Al Hakam - 9 July 2021 by Alhakam

From the Markaz

Ahmadipedia.org research tool launched by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih

Hazrat Amirul Momineen graces Khuddam UK 2021 games

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Memories of 23 March 1989 centenary celebrations

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100 Years Ago... A letter from a new convert to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II and his reply Page 15

THE WEEKLY

www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 9 July 2021 | Issue CLXXIII Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL. UK info@alhakam.org | ISSN 2754-7396

Envy and jealousy: Timeless advice from Prophet Muhammad In a succinct, yet timeless piece of advice, the Holy Prophetsa of Islam said: ُ َ َ ُ َ َ َ َ َ ُ ُ ْ ُ َ َ ُ ‫انﻈ ُر ْوا ِإلی َم ْن ہ َو أ ْسفل ِم ْنک ْم َولا ت ْنﻈ ُر ْوا ِإلی َم ْن ہ َو ف ْوقک ْم‬ َ َ َ َ َ ُ َّ َ ّٰ َ ‫ف ِإنہ أ ْجد ُر أ ْن لا ت ْز َد ُر ْوا نِ ْع َمة الل ِہ‬ “Look at those who are lower than you, but do not look at those who are above you, lest you belittle the favours Allah conferred upon you.” (Sahih Muslim) Here, looking at those “lower” and “above” refers to worldly riches such as wealth and status. This life lesson resonates more than ever. Our postmodern society perpetuates materialism, encourages envy and focuses on wealth and status as the ultimate objects of life. Generations are growing up in the influence of social media – platforms that, unfortunately, also encourage users to compare their lives to others, gravitate toward a hedonistic lifestyle and pursue, with more zeal, material goals. Studies have shown that when materialistic goals continue to be central factors of someone’s life, levels of depression, well-being and even physical health are adversely affected. As Kim Kasser, an American psychologist put it: “Our first studies therefore showed that when young adults report that financial success is relatively central to their aspirations, low well-being, high distress, and difficulty adjusting to life are also evident. Although we cannot be sure

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

The virtue of supplication َ ّ ٰ َّ َّ َ َ ُ َ َ ‫ ع ِن‬،‫ع ْن أ� ِ ْي ہ َریْ َرة‬ ‫الن ِ� ِّ� َصلی الل ُہ َعل ْی ِہ‬ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َّ ُ َ ْ ّٰ َ ‫ لی َس ﺷ ْی ٌء أک َر َم َعلی الل ِہ ُس��َانہ‬،‫َو َسل َم قال‬ ُّ ‫ِم َن الد َعا ِء‬ Hazrat Abu Hurairahra narrated that the Holy Prophetsa said: “There is nothing more noble to Allah, the Glorified, than prayer.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab al-Dua, Hadith 3829)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words

Man inherently seeks to follow perfection

from these results whether materialistic values cause unhappiness, or whether other factors are at work, the results do suggest a rather startling conclusion: the American dream has a dark side, and the pursuit of wealth and possessions might actually be undermining our well-being.” (The High Price of Materialism, p. 9) “Adults who focused on money, image, and fame reported less selfactualization and vitality, and more depression than those less concerned with these values. What is more, they also reported significantly more experiences of physical symptoms. That is, people who believed it is important to strive for possessions, popularity, and good looks also reported more headaches, backaches, sore muscles, and sore throats

than individuals less focused on such goals. This was really one of the first indicators, to us, of the pervasive negative correlates of materialistic values – not only is people’s psychological well-being worse when they focus on money, but so is their physical health.” (Ibid, p. 11) Richard Eckersley, a fellow of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University, Canberra, described the situation, saying: “Modern Western culture undermines, even reverses, traditional (or universal) values. Individuals are encouraged to make themselves the centre of their moral Continued on next page >>

It ought to be remembered that in the likeness of transmittable diseases, excellent qualities too must be contagious. A believer has been commanded to elevate their morals to a degree where they become contagious. For even the finest of actions cannot be admirable or worthy of emulation until it possesses an inherent radiance and magnetism; its luminescence draws in the attention of others while its magnetism attracts them. Ultimately, the outstanding merits of the action itself encourages a person to act accordingly. One may observe that Hatim has a good name because he was renowned for his generosity, though I cannot say for certain whether his generosity was sincere. Similarly, Rustam and Asfandyar’s courage are known to all, though we cannot say without a Continued on page 3

Friday 9 July 2021 | AL HAKAM

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universe, to assess everything from personal relationships to paying taxes in terms of ‘What’s in it for me?’ This promotes a preoccupation with personal expectations that keep rising and with wants that are never sated because new ones keep being created. “As consumerism reaches increasingly beyond the acquisition of things to the enhancement of the person, the goal of marketing becomes not only to make people dissatisfied with what they have, but also with who they are. Once we have met our basic needs, most consumption today is located within the vices, little within the virtues – feeding off envy, to say nothing of greed, lust and other moral hazards. We cannot quarantine other aspects of life from the moral consequences of ever-increasing consumption.” (Well & Good: Morality, Meaning and Happiness, pp.50-51) Individualism and materialism have immense negative effects on morality too. When we look at others – what they have and what we don’t – an evil side of the human condition manifests and modern society serves as a breeding ground for this condition: Envy. The Holy Prophetsa particularly warned of not focusing on the riches and success of others, but rather reminded us to be thankful for what we already have by thinking of those who don’t have those blessings. If this advice is not acted on, the darker sides of humanity become unveiled. Envy – or as the German term, schadenfreude, better describes it – leads to humans surpassing “jealousy” and entering

a phase where they feel “pleasure, joy, or self-satisfaction that comes from learning of or witnessing the troubles, failures, or humiliation of another.” Richard Smith at the University of Kentucky said: “Envy, when it is not in its benign form [akin to admiration], occurs when we lack another’s superior quality, achievement or possession, and either desire it or wish that the other lacked it […] When we envy, we feel inferior, longing, resentment, and illwill toward the advantaged person.” (https:// thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-24/ edition-2/deadly-sins) Glaring at the success or material wealth of others, and not being grateful for what we have, brings with it envy, greed and jealousy. The Prophetsa said to be mindful and thankful for what we already possess as there are plenty who do not even have the luxuries we enjoy. It’s not without reason that the beginning of every Islamic prayer starts with, “All praise belongs to Allah.” By being mindful and realising what kind of society has been formed, evaluating our own thoughts and then acting on the advice of the Prophetsa, we can curb the inner Satan. Drowning in celebrity culture, blindly toiling for material wealth and comparing ourselves with the lives of others on social media only brings misery – mental, physical and spiritual. Not being thankful for what we have and also then being envious of others is detrimental. In Surah Ibrahim, verse 8, Allah the Almighty says: “If you are grateful, I will, surely, bestow more favours on you; but if you are ungrateful, then know that My

punishment is severe indeed”. Commenting on this verse, the Promised Messiahas noted two elements: one must be grateful for what they have and also ensure they spread good and desire betterment for others. On the other hand, if someone is not grateful and acts immorally and cruelly towards others, then “God Almighty snatches their blessings and punishes them.” (Badr, Vol. 7, no. 16, 23 April 1908, p. 6)

Now circulating in print around the world subscribe@alhakam.org

In a society that serves as a fertiliser for materialism and worldly desires, as Muslims, it is essential that we take a step back, be mindful and act on the advice of the Prophetsa by looking at those who do not enjoy the wealth or comforts we do. Comparing our lives and gazing at the comfort, status or wealth of others will only take humanity down the dark street of depression, immortality and ungratefulness.

AL HAKAM | Friday 9 July 2021

From the Markaz

Ahmadipedia.org research tool launched by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih

Islamabad, Tilford, 2 July 2021: In today’s Friday Sermon, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa announced the launch of a new website search engine created by the Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC): Ahmadipedia.org. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said: “An Ahmadiyya encyclopaedia has been created that will be launched today. The central Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre has made this. “Some time ago, they started this project and now by the grace of Allah the Almighty this website is being made available for members of the Jamaat. This can be reached at www.Ahmadipedia.org. […] It has been made in a very simple and easy to use manner. Huzooraa said information about fundamental Jamaat books, personalities, events, beliefs etc. will be made available for everyone to read and search on this website. Related links, websites and videos will be available for each search. The search engine will also be a means of connecting to other Jamaat websites. Huzooraa said that many Jamaat members, across the world, have lots of beneficial records and information of the Jamaat’s history that has not been recorded yet. On the Ahmadipedia.org website, a contribute option will be available where Jamaat members can contact the AhmadiPedia department and provide this information to them. After looking into the information and verifying it, the AhmadiPedia department can upload the information. Huzooraa said the department urged all Jamaat members to share any historical records they had that contradicts current

historical records. Many missionaries and volunteers from the ARC department have worked very hard for this project along with the hard work of the IT department. Huzooraa said, “May Allah the Almighty bless them too for this”, Huzooraa prayed. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa launched the website after Friday prayers.

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myself as well. When Sir Philip Sidney was wounded in the siege of the fort at Zutphen in the Netherlands during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, in his throes of death, at a time of intense thirst, a small vessel of water was brought for him. At the time, water was scarce. Another wounded soldier lay nearby and he too was terribly thirsty. The soldier began to look at Sir Philip Sidney with intense longing and desire. Upon noticing the soldier’s wish, Sidney did not drink the water himself, but rather gave it to the solider as an act of selflessness, saying: ‘Thy necessity is yet greater than

shadow of doubt that they were sincere. It is my faith and belief that until a person becomes a true believer, their acts of virtue, irrespective of how magnificent they may be, cannot be free from the gild of ostentation. Nonetheless, since the actions themselves are virtuous at their root, it is this valuable essence which is seen as honourable in every instance. Therefore, despite the gild of deception and pretentious display, such actions are held in esteem. On one occasion, Khwaja Sahib related a narration to me and I have read this story

Background to the AhmadiPedia project We spoke to Asif M Basit Sahib, Curator at the Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre, and asked him about the background and reason for this project. He told us: “With an extremely rich history spanning over 132 years, a need was felt that a resource be created where Ahmadis and even non-Ahmadis could search for information about the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat. “With Huzoor’s approval, the Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre embarked upon this task; as we had suspected, it turned out to be a neverending one. There is just so much that has happened and so eventful has every passing day of the Jamaat been that containing its history up is undoubtedly an impossible task. “However, we started off under Huzoor’s instructions and have been able to put together a search engine where users can search for terms and read about them. “We have tried to keep it very simple and user friendly so that the focus remains Continued on next page >>

mine.’ Even in the face of death people do not refrain from ostentation. Often, those who wish to establish or portray themselves as possessing sublime morals do perform such deeds. Therefore, human beings do not always do good with pure intentions when confronted with tribulation or death. However, the question is why does man not follow all that is good? In response to this, I would say that man by way of his nature does not follow anything until it possesses the fragrance of perfection. It is this very secret, on account of which Allah the Exalted has

always raised the Prophets, peace be upon them, and maintained the institution of Reformers (Mujaddidin) after the Seal of the Prophets, because along with their own practical example, these personages command a spiritual attraction and influence, and virtue of the highest degree can be observed in their persons. This is because a human being inherently seeks to follow perfection. If the nature of human beings had not possessed this faculty, there would be no need for the institution of Prophets, peace be upon them. (Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 220-221)

Friday 9 July 2021 | AL HAKAM

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on the content which is the pivot of the whole project anyway. “We have invited users and would encourage them to contribute towards any entry where they feel they can add something to. “This would make AhmadiPedia an interactive resource where information is acquired, shared and imparted by the readers. “Entries work to only provide a brief introduction to the subject in question but other links, in the form of videos, books, articles and webpages have been attached for readers to acquire a detailed understanding. This aspect will help redirect our readers to other resources of the Jamaat like alislam.org , MTA International, Al Fazl, Al Hakam and The Review of Religions etc. “The project is in no way complete and invites you to let us know what more information can be added. Our teams will be working day and night to keep updating the site to add more and more information. “We are extremely thankful to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa to have accepted our request to launch the AhmadiPedia website. We take this launch as a foundation stone laying by Huzooraa where all Ahmadis will be able to play their role in building and expanding it.” (Report prepared by Al Hakam and published on the Al Hakam website and app on Friday, 2 July 2021)

Celebrating a century of selfless service to Sierra Leone: Ahmadi Muslims commemorate historic occasion Ibrahim Bonsu Secretary Khidmat-e-Khalq, PAAMA UK

A Muslim community has dedicated itself to the service of Sierra Leone as part of its centenary celebrations in the nation. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Sierra Leone was established in 1921, and has received the nation’s highest civil award – Commander of the Order of the Rokel – for outstanding contribution to the development of Sierra Leone. The Pan African Ahmadiyya Muslim Association (PAAMA) UK marked the centenary with a commemorative event on 3 July. In 100 years, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat of Sierra Leone has: • Established 300 schools

• Built hospitals and clinics • Established clean drinking water wells and hand pumps • Created a model green village powered by solar energy • Distributed food, clothing and medicines to the needy and poor during the Ebola crisis and recent Covid-19 pandemic • Established 1,400 mosques • Set up 3 radio stations • Founded a missionary training school Tommy Kallon Sahib, President PAAMA UK, said: “Through the services of the pioneer Ahmadi Muslim missionary, Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Nayyarra of blessed

memory, the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam was established in Sierra Leone in 1921. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Sierra Leone throughout the years has not only been a source of spiritual upliftment for many Sierra Leoneans but also a giant partner in the socio-economic development of this West African nation. “We welcome friends and colleagues to join us as we celebrate such a momentous occasion in the history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Sierra Leone.” PAAMA UK is a subsidiary organisation of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, UK. It was founded in 1986. It aims to unite, empower and inspire the African Ahmadiyya Muslim diaspora to serve Islam, society and Africa at large.

AL HAKAM | Friday 9 July 2021

From the Markaz

Hazrat Amirul Momineen graces Khuddam UK 2021 games

Islamabad, UK, Sunday, 4 July 2021: Earlier this evening, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa graced Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya UK’s 2021 Games, which was being held near Islamabad The one-day event was to raise funds for multiple charities and to bring Khuddam from across the UK together. Appropriate precautions and measures regarding Covid-19 were taken to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all those present, for example, only those people were permitted to attend

who had received both vaccinations. This was the first major UK Khuddam event that saw Ahmadis physically gather together in a bid to strengthen ties of brotherhood. 250 Khuddam attended the event and managed to raise over £20,000 for charities. Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa was invited to the games by Sadr Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya UK, Abdul Quddus Arif Sahib which Huzooraa graciously approved. Abdul Quddus Sahib told Al Hakam

that Huzooraa asked about the precautionary measures in place to keep the event Covidsafe. He also told us that the Majlis desired for the Khuddam to have a chance to see Huzooraa in person, and he was extremely grateful that Huzooraa accepted this request. Towards the end of the event, Huzooraa viewed various exhibition games such as a tug-of-war competition between regional qaideen and the national amila of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya UK. On the victory of regional qaideen,

Huzooraa lovingly remarked that the national Khuddam amila members needed to exercise more, an observation which everyone thoroughly enjoyed. Alongside the tug-of-war match, Huzooraa also viewed other competitions like the slow bike race. (Report prepared by Al Hakam and published on the Al Hakam website and app on Sunday, 4 July 2021)

Friday 9 July 2021 | AL HAKAM

This Week in History 9-15 July 9 July 1932: Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra set out for Dalhousie and remained there till 14 July. On 14 July, Huzoorra attended the wedding ceremony of the daughter of Chaudhry Shamshad Ali Khan Sahib with Dr Khalifa Taqiuddin Sahib.

“Paigham-e-Sulh Society” in Lahore. This society launched a newspaper on 10 July 1913, titled Paigham-e-Sulh, to carry out its objectives. This paper was mainly linked with four people. Firstly, Dr Syed Muhammad Hussain Shah Sahib, who would write articles for the newspaper and ﬁnancially support it. Secondly, Babu Manzur Ilahi Sahib, who would assist the newspaper in administrative matters and would also write for it as well. Thirdly, Maulvi Abdul Haq Sahib, and fourthly, Khalifa Rajab Din Sahib, who was the printer and publisher. In its initial stages, the newspaper would publish three times a week.

Upon its launch, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra sent an article titled Ikseer (remedy). However, as the newspaper aimed to criticise the family members of the Promised Messiahas and especially Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra at Baitul Fazl, Dalhousie Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, Paigham-era Sulh started an open enmity From Dalhousie, Huzoor went to with Al Fazl and published an article Shimla, where he stayed till 18 expressing its opposition. July. On 19 July, Huzoorra laid the foundation stone of the house of Babu Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra stated Faqir Ali Sahib, station master in that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira was Muhalla Darul Barkaat, Qadian. very displeased with Paigham-eSulh. He wrote a letter to Dr Syed On 20 July, Huzoorra embarked again Muhammad Hussain Shah Sahib in on his journey towards Dalhousie and travelled in those days for the welfare which he stated: of Muslims. “Mahmud is the son of the Promised 10 July 1913: The ofﬁcial magazine of Messiah. The one who uses harsh the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat-e-Islam language against him should remember that Muhammad Hussain did the same Lahore commenced its publication under the title of Paigham-e-Sulh. This and his progeny was spoiled.” (Some magazine represented the voice of the members of his family would later accept Ahmadiyyat.) Paighami group, those who opposed Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya. It was for this 10 July 1980: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih reason that once, Hazrat Khalifatul ra IIIrh attended a dinner hosted by the Masih I referred to it as Paigham-eAhmadiyya Mission in Frankfurt. Various Jang. At ﬁrst, those who expressed guests were also invited. Prominent their disobedience to the Khilafat of ra Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I , established politicians, diplomats and intellectuals

were also in attendance. In addition to the city’s clergy, doctors and members of the press. Huzoorrh remained among the guests for about two hours and answered their questions about Islam Ahmadiyyat. 11 July 1957: Sultan Mahomed Shah, Agha Khan III passed away on this day in Geneva Switzerland at the age of 79. He was the 48th Imam of the Nizari Ismailis and one of the founders and the ﬁrst president of the All-India Muslim League. Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra sent his condolences to the bereaved family and followers.

Khan. I not only found him as my own sincere friend, but also a great patriot, and was passionate for the wellbeing of the Muslims. Please accept my heartfelt condolences and convey my emotions to Prince Ali Khan and Prince Sadruddin. “Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Imam Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, 13 July 1957”.

11 July 1980: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh, during his tour of Europe, offered Friday prayers at the Noor Mosque in Frankfurt. In his sermon, Huzoorrh highlighted the high status of ra Huzoor sent the following telegram to women in Islam. the Begum of Agha Khan: In the evening, Huzoorrh answered “I am very grieved upon the demise of questions of German and guests of other nationalities for about two your respected husband. I had a very hours. old acquaintance with the late Agha

Noor Mosque, Frankfurt

AL HAKAM | Friday 9 July 2021

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visited the Fazl Mosque in London. A reception was arranged to welcome him.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra praying at the Promised Messiah'sas grave

12 July 1924: On this date, members of the Jamaat gathered in Masjid Mubarak, Qadian to see Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra before he departed for his tour of Europe. Before departing, Huzoorra visited the Promised Messiah’sas grave and prayed.

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ِ ��‫� ر‬ ‫ذات �رى اب ر�� د ��ں‬ ‫�� د ��ں‬ 12 July 1935: The Saudi Crown Prince

The entourage consisted of: Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra, Hazrat Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sayalra, Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Dardra, Hazrat Zulﬁqar Ali Khanra, Hazrat Haﬁz Roshan Alira, Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira, Hazrat Dr Hashmatullah Khanra, Hazrat Bhai Abdur Rahman Qadianira, Sheikh Abdur Rahman Misri Sahib, Chaudhry Ali Muhammad Sahib and Mian Reham Din Sahib. Accompanying them later was Hazrat Chaudhry Zafrulla Khanra, who had departed earlier. The entourage left Qadian and travelled to Batala station. From Batala to Dehli, at various stops, many people were able to see Huzoorra and see him off. After passing Ludhiana, in memory of Qadian, Huzoorra composed the famous

The attendees had come to support the demands of the Ahrar party against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat. They also decided to contribute towards the Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Dardra, false propaganda against the Jamaat. who was the imam of Fazl Mosque, So, as expected, hate and agitation arranged a reception for him in against Ahmadis across the country which various guests and dignitaries, increased. However, educated and including Sir Abdul Qadir, and civilised people and communities in ambassadors of America, Brazil, Mexico Pakistan expressed their displeasure and Arab countries, were invited. and fear concerning damaging outcomes if these hate-mongers 12 July 1948: Hazrat Syed Azizullah remained at large. These religious Shahra passed away. He was the father fanatics also demanded the banning of Hazrat Syeda Mehr Apa (wife of and removal of all the religious Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra), son of Hazrat literature by prominent personalities Syed Abdul Sattar Shahra and the that was used by Ahmadi Muslims in maternal uncle of Hazrat Khalifatul support of their arguments during Masih IVrh. debates. The Promised Messiahas had called the family of Hazrat Syed Abdus Sattar Shahra as “Bahishti Tabbar” (Heavenbound family). Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira, on many occasions, would say to Hazrat Syed Abdul Sattar Shahra that he had done his children’s tarbiyat in an excellent manner. Hazrat Syed Azizullah Shah’s daughter was married to Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra after the demise of Hazrat Syeda Umm-e-Tahirra. 12 July 1980: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh reached Zurich, the capital of Switzerland, from Frankfurt, Germany during his visit to Europe.

14 July 1924: Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra was on tour in Europe to attend the Wembley Conference. On this date, as Huzoorra was travelling, Eid-ulAdha approached. Huzoorra led the Eid prayer at Manmad Junction’s platform and delivered a short sermon. 15 July 1924: Hazrat Musleh-eMaudrh embarked on his tour of Europe from Bombay Port by boarding a ship. On this occasion, Huzoorra sent a message via telegram to members of the Jamaat, which was full of love and affection. Addressing the Jamaat, Huzoorra said:

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh in Zurich

The Saudi Crown Prince visited the Fazl Mosque, London

13 July 1952: An all-party convention was arranged in Barkat Ali Muhammadan Hall, Lahore and was attended by more than 700 delegates from all prominent religious sects and schools of thoughts across the country.

“You do not know, in fact, you cannot even fathom the love I have for you [the Jamaat] […] In life and death, I am yours.”

Friday 9 July 2021 | AL HAKAM

New mosque opened in Ziguinchor region by Senegal Jamaat

100 Years Ago...

Nigeria Ja and Islam Africa

Al F

Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahim Nayyarra (1883-1948)

12 public speeches

Hafiz Musawer Ahmed Muzzamil Senegal

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Senegal was able to inaugurate a new mosque in Bambatouma, Ziguinchor region on 25 June 2021. The total area of the mosque is 80 square metres with a capacity of 200 worshipers. The construction work was supervised by Kashif Javed Sahib, Regional Missionary for Ziguinchor. In building the mosque, the local Lajna members provided water for construction and the local Khuddam assisted in the labour.

On 25 June 2021, Nasir Ahmad Sahib, Amir and Missionary-in-Charge Jamaat-eAhmadiyya Senegal formally inaugurated the mosque by leading the Friday prayer. After the prayer, a question and answer session was held, in which a detailed introduction of Islam Ahmadiyyat, the importance of the coming of the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi in Islam, his introduction and his services to Islam were explained in detail. About 350 Ahmadis and non-Ahmadis from 23 villages attended the event, including imams and chiefs from 15 nonAhmadi villages.

By the grace of Allah the Almighty, I have been consistently and strongly carrying out tabligh from the day I reached Lagos. In addition to the three sermons of Jumuah and nikah, and dars of the Holy Quran, hadith and jurisprudence, I have given 12 public speeches at the request of people during my one-month stay. The number of attendees has risen from 500 to over 5,000 now. Every person is keen on having a speech delivered at their nearest square. Thus far, detailed speeches have been made on the following topics: 1. Death of Prophet Jesusas 2. Arrival of the Promised Messiahas 3. Tawhid [unity of] Allah the Almighty 4. Fasting and its philosophy 5. Prophet Muhammadsa, the Messenger of God, is a perfect role model 6. Comparative analysis of the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa and Prophet Jesusas 7. Populate the mosques and develop the habit of forgiveness 8. Harmony among the people 9. The Holy Quran is the rope of God Almighty 10. Refrain from bad innovations 11. The Bible is tampered with 12. The Holy Prophetsa in the Bible Series of questions The series of questions continues with full interest. Learned Christians and Muslims attend the public meetings on regular basis and ask questions and return after saying, “We are fully satisfied.” The questions are written in clear handwriting or they are typed and sent to the secretary of Anjuman Ahmadiyya. He sorts them out and hands them over to me. I answer them after the speech. These questions shed ample light on the condition of the Muslims here and also show what the mullahs have taught them. Below are some of these questions: 1. It is a general belief of the Muslims in Lagos that during Quranic education, there

are certain stages where a young man has to make some sacrifices, viz. of beans, hen, goat or ram. When he gets to Surah Al-Baqarah, a big cow has to be sacrificed. Is this lawful? 2. Can Muslims believe in predestination? 3. Is “[dua-e] qunoot” lawful during morning prayer? Series of meetings My arrival has produced a kind of stimulation all across the city of Lagos. Muslims are happy that a Muslim missionary has come to their city. Christians are surprised to know that there are missionaries among Muslims as well. The Christians here treat Muslims in the same way a Brahmin in India looks at a Shudra. In this confusing situation, most people have turned towards Ahmadiyyat. The daily series of meetings continues at home and at others’ residences. I have met the nobles and chiefs and started to carry out tabligh to them. It is a special grace of Allah the Almighty that every day, one or the other seeker of truth accepts the rightful Ahmadiyya Jamaat. The series of meetings with chiefs will be producing good results, insha-Allah. Many Muslim chiefs are under the influence of Ahmadiyyat. The pagan king of Lagos has expressed his wish that I should meet him and preach to him. It is no wonder that Allah the Almighty may show the following scene here as well: ّٰ ۡ ۡ َ ۡ ُ ُ ۡ َ ً َ‫الل ِہ اَ ۡفو‬ ‫یدخلون فِی ِدی ِن‬ ‫اجا‬ [“(And thou seest men) entering the religion of Allah in troops.”] White maulvi The sermonisers and scholars in this country are called “alpha” and my name in the city is “white alpha” or “white maulvi”. As the white man has great influence in this country and is looked upon with great reverence and respect by people here, the common man and the educated youth listen to me attentively as compared to the other local mullahs, and my fatwa [religious decree] on every issue is considered correct, alhamdulillah. By the grace of God, the mullahs are so awestruck by me that whenever they are asked a question on the issues I have previously explained, they simply answer, “Go and ask the white maulvi.”

AL HAKAM | Friday 9 July 2021

amaat in 1921 m in West

Fazl, 11 July 1921

Never-before-seen photo: Chief Oluwa of Lagos, Nigeria with Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Nayyarra at Melrose Road, London.

Language barrier As people in different parts of West Africa speak different languages, which is also the case throughout this country, and most people do not understand English, therefore conversation with people cannot take place without an interpreter. Sometimes people come to visit and there is no interpreter. In this situation, nothing can be said except for salaam or ekaba [welcome]. The same difficulty arises with servants. For example, one of my rickshaw boys belongs to the Yoruba [tribe] and the other, to Fante. They do not understand each other’s language and I am not able to understand them. The former knows some words of English and the latter knows a few words of Arabic, so we have to talk with hand gestures.

Experiencing this, I am praying that Allah the Almighty may establish our mission in West Africa, so much so that a missionary who understands the local languages can be appointed at every place. This is not at all impossible if Allah the Almighty wills. Respected friends My friends, pray for this brother of yours living in a distant land and continue to pray, because in these countries, I am not only fighting with the climate and unsuitable food, but also with internal conspiracies and efforts of the wealthy Christian outreach groups that have systematically established themselves here over the years. There is another enemy besides them and they are the sons of ignorance, the local

mullahs who, like the former pagans or family mullahs, even after converting to Islam, earn their livelihood from necromancy. They have apparently left the worship of juju, but in truth, they are practising it under another name. They make a living out of ignorant people by giving them amulets with magic spells written over them for communicating [with spirits] and securing grace. Moreover, they rely on showing miracles by the secret use of poisonous bones for the death of an enemy. This region is in a lot of danger from these enemies of religion. Therefore, I request prayers, with all due respect and earnestness. Sincerity of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in Africa The Jamaat of Nigeria is a Jamaat of sincere

followers, by the grace of God. They are deeply in love with Hazrat Nabiyullah, Jariyullah [the champion of Allah], the holy Promised Messiahas and have profound admiration for the name of Qadian. There is no trace of the Lahoris’ [Paighami group] hypocrisy in any of them [...] The administrative body here considers it its duty to maintain discipline. In my presence, the members who violated the rules and regulations were called to the meeting of the Anjuman and given an opportunity to explain themselves. Thereafter, pardons or punishments were given. Every member has endured hardship to some extent. As a result, the newcomers join the Jamaat after full consideration. The office-bearers and special members of the Lagos Anjuman stand out as models of Islam and piety. The government has recognised their body as an enlightened, organised Jamaat and all official information is passed on to them. Some members are in other parts of Nigeria for work. The following excerpt from the letter of one of these members shows the sincerity of this Jamaat: Brother Nuruddin Adusei writes to Mr Gabriel Martin (General Secretary) from Port Harcourt: “[I] hope our good missionary arrived safely. Is he still on the same flying [temporary tour] or [will he] stay and do us some good? “I wish I could have wings like a bird. I would have flown across the mighty ocean to come and have a grip and kiss of a man from Home [Qadian, India] – the home of the holy one [the Promised Messiahas]. “Or have a wireless station here and he [be] the sender and I [be the] receiver, to receive direct [message of] the good news of Home.” New converts For the information [of members of the Jamaat], the general secretary will send a list of new converts to India on monthly basis. (Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in the 11 July 1921 issue of Al Fazl)

Friday 9 July 2021 | AL HAKAM

Is reflecting over the deeper meanings Opinion of the Quran, misinterpreting it? Rumana Ashraf USA

In some circles, there is a misconception that Ahmadi Muslims interpret the Holy Quran in such a divergent sense, that common verses and passages from the Holy Book yield a different meaning to them. The truth is that while non-Ahmadis believe the verses of the Holy Quran are always straight-forward and strict, we believe the verses have heavy meanings and underlying messages associated with a context. There are countless examples of when non-Ahmadi Muslims have taken verses of the Holy Quran literally and have not pondered for more meaning or explanation. It is with this thinking that extremists have been able to falsely justify their violent actions with the Holy Quran, claiming that the black and white text directly instructed them to commit such horrific and barbaric actions, when in fact it does not. Additionally, these individuals go on to say that Ahmadi Muslims misinterpret the Holy Quran by stretching the Arabic text to mean more than what they see. However, in chapter 47, verse 25, Allah says:

ََ َ ُ َ َۡ ُُ َ ُۡ ‫افلَا یَ َت َد ّبرُ ۡو َن الق ۡر ٰا َن ا ۡم َع ٰلی قلوۡ ٍب اقفال َہا‬

“Will they not, then, ponder over the Quran, or is it that on the hearts are their locks?”

Then in chapter 3, verse 8, of the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty says:

َ ُ َُ ۡ ۡ ُُ ۡ َ َ ۡ َ ۤ َّ ‫ُہوَ ال ِذ ۡی ان َز َل َعل ۡیک ال ِک ٰت َب ِمن ُہ ٰا ٰی ٌت ّم ۡحک ٰم ٌت ُہ َّن ا ّم ال ِک ٰت ِب َو اخ ُر‬ ٰ ‫ُم َتش ِب ٰہ ٌت‬

“He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book, in it there are verses that are decisive in meaning – they are the basis of the Book – and there are others that are susceptible of different interpretations […]”. It is ludicrous to assume that what is simply written is how it should be understood, when in fact God Almighty has

blessed each word of the Holy Quran with deep meaning and has encouraged us to delve into the truth with open hearts. Many Quranic verses are metaphorical, and hold messages and values that are meant to be thought about for lifetimes. It is a book that will both mystify and provide answers for generations to come simply because of the heavy weight of knowledge that it carries. One such example is that the Holy Quran is filled with countless scientific evidence to support modern theories and ideologies. In this modern age, it is known

that the Earth’s innermost core is composed of iron. This was a fact discovered in 1936 by seismologist Inge Lehmann. If one were to take the Holy Quran and open its contents, one would notice that there are 114 chapters in total. Now, divide the number 114 by two, splitting the entire book by its chapters directly in the centre, similar to the centre of the Earth. The quotient of 114/2 is 57. If one were to open the Holy Quran to chapter 57, which is the precise middle of the book, that chapter is titled “al-Hadid” – “Iron”. The centre of the Earth is made of iron. The centre of the Holy Quran, al-Hadid, translates to iron. Although this fact was officially discovered and recorded in 1936, the Holy Quran had technically revealed the concept first when the book was first revealed in 609 CE. This example proves to be just a simple point to the argument that the Holy Quran is meant to be thoroughly researched, pondered over and dissected. There are numerous miracles, stories, values, ideas and answers to be read and read again in an effort to understand and ponder over. Therefore, the allegation from nonAhmadi Muslims claiming that Ahmadi Muslims misinterpret the Holy Quran is baseless and without foundation. It is in its mystifying complexity and depth that we find the Holy Quran timelessly beautiful.

Ahmadis from Bensheim, Germany participate in diversity and integration conference Zubair Khalil Khan President Jamaat Bensheim, Germany

Five members of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Bensheim, Germany attended the first “Diversity and Integration Conference” organised under the auspices of the Hessen Province Culture Ministry. After the welcome by the organisers, the participants were divided into three groups: education and language, urban society and work and social affairs. In these groups, Jamaat members introduced the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. They also made suggestions for improvement in relation to promoting integration within the city. These groups were made up of various

stakeholders from the city of Bensheim, such as the Integration Officer of the district of Bergstrasse, senior citizen guides, integration guides, representatives of the Moroccan mosque, teachers and many others. The Jamaat members reported on various events organised by Lajna Imaillah Bensheim and Heppenheim, such as the event for International Women’s Day in March 2021, sewing and donation of masks in institutions and blood donations during the pandemic. After lively exchanges, personal contacts were made. For example, possible assistance from the Jamaat was discussed with activists for language promotion. The conflict of the Islamic world was briefly explained too and

finally, the reasons for its conflicts were explored. Some people showed an interest in knowing more about Islam, so contact details were exchanged. In all of these groups, opportunities to have individual tabligh conversations were explored and new contacts were made. The Lajna members highlighted the

need for women-only swimming classes and decided to start a petition. Overall, the event was a success even with Covid-19 restrictions. Jamaat members accepted to participate in the upcoming workshops in August and September, inshaAllah.

AL HAKAM | Friday 9 July 2021

Coming from every distant track

Muhammad Qudsi of Syria A series looking at the high standard of morals of the Promised Messiahas and his Khulafa when receiving visitors in Qadian Awwab Saad Hayat Al Hakam

In the 11 November 1904 issue of the Jamaat’s newspaper, Al Hakam, whilst mentioning and writing about the advice of the Promised Messiahas to a Syrian gentleman, Al Hakam reported: “It has been almost six years since two people, one from Baghdad and one from Syria, arrived in Qadian to meet with Promised Messiah[as]. The Syrian gentleman was a strong and healthy young man who expressed his desire to study in Qadian. Therefore, he joined Hazrat Hakim-ul-Ummat’s [Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra] study circle and was provided with books etc. Anything else he expressed a need for was provided to him. “The Promised Messiah was delighted to hear that this person would complete his curriculum from here and go on to preach in Arabic speaking countries. But since Qadian is a small town with a population of probably 3,000 people, it would not be strange if people of various natures grew weary of it. “After a few months, the young Syrian

expressed, ‘The Hajj season is drawing near. I want to go for Hajj.’ He wrote a letter to the Promised Messiahas and asked for some money. His name was Muhammad Qudsi. “The Promised Messiah, whilst guiding him, wrote the following answer [in Arabic] to Muhammad Qudsi, which we will now present. I [Hazrat Muhammad Fazlra, a staff member of Al Hakam] had copied this letter from Muhammad Qudsi: “Assalamu alaikum. I received your letter. It is a pity that you do not understand what I intended for you. You seek merely the outer shell of Islam, while we desire that you be granted the essence and soul of Islam. “If you fear God, you would ponder over my work and what God Almighty has sent me to do. I know very well that today, no action can benefit anyone except by recognising and understanding me, my claims and my arguments. It is best for you to abandon the idea of leaving [Qadian] after Eid and stay with us for a while and benefit from the knowledge that Allah the Almighty has given us. I do not know how it will be of any benefit for you to go for Hajj before you have attained strong faith. “I am sending you four rupees for you to spend wherever you wish; if you want, you may stay here. And if you want to go, you may use this sum to arrange your leave. “It is not good for you to leave [Qadian] as it [will prove to be a total loss and a waste of time]. But how can I make you understand?[In this case] one’s heart can deceive one, whereas the eyes can see properly.”

Friday 9 July 2021 | AL HAKAM

Memories of the 23 March 1989 centenary celebrations A page from the history of Ahmadiyyat

Historic reception of 23 March 1989 in London. Left to right: Tom Cox MP, Aftab Ahmad Khan, Lord Avebury, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh, David Mellor MP, Ataul Mujeeb Rashed Ataul Mujeeb Rashed Imam Fazl Mosque London

Members of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya London had the good fortune of spending the blessed and historic day of 23 March 1989 in the presence of their beloved Imam, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IVrh, and thereby witnessed the centenary celebrations in full swing. How did this day start and how did it end? This is a long story. The schedule for the day was extremely busy and the sentiments and emotions of the participants were overwhelming. The centre of all the activities and celebrations was the personage of Huzoorrh – he was like a bridegroom of the procession singing the songs of praise of God and resolve. I intend to focus mainly on Huzoor’s activities in this brief article. Huzoorrh started each day with Tahajud prayers. God Almighty only knows what this day’s Tahajud was like that ushered in the second century (of Ahmadiyyat). At the

Fazl Mosque in London, an unprecedentedly large number of Ahmadis had travelled from far off places to participate in the congregational Tahajud prayers organised by the Jamaat, that were led by this humble one as part of my responsibilities as imam of the Fazl Mosque. Later, when Huzoorrh arrived to lead the Fajr prayer at the mosque, his face was radiating with an indescribable light and luminance, as though his face was lit with impending divine manifestations during the new century and a reflection of special supplications of that day’s Tahajud. By the grace of Allah, this humble one had the good fortune of being the first to shake hands with him and offer heartfelt congratulations. The congratulations then continued throughout the day as if the day was for this very purpose. The recitation during the Fajr prayer had an intangible quality that melted the hearts of the supplicants. Strong emotions of gratitude welled up and streamed down the eyes in tears. Every heart was prostrating to

God Almighty and engaged in supplications. After Fajr, Huzoorrh announced the first nikah of the second century. It was solemnised between Nayyara, daughter of the late Dr Abdul Hamid Sahib, and Abdul Waheed Khan Sahib. Calling it the first nikah of the century, Huzoorrh led the prayers for that nikah and for the nikahs that would be performed throughout the new century. Huzoor’s special message about the centenary had been issued a few days earlier. A large press conference had also been held in the press centre. The ceremonial activities of 23 March started with raising the flag of Ahmadiyyat. This ceremony took place right in front of the Fazl Mosque at 11 am. The mosque and the mission house had been decorated like a bride, with beautiful small lights and multicoloured flags. People had started arriving since early morning. The place was full to its capacity when Huzoorrh arrived. The office-bearers of Jamaat UK, delegates from the markaz, missionaries and other workers stood

behind Huzoorrh. On the right stood Atfal behind whom were men and on the left were Nasirat with ladies behind them. On the sides of the fountain that was in the middle were poles for the flags of Ahmadiyyat and the Union Jack. The place reverberated with slogans on Huzoor’s arrival. Huzoor’s face was glowing. He unfurled the Ahmadiyya flag and Nasirat sang. Next, the Union Jack was unfurled and Atfal sang. This simple and graceful ceremony reached its climax when Huzoorrh raised his hands for prayer; a prayer that was full of emotions. Huzoorrh congratulated everyone. Indeed, this day was no less than Eid day. It was the busiest day for Huzoorrh, but it is beyond any person to cover all his engagements and write them down. There was a state of excitement and hustle and bustle all around. The day was spent in carrying out more than usual appointments, massive correspondence, worldwide contacts, telephone calls, exchange of messages and so on and so forth. There was excitement everywhere. Ahmadis were walking about in the mission house compound joyously. The exhibition in Mahmood Hall was the central attraction for visitors. As part of the centennial celebrations, Jamaat London had organised a Promised Messiah Day Jalsa after the Zuhr prayer. The hall was jam-packed. The meeting was presided by a senior British Ahmadi, Bashir Ahmad Orchard Sahib who was a life devotee and a missionary. Speeches were delivered by Mansoor Saqi Sahib, Bashir Ahmad Rafiq Sahib and myself. This was a memorable Jalsa. After Asr prayer, we started to prepare for the evening event – the banquet. This was arranged at one of London’s most reputable hotels, The Grosvenor Hotel, and was probably the same hotel where a reception was held with Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra previously. The hall had been decorated elegantly. Many distinguished personalities, including members of the House of Lords, members of parliament, ministers, ambassadors, mayors, councillors and many other dignitaries were present. Huzoorrh welcomed them all. Following a recitation from the Holy Quran, Aftab Ahmad Khan Sahib, Amir Jamaat UK delivered the welcome address. This was followed by an exceptionally fine speech by Lord Avebury and then by David Mellor, Member of Parliament for Putney. After the speeches, Huzoorrh delivered an immensely powerful address for half an

AL HAKAM | Friday 9 July 2021

some 20 Englishmen. Later, Huzoorrh planted a walnut tree to mark the jubilee, at my request. Huzoorrh then came up onto a raised platform around which people had gathered. He had a beautiful garland around his neck. His face was radiant with happiness. He waved his hands in response to people’s chanting. Atfal and Nasirat carried out a march-past, which was viewed by Huzoorrh. Next, Huzoorrh went to the ladies’ section for a short visit. Atfal and Nasirat carried beautiful flags and sang songs of praise of Allah. The song that increased the beauty of the celebrations was the Ahmadiyya anthem, composed by Huzoorrh himself. Although it had been written many years earlier, it seemed to fit so perfectly as though it was meant for this occasion. Qadian’s youth recited it in their melodious voice in such a manner that every listener joined in with their heart and tongue including Huzoorrh himself. It filled the atmosphere with the fragrance of hamd-o-sana (praise of God). It was such an ecstatic atmosphere that it is difficult for me to describe. It is with Allah’s grace that I was fortunate to attend this event and to describe it briefly for Jamaat members and for the history of Ahmadiyyat.

hour. It had a great impact and brought tears to many eyes. Many of them were people whose hearts had not yet been illuminated with the light of Islam. The deep, heart-touching effect of this passionate address coming from the depths of his heart was obvious on these people. This was a manifestation of divine intervention and support which we saw with our own eyes and heard with our own ears. Later, one of the dignitaries told me that he had never heard a man speak out the truth vividly with such courage and bravery in the presence of delegates. Although there was criticism of some aspects of the role played by some of the nations in this address, nonetheless, people appreciated and fully admired the courage and greatness

with which truth was spoken out explicitly, but keeping within limits of decency. On the stage, a British minister sat to one side of me and an ambassador of a country on the other. Their reaction was in no way different from that of other audience members. Towards the end of the event, the minister expressed his heartfelt emotions. This majestic and historic address by Huzoorrh brought this magnificent event of 23 March to its climactic end. That forceful address to usher in the new century is worth listening, and relaying to others, again and again. I had never heard such an impressive address by Huzoorrh before. Friday prayer on the next day, 24 March, was another day of memorable gathering. The Friday prayer was performed at

Islamabad, UK. Ahmadis had arrived from various parts of Britain, and from other countries as well. There was a great deal of activity, hustle and bustle, excitement and meetings all around in Islamabad. Huzoorrh delivered the Friday sermon which was broadcast live to Germany and Mauritius. This was another cause for happiness that augured well for further developments during the new century. The state of fervency and passion in the prayers after each of the two addresses was unforgettable. After Asr prayers, a graceful event was held in the open air of Islamabad. The field, despite its vastness, was filled to its capacity by people. Huzoorrh came out of his house and a group photograph was taken with British Ahmadis that included

A group photo of some British Ahmadis in the company of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh at Islamabad, 24 March 1989

Friday 9 July 2021 | AL HAKAM

The exemplary young Companions: Courage and bravery

they knew they were too late. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, Bab Hijratur-Rasul)

Hazrat Safiyyah’sra self-defence The incidents of courage and bravery are not confined to the Muslim men; rather, the Muslim women too were characterised with this merit. During the Battle of Ditch, the Holy Prophetsa secured all the Muslim women in a castle and tasked Hazrat Hassanra with the duty of their security. A Jew, looking for a way to attack the castle, reached its gate. On seeing the Jew, Hazrat Safiyyahra asked Hazrat Hassanra to kill him lest he reported to his comrades and they attacked them. But Hazrat Hassanra, due to an illness, had become so repulsive to bloodshed that he could not even bear to see it, let alone join it. Therefore, he excused himself from it. And since the secure return of the Jew could have resulted in an attack, she herself stepped forward, uprooted a pole of a camp, descended from the castle and struck the Jew so forcefully that he died there and then. Thereafter she severed his head from the body and threw it down the castle to strike terror into the hearts of the Jews. Thus, it generated satisfactory result and the Jews thought that there was some force in the castle as well and they did not dare to attack it. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, Bab Ghazwah Khandaq) Valour of Hazrat Umm Saleemra

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

With a very small number and meagre means, the Muslims changed the world map in a very short period of time. Many reasons can be given for this, one of which was their unusual courage and bravery. Their faith had altogether transformed the state of their hearts and they were so infatuated with the Divine that as compared to Islam, they valued nothing – neither their own lives, nor their kith and kin. They were steadfast and had so high a resolve that they were not feared by even grave adversities. The accounts of their courage and bravery are so extensively quoted in history that would make voluminous books. For the sake of brevity, only a few accounts are given below: Facing a raging river The Companionsra were faced with a raging river when they advanced to Midian. There was no solution to this problem. At last, irrespective of the consequences, these brave men directed their horses into the river. The Almighty Allah helped them and most of them managed to cross it safely and enter the city. To see them, the Persians exclaimed, “Diwan amadand” and vacated the city. (Tarikh al-Tabari, p. 2441)

Fighting elephants In the final battle against the Persians on the battlefield of Qadisiyyah, in the time of Hazrat Umarra, the Muslim forces were faced with a grave difficulty. The Persians

brought their elephants on the battlefield. And wherever they directed them, they trampled the Muslim forces under their feet and disarrayed the Muslim ranks. Hazrat Qa‘qara devised to cover the camels with black sheets of cloth and brought them against the elephants, but to no avail. Hazrat Saadra bin Abi Waqas led the Muslim troops and was greatly perturbed by the elephants. Some new converts from the Persians suggested that the elephants could not harm them if their trunks and eyes were damaged. He tasked Hazrat Qa‘qara, Hazrat Mahalra and Hazrat Rabira to damage their eyes and trunks. These three courageous men encircled the elephants and started damaging their eyes with spears. There was a white elephant which was leading them. With all his courage, Hazrat Qa‘qara struck its trunk so powerfully that it severed into two. In pain, it ran so helplessly that all the other elephants followed suit. (Tarikh al-Tabari, Zikr Yaumi Aghwath, Vol. 3, p. 544)

Hazrat Ali’sra bravery It is not just fighting against an enemy with a sword in hand on the battlefield that is called courage and valour. In fact, real courage and bravery is to accept truthfulness in a time when it is met with adversity from all around and the enemies are bent upon persecution. To stand for what is the truth at such a critical time – in other words, putting oneself in fatal danger – is tantamount to real courage and bravery. There is no dearth of such instances of courage and bravery in the lives of the Companionsra. Hazrat Alira was hardly 14 or 15 years old when the Holy Prophetsa, in order to

propagate to them the message of Islam, invited his relatives to a feast. After the meal, the Holy Prophetsa stood up and invited them to accept Islam. He said to them, “I present to you the best thing in faith and the world. Who will be my helper and supporter in this regard?” All of them kept quiet at this, but Hazrat Alira stood up and said, “Even though I am the youngest and weakest of all, I will be your helper and supporter.” The Holy Prophetsa asked him to sit down and repeated his question. He repeated the question a third time, but none of them replied except Hazrat Alira, who stood up all three times and promised to support him, irrespective of the fact that all the elders of the family refused to shoulder this responsibility. (Tarikh al-Tabari, p. 1172) When the Holy Prophetsa decided to migrate to Medina, it was a time when the idolaters, to see the Muslims leave Mecca one by one, planned to end the mission of the Holy Prophetsa. Armed, the idolaters besieged his house on the night the Holy Prophetsa was to leave Mecca. In order to avoid any suspicion on the part of the disbelievers, the Holy Prophetsa asked Hazrat Alira to sleep in his place. Irrespective of the fear of death, Hazrat Alira accepted this responsibility willingly. Right when the jingle of swords was audible from outside, Hazrat Alira lay calmly in his bed. As the disbelievers were sure of the Holy Prophet’ssa presence inside, they did not heed to other things and the Holy Prophetsa managed to leave Mecca. They were very annoyed when they realised their mistake in the morning, but by that time,

Hazrat Umm Saleemra, with a dagger in hand, walked around on the battlefield of Hunain. Hazrat Abu Talhahra apprised the Holy Prophetsa of it. He asked her the reason thereof. She replied, “I will thrust it into the belly of an idolater in case he advances to us.” The Holy Prophetsa smiled at this reply. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Jihad, Bab Ghazwat-un-Nisa ma‘ar-Rijal)

Courage of Muslims under the command of Hazrat Khalidra Whilst fighting against the Persians, once, the Muslim force besieged a city, Anbar, whose chief was a Persian leader, Sherzad, who had built an earthen mound next to the city wall. The Muslim force was led by Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid. After the siege prolonged, Hazrat Khalidra advanced along with his brave soldiers. A trench hindered their way, and from the other side, a hail of arrows came flying in from the Persians. In order to cross the ditch, Hazrat Khalidra ordered to slaughter the weak and lean camels and fill the ditch with them, and thus make a sort of bridge. As for the hail of arrows, it was not a thing worthy of notice for the Muslim force. The enemies did their job whereas the Muslims, theirs. Therefore, the Persians hailed arrows and the Muslims continued advancing. As to how much damage the Muslim force endured can be assessed from the thousand soldiers who lost their eyes. But they continued advancing and first, they occupied the mound and then reached the city wall. They encountered great resistance from the Persians, but how could they be stopped who, putting their own lives at risk, had reached there. By the grace of Allah, they conquered and triumphantly entered the city. (Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 3, p. 375, Hadith-ul-Anbar)

Continued on page 16

AL HAKAM | Friday 9 July 2021

100 Years Ago...

Advice of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II to a new convert Al Fazl, 27 June 1921

Dear Editor Sahib Al Fazl, assalamo alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu! Recently, an esteemed oﬃcial of the state has written a letter of bai‘at to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] and Huzoor[ra] personally replied to him with his own pen. I am sending it so that it may be published. Hopefully, it will help many kindhearted and wise people to increase in faith and serve as a guide for those who are striving for the nearness of Allah the Almighty. Wassalam, Ali Muhammad (Post Oﬃcer) Letter of the new convert “My master! Assalamo alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu! “For a long time, there was a yearning in my heart to seek the truth and it made me anxious. Then came the time to finally fulfil my desire. If I have been reluctant till now, it was only because it is a great responsibility to join this holy Jamaat. Moreover, there was also the fear that black sheep like me might enter this Jamaat and bring it into disrepute. However, I felt a glimpse of despair from God’s mercy in this view of mine and sensed a hint of scepticism over the vast holiness of this sacred Jamaat.

“

in the Ahmadiyya Jamaat and repent of all sins at your hand because I witness that your hand is in the hand of God. I will [continue to] believe in all the claims of the Promised Messiahas and always prefer religion over the world. َ ّ ّٰ ْ َ َُ َ َْ ُّ ‫ا ْس َتغ�ِ ُ�الل َہ َر� ِ ْي ِم ْن ک ِل ذن ٍﺐ ّو ات ْو ُب اِل ْی ِہ‬ ْ َ َْ ُ ْ َ ْ َ ُ َّ َ ُ ُ َْ ُ َ َ ّ ‫َر ِ ّب اِ�ِي ﻇل ْمت نف ِ� ْ� َواع� َ�فت بِذن ِ� ْ� فاﻏ�ِ ْ�� ِ ْي ذن ْو� ِ ْي فاِنہ لا‬ ُ َ ْ ُّ َ َْ ّ ‫یَغ�ِ ُ� الذن ْو َب اِلا انت‬ “[‘I seek pardon from Allah, my Lord, for all my sins, and turn to Him. O my Lord, I have wronged my soul and I confess all my sins. Pray forgive me my sins as there is none else who can forgive.’] “In my view, I have not joined [only] Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya but have actually entered the true Islam today. Syed Abdul Majeed, Kapurthala” Reply of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II “Dear Syed Sahib, assalamo alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu! “I have received your letter. I could not reply immediately due to poor health. All praise belongs to Allah that He has opened your heart and helped you accept the truth

When a person accepts the truth, he is immediately helped by Allah the Almighty and the doors of mercy are opened for him. Khilafat Centenary Special Edition—Part 3: Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II TARIQ | 187

“Thus, I considered the first idea to be a sin and thought about the second matter that if a few bitter drops like me are added to this vast ocean of pure water, they could not spoil this Jamaat. However, why should I say that these few drops will always be bitter? This bitterness will disappear, insha-Allah, and it will surely vanish. “I am joining [the Jamaat] but I regret the delay. Though I came late, I am satisfied that despite all the delay, it is not too late. I find a firm resolve in me and I feel the presence of nafs-e-lawwamah [the reproving soul]. If there was anything missing, it was just that attention which turns clay into gold, which I am now receiving also. “Thus, O my Mahmud! Today, I [enter]

after a long time!

ّٰ ُ ْ َ َ ٰ ُ ‫الل ِہ یُ ْؤ ِت ْی ِہ َم ْن یَ َش‬ ‫ذل ِک فﻀل‬ ‫اء‬

“[‘That is Allah’s grace; He bestows it on whom He pleases.’] No doubt, where there are responsibilities after joining Ahmadiyyat, there are conveniences as well. When a person accepts the truth, he is immediately helped by Allah the Almighty and the doors of mercy are opened for him. He is treated in the same way as a newborn baby; that is, his every action is taken care of and he is looked after in every situation. “At that time, such a person enjoys rahmaniyyat [graciousness] and becomes aware of the blessings of Allah the Almighty and is acquainted with His bounties. His

attention is also drawn towards those blessings which he may receive under rahimiyyat [mercy] and which are superior to [the bounties of] rahmaniyyat in this first stage. However, in the last stage, rahmaniyyat prevails again. “This stage is very crucial and many people become intoxicated by the manifestation of this rahmaniyyat and stop taking a step forward by considering that God Almighty depends on them. Consequently, they only feel the taste of that sweet which was presented to them as a sample. Bit by bit, that feeling also vanishes

and such a person becomes deprived. Hence, one should never rest solely on the support and generous succour received from Allah the Almighty in the first stage, but should try to take advantage of this opportunity and continue to advance. “May Allah the Almighty help you pass through this stage safely and make you a means of guidance for others as well. Humbly yours, Mirza Mahmud Ahmad.” (Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in the 27 June 1921 issue of Al Fazl)

Friday 9 July 2021 | AL HAKAM << Continued from page 14

Conquering a city through “divine help” Mere courage and bravery are of little value unless wisdom and prudence are brought in use as well. The governor of Basrah at the time, Hazrat Abdullahra bin Amir sent Hazrat Haramra bin Hayan to besiege Jaur when the Muslim forces were fighting against the Persians. The siege prolonged and entry into the city seemed unlikely. Hazrat Haramra bin Hayan observed a fast during the day and busied himself in worship during the night hours. One day, at the time of breaking the fast, he was not able to acquire food, something he bore with great patience and the next day again, he observed a fast. But again, he did not get his meal. This routine continued for some days. At last, he asked his servant as to why the meal was not cooked for him. He replied that he regularly served him the meal and only God knew where it had gone. The next time the servant was to set the meal down, the servant sat to watch it. Shortly afterwards, a dog appeared and took away the food. The servant followed it and saw that the dog entered the city through a sewer. The servant returned and reported it to Hazrat Haramra, who took it as divine help. As the night fell, he, along with some brave comrades, entered the city through the same sewer. They killed the guards and opened the city gates and thus, the Muslim force occupied the city. (Futuh-ul-Buldan, Vol. 1, p. 377, Fathah Kur Faris wa Kirman)

During the Battle of Qadisiyyah, when both the forces faced each other, a prince, Hurmaz, came out on the battlefield and called out for his rival from the opposing party. Hazrat Ghalibra bin Abdullah Asadi advanced to contest with him and soon, captured him and brought him to the Muslim ranks. Thereafter, another very renowned warrior came out, in whose contest Hazrat Asimra stepped forward. Both the warriors wrestled with each other, but soon after, the Persian warrior fled from the battlefield. Hazrat Asimra followed him and right when he was close to the first rank of his force Asimra held the tail of his opponent’s horse and stopped it from moving forward. He then got hold of his opponent and forcibly mounted him on his own horse and thus brought him to his side. (Tarikh al-Tabari, Zikr

Yaumi Armath, Vol. 3, p. 537)

Foot soldier subdues general After the Persians fled from Qadisiyyah, a leader of theirs, Sheheryar, gathered his defeated force at Kothi and started planning to avenge the Muslims. Hazrat Zuhrahra happened to pass by that place and learnt of Sheheryar’s planning. He too came out to fight when he learnt of the Muslims’ arrival. Both the armies arrayed themselves against each other. Sheheryar challenged the bravest of the Muslims to come out to fight him. Hazrat Zuhrahra replied that he himself wanted to fight a duel with him, but to see his arrogance, he said he would send a regular soldier and sent Hazrat Nailra bin Ja‘sham Araj, who was a slave from Banu Tamim. Hazrat Nailra was a lean man whereas Sheheryar had a healthy and robust body. In no time, he overpowered Hazrat Nailra and dropping him down, sat down on his

Opinion

“Upskirting”: Protecting oneself from such obscenity

Sara Gardner GCSE Student, Leamington Spa, UK

Teachers have been telling pupils (specifically girls) to wear shorts under their skirts to protect themselves from “upskirting”. But what is upskirting? Upskirting is the activity of taking a photograph or video from a position that allows someone to look up inside a woman’s dress or skirt, without the woman’s permission. “Upskirting” became illegal in the UK in April 2019, but it is not illegal in many other countries. Nevertheless, cases in British primary and secondary schools continue to occur. This is why some schools were spurred to enforce a rule asking girls to wear modesty shorts underneath their skirt. However, parents and students have debated against this, believing modesty shorts are “victim shaming”. When it comes to modesty in Islam, Allah initially addresses men in the Holy Quran to first refrain themselves, from all that which may incite their emotions. Allah commands men to lower their gaze: “Say to the believing men that they restrain their eyes […] That is purer for them”. (Surah alNur, Ch.24: V.31) Then Islam guides women to “guard their private parts, and that they disclose not their beauty except that which is apparent thereof, and that they draw their head-coverings over their bosoms”. Therefore, both men and women have been given commands to honour modesty. The teaching of Islam concerning the chest. But his thumb happened to come into the mouth of Hazrat Nailra. He bit him so severely that Sheheryar could not bear its pain and the next moment, Hazrat Nailra was on top and Sheheryar was lying down and Hazrat Nailra slit his belly with a dagger. The Muslim Commander-in-chief ordered Hazrat Nailra to come in Sheheryar’s armour, weapons and the whole dress and he complied with it. (Tarikh al-Tabari, Zikr Yaumi Babul, vol.3, p. 621)

A Roman fort is conquered In a battle against the Romans, the Muslim force besieged a castle and the siege prolonged. The disbelievers would not come out of the castle and hurled stones and showered arrows when the Muslims neared it. Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra called for reinforcement from Medina, which included a black slave, Hazrat Wamisra, whose patronym was Abul Haul. He requested Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra to provide him 30 warriors and that he would somehow try to enter the castle.

veil is probably the most confusing and difficult to accept for the Western society. This is because of the widespread and erroneous notion that observing purdah is a heavy burden imposed on Muslim women. In fact, the very opposite is true. Purdah is not a subjugation, but it protects women and provides women with freedom from many social ills. Purdah guards the moral condition of society. The verses make clear that both men and women should conduct themselves with modesty and propriety at all times, especially when in each other’s presence. Islamic teachings are deeply embedded in the philosophy that prevention is better than cure. It is deeply concerning that incidents of upskirting are occurring amongst even young children, leading to the question of how we can protect our young girls. During a class, a girl asked Huzooraa regarding the age at which girls should start wearing a headscarf. Huzooraa said: “When you reach the age of five, you should not go out without wearing leggings under your frock. Your legs should be covered so that you develop the feeling that gradually your dress must become modest”. The next night, Hazrat Wamisra, accompanied by 30 warriors, reached close to the castle and advising his men to stay there, he took a round of the castle. He found a turret undefended. Either there was none to defend it or its security guard was asleep. Hazrat Wamisra sent two of his men to Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra with a message to send a thousand warriors near the castle before dawn. Standing below the city wall, he guessed that a man on top of a ladder of seven men standing on top of each other could reach the top. He himself stood below and mounted six men on top of each other and thus, the top man reached the top of the wall and tied a rope with the turret. With the help of the rope, all of these warriors entered the tower. There, they found two watchmen drunk. The day before, the Muslim force, as a strategy, had announced to depart, and the Romans celebrated for their departure and became drunk. The drunk watchmen were slain. Hazrat Wamisra, accompanied by his warriors, came to the gate and started killing the security guards. Hearing their

Huzooraa continued to outline that when a girl turns six or seven, she should become even more careful with regard to leggings and then at the age of 10, she should try to develop the habit of wearing some sort of scarf and then at age 11, wear the scarf properly. (Gulshan-e-Waqf-e-Nau, 12 October 2013, Australia) Thus, the humiliation, distress and alarm of upskirting can be prevented. The concept of modesty is a beautiful teaching that protects a woman, for it is her armour. Common sense tells us we wouldn’t leave a precious gold bracelet lying unattended in the street, but would keep it safe. We cannot account for the behaviour of other male students, but we can always try to protect ourselves. This is not victim shaming at all, but is good sense. We should be proud that we have such beautiful teachings of Islam to guide and protect us, alhamdulillah.

commotion, other Roman soldiers woke up and attacked the Muslim group. Hazrat Wamisra, in order to keep the gate in their control, stationed his men at the gate and a real battle started. Hazrat Wamisra had prepared a bunker because of which the Romans could not attack them in large number. It was a narrow place and only a small number of men could enter it. Whoever of them entered it, the Muslim fighters killed them. From midnight till dawn, this fighting continued and eight Muslims were martyred. At dawn, the Muslim force reached outside the castle and raised slogans of “Allahu Akbar”. Hazrat Wamisra, knowing that the Muslim force had reached outside the castle, left fighting and opened the gate. And the Muslim force entered the castle triumphantly. In this fight, Hazrat Wamisra received 70 wounds but continued fighting. (Translated by Shahid Mahmood Ahmad, Missionary in Ghana, from the original Urdu, Muslim Nau-jawanon kay Sunehri Karnamey)

AL HAKAM | Friday 9 July 2021

Does nuzul mean to physically descend from the sky?

Jalees Ahmad Al Hakam

“When religion is interpreted without rationality, when faith is divorced of reason, all that they give birth to are myths without legitimacy and legends without substance.” (Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh, Khalifatul Masih IV Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth, p. 699) Today, Muslims who claim that Prophet Jesusas is still alive believe that Allah the Almighty physically raised the Messiah of Nazareth to the Heavens to save him from being crucified. It is indeed a strange thing that these Muslims assert. Alluding to this matter, Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra states: “It is impossible for us to think that Jesus, the Messiah, is alive in Heaven while Muhammad, our Holy Prophetsa, lies buried in the earth. We cannot think so. We believe that in spiritual rank, the Holy Prophetsa stands much higher than Jesus. How can it be that God raised Jesus to Heaven on the slightest sign of danger to his life, but did not raise the Holy Prophetsa even as high as the stars when the Holy Prophetsa was pursued by his enemies from place to place?” (Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, Khalifatul Masih II, Invitation to Ahmadiyyat, p. 15) Many articles have been published in Al Hakam proving the demise of Prophet Jesusas, such as: • Why the Latter-Day Messiah was named Isa Ibn-e-Maryam www.alhakam.org/why-the-latter-day-messiah-wasnamed-isa-ibn-e-maryam-part-ii/

• Proving the death of Jesus from the Holy Quran: “‘O Jesus, I will cause thee to die a natural death and will exalt thee to Myself ” www.alhakam.org/proving-the-death-of-jesus-from-theholy-quran-o-jesus-i-will-cause-thee-to-die-a-naturaldeath-and-will-exalt-thee-to-myself/

• Jesus’ return: Metaphors and Quranic proof he died www.alhakam.org/jesus-return-metaphors-andquranic-proof-he-died-part-i/

• The true meaning of rafa‘a: Proof that Jesus has passed away www.alhakam.org/the-true-meaning-of-rafaa-proofthat-jesus-has-passed-away/

In this article, we shall focus and look at the Arabic word, “nuzul”, which some Muslims present in their favour to prove that Prophet Jesusas is still alive in Heaven and will one day descend. As the literal meaning of “nuzul” is “descent”, it is unfortunate that most Muslims have been misled by this and have concocted notions that completely contradict the Holy Quran and the prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa. We find many examples in the Holy Quran and in the ahadith where the word nuzul has been used which does not mean to physical descend from the Heavens or the sky. The verses are mentioned below:

ُ ‫اسا ّیُوَارِ ۡی َسوۡ ٰا ِت ُک ۡم َو رِیۡ ًشا ؕ َو ل َِب‬ ً ‫ٰی َب ِن ۡۤی ٰا َد َم َق ۡد اَن ۡ َزل ۡ َنا َع َل ۡی ُک ۡم ل َِب‬ ‫اس‬ َّ َّ َّ َ ّٰ َ ٰ ۡ َ َ ٰ ۡ َّ ‫التق ٰوی ۙ ذل ِک خی ٌر ؕ ذل ِک ِم ۡن ٰا ٰی ِت الل ِہ ل َعل ُہ ۡم یَذک ُر ۡو َن‬

“O children of Adam, We have indeed sent down to you raiment to cover your shame, and to be an elegant dress; but the raiment of righteousness – that is the best. That is [one] of the Signs of Allah, that they may remember.” (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.27)

A simple look at this verse proves that nuzul, or anzalna, does not and cannot only mean to physically descend. Throughout the entire existence of humanity, who is it that will say or declare they have seen articles of clothing and garments physically descend from the sky? Clothes do not fall from the sky. They are made here on earth. I wonder if a person who awaits the physical descent of Prophet Jesusas would translate this verse to mean that clothes physically descend from the sky. The matter, however, does not end there. The Holy Quran, elsewhere, states:

ُ َۡ َ ۡ َ ۡ َّ ۡ ّ ۡ ُ َ َ َ َُ ‫س ّوا ِح َد ٍۃ ث ّم َج َع َل ِمن َہا ز ۡو َج َہا َو ان َز َل لَک ۡم ِّم َن‬ ٍ ‫خلقکم ِمن نف‬ ُ ٰ َّ ُ ۡ ُ ُ ۡ ُ ُ ُ ۡ َ َ ۡ َ َ َ ٰ َ َ ۡ َ ۡ ۡ َ ً َ ّ ۡ ۡ ‫الانعا ِم ثم ِنیۃ ازو ٍاج ؕ یخلقکم فِ ۡی بطو ِن امہ ِتکم خلقا ِم ۢۡن بع ِد‬ َۡ ّٰ َ َ َّ ۤ ُ ۡ ۡ ُ ُ ّٰ ُ ٰ َ ُ ُ ‫خل ٍق فِ ۡی ظل ٰم ٍت ث ٰل ٍث ؕ ذل ِک ُم الل ُہ َر ّبک ۡم ل َ ُہ ال ُملک ؕ لَا ِالٰ َہ ِالا ُہوَ ۚ فانی‬ ُ ُ ‫ت ۡص َرفوۡ َن‬

“He created you from a single being; then from that He made its mate; and He has sent down for you of the cattle eight pairs. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation, in threefold darkness. This is Allah, your Lord. His is the kingdom. There is no God but He. Whither then are you being turned away?” (Surah alZumar, Ch.39: V.7) Here, nuzul, or anzala, does not refer to physical descent. In this verse, the word anzala has been used for cattle; however, who is it that will say they have seen or claim to have seen cattle, bulls, or cows physically coming down from the sky? Obviously, nobody will say such a thing. Surely, the folk of his town will say that he has either lost it, is no longer sane, or that his eyes and mind have deceived him. Allah the Almighty further states:

َّ َّ َ ًۡ َّ َ ّ ۡ ُ َ ُ ّ َ ُ َ ٰ ٰ ۡ ُ ۡ ُ ۡ َّ َ ُ ‫الس َمٓا ِء رِزقا ؕ َو َما یَ َتذک ُر ِالا‬ ‫ہو ال ِذی یرِیکم ای ِت ٖہ و ینزِل لکم ِمن‬ ُ‫َم ۡن ّیُ ِن ۡیب‬

“He it is Who shows you His Signs and sends down provision for you from heaven; but none pays heed save he who turns [to God].” (Surah al-Mu‘min, Ch.40: V.14) In this verse, Allah the Almighty has said that He sends down provision from Heaven. َّ َّ َ ّ Both the words ‫الس َمٓا ِء‬ ‫ ِمن‬and ‫یُنزِ ُل‬ have even been used; however, food, mangoes, bananas, oranges, grapes etc. do not physically fall from the sky. We also find a hadith narrated in Sahih َ َّ َ al-Bukhari were the words ‫ ن َز َل‬and ‫الس َما ِء‬ ‫ِمن‬ have been used: َ َ ُُ ْ َ َ َ َ ّ َ َّ َ ْ َ َ َ َ َ َ َّ ‫ َون َزل‬،‫ال‬ ِ ‫أن الأمانة نزلت ِمن السما ِء فِي جذ ِر قل‬ ِ ‫وب الرِج‬ َ ُّ َ َ ‫آن فَ َق َر ُءوا ال ْ ُق ْر‬ ُ ‫ال ْ ُق ْر‬ ‫آن َو َعلِ ُموا ِمن‬ ‫الس ّن ِة‬ The Holy Prophetsa said, “Honesty descended from the Heavens and settled in the roots of the hearts of men [faithful believers], and then the Holy Quran was revealed, and the people read the Quran, [and learnt from it] and also learnt it from the sunnah.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab alItisam bil Kitab wa Sunnah, Hadith 7276) Now, looking at this hadith, along with the interpretations of nuzul as explained by non-Ahmadi Muslims, does this mean that honesty was a physical thing which literally and physically descended from the sky and took root in the hearts of men? The question now remains, why has Allah the Almighty, in His infinite wisdom, used the word nuzul for such things as cattle, garments, provision etc.? The matter is quite clear and simple. All these things that are of great benefit to mankind, Allah is stating that these beneficial things are sent by Him through His immense blessings. To take them all in its literal sense and say they all physically descend from the sky is absurd. So, with the above-quoted verses of the Holy Quran, it becomes evidently clear that the word nuzul does not mean to physically descend from the sky. In fact, like all things, it must be studied and looked at in its true context to understand its real meaning and purport. For example, animals, livestock an‘am in Arabic – for which the word nuzul has been used, has proven to be of most use and benefit to mankind through the usage of its meat, skin, wool and it also provides and gives milk etc. With regard to the word nuzul, the Promised Messiahas, on one occasion, stated: “The word that has been used for the advent of the Messiah is nuzul (i.e. to descend) and not ruju (i.e. to return). Firstly, the appropriate word for someone who is expected to return is ruju and this word has never been used for Jesusas. Secondly, the word nuzul does not imply a return from Heaven. A person on journey is referred to as a nazeel.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 7) I end this short piece hoping that Muslims around the world, who await Prophet Jesus’ coming down, may one day see and witness the truth of Hazrat Ahmadas. Centuries will go by, but no one will physically descend from the sky. The Promised Messiah, who was to come, has come and has fulfilled the prophecy made by the Holy Prophetsa. “Let Jesusas die for therein lies the glory of Islam.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 10, p. 458)

Friday 9 July 2021 | AL HAKAM

100 Years Ago...

Indian Ahmadis in London and a Brahmin’s acceptance of Islam Al Fazl, 7 July 1921

Hazrat Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sayal (1887-1960)

Indian Ahmadis in London At the time of writing this report, the UK Ahmadiyya Jamaat achieved success and progressed in many ways by the grace of Allah the Almighty. The number of Indian Ahmadis here these days is more than any other time in the past. We are a total of 13 [Ahmadis in the UK]. You are aware of the situation of Mian Karam Din who reached the UK without any provisions. He stayed with us for about two months and then with an Indian friend who has been living in London for about 20

years. He converted to Ahmadiyyat during the time of Qazi Abdullah Sahib and started to live with him and work under his help and guidance. Now, he earns enough that he can easily make a good living out of it and this is a representation [of the following]:

ُۡ َ ُ ‫ّو یَ ۡرزق ُہ ِم ۡن َح ۡیث لَا یَ ۡح َت ِس ُب‬

[“And He provides for him from whence he expects not.”] Shamshad Ali Khan Sahib, who is a model of virtue for the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, enjoys the special favours of Allah the Almighty and he has successfully achieved his objective for which he travelled to the UK, alhamdulillah. He has been selected for the post of deputy commissioner out of

several Indians and this is the sheer grace of God Almighty and a result of the prayers of Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih II[ra]. Otherwise, there was apparently no chance of this happening. Malik Muhammad Hussain Sahib (barrister) has passed the final barrister exam in May [1921]. We are glad that Allah the Almighty bestowed His special grace on the son of the past servant of the Promised Messiahas, Mian Ghulam Hussain Sahib. These two friends often stay with me and help me with my writing work and because of them, I enjoy the feeling of our homeland in a foreign country. Apart from them, Mian Abdur Rahim Khan Sahib Khalid and Chaudhry Maula Bakhsh Sahib are engaged in their respective studies and have passed some of the barrister’s examinations. The example of Abdur Rahim Khan Sahib and Aziz Ali Muhammad Sahib, who is the noble son of Seith Abdullah Ala Din Sahib, is worthy of envy. With the companionship of these two friends, certain stages of Sufism are being achieved, which especially include frugality and ibadat [worship]. There are three more friends who live at some distance. The news of their well-being is received through letters. Members of the Jamaat are requested to pray for their success and safety. New converts During the period under discussion, two new friends joined the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. One of them is Abdullah bin Yasin. He has a Jewish lineage and has lived in India and Egypt for a long time. Therefore, he is familiar with the Islamic matters to some extent. Inspired by the lectures of Ahmadi missionaries, he has manifested his Islam. Another friend is Dr Yusuf Suleiman, who had been acquainted with Ahmadi missionaries for some time, but he formally entered the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in May [1921]. His last exam is going to be held in July, so members of the Jamaat are requested to pray for his success. Dr Sahib is from the nation of Malaya. His native country is Cape Town. He intends to practice in Nairobi, Africa and will probably depart from London in August. Hindu nation and Islam ُ َُ َۤ َ َ َ َ ُ ََ ّ ‫اِنِ ۡی لا ِجد ِریۡح ی ُ ۡو ُسف ل ۡو لا ا ۡن تف ِّند ۡو ِن‬ [“Surely, I feel the scent of Joseph, even though you take me to be a dotard.”]

ً َ َ َُ َ َۡ ۡ ۡ ُ ۡ ُ ۡ َ ۡ َّ َ َ َّ ُ َّ ۡ َ ُ ۡ ُ َ ‫ض َو ن ۡج َعلہ ۡم ائِ ّمۃ‬ ِ ‫و ن ِرید ان نمن علی ال ِذین استض ِعفوا ِفی الار‬ ۡ ۡ َُ َ َ ‫ّو ن ۡج َعلہ ُم ال ٰو ِرثِی َن‬ [“And We desired to show favour unto those who had been considered weak in the earth, and to make them leaders and to make them inheritors of Our favours.”] All Ahmadi friends are well aware of the sincerity and nobility of those who have converted to Islam from the Hindu and Sikh peoples. This is a good omen which has convinced me that the Hindu nation will soon convert to Islam and Allah the Almighty is going to liberate this nation from the thing which motivates slavery and humiliation, i.e. idolatry. After brother Muhammad Amin Sahib (barrister), Khalid Bezji, a very astute and noble Bengali Brahmin, has converted to Islam in the UK. The conversion of such learned, virtuous and prosperous people to Islam, who have no hidden interest, is a proof of what Allah the Almighty wills about India now. It is possible that Allah the Almighty may well show us in this very life the spectacle of all of India converting to Islam. The fact that Allah the Almighty sent the Promised Messiahas to India means that Arabs, non-Arabs, Turks and Tatars have already served Islam and now, it is the turn of Punjab and India. The hearts of the Hindu nation, in particular, are turning towards Islam. I have met some eminent people of the Hindu nation and after talking to them, have come to the conclusion that if the attributes of Islam are explained to Hindus with wisdom and love, then it is no wonder that within the next 20 years, a large number of them will convert to Islam. Hindus belong to a noble and brave nation. These people are filled with the qualities of loyalty and love. The way they have shown loyalty to their idols really amazes me. That this nation has shown such loyalty towards idols, [imagine] what wonders they can do when the One True God manifests Himself upon them. I have written these words after much thought and experience. Ahmadi friends should now take advantage of the wind that is being blown by Allah the Almighty and win the hearts of their Hindu brothers with love and kind-heartedness. Remember me in your prayers. Muhammad Sayal MA. 6 June 1921. (Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in the 7 July 1921 issue of Al Fazl)

AL HAKAM | Friday 9 July 2021

Friday Sermon 11 June 2021 Men of Excellence: Hazrat Umarra ibn al-Khattab After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:

mule of the Holy Prophetsa, they would say that the paternal uncle of the Holy Prophetsa was riding his mule. “This continued until I passed by the campfire of Umar bin Khattabra. He asked, ‘Who is this?’ and stood by my side. When he saw Abu Sufyan, he said, ‘Aby Sufyan, the enemy of Allah. All praise belongs to Allah, Who granted us an unconditional victory over you.’ Hazrat Abbasra then dragged him”, i.e. Abu Sufyan, “along with him and presented himself before the Holy Prophetsa. Hazrat Umarra also went to the Holy Prophetsa and said, ‘O Messengersa of Allah! Permit me to sever his head.’” Hazrat Abbasra relates, “I said, ‘O Messengersa of Allah! I have granted him protection.’ When Hazrat Umarra insisted on his stance, I said, ‘O Umar, wait! By Allah, if he had belonged to [the tribe of] Banu Adi, you would not have said such things. However, you are aware of the fact that he belongs to the Banu Abd Manaf.’ Upon this, Hazrat Umarra said, ‘O Abbas, hold on! By Allah I was so overjoyed when you accepted Islam that I wouldn’t have felt this much happiness even if my father Khattab accepted Islam, and I knew that your acceptance of Islam was dearer to the Holy Prophetsa than that of Khattab if he had done so.’ Thereafter, the Holy Prophetsa stated, ‘O Abbas, take Abu Sufyan away and bring him in the morning.’” (Umar bin

In the previous sermon, I mentioned the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah with reference to Hazrat Umarra. In relation to this we also find that when Banu Bakr, who were allies of the Quraish, violated the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah and attacked Banu Khuza‘ah, who were allies of the Muslims, the Quraish also provided Banu Bakr with weapons and mounts and disregarded the conditions of the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah. At that time, Abu Sufyan entered Medina in order to renegotiate the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah. He approached the Holy Prophetsa, but the Holy Prophetsa did not reply to anything he said. He then approached Hazrat Abu Bakrra and asked him to speak to the Holy Prophetsa. However, he too said that he would not do so. Abu Sufyan then approached Hazrat Umarra and spoke to him. In reply, Hazrat Umarra said, “Do you want me to present your case to the Holy Prophetsa? By God! Even if I merely had a straw, I would use it to fight against you!” (Sirat ibn Hisham, p. 735, Dar-ul-Kutub alIlmiyyah, Beirut, 2001) (Al-Kamil Fi Al-Tarikh, Vol. 2, p. 115, Zikr Fatah Mecca, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2012)

Whilst mentioning the conquest of Mecca, Dr Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi has written that when the Holy Prophetsa reached Marr-uz-Zahran, Abu Sufyan began to worry about himself. Hazrat Abbasra, the paternal uncle of the Holy Prophetsa, suggested to him to seek the protection of the Holy Prophetsa. Hazrat Abbasra relates: “I said to Abu Sufyan, ‘You are extremely unfortunate because look the Holy Prophetsa is now present amongst the people. Abu Sufyan replied, ‘May my parents be sacrificed for your sake! What can I do now to be protected from this?’ I said, ‘By Allah! If they take hold of you, they will most certainly execute you. Ride behind me on the mule. I will take you to the Holy Prophetsa and then I will seek his

Al-Khattab, Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, p. 51, Dar-ulMa‘rifah, Beirut 2007)

protection for you.’” Hazrat Abbasra says, “He rode behind me. Whenever I passed by a campfire of

the Muslims, they would ask who this individual was.” It was night and fires were lit. “When they saw me riding upon the

In any case, this conversation between Hazrat Umarra and Hazrat Abbasra continued and in the end, the Holy Prophetsa told Hazrat Abbasra to take him away, for he had granted him refuge and that nothing should be said to him. Abu Bakr bin Abdir Rahman relates that in the month of Sha‘ban 7 AH, the Holy Prophetsa sent Hazrat Umarra bin Khattab on an expedition alongside 30 men to a branch of the Hawazin tribe in Turabah. Turabah is a valley situated at a

Friday 9 July 2021 | AL HAKAM them that I did not know. They both then fixed my arms and brought me to Hazrat Umarra. Hazrat Umarra stated that this was the work of the Jews. Hazrat Umarra then stood to address the people, saying, ‘O people, the Holy Prophetsa stipulated a condition with the Jews that we would exile them whenever we pleased. Now the Jews have attacked Hazrat Abdullahra bin Umar and dislocated the joints of his elbows, as you will now have come to know. Prior to this, they had also attacked an Ansari and I have no doubt that these people are their accomplices. We have no enemy other than them so if anyone has any wealth there should safeguard it, for I am about to expel the Jews from there.” Subsequently, he expelled the Jews. Abdullah bin Muqnaf relates that when Hazrat Umarra expelled the Jews from Khaybar, he himself rode with the Muhajireen and the Ansar. Hazrat Jabbarra bin Sakhr and Hazrat Yazidra bin Thabit also accompanied them as they went forth. Hazrat Jabbarra was the one who assessed the fruits for the people of Medina and was responsible for keeping their account for them. Both of them divided [the fruits] between the people of Khaybar according to the standard set from before. (Sirat ibn Hisham, p. 710, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)

two-day journey from Mecca, which was inhabited by the Banu Hawazin. (When there is mention of two-day journeys etc., by this I mean any narration that has reference to the journey in days, it is in relation to the modes of transport in the past such as horses and camels.) Buraidah al-Aslami narrates that when the Holy Prophetsa reached the battlefield of Khaybar, he handed the flag to Hazrat Umar bin al-Khattabra. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra

On this occasion, he initially handed his flag to Hazrat Abu Bakrra, then he handed the same one to Hazrat Umarra. That day, a fierce battle ensued and the Muslims were unable to penetrate the fortress. The Holy Prophetsa said, “Tomorrow I shall grant my flag to the one through whom Allah the Almighty shall grant us victory.” The following day the Holy Prophetsa gave that flag to Hazrat Alira, and at his hands, God Almighty did indeed grant them victory.

li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 206, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah,

(Subul Al-Huda Wa Al-Rishad, Vol. 5, p. 120, 124, 125,

Beirut, 2012) (Furhang-e-Sirat, p. 75, Zawar Academy,

Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1993)

Karachi, 2003)

In the books of history, it is written that the very first mention of a large flag being used was during the Battle of Khaybar. Prior to that there was only use of smaller flags. Buraidah al-Aslami narrates that when the Holy Prophetsa reached the battlefield of Khaybar, he handed the flag to Hazrat Umarra bin al-Khattab. There are further details of this in the books of history. It is recorded that the very first mention of a large flag being used was during the Battle of Khaybar. Prior to that there was only use of small flags. The flag of the Holy Prophetsa which was made from a cloth of Hazrat Aishahra, the Mother of the Believers, was black and it was named Uqab. The Holy Prophetsa also had a white flag, which he handed to Hazrat Alira. There was mention previously of a black flag which was made from a cloth of Hazrat Aishahra and then there is mention of this white flag which was given to Hazrat Alira. The Holy Prophetsa handed one of the flags to Hazrat Hubbabra bin Munzir and the other to Hazrat Saadra bin Ubadah. When the Holy Prophetsa reached Khaybar, he was suffering from a severe migraine and was unable to go out.

Ibn Ishaq says that he asked Ibn Shihab Zuhri that what were the conditions stipulated by Holy Prophetsa upon which he gave the date fields of Khaybar to the Jews. Zuhri replied that after the battle, the Holy Prophetsa gained victory over Khaybar and Khaybar itself was among the spoils of war which God Almighty granted to the Holy Prophetsa. A fifth of this belonged to the Holy Prophetsa, which he distributed amongst the Muslims. The Jews who were prepared to be expelled from their lands after the battle came down from their fortresses. The Holy Prophetsa called them and said: “If you so wish this wealth can be given to you, upon the condition that you work therein and distribute its fruits between us and yourselves. There will be a division of the produce and if you so wish to remain here then I shall grant you a place to stay where God Almighty wills for you to stay.” So the Jews accepted this offer and continued working in these fields. The Holy Prophetsa would send Hazrat Abdullahra bin Rawahah to distribute the fruits from these fields and he would equitably act when assessing how much share would be given to the Jews. It was not the case that he would keep the good

fruit for the Muslims; rather, the division would be in accordance with justice. Then, when God Almighty decreed for the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat Abu Bakrra continued the same treatment with the Jews that was afforded to them by the Holy Prophetsa. In the beginning of his Khilafat, Hazrat Umarra also continued this treatment, but then he heard what the Holy Prophetsa said in his final illness before his demise that two religions would not coexist in the Arab lands. Hazrat Umarra investigated this further and when this saying was proven true, he wrote to the Jews of Khaybar stating: “God Almighty has decreed for you to be expelled. I received news that the Holy Prophetsa said that two religions would not coexist in the Arab lands. Hence, those Jews who had an agreement with the Holy Prophetsa should come to me so that I may honour it. But those who do not have an agreement shall prepare to be exiled.” In other words, if anyone had an agreement with the Holy Prophetsa, they could remain and he would honour that agreement with them. But if anyone did not have such an agreement, they would have to leave their land. Therefore, Hazrat Umarra exiled those who had no agreement with the Holy Prophetsa. Hazrat Abdullahra bin Umar says: “I went with Hazrat Zubairra bin alAwwam and Hazrat Miqdadra bin Aswad to see our property in Khaybar. When we reached, we spilt up in order to go and see our respective properties. At night, I was attacked whilst I was asleep. My joints at the elbows were dislocated. In the morning, two companions of mine came screaming as they approached me. They asked who did this to me. I told

Then, there is the incident of Hazrat Hatibra who secretly sent a woman with a letter to the idolaters of Mecca, which contained some plans of the Holy Prophetsa. The Holy Prophetsa received news of this from Allah the Almighty and so he sent Hazrat Alira [to retrieve it]. That lady was intercepted along the way. Afterwards, when the Holy Prophetsa asked Hatib [why he had done this], Hatib presented his reason and said that his faith had not faltered at all, in fact he had firm faith. Hazrat Hatibra assured the Holy Prophetsa of this and the Holy Prophetsa accepted it; however, Hazrat Umarra submitted, “O Messengersa of Allah, allow me to sever the head of this hypocrite.” The Holy Prophetsa said, “He [Hatib] took part in the Battle of Badr and you may not be aware of the fact that Allah has looked upon those who took part in Badr and said, ‘You may do as you please, for I have covered your sins and overlooked them.’” (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Baab Ghazwah AlFath, Hadith no. 4274)

Then, there is another incident which does not directly relate to Hazrat Umarra, but he is also mentioned in it, and so I will relate it. Hazrat Abu Qatadahra stated: “During the Battle of Hunain, I saw a person from among the Muslims who was fighting against an idolater and in the meantime, I saw another idolater quietly creeping up from behind him in an attempt to kill him. Upon seeing this, I quickly went towards that person who wished to kill the Muslim in this deceiving manner. “He raised his hand to attack me and I struck a blow to his hand thus cutting it off. He then got hold of me and grabbed me so tightly that I was unable to do anything. He finally let go and stood unsteadily; I then pushed him away and killed him. Then it so happened that the Muslims retreated

AL HAKAM | Friday 9 July 2021 as they were losing, and I was also among those who retreated. I then saw Hazrat Umar bin Khattab with a group of people and I asked them why they had retreated, to which Hazrat Umarra replied that it was as Allah willed. Then people returned to the Holy Prophetsa, who said that whoever could prove that they had killed a certain individual, could keep that person’s belongings. I got up to look for proof about the person I had killed but could not find anyone who would give testimony, and so I gave up and sat down. “Then a thought came to mind, and I mentioned the incident regarding the person I had killed to the Holy Prophetsa. One of the people sitting with him said that he had the weapons of the person I had killed, and that the Holy Prophetsa should give me something else instead. Hazrat Abu Bakrra said that it could not be that the Holy Prophetsa grants spoils to an ordinary person from the Quraish and does not do the same for a lion of Allah who was fighting on behalf of Allah and His Messengersa.” Hazrat Abu Qatadahra further states, “The Holy Prophetsa stood up and granted me those particular spoils of war. I used them to buy a small orchard of date trees and this was the first time since having accepted Islam that I acquired some wealth and turned it into an asset.” (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Hadith no. 4322)

Hazrat Ibn Umarra relates: “When we returned from the Battle of Hunain, Hazrat Umarra asked the Holy Prophetsa about a vow he had taken during the Era of Ignorance [Jahiliyyah] which was to undertake e‘tikaf [period of seclusion]. The Holy Prophetsa instructed that he should fulfil this promise.” (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Hadith no. 4320)

In other words, even if it was made during the Era of Ignorance, he ought to fulfil it. But alongside this was the condition that it should be fulfilled whilst remaining within the teachings of Islam. With regard to what is mentioned in relation to Hazrat Umar’sra role in the Battle of Tabuk; Hazrat Umarra narrates an incident of his from the time of this battle, when the Holy Prophetsa made a special appeal for financial contributions, “One day, the Holy Prophetsa instructed us to offer Sadqah [alms]. I had some wealth at the time and I thought that if ever there was an opportunity to surpass Hazrat Abu Bakrra it was today. Hence, I presented half of my wealth. The Holy Prophetsa asked what I had left behind for my family. I said that I had left an equal amount to what I had presented. Then, Hazrat Abu Bakrra presented all [the wealth] that he had. I had only presented half while Hazrat Abu Bakrra brought all that he had. The Holy Prophetsa also asked him what he had left behind for his family to which he replied that he had left them Allah and His Messengersa.” Hazrat Umarra says, “I realised I would never be able to surpass Hazrat Abu Bakrra in anything.” (Sunan Abu Daud, Kitab-ul-Zakat, Hadith no. 1678)

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has also mentioned this incident in the following manner: “With regard to the occasion of one battle, Hazrat Umarra says, ‘I thought to

myself that Hazrat Abu Bakrra always exceeded me; however, today, I would surpass him. With this in mind, I went home, took half of my wealth and presented it to the Holy Prophetsa. That era of Islam was one of great difficulties, yet Hazrat Abu Bakrra brought all of his wealth and presented it to the Holy Prophetsa. The Holy Prophetsa asked Abu Bakrra what he had left at home, to which he replied, “Allah and His Messengersa”’ Hazrat Umarra states, ‘Upon hearing this, I became extremely embarrassed and understood that even after trying my utmost to surpass Hazrat Abu Bakrra, he still exceeded me.’” (Fazail Al-Quran 3, Anwarul-Ulum, Vol. 11, p. 577)

The Promised Messiahas states: “There was a time when people were ready to sacrifice their lives like sheep and goats, let alone their wealth, for the sake of the faith. On more than one occasion, Hazrat Abu Bakrra sacrificed his entire wealth.” The Promised Messiahas says that this did not only happen once; rather, it happened more than once, “to the extent that he did not let so much as a needle remain in his home, and the same was done by Hazrat Umarra according to his capacity and means and Hazrat Uthmanra according to his ability and means. And in the same manner and according to their spiritual ranks, all the Companionsra were prepared to sacrifice their lives and wealth for the sake of this divine faith.” The Promised Messiahas then mentions certain people of the Jamaat at that time and states, “Then there are those who pledge allegiance and also declare that they give precedence to the faith over the world but when the need for help arises, they seal their pockets. With such love for the world, is it possible for one to attain any spiritual objective? And can such people prove useful to the prophet? Absolutely not. Allah the Almighty states:

ُ َ ُ ْ ُ ّٰ َ ْ ُ َ َ ‫ل َ ْن تنالوا البِ ّر َحتى تن ِفقوْا ِم ّما ت ِح ُّبوْ َن‬

“‘Never shall you attain to righteousness until you spend out of that which you love. (3:93)].’” (Malfuzat, Vol. 6, p. 40, footnote) With regard to Hazrat Umar’sra reaction when the Holy Prophetsa passed away, Hazrat Ibn Abbasra narrates that as the demise of the Holy Prophetsa was drawing near, there were some people gathered at his home, including Hazrat Umarra bin Khattab. The Holy Prophetsa said, “Come, let me write something down for you, after which you will never go astray.” This took place in the final days of the Holy Prophet’ssa illness. Upon this, Hazrat Umarra said to the people who were present at the time, “The Holy Prophetsa is extremely ill and you have the Quran; the Book of Allah is sufficient for you.” The others present in the home did not agree with this and objected. They began to disagree with one another; some said that a paper and pen should be brought so that the Holy Prophetsa could write something down so that they would not go astray. Then there were others who agreed with what Hazrat Umarra had said, that the Holy Prophetsa should not be caused any difficulty. As this conversation continued and they continued to disagree with one

This narration is from [Sahih] Muslim, and there is also some detail of this in [Sahih] Bukhari as well. Ubaidullah bin Abdillah narrates on account of Hazrat Ibn Abbasra who said: “When the Holy Prophetsa was severely ill, he said that he should be given something to write with so that he may write something which would never be forgotten. Hazrat Umarra said to those present that “the Holy Prophetsa is very ill; we have the Book of Allah” meaning they had the Holy Quran which was sufficient and thus there was no need to trouble the Holy Prophetsa. Following this, a disagreement arose and the noise became loud. The Holy Prophetsa instructed them all to leave and that people should not quarrel around him. Upon this, Hazrat Ibn Abbasra left. He used to say that the greatest loss of it all was that the Holy Prophetsa was hindered from writing something. (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab-

from other narrations in Bukhari, the Holy Prophetsa remained alive after this incident for a few days and on that same day he also gave a few other instructions as well. However, he did not repeat this”, meaning he did not ask for this again. “This shows that whatever he had wished to write down was present in the Book of Allah. “It seems that he wished to urge Muslims to remain attached to the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophetsa agreed with Hazrat Umarra and thus remained quiet. This is the level of respect which the socalled [Muslim] scholars have no concern for.” It was the Holy Prophet’ssa respect for the Holy Quran that these so-called scholars show no regard for. Shah Sahib further writes, “They express one opinion and deem it to be akin to divine revelation.” He further writes, “We should never forget his pure and noble example” i.e. the pure example of the Holy Prophetsa. “In comparison to the Book of Allah, everything else is worthless.” (Sahih Bukhari,

ul-Ilm, Hadith no. 114)

Kitab-ul-Ilm, Hadith no. 114, translated by Syed Zain-

another, the Holy Prophetsa instructed them to leave. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Wasiyyat, Hadith no. 4234)

I will briefly mention what has been written in the commentary of this [hadith] by Hazrat Syed Zainul Abideen Walliullah Shah Sahibُ ra: ّ َ َ َُ “‫[ لا ت ِضل ْوا ب َ ْعدہ‬after which you will not go astray]” – these are the words from the hadith – “clearly show that even in his final moments, the Holy Prophetsa ُ َ ْ َ ْ ُّ َ َ was concerned about ‫ لا ت ِضلوا بعدہ‬that is, he wished to write something down for them lest they forgot. ‘Dilal’ can also mean to forget and to go astray as a result of ُ ْ ُ َ َ forgetfulness. And the words, ‫غل َبہ ال َو َجع‬ meaning he was overcome by illness means that Hazrat Umarra did not wish for the Holy Prophet’ssa discomfort to increase. These were the words of Hazrat Umarra.” Shah Sahibra further writes: “Hazrat Umarra could not even fathom sa the demise Holy Prophet . When Hazrat ّٰ ُ َ ََ ْ َ َ ُ ْ ra Umar said, ‫کتاب الل ِہ حسبنا‬ ِ ‫[ ِعندنا‬we have the Book of Allah, that is sufficient for us], he said it because Allah Almighty states:

َ َ ََْ ْ ‫َما ف ّرطنا فِی ال ِک ٰت ِب ِم ْن ش ْی ٍء‬

“[We have left out nothing in the Book’ (6:39)].” This is from Surah al-An‘am. “Then:

َ ُّ ً ‫ِت ْب َیانا ل ِک ِ ّل ش ْی ٍء‬

“[to explain everything (16:90)], meaning this Book clearly explains everything and nothing has been left out.” Shah Sahib then writes: ُ َّ ْ ْ ْ َ ْ َ َ “‫الت َناز ُع‬ ‫لا ینب ِغی ِعن ِدی‬, meaning some who were extremely emotional at the time like Hazrat Umarra, said that at such a time, the Holy Prophetsa should not be caused any trouble, while others said that his command should be followed”; in other words, to bring a pen and ink. “However, the Holy Prophetsa instructed them to leave”, when they began to disagree amongst each other “and he said, ‘Do not make noise around me.’ This shows that even in the condition of illness, the Holy Prophetsa had such a great deal of respect and honour for the Book of Allah, that after hearing Hazrat Umarra saying this, he no longer asked for a pen, ink and paper to be brought. As is evident

ul-Abideen Waliullah Shah, Vol. 1, p. 190, Nazarat Ishaat, Rabwah)

Urwah bin Zubair has narrated on the authority of Ummul Momineen, Hazrat Aishara, that when the Holy Prophetsa passed away, Hazrat Abu Bakrra was in Sunh. Sunh was a place situated two miles from Medina. Ismail said that Hazrat Abu Bakrra was in the outskirts. When Hazrat Umarra heard this news, he stood up. At the time of the Holy Prophet’ssa demise, Hazrat Abu Bakrra had gone to the environs of Medina. When he heard the news of the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat Umarra stood up and said, “By Allah! The Messengersa of Allah has not passed away.” Hazrat Aishara says, “Hazrat Umarra would often say: ‘By God! Deep down I thought’, i.e. Hazrat Umarra thought ‘that Allah the Almighty would certainly raise the Holy Prophetsa, so that some people’s hands and feet would be cut.’” In the meantime, Hazrat Abu Bakrra came; Hazrat Umarra was not ready to accept that the Holy Prophetsa had passed away. He had said that the Holy Prophetsa would be given life again. During this time Hazrat Abu Bakrra arrived. He removed the cloth from the face of the Holy Prophetsa and kissed it. He then said, “May my mother and father be sacrificed for you; you were pure in this life and when death has overtaken you. I swear by Him in Whose hands is my life! Allah will never allow two deaths to overcome you,” and upon saying this, he went outside to where the people were and said, “Wait a moment, O ye who is making vows in God’s name!” That is, he addressed Hazrat Umarra and said, “Wait a moment, O you who is making vows in God’s name.” When Hazrat Abu Bakrra began speaking, Hazrat Umarra sat down. Hazrat Abu Bakrra praised and glorified God Almighty and then said: َّ ً َ ُ َ َ َّ َ ّ ٰ َّ ً َ ُ ُ َ َ ‫اَلَا َم ْن ک‬ ‫ان ی َ ْع ُبد محَ ّمدا َصلى الل ُہ َعل ْی ِہ َو َسل َم ف ِإ ّن محَ ّمدا َصلى‬ َ ّٰ َ َ ّٰ ُ َ َ ْ َ َ َّ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ ّ ٰ َ َ ‫ َو َم ْن ک‬،‫ات‬ ‫ان ی َ ْع ُبد الل َہ فا ِّن الل َہ َح ٌّی لا‬ ‫اللہ علی ِہ وسلم قد م‬ ُ ْ َُ ‫یموت‬

Friday 9 July 2021 | AL HAKAM

“Whosoever worshipped Muhammadsa should know that Muhammadsa has indeed passed away, and whosoever worshipped Allah should remember that He is living and can never die.” Hazrat Abu Bakrra then recited the verse:

َ َّ َ َ َّ ‫ِانک َم ِّی ٌت ّو ِان ُہ ْم ّم ِّی ُتوْ َن‬

“Surely thou wilt die, and surely they [too] will die” (Ch.9: V.31). He then recited the following verse:

ُ َ َ َ َ َ ّ ْ َ ْ ْ َ َ ْ َ ٌ ْ ُ َ َّ ٌ َّ َ ُ َ َ ‫الرُ ُس ُل افائِ ْن ّمات ا ْو ق ِت َل‬ ‫و ما محمد ِالا رسول قد خلت ِمن قب ِل ِہ‬ ّٰ َّ ُ َّ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ ٰ َ ْ َ ْ َّ ْ َ َ ْ ُ َ ْ َ ٰٓ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َ ْ َ‫اللہ‬ ‫انقلبتم على اعق ِابکم و من ینق ِلب على ع ِقبی ِہ فلن یضر‬ ّٰ ّٰ َ ‫ش ْیـًٔا َو َس َی ْج ِزی الل ُہ الش ِک ِریْ َن‬

“And Muhammad is only a Messenger. Verily, [all] Messengers have passed away before him. If then he die or be slain, will you turn back on your heels? And he who turns back on his heels shall not harm Allah at all. And Allah will certainly reward the grateful.” (Ch.3: V.145) Sulaiman states, “Upon hearing this, people began to weep so profusely that they began to have hiccups.” (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Fazail Ashaab-ul-Nabi, Hadith no. 3667) (Furhang-e-Sirat, p. 157, Zawar Academy, Karachi, 2003)

Hazrat Ibn Abbasra states: “By Allah! When Hazrat Abu Bakrra recited the [aforementioned] verse, it seemed as if the people were not even aware that such a verse had been revealed by Allah and it was as if everyone had learnt this verse from him. Thereafter, wherever I would go, I would hear this verse being recited.” Zuhri states, “Saeed bin Musayyib told me that Hazrat Umarra said, ‘By Allah! When I heard Hazrat Abu Bakrra recite this verse, I became so nervous out of fear that my legs would not support my weight and I fell to the ground. When I heard Hazrat Abu Bakrra recite this verse, I knew that the Holy Prophetsa has passed away.’” (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Hadith no. 4454)

On one occasion, the Promised Messiahas stated this and quoted the Arabic wording of the hadith; at present, I will read the translation, when the sermon is published, the words of the ahadith can be published then as well; the Promised Messiahas states: “Sahih Bukhari, which is referred to as the most authentic book [of traditions], has the following narration: َّ ُ ّ َ ُ ُ َ ُ َ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َّ َ َّ َ ْ ّ ٰ ْ َ ْ َ َ ‫الن‬ ‫اس‬ ‫اس ان ابا بک ٍر خرج و عمر یکلِم‬ ٍ ‫عن عب ِد الل ِہ ب ِن عب‬ َ ُ َّ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ ُ َ ُ ٰ َ َ ُ َ ُ َ ْ ْ َ َ َ ‫اس اِل ْی ِہ‬ ‫فقال اِجلِس یا عمر فابى عمر ان یجلِس فاقبل الن‬ ً َّ َ ُ ُ ُ ْ َ ْ ُ ْ ‫َ َ َ ُ ْ ُ َ َ َ َ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ َّ َ ْ ُ َم ْن‬ ‫وترکوا عمر فقال ابو بک ٍر اما بعد ِمنکم یعبد محمدا‬ َ ٌّ َ َ ّ ٰ َّ َ َ ّ ٰ ُ ُ ْ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ َ ً َّ َ ُ َّ َ ‫فاِن محمدا قد مات ومن کان ِمنکم یعبد اللہ فاِن اللہ حی لا‬ َّ ٌ َ ُ َ ُ ُّ ّٰ َ َ ُ ْ َ َ َْ ٌ ‫الر ُسل۔‬ ‫ی َ ُم ْوت۔ قال الل ُہ َو َما محَ ّمد اِلا َر ُس ْول قد خلت ِم ْن ق ْب ِل ِہ‬ َّ َ َ َ َّ َّ َ َ ّ ٰ َ َ َ َ َ ّٰ َ َ َ ‫اس ل ْم ی َ ْعل ُم ْوا ا ّن الل َہ‬ ‫ک ِرین۔ وقال والل ِہ کان الن‬ ِ ‫اِلى الشا‬ َّ ُ ْ َ َّ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ ُ َ َ َ َ ّ ٰ َ َ َ َ َ َْ ُ ‫الن‬ ‫اس‬ ‫ان َزل ہ ِذ ِہ الآیۃ حتى تلاہا ابو بک ٍر فتلقاہا ِمنہ‬ َ ٰ ُ َ َ ُ ّ َّ َ ً َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ ُ ُّ ُ ّ َ ُ َ َ ‫کلہم فما اسمع بشرا ِمن‬ ‫اس اِلا ی َ ْتلوہا ا ّن ع َم ًرا قال َوالل ِہ َما‬ ‫الن‬ ِ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َّ َ ُ َ‫اہا فَ َع ِق ْر ُت َح َّتى َما ی ُ ِقل ُّ ِنی ر ْجلَای‬ ‫ہو اِلا ان س ِمعت ابا بکر تل‬ ِ َّ َ َ َّ َّ َ َ َ َ ُ ُ ْ َ َّ َ ٍ ْ َ ْ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َّ َ َ ‫ض حتی س ِمعتہ تلاہا ان الن ِب ّی صلی‬ ِ ‫وحتى اہویت اِلى الار‬ َ َ ْ َ َ َّ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ ّ ٰ ‫اللہ علی ِہ وسلم قد مات‬ “‘Ibn Abbasra narrates that’”, on the day of the Holy Prophet’ssa demise, “‘Hazrat Abu Bakrra went outside, Hazrat Umarra was speaking to some people’”, i.e. saying that the Holy Prophetsa had

not passed away and was in fact alive. “‘Upon this, Hazrat Abu Bakrra said, “O Umar! Sit down,” but Umarra refused to sit down. Thus, people turned their attention to Abu Bakrra and moved away from Umarra. Abu Bakrra praised and glorified Allah and then said, “Whosoever worshipped Muhammadsa, should know that Muhammadsa has indeed passed away and whosoever worshipped Allah should know that He is living and can never die. And proof of the Holy Prophet’ssa demise is that God has stated, ‘Muhammad was but a messenger, all messengers before him have passed away (i.e. have died)’”, َّ َ and then he recited the verse up to ‫الشاکِ ِریْن‬.’” The Promised Messiahas further writes: “The narrator states, ‘By God, before this time, it was as if the people were unaware that God had even revealed such a verse and it seemed to them as if they heard it for the first time when Abu Bakrra recited it to them.’ Thus, all the Companions learnt [the meaning of] this verse from Abu Bakrra and there was no companion or other person who did not recite this verse. Umarra said, ‘By God! I heard this verse for the first time from Abu Bakrra. When I heard him recite this verse, I was moved and pained to such an extent that my legs were unable to carry my own weight, and I fell to the ground as soon as I heard this verse recited and heard the words that the Holy Prophetsa had passed away.’” The Promised Messiahas further states: “In Qastallani’s commentary of Sahih Bukhari, it is written: ُ َ ُ ُ َ َّ ُ ّ َ ُ َّ َ ْ ُ ْ ُ َ ُ َ َ ّٰ ُ َ ‫اس یَق ْول لہ ْم َما َمات َر ُس ْول الل ِہ َولا‬ ‫اب یکلِم الن‬ ِ ‫وعمر بن الخط‬ َ‫ی َ ُم ْو ُت َح ّٰتى ی َ ْق ُت َل ال ْ ُم َنا ِف ِقیْن‬ “i.e. Hazrat Umarra would tell the people that the Holy Prophetsa had not passed away, and that he could not pass away until he had killed the hypocrites.” The Promised Messiahas further states: “In Malil wa Nahal by Shahrastani, the following extract is mentioned regarding this incident: َّ َ ْ ُ ْ ُ َ ُ َ َ ٗ ْ ََ َ ً َ ُ ََ َ َ ‫اب َم ْن قال ا ّن محَ ّمدا َمات فق َتل ُتہ ب ِ َس ْی ِف ْی‬ ِ ‫قال عمر بن الخط‬ َ َ ْ َ ُ َ َ َ َّ َ َ ُ َ َّ َ َ ٰ ‫ھذا۔ واِنما ر ِفع اِلی السمآ ِء کم‬ ‫ار ِفع ِعی َسی ابْ ُن م ْری َ َم َعل ْی ِہ‬ ً َّ َ ُ ّ َ َ ً َّ َ ُ ُ ُ ْ َ َ َ ‫َّ َ َ َ َ َ َ ُ ْ َ ْ بْ ُن ُ َ َ َ َم ْن‬ ‫السلام وقال ابوبک ٍر قحافۃ کان یعبد محمدا فاِن محمدا‬ َ ٗ َّ َ َ ُ ٰ ُ َ َ َْ َ َ ُ َ َ ‫ات َو َم ْن ک‬ ‫قد م‬ ‫ان ی َ ْع ُبد اِل َہ محَ ّم ٍد فاِنہ َح ٌّی لا ی َ ُم ْوت َوق َر َء ھ ِذ ِہ‬ َ ْ ْ َ َ ْ َ ٌ ْ ُ َ َّ ٌ َّ َ ُ َ َ َ َ ٰ ْ َ َّ ْ َ َ ُ ُ ُّ ْ ‫الایۃ وما محمد اِلا رسول قد خلت ِمن قب ِل ِہ الرسل افائِن مات‬ ُ َ ْ َ ٰٓ ُ َ َ ْ َ ُ َ َْ َ َ ‫) ف َر َجع الق ْو ُم‬541 ‫ا ْو ق ِتل انقل ْبت ْم َعلى اعقابِک ْم (آل عمران‬ َ ٰ ‫اِلی ق ْول ِ ٖہ‬

“‘Umarra bin Al-Khattab used to say, “Whoever says that the Holy Prophetsa has passed away, I will kill him with this sword of mine. In fact, the Holy Prophetsa has been raised to the Heavens, just like Jesus son of Maryas.” Abu Bakrra said, “Whosoever worshipped Muhammadsa should know that Muhammadsa has indeed passed away, and whosoever worshipped the God of Muhammadsa should know that He is living and can never die.” That is, to live forever and remain is an attribute of God alone. No human or animal before this ever lived forever that one would assume that the Holy Prophetsa will survive for eternity.’” It could not be assumed that they would be eternal because they will all pass away. “‘Hazrat Abu Bakrra then recited the

following verse’”, the translation of which is: “And Muhammad is only a Messenger. Verily, [all] Messengers have passed away before him. If then he die or be slain, will you turn back on your heels?” (Ch.3: V.145). “‘And it was only after hearing this verse did the people abandon this concept.’ Now ponder that if from this verse of the Quran, Hazrat Abu Bakrra did not believe that all prophets had passed away – furthermore, if this proof was not absolutely conclusive – then why is it that 100,000 companions who were present at the time according to you” (the Promised Messiahas is answering the questioner) “accepted something [as an argument] that was doubtful and inconclusive? Why was this argument not put forth [to Hazrat Abu Bakrra]. The proof you have given is inconclusive and that you do not possess any absolute or clear verse of the Quran. َ “In fact, the verse ‫ َرافِ ُعک ِال َ َّی‬states that Prophet Jesusas was raised to the Heavens with his physical body? Also have you ّٰ َ not heard of the verse ‫بَ ْل َرف َع ُہ الل ُہ ِال َ ْی ِہ‬. Then why is it a far-fetched notion that the Holy Prophetsa could be raised physically to the heavens? On the contrary, the Companions, who possessed knowledge of the expressions of the Holy Quran, ََ upon hearing this verse and the words ‫خل ْت‬ َْ َ َّ ْ َ َ and the explanation of the words ‫اف ِان مات او‬ ُ ‫ ق ِت َل‬, immediately abandoned their initial beliefs [of the Holy Prophetsa being alive]. Indeed, their hearts grieved deeply at the demise of the Holy Prophetsa and they were immensely saddened and pained. Hazrat Umarra said, ‘After hearing this verse, my state was such that I could not move a muscle and I fell to the ground.’ “Glory be to Allah! How fortunate were these individuals who obeyed the Quran to the letter! When they pondered over the verse and understood that all prophets before had passed away, then aside from crying and weeping over their grief, they did nothing else.” (Tohfa Ghaznaviyyah, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 15, pp. 579-583)

Then, on another occasion, the Promised Messiahas said: “From the following words of Hazrat Umarra, ‘Whosoever says that the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa has passed away, I shall kill them with this sword of mine’, it is evident that Hazrat Umarra had a mistaken view regarding the life of the Holy Prophetsa [in that he would not die] and he claimed that if anyone said that the Holy Prophetsa had passed away, then they had exhibited disbelief and become an apostate. “May Allah bestow countless blessings on Hazrat Abu Bakrra as he was able to swiftly quell this strife and by presenting a clear and unambiguous verse of the Quran which declared that all the previous prophets had passed away. In fact, through this elucidation and consensus of the Companionsra, he put an end to many false claimants during the Faej A‘waj [Era of darkness and misguidance]. And just as he [i.e. Hazrat Abu Bakrra] had Musailmah Kazzab and Aswad Ansi etc. killed, through this consensus of all the Companions, he finished off the false

claimants during the Faej A‘waj.” Just as he killed a false claimant, he also finished off this false belief. “Thus, he did not kill four false claimants; he killed five, as it were.” The Promised Messiahas then says: “O Allah! Shower countless blessings upon him. If the meaning of ‘khalat’ meant that some prophets were raised physically to the Heavens, then in such an instance, Hazrat Umarra would have been correct and instead of proving him wrong, this verse would have supported his viewpoint. However, the next part of َ َ ََ the verse explains its meaning, i.e. ‫افائِ ْن ّمات‬ ُ َ ‫ ا ْو ق ِت َل‬which Hazrat Abu Bakrra recognised and through this, he explained that to believe this verse to mean that all prophets passed before, either through death or whilst alive, was a deceptive notion and a transposition and a great calumny against that which was intended by God; and only those people could intentionally fabricate this who had no fear of the Day of Reckoning and actively changed the meanings intended by God Almighty; they would undoubtedly be eternally cursed. “But until this time, Hazrat Umarra was unaware of this verse and some other companions were also under a similar misconception and this error on their part was due to the decreed frailties of man. They believed that some prophets were alive and would return to the world; therefore, why then would the Holy Prophetsa not be included amongst them. But by reading the remainder of the verse ُ َ َ َ ََ [‫]افائِ ْن ّمات ا ْو ق ِت َل‬, Hazrat Abu Bakrra ensured that they understood that the word ‘khalat’ was exhibited through two aspects, i.e. natural death, or through being killed. It was then that those of an opposing view accepted their mistakes and all of the Companions unanimously accepted that all previous prophets had passed away, ُ َ َ َ ََ and the words ‫ افائِ ْن ّمات ا ْو ق ِت َل‬affected them greatly and everyone abandoned their beliefs contrary to this. All praise is due to Allah for this!” (Tohfa Ghaznaviyyah, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 15, pp. 581-582, footnote)

The Promised Messiahas mentioned this in Tohfa Ghaznaviyyah. In another place, the Promised Messiahas states: “On the occasion of the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, all of the Companions testified that all prophets had passed away. In regard to the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat Umarra stated that he had not passed away and stood up with his sword drawn out. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqra then stood up and stated:

ّ ‫َما ُم َح َّم ٌد ِالَّا َر ُسوْ ٌل َق ْد َخ َل ْت ِم ْن َق ْب ِل ِہ‬ ‫الرُ ُس ُل‬

“[And Muhammad is only a Messenger. Verily, (all) Messengers have passed away before him.] “The situation at the time was akin to the end of times as the Holy Prophetsa had departed from this world and all the Companions were gathered together; even the army of Usamara did not leave. “Upon these words of Hazrat Umarra, Hazrat Abu Bakrra loudly proclaimed, ‘Muhammadsa has passed away’ and the argument he presented was: “[And

َّ َ ‫َما ُم َح ّم ٌد ِالا َر ُسوْ ٌل‬

Muhammad

only

AL HAKAM | Friday 9 July 2021 Messenger]. Now, if even the slightest notion of Jesusas being alive in the Heavens was entertained by the Companions, they would have certainly spoken up. However, they all remained silent and then they went into the marketplaces and announced this verse as if it had just been revealed that very day. God-forbid, the Companions were not such that they would become overawed by Hazrat Abu Bakrra and would not refute what he said – that was certainly not the case; rather, what Hazrat Abu Bakrra stated was indeed the truth, hence everyone lowered their heads. This was the ijma [unanimous consensus] of the Companions. “Hazrat Umarra also claimed [at the time] that the Holy Prophetsa was going to return. Thus, if this argument [put forward by Hazrat Abu Bakrra] was not a perfect one”, and this could only be perfect if there was no exception, because had Jesusas ascended into the Heavens alive, then he would have had to return – in such a case, this would not have been an argument, but rather a mockery and “Hazrat Umarra himself would have refuted this.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 440-441)

The Promised Messiahas has repeatedly mentioned this incident in various instances. The reason why I have narrated these various accounts is so that those who entertain the belief that Jesusas is alive in the Heavens, can remove such a thought from their minds because no mortal being has ever ascended to the Heavens alive, nor can they ever go. By virtue of this argument, Jesusas has also passed away. Hazrat Ibn Abbasra narrates: “Once, during the era of Hazrat Umar’sra Khilafat, I was walking along with him whilst he was going to tend to some work of his. There was no else with him at the time besides me and he was holding a whip in his hand. Hazrat Umarra would be saying something to himself and would repeatedly strike the back of his feet with the whip. Hazrat Umarra then turned towards me and stated, ‘O Ibn Abbas! Upon the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, do you know why I said that?’”, i.e. that the Holy Prophetsa had not passed away and that whoever stated that he had passed away, he would kill him with his sword. Hazrat Ibn Abbasra narrates, “I said, ‘O Leader of the Faithful! I do not know. Only you are aware as to why you said that.’ Hazrat Umarra stated, ‘By Allah! The reason why I said that was because I would read the verse:

َّ َ َ َ َ َ ُ ْ ُ ْ ُ َ ّ ً َ َّ ً َّ ُ ْ ُ ٰ ْ َ َ َ ٰ َ َ ُ ‫اس َو یَکوْ َن‬ ِ ‫و کذل ِک جعلنکم امۃ وسطا ل ِتکونوا شہدآء على الن‬ َ ُ َ ّ ‫الرَ ُسوْ ُل َعل ْیک ْم ش ِہ ْی ًدا‬

“And thus have We made you an exalted nation, that you may be guardians over men and the Messenger of God may be a guardian over you.” (Ch.2: V.144) By Allah, I believed that the Holy Prophetsa would remain alive among his ummah as a guardian over their deeds. Thus, it was for this reason that I said this on that day.’” (Sirat Ibn Hisham, p. 901, Dar-ulKutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)

In relation to Hazrat Abu Bakr’sra Khilafat, there is a narration mentioned in Bukhari, which has been narrated previously as well, but I shall mention it

again. The Ansar came to the house of the Bani Saidah and gathered around Hazrat Saadra bin Ubadah. They claimed that one leader should be appointed from among [the Ansar] and one from among [the Muhajireen]. Hazrat Abu Bakrra, Hazrat Umarra bin Al-Khattab and Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra bin Jarrah went to see them. Just as Hazrat Umarra was about to say something, Hazrat Abu Bakrra told him to remain silent. Hazrat Umarra used to say, “By Allah, I had prepared such a speech to read out that day, which I was greatly pleased with, and I feared that perhaps Hazrat Abu Bakrra would not be able to express it as effectively, i.e. he would not be able to say it in the same manner.” Thereafter, Hazrat Abu Bakrra delivered his speech and spoke in such a manner that no one could have expressed themselves in a more eloquent manner. During his speech, he stated, “We are the amirs [leaders] and you are the viziers” i.e. he said that the Ansar were viziers. Upon hearing this, Hubab bin Munzir stated, “Certainly not! By God, we will never allow for this to happen. There shall be one leader from among you and one from among us.” Hazrat Abu Bakrra replied, “No, we are the amirs and you are the viziers, for the Quraish”, according to their lineage and tribe, “have always occupied a higher status amongst the Arabs and it has been this way since ancient times; therefore you must take the bai‘at of either Umar or Abu Ubaidah.” Hazrat Umarra responded, “No, we will only take your bai‘at (i.e. referring to Hazrat Abu Bakrra) because you are our leader. You are the best among us and the most beloved of the Holy Prophetsa out of us all.” After saying this, Hazrat Umarra held the hand of Hazrat Abu Bakrra and performed the bai‘at. Thereafter, everyone else also followed and performed the bai‘at at the hands of Hazrat Abu Bakrra. (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Fazial Ashaab-ul-Nabi, Hadith no. 3668) When Hazrat Umarra held the hand of Hazrat Abu Bakrra and asked to him take their bai‘at, Hazrat Umarra also performed the bai‘at at his hands and stated, “O Abu Bakr! The Holy Prophetsa had instructed you to lead the prayers; therefore you are the Khalifa of Allah. We perform the bai‘at at your hands and amongst all of us, you were the most beloved to the Holy Prophetsa.” In regard to the disorder created by the apostates, it is written in Sirat ibn Hisham that when the Holy Prophetsa passed away, the troubles greatly increased. He states that he came across a narration in which Hazrat Aishara stated, “When the Holy Prophetsa passed away, some of the Arabs became apostates and the Jews and Christians began to rise up and their hypocrisy became evident.” (Sirat Ibn Hisham, p. 903, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)

Hazrat Abu Hurairahra relates that after the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat Abu Bakrra became the Khalifa and amongst the Arabs, some began to reject the religion of Islam. Upon this, Hazrat Umarra stated to Hazrat Abu Bakrra, “How will you fight against these people

because the Holy Prophetsa had stated, ‘I have been commanded to fight against them until they proclaim, “There is none worthy of worship except Allah.”’” In other words, one cannot fight against those who proclaim that “there is none worthy of worship except Allah” and whosoever recites this, his life and wealth shall be protected, unless there is a lawful reason not to protect it. And the matter of such people will rest with Allah. Hazrat Abu Bakrra replied, “By Allah, whoever distinguishes between the Salat and the Zakat [i.e. abandons the Zakat], I shall fight against him because the paying of Zakat on one’s wealth is an obligation. By Allah, if they refuse to give me even the rope that they tie the legs of their animals with, which they previously used to give to the Holy Prophetsa, I shall fight against them if they refuse to give it.” Hazrat Umarra bin Al-Khattab stated, “By Allah, I had seen that it was Allah the Almighty Who had granted him the courage to fight and I understood that this indeed was the truth.” (Sahih Bukhari, Kitabul-I‘tisam bil Kutub Wa Al-Sunnah, Hadith no. 7284 – 7285)

Upon the departure of Hazrat Usama bin Zaid’sra army, Hazrat Abu Bakrra called for Hazrat Usamara and gave him some instructions. Hazrat Usamara was mounted on his animal while Hazrat Abu Bakrra was walking along with him. Hazrat Usamara requested Hazrat Abu Bakrra to ride on the animal, otherwise he would come off; however, Hazrat Abu Bakrra stated, “Do not get off your ride. By Allah, I will not mount the animal.” He further stated, “What has happened to me that I cannot allow dust to cover my feet in the way of Allah the Almighty because every step taken by one who steps out for battle is equal to the reward of 700 deeds and his rank is elevated 700 times and 700 sins of his are forgiven.” After imparting his instructions to him, Hazrat Abu Bakrra stated to Hazrat Usamara, “If you deem it appropriate, help me through Umar.” In other words, Hazrat Abu Bakrra requested Hazrat Usamara to leave Hazrat Umarra behind with him because the Holy Prophetsa had originally included Hazrat Umarra in the army. Hazrat Usamara accepted this request. (Tarikh Al-Tabari, Vol. 2, p. 246, Dar-ul-Kutub alIlmiyyah, Beirut, 1987)

During the era of Hazrat Abu Bakr’sra Khilafat, 70 Huffaz-e-Quran [those who had committed the entire Quran to memory] were martyred during the Battle of Yamamah. In regard to this, Hazrat Zaidra bin Thabit Ansari relates that upon the martyrdom of the Muslims at Yamamah, Hazrat Abu Bakrra called for him. At the time, Hazrat Umarra was with Hazrat Abu Bakrra. Hazrat Abu Bakrra stated, “Umar has come to me and informed me that many people have been martyred in the Battle of Yamamah. He has expressed his concern lest more qaris [reciters of the Holy Quran] pass away owing to the battles and in this way, a large part of the Holy Quran will be lost, unless we collate all the manuscripts of the Quran in one place. He suggests that I should gather these various manuscripts

in one place.” Hazrat Abu Bakrra then stated, “I told Umar that how can I do something which the Holy Prophetsa did not do himself. However, Umarra has stated, ‘By Allah, this action of yours is a very noble deed.’ Umar continuously said this to me until Allah the Almighty granted my heart contentment to carry out this work and now I deem what Umar said to be the most appropriate course of action.” At the time, Hazrat Umarra was sat next to him and was completely silent. Hazrat Abu Bakrra then said to Hazrat Zaidra bin Thabit, “You are a very young and wise man. We do not find any ill in you. You used to write down the revelations that the Holy Prophetsa would receive, therefore wherever you find the manuscripts of the Holy Quran, you should gather them in one place.” Hazrat Zaidra bin Thabit stated, “By Allah, if he had asked me to move a mountain from one place to another, I would have found that easier than this task which he had commanded me to carry out, in other words, to collate the various manuscripts of the Holy Qur’an. I then said to them, ‘How can you two carry out such a task which the Holy Prophetsa did not do himself?’ Hazrat Abu Bakrra replied, ‘By Allah, this is a noble deed.’” Hazrat Zaidra bin Thabit stated, “I kept asking them this question until Allah the Almighty granted my heart contentment to carry out this task as he had granted to Hazrat Abu Bakrra and Hazrat Umarra. I then stood up to go and search for the various manuscripts of the Holy Quran. I then began to gather these which were inscribed on parchments made from animal skin, the shoulder bones of the animals and the branches of the date palm trees as well as that which was memorised by the people. There were two verses of Surah al-Taubah which I only found with Hazrat Huzaimah Ansarira and no one else had these verses with them. These verses are as follows:

ُ َ ُّ َُ َ ََْ َ َ ُ ُ َْ ‫اءک ْم َر ُسوْ ٌل ِّم ْن انف ِسک ْم ع ِزیْ ٌز َعل ْی ِہ َما َع ِنت ْم َح ِریْ ٌص َعل ْیک ْم‬ ‫لقد ج‬ ٌ‫بال ْ ُم ْؤ ِم ِنی ْ َن َر ُء ْو ٌف َّر ِح ْیم‬ ِ

“Surely, a Messenger has come unto you from among yourselves; grievous to him is that you should fall into trouble; he is ardently desirous of your welfare and to the believers he is compassionate and merciful.” (Ch.9: V.128) In this narration, only this verse has been written; however, the hadith mentions that there were two verses, perhaps the other verse was the one that follows after this verse. It is mentioned that these manuscripts of the entire Quran remained in the possession of Hazrat Abu Bakrra until his demise and then they were in the possession of Hazrat Umarra until his demise, they were then in the possession of Hazrat Hafsahra bint Umar and then given to Hazrat Usmanra as mentioned once before. (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Al-Tafsir, Hadith no. 4679)

These accounts will, insha-Allah, continue to be narrated in the future. (Original Urdu transcript published in Al Fazl International, 2 July 2021, pp. 5-10. Translated by The Review of Religions)

Friday 9 July 2021 | AL HAKAM

Answers to questions on Islam Ahmadiyyat, given by Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih V

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