Divinity of Jesusas Part II
100 Years Ago...
Are the Gospels reliable?
A Beloved Remembered, by Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ismailra
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Book Intro
Opening of Aiwan-eKhidmat, MKA Ghana New office block in Accra
Standing the Test of Time
Comparing the works of Humphrey J. Fisher&John H. Hanson
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THE WEEKLY
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www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 4 May 2018 | Issue VII Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL. UK. info@alhakam.org | F: +44(0)208 544 7673
Hazrat Abu Hurairahra relates that the Holy Prophetsa said: “All my people will enter Paradise, except those who deny me.” He asked: “Who will be the deniers, Messenger of Allah?” He said: “He who obeys me will enter Paradise and he who disobeys me denies me.”
(Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Al-Etisam bil Kitab wa Al-Sunnah)
The Fragile State of Korea North Korea, for the past few years, has been a bone of contention in world politics. All this time, it appeared as if the war theatre would shift from the Middle East to the Far East in Korea. Newspapers and television headlines covered bold and provocative threats being fired by both the Western bloc and North Korea at each other. These headlines and the stories attached to them were inflammatory enough to leave the world frightened that a devastating nuclear war was just around the corner. Then came March 2018 and the frightened world was surprised to hear Donald Trump offering to meet Kim Jong-un. To the global audience that knew both leaders too well, this appeared too good to be true. And then in April, the offer seemed to be materialising as American officials actually held a preparatory meeting with Kim Jong-un, paving way for the Trump-Jong-un meeting later on. The early hours of 27 April 2018, around midday in Korea, had global news channels televising the heads of North and South Korea meeting for the first time in almost seven decades; an excellent example of how quickly the curtains fall and rise,
in the war. By the end of April 1904, when the first Japanese attempt to siege Port Arthur failed, a Divinely appointed man of God, far away in a small hamlet called Qadian, in India, received a revelation: “Korea Khatarnak Halat Mein Hei; Mashreqi Taqat” [Korea is in dangerous situation. Eastern Power]
how swiftly scenes change and how dramatically roles of actors transform on the stage of world politics. The Korean Peninsula, historically speaking, has a longstanding history of not only being unstable itself, but also of causing instability to the entire region. The Russo-Japanese War
of 1904 was probably the first time that Korea emerged in its position of “instability”. Both Russia and Japan had ambitions to take control of the peninsula. The Siege of Port Arthur was to be a turning point in the war where Russia was heading steadily towards victory. The siege started in April
1904 but the Japanese troops received a massive blow of defeat, with casualties in their thousands. Later on, the Japanese surprised the Russians by eventually making their way into the Russian occupied area of Manchurian. This followed a series of raids, strikes and conflicts and Japan was eventually victorious
Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira, the then editor of Al Hakam published a note in Al Hakam stating: “When the war started between Japan and Russia, and Japan had not yet achieved any significant victory, the Promised Messiahas received this revelation”. This revelation was vouchsafed to the Promised Messiahas on 29 April 1904. This prophecy was fulfilled by Japan, an Eastern power, gaining sovereignty over Korea. In the current climate, it is fascinating to see that almost exactly 114 years later, on 27 April 2018, the world saw North and South Korean leaders meet; a reminder of the revelation of the Promised Messiahas. North Korea is still in a “dangerous situation”. Now, the question is: Will it join hands with its southern sister and become an “Easter Power”?
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Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words
God’s Divine Plan I am quite certain that the manner in which God Almighty now draws near and manifests Himself and reveals hundreds of matters of the unseen to His servant, is almost unprecedented in past ages. In this age, people will soon witness a manifestation of the countenance of God Almighty, as if He has descended from heaven. He kept Himself hidden for a very long time. He was rejected and remained silent, but
now He shall conceal Himself no longer and the world will witness manifestations of His power the likes of which their forefathers never saw. This will come to pass because the earth has been corrupted and people have lost faith in the Creator of the heavens and the earth. They pay lip service to Him but their hearts are estranged from Him. That is why God has declared that now He will create a new heaven and a new earth. This means that the earth has perished, that is, the hearts of the people of earth have so hardened as if they are dead. The face of God has become hidden from them
and heavenly signs of the past were all reduced to myth and legend. Thus, God has decreed to create a new heaven and a new earth. What is this new heaven? And what is this new earth? A new earth means those pure hearts that God is preparing with His own hand, which will be manifested by Him and through whom God will be manifested. A new heaven means those signs which are being shown by His command at the hand of His servant. (Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Noah’s Ark, pp. 11-12)
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Friday May 4 2018 | AL HAKAM From the Markaz
Usman Chou Sahib
On 13 April a devoted servant of the Jamaat, the revered Usman Chou Sahib passed away. Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Raji‘un (To Allah we belong, and to Him shall we return). Where Huzoor’s Friday Sermons are a means to make amends in our spiritual and moral dealings, they also provide insight to how pure submission to God and perfect obedience to Khilafat should be demonstrated. The previous Friday Sermon (27 April) was again another means for Ahmadis to assess themselves and adopt qualities that brings one closer to God. At the onset, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said, “I will present before you certain aspects of the life of this selfless, unworldly and venerable Waqif-e-Zindagi [life-devotee], Ahmadi missionary, scholar – who practiced what he preached – and Waliullah [Godly saint]. These are all characteristics that should be adopted by all Waqifeen-e-Zindagi, missionaries and generally all Ahmadis.” Usman Chou Sahib was fortunate that Allah enabled him to travel to Pakistan from a far-off place in China and accept Ahmadiyyat. Huzoor said that Usman Sahib had written about his life and how Allah blessed him at every step, enabled him to increase his knowledge, accept Ahmadiyyat and then devote his life for the cause of the Jamaat. Huzooraa said that a book could be written on his life and that Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Pakistan had the potential to achieve this task. While narrating his exemplary role as a father, Huzoor quoted Usman Sahib’s children who said that he inculcated a sense of responsibility for prayers and would always remind them that there was nothing more important than offering the five daily prayers on time. As children, he would wake them up by sprinkling water on them and encourage them to offer Fajr on time. Usman Sahib, had adopted a unique way of learning through enjoyment where he would hold competitions among his children asking religious questions and rewarding them afterwards, thus entertaining the children and at the same time reminding them of their actual purpose. Huzooraa said that a couple of months ago, Usman Sahib had come to meet him but due to not being able to speak, he wrote down three things he wanted to communicate to Huzooraa for his sonin-law to say. The first was an apology for not being able to stand from his
Usman Chou Sahib
wheelchair due to being frail; the second was a request for prayers for him to serve the Jamaat till the last breath and thirdly, a request to work from home as he could not physically attend his office. It was in such circumstances that Usman Chou Sahib would regularly walk to the mosque to offer prayers. When the time between two prayers was extremely short, even then he would never think of combining and missing a prayer in congregation. He would walk to the mosque at an extremely slow pace. One day, after prayer he was asked as to why he wouldn’t just combine his prayers. He replied that the benefit of walking to the mosque was twofold: firstly that it was a subtle exercise and secondly, every step he took towards the mosque was an act of righteousness. Huzooraa narrated his personal recollection of Usman Chou Sahib – otherwise affectionately known as Chini Sahib – when he was young. He said, “I recall when he would pray for forty days at Kallar Kahar during the time of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra. I also visited him there when I was young and saw him seated in a small room with the Quran in hand. He would pray there, so we – the children and adults – also requested him to pray for us. He would respond with a smile on his face and in a loving manner.” In conclusion Huzooraa prayed for him and the family he leaves behind, “May Allah continue to elevate Usman Chini Sahib’s status. May He give comfort and strength to his wife and watch over his family. May Allah enable his children to inherit his righteous deeds, be the recipients of his prayers and follow in his footsteps.”
From the Archives
A Sage from China Lord Linlithgow, Viceroy of India, appointed Hazrat Sir Zafrulla Khan as Agent-General of British India in China. This appointment was made in February 1942 and Hazrat Chaudhry Sahib was to stay in China for a period of six months to establish direct diplomatic relations between China and India and pave way for a diplomatic mission to continue thereon. During this brief stay, Hazrat Chaudhry Zafrulla Khan came into contact with Muslim leaders of China. In his autobiography Tehdis-e-Nemat, Hazrat Chaudhry Sahib has mentioned that he was pleased to meet the Muslim representatives who had come from the north-western states of China where the Muslim population was in millions. Among the Chinese Muslim youth inspired by Hazrat Chaudhry Zafrulla Khan’s invitation to travel to Pakistan and enhance their understanding of Islam was a young man called Usman Chou. He, along with another three friends, began preparing to travel to Pakistan. With a lot of difficulty, he was able to embark upon this long journey where he had to travel through Singapore and India. In Singapore, he met the Ahmadi Missionary Ghulam Hussain Ayyaz Sahib. Inspired by his piety, Usman Chou Sahib became even more encouraged to travel to Rabwah where he started to learn more about Islam and also about the claims of the Promised Messiahas. It was after a thorough research and a long period of prayers that he was finally guided by Allah the Almighty to accept Ahmadiyyat. Usman Chou Sahib, fondly known as Chini Sahib in the Jamaat, would very lovingly reminisce an incident from his early days in Rabwah. It was a very hot summer in Punjab. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra was in the famous hill-station of Murree. A young Usman Chou was told that Hazrat Musleh Maudra had called him for some work in Murree. When he arrived there, the job assigned to him was not a very major one and he was able to do it in little time with great ease. When he reported back to Hazrat Musleh Maudra that the work had been done, Hazrat Musleh Maudra said, “I had actually called
you to spend some time in the pleasant weather of Murree for a few days”. During the period that he spent in fervent prayers and research about the Jamaat, he was taught a prayer through a dream. Upon waking up, he could not remember the whole of it and could only recall the words “Allahumma” (O Allah). He narrated this incident to Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra who interpreted this incident saying, “You will have a lot of chances to worship Allah!” How he received countless blessings, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa has shed light upon this in the previous Friday Sermon that was dedicated to this pious, noble and God-fearing servant of Ahmadiyyat. May the Jamaat and Khalifatul Masih forever be given such passionate and selfless servants. Amin.
Usman Chou Sahib seated in the middle (facing camera) | Family of Usman Chou Sahib
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Friday May 4 2018 | AL HAKAM 100 Years Ago...
A Beloved Remembered In Al Hakam (Urdu), 21-28 May 1918, we found an historic article written by the brother-in-law of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ismailra on the blessed memory of the Promised Messiahas. This was written for those individuals who were not able to physically meet the Promised Messiahas and was written as an alternative to the photographs of the Promised Messiahas. Al Hakam (Urdu), 21-28 May 1918
Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ismailra (Assistant Surgeon) Eldest Son of Hazrat Mir Nasir Nawabra
By the grace of God, Ahmadis are spread throughout India. In fact they are present throughout the world. But among them, there is a difference between those
who have seen Ahmadas and those who have not. Those who were blessed to benefit from his noble presence possess a sense of serene pleasure in their heart which resonates with them to this day. Whereas those who were unable to see him are often found to lament this and regret their delay and the fact that they were not able to see the face of their beloved in his lifetime. There always remains a stark difference between a picture and the reality, something only those can relate to who saw the face of the Promised Messiahas with their own eyes. It is my earnest desire to describe the appearance and practices of Hazrat Ahmadas so that those who were not able to see this blessed individual might benefit from it. Form and Features Instead of going into detail about the Promised Messiah’sas appearance, I deem it better to write more generally so that readers are able to draw their own conclusion. The appearance of the Promised Messiahas can be summarised in a single sentence: He was a perfect example of masculine beauty. But this statement is incomplete if another is not added to it: His humanly charm and beauty carried a spiritual glow and aura with it. As he was raised for the Ummah to manifest the beautiful and peaceful aspects of Islamic teachings, similarly his physical beauty was a manifestation of God’s omnipotence and would draw the heart of the observer towards him. His face, illumined with spirituality, never exhibited arrogance, haughtiness or the slightest pride, rather it always manifested love, humility and modesty. Once, the Promised Messiahas went to Dera Baba Nanak to see the cloak of Guru Baba Nanak. Upon his arrival a cloth was spread under a tree where they all
Book Fair Slovenia Talha Ahmad, Missionary Slovenia The Slovenian Book Days (Slovenski dnevi knjige) is an event that takes places every year in April across the country. The Slovenian Book Days is a traditional festival in Slovenia, each year attracting many publishing houses and thousands of visitors. The annual event is organised by the Slovenian Writers Association and manifests a nationwide feast of books by promoting Slovenian literature. The event allowed various publishers to showcase and demonstrate their products to a wide range of visitors from all over the country. There were various book fairs,
exhibitions, lectures, debates, presentations of new books and shows for children. This year Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Slovenia took part in the book fair in Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia on 1822 April and on 23-26 April in the country’s second largest city, Maribor. Prior to the event, several people and news websites expressed their displeasure against the event and against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat’s participation in the book fair. Despite the opposition, the Jamaat took part in the event and received a lot of support, including from the organisers. It led
sat. His arrival had brought people in from outlying villages, eager to see him and greet him. Unaware of whom the Promised Messiahas was, people started approaching Maulvi Syed Muhammad Ahsan Sahib and after shaking hands with him they would take a seat. After a while the reality was disclosed by Maulvi Syed Muhammad Ahsan Sahib who signaled towards the Promised Messiahas and revealed the reality upon everyone. A similar incident occurred when the Holy Prophetsa migrated to Medina. Even on that occasion people mistook Hazrat Abu Bakrra for the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. To remove their misconception Hazrat Abu Bakrra took his cloth and shaded the Holy Prophetsa and hence corrected the mistake. Physique and Height The Promised Messiahas was neither thin nor stout. He was of stocky build and of average height. Although his height was not measured, it was around five feet, eight inches. His shoulder blades were spaced apart and to his last age he did not lose posture. All parts of his body were perfectly proportioned. Neither his hands nor legs nor stomach were out of proportion. Hence no unpleasant features were to be witnessed in his body parts. His skin was neither soft as of women nor rough. His body was strong-jointed and possessed the toughness of the youth. In his last years his skin neither wrinkled nor withered. Complexion He had a striking ruddy complexion. It possessed the aura and grandeur of spirituality. This was a permanent spectacle. His colour never faded in times of hardships and trials rather it would shine like bright gold. No hardship or difficulty was able to wither it away. Apart from this aura his countenance was always brimming with a delight and a permanent smile on his face. An observer would remark: If he is false in his claim and aware of his lies then why does his face always manifest the signs of triumph, happiness, delight and serenity? Such faithful manifestations can never be attributed to a wicked person and the light of faith can never shine on the face of a wrongdoer. When the sun set on the final day of Atham’s respite – set by Divine prophecy vouchsafed to the Promised Messiahas – faces of some members of the Jamaat seemed dejected with dismay and their hearts had sunk. Some naively made bets that Atham would surely die before the prophecy's set period. They wept in their prayers before their Lord to fulfil the prophecy by putting an end to Atham and deliver them from
a lot of visitors anxiously to our book stall to discuss Islam. These discussions turned out to be very fruitful as a lot of visitors openly expressed their changed and positive view of Islam. This year’s book fair served as a perfect platform for Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Slovenia to spread the true message of Islam. Eventually, the event came to an end and, with the Grace of
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Allah, proved yet again to be a blessed and successful event.
Slovenia Jamaat book stall | AMJ Solvenia
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Friday May 4 2018 | AL HAKAM
Divinity of Jesusas – Part II
Are the Gospels Reliable?
Farhan Iqbal, Missionary Canada The Promised Messiahas has explained that Muslims cannot accept the divinity of Jesusas because it is not mentioned in the books of God. Both the Torah and the Quran do not mention anything about the divinity of Jesusas. Christians would respond to this by pointing to verses in the Gospels (i.e. the first four books of the New Testament) that they believe clearly expound their belief in the divinity of Jesusas. Such references can be studied one by one to assess whether they truly expound the divinity of Jesusas. However, it is first worthwhile to look into the reliability of the Gospels. Are they a trustworthy source on Jesusas? This article takes a deeper look at this crucial question. Understanding the Gospels First and foremost, it is important to note that the four Gospels (i.e. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are the most important books of the New Testament because they are specifically about Jesusas, his life, teachings and experiences up to the crucifixion. They were written anonymously and the names attached to the books were assigned to them by Church tradition. Each Gospel was purportedly written independently of the others. In other words, whoever wrote the Gospel of Mark supposedly intended it to contain a true account of the life of Jesusas without the need of the other Gospels to verify anything in it. Similarly, Luke, Matthew, and John, were each written with the intention to be seen independently and not as an appendix or an addition to any other Gospel. Upon a closer examination, scholars have determined that the first three
Gospels (i.e. Matthew, Mark and Luke) are so similar to each other that they have been designated as the “Synoptic Gospels” (from the Greek term synoptikos meaning “viewed together”). This means that large sections in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, use identical words when mentioning some of the sayings of Jesusas or writing stories about him. This means that copying was going on. Since Mark was written first according to scholars, it can be concluded that Matthew and Luke used it as a source and took some material verbatim from Mark. Matthew and Luke both use another source that Mark did not have. This source mostly contains sayings of Jesusas and both Matthew and Luke quote these sayings in the same words, suggesting that this was another possibly written source of a collection of sayings of Jesusas. This source is commonly called “Q”, which is an abbreviation for Quelle (a German word for “source”). However, no document has yet been discovered which can be called “Q” and so this remains a hypothesis. In addition to these two sources, Matthew and Luke each have additional material that is unique to each of these Gospels. Such material that is only found in Matthew is commonly called “M” and such material that is unique to Luke is commonly called “L”. The discussion of the sources of these three Gospels is what is known as the “Four Source Hypothesis” as shown by the diagram below:
Opening of Aiwan-e-Khidmat, MKA Ghana Abdul Samee Khan, Missionary Ghana
With the expansion of Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya Ghana and a growing need for workspace, MKA Ghana recently obtained a piece of land close to the headquarters at Accra. The members of Khuddamul Ahmadiyya in Ghana amount to 18,000 while they have been able to raise a contribution of 15,000,000 Ghanaian Cedis ($350,000). The construction of this building began on 25 August 2015 through Waqar-e-Amal (voluntary labour) by Amir Sahib and a group of Khuddam. Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa sent a brick which he prayed upon to be used as the foundation stone. Mirza Mahmud Ahmad Sahib, Central Auditor, London, laid the foundation stone which Huzooraa had prayed upon, on 23 October 2015, after which the Khuddam erected the building within a short period. On Sunday 8 April 2018, members of Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya and office
Opening of Aiwan Khidmat | AMJ Ghana
Interestingly, the Gospel of John is very different when compared with the Synoptics as it uses independent sources. This Gospel strongly portrays Jesusas as divine which is why scholars say that this Gospel has a high Christology while the Synoptics have a low Christology. A Problem in Gospel Study A problem with the reliability of the
bearers, all in their uniforms, received guests, controlled traffic and car parking, made arrangements for food and prepared the venue. The programme commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by an Arabic poem and songs of praise after which Sadr Sahib welcomed the guests. The former Sadr gave a brief history of the building as he continued to serve as the chairman of the project building committee after his tenure elapsed. Finally, Amir Sahib delivered his address and congratulated Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya for the building’s completion after which he also encouraged the Ansar to complete their building (which is still under construction). Amir Sahib then proceeded to the ribbon cutting and thereafter unveiled the plaque, thereby officially launching the building. This was concluded with prayers. All guests went in to have a look at the interior of the building after which food was served. The building comprises of two storeys and has been installed with all necessary facilities. Aside from the various offices of the Majlis, there is also a hall, meeting room, MTA office, record room and a computer room. On the bottom floor are guest rooms with all necessary facilities in them. The new furniture has been skilfully and excellently made. Huzooraa directed that Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya should keep taking care of the building. Gospels is that they are not completely harmonious with each other. One example that illustrates this is the way each of the Gospels begins its narrative. Whereas the Gospel of Mark (6570 CE) begins the narrative about Jesusas with his baptism, the Gospels of Matthew (80-85 CE) and Luke (85Continued on page 7
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Friday May 4 2018 | AL HAKAM
MKA-Nigeria Promotes “Stop the Crime” Oniyide Mujeeb, Mohtamim Ishaat, MKA Nigeria
AMJ Nigeria
With crime-rate escalating in society, Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya Nigeria (MKAN), has embarked on nationwide campaigns against various forms of crimes among the students of secondary and post-secondary schools. In his remarks, the National President of MKA, Aina Saheed said, “A lot of efforts are being put in
place by the government and other institutions in fighting against the menace of crimes. Unfortunately, as they make these efforts, the available statistics on these crimes keep growing.” As a result, Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya Nigeria has acknowledged the need to accelerate efforts to build the moral and spiritual capacity of members of the society, especially the youth, as a preventative measure from attraction to crimes. In his remarks, the National Project Manager of “Stop The Crime” (STC) project, Popoola Isiaka Olamilekan said, “MKAN’s STC project started in 2015 and ever since then, it has become a yearly event. During our campaigns this year, the project was carried out in ten
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imminent shame and the bitter jeers and jibes of their opponents that would ensue. There was great commotion which turned the faces of the beholders pale out of fear. But this fearless lion of God marched out of his house with a victorious smile on his face, called his followers to the mosque and announced that the prophecy had been fulfilled, drawing their attention to the qualifying words of the prophecy: ّ ﻫﻤﻪ و ّ اﻃﻠﻊ ا��� �ﻠﻰ ﻏﻤﻪ “God has informed me that Atham has turned to the truth, so the All-knowing God has allowed him a respite.” Those who were listening saw his contended face and believed him to be true. They contemplated upon the fact that they were being devoured by hopelessness and here he was standing in front of them, jubilant with satisfaction on his face and talking without any signs of dismay, rather with utmost delight. It seemed as if God had appointed him to judge the matter of Atham. And upon witnessing Atham’s renouncement from his denunciation of Islam and observing his restlessness, Hazrat Ahmadas allowed Atham respite from death. And now he was delighted as if a victorious wrestler out of his beneficence and mercy had forgiven his opponent, considering it an insult to kill someone who was already moribund. The prophecy about Lekhram was later fulfilled according to its terms and conditions. The foulmouthed started to raise false accusations. A police report was filed to investigate Ahmadas. The Police Superintendent arrived with a force of constables to search his house. The movement of everyone in the house was restricted. The acrimonious opposition was eager to find a single doubtful word that could be found in his correspondence or documents to prove him a culprit. But there he was, standing with full contentment and serenity. He himself would provide all documents, books, bags and letters in the house to the police to assist them in their inquiry and showed them all around the storerooms. Some of the letters that required a second look were taken into custody but nothing changed for Ahmadas. His face still shone
states of the federation (Ekiti, Edo, Delta, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Ogun, Osun, Lagos and Oyo), including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Our 344 volunteers were able to visit 40 schools and spend 55 hours reaching out to 17,180 beneficiaries.” “Stop The Crime” is one of the numerous projects of Majlis Khuddamul
Ahmadiyya Nigeria. Other projects of the organisation include free medical expeditions, regular blood donations, tree planting, organisation of capacity building trainings, promotion of talents among youth, promotion of interreligious peaceful coexistence and carrying out numerous communitybased supports.
“Stop The Crime” awareness campaign | AMJ Nigeria
like the full moon and manifested utter contentment and jubilancy. It was as if the investigation had further cemented the proof of a manifest victory and established his sheer innocence in this regard. And then there were those outside the house, terrified and silent as they witnessed constables coming in and out of his house. Their faces had grown pale, unaware of the fact that the person for whom they were worried was himself calling upon constables to search his documents and letters. Ahmad’sas face conveyed a delightful cheer revealing that now the time had ripened and the truthfulness of his prophecy would be revealed in its complete terms and he would be proven innocent from all false claims made against him. Hence in all trials and tribulations his courage was singular, calm and imperturbable. Not for a single moment did he act out of spite and this caused many pure souls to accept the truth. Hairs His hairs were straight, shiny and silky and were kept dyed with henna. They were not thick or abundant. He would never have his head shaved nor would he have it cut too short. His hairs would reach up to his neck. He would oil his hair with jasmine oil and henna and this was a constant practice. Beard He had a full, dense, striking beard on all sides with thick, straight and shiny hair, dyed with henna. The length of his beard would always be the size of a fist and he would have a regular cut to keep it straight and equally spread downwards. It was neither sparse nor dense. It was always oiled. Once due to the appearance of a small pustule on the cheek he had his hairs completely removed from that particular spot. Those hairs are still in the custody of his companions. The hairs of his beard were neither scarce nor so dense as to continue up to his eyes. Hair Dye Earlier he would dye his hairs with hair dye and hen-
na. But later due to constant severe headaches he would dye his hair with henna only. For some days he also tried manufactured hair dye but later ceased its use. In his last days one of his companions Mir Hamid Shah prepared a hair dye for him that he also used. It blackened the beard but as for his lifetime routine he would dye his hairs with henna. He would have this applied by a hairdresser every Friday. As was his beard, so were the hairs of his moustache also thick, strong and shiny. He was in practice of trimming his moustache close to the upper lip but not like the Ahl-e-Hadith custom of completely shaving off the moustache. He was not hirsute. His back was hairless. Sometimes he would trim the hairs on his chest and stomach. A thin and soft lining of hair covered his shin and the back of his hands. Face He had a narrow, straight face. Even in his seventies there were no wrinkles, nor were there any frown lines as are visible on the forehead of short tempered people. Observers would always witness contentment, serenity and a hidden smile on his face. THe colour of his eyes was black. He would always keep his gaze lowered in accordance with the Quranic injunction. During discourses he would keep his gaze lowered even when addressing a gathering. Even at home, his looks would be restrained and he would not immediately notice all in attendance. It is also important to mention that he never used eyeglasses. His eyes would never get tired due to the overload of work. God promised to safeguard his sight and hence it remained unaffected until his death. Yet he was not able to witness the new moon with the naked eye. His nose possessed the traits of nobility; slim, straight, high and perfectly proportioned. (Translated by Haseeb Ahmad, Pakistan)
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Friday May 4 2018 | AL HAKAM Continued from page 5
90 CE) each begin their narrative with the virgin birth of Jesusas. On the other hand, the Gospel of John (90-110 CE) begins its narrative with the logos – a term used in Stoic philosophy to refer to “reason” that pervades the universe and is identified with God. The Gospel of John calls this logos the Word of God, which eternally existed with God and became flesh in Jesusas 2018 years ago. The question is, if Jesusas is truly the eternal being or logos that existed before his birth on earth, why did the Synoptic Gospels fail to mention it? Similarly, if Jesus’as virgin birth is an important detail about him which proves his divinity, why did the Gospel of Mark not mention this crucial detail to make the case for a divine Jesusas? Moreover, the Gospel of Mark portrays Jesusas as one who commands his followers to be secretive about him, while the Gospel of Johnas portrays him as one who speaks quite openly about himself in a very assertive manner, often referring to himself by means of an emphatic Greek phrase ego eimi (“I am”). This leads to many Christian apologists using the Gospel of John to provide evidence for the divinity of Jesusas. However, from an academic point of view, this is not a convincing form of argumentation. If Jesusas was indeed God and our eternal salvation depends on accepting him as such, did the other Gospels, including earlier sources such as Q, M, and L, simply miss this most fundamental claim of Jesusas? Parallel Study One way to note how the Gospels are similar or dissimilar to each other is to read the incidents they cite or quotations of Jesusas they narrate side-by-side. An
The four Gospels were written independently but the contents of each Gospel are mostly similar
excellent test case for this exercise is the Baptism of Jesusas. It is mentioned in each of the Gospels as follows: Mark 1:9-11, Matthew 3:13-17, Luke 3:21-22, and John 1:29-34. While the Gospel of Mark has the earliest, raw story of Jesusas being baptized by John, the Gospel of Matthew revises the story by adding that John the Baptist was hesitant to baptize Jesusas. The Gospel of Luke on the other hand does not indicate whether it was John the Baptist indeed who baptized Jesusas or someone else. In fact, if the passage is seen in context, Luke seems to suggest that John was arrested before the baptism of Jesusas. The Gospel of John even goes a step further by not mentioning the baptism at all. Instead it
Jamia Ahmadiyya UK – Sports Rally
Sports Rally, Jamia Ahmadiyya UK | Jamia UK
Hafiz Ijaz Ahmad Tahir, Jamia UK
Sports is a vital part of a missionary’s training as it harbours a healthy lifestyle. It is for this reason that an hour of sporting activities is a compulsory part of a Jamia student’s daily timetable. Each year the pinnacle of these
sporting activities takes place in the form of a three-day annual sporting rally which is held between the five houses of Jamia Ahmadiyya UK: Shuja‘at, Sadaqat, Dianat, Rafaqat and Amanat. This year’s Sports Rally took place on the Jamia UK grounds on 26, 27 and 28 April 2018. The opening session was chaired by Abdul Majid Tahir Sahib (additional Wakilut-Tabshir London) who emphasised the importance of living a healthy lifestyle in light of the Hadith, “A strong believer is better and closer to God than a weak believer.” The following few days hosted a range of inter-house competitions including football, basketball, volleyball, dodgeball, tug-of-war, badminton, table
attributes a long speech to John where he speaks of the greatness of Jesusas. In this test case regarding the baptism of Jesusas, and in the overall portrayal of Jesusas by each Gospel, we can notice differences some of which are quite significant. The Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, has noted that the authors of the Gospels were not Prophets (Kitab-ul-Bariyyah, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 13, p. 85). This explains the differences, as they were made by humans who were trying to write down events that took place many decades prior to their writing. Biblical scholars who study the texts in depth know the differences that are mentioned in this article and many others. Those among them who are
Christian argue that the Bible has truth and that is what is important, not the “minor” differences. We do not completely disagree with those scholars, as we also say that the Bible has truth. However, that truth should be obtained from the Word of God or the statements of the Prophets of God historically recorded in the Bible. Such truths which are also affirmed in the Quran become absolute truths for Muslims. When it comes to God, that truth is the same: God is One and One Alone. In the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, see Deuteronomy 6:4; in the Gospels, see Jesus’as statement in Mark 12:29, and in the Quran, see Surah Al-Ikhlas, Ch.112: V.1-5. ___________ _______
tennis and athletics. Khalifatul Masih Vaa who once stated, The final session held on Saturday “All of you should also join in with oth28 April showcased the strong-man er youths in their sports and outdoor challenge and the Jamia obstacle course activities as this will enable you to set a which is an integral part of the course. positive example for them and to be a The final session was chaired by Amir role model.” UK – Rafiq Ahmad Hayat Sahib, who reflected upon the continuing progress of Jamia under the blessings of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya. The Jamia UK Sports Rally in previous years has been graced with the presence of Hazrat Mirza Final Session, Sports Rally, Jamia Ahmadiyya UK | Jamia UK Masroor Ahmad,
Friday May 4 2018 | AL HAKAM
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Friday Sermon 6.4.18 Delivered from Baitur Rahman Mosque,Valencia
Responsibilities of Emigrated Ahmadi Muslims After reciting the Tashahud, Ta’awuz and Surah Al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaba stated:
Although Spain is undoubtedly amongst the Western countries, but in terms of economic stability, it is counted among the less stable countries of Europe. Employment opportunities, wages and the quality of life is far less as compared to other European countries such as France, Germany, Holland or the UK etc. and this is usually what is asserted. However, in spite of this, as compared to Pakistan, the economic conditions are far better for those people that have migrated from Pakistan. That is why many Pakistanis come here for business or employment purposes. As far as Ahmadis are concerned, when they emigrate from Pakistan, they do so due to two reasons; the foremost of these is the prevalence of restrictions placed upon religious activities and a lack of religious freedom for Ahmadis in Pakistan. The second [reason] is for the betterment of their economic situation. The majority of those who migrate to this country and apply for asylum, or try to gain visa for permanent residency do so by stating that the conditions for Ahmadis in Pakistan are not such that they can freely pronounce themselves as Muslims, or undertake acts of worship or follow religious practices in accordance with their faith. Some people state their conditions truthfully as they file their cases for asylum, but some also conjure stories, albeit less in this country and more so in other European countries, however this is unnecessary. I have said many times that if one mentions truthfully the atrocities committed against us in Pakistan in the name of religion and merely state that “living in Pakistan under such circumstances puts me under extreme psychological pressure which is akin to continuous torture,” then usually, the authorities or the judges understand this and hence adopt a helpful and sympathetic attitude.
Thus, whilst putting forward ones case, there is no need to formulate exaggerated statements under the pressure of other people or lawyers. Likewise, one’s statement should be
undertaking any step for worldly gains, which will render us extremely sinful in the eyes of God Almighty. Thus, as I have said, once we have emigrated from our homeland in order to safeguard our faith, and in order to remain firm on our faith, then we must give the utmost priority to the commandments of Allah the Exalted. We should see as to what our preferences are and what they ought to be after having accepted Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam. If these preferences are not in accordance with the commandments of God Almighty then we have failed to achieve the purpose of our migration. However, if these [preferences] are in accordance with this [the commandments of God] then we have achieved the purpose of our migration. Furthermore, in this case we will also be the recipients of the blessings of Allah the Exalted. If our very foundation is based on a lie and if we have made the attainment of the
deprive those of religious and worldly blessings who march towards Him. Allah the Exalted does not deprive those of the blessings of the world who strive in order to acquire His pleasure. As a matter of fact, Allah the Exalted has taught us this prayer to seek from Him the good of this world as well as the Hereafter, as He says:
ُّ َ ََۤ َ الدن ْ َیا َح َس َن ًۃ َّو فِی ال ۡ ٰاخ َِر ِۃ َح َس َن ًۃ َّو قِ َنا َع َذ اب َر ّبنا ٰا ِتنا فِی َّ ِالنار
[“Our Lord, grant us good in this world as well as good in the world to come, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.” (Surah Al-Baqarah: V.202)]. In relation to this the Promised Messiahas states: “A person is in need of two aspects for his prosperity; firstly, to remain safeguarded from all difficulties, adversities and trials etc., which befall him in this temporary worldly life. Secondly, to be safeguarded from sins, evils and spiritual ailments, which lead him away from God.” There are two [necessary] aspects for a person. Firstly, they have to undergo worldly hardships and ailments and secondly, spiritual hardships and ailments. Thus, a person should continuously try to remain safeguarded from these both. The Promised Messiahas stated, “The good of the world is to remain safeguarded from every form of evil, indecency and dishonour, both physically and spiritually.” (Malfuzat Vol. IV, p. 302, 1985 UK)
consistent from the outset right to the end, instead of altering it, which could lead the authorities to suspect possible fabrication. In any case, an Ahmadi should safeguard themselves from lying. Allah the Exalted has equated lying to shirk [associating partners with God]. One can never expect from an Ahmadi that they would commit shirk. On the one hand an Ahmadi claims that “I am at the forefront in proclaiming the Oneness of God Almighty, and in coming into the servitude of the Holy Prophetsa and that I believe in the Imam of the Age: the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdias.” But, on the other hand, they fail to protect themselves against this fundamental sin. Thus, every Ahmadi should analyse themselves in this regard in order to assess whether or not they are
world our sole objective, then we will not be the recipients of the blessings of Allah the Exalted. Those who believe in the unity of Allah the Exalted and worship Him, can never associate any partners with Him. The people who have understood the purpose of their creation, understand that their primary objective is to acquire the pleasure of God Almighty. We should always remember that our objective is not to attain the world and not to be engrossed in worldly affairs. This is not the reason for the birth of a believer. Only if we try to achieve the purpose of our creation set out by Allah the Exalted in order to attain His pleasure, will we be able to acquire true success and fulfil the purpose of entering this world. We will most certainly acquire this world and its blessings as Allah the Exalted does not
Further elaborating on [the word] Rabbana [our Lord], the Promised Messiahas states, “...observe, Allah the Exalted says:
ًَ ْ ُّ َ ََۤ الدن َیا َح َسنۃ َر ّبنا ٰا ِتنا فِی [“Our Lord, grant us good in this world.] The truth of the matter is that there is a subtle indication towards repentance in the word Rabbana [our Lord].” When a person says Rabbana, he completely inclines towards God Almighty. The Promised Messiahas further states, “The word Rabbana requires [and implies that] a person has left other gods which he had previously adopted, and turned towards this Lord. Furthermore, this word can only be uttered from the heart of a person with true anguish and fervour…” When a person recites Rabbana [our Lord] in its true sense, it is uttered
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Friday May 4 2018 | AL HAKAM with an anguish. There are people who say Rabbana and offer this prayer superficially. Only if a person offers this prayer whole heartedly will the word Rabbana be uttered in its true sense. Furthermore, according to the Promised Messiahas, the word Rabbana cannot be said until there is a state of true anguish and fervour. The Promised Messiahas states: “The fact of the matter is that a person creates multiple gods for themself. They have utmost faith in their schemes and deceptions, as those are their gods. If they are proud of their knowledge or power then that is their god. If they are proud of their beauty or wealth then that is their god. In short, there are thousands of such gods which are attached to them. Until they do not forsake them all, bow their head before the One True Lord and fall at His threshold, supplicating the words of Rabbana, with true heart-wrenching emotions, they will not be able to understand the nature of the True Lord.” As I have mentioned that people do say that we supplicate the prayer Rabbana, however the true words of Rabbana are only expressed when one supplicates with the resonating sounds of anguish, that melt the heart, and when one knows full well that they are saying Rabbana, whilst addressing the One Supreme God, Who is their Lord. Only when this occurs one can understand their True Lord and can supplicate before Him. The Promised Messiahas further states: “When one accepts their sins and supplicates with true pain and fervour, and then addresses their Lord, ‘Rabbana i.e. O my Lord! You were in fact the True God! Yet out of my error
Vol. V, pp.188-189, 1985 UK) Hence, this is the state that the Promised Messiahas wishes to see within us that we prostrate sincerely before Allah the Exalted, worship Him and understand the purpose of our creation.
َّ ۡ ْ ََْ َو َما خلق ُت ال ِج َّن َو الْاِن َس ِالا ل َِی ْع ُب ُد ۡو ِن
“And I have not created the Jinn
When man keeps this purpose in view, they become true believers, and such people also obtain the pleasure of God Almighty through worldly blessings. One’s intellectual capabilities, physical strengths, and a good financial standing or modern inventions and
The Promised Messiahas states: “The fact of the matter is that a person creates multiple gods for themself. They have utmost faith in their schemes and deceptions, as those are their gods. If they are proud of their knowledge or power then that is their god. If they are proud of their beauty or wealth then that is their god. In short, there are thousands of such gods which are attached to them. Until they do not forsake them all, bow their head before the One True Lord and fall at His threshold, supplicating the words of Rabbana, with true heart-wrenching emotions, they will not be able to understand the nature of the True Lord.” When we fulfil our obligation to our Lord and call Him in this manner, then we shall attain the bounties of the world and of the Hereafter. In fact, one seeks the blessings of this world in order to attain the blessings of the Hereafter, such as good health so that one can worship God Almighty. Health is a worldly blessing and ought to be counted amongst the goods of this world, if one has good health then accordingly they can worship God Almighty. If one has wealth then they can make sacrifices for the sake of their religion and be granted the opportunity to serve the creation of God. Therefore, we must always keep
The Promised Messiahas further states:
“When one accepts their sins and supplicates with true pain and fervour, and then addresses their Lord, ‘Rabbana i.e. O my Lord! You were in fact the True God! Yet out of my error I wandered away from You, but now I have abandoned those false gods and I sincerely proclaim your Providence and come to Your threshold.’” I wandered away from You, but now I have abandoned those false gods and I sincerely proclaim your Providence and come to Your threshold.’” (Malfuzat
efforts when we fulfil the objectives of our being, in accordance with the commandments of God Almighty. In this regard God Almighty states:
in mind this important principal. I mentioned earlier about fulfilling our obligation of worship. We ought to remember that we can only make such
and the men but that they may worship Me.” [Surah Al-Dhariyat: V. 57] Thus, when we ponder over the commandments of Allah the Exalted one after the other, [we come to know that] each one of them draws our attention towards remembering God Almighty. Your worldly pursuits ought not to make you heedless to the remembrance of Allah, nor should your aim be to only fulfil your worldly desires and attain this life. Regarding this the Promised Messiahas states in one place, “Allah the Exalted says, ‘I have only created the Jinn and the men so that they may recognise Me and worship me.’ So in light of this verse the true purpose of man’s life is to worship God Almighty, understand Him and to become His.” The Promised Messiahas further says, “It is evident that man is not in the position to decide the purpose of his own life, for he does not come into this world by choice, nor will he depart therefrom of his own accord. In reality he is a creation. The One Who created him and granted him greater and loftier faculties than all other creation, (i.e. in comparison to other creatures He created man as the noblest of all creatures and granted him greater faculties) can be the One Who declares the purpose of His creation. Whether someone understands this or not, there is no doubt that the purpose of man’s creations is to worship God Almighty, attain His understanding and to lose himself completely in His being.” (Islami Usul Ki Filasafi, Ruhani Khazain Vol. 10, p. 414)
worldly grandeur should not make us oblivious to the purpose of our creation. One’s health, intellectual ability or the attraction of worldly objects around us should not overpower us to the extent that we abandon the purpose of our creation. As I stated earlier, the majority of Ahmadis migrated to this part of the world due to their faith; due to the religious restrictions imposed on them in their country. Hence, this should always be kept in mind. Ahmadis proclaim that after a sustained period of darkness, the radiant Sun of Islam was to rise again in the era of the Promised Messiahas in accordance with the prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa. This Sun would bring the hearts of Muslims out of darkness into the light of the true teachings. It would bring them towards true Islamic teachings which are pure from innovation and the Sun was to inform the non-Muslims also about the beautiful teachings of Islam. It is the duty of every Ahmadi after migrating here that they ought to strive and fulfil this important obligation. Ahmadis everywhere should inform others in their surroundings about the true Islam. The morals and standards of worship of every Ahmadi should be such that it should attract the attention of others. Where such things will distinguish Ahmadis from others, it will also be a source of propagating the message to the locals. There is a need for every Ahmadi to first understand the purpose of their creation and then convey it to others and direct their
10 attention towards it. We must acquaint the world with the fact that the purpose of worldly blessings conferred by God Almighty is not to take one away from Him, rather, these blessings are here to draw us closer to Him. Hence, such blessings should be utilized in moderation. If one transgresses beyond this they head towards destruction. Four or five years ago, the world did not envisage the fact that it was heading towards destruction, or was not ready to admit this fact. However today the situation is completely different. The main cause of this is because they think that the progress of the Western nations will save them, and they will be able to recover from any possible loss. Those who think in such a manner are wrong. When there is destruction as a result of war, the well-established governments initially aim to recover from the adverse effects. The countries that are not as established, some of which are European countries, may experience even worse conditions. Hence, Ahmadis everywhere should make worldly provisions and more importantly focus their attention towards gaining the pleasure of Allah the Almighty through prayers. It is only the Grace of Allah the Exalted that can save the world from destruction and in order to absorb His blessings there is a need to follow all the directives that He has instructed. Only through
Friday May 4 2018 | AL HAKAM prostrating before Him can we please Him. Every Ahmadi ought to remember that simply believing in the Promised
it is essential to make an effort towards fulfilling the true purpose of the Bai’at.” What is its true purpose? The Promised
Thus, when we ponder over the commandments of Allah the Exalted one after the other, [we come to know that] each one of them draws our attention towards remembering God Almighty. Your worldly pursuits ought not to make you heedless to the remembrance of Allah, nor should your aim be to only fulfil your worldly desires and attain this life. Messiahas is not enough to enable them to acquire the rewards of this world and the Hereafter, nor can it save them from the punishment of the Hellfire. In fact, by accepting the Promised Messiahas it places an even greater responsibility to fashion our lives according to the pleasure of God Almighty. The Promised Messiahas states: “Remember that simply doing the Bai’at [oath of allegiance] is of no benefit; God Almighty is not pleased with this practise until one does not adhere to the true essence of Bai’at. Until then this Bai’at is merely a ritual. Therefore,
Messiahas explains, “It is to adopt righteousness and to carefully recite the Holy Quran, and deeply ponder over it, and then act according to its teachings as it has always been the practise of God Almighty that He is not pleased by mere speech and verbal utterance. In fact, in order to attain the pleasure of God Almighty it is essential to adhere to the commandments of God Almighty, and to refrain from that which He forbids.” One should refrain from that which God has prohibited. “This is evidently clear because we observe that even man is simply not pleased with mere words,
rather he too is joyful with actual service rendered towards him.” The Promised Messiahas then says: “The difference between a truthful and dishonest Muslim is that the dishonest only conjures plans but does not fulfil them. In comparison, a truthful Muslim sees any plan to fruition rather than making mere statements. Thus, when Allah the Exalted sees that His servant is worshipping Him for His sake and is benevolent towards His creation, at that moment He sends down His angels, thereby making a distinction between a true and a false Muslim, in accordance with His promise.” (Malfuzat Vol. VI, pp. 404405, 1985 UK) Therefore, it is vital for every single one of us to strive and become a true Muslim. One should derive benefit from the fruits and blessings of this world in a manner that one becomes the heir to the blessings of the Hereafter. We ought to fulfil our rights of worship to Allah. Since we have been forced to leave our countries due to our faith, whilst settling here we should strive to act on the teachings of our faith. May Allah enable every single one of us to achieve this purpose.
Translated by The Review of Religions.
___________ _______
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Friday May 4 2018 | AL HAKAM Continued from page 12
pages, too, I found a few inaccuracies, and I should have liked to see a reference to Damman’s paper on the Swahili translation of the Quran…” Schacht’s review is remarkable as it was not only written by a contemporary of Fisher at around the same time as the book came out, but also for the fact that he seems to have first-hand knowledge of the situation in West Africa. He has brilliantly highlighted the discrepancies in Fisher’s account by way of knowledge, research and personal experience. With five decades having passed since this work was published, Fisher’s claims regarding the life-expectancy of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat on the West African coast need to be assessed against tangible, demonstrative evidence. I wouldn’t want to counter bias with my own opinion as that too could be classed as a bias by many, so I present here a thoroughly researched work by an established academic of the Indiana University, Professor John H Hanson. His book, The Ahmadiyya in the Gold Coast is a marvellous piece of research, and the entirety of it is worth a read. Let’s see how Hanson’s work answers the question posed by Fisher. Summing up the 287 pages of thorough research, Hanson opines:
The in-depth analysis of the Ahmadiyya missionary activity has led Hanson to conclude that the Ahmadiyya missionary activity in Ghana “is rooted, as all Ahmadi missionary efforts have been from the start, on the active support and assistance of lay Ghanaian Ahmadi Muslims who volunteer time and make regular financial contributions to the Ahmadiyya.” No work on the Ahmadiyya presence in West Africa today can be complete without acknowledging the contribution of the Ahmadiyya in the fields of education and public health. Hanson states: “The provision of education remains a primary Ahmadiyya activity. The increasing number of residential Pakistani missionaries after the Second World War supported this effort, but over time Ghanaian Ahmadi Muslims have assumed positions at these schools as teachers and headmasters. Currently the Ahmadiyya runs 85 preschools, 124 primary schools, and 51 junior secondary schools in Ghana. These schools are open to students of all religious backgrounds. Operating in partnership with the Ghanaian government, many schools are in underserved rural areas.”
Staff and students of T I Ahmadiyya School Saltpond, Ghana bidding farewell to Governor of Gold Coast, 1928
“Maulvi Wahab [long-time serving President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Ghana] brought Ghanaian sensibilities to his leadership, such as mirroring the efforts of the early era and relying on lay missionaries: he sent them into regions of Ghana where no Ahmadiyya presence had been established, and they successfully increased membership significantly.” Hanson goes on to narrate how the Ahmadiyya in Ghana have “grasped the possibilities of new media and made inroads with broadcasts on Ghanaian public television”. “Maulvi bin Salih [now President of the Ahmadiyya in Ghana], as regional missionary in the 1980s, spearheaded efforts to expand the movement into Burkina Faso…”
Hanson, very rightly so, gives credit of the current stature of Ghanaian branch of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat to “the ties Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the current successor, forged when he was a missionary in Ghana”. The remarkable services of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in public healthcare are duly credited by Hanson. “The Ahmadiyya added the provision of health care into its local operations. With funds from the global community, the Ahmadiyya in Ghana has established seven hospitals, all accredited by the Ghanian government. Most are staffed by Ahmadi medical missionaries from South Asia, but a few Ghanaian Muslim physicians have served, and scores more worked as other medical staff. Other initiatives
Letters to the Editor A Personal Need
First Missionary to Africa – Maulvi Abdur Rahim Nayyar Sahib
of Ahmadiyya include homeopathic medicine; the movement opened a clinic in Kumasi, the first homeopathic clinic run by the Ahmadiyya anywhere in the world, to produce medicines and to train homeopathic doctors. Herbal medicine also is promoted by Ghanaian Ahmadi Muslims who produce and sell herbal compounds to address a range of illnesses. The combination of biomedical, homeopathic, and herbal approaches to healing is a distinctive medical presence and widens access to a broad range of users, both Ahmadi Muslims and others.” Supported by a detailed analysis of the past and present of the Ahmadiyya in West Africa, first-hand experience and the evidence now available, Hanson responds to the prejudice of Fisher and his likes in a very appropriate manner. “The postwar expansion of Ahmadi missionaries from South Asia led Humphrey Fisher to stress external control of the movement in West Africa and J Spencer Trimingham to argue that the Ahmadiya was a ‘maritime implantation’ in West Africa. Both Trimingham and Fisher allowed the changes of the mid-twentieth century to obscure their view of African initiative in the movement’s genesis in the West Africa.” If I was to be asked to give a oneliner about Hanson’s book, I would, fully agreeing, quote Hanson again: “This book contends that the arrival and consolidation of the Ahmadiyya in the Gold Coast was a culmination of African efforts to establish a Muslim community.” Staying within the scope of his title, Hanson’s magnificent work covers only Ghana. The story of the unequivocal growth of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat is equally inspiring in all of West Africa, as is in the rest of the world; it just needs to be told. ___________ _______
Dear Staff, Assalamo Alaikum I would like to register my immense gratitude and appreciation for The Weekly Al Hakam which has served a great personal need giving me an English medium periodical of a high academic standard which also translates many hidden treasures otherwise locked in Urdu. We also get a great playby-play summary of Huzoor’s recent sojourns and even some conversations, like his reflections on the demise of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh and on his blessed calling to the same office. Though I serve as a officer in my Jamaat and Majlis, this appreciation letter I send in my individual capacity. Thank you! Wassalam Bilal Rana Houston, Texas
Sharing Options for App Dear Al Hakam Team, It will be great to have sharing options on Al Hakam articles. Sharing options are a common functionality available on almost all news platforms. If you can make this functionality to help us share news items on Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, that would be great. Jazakumullah Wassalam Dr Rehan Masroor Dear Respected Dr Rehan Masroor Sahib Assalamo Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Jazakumullah for your email. Your feedback has been taken onboard and we will Insha-Allah be looking into this. Jazakumullah for sharing your thoughts with us. Wassalam Al Hakam Correspondence Desk (By including this letter, we wish to inform readers that we have received your requests and are working towards making this facility available Insha-Allah. Once achieved, we will inform our readers. Follow us on Twitter @alhakamweekly and get the latest updates.)
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Friday May 4 2018 | AL HAKAM
Book Intro
Standing the Test of Time Comparing the works of Humphrey J. Fisher & John H. Hanson Asif M Basit Humphrey J Fisher wrote a book titled Ahmadiyyah: a study in contemporary Islam on the West African coast. It was published by the Oxford University Press, London in 1963. From an established scholar, one would expect a work of research that is unbiased. This work, unfortunately, seems full of bias and prejudice, which I yet see as unfounded. Fifty-five years on, it is awe-inspiring to see how time can lay prejudices and biases bare, even if they were wrapped in academic diction and style. Now, with demonstrative proof at hand, it is about time that the work of Humphrey J Fisher is called to the dock before the court of history. Not much needs to be said about the book as the “Conclusion” at the end says a great deal about it. Fisher, concluding his research, asks a question, “Is it possible to estimate the future of Ahmadiyyah in West Africa?” He then goes on to answer it himself by stating, “The future is therefore not secure for Ahmadiyyah. A careful assessment of the realities should guide policy. It is exactly such an assessment which, by reason of their strong propagandist bias, Ahmadis are likely to have great
difficulty in making. By too great a profusion of unjustified claims, the directors of Ahmadiyyah blind themselves to the true needs of their position, and weaken their argument in the minds of their hearers, for the West African is as shrewd as another in discerning disparity between vaunt and achievement.” Before running a comparison between what Fisher predicted and what actually happened over the course of the last half-a-century, let us read how contemporary academia, who stood to uphold the values of academic research, viewed this work by Fisher. Joseph Schacht, the British-German professor of Islamic studies at Columbia University, reviewed the work for the Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies in 1964. I present here some passages from the two-column, one-page review: “I have, however, some reservations to make... Firstly: Mr Fisher is, of course, aware of the differences which divide the two branches of the Ahmadiyya, the Qadian branch and the Lahore branch, but I do not find a clear distinction made in the book…
File
“I cannot accept some of Mr Fisher’s statements and assumptions, e.g. his assumption that the first aim of orthodox West African islam should be ‘gradual growth within a pagan setting’, as opposed to the ‘reforming energies’ of the Ahmadiyya (p. X); several of his explicit or implied assertions as to the teaching of orthodox Islam as opposed to the doctrine of the Ahmadiyya (pp. 35 ff); or his apparent lack of understanding of the issue involved in the teaching of the so-called Quranic People (p. 92)… “I also regret that the spread of Ahmadiyya is not set more against the background of the spread of ‘orthodox’ Islam; it comes as a surprise to read on p. 97, without having been prepared for it in any way, that at a certain, not clearly identified period, the Muslims constituted ‘already nearly half of the
Lagos population’ (p. 97)… “My third reservation concerns the validity of Mr Fisher’s method of collecting information on the spot. It appears from Mr Fisher’s account that the effort of the Ahmadiyya in Sierra Leone has been practically unsuccessful (pp. 121-5) and, we must infer from other passages in his book, rejected by orthodox Muslims; now imam Abd alKarim Ghazali of Sierra Leone speaks highly of the Ahmadi mission which came to his country in 1945, whereas according to Mr Fisher, ‘it was about 1948 that Ahmadiyyah finally found a noticeable foothold in Freetown… but thus far progress has been very slow’. I merely state this difference. Appendix II (p. 191) is concerned with the Ahmadiyya in East Africa; in these two Continued on page 11
Khilafat Day Special 27 May 1908 saw God’s second manifestation for mankind after the Promised Messiahas. Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya was established to further flourish the mission of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas. Al Hakam’s 25 May issue will feature special articles that remind us of the importance and grandeur of Khilafat.
Editor: Qaasid Muin Ahmad | Design & Layout: Jalees Ahmad|© Al Hakam 2018