Al Hakam - 5 April 2019

Responding to Allegations

From the Markaz

100 Years Ago...

Apostasy – Did the Promised Messiahas agree with the killing of renegades?

182 UK Khuddam travel to meet Hazrat Khalifatul Masih

Tabligh in the UK

Part I Page 7

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Al Fazl, 5 April 1919

Germany students travel to London for mulaqat

Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrulla Khanra A devout servant of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat

Part II

Page 3

Page 5

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THE WEEKLY

www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 5 April 2019 | Issue LV Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL. UK info@alhakam.org | F: +44(0)208 544 7673

Democracy in question Losing hope in “old” politicians

he year 2019 has brought with it the T election season in a number of countries along with a similar number of surprises.

The first round of Ukraine’s elections has seen the comedian Volodymyr Zelensky taking the lead from among the 39 candidates; the largest number of candidates that have participated in a Ukrainian presidential election. So the whole episode seems to have started with quite a bit of drama – perhaps to pave way for more to follow.

Zelenskiy has thus far only been known

as a comedian and a showman – never as a politician and he has never claimed to be one. His stance of rejecting the prevalent aggressive nationalism seems to have won hearts (apart from his comedy) but observers and analysts fear that he has offered no remedy to the problems the country has been and is going through.

Although leaving “old” politicians behind in the presidential race, Zelensky has not been able to secure the mandate required for one to assume office. The multicoloured trajectories seem to suggest

that he will manage to maintain the lead.

If he does come to power, we have another country opting for a far-right leadership.

Slovakia decided to set a record by electing Zuzana Caputova as the first woman to take the office of president in the country. The Slovak elections also went through two rounds before Caputova could secure the required mandate. She also is the youngest person to have held the position.

The incumbent president Andrej Kiska was seen by analysts as the favourite candidate, but results proved otherwise. So here we

have another “new” choice of the Slovak people over an “old” politician.

All this is an indicator of a clear change of public mindset around the world.

Something somewhere must have gone terribly wrong to cause people to lose faith in conventional politics.

It isn’t too hard to speculate what it could have been: unkept promises, unreasonable alliances, unjustified wars, uncalled-for referendums and a lot more “uns” to add to the negativity.

People of some “great” nations have ended up electing someone as head of state and then thinking back to how they could have done so. With another chance of electing their president fast approaching, they too seem to be saying, “Not again!”

While all this goes on, we saw the UK making a surprise entry – or crash landing – on the global election theatre.

Still struggling with the Brexit malaise (or a superlative degree of the term if there is one), Britons have found another challenge lurking around.

Puzzled with the given situation, people are trying to figure out whether a general election – if that is to be the way forward – is out of a true democratic spirit or an outcome of parliamentary democracy. With what is going on around the world, Britain might have us in for a surprise too. Let’s see!

Spanning over more than a decade-anda-half is advice given to the world politicians and leaders by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. He has warned them all along that many of them were not treading the path that leads to healthy democracy, but rather to one that is destined to loss of people’s faith in it; and also in their leaders i.e. the politicians. He has always pointed out to them that state affairs should be based on putting the people first and not the vested interests woven by their allies.

Isn’t it about time that world leaders paid heed to the wisdom and insight rendered to them by this great man of peace?

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Friday 5 April 2019 | AL HAKAM Hadith-e-Rasul – Sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa

Purification and its Sunnah Hazrat Abu Saeed, Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “There is no ablution for one who does not mention the Name of Allah (before doing it).”

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab Al-Taharat wa Sunanaha)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words

Harmony in one’s words and deeds True fear of Allah demands that a person examine the degree to which his words and actions accord with one another. A person whose words and actions are at odds with one another should know that they shall incur the wrath of Allah. If one’s heart is impure, it will never find favour in the sight of God no matter how pure one’s words may be; in fact, this arouses the wrath of God. My community ought to realise that they have come to me so that I may sow the seed which transforms them into a fruitful tree. So, everyone ought to examine their selves to become cognisant of their inner and outwardly state. If, God-forbid, the hearts of my followers are not in harmony with their words, they shall not be met with a blessed end.

Allah the Exalted does not care for a community with hollow hearts who make empty claims, for He is Self-Sufficient. The victory at Badr had already been prophesied and there was every reason to believe that the Muslims would triumph.

But the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, continued to weep and pray to his Lord. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqra inquired as to the need for such fervent supplication when victory had already been promised. The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “God is Self- Sufficient.” That is to say, perhaps hidden conditions lay beneath the surface of this divine promise.

(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p.10)

This Week in History 5 - 11 April

5 April 1930: The divine prophecy vouchsafed to the Promised Messiahas, “People will come to you by every distant track”, was manifested during his life many times. Interestingly, it continued to come true afterwards too. Qadian became a hub for people. One Dutch consul visited Qadian on this day on his way for Jeddah for his new appointment. Earlier, when he was stationed in Sumatra, Indonesia, the Jamaat’s missionary Maulvi Rehmat Ali Sahib introduced the Jamaat to him. Weeks later, he shared the impact staying in Qadian had on him, saying that he experienced nothing but righteousness and spirituality in Qadian.

6 April 1928: The central Shura of the Jamaat started on this day, which continued until 8 April. During the sessions, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra stressed the need of education for women. Moreover, he formed a special commission headed by Chaudhry Nematullah Sahib, subjudge from Delhi, to suggest measures to improve the services and efficiency of central offices of Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya.

7 April 1917: An Ahmadiyya Conference was organised in Qadian and meetings lasted for the next three days.

7 April 1920: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra embarked on his tour of Sialkot, which took almost one week to complete.

7 April 1934: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra inaugurated the mosque of Lyallpur, present day Faisalabad. Huzoorra led two supererogatory rak‘aat [units of prayer] and recited portions of the Holy Quran aloud. Huzoorra also delivered a keynote address.

7 April 1944: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra delivered a Friday Sermon and expressed his desire to hoist the flag of Islam in Spain. The same day, the Jamaat’s annual Shura began, but the atmosphere was filled with grief and sorrow due to the demise of Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ishaqra, brother-in-law of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas. Thus, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra paid emphasis on the preparation of new scholars in the community. In one of the sessions held under the presidency of Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Zafarulla Khanra, matters related to the security of Khalifatul Masih were discussed.

8 April 1921: Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahim Nayyarra reached Lagos, Nigeria. He was a pioneering missionary in London and visited Africa. Before spreading the message of Islam in Nigeria, he had travelled to Sierra Leone and Ghana.

8 April 1934: Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra spoke at two public meetings, and his wise words were later published under the title of Tabligh-e-Haq. On one such gathering, 6,000 individuals were present to hear his lecture.

9 April 1910: Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Fazl Dinra of Bhera passed away on this day.

He was a childhood friend of Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra, also from Bhera. He had the honour to serve the Jamaat in various capacities, the final one being Mohtamim Langar Khana.

9 April 1934: After the inauguration of the mosque at Lyallpur (Faisalabad, Pakistan) and delivering an address for the general public, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra is reported to have made short stopovers in Jaranwala and Ahmadpur.

10 April 1914: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra presided the meeting of Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya for the first time.

10 April 1920: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra laid the foundation stone of Ahmadiyya Hall in Sialkot.

10 April 1936: Hungary had its first Ahmadi Muslim convert, Dr Julius. He entered the Jamaat from his Christian past. He was given the new Islamic name of Muhammad Ahmad Zafar.

10 April 1936: The central Shura of the Jamaat started on this day and continued for the next three days. During one session, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra formed a special commission headed by Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ismailra, this time to track flaws and deficiencies in the daily workflow of central offices of Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya.

11 April 1920: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra made a historic speech in Sialkot about Islam as the future religion of the world.

11 April 1936: Odisha (formerly Orissa), an eastern Indian state on the Bay of Bengal, is known for its tribal cultures and its many ancient Hindu temples. On this day, representative of the Jamaat, Hazrat Maulvi Zahoor Hussain made his speech during the All Odisha Religious Conference, which was held for two days.

11 April 1952: The 33rd central Shura was held with a total number of 373 representatives. Sadr Anjuman’s budget was around 1,500,000 rupees. Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra announced the following decisions: • Foreign missions’ tabligh budget as 1,300,000 rupees • A new scheme for the future about construction of mosques around the world. Through this scheme, members of the Jamaat would easily partake of this blessed service, whether they were businessmen, landowners or peasants • Two publishing companies: Al-Shirkatul Islamiyyah and The Oriental & Religious Publishing Corporation Ltd. • Donation of 275,000 rupees raised under Khilafat Jubilee Fund to the Al-Shirkatul Islamiyyah • A detailed proposal of a central library of the Jamaat. Huzoor’sra initial estimate touched the sum of 25,0000 rupees. Khilafat Library in Rabwah can be seen as the interpretation of Huzoor’sra dream about a central library for scholars and the general public

Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Fazl Dinra of Bhera

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Friday 5 April 2019 | AL HAKAM

From the Markaz

182 UK Khuddam travel to meet Hazrat Khalifatul Masih

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n 31 March 2019, 182 Khuddam had the blessed opportunity to meet with Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa. A total of 20 regions across the country were represented in this mulaqat.

The Al Hakam team spoke to Usman Butt Sahib, a missionary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat and also serving in the national amila of Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya UK. Regarding how the mulaqat was arranged, Usman Butt Sahib said: “The main purpose of this mulaqat was for those Khuddam who haven’t had the opportunity to meet Huzoor ever or haven’t met with Huzoor for a long period of time, to meet with Hazrat Khalifatul

Masihaa.”

Usman Butt Sahib further said: “Out of the 182 Khuddam, 24 Khuddam were meeting with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa for the first time in their lives.”

During the mulaqat, the Khuddam had the opportunity to ask Huzooraa various questions and spend some time with their beloved Khalifa.

The first question was asked by a Khadim from Bradford who said that whilst engaging in Jamaat work, it is expected of Khuddam to perform at the highest level, but when experiencing challenging scenarios, it can be frustrating.

The Khadim asked what the expected response to such challenging scenarios

should be of a Khadim.

Answering this question, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said: “Your duty is to keep reminding [Khuddam] that being a Khadim, this is our duty and being a member of the Jamaat, this our duty. And this is what Allah has said to the Holy Prophetsa: [Arabic] ‘Admonish, therefore, for thou art but an admonisher; though hast no authority to compel them.’”

Regarding the current political state in the United Kingdom, a Khadim asked Huzooraa what Huzoor’s personal view was and what we as Ahmadis should do to prepare with what is to come.

Answering the Khadim, Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said, “My personal view is that we should not leave the EU.” Huzooraa further stated: “Being a khadim, you should let them understand that this is not the way to solve problems. We should live together with all ethnic groups and religious groups and try to serve our country in a better way so that we can come out of this situation, which can destroy our country, our economy and [our] status in the world.”

One Khadim, who was meeting Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa for the first time, said that he had travelled from Pakistan by road, a journey which took him 11 months

to complete. He narrated his story and the hardships he had to face in order to make his journey, something that Huzooraa took a keen interest in.

A Khadim, who recently came to the UK two months ago from Pakistan, asked Huzooraa why Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh chose to migrate to London and not Qadian or Africa.

Answering this question, Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa stated: “Firstly, a person with a Pakistani nationality cannot go to Qadian easily.

Secondly, the British Government is quite cooperative compared to other governments. They gave not only the visa but a permanent stay to the Khalifatul Masih. UK is the hub of the world – you can easily approach African countries, American, North American, South American countries, Middle Eastern countries, Asia; and here, modern day facilities can be utilised.”

Huzooraa was then asked by a Khadim regarding what was stated earlier on in the mulaqat regarding Brexit. Alluding to this, the Khadim asked if it was a good idea to move to Europe.

Upon this Huzooraa stated, “Don’t worry, stay here. And this is the true essence of ‘Love of your country is part of faith.’”

Huzooraa further stated, “You should stay here and serve for the betterment of your country.”

The mulaqat came to a successful close with a group picture.

Germany students travel to London for mulaqat n Saturday 30 March, a group of 89 students from Germany had the O privilege of meeting with Hazrat Khalifatul

Masih Vaa for a mulaqat.

The students had the opportunity to ask Huzooraa various questions and to seek guidance on various matters that they were facing.

As Huzooraa arrived, he enquired as to how many students had come. Huzoor then graciously opened the floor to the students who began asking the questions they had.

One student asked Huzooraa that during the recent series of Friday Sermons, muwakhat (system of brotherhood) between the companions had been mentioned. The student further went on to say that this system had now started in Germany and asked Huzooraa how one could achieve nafs-e-mutmainnah (spiritual solace) through this system.

Answering the student’s question, Huzooraa stated: “Nafs-e-mutmainnah is not related to brotherhood, it is something different.

For nafs-e-mutmainnah, God says, ‘Always remember Me’.”

Huzooraa further stated: “Pray to him as prescribed in Islam,

be punctual in particular with regard to the timing and, of course, with regard to the concentration. Apart from that, you should also do zikr [remember Allah] while walking and sitting; you should recite Durood Shareef and istighfar along with other prayers. This is how you can achieve nearness to Allah Almighty and that will help you in developing nafs-emutmainnah.”

A student expressed his desire to become a teacher to Huzooraa and went on to say that in schools, teachers had the responsibility to teach a certain topic which we as, Ahmadi Muslims, may not believe. The student, giving the example of the theory of evolution, further asked Huzooraa that if faced with such a situation, what should be done.

Huzooraa replied: “Whilst teaching, you can tell the students that this is Darwin’s theory, or you can say that this is what some people believe to be a theory or knowledge. There is no harm in stating this.”

Huzooraa further elaborated on the topic, saying: “Even today, there are many scientists and scholars, and they have written books on this too, who don’t believe in Darwin’s

theory. If you feel it will be unbiased giving your own personal view, you can quote a reference from their books, then you can give the Islamic school of thought. And then you may say that you are teaching this because it is included within the school course.”

Similar to the previous question, one Khadim said to Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa that he was a teacher and was currently teaching Islam in school. He said to Huzooraa that some people had issues with Ahmadi Muslims teaching Islam to their Muslim children.

Huzooraa asked, “Are you a teacher in Pakistan or Germany? Is there any law against Ahmadis in Germany?”

Huzoor further stated: “If you are running your own school and one student doesn’t wish to study there, then you can easily tell them that they may find another school. However, if you are a teacher in a government school, then the parents who raise this issue should take it up with the government.”

In the end, the students had the opportunity to take a group picture with Huzoor.

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Friday 5 April 2019 | AL HAKAM

Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Muhammad ra Zafrulla Khan Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra was a companion of the Promised Messiahas, member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council, judge of the Federal Court of India, president of the International Court of Justice, Pakistan’s first foreign minister, Pakistan’s representative to the UNO General Assembly and a devout servant of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in Islam.

Part II gift most thankfully.

Favourite topic of dicsussion His style of discourse was marvellous, which proved to be very effective and informative during Jamaat meetings.

His opinions would be robust, to the point, relevant and in accordance with the situation.

One topic that I heard him talk frequently about was gratitude to Allah the Exalted. He used to emphasise this aspect during his tarbiyat lectures, often quoting the Quranic verse: ُ َّ َ ُ َ َ ‫ل َ ِئ ْن شک ْر ت ْم لَأ زِیْ َدنک ْم‬ “If you are grateful, I will, surely, bestow more favours on you.”

(Surah Ibrahim, Ch.14: V.8) During his Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrulla Khan and the author conversations, he would talk repeatedly on this subject of Ataul Mujeeb Rashed gratitude in a moving and inspirational Missionary In-charge, UK way. I personally observed that he always implicity, informality and contentment mentioned the gratitude for the blessings were the hallmarks of Hazrat Chaudhry of God in a tender and touching manner Sahib’sra life. His attire used to be decent, and tears would well up in his eyes out of clean and dignified. He looked after his gratefulness. clothes and made them last a long time I can say that gratitude was his while still looking nice. He never felt favourite topic. Accordingly, he titled embarrassed to tell us how old his suits his autobiography, Tehdis-e-Nemat were.

(Recollection of Divine Favours), a On the contrary, he would eagerly and most appropriate name according to his confidently mention that he purchased a personality. suit or a pair of socks in such and such A specific feature of the book is that year from such and such shop for such when narrating stories of his life, he never and such price. I remember that he once forgot to mention and thank anyone who told me that the shirt that he was wearing had done him any favour and prayed for was bought by him for one dollar so many them. Along with gratitude for Allah, years ago from a shop situated on a road in expressing the same for Allah’s servants New York. In short, it was well known that was an integral part of this grateful man.

Chaudhry Sahibra used to make his outfits Prayers and Salat last for a long period. ra Chaudhry Sahib was extremely dedicated Once, on Eid day, Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra gifted this humble one a woollen and committed to supplication. Prayers scarf. He specifically mentioned that the and worship were an essential part of his scarf was not old and that he had only worn being. He used to make a very diligent it once on the day when he presided over effort for offering Salat. He was very the session of General Assembly of the watchful to ensure that he offered his Salat United Nations. I received that memorable on the exact, prescribed times. Whenever ra

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he visited London from Holland, he would enquire about Salat times without fail. He prayed diligently, virtuously, attentively and always at the earliest possible time.

During the prayers, he preferred the recitation of a person who demonstrated a clear understanding of the subject matter and took pauses appropriately. After arriving in the mosque, he spent his time in praising and remembering Allah.

He would listen carefully and register, in his memory, the names and needs of those who requested prayers of him, and there were surely hundreds of them.

He once told me that he had prepared in his mind a list of such people in a particular order and grouped them together according to their needs. In this way he remembered all the names and supplicated for each one of them regularly.

Sometimes that led to amusing incidents.

Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra stated one example himself. A young man once requested him to pray for his marriage. His name got registered in Chaudhry Sahib’sra computer-like memory and he continued to pray for him. After about three years, the young man met Chaudhry Sahibra who asked him if he had got married. The man replied with a smile, “Yes Chaudhry Sahib!

I got married and have got two children.”

Chaudhry Sahib said, “You should have told me. I was still praying for your marriage.”

Morning walks He was very regular in morning walks. He devoted all that time to the remembrance of Allah and supplications, for which he had formulated a map and a sequence in his mind. He told me on several occasions that by the time he reached a spot or turning during the walk, he had recited Durood so many times or supplicated in particular words so many times.

If it was raining after Fajr, he would walk around in the Mahmood Hall for the same duration as his daily walk. Thus, by completing the specified number of supplications and tasbeeh [remembering Allah] he could also guess the distance he had covered.

I recall an interesting thing that he told me in connection with his walk. He said that an Englishman of such and such appearance crossed him every morning at the same spot and they exchanged goodmornings. He added, “He seems to be very punctual.” Then, he smiled and said, “I am no less than him.”

Remarkable memory Along with his unlimited scholarly capabilities, Allah the Exalted had blessed him with a remarkable memory. I never saw him with a diary. He used to save his engagements and appointments in his mind and never had any problem with that. He knew the phone numbers of his friends and contacts by heart.

During his stay in London, he used to come to my office by about 10 or 11 o’clock very often and asked me to dial a phone number for such and such person. As I went for the directory, he would say that he would tell me the number off-hand.

That happened every time he came.

To my amazement, he told me that when in Britain, the telephone numbers of British friends were highlighted in his mind and when in America, the American numbers were highlighted and the British numbers faded away.

Another amazing thing of the kind was that he could tell the days of different dates of the year off-hand. We look at the calendar to plan any event, but Chaudhry Sahibra would calculate and tell the day immediately.

Once I asked him the secret. He said, “When the new year starts, I download the days of a few important and fundamental dates in my mind and use that data to calculate the day on the required date.”

An amazing incident Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra wrote his life history in detail titled Tehdi s-e-Nemat (Recollection of Divine Favours) himself.

The book is a treasure house of information.

It is a comprehensive book comprising of Jamaati history, as well as poFront cover of Tehdis-e- litical, national Nemat and international affairs.

It is said that Chaudhry Sahibra wrote or dictated the entirety of this book, or most of it, from memory. Once the book was completed, he had the proofreading done by a friend to doublecheck the references, dates and other details. Corrections were probably not required.

Continued on page 6

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Friday 5 April 2019 | AL HAKAM 100 Years Ago...

How the world commemorates the Promised Messiah Day

Tabligh in the UK Al Fazl, 5 April 1919

Old view of Bournemouth | Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra

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urrently, I am residing in Bournemouth city which is located 110 miles away from London along the coast. Although it is said to be warmer here in comparison to London, it isn’t really that warm. The weather is so cold nowadays that it is ever so difficult to even leave the room.

The fireplace is always lit, the windows are all shut tight and warm clothes are in extensive use. I wear a fur coat with another thick coat over it when I go outdoors. In spite of all that, the north-eastern gusts make their presence felt with their intensity.

Even though my feet are covered with a pair of thick socks with thick leather boots over them, they still remain cold. God help us! How can one work in these conditions?

The natives, however, are quite used to these circumstances and despite the cold weather, toddlers can be seen running around with their heads fully exposed to the cold.

This city is filled with a large number of pine trees, which stay green throughout the year. Nowadays in London, there is no sign of leaves on trees in parks, while on the contrary, here [in Bournemouth] green trees can be seen throughout the city – in gardens and along streets – and for this reason, Bournemouth is famous for its everlasting greenery.

People seem surprised at the sight that even indoors, I always cover my head with a warm turban. When the days are considerably clear, I get the opportunity for tabligh.

During my stay in Bournemouth, I was able to have a discussion with a priest. Then I had the opportunity to convey the message to a doctor. He invited me for dinner at his house so that he could gather more information about the Promised Messiahas.

We ate dinner and, in the meantime, had a religious discussion. He wanted me to stay at his place after the dinner so that he could enquire more about the matter late into the night. I wished to stay as well, but as the night progressed, it got more and more chilly. The house is situated at an elevated place and additionally, the doctor had fixed a lot of windows in the house. Thus, when he went to another room for some reason, I felt so cold that I left the house without even saying goodbye and reached home via train.

Thankfully, I did not fall ill, but my health remained slightly disturbed and suffered a toothache for some days. Therefore, I went

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to see a dentist who treated me with great civility and who I was able to convey the message of Islam to.

Princess Beatrice Princess Beatrice honoured the city of Bournemouth with her presence in order to open a museum here. She was welcomed with splendour and dignity. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I presented some books of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat to her, along with a letter carrying the message of Islam. A letter acknowledging receipt of the letter was sent in reply by her secretary.

King of Belgium I received a letter of acknowledgment from a minister expressing thanks for the letter that was sent to the king of Belgium carrying the message of Islam and the book Tohfatul-Mulook (A Gift for Kings). Similarly, a letter of acknowledgment has been received from the president of Cuba. Queen Mary has expressed gratitude to the entire Ahmadiyya Jamaat in reply to the telegram and the letter that was sent, expressing sympathy on the demise of Prince John.

Local newspapers Several articles of this humble one, comprising the subject of the prophecies of the Promised Messiahas regarding war etc. have been published in local newspapers.

Apart from this, another article of mine has been published, which touches on the subject that Arabic is the mother of all the languages.

Moreover, there is mention in the local newspapers about the three new degrees and titles that have been awarded to me, namely B Phil, ASP and philography. It is stated that Mufti Muhammad Sadiq, missionary of the Ahmadiyya Community was awarded these degrees from London who is here in Bournemouth to pass the winter.

Letters with postage unpaid In the mail last received from India, there were several letters from friends with only a stamp of one anna (a unit of currency formerly used in India and Pakistan, equal to 1/16 of a rupee). Therefore, all of them were received with postage unpaid. Associates must recognise the fact that a stamp of 1.5 annas is required to send a letter from India to the UK. Humbly yours, Muhammad Sadiq, Bournemouth 11 February 1919

ver the past two weeks, reports have come in about many Jamaats and how they commemorated the Promised Messiah Day – the day when Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas took the first oath of initiation, forming the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in Islam.

Formal events on this occasion usually include members of the Jamaat gathering at a nearby mosque or Salat centre to remind themselves of the oath they have taken to spread the message of Islam Ahmadiyyat to the corners of the Earth, come what may. This is done through local Ahmadis delivering speeches on the subject, reviving their own faith and the faith of those listening – a tradition that has lasted many decades in the history of the Jamaat.

Ug a n d a Jamaat held a large event with 855 people in attendance at the Nasir Mosque, Iganga regional headquarters. Among other features of the event, speeches were delivered to the participants in which members of the Jamaat and external guests had the opportunity to talk.

Speeches were delivered on signs proving the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas as well as the Ahmadiyya Jamaat being the need of the hour.

Local council members were invited to talk to the congregation and they thanked members of the Jamaat for the beneficial role they play in the local community and urged them to continue to do so.

In Baitun Nasr, Oslo, Jamaat-eAhmadiyya Norway commemorated the Promised Messiah Day on a similar pattern with faith-inspiring speeches on the advent of the Promised Messiahas. A pertinent question was also covered in a speech: How to perform tabligh in a Western country like Norway.

Honduras Jamaat held its first ever Jalsa on the Promised Messiah Day. During the event, local Spanish-speaking Ahmadis actively participated, after which the missionary of Honduras, Imam Zahir Ahmed, delivered a concluding speech.

Similarly, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya

Guadeloupe also held its first ever Jalsa commemorating the Promised Messiah Day. The local French-speaking Ahmadis were able to deliver speeches and participate in the event wholeheartedly.

After the main speech of the event, the locals asked questions on the Promised Messiahas and the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in Islam, which were answered by the missionary, Imam Luqman Bajwa.

Canada Jamaat, a relatively older and larger Jamaat than some of the above, held Jalsas throughout the country to honour the occasion. On average, each area where the Promised Messiah Day

Promised Messiah Day, Uganda

was commemorated saw around 1,000 attendees.

One of the main events was conducted

by Vaughan Jamaat in Peace Village where speeches covered topics such as the Promised Messiah’sas love for the Holy Prophetsa, unique signs of his truthfulness and the ten conditions of Bai‘at – something all Ahmadis aim to live by, in accordance with the teachings of Islam.

These events not only point towards the importance of the event, but also foster in the coming generations the importance of being an Ahmadi, the responsibilities that rest on our shoulders and the goals that we must meet in order to fulfil the desires of our master, the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa and his humble servant, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas.

While it is something we eagerly look forward to, we realise at such events that our duties are no small tasks.

We pray to Allah that He may, out of His sheer grace and mercy, enable us to live up to the expectations our Imam has of us and that we may, very soon, come to see the Ahmadiyya Jamaat at the forefront of battling materialism and worldliness.

6

Friday 5 April 2019 | AL HAKAM

Initiation of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Bulgaria

Asad Hameed Mohtamim Ishaat, MKA Bulgaria

here are a growing number of students T from the countries of UK, France, Germany and Canada continuing their

studies of medicine or dentistry in the Eastern European country of Bulgaria.

The students would meet regularly for Friday prayers, congregational prayers and would remain in constant contact with Bulgaria’s Ahmadi missionaries Jawad Uddin Sahib and Abdullah Sahib. The Khuddam would meet regularly for events like Musleh-e-Maud Day, the Promised Messiah Day, Khilafat Day and general meetings.

In February 2018, the Khuddam studying in Bulgaria had the honour to meet with Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa. Huzooraa answered questions from Khuddam while also sharing his experience of what life was like as a student.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa graciously granted permission for the initiation of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Bulgaria on 4 December 2018 and appointed Hasseeb Ahmed Yaqub Lone Sahib as Sadr

Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Bulgaria.

Sadr Sahib had the opportunity to meet Huzooraa to seek guidance for MKA Bulgaria in which Huzooraa graciously instructed the yearly theme to be set as Salat. Huzooraa advised that the Khuddam should be praying all their daily prayers and that the Khuddam should form good friendships with good colleagues and neighbours.

Huzooraa graciously approved the Amila list on 1 February 2019.

Following the initiation of MKA Bulgaria, the first national general meeting was held on 9 March 2019 where Khuddam from across the country attended.

The Khuddam in Bulgaria continually meet up for weekly Jumuah prayers and congregational Salat in each city.

Musleh-e-Maud day was commemorated on 23 February in various cities throughout Bulgaria as well as the Promised Messiah Day day on 20, 23 and 24 March in the cities of Pleven, Plovdiv and Sofia respectively.

Since the initiation, Khuddam have been on a journey to bring a powerful spiritual

Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Bulgaria

and moral reformation within themselves upon Huzoor’saa instructions and to fulfil the pledge they take at every Khuddam gathering that “I shall always be ready to sacrifice my life, wealth, time and honour for the sake of my faith, country and nation.”

Preparations for the first national Ijtema of MKA Bulgaria have begun and will InshaAllah be taking place on Saturday 6 April in the city of Plovdiv (the European capital for

culture in 2019 and the second largest city after Sofia, which is the capital of Bulgaria).

We request readers to pray that Allah may enable the Khuddam of Bulgaria and by extension the whole world to act on the guidance received from our Beloved Imam, Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa. May Allah enable us all to pray our five daily prayers on time with sincere devotion and allow us to become true servants of the Jamaat.

Continued from page 4

In the context of punctuality, an interesting incident comes to my mind. A friend narrated to me that once, students or Khuddam in Karachi requested Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra to speak on the qualities of a good speaker. He mentioned many qualities in detail. The last thing he mentioned was that a good speaker must be well-aware of the end of the time allocated for his speech. Having said that, he sat down on the chair. The audience noticed the allocated time for his speech had just ended.

During his stay in London, it was his routine to offer his prayers in the mosque.

We had an arrangement between the two of us that I would press the doorbell of his flat when going to the mosque for prayers to remind him during his engagements that it was time for prayer.

After performing ablution and offering the Sunnah or nafl [voluntary] prayers, he would make it to the Fazl Mosque usually on time; in fact, a few minutes earlier. He used to sit on a chair at the right end of the first row and would occupy himself with the remembrance of Allah till the start of the congregational prayer. If the number of worshippers was small, he would move his chair to the end of the row and join the prayer.

Sometimes Chaudhry Sahibra was late, and we would wait for him before starting the prayer. One day, a close friend of Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra asked him, “Chaudhry Sahib, you are very punctual and are referred to as a model of punctuality. Why is it that you are late for prayer sometimes?” Chaudhry Sahibra was not offended, rather with his typical smile, he replied, “Allah does forgive, but men do not.”

When it was published, he had some of its copies put in my office for those desirous of getting it. One day, Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra was sitting in my office.

One person who had taken the book a few days earlier came and said some of its pages were missing and were probably left out during the bookbinding phase. I retrieved that copy and gave him another one.

When he was about to leave, Chaudhry Sahibra asked him what the subject matter in that book was before and after the missing pages. The gentleman looked at the book and answered. Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra filled him in, there and then, about the subject matter in those missing pages and added, “I have given you the gist, you can read the details at home.”

Punctuality Hazrat Chaudhry Sahib ra was an extremely punctual person. He was ever mindful of this in his daily routine and urged others to do the same. In fact, he trained them practically.

Once, he started a Talim-ul-Quran (study of the Quran) class in London that was attended by young students. The time for the class was fixed and he made it clear to them that the time would be adhered to. He used to come a few minutes before the class and shut the door at the fixed time. Late-comers were not allowed in.

Consequently, all the students became punctual in a couple of days.

When Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra was appointed the president of the General Assembly, he maintained his tradition of starting the proceedings on time. Thus, he gave a practical lesson of punctuality to the members of the assembly who were usually casual about time-keeping.

7

Friday 5 April 2019 | AL HAKAM Responding to Allegations

Apostasy Did the Promised Messiahas agree with the killing of renegades?

Part I

A

n allegation often levelled against the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian is that he believed in the concept of killing apostates (qatl-e-murtad). To prove this, they present the following extract: ‫وج صخش املسمن وہ رک �ی ااقتعد رےھک ہک یھبک ٓارضحنت معلص ےن‬ ‫کا اھت وت وہ اکرف ےب ی ن‬ ‫اینپ رمع ی‬ ‫م الضتل اک لمع ی‬ ‫د� اور دح رشیع ےک‬ ‫القئ ےہ۔‬ “The person who, despite being Muslim, believes that the Holy Prophetsa ever performed a disgraceful act, is a disloyal kafir and liable to the Shariah’s penalty.”

(Aina Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 5, p. 170) In reference to this, opponents say: If someone says that Muhammadsa was not a prophet, would they be subjected to the Shariah penalty? Therefore, it is clear that he is referring to killing of apostates.

There is, however, no connection between both remarks whatsoever.

The fact is that here, capital punishment for apostates cannot be the subject under discussion as the Promised Messiahas has just discussed the verse, “And He found thee wandering in search [for Him] and guided thee [unto Himself].” (Surah al-Duha, Ch.93: V.8) In reference to the verse, Hazrat Ahmadas said that some people believe that prior to the revelation of the Quran, the Prophetsa was – God forbid – misguided and Allah bestowed guidance upon him thereafter, but this belief of people is an injustice and an affront to his noble status.

Thus, Hazrat Ahmadas is, in essence, addressing those who undermine the status of the Prophetsa as opposed to renegades.

An apostate or renegade (murtad) is a person who, having accepted Islam, rejects it completely and shuns the religion of Islam, but such commentators and scholars who interpret verse 8 of Surah al-Duha in the manner cited above are already Muslims.

The scholars at the time believed that

those who insulted the Prophetsa in any form or way should be subjected to the Shariah penalty. This is something that is still believed by some non-Ahmadi Muslim scholars today.

On the contrary, the Promised Messiahas always taught forbearance towards those who slandered and hurled abuse at the Prophetsa of Islam throughout his writings and talks.

In light of Surah Al-e-Imran, verse 187, the Promised Messiahas repeatedly advised that abuse was inevitable on the part of the opponents and under no circumstances was it allowed to punish such a one, but rather patience should be practiced.

The Promised Messiahas said: “There is a prophecy pertaining to the Latter Days in the Holy Quran and it is supported with a divine instruction that should not be ignored by true Muslims. That is, َ ‫ل َ ُت ْب َلوُ َّن فِ ْی اَ ْموَال ُِک ْم َواَنْ ُف ِس ُک ْم َو ل َ َت ْس َم ُع َّن ِم َن الَّذیْ َن اُ ْوتُواال ْ ِک َت‬ ‫اب ِم ْن‬ ِ ُ َ َ َ َ َ َ ُ َّ َ ْ َ ً َ ُ ْ َ َّ ‫ق ْبلِک ْم َو ِم َن ال ِذیْ َن اش َرکوْا اذی کثِی ًرا َو ِا ْن ت ْصبِ ُر ْوا َو تتقوْا ف ِا ّن ذال ِک ِم ْن‬ ُ َ ْ ْ ُ ِ‫عز ِم الاموْر‬ “The translation is, ‘You shall surely be tried in your possessions and in your persons and you shall surely hear many hurtful things from those who were given the Book before you and from those who set up equals [to God]. But if you show fortitude and act righteously, then you shall be counted among those that show strong determination [Surah Al-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.187].’ The words, Adhan Kathira [hurtful things] suggests extreme pain …

In the aforementioned verse, we have been instructed that upon hearing such foul language that causes pain to our hearts, we should show patience.” (Kitab-ul-Bariyyah, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 13, pp. 318-319) Hazrat Ahmadas says: “God has clearly instructed us, at the end of Surah Al-e-Imran, regarding the times when our religion is insulted and when hurtful and abusive language is used about

6th Jalsa Salana Cameroon Oumarou Adamou Cameroon Correspondent

F

rom 23 to 24 March 2019, Jamaat-eAhmadiyya Cameroon organised its sixth Jalsa Salana.

The theme of the Jalsa was Love of the Nation is Part of Faith. During these two days, more than 3,843 members and guests from the 10 regions of Cameroon and countries of Central Africa – Chad, Equatorial Guinea – attended the event, which was covered by 10 television, newspaper and radio representatives.

The event was presided by the missionary in-charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Cameroon Nayyar Abdul Khalique Sahib and national president Balla Ibrahim Baba

Sahib. Authorities, traditional rulers and religious leaders also attended the event.

Local dignitaries, including the mayor, paid homage to the outstanding efforts of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat and the principles it adheres to. They appreciated the love it promoted in the world and urged others to adopt the same sort of values.

Some dignitaries asked for prayers, especially of Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa, that peace may prevail in the nation of Cameroon.

Jalsa Salana Cameroon successfully came to a close with all members taking with them renewed oaths and uplifted spirits.

our Noble Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, [Arabic verse] ‘You shall surely hear many hurtful things from those who were given the Book before you and from those who set up equals [to God]. Then, if you show fortitude and act righteously, then you shall be counted among those that show strong determination [Surah Al-eImran, Ch.3: V.187].’” (Al-Balagh, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 13, pp. 390-391) Concerning the usage of language on the part of the Aryas, Hazrat Ahmadas said: “If they hurt us by using harsh language then we should show patience until God Almighty makes a decisive distinction between us and them. It is about that patience that God Almighty states in the Holy Quran, [Arabic verse] ‘You shall surely be tried in your possessions and in your persons and you shall surely hear many hurtful things from those who were given the Book before you and from those who set up equals [to God]. But if you show fortitude and act righteously, then you shall be counted among those that show strong determination.’”

(Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 23, p. 15) To merely prove that the Promised Messiahas considered those people who left Islam worthy of the death penalty, the opponents of the Jamaat say that the founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement was of the belief that whoever left Islam, whether they opposed Islam openly or not, should be killed due to their apostacy.

To prove this, opponents argue that the Promised Messiahas, in his book SirrulKhilafa, cited a letter of Hazrat Abu Bakrra that he wrote to renegade tribes. The translation of the Arabic words is: “I have sent to you (so and so) from the Ansar and Muhajirin and those who follow them with benevolence, and I commanded not to fight anyone nor kill him until he invites him to the caller unto Allah.

Whosoever answers him, acknowledges him and desists [from fighting] and does

good deeds, he will accept it from him, and he (the messenger) will help him to do so.

Whosoever rejects, then I have commanded him to fight him [due to his rejection] until none of them have the capacity to fight him; I have commanded him to burn them with fire and kill them in every way and take their women and children as slaves and not accept anything from them except Islam.”

(Sirrul-Khilafa, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 6, p.

396) After presenting these words, opponents say that here, only murtads – those who left Islam – are being addressed and not exclusively those murtads who rebelled against Islam. In presenting this letter, according to them, the founder of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat accepted that it was permissible for murtads to be killed and burnt merely as a result of their apostacy.

Yet, those who have studied SirrulKhilafa know that in the same book Hazrat Ahmadas said in Arabic: “And Aishara states, ‘When my father was appointed as Khalifa and Allah gave him leadership, he had to witness storms of discord from every side due to this, as well as the scores of false prophets and liars, and the rebellion of the hypocrites and renegades.

He then had to face such difficulties as would have rendered asunder and crushed mountains instantly had it fallen upon them, but he was granted patience like that of the prophets until the help of Allah came, the false claimants were killed, the renegades perished, the discord vanished, the distressing ordeals were over, the matter was settled and Khilafat was established.”

(Sirrul-Khilafa, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 8, p.

335) (Research conducted by a panel of scholars at the Research Cell, Rabwah. Arabic passages translated by Zeeshan Khalid, UK and Kashif Virk, Sweden)

8

Friday 5 April 2019 | AL HAKAM

AMJ Germany Tabligh Department launches new campaign U

Tahir Ahmed Bhatti Germany Correspondent

nder the blessed guidance of Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa, Jamaat-e-

Health

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Samar Hafeez Clinical psychologist and counsellor Bangalore, India

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychobiological disorder that occurs in people who have experienced, witnessed or confronted a life threatening or a traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, death of loved one, a serious automobile accident, a terrorist attack, military or war situation, hostage or a holocaust situation, forced migration, physical or emotional torture or any other violent assault.

PTSD has been described by many names in the past, one amongst them is a term known as “shell shock” which was originally coined in 1915 to describe soldiers or veterans who had trapped emotional energy within them. They were experiencing involuntary shivering, muscular restlessness, crying spells, fearfulness and constant intrusions in memory after significantly damaging or traumatic events.

PTSD does not just happen to combat veterans. Anyone can develop PTSD at any age, irrespective of gender, ethnicity, culture or nationality. An estimated one in nine women develop PTSD which is about twice as likely than men to get affected.

It is natural for anyone to feel afraid during or after a traumatic event. Fear triggers a mechanism called the “fightor-flight” response, during which your sympathetic nervous system gets activated, thereby releasing stress hormones called adrenaline and cortisol which provide the body with an intense burst of energy to deal with the imminent danger. Nearly everyone will experience a range of reactions after a trauma, yet some people recover from initial symptoms naturally while others find it difficult to shrug off the impact of unpleasant scenarios.

Accumulating evidence suggests that intense psychological trauma can cause longlasting alterations in the neurobiological response and in this case, the “fight-orflight response” is active almost at all times.

People with PTSD feel that danger is lurking everywhere and are on a constant lookout for escape mechanisms, which keeps them in a state of constant fear and anxiety.

Several neuroimaging studies revealed that the amygdala (small almond shaped

structure in the brain which is involved in emotional valence of events and plays a critical role in the acquisition of a fear response) is hyperresponsive, leading to an exaggerated fear response. The prefrontal cortex was shown to be hyporesponsive and failed to inhibit the amygdala thereby increasing the reactive behaviour in a person with PTSD. Finally, researchers looked into the hippocampus (brain structure responsible for the ability to store and retrieve memories).

People with severe and chronic PTSD have a smaller hippocampus and this indicates that experiencing chronic untreated PTSD may ultimately be the reason for the change and damage to the structure of the hippocampus thus making it smaller.

Symptoms Symptoms fall into 4 categories, beginning after a traumatic event, and some specific symptoms can vary in severity and occurrence.

1. Intrusive thoughts such as recurrent and intrusive recollections of the event; dissociative reactions like flashbacks which are so vivid, it’s like as if they are reliving the traumatic experience; recurrent distressing dreams (related to traumatic event) 2. Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with trauma, efforts to avoid people, activities, places or objects that bring back distressing memories 3. Negative thoughts and feelings like feelings of detachment or estrangement from others or from oneself, dissociative experiences (losing touch with reality), frightening thoughts, markedly diminished activities, which the person loved to do previous to the traumatic event, distorted beliefs about oneself and others, ongoing fear, horror, anger, shame, intense guilt, restricted range of affection (e.g. unable to have loving feelings) and sense of a foreshortened future (does not expect to have a career, marriage or children etc.)

4. Increased arousal and reactivity (that were not present before the trauma) – this may include being irritable and impulsive or self-destructive behaviour, hypervigilance, problems with concentration, difficulty falling or staying asleep and an exaggerated startle response Many experience the above-mentioned symptoms within 3 months of encountering a traumatic event, but if the symptoms begin 6 months or more after the event, then this

Ahmadiyya Germany launched a campaign to convey the message of peace all over Germany by distributing informative, yet concise leaflets and engaging in dialogue with the media and society.

After seeing successful results in social circles, its second phase was launched on the blessed day of 23 March, the Promised Messiah Day, in major cities of Germany.

The main theme of this fresh wave of tabligh and press conferences was the campaign of “The Messiah Has Come”.

Press and media representatives were invited in major cities of Germany, where Jamaat missionaries presented the message of Islam Ahmadiyyat and subsequently answered questions by the media.

As usual, in some cities, this fresh

campaign was welcomed, while in others it was seen with mixed gestures of amazement and delight.

The questions revolved around the projects of the Jamaat in Germany and some of the press representative were keen to know the financial system of the Jamaat behind such national level projects.

In Auchan city, media persons requested Jamaat volunteers to spend the day with them to cover this interesting event.

In general, it was felt that this new campaign, “The Messiah Has Come”, is getting an impressive response from the media, public and social circles of German society.

is known as delayed PTSD. However, for a person to be diagnosed with PTSD, the symptoms should last more than 1 month accompanied by significant distress or impairment in daily functioning.

PTSD often co-occurs with other conditions like substance abuse, depression and somatoform disorders. If the trauma is prolonged in a context where the victim has little or no chance of escape, the person has a chance of developing what is known as C-PTSD (Complex post-traumatic stress disorder).

It is important to note that many factors contribute to a breakdown under excessive stress such as the intensity and length of the traumatic event, the person’s biological makeup, personality adjustment before the stressful situation and ways in which a person handles problems once the stressful situation is over.

with PTSD and to stop avoiding trauma reminders as avoiding reminders may help in the short term, but in the long run it prevents full recovery. PE uses imaginal or virtual exposures which involve recalling the details of trauma or related conditions and it also includes in-vivo exposures, which involve visiting the place where the traumatic event happened.

Progressive muscle relaxation technique is based on the principle that anxiety or fear producing thoughts and events cause physiological bodily tightness and tension. When a person thinks about a situation related to his anxiety, mental images activate the muscles into tension, as though expecting a blow. If one learns how to recognise which muscle groups are getting tensed, one learns to physically let go of that tension, effectively lowering emotional anxiety at that moment. This technique involves progressively tensing and relaxing different muscle groups of the body, which eventually leads to effective reduction in physiological tension. It also helps in reducing fatigue and better quality of sleep.

Post disaster debriefing sessions are typically conducted in groups after the immediate crisis has been quietened down. These sessions allow the participants in the disasters (such as aid givers) to express their feelings and emotions and to learn what people in disastrous situations have experienced. They help to “unwind” psychologically and minimise people’s emotional reactions to traumatic events.

Somatic experiencing method (SE) is a body-oriented approach to the healing of trauma. This SE approach aims at releasing traumatic shock, which is the key to altering PTSD. It offers a framework to asses where a person is “stuck” – whether in a fight, flight or freeze mode – and through that, provides clinical tools to resolve these fixated physiological states.

PTSD is a debilitating condition that is growing in prevalence and, if untreated or under-treated, it can have significant negative impacts on the sufferers, their families and ultimately society at large.

People can opt for a regular and moderate physical activity regime with therapy sessions to improve health conditions that accompany PTSD (e.g. depression, sleep disturbances and cardiovascular diseases). However, it is encouraged to see a psychologist or a trauma and PTSD therapist for face to face sessions and a speedy recovery.

Therapies Several approaches to treating PTSD are available today and the most effective ones are mentioned below: Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is a specific type of cognitive behavioural therapy that focuses on how a traumatic event is experienced by an individual.

It focuses on the ways people think of themselves and their surroundings after a traumatic event.

CPT is generally delivered over 12 sessions and helps patients learn how to challenge and modify unhelpful beliefs related to the trauma. CPT helps people to properly appraise these unhelpful “stuck points,” and in doing so, the patient creates a new understanding and conceptualisation of the traumatic event so that it reduces its ongoing negative effects on current life and boost progress towards recuperation. This technique has proved to be effective on combat veterans, sexual assault victims and refugees, and can be provided in individual or group therapy.

Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) uses bilateral auditory or sensory inputs, for example back and forth eye movements or hand tapping to help one process difficult memories and thoughts and emotions related to trauma.

This therapy includes three stages (past memories, present disruptions and future actions). It lessens the symptom frequency and takes into account the complete clinical picture.

Prolonged exposure therapy (PE) focuses on gradual exposures to help people

9

Friday 5 April 2019 | AL HAKAM

Friday Sermon 8 March 2019 Delivered from Baitul Futuh Mosque

The reality of “magic” on the Prophetsa After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:

H

azrat Qaisra bin Mihsan was a companion from among the Ansar.

In several narrations, his name has also been recorded as Qais bin Hisan. He belonged to the Banu Zuraiq tribe of the Ansar. His mother’s name was Aneesah bint Qais and his father’s name was Mihsan bin Khalid. He participated in the Battles of Badr and Uhud. One of his daughters was Umm Saad bint Qais. At the time of his demise, his children were in Medina.

(Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 4, p. 422, Qais bin Mihsanra, Dar-ul-Kutb Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) (Al-Tabqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 443, Qais bin Mihsanra, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilimiyya, Beirut, 1990) The next companion is Hazrat Jubairra bin Iyaas. His father’s name was Iyaas bin Khalid. He participated in the Battle of Badr. He belonged to the Banu Zuraiq branch of the Khazraj tribe. Hazrat Abdullahra bin Muhammad states that his name was Jubair bin Ilyas. His name has also been recorded as Jabar bin Iyaas in another narration. (Al-Tabqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 444, Jubairra bin Iyaas, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilimiyya, Beirut, 1990).

It is mentioned in the Ahadith that a Jewish man cast a magic spell on the Holy Prophetsa and that the Holy Prophetsa was influenced by it – God forbid. It is mentioned in narrations that the spell was cast on a comb and some strands of hair and thrown into a well named Zhi Arwan.

The Holy Prophetsa later had it removed.

It is written in Fath-ul-Bari, a commentary of Sahih al-Bukhari, that it was Hazrat Jubairra bin Iyaas who took out the comb and the strands of hair from the well of Zhi Arwan. According to another narration, it was Hazrat Qaisra bin Mihsan who pulled them out. (Fath-ul-Bari, Imam ibn Hijar, Kitab-ul-Tibb, Baab Al-Sehr, Hadith no. 5763, Vol. 10, p. 282, Qadeemi Kutb Khana Karachi) Hence, I have mentioned both of the companions together. However, what is more important to know is that whether or not the Holy Prophetsa was influenced by any kind of magic and what the true reality of this incident is as opposed to determining which of the two companions took those items out of the well. Moreover, it is important for us to know what our viewpoint is regarding this. We have to reply to anything which can or does give rise to an allegation against the Holy Prophetsa. Thus, I shall present some of the details found in our Jamaat literature regarding this incident. I will expound

upon this incident today in relation to both of these companions.

While mentioning this incident in the introduction to the commentary of Surah Al-Falaq, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states: “According to some, Surah al-Falaq and al-Nas – i.e. the last two chapters of the Holy Quran – were revealed in Mecca. Some, however, call them Medinite chapters i.e. chapters that were revealed in Medina.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further writes:

was revealed in Medina only on the basis of him blowing it on himself.”

“When the Holy Prophetsa fell ill, people thought that it was as a result of a spell cast by the Jews. I shall present the account of this incident exactly as it is found in the narrations.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has mentioned this account in the introductory notes of the aforementioned chapters. He writes: “Since the commentators have given

“Those who are of the view that it is a Medinite chapter present the argument that this and the subsequent chapter were related to the illness of the Holy Prophetsa during which it had been considered that a magic spell had been cast on him by the Jews. It is thought that these two chapters had been revealed on that occasion and the Holy Prophetsa would blow over his body after reciting them.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra is mentioning what is said by others in relation to these chapters. He further writes: “Commentators say that because this incident occurred in Medina, hence, Surah al-Falaq and Surah al-Nas are Medinite chapters. Nonetheless, it has been the preferred view that both of these chapters were Medinite (i.e. they were revealed in Medina).”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Muadra writes, “This is what commentators [of the Holy Quran] have inferred but not proven from a historical account. We also do not possess any conclusive evidence based on which we could say that these chapters were Meccan, but the argument which they have given is also weak and trivial because even if this Surah had been revealed in Mecca, the Holy Prophetsa could have recited and blown it on himself during an illness. Thus, this argument is incorrect to think that this

precedence to the narration of Hazrat Aishara, hence I will only present the translation of this narration. Hazrat Aishara narrates, ‘The Jews had cast a spell on the Holy Prophetsa with such an effect that on occasions, he felt that he had completed a particular task, whereas in fact, he had not done so. One day, or during one night, the Holy Prophetsa supplicated before God Almighty and then again supplicated and he once again supplicated and said, “O Aishara, God Almighty granted me everything for which I had supplicated.’

“Hazrat Aishara further narrates: ‘I asked, “O Messengersa of Allah what did you ask for? (What has Allah bestowed you with?)” He replied, “Two men came to me and one of them sat near my head and the other near my feet. The one seated near my head said to the one near my feet…”’

Hazrat Aishara states, ‘Or perhaps he said, “The one who was seated near my feet said to one seated near my head: ‘What does this individual (i.e. the Holy Prophetsa) suffer from?’ The other one replied, ‘A spell has been cast on him.’ He then enquired, ‘Who has cast the spell?’ He replied, ‘It was a Jew named Labeed bin al-A‘sam.’ He then asked, ‘What is the thing by which he transmitted its effect?’ The other one replied, ‘Using a comb and by the hair wrapped around the spathe of a date-palm.’

He then asked, ‘Where is it located?’ He replied, ‘In the well of Zhi Arwan.’”’

“Hazrat Aishara states: ‘The Holy Prophetsa went to the well along with some of his companions. When he returned, he said, “O Aishara, by God! The water of the well had a reddish complexion resembling extracts of henna.”’”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has further expounded on this: “It seems that it was the practice of the Jews that when they would cast a spell on someone, they would add henna or something similar into water. This was done to portray that as if through the power of the magic the water had turned red.”

This was a technique they used to deceive the people who were naive and simple. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further states: “The Holy Prophetsa then stated, ‘The dates were like that of Satan i.e. like the head of a snake.’ (Here the dates have been compared with the head of a snake, illustrating that the branches of the date palm were almost ripe). Hazrat Aishara states, ‘I then said, “O Messengersa of Allah! Why did you not burn it?” The Holy Prophetsa replied, “Since Allah has cured me, I did not wish to carry out an action which can become a means of contention among people. Therefore, I commanded that they should be buried.”’”

Thus, those items were then buried.

Regarding the narration of Hazrat Aishara, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states: “It seems that the two men who came to the Holy Prophetsa were in fact angels. Had they been humans, surely Hazrat Aishara would have seen them.”

In relation to the narration of Hazrat Aishara, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further states: “The narration of Hazrat Aishara simply states that the Holy Prophetsa was informed

by God Almighty through the angels that the Jews had cast a spell on him. It certainly does not mean that the Holy Prophetsa was affected by the spell in the way people believe spells to work.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further states: “Nevertheless, when the Holy Prophetsa had buried their instruments of magic in the ground, the Jews considered that their spell had been broken. At the same time, God Almighty had granted the Holy Prophetsa health as well. In short, the Jews were convinced that they had cast a spell on the Holy Prophetsa and due to this, their attention was naturally drawn to the fact

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that the Holy Prophetsa would fall ill.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further writes, “While this narration reveals the hostility that the Jews harboured against the Holy Prophetsa, it also proves that the Holy Prophetsa was a true prophet of God Almighty. The reason for this is that the Holy Prophetsa had been informed by God Almighty of all the ploys being hatched against him by the Jews. Hence, for the Holy Prophetsa to have received knowledge of the unseen and for the Jews to have failed in their objectives are clear and evident signs of the truthfulness of the Holy Prophetsa.”

(Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 10, pp. 539-542) In any case, the conclusion drawn by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra is in fact the truth; the Jews thought they had cast a spell on the Holy Prophetsa. However, it did not have any impact on the Holy Prophetsa.

Furthermore, the ailment and the illness of forgetfulness, or whatever illness it was, had some other causes. Nevertheless, having informed the Holy Prophetsa of this scheme of the Jews, God Almighty completely negated their assumption that they had cast a spell. Furthermore, by informing the Holy Prophetsa, those Jews who saw the illness of the Holy Prophetsa and rejoiced and propagated this news believing that this illness was due to the impact of their spell, the truth of this matter became manifest.

Moreover, there is an article in the literature of our Jamaat written by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, which details this incident from a historical and intellectual perspective and further elaborates upon this incident. He writes: “In the annals of history, in fact, even in the Ahadith, it has been mentioned that following the treaty of Hudaybiyyah, a hypocrite of Jewish descent, whose name was Labeed bin al-A‘sam, once cast a spell on the Holy Prophetsa – God forbid. This spell was cast by tying strands of hair to a comb, and then uttering some incantations over it and it was then thrown down a well.”

He further states: “It is said that, God forbid, the Holy Prophetsa remained under this spell for quite some time.” (This was the rumour they had spread.) “During this period, the Holy Prophetsa would often feel low and disheartened and in this state of anxiousness, he would repeatedly supplicate. One prominent aspect in relation to this state during that period was that it had affected the Holy Prophetsa’s memory. He used to forget certain matters, so much so that at times, he would think that he had already completed a certain task, whereas, he had not in fact done so. Or at times, the Holy Prophetsa would believe that he had already visited the home of one of his wives, whereas he had not in fact done so.”

Expounding on this particular matter regarding the wives, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra says: “It should be remembered that it was the practice of the Holy Prophetsa that he had appointed set days for his wives in accordance with the commandments of Islam and he would go to the house of each wife in the evening and enquire about their wellbeing. In the end, the Holy

Prophetsa would arrive at the house of the wife, whom he had assigned the day to. The aforementioned narration is referring to this practise.”

The narration further continues, “Eventually, God Almighty disclosed the reality of this evil plot.”

This was the summary of the account related in Sahih al-Bukhari, which Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has also mentioned in his commentary. However, he further writes: “This is the summary of the narration which has been mentioned in certain books of history and Ahadith. Many tales have been invented about this incident that it is difficult to decipher the truth.”

So many stories have been fabricated based on this narration that it has become very difficult to determine the truth of the matter. He further writes: “If all of these narrations were to be accepted then, God forbid, the blessed and holy character of the Holy Prophetsa would appear to be of a very weak disposition who, at least in worldly affairs, could be led by his opponents into any direction they wanted as a result of their incantations.

Furthermore, it would also seem as if they could make him a target of their impure attention and influence his heart and mind and that, God forbid, the Holy Prophetsa was helpless in confronting their magic.

If the incident is accepted exactly as it has been narrated in historical accounts and the Ahadith, consequently, only a wrongful conclusion could be drawn from all this. However, this is certainly not possible.

If one carries out an in-depth analysis, both rationally and from a historical perspective, they would arrive at the conclusion that this was nothing more than an illness of temporary lapse in memory, which can occur at times due to anxiety or physical weakness. At the same time, some evil-minded enemies took advantage of this and spread rumours that the Holy Prophetsa was under the influence of an incantation, God forbid. However, God Almighty swiftly restored the Holy Prophetsa back to health and destroyed the false propaganda of the enemies and the hypocrites.

The great conqueror of satanic forces, the most eminent amongst the prophets, who defeated and crushed Satan and his armies, neither has such a person ever existed nor will anyone like him ever be born. To think that he was a target of evil sorcery by a Jewish man is severe misjudgement. (Such a thought cannot even be entertained).

This is not only our claim, in fact, the Holy Prophetsa himself has refuted this.

This matter has been elaborated upon in a Hadith. Hazrat Aishara asked the Holy Prophetsa: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Is there a Satan with me?’ (Hazrat Aishara asked in relation to herself). The Holy Prophetsa responded: ‘Yes.’ She then asked if Satan is attached to every human. The Holy Prophetsa answered in the affirmative.

Astonished, Hazrat Aishara then enquired: ‘O Messengersa of Allah! Is there a Satan attached with you?’ The Holy Prophetsa responded: ‘Yes. However, God has granted me victory over Satan to the extent that

my Satan has even become a Muslim.’

(Sahih Muslim, Kitab Sifatul Qiyamah Wa Al-Jannah Wa Al-Naar, Baab Tehrik AlShaitan) Despite this clear saying, how can someone imagine that a Jew, who in light of the Holy Quran belongs to those people who have incurred the displeasure of God and was a hypocrite, would be able to influence someone as exalted and lofty as the Holy Prophetsa through his incantations with the help of his Satan? And moreover, the Holy Prophetsa, as a result of this, remained troubled, sorrowful and sick for a long time?

Liars and deceivers in all ages have used such false tricks against the truth. However, God the Powerful and the Magnificent has continuously exposed all such liars. He states: َ َ َ َ ْ َ ّٰ ‫ک َت َب الل ُہ لَاغ ِلب َ ّن انا َو ُر ُس ِل ْی‬ “Allah has decreed: ‘Most surely I will prevail, I and My Messenger.’’’ (Surah alMujadalah, Ch.58: V.22) This means, God has decreed that He, along with His messengers will be victorious in all ages and no satanic deceit will prevail over them.”

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra further writes, “The question then arises as to the truth of this incident, which has been narrated

by Hazrat Aishara and recorded even in Sahih al-Bukhari. If one were to consider the context of this incident and take into account the ways and habits of the Jews and the hypocrites, one can easily determine the truth regarding this incident.

“First of all, it is important to note that this incident of sorcery took place after the Treaty of Hudaibiya. It is recorded in Tabqaat ibn Saad that the Holy Prophetsa decided to travel to Mecca in order to perform Umrah, based on a dream he had seen. While he was travelling for this purpose, the Quraish prevented him from entering Mecca, as a result of which he had to return in what appeared to be a state of loss. This apparent failure caused immense grief, and the disbelievers and the hypocrites began to mock and ridicule this, which indeed was expected. However, this incident had such an immense impact to the extent that it affected even sincere Muslims, as it is recorded in a Hadith that even an eminent companion such as Hazrat Umarra was greatly perturbed for a brief period owing to the apparent defeat.”

This incident relating to Hazrat Umarra is found in a Hadith of Bukhari.

“During this time, the Holy Prophetsa became anxious and worried for those individuals that were weak of faith, lest they be put into a trial. Inevitably, this had a severe impact on the Holy Prophet’ssa health and he was concerned regarding this for quite some time. This anxiety naturally affected the health of the Holy Prophetsa.

He would pray fervently to God in this state of apprehensiveness, as is indicated in the words of the Hadith: ‫َد َعا َو َد َعا‬ [Meaning, he prayed and prayed...]

“He prayed so there would not be any kind of temporary hindrance in the progress of Islam owing to the incident of Hudaibiya. This prayer was similar to

the prayer he recited during the Battle of Badr, whereby despite the fact that God Almighty had promised him victory, but on seeing the apparent strength of the opposing army, the Holy Prophetsa prayed: َ ْ ُ َ ْ ُ َ َ َ َ ْ ٰ َ ْ َ ْ َّ ُ ّ ٰ َ ْ ‫ض‬ ِ ‫اللھم اِن تھلِک ھ ِذ ِہ ال ِعصابۃ لا تعبد ِفی الار‬ “Due to these reasons, it impacted him psychologically and he suffered from temporary amnesia [memory loss].”

According to some narrations, it lasted a few days whereas in other narrations it is stated that this illness lasted two days or one day and a night. Regardless of however many days this persisted, the illness naturally affected his health. The conclusion of Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra is that the illness lasted a few days which came about due to the deep worry and concern the Holy Prophetsa had for those Muslims who were still weak in their faith.

“Hence, this is an intrinsic component of human nature, which even the prophets of God are not exempted from. When the Jews and hypocrites witnessed that the Holy Prophetsa was unwell during those days and under a lot of strain both mentally and physically and that he was suffering with a spell of memory lapse, therefore, as was their habit, they began creating mischief by announcing that they had cast a spell on the Holy Prophetsa and that his forgetfulness etc. was a result of this sorcery. Furthermore, as was their longstanding custom, they tied knots of hair around a comb and buried it in a well, as a physical demonstration. When the Holy Prophetsa came to know of this supposed sorcery, he prayed further to God Almighty in order to put this mischief to an end. (As stated by Hazrat Aishara that once the Holy Prophetsa was made aware of this, he prayed fervently for a day and night). The Holy Prophetsa supplicated to the Lord of the heavens for the name of the one who instigated this and the way in which this fabricated sorcery was carried out, so that he could completely eradicate this mischief. Thus, God Almighty heard his ardent pleas and manifested the truth to him in a vision.

“The Quran declares unequivocally: َٰ ُ َّ ُ ْ ُ َ ‫الساح ُِر َح ْیث اتی‬ ‫لا یف ِلح‬ “In other words, no sorcerer can ever be successful against the prophets, in any case whatsoever, regardless of how they try to attack.” (Surah Ta Ha, Ch.20: V.70) “Furthermore, we read in the Holy Quran: َّ ُ َّ َّ َ َ ‫یَقوْ ُل الظال ُِموْ َن ِا ْن تت ِب ُعوْ َن ِالا َر ُجلًا ّم ْس ُحوْ ًرا‬ “I.e., the wrongdoers say, ‘You follow none but a man who is a victim of deception’ (Surah Bani Israil, Ch.17: V.48). This claim of the disbelievers is mentioned in the Holy Quran. Furthermore, after pondering over the wording of this Hadith, the phraseology and the Arabic idiom, this narration of Bukhari can only be understood to be the viewpoint of others stating what seemed to have taken place. This means that the narrator although seems to write on his own account, but in reality, it is merely relating what others have been saying.

“Therefore, the translation of this narration would be as follows, ‘Hazrat Aishara narrates that once, a spell was cast on the Holy Prophetsa, i.e. the enemies had

Friday 5 April 2019 | AL HAKAM

spread the rumour that he was a victim to this sorcery.’ Hazrat Aishara did not hold this view herself. Hence the translation would be that ‘the opponents themselves spread the rumour that the Holy Prophetsa was influenced by a spell. Similarly, in those days, the Holy Prophetsa would think he had carried out a task, which he had not done so.’ And according to one narration it states that he would think that he had just visited the house of one of his wives, but in actual fact he had not.

“Then, Hazrat Aishara further gives clarification in which she states that in those same days, the Holy Prophetsa was once at her house and would supplicate to God Almighty again and again regarding this concern of his. After making this supplication, he addressed her saying, ‘O Aishara, are you aware that God Almighty has disclosed to me [the truth] in regard to that which I enquired.’ She replied, ‘O Messengersa of Allah, what is it that you enquired about?’ He answered, ‘Two people came to me (in a dream or in a vision). One of them sat near my head whilst the other sat towards my feet. One of them asked the other what had happened to him?’”

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra writes, “This method of conversation likewise seems to be describing a narrative from the perspective of the opposing party.

Thereafter, it is the same lengthy account which has already been mentioned, that is the ailment of the Holy Prophetsa was allegedly due to the effect of a certain Jew’s sorcery.

“Hazrat Aishara states that after this dream or vision, the Holy Prophetsa – along with some of his companions – went to that well and inspected it. Several date palm trees had grown around it (and the well was completely dark and very deep). The Holy Prophetsa returned to Hazrat Aishara and told her ‘O Aishara, I have seen the well.

The water of the well is like the colour of henna extract and red in colour. It was a practice amongst the Jews there – (as has previously been mentioned that to trick the people, they would contaminate the water with artificial colour) and the palm trees appeared like cacti.’ Hazrat Aishara states, ‘I asked the Holy Prophetsa why he did not take the comb and its related objects out and dispose of them?’ Some narrations say she asked why he did not burn them? The Holy Prophetsa stated ‘God has kept me safe and cured me. Why then should I throw it out in front of the people and needlessly spread an ill (which risks causing the weakminded to believe that sorcery was the root of it all).’ Therefore, the well was buried and closed off.”

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra writes, “Speaking from the perspective of other people, or narrating the words of other people is a method of conversation that was prevalent amongst the Arabs.

In fact, at certain occasions, the Holy Quran itself has made use of this method of speech. Accordingly, in one instance while addressing the inmates of hell, God Almighty states: َْ ْ ْ َ َ َّ ْ ُ ‫ذق ِانک ان َت ال َع ِزیْ ُز الک ِریْ ُم‬ ‘Taste it! Thou didst consider thyself the mighty, the honourable.’ (Surah al-Dukhan,

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Ch.44: V.50) “In other words, ‘O one who is entering Hell, taste this punishment of God. Indeed, you are a man most mighty and honourable.’

In this verse, it is never meant that – God forbid – God considers the inmates of hell respectable and honourable. Rather, it is in the context of describing another person’s perspective meaning that the associates of these inmates and the inmates themselves considered their own selves honourable and respectable. (I.e. those who – after committing wicked deeds in the world – still believed themselves to be highly honourable and respectable) They are explicitly told to taste the fire of God’s punishment.

“It is exactly this style of conversation that was adopted by the two men or angels whom the Holy Prophetsa saw in his vision.

Therefore, when both concluded in saying that this individual has been stricken by sorcery, their purport was not, ‘We think he has been stricken by sorcery’ but what they actually were expressing was, ‘The people are claiming that he has been stricken by sorcery and magic.’

“The real and ultimate purpose of the dream thus was none other than for God to reveal to His Prophetsa, the object which those wretched mischief mongers had concealed in the well and by means of which they would spread deception amongst likeminded people. (They were using this excuse and spreading these lies amongst hypocrites and others like them). God’s intent was thus to reveal this to His messengersa in order to utterly annihilate this fabricated sorcery of theirs.

Subsequently, it so happened that their alleged object of sorcery was buried and the well was likewise destroyed. Also, the Holy Prophet’ssa worry and anxiety that such deceptions might cause the simple-minded people to go astray was also alleviated.

God’s promise of: َٰ ُ َّ ُ ْ ُ َ ‫الساح ُِر َح ْیث اتی‬ ‫لا یف ِلح‬ ‘And a magician shall not thrive, come where he may’ (Surah Ta Ha, Ch.20: V.70) was indeed fulfilled in full glory and grandeur. That is, whatever trickery a magician or a conjuror may try; if he comes against a prophet of God, he can never be victorious. In all cases, the aforementioned Hadith strongly establishes the following points: “After the incident of the Treaty of Hudaibiya, because of the strain of his constant concern lest people stumbled in their faith due to the incident of the Treaty of Hudaibiya, the Holy Prophetsa would sometimes suffer lapses in memory in relation to his domestic affairs.

“Secondly, the Jews and the hypocrites, who would leave no stone unturned to make such issues a basis for defaming Islam and its Holy Foundersa, saw this state of the Holy Prophetsa and began a secret rumour that they had – God forbid – cast a spell over the Prophet of the Muslims.

This rumour of theirs was just like the one that they started at the expedition of Bani Mustaliq in order to make a horrible attempt to defame Hazrat Aishara because she got left behind, thereby trying to create hardship and agony for the Holy Prophetsa.

“Thirdly, as a physical symbol of their so-called magic, these evil-natured people used Labeed bin al-A‘sam, a hypocrite of Jewish decent, to tie knots of hair around the teeth of a comb. He pressed it into a well so that simple-minded people would be easily deceived and started secret rumours which only raised more concern for the Holy Prophetsa.

“The fourth point is that the Holy Prophetsa began to offer fervent supplications, praying, ‘O Allah! You Yourself exterminate and put an end to this evil ploy and reveal its reality to me so that I may expose this trickery and thereby save simple-minded people from misgivings.’

Hence, God accepted this prayer and revealed the truth of the matter.

“The fifth point is that God Almighty heard the prayers of the Holy Prophetsa and exposed the mischief-making of Labeed bin al-A‘sam, upon which the Holy Prophetsa, accompanied by some witnesses, proceeded to the well, buried the comb and totally covered up the well, so that the matter could come to an end once and for all.

“In the end, the only question that remains, is how could it be that the Holy Prophetsa, a prophet of such lofty stature who is in fact the greatest of all prophets could fall victim to a brief spell of memory lapse, which could apparently become an impediment in the way of fulfilling the duties of prophethood? So, in response to this, one should bear it well in mind that every prophet comes in two capacities.

One is that of a prophet and messenger from God Almighty, by virtue of which he is honoured with divine revelation, and stands as an educator in all matters of faith for his followers, becoming an example to be followed by them. The second capacity of a prophet is that he is also a man from among mankind, and so is subject to all those human requirements and natural vulnerabilities attached to other human beings.

“This is why God Almighty, while addressing the Holy Prophetsa in the Holy Quran, states: ُ ُ ْ َ َ َ َّ ْ ُ َ ‫قل اِن َما انا بَش ٌر ِّمثلک ْم ی ُ ْو ٰحی اِل َّی‬ ‘O Messenger, tell them, “I am but a human being like yourselves, (and subject to all those laws to which other human beings are subject to). Yet, I am also a Prophet of God and have been granted divine revelation from God for the guidance of mankind.”’ – This is an explanatory translation of this verse. (Surah al-Kahf, Ch.18: V.111) “In this beautiful verse, God has expounded the two different states of prophets in an extraordinary fashion, i.e. that in one regard they have been given a distinction from other human beings, whereas on another front, they have not been placed outside the category of other men. Therefore, whoever contends that prophets stand outside the perimeter of human requirements and natural weaknesses is a liar.”

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra writes: “Indeed, prophets also fall ill like other people, and can fall victim to malaria, fevers and typhoid – (One should bear

in mind that according to the apparent symptoms recorded by the Ahadith and books of history, the Holy Prophetsa passed away due to typhoid – tuberculosis, asthma, flu, cough, gout, migraine, psychological ailments such as anxiety, stress, lapses in memory, and injuries due to accidents or as a result of war etc. Thus, a prophet can suffer from any of these, and have always been subject to them, except in special cases where a particular prophet has been given a divine promise of protection from a specific illness.

“However, if the thought arises in someone’s mind that regarding the Holy Prophetsa, the Holy Quran states: َْ َ َ ُ ُْ ‫َسنق ِرئک فلَا تن ٰس‬ ‘We shall teach thee the Quran, and thou shalt forget it not’, [Surah alA‘la, Ch.87: V.7] in response to this one should remember that this promise is only regarding the Quranic revelation and is not to be applied as a general rule for everything. The meaning of this verse is that ‘O Prophet! The teaching We shall reveal to you for the benefit of mankind, We shall cause you to not forget it and We shall safeguard it till the Day of Judgment.’

However, this promise was not for general day to day dealings, or worldly matters, or even the physical rituals related to the religious injunctions.

“Thus, we find in the Ahadith that owing to the natural human tendencies, the Holy Prophetsa would, on several occasions, fail to remember or recall something. In fact, in a Hadith, recorded in both Bukhari and Muslim, the Holy Prophetsa at times would forget the number of rak‘aat [units of prayer] he had offered whilst leading the prayer and his Companionsra would remind him. Similarly, on many other occasions, the Holy Prophetsa would have a lapse in memory.

“In another Hadith, the Holy Prophetsa is reported to have even stated: َّ​َ ُ َ َ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َ َّ ‫اِن َما انا بَش ٌر ان ٰسی ک َما تن َس ْو َن فاِذا ن ِس ْیت فذکِ ُر ْونِ ْی‬ ‘I am also a human like you, and at times, just like you forget something, I also forget. Therefore, if I fail to remember something, then remind me.’ (Abu Daud, Kitab Al-Salat) “Therefore, just as the Holy Prophetsa would at times have a lapse in memory, he also suffered from the illness of temporary amnesia after the Treaty of Hudabiyya.

Thus, the earlier scholars have offered a similar interpretation to the narration regarding sorcery. For instance, Allama Maazari states: ‘There exists countless sound and irrefutable arguments which establish the truthfulness of the Holy Prophetsa, moreover the miracles of the Holy Prophetsa further testify to his truthfulness. However, all other aspects of attached to one’s life for which the Holy Prophetsa was not divinely commissioned for as a prophet, and this includes suffering from ailments like other humans do, this [temporary lapse in memory] would also be considered as a form of ailment.’

“Allama ibn Al-Kassar states: ‘When the Holy Prophetsa suffered from this lapse in memory, this was also a

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form of ailment as is clearly evident from the concluding words of the Hadith in which the Holy Prophetsa stated that God Almighty had granted him cure.’ (These words are clearly written) “In short, after the Treaty of Hudaibiya, the Holy Prophetsa suffered from the aforementioned ailment, but the enemies alleged that this was a result of sorcery.

However, this was certainly not the case, in fact owing to the circumstances of the time, the Holy Prophetsa suffered from temporary amnesia and some mischievous individuals took this as an opportunity to create false propaganda against the noble character of the Holy Prophetsa. The Holy Quran strongly rebuts such fallacies of sorcery against prophets and neither does human intellect accept this. The words of the Hadith also reject this false interpretation, moreover the Holy Prophet’s lofty and noble status completely dispels this notion of sorcery.”

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra further states: “It would not be out of context to mention Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II’sra narration, may Allah be his Helper,” (Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra Sahib was mentioning this during the lifetime of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra.) “In part one of Sirat-ul-Mahdi, narration number 75 states that one day a Hindu, who was full of prejudice and lived in Gujrat, came to Qadian. He was an expert in the art of hypnotism and sat in a gathering of the Promised Messiahas and secretly began to focus his attention on the Promised Messiahas so that he could influence him to carry out some inappropriate acts and thus make the Promised Messiahas a target

of mockery and ridicule. However, when he began to focus his attention upon the Promised Messiahas, he suddenly screamed out aloud and ran away. When he was asked about what had happened to him, he said that when he focused his attention on Mirza Sahib, it seemed as if a ferocious lion was standing before him, ready to pounce at any moment. That is why he became terrified and ran away.”

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra writes: “The Promised Messiahas was the servant of the Holy Prophetsa; if the servant holds such a status that God Almighty did not allow for him to be hypnotised, then how can one believe that the master – i.e. the Holy Prophetsa – was hypnotised by the Jews, God forbid?” (Mazameen-e-Bashir, Vol. 3, pp. 642-653, Mazameen 1959) In the end, I will read the sayings of the Just Arbitrator of this era [i.e. the Promised Messiahas] which prevails over all other commentaries and explanations.

In one of his gatherings, a person asked the Promised Messiahas what he thought about the incident where the disbelievers asserted that they had cast a spell on the Holy Prophetsa. The Promised Messiahas stated: “Sorcery is also the work of Satan. It does not behove the status of a prophet or messenger to come under the influence of a spell. Rather, all spells are broken when they come in contact with a prophet, just as God Almighty states in the Holy Quran: َٰ ُ َّ ُ ْ ُ َ ‫الساح ُِر َح ْیث اتی‬ ‫لا یف ِلح‬ [“And a magician shall not thrive, come where he may.” (Surah Ta Ha, Ch.20: V.70)].

Observe, Prophet Mosesas was confronted by the magicians, did Mosesas not succeed? To say that the Holy Prophetsa

was influenced by magic is absolutely incorrect and we can never accept there to be any truth in this matter. It is contrary to our beliefs to heedlessly accept everything that is written in Bukhari and Muslim. Even logic does not accept the fact that a spell could have any influence over such a grand and noble prophet. For one to say that the Holy Prophetsa was put under a spell, God forbid, in which his memory was affected, or caused any other effects, is completely false.”

The Promised Messiahas further states, “It seems that these statements were fabricated by a wretched individual.

Despite the fact that we have high regard for the Ahadith, however, we can never accept a Hadith which is contrary to the Holy Quran and the honour of the Holy Prophetsa. During the time in which the Ahadith were being collected, those that compiled the narrations worked meticulously and recorded them with due care. However, despite all their efforts and precautions, they were unable to safeguard them from error. That was the period in which the Hadith were to be collated, but now is the time to reflect and ponder.” Read and deliberate over them. “Any Hadith that is averse to the teachings of the Holy Quran or the honour and dignity of the Holy Prophetsa ought to be rejected or one should ensure that its meanings do not contradict them” just as Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra did.

The Promised Messiahas then writes: “To collate the Aathaar of the Holy Prophetsa is a noble deed (i.e. to collect incidents about the lives of prophets is a virtuous deed). To collate these incidents is a noble deed, however, in principle, the people that collate such incidents can

never do so with complete accuracy. Now, it is the responsibility of every individual to deliberate over them and having analysed them they ought to decide which ones should be accepted and which ones ought to be rejected. To accept that the Holy Prophetsa was influenced by a spell cast on him, (God forbid), is a belief in which one can lose their faith.”

The Promised Messiahas continues, “God Almighty states: َّ َّ ُ ُ ْ َ​َ َ ً ‫اِذ یَﻘ ْول الﻈال ُِم ْو َن ا ِْن ت ّﺘ ِب ُع ْو َن اِلا َر ُﺟ�ا ّم ْس ُﺤ ْو ًرا‬ ‘When the wrongdoers say, “You follow none but a man who is a victim of deception”’ – (who is under the influence of a spell). (Surah Bani Israil, Ch.17: V.48).

People who say such things are wrongdoers and not Muslims. It is the non-believers and transgressors who make such statements that the Holy Prophetsa was under the influence of a spell (God forbid). People do not think that if the Holy Prophetsa could have been influenced in such a way, (God forbid), then what would be the state of the Muslim ummah? In such a case, it would certainly perish. I am lost for words that the Prophet regarding whom all the prophets declared that he would be free from the grasp of Satan, and yet regarding that very prophet they believe in such statements which are against his honour.” (Maluzat, Vol. 9, pp. 471-472) All praise is for Allah that we accepted the Imam of the Age, through which we can recognise the true rank and status of the Holy Prophetsa. َ َّ ّ ْ َ ُ ٰ ٰ َ َ َّ َ ُ ٰ َ ّ َ َّ ُ ّ ٰ َ ٌ ‫اللھم ﺻ ِل علی ��م ٍد وع‬ ‫لی ا َ ِل ��َ ّم ٍد َوبَا ِرك َو َﺳ ِل ْم اِنک َح ِم ْید‬ ٌ ْ ّ ‫� ِ�ید‬ (Translated by The Review of Religions) (Originally published in Al Fazl International)

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