Al Hakam - 8 October 2021

From the Markaz National amila and qaideen of Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Canada present summary of activities to Huzoor

Naseer Malik

Answers to Everyday Issues

Ahmadi who bowled the first ball for Pakistan in the firstever Cricket World Cup

Free will & divine decree, judging people’s actions and dispelling fear of nonMuslims about Islam

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Page 12

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Panic attack at the podium A blessing in disguise

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THE WEEKLY

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www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 8 October 2021 | Issue CLXXXVI Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL. UK info@alhakam.org | ISSN 2754-7396

Work hard and excel in studies

Like for your brother what you like for yourself

Khuddam students from Canada meet Hazrat

Hazrat Anasra narrates that the Holy Prophetsa said: “None of you will have faith till he wishes for his brother what he likes for himself.”

Khalifatul Masih V

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

َ​َ ْ َ َ ّ ٰ َّ َ َ َّ َّ َ ‫ ع ِن‬،‫ﺲ‬ ‫الن ِ� ِّ� َﺻلی الل ُہ َ�ل ْی ِہ َو َسل َم قال‬ ٍ َ �‫عن أ‬ َ ُ َ ُ َ ُ ُ ْ ْ َ ُ ‫لا ﻳُﺆ ِم ُن أ َحد� ْم َح ّتی � ِح ّب ل� ِﺧی ِہ َما � ِح ّب ل َِنف ِس ِہ‬

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Iman, Hadith 13)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words

Develop in yourselves a pure transformation

Photo courtesy of @AMYACanada/Twitter

Students from Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya Canada were blessed with a virtual meeting with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa on Sunday, 3 October 2021.

The meeting started with a recitation from the Holy Quran by Azeem Cheema Sahib and the English translation of the verses was read out by Tahir Mazhar Sahib.

An Urdu poem, written by the Promised Messiahas, was then recited by Aqil Butt Sahib. The English translation of the couplets was read out by Burhan Goraya Sahib.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa then turned to Sadr Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Canada, Zubair Afzal Sahib and asked how many students were present. Sadr Sahib reported 168 students were present.

Sadr Sahib then requested Huzooraa for permission for the students to ask questions.

The first student, Hamzah Sahib, asked,

“Due to Covid-19, there has been an increase in various mental health issues, especially in students. What advice would you give to Ahmadi youth to help them cope with such issues?”

Huzooraa asked Hamzah Sahib if he had “collected any data” and seen how many students had suffered due to Covid-19.

Huzooraa continued: “It is generally said that [the] cause of the mental health issues among students – one of the causes – is Covid because they are not going outside, they are not allowed to be involved in their activities, studies and other extracurricular activities, sports […]

“But for an Ahmadi student, you must remember that Allah the Almighty says […]

ُ​ُۡ ۡ َ ّٰ ۡ َ ‫الَا ِب ِﺬ� ِر الل ِہ تط َم ِ� ُّن القلوۡ ُب‬

“That if you remember Allah, then it will give comfort to your heart. So, an Ahmadi

student during these days should bow before Allah, he should pray his five daily prayers more fervently than before, he should try to do the tilawat of the Holy Quran and seek guidance from the Holy Quran”.

Huzooraa said that by reading the Holy Quran, students should find the “purpose of life” and the ways in which Allah the Almighty says that comfort of the heart could be achieved. Huzooraa said, “The best way is the remembrance of Allah.”

Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa then referred to his recent address to Lajna Imaillah UK where he addressed these matters. (Al Hakam’s translation of this address can be read in the 20 August 2021 issue of Al Hakam, pp. 18-25) Speaking on the social cause of mental Continued on page 3

What is most significant for our community is that they develop within themselves a pure transformation, for they are blessed with fresh insight of the Divine. If a person claims to be the recipient of divine insight but does not act accordingly, then such claims are nothing more than vain boasts. Hence, the indolence of others must not make our community negligent and must not embolden them to become idle, nor should they become hard-hearted on witnessing the indifference of others.

Man possesses many longings and desires, but who has knowledge of the hidden decrees of fate? Life does not transpire in accordance with one’s yearnings. The ongoing desires of man are one thing and the phenomenon of divine destiny and decree is another; and the latter always prevails. The course that a person’s life takes is known to God, Who knows what is written in their book of fate. Hence, an individual ought to awaken their heart to make it vigilant.

(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 246)

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Friday 8 October 2021 | AL HAKAM

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

Visit: www.alhakam.org/answers

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AL HAKAM | Friday 8 October 2021 Continued from page 1

health issues, Huzooraa said that those who were involved in worldly things, would be more likely to suffer from mental health issues because they had frustrations – their priorities were different, which was why they suffered.

“If your priority is to seek nearness to Allah the Almighty, to get close to Allah the Almighty, then I can say at least 95% of your frustrations will be removed.”

The next question was by Tahmeed Sahib who asked, “The Promised Messiahas mentions that followers in his Community ‘will excel in knowledge and will confound all others with the light of their truth, reasoning and signs.’ Beloved Huzoor, how can we become a part of these blessed members?”

Huzooraa said: “To achieve anything, you have to work hard. If a student is hard-working who believes in Allah the Almighty, and a student is also hard-working who does not believe in Allah the Almighty, and both are trying to achieve and excel in their knowledge and wisdom, Allah the Almighty will give reward to both of them since both of them are working hard to achieve their goal and objective. But, for a person who is a religious person, who believes in Allah the Almighty and thinks that ‘I am from the community of the Promised Messiahas whom Allah the Almighty has promised that He will excel his followers in wisdom and knowledge’, then he has to pray to Allah the Almighty that ‘both of us are working hard to achieve this goal, but I believe in You, so I pray to You that You give me more wisdom and give better results of my effort.’

“In this way, you can have better results.

Otherwise, if you are not praying to Allah the Almighty, you are not discharging your duties you owe to Allah the Almighty, you are not following the commandments of Allah the Almighty, then you will not achieve these things.”

Huzooraa said having and practising faith and believing in Allah the Almighty should not be seen as a “negative point”; rather, it was “a plus point, because you are not only achieving all these goals here in this world, but it will also help you in the Hereafter.”

Huzooraa said if one “works hard” and tries to “excel” in their respective field, then “insha-Allah, you will succeed and excel. But if you half-heartedly discharge the duties you owe to Allah the Almighty, then the result will not be as favourable, as positive as you think it should have been.

“For a believer, you have to keep in mind you have to discharge your duties you owe to Allah the Almighty, alongside working hard in your field of study.”

Next, Talha Sahib, a post-graduate student, asked, “What is the best way for a student to manage his obligations towards Khilafat, his studies, his family and towards his physical and mental health?”

Huzooraa said his question should have first been, “How best can we discharge the duties we owe to Allah the Almighty – huquq-ul-Allah?”

Huzooraa continued: “If you discharge your duties to Allah the Almighty, the ultimate result of that will be that you will be discharging your duties for Khilafat as well. What does the Khalifa say? That you bring a big change in your life,

you try to be closer to Allah the Almighty, you offer your five daily prayers, you do tilawat of the Holy Quran daily, you find out the commandments given in the Holy Quran and try to practise those things, find out what are the dos and don’ts in the Holy Quran […] These are your obligations.”

In terms of managing time for studies, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa advised: “Secondly, your studies. As long as you are a student, you have to work hard. Your goal and objective should be to excel in your studies, as I have already said, for that you will have to work hard.

“A good Russian student studies almost 12-13 hours a day; do you spend that much time in your studies? If not, then it means there’s still a gap and you have to fill that gap. You have to work hard […]

“Offering your five daily prayers, you spend only two hours. If you offer nawafil [voluntary prayers], another extra one hour or 45 minutes. So three hours. And your body also has a right on you and that is you must have some sleep and that should be up to six hours. So six, plus three for prayers – nine hours.

“And if you are praying fervently for three hours, you are trying to pray as has been commanded to us by Allah the Almighty, then if you work for 11 hours or 10 hours, even then it will be equivalent to the work or study done by [a] non-believer for 14 hours […]

“So, nine hours plus 10 hours, 19 hours?

Plus, one and a half hour for your eating [etc.] 20 hours and 30 minutes? Then, one hour outside, games and play, or any recreation. 21 hours and 30 minutes? And then give some time to your family, have a good chat with them, discussion [etc.] in

one hour, that is enough. 22 hours and 30 minutes? Then for studying – increasing your knowledge, general knowledge, 30 minutes to one hour.

“In this, you have to do some time management. So, you manage your time in this way that you excel in your study – you will be discharging your duty towards Allah the Almighty and as result, towards Khilafat and to your religion, to your Jamaat. And on the weekends, you give some time to your Jamaat – Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya work.

And then at the same time, spend [the] weekend with your family members as well.

“You make a plan for five working days and two weekend days. This is how you can manage and do justice. You have to find out the ways on your own.”

Another student said, “Some of us khuddam feel at times that we are ready for marriage; however, when we discuss this with our parents, we are often discouraged or told that ‘you are not ready to carry this big responsibility’. What is beloved Huzoor’s advice on discussing this topic with parents?”

As the khadim asked the question, Huzooraa asked his age, to which he said he was 18 years old. To this, Huzooraa said the khadim was still young, but he could still get married.

Huzooraa said: “You shouldn’t worry at this age. Anyway, if you get married, no problem – I don’t have any objection. I would actually like it if you got married.”

Going into detail about the correct age of marriage, Huzooraa advised: “If you get married at this age, I will be happy.

“You see, if you are an irresponsible boy

and your behaviour is just as irresponsible, which your parents can observe in you, then obviously they will say you are not ready to carry the big responsibility. But if you show responsible behaviour, then they will not say this. “[The actual question is] who will be ready to marry you? Obviously, the girl would like that the husband should be working somewhere, earning some money, so that he can meet the expenses and can run household affairs, all these things, right?

“If you’re ready and you can do it without depending on your parents, then you should get married.

“In the olden days, when boys used to get married at an early age, they were not relying on their parents – they would earn their own money and they would run their family affairs on their own.”

Addressing the khadim, Huzooraa, with a smile, said: “If you’re ready to do that, and you get married now, today and immediately after this meeting, I won’t have any objection.

You see, your resources are limited and you are still studying and you are relying on your parents even on your studies; you take pocket money from your parents and when you get married then your wife will also demand some pocket money, you will ask your father again, ‘Give me some more money so that I can give to my wife’, no?

Then how can you get married, right?

“But if you have a job, yes, you should get married as early as possible. Immediately after you complete your studies and you find some job, then you can get married”.

Huzooraa said in some cases, Continued on next page >>

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circumstances were different and the parents should be able to differentiate the circumstances. Huzooraa said to the khadim that if there was a special case and the khadim needed Huzoor’s special recommendation, then he could write to Huzooraa directly and “I will personally approach your parents to help you”, Huzooraa said.

The next question asked was how one could stay protected from Satan.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said: “Allah the Almighty has asked us to pray to Allah the Almighty:

َ َّ ّٰ ُ ُ َ ّ ‫ان‬ ‫الرَ ِج ْی ِم‬ ِ ‫اعوْذ ِبالل ِہ ِم َن الش ْیط‬

“This is the prayer given to us by Allah the Almighty Himself. If, at any time, you think Satan is trying to overcome you then say:

َ َّ ّٰ ُ ُ َ ّ ‫ان‬ ‫الرَ ِج ْی ِم‬ ِ ‫اعوْذ ِبالل ِہ ِم َن الش ْیط‬

“Say istighfar: َ َُ َ َْ ُّ ّٰ ْ َ ‫ا ْس َتغفِ ُرالل َہ َربِّ ْی ِم ْن ک ِل ذن ٍب ّوات ْو ُب اِل ْی ِہ‬ “There are so many other prayers:

ُ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َّ َ َ ‫نف َس َنا َوإن لَّ ْم تَ ْغ ِف ْر ل َ َنا َوتَ ْر َح ْم َنا ل َ َن ُكون َ َّن ِم َن ال ْ َخا ِس ِر‬ ‫ين‬ ‫ربنا ظلمنا أ‬ ِ

“When Satan attacked Adam, peace be upon him, then he prayed this [above]. َْ ُ َ َ ّ َْ ُ ْ َ ْ ‫َر ِ ّب اِن ِ ْی ظل ْمت نف ِس ْی َو اعت َرفت بِذن ِب ْی‬ “So there are so many prayers.

“So you should seek Allah’s help and if you are fervently praying in your five daily prayers and seeking Allah’s help and asking Him to protect you from the attacks of Satan, then Allah the Almighty will save you, insha-Allah.

“And, at the same time, you should loathe and hate the things which are taking you towards Satan.”

Huzooraa said adult content, and other immoral content on television and the Internet and on social media like on Instagram and Facebook etc., should be avoided to be protected from Satan.

Huzooraa said, “They are all taking you towards satanic things, so just avoid those things.”

For when a bad thought arose in someone’s mind, the advice Huzooraa gave was: َ َّ ّٰ ُ ُ َ “Then immediately say ‫ان‬ ِ ‫اعوْذ ِبالل ِہ ِم َن الش ْیط‬ َ ّ and say istighfar. ‫الر ِج ْی ِم‬ “You have to be determined and firm if you want to avoid Satanic attacks, you have to fight with Satan.”

Next, Fahad Sahib asked, “How can students who get anxious in front of a crowd be able to improve their public speaking skills?”

Huzooraa lovingly responded, “You don’t seem to be such a person, are you?”

Fahad Sahib said he sometimes did feel anxious while speaking in public. Huzooraa then asked Fahad Sahib what situations he faced in terms of public speaking.

Fahad Sahib said he would have to give presentations at times in university etc.

Advising on public speaking, Huzooraa said: “Before going in this type of function, you should stand before the mirror and repeat your speech and address three to four times loudly.” This would give some confidence, Huzooraa said.

Huzooraa further advised: “Secondly, you must think that all those before you, in front of you, are just ignorant

people and you are the only knowledgeable person. Then it will also develop some confidence in you, create some confidence in you.

“And also seek Allah’s help. Pray to Allah the Almighty that Allah the Almighty help ْ ّ ‫[ا ْھدنَا‬Guide us in the you. Say ‫الص َر َاط ال ُم ْس َتق ِْی ِم‬ ِ ِ ِ ٰ ّ ْ َ ْ َّ ‫الل ِہ‬ ّ ‫ان‬ ‫[ ِبس ِم‬In the name right path] and ‫الر ِح ْی ِم‬ ِ ‫الرح َم‬ of Allah the Gracious the Merciful]. So, in this way, you will also get some strength.”

Shehzad Sahib asked whether money sent to friends and relatives was considered sadqa [charity].

Huzooraa said that the intention would be the deciding factor. Huzooraa narrated the hadith of the Holy Prophetsa that “deeds are determined by intentions alone.” If someone was giving the money as sadaqah, then it would be so. And if someone was giving it as a gift, then it would be a gift. It was all about the intention, Huzooraa emphasised.

Discussing the way of the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat Amrul Momineenaa said: “Once, a person brought some goat meat for the Holy Prophetsa and the Holy Prophetsa asked, ‘Where did you get it from’.

He said, ‘Somebody sent this as sadaqah for me’ […] The Holy Prophetsa said, ‘It is a sadaqah for you, but since you have brought it for me, you are not giving me sadaqah, you have brought [it] here for me to eat as a gift. So, it is a gift for me, so I can eat it.’”

Huzooraa said, “It all depends on the intention.”

Further, Huzooraa said, “You should be generous; why should you give sadaqah to your relatives and friends? You should give them a gift if you want to help them.”

Commenting on the way Shehzad Sahib spoke, Huzooraa lovingly said, “You also speak Urdu in a French accent, not only English.”

Faizan Sahib, who said he was a secondyear perceptual neuroscience student, asked, “With the situation of the pandemic, we have seen the rise of technology greatly influence ourselves. What is Huzoor’s guidance regarding the study of technological advances and how it can help the Jamaat and serve humanity?”

Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said: “Who has given you the wisdom and brain […]? Allah the Almighty. So, it means it is Allah’s work. Allah the Almighty has asked you that you can do research and excel in it, right? And Allah the Almighty will help you – he will reward you for your research and if you are praying to Allah the Almighty then it will help you at the same time, as I have already said.

“And this technological advancement is for the benefit of human beings. As long as it is beneficial for human beings, you should get benefit out of it. But where it is being used to destroy humanity and polluting the minds of the people, as in the Internet and Facebook and Instagram and so many things, then, a true believer, a momin, an Ahmadi Muslim, should avoid these things.

“As long as this technological advancement is beneficial for human beings, we must use it, we have to use it.

This is for our benefit and it is Allah’s help to us. We have to show gratitude to Allah the Almighty that He has given us such an advancement. But when they are being used for polluting our minds, then we should avoid them and say istighfar.”

The next question was by Abrar Sahib who asked what to prioritise when it came

“

Friday 8 October 2021 | AL HAKAM

If your priority is to seek

nearness to Allah the Almighty,

to get close to Allah the Almighty, then I can say at least 95% of your frustrations will be removed. to Jamaat work and studies, as the khuddam pledge stated that khuddam would give preference to religion and faith over the world.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa explained: “As long as you are a student, you should give more time to your studies. And give your weekends to the Jamaat, right? Because after completing your education, you are going to be more beneficial for the Jamaat, more productive for the Jamaat than now.

“So, increase your knowledge, excel in your studies, complete your education and after completing your education then you can give more work to the Jamaat. But, at present, you should do justice to your studies first, and then, if you have spare time during the normal weekdays, you can give time to the Jamaat. Otherwise, you can give time at the weekends.

“But it doesn’t mean that in the name of getting education you just waste your time here and there gossiping and seeing nonsense, Internet and pornography and say ‘I am very busy in doing my job’. You are not busy in that sense.

“So, you have to see to it that honestly, what you are doing, is for the sake of your studies; then, well and good, do it first.

And then, second preference should be the Jamaat.”

However, “at the same time”, Huzooraa said that giving precedence to faith over the world “also means that wherever it comes that somebody asks you that ‘you should not pray five daily prayers’, then you should say ‘no, I cannot do this. I cannot stop praying.’”

For students, giving precedence to faith over the world also meant that “whenever prayer time comes [during university], whether it is Zuhr or Asr time, then you offer your Zuhr prayer and Asr prayer. And then after that, start your studies again. So, this is the meaning at present, that what are the obligations on you by Allah the Almighty of His rights […]

“And Allah the Almighty says that you offer five daily prayers on time and if possible, in congregation. But in university, you cannot offer your prayer in congregation – only if there are four, five Ahmadi students can you join together and offer your prayers in congregation.

“Otherwise, whenever prayer time comes, first ask your professor and teacher that ‘this is my prayer time, give me 10 minutes so that I can offer my prayer.’

And then offer your Zuhr and Asr prayers

and then come back and start your studies again.”

For students, “This is the meaning at present” of giving precedence to faith over the world, Huzooraa highlighted.

Huzooraa said: “It does not mean that for the sake of your studies, you just leave your prayers. No. You have to do justice; you pray whenever there’s prayer time and continue your studies after that. But as far as other Jamaat work is concerned, then you should give your weekends to the Jamaat work and give more emphasis to your studies.

“But where there are Allah’s rights, then there should not be any compromise.”

Shakur Sahib asked, “How can an Ahmadi Muslim in the field of law assist the Jamaat and which area of law does Huzoor recommend?”

Huzooraa asked Shakur Sahib if he was studying law, to which he replied in the affirmative. Huzooraa asked what areas he liked and preferred. Huzooraa then said: “If there is any chance of getting specialisation in any of the fields in law, then you should do human rights law. But don’t go into criminal law”.

Dr Zubair Sahib was next to ask a question. Huzooraa asked him about his family background and who his father was.

Dr Zubair Sahib then asked, “How can we convince our younger khuddam brothers to pursue post-secondary education instead of entering the workforce after high school.”

Huzooraa said: “This is what I have been saying, and even previous Khulafa have also told our students that they should continue their studies, they should not stop their education after secondary school, they should at least graduate and further their studies.

“This is why Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh started the programme of giving gold medals and it was his wish that we should have at least 100 Nobel laureates in the community – Nobel prize winners – and we should have at least 1,000 top scientists in our community, which we do not have at present. So we have to encourage [students].

“This is why umur-e-tulaba department has been founded here in Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya, alongside the secretary talim and the Jamaat system, to encourage the students that instead of stopping their education after secondary education, they should continue, go into universities and Continued on next page >>

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AL HAKAM | Friday 8 October 2021

From the Markaz

National amila and qaideen of Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Canada present summary of activities to Huzoor

On 2 October 2021 the national amila of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Canada, qaideen-e-ilaqa and regional qaideen met with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa in a virtual mulaqat.

After conveying his salaam and upon seeing Sadr Majlis Khuudam-ulAhmadiyya Canada, Zubair Afzal Sahib, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa asked if he was a khadim or a nasir. Sadr Sahib replied that he still had three years remaining in Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya. Hearing this, Huzooraa smiled and said, “I see, MashaAllah. Is the burden too much? Your beard is already turning white.”

Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa then started the meeting with a silent prayer.

The first to present his report was Iftikhar Ahmad Sahib, Naib Sadr, who stated that he was overseeing various departments, one of which was charities.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa asked if any charity walk was held and how much charity was collected and donated.

Iftikhar Ahmad Sahib replied that they had pledged to raise and donate two million dollars to a hospital.

Adnan Rabbani Sahib, Naib Sadr, stated that he was overseeing two regions

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further their studies.

“And even if they think they cannot go into research or some other science subjects or professional fields like engineering and medicine, then they should at least sit in the competition examination and go into the civil service – we should at least have a good number of civil servants in the government.

And if you attained only secondary education, we cannot achieve this target.

“In each and every field, an Ahmadi should be present. And for that, you have to encourage them and this is why the department of umur-e-tulaba was formed – that they should encourage the students.

“This is the job of the parents as well.

If the parents are educated, they will ask their children to further their studies after completing their secondary school. And if parents are illiterate or not very welleducated, they will say, ‘Now you can go and work’ – this is not the right thing.”

Huzooraa said:

– Eastern & Western Brampton – and added that he was also serving in the security committee and the umumi department.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa asked if security duties were undertaken in mosques or at various Jamaat properties

too. Adnan Rabbani Sahib replied that security included mosques and various events.

Saood Ahmad Sahib, Naib Sadr, stated that he was overseeing three regions – British Columbia, Prairies and Calgary. He added that he was serving

in the Mercy 4 Mankind committee, properties committee and the emergency preparedness committee.

Next, Ahmad Sahi Sahib, Naib Sadr,

“The minimum education of an Ahmadi student should be graduation, and after that, he can choose different fields.”

Turning to Dr Zubair Sahib, Huzooraa said, “This is your duty. You are a young man, you can encourage them. Send my salaam to your father.”

Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said that there was time for one more question.

Umair Sahib was given the opportunity to ask a question. He asked, “In the Western world, it is considered unusual to get married inside the family to a cousin. This generation is beginning to adopt Christian ways of getting married. As a Muslim, is it encouraged to get married to your cousins, or does Islam give you the right to get married to another family within the Jamaat?”

Huzooraa said: “If they consider getting married to cousins as not right, they’re wrong, because Allah the Almighty says that you can get married with your cousins. You cannot

say Allah the Almighty has given any commandment which is wrong – the people are wrong, but not Allah the Almighty.

“Secondly, this is not the Christian way, this is the present-day world way. Christians even used to get married to cousins – I don’t think there is any prohibition in Christianity to get married [to cousins].”

Huzooraa said that we should say it was not wrong to get married within cousins.

Those who say that the children born could develop health issues due to marriage within the family was a different matter and was actually not entirely true as only those people who married a lot, for generations, within the same family, developed these issues. Otherwise, lots of other people have children with health issues, even though they are not married within the same family.

“As far as the commandment of Islam is concerned, or the ethics is concerned or the science is concerned, there is no harm in getting married to cousins. But if they like to get married outside the family, yes they

can marry […] but with the condition that the person should be an Ahmadi Muslim so that your generation does not deviate from the true teachings of Islam […]

“This is why we always emphasise that a boy and girl should get married with an Ahmadi boy and girl. Otherwise, there is no harm in marrying outside the family.”

Advising Umair Sahib – who had not decided where he wanted to get married – Huzooraa said: “If you find a good match in your family, then don’t refuse it. If your parents suggest that we have a good match for you within the family, then prefer it first. And after that, if you have some other concerns then you can go outside – outside the family, but within the Jamaat.”

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa conveyed his salaam and gave prayers to all the khuddam and the meeting came to a close.

Continued on next page >>

(Report prepared by Al Hakam)

Friday 8 October 2021 | AL HAKAM

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stated that he was serving and overseeing the departments of tabligh, Tahrik-eJadid, tarbiyat nau mubai‘een, ishaat and umur-e-tulaba.

Tahir Ahmad Sahib, Naib Sadr, stated that he was serving in several regions and also serving in various departments, namely talim, tarbiyat, additional tarbiyat, Waqf-e-Nau, Tahrik-e-Jadid and finance.

Following this, whilst presenting his report, Salman Mangla Sahib, Naib Sadr, stated that he was serving as mohtamim umur-e-tulaba last year. Hearing this, Huzooraa said, “So you have been promoted to Naib Sadr.” Huzooraa further asked if any special assignments were given to him by the sadr; responding, Salman Mangla Sahib said he was overseeing two departments; khidmat-e-khalq and sehate-jismani.

Whilst speaking with Mansoor Azim Sahib, Motamid, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said, “You are a murabbi, right?” to which he replied in the affirmative.

Huzooraa then said, “You have also stayed here [in the UK] with me for some time.”

Upon this, Mansoor Azim Sahib replied in the affirmative and stated that he stayed in the UK for 10 months.

Huzooraa said, “One can learn a lot in a period of 10 months. I hope you are doing good work as a motamid.”

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa then asked him how many majalis there were in Canada; responding, he said that there were 82 majalis.

Ayaz Warraich Sahib, Mohtamim Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya, was next to present his report. Addressing him, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa asked how many atfal there were in Canada; answering, Ayaz Warraich Sahib said there were 2,302 atfal in Canada.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then asked Ayaz Warraich Sahib how many atfal were active and participated in programmes. Answering, he said that this year, due to Covid-19, events were held virtually in which Atfal members participated and took part in tilawat and nazm competitions.

Next, Shahrukh Abid Sahib, who is a missionary and also serving as a regional qaid, presented his report. Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa asked where he was currently serving as a missionary; in response, he said he was serving in the Milton area.

Following this, Nabil Mirza Sahib, Additional Mohtamim Tarbiyat, reported that this year, the focus was more on marriage and encouraging khuddam to find suitable matches for marriage. He said that attempts were made to contact the khuddam’s parents in this regard and question and answer sessions were also held.

With regard to matters of divorce among khuddam, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said, “Train khuddam to adopt patience. This is also the duty of the tarbiyat department […] Tell them that men are guardians and they have greater endurance. So, they should exhibit courage and fortitude. Unless a wife

Photo courtesy of @AMYACanada/Twitter

commits a grievous mistake, and that too in matters of religion, small and petty things should simply be ignored”.

Speaking with Basharat Ahmad Sahib, Mohtamim Talim, Huzooraa asked about the books that were suggested for khuddam to read. Basharat Ahmad Sahib replied that this year, the book, Blessings of Prayer, was prescribed.

Huzooraa then asked how many members of the national amila had read the book; in response, Basharat Ahmad Sahib said that all members of the national amila had read the book and had also undertaken a related quiz. Hearing this, Huzooraa said, “Excellent, the amila has done a wonderful thing […] If they have in actuality read it, then this amila deserves a reward”.

Speaking with Naweed-ul-Islam Sahib, Mohtamim Tabligh, Huzooraa stated that new avenues should be explored for tabligh. Huzooraa stated that when a certain strategy was not working, then new methods for tabligh should be explored.

Mirza Tahir Sahib, Mohtamim Tarbiyat, reported that this year, great emphasis was laid on establishing personal contacts with khuddam, and various programmes were held to keep in contact with them.

With regard to offering Salat and the recitation of the Holy Quran, Huzooraa said, “Draw everyone’s attention towards Namaz and Quran.”

Azhar Bharwana Sahib, Mohtamim Khidmat-e-Khalq, reported that in the past two years, 2.3 million dollars were raised for charity to build and establish model villages, mosques and schools in Africa.

Whilst providing guidance to Hamid Irfan Sahib, who stated that he was serving as naib mohtamim tajnid in the upcoming Khuddam year, Huzooraa said that the tajnid should start from the grassroots level and from each and every home. Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said, “Do not rely on the Jamaat’s AIMS system.

Document your own [tajnid] data.”

Upon this, Hamd Irfan Sahib replied that this year, for the first time, Khuddam-

ul-Ahmadiyya Canada had set up their own independent tajnid system. Hearing this, Huzooraa said, “You have done an excellent job.”

Zahid Chaudhary Sahib, Mohtamim Ishaat, reported that the quarterly Jamaat magazine was printed separately in English, French and, as per some people’s request, Urdu too.

Hearing this, Huzooraa asked if the majority of khuddam read English and enquired if the majority could also read Urdu. In response, Zahid Chaudhry Sahib stated that the majority of khuddam were English-reading and some khuddam had expressed their desire to read in Urdu.

Upon this, Huzooraa said to provide two to three pages in Urdu in the magazine printed in English and French; whether it be sermons, ahadith, or extracts from the writings of the Promised Messiahas.

Speaking with Fahad Hundal Sahib, Mohtamim Sehat-e-Jismani, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa asked which sports he played. He replied that he played every sport; however, he preferred basketball and volleyball. Huzooraa then asked him if he had a brother who was serving as a missionary. Fahad Hundal Sahib replied in the affirmative and said his brother, Feroz Ahmad Hundal, was currently serving in Arkansas.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa asked how many khuddam played sports regularly.

Fahad Hundal Sahib answered that in light of the reports, over 2,000 khuddam, across Canada, were active and regular in sports.

Speaking with Furqan Bajwa Sahib, Mohtamim Maal, with regard to raising awareness and explaining to people the importance of chanda, Huzooraa said, “Tell them where the chanda is spent.

Members should also know this. [When they know where it is spent] they give chanda happily.”

Daud Khalid Sahib, Mohtamim Tarbiyat Nau Mubai‘een, was next to present his report. Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa asked him how many nau mubai‘een (new converts) there were, to which he replied that there were 88.

With regard to ensuring the tarbiyat of the nau mubai‘een, Huzooraa instructed Daud Khalid Sahib to devise a plan.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said that there was a lot of manpower which “should be utilised properly”.

Speaking with Rehmat Mansoor Sahib, Muavin Sadr for ziafat (hospitality) matters, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa asked what was prepared for breakfast.

In response, Rehmat Sahib stated that chanay, paratha and cheese omelette had been prepared.

Whilst speaking with Aizaz Khan Sahib, Muavin Sadr for Waqf-e-Nau matters, Huzoor enquired how many waqifeen-e-nau there were in Canada.

Aizaz Khan Sahib reported that there was a total of 1,679.

Following this, addressing Farhan Iqbal Sahib, who is serving in the Majlis Ansar Sultan-ul-Qalam, Huzooraa enquired how many articles were written in the past year for various newspapers.

Answering, Farhan Iqbal Sahib stated that around 20 to 25 articles were published, and some local newspapers also published articles too.

Hearing this, Huzoor said, “MashaAllah.”

Addressing Hasaan Shahid Sahib, Chairman Press & Media Department, Huzooraa asked how many statements were issued to the media. He replied that 45 media statements were sent in the past two years. He added that Majlis Khuddamul-Ahmadiyya Canada received 228 news coverages.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa enquired if contact was maintained with the Central Press & Media Department, to which Hasaan Shahid Sahib replied in the affirmative.

As the mulaqat came to a close, Huzoor said, “The one-hour time slot has been exceeded by 6-7 minutes, and now you all go and have breakfast”.

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

(Report prepared by Al Hakam)

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AL HAKAM | Friday 8 October 2021

Answers to Free will & divine decree, judging Everyday people’s actions and dispelling Issues fear of non-Muslims about Islam Part XXI Guidance regarding basic Islamic issues – which Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa has given on various occasions in his written correspondence and during MTA programmes – is being officially published below for everyone’s benefit.

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

Did the Holy Prophetsa punish the woman who tried to poison him?

Hazrat Amirul Mumineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa was sent a letter in which it said that Huzooraa had said in a Friday Sermon about the woman who tried to poison the Holy Prophetsa that she was forgiven by the Holy Prophetsa, while a hadith stated that the Holy Prophetsa had her killed. Further guidance was requested on this issue.

In a letter dated 20 February 2020, Huzooraa further elucidated the matter and gave the following reply: “There has been a difference of opinion among the scholars of hadith regarding this issue. However, according to the more authentic and trustworthy books of hadith, this very view is correct that the Holy Prophetsa forgave her despite her clearly plotting to assassinate him and in spite of the fact that he felt the sting of the poison in his throat till the end of his life, he did not punish the woman out of personal revenge.

Contrary to this, in ancient times, as well as in today’s advanced age and generally in the world, the death penalty is given for the mere plotting to assassinate a king or head of state.

“Some muhaddithin [the scholars of hadith] have stated that the reason for this difference of opinion is that initially, the Holy Prophetsa did not punish the woman in any way, but when Hazrat Bishrra bin alBara‘ died from eating the poisoned meat, he had the woman killed in accordance with the law of retribution [qisaas].

“Even if this explanation is correct, the aspect of the life of the Holy Prophetsa which has been conveyed by Hazrat Aishara,

that he never took revenge on anyone for his own sake, very clearly comes to the fore through this incident.”

If humans are not born of their own will, why do they have to follow God’s laws?

Someone wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa that children often asked why they must obey God’s commands when they were not born of their own will.

Huzooraa, in a letter dated 4 February 2020, gave the following reply: “Allah the Exalted gives life to a child upon the desire of the parents. He then admonishes the parents to pray to Him for their children to be pious and righteous.

Allah the Exalted has also taught a prayer for this purpose in the Holy Quran.

“Allah the Exalted has declared humans the noblest of all the creations. He has endowed human beings with the ability to reason and has given them various faculties to be able to live their lives.

“He then set them free after granting them the ability to distinguish right from wrong and said, if they did good deeds in the temporary life of this world, they would inherit various rewards from Allah in the eternal life of the Hereafter. However, if they did evil deeds, they would fall into the hands of Satan, and because of this, on the one hand, they would be deprived of these rewards of all kinds, and on the other hand,

they would have to go through all sorts of painful treatments in Hell – the hospital of the Hereafter to cure the spiritual ailments that they would suffer due to following in the footsteps of Satan.

“The same thing is mentioned in the dialogue between Allah the Exalted and Satan which the Holy Quran has narrated to us, that when Satan said to Allah the Exalted that he would lead mankind astray from His path, Allah replied that His servants would never listen to him, and He would reward His servants with rewards like Heaven, and those who disobeyed him, He would fill Hell with them.

“Thus, now it is the duty of every human being to think for themselves whether they are to inherit the rewards of Allah the Exalted by following His commands or to become entitled to the punishments of Hell by following the way of Satan.”

What does the phrase “We forsake him who disobeys You” [natruku man yafjuruk] from the Qunoot prayer mean?

The same person also asked whether the phrase, “We forsake him who disobeys You” [natruku man yafjuruk] from the Qunoot prayer also meant disobedient children and members of the Community.

Huzooraa, in the same letter, said: “As far as this phrase from the Qunoot prayer is concerned, it refers to the wicked and evil disbelievers who killed Muslims by

way of hypocrisy and deception and harmed them in various ways. Therefore, it was only after incidents like the ones that took place at Bir Maona and ar-Raji‘ that the Holy Prophetsa began performing the Qunoot.

“Therefore, children who are disobedient to their parents or members who have received some administrative punishment from the system of the Jamaat are not meant by that.

“However, those members of the Community who have been given some administrative punishment by the Jamaat but on whom these punishments seem to have no effect – those who have been seized by their false egos and they forget that they have to obey the system of the Jamaat – in order to make such people aware of the [gravity of the] punishment, it is the duty of the rest of the Community not to sit with them in gatherings, not to invite them to their events and not to include them in their celebrations. This is so because the Jamaat’s punishment is given in order to exert social pressure.

“However, the wife, children and parents are given permission to have a relationship with them in order to admonish them and to try to make them obedient and productive members of the Jamaat.”

Can we judge based on a deceased person’s deeds in this world that they will be in Paradise or Hell?

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa was asked whether one could judge, based on a deceased person’s deeds in this world, that they would be in Paradise or Hell.

In a letter dated 4 February 2020, Huzooraa gave the following reply: “Allah the Exalted sends prophets to call people to righteousness so that they may inherit the eternal rewards of the Hereafter by living the temporary life in this world Continued on next page >>

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according to His commands and so that they may abandon the evil ways and avoid the punishment of the Hereafter. Therefore, it is obligatory to believe in Allah and His prophets. The Holy Quran has elucidated this subject in various places.

“Nevertheless, the decision to send someone to Heaven or Hell is with Allah the Exalted because He is the Master of everything and He says that He forgives all sins except shirk [associating partners with God]. Therefore, no ordinary person has the authority to issue a fatwa for others on whether they would go to Heaven or Hell.

“However, since God’s prophets and messengers receive knowledge of the unseen from God, when they make a statement about someone, it is in fact based on the knowledge from God Almighty and the absolute truth.

“Hence, it is mentioned in a hadith that a funeral procession passed by the Holy Prophetsa. People praised the deceased.

The Holy Prophetsa said that Paradise had become obligatory for him. Then another funeral procession passed by and the people criticised the deceased. The Holy Prophetsa said that Hell had become obligatory for him. He further said that the believers were witnesses of Allah on earth. [Sunan al-Nisai, Kitab al-Janaiz, Bab al-Thanaa] “Moreover, it should be remembered that Allah the Exalted is Gracious and Merciful. He definitely rewards one for even the smallest good deed. Hence, it is narrated in the hadith that a companion said to the Holy Prophetsa that while in a state of disbelief [before converting to Islam], he had donated plenty of wealth to the poor just to please God Almighty. He asked if he would be rewarded for that. The Holy Prophetsa said that it was that charity that had drawn him to Islam. [Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Iman, Bab bayani hukmi ‘amali likafiri idha aslama ba‘dah] “Therefore, it is not up to every common man to declare, upon the demise of a person, whether the deceased would go to Heaven or Hell on the basis of that person’s religious beliefs. This is the job of God Almighty or that of His prophets and messengers on His behalf.”

Is Dajjal an individual’s name?

Someone wrote to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih

Vaa and said that Huzooraa had described Dajjal as a metaphor instead of a physical person during one of his addresses at the Jalsa Salana Germany. However, they further said that they had come across a video in which a hadith from Sahih Muslim was mentioned, which described Dajjal as a physical human. Huzooraa was asked whether the hadith was authentic.

In a letter dated 20 February 2020, Huzooraa gave the following reply: “As a matter of fact, among the afflictions and tribulations that Islam was to endure in the Latter Days, there is a special mention of Dajjal and Gog & Magog. Hence, we find that the Holy Quran mentions these tribulations from different angles and the Holy Prophetsa has also warned his ummah about these tribulations in different ways that are mentioned in many ahadith.

“One of them is a hadith of Sahih Muslim which you have mentioned. This hadith, like other ahadith related to this subject, is based on a vision [kashf] and metaphors. Had the narration of the events mentioned in this hadith been based on a physical occurrence, then numerous other people, besides the narrator [of the hadith], would have also seen ‘Jassasah’ [the beast] and the giant Dajjal mentioned in this hadith, with their naked eyes.

“Therefore, the statement of someone else in this hadith not to state his apparent observation about matters proves that it was a revelation. Therefore, the fact that none of the others narrated a physical observation of the events mentioned in the hadith, proves that it was a vision [kashf].

“As far as the reality of the Dajjal and Gog

& Magog is concerned, they are different manifestations of the same tribulation [fitna]. Dajjal is the name of the religious aspect of this fitna. That means that this group was to corrupt people’s religious beliefs and ideas in the Latter Days.

“The group that was to destabilise the political situation and destroy the political peace and order in those days has been called Gog & Magog. Both refer to the worldly power of the Western Christian nations and their religious aspect.

“Nevertheless, alongside all this, Allah the Exalted has also informed us through His Beloved Prophetsa that when the tribulations of Dajjal and Gog & Magog would occur and Islam would become weak, Allah the Exalted would send the Promised Messiahas to safeguard Islam. At that time, Muslims would not have material power, but the Community of the Promised Messiahas would continue to work through prayers and preaching, thanks to which Allah the Exalted would Himself destroy these tribulations.”

What can Muslims do to dispel the fears of non-Muslims and reassure them regarding Islam?

During a virtual mulaqat of Majlis Atfalul-Ahmadiyya Germany with Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa, which was held on 29 November 2020, a tifl said to Huzooraa that due to the current circumstances, nonMuslims had a fear of Muslims. He asked as to how one should reassure them?

Huzooraa replied: “We have always undertaken this effort and have endeavoured [to eradicate this fear] for the past many years. That is why I hold peace symposia and I also admonish you to hold peace symposia, distribute pamphlets promoting peace and explain the true teachings of Islam to the people.

The true teachings of Islam are that of love and affection. When you will explain this to people, their fears will be removed.

The greater our efforts will be, the more awareness we will be able to spread amongst

the people and they will come to know about the true teachings of Islam. Therefore, we should endeavour to spread these teachings to as many people as possible, including our friends. You would have friends in school, who are students like yourself. Explain what the true teachings of Islam are to them.

“The true teachings of Islam are that of love and affection. Islam does not permit any kind of warfare or jihad. As a matter of fact, there are conditions in which Islam has permitted warfare or [so-called] jihad; rather, when the first commandment about jihad was revealed, Allah clearly mentioned in the Holy Quran that Muslims were permitted to undertake jihad because the people were inflicting cruelties upon the Muslims, and if the Muslims did not stop them from committing these cruelties, then churches, Jewish synagogues, temples and mosques would be destroyed.

“So, if Islam permitted jihad, then the sole purpose for this was so that religion could be secured and protected. Under no circumstances does Islam permit jihad [with the sword] or the killing of people in order to spread one’s religion.

“Islam says that if you see someone attacking a Christian church, it is the duty of a Muslim to go and help to save that Christian church. Islam says that if anyone attacks a Jewish synagogue, then you should go to help save that Jewish synagogue.

Similarly, Islam instructs that if someone is attacking a Hindu temple, then you should go to help and protect it. One should also protect his own mosque in this way as well.

Islam grants protection to everyone.

“Therefore, you ought to openly and clearly explain to people and your friends that this is what is written in the Holy Quran.

Tell people that these jihadists or extremists who claim to be Muslims are actually spreading false ideologies and not the teachings of Islam. When you will explain these things to people, they will realise that Islam is a religion that establishes peace and love.”

Can one recite “inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji‘un” upon the demise of a nonMuslim?

During the same virtual mulaqat [of Majlis Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya Germany with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, a tifl asked, “When a Muslim passes away, we recite ‘Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji‘un’. However, if a nonMuslim passes away, can we also recite this for them or not?”

Huzooraa replied: “Naturally, if you feel for their loss and have had any kind of relation with them, you may recite this because we will all eventually return to Allah. Everyone is going to return to Allah but only Allah knows best how He will deal with them after that. It is possible that although a person was a non-Muslim, they may have pleased Allah by one of their good deeds and owing to that, Allah may create the means for their forgiveness or He may deal with them in whichever manner He deems appropriate.

“The reason that we recite ‘inna lillah’ is that if any kind of harm has occurred, then it is Allah the Exalted who can recompense and make matters good again. So, we say that we belong to Allah and turn towards Him alone in every difficulty and in every matter. If we have a friend or know a person that has been kind to us; if we recite this

AL HAKAM | Friday 8 October 2021

prayer upon their [demise], then it means that they have returned to Allah, and we too shall return to Allah; may Allah the Exalted compensate for any harm that was caused to us because of their loss and where possible, may He treat them with mercy on account of his good actions and words.

“In reality, the reason we recite ‘inna lillah’ is that we implore Allah to compensate us for our loss; He may free us from the grief or sorrow we feel for a departed one because we belong to Allah and turn towards Him in every matter, regardless of what kind of loss we may have suffered, such as loss of life, loss of wealth or loss of any other kind.

“This is not only recited when someone passes away; rather, if one incurs a loss in wealth, even then one would recite ‘inna lillah’. The reason for this is that we turn to Allah alone in all matters and we shall not depend upon anyone else. Therefore, there is no harm in reciting ‘inna lillah’ [at the demise of a non-Muslim]. A person whom you know, one who is close to you and helps you; if such a person passes away, then there is no harm in reciting ‘inna lillah’.

“Generally speaking, one should seek the mercy of Allah the Exalted for everyone except if one is an idolater. You should not pray for someone who is an idolater – who associates partners with Allah the Exalted.

Aside from that, there is no harm in seeking the mercy of Allah the Exalted for those people who follow a particular religion.”

If God has already decreed our destiny, then what is the need for prayer?

During the same virtual mulaqat, a tifl asked, “When Allah the Exalted has decreed our destiny, then why do we pray and what is the need for prayer?”

Huzooraa replied: “Certain types of destiny cannot be averted, and there are some which can be averted. So, that is why we supplicate.

“Take death for example. Everyone must die. It is a proven fact that all must die. No one can live forever. This is the decree of Allah the Exalted [that cannot be averted].

However, if a person falls ill and their condition reaches the state where doctors say that they are close to death, but we pray,

9 and accepting our prayers, Allah the Exalted brings them back from the brink of death and grants them life, then this decree of Allah the Exalted is one that was averted through prayer. Nevertheless, even if that person goes on to live to an age of 70, 80 or 90, they will ultimately have to die.

“The Promised Messiahas has written: ‫ آرخ وک رھپ دجا ےہ‬،‫رگ وس ربس راہ ےہ‬ “‘One may live to a hundred, but in the end, they must depart.’ Even if a person lives to a hundred years of age, he must die eventually.

“However, if, for example, one is close to dying whilst still in his youth and we pray for them, then Allah the Exalted may avert it, and as a result, grant them a long life.

“There are many such examples that people write to me and request prayers.

I reply to them and by the grace of Allah, the prayers are accepted. People also write about their own accounts where they have supplicated and through that prayer, Allah the Exalted averted the misfortune which was to befall them.

“So everything is happening in accordance with the decree of Allah the Exalted, but if we do not pray or make an effort with regard to our destiny, then the natural result of that will come to light. The reason why we pray [on such occasions] is so that we may avert or delay the decree of God Almighty which has the possibility of being averted and thus bring about a better outcome.

“Allah the Exalted has placed two paths before us – one which is beneficial and one which is harmful. Now, if we obey Allah the Exalted, we shall avail of that which is beneficial and for this, we also make an effort and supplicate. However, if we do not listen to Allah the Exalted, nor make the right effort, nor pray, then the negative aspect of that decree will manifest itself.

“There are two types of destiny; one which can be averted, and the other which cannot be averted. The decrees which cannot be averted are the verdicts of Allah the Exalted which must come to pass. Allah the Exalted does not accept prayers with regard to these and they cannot be averted.

“As for the decrees which can be averted, Allah the Exalted can prevent them through one’s prayers and efforts. This is why Allah the Exalted has said that we should supplicate, which will enable us to form a bond with Him and our faith in Him will strengthen, and as a result, we will advance further in our faith and spirituality and we shall reap the benefits thereof.”

“

It is my firm belief and conviction, that if we hold aloft the lantern of spiritual light entrusted to us by the Promised Messiahas, we will find

that the help of Allah the Almighty will be with us every step of the way, insha-Allah.

(Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, Concluding session of the national Lajna UK Ijtema 2021)

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Friday 8 October 2021 | AL HAKAM

This Week in History 8-14 October 8 October 1924: On this date and the following day, during his Europe trip, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra visited the House of Commons in London to observe the proceedings there. According to the report of the visit, Huzoorra visited the House of Commons at 12:30 pm. He was invited by a member of parliament. (Al Fazl, 11 November 1924, p.6)

above-mentioned hadith, a swimming pool was inaugurated in Qadian to help atfal learn to swim.

With the efforts of Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra, this swimming pool was completed.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra said that the swimming pool was prepared by the students of Talim-ul-Islam High School.

In addition to paving the floor and walls of the pool, the surrounding edges were also paved. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 8, p. 204)

9 October 1910: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira prepared and sent a delegation of Ahmadi Muslim scholars on a tour of Uttar Pradesh, upon the invitation of Madrasa Ilahiyat, Kanpur, and Anjuman Hidayat-e-Muslimeen, Utawa.

11 October 1948: Attempts were being made to locate groundwater in the newly founded Rabwah. The Jamaat continued to bore holes in various locations of Rabwah, but to no avail.

After continuous efforts, water was found in one location, but it was dirty.

The delegation included Hazrat Maulvi Syed Sarwar Shahra, Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra, Khawaja Kamaluddin Sahib and Maulvi Sadruddin Sahib.

After successfully giving lectures at conferences in Kanpur, the delegation reached Lucknow, where it also met Hazrat Maulvi Syed ra Allama Shibli Nomani, Sarwar Shah the founder of Darul Uloom Nadwa. Maulvi Shibli behaved with great morals and among other things, he praised the knowledge and grace of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira and said that he was very much looking Hazrat Mufti forward to meeting Muhammad Sadiqra him. He added that he had once planned to visit Qadian; however, for some reason, he later changed his mind and went to another place. He stated that he had an accident there, due to which travelling became difficult.

This tour was a great success. The delegation visited the proposed areas and institutions and well-attended lectures on Ahmadiyyat were delivered.

The delegation returned safely to Qadian on 17 October. (Tarikh-eAhmadiyyat, Vol. 3, p. 327) 9 October 1980: After a period of 500 years, the foundation stone of the first mosque in Spain was laid by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh. In addition to Huzoorrh and various elders of the Jamaat, the oldest woman and the youngest child of the town of Pedro Abad also placed bricks. Among the Spanish Ahmadis, Abdul Karim and Jose Lope laid the foundation stone.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra in Rabwah

At a depth of 40 feet, the boring tube got stuck in the ground and another pit was dug to get it out. At that moment, Huzoorra arrived in Rabwah from Lahore.

In those days, the Jamaat’s markaz had not yet shifted to Rabwah. There was a sudden movement in the trapped drains lying on this holy land and an unseen force in it brought the water to the surface; however, work was yet to be completed to attain clean water.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra provided further guidance and after some time, clean drinking water gushed out of the land of Rabwah. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 12, p. 41) 12 October 1935: Sheikh Abdul Razzaq Sahib, a barrister and local amir of Lyallpur (now Faisalabad), and Hazrat Sheikh Ghulam Ahmad Waizra passed away.

After accepting Ahmadiyyat, such a dramatic change took place in Sheikh Abdul Razzaq Sahib's life that it would not be an exaggeration to call him “Abdaal” (a title given to those people who bring magnificent change in their lives and come closer to Allah).

After laying the foundation stone, Huzoorrh gave a short speech in which he stated that there were two main purposes of a mosque – firstly, to worship the one God, and secondly, to establish equality in all mankind.

Huzoorra said that Islam taught that all human beings were equal. There was no difference between men and women, the rich and the poor, and all were equal as human beings.

There was a lot of media coverage for this event. Both TV and radio stations broadcast news of the event and it was prominently published in newspapers.

(Silsila-e-Ahmadiyya, Vol. 3, p. 638)

Hazrat Sheikh Ghulam Ahmad Waizra did bai‘at in 1900. He was a very eloquent preacher. Most of his life was devoted to preaching Ahmadiyyat. (Tarikh-eAhmadiyyat, Vol. 7, p. 275)

12 October 1956: Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra delivered a profound sermon 10 October 1940: One of the sayings shedding light on the delicate topic of of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings apostasy. of Allah be upon him, states to teach For more details, visit: www.alislam. one’s children swimming, archery and horse riding. On this date, following the

AL HAKAM | Friday 8 October 2021 org/urdu/sermon/FST19561012-UR.pdf 13 October 1966: Hazrat Maulana Jalaluddin Shamsra, a companion of the Promised Messiahas, passed away.

For more details on his life, please visit: www.ahmadipedia.org/content/ personality/165 14 October 1955: Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra gave two important instructions for the missions operating outside of Pakistan. Firstly, they should try to inculcate the habit of giving chanda in new converts. Secondly, to encourage students from outside countries to travel to the markaz in Pakistan and obtain education there. (Tarikh-eAhmadiyyat, Vol. 17, p. 120) 14 October 1969: A 26-member delegation from the Presbyterian Church in

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the USA arrived at Qadian. The delegation consisted of 19 women and seven men. All were retired and deeply religious people.

This delegation was warmly welcomed.

Mirza Waseem Ahmad Sahib and other members of the Jamaat provided the necessary information to the members of the delegation. The guests were given a tour of Qadian.

After seeing Qadian, the delegation had the opportunity to view various Jamaat literature. The members eagerly looked at all the literature of the Jamaat and selected some books for themselves. Per his request, a copy of the literature along with the English translation of the Holy Quran was presented to the delegation leader, Mr James, by Mirza Waseem Ahmad Sahib. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 25, p.

295)

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh laying the foundation stone for Basharat Mosque, Spain

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra delivering a speech

How prayers made my daughter’s kindergarten improbable admission possible Allah says to call out to Him and to ask Him and He will listen to our prayers. Sometimes, He listens to our prayers immediately, while at other times, the seeker has to wait for an appointed time.

Some days ago, I had one such incident where our Creator expressed His love in the most beautiful way, and someone advised me to share it with you all.

I have a two-year-old daughter who will turn three next month, insha-Allah.

For the past few months, she has been seeing her elder sister go to school and has since been asking me when she would be able to go to kindergarten. I have had her registered for kindergarten with the relevant local governing body so that she

can get admission when she turns three. In Germany, the current situation is that due to there not being enough kindergartens, children have to wait till they turn four to get a place except under extenuating circumstances which my daughter does not meet at all.

A few months ago, I enquired about the situation and was informed that she would not get a place this year when she turns three.

My daughter frequently writes to Huzooraa so much so that sometimes she writes a few letters in a single day without me asking her!

As she writes (or rather colours) to Huzooraa, she speaks out aloud the following words: “Huzoor, iche liebe dich” meaning “Huzoor, I love you”, and “I am going to kindergarten”.

She scribbles down these innocent words. I could not have imagined at the time how these scribbles of hers could receive so much love and attention in the sight of Allah.

After the summer holidays, I once again called the kindergarten some days ago, and after a very long and detailed conversation with them, I was informed that all places had been allocated. I was then told that in March 2022, they would inform those candidates who would start in August 2022. At that time, they would check the children’s age in the waiting list to decide who would be offered a place next year, meaning that my daughter might be able to start kindergarten next year, although the place was by no means guaranteed.

After this conversation, I felt worried at the thought of this prolonged waiting period.

The next morning, when I offered my Tahajud prayer, for the first time, I prayed to Allah, “If You want, then why would it not be possible for her to get a place”.

A few hours later, I got a phone call from the kindergarten, and they said “Congratulations! Your daughter can start from next week”.

The love that Allah showed me through this little incident has rejuvenated my soul.

Where I was informed the day before that I would have to wait till “next year” and how my Allah made it possible to have the kindergarten say themselves “next week” is beyond any human intervention. All praise belongs to Allah!

(From an Ahmadi lady)

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Friday 8 October 2021 | AL HAKAM

Naseer Malik: Ahmadi who bowled the first ball for Pakistan in the first-ever Cricket World Cup Ata-ul-Haye Nasir Al Hakam

History tells us that Ahmadi Muslims have excelled in various fields and represented their respective countries at the international level on many platforms. The same is the case of Pakistani Ahmadis who have always made their country proud by excelling in various walks of life.

Global cricket fans are eagerly waiting for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, starting this month. So, let’s go back to the time when the concept of the Cricket World Cup emerged.

The 1975 Cricket World Cup – officially called the Prudential Cup ‘75 – was the inaugural men’s Cricket World Cup, which took place in England from 7 to 21 June 1975.

Pakistan played its first match against Australia on 7 June 1975, at Headingley, Leeds.

Australia batted first, and the first ball for Pakistan was bowled by the debutant Naseer Malik, an Ahmadi Muslim.

“Top bowling figures for Pakistan went

to Naseer Malik, clobbered for ten in his first over, who finished with two for 37.”

(Sunday Mirror, 8 June 1975, p. 39) Interestingly, the current Prime

Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan was also playing that match and Naseer Malik had better bowling figures than him. During the World Cup, Naseer Malik played

three matches and became Pakistan’s joint highest wicket-taker (five wickets) alongside Imran Khan and Sarfraz Nawaz.

Naseer Malik Sahib’s full name was Malik Naseer Ahmad. He was born on 27 November 1949 [although it is commonly known to be 1 February 1950] in Gojra. He was the son of Malik Bashir Ahmad Sahib.

Naseer Malik Sahib was an engineer by profession, and employed at the National Bank of Pakistan.

He started his cricket career as a batsman, but once, during a training camp, the legendary bowler Fazal Mahmood advised him to become a fast bowler.

His first-class cricket career spanned from 1969-1982, with 203 wickets and 765 runs in 72 matches.

During his career, Naseer Malik represented Pakistan, National Bank of Pakistan, Pakistan Under-25s, Karachi Whites, National Bank of Pakistan A, Khairpur, Pakistanis, Pakistan International Airlines, Sind, and BCCP Patron’s XI. He was amongst the 17-member Pakistan squad for the 1974 tour of England.

Belfast Telegraph, 6 June 1975, p. 28

The Press and Journal, 12 July 1976, p. 13

Evening Express, 10 June 1974, p. 14

Sunday Mirror, 8 June 1975, p. 39

Evening Express, 25 June 1977, p. 10

Daily Mirror, 19 April 1974, p. 30

Sports Argus, 8 June 1974, p. 4

Evening Express, 12 June 1976, p. 10

AL HAKAM | Friday 8 October 2021

Obituary in Al Fazl, 3 September 1999, p. 7

Sports Argus, while introducing Naseer Malik, said: “NASEER MALIK. Born 1.2.1952 [27.11.1949]. No tests.

“Right-arm medium-fast bowler and also a useful right-hand bat.

“Best bowling performance, six for 41, and highest score, 91, both made for Khairpur against Pakistan Public Works Department in Karachi two years ago.

“Toured Sri Lanka with Pakistan Under 25 team in 1973.

“Works for Pakistan International Airlines.” (Sports Argus, 8 June 1974, p. 4) Upon arrival at London’s Heathrow Airport, Naseer Malik said to the press: “If this is a sample of your weather this summer, the Tests could be interesting – to say the least.” (Evening Express, 10 June 1974, p. 14) Although he did not get a chance to play any Test or ODI (One Day International) match during the tour, he represented “Pakistanis” against Somerset, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire, DH Robins’ XI, Sussex and TN Pearce’s XI. The only three ODI matches he played were during the 1975 World Cup. After that, he could never play for Pakistan’s National Cricket Team, despite performing well at the first-class level.

The Monthly Cricketer stated: “Naseer Malik returned to his homeland as a successful player, but selectors did not consider this successful player when Pakistan played its next match at the One Day Cricket level, against New Zealand in October 1976.

“During the upcoming years, when

13 new faces started coming and two or three fast bowlers secured a permanent spot in the national team, [the selectors] did not even bother to consider Naseer Malik who continued to play for the National Bank until 1981-82. And then, gradually he was out of the picture, which was not only unfortunate for him but also for Pakistani Cricket.” (The Monthly Cricketer [Urdu], “Naseer Malik jo is dar-e-fani sey kooch kar gaey [obituary], September 1999, p. 49) In October 1976, Naseer Malik also represented ZA Bhutto’s XI against New Zealanders, at the Army Sports Ground Rawalpindi.

During the 1970s, Naseer Malik played for the Strathmore Cricket Club in Scotland, and through his excellent performance, he became a highly-regarded overseas player.

The Press and Journal stated under the heading, “Malik is match-winner”: “NASEER MALIK routed Gordonians’ challenge in the Strathmore Union at Lochside Park, Forfar, on Saturday with a spell of seven for 10 in 12 overs”. (The Press and Journal, 12 July 1976, p. 13) In another issue, it stated: “Having dismissed Mannofield XI for 114, with Naseer Malik again among the wickets with seven for 36 and only Alistair Morgan able to make much impression, the visitors must have thought that they had things all their own way.” (The Press and Journal, 26 July 1976, p. 15) The Press and Journal stated under the title “Strathmore for draws”: “ALL THREE Strathmore Union matches played on Saturday ended in draws. At Forthill there were plenty of runs but a stout 48 by Naseer Malik kept the home attack at bay long enough for Strathmore to share the spoils.” (The Press and Journal, 16 May 1977, p. 16)

Evening Express stated under the heading, “Deadly Malik bowls over Mannofield”: “Mannofield XI opened with Sandy McKay and Ray Longhurst who found runs hard to come by Forfar’s professional Naseer Malik”. (Evening Express, 25 June 1977, p. 10) From 1995-1999, Naseer Malik also served as a match referee in 17 first-class matches, 12 List-A matches and one U-19 ODI match as well.

He also supervised a fast-bowling camp organised by Sarfraz Nawaz in 1999.

He retired from the National Bank of Pakistan as a senior resident engineer.

Naseer Malik passed away on 31 July 1999, in Lahore. His body was brought to Rabwah on 1 August, where Khalil Ahmad Mubashir Sahib led the funeral prayer, and the burial took place. (Al Fazl, 3 September 1999, p. 7) When the Cricket World Cup 1975 was being played, Ahmadis in Pakistan had already been declared non-Muslims a few months prior, and this development was gradually showing its effects. It is rather ironic one of Naseer Malik’s teammates would one day lead the very country that declared him a non-Muslim.

The Cricket Monthly beautifully stated: “What was he [Naseer Malik] thinking that day in June [1975] when he made his Pakistan debut? Would he have thought about his journey, from his birth in Lyallpur (now Faisalabad) to captaining his college team, to this moment at Headingley? Did he know he was making history in more ways than one? Did he know that Ahmadi boys would never dream of what he had achieved? Did he imagine a world where his team-mate that day, Imran Khan, would shun the idea of even hiring an Ahmadi or asking Ahmadis for their votes?” (Saba

Imtiaz, Rabwah Dreams of the Green Cap, thecricketmonthly.com) Representing Pakistan Cricket Team is a far cry now, as the situation has taken such a turn that in 2018, when a senior Pakistani cricketer tweeted on the birthday of Dr Abdus Salam Sahib and used the word “Muslim”, he was forced to delete that tweet and rewrite it without the word “Muslim”.

Nevertheless, the opponents of Ahmadiyyat can stop Ahmadis from representing Pakistan Cricket Team, but they will have to live with the fact that: The first-ever ball for Pakistan, in the history of the Cricket World Cup, was bowled by an Ahmadi Muslim, Naseer Malik.

Obituary in The Monthly Cricketer [Urdu], September 1999, pp. 48-49

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Friday 8 October 2021 | AL HAKAM

A look back at the UK Lajna national Ijtema 2021

Nimrah Butt Muavina Sadr Lajna Imaillah UK

After two years, Lajna Imaillah UK was blessed with the opportunity to hold its National Ijtema on 25 and 26 September 2021, at Baitul Futuh Mosque. This was Lajna Imaillah UK’s 42nd Ijtema, the theme of which was “Muhammadsa: Mercy for Mankind”.

After almost 18 months of the Covid-19 pandemic, the planning and delivery of this year’s Ijtema was considerably different.

In order to ensure the safety of guests, the number of attendees was also limited based on the capacity of the venue.

Lajna across the UK who met the age and vaccination criteria, were able to specify a session that they preferred to attend via an online form – over 2,000 responses were received. Each day was divided into two sessions and by the grace of Allah, most members who completed the form were accommodated and invited to one of the four sessions.

Seats were spaced apart to implement social distancing and masks had to be worn at all times. Upon arrival, members were asked to provide proof of double vaccination and a negative result to a Covid test taken on the day of the event.

As ever, the Ijtema programme was jam-packed, with Lajna and Nasirat participating in the academic competitions of tilawat, nazm, extempore speech and poetry, as well as being treated to engaging and informative presentations on the topics of Women in Islam, Refutation of Objections Against Women, Treaty of Medina and Charter of Rights, Climate Change and Our Responsibilities, and The Holy Prophetsa in

the Eyes of Non-Muslims.

Sadr Lajna Imaillah UK also delivered an address, in which she spoke about the most pressing tarbiyat related issues.

To end the first successful day of proceedings, Lajna members were treated to some Tai Chi, whilst the Nasirat did some kickboxing.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Research Association (AMRA) hosted an exhibition throughout Ijtema, the theme of which was “From darkness to light”. Just as the Holy Prophetsa brought us from spiritual darkness to light, the exhibition aimed to highlight significant discoveries in science that changed the course of history and our understanding of the fundamentals of the universe.

There were several interactive activities for Nasirat, as well as 360 degrees videos that could be viewed in a dome planetarium.

The highlight of this Ijtema was undoubtedly the virtual concluding address, delivered by Hazrat Amirul Momineen, may Allah be his Helper, from the MTA studio in Islamabad, Tilford.

Approximately 1,500 Lajna and Nasirat listened to this live address from Tahir Hall and the main mosque areas in Baitul Futuh, Morden.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa highlighted the vast dangers of social media and what Ahmadis should do to shield themselves and their families from the effects of its increasingly dangerous and immoral content.

Huzooraa stated: “It is common knowledge that these [social media] platforms are constructed in a way that makes them addictive and,

just like any addiction, the results are often horrific. For example, very recently, a report by the Wall Street Journal found that Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, tried to cover up its own internal study because it proved that access to its platform was causing huge levels of anxiety and other dangerous mental health issues amongst children and teenagers. It found that amongst those children in the UK who had suicidal thoughts, 13% admitted that it was their use of Instagram that had driven them to consider taking their own life.”

Huzooraa also spoke about increasing levels of materialism throughout the world.

The rich are getting richer, but dissatisfied with their wealth and worldly comforts, they seem to be engaged in constant and endless pursuit of more. While on the opposite end of the spectrum, you have those living in extreme poverty and are made increasingly aware of the disparity in worldly comforts through social media, Huzooraa explained: “Thus, instead of bridging the gaps that exist in society, modern technology has served only to shine a glaring light on the inequalities and injustices that exist. In turn, this has naturally fermented feelings of anguish, anxiety and discontent amongst those who are forced to endure great adversity […] So, where on the one hand, rich governments and their people reassure themselves that satellite television and the Internet is providing people living in poor countries with entertainment, the reality is that the technology has served to drive an even greater wedge between the haves and the have nots.”

Lajna members shared their thoughts and feelings following Huzoor’s powerful

address.

Sara Khan Sahiba stated: “I was so impressed and struck by the speech today. It was so relevant to the topics we see in the world around us. Huzooraa spoke so pertinently about mental health and the influence of social media – studies of which have been in the news recently.

“I was struck by the tone of love from which Huzooraa spoke. I felt the concern and care for each one of us and our families when Huzooraa spoke of those who had written to him regarding their family members. There was no judgement or condescension, only compassion. We are fortunate to have a spiritual leader who has a deep understanding of the situations many families or we ourselves are facing and can offer guidance and advice. It makes us feel connected to our Khalifa and reminds us we have a leader who cares for us.”

Naila Tahir Chaudhry Sahiba stated: “Huzooraa warned us of the increasing dangers of modern media. Whereas before we were guided to limit the time our children spent watching TV, now I, as a mother of three young children, will need to be more mindful to monitor the content across TV, tablet etc. as there are morally destructive adverts.

“I also learned that by setting a good example of modesty in dress and attainment of moral values for my children, not only will I grow in self-confidence and be free from complexes to open the doors of tabligh, but my children will also be trained to take up the mantle of service to the Jamaat of the Promised Messiahas and to strive to win the hearts and minds of humanity.”

Sadia Rana Sahiba stated; “What I took away from Huzoor’s address is that we can never compromise on our morals and consequently our faith.

These should always be our first priority.

There is no harm in indulging in some entertainments within this global world but within the limits and dictates of our morals and faith. We should not allow people and companies to exploit our mental health and societal peace for so-called freedoms and their bottom line. It is important to be vigilant on what we choose to spend our limited free time on.”

Lajna and Nasirat in attendance, as well as those Ahmadis listening live around the world, were reminded by Huzooraa of how hard we must strive to stay away from immorality and fulfil the true purpose of our lives, stating: “Remember why you have this chance and never forget who you are, rather take pride in your faith and religion. Where you strive to excel in your studies, you must also remember that your faith should take precedence over all worldly and material matters. If your priorities are in order, you will live your lives in a way to be proud of and you will also prove to be of benefit to this country. Strive to be a good citizen and, to achieve this, you must utilise your capabilities, faculties and skills for the benefit of others and play your role in building a better and more harmonious society.”

May Allah enable all Lajna and Nasirat to put their love for Allah and their faith above all worldly and material matters and fulfil these noble expectations of our beloved Khalifa. Amin.

AL HAKAM | Friday 8 October 2021

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100 Activities in the global Ahmadiyya mission, Years 1921: Qadian, USA, West Africa and UK Ago...

The Review of Religions (English), October 1921 Qadian The head of the Ahmadiyya community after a sojourn of three months in the pleasant valley of Kashmir has come back to Qadian. During his stay there, some 70 persons joined the fold of Ahmad[as] at his hands. His health is on its way to recovery.

We request our brethren to pray for the speedy convalescence of our Imam.

Nawab Mubarika Begum and her younger sister Amatul Hafiz Begum, the two blessed daughters of the Promised Messiah[as], reached Qadian along with their noble consorts on 17 October [1921] after a long absence of 18 months from the headquarters.

Mr FM Sayal [Maulana Fateh Muhammad Sayalra], the head of the London mission, has reached Qadian safe and sound.

M Rahim Baksh MA [Maulana Abdur Rahim Dardra] was nominated by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih to take his place but on account of financial embarrassment his departure has been indefinitely postponed.

Maulvi Mubarak Ali BA, the coadjutor of Mr Sayal is living labourious days to make amends for the deficiency caused by the absence of his associate.

Our American mission Our readers are already aware that the Lincoln University (USA) had conferred upon Mufti Muhammad Sadiq, the pioneer of our mission in America, the honorary degree of Doctor of Literature for his distinguished scholarship and literary eminence.

Now the College of Divine Metaphysics St. Louis, has bestowed upon him the title of Doctor of Divinity. We give below the true copy of the diploma: “‘In God We Trust’ – United in One – ‘E Plaribus Unum’ “The College of Divine Metaphysics “By These Presents, Know All Men “That Mufti Muhammad Sadiq, having satisfactorily and honorably completed a Course of Study and Training in the College of Divine Metaphysics, we, the Board of Trustees, do hereby issue this Diploma and in accordance with the Article of Incorporation under and by authority of the State of Missouri (U. S. Amer.) confer upon him the title of Doctor of Divinity.

“Given at St. Louis, Mo., “July 16th 1921. “(Sd.) R. Hartmann, C. M. Porter, M. E. Allen, M. L. Denbig, A. Ulmer, L. Behm, E. Vitt, P. M. Boyd, C. D. Boyd, W. C. Ortgier, T. W. Foby, G. E. Ortgier “(Sd.) Joseph Percy Green (President)”.

In his latest letter, dated 13 August [1921], Dr Sadiq writes that since his last report he has secured 18 conversions. The number of the new converts in America, now, by the grace of God, is over one hundred.

W r i t i n g about the spread of Bahaism in America, the Dr says, “It is no religion at all and conversion to it entails no sacrifice of the convert’s social, political and religious ideas.

The neophyte can retain his old religion and his previous form of worship. He is a Bahai but still a Christian, a Hindu and a Muslim at the same time.

They mould their political and social ideas according to the current of the time. Their outstanding principles are: 1. The political and social rights of man and woman are equal.

2. Polygamy is not allowed.

3. There should be no war and points of disagreement between different powers should be by an international Court of Justice.

4. There should be a central tongue.

5. The prophets are manifestations of God and Bahaullah is the highest manifestation.”

West African mission In his latest letter Mr Nayyar writes, “The fifth and the last lecture of the series of lectures which I delivered in the Ahmadiyya Hall, Lagos, was on ‘Three Stages of Spiritual Progress’. The four lectures proceeding it went under the headings of: 1. Muhammad in the Bible 2. Jesus did not die on the cross 3. The second advent of the Messiah 4. How to get rid of sin.

“The lectures were largely attended and gained more converts and contributed great strength to our mission. One of the audience [members] said to me: ‘But for you, we would have become Christians.’ The lectures have produced such a wholesome influence on the public that even the students of the schools have actually memorised them and now harass their Bible teachers by putting questions to them. Lessons in the Holy Quran and the hadith have infused a new life in the Ahmadis.”

After four months of constant hard work and engagement, Mr Nayyar has left Lagos for Gold Coast where on his way to Logos he had gained 4,000 converts from among the Fantees. He will remain there for some months to train and educate them.

Before his departure for Gold Coast [Ghana], Mr Nayyar received a telegram from Abeokuta, the Capital of a Muhammaden State located in the interior parts of Africa. Our missionary gave two lectures before a very big audience which included some princes also and we are extremely pleased to inform our readers that Prince Ali Egberonighi, a Chief of 15,000 Muslims became Ahmadi.

After handing over the training and education of the Ahmadis of Lagos to a body of 12 notable and influential Maulvis.

Mr Nayyar started for Gold Coast and reached Saltpond on 8 August [1921]. The Ahmadis of Lagos have sent 51 pounds and 2 shillings for lamps to be suspended in the turret of the Minarat-ul-Masih and 50 pounds for Propagation Fund.

London mission Muslim festival at the mosque in London Striking coincidence London papers publish photos of the Idul-

Azha service as it was being performed by our brethren in London. These photographs are accompanied by such remarks as the following: “One of the most wonderful scenes in London yesterday was this Muhammadan service held at the ‘Mosque’ in Melrose Road, Southfields.”

The Daily Graphic gives the following account of the service under the heading “Mecca in London”: “One of the most remarkable service which took place yesterday was the celebrating of the feast of Eed-uz-Zuha in a garden at Southfields, where eighteen Muhammadans assembled, and, after carefully so arranging the carpets on the grass that the worshippers should face the east, heard prayers read in Arabic and then a sermon in English.

“A dozen people belonging to other creeds sat around on chairs. All sorts of faiths and demonstrations were represented, one of the men present being a spiritualist. They watched the coloured people performing the ceremonies of their religion with the greatest interest.

“It was an interesting coincidence that the great Muhammadan festival should have coincided with the sensation created in the Christian Church by the speeches of the Dean of Carlyle and other clergymen at Cambridge, throwing doubt on the divinity of Christ. At yesterday’s services in London’s churches thousands of worshippers were thinking deeply and painfully over the Dean of Carlisle’s words – words which go to the very roots of Christianity.”

(Transcribed by Al Hakam from the original in The Review of Religions, October 1921)

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Friday 8 October 2021 | AL HAKAM

First-ever charity cycle by Ireland Jamaat alongside annual charity walk

Atta-ur-Rahman Khalid Missionary, Dublin, Ireland

Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Ireland have been organising annual charity walks for a number of years to support local Irish charities.

This year’s Charity Walk took place on 19 September 2021, at the busiest and most scenic area of Galway city, Salthill Promenade. This year, for the first time in

the history of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Ireland, a 200km charity cycle from Dublin to Galway took place alongside the 5 km walk.

The preparations for the event started about one and half months before. It was advertised in local newspapers and on social media. Three different radio channels not only made announcements about the charity walk, but also interviewed Ahmadi missionaries who had an opportunity to explain the humanitarian works of Jamaate-Ahmadiyya.

Humanity First helps Muslim children affected by war in Bosnia, Prijedor Zubair Khalil Khan Director of projects for Southeast Europe, Humanity First Germany

On 30 September 2021, two humanitarian projects by Humanity First were carried out in the Bosnian city of Prijedor. Mr Mirsad Duratovic, President of the city Parliament was the chief guest for both the projects. The mayor of the city and other city parliament officials also attended the donation ceremony.

The first project was done under Humanity First’s “Knowledge for Life” project, costing 1,440 euros.

One laptop and eight tablets were donated to a local school named Dositej Obradovic Primary School. This school is located in a Muslim population area where around 300 Muslim families reside. These families were victims of genocide during the previous war in Bosnia. Their houses were put on fire. During the war, the children and young men were killed and the women faced torture. The leftover surviving Muslim population had no choice but to migrate elsewhere. After the war, some Muslim families came back to their own damaged houses and are still fighting for their fundamental rights in the Serb-dominated city of Prijedor.

The last time Humanity First visited this school, they were informed that the school did not even have Internet access or computers and therefore the computer classes ceased. This is a glaring example of discrimination against the Muslim children

of the area, even after 25 since the war ended.

During the last visit of the Humanity First team, the city council president, Mr Mirsad Duratovic, present on the occasion, promised that if Humanity First donated the required computer equipment, the city administration would immediately provide an Internet connection to the school.

Humanity First reacted very promptly and now this school has an internet connection and computer equipment to start the computer classes.

The other project in the same city on the same day was organised under Humanity First’s “Food Security” project..

For this project, food worth 1,500 euros was donated to a local kitchen facility run by Optimisti. From this kitchen facility, every day, 300 needy families irrespective of their religious attachment, get a one-time warm meal. In the past, the kitchen was given meat from the Eid celebration, by Humanity First.

For participating in both the projects, a team of three members from Humanity First Bosnia travelled 650 km in the mountainous terrain. The team was led by the President of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Bosnia, Muffeezur Rehman Sahib.

News of both the projects was covered by the local print and electronic media.

The news was also broadcast on regional television during prime time.

The readers of Al Hakam are requested to remember the devoted members of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya and Humanity First Bosnia in prayers.

This year funds were raised through online fundraising pages, door-to-door cash collections by Majlis Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya and registration on the day of the event.

Over 17,000 Euros were raised through the event for three charities: Croi, COPE and Simon.

In order to motivate members to take up cycling and enrol for the first-ever charity cycle, a number of events and training rides were held in the beautiful surroundings of Dublin city.

On 17 September 2021, at 9 am, a short ceremony was held at Corkagh Park, in South Dublin, to see the 12 cyclists off. The ceremony was attended by Mayor Peter Kavanagh and TD Emer Higgins who were invited to say a few words.

Although the day started off wet, spirits were very high. As the cyclists got onto the cycle greenway in Maynooth the skies cleared making way for some beautiful sunshine for the rest of the day.

Members of the public were able to

see the message “Muslims for Peace” and the motto “Love for All, Hatred for None”, which were printed on the jerseys.

Just after sunset, having cycled over 120 km, all the cyclists arrived safely in Athlone where they were welcomed by members of the Midlands Jamaat.

The next morning was an 80-kilometre cycle ride through the stunning countryside into Galway where there was a special reception for the cyclists at Maryam mosque.

The next day, the formal inauguration of the Charity Walk commenced at 11 am with a recitation from the Holy Quran. The chief guest, Eamon O’Cuiv who is a famous Irish politician and an old friend of the Jamaat, distributed medals amongst the Ahmadi cyclists, some of the organisers, charity representatives and top fundraisers.

Thousands of people learnt about Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya and its humanitarian works, and over 150 people participated in the walk.

Majlis Ansarullah, Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya and Lajna Imaillah made extraordinary efforts. Lajna members prepared delicious snacks for the charity cycle and charity walk inauguration.

Both events received good coverage in local papers, social media and on radio stations.

Islam in Belize: Ahmadis adopt traffic roundabout to spread teachings of Islam

Maham Warraich Belize

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Belize was fortunate to adopt a traffic roundabout in Belize city. This roundabout is conveniently located near the Noor Mosque, the newly constructed mosque in Belize city. Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa graciously mentioned this humble achievement during his address at the UK Jalsa 2021.

Due to the high volume of traffic and the location of the roundabout, local Belize media took great notice of the work being done by the Jamaat, and highlighted the efforts on all major news outlets. News reporters notably mentioned in their reports that the signs on the roundabout with slogans of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya will carry a strong message and prove as motivation for the citizens of Belize.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa graciously approved four different messages to

be displayed on this roundabout. Each message was selected from the foundational elements of Islam, the Holy Quran, the Holy Prophetsa, the Promised Messiahas and from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. Huzooraa graciously sent a personal message specifically for this roundabout, and stated: “Serving humanity and striving to alleviate the suffering of other people goes hand in hand with our duties to worship God Almighty.”

The purpose of these excerpts is to convey the true essence of Islam in a simple manner that resonates with the citizens of Belize.

This development is a significant step for the Belize Jamaat as this roundabout is one of the busiest roundabouts in Belize city. A country which has been under Christian rule for many years is now beginning to see the true reality of Islam and the emphasis it places on establishing peace.

AL HAKAM | Friday 8 October 2021

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Panic attack at the podium: A blessing in disguise Rizwan Khan Missionary, Texas

The first time I had a panic attack was during my student days in Jamia (Canada), when I was unexpectedly told to lead congregational prayer at the mosque.

The regular imams weren’t there that day and I must have been put on the list of backup imams. In Fajr, a longer portion of the Holy Quran is to be recited. I kept thinking I was going to forget a verse, or if I made a mistake, someone was going to correct me and then I might forget more.

First, my heart started beating at full speed, then I couldn’t exhale anymore, then I physically couldn’t recite. I was barely able to get a couple of syllables out with each breath. I couldn’t do anything, so I went into ruku. It was a disturbing experience. I don’t remember how I got through the second rak‘at. For some reason, nobody mentioned anything afterwards. Maybe they thought I was getting emotional in prayer, but I was just trying to get oxygen.

I tried to avoid situations where I might be unexpectedly told to publicly recite or speak after that.

Once, I came into the mosque and noticed the person on duty in the front row was looking for someone to lead the prayer. He saw me and I saw him, and I went straight to the back corner of the mosque and tried to start reading nawafil. I thought if I started my prayer, then I would be safe and nobody could tell me to do anything. I had got my hands up for takbir when I heard him say “Rizwan!” from across the mosque, “Oh my goodness”, I thought.

I didn’t know I was having panic attacks. I just thought I hyperventilated sometimes when I was nervous. Aside from these occasional situations, it didn’t disrupt life much, until recently.

During Covid-19, our mosque was closed for about a full year. When it reopened, I started having panic attacks almost every time I led Jumuah prayers.

Maybe it was a combination of wearing a mask while publicly speaking and being uncomfortable around people after such a long separation.

I’m not sure what the cause was.

Watching someone have a panic attack while he is publicly speaking is probably about as uncomfortable for the audience as it is for the person. Imagine being in a programme and the speaker stops speaking. After a few seconds of silence, everyone starts looking to see what’s

wrong; after a few more seconds it gets uncomfortable and after that, everyone starts looking at each other.

Now imagine that the speaker is barely able to breathe, but they can’t just end the speech early and leave because they have to get through the sermon, khutbah thaniya and then lead the prayer. There is no exit strategy, so I just kept pushing through it.

Our local sadr, an anesthesiologist, whose job is to know when someone is about to lose consciousness, came up to the podium in the middle of one Jumuah sermon and asked if I was okay. At that point, I started feeling bad for what I was putting the audience through.

I didn’t know what to do. I kept wondering at what point I should write to Huzooraa that I was no longer able to do my duties. A murabbi has to be able to publicly speak and lead prayers; that’s a part of his responsibilities. If I was physically unable to do that, then I didn’t know how I could function.

Before Jumuah, I started to wish I would get sick; if only I could come down with a fever or start vomiting and get to stay home.

Once, I was sitting in the mosque before Jumuah about to go up to the podium and thought to myself, “This is crazy! How am I about to go up there? I should tell somebody that I’ve lost my ability to do this, that I can’t do this anymore.”

But then, I thought that we don’t back down, and we don’t get scared and run away. As long as we are assigned to do something, we do it. If I was deemed unfit, then I would be asked to step down, but I wouldn’t myself step back from the responsibility I was assigned.

Although this experience was mentally draining, it was spiritually helping me in ways that I desperately needed.

Having a panic attack in front of an audience while publicly speaking is a unique feeling of mortification. It’s a moment of weakness in front of people who expect me to be strong, a feeling of being exposed in front of people I want to hide myself from. But mainly, it is feeling embarrassed in front of people who, deep down, I may want respect from; it is being torn down in front of people who, deep down, I could think I am better than. It’s an experience that takes the arrogance and showing off that I have in me, and turns it into a weapon to flog me with.

If I was arrogant to someone who I thought I was better than, it would be all the more painful to be so vulnerable in front of them. If I wanted to show off in front of people so they would respect me and give me status, then it would be all the more painful to be in a moment of such weakness in front of them.

I can otherwise ignore my arrogance and my need to show off and pretend it isn’t

there. I pretend it isn’t there because it’s shallow and ugly and it’s uncomfortable to look at. But in the middle of a panic attack at the podium, there is no pretending it isn’t there. In that moment, when everything else gets blurry, it’s the only thing I can see clearly.

ٌ ۡ َۡ ُ ‫بَل الۡان ۡ َس‬ ‫ان َع ٰلی نف ِس ٖہ بَ ِصی َرۃ‬ ِ ِ ٗ‫َّو لَوۡ اَل ۡ ٰقی َم َعاذیۡرَہ‬ ِ

“Nay, man is fully aware of his own self.

Even though he puts forward his excuses.”

(Surah al-Qiyamah, Ch.75: V.15-16) Being a murabbi has blessings, but it also has trials for me, and one of them is having to be the centre of attention from time to time. If I was working in the kitchen helping make food for an event, the fact is that my work would be of just as much value in the sight of Allah as giving a speech for the programme.

The Holy Prophetsa said: “The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions”. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Bad‘ al-Wahi) However, when I am at the podium, my contribution to the programme is seen by others, and so it is more likely to be appreciated and praised. Slowly, I can begin to think my contribution is more valuable than the person in the kitchen.

I can begin to think that I deserve to be appreciated, that I am entitled to a status, and that I am more important than the person in the kitchen.

Being in the limelight has to be treated like being under radiation. If I don’t protect myself from it, I’ll start developing spiritual illnesses and cancers.

Hazrat Imam Ghazalirh said: “The Holy Prophetsa said: ‘The greatest of what I fear most for my followers is riya, or show of piety and secret greed.’ It is more secret than the movement of black ants on a smooth stone in the darkest night. For that reason, the experienced, learned men have become baffled to save themselves from its injuries. By it, the religious men are tried as they want to get respect from the people for their learning and piety.

They wish to get praise and respect in meetings.” (Summary of introduction to Chapter 8 of Book 3 of Ihya Ulum-ud-Din) Arrogance and showing off come from our fundamental need to be praised. This need cannot be suppressed; it can only be channelled. When we seek praise from people, we show off and when we praise ourselves, we become arrogant. Islam teaches that we can only overcome these flaws by fulfilling these needs by seeking praise from Allah and by praising Allah.

This is why we are taught to say the words “alhamdulillah” – “all praise belongs to Allah” – so frequently, because these words are an antidote to these two basic sins. ّٰ “Interpreted subjectively, ‫الحمدللہ‬ would mean that God alone has the right to bestow true praise.” (Five-Volume Commentary, Vol. 1, p. 11) When we show off, our desire for receiving praise is misplaced. When we say “alhamdulillah” subjectively, we remind ourselves that rather than seeking praise from people, we should seek praise from only Allah Almighty because that’s Continued on next page >>

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Friday 8 October 2021 | AL HAKAM << Continued from previous page

the only appreciation that really matters.

“Interpreted objectively, it would signify that true praise is due to God alone.

The praise due to other beings and objects is only borrowed and secondary.” (Ibid) When we are arrogant, our desire to give praise is misplaced. When we say “alhamdulillah” objectively, we remind ourselves that rather than praising ourselves, we should realise that only Allah the Almighty is worthy of true praise and we are insignificant in front of Him. I’ve often said “alhamdulillah” with these meanings in mind, but if I wasn’t comfortable with really humbling myself when I said it, I had the luxury of saying it theoretically. But when I had panic attacks at the podium, there was no longer any theory – I was humbled by force.

Although going through a tribulation like this is uncomfortable, the progress that is made during that time is incomparable to any other time. When I looked within myself, I saw that I did want status among people, and deep down, I did think I was special and exceptional.

Being in a position where my work was over-appreciated was not helping. The limelight has been giving me radiation poisoning.

I hated how petty my feelings could sometimes be, wanting to be more appreciated than someone else or thinking I was better than someone. I hated how I wondered if people would be impressed by a speech I gave, or worrying afterwards whether they liked it, and me, or not. But after I started having panic attacks at the podium, I didn’t worry about any of those things. I was just happy if I could breathe enough to be able to speak. I didn’t worry about whether people liked or respected me, because whatever imagined status I earned could be shattered anytime with one panic attack.

Despite how distressing the feelings of dread, nervousness, panic and exhaustion were, the spiritual pain of facing my own pettiness and vanity and arrogance were more unpleasant. Even as I was sitting at the podium dreading the thought of standing up and speaking, I realised that if I had to choose between the mortification of a panic attack in front of everybody, or having to live with these spiritual flaws, I’d rather take the panic attacks. Somehow there was more peace of mind in that.

This is why I have, so far, not been able to really pray to Allah the Almighty to be saved from this. This experience feels like a medicine which, while bitter, has been more effective in breaking my arrogance and need to show off than anything else.

Whenever I would try to pray to be saved from this, I would remember a hadith: Ata bin Abi Rabah narrated that Hazrat Ibn-e-Abbasra said to him, “Shall I show you a woman of the people of Paradise?” He replied, said, “Yes.” Hazrat Ibn-e-Abbasra said, “This black lady came to the Prophetsa and said, ‘I get attacks of epilepsy and my body becomes uncovered; please invoke Allah for me.’ The Prophetsa said, ‘If you wish, be patient and you will have Paradise; and if you wish, I will invoke Allah to cure you.’ She said, ‘I will

Ahmadis in Australia continue church visits and spread message of Islam to locals

Atif Ahmad Zahid Missionary, Australia

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Adelaide West visited the town of Snowtown on 19 September 2021 to hold a Holy Quran exhibition for the public, and a visit to the local church in the nearby town of Port Broughton.

The regional town of Snowtown is around a two-hour drive from the Mahmood Mosque, Adelaide. A total of seven Jamaat members participated in this effort to spread the message of Islam and Ahmadiyyat.

The Holy Quran exhibition and bookstall was set up in the Sunday market from 9 am to 2 pm. Alhamdulillah, the exhibition and bookstall was very successful and was visited by many Australians.

On the same day, a delegate of five Jamaat members led by Atif Ahmad Zahid Sahib, attended the Sunday service in the local Uniting Church in Port Broughton which was around a 45-minute drive from Snowtown. The delegates met their church leader and more than 25 local church members after the service. Some of the church members were residents of Adelaide.

The church leader and the members warmly welcomed us and invited us to formally introduce ourselves. I presented the introduction of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, our beliefs, teachings, and our efforts for humanity in Australia, Africa and worldwide. President Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Adelaide West, Nasir Ahmed Sahib thanked

remain patient,’ and added, ‘but I become uncovered, so please invoke Allah for me that I may not become uncovered.’ So he invoked Allah for her.” (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim) When I would pray, the most I could ask was what was for the best, and that I did not become uncovered. If it is possible that bearing this difficulty with patience is the way to Paradise, then it’s more than worth it. At first, this experience felt to me like the end of the world, but it’s clear that in the end, it will look insignificant.

Eventually, my wife and I were able to figure out what was happening, and with some thought exercises that psychologists recommend, it no longer happens as often.

However, it is still there, and when I find

them and invited them to visit the two Ahmadi mosques in Adelaide and the upcoming interfaith and peace symposium programmes.

We had friendly conversations on topics related to religion and its role in caring for mankind. These discussions helped to convey the peaceful message of Islam Ahmadiyyat to the local church members.

Some of the church leaders have an affiliation with the Mercy Ship organisation which provides health care services to poor countries in Africa with a team of volunteers via fully equipped hospital facilities on-ship by sailing to different countries. We informed them about the teachings of Islam in paying the rights of mankind and caring for it and our Jamaat’s humanitarian programmes in terms of schools, hospitals, solar power projects, and clean water projects being run for several years in Africa, South America and other developing countries. We also informed them of the activities of Humanity First in this respect.

The general theme of the discussions was that all the faiths teach to care for the creation of God regardless of colour, creed, race, religion or political views. And the world needs to focus on projecting and promoting such works for the harmony of the society we live in, instead of spending resources on wars, fights and spreading negativity in the media.

One local church member had a very long and emotional conversation with us in which she expressed solidarity with us. She highly appreciated our ongoing initiative to visit the churches and other places of worship for creating harmony and for promoting peace in society. She also condemned the racism and discriminatory behaviour by the few.

Some of the church members expressed their surprise and delight to see a group of young members of our Jamaat in their church who were spending their time to serve faith. On the other hand, they expressed their deep concerns about the ever-declining youth membership of the church.

In South Australia, it is very difficult to book a stall in the Sunday community markets as most of the markets do not allow political and religious organisations.

Even those who allow them, hesitate to provide a stall to Muslim organisations and sometimes they outrightly reject it. During the visit, I asked the Lay Minister if we could use her name as a reference to book a stall in the upcoming Port Broughton community market. Not only did she accept but instead herself booked the stall for us. Alhamdulillah, in this way Allah the Almighty Himself provided another opportunity for us to preach the message of Islam.

Some of the comments of the church members are given below: Lay Minister Heather Dunstan said: “It was very comforting to have people from the Muslim community to come and visit us. We were very pleased with them to have a talk with us and talk about where their mosque is. They assured us all that they are a community of peace lovers like us.

We would like to send best greetings back to your church and thank you very much that you have blessed our church with your visit today.”

A local church member said: “It was lovely to see Muslim visitors here with us this morning. It is always nice to meet people from other churches and faiths as we all serve one Lord. Thank you and bless you all.”

Den castle a representative of Mercy Ship said: “It’s just wonderful that we share the same message of love to our fellow human beings.”

my mind again going towards shallow thoughts, I can’t help but be grateful that I have the looming possibility of a panic attack at the podium to help keep me in check.

Now what I need to think about is if I am proud of this essay I’ve written on the harms of pride.

The Promised Messiahas said: “You may not perhaps fully realise what is arrogance. Then listen to me as I speak under the direction of God. Everyone who looks down upon a brother because he esteems himself more learned, or wiser, or more proficient than him is arrogant, inasmuch as he does not esteem God as the Fountainhead of all intelligence and knowledge and deems himself as

something.

“Has God not the power to afflict him with lunacy and to bestow upon his brother, whom he accounts small, better intelligence and knowledge and higher proficiency than him? So also he who, out of a mistaken conception of his wealth, or status, or dignity, looks down upon his brother, is arrogant because he forgets that his wealth, status and dignity were bestowed upon him by God. He is blind and does not realize that God has power to so afflict him that in a moment he might be reduced to the condition of the lowest of the low, and to bestow upon his brother whom he esteems low greater wealth than him.” (Essence of Islam, Vol. 2, pp. 355356)

AL HAKAM | Friday 8 October 2021

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100 Detroit, centre for Islam: Mufti Sadiq Years continues to spread Islam in America Ago...

Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra (1872-1957) A learned Christian lady after reading the first number of “Moslem Sunrise” writes to me from Iowa, “It is so instructive and gives a person an insight into things which no matter how prejudiced they may be cannot but help to make them believe the facts produced by the Divine power. But my dear Mufti, such is the way of the world. It is hard to convince us or to replace an image once deeply implanted in our bosoms.”

How truly is reflected in these words the intensity of the hard task before a worker in Faith. There is a proverb in India, “It is very difficult to drive away literate demon.” People like to remain stuck to their traditional thought and usages and have no mind to shake them off even if they find them wrong. This is the reason that the Prophets and Reformers are always abused by those very people for whom they are sincerely ready even to sacrifice their very lives. I am trying my best according to the means in my hand to convince the people of the truth of Islam, but it will take some time to gain the desires of our hearts. Living being very high in this country, it requires a big sum of money to start and continue all sorts of work to reach the people and give them our message. Hasbo-n-Allah wa-naTawakkal aleihe – God is enough for us and in Him we put our trust.

Brother Mubarik and Sister Berket (Mr and Mrs Alberto) although new members themselves have been zealous in spreading the truth and have secured two new converts in Florida.

Shaikh Abdullah Din Muhammad (Mr JL Mott) is planning to build an Ahmadia Moslem Mosque in New Orleans. Some of his American friends have promised considerable help and he himself intends to put 500 dollars into the funds out of his own pocket.

May Allah assist him to accomplish this wonderful task.

Brother Mr James Sodick James Sodick – our young Russian Tatar Ahmadi – is enthusiastically figuring over securing a magnificent Ahmadi Moslem House in Chicago. Insha-Allah.

In addition to the usual work at the centre, I made a short tour through Toledo, Fort Wayne, Bremen, Chicago, and back by MC railroad, delivering lectures and giving interviews to the Press and the public. Thus, I have made some new friends who have become interested in Islam and are studying our literature.

The Moslem Sunrise, October 1921 The correspondence work is growing very heavy. Mr M Yusuf Khan, the young Indian Ahmadi, has been helping me. The communications received for the quarter ending July 1921 were 646 and those dispatched were 2800, including that of the magazine. About 300 little leaflets and books also have been distributed.

Madame Rahatullah has been busy in New York making people interested in Islam and has already secured one American convert to Islam and one Moslem to the Ahmadia Order. Her enthusiastic little article on Islam appears in this magazine on page 39 [which has been published in the previous issue of Al Hakam]. Madam will start lecturing in New York assisted by Mrs Emerson (Allahdin) of Oriental Shop there.

The Brotheren in Chicago hold regular meetings every Sunday with Mr L Roman as their Secretary.

Brothers Muhammad Yaqoob (Mr Andrew Jacob) and Ghulam Rasul (Mr Elias Russell) have been working like missionaries in Chicago and have succeeded in bringing nine American souls to the fold of Islam.

Their names are given in the list below: New converts Since the last report in The Moslem Sunrise No. 1, the following persons have joined the blessed [Ahmadiyya] Faith. Their Moslem names are given along with their family and old names.

Mr H Alberto in Florida (Mubarak), Mrs B Alberto in Florida (Berket), Mr T Don (Abdur Rashid), Miss Victoria Soider (Mrs Ameen Khader), Mr CC Cohan of Butte, Mont. (Amanullah), Mr R White of Chicago (Kabiruddin), Mr Joes David of Chicago (Ahmaddin), Mr Henry Bell of Chicago (Saddeek), Mr JH Durden of Chicago (Omar). Mr MA Cruzat, originally comes from Chile, South America, and now lives Mr RR Torres in New York.

His Moslem name is Shareef. Mr Anthony Burkhardt of New York, named Muslim.

Mr RR Torres of Laredo, Texas. This young man had met me first in Toledo. He is very sincere and is helping others to reach the Truth. His Moslem name is Abdur Rahman.

Mr Henry Hill of Chicago (Mustaqil), Mr Edward Bryan Lesher of New York (Islam), Dr Charles D Allen of Tampa (Hakeem), Mrs Francis Russell of Chicago (Fatima), Mrs Anna Jacob of Chicago (Amina),

Mr Thomas F Glenn of Chicago (Abdul Kareem), Miss Irene Luero of Reading, Ohio (Euvery), Mr John Keel of Chicago (Yahya), Mrs Louise Keel of Chicago (Lateefa), Viola Bell of Chicago (Hameeda), Walter Jacob (Waheed), William Clark (Abdur Raheem), Daniel Cassimore of Chicago (Muhammad).

The following gentlemen in this country joined the blessed Ahmadiyya Movement.

Mr A Rashid of New York, Mr Ameen Khadra of Detroit, Hassan Yaqub El-Haj of Bremen, Abbas Muhammed El-Hajj of Bremen, Ibrahim Akeel El-Haj of Bremen, Mr Hossain Omar of North Dakota, Mr Ali Omar of North Dakota, Mr Abdul Muthleb of Chicago.

Missionary epistles Letters and literature was sent to many celebrities in this country and abroad, taking advantage of events and occurrences about them – including His Royal Highness Prince of Wales of British Empire; Mr Henry Ford of Detroit; President Harding; Mr Edison, the inventor; Bishop Anderson of Cincinnati; Rev. V. Cooper Mathieson of Australia; Lord Northcliff, on his recent visit to America; Mr Hudson Maxim, inventor of the Maxim machine gun; Sro. II. I. Bonomi, the new Premier of Italy; Ex-President Taft, on his appointment as the Supreme Court Judge; and Prince Regent Alexander of Servia, on his escape from death when a bomb exploded in Belgrade.

500 letters giving the message of Islam with sample copies of Moslem Sunrise were sent to Masonic Lodges all over the country.

1000 Missionary Epistles with literature were mailed to the chief libraries all over the United States.

Press notices We have culled a few lines out of the articles that have recently appeared in the American papers about Islam and our mission here.

Free Press, Detroit: “That Highland Park is to be the centre of Mohammadansim in the western world was indicated Friday when the first issue of the ‘Moslem Sunrise,’ a monthly magazine devoted to missionary work among English speaking people was circulated by Dr Mufti Mohammad Sadiq, 74 Victor Avenue.

“Dr Sadiq is the head in America of the Ahmadia movement or the missionary work of Islam which is under the direction of Mirza Basir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad of Qadian, Punjab, India.”

News, Detroit: “Detroit is to be the center for the teaching in America of the Ahmadia movement of the Moslem Faith. This movement is described as a reformed Mohammadanism, with Dr Mufti Mohammad Sadiq, formerly of the India, as its apostle to America. Dr Sadiq will publish the first Moslem paper in English

in America. It is the Moslem Sunrise, and appears in July. It will serve as a medium to explain Mohammadanism to the nonbelievers, and to link the English-speaking Moslems in America into a closer unity, Dr Sadiq says.”

Bremen Inquirer: “The first Moslem missionary to America speaks faultless English and is a brilliant conversationalist.

Concerning his religion, he says: Islam is no new religion. Islam means obeying the will and commandments of God. It is continuance of that great religious system started by Abraham and followed by Moses.

David and Jesus worship none but one God. He is the only God – God of the forefathers.

Mohammad is the latest exponent of that religious system. He cleared whole Arabia from idol worshipping. We believe and respect all the Prophets of all the religions, but take Mohammad as the master prophet, and the Quran as the latest sacred book of law from God. “No Mohammadan ever takes Mohammad as God. Mohammed was a man prophet, a great teacher. Revelation from God never ceases. God is God of all ages, all nations and all countries. As he spoke to Holy men in the days of old, so he does even now. Thus He spoke recently to the Prophet Ahmad of Islam in India, who spoke many prophecies, including those about the great war and the dethronement of the Czar of Russia. He founded the Ahmadia Movement, called after his name.

We are preparing an English translation of the Holy Quran.”

News-Bee, Toledo, dated 12 July 1921, printed a long article about our mission.

Toledo Times, 17 July 1921: “Handsome automobiles continue to drive up to the humble dwelling where Dr Sadiq is a guest and many remain for long periods in consultation with the gentleman from India. His personality and charm merit their acquaintance, even though his faith may not attract the occidental mind, say those who have met him. He has been lending books on Islam to his callers and receives his visitor daily from 4 to 8 p.m.”

Times, Toledo, dated 12 July 1921, published my photo with a long description of Islam. “If you see a more or less venerable gentleman wearing a vivid green turban on Toledo streets this week make obeisance, it is none other than Dr Mufti Muhammad Sadiq. On the visiting card of Dr Sadiq is the Mohammadan Motto in Arabic and beneath is the translation, ‘There is none adorable but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.’ ‘We are unitarians in the strictest sense,’ the Doctor explained.

‘That is, we do not believe in the Trinity. We believe in a future life and that no soul shall ever come to naught. We do not believe in transmigration of souls.’ Dr Sadiq has been in America but little more than a year.

English he speaks perfectly. His hands are the smallest imaginable for a man and in all his bearings is unmistakable refinement.”

In addition to above, small paragraphs appeared in Al-Bayan, El-Hoda, Blade and several other newspapers.

(To be continued…)

(Transcribed by Al Hakam from the original in The Moslem Sunrise, October 1921)

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Friday 8 October 2021 | AL HAKAM

Friday Sermon 10 September 2021 Men of Excellence: Hazrat Umarra ibn al-Khattab After reciting the tashahud, ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:

Accounts during the Khilafat of Hazrat Umarra were being narrated, as well as the battles that were fought during that time.

From the books of history, we come to know that during the time of Hazrat Abu Bakrra, Damascus was besieged for several months and that Muslims gained victory in this battle a short while after his demise.

Nevertheless, as the details of this battle correspond to the era of Hazrat Abu Bakrra, they will be presented when narrating the accounts of Hazrat Abu Bakrra, insha-Allah.

I will mention the incidents that took place following the conquest of Damascus.

After conquering Damascus, Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra sent Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid on another expedition to Beqa‘. Beqa‘ is a large area comprising of many towns, situated between Damascus, Baalbek and Homs. After gaining victory here, he sent a contingent ahead.

An argument broke out between the Byzantines and this contingent over a fountain called “Maisanun”, which resulted in a fight. Coincidentally, a Byzantine by the name of Sinan, was successful in attacking the Muslims from the other side of Beirut

and martyred a large number of Muslims.

Beirut was a well-known coastal town in the Levant. As such, this fountain was attributed to these martyrs and was called ‘Ain alShuhada [Fountain of the martyrs].

Abu Ubaidah appointed Yazid bin Abi Sufyan as his representative in Damascus, who subsequently sent Dihyah bin Khalifa with an expedition to Tadmur (Palmyra) in order to pave the way for victory. Tadmur is an ancient and well-known town in Syria, located at a distance of five days from Aleppo. The Yazid that is being mentioned here is the son of Hazrat Abu Sufyan.

Similarly, Abu Zahra Qushairi was sent to Bathaniyyah and Hawwarin, but the people there agreed to enter into a treaty. Bathaniyyah is the name of a town near Damascus. Hawran was a large area in Damascus, which consisted of many towns and agricultural land. Aside from Tiberias, the capital of Jordan [the name of a province at the time] Shurahbilra bin Hasanah conquered the entire country through battle, as war was imposed on him and the people of Tiberias agreed to a treaty.

Hazrat Khalidra also returned victorious

from Beqa‘. The people of Baalbek accepted the treaty and he wrote an oath with them.

(Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattabra Shakhsiyyat aur kar namey, Muhammad Salabi, p. 730, Maktabah alFurqan, Khangarh) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 1, p. 623, 557, 402) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 2, p. 20, 364)

According to books of history, Baalbek is an ancient town and located at a distance of three days travel from Damascus. (Yaqut

Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 1, pp. 537-538)

The term “distance of days” means the distance one would cover in a day by the means of transport of that era; that is by camel or horse.

Fahl is the name of a place, which was conquered in 14 AH. Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra wrote to Hazrat Umarra saying: “I have come to know that Heraclius is in Homs and dispatching his armies towards Damascus. However, it is difficult for me to decide whether I should first attack Damascus, or Fahl.” Fahl is the name of a place in the Levant.

In reply to this, Hazrat Umarra wrote:

“You should first attack Damascus and conquer it, as it is the main fortress of Syria and the headquarters. Along with this, you should also send a cavalry contingent towards Fahl, which will not allow them [the Byzantines] to advance towards you. If Fahl is conquered before Damascus then so be it, but if not, then conquer Damascus, and then leave a small portion of your army there and take all your commanders with you and head towards Fahl. If Allah the Almighty grants victory over Fahl at your hands then you and Khalid should head towards Homs and you should send Shurahbil and Amr towards Jordan and Palestine.”

As soon as Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra received the letter from Hazrat Umarra, he sent 10 commanders, of which the most prominent was Abu al-A‘war Sulmi, to Fahl, and he himself accompanied Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid to Damascus. When the Byzantine armies saw the Muslim forces approaching, they flooded their surroundings with water from the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River, causing the terrain to become like a marsh which was difficult to traverse. (Sayyiduna Umar Farooq A‘zam, Muhammad Husain Haikal,

21

AL HAKAM | Friday 8 October 2021 [translated], pp. 194-195, Islami Kutub Khana, Lahore) (Al-Farooq, Allamah Shibli, p. 114, Dar al-Isha‘at, Karachi, 1991) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 4, p. 268)

Nonetheless, owing to this, the forces Heraclius sent as reinforcements to Damascus were also prevented from reaching their destination. Due to the flooding, all pathways were blocked, yet the Muslims remained steadfast. After witnessing the determination of the Muslims, the Christians agreed to a truce and sent word to Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra to send a representative. Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra appointed Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal for this.

Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal presented the Islamic teachings to the enemy, but they were not willing to accept it. Among other things, the Byzantines proposed to Hazrat Muazra that if the Muslims were to retreat from this country and attack Persia instead, they could take the province of Balqa and other land in Jordan adjacent to Muslim territory, but they were to leave from there.

They themselves initially prepared an army, but after sensing defeat, they offered this proposal.

Hazrat Muazra declined their offer and returned, while the Byzantines requested to speak with Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra directly.

Therefore, a special emissary was sent to the Muslim encampment.

When he arrived there, Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra was seated on the ground, examining arrows. The messenger thought that the commander-in-chief would be distinguishable owing to his grandeur and opulence, but everyone he saw looked the same [in rank]. Finally, after some hesitation, he asked as to who the commander was.

The people indicated towards Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra which left him astonished. He addressed Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra in shock and asked if in fact he was the commander.

Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra answered in the affirmative. The emissary said that they would offer each and every Muslim soldier two gold coins if they were to retreat. Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra rejected the offer, upon which the messenger became infuriated and returned.

Upon seeing the messenger’s hostile attitude, Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra commanded the Muslim army to get ready and wrote to Hazrat Umarra mentioning everything that had happened. Hazrat Umarra gave permission to advance forward as the Byzantine forces continued to gather and encouraged the Muslims to remain steadfast and that God would come to their aid. Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra had given the command to ready the forces that very day, but the Byzantine forces did not confront them. Again, the next day, Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid went out to the battlefield with a contingent of horsemen.

The Byzantine army was also prepared and a battle ensued. After witnessing the resolve of the Muslims, the Byzantines thought it pointless to prolong the battle and wanted to retreat. Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid proclaimed that the Byzantines had used up their strength and now it was the turn of the Muslims to strike. With this, the Muslims launched a sudden assault and the Byzantines suffered defeat.

The Christians were delaying the battle in the hope for reinforcements. But Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid understood their scheme.

He informed Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra that the

Byzantines had become overwhelmed and it was the best time to launch an attack.

Therefore, it was announced immediately that an attack would be launched the following day and the army should prepare.

In the last quarter of the night, Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra assembled his forces.

At that time, the Byzantine forces were approximately 50,000 in number. Two historians who have written on the life of Hazrat Umarra – Haykal and Sallabi – have also reported this army to be 80,000 to 100,000 in number. Regardless, after an hour of intense combat, the Byzantines lost their footing and losing all hope they withdrew.

Following this, Hazrat Umarra commanded that all the land that was seized will remain with its owners, no land would be taken from anyone; the peoples’ lives, wealth, land, properties and places of worship would remain safe and only land for building mosques would be acquired. If land was to be taken, it would only be taken to construct a mosque and all other land would remain with their owners. (Al-Farooq, Allamah Shibli, pp. 114-118, Dar al-Isha‘at, Karachi, 1991) (Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattabra Shakhsiyyat aur kar namey, Muhammad Salabi, p. 730, Maktabah al-Furqan, Khangarh) (Sayyiduna Umar Farooq A‘zam, Muhammad Husain Haikal, [translated], p. 213, Islami Kutub Khana, Lahore)

Then, there is also the conquest of Beisan.

After Hazrat Shurahbilra was victorious in the battle of Fahl, he and his forces accompanied Hazrat Amrra and advanced toward Beisan and laid siege. At that time, Abul A‘war and a few other commanders had besieged Tiberias.

Beisan was situated about 18 miles south of Tiberias. Word had spread about the ongoing defeats of the Byzantines in the battles that took place in regions of Jordan and Damascus and in other conquests. The people learned that Hazrat Shurahbilra, along with Hazrat Amrra bin Aas, Hazrat Harithra bin Hisham and Hazrat Suhailra bin Amr were headed with their armies towards Beisan and so everyone gathered in their forts.

Hazrat Shurahbilra besieged Beisen after arriving there. The siege lasted a few days, after which some combatants emerged for battle. The Muslims fought and defeated them, while the rest of the residents sought a peace treaty. The Muslims accepted the same terms which had been agreed upon at the conquest of Damascus. (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari [translated], Vol. 2, part 2 [Karachi, Pakistan: Nafees Academy], p. 216) (AlFarooq, Allamah Shibli, p. 114, Dar al-Isha‘at, Karachi, 1991)

Then there is the conquest of Tiberias.

When the residents of Tiberias heard news of the conquest of Beisen and the resulting treaty, they requested a truce from Abul A‘war on the condition that their plea be put before Hazrat Shurahbilra. Abul A‘war accepted their request, and thus residents of Beisen and Tiberias both agreed to the terms settled in Damascus.

It was also decided that half of the total residences in the towns and surrounding villages would be emptied for the Muslims, while the Byzantines would occupy the other remaining half. [It was also decided] that everyone would be taxed one Dinar annually, and a specific portion from the yielded crops would be due.

After this, the Muslim leaders and soldiers became residents among the public

and the establishment of peace with Jordan reached completion. All reinforcements took residence in and around Jordan, and the good news of the victory was sent to Hazrat Umarra. (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari [translated], Vol. 2, part 2 [Karachi, Pakistan: Nafees Academy], pp. 216-217)

Then, there is the conquest of Homs [Emessa], which took place in 14 AH. Following these events, Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra advanced toward Homs, a wellknown city in Syria. Homs held political significance and importance in terms of warfare as well. Homs was situated in Syria between Damascus and Aleppo. There was a large temple in Homs which people visited from far off places and many took pride in worshipping there. Nonetheless, the Byzantines wished to fight and advanced accordingly.

As a result, a great army departed from Homs and met the Muslims at Josiah, but the result was their own defeat. Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra and Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid besieged Homs upon their arrival.

There was extreme cold weather and the Byzantines believed that the Muslims would not last long in a battle on the open battlefield. Along with this, reinforcements were also expected from Heraclius. As such, he sent reinforcements from Jazira, but they were intercepted and halted by forces sent

by Hazrat Saadra bin Abi Waqas, who was appointed to conquer Iraq. (Al-Farooq, Allamah

Shibli, p. 118-119, Dar al-Isha‘at, Karachi, 1991) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 2, p.347)

Historians write that although the Byzantines had footwear made of leather, their feet would lose sensation, while the Companionsra and Muslims had ordinary footwear and nothing more. (Sayyiduna

Umar bin al-Khattabra Shakhsiyyat aur kar namey, Muhammad Salabi, p. 734, Maktabah al-Furqan, Khangarh)

Heraclius had promised to assist the people of Homs and after encouraging them to fight, he fled to Rauha. He promised them but then left from there. The people of Homs remained in their fort. They would only fight the Muslims when it was a very cold day.

The Byzantines were in wait for aid from Heraclius and hoped that the Muslims would retreat owing to the severe cold.

However, the Muslims remained resolute and the aid of Heraclius did not arrive, i.e. it did not reach the people. Furthermore, the cold weather also passed and so the people of Homs became convinced that it was impossible to challenge the Muslims.

Consequently, they wished to enter into a treaty. The Muslims agreed to this and the residents were left in their homes. Like the people of Damascus, they agreed to pay the Kharaj [tax on land for non-Muslims living under Muslim rule] and the jizya [tax on non-Muslim citizens living under Muslim rule]. Hazrat Abu Ubaidah wrote to Hazrat Umarra informing him about the situation.

In his reply, Hazrat Umarra instructed the following: “Remain there and gather all the powerful Arab tribes under your flag. InshaAllah, I will regularly send reinforcements from here.” (Sayyiduna Umar Farooq A‘zam,

Muhammad Husain Haikal, [translated], pp. 331-332, Islami Kutub Khana, Lahore)

Maraj al-Rum was another place and the incident of Maraj al-Rum took place in the same year. Maraj al-Rum was a place near to

Damascus.

The incident was that Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra travelled from Fahl to Homs along with Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid. They stopped at Dhul Kala‘. When Heraclius came to know of their movements, he despatched Theodorus. He went to Marai Dimashq and stayed to the west side. Abu Ubaidahra set off from Maraj al-Rum with his army.

The situation of the Muslims at the time was such that the winter months had set in and their bodies were covered in wounds.

When they arrived at Maraj al-Rum, the Byzantine commander Shans also reached there and encamped near Theodorus with his cavalry. Shans had come to assist Theodorus and to save the people of Homs.

He encamped to one side with his army.

When night fell, the other commander, Theodorus, left from there. Owing to his departure, the area was vacant. Theodorus was up against Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid whereas Shans was facing Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra. When Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid learnt that Theodorus had left for Damascus, Hazrat Khalidra and Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra unanimously agreed that Hazrat Khalid should go after Theodorus.

Hence, Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid went after Theodorus with a cavalry contingent.

Yazid bin Abi Sufyan learnt about the action of Theodorus and so he set out against Theodorus; both armies confronted one another and a battle intensified.

The battle was still continuing when Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid arrived on the battlefield along with his army. He attacked the rear of Theodorus’ army and as a result, the enemy was attacked from both fronts and their corpses began to pile up. The Muslims killed them on all fronts and only those who ran away survived. Among the spoils of war that were gained in this battle included mounts, weapons and armour etc.

This was distributed by Hazrat Yazidra bin Abi Sufyan between his soldiers and the soldiers of Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid. After this, Hazrat Yazidra travelled to Damascus and Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid returned to Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra.

The infamous Yazid, who is mentioned in the history of Islam, was the son of Mu‘awiyyah. The aforementioned Yazidra is the son of Abu Sufyanra. The Byzantine commander Theodorus was killed by Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid. When Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra went after Theodorus, Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra chased after Shans.

Both armies fought in Maraj al-Rum. The Muslim army killed many adversaries and Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra killed Shans. Maraj al-Rum was filled with the bodies of the enemy and owing to this, the area was filled with a stench. From among the Byzantine forces, only the ones who ran away survived; everyone else perished. The Muslims chased those who ran away up until Homs. (Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, Vol. 2, p. 321, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari [translated], Vol. 2, part 2 [Karachi, Pakistan: Nafees Academy], pp. 359-360)

After this, Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra set off with his army towards Hama. Hama was also an ancient town of Syria and was situated at a distance of five days travel from Damascus. The people of Hama agreed to obey their authority. When the people of Shehzar came to know of this, they also agreed to obey the Muslims like the people of Hama. Shehzar was a settlement situated

22 at a distance of half a day’s travel from Hama.

Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra then conquered Salmiyyah. Salmiyyah was the name of a settlement which was located at a distance of 2 days travel from Hama. (Sayyiduna Umar Farooq A‘zam, Muhammad Husain Haikal, [translated], p. 333, Islami Kutub Khana, Lahore) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 2, p. 345) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 3, p. 272)

Then there was the conquest of Laziqiyyah, which took place in 14 AH. The Muslim army marched under the command of Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra towards Laziqiyyah, which was a town on the Syrian coast and was considered to be part of the suburbs of Homs. When the people of Laziqiyyah saw the Muslim army approaching, they retreated to their forts and prepared to confront them. They were content that if the Muslim army besieged them, they had the strength to confront them and in the meantime they would receive reinforcements from Heraclius via the sea.

The Muslims besieged the town. The town had a strong defence system and was renowned for its army check posts.

As Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra was experienced in war tactics and strategies, he devised a new plan to conquer the city. He realised that if they camped there, it would be very difficult to conquer it and the siege would become prolonged. Similarly, it was also possible that during the siege the enemy would send them [i.e. the people of the town] reinforcements, as a result of which they would have to return unsuccessful.

Furthermore, if the siege became prolonged, it would be impossible to get to Antakya.

One night, he ordered for many trenches to be dug deep enough that it could conceal a person on horseback. Subsequently, the trenches were hidden with grass. In the morning, Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra lifted the siege and headed back towards Homs.

When the people of the town saw the siege was lifted they were overjoyed and happily opened the doors of the city. At the same time, Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra returned in the night with his army and hid in the trenches.

In the morning when the doors of the town opened, the Muslims launched an attack. Some of the Muslims captured the doors which were on the outer perimeter of the fort. Some people considered it wise to run away and those who were in the town were overcome with fear. Everyone inside the town began planning on how to survive and they were left with no other choice but to accept the authority of the Muslims.

Thus, they entered into an agreement with the Muslims and those that ran away sought protection from the Muslims. The Muslims entered the town victoriously.

Hazrat Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrahra accepted the treaty on the condition they pay the Jizya and left their church under their rule. Later on, Muslims made a mosque near to the church. (Sayyiduna Umar Farooq A‘zam, Muhammad Husain Haikal, [translated], pp. 333-334, Islami Kutub Khana, Lahore) (Al-Farooq, Allamah Shibli, pp. 118-119, Dar al-Isha‘at, Karachi, 1991)

After this victory, Hazrat Umarra wrote stating that no further military action should take place that year. (Al-Farooq, Allamah Shibli, p. 119, Dar al-Isha‘at, Karachi, 1991) The conquest of Qinnasrin took place in

Friday 8 October 2021 | AL HAKAM 15 AH. Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra sent Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid towards Qinnasrin, which was a dynamic city in the province of Aleppo. The fort of Qinnasrin was situated on the road to Aleppo between the mountains. Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid reached a place called Hadir. Hadir was also a place near Aleppo. Over here, the Byzantine commander Menas arrived with his army to confront the Muslims.

After Heraclius, Menas was the most renowned commander-in-chief amongst the Byzantines. Nonetheless, the residents of Hadir and the Christian Arabs fought against the Muslims.

As was the Arab custom, in order to protect the city, they would head out of the city and pitch their tents. In line with this custom, the Christian Arabs set up their tents outside of the city. After a fierce battle, Hazrat Khalidra had killed a large part of the Byzantine forces, including their commander Menas. The people [of Hadir] sent a message to Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid stating that they were Arabs and never wished to fight, in fact they were forced to fight and therefore they should be forgiven.

Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra accepted their plea and stopped any further attack. Some of the Byzantine forces ran to seek shelter in the fort at Qinnasrin. Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid chased them to Qinnasrin, but by the time he reached there, the gates of the city had been sealed shut. Upon seeing this, Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid sent a message to them stating, “Even if you sought shelter in the clouds, Allah the Almighty would raise us up to you or throw you down to us.”

A few days passed by and they remained in the fort. Eventually the people of Qinnasrin realised that there was no option left to escape. Thus they wished to enter a peace treaty on the same conditions as the people of Homs. However, Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid had already issued the verdict of punishment owing to breaching the treaty – they had broken the treaty previously and Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid was intent on punishing them – and thus he was intent on destroying the city. Leaving their wealth and families to their fate, the people of Qinnasrin [i.e. soldiers] ran away to Antakya.

When Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra bin AlJarrah reached Qinnasrin, he found Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid’s judgement to be just and fair. Thus, the fort of the city and the [exterior] boundary walls were destroyed.

After this, they thought that alongside justice, an act of benevolence ought to follow suit, i.e. the Muslims had dispensed justice to the enemy and now they ought to show benevolence. In line with this, they gave protection to the people of the city in accordance with their request. It is said that the church and other homes were divided and Muslims occupied half of the area and half of the area was left to them.

According to one narration, it is said that the Muslims took one part of the land and built a mosque there and left the remaining area to its residents. The people that had fled to Antakya returned on the condition of paying the jizya. Just like the people of the other conquered lands, they were also treated with compassion. Justice was upheld between all of them equally and no powerful person could commit any injustice against a weaker person. (Sayyiduna Umar Farooq A‘zam, Muhammad Husain Haikal, [translated], pp. 333-339, Islami Kutub Khana, Lahore) (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-

Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1987], p. 445) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 2, p. 238)

Then was the conquest of Caesarea, which took place in 15 AH. Caesarea was a coastal town of Syria, which was situated at a distance of three days’ travel from Tiberias.

There are various narrations regarding when this battle took place; one narration states it took place in 15 AH; according to a second narration it took place in 16 AH; a third narration puts it to have taken place in 19 AH, and according to a fourth narration it took place in 20 AH. (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-

Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2, Sanah 19 AH [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1987], p. 511) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 4, p. 478, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah)

Nonetheless, when Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra was making great advancements across the Byzantine occupied Levant, Hazrat Amrra bin Al-Aas and Hazrat Shurahbilra bin Hasanah were trying to defeat the Byzantine forces that had gathered in Palestine. However, this was not an easy task. These forces heavily outnumbered the Muslims and were well-equipped. They were led by the most experienced Byzantine commander Atrabun, whose vision and war strategy were unparalleled in all the land. He thought that the army ought to be scattered to various places so that the rule and authority remained exclusively his. Also, that if the Arabs overcame some of these contingents, the other parts of the army would remain unaffected. Thus, he left a large army in Ramlah and Iliya and smaller contingents to support them in Gaza, Sebastia, Nablus, Lod and Yafa‘.

Thereafter, he remained in wait for the Arab army. He was convinced that he had the strength to defeat the Arabs and weaken their power. Hazrat Amrra bin AlAas understood the delicate situation and thought that if his entire army was to come up against Atrabun, then the Byzantine forces would all unite with one another and subsequently his army will not be able to defeat them. In fact, the Byzantines may even overcome them. Hence, he wrote a letter to inform Hazrat Umarra and Hazrat Umarra instructed Yazid bin Abi Sufyanra to send his brother, Muawiyahra to take control over Caesarea, so that it would not be possible for Atrabun to receive any support from the coastal route. In the letter addressed to Amir Muawiyahra, Hazrat Umarra wrote, “I appoint you as the Amir of Caesarea. You must go there and seek the help of Allah against them and recite: ْ ْ ّ ٰ َّ َّ ُ َ َ َ ‫لا َح ْول َولاق َوۃ اِلا بِالل ِہ ال َع ِل ِ ّی ال َع ِظ ْیم‬ “[There is no scheme nor any power except with the help of Allah, the Great] and: ْ َّ َ ْ َ ٰ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َ ٰ ْ َ َ َ ُ َ َ َ َ ُ َ َ َ ُّ َ ُ ّ ٰ َ ‫الن ِصی ُر‬ ‫ نِعم المولی ونِعم‬،‫اللہ ربنا وثِقتنا ورجاؤناومولنا‬ Meaning, “It is through Allah alone that one can acquire the strength to refrain from sin and perform virtuous deeds for He is the Most Lofty, the Great. He is our Lord and in Him we place all our trust and hope. He is our Master and what a great Master He is indeed and He is our Helper.”

It is written in Al-Farooq that amongst the Muslims, it was Amrra bin Al-Aas who first launched an attack in Caesarea in 13 AH and despite a prolonged siege, they were unable to gain victory. After the demise of Abu Ubaidahra, Hazrat Umarra appointed Yazidra bin Abi Sufyan in his place and

instructed him to go to Caesarea. He went along with 17,000 soldiers and laid siege of the city; however, in 18 AH, when he fell ill, he appointed his brother, Amir Muawiyahra in his place and went to Damascus where he passed away.

Caesarea is situated on the coast of the Levantine Sea and is counted amongst the provinces of Palestine. Today, it is completely uninhabited; however previously, it was a huge city and according to Al-Baladhuri, it had 300 bazaars and a huge Byzantine army was appointed to safeguard it. At the edge of the coast, they also had a very strong fort which posed a great danger for others.

Hazrat Muawiyahra arrived in Caesarea and laid siege. The Byzantines would launch an attack on the Islamic army but would face defeat and retreat to its trenches. Eventually, when the siege was prolonged, the enemy came forth for an all-out battle; however, they suffered such a devastating defeat that 80,000 soldiers of theirs were killed on the battlefield. Including those who ran away, this figure reached 100,000.

After the conquest of Caesarea and the destruction of its army, the Muslims were at ease from this direction and felt secure because the Byzantines could no longer receive reinforcement from this route. Hazrat Muawiyahra sent the news of the victory along with one-fifth of the spoils of war [Khums] to Hazrat Umarra.

According to one other narration, Hazrat Amir Muawiyahra laid a siege with a lot of equipment and weaponry.

On numerous occasions, the people of the city came out from their fort to fight, but each time they faced defeat. However, they could still not take complete control over the city. One day, a Jewish man by the name of Yusuf, came to Amir Muawiyahra and showed him a tunnel which lead right through the city and right up to the door of the fort. Subsequently, a few brave men reached the fort through the tunnel and opened the door of the fort and with this the entire army launched an attack and attained victory.

Hazrat Ubadahra bin Samit is among the companions who took part in the Battle of Badr and also took part in this battle. His brave efforts during the Battle of Caesarea have been mentioned as follows: Upon the siege of Caesarea, Hazrat Ubadahra bin Samit was the commander of the right flank of the Muslim army. He stood up in order to grant counsel to his men and commanded them to refrain from committing sin and to constantly assess their conditions. He then proceeded forth with a large group of Mujahideen and they killed many of the Byzantine soldiers, but they were still unable to properly accomplish their objective. Hence, he returned to his original post and once again encouraged his fellow men to go all out for battle. But despite launching an attack with a huge army of men, he was greatly surprised to have returned without accomplishing their objective. He then stated: “O ye Muslims! Among the leaders appointed on the occasion of the Bai‘at alAqabah, I was the youngest. I have lived the longest among them and Allah the Almighty decreed that I remain alive to the extent that I am now fighting against the enemy along with you.

“I swear by Him in Whose hands is my life, whenever I have taken a party

23

AL HAKAM | Friday 8 October 2021 of believers to launch an attack against the idolaters, they left the battlefield, we triumphed and we were granted victory over them by Allah the Almighty. What has happened on this occasion that you could not overcome them having launched an attack on them?”

Then he expressed his fear in relation to this incident in the following words: “I fear two things in relation to you.

Either someone from among you is a traitor or when you launched an attack, you were not sincere.” Either someone from among them was guilty of treachery or they were not sincere at the time of launching the attack.

Thereafter, he instructed them to seek the station of martyrdom with absolute sincerity. He then said, “I will remain at the forefront and will not move back until Allah the Almighty grants us victory or the station of martyrdom.”

Subsequently, when the Byzantines and Muslims came up against each other in battle, Hazrat Ubadahra bin Samit dismounted from his horse and began to walk on foot.

When Umair bin Saad Ansari saw him walking on foot, he spread the news that the leader of the Muslim army was fighting on foot and stated that everyone should follow suit. Following this, they all tremendously fought against the Byzantines and pushed them back to the point that they fled and took refuge in their fortresses. The way the Arabs took control of Caesarea, in the same manner was Gaza conquered. The Muslims had taken control of Gaza once before as well during the era of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqra, but later they had to leave from there. When both these frontier regions were in the control of the Muslims, Hazrat Amrra bin Al-Aas felt at ease from any danger arising from the coastal side. (Sayyiduna Umar Farooq A‘zam, Muhammad Husain Haikal, [translated], pp.

357-359, Islami Kutub Khana, Lahore) (Sirat Amir-ilMu‘minin Umar bin al-Khattabra, Al-Salabi, pp. 735736, 744-745, Dar al-Isha‘ah Karachi, 1991)

These accounts will continue; however, at this moment in time I will mention some deceased members and will also lead their funeral prayers [in absentia] after the Friday prayers.

The first mention is of respected Khadijah Sahiba, wife of respected Maulvi K Muhammad Alvi Sahib, who was the former missionary of Kerala. She passed away recently at the age of 80.

َ ْ َ َّ َ ّٰ َّ ‫اج ُعوْ َن‬ ِ ‫ِانا لِل ِہ و ِانا ِالی ِہ ر‬

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

Her father, Kunhi Muhayyu-ul-Din Sahib was among the early Ahmadis of Kerala. The deceased had the opportunity to enter the fold of Ahmadiyyat at a very young age. She exhibited great patience and gratitude and was regular in her prayers and fasting and very religious. She looked after the poor, was very hospitable and always content with whatever she had.

Her husband was a missionary and would be away from home for many days whilst on official tours; however, the deceased never complained and was always filled with gratitude.

She is survived by two sons and five daughters. The deceased was a musia [part of the Wasiyyat scheme]. Her eldest son, K Mahmood Sahib was also a missionary and passed away at the age of 54 owing to kidney

failure. Her youngest son is also a muallim of the Jamaat and all five of her daughters are married to missionaries. May Allah the Almighty grant her His forgiveness and mercy.

The next mention is of Malik Sultan Rasheed Khan Sahib of Kot Fateh Khan, who was the former amir of the Attock district. Malik Sultan Rasheed Khan Sahib passed away in the night between the 22 and 23 August:

َ ْ َ َّ َ ّٰ َّ ‫اج ُعوْ َن‬ ِ ‫ِانا لِل ِہ و ِانا ِالی ِہ ر‬

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

By the grace of Allah the Almighty, he was a musi. His father, Col Malik Sultan Muhammad Khan Sahib took the bai‘at at the hand of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra in 1923 at the age of 23. His father was the only Ahmadi in his family. He later got married to Aisha Siddiqa Sahiba, the daughter of Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Ahmad Siyal Sahib. The marriage proposal was recommended by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra himself. Sultan Rashid Sahib’s grandfather’s name was Malik Sultan Surakh Ruh Khan.

He was afforded with great respect in the royal court of the British Empire and would be seated on a chair to sit on in the royal court as a mark of respect. He accepted Ahmadiyyat four years after his son, Malik Sultan Muhammad Khan sahib.

The services rendered by Malik Sultan Rashid Khan Sahib for the Jamaat are as follows: He had the opportunity to serve as the amir of the Attock district from 1996 to 1999 and from 2005 to 2014. At the time of his demise, he was serving as the president of the Kot Fateh Khan Jamaat. He was a relative of the former governor of West Pakistan, Amir Muhammad Khan. Their entire family was immersed in various worldly pursuits; however, after accepting Ahmadiyyat, his father did not completely abandon his worldly endeavours, but always gave precedence to his faith over worldly matters and this same quality was found in Malik Sultan Rasheed Khan Sahib as well.

Initially, he had done a Wasiyyat of 1/10 and later changed it to 1/7. He also paid Wasiyyat on his property and I believe he paid 1/10 on his property and 1/7 on the rest of his income. His sister, Rashida Siyal states: “Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh once wrote to me, ‘Your father was like an unsheathed sword for Ahmadiyyat and this same quality is also found in your brothers.’”

She further states regarding her brother, Malik Sultan Rashid Sahib: “Our brother had a very a strong bond with Khilafat and he would immediately adhere to every instruction of Khalifatul Masih. By the grace and blessings of Allah the Almighty, he always remained a very trusted servant of Khilafat and always served with complete devotion. He was extremely spiritual and whenever anyone would see him they would feel that he had no attachment whatsoever to materialistic life. He was extremely humble and would never speak much about his personal relationship with Allah the Almighty, even though he had a very strong bond.

“He would spend day and night praying for others, whether they be a friend, relative or someone he did not even know. There is not a single person from among his friends, family and others who left empty-handed from his door.

“Many people also took advantage of his generosity; however, he would never refuse them. One lady came to my niece and said, ‘What will happen of those people now whose stoves were lit only due to the financial help received from Sultan Rashid Sahib.’”

In other words, all their food and provisions were taken care of through the help of Sultan Rashid Khan Sahib.

She further states: “He showed such an exemplary level of generosity that we cannot even imagine. My niece one day asked him whether people even appreciated and remembered all the help he rendered towards them. To this, he replied that perhaps they might not remember it but his only intention was that Allah the Almighty be pleased with him.”

His sister, Naeema Sahiba states: “My brother had a great passion for tabligh and became a means of guidance for many fortunate souls. He would find an opportunity to do tabligh to anyone who would meet him. Many non-Ahmadi friends would visit in the evening and would discuss the subject of the demise of Jesusas for hours and there was also an element of danger in this as well.

“His passion for worship was remarkable.

He would often close the door of his room and worship his God in solitude. Allah the Almighty also granted him true dreams and visions. Once, he went to Abbottabad in the summer season. He was suddenly faced with some financial hardship and there was nothing else he could do except pray. In his morning walk whilst passing by an area filled with trees, he heard a loud and clear voice state:

ََُْ ّٰ ‫لَاتقنطوْا ِم ْن َر ْح َم ِۃ الل ِہ‬

“[Despair not of the mercy of Allah].”

The wife of Zubairi Sahib, who is the former amir of Attock province, states: “He had told his sister that during the era of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh, he was staying at her house in order to attend a meeting with all the districts. He looked quite concerned and when enquired as to what the matter was, he stated that he had to deliver a speech but was not able to prepare for it at all. However, the next morning, he was very happy and joyful and when he came for breakfast, he said that in the night, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh came in his dream and dictated the entire speech in a short time and now, all praise be to Allah, his speech was ready.”

He had an immense level of trust in Allah the Almighty that he spent many years living in his village without any kind of worry despite being surrounded by houses of opponents; he was never scared or anxious. He was extremely courageous. He would often say, “Not even a single leaf can move without the command of God.” Once, his attendant in the house sent someone back who had come to seek some help and so he advised him saying, “If Allah the Almighty has made me a means of helping someone then who am I to tell them to go back.” He had the skill of being able to partake in any intellectual discussion.

He had read the books of the Promised Messiahas many times. Masha-Allah, he possessed many qualities and was regular in his Salat and fasting. He was also regular in his Tahajud and devoted to worship. He would speak with great wisdom and would always conclude his talk with the subject of

tabligh. May Allah the Almighty grant him His forgiveness and mercy.

The next mention is of respected Abdul Qoyum Sahib of Indonesia, who passed away on 25 August at the age of 82.

َ ْ َ َّ َ ّٰ َّ ‫اج ُعوْ َن‬ ِ ‫ِانا لِل ِہ و ِانا ِالی ِہ ر‬

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

He was the son of the late Abdul Wahid Sumatri Sahib, who was the first non-Indian and non-Pakistani missionary [of the Jamaat]. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from a renowned technical school in Indonesia. Then, upon a government scholarship, he pursued higher education in France, where he obtained a master’s degree in petroleum economics.

He was then employed by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources where he worked in various capacities. Even after retiring, he would be called upon for work due to being an expert in the field. Then, at the age of 73, after a great deal of effort, he obtained his PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Indonesia.

He rendered invaluable services for his country as well; in 1973, he proposed a formula for liquefied natural gas to the government. As a result, between 1974 and 2000, this benefitted the government by 110 billion dollars. In fact, Ahmadis everywhere are always ready to serve their country and nation. Even in Indonesia, due to the sway of clerics, Ahmadis face grave persecution in certain areas, but despite this, it is our duty to remain loyal to the country.

Abdul Qoyum Sahib also received the country’s highest possible award for a civil servant. Then, in 2005, he received another auspicious award which is given to those outside the Indonesian government and military who render remarkable services in their fields. Furthermore, the country’s heroes are given a military ceremony at one of their graveyards where they are buried. However, since the deceased [Abdul Qoyum Sahib] did not wish to be buried there, the military ceremony took place at the graveyard for Musian in Parung, which is where he was honourably buried.

He was very loving and took great care for his siblings. His father had advised him to take care of his siblings and he always acted upon this. He treated missionaries and lifedevotees with great respect.

His younger brother, Basit Sahib is also a missionary as well as the National President of the Jamaat in Indonesia. He was very kind in treatment to those who worked under him.

One person who worked under him said that he had been under his care since the age of nine and that he paid for his school fees and various other expenses. Then, due to his kind treatment, this person went on to read the books of the Promised Messiahas, after which he accepted Ahmadiyyat. The deceased’s kindness and generosity was of a very high standard. He always treated everyone equally and never behaved proudly, nor was he ever prideful over the rank that he held.

One of the government gas companies which he used to work for said that he was extremely intelligent, resolute and hardworking. He was quite well-known and was high-ranking, yet despite this, he was very humble.

He had a great deal of love for Khilafat and the Jamaat. Whenever the Jamaat

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required a sacrifice to be made or was facing some sort of hardship, he would render help with great sincerity. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh stayed at his home when he visited Indonesia. Even whilst working in government jobs, the deceased never hid the fact that he was an Ahmadi, nor did he do so afterwards, even though the persecution [of Ahmadis] increased later on – he never hid the fact that he was an Ahmadi.

He was always ready to propagate the message to his friends, and was a recognised Ahmadi figure. Once, the CEO of an electrical company told the minister that the water in the dam was decreasing and if this continued, then the electricity would have to be cut off. The minister trusted his [Abdul Qoyum Sahib’s] prayers, and so he told him to visit Qoyum Sahib. He went to Qoyum Sahib and requested him for help.

He replied by saying that if he wished for him to help, then he should write a letter to Khalifatul-Masih, who is their Imam. Thus, he wrote a letter requesting prayers for the matter to be resolved. He says that the letter was sent on a Tuesday, and the very next day there was a torrential downpour of rain which caused the dam to fill up.

As for his services to the Jamaat, there were various complications in the construction of the headquarters complex in Parung due to a shortage of funds. The coordinator for tabligh at the time, Mahmud Cheema Sahib mentioned this to him, to which he said that there was no need to worry, he would offer the entire amount, and this was precisely what he did. Within a span of two years, a large mosque was built there. He also contributed most of the funds for the building of the central guest house and missionary quarters. There were four quarters for which the deceased covered all building costs. In the early days of MTA Indonesia, almost all of the expenses were covered by the deceased and his wife. His home in Western Jakarta would be used as a studio, and he also covered the allowances of the workers.

In the early days of the homoeopathy [clinic] in Indonesia, his family covered all expenses from the medicines themselves to the actual clinic. The building expenses for the Al-Wahid senior high school were covered by his family, most of which was offered by him. He also offered significant financial sacrifice for the Indonesian guesthouse currently being built in Qadian known as Sara-e-Ayyub. The deceased purchased a lot of property around the Centre and then gave it to the Jamaat to use for accommodation.

Masoom Ahmad Sahib, Principal Jamia Ahmadiyya Indonesia writes: “At times there would be long discussions among the amila [administrative body] during meetings; however, if the national president – who is also his younger brother – said that the discussion should end, then he would immediately become silent and would not present any further ideas.”

May Allah the Almighty grant the deceased His forgiveness and mercy.

The next mention is of respected Daouda Razaki Younus Sahib of Benin, who passed away on 27 August at the age of 74. َ ْ َ َّ َ ّٰ َّ ‫اج ُعوْ َن‬ ِ ‫ِانا ل ِل ِہ و ِانا ِالی ِہ ر‬ [“Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him

shall we return.”]

He was among the initial Ahmadis of Benin and was the only Ahmadi in his family. He accepted Ahmadiyyat in 1967 through his older brother Zikrullah Daouda Sahib, who was the first Ahmadi of Benin.

The deceased’s wife and children are not Ahmadi; may Allah the Almighty enable them to join as well.

Mian Qamar Ahmad, who is the national president and missionary-in-charge [of Benin] writes: “He told me the story of his acceptance of Ahmadiyyat just a few days before he passed away. He said that he learned that his older brother Zikrullah Daouda Sahib had accepted Ahmadiyyat in Nigeria. He heard people saying various things about Ahmadiyyat, and so he went to meet his brother and saw him wearing an ‘Alaysallah’ ring [a ring with the Arabic inscription ‘Is Allah not sufficient for His servant?’] and so he asked his older brother what kind of ring this was and what significance it held in his faith. He explained that it had a verse of the Holy Quran inscribed on it which meant, ‘Is Allah not sufficient for His servant?’ and this is what was taught by the founder of the Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian. Then he asked his brother whether Ahmadiyyat was different from Islam. His brother explained that the Imam whom he was waiting for had already come and it was their belief that this is the true Islam. Upon hearing this, he said that he began reading the books of the Promised Messiahas, and after reading The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, he accepted Ahmadiyyat.”

He was among the learned Ahmadis of Benin; he had studied in France where he obtained his master’s in business management. He retired from the post of national director for electricity and hydro in Benin. He was highly influential, dignified, and honourable.

He was regular in offering prayers, including Tahajud, and was virtuous, and sincere. He had profound love for the Promised Messiahas and the Khulafa and made it a habit to study their books. He held various offices in the Jamaat and rendered many services to the Jamaat in Benin. He served as chairman of Humanity First from the outset and would organise medical camps and would accompany the doctors, spending entire days without eating, while remaining occupied in serving humanity.

Dr Qamar Ahmad Ali Sahib says: “I had the privilege of serving as a doctor in Benin. During the medical camps, no matter if he was tired or slept late after a journey, I always saw him offering Tahajud prayers for a long time at night. Whenever I would wake up, I found him offering Tahajud prayers.”

Muzaffar Ahmad Zafar Sahib, who is a missionary, says: “Whenever he had to deliver a speech, he would speak from the heart about fulfilling the conditions of bai‘at and would tell me that until one did not understand the revelation of the Promised Messiahas ‘Is Allah not sufficient for His servant,’ then they are drawn by materialism.”

Then, the national president writes: “In 2006, he gifted 30 acres of land to the Jamaat. In 2021, I expressed my desire

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“He used to say that if the children of the Jamaat were able to obtain an education, then the Benin Jama`at would become one of the largest jamaats in Africa. He would give children valuable books of the Jamaat as a reward. When he went to visit the Baitul Ikram orphanage, he said to Dr Walid Sahib, who is in-charge there, that he

should ensure the children’s well-being and security because they were the children of the Jamaat and of the nation and they were their parents, and he prayed for them as well.”

May Allah the Almighty grant the deceased His forgiveness and mercy and elevate everyone’s station.

As I said, after the Friday prayers, I will offer their funeral prayer in-absentia.

(Original Urdu transcript published in Al Fazl International 1 October 2021, 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 2021