, “he was physically present”. According to Cook, the term…..has almost the same semantic field as the Christian word “martyr”, meaning both a “witness' and “one who dies or suffers because of his beliefs” (and thus bears witness to the truth of those beliefs).”[4] As defined by Kilani, martyr is the name given to those who, in fearless profession of their religion or in an effort of establishing or propagating it, prefer to die rather than abandon it or its teaching or practices. [5] Again, it is similarly defined as somebody who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, refusing to renounce, or refusing to advocate a belief or cause as demanded by an external party. This refusal to comply with the presented demands results in the punishment or execution of the martyr by the oppressor. The death of a martyr or the value attributed to it is called martyrdom,[6] which, in Arabic, is termed as shahadah. The doctrine of martyrdom occupies a central place in the theology and history of Islam. As Kilani opines, “The concept of martyrdom in Islam is associated with an allround effort to make the word of Allah supreme on the surface of the earth. Martyrdom is regarded as the highest form of shahadah, [i.e. witness which a Muslim can make to the religion of Islam.[7] In the words of Kelly: 'A martyr does not seek to avoid death, but instead take control of his fate, and give his life for a cause worth dying for.'[8] Martyrdom identifies the exemplary ethical model of moral action in a show of struggle (jihad) for the sacred, manifested in the ultimate act of self-sacrifice. The (male)

martyr or shahid encounters the sacred by fighting against the enemies of the true religion; and in the process giving up his life in exchange for a higher, celestial existence. In this regard, it is not merely the event of death that identified martyrdom, but the very fulfillment of the duty of obedience to the will of God that brought one to the level of sacred. Martyrdom can also signify the honourable defence of faith, the code of honour which reflects a defensive drive to protect the pietistic themes of virtue.”[9] True, martyrdom is one of the most genuine and sincere ways through which a person can physically give expression to his conviction of, and witness to, the truthfulness of the faith or cause or ideology which he professes or advocates. It is, therefore, for the above reason that, in the Islamic theology, martyrdom is placed among the four highest spiritual classes that mankind can ever attain, namely: the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous. Allah says: “And whoso obeys Allah and this Messenger of His shall be among those on whom Allah has bestowed His blessings, namely the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs, the Righteous. And excellent companions are these.” [10] According to Mirza Bashirud-din M. Ahmad, because martyrs lay down their lives for the sake of Allah, therefore they are granted in the next world a special kind of life which is different from, and superior to, that of ordinary believers.” [11] More so, they are given special promise of abundant eternal rewards. This fact is explicitly expressed in the Quranic verse: “Think not of those, who have been slain in the cause of Allah, as dead. Nay, they are living, in the presence of their Lord, and are granted gifts from Him. Jubilant because of that which Allah has given them of His bounty; and rejoicing for those who have not yet joined them from behind them, because on them shall come no fear, nor shall they grieve.” [12] This clearly indicates that the souls of the martyrs are specially bestowed with higher consciousness in the presence of Allah a consciousness the reality of which transcends ordinary human perception.[13] Other numerous rewards promised to the martyrs are reported in the Prophetic Traditions. Indeed, as noted by Ataul Mujeeb Rashid, “to surrender one's life in the name of faith for seeking the pleasure of Allah and to remain steadfast under the most trying conditions is indeed a very commendable act.” [14] True, “the reward of goodness,” declares the Quran, “is nothing but goodness.” [15] Martyrdom in Islam - Principle and Condition Let us now make an attempt to define the principle and condition that determine which martyrdom merits to be termed as Islamic. It is pertinent to state that, theologically, Islamic creed establishes the monotheistic belief about God and maintains that the kingdom of heavens and earth belongs to Allah.[16] This premise therefore establishes for Islam its idealistic agenda of ensuring that, just as it is in heaven, the Word of Allah must as well rule supreme in the world through the agency of mankind, whom the Divine Will appointed as the vicegerent of Allah on earth. Thus any struggle [jihad] engaged in towards the realization of this supreme agenda is therefore termed in the Islamic theology as 'Jihad fee sabeel Allah' i.e. struggle in the way of establishing the supremacy of the Word of Allah in human life and world. Since martyrdom is closely associated with Jihad, the above premise therefore provides the principle for determining the true and ideal Islamic shahadah or martyrdom as that whose fundamental principle stipulates CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE

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Features CONTINUES FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Martyrdom in Islam - A Brief Conceptual Clarification that one must be martyred strictly because of one's faith or belief in Allah,[17] and not for the profession of, or advocacy for, any other worldly ideas; whose basic condition strictly is struggle [jihad] in the cause of Allah [fee sabeel Allah],[18]] not in the cause of any political struggle or nationalistic ideology etc; and ultimately, whose fundamental objective is because one seeks to establish the supremacy of the Word of Allah in the world [litakoona kalimatullah hiyal 'ulyaa],[19] not for gaining political power or control of territory etc. Thus, in Islamic Jurisprudence, the term shahid is technically defined in the light of the above principle and condition. For instance, according to the Shafi'i jurists, the term refers to “one who is killed in fighting unbelievers, facing and not running away, for the raising of Allah's word….and not for any worldly motive.” [20] Similarly, the Hanbali jurists also reason along the same line of the Shafi'is and elaborate that the term refers to “one who dies in a battle with the unbelievers, whether male or female, adult or not, whether killed by the unbelievers, or by his own weapon in error, or by having fallen off his mount, or having been found dead with no mark, provided he was sincere.” [21] However, it is important to note that, while these technical definitions beautifully enunciate some fundamental principles and conditions that define and determine what an Islamic martyrdom is, they, however, narrow the scope of the term to apply only to battlefield martyrdom, precluding other categories of martyrdom. The Scope of Islamic Martyrdom In Quranic usage, martyrs are broadly classified into two: (1) those who are slain in the battlefield in the course of defensive war for raising the word of Allah and not for worldly objective; and (2) those who are subjected to persecution and victimization due to profession of their faith and are either killed ultimately or die naturally. The former is referred to in many places in the Holy Quran. For example, a Quranic verse states: “Surely, Allah has purchased of the believers their persons and their property in return for the Heavenly Garden they shall have; they fight in the cause of Allah, and they slay and are slain an unfailing promise that He has made incumbent on Himself in the Torah, and the Gospel, and the Quran. And who is more faithful to his promise than Allah? Rejoice, then, in your bargain which you have made with Him; and that it is which is the supreme triumph.” [22] In the case of the latter type, we have: “And those who leave their homes for the cause of Allah, and are then slain or die, Allah will surely provide for them a goodly provision. And surely, Allah is the Best of providers.” [23] Commenting on this verse, Mirza Bashirud-din Mahmud Ahmad notes thus: “In fact there are two categories of martyrs “the dead martyrs” and “the living martyrs”. The “dead” martyrs are actually slain in the cause of God while the “living” martyrs live then die a natural death. The verse under comment places both these classes of 'martyrs” in the same category.” [24] These are the only two categories of martyrdom explicitly mentioned in the Holy Quran. However, we do come across expanded definitions of martyrs given in some Hadiths and classical Muslim literature. For example, a Hadith reports the Holy Prophet (saw) as saying that: “Whoever fights in defense of his person and killed, he is a martyr; whoever is killed in defense of his property, is a martyr; whoever fights in defence of his family and is killed, is a martyr; and whoever is killed for the cause of God is a martyr.” [25] It is thus in the light of such reports that many among both classical and modern Muslim jurists and theologians and even non-Muslim scholars have given a long list of such secondary categories of martyrdom. In his

Dictionary of Islam, Hughes writes that “in addition to those two classes of persons namely those who are slain in religious war and those who have been killed unjustly, the rank of shahid is given, in a figurative sense, to any who are in such a manner as to excite the sympathy and pity of mankind.” [26] Mahmud M. Ayoub treads the same line and rationalizes that, “at least in early Islam, the application of the term martyr was not limited to the person who is killed in the way of God on the battlefield. Martyrdom is an act of jihad (striving) in the way of God. Jihad, however, contrary to the common view held in the West, is not simply militancy, more basic is the jihad against the evil in one's own soul and in society. It is this inner purity resulting from the jihad of the soul that creates the right intention of serving the cause of truth in whatever way possible. In addition to dying in defense of one's faith, property, or life, therefore, the act of falling off one's mount, dying of snakebite, or drowning is also regarded as martyrdom. Likewise, he who dies from a stray arrow or bullet, or from his house collapsing down upon him, is considered a martyr. Even those who die of the plague or a stomach ailment, or a woman who dies in childbirth, are considered martyrs. The famous traditionist, Ibn Abbas, is said to have declared: “A man dies in his bed in the way of God, yet he is a martyr.” [27] Similarly, it may not be out of place to also note that, in the Sufi conception, the term “living martyrs”, is also defined as to 'include those who, having joined the “greater jihad”, successfully fight their nafs (self). The Sufi author Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami (d. 412/1021) declares that the battlefield martyr is a shahid only externally (fiz zhahir); the true martyr (fi 'l-haqiqa) is he whose nafs has been slain while he continues to live in accordance with the Sufi rules. [28] It should however be noted that there is no direct reference for this secondary category of martyrs mentioned in the Quran. It is perhaps on this note that Goldziher rationalizes that: “the addition of these categories was designed to temper the fanatical rush to martyrdom that was common in the early days of Islam. By installing other categories, the Prophet and his wiser contemporaries perhaps sought to teach the new Muslims that faith and perseverance in everyday life could also lead to the same reward as battlefield heroics.”[29] 'Nevertheless', concludes Mahmud M. Ayoub, 'in spite of all this, the true martyr is he who is slain in the way of God.” [30] In view of the foregoing, a categorization of martyrdom with few examples from various historical manifestations may be necessary for the purpose of ensuring proper clarification and understanding. Three categories of martyrs have been distinguished by Muslim theologians and jurists: (1) martyr of this world and the Hereafter (2) martyr of the world to come (3) martyr of this world. Martyr of this world and the Hereafter Martyrs of this type include: [a] One who is slain in the battlefield while engaging in defensive war for no other reason but that “the word of God be uppermost.” i.e. a martyrdom that is purely achieved fee sabeel Allah in the cause of faith or in the way of Allah. Such a martyr is to be buried in his clothes, without washing or shrouding ordinarily, necessary rites for the dead. Muslim tradition has recorded the names of numerous battlefield martyrs who died during the Prophet's lifetime; they include members of his immediate family, such as his paternal uncle Hamza b. 'Abd al-Muttalib (known as sayyid al-shuhada) and his cousin Ja'far b. Abi Talib. Here, a note on the justification of this category of martyrdom as sanctioned by Islam is necessary. Some

non-Muslim writers on Islamic martyrdom have maintained that, historically, the killing of persons for their beliefs has not been the norm in Islam. Rather, what has always been the case in the Muslim history were the battlefield martyrs resulting from the various Muslims wars which they engaged in not just for the reason of defending their religion against attacks from opponents, but for enforcing it upon people and/or for expanding their territories. Clearly, this misconception is due to certain misunderstanding that has been woven around the rationale behind the early wars engaged by the Holy Prophet and his companions during the formative stage of Islam. For instance, in a paper on comparative study of martyrdom in Christianity and Islam, published by the Westminster University, Harrow, the author identified two basic categories of martyrdom as: (1) passive martyrdom which means to die for truth, refusing to give up your faith, for resisting compromise peacefully, without resorting to violence or physical retaliation; (2) active martyrdom which is to die while fighting for truth, to die in battle, to die while inflicting violence on those who refuse to accept your version of the truth.(31) [p. 4] But while passively conceding to the fact that Islamic martyrology embraces the former, he however goes further to state that: “In the early part of his career as a prophet in Mecca, Muhammad seems to have been a figure of courage who was willing to die for the message he was preaching. Later, the opportunity to go to Medina presented itself and while there, a new view of martyrdom emerged. While in Medina, Islam took on the nature of both a religious and political movement. Muhammad turned to using force of arms to extend the political power of this movement. During this period, the view clearly emerged that those who died in battle for Islam should be considered martyrs, not just those who were killed for refusing to give up their faith in Islam.[32] It may be noted that the first commandment that sanctions Muslims' engagement in defensive war against their persecutors and opponents is contained in the Quranic verse: “Permission to fight is given to those against whom war is made, because they have been wronged and Allah indeed has power to help them Those who have been driven out from their homes unjustly only because they said, 'Our Lord is Allah' And if Allah did not repel some men by means of others, there would surely have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques, wherein the name of Allah is oft commemorated….” [33] Commenting on this verse, Freamon opines: “This verse is the genesis of the concept of the military jihad. It clearly offers normative justification to Muslims for waging war in the exercise of the collective right to self-defense and it brings the Islamic conception of defensive war into close alignment with traditional Western “Just War” doctrine.” [34] TO BE CONTINUED A l - H a f i z Yu n u s Omotayo is a Hafizul Quran, an Islamic Missionary and the National Secretary of the Majlis Ansar Sultanil Qalam of Nigeria (Muslim Writers Guild of Nigeria)

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Children’sCorner Prophet Muhammad (saw) YOUTH OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAW) s Prophet Muhammad (saw) grew to Manhood, he won great respect for his excellent conduct. Soon he was known among his fellow Meccans as Al-Ameen meaning “The Trusted" and as-Saadiq meaning "The Truthful". He used to assist his uncle in his day-to-day life, and when he was 12 years of age, accompanied him in a trade caravan to Syria. He always tried to refrain from taking part in the quarrels of others, but was ever ready to help put an end to such quarrels. As a result of this, he became an active member of the famous association in which members undertook a pledge called Hilful-Fadool, to help the oppressed people and to restore their rights.

MARRIAGE TO KHADIJA (RA) (595 C.E.) Hadrat Khadijah (ra), a rich widow of Mecca, on hearing Muhammad's fame as an honest young man, employed him as her trade agent. In this capacity, he led some trade caravans to Syria and brought back considerable profits. Hadrat Khadijah (ra) was much impressed and made a proposal of marriage to Muhammad (saw) which was accepted. He was twenty-five when he married Hadrat Khadijah (ra), who was forty and had been twice widowed. She placed all her wealth at her husband's disposal. Muhammad (saw) distributed a significant part of her wealth among the poor and chose a life of austerity for himself and his wife.

time in prayers and meditation. This practice continued for ten long years until he was forty years of age. In the year 610 C.E., on one night of Ramadan, when he was busy praying, as usual, he saw someone in a vision who was commanding him to recite: Read in the name of thy Lord who created; created man from a clot of blood. Recite! And thy Lord is the most Beneficent; who taught man by the pen; taught man what he knew not. (The Holy Qur'an, 96:2-6) This was in fact the Archangel Gabriel who had brought to him the first Qur'anic revelation from God. This was evidently the start of his prophethood. He was afraid in new of this great responsibility from God. His wife Khadijah gave him moral support and assured him that God would never leave him alone in his Divine mission. Hadrat Khadijah (ra), then took the Prophet to her cousin, Waraqa bin Naufal, a Christian. He had studied some of the holy books of the previous prophets. That is why, on hearing the account from the Prophet, he said: "The angel who descended on Moses, I am sure, has descended on you" (Bukhari). Waraqa was evidently referring to the prophecy mentioned in the Bible (Deuteronomy 18:18).

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REBUILDING THE KA'BAH When the Prophet Muhammad (saw) was about 35 years old, the Quraish decided to rebuild the Ka'bah. When the time came to replace the sacred Black Stone in its position, all the four leading families of the Quraish began to dispute as to who would have the honour to lift the Black Stone. It was Muhammad (saw) who managed to resolve this dangerous dispute. He spread out his cloak on the ground and placed the Black Stone on it. He then invited all the leading members of the Quraish to lift the cloak and carry the stone to its new place. Muhammad (saw) then lifted the stone and placed it in position.

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THE FIRST REVELATION (610 C.E.) The Prophet Muhammad (saw) was deeply troubled by the moral and spiritual decline of his people. He could see no way of rescuing them except with God's help. He formed the habit of retiring to a cave on Mount Hira, where he spent his

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Find the words about freshwater tropical fish in the fish word search grid. Circle each letter separately but remember that letters on the word search grid may be used in more than one tropical fish related word. When the Freshwater Tropical Fish Word Search puzzle is complete, read the remaining letters from left to right, top to bottom, for a cool fact about a freshwater tropical fish. ANGELFISH, KILLIFISH, BARBS, LOACHES, BETAS, MOLLIES, BICHIR, ODDBALL FISH, CATFISH, PLATIES, CICHLIDS, PLECOS, DANIOS, RAINBOW FISH, DISCUS, RASBORAS, GOURAMIS, SWORDTAILS, HATCHETS, TETRAS

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The Friday Sermon A summary of the Sermons of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V

Vie with Each Other in Good Deeds

Expanding further on how one can carry out virtuous deeds, the Promised Messiah (as) says there are two aspects, one is to abstain from vice and the second is to carry out virtuous deeds. This is split into two parts. The Promised Messiah (as) states: "When man carries out virtuous deeds, there are two aspects to that; there are some which are compulsory and others which are voluntary." They are split into two parts; some pious deeds are compulsory, and some pious deeds are voluntary. Compulsory deeds, which are incumbent upon every individual include paying off ones debt. ... Yet attached with every compulsory deed are voluntary deeds which are additional, i.e. a counter deed which is greater than the original deed. For example, if one returns a good deed in kind and further to it he performs a greater pious deed would be deemed as a voluntary deed." Then narrating a Hadith in this regard the Promised Messiah (as) states: "The saints and servants of God fulfil their religious obligations through these voluntary deeds. For example, aside from Zakat they also give Sadaqat [voluntary charity]. God Almighty befriends such individuals, and this friendship becomes so strong that it is almost as if God Almighty becomes their hands and feet, as explained by the hadith of the Holy Prophet (sa) whereby God Almighty states "I become their hands and feet to the extent that I become the tongue through which they speak". When man increases in his faith and his belief in God escalates, he then performs virtuous deeds in order to please God Almighty. As a result God Almighty grants that individual the opportunity to carry out more virtuous deeds. Hence, regarding this the Promised Messiah (as) states: "It has been preordained in the design of Islam that one righteous deed gives birth to another righteous deed." The Promised Messiah (as) then further states: "I remember reading in Tadhkiratul Aulia [book containing biographies about past Saints] that there was once an elderly person who was ninety years old and worshipped the sun. Unusually it rained continuously. He climbed onto the rooftop and threw seeds for the birds to eat. It rained constantly for many days and he continued to throw seeds for the birds. One of the neighbours in his vicinity who was an elderly Muslim said to him: "Old man! What are you doing?" He replied by saying: "My brother, it has been raining constantly for six seven days. I am throwing seeds for the birds to eat." The elderly Muslim gentlemen said: "Your actions are futile and will be of no benefit. You are a Kafir [disbeliever], what reward will you get in return for this? i.e. you will not earn any reward for this since you are a disbeliever. The old man replied: "I will indeed get a reward for this". He had belief in the existence of God Almighty. Nevertheless, he had a righteous nature and it was the inner voice of his heart that convinced him that he would receive a reward for his deed. The [Muslim] gentleman says: "I went for Hajj [pilgrimage to Mecca]. Lo and behold I see that same elderly man performing circuits around the Ka'bah." (The same elderly man who worshipped the fire and would throw seeds to birds was performing the Tawaaf [circuits around the Ka'bah] during Hajj.) "I was amazed to see him. When I approached him, he was the first to make conversation. Before I could say

anything, he began to speak and said 'Was my throwing seeds to the birds in vain? Or did I not receive a reward for it? Today I am a Muslim and I am performing the Hajj. This is all due to the reward Allah has bestowed upon me for feeding the birds." The Promised Messiah (as) said: "One should ponder over the fact that God Almighty did not permit the pious deeds of a disbeliever to be wasted, then would He permit the virtuous deeds of a Muslim to be wasted?" The Promised Messiah (as) continues by saying: "I remember the incident regarding a companion [of the Holy Prophet (sa)] when he said: 'O Messenger of Allah! When I was a disbeliever I would give lots of charity. Will I receive a reward for them?" The Holy Prophet (sa) said: "it was those Sadaqat [alms giving] that enabled you to accept Islam." (The reward for those Sadaqat is that today you are a Muslim) Then whilst explaining that virtue is to keep even permissible things within limits, the Promised Messiah (as) states: "The root of virtue is to not exceed in partaking of lawful pleasures and desires of the world. For example, God Almighty has not forbidden food and drink but if a man makes it his hobby of consuming the same food and drink night and day, then he has given it priority over his faith. The similitude of this is like the horse cart driver when he travels a long distance then after approximately 15 miles he feels the fatigue of the horse and allows it to breath, stops and feeds it in order to remove its fatigue. Hence, in the same way the prophets partake of the delights of the world. Prophets also eat and drink but also partake of the delights of this world. They marry, have children, eat and drink. Prophets also partake in all these things. The Promised Messiah (as) states:

"The contentment they receive from worldly entities is of this nature, for the reason that the reformation of the world was a task assigned to them. If the grace of God was not with them then they would have perished. Once, someone levelled an allegation against the Promised Messiah (as) to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra) in which he stated that the Promised Messiah (as) also ate Pilau [traditional Indian rice dish]. The person making the criticism said that he heard that Mirza Sahib ate Pilau. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra) in his reply to him said, 'I have never read anywhere, neither in the Holy Quran or the Ahadith, in which it states that it is forbidden for the prophets to eat this. What harm is there if he eats this dish?' The Holy Prophet (sa) once told a companion: 'I eat good food, wear good clothes, have married and had children, I sleep and also worship. Therefore, you should follow my practise.' It is a virtue and righteous act to keep a moderation in even those things which are permissible. Then, while elaborating on the aspect of teaching which pertains to virtue in regards to our dealing with those in authority and with our friends and relatives, the Promised Messiah (as) states: 'Our teaching is that one should treat everyone with kindness. Be truly obedient to those in authority as they serve for our protection.' The Promised Messiah (as) further states: 'One's life and wealth is protected by them [i.e. the government] and also one should treat their family members with kindness because they also have certain rights. However, we must not offer prayers behind those who are not righteous and involved in harmful innovations and Shirk [idolatry] and oppose us.' The Promised Messiah (as) further states: 'Our principal is that one should treat everyone with kindness. One who does not deal with kindness with others in this world, what will he partake from the rewards of the hereafter? The Promised Messiah (as) states: 'if someone says that the disbelievers were killed during the time of the Holy Prophet (sa), the response to that is that they were in fact guilty on account of their evil ploys and killing the Muslims without any reason. (They used to kill the Muslims and perpetrate cruelties against them.) Therefore, they were punished on account of their crimes and not because they rejected [Islam]. If one simply rejects something and there is no element of evil or cruelty with that then it does not become the means of incurring punishment in this world.' How much one should broaden their scope of virtue, the Promised Messiah (as) states: 'Remember, the scope of sympathy in my view is very broad and one should not leave out any nation or person. ... I admonish you again and again that do not limit your scope of sympathy and adhere to the teaching which God Almighty has revealed in regards to sympathy, and that is: The first stage of virtue is that one adopt Adl [justice] and so when one does good to you, you must also do good in return. The second stage is Ihsan, that in response to one's good you must do greater in return. And though this stage is greater than Adl [justice] however it is possible that one who does Ishan can remind the other of his favours on him. Therefore, the greatest stage of all is that one should do good in a manner as if borne out of one's personal love for the other and it is not done with the intention of bestowing a favour on one but rather like a mother nurtures her child. The mother does not seek any reward or anything in return for bringing up her child, rather it is a natural impulse for which she is ready to sacrifice her every comfort for his nurturing. So much so that if the king were to command the mother to stop feeding the child milk and even if the child dies as a result of this, she will not be held accountable but would the mother be happy to hear such a commandment and follow it? Certainly not! Thus, one should do good to others in the same manner and should reach the stage where it becomes a natural act because when a certain practise develops gradually into a natural phenomenon it is then that it attains the stage of perfection.' Thus, good deeds should be such that its idea naturally occurs in one's heart. The Promised Messiah (as) states: 'The sympathy for mankind borne out of a natural impulse is known as Iytai Zil Qurba [giving like kindred]. By mentioning this sequence God Almighty desires that you should raise your standard of good deeds to the stage of Iytai Zil Qurba i.e. where it becomes a natural impulse. Until an act does not reach this stage where it becomes a natural impulse, it cannot reach the state of perfection.' The Promised Messiah (as) further states: 'Remember that god Almighty is well pleased with good deeds and He desires that one should show sympathy to His creation. If He desired for ill-deeds then He would have urged one to do so, however God Almighty is pure of such a thing - Holy is He, and great is His majesty. May God Almighty enable us to perform good deeds in order to attain His pleasure and may we attain the target of, 'Vie with one another in good deeds' which God Almighty has set for us.

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News Khalifa Addresses Youths, Women on Practical Applications of Faith and Islam's Respect for Women CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE Concluding his address, His Holiness said that Ahmadi Muslims must seek to fulfil the mission of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) which was to make the world recognise its Creator and to serve mankind. “We must strive to further this mission so that the world, the majority of whom considers Islam to be an extremist religion that promotes terrorism, comes to realise that Islam is actually a peaceful religion that desires for mankind to recognise its Creator and to fulfil the rights of one another.” In his address to the Lajna Imaillah, His Holiness spoke about the extremely high status of women according to the teachings of Islam and cited the examples of the female companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and of the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) as women who had shown remarkable courage and resolve for the sake of their faith. Addressing the allegation that Islam discriminates against women, His Holiness quoted chapter 4 verse 2 of the Holy Quran which states that God Almighty created humankind from a “single soul and created therefrom its mate.” Explaining the verse, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said: “The Quran testifies to the fact that men and women were created from a single soul and are of the same kind and species. Thus, where the Quran says 'created therefrom its mate' it signifies that Allah has made men and women in the same way and it cannot be said that one is dominant over the other.” Huzur noted that the Holy Quran has clarified that men and women have the same feelings and emotions and just as each man will be accountable before Allah for his deeds, similarly each woman will also be held accountable for her acts before God. His Holiness said that although Islam has prescribed a division of labour between men and women whereby women are tasked with the responsibility to ensure the moral and religious training of children and men are tasked with the financial responsibilities of the family and to look after them but this should not be understood to mean that women were 'incapable' of doing the work of men. Mirza Masroor Ahmad said: “Any man who thinks that women should not take an active part in religious affairs, or make sacrifices for their faith, and should stay away from religion, and just remain a 'decoration' for their husbands to enjoy, is guilty of extreme ignorance. Similarly, if any woman thinks that due to her domestic responsibilities she does not need to

The Ijtema’at ended with prayers by the Huzur (aba)

partake in religious matters, or make sacrifices for her faith, she too is mistaken and is guilty of undermining the status of women.” Therefore, both Muslim men and women should be ready to serve their faith and that they would be held equally accountable by God Almighty in this regard. His Holiness then gave examples of the sacrifices made by various women for the sake of their faith and mentioned that when Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) was taken off the cross and emerged from the coffin in which he was subsequently placed, it was women, Mary Magdalene amongst others, who displayed immense bravery and reached Jesus in the very early hours of the morning. Referring to examples of women from early Islamic history, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said: “Unquestionably during the blessed era of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) the sacrifices made by the Muslim women reached a pinnacle and were of a standard that has never been witnessed at any other juncture of history. Indeed, when you read about the sacrifices made for the sake of their faith you can only be overcome with emotion.” His Holiness narrated the incident of a Muslim couple who were slaves and who were beaten relentlessly by their nonMuslim slave-owner in order to force them to leave Islam. The husband died from the torture, in sight of his wife. The slaveowner then attacked the lady, piercing her stomach with a spear and so she too succumbed to her injuries but remained

true to her faith till the her last breath. Reminding the Ahmadi Muslim ladies of the need to reflect over such incidents and sacrifices made by the early Muslim women, Mirza Masroor Ahmad said: “Every one of you should constantly analyse and think about whether you have the same spirit and devotion for serving your religion that the female companions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had? Ask yourselves if you have same true and sincere love for Allah the Almighty and His noble Messenger (peace be upon him) as the companions did.” He continued: “Reflect upon whether you have acquired the religious knowledge and insight needed to fulfil your duties. Consider if you are a true role model for your children and if you are bringing them up in the same righteous way that the companions raised their children? If the answer to these questions is 'No' you should be very worried and concerned and it is also a cause of deep concern for the entire Community.” Explaining the responsibility of Muslim women in this day and age, His Holiness said they must tell the world about the true teachings of Islam without any inferiority complex. “If anyone claims that Islam does not give women freedom or that they are oppressed by men, it is your duty to show the world that Islam has given you true f r e e d o m , t r u e l i b e r t y, a n d t r u e enlightenment! It is your duty to show the world that whatever restrictions exist are not forced upon you by men, but are willingly and freely adopted, having observed the magnificent teachings of

Islam.” His Holiness continued: “If you do not wish to mingle freely with men or to sit alongside them it is your own choice, made of your own volition, in order to preserve your honour and dignity. If you do not choose to shake the hands of men, it is because your heart demands that you follow Islam's teachings, which provide true dignity for women. Such conduct is not based on the demands of men but is the result of your freedom to make your own decisions and is a symbol of true independence.” “Remember, following the crowd and bowing to the influences of society is not freedom. Rather, true freedom is having the strength to follow your beliefs and to act upon your convictions.” Concluding his address, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said: “If you understand your responsibilities, I am sure that you will prove to be successful mothers, and successful Ahmadi Muslim women who are ready for every sacrifice for the sake of giving precedence to their faith over all worldly matters. If you understand your duties, I am sure you will be successful in spreading the message of Islam Ahmadiyyat far and wide.” The Khuddam ijtema was attended by close to 5500 Ahmadi Muslim youths from over 100 local communities from across the United Kingdom (Qaidats) while over 4000 women and children from across the United Kingdom attended the Lajna ijtema.

The Truth “And say, Truth has come and falsehood has vanished away; falsehood does indeed vanish away fast.

“Every morning should be a witness for you that you spent the night with righteousness, and every evening should testify for you that you went through the day with the fear of Allah in your heart.” - The Promised Messiah

Holy Qur’an 17:82

Khalifa Addresses Youths, Women on Practical Applications of Faith and Islam's Respect for Women

he World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad has given faithinspiring addresses to Ahmadiyya Muslim youths, the Majlis Khuddam and the women group, the Lajna Imaillah at the groups' annual conventions in London which concluded on 17 September and 24 September 2017 respectively. Addressing the Khuddam, Huzur emphasized the practical application of the Muslim creed: “There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger.” His Holiness delivered a comprehensive commentary on the Islamic creed and said it was not enough to merely proclaim these words, rather they had to be accompanied by a manifestation of one's faith through the worship of Allah and by following the noble example of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). Speaking about the first aspect of the creed, which is to declare that “There is none worthy of worship except Allah”, His Holiness said that this must be manifested through the worship of Allah the Almighty. He said: “The most important and significant form of worship is to offer the five daily prayers. At various places in the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty has commanded us to offer the five obligatory prayers and so if we are negligent in our prayers it means our declaration of faith in Allah is meaningless, without value and false.” His Holiness further explained the meaning of the creed in light of the teachings and explanations of the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), saying: “The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) taught that a true Muslim is he whose heart and soul are intoxicated with the love of Allah and consumed by the belief that He alone is worthy of worship. This is the standard required, otherwise, a person's proclamation of faith in Allah is reduced to superficial and hollow words.” Explaining the second aspect of the Islamic creed which states, “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”, His Holiness said that the Holy Quran has referred to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) as the perfect role model for all mankind.

More than 5500 from across the United Kingdom attended the Ijtema and listened to His Holiness address

According to him, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) scaled the highest possible peaks of worshipping Allah. “No matter the circumstances, he would never allow anything to get in the way of fulfilling the rights of Allah the Almighty. It is reported that when he prayed alone, people could hear the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) weep with such intensity that it sounded like he was screaming and wailing in despair. This was the unparalleled standard of worship and of the fear and love of Allah displayed by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) which was an example for all of mankind to come.” His Holiness also outlined the aspects of the life of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) which illustrated how he fulfilled his responsibilities towards the society and the creation of God. He noted that even after a difficult and strenuous defensive battle against a Jewish tribe, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) fulfilled the rights of his opponents. “The Muslims were on the verge of starvation after a long battle when a shepherd from amongst the opposition accepted Islam and joined the Muslims. He brought the sheep under his care with him and enquired what should be done with them.

Explaining the response of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said: “Whilst he could easily have ordered the shepherd to hand over the lambs, instead, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered him to honour his duties to the Jews and to turn the lambs in the direction of their owners so that they could make their own way back. Rather than give in to any form of temptation at a time when he and his followers were famished and desperate for sustenance, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) ensured that the rights of the opponents were fulfilled and set an incomparable example of fulfilling one's trusts and obligations.” Elaborating upon the need to give precedence to one's faith, His Holiness said that the Holy Quran has instructed Muslims to leave their businesses during the Friday prayers and come to the Mosque, however, there were many Muslims who gave priority to material pursuits over their faith. Further, His Holiness said that it was common to see people deceiving others or resorting to falsehood in business transactions. However, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was so particular with regards to avoiding all types of falsehoods, that he advised his companions to give

charity before conducting any form of business, which would shield them from wrongdoing. His Holiness quoted a saying of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) which states, that 'a true Muslim is he from whose tongue and hand all others are safe'. Commenting on this, Huzur said: “If people lived by this teaching all hatreds and conflicts would end both at a personal level and amongst the wider society. This saying does not only instruct Muslims to abstain from harming others, it also directs them towards humanitarian efforts because the deeper meaning of these words require Muslims to actively seek to help and serve mankind.” Elaborating the loving and kind character of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), His Holiness shed light on the rights given to women in Islam and the kindness that Muslim men should show towards their family members. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said: “Time and again the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) emphasised that a man must treat his wife with love, compassion and be fully respectful to her.” CONTINUES ON PAGE 19

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