Al Hakam - 27 November 2020

From the Markaz Al Islam department seeks guidance from Huzoor

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A

100 Years Ago...

Answers to everyday issues

11 principles for understanding the Holy Quran

Part III

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Page 11

Why Muslim nations have regressed?

Part I

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THE WEEKLY

www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 27 November 2020 | Issue CXLI Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL. UK info@alhakam.org | F: +44(0)208 544 7673

The new scapegoats of Europe and the solace for Muslims The new liberal (or illiberal – we’ll let the readers decide) laws passed by French President Emmanuel Macron, blatantly targeting Muslims, unveil the very real far-right sentiments brewing in Europe.

Separatist laws, which give birth to further “separatism” and alienate Muslims who make up 8.8% (5.7 million) of the population of France, have been guised as secularism – or as the French say, Laïcité.

France has been a key player in the passage of laws restraining the rights and freedoms of Muslims, a prime example of which is the veil and burka bans.

This is ironic, as secularism requires

religion to be separated from the rule of law, but still ensures the free practice of religion, not its policing.

In recent “secular” moves, the French government has warned of fines for people who ask to be seen by a doctor of the opposite sex (clearly targeted at Muslims) and France’s Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin said that foreign parents could be deported if they complain about their children being shown insensitive cartoons – the irony of deporting people who express an opinion using the justification of protecting free speech has saw wide condemnation on social media.

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

Blessings of guiding a single person to the truth َّ َ ّ ٰ َّ َ َّ َ َ ْ َ ْ ْ َ ْ َ ‫اﻟﻨ ِ� ّ� َﺻلی الل ُہ َ�ل ْﻴ ِﻪ َو َسل َم‬ ‫ﻋﻦ سﻬ ِﻞ ب ِﻦ سع ٍد � ِ�ﻊ‬ ُ ْ َ ُ ّٰ َ َ ّ َ َ َ ‫�� ر ِﺿی اللہ ﻋﻨﻪ‬ ٍ ‫ﻗﺎل ﻟ ِع‬ َ َ ٌ ْ َ ً ُ َ َ ُ ّٰ َ ْ َ ْ َ ّٰ َ َ َ‫ﻚ ِﻣ ْﻦ أ َ ْن ﻳ َ ُ� ْ�ن‬ ‫ﻓوالل ِہ ل�ن ﻳﻬ ِدي اللہ بِﻚ رﺟ�ا خیر ﻟ‬ َّ ُ ْ ُ َ َ ‫اﻟﻨ َع ِم‬ ��‫ﻟﻚ ﺣ‬ Hazrat Sahl bin Saad, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, “By Allah!

If Allah helps you to guide a single person to the truth, it is better for you than [the most precious] red camels.”

(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Jihad wa al-Siyar)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words

The means for the acceptance of prayer There are only three avenues for the acceptance of prayer: firstly, that which is described in the verse: َّ َ ّٰ ُ ُۡ ‫ِا ۡن كن ُت ۡم ت ِﺤ ُّبوۡ َن ا�� َ� فات ِب ُعوۡنِ ۡى‬

(If you love Allah, follow me); secondly, that which is alluded to in the verse: َّ ُ َ َ ُّ ُ َ ّ ‫�يا ّي َها ال ِذيۡ َن ٰا َمنوۡا َصلوۡا َعل ۡي ِﻪ َو َﺳل ُِموۡا ت ۡسل ِۡي ًما‬ (O ye who believe! You also should invoke blessings on him and salute him with the salutation of peace); and thirdly, divine conferral. It is a general practice of Allah the Exalted that in the likeness of Prophets, He gives birth to many holy souls who in their Continued on page 4

Friday 27 November 2020 | AL HAKAM

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This Week in History 27 November - 3 December In this third year of Al Hakam, we will present a selection of incidents from the blessed life of the Promised Messiahas with some more details 27 November 1891: The Promised Messiahas wrote a lengthy letter to Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra in which he said that he had indented to travel to Amritsar, Kapurthala and Sialkot, but was unable due to his health. Huzooras further mentioned the growing opposition of Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi and proceeded to shed light on matters related to the world and religion. (Maktubat-eAhmad, Vol. 2, p. 129) 27 November 1902: In November 1902, a debate was held between Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi of the Ahl-e-Hadith and Maulvi Abdullah Chakrhalvi of the Ahl-e-Quran. Maulvi Abdullah, of district Mianwali, called himself a protagonist of the Ahl-e-Quran and did not believe in the supremacy of hadith, whereas Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi deemed hadith to be the arbiter on the teachings of the Holy Quran. Both clerics held opposite views.

The Promised Messiah’sas advent was precisely for the purpose of demolishing such differences.

Thus, the Promised Messiahas wrote a book on this day, Review bar Mubahisa Batalvi wa Chakrhalvi (A Review of the Debate Between Batalavi and Chakrhalavi) reviewing the positions taken up by the contending parties. The Promised Messiahas wrote very lucidly and clearly on the subject. He indicated that as Muslims, we have three clear directions (in order of significance): the Holy Quran, sunnah and hadith.

28 November 1885: The people of the Indian subcontinent experienced a rare show of meteor showers at night. The Promised Messiahas termed this a divine sign shown in his favour. Huzooras said, “On the night of 28 November 1885 … there was such a display of meteor showers in the sky, the like of which I have not witnessed before in my life and so many thousands of flames were traversing the atmosphere in the skies that there is no other spectacle in the world that I can cite to describe it.

I recall that at that time, the following revelation was vouchsafed to me repeatedly: ْ ّٰ َ ‫َو َما َر َم ْي َﺖ ِاذ َر َم ْي َﺖ َولٰ ِك ّن ا�� َ� َر َمى‬ “[And thou threwest not when thou didst throw, but it was Allah Who threw.]” (Tadhkirah, 2009, p.

166) 28 November 1889: The Promised Messiahas wrote a letter to Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira in which he wrote that due to feeling ill and weak, he was unable to reply to the list of questions he had sent earlier. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, p. 569) 28 November 1893: The Promised Messiahas was in Firozpur. It is reported that he stayed in this city for 25 days. On this day, the Promised Messiahas wrote to Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira in which he stated that he was currently in Firozpur Cantt, a town in India. Huzooras further said that he intended to return to Qadian on the coming Sunday.

(Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, p. 596) 30 November 1898: The Promised Messiah’sas book,

Detailed map of the tomb of Jesusas in Mohalla Khanyar, published in Raz-e-Haqiqat

Raz-e-Haqiqat, was published on this day at Zia-ulIslam Press, Qadian. Alongside dealing with other subjects in this book, he wrote his research about the escape journey of Prophet Jesusas towards Kashmir after being put on the cross and leading to his death in Srinagar, along with a detailed map of the tomb of Jesus in Mohalla Khanyar on page 68 of the book. Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi, a staunch opponent of the Promised Messiahas, in attempting to find faults in the Promised Messiah’s Arabic, stated that the usage of the “lam” in the revelation of the Promised Messiahas: ‫اﺗعﺠﺐ لا��ى‬ [Do you wonder at My command?] was wrong and therefore, he concluded, that the revelation was not from God. In response to this, the Promised Messiahas provided five instances from the Ahadith in which “lam” was used in a similar way and thus exposed Maulavi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi’s flawed knowledge in hadith.

30 November 1901: An amin ceremony (a gathering to mark the first complete recitation of the Holy Quran by a child) was held in Qadian on this day. The following three children of the Promised Messiahas completed the recitation of the Holy Quran for the first time: Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad, Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmad and Hazrat Nawab Mubaraka Begum, may Allah be pleased with them all. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, p. 194) December 1885: During this month, a series of correspondence between the Promised Messiahas and Pandit Lekhram took place. The letters have

been recorded in the Promised Messiah’sas book, Siraj-e-Munir (Ruhani Khazain Vol. 12, pp. 113115).

1 December 1888: The Promised Messiah’sas book, Sabz Ishtihar (The Green Announcement), was published on this day at Riaz-e-Hind Press, Amritsar. Its full title was Haqani Taqrir bar Waqiah Wafat-e-Bashir and it was printed on green pages. It contained the news of the sad demise of his son Bashir Awal (the first).

This announcement also provides us with another clear sign of Hazrat Ahmad’sas truth; he announced that he was commanded by God Almighty to accept Bai‘ats (pledges of initiation).

Moreover, on this day, the Promised Messiahas published an announcement entitled Tabligh, in which he said: “Another message that I wish to convey to the people at large, and to my Muslim brothers in particular, is that I have been commanded to receive an oath of allegiance (Bai‘at) from seekers of truth who wish to acquire true faith and purity and yearn to find the path to Allah’s love and want to give up their foul, slothful and false existence.

Whosoever finds in themselves the willingness to do this must come to me. I will be their comforter and will do my best to ease their burden. God will bless them through my prayers and my attention, provided they are ready with heart and soul to abide by His conditions. This is a divine command, which I have hereby conveyed. The actual words of the revelation in Arabic are as follows:

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Friday 27 November 2020 | AL HAKAM Continued from page 1

This aggressive process of turning Muslims into the “dangerous outsider” and forcing Muslims to bow to France’s version of “secularism” brings back haunting memories of the Cult of Reason that plagued France following the Revolution.

As Olivier Roy, a French political scientist and professor at the European University Institute in Florence, put it, “Policies like these have only made the situation worse, as they stigmatise Muslims. Muslim communities are crippled by the burden and stymied in their hopes for a culturally and socially integrated Islam in France. They are placed, as it were, under what amounts to permanent government supervision.” (www. middleeasteye.net/news/france-islam-olivierroy-authorities-failure-radicalisation) Rightly, countless articles have been published condemning Macron and his double standards – especially on free speech. Due to France’s influence, some of these critical articles have even been pulled, of which the Financial Times and Politico are prime examples.

Of course, historically, scapegoating takes place especially when governments want to distract the public from their own failures and put the blame on “the other” – analysts have highlighted the failure of France’s economy and the need to secure votes from populists in explaining Macron’s desire to go after Muslims.

The marginalisation of Muslims in the West is not unique to France. Far-right, anti-Muslim and anti-immigration parties and sentiments over recent years have seen unprecedented support. Populist political parties – who have a common theme against Muslims – now see huge political support; in Germany, “AfD has become the biggest opposition party in the Bundestag”; in Spain, Vox became “the third largest force in parliament”; in Austria, “The Freedom Party (FPÖ) became the only far-right party in power in Western Europe” and in Sweden, the “anti-immigration Sweden Democrats (SD) made significant gains in the 2018 general election, winning about 18% of the vote”. (www.bbc.co.uk/news/ world-europe-36130006) Now, even centrist, conservative and other parties have jumped on the bandwagon

of criminalising Muslims; France and America are key examples. Negative comments and bigotry against Muslims – clearly to cause a reaction or gain support – have become a casual acceptance in the West. Those who push these narratives, capitalise on terrorist attacks committed by so-called Muslims and create an “us versus them” scenario while ignoring the vast majority of Muslims who have continuously condemned such atrocious attacks.

It is well known that Charlie Hebdo’s readership was suffocating prior to the cartoons. However, the attacks on their central office gave the magazine a new life and readership rocketed. The cartoons of Prophet Muhammadsa were not about freedom of speech (Charlie Hebdo did not allow anti-Semitic cartoons to be published), but were clearly published to provoke and instigate a reaction from Muslims; it worked.

Nevertheless, as Arsalan Iftikhar, a human rights lawyer noted in Scapegoats: How Islamophobia Helps Our Enemies and Threatens Our Freedoms, puts it, “Dangerous demagogues throughout history have sought to reinforce their rule by frightening the public and creating scapegoats on whom to focus their fears and resentments. The Catholic and Jewish scapegoats of an earlier era have become the Muslim scapegoats of today. There is no more logic for this demonization of Muslims today than there was for innocent Jewish people in Nazi Germany or African Americans in the Jim Crow South …” (Scapegoats, p. 23) The scapegoating, policing and marginalisation of Muslims in the West has been counterproductive in battling extremists. The constant harassment of Muslims has been an effective tool used by extremist groups in recruiting disenfranchised Muslim youth, as we saw during the rise of Daesh.

The rational and religious solution to this fiasco is dialogue, education and democratically addressing the vile narratives pushed not just in France, but the West in general. However, for this, Muslims must unite and speak as one body.

The disunity of Muslims, as Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa puts it, gives courage to such people in attacking Islam and its Prophetsa. Many Muslims, in emotional

َ َ ْ ُْ َّ َ ٰ َ َ ْ َّ َ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ ‫اللّہ۔ َو‬ ‫ﻚ بِﺄ ْﻋ ُﻴ ِﻨ َﻨﺎ َ َو َو ْﺣ ِﻴ َﻨﺎ۔ ِإ ّن اﻟ ِﺬﻳْ َﻦ‬ ‫اﺻ َﻨ ِ� اﻟﻔ ٰل‬ ‫ِإذا ﻋﺰﻣت ﻓﺘو�ﻞ �لی‬ ِ ٰ َّ َ َ َ َ ّ ُ ّ �ْ ِ�ْ‫ﻳ ُ َﺒﺎﻳِ ُع ْونﻚ ِإن َمﺎ ﻳ ُ َﺒﺎﻳِ ُع ْو َن الل َہ ﻳَد الل ِہ ﻓ ْوق أﻳْ ِدﻳ‬ [When thou hast determined a matter, then trust in Allah and build the Ark under Our eyes and according to Our instructions. Those who perform your Bai‘at actually perform the Bai‘at of Allah; Allah’s hand is above their hands.]

“Peace be on him who follows the guidance.

Ghulam Ahmad. 1 December 1888” (Majmua-eIshtiharat, Vol. 1, p. 205) 1 December 1902: The Promised Messiahas went to the rooftop of Masjid Mubarak in Qadian to see the new moon of Ramadan before offering the Maghrib prayer. The Promised Messiahas went on to explain the philosophy behind Ramadan and alluding to his health and age, stated that earlier, he could easily, without fatigue, travel to and from Batala by foot.

Now, Huzooras said, simply walking 5-6 miles caused him fatigue. (Malfuzat [Urdu], Vol. 2, pp. 561-562) 2 December 1885: Hazrat Maulvi Abdullah Sanaurira, upon witnessing the display of meteor showers in the sky, wrote to the Promised Messiahas.

and defeatist reactions, will reject any role and responsibility they have to play in countering the narrative. This is not rational.

For effective change, dialogue, debate and pressure from a unified Muslim Ummah needs to take place.

Emotionally reacting through boycotts, attacking embassies and even holding public demonstrations will not expel antiMuslim narratives pushed by politicians and the media.

Over 100 years ago, when the antiMuslim inflammatory book, Umahat-ulMomineen was published in India, Muslims responded by demanding the British government to outright ban the book.

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas opposed this demand by the majority of Muslims as it would be an empty response and bring no effective change in countering the narrative.

Conversely, he told Muslims to respond to the allegations with arguments and push back at the vile insinuations made in Umahat-ul-Momineen. Sadly, Muslims did not heed this advice and as a result, antiMuslim conflicts continued in India. It seems that ever since, Muslims have been in a defeatist mindset.

Recently, Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad, a renowned Muslim scholar and dean of the Cambridge Muslim College, said how the best theological response to anti-Muslim sentiments would be to “repel [evil] with that which is best”, as the Quran instructs.

(Surah Ha Mim al-Sajdah, Ch.41: V.35) and not to simply make complaints and be reactionary.

Shaykh Murad’s comments received mostly negative reactions, but many thoughtful Muslims strongly supported his view.

To “repel [evil with that which is best” is exactly what the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has been doing for well over a century, perfect case examples of which have been the response to Umahat-ul-Momineen, Rangila Rasool, Vartman, Satanic Verses, the Danish cartoons and Pope Benedict quoting 14th-century Christian emperor as saying that Prophet Muhammadsa introduced only “evil and inhuman” ideas.

The reality is that the Messiah was to come as the saviour for Muslims; clear prophecies of Prophet Muhammadsa detail

On this day, the Promised Messiahas replied to the letter and wrote, “In my view, [these signs] are pointing towards the propagation of guidance [Islam]. Wallahu A‘lam [But Allah knows best]”.

(Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 3, p. 196) 2 December 1907: A religious conference was held by the Arya Samaj Movement in Wachowali Bazar, Lahore, which continued for the next three days. The Promised Messiah’sas article was read on 3 December 1907 and despite the pleadings of maulvis that people should not go to listen to this address, there were scores of listeners. The Promised Messiahas started writing the lecture on 8 November 1907 and completed a 69-page long dissertation on the subject on this day. Hazrat Maulvi Hakim Nuruddinra was selected to read the speech as Hazrat Maulavi Abdul Karim Sialkotira – who would usually read out speeches and lectures of the Promised Messiahas – had passed away by that time. The Promised Messiahas also sent a delegation of Ahmadis to take part in the conference.

3 December 1894: On this day, the Promised Messiahas replied to a letter he received from Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira. In the letter, the

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah & Imam Mahdi

this role. Unfortunately, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas continues to be rejected as the Promised Messiah by mainstream clerics, Muslim leaders and the Ummah at large. Muslims are clearly subjugated by Western nations and are far from being united themselves, both internationally and domestically.

There is, however, solace for Muslims.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, who invites the Ummah to the Imam of the age, is now blessed with the guidance of Khilafat.

Ahmadi Muslims don’t just face the wider Muslim bigotry in the West, but face horrific persecution at the hands of other Muslims too. Through the enlightening teachings of Islam, which the Messiahas and his Khulafa revived, Ahmadis repel the countless evils they face with “that which is best”.

Unless Muslims open their eyes and accept the Imam of the age, the future, unfortunately, will be bleak for the Ummah.

It is a shame that Muslims do not look at the clear prophecies made for the revival of Islam and recognise that they have been fulfilled.

Until then, the wider Ummah will remain like sheep without a shepherd – the perfect prey for wolves.

Promised Messiahas prayed for him and stated that he would be very pleased if Munshi Sahibra would be posted as a court inspector in Gurdaspur.

Huzooras went on to say that the Jalsa days were soon approaching and trusted that Munshi Sahibra would be in attendance. Huzooras added that his attendance was necessary and that he should make arrangements in advance. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, p. 606) 3 December 1905: Hazrat Maulvi Burhanuddin Jhelmira passed away on this day. He was buried in Jhelum, India (now Pakistan). He was a great scholar of his time. His sudden death, as well as the death of Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim Sialkotira (which occurred earlier that year), concerned the Promised Messiahas about the future of his community with regard to their standard of knowledge. Thus, the idea of Jamia took shape soon after. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, p. 399) 3 December 1903: Less than a year old, the Promised Messiah’sas daughter, Amatul Naseer, passed away on this day. She was born on 28 January 1903. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, p. 273)

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Fatal attack on Ahmadi worshippers in Nankana Sahib Nazarat Umur-e-Aama Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya Pakistan Rabwah

A violent attack in broad daylight on a house in Murh Balochan in District Nankana Sahib Punjab left one Ahmadi 31-year-old Tahir Mehmood dead and 3 others injured.

The attack happened when members of one family gathered to offer Friday prayers at their own house. When they finished and were coming out, a teenager opened fire at them. Dr Tahir Mehmood and his father, Tariq Mehmood, and two of his relatives were shot. Tariq Mehmood is in critical condition, while the other two injured are out of danger. Tariq Mehmood

Sahib is 55 years old and is receiving treatment for life-threatening injuries.

Young Muslim leaders of MKA USA hold virtual conference Talha Saifi Mohtamim Ishaat, MKA USA

On 15 and 21 November 2020, Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya USA held a Fazle-Umar Qaideen Refresher Course in which qaideen from 61 majalis across the country took part.

Due to the pandemic, the event took place virtually on Zoom. The event formally commenced on 15 November at 1:30pm with the recitation of the Holy Quran

by Masood Khan Sahib, followed by the Khuddam pledge. This was followed by an Urdu poem recited by Bilal Raja Sahib.

Sadr Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, Dr Madeel Abdullah Sahib delivered the welcome address. He referred to the guidance of the Promised Messiahas, in having harmony between one’s words and deeds.

Following the welcome address, different departments went over their plans and goals for the year. Following these departmental presentations, a speech was delivered

by Missionary Abdullah Dibba Sahib of Philadelphia Jamaat on the exemplary leadership of the Holy Prophetsa.

This was followed by a talk by National Secretary Umur-e-Aama, Dr Bilal Rana Sahib, on the power of brotherhood in Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya.

Following this, Naib Sadr, Mirza Harris Sahib, delivered a presentation on the “No Khadim Left Behind” initiative.

In the subsequent session, qaideen were split into three different parallel sessions based on their majlis size. This was an interactive session in which qaideen discussed the solutions to the issues they faced in their majalis.

In the last presentation of the first day of the refresher course, Motamid MKA USA,

Zafir Ahmed Sahib, went over the approved Shura proposals from the last three years.

The second session of the refresher course commenced on 21 November at 1:30pm with recitation of the Holy Quran

by Ahad Khan Sahib.

This was followed by presentations of departmental plans and goals.

Following this, Naib Sadr, Intisar Malhi Sahib, gave a talk discussing tips and strategies on how to lead as a qaid successfully.

After this, Naib Sadr, Hibbi Iqbal Sahib recognised and highlighted the services of outgoing national amila members and qaideen.

This was followed by an interactive session, in which qaideen had the opportunity to ask Sadr Sahib questions.

The highlight of the refresher course was the concluding session which was presided

by Amir Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya USA, Dr Mirza Maghfoor Ahmad Sahib.

The concluding session began with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Waqas Malik Sahib. This was followed by a presentation delivered by Sadr Sahib in which he presented an overview of the activities of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya USA during the previous Khuddam year.

Following this, Amir Jamaat USA delivered a powerful closing address in which he reiterated the words of the Promised Messiahas and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. In his address, he stated: “All office-holders should earnestly and honestly heed to the advice of Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa … and act upon the teachings of the Promised Messiahas.”

Following Amir Sahib’s address, qaideen had an opportunity to ask him questions.

The event concluded with dua (silent prayer) led by Amir Sahib.

The spokesperson of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in Pakistan, Saleem-ud-Din Sahib, offered his condolences on the death of Tahir Mehmood Sahib. He also requested to remember Tariq Sahib in prayers as he is in critical condition as well as prayers for the other two injured and the rest of the family who are extremely traumatised.

Saleem-ud-Din Sahib also highlighted the fact that there has been a wave of anti-Ahmadiyya hate campaigning and instigation to violence in these areas. At some events, speakers openly incited participants to kill Ahmadis.

In the past few months, members of the Ahmadiyya Community have increasingly been targeted because of their faith. At the same time, the government has turned

Continued from page 1

very nature are vested with steadfastness.

You ought to keep in mind that in their nature, human beings are of three classes. The first class is of those who suppress their desires severely to refrain from evil. The second category is of those who “take the middle course”, i.e. they are virtuous to an extent, but not ridden completely of evil. The third class of people are those who abhor evil and exceed all others in goodness. This last group of people attain to the ranks where they are chosen and selected by God. The Prophets, peace be upon them, are from this holy class of people. This succession of people continues in every era. The world is not empty of such people.

Some people make a request for prayers so that supplications may be made in their favour. It is unfortunate, however, that such people are unaware of the etiquette of requesting for prayers.

Would it be appropriate if the person in need sent someone else to request for prayers on their behalf ? Of course, this would be of no benefit. Until the person making a request for prayer does not inculcate within themselves a propensity towards virtue and obedience, a prayer cannot bring about any benefit. If an ailing person does not consider it necessary to obey their physician, how can they be cured? Just as it is necessary for a patient to follow the advice of their physician with unwavering steadfastness and perseverance, similarly, there are etiquettes and procedures, which must be followed by one who makes a request for prayer. It is written in Tadhkira-tulAwliya that someone made a request for prayers to a holy man, who responded to him by saying, “Bring some milk and rice.” The person was surprised but complied. The saintly man prayed and

a blind eye to such activities. This is the fourth Ahmadi to be killed because of his faith in just four months. There are many other incidents of violence where Ahmadis were injured or faced the serious loss of property.

It is time that the government of Pakistan reigns in the hate mongers that are operating with impunity. At the same time, the government has to implement its own laws about hate campaign on social media, which is extensively used for this purpose. The safety and security of every citizen in Pakistan is the responsibility of the government and Ahmadis are law-abiding citizens of this country who should get the same rights and protection as any other citizen of Pakistan.

the person was granted whatever they had sought. Afterwards, the seeker was told that they were asked to bring the food items only so that a personal relationship could be developed between the two. Similarly, it is written in the account of Bawa Farid Sahib that a person lost their title deed and so they came to Bawa Farid to request for prayers, who instructed the individual to bring him some sweetmeat, halwa.

When the person went to fetch some, he found his ownership document at the confectionery.

The reason I have related these incidents is to explain that until there is a relationship between a person who makes a request for prayers and the individual to whom they make the request, there can be no effect of prayer.

Hence, until there is a state of agony and until a supplicant feels as perturbed as the one who requested them for prayer, there can be no effect of supplication. At times, the greatest trial is that people are unaware of the etiquettes of prayer and on account of their inability to see any manifest benefit in prayer, they begin to think ill of God Almighty and their state becomes a pitiable one.

In the end, I say that whether you pray yourself or request someone else to pray on your behalf, you must develop purity and cleanliness. Seek steadfastness and submit in a state of repentance, for this is steadfastness. It is then that your prayers will be accepted and it is then that you will experience pleasure in Prayer. ّٰ ُ ۡ َ َ ٰ ُ ‫ا�� ِ� يُ ۡؤت ِۡي ِﻪ َم ۡن ّيَ َﺸ‬ ‫ذل ِك فضل‬ ‫ٓاء‬ That is Allah’s grace; He bestows it on whom He pleases.

(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 175-177)

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Friday 27 November 2020 | AL HAKAM

From the Markaz

Al Islam department seeks guidance from Huzoor On 21 November 2020, the Al Islam website team, who run the official website of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, were fortunate to have a virtual mulaqat with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah be his Helper.

The mulaqat commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran, after which the team had the opportunity to give a presentation and discuss with Hazrat

Khalifatul Masihaa updates on a new project.

During the mulaqat, the Al Islam team had the opportunity to seek guidance and direction from Huzooraa on an array of matters. They also had the opportunity to present a new project – a new website dedicated to the Holy Quran with a search engine. They showed Huzooraa the current plan of the new project and live

demonstrations. The details of the project, the base of the new vision for the project as well as its technical foundation was also presented.

Explaining the workflow, the department stated that they formed teams and areas of the project were assigned based on experience and interest. In this way, they said that they were working much faster and in a diligent manner.

Huzooraa instructed that the new website should be a resource for both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Following this, new features and updates of the website were presented before Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. One new feature shown, which is available now on the Al Islam website, was the “Companions of the Holy Prophetsa” section, where the team has compiled and collected the accounts of the Badri Companionsra of the Holy Prophetsa – which Huzooraa has been presenting in his Friday Sermons – in article format.

In addition to this, an overview of the Al Islam mobile apps was presented, along with an update on audiobooks. English and Urdu audiobooks are available as podcasts across many platforms, including iTunes, Spotify and Google Play.

The team had the opportunity to ask Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa and seek direction from Huzooraa on various matters.

Ahmadi delegation visits the deputy bishop of Kano in central church Raja Ather Qudoos Missionary, Nigeria

On 13 November 2020, a delegation of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Kano, Nigeria – led by the Missionary-in-Charge, Afzaal Ahmed Rauf Sahib – visited the deputy

bishop of Kano in the Central Church.

It was a very fruitful meeting in which co-existence in society was discussed.

The missionary-in-charge presented an introduction to Islam Ahmadiyyat and addressed the audience about harmony.

He also presented the Islamic doctrine of the One God and that all Muslims respect Jesusas as a prophet of Allah.

The deputy bishop appreciated the Jamaat’s efforts for attaining peace and harmony in society. He also applauded

the humanitarian works which the Jamaat carries out across the country.

At the end, the Jamaat’s literature was gifted to the priests and the deputy bishop.

May Allah the Almighty bless this effort and make it a success. Amin.

Friday 27 November 2020 | AL HAKAM

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Answers to everyday issues Part III Some of the blessed guidance regarding basic Islamic issues that Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa has given at various occasions in his written correspondence and during MTA programmes is being officially published below for everyone’s benefit Zaheer Ahmad Khan Records Department, Private Secretariat, London

Jinn During a Friday sermon, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said: “The Holy Prophetsa gave a stick to Hazrat Qatadahra bin al-Nu‘man and said, ‘Use this stick to beat and drive out the jinn from your house.’”

Huzooraa was requested for further elaboration on this incident. Huzooraa, in his letter dated 29 August 2019, further elucidated the matter and gave the following reply: “This particular hadith of the Holy Prophetsa and other such ahadith, in which incidents are mentioned where light became visible to the Holy Prophetsa or his Companions, are in fact part of the miracles of the Holy Prophetsa. Allah the Exalted has shown similar miracles in every era to prove the truthfulness of His prophets. We find such incidents in the lives of the prophets before the Holy Prophetsa and Allah the Exalted has also manifested several such incidents to prove the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas, the most ardent servant of the Holy Prophetsa.

“As for the beating of jinns or Satan with a stick mentioned in this hadith, it would be utterly absurd to infer from this that jinns can enter the physical human body and that they can be exorcised from it by beating them in that manner.

“In this hadith, jinn refers to a thief or a harmful animal that had sneaked into the house of Hazrat Qatadahra bin al-Nu‘man by taking advantage of the darkness of night.

As it is the practice of Allah the Exalted that He grants His prophets the knowledge of the unknown in an extraordinary manner, on that occasion, Allah the Exalted had also informed the Holy Prophetsa beforehand that a thief or a harmful animal had been hiding in Qatadahra bin al-Nu‘man’s house.

Therefore, the Holy Prophetsa informed him about the threat and instructed him to beat and drive away the thief or the animal with his stick once he arrives at his house.

“Similarly, other books elaborate on this incident that, when Hazrat Qatadahra bin al-Nu‘man arrived at his house, his family members were all asleep and a hedgehog was hiding in a corner of the house, which he hit with his stick to chase away.”

Insurance Huzoor was asked about the Islamic ruling on taking out an insurance policy to aa

benefit from various perks and to cover the cost of any accidental loss in a business.

Huzooraa, in his letter dated 11 April 2016, said: “Only that kind of insurance is permissible where the sum is based on the condition of sharing profit and loss and does not contain any aspect of gambling. If it is only based on profit, it is impermissible as it would be interest-driven.

“Similarly, if a policyholder makes an agreement with a company that he will only receive the savings and will not take any interest on them, then there is no harm in buying such an insurance.”

“On the issue of insurance, the Promised Messiahas said:

‫دار�ی وں‬ ‫وسد اور امقر ابزی وک اگل رک ےک دورسے ارقاروں اور ذہم ن‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ی‬ ‫ہ‬ ‫ی‬ ‫حص رقار د ی�ا ےہ۔ امقر ابزی ی‬ � ‫م ذہم داری‬ ‫وک رش� یع� ےن‬ ‫ن‬ ‫د�ا ےک اکروابر ی‬ ‫م ذہم داری یک رضورت ےہ۔‬ ‫وہیت۔ ی‬ ‘With the exclusion of interest and gambling, the Shariah has permitted other agreements and responsibilities. There is no responsibility in gambling. Responsibility is, however, necessary in worldly trades.’

(Badr, No. 10 , Volume 2, 27 March 1903, p. 76) “Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra said in a speech: ‘If a company lays the condition that the policyholder and the company will share the profits and losses, then insurance may be permissible.’ (Al Fazl, 7 January 1930) “In a reply to a letter, Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra dictated: ‘It is not correct that we declare insurance impermissible because it involves interest. At least I do not declare it impermissible on that basis. There are many reasons for its impermissibility.

‘1. One of these is that the insurance business is based on interest. There is a huge difference between something having interest as its foundation and something that involves interest. According to the

law of the land, no insurance company is allowed to operate in the country until it purchases securities worth 100,000 from the government. Hence this is not a question of involvement but a question of legal obligation.

‘2. Secondly, insurance is based on the theory of interest. According to the Islamic Shariah, the Islamic theory is that whoever gives a sum to another, it is either through a donation, a trust, a partnership or a loan. [Insurance payments] are not a donation. They are also not a trust because there cannot be any increase or decrease in a trust. They are not based on a partnership because the policy holders are neither responsible for the gains and losses of the company nor do they share any authority in its operation. We can only class it as a loan and it is in fact a loan. This is because insurance companies use these contributions as they wish with complete control over it and they do not hold the policyholders responsible in case of any losses associated with the insurance business. Hence, this is a loan. A loan which results in any profits due to an advance agreement is called interest according to the Islamic Shariah. Therefore, insurance is based on a theory and a principle of interest.

‘3. Thirdly, the principle of insurance nullifies all principles on which Islam aspires to build a society. By fully implementing [the principles of] insurance, the essence of mutual cooperation, empathy and brotherliness disappear from the world.”

(Al Fazl, Qadian, 18 September 1934, p. 5) “According to the laws of some countries, it is compulsory to have insurance. It is permissible to buy such an insurance policy.

“On 25 June 1942, someone asked Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra the following question: ‘The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has legislated that anyone with

a car must insure it. Would such insurance be permissible?’

“Huzoorra replied: ‘It must be noted that this enforcement is not only from the UP government but the Punjab government has ordered it too. Since this insurance policy is bought in accordance with the law and the government has declared it as compulsory, it is permissible, not for one’s personal benefits but rather as obedience to the government.’ (Al Fazl, 4 November 1961, quote from 25 June 1942) “Majlis-e-Ifta submitted a recommendation to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh regarding insurance, which Huzoorrh approved on 23 June 1980 and said: ‘According to the edicts of the Promised Messiahas and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, until agreements are not free of interest and gambling, it is not permissible to buy any kind of insurance policy from insurance companies. These edicts are of a permanent nature and unchangeable. However, one may review from time to time as to what extent insurance companies have rid themselves of the elements of gambling and interest as a result of their changing rules and regulations.

‘Majlis-e-Ifta has taken a closer look at the current methods of insurance companies and has come to conclusion that although it was not possible for any company to fully steer clear of interest in their business dealings due to the global nature of the financial establishments, but now such agreements between companies and policyholders have become possible, which are free of the elements of interest and gambling. Hence, there is no harm in taking out an insurance with this condition that nobody should take any interest from the insurance company on the contributions that they have collected from the policyholder.’” (Register Faisalajaat Majlis-e-Ifta [unpublished], p. 60) Supplication of fathers With reference to ahadith books, nazarat islah-o-irshad, Rabwah asked Huzooraa about narrations regarding the acceptance of prayers of a father who supplicates in favour of his own children and supplicates against his children. The narrations and the explanation of their Arabic terms taken from various dictionaries were presented before Huzooraa with the request for guidance as to which of those narrations and translations should be adopted.

Huzooraa, in his letter dated 25 February 2015, gave the following reply:

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Friday 27 November 2020 | AL HAKAM “If we translate it as ‘a father’s supplication for his children’, then the meaning of the hadith becomes clear.

Nonetheless, both the ahadith recorded in the books of hadith are correct in their own respect and are a means of guidance for us.

“If you ponder over both ahadith at the same time, it would mean that such a person’s prayer against someone can also be accepted, whose supplication holds the rank of acceptance. Allah the Exalted does not say that He will accept supplications in favour of someone and will reject supplications against someone.

“Considering the position which Allah has granted a father, He also accepts his prayers and hears his invocations against someone. Therefore, in the Holy Quran, Allah the Exalted has specifically said about parents: َ ْ َُ َ ً ْ ُ َّ َّ ْ ُ ُ ْ َ َّ َ َ ُّ َ ٰ َ َ َ ‫اه َو ِبالوَال َِديْ ِن ِإ ْح َسانا ۚ ِإ ّما يَ ْبلغ َّن ِعن َدك‬ ‫وقضى ربك ألا تعبدوا ِإلا ِإي‬‎ ُ ً‫اه َما َفلَا تَقُ ْل لَّ ُه َما أ ّف َولَا تَ ْن َه ْر ُه َما َو ُق ْل لَّ ُه َما َقوْلا‬ ُ َ ‫الْكب َ َر أَ َح ُد ُه َما أَ ْو كل‬ ٍ ِ ِ ُ ّ َ َ َ َ َُ ْ ْ َ ًْ َ َ ُ َ َ ّ ‫الذ ِ ّل ِم َن‬ ‫الرَ ْح َم ِة َوق ْل ّر ِّب ْار َح ْم ُه َما ك َما َر ّب َيان ِ ْي‬ ‫ك ِريماواخ ِفض لهما جناح‬ ْ ‫َص ِغي ًرا‬ ‘Thy Lord has commanded, “Worship none but Him, and show kindness to parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age with thee, never say unto them any word expressive of disgust nor reproach them, but address them with excellent speech. And lower to them the wing of humility out of tenderness. And say, “My Lord, have mercy on them even as they nourished me in my childhood.”’

(Surah Bani Israil, Ch.17: V.24-25) “Hence, according to this hadith, the Holy Prophetsa has advised us to take advantage of the father’s prayers and to save ourselves from his curse.”

Seeing God During a Gulshan-e-Waqf-e-Nau class for Lajna and Nasirat, held in Melbourne, Australia on 12 October 2013, a girl asked Huzooraa why we cannot see Allah the Exalted.

Huzooraa answered with the following: “Allah the Exalted is the Being Who cannot be seen.”

Whilst addressing the girl, Huzooraa pointed towards the light bulb that was on the ceiling and asked, “You can see that bulb and its light too, right?”

Then Huzooraa pointed towards the table in front of her and asked, “We can see the light falling onto this surface. How did it travel here? Can you see the light moving from up there to here?”

Huzooraa asked the girl again and then explained: “It is the light of the bulb. The bulb is shining in its place, while light has fallen onto here [the surface of the table]. But there is a distance between both the objects.

Should we not be able to see something there too? The light travelled from up there and reached here. Can you see it in the middle?”

Huzooraa asked the girl again. The girl responded that its movements were not visible. Then Huzooraa replied: “You cannot see it, correct? Allah the Exalted is even brighter and His light is such that cannot be seen. Yes, Allah’s creations can be seen. Have any of your prayers ever been accepted?”

The girl responded in the affirmative, to which Huzooraa said: “That is ‘seeing’ Allah the Exalted. Allah

_suhaib_a | Instagram

the Exalted says in the Holy Quran that there is the Earth, the planets, the universe, all the creations, plants and vegetation …

Australia is even known as a very famous place for flora and fauna. Allah the Exalted has created all these things. Observe everything! There is a plant that grows here ... It is actually said that if a plant does not have leaves, then ... it is chlorophyll from which a plant derives its life. The leaves are playing their own role in this. “Here, I have also seen such plants that are only a stick and the stem is fulfilling the role of the leaves and on top of it is a large beautiful, colourful kind of flower. So this is also Allah’s creation. Look at everything that Allah has created and pay attention to it.

Then, you will see Allah the Exalted right there.”

The role of Waqifat-e-Nau girls after marriage During a Gulshan-e-Waqf-e-Nau class with Lajna and Nasirat in Melbourne, Australia on 12 October 2013, a member of Lajna Imaillah asked Huzooraa as to how they could perform their roles properly as Waqifat-e-Nau after marriage and assume responsibilities for their household, family and children.

Huzooraa gave the following answer: “To fulfil your role of Waqf-e-Nau properly, you should firstly offer the five obligatory prayers in a proper manner. If you can offer Tahajud prayer, then do so.

Study the Holy Quran with its translation.

If you have been assigned any work from Lajna, then do it to the best of your ability.

Moreover, your greatest responsibility is that you raise your children in a way that they form a bond with Allah the Exalted.

Make your husband realise, ‘You are waqf and that it is your duty to undertake your own tarbiyat as well as that of your family and your children and that you need support for this from him.’ This is so because if the father is not playing his role, then the tarbiyat of the children suffers.

“The most important responsibility is

the home. This indeed is the source of the greatest reward for you.

“According to a hadith, once a woman came to the Holy Prophetsa and said, ‘Our men go to perform jihad, they earn a living and they give charity. Men perform many such tasks outside that we as women cannot perform within our houses. So will we also get all the reward of jihad and giving charity?’ The Holy Prophetsa said, ‘Yes, because you look after their homes, you raise their children and take care of the homes whilst they are away. You will get just as many blessings, especially considering the virtuous generation that is being raised.

Moreover, you also bear it with patience that you send off your husbands so that they can serve the faith.’

“Even if your husband is performing a worldly service and not serving his faith, according to the hadith, those women should still look after their homes.

Therefore, the responsibility of Waqf-eNau girls is to make the new generation steadfast upon Ahmadiyyat and to guide them to have a bond with Allah the Exalted.”

Islam and terrorism During a Gulshan-e-Waqf-e-Nau class with Lajna and Nasirat in Sydney, Australia on 7 October 2013, a girl asked Huzooraa as to why people associated Islam with terrorism.

Huzooraa replied: “This is because the majority of the terrorist groups nowadays – be it Al-Qaida, the Taliban, Boko Haram and other new ones that are springing up daily – [claim to be] Muslims. So, people think that perhaps Islam and terrorism are the same thing.

We need to dispel this misunderstanding.

This is why there is a book in the book stall here entitled World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace. It is a collection of my various lectures that I have been giving to various nations, urging them not to link Islam with terrorism. These are separate things. What they are doing is based on their vested

interests. Buy that book and read it.”

Huzooraa then commented on the price of the book before commencing with the answer: “They are actually sold expensively here. They should sell them for $2. I have heard that they are being sold for $5. They should at least sell them for $2 to Waqf-eNau. “In there, you will find all my different answers to prove that this concept is wrong.

Islam has a very beautiful teaching. When Mecca was conquered, the Holy Prophetsa forgave everyone. He even forgave his enemies. The Holy Quran has forbidden tyranny and it teaches that you should not kill any innocent person and that if you kill one person, it is akin to killing all of mankind.

“And who is being killed by these socalled Muslims? They do not kill many Christians; rather, these Muslims are killing other Muslims. Attacks occur daily, be it in Pakistan or in Iraq, where Shiites are being killed, or Shiites are killing Sunnis.

The suicide bombings that are happening everywhere, it is Muslims who are dying because of them. An attack on a church where 100-200 died has only just happened recently, but otherwise, they are killing Muslims. They are killing us Ahmadis.

“Consider other places where bomb blasts occur; these are all terrorists who are themselves killing each other, though this is not permissible anywhere. Allah the Almighty has instructed us in the Holy Quran to be very merciful to one another.

Yet here they are, killing other Muslims.

“Allah the Exalted says that one who kills an innocent Muslim will be cast into hell. So, they are all becoming the dwellers of hell. There is no resemblance between Islam and terrorism. If you refer to any dictionary, you will see that the word ‘Islam’ means peace. If you watch MTA, and Waqf-e-Nau should certainly watch it, my address from Jalsa Salana UK was about the meaning of Islam and the role of Muslims. Do read that book. It is in English, so you should read it.”

Friday 27 November 2020 | AL HAKAM

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Opinion

True cosmopolitanism: Why I am an Ahmadi Khalida Jamilah USA

I was standing in line to get chai and a Pakistani sister asked me, “Are you a convert? Are you a guest? Please get ahead of the line. You should not wait in a long line like this.”

I replied, “Oh no, I’m not a convert. I’m originally from Indonesia and now live in Los Angeles.”

“Oh I see. The way you dress is different,” the sister said. Then I smiled at her while continuing to wait in line to get the pink chai.

After that moment, I told myself that being the only Indonesian Ahmadi in Southern California is very unique. In fact, there are not that many Indonesian Ahmadis in the United States.

If I count, there are only about seven Indonesian Ahmadi households in the whole country. It feels unique as sometimes, I feel like a minority inside a minority –

Ahmadiyyat is a minority sect within the larger Islamic community. Jamaat members are predominantly from Pakistan, so being Indonesian is considered a minority within the US Jamaat.

Then I ponder even more; often I ask myself, “Why am I an Ahmadi? Is it just because I was born and raised as an Ahmadi?

Is it because my great grandparents were one of the pioneering Ahmadis in Indonesia and were able to serve in national offices?

Is it because I just follow blindly the family value that my parents taught me? Or is it something else? Why is it that Indonesia, a place far away from Qadian, was able to receive the message of Islam Ahmadiyya?”

These questions always stay in my heart.

The answer to these longing questions is that I am an Ahmadi because at every step of my life, I always find the answer to all of my questions, be it in the lowest moments of my life or the happiest moments. There is always comfort and answers from the Imam of the age, beloved Huzoor, may Allah be his

Helper.

I am an Ahmadi because I believe this is the truth. Ahmadiyyat has become who I am and what I do. Its teaching is in my heart, soul and mind, so much so that I am willing to present my life to defend this truth that I hold dear and near to my soul. I will not and cannot barter this way of life with anything else. It is the truth that envelops your whole being. It is like clean water.

You don’t need expensive water to quench your thirst. You only need clean water to survive. Similarly, I don’t need the glamourous world to survive; I only need the clean water that quenches my thirst on my spiritual journey and I can only get that clean water from Islam Ahmadiyyat.

When we accept Ahmadiyyat with our mind, heart and soul, we realise that being an Ahmadi does not just consist of rituals like attending meetings or paying chanda (financial sacrifice). It also means that we should not complain when asked to make financial sacrifices or to attend Jamaat

meetings because these things have become our need, just like our need for physical nourishment through food and drink.

Nobody ever has to tell us to eat. We eat because it is a necessity. Thus, all of the commandments in Islam and the Jamaat are our spiritual food; we just cannot live without them.

Being an Ahmadi means we are expected to become light in darkness; a rose that grows in the middle of a desert. This is difficult with many temptations of the modern world.

As a peace and conflict studies graduate, I always remember one lecture about cosmopolitanism. My professor told us that cosmopolitanism, by a simple definition, is the idea that you belong to a single community, despite your differences such as race and language. So if I live in America, I should also care about someone who lives in India because after all, we belong to one community.

When I heard this, it sparked my mind.

This is what Ahmadiyyat is all about. This is what Islam is. You can be anything, but you have one thing in common, which is the belief in One Creator.

So I am an Ahmadi not because I was born and raised as an Ahmadi. I am an Ahmadi because it teaches me the true purpose of life. It teaches me who I am and what I am to do.

Online Jalsa Seerat-un-Nabi in Huddersfield

Aamir Shahzad President Jamaat Huddersfield South, UK

Subscribe now and have Al Hakam delivered to your doorstep every week, no matter where in the world

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Huddersfield North and South organised a virtual Jalsa Seeratun-Nabisa on 15 November 2020.

The event started with the recitation of the Holy Quran and its English and Urdu translations, which was followed by a nazm from Kalam-e-Tahir. Then, a few couplets from an Arabic qaseedah were also recited with translation as well.

The keynote address was delivered by Ataul Mujeeb Rashed Sahib, Missionaryin-Charge UK, in which he explained the beautiful character and example of the Holy Prophetsa.

At the end, a question and answer session was arranged. More than 100 members with their families participated in this event, which concluded with silent prayer.

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Friday 27 November 2020 | AL HAKAM

Breaking the habit Viewing habits and addictions through an Islamic lens Jazib Mehmood Student, Jamia Ahmadiyya Ghana As lockdowns are being reinstated in many countries, compulsive and bad habits get the chance to flourish.

Habits are what make us or break us.

It is essential that we have control over them.

When we overload our brains with pleasure by doing seemingly harmless things, like watching a movie, eating something sugary or scrolling through social media, we subconsciously tell our brains that this is the standard of pleasure it should expect now. If done excessively, they can quickly become habits and these have consequences.

Over time, the brain grows tolerant of the pleasures it receives and requires more dopamine. Addictions such as binge-watching and binge-eating are born. It starts off as two episodes of a television series in a row, but soon, a series is finished within a week. Anything less pleasurable is classified as boring or uninteresting to accommodate the higher levels of dopamine.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh has spoken of this in Islam’s Response to Contemporary Issues when describing today’s society and its mindless pursuit of pleasure: “The pursuit of pleasure in every sphere of life requires change and novelty to provide a greater kick. Things, which used to satisfy in the past, no longer do now. Smoking and traditional intoxicants fail to provide the kick, which the progressively restless society requires.

Drugs of all sorts begin to appear and no measure whatsoever taken to suppress the menacing trend of drug-addiction is enough. Yet, the drug addict still requires a greater kick. So a stronger, more addictive and lethal drug like crack is invented.”

(Islam’s Response to Contemporary Issues, pp. 72-73) It can get to a point where it becomes a life purpose to satiate desires and without it, life becomes empty and meaningless.

Huzoorrh says: “To find time for light entertainment is neither bad nor prohibited in Islam. But … if, instead of providing a genuine outlet for the stresses of life, entertainment becomes an objective in itself, it would be condemned as laghw (vain and wasteful) in the Quranic terminology. When entertainment begins to interfere in the daily pursuits of life or takes a toll upon one’s time, which could be better spent

otherwise, it too would be classified as vain...” (Islam’s Response to Contemporary Issues, p. 111) In the Holy Quran, believers are admonished to shun all that which is vain (Surah al-Mu‘minun, Ch.23: V.4).

This is one reason why the youth of today are drifting away from the almost sacred habit of reading. Vanity disguised as entertainment is quickly turning into (if it already hasn’t) a serious problem.

This also leads to an aversion to more important matters. Again, it is one reason for the growing antipathy towards religion.

The Promised Messiahas has provided the cure for such antipathies. Huzooras says: “What could be more destructive in this world than feeling an aversion or distaste in listening to God’s teachings?

What is the cure to such feelings? The cure is to seek forgiveness from Allah and to turn towards God, and pray for one’s sins to be forgiven, and then to continue in this without fail. If this remedy is employed, I can say with surety that their displeasure will turn into a pleasure and their distaste will turn into a liking. Then, the same soul that would flee from God’s presence and was averse to listening to God’s teachings, will race towards Him in the likeness of a rolling ball.” (Malfuzat [English Translation], Vol. 2, p. 118) If one stops the excessive use of artificial stimulators, the brain is forced to reduce its standards of pleasure, hence the withdrawal symptoms addicts experience.

The Promised Messiahas has stated that it is possible to leave addictive habits, albeit with withdrawal symptoms.

Huzooras says: “A person can leave a [bad] habit provided that they have faith. And there are many people in the world who have left their [bad] habits completely. It has been observed that some people who had been drinking alcohol over a long period left [this bad habit] without a second thought in their old age, even though leaving a habit [at that age] is akin to becoming sick. After a little sickness, they get better as well.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 5, p. 159) Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa has also stated that even if habits become concrete and really humiliate a person, reformation – though difficult – is still possible. Huzooraa said that where there is faith, advice helps. Allah the Almighty says that admonish the believers, for it is beneficial for them. (Friday Sermon, 20 December 2013) In the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty has pointed to a beautiful principle to

remove bad habits and help addicts.

Allah says: َ َّ َ ْ ْ ُ َ َ َ ْ َّ ‫ات‬ ‫ات يذ ِهبن‬ ِ ‫الس ِّـيﺌ‬ ِ ‫ِإن الﺤسن‬ “Surely good works drive away the evil ones.” (Surah Hud, Ch.11: V.115) Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has explained that this verse means that if a person desires to reform himself and get rid of an evil habit, he should begin to practise a corresponding virtue. In this way, he will soon get rid of his evil habit. (Tafsir-eKabir, Vol. 3, p. 268) It is nothing short of miraculous that in this short phrase of the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty has given Muslims the key to overcoming bad habits and addictive behaviours centuries before years of research amounted to the same conclusion.

Now, science has proven that it is next to impossible to leave a bad habit by trying to simply stop doing it. Until you find why you crave it, unless there is a replacement behaviour, it just doesn’t work.

In his book, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, Charles Duhigg has drawn an analogy between a habit and a path carved by running water. Even if the water stops flowing for a while, if it ever passes there again, it will pass through the already carved path.

This holds through years after we leave a bad habit. Unless our brain creates new pathways to overcome old habits, they cannot be removed. The age-old maxim, no matter how clichéd, still rings true – old habits die hard.

While addictions have some effect on our brains, Hazrat Musleh-e- Maudra has, from the same verse, described that the more virtue we practise, the more secure we will become from the consequences of our bad deeds. Where Allah has set in place consequences of bad deeds, He has also created good results of our virtues.

But the condition is that we should not become agitated, nor should we give up.

(Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 3, p. 268) Take exercise, for example. In The Power of Habit, Duhigg says that “when people start habitually exercising, even as infrequently as once a week, they start changing other, unrelated patterns in their lives, often unknowingly. Typically, people who exercise start eating better and becoming more productive at work.

They smoke less and show more patience with colleagues and family. They use their credit cards less frequently and say they

feel less stressed.”

Here is sufficient proof that the Quran correctly prescribed good habits to counter bad ones. The Quran has also stated that prayer restrains one from indecency and manifest evil (Surah alAnkabut, Ch.29: V.46). Accordingly, the Promised Messiahas has also prescribed the Islamic prayer as a cure to addictive pleasures. Huzooras says: “That prayer which has a spirit of truth in it drives away evil … Such a prayer most definitely dispels vice.” (Tafsir Hazrat Masih-e-Maudas, 2015, Vol. 4, p. 389) Duhigg says that to change a bad habit, we must find what makes us crave it in the first place. Hazrat Ahmadas has spoken of such cravings and advises his community: “I see that when a drunk and addict does not get pleasure, he keeps on drinking until a kind of intoxication sets in. A sensible and wise person can benefit from this; that he prays persistently and keeps on praying until he derives pleasure. And just as there is a craving in the mind of a drunk, the attaining of which is his only purpose, so should [the sensible person] focus with his mind and all his faculties, on the attainment of pleasure in prayer.”

(Ibid, p. 388) We can find greater and purer pleasure in Allah by changing our source of pleasure from the detrimental to the divine. Allah, in His eternal wisdom, has not ignored man’s need of pleasure. Instead, by putting pleasure in prayer, He has acknowledged that man requires pleasure and draws his attention to this higher pleasure in many places in the Holy Quran.

In his book, Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technologies and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked, Adam Alter has reaffirmed the same Islamic principle: “The key to overcoming addictive behaviours, then, is to replace them with something else.” In The Power of Habit, Duhigg has also described The Golden Rule of Habit Change: “You can’t extinguish a bad habit, you can only change it.”

Alter also says that “distraction works just as well if you’re trying to overcome a behavioural addiction…” Islam has yet again given us better guidance. This perfect teaching has expected better of us and commanded: ْ َ ْ َ َ َ ‫ف ِﺈذا � َرﻏ َﺖ فان َﺼ ْب‬

Friday 27 November 2020 | AL HAKAM

10 “So when you are free, strive hard.”

(Surah al-Inshirah, Ch.94: V.8) The Holy Prophetsa has described a free mind as a home of Satan, so we should not remain idle. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa recently affirmed this principle as well.

Commenting on the aforementioned verse, Huzooraa said: “A person should engage in pursuits of livelihood and endeavour to be at one with God in other, free moments.

Allah the Almighty has clearly stated here that once a person completes their daily business, they should engage in remembering Allah … So Islam in no way encourages idleness.” (Al Hakam, Issue 138, 6 November 2020, p. 9) Then, Duhigg quotes a senior scientist at the Alcohol Research Group, “There’s something really powerful about groups and shared experiences. People might be sceptical about their ability to change if they’re by themselves, but a group will convince them to suspend disbelief. A community creates belief.”

In the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty has already stated, ْ َ ُ َُْ َْ ُ َ َْ ْ ُ ُ َْ ُ َ ُْْ َ َ ُ ُْْ َ ‫وف‬ ‫ض يأمر‬ ِ ُ‫ون ِبال َم ْعر‬ ٍ ‫والمؤ ِمنون والمؤ ِمنات ب ْعضه َم أول ِي ْاء ب َع‬ ‫َويَن َهوْن َع ِن ال ُمنك ِر‬ “And the believers, men and women, are friends one of another. They enjoin good and forbid evil.” (Surah al-Taubah, Ch.9: V.71) Huzooraa has similarly advised his Jamaat: “For the development of the Jamaat, every part of the system, rather every Ahmadi, examining himself, needs to reform himself and needs to become a support for his friends and close [acquaintances] who are suffering from shortcomings so that every individual of the Jamaat becomes one who reaches the highest standards of practical reformation.” (Friday Sermon, 17 January 2014) Sometimes, however, despite all these measures, some habits or addictions persist. In such cases, Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra has said that some spiritual ailments require a physical doctor. To elaborate, he presented the example of an adulterer. Huzoorra said that in some cases, adultery is not a moral or religious vice, but a mental illness. Some vices are a result of natural weaknesses. So such a person should seek professional help.

(Irfan-e-Ilahi, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 4, p.

364) There are rehabilitation programmes set up to help people with a wide variety of addictions. Many detox centres target new behavioural addictions like Internet and smartphone addictions.

Since time immemorial, the myriad of man’s propensities have been wavering and rearranging. But a great proof of the Holy Quran’s divine origin is that it has not needed changing in the last 1,400 years. It keeps showing us new sides very much with the times. We are left to marvel at Islam when we see how it encompasses everything and leaves nothing out.

100 Years Ago...

Passion of Muslim English ladies in preaching Islam Al Fazl, 25 November 1920 Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Nayyarra

An English lady’s passion for tabligh Sister Aisha Noor is an enthusiastic member of our Cardiff Jamaat, who possesses keenness and passion for tabligh. She tries to convey the message of truth as much as possible and a lady has converted to Islam through her tabligh. May Allah grant her the best of rewards. Sister Aisha writes in a letter: “Assalamo alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

“I am writing to inform you that two weeks ago, a lady, who is the wife of an Arab, came to me and said, ‘Please enlighten me with the teachings of Islam.’ I gave her one of your magazines and asked her to read it carefully for a few days and then come back. This lady came back and wished to learn more. I gave her some more books to study and also explained some of the issues verbally. She has been in regular contact with me for a long time and has been busy getting information about Islam. Finally, today she recited: ّ ٰ ُ َ ٌ َ ُ ّ ٰ َّ ٰ َ ‫لا اِل َہ اِلا الل ُہ محَ ّمد ّر ُس ْول الل ِہ‬ “[There is none worthy of worship except Allah; Muhammad is His messenger] with full conviction of heart and signed the Bai‘at form.

“I will continue to teach her every day to the best of my knowledge. Please write a kind letter to her and give her an Islamic name. I hope that by the grace of Allah the Almighty, I will be able to bring this woman out of the darkness and into the light.

“Yours sincerely, Mrs Ayesha Noor” Safia’s letter According to the wish of Sister Aisha Noor, letters were written to the newly converted lady and she was given the name of Safiya.

Safiya is growing in sincerity and faith. She writes: “My brother, assalamo alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

“I am very grateful for your kind and cheerful letter. I regret that I could not respond quickly due to ill health. I am engaged in studying and making progress in religious knowledge. I have started offering Salat, but I have a lot to learn to pray in the best possible way.

“Dear brother! I feel like I am in a new world since I have changed my religion.

Beyond any doubt, Islam is the best religion.

With the support of Allah, I will protect my faith with my life and also train my son in accordance with this religion and its practices.

“Your sister in faith, Mabel Emma Safiya” Maryam’s letter An English lady from South Shields writes: “I am regretful that I could not send my chanda. As soon as my husband returns, I will fulfill this obligation, insha-Allah. I have

studied The Review of Religions and I very much admire all the efforts that our mission is making to spread Islam in the countries of unfaithful people.

“Yours sincerely, Maryam” Lectures The series of outdoor lectures continues uninterrupted. Weekly meetings have been started at the house and speeches have been delivered on the following topics: Delegation in England for the tabligh of Islam by Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sayal Sahib (delivered on 3 October 1920); Ahmadas and his purpose of appearance

by Maulvi Mubarak Ali Sahib (delivered Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sayal on 10 October 1920); ra Sahib There is none worthy of worship except Allah

by Abdul Rahim Nayyar Sahib (delivered on 17 October 1920); Oneness of God Almighty by Mr Usman Fisher (delivered on 24 October 1920).

In addition, the following lectures were held in the outskirts of London: What rights do India and Britain have over each other? by Maulana Mubarak Ali Bangali Sahibra Abdul Rahim Nayyar Sahib (delivered on 21 October 1920 at Abbott Finchley); Islam and Bolshevism by Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sayal Sahib (delivered on 24 October 1920 at Lewisham); The solution to India’s current problems by Abdul Rahim Nayyar Sahib (delivered on 27 October 1920 at Edmonton).

All of the above lectures went very well by the grace of God and the responsibility of tabligh was carried out in the best possible way.

Mr Malik Mr Muhammad Hussain Malik, who was previously in East Africa, arrived safely in London this week. May Allah the Almighty grant him success in his endeavours and be with him in his noble desire of the tabligh of Islam. Amin!

At present, apart from the tabligh delegation, the following Ahmadi members are residing in England: 1. Maulvi Mubarak Ali Sahib BA BT, missionary to West Africa, who will leave for his destination on 12 January [1921], insha-Allah. He is currently helping the missionaries in their work here.

Maulvi Abdur Rahim Nayyar Sahibra

2. Sahibzada Abdul Rahim Khan Sahib, son of Hazrat Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan Sahib, who is residing in Oxford.

3. Mian Manzoor Hassan BSc, is living in Sheffield.

4. Ghulam Qadir Khan Sahib is studying in Aberystwyth, Wales.

5. Zafar Haq Khan Sahib and Nematullah Sahib are present in London.

Report of lectures Below is a brief report of the two lectures delivered by the Ahmadiyya missionary, Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sahib MA, at Lewisham and Edmonton: Bolshevism and Islam – The first lecture The subject of the lecture held at Lewisham was Bolshevism and Islam. The erudite speaker explained that Islam has nothing to do with Bolshevism. Europe is responsible for it [Bolshevism], especially the government of the Tsar, which was used to cruelty and injustice. The issue of equality is Islamic, but the concept of Islamic equality is based on spirituality and religion. While the equality of Bolshevism depends on worldly ideas. It was then emphasised that the only cure for Bolshevism is Islam, because Islam has so much equality, justice and brotherhood that there remains no room for Bolshevism to provoke the general public against the affluent people. Thus, if some Islamic nations become associated with the Bolshevik party, it would not be due to their economic ideas, but because of some political expediencies.

Solution to India’s current problems – The second lecture The subject of this lecture was Solution to India’s current problems. The speaker elaborated that some of the major problems being faced by India are: 1. Presence of different nations and religions 2. Differences in the cultural and educational development of different nations Only religion can solve the said problems. Hinduism was not able to solve these problems. On the contrary, the question of caste and race has exacerbated these problems. Christianity has also failed to solve these problems because the people of Europe cannot overlook that they are white and the question of blacks and whites worsens these problems.

However, the principles of Islam are based on equality. They result in establishing justice and harmony. Hence, the cure for India’s problems can only be the spiritual spirit taught by Islam, which will burn these different elements in the furnace of spirituality and end all the differences and remove the problems. The audience liked this speech very much.

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Friday 27 November 2020 | AL HAKAM

100 Years Ago...

11 principles for understanding the Holy Quran Al Fazl, 25 November 1920

A non-Ahmadi Muslim wrote a letter to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra and sought guidance about the principles and methods for the interpretation and understanding of the Holy Quran.

In reply, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra said:

I am very delighted to learn that you wish to know the principles for understanding the Holy Quran.

If it was possible to lay down such principles that after them, there remains no room for any doubt and all differences disappear, then the Companions [of the Holy Prophetsa] would not have disagreed on the meanings of various verses of the Holy Quran and the imams of Islam would not have differed from each other as well.

However, if you want to know such principles by the help of which a sincere and well-intentioned person becomes acquainted with the fundamental doctrines of the Holy Quran and also stands at a place with respect to the peripheral religious tenets that after reaching it, there remains no such doubt in his mind which will create a defect in his faith or prevent him from attaining nearness to God Almighty, then such principles are certainly present and proven from the Holy Quran.

The first and second principles that we learn from the Holy Quran are that the Holy Quran was revealed in Arabic.

Therefore, while explaining the meanings of the Holy Quran, it should be kept in mind that the lexicon and idiom should be in accordance with Arabic. If the meanings are against the lexicon or the Arabic idiom, then such meanings cannot be correct. Hence, the two primary principles that come to our knowledge are that firstly, the meanings of the Holy Quran should not be against the lexicon and secondly, they should not be against the idioms of the Arabs.

The third principle that we learn from the Holy Quran as to how we should carry out its interpretation is that we know for sure that Allah the Almighty does not do anything in vain. [As God says]: َ َ َ َ َّ َ ۡ َ َ َ َ َ ۡ ‫ٓاء َو الۡا ۡرض َو َما بَ ۡین ُہ َما لٰ ِع ِبی َن‬ ‫و ما خلقنا السم‬ [And We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between the two in play. (Surah al-Anbiya, Ch.21: V.17)]

َّ َ ۡ َ َ َ َ َ ‫الس َم‬ ‫ٓاء َو‬ ‫و ما خلقنا‬ ً‫الۡاَ ۡر َض َو َما بَ ۡی َن ُہ َما بَاطلا‬ ِ [And We have not created the heaven and the earth and all that is between them in vain.

(Surah Saad, Ch.38: V.28)] Hence, neither a single word, nor any kind of arrangement of the words of the Holy Quran, is devoid of meaning. A person who considers any word of the Holy Quran to be extra or declares any of its syntax to be incorrect, then they are certainly far from the truth and cannot understand the true meaning of the Holy Quran.

Fourthly, we learn from the Holy Quran that there is no contradiction in the Holy Quran. The ill-informed people say out of ignorance that at the very least, there should not be ikhtilaf-ekasir [much disagreements] in the Holy Quran of God Almighty. However, this is a misconception and it is unacceptable for the divine words of Allah the Almighty to have even the slightest contradiction.

These people make this mistake because of the word ikhtilaf-e-kasir. [They should bear in mind that] Allah the Almighty also states: ۡ ّ َّ َ َ ُّ َ َ َ ‫ام ل ِل َع ِب ۡی ِد‬ ٍ ‫و ما ربک ِبظل‬ [And thy Lord is not at all unjust to His servants (Surah Ha Mim al-Sajdah, Ch.41: V.47)]. Hence, God Almighty is not at all unjust to His creation.

The fifth principle that we learn from the Holy Quran is that Allah the Almighty

is an omnipotent being and not a machine, as philosophers have believed.

All His attributes must be kept in mind while trying to grasp the knowledge of His actions.

When explaining the meaning of the Holy Quran, if all His attributes are not taken into account as a whole and their mutual agreement is not considered, then the meaning of the Holy Quran would be misun_suhaib_a | Instagram derstood.

The sixth principle explained by the Holy Quran is that some of its parts are muhkamat [decisive and clear] and some are mutashabihat [ambiguous and open to more than one interpretation]. The mutashabihat should be brought under the muhkamat. People have fallen into confusion while defining the terms muhkam and mutashabih. In my view, muhkam refers to those verses, the meanings of which are confirmed by other verses. Moreover, altering [the meaning] of these [verses] leads to inconsistencies in the fundamental principles of Islam. Hence, there can be only one meaning of these [verses]. The word “one” does not mean that there can be no other meanings, but it signifies that all the meanings of these [verse] should be similar in nature.

On the other hand, mutashabih refers to those verses that can give two meanings.

Moreover, both of their meanings contradict each other and thus cannot not be accepted at the same time. In such a case, it is instructed that the verses that are

open to more than one interpretation and thus cannot be accepted simultaneously, should be explained by combining them with such verses that possess the same subject and have only one meaning.

The seventh principle we learn from the Holy Quran is that it was revealed under a specially organised order. Hence, it is important while explaining its meaning to look at the context and subject that precede and follow the verses.

The eighth principle is that the meaning which is presented by the Holy Quran itself will have preference over all other. At some places, the Holy Quran has itself explained the meaning.

The ninth principle elucidated by the Holy Quran is that one of the works of the Holy Prophetsa was: ۡ ّ ُ ‫َو ی َع ِل ُم ُہ ُم ال ِک ٰت َب‬

“[He will] teach them the Book.”

Hence, the explanations given by the Holy Prophetsa will take precedence over other meanings.

The tenth principle that we come to know from the Holy Quran is that following the early Companions of the Holy Prophetsa is considered incumbent upon other Muslims. Hence, their sayings will be given more importance than the words of other people.

The eleventh principle is that Allah the Almighty has stated in the Holy Quran that every particle of the universe is His creation and that the Holy Quran is His divine word. There should not be any contradiction between His word and any of His actions. Hence, the meanings that are against the actions of Allah the Almighty will not be considered correct; rather, only those meanings that are in accordance with God’s action will be correct.

This subject is very broad but I think that the above mentioned points are quite enough for a wise person.”

Originally transcribed by Muhammad Ismail (Maulvi Fazil), Acting Postal Officer, Qadian

Friday 27 November 2020 | AL HAKAM

12

Under the wings of the Caliph A response to “Far From the Caliph’s Gaze” Part VII

Zafar Bhatti UK

How Ahmadis have signed the proof of their Muslimness with their own blood Amongst the millions of graves in Pakistan, there is just one which belongs to a Nobel prize winner: the great Dr Abdus Salam, winner of the Nobel prize for physics in 1979, awarded for the unification of the electromagnetic and weak forces.

Yet, despite Salam’s stature in the world of science, his grave has become a poignant symbol of oppression and persecution.

What stands out uniquely on his grave, even more than the acknowledgement of the Nobel Prize is that the word Muslim has been erased by the Pakistani authorities!

The epitaph reads “In 1979 became the first Muslim Nobel laureate for his work in Physics”. This symbolises the state backed persecution of Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan; section 298-C of the Pakistan penal code makes it illegal for an Ahmadi to practice Islam and carries the maximum penalty of death – Maududi had finally got his wish: “298-C. Any person of the Quadiani group or the Lahori group (who call themselves ‘Ahmadis’ or by any other name), who, directly or indirectly, poses himself as a Muslim, or calls, or refers to, his faith as Islam, or preaches or propagates his faith, or invites others to accept his faith, by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representations, or in any manner whatsoever outrages the religious feelings of Muslims, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description of a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine.”

This persecution of Ahmadi Muslims prompts the question that Evans attempts to answer: how do we Ahmadis prove our Muslimness? If only he had asked an Ahmadi Muslim the question he would have received a consistent answer. How has any persecuted community of God ever proven its own identity? If we look at the Christians at the time of Christ’s mission, if we look at the Muslims at the early persecution of the time of the Holy Prophet

Muhammadsa, there is only one reaction to ongoing persecution that a community of God shows, which can be summarised in the following words of the New Testament: “when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you”. (Matthew 6:6) If we look at the Muslims at the time of Holy Prophetsa, they bore persecution upon persecution, cruelty upon cruelty with utmost patience. For example, we read of the slave, Bilalra, who was tortured by his master Umayyah in a most cruel and barbaric way.

He “was made to lie on hot sand, loaded with stones, and boys were made to dance on his chest” (Life of Muhammad, p. 14) and then a noose was tied around his neck and he was dragged through the streets over sharp stones. His body dripping with blood, life draining from his body, Ummayah only wants him to say a few simple words of disbelief, but only one word escapes from his tongue “Ahad, Ahad”; “God is One, God is One”. Eventually, at the point of death, a fellow Muslim is able to gain his liberty.

We find similar examples today amongst the followers of the Messiahas of Muhammadsa, who came to revive the practice of that noble Prophet of Arabia and re-establish a group of people who would mirror the Companions of the Prophetsa, as had been prophesied in the Holy Quran: “He it is Who has raised among the Unlettered [people] a Messenger from among themselves…and from among others who have not yet joined them.”

(Surah al-Jumuah, Ch.62: V.4) For example, we read of Danyal, a young Ahmadi Muslim missionary in Pakistan, only in his late twenties, recently married and father of a young daughter. One day, he returns home to find dozens of police crawling all over; his crime, being an Ahmadi Muslim missionary. He is arrested and taken to prison where he is subjected to continuous torture and abuse – torture that makes one’s blood curdle as if one was witnessing the re-enactment of a Stephen King movie.

The torture begins by forcing him to stay awake, buckets of ice are poured over his head to keep him awake; at the same time, a torrent of verbal abuse is hurled at him and against the founder of Ahmadiyyat.

Eventually, after almost 60 hours of sleep deprivation, the torture takes on another twist; a thin stranger is brought into the room – he pleads for his life, pleading to Danyal to relent and betray his faith; Danyal refuses to relent, and then it begins – the police beat the young man to a pulp.

Danyal tries to look away, pleads and begs for mercy on behalf of the young man, but to no avail; he is forced to watch and the Police reply, “ Stop? No, no, we cannot stop.

You caused this, you hell-bound Qadiani!”

Danyal thinks about giving in, but the resolve of Bilal 1,300 years before gives him heart. The police have spotted a weakspot in his armour, the weak spot in every Ahmadi Muslim, the love for humanity.

The following night, he is forced to stay awake again and is approaching 90 hours without sleep. He has begun hallucinating; another poor soul is brought in and a similar fate befalls him as Danyal is again forced to watch. It’s the fifth night; over 100 hours of sleep deprivation have passed, but then the police’s depraved and twisted morality goes beyond even what Stephen King could conceive of; this time, they bring in a young woman, strip her clothes and begin to molest and rape her as Danyal is forced to watch.

Danyal is near breaking point, a pen and paper is placed in front of him – he just needs to write the words they need, but his heart cries out “Ahad, Ahad”.

He does not break, so they break her – she crumples in front of him. Finally, after six days of torture, his brother makes a successful appeal to free him.

Like Bilalra before him Danyal remained firm to his belief; like Bilalra before him, he too signed the proof of his Muslimness with his own blood. (The Wrong Kind of Muslim, pp. 139-157) Indeed there are only two proofs of belief which those persecuted in the way of God show: firstly, to spend the days under

persecution and secondly, to spend the nights weeping tears in prostration to the beloved bearing witness to the verses of the Quran, “O ye who believe! seek help with patience and Prayer; surely, Allah is with the steadfast”. (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.154) Evans in his ethnographic study missed the glaringly obvious: Ahmadis do not need to offer any “counterfeit proof ” of “Muslimness”. Their proof of Muslimness is signed with their very own blood and sealed with tears shed in remembrance of their Beloved, and whatever you may call that proof – it is certainly not counterfeit.

Ostentation and the Ahmadi Muslim For an Ahmadi, “Muslimness” is internalised, not externalised. It is stated in the Holy Quran: “You spend not but to seek the favour of Allah” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.73). Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa recently explained in a Friday Sermon: “Sacrifices are granted acceptance by Allah the Almighty, on the condition that the sole intent of these sacrifices is to attain the pleasure of Allah the Almighty. If these sacrifices are merely for show, then such sacrifices are not accepted by Allah the Almighty. The sacrifice of those who present them merely for show are rejected and thrown back in their faces.” (Friday Sermon, 6 November 2020) Of course, anything internal will necessarily reflect the external, but we cannot call that ostentation or showing off, but just a natural manifestation of an inner quality; a flower exudes a fragrance and looks beautiful because it is just that, not because it pretends to be.

If Evans states that Ahmadi Muslims seem to be devoted to the Khalifa, that they hold peace symposiums, that they serve humanity, that they respond to opposition with peace and that they have a TV channel which incidentally is staffed by volunteers, all to prove their “Muslimness”, then it should be known that Ahmadi Muslims have not put on a façade or “counterfeitproof ” to prove their “Muslimness”, but these actions are the natural consequences

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Friday 27 November 2020 | AL HAKAM

of being Muslim.

Mother Teresa said, “If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway”.

If Ahmadi Muslims felt the need to create an outward façade to prove their own Muslimness, then surely they would have adopted a method similar to those that other Muslims have: some who flail themselves with a whip in public to demonstrate their devotion, others who celebrate with great fanfare the birthday of the Prophetsa and yet, others who endeavour to copy what they believe to be the exact clothing and style of the Prophetsa – a beard of a certain length and clothing that is supposed to look like the clothing of the Arabs from early Islam.

The Holy Prophetsa stated in his last sermon to the Muslims, “The most honoured among you in the sight of God is the most righteous among you”. Any action that draws attention to oneself or is done for an outward display of piety, according to Islam, is not in conformity with the teachings of Islam. Rather, Islam teaches a Muslim to be modest, humble and follow the example of the Noble Prophetsa, who, amongst a gathering, would often be mistaken by a newcomer as a follower rather than the Prophet; so humbly and modestly did he carry himself that the people could not distinguish him between his followers, often mistaking Abu Bakrra as the Prophet.

Evans does acknowledge this difference in the appearance of Ahmadi Muslims, going so far as to say “Ahmadi men favor a dress code of shirts and pants, in such a way that they are not immediately identifiable as Muslim” (Far from the Caliph’s Gaze, p. 171).

But rather than acknowledging that this shows that Ahmadis are not interested in merely proving their Muslimness, he state, “In this sense, Ahmadis pride themselves on confounding misconceptions, on being unlike other Muslims – in short, on being exceptional”. (Ibid, p. 171) In short, Evans states that Ahmadi Muslims prove their Muslimness by not showing their Muslimness – what a bizarre web of contradiction Evans weaves.

Evans’ comments on an Ahmadi

Muslims’ appearance actually reminds me of one of my first ever jobs after graduating.

I was fortunate to be accepted on the PwC Management Consulting Graduate scheme.

During my first day in the office, the time for prayer arrived and being new at the company, I found nowhere to pray; I had no choice but to get out my prayer mat and pray in the open plan office, reputed to be the most expensive per square foot office space in London. My actions, as I had expected, would not go unnoticed.

A few months later on my first real assignment, my boss took me out for dinner. Whilst having dinner, my boss asked me words to the effect of, “You seem to be a devoted Muslim, for example I saw you pray in the office on your first day, and you leave the office to offer your prayers regularly during the day. Yet you do not dress like a practicing Muslim.

So I don’t understand”. I replied that “there is no specific style of dress that Islam specifies, apart from that it should be modest. As such, there is no reason for me to dress in a style which is different from the cultural norm here.

“With regard to prayer, these are compulsory and that first day I could not find anywhere to pray, so I had to pray in front of everyone.”

My boss understood the simple point – Islam is a pluralist religion. There are certain practices which are compulsory but there are others where Islam leaves the choices up to the individual as long as they fit within certain broad guidelines. It was a simple answer that my boss understood; the prayer that day was certainly not a sign of me proving my Muslimness whilst at the same time proving my separation from mainstream Islam by wearing Western clothes, as Evans may have misconstrued, but simply me practicing my faith.

The Promised Messiahas has laid great emphasis on avoiding ostentation and the display of piety. He said: “Those people whose deeds are solely for the sake of Allah do not allow for their deeds to be seen by others. It is these who are the righteous … A righteous person wars with their inner self that incites to evil in order to veil and conceal their good deeds … A truly righteous person desires to remain hidden … In this relation, I have stated above the example of ostentation, which must be fought against by a righteous person throughout the day.” (Malfuzat, Vol 1, pp. 21-22) “It is my faith and belief that until a person becomes a true believer, their acts of virtue, irrespective of how magnificent they may be, cannot be free from the gild of ostentation.” (Ibid, p. 220) In these words of the Promised Messiahas we find that rather than seeking to display an outward proof of Muslimness, the Promised Messiahas clearly states that to conceal virtue is what constitutes true Muslimness.

The accusation that Ahmadis pose as liberals for a Western audience Nowhere does Evans more closely mirror

the writings of Maududi, than when Evans implies that Ahmadis pose as liberals for a non-Muslim audience (Far from the Caliph’s gaze, pp. 10-13). Whereas Evans accuses Ahmadis as posing as liberals, Maududi accuses Ahmadis as posing as Muslims: “But the Qadianis penetrate into the Muslim Society posing as Muslims; they propagate their views in the name of Islam”.

(The Qadiani Problem, p. 18) Evans acknowledges that Western leaders regard Islam Ahmadiyya as reflecting liberal values, for instance he quotes the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, as saying: “Canada is a proud liberal democracy: a welcoming and peaceful nation. Canada is a country of open hearts and open minds: of fairness, justice and the rule of law. I speak to you today because I know the Ahmadiyya Community believes in those same values: diversity and inclusion, or as you put it so well, ‘Love for all, hatred for none.’”(Far From the Caliph’s Gaze, p. 11) But Evans points out that people in the West like Justin Trudeau are mistaken and that they have not realised the inner illiberal reality of Ahmadiyyat. It almost sounds a refrain straight out of Maududi’s copybook, warning the common Muslims, “Beware, these people may look and talk like Muslims, but you don’t understand their inner motivation!”

Evans then goes onto describe the illiberal views that apparently Ahmadis possess: 1. That the motivation for an Ahmadi embracing liberal democratic principles is based on obedience to the Khalifa.

Therefore an Ahmadi’s liberalism is based on an illiberal principle.

2. That Ahmadis do not doubt their own religious doctrine; “The Ahmadis about whom I have written this book were ill disposed to think of doctrinal doubt and scepticism as virtues”. (Far From the Caliph’s Gaze, p.12) 3. That Ahmadis believe in the truth of their faith and therefore, by implication, believe in the “corresponding wrongness of everybody else’s”. (Ibid) 4. That in non-Muslim countries, Ahmadis promote a rational Islam that “is compatible with modern democratic ideals” (Ibid, p.10), but presumably in Muslim countries, we present a different version of Islam, for example, Evans states “translation is frequently the moment when aspects of Ahmadi thought that do not fit a sanitized image of universal love must be jettisoned”. (Far from the Caliph’s Gaze, p. 172) Is an Ahmadi’s liberalism is based on an illiberal principle Evans writes: “Members of the Ahmadiyya Jama‘at are very open about the fact that their rhetorical insistence on such values as tolerance and integration does not arise from an egalitarian understanding of political subjectivity but is instead an act of submission to divine authority as embodied in the figure of their leader, the caliph (khalifa)”. (Far from the Caliph’s Gaze, p. 10) Here Evans at least acknowledges that Islam Ahmadiyya believes in “tolerance and integration”, but at the same time says that this does not stem from a liberal principle, but from an illiberal principle, namely

obedience to the Khalifa. Let’s deconstruct this argument.

Firstly, it is interesting that the extremist cleric, Maududi, accuses Ahmadis of loyalty to a Western power as supposed proof of our being imposter Muslims – “Under the patronage of the British, the Qadianis posing as Muslims” (The Qadiani Problem, p. 39) – however, Evans argues the opposite that it is our loyalty to a Muslim leader, the Khalifa, for which we should be considered as imposter liberals.

Both are critiques of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community – yet both are offering diametrically opposed views; both cannot be right, which surely proves that both are wrong. Furthermore, what’s interesting is that both of them are not arguing against the beliefs and practices of Ahmadis, but are arguing against the intention of Ahmadi Muslims.

In the persecution of any community of God, one of the modes of persecution is to question the intent and motivation of the community, for the simple reason that there is no way for a believer to prove the contrary – how can one evidence the motives that lie within?

We see this happen with the first Messiah, Jesus Christas also. He was sentenced to hang on the cross, not because he had committed any discernible crime, not even because he claimed to be sent by God, but because of treason: he was accused by the Pharisees of wanting to usurp political power and become king, “Pilate … summoned Jesus and asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’” (John 18:33) and “Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, ‘If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar.

Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.’”(John 19:12-13) The irony is that all the while, Jesusas had taught and emphasised “tirelessly” the peaceful teachings of the Torah and preached that he came to establish a spiritual kingdom, not a political kingdom, “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well” (Matthew 39-40) and “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Mark 12:17).

One sees how closely this parallels the treatment of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, despite the Khalifa being “seen to tirelessly repeat the same message of love, peace, and discipline over and over again”; the motives of the this community of the second Messiahas are questioned in the same manner as the first Messiahas, right down to the question of “political aspirations”.

We have already in a previously article categorically stated that the Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community is a spiritual leader, not a political leader, so there is no question of the two systems clashing in anyway.

Secondly, let’s examine Evans’ assertion that Ahmadi Muslims claim that any liberal values they possess such as “tolerance” and “integration” are only out of obedience to the Khalifa. This assertion is in fact false!

Ahmadi Muslims do not claim that it is out of obedience to the Khalifa that they possess such values; implying that if the Khalifa commanded us to be intolerant and disloyal we would suddenly rebel

Friday 27 November 2020 | AL HAKAM

14 against the state. The fact is that Evans has misunderstood what Ahmadi Muslims claim. The theological basis of Ahmadiyya belief as taught by the Promised Messiahas rests entirely on the Holy Quran and practice of the founder of Islam the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. And it is based on this theology which the Promised Messiahas and his Khulafa have categorically proven that Islam is both a tolerant religion that promotes integration and loyalty. We will further examine the liberal values of Islam as understood by the Ahmadiyya Muslim community; here we just present aspects concerning loyalty to a non-Muslim nation as a demonstration of integration and tolerance: “O ye who believe, obey God and obey the Prophet and obey those in authority over you.” (Surah al-Nisa, Ch.4: V. 60) The Prophetsa said, “Love of one’s country is a part of faith.” (Sakhawi) The Promised Messiahas said, “Each person who takes the Bai‘at [pledge of allegiance] at my hand and believes in me as the Promised Messiah must accept that jihad is totally forbidden in this age because the Messiah has come. In particular, he must be loyal – truly and not hypocritically – to the British Government [who were the rulers of India at that time].” (British Government and Jihad, pp. 35-36) Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa has said, “For me, true integration is to love the country in which you live and to be completely loyal to it. Thus, all immigrants should be loyal to their adopted nation; they should truly love it; they should honour it; they should be law abiding and work for its prosperity and progress. This is integration.”

As such, when or if Ahmadis say that it is because of Ahmadis following a divinely guided leader that we also live and practice liberal ideals, it is in the context of the aforementioned extract that we say it.

Indeed the irony is that Maududi uses some of these same quotes against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community as proving that we are western or British agents!

Furthermore, what must be understood is that one can teach a message, but practicing it can be a different matter. We

find that corrupt interpretations of scripture are made when passions are inflamed, or when vested interests come into play. It is at such a time, that scripture is misinterpreted and twisted.

For example, when we see abhorrent caricatures of the Prophetsa published time and time again; when we see millions of Muslims lose their lives in conflicts fuelled

by Western intervention; when Ahmadis themselves see the most vile and horrendous state sanctioned abuse and torture, it is at times like these that a leader is needed who manifests the scripture in his own example and is able to guide the people on the paths of peace. And so, when Ahmadis say it is because of the Khalifa that we follow the correct teachings of a peaceful Islam, this is what is meant.

Thirdly, does following a spiritual leader or indeed a scriptural doctrine mean that such followers are illiberal? If Evans is really proposing this, then this must be possibly the most illiberal view ever expressed and smacks of Soviet-era Communism, who cracked down on institutionalised religion: “The Communist Party destroyed churches, mosques, and temples; it executed religious leaders; it flooded the schools and media with anti-religious propaganda; and it introduced a belief system called ‘scientific atheism’”. (“Forced secularization in Soviet Russia: Why an atheistic monopoly failed”, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 2004, pp. 35-50) Furthermore such a viewpoint does not only target Ahmadi Muslims, but the adherent of every religion. However, if Evans’ concern is not about institutionalised religion, but rather the following of a single spiritual leader, then again, he is not just targeting Ahmadi Muslims, but other religious sects too, including Catholics and Tibetan Buddhists who follow the Pope and Dallai Lama respectively. Indeed, if this is Evans’ objection, then someone should send the memo to the next leader of the free world President Elect, Joe Biden who is a Catholic and thus a spiritual follower of the Pope!

(To be continued…)

Virtual World Religions Conference in Vernon & Kelowna, Canada Syed Mukarram Nazeer Canada Correspondent

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya British Columbia region has been hosting a “World Religion Conference” in the city of Kelowna and Vernon since 2005 and 2018 respectively.

Both cities are situated in the Okanagan Valley located in the south eastern part of British Columbia, approximately 400 km from Baitur Rahman mosque, Vancouver.

This year’s virtual event permitted both these cities to have the World Religions Conference concurrently, on 16 November 2020.

This event has the following goals and objectives: 1. To explore teachings and practices of different religious and philosophical traditions, with the hope that such mutual exploration will encourage better understanding and promote harmonious co-existence among members of Canada’s cultural mosaic 2. To strive to bridge the gap between diverse communities and to demonstrate that we can live together in spirit of acceptance, harmony and compassion 3. To promote interfaith respect, harmony, inclusiveness and diversity. It inculcates mutual understanding and respect between different faith traditions and philosophies of the world. It promotes respect, harmony and cohesion among all people.

The event was organised under the supervision of Regional Coordinator Tabligh British Columbia, Rizwan Peerzada Sahib. Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Abbotsford, British Columbia played a crucial role in the promotion of the event.

The event was promoted using multiple campaigns on a variety of media.

The Facebook campaign garnered 7,163 views, 74 comments and 51 reactions, while Instagram had 2,109 views, 7 comments and 36 reactions. This was the first time a video in native language was made and promoted. Print media campaign

had 472,277 impressions with 538 clicks spread over six different venues. Radio and newspaper advertisements campaigns promoted the event at local level. Okanagan TV interviewed the Missionary of British Columbia, Umair Khan Sahib, and helped promote the event locally.

The conference started at 6pm with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Qaid Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Abbotsford, Mirza Naveed Sahib. The event was moderated by Okanagan Indian Band Chief Byron Louis, who is also the first Chief in Canada to moderate a World Religions Conference.

City of Kelowna Councillor, Mrs Mohini Singh welcomed all attendees on behalf of the city. Regional Amir British Columbia, Mr Naeem Ahmad Lakhan Sahib introduced the event while Missionary-inCharge Canada, Abdul Rashid Anwar Sahib, introduced Islam and Ahmadiyyat.

“Religion in the time of adversity, help or hinderance” was the topic for this year. The following seven speakers represented their respective faiths: 1. Baha’i: Mrs Eva Strom 2. Buddhism: Mr Mike Boudreau 3. Christianity (Anglican Church): Reverend Anne Privett 4. Christianity (The Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints Church): Mr Gordon Oliver 5. Judaism: Dr Steven Finkelman 6. Living Spirituality: Rev Dale Jukes 7. Islam: Missionary Umair Khan Sahib YouTube had 237 online clicks, while another 32 sign-ins were recorded on Zoom.

Often, many sign-ins have more than 1 person attending, thus, the total attendance was estimated to be 370 guests.

Northern Ireland Jamaat raises over £5,000 for UK charities Dr Nauman Iftikhar President Jamaat Northern Ireland

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Northern Ireland planned “Ahmadiyya Charity Walk for Peace”, which was to be held on 30 May 2020, to raise funds for Air Ambulance Northern Ireland, Marie Curie and Cancer Research UK. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this plan had to be cancelled.

Recently, however, funds were raised by the Jamaat for these well-deserved charities and ceremonies were arranged for cheque presentation.

Funds were raised by different means, including street collections, bag packing at

Marks & Spencer stores and from friends and colleagues.

We received great help and support from community friends, local authorities and dignitaries.

On 7 November 2020, a cheque presentation ceremony took place in Grange Park, Omagh. Due to pandemic restrictions and social distancing measures, it took place in an open place i.e. Grange Park, and no guests were invited. The event took place as per the guidance from Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.

Cheques were presented to charities’ representatives by Dr Nauman Iftikhar Sahib, President Jamaat Northern Ireland,

in the presence of Cllr Chris Smyth, Mayor of Fermangh and Omagh District Council.

A cheque of £2,650 was presented to Damien McAnespi from Air Ambulance Northern Ireland and a cheque of £1,500 was presented to Lorna Stewart from Cancer Research UK, while a cheque of £1,000 was presented to Sheena Havlin from Marie Curie UK.

This event was covered by all newspapers of Omagh, including Tyrone Constitution and Ulster Herald.

We thank everyone who supported this charitable event.

May Allah the Almighty bless us with more opportunities to serve humanity to the best of our abilities. Amin.

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Friday 27 November 2020 | AL HAKAM

Why Muslim nations have regressed Part I Ibn Rasheed UK

Are those who have abandoned God prospering whilst Muslims are perishing?

It certainly seems so when one takes a glance at how Muslim nations are being overpowered both economically and militarily by Western countries.

But this question needs to be scrutinised in more detail. What defines success and progress? And what aspect of human endeavour can this statement be examined against? And why, despite Muslims praying five times a day and believing in Allah and the Prophet Muhammadsa, are things not quite going their way?

In the countries with the highest GDP (a calculation of the economic health of a country), Muslim nations do not appear anywhere near the top ten, nor do they in the countries ranked the best in education.

Militarily, a few make it in the top 15, according to some rankings. But which Muslim country has given us any significant scientific discovery in the past century?

The first recognised Covid-19 vaccine was developed by Turkish-German Muslims, yes. Not with the resources of any Muslim nation, but under German facilities.

The UK, US and even Russia were quick to develop it.

In terms of worldly progress, there’s little doubt that non-Muslim nations are far superior in terms of military might,

economic prosperity, freedom and democracy and science and technology.

But that’s not to say Muslim nations are totally in the dark ages. Muslim nations have given us Nobel Laureates, world renowned leaders, academics and scholars. But it’s few and far between compared to those who seem to have abandoned God altogether.

Does this mean religion and belief in God subverts scientific and worldly progress? And is the Western approach the best way to progress, develop and succeed in this life?

Imagine living in the Middle Ages, otherwise known as the Dark Ages. This was 900 years of European history marked by steep decline in culture, science and progress, following the collapse of the Roman Empire.

The Islamic Empire, on the other hand, was in full swing – at the peak of its power and glory. Baghdad was the de facto capital of the world. The centre of learning, arts, culture, innovation and sciences. Street lighting and sanitation were found on the streets of Islamic Spain long before Christian nations adopted them. The question that would have been asked then is, “Why are Muslim nations succeeding and progressing whilst our Western nations are regressing?”

The fact that Islam had its golden era and Muslim intellectuals paved the way for many modern inventions, shows that religion and belief in God itself is not a barrier to progress; rather, it can be argued that it was

Islamic teachings emphasising research, discovery and education that contributed to the advancements and innovations in the Muslim world during the Middle Ages. Not only that, but recent Muslim Nobel laureates have attributed their successes to their faith, not in spite of it.

Dr Abdus Salam quotes verses of the Holy Quran in his speech when being awarded the prize. Tawakkol Karman, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, is quoted as saying that her hijab “represents the highest level of thought and civilisation that man has achieved”.

So what’s happened now? Does belief in God and being a Muslim not guarantee one success in both this world and the Hereafter?

Are Muslim prayers not answered? Is there no difference between one who places faith in God and one who does not?

The first thing to be remembered is that God is not just the Lord of Muslims but the Lord of all mankind. Hence, He has equally given all His creation means, provision and the ability to progress within their given faculties and intellectual potential. If anyone strives to the full extent of his God-given faculties, then the law of nature which God has appointed will not fail them. They will be rewarded for their action, be they Muslim, Hindu, atheist or Christian. Actions and striving will always have its effect.

Part of what led to the dissolution of the Christian Roman and Islamic empires was actually deviation from true religious

principles, a descent into religious bigotry, literalistic interpretations of the holy books and succumbing to avarice. When religious clergy, having become morally corrupted and devoid of the spirit of faith, interfered in political and secular matters, they labelled any scientific innovation or advancement a curse and deviation from God. Until somewhat recently, Muslim clerics deemed the loudspeaker as an illegal innovation and not permissible. Now those same clerics use it to spout their harsh and hate-fuelled rhetoric.

Similarly, the Catholic Church suppressed free thinking in the Middle Ages, illustrated by the trial and condemnation of the Italian astrologer, Galileo.

So it can be argued that deviation from the true spirit of religion and its harsh and forceful implementation, suppressing research and knowledge results in a decline of progress. Religion itself is a friend and ally of scientific progress and research, hence earlier Muslims contributed vastly to the arts, medicine, science and education, and many still do today.

Atheist nations who have abandoned God fare no better merely on account of their distance from religion. Stalin’s Russia and Mao’s China – both communist atheist states – are not exactly remembered in history as the epitome of human progress.

Both resulted in extreme tyranny, economic deprivation and a lack of general progress and development. Both world wars – the worst human tragedies in human history – were started by Europe, not by any Muslim or religious figure – not exactly a glowing endorsement of the contributions of the West.

What we see happening today in the Muslim world is not due to Islam being anti-science. It is due to politics of selfinterest, abandonment of religious values of justice, plurality and unity. Muslims have succumbed to the lure of oil wealth and allied themselves with non-Muslim powers with vested interests and allowed religious extremists to take the helm of governments and even knowledge.

This is a political issue disguised as a religious one. It’s the same with all terrorist groups – they hold political ambitions, falsely motivated and justified using religious texts and terminology. Religious bigotry and blind following is given precedence over free-thinking, research and exploration, something the Quran frequently encourages.

Apart from that, Muslim theology is vastly superior to any other philosophy of life one can find. Hence Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world and its arguments for the unity of God, the universality of religions and cogent principles of life, are second to none. A study in 2019 found that Muslims feel the most satisfied with life because they feel the highest level of “oneness”. So while nonMuslims nations have overtaken Muslim ones in terms of worldly advancement, there was a time it was the other way around. And worldly success doesn’t always translate into spiritual success or life satisfaction.

However, there are also other reasons why at times it seems as though disbelievers are succeeding, whilst believers are not, which shall be discussed in part two.

(To be continued...)

Friday 27 November 2020 | AL HAKAM

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Friday Sermon 30 October 2020 Men of Excellence: Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal and Hazrat Abdullahra bin Amr After reciting Tashahud, Ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated: I was narrating the accounts from the life of Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal in the previous sermon and I will continue to do so today as well.

Hazrat Muazra was extremely charitable and used to generously spend on others.

Owing to this he often had to take loans as well. When the people who had loaned him money pressured him to return the money, he hid in his home for a few days. Upon this, these individuals went to the Holy Prophetsa and requested him to ask Hazrat Muazra to pay back the loan. The Holy Prophetsa sent an individual to Hazrat Muazra and called for him. When the debt of Hazrat Muazra surpassed the value of his belongings, the Holy Prophetsa said that God would have mercy on the person who did not seek the repayment of the loan. Accordingly, some of them forgave his debt. However, some individuals still demanded for it to be paid back. Upon this, the Holy Prophetsa distributed his entire belongings among those individuals, but still there was some debt outstanding. The manner in which this debt was repaid was that each lender received a small portion of their money, but they demanded for the remaining amount to be paid back as well. Upon this, the Holy Prophetsa said to leave the matter for the time being as there was nothing more to give, therefore they ought to take that amount.

When Hazrat Muazra was left with nothing, the Holy Prophetsa sent him to Yemen and said that Allah will soon compensate his loss and enable him to pay off his debt. (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3, Muazra bin Jabal [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar alIsha‘ah, 2004], 502) (Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 5, Muazra bin Jabal [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar alKutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2003], 188) (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Muazra bin Jabal… [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub alIlmiyyah, 1990], 441) On this occasion, the Holy Prophetsa also said to Hazrat Muazra, “O Muaz! You have a lot of debt. Therefore, if you are presented with a gift, you may accept it. I permit you to do so.” (Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 5, p. 146, Dar al-Isha‘ah, Lahore) The Holy Prophetsa said that he was permitted to accept gifts – under normal circumstances, there is nothing wrong in

accepting gifts and it is said that giving each other gifts increases the love between people, and so one ought to give gifts. However, since Hazrat Muazra was sent as a representative of the Holy Prophetsa, he specifically instructed him that if he was presented with any gifts in his capacity as a representative, then he was permitted to spend it on himself. The reason for this [special permission] was that these gifts were generally given for the treasury [Bait al-Maal], or for the Holy Prophetsa.

Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal relates that when the Holy Prophetsa sent him to Yemen, the Holy Prophetsa walked outside with him in order to impart some advice. Hazrat Muazra was seated on his mount and the Holy Prophetsa walked alongside him. When the Holy Prophetsa completed what he had to say, he added, “O Muaz! It is possible that we may not meet in the coming year and it is also possible that you pass by my mosque and my grave.” Hearing this, Hazrat Muazra started to weep profusely because he was parting from the Holy Prophetsa. Following this, the Holy Prophetsa turned his blessed face towards Medina and said, “The righteous from among my people are near and dear to me, whoever they may be and wherever they may be.” (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Musnad Muazra bin Jabal, Vol. 7, p.

359, Hadith 22402, Alam ul-Kutub, Beirut, 1998) It is stated in one narration that on this occasion, the Holy Prophetsa said to Hazrat Muazra, “Soon you shall go to those who are Ahl-e-Kitab [people of the book]. When

you reach them, invite them to bear witness that there in none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. If they accept this, then inform them that Allah has prescribed for them the five daily prayers. If they accept this, then inform them that Allah has prescribed for them the giving of alms, which should be taken from their wealthy and given to their poor. If they accept this as well, then beware; do not take alms from their most valuable possessions, rather adopt the middle course with regard to taking from their wealth. And beware of the curse of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between them and Allah.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bab Ba‘th Abi Musa wa Muazra ila Yaman…, Hadith 347) The Holy Prophetsa specifically advised him to be cautious lest he became the object of the prayers of those who are oppressed as there is no barrier between their pleas and Allah.

The Holy Prophetsa sent Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal to Yemen as a qazi. Hazrat Muazra would teach [the people of Yemen] the Holy Quran and matters of faith and would also settle their disputes. Those who collected Zakat in Yemen would send whatever they had collected to Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal.

The Holy Prophetsa had entrusted five companions to oversee matters in Yemen; Hazrat Khalidra bin Saeed, Hazrat Muhajirra bin Umayyah, Hazrat Zaidra bin Labid, Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal and Hazrat Abu Musa Ash‘arira. (Ibn Abd al-Barr, Al-Isti‘ab

fi Ma‘rifat al-Ashab, Vol. 3, Muazra bin Jabal [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Jil, 1992], 460) According to this narration, the administering of matters in Yemen was entrusted to these five companions.

Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal relates that when the Holy Prophetsa sent him to Yemen, he instructed, ‘For every 30 cows, take a oneyear-old calf as Zakat and for every 40 cows, take a two-year-old cow (the Holy Prophetsa was stipulating the prescribed rate of Zakat and the threshold on which Zakat becomes obligatory) and from every person who has reached the age of maturity, take one dinar or the equivalent in m‘afirah,’ which was the name of a Yemeni cloth. In fact, m‘afirah was the name of a tribe which made this cloth and thus the cloth was named after them. This narration is from Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal. (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Musnad Muazra bin Jabal, Vol. 7, p.

348, Hadith 22363, Alam ul-Kutub, Beirut, 1998) (Lughaat-ul-Hadith, Vol. 3, p. 142, Pir Muhammad Kutub Khana Aram Bagh, Karachi) Allamah ibn Saad states that Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal had a slight limp. When he went to Yemen, he led the people in prayer and whilst doing so, he extended his leg – meaning he must have placed it before him or extended it to the right or to whichever side his foot was impaired – and [those following him in prayer] also extended their legs in the same manner. When he had finished leading the prayer, Hazrat Muazra said, “You have done well to follow exactly as I have done; however, you must abstain from doing so in the future. I am compelled to extend my leg owing to my condition.”

(Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Muazra bin Jabal… [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990], 439) What he meant was that the obedience which they had shown by doing exactly what he did was indeed praiseworthy. This in fact was true obedience, as whatever the imam does should be followed precisely.

However, he was compelled to act in this way [i.e. to extend his leg] and this was not the practice of the Holy Prophetsa. Whoever is not compelled [by an ailment or injury] should offer their prayers according to the commandments, teachings and practice adopted by the Holy Prophetsa.

Hazrat Muazra conducted business in Yemen using money from the bait-ul-mal

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Friday 27 November 2020 | AL HAKAM [treasury] and repaid his debts with the profits he made. He was the first person to conduct business with the wealth given in the way of Allah Almighty and this was done with the permission from the Holy Prophetsa. He also accepted gifts as a result of which he eventually had 30 livestock animals. (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3, Muazra bin Jabal [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Isha‘ah, 2004], 505) (Ibn Abd al-Barr, Al-Isti‘ab fi Ma‘rifat al-Ashab, Vol. 3, Muazra bin Jabal [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Jil, 1992], 1404) Thus, he used this wealth according to the permission granted by the Holy Prophetsa, which most certainly was for the purpose of repaying his debts. He conducted business only to the extent of using the profits to repay his debts. Or if he did not use the profits for this purpose, it is also possible he would retain it as remuneration for his work [for the bait-ul-mal]. The Holy Prophetsa had given him permission for this, which is why he took it and used it to repay his debts.

This fact seems the most accurate in that he would take a certain amount from the profits made as remuneration. Nevertheless, his actions were in line with the permission granted by the Holy Prophetsa.

After the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, when Hazrat Muazra went to perform Hajj, he met Hazrat Umarra, who had been appointed by Hazrat Abu Bakrra to oversee matters pertaining to the Hajj. Hazrat Umarra and Hazrat Muazra met on the day of tarwiyyah. They embraced each other and expressed their condolences to one another for the demise of the Holy Prophetsa. Then they both sat on the ground and began conversing. (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Muazra bin Jabal… [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990], 441) It is written in Al Isti‘ab, a book of history, that Hazrat Muazra was very generous and it was due to this generosity and benevolence that he fell into debt. He went to the Holy Prophetsa and requested him to ask those whom he owed to forgive his debt. This is the same incident mentioned earlier but from another source. The Holy Prophetsa made this request to those who he owed money to, but they refused to forgive the debt. Had they agreed to forgive the debts of Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal for anyone’s sake, it would have been for the sake of the Holy Prophetsa, as his rank and status was the greatest. Thus, it could only have been for his sake that one would forgive the debts owed to them or would present financial sacrifices. However, as mentioned earlier, some people refused and said, “O Messengersa of Allah, we will take the debt owed to us.” Then, in order to repay these debts, the Holy Prophetsa sold off the properties of Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal and he was left with no wealth or possessions.

In the same year as the Conquest of Mecca, the Holy Prophetsa sent Hazrat Muazra as a governor [amir] in one part of Yemen. Here it becomes clear that he was sent in the capacity of a governor; thus, any gifts he received in this capacity would have been considered as part of the treasury. He was the first person to conduct business from the treasury using the wealth given in the way of Allah. He remained in Yemen until the Holy Prophet’ssa demise, by which time he had become affluent. During this period, his business became profitable and whatever portion he would take led him to

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become well-off.

Later, when he returned [to Medina], Hazrat Umarra said to Hazrat Abu Bakrra, “He (i.e. Hazrat Muazra) should be summoned and aside from the necessities he requires, the rest of his wealth should be taken off him. The Holy Prophetsa only granted him permission for the sake of repaying his debts and now his debts have been repaid. He should keep the basic necessities he requires; however, he should not have accumulated wealth.”

This was the viewpoint of Hazrat Umarra that he ought to keep what is required and return the rest of the wealth. The matter was then presented before Hazrat Abu Bakrra.

The degree of love which Hazrat Abu Bakrra had for the Holy Prophetsa did not allow him to bear that he should make a decision contrary to something for which the Holy Prophetsa had granted permission. Thus, Hazrat Abu Bakrra said, “The Holy Prophetsa sent him and I shall not take anything back from him”; he sent him off, saying that he had permission to conduct business and use the profit from it, “unless he wishes to return it to me himself, as I will not take anything from him. He went upon the instructions of the Holy Prophetsa and accepted gifts and other things with his permission. Unless he offers it to me himself, I shall not ask him to.”

Hazrat Umarra then went to Hazrat Muazra. Hazrat Umarra was very resolute when it came to certain matters of principle, so he went to Hazrat Muazra and mentioned this all to him. Hazrat Muazra replied, “The Holy Prophetsa sent me so that I may fulfil my requirements, so I shall not give anything of it.” It is also established through the various accounts and the biographies of his life that if Hazrat Muazra ever did pass through times of prosperity, they would only last for a few days, as he would regularly distribute his wealth among the people. We shall see in the accounts later on just how he would distribute it.

Hazrat Muazra thereafter went to Hazrat

Umarra and said, “I accept what you said.”

Previously, he said to Hazrat Umarra that he would not give anything, but after some time, he went to Hazrat Umarra and said he accepted and consented to what he had asked and would act according to what he said. This must have been after some time because there is a mention of a dream.

Hazrat Muazra stated, “I saw in the dream that I am drowning in water and you [i.e.

Hazrat Umarra] rescued me.” Hazrat Muazra then went to Hazrat Abu Bakrra, related everything to him and vowed, “I shall not hide a single thing from you.” Meaning from where and how he received the money.

Hazrat Abu Bakrra said, “I shall not take a thing from you. Yes, you have related all of this to me and accounted for everything, but I shall take nothing from you and I have given it all to you as a gift.” Hazrat Umarra, who was also present, said, “This is the best solution.” (Ibn Abd al-Barr, Al-Isti‘ab fi Ma‘rifat al-Ashab, Vol. 3, Bab Harf al-Meem, Muazra bin Jabal [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar alJil, 1992], 461) When he came to know of this that now the Khalifa of the time had made a decision even after Hazrat Muazra had offered all the money, Hazrat Umarra accepted the decision with complete obedience. It did not matter to him as to why it was being taken; all that mattered was that after the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, the decision should rest with the Khalifa of the time as to whether or not he could keep the wealth and spend out of it.

Prior to this, Hazrat Umarra was insisting that the wealth should be taken from Hazrat Muazra, but when Hazrat Abu Bakrra made his decision that he would not take it from him and that he would give it all back to him as a gift, Hazrat Umarra did not insist on the matter and stated, “Indeed, this is the best solution in relation to this matter.”

Here, there is further clarification that God Almighty did not draw Hazrat Muaz’sra attention to this matter until his needs had been fulfilled. Furthermore, after the

demise of the Holy Prophetsa and when Hazrat Muaz’sra needs were also fulfilled, he was granted prosperity and his debts were paid off, only then did God Almighty draw Hazrat Muaz’s attention to this matter through a dream in which he was told that he should now suffice on his own property.

In other words, he should no longer accept gifts in the capacity of being the governor, nor spend out of the treasury. He did not remain there for long after this, but in any case, this was a brief explanation.

Hazrat Muazra relates that when the Holy Prophetsa sent him towards Yemen, he asked, “How will you deal with a matter when it is brought before you?” He answered, “I shall decide in accordance with the Book of Allah.” The Holy Prophetsa then asked, “And if you do not find the command in the Book of Allah?” to which Hazrat Muazra replied, “I shall decide in accordance with the practice [sunnah] of Allah’s Messengersa.”

The Holy Prophetsa then asked, “And if you do not find the instruction in the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah?” Hazrat Muazra answered, “I shall form my opinion according to my reasoning and shall not show any carelessness in this regard.” Hazrat Muazra states that when the Holy Prophetsa had listened to these three things, he placed his hand upon his chest and said, “All praise belongs to Allah, Who has enabled the ambassador of the Messengersa of Allah to become a source of joy for him.” (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Musnad Muazra bin Jabal, Vol. 7, p. 347, Hadith 22357, Alam ulKutub, Beirut, 1998) Hazrat Muazra narrates that when the Holy Prophetsa sent him to Yemen he instructed him not to adopt a life of comfort and ease, because the servants of Allah do not live a life of worldly comforts. (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Musnad Muazra bin Jabal, Vol. 7, p. 375, Hadith 22456, Alam ulKutub, Beirut, 1998) This further clarifies that the Holy Prophetsa was aware that Hazrat Muazra was very generous and that he would spend the

Friday 27 November 2020 | AL HAKAM

18 wealth from gifts and trade to help those in need. Even so, after giving permission for this, the Holy Prophetsa advised him not to live a life of comfort; instead, it was merely to fulfil his [basic] needs. So he admonished him to refrain from this.

Hazrat Muazra relates, “When I placed my foot in the stirrup as I was about to depart to Yemen, the Holy Prophetsa gave me a final piece of advice, saying, ‘Meet people in a courteous manner, meet the people in a courteous manner.’” (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Muazra bin Jabal… [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990], 439) However, look at the condition of the Muslims of today. Do they conduct themselves in this manner? And yet, they celebrate the milad-un-Nabi [birthday of the Holy Prophetsa]? The true essence of commemorating milad-un-Nabi is by following the example of the Holy Prophetsa and to act upon his teachings. When the Holy Prophetsa sent Hazrat Muazra as the governor of Yemen, he described his status in the following words: َْ ْ َ ُ ُ ْ ّ ‫ِانِ ْی ب َ َعثت لَک ْم خی َر اھ ِل ْی‬ meaning, “Surely I send to you the best of my people.” (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3, Muazra bin Jabal [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar alIsha‘ah, 2004], 502) Ibn Abi Naji‘ narrates that the Holy Prophetsa appointed Hazrat Muazra as the governor of Yemen, stating to the people of Yemen, “Indeed I have sent to you a governor who is the most knowledgeable of my people and the most well-versed in the matters of faith.” (Ibn Sa’d, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Muazra bin Jabal… [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990], 438-439) In a Hadith of Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, it is mentioned that Hazrat Muazra related, “The Holy Prophetsa gave me 10 instructions, saying, ‘The first is to not associate any partners with Allah, even if you are killed or thrown into the fire.

Secondly, to not disobey one’s parents, even if they deprive you of your share in the inheritance.’” One should not disobey their parents, no matter what happens, even if one received nothing from them. “‘The third advice is to not miss any obligatory prayer knowingly, for one who abandons an obligatory prayer on purpose deprives himself from the support and protection of God Almighty.’ The Holy Prophetsa then said, ‘Never consume alcohol, for this is the root of every indecency.’ He then stated, ‘Abstain from sin and disobedience, because sin draws the displeasure of God Almighty.’ He then said, ‘When facing the enemy in battle, you must not flee. If you are confronted by the enemy, then you should not run away out of fear, even if the people are killed.’ He then stated, ‘If the people are afflicted with an epidemic such as the plague, they should remain wherever they are.’”

If they reside in an area where there is an outbreak of the plague, then the Holy Prophetsa has instructed that one should remain where they are.

“The Holy Prophetsa further stated, ‘Spend on your family according to your means, fulfil their rights and do not show any negligence in their moral training, (even if one has to show a little strictness in their moral training then one should do so to ensure for a good upbringing), instil the

fear of God in them.’”

These were the ten things the Holy Prophetsa advised him about. (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Musnad Muazra bin Jabal, Vol. 7, p. 366, Hadith 22425, Alam ulKutub, Beirut, 1998) Hazrat Ibn Umarra narrates that the Holy Prophetsa said to Hazrat Muazra, “I shall grant you advice like a kind-hearted brother.

I advise you to instil the fear of Allah in yourself, visit the sick, fulfil the needs of the widows and the elderly, comfort those who are in need, dispense justice, speak the truth and never allow your fear of being rebuked stop you in matters relating to God. This is the advice I give to you.” (Kanz al-Ummal, Vol. 15, Hadith 43555, Kitab al-Mawa‘idh…, Chapter 10, Mu‘assisah al-Risalah, Beirut, 1985) On one occasion, Hazrat Umarra asked his companions to express their desire for something. One of them replied, “I wish this house be filled with gold, so I may spend it in the way of Allah as sadaqah.” Another stated, “I wish this house be filled with pearls and rubies, so I may spend it in the way of Allah as sadaqah.” How lofty were the aspirations of the companionsra! Hazrat Umarra then asked them to further express what they desired. They submitted, “O Leader of the Faithful, we do not understand as to what it is that we should desire?” Hazrat Umarra stated, “I wish that this house be filled with people like Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra bin Jarah, Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal, Salimra, the freed slave of Abu Huzayfara and Hazrat Huzayfara bin Yaman.” (Al-Mustadrak Ala al-Sahihain, Vol. 3, p. 252, Hadith 5005, Kitab Marifat alSahabah, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002) I have mentioned this narration previously as well and this time it has been narrated with reference to Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal.

Hazrat Muazra lived in Yemen for two years, from 9 AH to 11 AH. (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar alSahabah, Vol. 3, Muazra bin Jabal [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Isha‘ah, 2004], 505) On one occasion, Hazrat Umarra bin Khattab placed 400 dinars in a money pouch and told one of his emissaries to take it to Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra bin Jarrah and remain there for a while and to take note of what he did with it. This account was mentioned in a previous sermon with reference to Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra bin Jarrah, but I did not mention the entire account; however, I shall narrate the full account now. And so, the emissary went to Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra bin Jarrahra with the small pouch of money and said, “The Leader of the Faithful has given this to you and said you may use it to fulfil any need you may have with it.” Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra replied, “May Allah bestow His mercy upon him.” He then called one of his maidservants and told her to give seven dinars to such and such person, five to such and such, five to such and such and in this way, he distributed the entire amount.” In other words, he called his maidservant and asked her to distribute all the wealth to the various houses, who perhaps were in need of it. The emissary returned to Hazrat Umarra and related the entire incident.

Hazrat Umarra had prepared another pouch for Hazrat Muazra which contained the same amount of money that was sent to Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra. Hazrat Umarra told the emissary to give the pouch to Hazrat

Muazra and again instructed him to remain in his house for a while and observe what he did with it. And so, the emissary took the pouch and went to Hazrat Muazra and said, “The Leader of the Faithfulra has said that you may use this to fulfil whatever needs you may have.” Hazrat Muazra replied, “May Allah bestow His mercy upon him.” Hazrat Muazra then called his maidservant and told her to give a certain amount to such and such house and a certain amount to such and such house. Whilst Hazrat Muazra was distributing the wealth, his wife entered and said, “By God, we are also in need of it for there is nothing in the house. Please keep something for us as well.” (This narration further clarifies the earlier narration regarding making a profit and receiving gifts.) His wife stated that they had nothing at home and thus, they too were in need of it.

By then, all the money had been distributed and only two dinars remained in the pouch which Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal handed over to his wife. The emissary returned to Hazrat Umarra and related the entire incident.

Hazrat Umarra was extremely pleased by this and stated, “Indeed, Hazrat Ubaidahra and Hazrat Muazra are like two brothers.”

(Majma al-Zawa‘id wa Manba al-Fawa‘id, Kitab al-Zakah, Bab fi al-Infaq, Dar alKutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001) In other words, this attribute of spending [on others] was shared by both.

Is it narrated by Shuraih bin Ubaid, Rashid bin Saad, etc. that when Hazrat Umarra reached Saragh, which is the name of a settlement situated near the valley of Tabuk, he was informed that there was a very severe outbreak of a plague in Syria.

Subsequently, Hazrat Umarra announced, “I have been informed that there is a very severe outbreak of the plague in Syria. Thus, if I am about to die and Abu Ubaidahra is alive then I shall appoint him as the Khalifa.

And if Allah the Almighty asks me as to why I appointed him as the Khalifah of the Muslim Ummah, I will submit that I heard His Messengersa say that every prophet is granted a custodian [for his Ummah] and the custodian [of his Ummah] is Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah.” This narration has been previously mentioned as well. However, people expressed their concern over this and enquired as to what would happen to the prominent members of the Quraish, i.e. the Banu Fehr. Hazrat Umarra then stated, “If my demise is imminent and Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah has also passed away, then I shall appoint Muazra bin Jabal as the Khalifa. If my Lord, the Glorious and Exalted were to ask me as to why I appointed him, I will submit that I heard His messengersa say that on the Day of Judgment, Muazra bin Jabal will walk ahead of the scholars of faith.” (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Musnad al-Khulafa alRashidin, Musnad Umar al-Khattab, Vol. 1, p. 109, Hadith 108, Alam al-Kutub, Beirut, 1998) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi], 239) This was the lofty status Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal occupied in regard to his knowledge.

In the Battle of Yarmuk in 15 AH, Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra and Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal were appointed commanders on the right flank of the army. The Christians attacked with such intensity that the right flank of the army broke away from the rest of the army and consequently the soldiers became dispersed.

Upon witnessing these circumstances, Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal displayed great courage and remained resolute. He stepped down from his horse and said that he would now fight on foot and if there was anyone who could do justice by fighting on a horse, then his horse was at their service. Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal’s son was also present in the battlefield and he said, “I shall do justice to it because I can fight better on horse”. And so, both father and son, penetrated into the Byzantine forces and fought so valiantly that the Muslims who had initially lost their footing were now able to regroup and thus by defeating the enemy, their state of fear was transformed into victory for the Muslims. (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3, Muazra bin Jabal [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Isha‘ah, 2004], 508) (Feroz al-Lughat, p. 1332, zir Lafz Maimanah) Abu Idrees Khaulani narrates, “When I entered into the mosque in Damascus, Syria, I saw a young man with bright shining teeth and people were sat around him. Whenever people had a difference of opinion on a matter, they would present the matter to him and would give precedence to his opinion on the matter. When I enquired about him, I was informed that he was Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal.

“The next day in the afternoon, I went again and saw that he was already there before me and was offering his prayers. I waited and when he finished his prayer, I went before him and conveyed the greetings of peace. I then said, ‘I swear by Allah, I love you for His sake.’ Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal asked, ‘Do you swear by Allah?’ I replied, ‘Yes, I swear by Allah.’ Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal again asked, ‘Do you swear by Allah?’ I again replied, ‘Yes, I swear by Allah.’ Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal then took hold of the corner of my cloak and pulled me towards himself and said, ‘Rejoice, for I have heard the Messengersa of Allah say that Allah the Exalted has stated, “Those who show love to one another for My sake, those who sit with one another for My sake, those who meet one another for My sake and those who spend their wealth for one another for My sake, will most surely be granted My love.”’”

In other words, Allah the Almighty’s love will become incumbent for them. (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Musnad Muazra bin Jabal, Vol. 7, p. 353-354, Hadith 22380, Alam al-Kutub, Beirut, 1998) In one of the narrations it states that Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal had two wives.

When it would be the turn of one wife, he would not even take water to drink from the other wife’s house; such were his standards of justice. In another narration it states that Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal had two wives.

When it would be the turn of one wife, he would not even perform the ablution in the house of the other. Both of his wives passed away in Syria owing to the plague and both were buried in one grave. Whilst they were being buried, Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal drew a lot to decide who would be lowered into the grave first. This was the level of justice he possessed. (Hilyat al-Auliya, Vol. 1, Ch. 1, p. 204; Translated by Muhammad Asghar Mughal, Dar al-Isha‘ah, Karachi, 2006) In another narration in Siyar Al-Sahaba, it states that Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal had two wives who passed away due to the Plague of Amwas and it is also reported that one of his sons, Abdur Rahman, who took part in the

19

Friday 27 November 2020 | AL HAKAM Battle of Yarmuk alongside Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal also passed away due to the Plague of Amwas – this was a plague that spread during that time. (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3, Muazra bin Jabal [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar alIsha‘ah, 2004], 510-511) When Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra passed away due to the Plague of Amwas, Hazrat Umarra appointed Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal as the governor of Syria. I previously mentioned the details in relation to Amwas which was the name of a settlement situated 7 miles from Ramla in the direction of Jerusalem. Hazrat Muazra also passed away due to the Plague of Amwas in the same year. (Ibn Abd al-Barr, Al-Isti‘ab fi Ma‘rifat al-Ashab, Vol. 3, Muazra bin Jabal [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Jil, 1992], 1405) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 4 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi], 177-178) Kathir bin Murrah relates that during the period of his illness, Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal told them, “I have heard the Holy Prophetsa say something which till now I have kept hidden from you. I heard the Holy Prophetsa say that entrance into Paradise will become incumbent for one who states, ‘There is none worthy of worship except Allah.’” (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Musnad Muazra bin Jabal, Vol. 7, p. 355, Hadith 22383, Alam alKutub, Beirut, 1998) In another narration it states that Hazrat Muazra stated, “The only reason why I did not inform you of this hadith was lest you solely relied on this and abandoned all other good deeds.” (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Musnad Muazra bin Jabal, Vol. 7, p. 361, Hadith 22410, Alam al-Kutub, Beirut, 1998) When the plague spread in Syria, Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal also became ill due to the plague and owing to his illness was overcome with a state of unconsciousness. When he regained consciousness, he stated, “O Allah, cause this affliction [i.e. the plague] to take over me. I swear by Your honour that indeed You are aware that I love You.” Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal again fell unconscious and when he regained consciousness, he again offered the same prayer.

Nearer to the time of his demise, Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal asked if it was morning and was informed that the daybreak had not occurred yet. When dawn broke, Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal was subsequently informed and he said, “I seek refuge in Allah from the night whose morning takes one to the hell-fire. I welcome death and to meet my beloved who comes after a long time. O Allah, You indeed know that I fear You, but today I am in hope. I do not love the world and seek a long life so that I can dig streams and plant trees, rather so that I may endure the intense thirst of midday and the difficulties of my circumstances and sit in the company of those scholars who remain occupied in Your remembrance.”

In another narration it is mentioned that when Hazrat Muazra was close to his demise, he began to cry. Some people asked him why he was crying as he was a companion of the Holy Prophetsa. He replied, “I am not crying because I fear death, nor am I crying because I am departing this world. The reason why I am crying is that there are only two groups of people: those who are heaven-bound and those who are hell-bound, and I do not know from which of these two groups I will be raised up again after death. I only

fear Allah the Almighty and that is why I am crying.” (Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 5, Muazra bin Jabal [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2003], 189) In Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal there is a narration of Hazrat Muazra in which he states, “I heard the Holy Prophetsa say, ‘Very soon you will migrate to Syria and it will be conquered at your hands. But then you will suffer from an outbreak of a disease which will consist of boils and blisters or cause a sharping pain. It will appear below the navel region and Allah will grant martyrdom to some people through this and will purify their deeds.’ O Allah! If it is true that indeed Muaz bin Jabal heard these words from the Holy Prophetsa, then grant me and my family a large share from it [i.e. from the prophecy about the plague].” Thus, they all [i.e. Hazrat Muazra and his household] suffered from this plague and not a single one of them survived.

When the boil of the plague became visible on Hazrat Muaz’sra index finger, he would say that this pleased him greatly and that even if he were given red camels, it would not please him more. (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Musnad Muazra bin Jabal, Vol. 7, p. 371, Hadith 22439, Alam alKutub, Beirut, 1998) In Tabari it is stated that a boil developed in the palm of his hand. He would look at his boil and kiss the back of the same hand, saying, “There is nothing in this world that I would exchange for this.” (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 4, Khuruj Umar bin al-Khattab ila al-Sham [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Fikr, 1987], 238) Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal passed away in 18 AH. There are varying opinions with regards to his age at the time of his demise.

His age has been recorded as 33, 34 or 38 years old. (Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 5, Muazra bin Jabal [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2003], 190) There a total of 157 narrations related by Hazrat Muazra. Two of these hadith are such that are found in both Bukhari and Muslim.

(Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3, Muazra bin Jabal [Lahore, Pakistan: Idarah Islamiyyah], 156) The next companion whose accounts I shall relate is Hazrat Abdullahra bin Amr. Hazrat Abdullahra belonged to the Banu Salamah clan of the Khazraj tribe of the Ansar. His father’s name was Amr bin Haram and his mother’s name was Rubab bint Qais. (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Abd-Allah bin Amr [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2012], 423) Hazrat Abdullahra bin Amr was born approximately 40 years before the migration.

(Sahabah al-Kiram Encyclopaedia, Dr Dhulfiqar Kazim, p. 486, Abd-Allah bin Amr, Bait al-Ulum, Purani Anarkli, Lahore) In other words, at the time of the migration to Medina, he was 40 years old.

Hazrat Abdullah bin Amrra was the father of the renowned companion, Hazrat Jabirra bin Abdillah. (Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, Vol. 4, Abd-Allah bin Amr [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub alIlmiyyah, 2005], 162) Hazrat Abdullahra bin Amr was the brother in law of Hazrat Amrra bin Jamuh.

(Khutbat-e-Tahir, Taqarir Jalsa Salana Qabl az Khilafat, Taqrir Jalsah Salanah 1979, p.

349)

Hazrat Abdullahra bin Amr took part in the Second Pledge at Aqabah and he was among the 12 chiefs appointed by the Holy Prophetsa. He took part in the Battles of Badr and Uhud and was martyred in the latter. According to some narrations, Hazrat Abdullahra bin Amr was the first Muslim to be martyred during the Battle of Uhud. (Ibn Abd al-Barr, Al-Isti‘ab fi Ma‘rifat al-Ashab, Vol. 3, Ab-Allah bin Amr [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Jil, 1992], 84) With regard to how he accepted Islam, Hazrat Kaab bin Malikra narrates: “We had agreed to meet with the Holy Prophetsa at Aqabah in the middle day of Ayyam-e-Tashreeq…” which is the last three days of Hajj, from the 11 up to 13 DhulHijjah. As mentioned before, Aqabah is situated between Mecca and Mina. “… when we completed the Hajj, the appointed night approached in which we had promised to meet with the Holy Prophetsa. We went with Hazrat Abdullah bin Amrra, who was one of the leaders and recognised chiefs of our tribe. We had concealed our plan from the idolaters who were with us. We said to him, ‘O Abu Jabir! You are our noble chief and among the leaders from us.’” He was known by his title of Abu Jabir. He further narrates, “We said to him, ‘O Abu Jabir! You are our noble chief and among the leaders from us.

We do not wish for you to become the fuel of the hellfire.’ We then invited him to accept Islam and informed him about the plan to meet with the Holy Prophetsa at Aqabah. He accepted Islam and took part in the Pledge at Aqabah. He was also appointed as one of the [twelve] chiefs [during the pledge at Aqabah].” (Ibn Hisham, Sirat Ibn Hisham, Vol. 1, Amr al-‘Aqabah al-Thaniyah [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ibn Hazam, 2009], 236) (Urdu Da‘irah Ma‘arif Islamiyyah, Vol. 6, p.

413, Shu‘bah Urdu Da‘irah Ma‘arif, Lahore) Hazrat Jabirra bin Abdillah narrates that he along with his father and two maternal uncles were all part of those who pledged allegiance at Aqabah. A narrator, Ibn Uayyinah states that one of them [i.e. the two uncles] was Hazrat Barara bin Ma‘rurra.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Manaqib al-Ansar, Bab Wufud al-Nabi bi Makkah wa Bai‘at alAqabah, Hadith 3890-3891) I have narrated the details about the Second Pledge at Aqabah from Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyyin previously in relation to one companion; in fact it was in relation to two companions. I will mention some parts about the Pledge at Aqabah from Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyyin which are related with Hazrat Abdullahra bin Amr: “In Dhul-Hijjah of 13 Nabawi, on the occasion of Hajj, many hundreds of people from the Aus and the Khazraj came to Mecca. Among them, there were 70 such people who had either become Muslim or now desired to become Muslims, and came to Mecca in order to meet the Holy Prophetsa.

“On this occasion, since a collective and private meeting was necessary, after the rites of Hajj, the middle dates of the month of Dhul-Hijjah were set for this purpose. On that day near the middle of the night, all these people were to come and meet the Holy Prophetsa in the same valley as last year, so that a private meeting could be held in peace and complete attention. The Holy Prophetsa ordered the Ansar, ‘Do not come as a group, but arrive in pairs of one or two to the valley at the appointed time. Do not

wake the sleeping and do not wait for the absent.’ Therefore, when the appointed date arrived, during the night, when about a third of the night had passed, the Holy Prophetsa left his home. He took his uncle Abbas along with him, who was still an idolater, but loved the Holy Prophetsa and was a chieftain of the Hashim dynasty. Both of them reached this valley and it was not long before the Ansar began to arrive in pairs of one and two.

These were 70 souls from the Aus and the Khazraj.

“In the very beginning, Abbas began the discourse saying, ‘O party of the Khazraj!

Muhammad[sa] is revered and beloved within his dynasty. To this day, his dynasty has always remained responsible for his protection, and in times of danger has always come forward. But now, Muhammad[sa] intends to leave his homeland and reside with you. As such, if you wish to take him, you must protect him in every way, and will have to face every enemy. If you are prepared for this, then well and good, otherwise give a forthright answer, for true speech is good.’

“Al-Bara bin Ma‘rurra, an aged and influential man from the tribe of the Ansar, said, ‘Abbas, we have heard your address, but we would like to hear the Holy Prophetsa from his own blessed tongue, that he may expound the responsibility which he wishes to put upon us.’

“Upon this, the Holy Prophetsa recited a few verses from the Holy Quran and described the teachings of Islam in a brief address. Whilst alluding to huququllah [the rights due to Allah] and huququl-ibad [the rights due to God’s creation] the Holy Prophetsa said, ‘With regard to myself, all I desire is that, just as you protect your dear ones and your kindred, if need be, you deal with me in the same manner.’

“When the Holy Prophetsa had completed his address, as per the custom of Arabia, Al-Bara bin Ma‘rurra took the hand of the Holy Prophetsa into his own, and said, ‘O Messengersa of Allah! We swear by the God Who has sent you with the truth that we shall protect you with our lives…’”

They pledged to do this, but one person asked the Holy Prophetsa, “When he will be granted victory, will he leave them?”

“The Holy Prophetsa laughed and said, ‘… your blood shall be mine, your friends shall be my friends and your enemies shall be my enemies.’ Upon this, Abbasra bin Ubadah Ansari looked to his companions and said, ‘O People! Do you understand the purpose of this treaty and pledge? This means that you should prepare yourselves to confront everyone, no matter who they may be and irrespective of their background, and should be ready to offer any sacrifice.’

The people said, ‘Yes, we understand, but O Messengersa of Allah! What shall we receive in exchange for this?’ The Holy Prophetsa said, ‘You will receive the paradise of Allah, which is the greatest of all His rewards.’

Everyone said, ‘We agree to this bargain. O Messengersa of Allah, extend your hand.’

“The Holy Prophetsa brought forth his blessed hand and this group of 70 devotees were sold at the hand of the Holy Prophetsa in a defensive pact. The name of this Bai‘at is ‘The Second Bai‘at at ‘Aqabah’. When the Bai‘at had taken place, the Holy Prophetsa said, ‘Mosesas appointed 12 chiefs among his people who served as their supervisors and protectors. I also wish to appoint 12 chiefs from among you who shall be your

Friday 27 November 2020 | AL HAKAM

20 supervisors and your protectors. They shall be like the disciples of Jesusas unto me and they shall be answerable to me regarding the people. As such, propose the names of worthy men before me.’

“Therefore, 12 men were proposed, who the Holy Prophetsa approved, and appointing each as a supervisor to one tribe, he explained to them their duties. For some tribes, the Holy Prophetsa appointed two chiefs.”

In any case, Hazrat Abdullahra bin Amrra was also appointed as one of these twelve chiefs. (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, p. 227-231) According to one narration, during the Battle of Uhud, when Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, who was the leader of the hypocrites in Medina, rebelled, Hazrat Abdullahra bin Amr tried to advise him and those with him. (Ghazwat Uhud, Allamah Muhammad Ahmad Bashmil, p. 215, Nafees Academy Urdu Bazar, Karachi, 1989) Hazrat Jabirra bin Abdillahra narrates: “My father, Abdullah bin Amr and my maternal uncle were martyred during the Battle of Uhud. My mother (according to other narrations it was his aunt, who was the wife of Hazrat Amrra bin Jamuh) was taking their bodies back to Medina on a camel when a messenger from the Holy Prophetsa announced that the deceased should be buried where they were slain. Subsequently both of them were taken back and buried where they fought [and were killed].” (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, AbdAllah bin Amr [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar alKutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 2012], 423) (Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, Vol. 2, Abd-Allah bin Amr [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1995], 287) In another narration, Hazrat Anasra bin Malik states: “During the Battle of Uhud, [false] news reached the people of Medina that the Holy Prophetsa had been martyred. Upon hearing this news, the people became anxious and restless. One Ansari woman made her way

towards Uhud and on the way, she saw the bodies of her father, son, husband and brother laying on the floor.” The narrator continues, “I do not know whose body she came across first. She asked who are these people? She was informed that they were the bodies of her father, her brother, her husband and her son. She asked, ‘How is the Messenger of Allah?’ The people informed her that the Holy Prophetsa was standing before her. She went to the Holy Prophetsa and held on to his mantle, saying: ‘O Messenger of Allahsa! May my parents be sacrificed for your sake. Seeing you alive and well, I have no worry for any departed one.’”

(Majma al-Zawa‘id wa Manba al-Fawa‘id, Vol. 6, p. 120, Kitab al-Maghazi wa al-Siyar, Bab fi man astasghara Yauma Uhud, Dar alKutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001) Two or three years prior to his Khilafat, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh would deliver speeches during Jalsa Salana on the topic of the life and character of the Holy Prophetsa and also about expeditions. He related an incident about Hazrat Abdullahra bin Amr, which I will narrate here. He stated: “The sister of Hazrat Abdullahra bin Amr (i.e. the wife of Hazrat Amrra bin Jamuh), like her brother, had immense love for the Holy Prophetsa. Her husband was martyred in this battle, her brother was martyred in this battle and also her son was martyred in this battle. However, the joy of learning about the well-being of the Holy Prophetsa overpowered any grief of her departed ones.

Hazrat Aisha Siddiqara narrates, ‘I was going towards the battlefield to enquire about the situation. On the way I met Hind, the wife of Amrra bin Jamuh, holding the reins to a camel which she was taking towards Medina. I asked her about the situation in the battlefield. She replied, “Alhamdolilah [all praise belongs to Allah] all is well. The Holy Prophetsa is alive and well.” In the meantime, I noticed the camel was loaded with something. I enquired what was loaded on the camel to which she replied, “It is the bodies of my husband, Amr bin

Jamuh, my brother Abdullah bin Amr and my son, Khallad.” Saying this she tried to return towards Medina, however the camel sat down and refused to move. When it eventually stood up, it refused to go in the direction of Medina. She then moved the reins in the direction of Uhud, to which the camel began moving without any reluctance.’”

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh then says: “This was the condition of this woman and her love for the Holy Prophetsa. At the same time the Holy Prophetsa ordered the companions to search for the bodies of Amrra bin Jamuh and Abdullahra bin Amr and for them to be buried in the same grave, as they had love for each other in this world also.” (Khutbat-e-Tahir, Taqarir Jalsa Salana qabl az Khilafat, Taqrir Jalsa Salana 1979, p.

350-351) The Holy Prophetsa held both of them in high regard.

In one narration it is stated that when Hazrat Abdullahra bin Amr was about to depart for the Battle of Uhud, he called his son Hazrat Jabirra and said, “O my son! I believe I will be among the foremost martyrs. By Allah! Aside from the Messenger of Allahsa, there is no one dearer to me from among those I leave behind than you. I have some debt, repay that debt for me. I also command you to show kindness and benevolence to your sisters.” Hazrat Jabirra relates: “The next morning, my father was the first to be martyred and the enemy cut off his nose and ears.” (Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 3, Abd-Allah bin Amr [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2003], 344) Hazrat Jabirra narrates: “When the Holy Prophetsa came for the burial of the martyrs of Uhud, he said, ‘Bury them in the state they are in as I am a witness over them. No Muslim who was injured in the way of Allah will come before Allah on the Day of Judgement except with blood flowing from their wounds. The colour of the blood will be saffron but will

smell like musk.’”

In other words, they would be among the chosen ones of Allah the Almighty. There is no need to bathe them or bury them in special clothes, as they ought to be buried in the way they were martyred.

Hazrat Jabirra states that his father was wrapped in a single sheet. The Holy Prophetsa would ask who knew the most Quran [from memory]? Whilst the martyrs of Uhud were being buried, the Holy Prophetsa would enquire who knew the most Quran from those being buried. When they would indicate towards someone, the Holy Prophetsa would instruct to lower him into the grave before his compatriots. In other words, those who knew more of the Quran were buried first and about Hazrat Abdullahra bin Amr, the people would say that he was the first to be martyred on the day of Uhud. At the time, the people were discussing that Abdullahra bin Amr was the first to be martyred. Sufyan bin Abd Shams was the one who martyred him. The Holy Prophetsa had led his funeral prayers before the second attack and instructed for Abdullahra bin Amr and Amrra bin Jamuh to be buried in the same grave as they had love and respect for each other. The Holy Prophetsa instructed that those who had a close bond in this world ought to be buried in the same grave.

It is said that Abdullahra bin Amr had a reddish complexion and did not have hair towards the front [of his head]. He was not very tall, whereas Amrra bin Jamuh was tall and for this reason both were easily recognisable and were buried in the same grave. (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Abd-Allah bin Amr [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2012], 424) Insha-Allah, I shall narrate the remaining accounts in the future sermon.

(Original Urdu transcript published in Al Fazl International, 20 November 2020, pp. 5-10.

Translated by The Review of Religions.)

The Western world is seeing a rise in intolerance, hate and violence.

The media exacerbates this by painting inaccurate pictures of immigrants, minorities and of Islam and Muslims in particular. Consequently, there is a pressing need for clarifying what Islam is and is not, so as to foster mutual brotherhood amongst people of all beliefs. In four speeches delivered during a tour of the United States and Guatemala, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, offers a formula for achieving peace in our communities, nations and indeed throughout the world. Huzooraa explains that the true purpose of mosques is to be a centre of peace where Muslims join together in order to worship God Almighty and to serve humanity, irrespective of belief or background. Furthermore, the building of hospitals enables the service of mankind which itself becomes a form of worship. This cumulative spirit is the way to protect our future and enable us to leave behind a better world for our children. www.alislam.org/library/books/A-Message-for-Our-Time.pdf

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