Preparations for Jalsa Salana UK
Iqamatus-Salat
Waqf-e-Nau MKA UK visit the Holy Land
71st Jalsa Salana USA 2019
(Observance of Prayer) Part III
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THE WEEKLY
www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 19 July 2019 | Issue LXX Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL. UK info@alhakam.org | F: +44(0)208 544 7673
43 Jalsa Salana Canada rd
Prime minister visits exhibitions, takes part in MTA discussion and addresses gathering at convention
Courtesy of AMJ Canada
Mukarram Nazeer Canada Correspondent
T
he 43rd Jalsa Salana Canada was held on 5-7 July 2019 at the International Centre, Mississauga, Ontario, where
thousands of devoted members of Jamaate-Ahmadiyya Canada, USA and other parts of the world joined to become recipients of the prayers of the Promised Messiahas.
One aspect that made this year’s Jalsa Salana Canada unique was the attendance of the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Continued on page 4
Hadith-e-Rasul – Sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
Who is a Muslim Hazrat Anas bin Malik, Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Whoever prays like us and faces our Qibla and eats our slaughtered animals is a Muslim and is under Allah’s and His Prophet’s protection. So do not betray Allah by betraying those who are in His protection.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Salat)
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words
The Promised Messiah’s place of advent As for the place of the Promised Messiah’s advent, it ought to be remembered that the emergence of the Anti-Christ has been foretold to take place from the East and this refers to our country. The author of Hujaj-ulKiramah writes that the disorder of the Anti-Christ is manifesting itself in India. And it is obvious that the Messiah must also appear in the same place that the Anti-Christ emerges. Then, it is narrated that the Messiah will appear in the village of Qad‘ah, which is short for “Qadian”. It is possible that in Yemen a village by this name exists, but one ought to remember that Yemen is not to the east of Hijaz, it is to the south. In fact, there is another Qadian, in the Punjab near Ludhiana as well. Furthermore, the name given to me by divine destiny and decree is also a subtle indication to this very fact. The numerical value of the letters in “Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani” equal 1300 exactly. In other words, the Imam whose name this is, was to come at the start of the fourteenth century. Hence, it is to this fact that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, alluded. (Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 50)
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Friday 19 July 2019 | AL HAKAM
Students of University of the Third Age visit Bradford mosque Dr Mohammed Iqbal
n 3 July 2019, 23 older students from Ilkley (West O Yorkshire) of the University of The Third Age visited the Al Mahdi Mosque, Bradford to learn about
Islam Ahmadiyyat. University of the Third Age is a learning co-operative of retired or semi-retired people, which enables members to share many educational, creative and leisure activities. A variety of subjects are available for study and the Ilkley U3A Group has a particular interest in the study of world religions. On arrival, the U3A guests were given a tour of the Al Mahdi Mosque and the open exhibition in the mosque. As the Ilkley Group was predominantly made up of women, they spent the first 20 minutes talking to Lajna members in the ladies prayer hall. Once the group had reconvened in the mosque, Dr Iqbal and Regional Missionary Mubarak Ahmed Basra Sahib provided a brief introduction to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The guests were then shown the full address of Hazrat Ameerul Momineen Khalifatul Masih Vaa delivered at the 2019 Peace Symposium. The guests were deeply impressed by this comprehensive address. Following this, a question and answer session was arranged where many interesting topics came up such as the five pillars of Islam, the total sects in Islam, why a negative image of Islam is seen all the time etc. All the guests were given copies of Huzoor’saa book World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace and the programme ended with an excellent meal. The U3A guests were very pleased with the visit and they were keen to invite our members to Ilkley for a follow-up meeting, Alhamdolillah.
24th National Ijtema Majlis Ansarullah Belgium 2019 Mohammad Arsalan Ahmad Belgium Correspondent
ajlis Ansarullah Belgium had the opportunity to M hold its 24 National Ijtema, on 22 and 23 June at Baitul Raheem Mosque, Alken. th
On Saturday, the programme started with the recitation of the Holy Quran and nazm. The session was presided by Anwar Hussain Sahib, acting Amir Jamaate-Ahmadiyya Belgium. The inaugural speech was given by respected NA Shameem Sahib, National Sadr Ansarullah Belgium, who explained the importance of obedience, which was the theme of the Ijtema this year. After the opening session, academic competitions took place. After lunch and Salat, Tahir Mahdi Sahib, Manager Al Fazl International gave a speech on the importance of reading Al Fazl. At 3pm, the Ansar brothers went for the sports competitions, where they showed a good level of sportsmanship. In the afternoon, the markazi representative, Abdul Khaliq Khalid Sahib, delivered a speech regarding the importance of obedience and personal observations of the acceptance of the prayers of Khulafa. The second day started with congregational Tahajud prayer and Fajr followed by Dars-ul-Quran. After breakfast, at 9am, sports competitions were held for the finals of volleyball, football, tug of war and badminton. Many Ansar, along with guests, were present to support the players. After Zuhr and Asr prayers, the remaining academic competitions were held, after which the closing session was held in which the winners were awarded. On the first day, the total presence was 150, and on the second day, the total attendance was 138 Ansar along with guests.
This Week in History 19 - 25 July
21 July 1916: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra delivered a Friday Sermon on the acceptance of prayers. Huzoorra continued this vast topic in his next Friday Sermon. 21 July 1938: While studying in England, Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmadrh departed for Egypt. He reached his destination on 28 July. 21 July 1957: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra delivered a historic address on the eve of Jalsa Salana 1956 about Khilafat and contemporary conspiracies with the aim to spread false information about this divine institution for the Muslim Ummah. On this date, a written exam was conducted about the points raised in the above-mentioned speech. Records show that 2,746 men and women took part in this important assessment. Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra distributed prizes amongst the highest performers. 22 July 1924: As the ship Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra had boarded en route to Europe approached the port of Aden, on this date Huzoorra composed a heart touching message addressing Jamaat members. 22 July 1927: Disturbances and prevailing unrest due to the wide circulation of unwarranted articles and defaming publications against Islam and its Holy Foundersa have been discussed previously in this series. On this date, the Muslims of India held peaceful processions on the call of Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra to record their anger and displeasure upon the court verdict about Syed Dilawar Shah. This produced a unique example of national and mutual unity amongst the Muslims of that era. Moreover, a memorandum was prepared with the aim of conveying the sentiments of citizens to concerned authorities. Amazingly, this written petition bore signatures of nearly half a million Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. 22 July 1947: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was engaged in a journey towards Lahore where, under Sir Cyril Redcliff, a commission’s proceedings were underway for the demarcation of boundaries between two would-be countries i.e. India and Pakistan. Earlier, Huzoorra was receiving regular briefings about the unfolding events of the partition and now, in Lahore, he himself watched the session. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra showed great concern about this entire episode and his vision and foresight had prompted him to arrange precautionary measures on large scale for this upcoming, unprecedented and frightening situation for millions of Muslims. Huzoorra remained in Lahore until the end of July. 23 July 1933: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra called the attention of members of the Jamaat that for learning the Urdu language, deriving benefit from the books written by the Promised Messiahas was best and most efficient mode. 23 July 1936: A weekly paper commenced its
publication and circulation from Nairobi, Kenya under the supervision of Malik Ahmad Hussain Sahib. 23 July 1938: Two Christian missionaries from Spain and Belgium reached Qadian and had the honour of having audience with Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra. 24 July 1910: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira journeyed towards the city of Multan so he could record his witness in a law case in a government court. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira appointed Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra as the amir in his absence from Qadian. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira arrived back in Qadian on 26 July. 24 July 1953: Hazrat Sheikh Nayaz Muhammad passed away. He was a police inspector in Gujranwala. He accepted Ahmadiyyat in 1907. He was the son of the very police officer who conducted the search of the Promised Messiah’sas house in Qadian after the murder of Pandit Lekh Ram. 24 July 1959: Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Indonesia conducted its 10th Jalsa Salana, attended by 1,250 men and women. 25 July 1912: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira laid the foundation stone of a new building for Talim-ulIslam High School in Qadian. 25 July 1913: Hazrat Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sayalra reached England. He was appointed and sent there as a missionary by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira. 25 July 1924: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was an ardent lover of the Holy Founder of Islam, his Master, Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be on him. On this day, while traveling to Europe, when his ship approached the coast near Mecca, Huzoorra ascertained that his ship was cruising directly towards Baitullah in Mecca. Upon this blessed occasion, Huzoorra offered two rak‘at [units of prayer] of voluntary prayer in congregation with his entourage. During this time, Huzoorra remained engaged in fervent prayers. 25 July 1947: The Redcliff Line has been mentioned earlier; on this date, the Ahmadiyya Jamaat’s views were presented before the members of the boundary commission by Sheikh Bashir Ahmad Sahib. 25 to 31 July was fixed by the commission for the Muslim League to record their case. 25 July 1956: The Ahmadiyya Khilafat has been targeted by opponents since the first day, but on every occasion, the world witnesses God’s hand working to help and protect Khilafat and the Khalifatul Masih. In 1956, a similar conspiracy was hatched with the help of a man named Allah Rakha and his team. On this date, Al Fazl published a strong and resilient message of Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra to counter this plot. A series of messages by Huzoorra would be published in Al Fazl in the days to come (28, 30 and 31 July).
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Friday 19 July 2019 | AL HAKAM
Preparations for Jalsa Salana UK Mohammed Nasser Khan Afsar Jalsa Salana
Salana preparation is an ongoing JForalsa project that runs throughout the year. Jalsa Salana 2019, formal meetings and
planning commenced in January 2019 after approval of the organising committees by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. The Jalsa Salana Management Committee began to meet on a weekly basis to review red book points and settle contracts with marquee, lavatory, cabin, track and other supply contractors. To date, monthly reports have been presented to Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa and Huzooraa has graciously given us constant guidance regarding Jalsa Salana preparations. We have a 28-day period in which the whole Jalsa Salana site along with its infrastructure must be setup and then, after the Jalsa, dismantled. As such, there has been continuous work in progress at Hadeeqatul Mahdi since our 28-day time frame started. Marquees are being marked out and set up, Khuddam are volunteering for waqare-amal, our stores are being stocked and specialist teams (such as the electrical team) consisting of Jamaat members are setting up their various departments. The air-conditioning system that was set up last year within the Jalsa Gahs, with the permission and instruction of Huzooraa, will
be installed this year as well, aiding in case of high temperatures. This year, with our new Markaz in Islamabad, there is a whole new setup and extensive planning has gone into catering for the scores of guests expected at Islamabad. They will certainly come to the new Markaz to meet Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa, offer prayers behind him and pray at Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV’srh resting place. Therefore, new marquees, guest areas, scanning stations, prayer overflow and a langar area are being set up at Islamabad. A distinct feature of Jalsa Salana UK is of course the fresh rotis (flat breads) that are made on site for the guests of the Promised Messiahas. Accordingly, the over-hauling of our roti plant in Hadeeqatul Mahdi has started to ensure quality when Jalsa Salana arrives. The work is increasing daily as we approach Jalsa Salana and we are witnessing volunteers arriving from across the UK. In fact, volunteers from the USA and Canada will also be arriving to assist in the Jalsa build-up, Insha-Allah. All readers of Al Hakam are humbly requested to pray so that we can serve the guests of the Promised Messiahas and work in the manner that beloved Huzooraa expects of us. May Allah cover our shortcomings and bless our efforts. Amin.
Friday 19 July 2019 | AL HAKAM
4 Regarding his thoughts and views on Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, he said: “Your leadership, as I told, His Holiness, is really important in this world at this time … Having had the opportunity to sit down a few times now with His Holiness and to hear his deep commitment to the world, not just to the Ahmadiyya Community, but to seeing more peace and more openness and more love throughout the world is truly astonishing and encouraging. “This Ahmadiyya message of ‘Love for all, hatred for none’ is one of those things that we need a lot more of in the world. And his efforts, whether it’s reaching out to global leadership, or inspiring and challenging Ahmadiyya Muslims to keep stepping up and keep pushing to respond when communities are facing hardship, when there are disasters or incidents or when people just take note of, in their everyday lives, trying to be positive forces Continued from page 1and positive actors in their communities. That is an important thing and it’s a Trudeau, who visited on the last day. Speaking to Al Hakam about the difficult message to be leading with in the attendance of the Canadian prime minister world today … The work His Holiness is at Jalsa Salana, Asif Khan Sahib, Secretary doing, and indeed the entire Ahmadiyya Community, is an inspiration to us all.” External Affairs said: When asked about his message for the “About four years ago, the prime minister had promised to return as the youth, the prime minister said: “I think one of the things that we’ve seen prime minister. This was the last year for him to potentially keep this promise as the around the world is a sort of disengagement; a cynicism or a skepticism about not just election is coming up in October.” Explaining the purpose of his visit, Asif politics, but about our institutions and their ability to solve some of the challenges that Khan Sahib said: “The purpose of the visit was to mainly people are facing … Be involved in your address the audience and, of course, to pay community, be involved in politics, be tribute to the efforts of the Jamaat. As well involved in various initiatives that you feel as speaking to the gathering, the prime can make a difference in the world … “It’s very easy for individuals, minister was shown various exhibitions, for example Humanity First, the Quran particularly young people, to say, ‘But I’m exhibition, Muslims for Remembrance and only one voice. What can I do to change my the Pathway to Peace exhibition. He also community?’ Well, the opportunities to step met with members of the national amila up, the opportunities to make a difference are absolutely essential and they are there. and Lajna media team members. “The prime minister arrived at around So, anything I can do to encourage more 2:30pm and spent almost 3 hours with us. people to look at the world around them Before taking to the stage, he was invited and see how they can help, how they can to the MTA International studios where I serve, how they can build a better future in an active way, regardless of your age, conducted a short discussion with him.” During the discussion for MTA, whilst regardless of your background, it makes it easier for all of us to succeed.” discussing unity, the prime minister said: The prime minister also spoke about “It is easy to scare people, it is easy to the persecution of Ahmadis, and while divide people; it is harder to bring people together. Only when all of us, who believe addressing religiously persecuted members in a better future, stand strongly together, of the Jamaat, he said: “My message is to stay strong and will we be able to build that better future.”
Courtesy of AMJ Canada
rooted in faith and in the conviction that the world is filled with goodness and we need to continue to contribute to it and we need to continue to build towards it.” Speaking about the significance of the prime minister’s visit and what he had to say to the Canadian Jamaat, Asif Khan Sahib said: “I feel it speaks volumes that the prime minister actively participated in Jalsa Salana in this way. He simply could have said that he would only address the audience. However, when informed of the various exhibitions, he keenly expressed his desire to view them. He was particularly impressed by the bullet
points mentioned in the Pathway to Peace exhibition and said that he was very much looking forward to reading the book World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace.” The first day of this year’s Jalsa started on Friday, 5 July with the recording of the Friday Sermon delivered by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa at Jalsa Salana Germany. A brief Friday Sermon was then delivered locally by Naib Amir, Hadi Ali Chaudhry Sahib followed by Jumuah prayers. Lunch was served to all guests of the Promised Messiahas. An interactive session with various media representatives during a press conference was a key highlight of the day. Additional Nazir Islah-o-Irshad & Dawat Ilallah and Mufti-e-Silsila Ahmadiyya, Mubashar Ahmad Kahlon Sahib, along with National Amir Canada, Lal Khan Malik Sahib, answered questions presented by media representatives. Just outside the men’s hall in the plus 30 degree Celsius summer heat of July, Liwa-e-Ahmadiyyat was raised beside the Canadian flag. Silent prayer was led by Markaz Representative, Mubashar Ahmad Kahlon Sahib. Back inside, the air-conditioning provided relief to the audience who listened to the recitation of the Holy Quran with translation, which signalled the start of the First Session. Three Khuddam presented a beautiful and harmonious tarana (choral poem) on Khilafat. National Amir Jamaat Canada, Lal Khan Malik Sahib spoke to the attendees on “Turning Fear into Peace”, which was delivered in both English and Urdu. A beautiful poem with English
translation came next followed by an interesting English speech on “Islam: The True Defender of Women’s Rights” delivered by Missionary Vaughan, Imtiaz Ahmad Sra Sahib. Some announcements and a dinner wrapped up the first session of Jalsa Salana Canada. Jamaat members socialised and enjoyed food, tea, the Bazaar, the bookstore and a exhibition. Volunteers provided excellent assistance in security, parking, first aid, translation, transportation, food preparation, registration, water supply and many more departments. All the Greater Toronto Area mosques
Courtesy of AMJ Canada
and Salat centres held daily congregational Maghrib and Isha prayers for all members. In the darkness of another warm summer morning, pre-dawn Tahajud and Fajr prayers followed by dars were held at all mosques and Salat centres around the Greater Toronto Area. The Second Session of Jalsa Salana Canada started with the recitation of the Holy Quran and translation. A comforting poem with translation was presented before a presentation on “Faith Inspiring Stories of Ahmadi Martyrs in the Era of Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih II, may Allah be pleased with him” by Mohtamim Umur-e-Tulaba, Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Canada, Ahmed Bazid Sahi Sahib. Missionary Peace Village, Attaul Mannan Sahib explained how to give priority to faith over worldly things in his speech, “Experiencing God in a Materialistic World”. The annual award of Alam-e-Inami Majlis Ansarullah Canada was presented to Emery Village Weston Region. Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Scarborough South was recognised with the Alam-eInami Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Canada and Majlis Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya Saskatoon North took the top prize of “Alam-e-Inami Majlis Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya Canada”. Various high achieving students received academic achievement awards followed by awards to four dedicated young Huffaz (sing. Hafiz – person who commits the entire Quran to memory) who graduated from the Hifz-ul-Quran School Canada, memorising the entire Quran in a
Friday 19 July 2019 | AL HAKAM total period between 2-4 years. Winners of Alam-e-Inami Majlis Ansarullah Canada, Emery Village Weston Region Winners of Alam-e-Inami Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Canada, Scarborough South Region Over 6,000 kilometres away at Jalsa Salana Germany, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah strengthen his hand, had addressed the ladies and the recording of that address was shown at Jalsa Salana Canada. Traditional announcements and lunch service for all attendees brought the Second Session to a close. After congregational Zuhr and Asr prayers at the Jalsa Gah, the Third Session of Jalsa Salana Canad initiated with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by a beautiful poem with translation. Mubashar Ahmad Kahlon Sahib of Rabwah delivered a heart-warming speech titled, “Goodness Lies in Coming Unto Me With Sincerity”. A well known and respected former Federal Cabinet member and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Lloyd Axworthy was the recipient of the 8th Annual Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan Award for Distinguished Public Service. The programme shifted focus back to Germany with the recorded address of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa to the German Guests at Jalsa Salana Germany earlier that day. After the speech, many familiar faces among the distinguished guests were invited to the stage to present some personal thoughts on Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Canada. The Prime Minister of Canada, Mr Justin Trudeau was among the many friends of the Canadian Jamaat who spoke from the podium. Various announcements concluded the Third Session and Jamaat members along with guests made their way to the food area to benefit from the Langar Khana of the Promised Messiahas. Many members left the Jalsa Gah and quickly gathered for congregational Maghrib and Isha prayers at nearby mosques and Salat centres to add to the spiritual blessings of the day. Many members also woke up early on the warm, pre-dawn morning to offer Tahajud and Fajr prayers and listen to a dars at one of the many mosques and Salat centres around the Greater Toronto Area. It was an early start to Day 3 of Jalsa Salana Canada as the Fourth and Final Session began with a traditional breakfast service at the Jalsa Gah. Thousands of members and guests prepared for the live broadcast of the International Ba‘iat ceremony with Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa from Jalsa Salana Germany. The audience at both Jalsas repeated the words of Ba’ait after Huzooraa in unison. A powerful concluding address was then delivered by Syedna Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa to conclude both Jalsas at the same time. Many members embraced each other and gave thanks for another successful Jalsa Salana in both countries. The final lunch of Jalsa Salana Canada was followed by congregational Zuhr and Asr prayers. Huzooraa announced the total Jalsa Salana Canada attendance as 18,572, which included 900 guests and over 1000 Jamaat volunteers, by the grace and blessings of Allah.
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71st Jalsa Salana USA 2019
Courtesy of Al Islam
and again reminded us that those who are on duty must offer their prayers in congregation. If someone is unable to offer Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA, 12-14 July: the prayers with the main congregation, On Thursday, 11 July 2019, the inspection then they must offer it in congregation with for the 71st Jalsa Salana USA officially began. other such volunteers later on.” This year’s Jalsa Salana was held at the Then addressing the Ziafat (kitchen) Farm Show Complex, located in the heart needs, Amir Sahib said: of Harrisburg, the capital city of the state of “In previous years, our Ziafat department Pennsylvania. has had food shortage due to which not all The Jalsa inspection began at 7:40pm the guests at Jalsa Salana were served. Ziafat with Amir Jamaat USA, Sahibzada Dr Mirza department should do their best to address Maghfoor Ahmad Sahib passing through this issue so that food is prepared in enough the security gates. quantities so that every single guest of the After the initial security inspection and Promised Messiahas is served in the best visit to various departments, Amir Sahib possible manner.” addressed the volunteers of Jalsa Salana At the end, Amir sahib led everyone in USA. silent prayer. Recitation of the Holy Quran was Around 500 volunteers, including men, presented by Imam Faheem Arshad Sahib of women and children were present at the Phoenix, Arizona, after which Amir Sahib Jalsa Salana inspection. addressed the volunteers of this year’s Jalsa. 99 years ago, when Hazrat Mufti In his remarks, Amir Sahib reminded Muhammad Sadiqra was not permitted to the volunteers: enter the country upon his arrival in the “Every year, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, USA, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra addressed may Allah be his Helper, addresses the the Jamaat and stated: volunteers of Jalsa and reminds them of “America, which claims to be a world their responsibilities. Those are the real power, has only faced worldly powers until guidelines for us all to abide by. We should now and has defeated them. However, it has all remember that each and every guest at not faced a religious power until today. If it the Jalsa Salana is in reality the guest of the ever faces this community, it will realise that Promised Messiahas and as such, must be it cannot defeat us because God is with us … treated with the utmost respect that they It is our hope that one day in America, the rightfully deserve. sound of “La ilaha illallahu Muhammadur“It was observed that some volunteers Rasulullah” will most definitely echo”. lost their temper in previous years while on [Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 4, pp. 250-251] duty. This is not an acceptable behaviour. Alhamdolillah, a testament to that We must never lose our temper, come what historic day once again dawned on us on may. Similarly, the badges that we all wear a beautiful Friday morning in Harrisburg, should serve as a constant reminder that we USA. Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya USA celebrated are servants of the Jamaat and must obey its 71st historic Jalsa Salana. the nizam while treating everyone alike with This momentous day began with the kindness and compassion. observance of Tahajud prayer followed “Keep an observant eye on your by Fajr at the Hadi Mosque in Harrisburg surroundings as that is the best form along with all the hotels where guests of the of security. Huzoor-e-Anwaraa has time Promised Messiahas stayed this year. Then,
Faran Rabbani Al Hakam Correspondent
a few hours later, the live Friday Sermon of Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa was listened to and soon after, everyone started making their way to the Jalsa Gah. This year’s Jalsa Salana had an amazing pictorial exhibition on Khilafat-eAhmadiyya in Islam, capturing the history of Khilafat and the various visits by Khulafa to the United States over the span of several decades. Similarly, a book store, a tabligh booth with its own exhibition, multiple booths for The Review of Religions magazine, a Humanity First exhibition, multiple food halls and multiple bazaars were also set up for the guests of the Promised Messiahas. At 12pm, lunch was served to the guests of this year’s Jalsa Salana USA. At 2pm sharp, Azhar Hanif Sahib, Naib Amir and Missionary In-charge USA, presented the Friday Sermon based on the one of 1 January 1988 by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh highlighting the significance of Friday prayers in Islam and comparing it with the institution of Sabbath in Judeo-Christian scriptures. He mentioned the great service that the Promised Messiahas had rendered for the Muslim Ummah by petitioning the British government to grant Muslims a partial leave on Fridays so that they could participate in the Friday prayers. At 4:10pm, the flag hoisting ceremony took place at the entrance of the main Jalsa Gah, where the Liwa-e-Ahmadiyyat (flag of Ahmadiyyat) was raised high next to the American flag. This was followed by a short silent prayer. Everyone then proceeded to the Main Jalsa Gah where the opening session of the 71st Jalsa Salana USA began promptly at 4:30pm, which was presided by Amir Sahib. Message from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih After tilawat and nazm, Amir Jamaat USA, Sahibzada Dr Mirza Maghfoor Ahmad Sahib read out the message that Jamaat USA received from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa.
Friday 19 July 2019 | AL HAKAM
6 The message read: “Dear members of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat USA, Assalamo Alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. “By the grace of Allah, you have been granted the opportunity of convening another Jalsa Salana. As most of you are aware, one purpose of holding the Jalsa as has been explained by the Promised Messiahas is that the members of the Jamaat should gather together to advance their religious training and spirituality. Religious and spiritual matters should be the subjects of the Jalsa so those attending may develop a closer relationship with Allah and endeavour to increase in their spiritual status. “Similarly, another objective of the Jalsa is to promote love, affection, unity and compassion with the Jamaat. So, you should strive to adopt these values much more than before. Always remember and adhere to these principles. “Further, the purpose of the advent of the Promised Messiahas was to teach us that by fulfilling the obligations due to Allah, we would increase in piety. We are also required to fulfil the rights owed to others by following the commandments of Allah, that is to behave lovingly and with affection and cultivate better relationships with each other. Therefore, adhering to the teachings of the Promised Messiahas will prove a source of blessings for you in your tasks. Whereas such actions will be beneficial for your tarbiyat and keep you aright in your affairs, they will also prove blessed for you in your tabligh work and you will be able to convey the message in the best manner. “Another point you should always remember is that irrespective whether you are implementing a tabligh programme or a tarbiyat activity, or you are striving to improve your personal character, your efforts cannot succeed until you develop khashyatullah that is the fear of Allah. Once this is firmly established within you, you will then witness how Allah blesses your work and your efforts. “Your every endeavour should be independent of personal gain. The office-bearers are expected to fulfil their responsibilities by considering the service of Islam as a blessing. “This year in the Jamaat elections, some new and some serving office-bearers have been given the opportunity to serve the Jamaat. It is now your responsibility that you direct even more attention towards the service of religion. You are to forge ahead along and together with the other members of the Jamaat. “Similarly, the members of the Jamaat should realise that they are expected to dispel all thought of personal interest and offer their service purely for the sake of Allah, and in complete obedience to Nizame-Jamaat. As the relationship between the office-bearers and the general members of the Jamaat develops, your work will be blessed and you will be enabled to express your attachment to Khilafat genuinely with your hearts, and thereby you will be able to fulfil your pledge. If this is not the case, then your statements are empty words. “In this age, Allah has favoured us with the divine institution of Khilafat-eAhmadiyya and so to fulfil our obligations towards Khilafat, it is incumbent on the office-bearers and all other members of the Jamaat that they should deal with each
other affectionately and with love, and by cooperating with one another; they should become of those who strive for the success of the Jamaat. When all of you join and work together, then you will be considered among those who have truly entered the Jamaat of the Promised Messiahas and are most rightly fulfilling the obligations of your Bai‘at. “Allah Almighty sent the Promised Messiahas as the Imam of this age and servant of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. Only if we follow the teachings of the Promised Messiahas with sincere hearts and fulfil the requirements of our Bai‘at, can we consider ourselves to have fully exhibited our total allegiance to the Holy Prophetsa and his commandments. May Allah enable you to do so. Amin. “Yours Sincerely, [signed] Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V” This was followed by the first speech of the day’s session on the topic of “Al-Wali – the True Friend and Protector of Believers” presented by Omar Shaheed Sahib. In this speech, various anecdotes were mentioned that showed how Allah helps and protects those who truly believe in Him with all their heart and keep Allah as their ultimate friend. Next was another exhilarating speech on the topic of “Tazkirat-ul-Auliya – Narrations and Noble Qualities of the Friends of God” by Rizwan Khan Sahib. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra had mentioned that the “Companions had an ishqiyya [loving] temperament whereas the youth of today only have a philosophical temperament”. The speaker then illustrated various faith inspiring incidents from the lives of the blessed Companionsra and tabi‘een of the Holy Prophetsa as well as from the lives of the Companionsra of the Promised Messiahas exemplifying their expressions of love for these blessed personages. The third and the final speech of the day was presented by Dr Waseem Sayed Sahib on the topic of “The Tenth Condition of Bai‘at – Our Matchless Bond of Love With Khilafat”. Outlining the true purpose of our Bai‘at, the speaker quoted the Promised Messiahas where he stated that the system of Bai‘at had been instituted solely with the purpose of bringing together a large group of righteous people who should cast their own virtuous influence upon the world. The speech highlighted many practical examples through which an Ahmadi Muslim can enhance their relationship with Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa. The first day of Jalsa Salana USA ended with dinner, after which Maghrib and Isha prayers were offered in congregation. Day 2 of Jalsa Salana USA began with congregational Tahajud prayer followed by Fajr Salat and a brief dars at the Jalsa Gah and various hotels where the guests of the Promised Messiahas stayed. Prior to the morning session, fresh and warm breakfast was served at the Ziafat halls at the Jalsa Gah. The morning session was presided by Naib Amir Dr Hameedur Rahman Sahib, which began with a beautiful recitation of the Holy Quran and a nazm of the Promised Messiahas. After this, the first speech of the day was presented in Urdu by Haris Raja Sahib on the topic of “Survival of the Fittest – Living in the West Without Losing Faith”. Raja Sahib quoted Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira where he said that the biggest
problem of this day and age is materialism and this is why the Imam of our Jamaat, the Promised Messiahas added the proclamation, “I will give precedence to my faith over worldly matters”. After this, Raja Sahib shared many anecdotes from the stories of prophets from the Holy Quran. Raja Sahib also shared many faith-inspiring incidents from the lives of Ahmadi Muslims who are new to the USA but have not given up on their religious values and are being blessed by Allah in every sense of the word. The second speech of the morning session was on “Our ‘Ilah’ is One! – Demolishing Inner Idols That Hinder Sincere Belief ”. This speech was presented by Sahibzada Usman Latif Sahib. He presented the example of Hazrat Sahibzada Abdul Latif Sahib Shaheedra who laid down his life in order to set the example of true belief in Allah in this day and age. The following speech was on the topic of “The Modesty and Humility of Our Messengersa – How to Avoid Immoral Societal Trends”. This speech was presented by Abdul Hai Thomas Sahib who shared a detailed contrast between the concept of haya (modesty) and riya (showing off). He presented many faith inspiring incidents from the life of the Holy Prophetsa where his modesty prevailed over the societal ills. The blessed model of the Holy Prophetsa serves as a citadel of refuge for us in dire times when society is ridden with myriads of spiritual ills. The final speech of the morning session was presented by Imam Mahmood Kauser Sahib on “The Critical Need of Life Devotees to Spread the Light of Islam”. Imam Kauser presented the life of Hazrat Musabra bin Umair, the first life devotee for the sake of Islam. He shared many incidents from the lives of life devotees of the past and present who are known as stalwarts of Islam Ahmadiyyat. At the end, he shared the dire need that Islam Ahmadiyyat requires in this day and age from all of us and that is to come forward and present ourselves for the ultimate sacrifice to dedicate our entire lives for the sake of propagating our faith. At the end of the morning session, Humanity First USA recognised some of its volunteers for exceptional services that they had rendered in the service of humanity via different projects under the Humanity First USA flagship. The session concluded with lunch break followed by Zuhr and Asar prayers in
congregation. A special lunch with Amir Jamaat USA, Sahibzada Dr Mirza Maghfoor Ahmad Sahib was prepared for the dignitaries that had come to this year’s Jalsa USA. The notables included US congresswoman Norma Torres (D-California), Kurt J Werthmuller (Policy Analyst), US Commission on International Religious Freedom Blake Strayhorn, President Habitat for Humanity Durham Sue Henderson, Vice President of US & Canada, Habitat for Humanity International Hon Neftaly Aldana Herrera, Judge of Constitutional Court of Guatemala, Siddique Abou Bakr Wai (Ambassador of Sierra Leone to the US), Craig Considine (author and professor of sociology), Rice University Representative Andrew Lewis, Member Pennsylvania House of Representatives Bob DeSousa, Representative from Office of US Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa) and Rushan Abbas (Executive Director Campaign for Uyghurs). After Zuhr and Asr, lunch was served to the guests of the Promised Messiahas. The afternoon session started at 3:45pm and was presided by Naib Amir Dr Nasim Rehmatullah Sahib. In this session, there were two speeches; the first was presented by Mujeeb Ijaz Sahib on the topic of “Service to Humanity – A Fundamental Form of Divine Worship” and the second speech was presented by Rasheed Reno Sahib on the subject of “Compassion in a Time of Crisis”. The 2019 Ahmadiyya Muslim Humanitarian award’s recipient was Congresswoman Norma Torres of California. In her acceptance speech, she commented: “I want every immigrant to have the experience I had; to be welcomed into a loving community. I am so honoured to be here. I am grateful for this award and our friendship”. Another guest speaker, Hon Judge Neftaly Aldana Herrera of Guatemala, said: “I want to express my gratitude to this community for its commitment to serve humanity and create bonds based on love and peace and humanity. Nasir Hospital (Guatemala) is a hope for our community”. Miss Rushan Abbas, the Executive Director for the campaign for Uyghurs said: “The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has given us the most precious gift: the light of hope”. Special messages were received and presented at Jalsa Salana from Tom Wolf (Governor of Pennsylvania), Bob Casey (US
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Friday 19 July 2019 | AL HAKAM
Senator, D-Pa) and Eric Papensfuse (Mayor of Harrisburg). After the evening session ended, a special dinner was organised for tabligh guests which was presided by Amir Sahib along with Missionary In-charge Azhar Hanif Sahib. Various new converts to Islam Ahmadiyyat presented their motivating stories of how and what led to their conversion to Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam. One young new convert in the gathering was Alejandro Pino of Puerto Rico, who said, “I was in a spiritual search for something to satisfy my soul which I ended up finding in Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam”. A question and answer session was also held with tabligh guests and new converts where Azhar Hanif Sahib and Amir Sahib answered many questions from members of the audience. Azhar Hanif Sahib said, “Faith is part of the human family, our history, our daily experiences … We are blessed to have prophets to guide us to God”. The special dinner ended with Amir Sahib reading an excerpt from the writings of the Promised Messiahas on how to avoid
sin and attain nearness to God, followed by silent prayer. The second day of Jalsa Salana USA ended with Maghrib and Isha prayers at 8:40pm. Day 3 of Jalsa Salana USA also began with congregational Tahajud prayer followed by Fajr Salat and dars. Breakfast was served to the guests of Jalsa after which the closing session of the Jalsa began at 10am. The closing session was presided by Amir Jamaat USA, Sahibzada Dr Mirza Maghfoor Ahmad Sahib. The session began with tilawat of the Holy Quran by Salman Tariq Sahib and the recitation of a nazm written by the Promised Messiahas by Bilal Raja Sahib. The award for the best Majlis of Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya was announced thereafter. This year the “Alam-e-Inami” went to the South Virginia Majlis where Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa recently inaugurated the newly acquired Masroor Mosque in 2018. Next on the agenda were the educational awards for the men’s side who, over the
course this past year, acquired exceptional excellences in various educational fields. The same awards ceremony had taken place the day before on the ladies’ side for the ladies of the Jamaat. After the announcement of educational awards, the first speech of the closing session was presented by Dr Bilal Rana Sahib, National Secretary Umur-e-Ama on the subject of “A Crumbling Tradition – The Benefits and Blessings of Marrying While Young”. Dr Rana spoke about the ill effects of not marrying early in this day and age. He presented statistics to show that early marriage solidifies the bond of love between couples as they stick together through thick and thin. The second speech was on “From a Single Soul – Islam’s Response to the Rise of Racism” by Nasirullah Ahmad Sahib, National Secretary Waqf-e-Jadid. Nasirullah Ahmad Sahib discussed the history behind the racial and systematic oppression that the African American community has endured over the span of many centuries. Nasirullah Sahib further elaborated that systematic racism is still ongoing in America and the only way out of it is to adopt the pious teachings of the true Islam. Next was another faith-inspiring speech on the subject of “Loyalty to the Messengersa or Love of the World” by Naib Amir and National Tarbiyat Secretary, Dr Faheem Younus Qureshi Sahib. In his speech, Naib Amir Sahib mentioned the incident of the Battle of Uhud and the unmatched loyalty and bravery of Hazrat Abdullahra bin Jubayr who obeyed the command of the Holy Prophetsa even when 40 of his fellow archers left their critical positions. He further mentioned that although Hazrat Abdullahra bin Jubayr was martyred by the disbelievers, he did not die, rather he transcends in every era and that we need to become like Hazrat Abdullahra bin Jubayr who gave up his life and never disobeyed the Holy Prophetsa even for a single moment. The last speech of the Jalsa Salana USA
was by Missionary In-charge and Naib Amir, Azhar Hanif Sahib on the topic of “Zikr-e-Habib: Befriended by God as if One Chord of Two Bows”. Azhar Hanif Sahib mentioned that those who are friends of Allah are dear to Him and He blesses them in such a way that when they say something, Allah readily accepts their prayers and at times, certain actions are performed by them that serve as miracles and prophetic in nature. But among all such friends of Allah from among the prophets and otherwise, the one who enjoyed the highest and closest level of friendship with Allah was none other than the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. Azhar Hanif Sahib shared many examples from the life of the Holy Prophetsa to show his close relationship with Allah the Almighty. The Jalsa Salana came to its conclusion with the concluding remarks by Amir Sahib in which he mentioned that this year’s Jalsa Salana USA began with the message from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa which was read out to the audience. Amir Sahib then mentioned that the real test began now for everyone. We ought to not just remember what Huzooraa mentioned in his message, Amir Sahib added, but we must also act upon these words of our beloved. Amir Sahib presented a detailed analysis of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya USA and expressed his concern for the wellbeing of the youth specifically and everyone else in general. Amir Sahib shared the expectations the Promised Messiahas had of members of his Jamaat and urged everyone to pay heed to his teachings. Towards the end, Amir Sahib asked everyone to introspect and make the firm pledge to walk the path of righteousness. Amir Sahib then led everyone in silent prayer. The total attendance at this year’s Jalsa Salana, by the sheer grace and mercy of Allah, was 9,294, Alhamdolillah. Jalsa Salana USA ended on Sunday, 14 July with Zuhr and Asr prayers at 1:15pm.
Courtesy of Al Islam
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Friday 19 July 2019 | AL HAKAM Responding to Allegations
Prophecies of the Promised Messiahas – Part XV
Martyrs of the Plague “Beware that Allah the Almighty has not given the plague the name of mercy, so that the one who dies from it be considered a martyr. This age is full of threats. It has occurred as a sign. It would leave after distinguishing between a believer and a nonbeliever. Its name is [ رجزpunishment] and it has been called a torment in my revelation.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 2, p. 542 [1988 edition]) Highlighting the words of the Promised Messiahas from the above extract, “It [the plague] would leave after distinguishing between a believer and a non-believer”, the opponents of the Jamaat and the Promised Messiahas claim that the distinction between a believer and a non-believer was not established or witnessed during the plague epidemic. The opponents have not presented any proof or evidence to support their claim; a mere baseless objection. The devastatios caused by the plague in the Indian subcontinent and the way it vehemently destroyed villages and towns is recorded in history. In those circumstances, Ahmadi Muslims were greatly safeguarded by Allah the Almighty as compared to the opponents. If, God forbid, Ahmadi Muslims had been affected by the plague in large numbers at any place, opponents would have raised their voices and published this in countless newspapers of that time. However, we do not find any such incident where the opponents recognised the deaths of Ahmadi Muslims in large numbers which demonstrates that Ahmadis were in fact saved in greater numbers than those who opposed the founder of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. Moreover, the Promised Messiahas, along with nearly 80 members residing in his house, was safeguarded as per the promise of Allah the Almighty. Furthermore, the opponents have themselves admitted that there was a rise in the number of Ahmadis from 300,000 to 400,000 by March 1906. Instead of dying from the plague, Ahmadi Muslims increased. Hence, the distinction between a believer and a non-believer becomes evident from the course of events that took place during the outbreak of the plague. Opponents object to another saying of the Promised Messiahas in which he sheds light on the ranks of the Holy Prophet’ssa companions under the heading The Plague and Ahmadis. Once, a bigot Maulvi [Muslim cleric] asked the Promised Messiahas regarding the [handful of] Ahmadi casualties due to the plague and mockingly enquired about its cure. The Promised Messiahas responded by saying: “Have you [Maulvi Sahib] formulated a remedy [to refute] the sign of the solar and lunar eclipse as well? At present, there lies a discussion regarding the signs and not the cure. Surely, the one who accepts me with full sincerity will certainly be saved, but I do not know who that person is as I do not see beyond the hearts of anyone. A group of companions also embraced martyrdom due to the plague. However, you must observe that Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah
be pleased with them, did not pass away due to plague. God Almighty has made a distinction between His people, as he states: ْ َّْ َ ْ َ َْْ ٌ َُْ ْ ات ِ ف ِمن ُه ْم ظال ٌِم ل ِنف ِس ِه َو ِمن ُه ْم ّمقت ِص ٌد َو ِمن ُه ْم َس ِابق ِبالخي َر ‘And of them are some who suppress their desires, severely, and of them are some who excel others in acts of goodness’ (Surah al-Fatir, Ch.35: V.33).” (Malfuzat, Vol. 7, p. 141) Referring to the above extract, opponents assert that the founder of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat has rebuked the likes of Hazrat Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrahra and those companions who passed away due to plague, and that kufr (infidelity) or faith has nothing to do with the matter of falling victim to the plague. Allah the Almighty has declared the ranks of true believers in the Holy Quran. As it is stated: ْ َّْ َ ْ َ ّٰ ْ َْْ ٌ َُْ ْ ات ِب ِإذ ِن الل ِه ِ ف ِمن ُه ْم ظال ٌِم ل ِنف ِس ِه َو ِمن ٰ ُه ْم ّمقت ِص ٌد َو ِمن ُه َ ْم َس ِابق ِبالخي َر ْ َ ْ َ ْ َ ُ ُ ذل ِك هوَ الفض ُل الكب ير ِ “And of them are some who suppress their desires, severely, and of them are some who excel others in acts of goodness by Allah’s leave. And that indeed is the great distinction” (Surah al-Fatir, Ch.35: V.33). Likewise, Allah the Almighty has declared the ranks of righteous persons at another place in the Holy Quran: َ ّٰ ْ َ َّ َ َ ُ َ ّٰ ُّ ْ َ َ ْ َّ ّ الل َه َو الرَ ُسوْ َل ُفأولٰٓ ِئك َمع ال ِذيْ َن أن َع َم الل ُه ُ َعل ْي ِه ْم ِّم َن الن ِب ِّيي َن ومن يطِع ّ ً َ ْ َّ َ َ َ َ َ ْ ْ ّ ّ ِ َ الصال ِ ِحي َن ۚ َو َح ُس َن أولٰٓ ِئك َرفِ ْيقا الص ِديقِين والشهدا ِء و ِ و “And whoso obeys Allah and this Messenger of His shall be among those on whom Allah has bestowed His blessings, namely, the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs, and the Righteous. And excellent companions are these” (Surah al-Nisa, Ch.4: V.70). Hence, these verses highlight that Allah the Almighty has divided his near ones and spiritually adept in various ranks. Moreover, every holy person does not belong to a single group. There are different ranks according to their spiritual status and some may fall in one group while the others may possess an elevated status, becoming part of a spiritually higher ranked group. In the statement, mentioned by the opponents, the Promised Messiahas has discussed the two groups of the companions. Firstly, the group that comprised of Khulafae-Rashideen or the first four rightly guided successors of Islam and secondly, the group of all the other companions of the Holy Prophetsa. The Promised Messiahas has expounded that even though some companions embraced martyrdom through plague, but the Khulafa-e-Rashideen remained unharmed because they had prominence over the others in the eyes of Allah the Almighty. This explanation clarifies that the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat has not carried out that discourse in order to mock or rebuke any companion of the Holy Prophetsa. In fact the opponents have deliberately mentioned the name of Hazrat Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrahra to arouse the sentiments of
Muslims as they are emotionally attached with the Holy Prophetsa and his companions. Otherwise, the statement of the Promised Messiahas speaks for itself; he has not in any way reproached Hazrat Abu Ubaidah ibn alJarrahra. The statement of the Promised Messiahas pointed out by the opponents is dated 21 August 1904. He has addressed the same matter on various other occasions as well. He stated under the heading “Death From Plague”: “This objection of the opponents is wrong that why do people from our Jamaat pass away due to the plague. We have not prophesied at any time that every person who takes Bai‘at on our hand will be safeguarded from plague. However, we say that the most superior in rank [spiritually] do not die by contracting this type of disease … Plague spread in the era of Hazrat Umarra but was he affected by it? … The number of prophets who have appeared earlier is 124,000. Can anybody claim that even a single one among them died of plague? However, there is no doubt for sure that in the times of this disease, certain believers of [spiritually] lower rank contract plague but they are [considered] martyrs. Allah the Almighty covers their weaknesses and sins in the same way He did in the Jihads [holy wars which were fought to defend Islam] against the kuffar [infidels] by the Holy Prophetsa. Although there was a prophecy that only kuffar would be thrown in hell in those Jihads, but certain Muslims were also killed. However, the most prominent class of companions, i.e. the likes of Hazrat Abu Bakrra and Hazrat Umarra were not martyred and the Holy Prophetsa was not martyred as well. This shows that the most elevated group of people [spiritually] are not martyred in this way during a war. Similarly, if any individual from our Jamaat falls victim to the plague, then it will be a source of martyrdom for him and God Almighty shall reward him for it.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 9, pp. 283284) Citing the above mentioned extract of 5 May 1907, opponents suggest that the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat considered Hazrat Hamzara bin Abdul Muttalib, a martyr of Uhud, and Hazrat Hussainra, a martyr of Karbala, to be lower in rank than the other Companions. The opponents emphatically ask how those who were martyred could be lower in rank and those who survived be higher in status. Moreover, they assert that there is no such reference in the history Islam to support the supposed viewpoint of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat’s founder. Pondering over the saying of the Promised Messiahas, singled out by the opponents, we find that he has elucidated the same matter, as explained earlier, that Allah the Almighty has established a distinction between the spiritual ranks and status of His holy persons. The Promised Messiahas has again pointed out two groups and used the term “superior rank” or “superior status” for the first group and “lower rank” for the second group. Hence, he has by no means criticised or defamed any single companion of the Holy Prophetsa. We would like to point out for the knowledge of the readers that the statements of the Promised Messiahas under discussion have been taken from the reporting of various newspapers. The reporter published the sayings of the Promised Messiahas in accordance with the level and extent of
his comprehension. Hence, there lies a possibility of error and misunderstanding in these reports. In order to fully understand the perspective of the Promised Messiahas, his actual writings hold significant importance as they would clarify his stance on the matter under consideration. He states in his book Haqiqatul Wahi (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation) published on 15 May 1907: “Ever since the creation of this world, no Prophet of God has ever died of the plague. True, such believers who are not totally cleansed of sin, do sometimes contract the plague and die from it. This kind of death serves as an atonement for their sins and it is a kind of martyrdom, but nobody would have ever heard that, being Musa, someone contracted the plague. Only a person who is extremely wicked, filthy, and depraved could dare hold the belief that a Prophet or Vicegerent of God ever died of the plague. Therefore, if this kind of death by the plague had been a laudable type of martyrdom, upon which there could be no kind of criticism, then the Prophets and Messengers of God would have been the first to merit it. But as I have just stated, no one can prove that any Prophet or Messenger or a holy person of the highest order, who held the distinction of converse and discourse with God, ever suffered from this evil disease since the inception of the world and then died of it. On the contrary, the primary targets of this disease have, from the very beginning, been those very people who were guilty of a variety of sins and transgressions or who were disbelievers and faithless. Reason does not at all permit that Allah’s Prophets, Messengers, and recipients of His revelation should similarly suffer from the disease which God has prescribed to punish the disbelievers since the earliest of times. “The Torah, the Gospel, and the Holy Quran – all three unanimously declare that the plague has always been sent down to punish the disbelievers. Moreover, as is borne out by the revealed Scriptures and history, God has caused hundreds of thousands of disbelievers, transgressors, and wicked people to perish through this very plague from the very beginning. God is far above and beyond allowing His Elect to become victim of this chastisement together with the disbelievers, and allow His exalted Prophets to suffer the same chastisement from which thousands of evildoers have always been dying during the time of the Prophets.” (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation, pp. 682-683) The Promised Messiahas further states: “The Holy Quran and the Torah both testify that the plague symbolises the wrath of God. Believers of the highest class and the Elect of God like Prophets and Siddiqin [the Truthful] have never suffered from the plague. No one can prove that people belonging to this class ever contracted the plague, because it is a chastisement of God which comes down to punish the disbelievers and transgressors and those who go on committing sin. The Elect of God are never made to partake of it.”(The Philosophy of Divine Revelation, pp. 705-706)
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Friday 19 July 2019 | AL HAKAM
Waqf-eNau MKA UK visit the Holy Land Musharaf Ahmed Muavin Sadr MKA UK
rom 8 to 14 June 2019, 38 Waqifeen-eF Nau from various parts of the UK partook in a trip to the symbolic and historic land of Palestine and Israel. The purpose of this trip was to enable Waqifeen-e-Nau brothers to foster strong relationships with one another, as well as recognise the importance of the Waqf-e-Nau scheme and further develop
their religious and historical knowledge. The group travelled from London, Luton airport and arrived in Tel Aviv at approximately 9pm local time. From there, Waqifeen travelled by coach to the current headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the Middle East, Mahmood Mosque in Kababir, Haifa, where they stayed for the duration of their trip. They were received with a warm welcome and treated to excellent hospitality and care by the Kababir Jamaat that would remain as such till their final day. Here, I would like to mention that Haifa was also visited by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, Khalifatul Masih II, when he visited Europe in 1924. The first day consisted of a packed itinerary in Haifa. It began with a visit to one of the most popular destinations in Israel, the Bahai gardens. Next, the group visited the historical Al Istiqlal Mosque, the oldest Mosque in Haifa. The group were able to offer nawafil there and feelings of admiration for architectural significance of the site was felt. The home of Prophet Elijahas, in the steep hills of Mount Carmel, was the next destination for the group. This location is also believed to be where he once travelled to contest the claims of some certain false prophets during the time of his own prophethood. The group had the chance to stop here and also received a welcome address by Sadr Sahib Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya Palestine and later tucked in to a fantastic barbecue that had been arranged by the local Khuddam. The day ended with a sitting with Amir Sahib Kababir at Mahmood Mosque. Ameer Sahib covered a number of topics during his talk, including
a fascinating and inspirational account of Huzoor’saa election as Khalifatul Masih V, which, being a member of the election committee, he was able to witness firsthand. Day two was relatively relaxed in comparison. First, the Waqifeen-e-Nau spent a couple of hours near Carmel Beach. Here, they enjoyed soaking in the sun and participating in activities such as water volleyball in the Mediterranean Sea and beach football. Prior to departure, everyone took their chance to grab a customary icecream, as of course, a trip to the beach can never feel complete without it! Upon returning to the mosque, the group offered Zuhr prayers followed by a sitting with the missionary of Kababir for a discussion on the historical significance of the sites that they were to visit in the coming days. In the evening, Waqifeene-Nau participated in an indoor football competition that the Kababir Jamaat had specifically organised for them. After Tahajud and Fajr prayers and breakfast on day three, the Waqf-e-Nau prepared for their first trip to the West Bank, Palestine, accompanied by Amir Sahib. Following a three-hour journey south, their first stop was at the home of a recent Ahmadi convert where they were invited for breakfast before continuing on to Hebron. Here, they visited a mosque which houses the tombs of Hazrat Abrahamas, his wife Hazrat Sarahas, their son Hazrat Isaacas and his wife Hazrat Rebeccaas. This was followed by a visit to the tomb of Hazrat Jonahas shortly after, located in the nearby Nabi Younus Mosque. The next stop was Bethlehem where Waqifeen visited the Church of the Nativity. A holy site for Christians, the church gets its significance for being built over a cave which is commonly believed to be the location where Hazrat Maryas gave birth to Hazrat Jesusas and as such, is a place of great importance to Christians (and indeed those of other faiths) all over the world. After departing from Bethlehem, the Waqifeen-e-Nau embarked on a journey to what was perhaps the most significant destination of the trip to the land of the Prophets, the holy city of Jerusalem. A place of great significance to adherents of the main Abrahamic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – Waqifeen-e-Nau first visited the Dome of the Rock. After offering Zuhr and Asr prayers here, the group moved on to see the even more historic Al Aqsa Mosque which is situated in the same vicinity. Nearby, the Waqf-e-Nau also had
an opportunity to view a site of religious significance to the Jews, the Wailing Wall. They also visited the site of where Hazrat Jesusas was put on the cross. The group was also able to take in the famous atmosphere of the old city as they walked through the narrow-cobbled streets of Jerusalem and saw the old town markets brimming with merchants selling their products and food vendors with enticing displays of different and colourful cuisines. On the fourth day, Waqifeen returned to the West Bank accompanied by the missionary. This time they travelled along the Jordan border headed for the lowest point on Earth, the famous Dead Sea. On the way, the group stopped off at a few other interesting destinations such as the site on the Jordan River where Hazrat Jesusas is alleged to have been the recipient of the first baptism by John the Baptist. The group was able to see not only the significance of this sight but also the practice of the Christians to immerse themselves within the river as tribute to what happened there many centuries ago. They then travelled to the city of Jericho, which is recognised as being the oldest continuous inhabited settlement and dates back more than 10,000 years, and also the Nabi Musa Mosque. Following arrival at Kalia Beach, Dead Sea, Waqifeen-e-Nau had lunch and then enjoyed a couple of hours floating in the buoyant waters of the Dead Sea and masking themselves in the mineral rich soil found on the seabed before their journey back to Kababir. Day five was the final day of sightseeing, though no less busy. Waqifeen-e-Nau visited a variety of locations which included; the Church of Annunciation in Nazareth, where Hazrat Maryas received the revelation from
God regarding Hazrat Jesusas; Tiberias, where many Christians believe Jesusas performed the miracle of walking on water. Additionally, Waqifeen-e-Nau also had the opportunity to visit a bee farm owned by an Ahmadi brother in the beautiful area of the Golan Heights. The farm, hidden deep within the towering mountains that border Palestine and Syria and shadowed by the Sea of Galilee was a place where they gained a wealth of knowledge on the lives, and importance of bees and how they can relate this to their everyday life and the work they do for the Jamaat. The honey bee taught them the beautiful lesson of obedience to Khilafat. They also had an opportunity to purchase a variety of authentic honey products. Finally, before departing for Kababir for the last time, the group made a visit to the coastal town of Akko, famous for its coastal beauty, its links to countless civilisations of the world and its crushing victory against the invasion of Napoleon Bonaparte’s army. On the last day of the trip, as it was a Friday, the group offered the Jumuah prayer and listened to Huzoor’saa sermon which was broadcast live from the UK. This was followed by a delicious lunch that served roast chicken, a group picture with Amir Sahib and a last chance for Waqifeen to exchange farewells with the Kababir Jamaat and thank them for their truly amazing and tireless hospitality and care. Waqifeen-e-Nau departed from Tel Aviv for Luton at approximately 11pm on 14 June 2019 and arrived at Islamabad, Tilford at Fajr time. This marked the end of a most exceptional, historic and inspirational trip, Alhamdollilah.
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Friday 19 July 2019 | AL HAKAM 100 Years Ago...
Missionary activity in the UK The Review of Religions, May, June and July 1919
First interfaith dialogue in Swaziland Abbas Bin Suleman Swaziland Correspondent
Political work Having been appointed Political Delegate of the Ahmadiyya Community, I am very busy in delivering lectures, writing letters and articles to the papers and visiting the officials to make the English public well understand what reforms India really wants with special reference to the needs of our community which is spread all over India and has always been loyal and faithful to the British rule. My articles and letters have already appeared in some of the papers in this country such as the News and Chronicle, the West London News, the Mercury the Record, the Morning Post the Observer, etc. To the Royalty 1. A letter of welcome with some literature was sent to Dr Epitacid Pessoa, the Brazilian President, during his short visit to London. 2. A letter of congratulations on behalf of the Ahmadiyya Community was sent to His Majesty the King-Emperor on His Majesty’s birthday, 3 June. 3. Two copies of my lecture presented to Her Majesty the Queen-Empress and His Majesty the King-Emperor have been duly acknowledged. 4. His Highness the Sultan of Egypt was congratulated on contracting marriage with the Sultana Nazli. 5. Ahmadiyya literature sent for the Mediterranean Mine Clearing force has been duly acknowledged by the Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief. To the Notability 1. A letter of congratulations with some literature was sent to Mr Hawker, the famous Airman who has been granted Rs. 75,000 as Consolation Prize for his attempt to fly [over] the Atlantic Ocean. 2. A letter was written to Miss Ruth Law, America’s well-known woman flier who is going to attempt a Transatlantic flight in a Curtis Aeroplane. She has been given the tidings of the advent of the Promised One. 3. The Ahmadiyya movement has been brought to the notice of Miss Jane Addams, President of the Women’s International Committee for Permanent Peace, Zurich and some literature has been supplied to the respectable lady. 4. The glad tidings of the reappearance of Christ in this day, was sent with some literature to Mr Prebendary, whose lecture on the End of the World has been much discussed of in the press. I have explained to him in my letter that the chief thing
to be considered in connection with the end of the world is no doubt the promised advent of the Messiah, as pointed out by the lecturer, but only God knows in what form he ought to have appeared. Activities in London We have been very busy in the month of June in various kinds of mission work. Brother Abdullah’s severe illness with bronchitis and asthma increased our work and worry. He is much better now, thank God, and feels quite well sometimes, but he still requires a long rest before being able to take up some active work. I am still suffering from granular eyelids which has rendered me unable to do any reading or writing work. Some English Muslim friends (such as Mrs Jameela Shah, Mrs Abasi and Miss Besset) and Mr Abdul Rahim Alabi Smith, a young Nigerian Ahmadi, have been of great help in disposing of my correspondence. May God be their reward. The following lectures have been delivered during the month: 1. 1 June – I delivered a lecture on the subject of “unbelievers,” proving that those who do not believe in the temporal or the spiritual rulers of the day can derive no advantage from believing in the rulers of the past ages. 2. 8 June – I delivered a lecture on the subject of “Spring Cleaning” showing the necessity of the appearance of a spiritual reformer on the basis of evidence from nature. 3. Friday, 13 February – A sermon on the subject of political reforms in India was delivered in the East End which has been reported in a London paper named News and Chronicle, dated 17 June 1919, and is as follows: Home Rule in India “Mufti Muhammad Sadiq, the representative of the Ahmadiyya Community in India (founded by the Prophet Ahmad and numbering about 600,000) delivered a sermon before Friday Prayers at 121 East India Dockroad, Poplar, expressing his community’s views on the Indian Reform Bill. While advocating some necessary reforms to give a better and higher hand to the Indians in governing the country, he affirmed that India is not yet prepared for such a big jump as Home Rule or anything like it. India contains many different sects and communities which are generally at daggers drawn against each other, and some of them being very small in number want the protection of a paternal government from being devoured and
put to dust by their rivals. Moreover, a majority of the Indians being still illiterate are quite unable to even understand what Home Rule is.” 4. Sunday 15 June – A lecture delivered by me in Ahmadiyya Lecture Hall on the Indian Reform Bill. 5. Two lectures were delivered by Mr SC Ahmadi at Hastings on the subjects of the modern Christ, and the loyalty of Indians to the British Crown. Both the lectures roused a good deal of interest in the Town, and were reported by the local papers, as a result of which a respectable lady has joined the mission. 6. Sunday 22 June – A lecture was delivered by me on the subject of “What India Needs” and a paper on Islam was read by Mr Smith. Mr Hadji delivered a short sermon on the Prophethood of the Promised Messiah. 7. Sunday, 29 June being the Eed [Eid] Festival day, we had a big gathering of Indian and English Muslims, the majority of whom were entertained with dinner and afternoon tea. The prayer was conducted by me and a sermon delivered after it as usual. 8. Mr Abdullah, who is now convalescing in Hastings, delivered a lecture there on the Message of Prophet Ahmad on Monday, 30 June, and is busy in distributing literature in that part of the country. A New Leaflet A new leaflet named “A Call to Truth” which is a reprint from the writings of His Hazrat the Khalifatul Masih II is now being widely distributed in this country. New Converts By the grace of God we secured three converts to Islam during the last month: Miss Rosetta Hobson, Mr MeCarteney and Miss Eliza Gabel. They have been given the Muslim names Gulab Bi, Jareeullah and Amina respectively. The form of initiations signed by them has been posted to Qadian. A learned Muslim young English lady (journalist by profession) named Miss Ameena Oliver, has joined the fold of the prophet Ahmad and adopted her new name as Ahmadi-ji. Her form of application for initiation into the Ahmadiyya movement is being forwarded along with others to His Hazrat the Khalifatul Masih. El Mufti, 4 Star Street, Edgware Road, London, W. Q. 2 July 1912 [1919]
In the mid-morning of 6 July 2019, people from around Magele came to witness an interfaith dialogue with the theme “Religious Tolerance and National Peace – Our Collective Obligation”. Though the attendance was less than expected, the event was a huge success. The Local President of the Jamaat, Tahir Dlamini Sahib opened the proceedings with the welcome address and silent prayer. The resident Missionary Abbas Bin Suleman, briefing the participants on what interfaith dialogue was all about, said that dialogue between different faiths begins when people meet each other without judgment and when misunderstanding is replaced with trust. He added that there was mistrust and suspicion and the best way to remove that from among faithbased organisations was through healthy interfaith dialogue. He encouraged all stakeholders to consider very seriously such events so as to foster peace and harmony leading to progress and development in our communities. Speakers took turns to give their heartfelt speeches concerning the theme of the day, “Religious Tolerance and National Peace, Our Collective Obligation”. Mr Ntokozo Salim Dlamini, who is a member of our Jamaat and also a prince of the area, spoke on behalf of the Royal Kraal and gave a good and excellent account on the gathering and theme. He mentioned that elders of the royalty are very happy to see various members of the Magele community coming to witness and hear for themselves what is meant by religious tolerance and national peace and the collective effort in ensuring that. He called on the people of the Magele community to work together with the Jamaat for the benefit of themselves. On behalf of the chairman and the member of parliament, the councilor highlighted that he was very happy to be part of the invited guests. He was thankful to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community for granting their request for a water tank and for which the Jamaat responded by donating a 5,000-litre water tank to the Royal Kraal. He stated that these actions indeed reflected the motto: “Love for all, hatred for none”. The councilor is also a pastor and speaking on behalf of his church, submitted that he admired this bold initiative and said his church was looking forward to working with our Jamaat for the general good of the Swazi people. He mentioned the words of the Khalifa on the banners we displayed which read, “Rather than erecting walls that will keep us apart, we should build bridges that bring us closer together”. Thus, he encouraged everyone to respond to the statement by building bridges that brings us together. The event was brought to a close with a prayer led by the councilor and pastor at 1pm, Alhamdolillah!
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Friday 19 July 2019 | AL HAKAM
Iqamatus-Salat (Observance of Prayer) Part III Ataul Mujeeb Rashed Missionary In-charge UK
ver since the initial stages of his appointment to the exalted status of E Khilafat, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad,
Khalifatul Masih Vaa has repeatedly laid stress on supplication, worship and especially iqamatus-salat. I present two of these instructions as a reminder: “Worship Allah the Exalted and worship Him as is His right. Do not associate anyone with Him. During the timings of prayer, as is His instruction, keep your full attention towards the prayers. Your engagements or other excuses should not become a hindrance in your offering prayers. Do not leave your prayers because of your work; rather, leave your work for prayers. This is also a form of hidden Shirk [associating partners with God] because if you leave your prayers for your work, this means that your worldly engagements are dearer to you than the worship of your God.” (Friday Sermon, Baitul Futuh Mosque, 21 January 2011) Then, Huzooraa states: “Every individual who wishes to become a worshipping servant of Allah the Exalted, wishes to acquire His nearness, wishes to purify himself and his future generations, wishes to save himself from the onslaughts of Satan, there is only one method, and that is, pay attention to worship, and the most important aspect of this is the congregational prayer.” (Al Fazl International, 28 January 2005) Till now, a brief explanation on the details of iqamatus-salat has been provided. Now let us see the actual
examples of iqamatus-salat in the real world. The personality, which the Creator of the universe, Allah, has presented as a perfect model is that of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. The Holy Prophetsa fulfilled the right of iqamatus-salat so beautifully that Allah testified that his prayers, his worship, his living and dying were all for His sake, the Lord of all the worlds, and even the enemies of the Holy Prophetsa publicly announced “Ashiqa Muhammadun Rabbahu”, that Muhammadsa has fallen in love with his Lord. The Holy Prophetsa stated, “O People! I like three things from this world, but I tell you that qurratu aini fis-salat [the delight and pleasure of my eyes is in the observance of prayer].” (Sunan alNasai, Kitab Ishrat al-Nisa) In iqamatus-salat, the perfect example of the Holy Prophetsa is spread throughout his life. The system of congregational prayer began since the inception of Islam, after which, throughout the whole of his life, the Holy Prophetsa did not let any lapse interfere in this obligation, whether in a state of travel or residence, health or illness, or in a state of war or peace. In a state of travel, the Prophetsa would stop the travelling caravan and shorten or combine the prayers. In the case of rain, he would also offer his prayers upon his ride, and would not let any excuse interfere with observing prayer. On one occasion the Holy Prophetsa was severely wounded after falling off a horse. It was impossible for him to offer his prayers while standing, but the Holy Prophetsa did not like that he should miss the congregational prayer and led the prayer while sitting (Sahih al-Bukhari,
Kitab as-Salat). At the Battle of Badr, the supplications which the Holy Prophetsa made in a small pavilion, to this day, warm the hearts. The state of his engrossment was such that his mantle would fall off his back again and again, but this worshipper of the One God was above all that and remained engaged in his invocations. In the Battle of Uhud, the Holy Prophetsa was weakened by severe wounds. He was also grieved by the martyrdom of seventy of his Companions, yet the Holy Prophetsa offered his prayers in congregation even on that day, as per his custom. Due to the engagements of war during the Battle of Ahzab, when the Zuhr and Asr prayers could not be offered on time and the sun declined, due to his exceeding love for iqamatus-salat, the expression which spontaneously came to the blessed lips of the Holy Prophetsa was that Allah destroy this enemy, due to whom a delay had occurred in their prayers. Another aspect of iqamatus-salat is fear and humility. This magnificence was at its peak in the prayers of the Holy Prophetsa. With eyes of perception, just observe the young man who would abandon the attractions, beauty and pleasure of this world, and retire to the cave of Hira in complete solitude to find pleasure of heart in worship. In the darkness of the night, he would enlighten the rays of spirituality with his worship and would strain his soul. Someone asked Hazrat Aishara, the blessed wife of the Holy Prophetsa, to narrate the state of the Holy Prophet’ssa prayer. She responded, “Where shall I find the words to describe the beauty and length of those prayers?” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab as-
Saum). The Holy Prophetsa would stand in prayer for so long that his blessed feet would become swollen. When someone suggested that he should take rest, he responded by saying, “Shall I not be a thankful servant to my Lord?” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab alTahajjud) The state of his prostrations to Allah were also something to behold. The narrator relates that the state of the Holy Prophetsa in prostration was like a pot fervently boiling upon the stove, or like two millstones in a grinder hitting each other. To think of this causes the body to tremble and the following supplication comes from the heart, “The emotion that existed in the supplications of Muhammadsa, if only a glitter of it were granted to my prostrations as well.” Hazrat Aishara was the dearest and most beloved wife of the Holy Prophetsa. She narrates: “One night, when I woke up, I noticed the Holy Prophetsa was not in bed. I thought, perhaps he had gone to the house of another wife. As I looked here and there, I found the Holy Prophetsa had left his comfort and bed, and was on the ground, prostrating at some distance and was engaged in supplications. When I saw this, I was very disappointed at myself and I said to myself, ‘O Aisha, what thoughts are you preoccupied with, whereas look at the state in which the Messenger of Allah is in.’” (Al- Nisai) In another narration it is mentioned that she found the Prophetsa prostrating in a nearby graveyard in the darkness of the night. Hazrat Aishara mentions another incident: “One night the Holy Prophetsa came to my house. That night, the Holy Prophetsa was to spend the night with me. When the Holy Prophetsa entered the quilt in the cold winter night, he said, ‘O Aisha. Do you permit me to spend this night in the worship of Allah?’ I responded, ‘I desire your happiness; I happily grant you permission.’ Therefore, the Holy Prophetsa immediately stood up, performed his wuzu and began to offer prayer, and he spent the whole night in worship and invocations, until his place of prostration became damp with tears.” (Suyuti) With regard to prayer, the attachment and interest of the Holy Prophetsa was such as even in his final illness, he was suffering from a severe temperature, and was drifting in and out of a state consciousness. In anxiety, he would ask again and again, “Is it time for prayer?” He was told that the companions were waiting for him in the mosque. To decrease the severity of his temperature, he asked that cold water be poured on his body, and as he got up to go to the mosque, he fell into a state of unconsciousness again. Upon regaining consciousness, he once again asked about the prayer. He was told that the companions were waiting in the mosque. He had cold water put on his body again. The temperature fell to some extent, but he became unconscious again. Afterwards, when his physical state improved, he placed both hands on two Companions and went to the mosque in such a state that his feet were being dragged behind him. The Holy Prophetsa led the prayers sitting beside Hazrat Abu Bakrra [later to become the first Khalifa of Islam] and thus set such an example of iqamatus-salat that it shall remain unparalleled till the end of time.
Friday 19 July 2019 | AL HAKAM
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Friday Sermon 21 June 2019
Hazrat Zainab bint Jahshra After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
I
n the previous sermon, I narrated some incidents with regard to Hazrat Zaidra bin Haritha. In this regard, I mentioned that the Holy Prophetsa later married Hazrat Zainabra bint Jahsh and that I will continue to relate a few more narrations regarding the marriage. “At the time of her marriage, Hazrat Zainabra bint Jahsh was thirty-five years of age and in light of the circumstances of Arabia at the time, this was considered middle-aged or old. Hazrat Zainabra was a very righteous, pious and affluent lady. Despite the fact that from among all the wives of the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat Aishara was contested and rivalled by Zainab alone, Hazrat Aishara still highly praised the inherent virtue and purity of Hazrat Zainabra, and would often say: ‘I have not seen a more pious lady than Zainabra. She was very righteous and truthful, she was very kind towards relatives, she would give a great amount of charity and alms, and worked tirelessly for goodness and to attain divine nearness. The only thing was that she was a bit heated in temper, but immediately thereafter, she would feel remorse herself.’ “The degree to which she would give charity and alms was such that Hazrat Aishara relates: ‘On one occasion, the Holy Prophetsa said to us, َْ ً َ ُ َ ً َ ُ ا ْس َر ُعک ّن ِلحَاقا بِ ْی اط َولُک ّن یَدا۔ “The one from among you who has the longest hands, shall be the first to pass away after my demise and join me.”’ “Hazrat Aishara states, ‘We inferred this to mean physical hands, and would often measure our hands with one another. However, when the Holy Prophetsa passed away and Zainabra bint Jahsh was the first to leave this world, it was then that the secret revealed itself to us that the word “hand” referred to charity and alms, not a physical hand.’” Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra further writes: “As it was apprehended, upon the marriage of Hazrat Zainabra the hypocrites of Medina raised many allegations and openly taunted that ‘Muhammad[sa] had married the divorcee of his son and had made his own daughter-in-law permissible for himself.’ However, since the very purpose of this marriage was to erase this ignorant Arabian custom, these objections were also inevitable.
“At this instance, it is also necessary to mention that Ibn-e-Saad, Tabari etc. have recorded an absolutely false narration in relation to the marriage of Hazrat Zainabra. Since this narration furnishes an opportunity to raise an objection against the pristine character of the Holy Prophetsa, various Christian historians have adorned their books with this narration in a most unpleasant manner. The story goes that when the Holy Prophetsa married Zainabra bint Jahsh to Zaid, one day the Holy Prophetsa came to the home of Hazrat Zaidra in search of him. Incidentally, at the time Zaidra, was not at home. Standing outside at the front door, when the Holy Prophetsa called for Zaidra, Zainabra responded from inside saying that he was not at home, and recognising the voice of the Holy Prophetsa, she dashed out immediately and submitted, ‘O Messenger of Allah! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you, please come in.’ The Holy Prophetsa, however, refused and set back (and this narrator further states) but since Hazrat Zainabra had suddenly stood up flustered, she happened to stand up without a shawl on her body and the door of her home was open. As a result, the Holy Prophetsa happened to catch sight of her, and God-forbid, fell for her beauty and returned humming the words: ْ ُ ْ ّ َ ُ ّٰ َ َ ْ ُ ْ َ ْ ّٰ َ َ ْ ُ وب ل ق ال ف ر ص م ہ الل ان ح ب س م ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ سبحان الل ِہ الع ِظی meaning, ‘Holy is Allah, Who is the Possessor of all Greatness, Holy is Allah,
Who turns the hearts of people however He so wills.’ When Zaidra returned, Zainabra related the story of the visit made by the Holy Prophetsa. When Zaidra further enquired as to what the Holy Prophetsa had said, Zainabra repeated these words of the Holy Prophetsa and also said, ‘I submitted to the Holy Prophetsa that if he desired he should come in, but he refused and returned.’ Upon hearing this, Zaidra presented himself before the Holy Prophetsa and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Perhaps you desire Zainab for yourself. If it is your wish, I shall divorce her and you can marry her.’ The Holy Prophetsa responded, ‘O Zaid! Fear God and do not divorce Zainabra.’ However, the narrator further states that Zaidra ultimately divorced Zainabra. “This is the narration as it is related by Ibn-e-Saad, Tabari and others on this occasion. Although this narration can be elaborated in a manner which no longer leaves room for any objection, the truth is that this tale is absolutely fictitious and false from start to finish. It is proven to be fabricated both in terms of riwayat [chain of narrators] and dirayat [meaning]. As far as riwayat is concerned, it is enough to state that this narration is primarily related by Waqidi and Abdullah bin Aamir Aslami, both of whom are looked upon by scholars as being absolutely weak and unreliable. In fact, Waqidi is so notorious for his falsehood and lies that
from among all the Muslim narrators, he is perhaps second to none in this respect.” In contrast, however, the narration which Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra has recorded, “The one we have adopted, wherein Zaidra presented himself before the Holy Prophetsa and complained about the harsh treatment of Zainabra”, that was mentioned in the previous sermon, “to which the Holy Prophetsa had responded, ‘Fear God and do not divorce her.’ This narration is from Bukhari, which, in the estimation of both friend and foe is accepted as the most authentic record of Islamic history after the Holy Quran, to which no critic has ever had the courage to raise a finger. “Therefore, in light of principles of riwayat, the value and worth of both these narrations is evident. Similarly, if one contemplates in terms of rationality, there seems to be no doubt in the narration of Ibn-e-Saad, etc. as being false. It is accepted that Zainabra was the paternal-cousin of the Holy Prophetsa, to the extent that it was he who acted as her guardian and married her to Zaidra bin Haritha. Similarly, no one can deny that until this time, the Muslim women did not observe purdah [the veil], rather, the initial injunctions relevant to purdah were revealed after the marriage of Hazrat Zainabra and the Holy Prophetsa. In this case, to presume that prior to this the Holy Prophetsa had not seen Zainabra and it was only then that he coincidentally happened to catch sight of her, and then fell for her, possesses no more value than a clear and blatant lie. “Indeed, prior to that time, the Holy Prophetsa probably would have seen Zainabra thousands of times and the beauty and flaws of her body were apparent to him. Although there is no difference in seeing her with or without a shawl, when their relation was so close, the tradition of purdah was not prevalent and there was constant interaction, it is most probable that the Holy Prophetsa would have had the opportunity to see her many times without a shawl. Furthermore, the fact that Zainabra invited the Holy Prophetsa inside proves that she was at least wearing enough clothing to be able to present herself before the Holy Prophetsa. Hence, irrespective of the angle from which this tale is analysed, it proves to be absolutely false and forged, which possesses no truth whatsoever. Along with these
Friday 19 July 2019 | AL HAKAM arguments, if the impeccably pure and holy life of the Holy Prophetsa is taken into consideration, which was evident from his every movement, nothing at all remains of this absurd and ridiculous tale. It is for this very reason that research scholars have categorically declared this tale to be fabricated and false. “For example, Allama Ibn Hajar in his Fathul-Bari, Allama Ibn Kathir in his commentary, and Allama Zarqani in his Sharh Mawahib have explicitly stated that this narration is absolutely false, and have considered it to be a disgrace of the truth to even allude to it. So too is the case with other research scholars as well.” Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra has further written: “This is not limited to research scholars alone, rather, every such individual who has not been blinded by prejudice, would give precedence to the viewpoint we have presented before our readers on the foundation of the Holy Quran and authentic Ahadith, in comparison to this meaningless and loathsome tale, which has been forged and related by certain hypocrites. The Muslim historians, whose only task was to gather all kinds of narrations, included this tale in their works without any investigation, and then blinded by religious prejudice, nonMuslim historians have made this tale the highlight of their books.” Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra further writes in his book, Seerat Khatamun Nabiyyin: “In the context of this fabricated tale, it should especially be remembered that this time was an era in the Islamic history when the hypocrites of Medina were at full force. A full-fledged conspiracy to defame Islam and the founder of Islam was being hatched under the leadership of Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Sulul. It was their custom to concoct false and fabricated tales and propagate them in secret; or if the actual case was something else, they would twist it, add a hundred lies to it and begin to publicise it covertly. As such, in Surah al-Ahzab of the Holy Quran, where the marriage of Hazrat Zainabra has been alluded to, the hypocrites of Medina have especially been mentioned in parallel as well. Referring to their acts of mischief, Allah the Exalted states: َّ ُ ٰ ۡ ۡ َّ ُُ ُ ۡ َ ٌ َ ل َ ِئ ۡن ل ۡم یَن َت ِہ ال ُمن ِفقوۡ َ َن َوال ِذیۡ ُ َن فِ ۡی قلوۡ ِب ِہ ۡم ّمرَض ّۤو ال ُم ۡر ِجفوۡ َن فِی َ َ َ َ َ َ ّ ُۡ َ ۡ ّ ال َم ِدیۡن ِۃ لَنغرِیَنک ِب ِہ ۡم ث ّم لَا یُ َجا ِو ُر ۡونک فِ ۡی َہا ِالا ق ِل ۡیلًا “Meaning, ‘If the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and those who propagate false seditious news in Medina, desist not from their schemes, then O Messenger! We shall give you permission to take action against them, and then these people shall not continue to reside in Medina, except for a little while.’ [Surah al-Ahzab, Ch.33: V.61] “In this verse, the false nature of this tale has clearly been mentioned in principle. Then, as it shall be mentioned ahead, it was around this time when the terrible incident of slandering Hazrat Aishara transpired. Abdullah bin Ubayy and his wretched followers propagated this lie so widely, and disseminated such
13 a twisted version of it that the Muslims began to lose their peace of mind. Certain Muslims, who were of weaker dispositions and unmindful, became victims of this propaganda as well. Hence, this era was especially a time of full force for the hypocrites, and their most desirable weapon was to spread false and filthy propaganda in order to slander the Holy Prophetsa and his relatives. These rumours were spread so cunningly that on certain occasions, due to not having in-depth knowledge of affairs, the Holy Prophetsa and his most prominent Companions could not even find the opportunity to rebut these allegations, and their poison would continue to spread. In these instances, latter Muslims who were not in the habit of thorough investigation and deep thought would consider this misinformation to be true and begin relating these accounts. It is in this manner that these narrations have found way into the collections of such Muslims who are the Waqidi-type, etc. As mentioned above, these narrations are absolutely nowhere to be found among the authentic Ahadith, nor have research scholars accepted them. “Whilst alluding to the tale of Zainabra bint Jahsh, Sir William Muir, from whom a better mentality was expected, has not only accepted the fictitious and forged narration of Waqidi, but has made a hurtful remark.” He was a critic of Islam and this was exactly the mentality that could expected from him – and then when they find a reference from the Muslims themselves, they have an even more potent opportunity to criticise. “He said as a taunt, ‘along with his advancing age, the carnal passions of the Holy Prophetsa grew as well – God forbid’ and Muir has attributed the expansion of his household to this very sentiment.” He has attributed this to carnal passions, God forbid. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra has written, “I also present this entire ordeal from the perspective of a historian; I do not wish to enter into a religious debate, but upon witnessing the false portrayal of historical account, I cannot remain without raising a voice against such an unpleasant and unjust assertion either. “Hence, religious passion and the sanctity of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa aside, for which a true Muslim and believer is willing to sacrifice even his life, the historical and rational facts also negate and reject this ridiculous contention.” Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra further writes: “Undoubtedly, it is a historical fact that the Holy Prophetsa married more than once and history also establishes that with the exception of Hazrat Khadijara, all of these marriages took place in an era, which may be described as one of old age. However, without any historical evidence, rather, in contradiction to clear historical fact, to assert that the marriages of the Holy Prophetsa were, God-forbid, owed to carnal passions, is far from the greatness of a historian, and even further still from the greatness of a noble man. Mr
Muir was not oblivious to the fact that at the age of twenty-five, the Holy Prophetsa married a forty-year elderly widow (Hazrat Khadijara), and then fulfilled this relationship until the age of fifty with such integrity and loyalty that it’s like cannot be found nowhere else. After this, until the age of fifty-five, the Holy Prophetsa practically kept only one wife, and coincidentally this wife (Hazrat Saudara) also happened to be a widow, who was a lady well advanced in age. “During this entire period, which is especially a period of carnal urge, the Holy Prophetsa never thought of additional marriages. Mr Muir was also not at all unaware of the historical occurrence that when the people of Mecca could no longer bear the preaching efforts of the Holy Prophetsa and considered it to be destructive to their national religion, they sent a delegation to the Holy Prophetsa leaded by Utbah bin Rabi‘ah. The delegation fervently pleaded to the Holy Prophetsa so that he would desist from his efforts. In addition to bribing him with wealth and power, they also begged that if he would be content upon marrying a worthy girl, and thus refrain from speaking ill of their religion and abstain from preaching this new faith, they were prepared to give him any girl he desired. At that time, the Holy Prophetsa was not very old, and his physical strength was also better than in his later life. However, the response that the Holy Prophetsa gave to the representative sent by the chieftains of Mecca is an open page of history, which does not need to be repeated here. “This historical occurrence was also not hidden from the eyes of Mr Muir that prior to his divine appointment – that is, until forty years – the people of Mecca considered the Holy Prophetsa to be a man of impeccable character. However, despite all these testimonies, for Mr Muir to write that after the age of fifty-five, the Holy Prophetsa became indulged in sensuality and lust, despite the fact that his physical strengths naturally became weaker, and his engagements and responsibilities grew to such an extent that the busiest of people are put to shame, cannot be considered as being anything other than a prejudiced remark! “Anyone is free to say as he wishes and others do not have the power to stop such a person’s tongue and pen, but an intelligent person should not make a statement which common sense rejects. If Mr Muir and others like him had removed the veil of prejudice from their eyes, they would have come to know that the mere fact that all these marriages of the Holy Prophetsa took place in his old age proves that they were not motivated by carnal desires. Obviously, there were other motives hidden beneath the surface, especially when it is a historical fact that the Holy Prophetsa spent the days of his youth in such a state, that his own and others, all referred to him by the title of ‘Amin’ [Trustworthy].” Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra further writes: “Every reader (of these facts) and every
person who comes to know of this, derives a spiritual pleasure in studying the fact that the era in which these marriages of the Holy Prophetsa took place, was a time when the greatest burden of the responsibilities of prophethood was being shouldered by him and the Holy Prophetsa was becoming fully engrossed in the fulfilment of his countless and heavy responsibilities. And for every just and noble person – this very fact alone establishes that these marriages of the Holy Prophetsa were a part of his responsibilities of prophethood, for which he destroyed his own domestic peace in order to support the objectives of preaching and training. An evil person searches for an evil motive in the actions of others, and due to his own filthy state, is often at a loss to understand the pure intentions of others. However, a noble person knows and understands that often the same action is performed by a sinister man with evil intent, while a pious man can and does perform the same action with a good and pure intention. “In Islam – and this should be clear, that in Islam – the purpose of marriage is not so that a man and woman can come together in order to satisfy their carnal desires. Although the union of man and woman is a genuine purpose of marriage so that human life can continue, there are also many other wholesome purposes as well. Hence, in identifying the motives behind the marriages of such a person whose every movement in life was a testimony to his selflessness and purity and twisting them towards ill-intent in the manner of wicked people cannot harm the person with regard to whom this opinion is voiced, but instead the inner state of the critic can well be understood.” Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra says, “I shall say no more in response to this allegation. ُ َ ٰ ُ َ َ ْ ُ ْ ُ ّٰ َ ان َعلی َما ت ِصف ْو َن واللہ المستع Meaning, ‘And Allah alone is the Helper against that which they allege.’” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, pp. 549-555) Whilst delivering a Nikah sermon, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra mentioned a point regarding wedlock and Nikah, which I too will mention. He stated: “The Holy Prophetsa arranged for his paternal cousin to marry Zaid. We cannot say that the Holy Prophetsa did not perform the istikhara [prayer in which one seeks help regarding a particular matter], make supplications or place his trust in God Almighty. By all means the Holy Prophetsa carried all these out – he performed the istikhara prayer and made supplications – but despite all this, God Almighty did not decree for his efforts to bear fruit.” With regards to the reason for this, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra states: “The reason behind this is that God Almighty desired to demonstrate to the people that the Holy Prophetsa had no male offspring; be they blood-related or by law. (When people adopt children, they are considered one’s children by law.) The Holy Prophetsa had no biological son, but according to the national constitution
Friday 19 July 2019 | AL HAKAM
14 and the law of the land at the time, he had children, for example, Hazrat Zaidra. The people would call him by the name Ibn Muhammad [son of Muhammad]. Through the incident of the marriage to Hazrat Zainabra, God Almighty established that one’s children are only those according to the laws of nature, i.e. biological children. Children by law are not truly one’s offspring. (Children who are adopted are ultimately not one’s true children.) Moreover, the Islamic law pertaining to one’s offspring do not apply to those children who have been adopted. Therefore, the only method of establishing this was for the Holy Prophetsa to marry the divorced wife of Hazrat Zaidra. God Almighty did not allow for the differences between Zaid and his wife to go away, but if He so willed, God Almighty could of course have removed them, yet He chose not to, even though the Holy Prophetsa performed the istikhara prayer, made supplications, placed his trust in God Almighty and made every effort [to make it work]. The divine wisdom behind this was that when Zaid divorces his wife, she ought to come into the wedlock of the Holy Prophetsa so that it may be established that though one may have children according to the law of the land, they are not the same as biological children.” This was a point which Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra mentioned highlighting the wisdom behind this marriage. (Khutabate-e-Mahmud, Vol. 3, pp. 390-391) With regard to how the Holy Prophetsa treated freed slaves, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra writes in Sirat KhatamunNabiyyin: “It was a practice of the Holy Prophetsa that for the purpose of reforming the ancient views of people, he would be even more mindful of the dignity and honour of slaves and freed slaves than others. Therefore, on many occasions, the Holy Prophetsa appointed his freed slave, Zaidra bin Haritha, and his son Usamara as the commander of many military campaigns. Many highly respected and prominent Companions were appointed under them and when ignorant people objected to this action of the Holy Prophetsa, due to their ancient views, he responded, ‘You have objected to the appointment of Usama as a commander and prior to this you have also objected to the leadership of his father Zaid. By God! Just as Zaid was worthy and capable of leadership and was among my most beloved, so too, Usama is worthy of leadership and among my most beloved people.’ “At hearing this statement of the Holy Prophetsa, which was laden with the true equality taught by Islam, the necks of the Prophet’s Companions bowed down in acceptance, and they came to understand that in Islam, to be a slave or the child of a slave, or to hail from an apparently lesser faction of society, cannot be an obstruction in the way of a person’s progress and advancement in any way, and that the true standard (of success) was based on righteousness personal acumen and ability.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin,
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad, p. 638) “Then, above all this, what could be greater than the fact that the Holy Prophetsa wed the daughter of his biological paternal aunt, Zainabra bint to Zaidra bin Haritha, and it is a strange miracle that in the entire Holy Quran, if any Companion has been mentioned by name, it is this very Zaidra bin Haritha.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad, pp. 398-399) Regarding the Islamic teaching of freeing slaves, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahamd Sahibra further writes: “A very large number from among those people who were freed according to the Islamic method were found to be of such people who reached the very highest level of success in all fields, and assumed the status of being Muslim leaders in various areas. For example, as mentioned above, Zaidra bin Haritha was a freed slave, but he developed such ability that the Holy Prophetsa appointed him as the commander in many Islamic campaigns (i.e. the commander of the Islamic army). Highly eminent Companions and even accomplished generals the like of Khalidra bin Walid, were positioned under him.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad, p. 403) Hazrat Zaidra participated in the battles of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, Treaty of Hudaibiya and the Battle of Khaybar alongside the Holy Prophetsa. He is considered one of the most expert archers of the Holy Prophetsa. The Holy Prophetsa appointed Hazrat Zaidra as the leader of Mecca upon his departure for the expedition of Muraisi (another name for Banu Mustaliq). This took place in Sha‘ban 5 Hijri according to Seerat Al-Halabiyah. Hazrat Salmara bin Akwah states: “I participated in seven expeditions alongside the Holy Prophetsa and I took part in nine expeditions in which the Prophetsa of Allah did not participate, and during those expeditions, he appointed Hazrat Zaidra bin Haritha as the leader of the Muslim army.” Hazrat Aishara narrates, “Whenever the Messengersa of Allah dispatched Hazrat Zaidra with an army, he appointed him as it’s leader.” She continues to narrate, “The Holy Prophetsa would have appointed Hazrat Zaidra as the leader if he was alive afterwards as well.” (AlTabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 33, Darul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (AsSirat-ul-Halabiyyah, vol. 2, pp. 377-378, Baab Ghazwah Bani Mustaliq, Dar-ulKutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002) In his book, Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra writes regarding Ghazwah Saffwan, which is also known as Ghazwah Badrat-ul-Ula and took place in Jamadi Al Aakhar of 2 AH: “After Ghazwah Ushairah, ten days had not passed since the return of the Holy Prophetsa to Medina when a chieftain of Mecca named Kurz bin Jabir Fihri very cunningly, along with a company of the Quraish, suddenly raided a pasture of Medina, which was situated only three miles from the city and fled with camels etc. belonging to the Muslims. As soon as the Holy Prophetsa received news of this,
he appointed Zaidra bin Haritha as the amir in his absence, and set out in his pursuit along with a group of the Companions. The Holy Prophetsa pursued him until he reached Safwan which is an area close to Badr, but he made good his escape. This Ghazwah is also known as Ghazwah Badratul-Ula.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, p. 330) I will mention further details in relation to this: “When the Holy Prophetsa was informed about the evil plans of the Quraish, he departed from Medina and arrived at a coastal area called Ushairah. Although there were no encounters with the Quraish, a treaty with the Banu Mudlij tribe was signed. After this, the Holy Prophetsa returned to Medina. When he received the news that the disbelievers were gathering their forces, he travelled to the coastal area called Ushairah. The Holy Prophetsa considered to face them outside of Medina, however, this battle never took place. One benefit of this journey was that a peace treaty with one of the tribes was signed.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad, p. 329) I would like to elaborate about the difference between a ghazwah and a sariyyah as some people may not know. A ghazwah is an expedition in which the Holy Prophetsa took part in and a sariyyah or ba‘ath is an expedition in which he was not present. Furthermore, it is not necessary to set out to perform Jihad of the sword for an expedition to be declared as a ghazwah or sariyyah. In fact, every journey that the Holy Prophetsa undertook in the state of battle is considered a ghazwah, whether its purpose was to fight or not, even if later, they were compelled to fight. The same is the case of a sariyyah. Hence, every ghazwah and sariyyah is not a military expedition. As mentioned before, no battle took place during the Ghazwah of Ushairah. (Sirat KhatamunNabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad, p. 327) “After the conclusion of the Battle of Badr, when the Holy Prophetsa was leaving, he dispatched Zaidra bin Haritha towards Medina and instructed him to go in advance and inform the people of Medina about the good news of victory. Hence, Zaidra arrived in Medina before the Holy Prophetsa and informed everyone about the victory. This made the Companions very jubilant because of the great success of Islam. However, they were somewhat regretful at the same time for being deprived of the blessings of partaking in such a magnificent Jihad. The good news of victory also lessened the sorrow which the Muslims of Medina faced generally, and Hazrat Usmanra experienced specifically due to the demise of Ruqayyara, daughter of the Holy Prophetsa. She passed away just a few moments before Hazrat Zaid’s arrival. She was sick, and the Holy Prophetsa had to leave her behind as he departed for the Battle of Badr. Hazrat Usmanra was not able to participate in this expedition for this very reason. (Sirat KhatamunNabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad, p.
367) In relation to sending Hazrat Zaidra bin Haritha towards Qardah in 3 AH of Jamadi Al-Akhar, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra writes: “After the Muslims had become somewhat free from the attacks of Banu Sulaim and Banu Ghatafan, they were compelled to go forth from their homeland to put down another threat. Until now, for their trade ventures in the north, the Quraish would generally travel to Syria from the coastal route of Hijaz. However, they had now abandoned this route, because the tribes of this region had become allies of the Muslims; hence there was a smaller chance for the Quraish to spur mischief. “As a matter of fact, in these circumstances, they began to consider this coastal route to be a threat for themselves. In any case, they had now abandoned this route and began to travel from the route of Najd, which led to Iraq. The tribes of Sulaim and Ghatafan, who were allies of the Quraish and were deadly enemies of the Muslims, inhabited the close proximity of this region. “As such, in the month of Jamadi AlAkhirah, the Holy Prophetsa received intelligence that a trade caravan of the Quraish of Mecca was to pass by this route of Najd. It is obvious that if the movement of caravans belonging to the Quraish to and from the coastal region was a cause of threat for the Muslims, there passing by the route of Najd was equally – rather – even more dangerous. The reason was that unlike the coastal route, this new route was inhabited by allies of the Quraish, who like the Quraish, were thirsty for the blood of the Muslims. It was very easy for the Quraish to join forces with them and launch a sudden attack upon Medina at night, or perform any other act of mischief. Then, in order to weaken the Quraish and push them so that they may be inclined to seek reconciliation, it was necessary to intercept their caravans on this route as well. Hence, as soon as the Holy Prophetsa received word, he dispatched a detachment of his Companions under the leadership of his freed slave, Zaidra bin Haritha. “Chieftains such as Abu Sufyan bin Harb and Safwan bin Umayyah also accompanied this trade caravan of the Quraish. Zaidra performed his duty with remarkable speed and intelligence and subdued these enemies of Islam at a place known as Qaradah, situated in Najd. Flustered by this sudden attack, the people of the Quraish fled, leaving the goods and valuables of the caravan behind. Zaidra bin Haritha and his companions returned to Medina with success and triumph, with a large value of spoils. Some historians have written that the guide of this caravan of the Quraish was a man named Furat, who was taken captive at the hands of the Muslims, and then set free upon his acceptance of Islam. However, it is ascertained from other narrations that he was an idolater commissioned to spy upon the Muslims. However, later on, after becoming a Muslim, he migrated to Medina.” (Sirat
Friday 19 July 2019 | AL HAKAM Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, pp. 465-466) Hazrat Aishara relates, “When Zaidra bin Haritha returned to Medina from an expedition, the Messengersa of Allah was in my house. Hazrat Zaidra came and knocked on the door of the house. The Holy Prophetsa welcomed and embraced Zaidra and Zaidra kissed the Prophet’s hand.” (Sunan Al-Tirmadhi, Abwaab-ulIstizaan, Hadith no. 2732) During the month of Shaban in the fifth year after migration when the Holy Prophetsa called for people to join the expedition towards the Banu Mustaliq, according to some narrations, the Prophetsa of Allah appointed Hazrat Zaidra bin Haritha as the Amir in Medina. (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, p. 558) On the day of the expedition of Khandaq, the flag of the Muhajireen was also in the hands of Zaidra bin Haritha. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 2, p. 52, Darul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) The mention of Hazrat Zaidra bin Haritha will further continue. Next, there is some tragic news. (Has the funeral arrived?) Respected Maryam Salman Gul Sahiba, who was the daughter of Mubarak Ahmad Siddiqi Sahib, passed away on َ 17 ٰ June, at the age of 25 years – َ “ ِانَّا ل ِ ّل ِه َو ِانّا ِال َ ْي ِهTo Allah we belong and اج ُعوْ َن ر ِ to Him shall we return”. Her illness was discovered only a few days ago. When she became quite sick, she was admitted to hospital, but Divine decree prevailed and she was not able to regain her health. All of those who knew her have said about the deceased that she was a very loving and courteous individual. She was very regular in her daily prayers; she was compassionate and helpful to others. She possessed a loving relationship with Khilafat. Aside from her parents and her husband, she has left behind her two daughters named Nayab and Zaryab – Nayab is five years old and Zaryab is one and a half. Maryam Salman Sahiba’s mother, Gul Mubarak Sahiba, says that they had to
15 bear three tragedies in the last six weeks. First, Gul Mubarak Sahiba’s brother passed away, then her sister passed away last month in May, and now her daughter has also passed away. May God Almighty grant them patience and fortitude. Maryam Salman Sahiba was the secretary of new converts in her local Jamaat of Epsom. She had a positive, cheerful spirit characterised by high morals, and regularly assisted those who required help. The sadr Lajna of her locality writes, “She was carrying out her duties excellently as secretary of new converts in an exemplary manner. She maintained a relationship of such endearment and love with the new converts that these new Ahmadi ladies would naturally fall in love with the system of the Jamaat.” A recent lady-convert to Ahmadiyyat, Fareeda Nelson Sahiba, says, “I remember the first time I went to a [Jamaat] meeting; I was a little anxious that I would feel left out. However, as soon as Maryam saw me, her face lit up with a big smile. She walked right up to me, held me in an embrace, and then proceeded to sit with me for the entire time. Then, after this as well, she came to my house with a box of chocolates as a gift, and proceeded to tell me all about the blessings of the Jamaat and Khilafat.” Similarly, there is another lady who has converted to Ahmadiyyat named Andaleeb Sahiba who says, “In my estimation, every secretary of new female converts should be like Maryam because I remember the first time I met her; she embraced me with so much love that I felt as though I have found a loving sister in her. She used to bring small gifts for me and my children to my home. She always kept in touch with me by way of phone and by regularly visiting me. Among her circle of friends, she would often discuss the blessings of Khilafat and the system of the Jamaat. She would become the best of friends with the new female converts and would help them, which fostered a passion in them to participate in Jamaat programmes.”
She further writes, “Through the deceased’s moral and spiritual training, I have become the general secretary of my local Jamaat.” She then writes, “The deceased used to spend out of her modest personal spending money to help others.” Mubarak Siddiqi Sahib, the father of Maryam Sahiba writes, “She listened to the Friday Sermons with great regularity and gave precedence to faith over worldly matter in all her affairs. The Majlise-Shura took place two days prior to her passing away and during this time, Maryam was in the ICU. I said to her that I would get written permission to not attend the Shura, but Maryam responded by saying, ‘No, do not worry about me. Do not leave any Jamaat event because of me, because that is the pledge that we have made to the Promised Messiahas, that we shall give precedence to our faith over all worldly matters.’” She also used to write English poems, and the summary of one such poem is that whenever anyone starts to undertake any good work, many trials and difficulties may befall them, and people will doubt one’s sincerity. Let people do what they do – we ought to simply continue with our virtuous works. Similarly, she also wrote a poem on Khilafat in Urdu. In St George’s Hospital – where she was admitted – a nurse, who was a German lady, said that whenever she would speak to Maryam, she felt as though she was speaking to an angel. In the summer, when the temperature would rise, she would keep bottles of water in her fridge. Then, on her day off, she would sit with her daughters and write on top of the bottles that this water is free of charge. Many English people would come and stop at the stall and benefit from it. One day, an Englishwoman asked her, “What gave you this idea to put water and chocolates on a table outside your home giving them out for free?” Maryam responded, “Children are off from school for a week and to facilitate their vacation, I will put up this stall all week.” The Englishwoman responded, “I
spend thousands of pounds to take my children on vacations and to relax in faraway places, but I do not feel contentment. I did not realise that true peace can be achieved by helping others from one’s own home.” She was always the first in meeting people and greeting them. If she did not end up meeting anyone from her acquaintances or from among her neighbours for a few days, she would message them and enquire about their well-being. Another great quality of hers was that she would always look for the good qualities of others and would appreciate them for those good qualities. She always had a smile on her face. She was someone who greatly trusted Allah Almighty and was very grateful of God’s favours. May Allah have mercy on her and grant her forgiveness, and just like the hope that this girl had about her Lord, may Allah Almighty treat her with even greater love, and may He take her in the embrace of His love and continue to elevate her status in paradise. May God Almighty always keep her daughters in His protection and refuge, and may He accept all those prayers which she has offered for her daughters. May He grant her parents true patience and fortitude; may they also be completely resigned from the depth of their hearts to the will of God, and may they bring up her daughters in an exemplary manner. May Allah enable her husband to give them the love of both a mother and a father; may Allah continue to elevate her status in paradise. After the Friday prayers, I will offer her funeral prayer – everyone should join me in this. I will go outside to lead her funeral prayer. Those of you who are inside, should remain here. Translated by The Review of Religions Originally published in Al-Fazl International 12th June, pp. 5-9
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