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Germany Atfal pose variety of questions to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih in virtual meeting

On 29 November 2020, members of Germany mayar-e-kabir Majlis Atfal-ulAhmadiyya were blessed to have a virtual class in the company of Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah strengthen his hand.

The class commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by a nazm.

Thereafter, the Atfal were granted the opportunity to ask Huzooraa various questions and seek guidance on an array of matters relating to Islam, faith and contemporary issues.

During the class, a tifl asked Huzooraa if he had ever seen the Holy Prophetsa in a dream. Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said, “We must not indulge in this matter of who has seen the Holy Prophetsa in a dream or in what manner one sees him. However, we must see if we observe and follow the perfect example the Holy Prophetsa exhibited.”

Huzooraa explained that this matter has been explained and elaborated by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh .

Huzooraa further added, “The actual thing from which you will be able to derive benefit is acting upon the noble example of the Holy Prophetsa; this is the real essence of love.”

“Nowadays”, Huzooraa explained, “I am delivering sermons on the Companionsra of the Holy Prophetsa, in which many ahadith are mentioned along with many other incidents relating to the Companions’ love for the Holy Prophetsa or guidance relating to Namaz and other matters. Thus, it is our duty to act in accordance with the teachings.”

Following this, Huzooraa was asked about praying during sajdah (prostration) and the language one must pray in. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa explained, “During sajdah, you may pray in the language you are comfortable in. It is a fact that during sajdah, the one who prays in their own language is able to pray in a better manner as the words will be uttered directly from the heart.”

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa was then asked how he was able to accomplish a great deal of work amidst a hectic schedule. Answering the question, Huzooraa said, “Firstly, you must make it a habit of working in a daily routine. Secondly, there are some works that can be achieved alongside performing other tasks … in this manner, the time consumed in performing that task, which otherwise would have been done later, is then reduced. Then, one must firmly commit to completing their work. By doing this, one is able to work with greater attention and focus. If you inculcate a habit of working hard then you can also work in this manner and complete your tasks.”

Following this, a tifl expressed that when a Muslim dies, we say: نوعجر ہیلا انا و ہلل انا

“Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.” He went on to ask whether it is permitted to say this when a non-Muslim dies.

Huzooraa answered in the affirmative and said, “We are all one day going to return to Allah … We recite this upon facing any type of grievance and in doing so, we express that we belong to Allah and to Him do we turn to at the face of every loss.”

A question was asked with regard to taqdir (divine decree). The tifl who posed the question asked that if God has written our taqdir, then why do we pray for certain things?

Responding to this, Huzooraa said that there are certain decrees that are unalterable, while there are other destinies that can be changed. “For example, Huzooraa said, “we are all going to face death. No man can remain alive for eternity. This is a matter decreed by God. However, if person who falls ill and reaches a stage where doctors have given up, at such a stage, if we pray and God accepts the prayer and brings the person back from the brink of death, then this is God’s taqdir which has been averted… Thus, there are two types of taqdir. One that can be averted and the other which cannot.”

A young tifl expressed that he was currently pursuing memorising the Holy Quran and sought guidance from Huzooraa in this regard. He added that he wished to join Jamia Ahmadiyya. Upon this, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa stated, “Complete your hifz [memorisation of the Quran] and after Abitur [examinations taken at the end of secondary school in Germany], you may join Jamia as this will prove to be more beneficial.”

Huzooraa was asked about what can be done in response to those people around the world who are unaware of the true teachings of Islam and fear Muslims.

Huzooraa replied, “This is why we have been holding peace symposia and why I have been telling others to also hold such events and to distribute pamphlets explaining the true peaceful teachings of Islam. You should preach the true message of Islam to the public and explain to them that Islam is a religion of peace.”

Following this, a tifl, alluding to the Covid-19 vaccine under preparation, asked if one should take the injection. Huzooraa responded by saying, “It needs to be established that it is a proper preventative. If the authorities say to take it, then you may. Let us first see how the trials go.”

A tifl, whilst asking his question, said that God created man so that he may worship Him; “Then what was the need to create dinosaurs?”

Answering this, Huzooraa said, “Everything God has created has a use and proves to be beneficial for mankind. For example, the scorpion’s venom can be and is being used in medicines.” Thus, Huzooraa explained that all creation has a benefit and use for mankind.

With regard to God’s knowledge, a tifl asked what the purpose of our life was if God already knows who will ultimately go to heaven or hell.

Answering this, Huzooraa said that there are two aspects to this. One is God’s knowledge and the other is our deeds. God knows if so and so will go to heaven. However, it is our duty to pray to God to grant us death as believers and grant us His pleasure.

With regard to the prayer oft-recited by Muslims:

رانلا باذع انق و ۃنسح ۃرخالا یف و ۃنسح ایندلا یف انتا انبر

“Our Lord, grant us good in this world as well as good in the world to come, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.” (Surah al-Baqarah Ch.2: V.202)

Huzooraa was asked how one may achieve success in this world and in the Hereafter.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa explained, “We pray to Allah to grant us good in this world as well as good in the world to come. This means that we should do good deeds in this world and attain God’s pleasure. In this way, we also ask for God’s forgiveness in the Hereafter.”

A tifl expressed that he would soon be entering Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya and asked how he could ensure that he became a good khadim.

Huzooraa said, “You should make a solemn promise that ‘even as a khadim, I will continue to speak decently and truthfully. I will continue to offer Namaz five times a day and offer voluntary prayers with every namaz, in which I will fervently pray to God to make me a good khadim.’”

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa was then asked how he prepared for his Friday Sermons.

Huzooraa explained, “For the topics which require research, such as the sermons I am delivering on the history of the Companionsra, I have a team who helps with references. However, there are some sermons – on topics such as Tahrike-Jadid, Waqf-e-Jadid or tarbiyat – for which I take a verse of the Holy Quran and explain its commentary and prepare it myself. At times, the research team helps with references and at other occasions, I find the references myself. Sometimes, I ask the team to provide a reference and then I prepare the sermon myself.”

Alluding to the current pandemic, a tifl asked if the world would ever go back to living its normal life and condition.

Huzooraa replied by saying, “As far as coming back to normal is concerned, only Allah knows. However, after the coronavirus, the effects of the impact it has had on the global economy will remain for some time.”

Huzooraa further explained, “Judging by the current condition of the world, it seems that a war may break out after this pandemic and the effects will remain for many years. Thus, we should pray for the world and world leaders that they act wisely and unite to work together so that the world can live in peace and harmony. If they do not endeavour in this cause, then it will take many years for the normal conditions to return.

“However, to achieve this, it is necessary for the world to turn to God. If the world does not turn to Him, then we will see more pandemics and other distressing occurrences in the future. Thus we, as Ahmadis, should strive and do tabligh and tell people that for the world to return to its normal conditions, we must bow before God and fulfil His rights and the rights of His creation.”

With this, the virtual class came to a close.

Opinion The weight of our letters

Ahmad Kamal Student, Jamia Ahmadiyya Ghana

It is no secret that we do not write letters as much as we used to.

Until recently, it was the most popular and effective form of communication between two parties, miles apart. But as society and technology advanced, letter writing also declined.

With the introduction of Internetbased email, text and messaging apps, the messages that would take months to deliver, now take a split-second. The sheer efficiency of email overthrows the art of letter writing.

Efficiency is the most valued commodity of our generation.

Strangely though, Ahmadi Muslims all over the world still write letters to our beloved Khalifa. We still send emails and text messages very much like the rest of the world, but when we need to communicate with our Khalifa, we literally put pen to paper. For us Ahmadis, sending a handwritten letter is the next best thing to having a personal mulaqat with our beloved Huzooraa .

Without any doubt, mulaqats with Huzooraa form the crowning moments of an Ahmadi’s life. We deeply cherish our time with Huzooraa and we replay such precious moments in our heads and hang our pictures with him in our homes.

Sadly, we cannot all meet Huzooraa as much as we would love to, but on the bright side, there is no limit to the number of letters we can send.

Not just in times of adversity, but Ahmadis write to Huzooraa all the time. We humbly request Huzoor for his guidance, prayers and even for naming a new-born baby.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa has repeatedly stressed the importance of establishing a relationship with the institution of Khilafat. Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra , describing the relationship between the Jamaat and their Khalifa, said:

“You have someone who has true sympathy for you; who truly loves you; who considers your pain and sufferings to be his own, and who is always praying to Allah for you.” (Blessings of Khilafat, p. 6)

So even if, to the rest of the world, writing a letter can seem outdated, for us, it is an opportunity to develop a connection with the one who is closest to Allah in this day and age.

The handwritten letters we send evince a feeling unlike any other. They confirm the importance of this relationship and show that an element of deeper connection is present.

We are now accustomed with emails and texts and because they are no longer new; our minds dull over them as we process the information contained within them whilst multitasking. This might probably be the reason why our correspondence has become so distracted.

So, when it comes to sharing one’s true thoughts and deepest gratitude, nothing gives you more intimacy and genuineness than a handwritten letter.

Thus, to establish a bond with the beloved, a handwritten letter is ever so vital – the paper that was sitting on your desk, now sits on another’s. That very paper that you held is now in their hand. These letters create a connection that modern forms of communication will never approach as these letters engage our senses in a way that technology cannot.

Of course, emails and texts are fantastic for quick exchanges of information, but when it comes to writing a letter as a form of correspondence between two parties, the impact of messages in letters last far longer as compared to the alternate versions offered by the world. Why? Because a letter is arresting.

We all have unread e-mails in our inboxes, but we seldom leave a letter unopened. I do not remember a time when I had not immediately left everything to read the letter I had just received from Huzooraa. A letter from Huzooraa commands my full attention for I know that they’re not just mere fleeting words; rather, they are permanent reminders of his love.

It is not obligatory for an Ahmadi to write letters to the Khalifa, but if we yearn for a special bond with the divine institution of Khilafat, we must persist in writing our letters. These aren’t just mere letters, but also serve as a physical testimony of our love.

Even the faintest ink is greater than the strongest memory. We must treasure the letters we receive from Huzooraa because those fragile pieces of paper contain powerful words and prayers that are worth reading again and again.

8 Friday 4 December 2020 | AL HAKAM

The abdication of Edward VIII

An Islamic take on the crisis that shook the Crown – Part I

Asif M Basit London

Th e Crown – one of the most popular series on Netfl ix – has now released its fourth season and is receiving great attention globally, thanks to Lady Diana’s entry once again.

Th e series is based on a thoroughly researched script with historians of the royal family – the likes of Robert Lacey – on board. Th e opening sequence proudly boasts the claim “based on true events” – a statement that simultaneously justifi es the non-sequential order of events to facilitate the drama element.

Coronation scene from The Crown | Netflix

Th e series can be called a screenplay of Queen Elizabeth II’s biography. Th e fi rst season, however, suggests that the whole series rests on a single incident from the life of another monarch: Th e abdication of King Edward VIII. It is this incident that led to King George VI to accede to the throne and, consequently, for his eldest daughter to inherit it as Elizabeth II.

Th e Crown, therefore, is a story of the tragedy that befell a young woman of 27 and deprived her of a normal life. Had she been brought up as other heirs-apparent usually are – groomed for their monarchical role from the fi rst day of their life – her coming to throne may not have been as shocking. For someone third or fourth in line of succession to suddenly become heirapparent and then go on to actually ascend the throne, is a rare occurrence in modern monarchical history.

It is this rare occurrence that suddenly struck the life of Queen Elizabeth II with the abdication of her uncle, King Edward VIII in 1936.

So who was Edward VIII? A prince, a Prince of Wales, an heir to the crown, King of England or, eventually, only a historical fi gure buried in the grounds (and archives) of Windsor Castle?

Edward Prince of Wales

Prince Edward was offi cially invested as Prince of Wales on 13 July 1911 by his father King George V. In the years aft er the First World War, Edward represented the King on a number of goodwill tours of the dominions – visiting India in 1921-22.

While touring up and down the Indian subcontinent, he would be presented precious gift s from the native rulers and persons of infl uence, a gift that might not seem precious in the usual sense of the term, was a book written specially for the prince to introduce him to Islam. It was, however, invaluable for the community and its leader who had raised 1 anna (less than a penny) each to have it published.

“Th e cost of preparing this present,” wrote the author, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, “has been defrayed from the contributions of 32,208 members of the community”. As head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community – a progressive and proselytising sect in Islam – he urged the prince to read it “at least once from beginning to end”. (Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra , A Present to His Royal Highness, Th e Prince of Wales, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Qadian, 1922)

Th e private secretary to the Prince of Wales wrote back that His Royal Highness had “read with interest the account given in the address” and wished to acquaint himself with fuller details of the teachings summarised therein. (Extract from Prince Edward’s Private Secretary, HE Sir Geoff rey deMontmorency’s diary, published in Programmes, Speeches, Addresses, Reports & References in the Press relating to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales’ Tour in India, 1921-1922, compiled by M O’Nealey, Foreign and Political Department of the Government of India, Delhi, 1923)

British Empire Exhibition 1924 Despite its victory in World War I, the British Empire had suff ered great economic setback and felt the need to reassure its colonies that the sun had still not set on it.

As part of a series of such eff orts, a British Empire Exhibition was proposed. Edward, the Prince of Wales, agreed to be the president of the organising committee for this exhibition that aimed, as the organisers put it, “to enable all who owe allegiance to the British fl ag to meet on common ground and learn to know each other”. (British Empire Exhibition [1924]: Incorporated Handbook of General Information, published by the organising committee, London [British Library])

Edward VIII

With Prince Edward in the president’s chair, the exhibition acquired royal patronage as well as the support of George Lloyd’s government and hence, the stage was all set.

In a grand exhibition of a grand empire – where industry, culture and society of all British colonies were to be depicted – a group of academics felt that religion was an element that needed to be represented too. Spearheaded by the likes of Sir Denison Ross, Francis Younghusband and William Loft us Hare, a suggestion was presented before the organisers that the empire’s religious diversity deserved a fair share.

Th is was the genesis of the Conference of the Living Religions of the Empire, to which Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra was invited – a speaker who travelled the farthest distance to introduce the British people to Islam.

Th e founder of the Ahmadiyya community – which Hazrat Mirza

Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra was now the head of – had expressed his desire that such a conference be held in London where delegates from all faiths could introduce their teachings. He had sent this proposal, all the way from India, to the Queen Empress Victoria, in 1899. (Memorial addressed to the Empress of India by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Tabligh-i-Risalat, published by Qasim Ali, Qadian, 1899)

Th e proposal saw fruition in the reign of Queen Victoria’s grandson in 1924, with her great-grandson in chair.

Th e abdication

Who would have known that the young Prince Edward, who was introduced to the message of Islam in India, had a very eventful, yet unfortunate, life lying ahead?

Aft er the death of his father, King George V, Edward acceded to the throne as King of England – and naturally back then, the Emperor of India and other dominions – on 20 January 1936.

His tenure as Prince of Wales had left the British government suspicious of an ambitious king in the making – something that a constitutional monarch is not supposed to be. He had addressed the issues of coal miners in South Wales and urged the government to take notice as well as bringing to its attention the rise in unemployment. He ascended, thus, amidst raised eyebrows of not only the government circles but also the Church of England – the two bodies he was to be the fi gurehead of.

Th e Church of England had its own problems with Edward VIII. He was seen by the archbishop of Canterbury as a free soul with little or no affi liation with religion. By presenting the royal family – the most respectable family, adored by the majority of the population – as practising, churchgoing, faithful Christians, the church saw a “unique selling point” in the royal household. His aff air – one of many – with an American divorced woman was painted by the church as obnoxiously unorthodox and his intentions to marry her as “sinful”.

Reaction of the Ahmadiyya Press Edward VIII’s abdication made headlines across the world – British and American press in particular and the press of the dominions and India in general. We intend to undertake here a study of the unique response that came from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in India, through their newspaper, Al Fazl, on 22 December 1936.

Titled “Th e latest revolution in Britain”, the story dealt with the issue in line with the rest of the vernacular press. Th e approach taken happened to be the opinion that the British government had intended to promote across the empire.

Al Fazl too had criticised King Edward VIII for giving precedence to his personal interest over the greater interest of his empire. (Al Fazl, Qadian, 19 December 1936)

Th is put the pen of Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, then head of the Ahmadiyya community, into action. He wrote a feature article in response to the situation, which got published in the 22 December issue of Al Fazl.

He opened the article by stating that Al Fazl’s immediate and initial response (19 December) was made in haste and that it was infl uenced by the bigoted opinion of the British government and the Church of England.

He suggested that it was inapt for a newspaper to base their editorial opinion on the content of the archbishop of Canterbury’s speech that had been broadcast on BBC and widely publicised and, in consequence, was heavily relied upon by the press in formulating their opinion. He quoted the following words from the archbishop of Canterbury’s speech:

“From God, he had received a high and sacred trust. Yet, by his own will, he has abdicated – he has surrendered the trust. With characteristic frankness, he has told us his motive. It was a craving for private happiness.

“Strange and sad it must be that for such a motive, however strongly it pressed upon his heart, he should have disappointed hopes so high, and abandoned a trust great”. family. She had been acquainted to George V and has ever since frequented the royal circles.

“2. Edward VIII had not started seeing her recently, but had had a long-time relationship with Mrs Simpson. American press had been speculating for quite some time that she would seek divorce and marry King Edward VIII. She was oft en invited to royal events where the prime minister too would be present. She stayed in royal palaces and was driven around in royal cars. All this was known to the people of England, just as it was to the prime minister and the archbishop. Th e question is why they decided to stay silent.

“3. Mrs Simpson got her decree of divorce from an English court. Th e proceedings took place in strict supervision of the police and the press was not allowed to publish a photo of the event … If the British

Edward VIII as portrayed in The Crown | Netflix

Bradford, the newspapers of North England, followed by the press of the whole of England created a hubbub that the bishop was referring to the king’s aff air with Mrs Simpson …

“Th e bishop of Bradford denied any such reference, but the newspapers kept insisting that the bishop was now lying … But those who are aware of the circumstances know that the bishop had not alluded to the

“Bishops declare victory in this confl ict, but Edward’s sacrifi ce will not go in vain as it is backed by prophecies. Th ere will come a day when England will not only destigmatise divorce, but will also consult Islamic teachings in law-making ...”

(Th e part quoted in the original article in Al Fazl, 22 December 1936, is in Urdu. Quoted here is not a translation from Urdu, but the original speech of Cosmo Lang, the archbishop of Canterbury; acquired from the British Library Sound Archives, T8077/0404)

Hazrat Mirza Mahmud Ahmadra urged that instead of relying on the archbishop’s speech, it was essential that the circumstances leading up to the king’s abdication be examined in detail before forming any opinion. Below are some excerpts from his article:

“It is apparent from press reports that:

“1. Mrs Simpson is not new to the royal government was unaware of her situation in the palace, then why did it have to exercise such caution?

“4. Th e king went on a cruise with Mrs Simpson in August. Everyone knew of this yet no condemnation is on record … Th e prime minister has said in a statement that he had discussed this with the king only in late October … Th e fact is that everyone who attended royal parties in Mrs Simpson’s presence knew about her [aff air] …

“Th e fact of the matter is that the problem started with a speech of the bishop of Bradford who had expressed that the king should show more inclination towards faith.

“With these words of the bishop of king’s aff air with Mrs Simpson but had only indicated that the king should show more association to his Christian faith …

“Th anks to Colonel Wedgwood who stood up during the parliamentary debate and clarifi ed that Mrs Simpson’s aff air had come about as a coincidence and that the actual intention of the bishop was only to urge the king to show more affi liation to Christianity.

“Wedgwood went on to say that if the king had expressed his desire not to follow the religious ritual of the coronation ceremony, it was no reason to show antipathy – the coronation is only ceremonial and

not a religious assembly – nor should it be a cause of abhorrence if the archbishop or the bishop or York or the prime minister decided not to attend …

“This, added to other happenings, goes to show that the issue of Mrs Simpson was not the actual bone of contention; the actual issue is that when the Coronation Committee met the king and presented the details to him, the king refused to take the religious vows …

“I now want to ask whether the actual issue was the king’s choice between a woman and the monarchy, or was it a matter of choice between monarchy and a matter of principle which meant more for him?

“The church was fearful to have a king – titled the Defender of Faith – who declined to take religious vows. The king, on the other hand, was reluctant in accepting something only for the sake of coming to the throne …

“We cannot say anything for sure about the king’s religious beliefs, but we now know for certain that he chose his principles over the throne.

“I now come to the issue that worked as a basis for the outcome in this conflict … Although the king’s faith was in question, but his decision to abdicate lay on marrying Mrs Simpson. How, then, is this a sacrifice?” (Al Fazl, Qadian, 22 December 1936)

Hazrat Mirza Mahmud Ahmadra went on to show how the question of marriage with a divorcee was, for the Church of England, an issue of faith. He asserts that the church did not object to the moral character of Mrs Simpson, but to the fact that she was twice-divorced and both her ex-husbands were still alive.

The question he raised was that the decree of divorce was issued by an English court under a law passed by parliament; if divorce was such a vicious act, why did parliament pass such a law? And if it is not, then why object to the king marrying a divorcee?

“The former king,” he stated, “had the lawful right to marry. This given, how true is it to say that the king rejected the throne for a woman?”

The article went on to prove that the actual problem, thus, was not whether the king could marry or not, but the fact that if he married, the dominions – especially those with Roman Catholics in majority like Canada and Ireland – would show resentment, leaving the empire in an unstable state.

The king’s offer to the government of his morganatic marriage with Mrs Simpson is also discussed in the article, as well as the government’s denial of the proposal.

Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra described the king’s predicament as such:

“The king had before him not the people of the country, but a small minority that suggested not marrying a divorcee and, on the other hand, a woman who was ready to marry him and to whom he had pledged to marry …

“The minority’s opinion has no legal standing, whereas the woman in question has the full right to marriage by law. The only way forward for the king was to side with the one who sided with the law …”

The latter part of the article takes a very interesting turn. The episode of Edward VIII’s abdication is linked to Islamic eschatological vision of Christianity, as well as highlighting the Islamic edict on divorce.

To quote from the actual text:

“The whole issue is even more important for us and that is what made me write this article. It is in itself a fulfilment of a prophecy of and a means to refute an allegation on the Holy Prophetsa of Islam.

“Prophecy has it that Christianity would automatically melt away in the time of the Promised Messiah; the allegation was that the Holy Prophetsa had permitted divorce and had married divorced women.

“What better proof for the fulfilment of the prophecy could there be when a state that stands for Christianity and more so, whose king is meant to be the ‘Defender of Faith’ denies Christian rites for not having faith in them.

“The world has now come to realise the social importance of divorce and, if not found morally corrupt, a divorced woman’s honour is protected to the extent that a king emperor has forsaken his throne for her …

“Bishops declare victory in this conflict, but Edward’s sacrifice will not go in vain as it is backed by prophecies. There will come a day when England will not only destigmatise divorce, but will also consult Islamic teachings in law-making …

“Only God knows what the religious beliefs of Edward were in his final days as king, but we know from facts surrounding the situation that he was in full or partial disagreement with the religion of the state. Seeing that the church’s establishment was coercing restraint from a matter permissible by law, he must have considered what else they might go on to demand in future …

“The thought process of the church on the other hand seems to revolve around the king’s lack of faith in Christianity. Bishops, in their effort to please their Catholic counterparts in the dominions, saw in it a win-win situation: if they were able to subjugate the king’s opinion, he would forever remain under their thumb; if he chose to abdicate, they would get rid of a king who they saw as standing in their way …

“In short, the conflict was not what is generally understood, but that of faith and the supremacy of law. The king insisted on his personal faith on maintaining the state religion (although a state religion becomes merely politics, especially when it starts to intervene in matters of principle). The king wanted to respect the law and follow it. His opponents thought that the law of divorce was only but a showpiece; the law allowed it, the Church did not.

“Since the king did not approve of Christianity, fully or partially, he decided to side with what satisfied his conscience: the law of land. To save the empire from unrest, he hence gave up his throne.

“Those aware of this detail and the truth behind it tend to cry, ‘Long live Edward, long live!’

“That too is right, but the facts compel me to cry, ‘Long live Muhammad, long live!’” (Al Fazl, Qadian, 22 December 1936)

The above article was written only days after the abdication.

Where it surprises one to note how well informed the writer was, it calls for a closer look at the issue at the heart of the abdication conspiracy – the crisis as it brewed in the government and church circles and, even more to one’s surprise, within the royal palace.

Royal family’s concern

To better understand Edward’s personality today, he can be seen as a forerunner of Lady Diana – of a non-monarchical bent, obsessed with public engagement, popular in the general public and devastated through marriage.

The Prince of Wales was, as historian Adrian Phillips describes him, “the first member of the royal family to have extensive contact with public in Britain and abroad; he became the first celebrity royal”. (Adrian Phillips, The King Who Had to Go: Edward VIII, Mrs Simpson and the Hidden Politics of the Abdication Crisis, Biteback Publishing, London, 2016)

While it appealed to the general British public, the royal family did not approve of such non-royal behaviour. He appeared to be a “clear contrast to the stern and conservative image of his father” and hence, a “breath of fresh air” (Ibid). This very factor that earned him a place closer to the public’s hearts left his future precarious in the eyes of his father and the rest of the royal family.

Prince Edward openly resented to the way his father wanted him to always dress: formal and complex to carry the air of royalty. Edward on the contrary chose to dress in a way that was closer to general public, albeit to the gentlemen’s class. His father would openly criticise him, even publicly, usually keeping his criticism inconspicuous but also otherwise occasionally. (Philip Ziegler, King Edward VIII, Harper Collins, London, 2012)

The king also despised the men that Edward kept close to himself as friends and associated the prince’s violent habits with such company. Edward’s reproach to a full-time prince was another fundamental bone of contention between him and his father. He desired to play prince when on duty and a private individual in his personal time. This, again, was very un-royal for the household that he belonged to.

His affairs with women, and that too of all sorts, remained a major reason for the king’s concern all through the eventful youth of Edward. George V saw his heir’s casual, illicit and indiscrete affairs as a stigma that could result in loss of popularity of the future king and consequently, of the royal family; he was, after all, to be titled the Defender of Faith when he came to the throne. (Phillips, The King Who Had to Go)

While the modernistic appeal of Edward, Prince of Wales struck a chord with the young and the populace in general, it was seen by the royal family as a danger to the future of the royal family, especially at a time when monarchies were falling left, right and centre.

It was essential that the royal family remained aloof, beyond public access and, as they say, “holier than thou”.

The government’s concern

Stanley Baldwin had served two of his prime ministerial terms in the reign of King George V – Prince Edward’s father. He had had cordial relations with the monarch and their correspondence reveals that the king would comfortably share with him what otherwise remained concealed emotions.

Writing to Baldwin on one occasion, King George V expressed his concerns for Edward – his son and heir to the throne – in stating, “After I am dead the boy will ruin himself in twelve months”. (Windham Baldwin Papers, 3/3/14, Cambridge

University Library)

Biographers of George V, as well as of Edward VIII, associate the king’s dreads to Edward’s wayward behaviour.

For Baldwin, and the government for that matter, it was not the fl amboyant, playboy image of Edward that raised dismay and concern. His ever-growing popularity in the general public – an unprecedented phenomenon for a royal in modern history – paired with his practice of openly voicing his opinion on political matters, is what alarmed Baldwin and his associates; When he comes to throne, what will we have? A constitutional monarch or a king who wants control in political aff airs?

Attending a dinner with government dignitaries and foreign diplomats, Edward engaged the Russian ambassador, Ivan Maisky, in a fairly long conversation (Gabriel Gorodetsky [Ed], Th e Maisky Diaries: Red Ambassador to the Court of St James’s 19321943, 15 November 1934) – something very unconventional as a royal is only expected to engage in small talk and that too, limited to pleasantries.

As if the prolonged interaction itself was insuffi cient to leave the establishment and the archbishop of Canterbury to exchange glances in shock, the issues he brought up left them stunned. Th e content revolved around British diplomacy and that of Germany and France. (Phillips, Th e King Who Had to Go)

Aft er this dinner in 1934, a chain of similar events kept shovelling more coal to the already ablaze anguish of government circles. Addressing the British Legion, he urged for some members to be sent to Germany by way of extending a hand of friendship and to yield better diplomatic terms (Th e Times, London, 12 June 1935). Th is was taken not only as a royal’s involvement in politics, but also as one that contradicted with the policy of the Foreign Offi ce.

Soon aft er this, Edward was at Berkhamsted School where, in his speech, he criticised the government’s policy of discouraging pupils to train with even light airguns. Anticipating another war, he went so far as to call those in charge of such policies as “misguided people”, adding, “I will even go as far as to call them cranks.” (Th e Times, London, 13 June 1935)

Enraged, Prime Minister Baldwin brought both the speeches to the table of the cabinet and sought advice. Having agreed that the king should be informed and asked to pull the prince’s reins, minutes of the cabinet’s meeting were forwarded to the palace for the king’s attention. (National Archives, CAB 23/82, 19 June 1935)

Had it been for encroachment in political realms only, the ministers could have pulled certain strings – which we will see that they oft en did – and got the prince confi ned to his royal nook. But as his popularity in the general public crept higher, and that too on a steep trajectory, the government was alarmed. What they saw was not a constitutional monarch-tobe, but a president or – as his fondness for Nazi Germany suggested – a Führer in the making.

Edward’s tours across the length and breadth of the Empire earned him a great deal of popularity not only in but beyond the British Isles. “HRH really does work very hard,” reported Admiral Halsey, who

The 1920 Royal Tour of King George V’s son, Edward, Prince of Wales, who was in New Zealand between 24 April and 22 May. It shows the Prince talking to a returning serviceman in Ashburton

had accompanied him on such journeys abroad.

Halsey’s letter to Lord Stamfordham goes on to tell how the prince loved to be around common people “especially as he talks to practically every soldier who is bedridden, and his sympathy with them is so genuine that if fi nds it hard to go on for any length of time” (Phillips, Th e King Who Had to Go). Th is aff ectionate approach was reciprocated with even more warmth and fervour.

By the time he acceded the throne, he was known to be one “too very well known by most of the people of the Kingdom and … very popular with them” (Duke of Connaught to Princess Louise, Royal Archives, RA Vic Add A 17/1590); to be a “genuine solicitude for the unemployed” (Clement Attlee, As it Happened, William Heinemann, London, 1954); one who was with “enormous amount of general knowledge” (Hugo Vickers, CecilBeaton: An Authorised Biography, Hodder & Stoughton, London, 2020) and who never forgot names and was good at statistics.

But from how the events unfolded, it appears that all this panegyric by politicians and bureaucrats was in fact to mask their dread of a rising revolution.

Edward was himself aware of his popularity and of the advantages he had had through his career as Prince of Wales.

“At forty-one I had seen about as much of life as my position had allowed”, the Prince was to write, many years later, in his memoirs.

“Th e First World War had made it possible for me to share an unparalleled human experience with all manner of men. I had visited practically all the important countries of the world, except Soviet Russia, and many of the smaller ones. I had seen the good and the bad in the Empire, its triumphs and its failures. Princely progresses, diplomatic and commercial missions, not to mention the continuous travelling that I did on my own account, had taken me again and again into realms previously unknown to Royalty.” (Edward, Duke of Windsor, A King’s Story: Th e Memoirs of HRH the Duke of Windsor KG, Cassell & Company, London, 1951)

Edward went on to boast the titles that he had received through public opinion and had been refl ected in the newspapers: “Britain’s First Ambassador” and “Britain’s Best Salesman”. He held these titles, which acknowledged his services as being above all titles “hereditary or complimentary” ever applied to him. (Ibid)

Edward’s popularity among the general public and his insight of the state machinery and that of the Empire was seen by Westminster and Whitehall as a storm that loomed the horizon. Th e fear masked under the above pleasantries becomes conspicuous from Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin’s statements to his confi dants. One of the three goals that he set for his civil service at the very outset of his term, stated: “To enable the Prince of Wales (should he succeed to the throne) to make a favourable start as a king”. (National Archives, PREM 1/466)

Th e very short statement is much suffi cient to uncover Baldwin’s doubts and anxieties. Th e same becomes even more doubtless when Baldwin describes the king as “an abnormal being, half childish, half-genius … It is almost as though two or three cells in his brain had remained entirely undeveloped while the rest of him is a mature man.” (Baldwin Papers f418, University of Cambridge Library, Th e Royal Box)

Th en there are accounts of the private secretary of the Prince of Wales, Allan Lascelles confi ding in Baldwin and listing the Prince’s defects. Lascelles bitterly resented the Prince’s “drinking, womanising and pursuit of selfi sh pleasure” and doubted if he was fi t for his future role as king. Protocols were not only breached by Lascelles in directly approaching the prime minister, but by Baldwin also in entertaining the grievances of a royal’s private secretary. Lascelles’ despise for the Prince was even bolder when he told the prime minister that “the best thing that could happen to [the prince], and the country, would be for him to break his neck”.

Even bolder was Baldwin’s endorsement: “God forgive me, I have oft en thought the same.” (Duff Hart-Davis [Ed], King’s Counsellor: Abdication and War: Th e Diaries of ‘Tommy’ Lascelles, Weidenfeld & Nicholson, London, 2006)

With these deep-seated loathsome

Responding to Allegations Were the Arabic works of the Promised Messiah plagiarised from “Muqamate-Hariri”?

Part I

The Promised Messiahas said:

“By accepting the criticism made by Muhammad Hasan, rather absurdly, Mehr Ali accused me of copying proverbs and sayings from other works such as Muqamat-e-Hariri. I did indeed reproduce them in my book [Ijaz-ul-Masih] but in the form of extracts or citations that cover no more than two or three lines [i.e. only a few lines]. In the opinion of this vacuous man, this was evidence of plagiarism. But the prophecy: کتناھا دارا نمنیھم ینا

“[Surely, I shall humiliate him who seeks to humiliate you], loomed over him and instead, he was found guilty of stealing a whole book. He lied and put his faith in false criticism and did not grasp the fact that it was without any merit whatsoever. Thus, he was guilty of three great sins. Is this not a miracle?” (A Gift for An-Nadwah, pp. 21-22 [English Translation of Tuhfatun-Nadwah])

Referring to the above mentioned extract of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas , opponents suggest the he plagiarised more than three lines from Muqamat-eHariri [The Assemblies of Al-Hariri] in his book, Ijaz-ul-Masih, and also copied from it in various other Arabic works of his.

In their view, this is sufficient evidence that the Arabic writings of Promised Messiahas were not a miracle of God Almighty.

First of all, it is important to note that the words of the Promised Messiahas, “I did indeed reproduce them in my book [Ijaz-ul-Masih] but in the form of extracts or citations that cover no more than two or three lines,” mean that his work, Ijazul-Masih, contains only a few proverbs and phrases of the Arabs which are also recorded in Muqamat-e-Hariri.

The Promised Messiahas has used the said phrase as an idiom of Urdu language and it not at all carries the sense that he counted each and every line of the book, Ijaz-ul-Masih, which was related to Muaqamat-e-Hariri and came to the conclusion that there are exactly two or three lines from it. His words plainly mean that there were only a few examples of Muqamat-e-Hariri in his book.

Similar phrases are present in the Holy Quran as well, which are used as idioms. For example, Allah the Almighty says: یمعا ۃرخالا یف وہف یمعا ہذھ یف ناک نم

“Whoso is blind in this world will be blind in the Hereafter” (Surah Bani Israil, Ch.17: V.73). This verse does not mean that they are actually blind, but the blindness and foolishness of mind are being mentioned here.

At another place in the Holy Quran, God Almighty states: ءآمسلا باوبا مہل حتفت ال اہنع اوربکتسا و انتیاب اوبذک نیذلا نا یزجن کِلذک و ؕ طایخلا مس یف لمجلا جلی یتح ۃنجلا نولخدی ال و نیمرجملا

“Those who reject Our Signs and turn away from them with disdain, the gates of the spiritual firmament will not be opened for them, nor will they enter Heaven until a camel goes through the eye of a needle. And thus do We requite the offenders.” (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.41)

A camel can certainly not pass through the eye of a needle. Hence, this expression has been used to describe the nearly impossible.

The Promised Messiahas has also used the phrase, “two or three lines”, in the same way to indicate that only some sentences of Hariri are present in his book. We assure the readers that beyond any doubt, only a few phrases of Muqamat-e-Hariri can be seen in the book, Ijaz-ul-Masih, by the Promised Messiahas .

On the other hand, the manner in which our opponents cite examples from the books of the Promised Messiahas , everyone’s work could be declared a copy of Muqamat-e-Hariri or of any other book of Arabic for that matter. Even Muqamate-Hariri itself would fall in the category of “stolen work”.

In fact, this allegation of plagiarism is raised against the Holy Quran as well, as there are certain phrases in the Holy Quran that are present in pre-Islamic Arabic literature.

The proverbs and sayings mentioned in Muqamat-e-Hariri are from the Arabic language and are the same proverbs that the Arabs used in their daily conversation. Those phrases and sayings were not created by Hariri himself. In fact, Hariri has combined most of the Arabic proverbs and idioms in his work.

Thus, did Hariri write these phrases with the help of revelation? Where did Hariri get these proverbs from? Were they not used by the Arabs before Hariri wrote them? If the Arabs also used such phrases, did Hariri steal them from Arabs? If the Arab people did not use those words before the compilation of Muqamat-eHariri, then how did the Arabs understand it?

Hence, Hariri has only created stories

Remembrance Day 2020 in Canada

The Promised Messiah’sas personal ink-pot, which he used to write many monumental works

by collecting the proverbs and sayings that the Arabs used in their discourse.

As far as the question of plagiarism in the books of the Promised Messiahas is concerned, we will commence by shedding some light on the book Ijaz-ulMasih, which has been mentioned in the excerpt presented at the outset.

The Promised Messiahas was born on 13 February 1835 and his book, Ijaz-ulMasih, was published in 1901. His age was 66 at that time.

The Promised Messiahas suffered from diabetes from the year 1883 and he also suffered from migraines. Throughout those years, Muslims and non-Muslims used to visit him daily. He would talk to them and respond to their objections as well.

Throughout those years, Muslims and non-Muslims would visit him on a daily basis. He would talk to them and respond to their objections. Each day, he would receive many letters from friends and foes and would read them, or have them read out to him by his companions, and would write or dictate replies to these letters.

Above all, Hazrat Ahmadas continued to produce extraordinary works of Arabic like Ijaz-ul-Masih, Minan-ur-Rahman, AlTabligh etc. In fact, it is a miracle in itself for a person like Hazrat Ahmadas, who did not even acquire basic education of Arabic langauge, to write expressive and eloquent Arabic books throughout his life, despite the circumstances.

The Arabic book, Ijaz-ul-Masih, which contains a unique commentary of Surah al-Fatihah and spans over 200 pages, was written in response to the fraudulent deceptions of Pir Mehr Ali Shah. The Promised Messiahas challenged him on 15 December 1900 to a contest of writing an expressive commentary of Surah al-Fatihah in Arabic within 70 days. The Promised Messiahas completed his miraculous work, Ijaz-ul-Masih, within the fixed period of time and posted it to Pir Mehr Ali Shah on 23 February 1901. Pir Mehr Ali Shah remained silent and the words of Allah the Almighty recorded in the same book were fulfilled. The Promised Messiahas said:

“For this book, I prayed that God, in His Majesty, make it a miracle for the Muslim clergy that no writer is able to produce a book equivalent to it and no one is given the ability to write such a book. My prayer was accepted and God gave me the good news, ‘We will stop it from heaven’; I then concluded that this was a hint that the enemy would be unable to produce a book like thereof.” (Ijaz-ulMasih, Ruhani Khazain, V. 18, p. 68)

The details of the artful and tricky behaviour of Pir Mehr Ali Shah Sahib of Golra Sharif to avoid the challenge of the Promised Messiahas have already been mentioned in a previous article of Responding to Allegations series, under the heading, “All prophets are rejected and questioned on their sanity – Part II”. Readers can easily understand from the article that the Promised Messiahas openly challenged Pir Mehr Ali Shah and the rest of the Arab and non-Arab religious and secular scholars to present a better book that Ijaz-ul-Masih, but nobody accepted it.

If this book was a mere copy of other Arabic books, at least one person would have responded to the challenge of the Promised Messiahas .

The challenge of the Promised Messiahas still stands. If, according to the opponents, the Promised Messiahas wrote his Arabic books by stealing various phrases from Muqamat-e-Hariri, then the opponents should write answers to all the Arabic books of Promised Messiahas and prove that the said miracle was false.

Hence, the opponents are only interested in raising objections. On the one hand, they raise objections on the usage of Arabic regarding the syntax and proverbs used, and when this isn’t an option, they allege that the Promised Messiahas copied the Arabic works of others.

Perhaps they should first decide what kind of narrative they want to push, before attacking the writings of the Promised Messiahas; this, at least, would be a consistent attempt.

Syed Mukarram Nazeer Canada Correspondent

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month marks the time the Armistice took effect in 1918. Armistice was signed officially between Allies and German forces at Compiègne, France, for cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I.

After World War II, the day became widely known as “Remembrance Day” in Commonwealth member states as well as many other countries. It is also known as Armistice Day, Poppy Day and Veteran’s Day. It honours all soldiers who served their respective country including those who gave their live.

Like other nations, Canadians took time to remember the many men and women who served in the past wars as well as those who continue to serve today in conflict zones, or as peacekeepers all around the world. It is a public and federal statutory holiday, as well as a statutory holiday in all three territories and in six of the ten provinces of Canada.

The Red Poppy is a well-known Remembrance Day symbol. Each year, artificial poppies are worn by many in the days leading up to and including 11 November. There is always some kind of ceremonial service being performed across the nation to mark the day. Government officials along with other dignitaries and veterans, place commemorative wreaths at war memorials. The official Canadian ceremony is held at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, Ontario, the capital of Canada.

Since 2010, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Canada has remembered this day by running “Muslims for Remembrance Day” campaign.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting restrictions across Canada, this year’s events were held virtually. In these events, Jamaat members, guests from various levels of government including minsters, mayors, chief of police, and other dignitaries gathered for Remembrance Day activities.

Shahzad Ahmad Sahib reports that this year, an additional coordinated effort was undertaken to promote use of the hashtag #MuslimsforRemembrance to further remind people of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya’s respect and celebration of this day.

By the grace of Allah the Almighty, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Canada celebrated Remembrance Day throughout the country in the days leading up to 11 November 2020. These virtual events demonstrated that Ahmadi Muslims are proud to be Canadians and support the sacrifices of their nation’s military personnel. Moreover, Ahmadis are ready to live up to the Islamic teaching promoted by beloved Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, which states:

“Love for one’s country is a part of faith”.

At one such virtual Remembrance Day ceremony, Naib Amir Greater Toronto Area, West Imarat, Retired Brigadier Abdul Ghafoor Ehsan Sahib delivered a speech on the importance of Remembrance Day. He reminded everyone that World War I was a massive conflict that played out over the whole globe, yet it was focused in Europe. He also mentioned that Canadian troops supported the Allied forces in World War I. Like many other wars, this war effort resulted in loss of huge numbers of civilian and military personnel lives.

Similar events were held across Canada in almost all major Jamaat centres. The programme began with recitation from the Holy Quran followed by translation. It is standard practice on Remembrance Day events to recite the world-famous poem, “In Flanders Fields” by Canadian army doctor Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae. This was followed by playing a recording of “Last Post”, played on trumpet. Finally, a two-minute silence interval permits one to ponder the meaning of this day.

Canadian Ahmadis expressed gratitude for living in Canada, one of the most peaceful countries in the world. As they celebrated their peace and freedom, they recognised that freedom comes through sacrifices and these sacrifices are required by each generation to maintain it. All were reminded that the ultimate sacrifices of life continue to be offered on their behalf by Canadian military personnel, across the world. All such virtual Remembrance Day ceremonies concluded with silent prayers.

Heartwarming feedback was received from many of the online participants in the Jamaat and also from various dignitaries who joined from the safety and convenience of their homes. They appreciated the efforts of Jamaat-eAhmadiyya Canada in remembering those who served their nation, including individuals who gave their lives. Long live Canada!

Why Muslim nations have regressed

Part II

Ibn Rasheed UK

Muslims have regressed but believers have not

When a prophet appears, disbelievers are often at the height of power and glory – and also the height of arrogance and evil.

They have power, wealth and resources. The prophet has absolutely nothing but a band of poor followers, a heart full of compassion and a tongue flowing with pathos-filled prayers. He is God’s most beloved person on earth, yet he is the most despised by the majority, persecuted by the elite and ridiculed by the masses.

However, after many years of heartfelt prayers, constant efforts and preaching, he overturns the circumstances and succeeds in establishing the unity and glory of God on earth.

Worldly wealth and resources are not a sign of God’s love, approval or acceptance. As Allah says in the Holy Quran, “Wealth and children are an adornment of the life of this world. But enduring good works are better in the sight of thy Lord in respect of [immediate] reward, and better in respect of [future] hope.” (Surah al-Kahf, Ch.18: V.47)

The world is very transient. Every honour, respect, glory, wealth and success in this life is short-lived. It doesn’t guarantee you happiness; it doesn’t prove your nearness to Allah and ultimately leaves a person with emptiness inside, if not filled with sincerity and moral values.

Nations who have abandoned God today, thinking their wealth and knowledge is sufficient for them, are in grave error. Having forsaken God, they have been left to their own devices to a large extent. And since they desired the world and also strove for it, the law of cause and effect operates for them as much as it does for believers – efforts don’t go wasted. At times, the doors are flung wide open for those who seek only worldly wealth and glory: “Whoso desires the harvest of the Hereafter, We give him increase in his harvest; and whoso desires the harvest of this world, We give him [thereof], but in the Hereafter he will have no share.” (Surah al-Shura, Ch.42: V.21)

For many, such prosperity in this life becomes a means of their downfall: “So let not their wealth nor their children excite thy wonder. Allah only intends to punish them therewith in the present life and that their souls may depart while they are disbelievers.” (Surah al-Taubah, Ch.9: V.55)

In this is a message for believers specifically – don’t wonder why these people have so much more than you. It’s a trial for them; as they desired the life of this world and gave scant regard to religion and the higher values of life, God has given them what they wished for, but ultimately it will result in nothing but their own ruin.

“And strain not thy eyes after what We have bestowed on some classes of them to enjoy [for a short time] – the splendour of the present world – that We may try them thereby. And the provision of thy Lord is better and more lasting.” (Surah Ta Ha, Ch.20: V.132)

Muslims are instructed to look to the everlasting heavenly life and not pine after or fret at the fact that today the disbelievers are vaster in number, wealth and power. It is only short-lived. It’s bound to end quickly and suddenly.

The signs of this are already appearing. Both the US and Europe are suffering from economic uncertainties, deepening division and political turmoil. Every nation has its day and only those endure who stay just.

The Holy Quran has made prophecies regarding Latter-Day Christian nations:

“When the disciples said, ‘O Jesus, son of Mary, is thy Lord able to send down to us a table spread with food from heaven?’ he said, ‘Fear Allah, if you are believers.’” (Surah al-Maidah, Ch.5: V.113)

“Said Jesus, son of Mary, ‘O Allah, our Lord, send down to us a table from heaven spread with food that it may be to us a festival, to the first of us and to the last of us, and a Sign from Thee; and provide sustenance for us, for Thou art the Best of Sustainers.’

“Allah said, ‘Surely, I will send it down to you, but whosoever of you disbelieves afterwards — I will surely punish them with a punishment wherewith I will not punish any other of the peoples.’” (Surah alMaidah, Ch.5: V.115-116)

Christian nations were destined to be given much glory, wealth and resources in the Latter Days. Jesusas and his disciplines were found in strenuous circumstances but had prayed to Allah to bless them and their future peoples. Allah had promised it to them, but also issued a warning – those who would be ungrateful thereafter would be met with a severe punishment.

Those who claim to be representatives of God on earth and claim they are following the true faith, but fail to exhibit the qualities that that necessitates, incur the wrath and displeasure of God.

In fact, both Muslim and non-Muslim nations have succumbed to the lure of lavish luxuries and wealth. Oil-rich Muslim countries are basking in what seems unlimited wealth, yet their neighbours are drowning in poverty, disease and conflict.

If this is the state of Muslims, why should anyone be surprised when their nations become political puppets for other nations? Why should they accept to be treated any differently by God than those who deny God? Allah changes not the condition of people until they change what is in their hearts. Muslims have malice and hatred in their hearts for their fellow Muslim brothers. Yemen is one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent history, yet nothing is done to help it.

When one’s words and actions are not in accord then can anyone expect God to help them? Allah says “Why do you say what you do not do? Most hateful is it in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.” (Surah al-Saff, Ch.61: V.3-4)

Looking at the condition of Muslim nations in the world is not dissimilar to the condition of disbelievers. Muslims may pray, but do not do justice to their prayer by way of actions and have fallen prey to the verse “Woe to those who pray, but are unmindful of their prayer.” (Surah alMa‘un, Ch.107: V.5-6)

If you are a Muslim in name alone, then you’re not much different from anyone else. Allah does not promise a mere Muslim success; nowhere does it say that merely being called a Muslim is something of merit; rather, it is the believers who show in their actions the proof of their faith and their Islam, that are recipients of God’s special favours.

Before the siege of Baghdad in 1258, when the Mongol invader Hulagu Khan ransacked the city, it is narrated that the caliph asked a saint to pray that he be saved. A few nights later, he told the caliph the divine answer had come: “O ye disbelievers, kill the wrongdoers.”

It is a similar situation happening in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East. Muslims have no longer remained believers

Brazil missionary tours São Paulo in effort to spread message of Islam

Hafiz Ihtsham Ahmad Moman Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In accordance with the instructions of Hazrat Amirul Momineen, may Allah be his Helper, in the capacity of missionary of Rio de Janeiro, I toured São Paulo – the largest city of Brazil, with a population of around 12.3 million – as well as three other neighboring cities. The tour lasted two weeks.

During the tour, two lectures were delivered at different events, to which local non-Ahmadi guests were invited.

Furthermore, a local television channel hosted an interview with me, in which a brief introduction about Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya was presented.

Similarly, another city hosted a radio programme which lasted an hour. Along with discussions about the teachings of Islam, the attributes of Allah the Almighty were also discussed.

An online programme was also held where similar topics about the Jamaat were discussed. This is a digital radio channel and can be listened to around the world. The radio channel has around 30,000 listeners daily. A live video of this interview was played on Facebook as well.

Another purpose of this tour was to get together with Jamaat members, offer congregational prayers, including the Friday prayer, with them and visit their homes.

Leaflets about the Jamaat and its teachings were distributed, all the while maintaining social distancing.

I also had the opportunity to visit Ahmadis who live at a distance and who had lost contact with the Jamaat.

I visited the home of a Brazilian convert and had a lengthy conversation with him and his family. Moreover, I had the opportunity to have a sitting with another family who showed great interest in Islam.

A priest of a local church and his team also took time out to speak to me, which lasted an hour and 30 minutes. They all showed great interest in Islam. This discussion was mentioned on their Instagram page.

During this tour, around 6,000 leaflets about the Jamaat were distributed and two copies of the Holy Quran and five copies of a book of the Promised Messiahas , Jesus in India, were gifted to guests.

<< Continued from previous page

but have fallen to sinful activities, hence as a way of punishment, God also withdraws His protection and it is as if he has given permission to the disbelievers to destroy the wrongdoing Muslims.

It must also be remembered that all races, religions and nations have been given a fair share of talent and ability. Amongst Muslims, you will find those who are more successful and those less. Amongst nonMuslims there will be the more prosperous and the less well off. The believer’s objective, however, is the Hereafter.

This is why Jesusas said that it is easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than a rich man to enter heaven. It is not that every rich person is bound for hell, but that abundance of wealth very often leads to indifference to the higher values of life, laxity in regard to responsibilities and a false sense of security. It also paves the way for a lavish and extravagant lifestyle.

Allah does not differentiate between religions when it comes to material benefits; to some he tries with wealth and success, while others are tried with illness and affliction, poverty and distress. But the Promised Messiahas has explained that the latter trial is less dangerous, as the former often leads to arrogance and a false sense of superiority.

This is why saints and prophets of the past did not consider trials and difficulties as God’s displeasure; rather, the Holy Prophetsa has stated that if Allah intends good for you, He afflicts you. There is much spiritual progress to be had under difficult and trying conditions. The stars only show their light under darkness. You don’t know who is good until they are tried and tested. Otherwise good nature is a natural state, not a moral one and only until it is tested can one manifest it at every appropriate occasion. If you have never experienced difficult times, how can your good qualities be exhibited?

Non-Muslims will also be rewarded for their actions, but believers who struggle and establish a relationship with God by honing their spirituality begin to see God in this life. Believers hope from Allah what others do not. (Surah al-Nisa, Ch.4: V.105)

This is why a lot of the Muslim world’s dilemmas is their own doing. Allah blesses people with prosperity and adversity. In prosperity, they are meant to be grateful and use their power and resources to serve God and His creation. In adversity, they are meant to be steadfast and resolved to the will of God, whilst patiently striving and praying for better.

Hence, the Holy Prophetsa gave the glad tiding: “There is good for a believer in everything. If he experiences something pleasing, he is grateful; if he experiences something disagreeable, he is patient.”

But Muslims nations, having been blessed with abundant wealth, have become greedy, selfish, lax and immoral. They conspire with non-Muslim nations against their own fellow Muslim brothers. They oppress their own citizens and do not fulfil the dues of God and mankind. In such a condition why do they expect their prayers to be answered and God to grant them success?

In adversity and suffering, Muslims have become emboldened in their harshness, resentful of the West and forgotten the qualities of gentleness, forgiveness and forbearance. The prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa that his ummah would resemble the Jewish nation has been fulfilled. Just as the Jews were vengeful, harsh and scheming at the time of Jesusas, so are Muslims now.

The difficulties Muslims nations are undergoing are not the same as trials endured by believers and true Muslims. For those who are good-natured, trials lead only to their own betterment. For those who are crooked, trials only expose their own wrongdoing and lead to their ruin. Everyone is tried one way or another and it all comes down to how you respond to it.

For believers, however, strained circumstances and difficult conditions do not lead them away from God or to wonder or question why Allah has blessed nonMuslims more than them in this world.

The Holy Prophetsa has given us such inspiring and enlightening spiritual knowledge. It puts a perspective on all the woes, worries and wounds of this world.

Once he was lying on a rough straw mat when Hazrat Umarra wept and said, “O Prophet! When the Chosroes of Iran and Byzantine emperors live in such luxury and comfort, how can you live like this? You deserve better!”

The Prophetsa replied, “O Umar, is it not enough that for them is this world and for us is the next?” He taught that this life is a drop in the ocean compared to the next and that this life is like a prison for the believer and a paradise for the disbeliever.

The success and prosperity in the minds of people is not the same as the success mentioned in the Holy Quran. To be free from the covetousness of one’s own soul and at peace with God is the supreme triumph which transcends and outlives every other worldly wealth, glory or honour.

Desperate Christians, Bai‘at of magistrate and lectures

Al Fazl, 2 December 1920

Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Nayyarra

“I would cut off your head if I could”

England is an independent country and its inhabitants are considered liberal. Certainly, a section of its people is unbiased and open-minded, but some of them are still under the influence of Christian prejudice.

A few days ago, a friend took me to YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association). There, I first spoke to an African-American. He got upset after hearing the Islamic belief about the death of Jesusas and said, “I would cut off your head if I could.”

English women were also present in the room, including the housekeeper. Thinking that these English women would express displeasure at the comment of this black man, I turned towards them and repeated the said sentence. However, I was completely surprised when I heard the soft-hearted white Christians of the Young Men’s Christian Association address me with the utmost conviction that, “Yes! I would [have also cut off your head] if I could.”

The best way for an Ahmadi to respond towards such conduct is to pray for their guidance, in accordance with the teachings of the Promised Messiahas, and leave that place.

African brotherhood

A society by the name of United African Brotherhood has been formed by the African people. Recently, one of its conferences was held at the house of our friend, Ahmad Ibrahim Thomas. I was also invited to it.

The speakers delivered speeches with political zeal and called for establishing mutual unity. They also emphasised on proving their superiority over the white man. During his speech, an African American said:

“Europe has received all knowledge of religion and civilisation from Africa. Even the name of this continent has been given by us. Europe means the land of no sun. As our people came from lands that benefited from sunlight, they called this cold continent the land of no sun, or Europe, because the sun shines less often over here.”

I also gave a short speech at the conference and advised them to leave Christianity and convert to Islam, to learn the lessons of brotherhood, to reform themselves and to progress gradually with moderation, patience and hard work. Many European women who had married African men were also present there. By the grace of God, [my speech had] a good effect on everyone.

Lecture in East Finchley

Finchley is an area in north of London. I went there to give a speech at the invitation of a women’s society. The name of the society is Women’s Guild. The gathering was arranged in a room of the Wesleyan church. More than 60 women were present there. The subject of the lecture was, “What Britain and India owes to each other”.

In the speech, I mentioned the benefits that the two countries had enjoyed from each other. Moreover, acknowledging the former services of England, I told the audience that India presents an Indian Prophet to the people of Britain in return for their good works. I also conveyed the message of the Ahmadiyya mission and the teachings of Hazrat Jariullah [the champion of Allah] and people were glad [to hear it]. Ahmadiyya literature was then distributed to the audience.

Lecture in Watford

There is an area called Watford on the outskirts of London. It is twenty-five miles from the city centre. One of its societies invited us to deliver a lecture. At their request, I went there on 2 November [1920]. More than a hundred men and women were gathered there.

The title of the lecture was “Family life in India”. In the speech, apart from discussing happiness, sorrow, dress and habits, I talked about religion as well. Then eventually, I mentioned the reforms that came about, which are still taking place, in India through the teachings of the Promised Messiahas .

Furthermore, I mentioned the instructions laid down by the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, regarding the rights of women in times of joy and grief. The full speech lasted for one and a half hours and then a question and answer session took another half hour. Everyone unanimously expressed thanks and liked the speech, alhamdolillah.

Speeches at home

In addition to outdoor gatherings and speeches at various societies, regular lectures are held at home as well.

Hence, last Sunday, Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sayal Sahib delivered a lecture on the topic of “Unity of East and West” at the Ahmadiyya Lecture Room. The erudite speaker presented his lecture brilliantly and proved that the unity of East and West is possible only through Islam, the acceptance of which can end differences and lead to unity and peace. Esteemed Chaudhry Sahib said:

“Three religions are worth mentioning in this speech: Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. Hinduism has cut off the roots of equality, justice and peace by making caste and race a part of religion. On the other hand, discrimination began in Europe under Christianity.

“Europe was a [unified] nation at first, but it was divided into countries. After the division of countries, they were divided into smaller groups. At present, there is so much animosity between the labourers and the merchants, or the labourers and the landlords, that they are ready at each other’s throats. Similar incidents are taking place in Russia as well.

“Thus, how is it possible for those who are themselves falling apart to create unity in the world?

“India did not benefit from Christianity. There is no harmony and compassion between the ordinary Christians [of India] and the English people. In the same way, the Brahman-Christians look down on the ‘chuhra’ [lowest caste in Indian] Christians.

“Hence, Islam is the only religion through which unity and peace can be established amongst mankind. In Islamic civilisation, there is neither any conflict of caste, nor any differences and enmity among various groups. The followers of Islam consider each other as brothers.”

Tabligh

Certain eminent and highly learned people are under being preached. We request members of the Jamaat to pray for them that Allah the Almighty may enlighten them with the light of Islam. Moreover, may He accept our prayers and hard work and overlook our shortcomings.

Al Fazl, 2 December 1920

Donations for Mufti Sahib’s magazine 1. By the grace of Allah, I promise to give a monthly donation of five rupees for the magazine that Hazrat Mufti Sahib wants to publish from America. May the expenses for this magazine be arranged soon and may it start publishing in the near future.

Humbly yours, Inayatullah (SubInspector, Bank Zamindara), Bahlolpur 2. I promise to donate one dollar annually for the English magazine, which will be launched by Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib from America. The dollar will be sent according to the instructions as soon as its publication starts, insha-Allah. (Muhammad Ali Ahmadi, Dera Ghazi Khan) 3. This is to inform you that all the employees of the Promised Messiah’sas langar khana [a place funded by charity, offering free food and accomodation to all] and guesthouse want to present a donation of 15 rupees annually for the launch of Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib’s proposed Ahmadiyya magazine from America. They will start submitting one rupee and four annas [a unit of currency formerly used in the subcontinent, equal to 1/16 of a rupee] monthly in the accounts office of Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya from their salary of November 1920, inshaAllah.

Wassalam, Muhammad Din, Clerk at Langar Khana, Qadian

Honourary magistrate accepts Islam

Ahmadiyyat and other tabligh efforts

First class courtier, kursi nasheen [successor of a sufi], prominent and esteemed Khan Sahib Chaudhry Muhammad Khan Sahib Zaildar, Honourary Magistrate, Gujrat, is the brother of Khan Sahib Chaudhry Fazal Ali Khan Sahib, First Class Honourary Magistrate and President Municipal Committee, Gujrat. He had already allowed Ahmadis to pray in their mosque. Now he has sincerely accepted the rightful Ahmadiyya Jamaat and written the following letter to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra:

“In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.

“Peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Holy Prophet.

“To His Holiness, Khalifatul Masih, may Allah prolong his life. Assalamo alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

“I sincerely believe in the Promised Messiahas and join his truthful Jamaat and accept all of his claims. [I promise] to follow all the conditions of Bai‘at and I request you to accept my Bai‘at and pray for my religious and worldly betterment. Moreover, especially pray that may God grant me the strength to do good deeds, protect me from evil paths, give me perseverance and make me beneficial for the Jamaat.

Humbly yours, Muhammad Khan, Honourary Magistrate, Gujarat, Punjab

New postal address of Hazrat Mufti Sahib

Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib went through a lot to find a suitable house in Chicago due to the impediments placed in his way by the bigoted Christians. His current postal address is: 4334 Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, USA …

Patiala Jamaat introduces resolution –

The need for a college in Qadian

A meeting was held on 31 October 1920 in the presence of Dr Hashmatullah Sahib and members of the Jamaat at the Ahmadiyya Mosque, Dhak Bazar.

The following proposals were presented in the meeting by Sheikh Muhammad Afzal Sahib, Secretary Patiala Jamaat and passed. They were then sent to be presented before Hazrat Khalifatul Masih for approval and it was requested that if Huzoorra considers it to be appropriate, he may appeal to other Anjumans in this regard.

Anjuman Patiala Jamaat is ready to donate as much as it can for this cause. 1. All members of the Jamaat should try to send their children to study in Qadian. 2. The educational institute of Qadian only offers education up to intermediate level. People want to acquire education up to BA [Bachelor of Arts]. Some of them want to educate their children up to BA or MA [Master of Arts], so students have to enroll in other educational institute. As admission in other institutes causes a negative effect on some innocent natured children, it is best if education up to MA level is established in Qadian. (Muhammad Hussain Ahmadi, Assistant Secretary, Patiala)

Tabligh in Raotiani

On 18 November [1920], Hafiz Ghulam Rasul Sahib came here [in Raotiani] and delivered many sermons before the people, who are generally unfamiliar with religion.

By the grace of God, the sermon he gave in Wapa 34 had a very positive impact. The women also listened to the sermon while observing purdah. May Allah the Almighty help people to understand. (Muhammad Akbar Zamindar, Wapa 34, President Anjuman Ahmadiyya, Raotiani)

Tabligh in Shakargarh

Sheikh Chirag Din Sahib Munshi Fazil has been engaged in carrying out tabligh in this [Shakargarh] tehsil for a month. My wife and daughter-in-law did Bai‘at in Mauza Dudhu. (Sharfuddin)

King Negus: The Holy Prophet’s representative and true follower

Reem Shraiky UK

Did you know that Islam spread in Abyssinia (modern day Ethiopia) in Africa seven years before it spread in Medina? And did you know that the Christian King of Abyssinia, Negus, whose land the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, advised his companions to seek refuge in, embraced Islam and became a loyal follower of the Holy Prophetsa?

After persecution intensified in Mecca, Muslims sought protection in his land because he was a just king who did not oppress anyone.

When the message of Islam was conveyed to him, he said:

“I bear witness that he is the Messenger of Allah, about whom Jesus, son of Mary, gave glad tidings. If I were not in the land which I am, I would come to him and carry his shoes.”

Not only that, but Negusra was the representative of the Messengersa of Allah when he married his cousin, Hazrat Umm-e-Habibara .

Hazrat Umm-e-Habibara, whose name was Ramla bint Abi Sufyan, became widowed in Abyssinia and was left alone with her daughter in the country of exile.

On the other hand, her father, Abu Sufyan, the leader of Mecca, was one of the fiercest enemies of Islam. Thus, the thought of going back there was a dangerous one whereby her fate would have been unknown.

It was a dead end for her and she had no refuge except with Allah the Almighty.

Indeed, Allah comforted her in the most beautiful way as in a dream, she saw someone calling her, “O Mother of the Believers.” She woke up frightened and interpreted it that the Messengersa of Allah would marry her.

What happened after is that when Umm-e-Habiba’sra iddah (the waiting period after the demise of one’s husband) finished, the Holy Prophetsa sent a message to Negusra, King of Abyssinia, asking him to ask on his behalf for the hand of Umme-Habibara .

Negusra sent to Umm-e-Habibara his maid, Abraha, to tell her that Allah’s Messengersa requested her hand and if she accepted, then she should appoint someone to give her in marriage. When Umm-e-Habibara heard this happy news, she gave Abraha some jewellery as a gift and told her to inform the king that she would appoint Khalidra bin Saeed bin alAas as her representative.

The marriage took place, with Negusra as the representative of the the Holy Prophetsa and Khalidra bin Saeed bin alAas the representative of Umm-e-Habibara .

On behalf of the Holy Prophetsa, Negusra gave Umm-e-Habibara a dowry of 400 dirhams.

When Umm-e-Habibara received the money through the maid Abraha, she gave her 50 golden coins and said:

“Last time, I gave you something simply because I had nothing, but now Allah has given me this so please take this money and benefit from it.”

Here, this loyal Abyssinian Muslim girl, Abraha, was deeply touched and uttered the following words:

“The king has commanded me not to take anything from you and to give back what I took before, but please listen: I believe that Muhammadsa is the Messenger of Allah and I follow him. Therefore, I have only one favour to request from you: convey my greetings to him and tell him that I accept his religion.”

Hazrat Umm-e-Habibara promised her to do so, yet Abraha remained anxious lest Umm-e-Habibara forgot, so she kept reminding her of her request till her last day in Abyssinia.

In the marriage ceremony of the Holy Prophetsa and Umm-e-Habibara, Negusra delivered the marriage sermon and said:

“God be praised – the King, the Holy, the Source of Peace, the Guardian of faith, the Protector, the Mighty, the Compeller.

“I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His servant and messenger. He is the one whose coming was prophesied by Jesus, son of Mary.

“The Messenger of Allah wrote to me asking that I give Umm-e-Habiba, daughter of Abu Sufyan, in marriage to him; I hereby comply with the Prophet’s wish and give 400 dirhams for her dowry.”

Subsequently he gave the money to her representative Hazrat Khalidra bin Saeed, who then said:

“God be praised! I praise Him and ask His help and assistance and testify that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His servant and messenger. He is the one Who has sent His messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth that He may make it prevail over [every other] religion, even though the idolaters may dislike [it]. I comply with the Prophet’s wish and give him Umm-e-Habiba in marriage. May Allah bless His messenger!”

After the marriage announcement, people stood up to leave, but Negusra said, “Sit down, for it is the custom of prophets to serve food upon marriage.” Then he ordered for food to be served.

The king provided for Umm-eHabibara out of his own wealth, sending her with Abraha a big quantity of clothes, saffron, ambergris and perfume.

Abraha prepared Umm-e-Habibara for the journey and reminded her again, “Do not forget the favour I asked of you.”

When Umm-e-Habibara arrived and met the Holy Prophetsa, she told him about the marriage ceremony and about Abraha.

She greeted him on her behalf and upon this, the Holy Prophetsa smiled and replied, “May peace and blessings of Allah be with her too.”

When Negusra passed away, the Holy Prophetsa was informed about it by the angel Gabriel. He told his Companionsra , “Today, a pious man has died. Rise and offer the funeral prayer for your brother Ashama.”

This was the only funeral prayer in absentia that the Holy Prophetsa led.

Hazrat Aishara (may Allah be pleased with her) once said, “When Negus died, we were told that a light would be seen perpetually at his grave.”

Friday Sermon 6 November 2020

Financial Sacrifice: Tahrik Jadid New Year 2020

After reciting Tashahud, Ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa recited verse 275 from the second chapter of the Holy Quran, after which he commenced with his sermon:

مھرجأ مہلف ۃینالعو ارس راہنلاو لیللاب مہلاومأ نوقفنی نیذلا نونزحی مھ الو مہیلع فوخ الو مہبر دنع “Those who spend their wealth by night and day, secretly and openly, have their reward with their Lord; on them shall come no fear, nor shall they grieve.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.275)

There are many instances in the Holy Quran where Allah the Almighty draws the attention of believers towards offering financial sacrifices. In this verse as well, we find that one of the key traits of the believers has been mentioned, which is that they spend in the way of Allah the Almighty night and day and they do so in secret and openly as well.

Spending [in the way of Allah] secretly and openly are both granted acceptance by Allah the Almighty, for it is mentioned in another instance [in the Holy Quran], when believers spend in the way of Allah the Almighty, their sole intention is to attain the pleasure of Allah the Almighty, as He states: ہللا ہجو ءاغتبا الإ نوقفنت امو

“You spend not but to seek the favour of Allah” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.273)

This means that their only purpose is to seek the pleasure of Allah the Almighty.

Thus, the signs of a true believer are that they do good deeds, spend in the way of Allah the Almighty out of their pure wealth and they remain eager to carry out virtuous deeds by day and night. Sometimes they do good deeds openly and other times, they do them in secret; sometimes they sacrifice their wealth openly and other times do so secretly. Such 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. Thus, this is the spirit with which a believer should offer sacrifices, and by the grace of Allah the Almighty, this is the very spirit with which members of the Jamaat offer financial sacrifices.

If this spirit is not present, then our sacrifices serve no purpose and will go in vain. If sacrifices are made with the thought that “I must offer more than such and such person”, or they are worried that another chapter of the Jamaat may overtake them in this regard and so what will people say, then such sacrifices are useless.

Of course the spirit of vying with one another is a good thing; however, it should be not be due to the fear of what other people will say. Instead, we should be concerned about whether our sacrifices will be regarded as more than others in the sight of Allah the Almighty – this is the true spirit of vying with one another.

If people offer financial contributions so that they may boastfully tell others the amount which they have given or so that in the event of a dispute, they may tell the administrators the amount which they have contributed and thus feel entitled to having a decision made in their favour or being granted leniencies, or if one thinks that by sacrificing a certain amount of wealth they will be recognised and appreciated by the Khalifa of the time or by office-bearers, then all of these thoughts are wrong, useless and vain and completely contradict the true spirit of sacrifice. In fact, such thoughts become the means of one’s downfall.

Allah the Almighty states that these are all wrong intentions, rather He commands that if one wishes to truly spend in His way, then it can be for one purpose alone, which is to attain His pleasure. Of course, those who attain the pleasure of Allah the Almighty are also granted honour by Him, but this honour should increase them in humility and meekness.

In fact, such people should shy away from being complimented by others. If they wish to be recognised by the Khalifa of the time, it is only for the sake of obtaining his prayers and establishing a firm connection with him.

It is natural for one to seek the prayers of a person to whom they have pledged their allegiance. If one has firm belief in the true Khilafat, then there is no harm in having this desire. However, the intention should not be pretentiousness, rather owing to this sacrifice, one’s sole intention should be to attain the pleasure of God Almighty and for the Khalifa to pray for one’s increased nearness to Him and to

attain His pleasure.

Indeed, the prayers of believers for one another become the means of spiritual progress. Hence, to adopt this kind of thinking is in accordance with the teachings of Allah the Almighty.

Allah the Almighty promises that if one is sincere in their desire for His attention and His pleasure and spends their wealth to attain His pleasure, then He will remove their fears and their sorrows; He will establish means to put their heart at ease; He will comfort them and grant them His nearness.

By the grace of Allah the Almighty, this is the very mind-set of those who have accepted the Imam of the age, the Promised Messiah and Mahdias, who is the true servant of the Holy Prophetsa . They present sacrifices for the sake of God Almighty’s religion, and in turn, Allah the Almighty does not leave such sacrifice unrewarded. They spend in the way of Allah the Almighty only for the sake of attaining His pleasure, and at times, Allah the Almighty rewards them in return right away; whether in the form of wealth or other blessings.

We find examples of this in our Community on a daily basis. There are not only 10, 20 or hundreds of examples, rather there are thousands. In fact, I would say that those who have attained the pleasure of Allah and experience such things, as a result of which, their faith strengthens and increases, number in hundreds of thousands.

Those who offer financial sacrifices must also remember that they also have responsibilities which they owe to their families and it is obligatory for believers to fulfil these responsibilities. It is a sin to neglect the rights and needs of the wives and children. At the same time, it must also be kept in mind that whilst adopting the quality of being content within one’s resources and means and instilling its importance amongst one’s family, due attention must be given towards offering financial sacrifices.

It is by the grace of Allah that the progenies of these people reap such bounties from Allah the Almighty, which leaves one astounded. At this time, I will present some accounts of those who offered financial sacrifices and the blessings which they received as a result; or those who were inspired by Allah the Almighty to spend in His way and then the manner in which Allah the Almighty rewarded them. It is beneficial to present such accounts from time to time because they inspire others as well.

Some people write to me, saying that these incidents had an impact on them and inspired them to offer financial sacrifices, as a result of which they also witnessed the blessings of Allah the Almighty. The Promised Messiahas states in one instance:

“… The Quran admonishes against concealing all your actions from others. Instead, when wisdom dictates, perform certain actions secretly when you deem it better for your soul, and display certain actions when you believe they will benefit others in general. Thus, you will have two rewards, and as a result of your actions, those who are weaker among you might be inspired to follow your example.”

The Promised Messiahas further states:

“This means that not only should one counsel others verbally but encourage by example as well. Mere words are not always adequate in every situation; one’s practical example often has a greater impact on others.” (Noah’s Ark, p. 51, 2018, [English Edition])

As for the accounts which I usually present or those which I will present today, people do not write to me asking that I present them; rather, I choose to present them myself, so that these examples may have a positive impact on others. In fact, some people write to me, requesting not to mention their names if I am going to present their example.

Now, I will present some examples; may Allah the Almighty make these accounts a source of doubling the reward for those who experienced them – one source of reward is that they made sacrifices in the way of Allah the Almighty, and the other is that their examples and accounts can become an inspiration for others to offer financial sacrifices and gain a true understanding of financial sacrifices as well.

With regard to the zeal of a new convert to spend wealth in order to attain the pleasure of Allah the Almighty, a missionary from Albania, Samad Sahib, writes that an Albanian member, Jafar Koochi Sahib, had heard the concluding address, which I delivered at the Jalsa Salana of 2020 on the blessings of Allah the Almighty. In this address, I related the story of his acceptance of Ahmadiyyat.

This missionary writes that up until August, Jafar Koochi Sahib did not have any means of income. Having learnt of the financial sacrifices that others members would make, he one day asked after the Friday prayer to know more about financial contributions. Thus, he was re-introduced to the system of financial contributions, as it had been explained to him before as well.

Afterwards, he said in that same month, his flat was rented out and he had started receiving payments for the rent. He took out a portion from the first payment he received which was well above the prescribed rate [for financial contributions] and said that once the rate prescribed by the Promised Messiahas had been paid, the remaining amount should be donated towards Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid.

The missionary says that he informed him of Allah the Almighty’s promise in the Holy Quran, that He increases the wealth of those who present financial sacrifices. He replied by saying that he had not offered financial contributions with this in mind; rather, he did so only with the intention of attaining the pleasure of Allah the Almighty. Furthermore, he did so with the intention of fulfilling the instructions of the Promised Messiahas that financial sacrifices should be made for the sake of the faith and it is a commandment of Islam to do so.

Now, he regularly offers financial contributions every month. This is how a transformation suddenly comes about in the mind-set of those who were once worldly people.

A missionary from Argentina, Sarwar Sahib, writes that due the coronavirus and general inflation in Argentina, people are facing extreme economic hardships. Despite this, however, some new converts were informed that one of the pillars of Islam is spending in the way of Allah. In order to fulfil this divine commandment, there is a branch of the Ahmadiyya Community known as the Tahrik-e-Jadid scheme. The new converts came forward with great enthusiasm and offered sacrifices according to their means.

Among them was Fatima Veronica Sahiba, who was able to present extraordinary sacrifices. She is a widow and has a meagre means of income. When all of the new converts were informed that there were only a few days left before the end of the [Tahrik-e-Jadid] year, she sent a message to the missionary saying that at that moment, she did not have the means to contribute, but nevertheless, she would try to come up with some amount in the coming days.

Hence, just a few days later, she made a contribution of five thousand Argentine pesos. The missionary writes that according to her circumstances, in fact, considering the general economic state of Argentina, this was an extraordinary

amount. The missionary says that seeing her passion, he told her that he was extremely grateful to her. Upon this, she replied, “There is no need to express gratitude. I have accepted Islam from my heart and I have done so after having understood it. One of its commandments is to make sacrifices for the sake of the religion. In fact, I am ashamed that due to the engagement in my work, I am not able to sacrifice my time for the religion as an Ahmadi Muslim should. This is the transformation created by Allah the Almighty within those who join the Jamaat of the Promised Messiahas with utmost devotion. They develop an understanding of how to acquire the pleasure of Allah the Almighty, the efforts they need to make for this and how to advance the mission of the Promised Messiahas .

The amir of Indonesia, which is on the other side of the world and consists of Islands, writes that a lady by the name Marceila, living in the city of Tangerang, said that her husband lost his job due to the coronavirus. He started a new business, which wasn’t profitable. Following this, he started working for an online motorcycle taxi [company]. The same difficulties were being faced there as well, so much so that they started wondering whether or not they would have anything to eat the following day.

She says that they wanted to fulfil their promise for Tahrik-e-Jadid during the month of Ramadan. Her husband would only tell her to pray that they be able to fulfil their promise. During the month of Ramadan, she saw in a dream that a person was asking her whether she had made any promise, to which she replied in the affirmative. Upon this, the person told her to fulfil that promise.

When she woke up, it was time for the Tahajud prayer [pre-dawn voluntary prayer]. Following the Tahajud prayer, she mentioned this dream to her husband during sehri [pre-dawn meal, before observing the fast]. When her husband returned home a few days later, he joyfully gave her a large amount of money and told her to fulfil the promise for Tahrik-eJadid as soon as possible.

She says that when her husband went to the bank in order to collect the profit from the online motorcycle taxi business, which was 50 thousand Indonesian rupees, he saw that an amount twentyfold as much was in his account. She says that they do not know where this money came from. However, her husband was certain that this was nothing but the help of God the Almighty, which He blessed them with, having seen their intentions. This is the manner in which Allah the Almighty alleviates their worries and concern.

Amir Sahib Indonesia says that there is an Ahmadi lady, Nur Sahiba, living in a village in Lampong. Every day, she and her husband visit a shop in an elementary school and sell items. She says that even though this is not extremely profitable, it is sufficient for daily necessities and for paying their financial contributions [chanda]. She passionately gives chanda every month. She said that due to the coronavirus, schools had been closed for two months and there was no income. She became very concerned as to how they would pay their chanda.

The thought came to her mind that she and her son had a money box and they had started collecting money in it. She thought to break it and contribute the money inside it towards Tahrik-eJadid and Waqf-e-Jadid, as they had been collecting and saving money in it. They explained the importance of making financial sacrifices to their children and contributed this amount from their children towards Chanda.

She says that before start of Ramadan, they only had one cup of rice left, which was not sufficient even for two children. She says that she made breakfast for the children and they had rice and water for breakfast. The children asked the parents why they were not eating the rice with them. (The rice was insufficient and the parents made a sacrifice.) And so, they did not have any answer but simply smiled.

In the afternoon, the children were hungry again. A little bit of rice was left, sufficient for only one child which he ate and the other child became hungry and started to cry. She says that at the time, they could do nothing else but pray. They offered their prayers and supplicated profusely.

Only a short while later, they saw the help of Allah the Exalted. A person came, who needed a worker on his corn field. Hence, her husband was given the job and their needs were fulfilled.

Hafiz Ata-ul-Haleem Sahib is a missionary in Mali and he writes that a 70-year-old Ahmadi, Yatara Targore Sahib, regularly pays chanda every month. He is also part of Nizam-e-Wasiyyat. He travels seven kilometres by bike, over an unpaved road, in order to pay his chanda. A short while ago, the chief of the neighbouring village seized his land, as a result of which he was greatly distressed. He also wrote to me here requesting for prayers and started making additional contributions towards chanda.

Allah the Exalted blessed him and the very same judge, who had issued a verdict against him earlier, later passed a verdict in his favour and the piece of land was restored to him, which was completely unexpected. The reason for this was that the chief of the village was a powerful man and had a lot of influence and no one could even imagine that the judge would issue a verdict against the chief. He did not only relate this account of Allah’s help to the people of his own village, but the following Friday he came to the regional mosque and narrated it before all the people, as a result of which other people were also extremely inspired. Through this incident we see how Allah the Almighty transforms a state of fear into peace.

Amir Sahib France writes that one of the members told him that in comparison to last year, he had doubled his promise for Tahrik-e-Jadid this year to one thousand euros. However, it so happened that due to the lockdown, his income decreased substantially and he felt that he would not be able not fulfil his promise. He had taken a loan, which needed to be paid off as well and he also needed to fulfil the promise of one thousand euros, and all of this seemed very difficult. Prayer was the only option he had. In his heart, he made a firm resolve that regardless of how much his income was and whether or not he had anything to eat, he was indeed going to fulfil his promise.

He says that by the sheer grace and favour of Allah the Exalted, the very same week, he received a bonus of one thousand Euros from his employer for working during the lockdown, which was exactly in accordance with his promise. He says that this was given to him by Allah the Almighty because of the promise that he had made with Him, otherwise he did not even have the slightest hope that his employer would give him such a large bonus during such difficult times.

The lockdown was mentioned in the previous account and I would like to add that as of today, the lockdown has started here [in the UK] for a period of four weeks. As such, there are no worshippers presently sitting before me in the mosque during the sermon. This is because I am allowed to deliver the sermon but no one else should be present except for the muazzin [one who calls the Azan].

A Syrian Ahmadi from Canada wrote to me and stated that if his account was to be mentioned, then he requested not to mention his name. He says, “Upon the

establishment of the new headquarters in Islamabad, I made a promise of contributing 5,000 Canadian dollars towards Tahrik-e-Jadid as a way of expressing my happiness.”

He further says, “I made the promise the previous year. At that time, my income was 4,000 Canadian dollars per month and I was passing through a period of prosperity. I bought a new car within a few months and changed jobs, which resulted in an increase in my income. Yet despite the good circumstances, I was still finding it difficult to raise 5,000 dollars, because I was sending a portion of my income to my family in Syria and I was praying daily to God Almighty to grant me the means to pay my chanda. In January 2020, I had an accident and was unable to work for a month. Consequently, I had to take out loans to cover the monthly costs. My financial situation became even more difficult due to the coronavirus and the lockdown, to the extent where in February/March, me and my wife had no choice but to suffice on the cheapest food. It would have taken an immense effort to fulfil the promise before the end of the year and I was praying so that I could fulfil my promise in Ramadan instead of at the end of the year. However, this seemed impossible to achieve. I then left the taxi business and started working in food delivery. By the grace of Allah, my situation started to get better, so we committed once again to fulfil the promise before the end of the month of Ramadan so that we may also become the recipients of the prayers of the Khalifa. I then increased my hours of work to 11 or 12 hours. Thereafter, we started receiving income from places we were not aware of and my income had increased to nearly 9,000 dollars per month. And in this manner, by the grace of Allah, we were able to fulfil the promise ten days prior to Ramadan.”

He also wrote that if the promise had been three times more than the amount, he had firm belief that they would have surely fulfilled it before the end of the year and still continue to aid his poor family in Syria.

The amir of Sierra Leone writes that Usman Sahib, an imam in a Jamaat of Freetown, states:

“We participate in Tahrik-e-Jadid ever year, but this year, I thought that the amount we normally donated was inadequate. I did not have any regular employment, except for a small shop which my wife and I run, which did not generate much income and was only enough to just about cover the cost of the home. We would regularly hear announcements about donating towards Tahrik-e-Jadid, so my wife said to make a cash box in which we would place some money every day. Then, in October, we would donate towards Tahrik-e-Jadid whatever we had saved up. We had never donated more than 20,000 leones in previous years, but by the grace of Allah, this year, in this manner, we were able to donate over 200,000 leones. Two of my brothers also adopted this method and were able to donate 130,000 leones. My wife in particular was very pleased that we did this whereby Allah the Almighty enabled us this year to make a good financial sacrifice and in this way our level of sacrifice had significantly increased. Furthermore, by the grace of Allah, our income also increased and we will continue to use this method which God Almighty taught us.”

Marshall Islands is a far off place, even further from the US. Sajid Iqbal Sahib, the missionary there writes:

“In the Marshall Islands there is a Nasir called Kioshi Rakin Sahib. When the Jamaat was being encouraged throughout the year to participate in Tahrik-e-Jadid, Kioshi Sahib said that he neither had a job, nor a place to stay. He also depended on the langar of the Jamaat for food and drink. Thereafter, we allowed him for some time to remain in the mosque and we told him that he should make a promise, even if it be for a small amount and that he should pray that God Almighty helped him. Upon this, he made a promise of two American dollars.

“A few months later, he came to the mission house and gave $50 towards Tahrik-e-Jadid. He said that God Almighty had answered his prayers, whereby he found a job and an apartment to live in. Now he is able to provide food and drink for himself.”

To strengthen one’s faith, just observe how God Almighty grants His support, in a manner which at times even leaves our missionaries speechless.

The amir of Gambia writes that a Tahrik-e-Jadid programme was organised in Basse where we encouraged members to fulfil their promises. Musa Sahib was among the participants in this programme, who had nothing to give in chanda. He became restless, so he would wake up for the Tahajud [pre-dawn] prayers and prostrate to God, seeking His grace, so that he may be able to be among those who spend in the way of Allah. God Almighty then accepted his heartfelt desire.

After a few days, the company for which he did contractual work told him that they were going to have a two-day programme in Basse, in which they wanted him to participate. In return, he would be given 4,000 dalasis. He became so jubilant that after attending the twoday event, he increased his promise and donated 2,000 dalasis. God Almighty granted further means for his income in order for him to give chanda. And now, he also encourages other brothers with regard to the importance of Tahrik-eJadid and financial sacrifice.

Talha Ali Sahib, the sadr of the Philippines Jamaat and missionary says:

“One of the early jamaats in Philippines is the Simunil Jamaat where the majority of people work in the teaching profession. After receiving more than the target, the Sadr of the Jamaat messaged me to pray especially for three teachers because they had not received any income since March, yet all three fully participated in donating towards Tahrik-e-Jadid.”

Observe how people even in far-off places are making sacrifices to attain the pleasure of Allah the Almighty and also the manner in which they are doing so.

Shams-ud-Din Sahib, missionary of Kababir writes that al-Khalil is a new Jamaat in Palestine where the majority of the members of the Jamaat are facing a lot of financial hardship. But by the grace of Allah, each and every one of them participated in Tahrik-e-Jadid. Ibrahim Sahib is a new Ahmadi in al-Khalil, and after taking the oath of allegiance, he has been making great financial sacrifices.

On this occasion, he donated a large amount towards Tahrik-e-Jadid. He says:

“A friend of mine was in debt to me but was unable to pay it off for certain reasons. I waited a long time, but as I now had to donate towards Tahrik-e-Jadid and due to financial strains, I had little hope of receiving the amount. When I met Amir Sahib, I made some arrangements and donated towards Tahrik-e-Jadid. After learning about my situation, Amir Sahib said that now that I had participated in Tahrik-e-Jadid in the way of Allah, God Almighty would most certainly shower His blessings. Thus, only a few hours after Amir Sahib left, the person returned my money and my financial worries were removed.”

A member from Wiesbaden, Germany went to the Tahrik-e-Jadid office and told them that his asylum case was with a judge who would not pass his case. And so, he had heard some faith-inspiring incidents with regard to Tahrik-e-Jadid. He says, “Having heard these incidents, I decided to donate 1,000 euros towards Tahrik-e-Jadid. God Almighty so willed that my case was passed on to another judge and by the grace of Allah, my case was accepted. And now I have come to fulfil the promise I made with God Almighty.” Hence, he gave the amount he had promised.

The UK Tahrik-e-Jadid secretary says, “A member of the Burton Jamaat was jobless, but the day after donating towards Tahrik-e-Jadid, he found a job.”

Another member of the Burton Jamaat was facing financial difficulties, but still donated towards Tahrik-e-Jadid. Sometime later, he received a letter from HMRC Tax Department stating that he had paid too much in the previous year. And this amount was much larger than the sum he donated in chanda.

Another member, who is a professional and was concerned in regards to his job because someone had made a baseless complaint against him. However, after having donated towards Tahrik-e-Jadid, it so happened that the one who made the complaint was dismissed from the job.

The car of one of the members fell into a ditch. He thought to himself that if it were to be taken out undamaged, he would make a further donation towards Tahrike-Jadid. Thus, the car was taken out with no damage and he donated a week’s worth of his income towards Tahrik-e-Jadid.

A tifl donated his six months’ worth of savings towards Tahrik-e-Jadid. Thus, children are also striving to increase in their financial sacrifices.

One khadim had saved some money for going on holidays and instead, he donated it all towards Tahrik-e-Jadid.

The sadr of the Barking & Dagenham Jamaat says that he really wanted to reach the target this time for Tahrik-e-Jadid, even if he had to give extra from his own pocket. Hence, he gave whatever remained of the target. Thereafter, he was notified by his work that this year, he would receive a 70% increase in his bonus as compared to last year. This bonus was a much larger sum than the extra amount he donated in chanda.

Linar Abdur Rahman Auf from Kazakhstan says:

“I regularly participate in Chanda Aam, Jalsa Salana, Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid.” All these accounts are people from different parts of the world belonging to different nations. He says, “The blessing in these chandas is such that my wife was able to complete medical college and received a job from a government programme. On top of that, the government provided a loan for the accommodation of the children, who are in nursery. Now our financial situation is much better than before. I now have two cars and wish to build my own house. This was all due to the grace of Allah and as a result of giving chanda. We were previously living in a rented flat and we had financial troubles, but still we gave chanda and as a result, God Almighty showered endless blessings upon us.”

When I made the announcement regarding Tahrik-e-Jadid last year, in relation to that, Muhammad Ahsan Sahib, the missionary of Guinea Bissau writes:

“A member, Muhammad Ibrahim Sahib, wrote down his promise that very day. Having listened to the sermon, he decided that he would now make a contribution every month. Hence, he continued to do so but owing to the coronavirus, he was no longer receiving any income. He became worried and when the financial year for Tahrik-e-Jadid was coming to an end, he became even more anxious. So he began praying even more. He says, ‘One morning I received a phone call from someone who asked if I could make construction blocks. I immediately agreed and in this way, I managed to find work whilst still at home. Through this, Allah the Almighty enabled me to fulfil my promise and also removed my financial difficulty owing to the lockdown.’”

Ibrahim Sahib states that all this was owing to the blessings of responding to the call of the Khalifa of the time.

Amir Sahib of Tanzania states that the missionary serving in Zanzibar writes:

“Haminah Bibi Sahiba, an elderly Ahmad lady, is always at the forefront to pay all her chanda despite having a low income. This year, in the blessed month of Ramadan, when we advised members towards offering financial sacrifice, she tried her level best to pay all her chanda in the same month; however, owing to some financial constraints, she did not have the money to do so. She told us that one night, she was so perturbed by not being able to pay the money that she woke up in the middle of the night and wept profusely before God Almighty stating that it was the time to respond to the call of the

Khliafa, but she was not able to do so. Subsequently, the next morning, a relative of hers, who she was unable to establish contact with for a long time, called her. Her relative sent her some money as a gift through which she managed to pay her promise. She states that owing to paying her chanda, God Almighty always manifests His love for her and never abandoned her.”

Wakil-ul-Mal Sahib of Qadian writes:

“One member of the Kerali Jamaat of Kerala made a promise of 500,000 [Indian] rupees. He had set aside some money to purchase furniture for his [furniture] business and if he did not pay that money [for the furniture] on time he would have had to temporarily stop his business. However, the time to pay towards Tahrike-Jadid also drew close.

“Understanding the importance of paying chanda he gave the amount towards Tahrik-e-Jadid, instead of purchasing furniture. This pure intention on his part was blessed by Allah the Almighty in such a way that only a short while later, whereby a sum which was significantly more that the amount he gave in chanda was deposited into his account. Subsequently, he was able to purchase the furniture he needed for his firm. He was then offered a project worth millions [of rupees]. As a result, he offered a large amount in Tahrik-e-Jadid, which was in addition to his original promise and amounted to approximately 1.2 million rupees.”

Abdul Basit Sahib, who collects the chanda for Tahrik-e-Jadid from India writes:

“The Cocheen Jamaat in Kerala had the opportunity to hold a jalsa for Tahrike-Jadid, in which the members were informed about the reasons and objectives of the Tahrik-e-Jadid scheme. Members of the Jamaat were encouraged to fully partake in the Tahrik-e-Jadid scheme. When the jalsa finished, we went to the house of local president [Sadr Jamaat]. His eight-year-old daughter came with her moneybox and said, ‘Maulvi Sahib, please put whatever money is in here towards Tahrik-e-Jadid.’ At the time, the money box had 864 rupees, which she presented for Tahrik-e-Jadid. Her father told me that his daughter had been saving the amount for some time with the intention of donating it to the Tahrike-Jadid scheme. Her father said that whenever he would return home from his shop, she would take any coins from him and save them in her money box. In this way, the girl managed to save money over a few months and give it as chanda.”

This is the spirit of offering financial sacrifices that Allah the Almighty has instilled within Ahmadi children.

In relation to how people show great eagerness for offering sacrifice after performing the Bai‘at, Samad Sahib from Albania writes:

“Dalip Gjergji Sahib is an Albanian Ahmadi and resides in a local village. He is a pensioner and despite his limited income, he regularly offers his chanda. He does not own a car and instead, comes to offer Friday prayers using public transport. Owing to the current pandemic, he attended the Friday prayers after a long time. After the Friday prayers, he said, ‘I felt it a great burden upon me that I had not paid chanda for many months.’ He brought eight months’ worth of chanda. Aside from Chanda Aam, he also brought money for Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid.”

There are countless more similar examples.

For example, Hussain Sahib, who is a muallim in Tanzania writes:

“Saleh Motunga Sahib is a devout Ahmadi who always offers financial sacrifices. A short while ago, he fell ill and did not have enough money for his treatment. At the end of the month, when he received his pension, the first thing he did was to pay his Tahrik-e-Jadid promise.”

Hussain Sahib says:

“I tried to explain to him that he could get treatment using that money first and then he can pay his promise later. However, he said that God Almighty was the One Who grants cure; therefore he would first fulfil the promise he made in the way of God, then would go for his treatment another time.”

These are extraordinary levels of sacrifice which leaves one amazed. There are people living in distant areas and taking part for the first time, but through pledging allegiance to the Promised Messiahas, God Almighty enables them to bring about a great transformation within themselves and also grants them the understanding of the importance of financial sacrifices.

The amir of The Gambia writes:

“An event was held regarding the objectives of the Tahrik-e-Jadid scheme, in which members were reminded about sacrificing their lives for the sake of Islam, adopting a simple life and to never feel ashamed of doing even minor and trivial jobs. After the event, one of the attendees, Ibrahim Sahib stated that he would give 1,000 dalasis as part of Tahrik-e-Jadid. He further stated that he would devote his only son to become a missionary of the Jamaat. At present, his son is in Secondary School, but his [father’s] desire is for him to become a missionary of the Jamaat, insha-Allah.”

Adam Sahib from Ghana, who is the general secretary of the Accra Zone, writes:

“The sadr of my zone gave me 50 cedis for my travel. I gave this amount for Tahrik-e-Jadid. The next morning, I left with my superior for some work. On the way back, he asked how I intended to get home. I replied that I would go by taxi. Upon this, my superior asked for my phone and then said to check it.”

He further says, “When I checked my phone, he had sent me 1,000 cedis through his phone. Thus, I donated 50 cedis and received 1,000 cedis in return.”

These are just some of the incidents that I have presented, but there are countless others like these.

May Allah the Almighty greatly bless the wealth and progeny of all those who offered sacrifices. I will now briefly mention details of the total amount that was given, as is usually mentioned with the announcement of the new Tahrik-eJadid year.

By the grace of Allah, the 86th year of Tahrik-e-Jadid came to an end on 31 October and the 87th year has started.

By the grace of Allah, the entire Ahmadiyya Jamaat contributed £14.5 million, which is an increase of £882,000 from the previous year. Out of all the jamaats around the world, this year, Germany stood first.

The economic and political situation of Pakistan is becoming more and more dire. Although compared to the rest of the jamaats around the world, it may not be as significant of an increase, but on the whole, in terms of their local currency and under current circumstances, the jamaats of Pakistan have progressed significantly and offered a large amount.

May Allah grant peace and relief to those countries that are suffering from economic and political turmoil and ease their situation, so that they too are able to offer more sacrifices.

Nevertheless, overall Germany took first position, followed by the UK, then USA; Pakistan’s position also falls in between these countries. The USA is third, Canada follows, then a country in the Middle East, India, Australia, Indonesia, Ghana, then another country of the Middle East. As opposed to only competing with other African countries, Ghana is now competing with the other countries around the world, such as the USA, Europe etc.

In terms of contribution per person, Switzerland is first, followed by the USA, Singapore. These are the first three jamaats, the rest of the details will follow.

In terms of overall contribution, the details of outstanding jamaats from Africa are as follows: Ghana is first, then Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, The Gambia, Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone Jamaat is very big and has been established for a long time. If Amir Sahib and also the relevant office-

bearers guide the members of the Jamaat in the right manner and encourage them to offer financial sacrifices, they will find that the members of the Jamaat are always willing to offer sacrifices. They ought to pay attention towards this.

After this, it is Benin – by the grace of Allah, Benin has also made great efforts. In terms of contribution per capita, Niger and Benin made significant progress; Benin increased the amount six-fold in terms of their local currency and there was an eight-fold increase in Niger. Despite the fact that owing to the current situation, their total number of participants decreased, their overall collection was more than previous years or perhaps remained the same.

The total number of overall participants was 1,600,800. The prominent jamaats of Africa who have increased the participants from last year are as follows: Ghana stood first, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, The Gambia, Congo Kinshasa, Tanzania, Liberia, Kenya, Central African Republic, Sao Tome, Congo Brazzaville and Zimbabwe.

The other large jamaats where there was a significant increase in the number of participants are Bangladesh, Germany, Canada, India, Australia and UK.

By the grace of Allah, the accounts belonging to Daftar Awwal are a total of 5,927, 33 of whom are still alive and pay the chanda themselves; 3,129 accounts are continued by their heirs and 2,775 are continued by sincere members of the Jamaat.

Since Germany stood first in all the jamaats around the world, their details will be mentioned first.

The first ten jamaats of Germany are as follows: Mahdi-Abad was first, followed by Rödermark, Neuss, Nieda, Koln, Pinneberg, Osnarbruck, Flörsheim, Kiel and Freinsheim.

The local amarats in Germany are as follows: Hamburg, Dietzenbach, Frankfurt, Gross-Gerau, Wiesbaden, Mörfelden, Mannheim, Riedstadt, Russelheim and Darmstadt.

UK is in second position. The position of the regions in UK is as follows:

Baitul Futuh, Fazl Mosque, Islamabad, Midlands and Baitul Ehsan.

The top ten positions of the larger jamaats of the UK, in terms of total collection, is as follows:

Aldershot, Islamabad, Fazl Mosque, Worcester Park, Birmingham South, Gillingham, Putney, South Cheam, Birmingham West and Cheam.

The top five position of the smaller jamaats in the UK is as follows:

Spen Valley, Keighley, Swansea, North Wales and Northampton.

The next details are of the USA, but before this, I will read out the details for Pakistan. The positions of jamaats in Pakistan are as follows:

Lahore, Rabwah and then Karachi.

The ten districts with the most contribution are: Islamabad, Sialkot, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Umerkot, Chakwal Kotli.

I do not know why they have written Chakwal and Kotli together, they should have been written separately, unless they both had the same position.

The position of the local jamaats in regard to highest contribution is as follows:

Amarat Defence Lahore, Amarat City of Rawalpindi, Amarat Drigh Road Karachi, Amarat Mughalpura Lahore, Amarat Township Lahore, Amarat Azizabad Karachi, Amarat Gulshan Abad Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Amarat Dehli Gate Lahore.

The position of the jamaats in the USA is as follows:

Maryland, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, Central Virginia, Seattle, Oshkosh, Detroit, Chicago, South Virginia, Houston, Atlanta, Boston.

In terms of total contribution, the position of the local amarats in Canada is as follows:

Vaughan, Peace Village, Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto West, Mississauga, Brampton, Brampton East, Saskatoon and Toronto.

The position of the smaller jamaats in Canada is as follows:

Bradford, Hamilton Mountain, Edmonton West, Regina and Hamilton East.

The top ten jamaats in India for their total contribution are: Coimbatore, Karulai, Qadian, Pathapiriyam, Hyderabad, Kinanoor Town, Calcutta, Calicut, Bangalore and Mathatum.

The top ten districts are as follows:

Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Carnatic, Jammu Kashmir, Telangana, Punjab, Odissa, Bengal, Delhi, Maharashtra.

The top ten jamaats of Australia are as follows:

Melbourne, Long Warren, Castle Hill, Melbourne Berwick, Marsden Park, Adelaide South, Penrith, ACT, Canberra, Adelaide West, Mount Druitt, Parramatta.

These were the respective positions of the jamaats. May Allah the Almighty grant countless blessings to them and their wealth and accept their sacrifices.

With this I would also like to announce the start of the 87th year of Tahrik-e-Jadid, which started officially from 1 November, insha-Allah.

I wish to emphasise that there is a vital need to focus our attention towards prayers nowadays. Of course, we pray for ourselves and for our community, but we must also generally pray for all Muslims.

Certain leaders of the non-Muslim world are currently harbouring great animosity and malice towards Muslims. Evidently, in this world of democracy, leaders consider the people to be their god and form their statements and policies merely according to their whims. At other times, these leaders themselves are the proponents of attempting to misguide people into denying God and instead, making them believe that people alone are the be-all and end-all. Even if some leaders do not expressly state their opinions, they harbour enmity and reservations against Islam within their hearts.

Due to being unaware of Islam’s true teachings, these leaders and a large part of the general public oppose Muslims. Regardless, it is through our prayers and efforts that we must inform the world of the true teachings of Islam.

In recent days, there have been public remarks made against Islam by a Western leader. Though such comments are often made by some in one form or another through vague political statements, a very unambiguous statement was recently made by the president of France. He has labelled Islam as a religion in “crisis”. The reality is that it is in fact their own religion which is facing crisis; that is of course if they even follow a religion.

Firstly, they do not truly adhere to any

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religion; they have abandoned religion altogether, including Christianity. Thus, they themselves are in crisis. On the other hand, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, Islam is a living religion meant to prosper and flourish, which is exactly the case today. Allah the Almighty Himself has undertaken the responsibility of protecting Islam for all times. In this era, it is through the Promised Messiahas that Islam is spreading to all parts of the world.

In reality, the only reason that antiIslamic forces and individuals commit such actions and make such statements is because they know that Muslims are not united amongst themselves.

I must commend the Canadian prime minister who made an excellent statement in response to the comments of the president of France. He said that this [approach by the French president] is completely wrong and must be rectified and that due regard must be given to the religious sentiments and religious leaders of others.

If only the rest of the world’s leaders would reflect and act upon the approach and statement of the prime minister of Canada in order to establish harmony and peace in the world. Thus, the Canadian prime minister is deserving of praise in this regard and we should pray for him that Allah the Almighty may further enlighten him.

In any case, it is clear that there is a lack of unity amongst Muslims and this is the very reason why all of this is occurring. Muslim countries are at odds with one another and increasing divisions display to the world that there is discord amongst Muslims. If the world knew that Muslims are united, that they believe in the same One God and His Messengersa and are ever-ready to present sacrifices for their sake, then the non-Muslim world would never act in this way and never would a

newspaper be emboldened to publish caricatures of the Holy Prophetsa .

A few years ago, when caricatures were published in both Denmark and France, there was a momentary outcry and it was announced that their products would be boycotted [by Muslims], but then this reaction withered and disappeared and did nothing and they became silent in a matter of months.

At that time, it was the Ahmadiyya Muslims Community who responded in the appropriate manner and brought to light the beautiful character of the Holy Prophetsa. Th is was greatly appreciated and praised by other intellectuals and leaders as well as the general public.

We continue this same work even today, as we declare that the actions of a few deviants cannot be ascribed to Islam. It is not the place of any country’s leader to declare that the teachings of Islam and Muslims themselves are in crisis, based on the wrongful actions of certain individuals, only to incite their nation into thinking that they are at war with us and that they must persist with this fi ght. In reality, they are the ones who incite such individuals to commit these atrocities.

I have stated before that publishing caricatures or any sort of aff ront against the Holy Prophetsa is unbearable for any self-respecting Muslim. Such actions bear the potential of stirring the emotions of some Muslims and indeed they do. If, then, someone commits an unlawful act in retaliation or takes the law into their own hands, the blame lies with such nonMuslim people, these governments or the so-called-freedom, known as freedom of expression. Th us, it is the non-Muslim world which provokes the passions of these people.

When this matter fi rst arose, I delivered a series of sermons in which I elaborated what the correct response should be and the true image which should be projected. As I mentioned earlier, this left a positive impact on others and we continue to adopt this method to this day.

When once a Dutch politician made some statements, I responded in an address that I delivered in Holland, warning him of the wrath of Allah the Almighty. In response, the Dutch politician tried to petition the government that I had given him a death threat and asked to ban my entry into the country. In fact, he wanted to lodge a case against me.

Regardless, we have and will continue to respond to every attack against the honour of Islam and the Holy Prophetsa to the extent which the law permits us. Doing so leaves a positive impact and this is the solution which we present that we should take every measure we can within the confi nes of the law.

Above all, we must invoke durood [salutations and blessings] upon the Holy Prophetsa, a matter which I have emphasised in many of my previous sermons. No matter the harsh words which non-Ahmadi clerics use against us, we will always defend Islam in light of its true teachings and this is exactly what we are doing, insha-Allah!

Th e killing of one, two, or four people is nothing but a means of exerting momentary passion and does not present any real solution. If the Muslim Ummah [nation] desires a permanent solution, then the entire Muslim world must become united. Even now, the president of Turkey responded to the French president and a few other [Muslim] countries responded as well. However, these responses do not bear the same impact as compared to the potential impact of a united response from all Muslims.

It is said that as a result of the response from the president of Turkey and other nations, the French president changed and soft ened his statement and tried to justify what he really meant. Yet, at the same time, he fi rmly maintained his stance of being correct in their approach. However, if 54 or 55 Muslim countries were to speak out unanimously, then the French president would not simply make justifi cations for his statement; instead, he would have been compelled to plead for forgiveness.

In short, all I wish to say is that we must pray for the Muslim nations to at least be able to raise a single and united voice against others; only then will we see true results. We have remained persistent in our mission and will continue to do so, insha-Allah! It is the duty of those who have accepted the Messiah of Muhammadsa to spread the true teachings of Islam throughout the world; to introduce the world to the beauty of the Holy Prophetsa and to not rest until the entire world gathers under the banner of the Holy Prophetsa. Tell the world that their salvation lies in recognising the One True God and in bringing all forms of injustice to an end.

A few months ago, during this coronavirus pandemic, I wrote letters to certain heads of state once again, including the president of France. In the letter, I warned him in the words of the Promised Messiahas, saying that these trials and calamities are sent by God as a consequence of injustices. Th us, he must pay heed; end all injustices and establish peace and say only that which is based in truth. We have fulfi lled our obligations and will continue to do so. Now it is up to others to decide whether or not they will take heed.

In any case, we cannot forget the Muslim Ummah [nation] in our prayers. May Allah the Almighty enable them to recognise the true servant of the Holy Prophetsa. Th e world must consider the fact that if they continue to move away from God, it will result in nothing but their ruin and destruction. We must strive to unite the entire world under the unity of God and under the banner of the Holy Prophetsa. Th is is also the fundamental purpose of Tahrik-e-Jadid. May Allah the Almighty enable us to do this.

Aside from this, pray for the general condition of the world. It is rapidly advancing towards [its own destruction]. Let it not be the case that whilst the world alleviates itself and exits from this pandemic, the world is thrust into another calamity in the form of a world war.

May Allah the Almighty grant the world sense and understanding and may everyone recognise the One True God and fulfi l their responsibilities due to Him.

(Original Urdu published in Al Fazl International on 27 November 2020, pp. 5-11. Translated by Th e Review of Religions.)

In this book, the Promised Messiah, on whom be peace, discusses the philosophy of divine revelation, the three categories of people who claim to receive revelation and the distinction of the truthful from the false. He then establishes his truthfulness by documenting over 200 signs, including the fulfillment of prophecies made by the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, other men of God, earlier scriptures and his own revelations spanning over 25 years.

The author cites numerous examples of his enemies who publicly predicted his downfall and demise, only to become the very victims of their own prophecies. God, however, protected him against every assault, while continuously reassuring him of His promise to bless his Community – a promise which continues to bear the seal and testimony of history.

The author also appeals to the followers of different faiths to read this book cover to cover to appreciate and accept this evidence as proof that God is One and the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa is the Messenger of God, and that he is the Promised Messiah raised to unite humanity under the banner of Islam.