Al Hakam - 17 June 2022

Mir Abbas Ali, who parted ways with Hazrat Ahmad: An allegation refuted

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Alexander the Great and his three strange wishes

The ‘Ahmadiyya hallmark’ of serving humanity: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s guidance to Ahmadi youth

Khilafat: A Divine Sanctuary of Peace – Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya UK event concludes

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THE WEEKLY

www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 17 June 2022 | Issue CCXXII Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL, UK info@alhakam.org | ISSN 2754-7396

Fellow khuddam must know that ‘you are their true sympathisers, friends and brothers’ Khuddam in Melbourne, Australia meet with Hazrat Amirul Momineen

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

The vastness of Allah’s mercy َْ َ ُ ّٰ َّ َ​َ َ ُ َ َ ّٰ َ ‫ع ْن أبِي ه َريْ َرة أ ّن َر ُس ْول الل ِه صلى الله علی ِه‬ ّٰ َ ْ ْ َ َ َ َ َّ ‫َو َسلم قال ل ْو ي َ ْعل ُم ال ُمﺆ ِم ُن َما ِع ْند الل ِه ِم َن‬ َ َ َ ٌ َ َ ْ َ ُ ْ ‫ال ُعقوب َ ِة َما ﻃ ِم َﻊ فِي الجَ ّن ِة أ َحد َول ْو ي َ ْعل ُم الْكا ِف ُر‬ ٰ َ ْ َ َ َ​َ َ ْ ْ َّ ‫اللّ ِه ِم َن‬ ‫ما ِعند‬ ‫الرح َم ِة َما قنﻂ ِم َن الجَ ّن ِة‬ ٌ َ​َ ‫أحد‬ Hazrat Abu Hurairahra narrates that the Holy Prophetsa said: “If the believer knew what is with Allah in terms of punishment, none would hope for Paradise, and if the disbeliever knew what is with Allah of mercy, none would despair of attaining Paradise.”

(Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Da‘waat ‘an Rasulillahsa, Hadith 3370)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words

Two kinds of suffering No suffering touches a person until it is decreed in heaven. Although the Prophets also experience suffering, but in their case, this is in the form of love. There is a hidden lesson to be learned in the conduct and behaviour of this holy community known as the Prophets, peace be upon them.

Certain people, however, are struck by grief, but this is the result of their own doing. Allah the Exalted states:

َ ً َ َ َ َ َ ۡ ۡ َ ۡ َّ ۡ َ َ ‫ال ذ ّر ٍة � ّرا ّﻳﺮَ ٗه‬ ‫وﻣن �عمﻞ ِﻣﺜق‬

Khuddam in Melbourne, Australia gathered for the virtual mulaqat with Huzooraa |

On 12 June 2022, members of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Melbourne, Australia had the opportunity to meet with Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa through a virtual mulaqat.

As the live stream started, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa conveyed his salaam.

Huzooraa enquired how many khuddam there were, to which Waqas Ahmad Sahib, Sadr Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya

Photo courtesy of MTA Australia Studios

Australia, replied that there were 300 in the state.

Huzooraa called Hafiz Waqas Naeem Sahib to recite a portion from the Holy Continued on next page >>

“Then whoso does an atom’s weight of evil will see it”.

In short, it is incumbent for one to remain engaged in seeking repentance and forgiveness from God. One should always remain watchful, lest one’s sins exceed all bounds and invite the wrath of God Almighty.

(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 2, p. 18)

Friday 17 June 2022 | AL HAKAM

2 << Continued from previous page

Quran. After the recitation, Soban Tanoli Sahib presented the English translation and Muhammad Usman Arshad Sahib the Urdu translation.

Shehroz Labeeb Khan Sahib was invited to recite an Urdu poem. Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa asked him if he was Punjabi “Khan” or Pathani “Khan”. Shehroz Labeeb Khan Sahib said that he was both; to which Huzooraa smiled and said, “Then the poem will be recited in both dialects; half in Urdu and half in Pashto.”

Raheem Ahmed Sahib presented the English translation of the poem.

An Urdu extract from the writings of the Promised Messiahas was presented by Ansar Sharif Sahib and Syed Wajahat Ahmed Sahib presented the English translation.

Thereafter, the khuddam had the opportunity to ask Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa any questions they had.

Junior Osooso Sahib said that his name was Junior, but he had adopted the Muslim name Junaid. He said that some converts to Islam came from very different backgrounds and cultures that existed for thousands of years. In his case, he said, his background was Samoan. He asked what one should do regarding the traditions, customs and celebrations of their forefathers and ancestors. Should one acknowledge one’s past and history or should one try to distance themselves from the way of life of those before?

Huzooraa explained: “What we believe is that Allah Almighty sent Prophets in every people and nation, [from] among them. So, they brought the same teaching, that is to bow before their Creator, perform their duties towards their Creator, and also, they taught us good morals, which are very common in every religion. This is why, in the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty says to the People of the Book that ‘O people of the book,’ – He [Allah] asked the Holy Prophetsa to ask them that – ‘Come to common points between us’ and the most important of that is to worship the One and Omnipotent God. “So, what we believe is that although there are different tribes and nations, they

were all trained by their prophets. The original teaching of each and every religion was to lead their people and tell them the message of Allah, and that message is to bow before Allah Almighty, the Creator, and show good morals, respect each other – that is the common thing. And apart from that, there are certain traditions. Allah Almighty says, in the Holy Quran, all the good [teachings] of the previous Prophets have been gathered; so […] apart from the new teaching [brought by Holy Prophetsa], they are all the old teachings which were taught and brought by the prophets of different peoples and nations.

“So now your question is, ‘Should we follow our traditions?’ One basic principle which you must remember is that any tradition which denies the oneness and omnipotence of Allah Almighty should be rejected; apart from that, there are some traditions, your cultural traditions, which have nothing to do with religion, which do not prohibit you to offer your five daily prayers, to observe your salat, to fast, to read the Holy Quran, to show good morals.

If they do not prohibit you from doing these things, then you can practice those traditions, but other than that if there is any tradition which clashes with the teaching of Islam, then you have to refrain from that.”

Syed Imaan Sahib said that Australia Day was celebrated nationally on 26 January for which they organised events at the mosque.

He said that the Aboriginal Australians regarded this a day of invasion, loss and mourning. He asked for Huzoor’saa advice for Ahmadis celebrating this day which seemed to divide the first nation people and other Australians.

Huzooraa answered: “With regards to their sentiments, you have to respect them”. This situation, Huzooraa added, was to be carefully considered. “Since they […] had confined themselves in the interior of the country – inland – most of them are not living in the big towns and the cities.

“The Aborigines or the people living in the big cities and towns are members of the Parliament even. There are some [Aboriginal] people who work in government departments – they also celebrate. So, they

themselves are celebrating as well [...] So you can ask such people, ‘What is the solution to this situation in your eyes.’”

Huzooraa emphasised, “We should respect the sentiments and emotions of every people.”

Wajahat Ahmad Tahir Sahib said that most of the time, in one’s daily life, one observed signs of God’s power, blessings of Khilafat and acceptance of prayers, which rejuvenated one’s faith and spirituality, and a passion was brought about; however, due to worldly attractions, this passion eventually subsided. He asked how one could remain steadfast and always inclined towards spirituality with the same fervour.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa explained that this was human nature. Man tended to go through various stages of spirituality.

Huzooraa said that it was necessary to keep on praying to Allah Almighty. One must pray, Huzooraa emphasised, to Allah and recite istighfar – sincerely repent from one’s sins.

Hashmat Ullah Sadat Sahib said that he was from Afghanistan and asked Huzooraa what the future of Ahmadiyyat in Afghanistan looked like.

Huzooraa said that for every nation, where there was progress, there was also a point of decline. When it reached a certain stage of decline, then Allah Almighty could change its condition. It was possible, Huzooraa said, that when Afghanistan reached a further point of decline and fell close to destruction, then perhaps there might be someone among them who takes over again and establishes religious freedom, enables Ahmadiyyat to be well established and with a prosperous future. Until then, there was no viable future.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa told Hashmat Ullah Sadat Sahib to keep praying as he was a native of that country and possessed true sympathy for his homeland.

Huzooraa asked him if he recently came to Australia, to which he replied in the affirmative and said he came 9-10 months ago.

Abid Munawer Sahib said that there were some events in the history of Islam after which Islam spread rapidly in the world such as the Holy Prophet’ssa migration and

the conquest of Mecca. He asked Huzooraa if any such events would take place for the spread of Ahmadiyyat also.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa answered: “In every religion, there is an [occurrence of an] event after which it spreads [rapidly].”

Huzooraa gave the example of the religion of Christianity and said that it spread when the Roman emperor converted to Christianity – although the essence of the teaching had changed.

“The promise of God Almighty to the Promised Messiah, on whom be peace, will be fulfilled. Therefore, the Promised Messiahas said […] that three hundred years would not have passed when you would see Ahmadiyyat in the majority in the world.”

Huzooraa said surely, such incidents would occur after which, insha-Allah, Ahmadiyyat would spread and flourish.

Though Allah knew best when it would happen.

Recalling what he had said in a previous mulaqat of 2021, Huzooraa said, “The next 20-25 years are very crucial years for [the success of the] Ahmadiyya Jamaat.”

Ali Kalim Sahib said that while serving the Jamaat and auxiliary events, sometimes members would get upset with volunteers which could be disappointing and stressful.

He asked what should be done to keep morale high and avoid any feelings of distress.

Huzooraa answered that the volunteers should understand that “they’re volunteering here for the sake of Allah, to please Allah Almighty. So, when this is clear in their minds that they have come to serve Jamaat – to please Allah Almighty, not to please any person – then they will realise their duties and they will work with pure humility, humbleness and without showing any arrogance or annoyance.

“So, this is the duty of Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya to do permanent training and tarbiyat of their members, of the volunteers.”

Mohammad Abdul Salam Sahib asked Huzooraa when that one moment came when one’s love and appreciation for Allah was solidified.

Huzooraa smiled and said, “You, yourself, should feel it. Have you ever experienced, when you are praying fervently, that you are crying in your sajda?”

To this, Mohammad Abdul Salam Sahib replied in the affirmative.

Huzooraa then said, “At that time, what are your feelings?” Mohammad Abdul Salam Sahib replied that he felt overcome with gratitude.

Huzooraa said, “You feel that ‘now I am very much close to Allah the Almighty’ and you feel sometimes that Allah Almighty is hearing all your prayers, that is the moment which should strengthen your faith.”

Waseem Sohail Sahib asked Huzooraa that when dealing with atfal who have grown up in Western culture, especially those who were about to become khuddam, how one could keep them connected to the Jamaat.

Huzooraa explained: “It is not the matter of Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya only. From the very childhood, the parents should tell their children what are they, what is Ahmadiyyat, why we are Ahmadis, how we should behave, why we should pray to Allah Almighty, who is Allah Almighty, what is the Jamaat, what is the claim of the Promised Messiahas, why the

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Holy Prophetsa came to this world. And this is the basic teaching which has to be given by parents to their children.

“Then, later on, after the age of seven, when they join Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya, there should be some syllabus for Atfal-ulAhmadiyya to let them understand and to make them strengthen their faith in their religion and their duties towards the religion, towards the Jamaat.

“And when they grow, when they reach the age of 12, the concept of religion and the concept of Allah Almighty and the Jamaat should be made clear to them in more detail. And then if they are trained [like so] up to the age of 15 in this environment, then when they enter the age of Khuddamul-Ahmadiyya, they will know what Islam is, Who Allah Almighty is, and what their duties are.

“So, this is how they will keep themselves connected to the Jamaat, with Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya and auxiliary organisation”.

Huzooraa added that there should be a close relationship between the organisation and its members. “You will have to save them by attaching them with you, and that can only be done if you make them realise that you are their true sympathisers and friends and brothers.”

Yasser Ahmed Sahib asked Huzooraa what the best way was to inform his nonAhmadi Muslim friends that he was an Ahmadi Muslim and for addressing those people who held negative sentiments about the Jamaat.

Huzooraa explained to him that he should try to understand why he was an Ahmadi and accepted Ahmadiyyat. When one understood this, then one would be able to explain the teachings to their friends.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said: “You should know that we Ahmadis believe that according to the prophecy of

the Holy Prophetsa and according to the promise of Allah Almighty, a promised reformer would come in the latter days to revive the true teaching of Islam […] We believe that that person came in the person of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian”.

Huzooraa then said: “When your fellow students and friends see that there is some significant change in you – you are different from the other Muslims, you offer five daily prayers, you read the Holy Quran, you know the meaning of the Holy Quran, you are morally good, you are not involved in any bad practises, bad things – then they will know that ‘these are the people who are different from us’ and then they will try to listen to you”.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said that one should offer their salat and pray to Allah to guide them.

Faheem Ahmad Sahib said that nowadays, on the occasion of finding a suitable partner for marriage, there was a lot of demand put forward by both parties which were contrary to Islamic teachings and went against the sanctity of finding a suitable partner. He said, for example, sometimes if a rishta (match in marriage) was arranged outside the country, the girl or the boy was forced that they must live according to the culture where they would eventually live. He asked Huzooraa how one could avoid this.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa explained that any culture adopted by a person must not clash with the teachings of Islam. It must be said from the beginning, when finding a suitable rishta, that as Muslims we desire to live our lives according to Islamic teachings. The Holy Prophetsa also explained that in looking for a suitable match, one must consider religion and faith. If man was inclined towards religion, he would naturally look for a pious wife.

“

When your fellow students and friends see

that there is some significant change in you

– you are different from the other Muslims,

you offer five daily prayers, you read the Holy Quran, you know the meaning of the Holy Quran, you are morally good, you are not involved in any bad practises, bad things – then they will know that ‘these are the people who are different from us’ and then they will try to listen to you”.

Huzooraa added that parents should also fittingly raise their children.

Wajahat Ahmed Bajwa Sahib said that one of the conditions of offering salat was to face the qiblah; however, when one is on a journey, this matter is not considered. He asked Huzooraa if this method was correct.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa asked that if one is seated in a plane or a car, then how would they search for the direction of the qiblah. Huzooraa explained that Islam was a religion of ease, it provided a solution for every situation. If one was travelling and unable to stop for prayer, then they were allowed, in such a situation, to pray whilst travelling and it was not necessary to face the qiblah.

In the time of the Holy Prophetsa, while on journeys, if it was not possible to stop to pray during the journey, they would offer prayers whilst on the journey. “Allah has created ease in those matters that are not in your power”.

One should be pleased that Allah Almighty had created ease. There was no need to be rigid in this matter. The truth of the matter was that one’s “heart should be inclined towards Allah Almighty.”

Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa then conveyed his salaam to everyone and the mulaqat came to an end.

(Report prepared by Al Hakam)

Friday 17 June 2022 | AL HAKAM

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Australian Khuddam from Victoria reflect on meeting Huzoor Waqas Ahmad Sadr Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Australia

On 12 June 2022, Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya Victoria region was blessed to have a virtual meeting with Hazrat Amirul Momineen, may Allah be his Helper.

The approval for this mulaqat was received on 10 April 2022. The regional qaid of Victoria formed and presided over a 12-member committee. All team members were given certain initial tasks.

Alhamdulillah, we were able to finalise the venue after a few meetings with the venue management and coordination with markaz. The venue, Bunjil Place in Narre Warren Victoria met all our technical and logistical needs.

The meeting was attended by 173 khuddam.

Some feedback from the participants is as follows: Hamza Tanoli Sahib said: “This kind of event should happen annually at least.”

Umair Ahmad Sahib expressed: “The takeaway is to have self-reflection and become better Ahmadis, day by day.”

Farhan Shafique Sahib said: “It was a blessed moment for us. We were lucky enough to have a mulaqat.”

Wasim Sohail Sahib said: “Upon Huzoor’s arrival, I had goosebumps and felt extremely privileged to be present in front of Huzooraa.”

Ansar Sharif Sahib expressed: “Alhamdulillah, the meeting was very good. It seemed that the atmosphere was relaxed upon the arrival of Huzooraa and it was a blessing for all of us to sit in his company for an hour.”

Suleman Ahmad Sahib said: “This was my first meeting with Huzooraa. Whenever I saw Huzooraa on TV, it came to my mind that Allah would soon

bring the time that I could see the Khalifa of the time with my own eyes. Today, this wish was fulfilled.”

Kashaan Ahmad Sahib said: “I first met Huzooraa in 2013 when he visited Australia, and after meeting him, a new passion and zeal was felt within myself which had faded a little in the last nine years. And after this virtual meeting, the same enthusiasm has been refreshed with the grace of Allah. And, insha-Allah, it will continue until the next meeting with Huzooraa.”

Junaid Junior Sahib said: “This was my first mulaqat and it was a wonderful and amazing experience. It was an honour and privilege to be in the presence of Huzooraa.”

Haris Maqsood Sahib said:

This

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa at Sadiq Mosque, Chicago, USA, 17 June 2012

17 June 17 June 2012: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa visited the Sadiq Mosque in Chicago. The Sadiq Mosque is the oldest Mosque of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in the USA.

“I was very excited that it was an hourlong meeting, but the time flew very quick during the meeting. It was a great meeting.”

Atta-Tahir Sahib expressed: “Alhamdulillah, it was a great opportunity for us to learn from the guidance of Huzooraa. It was an amazing experience and will be remembered for the rest of my life.”

Soban Tanoli Sahib said: “I cannot express my feelings in words at the moment. Alhamdulillah, it was a blessing to be in the presence of HuzoorAnwaraa and insha-Allah, I wish to meet him in the near future.”

17 June 2014: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa returned to London after a 15-day tour of Germany. During the tour, Huzooraa attended the 39th Jalsa Salana of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in Germany. He also inaugurated two mosques and laid the foundation stones of two others.

Huzooraa met with delegations from several different countries, as well as thousands of Ahmadi Muslims.

18 June

this incident in his Friday Sermon, Huzooraa said: “People claim that Ahmadis are enemies of the state, but wherever sacrifices are needed, Ahmadis are at the forefront.”

19 June 2012: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa visited the Bait-un-Nasir Mosque in Columbus, Ohio, where he was greeted by hundreds of Ahmadi Muslims.

On the fourth day of his USA tour, Huzooraa arrived at the mosque at 10:45 am and immediately unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion.

Huzooraa then inspected the mosque before planting a tree to further commemorate the event. Thereafter he spent the day meeting with the local Ahmadi Muslims.

18 June 2012: During his tour of the United States, on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa reached Dayton, Ohio. Following a successful visit to Chicago, Huzooraa proceeded directly to Dayton where he visited the Fazle-Umar Mosque.

It was a historic day for the local Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, as it was the first visit by a Khalifa to the Bait-un-Nasir Mosque which opened in 2008. The mosque was the only one to be built during the Khilafat Centenary year of 2008, having opened on 21 April 2008.

19 June

20 June

19 June 2009: Major Afzal Ahmad Sahib was martyred on this day in an operation against the Taliban in Waziristan. He was buried in Rabwah.

On 26 June, whilst mentioning

20 June 2012: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa arrived at the Baitur Rahman Mosque in Maryland at 9 pm. Upon arrival, Huzooraa was greeted by 2,000 Ahmadi Muslims who had gathered at the national headquarters of the Ahmadiyya

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s Week in History 17-23 June Muslim Jamaat in the USA. After arriving, Huzoor led the Maghrib and Isha prayers. aa

Earlier in the day, Huzooraa departed from Columbus, Ohio and proceeded directly to Pittsburgh where he prayed at the graves of several Ahmadi Muslims buried at the local cemetery, including at the grave of Mirza Munawar Ahmad, an Ahmadi Missionary, posted to the city in the 1940s.

21 June 21 June 2013: During his Friday Sermon, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa announced the martyrdom of Jawad Karim Sahib who lived in Lahore, Pakistan. He was from Green Town, Lahore and was martyred on 17 June by four unknown assailants who entered his house and fired at him. He was killed due to his belief in Ahmadiyyat. Jawad Sahib lived on the first floor while his brother and mother resided on the ground floor. At 7:45 pm unknown assailants entered the house and called out for him. They shot at him and a bullet struck him in the heart. On hearing the commotion, his brother emerged from the house, the assailants shot in the air and said to his brother that he was next and fled. Jawad Sahib was taken to hospital but he passed away on his way there.

When Salman Rushdie wrote his infamous book The Satanic Verses, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh assigned Arshad Ahmedi Sahib to write the book, Rushdie: Haunted by His Unholy Ghosts in response to the controversial book.

Huzooraa, mentioning this book, pointed out that this book should be publicised so that the truth may become apparent to the world.

Huzooraa added that this was a service by which the high morals of Islam would be known to the world.

22 June 2012: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa delivered the Friday Sermon from the Baitur Rahman Mosque in Maryland, which serves as the national headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in the United States.

It was the first time since he was elected as the Khalifa that Huzooraa had delivered a Friday Sermon from this mosque. Thousands of Ahmadi Muslims had congregated at Baitur Rahman.

Huzooraa used his address to speak about the fundamental importance of prayer. He said that the observance of the five obligatory prayers in Islam was of utmost importance and had been repeatedly

Baitur Rahman, Maryland,USA

inculcated in the teachings of the Holy Quran and of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. Huzooraa added that salat should be offered in congregation, regularly and on time.

23 June 23 June 2014: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa delivered a faith-inspiring address to conclude the 42nd national ijtema of Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya UK.

In his address, Huzooraa stated: “Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya [the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association] should always remember that successful nations and successful people are those who do not stand still but who always try to move forward with firm conviction and who seek to continually improve and spread far and wide.” (“Nearly 5,000 Muslim Youths attend National Convention in Surrey”, www. pressahmadiyya.com, 23 June 2014)

His mother, Razia Karim Dehlvi Sahiba, born in 1947, suffered a heart attack at the time of Jawad Sahib’s burial and passed away. She was a retired school headmistress who was active in Jamaat work.

22 June 22 June 2007: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa explained in his Friday Sermon that Islam was not a religion of violence but of love and affection.

Huzooraa said that the beautiful teachings of Islam, in this day and age, could be shown to the world through Ahmadis. Huzooraa said that it was the duty of Ahmadis to try harder than before, to spread the true essence of Islam.

National Ijtema of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya UK, 2014

Friday 17 June 2022 | AL HAKAM

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‘Khilafat: A Divine Sanctuary of Peace’ – Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya UK event concludes Nauman A Hadi Mohtamim Isha‘at MKA UK

In light of instructions of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya UK held a historic event on Khilafat on 11 June 2022. The official title for the first-ever Khilafat Day programme of this type by MKA UK was Khilafat: A Divine Sanctuary of Peace. The programme intended to educate khuddam on the blessings, status and significance of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya and to answer questions that khuddam might have.

The event took place nationwide across nine hubs, with a central hub in Islamabad, UK, which would host a live stream for a worldwide audience. Planning began weeks in advance with a committee being formulated for this. The aim was for khuddam to attend their regional gatherings with their own agendas for the day, and to get khuddam connected to the main hub in Islamabad for key sessions. The key sessions were broadcast live on Youtube for everyone watching, with short studio-based discussions also a part of the live stream in an outdoor studio. An exhibition was also set up near the stage with quotes and photos of the Promised Messiahas and his Khulafa.

On 11 June, Sadr Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya UK, Abdul Quddus Arif Sahib led a silent prayer before the commencement of the YouTube live stream from the Islamabad studio. At 3 pm, hundreds of viewers tuned in to the YouTube live stream. The first interview was with sadr Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya UK who explained the background of the event and how it came to fruition. This was followed by an interview with Dr Aziz Hafeez Sahib (Chairman Humanity First) and Abid Khan Sahib (Press Secretary) who shared some inspirational accounts of the blessings of Khilafat.

At 3:30 pm, the formal opening session began with the recitation of the Holy Quran.

This was followed by inspiring videos and clips about Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya.

Following this, Usman Butt Sahib (Muavin Sadr MKA UK) delivered an inspiring talk highlighting the great blessings that the Jamaat had attained through the system of Khilafat. A spoken word style poem was read out by Hazeem Arif Sahib, a student of Jamia Ahmadiyya UK. One of the highlights of the event was the Khilafat pledge that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa instructed khuddam to recite.

The wording of the Khilafat Centenary Pledge from 2008 was altered slightly, with the instructions of Huzooraa, to say “After witnessing 114 years of Khilafat”. This pledge was made in the opening session.

This moving session was followed by a discussion panel led by Attique-ur-Rehman Sahib, Mohtamim Tarbiyat. Talks and discussions regarding one’s relationship with Khilafat were held with panellists including Yousaf Aftab, Dr Aziz Hafeez (Humanity First UK) as well as Dr Anas Rana (Naib Sadr MKA UK).

After these two sessions, the regions then broke out into their own agendas across the country and would now only rejoin for the closing session. The YouTube live continued to showcase more discussions and videos.

Amir Jamaat UK, Rafiq Hayat Sahib was part of a discussion on stage where he narrated several incidents about Khilafat, especially relating to the move of the markaz from London to Islamabad.

After Asr prayers, the Scotland delegation of khuddam, which had travelled from Scotland to be part of the Islamabad hub for this event, had the opportunity to say salaam to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. Khuddam and atfal had gathered at the Mubarak Mosque gate and as Huzooraa proceeded from the mosque, he lovingly

called everyone forward. Huzooraa, seeing the number of atfal exceeding the khuddam, stated that it looked like there were more atfal. The entire occasion was recorded on camera and played on the live stream.

Following Asr, a question and answer session was held on stage at the central hub in Islamabad entitled National Amila Unplugged. The panellists and audience held an interesting discussion about their experiences growing up with Khilafat and how it had shaped their lives to this very day.

At 7:30 pm, the concluding session began with a recitation of the Holy Quran.

This session was chaired by Dr Abdul

Khalique Sahib (Sadr Ansarullah Pakistan) and Sadr MKA UK. Dr Abdul Khalique Sahib presented an emotional and inspirational address about his experiences with Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya throughout his life. Following his inspiring address, Dr Abdul Khalique Sahib led all those in attendance and watching online in silent prayer to formally conclude the day.

The event was attended by thousands across the country with the number of viewers of the live stream reaching 10,000.

The entire event can be viewed on Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya UK’s YouTube channel.

7

AL HAKAM | Friday 17 June 2022

Coming from every distant track

Founder of Zamindar newspaper, Maulvi Sirajuddin’s meeting with Hazrat Ahmad A series looking at the high standard of morals of the Promised Messiahas and his Khulafa when receiving visitors

Awwab Saad Hayat Al Hakam A study of various sources on the history of Ahmadiyyat detail that in 1877, when Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas was still leading a quiet life in Qadian and had not yet made his claim of being the Messiah, a famous journalist of the subcontinent, a political leader, father of the poet Zafar Ali Khan and founder of the Zamindar newspaper, Maulvi Sirajuddin visited Qadian. Mirza Muwahid Baig Sahib Jalandhari was also with him.

Maulvi Sirajuddin Sahib’s stay was very brief; however, the deep and profound impression Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian had on him in the short meeting lasted for the rest of Maulvi Sirajuddin Sahib’s life. In fact, Maulvi Sirajuddin used to meet Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas while he lived in Sialkot, where Hazrat Ahmadas spent some time in his youth. Hazrat Ahmad’sas life was very selfless and pure,

and it was appreciated and remembered even by those individuals who, for some reason, later did not accept his claim. For example, Maulvi Sirajuddin published his personal experience of meeting with Hazrat Ahmadas in the Zamindar newspaper after the demise of Hazrat Ahmadas. Maulvi Sirajuddin wrote: “Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib was a official record keeper in Sialkot district around 1860 or 1861. At that time, he would have been around 22-23 years old. And we can say with eyewitness testimony that even in his youth he was a very righteous and pious person. After office hours, he spent his time studying theology. He rarely met people.” (Zamindar, May 1908) When Hazrat Ahmadas left Sialkot and returned to Qadian, Maulvi Sirajuddin recorded the impression his meeting had on him in the following words: “One evening, in 1877, we received the honour of his [Hazrat Ahmadas] hospitality

in Qadian. Even in those days, he was so engrossed in worship and supplication that he rarely talked to guests.” (Ibid.)

Maulvi Sirajuddin was a well-known writer of his time and he started publishing a weekly newspaper from Lahore in January 1903 called Zamindar. A few months later, due to necessity, he transferred this newspaper from Lahore to Wazirabad.

The purpose of launching this newspaper was to represent the problems of farmers and landlords, to monitor their interests and to reform. That is why it was named Zamindar.

Maulvi Sirajuddin Ahmad ran this 12-page newspaper for six years and when he died on 6 December 1909, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan took over the editorship of the newspaper and made it a well-known newspaper in the Indian subcontinent. It closed permanently in 1954 after half a century.

Though Maulvi Sirajuddin Sahib did not believe in Hazrat Ahmad’sas claim, on the basis of his eyewitness account, he once

Sialkot, British India

said that Hazrat Ahmad’sas claims were “free from exaggeration and fabrication”.

(Zamindar, May 1908) As he was not a follower of Hazrat Ahmadas, it is not a trivial matter for such a well-known person to give the above testimony on the basis of his personal experience during his visit to Qadian.

It should be remembered that Maulvi Sirajuddin himself was a follower of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and he had written an elaborate article on the claim of the Promised Messiahas (which was answered by Hazrat Syed Mir Hamid Shahra by the name Al-Jawab).

Thus, even before the establishment of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, those who visited Qadian used to fall in love with the mannerism and theological standpoint of the Promised Messiahas.

In Hayat-e-Ahmad, Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira writes that Mirza Murad Baig (mentioned as Mirza Muwahid Baig Sahib) was a resident of Jalandhar. His pseudonym was initially Mirza Shikastah, but later when he expanded his discussions with Christians, and when he started writing articles rebutting Christianity, he changed it to Mirza Muwahid.

Since the discussions and debates of the Promised Messiahas with Christians were viewed with respect and dignity in Sialkot, people used to admire his method of reasoning and even the clergyman themselves respected Hazrat Ahmad’s intellectual prowess and moral strength.

Mirza Muwahid Sahib also became interested in forging a tie with Hazrat Ahmadas. He would often visit Hazrat Ahmad and present objections raised by Christians. He would listen to the answers Hazrat Ahmadas would give and then publish them in his own words through newspapers.

As the Promised Messiahas, by nature, was a zealous defender of Islam against the beliefs of Christianity, Hazrat Ahmadas would help and encourage in every possible way. It is evident from his conduct that he did not miss any opportunity to invalidate the false belief of atonement and trinity and divinity of Christ. Later, when the Hazrat Ahmadas left Sialkot and came to Qadian, Mirza Muwahid Sahib used to visit Qadian to meet him often. (Hayat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 1, pp. 372373)

Friday 17 June 2022 | AL HAKAM

8

Helplessness and despair: A solution

Jazib Mehmood Student, Jamia Ahmadiyya International Ghana Observing the state of the world today, an overwhelming feeling of helplessness begins to engulf the soul. People from all over the world, who look on as more people suffer, share these feelings of helplessness and despair because they can do nothing to stop the horrors of war. Turning on the news today seems to be a willful attempt to depress yourself.

Few people are making the decisions that go on to affect billions of people all over the world. Such costly punitive damages have angered populations for so long that these

feelings of anger are turning into resigned acceptance of a fate that has been sealed by other, stronger hands. What can they do, after all?

This very question was answered in a recent Friday Sermon of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. What can we, the innocent bystanders of a war on the verge of unimaginable catastrophe, do to prevent it?

Huzooraa stated that these days, there should be an increased focus on reciting Durood Sharif (salutations upon the Holy Prophetsa) and istighfar (seeking forgiveness).

He also advised the community to recite the following prayer frequently:

ُّ َ َ​َ َ ‫الدن ْ َيا َح َس َن ًة َوفي الآخ َِر ِة َح َس َن ًة َوقِ َنا َع َذ‬ ‫اب‬ ‫َر ّبنا آ ِتنا فِي‬ ِ

Former editor of El Popular – a Canadian Spanish daily newspaper – meets members of Canada Jamaat Syed Mukarram Nazeer Canada Correspondent

The Ahmadiyya Spanish Desk Canada organised a meeting with Mr Eduardo Urueña, a journalist and former publisher of the Canadian Spanish language daily newspaper El Popular which was founded in Toronto on 11 September 1970 as a weekly publication.

Toronto has grown with a thriving Hispanic community, now estimated at 650,000 in Greater Toronto Area. It includes immigrants from Latin America, Spain and Spanish-Jewish Morocco. More than 70,000 Hispanics call the province of Quebec their home. Pockets of Hispanics are also located in other provinces.

Among the foreign-born Canadians who have a non-English, non-French mother tongue, Spanish-speaking people represent the 4th largest population in Canada (5.8%) and are growing.

El Popular website ranks itself among the ten largest newspapers in Toronto. It

is published daily electronically. When it comes to multicultural newspapers, El Popular is the fourth largest multicultural media outlet and is 100% Canadian-owned.

Mr Eduardo Urueña is a good friend of the Jamaat and attended the 2016 Jalsa Salana Canada. He participated in a press conference with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa and wrote that the “Khalifa of the Jamaat is a wise man”. Over the years, he published many articles about the Jamaat, the text of speeches by Huzooraa, Jalsa Salana Canada advertisements and press releases by Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Canada. Recently he was invited to meet Amir Jamaat Canada, Lal Khan Malik Sahib.

The Spanish language is taught in Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada and trips to Spanish language media outlets, radio stations, culture centres and restaurants are arranged for students learning Spanish in Sadisa and Khamisa classes. This is done to help them to improve their Spanish and understand Hispanic culture.

َّ ِ‫النار‬ “‘Our Lord, grant us good in this world as well as good in the world to come, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.’”

(Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.202) Huzooraa stated that the Promised Messiahas once emphasised that this prayer be recited frequently. With the growing threat of nuclear war, this prayer also has very specific implications. The “torment of the Fire” mentioned in this prayer can also point to the “fire” of weaponry, i.e. the horrors of war, especially nuclear war.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa once stated in this regard: “An example of ‘the torment of Fire’ in this world, as I mentioned before, is the

state of some countries in the world today.

No one knows whether a bullet from a gun or a bomb explosion could severely injure or take a life, at home or in the marketplace.

Many lives are lost in this way.” (Khutbat-eMasroor, Vol. 11, p. 156) The concept of prayer in Islam is a truly wonderful thing. Muslims are encouraged to not only exhaust all material means in all daily pursuits, but to constantly seek help from Allah the Almighty and supplicate that He enables them to carry out tasks they might be too weak to bear. Especially in cases where such problems that plague life cause a great deal of anxiety and discomfort, prayer proves a comfortable tool. In this regard, the Promised Messiahas states: “A person who prays to God at a time of difficulty and suffering, and seeks Him to solve his problems, on the condition that he prays to perfection, always finds comfort and true peace from God Almighty. And if it so happens that his purpose is not achieved, he is still granted comfort and forbearance.

And by no means whatsoever is he left disappointed.” (Ayyamus Suluh, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 14, p. 237) This is exactly what the Holy Quran has stated:

ّٰ ْ َ َ ُ ‫الل ِه تَ ْط َمئ ُّن الْقُ ُل‬ ‫وب‬ ‫ألا ِب ِذك ِر‬ ِ

“Aye! it is in the remembrance of Allah that hearts can find comfort.” (Surah alRa‘d, Ch.13: V.29) Without peace of mind, it becomes extremely difficult for a person to go on; the stress epidemic shadowing the world today is a clear example of this. One of the signs of a true Khalifa is that he turns fear into peace. We must, therefore, be grateful that the Khalifa of the time guides us in such uncertain times when we feel lost and deeply uncertain of our futures.

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AL HAKAM | Friday 17 June 2022

The ‘Ahmadi standard’ of serving humanity: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s guidance to Ahmadi youth Ata-ul-Haye Nasir Al Hakam On 1 April 1938, while addressing the Ahmadi Muslim youth, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra advised them to serve humanity with zeal without discrimination of religion or race. Huzoorra said: “[Khuddam] should make efforts to serve humanity, and while doing so, one doesn’t need to only care for the Muslim needy people and widows; rather, it is your duty to alleviate the problems faced by the Hindus, Sikhs, Christians or followers of any other religion.” (Al Fazl, 10 April 1938, p. 10) During his Friday Sermon on 15 April 1938, Huzoorra expressed his hope that members of Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya would never shy away from serving humanity. He said: “I have said many times that the efforts for serving humanity should be expanded as much as possible and everyone’s hardships should be removed without discrimination of their religion and community; whether they are Hindu, Christian or Sikh. Our God is ‘Rabb-ul-Alamin’ [the Lord of all the worlds] and just as He is our Creator, He is the Creator of Hindus, Sikhs and Christians too. Therefore, if God grants us the opportunity, we must serve everyone.”

(Al Fazl, 22 April 1938, p. 7) On 20 November 1955, while addressing the 15th annual ijtema of Majlis Khuddamul-Ahmadiyya, Huzoorra said that members of the Jamaat should work hard so that Allah may grant them success, Ahmadi traders should act with honesty so that buyers may come from far distances and an Ahmadi employee should work with such honesty that their officer is compelled to say that “I will employee an Ahmadi only, as they are very honest people”.

Huzoorra continued: “In short, do the best deeds, work diligently to your full capacity, and whether it is farming, trade or employment, one should present a good example and whenever there is a need to serve humanity, do it more than anyone else. [...]

“Always pray that you may be able to serve [humanity] and whenever a calamity of any kind befalls the country, you should be at the forefront to face the danger, so that the world may understand that you are like a pillar through which the roof of your country is stable.

“If you create within yourself a [positive] change, then Allah the Almighty will be pleased with you, your fellow countrymen will be content with you and the country will also progress. Moreover, it will also remove the enmities held by the people [of your country] towards you in their hearts,

A scene from the 28 December 1939 jalsa celebrating 50 years of Ahmadiyyat, Qadian, India

and [sentiments of] love will be instilled in their hearts for you.

“Therefore, you should serve and continue to do so. You are called Khuddamul-Ahmadiyya. Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya does not mean that you are [only] the servants of Ahmadiyyat. [...] The Holy Prophetsa has stated: ُ َْ ُ َ ‫َس ِّید الق ْو ِم خاد ُِمھ ْم‬ “‘The leader of a nation is its servant.’

[Arba‘un Shah Waliullah Dehlawi, Hadith 34] “If you really become a true Ahmadi and khadim, then after some time, the same khuddam will become the leaders [of the future. That is] everyone will respect and admire you and the people will say that ‘the country’s salvation is linked with them. Look how they continue to serve the country by even endangering their lives’.

“Thus, always remember your status and

always strive so that every poor and rich person of the world may benefit from you.

[While seeing your conduct] neither should a rich person consider you as an enemy, nor a poor one, because both the rich and poor are servants of Allah the Almighty. [...]

You should serve both because Ahmadiyyat does not differentiate between the poor and rich. [...] Then you will achieve all kinds of national progress and the blessing of Allah the Almighty will be showered upon you. [...]

“I pray to Allah the Almighty that He may enable you to become Khuddamul-Ahmadiyya in the true sense since the country needs [the services of] Khuddamul-Ahmadiyya. As I have mentioned earlier, when we named Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, it did not [only] mean that you are the servants of Ahmadis. If you take it to mean this, you are hugely mistaken. [...]

“Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya means a

serving group of Ahmadis. You are the servants of the whole of mankind but from among the Ahmadis. Therefore, it does not mean that you should [only] serve the Ahmadis; rather, you must serve according to the Ahmadi standards. [...]

“Thus, set your Ahmadi standard and keep enhancing it. Look, today, you are serving and in the future, others will also be motivated. But if you serve according to the Ahmadi standard, then no one can ever compete with you.

“In comparison to 1,000 others, even 50 of you will be able to accomplish more because your standard will be the ‘Ahmadi standard’, while their standard will, firstly, not be the ‘Ahmadi standard’ and secondly, will differentiate between friend and foe.

You should say that ‘we are to serve, no matter if it is friend or foe’. In this way, your work will automatically continue to be the best and you will become an essential being for your country and Allah the Almighty will shower His grace upon you. [...]

“I advise you to say ‘Ahmadiyyat Zindabad’, and as I have instructed you to serve [humanity] according to the standard of Ahmadiyyat – which means to strive for the nourishment of mankind – therefore, in this regard, I advise that your slogan should also be ‘Insaniyat Zindabad’ [long live humanity].” (Mash’al-e-Rah, Vol. 1, pp.

731-734) While advising the youth during his address at Jalsa Salana 1955, Huzoorra said: “Service to humanity is a distinctive feature of a believer. The Promised Messiahas often used to say that the summary of religion and Islam is ta‘alluq billah [relation with Allah] and shafqat ‘ala khalqillah [compassion towards the creation of Allah]. […]

“Do not ever worry if people do not value your efforts; you should serve for the [pleasure of] God Almighty and not for people’s [praise]. The love of Allah and service to humanity should be the objective of your lives. If you do so, then there remains no doubt about your success.” (Al Fazl, 1 January 1956, p. 3) Huzoorra further said: “Till this day, Europe and America present their spirit of service to humanity as their greatness against Islam. They say that Christians serve humanity a lot, but Muslims do not. […] If our Jamaat’s [auxiliary bodies] – Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya and Ansarullah – present a noble example of services to humanity, then we can refute the [allegations of] Europe and America by saying that ‘we serve [humanity] more than you.’” (Al Fazl, 14 February 1956, p. 4) May Allah the Almighty enable us all to act on the guidance of Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra. Amin.

Friday 17 June 2022 | AL HAKAM

10

100 Years Ago...

Tabligh in Benton Harbor, new converts and misconceptions of Christians about Islam Al Fazl, 8 June 1922 mission to him. I have presented him some books for studying. I also got a prescription from him for the treatment of trachoma and sent it to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] so that the friends who are in need can try it.

Muslims do not worship Prophet Muhammadsa In my spare time, I stayed in Benton Harbor [Michigan] for a few days. The city is famous for being on the shores of a lake. A lecture was held there in a hall and around 300 people attended it. It had a positive impact on all of them. Most people expressed surprise that they had always believed that Muslims worshipped Muhammad[sa] and did not believe in God. I said, “Surely, the Muslims deny the god of the Trinity, but they worship only One God.” Many people took address cards and sought more information [about our mission].

Priest Tyler

Photo taken at Westminster. Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra, who served in the UK as a missionary before going to America, can be seen standing in the back row

I walked past a church aftyer which I entered it for a few minutes. A priest was preaching that Muslims worshipped Muhammad[sa].

I told him after his lecture that that was completely false. He was very surprised to hear that. This is the level of knowledge of the clergy in this country.

Another allegation against Islam Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra (1872-1957)

Eye treatment This humble one is currently undergoing treatment for trachoma by a well-known eye specialist. His name is Dr Bonain and he lives in Niles, [Michigan]. I have to visit him two days a week. He removes the white lumps [from the eyes caused by infection] and applies the medicine. Moreover, he gives me some medicine for the rest of the days that I can apply myself. On the days that I do not have to go to the doctor, I go

to nearby cities to preach. In this way, the Islamic tawhid [concept of Oneness of God] and the good news of the coming of the Promised Messiahas has been conveyed in many Christian cities.

Dr Bonain is very famous for the treatment of eyes. People from all over the country come to him and sometimes, even the people of Europe come for the treatment.

He is a man of good character and lives a very simple life. He has an average daily income of 200 dollars (800 rupees). He treats the poor for free and also helps needy patients. I have mentioned my work and

Platinum Jubilee event in Huddersfield, UK Aamir Shahzad, President Jamaat Huddersfield South, UK

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Huddersfield South and North organised a platinum jubilee event on 3 June 2022 at the Bait-ul-Tauhid Mosque. Tabligh contacts and neighbours around the mosque were invited to join the

event. Children from around the mosque also came with their families as a bouncy castle fun day was also part of the event.

During the event, all the guests were given a brief introduction to Jamaat-eAhmadiyya. In the end, all guests were served a meal.

Let alone the common people of this country, even the well-educated people have misconceptions about Islam. There is a daily newspaper in this city [Benton Harbor] in which the editor had mentioned meteors in his special editorial and in order to show his wisdom (or ignorance), he had also written, “A meteor once fell in Arabia. It was picked up by the Muslims and placed in the Ka‘bah and is being worshipped. Even now, if a piece of meteor falls somewhere in Eastern countries, the Muslims pick it up and put it in a sacred place and worship it.” I read that article and immediately went to the editor’s office and informed him of his mistake.

He thanked me a lot and enquired about other teachings of Islam, my mission and the state of India. The conversation went on for a long time and he admitted that he would take [his statement] back. However, when the newspaper was published in the evening, I saw that the editor had published a long article about my coming to this country, converting 200 Christians to Islam, The Moslem Sunrise magazine and giving lectures in this city, but had conveniently left out admitting his mistake. It is hard for worldly editors to admit their mistakes.

Israel A sect of Christians called Israel is also present in this city [Benton Harbor]. They

have very few members. There will be around a thousand in total. Everyone is an American, but they call themselves Israel.

Their prominent beliefs are as follows: 1. No true Christian dies. Everyone continues to live in the same body. Those who died were weak Christians.

2. Shaving body hairs is a sin. Everyone has long hair like the Sikhs.

3. All kinds of meat are forbidden. Like Brahmins, they live only on vegetables.

4. Accumulating money is a sin. Everyone must live together in one house and eat and drink together. The income is deposited in the treasury of their association. The association caters to everyone’s needs.

I talked for two hours with a group of theirs and the message of the coming of the Promised Messiahas was conveyed to them.

After enquiring about their mission and preaching to them, an 80-year-old whitebearded man who looked like one of them met me outside their place. He said that he too was part of Israel, but the association embezzled a lot of money from him. When he objected, he was expelled from the party and now his case was in court.

New converts In the last two weeks, 23 Christians have converted to Islam in different cities [of America]. Some people became Muslims after meeting me and some of them converted after exchanging letters. Their names are as follows: 1. Mrs Kar of Grand Rapids (Naeema) 2. Mr Kar Junior of Grand Rapids (Saleem) 3. Mrs Stuckney of Grand Rapids (Safia) 4. Mr George Shaw of Chicago (Ajeeb) 5. Mr James Lizme of Chicago (Azeez) 6. Mrs A Mand Eliza of Chicago (Azeema) 7. Mrs Mary Joseph of Chicago (Saeedah) 8. Mr Fanny Roberts of Chicago (Ahmad Yar) 9. Mr Willis Yokum of Chicago (Muhammad Yar) 10. Mr May Theor […] of Chicago (Azeemullah) 11. Mr Andrew Digger of Chicago (Rahimullah) 12. Mr Charles Watson of Chicago (Karimullah) 13. Mr Nathanial Johnson of Chicago (Sheikh Ahmad Din) 14. Mr Robert Graham of Chicago (Badruddin) 15. Mr James Sodep of Chicago

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AL HAKAM | Friday 17 June 2022 (Mahmududdin) 16. Mr Dale Sims of Chicago (Sadiquddin) 17. Mr D McClanahan of Chicago (Siddiquddin) 18. Mr James Emmanuel of Chicago (Karimuddin) 19. Mr Carl Aldridge of Chicago (Rahimullah)

Alexander the Great and his three strange wishes

20. Mr Roy Brown of Chicago (Bashiruddin) 21. Mr Henry Day Phil of Chicago (Muhammad Din) 22. Mr Charles Wolf of Chicago (Karam Din) 23. Mr Frank Wassingen of Chicago (Fazl Din) Friends are requested to pray that may Allah the Almighty grant all of them perseverance and further development.

Moreover, pray for my health and wellbeing so that I can carry out my work with full vigour.

A new convert Recently, an esteemed woman named Lady Jane Hooper, who is a lecturer herself and also held my lectures in her hall several times in Detroit, converted to Islam Ahmadiyyat with full sincerity of heart. She is 70 years old but in good health. She has written to me that, “Now, I will convey the message of Ahmadas, the Prophet of God, to the people in my lectures.”

Dignitaires’ questions for Khalifatul Masih Some of the dignitaries of this country have written a few questions on important national, religious and cultural issues and intend to send them to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih [IIra] to seek a solution to those complex issues from an Islamic point of view, and his answers will then be presented to the American public. These questions and the names of the questioners will be presented in one of the coming issues.

Tabligh to significant people I wrote a congratulatory letter to the new pope on his appointment and preached to him. On behalf of the American Jamaat, a letter of congratulations was written to Princess Mary on her marriage. A letter was sent to Mr Montague for sympathising with him on his resignation, and another letter was written to Viscount Peel on accepting the office of Secretaryship [of the State for India].

A letter was written to the distinguished Dr Lorenz who was conveyed the message of Islam. He is from Germany and has devoted his time to curing the ailing in this country with his special treatment through surgical instruments. Congratulatory letters were written to King [Fuad] of Egypt and his prime minister, Sarwat Pasha, on behalf of members of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. A letter was sent to General Smuts for successfully suppressing the rebellion in South Africa.

When Crown Prince Ibrahim of Egypt came to America for a visit, he was conveyed the message of Ahmadas, the Prophet of God. In all the aforesaid letters, the prophecies of the Promised Messiahas were mentioned as well.

(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu published in 8 June 1922 issue of Al Fazl)

Masood Ashraf USA

The idea of death and dying is a wellestablished concept that has captivated human minds for centuries – civilisations across time have desperately attempted to understand or rationalise it. Among these groups were the ancient Hebrews, Egyptians and Chinese all of whom had various beliefs about death.

Throughout time, minds were baffled at ways to find immortality and attempted ways to bring materialistic riches to the afterlife. The ancient Egyptians in the BC era induced many bodies to become preserved in mummified states, thinking the preservation of the body would ensure the safekeeping of the physical self and the soul for the world after. Organs were safely stored in canopic jars to conserve the viscera in futile pursuits to protect them from dying and losing their physical purpose. Intricate gold necklaces, embezzled gemmed stones and baroque items intended for kings and queens were placed next to coffins.

Extraordinary and uniquely considerable measures were taken “to create pathways” between this world and the Hereafter where the Egyptians could bring their life and their worldly possessions to the new life after, evidently all in vain. Death is a concept that is inevitable and inflexible; much to the contradiction of what most ancient civilisations believed was possible.

One of the most notable figures in history, Alexander the Great, was an iconic figure who historically is known for creating an incredibly large empire that stretched from Macedonia to Egypt and other places. Not only did he manage to conquer thousands of cities in the ancient world, but is also known for spreading scientific thought throughout his empire ranging from science to mathematics.

Many rulers from the ancient world often surrounded themselves with the highest and most valuable of items and expected to be buried with ornate materialistic items to highlight their importance and divinity. Alexander the Great too earned much wealth, and like most leaders was expected to be buried with vast relics of his travels and journey to draw attention to his victorious achievements and greatness.

However, in his final days, the great leader who ruled over the ancient world requested three wishes he asked to be fulfilled upon his demise.

The wishes instructed to his generals were: 1. That only his physicians carry his dead body 2. That the path leading to his grave be ornate with precious metals and gems 3. That both his hands be open and kept

A depiction of Alexander the Great on his horse Bucephalus

dangling out of his coffin.

When the generals asked Alexander the Great about these strange requests, the ruler replied that he wanted to show that by making physicians carry his dead body, people understood that no doctor could beat death. He desired the pathway to his grave to be ornate with treasures to show people that although he spent most of his life chasing the riches of the world, he had to leave them all behind. And thirdly, he wanted both his hands open and out of the coffin to show he would be leaving this world empty-handed, just as he was born.

In essence, it is important to understand that the main idea of these requests from this great conqueror was that although he had achieved an incredible amount of success on Earth, he was subject to mortal life and his worldly achievements would do him no good in the life after death.

It is the nature of humans to be greedy and uncontended with material possessions.

The Holy Prophetsa is reported to have said: “If the son of Adam had a valley full of gold, he would want to have two valleys.

Nothing fills his mouth but the dust of the grave, yet Allah will relent to whoever repents to Him” (Bukhari). Humans are rarely content with the wealth they have and strive to seek more after having received what should be enough. However, it is important to understand that Allah the Almighty is the Forgiver of sins and can overlook greedy actions through repenting and prayers.

Allah instructs us to be giving rather than being greedy and has encouraged us to

live contently with what we have been given.

The Holy Quran says: “And spend out of that with which We have provided you before death comes upon one of you and he says, ‘My Lord! if only Thou wouldst grant me respite for a little while, then I would give alms and be among the righteous” (Surah al-Munafiqun, Ch.63: V.11). The Holy Quran continues to say “And Allah will not grant respite to a soul when its appointed time has come; and Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.” (Ibid, V.12) Ultimately it is important to understand that the only real value that will transfer to the Hereafter is in the form of good deeds and our efforts to attain righteousness – taqwa. No coins, gems, bills, stacks of gold or elixir of life can bargain with death. Only the weight of good things done in this life will have value in the Hereafter. However, it is the nature of human beings to want to attain more in worldly means. Competitiveness and materialistic value often are prioritised as what is considered a success in this life, and shadow the true need for humility and humbleness. The Holy Quran says, “Mutual rivalry in [seeking worldly] increase, diverts you [from God], till you reach the graves.”

(Surah al-Takathur, Ch.102: V.2-3) Man chases wealth and immortality all his life, but when death arrives, in distress, he begs for another chance to go back and do things differently than he had. This is the nature of man. Only those who understand the true meaning behind life and what will matter in the end are content with passing on to the next life in peace.

Friday 17 June 2022 | AL HAKAM

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Mir Abbas Ali, who parted ways with Hazrat Ahmad: An allegation refuted Allah.

Then we have the famous incident of Abdullah bin Abi Sarah who was a katibe-wahi (recorder of divine words revealed to the Prophetsa) but later left the religion of Islam. However, before his death, he did return to Islam. Regarding him, it is narrated in the commentary of Imam Fakhruddin alRazirh: ٰ ٰ َ​َ َّ َ ْ َ ُّ ْ َ ْ َ َ ‫اس َر ِض َي اللّه َع ْن ُه َما أ ّن َع ْب َد اللّه بْ َن‬ ٍ ‫روى الكل ِبي ع ِن اب ِن عب‬ ّ ٰ َّ ّٰ َ َ ‫َس ْعد بْن أَبي َس ْرح ك‬ ُ َ ِ َ ‫ان ي َ ْك ُت ُب َهذ ِه الْآي‬ ‫ول الله َصلى الله‬ ِ ٍ ِ ‫ات لِرس‬ ِ ِ ِ َ ً ْ َ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ َّ َ َ َ َّ َ َ ْ َ َ ْ‫آخ َر َعج َب ِمن‬ ‫علي ِه وسلم فلما انتهى ِإلى قول ِ ِه تعالى خلقا‬ ِ َ ّٰ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َّ َ ّ ٰ ُ ُ َ َ َ َ َ ْ ‫بارك الل ُه أ ْح َس ُن الخال ِ ِقين فقال رسول الله صلى‬ ‫ذل ِك فقال فت‬ َ َ َ ّ ٰ ُ ْ َ َّ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َّ َ َ ْ َ َ َّ ‫الله علي ِه وسلم اكتب فهكذا نزلت فشك عبد الله وقال‬ َ َ ُ َ َ َّ َ َ ُ ُ َّ َ ُ ُ َ َ ً َ ٌ َّ َ ُ َ َ ْ ،‫وحى ِإل ْي ِه‬ ‫ِإن كان محمد صادِقا ِفيما يقول ف ِإنه يوحى ِإلي كما ي‬ َ َّ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ​َ ‫ِين ِه فهرب ِإلى مكة‬ ِ ‫و ِإن كان كاذِبًا فلا خي َر فِي د‬ ْ ُ َ َ ُ َّ َ َ َ َ ُ َّ َ َْ ‫ َو ِقيل ِإنه أ ْسل َم ي َ ْو َم الف ْت ِح‬،ِ‫ف ِقيل ِإنه َمات َعلى الْكفر‬ “Kalbi narrates it on the authority of Ibn Abbas, may peace be upon him, that Abdullah bin Abi Sarah used to jot down verses of the Holy Quran; i.e, the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, would direct him to write down the verses as they were revealed to him. And so, once when the Holy Prophetsa dictated to َ ًَْ him the verse that ends with ‫‘[ خلقا آخ َر‬another creation’], Abdullah marvelled and said:

ّٰ َ َ َ َ َ َ ‫الل ُه أَ ْح َس ُن ال ْ َخال ِ ِق‬ ‫فتبارك‬ ‫ين‬

Raziullah Noman Canada An allegation raised against Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas – the Promised Messiah and Mahdi – is that he received a revelation in favour of Mir Abbas Ali, who later apostatised the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat and became an opponent of Islam Ahmadiyyat.

A similar allegation is also raised against the Prophet Muhammadsa. This is a common trend with the allegations against Hazrat Ahmadas – they were raised by disbelievers in the past against the prophets of their time.

About this particular allegation, Muslim scholars agree that the revelations regarding the condition of a person refer to that specific time. However, if that person turns his back to the religion then he would be considered a wrongdoer. We have many examples of this in Islamic history.

There was a person named Ubaidullah

who was married to Umm Habibara. He was among the foremost Muslims (sabiqun alawalun) and Allah stated He was pleased with him. However, when he went to Abyssinia, he became Christian and died a Christian – he apostatised Islam. Hazrat Umm Habibara later married the Prophet Muhammadsa. It is narrated: ّٰ ُ َ َ ‫يبة َوه َو عبد الله بن جحش‬ ‫َو ِفيهِ ْم صهره زوج ابْ َنته أم ح ِب‬ َ​َ ْ َ َ َ َ َ َ ‫فَإنَّ ُه ك‬ ‫اجر ِإلى الحَبشة َو َمات على نصرانيته‬ ‫ان أسلم وه‬ ِ ٰ َّ َ ‫َو‬ َ ‫النبي صلى اللّه َعل َ ْي ِه َوسلم أم َحب‬ ‫يبة بعده‬ ‫وج‬ ‫تز‬ ِ ِ

(peace be upon him)

“And among them is his son-in-law, the husband of Umm Habibara, and he is Abdullah bin Jahsh. He embraced Islam and emigrated to Abyssinia and died as a Christian and then the Prophet Muhammadsa married Umm Habibara after this.” (Umdatul Qari, Vol. 18, p. 145) According to the logic of the antiAhmadis, he couldn’t become an apostate because Allah the Almighty had already revealed regarding him that Allah was pleased with him and he was pleased with

“[‘So blessed be Allah, the Best of creators’]. The Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, then said, ‘Write this down as well, for God has also revealed the same words that have issued from your tongue, namely:

ّٰ َ َ َ َ َ َ ‫الل ُه أَ ْح َس ُن ال ْ َخال ِ ِق‬ ‫فتبارك‬ ‫ين‬

[‘So blessed be Allah, the Best of creators’] “Thereupon, Abdullah became mistrustful as to how the words that he had uttered could be the words of God. He said, ‘If Muhammadsa be true, then I receive the same revelation that he does, and if he be false, then there is no good in following him.’ So, he fled to Mecca. According to one narrative, he died a disbeliever, while according to another, he became a Muslim after the fall of Mecca.” (Barahin-eAhmadiyya, Part 5, pp. 260-261) Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas quotes this reference in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part 5, on page 255.

Then there is a narration regarding a person who was another katib-e-wahi and left Islam. It is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari: َ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َ َ َّ َ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َ َ َّ َ َ ْ َ ُ َ َ َّ َ ،‫يز‬ ِ ‫ حدثنا عبد الع ِز‬،‫ حدثنا عبد الوا ِر ِث‬،‫حدثنا أبو معم ٍر‬

َ َ َ َ َْ َ ً َ َْ ٌ ُ َ َ َ َ َ َ​َ ْ َ ّٰ ‫س رضى الله عنه قال كان رجل نصرانِ ّيا فأسل َم وق َرأ‬ ٍ ‫عن أن‬ َّ ُ ُ ْ َ َ َ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َ َ َ ْ ّٰ ،‫ِلن ِب ِّي صلى الله عليه وسلم‬ ‫ فكان يكتب ل‬،‫البقرة وآل ِعمران‬ ُ ْ َ َ َ َّ ٌ َّ َ ُ ْ َ َ ُ ُ َ َ َ َ ًّ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ُ،‫ت لَه‬ ‫فعاد نصرانِيا فكان يقول ما يد ِري محمد ِإلا ما كتب‬ َ َ ُ َ َ ُ ْ َ ُ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ ُ َ َ َ ُ ّٰ ُ َ َ َ َ ‫ فأصبح وقد لفظته الأرض فقالوا هذا‬،‫فأماته الله فدفنوه‬ َ ْ َ ُ َ َ ُ ْ َ َ َ​َ َ َْ َ َ ُ ُ ْ .‫اح ِب َنا‏ ‏‬ ِ ‫ ل ّما ه َرب ِمنه ْم نبشوا عن ص‬،‫ِفعل مح ّم ٍد َوأصحابِ ِه‬ ُ َ َ ُ َ ُ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ُ ْ َ َ َ َ َ ُ ُ َْ َ ‫ فقالوا‬،‫ فأ ْص َبح َوقد لفظ ْته الأ ْرض‬،‫فألقوه فحَف ُروا ل ُه فأع َمقوا‬ ُ َ َ​َ َ ْ َ ُ َ َ َ َْ َ َ ُ ُ ْ َ َ ‫اح ِب َنا ل ّما ه َر َب ِم ْنه ْ‏م‬ ِ ‫هذا ِفعل مح ّم ٍد َوأصحابِ ِه نبشوا عن ص‬ َ َ َ َ​َ ُ َ ْ َ ُ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ ُ َ َ​َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ ْ ‫ فأ ْص َبح‬،‫اس َتطاعوا‬ ‫ض ما‬ ِ ‫ وأعمقوا له فِي الأر‬،‫فألقوه فحفروا له‬ َّ َ َ ْ َ ُ َّ َ ُ َ َ ُ ْ َ ُ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ ُ َ َْ َ ‫‏‬.‫اس فألق ْو ‏ه‬ ِ ‫ فعلِموا أنه ليس ِمن الن‬،‫قد لفظته الأرض‬ “There was a Christian who embraced Islam and read Surah al-Baqarah and Aal-eImran, and he used to write (the revelations) for the Prophetsa. Later on, he returned to Christianity again and he used to say, ‘Muhammad knows nothing but what I have written for him.’ Then Allah caused him to die, and the people buried him, but in the morning, they saw that the earth had thrown his body out. They said, ‘This is the act of Muhammad and his companions.

They dug the grave of our companion and took his body out of it because he had run away from them.’ They again dug the grave deeply for him, but in the morning, they again saw that the earth had thrown his body out. They said, ‘This is an act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our companion and threw his body outside it, for he had run away from them.’ They dug the grave for him as deep as they could, but in the morning, they again saw that the earth had thrown his body out.

So, they believed that what had befallen him was not done by human beings and had to leave him thrown (on the ground).” (Sahih al-Bukhari) Regarding this incident, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas stated: “An example of this can be found in early Islam: A scribe of the Holy Quran, who, by virtue of being close to the Prophetic light, would often partake of the revelation of Quranic verses just as the Imam – the Holy Prophetsa – was going to dictate it. One day, the scribe thought to himself, ‘What difference is there between me and the Holy Prophetsa? I too receive divine revelation!’

This thinking led him to his ruin. It is recorded that even his grave threw him out, quite like Balaam who was similarly ruined.”

(The Need for Imam, p. 4) Regarding this allegation of a companion leaving Islam Ahmadiyyat and him previously receiving a revelation about him, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas writes: “The answer is that the revelation merely means that his root is firm and his branches touch the sky; it does not specify what he is firm upon by virtue of his true nature.

There can be no doubt that every person is endowed with some innate virtue to which he sticks constantly and steadfastly. When a kafir embraces Islam, he brings that virtue with him and, should he again turn away from Islam, he would take it back with him.

This happens because there is no alteration or mutation in Allah’s nature and in His creation. Human beings are like mines – some of gold, some of silver and some of brass, therefore, if the revelation mentions some innate and unalterable virtue of Mir Sahib, it is nothing to marvel at, nor is it anything to object to. Let alone Muslims, non-believers, too, possess innate virtues and they too are naturally endowed with

13

AL HAKAM | Friday 17 June 2022 some moral qualities. God has not created anything which is totally devoid of good.

It is true, of course, that an innate virtue cannot of itself lead to eternal salvation unless one treads the right path, which, in other words, is called Islam. Faith, cognition of God, righteousness and fear of God are the highest virtues without which all other virtues are worthless. What is more, this revelation pertains to the time when Mir Sahib possessed the quality of steadfastness and had tremendous capacity for sincerity, and he too believed that he would remain steadfast forever. The news given by God Almighty pertained to his condition at that point in time. It is well known regarding divine revelations that God gives tidings according to a person’s obtaining condition; when one is a kafir, He calls him a kafir; when one is a believer and steadfast, He calls him a believer, sincere and steadfast. There are many such examples in divine revelations.

There is no doubt that for 10 years Mir Sahib was one of my sincerer, devoted and loyal companions. Such was his effusive sincerity that, at the time of pledging allegiance to me, he also brought some of his relatives, friends and acquaintances into this Jamaat.

During this 10-year period he sent me so many letters full of love and devotion that I cannot estimate their number. I believe I still have nearly two hundred of them in which he describes his devotion and attachment with extreme humility and modesty. Some of them contain his dreams which seemed to confirm his belief that I was from God and that my opponents were false. Based on these dreams, he expressed his everlasting devotion to me, as if he would be with me in this world and in the hereafter. He gave wide publicity to these dreams and narrated them to his followers and friends. If a person proclaims his loyalty with such fervour and Allah reveals that he is steadfast and not wavering, can such a revelation be called contrary to the facts? Many revelations reflect only on the present circumstances and are not related to events that follow. It is also true that, while a man still lives, we cannot pass judgement that his end will be

an evil one, for a man’s heart lies in the hand of Allah, the Glorious. Mir Sahib is no big deal. If God so wills, He can turn the most callous and hard-hearted person to the truth.” (The Heavenly Decree, pp. 61-63) “In short, this revelation describes the obtaining condition, not necessarily indicative of the final end, and the end is yet to come. Many there were who defected from the ranks of the righteous and became their sworn enemies, yet they later repented on witnessing some divine miracles, wept bitterly, confessed their sins and returned to the fold. Man’s heart lies in God’s hand, and the tests and trials from that Supreme Sage are always close by. Mir Sahib fell into a trial due to some inherent weakness in him. As a consequence, his devotional zeal gave way to spiritual constriction which turned to coldness, and then to disrespect, leading to the sealing of his heart, open hostility and an intent to vilify and defame me. Herein is a lesson of a great downfall!

Could anyone think or imagine that Mir Abbas Ali would come to such an end? The Lord of Sovereignty does as He pleases. My friends should pray for him and should not withhold their sympathy from their fallen and helpless brother. God-willing, I too shall pray for him. I would have liked to include some of his letters in this journal to show to the people the degree of Mir Abbas Ali’s devotion, the dreams he spoke of and the expressions of humility and reverence he used when writing to me, but, alas, this brief journal has little space for them.

Nevertheless, if the Mighty God so wills, I shall do so at some appropriate time. This is a potent example of the changes a man can undergo; one whose heart was always full of devotion and reverence – who would write of me as God’s vicegerent on earth – has now come to such a sorry pass. Fear Allah, therefore, and always pray that He may keep your hearts on the right path and, out of His sheer grace, protect you against error.” (The Heavenly Decree, pp. 63-65)

Ahmadi women in Ivory Coast lay foundation of new mosque commemorating Lajna Imaillah Centenary Shahid Ahmad Masud Missionary, Ivory Coast

On 21 May 2022, Lajna Imaillah Ivory Coast had the opportunity to lay the foundation stone of a mosque at Mahdiabad in Abidjan.

They have contributed to this project as a gesture of gratitude to Allah the Almighty and in commemoration of the Lajna Imaillah Centenary 2022.

The ceremony began after Zuhr and Asr prayers with a recitation from the Holy Quran. Afterwards, the purpose of the construction of the mosque was presented.

Amir and Missionary-in-Charge Ivory Coast, Abdul Qayyum Pasha Sahib laid the first brick, followed by sadr Lajna, the national Lajna amila, and regional missionaries. The ceremony concluded with a silent prayer.

Garden party in Hartlepool celebrating the Queen’s jubilee Tahir Selby Missionary, UK

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Hartlepool celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee on 5 June 2022 with a garden party at the Nasir Mosque.

The celebrations began on 2 June when a special meal was prepared for the food banks at St Aidan’s Church and the Annexe Centre for the poor and needy.

The mosque provides meals every week and so far over 11,000 meals have been prepared, but for the Queen’s Jubilee, each meal contained a chicken, rice and sweet rice and a sticker was put on the container congratulating the Queen.

On 5 June, some of the youth went street cleaning around the mosque. This was part of the Dyke House Street Clean. At midday, the garden party began and over 40 friends

and neighbours came along with over 100 members of the community and enjoyed some English and Asian food, games for the children and a tour of the inside of the mosque, if anyone wanted. Fortunately, the rain held out and everyone had a very enjoyable time, loved the food and appreciated the hospitality.

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Friday 17 June 2022 | AL HAKAM

14

100 Years Ago...

Hazrat Nayyar’s tabligh tour of Gold Coast, Africa The Review of Religions [English], June, July & August 1922

West Africa Brother Nayyar made up his mind to make a last tour of the Gold Coast Colony. Travelling by a motor car he reached Cape Coast, the educational centre, in one hour and a half.

The road to Seccondi being closed he had to wait for a special car, and to best utilise his time he stopped there to deliver the message of the Promised Messiah[as] to the people of Cape Coast, ninety-nine percent of whom are professed Christians. It was noon and the schools and colleges were closing for the rest of the day, while the teachers and the taught were flocking out of their institutions to go home for their day’s rest. Our brother deeming it a good opportunity took up his position in a square close by and began preaching gathering a goodly number of intelligent professors and students. Hardly had he done with the brief but intelligent interpellations than somebody cried out “Master, car for Seccondi.” Urgency of call at other places left no alternative but to start on the onward journey, although from our brother’s point of view justice was hardly done to the need of Cape Coast town which is a flourishing town of considerable size and at the same time centre of Christian learning and propaganda.

However, the die was cast, and our brother set out on his onward journey

passing through Elmina where he stopped for a short time and addressed the people on the new message under the walls of the grand old Dutch castle which is still proudly raising its head. A few of the Hausa Mussalmans that are to be found here and there have set a very bad example and are a disgrace to Islam. Anyway, leaving Elmina our brother reached Seccondi in the afternoon and put up at the ‘Wonderful Store’ of Messrs Mitha Ram and Brothers. Our brother went round the whole city and delivered his lectures in the public park and various other squares.

These lectures covered the extensive fields of comparison between Islam and Christianity, Muhammad[sa] in the Bible, the death of Jesus, and special addresses to the Hausa and Yoruba peoples. Moreover, our brother gave private and public interviews to many seekers after truth and devoted most of his time in discussing with Christian gentlemen of light and learning the various religious problems that are agitating the minds of the people. As a matter of fact, he had to make so much speechmaking that at last he began to suffer from the clergyman’s sore throat.

Ten men entered into the fold of Ahmad[as] and an Ahmadiyya association was formed.

Nine miles from Seccondi on the sea coast is situated the village of Abdani peopled by Moslem Africans who are all engaged in trade and commerce. A Fante

Moslem, Omar by name, who became an Ahmadi sometimes back, had informed these people of our brother’s landing and his peregrinations for the propagation of faith in those parts of Africa. These people are very skeptical about mere hearsay; hence they deputed two of them to see for themselves and if the rumour as they said should turn out to be a fact, they were to invite our brother who seized upon this news with great avidity and set out for the latter place doing most of the journey on foot. Here he delivered two lectures and answered their interrogatories; at the same time, he invited them to take part in the Saltpond conference.

Kumasi In the last Ashanti War of 1904, Kumasi was the centre of a great carnage and bloodshed, yet the English armies occupied it and now it is a thriving town of considerable importance. It is some 162 miles away from Seccondi with which it is connected by means of a railway line. Propaganda [tabligh] work carried our brother even there. Though the town is still under military administration, yet special permission was obtained for addressing open-air meetings and the services of a constable were requisitioned to serve as an interpreter. At first an extended

round was under-taken to see each and every chief who had served with the late king that had fought against the English. Our brother called on all of them individually at their houses and delivered the message of truth, and then in two public lectures he conveyed the same message of peace and good-will to all and sundry alike. The first meeting he addressed [was] at the house of a wealthy Moslem gentleman of the Hausa tribe where he addressed the Moslems who had assembled together to hear our brother speak of the message of God. Here he was assisted by three interpreters, a Hausa, an Angra and a Yoruba. The second meeting he addressed at a place where stood the former palace of the Kings of Kumasi and here he was assisted by an Ashanti interpreter. Praise be to God who enabled our brother to pull through this arduous work and attended his efforts with success. One of the great Ashanti chiefs through the grace of God had his eyes opened to the noble and shining face of Islam and has been renamed Farooq. Owing to political expediency, however, this our new brother does not deem it fit at present to make an open declaration of Islam, but the time is not far distant when this land will reecho to the sounds of Allah-o-Akbar (Allah is Great).

At Kumasi, brother Nayyar met with a party of Moroccans and the Sudanese, some of whom seemed to be well versed in the Quran and the sayings of the Prophet[sa]. He lost no time in preaching to them and incidentally he gave them much illuminating information on the vexed question of dabatual arz (the insect of the earth) referred to in the Holy Quran, solar and lunar eclipses spoken of in the traditions, the overshadowing of the earth

by Gog and Magog and the Dajjal or the Antichrist. Touching on the question of the death of Jesus he acquainted them with the truth of the Mission of the Promised Messiah[as]. These people all speak Arabic, and only an Arabic knowing preacher can preach with any success in all those outlying territories where these people live. One can do without English but not without Arabic if he is to achieve any success in these Arabic speaking Mussalmans.

The Amir of Nigeria

An aerial view of a village in Sierra Leone

The Amir is an enlightened gentleman. He had been to Mecca for the Haj ceremony and had returned by [SS Appam]. Our brother went to see him on deck before he could land. Before meeting our missionary brother at Seccondi, this nobleman had met brother FM Sayyal while he was in London.

On his return home he was accompanied by Mr [Mathed] who is the British resident in one of the States of Northern Nigeria. Mr [Mathed] very graciously condescended to act as our brother’s interpreter and thus he had the opportunity to talk to the Amir for about half an hour. On parting, brother Nayyar presented him with copies of English translation of Holy Quran Part I, Teachings of Islam and the pamphlet Al Masih ul Maood which were gladly accepted. The Amir invited our brother to his own part of the country.

The extent of the consolidation work our brother has had to do is easily realisable from the fact that the West African Ahmadiyya community has been divided up into four districts, every district has got its Library, Reading Room, Ahmadiyya School,

15

AL HAKAM | Friday 17 June 2022 propagation, conservation and Financial departments.

That our brother and his work are much appreciated not only by the natives but also by the English community can be learnt from the following incident: Brother Nayyar dreads the sea and therefore the very sight of blue waters makes him sea-sick. He was leaving Saltpond for Accra to take part in the Ahmadiyya conference. The boat that was to take him to the coasting vessel SS “Sir George” had to take him through flying spray and heaving waters which rendered him unconscious.

But the crew of the ship recognising our brother from his green head gear at once hauled him up and the Captain and Mr Benwarden (Engineer), Saltpond, and other English passengers and high officers treated him very kindly. The Captain, Mr Johnson, had Kheer (rice cooked in milk) prepared for him and he sat by and saw to our brother’s taking it in his presence.

At Accra, our brother passed very busy days. In connection with the reopening question of the Accra Mosque which was before the Gold Coast Government our brother interviewed all the leading Mussalmans. It is to be hoped that the Mosque will be reopened to the Muslim public for worship in the near future. In this connection our brother had to see the Deputy Inspector General Police, the Director of Public Instruction, the District Commissioner and other Civil authorities who all received him very kindly. The Indian Colony of Aura is deserving of our community’s deep thanks in that they again sumptuously and generously entertained our brother.

It was at Accra that our brother entertained all the leading Moslems to a party whereat he laid the claims and teachings of the Promised Messiah[as] before them all. He read to them a few portions from an Arabic work of the founder of our movement. When he had finished reading, Imam Ahmad Fota, who is the inhabitant of Senegal and who is the instructor of Tajania Movement and who is moreover a great Moslem theologian, made an open and public declaration of his faith before the whole assembly.

A Syrian who had become a convert to Christianity made a solemn retraction and reentered the fold of Islam. It was at this time that the Chief A’la who is the head of the 3rd Circle [i.e. Senya, Gold Coast] and who had happened to be at Accra came to see our brother who was under the impression that the Chief A’la was a solitary member of our community in that part of the country and whom our brother had only counted as one soul, but it now transpired that he was not alone. He had at least a thousand souls with him and therefore this addition brings our community to between five and six thousand souls in Gold Coast alone.

Before our brother left Accra, he waited on His Excellency the Governor of Gold Coast whom he presented a copy of “A Present to the Prince of Wales.” His Excellency very graciously introduced our brother to Her Excellency. That His Excellency’s reception of our brother was most friendly and courteous may be gauged from the remark which he humourously dropped during the conversation. He said, “Do you want to convert me?” To which our brother replied, “Yes, Sir.”

“

Means of Establishing a Perfect Spiritual Relationship with God

The method of establishing a perfect spiritual relationship with God that the Holy Quran teaches us is Islam, meaning devoting one’s whole life to the cause of God and being occupied with the supplications which we have been taught in Surah Fatihah. This is the essence of Islam. Complete surrender to God and the supplication taught in Surah Fatihah are the only methods of meeting God and drinking the water of true salvation. This is the only method that the law of nature has appointed for man’s highest exaltation and for his meeting the Divine.

Those alone find God who enter into the spiritual fire of Islam and continue occupied with the supplication set out in Surah Fatihah. Islam is the blazing fire that burns up our life and, consuming our false deities, presents the sacrifice of our life and our property and our honour to our Holy God. Entering it, we drink the water of a new life and all our spiritual faculties establish such a relationship with God as subsists between kindred. A fire leaps up from our inside like lightning and another fire descends upon us from above.

(The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, pp. 128-129) The climate of Western Africa has been proving greatly trying for our brother whose health has always been indifferent.

The English residents generally go home for a six months’ change of air, after every 12 months and the Indian Colony that has no such outings generally suffers from the unhealthy climate.

On his return to Nigeria, brother Nayyar suffered from a malignant fever which reduced him to a mere skeleton and the doctor in attendance had to pronounce that his case was “very near death.” But thank God he recovered and in spite of the medical advice he is clinging to his post.

His success has its counter-vailing difficulties too. Some of the Indian opponents

of our movement have begun to poison the ears of the West Africans against our people while some evil-minded irreligious folk have taken up their cause, and they have begun to incite the people against the Ahmadis whom they still reverently style as the “Observers of Prayers and the forbidders of drink, dance and idolatry.” Herein the priestly class is again in evidence, since their occupation of fleecing the credulous on trifling matters is gone. Some of the Christian preachers availing themselves of our brother’s absence from Gold Coast have begun preaching against Islam. And to all this may be added the trade depression and the financial anxieties. But under fair weather or foul our brother means to stick

to his guns and will, we hope, come out successful in this long quadrilateral contest.

In the French Dahomey, regular discourses on the Holy Quran have been taken up and weekly sermons and lectures [are] delivered. Similarly, the work of propagation in Sierra Leone is being taken up in right earnest and Maulvi Al-Hadi S Egbaji and Mrs Egbaji are on their way to Freetown. The Maulvi Sahib who has been sworn on this propaganda work has set apart a house of his own rent free for the propagation work.

(Transcribed by Al Hakam from the original published in The Review of Religions, June, July & August, 1922)

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Friday Sermon 20 May 2022 Men of Excellence: Hazrat Abu Bakrra After reciting the tashahud, ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said: Accounts from the Battle of Yamama during the era of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqra were previously being narrated. In the details relating to the Battle of Yamama, it is stated that Yamama was originally a well-known city in Yemen. Nowadays, this area is located in Saudi Arabia. (Sayyid Fadl al-Rahman,

guarding the belongings of his companions.”

Following this, the delegation departed from the Holy Prophetsa and they took with them what the Holy Prophetsa had given for Musailimah. (Ibn Hisham, Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, Qudum Wafad Bani Hanifah [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar alKutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2001], p. 852)

It is clear from this narration that all of the individuals from the delegation of the Banu Hanifah, aside from Musailimah, met with the Holy Prophetsa. However, there are also other narrations which mention that Musailimah met the Holy Prophetsa.

In general, the narrations indicate that Musailimah did meet the Holy Prophetsa. It is also stated that perhaps he met him on the second visit.

In any case, further details are recorded in other narrations which show that when this delegation came to the Holy Prophetsa, Musailimah was also present. It is said that his people brought Musailimah to the Holy Prophetsa and he was wrapped in clothes.

The Holy Prophetsa was holding a branch of a date-palm as he was sitting with the companions. Musailimah spoke to him and made some demands. The Holy Prophetsa responded, “If you were to ask for this datepalm branch in my hand, I would not even grant this to you.” (Mustafa Abd al-Wahid, Subul

Farhang-e-Sirat [Karachi, Pakistan: Zawwar Academy Publications, 2003], p. 321) (Urdu Da’irah Ma‘arif Islamiyyah, Vol. 23, p. 311, Zair Ihtimam Danish Gah, Lahore, 2002)

Yamama was an extremely lush and fertile area. In relation to Yamama, it is written that Yamama was one of the most beautiful cities; it was prosperous and that trees and dates could be found there in abundance. (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi,

Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 5, Zair Lafz Yamama [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah], p. 506)

Yamama was the home of Banu Hanifah, who was a tribe skilled in warfare.

In the commentary of the verse:

َ َ ُ َُ َ ۡ ُ َ َ َ ۡ ُ ‫ﻳد �قا ِتلوْن ُﻬ ۡﻢ أ ۡو ﻳُ ۡس ِل ُموْ َن‬ ٍ ‫َﺳتد َعوۡن إِل ٰﻰ قوۡ ٍم أ ْو�ِي بَﺄ ٍس ﺷ ِد‬

“You shall be called to fight against a people of mighty valour; you shall fight them until they surrender” (Ch.48: V.17), the following has been written in Tafsir alQurtubi: “Hasan states, ‘A people of mighty valour refers to Persia and Rome.’ Ibn Jubair says, ‘This refers to the tribes of Hawazin and Thaqeef.’ Zuhri and Muqatil say, ‘This refers to Banu Hanifah, who resided in Yamama and were comrades of Musailimah.’ Rafi‘ bin Khateej says, ‘We used to recite this verse, but were unaware of who these people of “mighty valour” were until Hazrat Abu Bakrra called us to fight the Banu Hanifah, it was then that we realised that it was referring to this tribe.’” (Allamah al-Qurtubi, Tafsir al-Jami‘ li Ahkam al-Qur’an, pp. 2850-2851, Zair Ayah Surah al-Fath, Dar Ibn Hazm)

When the Holy Prophetsa wrote letters to various kings to propagate the message of Islam in the beginning of 7 AH, or 6 AH according to some narrations, one such letter was addressed to the king of Yamama, Hauzah bin Ali, and the people of Yamama.

In this letter, an invitation was extended to the king and the people of Yamama to embrace Islam. When various delegations

came to Medina in 9 AH, a delegation of the Banu Hanifah from Yamama was also present. Muja‘a bin Marara was part of this delegation, whom the Holy Prophetsa granted an uninhabited land as property in accordance with his request. Rajjal bin Unfuwah was also a part of this delegation as well as Musailimah Kazzab Thumamah bin Kabir bin Habib. According to Ibn Hisham, his name was Musailimah bin Thumamah and his appellation was Abu Thumamah.

This delegation of Banu Hanifah stayed in Medina at the house of Ramlah bint Harith, a woman from the Ansar. (Imam Abu al-Hasan Ahmad bin Yahya al-Buladhari, Futuh al-Buldan [Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2000], p. 59) (Ibn Hisham, Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, Qudum Wafad Bani Hanifah [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2001], p. 852)

When delegations continuously came in order to pledge allegiance at the hands of the

Holy Prophetsa, he assigned a house where these delegations could stay. This house belonged to Ramlah bint Harith, who was a woman from the Banu Najjar. This was a very large house. (Jawad Ali, Al-Mufassil fi Tarikh al-Arab Qabl al-Islam, Vol. 5, p. 258, Maktabah Jarir, 2006)

When these people from the Banu Hanifah went to see the Holy Prophetsa, they did not take Musailimah along with them, but left him behind in order to guard their belongings. When they had accepted Islam, they mentioned Musailimah to the Holy Prophetsa and said, “O Messengersa of Allah! We left one of our companions behind to guard our belongings and carriages.” Subsequently, the Holy Prophetsa instructed to give Musailimah the same amount of presents as the others were to be given. Furthermore, the Holy Prophetsa said, “His rank is not inferior to yours as he is

al-Huda wa al-Rashad fi Sirat Khair al-Ibad, Chapter 39, fi Qufud Bani Hanifah, Vol 6 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1993], p. 326)

The narrations of Sahih al-Bukhari regarding this indicate that Musailimah did not go to meet the Holy Prophetsa; rather, the Holy Prophetsa went to meet Musailimah.

Abdullah bin Abdillah bin Utbah relates, “We received news that Musailimah Kazzab had come to Medina and gone to the house of Harith’s daughter. The daughter of Harith bin Quraiz was his wife, and the mother of Abdullah bin Aamir. The Holy Prophetsa went to see him [Musailimah]; the Holy Prophetsa was with Hazrat Thabitra bin Qais bin Shammas, who was known as the khatib [orator] of the Prophet. The Holy Prophetsa was carrying a stick in his hand.

He stood next to Musailimah and spoke to him. Musailimah said to him, ‘If you wish, we will not interfere between you and this matter.’ He continued ‘You should assign it

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AL HAKAM | Friday 17 June 2022 to us after your demise.’”

In other words, it be decided regarding the matter of prophethood, and it be granted to him after the Holy Prophetsa. This was his main demand.

“The Holy Prophetsa replied, ‘If you ask for this stick, I would not even give this to you, and I believe you are the same person who was shown to me in a dream. This is Thabit bin Qais who will answer you on my behalf.’ The Holy Prophetsa then left.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bab Qissat al-Aswad alAnsi, Hadith 4378)

Similarly, in one narration Hazrat Ibn Abbasra relates, “Musailimah Kazzab came in the time of the Holy Prophetsa and said, ‘If Muhammad[sa] makes me his successor, I will follow him.’” This clarifies the first narration that he went there along with many of his tribesmen. “The Holy Prophetsa went to him, and with him was Hazrat Thabitra bin Qais bin Shammas. The Holy Prophetsa was carrying a date-palm stick in his hand and stood before Musailimah who was with his companions. The Holy Prophetsa said, ‘If you asked me for even this piece of stick, I would not give it to you. You cannot avoid the fate you are destined to by Allah. If you turn away, Allah will destroy you. I think that you are the same person whom I have seen much about in my dream. And this is Thabit (i.e.

Thabit bin Qais), who shall answer you on my behalf.’ The Holy Prophetsa then left him and returned.” This is a narration of Sahih al-Bukhari. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bab Wafd Bani Hanifah wa Hadith Thumamah ibn Ithal, Hadith 4373)

Hazrat Ibn Abbasra narrates: “I enquired regarding what the Holy Prophetsa had stated about the person who was shown to him in a dream. Upon this, Hazrat Abu Hurairahra said to me that the Holy Prophetsa stated, ‘Once I was sleeping, and in my sleep, I saw two gold bangles in my hand. Their condition caused me to become concerned.” This was in a dream.

“During the dream, I received a revelation in which I was told to blow over them. And so, when I blew over them, they flew away.

I interpreted this to be two liars who would appear after me.’”

The narrator Ubaidullah stated that one of them was Ansi, who was killed by Fayruz in Yemen, and the other was Musailimah Kazzab. This is also a narration from Bukhari. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bab Wafd Bani Hanifah wa Hadith Thumamah ibn Ithal, Hadith 4374) (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bab Qissat al-Aswad al-Ansi, Hadith 4379)

Nonetheless, according to the aforementioned narrations, it seems that Musailimah came to Medina on more than one occasion. One occasion was when his caravan had left him behind to safeguard their belongings. At that time, he was unable to meet with the Holy Prophetsa. The second occasion was when he had come to meet the Holy Prophetsa and demanded that he be made a successor after the Holy Prophetsa. In reference to this, in Fath alBari, a commentary of Sahih al-Bukhari, it is recorded that it is quite possible that Musailimah came to Medina on two occasions. The first occasion was at a time when the chieftain of Banu Hanifah was someone other than him. In other words, he was not the chief of the tribe at the time.

The chieftain was someone else and he was subservient to him. For that reason, he was left behind to tend to their belongings. The

second occasion was when he himself had gained followers and on that very occasion, he spoke with the Holy Prophetsa. On the other hand, it is possible that it may have only been one occasion, and out of his pride and arrogance, he decided to stay back with his belongings rather than have an audience with the Holy Prophetsa. However, because of his spirit of friendship, the Holy Prophetsa treated him with respect. Furthermore, it is recorded in a hadith that he came with a large convoy, which is recorded to have consisted of 70 people. This is also evidence for the fact that Musailimah came to Medina on more than one occasion.” (Ibn Hajr ‘Asqalani, Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8 [Karachi: Qadimi Kutub Khana Maqabil Aram Bagh], 112, Hadith 4373)

Nonetheless, when this convoy returned to Yamama, the enemy of Allah the Almighty – Musailimah – became an apostate, claimed to be a prophet and said, “I have been given a share from the prophethood of the Holy Prophetsa. When you [people] mentioned me to the Prophetsa of Allah, did he not say that I am not inferior to you in rank and stature? The Holy Prophetsa only said this because he was aware of his prophethood and that I have been given a share in his mission.”

Following this, Musailimah began to fabricate revelations for the people in an attempt to copy the Holy Quran, and he exempted them from prayer. He introduced his own Shariah and gave exemption from prayer. According to one narration, he gave exemption for two prayers – namely Fajr and Isha – and deemed the consumption of alcohol and fornication permissible for the people. Alongside this, he would also testify that the Holy Prophetsa was a prophet. The Banu Hanifah accepted these terms. (Mustafa Abd al-Wahid, Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad fi Sirat Khair al-Ibad, Chapter 39, fi Qufud Bani Hanifah, Vol 6 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1993], p.

326) (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1987], p. 271)

Another factor that further strengthened Musailimah’s position was his alliance with Rajjal bin Unfuwah. He very strategically claimed that firstly, the Shariah has given such and such exemptions so as to provide ease, and that Allah the Almighty reveals to him, and simultaneously he accepted that the Holy Prophetsa was a prophet, so that those who were new converts would not feel that he was distancing them from the Holy Prophetsa. He did all this in a very hypocritical manner.

Nonetheless, it is recorded that another factor which increased Musailimah’s strength was his alliance with Rajjal bin Unfuwah. This man was also a resident of Yamama and accompanied the convoy that came from Banu Hanifah. [Originally] he migrated to Medina and came to the Holy Prophetsa, where he learned the Holy Quran and attained religious knowledge.

When Musailimah became an apostate, the Holy Prophetsa sent Rajjal bin Unfuwah to Yamama as a teacher to prevent the people from following Musailimah; however, he proved to be a greater cause of spreading disorder than Musailimah himself. When he saw that many people were accepting Musailimah, he too joined them in order to elevate himself in their sights. He was sent there to reform the people and stop the strife, but instead, he joined Musailimah’s ranks

and wrongfully attested to his prophethood.

Not only this, but he also falsely attributed a message which he claimed was sent by the Holy Prophetsa, saying that Musailimah was given a share in the prophethood of the Holy Prophetsa. He spread this far and wide.

Because he had been known to have learnt the Holy Quran, the people believed him.

When the people of Yamama saw that such a person was attesting to the prophethood of Musailimah who is from among the companions of the Holy Prophetsa and who taught the Holy Quran to others, they were left with no reason to reject Musailimah’s prophethood and came to him in flocks to pledge allegiance to him. (Muhammad Husain Haikal, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqra [translated], pp. 187188) (Tarikh Ibn Khuldun, Vol. 2, Khabr Musailimah wa al-Yamama [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub alIlmiyyah, 2016], pp. 437-438)

Musailimah also wrote a letter to the Holy Prophetsa, the text of which reads as follows: “From Musailimah, the prophet of Allah, to Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah. Half of all land belongs to me, and the other half to the Quraish. However, the Quraish do not act with justice.”

Following this, the Holy Prophetsa wrote a letter to him in response, saying: “In the name of Allah, the Gracious the Merciful. From Muhammadsa, the Prophet of Allah, addressed to Musailimah, the great liar. Surely, all the land belongs only to Allah and He grants it to whomever He pleases among His servants. Reward and recompense are granted only to those who are righteous. Peace be on those who follow guidance.” (Imam Abu al-Hasan Ahmad bin Yahya

al-Buladhari, Futuh al-Buldan [Dar al-Kutub alIlmiyyah, Beirut, 2000], pp. 59-60)

In one narration, it is recorded that Hazrat Habib bin Zaid Ansarira was the one who delivered the letter of the Holy Prophetsa to Musailimah. When he delivered this letter to Musailimah, Musailimah asked him, “Do you bear witness that Muhammadsa is the Prophet of Allah?” He replied in the affirmative. Then Musailimah asked him, “Do you bear witness that I am the prophet of Allah?” He replied, “I am deaf and cannot hear.” He averted the subject. Musailimah continued to repeat this question over and over, and every time, Hazrat Habibra would give the same answer. Musailimah wanted him to admit that he, too, was a prophet.

When he did not get the answer he was looking for, he would sever a part of his body.

He was torturing him in order to force him to answer in the affirmative, and continued to cut off parts of his body. Hazrat Habibra demonstrated exceptional patience and steadfastness until he was cut into pieces.

In defiance of him, Hazrat Habibra attained the rank of martyrdom. (Muhammad al-Salabi,

Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiqra Shakhsiyyat aur Karname, p. 349)

Musailimah raised the flags of revolt in Yamama. This was not merely a claim to prophethood; rather, it was brutality – the way he treated those who did not accept him as a prophet. Musailimah raised the flags of revolt in Yamama and banished the governor appointed by the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat Thumamah bin Uthalra, from Yamama.

(Muhammad Husain Haikal, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqra [translated by Shaikh Muhammad Ahmad Pani Piti], p. 101, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2009) (Tarikh al-Khamis, Vol. 3, p. 81, Qissah Sajah, Dar al-Kutub alIlmiyyah, Beirut, 2009)

When the Holy Prophetsa passed away, Hazrat Abu Bakrra sent various military expeditions towards the apostates. Among them was an army that was sent towards Musailimah under the command of Hazrat Ikrimahra and he also sent Hazrat Shurahbil bin Hasanahra as reinforcement. Hazrat Abu Bakrra instructed Hazrat Ikrimahra that he should not engage in battle against Musailimah until Hazrat Shurahbilra had arrived. However, Hazrat Ikrimahra acted rather hastily and launched an attack against the people of Yamama prior to the arrival of Hazrat Shurahbilra so that he could be hailed as the sole victor. However, he fell into difficulty and had to face defeat as the army of Musailimah was far greater in number.

When Hazrat Shurahbilra learnt of this, he stopped whilst en route. Following this, Hazrat Ikrimahra wrote to Hazrat Abu Bakrra in order to inform him about the incident; however, Hazrat Abu Bakrra wrote to Hazrat Ikrimahra and told him that he did not want to see him, nor should he come to see him for he had disobeyed an instruction. He further stated that he should not return lest people lost courage and instead he should go to Hazrat Huzayfara and Arfijah and he should join forces with them and fight against the people of Oman and Mahrah. Mahrah is an area located in the south of the Arabian Peninsula, to the eastern coast, bordering the Indian Ocean. He was instructed that he should go to Yemen and Hadramaut along with his army and join forces with the Muslim army. Hadramaut is also a region that is situated in western Yemen and has the coast situated to its south.

According to another narration, the letter written by Hazrat Abu Bakrra read as follows: “You do not possess the expertise of a master but at the same time you are reluctant to learn.” In other words, he did not possess the knowledge of warfare, nor was he skilled as he ought to be and yet he was reluctant to learn. “You will see how I treat you when you come before me. Why did you not wait for Shurahbil and fight with his help and cooperation? Now, go towards Huzayfa and provide them help. You have disobeyed the instruction of the Khalifa of the time. You consider yourself to be a master and do not wish to learn. Thus, you must not come to me. When you meet me, I will decide how I will deal with you, but for now go to Huzayfa and provide him with help with the expedition they have been sent on. If they do not require your help, then go to Yemen and Hadramaut and help Muhajir bin Umaiyyah.”

Hazrat Abu Bakrra had sent Muhajir bin Umaiyyah towards the Qindah tribe in Hadramaut. (Sirah Khalifah al-Rasulsa Sayyidina Abi Bakr Siddiqra, Talib al-Hashmi, p. 204) (Urdu Da’irah Ma‘arif Islamiyyah, Vol. 21, p. 898, Zair Lafz Muhrah) (Urdu Da’irah Ma‘arif Islamiyyah, Vol. 8, p. 408, Zair Lafz Hadramaut) (Hazrat Abu Bakrra ke Sar Kari Khutut, p. 24, 1960) (Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2, p. 257) (Ibn Athir, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, Vol. 2, pp. 218-219, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2006)

Hazrat Abu Bakrra told Hazrat Shurahbilra to remain there until he received further instructions. Then, prior to sending Khalidra bin Walid to Yamama, Hazrat Abu Bakrra wrote to Shurahbilra and stated that after Khalidra had reached him and they had finished their task of providing help in Yamama, he should head towards Quza‘ah and then join forces with Hazrat Amr bin

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Al-Aasra and see to the rebels in Quza‘ah who had rejected Islam and were opposing it. (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar alKutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1987], p. 275) It was not just mere rejection, but they were also opposing it. Just like Hazrat Ikrimahra, Hazrat Shurahbilra also acted in haste and started to fight against Musailimah before Hazrat Khalidra had reached, contrary to the instructions of Hazrat Abu Bakrra.

He also faced defeat upon which Hazrat Khalidra expressed his displeasure towards him. Hazrat Abu Bakrra then sent an army under the command of Hazrat Salitra as further reinforcement for Hazrat Khalidra in order to provide defence for the rear of the army. (Ibn Athir, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, Vol. 2, p. 219, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2006)

Hazrat Abu Bakrra sent Hazrat Khalidra towards Musailimah and also sent an army consisting of Muhajirin and Ansar in order to provide him with further help. Hazrat Abu Bakrra appointed Hazrat Thabitra bin Qais as the leader for the Ansar and Hazrat Abu Huzayfara and Zaidra bin Khattab as the leader of the Muhajirin. Furthermore, he appointed an in-charge for each tribe.

Hazrat Khalidra was waiting for the arrival of this army in Butah. Butah is a region in the area belonging to Bani Tamim.

In any case, when they all reached where Hazrat Khalidra was, they all departed towards Yamama. The Banu Hanifah that day were in great numbers and their total number of soldiers was 40,000. These 40,000 people were from Yamama and had joined forces with Musailimah. And according to another narration, they numbered 100,000 or even more. On the other hand, the Muslims were only over 10,000. (Ibn Kathir, Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, Vol. 3, Ch. 6 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah] p. 267) (Sayyid Fadl al-Rahman, Farhang-e-Sirat [Karachi, Pakistan: Zawwar Academy Publications, 2003], p. 58)

Prior to the main battle commencing, the Muslims were able to capture one of the leaders of the Banu Hanifah. It has been

mentioned in a narration that Muja‘ah bin Mararah was one of the leaders of the Banu Hanifah and he left along with a group of soldiers but he and his men were captured by the Muslims. Hazrat Khalidra killed his men and kept Muja‘ah alive because he was afforded great respect by the Banu Hanifah.

(Ibn Athir, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, Vol. 2, pp. 219-220, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2006) (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2012], p. 278)

Further details regarding this are as follows: When Hazrat Khalidra arrived in an area called Arid, he sent 200 horsemen ahead and instructed them that they should capture whoever they find. These horsemen left and captured Muja‘ah bin Mararah Hanafi, along with 23 of his fellow tribesmen, who had left in search of a person from the Banu Numair.

They had come out not knowing that Hazrat Khalidra had arrived. The Muslims enquired who they were and they replied that they were from the Banu Hanifah. The Muslims thought that these were envoys of Musalyimah sent towards Hazrat Khalidra, and so the next morning when they came before one another, the Muslims took them to Hazrat Khalidra. When Hazrat Khalidra saw them, he also thought that they were with Musailimah and so he asked, “O Banu Hanifah, what do you have to say regarding your leader, Musailimah?” They bore testimony that he was the messenger of Allah. Upon this, Hazrat Khalidra asked Muja‘ah as to what he had to say and he replied, “By God, I only left to go in search of a person belonging to the Banu Numair tribe, who had killed someone from our tribe and I am not from among the close associates of Musailimah.”

Perhaps this was the reason, or he denied this owing to fear. [He further stated,] “I presented myself before the Messengersa of Allah and I accepted Islam and I am still of the same belief.”

The rest of the people were brought and Hazrat Khalidra had them killed. Only

Sariyah bin Musailimah bin Aamir was left and at the time, he said, “O Khalid! If you wish for any goodness or evil for the people of Yamama, then keep Muja‘ah alive because he will be able to help you in both the state of war and peace.”

Muja‘ah was a leader, therefore Hazrat Khalidra did not kill him. Hazrat Khalidra liked what Sariya had said and so he kept him alive as well. Hazrat Khalidra instructed regarding them both that they should be shackled with metal chains. Whenever he would call for Muja‘ah, he would appear whilst shackled and he would converse with him in this very state. Muja‘ah thought that Hazrat Khalidra would have him killed and so whilst in a conversation with him, he said, “O Ibn Mughirah!” This was Hazrat Khalid’sra title. “I am a Muslim. By Allah, I have not rejected the faith and I had appeared before the Holy Prophetsa and accepted Islam and I did not set out for war.” He then mentioned about searching for a member of the Numair tribe. Hazrat Khalidra replied that “there is very little distance left between deciding whether to kill you or to imprison you for Allah the Almighty shall reveal His verdict regarding the battle between us.”

Thereafter, Hazrat Khalidra placed him under the supervision of his wife, whom he had married after Malik bin Nuwairah had been killed. He instructed his wife to take good care of him. Muja‘ah thought that perhaps Khalidra wanted to keep him as a prisoner so that he could disclose information about the enemy. And so, he stated, “Are you aware that I appeared before the Holy Prophetsa and accepted Islam.” He would continue to repeat this “and thereafter I returned to my people and even today I am still in the same state [of belief].”

However, the events that unfolded later revealed that these were all lies, that is, he was in the same state [of belief] as he was in the past. (Al-Iktifa bima Tadmanuhu min Maghazi Rasul Allah wa al-Thalathah al-Khulafa, Vol. 2, p. 119, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1420 AH)

After dealing with the people who were

along with Muja‘ah, Hazrat Khalidra left for Yamama. Upon hearing of the arrival [of Hazrat Khalidra], Musailimah left for battle along with the people of Banu Hanifah and settled in Aqraba. This was a place on the outskirts of Yamama, situated near the green pastures and fields of Yamama.

Khalidra formulated a strong strategy. He would never consider the army to be weak and he would always prepare his utmost and take every caution on the battlefield, lest the enemy launch a sudden attack or conspire against them. Among the qualities mentioned about him is that he would never sleep himself and would tell others to go to sleep. He would spend the night in full preparation for battle and no information about the enemy would remain hidden from him. The time had now come to organise the army [on the battlefield]. The flagbearer in this battle was Hazrat Abdullah bin Hafas bin Ghanim. The flag was then assigned to Hazrat Salimra, the freed slave of Abu Huzayfara. During this battle, Hazrat Khalidra sent Hazrat Shurahbilra ahead of the army and divided the Muslim army into five contingents. He appointed Hazrat Khalid Makhzumira to be at the front, Hazrat Abu Huzaifahra over the right flank, Hazrat Shuja‘ahra over the left flank, Hazrat Zaid bin Khattabra in the middle and Usamah bin Zaidra was appointed commander over the cavalry. The camels were kept at the rear of the army which were laden with their tents and where the women were situated. This was the final formation before the battle commenced. (Muhammad al-Salabi, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiqra Shakhsiyyat aur Karname , p. 357, 358)

On the opposite end, the army of Musailimah was also ready for battle.

Musailimah’s son, Shurahbil said to his tribe, “O Banu Hanifah! Today is the day to display your honour. If you suffer defeat today, then your women will be taken as slaves and they will be taken advantage of without the marriage ceremony. Thus, show all your valour for the sake of safeguarding your honour and respect and protect your women.” (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh

al-Tabari, Vol. 2, Dhikr Baqiyyat Khabr Musailimah al-Kazzab wa Qaumihi min Ahl al-Yamama [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2012], p. 278)

Nonetheless, a fierce battle took place.

The battle was so ferocious that the Muslims had never faced such an intense battle. The Muslims retreated – here they were forced to retreat as well. The people of the Banu Hanifah came to rescue Muja‘ah and headed towards the tent of Hazrat Khalidra. Hazrat Khalidra had set out from his tent and so they were able to reach Muja‘ah, who was under the supervision of Hazrat Khalid’sra wife. The apostates wanted to kill Hazrat Khalid’sra wife; however, Muja‘ah stopped them and said he gave her refuge. For this reason, they left her. Muja‘ah told them to attack the men. On the one hand, he claimed that he was a Muslim, but on the other hand, he told the enemies to attack the [Muslim] men and they then ripped open the tent. (Ibn

Athir, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, Dhkir Musailimah wa Ahl al-Yamama, Vol. 2, p. 221, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

Despite the Muslim army retreating, the determination, resolve, bravery and perseverance of Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid did not waver in the slightest. It did not cross his mind even for a second that he may face defeat. Hazrat Khalidra instructed

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AL HAKAM | Friday 17 June 2022 his army, “O Muslims! Spread out”, i.e. each tribe should fight separately and fight in this way against the enemy so that everyone can see which tribe showed the most bravery in the battle. This announcement implied that the Muslims were to fight under the banner of their respective tribes. This instilled a new spirit amongst each and every tribe; through this, it developed within them a sense of excelling one another and proving their bravery. (Muhammad Husain Haikal, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqra [translated], pp. 195-196)

The Muslims encouraged each other.

Further details of this are that Hazrat Thabitra bin Qais said, “O Muslims! How dreadful is that which you made yourself used to”, i.e. if they have become used to comfort and ease then that is a bad thing. The companions raised each other’s spirits for the battle, and said, “O People of Surah al-Baqarah! Today the spell will be broken.”

Hazrat Thabitra bin Qais dug the ground, halfway up to his calf and buried himself inside it. He was carrying the flag of the Ansar and he rubbed “hanut” over himself.

Among the Arabs there was a tradition that whoever wished to demonstrate their bravery, they would do this. It was to show that they were ready to do to themselves that which people would usually do to them after their death, i.e. they would bury themselves half in the ground to show that they were ready to die. Hanut was a mixture of fragrances which would be used to embalm corpses after they had been washed, this balm would protect the body from decay for a certain time. Nonetheless, in this narration it is mentioned that he made all preparations for burial – as it were – and then remained resolute in front of the enemy, until he attained martyrdom.

(Ibn Kathir, Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, Vol. 3, Ch. 6 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2001] p.

320) (Feroz al-Lughat Urdu, p. 609, Zair Lafz Hanut)

There are further details of these accounts which will be mentioned in the future, insha-Allah.

At present, I wish to mention some deceased members. The first is of a martyr, Abdus Salam Sahib, who was martyred recently; he was the son of Master Munawar Ahmad Sahib, Sadr Jamaat L-Plot, Okarah.

He was martyred on 17 May at the age of 35.

An opponent of Ahmadiyyat attacked him with a dagger and martyred him.

َ ‫إنَّا ل ِ ّٰل ِه َوإنَّٓا إل َ ۡي ِه َراج ُع‬ ‫ون‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ

[“Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”]

According to the reports, Abdus Salam Sahib left his home for an errand along with his two young children, Qamar Islam, aged six and Badr Islam aged four and a half; in fact, he was called outside to get the water connections of the house fixed; it seems as though this was part of the plan and the enemy attacked him from behind.

Nonetheless, when he came out of his house, an opponent of Ahmadiyyat, Hafiz Ali Raza, also known as Mulazim Husain followed behind him and attacked him with a dagger.

This took place in the evening. Owing to this attack, Abdus Salam Sahib was unable to recover from his injuries and died at the scene in front of his two young children.

In the initial attack from behind, it penetrated his kidney, after which the assailant attacked his intestine [region] and then stabbed him in the heart. Nonetheless, he was martyred in front of his children and

the assailant ran away.

Such people wish to enter Paradise by killing Ahmadis. The killer was a student of the local Madrasa, Jamia Aminia Faridia, L-Plot of the district of Okarah. Two days prior to this, he graduated from the hifz course [memorising the Holy Quran] of this madrasa. In the passing out ceremony organised by the madrasa, a cleric said to the graduating class in his speech – the ceremony was for the hifz class – that they ought to take action against the Ahmadiyya Jamaat; he deliberately incited them and encouraged them to take drastic action.

Nonetheless, the way in which they wish for people to attain Paradise, they are not only paving their own way to Hell, but are pushing others into Hell as well.

Ahmadiyyat was introduced into the family of the deceased martyr through his great paternal grandfather, Hazrat Nabi Baksh Sahibra, from Phambian of Hoshiarpur district, who was a companion of the Promised Messiahas. The deceased’s grandfather, Respected Muhammad Siddiq Sahib was an Ahmadi by birth. After the formation of Pakistan, they settled in Okarah. The deceased martyr completed his education up to secondary school and passed the matriculation examinations.

After this, he began farming. He was part of the blessed Waqf-e-Nau scheme. His mother says that when she would say to him that he is a Waqf-e-Nau and two of his brothers had become missionaries but he did not, the deceased would reply, “I am helping them. Perhaps Allah will accept this service from me, which I am doing for the rest of the family.” This is because the entire family was supported by him through his farm work etc. He supported everyone financially. At the time, he was serving as qaid of Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya and by the grace of Allah, he was part of the AlWasiyyat scheme.

He was very sociable and loving.

Whoever would meet him, they would form a close bond with him. Even the nonAhmadis who knew him have said that this was a great injustice; however, nobody has the courage to speak up against the terrorist clerics. Decency and morals have become completely subdued in Pakistan.

Nevertheless, the brothers and relatives of the deceased have written that he had unbound love for Khilafat. He would discreetly assist the poor irrespective if they were Ahmadi or non-Ahmadi. Hospitality of guests was one of his key traits, and he would especially look after the guests from the centre. All of his family members have written that he was known as a youth who was courageous and fearless. In the past, the deceased was targeted on two Eid days; however, at the time he was protected by Allah the Almighty, but now, this was what was decreed for him.

The deceased martyr is survived by his father, Respected Master Munawar Ahmad Sahib, President of the Jamaat in L-Plot, district of Okarah, his mother, Shamshad Kauthar Sahiba, as well as his wife, Farzana Irum and three young children; Qamar Islam, aged six years, Badr Islam, aged four and a half years, and a daughter Sehr, who is one year and six months. The deceased is also survived by four brothers; among whom, Zahoor Ilahi Touqir Sahib is a missionary serving in the Research Cell, and Hafiz Anwaar Ahmad Sahib is a missionary

serving in Pakistan; from the remaining two brothers, one is in London and one is in Rabwah. He leaves behind three sisters, one of whom lives here in the UK and is the wife of Zeeshan Khalid Sahib from Manchester, one sister lives in Kuwait and the third sister also lives in London.

May Allah the Almighty elevate the rank of the martyr and grant him a lofty rank in the highest station in Paradise, may Allah the Almighty safeguard and help the innocent children, wife, parents and all relatives of the deceased.

He was martyred in front of his innocent children; what would be their condition and sentiments, only Allah knows best. It is said that the elder son, who is six years old and witnessed the incident is completely silent for now. It is only Allah that can grant them patience and comfort, may Allah safeguard the children Himself and may He punish the enemy for their ill deeds.

The second mention is of Zulfiqar Ahmad, son of Sheikh Saeedullah Sahib of Faisalabad who recently passed away at the age of 36 due to heart failure, in a hotel while visiting Azerbaijan.

َ ‫إنَّا ل ِ ّٰل ِه َوإنَّٓا إل َ ۡي ِه َراج ُع‬ ‫ون‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ

[“Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”]

Ahmadiyyat was established in his family through his great-paternal grandfather Hazrat Sheikh Rahmatullah Sahibra who was a companion of the Promised Messiahas and was the son of Hazrat Sheikh Janda Sahibra who was also a companion of the Promised Messiahas. Hazrat Sheikh Rahmatullahra had a convenience store near Masjid Mubarak [Qadian]. After accepting Ahmadiyyat, he moved to Qadian from his nearby village Tokal Wala.

Once someone complained to Hazrat Maulana Nuruddin Sahib, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira saying that there should not be a shop so close to the mosque. Hazrat Maulvi Sahibra mentioned this to the Promised Messiahas, who said that these people were the Ashab-e-Suffah. (Ashab-e-Ahmad, Vol. 10, pp. 187-188) Allah the Almighty then granted these Ashab-e-Suffah ease in every way and increased their progenies as well. In 2005, the deceased obtained a BSc honours degree in textiles from Manchester University, after which he looked after the family business.

Despite immense worldly success, his humility was exemplary. He had associations with people from all walks of life and he treated everyone with great respect and honour and dealt with them all as his friends and brothers. He took great care of his workers and treated them kindly. He would be at the forefront of giving alms and would also participate in giving donations to hospitals etc. He would offer donations for Jamaat chanda under every category; in fact, he himself would remind the finance secretary to collect his donations, and to inform him about the various schemes and collect donations for them. He participated a great deal in the various projects under Humanity First. He built homes for people and facilitated the marriage ceremonies of the poor. He would always try to learn something useful whenever he met people and try to implement those things in his life.

He would especially render service to others during the month of Ramadan.

The deceased and his parents also

had a mosque built in Belize which was a grand project and by the grace of Allah the Almighty, a very beautiful mosque has been built there. It has been written about him that he would stop whatever he was doing and take time out to offer prayers.

He had also made reciting the Holy Quran a regular part of his life. He ensured the offering of prayer in congregation at home when restrictions were placed on going to the mosque. On one occasion, he had gone to visit Malaysia when police came to a Jamaat mosque and arrested Jamaat members and so he too had the honour of being a prisoner in the way of Allah for a short time. The deceased is survived by his wife, two children, his parents, five brothers and a sister. His mother Asifa Saeed Sahiba is the Sadr Lajna of District Faisalabad. May Allah the Almighty grant everyone patience.

Dr Hamid Mahmood Sahib writes about him: “He had a special sense of attachment and love for Ahmadiyyat and Khilafat.

He would use his social, political and administrative contacts to try and help people and considered it his duty to go above and beyond in serving those who needed help. He also considered it his duty to silently help anyone he saw was facing difficulty. He always tried to do these things discreetly and without making himself known.”

Dr Masood ul Hassan Noori Sahib says: “Zulfiqar was a very pious, dignified and sincere young Ahmadi.” He says, “When I came to know him, I became well-aware of his abilities. He would be at the forefront of presenting financial sacrifices in the various schemes of Humanity First. His passion for sacrifice and generosity were of a very high level and he would offer hundreds of thousands of rupees at a time. At the same time, he was filled with humility.”

May Allah the Almighty grant him forgiveness and mercy and grant his parents and his wife patience and fortitude. May He protect his children and enable them to carry on his virtues.

The third mention is of respected Malik Tabassum Maqsood Sahib of Canada who recently passed away.

َ ‫إنَّا ل ِ ّٰل ِه َوإنَّٓا إل َ ۡي ِه َراج ُع‬ ‫ون‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ

[“Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”]

His father, Malik Maqsood Ahmad Sahib was martyred on 28 May 2010 in the attack on Dar-ul-Dhikr, Lahore. His father, Malik Maqsood Ahmad Shaheed’s maternal grandfather was Hazrat Malik Ali Bakhsh Sahibra of Bhopal, who was a companion of the Promised Messiahas and decided to pledge allegiance to him after hearing his lecture in Sialkot.

Malik Tabassum Maqsood Sahib dedicated his life [to the Jamaat] in 1991. In 2006, he was appointed to nazarat umur-eama where he served as naib nazir umure-ama. Then in 2011, he was appointed as the legal advisor in Tahrik-e-Jadid. Then in 2016, with my permission, he went to Canada along with the other families of martyrs. Initially he did not wish to go, but then agreed to go upon my advice. In Canada he served in the departments of umur-e-ama , jaidad and also as nazim darul-qaza. He was regular in offering prayers and keeping fasts; he offered Tahajjud regularly, had a deep connection with the

Friday 17 June 2022 | AL HAKAM

20 Holy Quran, was firmly attached to Khilafat and would hearken to the call of the Khalifa of the time. He was very pious and kind. He is survived by his mother, wife, a son and three daughters. His only son, Dr Athar Ahmad is a life-devotee and his son-inlaw, Omar Farooq Sahib is a missionary.

The deceased was also the nephew of Tahir Ahmad Sahib, Amir Jamaat District Lahore.

His daughter, Raziya Tabassum writes: “He had a passion for tabligh; one night, he had gone out for tabligh when some boys attacked him. He managed to escape but during the scuffle he was struck in the eye causing an injury and he returned home with great difficulty. He did not tell anyone, and it was only years later when he started experiencing an issue with his eye that he showed the doctors who said that this was due to an old injury, at which time he mentioned the incident that had occurred.

He was very pleased with the fact that his vision was weakened due to spreading the message of the Promised Messiahas.”

Malik Tahir Ahmad Sahib writes: “Tabassum Maqsood was inclined towards virtues since his childhood. He served both in the auxiliary organisations as well as Jamaat administration. He was firmly attached to Khilafat and he always ensured to remain obedient to the system of the Jamaat. He was modest and put his trust in God. He raised his children in an excellent manner and strove to establish in them a firm connection with Khilafat and the system of the Jamaat.”

Hafiz Muhammad Akram Qureshi Sahib, Naib Wakil-ul-Mal II says: “I have known him for a very long time and we were also neighbours. He was very sincere, loyal, kind, had a passion for serving humanity and was wholly devoted to Khilafat. He had firm faith in God Almighty.

Once, he was explaining to someone about the recognition of God and I saw tears flowing from his eyes out of love for God and His Greatness.”

He further writes, “Once, someone who worked with him told me that he advised him saying, ‘My advice is, do not look towards what others do nor listen to anyone else; rather, protect your belief and never let go of the mantle of Khilafat for there is no peace anywhere else.’

“He was deeply attached to the Jamaat from his time in Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya and was ever ready to sacrifice his life, wealth, time and honour. He was an active, healthy and fit young man. He was strongly-built, tall and was a sportsman. He would use all of his abilities to help serve the Jamaat. He also obtained his license to practice [law] in the Supreme Court at an early age. He had extraordinary skills and experience in various fields and he had also travelled the world.”

He always remained within his means and was humble and never showed conceit or arrogance.

May Allah the Almighty grant him forgiveness and mercy and enable his progeny to carry on his virtues.

The exemplary young Companions Hazrat Salmanra the Persian was the governor of Madain and received 5,000 dinars per month as a salary. Despite this, he used to weave mats to earn a living. As for the salary, he would spend it all in the way of Allah.

Read the series on “The exemplary young Companions” at www.alhakam.org/ExemplaryCompanions

(Official Urdu transcript published in Al Fazl International, 10 June 2022, pp. 5-10. Translated by The Review of Religions.)

Editor: Qaasid Muin Ahmad | Design & Layout: Jalees Ahmad | Sub-Editorial: Ataul Fatir Tahir, Aqeel Ahmed Kang | News: Ata-ul-Haye Nasir | © Al Hakam 2022