Al Hakam - 9 April 2021

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih launches Jamaat Chinese website

An address of the Holy Prophet on the blessings of Ramadan The responsibilities of believers in this blessed month

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Answers to everyday issues

Wisdom behind fasting

Guidance on talaq, tafsir, Salat, Jesus’ death, angels, Khuddam’s responsibilities etc.

Sayings of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra regarding Ramadan

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THE WEEKLY

www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021 | Issue CLX Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL. UK info@alhakam.org | F: +44(0)208 544 7673

Lajna Indonesia’s amila seeks direction from Hazrat Amirul Momineen Lajna Imaillah Indonesia’s national amila met Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa in a virtual mulaqat, on 3 April 2021.

After extending his salaam, Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa led everyone in silent prayer.

Observing the hall where the Lajna members were seated, Huzooraa said, “Today, your hall is better decorated than before.”

Following this, Sadr Lajna had the opportunity to say a few words. She expressed her gratitude to Huzooraa for this mulaqat and stated that this mulaqat would greatly enhance the Lajna members’ spirit for serving the Jamaat. Then, a short video presentation about Indonesia and various activities of Lajna was shown.

Seeing the video presentation, Huzooraa remarked: “Lajna has made quite a good video programme. That means you have potential – technical people – among Lajna members.”

Next, secretaries of various departments began introducing themselves and presenting their reports.

The first to speak was the talim (education) secretary. Huzooraa asked

about the talim programme that was made and prepared for the year. She replied that they had made programmes and various classes such as learning the Quran and the Lajna syllabus. She added that the number of participants increased when the classes were held online as it was easier for members who lived far away from the centre.

Addressing tabligh (preaching) secretary, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa asked about the bai‘at target for the year; the secretary answered they had planned and set a target of 1,030. Hearing this, Huzooraa mentioned, “It’s a very small target. You should fix a big target – at least 5,000.”

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then emphasised that fixing a greater target meant that more hard work would go into achieving it.

The general secretary reported to Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa that there were 322 majalis in Indonesia and added that 100% sent their reports. Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then enquired if she acknowledged every report. Huzoor remarked: “Every month, you should send to Continued on next page >>

Arab Ahmadi Muslims residing in Germany meet Huzoor in virtual mulaqat

On 4 April 2021, 57 Arab Ahmadi converts in Germany had the opportunity to meet and converse with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa through a virtual meeting. These Ahmadis originated from Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Algeria and Morocco.

The meeting started with a recitation from the Holy Quran by an Arab convert.

This was followed by a report given by Hafeezullah Bharwana Sahib, Head of the Arabic desk in Germany, in which he highlighted that preaching activities to Arabs in Germany were underway

throughout the year. More than 400 Arabs in Germany have accepted Islam Ahmadiyyat and joined the Jamaat. The Arabic desk in Germany makes efforts to actively include the converts into the system of the Jamaat through the local sadrs and local missionaries.

A total of 70 tabligh events and meetings took place online throughout the pandemic and there is an active 24-hour hotline that receives constant questions from nonAhmadis. Tabligh in Arabic has also taken Continued on page 4

Friday 9 April 2021 | AL HAKAM

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those majalis, or those office-bearers, or workers, who are doing good, an appreciation letter.”

Next, whilst addressing secretary rishta nata (matchmaking and marriage) Huzooraa queried how many matches had been successfully made during the year.

The secretary replied that around 150 matches had been successful.

Secretary san‘at-o-dastakari (industry and handicraft), whilst explaining her assignments, showed Huzooraa numerous things that Lajna members had made.

78 Lajna members received training by san‘at-o-dastakari department and some had even started businesses through this.

Hearing the report, Huzooraa commented: “Masha-Allah! You are doing well.”

The secretary added that due to businesses being started by some Lajna members, they were now contributing more towards financial sacrifice.

Whilst addressing the secretary of Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid, Huzooraa stated: “Try to include each and every member of Lajna and Nasirat in [giving] chanda Waqf-e-Jadid and Tahrik-e-Jadid.

Try to get 100% participation.”

Following this, the secretary Nasirat, whilst presenting her report, mentioned that there were 2,912 Nasirat in Indonesia.

Conversing with secretary tarbiyat (moral training), Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa enquired how many Lajna members offered the five daily prayers regularly and then, whilst offering guidance, said, “You should make a plan in such a way that 100% of your members should offer fivedaily prayers.”

Presenting her report, secretary nau mubai‘at (new converts) stated that there were 1,032 new converts in the last three years. Hearing this, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa asked if any special programme was made for this. The secretary replied that they would organise sittings and programmes solely for them.

Secretary ishaat (publications) was next to present her report. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa enquired whether any Lajna magazine was printed and if it

was monthly or quarterly. The secretary replied in the affirmative and said that they had printed twice a year due to the pandemic. This magazine is printed and distributed to Lajna members free of charge.

While talking with the secretary of

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

Praying at night in Ramadan

َ ُ َ ّٰ َ ّٰ ُ َ َ َ ‫أب ُ ْو ه َریْ َرة ـ رﺿى اللہ عنہ ـ قال س ِم ْعت َر ُسول الل ِہ صلى‬ ُ ُ ّٰ َ ‫ول ل َر َم َض‬ ‫ان‬ ِ ‫اللہ عليہ وسلم یَق‬ َّ َ َ ُ َ ُ َْ ْ َ ً َ ‫ام ُہ إ‬ َ َ‫َم ْن ق‬ ‫یمانا واح ِ� َسابًا غ�ِ َ� له َما تقد َم ِم ْن ذن ِب ِہ‬ ِ Hazrat Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Whoever prayed at night in it [the month of Ramadan] out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all their previous sins will be forgiven.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Salat Tarawih, Hadith 2008)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words

The opponents of one divinely appointed by Allah lose their faith The state of our opponents is one that may be apprehended to result in a loss of faith, because such people deem a good man to be evil and one commissioned

by Allah, a liar. This is to war with God Almighty.

It is a clear fact that God Almighty has commissioned me and sent me to the world as the Promised Messiah. Those who oppose me do not oppose me, they

sehat-e-jismani (physical health), Huzooraa came to learn that 5,025 Lajna members exercised regularly in Indonesia.

Speaking with secretary tajnid (census), Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa asked if she was in contact with each and every member of Lajna. Whilst offering guidance, Huzooraa said, “Try to reach to each and every member of Lajna. Ask your secretaries of tajnid, in every majlis, to go to each member of Lajna and find out their particulars.”

The khidmat-e-khalq (service to mankind) department reported to Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa that with the help of san‘at-o-dastakari department, they had created an online platform to help train Lajna with activities such as cooking. She added that they helped out by donating blood and providing financial aid to Ahmadis and non-Ahmadis.

Talking with the public relations (umur-e-kharija) department, Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa asked if there was a female parliamentarian in the Indonesian parliament, to which the secretary replied in the affirmative. Whilst offering guidance, Huzooraa said, “You should try to contact them and invite them to your functions so that you may have good

oppose God, for many of them held me in a position of esteem before I made my claim. Many such people considered it worthy of spiritual reward and a source of pride to hold my water pot and pour from it so that I could perform my ablution.

There were many from among them who insisted upon swearing an oath of allegiance to me. But when this community was established in the name of God by His very command, these very same people stood up in opposition against me. This clearly demonstrates that their heartfelt enmity was not towards me, but towards God Almighty. For if they had a sincere relationship with God Almighty, their piety, virtue and fear of God demanded that when I made my claim, they ought to have come forth to accept my announcement; they ought to have prostrated in gratitude before God and welcomed me – but no. They took up their arms and set forth pushing in opposition to such an extent that they called me a disbeliever and a heretic; they named me the Anti-Christ. Alas! These foolish people fail to understand that as for the man who hears the divine words ‫‘“( قل انى امرت وانا اول المؤمنين‬Say, I am the first to turn towards Allah under His command in this age’”) and ‫“( انت منى بم��لة توحيدی وت�� یدی‬You are to Me like My Unity and Uniqueness”) why should he care in the least for the abuse and bitter language of such people?

It is a shame that these foolish people do not even realise that disbelief and faith do not relate to this world; in

relations with them.”

Addressing the secretary for umur-etalibat (student affairs), Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa asked how many students were attending university and further asked how many were studying medicine.

Next to present her report was secretary Waqf-e-Nau. Huzooraa asked her how many waqifaat-e-nau were in Indonesia, before explaining: “Do proper tarbiyat of these waqifaate-nau. Each and every waqifa-e-nau should be regular in offering their five daily prayers; they should read the Holy Quran every day; they should read some books of the Promised Messiahas that have been translated to Indonesian and other literature. And they should try to listen to my khutba [sermon] every week.

Make sure that all waqifaat-e-nau are well connected with the Jamaat’s system, are in contact with Khilafat and they give more time to acquiring religious knowledge.”

Hearing this, the secretary requested Huzooraa to pray for all waqifaat-e-nau in Indonesia and their parents.

Addressing secretary ziafat (food arrangements), Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa asked what food was made Continued on next page >>

fact, they relate to God Almighty. As far as God Almighty is concerned, He attests to my being a believer and divinely commissioned. Why then would I care about this absurd behaviour?

Therefore, the stated facts evidently demonstrate that these people do not oppose me, but rather they oppose the commandments of God Almighty. It is for this very reason that the opponents of one appointed by Allah lose their faith.

It is clear that my opponents are actually at war with God Almighty. If I am advancing towards light, and it is certain that I am, because countless signs have been and continue to be manifested

by God Almighty in my support, and these signs are descending from heaven like rain, then it is also certain that my opponents are falling into darkness.

Luminosity and divine light attract the Holy Spirit, while darkness moves one closer to Satan; in this manner, the opposition of a saint results in the loss of faith and joins a person with the worst of companions.

In short, a person becomes righteous and reformed when they attain to the ranks of perfect practice. It is statedَ inَ ٰ ّٰ ‫اِل ّا ال ّذیۡ َن ٰا َم� ُ ۡوا َو َعم ُلوا‬ Surah Asr: ‫ت‬ ِ ‫الص ِلح‬ ِ ِ (Except those who believe and do good works), and the words aamanu allude to the perfection of one’s knowledge, while the words amilus-salihat guide a person towards the perfection of practice.

Wisdom also has two aspects: firstly, knowledge ought to be perfect and complete; and secondly, action must also be excellent and free from deficiency.

(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 197-198)

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AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021 and prepared for Lajna members, to which she replied that roast chicken and rice was prepared and for the evening, rice with meat was cooked.

Next, speaking with naib general secretary, Huzooraa mentioned: “Make sure that every report that comes to you is answered and acknowledged – whether they are doing a good job or not or doing the job up to the mark, they should be answered. If they are doing a good job, then send them an appreciation letter. If they need some comments to focus on a particular department, then you should ask them to give emphasis on those things.”

Sadr Sahiba said to Huzooraa that there were a few questions and matters they wished to seek Huzoor’saa guidance on.

Very graciously, Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa accepted this request.

A Lajna member asked Huzooraa how one could encourage members towards financial sacrifice. Huzooraa said: “[…] explain to them that financial sacrifice for the Jamaat is not a tax. It is the duty of every true believer that they should sacrifice for the sake of the Jamaat.

And it is written in the Quran; even in the second chapter – Surah al-Baqarah – [where] Allah the Almighty says that you should have iman bil-ghaib [belief in the unseen] and then [God says to] offer your prayer and then make some sacrifice in the way of Allah.

“So, it is the commandment of Allah the Almighty to make some financial sacrifice for running the day-to-day expenses of the Jamaat, of course, for spreading the message of Allah the Almighty in the country in particular and in the whole world in general. So, we are sacrificing for the sake of getting Allah’s pleasure. So, make them realise the importance of it.

“There are quite a number of Quranic verses which mention the importance of financial sacrifice. And there are quite a number of khutbat [sermons] of previous Khulafa, and even my khutbat, where I have explained in detail, the importance of sacrifice.”

Next, Huzooraa was asked for guidance on how to increase members’ interest in studying books of the Promised Messiahas.

Huzooraa explained: “You should try to pick some passages from the books of the Promised Messiah, on whom be peace, which are related to women and for day-to-day life. So, then you can increase the interest of the women – and especially those who are well educated – and Nasirat of miyar-e-kabir.

Then, they will develop some interest in it […] if you just pick the passages on different subjects from different books, then they will develop an interest to read the books. Once they develop their interest, then they will start reading the other books as well.”

The last question Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa was asked was with regard to tabligh training. The questioner said that there are members who are not confident to deliver tabligh. Huzooraa was asked how they could encourage them in this matter.

Whilst providing the answer and direction, Huzooraa said:

“Inculcate confidence in them. And make some syllabus – a course – and train them and ask them to read it so that they can answer basic questions while doing tabligh. Or, if not, at least make some

CDs for tabligh […] when they are doing tabligh, they can play those CDs, which will help them to answer questions. It will help them to learn and also help them in tabligh.”

With this, Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa conveyed his salaam to all amila members and the meeting drew to a close.

Detroit Jamaat hosts Covid-19 vaccination clinic Muhammad Ahmad Secretary Tabligh, Detroit Jamaat

Usman Mangla Sahib of Detroit reports that Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Detroit organised a vaccination clinic in coordination with Kroger Health to provide Covid-19 vaccine shots to 90 people (74 Jamaat members and 16 nearby friends and neighbours).

On 3 April 2021, many members of

Detroit Jamaat ranging from 16 to over 80 years of age returned to Masjid Mahmood after being away for more than a year due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Three staff nurses along with several volunteers of the Jamaat arrived at 11am to help prepare the areas for registration, vaccine administration and prepare the required 15-minute waiting area. The vaccine arrived in a small cooler to keep it at

the required temperature. Next, 90 injections were prepared from the small sought after vaccine vials, which once drawn, would be viable for the next 6 hours. Members started arriving at 11:30am and injections started around noon.

All necessary protocols of the distancing guidelines and face covering were observed at the facility during the entire process. By 1:45pm all 90 pre-registered members were able to receive their first Covid-19 shot.

There were no reported adverse reactions and members left the mosque after the required waiting period. Members were grateful to receive the vaccine in the convenience of their own mosque as some members have been trying for weeks to find an appointment elsewhere.

By 2 pm, the area was cleaned and sanitized and lunch was served to all the volunteers along with the medical staff.

The second dose will insha-Allah be administered in 3 weeks on 24 April.

Based on a survey conducted earlier, approximately 100 members have reported receiving a vaccine shot. With the 74 members receiving the Covid-19 shot today, over 60% of adult Jamaat members have now received the vaccine. May Allah reward all the volunteers and keep us all safe and allow us to fully reopen the mosque in the near future. Amin.

Friday 9 April 2021 | AL HAKAM

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َ ْ َّ َ ّٰ ُ ُ َ َ‫الر‬ ّ ‫ان‬ ‫ﻴﻢ‬ ‫ﺟ‬ ‫ﻄ‬ ‫أعوذ ِﺑا�� ِ� ِمن الﺸﻴ‬ ِ ِ ِ ّٰ ْ َ‫الر‬ ّ ‫الرَ ْﺣ َﻤ ٰـن‬ ّ �ِ ��‫ا‬ ‫ِﺑس ِﻢ‬ ‫ﻴﻢ‬ ‫ﺣ‬ ِ ِ ِ

َ‫َو� ُ ُلوا َو ْا� َ�ﺑُوا َﺣ َّت ٰﻰ یَ َت َبیَّ َن ل َ ُﻜ ُﻢ ال ْ َﺨ ْﻴ ُﻂ ا�ْ�َ ْﺑ َﻴ ُﺾ ِمن‬ َْ ّ َ َ َ ّ ُّ َ َّ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َْ ْ َ ْ ْ َ ‫الﺼﻴام ِإلﻰ اللﻴ ِﻞ‬ ِ ‫الﺨﻴ ِﻂ ا��ﺳو ِد ِمن الﻔﺠرِ � ﺛﻢ أ ِﺗﻤوا‬ “And eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread of the dawn. Then complete the fast till nightfall.”

(Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.188)

Continued from page 1

place through social media and the message of Islam Ahmadiyyat reached almost half a million in the last year through it. During the last year, seven Arabs converted to Ahmadiyyat, despite lockdown restrictions.

Arab Ahmadis in Germany are actively spreading the message of Ahmadiyyat too and various educational classes take place for new converts.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said he would speak to every member present so they could introduce themselves.

Muhammad Qayal Sahib was first to introduce himself. He said he was from Damascus, Syria and performed bai‘at in 2007. Huzooraa asked whether he had children and if his wife and children were Ahmadis. Muhammad Qayal Sahib said he had three children and they were Ahmadis but his wife was not. In response, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said: “Show good morals to your wife so that she becomes Ahmadi too, insha-Allah. Treat your wife in an excellent manner. This helps a lot. She will convert upon experiencing your good treatment.”

Muhammad Waleed Filyun Sahib, who converted in 2016, introduced himself.

Huzooraa remarked he had met him before

and asked why he had converted and whether his family had seen any positive change in him after his conversion.

Waleed Sahib said he converted because “Ahmadiyyat is the true Islam” and his family “certainly sees the change every day”.

Waleed Sahib said he was also spreading the message of Ahmadiyyat and was an imam in Syria and had published some books too.

Another Arab Ahmadi, who converted in 2010, Muhammad Ali Azad Sahib, introduced himself next. Huzooraa noted his name was very “Hindustani” and asked if other members of his family had converted.

Muhammad Ali Sahib said only his brother and wife had converted. Huzooraa then asked if he had children, to which he said he had four children and one of them was a waqif-e-nau. At this Huzooraa remarked: “Then your children are Ahmadi too”.

A young Palestinian-Syrian convert, Akram Salam Sahib, who converted in 2014, introduced himself. Seeing him, Huzooraa said that he and his (twin) brother would always be present at Huzoor’s tours in Germany and they would see him off too.

With a smile, Huzooraa said, “However, back then, they did not have beards, but now they do.” Bharwana Sahib told Huzooraa the brothers were very active in tabligh and

led projects too. Huzooraa confirmed this and said, “Yes, masha-Allah, they are quite active.”

Muhammad Salman Sahib, the second brother, spoke next and told Huzooraa his current educational endeavours at university. Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa asked how old the brothers were, to which he was told they were 27. With a smile, Huzooraa said he asked their aged as they should now get married too. Muhammad Salman Sahib asked Huzooraa to pray so that their non-Ahmadi sister also accepted Islam Ahmadiyyat.

Another young Syrian convert, Anas alLababidi Sahib spoke to Huzooraa. He told Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa he accepted Ahmadiyyat in 2011, to which Huzooraa said, “It has almost been 10 years; you are a firm Ahmadi.”

Sami Khalid Sabbagh Sahib from Syria, who is in year 11 at school, introduced himself next and said he converted in 2019.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa asked how and why he converted. Sami Sahib said, “I did bai‘at after a lot of study and research about the Jamaat and I also saw a dream [in support of the Jamaat] that I wrote to Huzooraa too […]”, after which his bai‘at was accepted.

Fowad Nazal Sahib from Syria was next.

Talking about his conversion, he said he accepted Islam Ahmadiyyat a few years ago after a lot of research. He said he spent day and night in preaching and had given the message of the Promised Messiahas to every single family member. Through his preaching, his wife and brother have accepted Ahmadiyyat and also his parents and other family members, who are in Syria, accepted Ahmadiyyat seven months ago.

He said his cousin was about to do bai‘at too in a few weeks. Hearing this, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said, “Masha-Allah […] So he is acting on the teaching of the Holy Quran, to preach to family members first.”

A Palestinian-Syrian convert, Mahir Ma‘ani, who converted in 2005, spoke next.

Huzooraa said that he had been an Ahmadi for a long time and asked whether his family had also converted. Mahir Sahib said his wider family, who are Salafi, had actually boycotted him; nevertheless, his new family were members of the Jamaat. His wife and children had accepted Ahmadiyyat though.

Sabbagh Sahib, the father of Sami Khalid Sabbagh Sahib, introduced himself.

He said his son had converted and he was bringing up his other two young children to accept Ahmadiyyat. He said his wife hadn’t converted yet, to which Huzooraa advised him to show good morals to his wife and to be loving.

Abdur Rahman Badr Sahib, a Yemeni convert who has been an Ahmadi for 26 years, asked Huzooraa for prayers for the Ahmadis living in Yemen, to which Huzooraa prayed that may Allah bless them too.

Abdur Rahman Sahib from Algeria who converted 25 years ago, told Huzooraa the good news that his Italian wife, who was not a Muslim, had accepted Islam Ahmadiyya.

A young born-Ahmadi, the son of Abdur Rahman Sahib, introduced himself and told Huzooraa he currently studied at university.

Huzooraa asked what he studied to which he said he was studying nutrition and exercise science. To this, Huzooraa, smiling, said, “Masha-Allah, so make people healthy”.

A 24-year-old Syrian Ahmadi convert, Ayman Sahib told Huzooraa he had met him on Jalsa Salana a few years ago and requested Huzooraa for prayers for his studies and work back then. He said by Allah’s grace, he had now acquired a place to study medicine and had begun his studies.

A Syrian Ahmadi who was a bornAhmadi introduced himself and said he worked as a journalist. Huzooraa advised him to do Jamaat work too with relation to journalism, to which he said he had written in the past for Al-Taqwa – the Arabic magazine of the Jamaat – but now focused on politics and had a website etc. Huzooraa smiled and said, “Ok, then you can excel in politics.”

Addressing a Palestinian-Syrian Ahmadi, who converted in 2016 and whose wife had not converted, Huzooraa said, “Lovingly tell her about Ahmadiyyat; she will convert, insha-Allah”.

Lu‘ai Sakar Sahib, who converted almost a year ago, spoke to Huzooraa and said he was studying to become a professional hairdresser. Huzooraa lovingly remarked, “You probably cut people’s hair in a very fashionable way.” Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa also asked how he converted.

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AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021

Sakar Sahib said his Ahmadi friend would discuss Ahmadiyyat a lot with him and so he did his own research and found Islam Ahmadiyyat to be true.

Muhammad al-Hamood Sahib, a convert who converted moments before the mulaqat, introduced himself. Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa asked whether his wife knew he had converted and if she was fine with it, to which he said she did and wasn’t happy about it. Huzooraa said he should lovingly tell her about Ahmadiyyat.

Huzooraa also asked why he converted.

Hamood Sahib said he was very impressed by the morals of his Ahmadi friends, read more about Ahmadiyyat on Facebook and searched YouTube too, after which Allah the Almighty guided him. Commenting on this, Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said: “Let it not be, however, that seeing the bad morals of an Ahmadi, you begin to say Ahmadiyyat is not true. You should have full certainty and belief that the Promised Messiahas is that very Messiah and Mahdi who the Holy Prophetsa had prophesied about – strengthen this belief within yourself.”

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa further said: “Because, if you see an Ahmadi with bad morals, you should show him your own good morals and not think that maybe the teachings of Ahmadiyyat, the morals they have, are just for show. In reality, the teachings that an Ahmadi possesses are the true teachings of Islam and every Ahmadi should abide by them, whether they are old or new.”

Muhammad Hamood Sahib said he truly believed the Promised Messiahas to be the Messiah and Mahdi, and asked for Huzoor’s prayers to stand by this belief.

Another convert, who accepted Ahmadiyyat while living in Spain, asked Huzooraa for prayers so that he was able to speak Urdu, as his wife was also Urdu speaking. Huzooraa affectionately spoke to him in some Urdu and prayed for him to be able to speak and understand Urdu.

While speaking with an elderly Ahmadi gentleman, Huzooraa asked what he did back in Syria. The gentleman said he served in the navy, to which Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa smiled and remarked “that is why you are also wearing a navy coloured jacket with stripes.” The gentlemen enjoyed Huzoor’s comment.

Advising a young convert, Huzooraa said he should get married as one should marry when they have a stable job and are established.

While advising another convert who married an Ahmadi girl, Huzooraa said to increase his belief and faith in Ahmadiyyat too as merely marrying an Ahmadi is of no use.

Nabil Tantoush Sahib, who is originally from Palestine and converted prior to the mulaqat, introduced himself. Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa asked why he converted and whether he did adequate research into Ahmadiyyat before converting. Nabeel Sahib said he believed everything the Promised Messiahas had said to be true and truly believed him to be the Promised Messiah and Mahdi as foretold by the Holy Prophetsa.

Speaking with a gentleman who had not converted to Ahmadiyyat but was still studying and researching about it, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa advised: “[…] Do deep research, understand everything, read deeply – there is no need to be in a rush when it comes to performing

bai‘at.”

At this Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa was told everyone had introduced themselves

and after conveying salaam to everyone, Huzooraa closed the meeting.

(Report prepared by Al Hakam)

The Prophet’s love for Salat The Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “The delight of my eyes is in Salat.”

(Sunan al-Nasa‘i, Baab al-Nisa)

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Friday 9 April 2021 | AL HAKAM

Arab Ahmadis from Germany reflect on faithinspiring meeting with Huzoor Hafiz Fareed Ahmed Khalid Secretary Tabligh Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Germany

On 4 April 2021, the Arab Ahmadis of Germany had the opportunity to meet Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa at Baitus Subuh, in Frankfurt, Germany.

Muhammad Waleed Filyun from Syria, said: “It was a great meeting. Every day, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya is proving that Muslims need a true leader as a role model for all Muslims. And this leader is none other than the Imam of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat.

“When Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa would talk to someone, I would feel that he loved this person more, but when he would talk to the next person, this love would be more visible than the previous.

The love he has for every Ahmadi is unparalleled in any leader of the world.

Seeing so much connection with every Ahmadi, it seems that he is their real father. This meeting with Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa was very good, and this long-awaited meeting made us realise the love that unites all believers in the world. ‫[ انما الموم�ون اخوة‬Surely, believers are brothers].”

Basil Ghannon Sahib said: “I am attending this gathering as a guest for the first time. The love and affection I have seen among Arab Ahmadis is unparalleled. And when the

Imam of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat came and spoke with every Ahmadi in this way and advised them on even the smallest things and taking care of their small needs, it felt as if a father was advising his children.”

Lu‘ai Sakar Sahib said: “After the meeting, my love for Huzooraa has increased a lot and I felt as if he is one of us who speaks to us with great love and with humour too. My feelings are impossible to describe.”

Nabil Tantoush Sahib said: “I have joined this blessed Jamaat today by doing bai‘at. The thing which had an impact on me was that Hazrat Amirul Momineen welcomed me, and then his smile and humour with the attendees also had a deep impression on my heart [...] It is my privilege to join this blessed Jamaat and this meeting in particular has strengthened my faith. I would like to thank all those who made the arrangements for this gathering. May Allah reward them the best reward.”

Ahmad al-Aaqil Sahib from Dambakh said: “I had not yet done bai‘at, but I had come today to do bai‘at and I wished to see Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa and ask him to pray for me and for my beloved country, Syria, and its people.

“Everything was very good. What impressed me the most was the excellent organisation of the Jamaat, which proved that Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya is a very

organised Jamaat. In the same way, seeing Ahmadis treating each other with respect and love and asking about each other’s wellbeing amazes me.

“We have read in history books about the previous rulers of the Muslims.

Therefore, I had the idea that when I meet Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa, he would be a person like the kings who were far away from their people. But after meeting him, I witnessed a beautiful smile and nur [divine light] on his face and felt as if a father was talking to his children. The fact is that I felt the need and blessing of Khilafat, that there really should be a Khalifa and Amirul Momineen.”

Muhammad al-Hamood Sahib said: “Seeing the awe-inspiring personality of the Khalifa, I felt feelings of joy and fear in my heart, and when I stood up to say something, I forgot what to say, out of fear.

“It was a very happy moment for me when I announced to join Jamaat-eAhmadiyya in front of Khalifa of the time.

He listens to us and we can tell him what we want to say. I have never seen such an organisation and such an arrangement.

I also noticed that the Ahmadis have a relation of love and brotherhood with each other [...] I wish I had known about this Jamaat a long time ago.”

Zaid Ali Isa Sahib from Syria said: “I have come to Germany from Syria. I was able to do bai‘at in 2012, alhamdulillah.

Allah the Almighty granted us the honour

Arab Ahmadis from Germany gathered for their virtual mulaqat with Huzooraa Photo credit: MTA International

to meet Hazrat Amirul Muomineenaa. It was a very interesting meeting because after a very long time, we had the opportunity to meet our beloved master, alhamdulillah. Today, we met our beloved master and talked to him and were able to make a direct request for prayers. It was a very spiritual meeting which cannot be described in words.”

Anas al-Lababidi Sahib said: “There is no doubt that I longed to meet Huzooraa. I am very happy to have had this opportunity. It has created such a joy and satisfaction in our hearts. In this meeting, we saw the nur [divine light] of Allah in our dear master. There are feelings of prayer and gratitude to Allah the Almighty that Huzooraa gave us his precious time.”

Akram Salman Sahib from Reutlingen, said: “Alhamdulillah, after more than a year, today we were able to meet Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa. Every year on the occasion of Jalsa Salana, the Ahmadis of Germany would usually see the beloved master and he would show special kindness to us, the Arab Ahmadis, and would give time for group meetings. Today, by the grace of Allah, we not only talked to Huzooraa, but also received direct guidance, love and compassion one by one, for which we are all very happy, alhamdulillah.

“Our meeting lasted about an hour and a half. During the meeting, we all felt a deep spiritual atmosphere and our beloved master spoke to us in a very loving and humorous manner.”

Abdur Rahman al-Suwaidi from Algeria, said: “Alhamdulillah, this was a very blessed day for us because we had the privilege of meeting Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa and although this meeting was from afar, our hearts were very close and we felt a heartful joy. It felt like I was attending Jalsa Salana, alhamdulillah.”

Muhammad Saleem Shahroor Sahib from Gelnhausen said: “When Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa appeared on the screen, there was a very calm atmosphere. I had a chance to meet him before as well and now I had the opportunity again, which was a source of great joy.”

Muhammad Sulaiman Sahib from Reutlingen said: “I am really happy that we had the opportunity to meet Huzooraa. I was amazed that he cares about the feelings of every Ahmadi in the world. He asked about everyone, about their activities, about their financial situation and about everything else in depth. This has brought me even closer to Khilafat. We were also able to request prayers from Huzooraa. It was a very spiritual meeting.”

Ahmad Diab Sahib from Witten said: “The meeting with Huzooraa cannot be described in words, alhamdulillah.

It was a source of great happiness. I had had the opportunity to meet him before, after which all spiritual matters as well as worldly affairs had become better than Continued on next page >>

7

AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021

From the Markaz

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih launches Jamaat’s Chinese website

Friday, 2 April 2021: Today, during the Friday Sermon, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa announced the launch of a new website of the Central Chinese Desk based in the UK: www.islam.cn.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said the new website was created through the help of the Central Markaz IT department and can be accessed independently and also through www.alislam.org. The website will be a means for people to know more about Islam in general and also about Ahmadiyya beliefs. It includes the new revised edition of the translation of the Holy Quran into Chinese (by the Jamaat), 23 books and pamphlets, answers to contemporary questions, introductions to

<< Continued from previous page

before. Every action of Huzooraa and his smiling face leaves a spiritual impression on us [...] And this meeting was also full of spirituality.”

Muhammad Qayal Sahib from Lahr said: “We longed to meet our dear master.

The truth is that before the meeting, we were feeling some tension, but at the same time we were feeling happiness which was more prevalent because we especially wanted to meet Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa – especially this year as last year we could not see Huzooraa due to

Al Hakam spoke to the head of the Central Chinese Desk UK, Rashid Ahmad Arshad Sahib, here at the markaz. Rashid Sahib told us the website was a directive from Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa who said the UK Chinese department of the Jamaat should have its own independent website.

Rashid Sahib told Al Hakam that previously the Chinese books of the Jamaat would be uploaded onto alislam. org, usually as scanned books and the process of editing or uploading would take some time. “Huzooraa told the Chinese Desk, based in the UK, a few years ago to start their own independent website to streamline the process”, Rashid Sahib said.

Rashid Sahib said, “The main aim is to have one place where the typed and new editions of the Jamaat’s Chinese translated books can be swiftly uploaded and updated.

“Now most of the Chinese translated Jamaat books (23 books and pamphlets) have all been uploaded. The second

revised edition of the Quran has been uploaded as well as introductions to the Promised Messiahas and Khalifatul Masih Vaa. Contact details of the Chinese Desk are also on the website.

“Now the Chinese Desk UK will themselves manage the website from the UK. The technical side will be managed by the central Markaz IT department, Abdul Wadood Sahib and his team. It is also optimised for mobile viewing.”

Al Hakam prays that this new website may pave new ways for Islam to spread to the land of China and Chinese-speaking people. Amin.

Covid-19. May Allah bless this meeting for all of us and may we benefit from it.”

Saeed Darwish Sahib from Rödermark said: “I am very happy to meet Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa. Of course, these feelings are very sweet. Our dear master is our spiritual father and it is this relationship that strengthens our faith and surely he is our spiritual father. And it felt like I had not seen my father in a while and I really wanted to meet him and it was a very happy day.”

Abdur Rahman Shafi‘i Sahib from Berlin said:

“Sometimes a person is unable to express his feelings. I do not have the words to express my heartfelt feelings.

Allah the Almighty granted us a special opportunity. This was the grace of Allah the Almighty and the compassion of Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa. On this occasion, we would like to thank our dear master for giving us the opportunity to meet him. After a very long time, we were appearing before him again. There is no limit to our gratitude. We pray to Allah Almighty for the health of our beloved master and pray that Allah the Almighty will always be the Supporter and Helper

of our beloved master and bless him with His blessings. Amin.”

Mahand al-Musli Sahib from Syria said: “I was longing to meet Huzooraa. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I had not been able to meet my dear master for the last two years […] I had become accustomed to meeting my dear master every year on the occasion of Jalsa Salana Germany.

May Allah be the Helper of all those who love the beloved master and may Allah be the Supporter and Helper of the beloved master. Amin.”

the Promised Messiahas and the Khulafa, among other things.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa prayed, “May God enable this website to be a means of guidance for Chinese people and may their hearts open to Islam and Ahmadiyyat.”

Brief background from Chinese Desk UK

8

Friday 9 April 2021 | AL HAKAM

Answers to everyday issues Part XII Guidance regarding basic Islamic issues – which Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa has given at various occasions in his written correspondence and during MTA programmes – is being officially published below for everyone’s benefit.

Zaheer Ahmad Khan Head of Records Department, Private Secretariat, London

Reconciliation after the third talaq [divorce] Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa was asked if there was any possibility of reconciliation after a husband had issued three talaqs to his wife over the period of their marriage?

Huzooraa, in a letter dated 22 July 2019, gave the following reply: ُ َ َّ َ “The Quranic commandment of ‫الطلاق‬ َٰ ‫ مَ ّرتن‬is very clear. It means that a talaq after which reconciliation [ruju‘] can take place, can only be issued twice. It further states: َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َّ َ ُ ْ ْ ُ َ ُّ َ َ َ َ َ َّ َ ْ َ ‫ك َح ز ْو ًجا غي َره‬ ِ ‫ف ِإن طلقها فلا ت ِحل له ِمن بَعد حتى تن‬ It means that after these two talaqs, should the husband divorce his wife for the third time, then he has no right to reconcile with her. Thereafter, he can neither reconcile during the iddah period without a nikah nor after the iddah period with a nikah until that woman marries another man and he also divorces her without any prior intent to do so.

“Thus, in the case you have described, there is no room left for reconciliation between the spouses unless the condition ٗ ۡ َ َ ۡ َ ّٰ َ of ‫ک َح ز ۡو ًجا غی َرہ‬ ِ ‫ حتی تن‬is fulfilled.”

Classical books of tafsir [exegesis] Huzooraa was asked that if a nonAhmadi Muslim asks an Ahmadi to recommend a tafsir book written by a non-Ahmadi scholar, which tafsir should be recommended to them.

Huzooraa, in a letter dated 22 July 2019, gave the following reply to this question: “Tafsirs of all the classical scholars are fine. For your information, I am writing the names of some of them. There are, for example: “1. Tafsir al-Tabari, written in the third century AH. Its full name is Jami‘ al-Bayan fi Ta‘wil al-Quran and it was written by Abu Ja‘far Muhammad ibn Jarir ibn Yazid ibn Kathir al-Tabari.

“2. Mafatih-ul-Ghaib, a tafsir written in the sixth century AH by Imam Abu Abdullah Muhammad Fakhruddin ibn Khatib al-Razi which is also known as alTafsir al-Kabir. It is an excellent tafsir.

“3. Al-Jami‘ li Ahkaam al-Quran,

also known as Tafsir al-Qurtubi, a tafsir written in the seventh century AH by the renowned scholar, Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abu Bakr, who is also known as Imam al-Qurtubi.

“In addition to these, Tafsir al-Jalalain, Tafsir Ibn Kathir and Tafsir ar-Ruh alMa‘ani are good and worthy of being studied.”

Offering Salat behind a non-Ahmadi imam Huzooraa was asked for guidance on the following question submitted by some members: “Keeping in mind the environment of Ghana where there are non-Ahmadi imams who consider the Promised Messiahas and Ahmadiyyat to be the true and most excellent representation of Islam and who do not oppose it, but also do not succeed in accepting Ahmadiyyat due to some compelling reason, would it be permissible to offer prayers behind such individuals or imams?”

In a letter dated 22 July 2019, Huzooraa gave the following reply:

“The Promised Messiahas has discussed the issue of not praying behind a non-Ahmadi imam at length. Where he has clearly explained various aspects of this issue to us, he has also shed light on the aspect that you have mentioned.

Hence, on one occasion, such people were mentioned, who did not declare the Promised Messiahas a liar or a disbeliever and someone asked whether one could pray behind such people. The Promised Messiahas said: ‘If they do not act in a hypocritical manner as some people do (who follow the mantra of invoking Allah when among Muslims, and invoking Ram when among Hindus), then they should publicise that they neither consider me a liar nor a disbeliever, (and that they rather consider me a pious saint and a waliullah) and that they consider those who declare me a disbeliever to be disbelievers for they attribute disbelief to a believer. Thus, we would know that they are telling the truth.

Otherwise, how can we trust them and instruct people to pray behind them?

‫ق‬ ‫رگ ظفح رمابت ینکن ی‬ �‫زدن‬ ‘[If you are not considerate of rank, you shall lose your faith.]

‘Gentleness should be adopted where appropriate and firmness where it is appropriate. There was a kind of rightmindedness in Pharaoh and the result of that right-mindedness was that a phrase came out of his mouth, which did not come out of the mouths of hundreds of drowning disbelievers. That is: ٰ ٰ ۤ َّ َّ ٰ ۤ َ ٗ َّ َ ُ ۤ َ ۡ ]‫ا َم ۡنت انہ لا اِل َہ اِلا [ال ِذ ۡی ا َم َنت بِ ٖہ ب َ ُن ۡوا ا ِۡس َرٓاءِیۡل‬ ‘[I believe that there is no God but He in Whom the children of Israel believe.]

‘The following commandment came with regard to being gentle with him: َ ً َ َ َ ُ ‫قولال ُه ق ْولا ل ِّي ًنا‬ ‘[“(…) address him both of you, with gentle words”.]

‘On the other hand, the Holy Prophetsa َ ُْ ْ was commanded ‫“[ َواغلظ َعل ْيهِ ْم‬and be severe to them”]. It seems that those people did not have any right-mindedness at all. Therefore, it is necessary to speak candidly to people who raise these kinds of allegations so that whatever filth and malice is in their hearts may manifest itself and they may not bring any reproach upon the Community.’ (Badr, No. 16, Vol. 7, dated 23 April 1908, p. 4)” Angels, celestial bodies and their influence Huzooraa was asked regarding the effect of angels on the moon, the sun and the stars, the effect of these celestial bodies on human beings and the physical descent of angels on earth, with reference to Tauzeeh-e-Maraam, a book of the Promised Messiahas.

Huzooraa, in a letter dated 22 July 2019, gave the following reply to this question: “In this book, the Promised Messiahas has most profoundly elucidated the subject of angels’ influence on stars, how the sun, the moon and the stars influence plants, minerals and animals on our earth and how angels spiritually influence humans.

“The summary of his treatise on the influence of angels on the sun, moon and stars is that angels have been appointed to carry out the arrangement and management of the stars by the command of Allah the Exalted. Their influence

9

AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021 on these celestial bodies is not direct or without [divine] agency. Rather, the influence is exerted by the command of Allah the Exalted. Huzooras states: ‘It appears clearly from certain indications in the Quran that some of the pure beings that are called angels have a distinct relationship with heavenly bodies. Some of them drive the wind and some cause the rain to descend and some others cause other influences to descend upon the earth.’

“Then, another topic that the Promised Messiahas has explained is that these celestial bodies i.e. the sun, the moon and the stars, influence plants, minerals and animals on our earth day and night.

Hence, we observe that the size of fruits is fostered by the moonlight. The heat and warmth of the sun makes the fruits ripe and sweet and certain winds bring forth abundant fruit.

“In this regard, another topic that the Promised Messiahas has explained is that just as the angels exert their influence on the celestial bodies by the command of God Almighty and the celestial bodies affect the physical objects on our earth, so also do the angels have a spiritual influence on our hearts and minds by the command of God Almighty. Thus, he states: ‘In fact, this wonderful creation occupies its appointed place and by the perfect Wisdom of God Almighty, these spiritual beings are occupied in carrying everything that is eager, to its desired goal.

They perform external services as well as internal services. As our bodies and our overt faculties are influenced by the sun and the moon and other planets, in the same way, our hearts and minds and all our spiritual faculties are influenced by these angels according to our diverse capacities.’

“As far as the angels’ descending on earth and their interaction with human beings are concerned, it should be remembered that the Holy Quran, the ahadith of the Holy Prophetsa and the sayings of the Promised Messiahas prove that angels do not at all descend on earth with their real existence; rather, by Allah’s command, they interact with His pious people by adopting the likeness of humans. Hence, there are several such incidents mentioned in the Holy Quran and the ahadith. While explaining this topic, the Promised Messiahas said: ‘These bright spirits manifest themselves in human form to perfect servants of God. They appear to them in the likeness of humans.’ (Tauzeeh-eMaraam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 3, pp. 6872)” A documentary titled The Bloodline Of Christ Someone mentioned a documentary on Hazrat Isaas, titled The Bloodline Of Christ and asked Huzooraa about the validity of the story as narrated in the documentary.

In a letter dated 21 November 2019, Huzooraa gave the following reply to this question: “Many films and books have been made on this subject even before this. The statement in this documentary about the

migration of Hazrat Isaas is correct but his migration to France is not correct because there was no group of his followers in France at that time. On the contrary, his tribes were in the Kashmir region.

Therefore, they migrated to that region as the Promised Messiahas has proven in his book Jesus in India through various kinds of evidence.”

Importance of farming for EU countries and the UK after Brexit The virtual mulaqat of the Khuddam of the Netherlands with Huzooraa was held on 30 August 2020. A khadim asked Huzooraa whether we should pay more attention to farming given the current circumstances in the world. Huzooraa replied: “The thing is, the existing cooperation among EU countries means that they have practically distributed the farming duties amongst themselves such as this country will cultivate fruits, that country will cultivate crops and so on. It is in their best interest to continue doing so for as long as the European Union stays intact.

The Netherlands has the responsibility of producing dairy products and fruits, that too of a specific kind such as pears etc. or something like that.

“Now that the UK has exited through the Brexit [withdrawal process], it will be difficult to import fruits once they completely withdraw from the EU after some time and there will also be a wheat crisis. So, they will face difficulties.

Therefore, it is important for the UK to focus on agriculture and to try and develop it as much as possible. They need to try and become self-sufficient in agriculture, particularly in grains, vegetables and fruits.

“As far as Europe is concerned, it is pretty much self-sufficient for its grain.

In fact, they export it too. This is the case

for fruits as well. There are some specific vegetables that they import from tropical regions that are not available here unless they cultivate them in greenhouses.

Therefore, the best thing would be to depend on the produce of their countries.

This is all fine as long as Europe remains united. If a country is to leave the EU in the future, it will face the same difficulties that are being faced by England currently.

“When Russia was united, they had a system in place in which one state would cultivate wheat, another would produce cotton and yet others would produce other things. However, when the Soviet Union collapsed, it caused a lot of issues for their various states. This is why they should try to remain united.

“However, if there are chances of separation, then the politicians must think through and plan the provision of staple food for their population before planning the rest of their exit strategy. A plan should be in place for this. If you do so without planning, then you will have to go through the same issues that the UK is about to face. All the countries of the European Union should sit down and work out these complexities, such as what are the requirements of all 26 or 27 countries within the European Union and also what is their annual production of the various grains as compared to that requirement and how they could further improve that production in the future?

“So, in this regard, you are right to say that they should try to do something for this. However, if a crisis takes space after this which leads to war, and a foolish person decides to detonate an atom bomb in that war, then this will destroy any agriculture or anything else. Therefore we can only pray that Allah has mercy on us.”

How to do tarbiyat of children

During the same mulaqat, another Khadim asked Huzooraa as to how one should do the tarbiyat [moral reformation] of young children?

Huzooraa said: “The fact of the matter is that Allah the Exalted states that the tarbiyat of a child should start as soon as he is born. That is why it is a custom in Islam and it is also the sunnah of the Holy Prophetsa. We act upon what he used to say and that is that when a child is born, we call the azan in his right ear and the takbir in his left ear so that he may hear the name of Allah the Exalted and he may adhere to tawhid, the belief in the unity of Allah. So, Allah the Exalted has said that the tarbiyat of a child should start from day one. Do not think that the child is young and that he will not understand.

“When the child is young, explain things to him. When you give him something, explain to him that Allah the Exalted has granted this to you. Allah the Exalted provided for you. He put it in my heart, He provided me with the means [to provide this for you].

“We have to establish tawhid; so, first of all, develop their faith in Allah and explain to them that whatever they attain is all provided to them by Allah the Exalted. In this way, they will gradually increase their faith in Allah the Exalted. Then tell them that when Allah the Exalted grants us with various things, then we should be thankful to Him. Then explain to them that you are young right now and are not aware of everything, but you should always pray to Allah the Exalted that may He continue to bless us with His bounties and may He continue to bestow His blessings upon us.

We are older and so we know a bit more than you. That is why we prostrate before Continued on page 11

10

Friday 9 April 2021 | AL HAKAM

This Week in History 9 - 15 April In the fourth year of Al Hakam, we will present a selection of incidents from the blessed era of the Third Khalifa, Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmadrh (1965-1982)

13 April 1967: On this date, Hazrat Dr Hashmatullahra passed away. He was born in 1887 and took bai‘at of the Promised Messiahas in June 1902. God Almighty blessed him to serve Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra as his personal doctor and in-charge of the Nur Hospital, Qadian for a long period. He also accompanied Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra during his journey to Europe in 1924 and 1955.

On 20 September 1944, Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra stated: “Dr Hashmatullah Sahibra is a life devotee in his own right, meaning that he had devoted his life for the Jamaat a long time ago […] Then, he has a personal relation with me, due to which he deserves special treatment”.

Hazrat Dr Sahibra was among the Jamaat’s recipients of divine dreams.

Many of his insightful speeches and knowledgeable articles are recorded in the Jamaat’s newspapers.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh addressing the press at Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria, 1970

9 April 1970: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh visited West Germany.

9 April 1977: Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Nigeria held its fifth annual Ijtema, which was attended by more than 500 delegates from 25 Majalis.

10 April 1968: A three-day All Rabwah Basketball tournament was held.

10 April 1979: Indonesia’s 39th Majlise-Shura was held, which lasted for three days.

11 April 1970: On this date, Hazrat

Khalifatul Masih IIIrh began his tour of Nigeria, which continued until 17 April.

The Muslim Council of Nigeria hosted a grand reception in honour of Huzoorrh.

11 April 1976: The annual one-day gathering of Majlis Ansarullah was held at Aiwan-e-Mahmood Hall, Rabwah.

11 April 1979: On this date, an Ahmadiyya mosque and library were inaugurated in Padang, Indonesia.

11 April 1981: Nasirat-ul-Ahmadiyya England held their second seven-day tarbiyati class, which was attended by 142 nasirat.

12 April 1970: An Ahmadi judge of Nigeria’s supreme court, Abdur Rahim Baqri Sahib, held a reception in honour of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh. Huzoorrh also inaugurated a mosque.

Hazrat Dr Hashmatullahra

12 April 1975: The foundation stone of the Ahmadiyya mosque in Nusrat Jehan Girls Academy in Wa, Ghana was laid by Abdul Wahab bin Adam Sahib, former amir and missionary-in-charge Ghana.

12 April 1981: On this date, a new mission house in Afwan, Nigeria was established.

13 April 1968: On this date, Ivory Coast held its first Jalsa Salana.

13 April 1970: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh met with the then head of the state of Nigeria, Yakubu Gowon. Huzoorrh also addressed the University of Ibadan.

13 April 1973: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih

11

AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021 Continued from page 9

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh leading dua with Nigerian Head of State, Major General Yakubu Gowon, Dodan Barracks, Nigeria

IIIrh expressed his happiness upon the formation of the new constitution of Pakistan. During his Friday Sermon, Huzoorrh expressed his happiness and satisfaction upon the matter that after problems and complexities of 25 years, Allah the Almighty had enabled the representatives of the country to make a unanimous constitution. Huzoorrh also prayed that Allah the Almighty blessed this constitution for the country and nation.

13 April 1979: The Gambia held its fifth Jalsa Salana, which lasted for three days. Eight people pledged allegiance and joined the fold of Ahmadiyyat. dishes).

15 April 1970: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh, after mutual consultation, announced plans to open 16 more secondary schools and four new medical centres in Nigeria.

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15 April 1967: On this date, Hazrat Mehar Qutbuddinra passed away. He was born in 1882 and visited the Promised Messiahas in 1894-1895 when he performed bai‘at. Both his father and brother were also companions and were the first from Qadian’s “Arain” caste to take bai‘at after witnessing the sign of the solar and lunar eclipse.

The visitors of Qadian used to stay at their home. Mehar Qutbuddin Sahibra used to farm due to having a patch of land in Qadian. Once, he invited Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra to his home and served saag and makai ki roti (South Asian

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14 April 1968: A wedding ceremony took place between members of the Promised Messiah’sas family, which Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh also graced.

The wedding was between Dr Mirza Mubashir Ahmad Sahib, son of Dr Sahibzada Mirza Munawar Ahmad Sahib, and Amatur Raqeeb Begum Sahib, d/o Sahibzada Mirza Hameed Ahmad Sahib.

Before this, the nikah was announced

by Huzoorrh at the occasion of Jalsa Salana.

Hazrat Mehar Qutbuddinra

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Eastern

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Southeast

Owerri

Calabar Port Harcourt Bight of Biafra

Bafousam 100 km

Douala

100 miles

15 April 1981: On this date, Yaum-eDa‘wat-e-Ilallah (Day of Calling unto Allah) was celebrated by Jamaat UK.

Allah the Exalted and pray to Him. When you will grow older you too will begin to offer Salat.

“Then, the Holy Prophetsa has said that when a child turns seven years old, you should explain to the child that he has to offer Salat as it is obligatory upon us.

Then, the child should gradually offer two or three or four prayers or however many prayers he can. And when a child reaches the age of ten and becomes more mature, then you should inculcate a regular habit in him of offering his prayers.

“So, the tarbiyat which is done from the very beginning is what becomes fruitful later on in the child’s life. Then the child begins reading the Holy Quran etc.

“However, you should not put so much stress on a child where the child starts reading the Holy Quran at the age of three and by the age of four, he gets tired or fed up with it, and then when he reaches the age of 11, he starts going out in society and begins to take various liberties. A middle path should be adopted.

“Explain things to the child, enable them to develop faith in the existence of Allah the Exalted, present proofs of the truthfulness of Islam, explain to them that God Almighty sent the Promised Messiahas in this era to establish the truthfulness of faith, develop an interest within them by narrating short stories to them; short stories about the companions, about the prophets, about the blessings that Allah the Exalted has bestowed upon His people and about the blessings that He has bestowed upon you. So, this is how love for their faith is developed. If parents act upon this diligently and with pure intentions and explain these things to their children and bring them towards their faith, then they will become attached to their faith. They will become inclined towards God Almighty and they will be mindful of their prayers.

“However, like Punjabi people, to say, ‘Let the child be; he will get better by himself when he grows older’, is not correct. It will not work out positively in this way. Allah the Exalted has taught us that we should do their tarbiyat from day one. Therefore, the notion that the child will get better when he grows older is not correct. Train your children as they grow

older based on their age and display your own example to them.”

Essential daily obligations of a khadim During the same virtual mulaqat of 30 August 2020, another khadim asked Huzooraa as to what daily obligations a khadim ought to fulfil every day. Huzooraa replied: “A khadim should at least offer his five daily prayers on time. Wake up at Fajr time and offer your Fajr prayer at the appointed time and if there is a Salat-centre or a mosque close to your house, then go there to offer prayers in congregation. After returning from work, offer your Maghrib and Isha prayers in the Salat-centre and offer your Zuhr and Asr prayers at work. Be regular in your five daily prayers because this is a fundamental commandment. This is something one should be mindful of every day. Follow these things.

“You are not to simply mimic different positions of Salat; if you observe Salat because it is the commandment of Allah the Exalted, then other morals will also develop. When you will pray to Allah the ۡ َ ّ َ ۡ Exalted that ‫الص َراط ال ُم ۡس َت ِق ۡی َم‬ ِ ‫[ اِه ِد نا‬i.e. ‘Guide us in the right path’] whilst offering Salat, when this supplication will come from the heart, it will be to pray to Allah the Exalted that may He continue to spiritually guide you to the right path, so that you may not deviate from His path, may He enable you to adopt good morals as taught by Allah the Exalted and may He enable you to follow the teaching of Allah. ۡ َ َ َ ُ َ َ َ When you will pray ‫اِیّاك ن ۡع ُبد َو اِیّاك � ۡس َت ِعي ُن‬ [i.e. ‘Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help’], it of course means that, ‘O Allah the Exalted, we wish to worship You and we seek Your help, so please help us. Protect us from being among those people whom You punished and who deviated from the right path.’

Then, seek His grace and mercy do not only seek worldly gains from Him but also seek the blessings of the Hereafter.

“If a khadim offers his prayers with due diligence, then it may be deemed as though he has done everything that is required of him.”

(Translated by Aqeel Ahmad Kang, Al Hakam)

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Friday 9 April 2021 | AL HAKAM

A modern history of the Prophet’s caricatures: Ahmadiyya response to a blasphemy Asif M Basit Ahmadiyya Archive and Research Centre

Today, we take our readers a century back in time – well, 95 years to be precise.

It was 1925 and the issue of blasphemy had not yet turned into a selling point for religious extremists. Even back then, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya would protest against any act that compromised the honour of the Prophet of Islam. This protest – peaceful yet powerful – would be acknowledged and would bear fruits by culprits expressing their regret in response.

England has always been known for its world-leading performance in cricket.

The year 1925 had seen great anticipation in cricket aficionados that Jack Hobbs – England’s top-ranking first-class cricketer – set a new record.

Living up to the expectations of his fans, Hobbs scored his 126th century as his team played against Somerset.

As this broke the long-standing record of 125 centuries by Grace Jack Hobbs – another English cricketer – the whole country went into a frenzy of celebration; newspapers leading the much-exaggerated fuss from the front.

In its issue of 18 August 1925, The Star – a London based evening daily – printed a cartoon by David Low which depicted “a gallery of the most important historical celebrities”. All celebrities, standing on pedestals, were shown gazing up, as if in envy, at the tall and towering figure of Jack Hobbs who – holding his head high in pride – stood in the middle.

Amongst the celebrities, Prophet Adamas and the Holy Prophetsa of Islam were also depicted.

Adding insult to injury, a long sword was shown hanging from the waist of the Holy Prophetsa of Islam. Adamas was depicted as an almost-nude figure, more similar to a chimpanzee than a human.

As soon as the cartoon appeared, AR Dard – then imam of the London Mosque

and missionary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in England – took immediate notice and wrote letters not only to the editor of The Star, but also to the home secretary to express the injury it had caused to the sentiments of David Low Muslims.

He went on to send copies of these letters to other newspapers in England.

The letter addressed to the home secretary read: “Your Excellency, “In my capacity as the head of a very big section of the Muslim community in England, I deem it necessary to convey to Your Excellency on their behalf, and on behalf of many Egyptian, Indian and African Muslims who have approached me for that purpose, the feelings of fierce indignation and deep mortification that a cartoon printed in ‘The Star’, dated 18/8/25

(of which a copy is attached herewith) has aroused.

“The cartoon depicts Mr. Jack Hobbs as a colossal figure. At his feet are shown to stand some very reputed historical personages, including among them Adam and Mohammad the Holy Prophet of Islam (may peace and blessings of God be upon him). Like all others, they are made to look at Mr Hobbs apparently in astonishment and bewilderment at the latter scoring so many centuries in cricket. This ignominiously disgraceful cartoon has inflicted a deep wound on the religious susceptibilities of the Muslims.

“The Holy Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him) is the most sacred personage for the Muslims.

The love they bear towards him and the veneration with which they cherish his holy memory transcends all barriers of colour, caste and country. Of all earthly things, the most revered in their eyes is the honour of their Spiritual Master for whose sake every Muslim, young or old, high or low, man or woman, is ready to sacrifice his life and his all. A Muslim can bear anything but an affront offered to the name of his beloved

and revered Master. Your Excellency can, therefore, only imagine the intensity and the depth of the feelings that this manifold insult has stirred. Words cannot adequately express it. The greatest Monarch, of unequalled spiritual glory, the most perfect manifestation of God, the Cynosure of all eyes, the Prince of Peace, and a Mercy unto all mankind painted as a pigmy lost in amazement, and as a monster of bloodshed and carnage with a drawn sword in his hand!

No art could degenerate so low. Nothing could be more mischievous, on the part of a paper, than to play with the religious susceptibilities of a people. It is a disgrace to journalism. Could not the admiration of a cricketer be complete without heaping unmerited and unprovoked disgraces on the name of one who takes his stand in the first row of the greatest reformers of humanity? Surely this is the most malicious and insidious form of comparison.

“I need not draw Your Excellency’s attention to the storm of indignation and hatred which this cartoon would raise in India and all other Muslim countries.

“I protest, therefore, most empathically, against this despicable indignity loaded

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AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021

acts of

the cartoon depicted and excerpts from AR Dard’s letter that informed the home secretary about the status that the Holy Prophet of Islam holds in every Muslim heart.

“The writer asks, in conclusion”, the news went on, “that the Home Secretary shall ‘set the law in motion’ against the offenders, so that the world may know that England is justly proud of her traditional fairness and impartiality”. (The Daily Herald, 1 September 1925) Reporting on this issue, Al Fazl Qadian commented: “We would like to call the attention of the Government of India to this tragic issue so that it can represent the sentiments of its Muslim subjects before His Majesty the King-Emperor […]”. (Al Fazl Qadian, 26 September 1925)

The line of action given to AR Dard by the headquarters in Qadian can be summed up in the following report of Al Fazl: “While such letters [written by AR Dard] have helped shaming the The Star, they must have helped bring to public knowledge the level of respect and reverence that Muslims hold for the Holy Prophet of Islam. This is indeed important for had the Europeans not been so unaware, they would not injure the religious sentiments of Muslims so boldly.

It is incumbent upon Muslim missionaries that they replace this unawareness with an understanding of Islamic beliefs.” (Al Fazl, 29 September 1925)

Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Dardra

on our Holy Prophet (may peace and blessings of God be upon him) and request Your Excellency to give your most earnest attention to this very serious matter and set the law in motion against the offenders, so that the world may know that England is justly proud of her traditional fairness ad impartiality.

“Your Excellency’s most obedient servant, “AR Dard, MA, The Imam London, 26/8/25” (The Review of Religions, November 1925)

This letter of protest was picked up by the press and created a stir in the English society, more so in the government circles.

The Herald, in its issue of 1 September 1925, covered the controversy with the headline: “Muslim Feelings Injured: Set Law in Motion” The details read as follows: “The Home Secretary has received from the head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in London a protest, on behalf of the Muslim community in England, against the publication of a cartoon which appeared in The Star, London, when Hobbs surpassed the record of cricket centuries made by the late WG Grace”.

Then followed the details of what

This peaceful protest of the Ahmadiyya mission in London generated a similar response from other Muslim circles.

Al-Ahram, Cairo – an esteemed newspaper of the Muslim world – published communiqués received through their London correspondent about the Ahmadiyya response to the cartoon. AR Dard’s letter was published in full in the AlAhram issue of 4 September 1925.

The Al-Azhar University, the muchesteemed academic institute for the Egyptians and other Muslims alike, published their appeal to the king of Egypt.

The English translation of Al-Azhar’s appeal as published in Al-Ahram is as follows: “We published yesterday a telegram received by al-Ahram’s London correspondent. He mentions a protest written to the home secretary by an honoured member of the Ahmadiyya community in London. The letter is regarding the casual cartoon published in The Star newspaper, depicting prophets and other renowned persons. We received this letter in our recent post, the translation of which is as follows…”

Next, the Ahmadiyya protest letter was published in full.

Following the letter was an appeal by the scholars from Al-Azhar to the king of Egypt: “We shall take great part in standing up against the lack of respect displayed towards the very being and attributes of the Holy Prophet and will support the dismay expressed towards The Star by the Muslims.”

Also, “we shall demand on behalf of all Muslims, that the press should always regard the limits set by Allah in regard to His prophets.”

This editorial piece was followed by the Ahmadiyya letter and signed by 22 scholars of al-Azhar University.

Praise of the Ahmadiyya protest in the Muslim world

This episode of history bears witness to the fact that whenever the Western world of journalism disregarded religious values in the name of freedom of speech, the Ahmadiyya Muslim community has led from the front in protest. Other Muslim sects would also agree with the Ahmadiyya approach of protest, which was, and is the best approach.

The news of this cartoon and the Ahmadiyya protest reached the Muslims of the subcontinent as well.

Zamindar, a newspaper owned and edited

by Zafar Ali Khan, had always maintained a stringent anti-Ahmadiyya approach. But on this occasion, Zamindar too was compelled to state: “Muslims should be grateful to Maulvi Abdul Rahim Dard MA, Imam of the Ahmadiyya mosque, Putney. His immediate and powerful response to the home secretary, protesting this shameless cartoon, has thoroughly conveyed the anger and fury felt by Muslims all over the world.”

Similarly, the 22 September 1925 issue of Al-Jamiat, the newspaper of Jamiat-eUlama-e-Hind, wrote: “The readiness displayed by the Ahmadiyya community whilst advocating for the Muslims against this seditious cartoon is praiseworthy.”

It also commended the Ahmadiyya protest letter to have “done justice to representing the Muslims of Britain, India, Egypt and Africa.”

Since the spite and malice against the Ahmadiyya community was, nevertheless, intense, Al-Jamiat did not fail to maintain that undercurrent by quoting the Hadith: ٰ ّ ُ ‫اللّہ یؤیّدالدین‬ ‫برجل فاجر‬ ‫ان‬ They gave no translation as it was simply added to register that this appreciation did not mean friendship with Ahmadis.

Otherwise, the general Muslim public – mostly unacquainted with Arabic – would have seen it as below the belt.

The majority of the Indian press praised the Ahmadiyya Community for upholding the honour of the Holy Prophetsa.

The 15 September issue of Hamdard newspaper, owned by Maulana Muhammad Ali Johar, commented: “The Ahmadiyya community in London has brought this cartoon to the attention of the home secretary. They have demanded legal action against the newspaper for this unethical and derogatory publication. The community has also laid forth, in its letter, the hurt and injury it would cause to the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent or other Muslim nations if the cartoon was to reach them.”

The 17 September edition of Hamdum, an esteemed newspaper of the United Provinces, wrote: “It brings us great satisfaction to know what Mr AR Dard MA, in charge of the Ahmadiyya mission in Britain and Imam of their London mosque, has done. He has, in a request to the home secretary, highlighted the audaciousness of The Star newspaper and demanded legal action.”

Another popular newspaper Siyasat, Lahore, covered the story with the same level of appreciation.

The strong protest made by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat did not go in vain. The impact was to be witnessed very soon.

Wilson Pope, the editor of The Star, wrote a reply to Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahim Dard’sra protest letter on the 3 September: “The home secretary has sent me a copy of the protest letter regarding cartoons published in The Star on 18 and 26 August.

Let me start by saying that the government has no right to interfere in this matter.

“Let me also say that had we known that this cartoon would deeply wound the religious sentiments of Muslims, we would never have published it. I assure you that this cartoon was never, by any means, intended to hurt the Muslims. I am greatly saddened by the hurt it has caused to your co-religionists.”

The Imam of Masjid Fazal London also received a reply from Jack Hobbs: “Surrey County Cricket Club “Kennington Oval, S.E. 11 “29/8/1925 “Dear Sir, “I am pained to know that the cartoon in The Star dated 18/8/25 has offended the feelings of all Muslims.

“I need not say that I have no control over The Star nor any responsibility for the cartoons which it publishes. I am, however, pleased to learn that The Star has published its regrets and that it, and its cartoonists, would have refrained from introducing the figure of Mohammed (peace be upon him) if they had thought it could give offence.

“I am sorry that my success in cricket which has been shared with me by sportloving people all over the world has thus, unfortunately, become the occasion of wounding the religious susceptibility of my Muslim friends.”

“I wish it had not been so.”

“Believe me, Yours sincerely, (Signed) JB Hobbs.”

Hazrat Maulana Abdul Rahim Dardra immediately wrote back to Hobbs.

After expressing his gratitude for the letter, Dard Sahibra wrote: “I am not at all holding you responsible over the improper actions of The Star. I am simply requesting you to publicly distance yourself from the cartoon depicted in The Star […]

“I do not disagree with the fact that you don’t hold any responsibility in regards to The Star. However, I honestly believe that even one word opposed to the cartoon would thoroughly suffice in preserving your legacy from any ill manner.

“I believe you will be praised by the Muslim world for distancing yourself and in doing so heal their hearts.

“Yours sincerely, “AR Dard “3/9/1925” Soon after, The Star published its apology to the public followed by Jack Hobb’s aforementioned letter.

The press was excited by the strong protest demonstrated by the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, as were the government circles.

Hence, the foreign minister wrote a letter to the Imam of Fazl mosque: “I have been instructed by Foreign Secretary, Lord Chamberlain, to acknowledge your letter of 27 August. This letter (which you also sent a copy of) was a protest regarding the cartoon published in The Star on the 18th of August and was addressed to the foreign secretary.

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Friday 9 April 2021 | AL HAKAM

َّ ّٰ ُ َ َّ ‫الﺸ ْﻴ َﻄ‬ ‫ﻴﻢ‬ ‫أ ُعوذ ِﺑا�� ِ� ِم َن‬ ِ ِ ‫ان الر ِﺟ‬ َّ َ ْ َّ ّٰ ْ ‫ﻴﻢ‬ ِ ‫ِﺑس ِﻢ ا�� ِ� الرﺣﻤ ٰـ ِن الر ِﺣ‬

َ َْ َ ْ ْ َ َ َّ َّ �ِ �‫الﺼ�َ�ة ﺗﻨ َﻬ ٰﻰ َع ِن الﻔ ْﺤﺸا ِء َوال ُﻤﻨ‬ ‫ِإن‬ “Surely, Prayer restrains one from indecency and manifest evil.”

(Surah al-Ankabut, Ch.29: V.46)

“I want to inform you that the government is unable to take any legal action against the newspaper. Nevertheless, Lord Chamberlain took it upon himself to discuss your widely renowned protest in person with the editor of The Star. This informal meeting led to the editor of the newspaper publishing his apology on the 9th of September. A copy of the apology is hereby attached for you. I hope that this should satisfy the community.”

The outcome of the protest The tremendous efforts, displayed by the Ahmadiyya Community, in regard to its protest against the cartoon, had a deep impact on society in general.

This cartoon, appearing in The Star in 1925, was to work as a prelude for the modern-day press creating caricatures of the Holy Prophetsa. Thus, the Ahmadiyya response – by way of a very peaceful yet powerful protest – is recorded in history as the first and best response shown; one that brought back apologies.

We have already seen the apology by the newspaper’s editor, Wilson Pope, which he wrote to the Ahmadiyya mission in London and later published it in the same newspaper.

We have also seen that the government, albeit on an informal level, did take action by reminding the editor of the newspaper of his ethical duties.

Let us now turn to David Low, the creator of this cartoon, and see how he saw the whole episode.

When David Low wrote an autobiography several years later, he could not help but mention the Ahmadiyya protest on his cartoon. Below are his thoughts, taken from his autobiography: “[The cartoon] brought a large number of letters, eulogizing and applauding, which surprised me, and an indignantly worded protest which surprised me even more from the Ahmadiyya Moslem Mission, which deeply resented Mahomet being represented as competing with Hobbs, even of his being represented at all. The editor expressed his regrets at the unintentional offence and regarded the whole thing as settled. But no…”

He went on to write:

“The whole incident showed how easily a thoughtless cartoonist can get into trouble. I had never thought seriously about Mahomet. How foolish of me […] I was ashamed of […] drawing him in a silly cartoon.” (David Low’s Autobiography, by David Low, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1957)

The Ahmadiyya mission in London received praise from Muslims all over for their protest in honour of the Holy Prophetsa.

Modern historians look back Looking back, modern historians cannot help but admit that this protest not only helped express Muslim emotion about their Prophetsa, but also acted as a deterrent for future heart-breaking events for many decades.

How historians today acknowledge this contribution of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, is summarised in this statement by a modernday historian: “Despite the indignation expressed in 1925, nobody’s life was threatened, let alone be taken. There was no fatwa.” (Outrage: Art, Controversy, and Society, by Richard Howells, Andreea Deciu Ritivoi and Judith Schachter, Palgrave MacMillan, 2012)

We have seen above the letter sent by the government to the Ahmadiyya mission in London. They expressed their regrets for not being able to officially intervene, yet showing their displeasure that it had even happened. The letter also states the officials having a private meeting on the matter with the editor of The Star. Details of this meeting were not mentioned.

However, as much detail as we have been able to obtain from the government’s records shows that this informal meeting – which took place in the foreign secretary’s office – was about being cautious in publishing something that could possibly injure the sentiments of a particular community; in this case, the Muslim community worldwide.

Today, historians agree to the peaceful nature of the Ahmadiyya protest – that persuaded the cartoonist, David Low, and the editor, Pope Wilson, to express their regrets publicly – as the best protest ever to have surfaced. Even the government, albeit unofficially, had to step in and remind The

Star newspaper of its moral duties.

This was again due to the peaceful nature of the Ahmadiyya Community. Modernday historians continue to acknowledge the strength and pragmatism behind the Ahmadiyya approach.

Below is an excerpt from a book published as lately as 2020: “This is an interesting response from several perspectives. First, because rather than seeking to defend free speech […] the secretary of state for India Frederick Edwin Smith […] remarked that newspapers should be more aware of this kind of sentiment but, since the paper had already apologized, there was no need to take it further. Smith clearly, therefore, had no interest in seeking to defend the rights of the newspaper to include any public figure they wished in their cartoon and instead expected that the paper would be aware enough to self-censor. Second, there was enough awareness of Muslim views on depictions of Muhammad that the secretary of state was able to opine on the matter in a manner which suggested that not only were Muslim attitudes to Muhammad depictions common knowledge in government circles but that they were more widely understood as well.” (Courting Islam: US-British Engagement with Islam since the European Colonial Period, by Sean Oliver-Dee, Lexington Books, London, 2020)

Modern historians have also admitted that the Ahmadiyya Community was, back then, barely settled in Britain and their numbers too were greatly inferior to other Muslims. Nonetheless, their grand stance in safeguarding the honour of the Holy Prophetsa and emphatic protest held no bounds. The offenders were left with no choice but to apologise.

Here is an example of such reports: “Low was surprised by the exaggerated praise for his cartoon, but he was even surprised when an ‘indignantly worded protest’ arrived from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in London. The Mission was just laying the foundations for the capital’s first mosque, and it took offence at the inclusion of Muhammad as one of the minor statues, looking admiringly up at Hobbs. Wilson Pope wrote to the Mission, and ‘expressed his regrets at the unintentional offence’ […]”

(Showing politics to the people: cartoons, comics and satirical prints, by Nicholas Hiley, included in Using Visual Evidence, Ed. Richard Howells and Robert W Matson, McGraw-Hill OUP, New York, 2012)

The author also writes how Low had been reminded in the past in keeping religious sentiment in mind; however, those issues were never taken with the same seriousness as on this occasion.

The roots of extremism in protests Whilst praising the Ahmadiyya protest, some Muslim groups came to the realisation that such could prove counterproductive to their anti-Ahmadiyya agenda. How could they simply praise them and stay quiet?

Zafar Ali Khan, in Zamindar, published an editorial piece in mid-October in an attempt to move the Muslim masses. He writes: “We suggest that all the Muslims in the subcontinent, be it in towns or villages, take to their respective streets and gather in mass and pray: “‘O, Lord! We are helpless. Deprived of worldly power. The Pharaohs of this age are disgracing yours and your Holy Prophet’ssa name. O God, give us the power to eliminate these oppressors and establish yours and your Holy Prophet’ssa honour.”

With this curse, Zamindar went on to provoke the Muslim masses: “We have, until now, stayed quiet. And the disrespect towards the Holy Prophetsa has not enraged us. If only all Muslims would join hands in the above prayer!”

The Ahmadiyya Community gathered the whole affair was taking a turn for the extreme. Thus, Al Fazl, on 13 October 1925, copied the article from Zamindar and wrote: “We don’t agree with the prayer written here, instead we present our own prayer: “Lord! This blind world finds itself endlessly circling into the abyss.

Enlighten them sense and wisdom so they may recognise Your Pure Being, Holy Prophetsa and spiritually embedded book […] don’t dishearten your weak but obedient people and save them from oppression. Through your grace and mercy, spread your true religion, Islam, to the corners of the earth so ignorant men might save themselves by refraining from disrespecting and humiliating You and Your Prophetsa. And afterٰ fulfilling the promise of ‫ واخرین منهم لما یلحقوابهم‬Islam might regain its former domination, majesty and glory.”

Hence, the Ahmadiyya Community distanced itself from the extreme views of other Muslims. However, Zamindar and other like-minded Muslims took root and extreme views toward The Star newspaper began to surface.

The Indian correspondent for The Morning Post, London, reported great turmoil among the Muslims. They had taken to the streets while protesting. The correspondent also reported a threat given publicly by Muslims of Calcutta: “Had this happened in India, the world would have witnessed bloodshed”.

80 years on: The 1925 episode echoes When historians, researchers and analysts study Muslims’ reaction to the cartoons published about the Holy Prophetsa, the majority always refer to the 1925 cartoon published in The Star. Usually highlighted is the reaction shown by the Muslim world when Denmark first published a cartoon of

15

AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021 the Holy Prophetsa in 2005.

What was it that, on this occasion, that persuaded Muslims to take up arms against the cartoonists and publishers and even the innocent public?

It is widely thought that the Ahmadiyya Community’s peaceful and dignified reaction of 1925 led to the matter being handled with elegance and excellence. This credit could not be left for the Ahmadis; therefore, the Muslims felt compelled to take an approach that went beyond the Ahmadiyya response.

In 1925, the Calcutta correspondent of The Morning Post reported the nonAhmadi Muslim reaction thus: “[…] quite unwittingly, the cartoon has committed a serious offence which, had it taken place in this country [i.e.

India], would almost certainly have led to bloodshed.” (Religious Offence and Human Rights: The Implications of Defamation of Religions by Lorenz Langer, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2014)

Langer goes on to comment: “More than eighty years later, the warnings from The Morning Post correspondent should have sounded eerily prescient when the publication of another cartoon of Mohammed […] did indeed lead to bloodshed.” (Lorenz Langer) It is rather unfortunate to notice that the rest of the Muslims, to part ways with the Ahmadiyya approach, chose violence as their expression on such incidents – thus strengthening the anti-Islam narrative more than anything.

When Jyllands-Posten published the caricatures of the Holy Prophetsa of Islam in 2005, Muslims had three choices – all tried and tested before them: 1. To respond in a similar manner as to that seen when Ummahatul Mominin – a seditious book about the Holy Prophetsa and his Wivesra – was published in 1897 2. To respond in the manner shown at the time of the 1925 The Star cartoon 3. Violence (which had become common since the atrocities of 9/11) One Ahmad Shah Shaiq – a Muslim converted to Christianity – wrote a book titled Ummahatul Mominin in 1897 and ridiculed the character of the Holy Prophetsa of Islam. The book – as the author put it – was written in response to Muhammad Hussain Batalvi’s challenges which had frequented his newspaper Ishaatus-Sunnah.

The publication of the book brought back a strong reaction from Muslim circles of India. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian, the founder of the Ahmadiyya community, condemned any reaction of violent or extremist nature, so much so that he saw no point in Anjuman-e-Himayat-eIslam’s memorial that they had sent to the Government of India to proscribe the book.

He maintained his stance that such actions only attracted more attention for seditious material in question and, therefore, should only be responded to by replying to allegations so that readers get to see both sides of the picture. It was this approach of his that was to set an exemplary model for Ahmadis in particular and in general for other Muslims to take up in the wake of any such incident.

Muslims, however, remained so confused that even when any Muslim took it upon him to write a reply, they forgot about the actual contention and turned

their guns towards the Muslim defender.

The best example of such confusion is the book Ummahatul Ummah by Nazir Ahmad (commonly known as “Dipti” (Deputy) Nazir Ahmad in Urdu literature).

A well-respected Muslim, Nazir Ahmad, was seen as more of a foe than a friend for the mere reason that he had not used venerating salutations with the names of the Holy Prophet’ssa family as was customary in Urdu writing. Muslim scholars confiscated all copies of his book, heaped them in a large gathering of Nadwat-ul-Ulama and burnt them all to ashes. Nazir Ahmad, a seasoned and esteemed writer of Urdu, is said to have been left so heartbroken that he never put pen to paper ever after. (Ganjina-e-Gauhar, Shahid Ahmad Dehlvi, Karachi, 1962)

This one incident is sufficient to prove that Muslims – in their attempt to always remain distinct from the Ahmadiyya approach – had embarked upon a route of extremism which was to stay with them forever; even to get worse with time.

Then there was the precedent set by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in 1925 in response to the cartoon that appeared in The Star. The Muslims, again, had shown a differing approach by threatening of violence – as The Morning Post had reported back then, and we have quoted above.

The third option was to take up arms against the perpetrators. This is what the anti-Islam circles desired and this is exactly what they achieved through a foolish cartoon. The Muslims fell prey to the plot and their violent reactions worked to strengthen the Islamophobic propaganda.

The following analysis by Anja Kublitz sums up the stimulus/response chain concisely: “The cartoon controversy mirrors 9/11.

Whereas the attack on the Twin Towers, a symbol of capitalism and Western world, created a political platform on which Western nations could unite and initiate the ‘global war on terror’, the insulting of the Prophet, the main symbol of Islam, created a platform that Muslim communities could use to counter Western hegemonies” (The

Cartoon Controversy, by Anja Kublitz, in Social Analysis, Vol 54, Issue 3, 2010)

The extremist reaction shown by the majority of the Muslim world to the Danish cartoons of 2005, is summed up by Lorenz Langer (cited above) as follows: “Over the ensuing months, outrage over the cartoons and their republication by numerous European papers spread through the Muslim world: Danish goods were boycotted, and the embassies of Denmark

and other European countries in Beirut, Damascus and Teheran were assailed and even torched by protesters. Since 2005, more than 100 people have died and over 800 were injured in protests related to the cartoon.”

Whilst the rest of the Muslims reacted to the audacious caricature published by Denmark in 2005 with bloodshed, the spiritual head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa responded in the most Islamic manner.

The very same example was shown by the Ahmadiyya Community when journalism launched its very first major attack in the name of “freedom of speech”.

The headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Community had by then relocated to London. An opportunity for competing against the Western idea of freedom of speech from within had presented itself. In other words, an even greater challenge than before.

At a time like this, the spiritual head of the Ahmadiyya Community brought attention to highlighting the life of the Holy Prophetsa. He himself gave a series of sermons in order to highlight the excellent life and character of the Holy Prophetsa. He prayed for such unaware cartoonists and journalists and instructed his community to pray that Allah enabled them to understand the beauty of the Holy Prophet’ssa character.

He encouraged the Ahmadiyya Community to do whatever was in their capacity to highlight the magnificence of the Holy Prophet’s life.

Right at the onset of his Khilafat, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, had focused on demystifying Islam. Having taken office as Khalifatul Masih in the spring of 2003, he found Islam tangled in misconceptions and allegations of all sorts; it had turned into a synonym of violence.

As part of the very first steps he took to counter the situation, he launched the Peace Symposium from London which started to function as a rebuttal of allegations against Islam and its Holy Founder.

By 2006, the platform was fully functional and worked as a great means to rid Islam of attacks lodged on it by the anti-Islamic forces. Alongside using this platform, he delivered a series of sermons – from 10 February to 10 March 2006 – to refute all allegations that led the Western world to see the Holy Prophetsa of Islam as nothing more than a warlord and an instigator of violence.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad,

Khalifatul Masih Vaa has, ever since, travelled to a large number of countries around the world and has spoken to parliaments, conferences, receptions and press conferences about the peaceful nature of Islamic teachings. He is, without a doubt, the only person to have strived to this extent on an awareness-raising campaign about Islam and its Holy Founder.

While in Copenhagen – the birthplace of Danish cartoons of 2005 – a reception was held in his honour. Mayors of various Danish cities, parliamentarians, politicians, members of the press and the intelligentsia comprised his audience as he delivered his address that evening. The audience was all ears to his words: “A charge that is often levelled at Islam is that it was spread violently by the sword.

This allegation is completely unfounded and indeed nothing could be further from the truth. All of the wars fought during the life of the Holy Prophetsa and the four rightly guided Caliphs who succeeded him, were entirely defensive in nature, where war had been forced upon them.”

He went on to state: “Even here in Denmark, some years ago, there were cartoons printed that sought to ridicule the Foundersa of Islam and to portray him, God forbid, as an imperialistic leader and belligerent warmonger. This unjust portrayal of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa defies history and defies the truth. The reality is that the Holy Prophetsa was forever enslaved by his determination to establish peace and the rights of humanity.” (For further details: www. pressahmadiyya.com; World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace, by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, accessible at www.alislam.org)

At the end, I would like to put my personal affiliation with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and my allegiance to Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa aside, when I make the following claim: Thorough research has led me to believe, without any doubt, that Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad is, in this day and age, the defender of Islam and its Holy Founder par excellence. So is the community that he leads; it always has been.

I have presented my research above to prove my point. Should someone wish to contest it, they are welcome to come forward, as long as their claim comes with a same or similar level of evidence-based research. Alhamdulillah!

(Translated by Tahmeed Ahmad, Missionary, UK)

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Friday 9 April 2021 | AL HAKAM

Clement Wragge’s second meeting with the Promised Messiah Prof Wragge: In the Bible it is written that Adam, or the first man, as he should be called, was created in the region mentioned in Genesis, chapter II. Are we to understand that the various human races found all across the world like in America and Australia etc. are descendants from the same common ancestor?

The Promised Messiahas: We are not of that opinion; we do not agree with the Biblical view that the world began only about six or seven thousand years ago, with the creation of Adam, and that till then there existed nothing at all. This would imply a previous period when God, so to say, was inert and inactive and His attributes were in a state of abeyance – a view which we can never accept. Nor do we believe that the different races scattered all over the world have exclusively descended from this one Adam.

We believe that human beings existed even before the time of the Adam [spoken of in the Old Testament]. This view is clearly implied in the words of the Holy Quran where it says ‫انى جاعل فى الارض خليفة‬ [I am about to place a Khalifa in the earth]. The word ‫[ خليفة‬khalifa] means a successor. This verse implies, therefore, that Allah’s creation existed before Adam.

Consequently, with regard to the races found in America and Australia, we are not in a position to say whether they have descended from this last Adam or from a different ancestor or ancestors.

There is a saying of Hazrat Mohyud-Din Ibn-e-Arabi that bears on this question. He writes that when he went on pilgrimage to Mecca, he met a man there who, he thought, was Adam. He asked the man if he was Adam to which the man replied, “There have been thousands of Adams; which of them do you seek?”

Prof Wragge: Do you believe in evolution and hold that man has progressed by degrees from lower stages of life to higher ones, and that he evolved first from a snake, scorpion etc. into an ape and then evolved into a man. [Also] when did the soul come into existence?

The Promised Messiahas: We do not consider that man was formerly an ape whose tail disappeared and whose hair fell off in the course of a long process of evolution culminating in a human being.

That humans have descended from an ape is a claim, the onus of proof for which lies on those who put forth this view. They cannot prove the truth of this theory unless they can show an ape in the process of emerging into a human being. How can

Sir Harold Nicholas | Wiki Commons

Part II

Professor Clement Wragge

we accept such fanciful stories?

Nevertheless, we do accept lots of Adams have passed; however, according to what we know at the moment and what we observe every day, humans are born from humans. An ape giving birth to a human or a human giving birth to an ape has never been observed by anyone. This is just a story like those in novels.

A species always gives birth to the same species. The law of God in this respect is plain for anyone who cares to see; the offspring of a donkey is always a donkey; the off-spring of a horse is always a horse and monkeys reproduce only monkeys. As opposed to this unfailing universal law, if anyone claims that monkeys at one time gave birth to human beings, it behoves them to prove their case. Simply saying that perhaps it was so, has no substance.

Allah the Almighty has put before us an observable proof – those who want to oppose this should present a clear proof, otherwise nothing is proven true through a mere claim.

As for the soul, this too is a creation [of God]. It is generated by God Almighty from matter in the human body [at a certain stage in its existence] – I have discussed this topic in detail in my new published book, Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat. The human soul, while hidden and latent, already exists in the human sperm. During the changes which the sperm goes through in the womb, the [primitive] soul too goes through a process of evolution. At the end of the fourth month of pregnancy, or the beginning of the fifth, a radical

transformation takes place and the human soul emerges, as Allah the Almighty says: َ ٰ ًۡ َ ُ ٰۡ ََۡ ُ ‫ﺛ َّم ا�ﺸانہ خلقا اخ َر‬ [then We developed it into another creation] [Surah al-Mu‘minun, Ch.23: V.15] It is a serious error to assume, as the Arya Samajists do, that the human soul is co-eternal with God. This view, when we follow all the implications, ends in God not being God at all and only by name.

The human soul is a rarefied essence, created by God that grows along with the other processes of growth in the life of humans. For instance, take the fruit that grows on the cluster fig tree. Even when unripe, this fruit contains, in an incomplete form, the living eggs of certain insects, which, with the ripening of the fruit, develop into living insects who are found in the fruit, and often, when you break the fruit open, you can see them fly away. In addition to the cluster fig there are a number of other trees the fruit of which offers instances of this kind.

Thus, what we perceive to be going on around us in nature, supports our point of view. A truth established on the basis of observation and experience should not be ignored. In reality, fruits of the kind mentioned above come into being with certain matter already present in them which grow as the fruit grows in size and ripens.

Prof Wragge: Those who believe in spiritualism hold that life has come down from the moon, and intelligence from Jupiter and that the moon was from the earth. The earth in the early stages, they say, was extremely soft, at which time a portion of it flew apart and went swimming in space and became what we know as the moon. They hold, thus, that life really originated in this earth, from where it travelled to the moon when the fragment broke away from it, and from the moon it descends upon man. What is your view with regard to this matter?

The Promised Messiahas: We recognise that the sun and the moon and all other heavenly bodies have an effect and influence [on the earth]. Humans take benefit from their effects too and even when the child is in the mother’s womb, it is subject to their influences. Islam does not oppose this principle and we see no reason why we should hesitate to accept it. Moonlight, undoubtedly, has a great influence over crops – it helps fruits grow, makes them sweet and some people have even heard the cracking of pomegranates

as they burst open at night under the influence of moonlight.

As for further and intricate details not yet well established, we are not prepared to accept them. It is plainly stated in the Holy Quran that the sun and the moon and all other heavenly bodies are the servants of mankind and useful to them. We therefore do not hesitate to believe that we derive benefit from all heavenly bodies just as we derive benefit from crops. If it is proven that intelligence has some connection with Jupiter, we will be ready to accept that too.

(At this point, Professor Clement Wragge said: “I used to think science and religion hugely contradicted each other, as is the common belief amongst learned men. However, you have completely removed this contradiction.”

In response, the Promised Messiahas said: “This is part of our mission; we are proving that science and religion have no disagreement; rather, religion is in complete harmony with science and no matter how far science advances, it will never be able to falsify the teachings of the Holy Quran and the principles of Islam.”)

Prof Wragge: In connection with the soul, how should we name what is found in flies and similar living creatures low in the scale of life?

The Promised Messiahas: The soul is of three kinds, 1. the plant soul 2. The animal soul 3. The human soul. We do not believe that all three stand on a footing of equality.

Of these, it is the human soul alone that inherits true life and combines in itself the seed of all perfections. The other two forms, the souls of plants and animals, also have a type of life but those souls cannot compare with the human soul, nor can they reach the ranks that human souls can.

They cannot compare with human souls in terms of beauties and abilities either.

Even if there are some similarities, I wish not to get into this minute debate. It is conceivable that there are some points of resemblance, but just as externally there is evident difference between humans and these lower forms of life, similarly there are vast differences between their spiritual capabilities.

In fact, it is admitted that a crude and elementary form of sensitiveness is to be found between plant lives too. If a bamboo is planted under a roof, it continues to grow straight until it reaches within a few inches of the roof, then it deflects the direction of its growth. Then there is the Continued on next page >>

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AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021 << Continued from previous page

plant popularly called “touch-me-not” in Punjabi; the moment it is touched, its leaves contract. These facts are recorded in old reliable scientific works and they are borne out by common observation. But questions of this kind need not too much attention. A layman can better utilise his time in other ways […] going into minute debates about this and wanting to find out all details and wasting time in doing so is not good.

Prof Wragge: Once, I went to a church and the priest there said that “humans are despicable and filthy creatures. They continue to fall every day and do not have the ability to progress. This is why, to give them salvation and to protect them from sin, God sent His only son for atonement.”

However I know humans can progress in doing good. If this child of mine does something bad right now due to his ignorance and not knowing [the difference between good and bad], then after some time, when he gains intelligence and his knowledge increases, he will himself understand that this act is wrong and will stay away from it and do good acts instead.

What do you believe in this regard?

The Promised Messiahas: Humans are good; they can do good deeds and have been given the abilities to excel and progress. A person can progress in good and, as a result, achieve salvation.

Prof Wragge: These people [Christians] say that even if someone does hundreds of thousands of good deeds, they are still doomed for destruction, unless they believe in the atonement of Jesus. What do you say about this?

The Promised Messiah : A person is required to take actions and to strive.

There is no need for atonement. The spiritual system is just like the physical one. Consider the example of a harvester as

(in the physical system). Observe how hard he toils to plough, plant seeds and give water etc.

We do not accept that there is no salvation besides atonement. In fact, the concept of atonement is a hurdle in the way of human progress.

Prof Wragge: What is meant by purity?

The Promised Messiahas: Purity means a person is not overcome by their human carnal passions that take them away from God Almighty and aim to immerse them [in those passions]. [Purity is] that a person walks according to God’s pleasure until no utterance or action of his is carried out without the pleasure and decision of God. God is Holy and Pure. He guides mankind according to His attributes. He is Merciful and wants mercy from mankind too. He is Generous and wants mankind to be generous. God Almighty’s attributes are observable in nature. Physically, we observe the world has existed for a very long time. God has provided mankind with sustenance, water, clothing, light etc. – He has continued to provide for all human essentials and needs. And, at all times, His attributes of mercy and grace and all of His beautiful names have helped and assisted creation. Thus, the purpose of this is that God Almighty desires to imbue mankind with the colours of His attributes.

At this, Professor Clement L Wragge and his wife thanked the Promised Messiahas and said they were very thankful that he gave them audience, spoke to them, showed courtesy, increased their knowledge and that they enjoyed their time with him.

(Malfuzat, Vol. 10, pp. 432-438; translated by Al Hakam, with assistance from the translation published in The Review of Religions, May 1939)

Ramadan is not for resting Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra, said: “Fasting is not meant to keep a person hungry, but to inculcate the habit of self-control, and to worship God and to draw people near to Him. However, what can be said about the fast of that person who eats sehri [pre-dawn meal] and then falls asleep [without praying]?” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 13, p. 331)

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Friday 9 April 2021 | AL HAKAM

100 Years Ago...

Nayyar in Africa, arrival of missionary in London and tabligh in India Al Fazl, 11-14 April 1921 Rahim Bakhsh [also known as Maulana Abdur Rahim Nayyar in Africa ra Dard ], Nazir Talif-o-Ishaat, Qadian Members of the Jamaat have to wait only a little more as the first [Note: Mahfooz-ul-Haq Ilmi Sahib accepted Ahmadiyyat letter of Maulvi Abdur Rahim Sahib Nayyar from Africa will be but it was later discovered that he was a covert agent of the published in the next issue [of Al Fazl]. It carries a lot of good Baháí Faith.

Thus, later, he would no longer remain part of the news. (Editor, Al Fazl) Ahmadiyya Jamaat.]

Another missionary of Ahmadiyya Jamaat in London Tour of Hazrat Mir Nasir Nawab Sahib It has come to our knowledge from the latest foreign mail Hazrat Mir Sahib along with Baba Muhammad Hassan Waiz that Sheikh Ahmadullah Sahib, Head Clerk of Nowshera are on a tour of Montgomery District, Multan District and Dera Cantonment, has reached London for tabligh. May God Ghazi Khan via Pakpattan. The anjumans of the said districts Almighty be with him. should assist them in their assigned work [of tabligh].

Our missionary in Calcutta (Translated by Al Hakam from the We have received a letter from Maulvi Mahfuz-ul-Haq Sahib original Urdu in the 11-14 April (ilmi maulvi fazil) that he has reached Calcutta [for tabligh] on 1921 issue of Al Fazl) 25 March [1921].

Ansarullah Ijtema in Western Congo

Shahid Mehmood Khan Missionary, Congo Kinshasa

Majlis Ansarullah DRC Congo organised the Western Congo ijtema on 27 and 28 March 2021. The ansar of four regions i.e.

Bandundu, Kikwit, Central Kongo and Kinshasa participated in the ijtema. Due the restrictions on huge gatherings, only a fixed quota of ansar participated from each region. According to the instructions of the Amir Jamaat, the organszation was divided in different nizamats under the nazim-e-ala, Abu Bakar Tshitenge Sahib.

The syllabus of the academic competitions and the programme of the ijtema were sent to the regions a month before the ijtema. The preparations started a week before the proposed date. Ansar from all the four regions arrived on the

night of 26 March 2021.

The ijtema was held in the central mission house Barumbu Kinshasa and the Ahmadiyya School.

On 27 March, the day commenced with the Fajr prayer. The missionary of Kinshasa region presented a dars on the importance of speaking the truth. All the participants prepared themselves for the inauguration ceremony, which started at 10am. Sadr Majlis Ansarullah DRC, Younus Bemba Sahib presided over the ceremony.

After the recitation of the Holy Quran, everyone repeated the pledge for Ansarullah. Sadr Sahib Ansarullah then delivered a short speech about the responsibilities of a nasir and the inauguration ceremony concluded with silent payer led by Sadr Majlis Ansarullah.

The competitions started immediately after the ceremony. This year, seven academic and three sports competitions took place during the ijtema. Academic competitions included tilawat, speech, azan, observation test, Chinese whispers, hifz-e-Quran and prayer competition, while the sports competitions included tug of war, arm wrestling and thread a needle competition.

The competitions continued until the evening with only a break for Zuhr and Asr prayers and lunch.

The second day commenced with the Fajr prayer. The missionary of Kinshasa region presented a dars on the topic of the importance of prayer.

After breakfast, all the participants gathered in the Bait-ul-Ahad mosque, Barumbu Kinshasa to listen to the Friday

Sermon by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa delivered on 26 May 2017. Huzooraa delivered this sermon about the blessings of Khilafat.

The concluding ceremony commenced at 11 am. Amir and Missionary-in-charge DRC, Khalid Mahmood Shahid Sahib presided over the ceremony. After the recitation and the Ansarullah pledge, Sadr Majlis Ansarullah presented a brief report of the Ijtema, followed by the prize distribution ceremony.

Amir Sahib delivered a speech about the objectives of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya.

The ceremony came to an end with the silent prayer led by Amir Sahib.

All the participants were served with a meal at the end of the ijtema.

The attendance was 102, of which 87 were ansar.

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AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021

Wisdom behind fasting Sayings of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II regarding Ramadan Al Fazl, 8 July 1949 4. The practice of bearing hardships Also, Islam does not want people to be lazy, careless and not to possess the habit of enduring hardships, but it wants them to be able to bear all kinds of difficulties in times of need. Every year, fasting produces this strength in Muslims and those who obey this command will never perish by indulging in luxury and laxity.

The Holy Quran has presented the following wisdom behind fasting: 1. Remembrance of Allah ُ َٰ ّ َ ٰ ّٰ ‫ل ُِتك ِ� ُروا الل َہ َعلى َما هدﻛ ۡم‬ “That you may exalt Allah for His having guided you.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.186) This means that one of the benefits of [fasting] is that you will definitely be able to remember Allah the Almighty in these days because neither will you be occupied by eating and drinking all day long, nor you will be distracted by constant work.

2. Being grateful ُ ۡ َ ُ َّ َ ‫ل َعلك ۡم �ﺸك ُر ۡو َن‬ “That you might be grateful.” (Surah alBaqarah, Ch.2: V.53) The second benefit is that by feeling the pain of hunger in this way [by fasting], a strong sense of gratitude will be produced in your heart. This is because humans naturally do not value a blessing as long as they have it. Its value is felt when it is taken from you.

Many people with eyes never think that eyes are a great blessing, but when one goes blind, they understand the real worth of eyes that they are a great blessing from Allah the Almighty.

In the same way, when a person remains hungry during fasting and feels the pangs of hunger, they realise what comforts God has given them and that they should spend their comfortable lives doing good and beneficial works and not in vain and useless practices. ُ َ َ ُ َّ َ ‫ل َعلك ۡم ت ّتق ۡو َن‬ “That you may become righteous.”

(Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.184) ُ َ​َ The word ‫ ت ّتق ْو َن‬has been used in the Holy Quran to give three meanings. Firstly, in the sense of evading melancholies.

Secondly, in the sense of saving oneself from sin and thirdly, in the sense of attaining higher levels of spirituality. Hence, through this word, Allah the Almighty has described three wisdoms of fasting.

3. The spirit of helping the poor The first wisdom is that a person is saved from suffering through fasting. It seems surprising that fasting saves one from suffering because a person undergoes even more pain by fasting. However, when pondering over this fact, we come to know that fasting actually teaches a person two lessons that protects him nationally.

The first lesson is that rich people who

5. Protection from sins The second matter that fasting saves man from sins is established from the fact that sin is in reality the inclination towards material pleasures, and it is observed naturally that when a person develops a habit, they cannot give it up. However, when they find the strength to leave it at their own will, then that desire does not overwhelm them. When a person, for the sake of God, gives up all the pleasures that sometimes lead them to sin and make a habit of controlling their inner self for an entire month, the inevitable result of this practice is that they can easily overcome those evils which lead them to sin.

eat the best food throughout the year do not even realise the sufferings of their poor brothers who go through starvation. They have never felt the suffering of hunger nor can they estimate the severity of starvation.

However, under the commandment of Islam, highly affluent people have to fast and then they recognise the pain of hunger

and accurately assess the condition of their poor brothers and their sympathy is aroused in their hearts. This results in the progress and protection of the nation and the safety of the nation is in fact the welfare of every individual.

6. The strength of beseeching prayers and their impact Fasting helps to establish piety in such a way that in the days [of Ramadan], since one has to get up at night to eat, they get an opportunity to do more ibadat [worship] and say a lot of prayers.

Secondly, when a person gives up his comfort for God Almighty, then Allah draws them to Himself and strengthens their soul.

(Compiled by Abdul Hameed Asif Sahib.

Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in the 8 July 1949 issue of Al Fazl)

Helping the less priveleged and the widows The Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “The one who strives to help the widow and the poor is like the one who fights in the way of Allah.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Adab)

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Friday 9 April 2021 | AL HAKAM

Proving the claim of the Promised Messiah’s knowledge of miraculous and profound Arabic Part VI Shedding light on the claim of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas with regard to his knowledge of the Arabic language, this series of articles seeks to answer major allegations raised against the Promised Messiah’sas use of Arabic phrases, his God-given eloquence and his command over the language and the usage of sentences taken from past literature.

Muhammad Tahir Nadeem Central Arabic Desk Decisive statement of the Promised Messiahas about the eloquence of the Arabic language A question is raised on the eloquence of the Arabic language as to what is meant by it. The Promised Messiahas has presented a very comprehensive explanation in this regard.

An opponent objected that there were non-Arabic words in the Holy Quran.

Responding to this, the Promised Messiahas stated a key point about the eloquence of the Arabic language which even the present scholars are compelled to accept.

This very point is extremely important for understanding the reality of Arabic eloquence. The Promised Messiahas said: َّ َ َ ْ َ َ َْ َ ْ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َّ َ َ َُْ ،‫ش‬ ِ ‫آن بعض ألفاظ غير ل‬ ِ ‫وأما َما ظننت أن َفِي القر‬ ٍ ‫ِسان قري‬ َ ّْ َ َ َ ُ ْ َ​َ َ ُْ َ َ ْ َ​َ ‫ت ِم ْن‬ ‫ وما كن‬،‫ش‬ ‫فقد قلت هذا اللفظ ِم ْن َج ِه ٍل وطي‬ ٍ َ َ َ َّ ُّ َّ ُ َ ْ َ َ ُّ َ َ ُّ َ َ ّ َ َ ُ َ ‫الف‬ ‫صاح ِة‬ ‫ ِإن مدار‬،‫ أيها الغبي والجهول الدني‬.‫المتب ِصرين‬ َ ْ َْ ْ َ َْ َ َ ْ ْ َ ًَ َ َ َْ ‫ن‬ ‫م‬ ‫ِسان القو ِم أو ِ كلِ ٍم‬ ٍ ‫على أل‬ ِ ‫فاظ مقبول ٍة سواء كانت ِمن ل‬ َ َ َ ْ َ َ ً َ َ َ َ َْ ْ َ َْ ‫اء كانت‬ ‫ وسو‬،‫َم ْنقول ٍة ُم ْس َت ْع َمل ٍة فِي بُلغا ِء القو ِم غي ِر مجهول ٍة‬ َ َ​َ َ َ َّ َ َ ْ َ ُ َ ِ ‫ِم ْن ل ُ َغ ِة قَ ْوم‬ ‫ أ ْو خالط َها‬،‫ام‬ ِ ‫واح ٍد و ِمن محاوراتِهِم على الدو‬ ٍ ْ َّ ُ َّ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َ ُ َ ُ َ َ ْ ْ ٌ َْ ‫ظم والنث ِر‬ ِ ‫ واستعملوها فِي الن‬،‫ألفاظ اس ِتحلاها بلغاء القو ِم‬ َّ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ ‫ فَل َ َّما ك‬.‫ين‬ َ ‫ ُم ْخ َتار‬،‫الل ْوم‬ َ ‫ين َغيْر ُم ْض َط ّر‬ ‫ان‬ ‫ِمن غي ِر مخاف ِة‬ ِ ِ َ ُ ِْ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ ُ َ ‫مات‬ ‫البلاغ ِة َعلى ه ِذ ِه‬ ‫مدار‬ ِ ِ‫القاعد ِة فهذا هو ِمعيار الكل‬ ِ َ َ َ َ َ‫ فَلَا َح َر َج أ َ ْن يَكون‬،‫لاغة الراع َدة‬ ّ ‫اعد ِة فِي سما ِء الب‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫الص‬ َ ّ َ ً ْ ْ ْ َ ُ َ ‫ل َ ْف ٌظ ِم ْن غير اللِسان َمق ُبولا في أ ْه‬ ‫ بَل ُربّ َما يَزيد‬،‫يان‬ ِ ‫ل الب‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ َ َْ َّ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ُ َ ُ ْ َ َْ َْ ْ ْ َ ‫ بل يستم ِلحونه‬،‫ات‬ ‫البلاغة ِمن هذا النه ِج فِي بع‬ ِ ‫ض الأوق‬ ِ َ ُ ْ َ َ َّ َ َ َ َ َ َ​َ َْ ‫ك ّنك‬ ‫ذون بِ ِه أهل الأ‬ ‫ ويَتلذ‬،‫المقامات‬ ‫ض‬ ِ ِ ‫ ول‬.‫فانين‬ َِ ِ ‫فِي بع‬ ُ َ َ َ ٌ ٌ ٌ َ َ َ َ ٌ ‫ فلِأ ْج ِل ذل ِك َما‬،‫ َو َمع ذل ِك ُم َعانِد َوعجول‬،‫َر ُجل غ ْم ٌر َجهول‬ َ ْ َ َّ ً َ َ ُ َ َ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ ً ْ َ ُ َ ْ َ ،‫ وما تضع قدما ِإلا فِي دحلِك‬،‫تعلم شيئا غير ِحق ِدك وجهلِك‬ َّ َ ُ َ َ ُ َ َ َ َ َ​َ ُ َْ َ ‫ َولا ت ْصد ُر ِم ْنك ِإلا‬،‫صاحة‬ ‫َولا تد ِري َما ل ِسان العر ِب وما الف‬ َ ُ َ َ ُ َّ َ ّ َ ّ ُ َ َ َ َ ‫ وما لقنت ِإلا سب‬،‫الوقاحة‬ ‫المط ّه َريْ َن۔‬ “As for your assertion that certain words in the Holy Quran are not from the spoken language of the Quraish, you have said this out of pure ignorance and thoughtlessness – and you are indeed not among those granted [spiritual] insight. O foolish and lowly ignoramus! Know that eloquence depends upon [the use of] words that are accepted – whether they originate from the language of those people or are words that

have been adopted and used knowingly by the most eloquent orators of those people; whether they come from the language and common expressions of a single people, or are words that have been embraced and used by the most eloquent native speakers of the language, which they have used in poetry and prose with no fear of reproach, and chosen willfully and without compulsion.

So when the basis of eloquence rests upon this rule, then the same measure applies to those ascendant, thundering words [of the Quran] that are in the highest heavens of eloquence. Accordingly, it is not at all objectionable that a foreign word should be accepted by the eloquent speakers; rather, this practice can enhance eloquence on occasion. Indeed, in certain places, the most skillful orators find it to be beautiful, and the most expressive rhetoricians take pleasure in it. You, on the other hand, are a hateful and ignorant person; despite that, you are hasty in forming judgements and stubborn.

And so, you know nothing besides your own hatred and ignorance, and the steps you take are only into your own abyss. You know neither what the Arabic language is, nor what eloquence is. Only shamelessness issues forth from you, and you have been taught nothing besides insulting the pious and holy people.” (Nur-ul-Haq, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 8, pp. 149-150) The above statement is of paramount

importance in many ways. The two undeniable points mentioned in this passage regarding eloquence and rhetoric are: 1. If a word of any language is considered acceptable in another language and has been used by the previous rhetoricians of a nation in poetry and prose, then this word will be considered eloquent 2. No matter how rare and uncommon such words may be, if they are used with the personal intention of the writer and he did not do so due to lack of knowledge or because of not finding a suitable word, then such a word will come under the category of eloquence and rhetoric In short, if such words are found in the Arabic works of the Promised Messiahas, one can easily understand from the words and phrases used before and after them as to how beautiful spontaneous flow of eloquence, rhetoric, rhyme and rhythm is found in his Arabic writings. In such a case, if a word or a structure is used which is apparently from the language of another nation, then because of the impromptu use, the writer has made it a part of his work’s language, and the person who objects to this usage will be considered oblivious and ignorant of such methods and techniques.

Evidence in support of the Promised Messiah’sas viewpoint

Abbas Hassan (d. 1979) is a well-known scholar of modern Arabic language and its grammar. He is considered an authority in this field. He authored a four-part book, Al-Nahw al-Wafi, which is one of the best books of the modern time on the subject of grammar. He also wrote a number of papers under the title, Sareeh Ar-Ra‘y fi Al-Nahw […] Da‘uh wa Dawa‘uh, which were first published in an Egyptian journal, Risalah AlIslam, in the 1950s. In these articles, he has also discussed the subject of Arabic lughaat in detail. He has written several pages rejecting this notion that Arabic grammar is based on the eloquent language of only six Arabic tribes. Below is a summary of some of the matters Abbas Hassan has mentioned in his papers: “The other [Arab] tribes were equally eloquent as were these six tribes. Moreover, other tribes possessed far more lughaat than these six tribes. In this regard, criticism of such tribes does not hold true on the basis that they lived in urban areas or rural areas, or whether they resided in the border areas of the county or that they were residents of regions close to non-Arabs and Christians.

As they were the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula and the native Arab tribes there, they had the full authority and right to form words and coin new words. In fact, they also had the right to include in their language whichever word or structure they liked from the language of the non-Arabs. The nonArabic words used by the ancient Arabs in this way are called ma‘arrab [words of foreign origin]. The presence of such Arabic words in the Arabic language makes it clear that the Arabs lived with the non-Arabs and interacted with them, on the basis of which they took whatever they liked from the nonArabic language and integrated it into their language. Consequently, such words also became part of their everyday speech and they are mentioned in the Holy Quran as well.“ Hence, we cannot reject the language of any tribe on the grounds that as it was associated with such and such non-Arabs, their language did not remain eloquent and the non-Arabic language got mixed in it.

If the logic behind adopting only six lughaat is accepted, then the language of these six tribes would come under fire and may well be rejected, because the Quraish used to carry out “rihlat-ash-shita‘i was-saif”, the winter and summer trade journeys, in which they would travel to Yemen in winter and to Syria in summer. They used to live there and interact with the tribes over there.

Likewise, some of the said six Arab tribes were in contact with the Roman, Syriac and Hebrew tribes present in the North of the Arabian Peninsula and with the Persians, Indians and Greeks in the South.

Thus, it is unreasonable to single out some Arab tribes on the basis of their lughaat and unjust to give precedence to some over others. Hence, even if a particular Arab tribe adopts a different style in its use of a word or a phrase, unlike all other tribes, we will have no other choice but to accept it. This viewpoint is also supported by Ibn Jinni, Abu Hayyan, Abu Amr, Ibn Faris and Imam Shafi‘irh.

(Research conducted by Muhammad Tahir Nadeem Sahib, Arabic Desk UK. Translated

by Al Hakam, with special thanks to Ibrahim Ikhlaf Sahib, Arabic Desk UK)

21

AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021

An address of the Holy Prophet on the blessings of Ramadan: The responsibilities of believers in this blessed month Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in Al Fazl, 15 February 1962 Hazrat Maulana Abul Ata Jalandhari was a stalwart of the Jamaat. He was the editor of Furqan (among other Arabic journals) and author of the acclaimed Tafhimat-e-Rabbaniyyah. At the age of 27, he was sent as a missionary to the Arab world, conducting tabligh in places such as Palestine, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. He would also serve as a lecturer and the principal of Jamia Ahmadiyya, among many other notable offices of the Jamaat.

Maulana Abul Ata Sahib 1904-1977

َّ َ ّ ٰ َّ َ َ َ َ َ َ ّٰ ُ ‫َوعن‬ ‫ خط َب َنا َر ُسول الل ِہ َصلى اللہ َعل ْي ِہ َو َسل َم‬:‫سلمان قال‬ َ َ​َ َ َ َْ ْ :‫ٓاخ ِر ی َ ْو ٍم ِمن شعبان فقال‬ ِ ‫فِي‬ ُ َّ َ َ ْ َ ُ َّ َ ُّ َ َ َ ٌ ْ ٌ ‫ك ْم َش ْه ٌر َع ِظ‬ َ ‫یم ُم َبارك شه ٌر ِفي ِہ‬ ‫یا أیها الناس قد أظل‬ ً َ َ ُ َ َ َ َ َ ّٰ َْ ْ َ ْ َ ٌ َ َ ‫امہ ف ِریضة‬ ‫ﻒ شهر جعل اللہ تعالى ِصي‬ ِ ‫ل ْيلة خي ٌر من أل‬ ْ َ​َ َُ​َ َ َ َ َ َ َ ‫الخَيْر ك‬ ‫و ِقي‬ ‫ان‬ ‫ام ل ْي ِ� ِه تط ّو ًعا َم ْن تق َّر َب ِفي ِہ‬ َِ َ ‫�خصلة ًمن‬ َ َ َ َّ ‫َ َ ْ َ َّ َ َ ً َ َ ُ َ َم ْن‬ َ ‫یضة فيہ ك‬ ْ‫ان ﻛ َمن‬ ‫ﻛمن أدی ف ِریضة ِف��� ِسواه و أدی ف ِر‬ ِ ِ َ ْ َّ َ ْ َّ ُ ْ َ َ ُ َ ُ َ َ ً َ َ َ ْ َ َّ َ ‫أدی سب ِعين ف ِریضة ِف��� ِسواه وهو شهر الص� ِر و‬ ‫الص�ر ﺛ َوابہ‬ َّ َ َّ ْ ْ ْ ُ ْ َ ‫جنة َوشهر ال ْ ُم َو‬ ْ ‫اساة َوشهر‬ ‫ال‬ ‫یز َداد ِفي ِہ ِرزق ال ُمؤ ِم ِن َم ْن فط َر‬ َ َ َ ْ َ ُ​ُ ًَ َْ َُ َ َ ً َ َّ َ َ ‫ِفي ِہ صاﰱِما كان له مغ�ِ�ة ل ِذنوبِ ِہ و ِعتق رقب ِت ِہ ِمن النا ِر‬ َ ُ ْ َ َ َ​َ َ ْ َ َ َ ُ ‫وك‬ ‫ان ل ُه ِمثل أ ْج ِر ِه ِم ْن غي ِر أ ْن ی َ ْنق َﺺ ِم ْن أ ْج ِر ِه � ْي ٌء‬ ُْ َ َ​َ ّ َُ َّ ْ َ ّٰ َ ‫ یَا َر ُسول الل ِہ لي َﺲ كلنا یجد َما نف ِط ُر بِ ِہ‬:‫قل َنا‬ ‫ فقال‬.‫الصاﰱِ َم‬ َّ َ َ َ َ ّ ٰ َّ َ ّ ٰ ُ ُ َ :‫رسول اللہ صلى اللہ عل ْي ِہ وسل َم‬ َْ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َّ َ َ ّ ٰ َّ َ َ ‫الث َو‬ ‫ی ُ ْع ِ�� اللہ هذا‬ ‫اب َم ْن فط َر َصاﰱِ ًما على َمذق ِة ل� ٍن أو‬ َ ٰ ُ َ َ ً َ َ َ ْ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ َْ َ َْ ْ‫اللّ ُہ ِمن‬ ‫تمر ٍة أو �رب ٍة ِمن ما ٍء ومن أشبع صاﰱما سقاه‬ ُ َ َ َ ُ َ َِ ْ َ ُ ْ َ ُ ْ َ ً َ ‫َح ْو ِ�ي � ْربَة لا یَظ َمﺄ َح ّتى یَدخل الجَ ّنة َوه َو ش ْه ٌر أ ّول ُه‬ َّ َ ٌ ْ ُ ُ َ ٌ َ ْ َ ُ ُ َ ْ َ َ ٌ َ ْ َ َ َّ َ ‫ٓاخره ِعتق ِمن‬ ‫النا ِر َو َم ْن خفﻒ‬ ِ ‫رحمة وأوسطہ مغ�ِ�ة و‬ ُ َ ْ َ ُ َ َ َّ ‫َ َ َ َ ُ َ ْ ُ من‬ ‫ رواه‬. ‫ك ِہ ِفي ِہ غ�� اللہ له وأعتقہ النار‬ ِ ‫عن ��ْلو‬ ْ �ّ �ِ ‫ال َب ْي َه‬ “Hazrat Salman al-Farsira narrated that Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said in a sermon, which he delivered to them on the last day of Sha‘ban: “‘A great month, a blessed month, a month containing a night which is better than a thousand months has approached you people. Allah has appointed the observance

of fasting during it as an obligatory duty, and the passing of its night in prayer as a voluntary practice. “‘If someone draws near to Allah during it with a normal good act, he will be like one who fulfils an obligatory duty in another month, and he who fulfils an obligatory duty in it will be like one who fulfils seventy obligatory duties in another month. “‘It is the month of endurance, and the reward of endurance is Paradise. It is the month of sympathy mutual consolation and a month in which the believer’s provisions are increased. If someone gives one who has been fasting something with which to break his fast, it will provide forgiveness of his sins and save him from Hell, and he will have a reward equal to his without his reward being diminished in any respect.’

“Some of them remarked to God’s Messenger that they did not all have the means to give [food] to the one who had been fasting with which to break his fast, and he replied, ‘God gives this reward to him who gives one who has been fasting some milk mixed with water, or a date, or a drink of water with which to break his fast and anyone who gives a full meal to one who has been fasting will be given a drink from my river [Hawz al-Kauthar, River of abundance] by Allah and will not thirst till

he enters Paradise.’ “‘It is a month whose beginning is mercy, whose middle is forgiveness, and whose end is salvation from Hell. If anyone makes things easy for His slave during it, God will forgive him and free him from Hell.’”

(Mishkat al-Masabih, The Book of Fasting) Honourable people! It is obvious from this hadith that the Holy Prophetsa would prepare his Companionsra for the fasts of the blessed month of Ramadan and by telling them about its blessings and virtues, would urge them to keep fasts.

The fasts of Ramadan are extremely blessed and the Tahajjud prayers offered during the nights [of this month] possess a special quality. Every commandment of Allah that is fulfilled by someone in this month holds great reward. In this month, a Muslim is made to practice patience and to leave even those things that are halal – whoever succeeds in this exercise will surely be deserving of Heaven.

Through hunger and thirst, rich and wealthy Muslims are made to practically realise and feel how a less privileged person endures pain and difficulties every day throughout the year. Through this realisation and understanding, feelings of sympathy are born and mutual sympathy starts.

In this month, blessings in provisions from Allah the Almighty are also increased.

The Holy Prophetsa had also directed Muslims to provide iftar [food for breaking ones fast] for those who are fasting. The one who provides this iftar, through his action, proves he considers the fast as something respectful and honourable and he recognises the high rank of the person who fasts. In this way, through iftar, mutual love is increased and relationships are strengthened – this is why the Holy Prophetsa paid importance to this.

The one who provides the food for the iftar gains reward, but this has no effect on the reward of the person who is fasting [i.e. it does not reduce].

The reason for clarifying this is important because some are under the illusion that by eating the iftar provided by someone else, the reward for their own fast is reduced or that the person providing the iftar takes their reward [for keeping the fast]. The Holy Prophetsa said the one providing the iftar will be deserving of reward according to their own intentions; however, the person fasting will most definitely be rewarded, and accepting an invitation to open their fast at someone else’s place does not reduce their Continued on next page >>

22

Friday 9 April 2021 | AL HAKAM << Continued from previous page

reward; rather, by following a sunnah, such a person definitely increases their reward.

Learning about the reward one receives by providing iftar, the Companionsra were inspired and wanted to act on this. However, a question arose in their hearts, that “if providing the iftar brought so much reward, then surely the food for the iftar should also be grand and lavish; however, not all of us have the means to provide such food.”

In response to this query, the Holy Prophetsa said that spending large amounts is not necessary while giving iftar. One can provide iftar by even giving a sip of milk, a date or even a sip of water. The real purpose behind providing iftar is to increase brotherhood and mutual sympathy between Muslims and to join them together.

This most definitely does not require large expenses. Every believer, according to their own means, can provide the iftar, even by giving very little to eat and drink.

In this instruction, the Holy Prophetsa has also indicated that someone who is fasting should even accept the invitation of a believer who can only provide a sip of water for iftar, as the most important thing is sincerity and love.

On the other hand, if someone can give a full meal to those fasting [for their iftar] and fully satiate their hunger, then this is a greater deed. Allah the Almighty will give more reward to such a person according to their sincerity and they will be rewarded by being able to drink specially from the “Hawz al-Kauthar” [River of abundance, in Paradise].

Toward the end of his speech, the Holy Prophetsa emphasised that every day and every moment in Ramadan is full of blessings; starting with mercy, Ramadan results in forgiveness and complete salvation at its end. This is why all the fasts of Ramadan should be kept and one should acquire a large amount of all its blessings.

In another hadith-e-qudsi [a hadith in which the content is attributed to Allah, but not scripturally part of the Holy Quran] it is written that Allah the Almighty says: “Every good deed has its reward and merit; however, the fast is [a deed that is performed] especially for me. A person keeping a fast remains hungry and thirsty and especially imbues himself with My colours. That is why the reward of fasting is Myself ”; meaning, “I grant the one who is fasting special closeness to Myself – I bless them with My special mercy and forgiveness. I bestow special showers of My blessings and protect them from every pain and suffering.”

The Holy Prophetsa also urged people to reduce the burden of work on labourers and servants during Ramadan and said that doing so is a great deed. In truth, only that person takes such steps who truly believes in Allah the Almighty and loves His servants. Therefore, being kind and considerate toward someone who is keeping a fast attracts the blessings of Allah and pleases Him. I pray that Allah the Almighty enables all believers to gain the blessings of Ramadan.

Amin.

(Translated to English by Al Hakam; originally published in Urdu in Al Fazl, 15 February 1962, p. 3)

Five proofs Jesus survived the cross, according to the Bible

Syed Mashhood Ahmad MA Biblical Studies, UK

In this article, I shall present five major proofs of Jesus’ survival from the cross according to the Gospel accounts in the Bible. Many articles and even books have been written on this subject, and much of what is in this article has been recorded before; however, I intend to show some proofs in more detail, building on the works of the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas and his khulafa.

1. Jesus’ heart-felt prayer in Gethsemane After Jesusas discovered the plan of the Jewish priests to have him crucified on the cross like a criminal, he immediately went off to a private location to pray. He chose the Garden of Gethsemane and prayed to God to foil the plans of the enemies (Matthew 26:36-46). He was greatly “distressed and troubled”; he sought solitude, and prayed for hours, falling on his face as one would do in sajdah (prostration). His prayer was so intense that some manuscripts (Codex Sinaiticus and Bezae) read that he sweated blood. He prayed that God remove this “cup” from him (Matthew 20:22), i.e. remove that part of his destiny of which God was in control. Jesusas wasn’t concerned over his own life, but feared the plan of the Jewish priests; the public execution. If such a plan went ahead, it would have brought the Divine mission of Jesusas to an end – his disciples and all those who believed him to be the Messiah would abandon such belief, and it would have meant that Jesusas died an “accursed death”. (Deuteronomy 21:22) Does the above sound like a man whose sole purpose of coming to the earth was to die on the cross? In fact, the Promised Messiahas goes on to explain the incompatibility of the above event and the Christian doctrine of atonement: “If anyone were to suggest that Jesusas came for atonement and this is why his prayer was not accepted, I would say that when he knew that his purpose was to

atone for the sins of man, then why such cowardice? If an official was sent on a duty to deal with an outbreak of plague, and he said that he was being sent in harm’s way, and requested to be sent somewhere else, would not such a person be deemed foolish?

Now when the Messiah knew that he had been sent only to atone for the sins of man, then what was the need for such lengthy supplications? Was the matter still under deliberation as to whether he would be required for atonement or was this matter already settled? Therefore, whether it is one blemish or two, or even countless blemishes, can such a one be God? Let alone God, such a person cannot even be considered a great individual.” (Mulfuzat [English translation], Vol. II, p. 215)

words above were uttered in Aramaic. The Hebrew of the Psalms is “‘Eli ‘Eli lamah ‘azabtani?” while Jesusas cries out “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabach-thani?” Why would Jesusas quote a Hebrew text in translation? The Jews in those days would have known many of the Psalms by heart, and Jesusas must have known them too. So why would he quote it in a different tongue?

The answer is, that it was a cry of desperation, seeing that things were not going the way he had expected; in that he knew God would heed the call and prayer of His Prophet and Messiah, yet he could feel his strength wavering and perhaps saw no other opportunity of surviving the ordeal, he cried out to God, “Why have You forsaken me?”

2. Jesus’ cry on the cross

3. His side pierced The Sabbath, which would begin at dusk on Friday was approaching, and therefore the criminals on the cross had to be taken down and killed immediately according to Jewish law. The two thieves on either side of Jesusas were executed, but the soldiers saw that Jesusas was unconscious and thought him already dead, but to ensure that he was not faking it, they pierced his side with a spear, resulting in a sudden flow of blood and water (John 19:31-34), a sure sign that his heart was still pumping and that he was alive.

It is often argued by some Christians that Jesusas had died before the actual thrust of the spear in his side, and if Jesusas was not dead, then the spear thrust would have killed him. However, the author of the gospel chose the Greek verb ηΰσσω (nussow) meaning: to prick, stab or pierce (Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, Friberg, Miller) when describing the action of the soldier; implying a small cut or prick, the intention being to ensure that Jesusas was in fact dead, since the prick would have made Jesusas flinch. However, the drug given to Jesusas seemed to have done the trick, in that even a prick did not cause any involuntary

Jesusas was arrested, tried and then condemned to die on the cross. He was taken to Golgotha where he was then offered wine to dull the pain (Mark 15:2227), but he refused since he still held hope that his prayers would be answered and that he would not die on the cross; an accursed death. As the hours dragged on, Jesusas felt himself slipping into unconsciousness, fearing that God may have abandoned him, he cries out: “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” meaning, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34) Uncomfortable with this cry of despair, some Christian historians argue that Jesusas is simply quoting Psalms 22:1. However, there is a problem with this theory; the

Continued on page 24

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AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021

An appeal: Getting rid of one personal weakness in Ramadan The article below – written by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, son of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas – has been translated to English by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in the 5 November 1937 issue of Al Fazl.

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra (1893-1963) The blessed month of Ramadan is approaching; in fact, by the time this article gets published, Ramadan may have already begun. As friends will be aware, this is a very blessed month.

As regards Ramadan, Allah the Exalted says, “I become closer to My servants during this month.” A large reason for this is that special emphasis is paid to the worship of God and His remembrance.

Aside from fasting, which in its own right is a superior form of worship, the month of Ramadan sees an increase in nawafil [supererogatory prayers], recitation of the Holy Quran, prayers [in general] and other forms of remembrance of Allah. Due to this, this month is regarded by God as a blessed and superior month.

Therefore, I wish to draw the attention of everyone to learning the reality of this month and after learning about it, spending this month in the manner that is expected

by Allah the Almighty and His Prophet.

First and foremost, unless one has a

proper excuse as outlined by the Shariah, everyone should fast all the days of this month. Whilst fasting, everyone ought to remember the blessed purpose behind fasting, which Islam has described, so that fasting is not limited to hunger and thirst but adopts a spiritual purpose too.

Secondly, the Tarawih prayers should be offered with due diligence, the preferred hour for which is sehri [pre-dawn period], but for those not able to do so, there is the provision of offering it after Isha prayers.

Thirdly, special attention should be paid to the recitation of the Holy Quran and special efforts should be made to complete one full reading of the Quran at home.

Fourthly, special attention should be given to prayers in this month. Aside from being a superior form of worship, prayers are a most effective method of fulfilling one’s desires. Precedence should be given to praying for the triumph of Islam and Ahmadiyyat and thereafter, personal prayers should be made.

Fifthly, special focus should be made to offering sadaqah and giving in charity as this plays a crucial role in ridding oneself

of trials and tribulations and acquiring excellence.

It is my hope that our friends bear in mind the aforementioned five points during the blessed month of Ramadan and adopt these virtues not by way of ritual, but with utmost sincerity and dedication, so that, insha-Allah, they earn tremendous spiritual benefits.

Aside from this, I wish to make an appeal, which I have made in previous years, and that is for all friends to choose one personal weakness and vice and make a personal promise to God to abstain from it and completely rid themselves of it, so that when Ramadan comes to an end, they may be pure from at least one weakness.

This appeal was originally made by the Promised Messiahas and, by the grace of God, is an effective means of spiritual purification.

Some individuals are not accustomed to introspection and despite their weaknesses, they are oblivious to their spiritual flaws that require purification. For this reason, I present a list below of such spiritual weaknesses and vices that people possess nowadays. Friends can select one aspect from this list and make a personal promise to God that through His grace and help, they will rid themselves of such a weakness in the future.

The list is as follows: 1. Negligence in offering obligatory Salat 2. Negligence in offering Salat in congregation 3. Not offering Salat behind an imam due to a quarrel with him 4. Carelessness in physical purity while offering Salat 5. Negligence in offering sunnah Salat 6. Negligence in offering Tahajjud Salat 7. Negligence in fasting i.e. to miss a fast for no permissible reason 8. Negligence in completing the fasts later that were missed during Ramadan and offering fidya for the missed fasts 9. Negligence in paying Zakat despite being financially liable 10. Negligence in investigating and finding out if one is or is not liable to pay Zakat 11. Negligence in paying towards the Jamaat’s chandas according to the prescribed rates 12. Negligence in paying towards the

chandas on time 13. Negligence in taking part in the Wasiyyat scheme, despite being financially able 14. Negligence in paying towards Wasiyyat in one’s life, or taking appropriate steps to avoid disputes in this regard after one’s death, despite knowing that disputes may arise after 15. Negligence in paying a higher rate of Wasiyyat, while being fully aware that one can offer more 16. Negligence in performing the responsibility of tabligh 17. Negligence in drawing the attention of one’s family members, neighbours and friends to tarbiyat-related matters 18. Negligence in giving regular darses [talks] on the Holy Quran and books of the Promised Messiahas at home 19. Negligence in drawing one’s children’s attention to offering Salat regularly and not bringing them to the mosque 20. Negligence in taking part or taking an active interest in the local chapter’s [jamaat’s] events 21. Carelessness in displaying due obedience to the local amir or president 22. Negligence in frequenting the markaz and benefiting from the blessings associated with Khilafat and the markaz, despite being fully able 23. Negligence in subscribing to Al Fazl and other similar central newspapers and magazines, despite being able to 24. Showing negligence and ignorance of, or plain consideration to, mutinous or munafiq [hypocritical] people, despite witnessing their hypocritical or mutinous tendencies, by not reporting them 25. Hesitation in giving one’s honest opinion due to blood relation or friendship 26. Lying 27. Uttering lies about others 28. To waste one’s own time as unemployed, despite having the capability and skills to search for employment, due to considering other jobs as beneath them or not being tempted by a salary 29. To waste one’s own time and not volunteering for the Jamaat, despite having the time and capability 30. Evil gazes 31. The wrong use of human faculties 32. Breaking the boundaries of the Continued on next page >>

24

Friday 9 April 2021 | AL HAKAM << Continued from previous page

Islamic purdah [modesty] 33. Financial irresponsibility, i.e. borrowing money or an item from someone and not returning the amount or the item at the agreed time and evading its return by giving weak or false excuses 34. Foul language, i.e. using words that are below any moral or civilised environment while in anger 35. Hookah and cigarette smoking 36. Using other harmful tobacco products, like chewing tobacco or naswar 37. Shaving off one’s beard – going against the Islamic way – after being influenced by modern-day trends 38. Against the instruction of the Promised Messiahas, settling a marriage between an Ahmadi girl and a non-Ahmadi boy 39. Accepting the marriage proposal of a non-Ahmadi girl without permission from the markaz 40. Offering the Janazah prayer of a nonAhmadi, which is against the way of the Jamaat 41. Negligence in performing Hajj, despite being financially able and fulfilling the other criteria for Hajj 42. Negligence in showing obedience and offering a helping hand to parents 43. Ill-treatment to one’s wife or treating her harshly, or a wife’s ill-treatment and rebellious conduct to her husband and negligence in offering him help 44. Taking a bribe 45. Offering a bribe 46. Dishonesty or negligence in performing the duties of one’s position 47. Consuming alcohol or using other intoxicating substances 48. Accepting or offering interest.

Nowadays there are many misconceptions about interest and on the basis of false pretences, such transactions are being approved that fall under the category of interest 49. Embezzling or unduly wasting the money of orphans 50. Negligence or carelessness in the upbringing of orphans 51. Displaying undue harshness and cruelty to one’s house staff 52. The habit of filing a court case on the smallest of matters, or turning to the courts in the presence of other, better options of mediation 53. Negligence and sloth; that is, adopting negligence and sloth, while not appreciating the value of one’s time 54. Wasting money; that is, exceedingly spending beyond one’s means 55. Spending time in disadvantageous and harmful games e.g. chess and playing cards etc.

56. Wasting food and drink 57. Showing undue love to children 58. Suspicion; that is, to always suspect the ill intention of another person’s every action 59. Undue wailing and bemoaning at the death of a relative or friend 60. Spending beyond one’s means at weddings 61. Undue bravery in taking loans and taking loans for very small expenses; rather, unnecessary expenses etc.

These are but some weaknesses that have been listed in no particular order. By selecting one or more from this list, we

should make an oath to ourselves in this month of Ramadan, that from this point on, no matter what may happen, we will abstain from such and such weakness.

Friends should then stand firmly upon such a resolve, in such a way that with the grace of God, no worldly power can break their resolve.

Whoever takes part in this plan should write to our department about their resolve, although they do not need to mention the weakness they have resolved to abstain from. It will suffice for them to write, “I have resolved to abstain from one/more than one weakness.”

This department promises that it will,

insha-Allah, present a full list of such names every day to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masihٰ II[ra] with a request for َّ ّ َ prayers. ‫الت ْو ِف ْیق‬ ‫و بِالل ِہ‬. [And all power and strength is with Allah.]

(Translated to English by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in the 5 November 1937 issue of Al Fazl)

Continued from page 22

19:38-42). The two herbs are significant and very important as they show further proof that the disciples knew that Jesusas was still alive, since both herbs have healing properties and were used as medicine in the ancient world.

Aloe is a genus containing about 500 species, the most common one being Aloe Vera and grows in Africa and the Middle East. It is very valuable, so much so that the great thinker “Aristotle, being aware that the healing properties of Aloe would be invaluable to soldiers wounded in battle, advised his student Alexander III (‘the Great’) to conquer all lands that grew it, especially the island of Socotra off the coast of Eastern Africa [...] Pedanius Dioscorides, a physician in the Roman army, mentioned medicinal Aloes in his encyclopaedic Greek herbal De Materia Medica (Approximately around 75 BC)”. (www.aloe-spectrum.com/ body_aloes.htm) Myrrh is similarly valuable: “In the past Myrrh was used by many cultures for religious ceremonies and as a healing agent.

It was mentioned in the Bible as a gift at the birth of Christ. The Egyptians believed in its healing powers: they burned it every day as part of their worship rituals. In the Greek culture when soldiers went to battle is was an essential part of their combat gear because of Myrrh’s extremely high antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. It was used to clean wounds and to prevent infection. It was also used to prevent the spread of gangrene in already infected

parts of the body.” (mdmd.essortment.com/ whatismyrrh_riss.htm) This was certainly not the Jewish burial practise; simple oils were applied to the body for cleaning purposes, but not expensive medicines. This was for the purpose of healing Jesus’ wounds and stop the bleeding. And so the two disciples who took away Jesus’ body knew that he was still alive and had planned his rescue, they brought along with them huge amounts of herbs and medicines to wrap Jesus’ body, and to stop the excessive bleeding.

movement.

Other Christians have come up with fascinating medical conditions and theories of why “blood and water” came out of Jesusas; discussions of a fluid build-up in the lungs or around the heart. Yet, it should be remembered that the spear was a small prick and not a deep thrust into the side. Holger Kersten writes: “It appears that the expression ‘blood and water’ is a traditional idiom from the ornate Arabian language, intended to emphasize a certain happening. Today we can say someone ‘sweats blood’ – the German equivalent is ‘to sweat blood and water’, ‘Blut und Wasser schwitzen’ – if he works hard or is very anxious, without meaning that blood actually comes from the pores. The same expression, applied when observing a wound, could simply mean that a lot of blood is visible. The eyewitness was doubtless surprised to see so much blood pouring out from a supposedly dead body through a minor scratch wound, and aptly expressed his surprise” (The Jesus Conspiracy: The Turin Shroud & The Truth About The Resurrection, p. 251) 4. Wrapped in herbal medicines Since the Roman soldiers saw no movement and thought him dead, they reported it to their superiors, and so Jesusas was given over to his disciples, namely Joseph of Arimithea and Nicodemus, who then applied 100 pounds of myrrh and aloe on his body (John

5. Jesus appears to his disciples in the flesh Finally, after recovering somewhat from his wounds and being able to walk, Jesusas appears to his disciples. Some of them weren’t in on the plan and did not know he survived, they thought him to be a ghost!

(Luke 24:39). But Jesusas quickly removed their doubt and showed him his wounds and told them that it was him in the “flesh”.

He was hungry as well and asked for some food and then ate in front of them.

What could this mean? Is this Jesusas raised from the dead? With the same wounds and hungry? Doesn’t the above sound like the same Jesusas who taught his disciples? He is naturally comforting them.

There are so many more proofs in the Bible, the careful reader can pick up on them and see God’s plan all along. He will see how Jesusas did not go on the cross willingly; that he prayed to be saved from such an ordeal in the Garden of Gethsemene and displayed utmost faith during the trials that he would be saved from the plans of the Jewish priests.

His prayers were answered. God’s plan can be seen in the gospel texts themselves; Jesusas displayed signs of life on the cross, was wrapped in medical ointments and finally placed in a tomb where he could recover.

He was challenged and taunted on the cross by the Jewish priests: “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” (Mark 15:17-32).

In the end, he had the last laugh, and his claim of being the Messiah was proven true when he did “come down from the cross” alive, as the Holy Quran attests itself: “And their saying, ‘We did kill the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah;’ whereas they slew him not, nor crucified him [i.e. killed him by crucifixion], but he was made to appear to them like [one crucified]; and those who differ therein are certainly in [a state of] doubt about it; they have no [definite] knowledge thereof, but only follow a conjecture; and they did not convert this [conjecture] into a certainty. On the contrary, Allah exalted him to Himself.

And Allah is Mighty, Wise.” (Surah al-Nisa, Ch.4: V.158-159)

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AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021

A prayer of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud during Ramadan 1908 In the September 1909 issue of Tash-heez-ul-Azhan, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra wrote a prayer given in this article, which he had written at the age of 19 during the month of Ramadan in 1908.

This has been translated by Al Hakam and is being presented for the benefit of all readers.

Before commencing with the prayer, Huzoorra wrote: My heart possesses a pain for you, which is rather overwhelming, the knowledge of which, besides God, no one has. I feel compelled to call you to the path that is best for you and the ways of righteousness.

The fervour of these heartfelt sentiments doubled when I was searching for an article for Tash-heez-ul-Azhan on my desk and found a piece of paper which contained a prayer that I had written during the previous Ramadan. By reading this prayer, I felt obliged to share it with friends as there is no way of knowing whose prayer will be granted acceptance and when God’s grace and blessings will descend upon our Jamaat in a unique fashion.

Expressing my heartfelt sentiments, I wish to present that prayer here so that in this way, someone fortunate may be motivated to become engaged in supplications to the Lord for themselves and for Jamaate-Ahmadiyya, which is the actual reason behind me writing this here. The prayer is as follows: “O my Master, my Omnipotent God, my Beloved, my Guide and my Leader; O Creator of the Heavens and the Earth; O You Who control the winds and tides; O You Who sent thousands of guides and thousands of leaders for the guidance of mankind – from Adam to Jesus; O Great and Exalted One Who appointed the great Prophet; O Gracious One Who created the Messiah from among the servants of the Holy Prophet; O Creator of [spiritual] light and Effacer of [spiritual] darkness, I prostrate before You – yes, only before You does this unworthy servant prostrate and humble himself; please listen to my cry and accept it, for only Your promises have given me the courage to beseech you.

“I was nothing, and You created me; I was non-existent, and You granted me existence. You created the four elements for my subsistence; You created people to enquire about me. When I was incapable of even expressing my wants and needs, You assigned such people to me who worried on my behalf. Then You nurtured me and expanded my provisions. O my Beloved – yes, O You my Beloved – You commanded Adam to be my father and Eve to be my mother. From Your servants, You appointed a servant who is seen with reverence among

people so that he may intercede on my behalf and beseech Your mercy for me – a person unworthy.

“I was sinful, yet You concealed my sins; I had flaws, yet You forgave them.

You remained with me in every trying and painful time. Whenever I was tried, You helped me, and whenever I began to go astray, You clasped my hand. Despite the trouble I caused, You always overlooked such actions, and despite my drifting away, You came closer to me.

“I had forgotten You, but You remembered me. On occasions when

parents, loved ones, relatives and friends were unable to help, You showed Your mighty hand and helped me. When I was sad, you brought me happiness, and when my heart felt anguish, you brought cheer to it. When I cried, you made me laugh. There might be those who writhe in separation from their beloveds, but [my Beloved], You showed me Your countenance Yourself.

“You made promises to me and fulfilled them; never did it happen that You fell short of fulfilling Your promises. I too made promises to You, but I broke them; however, never did you pay any notice. I do not know

of anyone more sinful than me and I also do not know of any occasion when You have been more gracious to a sinful person than when You were to me. A more gracious being than You cannot even be imagined. When I submitted myself to You and prostrated with utmost humility, You heard my cry and accepted it. I do not know of any case when You shunned a heartfelt cry of mine.

“So, O God, with utmost humility and utter devotion do I prostrate and bow before You and say: Accept my prayer and reach my cry. O Pure God, my nation is dying; save them from destruction. If they call themselves Ahmadi, then what relationship do I have with them, until and unless their hearts are not cleansed and are not imbued with Your love. [If this is not the case] then what relationship do I have with them?

“O my Lord, bring Your attributes of graciousness and mercifulness into action and purify them. Instil in them a passion and zeal like that of the Companionsra.

May they be restless for the sake of Your faith. May their actions speak louder and be purer than their words. May they sacrifice themselves for Your sake and for the sake of the Noble Prophet. May the Messiah’s prayers be fulfilled in their favour; may his pure and true teachings become their way of life.

“O my dear God, save my people from all trials and anguishes; protect them from every form of difficulty. Create among them noble and inspirational people. May they become one nation that You select as Your own and may they become one group which You … select for Yourself. May they be protected from the onslaughts of Satan and may angels continue to descend upon them.

Bless this group in the world and in faith!

Bless them! Bless them! Amin. And again, amin.

“After this, O Lord of all the worlds, for my brothers, my mother, my sisters, my friends and for those whose names I shall write below, do I pray, and very earnestly and most humbly do I pray that in this world and the next, do You bless us, purify us, cleanse us and select us, make us those who spread guidance and servants of Islam, bless us with good health and good age; may we die in a state of Islam [being a complete Muslim]; may You be happy with us upon our demise; may our lives be free from Your displeasure.

Continued on page 27

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Friday 9 April 2021 | AL HAKAM

Rahmatullah Khan Shakir (1901-2000) Former Assistant Editor and Manager of Al Fazl

The Companions were the paragon of forthrightness, truthfulness and were living examples of genuineness and candour.

In normal circumstances and occasions, the discussion of their truthfulness is tantamount to an insult to their standing of truthfulness as it were.

Not even the heaviest loss or the most terrible persecution could have swerved them from the path of truthfulness. They put their lives in danger but never brought a misstatement to their tongues. Spiritually eminent Companions let alone, even the weaker in faith among them never dared a misstatement. Out of frailties of flesh and blood, if someone committed a mistake, they would never ever think to hide it on account of the fear of penalty or punishment; rather, being absolutely indifferent to the consequences, they would admit their mistake.

Some faith-enhancing accounts of the Companions are given below in this regard.

Open criticism of a fellow Ansari After the fall of Mecca, the Holy Prophetsa distributed the spoils of war and under God’s command, gave preferential treatment to the Quraish. Naturally, every person cannot understand all the delicacies of matters, nor is every man at that stage of cognisance to fathom the most subtle and delicate raison d’être of things.

Those who really understood the true standing of the Holy Prophetsa, criticism of such a preferential treatment apart, they would not even object at all if the Holy Prophetsa had given all of that to a specific group of people.

But an ignorant and unwise Ansari objected to the preferential treatment

The exemplary young Companions: Truthfulness

to the Quraish. The Holy Prophetsa was agonised to learn of this criticism.

He called for the Ansar and enquired about it. The Ansar made no endeavour whatsoever to cover up or interpret the folly of this member of theirs; rather, they gave full account of the matter word for word and did not cover it up.

Then clearing their own position, they very clearly explained that this was the folly of an ignorant and silly person; otherwise they were absolutely free of any such thoughts. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Zakat, Bab A‘ta-ul-Mu‘allafati Qulubuhum alal-Islam wa Tasbiru man Qawiyya Imanahu) Accepting one’s mistake Hazrat Kaabra bin Malik did not join in the Battle of Tabuk. And the fact is that he had no valid excuse for this negligence. He

was well aware that it was his negligence.

On return, the Holy Prophetsa asked him its reason. He knew well that he would be punished for that miss. But he did not try to cover up his negligence for fear of penalty by putting forward lame excuses; rather, he very clearly admitted his remiss.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Bab Hadith Kaab bin Malik) Openness of sin for spiritual purification in this world Hazrat Ma‘izra bin Malik was a young Companion. Man is to err by nature.

Satan is ever on the lookout to tempt man to deviate him from the right path as man is ever prone to err. Hazrat Ma‘izra too fell victim to Satan’s temptation.

Once he committed fornication, which was not an insignificant vice. He was not unfamiliar with the punishment

The gravest sins The Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “The biggest of the great sins are: To associate others in worship with Allah, not to be dutiful to one’s parents and to bear false testimony.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Istatabat al-Murtaddin wa al-Muanidin wa Kitaluhum)

of this crime in the Islamic Shariah. But according to the Companions, it was easier to bear the punishment of a slip in this world than presenting themselves to God being guilty. Later, when he realised his mistake, he let go of his former patience and calmness.

Once the cover of ignorance was removed, he was so overawed by the majesty of God that he became restless and impatiently presented himself to the service of the Holy Prophetsa and requested the Holy Prophetsa to purify him. But the Holy Prophetsa overlooked his slip and suggested him to seek forgiveness and repentance from God Almighty.

After this reply, Ma‘iz returned but he had lost his tranquility after the vice he had committed. He was so overburdened by it that he wanted to shed it off as soon as possible. His heart was not at peace.

He had returned in compliance, but after a short distance, he came back and again restlessly submitted to the Holy Prophetsa to purify him.

Again, the Holy Prophetsa overlooked his mistake and suggested him to seek forgiveness and repentance from God Almighty. Again, in compliance, he returned, but he was so helpless by his heart that a step forward would move him backward two steps. He focused only on one thing as to how to get rid of this impurity of sinfulness and purify himself.

Thus, after a few steps, in a state of restlessness, he returned and repeated his request to the Holy Prophetsa. At this, the Holy Prophetsa asked him as to what he wished to seek purity of. Very embarrassingly and repentantly he said, “Of the sinfulness of fornication.”

The Holy Prophetsa, too, was surprised at this straightforwardness and voluntary pleading guilty of his, and asked people if he was in his senses, or if what he said was not because of some mental illness. The Companions replied in the negative and submitted that he was in total control of his senses.

27

AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021 Since the Holy Prophetsa considered it essential to confirm all the aspects before imposing the penalty prescribed in the Shariah, he again asked if he was drunk.

One person sniffed him from close and learnt that such was not the case as he did not smell of liquor. The Holy Prophetsa again confirmed from Ma‘izra if he had committed fornication, at which he confessed his sin. Then the Holy Prophetsa ordered for him to be punished. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Hudud, Bab man I‘tarafa ‘ala Nafsihi biz-Zina) Hazrat Umarra commented that he failed to appreciate the attribute of God of covering the human failings, which is why he had to suffer the ostensible penalty imposed by the Shariah. If he had repented and sought Allah’s forgiveness, He might have forgiven him because He covers the human failings and also would have spared him this penalty.

Divine revelation vouches for truthfulness of a companion At Murisi, the account of the disparaging words uttered by Abdullah bin Ubai in disrespect of the Holy Prophetsa has been discussed earlier with regard to his own son’s righteous indignation for the honour of the Holy Prophetsa.

Hazrat Zaidra bin Arqam was a child when he heard these impure words and became restless, and instantly reported it to the Holy Prophetsa through his uncle.

The Holy Prophetsa enquired of Abdullah bin Ubai about it, but as he was tainted with hypocrisy and was deprived of the true faith, he denied it. His accomplices, too, who, like him, suffered from the same malady, corroborated it on oaths.

The Holy Prophetsa, following divine command, thought well of it and taking their statements to their face value, rejected Hazrat Zaid’s account. But later, divine revelation corroborated Zaid’s statement and thus, exonerated the believing child of the impurity of untruthfulness by disclosing the truth to His Prophet through direct revelation.

(Sirat Ibn Hisham, Vol. 2, p. 291) The Holy Prophetsa vouches for truthfulness of a companion Hazrat Muazra bin Jabl was a very righteous young man and an embodiment of Islamic moral values. Once, he related something about the Holy Prophetsa. Hazrat Anasra went to the Holy Prophetsa to confirm it, at which the Holy Prophetsa commented, Continued from page 25

“Then, I would like to pray for the Khalifa of the time that O my Lord, expand his knowledge and wisdom, prosper him in his endeavours and protect him from every anguish and pain. Bless his schemes and keep him on the paths of Islam.”

Below are the names of people who either requested me for prayers at the time, or who show – or showed – immense love to me: “Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sahib, Syed Waliullah Shah Sahib, Chaudhry Ziauddin Sahib, Abdur Rahman, Ghulam Hussain, Qazi Muhammad Alam Sahib,

A wife gives honest testimony against husband As it goes against faith, the Companions showed no regard whatsoever for even the most fragile worldly relationships.

Irrespective of all consequences, they would speak the truth.

Once, a weak Muslim, Qadamah bin Maz‘un, slipped and drank some alcohol.

When Hazrat Umarra learnt of it, he prescribed the penalty imposed by the Shariah. But what is surprising is who the

eye-witness was in this case and at whose testimony he was punished. Qadamah’s own wife testified against her husband and thus, he was punished. (Al-Isabah, Vol. 5, p. 323) In the above-mentioned incidents, some slips committed by the Companions have been discussed. One must not fall victim of misconception about the Companions. There are only a few incidents in which a Companion is proved to have erred for some reason or another. Otherwise, they had such a high standing in uprightness and piety that the commission of such deeds at their hands was like impossibility.

Those who are even scantily familiar with the history of the Arabs know well that drinking and fornication was prevalent in this region. And the Arabs indulged, day in and day out, in such activities. Islam declared these evils unlawful, and the Companions, despite their being given to them for the whole of their past lives, complied with this commandment so meticulously that the history of other nations fails to present its precedence.

A slip from a member of a people given to vices is not such a thing on whose basis the national piety and righteousness

Abdul Majeed Khan Sahib, Master Muhammad Sharif Sahib, Sheikh Abdur Rahim Sahib, Sheikh Abdur Rahman Sahib, Shadi Khan Sahib, Mian Din Muhammad Sahib, Mirza Yusuf Ali Sahib, Abdur Rahman Kaghani Sahib, Mian Muhammad Yusuf Sahib, Mian Abdul Ghani Sahib, Master Abdul Aziz Sahib, Sheikh Rahmatullah Sahib, Khawaja Kamaluddin Sahib, Dr Yaqub Baig Shaib, Dr Muhammad Hussain Sahib, Syed Sarwar Shah Sahib, Syed Muhammad Ali Shah Sahib, Master Sher Ali Sahib, Maulvi Fazluddin Sahib, Qazi Zahuruddin Akmal Sahib, Khawaja Abdur Rahman Sahib, Mian Mazhar Haq

and Akbar Shah Khan Najibabadi, Mian Mazhar Qayum Sahib and Abdur Rahim Sahib.”

The purpose behind me writing this prayer here is so that a fortunate soul may benefit from it and engage in prayers for Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya and the triumph of Islam.

In the end, I would like to draw our friends’ attention to not squander this opportunity. Wail before your Lord at night and offer sadaqah during the day. This is such a beneficial deed that if a group from among you practices it, then God promises triumph in His holy word. Is there any

“Muaz spoke the truth; Muaz spoke the truth; Muaz spoke the truth”, and thus, with full conviction, confirmed the truthfulness of one of his Companions.

(Usdul-Ghabah, Vol. 4, p. 419, Zikr Muazra bin Jabl) Companions’ trust in fellow companion Hazrat Abdur Rahmanra bin Auf accepted Islam at about 30 years of age, but he so excelled in righteousness, cleanliness, honesty and truthfulness that the Companions had full trust in his truthfulness; so much so that even in case of a dispute, whether he was a plaintiff or a defendant, they trusted his account.

(Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 1, p.

192)

of the Companions should be criticised.

Complete innocence from, and protection against, sins is due only to the prophets of God Almighty. Weak of faith believers are liable to err momentarily.

If a Companion committed a sin, instantly he would recourse to repentance and would himself confess his sin and slip and do its penance.

The truth is that such incidents, the embarrassment and guilt of the Companions and their restlessness to face the penalty on commission of such acts only enhances their value in the eyes of a fair-minded person.

Another special and worthy-to-beemulated point in the above accounts is that the Companions deemed the worldly punishment nothing as compared to the punishment in the Hereafter. The thought of presenting themselves in a sinless state before God in the Hereafter dominated their hearts. Therefore, the punishment in the Hereafter was absolutely unbearable for them. That is why they tried their best to face the punishment of their sins in this very world, so that before God, they might be presented as pure and sinless.

But the state of affairs of this age is quite the opposite. Today, most of us belong to that group who try their utmost to somehow evade the penalty of their errors in this world. And in order to evade it, in addition to the original crime, if they have to recourse to lie and untruth etc. or other such heinous crimes, they give it little thought. A perusal over it will reveal that such a state is the result of lack of unconditional trust in God Almighty.

Otherwise, a person who wholeheartedly believes in life after death, where they will have to give an account of their worldly deeds before God, does not dare to commit a crime and then try to avoid its punishment, and thus with their own hand become liable to punishment in the Hereafter.

The truth is that the utmost worldly punishment or even the capital punishment for a person whose heart is enlightened with the light of faith, is very insignificant. Such a one would never like to present themselves before God as sinful and thus become liable to the punishment of Hell for some misdeed.

(Translated by Shahid Mahmood Ahmad, Missionary in Ghana, from the original Urdu, Muslim Nau-jawanon kay Sunehri Karnamey)

unfortunate one who has no trust in the promises of God? May God establish unity between us and may we be granted the potential to carry out good deeds and prayers. May the days of darkness disappear and may the luminous light of Islam illuminate the world. Amin, O Lord of all the worlds!

Humbly yours, Mirza Mahmud Ahmad (Translated by Al Hakam to English from the Original Urdu in the September 1909 issue of Tash-heez-ul-Azhan)

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Friday 9 April 2021 | AL HAKAM

Ramadan of God’s chosen ones A glimpse of the services of Khulafa-e-Ahmadiyyat during Ramadan

freedom, and spend a better part of the night in prayers.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 2, p. 185) Hazrat Dr Mir Muhammad Ismailra narrates that in 1895, he spent the entire month of Ramadan in Qadian and used to offer tahajjud, meaning the tarawih prayers, behind the Promised Messiahas. He added that it was Huzoor’sas routine to offer the witr during the early part of the night and perform eight rak‘aat of tahajjud in a set of two each, during the latter part of the night, in which he used to recite Ayat-ul-Kursi in the first rak‘ah and Surah al-Ikhlas in the second rak‘ah. And during the ruku‘ and sajdah, he would profusely recite: ُ َ َ ْ َ ُ ْ ُّ َ َ ُّ َ َ ْ ‫ک‬ ‫اس َت ِغ ْيث‬ ‫يا حي يا قيوم بِرحم ِت‬ (Sirat-ul-Mahdi, Vol. 1, p. 295, Narration 320) Ramadan and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira

Ata-ul-Haye Nasir Al Hakam Ramadan is a very special month in a Muslim’s life. It is a source of blessings, mercy and forgiveness from God Almighty.

The Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet’ssa blessed words and example provide us with ample guidance on how to spend Ramadan to attain those blessings. Moreover, in this era, the Promised Messiahas rejuvenated that example of his Holy Mastersa and his Khulafa also continue to guide and teach the Jamaat as to how they can attain the true blessings of this month.

Ramadan and the Holy Prophetsa Hazrat Ibn Abbasra narrates that the Messengersa of Allah was the most generous of all the people and he used to reach the peak of generosity in the month of Ramadan when Gabrielas would meet him. Gabrielas used to meet him every night of Ramadan to teach him the Quran. Allah’s Messengersa was the most generous person, even more generous than the strong, uncontrollable

winds (in readiness and haste to do charitable deeds). (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Bad‘ al-Wahi) Hazrat Abu Hurairahra narrates: “I heard the Messengersa of Allah say regarding Ramadan, ‘Whoever prayed at night in it [the month of Ramadan] out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Salat alTarawih) Hazrat Aishara narrates: “The Holy Prophetsa used to practice e‘tikaf in the last 10 days of Ramadan till he died and then his wives used to practice e‘tikaf after him.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-E‘tikaf) Ramadan and the Promised Messiahas On 10 January 1900, during the month of Ramadan, the Promised Messiahas told Hazrat Seth Abdur Rahmanra of Madras: “During these days, I sit with my friends less than usual and remain in solitude for longer. This is truly for the benefit of my friends. I pray in seclusion with time and

During the first Ramadan of Khilafat-eAhmadiyya, tarawih prayers were arranged in Masjid Mubarak, which continued till 20 Ramadan. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira would also participate in it along with other members. Then, on 20 Ramadan, Huzoorra started e‘tikaf in Masjid Mubarak.

Badr wrote that even during this solitude of e‘tikaf, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I’sra benevolent nature was still showing its wonders, as he delivered duroos of the Holy Quran, expounding on commentaries and answering questions. (Badr, 22 October 1908, p. 8) In regard to the Ramadan of 1912, Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra stated that as the time would come nearer for Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I’sra dars in his house’s courtyard, attendees would be seen coming towards the house of Huzoorra, holding the Holy Quran in their hands, and the courtyard would fill very quickly.

Huzoorra would recite half a part (parah) with translation and commentary. He would also answer the questions of the attendees.

After that, women were also taught the Holy Quran inside the house. Then, after the zuhr prayer, everyone would gather in Masjid Aqsa, where Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira would come to deliver the dars. (Tarikh-eAhmadiyyat, Vol. 3, pp. 603-604) Ramadan and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra During the time of Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra, the duroos of the Holy Quran continued according to the same tradition and Huzoorra would prepare his duroos day and night despite many health issues. In this regard, Huzoorra himself expressed in his Friday Sermon of 17 May 1957: “With age and illnesses, a person’s conditions continue to change as well. I remember in the year 1922, I delivered duroos throughout Ramadan. It was the month of August and the weather was very

hot. But I remember writing notes all night and delivering the dars in the morning after keeping the fast.

“When I would go out in the afternoon, due to extreme heat, Hakim Muhammad Umar Sahib – who is now very old – would fetch water from the well of the mosque and pour it on my head. After that, I would go back and start the dars. Zuhr would come, asr would come, and the evening would come; then I would continue delivering dars. Many a time it would so happen that the time for breaking the fast [iftar] would come while delivering the dars.

“In short, I used to deliver dars for about 12 or 13 hours. The Tafsir-e-Kabir volume, which was published earlier, comprises the notes of those duroos. However, now, due to my illness, my body cannot bear it.

Moreover, age is also playing a factor in this.” (Al Fazl, 31 May 1957, p. 3) Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra always urged the Jamaat to offer prayers. During his Friday Sermon of 11 December 1936, he drew the attention of the Jamaat towards prayers and suggested the following two prayers for two nights: The first prayer: “O Allah, may we become the recipients of your perfect forgiveness, and may we be enabled sincere repentance. May this blessing be granted not only to us, but also to our families, neighbours, friends, loved ones, relatives and to the entire Jamaat. O God, we are your humble, sinful servants; very weak and feeble. We have caused ourselves to be trapped in traps and snares and there is no way out of them. There is no way for us to be saved except that Your perfect forgiveness may surround us and we may be granted such sincere repentance for the future that no disgrace or degeneration comes after it.”

The second prayer: “O God, You are Perfect, not in need of any praise, honour or fame. You do not need to care whether Your servants believe in You or not. Obeying You will not increase Your Glory, and their disobedience will not diminish Your Glory. O our Lord, although You are not in need, the world needs Your divine light. We ask You to manifest Your attributes to the world. May Your Divine light [nur] spread throughout the world.

May all mankind believe in You and may Your kingdom be established in the world.

O God, have mercy on the world, not for Yourself, but for Your humble servants. Show them the path that will bring them closer to You – not to express Yourself as being the Creator, but to have compassion and mercy on creation – through which Your kingdom may be established in the world, so that mankind be enlightened by Your Divine light, their hearts be enlightened, their eyes shine, and their minds be sharpened.”

Stating the above-mentioned prayers,

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AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021

Huzoorra instructed members of the Jamaat: “At least one day of the year, weep before God Almighty over your sins and do not ask Him for anything for [your] pleasure; do not ask him for rupees; do not ask him for money; do not ask him for wealth; do not ask him for health; do not ask Him for debt relief; do not ask Him for honour; do not ask Him for respect.

“Just ask, ‘O God, may we attain Your perfect forgiveness. May we attain complete repentance and forgiveness.’ Ask for this prayer in different manners, ways and words.

Seek this for yourselves, your wives, your children, your friends, your neighbours, the people of your city and then for the whole Jamaat. But the subject, manner, rhythm and tone should be the same, and the summary of whatever you say should be that ‘We

beseech Your forgiveness from You alone.’

Thus, ask from that Forgiving, Pardoning, Concealing, [and] Compassionate Being.

(Al Fazl, 13 December 1936, p. 6) Ramadan and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh Maulana Abul Ata Sahib, in his article regarding the first Ramadan during the time of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh, stated that Masjid Mubarak had its unique glory, where the Khalifa of the time would himself lead the five daily prayers and the spiritual pleasure of those prayers would be extraordinary. (Al Fazl, 22 January 1966, p.

4) On 22 January 1966 – 29 Ramadan – Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh delivered a dars on the last three Surahs of the Holy Quran and then led everyone in dua. (Al

Fazl, 26 January 1966, p. 8) During the Ramadan of 1967, from 9 to 11 January, Huzoorrh addressed members of the Jamaat in general and the mu‘takifin specifically at Masjid Mubarak.

On 11 January, after the asr prayer, Huzoorrh delivered a dars on the last three Surahs and led everyone in dua.

Every year, during the month of Ramadan, Huzoorrh would guide and teach the Jamaat regarding Ramadan during his Friday Sermons, to make them realise the importance and blessings of this holy month.

During his Friday Sermon of 22 October 1971, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh stated: “The one benefit of the month of Ramadan and its supplications is that the spiritual faculties of man improve and it creates a curiosity about his Lord. It is very much necessary for man to try, as much as possible, to attain enlightenment about the attributes of his Lord until he realises just how close his Lord is to him [...] So, man must understand that Allah the Almighty is very close to him [and] we need Him for everything, even for lifting a finger.”

(Khutbat-e-Nasir, Vol. 3, p. 475) Ramadan and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh would also deliver duroos of the Holy Quran during the month of Ramadan and teach the commentary of the Holy Quran. These duroos used to be broadcast live throughout the world via MTA. Huzoorrh would also guide members of the Jamaat regarding the month of Ramadan during his Friday Sermons, so that they may benefit from this month as much as possible.

During his Friday Sermon of 15 April 1988, Huzoorrh stated: “Ramadan bears a great significance.

Those who do not fast during Ramadan cannot even imagine what virtues they have remained deprived of. They did not bear the hunger or observe the prohibition of a few days and [thus] were deprived of great blessings and remained chained to worldly affairs even more than before. This is so because one who does not endure the restrictions of Ramadan, his routine is overpowered by worldly affairs, and in fact, he is compelled to bind himself to the bonds of materialism. Such people are gradually enslaved by the lower form of life. After that, even if they want to, they cannot break free from their shackles.” (Khutbat-e-Tahir, Vol. 7, p. 258)

Ramadan and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa The Ramadan of 2003 was the first Ramadan of Khilafat-e-Khamisah. Huzooraa delivered a dars on the last three Surahs of the Holy Quran on 25 November 2003 and led everyone in dua. (Al Fazl International, 5 December 2003, p. 16) Almost every year since then, aside from Friday Sermons detailing spiritual gems for the guidance of Muslims on how to spend the month of Ramadan and other guidance to jamaats around the world on the observance of Ramadan, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa delivers a dars of the Holy Quran towards the end of Ramadan and teaches the meanings and commentary of the Holy Quran. These duroos are telecast live through MTA. In his Friday Sermons, he guides the Jamaat regarding Ramadan, which instils a great zeal in the hearts of Ahmadis to spend this month according to its true essence.

During his Friday Sermon of 24 April 2020, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said: “Allah the Almighty says that the reason why the month of Ramadan has arrived and your attention has been drawn towards fasting is so that you may make up and fulfil any of your shortcomings and weaknesses of the past 11 months. And this is to be done whilst turning your attention purely towards Allah the Almighty, abstaining from even the lawful things purely for His sake, tolerating hunger and thirst for His sake, paying greater attention towards the worship of Allah the Almighty than before and whilst paying particular attention towards fulfilling the rights of His creation.

“When one fulfils these injunctions, this, in essence, is true taqwa and this is the very purpose of Ramadan and fasting. When a person observes the fast and passes through the month of Ramadan with this objective and for this purpose and does so with pure intentions then this will not bring about a temporary transformation, rather it will be a permanent change. Furthermore, one’s attention will constantly be turned towards fulfilling the rights of Allah and towards fulfilling the rights of His worship.

“Such an individual will not be overcome by worldly endeavours and vain pursuits and he will also pay attention towards fulfilling the rights of mankind.

Such an individual will not usurp the rights of people for his personal interests. Thus, if we are not entering the month of fasting with this intention and objective then this month of Ramadan will be of no benefit.”

(Al Hakam, 22 May 2020, p. 37)

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Friday 9 April 2021 | AL HAKAM

100 Years Ago...

Islam in Detroit: Mufti Sahib spreads Ahmadiyya mission in America Al Fazl, 7 April 1921 Mufti Sahib was in Chicago but had to move to Highland [Park], Detroit. He said: “I intended to settle in a central city of America to try to establish a jamaat, but due to certain reasons, I had to move from Philadelphia to New York, then to Chicago, and from there to Highland Park. Now, I am receiving invitations for lectures from all across [the country]. Thus, I am setting up a central office here [in Detroit] and will be touring the country, insha-Allah, so that the seed of tabligh be sown everywhere.” (Al Fazl, 13 March 1921)

Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra 1872-1957

Detroit city This city [Detroit] is best known in America for its motor car manufacturing industry. It has 15 different factories. Each company’s motor car has its unique shape and design.

The most famous company is that of Mr Henry Ford. It has 50,000 employees and thousands of motor cars are manufactured by them and sold every year. The car, which is called motor car in India, is called an automobile in this country.

The city of Detroit covers an area of 80 square miles and has a population of one million. The city has one university and six colleges. It also has 200 big schools, 300 churches, four railway stations, 40 public parks, 11 hospitals, 57 fire stations, 15 free libraries, 10 police stations and five

large markets.

The trams run on electricity in this city and the lights are also electrically powered. The fare for traveling in a tram is three annas [a unit of currency formerly used in the subcontinent, equal to 1/16 of a rupee]. Once you board [the tram], whether you get off after a few steps or even if you travel for miles, it will cost you the same [three annas].

[Detroit] is the third largest city of the country with respect to its area and population, and first in terms of automobile industry.

In this city, eight dailies and several weekly and monthly newspapers are published. The daily circulation of the newspaper, [Detroit] Free Press, is more than 100,000. My picture and tabligh articles based on my lectures have been published four times in this [newspaper]. (https://f re ep.ne wsp ap ers.com/ search/#query=mufti+sadiq&t=3676)

The part of this city which is located on the bank of the river is 11 miles long.

3,000 motor cars are manufactured every day and sent to the market to be sold. The labourers receive a daily wage of six to 10 dollars. One dollar equates to roughly eight rupees. Hence, other expenses can be estimated from the fact that a labourer earns six dollars a day over here. A person who earns here and spends in India will be greatly benefited, but there are great difficulties for someone like me whose money comes from India and is spent here. However, Allah the Almighty eases the difficulties of the believer very quickly. After all, victory belongs to Him. Insha-Allah, there will be great rewards for those who are giving money to missions in foreign countries.

There are 3,000 factories in this city, of which 31 are automobile manufacturers and 100 of them manufacture various parts of motor cars.

If you go to the barbershop and get a haircut, it costs three rupees and if you call him at home, you have to pay six rupees. I do not like haircuts, etc. very much. However, when I do have to go to the barbershop once a month, he keeps discussing the political issues of the world while giving a haircut.

At the hotel, a cup of tea costs five annas. The boot polisher takes six annas and it costs two annas to get your handkerchief washed. Anyone who keeps a dog at home has to pay a tax of four rupees and the tax on a female dog is eight rupees. Dogs do not roam around in the streets. If someone’s dog goes astray, it is sent to the police station. The cleanliness of the streets of a city in India should be observed on the day when the governor has to pass through them, but the streets of this city remain much cleaner every day as compared to that day [in India]. No one is allowed to throw their house garbage in the streets or to spill the dirty water of their houses before the residents of the city through drains. Waste water goes into underground pipes and garbage is taken from every house by the municipality.

There is a highly organised system for maintaining cleanliness [over here]. The streets are quite wide and there is a small garden in front of each house.

I came here [in Detroit] for tabligh last July and a few lectures were held. In one of the lectures, a lady with whom I had already corresponded, converted to Islam and was named Zainab. I have known a few people here since then. A gentleman wrote to me in Chicago, saying, “If you [Mufti Sahib] can come here [in Detroit] for a few days, some lectures on Islam can be arranged.” He thus [rented] a big hall and I arrived here on 5 February [1921] from Chicago. The lecture took place on the evening of 7 February [in] a very spacious hall filled with men and women.

Challenge to the priests In my lecture, I drew everyone’s attention towards the high morals of the Holy Prophetsa and mentioned the deputation of Christians who had requested the Holy Prophetsa for a place to hold their Sunday church worship. The Holy Prophetsa granted them his mosque for it.

After narrating this incident, I made a challenge, saying, “Is there any one from the very many priests of Detroit who could give me his church for Islamic prayers on Friday, as they all claim that they have great courage and lofty morals.” The reporters from the city’s daily newspapers were also present at the lecture and they immediately reported the challenge to their newspaper office.

This country’s newspapers The newspapers of this country strive in every way to serve the public. Each newspaper has an information office called an information bureau. You may write a scientific, medical or legal question to them, and they immediately publish the answer in their newspaper. Moreover, if

Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan)

AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021

· Sun, Feb 13, 1921 · Downloaded on Nov 31

https://www.newspapers.com/image/118981094

Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan) 13 February 1921

you send an envelope with a stamp along with [the question], they also post you a written answer.

Apart from this, all kinds of works of public interest are done by the newspaper organisations. In Chicago, for example, a newspaper owner does this every morning – he sends a reporter from his office with 50 dollars (or about 200 rupees) in the city. This reporter visits the government employees and other public servants, i.e. charioteers, policemen, ticket clerks, gatekeepers etc. He goes to those people who interact with the general public and observes as to which one of them deals with the public in the best manner. He then rewards the person found to be the most benign of them all with 50 dollars and publishes the entire report in the evening newspaper. Hence, the newspapers contribute a lot to the

newspaper. interest and welfare of the public.

Copyright © 2018 Newspapers.com. All Rights Reserved.

Then, the priest of the Unitarian Replies from priests Church came and said, “Our congregation Soon after hearing about my challenge, wants to hear your lecture on Sunday.” A a newspaper owner sent a reporter from lecture has been scheduled to be held at his office to go to the famous priests of the their [church] on 27 February [1921] at city and ask them to answer my challenge. 6:30 pm.

The reporter went to the houses of all the Counter reply priests. All of them unanimously agreed that they could not give their church to Some priests responded by saying, “The any Muhammadan to offer prayers or give religion of Islam is a rival of Christianity a sermon in it. One of the priests said, and a great danger in its path of “Giving a church to a Muslim would be Christianity and that is why we cannot like handing over our fort to a German, so give any Muslim a place in our church.”

In response to this, the summary of that he could sit in it and bomb us.”

“We are not narrow-minded, but we the article I published in the newspaper is will consult with our committee, perhaps that I am not an enemy of Christians but a they might agree”, said the pastor of benefactor. I consider Prophet Jesus to be the Congregational Church. All these a true prophet and I love him more than reports were published in the next day’s the Christians of today because Christians consider him accursed and I believe he was always blessed. However, let’s suppose that I am an enemy of Christianity, but do you not preach in the churches to love thy enemy? You yourselves do not follow what you teach, and I wanted this to be uttered from your mouths, so you have said it.

Now, please do not worry any more, I do not need your churches. Moreover, the structure and furniture of your churches is not such that prayers can be easily held in there.

Detroit, circa 1940

Articles in newspapers By the grace of God Almighty, many articles in support of Islam have been published in the newspapers here. Articles with my pictures have been published in

three different newspapers. One of them named [Detroit] Free Press is published on 40 pages daily and on 80 pages every Sunday. Its editor paid me a visit. Our discussion lasted for three hours and he asked questions on every aspect of Islamic teachings and published my answers in several long and wide columns of his newspaper with my picture. The city is talking about us. Notable people come for meetings. Some dignitaries hosted lavish banquets and the city’s sheriff, mayor, chief of police, certain lawyers and bank managers joined in and were delighted to hear the attributes of Islam.

Khawaja Christian I was sitting at the house of a Syrian Muslim. There was some discussion on the comparison between Christianity and Islam. In the meantime, another gentleman came to meet him. He introduced him to me and said that he was Khawaja Luis and a resident of Syria. After meeting him, the discussion resumed. I strongly criticised Christianity as usual. Everyone listened in silence. At the time of departure, the man of the house told me separately, “Our new friend was a Christian. I indicated it but you did not understand. In Syria, when the word Khawaja is added to someone’s name, it should be understood that he is a Christian. A Muslim is called a Sheikh.”

Muhammad Sadiq. 25 February 1921. Karrub House, 74 Victor Avenue, Highland Park, Mich, America (Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in the 7 April 1921 issue of Al Fazl)

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Friday 9 April 2021 | AL HAKAM

22 ways of concentrating in Salat

summoned, is the Greatest. This will promote concentration in their Prayer. The Holy Prophetsa says that the azan is called to put Satan to flight […]”

5. Iqamat – The short call to prayer “Iqamat [the shorter version of azan recited at the beginning of Salat in congregation] also draws attention to the greatness and glory of God. All the points made concerning azan apply to it too.

The Holy Prophetsa says that iqamat, too, puts Satan to flight. He meant that iqamat removes evil inclination and promotes con- centration in worship.”

6. Order in outwardly arrangements “Order in outwardly arrangements creates order in thoughts and does not let them disperse. When the rows are physically formed for Prayer, deeper thoughts are also lined up. And what an awe-inspiring form the rows represent in Prayers – everybody standing before the King of kings in utter silence!

“The Holy Prophetsa says, ‘Keep your rows straight; lest your hearts become crooked.’ What is the significance of the rows? Simply that the external disorder would adversely affect spiritual harmony.”

The Holy Quran, in various places, has emphasised the importance of worship and Salat. The observance of prayer is a fundamental pillar of Islam and is obligatory on all Muslims. God Almighty states: “Recite that which has been revealed to thee of the Book, and observe Prayer.

Surely, Prayer restrains one from indecency and manifest evil, and remembrance of Allah indeed is the greatest [virtue]. And Allah knows what you do.” (Surah alAnkabut, Ch.29: V.46) As we enter Ramadan, we must ensure that we increase the standard of our good deeds and acts of worship. This is a month in which the doors of God’s mercy and blessings have been opened for us, hence we must endeavour to harvest and reap its full benefit.

Often, some people find it difficult or struggle to maintain focus and concentration during Salat.

Here are 22 effective methods that can help create the concentration needed to observe Salat in its best form. These were outlined by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra and are available in the book, Remembrance of Allah: “As a part of the Prayer service, the Shariah [Islamic Law] has prescribed some rules for maintaining concentration.

Due to their own ignorance, many people derive no benefit from these rules. I will add some techniques, which are generally not known but can be helpful.

“Let me start with a general principle.

When someone really believes in a technique that he is using, he receives greater benefit from it.

“Sando was a master body builder in Europe. He said, ‘Exercise is essential for health, but at the same time, you must believe that your arms and muscles are

getting stronger and firmer.’ The arms get stronger with exercise, but when you add the belief that the body is benefiting, it is naturally influenced. Without such a belief, much of the potential impact is lost and the benefit is reduced.

“Some rules embodied in Islamic Shariah for maintaining concentration are as follows:” 1. Ablution “Performance of wuzu [ablution] is essential before starting every Prayer.

God Almighty has created means of communicating thoughts and feelings.

One of them is the nervous system; it acts as a channel to carry one man’s feelings to the other. The Holy Prophetsa recited Ayatul-Kursi and he then blew upon his hands and lightly passed them over his body. Do you think that this was a frivolous act? No! The truth is that thoughts are channelled from one person to the other through the nervous system, the voice, and the breath.

The Holy Prophetsa brought all channels

under control by reciting Ayat-ul-Kursi with his tongue, then by blowing upon his hands, and then by lightly passing his hands over his body […]

“Ablution breaks the string of extraneous thoughts and creates tranquillity and comfort. This, in turn, helps in concentrating. When you make

ablution, resolve firmly that with it you are going to banish all stray thoughts. With this attitude you will experience added comfort and your thoughts will not be distracted.”

2. Congregational Salat “Another means of achieving concentration in Prayers is to offer congregational Prayers at the mosque […]

“The Holy Prophetsa has instructed that Muslims should reserve a place for Prayer in their homes. Praying there will remind them that place is also reserved for worship […]”

3. Turning to the Ka‘bah “The instruction to face towards the Ka‘bah [the first house of God built in Mecca] also helps in achieving concentration. The city of Mecca has many distinctions. It was here that in obedience to God’s will, a loved one of Allah – Abrahamas – left his wife and child without any provisions and protection. Since he did it for the sake of God, He multiplied his progeny, which is innumerable like the stars in the sky. Many prophets were born in his progeny. Finally, the person destined to reform the whole mankind was also raised from his progeny.

“When someone realises the wisdom of turning his face towards Mecca, he is inspired by the sacrifice of Hazrat Ishmaelas.

His mind is drawn to the fact that God, for Whose worship he is now standing, is the Lord of Great Honour and Majesty. This realisation helps eliminate stray thoughts and leads one to the recognition of the Grandeur and Glory of Allah.”

4. Azan – Call to prayer “Calling of azan [call to Prayer] also helps in concentration. The call of “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar” [Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest] reminds worshippers that God, to Whose presence they are being

7. Niyyat – Intention “The seventh means of achieving concentration in Prayers is niyyat [intention] because when you command your mind to do something, it attends to it. Niyyat does not mean that you have to verbalise the name of the imam, the numbers of the rak‘aat and facing the Ka‘bah. The intention of offering Salat should be made in the heart. […]

“In truth, the intention is related to the heart. When you stand for Prayers, think actively about the Prayers. Remind yourselves what you are about to do. As soon as you understand this, you will begin to develop humbleness and will begin to concentrate.”

8. Deliberate repetition of certain words in Salat “In congregational Prayers, the imam repeats words which create the fear of Allah. Anybody who becomes distracted is nudged and reminded. When ‘Allahu Akbar’ is called, he is warned: ‘Stand with full attention because the One in Whose presence you are standing is the Greatest.’

“Then, after a while, when thoughts are distracted, the imam again makes the same reminder. Again, after a while, he is told, ‘Sami-Allahu li-man hamidah’ [God listens to him who praises Him] – reminding him that in order to benefit from the Prayer, he must spend the time in praising Allah; otherwise, he is wasting his time […]”

9. Different postures “Islam has not adopted a single posture for Prayers but different positions. If someone gets absorbed in other thoughts, his going in ruku [bowing] and sajdah [prostration] reminds him. Even if someone moves to these postures as a habit, the simple act of making the movements makes the mind alert. Worship in other religions does not posses this characteristic; it is unique to Islam.”

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AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021 10. Sunnah prayers “Performing sunnah Prayers before and after obligatory Prayers also helps achieve concentration […]”

knows that such thoughts are undesirable.

But people are prone to forget and a reminder at the beginning of each Prayer would surely help.”

11. Recite words slowly “If you are unable to concentrate, recite the words slowly. The human brain instantly recalls things which it has observed often, but it has difficulty in recalling things which it has rarely observed.

“If you see Tom every day, you will visualise him immediately when you think of him, but if you see him occasionally, his image will appear only after a little while – and that, too, not very clearly.

“Similarly, if you learn a language in childhood, images are formed immediately when words are uttered. When the words for water and bread are spoken, they quickly bring to mind real things which they represent. This is not the case with foreign languages. The mind visualises the image after some time. When children learn English, and speak a word (like cat), it will seem to be no more than a word to them. But when the corresponding word is spoken in their own vernacular, their mind immediately forms the picture (of a cat) […]”

14. Method applied by the Holy Prophetsa and his Companionsra “When following an imam, the recitations made by the imam will keep you awake and alert. The imam thus protects his followers.

This, incidentally, shows how important it is to offer Prayer behind an imam.

“When offering Prayer alone, you should follow an excellent method applied by the Holy Prophetsa, his Companions and many pious Muslims. Some verses of the Holy Quran are particularly conducive of humbleness; repeat them often. For instance, when reciting Surah al-Fatihah, repeat the following verse often:

12. Keep eyes focused on the area of prostration “The twelfth method has been enjoined by the Holy Prophetsa. He has instructed that the eyes must be focused on the place of prostration during Prayers.

“Many people ignore this instruction.

They close their eyes during Prayers, thinking that they would thereby achieve concentration. Not so. Concentration can only be achieved by keeping the eyes open.

“That is why the Holy Prophetsa has advised us to keep our eyes open.

In his book, Awariful Ma‘arif, Hazrat Shahabuddin Suherwardi says that during ruku, the eyes should be focused upon the space between the two feet.

“I agree with this suggestion; it is beneficial for the eyes and creates humility […]”

13. A resolve before each prayer “As I mentioned earlier, niyyat [intention] is required at the beginning of Prayer. It will also be helpful if, at the beginning of the Prayer, you resolve not to let any stray thoughts distract your mind. Everybody

َ َ َ ۡ َ َ َ ‫ِا ّیاک ن ۡع ُب ُد َو ِا ّیاک ن ۡس َت ِعی ُن‬

“‘Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone we implore for help.’ (Surah alFatihah, Ch.1: V.5) “This would put the soul to remorse. If it is lost in random thoughts, the soul will return to the act of worship feeling that since it is claiming to worship God alone, it should not wander around.”

15. Concentrate on one posture at a time “The next method is to help those who cannot hold their concentration for long.

Like infants unable to bear hunger for long periods or to digest large amounts of food, they need frequent support.

“A useful technique for them is to concentrate on one posture at a time. When they stand for qiyam, they should resolve not to let any thoughts disturb them up to the end of the ruku. Going in to ruku, they should make the same resolution for the time up to the end of ruku. They should do the same at every change of posture. This will give them great strength to overpower any distracting thoughts.”

16. Fight distractions by confronting them “If you succumb to other worldly thoughts, they will chase you. But if you confront your thoughts and resolve not to let them disturb you, they will stop. Offer a stiff resistance, therefore, to all such thoughts; stop them immediately. For example, if during the Prayer, you think of your sick child, stop thinking of it by telling yourself that the child is not going to get better by

thinking about him nor is he going to get worse if you do not think of him. Resolve, therefore, not to think of him. Continue this practice about every thought until you get a masterly command over them.”

17. Say the words aloud when alone “When you offer nawafil at home, recite the words loud enough to hear them. Since the ears are not plugged; they continue to be partly functional. When you hear the words, your mind will be more inclined towards remembrance of God. This method should generally be practiced during the night. If you put the ears to use in Prayers during the day, they will be distracted by all kinds of noise.”

18. New movements give rise to fresh thoughts “Fresh thoughts arise from new movements.

The movements made during Prayer are a part of the worship and, therefore, they do not give rise to extraneous thoughts. But if other movements are made, they will distract you from the Prayer.

“The Holy Prophetsa has instructed that no unnecessary movement should be made during Prayer […]”

19. Perform actions with alertness “Perform qiyam, ruku and sajdah with alertness. When standing for qiyam do not put all of the weight on one leg leaving the other leg hanging loose. When you are slack yourself, the enemy can overpower you. Physical slackness leads to spiritual slackness.”

20. An excessive method adopted by Shibli “The next method has been used to excess by some sufis. I do not like to carry things to excess. Nonetheless I will mention it.

Used in moderation, it can be beneficial.

“Hazrat Junaid of Baghdad was a holy man of great standing. One of his followers was Shibli, a sincere and righteous man. Shibli used to be the governor of a province. Once, when he was present in the court of the king, a tribal chief received a royal mantle in recognition of his services. The chief was suffering from cold. It so happened that right at the time when he was standing before the king, his nose started flowing. The chief had no handkerchief. When he thought the king was not looking, the chief wiped his nose with the royal robe. The king noticed it and was very angry; he felt that the royal dress had been disgraced. Shibli – who had fear of God in his heart – was so shocked by this incident that he fell unconscious. When he regained consciousness, he resigned from governorship. When asked, Shibli told the king, ‘You gave a dress to a chief, and become so furious when he disgraced it.

I have been granted so many blessings by God. How great will be His punishment if I do not thank Him.’ “Then he went to Hazrat Junaid and asked him to be admitted as a pupil. He said, ‘I cannot accept you as a student; you have been a governor and in that capacity you have been cruel to so many people.’ Shibli pleaded, ‘Is there anything I can do?’ Junaid advised him to go to every house in his area to apologize and offer compensation for the wrongs he had committed. He did accordingly.

“The accounts of Shibli’s life record that whenever he noticed any slackness or distracting thoughts while offering nawafil he used to beat himself with a stick, till the stick would break. Then he would start again. In the beginning he used to keep a Continued on next page >>

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Friday 9 April 2021 | AL HAKAM << Continued from previous page

bundle of sticks with him. What he did was excessive and I believe that Islam does not permit carrying things to such extremes.

However, since the matter is related entirely to his own self I cannot hold him to criticism.

“There is a way of disciplining the self, which is not excessive. Whenever your thoughts are distracted, identify the portion which you were reciting when the thoughts started floating away. Then continue reciting that portion. The self will then realise that you are determined in your worship of God. This realisation will eliminate further confusion in thoughts and you will achieve peace and concentration.”

21. Stop entertaining vain and frivolous thoughts in general “There is another great and useful technique. A characteristic of true believers is that:

ۡ َّ ُ ‫َع ِن اللغ ِو ُم ۡعرِضوۡ َن‬

“‘They shun all that is vain.’ (Surah alMominun, Ch.23: V.4) “Those who are in the habit of entertaining vain and frivolous thoughts will be subjected to similar thoughts during Prayer. If they train themselves not to think of such thoughts at all, they will be saved from the distraction of thoughts during Prayer too […]”

22. Imagine being in the presence of God “The next technique is very useful; it takes spirituality to its zenith. The Holy Prophetsa was once asked, ‘What is ihsan [goodness]?’

He responded, ‘Pray to Allah as if you are seeing Him; but as a minimum, be aware that He is seeing you.’

“When you stand for Prayer, imagine that you are standing in the presence of God and you can see Him – not in His physical form but in His glory and greatness. This creates a fear of greatness and power of God in the mind. The mind becomes careful not to do anything untoward at that time.

“If you cannot visualise God, believe, as a minimum, that He is watching you. He is fully aware of everything you are doing.

Think hard. When you say ‘alhamdulillah’ [All praise belongs to Allah] does the condition of your heart affirm that spirit?

Or is it engaged in some other thoughts altogether? If the mind is engaged in different directions, warn yourself and make your heart join what is being uttered by the tongue […]

“Make every effort to safeguard your Prayers. Put up a strong resistance to Satan for he is trying to keep you away from God. Remember that even if your entire Prayer is spent in a constant struggle and you do not yield to Satan, Allah will consider you present in His audience. But if you yield, He will let you go. Continue your struggle; you will succeed in the end.”

(For a detailed study of these points and the topics surrounding them, please refer to Remembrance of Allah by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra: www.alislam. org/library/books/Remembrance-of-Allah.pdf)

The Promised Messiah Day commemorated worldwide Jalsa Yaum-e-Masih-eMaud in Dayton, USA Syed Shamshad Nasir Missionary, USA Mirza Mahmood Ahmad Sahib reports that Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Dayton, USA celebrated the Promised Messiah Day through a virtual event held on 27 March 2021.

The programme started with the recitation of the Holy Quran with translation. Thereafter, a poem from Durre-Sameen was recited with translation.

After this, the president of the Dayton Jamaat presented a brief introduction of the Promised Messiah Day. After which the first speaker, A. Shakoor Ahmad Sahib delivered a speech on the topic of “The Claim of the Promised Messiahas”.

The second speech was delivered by Raghib Shahid Sahib on “The Signs of Eclipses”.

The concluding speech was delivered by the regional missionary, Syed Shamshad Nasir Sahib.

The programme was attended by 32 members.

Jalsa Yaum-e-Masih-eMaud North East Region, UK Mubarak Ahmed Basra Regional Missionary Bradford Muneeb Ahmed Shaikh Sahib reports that on 23 March 2021, the North East region held a virtual Jalsa to commemorate the Promised Messiah Day, live via YouTube from Al Mahdi Mosque Bradford.

The event began with the recitation of the Holy Quran and its Urdu and English translations. This was then followed by a poem from Durr-e-Sameen with the English translation. The host, Mubarak Ahmed Basra Sahib, Regional Missionary Bradford, gave an introduction about the importance of this day and the purpose of this Jalsa.

The first speech was in English that was delivered by Abdul Ghany Jahangeer Khan Sahib, In-charge French Desk, on the topic of “A Messiah for the Whole Mankind”. He articulated how nearly all religions have vouchsafed to their followers God’s promise regarding the coming of a spiritual figure in the latter days when things would look bleak and evil would be widespread.

Then, Ataul Mujeeb Rashed Sahib, Missionary-in-charge UK, delivered his concluding address in Urdu. In his address he mentioned few beautiful incidents and

examples from the life of the Promised Messiahas.

Dr Syed Muzaffar Ahmed Sahib, Regional Amir North East delivered the closing remarks.

It is estimated that about 4,000 viewers benefitted from this programme.

The event concluded with silent prayer led by Ataul Mujeeb Rashed.

Promised Messiah Day celebrations in Greece Atta-Ul Naseer National President Jamaat Greece Zeeshan Nadeem Sahib reports that on 21 March 2021, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Greece was able to hold an event to commemorate the Promised Messiah Day. Due to the lockdown in Greece because of Covid-19, the event was held via Skype. The planning for the event had started on 13 March 2021.

The event took place from 7pm to 9pm.

The event was presided over by AttaUl Naseer Sahib, Missionary and President Jamaat Greece.

The programme commenced with recitation of the Holy Quran and its translation, followed by an excerpt of the Promised Messiahas. Then, a poem was presented, followed by a dars of hadith.

The first speech was presented by Raheel Ahmad Sahib from Athens on the topic of Promised Messiah’s love for the Holy Quran.

The second speech was delivered by Aqeel Ahmad Sahib, Sadr Majlis Khuddamul-Ahmdiyya on the topic of the Prophecy of Promised Messiahas about Pandit Lekh Ram. After this, another poem was presented.

The third speech was delivered by Mushtaq Ahmad Sahib, Qaid Umumi Majlis Ansarullah Greece on the topic of Promised Messiah’s love for Allah the Almighty.

A tifl, Naveed Ahmad was encouraged to

recite a portion from the Holy Quran after which a recorded tarana was also presented.

The final speech was delivered by Atta-Ul Naseer Sahib, on the topic of the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah’s claims.

At the end, ten minutes were dedicated to a question and answer session. Concluding silent prayer was led by the National President Jamaat Greece.

The event was attended by 11 ansar, 26 khuddam, 7 lajna and 2 atfal with a total attendance of 46. Members participated from Athens, Thessaloniki, Katerini, Aspropirgos and the Island of Aegina.

On 28 March 2021, another online event was held with English speaking members and non-Ahmadi guests on the same topic.

A lecture was delivered by Atta-Ul Naseer Sahib, on the topic of the advent of the Promised Messiahas which was followed by a question and answer session.

This event was attended by three English speaking Jamaat members including a lajna and 3 guests.

On the same day Majlis Ansarullah Greece also held their Promised Messiah Day event online via skype. The event was presided over by Atta-Ul Naseer Sahib, which commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran and translation.

Abdul Quddus Sahib, Sadr Majlis Ansarullah Greece led the Ansar pledge which was followed by a poem.

The first speech was delivered by Masoodul Hasan Sahib from Aspropirgos on the topic of the Promised Messiah’s love for the Holy Prophetsa.

The concluding speech was delivered

by Abdul Quddus Sahib, Sadr Majlis Ansarullah Greece on the topic of a sign of the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas.

The event concluded with silent prayer led by Atta-Ul Naseer Sahib. The total attendance of ansar was 10 from Athens, Aspropirgos and the Island of Aegina.

During this month, a social media

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AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021

campaign was also launched where a few posts were promoted in various parts of Greece via Facebook. Through this campaign the message of the Promised Messiahas reached more than 40,000 people.

From amongst them over 4,500 interacted with these posts and over 1,200 partially or completely read the articles linked with these posts. Alhamdulillah.

May Allah the Almighty bless our humble endeavors and enable us to take forward the blessed mission of the Promised Messiahas. May all participants partake from the prayers of the Promised Messiahas and our beloved Khalifatul Masihaa. Amin

UK Ahmadi missionaries address 53,000 on Promised Messiah Day Slahudin Mir Missionary, UK 23 March is a very special day for Jamaate-Ahmadiyya because on this day, 132 years ago, the Promised Messiahas initiated the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in Islam. This day is celebrated globally by the Jamaat as the Promised Messiah Day. 132 years is no less than a phenomenon for a Jamaat that was founded in a small and remote village of Qadian in Punjab, India.

On 23 March 1889, the Promised Messiahas accepted the bai‘at of 40 faithful servants in allegiance to the Ten Conditions of Bai‘at at the house of Hazrat Sufi Ahmad Jan Sahib in Ludhiana, India.

Every prophet of Allah has faced opposition and their opponents have always made bold claims that their jamaat would soon perish and vanish into thin air.

The same was the case when the Promised Messiahas claimed that he was the Promised Messiah and Mahdi. The opponents made claims such as “The message of the founder of this Jamaat will not even go beyond the outskirts of Qadian”.

The fact that Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya is flourishing everyday even after 132 years shows the truthfulness of the claim of the Promised Messiahas. The opponents of the Jamaat tried their utmost to wipe it out but God Almighty watched over it and blessed it with ever more progress.

Since last year, the Covid-19 pandemic has put the whole of humanity through suffering. It has affected everyone. However, the pandemic has also encouraged people to become more creative in using technology to reach out to others. The Jamaat has commemorated the Promised Messiah

Day throughout the UK via YouTube and video conferencing softwares such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams to reach out to the members of the Jamaat.

By the grace of Allah, over 53,000 people have attended Jalsa Yaum-e-Masih-e-Maud organised virtually throughout the UK and some joining from other countries as well.

The National Jalsa Yaum-e-Masih-eMaud was held on 20 March 2021 live on YouTube, which was watched by over 42,000 people. The Jalsa was chaired by Amir Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya UK, Rafiq Ahmad Hayat Sahib.

The first speech was delivered by Tahir Selby Sahib on “The need for the Imam” followed by a speech delivered by a young waqf-e-nau on “The early Life of the Promised Messiahas”. The last speech was delivered by Additional Wakil-ut-Tabshir, Majid Tahir Sahib on “The Promised Messiah’s love for the Holy Prophetsa’.

The Jalsa concluded with the closing remarks and silent prayer led by Amir Sahib.

Alhamdulillah, the programme was watched globally. The list of viewers per country in order of numbers are as follows: UK, India, Pakistan, Canada, Germany, USA, Italy, Nigeria, Ghana, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, France, Sweden, UAE, Bangladesh, Belgium and Switzerland.

Across the fourteen regions in the UK, in the month of March 2021, UK Missionaries have been organising Jalsa Yaum-e-Masihe-Maud and delivering speeches covering different aspects of his life.

Missionary-in-Charge UK, Ataul Mujeeb Rashed Sahib delivered speeches addressing the Jamaats of Kingston, Putney, Balham and Crawley on “The life of the Promised Messiahas”. He also delivered a speech in the North East region. Moreover, Finland and Sweden also invited him to deliver speeches in their respective countries with the approval of Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa.

Aldershot Jamaat organised a local Jalsa Yaum-e-Masih-e-Maud on 14 March 2021. Hafiz Syed Mashood Ahmad Sahib, Missionary of Aldershot, delivered a speech on the life of the Promised Messiahas.

Dawood Ahmed Abid Sahib, Missionary of Farnham, delivered a speech in Farnham Jamaat’s jalsa held on 23 March 2021. His speech was delivered in Urdu and was about “The style of moral training of the Promised Messiahas”. He also delivered a speech at the South Region’s Jalsa on “The meaning of Wa Aakharina Minhum”.

Guildford Jamaat’s jalsa was held on 26 March 2021. The main speech was delivered

by Tahir Mehmood Mubashar Sahib, a missionary, on “Important instructions to

Jamaat members by the Promised Messiahas”.

Raja Burhan Ahmad Sahib, Missionary of Islamabad, addressed the Slough Jamaat on 14 March 2021 and Sheffield Jamaat on 20 March 2021 on “Importance and significance of the Promised Messiahas”. He also delivered a speech in Worchester Park Jamaat on 28 March 2021 on “Why do we celebrate the Promised Messiah Day and fulfilment of the Prophecy”.

Naseem Ahmad Bajwa Sahib, missionary at the Bait-ul-Futuh mosque, delivered speeches addressing the Epsom, Baitul Futuh, Walton on Thames and Richmond Park Jamaats. He also delivered a speech in Baitul Futuh Region.

On 23 March 2021, a jalsa was held in North East Region. The keynote speaker was Ataul Mujeeb Rashed Sahib, who addressed the North East Region on the life of the Promised Messiahas”.

Faiz Ahmad Zahid Sahib, a missionary, delivered speeches to the Norbury, Thornton Heath, Bexley and Greenwich and Bromley and Lewisham Jamaats. He also delivered a speech at the South Region’s Jalsa Yaum-eMasih-e-Maud.

Abdul Ghaffar Ahmad Sahib, a missionary, delivered a speech in the Midlands regional Jalsa Yaum-e-Masihe-Maud held on 27 March 2021 on “The revelation of the Promised Messiahas ‘I will humiliate whoever tries to humiliate you’”.

Tahir Selby Sahib, a missionary, delivered a speech in the National Jalsa Yaum-eMasih-e-Maud, and also attended his local Jalsa in Hartlepool and Newcastle Jamaats in which he presented a very informative video regarding Jesus in India.

Ghulam Ahmad Khadim Sahib, missionary of North Wales, addressed the North Wales Jamaat on 23 March 2021 on “The truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas”.

Qureshi Daud Ahmad Sahib, a

missionary, addressed the Dundee Jamaat on 13 March 2021 on “Prayers of the companions of the Promised Messiahas” and also addressed Edinburgh Jamaat on 20 March 2021 on “The life of the Promised Messiahas”. He also delivered a speech on the Jalsa organised by Majlis Ansarullah Glasgow on “The life of the Promised Messiahas before his claim”.

The Spen Valley Jamaat organised its very first Jalsa Yaum-e-Masih-e-Maud on North East Region’s YouTube channel on 28 March 2021. The guest speaker was Mansoor Zia Sahib, a missionary, and his speech was titled “The examples of high morals of the Promised Messiahas”.

Sabahat Kareem Sahib, a missionary, delivered speech addressing the Huddersfield South and North Jamaats.

He was joined by Waseem Ahmad Fazal Sahib, a missionary, whose speech was on “Similarities of the Promised Messiahas with the Holy Prophetsa”.

Hafiz Aneeq Ur Rehman Sahib, a missionary, delivered a speech addressing the Sheffield and Doncaster Jamaats on 31 March 2021.

Scunthorpe jamaat held a Jalsa on 27 March 2021. The main speaker was Ahmad Salam Sahib who spoke on the life of the Promised Messiahas, covering his life before prophethood and how he defended Islam.

Rawah-ud-din Arif Khan Sahib, missionary of Glasgow, delivered a presentation on al-Wasiyyat at the local Jalsa on 28 March 2021.

Woking Jamaat held a jalsa on 28 March 2021. The main speech was delivered by Dr Iftikhar Ayyaz Sahib on “How the Promised Messiahas dealt with people”.

Mohammad Ahmad Khursheed Sahib, a missionary, delivered a speech in Manchester South Jamaat on 23 March Continued on page 37

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Friday Sermon 12 March 2021 Men of Excellence: Hazrat Uthmanra ibn Affan After reciting Tashahud, Ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:

The accounts from the life of Hazrat Uthmanra are being mentioned. Hazrat Uthmanra performed the pilgrimage of Hajj approximately a year before his demise or when the disorder had reached its peak.

In any case, when he performed his last pilgrimage of Hajj, the rebels had started to openly create disorder. Hazrat Amir Muawiyahra was greatly concerned about this and Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states: “On the return from Hajj, Hazrat Muawiyahra also accompanied Hazrat Uthmanra to Medina. After having stayed there for a few days, when he was about to depart, he met Hazrat Uthmanra in private and said, ‘It appears that disorder is growing; if you permit, may I submit something in this regard?’ Hazrat Uthmanra said, ‘Go ahead.’

“Upon this, he said, ‘My first proposal is that you accompany me to Syria as it is peaceful there in every respect; there is no disorder whatsoever. I fear that if disorder suddenly arises we may not be able to make arrangements at the time.’ Hazrat Uthmanra replied, ‘I cannot leave the neighbourhood of the Holy Prophetsa under any circumstance, even if my body is torn to pieces.’

“Hazrat Muawiyahra said, ‘Then my second proposal is that you grant me permission to send a contingent of the Syrian army for your protection. No one shall be able to make mischief in its presence.’ Hazrat Uthmanra replied, ‘Neither can I burden the bait-ul-mal [treasury] to such an extent in order to safeguard the life of Uthman, nor can I tolerate putting the people of Medina to difficulty by maintaining a military presence.’

“Upon this, Hazrat Muawiyahra submitted, ‘Then my third proposal is that you send off the Companions to various countries because in their presence, people possess the courage to assume that if you do not remain, someone else may be put forward in your stead.’

“Hazrat Uthmanra replied, ‘How is it possible for me to scatter those whom the Holy Prophetsa has gathered?’ Upon hearing this, Hazrat Muawiyahra began to weep and submitted, ‘If you do not accept any of these strategies which I have proposed for your protection, then at least announce to the people, “If any harm comes to me,

then Muawiyah shall possess the right to retaliate on my behalf.” Perhaps, people shall refrain from making mischief in fear on this account.’

“Hazrat Uthmanra replied, ‘Muawiyah!

What is to happen will surely come to pass. I cannot grant this permission since you possess a stern disposition.’” Hazrat Uthmanra said to Hazrat Muawiyah that

he possessed a stern disposition; “‘and may treat the Muslims harshly.’

“Thereupon, Hazrat Muawiyahra stood up weeping and said, ‘I fear this may be our last meeting.’ When he stepped outside, he said to the Companions, ‘The fate of Islam rests upon you. Hazrat Uthmanra has now fallen very weak. Disorder is escalating.

Please do look after him.’ After saying this,

Muawiyahra set off for Syria.” (Islam Mein Ikhtilafat ka Aghaz, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 4, pp. 285-286) With regard to Hazrat Uthman’sra great courage and resolve, Mujahid narrates that Hazrat Uthmanra peered from inside his house and addressing the rebels, said, “O my people! Do not kill me because I am the leader of the time and I am your Muslim brother. By God! Irrespective of whether my understanding [about a matter] was correct or not, I have only ever strived to ensure reform to the best of my ability. Remember, if you kill me, you will never be able to gather together to offer prayers collectively, nor will you be able to set out for Jihad together and neither will you distribute wealth in a just manner.”

The narrator states, “When the rebels who had besieged his house refused to pay heed, Hazrat Uthmanra stated, ‘I ask you in the name of God, when Amirul Momineen – Hazrat Umarra – passed away, at the time you were one and were established upon the faith, did you not pray in the manner that you did?’” i.e. for Khilafat. “‘But now you are effectively saying that your prayers were not accepted; or you wish to say that Allah the Almighty no longer cares for His faith; or you claim that I attained this (i.e. Khilafat) forcefully at sword point or usurped it and that this was not given to me after mutual consultation of the Muslims; or perhaps you believe that during the early stages of my Khilafat, Allah the Almighty was not aware of the matters relating to me that He is now aware of. This cannot be the case as Allah the Almighty knows everything.’ When the rebels refused to accept this as well, Hazrat Uthmanra prayed, ‘O Allah! Take note of them and destroy each and every one of them and do not spare even a single one from among them.’”

Mujahid further states, “Whosoever took part in this rebellion, Allah the Almighty destroyed every single one of them.” (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Uthmanra bin Affan [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya alTurath al-Arabi, 1996], p. 38) Abu Laylah Kindi narrates, “I saw Hazrat Uthmanra when he was under siege.

He peered from an opening and said, ‘O People! Do not kill me and if I am at fault for anything, give me respite so I can repent.

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AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021 I swear by Allah! If you kill me, you will never be able to congregate to offer prayers together, nor will you be able to counter the enemy as one. Indeed, [in such a case] you will then quarrel with one another and always be at odds with one another.’” The narrator states that Hazrat Uthmanra used his fingers to indicate this.

Hazrat Uthmanra then said: َ َ ‫ٰی َق ْوم لَا َی ْجر َم َّن ُک ْم ش َقاق ْی اَ ْن یُّص ْی َب ُک ْم ّم ْث ُل َمآ اَ َص‬ ‫اب ق ْو َم‬ ِ َِ ُِ َ ِ ُ َ ُ ِ َ َ ِ ُ ‫ن ْو ٍح ا ْو ق ْو َم ہ ْو ٍد ا ْو ق ْو َم ٰص ِل ٍح َو َما ق ْو ُم ل ْو ٍط ِ ّم ْنک ْم بِ َب ِع ْی ٍد‬ Meaning “O my people, let not your hostility towards me lead you to this that there should befall you the like of that which befell the people of Noah or the people of Hud or the people of Salih; and the people of Lot are not far from you.” [Ch.11: V.90] Hazrat Uthmanra then sent a message to Hazrat Abdullahra bin Salam. When Hazrat Abdullah bin Salamra came he asked Hazrat Uthmanra what his opinion was on what was happening. Hazrat Uthmanra said, “Refrain from fighting, refrain from fighting, because this will be more favourable for to prove that you are on the side of the truth.” (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Uthmanra bin Affan [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi, 1996], p. 39) Muhammad bin Sirin narrates that Hazrat Zaidra bin Thabit Ansari came to Hazrat Uthmanra and submitted, “The Ansar have gathered at the door and are saying that if you permit, we are prepared to become Allah’s Ansar [helpers of Allah] for the second time.” Upon this, Hazrat Uthmanra stated, “No, do not fight under any circumstance.”

Hazrat Abu Hurairahra states, “On Yaum Al-Dar [the day of the siege], I went to Hazrat Uthmanra and said, ‘O Amirul Momineen! The situation warrants that you raise the sword [against the rebels].’

“Hazrat Uthmanra stated, ‘O Abu Hurairah! Would you like to kill everyone, including me?’ I said, ‘No’. Hazrat Uthmanra then said, ‘By God! Even if you kill one person, it is as if you have killed everyone.’”

Hazrat Abu Hurairahra states that he subsequently returned home and did not partake in the battle. As mentioned before, he stated that it was time to raise the sword.

Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra narrates that on the day of the siege, he submitted to Hazrat Uthmanra, “O Amirul Momineen!

Wage war against these people, because waging war against them has been made lawful for you by Allah the Almighty.”

Hazrat Uthmanra stated, “By Allah! I will never wage war against them.”

The narrator states that they made their way inside and at the time Hazrat Uthmanra was fasting. Hazrat Uthmanra had appointed Hazrat Abdullahra bin Zubair to guard his door and said, “Whosoever wishes to obey me, he should follow Abdullah bin Zubair.”

Hazrat Abdullahra bin Zubair states that he said to Hazrat Uthmanra, “O Amirul Momineen! You have a group of people here in your house for your protection, who have the support and succour of Allah. They are fewer in number than the rebels. Grant me permission to fight against these rebels.”

Hazrat Uthmanra stated, “I say to you in the name of Allah, no person should shed their blood for my sake, nor should anyone else’s blood be shed for my sake.” (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Uthmanra bin Affan [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi, 1996], p. 39) With regard to the conflict and discord

before the martyrdom of Hazrat Uthmanra and the incident of his martyrdom, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states: “Since the rebels had apparently gained victory already, they sent someone to Hazrat Uthmanra again, as a final strategy, to have him resign from Khilafat. They felt that if he resigned himself then the Muslims would have no authority or opportunity to punish the rebels.

“When the messenger reached Hazrat Uthmanra, he said, ‘I have refrained from vices even in the days of jahiliyyah [era of ignorance prior to the advent of Islam] and have not violated the injunctions [of God] after accepting Islam. Why and for what crime should I leave the office which God the Exalted has conferred upon me? I shall never remove the garment which God the Exalted has clothed me with.’

“The messenger returned after hearing this reply and addressed his people in the following words, ‘By God! We have fallen into grave trial. By God! We cannot escape the clutches of the Muslims without killing Uthman[ra]’”, because in this case the government would topple and its administration would crumble and there would be no one to question them, “‘but killing him is in no way permissible.’” i.e. their only solution was to kill Hazrat Uthmanra but they knew that this was not permissible.

“Not only do the words of this person highlight the anxiety of the rebels, but they also establish that Hazrat Uthmanra had still not allowed anything to arise which the rebels could have used as an excuse.

In their hearts, the rebels knew that killing Hazrat Uthmanra was not lawful under any circumstances.

“Hazrat Abdullahra bin Salam arrived when the rebels were plotting to assassinate Hazrat Uthmanra. Hazrat Abdullahra bin Salam was greatly revered within his tribe even when he was a disbeliever and the Jews believed him to be their chief and a peerless scholar. He stood at the door and began to admonish the rebels, and he forbade them from killing Hazrat Uthmanra saying, ‘O People! Do not draw the sword of God over your heads. By God! If you draw the sword, you will never find an opportunity to put it back into its sheath; conflict and discord among the Muslims shall never end. Pay heed! Today, the government [punishes criminals] by the whip’” generally lashing is the penalty for a criminal offence in the Islamic penal code; “‘but if you kill this man, then the State will not be able to maintain order without the sword’”, i.e. people will be killed for petty crimes. “‘Keep in mind that the angels are the guardians of Medina at this time; if you kill him, the angels will desert Medina.’

“The benefit that the rebels derived from this admonition was that they drove off Abdullahra bin Salam, the companion of the Holy Prophetsa. In addition, they taunted him with reference to his previous faith saying, ‘O son of a Jewess! What have you to do with these matters?’ It is a shame, that the rebels remembered that Abdullahra bin Salam was the son of a Jewish lady, but forgot that he had accepted Islam at the hand of the Holy Prophetsa. Furthermore, the Holy Prophetsa was immensely pleased when he converted and he too stood by the Holy Prophetsa in every hour of difficulty and suffering. Moreover, the rebels also forgot

2021.

Shahzeb Athar Sahib, a missionary, addressed the Milton Keynes Jamaat on 23 March 2021 on “The advent of the Promised Messiahas”.

Imran Ahmad Khalid Sahib, a missionary, delivered a speech in Roehampton Vale Jamaat on 14 March 2021 on “Importance of Jalsa Yaum-e-Masih-eMaud and our responsibilities as Ahmadi Muslims”.

Usman Shehzad Butt Sahib, a missionary, addressed the Luton and Stevenage North Jamaats on “The picture of the Promised Messiahas and its impact”.

Rabeeb Ahmad Mirza Sahib, a missionary, delivered speeches addressing the Slough and Hounslow South Jamaats.

Zartasht Ahmad Latif Sahib, a missionary, addressed the Leicester and Coventry Jamaats on 23 March 2021 on “Incidents from the life of the Promised Messiahas”.

Ammar Ahmad Sahib, a missionary, delivered a speech to the Jamaats of Cardiff and Newport on 23 March 2021 on “The appointed mission of the Promised Messiahas”.

Raza Ahmed Sahib, a missionary, delivered a speech at the South Region’s Jalsa Yaum-e-Masih-e-Maud on “The Promised Messiah’s love for the Holy Prophetsa”.

Sahil Munir Ahmed Sahib, a missionary,

addressed the Liverpool Jamaat on 23 March 2021 on “The importance of Promised Messiah Day and the responsibility of the members of the Ahmadiyya Community”.

Fakhar Ahmed Aftab Sahib, a missionary, delivered a speech addressing the Burton Jamaat on the “Truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas and our responsibilities as Ahmadis”.

Sheikh Sharjeel Ahmed Sahib, a missionary, delivered speeches addressing the Burntwood and Clapham Jamaats on the “Truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas’.

He also delivered a speech addressing the students of al-Hafizoon.

Safeer Zartasht Sahib, a missionary, addressed the Barking and Dagenham Jamaat on 14 March 2021 on “The revelations of the Promised Messiahas”.

Humayon Jahangeer Khan Sahib, a missionary, addressed the Birmingham West, Walsall and Wolverhampton Jamaats.

He also addressed the atfal and waqf-e-nau of Leamington Spa Jamaat at their local Jalsa Yaum-e-Masih-e-Maud.

Today, we see that the name of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian and the name of his Jamaat has great respect throughout the world. The Jamaat is known to be a symbol of peace, harmony and love, which is the very essence of Islam.

May Allah enable us to carry forward the mission of the Promised Messiahas and may He keep us steadfast on the oath of allegiance. Amin

that Abdullah bin Saba, their leader and instigator – the person who declared Hazrat Alira to be the wasi of the Holy Prophetsa [i.e. the claim that Hazrat Alira was meant to be the first Khalifa after the demise of the Holy Prophetsa] and presented him in opposition to Hazrat Uthmanra – was also the son of a Jewess. In fact, he was a Jew himself and was only outwardly expressing Islam.

“Disappointed by the rebels, Hazrat Abdullahra bin Salam left. And the rebels – upon noticing that it was difficult to murder Hazrat Uthmanra by entering through the door because the few people who were present on guard there were bent upon killing or dying – decided to assassinate Hazrat Uthmanra by jumping over the wall of a neighbouring house. As such, with this intention, a few rebels jumped over the wall of a neighbouring house and snuck into the room of Hazrat Uthmanra. When these people entered, Hazrat Uthmanra was reciting the Holy Quran. After the siege had been laid, day and night, the only occupation of Hazrat Uthmanra was to offer prayer or recite the Holy Quran, and he would not pay attention to any other work.

In those days, the only other task that he performed before the rebels penetrated the house was to appoint two men in order to guard the treasury, because on that night, the Holy Prophetsa appeared to him”, i.e.

Hazrat Uthmanra “in a vision and said, ‘O Uthmanra! Break your fast with us this evening.’

“After this vision, Hazrat Uthmanra was convinced that he would be martyred that day. Hence, taking his responsibility into account, Hazrat Uthmanra ordered two men to stand guard by the gate of the treasury, so that no one would attempt to loot the treasury during the chaos and mischief.

“When the rebels reached inside they

found Hazrat Uthmanra reciting the Holy Quran. Muhammad bin Abi Bakr was also among the attackers and due to the power he commanded over the rebels, he considered it his duty to be at the forefront of everything.” He thought that since he was the son of Hazrat Abu Bakrra, therefore he held a superior status and considered it his duty to be at the forefront of everything.

“And so, he advanced and took hold of Hazrat Uthmanra by his beard and gave it a violent tug. In response to this action of his, Hazrat Uthmanra only said this much, ‘O my brother’s son! If your father’” i.e. Hazrat Abu Bakrra, “‘had been here now, he would never have done such a thing. What has happened to you? Are you displeased with me for the sake of God? Are you angry at me for anything other than the fact that I have made you fulfil the rights of God?’” In other words, all that Hazrat Uthmanra said was that they ought to fulfil the rights of God. “Upon this, Muhammad bin Abi Bakr turned back in shame. However, the rest of the rebels remained there. Since definite news had been received that the army of Basra would reach Medina that night and this was their last opportunity, the rebels had decided that they would not return without completing their mission. One of them advanced and struck the head of Hazrat Uthmanra with an iron rod. Then he kicked the Quran which was placed opposite Hazrat Uthmanra. The Holy Quran went tumbling towards Hazrat Uthmanra and drops of blood fell upon it from his head. What to talk of dishonouring the Holy Quran – the virtue and honesty of these people became fully exposed by this event.

“The verse upon which the blood of Hazrat Uthmanra fell was a magnificent prophecy that was fulfilled in its own time with such grandeur that a person

Continued from page 35

38 who possessed even the hardest of hearts closed his eyes, out of fear, after beholding a glimpse of its blood-stained words. The verse was: ْ ُ َّ َ ُ َ ُ ّ ٰ ُ ُ َ ْ ْ َ َ َ ‫الس ِم ْیع ال َع ِل ْی ُم‬ ‫فسیک ِفیکہم اللہ و ہو‬ “‘Allah will surely avenge thee against them, for He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.’

[Ch.2: V.138] “After this a person by the name of Saudan advanced and desired to attack Hazrat Uthmanra with a sword. When he made his first strike, Hazrat Uthmanra shielded himself with his hand and his hand was cut.

“Upon this, he said, ‘By God the Exalted, this was the first hand to write the Holy Quran.’ After this, Saudan made a second attack in an attempt to assassinate Hazrat Uthmanra but his wife Na‘ilah moved forward and stepped in between. This evil person, however, did not even hesitate to strike a lady; he attacked and her fingers were severed.

“After this, he made another attack upon Hazrat Uthmanra and severely wounded him. Then, in the thought that perhaps he had not yet died and may survive, when Hazrat Uthmanra was writhing in agony and fell unconscious due to the pain of his wounds, this wretched person immediately took to his neck and began to strangle him. This man did not release the neck of Hazrat Uthmanra until his soul departed his physical body and flew to the heavenly world, eagerly accepting the invitation of the Holy Prophetsa. َ ْ َ َّ َ ّٰ َّ ‫اج ُع ْو َن‬ ِ ‫اِنا لِل ِہ واِنآ اِلی ِہ ر‬ “[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return].

“At first, overwhelmed by the horror of this scene, the wife of Hazrat Uthmanra was unable to speak. She finally called out for help and the people sitting at the door rushed inside. However, any help was now useless; what was to happen had already taken place.

When the freed slave of Hazrat Uthmanra saw the blood-stained sword, which had been used to martyr Hazrat Uthmanra, in the hands of Saudan, he was unable to restrain himself. He advanced and severed the head of Saudan with his sword. In turn, one of his [Saudan’s] associates killed him. Now the throne of the Islamic Empire was empty of a Khalifa. The people of Medina deemed further efforts to be futile and all of them returned to their respective homes.

“After martyring Hazrat Uthmanra, the rebels began to terrorise the members of his household. The wife of Hazrat Uthmanra desired to move away and when she left, a wretched person from among them passed a most vulgar remark to his associates about her.

“Undoubtedly, for a respectable man, no matter what religion he belongs to, it is difficult to even fathom that the rebels would express such foul views at a time when they had just martyred the foremost”, pioneer, “Companionra of the Holy Prophetsa – his son-in-law, the king of the Muslim Empire and then, the Khalifa of the time. However, their indecency was so immense that no evil deed was beyond them. These rebels were neither in pursuit of any good objective, nor did their party consist of righteous people.

“Some of them were admirers of the deceptive, anti-Islam, strange and peculiar teachings of Abdullah bin Saba, the Jew. Others were fascinated by [the concept of]

Friday 9 April 2021 | AL HAKAM excessive socialism; rather, Bolshevism.

Some were criminals who had served sentences and were looking to spill out their animosity, while others were robbers and bandits, who saw this conflict as a means of fulfilling their ends. In short, their indecency is not surprising. As a matter of fact, it would have been surprising if these people had not behaved in such a manner.

“While the rebels were pillaging and plundering, another freed slave could not restrain himself when he heard the screams and cries of the household of Hazrat Uthmanra. The slave attacked and killed the person who had killed the first slave. At this, they killed him as well. The rebels even took off the jewellery worn by the women and left the house laughing and mocking.” (Islam Mein Ikhtilafat ka Aghaz, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 4, pp. 327-331) On another occasion, regarding the vulgarity and impropriety of those that murdered Hazrat Uthmanra, Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra states: “Just look at what they did; they martyred Hazrat Uthmanra and whilst he was lying in a pool of blood, writhing in agony, the murderers were passing vulgar remarks about the wife of Hazrat Uthmanra by commenting about her body. Their actions then became even worse…” i.e. not only towards Hazrat Uthman’sra wife, but worse still; Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states that they began to pass vulgar remarks about Hazrat Aishara. Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra states: “Upon hearing these things, I say that Allah the Almighty has granted me a lofty position, for which I am honoured. But it is my heart’s desire, that if only I were alive then instead of now, I would have obliterated them all. Look at the extent they fell…” as mentioned earlier, they removed the hijab from Hazrat Aishara and upon seeing her they commented that she was a young woman.” (Report Mushawarat 11-12 April 1925, pp. 32-33) They did not even refrain from passing remarks about Hazrat Aishara.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states: “From the treatment meted out to Hazrat Uthmanra, it is evident that Hazrat Uthmanra was not fearful in the slightest of what they would do to him. It is proven from history that when the rebels had overtaken Medina, before the prayers they would spread out inside the mosque and kept the people of Medina separate from one another lest they gather together to resist them.

“But despite all the discord and strife and a general atmosphere of hostility, Hazrat Uthmanra would come to the mosque alone for prayers, and would not be fearful in the slightest. He kept on coming to the mosque until a time he was stopped from doing so.

“When the discord worsened and the rebels attacked the house of Hazrat Uthmanra, instead of Hazrat Uthmanra asking the companions to stand guard around his house, Hazrat Uthmanra pleaded with them in the name of God not to place their lives in danger by protecting him and then ordered them to return to their homes.

Does a person scared of martyrdom act in this way and telling people not to worry for him and instead for them to return home?

This proves that Hazrat Uthmanra was not fearful of being martyred.

“Another irrefutable proof that Hazrat Uthmanra was not afraid of martyrdom

is that”, as mentioned in the beginning of the sermon, “when the discord had begun, Hazrat Muawiyahra came for Hajj. When he was about to return to Syria, he met Hazrat Uthmanra in Medina and said, ‘Come with me to Syria, there you will be safeguarded from any discord.’ Hazrat Uthmanra replied, ‘Muawiyah! I will not like to leave the neighbourhood of the Holy Prophetsa at any cost.’

“Hazrat Muawiyahra then said, ‘If this is not acceptable then grant me permission to send a contingent of the Syrian army for your protection.’ Hazrat Uthmanra replied, ‘For the sake of my protection I will not let the provisions of the Muslims be diminished.’

Hazrat Muawiyahra then said, ‘O Amirul Momineen! These people will deceive you and kill you or declare an all-out war against you.’ Hazrat Uthmanra replied, ‘I do not have any concern for this; my God is sufficient for me.’ In the end, Hazrat Muawiyahra said, ‘If you do not accept anything, then at least do this, the evil and seditious people place their [false] hopes in certain prominent companions. They believe that after you, these companions will be able to look after the affairs. Subsequently they try to deceive the people by using their names. You should remove all of them from Medina and send them off to different lands. In this way, the ploys of these evil people will be stopped as they will think what need is there to fight with you knowing that there is no one to take command of the matters after you.’ However, Hazrat Uthmanra did not accept this either” as was mentioned earlier “and said, ‘How can I scatter those whom the Holy Prophetsa has gathered?’ Upon hearing this, Hazrat Muawiyahra began to weep and said, ‘If you do not wish to do any of these, then at the least make an announcement that Muawiyah will be responsible for exacting revenge for you.’ Hazrat Uthmanra said, ‘Muawiyah! You have a stern disposition; I fear that you may treat the Muslims harshly. Therefore, I will not make such an announcement.’

“It is alleged that Hazrat Uthmanra was weak-hearted, but tell me, how many people can display such courage and after reading these events, can anyone say that Hazrat Uthmanra was fearful?

“If he was fearful then he would have said to send a contingent of the army for his protection, and that he [i.e. Hazrat Muawiyahra] need not worry about their salary as he would take care of it. If Hazrat Uthmanra was fearful he ought to have announced that if anything were to happen to him, then they should know that Muawiyahra would exact revenge for it. But Hazrat Uthmanra said nothing aside from that owing to Muawiyah’sra stern disposition, he feared that he may treat the Muslims harshly if he was given this authority.

“Then when the enemies jumped over the wall and launched an attack, Hazrat Uthmanra continued to recite the Holy Quran without any fear or dread; to the extent that one of the sons of Hazrat Abu Bakrra stepped forward and grabbed hold of Hazrat Uthman’sra beard and gave a forceful jolt. Hazrat Uthmanra looked to him and said, ‘O my brother’s son! If your father was alive today, you would never have done such a thing.’ Upon hearing this, his entire body began to tremble and he left out of embarrassment. Then one of his accomplices stepped forward and struck the head of Hazrat Uthmanra with an iron rod”

as was mentioned before “and kicked away the Quran that was there. When this attacker stepped aside, another person stepped forward and martyred Hazrat Uthmanra with a sword. Reading these incidents, who can say that Hazrat Uthmanra had even an iota of fear?” (Khilafat-e-Rashidah, Anwarul-Ulum, Vol. 15, pp. 536-537) Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states: “The Promised Messiah’sas advent took place in the same manner as the advent of Prophet Noahas, Prophet Abrahamas, Prophet Davidas, Prophet Solomonas and the other prophets. And after the Promised Messiahas, the institution of Khilafat was established just as it was established after the prophets who appeared in the past. If we carefully ponder over this and try to delve into its true reality, we will come to realise that this is an extraordinary institution” i.e. the institution of Khilafat. “In fact, I say that even if 10,000 successive generations of an offspring were to be sacrificed for its sake, it will amount to nothing in comparison.

I cannot say for others, but at least when I study the history from the time of the Holy Prophetsa and read about the troubles and afflictions Hazrat Uthmanra was made to endure, and on the other hand, the faith and the spiritual light which the Holy Prophetsa had instilled within him, then I say that even if 10,000 generations from my future offspring in this world were all to be gathered and sacrificed at once, so that this disorder could be quelled, then I would deem this to be akin to [the proverbial expression of] purchasing an elephant in exchange of a lice.”

In other words, this [act of sacrifice] would be even less than giving something extremely small like an insect and in exchange acquiring an elephant.

“The fact is that we only realise the true value of something much later. It was only after the martyrdom of Hazrat Uthmanra that people realised the true importance of Khilafat.” (Nubuwwat aur Khilafat apne Waqt par Zuhoor Pazeer ho jati hai, Anwarul-Ulum, Vol. 18, p. 246) Hazrat Musleh Maudra further states: “After Hazrat Umarra, the gaze of all the companions fell upon Hazrat Uthmanra for the station of Khilafat and thus, he was appointed for this task through the consultation of the eminent companions.

He was the son-in-law of the Holy Prophetsa and two daughters of the Holy Prophetsa were wedded to him one after another.

When the second daughter of the Holy Prophetsa passed away, the Holy Prophetsa said that if he had another daughter, he would marry her to Hazrat Uthmanra as well. This shows that he held a special rank of honour in the sight of the Holy Prophetsa.

He held a very unique position in the sight of the people of Mecca and was a wealthy man according to the circumstances of Arabia at the time. After Hazrat Abu Bakrra accepted Islam, one of the people to whom he particularly chose to preach the message of Islam was Hazrat Uthmanra. The view of Hazrat Abu Bakrra with respect to Hazrat Uthmanra did not prove false and only after a few days of preaching, he accepted Islam. In this manner, he joined the ‘assabiqunal-awwalun’ or that pioneer group of Islam which the Holy Quran has praised in admirable words.

“The degree of honour and respect that he possessed in Arabia can be gauged

39

AL HAKAM | Friday 9 April 2021 from the incident when the Holy Prophetsa journeyed to Mecca on the basis of a vision, and the Meccans, blinded by their malice and enmity, refused to grant him permission to perform the Umrah, the Holy Prophetsa proposed that an esteemed person should be sent to the Meccans to negotiate the matter. When Hazrat Umarra was selected for this, he replied, ‘O Messengersa of Allah, I am prepared to go, but if there is anyone in Mecca who can negotiate with the Meccans, then it is Hazrat Uthmanra because he holds special regard in their eyes. Hence, if someone else was to go, there cannot be as much hope for success in him as opposed to if Hazrat Uthmanra went.’

“The Holy Prophetsa also considered this view as being correct and consequently sent Hazrat Uthmanra for the task. It can be understood from this incident that Hazrat Uthmanra was looked upon with special honour even by the disbelievers.

“The Holy Prophetsa held a great deal of respect for Hazrat Uthmanra. On one occasion, the Holy Prophetsa was lying down when Hazrat Abu Bakrra arrived, but the Holy Prophetsa remained lying. After some time, Hazrat Umarra arrived, but again, he remained lying. When Hazrat Uthmanra arrived, he instantly adjusted his clothes and said, ‘There is a great deal of modesty in the disposition of Hazrat Uthmanra, and it is in consideration of his feelings that I have done this.’ He (i.e. Hazrat Uthmanra) was one of those rare men who had never consumed alcohol and had never approached adultery even prior to accepting Islam. In the country of Arabia, where drinking alcohol was thought to be a source of pride and adultery a daily indulgence, these were qualities [i.e. to abstain from these ills] which could not be found in more than a handful of people before Islam.

“Therefore, Hazrat Uthmanra was no ordinary man. He possessed very high moral qualities. With respect to worldly rank, he was exceptional. He was the foremost in Islam. The Holy Prophetsa was very pleased with him. Hazrat Umarra has declared him as being among the six men who, up to the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, held his utmost pleasure. Furthermore, he was from among the ‘ashrah mubashsharah’, meaning he was one of those 10 men about whom the Holy Prophetsa had given the glad tiding that they would enter paradise.” (Islam Mein Ikhtilafat ka Aghaz, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 4, pp. 251-253) Regarding the day in which Hazrat Uthman’sra martyrdom took place, it is said that he was martyred on the 17th or 18th of Dhul Hijja 35 AH, on a Friday. According to Abu Uthman Nahdi, Hazrat Uthmanra was martyred in the middle days of Ayame-Tashreeq, i.e. 12 Dhul Hijja. However, according to Ibn Ishaq, Hazrat Uthmanra was martyred 11 years, 11 months and 22 days after the martyrdom of Hazrat Umarra and 25 years after the demise of the Holy Prophetsa. (Ibn Abd al-Barr, Al-Isti‘ab fi Ma‘rifat al-Ashab, Vol. 3, Uthmanra bin Affan [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub alIlmiyyah, 2002], p. 159) According to another narration, Abdullah bin Amr bin Uthman relates that Hazrat Uthmanra was martyred at the age of 82 after the Asr prayer on Friday 18 Dhul Hijja 36 AH. And he was fasting on the day he was martyred. According to Abu Ma‘shar, Hazrat Uthmanra was 75 years of

age at the time of his martyrdom. (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Uthmanra bin Affan [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi, 1996], p. 43) In relation to the arrangements of Hazrat Uthman’sra burial, Niyaar bin Mukram relates that it was a Saturday between the Maghrib and Isha time when Hazrat Uthman’sra body was carried by four individuals, including himself – Jubair bin Mut‘im, Hakeem bin Hizam and Abu Juham bin Huzayfa. Hazrat Jubair bin Mut‘im led the funereal prayer and Muawiyah has confirmed this narration.

These same four individuals lowered him into the grave [for the burial] as well.

According to one narration, Hazrat Jubair bin Mut‘im led the funeral prayer of Hazrat Uthmanra with a congregation consisting of 16 people. Allama ibn Saad states that the first narration is more correct, i.e. that the funeral prayer was offered by four people.

(Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Uthmanra bin Affan [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi, 1996], p. 43) Abdullah bin Amr bin Uthman relates that Hazrat Uthmanra was buried in Hashe-Kokab on a Saturday evening between Maghrib and Isha prayers. Rabi bin Malik relates from his father that people would desire to bury their departed ones in Hashe-Kokab. “Hash” means a small garden and “Kokab” was the name of an Ansari who owned this garden. This was situated very close to Jannat-ul-Baqi. Hazrat Uthmanra bin Affan would often say that very soon a righteous man shall pass away and he will be buried there, i.e. in Hash-e-Kokab and people will also do the same. Malik bin Abu Amir relates that Hazrat Uthmanra was the first person to be buried there. (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Uthmanra bin Affan [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi, 1996], pp. 42-43) (Ibn Hajar alAsqalani, Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, Vol. 5 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub alIlmiyyah, 2005], p. 468) There is another narration in relation to Hazrat Uthman’sra burial that for three days, the mischief-makers and rebels did not allow Hazrat Uthmanra to be buried.

It is written in Tarikh Al-Tabari that Abu Bashir Abdi related that for three days Hazrat Uthman’sra body was left without a grave or shrouded in a cloth, nor was he allowed to be buried. Later, Hazrat Hakimra bin Hizam and Hazrat Jubairra bin Mut‘im spoke to Hazrat Alira with regard to Hazrat Uthman’sra burial, that he ask the family of Hazrat Uthmanra to give permission to bury him. And so Hazrat Alira asked and they gave permission.

When the rebels came to learn of this, they gathered stones and stood along the way. A few members from the family of Hazrat Uthmanra accompanied his funeral and wanted to enter an area in Medina known as Hash-e-Kokab where the Jews would bury their dead. When the body of Hazrat Uthmanra was brought out, they [i.e. the rebels] pelted stones at the charpoy [which was carrying his body] in order to cause it to fall down. When news of this incident reached Hazrat Alira, he sent a message to them and cautioned them against doing such a thing. Upon this, they stopped. The funeral went on until Hazrat Uthmanra was buried in Hash-e-Kokab.

When Amir Muawiyah assumed authority, he ordered for the walls of the graveyard to be taken down, so that it

merged with graveyard of [Jannatul] Baqi.

He also instructed the people to bury their departed ones close to the grave of Hazrat Uthmanra and in this way the graves of this area joined the graves of the other Muslims.

(Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh alTabari, Vol. 2, Dhikr al-Khabar an al-Maudi alladhi… [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1987], p. 68) According to other historical sources, it is also mentioned that Hazrat Uthmanra bought this area of land and included it as part of Jannatul Baqi. (Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 3, Uthmanra bin Affan [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2003], p. 586) There are a few accounts that still remain which, God-willing, I will relate in the future.

I will be leading some funeral prayers [in absentia] today and will mention some details in relation to them. The first is of Maulvi Muhammad Idrees Tairo Sahib, who was serving as a missionary in Ivory Coast, who passed away on the night between the 27 and 28 February [2021] after suffering from a short illness. َ ْ َ َّ َ ّ ٰ َّ ‫اج ُع ْو َن‬ ِ ‫اِنا لِل ِہ واِنآ اِلی ِہ ر‬ [Verily to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]

He was originally from Ivory Coast and after acquiring his early education, he went to Burkina Faso and along with his secular knowledge, he also learnt the Arabic language. He accepted Ahmadiyyat in the 1960s and in 1983, of his own accord, he travelled to Pakistan and after completing his studies from Jamia Ahmadiyya, he went on to serve as a missionary in Ivory Coast.

He also served in Ghana and Burkina Faso and from September 2007 he was again serving in Ivory Coast. The deceased was a musi [member of the Wasiyyat scheme].

The account of his travel to Pakistan, which he narrated, is very interesting. He purchased a plane ticket with whatever little money he had saved and travelled to Pakistan. He neither informed the Jamaat in Ivory Coast, nor the Jamaat in Pakistan, beforehand. [Upon arriving] as he left the airport, he was very worried but then saw an individual, who approached him and asked him where he had come from and where would he like to go. He didn’t speak any English or Urdu, but they communicated with each other in a few brief sentences in Arabic.

In any case, this individual then took him to the Ahmadiyya Hall and then told him, “My wife had seen a dream last night that a foreigner was coming as a guest, thus she told me to go and bring you. This is the reason why I came to the airport. And when I saw that you were the only [foreigner] to get off from the plane and seemed worried, therefore I realised that you were that guest, who my wife saw in her dream.”

Thus, in this way, Allah the Almighty Himself made arrangements for him and he would often narrate this incident and he would say that throughout the whole journey, he was constantly praying and even upon arriving, and this was a miraculous sign owing to his prayers that Allah the Almighty made the arrangements for him and also showed a dream the night before to the wife of that Ahmadi in Karachi informing her about his arrival. Thereafter, he was taken to the Ahmadiyya Hall and then to Rabwah. In any case, he was a very

pious man and devoted to his worship.

Quyoom Pasha Sahib, who is serving as the missionary-in-charge of Ivory Coast, writes that they worked together in Burkina Faso as well for three years and then also had the opportunity to work together in Ivory Coast. He had boundless love for the Jamaat and the Promised Messiahas. He was extremely devoted and very pious. He was very generous and would greatly help others. He also looked after children by giving them a place in his home and took on the expenses for their education and other needs. He was always at the forefront in preaching. Hospitality was also a notable quality of his. He had an excellent style in preaching and was also very knowledgeable; people would like his style of preaching.

Wherever he would hold a sitting for preaching, people would gather around him. He was regular in his Tahajjud prayers and would also experience true dreams. He was a completely selfless individual.

Sadeeq Jiyalo Sahib, who is serving as a muallim in Ivory Coast writes that Maulvi Idrees Tairo Sahib was wholly devoted to the Jamaat and Khilafat. He was always ready to offer any kind of sacrifice for the sake of the Jamaat. He states that he has never seen anyone in Ivory Coast who loved the Jamaat more than him. Whenever he was asked about his nationality, he would say, “I am neither African, nor European and I do not have any other nationality. Ahmadiyyat is my nationality and my identity.” He was among the pioneer members of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in Ivory Coast.

Basit Sahib, who is serving as a missionary in Ivory Coast, writes that he would always advise others to remain attached with the institution of Khilafat and he would say that whatever he had attained was through Khilafat.

He was a very scholarly individual.

Apart from his mother tongue, which was Jola, he was also proficient in French, Arabic and Urdu. He had great knowledge in ilmul-kalam and would also engage in debates on this subject and would often debate with the Wahabi Ulema [scholars].

An Ahmadi, Bhai Abdullah Sahib, related an incident during a debate held in San Pedro that when they arrived at a Wahabi mosque, among the conditions that had been stipulated for the debate was that all the arguments must be presented from the Holy Quran. The debate continuously went on from 8 am till 6 pm and they only took breaks for prayers. Maulvi Sahib presented such arguments from the Holy Quran to the [non-Ahmadi] maulvi that he could not refute them and ultimately accepted defeat.

Thus, Ahmadis were granted victory in this debate.

He then writes that he was a library personified and when it came to preaching, he would have references memorised.

Then, whether in Urdu, Arabic, French or any other language, he would cite those references right away. He always depended on prayer and would encourage others to do the same.

He is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son. May Allah the Almighty enable these children to have an active relationship with the nizam [system] of the Jamaat and make them a part of the nizam as was their father’s desire. They do not have a strong relationship with the Community at the moment, but may Allah bestow His

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Friday 9 April 2021 | AL HAKAM

َ ْ َّ َ ّٰ ُ ْ ُ َ َ‫الر‬ ّ ‫ان‬ ‫ﻴﻢ‬ ‫ﺟ‬ ‫ﻄ‬ ‫أعوذ ِﺑا�� ِ� ِمن الﺸﻴ‬ ِ ِ ِ َ ّ َ ْ َّ ّٰ ْ ‫ﻴﻢ‬ ِ ‫ِﺑس ِﻢ ا�� ِ� الرﺣﻤ ٰـ ِن الر ِﺣ‬

ُ َ �� ‫اه َوﺑالْوَال َِدیْن إ ْﺣ َسانًا � إ َّما یَ ْب ُل َغ َّن ع ْﻨ َد َک الْﻜ� َ َ� أَ َﺣ ُد ُﻫ َﻤا أَ ْو‬ ُ َ‫َو َﻗ َﻀ ٰﻰ َر ّﺑُ َﻚ أَ�َّ� �َ ْع ُب ُد ْوا إ�َّ� إ ّی‬ ‫�ﻫ َﻤا‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ُ َ َ َّ ُ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ ّ ً ‫ﻓ�َ� �ﻘ ْﻞ ل ُﻬ َﻤا أ ٍّف َو�َ� ﺗﻨ َﻬ ْر ُﻫ َﻤا َوﻗ ْﻞ ل ُﻬ َﻤا ﻗوْ�� � ِ�یْ ًﻤا‬ “Thy Lord has commanded, ‘Worship none but Him, and show kindness to parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age with thee, never say unto them any word expressive of disgust nor reproach them, but address them with kind words.’”

(Surah Bani Isra’il, Ch.17: V.24)

blessings. May Allah the Almighty grant the deceased His mercy and forgiveness and elevate his station [in paradise].

The next funeral is of respected Amina Naiga Kaire Sahiba, who was the wife of Muhammad Ali Kaire Sahib, the National President and Missionary-in-Charge of the Jamaat in Uganda. She passed away on 20 February [2021]: َ ْ َ َّ َ ّ ٰ َّ ‫اج ُع ْو َن‬ ِ ‫اِنا لِل ِہ واِنآ اِلي ِہ ر‬ [Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]

She was a humble, well-educated and brave woman. Her husband, Kaire Sahib said that a big reason for his success as a missionary was his wife. She was Ugandan and was extremely sincere and loyal.

He says that when they got married, she was 19 years of age. At the time, she did not know how to recite the Holy Quran, but because she had an interest and passion she learned how to recite the Holy Quran and she would try to ponder over its meanings.

She was able to serve the Community in various capacities and had a passion for preaching.

In 2005, she was appointed as the national president of the women’s auxiliary organisation. She was also put in jail once or twice on the basis of false charges. She had not been at fault, yet she was wrongly made to go to jail. She was exemplary when it came to moral training. She would very bravely respond to allegations levelled by non-Ahmadis.

Her daughter says that she remained regular in her prayers both in health and in illness. She would do e‘tikaf every year during the month of Ramadan. She could bear any sort of personal attack made against her; however, she could not bear to hear anything [negative] about the faith. She also worked at various levels in the political forum. She was a musia [member of the Wasiyyat scheme]. She is survived by her husband and six children, of whom two are

missionaries.

The next funeral is of respected Noohi Kazak Sahib of Syria, who passed away on 10 December [2020], at the age of 48: َ ْ َ َّ َ ّ ٰ َّ ‫اج ُع ْو َن‬ ِ ‫اِنا لِل ِہ واِنآ اِلي ِہ ر‬ [Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]

Ahmadiyyat was introduced to his family in 1928 when Hazrat Maulana Jalalud-Din Shams Sahib went from Damascus to Haifa. The first Ahmadi in Haifa was respected Rushdi Bakir Busti Sahib, from whose preaching Ali Saleh Kazak Sahib, the great-grandfather of the deceased, accepted Ahmadiyyat along with his brother Muhammad Kazak Sahib, who was the father of Taha Kazak Sahib, the former president of the Community in Jordan. He accepted Ahmadiyyat along with his family.

Afterwards, upon the establishment of Israel, his family migrated to Damascus.

The deceased was a very sincere Ahmadi. He was regular in offering prayers and observing fasts and he was regular in offering financial contributions. He had a great deal of love for Khilafat and was always at the forefront of service to the Community.

Despite facing financial hardships himself, he always provided financial help to others; he was a very kind and virtuous person. He is survived by two wives and three young daughters. Two of his daughters are part of the Waqf-e-Nau scheme.

Waseem Muhammad Sahib, Sadr of the Jamaat says: “Among his services is that when he would be requested to especially take the sick and the wounded to the hospital – as the circumstances were such in Syria – even in such circumstances he would carry out this task courageously. Similarly, he would take the amila members on their official tours. He was given a car and would perform his duties with it and whenever his need was required, he would immediately reach there. He would offer his services

with great joy and would carry out all his tasks very cheerfully. He was very regular in giving chanda and did even more so in his final year. He would even aid Ahmadis financially.”

He then writes, “He has left a positive impact on everyone due to his simplicity, quietude, sincerity, service to mankind and his good will.”

The deceased’s wife, Khadijah Ali Sahiba says: “My husband was a very sincere Ahmadi, by the grace of Allah. He loved the Community a great deal and really enjoyed helping others. He would help me with the domestic affairs. He had so much love for his daughters and would always be mindful of their good upbringing. He would sit and speak with them for a long time about the Community. By the grace of Allah, he even spent his final year of his life serving the Community and he was very pleased about this.”

His cousin, Akram Salman Sahib, who accepted Ahmadiyyat through him, says: “Even prior to our bai‘at, we were witness to his high morals. His own financial situation was not great, but even still he would help his poor relatives.” He then says, “Something which really impressed me was that he once received a very good job which enabled him to pay off all his debt.

Thereafter, instead of saving money, he gave a large sum to my poor aunties and would say, ‘While my health is good and I am not in debt, I am rich and I wish to spend any extra money I have on those in need – and this is what one ought to do.’

“This was something that left me so astonished as I had never in my entire life seen such contentment and strength to make financial sacrifices.”

He then says: “He made a lot of effort for my brother and I after we pledged our allegiance, for our education, moral training and to remain firmly attached to Khilafat. He would read

us very inspiring incidents about those who enjoyed the blessings of Khilafat, as a result of which our love for Khilafat increased in our hearts.”

His brother, Mutaz Kazak Sahib, who is a teacher at Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada writes: “My deceased brother was extremely sincere and had great love for Khilafat.

Even though our forefathers were Ahmadis, we had no knowledge about Ahmadiyyat.

My brother went from the city of Halab [Aleppo] to Damascus to attend my grandfather Khidr Kazak’s funeral, where he met other Ahmadis and exchanged views about Ahmadiyyat.

“Upon his return, I noticed that he began weeping a lot in his prostrations. This sudden change really amazed me. I enquired as to why this was, and he introduced me to the Community.”

He then says: “I did my research” – initially he was only Ahmadi by name – “then after doing a proper research about the teachings of Ahmadiyyat and after seeing a dream, I took the oath of allegiance once again. My brother’s pious change had a major role to play in my taking of the oath of allegiance.”

By “once again”, it is meant that at first, he was only Ahmadi owing to his family, but in practice he was not an Ahmadi, so this is why he took the oath of allegiance once more after attaining an understanding.

“The deceased had a wonderful zeal for preaching. He prayed profusely for the Khalifa of the time. He was part of the Wasiyyat scheme. He was aware of the fact that he was going to pass away soon and mentioned it a few days prior to our mother and to his wife.”

The next funeral is of Farhat Naseem Sahiba, from Rabwah. She was the wife of Muhammad Ibrahim Sahib Haneef, who was also known as Master Saarchuri Sahib.

She passed away on 26 December at the age of 86. َ ْ َ َّ َ ّ ٰ َّ ‫اج ُع ْو َن‬ ِ ‫اِنا لِل ِہ واِنآ اِلي ِہ ر‬ [Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return].

Her father was Hazrat Mian Ilm Din Sahib and her grandfather was Hazrat Mian Qutubuddin Sahibra of Lodhi Nangal, Gurdaspur district and was among the companions of the Promised Messiahas.

She possessed many good qualities. She was regular in offering prayers and fasting, regular in offering the Tahajjud prayer; was very patient, grateful, devoted to prayers, simple, caring for the poor; one who had boundless love for Khilafat and a sincere and pious woman who was at the forefront in taking part in financial sacrifices.

On a number of occasions, she presented her own jewellery for various schemes. She was a musia. She is survived by three sons, three daughters and many grandchildren.

Two of her grandchildren are missionaries and one of her sons is a missionary also.

May Allah the Almighty grant forgiveness and mercy to the deceased.

May He grant forgiveness and mercy to all the deceased and elevate them in their ranks.

(Original Urdu transcript published in Al Fazl International, 2 April 2021, pp. 5-9.

Translated by The Review of Religions.)

Editor: Qaasid Muin Ahmad | Design & Layout: Jalees Ahmad | Sub-Editorial: Ataul Fatir Tahir, Aqeel Ahmad Kang | News: Ata-ul-Haye Nasir | © Al Hakam 2021