Al Hakam - 16 November 2018

Tahrik-e-Jadid

Divinity of Jesusas (Part VI)

From the Archives

The Grand Scheme for the Propagation of Islam

Jesusas says “I am”

Who Are/Were the Ahrar and what did they have to do with Tahrik-e-Jadid?

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A

100 Years Ago...

The Late Hazrat Mir Hamid Shahra

Al Hakam, 21 November 1918

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THE WEEKLY

www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 16 November 2018 | Issue XXXV Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL. UK info@alhakam.org | F: +44(0)208 544 7673

Hadith-e-Rasul – Sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa

Spending in a Righteous Cause Hazrat Ibn Mas‘ud, Allah be pleased with him, relates that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Only two persons are worthy of being envied: a person upon whom Allah bestows riches and gives them the power to spend in a righteous cause; and a person upon whom Allah bestows wisdom by which they judge and which they teach.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-‘Ilm)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words

International Tahrik-e-Jadid offices, Rabwah, Pakistan

85 Year of Tahrik-e-Jadid th

O

n Friday, 9 November 2018, Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa announced the opening of the 85th year of Tahrik-e-Jadid in his Friday Sermon.

During the sermon, Huzooraa spoke about the essence of financial sacrifice and its spiritual benefits for the fortunate who partake in it.

According to reports, God Almighty enabled the sincere members of the Jamaat to contribute over £12.79 million, an increase of £212,000 from the previous year. Huzoor said that God Almighty had enabled this despite the difficult circumstance being experienced around the world and the fact that the currency of many countries in the world has devalued.

This 84th year of Tahrik-e-Jadid also saw 1,717,000 members donate towards this scheme; an increase of 117,000 from the previous year.

In terms of the total collection, Pakistan topped contributions, followed

by Germany, UK, USA, Canada, India, Australia, a Jamaat from the Middle East,

Indonesia, Ghana and then another Jamaat from the Middle East.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa began the sermon by reciting verses of the Holy Quran in which the subject of financial sacrifice has been explicitly mentioned by Almighty Allah.

During the sermon, Huzooraa narrated many faith inspiring incidents where people who contributed for Tahrik-e-Jadid, despite facing immense hardships, were granted good jobs, received large sums of money from unexpected sources and had their stolen motor vehicles returned unexpectedly. There were many accounts where people, after donating to Tahrik-eJadid, had long-standing loans returned, had miraculous pay rises and saw their businesses grow beyond all expectations.

Others experienced that their long-term sick relatives got better, and some were granted opportunities to offer Hajj. These are the people about whom the Promised Messiahas stated, “It is astonishing to see their sincerity and loyalty.”

Huzooraa said that Allah the Almighty had granted the Promised Messiahas a community of sincere people, who heard his call and obeyed it and also offered their sacrifices. Hence, regarding these sacrifices, the Promised Messiahas said: “… although this is a community consisting of poor people, thanks to God Almighty, I see that they have sincerity and sympathy.

They understand the needs of Islam and do not shy away from spending in its cause according to their means.”

Huzooraa added that Allah the Almighty did not only enable members of the Jamaat during the time of the Promised Messiahas to excel in terms of their sacrifices, sincerity and loyalty, rather, according to His promise, God Almighty had continuously granted, and is granting even today to this Jamaat, which was established approximately 130 years ago, such sincere individuals, who are rendering sacrifices for the sake of their religion according to their capacities, at times going beyond their limits.

Continued on page 2

Financial Sacrifices Are Needed for the Propagation of Islam I observe among the Hindus and Christians that even their women bequeath vast properties and wealth for this purpose. No such examples exist among the Muslims of this age.

The greatest difficulty that confronts us today is that we require financial support in order to propagate Islam.

You ought to bear well in mind that ultimately, God Almighty has willed to establish this community with His own hand and He Himself is the Supporter and Helper of this community. However, since God desires to make His servants worthy of spiritual reward, the Prophets are compelled to make an appeal for financial support. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, called for assistance, and in the same manner – upon the precepts of prophethood – I too apprise my friends of the community’s needs. In any case, I would like to reiterate that even if we do collect an amount for the propagation of Islam, it is obvious that we cannot match the amount that is at the disposal of the Christian clergy. And even if we do, it is still my faith that victory is only given to those with whom God is pleased.

(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp 238-239)

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Friday 16 November 2018 | AL HAKAM Continued from page 1

A missionary in the Ivory Coast wrote: “There was a 14-year-old Tifl in the city San-Pedro. The boy’s father asked him to perform an errand for the house on a Sunday, to which his son replied that he was a finance secretary in the Atfal Amila and he collected donations from other people, however he had been unable to pay his own donation. Since he had to attend school on the other days, on that day he intended to go and work on a farm, and through his labour he would be able to earn some money and pay his promise. His father said that he would pay the money on his behalf; however, the son replied that the missionary had said that children should pay their donations from their pocket money. Since he was unable to contribute from his own pocket money, he was adamant to go and earn some money to offer for this cause. He completed his work and gave the money he earnt as his donation.”

Huzooraa added that this was the thinking of children living in distant places and of those who had recently joined the community – this is something only God Almighty can instill in a person.

Amir Sahib of Gambia writes, “A member from the Gira village regularly paid Chanda towards Tehrik-e-Jadid. Recently, there was an outbreak of a disease among the cattle of his village and the animals began dying. Nearly everyone’s animals had died. However, not a single animal from the cattle of Samya Sahib died. The fellow villagers enquired from him as to why not a single animal died from among his cattle.

He told them that every year he sells one of his animals from among his cattle and pays that amount towards his Chanda for Tehrik-e-Jadid and due to its blessings, God Almighty has protected his animals from the epidemic. Upon this, 7 other villagers who were Ahmadi, also paid their Tehrike-Jadid Chanda and the health of their animals began to improve, even though the veterinary doctor had said that no animal would survive the epidemic. After a few days, when the veterinary doctor came again and examined the animals, he asked what method of cure they used to improve the health of their animals. An elderly lady brought a receipt of her Chanda donation and said that this was their method for the cure. Hearing this, the doctor was quite surprised and said that he would now research about Jama’at Ahmadiyya and so he was given literature of the Jama’at.”

One can witness how the faith and sincerity of the people living in far-off lands is progressing. It is this very sincerity and their complete trust in God Almighty and His promises that in turn leaves others with no other choice but to ponder over the truthfulness of Islam. May God Almighty continue to strengthen their faith and belief and grant them His love and affection.

According to the reports of districts in Pakistan, the financial sacrifices from the three large districts of Pakistan in order are: Lahore, Rabwah and Karachi.

Although Rabwah is not a district and is a town, however it is counted among the districts for the population concentration of Ahmadis. In order of contribution, the districts of Pakistan that took part in Tahrik-e-Jadid are: Sialkot, Sargodha,

Gujrat, Gujranwala, Umerkot, Hyderabad, Narowal, Mirpur Khas, Toba Tek Singh and then Mirpur Azad Kashmir.

Outstanding Jamaats in terms of their total contribution in order are: Islamabad, Amarat Defence Lahore, Amarat Township Lahore, Amarat Azizabad Karachi, Peshawar, Amarat Gulshan Iqabal Karachi, Amarat Karim Nagar Faisalabad, Quetta, Nawabshah, Bahawalpur and then Okarra.

The first ten Jamaats of Germany in order of contribution are: Neuss, Rödermark, Pinneberg, Mahdi Abad, Kiel, Flörsheim, Koblenz, Weingarten, Cologne and Colmberg.

In terms of regions in Germany, the first ten in order are: Hamburg, Frankfurt, Morfelden, Gross-Gerau, Dietzenbach, Wiesbaden, Mannheim, Riedstadt, Offenbach and then Darmstadt.

The first five regions of Great Britain, in terms of contribution in order are: London B, London A, Midlands, North East and then South.

The first ten large Jamaats of Great Britain in order are: Masjid Fazl, Worcester Park, Birmingham South, New Malden, Bradford North, Islamabad, Birmingham West, Glasgow, Gillingham and Scunthorpe.

In terms of contribution from the smaller Jamaats in Great Britain, the Jamaats in order are: Spen Valley, Swansea, North Wales, Southfields and then Edinburgh.

The first five regions in terms of contribution in order are: South West, Midlands, Islamabad, North East and then Scotland.

In terms of total contribution among the USA Jamaats, the Jamaats in order are: Oshkosh, Silicon Valley, Seattle, Detroit, Silver Spring, York, Central Virginia, Georgia, Atlanta, Los Angeles East, Central Virginia and Florida.

In terms of total contribution from among the regions in Canada the order is: Brampton, Vaughan, Peace Village, Calgary, Vancouver, Western and then Mississauga.

The five most notable Jamaats in Canada for their total contribution in order are: Edmonton West, Durham, Hamilton South, Bradford and Saskatoon North.

The ten large Jamaats in India for their total contribution in order are: Qadian (Punjab), Hyderabad (Telangana), Patah Perium (Kerala), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Calicut, Kerala, Bangalore, Carnatic, Calcutta (Bengal), Pengari (Kerala), Noor Town (Kerala) and then Yad Gir (Carnatic).

In terms of the provinces of India, the order is: Kerala, Carnatic, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Jammu Kashmir, Odissa, Punjab, Bengal, Dehli and then Maharashtra.

The first ten Jamaats in Australia for total contribution in order are: Castle Hill, Melbourne, Berwick, Canberra, Perth, Melbourne Long Warren, Marsden Park, Adelaide South, Brisbane, Logan and then another Jamaat from Brisbane.

The list of Jamaats in terms of contribution per person in order is: Tasmania, Canberra, Castle Hill, Darwin, Marsden Park, Melbourne, Berwick, Sydney City, Perth, Campbelltown and then Parramatta.

This Week in History 16-22 November 17 November 1884: The Promised Messiahas was in Delhi and his nikah was announced on this day with Hazrat Syeda Nusrat Jehan Begum Sahibara, daughter of Hazrat Mir Nasir Nawabra. It was Monday, 27 Muharram 1302 Hijri. The nikah was announced by famous cleric of the city, Maulvi Syed Nazeer Husain.

17 November 1901: The Promised Messiahas went for his daily walk while listening to an article written by one of his companions. It seems that it was relatively lengthy piece because the Promised Messiahas completed his walk and sat in the clinic of Hazrat Maulvi Nuruddinra to let the article finish.

Meanwhile, Mr DD Dixon, a European traveler arrived in Qadian. It is said that he covered the Arab World, Karbala, India and Kashmir during his tour. He stayed in Gol Kamra, Qadian for a day. He took a few photographs also; one narration suggests that it was after Asr Prayer, when he took three photos, two group-photos and one of the Promised Messiahas.

The Promised Messiahas assigned his companion Hazrat Sheikh Masihullah Sahib to prepare special food for the guest as he had some experience of cooking Western-style dishes. The next day, when Mr Dixon left Qadian, the Promised Messiahas went with him for his daily walk towards Batala and on the way, Huzooras explained his mission and saw him off at the canal bridge. Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra acted as interpreter. Mr Dixon was exceedingly impressed by the hospitality, high moral values he witnessed, and massive presence of learned scholars of a vast range of subjects in this far-flung town.

18 November 1884: The Promised Messiahas set off on his journey towards Qadian from Delhi with his new wife Hazrat Nusrat Jehan Begumra – affectionately known to Ahmadi Muslims as Hazrat Amma Jan. 18 November 1902: Hazrat Syed Abdul Latifra of Afghanistan arrived in Qadian on this day.

19 November 1885: A bitter opponent of the Promised Messiahas, Pandit Lekhram came to Qadian on this day. He stayed for the following two months but opted to live with

rival camps. He himself missed the blessed company of a prophet of God, and years later, met with his dreadful fate.

20 November 1898: The Promised Messiahas penned his book Najm-ulHuda in a very short time, and this book was also published in a very short period.

20 November 1901: The phonograph of Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan Sahibra of Malerkotla was in Qadian. The Promised Messiah’sas first reaction was that the device should be utilised for the furtherance of his mission. It was proposed that his own voice should be recorded so that people might hear his voice first hand. This was such a new and novel thing that his Hindu neighbors were also eager to see it.

The Promised Messiahas wrote a short poem for the occasion and Maulvi Abdul Karim Sialkoti Sahibra recited it to have it recorded. At about 4:30pm, the Promised Messiahas wrote a note to Lala Sharampat saying that if he, Lala Malawamal (both good acquaintances of Hazrat Ahmadas) and his friends wanted to see the phonograph, they should come to his house. On getting this information, Sharampat and a number of other Hindus and Muslims of the village came there. The cylinder record was put on and the voice that came from the loud speaker said:

‫آواز آریہ ےہ �ی وفونرگاف ےس‬ ‫ڈوھڈنو دخا وک دل ےس ہن الف وزگاف ےس‬ (So says the sound of the phonograph; Find God in hearts, and not in pride and vanity) 21 November 1902: The Promised Messiahas had a discussion with his companion Sheikh Rahmatullah Sahibra who had returned from London. He shared some of his experiences with the Promised Messiah. The Promised Messiahas came to know that a baby-boy was born to him from his European wife whom Huzoor named Abdullah.

After enquiring more information, the Promised Messiahas declared this baby: “The first son of an Ahmadi Muslim in London.”

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Friday 16 November 2018 | AL HAKAM

From the Archives

Who Are/Were the Ahrar?

Asif M Basit

SIndia National Congress, who had broken

ome Muslim political activists in the All

away from the congress due to differences on various issues, came together and formed the Majlis-i-Ahrar-i-Islam in the last part of the 1920s and the early 1930s.

The frustrated activists of the Khilafat Movement also found a platform to resume their political activism but, this time, in a different guise; what guise? No one, including the Ahrar and the Khilafatists, seemed to know. There was no clear agenda defined.

The anti-Congress approach didn’t seem to provide a strong enough platform, neither did merely being a Muslim movement work quite well.

As soon as the anti-Ahmadiyya propaganda emerged as one of their strongest sentiments, they started to gain popularity amongst Muslim circles. The propaganda was soon to turn into street protests, rallies and open-air conferences, where hate-inciting speeches and slogans were the only agenda items.

Dr Sadia Saeed, from the University of San Fransisco, notes: “Virtually from the beginning of their formation in 1931, the Ahrars had launched a public anti-Ahmadi campaign, demanding in 1934 that the community be declared outside the pale of Islam and that no Ahmadi be appointed to a public office, the latter being a direct reference to Zafarullah Khan, a prominent Ahmadi personality whole was later appointed the first Foreign Minister of Pakistan. In this, the Ahrar party was ideologically close to the Punjab wing of the Muslim League, which too had declared the Ahmadiyya community non-Muslim and barred them from membership, even though the central wing of the League remained evasive on the issue. During the anti-colonial movement, the Ahrar Party eventually aligned

itself with the Indian National Congress and openly opposed the movement for the creation of an independent Pakistan.” (Sadia Saeed, Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism, Vol. 7, no. 3, Yale University) With the formation of the All India Kashmir Committee on 25 July 1931, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra was unanimously nominated its president by the notable likes of Dr Muhammad Iqbal, Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Khan, Mohsin Shah and Khwaja Hassan Nizami. The fact that Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra was able to mobilise the Muslims on an All India scale was seen as a grave threat by the Ahrars who had been desperately carving for themselves some means to gain control of the IndianMuslim politics.

Let’s see how Tahir Kamran tells the story from here on: “Subsequently Qadian, the Ahmadi headquarters, became the prime focus of the Ahrar’s assault. The Ahrar leadership had already instituted the Dawat-o-Irshad on 4 March 1933 with the purpose of raising funds as well as a volunteer corps of 100,000 men to combat the growing influence of the Ahmadiya. While this grandiose scheme never came to fruition, the Ahrar persisted in their anti-Ahmadiya activities…

“On 22 October 1934 the Ahrar paraded on the streets of Lahore, chanting antiAhmadi slogans and appealing to Muslims to boycott the Ahmadi community.

Following successful conferences in Batala and Gurdaspur, the Ahrar held a tabligh conference on the outskirts of Qadian at Ragada in the playground of the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic High School, in September 1934. The Ahrars not only emphasized the importance of the finality of the prophethood, but also the difficulties faced by Sunni Muslims living in Qadian. Lengthy and

eloquent addresses were delivered, including a five-hour tour de force by the Ahrar leader, Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari. He, however, overstepped the mark in expressing his hatred of the Ahmadis, and his subsequent arrest and conviction generated a wave of popular sympathy for the Ahmadiya community. In 1935, the populist appeal of the Ahrar waned as fast as it hadwaxed…”

(Tahir Kamran, The Pre-History of Religious Exclusionism in Contemporary Pakistan: Khatam-e-Nubuwwat 1889–1953.

Cambridge University Press) An unplanned roadmap, confused ideology and, above all, the sentiment of jealousy against the Ahmadis soon saw the Anjuman-i-Ahrar-i-Islam racing downhill.

Lack of funds had always been a problem for the Ahrar, but lack of support added insult to injury.

Prof Dr Muhammad Khurshid of and Prof Dr Muhammad Akbar Malik, both from the Department of Pakistan Studies at Islamia University Bahawalpur have concisely described the disgrace faced by the Ahrar soon after the anti-Ahmadiyya agitation of 1934: “The Ahrar often acted imprudently.

They picketed the cloth shops of the Muslim shopkeepers and dealers of fireworks in a period of economic distress. Their leaders did not care for the public sentiments in certain locations and created resentment against themselves by speaking unnecessarily against popular religious and spiritual personalities, highly venerated by the local people. In fact the Majlis Ahrar had always been facing paucity of funds. Financial difficulties had been the greatest hurdle in the way of the Ahrar. At one stage it was decided by the Majlis to appoint peddlers to hawk around to collect contributions from the public in Lahore. Toward the end of 1932, the

The Friday Sermon that laid the foundation of Tehrik-e-Jadid

Ahrar organ Hurriyat had to discontinue its publication due to non-availability of funds.

Next year again the Majlis was reported to be in deplorable financial position which continued to be so till the Quetta earthquake, when the Ahrar leaders appealed to the public to give contributions to the Ahrar for relief work instead of contributing to the Government. How people gradually became reluctant to give contributions to the Ahrar? It is well demonstrated by the fact that on the occasion of Eid at Lahore, the Ahrar could collect only an amount of Rs. 41 from a gathering of more than 40,000 Muslims. In 1942 the Working Committee of All India Majlis-i-Ahrar had to postpone the annual session indefinitely due to shortage of funds apart from other considerations. One possible reason for failure of the Ahrar in collection of contributions from the public was the frequent charges of embezzlement of funds.” “… On at least three occasions, apprehensions were raised regarding the funds etc. In Sialkot, the Secretary of the Majlis filed a suit against the treasurer accusing him of embezzlement. In July, Zain-ul-Abdin Shah, the president of Multan branch resigned and refused to render an account of the funds at his disposal. There were instances of stealing the property of the organization by responsible workers of the Majlis. The Manager of Hurriyat, Hussain Mir, was dismissed on the charges of stealing 250 reams of newsprint. Sometimes, the Ahrar workers were found guilty of stealing petty office goods and misappropriating cash from the office of the organization. Janbaz Mirza, General Secretary Majlis-i-Ahrar Amritsar, was accused by his Ahrar friends, of stealing Rs. 300 from the Ahrar office and he resigned form secretary-ship. There was a split again among the Lahore and Sialkot Ahrar in March 1933, and the Ahrar Leaders were accused of misappropriating funds and not accounting for expenditure. Next year the Jullundur Muslims accused Ahrar leaders of accepting bribe from Kapurthala state authorities and of embezzlement of funds collected for propaganda purposes.”

(M Khurshid and M A Malik, The Political Activities of Majlis-i-Ahrar: A Critical Study, in Pakistan Annual Research Journal, 2015) This was the “sad end” of the Majlis-iAhrar-i-Islam, the same Majlis that had once claimed to turn Qadian into ruins and wipe the name of Ahmadiyyat from the face of the earth. On the other hand, Tahrik-e-Jadid, the scheme launched by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra in response to the Ahrari onslaught on Qadian and the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, continued to flourish. Tahrik-e-Jadid has been able to build thousands of mosques around the world, to translate the Holy Quran in hundreds of languages, to defend the teachings of Islam amidst harsh attacks by anti-Islam movements and to take the message of Islam to almost all parts of the world. Who is a Muslim and who is not?

We let our readers decide. Who got wiped off the face of the earth? Again, we let our readers decide. Who has served the cause of Islam and who has spent their generations in determining who falls outside the pale of Islam? Common sense prevails.

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Friday 16 November 2018 | AL HAKAM 100 Years Ago...

The Late Hazrat Mir Hamid Shahra The Promised Messiahas said regarding Mir Hamid Shah Sahibra in his book Izala-e-Auham: “Syed Sahib is a true friend and the son of one of my most sincere friends. The command of poetry and eloquence in writing that God has gifted him with is evident in the magazine Qaul-e-Fasih. The essence of truth, sincerity and love can be seen in Mir Hamid Shah Sahib’s appearance and I have firm faith that he will be of great service to Islam through his prose and poetry. I cannot even begin to comprehend the deep sincerity and pure love I have witnessed in him. I am extremely happy that he is the son of my old friend Mir Hisamuddin Sahib, chief of Sialkot.”

(Izala-e-Auham, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 3, p. 524)

Al Hakam, 21 November 1918 Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira Editor Al Hakam (Urdu)

he morning of 16 November 1918 T arrived, along with news from Sialkot transmitted by telegram. This news came as

a shock to the residents of Qadian.

The telegram was regarding the passing away of Mir Hamid Shah Sahib, which was sent by his son Syed Ahmad Shah, in which he wrote, “Due to heart failure, Mir Hamid Shah Sahib has passed away.”

This news was conveyed to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II, may God be his helper.

The grief the news of Shah Sahib’s demise brought was visible on Huzoor’s face.

Along with the telegram was a written letter from Shah Sahib which caused a bit of confusion. However, having accepted the news of his demise, the first matter Hazrat Khalifatul Masih thought of was to make arrangements of bringing Shah Sahib’s body to Qadian and to know in detail the final moments of Shah Sahib.

For this purpose, I, the editor of Al Hakam, was sent in the first car [to Sialkot] to express my condolences. Upon arrival, [all doubt was removed as] I came to know that Shah Sahib had in reality passed away.

The events leading to Shah Sahib’s demise is a lesson we all can learn from.

For the past 25 years, Shah Sahib was regular in offering Tahajud prayer. The news of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih’s illness caused him a lot of grief. Shah Sahib prayed excessively for Huzoor. Two days prior to his demise, at the time of Tahajud, he said to his family that he had prayed a lot, yet his prayer had not been accepted. He said it was possible that he had failed to express the extreme humility and self-mortification required for the acceptance of prayer.

Immediately after saying this, he made his way to the roof of the house, leaving behind both his hat and shoes, fell into prostration and began praying fervently for a long time.

His wife also went to the roof but returned after seeing him in prostration.

Thus, after summoning up extreme humility and self-mortification, he prayed until he was satisfied that his prayer had been heard. He came down and stated that his prayer had been accepted but now he himself has fallen ill and said that he was feeling an aching pain near his right shoulder. He showed no sign of concern for this pain, rather he was satisfied that he was

able to show humility and self-mortification for prayer.

On 14 November 1918, after Maghrib prayer, he said to Hakim Ahmad Din Sahib, “I am feeling a pain in my right shoulder. I have taken the medicine that was prescribed in Qadian, which my family members were able to benefit from. However, it has no effect on me. What do you suggest?” He also stated, “Do not think that I fear death.

Death is a beautiful concept as it is the only means of meeting one’s True Beloved [i.e.

God]. However, my nature is such that I cannot bear the prolongation of pain.”

Thus, after this, Shah Sahib went to Master Abdul Aziz Sahib’s home, who is a master tailor. There, during a table talk, he said, “My soul yearns to meet with my True Beloved [i.e. God] and the only way to do so is through death. Death is not a scary concept, rather it is beautiful. I do not fear it, nor do I worry about it. However, human nature does not wish to die suffering in pain.”

After this, he offered Isha prayer and fell asleep. He woke up for Tahajud prayer as was his practice. After offering Tahajud prayer, he once again mentioned the aching pain he was feeling and asked for tea. Shah Sahib’s beloved wife prepared tea, which he drank. He then asked his daughter to press on his right shoulder where he was feeling pain. As she placed her hand on his shoulder, he passed away and met with his Beloved which, since last night, he was yearning for. َ ْ َ َّ َ ّٰ َّ ‫اج ُعوْن‬ ِ ‫إِنا ل ِل ِه وإِنا إِلي ِه ر‬ [“Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”]

Shah Saihb passed away on 15 November at 2 o’clock, at which time the news spread in Qadian that “the saint of the city has passed away”.

Shah Sahib was just over 59 years old when he passed away. Shah Sahib, along with his virtues and morals, was extremely beneficial and a blessing for the Jamaat. He had great humility, devotion and obedience for the Promised Messiahas and the Ahl-eBait. These qualities demand from me that I say something about Shah Sahib. Hazrat Shah Sahib’s name has been preserved in the writings and history of the Jamaat in crystal-clear words. God willing, I will write

about his virtues, qualities and other aspects with great detail. For now, with a heavy heart, I convey the message of the passing away of our beloved brother to the Al Hakam readers. I request everyone to offer Hazrat Shah Sahib’s funeral prayer in their respective localities.

The passing away of Shah Sahib brings huge grief and is a loss for the Jamaat.

However, I believe that behind this grief also lies great reward.

As Shah Sahib’s life was a means of increasing the sincerity and morality in members of the Jamaat, similarly, his demise shall be a means of increasing the level of faith and knowledge among the community.

Shah Sahib leaves behind many family members and offspring. He had many sincere friends. Shah Sahib has temporarily been buried in Sialkot, but will very soon be buried in Bahishti Maqbara, Qadian.

The entire Jamaat has immense respect for Shah Sahib’s family and this news will be read with a lot of grief and sadness. I pray to God that he may grant Shah Sahib a lofty place in paradise and elevate his status, and may He grant his family patience. Amin.

As I have stated above, Hazrat Shah Sahib’s virtues and qualities will be written on in detail and will be published in Al Hakam very soon, Insha-Allah.

(Translated by Jalees Ahmad)

Helsinki Book Fair 2018 Report Syed Abdus Samad Secretary Ishaat Finland

elsinki book fair is one of the biggest H book fairs in Finland. This 4-day book fair is organised every year in the last week

of October. This year, around 80,000 people visited the book fair and 313 exhibitors and more than 1600 journalist participated in the book fair.

Like previous years, Jamaat-eAhmadiyya Finland also participated in the book fair by arranging a book stall through the department of Ishaat.

Many books of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, his Khulafa and Quran translations were displayed at the book stall and people were invited to ask questions about Islam and Ahmadiyyat. Free copies of the Holy Quran, Life of Muhammad and World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace were distributed among interested visitors.

Alongside discussions, Khuddam and Ansar also distributed leaflets to visitors.

Visitors were interested in a wide range of topics, for example, the existence of God, the status of women in Islam, freedom, equality, Jihad and true Islamic Caliphate.

After discussions, many visitors appreciated our efforts and proclaimed that their views on Islam and its teachings had changed.

One lady, a press reporter from Spain who visited our stall, asked about Ahmadiyyat.

We gave her a brief introduction about the Promised Messiahas and his mission.

She was also told about Khilafat and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih’s efforts towards establishing peace.

She was then told about Humanity First and the recent inauguration of Nasir Hospital in Guatemala by Huzooraa. As she already knew about Humanity First, we told her that Humanity First was directly working under the instructions of Khalifatul Masih. She was very impressed and asked for a copy of World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace. She told us that her viewers would be very interested in the book.

Another man visited our stall and asked about the community and the status of women in Islam. We explained the high status that Islam had given to women by narrating Ahadith showing the importance of mothers, wives and daughters.

He then asked if it was necessary for women to wear the burqa (a type of hijab women wear in South Asian countries).

We explained to him the purpose behind the hijab and why women are told to cover themselves in the Holy Quran. He was also told that the way women wear the hijab varies from country to country, and the burqa in particular was more cultural and related to South Asia.

A person who is a teacher and teaches people in prison said: “My dream is for all the religions to come together and discuss differences instead of violent actions, and your community is taking steps in the right direction.”

In addition to discussions at the stall, Khuddam and Ansar continued to distribute brochures outside the book fair in very cold weather conditions. This year, around 20,000 received the message of Islam and Ahmadiyyat through this book fair.

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Friday 16 November 2018 | AL HAKAM

Tahrik-e-Jadid The Grand Scheme for the Propagation of Islam “I see the earth slipping from under the feet of the Ahrar. They say they will wipe out this Jamaat, but Allah the Almighty has told me of a plan with which the Jamaat will spread in all countries of the world and no one will be able to destroy it.”

Iinto open enmity against the Jamaat from t was the year 1934. Jealousy had turned

all circles of the Muslim world, particularly those who were in close proximity; those who had apprehensions about the rapidly escalating success of the Jamaat. They chose to join hands and formed a bloc against the Jamaat in the form of Majlis-i-Ahrar-i-Islam.

The Ahrar, who had thus far resorted only in issuing fatwas against the Jamaat decided to take it to the streets and that too of Qadian. They decided to hold a large-scale conference and so they did on in September 1934. The tones were not only bold but abusive and threatening in every sense of the terms. They openly declared that they would soon turn Qadian into ruins and leave behind no trace of what is known as the Ahmadiyya Jamaat.

This created a stir in the Muslim community and a feeling of distress in the Ahmadiyya Muslim community whose headquarters, Qadian, turned out to be prone to violent attacks by the Ahrar; those that had made their way to the streets of Qadian were now ready to break into houses of the community members and the places that were holy and sacred for Ahmadis. The world awaited a response from Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, then head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. A response did come from him but everyone, including the community, were taken aback by the nature of the plan that was unveiled.

The threats had been physical and violent, the response was expected to be

some physical response or precautionary measures being taken in the event of such attacks. But what Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra presented was a more of a scheme than a direct, reactionary approach. Inspired by Divine decree, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra announced a scheme called Tahrik-e-Jadid.

Below we present a brief introduction to the grand scheme that placed the Jamaat on a swift path of progress amidst claims by its opponents that they would leave no trace of it behind.

Tahrik-e-Jadid Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra said: “I see the earth slipping from under the feet of the Ahrar. They say they will wipe out this Jamaat, but Allah Almighty has told me of a plan with which the Jamaat will spread in all countries of the world and no one will be able to destroy it.”

As he launched Tahrik-e-Jadid, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra lay out its purposes in a number of Friday Sermons and addresses.

On one occasion, he said: “The purpose of launching Tahrik-eJadid is to acquire such a fund with which Allah’s message can be delivered as far as the corners of the earth with ease and facility.”

(Friday Sermon, 27 November 1942) It began as a temporary scheme to span over a period of three years but, as time passed and it bore great fruits year by year, Huzoorra extended it further. At its nineteenth anniversary, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra said: “Now that nineteen years are coming to

an end, I have decided that Tahrik-e-Jadid will continue up to your last breaths.” (Friday Sermon, 27 November 1953) “I hope that Tahrik-e-Jadid will last for countless ages, just as the stars in the sky, so did Allah say to Hazrat Ibrahim that his progeny would be countless. And Hazrat Ibrahim’s progeny greatly served the faith, and the same is being done through Tahrike-Jadid.” (Friday Sermon, 22 February, 1935) In his Friday Sermon of 9 November 1934, Huzoorra stressed the importance of joining Tahrik-e-Jadid: “Though one is free whether or not to join Tahrik-e-Jadid, but if someone has the means to join it and does not do so because Khalifatul Masih has declared it to be optional, he will be brought to account either in this world or the next…” (Friday Sermon, 9 November 1934) Earlier on, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra set the standard for taking part in Tahrik-eJadid, as follows: “My second demand under this Tahrik is that the affluent members of the Jamaat, who can afford to pay a hundred rupees or more, should do so and become recipients of Divine reward… In order to bring the less fortunate people into this Tahrik [scheme], I permit those who can pay even five rupees to do so.” (Al Fazl, 29 November 1934) Each individual has to decide for themselves the sacrifice they make for the great institution of Tahrik-e-Jadid.

But in so doing, it is necessary to bear in mind the importance of Tahrik-e-Jadid, its international significance and the sayings of the Khulafa in this respect. For instance, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra has drawn attention to adopting different criteria at different times. He said: “If someone pledges to sacrifice the amount equivalent to one half of his monthly income – for instance, if his income is a hundred rupees, he pledges fifty rupees – this will be considered a good sacrifice. And if someone pledges the amount equalling his full monthly income, they will feel the burden of making this sacrifice.” (Friday Sermon, 4 November 1953) Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIIrh shed light on a beautiful angle of Tahrik-e-Jadid: “From the very first day, Tahrik-e-Jadid has been based on optional sacrifice… It is suggested that donations of Tahrik-e-Jadid should be at least one fifth of the monthly income, but this is not a prescribed rate.”

(Report Majlis-i-Mushawarat, 1969) Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra had in his mind the needs of the whole world. This is why he wanted the Jamaat to collect large amounts for the swift spread of Islam. On one occasion, as he took pledge from members of the Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, he said: “The pledge I want you to take is that if there is any Ahmadi in your village or town, who is not taking part in Tahrik-e-Jadid, you should try to include them [and continue to do so] until there remains not a single Ahmadi who does not take part in Tahrike-Jadid…” (Address to Majlis-i-Mushawarat,

Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, 23 October 1950) Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IVrh, reminding the Jamaat about the humble beginnings of this global scheme, said: “Whatever Tahrik-e-Jadid spends in the way of Allah in one year, Allah has always granted it much more in the following, and this has gone on and on in an astonishing manner. All the increments in Chandas [member subscription] are offspring of Tahrik-e-Jadid. If the poor people of Qadian and the Jamaats of India had not sacrificed their rupee or two after selling their goats and their garments, our budget could never have reached into the millions today.

All the donations we see in the Jamaats of Europe, America and Africa are a result of the donations of Tahrik-e-Jadid which were offered in the early period with fervent prayers. Disciples of the Promised Messiahas were among those who took part in it….”

(Friday Sermon, 25 October 1985) Paying tribute to the sacrifices offered in the early days of Tahrik-e-Jadid, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh further stated: “There was indeed such a wonderful atmosphere of piety and virtue, that it is hard to find it anywhere else in the world.

The poor employees of Anjuman [Jamaat’s administrative offices] used to save several months’ wages to offer for Tahrik-e-Jadid.

Even today, these scenes are repeating themselves all over the world, and we are witnessing awe-inspiring incidents [of sacrifice] with the blessings of Ahmadiyyat.

But it all began in Qadian. The role which Tahrik-e-Jadid has played in bringing about this zeal for financial sacrifice can never be overlooked.” (Ibid.)

As to how and how much one should participate in Tahrik-e-Jadid, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh said: “The philosophy of Tahrik-e-Jadid, as put forth by Hazrat Fazl-e-Umarra [Khalifatul Masih II], is that we should try to save money in every way and offer as much as we can in the way of Allah. Every Ahmadi should protect himself against sin and seek Allah’s forgiveness.” (Friday Sermon, 5 November 1993) Stages of Success As mentioned earlier, Tahrik-e-Jadid was founded in 1934. Initially, it was meant to be a temporary scheme, but after ten years, envisaging its importance for the propagation of Islam, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra extended it farther. Thus, the first ten years were named as Daftar I [or Batch I] which consists of approximately five thousand contributing members. Explaining the structure of the Dafatir [batches] of Tahrik-e-Jadid, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra said: “I have decided that Tahrik-e-Jadid should be organised in such a manner that each Daftar should be divided into two terms… the duration of each being nineteen years. Members who join later should continue to participate in these 19-year terms. I do not want to change this period

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Friday 16 November 2018 | AL HAKAM

because of the wisdom which lies in the figure 19, as put forth by myself.” (Friday Sermon, 27 November, 1953) Tahrik-e-Jadid has so far been divided into the following Dafatir: 1. Daftar I: Mujahidin from 1934 — 1944 2. Daftar II: Mujahidin from 1944 — 1965 3. Daftar III: Mujahidin from 1965 — 1985 4. Daftar IV: Mujahidin from 1985 — 2004 5. Daftar V: Mujahidin from 2004 onward.

Inaugurating Daftar V, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated: “The principle laid down by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra was that Tahrik-e-Jadid would be divided into 19-year periods. In keeping with this principle, Daftar IV has completed its 19 years and Daftar V begins from today. From now on, all the new Mujahidin [contributing members] who join the financial sacrifices of Tahrik-e-Jadid will become part of Daftar V, Insha-Allah. Those who have joined Ahmadiyyat in the past few years but have not yet joined Tahrik-e-Jadid should be included. These people too will join Daftar V. As I have said earlier, such new Ahmadis need to be told that it is essential to make financial sacrifices, and also that, even the message of Ahmadiyyat which reached them, actually, was the result of sacrifices that people made for Tahrik-e-Jadid. They should, therefore, join this Tahrik, not only to improve their own selves, but also to join the ranks of those who play a role in conveying this message further. I know that there are many such people, especially in India and Africa, who have not yet been made part of financial sacrifices. You have to bring them into this system. Moreover, from now on, all newborn Ahmadi children will also become part of Daftar V.” (Friday Sermon, 5 November 2004) Emphasising this further, Huzooraa said: “Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra once said that the institution of Tahrik-e-Jadid is a forerunner to Nizam-e-Wasiyyat, which means that Tahrik-e-Jadid will help strengthen Nizam-e-Wasiyyat and it will become the basis for people to get used to making financial sacrifices. It will be like a precursor or herald that will announce the coming of a great institution behind it – the institution of Nizam-e-Wasiyyat. I have already mentioned the deep connection between Nizam-e-Wasiyyat and Nizam-eKhilafat. Moreover, with Nizam-e-Wasiyyat, our standard of sacrifice also has to be raised and Tahrik-e-Jadid is there to accustom us beforehand to make these sacrifices…”

(Ibid.)

Rizwan Ahmad Afzal Missionary, Sweden

The Demands of Tahrik-e-Jadid Tahrik-e-Jadid, as laid out by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, is not only a scheme of financial sacrifice, but a scheme that demands a complete overhaul of one’s personality and character. Right from the time of its inception, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra told the Jamaat that Tahrik-eJadid required them to: 1. Lead simple lives

10. Prepare counter arguments against the adverse propaganda

2. Participate in spreading the message of Islam worldwide

15. Promote honesty in the society

3. Dedicate their holidays from employment for the service of the Jamaat

17. Protect women’s rights

4. Dedicate their lives to serve Islam 5. Dedicate during seasonal vacation, periods for the service of the Jamaat 6. Offer their children for life-time Waqf [devotion] 7. Pensioners/retired people to offer themselves for service of Jamaat 8. Dedicate part of one’s income and property 9. Influential and learned Ahmadis to deliver lectures on the teachings of Islam

11. Seek advice from the Jamaat when deciding about higher education and careers for children 12. Develop the habit of manual labour 13. Take up even petty jobs if unemployed 14. Promote Islamic culture 16. Keep roads and pavements clean 18. Build houses in Qadian if possible 19. Offer special prayers in order to succeed in these undertakings Renewal of the Accounts of Deceased Ones Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh appealed for renewal of the accounts of deceased ones who took part in Daftar I. He said: “How can one be considered dead whose Chanda continues to be paid? We have to revive Daftar I. I want this Daftar to continue till the Last Day. The names of those who have once made exemplary sacrifices for

the faith should never be forgotten. Their descendants should continue to pay Chanda on their behalf, and never should we say that even one of them is dead. They are alive in the sight of God and are also living in the form of their sacrifices. We should continue to witness the signs of their life in this world as well.” (Friday Sermon, 2 December 1982) In relation to reviving the accounts of deceased members of Tahrik-e-Jadid, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa also urged the Jamaat to do so: “You do not need to be disheartened as to how you will manage to revive such old accounts. Try to revive them from as far as you can, and then witness how Allah’s blessings descend upon you. As these blessings keep increasing, your capacity in this regard shall increase likewise, so much so that you will even wish to maintain continuity and make sure that no year has passed without payment… You must, therefore, attend to your own sacrifices as well as to those of your parents. Move forward quickly and be rewarded by the prayers of Angels, so that these blessings can pass on to your children as well. These prayers will be the greatest treasure you will leave behind for your progeny.” (Friday Sermon, 5 November 2005)

Gothenburg Book Fair

International Book Fair in Gothenburg was for 4 days between 27-30 September 2018.

TAtheheldtheyearly book fair, there were a total of 579 stalls and one

of them was the Jamaat’s stall (16 m2) and the theme for the stall was “Ask a Muslim”. There are many misconceptions about Muslims and of Islam among the population of Sweden, and so they got the opportunity to ask whatever they wanted to know about Islam.

This event was arranged by the national Tabligh department in coordination with the national Amir, national Sami-o-Basri department, national Umur-eKharija, Sadr Lajna Imaillah, missionary in-charge Agha Yahya Khan Sahib and missionary Kashif Virk Sahib. The main book which was focused on our stall was the recelntly published Holy Quran with Swedish translation, which was

sold to visitors who showed interest in the topic. Different brochures about Islam and the Jamaat were distributed and to those who showed interest, many books and several editions of The Review of Religions were given for free.

The stall was very popular among visitors and many came forward and said that the theme of the stall was very well thought of. The visitors were of all ages and the questions ranged from basic questions about Islam to deeper theological discussions. Many teachers visited the stall. The most common questions were about the applicability of purdah and men shaking hands with women.

During the Book Fair, nine journalists, scientists and authors where contacted and informed about our campaign.

Three of them also visited our stall. The archbishop of Sweden also visited our stall. A Khadim was interviewed on

one of West Sweden’s biggest television channels, SVT Väst.

The interview was published in the form of an article on their website. Four talks were given in the stall in the form of Q&A sessions with our missionaries, which gathered many listeners. An episode of our Jamaat’s podcast, “Islams röst” (Voice of Islam) was also recorded in the stall.

Missionary in-charge, Agha Yahya Khan Sahib, missionary Kashif Virk Sahib, national Secretary Tabligh and national Secretary Umur-e-Kharija were present every day at the stall during the book fair, together with Ansar, Khuddam and Lajna.

During the Book Fair about 1,000 flyers were distributed. The total number of visitors at the Book Fair was 85,371.

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Friday 16 November 2018 | AL HAKAM Divinity of Jesusas (Part VI)

Health

Jesusas says “I am”

Vitamin D

Farhan Iqbal Missionary, Canada

In the previous article of this series, it was discussed that when Christians are confronted with the question to provide evidence where Jesusas clearly claims to be God, they provide statements which are meant to imply that Jesusas is God. As such, Christians admit that there is no such statement of Jesusas where he explicitly and clearly claims to be God. One example of such a statement was discussed in the previous article. Another example is that of statements where Jesusas uses the particular phrase, “I am”. As Josh McDowell and Bart Larson argue, God revealed the meaning of His name “Yahweh” in Exodus, chapter 3, and that meaning is also expressed by the phrase “I am”. (Josh McDowell & Bart Larson, Jesus: A Biblical Defense of His Deity p. 22) The incident recorded in this chapter of Exodus is that the angel of God appears to Mosesas in a vision where he sees a flame of fire out of a bush and approaches it. God speaks to him and tells him that his mission is to go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt to Canaan. (Exodus, 3:1-12.) Then, it says: “But Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,” and they ask me, “What is his name?” what shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ He said further, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “I AM has sent me to you.”’

God also said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you” ...’” (Exodus, 3:13-15) While these verses from Exodus are the main ones Christians quote for this argument, there are other verses of the Old Testament where God uses the same phrase “I am” to refer to Himself. Christians point to such verses and compare them to the verses where Jesusas uses the same phrase and make the argument that those are claims to divinity.

One particular instance which is quite often quoted where Jesusas seems to have used the “I am” statement is very clearly

recorded in John, 8:58. Addressing the Jews, Jesusas says, “Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.”

Other instances where Jesusas has used the same phrase include John, 8:24, 28, 18:46. Christians point to these “I am” statements of Jesusas and make the argument that they are a reference to God’s name which Jesusas applies to himself.

In order to understand this argument properly, the first thing to note is that there are three terms for God used in Exodus 3:1315 as quoted above. The Hebrew and Greek from which these terms are translated help us understand the words better. The phrase “I am who I am” is written in Hebrew like this: ‫אשֶׁר אֶהְי ֶה‬ ֲ ‫( אֶהְי ֶה‬pronounced: aeie ashr aeie). In the Greek Septuagint, it is written in koine Greek like this: ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν (pronounced: ego eimi ho on).

On the other hand, the real name for God used in the Old Testament is Yahweh written in Hebrew as ְ ‫( הָוהי‬pronounced: ieue) or Yahweh (the Tetragrammaton) which is translated in English as “The LORD” (in capitals) or kurios in Greek.

According to Harper’s Bible Dictionary, this is the most important name for God in the Old Testament and it occurs about 6,800 times, though the actual pronunciation of this word is lost. Over time, the sanctity attached to this term increased and the title ‘Adonai (Hebrew: “My Great Lord”) began to be pronounced in place of the Tetragrammaton. Respecting this sanctity, translators of the Bible replace this word with “The LORD”. (Names of God in the Old Testament, in Harper’s Bible Dictionary) The thing to be noted here then is that there is no place in the entire New Testament where Jesusas clearly and unambiguously uses this sacred name of God – Yahweh – for himself. He may have used other words which can have connotations, but he never uses the sacred name itself, which is the most common name of God in the Old Testament.

Moreover, the phrase “I am” is simply the first person, singular, present simple form of the verb “to be”. The Greek Septuagint equivalent is ego eimi (I am) which is the Continued on page 11

Dr Noureen Ahmad General Practitioner, Belgium

Vitamin D – “the sunshine vitamin” – is one of the fat-soluble vitamins and plays a big role in regulating bone growth alongside several other functions. It exists in many forms (D, D, D, D, D) but it is the 1,25 (OH) of vitamin D which is the active and the most important form.

Vitamin D is essential in the coordination of the uptake and regulation of calcium and phosphate levels in the blood. Normal calcium and phosphate levels in the blood are important for the growth of the skeleton, muscle contractions, nerve conductance and bone mineralisation.

When there is less vitamin D in the body, less calcium is taken up from the food. This results in low calcium levels in the blood. To maintain a normal calcium level, the body tries to regain it from the bones and starts to demineralise them. Therefore, when vitamin D keeps lacking in the body, the body will keep on retrieving calcium from the bones, which, in the long term, can result in weak and soft bones. Severe deficiency of vitamin D in children can lead to a condition called “rickets”, which is permanent bone malformation of the legs, skull and can create bone pains. However, this is usually seen in undeveloped countries while in the resource-rich countries this is uncommon.

As mentioned above, vitamin D has several other functions, like cell differentiation. Many studies show that there is a connection between vitamin D deficiency and many disorders such as cancers (bowel, breast, prostate) and autoimmune diseases (diabetes mellitus type 1, inflammatory bowel diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis) and mood disorders (depression). Some studies also suggest that vitamin D deficiency could lead to food allergies, asthma and hair loss.

Luckily, vitamin D is a provitamin; this means that it can be produced in our body through ultraviolet B rays (UVB) in sunlight or from dietary intake. When an inactive form of vitamin D is retrieved from the skin or from food, it is metabolised in the liver and subsequently in the kidneys to the active form of vitamin D. Very often, vitamin D deficiency is not properly recognised. This is because many believe that vitamin D will be enough from exposure to sunlight or by dietary intake.

Therefore, the vitamin D status may not be checked regularly in standard blood tests.

Good sources of vitamin D are in oily fish such as herring, salmon and mackerel, however they are hardly consumed by people, especially children. Meat and eggs also supply vitamin D, but approximately 6-8 times less, so not eating these oily fish can easily lead to vitamin D deficiency. With regard to this, some countries have created a standard regulation of adding vitamin D to many basic foods like dairy products, bread and margarines.

Risk factors for vitamin D deficiency include skin pigmentation and low sun exposure, which depends on the quantity of UVB that can be absorbed by direct contact

on our skin. In dark-skinned individuals, less UVB is absorbed due to the natural sunblock effect by the dark skin pigmentation. So skin pigmentation has a huge impact on the vitamin D synthesis.

If we make a comparison based on this, then Asians would need 3 times more sun exposure and darker-skinned people will need 6-10 times more sun exposure, in comparison with a lightskinned individual to achieve the same equal dose of vitamin D. This makes it more difficult in winter where there is already low sun exposure.

Vitamin D deficiency can also occur in diseases with impaired fat malabsorption from the intestines such as bowel diseases and pancreatic disorders.

The vitamin D status can be obtained from a blood test where the level of the active form of vitamin D needs to be checked. The referential values are as follows, but these can vary slightly from country to country. Vitamin D deficiency is when it is below 20 nanogram/ mL (50 nanomole/L), vitamin D insufficiency is when it is between 20-30 nanogram/mL (50- 75 nanomole/L) and vitamin D becomes toxic when it is above 100 nanogram/mL (250 nanomole/L).

Occasionally vitamin D is expressed in “IU”, which stands for “international unit”.

1 microgram of the active vitamin D is equivalent to 40 IU. There is a slight variety in the consensus of vitamin D supplementation in each country, but the main guidelines are comparable. Supplementation of vitamin D is recommended in children (0-6 years), high-risk populations such as individuals with increased skin pigmentation and elderly people.

Children, from birth to the age of 6, require daily supplementation of vitamin D of 400 IU daily for light-skinned children and 600-800 IU/daily for dark-skinned children. This can be provided by liquid vitamin D drops available in most countries. Supplementation of vitamin D for children is essential for their growth and health. However, young children should not be exposed directly to the sun to obtain vitamin D and supplementation of vitamin D as “multivitamin” tablets is not advised if the diet is healthy and variable. Children after this age can be provided with 600 IU daily and with a diet containing good sources of vitamin D. Supplementation and dosage of vitamin D in adolescents depends of the vitamin D status from a blood test, which one should consult their doctor about. Vitamin D can be given in tablets or in liquid form; the latter is preferred, as vitamin D is known as a natural fat-soluble vitamin. It is also advised that vitamin D be taken with food.

Elderly population, approximately around the age of 70, require 800 IU of vitamin D daily to prevent weak bones and fractures. Usually, calcium supplementation is combined with vitamin D in elderly people.

Please always discuss with your doctor what supplements you want to take or are taking so your wellbeing can be properly catered for.

Friday 16 November 2018 | AL HAKAM

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Friday Sermon 26 October 2018 Delivered from Baitul Samee Mosque, Houston, Texas, USA

Attributes of True Ahmadis After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:

a great favour of God Almighty upon Ius tustoisthat through His grace He has enabled accept the Promised Messiah . He as

enabled us to believe in that ardent devotee of the Holy Prophetsa, whom the Holy Prophetsa addressed and referred to with the words, “Our Mahdi”. (Sunan Al-Darul-Qutni, Vol. 1, p. 51, Hadith no. 1777, Kitab-ul-Eidain, Dar-ul-Kutb Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) This is a display of great love and the lofty status of nearness, which the Holy Prophetsa conferred upon the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdias by using the possessive form, “Our”. In his writings, the Promised Messiahas has mentioned the superiority of the religion of Islam and also refuted those who raise allegations against Islam and thereby proved that if any true religion exists today – and such a religion indeed does exist – which enables one to attain the nearness of God Almighty and to seek salvation from sin, then it is indeed only Islam. Moreover, he has also granted countless guidance for his followers through his various speeches, writings and gatherings for their tarbiyat [moral and spiritual training], which serve as a model for them and a means of guidance.

He earnestly advised his followers to fulfil their duty towards their Bai‘at [pledge of allegiance] and to become true believers.

We should always keep those words before us for they are the means of our spiritual development.

It is through these means, that one can attain an understanding of the faith and find the ways to attain the nearness of God Almighty. It is through these means that we can reach the intricacies and deep insights of the Holy Quran. It is through these means that we can recognise the true status of the Holy Prophetsa. It is through these means, that we can improve the condition of our faith and also our practical condition. It would be most unfortunate if we did not benefit from this treasure despite having it in our possession. The strength and the Holy Power that exists in the words of the Promised Messiahas cannot be found in anyone else’s words. And why should this not be the case? After all, he is that Imam, whom God Almighty sent in this age in complete subservience to the Holy Prophetsa for the revival of Islam and to enable mankind to attain the nearness of God Almighty. Thus, it is incumbent upon us, who claim to have come into the Bai‘at of the Promised Messiahas, that we read and listen to his words and try to act upon them and that we improve our condition to the standard that the Promised Messiahas expected from us.

Now, I shall present some of the extracts of the Promised Messiahas that form guiding principles for our lives. It is an objective that he has presented before us specifying what the standard of an Ahmadi should be and how they should conduct themselves. The importance of these sayings has increased significantly in today’s materialistic world, where the preferences of some of us have inclined more towards the worldly endeavours and not enough importance is given to one’s faith. In terms of doctrine, we call ourselves Ahmadi Muslims, however many weaknesses are emerging in our practical conduct.

Everyone is able to assess their condition

righteousness. Furthermore, Muhsinun [those who do good] are those, who do not merely abstain from vices, but also perform virtues. In addition to this, God Almighty has stated, َّ ٰ ْ ُ َ ‫ل ِل ِذیْ َن ا ْﺣ َسنوا ال ُح ْسنی‬ That is, ‘they perform these virtues in the best possible manner.’” (Surah Yunus: V.27) The Promised Messiahas further states: “I repeatedly received the following revelation: َّ َ َ َّ َّ َ ّٰ َ ُ ُ ‫ِا ّن الل َه َمع ال ِذیْ َن اتقوْا ّوال ِذیْ َن ُھ ْم ّم ْح ِسنوْ َن‬ ‘Allah is with those who are righteous and those who do good.’” (Surah al-Nahl:

in light of these statements as to where they stand at the moment and where they ought to be. What is righteousness and what is the standard of righteousness? What is virtue and what is the standard of virtue?

What are our responsibilities? In relation to this, the Promised Messiahas states on one occasion: “With regards to true righteousness, through which a person is able to acquire the pleasure of God Almighty, God Almighty has constantly reminded us: َّ ُ َ ّٰ ُ َّ ُ ‫ٰٓیا ّی َﻬا ال ِذیْ َن ٰا َمنوْا اتقو الل َه‬ That is, ‘O ye who believe! Fear Allah.’

Furthermore, God Almighty states, َّ َ َ َّ َّ َ ّٰ َ ُ ُ ‫ِا ّن الل َه َمع ال ِذیْ َن اتقوْا ّوال ِذیْ َن ُھ ْم ّم ْح ِسنوْ َن‬ That is, ‘Verily, Allah is with those who are righteous and those who do good.

(Surah al-Nahl: V.129)’” The Promised Messiahas further states, “To abstain from vices is called

V.129.) I received this revelation in such abundance that I cannot recall the number of times it was revealed to me.” The Promised Messiahas further states. “Perhaps it was revealed up to two thousand times – Allah knows best. The purpose of this is so that the Jamaat understands and realises not to rejoice merely at the fact that they have entered the Jamaat or to merely be pleased with a superficial claim of faith.

However, you will only receive the nearness and Divine succour when you adopt true righteousness along with performing virtues.”

The Promised Messiahas further states: “A person should not pride himself on the mere fact that he does not commit adultery, that he has not murdered or killed anyone or that he has not committed a theft.” The Promised Messiahas states, “Is there any excellence in the fact that he prides himself in abstaining from vices?”

The fact that we have abstained from vices carries no significance. The Promised Messiahas states, “The truth of the matter is (and the reason for why one does not take pride in this) is that he is aware that if he commits a theft, he will be imprisoned in accordance with the law (i.e. he will be caught, punished and imprisoned).” The Promised Messiahas states, “In the sight of God Almighty, Islam does not simply mean to refrain only from vices.” This is not the ultimate objective of Islam. “Rather, until a person abstains from vices and performs virtues, he will not be able to survive in this spiritual world. Virtues serve as nourishment. Just as a person is unable to survive without physical sustenance, in the same manner he is unable to survive without adopting virtues.”

Thus, after abandoning vices, one has to then perform virtues and only then can one attain the spiritual life.

Some vices are such that a person does not even realise that he is committing them.

However, a time comes when he is seized

by God Almighty on account of those very vices. In relation to this, the Promised Messiahas states: “Some sins are clearly distinguishable such as telling lies, fornication, to betray someone, giving false testimony, usurping the rights of others and Shirk [associating partners with God], etc. However, some vices are so subtle that a person does not even realise when he becomes immersed in them.” His entire life passes by, and yet, he is oblivious to the fact that he is continuously committing those subtle sins. The Promised Messiahas has given examples of such sins, for example the habit of constantly complaining and being resentful, and expressing grief over trivial matters, and engaging in idle gossip, and so on. The Promised Messiahas states, “Such people consider this to be a completely small and insignificant matter, whereas the Holy Quran has declared this to be a grave issue.”

These small and insignificant aspects such as making complaints, being resentful, harbouring grievances eventually take on the form of backbiting. For this reason, the Holy Quran has declared this to be of great significance.

“Hence, God Almighty has stated, َُْ َ ُ َ ُ َ َ ‫ایُ ِح ّﺐ ا َﺣ ُﺪ� ْم ا ْن ّیاک َل ل َ ْح َم ا ِﺧ ْي ِه َم ْي ًتا‬ ‘Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his brother who is dead?’ (Surah alHujarat: V.13)” God Almighty becomes displeased at the fact that a person utters such words, which would degrade his fellow brother.

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Friday 16 November 2018 | AL HAKAM God Almighty has stated, “Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his brother who is dead?” The Promised Messiahas states, “God Almighty becomes displeased at the fact that a person utters such words as would degrade his fellow brother and acts in a manner that would cause him harm.”

In other words, one should not even utter such words, because then such utterances develop into complaints, and people begin to hold grudges, think ill of others and backbite and ultimately a person reaches a stage where he then physically tries to also cause harm to the other person. The Promised Messiahas states, “To make a statement regarding one’s brother, which would portray him to be ignorant and foolish, or which subconsciously would develop an enmity and hatred towards his habits are all forms of evil.”

The Promised Messiahas states that similar is the case of miserliness and anger, as they all constitute as vices. “Hence, in accordance with this commandment of God Almighty, the first step for a person is to refrain from these evils and to continue to abstain from every form of sin, whether it is related to the eyes, ears, hands or feet.”

One should continue to refrain from sins, which could be committed through any of one’s limbs, such as the eyes, hands and feet because God Almighty has stated: َْ َ َّ َّ ٌ ْ َ َ ‫الس ْم َع َوال ْ َب َص َر َوال ْ ُف َٔو َاد ک ُ ُّل اُولٰٓئ َک ک‬ ‫ان‬ ‫َولَا تق ُف َما ل َ ْی َس لَک ِب ٖہ ِعلم ِان‬ ِ ًُ ْ ْ َ ُ ْ َ ‫عنہ مسئولا‬ That is, ‘Do not follow that of which you have no knowledge, as the ear, eye, heart and every limb will be called to account.’

(Surah Bani Israil: V.37) When a person stands before God Almighty after death, these limbs will be called to account. The Promised Messiahas further states, “Many vices are formed merely as a result of thinking ill of others; to hear a certain thing about someone and immediately believing it to be true without looking into the matter.” The Promised Messiahas states, “This is an extremely evil habit. Do not allow a matter which you are not absolutely sure and certain of to take root in your heart. This principle serves to prevent thinking ill of others as a person should neither allow a matter, which he has not witnessed or correctly decided, to effect his heart, and nor should he utter such words.”

The Promised Messiahas states, “How clear and unequivocal is this principle!

There are many people who will be seized on account of the utterances of their tongues.” Hence, if we refrain from thinking ill of others, half of the disorder, disputes and grief in our society will be eliminated and subsequently it will establish unity and harmony. The Promised Messiahas states, “Even in this world it can be observed that many people are seized on account of their tongues, as a result of which they face great humiliation and harm.” They say something and are caught owing to that statement proving false, consequently facing humiliation. Therefore, it is better not to think ill of others and to think positively about others. If one hears something then they ought to investigate the matter.

Humans are weak and occasionally certain thoughts arise in the heart, but if they are ignored then God Almighty forgives those thoughts. God Almighty does not hold a person accountable merely on a

thought that crosses one’s mind, rather, He holds a person accountable as a result of acting upon them. In relation to how God Almighty seizes and holds a person accountable, the Promised Messiahas states: “There is no punishment for the momentary and fleeting thought that pass through a person’s mind. For example, if someone has a desire for acquiring certain wealth, although it is a form of greed, but the mere thought which naturally arises in one’s heart is not enough to warrant punishment. However, if one entertains such thoughts and starts scheming to acquire that wealth through improper means then it becomes a sin for which one is held accountable.” For example, saving through tax evasion. However, God Almighty does not hold one accountable for just having the thought, but if one then acts on such thoughts, that is if one harms the government by evading tax or one does not declare their true income for the Chanda [financial contribution], then God Almighty will hold you accountable. There are many examples of such people, whose incomes then gradually begin to decrease in accordance to the income they falsely declared towards paying the government’s dues or in their financial sacrifices towards God Almighty. The Promised Messiahas says, “When one decides to go through with their plan, they use unfair means and deception for it.”

In pursuit of their worldly greed, materialistic people, businessmen or others, who wish to acquire something through improper means, and then act on those thoughts and begin planning and scheming to achieve their desires, the Promised Messiahas says, “It is at this point that it is deemed a sin for which one will be held accountable. So, these types of sins are usually considered insignificant, yet they lead to one’s downfall. Usually, people manage to abstain from the more grave and obvious form of sins.” The Promised Messiahas has mentioned that there are many people who will have never killed anyone, never committed murder, never robbed anyone or committed theft, and avoided major sins such as these.

But the question is, how many are there who have never displayed resentment for another, who do not engage in backbiting or thought ill of others? Or, how many are there who have never insulted their fellow brother and caused injury to their sentiments? How many are there who do not utter any falsehoods? There are many types of falsehoods. God Almighty has enjoined upon the believers to avoid even the smallest degree of falsehood and to be completely truthful in all their dealings.

The Promised Messiahas further states that the believers are such that do not succumb to their inner desires – they do no not act on every thought that arises in their hearts; how many people can lay claim to this?

The Promised Messiahas states that he can say with certainty that there are very few people who are mindful of this, in that they have never caused pain to anyone, who do not engage in thinking ill of others or falsehoods and nor entertain any kind of evil thoughts. The Promised Messiahas says that there are very few who are mindful of these matters and fear God Almighty.

If people abstain from these evil deeds, it is owing to the fear of God, otherwise there

are many who utter falsehood and whilst sitting amongst their friends will complain about others and through various means hurt the feelings of their weak and helpless brothers. If everyone reflects on their own gatherings, they will see that there is a lot of backbiting, insults and exasperate small and trivial issues, people are then mocked which then creates resentment between people. Thus, this is the standard of good deeds in that one should avoid all such vices which do not behove a believer.

The Promised Messiahas then says, “God Almighty states the first stage is to develop Taqwa.” The Promised Messiahas further says, “At present I cannot go into the details of these evil deeds. However, the entire Quran is full of Divine conjunctions of what one should do and what to abstain from.” What one should do or not do is described in detail in the Holy Quran and a believer should recite the Holy Quran and understand its meanings. The Promised Messiahas further states, “There are further several hundred branches of these injunctions that have been described.

In summary, I tell you it is completely unacceptable to God Almighty that you cause disorder on the earth. God Almighty wants to spread unity in this world. A person who hurts his brother, commits injustice or dishonesty is averse to unity.” Such behaviour cannot bring about unity, love and brotherhood. The Promised Messiahas says, “Such an individual is truly an enemy to establishing cohesion. True unity cannot be established amongst people unless such evil notions are done away with. That is why Taqwa has been placed as the very first step”. This is the blessing of being one Jamaat for it creates unity and togetherness.

This was the purpose of the advent of the Promised Messiahas and Mahdi – to unite Muslims on one hand, and to create one Ummah.

The Promised Messiahas further states, “It has also been observed that when people are sitting in such gatherings where they listen to virtues, it has an impact on their hearts and they consider it to be good.”

This is referring to virtuous discourse, for example now, the hearts of many people will be inspired having heard this sermon and many people to write me later as well mentioning this very fact. However, the Promised Messiahas says, “When they leave these gatherings and go back to their friends, they return to their old habits and forsake those noble virtues which they just heard.”

This is the reason I say that we should continually remind ourselves of these matters and always be mindful of them, lest we forget them. The Promised Messiahas says, “One should refrain from adopting their old habits. You should stay away from the company or gatherings that influence such behaviour. You should be aware of all the various aspects of these bad deeds; as it is imperative to have knowledge of what you are seeking.”

Meaning if one desires something, they need to be aware of what exactly it is that they are seeking, whether it is something good or bad. One should have knowledge of all of its aspects, positive and negative alike, so that one can either forsake it if it is evil, or conversely, accept it if it is something positive.

The Promised Messiahas says, “How

can you acquire something if you do not have full knowledge of it. The Holy Quran has mentioned this repeatedly in detail, thus one should constantly recite the Holy Quran. Also, make note of all those deeds which have been described as evils and then try to avoid them by the help and grace of Allah. Avoiding evil deeds is the first stage of Taqwa. If one makes a concerted effort to abstain from vices, God Almighty will enable you to avoid them. You will be blessed with the drink of camphor drink that will cause the desire of sin to cool down.” Physicians say that camphor helps calm the emotions and people use it in medicines as well. The Promised Messiahas has given this example in the context of spiritual disease wherein avoiding evil deeds will act as a drink of camphor for you, which will cool your passion for sin, eventually eradicating them completely.

“Thereafter, one will only perform virtuous deeds. Until one does not develop Taqwa, one is not granted this drink, nor are their prayers or worship granted acceptance.” If one wishes to have his worship and prayers accepted, then ultimately one must refrain from evil and perform good deeds. This is known as Taqwa. For one’s prayers to be accepted this is a necessary condition.

“This is because God Almighty states: ّٰ َ َّ ْ َّ ْ ‫ِان َما یَ َتق َّب ُل الل ُہ ِم َن ال ُمتقِی َن‬ That is, ‘Allah surely accepts the worship of the righteous.’ (Surah al-Maidah: V.28) It is absolutely true that the prayers and fasting of the righteous are accepted. How is one’s worship accepted?”

Whilst expounding upon this, the Promised Messiahas states: “The acceptance of prayers signifies that the effects and blessings of prayer have been inculcated in the supplicant, however until these blessings and effects are not produced, then these acts of worship are rituals. What benefit can one derive from the prayer or the fast if one offers their prayer in the mosque and yet in the very same mosque one criticises and complains about others?

People often ask how can we know if God Almighty has accepted our prayers or not?

One of the signs for this is that after one’s prayers and supplications one must reflect as to whether one is distancing themselves from the subtle and also the more obvious forms of sin? Moreover, is one developing a feeling of hate for them and also whether one is inclining towards carrying out virtues and moving towards truthfulness?”

The Promised Messiahas says that if this is not the case, then it means that these acts are merely performed as ritual. The Promised Messiahas further states that they pray in the mosque and in the same place they begin criticising and complaining about others, they begin thinking ill of others and speaking behind their backs and are dishonest in their conduct. There is also an element of trust in meetings and therefore office-bearers should pay special attention to this that they should not spread what is mentioned in their official meetings of the Jamaat to their household members, nor unnecessarily to any other person.

There should be a restriction on this. The majority of issues and troubles occur as the official matters are leaked to others.

Also, people harbour jealousy regarding the station of another and attack their character.

10 The Promised Messiahas then states that if one is engulfed in such evils then prayer has been of no avail to them. There are many young people whom I learn about personally, they write to me regularly that they witness such things in some officebearers and elders which make them slowly drift away from the Jamaat, then they drift away from the mosque, then they drift away from worship and ultimately drift away from God. Therefore, such prayers are not only of no benefit to themselves, but they also harm others through them. Hence, if we wish to protect the next generation, then first of all, the office-bearers and the elders must adopt Taqwa. Thus, the Promised Messiahas has stated that the first hurdle a man faces, who wishes to become a true believer, is to abstain from committing evil and this in itself is Taqwa.

On another occasion the Promised Messiahas states that one should bear in mind that Taqwa does not mean to just refrain from major sins, rather one must stay away from the subtlest of evils as well.

For example, to sit in such gatherings where others are being mocked and ridiculed in a wrongful manner, or in such gatherings where God and His Messenger are being defamed, or where a brother’s dignity is being attacked, even if one doesn’t actively partake in such gatherings, but in the sight of God Almighty it is still a sin. To sit in such gatherings and listen to such words of these people is also a sin in the sight of God Almighty; even if one is not participating in such talk, why even listen to it? This is the trait of those people who have an illness in their heart, because if they were completely aware of the reality of sins, then why would they act in this manner and why would they sit in such gatherings to listen to what is said in them?

The Promised Messiahas then says that one should also remember that the one who listens to such talk is the same as one who utters it. Those who utter from their tongues such things are clearly liable to retribution.

They clearly deserve punishment because they have committed a sin. However, those who sit listening quietly will also be liable to punishment for that sin. They too will be guilty and they will also go astray as a result. The Promised Messiahas states that one should listen to this very carefully and greatly ponder over the Holy Quran because it is the commandment of God Almighty. Therefore, you should firmly keep this in mind.

Hence, those who sit silently in such gatherings and for the purpose of enjoyment will also be held accountable.

The Promised Messiahas further explains this, that a believer isn’t happy over the fact that he has not committed a sin – this has also been mentioned previously. This is a trait found in many of the noble followers of other religions, in fact there is a majority of people who abstain from committing sins. Hence, the Promised Messiahas states that there are some among the Hindus, the Christians and other nations who do not commit certain sins. For example, they do not lie, they do not usurp the wealth of others and they do not take loans without repaying, rather they return it and are active in their social affairs. God Almighty states that He is not pleased with one who merely refrains from committing a sin. Of

Friday 16 November 2018 | AL HAKAM course, one should refrain from sin, but in parallel with that one must carry out good deeds and without this, one cannot attain salvation. He who is prideful over the fact that he has not committed a sin is unwise. Islam does not merely take man to this stage and leave him there, instead it desires to fulfil both parts i.e. to forsake each and every evil and to do good deeds in all earnestness. Until one does not possess these two qualities, man cannot attain true salvation. (Malfuzat, Vol. 8, pp. 371-378) The Promised Messiahas then states, “I once again urge my community to excel in righteousness and purification, for it is then that God Almighty will be with you.” َّ َ َ َّ َّ َ ّٰ َ ُ ُ ‫ِا ّن الل َہ َمع ال ِذیْ َن اتقوْا ّوال ِذیْ َن ُھ ْم ّم ْح ِسنوْ َن‬ That is, “Verily, Allah is with those who are righteous and those who do good.” (Surah al-Nahl: V.129)” The Promised Messiahas then states, “Bear in mind that if you fail to adopt righteousness and partake fully of that virtue which God Almighty desires from you then you will be the first to be destroyed by Him as you have accepted a truth but denied it in practice.” That is to say that you have accepted the Imam of the age and claimed to be better than all other Muslims and tread the path of doing good deeds, however, in reality, if you are void of Taqwa, then you are in denial of it. “Never rely on this, nor be proud over the fact that you have taken the Bai‘at. Until you do not fully adopt righteousness you shall never be saved. God Almighty has no affiliation to anybody nor does He accept the favours of others. Those who oppose us are also His creation as are you too.” The adversaries are the creation of God Almighty, we too are the creation of God Almighty, and so, “Mere affirmation of religious belief will be of no avail if your words and deeds are not in harmony with one another.” It is the belief of other Muslims also that God is One, that the Holy Prophetsa is KhatamunNabiyyin (Seal of the Prophets) and that the Quran is the final book of law. This is our belief as it is theirs. However, if there is an inconsistency in your words and deeds then your beliefs will be of no benefit.

This in reality is what we should be striving to achieve. Therefore, it is insufficient to just accept Islam and to merely claim to be an Ahmadi, rather one must mould himself in accordance with the commands of God Almighty and become a true believer the like of which God Almighty expects us to be.

The Promised Messiahas states, “God Almighty wishes for you to demonstrate the truth in your practise”, that is, for one to show truthfulness through their actions, “so that God Almighty may support you. If you become negligent in showing mercy to God’s creation, kindness, virtuous deeds, compassion, humility and meekness, then as I have previously mentioned that I am certain that such a community will be the first to perish.”

The Promised Messiahas then says, “In the time of Prophet Mosesas, despite the fact that Mosesas was present among his people, they did not show any regard for the commandments of God Almighty and as a result of this, they were punished with roaring thunder and lightning.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 7, pp. 144-145) The Promised Messiahas further says,

“Do you then believe that you will be saved by simply pledging allegiance to me?”

Then advising the community about giving precedence to faith over worldly endeavours, the Promised Messiahas quotes the examples of the Companionsra of the Holy Prophetsa and says, “It is not an easy condition to adopt whereby one is always ready to sacrifice worldly endeavours for one’s faith and to adopt righteousness for the sake of God Almighty.”

The Promised Messiahas then says, “What was the example shown by the Companionsra of the Holy Prophetsa? They were prepared to sacrifice their lives in the way of God Almighty. Thus, this is the inner condition that one must develop and it is not a simple task to offer one’s life in the way of God. However, the condition of the Companionsra was such that they easily fulfilled this obligation. When it was commanded for them to lay down their lives in the way of God, they never inclined towards the world. Thus, it is imperative for you to give precedence to your faith over all worldly pursuits.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 8, p. 297, UK, 1985) In recent weeks, I have been narrating incidents from the lives of the Companionsra.

Extraordinary incidents have come to light in how they offered immense sacrifices and how they would inculcate virtuousness within themselves; how they would excel in righteousness and what their levels of worship were. It is for these reasons that they serve as models for us about whom the Holy Prophetsa said, “My companions are like the stars; whoever from among them you decide to follow, they will guide you to the right path.” (Mirqat-ul-Mafatih Sharah Mishkat-ul-Masbih, Vol. 11, p. 162, Hadith no. 6018, Kitab-ul-Manaaqib, Dar-ul-Kutb Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001) Therefore, the Companionsra serve as an excellent model for us.

The Promised Messiahas states, “In the sight of God Almighty, such an individual will not be counted amongst my community whose main objective is to gain material possessions. In the eyes of God Almighty only that individual who forsakes this material world will be considered to be of this community.” The Promised Messiahas has elaborated on this point by saying, “No one should harbour this thought that through abandoning the material world they will perish. Such a thought leads one away from the path of God Almighty.”

The Promised Messiahas then says, “God Almighty never permits the one who becomes attached to Him to go to ruin, rather God Almighty becomes their guardian. God Almighty is the most honourable, whoever forsakes something to follow the path of God, he will discover that very object in His path. I tell you truly that God Almighty loves only those people who act according to His commands and the progeny of these people become blessed. It has never occurred – and never can it occur – that an individual who is truly obedient to God suffers ruin, nor does their progeny suffer this fate. Only the lives of those are ruined, who abandon God Almighty and incline to this material world. Is it not true that every matter is in the hands of God Almighty? Without God, nobody can win any legal case or achieve any success, nor can they feel any sort of ease or happiness.”

The Promised Messiahas further says, “It is quite possible that one accumulates a vast amount of wealth, but who can say with full certainty that after that individual’s death, his wife and children will be able to make use of that wealth.” There are many examples before us in which that wealth goes to waste or is usurped. The Promised Messiahas then says, “Reflect over my words and then bring about a transformation within yourselves.” The Promised Messiahas then further says, “Until now, whatever praise has been lauded”, on the Ahmadiyya Jamaat or Ahmadis, “that is only as a result of God’s attribute of Sattar – The One Who Conceals faults. However, whenever a trial or hardship befalls an individual, then that trial exposes a person’s faults and at that time, the disease in their heart spreads, causing one to perish.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 8, pp. 297-298, UK, 1985) The standard of piety and virtue in the era of the Promised Messiahas – to which he is referring to – was far greater than of today, yet even then the Promised Messiahas had a yearning in his heart. Today we know our own conditions and can analyse where we stand, what our claim is and what our standards of piety are.

Further elaborating on who is a true believer, the Promised Messiahas says, “Always remember that in the eyes of God Almighty a believer and the one who truly enters into this community is one who gives precedence to faith over worldly pursuits, just as they affirm in the words of the Bai‘at.

If they then give precedence to worldly pursuits, they break this covenant and in the eyes of God Almighty, they are sinful.”

The Promised Messiahas then further says, “You should surely remember that until one’s practical state is not reformed, one’s verbal statements account for nothing and are mere statements alone. True faith is something that penetrates the heart and then bears testimony through one’s physical deeds. Hazrat Abu Bakrra and other Companions – peace be upon them all – had true faith, because they sacrificed all their wealth and also even their lives in the way of God Almighty and thought nothing thereof.”

The Promised Messiahas then says, “I always wonder, and through this contemplation, the grandeur of the Holy Prophetsa becomes etched on my heart as to how blessed those Companions were and also how effective was the spiritual power of the Holy Prophetsa that it thrust a nation to such a lofty station. Contemplate over their original condition and to where the Holy Prophetsa raised them to. At one time their state was such that they would indulge in every forbidden act as if it were the mother’s milk for a child. They would readily commit every act of evil; theft, consumption of alcohol, adultery and instigate rebellion and strife. In short, which sin was present that that they did not carry out? However, the influence of the Holy Prophet’ssa company and his moral training was so great and had such a profound effect that the Holy Prophetsa himself bore testimony by saying: َ ّٰ َ ّٰ َ ‫الل ُہ الل ُہ فِ ْی ا ْص َح ِاب ْی‬ meaning that they removed the garb of mortal men and became a manifestation of God Almighty’s attributes. Their condition became like that of the angels:

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Friday 16 November 2018 | AL HAKAM ُ َْ ْ ‫یف َعلوْ َن َما یُ ٔو َمرُ ْو َن‬ That is, that they would act exactly in the manner they have been commanded to.

The condition of the Companions was such that all their desires and passions were completely abolished.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 8, pp. 296-297, UK, 1985) The Promised Messiahas then mentioned that having performed the Bai‘at every Ahmadi must become like a strong branch for the community. Then, even in the time of the Promised Messiahas, he advised us to remain attached to the institution of Khilafat that would begin after him as this would be eternal.

The Promised Messiahas then continued by saying: “That branch which does not remain attached to the tree eventually withers and falls off. That individual who has sincere faith never worries for material possessions, in spite of this, they are in turn granted every kind of material wealth.

Blessed is the one gives precedence to their faith over all worldly matters, however the one who gives precedence to their worldly endeavours over their faith, they are nothing but lifeless bodies who will never see the face of true Divine succour. One can only derive benefit from this pledge of allegiance when one gives precedence to their faith and then strives to progress in this regard. The pledge of allegiance is a seed which has been sown on this day.

Now if a farmer remains content with merely planting a seed and assumes that all the precautions have been taken but fails to undertake those set measure by which fruit is obtained – i.e. he does not plough the field, water the field, use appropriate fertiliser, nor does he use any other means which help to protect the crop – then can such a farmer expect to yield any fruit.”

These surrounding areas are also farmland. Many new people that have migrated here on a refugee status or have sought asylum, have come from villages.

They also know that if a seed is sown but then the appropriate precautions are not taken, then one cannot yield any crop.

Thus, to all those who have migrated here I would also say that now your situation has improved. You are free to practice your religion and can fulfil the rights of your worship. There is nothing preventing you from openly professing your religion. Therefore, it is vital for every Ahmadi, especially those who have migrated from Pakistan, every one of you should strive to give precedence to your faith over all worldly pursuits and you must employ all your strengths in order to act on the commandments of God Almighty.

The Promised Messiahas states regarding one who does not safeguard their orchard or field of crops, “It will most certainly go to ruin. The individual who becomes an efficient farmer can protect their crops.

Therefore, every one of us has planted a seed.”

The Promised Messiahas was explaining this by addressing those people in front of him, and today we are the ones who are being addressed and thus we have planted a seed by accepting Ahmadiyyat. The Promised Messiahas continues further, “Only God Almighty knows what is destined for who, but fortunate is he who protects this seed and prays for its progress. For instance,

one should see an improvement in their prayers.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 7, pp. 37-38, UK, 1985) One should be paying attention towards their prayers. It is not sufficient to simply construct a mosque, rather one should then make an effort to fulfil the due rights of the mosque.

Another very important advice the Promised Messiahas has given to Jamaat which I would like to present before you, the Promised Messiahas states: “The present age is deteriorating and many forms of Shirk [idolatry], harmful innovations and other forms of corruption have emerged. The proclamation made at the time of the Bai‘at wherein one pledges to give precedence to one’s faith over all worldly things is a pledge made before God Almighty. Thus, one ought to remain established upon this pledge till their death, otherwise consider yourself to have not taken the Bai‘at. However, if you remain true to this pledge then God Almighty shall bless your faith and your worldly endeavours too. Adopt righteousness in accordance to the will of God Almighty. We are passing through extremely perilous times and Divine wrath is being manifested. One who fashions himself according to the will of God Almighty shall be showing mercy on his own soul and his future progeny.”

The Promised Messiahas further states: “A person eats bread and until he does not eat his stomach’s full, he will continue until his hunger is satiated.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 5, p. 75, UK, 1985) If we reflect upon the wrath of God which the Promised Messiahas has said is being manifested, we can now see from the official facts and figures that the world has never witnessed so many earthquakes and storms as it has in the last 100 years. Even here [in the USA] countless storms and torrential rain is witnessed and each time it is said that such and such incident had not occurred in the last 500 years, or 100 years or this many decades, etc. Thus, one ought to ponder over this. The worldly people will not be able to understand this, but we know that this is the manifestation of God Almighty’s displeasure. The Promised Messiahas has given an open warning in relation to these matters, therefore we need to pay attention towards our reformation.

We also need to inform the world that these calamities are not ordinary occurrences, rather they were prophesied over 100 years ago. Now, there is only one way to be saved from these and that is for man to come closer to God Almighty. If one does not take heed now, then it will be impossible to be saved from them. Similarly, man has created many other difficulties for himself, for instance, there are the wars and the cruelty that is being perpetrated on one another. The ultimate conclusion will be that when cruelties reach their extreme levels according to God Almighty, although we find them to be at its most extreme level already, but God Almighty grants reprieve, however when those cruelties reach their extreme in the sight of God Almighty, then those nations who perpetrate these cruelties will be destroyed. Only those people shall be saved regarding whom the Promised Messiahas has stated in one of his couplets: “There is fire, but all those shall be saved

from it who have love for the Omnipotent God.” (Durre Sameen, p. 154) Therefore, one needs to pay particular focus towards this in order to save oneself and also the world in general. We need to make a concerted effort with all our faculties and abilities as to how we can attain God Almighty.

The Promised Messiahas further states: “A person eats bread and until he does not eat to his stomach’s full, he will continue until his hunger is satiated. If he eats a small morsel, will he be able to save himself from hunger? Certainly not. If one only takes a single drop into their throat, that will not be enough to save themselves and they will eventually die.”

The Promised Messiahas states: “In order to safeguard one’s life, one has to eat and drink the minimum amount required to keep one alive, otherwise one cannot survive.” There is a minimum amount of food that needs to be eaten and in the same way a minimum amount to drink otherwise one cannot stay alive. “This is the same case for one’s affairs relating to faith. If one does not possess the minimum amount of spirituality required, one cannot stay alive. Faith, righteousness and fulfilling the commandments of God Almighty should be performed to the same extent as is the case with one’s intake of food and drink, that is, one should continue to eat and drink until one is satiated.”

The Promised Messiahas further states, “Remember that there are certain commandments of God Almighty, which if they are not fulfilled, it is akin to neglecting all His commandments. If one devotes a certain portion to Satan and another for God Almighty, then know that God Almighty does not like to share that what is supposed to be exclusively His. This community has been established so that one is drawn towards God Almighty.

Even though it is an arduous task to come close to God Almighty and requires one to undergo and a kind of death, but in the end, one also attains a new life from this very act. One who discards the satanic aspects from within becomes a blessed individual and one’s house, soul and one’s entire city receives those blessings. However, if one only partakes very little from this then he will not acquire these blessings. Until one does not practically demonstrate his

Bai‘at, the Bai‘at is of no significance. If one verbally proclaims many things before someone but practically does nothing, then these mere utterances will not please that person. The same is in the case with God Almighty. His sense of honour is far greater than anyone else’s. Thus, can it be possible that on the one hand you obey Him and yet on the other hand you also obey His enemies. This is called hypocrisy. In such instances, one should not be concerned about anyone else and remain true to this pledge.” That is, giving precedence to faith over all worldly matters till one’s last breath.

The Promised Messiahas states: “Evil is of two types. One is to associate partners with God Almighty, to be ignorant of His greatness, to show indolence in His worship and obedience. The second type is failing to show compassion towards His creation and also failing to fulfil their due rights. Thus, one ought to refrain from both forms of evil, remain occupied in the obedience of God Almighty and remain firmly established on the pledge you have made in the Bai‘at. One should not cause any harm to the God’s creation and greatly ponder over the Holy Quran and adhere to it. Refrain from all kinds of gatherings where people ridicule and mock others and also associate partners with God. Observe the five daily prayers; in short, one should not abandon a single commandment of God Almighty. Keep your exterior clean as well as purifying your hearts from all kinds of malice, hatred and jealousy. This is what God Almighty desires from you.”

(Malfuzat, Vol. 5, pp. 75-76, UK, 1985) May God Almighty enable us to bring about pure changes within ourselves whilst fulfilling the due rights of our Bai‘at. And may we, whilst living in this very world, fulfil our pledge of giving precedence to our faith over all worldly things. May we act according to the instructions of the Promised Messiahas and in view of the tenth condition of Bai‘at, which states to obey all Ma‘ruf decisions, may we understand the true essence of the obedience of God and attain those standards as a result of which we become the recipients of God Almighty’s blessings which He has promised to the Promised Messiahas.

Continued from page 7

an emphatic sense to say that one really is who he or she is.

Hence, if the phrase “I am” had any significance on its own, the translation of many of the verses of the Bible including those listed above would have to be changed.

The theological implication of that would be very great! It would have to be believed that the blind man, for instance, who was cured

by Jesusas and who used this same phrase in John, 9:9, is also God. Similarly, it would be believed that Paul is God as he is quoted to be using the same phrase in Acts, 26:29.

The question is: If Jesusas uses the phrase “I am” and it is a claim to divinity, why does this not apply to other persons in the Bible who have used the same phrase? If a standard is set, it should be applied to all equally.

Therefore, the phrase “I am” in and of itself holds no significance and cannot be cited as Jesus’ claim to divinity.

first person, singular, present form of the verb eimi (to be) in Greek. What this means is that in and of itself this phrase is not significant at all. In fact, it is commonplace throughout the Bible.

What Christians have to do at this point is to pick and choose the places where they believe this phrase implies a claim to divinity and where it does not. To illustrate this, we can consider the examples of usage of the same Greek phrase in the following verses: Matthew 14:27, 22:32, 24:5, Mark 6:50, 13:6, Luke 21:8, 24:39, John 6:20, Revelation 22:16, Acts 26:28-29.

If these verses are studied in depth, it would be clear that the phrase “I am” is quite commonplace and its usage is very similar to English usage. It can either be used as an affirmation of who one is as in “I am God” or “I am the Messiah” or it is simply used in

(Translated by The Review of Religions)

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Friday 16 November 2018 | AL HAKAM

Book Intro

An Introduction to Financial Sacrifice (English rendering of Maali Qurbani, Eik Ta‘aruf) Islam International Publications, UK 2005 he system of financial sacrifice in the Jamaat is based not only on the need T for funds, but on a philosophy that cannot

be fully understood unless one becomes aware of this need as expounded by the Promised Messiahas in numerous passages of his sayings and writings.

The book we introduce today is a must read for every Ahmadi to be able to fully understand the Divinely inspired philosophy behind financial sacrifice in the Jamaat and also to pass this understanding on to our younger generations.

Whenever God showers a people or a community with His favour and grace, he invariably requires some sacrifice from them. In other words, sacrifice is essential if one wants to gain the nearness of Allah and His pleasure. What is this sacrifice? It varies depending on the circumstances of every age. At the time of the Holy Prophetsa, for instance, financial sacrifice did exist, but sacrificing one’s life was more important because Muslims were undergoing continuous atrocities at the hands of the disbelievers, and were forced into the battlefield. But in his tiding of “… he will do away with war”, the Holy Prophetsa foretold that it would not be necessary to sacrifice one’s life at the time of the Promised Messiahas. The Promised Messiah’s duty would be to start a Jihad with the pen, for which financial sacrifice would be essential.

The Promised Messiahas said: “What a blessed time this is! No one is asked to lay down his life. This is not the time for offering the ultimate sacrifice; rather it is the time to spend out of one’s possessions, according to one’s means.” (Al Hakam, 10 July 1903) In 1879, when the Promised Messiahas wanted to publish Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, he did not have enough funds to have it published all at once. Expressing the anxiety he had felt about this lack of funds, he later wrote: “When I wrote Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, which was my first book, I did not have enough money to publish it. I was an unknown and obscure person at the time and didn’t know many people. So I prayed to God Almighty and I was blessed with the following revelation: ‘Shake the palm tree, sweet and fresh dates shall fall for thee.’”

(Haqiqatul Wahi, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 22, p. 350) When, after receiving this revelation, the Promised Messiahas appealed for assistance, God Almighty made such provisions that the book was published and with it, the foundation for the victory of Islam was laid. As for the fortunate ones who sacrificed their belongings for the sake of Allah, the Promised Messiahas has mentioned them by name and expressed his appreciation in these words: “I am so overwhelmed by their support that I simply have no words to express my

gratitude.” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 1, p. 5) The purpose behind mentioning them by name was “so that as long as this book lasts in the world and there is someone who spends a joyous time reading it, they should remember these people in his prayer.” (Ibid.)

In his book Fath-e-Islam [translated as Victory of Islam], the Promised Messiahas has divided this Divine scheme, the foundation of which was laid through him, into five branches. One of these is the branch of literature and publication.

Hazrat Ahmadas exhorted the Jamaat to pay Chanda for this purpose and said: “O land of India, is there not one brave wealthy man in you who can take up the expense of just this one branch [of literature and publication]? If five believers, who possess the means, could recognise the need of the hour, they would readily take responsibility for all five branches. O my Lord, do Thou wake up their slumbering hearts. Islam is not so destitute: it is a matter of miserliness, not of scarcity. Those who can’t help fully, can at least fix a sum out of their respective incomes and make it binding upon themselves to send it every month to help this movement. Laziness, cold-heartedness and suspicion can never be of any help to faith. Suspicion brings desolation to homes and estrangement to hearts. Look at the people who found the time of Prophets, how they sacrificed their lives for the propagation of the truth! Just as a rich one gave his beloved wealth for their faith, so did a destitute one offer his bag full of delicious crumbs.

And they continued in this manner until Allah Almighty brought them victory. It is not easy to be a Muslim. It is not without effort that a man can be called a believer.

O people, if you have the righteous spirit which is the lot of the believers, then do not consider my call in haste. Be mindful of acquiring righteousness, for Allah in heaven is waiting to see how you respond to this message.” (Fath-e-Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 3, p. 30) The Promised Messiahas went on to say: “Doomed are the people who spend hundreds for show and display, but when it comes to spending in the way of Allah, they find all sorts of excuses. It is shameful indeed that a person should enter this Jamaat and not leave behind his miserliness and meanness. Allah has so ordained, that the party of His men always needs financial assistance in the beginning. Even our Holy Prophetsa received Chanda from his disciples, of whom Hazrat Abu Bakr was foremost. So, come forward to assist with manly courage and without hesitation…

Those who help us today will witness Allah’s help.” (Majmua-e-Ishtiharat, Vol. 3, p. 156) These names, written by the hands of a

prophet of Allah, are still to be found today, and this blessing will grace the progeny of these people to the last day. Sacrifices which are made for the sake of Allah with sincerity never go in vain.

Divine movements never end with the lives of their Prophets. Prophets sow the seed and this seed grows into a great tree during subsequent generations. Today the call of the Messenger can be heard through Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, who invites us to offer sacrifices in the form of Zakat, Hissa Amad, Chanda Aam, Tahrik-e-Jadid, Waqf-e-Jadid and in the form of other charitable means. How fortunate, therefore, is the person who offers a small portion of his belongings for the sake of Allah and inherits everlasting life. This movement has been established by the special will of Allah for the propagation of Islam and in order to reform His creatures.

The publishers of the book – Tahrike-Jadid Anjuman-e-Ahmadiyya – urge office-bearers and also the general public to benefit from this book in the following words:

“[The] Jamaat, by Allah’s grace, is progressing at an accelerating speed and more and more funds are needed at every step. Members of the Jamaat are therefore required to participate in financial sacrifice more than ever. Those who answer the call of the Promised Messiahas and spend their belongings in the cause of Allah, and the office-bearers who have been appointed by the Markaz for collecting these funds as well as those who oversee them, should all be made aware of the Jamaat’s financial system, its importance and the procedures relating to it. The office-bearers are requested not only to follow the instructions contained in this booklet, but they should also urge other members of the Jamaat to make use of it. We pray that may Allah accept our financial sacrifices and bestow upon us the blessings, which the Promised Messiahas and his successors have beseeched for such people.”

The full text of the book can be accessed at: www.alislam.org/library/books/AnIntroduction-to-Financial-Sacrifice

Editor: Qaasid Muin Ahmad | Design & Layout: Jalees Ahmad|© Al Hakam 2018